ALD's MOVIELAND

Deep Purple: Game Over ?

2026-11-02T23:33:06.717+02:00

Saw Deep Purple for the seventh time or so on Oct. 1st in Cluj.

Deep Purple in Rock Forever Cluj, BT Arena, 1 octombrie 2026

It was the 2nd concert of the tour and I was fearing Ian Gillan is too frail to keep on going and finish the tour that was suppose to went on 'til the end of November, with sold-out shows at Apollo Hammersmith in London.

And Saturday the inveviable happened, Gillan went to hospital and Leipzig and the next two dates were 'postponed' or 'rescheduled'. And tonight the announcerment broke:

RIP Patrick Stewart

2026-10-30T00:53:28.670+02:00

Sir Patrick Stewart, aka Professor X (Charles Xavier) and Jean-Luc Picard is gone to the Final Frontier at 86...

The Brit shakespearian actor achieved fame via SF series fandom and comicbook fodder (Marvel's X Men) but my fondlier memories of him are from way back, as in John Boorman's Excalibur (1981) and Gurney Halleck in David Lych's Dune (1984).

Or the villain from Deran Sarafian's Gunmen (1993), the evil Dr. Jonas in Richard Donner's Conspiracy Theory (1997), captain Ahab in the Moby Dick mini series (1998) and captain Nemo on Russell Mulcahy's Mysterious Island (2005, Hallmark), and another villain in Jeremy Saulnier's Green Room (2015). Or his cameo as King Richard in Mel Brooks' Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993).

And of course as himself in an episode of Ricky Gervais' Extras (2005), where he was funny as hell.

RIP Elke Sommer

2026-10-29T16:55:06.095+02:00

Elke Sommer, another link with Peter Sellers after Peter Medak...

A Shot in the Dark (1954, the 2nd Pink Panther flick), or how my buddy T. calls it, Maria Gambrelli, the maid who killed the chauffeur ;)

Lisa and the Devil -Mario Bava's Exorcist rip-off.

And Bava's Baron Blood.

Bond girl in the non Bond Matt Helm's Wrecking Crew (1968, next to Sharon Tate, film that was shown in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood!)

RIP Peter Medak

2026-10-28T23:09:38.586+02:00

“If it’s in your blood, directing, you never stop. And it doesn’t matter that you’re alone in your mind, dreaming or imagining things, you’re always making a movie.”

Peter Medak, realisateur extraordinaire (1937-2026)

He would've been probably not mentioned if he didn't flew Budapest in 1956. Arriving in London he started an extraorinary life and career, then moved to Holllywood.

Just The Changeling (1980) would be enough to make him a mastero of cinema. Highly underrated and influential (Spielberg and Scorsese and DelToro and Stephen King are huge fans and learned from it) !!!

But it was 1st a crazy Peter O'Toole one-off The Rulling Class (1972), that made him controversial (and desired to work with).

Also ecclectic: A Day in the Death of Joe Egg, The Krays, Species II, Zorro: The Gay Blade, The Men's Club, etc.

A whole lotta of Television, videos for Peter Gabriel, Pink Floyd, Roger Waters...

Last year I saw again one of my faved films of the early '90's, the noir arrogant, cult curio Romeo is Bleeding (1993) with an unbelievable Lena Olin and a suffering Romeo by Gary Oldman.

Bonus: The infamous Ghost on a Noonday Sun (1974, unfinished!), Peter Sellers' nightmare becoming Medak's maelstorm ! And the doc on it, The Ghost of Peter Sellers, the last film he did, back in 2018, which I saw during the pandemic.

Medak did it with panache, every film goulash had its own (and his own) flavour. Viszontlátásra...

obit in The Hollywood Reporter

The Cycle (2026)

2026-10-27T15:15:37.246+02:00

The Cycle is best seen without being spolied. That's what I read about it and That's how I proceeded.

The film premiered at Fantastic Fest this September but being a SHUDDER production it went to streaming end of October. Should've gone to more genre fests and would've loved to see it on the big screen. It's shot widescreen (2.39.1) by Kevin Stewart, good job especially on the dark and desaturated look that adds to the atmosphere. I was not so impressed by the score, which works but wanted something more panache. The song Silver Lady by David Soul (1977), which I heard for teh 1st time here, is a good pun and clue !

Deborah Ann Woll (Karen Page in the Daredevil series) is Meg, a forensic expert, she's called in on a murder that includes her disppareared father 36 years ago. Jeffrey Donovan (Dodd Gerhardt in season two of Fargo series) is the cop who investigates.

Enough plot. The 1st act fely a bit like Longlegs (via The Silence of the Lambs)), mixed with Fincher's color desaturations from Se7en to Mindhunter, but you can feel there's something more.

Tightly directed and co-written by Jordan Downey, a name to follow up in the new genre upcoming masteros to be (hopefully!), from already established Ari Aster, Ti West, Osgood Perkins to Damian McCarthy, Zach Cregger, Tilman Singer, Charlie Polinger, Coralie Fargeat, James Ashcroft and the youngest prodigy, Backrooms' Kane Parsons )!

Gruesome prostethic and practical effects, very well done, kudos to Patrick Magee, the special effects supervisor and key make up effects artist (winks to Rick Baker and Rob Bottin !) in a genre that's been overdone to death and you can't see something original coming out of it.

A special mention to actor David Myers Gregory as Peter Stump.

For those who want to get spoliers here's a list of those movies ;) -I suggest to read it and add The Cycle here after you've seen it 1st, for me it makes the top Ten (not of that particular list tho I agrree with the number 1;).

3 1/2 out of 5 / 7 out of 10 ! -even going to a bigger rating, but the pacing is too slow and other weakneess,a s I mentionerd the score...

RIP Tom Skerrit

2026-10-22T23:21:28.468+03:00

Tom Skerrit was 93 !!! He was cpt. Dallas in Alien (1979), played military more than any other professions. I saw him last in the re-release of Top Gun this summer as Commander 'Viper.' Always spotting a moustache, but not in M*A*S*H (1970). Over 150 films, he was last onscreen in 2025 in the film Broke.

