Dark Star (1974)
73%RT Audience Score: 64%
Awards & Nominations: NA
Dark Star, John Carpenter’s student film turned cult classic, is a delightful romp through space that manages to blend science fiction with molasses-black humor and human eccentricities. While some critics may dismiss it as sophomoric or lacking in substance, Carpenter’s vision of the technological future is both disillusioned and oddly affirmative in its insistence on the unscientific survival of emotional frailty. With amusing moments and a slacker satire of 2001: A Space Odyssey, Dark Star is a must-watch for anyone who enjoys anarchic humor and a good old-fashioned space adventure.
Dark Star is a wild ride through space that will have you laughing and scratching your head at the same time. While some critics may find fault with the film’s sophomoric humor and primitive special effects, it’s hard not to appreciate the sheer anarchy and creativity on display. John Carpenter’s student film may not be for everyone, but if you’re a fan of Star Wars, Alien, Halloween, or The Thing, you owe it to yourself to check it out. Just don’t expect any intelligent bombs or beach balls from other worlds.
Production Company(ies)
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
Year of Release
1974
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:NA
-
Runtime:1h 23m
-
Language(s):
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Streaming): Jul 3, 2001
Genre(s)
Sci-fi
Keyword(s)
sci-fi, John Carpenter, Dan O’Bannon, Brian Narelle, Cal Kuniholm, Dre Pahich, Joe Saunders, G rating, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Adam Smith, Dave Kehr, Variety Staff, Nick Schager, Janet Maslin, Roger Ebert, Anton Bitel, Cody Leach, John Fleming, Eddie Harrison, Jacoba Atlas, satire, astronauts, rogue planets, human eccentricity, technology, emotional frailty, space travel, special effects, set designs, horror, comedy, aliens, molasses-black humour, 16mm, 35mm, mono, flat (1.85:1), directed by John Carpenter, written by John Carpenter and Dan O’Bannon, produced by John Carpenter, original language English, runtime 1h 23m, streaming release date Jul 3, 2001
Worldwide gross: NA
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Dan O’Bannon – Pinback
Cal Kuniholm – Boiler
Dre Pahich – Talby
Joe Saunders – Commander Powell (uncredited)
John Carpenter – Director
John Carpenter – Producer
John Carpenter, Dan O’Bannon – Writers
Director(s)
John Carpenter
Writer(s)
John Carpenter, Dan O’Bannon
Producer(s)
John Carpenter
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (30) | Top Critics (7) | Fresh (23) | Rotten (7)
Hats off nonetheless to young whippersnapper John Carpenter, whose studenty tale of space tedium, aliens and molasses-black humour remains approximately a thousand times better than the director’s last 15 years.
June 6, 2007 | Rating: 5/5
Adam Smith
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
By introducing human eccentricities into the cold structure of SF, Carpenter creates a vision of the technological future that is both disillusioned and oddly affirmative in its insistence on the unscientific survival of emotional frailty.
June 6, 2007
Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
The dim comedy consists of sophomoric notations and mistimed one-liners.
June 6, 2007
Variety Staff
Variety
TOP CRITIC
Isn’t nearly as funny as it once was…but it nonetheless has its amusing moments.
April 26, 2007 | Rating: B-
Nick Schager
Lessons of Darkness
TOP CRITIC
There are some funny routines here, though Mr. Carpenter doesn’t seem to have cared much about integrating or sustaining them.
May 9, 2005 | Rating: 2.5/5
Janet Maslin
New York Times
TOP CRITIC
A berserk combination of space opera, intelligent bombs, and beach balls from other worlds.
October 23, 2004 | Rating: 3/4
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
TOP CRITIC
student film plays like a slacker satire of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), exposing all the ennui and idiocy of deep-space travel.
December 16, 2022
Anton Bitel
BFI
Dark Star is a student film with a studio release and it’s exactly what you expect from that. Some of Carpenter’s early promise is on display but whatever impressed in 1974 has mostly faded with time and age.
September 10, 2022 | Rating: 2/5
Cody Leach
Cody Leach (YouTube)
Dark Star is well worth 83 minutes of anyone’s time: perhaps the most enjoyable piece of anarchy since the Marx Brothers.
July 22, 2022
John Fleming
Starburst
…a must-watch for anyone who dug Star Wars, Alien, Halloween or The Thing…
February 24, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Eddie Harrison
film-authority.com
If it weren’t for the extremely primitive special effects and set designs (though decent considering the budget), the picture might have succeeded as outright horror.
August 29, 2020 | Rating: 2/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
All good fun, without much substance or lasting power.
December 9, 2019
Jacoba Atlas
Los Angeles Free Press…
Plot
Dark Star is a satirical sci-fi comedy about a crew of bumbling astronauts on a mission to destroy rogue planets.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels doesn’t say anything goofy or funny or odd about the film Signed in.
John-Carpenter.jpg
The Apple
The Apple (1999)
88%RT Audience Score: 84%
Awards & Nominations: NA
The Apple is a cinematic masterpiece that showcases the incredible talent of 17-year-old Iranian filmmaker Samira Makhmalbaf. This docudrama and parable hybrid tells the story of twin girls who were kept in isolation for over a decade, and their emergence into the world is both haunting and beautiful. Makhmalbaf’s understanding of Iranian society and family dynamics is remarkable, and her use of documentary observation and unforced re-enactments exposes the deepest rifts in society. The film is both politically and poetically resonant, and the bizarre drama and comedy provide a thought-provoking and entertaining experience. The Apple is a must-see for anyone who appreciates intelligent and engaging cinema.
The Apple is a film that will leave you feeling like you’ve just taken a bite of something sweet and sour at the same time. It’s a mix of documentary and drama that tells the story of two young girls who were kept in isolation for years. The film is both politically and poetically resonant, and it’s hard not to be charmed by the bizarre drama and comedy that unfolds. It’s even more impressive when you consider that the director, Samira Makhmalbaf, was only 17 when she made this film. So go ahead, take a bite of The Apple, and savor the flavors of Iranian cinema.
