First Time Watches - June 2012

Tora Tora Tora (1970)

Co-directed in English and Japanese by Richard Fleischer and Kinji Fukasaku, this shows a gripping story doesn't need any relatable characters or trite romances (are you listening Mister Bay?). A cast of some of the best character actors of the era coupled with the elaborate and realistic staging of the Pearl Harbour attack make this compelling viewing. 8/10



Dark Night Of The Scarecrow (1981)

Despite the schlocky title, Frank De Felitta's TV movie is played straight and has some atmospheric moments. It's surprisingly well crafted for a TV flick and features some impressive cinematography. Charles Durning is at his sleazy best as the hick mailman who murders a mentally challenged man who he thinks is responsible for the death of a young girl. His friends start to die in mysterious circumstances and a scarecrow keeps appearing in a nearby field. Well worth checking out for fans of old school TV horror. 7/10


Final Curtain (1957)

Thought to be lost forever, this Ed Wood TV pilot resurfaced recently. It's every bit as awful as you would expect and I'm sure you don't need me to tell you it was never aired. It features an actor haunted by...well your guess is as good as mine. Features a blond "actress" who looks suspiciously like Wood himself. Painful viewing but at 22 minutes you might want to take a look. 2/10


Intouchables (2011)

The most successful French movie of all time is a contemporary variation on "Driving Miss Daisy" and on this evidence France has a lot of work to do on it's race relations. Mega rich cripple Francoise Cluzet hires Senegalese immigrant Omar Sy to take care of him. Had Sy's character been white it could have been a charming comedy but instead it's another patronizing tale of white people helping blacks to improve themselves. One jaw-dropping moment sees Sy told he looks like Barack Obama just because he's wearing a suit. 5/10

ID:A (2011)

Stunning Swedish actress Tuva Novotny wakes up beside a river in France with a gun and a bag full of cash but no recollection of who she is or how she got there. It's basically Jason Bourne with a female twist but director Christian E. Christiansen films it all in a bland made for TV style. The plot is convoluted and you'll likely give up caring halfway through rather than attempt to make sense of it. I'm tipping Novotny to be the next Noomi Rapace though. 4/10


Fuckup (2011)

This Norwegian movie is one of the most schizophrenic I've seen. It starts off as a laddish comedy, turns into "Red Rock West" in the middle and becomes darkly depressing towards the end. There are some nice touches of Scandinavian black humor but the plot is all over the place. Lead actor Jon Øigarden is a charismatic presence and could well go onto bigger things. 5/10

---