Classic Movies Posted by KC on November 21, 2019

As a Joan Greenwood and George Sanders completest, Fritz Lang’s Moonfleet (1955) was a must-see for me. It doesn’t live up to the promise of its exciting cast though, which also includes Stewart Granger, Viveca Lindfors, and Melville Cooper. At best, it’s got its moments, and a cas   read more

Classic Movies Posted by KC on November 19, 2019

My Favorite Year (1982) is an invigorating period piece, with uniformly excellent production values, script, and cast, but it runs deep because of a remarkable performance by Peter O’Toole. Starring as Errol Flynn-like rogue Alan Swann, a movie star whose best days are behind him, he is charmi   read more

Classic Movies Posted by KC on November 17, 2019

Image Source Make visible what, without you, might never have been seen. -Robert Bresson Source   read more

Classic Movies Posted by KC on November 14, 2019

Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent Patrick Mallory O'Meara Hanover Square Press, 2019 The Creature from the Black Lagoon, known as the Gill-man is one of the most beloved movie monsters, but few know that its design was created by a woman, artist Milicent Patrick. Film   read more

Classic Movies Posted by KC on November 12, 2019

The rough-edged boxing noir The Set-up (1949) is notable for starring two of the best movie villains, Robert Ryan and Audrey Totter, as a loving married couple. It’s nice to see them be the good guys for once in a film where the rest of the world feels rotten to...   read more

Classic Movies Posted by KC on November 7, 2019

I’ve always viewed the films that Bette Davis made with director William Wyler as an emotionally charged conversation between actress and filmmaker. There’s something precise about the cinema they made together, as if they are trying to achieve the perfect mix of the authentic and the dr   read more

Classic Movies Posted by KC on November 5, 2019

In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the American Society of Cinematographers, TCM is premiering the documentary, Images: The Adventures of America’s Pioneer Cinematographers on November 6. Drawing upon never before heard interviews from the ASC archives, the film aims to take viewers in   read more

Classic Movies Posted by KC on October 31, 2019

I ended my October horror binge with a trio of unusual horror films recently released on Blu-ray from Warner Archive. Not a bad way to close out the month. The Fearless Vampire Killers or Pardon Me, But Your Teeth Are in My Neck (1966) I’ve always had mixed feelings about...   read more

Classic Movies Posted by KC on October 29, 2019

I Lost My Girlish Laughter Jane Allen with Jane Shore Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group Vintage, 2018 (Random House, 1938) With a foreboding title like I Lost My Girlish Laughter, I was sure this rediscovered roman à clef written by David O. Selznick’s former secretary would be a harrowing rea   read more

Classic Movies Posted by KC on October 24, 2019

Decades of Horror: The Classic Era Episode 64 Viy (1967) I love the concept of this series of podcasts produced by Gruesome Magazine: a decade-by-decade exploration of horror films. I’m currently working my way through their 1970s series, but I especially appreciate their coverage of classi   read more

Classic Movies Posted by KC on October 22, 2019

It says a lot about the kind of actors director John Ford cast when his supporting players are as good at carrying a film as his frequent star John Wayne. In the 1950 film Wagon Master, actors and stuntmen Ben Johnson and Harry Carey, Jr. shine at a different wattage...   read more

Classic Movies Posted by KC on October 17, 2019

Cult Filmmakers: 50 Movie Mavericks You Need to Know Ian Haydn Smith White Lion Publishing, 2019 While there isn’t a definitive definition of what makes a cult film, there is an essential agreement among film fans that these movies are not business as usual. The description “cult”   read more

Classic Movies Posted by KC on October 15, 2019

When it comes to public opinion of Montgomery Clift, two images tend to dominate. One is of a celebrated, influential actor who coupled unusual sensitivity with traditionally masculine roles. The other is a Hollywood tragedy, believed to be haunted and destroyed by his homosexuality and a serious ca   read more

Classic Movies Posted by KC on October 10, 2019

The first film in the Thin Man series has long been my cinematic comfort food. William Powell and Myrna Loy are the kind of stars that feel like home, because their wit and high spirits lift you, despite or maybe because of the sour past you can see behind the...   read more

Classic Movies Posted by KC on October 8, 2019

I always enjoy watching great horror movies, but it is especially fun to watch spooky flicks this time of year. Here are some of my favorite picks for thrills and chills. I've also included a more lengthy list of links to great classic horror films below, many of which can...   read more

Classic Movies Posted by KC on October 4, 2019

There’s nothing quite like the cringe you feel when Claude Rains plays an unlucky character. Even when he is a villain, as he was in Phantom of the Opera (1943) and Notorious (1946), you can’t help feeling for him when life turns against him. This is the kind of sympathetic,...   read more

Classic Movies Posted by KC on October 1, 2019

After releasing a high quality DVD of Roger Corman's 1959 production of A Bucket of Blood in 2018, Olive Films has upped its game in a big way with a Signature Blu-ray release of the film. I’ve already enjoyed the Olive Signature release of Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956),...   read more

Classic Movies Posted by KC on September 29, 2019

Image Source Hollywood might have become the center of a new human expression if it hadn't been grabbed by a little group of bookkeepers and turned into a junk industry. -David O. Selznick as recalled by Ben Hecht I don't don't recall having said what he quotes me as saying....   read more

Classic Movies Posted by KC on September 26, 2019

After a long summer break, my podcast roundup is back! I’m always looking for new movie podcasts to love, so if you have favorites to share, or if you make your own podcast, please share your picks in the comments. All episode titles link to the episode: Shock Waves Episode...   read more

Classic Movies Posted by KC on September 24, 2019

I’ve been a big fan of actor and singer Preston Foster ever since I saw his brooding performance opposite Belita in the ice skating noir The Hunted (1948). He’s got an unusually low-key presence: charming, lightly flirtatious, always in control, but never raising his voice and rarely thr   read more