Michael Radford’s 1984 is a rather faithful retelling of George Orwell’s novel of the same name. Published in 1948, 1984 predicts the fall of Western Culture. In the year 1984, civilization has been decimated by war and civil unrest. Oceana is the last thriving totalitarian superstate in the world. Ruled by the Party under the …
Once again, Disney has opened the vault for a re-release of the 1992 film, Aladdin on Blu-ray as the tenth title in their ‘Signature’ line. Video has been remastered and is now Presented in a different aspect ratio than the Diamond Edition, 1.66:1, versus 1.85:1, while audio appears unchanged. As is often the case, this …
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Back in print on DVD courtesy of Warner Archive, The Cincinnati Kid was adapted by Ring Lardner, Jr (M*A*S*H) and Terry Southern (Easy Rider) from a novel by Richard Jessup. Steve McQueen (The Blob) was still establishing his screen persona when The Cincinnati Kid hit theaters in 1965, even though one of his most iconic …
Written and directed by Elia Kazan (A Face in the Crowd), The Arrangement, released in 1969, was based on his own bestselling novel of the same name. Having read Kazan’s A Life, it quickly becomes clear that Kazan saw something of himself in the film’s protagonist, Eddie Anderson, a high-flying advertising executive. So, perhaps he’s …
Credited with bringing reggae to the world, and lauded for its soundtrack, The Harder They Come stars Jimmy Cliff as Ivan Martin, a small-town Jamaican who travels to Kingston in hopes of making it as a reggae singer. It turns out that breaking into the music industry is next to impossible and finding regular work …
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Released in 1954, Magnificent Obsession was directed by Douglas Sirk. While not the German émigré’s first Hollywood film, it would later be recognized as the first to demonstrate what could be called the “Sirkian” style. By the end of the decade, Sirk would release a series of films–All That Heaven Allows (1955), Written on the …
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Created by Kenneth Johnson (The Bionic Woman) V, inspired by Sinclair Lewis’ 1935 anti-fascist novel It Can’t Happen Here, first aired over two nights in 1983, proved to be a huge hit with viewers. With over sixty speaking characters, V was truly an epic event. Flying saucers appear in the sky over Earth’s Fifty major …
It’s been widely reported that Bette Davis (All About Eve) wanted to play Scarlett O’Hara in Gone With the Wind. When the role went to Vivian Leigh, she was very disappointed. Sometimes described as a consolation prize, Davis played Julie Marsden in Jezebel, winning an Academy Award for Best Actress. Directed by William Wyler (Mrs. …
Nearing the end of a career that included such films as Walkabout, Don’t Look Now and The Man Who Fell to Earth, English director Nicholas Roeg teamed with Jim Henson Productions for The Witches. The 1990 film is based on the eponymous 1983 children’s novel by Roald Dahl. Wickedly fun, the unabashedly dark tale, may …
One of America’s most beloved comedians, Danny Thomas’ success on television was surpassed only by his well-known philanthropy. Most know him best as the creator and star of Make Room for Daddy (also known as The Danny Thomas Show) which ran from 1953-1964. The series garnered 26 Emmy nominations over the course of its run, …
