Monthly Archives: May 2020

CAUTION: Contains “spoilers.” It’s instructive to compare Michael Curtiz’s 1950 film “The Breaking Point” with Howard Hawks’ 1944 film “To Have and Have Not.” Both ostensibly derive from the same source, a novel by Ernest Hemingway that shares its title … Continue reading →

CAUTION: Contains “spoilers.” William A. Fraker’s “Monte Walsh” (1970) was one of a group of revisionist westerns, which included “Will Penny” and “The Culpepper Cattle Company” that centered upon the everyday life of the cowboy. Not the cowboy as a … Continue reading →

CAUTION: Contain’s “spoilers.” William Castle’s “When Strangers Marry” (1944) has always held a privileged position as one of the earliest B-movies to be embraced by the fraternity of film critics. It also marked “Mr. Noir” Robert Mitchum’s first dip in … Continue reading →

CAUTION: Contains “spoilers.” Robert Aldrich’s “Kiss Me Deadly” (1955) has long been considered one of the talismans of film noir. Perhaps that’s why his “Hustle” (1975) is either ignored or dismissed altogether. “Hustle” lacks the plastic beauty of the earlier … Continue reading →

CAUTION: Contains “spoilers.” Erle C. Kenton’s “House of Frankenstein” (1944) and “House of Dracula” (1945) can be seen as a last gasp for Universal’s storied horror franchise. The idea of combining five monsters (well, three really) in one film was … Continue reading →