Interesting enough Sigouney Waver and Veronica Cartwright are the only actors from Alien who are still alive. They are both 77. Ian Holm, John Hurt, Yaphet Kotto, Harry Dean Stanton and now Tom Skerrit are all gone....

Litera 9 | M | Muzică, vampiri și blues psihedelic: din culisele Transilvania Blues și ale fenomenului Blüesferatü

2026-10-13T21:13:00.855+03:00

Blüesferatü · În presă

13 octombrie 2026 · Litera 9 · Mihai Tatu

Muzică, vampiri și blues psihedelic: din culisele Transilvania Blues și ale fenomenului Blüesferatü

Un articol despre culisele Transilvania Blues și evoluția proiectului Blüesferatü, de la cine-concertul inspirat de Nosferatu la animație, bandă desenată și experiențe XR.

CITEȘTE ARTICOLUL PE LITERA 9 ↗

Concert Eric Johanson — New Orleans Guitar Guru | Premieră în București!

2026-10-13T20:36:56.297+03:00

𝗘𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗻 (vocals/guitar)
𝗝𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗶𝗻 (drums)
𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗵𝗼𝗹𝘇 (bass)

28 noiembrie 2026 | 𝗼𝗿𝗮 𝟮𝟬:𝟬𝟬 (𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗱𝗼𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝟭𝟴:𝟬𝟬)
𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗨𝗕 – 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗮̆𝘁̦𝗶𝗶, 𝗕𝘂𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀̦𝘁𝗶 (Bulevardul Regina Elisabeta 9)

#𝟭 𝗕𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗕𝗢𝗔𝗥𝗗 𝗕𝗟𝗨𝗘𝗦 𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗜𝗦𝗧
𝟲 𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗖𝗨𝗥𝗜 𝗖𝗟𝗔𝗦𝗔𝗧𝗘 𝗜̂𝗡 𝗧𝗢𝗣 𝟭𝟬 𝗕𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗕𝗢𝗔𝗥𝗗

𝗘𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗻, chitaristul și vocalistul american originar din New Orleans, ajunge la București pe 𝟮𝟴 𝗻𝗼𝗶𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲, în cadrul 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗹𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗮 𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀, pentru un concert dedicat iubitorilor de blues-rock modern, cu riff-uri puternice, groove profund și o energie scenică aparte.
Artistul american îmbină rădăcinile blues-ului cu forța rock-ului și o abordare contemporană a chitarei electrice. Stilul său se remarcă prin intensitate, compoziții solide și un sound personal, în care blues-ul tradițional întâlnește sonoritățile rock și alternative.

Albumul său lansat la Ruf Records, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘳𝘵𝘺, a ajuns pe 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗹 𝟭 𝗶̂𝗻 𝗕𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀, consolidându-i poziția printre artiștii importanți ai noii generații de blues. În 2025, Eric Johanson a revenit în Top 10 Billboard cu albumul 𝘓𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘔𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘪, continuând în paralel turneele internaționale și concertele sold-out din Europa.

Pe 𝟭𝟲 𝗼𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲, Eric Johanson lansează 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘖𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘉𝘢𝘺𝘰𝘶, un nou album înregistrat live în studio, în doar trei zile libere dintr-un program intens de turnee. Cu Johanson la producție și Bill Skibbe — cunoscut pentru colaborările cu Jack White și The Raconteurs — la mixaj, albumul promite o incursiune directă, intensă și profund ancorată în blues în teritorii sonore neexplorate. Un nou capitol în evoluția unui artist care continuă să împingă granițele blues-rock-ului contemporan.

Cu o prezență scenică electrizantă, Johanson a cântat pe scenele unor festivaluri internaționale importante, precum 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗢𝗿𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗝𝗮𝘇𝘇 & 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗙𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹, 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗙𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹 și 𝗧𝗲𝗹𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀 & 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝘄𝘀. A colaborat cu artiști precum 𝗕𝗶𝗴 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗸 𝗕𝗼𝘂𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘅, participând la albumul 𝘉𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴 & 𝘛𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘴, nominalizat la Grammy în 2022, și a împărțit scena cu nume importante ale blues-ului și roots-rock-ului, printre care 𝗦𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗮 𝗙𝗶𝘀𝗵, 𝗧𝗮𝗯 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗼𝗶𝘁, 𝗔𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗢𝘀𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲 și 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶 𝗔𝗹𝗹𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀.

Talentul său a fost remarcat de publicații muzicale de referință. 𝙂𝙪𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙧 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙚𝙧 l-a inclus în clasamentul „𝗧𝗼𝗽 𝟮𝟱 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀”, iar 𝙏𝙤𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙂𝙪𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙧 l-a menționat în „𝗧𝗼𝗽 𝟱𝟬 𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲”.

𝗘𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗻 continuă să împingă granițele blues-rock-ului fără să-i piardă rădăcinile, construind un univers muzical în care tehnica instrumentală, forța compozițiilor și energia concertelor live se întâlnesc într-o experiență intensă.

“𝘗𝘶𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘭𝘶𝘦𝘴/𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘬. 𝘚𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨.”
— 𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝗼𝗻𝗴𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿
“𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘨𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘤 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘹𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘬𝘦𝘱𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘢-𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯’… 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘶𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵.”
— 𝗕𝗼𝗯 𝗟𝗲𝗳𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘇, 𝗟𝗲𝗳𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘇 𝗟𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿

Un 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁-𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗮 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗹𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗮 𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀, 𝗶̂𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗲𝗿𝗮̆ 𝗶̂𝗻 𝗕𝘂𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀̦𝘁𝗶 — o întâlnire cu blues-ul american în forma sa contemporană, directă și fără compromisuri.
𝘽. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 & 𝙇𝙚𝙩 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝘽. 𝘽𝙡𝙪𝙚𝙨!

