Remakes have become rampant in the film industry but the worst part is most of them lack any sense of originality. Filmmakers are constantly coming up with movies that rely solely on the nostalgia factor in order to bring the audience to the theatres. More often than not, the remakes aren’t met with positive feedback which just goes on to say that it is about time Hollywood should move on to bigger and better things.
Steven Spielberg | Credits: Wikimedia Commons
However, before it does so, the film industry might need to take a step back and look into two of the best remakes Hollywood has had to offer in the past years – War of the Worlds and West Side Story. Directed by none other than legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg, both films are perfect examples of how a remake should be done.
How Steven Spielberg Mastered the Art of Remakes...
Steven Spielberg | Credits: Wikimedia Commons
However, before it does so, the film industry might need to take a step back and look into two of the best remakes Hollywood has had to offer in the past years – War of the Worlds and West Side Story. Directed by none other than legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg, both films are perfect examples of how a remake should be done.
How Steven Spielberg Mastered the Art of Remakes...
- 4/16/2024
- by Mishkaat Khan
- FandomWire
Science fiction on film has been around almost as long as cinema itself. Starting in 1895 when the first public showings of motion pictures commenced in France and the United States, and as filmmakers began to realize that they could string scenes together to tell a complete, coherent story, the genres of sci-fi, horror, and fantasy were part of the equation.
Celluloid offered ambitious storytellers the chance to put images on the screen—crude at the time, but still groundbreaking—that had only been glimpsed in the pages of novels, short stories, and later, comic books and pulp magazines. And as filmmaking techniques themselves progressed, and the motion picture industry began to take shape in the early 20th century, visionaries came along with audacious ideas that moved the art form, the technology, and the genres forward well into the new millennium.
Below are 16 such visionaries; men and women who either grew...
Celluloid offered ambitious storytellers the chance to put images on the screen—crude at the time, but still groundbreaking—that had only been glimpsed in the pages of novels, short stories, and later, comic books and pulp magazines. And as filmmaking techniques themselves progressed, and the motion picture industry began to take shape in the early 20th century, visionaries came along with audacious ideas that moved the art form, the technology, and the genres forward well into the new millennium.
Below are 16 such visionaries; men and women who either grew...
- 8/18/2023
- by Don Kaye
- Den of Geek
While many of us may still be feeling the icy chill of winter, Scream Factory already has their sights set on a scare-filled spring, as they've announced new 4K Uhd releases for Skyline, Brotherhood of the Wolf, and The Haunting (1999) this May, as well as a Blu-ray double feature for Conquest of Space and I Married a Monster from Outer Space:
From Scream Factory: When sunrise arrives two hours early in the form of a haunting light from an unknown source, a group of friends watch in terror as people across the city are drawn outside and swept into massive alien ships that have blotted out the L.A. skyline. Now, it will take every survival instinct the group has to elude capture in Skyline, starring Eric Balfour (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre), Donald Faison (Scrubs) and Scottie Thompson (Star Trek).
Pre-order: https://shoutfactory.com/products/skyline?utm_source=facebook...
From Scream Factory: When sunrise arrives two hours early in the form of a haunting light from an unknown source, a group of friends watch in terror as people across the city are drawn outside and swept into massive alien ships that have blotted out the L.A. skyline. Now, it will take every survival instinct the group has to elude capture in Skyline, starring Eric Balfour (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre), Donald Faison (Scrubs) and Scottie Thompson (Star Trek).
Pre-order: https://shoutfactory.com/products/skyline?utm_source=facebook...
- 2/27/2023
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
It’s one of the year’s most awaited discs: the recent restored and remastered The War of the Worlds ’53 in a glorious 4K Ultra HD edition. A second Blu-ray disc of When Worlds Collide ’51 is too good to be called a bonus extra: this edition looks better than anything seen since original Technicolor prints. In one show we endure scurvy invaders from The Red Planet; in the other a rogue Astral Body threatens Earth with obliteration, necessitating escape on a space ship. Don’t bother checking online for tickets, the flight is sold out. CineSavant has the lowdown for collectors: how good does the new release look?
The War of the Worlds on 4K Ultra-hd
When Worlds Collide on Blu-ray
Digital HD Access for both titles.
Paramount Presents
George Pal Sci-fi Double Feature
Color / 1:37 Academy / Street Date September 27, 2022 / 167 minutes / Available from Amazon / 39.99
Starring: Richard Derr, Barbara Rush, John Hoyt; Gene Barry,...
The War of the Worlds on 4K Ultra-hd
When Worlds Collide on Blu-ray
Digital HD Access for both titles.
Paramount Presents
George Pal Sci-fi Double Feature
Color / 1:37 Academy / Street Date September 27, 2022 / 167 minutes / Available from Amazon / 39.99
Starring: Richard Derr, Barbara Rush, John Hoyt; Gene Barry,...
- 9/24/2022
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Director Kevin Reynolds’ graphic, gritty desert combat movie is about a lost tank in the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan. Besides being 98 an unpleasant downer, it now reminds us that we got into the exact same fix just a decade after the Russkis threw in the towel. Cruel Russki soldiers commit atrocities against vengeful Moujahedin resistance, and there’s really nobody to root for. George Dzundza, Jason Patric, Steven Bauer and Stephen Baldwin endure a rough ordeal out in the dirt, hoping for the next war movie breakthrough hit.
The Beast
Region Free Blu-ray
Viavision [Imprint] #143
1988 / Color / 1:78 widescreen / 111 min. / Street Date July 27, 2022 / The Beast of War / Available from Imprint / 39.95
Starring: George Dzundza, Jason Patric, Steven Bauer, Stephen Baldwin, Don Harvey, Kabir Bedi, Erick Avari, Haim Gerafi, Shosh Marciano.
Cinematography: Douglas Milsome
Production Designer: Kuli Sander
Art Director: Richard James
Film Editor: Peter Boyle
Original Music: Mark Isham
Written...
The Beast
Region Free Blu-ray
Viavision [Imprint] #143
1988 / Color / 1:78 widescreen / 111 min. / Street Date July 27, 2022 / The Beast of War / Available from Imprint / 39.95
Starring: George Dzundza, Jason Patric, Steven Bauer, Stephen Baldwin, Don Harvey, Kabir Bedi, Erick Avari, Haim Gerafi, Shosh Marciano.
Cinematography: Douglas Milsome
Production Designer: Kuli Sander
Art Director: Richard James
Film Editor: Peter Boyle
Original Music: Mark Isham
Written...
- 8/16/2022
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Kino’s Noir boxes offer interesting noir-adjacent crime and mystery pix. This seventh return to the well of darkness brings up the organized crime ‘meller’ Chicago Confidential with Brian Keith and the more ambitious The Boss, starring John Payne and written by Dalton Trumbo. The third show The Fearmakers is a real oddity. Starring Dana Andrews and directed by Jacques Tourneur, it’s a political conspiracy tale about manipulating opinions with fraudulent polls. It sounds a lot like the fractured state of modern America, 65 years later. With commentaries by Jason A. Ney and Alan K. Rode.
Film Noir the Dark Side of Cinema VII
The Boss, Chicago Confidential, The Fearmakers
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1956-1958 / B&w / Street Date June 7, 2022 / 249 min. / available through Kino Lorber / 49.95
Starring: John Payne, Gloria McGehee, Brian Keith, Beverly Garland, Dana Andrews, Marilee Earle.
Directed by Byron Haskin, Sidney Salkow, Jacques Tourneur
Kino treads the dark...
Film Noir the Dark Side of Cinema VII
The Boss, Chicago Confidential, The Fearmakers
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1956-1958 / B&w / Street Date June 7, 2022 / 249 min. / available through Kino Lorber / 49.95
Starring: John Payne, Gloria McGehee, Brian Keith, Beverly Garland, Dana Andrews, Marilee Earle.
