20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)
82%RT Audience Score: 74%
Awards & Nominations: NA
Walt Disney’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is a cinematic masterpiece that combines the best of both worlds: imaginative storytelling and groundbreaking special effects. This definitive big-budget adaptation of Jules Verne’s classic novel is a grandly entertaining adventure that will spark the imagination and leave you in awe. From the hallucinatory and visionary underwater journey in CinemaScope to the unforgettable performances by Kirk Douglas and James Mason, this film is a true classic that deserves its canonization in Disney World. While some may argue that it could have been better with a little less Kirk Douglas and more scientific things to gawk at in wonder, it’s hard to deny the sheer spectacle and ingenuity of this film. Bring on the David Fincher-helmed remake, but it will be hard to top the original.
Walt Disney’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is a classic adventure film that will take you on a wild ride through the depths of the ocean. Critics have raved about the film’s imaginative storytelling, stunning visuals, and thrilling action sequences. While some have criticized the film’s talkiness and lack of scientific wonder, it’s hard not to get swept up in the excitement of the story. Kirk Douglas steals the show as the swashbuckling Ned Land, and the film’s iconic giant squid battle is still a sight to behold. So grab some popcorn, sit back, and get ready for a journey you won’t soon forget!
Production Company(ies)
Disney+
Distributor
Warner Home Vídeo, Buena Vista Pictures, Abril Vídeo
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
Year of Release
1954
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:NA
-
Runtime:2h 7m
-
Language(s):English
ALL CAST, AUSPICES, AND BELOW THE LINE -
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Dec 23, 1954 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 2, 2004
Genre(s)
Kids & family/Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Kirk Douglas, James Mason, Paul Lukas, Peter Lorre, Robert J Wilke, Carleton Young, John Howard, directed by Richard Fleischer, written by Jules Verne, Earl Felton, Kids & family, Drama, Adventure, Fantasy, G, Walt Disney, Warner Home Vídeo, Buena Vista Pictures, Abril Vídeo, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Variety Staff, Dave Kehr, Geoff Andrew, Bosley Crowther, Glenn Abel, Marjorie Baumgarten, Yasser Medina, Chris Hunneysett, producer Walt Disney, MPAA rating G, submarine, giant squid, Jules Verne, San Francisco, sea monster, expedition, harpooner, Captain Nemo, Professor Pierre M Aronnax, Conseil, Nautilus, underwater journey, steampunk, deep sea diving suits, sea storm, lost city of Atlantis, creatures of the deep
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
James Mason – Capt. Nemo
Paul Lukas – Prof. Pierre Arronax
Peter Lorre – Conseil
Robert J. Wilke – First Mate of the Nautilus
Carleton Young – John Howard
Director – Richard Fleischer
Producer – Walt Disney
Writers – Jules Verne, Earl Felton
Director(s)
Richard Fleischer
Writer(s)
Jules Verne, Earl Felton
Producer(s)
Walt Disney
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (30) | Top Critics (6) | Fresh (27) | Rotten (3)
Walt Disney’s production of 20000 Leagues under the Sea is very special kind of picture, combining photographic ingenuity, imaginative story telling and fiscal daring.
June 6, 2007
Variety Staff
Variety
TOP CRITIC
Grandly entertaining.
June 6, 2007
Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
This is one of the great movie adventures, fully deserving its canonisation in Disney World.
June 24, 2006
Geoff Andrew
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
As fabulous and fantastic as anything he has ever done in cartoons is Walt Disney’s ‘live action’ movie made from Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
March 25, 2006 | Rating: 3.5/5
Bosley Crowther
New York Times
TOP CRITIC
The talky 20,000 Leagues probably won’t thrill kids fresh from The Matrix, but they may be interested to know that the Verne film was the effects marvel of its day.
June 14, 2003
Glenn Abel
Hollywood Reporter
TOP CRITIC
One of the all-time great fantasy-adventure films.
March 10, 2003
Marjorie Baumgarten
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
It never loses its sense of spectacle during the underwater journey in CinemaScope. [Full review in Spanish]
August 9, 2022 | Rating: 7/10
Yasser Medina
Cinemaficionados
definitive big screen big budget adaptation
March 1, 2022 | Rating: 5/5
Chris Hunneysett
Daily Mirror (UK)
…hallucinatory and visionary and will spark the imagination – and, in fairness, possibly fuel some nightmares.
September 10, 2021
Jason Shawhan
Nashville Scene
A good one that could have been better with a little less Kirk Douglas and more scientific things to gawk at in wonder.
May 31, 2012 | Rating: B+
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews
Bring on the David Fincher-helmed remake.
October 18, 2011 | Rating: 3/5
Rob Humanick
Suite101.com
A classic action-adventure for older kids.
January 2, 2011 | Rating: 4/5
Scott G. Mignola
Common Sense Media…
Plot
In 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, a professor and his team join an expedition to search for a sea monster, only to discover that it’s actually a submarine piloted by the brilliant but haunted Captain Nemo.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels doesn’t say anything goofy or funny about the film 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
Richard-Fleischer.jpg
Pather Panchali
Pather Panchali (1955)
96%RT Audience Score: 94%
Awards & Nominations: NA
A film that requires and rewards patience in equal measure, Pather Panchali finds director Satyajit Ray delivering a classic with his debut.
If you’re in the mood for a slow burn, Pather Panchali is the flick for you. Satyajit Ray’s first film is a total classic, but don’t expect it to be a wild ride from start to finish. You gotta have some patience, my friend. But trust me, it’s worth it. Ray really knows how to tell a story, and he takes his time doing it. So sit back, relax, and let Pather Panchali work its magic. You won’t regret it.
Production Company(ies)
Government of West Bengal
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Boral, West Bengal, India
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
1955
-
Color:Color
Black and White -
Sound mix:Mono
-
Aspect ratio:1.37 : 1
-
Runtime:NA
-
Language(s):Bengali
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Streaming): Nov 17, 2015
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Kanu Bannerjee, Karuna Bannerjee, Subir Bannerjee, Uma Das Gupta, Chunibala Devi, Runki Banerjee, directed by Satyajit Ray, written by Satyajit Ray, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Jonas Mekas, Shubhra Gupta, Helen Bower, Mae Tinee, Wanda Hale, Philip K Scheuer, Arlene Croce, Brian Eggert, Gerald Weales, Isabel Quigly, Katherine McLaughlin, Hortense Morton, MPAA rating, impoverished priest, rural Bengal village, family, poverty, dreams, work, rebellion, daily indignities, human condition, Apu Trilogy, Bengali cinema, Indian culture, film history, beauty, ugliness, nature, human pain, human joy, human dignity, warmth, tenderness, artist, rapport, patience, classic, debut, transcends locality, speaks to us all
Worldwide gross: $135,342
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $1,705,029
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,455
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 185,936
US/Canada gross: $134,241
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $1,691,159
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,080
US/Canada opening weekend: $16,064
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $202,373
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,662
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
Karuna Bannerjee – Sarbojaya Ray
Subir Bannerjee – Apu
Uma Das Gupta – Durga
Chunibala Devi – Indir Thakrun
Runki Banerjee – Little Durga
Director(s)
Satyajit Ray
Writer(s)
Satyajit Ray
Producer(s)
NA
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (76) | Top Critics (31) | Fresh (74) | Rotten (2)
It is most simple, most down to earth, and from the very heart. Specifically it is about India, but actually it is about everybody. The poetry of the film transcends its locality and speaks to us all.
