Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on October 17, 2015

(1983) Directed by David Cronenberg; Written by Jeffrey Boam; Based on the novel by Stephen King; Starring: Christopher Walken, Brooke Adams, Herbert Lom, Martin Sheen and Tom Skerritt; Available on DVD Rating: **** “It was in making The Dead Zone that I came up with my mantra, w   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on October 12, 2015

(1988) Directed by Kevin Tenney; Written by: Joe Augustyn; Starring: Cathy Podewell, Alvin Alexis, Hal Havins, Billy Gallo, Amelia Kincade and Linnea Quigley Available on Blu-ray and DVD Rating: ** “…it doesn’t tax you too much. You don’t have to sit and think   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on October 6, 2015

(1974) Written and directed by Brian De Palma; Starring: Paul Williams, William Finley, Jessica Harper and Gerrit Graham; Available on Blu-ray and DVD Rating: **** “I got the idea riding in an elevator, and listening to a Beatles song done on Muzak, and I said to myself, ‘T   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on October 3, 2015

Friends, today marks my blog’s fifth anniversary. I know there are lots of movie bloggers out there who have been doing this a lot longer than I have, but half of a decade on the web isn’t too shabby, especially if you convert it into dog years (there’s probably a...   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on September 22, 2015

(1979) Directed by Gary Nelson; Written by Jeb Rosebrook and Gerry Day; Based on a story by: Jeb Rosebrook, Bob Barbash and Richard H. Landau; Starring: Maximilian Schell, Anthony Perkins, Yvette Mimieux, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Forster and Joseph Bottoms; Available on DVD Rating: ***   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on September 15, 2015

(1936) Directed by William Cameron Menzies; Written by H.G. Wells; Based on the novel The Shape of Things to Come by H.G. Wells; Starring: Raymond Massey, Edward Chapman, Ralph Richardson, Margaretta Scott and Cedric Hardwicke; Available on Blu-ray and DVD Rating: ***½ &#822   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on September 7, 2015

(1998) Directed by Alex Proyas; Written by Alex Proyas, Lem Dobbs and David Goyer; Starring: Rufus Sewell, Kiefer Sutherland, Jennifer Connelly, William Hurt, Richard O’Brien and Ian Richardson; Available on Blu-ray and DVD Rating: **** “The original idea came from me wanti   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on September 2, 2015

(1972) Directed by Douglas Trumbull; Written by Deric Washburn, Michael Cimino and Steven Bochco; Starring: Bruce Dern, Jesse Vint, Ron Rifkin and Cliff Potts Available on Blu-ray and DVD Rating: **** “…but you know what else there’s no more of, my friend? Ther   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on August 31, 2015

Considering it’s my fourth go-round with the Liebster Award, you’d think it’s become old hat, but I’m still awed and humbled that anyone’s paying attention to this little ‘ol blog. Words can’t adequately express my sincere gratitude to Michaël Parent, propri   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on August 16, 2015

(1951) Directed by: Robert Wise; Written by: Edmund H. North; Based on the story “Farewell to the Master,” by Harry Bates; Starring: Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal, Hugh Marlowe, Sam Jaffe and Lock Martin; Available on Blu-ray and DVD Rating: ***** “I'm impatient with   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on August 11, 2015

(1936) Directed by Tod Browning; Written by Garrett Fort, Guy Endore and Erich von Stroheim; Based on the novel Burn, Witch, Burn! by Abraham Merritt; Starring: Lionel Barrymore, Maureen O’Sullivan, Frank Lawton and Rafaela Ottiano; Available on DVD Rating: *** “You see   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on August 6, 2015

The big news was, I started a new job last month. It’s the same profession, but at a new college, and represents a significant step up. What will that mean for this blog? A longer commute and bigger professional commitment might mean fewer posts, at least for the short term,...   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on July 31, 2015

(1961) Directed by Terence Fisher; Written by John Elder (aka: Anthony Hinds); Based on the novel The Werewolf of Paris, by Guy Endore; Starring: Oliver Reed, Clifford Evans, Yvonne Romain, Catherine Feller and Anthony Dawson; Available on DVD Rating ****½ “A werewolf is a b   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on July 25, 2015

(1960) Directed by Terence Fisher; Written by: Alan Hackney; Starring: Richard Greene, Peter Cushing, Niall MacGinnis, Richard Pasco, Sarah Branch and Oliver Reed; Available on DVD. Rating: ***½ “I know the sheriff. A free pardon from him is not worth the breath he uses to m   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on July 19, 2015

Never Take Sweets from a Stranger (aka: Never Take Candy from a Stranger) (1960) It’s unlikely that a film such as this would ever receive a green light today, due to its frank, uncompromising treatment of a subject that many filmmakers would consider taboo. The film reveals one town’s c   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on July 12, 2015

(1959) Directed by Terence Fisher; Written by: Jimmy Sangster; Starring: Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Yvonne Furneaux, Felix Aylmer, Eddie Byrne and George Pastell; Available on Blu-ray and DVD Rating: **** “Film acting is basically done with your mind and with your eyes. If i   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on July 5, 2015

(1968) Directed by Roy Ward Baker; Written by Jimmy Sangster; Based on the stage play by Bill MacIlwraith; Starring: Bette Davis, Sheila Hancock, Jack Hedley, James Cossins, Christian Roberts and Elaine Taylor; Available on DVD Rating: **** “I’ve never met a more profession   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on June 27, 2015

(1972) Directed by Lee Frost; Written by: Lee Frost, Wes Bishop and James Gordon White; Starring: Ray Milland, “Rosey” Grier, Don Marshall, Roger Perry and Chelsea Brown Rating: *** “Genius must be prolonged. Philip, I want to transplant my head on a healthy body.&#82   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on June 27, 2015

(1972) Directed by Lee Frost; Written by: Lee Frost, Wes Bishop and James Gordon White; Starring: Ray Milland, “Rosey” Grier, Don Marshall, Roger Perry and Chelsea Brown Rating: *** “Genius must be prolonged. Philip, I want to transplant my head on a healthy body.&#82   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on June 16, 2015

“It’s a paradox of success that when it comes one often begins to wish it had taken some other form. I was more than happy to borrow the shoes of Chaney and Lugosi and Karloff and Rathbone and Veidt… At the same time, I didn’t want the shoes to wear...   read more