For as much as Rod Serling's landmark anthology series "The Twilight Zone" reinvented the genre of science fiction storytelling, many of its best episodes also deal in the world of the fantastical, whether through witches, time-traveling radios, or just plain inexplicable phenomena. What kept "The Twilight Zone" consistent through it all is its focus on human nature and irony, the idea of following desire ultimately leading to one's downfall. You can see that in many of the classic episodes of the show, no matter what the genre is.
That focus on human drama is what keeps "Jess-Belle," a most unusual episode of "The Twilight Zone," in the running for the show's top tier. For one, "Jess-Belle" came out of the show's difficult fourth season, during which CBS had contracted hour-long episodes, twice as long as the episodes' usual length, per Marc Scott Zicree's indispensable "Twilight Zone Companion." While...
That focus on human drama is what keeps "Jess-Belle," a most unusual episode of "The Twilight Zone," in the running for the show's top tier. For one, "Jess-Belle" came out of the show's difficult fourth season, during which CBS had contracted hour-long episodes, twice as long as the episodes' usual length, per Marc Scott Zicree's indispensable "Twilight Zone Companion." While...
- 2/25/2024
- by Anthony Crislip
- Slash Film
First released in 1951, this endlessly entertaining film is an absorbing tale of an American arriving in postwar Britain looking for answers about his slain younger brother
This 1951 drama-thriller from director Jacques Tourneur and veteran genre writer Philip MacDonald, which sees Ray Milland coming to grimy postwar Britain demanding answers about his brother’s death, is a gem: focused, fast-moving and a little eccentric. It is a British-set movie that takes us on a travelogue tour from the coast of Tampa, Florida, to London – and from there to Wales, the Scottish Highlands and Birmingham. There is a lovely scene shot on location in London’s Covent Garden, in the days of the fruit and veg market, with crowds of real people looking on.
There are no explicit action sequences: no shootouts, not even a punch-up. But it’s entirely absorbing with an undertow of mystery and tension, a mix of humour...
This 1951 drama-thriller from director Jacques Tourneur and veteran genre writer Philip MacDonald, which sees Ray Milland coming to grimy postwar Britain demanding answers about his brother’s death, is a gem: focused, fast-moving and a little eccentric. It is a British-set movie that takes us on a travelogue tour from the coast of Tampa, Florida, to London – and from there to Wales, the Scottish Highlands and Birmingham. There is a lovely scene shot on location in London’s Covent Garden, in the days of the fruit and veg market, with crowds of real people looking on.
There are no explicit action sequences: no shootouts, not even a punch-up. But it’s entirely absorbing with an undertow of mystery and tension, a mix of humour...
- 1/30/2024
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Tim Burton's "Batman Returns" is one of the more unusual blockbusters of its era. Following the massive, massive success of his 1989 "Batman," Burton was seemingly given a lot more creative leeway with his sequel, transforming the world of Batman into a noir carnival nightmare of hopelessness and kink. "Returns" saw the Dark Knight (Michael Keaton) facing off against the sewer-dwelling creep the Penguin (Danny DeVito) and beginning an unhealthy flirtation with the mentally unwell Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer).
Burton's rendition of Catwoman may be the best Batman villain to have been depicted in live-action. She was unbalanced and terrifying, using her newfound mindset as a tool for liberation. It's no coincidence that her costume is a skintight leather vinyl costume with a corset and a whip. This was Catwoman as a horror movie dominatrix. She had more in common with the Cenobites from "Hellraiser" than anything from a Batman comic book.
Burton's rendition of Catwoman may be the best Batman villain to have been depicted in live-action. She was unbalanced and terrifying, using her newfound mindset as a tool for liberation. It's no coincidence that her costume is a skintight leather vinyl costume with a corset and a whip. This was Catwoman as a horror movie dominatrix. She had more in common with the Cenobites from "Hellraiser" than anything from a Batman comic book.
- 1/1/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Daniel Waters, the screenwriter behind 1992’s Batman Returns, said the proposed “Catwoman” spinoff from that film had two very different takes.
Waters spoke during a December 22 Los Angeles screening of Batman Returns at the Egyptian Theater.
Director Tim Burton wanted “Catwoman” to be an intimate drama shot in black and white to pay tribute to Jacques Tourneur’s iconic 1942 horror film, Cat People.
On the other hand, Waters wanted a satirical take wherein Catwoman moves to Los Angeles and takes on three corrupt superheroes.
“He wanted to do an $18 million black and white movie, like the original ‘Cat People,’ of Selina just lowkey living in a small town,” Waters said. “And I wanted to make a ‘Batman’ movie where the metaphor was about ‘Batman.’ So I had her move to a Los Angeles version of Gotham City, and it’s run by three asshole superheroes. It was ‘The Boys’ before ‘The Boys.
Waters spoke during a December 22 Los Angeles screening of Batman Returns at the Egyptian Theater.
Director Tim Burton wanted “Catwoman” to be an intimate drama shot in black and white to pay tribute to Jacques Tourneur’s iconic 1942 horror film, Cat People.
On the other hand, Waters wanted a satirical take wherein Catwoman moves to Los Angeles and takes on three corrupt superheroes.
“He wanted to do an $18 million black and white movie, like the original ‘Cat People,’ of Selina just lowkey living in a small town,” Waters said. “And I wanted to make a ‘Batman’ movie where the metaphor was about ‘Batman.’ So I had her move to a Los Angeles version of Gotham City, and it’s run by three asshole superheroes. It was ‘The Boys’ before ‘The Boys.
- 12/30/2023
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Every “Batman Returns” fan worth their salt knows that following the success of Tim Burton’s twisted Christmas classic, Warner Bros. started developing a spinoff featuring Michelle Pfeiffer’s breakout villainess Catwoman. What they probably don’t know is that Burton had some unique ideas for a superhero blockbuster, including going black and white to pay tribute to Jacques Tourneur’s iconic 1942 horror film, “Cat People.”
Daniel Waters, the screenwriter behind 1992’s “Batman Returns,” spoke about the proposed Catwoman spinoff and revealed some behind-the-scenes tidbits about both films during a recent Los Angeles screening of “Returns” on December 22 at the Egyptian. Speaking about the Catwoman film, Waters referred to it as a strange process where he and Burton were both interested in making completely different films. While Burton wanted to make an intimate drama, Waters described his take — which would have seen Selina Kyle move to a Gothamized version of...
Daniel Waters, the screenwriter behind 1992’s “Batman Returns,” spoke about the proposed Catwoman spinoff and revealed some behind-the-scenes tidbits about both films during a recent Los Angeles screening of “Returns” on December 22 at the Egyptian. Speaking about the Catwoman film, Waters referred to it as a strange process where he and Burton were both interested in making completely different films. While Burton wanted to make an intimate drama, Waters described his take — which would have seen Selina Kyle move to a Gothamized version of...
- 12/28/2023
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
Catering directly to my interests, the Criterion Channel’s January lineup boasts two of my favorite things: James Gray and cats. In the former case it’s his first five features (itself a terrible reminder he only released five movies in 20 years); the latter shows felines the respect they deserve, from Kuroneko to The Long Goodbye, Tourneur’s Cat People and Mick Garris’ Sleepwalkers. Meanwhile, Ava Gardner, Bertrand Tavernier, Isabel Sandoval, Ken Russell, Juleen Compton, George Harrison’s HandMade Films, and the Sundance Film Festival get retrospectives.
Restorations of Soviet sci-fi trip Ikarie Xb 1, The Unknown, and The Music of Regret stream, as does the recent Plan 75. January’s Criterion Editions are Inside Llewyn Davis, Farewell Amor, The Incredible Shrinking Man, and (most intriguingly) the long-out-of-print The Man Who Fell to Earth, Blu-rays of which go for hundreds of dollars.
See the lineup below and learn more here.
Back By Popular Demand
The Graduate,...
