Movieman's Guide to the Movies
The Final Word on Physical Media
I Could Go On Singing features a strong performance from Judy Garland in her final film but beyond that, this character drama, with catchy music, is well done directed by Ronald Neame.
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Garden of Evil may not be a well remember Western from 1950s but it’s still a entertaining film featuring strong yet charming performances from Gary Cooper and Susan Hayward. The Blu-ray released by Twilight Time offers good video and audio transfers and in a nice surprise, some respectable features.
One thing you can’t deny, the Italians know how to make some of the more unusual films and the ‘70s they were at their peak. Apassionata isn’t just soft-core porn-like film but instead a study of the domestic, suburban family and the deep, messed up drama that occurs within.
A Prayer for the Dying could’ve been a great movie and instead, thanks to studio interference, we get something that’s merely ‘good’. The acting from Rourke and Hoskins was probably the saving grace, not to mention Liam Neeson’s brief role, and in the end, I was fairly entertained.
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Cutter’s Way is, I’d say, on the underappreciated side of things. Not only is the story compelling but the performances by Jeff Bridges and John Heard are exceptional to go along with Lisa Echhorn. The Blu-ray released through Twilight Time has a decent video transfer, good audio but does fall short in the features department.
Julia (1977) is a well made period drama featuring strong performances by Jane Fonda and Vanessa Redgrave, along with Jason Robards well. This “Limited Edition” Blu-ray released by Twilight Time isn’t exceptional yet the video and audio transfers are both well done and the new commentary with Fonda is interesting.
Lilies of the Field is a feel-good and very well made drama about the human spirit and features such a fantastic performance from the revered Sidney Poitier who was just at the beginning of his incredible career, or at least prior to iconic roles in To Sir, With Love and Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.
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Alexander the Great is a well made if not ultimately forgettable epic action-adventure that features strong performances by Richard Burton, Fredric March and Claire Bloom, not to mention impressive costume and production designs.
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Anastasia is a well made movie of one of the more intriguing stories in modern history: the existence of the sole survivor of the Romanov family. The performances all around are well done headlined by both Ingrid Bergman and Yul Brynner and in conjunction with director Anatole Litvak, it’s a film well worth checking out even if it’s fictitious.
Exodus is a lengthy (3.5 hours) and although it’s hard to watch in one sitting, it does feature some strong performances by Paul Newman and Eva Marie Saint to go along with an interesting story in conjunction with the adaptation by Dalton Trumbo and Otto Preminger’s masterful direction.
La bambola di satana might be a guilty pleasure of mine. The film isn’t very well made with one-dimensional characters, so-so performances (at best) and the plot is a bit silly culminating with a Scooby-Doo like ending; and this is not forgetting some piss-poor editing. That said, it did keep me entertained and under better talent, might’ve made for good mystery-thriller.
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Where the Sidewalk Ends isn’t the most well known film noir from the era or even from Otto Preminger’s resume, but it’s a compelling drama with solid performances from Dana Andrews and Gene Tierney.
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Hawaii is a lengthy but entertaining epic drama featuring solid performances from its core cast including Richard Harris, Julie Andrews and Max von Sydow as well as a small early role by Gene Hackman (only his third feature film). The Blu-ray released through Twilight Time is rather basic with few bonus features but the audio and video transfers are both well done.
From the Terrace is an amiable enough drama but it is long, or felt it at times, but the performances for the most part were good including, unsurprisingly, the venerable Paul Newman in the lead.
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Bound for Glory isn’t a fantastic movie and it is a bit long in the tooth at nearly two and a half hours but Guthrie as a person and his journey was interesting combined with an amazing performance from the always charismatic David Carradine does make for a worthwhile viewing.