Wild Strawberries (1957)
95%RT Audience Score: 94%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 1 Oscar
18 wins & 4 nominations total
Wild Strawberries were never so bittersweet as Ingmar Bergman’s beautifully written and filmed look at one man’s nostalgic journey into the past.
Wild Strawberries is a film that will make you feel like you’re on a journey through time and space. With stunning photography and a powerful performance from Sjstrm, this movie is a must-see for anyone who loves a good story. Bergman’s unyielding moral precision is on full display here, and the verdict is clear: loneliness. But don’t worry, you won’t be lonely while watching this film – you’ll be surrounded by the warmth and beauty of one of Bergman’s finest works. So grab some popcorn, settle in, and get ready for a wild ride through the world of Wild Strawberries!
Production Company(ies)
Svensk Filmindustri
Distributor
Video Yesteryear, Janus Films, Criterion Collection
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Dalarö, Stockholms län, Sweden
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
1959
-
Color:Color
Black and White -
Sound mix:Mono
-
Aspect ratio:1.37 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 30m
-
Language(s):Swedish, Latin
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jun 22, 1959 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 12, 2002
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
Drama, Swedish, Ingmar Bergman, Victor Sjöström, Ingrid Thulin, Bibi Andersson, Gunnar Björnstrand, Allan Ekelund, written by Ingmar Bergman, produced by Allan Ekelund, directed by Ingmar Bergman, box office performance, budget, reviewed by David Parkinson, reviewed by Variety Staff, reviewed by Steven D Greydanus, reviewed by Dave Kehr, reviewed by Geoff Andrew, reviewed by Nell Minow, reviewed by Michael J Casey, reviewed by Manny Farber, reviewed by Sarah Brinks, reviewed by Tim Brayton, reviewed by Isabel Quigly, MPAA rating, Video Yesteryear, Janus Films, Criterion Collection, drama film, nostalgic journey, hitchhikers, elderly doctor, first love, honorary degree, pregnant daughter-in-law, failures, pleasures, life, critic reviews, audience score, critic consensus, movie info, cast and crew, sound mix, mono, photos, distributor, rent/buy, subscription, rate and review, audience reviews, horror movies, MCU movies, TV premiere dates, worst horror movies, Netflix series, careers
Worldwide gross: $14,524
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $167,688
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,960
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 18,287
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
Ingrid Thulin – Marianne Borg
Bibi Andersson – Sara
Gunnar Björnstrand – Dr. Evald Borg
Jullan Kindahl – Agda
Folke Sundquist – Anders
Director(s)
Ingmar Bergman
Writer(s)
Ingmar Bergman
Producer(s)
Allan Ekelund
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Oscar
18 wins & 4 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (47) | Top Critics (9) | Fresh (44) | Rotten (3)
Gunnar Fischer’s photography becomes ever more luminous and Sjstrm’s performance grows in greatness.
July 23, 2013 | Rating: 4/5
David Parkinson
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
It’s a personal and profound work.
March 26, 2009
Variety Staff
Variety
TOP CRITIC
With unyielding moral precision no less austere for the lack of any religious conviction behind it, Bergman subjects his protagonist to judgment for the crimes of indifference and selfishness, and pronounces a verdict of “the usual” sentence: loneliness.
October 29, 2008 | Rating: A
Steven D. Greydanus
Decent Films
TOP CRITIC
An archetypal Ingmar Bergman film, and one of his best.
July 9, 2007
Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
One of Bergman’s warmest, and therefore finest films.
January 26, 2006
Geoff Andrew
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
March 4, 2004 | Rating: 5/5
Nell Minow
Movie Mom
TOP CRITIC
One of Bergman’s best in a six-decade-long career littered with masterpieces.
September 22, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Michael J. Casey
Michael J. Cinema
An eerie, felicitous opportunism steered this film — just enough Freudian bitters, modern marriage, supernatural overcast, and “smashingly beautiful” postcards to provide a full matinee of culture for the expanding middlebrow-highbrow audience.
September 15, 2021
Manny Farber
The New Leader
Wild Strawberries is a simple film on paper but on screen it is a meditative look at one man’s life.
April 1, 2021
Sarah Brinks
Battleship Pretension
A celebration of the power of actors to create rich personalities for us to spend time with.
August 30, 2020 | Rating: 5/5
Tim Brayton
Alternate Ending
Wild Strawberries is to my mind a far more complete and interesting film than the much over- praised Seventh Seal, for the simple reason that it says something negative.
July 16, 2018
Isabel Quigly
The Spectator
Bergman understands one of the most bittersweet characteristics of nostalgia: it juxtaposes our memories, in which everyone is young and healthy, and the inevitable reality of physical decline that followed. [Full review in Portuguese.]
September 20, 2016 | Rating: 5/5
Pablo Villaça
Cinema em Cena…
Plot
With the exception of his elderly housekeeper Miss Agda who he treats almost like a surrogate platonic wife, widowed seventy-eight year old Dr. Isak Borg, a former medical doctor and professor, has retreated from any human contact, partly his own want but partly the decision of others who do not want to spend time with him because of his cold demeanor. He is traveling from his home in Stockholm to Lund to accept an honorary degree. Instead of flying as was the original plan, he decides to take the day long drive instead. Along for the ride is his daughter-in-law Marianne, who had been staying with him for the month but has now decided to go home. The many stops and encounters along the way make him reminisce about various parts of his life. Those stops which make him reminisce directly are at his childhood summer home, at the home of his equally emotionally cold mother, and at a gas station where the attendants praise him as a man for his work. But the lives of other people they encounter almost mirror his own, including hitchhikers Sara, Viktor and Anders – who remind him of his cousin Sara who he was going to marry, himself and his irresponsible brother Sigfrid who Sara eventually married – a bickering married couple Sten and Berit Alman, and Marianne and her husband and Isak’s son Evald, whose marriage is as strained as was his own.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Max von Sydow, one of Ingmar Bergman’s favorite actors, has a cameo in the film as a gas station owner who reminds the protagonist of the good he has done in his life.
Ingmar-Bergman.jpg
Rio Bravo
Rio Bravo (1959)
95%RT Audience Score: 91%
Awards & Nominations: 4 wins & 6 nominations
Rio Bravo finds director Howard Hawks — and his stellar ensemble cast — working at peak performance, and the end result is a towering classic of the Western genre.
