Mission: Impossible (1966–Present)

To search ALL film reviews, use the search bar below:

Mission: Impossible (1966–Present) 

Mission: Impossible – The Complete Series (1966–1973)

C – 8550m (171 Episodes, 50 Minutes each)
Aspect Ratio: 4:3 – Fullscreen
Creator: Bruce Geller
Writers: Bruce Geller, Allan Balter, William Read Woodfield... to view the complete list, click here.
Dir.s: Reza Badiyi, Barry Crane, Paul Krasny... to view the complete list, click here.
Starring: Greg Morris, Peter Lupus, Peter Graves... to view the complete list, click here.

An elite covert operations unit carries out highly sensitive missions subject to official denial in the event of failure, death or capture. Who knew at the time that this show was on the air that it would launch a revival / reboot and a mega successful action film series? This classic show featured quite a stellar cast and scripts that holds the viewer’s interest from start to finish of each episode. The guest stars are fun too. While this has little action compared to the theatrical film series, the performances are such that one doesn’t really think about it. Are there corny lines every now and then? Sure, there is nothing wrong with that. This show is worth watching for two reasons: 1.) The cast is great, and 2.) This is the show that started the television reboot and the hit film series.

Trivia:

Only one hundred twenty missions include the famous warning that the tape will "self-destruct". Five say that the tape will "decompose", one says that it will "destroy itself", twelve instruct Briggs or Phelps to "dispose of" the recording, seven tell them to "destroy" it, and three contain no instructions, but Phelps destroys the recordings anyway. The remaining fifteen missions contain no recorded briefing at all. The reel–to–reel tape was actually in rewind mode when it was shown as “playing” because the tape moved too slowly to be believed when it would actually be playing. This show was not shown in syndication for several years due to the fact that the public became used to Peter Graves as the head of the MIF. When they saw the reruns of the first season of the show with Dan Briggs in the role of the head of the MIF it confused them. Greg Morris and Peter Lupus were the only two actors to stay throughout the course of all the seasons of this show. It should be noted though that Sam Elliot replaced Peter Lupus for about half of the fifth season of the show. 

The faceless figure shown lighting a match on the opening credits was series creator Bruce Geller. It wasn’t until the 1988 revival / reboot of the show that a character was created for it – Jim Phelps would be shown lighting it. Steven Hill left the show after only one season for two reasons: 1.) Because the show’s shooting schedule would have had him, an Orthodox Jew, working on the Sabbath and 2.) His behavior was frequently disruptive and would cause the production to shut down. Martin Landau and his then wife Barbara Bain jointly left the show after the third season due to contract disputes after their demands for a raises in their salaries were not met. Most of the non–lead actors on Star Trek (1966–1969) also appeared on this show. Even some of the leads had guest spots on this show. This was likely because both shows were filmed at Desilu Studios.

This show, when it was cancelled in 1973 was the last of the rash of spy shows from the 1960’s. Some others from that time were: The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (1964–1968), Secret Agent (1964–1967), Get Smart (1965–1970), The Wild Wild West (1965–1969), amongst others. 

Available on DVD & Digital Copy

Mission: Impossible – The Complete Series (1988–1990)

C – 1645m (35 episodes, 47 minutes each)
Aspect Ratio: 4:3 – Fullscreen
Creator: Bruce Geller
Scriptwriters: Bruce Geller, Ted Roberts, Jeffrey M. Hayes, Robert Brennan, Michael Fisher, Walter Brough, David Phillips, Frank Abatemarco, Dale Duguid, Roger Dunn, Michael Seims, Allan Balter, Robert Hamner, Laurence Heath, Michael Lynn, Arthur Weiss, James Crown, Chip Hayes, Stephen Kandel, Rick Maier, Billy Marshall Stoneking, John Whelpley, Cliff Green, Dan Roberts and Jan Sardi.
Dir.s: Colin Budds, Arch Nicholson, Don Chaffey, Cliff Bole, Rob Stewart, Michael Vejar, Kim Manners, Rod Hardy, Brian Trenchard–Smith and John Jopson.
Starring: Peter Graves, Thaao Penghlis, Anthony Hamilton... to view complete list, click here.

An elite covert operations unit carries out highly sensitive missions subject to official denial in the event of failure, death or capture. This reboot is actually a continuation of the original series. The returning cast is always a pleasure to see and by the same flip of the coin the stellar cast from the original series is greatly missed. Still there is drama and mild action that will keep viewers alert for the 47 minutes per episode.

