Thrillers from the Vault – 8 Classic Films
Blu-ray
Mill Creek Entertainment
1935, 1939, 1940 / B&w / 1.33: 1 / Blu ray
Starring Boris Karloff, Ann Doran, Evelyn Keyes,
Written by Arthur Strawn, Karl Brown, Robert Andrews
Directed by Roy William Neill, Nick Grindé
In 1934 Boris Karloff was an unhappy actor, he was one of Universal’s most illustrious stars, yet good parts were scarce, and intelligent horror roles like hen’s teeth—the occasional work at other studios was both a boon and a welcome distraction.
In 1935 the studio loaned him to Columbia for The Black Room, a blood and thunder gothic in which Karloff would play two roles, an aristocrat and his evil twin—a dark fable played out in shadows, but a light at the end of the tunnel for the 47 year old actor who relished a challenge. Even brighter news for Karloff, Roy William Neill was signed to direct. Known for his exacting nature,...
Blu-ray
Mill Creek Entertainment
1935, 1939, 1940 / B&w / 1.33: 1 / Blu ray
Starring Boris Karloff, Ann Doran, Evelyn Keyes,
Written by Arthur Strawn, Karl Brown, Robert Andrews
Directed by Roy William Neill, Nick Grindé
In 1934 Boris Karloff was an unhappy actor, he was one of Universal’s most illustrious stars, yet good parts were scarce, and intelligent horror roles like hen’s teeth—the occasional work at other studios was both a boon and a welcome distraction.
In 1935 the studio loaned him to Columbia for The Black Room, a blood and thunder gothic in which Karloff would play two roles, an aristocrat and his evil twin—a dark fable played out in shadows, but a light at the end of the tunnel for the 47 year old actor who relished a challenge. Even brighter news for Karloff, Roy William Neill was signed to direct. Known for his exacting nature,...
- 2/28/2023
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
The first movie to directly confront McCarthyism! Or so said the editorials touting this ‘Long-Awaited Screen Event’ in which ‘Bette Davis Hits the Screen in a Cyclone of Dramatic Fury!’ The storm of the title was based on a real activist in Oklahoma who lost her job for promoting equal rights. Bette’s polite librarian is victimized by small-minded civic types; a subplot depicts the traumatic reaction of one of her patrons, a child expected to despise her as a traitor to the country. Daniel Taradash’s movie is an excellent starting point to discuss the thorny dramatic subgenre of liberal social issue movies.
Storm Center
Blu-ray
Viavision [Imprint] 155
1956 / B&w / 1:78 widescreen / 86 min. / Street Date September 30, 2022 / Available from / au 39.95
Starring:
Bette Davis, Brian Keith, Kim Hunter, Paul Kelly, Joe Mantell, Kevin Coughlin, Sallie Brophie, Howard Wierum, Curtis Cooksey, Michael Raffetto, Joseph Kearns, Edward Platt, Kathryn Grant, Howard Wendell, Malcolm Atterbury,...
Storm Center
Blu-ray
Viavision [Imprint] 155
1956 / B&w / 1:78 widescreen / 86 min. / Street Date September 30, 2022 / Available from / au 39.95
Starring:
Bette Davis, Brian Keith, Kim Hunter, Paul Kelly, Joe Mantell, Kevin Coughlin, Sallie Brophie, Howard Wierum, Curtis Cooksey, Michael Raffetto, Joseph Kearns, Edward Platt, Kathryn Grant, Howard Wendell, Malcolm Atterbury,...
- 11/12/2022
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
This piece contains spoilers for Enola Holmes 2.
The first official case for young Enola Holmes (Millie Bobby Brown) starts with a missing girl: factory worker named Sarah Chapman (Hannah Dodd). But as Enola tugs at all the loose threads, she discovers mounting evidence—a missing page from the factory books, a suspicious surge of typhus, a scandalous romance—that draws the attention of the factory’s owners, Scotland Yard, and even her brother Sherlock (Henry Cavill). It all culminates in Sarah, her sister Bessie (Serrana Su-Ling Bliss), and the other factory girls going on strike—a real-life event which grounded the movie’s events in a sense of historical context.
The Matchgirls’ strike of 1888 changed the working conditions at the Bryant & May match factory, but it was not the first of its kind. The matchgirls went on strike several times between the 1870s to 1880s, always in an attempt to...
