Tonight's Movie: Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026)

It's been a busy couple of weeks, including attending the D23 Expo, so I'm only now reviewing SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY (2026), which I saw earlier this month.

BRAND NEW DAY is the fourth of Tom Holland's Spider-Man films of the past decade, following SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING (2017), SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME (2019), and SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME (2021).

It's hard to believe it's been half a decade since the last film, and after the long wait -- including something of a cliffhanger ending -- I was particularly excited to see it. Right from the start I loved Tom Holland's welcome to the theater, in the style of some of Tom Cruise's introductions, saying "We made it for you."

As Marvel fans know, the previous film concluded with Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) casting a spell to make the world forget Peter Parker (Holland), aka Spider-Man.

Those who have forgotten Peter include the love of his life, MJ (Zendaya, now the real-life Mrs. Holland), and his best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon).

Peter leads a lonely existence in his apartment, though he emerges regularly to fight crime as Spider-Man. Indeed, that's really all he has in his life at this juncture.

As Spider-Mann, Peter has a professional relationship of sorts over the phone with a New York police detective (Liza Colon-Zayas) and he sometimes interacts with his "frenemy" Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal), aka the Punisher, but Peter is now very much a loner.

As MJ and Ned graduate from MIT and move back to New York, Peter sees them and yearns to reach out, but he's also dealing with serious problems in the form of a telepath (Sadie Sink) who hops from body to body while causing mayhem.

Spider-Man reaches out to Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) for information regarding the telepath, but while she's able to provide a bit of useful information, Peter's problems are growing: His superpowers are acting very strangely. Perhaps Peter can get ideas from Professor Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), though Bruce no longer has any idea who he is...

Needless to say there's much more to the story, but I'll leave off with that as I don't want to be spoiler-y given that the film was just released.

Holland is excellent as an older, sadder Peter/Spider-Man; he's quite endearing in the role. The viewer aches for his losses and loneliness -- viewers will remember that he also lost Aunt May (Marisa Tomei) in the last film -- and wants to see him happy.

The movie presenting Spider-Man and Frank as having a backstory was confusing, inasmuch as Frank has never before appeared in a Spider-Man film; apparently he and Peter became acquainted during the years since the last film. Thanks to my daughter, at least I knew who the Punisher was before seeing the film!

The movie also makes great use of Yelena; Pugh is seen only briefly but has some very funny line deliveries about dealing with "big potato stuff" while Spider-Man is dealing wtih "small potato stuff."

I was particularly impressed with the way Aunt May is creatively woven into the story in ways that are both natural and moving; May is ultimately a significant key to the plot.

One of the film's strengths is an excellent theme about isolation and the human need for others; indeed, Holland improvised a line Peter delivers at Aunt May's gravesite, "You'd be happy to know that I've decided I'm not going to do this alone anymore."

Given that we often heard during lockdowns that moviegoing was dead and in the future everyone would stay home and stream, there's sweet justice in a movie about the perils of human isolation earning absolutely staggering box office returns.

One of my only criticisms of the film is that although I liked the film's final scene, the audience is left hanging regarding Peter's relationships with MJ and Ned, which was unsatisfying after waiting five years.

Other than that, my main critique of the movie is that the telepath's villainy, taking over bodies, feels like a cheat, rather how I feel about the multiverse concept in general; nothing means anything if nothing is guaranteed to be real and anything can happen anywhere. There's a scene midway through the film with Peter, MJ, and the telepath which I frankly found cruel to viewers.

Otherwise, SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY is pure entertainment. It was quite long, at 145 minutes, yet the time flew by. It was wonderful to spend time with characters we've come to care about deeply, and hopefully it won't be another five years before the next movie!

SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY was directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and filmed by

Brett Pawlak.

The movie was scored by Michael Giacchino, who I had the pleasure of seeing interviewed by soundtrack historian Jon Burlingame at the D23 Expo a few days ago. Giacchino has described removing notes from the usual Spider-Man theme to give it a more "lonely" sound.

Parental Advisory: This film is rated PG-13. It has the usual "classic Marvel" level of non-graphic violence mixed with positive themes about caring for others.

