Not two films that you would normally put together in a review but I have decided to write something - even if only a paragraph - about each film I watch. Hard Boiled (1992) was "fun" - all the John Woo balletic stuff, which looks dated because it has been so ripped off and riffed... Continue Reading →
“So Late in the Day” by Claire Keegan
Beautifully done, but "yikes". This was published in French under the title "Misogynic." Fits. It's one of those "creeps up on you, you know it is going to end very very badly and then it does and you're not surprised or deflated but simply deeply unsettled" stories. Terrifying but in an extremely understated and careful... Continue Reading →
Second (well, further) thoughts on “The Long Walk”
I saw it, I liked it, but I almost certainly won't watch it again. The further thoughts are these - there is a lot of genre play going on here. It's a slasher film but the Jason Voorhees is the state, bumping them off until the Final Girl (but in this case, a Final Boy).... Continue Reading →
It’s done! 27 short stories in 27 days
There's a sexist joke about a Hollywood starlet being interviewed on a late night talk show about her new book. Host: So, tell us about your book - it's your first, right? Starlet: Right! Well, when I started it people were really cruel and said I'd never finish it, that I was just some dumb... Continue Reading →
“How Soon Can I Leave?” by Susan Hill #GBSS27/27
"How Soon Can I Leave?” by Susan Hill Number 27 of 27 Great British Short Stories Premise: A woman wakes up to what she has(n’t) done. Sort of. Review: Nicely done, ineffably sad. What else is there to say? Outa ten: 9 Keywords: mothers, motherhood, time and tide Quotes: “As a girl, she had looked... Continue Reading →
“August Heat” by W.F. Harvey – short and creepy. GBSS26/27
August Heat” by W.F. Harvey Number 26 of 27 Great British Short Stories Premise: An artist draws a man, then meets the man. A distinct lack of hilarity ensues Review: Creepy, uncanny, unsettling etc. Very nicely done. Outa ten: 10 Keywords: xx Quotes: “Then with the rare sense of happiness which the knowledge of a... Continue Reading →
“The Cotillon” by L.P. Hartley #GBSS25/27
“The Cotillon” by L.P. Hartley Number 25 of 27 Great British Short Stories Premise: A dance (Cotillon) ends very badly indeed Review: Nicely done - creepy af. Obvious how it will end, but so what Outa ten: 9 Keywords: Ghost stories, the past is never the past, country houses Quotes: “Jack Manning’s task was neither... Continue Reading →
“The Sea” by Neil Gunn #GBSS24/27
“The Sea” by Neil Gunn #GBSS24/27 Number 24 of 27 Great British Short Stories Premise: A young boy (12) goes to the harbour in a storm, because his father and older brother are out in fishing boats. Apron strings exist Review: Good stuff (right up against the border of overwrought) Outa ten: 8 Keywords: xx... Continue Reading →
“The End of the Party” by Graham Greene #GBSS23/27
“The End of the Party” by Graham Greene Number 23 of 27 Great British Short Stories Premise: A game of hide and seek is terrorising and terrible Review: He was a master, in my opinion, ol’ GG. Should have read this decades ago. Top marks for terror. Outa ten: 10 Keywords: youth, fear, twins, courage... Continue Reading →
“Fireworks for Elspeth” by Rumer Godden #GBSS22/27
"Fireworks for Elspeth” by Rumer Godden Number 22 of 27 Great British Short Stories Premise: It is a young woman’s “Last Day” and she must negotiate family (the mother from Hell?) and an erstwhile fiance... Review: Nicely done. I am not the target demographic perhaps, but you can - between the lines - see what... Continue Reading →
marchudson.net 