Based on a series of short stories by Walter R. Brooks, an unaired pilot shot in 1958, and extensive recasting, Mister Ed debuted in syndication in 1961, sponsored by Studebaker, because executives at the three networks had little faith that…
Extremely controversial when it was released in 1974, The Night Porter remains uncomfortable experience largely because it refuses to provide clear, and easy answers for what is going on. The setting is Vienna, 1957. Max (Dirk Bogarde), a forty-something bachelor,…
No matter what one might of thought of her as person, it’s hard to deny that Joan Crawford was very smart in selecting her film roles. Keen to stay within her range, by the 1940’s Ms. Crawford found herself in…
Light on plot, and heavy on testosterone, Sylvester Stallone returned to action genre relevancy with The Expendables series. With each film. Stallone assembles an all-star cast of action heroes for two hours of high octane mayhem. There’s not really much…
When dismissing Elvis Presley’s films, most people are likely considering his post Blue Hawaii (1962) work, which can be can be considered nothing more than fluff, largely designed to maintain his popularity, and promote his recording career. Elvis’ earlier films…
Based on the Young Adult novel by Lois Lowry, a near two decade passion project for actor Jeff Bridges, The Giver is yet another in what has become a bit of a glut in science fiction films set in a…
Known for his so-called “message movies,” independent producer/director Stanley Kramer made a career of bringing attention to social issues that most major studios looked to avoid. Whether he was exploring racism, nuclear war, or politics, Kramer always tried to approach…
After directing over 140 television shows for CBS during the 1950’s, and receiving mixed reviews for his first two films, 1962 proved to be a pivotal year for John Frankenheimer. Both The Manchurian Candidate, and The Birdman of Alcatraz earned…
Editor’s Notes Portions of this review appeared in our coverage of the original Blu-ray edition of ‘White Christmas.’ The top grossing film of 1954, White Christmas retains classic holiday status, despite the fact that the major story has very little…
Editor’s Notes: Portions of this review also appear in our coverage of the previous Blu-ray release of ‘The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.’ Picking up where An Unexpected Journey left off, just after their escape from a pack of Orcs,…