Rio Bravo is a classic Western film that’s got it all: principled violence, bumptious erotic comedy, and soul-searing rawness. Howard Hawks’ direction is almost flawless, injecting humor as a handy antibiotic for the story’s frequent feverish outbursts of violence. It’s a big, brawling Western that’s both entertaining and absorbing, with a running time that flows past like running water. And let’s not forget the film’s emotional contours, explored with enviable style and ease by one of the genre’s greatest directors. All in all, Rio Bravo is a must-watch for any Western fan looking for a good time.
Production Company(ies)
Armada Productions,
Distributor
Warner Bros., Warner Home Vídeo
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Old Tucson – 201 S. Kinney Road, Tucson, Arizona, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Passed
Year of Release
1959
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:NA
-
Runtime:2h 21m
-
Language(s):English, Spanish
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Mar 18, 1959 Original
Release Date (Streaming): May 22, 2007
Genre(s)
Western
Keyword(s)
Western, Howard Hawks, John Wayne, Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson, Angie Dickinson, Walter Brennan, B.H McCampbell, Jules Furthman, Leigh Brackett, Warner Bros., Warner Home Vídeo, Mono, 35mm, Flat (1.85:1), Sheriff, Gunslinger, Saloon, Drunk, Cripple, Cowboy, Outlaw, Jail, Reinforcements, Ensemble Cast, Towering Classic, Western Genre, Critic Reviews, Audience Score, Box Office Performance, Budget, Reviewed by George Bourke, Richard Brody, Roger Ebert, Dave Kehr, A.H Weiler, Brian Eggert, Manny Farber, Alberto Abuín, Clyde Gilmour, Josh Larsen, Tony Sloman, Rent/buy from $2.99, MPAA Rating, Produced by Howard Hawks, Directed by Howard Hawks, Written by B.H McCampbell, Jules Furthman, Leigh Brackett
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
Dean Martin – Dude (“Borachón”)
Ricky Nelson – Colorado Ryan
Angie Dickinson – Feathers
Walter Brennan – Stumpy
Ward Bond – Pat Wheeler
Howard Hawks – Director, Producer
B.H. McCampbell – Writer
Jules Furthman – Writer
Leigh Brackett – Writer
Director(s)
Howard Hawks
Writer(s)
B.H. McCampbell, Jules Furthman, Leigh Brackett
Producer(s)
Howard Hawks
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
4 wins & 6 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (44) | Top Critics (11) | Fresh (43) | Rotten (1)
Howard Hawks’ direction is almost flawless with a tempo that injects humor, some dry some raucous, as a handy antibiotic for the story’s frequent feverish outbursts of violence.
June 23, 2020
George Bourke
Miami Herald
TOP CRITIC
The movie is simultaneously an apogee of the classic Western style, with its principled violence in defense of just law, and an eccentrically hyperbolic work of modernism, which yokes both bumptious erotic comedy and soul-searing rawness to the mission.
April 23, 2013
Richard Brody
New Yorker
TOP CRITIC
To watch Rio Bravo is to see a master craftsman at work. The film is seamless. There is not a shot that is wrong. It is uncommonly absorbing, and the 141-minute running time flows past like running water.
April 23, 2013 | Rating: 4/4
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
TOP CRITIC
Rio Bravo is a big, brawling western.
May 13, 2008
Variety Staff
Variety
TOP CRITIC
Howard Hawks’s finest western (1959), and perhaps his finest film.
May 13, 2008
Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
Despite its slickness, virility, occasional humor and, if it may be repeated, authentic professional approach, it is well-made but awfully familiar fare.
March 25, 2006 | Rating: 3/5
A.H. Weiler
New York Times
TOP CRITIC
Few films have followed Western traditions with as much exhilarating craftsmanship, narrative and stylistic economy, or sheer escapist delight as Howard Hawks’ Rio Bravo.
February 14, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review
Rio Bravo is a soft, slack, not very rousing Western by a man (Howard Hawks) who knows better, having supervised a nearly endless chain of masterful journey films.
September 15, 2021
Manny Farber
The New Leader
‘Rio Bravo’ is one of the clearest samples of what could be called “Hawks style”, a pinnacle of one of the three genres that the Indiana director handled with enviable style and ease: the western. [Full Review in Spanish]
April 22, 2020
Alberto Abuín
Espinof
Director Howard Hawks, who made Red River in 1948, has come up with another big, handsome and entertaining western.
October 30, 2019
Clyde Gilmour
Maclean’s Magazine
Rio Bravo isn’t a Fordian display of vast Western visas; the contours explored here are emotional.
March 5, 2017 | Rating: 4/4
Josh Larsen
LarsenOnFilm
Underrated at the time of its release, this majestically paced western is one of the finest achievements of the genre and stands as a career-best for many of its participants.
April 23, 2013 | Rating: 5/5
Tony Sloman
Radio Times…
Plot
Sheriff John T. Chance has his hands full after arresting Joe Burdette for murder. He knows that Burdette’s brother Nathan, a powerful rancher, will go to any lengths to get him out of jail. Chance’s good friend Pat Wheeler offers to help but within 20 minutes of making the offer is gunned down in the street, shot in the back. That leaves his elderly deputy Stumpy, the town drunk Dude – once a deputy and a pretty good shot when he was sober – and a young hand, Colorado, who used to work for Wheeler. Nathan Burdette meanwhile has a couple of dozen men at his disposal. Chance does his best to prepare all the while romancing a pretty gambler who goes by the name of Feathers.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Dean Martin’s performance as the town drunk trying to reform is a standout in Rio Bravo.
Howard-Hawks.jpg
The Blob 1958
The Blob (1958)
71%RT Audience Score: 52%
Awards & Nominations: NA
The Blob, a 1958 sci-fi horror film, has garnered mixed reviews over the years. While some critics have dismissed it as a cretinous thriller with phony effects and uncreditworthy acting, others have found it to be a charming and personable B-movie that captures the essence of the 1950s small town America. The film’s exuberance and nastiness have been praised, but some have noted that it’s never quite as fun as it should be. Overall, The Blob is a surprisingly smart piece of 50s camp that will always inhabit a warm little nook in the affections of SF fans.