April 20, 2022
Jonas Mekas
Village Voice
TOP CRITIC
Satyajit Ray put India on the world map with this felt portrait of life in a Bengal village…
August 16, 2021
Shubhra Gupta
The Indian Express
TOP CRITIC
Pather Panchali will leave many images in the mind’s ye and many impressions of another way of life.
May 5, 2021
Helen Bower
Detroit Free Press
TOP CRITIC
The cast has been well selected and all the players seem completely unaware of the camera. The results are a film which is unvarnished and often painfully vivid.
May 5, 2021
Mae Tinee
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
Although Pather Panchali falls short of perfection in production, the acting is impeccable and it hits you right in the heart.
May 5, 2021 | Rating: 4/4
Wanda Hale
New York Daily News
TOP CRITIC
Ray has caught the sights and sounds of nature all about them — beauty side by side with ugliness — with a poet’s sensitivity.
May 5, 2021
Philip K. Scheuer
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
Pather Panchali shows the creative imagination in its humblest involvement with the pathos of the commonplace.
March 29, 2022
Arlene Croce
Film Culture
Pather Panchali, more than its social significance within Indian culture, film history, or even Ray’s oeuvre, endures because, quite simply, Ray captures the beauty of the human condition.
February 14, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review
A film that speaks so directly and so movingly of human pain and human joy and, most important, of human dignity.
February 7, 2022
Gerald Weales
The Reporter
It invites its audience not so much to watch from outside, as to participate.
December 2, 2021
Isabel Quigly
The Spectator
Satyajit Ray speaks to the cruelty and kindness of humanity with perceptive depth in the tender first chapter of his Apu Trilogy.
July 16, 2021 | Rating: 10/10
Katherine McLaughlin
VODzilla.co
[Santayjit Ray] is an artist of stature and depth. He has taken the day by day problems of a warm and wonderful family and created a film of far reaching beauty. His mind and camera are always in rapport.
May 5, 2021
Hortense Morton (Screen Scout)
San Francisco Examiner…
Plot
The story of a young boy, Apu, and life in his small Indian village. His parents are quite poor – his father Harihar, a writer and poet, gave away the family’s fruit orchard to settle his brother’s debts. His sister Durga and an old aunt also still lives with them. His mother Sarbojaya bears the brunt of the family’s situation. She scrapes by and sells her personal possessions to put food on the table and has to bear the taunts of her neighbors as Durga is always stealing fruit from their orchard. Things get worse when Harihar disappears for five months and Durga falls ill. Even after Harihar returns, the family is left with few alternatives.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Chunibala Devi, who played the role of Indir Thakrun, was actually a retired actress who was convinced by Satyajit Ray to come out of retirement for the film.
Satyajit-Ray.jpg
Kiss Me Deadly
Kiss Me Deadly (1955)
91%RT Audience Score: 84%
Awards & Nominations: NA
Kiss Me Deadly is a film that transcends the boundaries of genre and time, leaving an indelible mark on cinema history. Robert Aldrich’s direction is a masterclass in style and atmosphere, with every frame dripping with a sense of impending doom. The film’s iconic imagery and dialogue have become ingrained in pop culture, with references popping up in everything from Tarantino films to music videos. The performances are pitch-perfect, with Ralph Meeker’s Mike Hammer embodying the quintessential hard-boiled detective. The film’s nihilistic themes and shocking climax make it a true classic of film noir, and a must-see for any cinephile.
Kiss Me Deadly is the kind of movie that makes you want to grab a martini and a fedora and pretend you’re a hard-boiled detective. The dialogue is so sharp and stylish, you’ll be quoting it for days. And the plot? Well, let’s just say it’s a wild ride that will keep you guessing until the very end. If you’re a fan of film noir, this one is a must-see. And if you’re not, well, you might just become one after watching this annihilating masterpiece.
Production Company(ies)
Maïa Films, Arte France Cinéma Les Films, d’ Ici
Distributor
MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc., United Artists, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Clay Street, Bunker Hill, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
1955
-
Color:Color
Black and White -
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 45m
-
Language(s):English, Italian, Spanish
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): May 18, 1955 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 19, 2001
Genre(s)
Crime/Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Ralph Meeker, Albert Dekker, Paul Stewart, Maxine Cooper, Gaby Rodgers, Juano Hernandez, Cloris Leachman, directed by Robert Aldrich, written by Mickey Spillane, A I Bezzerides, crime, drama, box office gross, budget, reviewed by Richard Brody, Chris Nashawaty, Dave Kehr, Variety Staff, Mark Kermode, Nick Schager, Mike Massie, Chris Barsanti, Ángel Fernández-Santos, Rob Aldam, Geoffrey O’Brien, Fernando F Croce, MPAA rating, film noir, private detective, murder mystery, scientist, femme fatale, nihilistic, influential, subversive, Pandora’s box, brutal, unflinching, cynical, sleazy, aggressive, McGuffin, science fiction, character development, cinematography, production value, classic
Worldwide gross: $952,000
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $11,993,229
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,901
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 1,307,877
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.): $410,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $5,165,151
Production budget ranking: 1,872
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $2,781,434
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $4,046,644
ROI to date (est.): 51%
ROI ranking: 1,145
Albert Dekker – Dr. G.E. Soberin
Paul Stewart – Carl Evello
Maxine Cooper – Velda
Gaby Rodgers – Gabrielle
Juano Hernandez – Eddie Yeager
Director(s)
Robert Aldrich
Writer(s)
Mickey Spillane, A. I. Bezzerides
Producer(s)
Robert Aldrich
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (43) | Top Critics (9) | Fresh (42) | Rotten (1)
The actors’ idiosyncratic voices, wrapped around such chrome-plated poetry as “the great whatsit” and “va-va-voom,” are as hauntingly musical as Aldrich’s images.
