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.
Elia-Kazan.jpg
Rebel Without a Cause
Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
92%RT Audience Score: 88%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 3 Oscars
3 wins & 7 nominations total
Rebel Without a Cause is a searing melodrama featuring keen insight into ’50s juvenile attitude and James Dean’s cool, iconic performance.
Rebel Without a Cause is the ultimate teenage angst movie that will make you want to slick back your hair and rev up your motorcycle. James Dean, Natalie Wood, and Sal Mineo give performances that will make your heart thump and make you want to rebel against the establishment. Nicholas Ray’s direction is outstanding, and the hepcat dialogue is clunky but still valid today. This movie is a mighty, ageless jolt of teen petulance that will make you want to talk to your dad about emotional literacy. Don’t miss this heart-rending film that stands as a potent expression of teen angst still vital today.
Production Company(ies)
Jolly Film Constantin Film Ocean Films,
Distributor
Warner Bros. Pictures, Warner Home Vídeo, Warner Bros.
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Griffith Observatory, 2800 E Observatory Rd, Los Angeles, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
PG-13
Year of Release
1955
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:2.55 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 51m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Oct 27, 1955 Original
Release Date (Streaming): May 31, 2005
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring James Dean, Natalie Wood, Sal Mineo, Jim Backus, Ann Doran, Corey Allen, directed by Nicholas Ray, written by Nicholas Ray, Irving Shulman, Stewart Stern, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Jack Moffitt, Kate Muir, Charlotte O’Sullivan, David Parkinson, Peter Bradshaw, Dave Kehr, Eugene Archer, Francois Truffaut, Brian Eggert, André Bazin, David Nusair, Éric Rohmer, PG-13, Warner Bros Pictures, Warner Home Vídeo, Warner Bros., new kid in town, troubled teens, juvenile attitude, iconic performance, psychological complexity, teenage angst, outsider, misfit, existentialism, knife fight, drag race, chickie run, emotional literacy, parental issues, repressed gay character, absent parents, screen presence, fresh take, well-crafted drama
Worldwide gross: $212,780
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $2,680,587
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,338
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 292,321
US/Canada gross: $212,780
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $2,680,587
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,966
US/Canada opening weekend: $116,668
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $1,469,775
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,237
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $1,500,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $18,896,894
Production budget ranking: 1,391
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $10,175,977
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$26,392,284
ROI to date (est.): -91%
ROI ranking: 1,964
Natalie Wood – Judy
Sal Mineo – John “Plato” Crawford
Jim Backus – Frank Stark
Ann Doran – Mrs. Stark
Corey Allen – Buzz Gunderson
Nicholas Ray – Director
David Weisbart – Producer
Nicholas Ray, Irving Shulman, Stewart Stern – Writers
Director(s)
Nicholas Ray
Writer(s)
Nicholas Ray, Irving Shulman, Stewart Stern
Producer(s)
David Weisbart
Film Festivals
Berlin
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 3 Oscars
3 wins & 7 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (56) | Top Critics (15) | Fresh (52) | Rotten (4)
It contains some extraordinarily good acting by the late James Dean, Natalie Wood and Sal Mineo. The direction by Nicholas Ray is outstanding… This is a superficial treatment of a vital problem that has been staged brilliantly.
October 30, 2018
Jack Moffitt
Hollywood Reporter
TOP CRITIC
With his slicked-up quiff, turned-up jeans and revved-up attitude, Dean instantly achieved icon status.
December 31, 2017
Kate Muir
Times (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Looks and sounds so good it makes your heart thump.
April 18, 2014 | Rating: 4/5
Charlotte O’Sullivan
London Evening Standard
TOP CRITIC
A mighty, ageless jolt of teen petulance. Dean is supreme.
April 14, 2014 | Rating: 5/5
David Parkinson
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
The drama and hepcat dialogue feel clunky now, but the movie’s plea for dads to talk to their children — what we now call emotional literacy — is valid enough.
October 23, 2007 | Rating: 3/5
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
An unmissable film, made with a delirious compassion.
October 23, 2007
Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
Rebel Without a Cause settles a number of questions regarding Dean’s capacities as an actor. Working more or less on his own, without benefit of Kazan’s rigid control, Dean gave a performance which dominated the film.
June 7, 2022
Eugene Archer
Film Culture
Nicholas Ray is the best current American director. Nobody can doubt it after seeing Rebel without a Cause, a heart-rending film in which James Dean repeats, while expanding upon it, his surprising achievement in East of Eden.
May 6, 2022
Francois Truffaut
La Parisienne
Rebel Without a Cause stands as a potent expression of teen angst still vital today.
February 14, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review
Johnny Guitar was the first movie of his to make me reconsider the tempering of my esteem and to make me think that the Nicholas Ray fanatics were right. After Rebel Without a Cause, there can no longer be any doubt about it.
December 8, 2021
André Bazin
L’Obs (France)
…an overwrought, unconvincing endeavor…
February 8, 2021 | Rating: 2/4
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews
No other director knows how to give his characters so clearly the air of having a common genealogy. They are marked with the seal of the same fate, the same moral or physical disease that is not quite taint or decay.
February 1, 2021
Éric Rohmer
Cahiers du Cinéma…
Plot
Jim Stark is the new kid in town. He has been in trouble elsewhere; that’s why his family has had to move before. Here he hopes to find the love he doesn’t get from his middle-class family. Though he finds some of this in his relation with Judy, and a form of it in both Plato’s adulation and Ray’s real concern for him, Jim must still prove himself to his peers in switchblade knife fights and “chickie” games in which cars race toward a seaside cliff.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
James Dean’s performance in Rebel Without a Cause is often cited as one of the most iconic in film history.
