4 Or More Shots From 4 Or More Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films lets the visuals do the talking!
Today, the Shattered Lens wishes a happy 77th birthday to the great German director, Wim Wenders! It’s time for….
6 Shots From 6 Wim Wenders Films
Kings of the Road (1976, dir by Wim Wenders, DP: Robby Muller)
The American Friend (1976, dir by Wim Wenders, DP: Robby Muller)
Paris, Texas (1984, dir by Wim Wenders, DP: Robby Muller)
Wings of Desire (1987, dir by Wim Wenders, DP: Robby Muller)
Until the End of the World (1991, dir by Wim Wenders, DP: Robby Muller)
4 Or More Shots From 4 Or More Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films lets the visuals do the talking!
123 years ago, the master of suspense was born in England. Today, we honor the career and legacy of the great Alfred Hitchock with….
6 Shots From 6 Alfred Hitchcock Films
The Lodger (1926, dir by Alfred Hitchcock, DP:Gaetano di Ventimiglia )
Shadow of a Doubt (1943, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, DP: Joseph A. Valentine)
Vertigo (1958, dir by Alfred Hitchcock, DP: Robert Burks)
North by Northwest (1959, dir by Alfred Hitchcock, DP: Robert Burks)
Psycho (1960, dir by Alfred Hitchcock, DP: John L. Russell)
The Birds (1963, dir by Alfred Hitchcock, DP: Robert Burks)
4 Or More Shots From 4 Or More Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films lets the visuals do the talking!
On this date, 110 years ago, Samuel Fuller was born in Massachusetts. Before he became a filmmaker, Fuller was a crime reporter and a pulp novelist. His films were often melodramatic and unapologetically sordid. They were also often dismissed when they were initially released but almost all of them were subsequently rediscovered by audiences who appreciated Fuller’s striking visuals and the often subversive subtext to be found underneath the surface of his genre films.
Today, we celebrate Fuller’s legacy with….
4 Shots From 4 Sam Fuller Films
Pickup on South Street (1953, dir by Samuel Fuller, DP: Joseph MacDonald)
Shock Corridor (1963, dir by Samuel Fuller, DP: Stanley Cortez)
The Naked Kiss (1964, dir by Samuel Fuller, DP: Stanley Cortez)
The Big Red One (1980, dir by Samuel Fuller, DP: Adam Greenberg)
4 Or More Shots From 4 Or More Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films lets the visuals do the talking!
On this date, 104 years ago, Robert Aldrich was born in Cranston, Rhode Island. The first cousin of New York Governor and Vice President Nelson Rockefeller, Robert Aldrich eschewed business and politics to pursue a career in film. Though his wonderfully melodramatic films were often undervalued when first released, Aldrich is now seen as one of the most influential filmmakers of all time. Tarantino loves him.
In honor of Aldrich’s career and legacy, here are….
4 Shots From 4 Robert Aldrich Films
Kiss Me Deadly (1955, dir by Robert Aldrich, DP: Ernest Laszlo)
What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? (1962, dir by Robert Aldrich, DP: Ernest Haller)
The Dirty Dozen (1967, dir by Robert Aldrich, DP: Edward Scaife)
Hustle (1975, dir by Robert Aldrich, DP: Joseph Biroc)
4 Or More Shots From 4 Or More Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films lets the visuals do the talking!
Director and screenwriter Nicholas Ray was born 111 years ago today, in Galesville, Wisconsin. He would go on to become one of the most influential American directors of all time, making independently-minded films that celebrated rebels and iconoclasts. The directors of the French New Wave loved him and for good reason.
Today, we celebrate the life and legacy of Nicholas Ray with….
4 Shots From 4 Nicholas Ray Films
In A Lonely Place (1950, dir by Nicholas Ray, DP: Burnett Guffey)
Johnny Guitar (1954, dir by Nicholas Ray, DP: Harry Stradling)
Rebel Without A Cause (1955, dir by Nicholas Ray, DP: Ernest Haller)
Party Girl (1958, dir by Nicholas Ray, DP: Robert J. Bronner)
4 Or More Shots From 4 Or More Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films lets the visuals do the talking!
On this date, 94 years ago, Andy Warhol was born. Today, we mark this occasion with….
4 Shots From 4 Andy Warhol Films
Empire (1965, dir by Andy Warhol)
Vinyl (1965, dir by Andy Warhol)
Poor Little Rich Girl (1965, dir by Andy Warhol)
Chelsea Girls (1966, dir by Andy Warhol and Paul Morrissey)
This week’s edition of Lisa Marie’s Favorite Grindhouse trailers is dedicated to Umberto Lenzi, who was born, on this date, in 1931. Lenzi was one of the most prolific of the Italian directors who came to prominence in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. A craftsman at heart, he directed films in every genre. Admittedly, he was never quite the critical favorite that Argento, Margheriti, Deodato, Bava, Fulci, and Soavi were. That’s a polite way of acknowledging that Umberto Lenzi was responsible for a few very bad films. But he directed some good ones, as well. Even if he’s not as acclaimed as some of his contemporaries, I think every Italian horror fan has at least one or two Lenzi films that they will happily defend to the grave.