28 noiembrie 2026 | 𝗼𝗿𝗮 𝟮𝟬:𝟬𝟬 (𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗱𝗼𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝟭𝟴:𝟬𝟬)
𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗨𝗕 – 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗮̆𝘁̦𝗶𝗶, 𝗕𝘂𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀̦𝘁𝗶 (Bulevardul Regina Elisabeta 9)
𝗕𝗶𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲 – Earlybird: 120 lei până la 31.10.26 inclusiv | Presale: 160 lei până la 27.11.26 inclusiv | 200 lei în ziua concertului online & at the door în limita disponibilității
Un eveniment marca 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗹𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗮 𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 recomandat de 𝗥𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗦𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻, 𝗭𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝘀̦𝗶 𝗡𝗼𝗽𝘁̦𝗶 și 𝗔𝗿𝘁𝗮 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗿.
𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗿𝗶: BCR, ButanGas, Dräxlmaier, Tehnic Mihor, Aplind

𝗕𝗶𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲 / 𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲:
𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗺.𝗿𝗼 https://www.eventim.ro/en/eventseries/concert-eric-johanson-new-orleans-guitar-guru-premiera-in-bucuresti-4263194/
𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗲𝘁.𝗿𝗼 https://ambilet.ro/bilete/eric-johanson-bucuresti-5075
𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗲𝘁.𝗿𝗼 https://www.iabilet.ro/bilete-concert-eric-johanson-new.../

Eveniment Facebook: Concert Eric Johanson — New Orleans Guitar Guru | Premieră în București!

Roger Deakins' 'Greatest Films List'

2026-10-13T12:24:32.689+03:00

Sir Roger Deakins' 'Greatest Films List' is a must-see for cinephiles ;)

Only two American directors (Peckinpah and Kubrick), 2 Melville greats, Leone, Fellini, Visconti, Antonioni, Wenders and KIimov's masterpiece. Cinema Greatness !

Brit DoP Deakins (which I know ever since Bob Rafelson's Mountains of the Moon), won two Oscars, for Blade Runner 2049 and 1917, and none for his extraordinary work for the Coen brothers (from Barton Fink, Fargo to The Big Lebowski, No Country for Old Men, A Serious Man, Hail, Caesar). Also Skyfall, Sicario and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (where he emulates both Wild Bunch and Once Upon a time in the West !).

Digger (2026)

2026-10-05T02:57:45.575+03:00

Is Digger the most divisive film of the year ?

A stunt ?

A vanity project ?

A cinematic hoax ?

A future cult masterpiece and a visionary film ?

Give it a try in the cinemas and don't let the trailer fool you, there's a gimmick yes but the filmmakers asked us not to spolier the film -those who reead my blog know that I hardly mention plots and the story of the film I am 'reviewing' here.

I am happy that I liked it, went with a lot of sketicism and came out Happy ! or maybe, Happy is not the right word, it's an intense, deep, layered piece of masterful cinema !

...and I must say I am neither a Tom Cruise or Alejandro Iñárritu fan (except Birdman) !

Described as a 'comedy of catastrophic promoportions' the film is more than that, from farce to satire to Meta and Meta Meta cinema. It's been Iñárritu's project for 10 years and Cruise came onboard in 2019.

To enhance and perfect the story Iñárritu worked with at least 5 screenwriters (that's what's credited onscreen).

It's also gonna be the last film released by the Warner Bros. studios in thier 103 years long run, before the infamous merger upcoming. It was not planned this way but it works as a super-expensive subversive goodbye F88k You !

I mostly agree with Mark Kermode video review. I disagree on the point that you'd definetly read more and different into the film into a second viewing but who would ever wanna do that ? And with his conclusion. (also I disagree on his opinion of Eyes Wide Shut. My main problem with that film was Tom Cruise but he is making that film go).

I will see it a second time. I'm sure it will be even better.

*went and did that. And it was even better, another layer of filmmaking, other small discoveries. It's a see more, more to discover reward, I guess I'll go again in a while ;)

You can read the whole thing through the perception of the cat story (Empathise 'Perception'). I think it's the most important clue in the world of Digger Rockwell, as a crazy Rosebud of this film subtext.

The acting ensemble is sensational, Riz Ahmed should won supporting actor Oscar (he looked to me like Groucho Marx,, (Tom Cruise surely will be shunned!), John Goodman as hammy as Slim Pickens was in Strangelove (he definetly deserves an Oscar too, imo he fid a Trump), Michael Stuhlbarg, Robert John Burke, Sandra Hüller, Burn Gorman, Emma D'Arcy, Pip Torrens and a very interesting part for Jesse Plimons.

I'd give a clue on some influences: obviously Iñárritu's own Birdman, Kubrick's Dr. Strangleove, Charlie Kaufman's “Synecdoche, New York.” and as observed as planted clues onscreen (as posters), Lubitsch with To Be or Not To Be and John Cassavetes' Opening Night. Parts look like a Wes Anderson film, parts like Coen bros, that's because of emulating Classic screwball comedies from the 30's Roy Andersson (the UN council scene), even a wink to Cuaron's Children of Men. And shades of Citizen Kane. And Monty Python !

Guillermo De Toro says it best: " Love it or not. And, yes, I do. The film delivers in scale, ambition and reach at a theatrical screen level. Daring, bold and cinematically complex. Decidedly a theatrical experience."

Shot exceptionally on 35 mm in VistaVision by DoP Emmanuel Lubezki, in two different formats (!), all filmed at Pinewood studios, with a genius set design (Dennis Gassner who did the last Bonds and Blade Runner 2049 & Richard L. Johnson, promoted from art director to full PD), details, colors and shapes. Uberstylised. Very expensive film but state-of-perfection of production values, all the money is there, brilliant VFX from top companies, the sets, the lightning, the backgrounds. Editing too, perfection. Sound design, as another character of this film.

Great experimental score by a newcomer in films, English pop indie artist (alternative folk) Cosmo Sheldrake (which I am happy to discover now-his regular stuff I'm listening right now).

