Chip Kaufmann’s Pick: Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) Sergio Leone’s 1968 Western Once Upon a Time in the West is a multi-character, multi layered film. The principal story concerns the expansion of the railroad into new territory as presided over by a greedy railroad baron who usesContinue Reading

Chip Kaufmann’s Pick: Much Ado About Nothing (1993) It’s always instructive (not to mention a lot of fun) to compare a new film adaptation to an earlier one. Sometimes, as in the case of The Great Gatsby, there is more than one major version out there. This often happens whenContinue Reading

Grand Illusion (1937) Having just seen the new French film Renoir (reviewed this issue) about the last years of the French painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir, his son Jean who would become a world famous filmmaker, and the woman who inspired both of them, it seemed appropriate to revisit some of JeanContinue Reading

Chip Kaufmann’s Pick: Zardoz (1974) Of all the dystopian sci-fi flicks out there from Metropolis to Oblivion (see review this issue), none is more unique or more bizarre than British director John Boorman’s 1974 opus Zardoz. Back in the day it was what was known as a “head trip”. TheContinue Reading

Chip Kaufmann’s Pick: Shoes of the Fisherman (1968) If you followed the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI and the installment of Pope Francis with interest, then you should check out this 1968 film based on the 1961 book of the same title. Anthony Quinn stars as a Ukrainian archbishop andContinue Reading

Chip Kaufmann’s Pick: Tower of London (1939) Now that the bones of Richard III have been found, it’s time to rediscover this well made, non-Shakespearean version of the story. Released in 1939, this film is what used to be known as a historical melodrama. In order to sell it toContinue Reading

Chip Kaufmann’s Pick: Lawman (1971) The death of director Michael Winner (see page 26) spurred me on to revisit several of his key movies from the 1970s. Winner was one of my favorite directors from back then and I chose as my pick this month not his best known movieContinue Reading

Chip Kaufmann’s Pick: Les Miserables (1998) Now that the blockbuster musical version of Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel LesMiserables has hit the big screen (reviewed in this issue), it makes sense to recommend one of the non musical versions so that you can actually experience the story more or less theContinue Reading

Chip Kaufmann’s Pick: Love (1927) With the latest incarnation of Anna Karenina starring Keira Knightley having just having hit the big screen (see review this issue), I thought I would recommend my second favorite version of the story which is the 1927 silent film starring Greta Garbo and John Gilbert.Continue Reading