mmm...smoke..good

mmm...smoke..good
Originally uploaded by catherine magma.

Here in Boise...Wali took off to go camping and I came down with some bug. So I hauled my ass down to Blockbuster and rented Sideways and Sin city. Sideways was great and Sin City was better than I expected. I thought Mickey Rourke looked a little like the Beast from Jean Cocteau's Belle et Bette.
Also got The Bride of Frankenstein, M (by Fritz Lang),Amarcord, and A Bullet in the Head(john Woo).(from the library-much cheaper)
the BOF was great. I can't believe I never saw it. The monster starts drinking and smoking and then he wants a woman. He and Doctor Posterius(whatver) force Henry Frankenstein to create the monster's bride and when he does she is a twitchy freaky thing with great eyes who promptly rejects the monster. Classic James Whale.
M has a young peter Lorre as a murdering child molester in 1930's Berlin. Alot of the movie has an almost documentary feel as they indicate all the latest types of detective capabilites to track down this insane killer who is terrorizing the city. Shots of people analyzing handwriting(unfilled loops indicate an indolent, lazy type of character, such as an actor), tracking down types of paper used in candy stores, etc.
The scene where Lorre is put to trial by the criminals of the city(who captured him because the cops kept busting their hangouts and messing up their biz.)is excellent. Peter Lorre pulls out all the stops.
Amarcord is great. Memories of small town italy from the thirties as only Fellini can do it(although Woody Allen tried).One great scene is when the family goes on a horse carriage trip to the farm and on the way they pick up the uncle who is at the Institution. After lunch and a few glasses of wine the odd uncle climbs to the top of a tree and starts yelling "I WANT A WOMAN!" over and over and won't come down.

I can relate.