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
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
What's the opposite of short-changed? Long-changed? I just got generously long-changed!
November 24, 2025 at 3:30 PM
What's the opposite of short-changed? Long-changed? I just got generously long-changed!
Reposted by James Dalrymple
Rewatching Shane Meadows’ Made Of Stone for a thing. It’s more love letter than documentary and works within those parameters but, man, that 2012 Heaton Park version of Fool’s Gold is utterly astonishing.
youtu.be/jRswxxT3HQ8?...
youtu.be/jRswxxT3HQ8?...
The Stone Roses, Fools Gold Live at Heaton Park. Made of Stone DVD.
YouTube video by Jamie Hosey
youtu.be
November 23, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Rewatching Shane Meadows’ Made Of Stone for a thing. It’s more love letter than documentary and works within those parameters but, man, that 2012 Heaton Park version of Fool’s Gold is utterly astonishing.
youtu.be/jRswxxT3HQ8?...
youtu.be/jRswxxT3HQ8?...
Reposted by James Dalrymple
Bad Day At Black Rock (1955) A train stops in a podunk town & a stranger steps off. They don't care too much for strangers round there
Spencer Tracy is the one-armed man who, almost despite himself, is going to get to the bottom of things, assuming that he doesn't get killed in the process
1/11
Spencer Tracy is the one-armed man who, almost despite himself, is going to get to the bottom of things, assuming that he doesn't get killed in the process
1/11
November 24, 2025 at 12:25 AM
Bad Day At Black Rock (1955) A train stops in a podunk town & a stranger steps off. They don't care too much for strangers round there
Spencer Tracy is the one-armed man who, almost despite himself, is going to get to the bottom of things, assuming that he doesn't get killed in the process
1/11
Spencer Tracy is the one-armed man who, almost despite himself, is going to get to the bottom of things, assuming that he doesn't get killed in the process
1/11
Is My Living in Vain?
YouTube video by Bonnie Prince Billy - Topic
www.youtube.com
November 23, 2025 at 5:21 PM
First watch: Certain Women. Another major Kelly Reichardt blindspot plugged, this 2016 anthology film based on three short stories by Maile Meloy. Although very loosely connected, these are in many ways standalone shorts linked by a mood, pace, and the wide-open spaces of Montana. 1/3
November 23, 2025 at 10:01 AM
First watch: Certain Women. Another major Kelly Reichardt blindspot plugged, this 2016 anthology film based on three short stories by Maile Meloy. Although very loosely connected, these are in many ways standalone shorts linked by a mood, pace, and the wide-open spaces of Montana. 1/3
Reposted by James Dalrymple
Enjoyed that most French of films noir, Lift to the Scaffold
November 22, 2025 at 11:28 PM
Enjoyed that most French of films noir, Lift to the Scaffold
Reposted by James Dalrymple
Antonioni made charismatic actors look like idiots: in The Passenger, Jack Nicholson repeatedly struggles to improvise his way through conversations with strangers. The languages and contexts are alien to him; with a new identity and a new life come all-too-familiar communication barriers.
November 23, 2025 at 7:06 AM
Antonioni made charismatic actors look like idiots: in The Passenger, Jack Nicholson repeatedly struggles to improvise his way through conversations with strangers. The languages and contexts are alien to him; with a new identity and a new life come all-too-familiar communication barriers.
Reposted by James Dalrymple
New on the blog today, I've written about LADY L. by Romain Gary.
A charming, hugely enjoyable story of love, long-held secrets & railing against the establishment, in which personal desires are pitted against political principles & beliefs. I loved it! 💙📚
jacquiwine.wordpress.com/2025/11/23/l...
A charming, hugely enjoyable story of love, long-held secrets & railing against the establishment, in which personal desires are pitted against political principles & beliefs. I loved it! 💙📚
jacquiwine.wordpress.com/2025/11/23/l...
Lady L. by Romain Gary
Twice winner of the Prix Goncourt (once under a pen name), Romain Gary was a French writer, diplomat, film director and WW2 pilot of great repute. His highly engaging memoir, Promise at Dawn, is by…
jacquiwine.wordpress.com
November 23, 2025 at 7:15 AM
New on the blog today, I've written about LADY L. by Romain Gary.
