Saturday, 18 July 2020

Song of the Thin Man (1947)


The Bad Sister (1931)



Marianne falls in love with a con artist who has a hidden agenda.

Contrived and wooden melodrama with a remarkable cast, and no, Bette Davis doesn't play the title role.

Halliwell (no star): "A teenager potboiler of its day, remarkable only for its cast."

Maltin**: "...stilted early-talkie melodrama. Davis, in her film debut, is wasted..."

Belle de jour (1967)


Five (1951)


The world is destroyed in a nuclear holocaust, and only five Americans survive, including a pregnant woman, a neo-Nazi, a black man and a bank clerk.

Thursday, 16 July 2020

The Brood (1979)


Anastasia (1956)



An opportunistic Russian businessman tries to pass a mysterious impostor as the Grand Duchess Anastasia. But she is so convincing in her performance that even the biggest skeptics believe her.

Well-produced Hollywood entertainment, typically without any sense for historical accuracy, works due to its excellent cast, but does have some over-the-top melodramatic moments.

Halliwell**: "Slick, highly theatrical entertainment for the upper classes; it dazzles and satisfies without drawing any light on history."

Maltin****: "Inspired casting makes this film exceptional...High point: confrontation scene in which Hayes as grand duchess must determine if girl is her relative."