More about his score here:

Two songs by The Ink Spots, some Debussy, Melanie Safka's Look What They've Done to My Song, Ma that closes the film, followed by a crazy ambiental soundscape (not on the released soundtrack), part of Avian Elegy by Sheldrake, which reminded me of the experimental Pink Floyd (actually Roger Waters crazy song) from 1969's Ummagumma, Several Species Of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together In A Cave And Grooving With A Pict. , which mesmerised us when we were like 13 olds ;) Actually there's a song (and a line in the film) entitled 'Amused to Death'.

You can listen the whole score here.

4 1/2 stars out of 5 / 9 out of 10 !!!

*The most cinematic experience you can have now in cinemas, also watch for HOPE and RESIDENT EVIL and if you are a dog lover go and weep at Heart of the Beast !

Loved the Yosihiro Nakayama pun ! The guy with the tuna story who is actually a climate scientist.

***

The UN scene -esp. the one-shot-bravura on steadycam is one of the best shots in recent cinema history, film school 101.

****I rarely say (write) this, but I wished the film was even longer. I saw some shots from the trailer/teaser that did not make it into the final theatrical cut.

*****

Might be the most quatable flick since The Big Lebowski. The compasisons with Dont Look Up are out of order. That was a pedestrian film, no filmic qualities whatsoever, this is out in the fields of mad, and Movieland. And more ;)

'Level Four'

Rob Tognoni – The Tasmanian Devil @ Transilvania Blues Nights

2026-10-04T10:55:50.790+03:00

Din păcate, concertul Rob Tognoni, programat pe 17 octombrie 2026, în cadrul Transilvania Blues Nights, se anulează.

Contravaloarea biletelor achiziționate online va fi rambursată conform procedurii și termenelor comunicate de platforma de ticketing.

Vă mulțumim pentru înțelegere și pentru susținerea constantă a concertelor noastre.

Concert Rob Tognoni – The Tasmanian Devil @ Transilvania Blues Nights | Premieră în București!

Transilvania Blues Nights îl aduce pentru prima dată la București pe Rob Tognoni – „The Tasmanian Devil!

Originar din Tasmania, Australia, Rob Tognoni este unul dintre cei mai explozivi chitariști ai scenei blues-rock internaționale. Cunoscut drept „The Tasmanian Devil”, Rob combină blues-ul, blues-rock-ul și classic rock-ul într-un stil propriu, energic și imprevizibil.

Cu o carieră de peste patru decenii și peste 25 de albume powerhouse în discografie, Rob Tognoni și-a construit reputația unui performer care trebuie văzut live. A cântat pe scene din întreaga lume și a împărțit scena cu artiști precum Peter Green, Sting, ZZ Top și Bo Diddley.

Influențele sale merg de la Cream și Jimi Hendrix până la B.B. King și AC/DC, iar chitara sa este întotdeauna în centrul spectacolului.

“Australian Rob Tognoni is one of the finest guitar players around today. His work is a combination of classic rock, blues & blues rock and is done with utmost passion and precision...”

— Bandit Blues Radio, USA

Black On Black — Material nou

După Rebel (2024), albumul descris de Eclipse Magazine drept un „Asskicker”, Rob Tognoni a revenit pe 9 iulie 2026 cu un nou album, Black On Black. Get Ready to ROCK! îl descrie drept un material de hard rock plin de energie neobosită, intensitate concentrată și versuri fără compromisuri, în perfectă întâlnire cu riff-urile sale puternice.

După trei întâlniri cu publicul brașovean la Transilvania Blues Nights — în 2022, 2024 și 2025, în trei formule diferite — Rob Tognoni revine în România în 2026, de această dată pentru prima sa apariție la București.

ROB TOGNONI – THE TASMANIAN DEVIL

17 octombrie 2026 | ora 20:00 (open doors 18:00)

THE PUB – Universității, București (Bulevardul Regina Elisabeta 9)

Bilete – Presale: 150 lei până la 12.10.26 inclusiv | apoi 180 lei până în ziua concertului online & at the door în limita disponibilității

Bilete online: eventim.ro

Un eveniment marca Transilvania Blues Nights recomandat de Radio Seven, Zile și Nopți, Arta Sunetelor.

Sponsori: BCR, ButanGas, Dräxlmaier, Tehnic Mihor, Aplind

Parteneri: Gramofon Wine

B. There & Let There B. Blues!

Eveniment Facebook: Rob Tognoni – The Tasmanian Devil @ Transilvania Blues Nights | Premieră în București!

Hope (2026)

2026-09-30T15:09:33.211+03:00

Hope/Hopeu is a crazy madcap rollercoaster made in Korea by master filmmaker Na Hong-jin (author of The Chaser,-2008 The Yellow Sea-2010 and The Wailing-2016). Saw all of them in Cannes at the fest. Hope premiered this year in the Cannes Film Festival, in the official competition. The vfx were not completed so the film scored a mixed reception. It's also the most expensive Korean film to-date.

But Hopeu (the name of the finctional South Korean fishing village) is:

not a monster film

not a sci-fi film

not a thriller

not a comedy

not a horror

but all in ONE.

Oh, what a ride !!!! Predator and Korean misfits, a mixed of genres and an cinematic energy only seen in the Mad Max films. Plus some Prometheus trops (don't listen to the Avatar people;)

Well, the duration is self-indulgent, 160 mins.

But the film is NON-STOP KINETIC, with spellbinding images and exceptional cinematography.

Incredibly the Mountain /wood scenes were shot in Retezat mountains in Romania !!!

The VFX are not 100 % there, due to budget limitations, but the vision is hugely ambitious.

The action happens around 1980 in the demilitarised zone of South Korea, close to the border with the North. Hwang Jung-min is the chief of police and he's one of the 3-4-5 ? leads. He is a major action hero star in Korea and he is seconded by Hoyeon, the girl from Squid Game seriers and by an even cooler hunter with a cap, Zo In-sung. They are all cool and hyperkinetic and fast and scared or scared and fast, and they all banter. Fast and scared. Or the reverse. Korean. sense of humour might not make a lot of sense sometimes for the rest of the world.

Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander are in the film too but I won't say more.

I'd say only the film is superhuman in emotions, and very absurd, bleak and cruel in parts. Also visceral to the extremes.

Great score by American composer Michael Abels (Us, Nope).

See it in a cinema, bigger the screen the better and the speakers UP full blast !!!

(it runs very limited in Romanian cinemas now, brought by Vertical Entertainment !!!)

4 out of 5 / 8 out of 10 !!!

cool interview with Na Hong-Jin in THR here.

There's spoliers tho. I haven't specifically mentioned th ending but Good luck Na Hong-Jin !!!

Resident Evil (2026)

2026-09-23T16:37:59.478+03:00

The new Resident is Evil ;)

Zach Cregger's new film after the success of last year's Weapons and before, his feature debut with Barbarian (2022) is a Resident Evil reboot. Obviously he is a huge fan of the game which I've never played and I've been bored to death with the series, started in 2002 with Paul W. Anderson/ Milla Jovovich's Resident Evil(s). I know that George A. Romero was the 1st one supposed to do the film and his script and project was rejected back then. It looks like Cragger had full imunity -Carte Blanche-and a huge budget. It's also considerd to be perfect Game play movie, I'd skip that atribute as I don't play video games, but here comes asa quality and I could see how it moves like that, but transcends on the screen beautifully...

Austin Abrams (Weapons) as the clueless Protagonist is closer to Griffin Dunne in After Hours (and An American Werewolf in London) than to Bruce Campbell in Evil Dead. He's is a climsy blue collar slacker way out of his league ! Cragger makes it funny and ridicoulous too in his approach of the game as filmic survival body horror mixed with lots of comedic approach (it says it's been tamed down heavily on the humor!). Main References are John Carpenter's The Thing (those mentioning The Substance should know that's a Carpenter nod too ;), from the soundscape to the monsters F/X (even the dog thing !), Sam Raimi (humor from Evil Dead 2 and 3), even a Fargo nod...

It's very dense and tense and relentless and it's exactly 90 mins. long, a rare case in which it could've been longer !

I love the ending and I heard mixed opinions about that, judge for yourself !

Further assets:

Great widescreen cinmatography by Dariusz Wolski, after his films with Ridley and Tony Scott. He shot it all in Czech Republic in the snow.

For those who can see it in IMAX, the 2nd half is in 1.90 : 1(second half, IMAX version),

for the rest 2.39 : 1

Great F/X work by Weta Digital.

Effective and uber cool synth score by Hays and Ryan Holladay, who did also Cragger's Weapons and songs for Barbarian. It features a horn section that is both creepy and jazzy. You can listen to all of it here. the film concudes with The Kinks' Animal farm on the end credits.

One of this year's best if not the best Horror flick in cinema, tie with 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.

To be seen on the Big Screen, with the best Sound !

4 out of 5, 8 out of 10 !!!

Transilvania Blues Festival VIII

2026-09-19T20:12:46.121+03:00

Transilvania Blues Festival închide sezonul festivalurilor de blues din România cu trei zile de concerte, în premieră outdoor, la Bastionul Țesătorilor din Brașov

25–27 septembrie 2026 | Bastionul Țesătorilor, Brașov

La final de septembrie, Transilvania Blues Festival închide, ca în fiecare an, sezonul festivalurilor de blues din România. Ajuns la cea de-a VIII-a ediție, festivalul marchează în 2026 un nou capitol: pentru prima dată, programul se desfășoară outdoor, pe durata a trei zile, într-unul dintre cele mai reprezentative spații istorice ale Brașovului — Bastionul Țesătorilor.

Între 25 și 27 septembrie, publicul este invitat la trei seri care aduc împreună artiști internaționali din Italia, Statele Unite și Marea Britanie, alături de o producție originală semnată de muzicieni brașoveni.

Noua ediție păstrează direcția festivalului de a aduce la Brașov artiști importanți ai scenei internaționale de blues, dar extinde experiența într-un nou format, în care muzica, patrimoniul și producțiile contemporane se întâlnesc într-un cadru istoric.

Trei zile de blues. Trei experiențe.

VINERI, 25 SEPTEMBRIE | 19:00 - 22:00

Gloria and the Doctors — Italia

În premieră în România

Seara de vineri începe cu Gloria and the Doctors, trio-ul italian format din Gloria Turrini (voce, percuție), Simone Scifoni (clape) și Riccardo Ferrini (chitară).

Un proiect aflat la intersecția dintre blues, soul și muzica de inspirație afro-americană, Gloria and the Doctors s-au clasat pe locul al II-lea la European Blues Challenge 2026, desfășurat la Katowice.

Cel mai recent album al trio-ului, Dat Nola Trip, lansat în 2023, a fost înregistrat la New Orleans și îi are ca invitați pe muzicieni precum Andy J. Forest și Roberto Luti.

Robbin Kapsalis & Giles Robson Band — SUA / Marea Britanie

În premieră în România

Una dintre vocile puternice ale noii generații de Chicago Blues, Robbin Kapsalis, se întâlnește pe aceeași scenă cu britanicul Giles Robson, unul dintre puținii muzicieni europeni distinși cu un Blues Music Award.

Concertul de la Brașov propune o întâlnire între Chicago Blues, soul și rhythm & blues contemporan.

SÂMBĂTĂ, 26 SEPTEMBRIE | 19:00 - 22:00

Chris Rand and the Heavy Echo — Marea Britanie

În premieră la Brașov

Proiect al noii generații londoneze, Chris Rand and the Heavy Echo explorează zona de întâlnire dintre blues, jazz, soul și rhythm & blues.

Condus de pianistul, saxofonistul și vocalistul Chris Rand, grupul este cunoscut pentru spectacolele energice și componenta de improvizație.

John Németh — SUA

Câștigător al mai multor Blues Music Awards, John Németh este unul dintre cei mai apreciați vocaliști și muzicuțiști ai blues-ului american contemporan.

