"Whatever Happened to Aunt Alice?" directed by Robert Aldrich

Movie, 1969

Curious horror, bridging the psychological and psychopathic with a little bludgeoning and some kitsch and camp thrown in. Echoes of all sorts of films are in here, packaged a little hurriedly, so that while effective in places, the film's uneven. Good performances from the rather demented female leads, even if the plot's a little leaky and daft and the dialogue and romance between Aunt Alice's nephew and the girl living next door feel tacked on contrived. For all that, entertaining and with some, if not a huge amount, of edge. Time probably hasn't been kind to this film....

Poster by Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26752272

"The Revenant," directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu

Movie, 2015

Revenge family drama in the trappers' Wild West, with a bear-attack, some mastery in muttering and portrayals of Indians which feel a little tired and old-fashioned. The sentiments and narrative also feel a little overdone, but against all these criticisms, the locations are stunning and brought out by some wonderful photography. The action sequences are full of grit and gore, and things are paced quite well. Those who enjoy the last man battling against the odds, there's lots to commend here; for others, the going maybe a little tougher.

"The Feverhead," by Wolfgang Bauer

Novel, 1966

Surreal novel in the form of a written correspondence between two Austrian friends, whose letters about thermometers, poets, parties of tiny school children and two bodied captains cross each other and are variously intercepted by other characters, including the ubiquitous 'Ulf'. This is a book which starts with zip and humour, but which gets darker as the action ratchets up. The surreal emphasis alienates and does little to help the reader follow a narrative thread which nonetheless appears central to the text, making for a confusing but sporadically rewarding novel.

"The Turning Point", directed by William Dieterle

Movie, 1952

Crime drama, in which a newly appointed American police head is given a rough time and some uncomfortable home truths as he tries to sort out a local crime ring. This is a film which clips along reasonably well, except for an overlong courtroom scene. If the film's not startlingly original, the trials and journey for the main police character give the whole thing some poignancy. Otherwise, the characters and action are a little flabby, although this doesn't mean the film's too flat to enjoy.

"Indemnity Only," by Sara Paretsky

Novel, 1982

The first Warshawski novel and a fresh on the hard boiled exploits of Sam Spade and, particularly, Phillip Marlowe. This is a book where situations and dependencies are more nuanced, with a female protagonists noticing and building around psychologies of attraction and networks, rather than just falling foul to, or using them. The plotting and set-ups are reassuringly noir-ish, with a lively cast of crooks, errant family members, establishments and the odd shoot out here and there. For the detective enthusiast, a joy to read. 

"Brothers of the Head", directed by Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe

Movie, 2005

Gritty film about the rise of a pub/punk rock band fronted by Siamese twins. The film pulls off the trick of being sympathetic, critical and non-exploitative, partly through using narratives - most prominently the mockumentary mix of interviews and Ken Russell's fictional cinematic take. The story is, however, tried and tested. Sex, drugs and rock and roll are reeled out and held for criticisms and critiques. As cliches, they're used to reflect on the plight of the twins, but they're cliches all the same; ironically, the interest in the film is in the voyeuristic view of the twins. Not a bad film, though not great. 

"Now You See Me," directed by Louis Leterrier

Movie, 2013

Clever and tricksy blockbuster about four magicians - the Four Horsemen - who plot and counter-plot against legal and corporate agencies, keeping one step ahead with some outrageous, elaborate pranks and tricks. A film which puts a little too much emphasis on action and atmosphere, meaning that none of its characters are both lovable or believable. Entertaining yes, although everything's driven home with crashes, bangs, wallops and irritating uses of incidental music. A shame, as there's a suggestion, here and there, that there might be something more interesting going on.