Editorial Review

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Reviews (135)

Great Film!
Rebecca is one of my very favorite movies. I have seen it many times and I never tire of it. The story is ageless and simple. An aristocratic widower marries a shy young girl and takes her to his castle-like home. There, she lives haunted by the shadow of Rebecca, his first wife. It is Rebecca did this, Rebecca did that, Rebecca all the time. A stunning classic.

A Hitchcock Movie for People Who Don't Like Hitchcock Films
Looking back in retrospect, I truly believe this film was the launching point of Hitchcock's career. He went on to have one of the most glorious careers in Hollywood history. Although he never won an Academy Award Oscar for the Best Director award; Hitchcock showed that he truly belonged in the top echelon of directors. Especially in his golden era: circa 1951 to 1959.
Classic Version Of The Romantic Suspense Novel. A-List Cast+Excellent Script+Flawless Direction=The DEFINITIVE Version.
Alfred Hitchcock's first film made in America was an adaptation of the highly successful novel "Rebecca." In the role of the mysterious, but handsome, Maxim DeWinter, is Laurence Olivier (coming off the success of "Wuthering Heights" the year before; please see my review on it), giving a complex performance yet again. Joan Fontaine plays the nameless heroine, Judith Anderson plays the sinister Mrs. Danvers and George Sanders plays Rebecca's devious cousin. Very faithful to the novel, this film is. Recommended for English classes. Not Rated. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Mystery / Suspense   

Editorial Review

John Huston was eager for a lightweight lark, and Read more

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Reviews (21)

Looking for a DVD (and might I suggest a Re-make?)
First of all, I have no idea why this film is not available on DVD yet. You might be looking at my rating right now and thinking "He only gave it 3 stars? Who cares if it comes out on DVD!" Let me explain.
DVD, PLEASE!!
When, when, when is this terrific movie going to come out on DVD?The mystery is great, the acting terrific and I defy anyone who sees it for the first time to figure it out!

Huston In A Minor Key
While not necessarily one of the shining stars of director John Huston's career, "The List of Adrian Messenger" is a fairly engrossing mystery. George C. Scott stars as a retired MI-5 inspector who is given a list of 11 men by his good friend Adrian Messenger (John Merivale). When the men on the list--and Messenger himself--all end up dead, Scott must discover what links them together, and who is eliminating them one by one. The excellent supporting cast includes Herbert Marshall, Jacques Roux, and Dana Wynter, but the central gimmick of the film is spotting the cameo appearances by Tony Curtis, Frank Sinatra, Burt Lancaster, and Robert Mitchum. It's not hard to spot the heavy makeup; it's tougher figuring out who is behind it. Huston himself also makes a cameo toward the end, but without makeup.
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Subjects:  1. Drama    2. Movie    3. Mystery / Suspense   

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Reviews (36)

