James Dalrymple
@jamesewand.bsky.social
Teaching/lecturing in France. Occasional academic.
Cinema, books, music, vintage television, podcasts (usually while cooking for the family), teaching, life in France etc.
Film reviews at: letterboxd.com/jamesewand/
Cinema, books, music, vintage television, podcasts (usually while cooking for the family), teaching, life in France etc.
Film reviews at: letterboxd.com/jamesewand/
Reposted by James Dalrymple
A ★★★★½ review of Petite Maman (2021)
Still (after many viewings) a wee miracle of a film.
boxd.it
November 29, 2025 at 8:11 PM
Reposted by James Dalrymple
It’s a piece of perfect cinema, pure mass market entertainment, that took the field in a world suddenly flooded with films seeking a slice of the Bond market. It’s packaged as anti-Bond, yet Harry Palmer is the nearly Bond...my Letterboxd review of THE IPCRESS FILE #FilmSky
boxd.it/bSIyHF
boxd.it/bSIyHF
A ★★★★★ review of The Ipcress File (1965)
“Look! The IPCRESS File is on TV.” “How many times have you seen this?" “Oh, I’ll just give it five minutes…" We all know how this scenario plays out; could not resist... Sidney J. Furie’s spy thrille...
boxd.it
November 29, 2025 at 10:59 PM
It’s a piece of perfect cinema, pure mass market entertainment, that took the field in a world suddenly flooded with films seeking a slice of the Bond market. It’s packaged as anti-Bond, yet Harry Palmer is the nearly Bond...my Letterboxd review of THE IPCRESS FILE #FilmSky
boxd.it/bSIyHF
boxd.it/bSIyHF
Tonight's film with Mrs James Dalrymple is brought to you courtesy of Harvey Keitel's Scottish accent
November 29, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Tonight's film with Mrs James Dalrymple is brought to you courtesy of Harvey Keitel's Scottish accent
Reposted by James Dalrymple
For your #Noirvember viewing pleasure, here’s another post from the vault. My @crimereads.bsky.social piece from a couple of ago on under appreciated American neo-noirs of the first half of the 1970s. I still think this list is pretty solid.
crimereads.com/10-underappr...
crimereads.com/10-underappr...
10 Underappreciated American Neo-Noirs of the Early 1970s
The domestic blowback of the Vietnam War. The sleaze and corruption of Watergate. The incipient rollback of the counterculture and many gains of the 1960s. Economic recession. The upheaval and unce…
crimereads.com
November 29, 2025 at 10:14 AM
For your #Noirvember viewing pleasure, here’s another post from the vault. My @crimereads.bsky.social piece from a couple of ago on under appreciated American neo-noirs of the first half of the 1970s. I still think this list is pretty solid.
crimereads.com/10-underappr...
crimereads.com/10-underappr...
First UK Christmas card of the year and it's addressed to Dr & Mrs James Dalrymple which is funny because :
- only medical doctors get to use the title "Dr" in France
- these formalities really piss off my wife (or should I say, "Mrs James Dalrymple" 😆)
- only medical doctors get to use the title "Dr" in France
- these formalities really piss off my wife (or should I say, "Mrs James Dalrymple" 😆)
November 29, 2025 at 2:57 PM
First UK Christmas card of the year and it's addressed to Dr & Mrs James Dalrymple which is funny because :
- only medical doctors get to use the title "Dr" in France
- these formalities really piss off my wife (or should I say, "Mrs James Dalrymple" 😆)
- only medical doctors get to use the title "Dr" in France
- these formalities really piss off my wife (or should I say, "Mrs James Dalrymple" 😆)
Reposted by James Dalrymple
Read Abel Ferrara’s memoir SCENE. Raw, systematically chaotic, redemptive, not for the squeamish. Like his films. Loved his early work, lost touch post New Rose Hotel. SCENE fills some gaps, vividly. I crossed his path briefly in Cannes '92, that era particularly resonated. Heavy, well-written.
