Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on September 29, 2014

Sunrise (aka: Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans) (1927) F.W. Murnau’s stylish, affecting melodrama packs a wallop. The deceptively simple story about a crumbling marriage is enhanced by complex visuals that underscore the ensuing drama. The main characters, known simply as The Man and The Wife (Ge   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on September 25, 2014

(1928) Directed by: Herbert Brenon; Written by Elizabeth Meehan; Titles by Joseph Farnham; Based on the play by David Belasco and Tom Cushing; Starring: Lon Chaney, Bernard Siegel, Loretta Young and Nils Asther Available on DVD Rating: **** “I believe you’re sufferin   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on September 25, 2014

(1928) Directed by: Herbert Brenon; Written by Elizabeth Meehan; Titles by Joseph Farnham; Based on the play by David Belasco and Tom Cushing; Starring: Lon Chaney, Bernard Siegel, Loretta Young and Nils Asther Available on DVD Rating: **** “I believe you’re sufferin   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on September 20, 2014

(1927) Directed by: Paul Leni; Adapted from the stage play by Robert F. Hill and Alfred A. Cohn; Based on the stage play by John Willard; Starring: Laura La Plante, Creighton Hale, Forrest Stanley, Tully Marshall and Martha Mattox; Available on DVD and Netflix Streaming Rating: **** &#   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on September 20, 2014

(1927) Directed by: Paul Leni; Adapted from the stage play by Robert F. Hill and Alfred A. Cohn; Based on the stage play by John Willard; Starring: Laura La Plante, Creighton Hale, Forrest Stanley, Tully Marshall and Martha Mattox; Available on DVD and Netflix Streaming Rating: **** &#   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on September 14, 2014

(1928) Directed by: Charles Reisner; Written by Carl Harbaugh: Starring: Buster Keaton, Tom McGuire, Marion Byron and Ernest Torrence; Available on Blu-ray, DVD and Netflix Streaming Rating: **** ½ “I was mad at the time, or I would never have done the thing.” –   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on September 14, 2014

(1928) Directed by: Charles Reisner; Written by Carl Harbaugh: Starring: Buster Keaton, Tom McGuire, Marion Byron and Ernest Torrence; Available on Blu-ray, DVD and Netflix Streaming Rating: **** ½ “I was mad at the time, or I would never have done the thing.” –   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on September 6, 2014

(1917) Directed by Cecil B. DeMille; Written by: Jeanie Macpherson; Starring: Mary Pickford, Jack Holt, Raymond Hatton, Hobart Bosworth and Walter Long; Available on DVD Rating: *** “It pained Mary Pickford’s thrifty soul to wear a $400 dress splashing around in the wat   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on September 6, 2014

(1917) Directed by Cecil B. DeMille; Written by: Jeanie Macpherson; Starring: Mary Pickford, Jack Holt, Raymond Hatton, Hobart Bosworth and Walter Long; Available on DVD Rating: *** “It pained Mary Pickford’s thrifty soul to wear a $400 dress splashing around in the wat   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on August 30, 2014

The Mystery of Rampo (aka: Rampo) (1994) Naoto Takenaka stars as notorious Japanese mystery writer Edogawa Rampo (his nom de plume was a play on “Edgar Allan Poe). After his latest book is banned by a censorship board, he falls into a slump, but subsequently finds inspiration in a turn...   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on August 30, 2014

The Mystery of Rampo (aka: Rampo) (1994) Naoto Takenaka stars as notorious Japanese mystery writer Edogawa Rampo (his nom de plume was a play on “Edgar Allan Poe). After his latest book is banned by a censorship board, he falls into a slump, but subsequently finds inspiration in a turn...   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on August 25, 2014

(1984) Directed by: Werner Herzog; Written by Werner Herzog and Bob Ellis; Starring: Bruce Spence, Wandjuk Marika, Roy Marika and Ray Barrett; Available on DVD Rating: *** ½ “Dreams and dream time are very complex religious and cultural Aboriginal concepts that are hermetical and   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on August 25, 2014

(1984) Directed by: Werner Herzog; Written by Werner Herzog and Bob Ellis; Starring: Bruce Spence, Wandjuk Marika, Roy Marika and Ray Barrett; Available on DVD Rating: *** ½ “Dreams and dream time are very complex religious and cultural Aboriginal concepts that are hermetical and   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on August 21, 2014

(1932) Directed by Irving Pichel and Ernest B. Schoedsack; Written by James Ashmore Creelman; Based on the short story by Richard Connell; Starring: Joel McCrea, Fay Wray, Leslie Banks and Robert Armstrong; Available on DVD Rating: **** “…We barbarians know it is after the   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on August 21, 2014

(1932) Directed by Irving Pichel and Ernest B. Schoedsack; Written by James Ashmore Creelman; Based on the short story by Richard Connell; Starring: Joel McCrea, Fay Wray, Leslie Banks and Robert Armstrong; Available on DVD Rating: **** “…We barbarians know it is after the   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on August 1, 2014

Who repelled an alien invasion, armed only with a Macintosh Powerbook? Who was predestined to play Ichabod Crane? Who fought off Red Lectroids from Planet 10? Who made being a geeky scientist tampering with the laws of nature look cool? Who personally supervised the construction of S   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on August 1, 2014

Who repelled an alien invasion, armed only with a Macintosh Powerbook? Who was predestined to play Ichabod Crane? Who fought off Red Lectroids from Planet 10? Who made being a geeky scientist tampering with the laws of nature look cool? Who personally supervised the construction of S   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on July 31, 2014

(1988) Directed by: Julien Temple; Written by Julie Brown, Charlie Coffey and Terrence E. McNally; Starring: Geena Davis, Jeff Goldblum, Jim Carrey, Damon Wayans, Julie Brown and Charles Rocket; Available on DVD Rating: *** ½ Wiploc: Finland is Here? Valerie: Finland? No, this   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on July 31, 2014

(1988) Directed by: Julien Temple; Written by Julie Brown, Charlie Coffey and Terrence E. McNally; Starring: Geena Davis, Jeff Goldblum, Jim Carrey, Damon Wayans, Julie Brown and Charles Rocket; Available on DVD Rating: *** ½ Wiploc: Finland is Here? Valerie: Finland? No, this   read more

Cinematic Catharsis Posted by Barry P. on July 13, 2014

(1953) Written and directed by Edward D. Wood, Jr.; Starring: Bela Lugosi, Edward D. Wood, Jr., Lyle Talbot, Dolores Fuller Rating: *** “I’m a young punk and here I’m working with the great master and I was fighting the fact that am I doing right by the man; am I...   read more