Restorations of Soviet sci-fi trip Ikarie Xb 1, The Unknown, and The Music of Regret stream, as does the recent Plan 75. January’s Criterion Editions are Inside Llewyn Davis, Farewell Amor, The Incredible Shrinking Man, and (most intriguingly) the long-out-of-print The Man Who Fell to Earth, Blu-rays of which go for hundreds of dollars.
See the lineup below and learn more here.
Back By Popular Demand
The Graduate,...
- 12/12/2023
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
Along with being one of the finest shows in the history of television, the original run of Rod Serling's "The Twilight Zone" could function as a laboratory for advancements in visual effects. The often fantastical nature of the series, and Serling's desire to push the envelope of the still-developing medium's potential, was something of a creative sandbox for directors. As such, the show attracted not just aspiring young filmmakers like Richard Donner, Jack Smight, and Richard C. Sarafian, but established masters on the level of Jacques Tourneur, Don Siegel, and Norman Z. McLeod.
Douglas Heyes was more of a journeyman director when entered "The Twilight Zone." His experience and skill were highly valuable to Serling, who assigned him a total of nine episodes – the second most over the show's five seasons next to John Brahm's 12. Heyes' most celebrated episode is probably "Eye of the Beholder," the creepy tale...
Douglas Heyes was more of a journeyman director when entered "The Twilight Zone." His experience and skill were highly valuable to Serling, who assigned him a total of nine episodes – the second most over the show's five seasons next to John Brahm's 12. Heyes' most celebrated episode is probably "Eye of the Beholder," the creepy tale...
- 11/19/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
We’re now just a few days away from the widest release of Martin Scorsese’s career as Killers of the Flower Moon is set to open in around 3,500 theaters in the United States from Paramount and Apple. With the SAG strike underway, the legendary director himself has led the promotional campaign, which means the publishing of several stellar interviews digging deeper into the process.
One of the most interesting bits to arrive about the production of his David Grann adaptation is that Scorsese drew inspiration from Ari Aster when it comes to the project. “I very much like the style and pacing of good horror films like Ari Aster’s Midsommar or Beau Is Afraid,” he told The Irish Times. “The pacing of those films goes back to the B films of Val Lewton, Jacques Tourneur’s Cat People or I Walked With a Zombie.” While Scorsese’s admiration for Aster is well-documented,...
One of the most interesting bits to arrive about the production of his David Grann adaptation is that Scorsese drew inspiration from Ari Aster when it comes to the project. “I very much like the style and pacing of good horror films like Ari Aster’s Midsommar or Beau Is Afraid,” he told The Irish Times. “The pacing of those films goes back to the B films of Val Lewton, Jacques Tourneur’s Cat People or I Walked With a Zombie.” While Scorsese’s admiration for Aster is well-documented,...
- 10/17/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Based on David Grann’s best-selling crime thriller, Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon tells the real-life mystery of the Osage Indian nation in Oklahoma in the 1920s, who became wealthy after oil was discovered beneath their land. Then, one by one, the Osage began to be killed off, and the ensuing spiral of conspiracy, greed and murder got so bad that the FBI had to step in. It’s a sprawling story with a nearly three-and-a-half-hour runtime, and Martin Scorsese looked to the films of Ari Aster for influence on its pacing.
“I very much like the style and pacing of good horror films like Ari Aster’s Midsommar or Beau Is Afraid,” Martin Scorsese told The Irish Times. “The pacing of those films goes back to the B films of Val Lewton, Jacques Tourneur’s Cat People or I Walked With a Zombie. Just going a little slower.
“I very much like the style and pacing of good horror films like Ari Aster’s Midsommar or Beau Is Afraid,” Martin Scorsese told The Irish Times. “The pacing of those films goes back to the B films of Val Lewton, Jacques Tourneur’s Cat People or I Walked With a Zombie. Just going a little slower.
- 10/17/2023
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio have been quite open in interviews when discussing the massive “Killers of the Flower Moon” script overhaul that took place during the film’s development. In a new interview with The Irish Times, the director revealed that he and co-writer Eric Roth had been working on the “Flower Moon” script for two whole years when DiCaprio took issue with the approach.
“Myself and [my co-screenwriter] Eric Roth talked about telling the story from the point of view of the bureau agents coming in to investigate,” Scorsese said. “After two years of working on the script, Leo came to me and asked, ‘Where is the heart of this story?’ I had had meetings and dinners with the Osage, and I thought, ‘Well, there’s the story.’ The real story, we felt, was not necessarily coming from the outside, with the bureau, but rather from the inside, from Oklahoma.
“Myself and [my co-screenwriter] Eric Roth talked about telling the story from the point of view of the bureau agents coming in to investigate,” Scorsese said. “After two years of working on the script, Leo came to me and asked, ‘Where is the heart of this story?’ I had had meetings and dinners with the Osage, and I thought, ‘Well, there’s the story.’ The real story, we felt, was not necessarily coming from the outside, with the bureau, but rather from the inside, from Oklahoma.
- 10/16/2023
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety Film + TV
Martin Scorsese is crediting Ari Aster’s “Midsommar” for inspiring the pacing and running time of “Killers of the Flower Moon.”
Scorsese told The Irish Times that the 206-minute length of “Killers of the Flower Moon” is in line with horror films ranging from auteurs like Aster or Val Lewton. “Killers of the Flower Moon” borrows from a blend of genres like Westerns and horror.
“I very much like the style and pacing of good horror films like Ari Aster’s ‘Midsommar’ or ‘Beau Is Afraid,'” Scorsese said. “The pacing of those films goes back to the B films of Val Lewton, Jacques Tourneur’s ‘Cat People’ or ‘I Walked With a Zombie.’ Just going a little slower, a little quieter.”
Scorsese continued, “I was very concerned about allowing scenes that were not narrative into the story, scenes to do with the Osage culture — leaving in those scenes of custom,...
Scorsese told The Irish Times that the 206-minute length of “Killers of the Flower Moon” is in line with horror films ranging from auteurs like Aster or Val Lewton. “Killers of the Flower Moon” borrows from a blend of genres like Westerns and horror.
“I very much like the style and pacing of good horror films like Ari Aster’s ‘Midsommar’ or ‘Beau Is Afraid,'” Scorsese said. “The pacing of those films goes back to the B films of Val Lewton, Jacques Tourneur’s ‘Cat People’ or ‘I Walked With a Zombie.’ Just going a little slower, a little quieter.”
Scorsese continued, “I was very concerned about allowing scenes that were not narrative into the story, scenes to do with the Osage culture — leaving in those scenes of custom,...
- 10/16/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Guillermo del Toro doesn’t hold back about his love for his favorite movies. If you’ve spent any time on his Twitter feed over the years, you’ve likely seen him praise Stanley Donen’s use of the color red throughout the late director’s body of work, and hail everything from William Wellman’s 1931 film “Other Men’s Women” to David Cronenberg’s “Crimes of the Future” from 2022. The man has wide-ranging taste, and a deep awareness of cinematic history that’s informed his own films.
Now he follows Turner Classic Movies advisors Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and Paul Thomas Anderson in giving his own picks from TCM’s lineup, all titles that will be airing in October. Watch the video, exclusive to IndieWire, above.
First up, he picks one of the most sorely underrated titles from Alfred Hitchcock’s filmography, 1941’s “Suspicion,” airing on TCM at 2:00am...
Now he follows Turner Classic Movies advisors Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and Paul Thomas Anderson in giving his own picks from TCM’s lineup, all titles that will be airing in October. Watch the video, exclusive to IndieWire, above.
First up, he picks one of the most sorely underrated titles from Alfred Hitchcock’s filmography, 1941’s “Suspicion,” airing on TCM at 2:00am...
- 9/29/2023
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
Streaming services shake up their catalogs every month, but few rounds of TV and film musical chairs tend to be as rewarding as the ones that take place each fall. That's because we're entering spooky season, a time in which horror fans attempt to tackle ambitious watchlists and scaredy-cats dip their toes into the horror waters in the spirit of all things autumnal.
