Movie review - "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events" (2004) **1/2

 Terry Gilliam lite - not bad, episodic storyline, Jim Carrey having fun. Aussie Emily Browning is the main young girl. I haven't read the books. Entertaining support cast - Tim Spall, Meryl Steep, etc.

Movie review - "It" (2017) ****

 They nailed. The kids are genuiely young so the stakes are huge. Great set pieces. Stranger Things took a lot of from. Very spooky. Powerful.

Movie review - "Buddies" (1983) **

 A film I wanted to like more than I did. There's a lot of good things. Locations. Beautiful photography. The world of sapphire prospecting. The cast - though no real stars (Colin Friels, Harold Hopkins)- are amiable. But it's not very good. It's confusing. It's a film of bits rather than something cohesive. I guess so was Sunday Too Far Away but that was anchored by the tight shearing shed setting, rich character studies, the tragedy of Jack Thompson's character.

The film needed some unifying plot structure, for me at least. It could've been the Lisa Peers-Friels romance but that is undeveloped. Or Norman Kaye throwing it in. Or some sort of ticking clock.

Movie review - "Prince Valiant" (1954) **1/2

 It's classy. in a way - Dudley Nichols wrote the script, Henry Hathaway directed. The story suits CinemaScope. Nicely shot. Fox thre money at it. The story is solid - exciled prince joins court of King Arthur.

Janet Leigh and James Mason suit this world. Robert Wagner did not - he was never much as an action hero or in period costume. His performance/wig has been much mocked, though he's clearly trying. Sterling Hayden is just as miscast as Gawain - awkward with the dialogue.

TV review - "Love Life" Season 2 (2021) ***

I can see why it wasn't as popular as the first. The lead guy isn't a star in the way Anna Kendrick was... I think Jessica Williams is a star and she would've brought them in, but I recognise they wanted to tell the male story.

On the male thing... it was maybe too honest in its depiction of men! In season one Anna is always looking for love... In this one the guy gets sick of his wife pretty quick and has an emotional affair. He meets the one, Jessica Williams, but it takes a bunch of episodes for them to get together.

Maybe the lead could've been dealt a few more curve balls - like if Becca had had the baby and it was disabled, or just had the baby, or he'd fallen out with his friends. Or something.

Some of the writing is terrific though. The acting can't be faulted. It's smart entertainment, easy to watch.

Movie review - "Chicago" (2002) ***1/2

 Props to them for making it and turning it into a big hit  and getting all those Oscars. It's cast well enough - stronger in the support than the leads, though it's super fun to see people singing and dancing. Richard Gere has a good time but I wish John Travolta had played the part. Rene Zellweger and Catherine Zeta Jones can't be faulted... I was just kind of hoping for... I don't know, better stars or something.

Lots of rapid cross cutting. Lacked emotional pull for me. A lot of the time I was thinking "this would be better on stage".

Terrific songs. Cell Block Tango is my favourite. It's hilarious there was a big hit musical about murdering husbands.

Movie review - "Maxie" (1985) **

 Hollywood used to make a lot of random movies like this. I guess it still does, just on streaming. It's a riff on Blithe Spirit with dull Glenn Close and Mandy Pantinkin discovering the ghost of a 20s slapper in their building... in San Fran, when surely LA would've been more suited?

She wrecks some havoc but it doesn't have much of a reason or rhythm. Blithe Spirit had troubles in the new marriage and Madame Arcadi., the ghost had a clear goal (get her husband back). This is more haphazard.

There's some fun to be had - Close trying to seduce priest Stephen Furst, Patinkin's co worker hitting on him, Harry Hamlin as Julius Caesar.