Nicholas-Ray.jpg
To Catch a Thief
To Catch a Thief (1955)
88%RT Audience Score: 84%
Awards & Nominations: Won 1 Oscar
1 win & 5 nominations total
It may occasionally be guilty of coasting on pure charm, but To Catch a Thief has it in spades — as well as a pair of perfectly matched stars in Cary Grant and Grace Kelly
To Catch a Thief is like a fancy cocktail – it’s not the most profound drink you’ll ever have, but it’s damn enjoyable. The French Riviera is the perfect backdrop for Cary Grant and Grace Kelly to flirt and banter their way through a heist caper. And let’s be real, who doesn’t want to watch two impossibly attractive people trade double-entendres while wearing fabulous outfits? It’s a classic for a reason, and it’s worth watching just to see Grant’s debonair charm and Kelly’s effortless elegance. Cheers to 65 years of To Catch a Thief!
Production Company(ies)
Columbia Pictures, Marvel Entertainment
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Wide)
Filming Location(s)
335 Route de Saint-Jeannet, St Jeannet, France
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG for some action violence, mild suggestive material and smoking
Year of Release
1955
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 46m
-
Language(s):English, French
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Aug 5, 1955 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 4, 2005
Genre(s)
Comedy/Romance
Keyword(s)
starring Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, Jessie Royce Landis, John Williams, Charles Vanel, Brigitte Auber, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, written by John Michael Hayes, comedy
Worldwide gross: $2,964
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $37,340
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 3,098
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 4,072
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
Grace Kelly – Frances Stevens
Jessie Royce Landis – Jessie Stevens
John Williams – H. H. Hughson
Charles Vanel – Bertani
Brigitte Auber – Danielle Foussard
Director(s)
Alfred Hitchcock
Writer(s)
John Michael Hayes
Producer(s)
Alfred Hitchcock
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Won 1 Oscar
1 win & 5 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (51) | Top Critics (11) | Fresh (48) | Rotten (3)
It literally bubbles with humor, spice, sparkling dialogue and baffling complications which keep the moviegoer on tenterhooks right up to the heap big surprise ending.
September 25, 2021
Jean Yothers
Orlando Sentinel
TOP CRITIC
It’s not one of Hitch’s most profound films, but it remains a twinkling, innuendo-laden pleasure, with Grant, Kelly and the French Riviera vying for your attention.
November 3, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
Ed Potton
Times (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Francie finds something inauthentic in Robie: “like an American in an English movie”. Well, yes, perhaps. But Grant’s debonair and oddly unlocatable mid-Atlantic identity is absolutely right for the part.
August 7, 2014 | Rating: 5/5
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
A fun seaside frolic, but doesn’t sit long in the mind.
August 7, 2014 | Rating: 3/5
David Jenkins
Little White Lies
TOP CRITIC
The whole thing is really a condensed summer holiday, all hot sun and suavity.
August 7, 2014 | Rating: 4/5
Danny Leigh
Financial Times
TOP CRITIC
It is a significant dud, and Grace Kelly’s role has the virtue of making clearer the quality which excited so much attention in previous roles.
January 23, 2013
Delmore Schwartz
The New Republic
TOP CRITIC
Both director and writer seem unable to sustain character, much less develop, and enrich it. Both [To Catch and Thief and The Trouble with Harry] drag along from scene to scene without much inner motivation.
November 18, 2021
Andrew Sarris
Film Culture
The highlight of the film is the chemistry and dialogue between Kelly and Grant, who playfully flirt with ceaseless double-entendres and sassy innuendos.
August 23, 2020 | Rating: 8/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
To Catch a Thief celebrates its 65th anniversary in 2020 and the film has never been more beautiful.
May 8, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
Danielle Solzman
Solzy at the Movies
Grant had a certain suave, debonair appeal, and charming good looks which made him the perfect casting choice for the role of Robie.
April 23, 2020 | Rating: 4.5/5
Allison Rose
FlickDirect
It’s hardly one of his best, but it’s not half-bad – and the French Riviera, in VistaVision, is a sight to behold.
October 21, 2019
Clyde Gilmour
Maclean’s Magazine
Mainly a star vehicle for Grant and Kelly, and one of those glamorous studio capers you occasionally get now that put a leading man and lady together in some hokum genre fare.
July 26, 2019 | Rating: 3/5
PJ Nabarro
Patrick Nabarro…
Plot
American expatriate John Robie, living in high style on the Riviera, is a retired cat burglar. He must find out who a copycat is to keep a new wave of jewel thefts from being pinned on him. High on the list of prime victims is Jessie Stevens, in Europe to help daughter Frances find a suitable husband.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
To Catch a Thief stars Cary Grant and Grace Kelly, who are described as “perfectly matched stars” with “pure charm” in their performances.
Alfred-Hitchcock.jpg
12-Aug
8 1/2 (1963)
95%RT Audience Score: 92%
Awards & Nominations: NA
Inventive, thought-provoking, and funny, 8 1/2 represents the arguable peak of Federico Fellini’s many towering feats of cinema.
NA
Tagline
Production Company(ies)
Distributor
Kino Lorber
Release Date:
04-09-1999
Release Type
THEATRICAL
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
Year of Release
1963
-
Color:NA
-
Sound mix:NA
-
Aspect ratio:NA
-
Runtime:NA
-
Language(s):
-
Country of origin:NA
-
Release date:NA
Genre(s)
Keyword(s)
Film/TV/Theater Drama Movie, Foreign Language Drama Movie, Re-Release Drama Movie, Relationship Drama, Movies Directed by Federico Fellini, Movies Written by Federico Fellini, Movies Written by Ennio Flaiano, Movies Written by Tullio Pinelli, Movies Written by Brunello Rondi, Movies Starring Marcello Mastroianni, Movies Starring Claudia Cardinale, Movies Starring Anouk Aimee, Movies Starring Sandra Milo, Movies Starring Rossella Falk, Movies Starring Barbara Steele, Movies from 1999, Movies from the 1990s, Movies from Italy, Italian Language
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
Guido Anselmi
Claudia Cardinale
Claudia
Anouk Aimée
Luisa Anselmi (as Anouk Aimee)
Sandra Milo
Carla
Madeleine Lebeau
French Actress
Mario Pisu
Mezzabotta
Director(s)
Dan Mirvish
Writer(s)
Daniel Moya (story), Dan Mirvish (story),
Executive(s)
NA
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
Synopsis (Warning: Spoilers!)