September 12, 2016
Richard Brody
New Yorker
TOP CRITIC
June 16, 2011 | Rating: B+
Chris Nashawaty
Entertainment Weekly
TOP CRITIC
This independently produced low-budget film was a shining example for the New Wave directors — Truffaut, Godard, et al — who found it proof positive that commercial films could accommodate the quirkiest and most personal of visions.
March 27, 2009
Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
The trail leads to a series of amorous dames, murder-minded plug-uglies and dangerous adventures that offer excitement but have little clarity to let the viewer know what’s going on.
October 30, 2008
Variety Staff
Variety
TOP CRITIC
Kiss Me Deadly delivers the ‘white-hot thrills’ and ‘blood-red kisses’ promised by its publicity, as well as reminding us whence Tarantino stole his best riffs.
June 24, 2006
Mark Kermode
Observer (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Never was Mike Hammer’s name more fitting than in Kiss Me Deadly, Robert Aldrich’s blisteringly nihilistic noir.
May 1, 2006
Nick Schager
Slant Magazine
TOP CRITIC
The climax is so startlingly unusual that this Robert Aldrich-directed picture safely becomes unforgettable.
August 23, 2020 | Rating: 7/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
By the time the movie comes to its gonzo Pandora’s box conclusion on the beach, neither script nor screen have been able to keep up with reason, preferring instead to simply stay out of Hammer’s way.
July 22, 2020
Chris Barsanti
Eyes Wide Open
An astonishing exercise in style without precedents. [Full Review in Spanish]
March 10, 2020
Ángel Fernández-Santos
El Pais (Spain)
The kind of films which takes your breath away and makes you grateful for independent cinema.
August 1, 2019
Rob Aldam
Backseat Mafia
Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer represents the deformed endproduct of a thousand 1940s tough-guy movies, transformed by now into a leisure-oriented 1950s man more interested in his hi-fi and his sports car than in heroics.
August 13, 2018
Geoffrey O’Brien
The New York Review of Books
Aldrich’s annihilating masterpiece, one of the decade’s key works
December 10, 2012
Fernando F. Croce
CinePassion…
Plot
A frightened woman is running barefoot on a highway, trying desperately to flag a car. After several cars pass her by, the woman sees another car approaching, and to make sure either the car stops, or she’s killed, she stands in the path of the oncoming car. Private Investigator Mike Hammer is at the wheel, and after almost hitting the woman, he tells her to get in. The woman’s name is Christina Bailey. She is obviously on the run, being barefoot and wearing nothing but a trench coat, and the scent of fear. Whoever was after her eventually catches up with them. Christina has information they want, but dies while being questioned. The killers fake an accident by pushing Hammer’s car off the road, but he survives, waking up in hospital three days later. As Mike starts to investigate Christina’s death, he’s told by the police to stay out of it, but the hard-nosed private investigator proceeds anyway. Little did he know that Christina’s secret would lead to death and destruction.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Ralph Meeker embodies Mickey Spillane’s cynical, sleazy private investigator Mike Hammer with an aggressiveness that’s almost frightening; he really seems to be enjoying it as he beats bad guys to a pulp.
Robert-Aldrich.jpg
The Wages of Fear
The Wages of Fear (1953)
98%RT Audience Score: 95%
Awards & Nominations: Won 1 BAFTA Film Award
6 wins total
An existential suspense classic, The Wages of Fear blends nonstop suspense with biting satire; its influence is still being felt on today’s thrillers.
If you’re looking for a movie that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat while also making you think about the meaning of life, then The Wages of Fear is the flick for you. This bad boy combines heart-pumping suspense with some seriously sharp wit, making it a classic that still holds up today. And let’s be real, you know a movie is good when it’s still inspiring filmmakers decades later. So buckle up and get ready for a wild ride with The Wages of Fear.
Production Company(ies)
Compagnie Industrielle et Commerciale Cinématographique Films,
Distributor
DCA Releasing
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Bouches-du-Rhône, France
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
1955
-
Color:Color
Black and White -
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:1.37 : 1
-
Runtime:2h 36m
-
Language(s):French, English, Spanish, German, Italian, Russian
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jan 1, 1953 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 25, 2005
Genre(s)
Mystery & Thriller
Keyword(s)
Worldwide gross: $1,098
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $13,833
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 3,132
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 1,508
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
Charles Vanel – Jo
Peter van Eyck – Bimba
Véra Clouzot – Linda
Folco Lulli – Luigi
William Tubbs – Bill O’Brien
Director(s)
Henri-Georges Clouzot
Writer(s)
Henri-Georges Clouzot, Georges Arnaud, Jérôme Géronimi
Producer(s)
Raymond Borderie, Henri-Georges Clouzot, Louis Wipf
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Won 1 BAFTA Film Award
6 wins total
Academy Awards
All Critics (47) | Top Critics (14) | Fresh (47)
Turning the screws with a relentlessness that impresses even in this age of the ruthless, high-tech thriller, Clouzot strings together situations of vividly, almost sadistically imagined danger.
April 1, 2014 | Rating: 3.5/4
Dave Kehr
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
Hitch’s bomb-under-the-table suspense formula burnished to an expert sheen.
December 6, 2011 | Rating: 5/5
Joshua Rothkopf
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
The Wages of Fear contains tension-fraught stretches of “pure cinema” that probably gave even the Master cold sweats.
December 6, 2011 | Rating: 4/4
Budd Wilkins
Slant Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Now seems much less like Salt of the Earth-as-a-potboiler and a lot more like the spiritual godfather to every testosterone-fuelled thrill ride since.
April 20, 2009 | Rating: 3/4
Eric Henderson
Slant Magazine
TOP CRITIC
A nail-biting drama that’s a must-see.
March 1, 2007 | Rating: 5/5
Patrick Peters
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
A significant influence on Peckinpah’s The Wild Bunch, this grueling pile driver of a movie will keep you on the edge of your seat.
March 1, 2007
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
Clouzot makes the most of the suspense inherent in such a tale, you can be sure, but his attitude is hopeless from the start and a sense of doom hangs over the film from the very beginning, long before the terrible end.
June 7, 2022
Herman G. Weinberg
Film Culture
The brutal narrative cynicism and political commentary in The Wages of Fear indicate the unflinching nature of its maker.
March 21, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review
…the greatest thriller to ever turn a moviegoer’s knuckles white.
August 10, 2020
Chris Barsanti
Eyes Wide Open
The Wages of Fear will keep you tipped forward on the edge of your seat, your palms sweaty and your heart thumping wildly.
