Recently Watched Films

While it's fair to say that the first one of these remains the best and that they definitely didn't need to make three Annabelle films, I think that overall this is is actually an underrated franchise. Multiple movies of the saga have been shit on from a great height by fans and critics alike, which does not seem deserved given the sheer amount of actual stinkers the horror genre produces. The latest main film in particular has been called out as being really bad yet to me it is leaps and bounds ahead of the average standard for the genre, which also offering a fresher take after the haunted houses of the first two. An easy four stars at minimum. And The Nun may just be the most underrated horror film of the last ten years. That movie oozes a dark atmosphere that even the rest of its franchise doesn't hold a candle to. 

Not seen this in a lot of years. It turns out David Niven thought he'd be the star here, but this is the movie where the wider world discovered the genius of Peter Sellers. It doesn't matter if you ARE David Niven, you're not going to upstage Sellers.

AKA Death of a Fuckin' Salesman, according to the cast. And it's one hell of a cast. There's no complicated plot or anything, but it's something that just reels you in and you have to keep watching.

Based on actual events, this black and white neo-noir is brilliantly chilling, especially in its final scene. 

Not the most compellingly executed film, but intriguing enough to keep going with and I didn't see the plot twist coming a mile off, having fallen for the more obvious red herring it presented. Not a re-watcher, but was worth a look.

I guess it's a bit more hit than miss as far as the endless Halloween sequels go. 

This other Jamie Lee Curtis outing though, rather meh to me. 

Not bad, but also not a re-watcher. 

A poor third part of a very mixed trilogy.

I've wanted to see this one for a while, but it just hasn't been available to watch anywhere. It didn't let me down. If there's an actor who can do batshit insane better than Nic Cage I'd like to know who it is. 

Not Eastwood's most compelling work. I did like it but it's non-essential. 

Brilliant. Surely one of the best with Jack Nicholson. 

I went back and forth on whether to get this one or not, unsure if it was really me, but it turned out to be a punt that paid off. An incredible 1950s technicolour drama with southern gothic aesthetic. 

A bit melodramatic, but a great movie nonetheless. Roddy McDowall in his first movie role as Huw Morgan. Some wonderful singing, but curiously there was only one genuine Welshman in the entire cast.

Three poorly matched misfits get sent to the slammer, two of them on stitch-ups. They later escape. The film isn't really 'about' any of that, and more their interactions with each other. It's minimalist in many ways, with a lot of slow and static camera work, but the black and white cinematography is gorgeous and it all just works. I'd honestly stick it on my list of go to comfort films. 

Made in a hurry by two leads who didn't want to be in it and hated it, and somehow... It became the first Oscar grand slam (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay - only One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest and Silence of the Lambs have repeated this). Often called the first screwball comedy. Clark Gable's performance here also inspired the character of Bugs Bunny.

The second Pink Panther film which isn't really a Pink Panther film. Released only three months after The Pink Panther, this was based on a French play "L'Idiote". Inspector Clouseau is finally fleshed out fully, with his silly accent now in place. And it's Peter Sellers in full comedic flight, so well worth a watch for slapstick physical comedy and a big dose of absurdity.

Strange little movie. I saw it when I was a kid and remembered the ballad. Jane Fonda didn't want to do it and thought it would be crap, but was contractually obliged. It ended up nominated for 5 Oscars, with Lee Marvin controversially winning best actor, and making himself a name as a Hollywood drawcard at the same time. There's some great trick horseriding, and it features Nat King Cole as one of the balladeers, but the story is a bit lightweight. Other than Cat, Kid Shelleen, and the surprisingly culturally aware Jackson Two-Bears, the rest of the cast are basically cardboard cut-out Western characters.