This weekend's review: The Big Combo.

The Big Combo is a solid noir title, punchy and hinting at some sort of violence or action. It’s not quite as eyecatching as something like Double Indemnity or The Big Heat, but if you’re a noir fan, it’s the sort of thing you want to see or maybe even actively seek out. Alas, the movie underneath the title ( Read more... )

This weekend's review: Crime School.

I was drawn to Crime School both by the title and by the fact that Humphrey Bogart was in it. I didn’t know what to expect, except that Bogart would probably be playing a tough guy. Imagine my surprise when the movie turned out to not only be pretty entertaining, but also featured Bogart in a type of role he ( Read more... )

Today's review is technically two movies in one (as it was presented as one movie split into two parts, years before Harry Potter tried to make that a thing); Dr. Mabuse.

Dr. Mabuse (also known as Dr. Mabuse the Gambler), was, at the time, Fritz Lang’s most ambitious project, and also a subject he would wind up returning to twice more. That being ( Read more... )

Today's review: Machine Gun McCain.

There were two reasons I wanted to see Machine Gun McCain; the title is eye-catching, and Peter Falk is in it. I assumed it was a gangster picture, and was hoping for something along the lines of the old Cagney films. Given that it was made in 1969, right on the cusp of an era of filmmaking I don’t particularly ( Read more... )

The second half of the double feature is, of course, the Brian De Palma remake of Scarface.

I didn’t know much about the 1983 Scarface, other than the fact that it’s fairly popular and spawned the famous line “Say hello to my little friend!” Naturally, though, I was curious to see if it had anything in common with the original Scarface, and since ( Read more... )

I've got another double feature this weekend. First up; the 1932 version of Scarface.

While there are quite a lot of gangster movies out there, three in particular are often cited as the best of the lot. Public Enemy and Little Caesar are remembered mostly for kickstarting the careers of James Cagney and Edward G. Robinson respectively, while ( Read more... )

This weekend's review: "G" MenThere was an interesting trend in Hollywood in the 30’s. Actors who got their start playing gangsters were given opportunities to break out of those roles and play actual good guys, sometimes actively fighting against the sort of characters they used to play. It happened to Edward G. Robinson and Humphrey Bogart, and ( Read more... )

The second part of the double feature; Once Upon a Time in America.

Apparently not content with trying to outdo directors like John Ford, Sergio Leone turned to the world of the gangster picture and tried to square off against Francis Ford Coppola. The result was Once Upon a Time in America, and much like his previous film with an oddly similar ( Read more... )

Today's review: Bugsy Malone.

It’s hard to figure out what tack I should take when reviewing Bugsy Malone. Do I treat it as just another movie, or do I focus on the unique selling point that colors the entire story? In the end, this review is probably going to wind up being a mixture of both. One thing’s for sure, though; while the movie has an ( Read more... )

Once again, I pull out an end of the month Grab-Bag to round out July. As always, clicking on the movie's title will take you to the IMDB page if you're interested.

( Raging Bull )