A trailer is here.

As a postscript of sorts, I especially enjoyed this film as, despite my enjoyment of Marvel films over a great many years, as seen below, I skipped all of the releases from 2021 to 2025, which uniformly looked dark and unappealing. Marvel has returned to form with THUNDERBOLTS* (2025), THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS (2025), and SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY.

Unfortunately, if the latest trailer is a good indicator, the upcoming AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY (2026) looks like a very dark return to the style of films such as DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS (2022) and ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA (2023) which were among the titles I skipped. If a leaked DOOMSDAY plot point I read was accurate, I won't be seeing it, but I'm still hopeful it was a false rumor. We'll find out in December.

Previous Marvel reviews: IRON MAN (2008), IRON MAN 2 (2010), CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER (2011), THOR (2011), THE AVENGERS (2012), IRON MAN 3 (2013), THOR: THE DARK WORLD (2013), CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER (2014), GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (2014), AGENT CARTER (2015), ANT-MAN (2015), AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON (2015), CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR (2016), DOCTOR STRANGE (2016), GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 (2017), SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING (2017), THOR: RAGNAROK (2017), BLACK PANTHER (2018), AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR (2018), ANT-MAN AND THE WASP (2018), CAPTAIN MARVEL (2019), AVENGERS: ENDGAME (2019), SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME (2019), BLACK WIDOW (2021), SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS (2021), SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME (2021), THUNDERBOLTS* (2025), and THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS (2025).

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Around the Blogosphere This Week...

...is taking the weekend off while I attend Disney's D23 Expo.

 The Expo is taking place this year from August 14th through 16th, and I'll be attending all three days.

 The column will return next weekend, on August 22nd.

For recent links of interest to classic film fans, please visit my August 8th column.

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Off to the 2026 D23 Expo!

Somehow two years have rolled by since the 2024 D23 Expo, and here we are again! Incredibly, it's time for the 2026 Expo.

We had a wonderful time earlier today at the second-ever D23 Day at Disneyland. We especially loved the "Legends Cavalcade," a brief parade featuring a number of Disney Legends.

I was excited to see Ming-Na Wen for the first time!

It was very special to have the chance to meet up with a few Twitter friends today, as well.

This is the ninth D23 Expo. I've been attending since the very first expo in 2009 and will be at the Anaheim Convention Center again for each of the next three days.

There are many great panels on the schedule, including a 20th anniversary celebration of ENCHANTED (2007), a 75th anniversary tribute to ALICE IN WONDERLAND (1951), a 55th anniversary panel on BEDKNOBS AND BROOMSTICKS (1971), and much, much more.

We have reservations for the Saturday evening "Rewind Concert" featuring Disney greats Jodi Benson and Susan Egan, which looks as though it will be similar to a concert we saw at the Hollywood Bowl a couple summers ago.

For "as it happens" photos over the weekend, please follow my Twitter account.

Previously: Off to the 2015 D23 Expo!, Off to the 2017 D23 Expo!, Off to the 2019 D23 Expo!, Off to the 2022 D23 Expo!, Off to the 2024 D23 Expo!

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A Visit to Forest Lawn Cypress

There are several Forest Lawn cemetery locations in Southern California, including the beautifully maintained Forest Lawn Cypress, in North Orange County.

Unlike the Forest Lawn locations in Los Angeles County, there are only a few entertainment-related personages buried in Cypress, but they are of significant interest.

Cowboy star Ken Maynard is buried there, as I also noted in a 2025 Western RoundUp column at Classic Movie Hub.

Maynard's career began in the silents and ran through the mid '40s, with a couple films added on in the early '70s. Maynard's younger brother was the lesser-known cowboy actor Kermit Maynard.

Jack Sheldon did it all: He was a trumpet player, singer, and actor. He was Merv Griffin's sidekick on his TV show, and he also sang beloved songs such as "Conjunction Junction" and "I'm Just a Bill" on SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK.

My husband didn't know Jack Sheldon personally but they had friends in common, and in early 2020 he attended Sheldon's funeral at Forest Lawn to honor a great musician.