The Blob has been around for over 60 years, and it’s still making people laugh and cringe at the same time. Some critics say it’s a classic, while others say it’s a cretinous thriller. Personally, I think it’s a B-movie gem that’s so bad it’s good. The acting is cheesy, the special effects are phony, and the blob itself looks like a giant ball of Jell-O. But that’s what makes it fun! It’s like Rebel Without a Cause meets matinee monster movie. So grab some popcorn, turn off your brain, and enjoy the blob nibbling away at everybody in sight. Just don’t take it too seriously, or you might end up like one of its victims.
Production Company(ies)
Alien, Tristar Pictures
Distributor
Paramount Pictures, Video Gems, Criterion Collection, Allied Artists Pictures
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Louisiana, United States
MPAA / Certificate
R
Year of Release
1958
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:NA
-
Runtime:1h 22m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Sep 12, 1958 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 14, 2000
Genre(s)
Sci-fi
Keyword(s)
Loading…
Worldwide gross: $8,247,943
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: $8,247,943
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.): $19,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $235,325,536
Production budget ranking: 49
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $126,722,801
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Aneta Corsaut – Jane Martin
Earl Rowe – Lt. Dave
Olin Howland – Old man
Stephen Chase – Dr. T. Hallen
John Benson – Sgt. Jim Bert
Director – Irvin S. Yeaworth Jr.
Producer – Jack H. Harris
Writers – Kay Linaker, Irving H. Millgate, Theodore Simonson
Director(s)
Irvin S. Yeaworth Jr.
Writer(s)
Kay Linaker, Irving H. Millgate, Theodore Simonson
Producer(s)
Jack H. Harris
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (31) | Top Critics (3) | Fresh (21) | Rotten (10)
Neither the acting nor direction is particularly creditable.
March 26, 2009
Variety Staff
Variety
TOP CRITIC
Unfortunately, [Harris’s] picture talks itself to death, even with the blob nibbling away at everybody in sight. And most of his trick effects, under the direction of Irvin S. Yeaworth Jr., look pretty phony.
March 25, 2006
Howard Thompson
New York Times
TOP CRITIC
A hungry glob of protoplasm from outer space goes on a rampage in this cretinous thriller, which has a totally undeserved reputation as a horror classic.
March 25, 2019
Michael Wilmington
Isthmus (Madison, WI)
…there’s something charming about it, as if all the tacky aspects of the 1950s (and again, I’m talking about the white, squeaky clean, small town 1950s) were distilled into a fast-moving 86 minutes.
August 3, 2016 | Rating: 6/10
Sarah Boslaugh
Playback:stl
One of the most personable sci-fi horror films of its generation.
June 20, 2015 | Rating: 7/10
Tim Brayton
Antagony & Ecstasy
It’s exuberant and extraordinary, and just nasty enough.
October 6, 2011 | Rating: 5/5
Rob Humanick
Suite101.com
The Blob is one of those B-movies that will always inhabit a warm little nook in the affections of SF fans but, truth be told, it’s never quite as fun as it should be.
March 28, 2011
Ian Berriman
SFX Magazine
Rebel Without a Cause for the matinee monster crowd.
October 30, 2010 | Rating: 5/5
David Cornelius
Popcornworld
A surprisingly smart piece of 50′s camp.
August 20, 2010 | Rating: 65/100
Gabe Leibowitz
eCinemaCenter.com
Bad, but never painfully so . . .
October 23, 2009
James O’Ehley
Sci-Fi Movie Page
March 1, 2008 | Rating: 4/5
David Kaplan
Kaplan vs. Kaplan
June 24, 2006 | Rating: 3/5
Christopher Null
Filmcritic.com…
Plot
Teenagers Steve and Jane try to protect their hometown from a gelatinous alien life form that engulfs everything it touches in the sci-fi classic, The Blob.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
NA
Irvin-S.-Yeaworth-Jr..jpg
Forbidden Planet
Forbidden Planet (1956)
89%RT Audience Score: 85%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 1 Oscar
1 win & 3 nominations total
Shakespeare gets the deluxe space treatment in Forbidden Planet, an adaptation of The Tempest with impressive sets and seamless special effects.
Forbidden Planet is a classic sci-fi flick that’s campy, imaginative, and full of suspense. It’s like Shakespeare’s Tempest meets Star Trek, with monsters from the id and gadgets galore. The special effects and creatures are amusing, and the acting is superior. It’s an ingenious script that’s both endearing and ground-breaking, being the first sci-fi film in color and CinemaScope. No wonder it’s been cited as an inspiration by so many sci-fi writers. It’s a must-see for any fan of the genre, and even for those who just want some fun and creative entertainment.
Production Company(ies)
Miramax, Shooting Gallery
Distributor
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Criterion Collection
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Sony Pictures Studios – 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
G
Year of Release
1958
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:2.55 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 38m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Mar 15, 1956 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 18, 2000
Genre(s)
Sci-Fi
Keyword(s)
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
Anne Francis – Altaira Morbius
Leslie Nielsen – Commander John J. Adams
Warren Stevens – Lt. “Doc” Ostrow
Jack Kelly – Lt. Jerry Farman
Richard Anderson – Chief Engineer Quinn
Director(s)
Fred M. Wilcox
Writer(s)
William Shakespeare, Irving Block, Cyril Hume
Producer(s)
Nicholas Nayfack
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Oscar
1 win & 3 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (47) | Top Critics (9) | Fresh (45) | Rotten (2)
An engaging 1956 science fiction gloss of Shakespeare’s Tempest.
July 26, 2011
Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
Classic ’50s sci-fi flick is campy fun.
December 24, 2010 | Rating: 4/5
Nell Minow
Common Sense Media
TOP CRITIC
Imaginative gadgets galore, plus plenty of suspense and thrills, make the production a top offering in the space travel category.
June 5, 2007
Variety Staff
Variety
TOP CRITIC
Offers some of the most amusing creatures conceived since the Keystone cops.
March 25, 2006 | Rating: 5/5
Bosley Crowther
New York Times
TOP CRITIC
An ingenious script, excellent special effects and photography, and superior acting, make it an endearing winner.
January 26, 2006
Geoff Andrew
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
Intriguing, perhaps overrated sci-fi classic that borrows from The Tempest and anticipates ‘Star Trek’ — but its driving fears are the ‘monsters from the id.’
October 10, 2005 | Rating: B+
Steven D. Greydanus
Decent Films
TOP CRITIC
“Aladdin’s lamp in a physics laboratory!”