In keeping with this tradition, a large chunk of the movies making their way to Max (formerly HBO Max) this September are, if not outright scary, at least vaguely within the boundaries of the horror genre. Sure, there are some comedy classics ("Friday"), historical epics ("Gangs of New York"), and brand new docuseries ("Megan Thee Stallion vs. Tory Lanez: Five Shots") worth tuning into, but for my money, nearly all the best Max picks next month fall under the Halloween watchlist-adjacent umbrella.
You shouldn't have to wade...
In keeping with this tradition, a large chunk of the movies making their way to Max (formerly HBO Max) this September are, if not outright scary, at least vaguely within the boundaries of the horror genre. Sure, there are some comedy classics ("Friday"), historical epics ("Gangs of New York"), and brand new docuseries ("Megan Thee Stallion vs. Tory Lanez: Five Shots") worth tuning into, but for my money, nearly all the best Max picks next month fall under the Halloween watchlist-adjacent umbrella.
You shouldn't have to wade...
- 8/29/2023
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
Few American filmmakers of the last 40 years await a major rediscovery like Hal Hartley, whose traces in modern movies are either too-minor or entirely unknown. Thus it’s cause for celebration that the Criterion Channel are soon launching a major retrospective: 13 features (which constitutes all but My America) and 17 shorts, a sui generis style and persistent vision running across 30 years. Expect your Halloween party to be aswim in Henry Fool costumes.
Speaking of: there’s a one-month headstart on seasonal programming with the 13-film “High School Horror”––most notable perhaps being a streaming premiere for the uncut version of Suspiria, plus the rare opportunity to see a Robert Rodriguez movie on the Criterion Channel––and a retrospective of Hong Kong vampire movies. A retrospective of ’70s car movies offer chills and thrills of a different sort
Six films by Allan Dwan and 12 “gaslight noirs” round out the main September series; The Eight Mountains,...
Speaking of: there’s a one-month headstart on seasonal programming with the 13-film “High School Horror”––most notable perhaps being a streaming premiere for the uncut version of Suspiria, plus the rare opportunity to see a Robert Rodriguez movie on the Criterion Channel––and a retrospective of Hong Kong vampire movies. A retrospective of ’70s car movies offer chills and thrills of a different sort
Six films by Allan Dwan and 12 “gaslight noirs” round out the main September series; The Eight Mountains,...
- 8/21/2023
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
One of the unique aspects of the horror films produced by Val Lewton at Rko in the 1940s is the seriousness with which they discuss matters of mental illness. Even today, mental health issues are often tiptoed around, but in the forties, they were practically taboo. As discussed in previous entries in this column, Cat People (1942) is largely about repression and The Body Snatcher (1945) deals with guilt, paranoia, and psychopathy. The Seventh Victim (1943), one of the lesser-seen entries in the Lewton cycle, is about loneliness, the depression that stems from it, and suicidal ideation. It externalizes the inner struggles between the light and darkness that use the mind as a battlefield and demand a choice between life and death. Because of the unflinching way The Seventh Victim approaches the subject of suicide, this should be a considered a content warning for the discussion to come later. But first, some background on the film itself.
- 8/7/2023
- by Brian Keiper
- bloody-disgusting.com
William Shatner wasn't always Captain James T. Kirk. Before his breakout part, he starred in two episodes of "The Twilight Zone." The first, and more famous, was "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet." Shatner plays Bob Wilson, an airplane passenger with a fear of flying. Wilson has recently recovered from a mental breakdown and his sanity is seemingly in doubt again when he sees a gremlin messing with the plane's engines. Is the Gremlin just his illness and fear acting up? After failing to convince everyone else aboard of the monster's existence, he takes matters into his own hands.
Shatner wasn't the only future star on board this flight. The episode was directed by the late Richard Donner, future director of "The Omen," "Lethal Weapon," and "Superman." The irony is twofold. In a few short years, Shatner would star as the captain of a ship that flies a lot higher than 20,000 feet.
Shatner wasn't the only future star on board this flight. The episode was directed by the late Richard Donner, future director of "The Omen," "Lethal Weapon," and "Superman." The irony is twofold. In a few short years, Shatner would star as the captain of a ship that flies a lot higher than 20,000 feet.
- 8/7/2023
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
In the fifth season episode of "The Twilight Zone," called "The Masks", an elderly millionaire named Jason Foster (Robert Keith) has gathered his daughter, her husband, and their two adult children for a Mardi Gras gathering. Jason, attended by his doctor (Willis Bouchey), is dying. He expects he'll be dead by morning. Jason also hates his daughter and her family. He sees Emily (Virginia Gregg) as spineless, her husband Wilfred (Milton Seltzer) as greedy, her son Wilfred, Jr. (Alan Sues) as dumb and oafish, and her daughter Paula (Brooke Hayward) as vain and shallow.
At dinner, the family members all feign politeness, but the audience trusts Jason when he says they are all terrible people who are only interested in inheriting his fortune. After dinner, Jason calls the quartet into the drawing room for a Mardi Gras game. The patriarch has commissioned five expressive, full-face masks that he and his family are to wear.
At dinner, the family members all feign politeness, but the audience trusts Jason when he says they are all terrible people who are only interested in inheriting his fortune. After dinner, Jason calls the quartet into the drawing room for a Mardi Gras game. The patriarch has commissioned five expressive, full-face masks that he and his family are to wear.
- 8/1/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Upon taking the reins of the Neuchatel Intl. Fantastic Film Festival (Nifff) last year, incoming artistic director Pierre-Yves Walder marked his first edition with Scream Queer, a thematic retrospective that explored the thorny and thrillingly diverse forms of queer representation in genre fare. Now building on the success of that well-received program, the Nifff director wanted to deliver a sequel of sorts.
“We want to continue last year’s investigations and to take our thematic journeys a step further,” Walder explains. “You could say that this focus will continue to ask and answer the same questions with a slightly different emphasis.”
And so here comes Female Trouble, a 20-film, century-spanning spotlight built on a French play-on-words that blurs gender and genre. Starting with Mario Roncoroni’s silent serial “Filibus,” which mixed sci-fi motifs with gender-fluidity and lesbian desire all the way back in 1915, and on through Jacques Tourneur’s “Cat People...
“We want to continue last year’s investigations and to take our thematic journeys a step further,” Walder explains. “You could say that this focus will continue to ask and answer the same questions with a slightly different emphasis.”
And so here comes Female Trouble, a 20-film, century-spanning spotlight built on a French play-on-words that blurs gender and genre. Starting with Mario Roncoroni’s silent serial “Filibus,” which mixed sci-fi motifs with gender-fluidity and lesbian desire all the way back in 1915, and on through Jacques Tourneur’s “Cat People...
- 6/23/2023
- by Ben Croll
- Variety Film + TV
The Daughters of Fire.Three square images, placed side by side on the screen. The full frame is as wide as CinemaScope, which Fritz Lang famously said was only suitable for snakes and funerals. On the left, a woman stares forward as she stalks, like a Jacques Tourneur character, toward no certain destination; as she does so—singing, half her face shrouded in shadow—she passes through a seemingly endless corridor of ash, an ever-rotating carousel of clay streaked with wisps of fire. In the center frame, another woman lies prone, bent over on the shores of a volcanic beach. The sea laps in apocalyptic, dusky light behind her, the horizon stretches out to the limits of vision; uncertainly, she heaves her body upright to sit as she sings. In the far-right frame, another woman peers out from around a doorframe, staring into the camera, also singing in direct counterpoint with the other two women,...
- 6/14/2023
- MUBI
Ever since the inception of horror filmmaking, zombies have wandered the Earth. We all know George A. Romero as the Godfather of the Dead, but historians track the first zombies on screen back to 1932’s “White Zombie” starring Bela Lugosi. Before “The Walking Dead” made flesh-munching a source of mainstream cable entertainment, voodoo curses turned the living into dead-eyed shufflers like in Jacques Tourneur’s “I Walked With a Zombie.” Then came the brain feasts, the often debated runners, the contemporary remakes, and Negan’s trusty Lucille.
