Movie Review: Twice-Told Tales

Time for your neck massage!

Movie Review: Twice-Told Tales (1963) dir. Sidney Salkow  The book version of Twice-Told Tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne was full of ghosts and supernatural occurrences, so it’s not surprising that a star vehicle for noted horror actor Vincent Price would dip into that well. It’s not a very deep dip, though, with only one story from that anthology, one… Continue reading Movie Review: Twice-Told Tales

Movie Review: Star Trek (2009)

She's a grand ship.

Movie Review: Star Trek (2009) directed by J.J. Abrams The U.S.S. Kelvin is cruising through space when a spacial anomaly opens, disgorging an unknown, highly advanced technology ship that promptly attacks. It turns out to be captained by a Romulan named Nero, who has a grudge against someone named “Ambassador Spock.” In the absence of that… Continue reading Movie Review: Star Trek (2009)

Movie Review: Tales from Earthsea

Sparrowhawk arrives!

Movie Review: Tales from Earthsea (2006) dir. Goro Miyazaki There is something rotten in the Two Lands. Wizards are losing their powers, dragons are fighting each other, animals and children are dying of disease, storms are getting worse, slavery and drug addiction are on the rise. And also, Prince Arren has just committed an unspeakable crime.… Continue reading Movie Review: Tales from Earthsea

Movie Review: The Day the Earth Stood Still

Mr. Carpenter finally explains himself to Helen.

Movie Review: The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) dir. Robert Wise The humans of Earth are a fractious lot. Why, just six years ago, they had an entire World War, as a result of which they created and used atomic weapons. You’d think they would have learned their lesson, but instead they went right into… Continue reading Movie Review: The Day the Earth Stood Still

Film Review: Three Outlaw Samurai

Left to right: Kikyo, Shiba and Sakura.

Three Outlaw Samurai (1964) directed by Hideo Gosha. Times are tough in this rural district of Japan. There’s been a succession of bad harvests, but no reduction in taxes, so the peasants are starving and broke. In desperation, several farmers have kidnapped the daughter of the local magistrate in an effort to extort him into presenting… Continue reading Film Review: Three Outlaw Samurai

Movie Review: The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

Kaguya-Hime as she first appears on Earth.

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013) dir. Isao Takahata Mukashi, mukashi, long, long ago in Japan, there lived an old bamboo cutter and his wife who had no children. One day while the bamboo cutter was out in the bamboo grove, he saw one of the bamboo stalks glowing. A new bamboo shoot sprung up… Continue reading Movie Review: The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

Movie Review: Operation Condor (1991)

A shocking experience.

Operation Condor (1991) directed by Jackie Chan Back during World War Two, a large shipment of gold was concealed at a secret German base somewhere in the Sahara. The officer in charge of the mission, and the eighteen men assigned to assist him, mysteriously vanished, and anyone who knew the exact location of the base died… Continue reading Movie Review: Operation Condor (1991)

Movie Review: Tarzan the Fearless (1933)

Tarzan ready to do battle.

Tarzan the Fearless (1933) directed by Robert F. Hill Mary Brooks’ scientist father has been lost in the jungle. Therefore, she and her good friend Bob Hall have organized an expedition to find Dr. Brooks. Not everyone in the safari is of pure motivation, however. Jeff Herbert, their guide, wants to find a lost emerald mine… Continue reading Movie Review: Tarzan the Fearless (1933)

Movie Review: The Last Man on Earth

Morgan tries vainly to signal any other survivors.

Movie Review: The Last Man on Earth (1964) directed by Sidney Salkow and Ubaldo Ragona. It has been three years since Robert Morgan (Vincent Price) has seen another living human. There are only the dead-and the undead. A mysterious plague swept the Earth in 1965, causing blindness and death. But at least some of those who… Continue reading Movie Review: The Last Man on Earth

Movie Review: The Curse of King Tut’s Tomb (2006)

Movie Review: The Curse of King Tut’s Tomb (2006) directed by Russell Mulcahy. Most history books leave out some details of the Pharaoh Tutankhamen’s reign. For example, they won’t tell you that King Tut was a winged superhero who fought an army of demons led by the Great Beast Set. Nor do they mention that Tut… Continue reading Movie Review: The Curse of King Tut’s Tomb (2006)