FILM: THE FIVE BEST REVIVALS

1

The Blue Angel (Phoenix Sun 3.45pm)

You don't have to be a fan of Marlene Dietrich's oppressively musky sexuality to enjoy this tale of a pompous schoolteacher brought to his decrepit knees by lust. Director Von Sternberg isn't interested in tidy moral judgements - he just lets us watch.

2

Big Night (Ritzy Sun 4pm)

In this gentle, intelligent take on the American nightmare, two Italian brothers fight for their restaurant's life, putting their all into one big bash. The cast are excellent but the real star is 950s New Jersey.

3

Night and the City (NFT Tue 6.5pm)

This Jules Dassin film noir has Richard Widmark as an American hustler desperate to conquer London's seedy, labyrinthine streets. Ignore the plot - it's the sets and super-scuzzy performances that create a tingle.

4

Tales of Terror (NFT Sun 6.30pm)

Not Corman's best shot at Poe but this three-parter still has its pleasures, not least Peter Lorre's comic turn, in The Black Cat, as a cuckolded spouse who decides his wife should get out less - and walls her up.

5

Live Flesh (Tricyle Cinema Sun 4.30pm)

One to hold Almodovar fans over until his new film comes out in August, this explosive, passionately witty reworking of a Ruth Rendell thriller boasts a stupendous performance from Javier Bardem as a macho man who loses his legs only to gain a soul.