The Turin Horse

Belá Tarr and Ágnes Hranitsky, 2011, 146 minutes

Slow, bleak, and with a creeping sense of dread. Gorgeous black and white photography.

Sisters

Brian De Palma, 1972, 92 minutes

A Bernard Herrmann score, split-screen effects, echoes of Hitchcock: De Palma delivers.

The Last Starfighter

Nick Castle, 1984, 101 minutes

As hokey as this sci-fi popcorn flick is, it occurred to me about halfway through that there is nothing here that would be out of place in any Star Wars movie. At least Starfighter wears its corniness proudly.

Withnail and I

Bruce Robinson, 1987, 107 minutes

There are a few funny moments, but overall this reminds me of the tediousness of drunks.

Macbeth

Roman Polanski, 1971, 140 minutes  |  Orson Welles, 1948, 107 minutes

Polanski's version has a bleakness that appeals, and Jon Finch is a fine Macbeth; Welles's version sets most of the play in what appears to be a system of caves, which is offputting. Jeannette Nolan as Welles's Lady Macbeth is over-the-top and excellent; Welles is fine but his accent varies.

A Man and a Woman

Claude Lelouch, 1966, 102 minutes

Plays like a silent, with music setting the tone and long stretches without dialogue. Breathes with energy and charm.

American Graffiti

George Lucas, 1973, 112 minutes

Lucas's best movie, Graffiti recreates the 1962 world of cruising for girls and the transition from adolescence into adulthood.