Moviedrome - The Pick Of Films From The Mark Cousins Era, Part I

When the strand received a reboot it provided access to films both under-seen and underrated...

Strange the films that aired on Moviedrome during Mark Cousins' time at the helm. For one thing, there were several pictures that had already aired on the strand (Carrie, One-Eyed Jacks, Johnny Guitar). There were also certain pictures that didn't really feel 'right' for the 'Drome - show a martial arts movie by all means, but Rumble In The Bronx?! And much as I love John Huston, I can't believe there's many people following around The List Of Adrian Messenger in the same way as, say, Two-Lane Blacktop.

Furthermore, I think the Cousins' period suffered from selections that were rather too on the nose - Vanishing Point, The Warriors, Dazed And Confused, Shaft, The Fog - or too personal - I doubt that there’s much fondness for Take Care Of Your Scarf, Tatjana and/or Mommie Dearest beyond the walls of Castle Cousins.

That said, several great films did get shown between 1997 and 2000, my favourite of which I've listed below in no particular order. Let me know if you agree...

x) White Of The Eye - Quite simply one of the best films to air on either iteration of Moviedrome. A boldly-shot genuinely-troubling serial killer pictures, Donald Cammell's penultimate film is a movie that infects rather than affects the viewer. Hats off too to Messrs Cousins and Freand-Jones for showing Demon Seed on the bottom half of their first 'Drome double-bill.