Executive Decision (1996)

When an airliner is hijacked by terrorists, an elite group of operatives are secretly placed on the plane midflight. Their mission: find and defuse a nerve toxin bomb destined for the U.S., then rescue the passengers. Directed by film editor Stuart Baird (STAR TREK: NEMESIS) in his directorial debut. A pulp thriller which seems cobbled together from past movies like JUGGERNAUT, DIE HARD and the AIRPORT movies. It's poorly written and acted but that doesn't mean it's not (crudely) effective. It accomplishes what it set out to do. As the "fish out of water" hero, Kurt Russell brings his mix of down to earth masculinity and everyman stand in to the cliched part while, thank heavens, the dreadful Steven Seagal is killed off early in the movie so we're spared his stoic non acting. As the head flight attendant, Halle Berry is used for her striking looks and not much else and as the terrorist leader, David Suchet is much more believable here then he ever was as Hercule Poirot. As usual for the period, there's an Islamophobic feel to the proceedings which I understand had been edited out of the European release. With John Leguizamo, Oliver Platt, Joe Morton, BD Wong, Len Cariou, Marla Maples and J.T. Walsh.

Untamed (1929)

After her father (Lloyd Ingraham) is killed, a young girl (Joan Crawford) is taken from the primitive South American jungle where she was raised to Manhattan where she is quickly turned into a civilized  wealthy heiress. Based on a short story by Charles E. Scoggins and directed by Jack Conway (LIBELED LADY). What a stinker! People sometimes forget that Joan Crawford was a star in silent movies. This was her first talkie. Someone at MGM thought it might be a good idea for her to sing and dance in her first talkie and she does ..... badly. The first portion of the film when she plays the exotic jungle girl, she's just awful doing what seems to be a Dolores Del Rio imitation. She's saddled with an annoying guardian (Ernest Torrence) with a stilted Scottish accent, who gives the worst performance in the film and that's some sort of achievement given the bad acting prevalent in the movie. The film was a big hit at the box office however and established Crawford as a popular star on the MGM lot. For Crawford fans only. With Robert Montgomery, Gwen Lee and Holmes Herbert.

Crime Club (1973)

A private investigator (Lloyd Bridges) receives a phone call from the son (Richard Hatch) of a woman (Barbara Rush) he was once in love with. The young man is in trouble and needs the investigator's help. But when he arrives on the scene, the boy has been killed in an auto accident ..... or was it an accident? Directed by David Lowell Rich (THE CONCORDE: AIRPORT 79). I'm a huge murder mystery fan but I found this whodunit routine and worse than that, sloppily written. In one scene, Bridges refers to someone being at the scene of the crime then several scenes later, at the crime scene, he expresses shock when he discovers that the person in question was AT the scene of the crime! Huh? The murderer was fairly easy to identify, too easy. The telefilm was a pilot for a proposed TV series about a group of amateur detectives (the other two were William Devane and Victor Buono) taking turns solving crimes but it wasn't picked up. With Martin Sheen, Cloris Leachman, Paul Burke, David Hedison, Belinda Montgomery and Alan Napier.

Kiss Of Death (1947)

A small time hoodlum (Victor Mature) is convicted for a jewel heist and sent to prison. Three years into his incarceration, he's double crossed by his shyster lawyer (Taylor Holmes) and accomplices. He makes a deal with the assistant District Attorney (Brian Donlevy) and is paroled but it's not that easy. Directed by Henry Hathaway (TRUE GRIT). A very good example of film noir done in a semi documentary style (pioneered by producer Louis De Rochemont in movies like THE HOUSE ON 92ND STREET). Shot almost entirely on location in New York City in striking B&W by Norbert Brodine (13 RUE MADELEINE) to give a sense of realism to the film. To appease the censors, Patricia Morison's scenes as Mature's wife were deleted from the film as it featured rape and suicide. As the maniacal Tommy Udo, Richard Widmark made his film debut and received an Oscar nomination and while he almost seems too much, it's an effective performance. His shoving the wheelchair bound Mildred Dunnock down a flight of stairs while grinning is an iconic moment in film noir. With Coleen Gray, Karl Malden and Millard Mitchell.

