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Michael Curtiz’ 1935 CAPTAIN BLOOD is the movie that propelled Errol Flynn into movie stardom. After treating a Monmouth rebel against King James II in 1680s England, a young Irish doctor is exiled as a slave to Jamaica where he captures a Spanish galleon and becomes the most feared pirate of the Caribbean. Mostly shot in the studio with sea battles achieved quite effectively with scale models. ...

Jacques Tati’s 1967 PLAYTIME is an elaborate plotless comedy stressing the inhuman quality of modern architecture. Shot in 70mm on huge sets which were essentially a small city the director appears as his famous character Monsieur Hulot. Tati’s perfectionism and bad luck caused the film to take 3 years to shoot. Tati insisted on only showing the film in 70mm with a complex stereophonic soundtra...

Jonathan Glazer’s BIRTH is a unique and sometimes disturbing tale of eternal love. A woman (Nicole Kidman)who becomes convinced that her deceased husband has been reincarnated as a ten-year-old boy (Cameron Bright). Glazer direction reminds me of Kubrick and the film has an odd look with desaturated colors and an emphasis on shades of green. The script has a lot of loose ends but Kidman’s delic...

Chris Noonan’s 1995 BABE is a truly charming tale told with a wry perspective about a little pig. A variety of animals are given seamless life with help for early CGI and the Jim Henson crew. The storybook design and the wonderful voice cast brings a lot of magic to the film. But as Farmer Hoggett James Cromwell gives a performance that adds soul and depth to the proceedings. It has been a whil...

Delmer Daves’ 1957 3:10 TO YUMA is a suspenseful western. It is also an excellent character study. Glenn Ford has never been a favorite of mine but he is excellent as the bad guy who tempts Van Heflin. The whole cast is great. Taut direction along with striking black and white cinematography by Charles Lawton Jr. (LADY FROM SHANGHAI) make this a classic of the genre. Highly recommended. With...

Giulio Paradisi’s 1979 THE VISITOR is a wild gumbo of cheap horror and sci fi produced by an Italian company and mostly filmed in Atlanta. The plot features elements from THE OMEN, THE EXORCIST, and CLOSE ENCOUNTERS. Not sure what horrible circumstances drove the actors to appear in this including Lance Henriksen, Glenn Ford, Mel Ferrer, John Huston, Sam Peckinpah, Shelly Winters, Kareem Abdul-Jab...

John Ford’s 1953 MOGAMBO is a remake of RED DUST released two decades earlier. Clark Gable plays the lead once again where he is pursued by Ava Gardner and Grace Kelly. Shot mostly on location in Africa, though some scenes are in a studio. It was a difficult shoot and reportedly Gable and Kelly had an affair while on location. Shot in Technicolor by two master cinematographers Freddie Young and ...

TARZAN AND HIS MATE from 1934 is arguably the sexiest of the series. Produced during the pre-code era both Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O’Sullivan wear minimal loin clothes and there is even an extended underwater sequence with a totally nude Jane. The production itself is fairly spectacular with some effective special effects. Weissmuller plays the monosyllabic ape man wonderfully. Direction...

In Claude Sautet’s 1960 CLASSE TOUS RISQUES (THE BIG RISK) a ruthless criminal (Lino Ventura) flees from police pursuit, involving more and more casualties. While seeking revenge he must also find a safe place for his two young sons. Rich and complex in its characters and situations it was ignored at the time as the French New Wave was getting more attention but has since been acclaimed as a cla...

Clint Eastwood’s THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES is a fine western set during and after the Civil War. Eastwood plays a young farmer who sees his wife and son killed by Yankee soldiers. The film is about his revenge. Strong script and fine cast makes this a classic of the genre. Shot on spectacular locations throughout the southwest in muted autumnal tones by Bruce Surtees. Excellent score by Jerry Fie...