Glenn Erickson's Reviews: Month: October 2026

Macabre 10/31/26

Reaching back to the classic era of spook shows, Lethal Charlie Largent reappraises William Castle’s first horror hit — even though it was a somewhat standard murder mystery gussied up with a terrific sales gimmick, a life insurance policy from Lloyds of London. Charlies also details the odd way Castle’s film was put together — its original book was a stealth collaborative affair by a dozen authors looking for special attention. Bring on the exaggerate ad campaign and the ‘nurses in the lobby’ gimmick, with a hearse delivering Castle to screenings — in a coffin! On Savant Revival Screening Review.
10/31/26

The Silence of the Lambs   — 4K UHD 10/31/26

TFH stalwart and CineSavant reviewer Terry Morgan takes on the classic of serial killer pictures. In the almost one hundred years the Academy Awards have been in existence, this is the only horror film to receive the Best Picture Oscar. That’s remarkable enough, but of course it also swept the “top five” categories as well: Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. Its iconic status launched sequels and prequels, an acclaimed tv series and even a musical (Silence! The Musical). And now Criterion has rolled out the red carpet just in time for the holidays with a new upgrade of this classic thriller, which not only looks and sounds great but is also generously appointed with interviews, documentaries and essays. On 4K UHD + Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
10/31/26

The Frighteners   — 4K UHD 10/31/26

TFH creative writer Alex Kirschenbaum reviews another modern horror effort: Before Peter Jackson became an institution with Lord of the Rings, he applied his fantasy chops to good old 1990’s grue & laughs mainstream horror. Jackson and Fran Walsh, with the backing of Robert Zemeckis, gave star Michael J. Fox a wild-card character to play — a man with accidental occult sensitivities, who uses his psychic access to exploit and extort the gullible. His ghost ‘partners’ can’t stop him … until the racket breaks down in predictably violent ways. All this and Danny Elfman music, too! On 4K UHD from Arrow Video.
10/31/26

Ryan’s Daughter  — 4K 10/27/26

Studios big and small are this Fall putting out superb 4K discs of some of our favorites. Filmed in 70mm and scanned at 8K, David Lean’s masterpiece wins us over with amazing visuals of the wild Irish coast, and an effective story of an illicit relationship in the shadow of the British occupation and a bold arms smuggling raid embraced by an entire community. Sarah Miles takes top honors as a young woman with romantic illusions and Robert Mitchum is cast 180 degrees away from his usual screen persona. It’s an unforgettable piece of historical fiction, fashioned as a Road Show attraction. On 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
10/27/26

Marked Woman 10/27/26

Warner Brothers wanted to keep Bette Davis, even after she sued them. The Production Code made this true-life gangland tale disguise its own subject matter, with prostitutes transformed into glamorous club hostesses and a crime syndicate reduced to one ‘Mr. Big’ hoodlum over whom law and order can prevail. Humphrey Bogart provides sober support, while Isabel Jewell, Lola Lane and Jane Bryant fret on the sidelines. Bette breaks the glamour barrier by getting thoroughly bashed and bruised from a vicious gangland beating. See her slashed into a genuine scarface!  Joan Crawford had a good alibi. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
10/27/26

The First Films of  Samuel Fuller 10/24/26

There’s nobody like Samuel Fuller, a bolt of cinematic energy who kicked Hollywood filmmaking in exciting directions. His first three directed features are little works of art, and all too willing to confront controversial subject matter. The Steel Helmet conveys the brutality of combat, I Shot Jesse James hints at psychosexual angles, and The Baron of Arizona casts Vincent Price as a master swindler on a grand scale. The modest B&W ‘programmers’ offer good acting opportunities for John Ireland, Ellen Drew, Gene Evans and James Edwards. On Blu-ray from Eclipse / Criterion.
10/24/26

Duplicity  — 4K Ultra HD 10/24/26

This one still impresses: the subject is industrial espionage, being played for keeps by two ex-security professionals. Tony Gilroy writes and directs his update of the romantic thriller staple, in which seductive spies steal from their corporate employers, while constantly trying to trick each other. Julia Roberts and Clive Owen juggle the witty dialogue with ease, and make things suitably glamorous. Tom Wilkinson, Paul Giamatti, and Carrie Preston are in top form. On 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
10/24/26

Skyscraper Souls 10/20/26

Pre-code delirium hits a sordid low (high?) in Edgar Selwyn’s saga of financial conflict and sexual predation in a futuristic super-skyscraper run buy an incredibly devious scoundrel … who else but star Warren William?  He double-crosses his partners, manipulating stock to steal money and power. His philandering reaches a new high, as he prepares to ditch one loyal mistress (Verree Teasdale) with a replacement, Maureen O’Sullivan. But even William can’t keep his crimes in balance. MGM’s fine production, newly restored, also delivers an unexpected anti-capitalist message. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
10/20/26