Stilul său combină blues-ul tradițional cu soul, gospel și rhythm & blues, iar concertele sale au ajuns pe importante scene de blues din întreaga lume.

DUMINICĂ, 27 SEPTEMBRIE | 20:00 - 22:00

Blüesferatü – Eine Symphonie des Blues

Cine-concert | Producție originală | Instalații holografice | Experiență VR

Festivalul se încheie cu o nouă versiune a producției originale Blüesferatü – Eine Symphonie des Blues.

Capodopera expresionismului german Nosferatu – Eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922) revine într-o reinterpretare construită în jurul unei coloane sonore de blues psihedelic, compusă și interpretată live de muzicieni brașoveni.

După reprezentațiile de la Castelul Bran și TIFF Timișoara, Blüesferatü revine într-o nouă formulă scenică, completată de instalații holografice, experiențe VR și noi componente vizuale dezvoltate special pentru ediția 2026.

Astfel, ultima zi a festivalului extinde conceptul Transilvania Blues dincolo de formatul clasic de concert, reunind filmul, muzica live și tehnologiile imersive într-o producție originală. Partea tehnologică este asigurată de Universitatea Transilvania din Brașov, parteneră a Asociației Transilvania Arts & Events în cadrul proiectului european HEAT (heat-xr.eu).

Un nou capitol pentru Transilvania Blues Festival

Mutarea festivalului în Bastionul Țesătorilor marchează o etapă importantă în evoluția Transilvania Blues Festival.

Un spațiu istoric al Brașovului, administrat de Muzeul Județean de Istorie Brașov, devine timp de trei zile cadrul întâlnirii dintre patrimoniu și muzica blues.

Prin noua formulă outdoor, festivalul își propune să creeze o experiență în care locul nu este doar decorul concertelor, ci parte din povestea festivalului.

Bilete

Ziua 1 / Ziua 2: 160 lei – presale | 200 lei – în ziua concertului

Ziua 3: 70 lei – presale | 100 lei – în ziua concertului

Abonament 3 zile: 320 lei – presale

Biletele sunt disponibile online prin iabilet.ro și ambilet.ro.

Transilvania Blues Festival este un proiect cultural organizat de Asociația Transilvania Arts & Events.

Parteneri și sponsori

BCR · ButanGas · Dräxlmaier · Tehnic Mihor · Aplind · Universitatea Transilvania din Brașov · Orange · Centrul Cultural German Brașov · Institutul Goethe · Amikal · Stoker Wines · Brașov Old Town Apartments · A-Ha Bistro · Coliba Haiducilor · Rock FM · Zile și Nopți

B. There & Let There B. Blues!

Eveniment Facebook: Transilvania Blues Festival - Ediția a VIII-a

Sacrifice (2025)

2026-09-05T13:38:08.789+03:00

This curio is in Romanian theaters now -very limited.

For thouse who want a psychedelic experience, with great visuals, music and sound design, go for it !

The rest can wait for the Netflix relase on Oct. 16.

It's a film by Romain Gavras, the son of legendary Costa-Gavras.

It's about the end of the world (maybe?), a volcano, a benefit celebrity gala and a group of nutty Nordic eco-terrorists.

Chris Evans playing the Hollywood celebrity actor Mike Tyler ( that is now a mess) looks more like a young Nic Cage. Anya Taylor-Joy is the psychotic Terrorist boss, Vincent Cassel, bald and mean, as Ben Bracken, a bio-billionaire, John Malkovich more cameos as the mad scientist Gunnar.

Score by GENER8ION

featuring Leonard Cohen, a cool version of SUPERNATURE with Charliexxx

and This is How We Walk on The Moon by Arthur Russell

here's a video for GENER8ION -Storm, directed by Romain Gavras, who is a renowned music videos director.

The film looks more like directed by a Panos Cosmatos ;)

Simillarities with Yorgos Lanthimos' Bugonia (tho that was a remake). The film has a weird New Greek Cinema style and feeling.

Read there is a genre. `Eat the Rich' films like those of Ruben Ostlund (The Triangle of Sadness), The Menu and Blink Twice.

It's visully stunning, with great soundtrack, sound design and fabulous locations.

Greece (the stone quarry), Bulgaria (Podhodna cave aka The Eyes of God) and Iceland for the volcano.

3 1/2 out of 5, 7 out of 10 !

In Bruges (2008) -Romanian

2026-09-05T12:41:28.038+03:00

In Ingles ;) here:

Scrisă pentru retrospectiva TIFF 25 in AperiTIFF.

"They're Filming Midgets..."

O fi rai, iad sau purgatoriu? E Bruges!

Un debut extraordinar al irlandezului Martin McDonagh (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri), In Bruges este unul din cele mai bune filme ale anului 2008 și mult mai mult de atât. Film cult par excellence, îi crește valoarea de fiecare data când îl revăd. Sunt însă siderat, după debutul de la Sundance, filmul nu a luat atunci niciun premiu major, Globul de Aur pentru Colin Farrell și nominalizare la Oscar pentru scenariu original, câștigător la acestă categorie la BAFTA.

Îmi place însă să cred că a făcut pentru turismul din Bruges ceea ce Vacanță la Roma a făcut pentru Roma!

Eu, de exemplu, am fost o zi în 2014 și am mers exact cu opiniie lui Ray versus părerile opuse ale lui Ken.

Cuplul Colin Farrell / Ray -Brendan Gleeson /Ken e fabulos, și McDonagh le-a mai dat un film extraordinar împreună 14 ani mai târziu, The Banshees of Inisherin (2022).

Iar Ralph Fiennes /Harry e impecabil, feroce, un personaj irezistibil.

Se simte că McDonagh e și dramaturg și că influențele lui literare vin din Teatrul Absurdului, dar filmul e extrem de cinematografic.

