Cinema

According to the US military, sporting a Casio F-91W wristwatch* is a telling sign that you may be up to no good. Indeed, you may well be a member of al-Qaeda or one of its affiliates. Other things that raise suspicions: satellite phones, bundles of cash, military transceivers and, um, “secret notes”. Naturally, this recalls one of the great moments in cinematic history: Now they know we’re on to this trick, of course, al-Qaeda will need to find a new supplier. *Surely a word that no longer requires the “wrist” bit? [Thanks to MH]

This is one reason why critics are a good thing. Woody Allen appears to have not even the slightest clue about his own work: [Thanks to DC]

There’s no successor to Elizabeth Taylor. No contemporary actress possesses anything like her fame. That’s a consequence of the changing nature of celebrity and the fragmentation of popular culture. The movies got small and so did the stars. But the sensational aspects of the Taylor-Burton saga makes it easy to forget that their celebrity was initially founded upon their brilliance as actors. The work fed a celebrity which would help undermine the validity of the work, and did so right from the beginning in the overblown mess that was Cleopatra. But Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, stagey and overdone itself, remains an extraordinary piece of work: a harrowing, almost grotesque,

Here’s the Duke being interviewed by Canadian television in 1960. It’s striking how contemporary it all sounds once the conversation moves on to politics. Fifty years on and you hear many of the same arguments… Hat-tip: Terry Teachout whose new biography of Louis Armstrong comes highly recommended.]

There are times when Twitter is a bit like playing I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue. Today, for instance, folk have been frittering the afternoon away thinking of Unseen Prequels that have mysteriously disappeared from cinema history. Some of my favourites: All About Adam, Gremlin, Build the Bismarck!, Duck Stock, Le Depart de Martin Guerre, Snakes at a Metal Detector, The Undergraduate, Ferry Across the River Kwai, Blackhawk Aloft, Eyes Up Wolves from the Bar, Subject Kane and, my favourite of favourites, Lambo. Thanks to Mr Eugenides and Overnight to Many Distant Cities for many of these. Readers are invited to submit their own candidates for a Festival of Unmade

So, a big hello to Cappuccino Culture, the Spectator’s new culture blog where I see Pete has reposted the list he helped compile for the Spectator’s 50 Essential Films supplement. Just for good measure, Pete’s added another 35 films that would be contenders for his own personal list. Brother Hoskin is a much greater cinephile than I am, but his inclusion of Eyes Wide Shut as a candidate for his own “Top 50” suggests he’s also keen on offering needless provocation. That said, I was delighted to see that the charming Whisky Galore! also made his list. Since everyone love to make movie lists, here are some films that, off