Production Company(ies)
Asghar Farhadi Productions, Dreamlab Films, MPAAPSA Academy Film Fund,
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Bend, Oregon, USA
MPAA / Certificate
G
Year of Release
1975
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:1.75 : 1
-
Runtime:NA
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): May 27, 1998 Original
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Zahra Naderi, Masume Naderi, Qorban Ali Naderi, Aziz Mohammadi, Zahra Saqari Saz, Amir Hossein Khosrojerdi, directed by Samira Makhmalbaf, written by Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Samira Makhmalbaf, drama, Persian language, box office gross $116.8K, reviewed by Desson Thomson, Carrie Rickey, John Monaghan, Jonathan Rosenbaum, Jay Carr, Geoff Brown, Sean P Means, Robert W Butler, Bob Campbell, MPAA rating not specified, docudrama, Iranian society, gender inequality, social worker, neglected girls, imprisonment, exploitation, metaphorical work, tart, complex crunch
Worldwide gross: $36,853,000
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $221,748,043
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 643
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 24,181,902
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Masume Naderi – Massoumeh
Qorban Ali Naderi – Father
Aziz Mohammadi – Azizeh
Zahra Saqari Saz – self
Amir Hossein Khosrojerdi – self
Director(s)
Samira Makhmalbaf
Writer(s)
Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Samira Makhmalbaf
Producer(s)
NA
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (48) | Top Critics (22) | Fresh (41) | Rotten (7)
There is nothing more haunting than the faces of those two girls, two angels who were kept in hell for more than a decade and have emerged, blinking into the light.
March 31, 2021
Desson Thomson
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
The feature debut of 17-year-old Iranian filmmaker Samira Makhmalbaf, The Apple is one part docudrama, one part parable, and the altogether involving story of 12-year-old twin girls.
March 31, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
Carrie Rickey
Philadelphia Inquirer
TOP CRITIC
[The Apple] hits upon simple, yet all-important human emotions that movies rarely capture.
March 31, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
John Monaghan
Detroit Free Press
TOP CRITIC
A comic, lyrical, and “politically incorrect” poetic docudrama so acutely focused in its characters and ethics that it can afford to be relaxed about them, all the more remarkable coming from a director still in her teens.
March 31, 2021
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
The Apple is a film both exquisite and trenchant, even more politically resonant than poetically resonant, as are so many Iranian films that are ostensibly about children.
March 31, 2021
Jay Carr
Boston Globe
TOP CRITIC
The lucid images, the bizarre drama and comedy, the reflections on Iranian society, provide more than enough to keep us thoughtful, charmed, and entertained. Go on, take a bite.
March 31, 2021
Geoff Brown
Times (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Documentarylike realism and strong symbolism combine in the Iranian film The Apple, and it’s not an easy mix.
March 31, 2021 | Rating: 2.5/4
Sean P. Means
Salt Lake Tribune
The Apple would be a good film even without the extraordinary circumstances of its creation. And when you know the “back story,” as they say in the movie biz, it becomes one of those truly amazing moments in cinema.
March 31, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
Robert W. Butler
Kansas City Star
Mixing documentary observation with unforced re-enactments, The Apple offhandedly exposes the deepest rifts in [Iranian] society and, despite digressions and imperfections, marks a fine debut.
March 31, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
Bob Campbell
Newhouse News Service
Simple, painterly, [and] weirdly engaging.
March 30, 2021
Uncut Staff
Uncut Magazine [UK]
As a fledgling freethinker, Samira Makhmalbaf could hardly help but see Massoumeh and Zahra as an extreme case of the fate Iranian society has in mind for her.
March 30, 2021
Mark Jenkins
Washington City Paper
Makhmalbaf was only 17 when she started work on this project (with the help of her father, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, himself a renowned filmmaker). Her understanding of all members of the family is one of the movie’s most remarkable qualities.
March 30, 2021
David Sterritt
Christian Science Monitor…
Plot
Three orphaned siblings are forced upon confirmed bachelor Donovan (Bill Bixby) in a nineteenth century boom town of Quake City, California. After an earthquake shakes the area, the children find a large gold nugget worth tens of thousands of dollars. But their newfound wealth is causing more problems than it’s solving, so they agree to “give” the gold to two bumbling outlaws (Tim Conway and Don Knott’s). But they only way they can get the gold is to steal it from the bank vault where it’s being held for safe keeping.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels doesn’t provide any goofy or funny comments about the film The Apple, but it does mention that the director, Samira Makhmalbaf, was only 17 years old when she made the film.
Samira-Makhmalbaf.jpg
I Hate Suzie
I Hate Suzie
94%RT Audience Score:
Creators: Lucy Prebble, Billie Piper
Starring: Billie Piper, Leila Farzad, Daniel Ings, Nathaniel Martello-White, Matthew Jordan-Caws
Netflix
Year of Release
2020
Technical Specs
Color: Color
Sound mix: Stereo
Aspect ratio: 16:9 HD
Language(s): English
Country of origin: United Kingdom
Original premiere: 08/27/2020
Newest season premiere: 08/27/2020
2020-2021 Fall Primetime
INTERNATIONAL
DISTRIBUTOR:
Sky Vision (DEFUNCT)
Genre(s)
Coming of Age, Drama, Dramedy, Relationship Drama, Romance
Keyword(s)
Female Producer, Female Show Creator, Female Writer, 2+ Ethnicity Lead Cast, Black Lead Cast
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Billie Piper
Piper
Suzie
Leila Farzad
Naomi
Daniel Ings Ings
Cob
Nathaniel Martello-White Martello-White
Carter
Matthew Jordan-Caws
Frank
Lucy Prebble Prebble
Writer
Director(s)
Writer(s)
Executive(s)
NA
Awards & Nominations
NA
Synopsis (Warning: Spoilers!)
HBO, Netflix
Stream Now
(Click to Watch)
Coming soon…
Dont Look Now
Don’t Look Now (1973)
83%RT Audience Score: 76%
Awards & Nominations: Won 1 BAFTA Award
1 win & 9 nominations total
Don’t Look Now patiently builds suspense with haunting imagery and a chilling score — causing viewers to feel Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie’s grief deep within
Don’t Look Now is a film that will make you want to look over your shoulder every five seconds. It’s a hauntingly beautiful masterpiece that will leave you feeling like you just went on a wild ride through Venice. The editing is so trippy that you’ll feel like you’re in a dream, or maybe a nightmare. But don’t worry, it’s worth it. Just make sure you don’t watch it alone in the dark.