Film historians can connect the dots between zombie benchmarks that travel at different speeds over decades of releases. Lucky for you, we’re here to rank the 25 best zombie movies to set the record straight. Our list, our rules for inclusion. Let’s slash through the endless horde of zombie titles and see which are left standing as the undefeatables.
Film historians can connect the dots between zombie benchmarks that travel at different speeds over decades of releases. Lucky for you, we’re here to rank the 25 best zombie movies to set the record straight. Our list, our rules for inclusion. Let’s slash through the endless horde of zombie titles and see which are left standing as the undefeatables.
- 6/9/2023
- by Matt Donato
- The Wrap
Tad Devine, who appeared alongside his father, the popular raspy-voiced character actor Andy Devine, and younger brother in the Dana Andrews-starring 1946 film Canyon Passage, has died. He was 88.
Devine died March 22 in Newport Beach, his family announced.
In Universal Pictures’ Canyon Passage, directed by Jacques Tourneur and also starring Susan Hayward and Brian Donlevy, Andy Devine portrayed an Oregon homesteader with sons played by his real-life boys, Tad and Denny. (The kids even got billing on the movie poster.)
Andy Devine, who appeared with John Wayne in John Ford’s Stagecoach (1939) and was Roy Rogers’ sidekick, Cookie, in 10 movies and the deputy marshal Jingles on the 1950s CBS show Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok, died in 1977 at age 71. He had a rather distinctive voice.
Tad was born Timothy Andrew Devine in Los Angeles on Nov. 26, 1934. “His childhood on the family ranch was filled with characters and adventures, from horseback...
Devine died March 22 in Newport Beach, his family announced.
In Universal Pictures’ Canyon Passage, directed by Jacques Tourneur and also starring Susan Hayward and Brian Donlevy, Andy Devine portrayed an Oregon homesteader with sons played by his real-life boys, Tad and Denny. (The kids even got billing on the movie poster.)
Andy Devine, who appeared with John Wayne in John Ford’s Stagecoach (1939) and was Roy Rogers’ sidekick, Cookie, in 10 movies and the deputy marshal Jingles on the 1950s CBS show Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok, died in 1977 at age 71. He had a rather distinctive voice.
Tad was born Timothy Andrew Devine in Los Angeles on Nov. 26, 1934. “His childhood on the family ranch was filled with characters and adventures, from horseback...
- 3/28/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Born to a French mother, a Moroccan father and raised for some years in China, filmmaker Sofia Alaoui grants that her upbringing had a more international expanse than most. The same could be said for her spiritual education, which pulled from Buddhist, Christian, Muslim and Taoist traditions, giving the “Animalia” director a considerable leg-up on the comparative religion front.
But for all her varied influences, once Alaoui came-of-age and into adulthood she shared a familiar sense of a yearning, feeling no less stifled than those raised in more, shall we say, provincial circumstances.
“We’re all trapped by our own dogmas,” the filmmaker tells Variety. “And I didn’t want to stay locked in a set system. Be they religious or social, those values guide our existences as men and women. And I think the most beautiful path is to break free, to separate yourself order to clear your own way.
But for all her varied influences, once Alaoui came-of-age and into adulthood she shared a familiar sense of a yearning, feeling no less stifled than those raised in more, shall we say, provincial circumstances.
“We’re all trapped by our own dogmas,” the filmmaker tells Variety. “And I didn’t want to stay locked in a set system. Be they religious or social, those values guide our existences as men and women. And I think the most beautiful path is to break free, to separate yourself order to clear your own way.
- 1/26/2023
- by Ben Croll
- Variety Film + TV
Holy Ice Puns, Batman!
After ending November with the better-than-the-original sequel Addams Family Values and Jacques Tourneur’s queer-coded Cat People, we’re kicking off December with an annual discussion of a Batman film…only this time it’s queer filmmaker Joel Schumacher‘s much-maligned sequel: 1997’s Batman & Robin!
The film sees Batman (George Clooney) and his partner, Robin (Chris O’Donnell), attempting to the foil the sinister schemes of a deranged set of new villains, most notably the melancholy Mr. Freeze (Arnold Schwarzenegger), who wants to make Gotham into an arctic region, and the sultry Poison Ivy (Uma Thurman), a plant-loving femme fatale. As the Dynamic Duo contends with these bad guys, a third hero, Batgirl (Alicia Silverstone), joins the ranks of the city’s crime-fighters.
Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get a new episode every Wednesday. You can subscribe on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify,...
After ending November with the better-than-the-original sequel Addams Family Values and Jacques Tourneur’s queer-coded Cat People, we’re kicking off December with an annual discussion of a Batman film…only this time it’s queer filmmaker Joel Schumacher‘s much-maligned sequel: 1997’s Batman & Robin!
The film sees Batman (George Clooney) and his partner, Robin (Chris O’Donnell), attempting to the foil the sinister schemes of a deranged set of new villains, most notably the melancholy Mr. Freeze (Arnold Schwarzenegger), who wants to make Gotham into an arctic region, and the sultry Poison Ivy (Uma Thurman), a plant-loving femme fatale. As the Dynamic Duo contends with these bad guys, a third hero, Batgirl (Alicia Silverstone), joins the ranks of the city’s crime-fighters.
Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get a new episode every Wednesday. You can subscribe on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify,...
- 12/12/2022
- by Trace Thurman
- bloody-disgusting.com
Get Fucked Oliver
It was a busy November as Trace and I bounced from Jennifer Reeder’s female-centric text Knives and Skin to Paul Verhoeven’s anti-war satire Starship Troopers. Then we dipped over to Japan for Satoshi Kon’s gorgeously animated Perfect Blue before tackling Thanksgiving queerness in Addams Family Values, which proved, yet again, that straight folks get really upset when we explore Lgbtqia issues in popular texts!
In celebration of the final week of Noirvember, now we’re covering Val Lewton‘s 1942 Film Noir-informed psychosexual thriller Cat People. In the Jacques Tourneur-directed film, Irena (Simone Simon) is a Serbian immigrant living in New York with no friends or family. She is wooed by All-American Oliver (Kent Smith), but can’t consummate their marriage for fear of activating a killer curse that she believes will transform her into a panther and kill. Challenged by terrible therapist Dr.
It was a busy November as Trace and I bounced from Jennifer Reeder’s female-centric text Knives and Skin to Paul Verhoeven’s anti-war satire Starship Troopers. Then we dipped over to Japan for Satoshi Kon’s gorgeously animated Perfect Blue before tackling Thanksgiving queerness in Addams Family Values, which proved, yet again, that straight folks get really upset when we explore Lgbtqia issues in popular texts!
In celebration of the final week of Noirvember, now we’re covering Val Lewton‘s 1942 Film Noir-informed psychosexual thriller Cat People. In the Jacques Tourneur-directed film, Irena (Simone Simon) is a Serbian immigrant living in New York with no friends or family. She is wooed by All-American Oliver (Kent Smith), but can’t consummate their marriage for fear of activating a killer curse that she believes will transform her into a panther and kill. Challenged by terrible therapist Dr.
- 12/5/2022
- by Joe Lipsett
- bloody-disgusting.com
Every decade — on the "twos" for some reason — Sight and Sound releases what may very well be the definitive list of the greatest movies ever made.
The organization asks film critics and filmmakers from all over the world, people who really know their stuff, to present their own lists of the ten greatest motion pictures in history. Those lists are tabulated and spun out into a mighty Top 100, giving movie lovers a chance to learn about a lot of amazing movies and consider the impact that history and cultural shifts in our collective opinions about movies have over time.
And as usual, we learned that critics and filmmakers over the world don't seem to like horror very much.
There are a handful of scary films on the Sight and Sound poll in 2022, but most are squarely in the realm of arthouse cinema, and could also be classified as dramas or...
The organization asks film critics and filmmakers from all over the world, people who really know their stuff, to present their own lists of the ten greatest motion pictures in history. Those lists are tabulated and spun out into a mighty Top 100, giving movie lovers a chance to learn about a lot of amazing movies and consider the impact that history and cultural shifts in our collective opinions about movies have over time.