October 16, 2021
Anton Bitel
BFI
Episode 37: Edge of Tomorrow / Forbidden Planet / High Life
October 4, 2021 | Rating: 96/100
Taylor Baker
Drink in the Movies
The final revelations are grand, yet they take far too long to arrive.
August 18, 2020 | Rating: 5/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
The film takes its time to expose, or discover, the real heart of the matter, to fully present its cards, something that would become a role model in future films of the genre. [Full Review in Spanish]
April 15, 2020
Alberto Abuín
Espinof
Forbidden Planet (1956) is one of the more influential, classic and ground-breaking science-fiction space-opera adventures ever made – it was the first science-fiction film in color and CinemaScope.
September 29, 2019 | Rating: A+
Tim Dirks
Filmsite
No wonder so many sci-fi writers have cited it as an inspiration, I can see how this film would spark a lot of imagination back then, or even now. Great stuff.
February 7, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
David Hogan
hoganreviews.co.uk…
Plot
When Commander Adams and his crew are sent to investigate why there were no communications from a previous mission to a planet explored 20 years earlier by scientists, he finds only two survivors, Dr. Morbius and his daughter. Unknown to Adams, Morbius has made a discovery, a discovery of great power, and has no intention of sharing it with anyone.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
NA
Fred-M.-Wilcox.jpg
Horror of Dracula
Horror of Dracula (1958)
88%RT Audience Score: 81%
Awards & Nominations: 2 nominations
Trading gore for grandeur, Horror of Dracula marks an impressive turn for inveterate Christopher Lee as the titular vampire, and a typical Hammer mood that makes aristocracy quite sexy
Horror of Dracula is a classic horror film that has stood the test of time. Critics have praised the film for its stunning photography, menacing portrayal of Dracula by Christopher Lee, and its ability to capture the essence of Middle Europe. While some may find the film crude, it’s hard to deny that it’s a fun and spooky ride. Whether you’re looking for a good laugh or some genuine scares, Horror of Dracula is a must-watch for any horror fan. So grab some popcorn, turn off the lights, and prepare to be mesmerized by this timeless classic.
Production Company(ies)
Complete Fiction Media Rights Capital,
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Bray Studios, Down Place, Oakley Green, Berkshire, England, UK
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
1958
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:NA
-
Runtime:NA
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): May 8, 1958 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 6, 2005
Genre(s)
Horror
Keyword(s)
Horror of Dracula, Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Terence Fisher, Jimmy Sangster, Anthony Hinds, Hammer Films, vampire, horror, English, May 8 1958, box office, budget, reviewed by Dorothy Masters, Times (UK) Staff, Peter Bradshaw, Dave Kehr, Alan Morrison, David Jenkins, Harrison’s Reports, Sergio Benítez, Clyde Gilmour, Matt Brunson, MPAA rating, Fresh Kernels, audience score, Tomatometer, Dr Van Helsing, Count Dracula, Jonathan Harker, Lucy Holmwood, Mina Holmwood, Arthur, Hammer mood, aristocracy, grandeur, gore, Hammer Films, Technicolor, special effects, James Bernard, soundtrack, creepy, tense, scary, British, quirky, low-budget, must-see, Nosferatu, Herzog, adaptation, Bram Stoker, immortalizing, cultural significance, Hammer villains, aristocratic elegance, upper-class parasite, Marxist, proletariat, bourgeoisie, opulence, grandeur, location shots, special effects, Christopher Lee’s
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
Christopher Lee – Count Dracula
Michael Gough – Arthur
Melissa Stribling – Mina Holmwood
Carol Marsh – Lucy Holmwood
John Van Eyssen – Jonathan Harker
Director(s)
Terence Fisher
Writer(s)
Jimmy Sangster
Producer(s)
Anthony Hinds
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
2 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (41) | Top Critics (11) | Fresh (37) | Rotten (4)
Unlike most of Hollywood’s quickies, Horror of Dracula has allocated time, thought and talent to an enterprise which successfully recaptures the aura and patina of yesteryear’s Middle Europe. Some of the photography is good enough to frame.
September 16, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
Dorothy Masters
New York Daily News
TOP CRITIC
Altogether this is a horrific film, and sometimes a crude film. but by no means an unimpressive piece of melodramatic story-telling.
July 31, 2020
Times (UK) Staff
Times (UK)
TOP CRITIC
This Hammer classic will be good for a laugh, and some shivers.
October 9, 2012 | Rating: 3/5
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
This Grand Guignol treatment bowled people over in the 50s, and it still yields some potent shocks.
October 19, 2009
Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
Christopher Lee’s Dracula is a menacing and complex presence who never lets his fangs and cape dominate.
November 1, 2007 | Rating: 4/5
David Jenkins
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
It may have slipped from an X rating to a 12A but this is still a potent adaptation of Bran Stoker’s eternal monster.
November 1, 2007 | Rating: 4/5
Alan Morrison
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
The Hammer Dracula is every bit the classic now as it was back in the 50s and is still the version I mentally refer back to when I see a reference to the classic tale.
October 23, 2021 | Rating: 5/5
David Hogan
hoganreviews.co.uk
Not only Hammer’s first take on the Bram Stoker classic, but undoubtedly its finest.
October 13, 2020
Claudia Andrei
Electric Sheep
Of all the Dracula horror pictures thus far produced, this one, made in Britain and photographed in Technicolor, tops them all. Its shock impact is, in fact, so great that it may well be considered as one of the best horror films ever made.
October 13, 2020
P.S. Harrison
Harrison’s Reports
A film which the passage of the years has managed to put in its place as one of the best horror titles of all time. [Full Review in Spanish]
May 7, 2020
Sergio Benítez
Espinof
Morbid and ghoulish though it is, the picture at least has the merit of taking its hideous story quite seriously.
October 31, 2019
Clyde Gilmour
Maclean’s Magazine
A mesmerizing achievement from start to finish.
December 22, 2018 | Rating: 3.5/4
Matt Brunson
Film Frenzy…
Plot
After Jonathan Harker attacks Dracula at his castle (apparently somewhere in Germany), the vampire travels to a nearby city, where he preys on the family of Harker’s fiancée. The only one who may be able to protect them is Dr. van Helsing, Harker’s friend and fellow-student of vampires, who is determined to destroy Dracula, whatever the cost.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The review praises Christopher Lee’s performance as the titular vampire, calling it an “impressive turn” and noting that it marks a departure from the gore of other horror films.
