[ferretchucker]

This past week?

Beverly Hills Cop (1984) - screened as an example of the New Hollywood Aesthetic of the 1980s in my Hollywood class. What can I say that you don't already know? I just love that this film doesn't make me want to shoot Eddie Murphy. A rare treat...

Millions Like Us (1943) - Wonderfully "stiff upper lip" piece of British Propaganda. A very clever mix of documentary-style and fiction to simulataneously show people what the war effort was and why we must carry on with it. Nice to see the working class portrayed in a semi-realistic, non comical way.

Rouge (Yānzhī kòu) (1988) - Beautiful and heartbreaking, I'm still undecided on whether this film is bleak or uplifting. The performances are stellar, Anita Mui absolutely nailing the sympathetic spirit. Especially interesting when considered against Hong Kong's identity Crisis in the lead-up to it's handover back to PRC.

Man with a Movie Camera (1929) - Whilst I absolutely love this film, I struggle to get past my hatred of Vertov. The man's pretentiousness, barely concealed ideological aims and his attitude to pre-existing cinema are utterly insufferable. Still, so long as you never lay eyes on anything this buffoon has written, it's difficult to NOT enjoy the visual spectacle of MwaMC.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) - again, what can I say that any of you won't have thought 100 times before? I just struggle to decide which of the protagonists is more attractive...

Say It With Flowers (1934) - A gem from the infamous Quota period of British Cinema. Though this era is all but universally written off, this delightfully quaint picture shines above the rest. A simple narrative, the pleasure comes from the improvised sketch-like interactions of the minor characters, the utterly palpable Market place scene and of course, an indulgent final act of Music Hall.