Polyester (1981) John Waters crosses over into mainstream cinema in this homage to William Castle “gimmick” films, rescuing Tab Hunter’s career in the process. Those “Midnight Movie” cast of characters – most notably Divine, Edith Massey, and Mink Stole – mix with professional actors in a spoof of Douglas Sirk melodrama. By now America’s bad … More Polyester (1981)
Topper (1937) This remains one of my favorite ghost stories, largely because of the performances of Roland Young as the respectable Cosmo Topper enduring the hysterical outrage of his nit-picking wife Clara (Billie Burke). Of course having Cary Grant and Constance Bennett in supporting roles as the ghosts doesn’t detract from the hilarity. Having killed … More Topper (1937)
The Undying Monster (1942) Before finding better employment on television shows, such as The Twilight Zone, John Brahm brought his German Expressionism to this obscure B-Film that combines elements of The Hound of the Baskervilles with The Wolf Man. The Hammond Family – the two who remain – are haunted by an ancient curse. A … More The Undying Monster (1942)
Kuroneko (1968) Adapted from a Japanese folktale [“A Black Cat in a Bamboo Grove”], Kaneto Shindo explored a ghost story set during a civil war in Japan’s Heian period. Shot in brilliant black-and-white cinematography of Kiyomi Kuroda, a mother and her daughter lure any unsuspecting samurai into their home in order to murder him, seeking … More Kuroneko (1968)
To Sleep with Anger (1990) I have no idea why this film did not have better success. Danny Glover’s performance is charismatic and frightening all at once. Charles Burnett wrote and directed what happens when an old friend, a vagabond for years, shows up at the door of a bourgeois black family. Natural supernaturalism of … More To Sleep with Anger (1990)
All the Colors of the Dark (1972) Sergio Martino, inspired by Rosemary’s Baby, set out to make his own atmospheric mix of female hysteria and Satanic worship in this beautifully photographed Giallo. From the very start, we experience the world from inside the nightmares of Edwige Fenech, a woman recovering from the trauma of losing … More All the Colors of the Dark (1972)
Man with a Movie Camera (1929 silent) Directed by Dziga Vertov and edited by his wife Elizaveta Svilova, this picture has often been used by film classes to teach the techniques for making movies. This documentary follows Soviet citizens, from dawn to dusk, in the cities of Kiev, Moscow, Kharkov, and Odessa. Without use of … More Man with a Movie Camera (1929 silent)
Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970) Ossie Davis wound up co-writing this adaptation of Chester Himes’ famous noir, and then was talked into directing what became one of the early “blaxploitation” movies. Nobody takes the action seriously, except perhaps Raymond St. Jacques as Coffin Ed Johnson and Godfrey Cambridge as his NYPD partner Gravedigger Jones. Their … More Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970)
Anna Christie (1930) When the prodigal is a daughter who has made her living whoring and drinking, can her alcoholic father, barge skipper Chris Christofferson, accept and forgive her? Eugene O’Neill’s drama had troubles becoming a Hollywood film, especially as a vehicle for Greta Garbo in her first talkie. This production was also reshot in … More Anna Christie (1930)
Attack of the Robots/Cartes Sur Table (1966) Ever wonder what happened to Lemmy Caution after Alphaville? Jesse Franco cast him as a self-parodying secret agent, fully equipped with malfunctioning James Bond gadgets. Automatons in Buddy Holly black glasses are assassinating scientists and ambassadors in full public view. Under the assumed name of Al Pereira, Eddie … More Attack of the Robots/Cartes Sur Table (1966)
