John Hodson
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mgcroadster.bsky.social
John Hodson
@mgcroadster.bsky.social
Journalist since '73, now retired, film geek for longer. Rejoiner, lefty, love films of all eras. Recovering Man Utd. fan of six decades. Uses admiration of John Ford as a Rorschach test. No followers without a profile - sorry!
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If you can, please support this; from his early teenage years, our late son James did what he could to support Manchester's homeless, whether it was a gift, food, or simply a kind word. It's a charity that means a lot to us & we give every year...
Done all your Christmas shopping but still have that one person left to buy for?
Gift a Bed! 🎁

For £32, you can provide a night of much needed rest for someone who would otherwise have nowhere safe to sleep.

Save the stress and gift a bed today.

www.gmmayorscharity.org.uk/gift/p/gift-...
Reposted by John Hodson
NEW WILLERBY STORY.
Road Songs.
All old guitars have memories.
willerby.substack.com/p/road-songs
February 14, 2026 at 9:43 AM
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In a slight change of tone, it’s also 35 years since Silence of the Lambs
Jonathan Demme And Untold ‘Silence Of The Lambs’ Tales: Hannibal, Clarice, Tally, Hackman, And A Discarded Scary Ending
The Silence of the Lambs turns 25; untold tales from Jonathan Demme, Ted Tally on only horror film to win Best Picture Oscar
deadline.com
February 14, 2026 at 10:59 AM
Today's ongoing earworm...
February 14, 2026 at 11:45 AM
BBC Winter Olympics commentator having a small crisis, as the cold numbs his extremities, and he begins to hallucinate about better times...

"... This is so much harder than it may seem... watching from the comfort of your sofa... with a Rich Tea... and a cuppa..."
February 14, 2026 at 11:39 AM
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This piece is so much better than the pull-quote. It’s a beautiful profile of a fascinating brave strong woman and I urge you to read it.
February 14, 2026 at 9:43 AM
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Law and Order (1932) is one of the best Westerns of all time. Everyone needs to see it, especially now that it's been restored and is available on an excellent Blu-ray from Kino Lorber:
kinolorber.com/product/law-...
Oh wow that was really really good. A very morbid and unsettling western—The ending surprisingly unceremonious and pessimistic.
I’m watching Law and Order (1932) and omg it’s baby Andy Devine!!! I only recognized him because of the voice lol
February 14, 2026 at 1:35 AM
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It's MR James' Oh Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad again in Corin Hardy's follow-up to his horror hit The Nun, with the Knights Templar artefact replaced by an deadly Aztec death whistle. You've seen all this before, but we all have to play to the whistle. 3/5
film-authority.com/2026/02/14/w...
Whistle - film-authority.com
[…] More
film-authority.com
February 14, 2026 at 9:10 AM
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Skiing! Physics! Knitwear! This week we watch The Heroes Of Telemark, a film that truly has it all.
champ.ly/EObrleIT
February 14, 2026 at 9:24 AM
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This cartoon of his lives rent free in my brain.
February 9, 2026 at 4:05 AM
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An engrossing journey through The Beatles' break-out year of 1962. I bought the film as a bit of a down payment on the future volumes, and because it's always a joy to hear the incredible story of The Beatles illuminated as no else can @marklewisohn.bsky.social letterboxd.com/nickfield90/...
A ★★★★★ review of Evolver 62 (2026)
An engrossing journey through The Beatles' break-out year of 1962. I first encountered Mark Lewisohn after buying his 2013 book Tune In, the first of a planned trilogy of the Beatles' years. As an Ame...
letterboxd.com
February 14, 2026 at 3:00 AM
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"Because if you really believe Hollywood is awash in liberal or radical ideas, and run by liberal-minded powerbrokers, you haven’t been paying attention to what’s happening in boardrooms. Or what appears on our screens." -- @ninametz.bsky.social
Is Hollywood becoming conservative?
Spoiler: No. Because it always was.
buttondown.com
February 13, 2026 at 4:26 PM
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I've been cautiously optimistic about this movie, which appears to be extremely in my wheelhouse. having read Aaron's 5-star review, though, I am now officially and fully stoked
God I loved ‘Wuthering Heights’. Yes I love the book deeply have for decades hell I even saw Kate Bush in concert, but I came here to watch cinema. Would give my left arm for 100 more movies this gorgeous and repulsive and camp and funny and romantic and horny and doomed all at once. boxd.it/d6Cdq1
A ★★★★★ review of Wuthering Heights (2026)
I’m not sure 20k people saw this movie before it came out. It’s fucking fantastic. Anyone who sees the first glimpse of Earnshaw Manor and the costumes in this movie and doesn’t get that it’s both gor...
boxd.it
February 13, 2026 at 6:03 AM
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I thought this was superb. A war-time espionage thriller, that slowly morphs into a harsh psychological thriller. Everyone is trapped on a Nazi-controlled merchant ship that might as well be drifting into Hell.

It was shot by Conrad L. Hall, and the score was composed by Jerry Goldsmith.
Second film of the night
February 14, 2026 at 8:33 AM
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Today on @thedigitalbits.bsky.social website – Criterion’s May slate, Speed Racer #4K in May, new Via Vision, KLSC & Synapse titles, Ben-Hur 4K reviewed & more!
thedigitalbits.com/columns/bill...
February 14, 2026 at 12:02 AM
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I have read the book and seen at least three screen versions, but this was the first version of Wuthering Heights I saw, and so it's the one I always think of whenever it's mentioned.
In all this talk of best Heathcliff and best Cathy on screen, everyone seems to have forgotten Terry Jones and Carol Cleveland. www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIME...
Semaphore Version of Wuthering Heights
YouTube video by Kvetch Hell
www.youtube.com
February 13, 2026 at 11:00 PM
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Now THIS is how you do a restoration, and I love this video because it communicates the process to a regular audience quite effectively.