And as usual, we learned that critics and filmmakers over the world don't seem to like horror very much.
There are a handful of scary films on the Sight and Sound poll in 2022, but most are squarely in the realm of arthouse cinema, and could also be classified as dramas or...
- 12/2/2022
- by William Bibbiani
- Slash Film
If “Die Hard” is a Christmas movie, then “Antichrist” is a Halloween one.
Lars von Trier’s haunting two-hander about a couple unraveling over the grief of their dead child transforms those horrible circumstances into a gripping, hellish descent replete with jump scares and sudden flashes of blood. It was “elevated horror” before that horrendous term was in vogue, an art movie engineered to immerse its audience in utter dread.
It’s also a stunning example of what the genre does well in disguise. Von Trier funneled his own bout of depression into a shocking eruption of storytelling possibilities. Yes, the filmmaker thanks Andrei Tarkovsky in the credits, but “Antichrist” owes a debt to everyone from Jacques Tourneur to Stanley Kubrick for its gradual escalation of disquieting moments. It’s an eerie movie with payoff, frightening at all the right parts, and never in ways that feel unearned. In that regard,...
Lars von Trier’s haunting two-hander about a couple unraveling over the grief of their dead child transforms those horrible circumstances into a gripping, hellish descent replete with jump scares and sudden flashes of blood. It was “elevated horror” before that horrendous term was in vogue, an art movie engineered to immerse its audience in utter dread.
It’s also a stunning example of what the genre does well in disguise. Von Trier funneled his own bout of depression into a shocking eruption of storytelling possibilities. Yes, the filmmaker thanks Andrei Tarkovsky in the credits, but “Antichrist” owes a debt to everyone from Jacques Tourneur to Stanley Kubrick for its gradual escalation of disquieting moments. It’s an eerie movie with payoff, frightening at all the right parts, and never in ways that feel unearned. In that regard,...
- 10/22/2022
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
How do you follow up a movie like "Halloween"? John Carpenter's cheaply made little horror film about a killer stalking teenagers in the suburbs transformed a generation's understanding of fear. A sequel would have been the obvious play, but Carpenter had other fish to fry. First came "Elvis," a made-for-television biopic that brought Carpenter and the actor Kurt Russell together for the first time. Later, Carpenter and his frequent collaborator Debra Hill went on vacation to Stonehenge. According to a SyFy retrospective, Carpenter began staring intently at nearby fog. "What if there's something in that fog?" he said to Hill. "Wouldn't that be scary?" That insight led to "The Fog," Carpenter's theatrical follow-up to "Halloween."
Like "Halloween," "The Fog" would tell the story of buried evil returning to haunt the modern day. But this film would differ in key respects. "Halloween" was a film of short sharp shocks, engineered...
Like "Halloween," "The Fog" would tell the story of buried evil returning to haunt the modern day. But this film would differ in key respects. "Halloween" was a film of short sharp shocks, engineered...
- 10/11/2022
- by Adam Wescott
- Slash Film
Hello, everyone! We’re back with the final round of horror and sci-fi home media releases for the month of August, and we’ve got quite a few killer titles headed home today. Scream Factory is giving Paul Schrader’s Cat People remake a 4K overhaul in a brand-new Collector’s Edition release, and Severin Films is keeping busy with several titles today as well, including All About Evil and Fearless, and if you haven’t had a chance to check it out for yourself yet, Jane Schoenbrun’s extremely unsettling We’re All Going to the World’s Fair is headed to Blu-ray this week as well.
Other titles being released on August 30th include Arrow Video’s Giallo Essentials: 3-Disc Limited Edition Collection, Lux Aeterna, Satan’s Children, Jack Be Nimble featuring Alexis Arquette, The Oregonian, Raw Nerve, and Shriek of the Mutilated.
All About Evil: 2-Disc Special Edition
It's...
Other titles being released on August 30th include Arrow Video’s Giallo Essentials: 3-Disc Limited Edition Collection, Lux Aeterna, Satan’s Children, Jack Be Nimble featuring Alexis Arquette, The Oregonian, Raw Nerve, and Shriek of the Mutilated.
All About Evil: 2-Disc Special Edition
It's...
- 8/30/2022
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
The future of HBO Max is a bit strange right now, a fact that has been widely documented over the past couple of weeks. A lot of programming, both acquired and original, has been wiped with little warning, and the programming that survives now has a rocky future ahead of it. The decisions being made over at Warner Bros. Discovery regarding these removals have been controversial at the very best, but all we can really do is sit back and watch what happens live.
At the same time, it's hard to deny that the incoming movies and television shows in September look pretty interesting. You've got Warner Bros. theatrical releases finally hitting streaming, season premieres of shows arriving after far too long of hiatuses, and even some programs from the Discovery+ Magnolia Network. Whatever your mood, it's likely that HBO Max will be adding something that tickles your fancy in September.
At the same time, it's hard to deny that the incoming movies and television shows in September look pretty interesting. You've got Warner Bros. theatrical releases finally hitting streaming, season premieres of shows arriving after far too long of hiatuses, and even some programs from the Discovery+ Magnolia Network. Whatever your mood, it's likely that HBO Max will be adding something that tickles your fancy in September.
- 8/26/2022
- by Erin Brady
- Slash Film
Pathé’s 4K restoration of No Fear No Die is a highlight of the Revivals program Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
Film at Lincoln Center has announced the Revivals selections of the 60th New York Film Festival. Highlights include Pedro Costa’s O Sangue (Blood); Jean Eustache’s The Mother and the Whore, starring Jean-Pierre Léaud, Bernadette Lafont, and Françoise Lebrun; Jacques Tourneur’s Canyon Passage starring Brian Donlevy (with Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg consulting on this restoration); Claire Denis’s No Fear No Die with Isaach De Bankole, Alex Descas, and Jean-Claude Brialy; Mikko Niskanen’s Eight Deadly Shots; Manoel de Oliveira’s The Day Of Despair on the life of Camilo Castelo Branco, played by Mario Barroso; Edward Yang’s A Confucian Confusion starring Ni Shujun, and Balufu Bakupu-Kanyinda’s Le Damier, screening with Radu Jude’s short The Potemkinists (in the Currents program).
The 60th New York Film...
Film at Lincoln Center has announced the Revivals selections of the 60th New York Film Festival. Highlights include Pedro Costa’s O Sangue (Blood); Jean Eustache’s The Mother and the Whore, starring Jean-Pierre Léaud, Bernadette Lafont, and Françoise Lebrun; Jacques Tourneur’s Canyon Passage starring Brian Donlevy (with Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg consulting on this restoration); Claire Denis’s No Fear No Die with Isaach De Bankole, Alex Descas, and Jean-Claude Brialy; Mikko Niskanen’s Eight Deadly Shots; Manoel de Oliveira’s The Day Of Despair on the life of Camilo Castelo Branco, played by Mario Barroso; Edward Yang’s A Confucian Confusion starring Ni Shujun, and Balufu Bakupu-Kanyinda’s Le Damier, screening with Radu Jude’s short The Potemkinists (in the Currents program).
The 60th New York Film...
- 8/24/2022
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Film at Lincoln Center has announced the cinephile-favorite Revivals section for the 60th New York Film Festival, coming to NYC September 30 through October 16. The program showcases new restorations and preservations of important works from canonical filmmakers.
This year’s selection includes the hard-to-find “The Mother and the Whore” — which cameoed in the form of a poster featured in 2005’s “The Squid and the Whale” and brought the scandalous Jean Eustache some renewed attention. Starring Jean-Pierre Léaud, Bernadette Lafont, and Françoise Lebrun, the philosophical love triangle set against the sexual revolution divided Cannes audiences in 1973. Earlier this year, the Les Films du Losange restoration opened the Cannes Classics section. It makes its North American premiere at NYFF.
Many of the significant works featured in the lineup include the world premiere restoration of Claire Denis’ “No Fear No Die”; a new 4K restoration of Glauber Rocha’s incendiary, audience-provoking “Black God, White Devil...
