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That What Is Not (Movies in Disguise)
One of my wife’s favorite things at Disney World is when the costumed characters get dressed up in costumes themselves. So far we’ve only seen things like Winnie the Pooh in a Halloween ghost...
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A Whale of a Tale
This year marks the 60th anniversary of a host of great movies, from On the Waterfront and Rear Window to The Caine Mutiny and A Star is Born, all released in 1954. But my favorite of the year is none...
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A Marriage Made in Screwball Heaven: ‘Third Finger, Left Hand’
One of my favorite tropes from Golden Age romantic comedies is the “faux marriage” in which the leading man and leading lady either pretend to be married, or they actually wed for reasons other than...
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The Outsiders: Mongo’s Back in Town (1971) and Lifeguard (1976)
Joe Don Baker is introduced in Mongo’s Back in Town getting off a bus in San Pedro, a scar still pulsing on his left temple. In Lifeguard, Rick (Sam Elliott) strolls in a tight white t-shirt and...
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I Don’t Like Him, I Don’t Like Her, I Don’t Care
This year marks the 50th anniversary of a great kitchen sink drama, directed by Irvin Kershner, and starring Robert Shaw and Mary Ure, real life husband and wife as husband and wife. The movie is The...
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Ancient Evil is Now a Modern Industry: THIRST (1979)
In Rod Hardy’s THIRST (1979) we’re introduced to Kate (Chantal Contouri), an attractive waif-like young fashion designer with a pet cat and a serious problem. Kate’s the last descendent of Countess...
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Finding John Wray
It’s fun to find a new old actor to get excited about and these days John Wray is my jam. Mind you, I’m not just finding out about him — he’s been on my radar for nearly 20 years, ever since I saw...
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Think Pink
Recently I’ve been reading Sam Wasson’s wonderfully spirited biography of Blake Edwards. Wasson argues eloquently that Edwards is long overdue for a significant critical rehabilitation as one of...
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Shanghaid
Last January while attending the Arthouse Convergence in Midway, Utah, I was privy to a digital 4K restoration of The Lady from Shanghai (Orson Welles, 1948). It was introduced by Leonard Maltin, and...
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A Salute to ‘Kissin’ Cousins’—Sort Of
Over the years, Kissin’ Cousins has grown on me—sort of. Elvis Presley’s fourteenth feature film, which airs next Sunday (March 30) on TCM at 8:30am, is a musical comedy that is even more ridiculous...
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Fear and Self-Loathing in Mexico: Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974)
The story of Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia is told through the fabric of Warren Oates’ white polyester suit. It’s a flamboyant object covering up a quivering, self-loathing mass of flesh. And...
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The Sixties, or, When Being Dated Works in Your Favor
I like period movies. In fact, if a movie takes place in a favorite period, I can pretty much watch it just for that, the period. The costumes, the hairstyles, the cars, the houses, and everything...
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The Nightmarish World of Maya Deren
Those of us who appreciate the eclectic programming on TCM Underground are in for a real cinematic treat on Saturday, March 29th. At 12am (PST)/2am (EST) TCM will be airing Pip Chodorov’s 90 min....
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The only think-piece THE CORPSE VANISHES is ever likely to get
I was watching THE CORPSE VANISHES (1942) again recently and I forgot to laugh. I understand that laughter is the proper response because just about every critic — even the ones predisposed to horror,...
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Shinichi Sekizawa: the guy behind the man in the suit
One of the things about being known as “the guy that wrote that book about Godzilla,” is that when something like this new Godzilla movie comes along, everyone assumes that’s what you want to talk...
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Anthony Mann’s Raw Deal
If there’s one subset of movies that not only doesn’t require a big budget and big stars but actually benefits from lower budgets and lesser known stars, it’s film noir. It doesn’t mean you can’t have...
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Reel Elvis: The King in Hollywood
After writing about the Elvis Presley musical Kissin’ Cousins for last Monday’s post, the King was on my mind—and in the ether. I couldn’t help notice how many times Elvis’s name or music popped up in...
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Cagney and the Code: Winner Take All (1932) and Here Comes the Navy (1934)
James Cagney was a destabilizing force, able to enliven stock scenarios with his grab bag of gestural curlicues, which could snap from playful to menacing in the curl of his lip. A professional...
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My Goodness, My Guinness!
Today on TCM, all day, the movies of Alec Guinness are playing, as we celebrate the actor’s 100th birthday. I’ll cut the recommendations short: you can’t go wrong. Really, you can’t when it involves...
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Happy Birthday, Doris!
She can sing, she can dance, she can act and she can make us laugh. She’s been directed by a number of recognizable talents such as Alfred Hitchcock, Charles Vidor, Michael Curtiz, Gene Kelly, Stanley...
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