Just some film musings of a more succinct, spontaneous and sometimes seditious nature:
Wednesday, June 18, 2025
Today on TCM:
Top Ten Western #8 High Noon is a simple but tightly constructed narrative, one of the few that unravels almost completely in real time.
Read More
Just some film musings of a more succinct, spontaneous and sometimes seditious nature:
Tuesday, June 17, 2025
Tomorrow on TCM:
This will be a really bad day for anyone who encounters Them! (the giant mutant ants that is).
Read MoreJust some film musings of a more succinct, spontaneous and sometimes seditious nature:
Monday, June 16, 2025
Currently available at Watch TCM (until July 12th):
"Complaining about the far-fetched circumstances in films noir is like objecting to the lack of realism in a Picasso painting. What I mean is that lovers of these criminally rich cinematic delights oughtn’t to bother picking out the implausibilities, since they are practically a hallmark of noir's style."
I've written this before when introducing Split Second (1953), a film noir that presents some rather unlikely occurring, but fascinating, situations.
Read MoreJust some film musings of a more succinct, spontaneous and sometimes seditious nature:
Friday, June 13, 2025
This weekend on TCM:
The multi-talented Gordon Parks made his directorial debut at age 57 with 1969's The Learning Tree based on his semi-autobiographical novel of the same name. This touching coming of age story was previously lauded, along with its creator Parks, in an article entitled: Exploring the Artefacts #5: The Alchemist.
Read More
Just some film musings of a more succinct, spontaneous and sometimes seditious nature:
Wednesday, June 11, 2025
Tomorrow on TCM:
Although starting out as quite the common man, circumstances will turn this rather nondescript accountant played by Edmond O'Brien, into a kind of noir superhero in D.O.A. (1950) previously recommended here.
Read More
Just some film musings of a more succinct, spontaneous and sometimes seditious nature:
Tuesday, June 10, 2025
Tomorrow on TCM:
Out of Africa is an Academy Award Winning film from the ‘80s (1985 to be exact) that I have been rather critical of.
Read MoreJust some film musings of a more succinct, spontaneous and sometimes seditious nature:
Monday, June 9, 2025
Currently available at Watch TCM (until July 6th):
A pre-code charmer sure to delight fans is Blonde Crazy (1931) with Jimmy Cagney and Joan Blondell enchanting as a couple of cons.
Read MoreJust some film musings of a more succinct, spontaneous and sometimes seditious nature:
Friday, June 6, 2025
Currently available at Watch TCM (until June 17th):
“I love this dirty town.”
New York City’s vernacular never smelled sweeter than it does in 1957’s Sweet Smell of Success.
Read More
Just some thoughts on current happenings:
Just some film musings of a more succinct, spontaneous and sometimes seditious nature:
Thursday, June 5, 2025
Currently available at Watch TCM (until June 21st):
It's back to westerns with another Top Ten (#3) and Hidden Gem #19, Devil's Doorway.
Read MoreJust some film musings of a more succinct, spontaneous and sometimes seditious nature:
Wednesday, June 4, 2025
Currently available at Watch TCM (until June 10th):
Rarely does an atmosphere of such overpowering dread subsume a cinematic story so completely as it does 1943's The Seventh Victim.
Read More
Just some film musings of a more succinct, spontaneous and sometimes seditious nature:
Tuesday, June 3, 2025
Currently available at Watch TCM (until June 28th):
Next is Top Ten Western #1, the explosively confrontational The Wild Bunch (1969).
Just some film musings of a more succinct, spontaneous and sometimes seditious nature:
Monday, June 2, 2025
Currently available at Watch TCM (until June 17th):
A CC Hidden Gem (#30) rarely shown on TCM is Nagisa Oshima's 1969 feature Boy a.k.a. Shonen previously cited here.
Read MoreJust some film musings of a more succinct, spontaneous and sometimes seditious nature:
Friday, May 30, 2025
Tomorrow on TCM:
Next up, is a WW II film that can only be defined by its setting. There are just too many dispersed ideas regarding tone and perspective to communicate what kind of film Kelly’s Heroes (1970) is, let alone how any of its numerous genre types are successfully represented.
Read MoreJust some film musings of a more succinct, spontaneous and sometimes seditious nature:
Tuesday, May 27, 2025
Today on TCM:
John Ford's 1956 masterpiece The Searchers, previously reviewed here, is Top Ten Western #2 and is as likely as any film to provide one with a truly unforgettable, rich and rewarding movie watching experience.
Read MoreJust some film musings of a more succinct, spontaneous and sometimes seditious nature:
Monday, May 26, 2025
Today on TCM:
Viewers who dare to have their imaginations stretched considerably should be rewarded Where Eagles Dare (1968), previously reviewed here and appearing on TCM’s radar Monday, May 26th at 2:15 pm PDT.
Read More