John Philip Ford worked as an assistant director and director of "B" Westerns and TV series under the name Philip Ford. He was the son of actor-director Francis Ford, born in Maine when his father was still a teenager.

That also means, of course, that John Philip Ford's uncle was the great director John Ford.

Additional photo posts on the final resting places of historic Hollywood figures: A Visit to Forest Lawn Glendale, Part 1, A Visit to Forest Lawn Glendale, Part 2, A Visit to the Forest Lawn Museum, A Visit to Hollywood Forever Cemetery (2014), A Visit to Westwood Village Memorial Park - The Musicians, A Visit to Westwood Village Memorial Park - The Comedians, A Visit to Westwood Village Memorial Park - The Actors, A Visit to Westwood Village Memorial Park - Writers, Directors, and More, A Visit to Holy Cross Cemetery, Part 1, A Visit to Holy Cross Cemetery, Part 2, A Visit to Holy Cross Cemetery, Part 3, A Visit to Desert Memorial Park, Los Angeles National Cemetery, A Visit to Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, Part 1 (2017), A Visit to Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, Part 2 (2017), A Visit to Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, Part 3 (2019), A Visit to Forest Lawn Cathedral City, A Visit to Oakwood Memorial Park, A Visit to Hillside Memorial Park, Part 1, A Visit to Hillside Memorial Park, Part 2, A Visit to Hollywood Forever Cemetery (2019), A Visit to Woodlawn Cemetery, A Visit to Valley Oaks Memorial Park, A Visit to Valhalla Cemetery, A Visit to Pacific View Memorial Park, A Visit to Glen Haven Memorial Park, A Visit to Forest Lawn Glendale (2020), A Visit to Calvary Cemetery, A Visit to Home of Peace Memorial Park, Visits to Sedona and Las Vegas Cemeteries, A Visit to Forest Lawn Glendale (2022), Visits to Orange County Cemeteries (Holy Sepulcher Cemetery and El Toro Memorial Park), A Visit to Inglewood Park Cemetery, A Visit to Mt. Sinai Memorial Park, A Visit to Palm Springs (Coachella Valley Public Cemetery), A Visit to Marysvale Cemetery, A Visit to Holy Cross Cemetery, Part 1 (2022), A Visit to Holy Cross Cemetery, Part 2 (2022), A Visit to Rose Hills Memorial Park, A Visit to San Fernando Mission Cemetery, A Visit to Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, Part 1 (2023), A Visit to Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, Part 2 (2023), Memorial Service for Edmund Gwenn (2023), A Visit to Evergreen Cemetery, A Visit to Carpinteria Cemetery, A Visit to Santa Barbara Cemetery, and A Visit to Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills: Perry Mason Edition.

Articles on the final resting places of Western stars and filmmakers from my Western RoundUp column at Classic Movie Hub: May 2019, February 2022, November 2, 2022, November 29, 2022, April 2023, November 2023, March 2024, July 2024, February 2025, November 2025, and April 2026.

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Tonight's Movie: Crime Wave (1954) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

One of my all-time favorite films, CRIME WAVE (1954), has just been released on Blu-ray by the Warner Archive Collection.

I first reviewed CRIME WAVE here in 2013. I have rewatched it regularly over the years, most recently at the 2024 Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival.

I love everything about this film, which centers on a reformed ex-con named Steve Lacey (Gene Nelson).

Lacey now has a pretty wife, Ellen (Phyllis Kirk), and a job as an aircraft mechanic. That all goes awry when a pair of criminals (Ted de Corsia and Charles Bronson, billed Buchinsky) Steve knew in prison barge into his apartment; he's forced to help them with a planned bank robbery, or Ellen may be killed.

Sterling Hayden plays Detective Lt. Sims, who constantly rides on Lacey's case -- but when the chips are down, perhaps he has a better understanding of Lacey's true character than he lets on.

The movie zips by in 75 minutes (per the Blu-ray running time, which is slightly longer than what's listed at IMDb). The screenplay by Crane Wilbur, based on an adaptation of a Saturday Evening Post story, is tight and entertaining, directed with verve by Andre De Toth.