Directed by Byron Haskin, Sidney Salkow, Jacques Tourneur
Kino treads the dark...
- 5/31/2022
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
H.G. Wells' "The War of the Worlds" has been a source of terror ever since its debut in 1897. Orson Welles and The Mercury Theater On the Air's infamous 1938 radio adaptation caused near nation-wide panic when first broadcast, and director Byron Haskin's 1953 film version creeped out hundreds of Eisenhower-era kids with its special effects.
When director Steven Spielberg updated Wells' tale for a post-9/11 America in 2005, the scene where an alien tripod emerges from the ground and lets loose an ear-splitting klaxon before vaporizing entire swathes of unsuspecting humans with its death rays was just the tip of the scary iceberg...
The post Andy Samberg Needed A Favor From Steven Spielberg For One Of Popstar's Most Memorable Gags appeared first on /Film.
When director Steven Spielberg updated Wells' tale for a post-9/11 America in 2005, the scene where an alien tripod emerges from the ground and lets loose an ear-splitting klaxon before vaporizing entire swathes of unsuspecting humans with its death rays was just the tip of the scary iceberg...
The post Andy Samberg Needed A Favor From Steven Spielberg For One Of Popstar's Most Memorable Gags appeared first on /Film.
- 5/19/2022
- by Bill Bria
- Slash Film
George Pal’s ill-fated ‘future docu’ followup to Destination Moon still stirs the imagination, rendering in vivid Technicolor the visionary images that amazed us in Chesley Bonestell’s paintings about space travel. We still love the movie even if we want to shove the script and whoever approved it out an airlock without a space helmet. It’s fun to pick it apart, but when Van Cleave’s trilling ‘spacey’ music plays we know we’re back in 1950s Sci-fi Nirvana, anticipating a techno-future of space marvels. [Imprint] gives the movie a classy Blu-ray showcase.
Conquest of Space
All-Region Blu-ray
Viavision [Imprint] #112
1955 / Color / 1:78 widescreen / 81 min. / Street Date April 6, 2022 / Available from /
Starring: Walter Brooke, Eric Fleming, Mickey Shaughnessy, Phil Foster, William Redfield, William Hopper, Benson Fong, Ross Martin, Vito Scotti, Joan Shawlee, Michael Fox, Rosemary Clooney.
Cinematography: Lionel Lindon
Art Directors: Hal Pereira, Joseph MacMillan Johnson
Film Editor: Everett Douglas
Original...
Conquest of Space
All-Region Blu-ray
Viavision [Imprint] #112
1955 / Color / 1:78 widescreen / 81 min. / Street Date April 6, 2022 / Available from /
Starring: Walter Brooke, Eric Fleming, Mickey Shaughnessy, Phil Foster, William Redfield, William Hopper, Benson Fong, Ross Martin, Vito Scotti, Joan Shawlee, Michael Fox, Rosemary Clooney.
Cinematography: Lionel Lindon
Art Directors: Hal Pereira, Joseph MacMillan Johnson
Film Editor: Everett Douglas
Original...
- 4/9/2022
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Michael Curtiz’s flashy and splashy wartime morale booster began as a pre-Pearl Harbor show of support of our Canadian friends’ contribution to the war effort. A vehicle for James Cagney, its script is a trifle about bush pilots competing for a woman and then showing The Right Stuff when it comes time to join up to fight. Cagney’s ‘bad boy’ act is always good, but what slays us now are the stunning Technicolor images filmed in and over the vast Canadian forest country with its endless crystal clear lakes. The aerial work in 3-Strip Technicolor is breathtaking, especially in this full new digital restoration.
Captains of the Clouds
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1942 / Color / 1:37 Academy / 113 min. / Available at Amazon.com / Street Date March 22, 2022 / 21.99
Starring: James Cagney, Dennis Morgan, Brenda Marshall, Alan Hale, George Tobias, Reginald Gardiner, Air Marshal W.A. Bishop, Reginald Denny, Russell Arms, Paul Cavanagh, Clem Bevans,...
Captains of the Clouds
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1942 / Color / 1:37 Academy / 113 min. / Available at Amazon.com / Street Date March 22, 2022 / 21.99
Starring: James Cagney, Dennis Morgan, Brenda Marshall, Alan Hale, George Tobias, Reginald Gardiner, Air Marshal W.A. Bishop, Reginald Denny, Russell Arms, Paul Cavanagh, Clem Bevans,...
- 3/29/2022
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
This creepy-crawly epic enjoyed a strong reputation on my grade-school playground! Does George Pal’s man-versus-the-elements saga hold up 68 years later? The ‘exotic’ special effects get the point across but the real appeal is the suppressed lust between Charlton Heston and his mail order bride Eleanor Parker — all heavy breathing and stern reproaches. I’m surprised nobody has fully exploited the original short story, which back in the ’60s showed up in numerous best-of collections. “Marabunta” is not a new fragrance line from Arpege.
The Naked Jungle
All- Region Blu-ray
Viavision [Imprint]
1954 / Color / 1:37 Academy / 95 min. / Street Date December 29, 2021 / Available from [Imprint], Amazon.us /
Starring: Charlton Heston, Eleanor Parker, William Conrad, John Dierkes, Abraham Sofaer, Douglas Fowley, Rodd Redwing.
Cinematography: Ernest Laszlo
Production Designer: Art Director: Hal Pereira, Franz Bachelin
Film Editor: Everett Douglas
Special Photographic Effects: John P. Fulton
Matte artist Jan Domela
Miniatures Ivyl Burks
Optical cinematography Paul K. Lerpae...
The Naked Jungle
All- Region Blu-ray
Viavision [Imprint]
1954 / Color / 1:37 Academy / 95 min. / Street Date December 29, 2021 / Available from [Imprint], Amazon.us /
Starring: Charlton Heston, Eleanor Parker, William Conrad, John Dierkes, Abraham Sofaer, Douglas Fowley, Rodd Redwing.
Cinematography: Ernest Laszlo
Production Designer: Art Director: Hal Pereira, Franz Bachelin
Film Editor: Everett Douglas
Special Photographic Effects: John P. Fulton
Matte artist Jan Domela
Miniatures Ivyl Burks
Optical cinematography Paul K. Lerpae...
- 1/29/2022
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
With fears our winter travel will need a, let’s say, reconsideration, the Criterion Channel’s monthly programming could hardly come at a better moment. High on list of highlights is Louis Feuillade’s delightful Les Vampires, which I suggest soundtracking to Coil, instrumental Nine Inch Nails, and Jóhann Jóhannson’s Mandy score. Notable too is a Sundance ’92 retrospective running the gamut from Paul Schrader to Derek Jarman to Jean-Pierre Gorin, and I’m especially excited for their look at one of America’s greatest actors, Sterling Hayden.
Special notice to Criterion editions of The Killing, The Last Days of Disco, All About Eve, and The Asphalt Jungle, and programming of Ognjen Glavonić’s The Load, among the better debuts in recent years.
See the full list of January titles below and more on the Criterion Channel.
-Ship: A Visual Poem, Terrance Day, 2020
5 Fingers, Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1952
After Migration: Calabria,...
Special notice to Criterion editions of The Killing, The Last Days of Disco, All About Eve, and The Asphalt Jungle, and programming of Ognjen Glavonić’s The Load, among the better debuts in recent years.
See the full list of January titles below and more on the Criterion Channel.
-Ship: A Visual Poem, Terrance Day, 2020
5 Fingers, Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1952
After Migration: Calabria,...
- 12/20/2021
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
October’s here and it’s time to get spooked. After last year’s superb “’70s Horror” lineup, the Criterion Channel commemorates October with a couple series: “Universal Horror,” which does what it says on the tin (with special notice to the Spanish-language Dracula), and “Home Invasion,” which runs the gamut from Romero to Oshima with Polanski and Haneke in the mix. Lest we disregard the programming of Cindy Sherman’s one feature, Office Killer, and Jennifer’s Body, whose lifespan has gone from gimmick to forgotten to Criterion Channel. And if you want to stretch ideas of genre just a hair, their “True Crime” selection gets at darker shades of human nature.
