To Catch a Thief (1955) – Review

Review to catch a thief2018 Blindspot films
Some directors have made a name for themselves and as viewer you have specific expectations when you go see their films. Whether it is the violence, dialogue and references to other movies in Tarantino films, the weirdness of David Lynch’s work or the practical way Christopher Nolan shoots everything on film, you have an idea of what to expect. It is something you look forward to when checking their work out. Alfred Hitchcock is also one of those names. I’ve seen a lot of his work and love the look of them (of course because of the era they were shot in), the character interactions and of course (usually) the suspense. To Catch a Thief was a movie of his I hadn’t seen yet and added to my blindspot list for this year. It turned out to be slightly disappointing. Continue reading

Les Diaboliques (1955)

Les Diaboliques

I’m sometimes surprised that I’m able to watch movies that’s are more than 50 years old without knowing anything about it. Of course I try to do this as well with newer films, but that’s a lot more difficult. Les Diaboliques is a movie that I hadn’t heard of before and wanted to watch since it appears in the IMDB top 250. So going into this blind, does it earn its place in the list? Continue reading

Guest review: The Big Combo (1955)

Recently I asked Jack Deth if he would be interested in writing a guest review. I always enjoy contributions and was happy that he was willing to write something about a movie he could choose, here are his thoughts on The Big Combo (which does contain lots of spoilers):

The Big Combo review

First of all, I would like to thank Nostra for the invitation to be a guest reviewer. It is not often that one gets a chance to flex their muscles on such a delightful site.

That said, for those who have come across my comments elsewhere. My comfort zone is older films. Predominantly Black & White. With specific interest in Film Noir. To that end, please allow me to wax long and poetic about what I consider to be one the the essential films of the genre. Continue reading

The Seven Year Itch (1955)

This picture probably is one of the most iconic poses by Marilyn Monroe and was taken during the filming of the Seven Year Itch. I’ve seen this picture many times, but never knew it was from this movie. The Seven Year Itch is about Richard Sherman (Tome Ewell) who spends his summer alone in New York, like many other men apparently did in the fifties, while his wife and son are out-of-town to escape the heat. For many men this means an opportunity to go wild and many did. Although Richard is not planning anything he meets a woman who temporarily lives in an upstairs apartment. Will he be able to resist the temptation to make a move on her? Continue reading