Category: CLASSIC MOVIES
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Diabolique [1955] ★★★★
Henri-Georges Clouzot’s most notorious film is still terrifying almost 60 years later. An unmerciful school master (Paul Meurisse, terrific) is murdered by his long suffering wife (Vera Clouzot) and mistress (Simone Signoret). But then strange things start to happen. Haunting, exciting thriller will you keep you guessing at every turn, right through the unforgettable finale. Hailed…
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The Cat And The Canary [1927] ★★★
The mother of all haunted house movies. A movie that inspired so many remakes and quite possibly a few Scooby Doo episodes. Plot involves relatives of a millionaire who gather in his spooky mansion on the 20th anniversary of his death for the reading of his will. Then someone…wait for it…dies! German Expressionist director Paul Leni…
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I Am A Fugitive From A Chain Gang [1932] ★★★★
Fantastic drama/film noir based on Robert E.Burns’ autobiographical story about an innocent man (a fantastic Paul Muni) who accidentally gets mixed up in a robbery that lands him ten years on a chain gang where they treat prisoners like dirt. The story is so powerful and well told that you find yourself rooting for the poor…
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Seven Chances [1925]
Slapstick comedy at its best. Legendary silent movie star Buster Keaton plays a man who will inherit a fortune ($ 7 million to be specific)… if he’s married by 7:00 that evening! Delightfully winning, beautifully shot silent comedy mixes slapstick and verbal jokes in a winning combination. If you’re discovering silent cinema, this gem is…
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Manhattan [1979]
In many ways, “Manhattan” is one of Woody Allen’s best and most personal movies. His relationship with New York is a never ending love story. “He adored it. He idolized it all out of proportion”. The film offers a funny version of Allen’s real life world in which existentialism plays a major role. His character…
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Ten Classics worth watching
Freaks [1932] The power of the film is within the freaks themselves. We are invited to stare, but ultimately sympathize with them. We want to see anyone who threatens them get what they deserve, and boy do they ever get that. Click for full review. Nosferatu: A Symphony of Terror [1922] Film buffs might…
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Sons Of The Desert [1933]
Laurel and Hardy’s best movie; the boys find themselves in hot water when they scheme to get away from their wives and attend a lodge convention in Chicago. After persuading the wives that Ollie needs to sail to Honolulu for his health, they’re finally free to go to Chicago. The boat sinks on the way…
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Rebecca [1940] ★★★★
In 1940, Alfred Hitchcock came to Hollywood to direct what would become one of his greatest achievements. Yet it is somewhat surprising that despite his long career, only “Rebecca” earned him an Academy Award for Best Picture. Producer David O. Selznik, hot from the huge success of “Gone With The Wind” a year earlier, seized…
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The Flying Deuces [1939]
Viewing “The Flying Deuces” after so many years was a great reminder of how brilliant Laurel and Hardy were. In true L & H tradition, slapsticks and chase scenes are the main attraction here, along with Ollie telling Stanley the familiar phrase: “Well, here’s another fine mess you’ve gotten me into.” If you grew up…
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The Last Picture Show [1971]
“The Last Picture Show” is a wonderful accomplishment and worthy of its place in the list of great films of the 70’s. It’s a coming of age tale set in a small, dusty Texas town in the 50’s. The story centers around two best friends, Sonny (Timothy Bottoms) and Duane (a very young Jeff Bridges) as…
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Metropolis [1927] ★★★★
Directed by the legendary Fritz Lang, “Metropolis” is probably the first science fiction movie ever made. With huge sets, thousands of extras, and first rate special effects (considering it was made in the 20’s), it’s hard not to admire this truly wonderful film. Yet one of the most interesting things about it is the fact that…
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The Night Of The Hunter [1955]
In this terrifying tale of Good vs Evil, Robert Mitchum plays a “preacher” who roams the countryside, spreading the gospel, and leaving murdered women in the wake. His knuckles eerily tattooed with “love” and “hate”, he strongly believes that the work of God has more to do with condemning souls than saving them. Now his eyes…
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The Ten Commandments [1956]
What can you say in a few words about a four hour movie that depicts the life of Moses, the Egyptian prince who learned of his true heritage as a Hebrew and who became the deliverer of his people? Let’s try “perfection”, which is what director Cecil B. DeMille achieved in this epic film. Apply “magnificient” to…
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Abbott And Costello Meet The Killer, Boris Karloff [1949]
Like their earlier movie “Who Done It?”, Abbott and Costello find themselves once again investigating a murder. And despite the title being a bit misleading, this is among their finest work. No, Boris Karloff is not actually the killer here, as he is only a supporting character. I guess putting his name in the title…
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Freaks [1932]
Horror film master Tod Browning (who also directed “Dracula”) gathered an incredible cast of real life sideshow freaks for this bizarre, yet fascinating movie about a beautiful trapeze artist who agrees to marry the leader of side-show performers, unaware that his deformed friends had discovered that she is only marrying him for his inheritance. A living…
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Abbott And Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde [1953]
While not quite in the same league as “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein” (possibly the duo’s best movie), “A&C meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” (what a long title) is still a fine vehicle for the boys, and shows that they were still in excellent form even after all these years at Universal. Thankfully, the movie offers…
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Abbott And Costello Meet The Invisible Man [1951]
So here I am again, drawn into yet another Abbott and Costello movie. After meeting up with Frankenstein, Dracula, and The Wolfman, the boys finally got to hang out with the Invisible man this time around. All of these films were among their best work-solid entertainment and a nice break from the usual formula. Speaking…
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