Schirmer Cinema – A Century of Cinema: Reviews by Scott Schirmer

The Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb (1964)

[4] British archaeologists unearth a mummified Egyptian prince and bring him back to England where their American financier plans to exploit the corpse to a paying audience. But when someone uses a mystical amulet to bring the mummy back to…

May 5, 2026

Rebel Without a Cause (1955)

[10] James Dean gives one of the most iconic performances in movie history as Jim Stark, an angst-ridden teenager who quarrels with his parents almost as much as he tangles with high school bullies. I normally hate tough guy movies,…

May 4, 2026

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)

[7] Michael Rooker (Slither, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2) gives a chilling performance in this gritty, 16mm film based loosely on the confessions of convicted murderer Henry Lee Lucas. As Henry, Rooker lives in a dingy apartment with a…

May 3, 2026

Missing (1982)

[7] Jack Lemmon and Sissy Spacek star in this true story about the disappearance of American journalist Charles Horman (John Shea) who disappeared during the U.S.-sponsored 1973 Chilean coup. Spacek plays the missing man's wife and Lemmon plays his father.…

May 3, 2026

Backdraft (1991)

[6] Director Ron Howard (Cocoon, Apollo 13) delivers peak-level pyrotechnics wrapped in corny melodrama with Backdraft. Kurt Russell and Daniel Baldwin co-star as quarreling brothers who follow their late father into firefighting careers. Baldwin plays the younger brother, embarrassed by…

May 2, 2026

10 to Midnight (1983)

[7] Charles Bronson (The Magnificent Seven) headlines this above-average low-budget thriller about a veteran L.A. cop in pursuit of a serial killer who stalks women in the nude. Early in the film, Bronson tells his boss (Wilford Brimley) that the…

May 1, 2026

Kes (1969)

[5] I put off watching Kes for many years because, as a 'bird person', I knew the title falcon died at the end of the movie. I finally gathered the courage to see the film, and I'm surprised to report…

April 30, 2026