The first official case for young Enola Holmes (Millie Bobby Brown) starts with a missing girl: factory worker named Sarah Chapman (Hannah Dodd). But as Enola tugs at all the loose threads, she discovers mounting evidence—a missing page from the factory books, a suspicious surge of typhus, a scandalous romance—that draws the attention of the factory’s owners, Scotland Yard, and even her brother Sherlock (Henry Cavill). It all culminates in Sarah, her sister Bessie (Serrana Su-Ling Bliss), and the other factory girls going on strike—a real-life event which grounded the movie’s events in a sense of historical context.
The Matchgirls’ strike of 1888 changed the working conditions at the Bryant & May match factory, but it was not the first of its kind. The matchgirls went on strike several times between the 1870s to 1880s, always in an attempt to...
- 11/6/2022
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Warning: This piece contains major spoilers for “Enola Holmes 2.” If you have not yet watched, turn back now!
“Enola Holmes 2” ends by pulling out all the stops. The Sherlock siblings collide when their cases overlap, something Sherlock reveals about halfway through the film, and there is not one but two antagonists who reveal themselves at the end of the movie.
Enola starts out by searching for missing girl Sarah Chapman (Hannah Dodd), whose absence gets reported to her by her “sister” Bessie, who worked with Sarah in the Lyon Match Factory. Enola reports to Sarah’s shift to investigate the factory and learn more about Sarah. After tailing Sarah’s friend Mae (Abbie Hern) who works a night job dancing at the Paragon Theater along with Sarah, nabbing a waltz with William Lyon (Gabriel Tierney) son of Henry Lyon at a fancy ball and several other loose threads,...
“Enola Holmes 2” ends by pulling out all the stops. The Sherlock siblings collide when their cases overlap, something Sherlock reveals about halfway through the film, and there is not one but two antagonists who reveal themselves at the end of the movie.
Enola starts out by searching for missing girl Sarah Chapman (Hannah Dodd), whose absence gets reported to her by her “sister” Bessie, who worked with Sarah in the Lyon Match Factory. Enola reports to Sarah’s shift to investigate the factory and learn more about Sarah. After tailing Sarah’s friend Mae (Abbie Hern) who works a night job dancing at the Paragon Theater along with Sarah, nabbing a waltz with William Lyon (Gabriel Tierney) son of Henry Lyon at a fancy ball and several other loose threads,...
- 11/4/2022
- by Dessi Gomez
- The Wrap
Warning: Spoilers for "Enola Holmes 2" ahead.
It's happened, y'all. The spunky little detective better known as Enola Holmes is finally back. But unlike the fictional cases that turned Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes into a wildly successful character, "Enola Holmes 2" sees his younger sister Enola get caught up in real-life events — namely, the matchgirls' strike of 1888, which was organized by employees of the Bryant & May match factory.
"Enola Holmes 2" doesn't try to hide the fact that it borrowed heavily from reality. An opening title card tells viewers that "the important parts" of the movie are true, while another at the closing acknowledges the strike and its effects. However, the Enola Holmes series is far from somber. Long story short, it's safe to assume that screenwriter Jack Thorne took some creative liberties when adapting the strike for the big- (medium- ?) screen, which poses a big question:...
It's happened, y'all. The spunky little detective better known as Enola Holmes is finally back. But unlike the fictional cases that turned Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes into a wildly successful character, "Enola Holmes 2" sees his younger sister Enola get caught up in real-life events — namely, the matchgirls' strike of 1888, which was organized by employees of the Bryant & May match factory.
"Enola Holmes 2" doesn't try to hide the fact that it borrowed heavily from reality. An opening title card tells viewers that "the important parts" of the movie are true, while another at the closing acknowledges the strike and its effects. However, the Enola Holmes series is far from somber. Long story short, it's safe to assume that screenwriter Jack Thorne took some creative liberties when adapting the strike for the big- (medium- ?) screen, which poses a big question:...
