There are a zillion great, old films for free on youtube. I wanted to bring them together on one blog for lovers of older films or people who want to learn about film history and see some of the best films ever. When I was younger there was a theater called the Parkway (in Chicago) that showed such films. It was torn down (so it goes). So this blog is kind of my own personal Parkway. djg51qu@gmail.com I will post new films each Saturday.
I remember hearing that all the zombie movies we are seeing now all come from this film of 1964. This film certainly seems to have influenced Night of the Living Dead.
Richard Matheson wrote the novel on which this movie was based: I Am legend. In fact, this film version is one of three versions made of this novel. The last version was Will Smith's I Am Legend (which wasn't a very good movie.) This version is the most accurate version of Matheson's novel.
This screenplay was written by Richard Matheson - the guy who wrote I Am Legend, which was made into three movie versions: Last Man on Earth, Omega Man and I Am Legend (with Will Smith - this last version sucked).
This was an amazing TV movie starring Darren McGavin as Carl Kolchak, a journalist with integrity. Kolchak was a guy brimful with integrity and passion. I loved this characterization when I was very young. He winds up fighting a vampire and bureaucratic corruption and cover-ups at the same time.
The dialogue, acting, characters...everything is just wonderful in this movie. It seems to me that ABC made some amazing TV movies in the 70s.
In honor of Holloween here's a REALLY amazing horror film.
Kind of a relic from the late 60s and early 70s - a period when women were still struggling for equality in the workplace and home in the USA. Carrie Snodgress plays a woman married to a lawyer who treats her like garbage. Key early line in the film: "Oh my God, she graduated from Smith but can't make a 4 minute egg!"
Gregory Peck is my favorite Hollywood actor. Here's one of his more famous films - about the life of a guy returning back to middle class American life after fighting in various World War II battles.
I don't have any TV movies on this blog, but I had to put The Challenge here.
If Hollywood were smart they'd hire someone to re-write and update this movie and it would be a huge success.
Basically a satellite plunges into the ocean and both China and the USA want it. Because neither country can get it, due to the other, they decide to have a 'surrogate war.' China picks one soldier and the USA picks one soldier to fight each other. The winner gets the satellite. Believe me, the concept works in this film.
Dear Hollywood, all I please ask is that you don't cast Will Smith in the remake. I can't stand that guy. He ruined The Last Man on Earth and he's going to ruin The Wild Bunch.
Please enjoy this amazing TV movie. Darren McGavin ROCKED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I remember reading an article about the 'real' battle this film is about and I was shocked by the inaccuracies.
In this film, for instance, there is a conflict between a member of the aristocracy and a working class guy who has a higher rank. It never happened.
Also, the average English soldier in this battle was from dire poverty and due to undernourishment the average English soldier was about 5 feet 5 inches tall. These were the poorest of the poor from England lead by two soldiers of no real reputation or ability, who, when the chips were down, and their lives were on the line, fought like beasts.
In any case, it's a fun movie to watch, but keep in mind most of it is baloney.
I loved this film when it came out. It didn't do very well 'at the box office' since Americans have a short attention span and seem to have forgotten about how amazing the 1960s were.
In 1968 young people from throughout America came to Chicago to protest the Vietnam War.
The Chicago Police, under urban dictator Mayor Richard Daley, attacked and beat the students - they didn't even care that TV cameras were filming everything.
Then, to make matters worse, the US government arrested some of the organizers of the peaceful protest and put them on trial.
You can see what justice in America was like in 1968 and judge whether it's any different now. Imagine what putting Snowden on trial would look like, for instance. He would probably get the same 'justice' that these innocent people got.