An Exceptional Film Adaptation of the Classic Novel
This 1945 film adaptation of Oscar Wilde's classic novella is more that likely the best adaptation one will ever see. This may seem to be a big statement, but Albert Lewin's direction along with Harry Stradling Sr.'s Oscar winning Cinematography for 1946, appears almost flawless when comparing the classic novel with the film.
"5" for the movie, "1" for no DVD
This is one the best films of all time.
The Lost Meaning of Evil and Terror.
With the exception of the fact that Sybil Vane is reduced from a stage actress to a club singer, this movie actually holds to the book quite well. In an age where horror movies revolve around the absurd overuse of blood and effects, and evil is portrayed as someone who just carries the label and dresses in black, this movie carries the true meaning of evil and terror. (Notably lost in modern times!) As in the book, we meet Lord Henry (played most convincingly by George Sanders). While he does have some redeeming points, he basically represents the devil. He is more of an observer, and he considers the common behavior of people beneath him. And as comically vicious as he gets, like the devil he never really tells outright falsehoods. One perfect example is when he expresses that women represent morality over mind and men represent mind over morals. Well, we then meet the young Dorian who is having his portrait painted. Lord Henry plays the devil and tells Dorian youth is only temporary and even if unintentionally tempts and leads Dorian into making a pact with evil. (He'll remain young while the picture ages.) Dorian then falls in love with Sybil Vane. And they plan to marry. But Lord Henry again plays the devil and gives Dorian advice that SOUNDS good, but will lead to Sybil's death when carried through. (Like the devil, Lord Henry can tempt, but NOT FORCE Dorian to do anything!) After Sybil's death, Lord Henry shows a redeeming moment when he is concerned over Dorian. But the harm is done. Dorian is now on his way to degeneration. It is not the pact itself that leads to Dorian's degeneration, but his vanity that leads him to a cold indifference to the needs of others. (While this behavior was comical in Lord Henry, it appears quite disturbing in Dorian.) Without blood or effects, this movie is really scarey as we gradually see Dorian degenerate into evil. Despite what action movies tell us, the true meaning of evil is when we become a prisoner of our own vanity and we desire to satisfy ourselves no matter what the cost to others. Dorian makes this clear when he says: "I enjoy scandals about others, but scandals about me do not interest me. I find them boring." In a moment of disturbing terror, Dorian murders the uncle of the Gladys (whom he now loves). And in his arguably most evil moment, he becomes the tempter. While he asks for Alan Campbell's help in disposing of the body, he tempts but again doesn't force. (And this will lead to Campbell's suicide. The tempted has become the tempter!) But Sybil's brother is still out there and he wants revenge for the death of his sister. We heard of Adrian Singleton earlier when Basil expressed his fear over the degeneration of Dorian's friends, and we see him as a disturbing eccentric who interestingly carries reason. Jim's death is creepily ambiguous. Did Dorian set up the hunting party in hopes that Jim would walk into a bullet, or did Jim's desire for revenge lead to his downfall? We don't know, but we DO know that for this evil to have fallen on Jim, Jim had to consent at least in part to it when he persued the evils of revenge. (Something the utterly stupid 'Time to Kill' couldn't figure out.) Moving on, Dorian has defeated all his enemies, but he just can't live with himself anymore. (An ending above and beyond action movies that have a hero kill his enemies, fall in love, and live happily ever after!) Well, Dorian breaks his pact with evil and pays a HIGH price. Not only is this movie a phenomenal remake of the book itself, but it also reminds us of the REAL meaning of evil and terror. And as a bonus, it shows the shortcomings of modern movies that just don't get it. If you liked the book, you'll love the movie! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Drama    2. Horror    3. Movie    4. Mystery / Suspense   

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Reviews (36)

An Exceptional Film Adaptation of the Classic Novel
This 1945 film adaptation of Oscar Wilde's classic novella is more that likely the best adaptation one will ever see. This may seem to be a big statement, but Albert Lewin's direction along with Harry Stradling Sr.'s Oscar winning Cinematography for 1946, appears almost flawless when comparing the classic novel with the film.
"5" for the movie, "1" for no DVD
This is one the best films of all time.
The Lost Meaning of Evil and Terror.
With the exception of the fact that Sybil Vane is reduced from a stage actress to a club singer, this movie actually holds to the book quite well. In an age where horror movies revolve around the absurd overuse of blood and effects, and evil is portrayed as someone who just carries the label and dresses in black, this movie carries the true meaning of evil and terror. (Notably lost in modern times!) As in the book, we meet Lord Henry (played most convincingly by George Sanders). While he does have some redeeming points, he basically represents the devil. He is more of an observer, and he considers the common behavior of people beneath him. And as comically vicious as he gets, like the devil he never really tells outright falsehoods. One perfect example is when he expresses that women represent morality over mind and men represent mind over morals. Well, we then meet the young Dorian who is having his portrait painted. Lord Henry plays the devil and tells Dorian youth is only temporary and even if unintentionally tempts and leads Dorian into making a pact with evil. (He'll remain young while the picture ages.) Dorian then falls in love with Sybil Vane. And they plan to marry. But Lord Henry again plays the devil and gives Dorian advice that SOUNDS good, but will lead to Sybil's death when carried through. (Like the devil, Lord Henry can tempt, but NOT FORCE Dorian to do anything!) After Sybil's death, Lord Henry shows a redeeming moment when he is concerned over Dorian. But the harm is done. Dorian is now on his way to degeneration. It is not the pact itself that leads to Dorian's degeneration, but his vanity that leads him to a cold indifference to the needs of others. (While this behavior was comical in Lord Henry, it appears quite disturbing in Dorian.) Without blood or effects, this movie is really scarey as we gradually see Dorian degenerate into evil. Despite what action movies tell us, the true meaning of evil is when we become a prisoner of our own vanity and we desire to satisfy ourselves no matter what the cost to others. Dorian makes this clear when he says: "I enjoy scandals about others, but scandals about me do not interest me. I find them boring." In a moment of disturbing terror, Dorian murders the uncle of the Gladys (whom he now loves). And in his arguably most evil moment, he becomes the tempter. While he asks for Alan Campbell's help in disposing of the body, he tempts but again doesn't force. (And this will lead to Campbell's suicide. The tempted has become the tempter!) But Sybil's brother is still out there and he wants revenge for the death of his sister. We heard of Adrian Singleton earlier when Basil expressed his fear over the degeneration of Dorian's friends, and we see him as a disturbing eccentric who interestingly carries reason. Jim's death is creepily ambiguous. Did Dorian set up the hunting party in hopes that Jim would walk into a bullet, or did Jim's desire for revenge lead to his downfall? We don't know, but we DO know that for this evil to have fallen on Jim, Jim had to consent at least in part to it when he persued the evils of revenge. (Something the utterly stupid 'Time to Kill' couldn't figure out.) Moving on, Dorian has defeated all his enemies, but he just can't live with himself anymore. (An ending above and beyond action movies that have a hero kill his enemies, fall in love, and live happily ever after!) Well, Dorian breaks his pact with evil and pays a HIGH price. Not only is this movie a phenomenal remake of the book itself, but it also reminds us of the REAL meaning of evil and terror. And as a bonus, it shows the shortcomings of modern movies that just don't get it. If you liked the book, you'll love the movie! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Drama    2. Movie    3. Mystery / Suspense   