The Ugly Dachshund (1966)

While his wife (Suzanne Pleshette) is a "mom" to a dachshund who just gave birth to three puppies, a husband (Dean Jones) yearns for a dog of his own. So he sneaks in a Great Dane puppy among the dachshund puppies. The problem is that as the puppies grow up, the Great Dane thinks he's a dachshund. Based on the book by Gladys Bronwyn Stern and directed by Norman Tokar (THE HAPPIEST MILLIONAIRE). The Walt Disney live action, family friendly big screen comedies from the 1960s usually had Fred MacMurray in the lead. When Disney needed a younger leading man, Dean Jones inherited the parts. Jones and Pleshette are upstaged by the dogs here but they probably knew that when they were shooting the movie. If your idea of comedy is dogs destroying property and causing chaos then you should love this. I found the first doggie mayhem scene mildly amusing but an entire movie based on a one joke "dogs run amuck" theme gets tired very easily. For dog lovers only. With Mako, Charles Ruggles and Parley Baer.

I Found Stella Parish (1935)

Set in London, a blackmailer (Barton MacLane) shows up in the dressing room of a famous stage actress (Kay Francis) and threatens to expose her dark past. She goes into hiding with her young daughter (Sybil Jason) by fleeing to the United States, unaware a newspaper reporter (Ian Hunter) is hot on her trail. Directed by Mervyn LeRoy (QUO VADIS). A soap opera along the lines of MADAME X with Kay Francis as the mother forced to give up her daughter and reduced from being a great stage actress to working in burlesque and do LeRoy and Francis wring every teardrop they can! It's the kind of hokey kitsch that you could/should laugh at but strong enough that you can't help but get a lump in your throat! Kay Francis fans should eat this up. With Paul Lukas and Jessie Ralph.

Houdini (1953)

The life of legendary magician Harry Houdini (Tony Curtis) and his rise from a carnival performer to a world renowned magician. Based on the book HOUDINI by Harold Kellock and directed by George Marshall (DESTRY RIDES AGAIN). Who would imagine a movie about the life of Harry Houdini could be such a crashing bore? This highly fictionalized nonsense regurgitates every movie biography cliche imaginable. The film divides its time between the domestic tedium with Janet Leigh as Mrs. Houdini and Houdini's career. The film was popular with audiences (Curtis and Leigh were the "it" couple of young Hollywood at the time) but unless you're a fan of the two, the movie is a slog to sit through. With Torin Thatcher, Angela Clarke, Connie Gilchrist and Michael Pate.

If I Had Legs I'd Kick You (2025)

With her life literally crashing down around her, a psychotherapist (Rose Byrne in an Oscar nominated performance) attempts to navigate her child's (Delaney Quinn) feeding disorder, her absent husband (Christian Slater), a missing person (Danielle Macdonald) and an increasingly hostile relationship with her therapist (Conan O'Brien). Written and directed by Mary Bronstein (YEAST). If there's a reason to see this movie, it's Rose Byrne's fierce performance. Byrne throws herself so deeply into her character that it's often hard to watch. But boy, is this movie a colossal downer. As Byrne slowly slips into a spiraling breakdown, I thought it was going to end badly but suddenly, as if giving up, Bronstein puts a small band aid put over a raw and gaping wound as an optimistic sop and that's it! The movie is over. What? The movie hints that Byrne should never have been a mother, it's not natural to her but other than the suggestion, it doesn't investigate any further. Worth seeing for Byrne's magnificent performance but after it's over, don't be surprised if you head toward the liquor cabinet. With A$AP Rocky and Ivy Wolk.

Mr. Moto Takes A Chance (1938)

On a mission to unmask the leader of a military uprising in Tong Mai, a secret agent (Peter Lorre) finds himself deep in the darkest jungles of Asia posing as an archeologist. When an aviatrix (Rochelle Hudson) crash lands on the island, he suspects the crash was intentional. Based on the character created by John P. Marquand and directed by Norman Foster (KISS THE BLOOD OFF MY HANDS). The fourth entry in the eight Mr. Moto movie franchise is one of the weaker efforts. Filmed on a 20th Century Fox soundstage jungle, it's quite pedestrian. I prefer the Moto detective murder mysteries to the action adventures like this one. I found this entry to be on the silly side but its brief running time of one hour and three minutes makes it tolerable. With Robert Kent, Chick Chandler and J. Edward Bromberg.