July 16, 2019
Hoshi Soffen
Shin Nichibei/New Japanese American News
A masterpiece of cruel suspense.
May 31, 2018
Richard von Busack
MetroActive
The actual driving scenes are full of suspense and bit of humour. You can tell Clouzot has fun putting the viewer in a false sense of security.
March 15, 2018 | Rating: 4/5
Stephan Boissonneault
Vue Weekly (Edmonton, Alberta)…
Plot
In the Central American jungle supplies of nitroglycerin are needed at a remote oil field. The oil company pays four men to deliver the supplies in two trucks. A tense rivalry develops between the two sets of drivers and on the rough remote roads the slightest jolt can result in death.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
NA
Henri-Georges-Clouzot.jpg
Diabolique
Diabolique (Les Diaboliques) (1955)
95%RT Audience Score: 93%
Awards & Nominations: NA
Cruel, dark, but undeniably effective, Diabolique is a suspense thriller as effective as Hitchcock’s best work and with a brilliant twist ending.
Diabolique” is a diabolical masterpiece that will leave you scorched and scarred, but in a good way. The film is a creaky-door type of melodrama that will keep you guessing, entertained, and horrified all at the same time. Simone Signoret and Vera Clouzot deliver superb performances that will leave you on the edge of your seat. The story is intriguing and twisting, making it a classic of horror cinema. It’s a satisfying, elegant, and nasty thriller that will make you want to watch it again and again. So, grab some popcorn, turn off the lights, and get ready for a diabolical ride!
Production Company(ies)
Films,onor Vera Films,
Distributor
Criterion Collection, Criterion Pictures, Something Weird Video
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Château de L’Étang-la-Ville, 8 Rue de Fonton, L’Étang-la-Ville, Yvelines, France
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
1955
-
Color:Color
Black and White -
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:1.37 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 56m
-
Language(s):French, English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jan 29, 1955 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 2, 1999
Genre(s)
Drama/Horror
Keyword(s)
Diabolique, Drama, Horror, 1955, French, Suspense, Thriller, Hitchcock, Twist Ending, Paul Meurisse, Vera Clouzot, Simone Signoret, Henri-Georges Clouzot, Pierre Boileau, Jérôme Géronimi, Frédéric Grendel, Rene Masson, Thomas Narcejac, Criterion Collection, Something Weird Video, Mono, Flat, 35mm, Boarding School, Murder Plot, Abusive Headmaster, Mistress, Cruelty, Murder, Odd Occurrences, Disappearance, Critic Reviews, Guardian, Daily Telegraph, Deep Focus Review, Film Inquiry, Horror Queers Podcast, London Evening Standard, Sight & Sound, Variety, Audience Reviews, Suspense, Horror, Mystery, Psychological Thriller, Alfred Hitchcock, Vertigo, Psycho, Guilt, Religion, Divorce, Chilling, Disturbing, Eerie Scenes, Classic, Best Work, Macabre, Rarely Distributed, Classic Horror Film, Inspiration, Mean Streets, Blood Simple, Eraserhead, The Killer, The Devil’s Backbone, Criterion Pictures, Subscription, Rate and Review, MPAA Rating, Box Office Performance, Budget, Producer, Reviewed by
Worldwide gross: $12,498
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $157,449
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,971
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 17,170
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
Véra Clouzot – Christina Delassalle
Paul Meurisse – Michel Delasalle
Charles Vanel – Alfred Fichet, private detective
Jean Brochard – Plantiveau, the groundsman
Noel Roquebert – M. Herboux
Director(s)
Henri-Georges Clouzot
Writer(s)
Pierre Boileau, Henri-Georges Clouzot, Jérôme Géronimi, Frédéric Grendel, Rene Masson, Thomas Narcejac
Producer(s)
Henri-Georges Clouzot
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (51) | Top Critics (12) | Fresh (49) | Rotten (2)
Rarely if ever has such a wallow in the sickeningly macabre been passed for distribution in this country.
February 24, 2017
Derek Prouse
Sight & Sound
TOP CRITIC
Superbly acted, Les diaboliques is as effective a thriller as Hitchcock’s film, if lacking the depth and resonance.
March 22, 2011
Philip French
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
Still riveting stuff, beautifully acted out by Simone Signoret and Vera Clouzot, the director’s wife.
March 18, 2011 | Rating: 4/5
Derek Malcolm
London Evening Standard
TOP CRITIC
It’s a diabolical masterpiece.
March 18, 2011 | Rating: 5/5
Sukhdev Sandhu
Daily Telegraph (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Satisfying, elegant and nasty.
March 17, 2011 | Rating: 5/5
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
Although this has a few hallucinating bits of terror, the film is primarily a creaky-door type of melodrama.
August 13, 2007
Variety Staff
Variety
TOP CRITIC
The whole experience of Diabolique feels like the bomb that’s about to explode. And by the end, when the bomb goes off, the unforgiving quality of Clouzot’s cinema cannot help but leave the viewer scorched and scarred.
February 14, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review
Its intriguing and twisting story will keep you guessing, entertained, and horrified, all while showcasing the craftsmanship behind creating the perfect classic.
August 28, 2021
Stephanie Archer
Film Inquiry
A classy, measured thriller that sadly undercuts its queer vibes in the climax. Simone Signoret is magnetic and no amount of interference by director Clouzot can diminish her star power.
April 3, 2021
Joe Lipsett
Horror Queers Podcast
There’s a reason it’s considered a classic of horror cinema.
March 25, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Trace Thurman
Horror Queers Podcast
I think it’s a beautiful story, it’s a classic story but I just would have liked to see more in the relationship.
October 26, 2020 | Rating: 6/10
Emma Wolfe
SpookyAstronauts
One of the greatest of all psychological horror films and a stunning inspiration for filmmakers fascinated by unexpected resolutions.
August 18, 2020 | Rating: 9/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins…
Plot
Christina Delassalle suffers greatly at the hands of her brutish husband Michel. She inherited the boys’ boarding school they run but it’s clearly Michel who is in charge. She and Nicole Horner, one of the teachers and Michel’s former lover, decide to kill him. Christina, who has a serious condition, is terrified when, by chance, she meets a retired police inspector who decides to look into the case.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Simone Signoret’s performance in Diabolique is described as “magnetic” by one critic.
Henri-Georges-Clouzot.jpg
Marty
Marty (1955)
93%RT Audience Score: 87%
Awards & Nominations: NA
Scriptwriter Paddy Chayefsky’s solid dialogue is bolstered by strong performances from Ernest Borgnine and Betsy Blair in this appealingly low-key character study.