Production Company(ies)
Igor Film Casbah Film
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Chiesa di San Nicolo dei Mendicoli, Campo San Nicolo, Dorsoduro, Venice, Veneto, Italy
MPAA / Certificate
R
Year of Release
1974
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Mono Dolby SR
-
Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 50m
-
Language(s):English, Italian
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Dec 25, 1973 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 10, 2015
Genre(s)
Mystery & Thriller
Keyword(s)
starring Julie Christie, Donald Sutherland, Hilary Mason, Clelia Matania, Massimo Serato, Renato Scarpa, directed by Nicolas Roeg, written by Allan Scott, Chris Bryant, mystery, thriller, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Molly Haskell, Paul D Zimmerman, Cody Corrall, Tom Milne, Nigel Andrews, David Jenkins, MPAA rating R, produced by Peter Katz, grief, Venice, Italy, church restoration, psychic, haunting imagery, chilling score, symbolism, twist ending, omen, danger, emotional loss, blind psychic, foreign country, straightforward thriller, little tension
Worldwide gross: $114,156
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Donald Sutherland – John Baxter
Hilary Mason – Heather
Clelia Matania – Wendy
Massimo Serato – Bishop Barbarrigo
Renato Scarpa – Inspector Longhi
Director(s)
Nicolas Roeg
Writer(s)
Allan Scott, Chris Bryant
Producer(s)
Peter Katz
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Won 1 BAFTA Award
1 win & 9 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (80) | Top Critics (25) | Fresh (75) | Rotten (5)
It is a film in which everything seems to have been sacraficed for pictorial effect.
April 20, 2022
Molly Haskell
Village Voice
TOP CRITIC
Roeg, for all his artiness and tricks, succeeds in creating a dark and frightening experience unlike anything ever filmed.
February 10, 2022
Paul D. Zimmerman
Newsweek
TOP CRITIC
Don’t Look Now implements stylistic and oftentimes jarring editing techniques that alter the perception of what exactly is going on…
October 8, 2021
Cody Corrall
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
[Puts] Nicolas Roeg right up at the top as a film-maker.
March 18, 2020
Tom Milne
Sight & Sound
TOP CRITIC
There is something molten about the whole movie. That’s its magic: from the colours that shift and bleed in a transparency of a stained-glass window – Sutherland’s character is a restorer of churches – to the famous, graphic love scene between the stars.
July 9, 2019 | Rating: 5/5
Nigel Andrews
Financial Times
TOP CRITIC
Every frame is calculated perfection.
July 9, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
David Jenkins
Little White Lies
TOP CRITIC
Don’t Look Now, the story of a couple holidaying in a moody, almost gothic version of Venice, will be fifty years old next year, but in some ways it is so far ahead of its time that it still feels like we’ve yet to catch up to it.
May 31, 2022
Catherine Bray
Film of the Week
Whether interpreted as a psychic thriller, a Gothic horror story, the blackest of comedies, or an intricate study of grief, Dont Look Now grows more complex with each viewing until it encompasses each of these qualities at once.
March 2, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review
…primarily an achievement in hallucinatory editing.
November 1, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
Josh Larsen
LarsenOnFilm
Roeg’s film isn’t just a chiller; it’s a profound study of love and grief too.
December 5, 2020
Jason Best
Movie Talk
A wonderfully compelling, incredibly astounding masterpiece from Nicolas Roeg, which yields new surprises with each successive viewing.
October 29, 2020 | Rating: 4.5/5
Nicholas Bell
IONCINEMA.com
Thanks to the steady building of tension, the most innocuous activities could become catastrophic at any moment.
August 29, 2020 | Rating: 8/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins…
Plot
John and Laura Baxter are in Venice when they meet a pair of elderly sisters, one of whom claims to be psychic. She insists that she sees the spirit of the Baxters’ daughter, who recently drowned. Laura is intrigued, but John resists the idea. He, however, seems to have his own psychic flashes, seeing their daughter walk the streets in her red cloak, as well as Laura and the sisters on a funeral gondola.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
There is no goofy or funny or odd comment about the film Don’t Look Now on Fresh Kernels.
Nicolas-Roeg.jpg
Leave Her to Heaven
Leave Her to Heaven (1945)
88%RT Audience Score: 85%
Awards & Nominations: NA
Leave Her to Heaven is a cinematic masterpiece that will leave you on the edge of your seat. Gene Tierney’s portrayal of the sordid and virulent Ellen is nothing short of captivating, and her supporting cast is equally impressive. Director Stahl has done an exceptional job bringing Ben Ames Williams’ novel to life, and the result is a tense and terrifying story that will keep you hooked until the very end. While the film may be overlong and melodramatic at times, it is nevertheless a plausible version of the book that will satisfy both fans of the novel and those looking for good screen entertainment. Overall, Leave Her to Heaven is a bright, beautiful, and shiny apple of a picture that is sure to impress even the most discerning of critics.
Leave Her to Heaven” is a movie that will leave you on the edge of your seat, wondering what crazy thing the main character will do next. Gene Tierney’s portrayal of Ellen is both captivating and terrifying, making you simultaneously root for her and fear her. The supporting cast is equally impressive, bringing the story to life in a way that will keep you hooked until the very end. While the plot may be a bit over-the-top and melodramatic at times, it’s all part of the fun in this classic film. So grab some popcorn and settle in for a wild ride with “Leave Her to Heaven”!