The performances are all excellent, with Hayden doing his patented '50s "cranky cop" characterization. His perpetually irritated, toothpick-chewing Sims is not too dissimilar here from his ZERO HOUR! character a couple years later, but he's great fun.

The movie's revelation is Nelson, best known as a musical performer and later as a director of both films and TV. He's attractive and believable as a rough-edged good guy, and he has great chemistry with Kirk as his tough wife. Notably and believably, the movie convention of twin beds was not used in this film.

There are also interesting characters sketched by James Bell, Nedrick Young, Jay Novello, Dub Taylor, Hank Worden, and Timothy Carey, along with the previously mentioned cast.

What really sets the film apart, however, is the black and white cinematography by Bert Glennon and the fantastic use of locations in Glendale, Los Angeles, and the surrounding area.

Everything about the photography is eye-catching, especially the lighting of the nighttime scenes at the gas station or the overly bright fluorescent lights in the police station. This is a movie which looks so good that it could probably be enjoyed with the sound off, if it came to that.

And the locations! I recognized even more places on this viewing than I had in the past, including Chinatown in Downtown Los Angeles and Grand Central Aircraft Co., which was at Grand Central Airport in Glendale. I've been to a couple of events at the airport site, now owned by Disney, and was there most recently this past April.

I also noticed a police car driving past Bob's Big Boy in Burbank, seen here in a screen shot.

I especially love the Christmastime filming, in November and December of 1952, around Glendale's Bank of America, as well as the finale on the rainy Glendale sidewalks. Perfection.

The sheer amount of location filming is particularly impressive given that the film was shot in a scant 15 days. It's worth noting that the movie wasn't released until March 1954, over a year after the shooting wrapped.

CRIME WAVE was shown in Britain as THE CITY IS DARK, which explains some posters and stills using that title. During production the film was also known as DON'T CRY, BABY.

The Blu-ray print, from a new 1080p HD master from a 4K scan of the original camera negative, is absolutely stunning. The movie has always looked great, but now it looks spectacular. It's absolutely marvelous. Sound quality is strong.

Extras include the original DVD commentary by Eddie Muller and James Ellroy; an archival six-minute 2007 featurette, also from the DVD, titled CRIME WAVE: THE CITY IS DARK (2007); the cartoon BABY BUGGY BUNNY (1954); the short GADGETS GALORE; and the trailer.

CRIME WAVE is most highly recommended.

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray. Warner Archive Blu-rays may be ordered from Movie Zyng, Amazon, and other online retailers.

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Blog Giveaway Finale!

Thanks to everyone who participated in my Blog Anniversary Celebration Giveaway!

 

Several entries answered all five MAVERICK questions correctly.

My husband printed out the email addresses of the entrants who got all answers correct, and I drew the winning email address out of a bowl. The winner, Devan, has been notified and responded with her address, so the prize will be headed her way this coming week.

For the curious, here are the correct quiz answers:

Q. In which episode are the immortal words uttered: "If you can't trust your banker, who can you trust?"

A. "Shady Deal at Sunny Acres"

 

 

Q. Which MAVERICK writer also wrote the screenplay for TOO LATE FOR TEARS?

A. Roy Huggins

 

 

Q. The first episode of MAVERICK aired on 22 September 1957, "War of the Silver Kings." Who directed this episode?

A. Budd Boetticher

 

 

Q. Paul Francis Webster wrote the lyrics for the MAVERICK theme song entitled, "Ballad of the Mavericks." In which John Wayne movie did he write lyrics for a song?

A. RIO BRAVO.

 

 

Q. Which actress appeared in the most episodes of MAVERICK between 1957 and 1962?

A. Kathleen Crowley

 

 

I've been blessed to acquire a surfeit of movies over the years and plan to share some of the bounty in a future giveaway focused on John Wayne. Stay tuned!

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Around the Blogosphere This Week

Miscellaneous bits of news and fun stuff from around the Internet...

 ...We have a winner for my bloggiversary celebration giveaway! She has been notified. I'll be posting the MAVERICK quiz answers on Sunday. (Update: Here are the answers!)