Guido admits to a Cardinal that he is not happy. The Cardinal offers little insight. Guido invites his estranged wife Luisa and her friends to join him. They dance, but Guido abandons her for his production crew. Guido confesses to his wife’s best friend Rosella that he wanted to make a film that was pure and honest, but he is struggling with something honest to say. Carla surprises Guido, Luisa, and Rosella outside the hotel, and Guido claims that he and Carla ended their affair years ago. Luisa and Rosella call him on the lie, and Guido slips into a fantasy world where he lords over a harem of women from his life, but a rejected showgirl starts a rebellion. The fantasy women attack Guido with harsh truths about himself and his sex life.
When Luisa sees how bitterly Guido represents her in the film, she declares that their marriage is over. Guido’s Ideal Woman arrives in the form of an actress named Claudia. Guido explains that his film is about a burned-out man who finds salvation in this Ideal Woman. Claudia concludes that the protagonist is unsympathetic because he is incapable of love. Broken, Guido calls off the film, but the producer and the film’s staff announce a press conference. Guido attempts to escape from the journalists and eventually imagines shooting himself in the head. Guido realizes he was attempting to solve his personal confusion by creating a film to help others, when instead he needs to accept his life for what it is. He asks Luisa for her assistance in doing so. Carla tells him that she figured out what he was trying to say: that Guido can’t do without the people in his life. The men and women hold hands and run around the circle, Guido and Luisa joining them last.
Trivia
Goofs
NA
Quotes
NA
Credits
Alternate Versions
NA
Soundtracks
NA
NA
Links
(Click to Visit)
(Click to Visit)
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/8%C2%BD
Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/8-12
NA
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Coming soon…
Them 1954
Them! (1954)
84%RT Audience Score: 77%
Awards & Nominations: NA
Them! is a film that truly lives up to its ominous title, delivering a thrilling and chilling experience that will have you squirming in your seat. The use of blown-up scenes of actual ants adds a level of realism that is both impressive and terrifying, while the sound and lighting effects create an eerie atmosphere that perfectly complements the monstrous creatures on screen. The performances and dialogue are particularly noteworthy, adding an extra layer of conviction to this top-notch thriller. From the lively cop to the passionate scientist, the characters are as entertaining as they are believable. Overall, Them! is a must-see for fans of the genre and anyone looking for a good scare.
Them! is the perfect movie for anyone who wants to see giant ants wreak havoc on unsuspecting humans. The special effects are impressive, and the scenes with real ants are enough to make you squirm. The dialogue and performances are surprisingly good for a movie about killer ants, and the eerie atmosphere created by the sound and lighting effects will keep you on the edge of your seat. Plus, who doesn’t love a good flame thrower scene? Overall, Them! is a classic monster movie that’s both thrilling and delightfully silly.
Production Company(ies)
Warner Bros., Warner Bros. Pictures
Distributor
Warner Home Vídeo, Cinema Classics, Warner Bros.
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
Year of Release
1954
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:NA
-
Runtime:1h 34m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jun 19, 1954 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 3, 2009
Genre(s)
Sci-fi
Keyword(s)
Loading..
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
Edmund Gwenn – Dr. Harold Medford
Joan Weldon – Dr. Patricia ‘Pat’ Medford
James Arness – Robert Graham
Onslow Stevens – Brig. Gen. Robert O’Brien
Sean McClory – Maj. Kibbee
Director – Gordon Douglas
Producer – David Weisbart
Writers – Russell S. Hughes, Ted Sherdeman
Director(s)
Gordon Douglas
Writer(s)
Russell S. Hughes, Ted Sherdeman
Producer(s)
David Weisbart
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (57) | Top Critics (15) | Fresh (53) | Rotten (4)
Views of the creatures which had the youngsters screeching delightedly are plenty scary — in fact the blown-up scenes of actual ants, such as everyone in the hot country knows, are enough to make you squirm.
September 28, 2021
Marion Aitchison
Miami Herald
TOP CRITIC
There is added conviction in performance and dialogue, both of which are particularly good for a production largely designed for chilling spines.
September 28, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
Dorothy Masters
New York Daily News
TOP CRITIC
In the parking lot outside the [theater], I came upon a bustling colony of ants near a crack in the sidewalk. I gave them a wide berth. I had just seen their oversized brothers and sisters in action… and I wanted no more trouble with them.
September 28, 2021
Philip K. Scheuer
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
The picture has all the necessary ingredients mixed in the proper proportions to make it a top-notch thriller.
September 28, 2021
Leonard Lerner
Boston Globe
TOP CRITIC
Sound and lighting effects help to create an eerie atmosphere in the black-and-white film and Warner Brothers has taken pains to make the enormous ants properly frightening.
September 28, 2021
Dorothy Adler
Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com
TOP CRITIC
Ominously titled Them, this all too plausible Warner Brothers chiller starts with a shiver and ends with a bang.
September 28, 2021
Mildred Martin
Philadelphia Inquirer
TOP CRITIC
The genre holds a special place in my heart, and “THEM!” was the quintessential big bug movie.
August 25, 2022 | Rating: 4.5/5
Keith Garlington
Keith & the Movies
Edmund Gwenn is such a convincing old actor that he and his scientific calculations have you actually believing in the 8-feet-high ants bringing terror and destruction in Them!
