It did feel that in 2024 we were getting back to a more rounded sense of film in the UK, but there are still plenty of problems. Pictureville at the National Media Museum re-opened in September but with the Cubby Broccoli Cinema at the Museum also closed for most of the first half of the year, I lost my two main venues for much of the year. This means I saw only 22 films in cinemas – a small advance on last year but still well below what I would expect.
Highlights in the cinema for 2024 (in no particular order):
La chimera (Italy 2023)
All We Imagine as Light (India 2024)
Monster (Japan 2023)
Evil Does Not Exist (Japan 2023)
Godzilla Minus One (Japan 2023)
I’m Still Here (Brazil 2024) (Leeds Film Festival)
Chidambaram (India 1986) (Leeds Film Festival)
The Room Next Door (Spain 2024)
The Goldman Case (France 2023)
Silents By the Sea, ‘Slapstick Saturday’ (for short silent comedies)
Streamers and online festivals
The World is Family (India 2023) Channel 4 catch-up
Sambre (France-Belgium 2023) BBC iPlayer – catch-up, crime series
Mother and Son (France 2022) BFI Player
Ponniyin Selvan Part 1 (India 2022) Apple
Perfect Days (Japan-Germany 2023) MUBI
Physical media
Showing Up (US 2022)
Universal Noir Vols 1 and 2: Naked Alibi (US 1954) and Deported (US 1950) are two films I didn’t know before I got the boxset and in their different ways they both offered me ideas about Hollywood in the early 1950s, film noir and Universal as a studio. Despite their flaws, I found them intriguing and well worth exploring. They are in Vol. 1 and in the second volume there are more films which are equally interesting. Singapore (US 1947) is the first I’ve posted on from Vol 2. but there are more to come.
Knock on Any Door (US 1949) – I’ve been searching for this for some time and found another excellent Blu-ray package from Indicator. Not too many Nicholas Ray films to go now.
Thamp (The Circus Tent, India, Malayalam 1978) – This was a real joy, an excellent Blu-ray from Second Run. Parallel cinema from India is gradually beginning to be restored and access via Blu-ray is an excellent way to access it. Three great films from Kerala in 2024 has been the highlight of my year.
itp Global Film 
a riposte from me of films of my year, if riposte were needed (it isn’t) :
Godzilla Minus One – astonishing special effects with a few formulaic characters.
The Holdovers – nicely acidic Christmas fare.
The Zone Of Interest – an elliptical view of the Holocaust.
The Promised Land – Mads Wilander with another uphill struggle to survive.
A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night – finally caught this at Bradford.
Robot Dreams
Heroico
City Of Wind – a harsher look at Mongolian youth.
Next Sohee – always good to see Doona Bae.
Werckmeister Harmonies – massively oddball.
Only The River Flows.
Megalopolis -just kidding. Almost makes you reappraise all of the rest of Coppola’s films.
Pierce – Taiwan film about two brothers into fencing.
The Bat Woman – barking mad Mexican luchadora flick from 1968 given a limited release.
happy new year.
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Thanks John. Some interesting titles there including a few I haven’t come across. I think you must have been to HOME on several occasions. I wish I could still get there, but it’s a problem for me.
Happy New Year and hopefully a good range of films to see in cinemas.
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Home Mcr for Robot Dreams and Heroico (taken as a double bill) and also for The Bat Woman. Most of the rest were Leeds Vue both during LIFF and separately, and also Hyde Park for ‘Werckmeister Harmonies’ and a splendid revival of ‘Shadow Of The Vampire’ with director guesting.
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