It’s not all chills and thrills, mind. October also boasts a Kirk Douglas repertoire, movies by Doris Wishman and Wayne Wang, plus Manoel de Oliveira’s rarely screened Porto of My Childhood. And Edgar Wright gets the “Adventures in Moviegoing” treatment,...
It’s not all chills and thrills, mind. October also boasts a Kirk Douglas repertoire, movies by Doris Wishman and Wayne Wang, plus Manoel de Oliveira’s rarely screened Porto of My Childhood. And Edgar Wright gets the “Adventures in Moviegoing” treatment,...
- 9/24/2021
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
The Criterion Channel’s July 2021 Lineup Includes Wong Kar Wai, Neo-Noir, Art-House Animation & More
The July lineup at The Criterion Channel has been revealed, most notably featuring the new Wong Kar Wai restorations from the recent box set release, including As Tears Go By, Days of Being Wild, Chungking Express, Fallen Angels, Happy Together, In the Mood for Love, 2046, and his shorts Hua yang de nian hua and The Hand.
Also among the lineup is a series on neo-noir with Body Double, Manhunter, Thief, The Last Seduction, Cutter’s Way, Brick, Night Moves, The Long Goodbye, Chinatown, and more. The channel will also feature a spotlight on art-house animation with work by Marcell Jankovics, Satoshi Kon, Ari Folman, Don Hertzfeldt, Karel Zeman, and more.
With Jodie Mack’s delightful The Grand Bizarre, the landmark doc Hoop Dreams, Orson Welles’ take on Othello, the recent Oscar entries Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time and You Will Die at Twenty, and much more,...
Also among the lineup is a series on neo-noir with Body Double, Manhunter, Thief, The Last Seduction, Cutter’s Way, Brick, Night Moves, The Long Goodbye, Chinatown, and more. The channel will also feature a spotlight on art-house animation with work by Marcell Jankovics, Satoshi Kon, Ari Folman, Don Hertzfeldt, Karel Zeman, and more.
With Jodie Mack’s delightful The Grand Bizarre, the landmark doc Hoop Dreams, Orson Welles’ take on Othello, the recent Oscar entries Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time and You Will Die at Twenty, and much more,...
- 6/24/2021
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
The fifth and final film in Eastwood’s “Dirty Harry” series is memorable for early career appearances by Liam Neeson and Jim Carrey. Directed by Buddy Van Horn whose remarkably long and action-packed career as a stunt man (beginning in 1951 with the Byron Haskin western Warpath) was sidetracked by three directorial jobs for Eastwood, including The Dead Pool, Pink Cadillac, and Any Which Way You Can. Versatile cinematographer Jack Green went on to provide the uniquely noirish western look for Eastwood’s Oscar-winning Unforgiven.
The post The Dead Pool appeared first on Trailers From Hell.
The post The Dead Pool appeared first on Trailers From Hell.
- 10/14/2020
- by TFH Team
- Trailers from Hell
“It neutralizes mesons somehow. They’re the atomic glue holding matter together!” For most of the 1950s George Pal’s Martian invasion spectacle reigned as the top Sci-fi spectacle about an alien invasion. All the money went into the visuals, beautifully turned out by Byron Haskin and Gordon Jennings. Paramount’s much-awaited full restoration job does the picture justice, even if fussy fans will continue to argue the ‘what about the wires?’ battle. Even more impressive than the visuals is the film’s superb sound design, which still blows audiences away whether in mono or a new 5.1 remix. Criterion’s extras don’t critique the film as much as they tout the high-class restoration (and minor revisions).
The War of the Worlds
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 1037
1953 / Color / 1:37 Academy / 85 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date July 7, 2020 / 39.95
Starring: Gene Barry, Ann Robinson, Les Tremayne.
Cinematography: George Barnes
Film Editor:...
The War of the Worlds
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 1037
1953 / Color / 1:37 Academy / 85 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date July 7, 2020 / 39.95
Starring: Gene Barry, Ann Robinson, Les Tremayne.
Cinematography: George Barnes
Film Editor:...
- 7/14/2020
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Out this week from the Criterion Collection comes the 1953 adaptation of the famous H.G. Wells tale, The War of the Worlds, directed by Byron Haskin and produced by George Pal, AP Frank Freeman, Jr., and the uncredited EP, Cecil B. DeMille. Haskin was primarily known as a cinematographer and for his special effects work before he became a full-fledged director, and Pal was an animator, director, and cinematographer. As you can guess, The War of the Worlds is a highly influential film on many filmmakers, notably...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 7/8/2020
- Screen Anarchy
When I think of classic literature that really gets under my skin and leaves some scars, H.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds is at the top of the list. The many adaptations of Wells' timeless extraterrestrial tale are just one indication of the novel's enduring legacy, and that legacy continues to grow now that the first The War of the Worlds film is coming to the Criterion Collection.
Announced on Criterion's Twitter account, The War of the Worlds (1953) will join the Criterion Collection this July as a new Blu-ray featuring a 4K digital restoration and new cover art by artist Patrick Leger.
We have the full release details and a look at the cover art and images from the film below, and be sure to visit the Criterion Collection online for more information.
From Criterion Collection: "A mysterious, meteorlike object has landed in a small California town.
Announced on Criterion's Twitter account, The War of the Worlds (1953) will join the Criterion Collection this July as a new Blu-ray featuring a 4K digital restoration and new cover art by artist Patrick Leger.
We have the full release details and a look at the cover art and images from the film below, and be sure to visit the Criterion Collection online for more information.
From Criterion Collection: "A mysterious, meteorlike object has landed in a small California town.
- 4/16/2020
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
We already got details on The Criterion Collection’s major release this July–a seven-disc Bruce Lee box set–but that’s not all of the cinematic goodness they will be serving up this summer.
They’ve now unveiled the rest of their July releases, some of which are Blu-ray upgrades, including the Abbas Kiarostami masterpiece Taste of Cherry and their first Netflix release, Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story.
Also in the lineup is the Preston Sturges classic screwball comedy The Lady Eve, starring Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda as well as Byron Haskin’s Technicolor adaptation of H. G. Wells’s The War of the Worlds. Check out full details on all the releases below.
Taste of Cherry
The first Iranian film to win the Palme d’Or, this austere, emotionally complex drama by the great Abbas Kiarostami follows the middle-aged Mr. Badii (Homayoun Ershadi) as he drives around...
They’ve now unveiled the rest of their July releases, some of which are Blu-ray upgrades, including the Abbas Kiarostami masterpiece Taste of Cherry and their first Netflix release, Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story.
Also in the lineup is the Preston Sturges classic screwball comedy The Lady Eve, starring Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda as well as Byron Haskin’s Technicolor adaptation of H. G. Wells’s The War of the Worlds. Check out full details on all the releases below.
Taste of Cherry
The first Iranian film to win the Palme d’Or, this austere, emotionally complex drama by the great Abbas Kiarostami follows the middle-aged Mr. Badii (Homayoun Ershadi) as he drives around...
- 4/15/2020
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
H.G. Well’s seminal sci-fi tale of an alien invasion has captivated audiences for over a century. Orson Welles, Byron Haskin and Steven Spielberg all famously adapted The War of the Worlds and gave it a contemporary (and American) setting in order to make the aliens a stand in for anything from mass media to the […]
The post BBC’s ‘The War of the Worlds’ Series Diverges From the Familiar Story in Fascinating Ways appeared first on /Film.
The post BBC’s ‘The War of the Worlds’ Series Diverges From the Familiar Story in Fascinating Ways appeared first on /Film.