Dear Heart 10/20/26

A square romance that needs rediscovery: Glenn Ford and Geraldine Page are the most endearing couple of the 1960s — ordinary decent people looking for the right mate in the confusion of big city relationships. She’s a postmaster attending a convention. He’s getting ready to marry Angela Lansbury, who somehow survived being shot in the head by Laurence Harvey. Tad Mosel’s funny screenplay takes time out to embrace the problems of a kind soul with an open heart but sensitive feelings. Page is terrific. Theme song by Henry Mancini. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
10/20/2026

Operation Kid Brother 10/17/26

At the ragged end of the SuperSpy craze came this ingenious Italo 007 wannabe, so desperate for a James Bond connection that it recruited Sean Connery’s brother Neil … whose character is supposed to be the brother of the world’s most fabulous spy. Actors from the official 007 series — Daniela Bianchi, Adolfo Celi — can’t compensate for non-actor Neil Connery. The locations roam from the French Riviera to North Africa, but but we’re fans of the Ennio Morricone / Bruno Nicolai music score, which seems to know that the movie’s no good. So why have so many 007 fans wanted to see it for so long?  This German import gives us three separate language versions.  “Oh-Kay, Connery!”  On Blu-ray from Explosive Media / Plaion.
10/17/26

13 Washington Square 10/17/26

The double standard strikes again. Reviewer Denise Morrison takes on this late-era silent, a frisky comedy of manners circling around an elopement across class lines. Count on a meddling mother, her goofy maid and the involvement of a clever thief to complicate the romantic confusion. Stars Alice Joyce, Jean Hersholt and Zasu Pitts guarantee the entertainment quotient. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
10/17/26

The First Deadly Sin 10/13/26

Frank Sinatra’s final starring performance in a feature is an interesting, low-key tale of a retirement-age detective hunting a serial killer while dealing with a sobering personal problem, the failing health of his wife. Faye Dunaway plays her decidedly unglamorous role in a hospital bed. Focusing on an odd murder weapon, Sinatra seems intrigued by the character. His detective starts breaking serious rules, aiming to nab his man while he still has a badge. The offbeat, quiet thriller plays out on dark New York streets. On Blu-ray from Vinegar Syndrome.
10/13/26

The Lost Patrol 10/13/26

No women here, just a gritty, doom-laden ordeal in the desert. John Ford took Victor McLaglen and Boris Karloff to Yuma, Arizona for what in 1934 was a nail-biting meat grinder of suspense: lost in the sands of Iraq, British riflemen are cut down by unseen Arab enemies, one by one. All hold out as best they can; Karloff’s highly-strung trooper goes mad with fear and desperation. The new restoration really brings this one back to life, with audio that showcases Max Steiner’s music score. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
10/13/26

Coup de torchon 10/10/26

French director Bertrand Tavernier relocates Texan Jim Thompson’s acid-pulp thriller “Pop. 1280” to French colonial Africa just before WW2. Philippe Noiret embodies one of the coldest killers ever to stain a movie screen, a lawman who is also a functioning madman — and has a rational argument for every one of his murders. Isabelle Huppert, Jean-Pierre Marielle, Stéphane Audran and Eddy Mitchell are the equally cynical colonials, in a situation dripping with racist degeneracy. It’s tense entertainment, without the guardrails of mainstream American prudery. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
10/10/26

Sergeant Rutledge 10/10/26

We never pass up a John Ford western, even if this story of a military trial is not one of the best. Yet Sgt. Braxton Rutledge IS the mighty Woody Strode. We see him in gallant action (mostly subduing Apache enemies) and then playing a noble martyr at his own trial for rape and murder. Juano Hernandez and Rafer Johnson have small parts, but the white cast is front and center for most of the picture: Jeffrey Hunter, Constance Towers, Billie Burke, Willis Bouchey, Carleton Young. Although the show must have given black kids a helluva good matinee hero in 1960, it no longer seems a ‘brave’ liberal issue movie. The HD encoding can boast brilliant color. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
10/10/26

The Wings of Eagles 10/06/26

John Ford indulges his reverence for the U.S. Navy in this semi-comic biography of a buddy who was a Naval aviation pioneer and a Hollywood screenwriter. It’s broadly overdone but a nostalgic favorite for many, with Dan Dailey overselling the sentiment and John Wayne playing without his toupee. But what ‘fifties kid doesn’t remember the gag with “I’m gonna move that toe!”?  It’s for the John Ford faithful, and fans of naval warfare pix. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
10/06/26

