K.A. Laity's Blog, page 24
August 1, 2022
Murrain (1975)
By the by: if you’re on Letterboxd, let’s connect: I’m here. Sometimes you just need a nudge to get something done. Andy Miller tweeted that he wrote about the challenge of ‘getting back to normal’ for the NYT and about heading to London to celebrate Kneale’s centenary. He’s come to same conclusion as many: ‘normal’... Read More
Published on August 01, 2022 06:27
July 28, 2022
Memoria (2021)
I am so glad pal Stephanie urged me to go out and see this when I was feeling tired and dispirited and short on time between returning from Scotland and heading to Michigan. Apparently writer/director Apichatpong Weerasethakul intends to only play this in theatres on tour (though the good news is it’s also described as... Read More
Published on July 28, 2022 08:13
July 27, 2022
The Screaming Mimi (1958)
I’m not sure why I never got around to seeing this until now — I blame No Context Noir for posting screenshots. I have had the Frederic Brown novel in a glorious paperback that I paid too much for to Hal the Bookie (RIP) because he could be so persuasive and because it was supposed... Read More
Published on July 27, 2022 07:15
July 26, 2022
In the Howff
Hares or rabbits? You tell me. I’m guessing from the white tail, rabbits. Seagulls a plenty, starlings, a magpie I couldn’t quite capture with the phone. I was struck by their proximity to the grave of a veterinarian. Wee daisies. And unexpected augmentation of a cherub. Such a peaceful oasis in central Dundee.
Published on July 26, 2022 13:49
July 13, 2022
The Big Clock (1948)
THE BIG CLOCK (1948) is another John Farrow-directed noir(ish) and quite a bit snappier overall than NIGHT HAS A THOUSAND EYES, though less interesting beyond that slick surface — but what a surface! Milland and Laughton of course, and a criminally underused O’Sullivan, but the shine is in the supporting cast who really give the... Read More
Published on July 13, 2022 02:35
July 11, 2022
Letty Lynton: Marie Belloc-Lowndes (1931)
On holiday so I am reading novels and watching fun things and yes, I was curious about the novel which (allegedly) inspired the film since they seemed a bit different — also there was that whole plagiarism case with the play that inspired the film Dishonoured Lady (1947) (again, I can only guess allegedly!). Having... Read More
Published on July 11, 2022 04:00
July 9, 2022
Saturday Matinee: The Night Has a Thousand Eyes (1948)
The Night Has a Thousand Eyes Francis William Bourdillon (b. 1852) THE NIGHT has a thousand eyes, And the day but one; Yet the light of the bright world dies With the dying sun. The mind has a thousand eyes, And the heart but one; Yet the light of a whole life dies When love... Read More
Published on July 09, 2022 03:47
July 7, 2022
Letty Lynton (1932)
LETTY LYNTON (1932) I am on something of a Marie Belloc-Lowndes kick somewhat unexpectedly, though I didn’t write up The Lodger (1944) which I watched recently because I thought I had seen it but I hadn’t. With Merle Oberon as the vivacious Kitty, George Sanders as the sleuthing Inspector Warwick and a swivel-eyed Laird Cregar... Read More
Published on July 07, 2022 04:16
June 24, 2022
Film for a Friday: Laura (1955) #noir
LAURA (1955) Two words appear absolutely nowhere in this made-for-tv boiled down version of the story: Vera Caspary. Instead we get a ‘Screenplay by Mel Dinelli’ so I conveniently blame him for the lacklustre 43 minutes we have here. Which isn’t really fair, but come on! Erasing the author is never cool and when it’s... Read More
Published on June 24, 2022 07:13
June 23, 2022
Frida @ the Broad Art Museum
On a short break (thanks Louise) I hied myself over to MSU to see the (relatively new) Broad Art Museum as it was featuring an exhibit on Frida Kahlo. The exhibit included photos and letters, mostly between Frida and her family, although with some of her doctors, too. It was an intimate sort of set... Read More
Published on June 23, 2022 13:32