We live in the age of remakes and prequels. Every month Hollywood rolls out an easily recognizable title that’s been repackaged and recast with a plot that’s all too familiar. The horror and science fiction genre has been hit the hardest by these reimagined movies that all too often fall extremely short of the original film they’re trying to ape. But that’s not always the … Continue reading REIMAGINING A CLASSIC: WERNER HERZOG’S NOSFERATU
I’m afraid I’ve been neglecting Cinebeats again but I’ve been busy with various personal projects and obligations. I’ve also recently started writing for Publishers Weekly but I thought I’d finally update with some highlights from TCM’s Movie Morlocks. Here’s some of the more interesting (in my estimation) film related writing & entertaining babble I’ve produced in the last 6 months. You might notice that the … Continue reading 6 Months of Film Writing
Jess Franco 1930-2013 What follows is a collection of links to some of my posts at TCM’s Movie Morlocks from 2013. These are (in my estimation) the best and most interesting articles I wrote last year but you can read my entire output for 2013 at the Movie Morlocks if you peruse the archives. From this point onward on I’ll be collecting links to my … Continue reading 2013 at the Movie Morlocks
I promised more Kinski and now I’m delivering… Over at the Movie Morlocks you can find my recent post on Werner Herzog’s 1979 film NOSFERATU THE VAMPYRE. It’s one of my favorite Herzog films and I think it contains one of Klaus Kinski’s most compelling performances. This modern reimagining of F. W. Murnau’s NOSFERATU (1922) is really more of a tribute than a remake but … Continue reading Klaus Kinski in Nosferatu
Today would have been Klaus Kinski’s 85th birthday if he were still alive. I’ve written birthday tributes to Klaus before but today I thought I’d share a little something about one of my favorite Klaus Kinski films, Jess Franco’s remarkable Venus in Furs aka Paroxismus (1969). From the DVD box: “Of all the twisted hits from cult director Jess Franco (SADOMANIA, 99 WOMEN), this is … Continue reading Klaus Kinski as Ahmed Kortobawi
Michael Caine was one of the coolest actors working during the ’60s and ’70s but he was also incredibly sexy. He had unconventional good looks and I love the thick black glasses he used to wear that often hid his eyes and amazingly long lashes. Michael Caine may have played a British tough guy on numerous occasions but he had some of the loveliest eyes … Continue reading What’s It All About, Alfie?
Klaus Kinski b. October 18, 1926 – d. November 23, 1991 Today would have been Klaus Kinski’s 83rd birthday and in honor of the event I thought I’d share something I originally wrote about the actor back in 2003 on Valentine’s Day but have since expanded on.* “One should judge a man mainly from his depravities. Virtues can be faked. Depravities are real.” – Klaus … Continue reading Stalking Klaus Kinski or How I Worshiped a Madman
The task: Make a list of 10 of your favorite film characters.As much as I tend to dislike these blog memes, I couldn’t say no to The Agitation of the Mind, Coosa Creak Cinema and Bubblegum Aesthetics so I finally took the plunge and decided to participate. Like any self-respecting film enthusiast I have hundreds of favorite film characters, but here’s a short list of … Continue reading 10 Characters I Love
At the Britannica blog Raymond Benson has finished listing off his Top 10 Favorite Films of 1968 so if you’re interested in the final results stop by and give them a look. I’ve mentioned on numerous occasions how much I dislike making lists of favorite films myself since they’re limited by what I’ve seen and are subject to change at anytime. Roger Ebert recently asked … Continue reading My Top 20 Favorite Films of 1968
I love Spaghetti Westerns. The best ones are what I would call “gothic westerns” since they combine some of the best aspects of Italian gothic horror films and literature with classic American westerns and western novels. They are filled with high drama but laced with subtlety. They offer romantic views of the west but they’re often very dark and at times even frightening. Suspense, death, … Continue reading A Spaghetti Western Top Ten