Le Joli Mai  — ‘The Lovely Month of May’ 10/06/26

Chris Marker and Pierre Lhomme follow the ‘Direct Cinema’ ethos in their inspired 2.5 hour portrait of Paris during a specific month in 1962. The observations and interviews elicit the full range of the French experience with questions as simple as, “are you happy?” and “what worries you?”  It’s fascinating and beautiful to see, a time machine to a Paris that for the most part is no longer there. With Simone Signoret’s voiceover version, and intriguing extras. And don’t forget Marker’s obession with cats … On Blu-ray from Icarus Films.
10/06/26

Machine-Gun Kelly 10/06/26

This German import disc gives us an excellent-quality HD copy of Roger Corman’s first gangster picture. In it Corman gave Charles Bronson his first starring feature, playing a psychotic killer. Bad-tempered Chuck is backed by plenty of screen talent — Susan Cabot, Morey Amsterdam, Richard Devon, Jack Lambert and Barboura Morris. Our quibble is with the Aspect Ratio provided — the extras don’t adequately explain why the show isn’t formatted in its original wide screen, for today’s widescreen monitors. Go Superama! On Blu-ray from Explosive Media / Plaion.
10/06/26

The Love Trap  — Silent 10/03/26

Silent Star Laura La Plante steps into the limelight. The daughter of a Hollywood extra started as a child actress and became Universal’s main leading lady in the silents. This William Wyler show isn’t about trapping a man — Wyler generates sympathy for the problems of a woman beset by social rules that give the advantage to predatory men. Made in 1929, it becomes a part-talkie: in the third act, people start chatting away, and not only to microphones hidden in bushes. Laura’s leading man is none other than future Batman star Neil Hamilton. Reviewer Denise Morrison weighs in with the CineSavant coverage. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
10/03/26

French Dressing 10/03/26

Wow! Maybe you’re a Ken Russell fan, primed and ready to see his notorious The Devils?  Um, here’s a slight substitution. The wild-man director’s first theatrical feature is a notorious flop. Funny isn’t everything, because there’s plenty for the Russell faithful to appreciate, starting with the cult status of his top 3 cast members, James Booth, Roy Kinnear and Marisa Mell, and ending with the director’s unending search for amusing visuals. Does it work?  Um, sort of … we just like the leads, especially Ms. Mell and the ‘other girl’ in the story, Alita Naughton. On Blu-ray from Powerhouse Indicator.
10/03/26

The Human Comedy 10/01/26

It’s ground zero for MGM ‘tradition of quality’ wholesomeness — and a great picture about wartime emotions, even if the sentiment meter is set 10 degrees in the red. I don’t know of a better Mickey Rooney performance — the drama may dip into bathos, but he never does. The story is by William Saroyan and the direction by Clarence Brown, so the emotions slay us — the show has integrity. With Frank Morgan, Marsha Hunt, Fay Bainter, Van Johnson, Donna Reed, Butch Jenkins, with a nice bit by Robert Mitchum. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
09/26/26

Scary Movie  4K UHD 10/01/26

Trailers from Hell writer Alex Kirschenbaum dishes up a new horror comedy for us, out on 4K. It’s a re-re-boot of the franchise from the Wayans family. Marlon, Shawn, Keenen Ivory, and Craig Wayans are behind the scenes again, for the first time since 2001’s Scary Movie 2. After skipping the series’ lone box office flop, Anna Farris and Regina Hall are once again anchoring the adventure as Cindy Campbell and Brenda Meeks; the picture is packed with musical nonsense and off the wall movie parodies. On 4K Ultra-HD from Paramount.
09/23/26

Twin Peaks Fire Walk with Me  4K UHD 10/01/26

David Lynch’s 1992 prequel to the tv series Twin Peaks has received a 4K Criterion upgrade, which will be good news for his legions of fans and film lovers in general. The harrowing tale of the last week of Laura Palmer’s life is much darker and bleaker than the show’s beloved blend of weirdness and goofy humor, but what it loses in familiarity it gains in emotional intensity. Sheryl Lee gives a phenomenal, go-for-broke performance as the damaged and damned Laura, and Ray Wise is simultaneously terrifying and pathetic as her possessed father, Leland. Reviewer Terry Morgan asks, ‘but does it give us closure?’ On 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
09/22/26

Star Trek  The Complete Original Series 60th Anniversary 10/01/26

The mighty Star Trek franchise is still a big deal in fan circles, which will make this 60th Anniversary disc set a desirable item for the curious. Six decades later, Roddenberry’s idealistic space odyssey presents a winning stack of attitudes, some progressive and other dated. It doesn’t matter, as we still love the personality dynamics of the classic cast lineup. Star William Shatner ‘boldly goes’ just fine, occasional ‘big’ acting and all. This is the entire 2.5 season show in HD; compared to earlier packages it’s quite a buy. On Blu-ray from Paramount CBS.
09/19/26