a few words about

Richard Benjamin's first foray into direction, was a relatively low-budget affair, shot on both coasts - location in various parts of New York, and studio work at M-G-M in Culver City. It was photographed by one of my favorite cinematographers, who would work equally well in black & white, as...

I have a huge problem believing this, but Rob Reiner's wonderful film about growing into one's teens, Stand By Me... IS 33 YEARS OLD! Does it stand the test of time? Beautifully. Is the new 4k release from Columbia a worthy move to the modern home video era? You better believe it! Score...

Edward Dmytryk's 1965 Mirage, from Universal, has at it's base, a mystery that involves a lack of memory - think 36 Hours. It's written by Peter Stone, who was responsible for the wonderful Charade a couple of years earlier, as well as Father Goose, 1776, and a film under current discussion...

Robert Harris submitted a new blog post A few words about...™ - The Spoilers (1942) & Pittsburgh - in Blu-ray Continue reading the Original Blog Post.

Cecil B. DeMille's 1942 Technicolor Paramount production of Reap the Wild Wind, with an all-star cast, should be a gorgeous blu-ray. John Wayne, Susan Hayward, Ray Milland, Paulette Goddard, Raymond Massey, Robert Preston, Charles Bickford, all in Technicolor, which in 1942 was still a rarity -...

Between 1949 and 1955, Alec Guinness starred in four extraordinary (satirical) comedies for Ealing in England. Three have now made their way to the Colonies on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber, and their Canal + arrangement. These are brilliant films. The first, Kind Hearts and Coronets...

I had heard negative comments about the newest Godzilla incarnation, but came away pleasantly surprised, to find a reasonably cohesive, entertaining film, with nice effects, and terrific audio. It's a bit convoluted, but pay attention, and it all comes together. But viewing the film, I came...

Henry Levin's 1953 production of The President's Lady, based upon the historical novel by Irving Stone, has a special place in cinema history. When I saw it for the first time, probably back in the early '60s, on television, it was in black & white (which as far as I knew at the time, might...

I may be among the few who has actually heard of Alice Guy-Blache. Even if I'd never seen one of her films, known their titles, or her extraordinary history in the annals of motion pictures, from the earliest flickers, through serious filmmaking. Even, in my opinion, the finest book published...

I’ve always considered William Wyler’s 1938 Jezebel, one of those “miracle” films. It just works. Great cast. Superb direction. Wonderful score by Max Steiner (he also did the score for that other Old South production, the following year) Beautifully photographed, in black & white, by the...

As '50s westerns go, Man Without a Star, from King Vidor, still works nicely. It's not one of the great westerns of the era, but it's a good one, and with a sense of humor. It's a late 1954 production, released in March of 1955, which makes it questionable Eastman Color. From the appearance...

The basic premise of David Yarovesky's Brightburn, a new 4k release from Sony sounds vaguely familiar. A childless couple, on a farm in the mid-west, desperate to have a child, gets their wish when I capsule lands from outer space, carrying a very human-appearing small boy. The boy grows...

I could have sworn that Hitchcock's Blackmail has been previously released on Blu-ray, but found no mention. Strangely, I had memory of it tinted. I then realized that I was thinking of The Lodger. But no matter, it can now be found - with a bit of danger - via Kino Lorber's new release...

New from Warner Archive, and another Blu-ray toward getting closer - we'll never get there - to having a compleat collection of John Ford films, Wagon Master is a gorgeous black & white production, as seen through the lens of Bert Glennon. RKOs can be iffy, but this one is a beautiful...

Beyond a tale of war lords, and warriors who enjoy (or not) playing musical instruments, I didn't really follow the storyline of Shadow. It's a slow open. The one element that kept my attention, however, was the cinematography and production design, which alone may be worth the price of...

Anyone who saw the recent series about Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon will be aware that Ms. V did not get the lead role in Sweet Charity when it was produced as a film, even through Fosse directed. It's still the same old story... Andrews / Hepburn. But that aside, Shirley MacLaine should be...

Of the many films that I've been reviewing recently, A Foreign Affair, is a pleasure. And a new one to me. Writing going back to 1929, Mr. Wilder moved to directing in 1942, and for the next four decades, became synonymous with quality productions. Some of the finest to come out of the studio...

Studio-bound from the word "go," Philip Dunne's Ten North Frederick, based upon the novel by John O'Hara, seems at times as though it will take off. I've always been a huge fan of Gary Cooper, but the tale of a successful man seeking love, and finding it with Suzy Parker, seems better in my...

Billy Wilder's re-make of The Front Page (the original was a pre-code, Lewis Milestone film via Howard Hughes, followed in 1940 by the first re-make under the direction of Howard Hawks, and with a title and sex change) isn't up to either of the two that preceded it. It's fun watching Walter...

Behold a Pale Horse has always seemed to be a bit of an oddity to me. Directed by Fred Zinnemann, one of the three that David Lean used to refer to lovingly as "the three foreigners," in a style so tepid to be almost without style, and with a minimal tale to tell. Partly having the appearance...

Robert Rodriguez' Alita Battle Angel is one of those home video distribution rarities, thanks to Fox. Rather than splitting up Blu-ray / 3D combo packs from the 4k, they've given fans all three variants. I knew nothing about this film going in, and found it an enjoyable ride, beautifully...

Dead of Night is an English omnibus production from Ealing Studios, probably best known to cinephiles as the home of the Alec Guinness comedies. It's finally arrived on Blu-ray, courtesy of Kino Lorber. Producing many comedies and dramas, under the control of Michael Balcon, beginning in the...

Vice Squad, a 1982 film, directed by Gary Sherman, isn't normally something that I'd suggest people purchase for viewing. For me, it's a reminder of what certain sections of Hollywood were like, back in 1981-82. But it really hasn't met the test of time. But for true cinephiles, the...

One could easily be led to believe, by viewing the new 4k of Edward Zwick's 1989 Glory, that the folks at Columbia have a secret sauce, enabling them to perfectly capture the appearance of an OCN Print to one of those tiny discs, we call Blu-ray. It's perfect. Especially, projected, the...

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Robert Harris submitted a new blog post A few words about...™ The Thin Man - in Blu-ray Continue reading the Original Blog Post.

The name Mitchell Leisen doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, say like Hitchcock, Sturges, Wilder, Wyler, or many others, that have become an acknowledged part of our cinema experience. Regardless, Mr. Leisen was a fixture at early independents, and later at Paramount, starting his career as a...

Mention the name of Val Lewton to any fan of the cinema, and you'll generally receive a knowing smile or nod, as he was one of the unsung B picture heroes of the 1940s at RKO. Between 1942 and 1946, he was the man behind a series of horror/thrillers that are little gems of his field. Nine of...

Dogman is an Italian production, being released on only DVD by Magnolia. It's a dank, unpleasant, un-pretty little film, about a certain underbelly of society. A sweet, caring, little nothing of a man in a small village, who lovingly cares for dogs, and gets along with the others in the...

I've become so tired of superhero films, that I was going to pass on this one, but am please that I didn't. My son suggested that it was a fun film. He was correct, as it reminded me more of the lighthearted, or at least lighter-hearted fare, akin to Kick-Ass or Deadpool. The Marvel films...