Spitball Army

–  Man Hunt  (1941)
Man Hunt hews closely to the novel by Geoffrey Household, adding the Joan Bennett character, removing some of the cat-and-mouse chase sequences, but retaining the simple and paranoic chase story. George Sanders and John Carradine play the villains well, and Joan Bennett is suprisingly affecting. Like another [Netflix] reviewer, I did not appreciate the film’s propagandist ending; the book’s ending was much more ambiguous as to the hero’s ultimate fate.

–  The Battleship Potemkin  (1925)
It seemed a long time coming, but I finally saw this outstanding film last night. Potemkin was screened in a large hall with the Shostakovich score played by a full (and tuxedoed) orchestra. The impact was very powerful. As it is not mentioned in the details, I thought it was worth mentioning that the version that this website [Netflix] is currently offering does indeed utilize the Shostakovich score, which consists of excerpts from several of his symphonies. Emotionally, it is almost perfectly synced to the action in the film.

–  Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror  (1942)
In this 1942 film, Holmes is transported forward in time to World War Two-era Britain, where he is enlisted to help unravel a Nazi terrorist plot involving a mysterious radio broadcaster and a potential invasion of the England. There is some clever self-referential business in this heavy-handed propaganda movie, a couple of gorgeous Byronesque set pieces, and chilling (though inconsistent) film noir shadow effects. Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce are terrific, as always, in their signature roles.