My Week of Movie Watching

The Small Back Room - Lesser known Powell/Pressburger offering from 1949. David Farrar stars as a one-legged, alcoholic bomb expert who has to put aside his problems and step up to his job. I love the Archers' war-era films, and this is a good one, as well. Farrar was the male lead in Powell's Black Narcissus, and Kathleen Byron, who played the insane nun in that film is also here. Jack Hawkins and Cyril Cusack have small roles.

Mystery Street - This is billed as a Film Noir, but that's a bit misleading. It's more a police procedural with Noir flavorings. Ricardo Montalban plays a detective who is investigating what looks to be an open-and-shut murder case, but there's just something that's not right. It was directed by John Sturges of Magnificent Seven and Bad Day at Black Rock fame. Richard Brooks co-wrote the screenplay. Elsa Lanchester is in this in one of her classic scene stealing roles. Recommended.

Coraline - Visually arresting animated story of a neglected little girl who finds a secret portal to another world, and comes to regret it. This is done in the old-fashioned stop-action style, and it's a treat for the imagination. Recommended