Foster on Film

A White ivory trader and “hunter” known as Trader Horn (Harry Carey) heads down the river with his oblivious friend Peru (Duncan Renaldo) and his loyal Black “gun bearer” to trade with the savages in the deepest part of that mysterious continent of Africa. Along the way they run into Edith Trent (Olive Carey—the star’s

Blackie (Clark Gable) is a pleasant, heroic, good guy who runs an exceptionally nice night club but is somehow thought of as scandalous. Huh. That doesn’t make sense, but onward. Blackie spends his time, when not doing the most respectable disreputable things possible, with old friend Father Mullin (Spencer Tracy). Into his club comes prissy

Terry (Marlon Brando) is a failed prize-fighter that now acts as muscle for the corrupt longshormen’s union. He’s sent by his brother, Charley (Rod Steiger), and boss, Johnny Friendly (Lee J. Cobb), to trap a squealer who is then murdered. The dead man’s sister, Edie (Eva Marie Saint), and the local priest (Karl Malden) won’t

American expatriate painter Jerry Mulligan (Gene Kelly) is picked up by a wealthy divorcée (Nina Foch).  She becomes his patron, with an eye to becoming his lover, but he falls for Lise (Leslie Caron), an anonymous young shop girl. However, she has a secret: She’s engaged to a successful singer (Georges Guétary) who also happens to

Irena Dubrovna (Simone Simon), a Serbian immigrant, falls in love with Oliver Reed (Kent Smith), and they quickly marry. Irena refuses to consummate the relationship, believing that arousal would turn her into a panther. Eventually, Oliver persuades her to see psychologist Louis Judd (Tom Conway), but he is more interested in getting his hands on

Faithless, and therefore unhappy, astronomer, Dr. Eleanor Arroway (Jodie Foster), searches for years for signs of extraterrestrial life.  Along the way, she is thwarted by shortsighted scientist Dr. David Drumlin (Tom Skerritt), and she meets  man-of-faith, Palmer Joss (Matthew McConaughey), who will later become an advisor to Bill Clinton.  Finally, she discovers a broadcast from space

Hamlet, Prince of Denmark (Laurence Olivier), upset that his mother, Queen Gertrude (Eileen Herlie) has married his uncle Claudius (Basil Sydney) just two months after the death of the old king, is informed by his father’s ghost that Claudius murdered him. Hamlet vows revenge, but moves slowly, feigning madness, rejecting and abusing the young Ophelia (Jean

It’s not the mystery, or the emotional impact, or the philosophical theme that make this film a pleasure, as it has none of those. It’s the humor. This is a movie to laugh at (not with), and occasionally just to stare at in disbelief.

Housewife Rosemary Woodhouse (Mia Farrow) and her self-absorbed husband Guy (John Cassavetes) move to an apartment next to a strange old couple (Ruth Gordon, Sidney Blackmer). Rosemary becomes pregnant, but this happy event is also the beginning of her paranoia and fear that witches want her baby. Along with The Omen and The Exorcist, Rosemary’s

In 1958, Film Noir was no longer original. Either by design (like Sunset Blvd.) or by mistake (like  Touch of Evil) Noirs had been reduced to parodies. And this parody documents the fall of Orson Welles. Few have fallen farther.