Pre-1996 Films Reviewed

Occasional comments on a few of the older films I've seen (or re-seen) since I began this website. For an explanation of the ratings, see the 1996 Movies page.

NOTE: Almost all these mini-reviews were written in 1996-2002, before this page was supplanted by the (even) more casual Screening Logs for Older Movies. Go there for oldies seen since 2003.

Title (Rating)

ADVISE AND CONSENT (1962) (79)
ALL NIGHT LONG (1981) (51)
AMADEUS (1984) (65)
AND LIFE GOES ON (1992) (73)
AND THEN THERE WERE NONE (1945) (87)
ANTONIO DAS MORTES (1969) (72)
AUTUMN SONATA (1978) (70)
THE BABY OF MACON (1993) (18)
THE BALLAD OF NARAYAMA (1983) (68)
BELLE OF THE NINETIES (1934) (34)
LA BETE HUMAINE (1938) (76)
THE BIG HEAT (1953) (86) (76 - second viewing)
BILLY LIAR (1963) (81)
THE BLACK CAT (1934) (67) (75 - second viewing)
BLONDE CRAZY (1931) (76)
LES BONNES FEMMES (1960) (87)
BOOMERANG! (1947) (69)
BREAKING AWAY (1979) (63)
BRIEF ENCOUNTER (1945) (87)
CACTUS FLOWER (1969) (49)
CAMILLA (1954) (76)
CAPTAIN FROM CASTILE (1947) (47)
THE CITADEL (1938) (51)
CITY OF SADNESS (1989) (68)
THE CLOCK (1945) (73)
COLD WATER (1994) (86)
COMING HOME (1978) (45)
LE CORBEAU / THE RAVEN (1943) (78)
COUP DE TORCHON / CLEAN SLATE (1982) (69)
CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS (1989) (76)
DARLING (1965) (71)
DAWN OF THE DEAD (1978) (76)
DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES (1962) (74)
THE DECLINE OF THE AMERICAN EMPIRE (1986) (49)
DEEP END (1970) (73) (77 - second viewing)
THE DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND (1976) (74)
DO YOU REMEMBER DOLLY BELL? (1981) (47)
EAST OF EDEN (1955) (76)
EASY LIVING (1937) (67)
EASY RIDER (1969) (78)
EMPIRE OF THE SUN (1987) (43)
THE EXORCIST (1973) (68)
FAMILY PLOT (1976) (67)
FAT CITY (1972) (87)
FEMALE CONVICT "SCORPION" - JAILHOUSE 41 (1972) (59)
FIXED BAYONETS (1951) (71)
FLOATING WEEDS (1959) (54)
FOURTEEN HOURS (1951) (56)
FRENZY (1972) (70)
THE FRIENDS OF EDDIE COYLE (1973) (82)
THE GOALIE'S ANXIETY AT THE PENALTY KICK (1971) (72)
THE GODFATHER PART II (1974) (79)
THE GOLDEN COACH (1952) (75)
THE GREAT SANTINI (1979) (65)
THE GREEN PROMISE (1949) (56)
THE GYPSY MOTHS (1969) (68)
HALLELUJAH, I'M A BUM (1933) (77)
HI MOM! (1970) (72)
THE HORSE SOLDIERS (1959) (46)
HOW I WON THE WAR (1967) (75)
THE HUMAN COMEDY (1943) (78)
I NEVER SANG FOR MY FATHER (1970) (82)
THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN (1957) (73) (77 - second viewing)
AN INN IN TOKYO (1935) (68)
THE IRON MASK (1929) (81)
JOURNEY FOR MARGARET (1942) (65)
JOURNEY INTO FEAR (1942) (77)
JUGGERNAUT (1974) (85)
KICKING AND SCREAMING (1995) (59)
A KID FOR TWO FARTHINGS (1955) (61)
A KIND OF LOVING (1962) (74)
THE KING OF MARVIN GARDENS (1972) (46)
KING OF THE HILL (1993) (72)
LAST CHANTS FOR A SLOW DANCE (1977) (73)
THE LAST DETAIL (1973) (74)
LAST TANGO IN PARIS (1972) (48)
LAST YEAR IN MARIENBAD (1961) (68)
LAUGHTER (1930) (74)
LETTER FROM AN UNKNOWN WOMAN (1948) (69)
LISBON STORY (1994) (54)
