Category Archives: Uncategorized

Today if anyone recognizes the title of THE 39 STEPS, they are thinking of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 movie with Robert Donat & Madeline Carroll. Yet it began life as a 1915 espionage novel by Scottish author and former Governor General of Canada, John Buchan. It is the first of a series of 5 books featuring miningContinue reading “THE THIRTY NINE STEPS (1978): The Most Faithful Of All The Adaptations”

The term “Krimi” refers to a genre of movies made in what was then West Germany from 1959-1967.  All of the early Krimis were in black and white and resembled the American “film noirs” of the 1940s and early 1950s. The term simply refers to crime dramas although most of these movies also had mysteryContinue reading “THE INDIAN SCARF (1964): One Of The Better EDGAR WALLACE Krimi Movies”

In my 20+ years of reviewing movies for home video, I have never come across a box set quite like this one. ALL THE HAUNTS BE OURS is a 15 disc collection of “Folk Horror” that includes 19 movies, a documentary, and 3 CDs. One CD is the documentary soundtrack. The other two feature a complete readingContinue reading “ALL THE HAUNTS BE OURS Is A Fascinating Box Set But It Is Not A Complete Success”

Hard on the heels of Severin’s EUROCRYPT OF CHRISTOPHER LEE which was released in 2022 comes EUROCRYPT 2. This time around there are 7 discs instead of 9 but there is another 100 page booklet from Jonathan Rigby featuring posters and pictures. There are 6 feature films and one bonus movie that has not beenContinue reading “Severin’s EUROCRYPT 2 Is As Good As EUROCRYPT #1”

Back in 2021 Severin, anticipating the 100th anniversary of Christopher Lee’s birth the following year, issued a 9 disc box set to commemorate the fact. They decided to concentrate on Lee’s 1960s European output which was primarily Italian although there are a few German movies and a Polish TV series to choose from. Doing moviesContinue reading “Severin’s EUROCRYPT OF CHRISTOPHER LEE – Box Set #1”

This 2015 single Blu-Ray from Severin Films contains 3 essential Italian Gothic Horror movies. They are the titular NIGHTMARE CASTLE (Lovers From Beyond The Grave – 1965), CASTLE OF BLOOD (Dance Macabre – 1964) and TERROR CREATURES FROM THE GRAVE (5 Graves For A Medium – 1965)). I have included the translated Italian titles asContinue reading “NIGHTMARE CASTLE: An Essential Italian Gothic Collection”

I had originally intended to give this set 3 stars judging by the films alone, but my opinion changed after I read Jonathan Rigby’s 200 page appreciation of Peter Cushing which is included as a bonus. The Rigby booklet alone is worth the price of the package as it traces Cushing’s film career from 1939Continue reading “Peter Cushing CURIOSITIES Box Set Is Curious Indeed”

After writing and directing a string of hits for Paramount (THE LADY EVE, CHRISTMAS IN JULY, SULLIVAN’S TRAVELS, THE PALM BEACH STORY to name a few) and becoming the top comedy director of the 1940s, Preston Sturges’ career faded very quickly after he left that studio. Anxious to be an independent filmmaker, he signed withContinue reading “UNFAITHFULLY YOURS (1948): Preston Sturges’ Neglected Comic Masterpiece”

It’s really too bad about the print quality as COLONEL MARCH INVESTIGATES gives you the opportunity to see BK thoroughly enjoying himself portraying the one eyed Scotland Yard detective who heads up the one-man “Department Of Queer Complaints” (a name that certainly wouldn’t fly today). The overall tone is slightly humorous even though 3 murdersContinue reading “COLONEL MARCH INVESTIGATES (1952): Boris Karloff Is Great But The Print Quality Is Only So-So”

As a self proclaimed authority on silent films and as a Mary Pickford enthusiast who has written reviews for several of her movies, I was beyond surprised to realize that I had not composed a review of one of her greatest accomplishments. STELLA MARIS, released in January of 1918, features Pickford in dual roles asContinue reading “STELLA MARIS (1918): Mary Pickford’s Two Best Performances In One Movie”