November 29, 2025 at 12:32 PM
Read Abel Ferrara’s memoir SCENE. Raw, systematically chaotic, redemptive, not for the squeamish. Like his films. Loved his early work, lost touch post New Rose Hotel. SCENE fills some gaps, vividly. I crossed his path briefly in Cannes '92, that era particularly resonated. Heavy, well-written.
Reposted by James Dalrymple
Another superb appreciation from Tim; btw, I agree with everything Frankenheimer says about his action masterpiece. #FilmSky
November 29, 2025 at 12:39 PM
Another superb appreciation from Tim; btw, I agree with everything Frankenheimer says about his action masterpiece. #FilmSky
Reposted by James Dalrymple
MORGIANA (Juraj Herz, 1972). Loved this vivid Czech Gothic drama - a tale of two sisters involving jealousy, greed, poisoning, lavish costumes and a striking Siamese cat. The hair and make-up are gloriously over the top, especially for Viktoria, the evil one in this twisted scenario. #FilmSky
November 29, 2025 at 9:22 AM
MORGIANA (Juraj Herz, 1972). Loved this vivid Czech Gothic drama - a tale of two sisters involving jealousy, greed, poisoning, lavish costumes and a striking Siamese cat. The hair and make-up are gloriously over the top, especially for Viktoria, the evil one in this twisted scenario. #FilmSky
Reposted by James Dalrymple
November 29, 2025 at 11:12 AM
I wish I could say that academic writing was fun! Let's just say that seeing it finally in print is its own reward
November 29, 2025 at 10:52 AM
I wish I could say that academic writing was fun! Let's just say that seeing it finally in print is its own reward
so my journal article on Mike Leigh's Mr Turner has been published
(although annoyingly there is a formatting problem in the title that I have asked to be rectified):
journals.openedition.org/ebc/16973
(although annoyingly there is a formatting problem in the title that I have asked to be rectified):
journals.openedition.org/ebc/16973
Spitting Image: Authenticity, Embodiment and Self-reflexivity in Mi...
The turn of the century has seen a boom in cultural production looking back to the 19th century and particularly the Victorian era. Yet, many scholars have been keen to distinguish between those no...
journals.openedition.org
November 29, 2025 at 10:30 AM
so my journal article on Mike Leigh's Mr Turner has been published
(although annoyingly there is a formatting problem in the title that I have asked to be rectified):
journals.openedition.org/ebc/16973
(although annoyingly there is a formatting problem in the title that I have asked to be rectified):
journals.openedition.org/ebc/16973
Reposted by James Dalrymple
Just watched SHOOT (1976), a slice of post-Deliverance drive through exploitation at the centre of a recent plagiarism scandal… and which actually rocks
A group of NRA-nut hunters bite off more than they can chew when they unwittingly become prey of a rival group of hunters. SIGN ME UP
#filmsky 🧵
A group of NRA-nut hunters bite off more than they can chew when they unwittingly become prey of a rival group of hunters. SIGN ME UP
#filmsky 🧵
Apple TV series The Hunt postponed due to plagiarism allegations
Apple TV series The Hunt postponed due to plagiarism allegations
French thriller starring Benoît Magimel has been accused of stealing its story from a 1976 action film
www.theguardian.com
November 28, 2025 at 1:25 PM
Just watched SHOOT (1976), a slice of post-Deliverance drive through exploitation at the centre of a recent plagiarism scandal… and which actually rocks
A group of NRA-nut hunters bite off more than they can chew when they unwittingly become prey of a rival group of hunters. SIGN ME UP
#filmsky 🧵
A group of NRA-nut hunters bite off more than they can chew when they unwittingly become prey of a rival group of hunters. SIGN ME UP
#filmsky 🧵
First watch: Umberto D. (1952, dir. Vittorio de Sica). Eschewing a straightforward narrative about poverty for one about a middle-class pensioner who has fallen into debt, the film was not well received at the time and considered to have marked the beginning of the end for Italian neo-realism. 1/4
November 28, 2025 at 10:16 AM
First watch: Umberto D. (1952, dir. Vittorio de Sica). Eschewing a straightforward narrative about poverty for one about a middle-class pensioner who has fallen into debt, the film was not well received at the time and considered to have marked the beginning of the end for Italian neo-realism. 1/4
Reposted by James Dalrymple
New on the blog today, my thoughts on JUST A LITTLE DINNER by Cécile Tlili (tr. Katherine Gregor).