Trivia:

This series was originally intended to be a Limited Series with the scripts being remakes of the classic episodes from the first series and the original characters being recast with then current actors. Instead, when Peter Graves returned to play his role again, it was changed to be a continuation of the original series. It should be noted that the first five episodes of this series were remakes of classic episodes due to a writers’ strike. Peter Graves, Greg Morris and Lynda Day George all reprise their roles from the original series. Terry Markwell opted not to renew her contract for the rest of Season One because she was dissatisfied with the amount of screen time she got. Terry Markwell was then replaced by Jane Badler. This was one of the first American commercial network shows to be filmed in Australia. After this series, there was a six–year break in the Mission: Impossible timeline, during which the series made the leap from the television screen to the theatrical screen. 

Primetime Emmy nominee for: Outstanding Sound Mixing – Drama Series (1989) and Outstanding Sound Editing – Series (1990).

Available on DVD & Digital Copy

Mission: Impossible (1996)

C – 110m
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 – Widescreen
A.K.A.: Mission Impossible
Television Series Creator And Writer: Bruce Geller
Story By: David Koepp and Steven Zaillian
Screenplay By: David Koepp and Robert Towne
Exec. Prod.: Paul Hitchcock
Prod.s: Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner
Assoc. Prod.: J.C. Calciano
Dir.: Brian De Palma
Starring: Tom Cruise, Jon Voight, Emmanuelle Beart, Henry Czerny, Jean Reno, Ving Rhames, Kristin Scott Thomas, Vanessa Redgrave, Ingeborga Dapkunaite, Valentina Yakunina, Marek Vasut, Nathan Osgood, Rolf Saxon, Karel Dobry, Andreas Wisniewski, David Shaeffer, Rudolf Pechan, Ricco Ross, Mark Houghton, Annabel Mullion, Garrick Hagon, Sam Douglas, David Schneider, Helen Lindsay, Pat Starr, Richard D. Sharp, Randall Paul, Graydon Gould, Tom Vogel, Michael Rogers, and Laura Brook
Music By: Danny Elfman

An American agent, under false suspicion of disloyalty, must discover and expose the real spy without the help of his organization. A fast–pace action – thriller that will keep viewers in a white–knuckle state for the better part of the film. Director Brian De Palma did a great job at the helm of this film and Cruise and the rest of the cast are in fine form. This was the successful start to the successful film series. Don’t miss it!  

Trivia:

In the filming of the iconic scene where Tom Cruise drops from the ceiling and hangs inches about the ground, Cruise’s head kept hitting the ground until he decided to put coins in his shoes for balance. The trick with the disappearing / reappearing CD that Ethan Hunt does to fool Franz Krieger is actual slight of hand, not a camera trick or any other visual effect. Vanessa Redgrave’s role was originally written for a man. The cinematic train sequence took six weeks to shoot at the 007 stage at Pinewood Studios in London, England. According to Martin Landau, in one of the earlier drafts of the script there was the idea to bring back the original cast from the original show just to kill them all off at the beginning of this film. George Clooney was offered the role of Ethan Hunt but turned it down to work in: One Fine Day (1996). Additionally Bruce Willis, John Travolta, Nicolas Cage, Ralph Fiennes, and Mel Gibson were all considered of the role. Brian De Palma originally offered the role of Claire to Juliette Binoche. Al Pacino, Michael Douglas and Robert Redford were all considered for the role of Jim Phelps. Robert Towne rewrote scenes in between takes. Tom Cruise did most of his own stunts.      

Followed by: Mission: Impossible II (2000), Mission Impossible III (2006), Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011), Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015), and Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018).

Rated: [PG–13] – Some Intense Action Violence
Out Of Print on VHS & Laserdisc but Available on Blu–ray, DVD & Digital Copy 

Mission: Impossible II (2000)

C – 123m
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 – Widescreen
A.K.A.: M.I.: Mission Impossible II, M.I. Mission Impossible 2, Mission: Impossible 2, Mission Impossible II, Mission Impossible 2, M:I – 2, M.I. 2, M:I 2
Creator / Writer: Bruce Geller
Story By: Ronald D. Moore and Brannon Braga
Screenplay By: Robert Towne
Exec. Prod.s: Terence Chang and Paul Hitchcock
Prod.s: Tom Cruise and Paul Wagner
Assoc. Prod.: Michael Doven
Dir.: John Woo
Starring: Tom Cruise, Dougray Scott, Thandie Newton, Ving Rhames, Richard Roxburgh, John Polson, Brendan Gleeson, Rade Serbedzija, William Mapother, Anthony Hopkins (uncredited), Patrick Marber (uncredited), William Morts (uncredited) and Tory Mussett (uncredited).
Music By: Hans Zimmer

IMF Agent Ethan Hunt is sent to Sydney, to find and destroy a genetically modified disease called "Chimera". This entry in the Mission series is by far the best entry. Action is plentiful and well choreographed. The performances are tops and the CGI is great and the makeup is the best of the series. As with the first one there are many white–knuckle moments – including the opening rock climbing. See it!  