- 11/4/2022
- by Demetra Nikolakakis
- Slash Film
It’s a new deluxe Limited Edition of Sam Peckinpah’s mangled masterpiece, the third fancy boxed set in as many years. Arrow’s presentation is certainly got the edge in graphic elegance. They’ve also strived to include as many earlier extras as possible, plus new analytical-critical takes on the picture, and an excellent (and wickedly funny) visual essay from David Cairns. The disc has both of my commentaries, including the comprehensive one that details the missing scenes with information taken directly from Sam Peckinpah and Oscar Saul’s screenplay. And hey, you never know: this could be the year that Mitch Miller’s Singalong Gang makes an incredible comeback, and we can All fall in behind the Major.
Major Dundee
Blu-ray
Arrow Video
1965 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 136, 122 min. / (2-Disc Limited Edition) / Street Date June 29, 2021 / 59.95
Starring: Charlton Heston, Richard Harris, James Coburn, Senta Berger, Jim Hutton, Michael Anderson Jr., Brock Peters,...
Major Dundee
Blu-ray
Arrow Video
1965 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 136, 122 min. / (2-Disc Limited Edition) / Street Date June 29, 2021 / 59.95
Starring: Charlton Heston, Richard Harris, James Coburn, Senta Berger, Jim Hutton, Michael Anderson Jr., Brock Peters,...
- 7/3/2021
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
The new [Imprint] label turns its attention to the Sam Peckinpah favorite, the almost-classic that suffered a number of setbacks — a studio regime change, impractical remote locations, the wrong producer — and a director with zero diplomatic skills, who couldn’t finish his script and fought political battles when his movie needed his full attention. That the finished film shows so much brilliance is a tragedy, as this could have been a landmark epic, Charlton Heston’s best. CineSavant turns its attention to a favored film one more time — to play imagination games with re-cuts. Viavision [Imprint]’s lavish boxed set is said to be sold out, but that may only be at the company source.
Major Dundee
Blu-ray
Viavision [Imprint] 11
1965 / Color/ 2:35 widescreen / 136, 122 min. / Street Date October 28, 2019 / available at [Imprint] / $79.95 au
Starring: Charlton Heston, Richard Harris, James Coburn, Senta Berger, Jim Hutton, Michael Anderson Jr., Brock Peters, Warren Oates, Ben Johnson, Slim Pickens, R.G. Armstrong,...
Major Dundee
Blu-ray
Viavision [Imprint] 11
1965 / Color/ 2:35 widescreen / 136, 122 min. / Street Date October 28, 2019 / available at [Imprint] / $79.95 au
Starring: Charlton Heston, Richard Harris, James Coburn, Senta Berger, Jim Hutton, Michael Anderson Jr., Brock Peters, Warren Oates, Ben Johnson, Slim Pickens, R.G. Armstrong,...
- 12/1/2020
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
This mid-‘sixties black comedy from the mischievous George Axelrod defines and dissects ‘crazy California culture’ just as West Coasters were being slandered as godless weird-oh hedonists. It’s partly a sarcastic put-down, citing anecdotal extremes like drive-in churches (how 2020 can you get?), perverse youth encounter groups and mindless beach party movies. But Axelrod’s paints indelible images of maladjusted women of three age groups: Tuesday Weld, Lola Albright and Ruth Gordon. Where Roddy McDowall fits in is anybody’s guess — he’s meant to glue the satire together and instead turns it into a big Question Mark.
Lord Love a Duck
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1966 / B&w / 1:85 widescreen / 105 min. / Street Date September 22, 2020 / available through Kino Lorber / 24.95
Starring: Roddy McDowall, Tuesday Weld, Lola Albright, Martin West, Ruth Gordon, Harvey Korman, Sarah Marshall, Lynn Carey, Donald Murphy, Max Showalter, Joseph Mell, Dan Frazer, Martine Bartlett, Jo Collins, Judith Loomis, Gay Gordon,...
Lord Love a Duck
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1966 / B&w / 1:85 widescreen / 105 min. / Street Date September 22, 2020 / available through Kino Lorber / 24.95
Starring: Roddy McDowall, Tuesday Weld, Lola Albright, Martin West, Ruth Gordon, Harvey Korman, Sarah Marshall, Lynn Carey, Donald Murphy, Max Showalter, Joseph Mell, Dan Frazer, Martine Bartlett, Jo Collins, Judith Loomis, Gay Gordon,...