- 11/7/2019
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
Above: Italian 4-fogli for Birdman of Alcatraz. Artist: Renato Casaro.Starting today with a week-long run of Robert Siodmak’s The Killers, New York’s Film Forum is hosting a 4-week, 37-film retrospective of one of the great he-men of Hollywood. With his square jaw, gymnast’s physique, and megawatt grin, Burt Lancaster (1913–1994) must have been a boon to movie poster artists and over the years he was drawn or painted by many great affichistes. I could have curated a post on just the Italian renditions of Lancaster alone: over the years he was painted by Ercole Brini, Anselmo Ballester, Luigi Martinati, Renato Casaro, Averardo Ciriello, and many more. To mark the retrospective I have selected 50 of my favorite illustrated images of the indelible star, from his brooding film noir youth (though he was actually 33 when he made his debut in The Killers), through his serious thespian mid-period to his...
- 7/19/2019
- MUBI
Though long embraced by parents as family-friendly safe zones, Disney’s live action films were just as often called out for their squeaky clean posturing and regressive world views.
Fair enough – but as Noah Cross growled, “Politicians, ugly buildings and whores all get respectable if they last long enough” – and a good number of those mild-mannered entertainments, while not exactly ready for the arthouse, are at least worthy of a second look.
Disney Movie Club has released some of those Baby Boomer perennials in sterling Blu ray transfers – unfortunately available to club members only. Here’s part one in a rundown of the more tantalizing items.
Treasure Island, Davy Crockett,
Old Yeller, Pollyanna
Blu ray
Disney Movie Club
1950, ‘55, ‘56, ‘57, ‘60 / 1. 33:1, 1.85:1 / 96, 93, 81, 83, 134 Min.
Starring Robert Newton, Dorothy McGuire, Hayley Mills, Fess Parker
Cinematography by Freddie Young, Charles P. Boyle, Russell Harlan
Directed by Byron Haskin, Robert Stevenson, David Swift
Treasure Island – 1950
Thanks...
Fair enough – but as Noah Cross growled, “Politicians, ugly buildings and whores all get respectable if they last long enough” – and a good number of those mild-mannered entertainments, while not exactly ready for the arthouse, are at least worthy of a second look.
Disney Movie Club has released some of those Baby Boomer perennials in sterling Blu ray transfers – unfortunately available to club members only. Here’s part one in a rundown of the more tantalizing items.
Treasure Island, Davy Crockett,
Old Yeller, Pollyanna
Blu ray
Disney Movie Club
1950, ‘55, ‘56, ‘57, ‘60 / 1. 33:1, 1.85:1 / 96, 93, 81, 83, 134 Min.
Starring Robert Newton, Dorothy McGuire, Hayley Mills, Fess Parker
Cinematography by Freddie Young, Charles P. Boyle, Russell Harlan
Directed by Byron Haskin, Robert Stevenson, David Swift
Treasure Island – 1950
Thanks...
- 12/25/2018
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
Grand action entertainment bursts forth on the high seas, showing us how much production value Golden Hollywood could lavish on an exciting, artful swashbuckler. Errol Flynn is at his glorious best, backed by greats like Flora Robson, Henry Daniell and Claude Rains in fine form. The special effects and full-sized ship sets impress in ways that computer generated images never will. And the rousing music of Erich Wolfgang Korngold seals the deal — the term ‘Timeless Classic’ was invented for marvels like this.
The Sea Hawk
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1940 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 127 min. / Street Date December 18, 2018 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring: Errol Flynn, Brenda Marshall, Claude Rains, Donald Crisp, Flora Robson, Alan Hale, Henry Daniell, Una O’Connor, James Stephenson, Gilbert Roland, William Lundigan, Julien Mitchell, Montagu Love, J.M. Kerrigan, David Bruce, Fritz Leiber, Francis McDonald, Pedro de Cordoba, Ian Keith, Jack La Rue, Halliwell Hobbes, Victor Varconi,...
The Sea Hawk
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1940 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 127 min. / Street Date December 18, 2018 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring: Errol Flynn, Brenda Marshall, Claude Rains, Donald Crisp, Flora Robson, Alan Hale, Henry Daniell, Una O’Connor, James Stephenson, Gilbert Roland, William Lundigan, Julien Mitchell, Montagu Love, J.M. Kerrigan, David Bruce, Fritz Leiber, Francis McDonald, Pedro de Cordoba, Ian Keith, Jack La Rue, Halliwell Hobbes, Victor Varconi,...
- 12/22/2018
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
It’s here, the second half of the science fiction TV series from the 1960s, restored and remastered. It’s really only half a season and the creative team has been swapped out, but several gems are every bit as good as episodes from year one. Plus acting disc producer David J. Schow ladles on the extras like thick gravy … including promos and TV spots not seen since 1963 and ’64.
The Outer Limits, Season Two
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1964-65 / B&W / 1:33 flat / 867 min. / Street Date November 20, 2018 / available through Kino Lorber / 69.95
Executive-produced by Leslie Stevens
As I tried to express in my openly enthusiastic review of the Season One disc set from last March, we kids and young teenagers were absolutely gaga about The Outer Limits back in 1963 and 1964. I’m afraid that we probably weren’t paying close enough attention when it tapered off and disappeared (in 1965?). By that...
The Outer Limits, Season Two
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1964-65 / B&W / 1:33 flat / 867 min. / Street Date November 20, 2018 / available through Kino Lorber / 69.95
Executive-produced by Leslie Stevens
As I tried to express in my openly enthusiastic review of the Season One disc set from last March, we kids and young teenagers were absolutely gaga about The Outer Limits back in 1963 and 1964. I’m afraid that we probably weren’t paying close enough attention when it tapered off and disappeared (in 1965?). By that...
- 12/4/2018
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Classic horror film lovers get excited, as Turner Classic Movies just unveiled its movie lineup for the Halloween season. I’d run through and list all the classics that will be popping up throughout the month, but there’s just too many to list. This is Turner Classic Movies after all. Check out the full lineup below, and let us know if you’re excited for any of these! (via Bloody Disgusting)
Wednesday October 3, 2018
8:00 Pm The Unknown (1927) Dir: Tod Browning
9:00 Pm The Phantom of the Opera (1925) Dir: Rupert Julian
10:45 Pm The Monster (1925) Dir: Roland West
Thursday October 4, 2018
12:30 Am The Penalty (1920) Dir: Wallace Worsley
2:15 Am The Unholy Three (1925) Dir: Tod Browning.
4:00 Am He Who Gets Slapped (1924) Dir: Victor Seastrom
Saturday October 6, 2018
2:00 Am Deadly Friend (1986) Dir: Wes Craven
3:45 Am Demon Seed (1977) Dir. Donald Cammell
Sunday October 7, 2018
8:00 Pm The Mummy’s Hand (1940) Dir: Christy...
Wednesday October 3, 2018
8:00 Pm The Unknown (1927) Dir: Tod Browning
9:00 Pm The Phantom of the Opera (1925) Dir: Rupert Julian
10:45 Pm The Monster (1925) Dir: Roland West
Thursday October 4, 2018
12:30 Am The Penalty (1920) Dir: Wallace Worsley
2:15 Am The Unholy Three (1925) Dir: Tod Browning.
4:00 Am He Who Gets Slapped (1924) Dir: Victor Seastrom
Saturday October 6, 2018
2:00 Am Deadly Friend (1986) Dir: Wes Craven
3:45 Am Demon Seed (1977) Dir. Donald Cammell
Sunday October 7, 2018
8:00 Pm The Mummy’s Hand (1940) Dir: Christy...
- 9/16/2018
- by Mick Joest
- GeekTyrant
One of a number of Paramount noirs seemingly forever Mia on disc, Hal Wallis’ show reunites Burt Lancaster and Lizabeth Scott with promising newcomers Kirk Douglas and Wendell Corey. It’s light on action but strong on character — and it contains a key scene in the development of both the noir style and the gangster genre.
