Super: Not a stupid Kick-Ass clone as I'd initially suspected, but actually a rather dark (and in places quite funny) tale of one man's struggle to get his wife back from drug dealers and rescue her from the habit. Great performances, and a not entirely predictable 'by the numbers' storyline makes this worth checking out. This film is what the dire Kick-Ass should have been.
Grave of the Fireflies: I'd wanted to see this again for a while and finally got around to it the other night. An anime which deals with a young man's struggle during war-time, after losing his mother. He is therefore left as the sole guardian of his younger sister whilst his father is off fighting. Beautiful in some respects, ugly in others, as he tries to remain strong for his sister as the war rages on around them.
High and Low: Actually my favourite Kurosawa film (and not a samurai in sight!) this cracking noir-like thriller deals with a proud businessman having to weigh up the cost of giving up his luxurious lifestyle and mortgaging everything he owns (including the shoe company he has worked for almost all of his life) in order to save his chauffeur's son at the hands of the blackmailing kidnappers.
Rififi: Decent noir from French director Jules Dassin, Rififi tells the story of a group of men who plan to rob a jewellery store, which appears to be 'the perfect crime' and, well you know the noir formula for disaster! What sets it apart from the rest is some superbly tense scenes; especially when the group are breaking into the store from above with the aid of an umbrella!
X-Men: First Class: After the previous two turgid X-Men outings (III and Origins) I wasn't expecting much from this one and had put off watching it for a while; however I was pleasantly surprised. A pretty decent plot and some great set-pieces elevates this one much higher than originally thought. Some good performances too; particularly Kevin Bacon who makes for a pretty decent 'bad guy' (...in Super, too).
The Bridge: A pretty well-made documentary which deals with the families and lives of people who have jumped to their deaths from The Golden Gate Bridge. Pretty intense at times, and surprising at how many choose to do the deed in that fashion every year.
Detective Dee - Mystery Of The Phantom Flame: A classic case of style over substance: lavish landscapes, minimal plot.
Mulholland Falls: Read about this on the forums a while ago, and thought I'd give it a shot. Aside from the delectable Ms. Connelly, I really couldn't enjoy this one much for some reason. It was okay, but did drag in places.
Theatre Of Blood: An absolute classic, Price is fantastic as usual as the scenery chewing thespian bent on revenge, Edward Lionheart. After the Phibes films, this is probably my favourite Price performance - never get tired of this one.
Blow Up: Antonioni's controversial thriller, set in swinging fashionable London. I always felt that this film is a bit over-rated; whilst it is good, it's never provoked a big reaction with me. David Hemmings reminds me of Peter Bark in this for some weird reason, too!
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