Category Archives: Movie Reviews

Movies reviewed by John Grant.

Libeled Lady

Posted on October 12, 2011 by John Grant

“Libeled Lady,” a 1936 film from MGM, features an all-star cast of Jean Harlow, Merna Loy, William Powell and Spencer Tracy.  The terrific script gives each character rich and comedic dialogue.  The story concerns a newspaper managing editor, played by … Continue reading →

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The Stunt Man

Posted on October 5, 2011 by John Grant

I watched “The Stunt Man” the other day, a 1980 film directed by Richard Rush and starring Peter O’Toole, Barbara Hershey, Steve Railsback and a lot of character actors.  O’Toole plays Eli Cross, a despotic director of a World War … Continue reading →

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Shoes

Posted on September 21, 2011 by John Grant

“Shoes,” a 1916 drama directed by Lois Weber, tells the story of a poor girl working hard at a five and dime to support her family.  Her pay envelope barely keeps her family together and her father refuses to apply … Continue reading →

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The Woman Men Yearn For

Posted on September 15, 2011 by John Grant

Marlene Dietrich plays the title role in “The Woman Men Yearn For,” a film directed in 1929 by Curtis Bernhardt.  Charles boards a train with his wife to their honeymoon destination, but spots Marlene Dietrich’s character (Stascha) and instantly falls … Continue reading →

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Mr. Fix-It

Posted on September 7, 2011 by John Grant

Silent movies are not above having ridiculous plots, including ones that include mistaken identity.  In “Mr. Fix-It,” directed in 1918 by Allan Dwan, Douglas Fairbanks agrees to impersonate his Oxford University friend to his family.  The friend, who hasn’t seen his … Continue reading →

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The Goose Woman

Posted on August 31, 2011 by John Grant

In “The Goose Woman,” from 1925, Louise Dresser plays a woman prone to drink. A famous opera singer in the past, Dresser’s character lost her voice and her considerable talents and following when she conceived a son.  She takes to … Continue reading →

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The Blizzard

Posted on August 24, 2011 by John Grant

“The Blizzard,” directed by Mauritz Stiller in 1923, features a man dragged through the Swedish Arctic by a reindeer.  The man, out in the wilderness to herd the reindeer towards a big payday (they are used for meat, hides, antlers, … Continue reading →

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The Fire

Posted on August 17, 2011 by John Grant

As a fan of impressionistic filmmaking, I watched both this year’s “The Tree of Life” and “Last Year at Marienbad” from 1961.  The Tree of Life, directed by Terrance Malick,  proved to be an incredible journey across time and generations, … Continue reading →

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Antarctica Up Close

Posted on August 8, 2011 by John Grant

“The Great White Silence” (1924), a UK produced film that screened at this year’s San Francisco Silent Film Festival, contains wonderful footage from Robert Falcon Scott’s ill-fated attempt to reach and return from the South Pole.  When Scott arrived at … Continue reading →

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Silent Ozu

Posted on July 31, 2011 by John Grant

Yasujiro Ozu made three outstanding films in the late 1940s and early 1950s.  Better known as the “Noriko Trilogy,” the films included “Late Spring,” from 1949, “Early Summer,” from 1951, and “Tokyo Story,” from 1953.  All three pictures include wonderful … Continue reading →

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