I Walk Alone
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1947 / B&W / flat Academy / 97 min. / Street Date July 24, 2018 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Burt Lancaster, Lizabeth Scott, Kirk Douglas, Wendell Corey, Kristine Miller, George Rigaud, Marc Lawrence, Mike Mazurki, Mickey Knox, Gino Corrado.
Cinematography: Leo Tover
Film Editor: Arthur Schmidt
Original Music: Victor Young
Written by Charles Schnee, Robert Smith, John Bright from a play by Theodore Reeves
Produced by Hal B. Wallis
Directed by Byron Haskin
One reason we keep going to theatrical Noir festivals is that a substantial number of interesting classic-era features still haven’t surfaced on disc.
I Walk Alone
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1947 / B&W / flat Academy / 97 min. / Street Date July 24, 2018 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Burt Lancaster, Lizabeth Scott, Kirk Douglas, Wendell Corey, Kristine Miller, George Rigaud, Marc Lawrence, Mike Mazurki, Mickey Knox, Gino Corrado.
Cinematography: Leo Tover
Film Editor: Arthur Schmidt
Original Music: Victor Young
Written by Charles Schnee, Robert Smith, John Bright from a play by Theodore Reeves
Produced by Hal B. Wallis
Directed by Byron Haskin
One reason we keep going to theatrical Noir festivals is that a substantial number of interesting classic-era features still haven’t surfaced on disc.
- 7/17/2018
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
“From the land beyond beyond…” — oops, wrong movie. Kerwin Mathews battles Torin Thatcher once again, with Judi Meredith in a stunning double role as both a delicate heroine and her evil counterpart in a magician’s mirror. Plus more stop-motion monsters than one can throw a ten-league boot at! Boy, we’re coining phrases left and right here.
Jack the Giant Killer
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1962 / Color / 1:66 widescreen / 94 + 91 min. / Street Date June 12, 2018 / Special Edition / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Kerwin Matthews, Torin Thatcher, Judi Meredith, Walter Burke, Don Beddoe, Barry Kelley, Dayton Lummis, Anna Lee, Roger Mobley, Tudor Owen.
Cinematography: David S. Horsley
Film Editor: Grant Whytock
Special Effects: Augie Lohman (practical), Howard A. Anderson (optical composites), Tim Baar, Wah Chang, Lloyd Vaughan, Gene Warren, Bill Brace, Jim Danforth, Tom Holland, Phil Kellison, David Pal (stop-motion animation).
Original Music: Paul Sawtell, Bert Shefter
Original Music Alternate musical version: musical...
Jack the Giant Killer
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1962 / Color / 1:66 widescreen / 94 + 91 min. / Street Date June 12, 2018 / Special Edition / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Kerwin Matthews, Torin Thatcher, Judi Meredith, Walter Burke, Don Beddoe, Barry Kelley, Dayton Lummis, Anna Lee, Roger Mobley, Tudor Owen.
Cinematography: David S. Horsley
Film Editor: Grant Whytock
Special Effects: Augie Lohman (practical), Howard A. Anderson (optical composites), Tim Baar, Wah Chang, Lloyd Vaughan, Gene Warren, Bill Brace, Jim Danforth, Tom Holland, Phil Kellison, David Pal (stop-motion animation).
Original Music: Paul Sawtell, Bert Shefter
Original Music Alternate musical version: musical...
- 6/2/2018
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Now restored to perfection, this genuine classic hasn’t been seen intact for way over sixty years. Michael Curtiz and Robert Rossen adapt Jack London’s suspenseful allegory in high style, with a superb quartet of actors doing some of their best work: Robinson, Garfield, Lupino and newcomer Alexander Knox.
The Sea Wolf
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1941 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 100 min. uncut! / Street Date October 10, 2017 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring: Edward G. Robinson, Alexander Knox, Ida Lupino, John Garfield, Gene Lockhart, Barry Fitzgerald. Stanley Ridges, David Bruce, Francis McDonald, Howard Da Silva, Frank Lackteen, Ralf Harolde
Cinematography: Sol Polito
Film Editor: George Amy
Art Direction: Anton Grot
Special Effects: Byron Haskin, Hans F. Koenekamp
Original Music: Erich Wolfgang Korngold
Written by Robert Rosson, from the novel by Jack London
Produced by Hal B. Wallis, Henry Blanke
Directed by Michael Curtiz
Chopping up films for television was once the...
The Sea Wolf
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1941 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 100 min. uncut! / Street Date October 10, 2017 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring: Edward G. Robinson, Alexander Knox, Ida Lupino, John Garfield, Gene Lockhart, Barry Fitzgerald. Stanley Ridges, David Bruce, Francis McDonald, Howard Da Silva, Frank Lackteen, Ralf Harolde
Cinematography: Sol Polito
Film Editor: George Amy
Art Direction: Anton Grot
Special Effects: Byron Haskin, Hans F. Koenekamp
Original Music: Erich Wolfgang Korngold
Written by Robert Rosson, from the novel by Jack London
Produced by Hal B. Wallis, Henry Blanke
Directed by Michael Curtiz
Chopping up films for television was once the...
- 10/14/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
What the two alien invasion films tell us about existential questions.
Ever since H.G. Wells released “The War of the Worlds” in 1898, the alien invasion genre has become a vehicle for humanity’s fears, questions, and aspirations. Although at the time that novel was thought to be a metaphor for the superstitions of the Victorian age, the story proved universal enough to apply to any era; from anxieties about Nazism when Orson Welles read it as a radio play in 1938, to Cold War nightmares when Byron Haskin adapted it into a film 1953, to worries about the War on Terror when Steven Spielberg did the same in 2005. But beyond merely reflecting the terrestrial fears of any particular time, the genre also addresses more universal questions — about life, death, and humanity’s place in the cosmos. Two of this century’s best alien invasion films — M. Night Shyamalan’s Signs and Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival — take precisely this existential...
Ever since H.G. Wells released “The War of the Worlds” in 1898, the alien invasion genre has become a vehicle for humanity’s fears, questions, and aspirations. Although at the time that novel was thought to be a metaphor for the superstitions of the Victorian age, the story proved universal enough to apply to any era; from anxieties about Nazism when Orson Welles read it as a radio play in 1938, to Cold War nightmares when Byron Haskin adapted it into a film 1953, to worries about the War on Terror when Steven Spielberg did the same in 2005. But beyond merely reflecting the terrestrial fears of any particular time, the genre also addresses more universal questions — about life, death, and humanity’s place in the cosmos. Two of this century’s best alien invasion films — M. Night Shyamalan’s Signs and Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival — take precisely this existential...
- 4/4/2017
- by Jake Orthwein
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
3-D in CinemaScope? That seems like a strange combination, but this obscure treasure hunt adventure with Joanne Dru and Mark Stevens is indeed billed as being filmed in the ‘Miracle of Stereo-Vision,’ five years after the demise of Hollywood’s first fling with ‘depthies.’ Kino and the 3-D Film Archives extras include two vintage 3-D shorts, one of them never screened in 3-D.
September Storm
3-D Blu-ray
Kino Classics
1960 / Color / 2:39 widescreen / 92 min. / Street Date March 28, 2017 / available through Kino Lorber / 34.95
Starring: Joanne Dru, Mark Stevens, Robert Strauss Asher Dann, Jean-Pierre Kérien, Véra Valmont..
Cinematography: Lamar Boren, Jorge Stahl Jr.
Film Editor: Alberto Valenzuela
Art Direction: Boris Leven
Underwater director: Paul Stader
Original Music: Edward L. Alperson Jr., Raoul Kraushaar
Written by W.R. Burnett from a story by Steve Fisher
Produced by Edward L. Alperson
Directed by Byron Haskin
The 3-D Film Archive has been an amazing resource for the fascinating depth format,...