În primul rind e tributar piesei lui Harold Pinter, din 1959. The Dumb Waiter, tadusă în românește Liftul pentru mâncare sau Micul lift. La rîndul ei, piesa lui Pinter se inspiră din cea a lui Samuel Beckett, Așteptându-l pe Godot (1953). Adaugă un pic de British Gangster Cinema, aici Irish, un pic de peisaj de Breugel din Bruges, nihilism, o traumă mortală, un love story improbabil și un umor negru și absurd de nota 11.

Alte piste: Touch of Evil, Don’t Look Now, Carlito’s Way, picturile lui Hieronymus Bosch.

Muzica lui Carter Burwell, cel mai probabil via frații Coen (v. Fargo în aceeași retrospectivă TIFF de comedii negre), cu care McDonagh a început o frumoasă colaborare pentru toate filmele sale ulterioare.

La fel ca și Fargo, In Bruges nu a rulat la vremea lui în cinema în România.

Alin Ludu Dumbravă

The Dog Stars (2026)

2026-08-29T07:16:47.000+03:00

Ridley Scott's newest pic, The Dog Stars, is as close to a western as he ever did get to do. A post-apocalyptic story, it's a very slow and intimist film, 1 character, a dog, two characters, three characters, that's it. Oh, and a Cessna 1956 plane. Major character.

Jacob Elrodi (frankenstein) replaced Paul Mescal as Hig, the pilot. Josh Brolin who worked previously with Scott on American Gangster is the cynical Bangley. They represent opposite views, opposite worlds, one missing his old world, the other one adapting, full survival mode.

Supporting are Margaret Qualley (OUTiH, Poor Things, The Substance, Kinds of Kindness, Drive-Away Dolls, How to Make a Killing), in her most normal and romantic role (up to now) as Cima and Guy Pearce as Pops (Pearce was the old Peter Weyland in Prometheus). Benedict Wong is also here (he was in Ridey's The Martian) and an Ewen Bremner cameo that works as a red hering. He also worked for Scott in Black Hawk Down.

Now if you already read the reviews which I can't understand...? Worst ever for a Scott film??

Worse than Gladiator II and Napoleon which were painful to sit through? Anyway, this is not that biggie of a film, compared to the scale of these two baaad juggernauts...

The film is very slow and it builds atmosphere gradually. The three acts are separated smoothly. The landscape, the nature is another silent character, the green, the mountains vs. The Wasteland.

Incredibly the whole film was shot in Italy, with the Grand Junction sets built at Cinecitta. DOP is Erik Mesermschmit, David Fincher's later collaborator, here in his 1st cinema fare with Scott (he worked before with RS on TV's Raised by Wolves and The Dope Thief).

Comparisons with The Last of Us or The Walking Dead are wrong, closer is The Road by Cormac McCarthy.

The Dog Stars is based on the 2012 book by Peter Heller and the script is by Mark L Smith who wrote The Revenant.

Harry Gregson-Williams composed the score, which is part elegiac, part menacing, it's his 7th for a Scott film.

The soundtrack has also dramatic value, it's folkish and rockish, from the opening credits with Hozier ( Like Real People Do), that gets replayed at the end of the film, to Van Morrison (Tupelo Honey), to Caamp’s “By and By” (on headphones), Dean Martin (Memories are made of This), to the end in The Chieftains and Mick Jagger. (The Long Black Veil). Featuring also Charmaine written by Lew Pollack, Erno Rapee performed by Jack Nitzsche, from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and Fly Me to the Moon, sung by Allison Janney on screen.

There is a most poetic scene at the end with the "mormons"/ mennonites countryfair that transcends Ridley Scott's cinema, an optimist message in a post-apocalyptic world. I sensed in the interraction betwwen Hig and Bangley could be a sort of tribute to Ridley's late brother, Tony....

To be seen on the Big Screen.

The IMAX thing is a gimmick tho.

3 1/2 out of 5, 7 out of 10 !

The Rule of Jenny Pen (2024)

2026-08-28T16:31:43.434+03:00

The Rule of Jenny Pen (2024) is the 2nd film of New Zeelander James Ashcroft after Coming Home in the Dark (2021). Aschroft went Netflix this year with The Whisper Man, which made a hush...

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest: meets Bubbahotep (without the mummy ;) and Misery. And a bit of Cocoon (without the cocoons ;)

Geoffrey Rush and especially John Lithgow are a blast, one of Lithgow's best. Stellar acting.

The actors shared the Sitges festival for best actor.

Not for the faint of heart ;)

3 1/2 out of 5 / 7 out of 10 !

RIP Tim Curry

2026-08-26T22:31:17.000+03:00

Tim Curry aka Dr Frank-N-furter, on stage since 1973 !

Curry was 80, he had a stroke in 2012 and sice then did mostly voiceover work.

Quintessential as Dr. Frank-N-Furter the Transexual Vampyre from Transylvania in the cult movie that invented the Midnight Movie Madness, The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), also featuring Meat Loaf.

also:

The Dark Lord in Ridley Scott's superb Legend (1985), under heavy prosthetics make-up (over 6 hours if work).

Long John Silver in The Muppet Trasure Island

Wadsworth in Clue )1985)

The clown from It (1990), the original Pennywise

Dr Petrov in The Hunt for the Red October opposite Sir Sean Connery...

And the infamous Romanian con Herkemer Homolka, 'at last freed from Ceausescu's chains' from the very bad guilty pleasure movie Congo (1995, Frank Marshall). I guess the neme came from Oskar Homolka ?

"While filming Congo, I sat on top of a Volcano talking to Tim Curry..." - Bruce Campbell said about sitting on top of a volcano talking with Tim Curry.

Curry earned three Tony nominations and a Daytime Emmy and released three musical albums in his career.

RIP Dolly Parton

2026-08-25T22:46:57.943+03:00

The great and unique Dolly Parton is gone...The 'Queen of Country" was 80 !

She did 9 to 5 and beyond....

Her last album was also her first Rock album, at 77 in 2023. entitled of course, Rockstar, with many famed collaborators and evergreen Rock songs . It made my Top Albums of 2023 list.

