Category Archives: Classic Film
From The Warner Archive: Born To Be Bad, 1950 (dir. Nicholas Ray)
Recently remastered and released by the Warner Archive, Born to Be Bad is an early, but important effort from landmark director Nicholas Ray. The film was released three months after Ray’s breakthrough masterpiece In A Lonely Place, starring Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame. While this film seems a lesser effort in comparison, I think much of the fault lies with the studio; Born To Be Bad had five writers and it feels like it. That said, this remaster is beautifully done and the disc comes with the original theatrical trailer, as well as a newly found and restored alternate ending. More on that after the cut.
TCM To Celebrate Politics In Film In October
Each Friday in October, TCM will show a series of films depicting American politics in film leading up to the election in November. On top of that, they will be premiering a new one-hour documentary special entitled: A Night at the Movies: Hollywood Goes to Washington. The documentary is produced by Amblin Television and Laurent Bouzereau. It is set to premiere Friday, Oct. 5, at 8 p.m. (ET) and will “provide an in-depth look at the treatment of politics in cinema. Beginning with the genre’s most defining movies, the special will explore how filmmakers have approached politics in their storytelling. A Night at the Movies: Hollywood Goes to Washingtonwill examine films about political campaigns and political conspiracies, and the portrayal of American presidents in the movies.” A Night at the Movies: Hollywood Goes to Washingtonwill examine films about political campaigns and political conspiracies, and the portrayal of American presidents in the movies.” Various filmmakers and performers have been interviewed for the special including Oliver Stone (JFK, Nixon, W.), Rob Reiner (The American President), Gary Ross (Dave), Rod Lurie (The Contender), Illeana Douglas, James Cromwell, Fred Thompson, producer Marc Frydman (The Contender), political consultant and commentator James Carville (The War Room), screenwriter Bob Gale (Back to the Future), author and film critic Julie Salamon (The Devil’s Candy), and Projecting Hollywood co-author Terry Christensen.
After cut is the full schedule of films.
TCM and Universal To Release Two Billy Wilder Classics On DVD For The First Time
I love both of these films. They are some of Wilder’s lesser-known efforts, but they are definitely worth your time. Five Graves To Cairo in particular is an interesting watch, as it is one of those war films made during the war. You can read the whole press release after the cut.
Regis Philbin Set To Be TCM’s September Guest Programmer
Regis Philbin will be TCM’s Guest Programer for September. His four picks will air on Tuesday, Sept. 4, beginning at 8 p.m. I loved three of the four films he chose. Can you guess which won I don’t like?
His picks are after the cut.
From The Warner Archive: Two Italian Sword-And-Sandal Epics
The Warner Archive has just released both Damon and Pythias and Hercules, Samson and Ulysses in newly remastered DVD form. Both films are prime examples of the Italian Sword-and-Sandal genre that was prominent in that country’s film industry in the late-1950s, early-1960s (just before the Spaghetti Western took over). Basically, take all of your favorite characters from ancient Biblical and Greek/Roman times, put them in a blender together and what you get is these ridiculous(ly great) films that do not care if these people could ever really have shared the same space. That is not the point. Just go with it and you will enjoy it, I swear.
Dana Andrews Blogathon: My Eternal Love For Laura
I first saw Laura about two years ago during the inaugural Noirvember in 2010 (which later led to the creation of the filmnoirandfemmefatales as run by salesonfilm and myself). I loved it when I first saw it, but I watched so many films after it (2010 was the year I watched 517 new-to-me films, followed by 1117 in 2011) that it kind of got lost in the ether.
From The Warner Archive: Two Never Before On DVD Featuring Gene Kelly
The Warner Archive recently released six Gene Kelly films that had never before been on DVD. I was lucky enough to review two of them: Black Hand and The Devil Makes Three, both of which have been newly remastered.
TCM To Release Five Early Frank Capra Classics
I’ve actually only seen two of these five films, but I loved both of them. So. Much. Stanwyck. TCM is partnering with Sony (aka Columbia) and Martin Scorsese’s The Film Foundation to release these films in a box set called Frank Capra: The Early Collection, which will be released on Monday, Sept. 3. The releases will include introductions by Robert Osborne, Martin Scorsese, Ron Howard and Michel Gondry, as well as audio commentaries by film historians Jeanine Basinger and Jeremy Arnold. More information after the cut.
TCM to Examine Hollywood’s Depiction of People with Disabilities in The Projected Image: A History of Disability in Film in October
This looks like it could be a really interesting exploration of cinema history. The press release and full schedule are after the cut.
From The Warner Archive: Crime Does Not Pay – The Complete Shorts Collection (1935-1947)
Prior to the Warner Archive’s releases of this collection earlier this month, I had actually never heard of these MGM-produced shorts. I have now watched all fifty of the Crime Does Not Pay shorts, and I must say I kind of really loved them. You could argue that something like these shorts is what led to the original crime procedurals like Dragnet, but also, since they are told mostly from the point of view of the criminals, something like Law and Order: Criminal Intent. If you love those shows, you will love these shorts.
the diary of a film history fanatic 