September Storm
3-D Blu-ray
Kino Classics
1960 / Color / 2:39 widescreen / 92 min. / Street Date March 28, 2017 / available through Kino Lorber / 34.95
Starring: Joanne Dru, Mark Stevens, Robert Strauss Asher Dann, Jean-Pierre Kérien, Véra Valmont..
Cinematography: Lamar Boren, Jorge Stahl Jr.
Film Editor: Alberto Valenzuela
Art Direction: Boris Leven
Underwater director: Paul Stader
Original Music: Edward L. Alperson Jr., Raoul Kraushaar
Written by W.R. Burnett from a story by Steve Fisher
Produced by Edward L. Alperson
Directed by Byron Haskin
The 3-D Film Archive has been an amazing resource for the fascinating depth format,...
- 3/14/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
By Tim Greaves
Not the most beloved entry in Alfred Hitchcock's cinematic oeuvre – by either audiences in general or the director himself – 1939's Jamaica Inn (based on a Daphne du Maurier novel first published three years earlier) is nevertheless a serviceable enough piece of drama, which perhaps finds its most ideal place nowadays as an undemanding rainy Sunday afternoon programmer.
Following the death of her mother, Mary Yellen (Maureen O'Hara) travels from Ireland to England intending to take up residence with her relatives at their Cornish hostelry the Jamaica Inn. After an unexpected detour, which on face value proves beneficial when she makes the acquaintance of local squire and magistrate Sir Humphrey Pengallan (Charles Laughton), Mary arrives at her destination to find her browbeaten Aunt Patience (Maria Ney) living in fear of a tyrannical husband, the brutish Joss Merlyn (Leslie Banks). It also transpires that the Inn is the...
Not the most beloved entry in Alfred Hitchcock's cinematic oeuvre – by either audiences in general or the director himself – 1939's Jamaica Inn (based on a Daphne du Maurier novel first published three years earlier) is nevertheless a serviceable enough piece of drama, which perhaps finds its most ideal place nowadays as an undemanding rainy Sunday afternoon programmer.
Following the death of her mother, Mary Yellen (Maureen O'Hara) travels from Ireland to England intending to take up residence with her relatives at their Cornish hostelry the Jamaica Inn. After an unexpected detour, which on face value proves beneficial when she makes the acquaintance of local squire and magistrate Sir Humphrey Pengallan (Charles Laughton), Mary arrives at her destination to find her browbeaten Aunt Patience (Maria Ney) living in fear of a tyrannical husband, the brutish Joss Merlyn (Leslie Banks). It also transpires that the Inn is the...
- 1/18/2017
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
George Lucas’ Thx 1138, Byron Haskin’s The War Of The Worlds and 1918 silent film A Trip To Mars among 27 features set to screen.
The Berlin Film Festival’s annual retrospective will be devoted to science fiction films at the 67th edition of the festival unfolding Feb 9-19 in 2017.
The sidebar – Future Imperfect. Science · Fiction · Film” - will screen a total of 27 international features, including classics, cult films and largely unknown productions from countries including Japan as well as central and European Europe.
Describing science fiction films as one of the most “visually stunning and spectacular genres in the history of film”, the festival said the event would focus on two themes: ‘the society of the future’ and ‘the strange and the other’.
“The possible worlds on earth or in space open up a vast scope for re-defining questions of collective visions and fears. So as a mirror for society’s public debates, science fiction...
The Berlin Film Festival’s annual retrospective will be devoted to science fiction films at the 67th edition of the festival unfolding Feb 9-19 in 2017.
The sidebar – Future Imperfect. Science · Fiction · Film” - will screen a total of 27 international features, including classics, cult films and largely unknown productions from countries including Japan as well as central and European Europe.
Describing science fiction films as one of the most “visually stunning and spectacular genres in the history of film”, the festival said the event would focus on two themes: ‘the society of the future’ and ‘the strange and the other’.
“The possible worlds on earth or in space open up a vast scope for re-defining questions of collective visions and fears. So as a mirror for society’s public debates, science fiction...
- 11/3/2016
- ScreenDaily
H. G. Wells’ 1898 novel “The War of the Worlds” has been a source of inspiration for many in Hollywood. The sci-fi book has been adapted multiple times on radio, film and television, and is now returning to the small screen once again.
Per Deadline, “Teen Wolf” creator Jeff Davis and writer Andrew Cochran, along with The Firm’s Jeff Kwatinetz and Josh Barry, will adapt “War of the Worlds” as a TV series for MTV. While no additional details were revealed, the show is a passion project for Barry whose grandfather, Gene Barry, was the star of the 1953 film adaptation.
Read More: ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’ TV Series in Development
“War of the Worlds” is one of the earliest stories that details a conflict between mankind and an extraterrestrial race. Among the most famous adaptations is the 1938 radio broadcast that was narrated and directed by Orson Welles. The...
Per Deadline, “Teen Wolf” creator Jeff Davis and writer Andrew Cochran, along with The Firm’s Jeff Kwatinetz and Josh Barry, will adapt “War of the Worlds” as a TV series for MTV. While no additional details were revealed, the show is a passion project for Barry whose grandfather, Gene Barry, was the star of the 1953 film adaptation.
Read More: ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’ TV Series in Development
“War of the Worlds” is one of the earliest stories that details a conflict between mankind and an extraterrestrial race. Among the most famous adaptations is the 1938 radio broadcast that was narrated and directed by Orson Welles. The...
- 10/13/2016
- by Liz Calvario
- Indiewire
Teen Wolf is drawing to a close over at MTV after six seasons, and the network is keen to fill the void by teeing up a new collaboration with series creator Jeff Davis and writer Andrew Cochran.
It involves repackaging another established property, according to Deadline, now that David and Cochran are on board to reboot War of the Worlds as a live-action TV series. First adapted for the screen in 1953 by director Byron Haskin, before Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise – hot off their work on Minority Report – engineered a modern redo some five decades later, it’s understood this fresh take will circle back to H.G. Wells’ indelible sci-fi novel.
One of the frontrunners of the alien invasion sub-genre, Wells’ classic imagines a scenario in which extra-terrestrials seek to seize control of Earth, first burying massive war machines deep beneath the planet only to activate them generations later by...
It involves repackaging another established property, according to Deadline, now that David and Cochran are on board to reboot War of the Worlds as a live-action TV series. First adapted for the screen in 1953 by director Byron Haskin, before Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise – hot off their work on Minority Report – engineered a modern redo some five decades later, it’s understood this fresh take will circle back to H.G. Wells’ indelible sci-fi novel.
One of the frontrunners of the alien invasion sub-genre, Wells’ classic imagines a scenario in which extra-terrestrials seek to seize control of Earth, first burying massive war machines deep beneath the planet only to activate them generations later by...
- 10/13/2016
- by Michael Briers
- We Got This Covered
There are two major sides to the film noir coin, as I see it – the psychological and the practical. Now, the practical noir is fairly straightforward; maybe a detective has to solve a crime, or someone gets themselves in over their head with some scheme gone wrong. There’s a problem to be solved, and the protagonist either overcomes or becomes consumed by it. Double Indemnity, Where the Sidewalk Ends, Night and the City, The Killing, and The Maltese Falcon fit into this section rather well. The psychological noir uses genre tropes to investigate someone’s soul, usually stemming from their nearness to sin and death. Scarlet Street, Laura, Female on the Beach, The Chase, Sunset Boulevard, and Kiss Me Deadly fit the bill. Obviously films in each use elements of the other to shade the characters or move the story along, but the texture and flavor is notably distinct,...
