Author Archives: chipkaufmann

I remember seeing this movie when I was in college and being totally captivated by it. I had already seen the Olivier version as well as a modernist version with Maximilian Schell so I was familiar with HAMLET on the big screen (I had also just seen Dame Judith Anderson’s take on HAMLET live onContinue reading “HAMLET (1969): Nicol Williamson & Tony Richardson’s Minimalist Interpretation”

The great Ingmar Bergman never got around to directing KING LEAR, but if he had the results might have looked something like this. Peter Brook, whose original stage production was influenced by the “theatre of cruelty” theories of Antonin Artaud, transferred that bleak outlook boldly unto film in this stark black and white version whichContinue reading “KING LEAR (1970): Peter Brook’s Bergmanesque Vision”

I first saw this movie at a drive-in back in 1971 along with several other features which I don’t recall. Having been a Boris Karloff fan since the age of 8, I had to see it and I remember being struck at the time by how old he looked (he was 79 then and hadContinue reading “THE SORCERERS (1967): Boris Karloff’s Last Mad Doctor Role”

Joe May’s ASPHALT has been impossible to see in America until Kino released it as part of their ongoing series of German silent cinema. Their edition is a Region 1 copy of this Eureka release which came out in 2005. Joe May (pronounced MY) was once a very important man in the German cinema ofContinue reading “ASPHALT: Good But Not Great Example Of German Silent Cinema”

Back in 2007 Lionsgate in partnership with Studio Canal released a 3 CD Collector’s Edition set of early to late movies from renowned French filmmaker Jean Renoir (GRAND ILLUSION, RULES OF THE GAME). The set included 5 features and 2 short films covering 1925-1962. Now in 2021 Kino Lorber, who in the past few yearsContinue reading “JEAN RENOIR: His Auspicious Debut + 6 Others”

Having discovered and enjoyed Jean Renoir’s first film LA FILLE DE L’EAU/WHIRLPOOL OF FATE (1925), I was looking forward to his second feature, NANA (1926) as it was based on a classic work by Emile Zola. Being a silent film enthusiast, I wanted to like NANA very much but while parts of it have merit,Continue reading “NANA: Jean Renoir’s Second Feature Is Overlong And Overblown”

TARGETS was the last opportunity Boris Karloff had to shine. He was 80 years old and in poor health but was only too glad to participate in this film which is a tribute to him and his career as well as a biting social commentary. He plays a retiring horror film star fed up withContinue reading “TARGETS (1968): Boris Karloff’s Last Hurrah & Peter Bogdanovich’s First Is Now More Timely Than Ever”

Actually most of this movie was shot in 1976 with a couple of scenes done in 1978. And while it is no CITIZEN KANE, there are a number of similarities between the two films. Both have thinly disguised unflattering portraits of very powerful men (in this case it’s Joseph P. the Kennedy family patriarch asContinue reading “WINTER KILLS: The CITIZEN KANE of 1979 Is Now More Relevant Than Ever”

WUSA was Paul Newman’s follow-up to the highly successful BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID and was a complete 180 compared to that film. It was also one of his biggest flops and today it’s easy to see why. The film was way ahead of its time not only in its portrayal of the natureContinue reading “WUSA (1970): Paul Newman’s Downbeat Film Was Ahead Of It’s Time”

The story of the MS (not SS) St Louis is the real life “Ship of Fools” It tells the tragic story of over 900 Jewish refugees who were allowed to leave Germany in 1939 aboard an ocean liner with the Nazis knowing full well that their port of destination (Havana) would not take the passengers.Continue reading “VOYAGE OF THE DAMNED: The Real Life “Ship Of Fools””