LOOK BACK IN ANGER (1958) (66)
LOST IN AMERICA (1985) (71)
THE MAN WHO COULD WORK MIRACLES (1936) (75)
THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (1934) (48)
THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH (1964) (53)
MATEWAN (1987) (82)
A MODERN HERO (1934) (43)
MODERN ROMANCE (1981) (79)
MODESTY BLAISE (1966) (55)
MON ONCLE ANTOINE (1971) (70)
MONSIEUR VERDOUX (1947) (84)
THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME (1932) (72)
THE MOTHER AND THE WHORE (1973) (80)
MOULIN ROUGE (1952) (74)
MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN (1936) (74)
MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON (1939) (88)
MS.45 / ANGEL OF VENGEANCE (1981) (67)
MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE (1985) (64)
A NEW LIFE (1993) (64)
NIGHT TRAIN TO MUNICH (1940) (66) (71 - second viewing)
NIGHTS OF CABIRIA (1957) (62)
NO END (1984) (72)
NORTHWEST PASSAGE (1940) (71)
THE NUN (1966) (68)
THE NUN'S STORY (1959) (61)
THE OFFENCE (1973) (64)
ON APPROVAL (1943) (73) (66 - second viewing)
ON THE WATERFRONT (1954) (66)
ORPHEE (1949) (69)
OVER THE EDGE (1979) (83)
PEEPING TOM (1960) (67)
LE PETIT SOLDAT (1963) (65)
PILLOW TALK (1959) (52)
THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE (1946) (78)
THE POWER AND THE GLORY (1933) (64)
THE PRISONER OF ZENDA (1937) (78)
THE PRIVATE LIFE OF HENRY VIII (1933) (57)
PROVIDENCE (1977) (76)
RANCHO NOTORIOUS (1952) (68)
RED RIVER (1948) (75)
REMBRANDT (1936) (66)
THE REVOLUTIONARY (1970) (75)
RIDE THE HIGH COUNTRY (1962) (70)
THE ROMANTIC ENGLISHWOMAN (1975) (59)
ROXIE HART (1942) (74)
SANSHO THE BAILIFF (1954) (79) (75 - second viewing)
SENSO (1954) (82)
SHADOWS (1959) (78)
A SLIGHT CASE OF MURDER (1938) (76)
THE SMALLEST SHOW ON EARTH (1957) (48)
THE SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE (1973) (69)
THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD (1965) (78)
A STORY OF FLOATING WEEDS (1934) (67)
STRANGER THAN PARADISE (1984) (62)
THE STRAWBERRY BLONDE (1941) (78)
TAKE CARE OF YOUR SCARF, TATJANA! (1993) (66)
THAT OBSCURE OBJECT OF DESIRE (1977) (63)
THEY WON'T FORGET (1937) (62)
THE THREEPENNY OPERA (1931) (73)
THROUGH THE OLIVE TREES (1994) (74)
THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY (1955) (66)
TUMBLEWEEDS (1925) (67)
TWO OR THREE THINGS I KNOW ABOUT HER (1967) (76)
UMBERTO D (1953) (95)
THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG (1964) (93)
VALLEY OF ABRAHAM (1993) (38)
VAMPYR (1932) (75)
VENGEANCE IS MINE (1979) (74)
THE WAGES OF FEAR (1953) (89)
THE WANDERERS (1979) (54)
THE WAY TO THE STARS (1945) (58)
WEDDING IN BLOOD (1973) (70)
WHAT HAVE I DONE TO DESERVE THIS? (1984) (64)
WHEN STRANGERS MARRY (1944) (73)
WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? (1966)(68)
A WORLD APART (1988) (53)
WRITTEN ON THE WIND (1956) (77)
XALA (1974) (73)
YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (1974) (54)
THE YOUNG GIRLS OF ROCHEFORT (1967) (76)
YOUNG TORLESS (1966) (57)

Oldies A-Z

OLDIES! (A-Z)