Monthly Archives: June 2014

Yes–Yet Another Forgotten Gem

Posted on June 29, 2014 by amangr

CAUTION: CONTAINS “SPOILERS” I realize that “forgotten gem” is a term that’s been done to death, nevertheless, worthwhile films do fall by the wayside, even in the most lauded of genres–like Film Noir. This appearance before The Court of Special … Continue reading →

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The Cincinnati–Oops

Posted on June 27, 2014 by amangr

After all that careful cogitating over why M.G.M. chose to go with a downbeat ending to “The Cincinnati Kid” rather than the marginally more hopeful one, I find that, in fact, M.G.M. ordered up the happier fadeout over the director’s … Continue reading →

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Farewell to Tuco

Posted on June 25, 2014 by amangr

The death of actor Eli Wallach announced today (06/25/14) reminds me anew of the wonder of movies. To those who were privileged to know him in the flesh, Mr. Wallach has indeed gone out of their lives. But for those … Continue reading →

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Whatever Happened to Cincinnati? (The Kid, That Is)

Posted on June 25, 2014 by amangr

A fellow film buff recently lent me his copy of “The Cincinnati Kid,” a film that I hadn’t watched in years. Imagine my astonishment at finding that the DVD featured an altering ending. In the version that I remembered, the … Continue reading →

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Genre Games

Posted on June 19, 2014 by amangr

CAUTION: CONTAINS “SPOILERS” I missed “Let’s Scare Jessica to Death” back in 1971. The title was off-putting and it sounded like yet another “Baby Jane” affair–you know the type: wealthy heroine being driven mad by greedy husband, half-sister, milkman, etc. … Continue reading →

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Character Development in Movie Series: The Perry Mason Films

Posted on June 16, 2014 by amangr

Now that the six Perry Mason films made by Warner Bros. between 1934 and 1937 have been released as a DVD set, it gives the casual viewer an opportunity to observe how a single character can change over the life … Continue reading →

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“Die Farbe”–Lovecraft, Done Right

Posted on June 13, 2014 by amangr

CAUTION: CONTAINS “SPOILERS” I’m told that “The Color Out of Space” won H.P. Lovecraft a spot in The Best Short Stories of 1927 anthology, although I’ve never seen the actual book to verify that, but the story itself is certainly … Continue reading →

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Time Capsule Noir

Posted on June 8, 2014 by amangr

CAUTION: CONTAINS “SPOILERS” Tinto Brass is probably best remembered these days for “Madame Kitty” and his contributions to the once-notorious “Caligula.” I recently had the opportunity to see his 1967 film “Deadly Sweet,” an Italian-language giallo set in Swinging London. … Continue reading →

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Pocket Surrealism

Posted on June 7, 2014 by amangr

The 1950 feature “Rocket Ship” is a condensed version of the 1936 Universal serial “Space Soldiers,” the first of the Flash Gordon adventures. Visually the film is a delirious jumble in which nothing seems too bizarre to be included. On … Continue reading →

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A Hot Mess Cooled Off

Posted on June 7, 2014 by amangr

CAUTION: CONTAINS “SPOILERS” I’ve always enjoyed Orson Welles’ “Mr. Arkadin”–a sort of comic-strip redo of “Citizen Kane”–but I’ve had to agree with those who found it a bit of a mess. True, it was an enjoyable, even a likeable mess–but … Continue reading →

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