- 9/22/2020
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
For producer-director John Ford Columbia Studios was apparently a calm port in a hostile movie climate. Away from the bankability guaranteed by John Wayne, Ford never quite regained the power of his earlier triumphs, from the silent era to his socially conscious classics at Fox. The four Columbia-controlled pictures presented on Powerhouse Indicator’s lavishly appointed disc set consist of two winners and (for this viewer) a pair of odd ducks. But the quality of his filmmaking remained consistent.
John Ford at Columbia 1935-1958
The Whole Town’s Talking, The Long Gray Line, Gideon’s Day, The Last Hurrah
Region B Blu-ray
Powerhouse Indicator
1935-1958 / Color & B&w / 1:37 Academy, 2:55 widescreen, 1:85 widescreen / / Street Date April 27, 2020 / available from Powerhouse Films UK / £ 42.99
Starring: Edward G. Robinson, Jean Arthur; Tyrone Power, Maureen O’Hara; Jack Hawkins, Anna Massey; Spencer Tracy, Jeffrey Hunter.
Cinematography: Joseph August; Charles Lawton Jr., Charles Lang; Frederick A.
John Ford at Columbia 1935-1958
The Whole Town’s Talking, The Long Gray Line, Gideon’s Day, The Last Hurrah
Region B Blu-ray
Powerhouse Indicator
1935-1958 / Color & B&w / 1:37 Academy, 2:55 widescreen, 1:85 widescreen / / Street Date April 27, 2020 / available from Powerhouse Films UK / £ 42.99
Starring: Edward G. Robinson, Jean Arthur; Tyrone Power, Maureen O’Hara; Jack Hawkins, Anna Massey; Spencer Tracy, Jeffrey Hunter.
Cinematography: Joseph August; Charles Lawton Jr., Charles Lang; Frederick A.
- 5/5/2020
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Sam Peckinpah’s ‘Mangled Masterpiece’ gets a new lease on life with this Austrian import, which corrects all the things that bugged me about Twilight Time’s impressive Blu-ray back in 2013. This is the first time that the original uncut Preview-International version of Major Dundee has come to Blu-ray with its original soundtrack intact. The Two-Disc set includes a longform making-of docu from the prolific producer Mike Siegel, and the other extras make an extensive raid of our combined Dundee photo archives.
Major Dundee (Sierra Charriba)
Region-Free Blu-ray Mediabook
Explosive Media GmbH
1965 / Color/ 2:35 widescreen / 136, 121 min. / Sierra Charriba / Street Date December 12, 2019 / available at Amazon.de / 21,99 €
Starring: Charlton Heston, Richard Harris, James Coburn, Senta Berger, Jim Hutton, Michael Anderson Jr., Brock Peters, Warren Oates, Ben Johnson, Slim Pickens, R.G. Armstrong, Dub Taylor, Michael Pate, Karl Swenson, Begonia Palacios, Aurora Clavell.
Cinematography: Sam Leavitt
Film Editors: William A. Lyon, Don Starling, Howard Kunin...
Major Dundee (Sierra Charriba)
Region-Free Blu-ray Mediabook
Explosive Media GmbH
1965 / Color/ 2:35 widescreen / 136, 121 min. / Sierra Charriba / Street Date December 12, 2019 / available at Amazon.de / 21,99 €
Starring: Charlton Heston, Richard Harris, James Coburn, Senta Berger, Jim Hutton, Michael Anderson Jr., Brock Peters, Warren Oates, Ben Johnson, Slim Pickens, R.G. Armstrong, Dub Taylor, Michael Pate, Karl Swenson, Begonia Palacios, Aurora Clavell.
Cinematography: Sam Leavitt
Film Editors: William A. Lyon, Don Starling, Howard Kunin...
- 12/14/2019
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Sam Peckinpah’s ‘Mangled Masterpiece’ gets a new lease on life with this Austrian import, which corrects all the things that bugged me about Twilight Time’s impressive Blu-ray back in 2013. This is the first time that the original uncut Preview-International version of Major Dundee has come to Blu-ray with its original soundtrack intact. The Two-Disc set includes a longform making-of docu from the prolific producer Mike Siegel, and the other extras make an extensive raid of our combined Dundee photo archives.
