CASANOVA (1927) Is Beautifully Made But A Little Too Long

CASANOVA is yet another one of those European silent films I had heard and read about but never had had the opportunity to watch until now. Until 21st century digital techniques came along, it would have been impossible to see the movie outside of La Cinematique Francaise and even then it wouldn’t have looked asContinue reading “CASANOVA (1927) Is Beautifully Made But A Little Too Long”

APACHE DRUMS (1951), Val Lewton’s Last Movie, Deserves A Quality Region 1 Release

If you’re a film buff and hear the name Val Lewton, a Western is the last thing that might come to mind. Nevertheless Lewton ended his career with a Western, and APACHE DRUMS shows that under the right circumstances Lewton could transform this genre just as he did the horror film with his 1940s moviesContinue reading “APACHE DRUMS (1951), Val Lewton’s Last Movie, Deserves A Quality Region 1 Release”

THE DEVIL’S MEN (1976) Is CITY OF THE DEAD (1960) Transplanted From New England To Greece

I first saw THE DEVIL’S MEN in its shorter American version known as LAND OF THE MINOTAUR. This was from a DVD set of drive-in cult classics from American explotation specialists, Crown International. Just as soon as the movie was over I said to myself “This is CITY OF THE DEAD / HORROR HOTEL updatedContinue reading “THE DEVIL’S MEN (1976) Is CITY OF THE DEAD (1960) Transplanted From New England To Greece”

THE SILENT ENEMY (1930): This Landmark Native American Silent Movie Once Seen, Cannot Be Forgotten

I first saw THE SILENT ENEMY back in 2001 when it was released on DVD by Milestone Films and Image Entertainment. Back then there was no need for a disclaimer about it “being a product of its time” and that it should be viewed “as a flawed though beautiful, suspenseful, and well-intended attempt to honorContinue reading “THE SILENT ENEMY (1930): This Landmark Native American Silent Movie Once Seen, Cannot Be Forgotten”

THE STRANGE LOVE OF MARTHA IVERS (1946): The More You Watch It, The Better It Gets

I first saw THE STRANGE LOVE OF MARTHA IVERS over 10 years ago at a film society showing in Hendersonville, NC. I had heard of the movie and had seen stills of it showcasing Barbara Stanwyck. I was first interested in it because it had been made by one of my favorite early film directors,Continue reading “THE STRANGE LOVE OF MARTHA IVERS (1946): The More You Watch It, The Better It Gets”

FRITZ LANG’S INDIAN EPIC (1959): The New Blu-Ray Release Is Not As Good As The Fantoma DVDs

Done with Hollywood by the mid 1950s, Fritz Lang returned to Germany and decided to remake THE INDIAN TOMB , a legendary German silent film from 1921 that he thought he was going to direct before producer Joe May (pronounced MY) decided to do it himself. Lang had co-written the script with future wife TheaContinue reading “FRITZ LANG’S INDIAN EPIC (1959): The New Blu-Ray Release Is Not As Good As The Fantoma DVDs”

THE INDIAN TOMB (1921): New Kino Blu-Ray Cannot Compare With Original 2000 Image DVD

UPDATE: 6/29/2022 I originally reviewed this movie back in 2009. It has taken it that long to get a Blu-Ray release and, I am sorry to say that it wasn’t worth the wait. Although it says the movie  was restored by the F.W. Murnau Foundation, it looks no different than the 2000 Image DVD. InContinue reading “THE INDIAN TOMB (1921): New Kino Blu-Ray Cannot Compare With Original 2000 Image DVD”

INNER SANCTUM (1943-45): Enjoyable B Movie Mysteries With “Lonster The Monster”

For many critics and viewers, it’s quite easy to pick on Lon Chaney Jr. (Lonster The Monster) outside of his Lennie Small in OF MICE & MEN and his WOLF MAN performances. Granted he lacked the range of his famous father but, like his father, he was essentially a character actor and he was definitelyContinue reading “INNER SANCTUM (1943-45): Enjoyable B Movie Mysteries With “Lonster The Monster””

CURSE OF THE UNDEAD (1959): This Vampire Western Is Surprisingly Engaging

By 1959 Universal (then Universal-International) was on the verge of closing down their B movie horror/sci-fi unit for good. Television had taken its toll on regular moviegoing audiences and the drive-in audiences were now mostly teenagers who were far more interested in each other than what was up on the screen. American International Pictures nowContinue reading “CURSE OF THE UNDEAD (1959): This Vampire Western Is Surprisingly Engaging”