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Showing posts from September 27, 2021

Review: Vera Cruz (1954)

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VERA CRUZ is an outstanding 1954 western directed by Robert Aldrich ( THE DIRTY DOZEN ) that shares many plot points and devices with Sam Peckinpah's THE WILD BUNCH , which wouldn't arrive on the scene for a full fifteen years. You want Charles Bronson playing harmonica over a decade before Leone's ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST ? Here it is, alongside Jack Elam, another Leone pick. You want Ernest Borgnine as part of a band of outlaws looking for trouble? Here he is. The influence of Vera Cruz upon the next generation of filmmakers cannot be underestimated.  At the core of Vera Cruz is the relationship between our two lead characters. Gary Cooper plays an honorable man who was on the wrong side of the Civil War and now drifts, looking for mercenary work. Burt Lancaster plays a scoundrel with few redeeming qualities, a literal black hat who is quick on the draw and seems to have no moral code whatsoever. The two men find their fates intertwined when they agree to accompany

Review: Devil and the Deep (1932)

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A stunning, powerful pre-code drama from Paramount that features Tallulah Bankhead, Gary Cooper, Cary Grant, and Charles Laughton in his big-screen debut! Laughton plays a submarine commander who is married to Tallulah Bankhead. Jealousy of his wife and how she's spending her time has driven him mad...or perhaps he was mad all along and his jealousy is what drives him into a complete break with reality. When he incorrectly suspects an affair between his wife and his lieutenant, played by Cary Grant, he has Grant transferred and replaced by Gary Cooper. Ah, but Tallulah and Cooper have already met, and shared a steamy one night stand in the desert night. They didn't realize that their tryst would tie them together with tragic consequences. The drama culminates on a submarine endeavour with a catastrophic climax, as the lives of every person on board hang in the balance, with Laughton's mad, suicidal (and homicidal) behavior leading to a final confrontation with the two peopl

Review: Hot Saturday (1932)

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Ah, small town gossip! This pre-code Paramount programmer features a very early appearance by Cary Grant (who had just made his debut earlier in 1932 in This is The Night ) as a wealthy socialite and Randolph Scott as a down-to-earth (literally) geologist. Both men are the possible love interests of Nancy Carroll, a bank employee who is virtuous, but likes to spend the weekends partying with her pals. One hot Saturday night, things go a bit too far and before she knows what's happened, our sweet banker is the subject of gossip running through town like wildfire. Because this is a pre-code film, subjects such as infidelity, spending the night at a wealthy man's house and even possible cuckolding are pushed to the forefront to bring as much salaciousness as possible. Also of note, a scene in which Nancy Carroll passes out in the rain and awakes to find herself dry in bed with all her clothes removed and hung out to dry by Randolph Scott's character, who leans over her in an i

Monster Mash - 50 Years of Monster Cereal! Plus, General Mills Halloween Prizes in Every Box!

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To celebrate 50 years of Monster Cereals, General Mills has created MONSTER MASH, a mega mix of all five monster cereals in one bowl! But that's not all: Count Chocula, Boo Berry, and Frankenberry have returned for a very special (and rare) cereal box prize available only for the Halloween season! Check out ALL of our cereal videos HERE We are viewer supported! To unlock this and over 100 (!!!) exclusive episodes of Cereal At Midnight PLUS access to our secret Facebook group, live streams, and more, visit Patreon.com/cerealatmidnight Thanks to those who make what we do possible by their support!