CineSavant
The Criminal
Gangland London, 1960: Expatriate director Joseph Losey gives the Brit crime film a boost with a brutal gangster tale starring the ultra-tough…
Articles by Glenn Erickson
CineSavant
Monstrosity
How can a 'Z' horror production so completely absorb the thoughts of this ex- film student? This maladroit 1963 monster mash can't…
CineSavant
The Light at the Edge of the World
Jules Verne's version of 'Die Hard' takes place not on Christmas Eve in Century City, but 160 years ago at a lonely…
CineSavant
All About My Mother
Pedro Almodóvar's challenging films shouldn't be only for his dedicated fans: nobody mixes genuine human compassion with world-class filmmaking as well as…
CineSavant
The Abominable Snowman
Just under the top echelon of British sci-fi lurks this well-produced, absorbing 'expedition to terror!' that surprises us by paying off on…
CineSavant
Room at the Top
One of the first 'kitchen sink realist' films of the British New Wave is also one of the best English films ever…
CineSavant
Underwater!
No, this isn't a documentary about the sorry situation faced by too many American homeowners. Howard Hughes takes RKO into SuperScope and…
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Penelope
What can one say about a comedy that just limps along, even when an attractive cast does fine work every step of…
CineSavant
Tobruk
Rock Hudson's small budget big-explosion war movie applies decent production values and decent direction to a good idea, but substitutes some weak…
CineSavant
Gregory’s Girl
From the director of the beloved Local Hero: 'Pure Simple Joy' is an apt way to describe this deceptively meek, completely endearing…
CineSavant
House by the River
One of Fritz Lang's least-known thrillers had aspects that appealed to him, and he certainly applied his personal viewpoint and visual talents.…
CineSavant
Fail Safe
The world trembles on the brink, and liberals are in charge! The nicest President you ever met gives the Soviet Premier an…
CineSavant
Tunes of Glory
Some critics wondered if Alec Guinness and John Mills should have swapped roles for this adaptation of James Kennaway's incisive novel about…
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The War Lord
One of the more satisfying costume adventures of the 'sixties is also one of its star's best vehicles. Charlton Heston was born…
CineSavant
Black Angel
This unassuming noir classic can boast a strong creative pedigree and an unusual ending... which I'll not spoil. Dan Duryea is the…
CineSavant
The Titfield Thunderbolt
Toot Toot! The Little Engine that Could becomes a tale of the little town that could, when their tiny rail service is…
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Young Winston
Epics -- everybody wants to make them but the studios are naturally wary. Richard Attenborough's ode to the youthful ambitions of Sir…
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Cimarron (1960)
Once upon a time, MGM launched a big spectacle Western remake with the top star Glenn Ford and the bright import Maria…
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The Leech Woman
Why do we like horror and monster movies that routinely get labeled as 'bad?' Because many of them have great story ideas…
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The Slasher – ‘Cosh Boy’
He's mean, he's nasty, he carries a razor and he's dating your sister! Cosh Boy was front & center in 1953 debates…
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Passport to Pimlico
Much of Ealing Studios' core appeal begins right here, with T.E.B. Clarke's astute look at the character of pragmatic, energetic Londoners, who…
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Dr. Cyclops
It may be a little creaky, but Dr. Cyclops is a genuine classic of the imagination, from a time long before pulp…
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The Fugitive Kind
Marlon Brando is back in an adaptation of Tennessee Williams' play Orpheus Descending. The cameraman is Boris Kaufman and the director is…
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Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Two givens for Los Angeles living in 1969: perpetual driving around listening to the radio, and stereo cartridge needles dropping onto record…
CineSavant
The Cotton Club Encore
They say you Can't Go Home Again, but Francis Coppola has pulled a real magic trick -- his 1984 gangland musical ended…
CineSavant
Brother Can You Spare a Dime?
Back in the early 1970s I was crazy about Depression-Era Warner Bros. movies, that weren't being shown on TV or anywhere else.…