Films: January 25 - 31

Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo (The Good, The Bad And The Ugly) (1966)

Swashbuckler (1976)

The Big Clock (1948)

Easy Living (1937)

Don't Worry Darling (2022)

Live By Night (2016)

Coma (1978) ///

Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo (The Good, The Bad And The Ugly) (1966) Buoyed by expansive visuals and impressive scale, dismissively confident Clint Eastwood, emotional Eli Wallach and cruel Lee Van Cleef chase buried treasure amid blasted, hostile towns and savagery of Civil War America. Maintains heightened sense of drama and humor while Ennio Morricone's music soars.

Swashbuckler (1976) Exhuberantly good-natured pirate adventure sees lumbering scarlet bucasneer Roobert Shaw counfoudning venal Peter Boyle and colonial Bahamas authorities. Gutsy Genevieve Bujold provides a suitable foil amid colorful locations and desing even if visuals and plot fails to capture needed romantic sweep.

The Big Clock (1948) Structured and executed with tense precision, noir shadows gradually close on arrogant crime journalist Ray Milland, assigned to murder case by sleazy newspaper boss (and killer) Charles Laughton. Strong cast and increasingly claustrophobic action while production shines with gleaming visuals.

Easy Living (1937) Vibrant comedy underpinned by satiric swipes easily mixes the physical and verbal as struggling Jean Arthur discovers a discarded fur coat and association with arrogant tycoon Edward Arnold propels her up the social ladder. Ostentatious visuals highlight Depression-era setting. Lightly irresistible.

Don't Worry Darling (2022) Striking design and crisp visuals create edgy atmosphere yet toxic male fragility never quite delivers on thriller threats, despite a committed, involving Florence Pugh. Without irony, frustratingly vague and uneven real world remains clouded by the symbolic.

Live By Night (2016) Handsomely mounted, a robust cast bring drama to individual scenes yet can't enliven a bland, unevenly spun narrative that sees haunted Ben Affleck lumber through blood-soaked streets of Boston and bleached Prohibition Florida. Despite ferocious gunplay, fumbles for emotional reach.

Coma (1978) Grounded in chilly hospital intensity, dedicated doctor Genevieve Bujold battles patriarchal control to uncover institutional plot behind operating room mishaps. Unnerving atmosphere built through intelligent detail builds to edgy thrills, with Jerry Goldsmith score ramping up the tension.

Films: January 18 - 24

The Hurricane Season (2009)

The Guardian (2006)

Mr. District Attorney (1946)

Zabriskie Point (1970) 

The Hangover (2009)

Per un pugno di dollari (A Fistful Of Dollars) (1964)

Per qualche dollaro in più (For A Few Dollars More) (1965) ///

The Hurricane Season (2009) Grounded in New Orleans community devastation after Katrina, determined basketball coach Forrest Whitaker rebuilds school remnants into winning team. Solid visuals and ensemble drama hits persuasive moves until fuzzy, hurried third act dampens momentum.

The Guardian (2006) Muscular action initially enlivens standard heroics with damaged US Coast Guard swimmer Kevin Costner training recruits including equally damaged Ashton Kutcher. Solid production skills maintain involvement, even if final reach for myth runs out of steam.

Mr. District Attorney (1946) Told with little noticeable stylistic or thematic concept, noirish flavoring adds to principled young lawyer Dennis O'Keefe's downfall in the embrace of scheming Marguerite Chapman. Spirited performers including perceptive Adolphe Menjou ensure minor involvement.

Zabriskie Point (1970) Impenetrable narrative allows masterful, expressive visuals explore counter-culture themes and feeling of alienation within blistering landscapes and compelling soundtrack. Intangible feelings and atmosphere, as alienating as embracing, strive against drifting, frustrating characters.

The Hangover (2009) Astute balance of affection and cruelty for three friends who wake in Vegas with no memory of bachelor party. Central performers help ensure search for disappeared bridegroom retains a fresh, comic momentum even when laughs and characters flag amid conventional resolutions.

Per un pugno di dollari (A Fistful Of Dollars) (1964) Brutally effective, enjoyably overblown, with cunning, ironic Clint Eastwood pitting rival gangs against each other in dusty border town. Distinctive score and visuals savagely aligned to primal gunplay and playful violence, as basic narrative unfolds with a vivid sense of theatre and wicked humour.

Per qualche dollaro in più (For A Few Dollars More) (1965) Bounty hunter Clint Eastwood's detached charisma vies with cynical, revenge-fueled Lee Van Cleef in chasing down vicious Gian Maria Volonté. Tense cruelty infuses mesmerizing set pieces in expansive sets and parched landscapes as dynamic bouts of violence are orchestrated with operatic glee.