The Dirty Dozen (1967)

Posted on June 14, 2011 by Bill Wren

Directed by Robert Aldrich When I was younger – oh, about fourteen maybe? – I thought The Dirty Dozen was about the coolest movie going. And over the years, I’ve seen it several times. The other night I watched it … Read more →

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The Professionals (1966)

Posted on February 4, 2011 by Bill Wren

Directed by Richard Brooks There is something about westerns and widescreen that attracts great cinematography. Conrad Hall handles the job on The Professionals and the movie looks great: dusty, dry, hot and very large. The movie on the other hand … Read more →

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20 movies: The Big Heat (1953)

Posted on July 27, 2010 by Bill Wren

Depending on your age, you may remember seeing Glenn Ford in movies and on television. I’m thinking roughly of the 1970′s, perhaps late 60′s. He usually had an avuncular quality. He was a nice, friendly older man. He often played … Read more →

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Donovan’s Reef: Fisticuffs anyone?

Posted on January 11, 2009 by Bill Wren

I took a shot at assessing another John Wayne movie (since I’d been doing quite a few of those lately). Here’s what I came up with: Donovan’s Reef (1963) This is a difficult film to defend, much less recommend, for … Read more →

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Donovan’s Reef (1963)

Posted on January 11, 2009 by Bill Wren

Directed by John Ford This is a difficult film to defend, much less recommend, for many reasons, most of which have to do with director John Ford. Still, if I may refer to Glenn Erickson who, in his review, refers … Read more →

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The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)

Posted on April 15, 2007 by Bill Wren

Directed by John Ford “When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.” A lot of people begin their comments about The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance with the quote above. While it may be applicable to the theme of the … Read more →

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The Big Heat (1953)

Posted on February 8, 2003 by Bill Wren

Directed by Fritz Lang Now this is what a noir film should be. Good guys, bad guys, and a lot of dubious ground between them. (Mind you, it’s not a noir film in the strictest sense.) Perspective is everything, I … Read more →

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