After handling the social dramas Gentleman’s Agreement and Pinky, director Elia Kazan returned to the docu-style of Boomerang, this time relishing the tension of a city manhunt for a handful of possibly infected plague carriers. Kazan’s use of genuine locations is superb, capturing the grime of poverty-row housing, ethnic ghettos, and the gleaming city buildings and streets which house nervous state officials looking for a quick fix for a messy problem…
After earning an Oscar Nomination for her starring role in Peyton Place (1957) and getting important supporting roles in The Young Lions (1958) and In Love and War (1958), Hope Lange was given the plum role of Caroline Baker, the suburban girl who travels to the Big Apple after earning a business degree, and slowly rises to the upper echelons of Derby Publishing from typist to book editor…
If a supporting role in Bernadine proved to Fox brass that singer Pat Boone could in fact act (and make money for the studio), then it seemed natural to quickly slide the crooner into a starring project that tied all the demographics together into a light, almost classically written puffball musical…
Return to: Home / Blu-ray, DVD, Film Reviews / J to L . Film: Very Good / BR Transfer: Very Good/ BR Extras: Excellent Label: Twilight Time / Region:All / Released: July 9, 2013 Genre: Romance / Drama / Biography Synopsis: A Eurasian doctor living in 1949 Hong Kong falls for a married American war correspondent. Special […]
Return to: Home / Blu-ray, DVD, Film Reviews / D . Film: Excellent/ BR Transfer: Excellent/ BR Extras: Excellent Label: Twilight Time/ Region: All / Released: 2013 Genre: Western Synopsis: Pioneers struggle to rebuild their lives after a marauding force of Tory-led Mohawks devastate their homestead. Special Features: Audio Commentary with film historians Julie Kirgo and Nick […]
Return to: Home / Blu-ray, DVD, Film Reviews / S . Film: Excellent/ BD Transfer: Excellent/ BD Extras: Excellent Label: Twilight Time/ Region: All / Released: March 26, 2013 Genre: Historical Drama Synopsis: Classic tale of Bernadette Soubirous, a young French girl who experiences a Holy vision and struggles against poverty, ridicule, and threats from the town […]
Return to: Home / Blu-ray, DVD, Film Reviews / P to R . Film: Excellent/ DVD Transfer: Very Good/ DVD Extras: Very Good Label: Twentieth Century-Fox/ Region: 1 (NTSC) / Released: November 1, 2005 Genre: Drama / Romance / Disaster Synopsis: The arrival of a wealthy trollop upsets the social balance of an Indian province prior to […]
Editor’s Blog on CinemaScope and reviews of The Robe (Fox) and Demetrius and the Gladiators (Twilight Time), plus Bella Darvi in Hell and High Water (Fox), and soundtrack reviews of Alfred Newman’s The Robe (La-La Land) and Franz Waxman’s Demetrius and the Gladiators (FSM).
Return to: Home / Soundtrack Reviews / P to R . Rating: Excellent Label: La-La Land Records/ Released: March 27, 2012 Tracks & Album Length: CD1: 18 tracks / (56:08) + CD2: 20 tracks / (55:23) . Special Notes: 12-page colour booklet with liner notes by film historian Julie Kirgo / Limited to 2,000 copies. . Composer: Alfred […]
Return to: Home / Soundtrack Reviews / D . Rating: Excellent Label: Film Score Monthly/ Released: January, 2002 Tracks & Album Length: 29 tracks / (61:52) . Special Notes: 16-page colour booklet with liner notes by Lukas Kendall and Christopher Husted / Limited to 3,000 copies. . Composer: Franz Waxman, Alfred Newman (“The Robe”theme) . . Review: […]
CanCon 101: Changeling, The (1980)
CanCon 101 spotlights one of the best ghost stories ever made, Peter Medak’s chilling THE CHANGELING (1980), new on Blu via Severin Films.
Much Khan: Genghis Khan (1965) + The Conqueror (1956)
Yes, it’s finally time to compare the legendary conqueror as portrayed by Omar Sharif in GENGHIS KHAN (1965) on Blu via Twilight Time + John Wayne in THE CONQUEROR (1956) on DVD via KOCH Media.
Disturbed in Noir: Don’t Bother to Knock (1952) + Underworld U.S.A. (1961)
Two tales of the disturbed! Vengeance-fueled punk Tolly in Sam Fuller’s UNDERWORLD U.S.A (1961) + delusional babysitter Nell in Roy Ward Baker’s DON’T BOTHER TO KNOCK (1952), both on Blu from Twilight Time!
Piranha 2: Shades of The Abyss and James Cameron Archetypes
Look – It’s an unnecessarily detailed review of James Cameron’s official directorial debut, PIRANHA 2: THE SPAWNING (1981), new on Blu from Shout.
Uncovering The Fuzzy Pink Nightgown (1957) + The Revolt of Mamie Stover (1956)
Uncovered are Jane Russell’s last major films of the 1950s: The Fuzzy Pink Nightgown (1957) + The Revolt of Mamie Stover (1956) from Twilight Time on glorious Blu.
Viva Amiga’s Zach Weddington (and a bit of gear talk)
Podcast interview with Zach Weddington on Viva Amiga, his affectionate documentary on the pioneering multimedia computer (plus a bit of gear talk).
Patricia Rozema’s Singing Mermaids & White Room + Bonus Audio from NCFD 2018
Review of the CanCon classic I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing (1987) and much-maligned White Room (1990) + Q&A audio of director Patricia Rozema & journalist Kiva Reardon during National Canadian Film Day.
ArtScopeTO 07: Interview with Photographer Andre Vittorio
Aprils ArtScopeTO podcast features photographer Andre Vittorio, whose series Abstractions on Metal can be seen at Toronto’s Urban Gallery until Sat. April 28, 2018.
Even after the lengthy wave of 1980s gory drive-in shockers and the slasher craze (writer Gray penned the CanCon classiques Prom Night and Humungous; co-writer Diana Maddox The Amateur for the producers), The Changeling still retained respect from genre fans because of its unnerving story of a concert pianist…
The 1960s was the decade where epics bloomed, ballooned, and died as superproductions were cranked out by studios and maverick indie producers, and Genghis Khan was designed to ride the wave furthered by Samuel Bronston…
As the legend goes, in spite of protestations from director Dick Powell, himself a former actor and song & dance man (On the Avenue), Wayne insisted on making his last film for RKO The Conqueror, and with Howard Hughes still at the helm of the studio, what could go wrong?
Written during his busiest period (1968-1970), Quincy Jones’ score for John and Mary was quite sparse, leaving obligatory space for the film’s myriad dialogue exchanges and source music, but the score is memorable for being atypical of the material Jones was writing at the time: action comedies (The Italian Job, The Hell with Heroes), comedies (Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice,Cactus Flower), and the funky style of They Call Me MISTER Tibbs!
For some soundtrack fans, it was a bit of surprise to learn the composer of pioneering synth scores had begun his career with large orchestral scores for John Boorman’s Excalibur (1981) and Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal (1982)…
LP: Bourne Identity, The (2002)
The first film in the enduring franchise gave John Powell the perfect opportunity to write what remains both his definitive action sound, and the definitive action score of that decade, blending large orchestral sounds with layers upon layers of electronics…
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