Recent rentals

Innocents with Dirty Hands
A fun if somewhat predictable French crime romp directed by Claude Chabrol. Kinda like Double Indemnity meets Sleuth in St. Tropez. Bonus: Romy Schneider looking beautiful and occasionally naked.

It's Alive
Another 70's horror film I never saw back then -- I was such a chickenshit kid. Not bad. Mutant monster baby (right) courtesy of a young Rick Baker (pre-An American Werewolf in London), but they didn't show it much. Val Lewton would be pleased.

No Country for Old Men
Drug-money-pursued-by-psycho-hitman thing, surprisingly absorbing ... for awhile. Then it just sort of peters out in the third act. There Will Be Blood was better. Javier Bardem was good, though, as the psycho with a frightening 70s hairdo.

Lust, Caution
Ang Lee's overlong tale of sex and intrigue in Japanese-occupied Shanghai and Hong Kong. Never thought I'd tire of watching people fuck. Perhaps it was just those particular people. The girl wasn't that hot and Tony Leung was too in character as a sadistic secret police official to be anything more than repulsive. And the ending sucked -- after two and a half hours, I was a little pissed.

The Darjeeling Limited
Natalie Portman naked. That's the best you can say for this Wes Anderson yawner. I lost interest around the time the dissolute, rich Americans save the poor little Indian kid -- decided the contents of my glass were more compelling ...

Goya's Ghosts
Natalie Portman naked and tortured (too bad V for Vendetta didn't opt for this combo). Then they age her 20 years and she goes for Oscar gold as a hideous crone (sadly her performance was overlooked). Stellan Skarsgard plays Goya (duh huh?). Political allegory more interesting than story (also features Javier Bardem, this time as a horny inquisitor).