The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)

 

New acquisition: The Killers (1946)

 

Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972)

 

Nightmare Alley (1947)

 

The rise and fall of Stanton Carlisle, a mentalist whose lies and deceit prove to be his downfall.

Remarkable drama with heavy noir and goth overtones, a dislikable hero (an unusual role for Tyrone Power), good circus settings and a devastating ending.

Halliwell**: "Unusual road to ruin melodrama, a striking oddity from Hollywood at the time,, and still quite interesting and well done."

Maltin***1/2: "Morbid but fascinating story...highly original melodrama. Compelling look at carny life..." 

Antlers (2021)

 

Jodorowsky's Dune (2013)

 

The story of cult film director Alejandro Jodorowsky's ambitious but ultimately doomed film adaptation of the seminal science fiction novel.

Fascinating documentary about a gigantic and obviously impossible film project, the sheer amount of talents involved is baffling; furthermore, Alejandro Jodorowsky is obviously a very entertaining and humorous personality.

Maltin***: "Amusing, jaw-dropping documentary...Great fun for film buffs." 

 

 

Love Is Better Than Ever (1952)

Animus Magazine

 

Animus Magazine

The Prodigal (1955)

 

New acquisition: Bigger Than Life

 

The Shining (1980)

 

On the set: Jack Nicholson and Stanley Kubrick

Dune (1984)

 

In the distant future, a man appears who may be the prophet that a long-suffering galaxy has been waiting for.

Visually compelling and with imaginative styling as you'd expect from the director, the plot has been overloaded so that the sci-fi epic seems more summarized than actually adapted.

On re-watching: Still good to look at, but the narrative is simply not convincing nor much coherent either.

Halliwell (no star): "A basically simple space fiction plot is immensely complicated by a welter of characters who are not properly introduced and who indeed are mostly irrelevant. The result, which cost nearly 50 million dollars, is inaudible, invisible (because of dim lighting) and unentertaining: a disaster of the very first order."

Maltin*1/2: "Elephantine adaptation...You know you're in trouble when film's opening narration...is completely incomprehensible! Visually imaginative, well cast, but joyless and oppressive - not to mention long. For devotees of Herbert's novel only." 

 

Carmen (1918)

 

Le vieux fusil (1975)

 

 

During World War II, a peaceful French surgeon is forced to ruthlessly exterminate the Nazis because of their atrocities.

Compelling  (and violent) WWII revenge drama based on a true event mostly avoids any psychological depth in the characterization of its protagonists, but is more interested displaying their despair and distress caused by the Nazi crimes.

 

Sigourney Weaver

(ph: Helmut Newton)

Dune (2021)

 

The son of a noble family is entrusted with the protection of the most valuable asset and most vital element in the galaxy.

Despite stunning visuals and excellent production this version still doesn't come up with a convincing interpretation of the epic novel.