lightning strikes twice

Another Polanski directed film.  This one is about a well-to-do Polish couple who pickup a young brash hitchhiker on the way to their sailing boat.  The pompous husband invites the hitchhiker aboard the yacht, and an eventful night is spent on the water, finishing with a knife in the water.  Fantastically written and shot, just like the other Polanski films of the time.
7/10

Starring Brandon Lee

I saw this a couple of weeks ago now, so I’m a little hazy on all the details.  Brandon Lee is killed on Halloween, and returns deadset on revenge.  This is one kick ass film.  I can’t believe I hadn’t seen it until now.  Very dark and stylised, it probably could have changed my late teenage years if I’d seen it when it was released.  Who knows, it may even change my late twenties too.

8/10

directed by Roman Polanski, 1966
A dark comedy about what happens when a gangster in trouble comes across a couple’s castle and decides to make himself at home.  Dicky and Albert have botched a job and need to hole up till help arrives.  The fearful George and feisty Teresa are held captive by the semi-competent and intimidating Dicky, who cares only about his gangster pals.  Some obnoxious visitors serve to make George snap, and he finally takes charge and gets rid of all that grated him, but is he happy?  What if he had acted sooner?  Shot in black and white, it is funny, sad, telling and awkward.

7/10

They get a little too far into “mutual love in” territory, but I can’t pass up banter between my favourite sports writer and one of my favourite non fiction writers.

Simmons vs Gladwell: Part 1 & Part 2