Category Archives: Uncategorized

I am old enough to have seen the original TV series the first time around and while I remember it fondly, it was definitely a product of its time. What makes this film so enjoyable for me is that it is not merely trying to copy the old series but to reinvent it. Ralph FiennesContinue reading “THE AVENGERS (1998): Post TV And Before The Marvel Universe”

The lure of gold and the consequences of greed have been a mainstay in literature since THE CANTERBURY TALES and in feature films since the Rudolph Valentino vehicle THE CONQUERING POWER in 1921. Along the way such movies as GREED (1923),TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE (1947), LUST FOR GOLD (1949), and GOLD (1974) have dealtContinue reading “MOTHER LODE (1982): The Lure Of Gold”

…SPHINX! Sorry, I just couldn’t resist that groaner of a punch line which is paraphrased from an old BEANY & CECIL cartoon. But it’s true. This movie had the potential to be really good but it falls flat on a number of levels. Director Franklin J. Schaffner began his career with THE STRIPPER, reached highContinue reading “SPHINX (1981): The Trouble With This Movie Is It…”

A decidedly odd combination to be sure but that was my impression after seeing this atypical Charles Bronson Western again after more than 30 years (I first saw it on its original release in 1977). The supernatural elements of the story along with the unreal reality of some of the lighting and use of colorContinue reading “THE WHITE BUFFALO: Hammer Films Meets D.W. Griffith In A Western Setting”

When this film first appeared in 1984 there were howls of protest from practically everyone in the film community especially those who were silent film aficionados. The idea of combining contemporary pop music with a silent film classic was sacrilege. Once the furor died down and the film became available on VHS, it developed quiteContinue reading “METROPOLIS : Giorgio Moroder’s 1984 Version Finally Goes Digital”

What an intriguing idea. Take several well known directors used to working with today’s state of the art equipment and see what they can do with the first practical motion picture camera. And to make it more of a challenge, give them less than a minute to work with. The results are naturally uneven. HowContinue reading “LUMIERE & COMPANY: Less Is More”

This clever take on the silent era is a valentine (note the titular character’s name) to Old Hollywood and especially to lovers of classic movies. Unknown French director Michel Hazanavicius, who also wrote the screenplay, wanted to take on the challange of making a silent film, complete with black & white photography & title cards,Continue reading “THE ARTIST: For Lovers Of Classic Cinema Everywhere”

The silent film is alive and well at least outside of the U.S. In the past few years a number of films such as TUVALU from Germany and OF FREAKS AND MEN from Russia utilize many silent film techniques in telling their stories. The 2002 Brazilian film MARGARETTE’S FEAST however is a true silent movieContinue reading “MARGARETTE”S FEAST (2002): An Intriguing Modern Day Silent Film From Brazil”

THE MIDNIGHT MAN was just one of a number of films that came out in the mid-1970s that attempted to update the 1940s film noir genre. Other prime examples were NIGHT MOVES, THE LATE SHOW, and THE LONG GOODBYE. Unlike those titles, THE MIDNIGHT MAN got mixed to negative reviews and quickly sank without aContinue reading “THE MIDNIGHT MAN (1974): A Forgotten, Modern Film Noir 45 Years Later”

By the time Robert Aldrich made TWILIGHT’S LAST GLEAMING in 1977, he had become a director for hire. Gone were the days when he had his own studio to make the films he wanted (THE GRISSOM GANG, THE KILLING OF SISTER GEORGE) and gone were the glory days of WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE?Continue reading “TWILIGHT’S LAST GLEAMING (1977): Robert Aldrich’s Last Great Movie”