Mr. Arkadin (aka Confidential Report) (1955)

A small time American smuggler (Robert Arden) is hired by a mysterious millionaire (Orson Welles) to dig into his past and discover his true identity as the millionaire has amnesia and no recollection of his life prior to 1927. Written and directed by Orson Welles (CITIZEN KANE). Apparently Welles never completed the film (creative control was taken away from him) and the movie has been released in several different versions and running times. There's a Spanish language version with Katina Paxinou and Suzanne Flon replaced by Irene Lopez Heredia and Amparo Rivelles respectively. The original U.S. release removes the film's flashback structure entirely. The transfer I saw is reputedly the closest to Welles' vision and runs one hour and 46 minutes. I suppose it's unfair to make any definitive comments on the film as Welles died in 1985 and this version was assembled in 2006. What remains is supremely tantalizing but near incomprehensible. But clearly the work of a master film maker. The only negative in the film is Robert Arden, whose amateurish performance is just terrible. With Michael Redgrave, Akim Tamiroff, Patricia Medina, Peter Van Eyck, Gert Frobe, Mischa Auer, Gregoire Aslan, Tamara Shayne and Paola Mori, who would become Welles' third wife.

Woman Of The Year (1942)

Two journalists working on the same newspaper are as different as night and day. Tess Harding (Katharine Hepburn) is an international political pundit and Sam Craig (Spencer Tracy) is a down to earth sportswriter. They fall in love and get married and that's when their differences prove an impediment to a happy marriage. Directed by George Stevens (GUNGA DIN). The first pairing of Tracy and Hepburn, who would go on to make eight more films together. The chemistry is immediately apparent and Tracy (or was it Stevens?) brings out a sexiness in Hepburn that she never had before or since. While Tracy and Hepburn are wonderful here, the movie leaves a bad taste in the mouth. The original ending proved unpopular in previews so a new ending was written and filmed and it's downright offensive. Hepburn's character is punished for being a feminist and career woman so she's humiliated in the kitchen by showing her incompetence. She can't even make toast and what was funny when Lucille Ball did it on I LOVE LUCY is derogatory here. Ball's Lucy was ditzy which made it funny, Hepburn is an intellectual feminist getting her comeuppance for being a career woman rather than a housewife. With Fay Bainter, William Bendix, Roscoe Karns, Dan Tobin and Sara Haden.

Spin A Dark Web (aka Soho Incident) (1956)

A Canadian (Lee Patterson) living in London is trying to make a career as a prizefighter without much success. A chance encounter with an army buddy (Robert Arden) gets him a job with a local mobster (Martin Benson). But it's the mobster's deadly sister (Faith Domergue) who will lead him into a web of murder. Based on the novel WIDE BOYS NEVER WORK by Robert Westerby and directed by Vernon Sewell (CURSE OF THE CRIMSON ALTAR). An example of low budget British noir, efficient but routine. Domergue makes for a deliciously wicked femme fatale but the rest of the cast don't make much of an impression. To his credit, director Sewell manages to imbue the movie with a strong sense of place (London's Soho district), aided by Basil Emmott's (THE LONG HAUL) excellent B&W lensing. With Rona Anderson and Joss Ambler.

Spring In Park Lane (1948)

The niece and secretary (Anna Neagle) of a wealthy art collector (Tom Walls) finds the new footman (Michael Wilding) anything but a lowly servant. He arouses her suspicions and she is determined to find out his true identity. Based on the novel COME OUT OF THE KITCHEN by Alice Duer Miller and directed by Herbert Wilcox (NO NO NANETTE). A huge success in Great Britain (it was the highest grossing British film of 1948), this is a modestly charming romantic comedy. So popular that Wilcox reunited Neagle and Wilding the following year in MAYTIME IN MAYFAIR and it was another big hit for the trio. PARK LANE's popularity wasn't repeated in the U.S. But it has a certain "quaint" appeal and I found Neagle more appealing than usual and one can see why Wilding was a box office favorite among the Brits. Wilding would soon move to Hollywood where his British success wasn't duplicated (but he did marry Elizabeth Taylor). With Marjorie Fielding and Nigel Patrick.