Production Company(ies)
Dino de Laurentiis Cinematografica, Les Films, Marceau
Distributor
20th Century Fox
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Wide)
Filming Location(s)
Sedona, Arizona, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Passed
Year of Release
1974
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:1.37 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 51m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Dec 20, 1945 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 22, 2005
Genre(s)
Crime/Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Gene Tierney, Cornel Wilde, Jeanne Crain, Vincent Price, Mary Philips, Ray Collins, directed by John M Stahl, written by Jo Swerling, produced by William A Bacher, Crime, Drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Eleanor Wilson, Wanda Hale, Edwin Schallert, Mae Tinee, Len G Shaw, Jack Balch, Virginia Wright, Marcy Townsley, Virginia Wilson, Herbert Cohn, Frank Morriss, Jay Carmody, MPAA rating, obsession, jealousy, marriage, train, writer, fiancé, relationship, psychotically, unstable, solid cast, unlikable characters, intense, melodramatic, technicolor, film noir, femme fatale, post-war, masterpiece, Hollywood, angelic presence, treacherous, venomous, top horror movies, MCU movies, Netflix series, TV premiere dates
Worldwide gross: NA
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Cornel Wilde – Richard Harland
Jeanne Crain – Ruth Berent
Vincent Price – Russell Quinton
Mary Philips – Mrs. Berent
Ray Collins – Glen Robie
Director(s)
John M. Stahl
Writer(s)
NA
Producer(s)
William A. Bacher
Film Festivals
Berlin
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (65) | Top Critics (25) | Fresh (55) | Rotten (10)
Leave Her to Heaven is a well-done picture and rates as good screen entertainment.
September 29, 2021
Eleanor Wilson
Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com
TOP CRITIC
Director Stahl has certainly made the most out of the book and done well directing the young players.
September 29, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/4
Wanda Hale
New York Daily News
TOP CRITIC
Miss Tierney enacts this sordid virulent role in a manner that will prove strangely arresting for those who look on. It is even the kind of interpretation that may win the Academy award.
September 29, 2021
Edwin Schallert
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
The movie version of Ben Ames Williams’ novel follows the book closely and should satisfy the thousands who read it avidly.
September 29, 2021
Mae Tinee
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
[Ellen] is a fascinating figure, even with all her repellant attributes, as played by Gene Tierney, who bites deep into the role, and turns in the most deeply emotional characterization with which she has been identified to date.
September 29, 2021
Len G. Shaw
Detroit Free Press
TOP CRITIC
The above is, as von can see, not the outline of a pretty story. Producer Zanuck is not one, however, to be deterred by the lack of a pretty story. He has swaddled much of the un-prettiness in one of the prettiest of productions in recent years.
September 29, 2021
Jack Balch
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
TOP CRITIC
Overlong In the telling and continuously melodramatic, Leave Her to Heaven is nevertheless a plausible version of the book.
September 29, 2021
Virginia Wright
Illustrated Daily News (Los Angeles)
It’s a bright, beautiful, shiny apple of a picture, all pith inside.
September 29, 2021
Marcy Townsley
Austin American-Statesman
The result is a tense and terrifying story.
September 29, 2021
Virginia Wilson
Modern Screen
Miss Tierney has the dramatic plum in Leave Her to Heaven and plays it earnestly. Her supporting cast, though, including [Cornel Wild, Jeanne Crain, Darryl Hickman, and Vincent Price], are equally artful.
September 29, 2021
Herbert Cohn
Brooklyn Daily Eagle
There is enough melodrama, and plot complications in the film to hold your interest.
September 29, 2021
Frank Morriss
Winnipeg Free Press
There is no question that [Tierney] is in there trying every second to find the writhing emotional essence of the character. The quality is so elusive, or repugnant, however, that the effort is vain.
September 29, 2021
Jay Carmody
Washington Star…
Plot
Novelist Richard Harland and socialite Ellen Berent meet on a train and are attracted to each other. They fall in love and decide to get married. They love each other, in spite of their differences. Ellen’s love for Richard is obsessive – possessive, and wants Richard all to herself. Richard learns to what extent Ellen will go to get what she wants,
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
NA
John-M.-Stahl.jpg
The Man with the Golden Gun
The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
59%RT Audience Score: 55%
Awards & Nominations: 2 wins & 1 nomination
A middling Bond film, The Man With the Golden Gun suffers from double entendre-laden dialogue, a noteworthy lack of gadgets, and a villain that overshadows 007
The Man with the Golden Gun” is like a cake with a great frosting but a dry, bland cake underneath. Christopher Lee as the villain is the frosting, making the movie bearable, but Roger Moore’s Bond is like a dry cake that needs some milk to wash it down. It’s not the worst Bond movie, but it’s definitely not the best. And can we talk about Sheriff J.W. Pepper’s return? Let’s just say, it’s not a highlight. Overall, if you’re a die-hard Bond fan, give it a watch, but if you’re looking for a great Bond movie, skip this one and go for the classics.
Production Company(ies)
Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Animation Studios,
Distributor
United Artists
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
James Bond Island, Phang Nga Bay, Thailand
MPAA / Certificate
PG
Year of Release
1974
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Mono Dolby Surround 7.1 Dolby Atmos
-
Aspect ratio:1.85 : 11.66 : 1
-
Runtime:2h 5m
-
Language(s):English, Thai, Cantonese
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Dec 19, 1974 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 7, 2006
Genre(s)
Action
Keyword(s)
starring Roger Moore, Christopher Lee, Britt Ekland, Maud Adams, Herve Villechaize, Clifton James, directed by Guy Hamilton, written by Ian Fleming, Richard Maibaum, Tom Mankiewicz, action, James Bond, PG, United Artists, box office, budget, reviewed by Dave Kehr, Jay Cocks, Ian Freer, Verina Glaessner, Nora Sayre, Matt Brunson, Jake Tropila, Mike Massie, Kelechi Ehenulo, Jeff Sternberg, PJ Nabarro, Albert R Broccoli, Harry Saltzman, James Bond 007, stolen invention, solar cell technology, hit man, villain, Bond girl, Mary Goodnight, Nick Nack, J.W Pepper, tropical isle hideout, final duel, mono, scope (2.35:1)
Worldwide gross: $20,972,000
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $138,968,713
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 871
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 15,154,712
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $7,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $46,384,751
Production budget ranking: 846
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $24,978,188
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $67,605,774
ROI to date (est.): 95%
ROI ranking: 959
Christopher Lee – Francisco Scaramanga
Britt Ekland – Mary Goodnight
Maud Adams – Andrea Anders
Herve Villechaize – Nick Nack
Clifton James – J.W. Pepper
Director – Guy Hamilton
Producers – Albert R. Broccoli, Harry Saltzman
Writers – Ian Fleming, Richard Maibaum, Tom Mankiewicz
Director(s)
Guy Hamilton
Writer(s)
Ian Fleming, Richard Maibaum, Tom Mankiewicz
Producer(s)
Albert R. Broccoli, Harry Saltzman
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
2 wins & 1 nomination
Academy Awards
All Critics (51) | Top Critics (8) | Fresh (20) | Rotten (31)
Roger Moore is a pastry chef’s idea of James Bond; but Christopher Lee as the archetype of the evil antagonist makes this 007 outing just about bearable.
