Billy Wilder
Blu-Ray Review: Double Indemnity
It’s the oldest trick in the book. Beautiful young woman marries a rich older man, persuades him to take out a life insurance policy and soon after he, coincidentally, has a nasty accident. Even better if she can find some patsy to do the deed for her, using her feminine wiles to keep him on …
Blu-Ray Review: One, Two, Three
James Cagney had one of the most interesting career arks in twentieth century Hollywood. He started out in cinema playing the tough guy in films during the 1930s and 1940s. The likes of Angels with Dirty Faces, The Public Enemy and White Heat made his name. Frustrated with being typecast, he always wanted more and …
Blu-Ray Review: Irma La Douce
Last month we lost one of the greatest composers of the modern era. Although André Previn had huge success working in jazz and classical music, aside from an appearance in a hilarious Morecambe and Wise sketch, he’s probably best remembered for his work on films. In a glittering career he received thirteen Oscar nominations, including …
Blu-ray Review: Witness for the Prosecution
Whilst Charles Laughton is now probably best-known for the only film he directed, Night of the Hunter, he was a versatile an indominable stage and screen actor. He made over fifty films across five decades and is probably best known for his performances in The Private Life of Henry VIII, Hobson’s Choice, Mutiny on the …
Blu-Ray Review: The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous creations, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, have graced many books and featured in numerous adaptations, both on the big and small screen. As a double act, they’ve captivated audiences around the world, what with Holmes’ remarkable powers of deduction and Watson’s incredible knack of being in the right place …
Blu-Ray Review: The Apartment
For more than five decades Jack Lemmon was a familiar face on big screens and a much-loved actor. He won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Mister Roberts in 1955 and made over fifty films before he reprised his most famous double act with Walter Matthau in The Odd Couple II in 1998. …
DVD Review: Fedora
Billy Wilder was one of the greatest directors working during the Hollywood golden age. The list of credits to his name, over a career which spanned fifty years, is mind-boggling. He was such a versatile film-maker and a brilliant screenwriter. Wilder’s credits include Some Like It Hot, Sunset Boulevard, The Apartment, Sabrina and Double Indemnity. …