This year’s selection includes the hard-to-find “The Mother and the Whore” — which cameoed in the form of a poster featured in 2005’s “The Squid and the Whale” and brought the scandalous Jean Eustache some renewed attention. Starring Jean-Pierre Léaud, Bernadette Lafont, and Françoise Lebrun, the philosophical love triangle set against the sexual revolution divided Cannes audiences in 1973. Earlier this year, the Les Films du Losange restoration opened the Cannes Classics section. It makes its North American premiere at NYFF.
Many of the significant works featured in the lineup include the world premiere restoration of Claire Denis’ “No Fear No Die”; a new 4K restoration of Glauber Rocha’s incendiary, audience-provoking “Black God, White Devil...
- 8/23/2022
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Following Main Slate, Spotlight, and Currents, the 60th New York Film Festival have now unveiled its final film-focused section with Revivals. Featuring brand-new restorations of works by Claire Denis, Pedro Costa, Edward Yang, Jean Eustache, Manoel de Oliveira, Cauleen Smith, Kira Muratova, and more, it’s quite a stellar lineup of lesser-known works by established auteurs as well as long-underseen films by directors deserving of more acclaim.
“The Revivals section continues to look beyond acknowledged and revered classics, and to challenge the conventions of the canon,” said Florence Almozini, Senior Director of Programming at Film at Lincoln Center. “This year’s lineup proves once again that even relatively recent decades are full of potential cinematic discoveries, by showcasing significant works from artists of diverse backgrounds and origins in striking new restorations.”
See the lineup below ahead of the festival, taking place September 30-October 16.
Beirut the Encounter
Borhane Alaouié, 1981, Lebanon, 97m
Arabic with English subtitles
U.
“The Revivals section continues to look beyond acknowledged and revered classics, and to challenge the conventions of the canon,” said Florence Almozini, Senior Director of Programming at Film at Lincoln Center. “This year’s lineup proves once again that even relatively recent decades are full of potential cinematic discoveries, by showcasing significant works from artists of diverse backgrounds and origins in striking new restorations.”
See the lineup below ahead of the festival, taking place September 30-October 16.
Beirut the Encounter
Borhane Alaouié, 1981, Lebanon, 97m
Arabic with English subtitles
U.
- 8/23/2022
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
White NoiseCOMPETITIONWhite Noise (Noah Baumbach)Il Signore Delle Formiche (Gianni Amelio)The Whale (Darren Aronofsky)L’Immensita (Emanuele Crialese)Saint Omer (Alice Diop)Blonde (Andrew Dominik)Tár (Todd Field)Love Life (Koji Fukada)Bardo, False Chronicle Of A Handful Of Truths (Alejandro G. Inarritu)Athena (Romain Gavras)Bones & All (Luca Guadagnino)The Eternal Daughter (Joanna Hogg)Beyond The Wall (Vahid Jalilvand)The Banshees Of Inisherin (Martin McDonagh)Argentina, 1985 (Santiago Mitre)Chiara (Susanna Nicchiarelli)Monica (Andrea Pallaoro)No Bears (Jafar Panahi)All The Beauty And The Bloodshed (Laura Poitras)A Couple (Frederick Wiseman)The Son (Florian Zeller)Our Ties (Roschdy Zem)Other People’s Children (Rebecca Zlotowski)Out Of COMPETITIONFictionThe Hanging Sun (Francesco Carrozzini)When The Waves Are Gone (Lav Diaz)Living (Oliver Hermanus)Dead For A Dollar (Walter Hill)Call Of God (Kim Ki-duk)Dreamin’ Wild (Bill Pohlad)Master Gardener (Paul Schrader)Siccità (Paolo Virzi)Pearl (Ti West)Don’t Worry Darling...
- 7/28/2022
- MUBI
While the new premieres at the world’s greatest film festivals usually garner much of the spotlight, the lineup of restorations should be equally as exciting to any cinephile. Venice Film Festival, which kicks off its 79th edition from August 31-September 10, has now unveiled the lineup of the Classics section.
Featuring Jacques Tourner’s Canyon Passage, Seijun Suzuki’s Branded to Kill, Edward Yang’s A Confucian Confusion, plus films by Peter Greenaway, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Yasujirō Ozu, Satyajit Ray, Jean Renoir, and more, it’s an embarrassment of riches. If you don’t happen to be in Venice later next month, hopefully we’ll get news of home video releases for these in the coming year.
See the lineup below via Screen Daily.
Teresa The Thief (Teresa La Ladra)(Italy, 1973)
Dir. Carlo Di Palma
Restored by: Cineteca Nazionale
My Little Loves (Mes Petites Amoureuses) (France, 1974)
Dir. Jean Eustache
Restored...
Featuring Jacques Tourner’s Canyon Passage, Seijun Suzuki’s Branded to Kill, Edward Yang’s A Confucian Confusion, plus films by Peter Greenaway, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Yasujirō Ozu, Satyajit Ray, Jean Renoir, and more, it’s an embarrassment of riches. If you don’t happen to be in Venice later next month, hopefully we’ll get news of home video releases for these in the coming year.
See the lineup below via Screen Daily.
Teresa The Thief (Teresa La Ladra)(Italy, 1973)
Dir. Carlo Di Palma
Restored by: Cineteca Nazionale
My Little Loves (Mes Petites Amoureuses) (France, 1974)
Dir. Jean Eustache
Restored...
- 7/19/2022
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
The section returns to the lido after two years.
Pier Paolo Pasolini’s Theorem and Yasujiro Ozu’s A Hen In The Wind are among the 18 films selected for the Venice Classics strand of the 79th Venice Film Festival (August 31-September 10).
Pasolini’s Italian drama screened in competition at Venice in 1968 and received a special award from the International Catholic Film Office which was later revoked after the Vatican complained. It is restored by Cineteca di Bologna.
A Hen In The Wind is one of three Japanese films in selection. The other two are Profound Desires of the Gods by...
Pier Paolo Pasolini’s Theorem and Yasujiro Ozu’s A Hen In The Wind are among the 18 films selected for the Venice Classics strand of the 79th Venice Film Festival (August 31-September 10).
Pasolini’s Italian drama screened in competition at Venice in 1968 and received a special award from the International Catholic Film Office which was later revoked after the Vatican complained. It is restored by Cineteca di Bologna.
A Hen In The Wind is one of three Japanese films in selection. The other two are Profound Desires of the Gods by...
- 7/19/2022
- by Ellie Calnan
- ScreenDaily
The section returns to the lido after two years.
Pier Paolo Pasolini’s Theorem and Yasujiro Ozu’s A Hen In The Wind are among the 18 films selected for the Venice Classics strand of the 79th Venice Film Festival (August 31 - September 10).
Pasolini’s Italian drama screened in competition at Venice in 1968 and received a special award from the International Catholic Film Office which was later revoked after the Vatican complained. It is restored by Cineteca di Bologna.
A Hen In The Wind is one of three Japanese films in selection. The other two are Profound Desires of the Gods...
Pier Paolo Pasolini’s Theorem and Yasujiro Ozu’s A Hen In The Wind are among the 18 films selected for the Venice Classics strand of the 79th Venice Film Festival (August 31 - September 10).
Pasolini’s Italian drama screened in competition at Venice in 1968 and received a special award from the International Catholic Film Office which was later revoked after the Vatican complained. It is restored by Cineteca di Bologna.
A Hen In The Wind is one of three Japanese films in selection. The other two are Profound Desires of the Gods...
- 7/19/2022
- by Ellie Calnan
- ScreenDaily
Universal 1440 Entertainment Reveals Key Art For The Munsters: "Sheri Moon Zombie, Jeff Daniel Phillips and Daniel Roebuck star in the all-new feature-length film from writer and director Rob Zombie, The Munsters, coming soon from Universal 1440 Entertainment, a production arm of Universal Filmed Entertainment Group."