September 28, 2021
Lillian Blackstone
Tampa Bay Times
It moves fast and is superbly silly.
September 28, 2021
C.A. Lejeune
Observer (UK)
The monsters are certainly a homely change — 15-foot ants from earth, instead of Outer Space, invaders in tatty fancy-dress. James Whitmore’s cop is lively, and Edmund Gwenn’s scientist lectures with feeling.
September 28, 2021
Josephine O’Neill
Daily Telegraph (Australia)
This leads us through Los Angeles sewers; delightful but net serious suspense; audience hysteria (hey, is school out?), and flame throwers guaranteed to scare the wits out of anyone who ever had a hot foot.
September 28, 2021
Hortense Morton (Screen Scout)
San Francisco Examiner
With ants of such drawing power as these, Warner Bros. might have skimped on cast costs in the production of Them. To its credit, it did nothing of the kind.
September 28, 2021
Jay Carmody
Washington Star…
Plot
A police sergeant and an FBI agent team up with a scientist to investigate a series of mysterious deaths caused by giant ants mutated by atomic radiation in the 1954 sci-fi film, Them!
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
NA
Gordon-Douglas.jpg
A Star Is Born
A Star Is Born (1954)
90%RT Audience Score: 81%
Awards & Nominations: Won 1 Oscar
95 wins & 280 nominations total
A Star is Born is a movie of grand scope and intimate moments, featuring Judy Garland’s possibly greatest performance.
A Star is Born is like a fine wine, it only gets better with age. Judy Garland’s performance is a true masterpiece, and the blend of drama and musical elements make for a perfect cinematic experience. Sure, it’s a bit long, but so is a good dinner party with friends. And just like that dinner party, you won’t want it to end. So sit back, grab some popcorn, and enjoy the showbiz soap opera that is A Star is Born.
Production Company(ies)
Selznick International Pictures,,
Distributor
Warner Home Vídeo, Warner Bros. Pictures, Warner Bros.
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Wide)
Filming Location(s)
Glastonbury Festival, Pilton, Somerset, England, UK
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for language throughout, some sexuality/nudity and substance abuse
Year of Release
1954
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby Atmos Auro 11.1 Sonics-DDP SDDS
-
Aspect ratio:2.39 : 1
-
Runtime:2h 56m
-
Language(s):English, French
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Sep 29, 1954 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 22, 2010
Genre(s)
Musical
Keyword(s)
starring Judy Garland, James Mason, Jack Carson, Charles Bickford, Tommy Noonan, Lucy Marlow, directed by George Cukor, written by Robert Carson, Dorothy Parker, Alan Campbell, William A Wellman, Moss Hart, musical, box office performance, budget, reviewed by TIME Staff, Dave Kehr, Jack Moffitt, Penelope Houston, Sidney Luft, MPAA rating PG, Warner Home Vídeo, Warner Bros Pictures, Warner Bros., Surround sound mix, Hollywood, celebrity, aspiring actress, musical together, Vicki Lester, heavy bouts of drinking, career, tragic, semi-musical comedy, feminist, success, talent, melodramatic, restoration editing techniques, heartbreak, epic, exciting, horror movies, MCU movies, Netflix series
Worldwide gross: $436,233,122
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $513,347,690
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 277
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 55,981,209
US/Canada gross: $215,333,122
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $253,398,367
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 248
US/Canada opening weekend: $42,908,051
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $50,493,068
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 223
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $36,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $42,363,855
Production budget ranking: 905
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $22,812,936
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $448,170,899
ROI to date (est.): 688%
ROI ranking: 183
James Mason – Norman Maine
Jack Carson – Matt Libby
Charles Bickford – Oliver Niles
Tommy Noonan – Danny McGuire
Lucy Marlow – Lola Lavery
Director(s)
George Cukor
Writer(s)
Robert Carson, Dorothy Parker, Alan Campbell, William A. Wellman, Moss Hart
Producer(s)
Sidney Luft
Film Festivals
Venice, Toronto
Awards & Nominations
Won 1 Oscar
95 wins & 280 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures Winners, Oscar Nominees, Oscar Original Song Winners, Oscar Winners
All Critics (45) | Top Critics (8) | Fresh (44) | Rotten (1)
All this, plus a dozen big musical sequences, makes Star a mighty long gulp of champagne; but, like champagne, it is hard to refuse.
October 3, 2018
TIME Staff
TIME Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Judy Garland gives everything she has as the young star on the way up; her performance is an emotional autobiography.
October 3, 2018
Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
A Star Is Born is the perfect blend of drama and musical – of cinematic art and popular entertainment.
October 3, 2018
Jack Moffitt
Hollywood Reporter
TOP CRITIC
In this incandescent performance, [Judy Garland] seems to be playing on her nerves: she cannot but strike at ours.
July 6, 2018
Penelope Houston
Sight & Sound
TOP CRITIC
A Star Is Born was a great 1937 moneymaker and it’s an even greater picture in its filmusical transmutation.
July 7, 2010
Variety Staff
Variety
TOP CRITIC
One of the grandest heartbreak dramas that has drenched the screen in years… the Warners and Mr. Cukor have really and truly gone to town in giving this hackneyed Hollywood story an abundance of fullness and form.
March 25, 2006
Bosley Crowther
New York Times
TOP CRITIC
…friends and fans of Judy will want to see her swing successfully for the fences here in a performance that fascinates because of how it does, and does not, reflect the truth of her troubled career…
June 17, 2022 | Rating: 4/5
Eddie Harrison
film-authority.com
Something of the monstrous artificiality of Hollywood comes through most acutely in various incisive touches and certainly A Star is Born will take its place among the most acutely observed films about Hollywood life.
