You remember your favorite retro films and, of course, the great classics? I do too. That is why I decided to write contemporary reviews of some our favorite retro, cult, and classic films. All of the films listed were made before 1988.
‘The Inside Man‘ is a Cold War thriller directed by Tom Clegg, who also co-wrote the story with William Aldridge. It is a Swedish film that took inspiration from a real incident where a Soviet submarine was spotted in neutral Sweden’s waters. Mandell (Hardy Krüger) is a Swedish businessman working with CIA Agent Miller (Dennis…
‘Heat‘ is a 1986 action thriller written by William Goldman, who also wrote the novel it is based on. It is co-directed by Dick Richards and Jerry Jameson. Nick “Mex” Escalante (Burt Reynolds) is a Vietnam vet and former mercenary who now works in Las Vegas as a paid bodyguard and fixer. He dreams of…
Directed by Rudolph Maté, ‘D.O.A.’ is a 1950 film noir written by Russell Rouse and Clarence Greene. Though released with United Arts, the movie lapsed into the public domain after a filing error. As such, you can find for free on several major streaming platforms. Frank Bigelow (Edmond O’Brien) wanders into a Los Angeles Police…
‘The Man with the Golden Arm‘ is a 1955 black and white film directed by Otto Preminger. It faced notable controversy when it was released for its portrayal of drug addiction. Frankie Machine (Frank Sinatra) arrives in his hometown of Chicago after returning from a prison stint related to drug charges. Clean now, he meets…
George A. Romero changed the horror genre and the zombie trope in 1968 when he co-wrote, directed, and edited ‘Night Of The Living Dead.’ Siblings Barbra (Judith O’Dea) and Johnny (Russell Streiner) are delivering flowers to a gravesite when they are attacked by a mysterious man who kills Johnny. Running for her life, Barbra takes…
‘Gorky Park‘ is a different kind of crime thriller. Instead of taking place in the United States, the investigation takes place in Soviet Russia. It is directed by Michael Apted and was released in 1983. Three bodies are found in Gorky Park in Soviet-era Russia. Officer Arkady Renko (William Hurt) of the militia is assigned…
‘Soylent Green’ was a 1973 dystopian science fiction film taking place in the year 2022. It was directed by the late-great Richard Fleischer and released through MGM Studios. New York Police Detective Frank Thorn (Charlton Heston) is assigned to investigate the death of wealthy Soylent Industries executive William R. Simonson (Joseph Cotten). The city is…
‘Les Yeux sans visage‘ is a 1960 horror film known widely as ‘Eyes Without A Face.’ When it premiered, director Georges Franju faced controversy for its unsettling themes and disturbing imagery. In America, it would premier as ‘The Horror Chamber of Dr. Faustus,’ though heavily edited. Doctor Génessier (Pierre Brasseur) is called to identify the…
Written and directed by Richard Tuggle, ‘Tightrope, is produced by Clint Eastwood, who also stars in it. It was made by the Malpaso Company and released in 1984 by Warner Brothers. New Orleans police detective Wes Block (Clint Eastwood) is a single-father of two dog-loving girls who is assigned to solve the death of a…
‘The Mechanic‘ is a 1972 action thriller directed by Michael Winner and written by Lewis John Carlino. It was produced by Robert Chartoff and Irwin Winkler. It was released through United Artists. Arthur Bishop (Charles Bronson) is a “mechanic,” a hitman who works for the Mafia and pays a call girl (Jill Ireland) to pretend…
Bob Clark directs and produces the 1979 mystery film ‘Murder By Decree‘ a Sherlock Holmes adaption surrounding Jack the Ripper, the infamous and still unknown serial killer who haunted the Whitechapel district of Victorian London. Sherlock Holmes (Christopher Plummer) is approached by a group of concerned citizens about the Jack the Ripper murders that are…
‘Murder in Coweta County‘ is a television film that aired on CBS in 1983. It is directed by Gary Nelson and based on a book of the same name by writer Margaret Anne Barnes. John Wallace (Andy Griffith) is a wealthy Georgia landowner who controls Meriwether County with an iron fist, running moonshine in what…
