Drunken Angel (1948)

Past Movie Squad reviewer Paul Grace wrote a recommendation of Drunken Angel (1948) for an old issue of the VHS Tracking zine. Directed by Akira Kurosawa, I only realised after I had watched it that it was his first collaboration with actor Toshiro Mifune. While he’s always been a handsome, attractive man to me, Mifune […]

A Week’s Vacation (1980)

Sunday afternoon dread when the working week beckons. This is a feeling that A Week’s Vacation (1980; aka A Week Of Holidays aka Une semaine de vacances) is about, yet it also works as a soothing balm for such an emotion. The second film I’ve watched by French director Bertrand Tavernier, A Week’s Vacation is […]

Where Is The Friend’s Home? (1987)

After seeing one or two Abbas Kiarostami directed films, friends had recommended the Koker Trilogy – not an official trilogy but three films shot in the Iranian village of Koker. Where Is The Friend’s Home? (1987; Khane-ye dust kojast) was added to Mubi recently and I was very keen to see it. Whenever I see […]

Sullivan’s Travels (1941)

Another classic film watch based on crossing off the titles listed in Danny Peary’s Cult Movies 2, his selections that I had not seen. Sullivan’s Travels (1941) was always something I’d heard was good – directed and written by the screwball comedy master Preston Sturges (I’ve only seen The Lady Eve and that is one […]

The Clockmaker Of St. Paul (1974)

When French director Bertrand Tavernier passed away recently, I was ashamed to say I’d not seen any of his movies. A number of them are on the Criterion Channel until the end of June, which gave me a timeline to at least see a few. I started with his first film, The Clockmaker Of St. […]