Movie review - "Desperately Seeking Susan" (1985) ****

 Wonderful movie. A tight script from a mysterious writer Leora Barish (what happened to her) directed with life, joy and flavour by Susan Seidelman. New York is a wonderland, full of colour and characters - magicians and their sidekicks, hunky cinema operators, MCs, blonde assassins. The macguffin is Egyptian artefacts - how cool is that?

Many talented people at the beginning of their careers including Steven Wright, Will Patton and Jon Turturro. Aidan Quinn is the perfect male romantic lead, Rosanna Arquette was never better as the innocent wife, Madonna is electric in the perfect role.

Movie review - "There's Always Vanilla" (1971) **

 Romero's least known film? A story of an fboi (Raymond Laine) who drifts around post-army, trying different jobs, annoying his dad, sleeping around, writing. He sleeps with Judith Laine, who is lovely (she was in Night of the Living Dead); she gets pregnant, he's tempted to sell out, can't do it.

This wasn't bad. It's the sort of movie that might play with a super charismatic star - Laine doesn't have that, he's not good looking enough for Laine.  

The movie has an intelligence, talks about big issues. It's indulgent but not terrible. It just lacks a charismatic star.