Movie thoughts and fiction updates.
#19 in my ranking of Fritz Lang's filmography. There was a while when I was feeling like Rancho Notorious was going to be a lost gem of Fritz Lang's career. There were a couple of things that were obviously being set up that could have come together to make something interesting, really interesting. It largely… Continue reading Rancho Notorious
#7 in my ranking of Fritz Lang's filmography. If someone had told me that this was a lost John Ford film, I'd be inclined to believe them. Made in the wake of Stagecoach's financial success, Lang films like Ford (not completely, but the influence is there), the story of male camaraderie is something that would… Continue reading Western Union
#31 in my ranking of Fritz Lang's filmography. Freed from any kind of fealty to reality, Fritz Lang's sequel to Henry King's original Jesse James is a huge improvement, that is, until it becomes a shockingly dull courtroom drama in its third act. I've read that courtroom finales often end up because of budget issues.… Continue reading The Return of Frank James
*note: The Return of Frank James is a sequel to this film by Henry King, so I decided to watch it ahead of Fritz Lang's film. I didn't imagine that I would miss anything important story-wise, but I thought it would mostly be interesting to compare and contrast.* Let's just imagine that this film is… Continue reading Jesse James
#7 in my ranking of Wes Craven's filmography. After the boring slog that was Summer of Fear, Wes Craven comes back with a much more put together film that, while it doesn't work completely, offers more atmosphere and a cohesive sense of horror and tension that works in the film's favor. It also ends up… Continue reading Deadly Blessing
David Vining, Author 