Terence-Fisher.jpg
The Seventh Seal
The Seventh Seal (Det Sjunde inseglet) (1957)
95%RT Audience Score: 93%
Awards & Nominations: 10 wins & 2 nominations
Narratively bold and visually striking, The Seventh Seal brought Ingmar Bergman to the world stage — and remains every bit as compelling today.
The Seventh Seal is a visually stunning and thought-provoking film that explores the big questions of life, death, and everything in between. Bergman’s use of symbols and parables creates a breathtakingly beautiful medieval morality play that still resonates with audiences today. And let’s not forget the hilariously bawdy squire, played by Gunnar Bjӧrnstrand, who adds a touch of humor to this otherwise serious film. Overall, The Seventh Seal is a must-see for anyone who wants to ponder the meaning of life while enjoying some stunning cinematography.
Production Company(ies)
Svensk Filmindustri
Distributor
Criterion Collection, Embassy Pictures, Janus Films
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Hovs Hallar – Naturreservat, Skåne län, Sweden
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
1958
-
Color:Color
Black and White -
Sound mix:Mono
-
Aspect ratio:1.37 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 36m
-
Language(s):Swedish, Latin
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Oct 13, 1956 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 4, 2007
Genre(s)
Drama/Fantasy
Keyword(s)
The Seventh Seal, Ingmar Bergman, Max von Sydow, Bengt Ekerot, Nils Poppe, Bibi Andersson, Allan Ekelund, written by Ingmar Bergman, Drama, Fantasy, Criterion Collection, Embassy Pictures, Janus Films, Mono, reviewed by Jonas Mekas, Elliott Stein, Eric Henderson, John Monaghan, Dave Kehr, Brian Eggert, Kevin A Ranson, Max von Sydow as Antonius Block, Gunnar Björnstrand as Jöns, squire, Nils Poppe as Jof, Bibi Andersson as Mia, Jof’s wife, Bengt Ekerot as Death, Åke Fridell as Blacksmith Plog, 1957, 1h 36m, 94% Tomatometer, 93% Audience Score, box office performance, budget, MPAA rating, reviewed by Village Voice, Slant Magazine, Detroit Free Press, Chicago Reader, Deep Focus Review, MovieCrypt.com, Battleship Pretension, Letras Libres
Worldwide gross: $272,859
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $3,182,514
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,301
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 347,057
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
Gunnar Björnstrand – Jöns, squire
Nils Poppe – Jof
Bibi Andersson – Mia, Jof’s wife
Bengt Ekerot – Death
Åke Fridell – Blacksmith Plog
Director(s)
Ingmar Bergman
Writer(s)
Ingmar Bergman
Producer(s)
Allan Ekelund
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
10 wins & 2 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (65) | Top Critics (20) | Fresh (61) | Rotten (4)
Obsessed with the ideas of love, life, death, good and evil, [Bergman] mediates as he goes, taking in symbols, in parables and images that are often of breathtaking beauty.
April 20, 2022
Jonas Mekas
Village Voice
TOP CRITIC
Bergman’s visually striking medieval morality play [was] the work that gained him an international reputation.
July 23, 2013
Elliott Stein
Village Voice
TOP CRITIC
Swedish cinema titan Ingmar Bergman’s mopey/earthy 1957 breakthrough The Seventh Seal may have done more than any other film to popularize and demonize the notion of world cinema as the boutique of the cultural intelligentsia.
June 15, 2009 | Rating: 2/4
Eric Henderson
Slant Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Film has superior technical narrative, impressive lensing and thesping.
March 26, 2009
Variety Staff
Variety
TOP CRITIC
Its view of a seemingly godless landscape in the grip of plague is still bold and frightening.
December 7, 2007 | Rating: 4/4
John Monaghan
Detroit Free Press
TOP CRITIC
It survives today only as an unusually pure example of a typical 50s art-film strategy: the attempt to make the most modern and most popular of art forms acceptable to the intelligentsia by forcing it into an arcane, antique mold.
July 30, 2007
Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
The Seventh Seal possesses some of the world’s most recognizable filmic imagery, beginning with the knight’s fateful game of chess with Death, and continuing to the eerily joyful dance in the final frames.
March 20, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review
… questions the silence of God and service unto Him… (life) choices are shown to be one’s own without passing judgment… this is the personification all other cinematic reapers are measured against.
January 22, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
Kevin A. Ranson
MovieCrypt.com
The film proved revolutionary, telling a compelling story while seeking answers to life’s biggest questions.
August 11, 2021
Robin Holabird
Robin Holabird
The character that I enjoyed the most this time was the squire played by Gunnar Bjӧrnstrand. He is the most honest of all the characters but is also funny and bawdy.
March 24, 2021
Sarah Brinks
Battleship Pretension
Although Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal is set in medieval Sweden, nothing could be more modern than its author’s conception of death as the crucial reality of man’s existence.
February 3, 2021
Andrew Sarris
Film Culture
“The plague advances, implacable, and confusion and despair begin to reign”. [Full review in Spanish]
December 31, 2020 | Rating: 4/4
Ernesto Diezmartinez
Letras Libres…
Plot
A Knight and his squire are home from the crusades. Black Death is sweeping their country. As they approach home, Death appears to the knight and tells him it is his time. The knight challenges Death to a chess game for his life. The Knight and Death play as the cultural turmoil envelopes the people around them as they try, in different ways, to deal with the upheaval the plague has caused.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The Seventh Seal stars Max von Sydow as disillusioned Swedish knight Antonius Block.
Ingmar-Bergman.jpg
The Fly
The Fly (1958)
84%RT Audience Score: 71%
Awards & Nominations: Won 1 Oscar
7 wins & 10 nominations total
Deliciouly funny to some and eerily presicient to others, The Fly walks a fine line between shlocky fun and unnerving nature parable
If you’re looking for a movie that will make you squirm, The Fly is the one for you. The special effects are impressive, and the story is both creepy and sad. Plus, who doesn’t love a good Vincent Price performance? Just be prepared to never look at a fly the same way again.