Marty is the kind of movie that makes you feel like you’re sitting in your favorite armchair, wrapped in a cozy blanket, and sipping on a warm cup of cocoa. It’s heartwarming, funny, and so relatable that you’ll forget you’re watching a movie. Ernest Borgnine’s performance is nothing short of amazing, and Paddy Chayefsky’s script captures the essence of human relationships in a way that’s both refreshing and poignant. If you’re looking for a feel-good movie that will leave you with a smile on your face, Marty is the perfect choice.
Production Company(ies)
Hecht-Lancaster Productions, Steven Productions,
Distributor
United Artists
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
The Grand Councourse, The Bronx, New York City, New York, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
1955
-
Color:Color
Black and White -
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 31m
-
Language(s):English, German, Italian
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): May 21, 1955 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 5, 2010
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Ernest Borgnine, Betsy Blair, Joe Mantell, Esther Minciotti, Augusta Ciolli, Karen Steele, directed by Delbert Mann, written by Paddy Chayefsky, produced by Harold Hecht, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Jean Yothers, Marjory Adams, Edwin Schallert, Myles Standish, Elston Brooks, Mae Tinee, Robert Bingham, Moira Walsh, Janet Graves, R.H Gardner, Jay Carmody, Frank Morriss, MPAA rating, romance, relationships, family, Bronx, ballroom, teacher, butcher, character study, slice of life, tender, human, appealing, low-key, solid dialogue, strong performances, heartening, honest, humorous, sensitivity, loneliness, disillusionment, toxic male entitlement, nuances, Academy Award winner, emotional roller coaster, joy, safe harbor, ugly people, Mickey Spillane, simplicity, realism
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
Betsy Blair – Clara
Joe Mantell – Angie
Esther Minciotti – Mrs. Pilletti
Augusta Ciolli – Aunt Catherine
Karen Steele – Virginia
Director(s)
Delbert Mann
Writer(s)
Paddy Chayefsky, Paddy Chayefsky
Producer(s)
Harold Hecht
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
Oscar Best Picture Winners, Oscar Winners
All Critics (71) | Top Critics (23) | Fresh (70) | Rotten (1)
Marty will give you a heartening slice of life, full of honesty and humor.
October 18, 2021
Jean Yothers
Orlando Sentinel
TOP CRITIC
Marty is one of those films that appear every few years or so — a picture so sensitively acted, so tenderly written, so human in its appeal, that it has the utmost distinction, no matter what kind of audience is in the theatre.
October 18, 2021
Marjory Adams
Boston Globe
TOP CRITIC
The picture is the ideal homespun type of creation for this era.
October 18, 2021
Edwin Schallert
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
This slice of life is heartening becau.se of its humanity; utter honesty doesn’t have to be depressing.
October 18, 2021
Myles Standish
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
TOP CRITIC
After viewing Marty at an advance screening, it seems rather useless to go on with this year’s Academy Award race. Who but Ernest Borgnine… could be the best actor of the year?
October 18, 2021
Elston Brooks
Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com
TOP CRITIC
Paddy Chayefsky, who wrote the script, has captured the human element deftly. Here are human beings as they really are, refreshingly lifelike, piteously real, and often hilariously funny.
October 18, 2021
Mae Tinee
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
Marty is a small but splendid sample of that richness and variety in American life which has been waiting all too long to be filmed and televised.
February 10, 2022
Robert Bingham
The Reporter
The wealth of observed detail about life in the Bronx (the film’s locale and also where it was made) conveys a vibrant and unmistakable ring of truth.
October 18, 2021
Moira Walsh
America Magazine
Wonderfully warm and funny and sympathetic.
October 18, 2021 | Rating: 4/4
Janet Graves
Photoplay
Everything you’ve heard about Marty is true. It’s a fine movie. It establishes its author, Paddy Chayefsky… as one of the country’s foremost dramatic writers. And the performances by Ernest Borgnine [and Betsy Blair] are superb.
October 18, 2021
R.H. Gardner
Baltimore Sun
Under Delbert Mann’s direction, these familiar movie land marks burst suddenly into moving and unfamiliar life.
October 18, 2021
Jay Carmody
Washington Star
This little movie is a masterpiece which confines itself to the small world of the small man, and in doing so makes its real stature tower above most films.
October 18, 2021
Frank Morriss
Winnipeg Free Press…
Plot
Stuck as the last of six children at home with an overbearing Italian mother, the only child still unmarried, 34 year old socially awkward Bronx butcher Marty faces middle age with no prospects of marriage, and he faces permanent bachelorhood. But when he is goaded by his mother into going to the Stardust Ballroom one Saturday night, Marty unexpectedly meets Clara, a lonely teacher. Suddenly, Marty’s future seems bright.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Ernest Borgnine won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in Marty.
Delbert-Mann.jpg
The Night of the Hunter
The Night of the Hunter (1955)
92%RT Audience Score: 90%
Awards & Nominations: 2 wins
Featuring Robert Mitchum’s formidable performance as a child-hunting preacher, The Night of the Hunter is a disturbing look at good and evil.
The Night of the Hunter is a classic horror film that will leave you feeling both terrified and impressed. Charles Laughton’s direction is daring and unconventional, making it a unique Hollywood production. The story is haunting and the characters are grotesque, but that’s what makes it stand out as one of the great pieces of American genre cinema. And let’s not forget about Preacher Powell, one of the greatest movie villains of all time. Overall, if you’re a fan of moody and evocative dramas, this film is definitely worth a watch. Just be prepared to have the old hymn “Learning” stuck in your head for days.
Production Company(ies)
Fox 2000 Pictures, New Regency Productions, Linson Films,
Distributor
United Artists
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Moundsville, West Virginia, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
1955
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:NA
-
Runtime:1h 32m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Sep 29, 1955 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 25, 2000
Genre(s)
Mystery & thriller
Keyword(s)
Mystery, Thriller, Robert Mitchum, Shelley Winters, Lillian Gish, Peter Graves, James Agee, Charles Laughton, Paul Gregory, United Artists, Mono, 35mm, MPAA rating, box office performance, budget, reviewed by critics, directed by Charles Laughton, written by James Agee and Charles Laughton, good vs evil, religious fanatic, serial killer, child-hunting preacher, stolen loot, condemned murderer, widow, children, disturbing, haunting, horror, film noir, German Expressionism, symbolism, cinematography, sound design, visual style, experimental, striking imagery, powerful performances, iconic villain, commentary on religion, morality, society
Worldwide gross: $2,001
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $25,208
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 3,117
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 2,749
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
Shelley Winters – Willa Harper
Lillian Gish – Rachel Cooper
Evelyn Varden – Icey Spoon
Peter Graves – Ben Harper
James Gleason – Birdie Steptoe
Director(s)
Charles Laughton
Writer(s)
James Agee, Charles Laughton
Producer(s)
Paul Gregory
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
2 wins
Academy Awards
All Critics (79) | Top Critics (23) | Fresh (74) | Rotten (5)
The Night of the Hunter doesn’t altogether, as they say, “come off,” but it is a film of extremely individual flavour, and its daring, its indifference to convention, make it uniquely surprising for a Hollywood production today.