An intriguing chamber piece in which two couples dine together in a Paris apartment. Tensions abound, dynamics shift & life-changing decisions soon follow. 💙📚
jacquiwine.wordpress.com/2025/11/27/j...
An intriguing chamber piece in which two couples dine together in a Paris apartment. Tensions abound, dynamics shift & life-changing decisions soon follow. 💙📚
jacquiwine.wordpress.com/2025/11/27/j...
Just a Little Dinner by Cécile Tlili (tr. Katherine Gregor)
Established in 2023, Foundry Editions are still relatively new on the UK publishing scene, but I’ve already noticed their books in several outlets in London, largely due to the striking blue-and-wh…
jacquiwine.wordpress.com
November 27, 2025 at 7:16 AM
New on the blog today, my thoughts on JUST A LITTLE DINNER by Cécile Tlili (tr. Katherine Gregor).
An intriguing chamber piece in which two couples dine together in a Paris apartment. Tensions abound, dynamics shift & life-changing decisions soon follow. 💙📚
jacquiwine.wordpress.com/2025/11/27/j...
An intriguing chamber piece in which two couples dine together in a Paris apartment. Tensions abound, dynamics shift & life-changing decisions soon follow. 💙📚
jacquiwine.wordpress.com/2025/11/27/j...
Reposted by James Dalrymple
When Strangers Marry (1944). Before he was electrocuting audiences or whatever, William Castle directed this neat little noir, Kim Hunter reprising her ingenue in NYC role from The Seventh Victim. She’s in a jaunty beret chasing down a mystery again, but no complaints; ye can’t have too much of that
November 27, 2025 at 6:03 AM
When Strangers Marry (1944). Before he was electrocuting audiences or whatever, William Castle directed this neat little noir, Kim Hunter reprising her ingenue in NYC role from The Seventh Victim. She’s in a jaunty beret chasing down a mystery again, but no complaints; ye can’t have too much of that
Reposted by James Dalrymple
Looks like it was the final straw...
Herrmann and Hitchcock – The Torn Curtain – The Bernard Herrmann Society share.google/2gomJDFl0KdZ...
Herrmann and Hitchcock – The Torn Curtain – The Bernard Herrmann Society share.google/2gomJDFl0KdZ...
Herrmann and Hitchcock – The Torn Curtain – The Bernard Herrmann Society
The Bernard Herrmann Society - Society for the Appreciation of the Music of Bernard Herrmann (1911-1975)
share.google
November 26, 2025 at 9:41 PM
Looks like it was the final straw...
Herrmann and Hitchcock – The Torn Curtain – The Bernard Herrmann Society share.google/2gomJDFl0KdZ...
Herrmann and Hitchcock – The Torn Curtain – The Bernard Herrmann Society share.google/2gomJDFl0KdZ...
Reposted by James Dalrymple
Man from Del Rio has the bones of my favourite kind of Western. A man rides into town for vengeance. He is soon knee-deep in bodies, romance, and conflicted feelings about civilisation. This film is exactly that.
Except it is really jittery. Really nervy. Fraught with an unspoken anxiety.
Except it is really jittery. Really nervy. Fraught with an unspoken anxiety.
November 25, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Man from Del Rio has the bones of my favourite kind of Western. A man rides into town for vengeance. He is soon knee-deep in bodies, romance, and conflicted feelings about civilisation. This film is exactly that.
Except it is really jittery. Really nervy. Fraught with an unspoken anxiety.
Except it is really jittery. Really nervy. Fraught with an unspoken anxiety.
First watch: Torn Curtain (1966), starring Paul Newman and Julie Andrews. Put this off for a while as it is considered one of Hitchcock's less appreciated films, but it was more entertaining than expected, especially the first half.
1/3
1/3
November 26, 2025 at 9:02 PM
First watch: Torn Curtain (1966), starring Paul Newman and Julie Andrews. Put this off for a while as it is considered one of Hitchcock's less appreciated films, but it was more entertaining than expected, especially the first half.
