Just finished watching The Innocents, the 1961 film based on Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw. Here’s the IMDB link to find out more, or there’s always Wikipedia.

It really is one of the scariest things I think I have ever seen. There’s a great thread on Palimpsest discussing the movie.

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I recently joined Screen Select, an online DVD rental store. I had previously been a member of Amazon’s effort, but I cancelled as I was bereft of a DVD player for a few months. I pay £12.99 a month for an unlimited number of DVDs, and I can have 2 at home at any one time. To be honest, I rarely have two at home, it’s more the case that one is, and that the other is being either returned or sent out to me. Means we manage to get through quite a few films, which is good given that TV is so rubbish these days.

Here’s what we have had so far:

• Alien – Though the DVD was apparently the Director’s Cut, a studio release that Ridley Scott hated, it also featured the original version, which I watched. It’s visually stunning, claustrophobic and tense, and gripping from the very start. But it isn’t scary is it?
• Supersize Me – Entertaining bit of corporate America bashing. The science is all a bit dubious though, isn’t it, and the message obvious, at least for sane people.
• The Big Lebowski – Loved it. I am now tempted to change my Palimpname from Wavid to ‘The Dude’.
• The End of the Affair – Found this strangely unlikeable.
• Spiderman 2 – Even more stupid than the first one. Enjoyed it, but felt thoroughly ashamed of doing so.
• Hitchiker’s Guide… – My other half liked this more than me – she thought this might be because she hasn’t read the book for 10 years, while I re-read it all the time. It was ok, I guess.

This has been ripped and edited slightly from my Film List on Palimpsest.

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Watched Shaun of the Dead last night, an Amazon Rental DVD. The only one of the three that arrived on Friday without a crack in it.

Still, it was an excellent, funny film and I recommend it.

I emailed Amazon on Friday night about the bust DVDs, and got an email back saying replacements were sent out on Saturday, which means I should get them Monday, which shouldn’t be too bad I guess.

Am reading Chaucer by Peter Ackroyd now. It’s interesting stuff and really well written, and delightfully short, so I will hopefully get it finished today.

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I joined the new (to the UK) Amazon DVD rental scheme this week. Here’s how it works:

Amazon take £10 a month from my debit card each month. In exchange, they send me 6 DVDs a month, I can have 3 at home at any one time. I also set up a rental list of DVDs I want to see, and as I return them, Amazon send me the next available one to me. All the postage is covered by Amazon, so it really does only cost about £1.60 per DVD.

I ordered the following for my first three this month:

• Fargo
• Kill Bill Vol. 1 and
• Shaun of the Dead

Will update on how it goes. I have often thought I don’t watch enough films, and this is a great way to catch up on some really good quality ones – the selection available at Amazon is amazing and offers far more choice than you could ever get at Blockbusters or Choices or wherever.

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The Oscar nominations are out – see here.

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