June 7, 2022
Herman G. Weinberg
Film Culture
…still by far the best incarnation of that showbiz soap opera. Particularly given the peerless casting of Judy Garland as the star who is born…
May 4, 2022
Dennis Harvey
48 Hills
No matter how impactful the finale, it’s difficult to appreciate the film as a whole; it’s very clearly two distinct pictures.
March 24, 2021 | Rating: 6/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
This is adult Judy Garland at her peak, commanding both the musical and acting elements of the film in this combination of 1950s cornpone and musical glory. A must see.
May 30, 2020 | Rating: 5/5
Patrick McDonald
WBGR-FM (93.7 FM – Monroe, WI)
Although too long…it’s a brilliant and fascinating showpiece for Judy Garland in her triumphal return to films.
October 31, 2019
Clyde Gilmour
Maclean’s Magazine…
Plot
A fading Hollywood actor helps an aspiring actress become a star, but as her career takes off, his drinking problem threatens to destroy their relationship in A Star is Born.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Judy Garland’s performance in A Star is Born is considered by many to be one of her greatest.
George-Cukor.jpg
Godzilla
Godzilla (Gojira) (1954)
92%RT Audience Score: 89%
Awards & Nominations: 2 wins & 16 nominations
More than straight monster-movie fare, Gojira offers potent, sobering postwar commentary.
Godzilla is the OG monster movie that started it all, and it still holds up today. Sure, the effects might not be as flashy as modern blockbusters, but there’s something charming about the practical effects and miniature sets. Plus, the movie has a surprising amount of depth, exploring the trauma of a country still reeling from the atomic bomb. And let’s not forget about the big guy himself – Godzilla is an absolute unit, with a tail that could knock down buildings and a roar that will send shivers down your spine. All in all, Godzilla is a classic that deserves its place in the monster movie pantheon.
Production Company(ies)
Warner Bros., Star Thrower Entertainment, Westbrook Studios,
Distributor
Rialto Pictures
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Wide)
Filming Location(s)
Village Roadshow Studios, Oxenford, Queensland, Australia
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of creature violence/destruction and brief language
Year of Release
1954
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby Atmos IMAX 6-Track Auro 11.1 Dolby Digital Dolby Surround 7.1
-
Aspect ratio:2.39 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 38m
-
Language(s):English, American, Sign, L
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Nov 3, 1954 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 20, 2014
Genre(s)
Sci-Fi
Keyword(s)
Godzilla, sci-fi, Japanese, fire-breathing, monster, atomic bomb, postwar commentary, Ishirô Honda, directed by, Tomoyuki Tanaka, produced by, Ishirô Honda, Shigeru Kayama, written by, Takashi Shimura, starring, Momoko Kochi, Akira Takarada, Akihiko Hirata, Sachio Sakai, Fuyuki Murakami, MPAA rating, Rialto Pictures, box office performance, budget, reviewed by, Adam Kempenaar, Chris Vognar, Andrew O’Hehir, Zachary Wigon, Keith Uhlich, Budd Wilkins, Sean Axmaker, Mike Massie, Harris Dang, Witney Seibold, Joe Bendel, David Nusair, genre, sci-fi, original language, Japanese, release date, theaters, streaming, distributor, Takashi Shimura, Dr Kyohei Yamane, Momoko Kochi, Emiko Yamane, Akira Takarada, Hideto Ogata, Akihiko Hirata, Dr Daisuke Serizawa, Sachio Sakai, Newspaper Reporter Hagiwara, Fuyuki Murakami, Dr Tabata
Worldwide gross: $468,216,094
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $509,234,971
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 283
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 55,532,712
US/Canada gross: $100,916,094
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $109,757,022
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 686
US/Canada opening weekend: $31,625,971
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $34,396,619
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 379
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $200,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $217,521,344
Production budget ranking: 74
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $117,135,244
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $174,578,383
ROI to date (est.): 52%
ROI ranking: 1,134
Momoko Kochi – Emiko Yamane
Akira Takarada – Hideto Ogata
Akihiko Hirata – Dr. Daisuke Serizawa
Sachio Sakai – Newspaper Reporter Hagiwara
Fuyuki Murakami – Dr. Tabata
Director(s)
Ishirô Honda
Writer(s)
Ishirô Honda, Shigeru Kayama
Producer(s)
Tomoyuki Tanaka
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
2 wins & 16 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (75) | Top Critics (27) | Fresh (70) | Rotten (5)
…a portrait of a country less than a decade removed from the horrors of the atomic bomb, reckoning – in a movie that is still fun and thrilling – with that trauma.
April 3, 2021 | Rating: 4.5/5
Adam Kempenaar
Filmspotting
TOP CRITIC
It’s a terse, lean terror with a big, swinging tail.
May 8, 2014 | Rating: B+
Chris Vognar
Dallas Morning News
TOP CRITIC
While the acting is hit-and-miss and the story jumps around somewhat confusingly, Honda’s film is a one-of-a-kind experience all the way through, one that stands the test of time better than I had expected.
April 18, 2014
Andrew O’Hehir
Salon.com
TOP CRITIC
Clever storytelling manages to confront tragedy from any number of angles, and sometimes swinging at it from the side can be the most affecting.
April 16, 2014
Zachary Wigon
Village Voice
TOP CRITIC
Honda’s satire is cutting, with several characters resigned to living with the threat of constant cataclysm.
April 15, 2014 | Rating: 4/5
Keith Uhlich
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
Rarely has the open wound of widespread devastation been transposed to celluloid with greater visceral impact.
April 13, 2014 | Rating: 4/4
Budd Wilkins
Slant Magazine
TOP CRITIC
None of the sequels, spin-offs, remakes, or knock-offs ever matched the righteous anger or terrifying ferocity of the lizard king in his first film, rising from the radioactive depths and descending upon Tokyo like some biblical retribution.