Production Company(ies)
Distributor
20th Century Fox, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, Fox
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
John Anderson Charcoal Broiled Hamburgers, 5270 Yonge Street, Willowdale, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
MPAA / Certificate
R
Year of Release
1958
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby Stereo
-
Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 34m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jul 16, 1958 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 10, 2008
Genre(s)
Horror
Keyword(s)
starring Al Hedison, Patricia Owens, Vincent Price, Herbert Marshall, Kathleen Freeman, Betty Lou Gerson, directed by Kurt Neumann, written by George Langelaan, James Clavell, horror, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Jean Yothers, Noel Murray, Variety Staff, Dave Kehr, Geoff Andrew, Almar Haflidason, Mike Massie, Matt Brunson, Leslie Combemale, Kevin Carr, Paul Chambers, James Plath, MPAA rating, 20th Century Fox, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, Fox, matter transporter, housefly, shlocky fun, unnerving nature parable, science, precision, nightmarish tale, comfortable little family, nagging little buzz, Quebec, French speaking Canada
Worldwide gross: $60,629,159
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $167,984,498
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 789
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 18,318,920
US/Canada gross: $40,456,565
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $112,092,529
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 670
US/Canada opening weekend: $7,007,423
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $19,415,384
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 671
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $15,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $41,560,324
Production budget ranking: 922
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $22,380,234
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $104,043,940
ROI to date (est.): 163%
ROI ranking: 729
Patricia Owens – Helene Delambre
Vincent Price – François Delambre
Herbert Marshall – Insp. Charas
Kathleen Freeman – Emma (Delambre maid)
Betty Lou Gerson – Nurse Andersone
Director(s)
Kurt Neumann
Writer(s)
George Langelaan, James Clavell
Producer(s)
Kurt Neumann, Robert L. Lippert
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Won 1 Oscar
7 wins & 10 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (41) | Top Critics (7) | Fresh (39) | Rotten (2)
Background music is used effectively and the camera’s shots of the man-fly are startling. For true horror, catch The Fly.
September 25, 2021
Jean Yothers
Orlando Sentinel
TOP CRITIC
The Fly is a study in how the boldness of new discoveries is compromised by science’s need for precision, but it’s also a nightmarish tale of a comfortable little family, and a nagging little buzz.
September 18, 2013 | Rating: 3.5/5
Noel Murray
The Dissolve
TOP CRITIC
One strong factor of the picture is its unusual believability.
March 26, 2009
Variety Staff
Variety
TOP CRITIC
Slightly above average 50s science fiction (1958), enlivened by a nearly literate script by James Clavell.
September 25, 2007
Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
Clavell’s script successfully treads a fine line between black comedy and po-faced seriousness.
January 26, 2006
Geoff Andrew
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
A sad story of considerable pathos despite the ridiculous plot.
December 9, 2003 | Rating: 3/5
Almar Haflidason
BBC.com
TOP CRITIC
Like the very best monster movies, the creature itself isn’t revealed until very late into the picture.
August 18, 2020 | Rating: 9/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
The climax (“Help me!”) has given many viewers chills while providing others with chuckles — I’m in the former camp; the primal terror of that situation never fails to move me — and the rest is efficient in its solemnity.
December 15, 2019 | Rating: 3/4
Matt Brunson
Film Frenzy
A must for all monster movie fans.
August 2, 2019
Leslie Combemale
Cinema Siren
It’s the charisma of Vincent Price that really drives this movie and makes it a classic even today.
September 27, 2013 | Rating: 4/5
Kevin Carr
7M Pictures
A bit corny, but mostly a chilling and worthwhile experience. Mother Nature is the bad guy in this tale. The humans are all protagonists. All of them.
September 26, 2013 | Rating: A
Paul Chambers
Movie Chambers
Contemporary horror fans will be struck by how much more dramatic than horrific ‘The Fly’ is.
September 19, 2013 | Rating: 7/10
James Plath
Movie Metropolis…
Plot
An eccentric scientist changes the world with his teleportation technology: when his experiment seems to be going well, Dr. Seth Brundle tests his machine on himself and he gets fused with the worst kind of pest on Planet Earth; The Fly. What is the price of a man playing God? Only Seth knows.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The film features Vincent Price in a supporting role as Andre Delambre’s brother.
Kurt-Neumann.jpg
Vertigo
Vertigo (1958)
95%RT Audience Score: 93%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 2 Oscars
8 wins & 7 nominations total
An unpredictable scary thriller that doubles as a mournful meditation on love, loss, and human comfort.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo is a classic thriller that will leave you on the edge of your seat. Sure, some critics may say it drags on a bit, but they clearly don’t appreciate the art of suspense. James Stewart and Kim Novak deliver captivating performances that will have you questioning everything until the very end. And let’s not forget about Hitchcock’s impeccable attention to detail in every shot. It’s no wonder this film is considered one of his finest achievements. So grab some popcorn, turn off the lights, and get ready for a dizzying cinematic experience.
Production Company(ies)
Alfred J. Hitchcock Productions,
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Fort Point, Presidio, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, San Francisco, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
PG
Year of Release
1958
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:1.50 : 1 (VistaVision, original & negative ratio)
-
Runtime:2h 8m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): May 9, 1958 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 25, 2001
Genre(s)
Mystery & thriller
Keyword(s)
starring James Stewart, Kim Novak, Barbara Bel Geddes, Tom Helmore, Henry Jones, Raymond Bailey, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, written by Pierre Boileau, Thomas Narcejac, Samuel A Taylor, Alec Coppel, mystery, thriller, box office, budget, reviewed by Jack Moffitt, Deborah Ross, Archer Winsten, Peter Bradshaw, Lillian Crawford, PG rating, produced by Alfred Hitchcock, aspect ratio, obsession, manipulation, fear, detective, fear of heights, death, double, madness, lies, love, loss, human comfort, North by Northwest, Rear Window, Lawrence of Arabia, The Great Escape, Brazil
Worldwide gross: $7,797,728
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $90,949,461
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,066
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 9,918,153
US/Canada gross: $7,705,225
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $89,870,545
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 805
US/Canada opening weekend: $252,880
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $2,949,487
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,163
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $2,479,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $28,914,027
Production budget ranking: 1,172
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $15,570,203
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $46,465,232
ROI to date (est.): 104%
ROI ranking: 917
Kim Novak – Madeleine Elster, Judy Barton
Barbara Bel Geddes – Midge Wood
Tom Helmore – Gavin Elster
Henry Jones – Coroner
Raymond Bailey – Scottie’s Doctor
Director(s)
Alfred Hitchcock
Writer(s)
Pierre Boileau, Thomas Narcejac, Samuel A. Taylor, Alec Coppel
Producer(s)
Alfred Hitchcock
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 2 Oscars
8 wins & 7 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (86) | Top Critics (27) | Fresh (81) | Rotten (5)
Alfred Hitchcock tops his own fabulous record for suspense with Vertigo, a super-tale of murder, madness and mysticism that stars James Stewart and Kim Novak.