October 13, 2008
Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
The best Bonds, like the car that twirls, were sly without quite getting silly. The best Bonds also had Sean Connery, whose absence is sorely felt here.
October 13, 2008
Jay Cocks
TIME Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Roger Moore’s Bond has got a rough deal over the year, but whilst this takes itself a little too lightly it has a lot going for it.
October 13, 2008 | Rating: 3/5
Ian Freer
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
The comparatively spare arrays of mechanical devices seem more a cost-cutting factor.
October 13, 2008
Variety Staff
Variety
TOP CRITIC
Roger Moore’s interpretation of Bond is blandness personified.
June 24, 2006
Verina Glaessner
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
If you enjoyed the early Bond films as much as I did, you’d better skip this one.
May 9, 2005
Nora Sayre
New York Times
TOP CRITIC
The return of Sheriff J.W. Pepper automatically knocks this movie down a peg or 20.
September 25, 2021 | Rating: 2.5/4
Matt Brunson
Film Frenzy
The Man with the Golden Gun boasts one of the greatest villains in the series; if only the rest of the film lived up to his level.
September 27, 2020
Jake Tropila
Film Inquiry
Moore (in only his second try at Bond) gets to be extremely unconvincing as a martial artist, though somewhat believable as a frequent escaper.
August 30, 2020 | Rating: 3/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
I love Roger Moore. I grew up on him as Bond. But in The Man with the Golden Gun, you can tell he hasn’t settled into making Bond his own.
July 16, 2020 | Rating: 2/5
Kelechi Ehenulo
Confessions From A Geek Mind
The producers seem intent on destroying a money-making business.
December 9, 2019
Jeff Sternberg
Los Angeles Free Press
One of the real Bond curios and arguably the most passable Roger Moore entrant to the entire series.
October 31, 2019 | Rating: 3/5
PJ Nabarro
Patrick Nabarro…
Plot
Scaramanga is a hitman who charges one million dollars per job. He becomes linked to the death of a scientist working on a powerful solar cell, and James Bond is called in to investigate. As he tracks down Scaramanga, he realizes that he is highly respected by the killer, but will this prove to be an advantage in the final showdown?
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The Man with the Golden Gun boasts one of the greatest villains in the series; if only the rest of the film lived up to his level. – Jake Tropila, Film Inquiry
Guy-Hamilton.jpg
Frankenstein
Frankenstein (1931)
92%RT Audience Score: 87%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 2 Oscars
11 wins & 8 nominations total
Still unnerving to this day, Frankenstein adroitly explores the fine line between genius and madness, and features Boris Karloff’s legendary, frightening performance as the monster.
Frankenstein is the OG horror movie that still gives me goosebumps to this day. James Whale really knew how to make a film that would stick with you, even when you’re trying to sleep. Karloff’s performance as the monster is iconic and tragic, and the whole movie has a fairytale-like quality that makes it both beautiful and terrifying. It’s no wonder that it’s influenced so many horror movies that came after it. Plus, who doesn’t love a good story about playing God and the consequences that come with it? If you haven’t seen Frankenstein yet, you’re missing out on a classic that still holds up today.
Production Company(ies)
Alfred J. Hitchcock Productions,
Distributor
Realart Pictures Inc., Universal Pictures, MCA/Universal Pictures [us], Universal Home Entertainment, Screen Gems.
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
PG
Year of Release
1974
-
Color:Color
Black and White -
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:1.37 : 1 (original & negative ratio/matted to 1.85: 1)
-
Runtime:1h 11m
-
Language(s):English, German
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Nov 21, 1931 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 17, 1999
Genre(s)
Horror
Keyword(s)
Worldwide gross: $86,273,333
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $571,681,004
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 240
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 62,342,530
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $2,800,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $18,553,900
Production budget ranking: 1,401
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $9,991,275
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $543,135,828
ROI to date (est.): 1,903%
ROI ranking: 51
Colin Clive – Dr. Henry Frankenstein
Mae Clarke – Elizabeth (Henry’s fiance)
John Boles – Victor Moritz
Edward Van Sloan – Dr. Waldman
Dwight Frye – Fritz
Director(s)
James Whale
Writer(s)
Mary Shelley, Peggy Webling, John L. Balderston, Francis Edward Faragoh
Producer(s)
Carl Laemmle Jr.
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 2 Oscars
11 wins & 8 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (51) | Top Critics (12) | Fresh (51)
James Whale, director of the picture, may congratulate himself on making a talkie that wont be forgotten, even in those dark midnight moments when one awakes from a sound sleep to feel a prickling of the scalp and a cold sweat.
December 8, 2020
Globe Staff
Boston Globe
TOP CRITIC
The most influential horror film ever made, this stark and stylish work has a weird fairytale beauty.
October 20, 2016
Elliott Stein
Village Voice
TOP CRITIC
James Whale has done a great job in his direction. This is not an easy thing to direct — just how far to go in playing upon an audience’s credulity, it’s sympathy, it’s nerves. Whale seems to have gone far enough, but not too far.
November 16, 2014
THR Staff
Hollywood Reporter
TOP CRITIC
Frankenstein is a horror film that turns (miraculously) into an existential tale of man’s fear of abandonment
August 10, 2010 | Rating: 87/100
Dan Jardine
Slant Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Maximum of stimulating shock is there, but the thing is handled with subtle change of pace and shift of tempo that keeps attention absorbed to a high voltage climax.
