Neorealism Meets Fairy Tale in Vittorio De Sica’s ‘Miracle in Milan’
If the escapism in Vittorio De Sica’s Miracle in Milan seems simple-minded, even simpler is the cure to society’s ills.
film restoration
Robert Siodmak’s Auf Wiedersehen to Hollywood
Robert Siodmak’s reverse immigration film, Deported, and drama about capital and labor, The Whistle at Eaton Falls, were the last he’d make for Hollywood.
Anatomy of the Wounded: Márta Mészáros’ ‘Adoption’
Márta Mészáros’ film Adoption is empathetic and beady-eyed about the negotiations and indignities of those caught up in social prejudices, especially women.
Tied and Noosed ‘Dancing Pirate’ Waltzes into Technicolor
Restored 1936 Technicolor film Dancing Pirate crosses the early talkies’ vogue for absurd musicals with its other vogue for Hollywood Mexicana.
Before and After Hitler: Two Films by German Director Robert Siodmak
German director Robert Siodmak‘s 1930 comedy Farewell is a far cry from 1957’s Nazi-influenced crime thriller, The Devil Strikes at Night.
Restored Silent Film ‘The Street of Forgotten Men’ Debuts Louise Brooks
Silent film star Louise Brooks’ first role was that of a “moll”, an uncredited bit part in the evocatively titled The Street of Forgotten Men.
Not So Elementary: ‘The Sherlock Holmes Vault Collection’ Offers Rare Deductions
We thoroughly inspect the four 1930s features and bonuses in The Film Detective’s The Sherlock Holmes Vault Collection.
Does a Fantasy or a Western a Film Noir Make?
Alfred Werker’s fantasy-dabbling Repeat Performance and John Sturges not-your-typical western The Capture may – or may not – be actual film noir.
Like Peas in a Sci-Fi Pod: The 1978 Remake of ‘Invasion of the Body Snatchers’
Philip Kaufman’s 1978 remake of sci-fi pod people film Invasion of the Body Snatchers achieves a level of unease above and beyond the novel and the 1956 film.
The Sexual Politics in Sexy Rudolph Valentino’s ‘The Sheik’
Eyebrows tilting, nostrils flaring and emanating pheromones of intoxicating effluvia, foreigners like Rudolph Valentino’s Sheik had un-American sex all over Hollywood.
Quick and Dirty Tales of Murder and Journalism in Hollywood
Flicker Alley’s set of Hollywood B-films from 1934 provide sociological snapshots of the limits of respectable cinema.
The Syllabus of ‘Filibus’ the Gentlewoman Thief
WWI was underway when silent film Filibus hit theaters, so this elegant, war-free escapism of immorality among the ruling class may have provided mass therapy.