4 Shots From 4 Films: Special Marlon Brando Edition


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!

One hundred years ago and on this date, Marlon Brando was born in Omaha, Nebraska.  One of the greatest of American actors and one of the main reasons why so many young actors became enamored with the Method, Marlon Brando played many roles in our culture.  When he was young, he was a Broadway bad boy.  When he went out to Hollywood, he became a legitimate movie star.  In the 60s, he was a cautionary tale as his career suffered a series of notorious flops.  In the 70s, he made a comeback and, in during the final years of his career, he was as known for his eccentricities as for his talent.  It’s a shame that those eccentricities overshadowed Brando as an actor.  When he wanted to be, he was one of the best to ever appear on stage or in the movies.

In honor of the wonderful, tragic, and talented Marlon Brando, it’s time for….

4 Shots From 4 Marlon Brando Films

A Streetcar Named Desire (1951, dir by Elia Kazan, DP: Harry Stradling)

On The Waterfront (1954, dir by Elia Kazan, DP: Boris Kaufman)

The Godfather (1972, dir by Francis Ford Coppola, DP: Gordon Willis)

Apocalypse Now (1979, dir by Francis Ford Coppola, DP: Vittorio Storaro)

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special Elia Kazan Edition


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!

114 years ago, on this date, Elia Kazan was born Istanbul.  Kazan would go on to become a groundbreaking director, both for the stage and in movies.  He would play a key role in turning both Marlon Brando and James Dean into stars and he made films, like Gentleman’s Agreement and A Face In The Crowd, that challenged the political pieties of the day.  Of course, he also named names in front of HUAC, a decision that continues to be controversial to this day.  Two of Kazan’s films — Gentleman’s Agreement and On The Waterfront — won the Oscar for Best Picture.  A Streetcar Named Desire was widely expected to win before it was upset by An American In Paris.  A Face In The Crowd is often cited as being one of the most prophetic films ever made.  When Kazan was given an honorary Oscar in 1999, many in the auditorium refused to applaud but his influence as a filmmaker cannot be denied.

It’s time for….

4 Shots From 4 Elia Kazan Films

A Streetcar Named Desire (1951, dir by Elia Kazan, DP: Harry Stradling)

On The Waterfront (1954, dir by Elia Kazan, DP: Boris Kaufman)

East of Eden (1955, dir by Elia Kazan, DP: Ted D. McCord)

A Face In The Crowd (1957, dir by Elia Kazan, DP: Gayne Rescher and Harry Stradling)

8 Shots From 8 Horror Films: The 1940s


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!

This October, I’m going to be doing something a little bit different with my contribution to 4 (or more) Shots From 4 (or more) Films.  I’m going to be taking a little chronological tour of the history of horror cinema, moving from decade to decade.

Today, we take a look at the 1940s.

8 Shots From 8 Horror Films: The 1940s

The Devil Bat (1940, dir by Jean Yarbrough, DP: Arthur Martinelli)

The Wolf Man (1941, dir by George Waggner, DP: Joseph Valentine)

Cat People (1942, dir by Jacques Tourneur, DP: Nicholas Musuraca)

I Walked With A Zombie (1943, dir by Jacques Tourneur, DP: J. Roy Hunt)

The Leopard Man (1943, dir by Jacques Tourneur, DP: Robert De Grasse)

House of Frankenstein (1944, dir by Erle C. Kenton, DP: George Robinson)

Spellbound (1945, dir by Alfred Hitchcock, DP: George Barnes)

The Picture of Dorain Gray (1945, dir by Albert Lewin, DP: Harry Stradling)

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special Nicholas Ray Edition


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)