Clik here to view.
Fox and His Friends (1975): Remembering Two German Giants
To view Fox and His Friends click here. The recent death of legendary cinematographer Michael Ballhaus is one that stings just as much as any movie titan in recent memory. Fans of American cinema know...
View ArticleClik here to view.
An Actor’s Revenge: Theatre of Blood (1973)
To view Theatre of Blood click here. “It was a marvelous role because I got to play eight Shakespearean parts in it, which is a feast for any actor. And I got to knock off eight critics. It was a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Cowardice and Colonialism: The Four Feathers (1939)
To view The Four Feathers click here. The novel that The Four Feathers (1939) is based upon was written by A.E.W. Mason in 1902, just a few short years after the Mahdist War ended. Containing far more...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Beautiful Girls (1996) and Settling in for The Big Fade
To view Beautiful Girls click here. Can you ever truly go home again? Well, the thing is, and rarely no one tells you this–and if they do, you certainly don’t believe it: when you do finally go back...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Sudden Fear (1952): Joan Crawford’s Shock to the System
To view Sudden Fear click here. As the first season of water cooler sensation Feud has recently finished airing, it’s funny to reflect how certain movie stars tend to surge in public interest at...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Memphis: Last Stop on the Mystery Train (1989)
To view Mystery Train click here. Several years ago, I was visiting Memphis during Elvis Week, which is a week-long series of events in mid-August that commemorates the life and music of Elvis...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Party Girl: Nana (1926)
To view Nana click here. Jean Renoir considered Nana (1926) to be “my first film worth talking about.” An ambitious adaptation of the Emile Zola novel, Nana (Catherine Hessling) is an actress of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Confession (1970) Takes No Prisoners
To view The Confession click here. One of the great things about the explosion of movie titles in the last few years, both streaming and on physical media, is how you can learn so much more about and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Under the Volcano (1984) with Albert Finney
To view Under the Volcano click here. One of my favorite actors is presently getting the red-carpet treatment at FilmStruck; “Starring Albert Finney” is a new theme that presents a batch of Finney’s...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Kaiju, Cocktails and Catastrophe: The X From Outer Space (1967)
To view The X from Outer Space click here. “The monster is now on a rampage, headed for Tokyo.” That line comes from a scene that lies at the heart of a movie I love, The X from Outer Space (1967). It...
View ArticleClik here to view.
In Spite of Myself, I Think I Might Like Stewart Granger
To view the “Early Stewart Granger” theme on FilmStruck click here. I’ll admit that I’ve always been fairly ambivalent toward actor Stewart Granger (or “the other Jimmy Stewart,” as I like to call...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The History of The History of Tom Jones (1963)
To view Tom Jones click here. It often happens that something comes along, sets a standard, is recognized as being trailblazing, then gets copied and co-opted, until finally we take it for granted and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Poking Fun at Death: Re-Visiting The Seventh Seal (1957)
To view The Seventh Seal click here. Making fun of Death seems like a risky prank—like poking a stick at a poisonous snake—but, that has never stopped filmmakers, comedians and animators from spoofing...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Life is Beautiful: La Chienne (1931)
To view La Chienne click here. The characters in La Chienne (1931) do not learn or grow, but remain indelibly themselves. Each act of pettiness, adultery or murder is a logical extension of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Have a Coca-Cola Kid and a Smile
To view The Coca-Cola Kid click here. As a child of the 1980s, I grew up watching all of those movie review shows where two critics faced off and compared notes about the latest releases, from the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
An Unusual Friendship: Tiger Bay (1959)
To view Tiger Bay click here. “Tiger Bay is one of my all-time favorite films that I made. I still can’t get over the thrill I got when I first saw Hayley on the screen, with those wonderful big eyes...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Love and War: The Spy in Black (1939)
To view The Spy in Black click here. “We are at war. Perhaps you forgot that, as I did for awhile. You are English, I am German, we are enemies!” “I like that better.” “And I. It simplifies...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Don’t Watch M (1931) on Your Anniversary, and Other Unsolicited Romantic Advice
In case you want to see M click here. Today, my husband and I are celebrating our anniversary. When we were married, the two of us were young, broke and stupid. We had no earthly idea what we were...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Bigotry & Bloodshed: Sapphire (1959)
To view Sapphire click here. A beautiful young woman named Sapphire (Yvonne Buckingham) has been murdered. Her bloodied corpse was found in London’s Hampstead Heath park. A seasoned detective (Nigel...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Inside Chuck Barris’s Head: Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002)
To view Confessions of a Dangerous Mind click here. Innovative game show creator Chuck Barris, one of my favorite showbiz figures, died in March of this year. Obituaries rightly acknowledged his...
View Article