The Uninvited: Now on Criterion

Posted on October 25, 2013 at 3:59 pm

Just in time for Halloween, one of my very favorite ghost stories has been released in a beautifully restored edition from the wonderful folks at Criterion. It is The Uninvited, starring Ray Milland (“Love Story”) and Ruth Hussey (“The Philadelphia Story”), as a brother and sister who move into a beautiful but spooky house on the cliffs of Cornwall. Made in 1944, this was one of the first Hollywood films to treat a ghost story seriously and it is wonderfully eerie and romantic, with a very satisfying conclusion and a gorgeous score that includes the classic song, “Stella by Starlight.” By today’s standards, the scares are rather tame but the psychological horror and suspense are well handled. Both Martin Scorsese and Guillermo Del Toro have named it as among their favorite thrillers. Highly recommended. (No connection to the 2009 film of the same name.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfRSZ2kYvXs

For a delectably spooky Criterion double feature, add I Married a Witch with Veronica Lake and Fredric March.

The Red Hen..And More Cooking Stories: Scholastic Storybook Treasures

Posted on February 13, 2013 at 3:59 pm

MPAA Rating:	Not rated
Profanity:	None
Alcohol/ Drugs:	None
Violence/ Scariness:	None
Diversity Issues:	None
Date Released to Theaters:	2013
Date Released to DVD:	February 13, 2013
Amazon.com ASIN:	B009O07NHK

The latest from my very favorite series for families is Scholastic Storybook Treasures’ The Red Hen and more cooking stories. I have one copy to give away! Send me an email at moviemom@moviemom.com with Hen in the subject line and tell me what you like to cook. Don’t forget your address (US addresses only).

These adorable stories with lessons about food, friendship, and manners include:

HE RED HEN (Written and illustrated by Rebecca Emberley and Ed Emberley, narrated by Walter Mayes) Filled with humor and sparkling illustration, this is the classic story of Red Hen and her adventures in baking (and cooperation).

BREAD COMES TO LIFE (Written and illustrated by George Levenson, narrated by Lily Tomlin) Watch each step of how to bring bread to life, from the sowing of the seeds to the shaping and baking of the bread dough.

HOW DO DINOSAURS EAT THEIR FOOD? (Written and narrated by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Mark Teague) These mischievous dinosaurs show that burping, spilling and playing with one s food are not the best ways to enjoy a meal.

ARNIE THE DOUGHNUT (Written and illustrated by Gerald McDermott, narrated by Michael McKean) When Mr. Bing buys Arnie in a doughnut shop, Arnie realizes he must persuade Mr. Bing that a doughnut can be more than just a sweet snack.

In case your children are inspired to make their own food, it also includes an easy-to-Follow Recipe for Simply Splendid Cake.

Which Classic 20th Century Fox Film Should Be on Blu-Ray?

Posted on January 15, 2013 at 3:55 pm

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment announced today a one-of-a-kind campaign, VOICE YOUR CHOICE, allowing film enthusiasts to decide which classic films they would like to see digitally restored and transferred to Blu-ray for the very first time. The program celebrates Fox’s most notable films from the 1930’s thru the 1960’s featuring performances by famous actors such as Henry Fonda, Shirley Temple, Paul Newman, Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, John Wayne and more. Throughout the campaign, fans will also have the opportunity to write in and submit additional titles. Voting begins today at www.hometheaterforum.com and at www.foxconnect.com.

In addition Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment will celebrate their extensive collection of classic movies by releasing at least one title on Blu-ray per month under the banner “20th Century Fox Studio Classics.” Drawing from Twentieth Century Fox’s rich catalog all releases will be Academy® award-winning or nominated movies from the 1920’s thru the 1960’s.

The “Vote Your Choice” options include some of my favorites: Shirley Temple’s “The Little Princess” and “The Blue Bird,” the charming romance “The Ghost and Mrs. Muir,” the dashing “Captain from Castile,” the witty “A Letter to Three Wives,” the rollicking story of “motion study” pioneers Frank and Lilian Gilbreath and their twelve children, “Cheaper by the Dozen,” the wild satire with Jayne Mansfield and Tony Randall, “Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?”, the delightful caper film, “How to Steal a Million,” and the Tracy/Hepburn classic, “Desk Set.” Here are the candidates — cast your vote!

