Articles by Glenn Erickson

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Ilya Muromets

Accept no substitutes!  Aleksandr Ptushko's fairy-tale folk hero saga is the real deal in medieval spectacle. When the nation calls, warriors rise…

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The Counterfeit Traitor

George Seaton connected an ideal cast to this true-life WW2 story so good that a lazy script and slack direction can't sink…

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Double Indemnity 4K

It's back and Criterion's got it, so be prepared for sharp-talking insights on Billy Wilder's nearly flawless, cinema-changing ode to cold-blooded murder,…

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The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance 4K

What a great title to revisit -- John Ford's 'Kabuki' western is less about action and more about form and tradition --…

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Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941)

In just her fourth American movie the Swedish import Ingrid Bergman proves herself the most sensual creature in Hollywood, running away with…

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Mr. Klein

Expatriate blacklistee Joseph Losey is the perfect director for this excellent, strange tale, a big award winner in France. The terrible Occupation-era…

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Some Like It Hot 4K

This knockout comedy rates as one of Hollywood's funniest ever -- although it could be 'cancelled' any day now, so get ready…

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Murphy’s War

Peter Yates' excellent war-movie follow-up to Bullitt landed in the wrong year: the beautifully produced and directed action thriller was barely seen…

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12 Monkeys 4K

Here's one that really benefits from its 4K upgrade -- Terry Gilliam's dense visuals look great with Roger Pratt's exacting cinematography. Is…

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The Hunter

Steve McQueen's final film is an action-comedy compromise that will satisfy his fans even if it barely hangs together. The thrills are…

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Dementia (Region A)

The Cohen Film Collection brings to Region A its beautifully remastered disc of American fringe filmmaking's weirdest, most obsessively arty shock-fest --…

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Irezumi

Yasuzo Masumura amazes us with yet another sensual stunner. This period way-of-all-flesh tale is almost a horror film, but the supernatural shivers…

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Born to Win

Ivan Passer's first American film and his first in the English language is a core life-with-a-junkie tale in a cold Manhattan winter.…

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Damaged Lives / Damaged Goods

Surprise: these are quality movies on an important subject. Entry 13 in the 'Golden Age of the Exploitation Picture' gives us not…

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Marooned

John Sturges' orbital jeopardy thriller does everything right: the story is taken seriously, the actors seem committed and the special effects aren't…

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Jigsaw

Val Guest's cinema quest for his own semi-docu style pays off in this fine, intelligent police investigation into a gruesome dismemberment murder.…

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Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy 4K (2011)

This 2011 theatrical remake of John le Carré's spy classic is a happy surprise -- it's every bit as distinctive and accomplished…

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Walker

Alex Cox attacks the Reagan years with a political tale sung in the key of the Italo Spaghetti Western: expect plenty of…

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China Gate

The messy politics of the Indo-China War didn't confuse writer-director Samuel Fuller; as the machine gun- toting Nat King Cole snarls, hating…

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Miracle in Milan

Still believe in the goodness of people?   Still hold out hope for the future?   If so this is one picture…

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Conquest of Space

George Pal's ill-fated 'future docu' followup to Destination Moon still stirs the imagination, rendering in vivid Technicolor the visionary images that amazed…

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Hester Street

Every breakout independent hit seems like a miracle. This delightful 'little' picture was fated to be ghetto-ized into ethnic theaters before its…

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Edgar G. Ulmer Sci-Fi Collection

Kino's triple-threat Edgar Ulmer show has great commentaries plus HD debuts of his two 'Texas' movies, that likely have not been seen…

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The Whistle at Eaton Falls

TCM premiered a welcome restoration of this honorable Louis de Rochemont drama last year, and now it's on a pristine-quality Blu-ray. Almost…

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The Apartment 4K

Writer-director Billy Wilder's favorite and perhaps best movie takes the leap to 4K, revealing even more beauty in the images of Joseph…