John Landis' classic? A fresh, energetic take on werewolf movies, where the horror is straight but it loves the legacy, and has plenty of humour. David Naughton is so likeable in the lead it's a wonder he didn't have a bigger career - Griffin Dunne also very winning, and Jenny Agutter is magical as the perfect fantasy nurse.
I enjoy how Landis keeps the tension and pace going via violent dream sequences. Transformation is extraordinarily well done.
John Waters' got his Pink Flamingo gang back for his hugely enjoyable spoof of crime pictures. Divine has the time of her life in the lead role. Plenty of shock and nudity, Divine in a dual role. Hits all the beats - origin story, trial, electric chair.
One of those tough, smart 50s Westerns with James Stewart in excellent form as a man on a mission to who's selling guns to the Apaches. Three strong characterisations in support - Donald Crisp's tough yet kindly tycoon, Alex Nicol as his useless son, Arthur Kennedy as Crisp's employee paid to look after the idiot son. There are some decent female characters parts too - a female rancher (Aline MacMahon) and Kennedy's wife (Cathy O'Donnell).
Very well made. Smart. Solid world building. Florence Pugh anchors a passive role with her beauty and charisma. Might've exploited the deaths more for scares. Hard to pick at thhough.
Yes, I am aware when it comes to Yordan it's often unclear who did what but anyway...
1) The Big Combo (1955)
2) Men in War (1957)
3) When Strangers Marry (1944)
4) El Cid (1961)
5) Johnny Guitar (1954)
6) The Naked Jungle (1954)
7) The Chase (1946)
8) The Harder They Fall (1956)
9) Joe Macbeth (1955)
10) Reign of Terror (1949)
These were all good scripts. Yordan had a strong track record.
Yordan's hit stage play isn't that much but was a sensation in its day. He wrote it about a Polish American family it was changed to be about a black one - this "reads black", changes were presumably made by the director and cast though I'm not sure what.
Plot fairly simple - dodgy family discovers a cashed up hayseed is coming to town so they decide to marry him too to the estranged trashy Anna, a prodigal daughter hanging out in a bar and flirting with sailors.
I've seen two film versions of the play before reading this - both faihtful. You could see it working with strong actors, and a sexually charged Anna especially the scenes with her and the hayseed. (Sidney Poitier played that part on the road he would've been perfect.)
Key events happen off stage like the death of Anna's dad (who doesn't have a big part) and Anna reuniting with the hayseed. Odd. Could be adapted less faithfully. Could be musicalised.
A curio. Plot inspired by Anna Christie.
Good on Yordan for trying to make an elevated war picture but despite the source material this feels like an episode of Combat with a lot of gun play and two actors snarling. Jack Warden is fine as the sergeant, Keir Dullea is bland as the innocent, but no one is up to it, not really. Director Andrew Marton found the limit of his ability.
It's a hard book to adapt to be fair. There's the odd good bit like the wounded soldier crying out. But I think this needed to be made a few years later to go down the violent gorry route it clearly wants to.
There's a flashback of Dullea and his wife in lingere so Yordan could give his wife a part!
Shot in Spain.
