Posts by Gino Sassani

"Most people think if they pay a few dollars to a community chest and goodwill agencies and so on, they've done their duty and they can shrug aside all responsibility. But you've got to do more than that."

Fritz Lang was one of the greatest directors of all time. He was one of the masters of the early silent films and of the German Expressionism that he brought with him when he got to Hollywood. Metropolis and M with Peter Lorre are two of the most renowned silent films ever made, and unlike many actors and directors, he was able to bring his style and talent forward when the talkies started bringing sound to our movie theaters. His later sound pictures included Beyond A Reasonable Doubt with Dana Andrews and The Return Of Frank James with Henry Fonda and Jackie Cooper.

"On the night of March 8th, 1916, a large mounted force of Mexican rebels under Pancho Villa crossed the American border and attacked the town of Columbus, New Mexico, killing and wounding both American civilians and soldiers. As a result of this action, the United States Army sent an expedition into Mexico with orders to capture Villa and disperse his forces. It was during this campaign that one man, a United States Army officer, was forced to come face to face with two of the great fundamental questions that affect mankind: What is courage? What is cowardice? This is the story of his search for an answer."

John Wayne accused the film of a lack of patriotism and condemned his pal Gary Cooper for taking the role of a coward who is charged with collecting names of heroes for the Congressional Medal of Honor. He claimed the film made a mockery of the coveted award and was quite outspoken about the film's impact on our own servicemen.

Most of you have never heard of Irene Dunne. You all have heard of Lucille Ball, of course. What if I told you that if there hadn't been an Irene Dunne, there would not have been a Lucy, at least not the actress/character who we all remember today. It was by Dunne's performance as her co-star in in a film called Joy Of Living that Lucille Ball was inspired to create the character that would be Lucy. You see, Irene Dunne was the original master of the ditzy screwball comedic character that we all associate with Lucy. KL Studio Classics have brought us two of Irene Dunne's films. When Dunne left acting, she devoted herself to international causes and was selected by President Dwight D. Eisenhower as an official delegate to the United Nations. Her acting career included three films, each with Cary Grant and Charles Boyer. She's an actress who never quite held up over the years, but she should have. She was nominated five times for an Oscar but never ended up taking one home. Thanks to these two releases from KL Classics, you get to see a couple of her lesser-known works

"Where there's life ... there's hope. Bob Hope, that is."

Few American entertainers have had a career to match that of Bob Hope. He lived 100 years and spent over 80 of those years in the entertainment industry. He appeared in over 70 films, wrote various books, and has over 300 appearance credits to his name on television and radio. He cut out a niche for himself during World War II that carried him through the Korean War and the war in Vietnam. He conducted literally hundreds of appearances for GIs out in the field, performing sometimes for audiences at the front. He brought a ton of his celebrity friends and was Mr. USO for decades. An honest look at his career is impossible here. Thanks to the folks over at Kino, we have the opportunity to explore a couple of his films from the 1930's. You can pick up each of them on Blu-ray now, and we'll give you an idea of what you're going to get for your money

“In the 1940’s, a new genre – film noir – emerged from the world of hard-boiled pulp magazines, paperback thrillers, and sensational crime movies. These films, tough and unsentimental, depicted a black and white universe at once brutal, erotic, and morally ambiguous.”

Film Noir officially started in the 40’s, but the movement was well underway by the early 30’s. You can trace its roots to the Great Depression and the arrival of the dime pulp magazines. These were highly stylized, mostly mystery stories that provided cheap escapism for the masses who were not having a good time of it. Writers like Raymond Chandler crafted the mold that was easily transferred to the silver screen. These were low-budget films that were intended to be second billing with the more mainstream releases. They were shot quickly. Many have a very flat look, created intentionally. The lighting was often minimal, crafting odd shadows and unusual textures.

"I wonder if you ever stop on the way home and watch the children playing. In the street, or in the yard. And when the time comes and their mothers call them in, they're often reluctant. They … they get a little contrary. But that's as it should be. Far better than to be the child you occasionally see, he's sitting by himself in the corner not taking part, not happy, not unhappy. Merely waiting for his mother to call him in. I've become afraid that I might end up like that child. And I so very much do not wish to do so."

I love Bill Nighy. It doesn't matter if he's doing roles covered in makeup like Underworld and Pirates Of The Caribbean, or he's doing heartfelt characters like About Time.