The last day of my EIFF2006 marathon

Sunday 27th August. The final day of the Edinburgh International Film Festival 2006, unlike all the others, contained just two films for me. It could have been more had I gone to any of the "Best of the Fest" screenings except, perhaps unsurprisingly, all the screenings that I could have made it to were for films I'd already seen.

The last Mitchell Leisen film on offer was NO MAN OF HER OWN, a bleak film noir starring Barbara Stanwyck and John Lund about a woman who steals the identity of a dead woman and begins to live her (priveleged) lifestyle. Obviously, in typically noir fashion, it begins to go wrong as people start to suspect the truth and her own guilt eats away at her until... well, that would be telling. It has a surprisingly happy ending for a noir movie but is no less satisfying for it, and is probably my second favourite of all the films in this retrospective.

But there's more.

To celebrate the last ever EIFF retrospective screening to be hosted by artistic director Shane Danielsen (he stepped down after the 2006 festival, his fifth), there was an extra treat after this screening. There were no clues other than it was approximately half an hour in length. So what was it?

Well you see, towards the end of his career Leisen slipped into obscurity and the world of television, where he directed a number of shows - and it was one of these that Mr Danielsen presented for us today. Namely, it was "The 16 Milimeter Shrine", one of the few episodes of THE TWILIGHT ZONE that Leisen directed.

I'll say it right now so you know where I stand - I think THE TWILIGHT ZONE (the original version) is quite simply the greatest show in the history of television. I'd probably have preferred the Roddy McDowall-starring "People Are Alike All Over" but the episode shown was more appropriate for a Leisen retrospective (it starred Ida Lupino as an aging actress who longed for the golden days of Hollywood when she was a star - something I suspect Leisen could relate to by this stage in his career).

Nevertheless, I'd take any episode under the circumstances - to see any episode of THE TWILIGHT ZONE whatsoever on the big screen would have me soiling myself with excitement, so this has to rank as one of the finest experiences I've ever had in the Filmhouse (right up there with the time on of their mystery screenings in the "Secret Cinema" season film turned out to be MONDO CANE).

After that, and a brief spot of lunch, I came to my last film of the festival (that's 55 in total, in case you're counting), Al Gore's environmental crusade documentary AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH, which he was present to promote.

It's an eye-opening film, for sure, and very well made considering it's essentially just a filmed version of the slide show he's been giving all over the world. It's well worth seeing - in fact it's a must. It's not the best film you'll see this year, or the most entertaining... but it's without doubt the most important film you'll see this year, or perhaps in your life.

And so my two-week EIFF spectacular came to end. I think I should take this opportunity to wish all the best to the departing director of the festival, the aforementioned Shane Danielson, for doing a fantastic job and being a very entertaining host. The man's a legend in my book.

There was just one more highlight (for a film geek like me at least) which I forgot to mention earlier but I need my bed, so I think I'll save that story for later in the week...