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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””

The folks at Kino Lorber have been very busy the past couple of years putting together important collections of niche movies by forgotten and/or marginalized filmmakers. In 2016 there was PIONEERS OF AFRICAN AMERICAN CINEMA. In 2018 there was PIONEERS: FIRST WOMEN FILMMAKERS. Now in 2020 it’s THE JEWISH SOUL: TEN CLASSICS OF YIDDISH CINEMA.Continue reading “THE JEWISH SOUL: A Poignant & Significant Capturing Of A Lost World”

Ida Lupino (1918-1995) is best known as an actress whose career spanned over 30 years and included such Hollywood classics as HIGH SIERRA, LADIES IN RETIREMENT, and THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES. It is only in recent years that her work as a pioneering female director of film and television is finally being recognized. BetweenContinue reading “IDA LUPINO: Long Overdue Appreciation Of Her As A Director”

This 6 Blu-Ray set of 55 films (11 of them features) and 7 short documentaries is the best collection so far of material made by American women filmmakers in the silent era. An earlier set called EARLY WOMEN FILMMAKERS also features directors from Europe & Russia. While this set contains several films which have alreadyContinue reading “PIONEERS: FIRST WOMEN FILMMAKERS: Best Collection So Far Of Films By Early American Women Film Directors”

…by all the buzz (positive and negative) that THE WITCH has received. It is not at all what the trailers would lead you to believe. Instead of a 17th century BLAIR WITCH PROJECT or the standard jump cut, sound cue, blood bath that constitutes most horror movies today, it is a poetic meditation on whatContinue reading “THE WITCH (2015): I Am Not At All Surprised…”