1957

[6] Gordon Scott’s second outing at Tarzan is far better than his first, and it’s also the first Tarzan film to be shot in color! This time around, the loinclothed lord is tasked with helping five passengers of a crashed airplane safely out of the jungle. Along the way, our heroes have to contend with a traitorous big game hunter and a reclusive tribe of …

[6] An army rocket returning from Venus crash lands in the Mediterranean, releasing a Venusian creature that wreaks havoc in Italy. This matinee monster movie is better than most of its kind. The first thirty minutes are surprisingly strong, building mystery and suspense very nicely. After that, the movie becomes a bit of a King Kong knock off. Effects master Ray Harryhausen once again succeeds …

[8] To say this movie is an expose on the horrors of war is an understatement and an oversimplification. War is just a backdrop, and the indictment is a broader one of man’s inhumanity to man. What makes Paths of Glory different from other anti-war films is that the injustice comes not from the enemy, but from within. After French soliders refuse a suicide mission …

[3] Robert Altman made his directorial debut with this inauspicious teenaged rebellion romp. Tom Laughlin stars as Scotty, a young guy who just wants to hang with his girlfriend (Rosemary Howard), but her parents intervene to keep them apart. So poor old Scotty does what all grown-ups in 1950s America thought teenagers did: he joins a gang of hoodlums. The girlfriend gets caught up in …

[6] Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr meet aboard an oceanliner and fall in love, despite the fact they are both already in relationships with partners waiting for them stateside. I like the first half of An Affair to Remember. Grant and Kerr are playing it cool in traditional screwball comedy fashion during that part of the film. And as far as romance is concerned, I …

[8] A Face in the Crowd is a surprisingly relevant movie, despite the fact that it’s now over 50 years old. Andy Griffith stars as “Lonesome” Rhodes, a country singer who becomes a media sensation. As the public fawns over him, Rhodes becomes drunk with power and soon sets his sights on the political ring, forcing an ex-lover (Patricia Neal) to attempt revealing to the …

[8] A British colonel (Alec Guinness) leads his fellow POWs in constructing a bridge for their Japanese captors, unaware of the fact that allied forces, guided by a reluctant American (William Holden), have launched a covert mission to destroy it. David Lean’s film zips along remarkably well considering it’s nearly-three-hour running time. The film benefits from its exotic locale, Oscar-winning cinematography, and distinguished performances.