L'Armee De Ombres (aka Army Of Shadows) (1969)

Set in 1942 France during WWII, a small group of resistance fighters move between safe houses, work with the Allied militaries, kill informers and attempt to evade the capture and execution that they know is their most likely fate. Based on the novel by Joseph Kessel (BELLE DU JOUR) and directed by Jean Pierre Melville (LE SAMOURAI). Inexplicably, this 1969 French film was not released in the United States until 2006 when it was critically acclaimed by U.S. critics. It's a complex look at the inner workings of the French resistance during WWII and the intense conflict between loyalty, friendship and the distressing decisions that had to be made and feelings set aside. Jean Pierre Melville creates a perception of location and atmosphere that gives an authenticity to the proceedings. Featuring excellent ensemble work by Lino Ventura, Simone Signoret, Jean Pierre Cassel, Serge Reggiani, Paul Meurisse and Claude Mann.

Swing High, Swing Low (1937)

Set in Panama, a singer (Carole Lombard) falls in love with a trumpet player (Fred MacMurray) who has no ambition. He's happy the way things are but she pushes him toward success. Based on the play BURLESQUE by George Manker Watters and Arthur Hopkins and directed by Mitchell Leisen (TO EACH HIS OWN). This was the third of the four movies Lombard and MacMurray made together. One doesn't think of them as a team but they had a nice rapport and the chemistry was there. That harmony is the only successful thing about this hokey romantic comedy. It was probably hokey in 1927 when the play was first produced. Lombard's character is rather unpleasant here. MacMurray's trumpeter is happy in Panama with his modest success and his marriage but she pushes him into going to New York for fame and fortune even though she knows there's another woman (Dorothy Lamour) waiting to get her hands on him. Remade in 1948 as WHEN MY BABY SMILES AT ME with Betty Grable and Dan Dailey. With Charles Butterworth, Jean Dixon and Cecil Cunningham.

Troy (2004)

When Paris (Orlando Bloom), a prince of Troy, runs of with Helen (Diane Kruger), the wife of Menelaus the King of Sparta (Brendan Gleeson), the King's brother Agamemnon (Brian Cox) uses it as an excuse to start a war with Troy. Loosely, very loosely based on THE ILIAD by Homer and directed by Wolfgang Petersen (DAS BOOT). An atrocity that makes a travesty of Homer's epic. Where does one start? The movie has Hector (Eric Bana) kill Menelaus early in the movie when in THE ILIAD, Menelaus survives and takes Helen back to Greece. Here, Helen and Paris live happily ever after. Here, Agamemnon is killed by a Trojan high priestess (Rose Byrne) while he survived the war and was murdered by his wife when he returned to Greece. The Trojan War lasted ten years, Petersen has it last months. There are many more but I'll leave it at that. As Achilles, Brad Pitt is given a blonde dye job and he looks more like a Malibu surfer than a Greek warrior. As Helen, Diane Kruger is cute as a button but she couldn't launch a canoe much less a thousand ships and as Paris, the scrawny Orlando Bloom exhibits zero magnetism. In BEN-HUR (1959), when you saw that cast of thousands, they were real people, here they're obvious computer generated images which makes the battle sequences unimpressive. In THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE (1964), when you saw the awesome Roman Forum, those were real buildings built for the film. Here, they're CGI background and look it. At three and a half hours, this is a real slog and badly acted (as Agamemnon, Brian Cox acts as if he were in a pirate movie and he's playing Blackbeard The Pirate). Unclean! With Peter O'Toole, Julie Christie, Sean Bean and Saffron Burrows.

The Kiss (1929)

A young boy (Lew Ayres) is infatuated with an older married woman (Greta Garbo). When he gives her an innocent kiss, her jealous husband (Anders Randolf) goes into a rage and begins beating the boy mercilessly. A shot rings out and the husband is dead. But by whose hands? Based on a short story by George M. Saville and directed by Jacques Feyder (KNIGHT WITHOUT HONOR). MGM was making the transition from silent films to talkies and THE KISS was one of their last silent movies. It was Garbo's last silent film and one of her biggest hits. However, it's not one of her better films. She is glorious, of course, and her presence elevates the film but it's a tired cliche ridden romance of an unhappily married woman staying in a loveless marriage to avoid scandal but it comes anyway. For Garbo fans only. With Conrad Nagel and Holmes Herbert.

