Erik The Conqueror is a fairly unremarkable Mario Bava film, made during his swords and sandals phase. By 1961, Bava had already reinvented himself as a horror film director with the masterful Black Sunday. By default, it seems like a massive step backwards for the director, but he also made another swords and sandals film in 1961, Hercules … Continue reading Erik The Conqueror – Blu-Ray Review
The Deadly Affair was one of the films that Sidney Lumet made during his British period, which came during the mid-'60s to the early '70s. Of course, tat was the point when he started making the gritty dramas like Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon and Network for which he is now best known. It's also a spy thriller, which makes it a … Continue reading The Deadly Affair – Blu-Ray Review
The Endless Summer is one of several things that started a surfing craze in the early to mid-'60s in the US. The Beach Boys were undoubtedly the key influencer for kids picking up surf boards, but also other surf music, especially the instrumentals by Dick Dale and His Del-Tones and one-hit wonders like The Chantays with … Continue reading The Endless Summer – Blu-Ray Review
Waxwork is one of the most fun '80s horror comedies, and it came out at the tail end of the '80s, when the genre pretty much seemed to be dying (with a couple of exceptions like Society, The 'Burbs and Killer Klowns from Outer Space.) It almost feels like it could be a Joe Dante film, and that's … Continue reading Waxwork – Blu-Ray Review
The Big Knife came off the flaming hot heels of Robert Aldrich's post-apocalyptic noir masterpiece Kiss Me Deadly. Both films are quintessential Los Angeles films, but this is only one of the two that is a statement on the industry that runs that town—the film industry. It's based on a scathing play by Clifford Odets, who is … Continue reading The Big Knife – Blu-Ray Review
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