September 24, 2007
Alfred Rushford Greason
Variety
TOP CRITIC
Beautiful photography, a heartbreaking story, and iconic moments from beginnning to end. Absolutely unmissable.
September 24, 2007 | Rating: 5/5
Kim Newman
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
It’s violent, tragic and exciting all at the same time and it has something to say about playing God and how we treat things we don’t understand
October 18, 2021 | Rating: 8/10
Rachel Wagner
rachelsreviews.net
the film’s iconography would itself come to influence much subsequent horror
October 16, 2021
Anton Bitel
BFI
Karloff enacts an entire tragedy in a single lurch.
October 4, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/4
Josh Larsen
LarsenOnFilm
James Whale’s Frankenstein is a classic, not only in the sense of a genre but to film history overall. It masterfully adapts the work of Mary Shelley, presenting it to audiences in a culmination of skill at the dawn of horror.
February 27, 2021
Stephanie Archer
Film Inquiry
While the acting is less than exceptional, the picture has become a legendary inspiration for nearly every horror movie to follow.
July 27, 2020 | Rating: 10/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
A spare, unflinching film that still resonates today. Its sense of menace remains unnerving, its depictions of mob reprisals terrifying.
June 26, 2020 | Rating: 4.5/5
Sarah Cartland
Caution Spoilers…
Plot
A young neurosurgeon (Gene Wilder) inherits the castle of his grandfather, the famous Dr. Victor von Frankenstein. In the castle he finds a funny hunchback called Igor, a pretty lab assistant named Inga and the old housekeeper, frau Blucher -iiiiihhh!-. Young Frankenstein believes that the work of his grandfather is only crap, but when he discovers the book where the mad doctor described his reanimation experiment, he suddenly changes his mind…
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Boris Karloff’s performance as the monster in Frankenstein is legendary and frightening.
James-Whale.jpg
The Sugarland Express
The Sugarland Express (1974)
79%RT Audience Score: 66%
Awards & Nominations: 2 wins & 5 nominations
Its plot may ape the countercultural road movies of its era, but Steven Spielberg’s feature debut displays many of the crowd-pleasing elements he’d refine in subsequent films
The Sugarland Express is a wild ride that will have you on the edge of your seat! Spielberg’s directorial debut is a true testament to his talent, and the cast is simply amazing. Sure, there are some critics who think it falls short, but let’s be real, they’re just being picky. This movie is a blast from start to finish, and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good road trip movie with a side of drama. So buckle up and get ready for a sugar rush!
Production Company(ies)
Stanley Kubrick Productions,
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
San Antonio, Texas, USA
MPAA / Certificate
PG
Year of Release
1974
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:2.39 : 1
-
Runtime:NA
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Streaming): Jun 7, 2005
Genre(s)
Comedy/Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Goldie Hawn, William Atherton, Ben Johnson, Michael Sacks, Gregory Walcott, Steve Kanaly, directed by Steven Spielberg, written by Hal Barwood, Matthew Robbins, comedy, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Rex Reed, John Huddy, Kevin Thomas, Susan Stark, Elston Brooks, Joe Pollack, Stanley Eichelbaum, Susan White, John Simon, Yasser Medina, Dick Lochte, Ángel S Harguindey, produced by Richard D Zanuck, David Brown, PG rating, small-time crooks, Texas, highway patrolman, hostage, folk heroes, family, road movie, countercultural, Steven Spielberg’s feature debut, crowd-pleasing elements
Worldwide gross: $7,504,841
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $49,730,025
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,328
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 5,423,122
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $3,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $19,879,179
Production budget ranking: 1,372
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $10,704,938
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $19,145,909
ROI to date (est.): 63%
ROI ranking: 1,088
William Atherton – Clovis Michael Poplin
Ben Johnson – Captain Harlin Tanner
Michael Sacks – Patrolman Maxwell Slide
Gregory Walcott – Patrolman Ernie Mashburn
Steve Kanaly – Patrolman Jessup
Director(s)
Steven Spielberg
Writer(s)
Hal Barwood, Matthew Robbins
Producer(s)
Richard D. Zanuck, David Brown
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
2 wins & 5 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (48) | Top Critics (17) | Fresh (41) | Rotten (7)
A highly winning entertainment.
April 20, 2021
Rex Reed
New York Daily News
TOP CRITIC
A work of depth and dimension.
April 20, 2021
John Huddy
Miami Herald
TOP CRITIC
It is astonishing to contemplate all that director Steven Spielberg and his writers Hal Barwood and Matthew Robbins, all of them in their theatrical feature debuts, have managed to accomplish.
April 20, 2021
Kevin Thomas
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
Engrossing to watch, it begins to work on you, to declare its claim to greatness, after a while. You’ll see.
April 20, 2021
Susan Stark
Detroit Free Press
TOP CRITIC
A truly delightful and entertaining picture.
April 20, 2021
Elston Brooks
Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com
TOP CRITIC
The picture stops being fun and becomes a slowly developing horror story, moving to an eventual and unrealistic climax with the stolidity and the implacable power of a glacier.
April 20, 2021
Joe Pollack
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
TOP CRITIC
As vigorously entertaining as any film we’ve had this year.
April 20, 2021
Stanley Eichelbaum
San Francisco Examiner
The enjoyment in the film comes from the characters, and the actors as they developed them.
April 20, 2021
Susan White
Austin American-Statesman
[The Sugarland Express] has a certain cinematic knack, but is all effect and no real humanity, all manipulation and splash, and no attempt at honest insight.
July 28, 2020
John Simon
Esquire Magazine
It is a decent road movie, which falls for the most trivial melodramatic exposition that Spielberg uses to synthesize the meaning of sacrifice from the perspective of the American family. [Full review in Spanish]
July 15, 2020 | Rating: 6/10
Yasser Medina
Cinemaficionados
Spielberg is a talented director who knows how to dazzle with fancy filmwork. His cast is an attractive one. The problem here is the script.
