Horror thrives on explicit shock, terror on lingering disquiet and dread. This in essence is Ann Radcliffe’s famous distinction between fright and fear. Mrs. Radcliffe was the undisputed mistress of Gothic fiction- when it comes to spooky and scary, I consider her an expert. The Haunting, Dead of Night and Cat People have a few […]
The Education of an American: ‘Dodsworth’ (1936)
I’ve been doing things myself for a long time now, and I thought I’d give things a chance to do something to me. Dodsworth is a sensitive, superlative look at love, life and marriage. It’s also a neglected classic about an American abroad. After decades managing his automobile empire Samuel Dodsworth (Walter Huston) retires, setting […]
Ye Merry Olde Englande: ‘The Court Jester’ (1956)
Or, why I now adore Danny Kaye. I first bumped into The Court Jester in the back pages of Empire film magazine. The article mentioned Angela Lansbury and Basil Rathbone- always worth watching- and swordfights, but what was this about vessels with pestles? I found the scene in question on YouTube and ordered the DVD […]
Arabian Nights (and Days): ‘The Thief of Bagdad’ (1940)
Hands up, what was the last good fantasy film you saw? I mean a movie which truly thrilled you, transported you to another world and filled you with endless wonder. Was it The Lord of the Rings trilogy? Stardust? How about the Chronicles of Narnia or (some) instalments of the Harry Potter franchise? Fantasy is […]
Glitz, Glamour and Grit: ‘Footlight Parade’ (1933)
James Cagney: tough guy, song-and-dance man. Singing and dancing in a bar-cum-opium den? Welcome to the wonderful world of the 1930s Warner Bros. musical- where women are dames, wisecracks whistle back and forth backstage and anything goes if it can just dodge the censors. Musicals are my favourite genre. I grew up loving the crème-de-la-crème […]
Everyone’s Fifteen Minutes: ‘Nothing Sacred’ (1937)
I have a confession to make: I haven’t always enjoyed screwball comedy. The Philadelphia Story was probably the first I watched. Though drawn by the considerable wattage of Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart, gloriously united in one movie, I winced at too many scenes to see the humour in them. Yes Tracy Lord […]
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