Today, in honor of Lenzi’s life and work, here are 6 trailers for 6 Umberto Lenzi films! These trailers, by the way, could be considered NSFW so watch them at your own discretion.
Spasmo (1974)
I will be the first to admit that I have shared this trailer quite often on this site. What can I say? I just love the way everyone keeps going, “Spasmo! Spamso!” Spasmo is giallo, one with the a plot that will keep you guessing.
2. The Tough Ones (1976)
Though Lenzi is probably best-remembered for his horror films, he also directed his share of violent, French Connection-inspired crime films. The Tough Ones is a good example.
3. From Corleone to Brooklyn (1979)
From Corleone to Brooklyn is another one of Lenzi’s crime films. While Corleone is a town in Sicily, there’s little doubt that the main purpose of the title was to trick people into thinking that this film was somehow connected to The Godfather.
4. Eaten Alive (1980)
Eaten Alive was one of the many cannibal films that Lenzi directed. This is actually one of the better examples of that rather icky genre. It’s certainly superior to Lenzi’s own Cannibal Ferox. Ivan Rassimov as Jim Jones turns out to be perfect casting. The trailer below is actually an edited version of the original trailer.
5. Nightmare City (1980)
This was Lenzi’s best-known contribution to the zombie genre. Uniquely, for the time, Lenzi’s zombies were fast and clever. The film was not acclaimed when it was originally released but it has since been cited as an influence on many recent zombie films. This is probably Lenzi’s most effective film as a director, even if the ending will probably have you rolling your eyes.
6. Nightmare Beach (1989)
Finally, in one of his final films, Lenzi brought together the spring break genre with the slasher genre. There’s some debate over how much of this film was directed by Lenzi and how much by a mysterious figure known as Harry Kirkpatrick. When I reviewed this film and mentioned the controversy, the film’s star, Nicolas De Toth, replied that Lenzi was definitely the one who directed. As he would definitely be in the best position to know, that’s good enough for me!
4 Or More Shots From 4 Or More Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films lets the visuals do the talking!
116 years ago today, the writer/director/actor John Huston was born in Nevada, Missouri. Today, we honor his life and films with….
4 Shots from 4 John Huston Films
The Maltese Falcon (1941, dir by John Huston, DP: Arthur Edeson)
The Misfits (1961, dir by John Huston, DP: Russell Metty)
The Night of the Iguana (1964, dir by John Huston, DP: Gabriel Figueroa)
Under the Volcano (1984, dir by John Huston, DP: Gabriel Figueroa)
4 Or More Shots From 4 Or More Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films lets the visuals do the talking!
83 years ago today, Wes Craven was born in Cleveland, Ohio. Craven started his career as an academic, teaching high school English. However, realizing that there was more money to be made in the film industry, Craven changed careers. By his own admission, he started his career directing “hardcore, X-rated films” under a pseudonym and it has been rumored that he was a member of the crew of the first “porno chic” film, Deep Throat. Eventually, Craven broke into the mainstream with some of the most influential and often controversial horror films ever made. From being denounced for the original Last House On The Left to changing the face of horror with A Nightmare on Elm Street to becoming something of a revered statesman and a beloved pop cultural institution with the Scream franchise, Wes Craven had a truly fascinating career.
In honor his films and legacy, it’s time for….
4 Shots from 4 Wes Craven Films
The Hills Have Eyes (1977, dir by Wes Craven, DP: Eric Saarinen)
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984, dir. by Wes Craven, DP: Jacques Haitkin)
Deadly Friend (1986, dir by Wes Craven, DP: Philip H. Lathrop)
The People Under The Stairs (1991, dir by Wes Craven, DP: Sandi Sissel)
4 Or More Shots From 4 Or More Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films lets the visuals do the talking!
108 years ago today, the director J. Lee Thompson was born in Bristol, England. Thompson started his career making social realist films before he moved into making genre pictures. He was nominated for Best Director for his work on 1961’s The Guns of Navarone. That said, during his lifetime, Thompson was never exactly a critical favorite. When they were first released, critics were dismissive of his entries in the original Planet of the Apes franchise and they were downright hostile to his work with Charles Bronson. However, all of those films were better appreciated by audiences and they remain cult classics to this day. Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, with its themes of protest and revolution, has especially been the subject of much recent critical reevaluation. Thompson may have been a genre director but that didn’t mean that his film were devoid of subtext. If anything, Thompson was a master of sneaking subversive themes into the least likely of works.
Thompson was a filmmaker who knew how to tell a story and who always did the best with whatever he had to work with. To be honest, many aspiring and working directors could learn a lot from spending a weekend watching some of Thompson’s films.
In honor of the man and his legacy, here are….
4 Shots From 4 J. Lee Thompson Films
Cape Fear (1962, dir by J. Lee Thompson, DP: Sam Leavitt)
Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972, dir by J. Lee Thompson, DP: Bruce Surtees)
Happy Birthday To Me (1981, dir by J. Lee Thompson, DP: Miklos Lente)
10 To Midnight (1983, dir by J. Lee Thompson, DP: Adam Greenberg)
Through the Shattered Lens 