Dead Of Night (1977)

An anthology of three short films dealing with the supernatural and horror: 1) SECOND CHANCE. A college student (Ed Begley Jr.) restores an antique car from the 1920s and when he drives it for the first time he finds himself transported to 1926! With Ann Doran and E.J. Andre. 2) NO SUCH THING AS A VAMPIRE. A woman (Anjanette Comer) wakes up with puncture wounds on her neck which leads her husband (Patrick Macnee) to suspect vampirism. With Horst Buchholz and Elisha Cook Jr. 3) BOBBY. A grieving mother (Joan Hackett) summons up the demons of darkness to bring her drowned son (Lee J. Montgomery) back from the dead. When he returns, he's decidedly different from the son she knew. All three stories have screenplays by Richard Matheson (SOMEWHERE IN TIME) and are directed by Dan Curtis (DARK SHADOWS). Curtis had hoped this would serve as a pilot for a proposed TV series of horror stories like NIGHT GALLERY but it was never picked up. The first story is innocuous and serves as a curtain raiser, the second one is a cheat but the third offers some mild terror (it's reminiscent of the excellent AMELIA segment of TRILOGY OF TERROR) with a nice twist.

Desire Under The Elms (1958)

A farmer's son (Anthony Perkins) bitterly resents his tyrannical mean spirited father (Burl Ives) and holds him responsible for the death of his mother (Anne Seymour) because of his treatment of her. When his father returns from a trip with a new young wife (Sophia Loren) and announces he will leave the farm to her, passions erupt but not in the way they expected. Based on the play by Eugene O'Neill and directed by Delbert Mann (MARTY). This is a fairly faithful rendering of O'Neill's version of a Greek tragedy. Contemporary reviews were unkind but despite flaws, I found it well done. Although Burl Ives is physically wrong for the role, that didn't bother me. The problem is that Ives is a limited actor and his performance here is too reminiscent of his other two 1958 performances, Big Daddy in CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF and his Oscar winning turn in THE BIG COUNTRY. Perkins and Loren (her character rewritten as an Italian immigrant) are just fine. The strong underscore is by Elmer Bernstein. With Pernell Roberts, Frank Overton, Jean Willes and Rebecca Welles.

Merrily We Roll Along (2025)

The story of three friends: a composer (Jonathan Groff), a lyricist (Daniel Radcliffe) and a writer (Lindsay Mendez). The film begins in 1977 where the characters are at the lowest point in their lives and goes back in reverse order through the years ending in 1957 when they are their most hopeful about the future. Based on the 1981 musical by Stephen Sondheim by way of the 1934 play by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart and directed by Maria Friedman. The 1981 musical was a flop receiving negative reviews and closing after 16 performances. Throughout the ensuing years, the musical has been fine tuned with rewrites on the narrative and songs being jettisoned and new ones replacing them. The movie which received a limited release last Christmas in theatres is a film of the highly praised Tony award winning 2023 revival with the original Broadway cast. Friedman filmed it in intense closeups and her stringent direction gives the musical a strong pulse that thrusts it ever forward. Groff (who won a Tony for his work here) gives an aggressive performance that is the linchpin of the show. A must for fans of musical theatre. Richard Linklater is currently filming a film version due to be released around 2039 (sic). Like his BOYHOOD, rather than age his actors, he's filming it in real time so that they are the age they are playing. With Krystal Joy Brown, Katie Rose Clarke and Reg Rogers.

Captain Kidd And The Slave Girl (1954)

Set in the 17th century, an Earl (James Seay) dispatches his mistress (Eva Gabor) to seduce the notorious Captain Kidd (Anthony Dexter) in order to discover where he has hidden his treasure. Directed by Lew Landers (DAVY CROCKETT INDIAN SCOUT). A generic pirate movie with all the cliches intact. Here, Captain Kidd isn't the cutthroat pirate that Charles Laughton played in the 1945 CAPTAIN KIDD. Instead, he's a dashing swashbuckling hero but the nondescript Anthony Dexter is no Errol Flynn or Tyrone Power so there's a blank space on the screen. The film was shot in color but the transfer I saw was in B&W but other than making the movie more visually pleasing, I doubt it would have made the film any better. With Alan Hale Jr., Lyle Talbot, William Schallert and Sonia Sorrell.

