It’s dinner and a movie every single night in my house. I cook and we watch a movie in bed. Somehow I’ve kept this up for 25 years now. Anyway I thought I’d occasionally share thoughts on the film of the evening here.
Tonight was The Lair of the White Worm 1988. I had this one on VHS but Pussycat said she’d never heard of it. When the opening credit A KEN RUSSELL FILM appeared she said “Uh Oh!”
It’s supposedly based on a Bram Stoker novel, but Ken Russell. A baby faced Hugh Grant and a baby faced Peter Capaldi costar and it made me wonder why Peter Capaldi looks so much older now than Hugh Grant does, now.
Amanda Donohoe from the Adam Ant videos is great as the serpent lady and she rocks THE COOLEST MATCHING SUNGLASSES AND SCARVES
It opens here on the 15th and I’m so ready for it. One of my closest friends who has two young kids and can’t get out to the cinema often was talking to me last week and said “it’s opening on the 15th, yeah? And it’s on in the Lighthouse? I might join you”
Minus One is doing so well that they’re keeping it in theaters for at least an extra week. It was originally supposed to just be a limited one week run.
… but it was a fun, lighthearted, Elmore Leonard-adjacent murderous crime thriller. And for once Baccari isn’t completely wasted in a nothing role! Her character is awesome, better than Fast Charlie himself even, and an absolute delight who steals every scene she’s in and elevates the entire movie. I’d fall in love with her too, dumping gangster bodies together. Why is she not on the poster?
I was lucky to see it on release and it profoundly affected my life. Those feelings were overwhelming watching it again tonight.
Somehow the golden light on Irène‘s face is a poetry of sadness, beauty and wonder that is deeply, profoundly moving. I don’t understand how Kieślowski can do this with just a damn movie.
So I went to the Outcasts last night and I thoroughly recommend fans of folk horror watch it when it comes out next year some time. It apparently only ran for a week in the cinema in ‘82 so last night was its first screening in 40 years.
The restoration doesn’t extend to a pristine copy but it still looks beautiful. The soundtrack by Aussie Irish musician Steve Cooney could have been composed last week it’s so in tune with modern goth drone folk. Bar some musique concrete tropes which are retro cool to me. And a little lift from Goblin’s Suspiria. It’s not like anything I’ve heard from him so it’s a real pity this film was such a once off, not to be repeated, oddity.
It is believed to be the first fully Irish funded feature film for 50 years and despite its lack of success it somewhat kickstarted feature making here. It was directed by Blood on Satan’s Claw writer Robert Wynne Simmons. Most places say it was his first film which is surprising as it’s an accomplished visual piece but he actually had been working for Irish television for some years. It stars Mick Lally (a soap opera star at the time), Cyril Cusack who did it for free, and Mary Ryan who, despite winning best actress at San Remo festival I’ve never heard of. Actually I hadn’t heard of any of them bar Donal O’Kelly whose one man show Catalpa is a masterpiece of modern Irish theatre.
It’s mucky, squalid, sensual, and sublime. But a little silly like most folk horror. I feel honoured to have lucked out into watching it though I think there were (free) tickets still available as late as yesterday afternoon.
Put it on your list.
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