The Virgin Soldiers (1969)

The Virgin Soldiers (1969)

[6] Hywel Bennett and Lynn Redgrave (Gods and Monsters) lead an ensemble cast in this comedy-drama about young British soldiers stationed in Singapore in 1950. Most of the men are fulfilling their mandatory national service, thankful that any real chance of life-threatening…
Blackmail (1929)

Blackmail (1929)

[5] Alfred Hitchcock directed Blackmail just as synchronized sound was being added to the movies. It has the distinction of being Britain's first sound feature, although it was also released as a silent version. I opted to watch the silent version since…
The Big Heat (1953)

The Big Heat (1953)

[8] In this disturbing film noir piece from director Fritz Lang (Metropolis, Fury), Glenn Ford plays a police detective who uncovers a crime syndicate involving the police department and the district attorney. After investigating the unlikely suicide of a fellow officer, Ford…
The Rules of Attraction (2002)

The Rules of Attraction (2002)

[8] Roger Avary, Oscar-winning co-writer of Pulp Fiction, adapts Bret Easton Ellis's novel about drunken, drug-addled college students reaching for meaningful human connection. We experience The Rules of Attraction primarily through three lovelorn characters: a virgin named Lauren (Shannyn Sossamon), a sociopath…
The Eagle (2011)

The Eagle (2011)

[6] Channing Tatum and Jamie Bell star in this period piece adventure about a Roman solider (Tatum) and his slave (Bell) who venture into the barbarian wilds of Scotland to retrieve a golden eagle statue the Romans lost in battle there twenty…
The Manxman (1929)

The Manxman (1929)

[6] Alfred Hitchcock's last silent film centers on an Irish love triangle between a lawyer (Malcolm Keen), a fisherman (The Ring's Carl Brisson), and a barkeep's daughter (Anny Ondra) who all live on the Isle of Man. Brisson's character confesses his love…
Light of Day (1987)

Light of Day (1987)

[5] Writer/director Paul Schrader (Taxi Driver, Hardcore) casts Michael J. Fox and singer Joan Jett as siblings who juggle blue collar jobs, family problems, and musical ambitions in Cleveland, Ohio. Fox's character is inclined to give up on their band, The Barbusters,…
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946)

The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946)

[4] The Strange Love of Martha Ivers starts off strong with fifteen minutes of compelling backstory. We're introduced to a pre-teen girl named Martha hiding out in a train yard with a scrappy young lad named Sam. The police capture them and…
The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

[7] A gaggle of Oscar-winners go topsy-turvy and fight to survive when a luxury liner capsizes at sea in the trend-setting disaster flick, The Poseidon Adventure. The film delivers on producer Irwin Allen's desire to blow shit up (think of him as…
Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974)

Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974)

[9] Ellen Burstyn (The Exorcist, Requiem for a Dream) stars as a widowed mother who suddenly finds herself having to start a new life in this engaging comedy/drama from Martin Scorsese that became a popular TV sitcom (Alice). The feature film begins inside…