Zorro is one of those characters I’m aware of, but have never actively watched any of the myriad films or television shows featuring him and his feared “Z” mark. Best known to fans in his 1957 Disney television series, Zorro is a Latin Robin Hood with a healthy dose of what would shape the character of…
In a world of gritty landscapes and dark shadows it’s often easy to forget the exotic locations many film noirs are located in. Riffraff is one such exotic adventure noir, although outside of an obligatory mention of its Panamanian setting it’s all mostly rear projection and interiors. However, it is this otherworldly, foreign experience…
Hollywood wasn’t betting on the massive success of a piddly little RKO adventure film starring the likes of Chester Morris and Lucille Ball. But when director John Farrow’s measly $225,000 film amassed $262,000 in profits, Hollywood’s ears perked up. In 1939, Five Came Back became one of the most successful films created by an independent…
Originally published October 11th, 2012 Before we get to today’s review I am running a day behind (this review should have gone up yesterday) so I’ll be catching up over the weekend. Sorry about that but hey, it took over a week for me to fall behind so that’s a record in my book. Today’s…
Originally published August 15th, 2012 Finally back on track with a film review, this time getting prepped for Halloween a few months early (although I have a pretty awesome theme of Halloween movies for the blog). Today’s film is the 1934 Edgar G. Ulmer film The Black Cat which made my TCM Top Twelve…
Originally published February 12th, 2014 Comedy Wednesday continues after a week’s absence with Michael Curtiz’s 1938 action/adventure romp, The Adventures of Robin Hood. My professor appears to have good taste because this was also suggested to me a year or so ago by blog reader, Chip! The Adventures of Robin Hood is a rollicking tale…
Fridays with Flynn moves from the plains of the heartland to the high seas with a retread of a film Flynn made five years earlier. Swashbucklers don’t necessarily thrill me, but even I couldn’t resist the breathless excitement that came from watching Flynn in Captain Blood (1935). By the time Flynn reteamed with Michael Curtiz…
