kinuta

The Haunting Of Hill House- Mike Flanagan (2018) I was half expecting something along the lines of the cheesy American Horror Story but I overcame my deep scepticism and plunged in. What a surprise, up to now it's a serious, deep psychological portrait of a family traumatised by unexplained events at a house they bought from the Hilll family. Upended my preconceived ideas and is proving a rich viewing experience.

The Hunchback Of Notre Dame - William Dieterie (1939) An amazing film, even among all the other gems from 1939. I'd only seen it previously in a scratched up, faded print. The BR is stunning.

Dark Victory - Edmund Goulding (1939)

White chocolate is vile stuff. Here the chocolate manufacturers dreamed up something called 'white day'. People who receive chocolate on Valentines day are being persuaded that as a social duty they should return the gift in kind on White day, preferably with the dreaded, nobody wants to buy, white muck. Seems the campaign has been partially successful but has predicably failed to catch the popular imagination. Tofu is tofu, no big deal one way or the other.

The Four Feathers - Zoltan Korda (1939)

Raw eggs are eaten with Sukiyaki and Gyudon. Gyudon(rice bowl with beef) restaurants always offer raw egg. Some people add a dash of shoyu (soy sauce). I always add a heap of red chilli flakes. I think any kind of sweet pizza, especially pineapple, is utterly horrible.

Doctor Sleep - Mike Flanagan (2019) Convincing and held up well until the final part, which I thought was a mistake. I like the director and would recommend his earlier Oculus, which is a terrific and undermentioned horror classic.

No, it's anzu, sweet bean paste. The mochi is macha, green tea, flavour and is soft and light. Regular mochi is usually harder and comes in blocks like tofu. There are quite a selection of sweets filled with anzu.

Mr Smith Goes To Washington - Frank Capra (1939) Stagecoach - John Ford (1939)

I asked because I wondered if they were the English translation for mochi, which is a very popular item in Japan. It's made from glutinous rice pounded into a sticky paste and shaped into semi spherical morsels. I can't stand the stuff but it's widely eaten, especially at New Year when ,without fail, several old folks choke to death on it. However this type is excellent -

A Rainy Day In New York - Woody Allen (2019) Flimsiest of storylines with 20ish youngsters coming on all Noel Coward like. That said, it's a really beautifully shot film with the true star NYC. Shot in Sony digital.

Love this box, the sound quality is amazing.

Marriage Story - Noah Baumbach (2019)

Gone With The Wind - Victor Fleming (1939)

This one certainly looks like a must have.