October 2, 2020
Gavin Lambert
Sight & Sound
TOP CRITIC
Mr. Charles Laughton directs, and, since Mr. Laughton is a highly intelligent man, nothing that he does is without interest. The Night of the Hunter is indeed none the less interesting for being a failure.
October 2, 2020
Times (UK) Staff
Times (UK)
TOP CRITIC
It is doubtful that you will ever hear the old hymn, ‘Learning,’ again without recalling the gaunt, flapping figure of Preacher Powell as he lams it out in the dark night — to the terror of the listening youngsters
June 28, 2019
Philip K. Scheuer
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
The only film directed by actor Charles Laughton, this haunting masterpiece is simply one of the best horrors ever made.
September 6, 2017 | Rating: 5/5
Larushka Ivan-Zadeh
metro.co.uk
TOP CRITIC
It’s overwrought and lurid; the story is grotesque and so are the characters. It’s unlike anything else before and since. And that is why this strident psychological horror stands up now as one of the great pieces of American genre cinema.
October 5, 2015 | Rating: 4/5
Wendy Ide
Times (UK)
TOP CRITIC
One of the great movie horror tales, with one of the greatest of all movie villains.
October 14, 2014 | Rating: 4/4
Michael Wilmington
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
[Director Charles Laughton] is experimenting with the medium and, if he fails more of often than he succeeds, this does not make his attempt less admirable. The Night of the Hunter is frequently bad, but it is never less than interesting.
June 7, 2022
Eugene Archer
Film Culture
That The Night of the Hunter was Charles Laughton’s first effort as a director is remarkable. That it was his only film behind the camera is one of cinema’s most unfortunate tragedies.
February 12, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review
One of the most iconic American Gothic films and delves deeply into the fear and anxieties of small-town inertia.
June 25, 2021
Rob Aldam
Backseat Mafia
It is a true original, unable to be categorized in any specific box or genre, existing within parameters set only by itself.
April 15, 2021
Allen Almachar
The MacGuffin
The strong dramatic values inherent in the plot have been dissipated by the director’s striving for symbolic touches and for unusual camera effects, as well as by the fact that the characterizations are not clearly defined and lack conviction.
October 2, 2020
P.S. Harrison
Harrison’s Reports
If you enjoy a moody, and often evocative drama, The Night of the Hunter will appeal to you. When Mr. Laughton learns to tell a story through his actors rather than symbolism, something very fine will result.
October 2, 2020
Frank Morriss
Winnipeg Free Press…
Plot
It’s the Great Depression. In the process of robbing a bank of $10,000, Ben Harper kills two people. Before he is captured, he is able to convince his adolescent son John and his daughter Pearl not to tell anyone, including their mother Willa, where he hid the money, namely in Pearl’s favorite toy, a doll that she carries everywhere with her. Ben, who is captured, tried and convicted, is sentenced to death. But before he is executed, Ben is in the state penitentiary with a cell mate, a man by the name of Harry Powell, a self-professed man of the cloth, who is really a con man and murderer, swindling lonely women, primarily rich widows, of their money before he kills them. Harry does whatever he can, unsuccessfully, to find out the location of the $10,000 from Ben. After Ben’s execution, Harry decides that Willa will be his next mark, figuring that someone in the family knows where the money is hidden. Despite vowing not to remarry, Willa ends up being easy prey for Harry’s outward evangelicalism; she is a pious woman who feels she needs to atone for her sins which led to Ben doing what he did, especially as Harry presents himself as the preacher who worked at the prison and provided salvation to Ben before his death. Harry quickly figures out that John and Pearl know where the money is. Conversely, John doesn’t trust Harry, John who first tries not to show to Harry that he indeed does know where the money is, and then second constantly reminds a more-trusting Pearl of their promise to their now-deceased father. With Willa devoted to her new husband, John and Pearl need some other adult assistance in evading Harry’s veiled threats, an adult who not only can see the honesty and goodness in children but who can also see a true wolf in sheep’s clothing like Harry.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Robert Mitchum delivers a formidable performance as the child-hunting preacher in The Night of the Hunter.
Charles-Laughton.jpg
The Ladykillers 1955
The Ladykillers (1955)
92%RT Audience Score: 87%
Awards & Nominations: NA
The Ladykillers, a 1955 crime caper, is a shining example of the “Ealing comedies” and remains as entertaining today as it did then. Director Alexander Mackendrick and writer William Rose expertly crafted a superbly elegant comedy that is both wildly funny and wonderfully macabre. While some critics may find the slapstick set pieces to be lacking in hearty guffaws, the distinguished comic talents of the cast, including Alec Guinness and Peter Sellers, shine under Mackendrick’s direction. The twists of fate in the story’s climax are shaped by a marvellous sense of black humour, making The Ladykillers a must-see for fans of classic British comedy.
If you’re looking for a movie that will make you laugh out loud, The Ladykillers is the perfect choice. Critics may have mixed opinions, but let’s be real, they’re just trying to sound fancy. This 1955 crime caper is a shining light of the “Ealing comedies” and remains as entertaining today as it did then. With a superbly elegant comedy and a wonderfully macabre black humor, this movie will have you grinning from ear to ear. Plus, the twists and turns will keep you on the edge of your seat. So, grab some popcorn, sit back, and enjoy the wild ride!
Production Company(ies)
DUST, Fuzzy Door Productions, Warner Bros., Warner Bros. Pictures
Distributor
Continental Distributing Inc.
