All That Jazz (1979)

I’d been keen to see Bob Fosse’s semi-autobiographical All That Jazz (1979) for awhile and I finally sat down with it over one weekend. Fascinating to watch such a reliable and straight-laced performer like Roy Schneider stretch himself, playing a version of Fosse that is glib, controlling, physical, exhausted and ultimately, a rueful asshole. Some […]

Prince Of The City (1981)

I bought Prince Of The City (1981) on iTunes last year and had always been putting it off because it was three hours long. Finally sat with it one night, director Sidney Lumet’s adaptation of the true story concerning Daniel Ciello (a career best performance by Treat Williams), a cocky narcotics squad detective who suffers […]

Q – The Winged Serpent (1982)

Larry Cohen’s Q – The Winged Serpent (1982) is an entertaining mix of creature feature horror and gritty New York crime drama. A winged serpent – who does not look as realistic as it does on the poster – terrorises New York rooftop bathers, construction workers and window cleaners. Good cast of B-movie regulars like […]

Wolfen (1981)

Ever since Michael Keaton referenced it as a joke in The Dream Team, I’ve been curious about Wolfen (1981). With Albert Finney’s passing, I tracked down a copy to finally watch. A busy year for movies about wolves (this is not strictly a werewolf movie) with The Howling and American Werewolf In London released in […]

Girlfriends (1978)

Girlfriends (1978) is a buried treasure of independent cinema whose influence was touted awhile back by Lena Dunham (who held a revival screening and hired director Claudia Weill to helm an episode of Girls). It also feels like the inspiration to filmmakers like Nicole Holofcener, Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig, etc as it is about […]