May 13, 2022
Jack Moffitt
Hollywood Reporter
TOP CRITIC
The storytelling isn’t up to much. It drags and drags.
May 18, 2020
Deborah Ross
The Spectator
TOP CRITIC
It’s doubtful that Vertigo can take equal rank with the best of the Hitchcock studies — it has too many holes — but it assays high in visual confectionary of place, person and celluloid wiles.
September 21, 2018
Archer Winsten
New York Post
TOP CRITIC
Combines in an almost unique balance Hitchcock’s brash flair for psychological shocks with his elegant genius for dapper stylishness.
July 12, 2018 | Rating: 5/5
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
A dizzying cinematic experience.
July 12, 2018 | Rating: 5/5
Lillian Crawford
Little White Lies
TOP CRITIC
Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo” is an artistic triumph for the master of mystery.
May 9, 2016 | Rating: 3.5/4
Wanda Hale
New York Daily News
TOP CRITIC
This latest Alfred Hitchcock “thrillorama” offers further evidence of his mastery in mystery and suspense, for, despite its flaws, it grips one’s attention from start to finish.
March 24, 2022
P.S. Harrison
Harrison’s Reports
A motion picture of incomparable dramatic involvement and hypnotic filmmaking.
March 21, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review
It’s probably the most impeccably put together Hitchcock movie… but ultimately it’s men trying to control women, and that doesn’t ring very well right now.
September 10, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
Kevin Carr
Fat Guys at the Movies
Jimmy Stewart is an actor who always delivers, especially in the films he did with Hitchcock. Scottie isn’t my favorite character he played but it really is a wonderful performance.
March 24, 2021
Sarah Brinks
Battleship Pretension
Hitchcock is often spoken about regarding his “perfectionism,” this way every shot is carefully arranged and the edits hit like a knife. That’s no less true here…
December 8, 2020
Scott Nye
Battleship Pretension
One of Hitchcock’s finest achievements, layering drama, a love story, adventure, and hair-raising suspense into a psychological murder-mystery that simply has no peers.
August 23, 2020 | Rating: 10/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins…
Plot
Following his early retirement as a detective from the San Francisco Police Department, John Ferguson – Scottie to his friends – becomes obsessed with two women in succession, those obsessions which trouble his long time friend and former fiancée, Midge Wood, a designer of women’s undergarments. The first is wealthy and elegant platinum blonde Madeleine Elster, the wife of his college acquaintance Gavin Elster, who hires John to follow her in Gavin’s belief that she may be a danger to herself in thinking that she has recently been possessed by the spirit of Carlotta Valdes, Madeleine’s great-grandmother who she knows nothing about, but who Gavin knows committed suicide in being mentally unbalanced when she was twenty-six, Madeleine’s current age. The second is Judy Barton, who John spots on the street one day. Judy is a working class girl, but what makes John obsessed with her is that, despite her working class style and her brunette hair, she is the spitting image of Madeleine, into who he tries to transform Judy. The initial question that John has is if there is some connection between Madeleine and Judy. What happens between John and individually with Madeleine and Judy is affected by the reason John took that early retirement: a recent workplace incident that showed that he is acrophobic which leads to a severe case of vertigo whenever he looks down from tall heights.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
There is no goofy or funny or odd comment about the film Vertigo on Fresh Kernels.
Alfred-Hitchcock.jpg
The Defiant Ones
The Defiant Ones (1958)
92%RT Audience Score: 88%
Awards & Nominations: Won 2 Oscars
16 wins & 21 nominations total
An advocacy drama that makes its points without belaboring them, The Defiant Ones relies on its clever concept and brilliant performances to repudiate racial prejudice.
The Defiant Ones is a movie that will make you feel like you’re on the edge of your seat, even if you’re just sitting on your couch. It’s got action, suspense, and a message that still resonates today. Curtis and Poitier give amazing performances, and the minor characters are just as real and engaging. Sure, there are some talky moments, but they’re worth it for the absorbing action. This movie isn’t just a statement about race relations, it’s a plain necessity for anyone who loves a good thriller. Put it on your “must” list, and get ready to be defiantly entertained.
Production Company(ies)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer,
Distributor
United Artists
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Universal Studios – 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
1958
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:NA
-
Runtime:1h 37m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Sep 27, 1958 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 16, 2008
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Tony Curtis, Sidney Poitier, Theodore Bikel, Charles McGraw, Cara Williams, Lon Chaney Jr., directed by Stanley Kramer, written by Harold Jacob Smith, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Jonas Mekas, George Bourke, Mildred Martin, Kim Newman, Dickson Terry, Elston Brooks, Roger Moore, Harold V Cohen, Ches Washington, Bob Blackburn, Penelope Houston, Hope Pantell, MPAA rating, chain gang, racial prejudice, escape, deep bond, female landowner, advocacy drama, clever concept, brilliant performances, producer Stanley Kramer, distributor United Artists
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
Sidney Poitier – Noah Cullen
Theodore Bikel – Sheriff Max Muller
Charles McGraw – Capt. Frank Gibbons
Cara Williams – Billy’s Mother
Lon Chaney Jr. – Big Sam
Director(s)
Stanley Kramer
Writer(s)
Harold Jacob Smith
Producer(s)
Stanley Kramer
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Won 2 Oscars
16 wins & 21 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (54) | Top Critics (22) | Fresh (49) | Rotten (5)
One can feel that Kramer, instead of letting the idea grow from an inner necessity, started with a cliche: “Now I am going to make a social film.”
April 20, 2022
Jonas Mekas
Village Voice
TOP CRITIC
Its message is absorbingly wrapped however, in elements of acute suspense and blood raw action that should excite even those who deplore the integration of sobering thought and fiction in their movie entertainment.
January 30, 2021
George Bourke
Miami Herald
TOP CRITIC
The Defiant Ones is a film no one with mind or heart is likely to forget in a long, long time.