1/3
1/3
Postman's been!
November 26, 2025 at 5:07 PM
Postman's been!
Reposted by James Dalrymple
Caligula: The Ultimate Cut (2023) A reconstruction of notorious porn epic Caligula, removing the hardcore sex spliced in by producer Bob Guccione without the knowledge of director Tinto Brass.
With no input from Brass, the project tries to get as close as possible to Gore Vidal's original script
With no input from Brass, the project tries to get as close as possible to Gore Vidal's original script
November 25, 2025 at 10:47 PM
Caligula: The Ultimate Cut (2023) A reconstruction of notorious porn epic Caligula, removing the hardcore sex spliced in by producer Bob Guccione without the knowledge of director Tinto Brass.
With no input from Brass, the project tries to get as close as possible to Gore Vidal's original script
With no input from Brass, the project tries to get as close as possible to Gore Vidal's original script
Reposted by James Dalrymple
Rewatch: LEAVE HER TO HEAVEN (1945)
Gene Tierney’s performance as an unstable, obsessively jealous woman is stunning and unsettling in a film that is beautifully shot in Technicolor.
Her turn as a monstrous villain is quite possibly my favorite of her roles, tonight at least.
#FilmSky #MovieSky
Gene Tierney’s performance as an unstable, obsessively jealous woman is stunning and unsettling in a film that is beautifully shot in Technicolor.
Her turn as a monstrous villain is quite possibly my favorite of her roles, tonight at least.
#FilmSky #MovieSky
November 26, 2025 at 4:24 AM
Reposted by James Dalrymple
25 years since first watching it and Deliverance (Boorman, 1972) is still so captivating and nerve-wracking
Of course it centres around *that* horrific scene but it’s run through with tough questions around confused masculinity, man’s abusive relationship with nature and complexity of justice
Of course it centres around *that* horrific scene but it’s run through with tough questions around confused masculinity, man’s abusive relationship with nature and complexity of justice
November 26, 2025 at 6:58 AM
25 years since first watching it and Deliverance (Boorman, 1972) is still so captivating and nerve-wracking
Of course it centres around *that* horrific scene but it’s run through with tough questions around confused masculinity, man’s abusive relationship with nature and complexity of justice
Of course it centres around *that* horrific scene but it’s run through with tough questions around confused masculinity, man’s abusive relationship with nature and complexity of justice
Reposted by James Dalrymple
Still incomparable. Still essential. Forever timely. "The Gaia hypothesis of James Lovelock, which states that the Earth self-regulates after destruction, swirls mysteriously through the plot and names a group with which Emma was involved."
Why Edge Of Darkness Makes So Much Sense in 2025 | The Quietus
Judge Rogers speaks to several key members of the team who made the ecologically-minded thriller for the BBC
thequietus.com
November 25, 2025 at 12:18 PM
Still incomparable. Still essential. Forever timely. "The Gaia hypothesis of James Lovelock, which states that the Earth self-regulates after destruction, swirls mysteriously through the plot and names a group with which Emma was involved."
First watch: Soylent Green (1973, dir. Richard Fleischer). Dystopian sci-fi that should probably be congratulated for putting global warming on the Hollywood big screen, after breakthroughs in climate science of the 1960s. 1/3
November 25, 2025 at 7:24 AM
First watch: Soylent Green (1973, dir. Richard Fleischer). Dystopian sci-fi that should probably be congratulated for putting global warming on the Hollywood big screen, after breakthroughs in climate science of the 1960s. 1/3
Reposted by James Dalrymple
Guilty Bystander (1950) is a Criterion Blackout Noir, and you do wonder how much of it Zachary Scott will remember when it’s all over. He’s after his missing son, but still on a right old bender, stoically declining drinks here, greedily chugging them there, fumes coming off him through the screen
November 24, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Guilty Bystander (1950) is a Criterion Blackout Noir, and you do wonder how much of it Zachary Scott will remember when it’s all over. He’s after his missing son, but still on a right old bender, stoically declining drinks here, greedily chugging them there, fumes coming off him through the screen