Q: Ealing Studios, a television and film production company based in West London, claims to be the oldest film studio in the world. Though it has been consistently churning out films and television programmes since the 1930s, its golden age was most certainly between 1948 and 1955, when it produced a string of comedy masterpieces, many starring the great Alec Guinness. Such well-known titles include 'Whisky Galore! (1949),' 'Passport to Pimlico (1949),' 'Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949),' 'The Lavender Hill Mob (1951),' 'The Titfield Thunderbolt (1953)' and 'The Ladykillers (1955).' One of Ealing Studio's most beloved films, 'The Man in the White Suit,' was released in 1951, and starred Alec Guiness as Sidney Stratton, a brilliant inventor who engineers a remarkable fabric, an invention that unexpectedly makes him more enemies than friends.

Sidney Stratton is poor and unappreciated, but he has scientific talent in great abundance. Due to his under-qualification, the only jobs he is able to get are as a janitor or labourer at any of the large textile factories, where he secretly undertakes his own experiments using the company's own money and equipment. After being found out and ejected countless times, Sidney is convinced that he is only weeks away from a momentous scientific discovery that will revolutionise the textiles industry. Encouraged by his daughter Daphne (Joan Greenwood), textile mill owner Alan Birnley (Cecil Parker) takes a keen interest in Sidney's exploits and agrees to finance any further work. After numerous failed attempts and quite a few earth-shattering explosions, Sidney eventually unveils his amazing creation: an almost-luminous white fabric that never gets dirty and never wears out.

If Sidney thought that his invention would make him a hero, then he was sorely disappointed. The all-powerful bosses of textiles industry, headed by the frail Sir John Kierlaw (Ernest Thesiger), unite to ensure that the revolutionary invention, which could completely cripple their businesses, never goes into full-scale production. Likewise, the humble labourers in the workers' union hear of Sidney's creation and also set out to erase it from existence, fearing for their jobs. The inventor, however, is convinced that the ever-lasting fabric will bring relief and happiness to many, and refuses to give in to the demand of others, despite being threatened with violence and offered 250,000 in compensation. Throughout all his troubles to announce his invention to the media, only one person offers Sidney her complete sympathy and support, Birnley's daughter Daphne, who is engaged to be married to somebody else but falls in love with Sidney's plight anyway.

'The Man in the White Suit' is a clever and hilarious comedy, made great by a witty script (written by John Dighton, Roger MacDougall and director Alexander Mackendrick) and a quirky and charismatic performance from an inimitable Alec Guinness. There are also a few good-natured swipes at capitalism, and of how big industries can hold back progress for the sake of their own monetary situations, though we can certainly see the arguments for either side of the debate. OPTIONS:
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A: positive
Q: Streetfight (aka Coonskin) is a very unique film directed by animation pioneer Ralph Bakshi. It is an oddity of the cinema, and is very much worth seeing. It is live action mixed with animation, seemingly influenced on Disney's legendary Song of the South, almost as if it is a response to that flick. Philip Michael Thomas, later to become Don Johnson's sidekick on Miami Vice, and Scatman Crothers, most famous for his role in Kubrick's The Shining, are prison escapees. Charles Gordone and Barry White (yes, that Barry White) are Thomas' friends and plan to help him escape prison. They are stuck at a police roadblock, and Crothers tells Thomas a story about a black rabbit, a bear, and a fox who move from the South to Harlem in order to find a more peaceful existence. The story is animated, and provides a lot of wonderous things to see. Like all of Bakshi's films, most will be annoyed and will dislike the animation. True animation lovers will forgive its clunkiness and fall in love with its inventiveness. The movie is very violent, very sexual, and it is mostly about battles between the races. For a long time, I thought I was watching something extremely important, but after a while, especially after I got done watching it, it started to seem more like a run-of-the-mill blacksploitation flick, along the lines of Superfly. It's very sloppy and doesn't really say anything. Besides, isn't Bakshi white? Whatever the answer to that, Coonskin/Streetfight is still very much worth watching for animation aficionados as well as cult movie fans. 7/10. OPTIONS:
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A: positive
Q: The film is a collection of cliche's on just about anything out there. It has no focus whatsoever, no goals, no real message. Symbolism is pushed over the top and stereotyping is abundant and outrageous. This movie can't resist the temptation of making drama where non exists. Every small exchange of words turns immediately into a lengthy, unjustified dialog that is so typical of an acting class rehearsal. Where there is no substance to this exchange, the actors (regardless of how good they are normally) can't help but compensate with exaggerated emotion, aka "raising the stakes". Over acting, to put it simply. The directing is of no help here. Nothing can save this non-story. It is forced, faked and boring to tears. Inaccuracies in portaraying punk rock with The Who, piercings and flashy 90's outfits. Characters wander without a role, detail and motive. Locations are arbitrary. This is Boogie Nights cum The Good Fellas cum Saturday Night Fever, with meaning and art ripped out.

Good DP. I'll give it that.

Some films have flaws. This film is Lee's flaw. He sold out, like the rest of them. Became irrelevant. He has nothing of interest to say anymore.

I have no desire to see anything again from this guy (whom I'll refrain from naming from now on). OPTIONS:
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A: negative