...August 8th is the birthday of Esther Williams, Rory Calhoun, and Richard Anderson. Please visit my photo-filled tributes to Calhoun here,Williams here, and Anderson here. They each gave us many wonderful hours of entertainment!

...Film Masters is releasing a Blu-ray containing SECOND CHORUS (1940), starring Fred Astaire and Paulette Goddard, and THE FABULOUS DORSEYS (1947) this November. There are lots of extras including commentary tracks, essays, and more.

...Glenn Erickson reviews a new 4K version of KID CREOLE (1958) from Kino Lorber Studio Classics. It's a terrific Elvis Presley film which I was glad to revisit at this year's Noir City Hollywood festival.

...Over at The Hannibal 8, Toby Roan reviews FOLLOW ME QUIETLY (1949) with William Lundigan. It's recently come out on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection.

...SUNSET (1988) with James Garner and Bruce Willis came out on Blu-ray a few weeks ago in the Retro VHS series.

...I've mentioned ClassicFilmLA here before but want to again recommend it to Southern Californians as a great source for classic film screenings, tours, and more. Christine is very thorough and there are many wonderful events to be found on her calendar.

...Coming from Disney Editions Deluxe in April 2027: THE MARTY SKLAR ARCHIVES: TIME CAPSULES OF WALT DISNEY IMAGINEERING. Thanks to Keith Buczak for the information.

...Notable Passings: Singer-Actress Abbe Lane, who was married for a dozen years to Xavier Cugat, has passed on at 93. Her films included WINGS OF THE HAWK (1953), RIDE CLEAR OF DIABLO (1954), and CHICAGO SYNDICATE (1955), seen here. Be sure to check out the Lane tribute from the Tinseltown Twins..British actress Jean Lodge, the mother of actor Charles Shaughnessy, has died, one day after turning 99. Lodge's films included THE BLACK KNIGHT (1954) with Alan Ladd and Patricia Medina; Lodge played Queen Guenevere...Joan Blackman has passed away at 87. Her film roles included BLUE HAWAII (1961) and KID GALAHAD (1962) with Elvis Presley. She was briefly married to Joby Baker, who died in June 2026...Mary Rivera, who played Ned's grandmother in SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME (2021), died at 82.

...Please note that Around the Blogosphere This Week will not appear next weekend, when I will be attending Disney's D23 Expo. The Expo takes place in Anaheim every two years and is always a wonderful experience.

...For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please visit my August 1st column.

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Tonight's Movie: Macao (1952) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

MACAO (1952), just released on Blu-ray by the Warner Archive Collection, is, as the saying goes, "more fun than a barrel of monkeys."

MACAO has always struck me as a bit in the shadow of HIS KIND OF WOMAN (1951), the first RKO film starring Robert Mitchum and Jane Russell.

HIS KIND OF WOMAN is a wildly entertaining ride, but the final act is frankly quite disturbing at times, mixed in with fun humor.

I don't think I'd seen MACAO since I reviewed it here in 2008. I'd forgotten what a good time it is. It's much more even than HIS KIND OF WOMAN and also more lighthearted, though there's certainly violence mixed in.

Mitchum and Russell play Nick and Julie, two people with shady pasts who "meet cute" on a boat to Macao, where she's fending off an aggressive admirer.

Nick lends a hand, which Julie repays by lifting his wallet...but all's well that ends well, they end up friends.

Once in Macao with their fellow passenger, a salesman named Lawrence Trumble (William Bendix), Julie and Nick meet up with nightclub owner and racketeer Vince Halloran (Brad Dexter) and his comely girlfriend/employee Margie (Gloria Grahame). Halloran suspects that Nick is actually a cop and is none too happy he's in town.

There's all sorts of mysterious crime, hidden identities, and more...not to mention romantic complications. Margie might just prove to be an ally to Nick and Julie's romance because she sees that Vince is interested in Julie, and she wants him for herself...

The movie is only 81 minutes and it flies by. Mitchum and Russell have a marvelous rapport; they remained close friends their entire lives. I especially enjoy their scene together in a boat as their relationship develops; watch their very natural way of conversation closely. They're great together, and I only wish they'd been teamed in more films.