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
Year of Release
1955
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:NA
-
Runtime:1h 30m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Feb 20, 1956 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 3, 2009
Genre(s)
Comedy
Keyword(s)
starring Alec Guinness, Katie Johnson, Cecil Parker, Herbert Lom, Peter Sellers, Danny Green, directed by Alexander Mackendrick, written by William Rose, comedy, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Robert Abele, Peter Bradshaw, Kate Muir, Nick Schager, Nell Minow, Adrian Hennigan, Edward Porter, Carol Rittgers, MPAA rating, produced by Michael Balcon, The Rank Organization, Ealing Studios, Continental Distributing Inc., bank robbery, string quintet, elderly widow, gangsters, murder, double-crossing, dark humor, British comedy, slow-burn, quirky characters
Worldwide gross: $76,665,191
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: $39,799,191
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
Katie Johnson – The Old Lady
Cecil Parker – Claude
Herbert Lom – Louis
Peter Sellers – Harry
Danny Green – One-Round
Director – Alexander Mackendrick
Producer – Michael Balcon
Writer – William Rose
Director(s)
Alexander Mackendrick
Writer(s)
William Rose
Producer(s)
Michael Balcon
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (32) | Top Critics (6) | Fresh (32)
Crooked smiles guaranteed.
July 15, 2021
Robert Abele
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
A superbly elegant comedy…
October 23, 2020 | Rating: 5/5
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
One of the great Ealing comedies of the 1950s.
October 8, 2015 | Rating: 5/5
Kate Muir
Times (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Most of the slapstick set pieces warrant a polite smile rather than a hearty guffaw.
May 4, 2005 | Rating: B
Nick Schager
Lessons of Darkness
TOP CRITIC
Wildly funny!
November 24, 2002 | Rating: 5/5
Nell Minow
Movie Mom
TOP CRITIC
A wonderfully macabre black comedy…
August 12, 2002 | Rating: 5/5
Adrian Hennigan
BBC.com
TOP CRITIC
The twists of fate in the story’s climax are shaped by a marvellous sense of black humour.
October 24, 2022
Edward Porter
Sunday Times (UK)
The distinguished comic talents of director Alexander Mackendrick and writer William Rose have misfired in both the conception and execution of The Ladykillers.
March 28, 2022
Carol Rittgers
Film Culture
A shining light of the “Ealing comedies,” this 1955 crime caper remains as entertaining today as it did then.
September 20, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Stefan Pape
Common Sense Media
Under Alexander Mackendrick’s direction, all of these actors have a chance to shine… It’s absolutely so much fun to settle back and watch these actors do what they do best.
July 10, 2021
Lael Loewenstein
FilmWeek (KPCC – NPR Los Angeles)
It takes all these wonderful twists and turns. It’s very funny and clever.
July 10, 2021
Wade Major
FilmWeek (KPCC – NPR Los Angeles)
The script by American William Rose is as close to perfection as a film writer can get.
June 29, 2021
Neely Swanson
Easy Reader (California)…
Plot
A group of bumbling thieves posing as a string quintet rent rooms in an elderly widow’s home, but when they accidentally reveal their true intentions, they must double-cross each other and try to murder the old woman before she reports them to the police in the macabre slow-burn comedy, The Ladykillers.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
“The Ladykillers” features a talented cast including Alec Guinness, Peter Sellers, and Herbert Lom.
Alexander-Mackendrick.jpg
East of Eden
East of Eden (1955)
91%RT Audience Score: 90%
Awards & Nominations: Won 1 Oscar
13 wins & 10 nominations total
East of Eden strains to swell its story to epic dimensions, but James Dean’s riveting performance gives this CinemaScope drama much of its raging heart.
East of Eden is a classic film that tells the story of two brothers and their tumultuous relationship. Critics have praised the film for its great performances, atmospheric photography, and sure sense of period and place. James Dean’s performance as Cal/Cain is particularly noteworthy, with his Method acting techniques and uninhibited performing style making him stand out among the more conventional cast. While some have criticized the film’s flagrant miscalculation and strange plot, it’s still a must-watch for anyone who loves a good biblical allegory set in Monterey, California, circa 1917. Just make sure to turn the sound down if you want to fully appreciate Dean’s legendary status.
Production Company(ies)
Nouvelles Éditions de Films,
Distributor
Warner Bros.
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Denslow-Morgan-Preston Mansion – 45200 Little Lake Street, Mendocino, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG for thematic elements and some violent content
Year of Release
1955
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:2.55 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 55m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Mar 9, 1955 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 14, 2002
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring James Dean, Julie Harris, Raymond Massey, Jo Van Fleet, Burl Ives, Richard Davalos, directed by Elia Kazan, written by Paul Osborn, John Steinbeck, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Basil Taylor, Pauline Kael, Dave Kehr, Geoff Andrew, Kenneth Turan, Dan Callahan, André Bazin, Andrew Sarris, Mike Massie, Barbara Shulgasser, Monica Reid, Robert Hatch, PG rating, California farmer, estranged mother, brothel, family tensions, business venture, love triangle, period drama, epic dimensions, CinemaScope, raging heart, biblical allegory, mixed-up kid, down-to-earth performances, Method acting, vulnerability, emotional truth, American classic, top horror movies, MCU movies, Netflix series, TV premiere dates
Worldwide gross: $24,079
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $303,346
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,851
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 33,080
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
Julie Harris – Abra
Raymond Massey – Adam Trask
Jo Van Fleet – Kate
Burl Ives – Sam the Sheriff
Richard Davalos – Aron Trask
Elia Kazan – Director, Producer
Paul Osborn, John Steinbeck – Writers
Director(s)
Elia Kazan
Writer(s)
Paul Osborn, John Steinbeck
Producer(s)
Elia Kazan
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Won 1 Oscar
13 wins & 10 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (41) | Top Critics (9) | Fresh (35) | Rotten (6)
The film ends on a flagrant miscalculation which typifies Kazan at his worst.
March 17, 2020
Basil Taylor
Sight & Sound
TOP CRITIC
It’s far from a dull movie, but it’s certainly a very strange one; it’s an enshrinement of the mixed-up kid.
January 3, 2018
Pauline Kael
New Yorker
TOP CRITIC
John Steinbeck’s painful biblical allegory — Genesis replayed in Monterey, California, circa 1917 — is more palatable on the screen, thanks to the down-to-earth performances of James Dean as Cal/Cain and Richard Davalos as Aron/Abel.
November 1, 2007
Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
It’s a film of great performances, atmospheric photography, and a sure sense of period and place.
January 26, 2006
Geoff Andrew
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
Not only one of Kazan’s richest films and Dean’s first significant role, it is also arguably the actor’s best performance.
December 6, 2005 | Rating: 5/5
Kenneth Turan
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
If you turn the sound down on East of Eden (and, by all means, do), you’ll see why Dean is a legend.
May 23, 2005 | Rating: 2.5/4
Dan Callahan
Slant Magazine
TOP CRITIC
I was much more sensitive, on a second viewing, to Kazan’s sincerity and the undeniable lyrical power of his mise-en-scene, which, though probably too willful or conscious, is elevated from within by its powerful grounding in art as well as life.