Editorial Review

This minor 1955 work by Alfred Hitchcock, one of the lighter entries of his creative peak in the 1950s, is still imbued with the master's stock themes of shared guilt and romantic ambivalence. It is also hardly lacking in Hitchcockian cinematic inventiveness, such as a famous, often-imitated sequence in which some smooching between stars Cary Grant and Grace Kelly is intercut with a fireworks show that just happens to be going on outside in a Riviera setting. Grant plays a reformed cat burglar who is suspected of reviving his trade, though he knows someone else is using his old methods. A very enjoyable experience, but don't get this confused with Hitchcock's other Cary Grant film of that decade, which was a masterpiece: Read more

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Reviews (110)

Good edition of the movie.
Everybody knows the plot of this movie. So, I can't add anything in that respect. However, I can tell you that the quality of the DVD is very good. Clear picture and sound - great buy.

Hitchcock's Combo Platter: Style, Suspense and Comedy
This is Hitch's least "heady" film -- the sheer physical beauty of Grace Kelly in her prime, Cary Grant in his, and the French Mediterranean in its, they all conspire to confound intellectualization. The screen seems slick with the vapors of the stars' physical luminosity.
To Catch a Thief
You don't get much better than Cary Grant, Grace Kelly and Alfred and Edith Head.Full of fun, danger, and suspence, this suspenceful thriller shows how Hollywood used to make a romantic movie. Alas, can one imagine how this movie would be made today? All guns, car chases and explicit sex and very little plot! Let us be glad we have means of saving these classics for our future entertainment!!!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Classics    2. Drama    3. Movie    4. Mystery    5. Mystery / Suspense    6. Suspense   

Editorial Review

The intoxicating chemistry and repartee between the oft-teamed William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles--America's favorite soused detectives--is fully 100-proof in the marvelously witty Thin Man movies. You simply won't find more delightful movie company than Nick and Nora. The title, of course, refers not to Nicky the dick, but to the mysteriously missing scientist he and his lovely partner set out to find. Powell and Loy deliver their sparkling dialog with giddy enthusiasm (and occasionally slurred speech) in this rapid-fire, three-martini suspense comedy directed by famously speedy W.S. Van Dyke and adapted from the novel by Dashiell Hammett. The success of Read more

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Reviews (90)

MOTHER OF ALL THE CLEVER WHODUNITS -- PLAYS ON THROUGH HAPPY HOUR IN DEADLY SERIOUSNESS
IN A NUTSHELL: 'THE THIN MAN' DELIVERS: CHEMISTRY - GAIETY - FRESHNESS - FAST PACE - SENSATION & DEADLY INTENTIONS
Good clean comedy.
I am not an old fuddy duddy ( I am only 28) but movies like The Thin Man make me yearn for the days of good clean humor. Humor that makes you think instead fart jokes or stuff like that.
Hilarious, drunken high-class detective tale -- a classic's classic
"The Thin Man" charms you with its innocence and its humor, and its clever writing keeps you in stitches.A pedestrian murder mystery, based on the classic novel by Dashiell Hammett, gets turbocharged by the timeless performances of William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles, America's booziest high-class couple. Read more

Subjects:  1. Comedies    2. Movie    3. Mystery / Suspense   

Editorial Review

This silky smooth film noir pits gruff police detective Dana Andrews, stiff and blunt in his street-bred manners, against a cultured columnist and acidic wit (Clifton Webb at his prissiest) in a battle of wits during a murder investigation. The cop is a romantic hiding under a hard-boiled exterior who falls in love with the beautiful victim through the portrait that hangs in her apartment. Gene Tierney, whose heart-shaped face mixes the exotic with the girl next door, brings the poise and calm of a model to her role as the object of every man's gaze and the target of a killer. Read more