Russell also performs a couple of songs, including "One for My Baby," and unsurprisingly is a pleasure to look at as well.

Bendix is fun as the "third wheel" to Nick and Julie, and I especially like Grahame in this one. I'm not usually her biggest fan but this is one of her most enjoyable roles for me. She looks lovely and plays a great character.

Coincidentally I just saw Grahame a few days ago in a theatrical screening of SUDDEN FEAR (1952) from the same year, where she plays a much less likeable character.

The supporting cast also includes Thomas Gomez, Edward Ashley, Philip Ahn, and Vladimir Sokoloff.

MACAO was directed by Josef von Sternberg. The screenplay was by Bernard C. Schoenfeld and Stanley Rubin, from a story by Bob Williams; as was typical for RKO films under producer Howard Hughes, there was also uncredited script work by a plethora of contributors.

The superb Blu-ray print is a 1080p master from a 4K scan of the original nitrate camera negative. The black and white cinematography of Harry J. Wild looks fantastic, crisp and filled with inky blacks and wonderful contrasts. Even back projection scenes look better than the norm.

Disc extras include the trailer; the original DVD commentary with Eddie Muller and Stanley Rubin (plus archival clips of Jane Russell); and the 2006 PRIVATE SCREENINGS interview Robert Osborne conducted with Mitchum and Russell. As always for Warner Archive Blu-rays, optional English subtitles are included.

MACAO is pure fun which I enjoyed very much and will certainly return to in the future. Recommended.

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray. Warner Archive Blu-rays may be ordered from Movie Zyng, Amazon, and other online retailers.

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Tonight's Movie: Colt .45 (1950) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

The colorful Randolph Scott Western COLT .45 (1950) was just released on Blu-ray by the Warner Archive Collection.

I reviewed this film in 2010 and really enjoyed returning to it via this beautiful new Blu-ray. It's not one of Scott's very best Westerns, but it's an entertaining and fast-moving 74 minutes with some interesting angles.

Scott plays Steve Farrell, a Colt gun salesman who's attempting to sell guns to a sheriff when Jason Brett (Zachary Scott) breaks out of jail and steals them. Brett begins a reign of terror with a criminal gang, indiscriminately gunning down helpless victims with the stolen Colts.

Beth Donovan (Ruth Roman) believes that her husband Paul (Lloyd Bridges) is being forced to work with Brett's gang against his will. Little does she know...

This interesting film was written by Thomas Blackburn and directed by Edwin L. Marin. It's a quick, colorful action film which I like quite a bit.

Zachary Scott is a particularly notable villain, a remorseless killer with absolutely no redeeming qualities.

As I wrote in 2010, Zachary Scott was going through personal trauma around the time this film was made, as his wife had left him for, believe it or not, John Steinbeck. Scott was depressed and drinking, and according to his biographer, Scott's real-life drama seeped into his performance, informing it with a psychotic malevolence. Jack Warner was said to have found Scott's performance so disturbing that he agreed to lend him out to MGM for his next picture.

Randolph Scott is as fine as might be expected in the lead, relentlessly chasing after the man who stole his guns and has been on a trail of crime ever since. The part could have used a bit more humor, perhaps, but otherwise he's as fine as one would expect.

I especially enjoy Ruth Roman in this film, as her character is not one to sit around helplessly. Whether she's trying to protect her husband from Randolph Scott, standing up to the advances of Zachary Scott, or dynamiting her way out of being locked up, she makes things happen. Roman's lively performance combined with her beautiful Technicolor looks contribute a great deal to this film.

One does wonder how Roman's character ended up married to an idiot like Paul in the first place, but if she hadn't we'd be missing about half the movie's plot! It's interesting to me how often Bridges was cast as wimps, belying his physique -- the most notable example being his feckless deputy sheriff in HIGH NOON (1952) a couple years later.

The supporting cast includes Alan Hale (Sr.), Ian MacDonald, Stanley Andrews, and Chief Thundercloud.

