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Cinema with substance: screenwriting, film classics, European, Asian, African, Hollywood, short films

Martin Paule's Micro Movie Reviews:


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As a self-confessed videoholic, I find that I must wade through a fair amount of dross in order to discover those cinematic gems available on tape and DVD. When I  make such a discovery, I have a powerful urge to spread the word. Hence, the capsule reviews that follow. I consider my taste in film to be rather eclectic. Though I am often drawn to intellectually stimulating fare, small but heartfelt indie productions and cult items, I'm not  always inclined towards, cinematically-speaking, a heavy meal. So among the films reviewed here, there is a considerable gamut ranging from the deeper stuff to lightweight entries that offer some rewards when one is up for a video snack. My tendency is to review those  films that positively moved me on some level. (It's bad enough that I put the time into watching the other crap; I see little need in recounting those dismal experiences in negative reviews.) 

Martin's ALL TIME TOP 10: 
1. Citizen Kane
2. The Godfather (I & II)
3. Chinatown
4. The Apu Trilogy (Pather Panchali/Aparajito/
The World of Apu)
5. The General (1927)
6. 8 1/2
7. 2001: A Space Odyssey
8. The Conformist
9. El Topo
10. O Lucky Man

 
 

 

 TOP 10 CULT FILMS

Arguably these could be included among my All Time picks as they have transcended their initial cult status through popular acceptance.

1. Blue Velvet
2. Touch of Evil
3. Down By Law
4. Mystery Train
5. Henry Fool
6. The Discrete Charm of The Bourgoise
7. Night on Earth
8. Santa Sangre
9. Repo Man
10. Pulp Fiction  

 TOP 10 FILMS ON VIDEO

Many wonderful films simply don't work on the television screen.  The following titles don't lose
a great deal in their transformation to video.

1. Bicycle Thief
2, Treasure of The Sierra Madre
3. Being There
4. Secrets and Lies
5. The Pawnbroker
6. Umberto D.
7. Wild Strawberries
8. Frankenstein (1931)
9. Psycho
10. Raging Bull
 

A couple of organizational notes: When a film shares a title with another of the same name, I have indicated the year of release in parentheses following the title so that you won't inadvertently pick up the wrong one. In the case of foreign films and those entries that have more than one title, I have  indicated those foreign and alternate titles. 

If you find that your local movie rental outlet offers little in the way of challenging, out of the ordinary fare, in favor of big Hollywood blockbusters  that monopolize their shelves, get on their case. I have found that by talking to the person who orders the inventory, I have been able to sometimes get them to stock the smaller, more obscure titles. In the case of cult films and classics, the video store will profit in the long haul from its investment since such titles are perennials that discerning customers will rent for years to come.  

The big national chains such as Blockbuster have a mass-market outlook that is predicated on offering dozens of copies of the latest big-boxoffice movies on the assumption that they'll profit from frequent rentals of these titles over a short timespan. And that's undoubtedly true. But in speaking with some  video store operators and managers, they have acknowledged that many of the more obscure titles ultimately turn a profit for them due to their being  
rented slowly but steadily over the years. Even the national chain store managers have some say in what titles are stocked. So when you find yourself  frustrated by a paucity of interesting films on a store's shelves, get on their case. If they respond (as some have for me) by getting some decent stuff, you'll be doing all of us who care to have a quotient of quality in our entertainment a favor.

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