What I Watched In September

I didn't get out to the theater as much in September as I have the rest of the summer. I suppose this was because there was less I really wanted to see- the thought of suffering through Zombie's HALLOWEEN 2 makes my head hurt. The real surprise of the month was the Alec Guinness film OUR MAN IN HAVANA which was incredible. A fantastic film I recommend to everyone. I had no idea how much John le Carre had stolen from this and the Graham Greene novel its based on for the also great TAILOR OF PANAMA. They would make for a fascinating double feature of darkly comic cold war spy tales.

THE BRANIAC (1961)- 7 (rewatch) (insane Mexi-horror fun)
REVOLVER (2005)- 8 (Guy Ritchie’s bizarre take on crime, ego and the ‘self’)
HOLIDAY (1938)- 8 (wonderful old Hollywood romantic comedy/drama)
BAND OF OUTSIDERS (1964)- 7 (Godard’s pulp noir)
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS (2009) – 9 (a second viewing bumps it up a point)
DISTRICT B13 (2005)- 7 (French version of ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK)
MY NAME IS MODESTY (2004)- 5 (good idea and story hampered by low budget- will there ever be a good Modesty Blaise film?)
GIRL BOSS REVENGE (1973)- 6 (tasty Pinky Violence film)
SHOOT ‘EM UP (2006) – 7 (fun live action cartoon with Clive Owen as Bugs Bunny)
SINISTER HANDS (1932)- 4 (static, predictable murder mystery)
HORRIBLE (1981)- 3 (sloppy, silly, gory Euro-horror)
WHITEOUT (2009)- 6 (pretty good thriller with one too obvious mystery element)
DANTE 01 (2008)- 5 (interesting French sci-fi film that is too ambiguous to be satisfying)
TOMBS OF THE BLIND DEAD (1971)- 8 (rewatch)
POLTERGEIST (1982) - 9 (rewatch)
THE THRONE OF FIRE (1983)- 3 (terrible Italian barbarian movie with some fun elements)
POLTERGEIST II: THE OTHER SIDE (1986)- 4 (rewatch)
9 (2009)- 9 (excellent animated post-apocalyptic film)
SAVAGE SISTERS (1974) - 6 (fun Philippine made exploitation nonsense)
OUR MAN IN HAVANA (1959)- 9 (Alec Guinness with a script by Graham Greene directed by Carol Reed- amazing)
PANDORUM (2009)- 4 (could have been good but is too muddled)
POLTERGIEST 3 (1988)- 3 (rewatch)
CHILDREN OF THE CORN (1984)- 3 (rewatch)
ROOM 205 (2007)- 6 (Danish ghost tale)
THE PYX (1973)- 5 (not awful but not good either)
TERROR AT TENKILLER (1986)- 2 (lame low budget slasher filmed in Oklahoma)
OUTPOST (2008)- 6 (OK British action/horror effort that could have been better)
EYES OF A STRANGER (1981)- 5 (not bad slasher/thriller)