Curtis Harrington was something of a role model for me, if only because he moved so gracefully through so many barriers that seem impenetrable to others, the barriers between amateur and professional, between critic and artist, between avant-garde and mainstream. A true film buff, he was just as likely to be seen in the audience ... read more »

I have a confession to make. Since reading the obituary of film composer Herman Stein who passed away on March 15th of this year, I finally realized that he and film composer Ronald Stein were not the same person. They weren’t even related! Herman Stein (1915-2007) was a staff composer for Universal Pictures in the ... read more »

Okay, we’ve all seen Roger Corman’s The Terror and A Bucket of Blood, right? Since both films are in the public domain, they are readily available on DVD. (Amazon.com will sell you The Terror for as little as 1 cent – I kid you not!) However, unlike the common DVD versions, the versions that will ... read more »

There is absolutely no connection between the James Poe who wrote Attack! (discussed immediately below) and the Edgar Allan Poe who inspired Roger Corman’s The Pit and the Pendulum (illustrated immediately above). Except, of course, that James Poe was briefly married to The Pit and the Pendulum’s beautiful star, Barbara Steele. But seriously, if you ... read more »

Edward Copeland at The House Next Door has written a great post concerning film monologues. After considering what makes a great film monologue, he describes in detail 5 stellar examples. Rather than repeat Copeland’s examples, I thought I’d cite some personal favorites. Not surprisingly, they all result from a synthesis of great actors, first-rate screenwriting, ... read more »

RECOMMENDED READING: In the September/October 2006 issue of Film Comment, writer/director Paul Schrader’s article on, “The Film Canon – What Constitutes a Cinematic Masterpiece.” This lengthy, absorbing essay has something for everyone. For the film theorist – a discussion of why there is or should be a film canon, and what criteria should be employed ... read more »