Reading movies

The recent guest post here about William K. Everson by my friend Howard Curle reminded me that I have a copy of Everson’s Classics of the Horror Film (Citadel Press: Secaucus, N.J., 1974), which I hadn’t looked at … well, probably in a couple of decades. Dipping into it and re-reading some of the chapters, […]

The real pleasure of fake commentaries

Back in the dark days before DVD, when elitists spent large sums on laserdisks because the quality was so superior to the ubiquitous VHS tapes of home video, the commentary track was born. This was a terrific innovation, enhancing the value of a movie by providing context and opinions from the actual filmmakers or from […]

Two worthwhile websites

While looking for information about a couple of movies, I recently came across two websites I hadn’t previously been aware of, both of which are packed with interesting material. Midnight Eye, co-edited by Tom Mes, ubiquitous expert on all things cinematically Japanese, is a great-looking site devoted to Japanese film. It’s got a rich selection […]

Vin Diesel: fitting in

I stopped off on my way home from work the other day to catch a screening of Fast Five. It was a Tuesday, so the ticket was half price. I guess I’d have to say I got my money’s worth. I’d only previously seen the fourth movie in the series, Fast & Furious (also directed […]

Nigel Kneale & British genre television

British TV has always been primarily a writer’s medium; since the ’50s, the biggest stars have tended to be the writers, with writers’ names attached possessively to projects. Television production was often built around writers such as Alan Bennett, Alan Bleasdale and Dennis Potter, who was one of the biggest, with each of his new […]

Plumbing the depths of pulp

John Carpenter has had a long, uneven career, the chief foundation of which (after a couple of very good small features, Dark Star and Assault on Precinct 13) was the highly successful and influential Halloween. Personally, I’ve never understood that movie’s reputation and success. Apart from his facility with the widescreen frame and a strong […]

Blasts from the past

Year End 2018

Criterion Blu-ray review: Harold Lloyd’s Speedy (1928)

Late winter/early spring Arrow viewing, part two

Miscellaneous viewing – March 2018

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