悲愁物語 (aka A Tale Of Sorrow And Sadness) (1977)

An aspiring young golfer (Yoko Shiraki) is groomed by her lover and manager (Yoshio Harada) to become a tournament winning champion golfer. When that goal is reached, she becomes a media celebrity pushed on by a corporate advertising agency and even gets her own television show. But it soon all turns ugly. Directed by Seijun Suzuki (TOKYO DRIFTER). In 1968, Suzuki was fired by his studio Nikkatsu because (they said) his films were incomprehensible and didn't make money. Embroiled in legal battles, he didn't make another movie for almost ten years. A TALE OF SORROW AND SADNESS was his "comeback" movie. Although kinetic and stylish, in most ways it's an atypical Suzuki film. Its nihilistic and surrealistic narrative which includes putting his exploited heroine through the wringer seems more Lars Von Trier than Suzuki. Yoko Shiraki's heroine is not only exploited by the men in the movie but also its female characters including the neighbor (Kyoko Enami) from hell. This is all in addition to having a ten year old brother (Tetsu Mizuno) with incestuous feelings toward her. By the time the blazing finale arrives, we feel we've been put through the wringer too. Bizarre but worthwhile, after all, it IS Suzuki. With Joe Shishido and Koji Wada.

Lo Spettro (aka The Ghost) (1963)

In turn of the century Scotland, a young wife (Barbara Steele) conspires with her lover (Peter Baldwin) to murder her wealthy paralyzed husband (Elio Jotta). But when the dead spouse's spirit returns, she begins to unravel. Directed by Riccardo Freda (I VAMPIRI). Freda had directed Steele and Baldwin in THE HORRIBLE DR. HICHCOCK the year before. I didn't much care for HICHCOCK and I found this Italian Gothic horror a much more accomplished film. Rich in atmosphere and superior costumes and art direction, it has the flair of the Roger Corman Poe movies he did for American International in the 1960s. The transfer I watched was newly restored in 4K from the original camera negative (shown at last year's Venice film festival) and it looked terrific. With Harriet Medin and Umberto Raho.

Listen, Darling (1938)

A young girl (Judy Garland) and her best pal (Freddie Bartholomew) will do anything to stop her widowed mother (Mary Astor) from entering a loveless marriage with the town's fuddy duddy banker (Gene Lockhart) ... including kidnapping her! Directed by Edwin L. Marin (TALL IN THE SADDLE). Corny as Kansas in August but perfectly delightful! It's all such nonsense but so likable that you just go with the flow. Garland sings a few songs including the lovely Zing! Went The Strings Of My Heart which became one of the standards in her repertoire. Alas, talented young Freddie Bartholomew (just 14 years old here) never made the transition from child to adult star which is a pity. With Walter Pidgeon, Alan Hale and Scotty Beckett.

Levity (2003)

A convicted murderer (Billy Bob Thornton) is unexpectedly released from prison after serving a 22 year sentence for killing a convenience store clerk (Luke Robertson) in a failed robbery attempt. Haunted by his past, he is drawn to the sister (Holly Hunter) of the boy he killed. Directed by writer Ed Solomon (BILL & TED'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE) in his only directorial effort. Every once in awhile, I come across a good movie that was dismissed by the critics, movie audiences and even the studio (in this case Sony Classics) and I have to wonder why. I found this a potent drama about a killer looking for redemption both moving and absorbing. Yes, it was a bit heavy handed at times but its sincerity and commitment and four excellent performances more than compensate for its shortcomings. In addition to Thornton and Hunter, there's Morgan Freeman as Thornton's mentor with a dark secret of his own and Kirsten Dunst as a self destructive young woman. Worth seeking out. With Dorian Harewood, Catherine Colvey and Geoffrey Wigdor.

