William Wyler is a director who is probably held in much higher esteem than he deserves. He was a workmanlike director who made some of the biggest hits of the '40s and '50s including Ben-Hur, Roman Holiday, The Best Year of Our Lives to just name just a few. However he would return to one … Continue reading Blu-Ray Review – The Children’s Hour
The Defiant Ones is one of Stanley Kramer's best films. It was made during the run of films for which he is best remembered, from The Defiant Ones to Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. Kramer was one of the key filmmakers of the post-war era, specialising in making effective films that often dealt with the big … Continue reading Blu-Ray Review – The Defiant Ones
Roman J. Israel, Esq. is one hot mess of a movie. It’s Dan Gilroy’s followup to his debut Nightcrawler, which was one of the best movies of the last few years. This, however, is not: Denzel Washington plays the title character, a driven, idealistic defense attorney whose boss has a heart attack and ends up … Continue reading DVD Review – Roman J. Israel, Esq.
Vincent Ward remains one of cinema’s major enigmas—he hasn’t made a film in over ten years. In fact, he’s best known for the film he never made: Alien³. Ward followed initial screenwriter William Gibson in taking on that project, and his plan was structurally similar to what was actually made, but set on a wooden … Continue reading Blu-Ray Review – Vigil
Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, No Way Out is a film noir about racism in urban America. Sidney Poitier gives his debut feature performance as Dr. Luther Brooks, a newly qualified young doctor. Two brothers have been shot by the cops while attempting a robbery, and these hoodlums—Ray (Richard Widmark) and Johnny (Dick Paxton)—are caught … Continue reading Blu-Ray Review – No Way Out (1950)