Major Dundee (Sierra Charriba)
Region-Free Blu-ray Mediabook
Explosive Media GmbH
1965 / Color/ 2:35 widescreen / 136, 121 min. / Sierra Charriba / Street Date December 12, 2019 / available at Amazon.de / 21,99 €
Starring: Charlton Heston, Richard Harris, James Coburn, Senta Berger, Jim Hutton, Michael Anderson Jr., Brock Peters, Warren Oates, Ben Johnson, Slim Pickens, R.G. Armstrong, Dub Taylor, Michael Pate, Karl Swenson, Begonia Palacios, Aurora Clavell.
Cinematography: Sam Leavitt
Film Editors: William A. Lyon, Don Starling, Howard Kunin...
Major Dundee (Sierra Charriba)
Region-Free Blu-ray Mediabook
Explosive Media GmbH
1965 / Color/ 2:35 widescreen / 136, 121 min. / Sierra Charriba / Street Date December 12, 2019 / available at Amazon.de / 21,99 €
Starring: Charlton Heston, Richard Harris, James Coburn, Senta Berger, Jim Hutton, Michael Anderson Jr., Brock Peters, Warren Oates, Ben Johnson, Slim Pickens, R.G. Armstrong, Dub Taylor, Michael Pate, Karl Swenson, Begonia Palacios, Aurora Clavell.
Cinematography: Sam Leavitt
Film Editors: William A. Lyon, Don Starling, Howard Kunin...
- 12/14/2019
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Lorraine Hansberry’s play has been given a masterful film adaptation, with the emotional truth of her words left intact. We’re told of some superficial compromises, but they do not diminish the play’s powerful clash between old and new ideas in a Southside Chicago family struggling to escape poverty. This may be Sidney Poitier’s best screen performance, but the honors are shared with a superlative cast.
A Raisin in the Sun
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 945
1961 / B&W / 1:85 widescreen / 128 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date September 25, 2018 / 39.95
Starring: Sidney Poitier, Claudia McNeil, Ruby Dee, Diana Sands, Ivan Dixon, John Fiedler, Louis Gossett Jr., Stephen Perry, Joel Fluellen, Louis Terrel, Roy Glenn.
Cinematography: Charles Lawton Jr.
Film Editors: William A. Lyon, Paul Weatherwax
Original Music: Laurence Rosenthal
Written by Lorraine Hansberry, from her play
Produced by David Susskind, Philip Rose
Directed by Daniel Petrie
In more than...
A Raisin in the Sun
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 945
1961 / B&W / 1:85 widescreen / 128 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date September 25, 2018 / 39.95
Starring: Sidney Poitier, Claudia McNeil, Ruby Dee, Diana Sands, Ivan Dixon, John Fiedler, Louis Gossett Jr., Stephen Perry, Joel Fluellen, Louis Terrel, Roy Glenn.
Cinematography: Charles Lawton Jr.
Film Editors: William A. Lyon, Paul Weatherwax
Original Music: Laurence Rosenthal
Written by Lorraine Hansberry, from her play
Produced by David Susskind, Philip Rose
Directed by Daniel Petrie
In more than...
- 9/29/2018
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Delmer Daves' easygoing cattle drive western can't make an action hero out of Jack Lemmon, but with fine work from co-star Glenn Ford it presents a thoughtful anti-myth: no glorious rescues or noble gunfights, and the demure maiden doesn't wait for the handsome cowboy hero. With Brian Donlevy (excellent) and Anna Kashf. Cowboy Blu-ray Twilight Time Limited Edition 1958 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 92 min. / Ship Date February 9, 2016 / available through Twilight Time Movies / 29.95 Starring Glenn Ford, Jack Lemmon, Anna Kashfi, Brian Donlevy, Strother Martin, Dick York, Victor Manuel Mendoza, Richard Jaeckel, King Donovan Cinematography Charles Lawton Jr. Production Designer Cary Odell Film Editor Al Clark, William A. Lyon Original Music George Duning Written by Edmund H. North and, originally uncredited Dalton Trumbo from a book by Frank Harris Produced by Julian Blaustein Directed by Delmer Daves
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
Not Delmer Daves' best Western, but a rather good movie, Cowboy...
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
Not Delmer Daves' best Western, but a rather good movie, Cowboy...
- 2/27/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
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