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Hypochondriac: "Will, a young Hispanic gay potter, is one gregarious guy. His boss is terrible, but he's got a great boyfriend and a great job. Unfortunately, behind that veneer is a dark past of violence and mental illness that he is desperate to keep hidden. When his bipolar mother comes out of the woodwork after ten years of silence, he begins exhibiting unexplainable symptoms and spirals into an obsession, determined to solve this mystery of his own."
Starring:
Zach Villa, Devon Graye, Paget Brewster, Marlene Forte, Madeline Zima, Yumarie Morales, Chris Doubek
Directed By:
Addison Heimann
Written By:
Addison Heimann
In Theaters July...
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Hypochondriac: "Will, a young Hispanic gay potter, is one gregarious guy. His boss is terrible, but he's got a great boyfriend and a great job. Unfortunately, behind that veneer is a dark past of violence and mental illness that he is desperate to keep hidden. When his bipolar mother comes out of the woodwork after ten years of silence, he begins exhibiting unexplainable symptoms and spirals into an obsession, determined to solve this mystery of his own."
Starring:
Zach Villa, Devon Graye, Paget Brewster, Marlene Forte, Madeline Zima, Yumarie Morales, Chris Doubek
Directed By:
Addison Heimann
Written By:
Addison Heimann
In Theaters July...
- 7/7/2022
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
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
It starts with a ‘bang’. An enigmatic, metallic sound wakes up the protagonist of “Memoria”, Jessica Holland (Tilda Swinton), a Jacques Tourneur-inspired character, about whom we don’t know much. Aside from visiting her sister, growing orchids, and seemingly being in mourning after her deceased husband, she seems like a mystery we’ve just witnessed through a sudden awakening. The sensation sets her in motion. She starts to look for its roots, questioning one’s sanity, like a detective who’s about to lose their senses. Slowly drifting between the worlds of liminal boundaries – between material and imagined, visual and sonic, past and present – Jessica becomes involved in a mystery that will push her closer to the memory of the Colombian past. As it happens with Apichatpong’s narratives, the audience is plunged into a journey, too; we’re invited to participate and to cherish all of that – memories,...
- 4/24/2022
- by Lukasz Mankowski
- AsianMoviePulse
Directed by Paul Schrader, 1982’s Cat People remake is getting a 4K Ultra HD upgrade from Scream Factory, the Nastassja Kinski film headed to 4K Uhd on June 28, 2022. “A remake of the 1942 Jacques Tourneur horror/noir classic, Cat People stars Nastassja Kinski as Irena, a beautiful young woman who discovers love for the […]
The post ‘Cat People’ Remake from 1982 Brings Nastassja Kinski to 4K Ultra HD This Summer appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.
The post ‘Cat People’ Remake from 1982 Brings Nastassja Kinski to 4K Ultra HD This Summer appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.
- 4/4/2022
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
It’s the ‘other’ version of Dickens’ terrific novel, an English film that few Americans have seen. This Australian DVD is in the Pal format and from a rather outdated transfer, yet I thoroughly enjoyed seeing a favorite story enacted by a great batch of UK talent. Dirk Bogarde stars and the many character roles go to familiar faces: Cecil Parker, Athene Seyler, Ian Bannen, Alfie Bass, Rosalie Crutchley, Freda Jackson, Christopher Lee, Leo McKern, Donald Pleasence, Eric Pohlmann, Danny Green and the lovely Marie Versini. It’s a regular actor-spotting quiz. Ralph Thomas directed and much of the film was shot in France … with excellent English diction.
A Tale of Two Cities
Region 2 Pal DVD
Viavision (Australia)
1958 / B&w / 1:33 adapted flat / 117 min. / Street Date January 5, 2022 / Available from Viavision / 19.95 au
Starring: Dirk Bogarde, Dorothy Tutin, Cecil Parker, Stephen Murray, Athene Seyler, Paul Guers, Marie Versini, Ian Bannen, Alfie Bass,...
A Tale of Two Cities
Region 2 Pal DVD
Viavision (Australia)
1958 / B&w / 1:33 adapted flat / 117 min. / Street Date January 5, 2022 / Available from Viavision / 19.95 au
Starring: Dirk Bogarde, Dorothy Tutin, Cecil Parker, Stephen Murray, Athene Seyler, Paul Guers, Marie Versini, Ian Bannen, Alfie Bass,...
- 1/25/2022
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
New remastered restorations of Val Lewton pictures? We’re there. This terrific double bill gives us two Lewton shockers that are in no way ‘lesser’. The progressive psycho killer picture The Ghost Ship suffered a legal setback and disappeared for almost fifty years; it’s a masterpiece of taste and tone. Bedlam is a costume picture with an ideal role for Boris Karloff, and multiple eerie moments worthy of Edgar Allan Poe. Both movies exhibit interesting storytelling techniques, too. Rko should have promoted Lewton to A pictures, as they did his collaborators Jacques Tourneur, Robert Wise and Mark Robson.
The Ghost Ship + Bedlam
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1943 + 1946 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / Available at Amazon.com / Street Date October 12, 2021 / 24.99
Starring: Richard Dix, Edith Barrett; Boris Karloff, Anna Lee.
Cinematography: Nicholas Musuraca
Art Directors: Albert S. D’Agostino, Walter E. Keller
Original Music: Roy Webb
Written by Donald Henderson Clarke; Carlos Keith & Mark Robson...
The Ghost Ship + Bedlam
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1943 + 1946 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / Available at Amazon.com / Street Date October 12, 2021 / 24.99
Starring: Richard Dix, Edith Barrett; Boris Karloff, Anna Lee.
Cinematography: Nicholas Musuraca
Art Directors: Albert S. D’Agostino, Walter E. Keller
Original Music: Roy Webb
Written by Donald Henderson Clarke; Carlos Keith & Mark Robson...
- 10/30/2021
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Jacques Tourneur’s 1964 horror romp retains most of the actors and crew from Roger Corman’s Poe adaptations—including poster art from Reynold Brown. The film lacks the luster of Mr. Corman’s efforts but with Vincent Price, Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre, and Basil Rathbone on board, who’s complaining? Price and Lorre play luckless undertakers who start supplying their own corpses. Sad sack Lorre was a born comedian but it’s Rathbone as the landlord who won’t stay dead who gets the best laugh—”What place… is this?”
The post The Comedy of Terrors appeared first on Trailers From Hell.
The post The Comedy of Terrors appeared first on Trailers From Hell.
- 10/11/2021
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
Hello, everyone! Now that September is nearly upon us (which means we’re getting closer and closer to our favorite season), we have one last round of home entertainment releases ahead of us before we can finally bid August a fond farewell - and there are a lot of different titles making their way home tomorrow. Arrow Video is keeping busy this week with their 4K release of Dune as well as the special edition release of The Brotherhood of Satan, and Kino Lorber is resurrecting several classics on Blu-ray this Tuesday, including The Raven, The Last Man on Earth, and The Comedy of Terrors.
If you have younger genre fans at home, you’ll definitely want to pick up the new editions of Coraline and The Boxtrolls from Scream Factory, and for you cult film fans, Vinegar Syndrome has you covered with their new Blu-rays for Killer’s Delight, The Lamp...
If you have younger genre fans at home, you’ll definitely want to pick up the new editions of Coraline and The Boxtrolls from Scream Factory, and for you cult film fans, Vinegar Syndrome has you covered with their new Blu-rays for Killer’s Delight, The Lamp...
- 8/30/2021
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
The Raven/The Comedy of Terrors
Blu ray
Kino Lorber
1963-64
Starring Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, Boris Karloff
Cinematography by Floyd Crosby
Directed by Roger Corman, Jacques Tourneur
Roger Corman helped Vincent Price create his reputation as a horror movie star and in 1962 he helped him to dismantle it—already tiring of the gothic grind, the 37 year old director allowed rare humor to creep into his Poe series in the otherwise morbid Tales of Terror, a trilogy of economical horror stories written by Richard Matheson. The usual shocks were laced with laughs in the film’s second segment, The Black Cat, featuring a flamboyant Price as a two-timing wine taster. Corman and his cast enjoyed the distraction from the usual sturm und drang so the following year they returned to the well with a medieval burlesque called The Raven. Matheson was back too, contributing a simple story about Erasmus Craven...