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Reviews (148)

My favorite film-noir!
LAURA starring Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews, amd Clifton Webb, directed by Otto Preminger, shines as a dusky jewel among les films-noirs. Tierney is never so beautiful and unattainable as in this movie, especially to the men who love her. She is an appealing and wholesome girl with a quick mind, exquisite taste, and a glamorous lifestyle. Unfortunately, Laura is not a wise judge of character, which explains why she has so many "characters" in her life. The screenplay is clever, witty and flowing and all the performances are superb. This is a film worth having since it needs to be watched more than once to absorb the naunces.

Laura - a film noir reviewded by Chroesus
Laura is a sumptuous beautifully filmed piece of classic noir cinem-
A classic noir thriller.
Otto Preminger directs this 1944 noir thriller starring Gene Tierney and Dana Andrews.Dana Andrews plays McPherson, the hard-boiled detective investigating the shocking murder of a society woman, Laura, in New York.McPherson focuses on Waldo Lydecker (Clifton Webb), a sardonic sophisticate who writes a newspaper column and has a radio talk show.Lydecker was a good friend of Laura's but despised her playboy fiancee Shelby (Vincent Price). Inprocess of the investigation McPherson falls in love with Laura's portrait.Fortunately for McPherson, Laura returns--apparently the body of the girl found in the apartment was not Laura!
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Subjects:  1. Movie    2. Mystery / Suspense    3. Mystery / Suspense / Thriller   

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Reviews (15)

Fast Paced Thriller
The Glass Key is a murder mystery thriller starring two staples of the film noir genre. Alan Ladd stars as a man looking for the truth and using his wits to twists information in his favor. Veronica Lake plays the beautiful daughter of a potential Senator, the sister of a man who has been murdered. The victim's girlfriend is played by the beautiful Bonita Granville.
Glossy Ladd-Lake Movie
"Why are you Paul's friend?" - Veronica Lake
A decent noir film.
This film stars the electric combination of Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake, two of the most charismatic stars of the film noir genre.This film came out in 1942 when Ladd was 29 and was just becoming famous as the star of "This Gun for Hire".
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Subjects:  1. Movie    2. Mystery / Suspense    3. Mystery / Suspense / Thriller   

Editorial Review

Vacationing in northern California, Alfred Hitchcock was struck by a story in a Santa Cruz newspaper: "Seabird Invasion Hits Coastal Homes." From this peculiar incident, and his memory of a short story by Daphne du Maurier, the master of suspense created one of his strangest and most terrifying films. Read more

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Reviews (274)

Was there ever a scarier movie?
I saw this movie again a few years ago and found that I could not view the scenes of the birds attacking the house or the telephone booth.And the scene with the birds occupying just about every available space near the school yard once again gave me the heebie-jeebies!
The Birds is Still A Great Film
I've seen The Birds many times, and still love it everytime.It is probably my favorite Hitchcock film.
**THIS REVIEW IS ONLY FOR THE DVD**
GREAT GREAT GREAT EXTRAS!!
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Subjects:  1. Horror    2. Horror / Sci-Fi / Fantasy    3. Movie    4. Mystery / Suspense   

Editorial Review

Although it wasn't a box-office success when originally released in 1958, Read more

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Reviews (292)

**THIS REVIEW IS ONLY FOR THE DVD**
Good extras, but should have been more. BOTH versions of this DVD are the same, just with a different cover. The extras include ALL:
Kim Novak....Ooooo.....la......la.....!!!
This is a classic film.I was a teenager when I first saw it and I fell in love with Kim Novak just like Jimmy Stewart did---so I was in good company! (And, "once in love always in love!:o) Besides the beautiful Kim Novak, you have Mr. Hitchcock using San Francisco's Fort Point as a backdrop where Kim Novak jumps into the SF Bay.Also used is the little town of San Juan Bautista some miles south of San Francisco.This little town is where the old Spanish Mission is located and important scenes of the movie were shot.If you are "new" to "Vertigo" you must see it!Enjoy!Email is boland7214@aol.co

The master filmmaker's finest and most complex film
It is unusual to see a director produce his best work after the age of 50, but that is exactly what Alfred Hitchcock did. Starting in 1948 with "Rope" and ending with "The Birds" in 1963, this was the era of his most inspired films. "Vertigo", in my opinion, is the best film of his entire body of work.
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Reviews (57)

