I have two questions about The Glass Key: why does Veronica Lake play it like she is in a rom-com, and why does it work so well?

I have one film watching rule, I see a film on PrimeVideo starring Joi Lansing. I watch that film the next day. Here's to Hot Cars.

The face I have when I write my Letterboxd reviews

ELEVATOR TO THE GALLOWS / LIFT TO THE SCAFFOLD (Louis Malle, 1958, rewatch). Wonderful to see this atmospheric noir with elements of the French New Wave on the big screen at The Garden Cinema yesterday - fabulous Miles Davis soundtrack, too. A birthday treat for a friend. #FilmSky

Tonight's film

The Drowning Pool is a fine follow-up to Harper. Paul Newman reprises his role as Lew Harper, Ross MacDonald's Private Investigator Lew Archer, and while the action is moved from MacDonald's California to New Orleans much of the flavour of the novel is retained.

This afternoon's film

I have been reading fantasy novels for going on 35 years, like a total nerd, and I really think Shauna Lawless's series that begins with The Children of Gods and Fighting Men is in the top two or three greatest things in the genre. Such a great read.

Great line-up. Pre-ordered 3 of these.

British thriller Tomorrow at 10 (1962) is on @talkingpicturestv.bsky.social today, 1:35pm. Directed by Lance Comfort and starring John Gregson, Robert Shaw and Kenneth Cope.

There aren't enough films about people punching Communists, so one with Sterling Hayden is always going to get a pass despite its obvious flaws.

No-one has looked more bored than my wife, as I describe how good Glenda Jackson was in Stevie playing poet Stevie Smith. Ha ha.

Hold the front page! Whit Stillman is adapting Patrick Hamilton’s THE SLAVES OF SOLITUDE for the big screen! #BookSky 💙📚 #FilmSky 🎬

I thought Stevie was the most remarkably emotional watch, as it slides from a waspish stageplay about the brilliance of Stevie Smith into a reckoning with loneliness and death.

I thought Stevie was the most remarkably emotional watch, as it slides from a waspish stageplay about the brilliance of Stevie Smith into a reckoning with loneliness and death.

Not going to be able to write a better review of Stevie than this

Tonight's films, a double bill of;

Honestly, I don't think this is about antisemitism in the Green Party or Polanski's patented 'have I told you that I myself am Jewish' response to it. Sadly, most people don't care. But a lot do think *criticising police officers for kicking a knifeman (still holding the knife) in the head* is bad.

Just noticed this is leaving PrimeVideo. I must watch it. Nothing better than anti-Communist noirs.

I have very much chosen the film I am going to watch tonight.

School holidays today. Trying to convince my daughter that we should go outside. She looked out the window, said "looks like rain", and went and put the TV on. I am stood in the hall with my shoes on, forlornly holding her jacket.

The only good streaming algorithm is the PrimeVideo section: "Leaving Prime in the next 30 days" Guaranteed to find something you really want to watch.

My full review of Whisky Galore!

"I have orgasms. He has 'wargasms.'" Savages is a prime late-career Oliver Stone, prolix filmmaking meets slick Hollywood with mixed results. Stone wants Savages to be an overarching look at drugs with the positives and negatives. He abhors the violence and loves seeing his characters get high.

Tonight's film

For Star Wars day, give us your top 10 sci-fi films. Seconds The Thing from Another World Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes / River 2001 Close Encounters of the Third Kind E.T. AI Artificial Intelligence 2046 Stalker Solaris (either version) Interstellar

Lady Bird. The film is edited like a sit-com, every scene is about 30 seconds long. It never lingers, or breathes, or allows a character or actor to dig deep. It is blandly smug from beginning to its very false ending. It is so bland that appeals to everyone. Cinematic ready salted crisps.

I was really taken with Catholics. A piece of speculative fiction, which takes a discursive look at the nature of the Catholic Church, under Vatican IV. Where the Pope called Father-General, Lourdes has shuttered; transubstantiation now merely symbolic, and private confession abolished.