June 25, 2022
Sean Axmaker
Stream on Demand
Still a well-paced, nicely balanced monster movie that sticks with a fittingly serious, somber tone.
August 22, 2020 | Rating: 7/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
Despite the problems with pacing, effects and some characterizations, Godzilla (1954) does manage to work pretty well and thanks to its mix of social commentary and action, it delivers a satisfying adventure.
November 7, 2019
Harris Dang
The AU Review
This is a monster film that more or less launched the entire kaiju genre, but it’s also dark, sad, and downright tragic.
May 21, 2019
Witney Seibold
Nerdist
Sixty years later, Godzilla is still one of the baddest cats to grace a movie screen.
July 17, 2016 | Rating: 4/5
Joe Bendel
Epoch Times
It’s ultimately rather difficult to discern why Godzilla has amassed a reputation as a classic of the genre…
January 9, 2015 | Rating: 1.5/4
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews…
Plot
Legends collide as Godzilla and Kong, the two most powerful forces of nature, clash on the big screen in a spectacular battle for the ages. As a squadron embarks on a perilous mission into fantastic uncharted terrain, unearthing clues to the Titans’ very origins and mankind’s survival, a conspiracy threatens to wipe the creatures, both good and bad, from the face of the earth forever.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The cast and crew of Godzilla includes Takashi Shimura as Dr. Kyohei Yamane, Momoko Kochi as Emiko Yamane, and Akira Takarada as Hideto Ogata.
Ishirô-Honda.jpg
White Christmas
White Christmas (1954)
87%RT Audience Score: 88%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 1 Oscar
1 nomination total
It may be too sweet for some, but this unabashedly sentimental holiday favorite is too cheerful to resist
White Christmas is the perfect holiday movie to watch with your family, especially if you want to see Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye sing and dance their way into your heart. Sure, it’s a bit cheesy and syrupy, but that’s what makes it so charming! Plus, the Technicolor and VistaVision make everything look so pretty, you’ll feel like you’re in a winter wonderland. So grab some hot cocoa, snuggle up with a blanket, and get ready to sing along to “White Christmas” for the millionth time.
Production Company(ies)
Svensk Filmindustri
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Paramount Studios – 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
1954
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
-
Runtime:2h 0m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Oct 14, 1954 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 21, 2000
Genre(s)
Holiday
Keyword(s)
starring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, Vera-Ellen, Dean Jagger, Mary Wickes, directed by Michael Curtiz, written by Norman Krasna, Norman Panama, Melvin Frank, produced by Robert Emmett Dolan, holiday, Christmas, musical, comedy, romance, box office hit, budget, critic reviews, reviewed by Jack Moffitt, TIME Staff, Martin Chilton, Emma Cochrane, David Jenkins, Wendy Ide, Clyde Gilmour, PJ Nabarro, Virginia Graham, Sean Axmaker, John Beifuss, Tony Sloman, Bing Crosby as Bob Wallace, Danny Kaye as Phil Davis, Rosemary Clooney as Betty Haynes, Vera-Ellen as Judy Haynes, Dean Jagger as General Thomas F Waverly, Mary Wickes as Emma Allen, Irving Berlin, Vistavision, Technicolor, Mono sound mix, Paramount Pictures, Norman Krasna, Norman Panama, Melvin Frank
Worldwide gross: $1,099,207
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $13,809,411
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,856
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 1,505,934
US/Canada gross: $928,298
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $11,662,270
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,574
US/Canada opening weekend: $566,045
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $7,111,261
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,036
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
Danny Kaye – Phil Davis
Rosemary Clooney – Betty Haynes
Vera-Ellen – Judy Haynes
Dean Jagger – General Thomas F. Waverly
Mary Wickes – Emma Allen
Director(s)
Michael Curtiz
Writer(s)
Norman Krasna, Norman Panama, Melvin Frank
Producer(s)
Robert Emmett Dolan
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Oscar
1 nomination total
Academy Awards
All Critics (44) | Top Critics (14) | Fresh (34) | Rotten (10)
It will be a poor showman who can’t get an audience into the theatre when he can base his sales talks upon such expertly assembled and tangible box office ingredients.
December 20, 2021
Jack Moffitt
Hollywood Reporter
TOP CRITIC
A big fat yam of a picture richly candied with VistaVision (Paramount’s answer to CinemaScope), Technicolor, tunes by Irving Berlin, massive production numbers, and big stars. Unfortunately, the yam is still a yam.
October 3, 2018
TIME Staff
TIME Magazine
TOP CRITIC
A good musical with a lot of star power.
December 22, 2014 | Rating: 4/5
Martin Chilton
Daily Telegraph (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Great songs, gentle humour and a dose of syrup which is not to everyone’s tastes, but worth buying to keep that Christmas spirit going until next year.
December 4, 2012 | Rating: 3/5
Emma Cochrane
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Paramount’s first film in (lavender-hued) VistaVision was this pornographically soppy but, nonetheless, hearty and humorous 1954 festive romp.
December 12, 2008 | Rating: 3/6
David Jenkins
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
White Christmas is the cinema equivalent of an inappropriate festive snog under the mistletoe — you know you probably shouldn’t enjoy it but you just can’t help yourself.
December 12, 2008 | Rating: 4/5
Wendy Ide
Times (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Danny Kaye and Bing Crosby at their best are funny enough together to deserve a sequel, although not all the production numbers in this big Irving Berlin musical are successful.
November 5, 2019
Clyde Gilmour
Maclean’s Magazine
There are one or two diverting aspects to keep the film from being a mere parlour game in waiting for Crosby’s seasonal number.
January 8, 2019 | Rating: 3/5
PJ Nabarro
Patrick Nabarro
However, between the painful alpha and omega of this film there is a lot of extremely pleasant entertainment.