A Curious and Amazing Film!
First off, prospective film buyer, do not be put off by this DVD's genuinely horrible artwork, for it disguises a remarkable tale. The script for 7 FACES OF DR. LAO was by Charles Beaumont, a talented man who (among other achievements) wrote over a dozen classic TWILIGHT ZONE stories. And there are shades of a ZONE episode to be found in this unlikely tale. Perhaps most notable are its clever and eminently quotable lines of dialogue, which can be attributed to Beaumont and Charles Finney, whose novel was the basis for the storyline.
Seven Faces of Dr. Lao
The movie is as good as I remember it to be.The shipment came quickly and was in perfect condition.

seven faces of Dr. loa
It was a great story, could be done much better now with the special effects..I've already watched three times. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Movie    2. Mystery / Suspense    3. Westerns   

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Reviews (8)

Charlie Chan in Paris
I have always liked old mysteries.They allow you to use your Gray Cells(smile).

Charlie Chan in Paris
As usualk the Charlie Chan series is great and I will be ordering more in the future.
VERY GOOD CHAN OUTING
I Really resent the fact that Turner Classic stopped showing the Charlie Chan films due to protests by Asian Americans. Were the films racist and stereotyping Orientals? Yeah...Sure they were. But how many movies of the 30's and 40's were not stereotypical in some way? Whether it was of any race or creed. Hiding them away doesn't mean they never happened. And although the actors who portrayed Charlie Chan may not have been Asian, they always portrayed him in a favorable light as being much smarter than the crooks he helped to capture. And of course many co-starred Keye Luke as #1 son who was an Asian-American.
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Subjects:  1. Movie    2. Mystery    3. Mystery / Suspense    4. Mystery / Suspense / Thriller    5. Suspense   

Editorial Review

A suave tennis player (Ray Milland) plots the perfect murder, the dispatching of his wealthy wife (Grace Kelly), who is having an affair with a writer (Robert Cummings). Amazingly, the wife manages to stave off her attacker, a twist of fate that challenges the hubby's talent for improvisation. Alfred Hitchcock wisely stuck to the stage origins of Read more

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Reviews (88)

A Perfect Murder?....NOT!
This review refers to "Dial M For Murder",DVD,Warner Bros...
Some notes about the 3D aspect...
First of all about the movie itself: this is good, if not great, Hitchcock. It's very entertaining if a bit stage bound, and the performances are uniformly fine.
Hugely Entertaining and Rewarding Mystery
OK, I'm not a film critic. I do like older movies, especially Hitchcock mysteries and John Wayne Westerns and that makes me decidedly middle-brow. All I can say is that 'Dial M for Murder' is a hugely entertaining mystery that rewards the viewer who pays attention (umm, it is a mystery after all). Several delicious plot twists. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Movie    2. Mystery / Suspense    3. Mystery / Suspense / Thriller   

Editorial Review

Barbara Stanwyck and Burt Lancaster star in Read more

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Reviews (36)

Superb
For those reviewers who have not seen the remakes, see DAIL M FOR MURDER by Alfred Hitchcock, PERFECT MURDER starring Michael Douglas and Gyneth Paltrow, not to mention countless TV movies of the week.
A Little Treasure for Fans of Suspense
Despite the fact the film came out in 1948, it still holds up and even exceeds many of today's so-called thrillers in terms of storytelling and suspense.
a convoluted mess
did not like this movie,except for the acting which was it's only redeeming quality. this movie jumps all over the place and after a while i just gave up trying to follow it,although i did watch it to the end,hoping it would end up making sense.boy was i wrong.was never so happy to see end credits roll. i do not recommend this movie unless you are one of those people who can keep track of ten things at once.if you are,you'll love it.otherwise don't waste your time ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Drama    2. Feature Film-drama    3. Movie    4. Mystery / Suspense   

Editorial Review

Poor Charlotte Hollis. She's been shunned by the community for decades, ever since the fateful night in 1927 when her lover was hacked apart with an axe. Her antebellum southern mansion is slated for the bulldozer, as it stands in the way of highway construction. Charlotte's only hope lies in her cousin Miriam (Olivia de Havilland), coming down from up north to help settle things. Miriam, however, has other designs. Together with her boyfriend Drew (Joseph Cotten), she embarks on a scheme to systematically drive Charlotte out of her mind (not a great leap) and get her mitts on the family fortune. From there, things only get more complicated. Read more

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Reviews (84)

Still a very good film with great performances on the nature of madness and reality
While this movie works well as a murder mystery, it is much more than that.It deals quite masterfully with the notions of what madness is and how tenuous the notions of reality actually are.There is also that whole Peyton Place sense of the steamy hidden reality behind the surface façade of propriety.