Happy Land (1943)

An Iowa pharmacist (Don Ameche) becomes embittered when his son's (Richard Crane) life is cut short during WWII. The spirit of his grandfather (Harry Carey) guides him on a journey of discovery and reconciliation so he make peace with his son's death. Based on the novel by MacKinlay Kantor and directed by Irving Pichel (DESTINATION MOON). Crikey, is this WWII home front drama drenched in a thick dose of treacle. I can understand why movies like this were important for wartime audiences but they don't hold up well at all today. It's just too obvious and awash in sentimentality for an America that probably never existed outside of books and movies. It makes one appreciate a well done home front WWII drama like MRS. MINIVER all the more. With Frances Dee, Ann Rutherford, Cara Williams, Harry Morgan and Mary Wickes.

The Winning Of Barbara Worth (1926)

The adopted daughter (Vilma Banky) of a rancher (Charles Willis Lane) who dreams of turning their desert town into a farmland is pursued by two men: the son (Ronald Colman) of a devious land developer (E.J. Ratcliffe) and a shy cowboy (Gary Cooper). Based on the novel by Harold Bell Wright and directed by Henry King (LOVE IS A MANY SPLENDORED THING). A slightly creaky mixture of western romance and action movie. Ronald Colman seems an odd choice for a western but this is a silent movie so his clipped English accent isn't heard. Colman is the star and Cooper is the young newcomer so there's never any doubt who the heroine will end up with. The highlight of the movie is the massive flood finale and it's handled beautifully. Unfortunately, the transfer I saw had one of those godawful solo organ scores instead of a full orchestra. With Paul McAllister and Clyde Cook.

Belles On Their Toes (1952)

Set in the 1920s. After the death of her husband, a female engineer (Myrna Loy) struggles to make a living to support her twelve children. Male chauvinism against women in the industry makes it difficult for her to get work. Based on the semi autobiographical book by Frank Bunker Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey and directed by Henry Levin (WHERE THE BOYS ARE). The first book by the Gilbreth brother and sister CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN was made into a hit movie in 1950 so it was inevitable that the second book which continued the story of the Gilbreth family would get made into a film too. It's a bland wholesome family movie with the thinnest of plots. In the 1950 movie, the father was played by Clifton Webb and his acidity is sorely missed in this sequel. The second installment is inoffensive but not much else. If you're a fan of the first movie, your tolerance for this one might get you by. With Jeanne Crain, Jeffrey Hunter, Debra Paget, Edward Arnold, Barbara Bates, Martin Milner, Robert Arthur, Verna Felton and Hoagy Carmichael.

The Case Of The Notorious Nun (1986)

A young priest (Timothy Bottoms) brought in by an archbishop (William Prince) to look for signs of embezzlement in the archdiocese is found stabbed in his hotel room. A young nun (Michele Greene) is accused of the murder. The archbishop asks his old friend Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) to defend her. Directed by Ron Satlof (PERRY MASON RETURNS). The second of the thirty Perry Mason movies made in the 1980s long after the television series ended in 1966. It's a decent murder mystery hampered by the unsympathetic nun suspect being exceedingly irritating, a fact that is acknowledged in the telefilm. The movie seems somewhat padded out. The original PERRY MASON episodes were an hour in length and by expanding it to 90 minutes, some of the scenes seem superfluous. With Arthur Hill, Barbara Parkins, Tom Bosley, Barbara Hale, William Katt, Jon Cypher and Gerald S. O'Laughlin.

Die My Love (2025)

A writer and young mother (Jennifer Lawrence) is slowly slipping into madness. Locked away in an old house in and around Montana, she becomes increasingly agitated and erratic. Her boyfriend (Robert Pattinson) seems helpless in this situation. Based on the novel MATATE AMOR by Ariana Harwicz and directed by Lynne Ramsay (WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN). The film suggests that post partum anxiety is responsible for Lawrence's descent into madness but I think that was just a trigger for someone who wasn't healthy to begin with and would eventually have gone batshit crazy anyway. I certainly can empathize with her apathy living in the boondocks with a clueless boyfriend. Signs of her instability are clearly there but the boyfriend seems to be in denial, that it's just a phase and it can be worked out. Some parts of the film are unclear. Is Lawrence's black lover (LaKeith Stansfield) real or a figment of her psychosis? One has to admire Lawrence's commitment to her character. Her performance is terrific and perhaps in any other year (2025 was an excellent year for female performances), it would have gotten more awards attention. Unrelentingly grim but worth a watch. With Sissy Spacek, Nick Nolte and Gabrielle Rose.