Skip to Content

‘Network’s Diana Christensen is an Icon

Network is easy to avoid. On the surface, it looks like another dated boardroom drama about white men who argue about white, male issues. On top of that, its director, Sidney Lumet, has an established legacy of maleness and moralism. 12 Angry Men (1957) is a courtroom drama about one man’s attempt to prove another …

Read More about ‘Network’s Diana Christensen is an Icon

‘Union Station’ strikes the right balance between procedural and thriller

Whereas in the previous column entry (Friday Noir #117) wherein He Walked by Night earned its share of criticism for failing to balance its obligations to thrill with its procedural aspirations, Union Station serves as a superior example as to how a film can juggle its disparate yet mutually complementary aspects to generate an entertaining if nevertheless methodical motion picture.

Read More about ‘Union Station’ strikes the right balance between procedural and thriller

‘The Turning Point’ starts strong but doesn’t fully recognize the good things it has going for it

There is a salient point to be made about pictures that start off strong yet fail to maintain their initially impressive momentum. The opposite also proves true sometimes, but this second variation makes for a much more satisfying experience. Most would rather have a film require some opening sequences to get really going and then hit its stride until the finish line. A movie that accomplishes the first feat leaves much to be desired, the same of which can be said for William Dieterle’s The Turning Point, an unfortunately fitting title considering that there is indeed a very specific moment at which the film begins to stagnate, finding it very challenging to pick itself before the end credits roll.

Read More about ‘The Turning Point’ starts strong but doesn’t fully recognize the good things it has going for it

‘Sunset Boulevard’ is a lament about the film industry and a great story

Sunset Boulevard (Also known as Sunset Blvd) Directed by Billy Wilder Written by Charles Bracket and Billy Wilder U.S.A., 1950 In cinema, as in life, the past informs and shapes the present, which in turn does the same for the future. One cannot concentrate too much on the present or risk losing sight on the …

Read More about ‘Sunset Boulevard’ is a lament about the film industry and a great story

Worth Remembering: William Holden (1918-1981) and Glenn Ford (1916-2006) – Golden Boys 

By most accounts, Harry Cohn was a royal son of a bitch. For the uninformed, Harry Cohn was co-founder of Columbia Pictures, and the autocratic ruler of the studio from its founding in 1919 until his death in 1958.  He was vulgar, crass, tyrannical, a screaming, foul-mouthed verbal bully i.e. a royal son of a …

Read More about Worth Remembering: William Holden (1918-1981) and Glenn Ford (1916-2006) – Golden Boys