December 16, 2019
Dick Lochte
Los Angeles Free Press
A brilliant film from the young Steven Spielberg who was just beginning his career. [Full Review in Spanish]
August 14, 2019
Ángel S. Harguindey
El Pais (Spain)…
Plot
Lou-Jean, a blonde woman, tells her husband, who is imprisoned, to escape. They plan to kidnap their own child, who was placed with foster parents. The escape is partly successful, they take a hostage, who is a policeman and are pursued through to Texas…
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The Sugarland Express features Goldie Hawn in the lead role of Lou-Jean Poplin.
Steven-Spielberg.jpg
Chinatown
Chinatown (1974)
96%RT Audience Score: 93%
Awards & Nominations: Won 1 Oscar
21 wins & 24 nominations total
As bruised and cynical as the decade that produced it, this noir classic benefits from Robert Towne’s brilliant screenplay, director Roman Polanski’s steady hand, and wonderful performances from Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway.
This flick is as beat up and jaded as the era it came from, but damn if it ain’t a classic. You got Robert Towne’s killer script, Roman Polanski’s slick direction, and Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway bringing their A-game. It’s like a dark and twisted love letter to LA, with all the corruption and deceit you could ask for. Trust me, you won’t regret giving this one a watch.
Production Company(ies)
Paramount Pictures, Penthouse Video Long Road Productions,
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Spring Street, Chinatown, Los Angeles, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
R
Year of Release
1974
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Mono
-
Aspect ratio:2.35 : 1
-
Runtime:2h 11m
-
Language(s):English, Cantonese, Spanish
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jun 20, 1974 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 23, 1999
Genre(s)
Crime/Drama
Keyword(s)
Worldwide gross: $29,225,935
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $193,662,529
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 714
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 21,119,142
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $6,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $39,758,358
Production budget ranking: 967
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $21,409,876
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $132,494,296
ROI to date (est.): 217%
ROI ranking: 601
Faye Dunaway – Evelyn Cross Mulwray
John Huston – Noah Cross
Perry Lopez – Lt. Lou Escobar
John Hillerman – Russ Yelburton
Darrell Zwerling – Hollis I. Mulwray
Director(s)
Roman Polanski
Writer(s)
Robert Towne, Roman Polanski
Producer(s)
Robert Evans
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Won 1 Oscar
21 wins & 24 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Best Writing Winners, Oscar Nominees, Oscar Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen Winners, Oscar Winners
All Critics (78) | Top Critics (22) | Fresh (77) | Rotten (1)
[Polanski] handles the mechanics of the plot with a ruthless brilliance that is immediately involving.
April 1, 2020
Tom Milne
Sight & Sound
TOP CRITIC
In its total recapturing of a past, in its plot, its vivid characterizations, its carefully calculated and accelerating pace, its whole demonstration of a medium mastered, Chinatown reminds you again that motion pictures are larger, not smaller than life.
April 22, 2019
Charles Champlin
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
As private investigator Jake Gittes, hired to dig up some dirt on Hollis Mulwray, chief engineer of Los Angeles’s water department, Nicholson saunters round the city delivering one-liners with offhand brilliance.
May 18, 2016 | Rating: 5/5
Alastair Sooke
Daily Telegraph (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Chinatown is deliciously, intolerably cruel as it toys with us.
February 4, 2014 | Rating: A+
Odie Henderson
Movie Mezzanine
TOP CRITIC
As much as I admire the work of both Polanski and Nicholson, I found Chinatown tedious from beginning to just before the end.
January 18, 2013 | Rating: 2.5/4
Gene Siskel
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
Polanski’s telling of his tale of corruption in LA is masterly – thrilling, humorous and disturbing at the same time – and brilliantly played by John Huston and Faye Dunaway as well as Nicholson.
January 4, 2013 | Rating: 4/5
Derek Malcolm
London Evening Standard
TOP CRITIC
Chinatown marked the creative zenith for many of those involved in the production, and in particular Robert Towne, who went on to win multiple awards for his screenplay, still considered by most to be the finest of its kind ever written.
March 7, 2022 | Rating: 5/5
Michael Clark
Epoch Times
Polanskis predilection for obsessive detail, fatalistic and ironical conclusions, and unconventional storytelling transform the result into an unforgettable and unique motion picture that embodies classic detective film noir thirty years after its zenith
February 23, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review
While Chinatown has a lot of the hallmarks of a Polanski film, it manages to stay most true to its film noir roots.
March 24, 2021
Sarah Brinks
Battleship Pretension
One of the best screenplays of all time, even in spite of its Oscar-winning screenwriter Robert Towne.
September 8, 2020 | Rating: 5/5
Matt Neal
ABC Radio (Australia)
The epitome of contemporary film noir.
August 27, 2020 | Rating: 10/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
It was with Chinatown that Nicholson made the world sit up and notice: he’s in every scene of this film and he fills the frame with that heady mixture of knowing charm and explosive energy.
June 12, 2020 | Rating: 5/5
Simon Weaving
Screenwize…
Plot
In 1937 Los Angeles, private investigator Jake ‘J.J.’ Gittes specializes in cheating-spouse cases. His current target is Hollis Mulwray, high-profile chief engineer for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, whose wife suspects him of infidelity. In following Mulwray, Gittes witnesses some usual business dealings, such as a public meeting for construction of a new dam to create additional water supply for Los Angeles, as fresh water is vital to the growing community during the chronic drought; Mulwray opposes the dam. Eventually Gittes sees Mulwray meeting with an unknown young woman who isn’t his wife. Once news of the supposed tryst between Mulwray and this woman hits the media, additional information comes to light that makes Gittes believe that Mulwray is being framed for something and that he himself is being set up. In his investigation of the issue behind Mulwray’s framing and his own setup, Gittes is assisted by Mulwray’s wife Evelyn, but he thinks she isn’t being forthright with him. The further he gets into the investigation, the more secrets he uncovers about the Mulwrays’ professional and personal dealings, including Mulwray’s former business-partnership with Evelyn’s father, Noah Cross. The identity of the unknown woman may be the key to uncovering the whole story.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
NA
Roman-Polanski.jpg
Young Frankenstein
Young Frankenstein (1974)
94%RT Audience Score: 92%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 2 Oscars
11 wins & 8 nominations total
Young Frankenstein, a cinematic masterpiece that pays tribute to the classic horror genre, is a comedic tour de force that showcases Mel Brooks’ unparalleled ability to blend slapstick humor, witty dialogue, and double entendres into a cohesive and entertaining film. Gene Wilder’s performance as the titular character is nothing short of miraculous, as he delivers a lucid and total portrayal of a man driven to hysteria. While some may argue that the film carries on a touch too long, it’s hard to deny that Young Frankenstein is a wonderfully weird and horrifying experience that will leave you laughing long after the credits roll.
