A personal journal of film and documentary reviews, and reviews of anything else that intrigues me.
Elmer Clifton, “Assassin of Youth” (1937) It’s a laughable anti-marijuana screed but “Assassin of Youth” at least has a comic drama going for it. A reporter,…
French and French-language Films
Jules Dassin, “Rififi” (1955) A film about a technically perfect crime, only for its participants to be totally undone by one small action by one of…
Alfred Hitchcock, “Downhill” (1927) Before he found his niche as Master of Suspense, the young Alfred Hitchcock made a few films in several genres that include…
Alfred Hitchcock, “The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog” (1927) Only the third film made by a young Alfred Hitchcock, “The Lodger …” already has…
Katsuhiro Otomo, “Akira” (1988) In an alternative but parallel universe in 1988, a scientific experiment using young children as test subjects for research into superhuman mental…
French and French-language Films
Georges Franju, “Eyes without a Face” / “Les yeux sans visage” (1959) Lean and elegant in narrative style, this film treats a pulpy mad-scientist horror story in…
Roger Corman, “Little Shop of Horrors” (1960) Here’s a cute comedy horror piece made on the cheap in just two days in 1960 that speaks to…
Australian and New Zealand Films
Sonia Bible, “Recipe for Murder” (2010) Contrary to what most people think about the 1950’s, the decade or the early part of it at least wasn’t…
Australian and New Zealand Films
Peter Jackson, “Heavenly Creatures” (1994) Having made his reputation as purveyor of gory splatter horror comedy flicks to amuse teenagers and kidults, New Zealand director Peter…
French and French-language Films
Henri-Georges Clouzot, “Les Diaboliques” aka “The Devils” (1955) At first “Les Diaboliques” doesn’t seem anything like director Henri-Georges Clouzot’s previous film “Wages of Fear”: one is…