NotesonFilm1

Thinking Aloud About Film: Death of A Cyclist/ Muerte de un ciclista (Juan Antonio Bardem, 1955) Part of the Juan Antonio Bardem cycle of films screened at Bologna and available to see through a marvellous Criterion Edition.... https://notesonfilm1.com/2026/07/19/thinking-aloud-about-film-death-of-a-cyclist-muerte-de-un-ciclista-juan-antonio-bardem-1955/

PARTY GIRL (Nicholas Ray, 1958) In his magisterial work on Nicholas Ray, NICHOLAS RAY, AN AMERICAN JOURNEY, surely one of the greatest works on film studies, Bernard Eisenschitz writes that PARTY GIRL (Nicholas Ray, 1958) was met with a ‘unanimously condescending critical reception in the United States’ and that French critics, ‘adopting an extremist stance within AUTEURIST theory, were of the opinion that Ray had here perfected his method.... https://notesonfilm1.com/2026/07/18/party-girl-nicholas-ray-1958/

Pamela Hutchinson on THE CURSE OF QUEEN KELLY (New York, Sticking Place Books, 2025) When I read THE CURSE OF QUEEN KELLY, I wrote to Pam Hutchinson, its author: 'I found it it so much fun to read -- a rarity!... https://notesonfilm1.com/2026/07/16/pamela-hutchinson-on-the-curse-of-queen-kelly-new-york-sticking-place-books-2025/

THE INVITE (Olivia Wilde, 2026). THE INVITE (Olivia Wilde, 2026). Joe (Seth Rogan) is a music teacher who’s long given up on his dream of a music career and is embarrassed to be living in his late parents’ apartment.... https://notesonfilm1.com/2026/07/14/the-invite-olivia-wilde-2026/

Supergirl (Craig Gillespie, 2026)a I’m a big fan of the SUPERGIRL: WOMAN OF TOMORROW graphic novel on which the current SUPERGIRL film is based.... https://notesonfilm1.com/2026/07/14/supergirl-craig-gillespie-2026a/

Marilyn Monroe NPG At the risk of offending all the friends and colleagues who’ve been involved in all the MARILYN events across various institutions in London (BFI, NPG), can someone tell me what the point of it is?... https://notesonfilm1.com/2026/07/13/marilyn-monroe-npg/

A Triple Bill at BFI Southbank Had a perfect day yesterday with a triple bill of pre-Coders at the BFI Southbank, SHANGHAI EXPRESS, HOLD YOUR MAN (In 35 mm) and then De Mille’s CLEOPATRA with Claudette Colbert.... https://notesonfilm1.com/2026/07/13/a-triple-bill-at-bfi-southbank/

Bhowani Junction (George Cukor, 1956) I’ve been waiting 50 years to see BHOWANI JUNCTION on a big screen, ever since I read Gavin Lambert’s book of interviews with Cukor, where he described how Ava Gardner grew as an actress here, and of a scene where she washed her mouth with gin, in his eyes tragically edited out and a great loss to the film and the prestige Gardner could have garnered by having it seen.... https://notesonfilm1.com/2026/07/13/bhowani-junction-george-cukor-1956/

MY FATHER’S ISLAND (Vladimir de Fontenay, 2025). Beautiful landscapes, beautifully filmed, with a vibrant and charismatic Woody Norman at the centre. The film is based on David Vann’s autobiographical novella Sukkwan Island about a divorced father who wants to take his son to a remote cabin in the Finnish fjords to bond with him.... https://notesonfilm1.com/2026/07/08/my-fathers-island-vladimir-de-fontenay-2025/

Eavesdropping at the Movies: 476 – Disclosure Day Steven Spielberg returns to science fiction with Disclosure Day, an ambitious alien thriller that consciously recalls ... https://notesonfilm1.com/2026/07/08/eavesdropping-at-the-movies-476-disclosure-day/

Eyes Wide Shut (Stanley Kubrick, 1999) Saw EYES WIDE SHUT in a dreamy 35mm print at the Prince Charles yesterday for the first time in decades.... https://notesonfilm1.com/2026/07/06/eyes-wide-shut-stanley-kubrick-1999/

Cinema Ritrovato 2026 Wrap-up Richard and I get together to chat about our experience of this year’s Cinema Ritrovato. The programming is so vast and diverse that everyone who attends will have a completely different Ritrovato.... https://notesonfilm1.com/2026/07/06/cinema-ritrovato-2026-wrap-up/

FISTS IN THE POCKET/ I PUGNI IN TASCA (Marco Bellocchio, 1965) FISTS IN THE POCKET/ I PUGNI IN TASCA (Marco Bellocchio, 1965) is one of the most audacious first films I’ve ever seen.... https://notesonfilm1.com/2026/07/05/fists-in-the-pocket-i-pugni-in-tasca-marco-bellocchio-1965/

Otphan (Lázló Nemes, 2025) The only other Lázló Nemes that’s come my way previously is SON OF SAUL (2015) and I didn’t go see it because I didn’t have the stomach for another Holocaust film.... https://notesonfilm1.com/2026/06/16/otphan-lazlo-nemes-2025/

THE BAMBOO BLONDE (Dorothy B. Hughes, 1941) Whereas I read THE SO BLUE MARBLE in one big gulp, it has taken me almost two weeks to get through its sequel THE BAMBOO BLONDE, and thus no surprise that the series ends here.... https://notesonfilm1.com/2026/06/14/the-bamboo-blonde-dorothy-b-hughes-1941/

Thinking Aloud About Film: Tarik Saleh and The Cairo Trilogy Richard and I were so excited after seeing Eagles of the Republic (2025), that when we learned that it was the third film in a trilogy, we made a point of seeing the other two: ... https://notesonfilm1.com/2026/06/13/thinking-aloud-about-film-tarik-saleh-and-the-cairo-trilogy/

THE CONTRACTOR (Tarik Saleh, 2022) At the moment, for the US to lecture any other country about freedom of speech has become a joke.... https://notesonfilm1.com/2026/06/08/the-contractor-tarik-saleh-2022/