Today's review: 42nd Street.

42nd Street is notable because it was the film that would define the shape of the musical for years to come. That alone is enough to get it onto a lot of “all time great movies” or “movies that changed cinema” lists. But unlike some movies that are on those lists, this one remains entertaining to watch.

( Read the rest of the review here... )

Today's review is technically a two-in-one: Fritz Lang's Nibelungen movies.

We return to Fritz Lang again, with a very different set of films. Unlike Dr. Mabuse, the movie is set in the past, telling a story out of Nordic mythology that was dedicated to the German people. While Lang was unable to bring the slanted shadows of German Expressionism ( Read more... )

This weekend's review: Sukiyaki Western Django.

I had no idea what the movie Sukiyaki Western Django was going to be about when I sat down to watch it; even the title felt like word salad. However, the minimal plot summary on IMDB looked interesting and suggested it was a Western, so I was willing to give it a go. And I’m glad I did, even if I’m ( Read more... )

The second half of the double feature: Byzantium.

I’ve been fascinated by vampires for a long time, but media, especially movies, centering around them is pretty hit and miss. I was recommended Byzantium several years ago by fatpie42 here on Livejournal, but it took until now to watch it, and I didn’t know what to expect. If you’re still around, fatpie42, thank ( Read more... )

While I did just do a themed event last month, it was a vague connecting element that I didn't call that much attention to. This month, however, I'm doing something a little more specific. In honor of Halloween, I'm going to be posting reviews of various versions of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde every Wednesday, to see what changes have been made over ( Read more... )

The second part of the double feature: The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog.

The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog had two things that attracted me to it. One was that it was based off a historical incident that’s fascinated me for years, and the other was that it’s a silent film directed by master of suspense Alfred Hitchcock. While both points ( Read more... )

This weekend's review: Jean Cocteau's La Belle et La Bête.

Jean Cocteau’s La Belle et La Bête is a beautiful film. The story is fine, but in this case, it’s the visuals that really make the movie click. If the goal was to create something magical, then I’d say he succeeded spectacularly ( Read more... )

This weekend's review: Corridor of Mirrors.

I’d seen a review of Corridor of Mirrors over on movie_greats that intrigued me enough to put it on my “To Watch” list, but it took me a long time to find a copy, meaning I forgot a lot of the review. I actually consider this a good thing, because that way I could go in mostly blind and be surprised by ( Read more... )

TCM Movie #14: The Phantom of the Opera.

I naturally had heard of the silent version of The Phantom of the Opera, both because I’m a movie buff and because of discussions connecting it to the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical (I’m thinking of these videos in particular, but be warned, there are spoilers for some of the various versions, including this ( Read more... )

This weekend's review: Orphans of the Storm.

The French Revolution has long been one of my favorite periods of history. It has an interesting cast of characters, and superficial as it is, I adore the outfits for both the men and the women. So I was always going to like Orphans on the Storm solely for the setting, but it turns out it has good ( Read more... )