You Won't Believe This is 60-Year-Old Footage | Thunderbirds 4K Restoration Process
youtu.be/BwTObO3lpBg?si=TlVrv... youtu.be/BwTObO3lpBg?si=TlVrv...
You Won't Believe This is 60-Year-Old Footage | Thunderbirds 4K Restoration Process
Go behind the scenes of this stunning 4K restoration with this exclusive featurette from the 4K Collector's Edition Steelbook. Watch as Trapped in the Sky and Terror in New York City are transformed from new scans of the original film negatives into breathtaking 4K UHD. From Thunderbird 1's iconic launch to the intricate sets of Tracy Island, every frame has been lovingly restored to showcase International Rescue like never before. The Trapped in the Sky / Terror in New York City 4K UHD Limited Edition Steelbook includes both episodes in 4K, this complete restoration featurette, FAB at 60 - a feature-length documentary exploring the enduring impact of Thunderbirds with behind-the-scenes stories and rare insights, choice of original mono sound or newly remixed 5.1 surround track, and premium collectable steelbook packaging. This limited edition release is an essential addition for collectors and fans alike. Don’t miss your chance to own this tribute to one of the greatest achievements in television history. Order your Thunderbirds Limited Edition Steelbook today and join International Rescue for two unforgettable missions: https://gerryanderson.com/products/thunderbirds-trapped-in-the-sky-terror-in-new-york-city-4k-collectors-edition-steelbook-blu-ray For those of you new here, we're all about celebrating the amazing universe of Gerry Anderson, the legendary creator of Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, Space: 1999 and so much more. So buckle up and get ready for an interstellar journey! 🌌 🔔 SUBSCRIBE and hit the bell icon to make sure you never miss our new videos: https://www.youtube.com/gerryandersontv 🛍 Love the world of Gerry Anderson? Visit the official Gerry Anderson Store and bring a piece of this fantastic universe home with you: https://shop.gerryanderson.com/ 🛍 💬 Join our community! Connect with us on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GerryAndersonOfficial Twitter: https://twitter.com/GerryAndersonTV Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gerryandersontv/ ✉️ Want to stay up to date with everything Gerry Anderson? Sign up for our newsletter: https://www.gerryanderson.com/contact/ Thanks for watching, and we can't wait to share more of the Gerry Anderson universe with you! Until next time, F.A.B! 👋🏼
youtu.be
February 13, 2026 at 11:01 PM
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Print The Legend Week, our celebration of classic John Ford cinema, sails into the sunset today with Ed Neumeier’s trailer commentary for the navy adventure They Were Expendable!

trailersfromhell.com/expendable/
They Were Expendable | Trailers From Hell
Often cited as one of the finest movies about WW II, John Ford's first film after his Navy discharge is a powerful study of the PT boat squadron in the Philippines. Ford, who made the film at the behe...
trailersfromhell.com
February 13, 2026 at 10:42 PM
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I might very well avoid certain big films until with each one I know for certain it wasn't them. I think though we can eliminate a few possibilities; for example, it can't be The Odyssey because Nolan would have any producer suggesting using AI crucified, and then use that on screen...
Dude regularly works for Disney, DreamWorks, Netflix and CN so speculate away. But this sucks no matter which studio is doing it, and gross to think some major movie this year is running with a plagiarized image from ChatGPT.
February 13, 2026 at 11:09 PM
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Claude Sautet's "Classe Tous Risques" 4K UHD - Lino Ventura, Sandra Milo, Jean-Paul Belmondo @Criterion
US 4K UHD: amzn.to/4qwBHJ6
US Blu-ray: amzn.to/4kB3VRZ
BONUS CAPTURES:
www.patreon.com/posts/claude...
OUR COMPARISON:
www.dvdbeaver.com/subsite/film...
After hiding out in Milan...
February 13, 2026 at 10:17 PM
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#LetterboxdFriday #LastFourWatched

Uncompromising. Uncategorizable. Unmissable.

The comedy that goes to new heights.

3 boys wanted to be like their hero Harry Spikes. They got their wish. Soon they were worth a fortune. DEAD or ALIVE.

It's not where you start - It's where you start again.
February 13, 2026 at 12:57 PM
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Derek Fowlds, Clive Francis and Paul Eddington in Yes, Prime Minister - A Victory for Democracy (13th February 1986)
February 13, 2026 at 7:16 PM
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"That Different from the Others survives only in fragments seems rather fitting for a film about loneliness, that emotion of incompleteness, of something missing. And perhaps this emptiness would’ve resonated with Veidt himself..."

Well said indeed.
New today on the site!

“A Language for Loneliness”

- Laura Evers on Conrad Veidt and the 1919 German film, DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHERS, which was banned by German censorship laws in 1920
Different from the Others (1919): A Language for Loneliness
By developing subtle material techniques to depict loneliness, Different from the Others moves beyond sentimentality.
www.brightwalldarkroom.com
February 13, 2026 at 9:08 PM
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I made this playlist.
Our Taxi Driver anniversary piece now comes with a #BernardHerrmann playlist. Herrmann composed scores for approximately 50 films, including Citizen Kane and Vertigo

Become a Quietus Subscriber Plus tier member to access this plus many other wonderful perks:

buff.ly/szc04F4
February 13, 2026 at 10:09 PM