A charming, hugely enjoyable story of love, long-held secrets & railing against the establishment, in which personal desires are pitted against political principles & beliefs. I loved it! 💙📚
jacquiwine.wordpress.com/2025/11/23/l...
A charming, hugely enjoyable story of love, long-held secrets & railing against the establishment, in which personal desires are pitted against political principles & beliefs. I loved it! 💙📚
jacquiwine.wordpress.com/2025/11/23/l...
Reposted by James Dalrymple
52 Pick-Up (1986) John Frankenheimer adapts Elmore Leonard on a Cannon Films budget
Roy Scheider's life goes sideways when he's caught in a honey trap & blackmailed by 3 small-time scumbags
If Spencer Tracy & Henri-Georges Clouzot made a sleazy 80s exploration flic, this would be that movie
1/7
Roy Scheider's life goes sideways when he's caught in a honey trap & blackmailed by 3 small-time scumbags
If Spencer Tracy & Henri-Georges Clouzot made a sleazy 80s exploration flic, this would be that movie
1/7
November 21, 2025 at 9:52 PM
52 Pick-Up (1986) John Frankenheimer adapts Elmore Leonard on a Cannon Films budget
Roy Scheider's life goes sideways when he's caught in a honey trap & blackmailed by 3 small-time scumbags
If Spencer Tracy & Henri-Georges Clouzot made a sleazy 80s exploration flic, this would be that movie
1/7
Roy Scheider's life goes sideways when he's caught in a honey trap & blackmailed by 3 small-time scumbags
If Spencer Tracy & Henri-Georges Clouzot made a sleazy 80s exploration flic, this would be that movie
1/7
I've just had a doze that failed all the basic criteria of power napping, which is why I now feel like I've been shot with a tranquilizer dart
November 22, 2025 at 5:04 PM
I've just had a doze that failed all the basic criteria of power napping, which is why I now feel like I've been shot with a tranquilizer dart
Reposted by James Dalrymple
de l'influence de la lune sur les barreaux des grilles
Timo Lemmetti
#moon #science #sky #freedom #photography
Timo Lemmetti
#moon #science #sky #freedom #photography
November 22, 2025 at 6:41 AM
de l'influence de la lune sur les barreaux des grilles
Timo Lemmetti
#moon #science #sky #freedom #photography
Timo Lemmetti
#moon #science #sky #freedom #photography
Reposted by James Dalrymple
oh, that's... that's not... you can't call it that
November 21, 2025 at 7:48 PM
oh, that's... that's not... you can't call it that
Reposted by James Dalrymple
“But we are émigrés, and for émigrés all countries are dangerous. Lots of ministers make speeches against us and no one wants to have us in their country, even though we’re not at all harmful and in fact just like other people." #BookSky 💙📚
jacquiwine.wordpress.com/2025/11/18/c...
jacquiwine.wordpress.com/2025/11/18/c...
Child of All Nations by Irmgard Keun (tr. Michael Hofmann)
Born in Berlin in 1905, the German writer Irmgard Keun rose to prominence in the early 1930s with her striking novels Gilgi, One of Us (1931) and The Artificial Silk Girl (1932), both of which I lo…
jacquiwine.wordpress.com
November 22, 2025 at 10:04 AM
“But we are émigrés, and for émigrés all countries are dangerous. Lots of ministers make speeches against us and no one wants to have us in their country, even though we’re not at all harmful and in fact just like other people." #BookSky 💙📚
jacquiwine.wordpress.com/2025/11/18/c...
jacquiwine.wordpress.com/2025/11/18/c...
Reposted by James Dalrymple
Found this sentence, from a BBC News article about Poundland stores, viscerally uncomfortable to read. Please do not alternate things you put in your mouth with things you absolutely should not put in your mouth.
November 21, 2025 at 11:18 PM
Found this sentence, from a BBC News article about Poundland stores, viscerally uncomfortable to read. Please do not alternate things you put in your mouth with things you absolutely should not put in your mouth.