- 7/19/2016
- by Scott Nye
- CriterionCast
By Tim Greaves
(The following reviews pertain to the UK Region 2 releases)
When I'm in the right mood I adore bit of film noir. I admire the diversity of its storytelling, I love every facet, from the hardboiled private eyes, duplicitous dames and characters that seldom turn out to be what they first appear, to the alleyways bathed in inky shadows, ramshackle apartments and half-lit street corners they inhabit. How can you not get drawn in by the sheer delight of Edward G Robinson playing a second rate psychic trying to convince the authorities he can see the future in The Night Has a Thousand Eyes? Or amnesiac John Hodiak on a mission to discover his own identity, in the process getting embroiled in a 3-year-old murder case and the search for a missing $2 million in Somewhere in the Night? Yes, indeed, there's nothing quite like a hearty serving of...
(The following reviews pertain to the UK Region 2 releases)
When I'm in the right mood I adore bit of film noir. I admire the diversity of its storytelling, I love every facet, from the hardboiled private eyes, duplicitous dames and characters that seldom turn out to be what they first appear, to the alleyways bathed in inky shadows, ramshackle apartments and half-lit street corners they inhabit. How can you not get drawn in by the sheer delight of Edward G Robinson playing a second rate psychic trying to convince the authorities he can see the future in The Night Has a Thousand Eyes? Or amnesiac John Hodiak on a mission to discover his own identity, in the process getting embroiled in a 3-year-old murder case and the search for a missing $2 million in Somewhere in the Night? Yes, indeed, there's nothing quite like a hearty serving of...
- 7/10/2016
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Noir if I can help it! Sultry Lizabeth Scott out-'fatals' every femme we know in this wickedly ruthless tale of unadulterated female venality. Rough creep Dan Duryea meets his match, as do other unfortunate males that get between Liz and a plump bag of blackmail loot. The Film Noir Foundation's restoration is a valiant rescue job, for a worthy 'annihilating melodrama.' Too Late for Tears Blu-ray + DVD Flicker Alley / FIlm Noir Foundation 1949 / B&W / 1:37 Academy / 102 min. / Street Date May 17, 2016 / 39.95 Starring Lizabeth Scott, Don DeFore, Dan Duryea, Arthur Kennedy, Kristine Miller, Barry Kelley Cinematography William Mellor Art Direction James Sullivan Film Editor Harry Keller Original Music Dale Butts Written by Roy Huggins from his story Produced by Hunt Stromberg Directed by Byron Haskin
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
Who's doing good work for film preservation? The Film Noir Foundation has racked up some impressive rescues and restorations in the last fifteen years or so,...
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
Who's doing good work for film preservation? The Film Noir Foundation has racked up some impressive rescues and restorations in the last fifteen years or so,...
- 5/21/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
As a supplement to our Recommended Discs weekly feature, Peter Labuza regularly highlights notable recent home-video releases with expanded reviews. See this week’s selections below.
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Two new restorations from the UCLA Film and Television Archive, in conjunction with the Film Noir Foundation, certainly speak to that ethos. First up, the piercing eyes of Lisabeth Scott explain everything one might need to know about this woman who wants it all. In Byron Haskin‘s Too Late for Tears, writer Roy Huggins stages a flipped gender perspective of Double Indemnity. Driving along with her dull husband (Arthur Kennedy at his most subdued), Scott’s Jane Palmer has a bag of $60,000 literally drop in her lap. Goody two-shoes husband wants to hand it to the authorities, but she sees this as the opportunity to finally lean in. Dp William C. Mellor lights Scott’s...
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Two new restorations from the UCLA Film and Television Archive, in conjunction with the Film Noir Foundation, certainly speak to that ethos. First up, the piercing eyes of Lisabeth Scott explain everything one might need to know about this woman who wants it all. In Byron Haskin‘s Too Late for Tears, writer Roy Huggins stages a flipped gender perspective of Double Indemnity. Driving along with her dull husband (Arthur Kennedy at his most subdued), Scott’s Jane Palmer has a bag of $60,000 literally drop in her lap. Goody two-shoes husband wants to hand it to the authorities, but she sees this as the opportunity to finally lean in. Dp William C. Mellor lights Scott’s...
- 5/19/2016
- by Peter Labuza
- The Film Stage
This Wednesday, March 23rd, the folks at MondoTees will release their oldest score yet: Nathan Van Cleave’s music for Byron Haskin’s Robinson Crusoe on Mars.
The records will be limited to 1000 copies, set you back $30 (plus shipping) and feature artwork by We Buy Your Kids. Follow MondoTees on Twitter to find out when the orders will go live.
You can listen to a sample of the score below:
For a significant portion of the film – as Kit explores the terrain with no other life to communicate with (except for his monkey, Mona) – Nathan Van Cleave’s music takes center stage. Van Cleave’s themes are simultaneously foreboding and triumphant. Only a few short years before Planet of the Apes took science fiction to its inevitable dystopian ends, the soundtrack to Robinson Crusoe on Mars is a pure patriotic time capsule; the sounds of a retro-future when science fiction...
The records will be limited to 1000 copies, set you back $30 (plus shipping) and feature artwork by We Buy Your Kids. Follow MondoTees on Twitter to find out when the orders will go live.
You can listen to a sample of the score below:
For a significant portion of the film – as Kit explores the terrain with no other life to communicate with (except for his monkey, Mona) – Nathan Van Cleave’s music takes center stage. Van Cleave’s themes are simultaneously foreboding and triumphant. Only a few short years before Planet of the Apes took science fiction to its inevitable dystopian ends, the soundtrack to Robinson Crusoe on Mars is a pure patriotic time capsule; the sounds of a retro-future when science fiction...
- 3/21/2016
- by Ryan Gallagher
- CriterionCast
This is definitely the time of year when film critic types (I’m sure you know who I mean) spend an inordinate amount of time leading up to awards season—and it all leads up to awards season, don’t it?—compiling lists and trying to convince anyone who will listen that it was a shitty year at the movies for anyone who liked something other than what they saw and liked. And ‘tis the season, or at least ‘thas (?) been in the recent past, for that most beloved of academic parlor games, bemoaning the death of cinema, which, if the sackcloth-and-ashes-clad among us are to be believed, is an increasingly detached and irrelevant art form in the process of being smothered under the wet, steaming blanket of American blockbuster-it is. And it’s going all malnourished from the siphoning off of all the talent back to TV, which, as everyone knows,...
- 1/9/2016
- by Dennis Cozzalio
- Trailers from Hell
Robert Wise's taut noir suspenser about the Mafia takeover of a small city is like an underworld Invasion of the Body Snatchers. John Forsythe's newsman slowly realizes that gambling corruption has infiltrated the business district, city hall, and even his close associates; he's expected to become a crook too, or else. Great docudrama style aided by a special deep-focus lens; Estes Kefauver makes a personal appearance touting the crime-busting Washington committee that inspired the picture. The Captive City Blu-ray Kl Studio Classics 1952 / B&W / 1:33 flat full frame / 91 min. Street Date January 5, 2016 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95 Starring John Forsythe, Joan Camden, Marjorie Crossland, Victor Sutherland, Ray Teal, Martin Milner, Geraldine Hall, Hal K. Dawson, Paul Brinegar, Estes Kefauver, Victor Romito. Cinematography Lee Garmes Film Editor Robert Swink Original Music Jerome Moross Written by Alvin M. Josephy Jr., Karl Kamb Produced by Theron Warth Directed by Robert Wise
Reviewed...
Reviewed...
- 1/4/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
A few years ago the editors of Shadowlocked asked me to compile a list of what was initially to be, the ten greatest movie matte paintings of all time. A mere ten selections was too slim by a long shot, so my list stretched considerably to twenty, then thirty and finally a nice round fifty entries. Even with that number I found it wasn’t easy to narrow down a suitably wide ranging showcase of motion picture matte art that best represented the artform. So with that in mind, and due to the surprising popularity of that 2012 Shadowlocked list (which is well worth a visit, here Ed), I’ve assembled a further fifty wonderful examples of this vast, vital and more extensively utilised than you’d imagine – though now sadly ‘dead and buried’ – movie magic.
