Classic Movie Reviews

In "Curse of the Demon" a.k.a. "Night of the Demon" 1957 we explore the dark and satanic dominion of Dr. Julian Karswell played by Niall MacGinnis as he sets about making believers of those who doubt his powers. The Director Jacques Tourneur displays his exceptional experience as he creates this entertaining film using suspense, music, cinematography, special effects and talented actors. The movie...

Distributed in the United States by Crown International Pictures "The Silent Star" 1960 is a science fiction film based on Stanislaw Lem's 1951 novel The Astronauts.  The Director is Kurt Maetzig who made several films in East Germany.  The movie was also released in several versions and titles such as "First Spaceship on Venus". In this well produced film there is a diverse crew represe...

From 1967 "Viy" or (Spirit of Evil) is a film from the USSR and Communist Party era. It was the first horror film officially released during Soviet rule and was distributed by Mosfilm the film studio established in 1920. Konstantin Yershov and Georgi Kropachyov were the two Directors. Leonid Kuravlyov as Khoma Brutus is the seminary student who encounters the witch Pannochka played by Natalya Varl...

"The Conversation" 1974 is a mystery drama from Francis Ford Coppola. As Screenwriter, Producer and Director Mr. Coppola created an excellent film that was nominated for three Academy Awards including Best Picture. It lost the Best Picture award to "The Godfather II" another film from Mr. Coppola. Gene Hackman plays Harry Caul a well-known surveillance professional. During an assignment he discove...

Peter Hyams was the Screenwriter and Director of Capricorn One 1978. NASA is about to launch the first crew to Mars.  Three Astronautics are strapped in the spacecraft.  However, Dr. James Kelloway a NASA executive played by Hal Holbrook knows the craft's life support system will fail killing all onboard.  The three Astronauts are ordered off the spacecraft and forced to fake the mi...

In "Three Days of the Condor" released in 1975 Joe Turner played by Robert Redford finds himself in a nightmare of murder, double crosses, a secret plan for involvement in a foreign country to protect oil supplies and a cynical view of democratic processes. Director Sydney Pollack, Producer Stanley Schneider and the screenwriting team of Lorenzo Semple Jr. and David Rayfiel have created a convolut...

*** This episode contains adult themes and dialog *** "Klute" 1971 is the first installment in Director Alan Pakula's paranoid trilogy.  The other two films are "The Parallax View" 1974 and "All the President's Men" 1976. "Klute" is a neo film noir murder thriller with dark and foreboding elements.  The film takes us into the life of Bree Daniels prostitute and aspiring model/actress pla...

"Mad Monster Party" 1967 is a stop motion film from Rankin-Bass Productions. This delightful musical comedy brings us movie monsters Frankenstein, Count Dracula, the Mummy, Quasimodo, the Werewolf, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, "It" and more as they plan and plot on the Isle of Evil. Baron Boris von Frankenstein voiced by Boris Karloff has perfected the weapon of total destruction. The Baron wants to g...

From 1947 "My Favorite Brunette" is a fast paced film noir parody that showcases the comedic talents of Bob Hope. The film is a part of a long list of films featuring Mr. Hope. "The Ghost Breakers" 1940 that we reviewed in our Podcast 127 and "My Favorite Blonde" 1942 are only a sample of the many comedies from Bob Hope. Bob Hope plays child photographer and detective "wannabe" Ronnie Jackson, Dor...

"The Green Man" from 1956 is a drama-comedy film based on the play Meet a Body . Directed by Robert Day and Basil Dearden the movie tells the story of the freelance assassin Harry Hawkins played by Alastair Sim. Hawkins specializes in the use of explosives to accomplish his assignments. Alastair Sim is ideally cast in the role as he goes about his murderous work that culminates at the seaside hote...

"On the Waterfront" 1954 is from Columbia Pictures. Director Elia Kazan and screenwriter Budd Schulberg created this crime drama and love story starring Marlon Brando as Terry Malloy and Eva Marie Saint as Edie Doyle. The movie centers on corruption, extortion and racketeering on the waterfronts of New York Harbor and the growing love between Terry and Eva. The film's story is partly modeled after...

What might happen to a crew member if required to jump, without a parachute, from a badly damaged British plane during World War II. This is the situation presented in "A Matter of Life and Death" 1946 a film selected by our guest Arthur Sculco. The duo of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger wrote, produced and directed this beautifully photographed film. Squadron Leader Peter David Carter playe...