Young Frankenstein is a hilarious and loving tribute to classic horror movies. Mel Brooks’ comedic genius is on full display, with Gene Wilder delivering a performance that is both manic and endearing. The film’s jokes are hit-or-miss, but when they hit, they hit hard. It’s a shame that comedies like this aren’t made anymore, but at least we have Young Frankenstein to remind us of what we’re missing. Plus, who doesn’t love a good “puttin’ on the Ritz” dance number with a monster?
Production Company(ies)
Gruskoff, Venture Films, Crossbow Productions, Jouer Limited
Distributor
Key Video, 20th Century Fox, CBS/Fox
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
PG
Year of Release
1974
-
Color:Color
Black and White -
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:1.37 : 1 (original & negative ratio/matted to 1.85: 1)
-
Runtime:1h 45m
-
Language(s):English, German
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Dec 15, 1974 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 14, 2001
Genre(s)
Comedy
Keyword(s)
starring Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle, Cloris Leachman, Marty Feldman, Madeline Kahn, Teri Garr, directed by Mel Brooks, written by Gene Wilder, Mel Brooks, comedy, box office success, budget, reviewed by Paul D Zimmerman, Adam Smith, Jason Bailey, John H Dorr, Pauline Kael, Don Druker, Yasser Medina, Kristy Strouse, Mike Massie, Fico Cangiano, John Simon, Kelechi Ehenulo, PG rating, Transylvania, medical lecturer, inheritance, experiments, monster, fiancée, Frau Blücher, Karloff classic, spoof, Borscht Belt burlesque, Universal’s horror movies, black-and-white, cinematography, homage, referential material, cheesy humor, horror movies, MCU movies, Netflix series, TV premiere dates, worst horror movies, Fresh Kernels
Worldwide gross: $86,273,333
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $571,681,004
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 240
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 62,342,530
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $2,800,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $18,553,900
Production budget ranking: 1,401
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $9,991,275
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $543,135,828
ROI to date (est.): 1,903%
ROI ranking: 51
Peter Boyle – The Monster
Cloris Leachman – Frau Blücher
Marty Feldman – Igor
Madeline Kahn – Elizabeth
Teri Garr – Inga
Director(s)
Mel Brooks
Writer(s)
Gene Wilder, Mel Brooks
Producer(s)
Michael Gruskoff
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 2 Oscars
11 wins & 8 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (70) | Top Critics (11) | Fresh (66) | Rotten (4)
This black-and-white parody of the Karloff classic is the most cinematically assured, coherent and (relatively speaking) tasteful of Brooks’s films.
February 10, 2022
Paul D. Zimmerman
Newsweek
TOP CRITIC
What it demonstrates is that for spoof to work, the spoofers must have deep affection for the material out of which they are wringing the wee.
November 27, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
Adam Smith
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
The Brooks of ‘Young Frankenstein’ isn’t really skewering the conventions of the horror movie – he’s paying tribute to them, and using them as scaffolding for his particular brand of goofy, Borscht Belt burlesque.
June 18, 2016
Jason Bailey
Flavorwire
TOP CRITIC
It is good-natured, lowbrow, backlot, hit-or-miss humor, but with no cumulative effect beyond its succession of hard-worked jokes.
October 3, 2015
John H. Dorr
Hollywood Reporter
TOP CRITIC
Wilder’s hysteria seems perfectly natural. You never question what’s driving him to it; his fits are lucid and total. They take him into a different dimension — he delivers what Harpo promised.
January 15, 2013
Pauline Kael
New Yorker
TOP CRITIC
More about the myth of Karloff than the monster, this Mel Brooks pastiche is probably his best early film.
June 4, 2007
Don Druker
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
It is a comedy in which Brooks takes some creative liberties when it comes to addressing Shelley’s work and uses Frankenstein’s monster to parody Universal’s horror movies with a hilarious and quite entertaining tone. [Full review in Spanish]
November 12, 2021 | Rating: 7/10
Yasser Medina
Cinemaficionados
Its got wit, its got silliness, and it’s chock full of one-liners, all made with love from Brooks. Young Frankenstein feels like a worthy homage.
November 12, 2021
Kristy Strouse
Wonderfully Weird and Horrifying
Though it’s fueled by memorable moments of dippy lampooning, it also carries on a touch too long; it’s quite funny but ultimately not as polished as it could be.
December 7, 2020 | Rating: 6/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
They don’t do comedies like this anymore. Gene Wilder’s performance is one for the ages. [Full review in Spanish]
October 5, 2020 | Rating: 4.5/5
Fico Cangiano
CineXpress Podcast
Miracles still happen: Mel Brooks has made a funny movie.
July 30, 2020
John Simon
Esquire Magazine
Young Frankenstein is sharply littered with slapstick humour, double entendre meanings and witty dialogue, thanks to the efforts of Wilder and Brooks.
July 14, 2020 | Rating: 5/5
Kelechi Ehenulo
Set the Tape…
Plot
A young neurosurgeon (Gene Wilder) inherits the castle of his grandfather, the famous Dr. Victor von Frankenstein. In the castle he finds a funny hunchback called Igor, a pretty lab assistant named Inga and the old housekeeper, frau Blucher -iiiiihhh!-. Young Frankenstein believes that the work of his grandfather is only crap, but when he discovers the book where the mad doctor described his reanimation experiment, he suddenly changes his mind…
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Cloris Leachman’s portrayal of Frau Blücher in Young Frankenstein is considered one of her most iconic roles.
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