January 30, 2021
Mildred Martin
Philadelphia Inquirer
TOP CRITIC
This Stanley Kramer messageathon plays better as a high-concept thriller than a statement about race relations or the human condition.
January 30, 2021 | Rating: 3/5
Kim Newman
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Credit goes to producer, director and writers for a picture which combines a strong social document with about as much excitement and suspense as you could ask for.
January 30, 2021
Dickson Terry
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
TOP CRITIC
Stanley Kramer, who has been responsible for some of Hollywood’s greater motion pictures, has a little masterpiece in The Defiant Ones.
January 30, 2021
Elston Brooks
Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com
TOP CRITIC
Kramer gets a message he felt America needed to hear and probably still needs to hear on the screen in an artful, just-edgy-enough and still-entertaining film that retains its claim as a “classic”
June 25, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
Roger Moore
Movie Nation
The Defiant Ones is a great one all the way. It’s a throbbing photoplay made by a man with a conscience.
January 30, 2021
Harold V. Cohen
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Both Curtis and Poitier turned in superb performances.
January 30, 2021
Ches Washington
Pittsburgh Courier
Curtis and Poitier, carrying most of the acting load, both do well, and in addition, there are some very real minor characters. It’s a film with something to say, but apart from a few moments which tend to be talky, it says it with absorbing action.
January 30, 2021
Bob Blackburn
Ottawa Citizen
This is the point made by The Defiant Ones: not an attack on colour prejudice in terms of morality, but of plain necessity.
January 30, 2021
Penelope Houston
Observer (UK)
It is a picture to be put on everyone’s “must” list.
January 30, 2021
Hope Pantell
Baltimore Sun…
Plot
When the truck that is transporting convicts has an accident on the road, the inmates John “Joker” Jackson and Noah Cullen that are chained to each other escape. They hate each other but they need to help each other to succeed in their intent of going north to jump in a train and reach freedom. Meanwhile the humane Sheriff Max Muller organizes a posse to track them down in a civilized manner and respecting justice. Joker and Cullen reach a small farm where a lonely woman helps them to get rid of their chains. She offers to drive her car with Joker and her son Billy while Cullen would escape through the swamp to the railroad. But when Joker learns that she sent Cullen to a trap, he leaves her and is shot in the shoulder by Billy. Joker seeks out Cullen to save him and when they meet each other, their former hatred has changed to friendship and respect.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier deliver outstanding performances and have great chemistry in The Defiant Ones.
Stanley-Kramer.jpg
12 Angry Men
12 Angry Men (Twelve Angry Men) (1957)
100%RT Audience Score: 97%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 3 Oscars
17 wins & 13 nominations total
Sidney Lumet’s feature debut is a superbly written, dramatically effective courtroom thriller that rightfully stands as a modern classic.
Sidney Lumet’s first-ever movie is a total banger! This courtroom drama is so well-written and dramatic that it’s become a total classic. Seriously, it’s a must-watch.
Production Company(ies)
Orion-Nova Productions,
Distributor
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc., United Artists, Criterion Collection
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
New York County Courthouse – 60 Centre Street, New York City, New York, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Approved
Year of Release
1957
-
Color:Color
Black and White -
Sound mix:Mono
-
Aspect ratio:1.66 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 35m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Apr 20, 1957 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 4, 2008
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
Worldwide gross: $955
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $12,161
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 3,139
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 1,326
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted):
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted):
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted):
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.):
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.):
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Henry Fonda – Juror No. 8
Lee J. Cobb – Juror No. 3
Ed Begley – Juror No. 10
E.G. Marshall – Juror No. 4
Jack Klugman – Juror No. 5
Martin Balsam – Juror No. 1
Show all Cast & Crew
Director(s)
Sidney Lumet
Writer(s)
Reginald Rose
Producer(s)
Henry Fonda, Reginald Rose
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 3 Oscars
17 wins & 13 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
All Critics (58) | Top Critics (10) | Fresh (58)
This movie is a masterpiece. That term gets thrown around a lot — it’s a very easy thing to say about great films like this — but this movie is one of the best. This is one of the very few films that I will call perfect.
January 26, 2018 | Rating: A+
Chris Stuckmann
ChrisStuckmann.com
TOP CRITIC
Too few films take on the art of arguing as a subject; we could certainly use more of them, but until then, Lumet’s window into strained civic duty will continue to serve mightily.
July 3, 2013 | Rating: 5/5
Joshua Rothkopf
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
The film takes a confined, almost completely banal real-world location and makes it completely dynamic, using incredibly nimble camera movements to establish character motivation and theme.
June 30, 2013 | Rating: 4/4
Glenn Heath Jr.
Slant Magazine
TOP CRITIC
The film leaves a tremendous impact.
June 30, 2008
Hy Hollinger
Variety
TOP CRITIC
Mechanically written, but within its own middlebrow limitations, it delivers the goods.
June 26, 2007
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
A strangely realistic thriller.
June 24, 2006
Geoff Andrew
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
Within its simplicity there is a freshness and ingenuousness about Twelve Angry Men uncommon in a slickly sophisticated film industry.
December 13, 2021
Jonathan Baumbach
Film Culture
One has to imagine the dramatic imagination that went into creating this fascinating, psychologically realistic motion picture, which, from start to finish, never changes its subject or its location.
December 8, 2021
André Bazin
L’Éducation Nationale
A court drama that transcends time or place; a real masterpiece. [Full review in Spanish]
September 21, 2021
Gisela Savdie
El Heraldo
If you have never seen the film I cannot recommend it enough.
March 24, 2021
Sarah Brinks
Battleship Pretension
Reginald Rose’s script is one of deep revelation.
September 24, 2020 | Rating: 4.0/4.0
Richard Propes
TheIndependentCritic.com
Thought-provoking, continually riveting, and absolutely unforgettable – and surprisingly designed around a very simple, tightly budgeted, special-effects-free premise.
August 15, 2020 | Rating: 10/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins…
Plot
The defense and the prosecution have rested, and the jury is filing into the jury room to decide if a young man is guilty or innocent of murdering his father. What begins as an open-and-shut case of murder soon becomes a detective story that presents a succession of clues creating doubt, and a mini-drama of each of the jurors’ prejudices and preconceptions about the trial, the accused, AND each other. Based on the play, all of the action takes place on the stage of the jury room.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
NA
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