Rome, Open City (1945) Friend Seth invited some folks over to watch this, Rosselini's harshly unflinching look at life under Nazi occupation. Strong stuff even now, and it must have been doubly so at the time, considering the general tenor of popular film in which the protagonist must survive with only a slight smudge on the cheek, not be horribly tortured to death or callously gunned down. A superior film. 9/10
After everyone else left and the wife went to bed we watched Starcrash (1978), to my mind the most enjoyable of all Italian post-Star Wars space opera. Economical and primitive, with no appealing characters but lots of bright colors and moving shapes. Relentlessly nonsensical and a welcome opportunity to appreciate the dubious talents of Caroline Munro and Marjoe Gortner. I smiled all the way through. 8/10 Thanks, Seth!
With my own wife on the opposite side of the planet for a week I can do whatever I want so this morning watched Home on the Range (2004). From the little I had seen of it I was afraid it might be too frenetic for my tastes, and its reception on release gave me the impression that it was in general a failure. On the contrary, I found it quite enjoyable and well-balanced. A simple "catch the bad guy, save the farm" story that never takes itself or anything else seriously, yet it becomes surprisingly touching during the sentimental musical interludes. A deliberate step back to classic Disney esthetics in character design and settings, with luminous - even glorious backgrounds. A cut above many more popular productions, and overall a well-contrived unity. Nice work. 9/10
