On the set: Anouk Aimée
Saturday, 12 August 2017
Friday, 11 August 2017
Tonari no Totoro (1988)
When two girls move to the country to be near their ailing mother, they have adventures with the wondrous forest spirits who live nearby.
Wonderful anime fantasy with some quite surreal, but harmless elements; however, its appeal is obviously intended for a small toddler audience.
Maltin***1/2: "Gentle, infectious animated tale...Beautiful art direction and excellent English-language treatment make this a treat for small children an parents; older kids may chafe at the story's leisurely pace. Wait till you see the 12-legged cat-bus!"
Thursday, 10 August 2017
Message to Love: The Isle of Wight Festival (1996)
Feature documentary film of the Isle of Wight Festival 1970.
Excellent and thorough documentary of a festival on the verge of chaos doesn't avoid some uncomfortable insights and still manages to include some great music.
Maltin***: "Top-notch documentary...Priceless footage of rock acts, including Hendrix and The Doors' Jim Morrison just before their deaths."
Top Gun (1986)
As students at the United States Navy's elite fighter weapons school compete to be best in the class, one daring young pilot learns a few things from a civilian instructor that are not taught in the classroom.
Reagan Era (and fascistoid) gung-ho as slick entertainment; only watchable, if your mind is turned off.
Halliwell (no star): "A feast of hardware and noisy music; not much story."
Maltin**1/2: "Contrived beyond belief, with dogfights that play like video games, and total lack of sexual chemistry between the two leads...but slickly calculated to please '80s audiences (and fans of ever-smiling Cruise). Edwards, as Cruise's sidekick, steals the show."
Tuesday, 8 August 2017
The Breakfast Club (1985)
Five high school students meet in Saturday detention and discover how they have a lot more in common than they thought.
Unusual teenage drama staged as a one-room ensemble play; some moments are silly and unnerving (they're teens, after all), but otherwise a quite impressive movie.
Halliwell (no star): "Abysmal apologia for loutish teenage behaviour."
Maltin**1/2: "A bold experiment in the era of teen raunch movies (written and directed by a man who's made more than his share)...Alternately poignant, predictable, and self-important, but filled with moments of truth and perception."
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