The Ninth Annual Buster Keaton Blogathon: Sherlock Jr(1924)

Sherlock Jr is a timeless gem and one of Buster Keaton's greatest achievements as an actor, stuntman and director.  The film may well only last for 45 minutes but it manages to be more stunning, inventive and memorable than many a film which lasts for several hours.   The name is Holmes. Buster Holmes. Sherlock Jr…

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Announcing The Master Of Suspense Blogathon

I think it's high time that we had another Blogathon. This time I'm inviting you all to join me to celebrate the work of the Master of Suspense, Mr. Alfred Hitchcock. For the purposes of this event you can write about any of Hitchcock's films, his British films versus his American ones, his series Alfred…

The Danny Kaye Blogathon: My Two Favourite Danny Kaye Films

Danny Kaye(1911-1987). Image source Wikimedia Commons. Danny Kaye was a man of many talents. He was a brilliant dancer, a gifted comedian(both in terms of delivering funny dialogue as well as performing physical comedy), he was also a terrific singer, hosted his own television series(1963-1967) and was a conductor, pilot and chef. Danny was also…

The Kim Novak Blogathon: Vertigo(1958)

This haunting Alfred Hitchcock film surprisingly wasn't all that well received upon its release in May, 1958, and received quite a mixed response from audiences and critics. Vertigo was undoubtedly the darkest film that the director had made up to that point and it would appear as though its themes and content were too much…

Recommending Four Romantic Films And One TV Series For Valentine’s Day

Love is in the air around the world today. The perfect excuse then for me to recommend four of my favourite romantic films and one romantic TV series to everyone. Priceless(2006) This French film is romantic, hilarious and sexy in equal measure. Mistaken identity leads to true love set against the backdrop of the beauty…

A Ghost Story With A Difference: The Changeling(1980)

Not only is Peter Medak's The Changeling a chilling ghost story, but it also plays around with genre tropes and audience expectations in ways which make it very different to your average haunted house film.Ghost stories have been told around the world for so long that none of us alive today know what the very…

True Stories On Screen: The Winslow Boy(1948)

The Winslow Boy is directed by Anthony Asquith(The Browning Version, Carrington V.C.) and produced by Anatole de Grunwald. The film is based upon the 1946 stage play of the same name written by Terence Rattigan(Separate Tables). Anatole de Grunwald and Terence Rattigan co-wrote the film's screenplay. The film features Robert Donat delivering one of his greatest screen…

Lon Chaney Sr: The Ultimate Character Actor

I have long considered Lon Chaney Sr to be the ultimate character actor on film. The man was a marvel. He could play anybody and completely disappeared inside the characters he portrayed. When I started to get into Silent cinema it didn't take long for him to become one of my all time favourite actors.…

True Stories On Screen: Anastasia(1956)

Welcome to the first in a new series in which I'll be writing about true stories that have been adapted for the screen. For this series I will not only write about the film or television series itself, but I will also be taking a look at the real individuals and historical events that they…

Murder, My Sweet(1944)

1944 was a seminal year for Film Noir with the release of some of the greatest films in the genre such as Double Indemnity,Phantom Lady, Laura, To Have And Have Not, The Woman In The Window,The Ministry Of Fear and Murder, My Sweet. Whenever I hear or read the words Film Noir, Murder, My Sweet is always…

Cry Of The City(1948)

Cry Of The City is a Film Noir which plays out like a 1940’s Greek tragedy. It is a poignant and powerful tale of injustice, love, the desire for a second chance and the inability to avoid the hand in life dealt to us by fate. Not only does the film make us fully support and sympathise…

The Partnership Of Fred Astaire And Ginger Rogers

Laurel and Hardy, Bogie and Bacall, Morecambe and Wise, Hope and Crosby, Pryor and Wilder, Tracy and Hepburn. There are some people who are just meant to be together and you cannot ever imagine them apart. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers are one such screen partnership. Fred and Ginger fit together perfectly and are quite…

Now, Voyager(1942) At Eighty

Eighty years ago, Now, Voyager received its premiere in New York on the 22nd of October, 1942. The film went on general release in America on the 31st of October and wouldn't be released here in the UK until November of 1943. It is based upon the 1941 novel of the same name, which was…

The Naked Jungle(1954)

The Naked Jungle is one wild film. There’s a vast amount of sexual tension crackling away between Eleanor Parker and Charlton Heston, something which leads to their shared scenes(especially the moment he applies some insect repellent ointment to Joanna's skin) and dialogue delivery being so sexually suggestive, that you really do have to wonder quite how…