June 19, 2018
Virginia Graham
The Spectator
This 1954 holiday classic, directed by reliable studio hand Michael Curtiz (Casablanca), is sentimental, contrived and stiffly silly, yet it still charmed its way to become the biggest hit of its year…
January 13, 2017
Sean Axmaker
Seanax.com
Something of a forced march, but worth seeing for its old-school studio vibrancy and for Curtiz’s ability to compose for depth as well as breadth within the widescreen frame.
December 18, 2014 | Rating: 3/4
John Beifuss
Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)
Kaye is superb, especially in his knockout dance routine with Vera-Ellen, and the direction from veteran Michael Curtiz rightly embraces the sentiment rather than keeping it at bay.
December 12, 2014 | Rating: 4/5
Tony Sloman
Radio Times…
Plot
Having left the Army following W.W.II, Bob Wallace and Phil Davis team up to become a top song-and-dance act. Davis plays matchmaker and introduces Wallace to a pair of beautiful sisters (Betty and Judy) who also have a song-and-dance act. When Betty and Judy travel to a Vermont lodge to perform a Christmas show, Wallace and Davis follow, only to find their former commander, General Waverly, as the lodge owner. A series of romantic mix-ups ensue as the performers try to help the General.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
There is no goofy or funny comment about the film White Christmas on Fresh Kernels.
Michael-Curtiz.jpg
Creature from the Black Lagoon
Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)
81%RT Audience Score: 74%
Awards & Nominations: 1 win & 1 nomination
A solid, atmospheric creature feature that entertains without attempting to be deeper than it needs
Creature From the Black Lagoon is a classic horror movie that’s sure to make you jump out of your seat. With a terrifying monster and outstanding underwater cinematography, this film is a must-see for any horror fan. Plus, who doesn’t love a good rubber suit with zippers where the gills ought to be? Don’t miss out on the chills and suspense that Jack Arnold’s direction brings to this sci-fi wonderment. Just be careful not to fall in love with the Gill-Man like Julia Adams did!
Production Company(ies)
Fox 2000 Pictures, Chernin Entertainment, Levantine Films,
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Wakulla Springs, Florida, USA
MPAA / Certificate
G
Year of Release
1954
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:NA
-
Runtime:NA
-
Language(s):English, Spanish
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Mar 5, 1954 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 28, 2001
Genre(s)
Horror
Keyword(s)
Creature from the Black Lagoon, horror, G rating, directed by Jack Arnold, produced by William Alland, written by Maurice Zimm, Harry Essex, Arthur A Ross, starring Richard Carlson, Julie Adams, Richard Denning, Antonio Moreno, Nestor Paiva, Whit Bissell, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Milton Luban, Steve Macfarlane, William Brogdon, Dave Kehr, A.H Weiler, Geoff Andrew, Joe Lipsett, Trace Thurman, critic reviews, producer names, MPAA rating, underwater cinematography, monster movie, Amazon jungle, prehistoric beast, scientists, danger, suspense, atmospheric locations, sympathetic monster, classic horror cinema, 1954, 1h 19m, English
Worldwide gross: $275
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $3,455
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 3,153
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 377
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 Adams – Kay Lawrence
Richard Denning – Mark Williams
Antonio Moreno – Carl Maia
Nestor Paiva – Lucas
Whit Bissell – Dr. Edwin Thompson
Director(s)
Jack Arnold
Writer(s)
Maurice Zimm, Harry Essex, Arthur A. Ross
Producer(s)
William Alland
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
1 win & 1 nomination
Academy Awards
All Critics (43) | Top Critics (7) | Fresh (34) | Rotten (9)
It makes for solid horror-thrill entertainment.
November 16, 2014
Milton Luban
Hollywood Reporter
TOP CRITIC
What distinguished Jack Arnold’s pictures from mutant spinoffs/knockoffs is even more imperative to sci-fi today than it was in 1954: wonderment.
October 11, 2012 | Rating: 3/4
Steve Macfarlane
Slant Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Jack Arnold’s direction has done a firstrate job developing chills and suspense, and James C. Havens rates a good credit for his direction of the underwater sequences.
July 6, 2010
William Brogdon
Variety
TOP CRITIC
Jack Arnold has a flair for this sort of thing, and if there really is anything frightening about a man dressed up in a rubber suit with zippers where the gills ought to be, Arnold comes close to finding it.
September 26, 2007
Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
This adventure has no depth.
October 31, 2006
A.H. Weiler
New York Times
TOP CRITIC
The routine story is mightily improved by Arnold’s sure sense of atmospheric locations and by the often sympathetic portrait of the monster.
February 9, 2006
Geoff Andrew
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
Another classic Universal Monsters filled to the brim with homoerotic undertones. From Mark’s obsessive interest in David to phallic Gill-Man to the murky white underwater gas, Creature From the Black Lagoon is chock full of queer.
July 6, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/5
Joe Lipsett
Horror Queers Podcast
Featuring some outstanding underwater cinematography and a sympathetic, if terrifying, monster, Creature From the Black Lagoon earns its place as a classic of horror cinema.
June 28, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Trace Thurman
Horror Queers Podcast
Along comes one of those tedious, topeed expeditions, in a battered white boat, and the “Gill-Man” is chased, photographed, speared, half-asphyxiated, and screamed at. No wonder he commits murder (five of them).
October 13, 2020
Josephine O’Neill
Daily Telegraph (Australia)
The boys at Universal were on a fanciful binge, putting on an enjoyable show in the water, something less in dry-dock.
October 13, 2020
Louis Sheaffer
Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Short on science, the picture’s long enough on excitement, strongly recalling the hit Beast from 20,000 Fathoms.