Trivia:

John Woo’s first cut of this film ran 3 hours, 30 minutes. Tom Cruise’s then wife, Nicole Kidman suggested Thandie Newton. Newton was cast before the script was even written. When Ethan Hunt peals off his mask, it was done with a green screen for each actor. Tom Cruise was told to put his hand in a certain place below his chin and make the motion of pulling something off. The two faces were then put together in post–production (editing), making it look like Cruise took off a mask. The movie was initially rated R but was recut to a PG–13 by toning down violence considerably. This was the first film that Metallica agreed to write a song for.

Production was delayed because of Tom Cruise working in Eyes Wide Shut (1999) with Stanley Kubrick for over a year. This was the highest grossing film of 2000. The role of Commander Swanbeck was offered to Ian McKellen and Anthony Hopkins. Tom Cruise offered the chance to direct the sequel to Brian De Palma, but he turned it down. Oliver Stone was the first director attached to this film but he dropped out reportedly due to scheduling conflicts. This entry in the series had the only appearance of Anthony Hopkins as Mission Commander Swanbeck. Tom Cruise did most of his own stunts.

Sequel to: Mission: Impossible (1996). Followed by: Mission: Impossible III (2006), Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011), Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015), and Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018). 

Rated: [PG–13] – Intense Sequences Of Violent Action & Some Sensuality
Available on Blu–ray, DVD & Digital Copy

Mission: Impossible III (2006)

C – 126m (full film) / 124m (edited)
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 – Widescreen
A.K.A.: Mission: Impossible 3, Heyday, M:I: III, M.I. III, M:I III, M:I:3, M:I 3
Television Creator & Writer: Bruce Geller
Screenplay By: Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and J.J. Abrams
Exec. Prod.s: Sanping Han, Stratton Leopold and Buting Yang
Sup. Prod.: Bill Borden
Line Prod.: Enzo Sisti
Prod.s: Tom Cruise, Paul Wagner and Haicheng Zhao (as Zhao Haicheng)
Co–Prod.: Arthur Anderson, Tao Jiang and Doming Shi
Assoc. Prod.: Guichun Wang
Dir.: J.J. Abrams
Starring: Tom Cruise, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ving Rhames, Michelle Monaghan, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Keri Russell, Maggie Q, Simon Pegg, Eddie Marsan, Laurence Fishburne, Bahar Soomekh, Jeff Chase, Michael Berry, Jr., Carla Gallo, Bellamy Young, Paul Keeley, Jane Daly, Greg Grunberg, Tracy Middendorf, Aaron Paul, Sean O’Bryan, Bruce French, Ellen Bry, James Shaklin, Michelle Arthur, and Barney Cheng

IMF Agent Ethan Hunt comes into conflict with a dangerous and sadistic arms dealer who threatens his life and his fiancée in response. This sequel is a tad tired after the last entry but still entertaining. Great cast and action but the rest is negligible. Not a bad start for J.J. Abrams as a director! Worth seeing! 

Trivia:

Curious people would loiter around the main unit of this film in Italy, so a faux second unit working with women dressed as nuns and women in bikinis to lure them away from the main unit so that they could shoot what they needed for the actual film. After the success of: Shaun Of The Dead (2004), Simon Pegg was asked if he was going to pursue an acting career in Hollywood. He jokingly replied, “It’s not like I’m going to be in Mission: Impossible III.” Tom Cruise did most of his own stunts.

This was J.J. Abrams directorial debut. Scarlett Johansson was cast early on but pulled out of the film and was replaced by Keri Russell. Maggie Q had to learn how to drive for her role. In the bonus features on Blu–ray and DVD copies of this film it was revealed that Maggie Q’s high heal shoe got stuck on the acceleration peddle causing her to lightly crash into a parked car. Rachel McAdams turned down the role that went to Michelle Monaghan. Katie Holmes, Lindsay Lohan, Elisha Cuthbert and Jessica Alba were all considered for the role of Lindsay Ferris, which is played by Keri Russell here. David Fincher was slated to direct this but backed out to make: The Lords Of Dogtown (2005). When Fincher was slated to direct, Sylvestre Stallone was being courted to play the main villain. There was a false rumor that Brad Pitt was going to replace Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt. Kelly Brook was at one point slated to appear in this film.

Sequel to: Mission: Impossible (1996) and Mission: Impossible II (2000). Followed by: Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011), Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015), and Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018).

