Category Archives: Uncategorized

If you have never experienced the 1920’s German genre of the mountain film, there is no better introduction than this. In fact it may be the only one you need unless you truly love the genre as most of the films are carbon copies of each other. What gives this film added interest is theContinue reading “THE HOLY MOUNTAIN (1926): Leni Riefenstahl’s Beginning And The Template for the German Mountain Movie Genre”

I have been awaiting this set ever since Image Entertainment announced it’s release in order to make a comparison with the earlier one from Kino. Although the two volume ARBUCKLE & KEATON set is very fine , this set features a new comedy not included in the other one (HIS WEDDING NIGHT) plus mostly originalContinue reading “THE BEST ARBUCKLE & KEATON COLLECTION: Truth in Advertising”

It has been over one hundred years since Georges Melies first began making movies. He was a true pioneer in every sense of the word. He invented his own camera and projector and built his own studio so that he could have complete control over what he was doing. His use of nudity in 1897Continue reading “LANDMARKS – VOL. 2: The First Decent Georges Melies Compilation”

I am so happy for this release as it finally allowed me to see Rupert Julian’s THE YANKEE CLIPPER in something other than the truncated 1998 Critic’s Choice VHS version which was taken from the Killiam Collection. That version ran less than an hour and had narration from Paul Killiam himself. It was probably takenContinue reading “THE YANKEE CLIPPER Sails Again”

The PHANTOM OF THE OPERA with Lon Chaney that most everyone knows is not the original version of the film. It is a 1929 reissue with several changes made to accomodate the addition of sound. Ironic that one of the most famous silent films of all time should be known from a sound version thatContinue reading “PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (1925) Is Still The Most Famous Movie Version”

What do William Lawes, Smokey Robinson, Christopher Marlowe, and Dr Strangelove have in common? They are only a few of the many individuals alluded to in what is one of the most unique movies ever made. If you are familiar with the movies of Jim Jarmusch such as DEAD MAN, NIGHT ON EARTH, or MYSTERYContinue reading “ONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVE (2013): Complex, Layered, & Literary”

Roddy McDowall’s only directorial effort, THE BALLAD OF TAM LIN, is one of the most misunderstood films of its time. Based on a ballad by Robert Burns, the story was updated to then contemporary 1970. The original story tells of a medieval knight who is seduced and held captive by a witch before being savedContinue reading “TAM LIN: A Beautiful Poetic Romance, Not A Horror Film”

American International Pictures or AIP as they were generally known was probably the most influential distribution company in American movie history. Over the course of a quarter century (1954-1979) they released over 450 movies and launched the careers of such notable directors as James Cameron & Martin Scorsese and performers Bruce Dern & Jack Nicholson.Continue reading “AIP TITLES: 4 From The 1950s Through The 1970s”

Oliver Reed once said that “Hammer gave me my start, (Michael) Winner gave me my craft, and (Ken) Russell gave me my art.” Well in 1963’s THE SCARLET / CRIMSON BLADE you can see the arrival of the Oliver Reed we all know 5 years before his international success in OLIVER!. Here he crystallizes hisContinue reading “THE CRIMSON BLADE Marks The Arrival Of Oliver Reed”

Whenever a classic film gets remade, there are always those who say that’s it not as good as the original and that is certainly the case here. However, taking that into consideration, this reworking of James Whale’s 1932 version is better than I remember it being. I had seen it years ago (in black &Continue reading “THE OLD DARK HOUSE (1963) : Not Good But Not As Bad As I Remembered”