Just some film musings of a more succinct, spontaneous and sometimes seditious nature:
Wednesday, June 24, 2026
Currently available at Watch TCM (until July 18th):
This next offering I would not necessarily recommend except perhaps for its Jerry Goldsmith score: The Swarm (1978) which has, along with its soundtrack, been briefly reviewed here.
Read MoreJust some film musings of a more succinct, spontaneous and sometimes seditious nature:
Wednesday, June 17, 2026
Currently available at Watch TCM (until June 30th):
What exactly is film noir? Many enthusiasts and experts continue to debate the subject, with numerous examples of films that should, and just as many that should not, be included in the category. Some, who most likely feel that noir films rely on a certain look, dismiss any colour film as unworthy of being categorised as such. Others like myself, prone to distinguishing noir by its subject matter, are more inclined to include colour films produced during noir's classic time period that focus on crime and the psychologies of those involved. This brings me to my next TCM selection and a prior Blu-ray recommendation here, 1953's Niagara, one of the strongest arguments for colour noir that exists.
Read MoreJust some film musings of a more succinct, spontaneous and sometimes seditious nature:
Wednesday, June 10, 2026
Currently available at Watch TCM (until June 17th):
1967's Hotel was taken, like 1970's Airport, from a novel by Arthur Hailey and is the far better crafted of the two films.
Read MoreJust some film musings of a more succinct, spontaneous and sometimes seditious nature:
Tuesday, June 2, 2026
Currently available at Watch TCM (until July 2nd):
“Imagine a dish like this married to a mug like Benny McBride... the naked and the dead.”
Next up is Richard Fleischer’s little powder keg of a film noir Armored Car Robbery (1950), which was previously recommended here.
Read MoreJust some film musings of a more succinct, spontaneous and sometimes seditious nature:
Tuesday, May 26, 2026
Currently available at Watch TCM (until June 25th):
Next up, is a WW II film that can only be defined by its setting. There are just too many dispersed ideas regarding tone and perspective to communicate what kind of film Kelly’s Heroes (1970) is, let alone how any of its numerous genre types are successfully represented.
Read MoreJust some film musings of a more succinct, spontaneous and sometimes seditious nature:
Tuesday, May 5, 2026
Currently available at Watch TCM (until May 12th):
John Ford's 1956 masterpiece The Searchers, previously reviewed here, is Top Ten Western #2 and is as likely as any film to provide one with a truly unforgettable, rich and rewarding movie watching experience.
Read MoreJust some film musings of a more succinct, spontaneous and sometimes seditious nature:
Thursday, April 30, 2026
Currently available at Watch TCM (until May 26th):
One of Alfred Hitchcock’s more uncustomary, yet distinguished, offerings is 1953’s I Confess which features a fervent, introspective performance from Montgomery Clift.
Read MoreJust some film musings of a more succinct, spontaneous and sometimes seditious nature:
Monday, April 20, 2026
Currently available at Watch TCM (until April 28th):
This will be a really bad day for anyone who encounters Them! (the giant mutant ants that is).
Read MoreJust some film musings of a more succinct, spontaneous and sometimes seditious nature:
Thursday, April 16, 2026
Currently available at Watch TCM (until April 18th):
Bonnie and Clyde is a seminal gangster saga heavily influenced by the French iconoclast Jean-Luc Godard. A prior review here includes a special contribution from Bob DiMucci who informatively reports on some of the film's critical responses at the time of its release.
Read MoreJust some film musings of a more succinct, spontaneous and sometimes seditious nature:
Wednesday, April 15, 2026
Currently available at Watch TCM (until April 18th):
Dark Passage (1947) is a wildly engrossing film noir that combines the best of romance with the best of noir in the best location for both: San Francisco.
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Just some film musings of a more succinct, spontaneous and sometimes seditious nature:
Monday, April 13, 2026
Currently available at Watch TCM (until May 9th):
My next recommendation is one of those lesser known films noir with a most appropriate title: Impact (1949).
Read MoreJust some film musings of a more succinct, spontaneous and sometimes seditious nature:
Tuesday, March 31, 2026
Currently available at Watch TCM (until April 30th):
Next up is the remarkably understated, albeit compelling, racial drama Intruder in the Dust released in 1949.
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