1930	Jesse James	Call of the Wild
	The Little Princess	Steamboat Round the Bend
	Swanee River
1940	The Return of Frank James
	That Night in Rio	Pin Up Girl
	The Black Swan	The Ghost and Mrs. Muir
	My Gal Sal	Kiss of Death
	To the Shores of Tripoli	Captain From Castile
	My Friend Flicka	The Blue Bird
	Crash Drive	A Letter to Three Wives
	Hello, Frisco, Hello	Mother Wore Tights
1950	Don’t Bother to Knock	Cheaper by the Dozen
	Carmen Jones	On the Riviera
	Anastasia	Black Widow
	Broken Lance	The True Story of Jesse James
	Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?	The Tall Men
	Desk Set	The Best of Everything
	The River’s Edge	The Bravados
	The Inn of the Sixth Happiness
1960	From the Terrace	Morituri
	Two for the Road	North to Alaska
	The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie	Bandolero!
	Let’s Make Love	Do Not Disturb
	The Agony and the Ecstasy	Back Door to Hell
	How to Steal a Million	Bedazzled (1968)
	The Undefeated	The 300 Spartans
	Can-Can

20th Century Fox Studio Classics titles and release dates for the first quarter of 2013 are as follows:

1/15	Titanic (1953)
	How Green Was My Valley
	Wild River
	Gentlemen’s Agreement
2/5	Laura
3/26	Panic in the Streets
4/2	Hello, Dolly!
5/7	Viva Zapata!

New on DVD: “The Artist,” “21 Jump Street,” and “Mirror, Mirror”

Posted on June 25, 2012 at 12:00 pm

We’ve got something for everyone on DVD and Blu-Ray this week. First, there’s the 2012 Oscar winner for Best Picture (and Best Director, Best Actor, Best Score, and Best Costumes), The Artist, the silent, black and white movie about a star of the silent films who has a problem adjusting to the sound era. It is rated PG-13 for a “a disturbing image and a crude gesture” but is suitable for most middle schoolers and up. Then one of the wildest, raunchiest, and all-around funniest comedies of the year, the very R-rated 21 Jump Street, inspired by the television series that made Johnny Depp a star and featuring Depp in an hilarious cameo. The Blu-Ray has some great extras, including deleted scenes and features. And one of the most purely delightful family movies of the year is Mirror Mirror, with Lily Collins as Snow White and Julia Roberts as her evil stepmother.

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New on DVD/Blu-Ray: “Act of Valor,” “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island,” “John Carter,” “Machine Gun Preacher,” and “Safe House”

Posted on June 6, 2012 at 3:38 pm

This week on DVD, Blu-Ray, streaming, and on demand:

Act of Valor The Navy SEALS approached the Bandito Brothers film-makers about telling their story, years before they became headline heroes by finding and killing Osama Bin Laden. After spending time with the SEALS and learning about their extraordinary missions and their extraordinary devotion to their families, their country, and each other, it became clear that even the biggest stars in Hollywood could never do them justice. And so they made “Act of Valor,” a thrilling action/adventure film starring active duty U.S. Navy SEALS re-enacting some of their most dangerous missions, with live ammunition. Every person in uniform you see in the film is currently serving in the U.S. military. More than once, shooting had to shut down so that the SEALS could get back to work. The storyline is thin but the action scenes are powerful and the heroes are real.

John Carter It takes a while to get going and is about half an hour too long, but “John Carter” has some spectacular visuals and well-staged action scenes. Edgar Rice Burroughs, the author of the Tarzan novels, also wrote the John Carter: Adventures on Mars series, about a Confederate Army veteran transported to Mars, who becomes involved in battles between two humanoid warring factions (one of which has, natch, a beautiful princess who does not want to marry the leader of the opposing side as her father is urging). There are also some warlike but intelligent tall, green, egg-laying creatures with an extra pair of arms, and some mysterious robed messenger types with access to super-weapons.

Machine Gun Preacher Sam Childers (Gerard Butler) is a substance-abusing biker who became a Christian preacher and then took on African warlords to save children in Sudan. He finds his skill with a gun is as important to that effort as his faith.

Safe House Denzel Washington is the vodka and Ryan Reynolds is the orange juice in this spy story with top-notch action, middle-notch story, and bottom-notch ending, with a “surprise” plot twist that is obvious from the first 10 minutes.

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island Like its predecessor, Journey to the Center of the Earth, this is a well-paced and highly entertaining family film made with good humor, panache, and imagination. Josh Hutcherson returns as Sean Anderson, a teenager whose last expedition was in search of his father. Refreshingly, it does not take itself seriously. Even more refreshingly, it takes the idea of adventure seriously, with a welcome reminder that the actual thrill of exploring beats even the most entertaining movie or game
.

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