Inspector Oscar Piper (James Gleason) has a twisted new case on his hands when John Carter (Richard Tucker) is found dead in his study by his butler, Kendall (Arthur Aylesworth). There are several suspicious people in Carter’s circle. Alice Stevens seems to be the last person to have seen Carter alive; her boyfriend, Robert Wilkins, was seen arguing with Carter by a cop; and there’s … Continue reading The Plot Thickens (1936)
Mr. Wilson (Edward G. Robinson) works for the United Nations War Crimes Commission, and he’s on the trail of a fugitive. Franz Kindler (Orson Welles), a Nazi war criminal, has managed to erase every clue to his whereabouts and identity, aside from the fact that he’s well-known to be obsessed with clocks. Wilson hopes that Konrad Meineke (Konstantin Shayne) can lead him to Kindler, and … Continue reading The Stranger (1946)
Happy Halloween, classic movie buffs! I hope you’re all enjoying a very spooky day. If you missed ’em, the past three features in this year’s Horror Half-Week were Don’t Look Now (1973), Diabolique (1955), and The Leech Woman (1960). Today, we dive into the dark and strange world of cults. Slender hangs illusion, fragile the thread to reality. Always the question: Is it true? Truth … Continue reading Horror Half-Week, Day 4: Cult of the Cobra (1955)
Happy Halloween Eve! It’s day three of Horror Half-Week, and we’re moving from serious Criterion Channel thrillers to somewhat-silly sci-fi. If you missed day one or two, check out my recommendations of Don’t Look Now (1973) and Diabolique (1955). Dr. Paul Talbot (Phillip Terry) has a fine work life, but a failing marriage. His wife, June (Coleen Gray), is ten years older than him and … Continue reading Horror Half-Week, Day 3: The Leech Woman (1960)
Spoooooky Halloween, movie buffs, and welcome to Day 2 of TMP’s annual haunted celebration: Horror Half-Week! Yesterday, we took a look at a ’70s ghost-thriller, Don’t Look Now. Today, we hop back a few decades — and across the pond — for a French horror-thriller. On to the review! Michel Delassalle (Paul Meurisse) runs a boarding school in France, which is owned by his wife, … Continue reading Horror Half-Week, Day 2: Diabolique (1955)
“That’s the kind of man I like — the man with no place.” Lucky Gagin (Robert Montgomery) has traveled to New Mexico in search of Frank Hugo (Fred Clark) — and revenge. Hugo was responsible for the death of Gagin’s friend, Shorty Thompson. Gagin plans to blackmail Hugo to avenge Shorty’s death and line his own pockets. Soon after arriving in town, Lucky meets Pila … Continue reading Ride the Pink Horse (1947)
When a gang of street kids appears in his court, unwilling to tell on one another after injuring a man, Judge Clinton (Charles Trowbridge) decides to send the whole bunch to reform school. The school’s warden (Cy Kendall) rules through violence and fear — and it doesn’t take long for new resident Frankie (Billy Halop) to find himself on the warden’s bad side. When the … Continue reading Crime School (1938)
“Pain and the knife are inseperable.” You would be forgiven for assuming that a film titled Corridors of Blood and starring none other than Boris Karloff would be a classic horror flick about a murderous count and his castle or a tunnel-dwelling vampire. But, brushing off all expectations, Corridors of Blood takes us back to London in the mid-19th century, where Karloff is a well-intentioned … Continue reading Corridors of Blood (1958)
When several meteorites crash on a farm in England, astrophysicist Dr. Curtis Temple (Robert Hutton) is eager to investigate. However, on doctor’s orders following a recent accident, he must remain tethered to his lab — so he sends his very talented assistant, Lee Mason (Jennifer Jayne), to take his place on the research team. When the team arrives at the crash site, they find that … Continue reading They Came From Beyond Space (1967)
“This is the story of a confidence-man — that often unsung but seldom unhung aristocrat of the old west.” Conman Candy Johnson (Clark Gable) is getting tired of running from town to town to escape trouble. He hopes the next city he lands in will be his permanent home. Hope grows when he meets Elizabeth Cotton (Lana Turner) on a train. She’s headed from Boston … Continue reading Honky Tonk (1941)
