Reviewing The Classics| The Day the Earth Stood Still
When director Robert Wise’s Sci-Fi drama, The Day the Earth Stood Still, debuted in 1951 it was met with mostly positive acclaim by critics but not as widely seen by audiences of the day. It finished 52nd at the box…
Reviewing the Classics | Casablanca
If you asked me about my top 10 favorite films of all-time, Casablanca would be on the list. It’s romantic, witty, adventurous. It is both ahead of its time and incredibly timely. The doomed romance between Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart)…
Reviewing the Classics| M
“Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?” – Matthew 7:3 Is there anything more despicable than the thought of bringing harm to a…
Reviewing the Classics| It Happened One Night
It’s common knowledge that most romantic comedies follow a formula. It’s not always a bad thing either. If you were to comb through film history to find the source of the rom-com formula, I would say undoubtedly that it comes…
Reviewing the Classics| The General
Unlike other comedic stars of the silent film era, Buster Keaton stands above comparisons to his most obvious counterpart, Charlie Chaplin. Keaton was a different kind of man making different films. In his movies, Keaton has been described as “a…
Reviewing the Classics| City Lights
Although I’ve included a few clips from City Lights, I highly recommend watching the entire 87-minute film. It moves quickly, is remarkably approachable (even to those unfamiliar with older and silent films), and available in numerous editions on YouTube, as…
Reviewing the Classics| The Trial of Joan of Arc
When you think of Joan of Arc and the movies, which film comes to mind? For many cinephiles, the quintessential Joan film is Carl Theodor Dreyer’s silent masterpiece, The Passion of Joan of Arc (read Josh Crabb’s review for Dreyer’s…
Reviewing the Classics| On the Waterfront
On the Waterfront is one of the most influential and personally significant films I’ve ever seen, and a “contender” for my favorite classic film. The story follows Terry Malloy (played by the alluring, and wonderfully talented Marlon Brando) as he…