Blu ray
Kino Lorber
1963-64
Starring Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, Boris Karloff
Cinematography by Floyd Crosby
Directed by Roger Corman, Jacques Tourneur
Roger Corman helped Vincent Price create his reputation as a horror movie star and in 1962 he helped him to dismantle it—already tiring of the gothic grind, the 37 year old director allowed rare humor to creep into his Poe series in the otherwise morbid Tales of Terror, a trilogy of economical horror stories written by Richard Matheson. The usual shocks were laced with laughs in the film’s second segment, The Black Cat, featuring a flamboyant Price as a two-timing wine taster. Corman and his cast enjoyed the distraction from the usual sturm und drang so the following year they returned to the well with a medieval burlesque called The Raven. Matheson was back too, contributing a simple story about Erasmus Craven...
- 8/3/2021
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
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By Hank Reineke
All evidence suggests that Mark Robson was producer Val Lewton’s “go to” director. Or, at the very least, for his celebrated series of psychological horror and mystery films released by Rko Radio Pictures 1943-1946. Of the six thrillers produced, Robson would helm no fewer than four (The Seventh Victim (1943), Ghost Ship (1943), Isle of the Dead (1945) and Bedlam (1946). The latter two are perhaps the best remembered of the four as both would feature free-agent boogeyman Boris Karloff in a starring role. Though the first of the Lewton horrors, The Cat People (1942, directed by Jacques Tourneur) is likely the best celebrated of the six films overall, I’ve always held a special fondness for Isle of the Dead. Now, revisiting the film with this stunning Blu ray transfer, I’m as impressed as ever with Robson’s claustrophobic direction, the thoughtful...
By Hank Reineke
All evidence suggests that Mark Robson was producer Val Lewton’s “go to” director. Or, at the very least, for his celebrated series of psychological horror and mystery films released by Rko Radio Pictures 1943-1946. Of the six thrillers produced, Robson would helm no fewer than four (The Seventh Victim (1943), Ghost Ship (1943), Isle of the Dead (1945) and Bedlam (1946). The latter two are perhaps the best remembered of the four as both would feature free-agent boogeyman Boris Karloff in a starring role. Though the first of the Lewton horrors, The Cat People (1942, directed by Jacques Tourneur) is likely the best celebrated of the six films overall, I’ve always held a special fondness for Isle of the Dead. Now, revisiting the film with this stunning Blu ray transfer, I’m as impressed as ever with Robson’s claustrophobic direction, the thoughtful...
- 5/25/2021
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
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Although it might seem difficult to believe, there was a time – not very long ago, in fact – when zombies weren’t the mainstream icons they are today. Horror fans have always loved the undead, of course, but it wasn’t until the back-to-back release of “28 Days Later” and “Resident Evil” in 2002, followed by Zack Snyder’s “Dawn of the Dead” remake in 2004 and “The Walking Dead” TV series in 2010, that zombies truly crossed over to become ubiquitous pop culture favorites. And with Snyder’s “Army of the Dead” arriving in Netflix on May 21, their popularity is only likely to increase
Today, zombies are much more than just a beloved category of movie...
Although it might seem difficult to believe, there was a time – not very long ago, in fact – when zombies weren’t the mainstream icons they are today. Horror fans have always loved the undead, of course, but it wasn’t until the back-to-back release of “28 Days Later” and “Resident Evil” in 2002, followed by Zack Snyder’s “Dawn of the Dead” remake in 2004 and “The Walking Dead” TV series in 2010, that zombies truly crossed over to become ubiquitous pop culture favorites. And with Snyder’s “Army of the Dead” arriving in Netflix on May 21, their popularity is only likely to increase
Today, zombies are much more than just a beloved category of movie...
- 5/21/2021
- by Matthew Chernov
- Variety Film + TV
Isle of the Dead
Blu ray
Warner Archive
1945 / 1.33:1 / 72 min.
Starring Boris Karloff, Ellen Drew, Katherine Emery
Cinematography by Jack MacKenzie
Directed by Mark Robson
The Swiss symbolist Arnold Böcklin produced several versions of Isle of the Dead in the late 1800’s—none of them suggested a typical tourist attraction but more than a few artists used that gloomy seascape as a port of inspiration; Rachmaninov composed a symphony, Dalí produced a surrealist tribute, and Strindberg sketched the fragments of a play, Toten-Insel. There’s even a hint of the painting’s portentous cliffs in Welles’ Xanadu. In 1945, Val Lewton, Mr. Dark Shadows himself, conceived an entire film built around Böcklin’s haunted island.
Directed by Mark Robson, Isle of the Dead is thematically rich, even for a Lewton project; set in Greece at the end of the Balkan wars, a plague joins forces with the supernatural to wreak havoc...
Blu ray
Warner Archive
1945 / 1.33:1 / 72 min.
Starring Boris Karloff, Ellen Drew, Katherine Emery
Cinematography by Jack MacKenzie
Directed by Mark Robson
The Swiss symbolist Arnold Böcklin produced several versions of Isle of the Dead in the late 1800’s—none of them suggested a typical tourist attraction but more than a few artists used that gloomy seascape as a port of inspiration; Rachmaninov composed a symphony, Dalí produced a surrealist tribute, and Strindberg sketched the fragments of a play, Toten-Insel. There’s even a hint of the painting’s portentous cliffs in Welles’ Xanadu. In 1945, Val Lewton, Mr. Dark Shadows himself, conceived an entire film built around Böcklin’s haunted island.
Directed by Mark Robson, Isle of the Dead is thematically rich, even for a Lewton project; set in Greece at the end of the Balkan wars, a plague joins forces with the supernatural to wreak havoc...
- 3/30/2021
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
The last time I saw Bertrand Tavernier, who died yesterday in Paris at 79, was at the Cannes Film Festival nearly two years ago after the world premiere of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. It was after 1 a.m. and my son Nick and I, who had been elated by the film, were walking down a largely empty Rue d’Antibes when I saw Bertrand’s unmistakable bulky frame approaching us. He was with his wife Sarah and I had seen them just a few evenings before in Paris at a gathering of friends of the late Pierre Rissient, cinema champion extraordinaire, who had worked with Bertrand championing films in the 1960s.
With just about anyone else, this would have remained just a brief nocturnal encounter. But talks with Bertrand were seldom short. To the contrary, because Bertrand was almost always a lava flow of opinion, information, insight and, for the most part,...
With just about anyone else, this would have remained just a brief nocturnal encounter. But talks with Bertrand were seldom short. To the contrary, because Bertrand was almost always a lava flow of opinion, information, insight and, for the most part,...
- 3/25/2021
- by Todd McCarthy
- Deadline Film + TV
Ahead of FrightFest’s UK special screening of The Woman With Leopard Shoes at the Glasgow Film Festival, director Alexis Bruchon talks about his love of Noir, casting his brother and directing in his underwear…
Your background is in illustration and graphic design. Was making a movie the next logical step as an artist?
From a very young age, I wanted to make a movie (as a teenager I did make a slasher called Ice Crime a true masterpiece!) – but drawing is direct, cost nothing and allows you to produce any images you want. So, I started with two unpublished graphic novels. The good thing with comics is that I realised you can tell a story with very few elements… and no money!
So, when I started on The Woman With Leopard Shoes, drawing was highly important in the making of the film because I storyboarded everything with a lot of indications like light,...
Your background is in illustration and graphic design. Was making a movie the next logical step as an artist?
From a very young age, I wanted to make a movie (as a teenager I did make a slasher called Ice Crime a true masterpiece!) – but drawing is direct, cost nothing and allows you to produce any images you want. So, I started with two unpublished graphic novels. The good thing with comics is that I realised you can tell a story with very few elements… and no money!
So, when I started on The Woman With Leopard Shoes, drawing was highly important in the making of the film because I storyboarded everything with a lot of indications like light,...
- 2/23/2021
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
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