Movie watching

So last night I watched Dario Argento's first film, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage. It's the third I've seen by him. I very much liked Suspiria-watched years after it was made, thought Four Flies on Grey Velvet silly and already dated when I saw it in 1972 and am afraid "Bird" is just as silly and dated. "Bird" and "Flies" are very much of their time: filled with "hip" jerky guys and "swinging" females who are either helpless or murderers. Throw in extra helpings of faux psychology and jangly sixties film music and voila! I don't get why Argento is considered a master of horror. Yes, there are some nice set pieces and the cinematography and use of colors are interesting but c'mon. I may same a few more --and re-watch Suspiria but I doubt he's going to become a favorite on the basis of what I've seen so far.

Hot Fuzz was great. No idea where it was going and I loved it.

On my very long flights to and from LAX and Australia I watched about 10 movies. I can't remember them all but they including Country Strong with a nice performance by Gwyneth Paltrow and her eye candy co-star Garrett Hedlund, Rabbit Hole, based on the play, with good performances by Aaron Eckhart and Nicole Kidman as parents coping with grief when their young son dies. The Tourist with Johnny Depp and Angeline Jolie--which although it bombed in theaters, I quite liked, The Apartment directed by Billy Wilder with Jack Lemmon and a fabulous Shirley Maclaine. I may remember more later.

And....

Tonight the first of the Red Riding trilogy. Nice and gritty thriller with Andrew Garfield (just prior to The Social Network as a young reporter who becomes embroiled in a series of child abductions/murders in Yorkshire (based on the Yorkshire ripper) in 1974 amid police and political corruption. Looking forward to the second.