Oliver Battershall

The Big Sleep (1946) 4.5/5
Was lucky enough to catch this at the cinema while I’m up in Glasgow. As anyone will tell you the plot is very convoluted but there was so much that I found completely captivating about this that I hardly minded at all unlike with a fair few other noirs from this era. I’m realising it’s an era/genre of film that necessitates the cinema experience maybe more than any other, there’s details in the facial acting and cinematography that are simply lost when watching at home. This is one of my first Bogart films and my first of Bacall’s, and god are they both electric here. Effortlessly cool, Bogie with his sky quips and Bacall’s aura that just stops you dead in your tracks. They make this. Need to watch more stuff from this sphere.

Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky (1991) 3.5/5
I saw a list of Edgar Wright’s all-time favourite movies once where he said this one was “above ranking”, I’m not necessarily an Edgar Wright fan but it’s easy to see why someone of his ilk would love this. I’m maybe the most enamoured I’ve ever been by an all-powerful protagonist since Reeve’s Superman, and the over-the-top gore is really something to behold. The contrast of the vivid gushing bloodshed with the very traditional man-of-the-people heroism in the storytelling was very fun.

The Beach Girls and the Monster (1965) 1/5
From the title and poster I went into this hoping for a sleazy fun time, by the ten minute mark I was just thankful I only had an hour left. Very drab and the amount of dancing/surfing filler sequences means there’s hardly any actual movie to talk about. The monster scenes are scarce but at least there’s some fun to be had from the bad acting and the “THAT was their best take?” moments.

Lars and the Real Girl (2007) 4/5
One of those movies that shouldn’t work as well as it does. Despite the comically absurd premise there’s such unwavering sincerity pouring out from every character that makes this so touching. I’m a big fan of Gosling and this is maybe my favourite performance of his. It’s a quietly nuanced and respectful tale with a perfect ending. Also it’s got me slightly missing cold weather, some movies just manage to make winter feel so effortlessly evocative!

The Andromeda Strain (1971) 4/5
A pretty fun early techno-thriller that’s full of those Michael Crichton hallmarks (always listen to the scientists) and is made worth it by some really stylish editing, sound and production design. Speaking of listening to the scientists, this story should maybe do that a bit less, as a lot of the movie seems like pre-amble when it constitutes of them just talking. Then you realise you’re halfway through and that’s the kinda point of the whole movie. This means it doesn’t employ tension as well as it could, but it’s worth a watch for anyone who enjoys early computer-age stuff.

The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006) 3.5/5
Definitely the safest entry in the saga so far to show to someone who never played with Hot Wheels, despite the fact that the cars are the sexiest they’ve looked yet here. The characters were generally strong but the protagonist felt like a bit of a weak link. Paul Walker and the wacky yet deceivingly wholesome foundations of the first two are abandoned in favour of a much more edgy and admittedly refined tone, but I’m still allowed to miss them! That cameo at the end felt like lowering into a warm bath! That theme song still slaps by the way.