Rated: [PG–13] – Intense Sequences Of Frenetic Violence And Menace, Disturbing Images & Some Sensuality
Available on Blu–ray, DVD & Digital Copy 

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol  (2011)

C – 132m
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 – Widescreen
Aspect Ratio: Mission: Impossible IV – Ghost Protocol, Mission Impossible IV – Ghost Protocol, Mission: Impossible 4 – Ghost Protocol, Mission: Impossible IV, Mission: Impossible 4, Mission Impossible IV, Mission Impossible 4, M:IIVGP, MIIVGP, M:I4GP, MI4GP, M:IGP, MIGP, Aries, M:I4, MIIV. MI4
Television Creator & Writer: Bruce Geller
Characters By: Steven Zaillian and David Koepp
Screenplay By: Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec
Exec. Prod.s: David Ellison and Dana Goldberg
Prod.s: J.J. Abrams, Tom Cruise
Dir.: Brad Bird
Starring: Tom Cruise, Paula Patton, Simon Pegg, Jeremy Renner, Michael Nyqvist, Samuli Edelmann, Ivan Shvedoff, Anil Kapoor, Josh Holloway, Michelle Monaghan (uncredited), Ving Rhames (uncredited) and Tom Wilkinson (uncredited).

The IMF is shut down when it's implicated in the bombing of the Kremlin, causing Ethan Hunt and his new team to go rogue to clear their organization's name. This is the WORST entry in the franchise. This reviewer cannot say enough bad things about it. Terrible CGI, acting is over the top or dull and the story is less than nothing in existence. The only two things that can be said FOR this film are that the makeup is passible and there is a nice use of the song: “Ain’t That A Kick In The Head” sung by Dean Martin. If at all possible ignore this entry and go for the fifth one when you finish the third entry in the series. If one MUST watch this, they will be doing so at the risk of their own intellectual and entertainment peril! 

Trivia: Tom Cruise did most of his own stunts. This was Brad Bird’s directorial debut. 

Sequel to: Mission: Impossible (1996), Mission: Impossible II (2000) and Mission: Impossible III (2006). Followed by: Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015), and Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018).

Rated: [PG–13] – Sequences Of Intense Action & Violence
Available on Blu–ray, DVD & Digital Copy

Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015)

C – 131m
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 – Widescreen
A.K.A.: Mission: Impossible V – Rogue Nation, Mission: Impossible 5 – Rogue Nation, Mission Impossible – Rogue Nation, Mission: Impossible V, Mission: Impossible 5, Mission Impossible V, Mission Impossible 5, M:IV – RN, M:I5 – RN, M:I – RN, M:IVRN, MIVRN, M:IRN, M:I V, M:I 5, M:IV, M:I5, MIV, MI5
Television Show Creator & Writer: Bruce Geller
Story By: Christopher McQuarrie and Drew Pearce
Writer – Dir.: Christopher McQuarrie
Prod.s: J.J. Abrams, Tom Cruise, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Don Granger.
Starring: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames, Sean Harris, Simon McBurney, Tom Hollander, Alec Baldwin, Nigel Barber, William Roberts, Robert Maaser, Eva–Marie Becker, Jamie Buchan (uncredited), Jill Buchanan (uncredited), John Carr (uncredited), Jamie B. Chambers (uncredited), Tom Dab, Alexander Hathaway (uncredited), Helena Holmes (uncredited), Philip Howard, Peter Stanford, Glenn Webster and Belle Williams.

Ethan and team take on their most impossible mission yet, eradicating the Syndicate - an International rogue organization as highly skilled as they are, committed to destroying the IMF. This was a huge step up from the disaster that was the previous entry in this blockbuster series. The acting, writing, CGI and makeup are back on stable footing. The issue here is that it is a tad too long and slow spots become more pronounced because of it. Still an agreeable film to watch… Recommended.

Trivia:

Tom Cruise did most of his own stunts. Tom Cruise and Simon Pegg performed all their own driving stunts. It took ten days to film a 90–second involving Ethan Hunt, Tom Cruise, suspended on the airplane. When training for the underwater scene, Tom Cruise could hold his breath for six minutes. Paula Patton and Maggie Q were set to reprise their roles from: Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011), but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts. Benedict Cumberbatch was the first actor considered to play the villain. In an interview with The Q&A With Jeff Goldsmith, Tom Cruise stated that the gray suit worn during the opening plane sequence was a direct homage to Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant) in Alfred Hitchcock’s North By Northwest (1959), who wears a similarly colored suit in the classic plane sequence. Tom Cruise was attached to: The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (2015), but dropped out to make this film. Henry Cavill replaced him. They would go on to be in: Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018), together.    