December 8, 2021
André Bazin
L’Obs (France)
Elia Kazan has mastered Cinemascope. Whatever its faults, East of Eden, at least keeps moving visually with its story.
February 3, 2021
Andrew Sarris
Film Culture
Frequently smart, engaging, emotional, and intermittently historical (presenting various attitudes toward international conflicts, patriotism, profits, and foreigners).
August 18, 2020 | Rating: 8/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
Book-based classic has violence, drinking, mature themes.
August 6, 2019 | Rating: 3/5
Barbara Shulgasser
Common Sense Media
James Dean is decidedly the highlight of the film. His Method acting techniques and uninhibited performing style cause him to stand out among the more conventional cast.
August 28, 2018 | Rating: 3.4/5
Monica Reid
Far Out Magazine
East of Eden deals with inner conflict; the entire story could be played out in a living room. Instead it sprawls all over the eye-filling landscape and the real action is padded …
January 30, 2018
Robert Hatch
The Nation…
Plot
In the Salinas Valley, in and around World War I, Cal Trask feels he must compete against overwhelming odds with his brother Aron for the love of their father Adam. Cal is frustrated at every turn, from his reaction to the war, to how to get ahead in business and in life, to how to relate to estranged mother.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
James Dean’s performance in East of Eden is considered one of his best and helped establish him as a Hollywood legend.
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The Man With the Golden Arm
The Man With the Golden Arm (1955)
86%RT Audience Score: 83%
Awards & Nominations: 2 wins & 1 nomination
The Man with the Golden Arm is a difficult watch, but it’s held together by Frank Sinatra’s impressively committed work in the title role
The Man With the Golden Arm” is a movie that will make you feel like you need a shower after watching it. But don’t worry, it’s not because of the acting or the plot. It’s because you’ll feel like you’ve been transported to the grimy underbelly of society and need to wash off the grime. Frank Sinatra’s performance is top-notch, but be warned, you’ll need a stiff drink after watching him go through withdrawal. Overall, it’s a strong and gripping film, but maybe don’t watch it on a first date.
Production Company(ies)
Twentieth Century Fox,
Distributor
Reel Media International [us], United Artists
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
James Bond Island, Phang Nga Bay, Thailand
MPAA / Certificate
PG
Year of Release
1955
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Mono Dolby Surround 7.1 Dolby Atmos
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 11.66 : 1
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Runtime:1h 59m
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Language(s):English, Thai, Cantonese
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Dec 14, 1955 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 3, 2002
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Frank Sinatra, Eleanor Parker, Kim Novak, Arnold Stang, Darren McGavin, Robert Strauss, directed by Otto Preminger, written by Nelson Algren, Walter Newman, Lewis Meltzer, Ben Hecht, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Marjory Adams, Mildred Martin, Saul Bass, James Morgan, Helen Bower, Mae Tinee, Philip K Scheuer, André Bazin, Hortense Morton, Robert Hatch, Frank Morriss, R.H Gardner, MPAA rating, illegal card dealer, heroin addict, recovering addict, drum set, small-time con man, drug dealer, straighten up, honest work, title role, lower-depths characters, painful subject, insidious circumstances, rat in a maze, horrific theme, moralistic, hipster cool, driving jazz score, knock out performance, stiff as a board portrayal, weakling, crippled wife, love triangle, connected, waste of time
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
Eleanor Parker – Zosch Machine
Kim Novak – Molly
Arnold Stang – Sparrow
Darren McGavin – Louie
Robert Strauss – Schwiefka
Director(s)
Otto Preminger
Writer(s)
Nelson Algren, Walter Newman, Lewis Meltzer, Ben Hecht
Producer(s)
Otto Preminger
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
2 wins & 1 nomination
Academy Awards
All Critics (59) | Top Critics (23) | Fresh (48) | Rotten (11)
The scene in which Sinatra writhes and screams in pain and delirium is one of the most shocking I have ever seen on the screen. But it is strong and effective, and, I believe, justifiable.
December 23, 2020
Marjory Adams
Boston Globe
TOP CRITIC
This dramatization of Nelson Algren’s novel provides a sometimes revolting, sometimes dreary excursion into the lives of a full set of American lower-depths characters.
December 23, 2020
Mildred Martin
Philadelphia Inquirer
TOP CRITIC
Saul Bass’s credit titles are as brilliant as one might expect after Carmen Jones but this is an unattractive film: not because the subject is painful, but because [Preminger], with his thorough skill, shows himself so profoundly insensitive to its pain.
December 23, 2020
James Morgan
Sight & Sound
TOP CRITIC
Sinatra gives a perfect portrayal of a man pulled out of line by forces stronger than he. Torn between his dream of a new life and the insidious circumstances of the old, Frankie is caught like a rat in a maze.
December 23, 2020
Helen Bower
Detroit Free Press
TOP CRITIC
It’s not a pretty picture, but it packs a lot of punch.
December 23, 2020
Mae Tinee
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
Preminger gives you the feeling of claustrophobia, to be sure, but that’s not the only reason you’d like to get out. Along with in there is a growing sense of monotony and, in my case at least, an increasing disassociation with the whole shabby affair.
December 23, 2020
Philip K. Scheuer
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
These weaknesses can be ignored thanks to the admirable verisimilitude and powerful originality of the main character, wonderfully interpreted by Frank Sinatra.
December 7, 2021
André Bazin
L’Éducation Nationale
Producer-director Premlnger is one of Holly wood’s most intelligent film makers. It is to be regretted that his artistic gifts were not channeled into a more uplifting drama.
December 23, 2020
Hortense Morton (Screen Scout)
San Francisco Examiner
Forgetting for a moment the contempt Otto Preminger has shown for the spirit of Algren’s novel, he has committed the commercial sin of producing and directing a dull movie.
December 23, 2020
Robert Hatch
The Nation
The core of The Man With the Golden Arm is its horrific and honest theme. And Frank Sinatra’s performance makes it valid. This is a strong, lurid and gripping film.
December 23, 2020
Frank Morriss
Winnipeg Free Press
After a while, its unbroken grimness… becomes monotonous. The spectator finds his mind straying from the fervid activity taking place on the screen. He may even get a little bored.
December 23, 2020
R.H. Gardner
Baltimore Sun
Sinatra sweats out his craving for a shot — thirst, hysteria, spasms, cramps, near-madness the will to suicide, unconsciousness, chills, and a hangover craving for sugar. Frankie makes it all look very terrible and very real.
December 23, 2020
Dick Banks
Charlotte Observer…
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
There is no goofy or funny or odd comment about the film on Fresh Kernels.
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