A Man Alone, while never breaking the mold for its particular type of tale, manages to embody the form just right; a narratively tight yet decompressed Western from smack in the middle of the 1950s. The notable first of longtime star Ray Milland’s six directorial efforts, A Man Alone is a peppercorn burst amid the dwindling output of its studio, Republic Pictures.
This movie, layered and memorable, played the Directors Fortnight portion of the 2017 Cannes Film Festival before making the festival circuit that year and into 2018. Though its obscurity is unfortunate, meaning that Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts won’t appear on very many year-end Best Films lists, it is nevertheless deserving of more as one of the outstanding cinema accomplishments of the previous several years.
Ken Wahl, Donald Pleasance, Lesley Ann Warren, and Goerge Peppard Star in Ozploitation Actioner.
DIRECTED BY DAVID HEMMINGS/1981
BLU-RAY STREET DATE: DEC...
The Trip to Bountiful does a fine job in evoking a certain postwar southern tension, in both the primary family and its world. The film is once again widely available to remind us that you really can’t go home again- even when you can.
Whether Alfonso Cuarón is taking us to Mexico City or Frederick Wiseman is taking us to Monrovia, Indiana or Debra Granik is taking us into the woods or Ali Abbasi takes us right up to the Border, there has been no shortage of special trips at the movies in 2018.
Fact of the matter is that Vice really is a clever movie filled with great performances and memorable moments. But it’s really hard to concentrate on those finer qualities when the movie has its busy hands in one’s pants. Indeed, Vice is just so eager to please the hungry legions of leftist cinephiles and critics that it forgets to ever take its head out of its own underside long enough to engage in any real introspection.
Star of TV Comedy and Major Director, Dead at 75.
I confess, I’m still getting to know Penny Marshall.
In my defense, I missed her during her career’...
Overstuffed and Flailing, DC’s Latest Doesn’t Leave a dry Seat in the House.
DIRECTED BY JAMES WAN/2018
Somewhere in the Ocean of Superhero Movies......
Jim has been reviewing films since 2003 for outlets such as ScreenAnarchy (formerly TwitchFilm, both as Featured Critic), ImagineDat, and KTRS 550 AM. He co-founded ZekeFilm in 2011. He is Director of the St. Louis Film Critics Association, and works as video editor and Art Director for professional film and video productions. He also co-hosts the long-running comedy podcast, The Wonder Show. He is a life-long St. Louisian living with his wife and four children. He loves Star Wars, Queen, and the band Daniel Amos.