Tonight's film

I started reading this earlier. Read the first four stories. Couldn't recommend it more. Interchange and Unreleased are so wonderful. Interchange included the following, which gave me a perfect spike of unease as the story ends:

I was really taken with Catholics. A piece of speculative fiction, which takes a discursive look at the nature of the Catholic Church, under Vatican IV. Where the Pope called Father-General, Lourdes has shuttered; transubstantiation now merely symbolic, and private confession abolished.

Now reading Ray Newman’s brand new short story collection, Thin Places in Hard Concrete (2026) 🤌 I enjoyed his last two collections A LOT so I’m pretty excited to be honest. For fans of creeping unease amid empty multistory car parks, that kind of thing… #booksky

This morning's film "Set in the near future. As a consequence of an ecumenical movement (Vatican Council IV), the Catholic Church has joined other religions and has eliminated much of the original dogma of Catholicism. A group of Irish monks rebel against this situation...

The use of Jungleland in The Smashing Machine is certifiable. Genuinely one of the oddest musical choices for a scene I can remember. I quite liked the film, but that choice from Safdie is baffling.

"He's never forgiven me for preferring God to him." Or "I'm suddenly very intelligent. It probably comes from making love to that French girl last night." I guess, I just prefer Henry.

Tonight's film

Strong agree about Unreleased. You can also HEAR The Interchange here: blogmywiki.github.io/listenwithot...

Name your top 15 TV shows ever, gut instincts only. The Wire Lonesome Dove Edge of Darkness The Inbetweeners Miami Vice Mad Men Strumpet City The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin Samurai Jack Prosperity Chernobyl Garth Marenghi's Darkplace Nathan Barley Deadwood Warriors

A list! My favourite films of 2003. I kicked 21 Grams out of this, after rewatching it. letterboxd.com/dancedanceda...

Name your top 15 TV shows ever, gut instincts only. Callan Public Eye The Sandbaggers The Prisoner John from Cincinnati Mad Men 1990 Tinker Tailor Solider Spy I, Claudius Blake's 7 Band of Brothers The Twilight Zone Dekalog Twin Peaks Mr Inbetween The X-Files

Name your top 15 TV shows. Mad Men Spiral/Engrenages Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy The Good Life Twin Peaks The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin Fargo (S2, S1, S5) Fawlty Towers Rising Damp Chernobyl Widows Friday Night Dinner The Thick of It Columbo Patrick Melrose

Name your top 15 TV shows ever, gut instincts only. Callan Public Eye The Sandbaggers The Prisoner John from Cincinnati Mad Men 1990 Tinker Tailor Solider Spy I, Claudius Blake's 7 Band of Brothers The Twilight Zone Dekalog Twin Peaks Mr Inbetween The X-Files

A list! My favourite films of 2003. I kicked 21 Grams out of this, after rewatching it. letterboxd.com/dancedanceda...

Since everyone is thinking about The Wicker Man again. I grew up where it was filmed, and here's a documentary with my grandfather in it.

The most 2003 aspect of 21 Grams is Benicio Del Toro's neck tattoo being used to signify that he is a ne'er-do-well, rather than it being every fifth person I see walking about everyday.

I continue to bang the drum for Thirteen Lives (which I see is available on iPlayer), which both Ron Howard's best film (along with Apollo 13) and a legitimately great film. No-one saw it, but it is worth everyone's time. www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...

I noticed that I have seen 4x the amount of Richard Dix films than Ronald Colman films.

Tonight's film

The Insider and And Justice for All... seem like the only big misses. Though, I personally quite like People I Know, Bobby Deerfield, Revolution, Phil Spector, and People I Know. www.theguardian.com/film/2026/ap...

The Dead (1987). Just a brilliant choice for a film adaptation. The length is perfect and Joyce’s story is so cinematic, it almost works like a film treatment -- apart from the end. Huston did a beautiful job; his film has this lovely firelit texture. You feel like you could warm your hands on it