Director Michael Powell brings us the 1941 film "49th Parallel". Thanks to our guest Arthur Sculco who selected this excellent film for the podcast. Emeric Pressburger developed the original story and wrote the screenplay. Mr. Pressburger said, "Goebbels considered himself an expert on propaganda, but I thought I'd show him a thing or two." The film accomplishes this as it shows the treachery of m...

Maggie Smith gives the performance of a lifetime in "The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie". She plays the titular character backed up by an outstanding supporting cast led by Pamela Franklin, Robert Stephens, Gordon Jackson and Celia Johnson. The "Brodie Set" or "Brodie Girls" are played to perfection by Pamela Franklin, Diane Grayson, Jane Carr and Shirley Steedman. ***SPOILER ALERT*** We highly recomme...

From the 1952 short story by Daphne du Maurier, "The Birds" 1963 is a film that centers on surprising and aggressive bird attacks in and around the seacoast town of Bodega Bay, California. The movie also deals with complex family relationships and the growing romance between the wealthy and sophisticated Melanie Daniels played by Tippi Hedren and Rod Taylor as the handsome and eligible bachelor Mi...

"The Stranger" 1946 is a film noir involving the United Nations War Crimes Commission search for the notorious Nazi Franz Kindler, also know as Professor Charles Rankin, as played be Orson Welles. Mr. Welles is also the Director of the movie. For the first time in a Hollywood commercial movie documentary footage of the Holocaust death camps is shown and the horrific scenes play a pivotal role in t...

"Taxi Driver" from 1976 is a film noir drama set in New York City with some foreboding scenes occurring at night and in the rain. Director Martin Scorsese created a movie that is a success both critically and financially. Paul Schrader wrote the movie. Bernard Hermann did the score, his very last film before passing away prior to the film’s release. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards,...

We conclude our review of "Blade Runner" from 1982. Wow, what a great film. Also, I apologize for pronouncing "Brion James" as "Biron James" the whole time. Not sure what I was thinking - Matt

"Blade Runner" opened in theaters in 1982. Director Ridley Scott creates a cityscape of Los Angeles in 2019. The film has many aspects of film noir blended into a future where synthetic humans or replicants are produced to work on planets, asteroids and other objects scattered throughout space. These replicants are prohibited from being on Earth. When four Nexus-6 replicants escape back to Earth,...

Frederick Forsyth's 1971 novel "Day of the Jackal" is brought to life in Director Fred Zinnemann's 1973 film of the same name. The fast paced political drama starts with the 1962 failed assassination attempt of French President Charles de Gaulle. Subsequently the Secret Army Organization (OAS) hires an independent assassin with the code name "Jackal". He may or may not be British, but it is clear...

In the 1951 movie "The Lavender Hill Mob" four men, led by Alec Guinness as Henry "Dutch" Holland, plan and carry out the robbery of a load of gold bullion worth several million pounds. Director Charles Crichton has created one of the best British films as ranked by the British Film Institute. This heist movie is brought to life by the marvelous acting of Alex Guinness and Stanley Holloway as Alfr...

“Bawarchi” (The Chef) 1972 takes us to Shanti Niwas (abode of peace) where we meet the large Sharma family. Director Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s film tells the story of the squabbling Sharma family headed by the eccentric Daduji played by Harindranath Chattopadhyay. Daduji’s personality leads to frequent turnover in the cook job. Moreover, the family difficulties also add to the problem of retaining st...

Hello! We have some exciting announcements. The first announcement is that we are offering a new Patreon Tier 4. Join us on the show! Become an Associate Programmer! In addition to all the benefits of Tiers 1 through 3, you'll be an Associate Programmer for the show. Once every three months you'll: Choose a theme for the show Choose one movie that we'll review in that theme Be interviewed, either...

Gwen Terasaki’s 1957 autobiography is the basis for “Bridge to the Sun” 1961. Director Etienne Perier creates a realistic film of the marriage and life of Gwen Harold from Tennessee and Hidenari Terasaki a Japanese diplomat stationed in Washington, D.C. Against the advise of several people Gwen and Hidenari marry in 1935. They have a daughter Mako. Following the 1941 attack at Pearl Harbor. Japane...

“Farewell to Manzanar” is an excellent NBC television movie from 1976.  The film is based on an autobiography written by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James D. Houston.  The movie tells the story of seven-year-old Jeanne Wakasuki and her family’s internment at Manzanar in 1942 following the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.  On February 19, 1942 President Roosevelt issued...