Book review - "State of the Union: A Marriage in Ten Parts" by Nick Hornby

 Novella consisting of ten scenes almost all dialogue. I'm not sure whether this came first or the TV series. Charming dialogue. Sweet towards the end.

Movie review - "I Was a Spy" (1933) **1/2

 Part of Michael Balcon's attempt to make international movies off the back of Rome Express. This has great production values. Madeleine Carroll is a Belgian nurse who spies for England. Howard Marshall, younger and hunkier, is the Brtish spy who loves her. Conrad Veidt is the German who loves her - and cajoles her into bed. Marshall gives up his life for her.

The film lacked something. A consistent narrative maybe. It feels like a movie of scenes and moments. A few hands worked on it.  Maybe I'm cool in Carroll - someone with more empathy would've worked better.

It's fine. I wasn't that moved or engaged, that's all.

Movie review - "King of the Damned" (1935) **

 From that mid 30s period at Gaumont British where they tried to take on America and actually had some success. This is a Devil's Island picture on not set on Devil's Island due to censorship instead there are British accented officers, German Conrad Veidt is a prisoner, there are Spanish names.

The script is credited to Charles Bennett and Sidney Gilliat, two of the best British screenwriters, and it does move at a fair clip. It builds up satisfyingly to a mutiny but then punches are pulled. The romance with Veidt and a woman isn't great. The finale is a little confusing with there being a counter attack and a flat resolution with Veidot going off to appear at a trial - he should've died or something.

Play review - "Monster in the Box" by Spalding Gray

 Sequel to Swimming to Cambodia has decent moments but is bitsy - it addresses the success of that movie and its author/star's various adventures: writing a novel about his mother's suicide, going to Nicaragua, maknig a special for HBO, being in Our Town. A little over the shop but entertainining.

Capucine Top Ten

 1) North to Alaska (1960) - genuinely funny

2) The Pink Panter (1963) - terrific, holds her own against Sellers and Niven

3) What's Up Pussycat? (1965) - a third great comedy performance

4) The Seventh Dawn (1964) - flawed movie but she's excellent

5) The Exquisite Cadaver (1969) - stylish thriller and she's very well used

6) The Trail of the Pink Panther (1982) - film is terrible but it's fun to see her and Niven married

7) Fellini Satyricon (1969) - again she's well used 

8)  Walk on the Wild Side (1962) - ah look she's not great nor is the film but she and it are interesting

9) Fraulein Dockter (1969) - seducing Suzy Kendall

10) Red Sun (1971) - I'm starting to struggle to find credits by now... but the top five are strong! 

Movie review - "99 Women" (1969) ***

 Really fun women in prison film whose success helped kicked off the cycle. Harry Alan Towers was the perfect producer and writer for this genre with his love of sleaze. This has all the tropes - lesbian guard, prisoners making out, cruely, whipping, escapes, dodgy men.

There's a lot of name value with Herbert Lom, Mercedes McCambridge, Maria Schell, Luciana Paluzzi. It's quite well done by Jess Franco. 

Movie review - "Turkey Shoot" (1982) *** (rewatching)

 I watched this out of the corner of my eye on a computer, and that's the best way to see it - distracted, so you can asborb the atmosphere, it's not hard to follow the story, there are explosions and sex.

The film is actually very emotionally satisfying with the prisoners rising up - Olivia Hussey's character has a journey from coward to revolutionary (she seems innocent and adds to tension), Steve Railsback brings intensity, Michael Craig and Carmen Duncan are terrific, Lynda Stoner is sweet. It's a very well cast film. 

The rape and murder of Stoner is still yuck but watching it distracted works. It looks great. Impressive production value at the end.