Spider-Man 3

Watched it at last. Good blend of comedy and excitement - though perhaps a tad OTT on the action. You start to wonder how many times a guy can get thrown against a wall before he gets fed up with the whole thing and goes home. Good to see Stan Lee again. And I preferred this version's Goblin uniform than Willem Dafoe's. Admittedly the film could have had a good 15 minutes cut out of it, but we couldn't quite see where from. At least he didn't lose his aunt's engagement ring.

Flying Down To Rio, Sleepless In Seattle and Casablanca

Another film night chez Peter and Maggie - the theme was cities. Flying Down To Rio was bizarre - in terms of the somewhat naive acting, direction, effects etc (it was 1933 after all) but when Fred and Ginger danced together, wow! Sleepless In Seattle was a bit of a struggle, especially if you don't like Tom Hanks (but probably great if you don't like Bill Pullman!) Casablanca was - Casablanca. Funnily enough I watched a lot of the early part of the film not remembering it, so finding it interesting - and then slept through the last half hour. Mea culpa etc.

Oh! What A Lovely War

Watched it on DVD the night before Remembrance Day because I thought I should watch something meaningful and pertinent. Wasn't disappointed. A bit slow to start with but interesting use of the old Brighton Pier and once the songs began I was swept away. Couldn't remember anything of the stage show we put on at Tiffins - just after the Falklands War broke out, causing the audience, sadly, to stay away.

Miscellany

Have been enjoying Jamie Oliver's and Gordon Ramsey's series. Stopped watching Nigella Lawson's after the first programme. More on that another time.

Watched the first hour of Children Of The Damned the other night before falling asleep. Life is too short to have another go. Afraid all it taught me was that Ian Hendry (a genius - God rest his soul) couldn't do a Welsh accent.

On a more positive note, watched the best ever Criminal Minds the other night - guest starring Jeannetta Arnette, whose scenes opposite Mandy Patinkin were phenomenal. And I got to cry again! The plot - unlike any other CM I have watched - and the way it unravelled really made you think. About marrying the wrong man, about motherhood, about police work... Special mention also for her husband (Michael Massee) and for the warden (Roger Aaron Brown). Excellent. It was Series One Episode 14 and it is going on my letter to Santa.

ET

Watched this a couple of weeks ago - at 4 in the morning because I couldn't sleep! Brilliant! I'd forgotten just how good it is. Watched the original theatrical release with the intention of watching the recut version soon. Stunning the way Spielberg tells it all from the kids' perspective. Until an hour and ten minutes into the movie, the only adult you see the face of is Dee Stone's. High spot - crying at the end of the movie. How does he do that?

Spider-Man 2

Watched it on DVD and have bought S3. Much more enjoyable than S1 - largely due to the excellent effects and acting going on every time Alfred Molina is on screen. His character really makes you think. And the relationship between Peter and MJ moves on nicely. Looking forward to S3.

Night of the Demon

Almost forgot - watched this recently having recorded it off one of the main TV channels. Appalling stuff view-wise - both left and right sides of the screen were chopped off so didn't bother to keep it. Must look for it on DVD. Apart from that it was of course fantastic. Highlight - the medium speaking with Maurice Denham's voice and saying "It's in the trees. It's coming!" which was of course used by Kate Bush in Hounds of Love. Lowlight - the ambulance bell ringing when all they were doing was to take Rand Hobart from his secure institution to a paranormal science convention. Moves nicely into a telephone ringing I believe but I don't think an ambulance is supposed to ring its bell unless it's an emergency.

Miscellany

Forgot to mention - the other week, while painting the living room, having the DVD player in the same room, I watched (v loud) Garth Brooks Too, Jimi Hendrix Live at Woodstock, Joe Cocker's Mad Dogs and Englishmen and Peter Gabriel's Growing Up Live. Mmm.

Spider-Man

Watched this last week on DVD. Really don't like the design of the Green Goblin. It just seems out of place - almost amateurish. But Willem Dafoe as excellent as ever, and otherwise v enjoyable, and lots of nice touches, especially the performances of Cliff Robertson and Rosemary Harris as Peter Parker's parents and the "will they/won't they" between Peter and MJ.

Duel

I watched another film! And excellent it was too - I'd forgotten just how well Spielberg keeps up the excitement - and with quite limited resources. Favourite bits: the snake lady - where did that come from? - and Dennis Weaver's jumps for joy as he realises he has won the day. Least favourite: the kids making faces from the back of the bus. They go on a bit. In a masterpiece of economy, they go on a lot.

Oh, and we watched the last episode of the first series of Life On Mars. Interesting.

Out of the Blue

At last after nearly two months of watching nothing but Cagney and Lacey re-runs (excellent), Heroes (excellent) and Jamie Oliver's latest offering (at least he talks about food and cooks stuff, cp Nigella) last night I watched Out of the Blue, starring and directed by Dennis Hopper. And jolly good it was too. And the DVD only cost me £1.99! Starring is perhaps the wrong word. He was hired to play the father and took over directing after about a week because the initial director wasn't getting the right performances out of the actors. The real star is Linda Manz who plays his daughter. She plays an angry young teenager who you sense doesn't stand a chance what with her drinking and driving jailbird father and not very faithful mother (another great performance from Sharon Farrell). And she makes the ultimate punk statement in the brilliant surprise ending - but don't listen to the first few chapters of the director's commentary otherwise it won't be a surprise ending! The school bus crash at the start is pretty nifty too.