The Warner Archive Blu-ray is from a 1080p HD master from a 4K scan of the original nitrate Technicolor camera negatives. It beautifully shows off the Technicolor photography of Wilfrid M. Cline. Sound quality is also excellent.

Disc extras consist only of the 11-minute Joe McDoakes short SO YOU WANT TO THROW A PARTY (Joe McDoakes, 1950) and the Bugs Bunny cartoon HILLBILLY HARE (1950). Optional English-language subtitles are included.

For additional thoughts on this film, please visit my 2010 review.

This is a fun one, beautifully presented by the Warner Archive Collection. Recommended.

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray. Warner Archive Blu-rays may be ordered from Movie Zyng, Amazon, and other online retailers.

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Tonight's Movie: The Pelican Brief (1993)

A few days ago I finally caught up with THE PELICAN BRIEF (1993), starring Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington.

I've always liked Roberts a great deal, and I enjoy Washington as well, but this film came out during a period in my life when I had young children and saw very few new-to-me films.

Consequently there are still many films from that era which I'm only now seeing for the first time. Another example is THE PAPER (1994) which I saw earlier this year. The silver lining is it's fun to finally see films I missed "back in the day"!

THE PELICAN BRIEF was written and directed by Alan J. Pakula based on the novel by John Grisham.

As the movie begins, two Supreme Court justices are assassinated. (The shocking nature of this is somewhat underplayed, particularly given what follows.) An inquisitive young law student, Darby Shaw (Roberts), researches what the justices had in common in their court rulings and puts together a brief on what the motive may have been for the killings.

Darby gives the brief to her law professor and lover, the older, alcoholic Thomas Callahan (Sam Shepard). Callahan in turn shares the brief with a good friend in Washington. Shortly thereafter Callahan dies in horrific car explosion which was meant to kill Darby as well.

Darby goes into hiding, ultimately reaching out to reporter Gray Grantham (Washington). They have a scary time of it but ultimately prove Darby's theory as to who's responsible for the assassinations, and it's published by Grantham and his newspaper editor (John Lithgow).

THE PELICAN BRIEF at times gets a bit confusing trying to figure out who's good and bad -- can Gavin Verheek (John Heard), special counsel to the FBI director, or his boss (James B. Sikking) be trusted? What about the President (Robert Culp) or his top aide (Tony Goldwyn)? At times I wasn't sure whether the script was keeping secrets or I was missing essential clues.

Despite struggling at times to stay clear on the story as it was presented over a longish 141 minutes, I still very much enjoyed the film, which has appealing leads, an interesting supporting cast, and a terrific suspenseful mood, as one might expect from the director of ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN (1974).

I'd add that certain moments in the film seem quite prescient in terms of politics and political moods three decades later, including a President who doesn't seem quite "with it," with his aide essentially running things.

Roberts and Washington are as appealing as ever as the gutsy detectives attempting to stay one step ahead of assassins. Not a great deal is required of them other than looking serious and worried, but they deliver on what's needed in the roles in perfect fashion.

Besides the supporting actors mentioned above, the film also features Stanley Tucci, Hume Cronyn, William Atherton, Christopher Murray, and a young Cynthia Nixon. Among the supporting cast I especially enjoyed Lithgow and Sikking as the newspaper editor and FBI director. (A fun side note, I had seen Sikking, known for HILL STREET BLUES, on stage in a Los Angeles play roughly a decade earlier.)

The movie was filmed by Stephen Goldblatt, including location shooting in Louisiana and Washington, D.C.

I watched this movie via a very old widescreen DVD in a snapcase; it must be one of the oldest discs on our shelves, perhaps even dating from before we acquired a DVD player circa 2001. (The DVD was bought for another family member, and I'd just never gotten around to seeing it myself.) It was kind of hilarious realizing that the disc was so old that, due to the film's long running time, I had to turn it over partway through the movie! Dual-layer discs didn't exist back then.

THE PELICAN BRIEF is rated PG-13. There are a couple scenes featuring a great deal of blood but not gore.

The trailer may be viewed here.

All in all, this was an enjoyable suspense film. I wish more movies like it were released these days.

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