October 13, 2020
Janet Graves
Photoplay
A prehistoric man shaped fish falls in love with screaming Julia Adams in an Amazon backwater, but his courtship is a failure. So is the movie.
October 13, 2020
Clyde Gilmour
Maclean’s Magazine…
Plot
A scientific expedition searching for fossils along the Amazon River discovers a prehistoric Gill-Man in the legendary Black Lagoon. The explorers capture the mysterious creature, but it breaks free. The Gill-Man returns to kidnap the lovely Kay, fiancée of one in the expedition, with whom he has fallen in love.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
No goofy or funny or odd comments were found in the Fresh Kernels database for “Creature from the Black Lagoon.”
Jack-Arnold.jpg
On the Waterfront
On the Waterfront (1954)
97%RT Audience Score: 95%
Awards & Nominations: Won 8 Oscars
30 wins & 9 nominations total
With his electrifying performance in Elia Kazan’s thought-provoking, expertly constructed melodrama, Marlon Brando redefined the possibilities of acting for film and helped permanently alter the cinematic landscape.
Holy cow, have you guys seen Marlon Brando in that movie by Elia Kazan? It’s like he’s got lightning bolts shooting out of his eyeballs! And the story is so well put together, it’ll make your brain do somersaults. Brando’s acting is so next-level, it’s like he’s from another planet. Seriously, he changed the game for acting in movies and made a huge impact on the whole film industry. It’s a must-see for anyone who loves movies and wants to witness a true master at work.
Production Company(ies)
Horizon Pictures,
Distributor
Columbia Pictures
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
St Peter and St Paul Church – 400 Hudson Street, Hoboken, New Jersey, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Approved
Year of Release
1954
-
Color:Color
Black and White -
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:1.33 : 11.66 : 11.85 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 48m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jul 28, 1954 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 23, 2001
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Marlon Brando, Eva Marie Saint, Karl Malden, Lee J Cobb, Rod Steiger, directed by Elia Kazan, written by Budd Schulberg, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Brandon Judell, Marjory Adams, Mae Tinee, Mildred Martin, Helen Bower, Robert Bingham, André Bazin, Ian Kane, Moira Walsh, Russ Burton, produced by Sam Spiegel, MPAA rating, corruption, union, mob boss, longshoreman, murder, testimony, priest, lawyer, waterfront, gritty, realistic, character study, romance, crime drama, powerful performance, timeless, immortal moments
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
Eva Marie Saint – Edie Doyle
Karl Malden – Father Barry
Lee J. Cobb – Johnny Friendly
Rod Steiger – Charley
Leif Erickson – Glover, Crime Commission
Director(s)
Elia Kazan
Writer(s)
Budd Schulberg, Budd Schulberg
Producer(s)
Sam Spiegel
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Won 8 Oscars
30 wins & 9 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Best Picture Winners, Oscar Winners
All Critics (108) | Top Critics (32) | Fresh (107) | Rotten (1)
But sometimes great art, like Wagner’s and Celine’s, comes from people you wouldn’t want to break bread with. But snub the art? Who’d want to miss Marlon Brando’s performance?
June 15, 2021
Brandon Judell
indieWire
TOP CRITIC
On the Waterfront is strong, tough and cruelly violent, but it is also a film that should make theatre history for 1954. It will strike audiences with special impact because it is based on undisputed fact.
April 8, 2021
Marjory Adams
Boston Globe
TOP CRITIC
The film has a ring of authenticity. It is as close to the unvarnished truth as has been seen on the screen in many a day and a shining example of intelligent use of a medium too seldom utilized to its greatest extent.
April 8, 2021
Mae Tinee
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
If reservations still linger in any one’s mind concerning Brando’s ability as an actor, On the Water front should dispel them completely.
April 8, 2021
Mildred Martin
Philadelphia Inquirer
TOP CRITIC
This is a motion picture with a great deal to say, and a great deal will be said about it.
April 8, 2021
Helen Bower
Detroit Free Press
TOP CRITIC
Kazan’s nervous direction… draws all characters with throbbing lifelikeness, and views them in a wintry environment that spreads its own dread into their drama.
April 8, 2021
SMH Staff
Sydney Morning Herald
TOP CRITIC
Although there is excellent support — notably from Lee J. Cobb and Karl Malden — without Mr. Brando’s pervasive personality On the Waterfront could certainly not have been what it now is: the best American picture seen so far this year.
February 10, 2022
Robert Bingham
The Reporter
On the Waterfront’s value as a gangster film is in itself mediocre. The best of the picture lies elsewhere, in the character of Marlon Brando… I don’t know of any young movie actor in the world who can compare with him.
January 27, 2022
André Bazin
L’Obs (France)
“On the Waterfront” can be considered not only as one of the finest achievements in filmmaking, but also as Kazan’s metaphor for standing up for what’s right and calling out evil wherever one may find it.
December 27, 2021 | Rating: 5/5
Ian Kane
Epoch Times
Elia Kazan’s direction is uncannily apt in capturing the essentials of interior conflict in visual terms.
July 15, 2021
Moira Walsh
America Magazine
[Brando’s] portrayal Is powerful, incisive and complete, and they can put his name on the Oscar now and save the etcher time.
July 13, 2021
Russ Burton
Illustrated Daily News (Los Angeles)
We’re entitled to it
May 13, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
James Wegg
JWR…
Plot
Terry Malloy dreams about being a prize fighter, while tending his pigeons and running errands at the docks for Johnny Friendly, the corrupt boss of the dockers union. Terry witnesses a murder by two of Johnny’s thugs, and later meets the dead man’s sister and feels responsible for his death. She introduces him to Father Barry, who tries to force him to provide information for the courts that will smash the dock racketeers.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Marlon Brando’s performance in On the Waterfront is described as “electrifying” and “redefining the possibilities of acting for film.”
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