Orson Welles directed, narrates, and stars in ‘F For Fake,’ a 1973 film he co-wrote with his partner Oja Kodar through his production company Janus Films. It is sometimes described as a documentary, sometimes a docudrama, and often as a film essay, but one thing is for sure, it is one of Welles’ most contemplative…
‘Judgement in Berlin‘ is the final film directed by Leo Penn. It was released in 1988 and distributed by New Line Cinema. It was written by Leo Penn and producer Joshua Sinclair, based on a book of the same by Herbert J. Stern. Federal judge Herbert J Stern (Martin Sheen) is called to West Berlin…
‘Stepfather II,’ also known as ‘Stepfather II: Make Room for Daddy,’ is a psychological horror film directed by Jeff Burr. It was released in 1989 and was plagued by studio interference. After the incidents of the first film, Jerry Blake (Terry O’Quinn) is institutionalized, but murders his psychiatrist Dr. Joseph Danvers (Henry Brown) and takes…
Directed by Joseph Ruben and based on a screenplay by Donald E. Westlake, ‘The Stepfather’ is a psychological horror that came out in 1987. It had several writers including Westlake, Carolyn Lefcourt, Brian Garfield, and David Loughery (whose reworking of the script went uncredited.) Henry Morrison (Terry O’Quinn) casually shaves and showers while walking around…
Released by Amicus Productions, “Asylum” also known as “House of Crazies,” is a horror anthology film directed by Roy Ward Baker and released in 1972. It was produced by Milton Subotsky and written by Robert Bloch, a popular horror writer at the time. Dr. Martin (Robert Powell) arrives as an asylum for the “incurably insane.”…
Adapted from the Jules Verne novel of the same name, 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea is a 1954 film from Walt Disney Productions. It was directed by Richard Fleischer from a screenplay by Earl Felton. Walt Disney himself served as an uncredited producer of the feature. Professor Pierre M. Aronnax (Paul Lukas) and his assistant,…
The Stranger is a 1946 thriller directed by Orson Welles, who also produced it and released it through RKO Pictures. Despite its popularity, it has entered the public domain after its surviving producers failed to renew it in 1973. Taking place in the 1940s, the United Nations War Crimes Commission sends an agent named Mr.…
Jim Henson co-directed this film with Frank Oz, The Dark Crystal, made in 1982. It is a fantasy film that brought a world to life that catches the eye, puts you on the edge of your seat, and inspires your imagination. Prior to the events of the film, a powerful crystal on the planet Thra…
Today, the hit musical Singin’ In The Rain has been chosen to continue music week. It is a 1952 film directed by Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly (who also starred and choreographed the movie). It features an ensemble cast for its time including Debbie Reynolds, Donald O’Connor, Jean Hagen, Millard Mitchell, Cyd Charisse, Douglas Fowley, Rita Moreno as well as King Donovan in a…
1944’s Laura is a brilliant example of film noir to come from the era of predominantly black and white cinema. It was produced and directed by Otto Preminger. Its principal cast includes Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews, Clifton Webb, Vincent Price, Judith Anderson and a few others. It takes the classic “whodunit” genre of murder mystery films and…
In 1953, Shane changed Western films forever. It is based on a novel by Jack Schaefer. I have not read it the book, so it will not factor into this classic film review. The Western is directed by George Stevens and stars Alan Ladd, Jean Arthur, Van Heflin,Brandon deWilde, Jack Palance, Emile Meyer, Elisha Cook,…
The Wind and The Lion was released to theaters in 1975. It was written by and directed by the master director John Milius, director of Red Dawn (the inspiration for the 2012 film). It has an ensemble cast that acts in stellar fashion. It fictionalizes a real kidnapping that happened in 1904. Milius made several changes…
A classic film that premiered on the small screen via television instead of the silver screen, The Shadows Riders is a Western that is unforgettable. It is directed by Andrew V. McLaglen and stars Tom Selleck, Sam Elliott, Dominique Dunne, Katharine Ross, Ben Johnson, Jeff Osterhage, Marshall Teague, Jane Greer, and many character actors. Mac and Dal…
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