Classic Movie Reviews

Roger Ebert gives it his highest rating, the American Film Institute voted it one of the best movies ever made and starring Humphrey Bogart who was voted the best actor of all time, The Maltese Falcon delivers the goods with incredible acting, directing, and cinematography. Bob and I delve into some of the questions left open at the end of the movie. I even throw out my personal theory on what rea...

A #1 pop hit song kicks off this tale of inner city kids and their inexperienced but masterful teacher and how they all end up deeply affecting each others lives. A powerful portrayal by the consummate Sidney Poitier, and a wonderful job of writing and directing by James Clavell bring combine to make a truly memorable movie. So travel back in time with us to the dock yards, back alleys and school...

“The sun is shining, the grass is green, The orange and palm trees sway. There's never been such a day in Beverly Hills, L.A. But it's December the twenty-fourth, And I am longing to be up North” Nope, you’re not going to hear this original first verse to the iconic and hugely successful “White Christmas” song in the movie or in any of the popular versions of the song released since the 1940’s. Bu...

What do "the adventures of a blind, gambling masseur who also happens to be a master swordsman", the television show "Sons of Anarchy" and Star Wars all have in common? Tune in and find out as we connect some tenuous dots between a wide range of genres and time periods in our review of "Zatoichi: The Tale Of Zatoichi" the first of 26 movies and 100 television episodes produced between 1962 and 198...

Will Dan Evans get Ben Wade to the 3:10 to Yuma in time? Will Dan redeem himself in his son's eyes? What other uses of cutlery will Ben Wade find along the way? All these questions and more are answered in "3:10 To Yuma". Bob and I compare the original movie released in 1957 to the new movie released 50 years later in 2007. Can you say "turn the drama dial to 11!" because that's what they did in t...

"O-Lan, you are the earth." Those are the closing words to MGM's 1937 film adaptation of Pearl S. Buck's "The Good Earth". Bob and I land squarely in the middle of our rating scale on this one (spoiler alert). We like Luise Rainer, who won an Academy Award for her role as O-Lan, the cinematography is great and there are some great scenes (how did they film the locus scene?!?) in the movie. But is...

Just in time for Halloween here in the United States, we pick a perfect movie if you like to be creeped out, shocked and generally made to feel like you won't be able to sleep tonight.

There are some great and memorable lines from the movie that changed motion picture making, The Jazz Singer broke ground with the dramatic use of music, singing and talking. It's also remembered for the use of "black face" in the closing musical numbers of the film. Al Jolson was known as the "World's Greatest Entertainer" at the time of the movie's release. We can catch glimpses of his charisma i...

Rated as one of the top movies of all time Singin' In The Rain has left a huge mark on film making that we are still feeling, seeing, hearing and enjoying today. From the classic "Singin' In The Rain" number to the goofy "Make Em Laugh", Singin' In The Rain is great fun from start to finish. So grab an umbrella as we go a Singin' In The Rain!

"Chick... chick... CHICK!" Poor Wilbur, if only Chick would believe him. He really is being chased by Dracula and Frankenstein's monster. And what do they want from Wilbur? His brain of course! No, they aren't zombies. They don't want to eat it. They want it for it's intellectual capacity, or lack thereof. And why and how did the Wolfman get mixed up in this zany adventure? Lot's of fun is had as...

"To a new world of Gods and Monsters." - Dr. Pretorius "This isn't science, it's more like black magic." - Dr. Frankenstein That may be true Dr. Frankenstein but that doesn't stop you from trying to create a new race of man and woman to walk the face of the earth. Of course it doesn't end well for our poor creatures, not to mention the crazy Dr. Pretorius. The similarities between this movie and Y...

"It's Alive!" Yes, it is and it's out to get you Doctor Frankenstein. Bob and I have some fun walking through our favorite scenes and some of our not so favorite scenes. We discuss the influence this movie had on "Young Frankenstein" and it turns out that "Young Frankenstein" had a pretty big influence on us because we inadvertently call the lab assistance Igor throughout the entire review when in...

We travel back in time to an age of innocence, wait what? No, that must be a different movie. We do get to watch a touching love story unfold in the suburbs of London in the 1940's. There's only one problem. The lovers are already married! The drama, the awkward situations, the chatty train passengers! Not to mention the holier than though friend. There's a lot to like in "Brief Encounter" and it'...

We wrap up our epic review of Gentleman's Agreement as events come to a dramatic climax. Bob and I just keep heaping praise on the film. And we dive into the themes and see how it all plays out for Phil, Kathy, Tommy, Grandma, Dave and the rest. Next week we're watching "Brief Encounter" released in 1945 by Pinewood Studios.

Prepare yourself for an epic review of "Gentleman's Agreement" released in 1947 by Twentieth Century Fox. This is Part 1 and covers the first half of the movie. Part 2 will be released next week. Also prepare yourself for a fairly opinionated review that dives deep into the themes of the movie. This is one of our very favorite movies of all time and I think we do it justice. Next week stay tuned f...

We are magically transported into inner-space on a Fantastic Voyage in this episode of Classic Movie Reviews. Is it a B movie? Is it an A movie? Maybe a B+ movie? No matter what letter you give it, the movie is a lot of fun and we enjoy the trip.

We'll never think of eating beans around a camp fire the same way again! We hit the dusty trails to find out just why the saddles were blazing. And boy oh boy do we find out.

It's a wild ride as we join the Navy and the Marines on Bali High in "South Pacific". Is it a love story? A war movie? A comedy? or maybe it's all just in our imaginations. We like it overall. Next time we head out west for "Blazing Saddles"!

We watch helplessly as Barbara Stanwick gets steamrolled for being a "Witness To Murder" Bob and I agree, it's not one of our favorites, but it does have it's moments. Next week we travel to the "South Pacific". Join us won't you?

Bob and I get philosophical (and political) as we discuss the merits of John Ford's adaptation of John Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath." We talk for an hour and so we've decided to split this episode into two parts. This week we follow the Joad's to the border of California, right before their perilous desert night crossing. Next week, we'll find out what happens to them in California. Spoiler: i...

We join the fighting 918th Bomb Group as they struggle to find out what it means to give a "maximum effort" during America's first daylight precision bombing runs of World War II. Next episode we review "Grapes of Wrath" which does not star Ricardo Montalban. That's a different wrathful movie.

We venture deep into the uncharted waters of the Amazon river to find the Creature From The Black Lagoon. We have lots of fun picking it apart and talking about the origins of the monster, science fiction versus horror, and more! Next episode we review the World War II classic "Twelve O'clock High".

Bob and I have the most fun we've had yet recording our review of "Young Frankenstein". There are so many good scenes, we have a hard time choosing our favorites. Next episode we review the Blu-Ray release of "Creature From The Black Lagoon"! I even watched it in glorious 3D!

Enjoy the double-crossing in part 2 of our review of "Double Indemnity"! Our review is almost as long as the movie itself. Next week... Young Frankenstein!