It would of course be so easy to simply concentrate on the well known, iconic,...
It would of course be so easy to simply concentrate on the well known, iconic,...
- 12/28/2015
- Shadowlocked
'The Martian' movie: Matt Damon as an astronaut stranded on Mars. 'The Martian' movie review: Ridley Scott still has 'greatness left in him' The Martian is the story of a man in trouble and in desperate need of saving. Brilliant and resourceful, he must marshal all of his creative powers to solve a series of difficult problems or all is lost. That man is Ridley Scott. The Oscar-nominated British director has been mired in a late-career slump after a run of middling films that only served to dent his legacy, namely The Counselor, Prometheus, and Exodus: Gods and Kings. Scott, at the Omg age of 77, can still put together a movie, but fans have been wondering if he had any greatness left in him. The Martian answers that question with a pleasantly enthusiastic yes. That enthusiasm comes tempered as we wonder if Scott would have approached The Martian in the...
- 9/28/2015
- by Mark Keizer
- Alt Film Guide
Robert Pattinson: Actor to play E.T. astronaut. Robert Pattinson to star for Claire Denis If all goes as planned, Robert Pattinson will get to star in French screenwriter-director Claire Denis' recently announced – and as yet untitled – English-language sci-fier, penned by Denis and White Teeth author Zadie Smith and her novelist husband Nick Laird, from an original idea by Denis and writing partner Jean-Pol Fargeau. Among Claire Denis' credits are the interracial love story Chocolat (1988), the sociopolitical drama White Material (2009), and the generally well-regarded Billy Budd reboot Beau Travail (1999), winner of the César Award for Best Cinematography (Agnès Godard). Robert Pattinson, for his part, is best known for playing the veggie vampire in the wildly popular Twilight movies costarring Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner. Robert Pattinson, astronaut In Claire Denis' film, Robert Pattinson is slated to play an E.T. astronaut. But what happens to said astronaut? Does...
- 8/27/2015
- by Zac Gille
- Alt Film Guide
'Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl': Johnny Depp as Capt. Jack Sparrow. 'Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl' review: Mostly an enjoyable romp (Oscar Movie Series) Pirate movies were a Hollywood staple for about three decades, from the mid-'20s (The Sea Hawk, The Black Pirate) to the mid-to-late '50s (Moonfleet, The Buccaneer), when the genre, by then mostly relegated to B films, began to die down. Sporadic resurrections in the '80s and '90s turned out to be critical and commercial bombs (Pirates, Cutthroat Island), something that didn't bode well for the Walt Disney Company's $140 million-budgeted film "adaptation" of one of their theme-park rides. But Neptune's mood has apparently improved with the arrival of the new century. He smiled – grinned would be a more appropriate word – on the Gore Verbinski-directed Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl,...
- 6/29/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Scariest movies ever made: The top 100 horror films according to the Chicago Film Critics (photo: Janet Leigh, John Gavin and Vera Miles in Alfred Hitchcock's 'Psycho') I tend to ignore lists featuring the Top 100 Movies (or Top 10 Movies or Top 20 Movies, etc.), no matter the category or criteria, because these lists are almost invariably compiled by people who know little about films beyond mainstream Hollywood stuff released in the last decade or two. But the Chicago Film Critics Association's list of the 100 Scariest Movies Ever Made, which came out in October 2006, does include several oldies — e.g., James Whale's Frankenstein and The Bride of Frankenstein — in addition to, gasp, a handful of non-American horror films such as Dario Argento's Suspiria, Werner Herzog's Nosferatu the Vampyre, and F.W. Murnau's brilliant Dracula rip-off Nosferatu. (Check out the full list of the Chicago Film Critics' top 100 horror movies of all time.
- 10/31/2014
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Polly Bergen dead at 84: ‘First woman president of the U.S.A.,’ former mistress of Tony Soprano’s father Emmy Award-winning actress Polly Bergen — whose roles ranged from the first U.S.A. woman president in Kisses for My President to the former mistress of both Tony Soprano’s father and John F. Kennedy in the television hit series The Sopranos — died from "natural causes" on September 20, 2014, at her home in Southbury, Connecticut. The 84-year-old Bergen, a heavy smoker for five decades, had been suffering from emphysema and other ailments since the 1990s. "Most people think I was born in a rich Long Island family," she told The Washington Post in 1988, but Polly Bergen was actually born Nellie Paulina Burgin on July 14, 1930, to an impoverished family in Knoxville, Tennessee. Her father was an illiterate construction worker while her mother got only as far as the third grade. The family...
- 9/20/2014
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Film Noir Foundation president and founder Eddie Muller is fighting the good fight for film preservation. When he's not overseeing the unmissable Noir City film festival in San Francisco each year, he's chasing down long-lost prints and buried treasures that others can't get their hands on. In an engrossing new profile in Pacific Standard, Muller opens up about his struggle to secure Byron Haskin's 1949 "Too Late for Tears" (which had been burned, recut, and in the public domain for years) in 35mm earlier this year, and 1951's "Cry Danger," which had been collecting dust in the Warner Archives. "You have these deals on paper, but they don’t have the slightest idea where the movies actually are," Muller tells writer Rick Paulas. But, while not a lone soldier in the preservation game -- Scorsese's Film Foundation holds down the fort in La -- Muller knows where to look. So how does Muller do it?...
- 8/11/2014
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Thompson on Hollywood
‘Gone with the Wind’ actress Mary Anderson dead at 96; also featured in Alfred Hitchcock thriller ‘Lifeboat’ Mary Anderson, an actress featured in both Gone with the Wind and Alfred Hitchcock’s adventure thriller Lifeboat, died following a series of small strokes on Sunday, April 6, 2014, while under hospice care in Toluca Lake/Burbank, northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Anderson, the widow of multiple Oscar-winning cinematographer Leon Shamroy, had turned 96 on April 3. Born in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1918, Mary Anderson was reportedly discovered by director George Cukor, at the time looking for an actress to play Scarlett O’Hara in David O. Selznick’s film version of Margaret Mitchell’s bestseller Gone with the Wind. Instead of Scarlett, eventually played by Vivien Leigh, Anderson was cast in the small role of Maybelle Merriwether — most of which reportedly ended up on the cutting-room floor. Cukor was later fired from the project; his replacement, Victor Fleming,...
- 4/10/2014
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Clint Eastwood Week with Alan Spencer! concludes at Trailers from Hell, with screenwriter Spencer introducing "The Dead Pool."The fifth and final film in Eastwood’s “Dirty Harry” series is memorable for early career appearances by Liam Neeson and Jim Carrey. Directed by Buddy Van Horn whose remarkably long and action-packed career as a stunt man (beginning in 1951 with the Byron Haskin western Warpath) was sidetracked by three directorial jobs for Eastwood, including Dead Pool, Pink Cadillac and Any Which Way You Can. Versatile cinematographer Jack Green went on to provide the uniquely noirish western look for Eastwood’s oscar-winning Unforgiven.
- 4/4/2014
- by Trailers From Hell
- Thompson on Hollywood
The fifth and final film in Eastwood’s “Dirty Harry” series is memorable for early career appearances by Liam Neeson and Jim Carrey. Directed by Buddy Van Horn whose remarkably long and action-packed career as a stunt man (beginning in 1951 with the Byron Haskin western Warpath) was sidetracked by three directorial jobs for Eastwood, including Dead Pool, Pink Cadillac and Any Which Way You Can. Versatile cinematographer Jack Green went on to provide the uniquely noirish western look for Eastwood’s oscar-winning Unforgiven.
The post The Dead Pool appeared first on Trailers From Hell.
The post The Dead Pool appeared first on Trailers From Hell.
- 4/4/2014
- by TFH Team
- Trailers from Hell
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