RockStar. as a true one she was...

All album listening party here.

found out this:

and now this:

She had a huge hit with Kenny Rogers in 1982, composed by the Bee Gees, called Islands on the Stream.

On Rockstar there is the Bygones song, sung together with Rob Halford from Judas Priest.

Coming Home in the Dark (2021)

2026-08-24T23:30:00.000+03:00

Coming Home in the Dark

another New Zeeland bleak vision of a world gone f888d...

Grim and tough debut of writer/director James Ashcroft, who went on and did the intriguing The Rule of Jenny Pen (2024) and then went Netflix this year with The Whisper Man, which made only a hush...

A Gem, with shades of Straw Dogs and Road Games.

One of the best OZ/ New Zeeland fares I've seen recently...

4 out of 5 / 8 out of 5 !

RIP Nick Glennie-Smith

2026-08-23T23:30:00.000+03:00

RIP Nick Glennie-Smith

The Rock with Hnas Zimmer & Harry Gregson-Williams

point of no return -American Nikita

etc....

RIP Frank Beard

2026-08-19T17:22:09.819+03:00

Frank Beard, the ZZ Top drummer for 57 years (!) has died at 77. The Texas power-blues band was formed in 1969 and stayed together until Bass player Dusty Hill died in 2021. It's still the longest running band in history with the original line-up (51 years!!!).

Then Billy Gibbons and Beard continued with a new bass player.

Frank Beard was the only ZZ Top member to not have a beard, well he wore one on his name... RIP...

more here.

I Thank You...

Last In, First Out / L'ordre et la sécurité du monde (1978)

2026-08-04T21:56:00.000+03:00

Last In, First Out / L'ordre et la sécurité du monde (1978)

Claude d'Anna is an obscure (pardon my French;) arthouse French director. I have not seen any film of his until this one. I guess this is also a curio in his filmography, it is obvious this is not a thriller / genre director at work here.

Youtube just put this film in front of me (scroll down), with a cover still of Dennis Hopper. So, obviously I took a look...it's dubbed in French. Some small passages though, his real voice can be heard...(he does not talk much ;)

A very ecclectic cast: Marie-France Bonin (as Laure Dechansel, also co-writer, her real job) , she is the lead and the weakest element of the ensemble, Bruno Cremer (picked probably after Friedkin's Sorcerer). Gabriele Ferzetti, Dennis Hopper, Donald Pleasence (his part is barely a cameo), Joseph Cotten (petty cool as the big boss), Michel Bouquet (mosltyl on the phone), Pierre Santini and Vernon Dobtcheff as the Receptionist ! The names of the characters are cool too, Richter, Herzog, Rothko, Medford, Lehman, Muller, Kauffer and Foster Johnson (Cotten), serious names if you ask me, but you don't ;)

Cool pre-credits intro, also interesting title sequence, after which you would expect more to come, but...

A time capsule, some of it very tiring, heavy verbally plotted- An African nation, American companies, banking, capitalism, industrial espionage, colonialism, natural resources, . Mostly talking heads, people on telephones, train trips, based on a premise of mistaken identity -pasports swap- and a McGuffin of a secret dossier.

The train goes Zurich -Belfort-Paris. There's a chase between Cremer and Hopper, pretty well done. That's about all the action you get. And a downbeat ending, very much a la maison in the French, Italian films of that time.

Most interesting of course today to see for Hopper, who is at his most menacing as Medford, the mercenary in pursuit of the dossier. He sits many scenes on the train, in the back, a silhouette, chain-smoking.

He looks like a psycho, black leather jacket, cool haircut, and nasal spray. He's a like a younger version of Frank Booth. Hopper did some European fares at the time (The American Friend), then he went to do Apocalypse Now in the Philippines.

#Music by Claude Nougaro and Maurice Vander, with a cool (but sad) song on the end credits (Nous n'avons pas de passeport).

All the film here !

3 out of 5 / 6 out of 10 !

What a Way to Go! (1964)

2026-08-03T15:12:56.802+03:00

What A Cast!... What A Past!... What A Show!...

Plot: A widow (Shirley MacLaine) discusses her past four marriages with her shrink. All of her four husbands got incredibly rich and died abruptly because of their money driven goals.

What a Way to Go! is a zanny 1964 comedy, ahead of its time. A combo of genres, parodies, witty script and great cast, plus Edith Head's costumes and gowns. Glorious CinemaScope (2.35.1), a very expensive film at the time.

You can say it was a leftie film, the idea of money can't bring you happiness, really , right? ;).

Screenwriters: Legendary Broadway duo Betty Comden and Adolph Green.

The director is Brit J. Lee Thompson, that is mostly known for thrillers (the original Cape Fear), war movies (The Guns of Navarone), Planet of the Apes sequels (he was supposed to direct the original), westerns (Mackenna's Gold), a weird reincarnation film (The Reincarnation of Peter Proud) and many Charles Bronson vehicles. But in the 60's Thompson did a couple of off-beat comedies, next on John Goldfarb, Please Come Home! written by William Peter Blatty, also with Shirley MacLaine.

Coincidentally I finished the new Cape Fear series, after much wanting to see again the original, on J. Lee Thompson's birthday, August 1st (he was born in 1914!).

Shirley MacLaine was hot after Billy Wilder's Irma la Douce (1963) but this was originally Marilyn Monroe's film. After Monroe died Elisabeth Taylor was supposed to be in th lead. That's why you have all kind of Cleopatra puns.

Oscar nominations for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration (color) and Best costume design.

Gene Kelly won an award in Locarno !

Seconds: Paul Newman, Robert Mitchum, Dean Martin, Gene Kelly, and Dick Van Dyke.

psychiatrist: Robert Cummings.

Best bit imo: the Lush Budgett film parody. In 1966 an LA band took the name of Lush Budgett !

Oh, I forgot, you can see the film on youtube here. It's a very good copy. By Lush Budgett.;)

4 out of 5 ! 8 out of 10 !!!