A gentle British film called The Ghost Train, starring Arthur Askey.
Released in 1941, a more peaceful time.
I've just seen... Page 85
Saw Another Year. As some critics have commented, "Another year, another Mike Leigh film" (the wags!). They're pretty much spot on though. I've been a fan of Mike Leigh's most of my life (even watching the dreadful Career Girls) but this, like his last film really (Happy Go Lucky) is just another piece of nicely observed slice-of-life stuff, which doesn't really have a story to tell.
Performances are all great, but I increasingly get the feeling that Leigh's improvisational process of developing a script and the characters with his actors, can lead to an end product heavy on realism and performance, but short on story and ideas.
It's not a bad film, but it does just rather trail off into nothingness and left me fairly unsatisfied that, having invested some time in the characters, there wasn't really any end to the story. As usual, there was nothing in this that was in any way filmic - it could have quite as easily been filmed for TV.
Mike Leigh apparently has become a happier man in the last few years. I'm very pleased for him. But some of his best work (I'm thinking of the wonderful Naked, or much further back, High Hopes) was done when he was of a more depressed state of mind.
Seeing the soon-to-be-abolished UK Film Council's logo on the opening credits also made me feel that, although I hope Mike Leigh continues to make a film every year, it just might be a good idea if he had to convince people he had a good story to tell before he was handed the money.
I always approach Mike Leigh films with a sense of duty rather than anticipation. And Naked seems an increasingly long time ago.
I never approach Mike Leigh films. One was enough for me, whatever one that was. Eugh, I just can't be arsed with it all.
*sits back listening to John Williams CD*
The best reason to go and watch Another Year is to see Martin Savage in a cameo, playing a character which is about as far away from Camp-as-Christmas Damon (in Extras) as is humanly possible. It took me about five minutes to even realise it was him. 
Quote: Tim Walker @ November 18 2010, 9:36 PM GMTIt's not a bad film, but it does just rather trail off into nothingness
Yes but I liked that about it... life continues.
Watched the original Dark Water last night. Those Japanese really do know how to orchestrate the old dread. Good stuff.
'The Mist', very enjoyable monster movie from the Shawshank Redemption/Green Mile/Walking Dead director, Frank Darabont. Great downbeat ending, too.
Great ending.
I'm watching Let The Right One In.
Quote: Matthew Stott @ November 19 2010, 10:48 PM GMT'The Mist', very enjoyable monster movie from the Shawshank Redemption/Green Mile/Walking Dead director, Frank Darabont. Great downbeat ending, too.
More downbeat than the novella
Frank Darabont also wrote the screenplay to the excellent though forgotten remake of The Blob.
I'm halfway through Keeping Mum.
As Brit coms go it's been quite enjhoyable so far.
Quote: don rushmore @ November 18 2010, 2:04 AM GMTA gentle British film called The Ghost Train, starring Arthur Askey.
Released in 1941, a more peaceful time.
Based on a play written by Godfrey from Dads Army
Remake of The Blob?
ie not the old one with... someone. Steve McQueen?
Quote: zooo @ November 19 2010, 11:12 PM GMTRemake of The Blob? ie not the old one with... someone. Steve McQueen?
Ah, you've gone up in my estimation for knowing that, zooo! Yes, it was a remake of the McQueen one. 1988ish? Ironically the original was the first film I saw on telly as a kid that absolutely terrified me. The bit where an old man pokes the blob with a stick and gets it on his hand still gives me the collywobbles.