“I coulda been a contender….” On The Waterfront is regularly cited as one of the greatest American movies of all-time. Upon its release in 1954, it won 8 Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Actor for Marlon Brando, Best Supporting Actress for Eva Marie Saint (in her film debut) and Best Director for Elia Kazan. This…
Vertigo
Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo has been ranked in recent polls of film critics as the greatest movie of all time. I have to respectfully disagree with that. Its not even my favourite Hitchcock film – not by a long shot! I must admit I find it very slow and boring, which is one of the reasons…
Lifeforce
I remember Tobe Hooper’s Lifeforce being a terrible, cheesy movie. I watched it again recently just to make sure. Yup, its dreadful beyond belief. Its a lamentable come-down for the director of the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Despite a large budget and some impressive practical effects, it manages the feat of being both batshit crazy…
Cry Danger
Here’s another cool poster for a movie I don’t think I have ever seen. Cry Danger is a 1951 film noir, with a plot centering around the old staple of a man sentenced to prison for a crime he did not commit. He is played by Dick Powell. Powell had an interesting career, to say…
Rumblefish
Francis Ford Coppola’s Rumblefish is one of the more visually striking movies of the 80s. It was shot back to back with Coppola’s similarly themed, but far less stylish, The Outsiders. Rumblefish has a deliberately avant-garde style, shot in high contrast black and white, with lots of noir overtones. The experimental approach extends to the…