Sequel to: Mission: Impossible (1996), Mission: Impossible II (2000), Mission: Impossible III (2006) and Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011). Followed by: Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018).

Rated: [PG–13] – Sequences Of Action And Violence, & Brief Partial Nudity
Available on Blu–ray, DVD & Digital Copy 

Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)

C – 147m
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 – Widescreen
A.K.A.: M:I VI – Mission Impossible, M:I 6 – Mission Impossible, Mission: Impossible VI, Mission: Impossible 6
Characters From The TV Series By: Bruce Geller
Writer – Dir.: Christopher McQuarrie
Prod.s: J.J. Abrams and Tom Cruise
Starring: Tom Cruise, Henry Cavill, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Sean Harris, Vanessa Kirby, Michelle Monaghan, Wes Bentley, Alec Baldwin, Kristoffer Joner, Wolf Blitzer and Raphael Joner.

Ethan Hunt and his IMF team, along with some familiar allies, race against time after a mission gone wrong. This is simultaneously one of the best entries in the series but is also the worst to try and review. If no analysis is done on this film it stands strong with a three out of four star rating. The minute one tries to say, “this works because…” the film falls apart. For sure: there is good tension built several times throughout the film, the action is high octane, the cinematography is good and CGI and makeup are tops. Unfortunately: These more than capable actors can be found chewing the scenery (over acting) at various points in the film, the story is slightly contrived, the script has a few too many corny lines, and dramatic scenes are on the melodramatic side of things and are unintentionally funny. Still there are some well–planned gags in the film that score bulls eyes. If one doesn’t think about the film, it works. Try to see the film doing just that. Recommended without scrutiny.  

Trivia:

This film had 3,000 setups, thirteen helicopters, six pregnancies, five hiatuses, four–weeks of aerial photography, three continents, two winters and one broken ankle. Tom Cruise trained for and entire year to perform the HALO (High Altitude Low Opening) stunt in this film. While filming a scene in August 2017, Tom Cruise fractured his ankle in a stunt where he leaped from a building. Production was halted for several weeks / 8 weeks (depending on the source), but the July 2018 release date was kept. The footage from that stunt was used both in the trailers for this film and this film itself. At a running length of 147 minutes or 2 hours 27 minutes, this was the longest Mission: Impossible film up to that point. This film was green–lit several days before the release of: Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015). Solomon Lane was the first villain to appear in two entries in this series of film.

Jeremy Renner was not in this film due to his obligations to the Marvel universe. Rebecca Ferguson was pregnant while filming this movie. She was about seven months pregnant when filming was completed. Rebecca Ferguson was also the first actress to appear in two leading role parts in two entries in this series. Christopher McQuarrie was the first director from this series to direct more than one film in this series. Tom Cruise and Ving Rhames are the only actors to appear in all the Mission: Impossible films. Simon Pegg started in the series in Mission: Impossible III (2006). Henry Cavill, who is in this film with Tom Cruise, replaced Cruise in: The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (2015). Michelle Monaghan’s appearances in this series were: Mission: Impossible III (2006), Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011) and this film. Tom Cruise did most of his own stunts.

In June 2017, Tom Cruise, Michelle Monaghan and Simon Pegg arrived in New Zealand to begin filming scenes. This marked Tom Cruise’s first time in the country since filming: The Last Samurai (2003). This film was shot in 161 days. The filming took almost an entire year due to having to halt production for a few months due to Tom Cruise’s broken ankle. As usual Tom Cruise did most of his own stunts for this film. This was the first Mission: Impossible film to be released in 3D. Post–Production on this film was completed on July 3, 2018; Tom Cruise was shown the completed film for the first time on July 8, 2018; and this film was finally released in 2D and 3D on July 27, 2018.

Sequel to: Mission: Impossible (1996), Mission: Impossible II (2000), Mission: Impossible III (2006), Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011), and Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015).  
Rated: [PG–13] – Violence & Intense Scenes Of Action, & Brief Strong Language

John Cassavetes 1950’s & 1960’s

Shadows (1959)

B&W – 87m. / 81m
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 – Fullscreen
Writer – Dir.: John Cassavetes. Pro.: Seymour Cassel.
Starring: John Cassavetes, Seymour Cassel, Bobby Darin and Gena Rowlands.

An improvised look at interracial relationships in Beat–Era (1950’s) New York City. Largely improvised and then written later by Cassavetes and his acting class students. While there is a loosely structured story in place, it is more performance driven. Commendable but contrived. Daring for its time but tame by today’s standards. Please be aware that the big named stars are not credited here. John Cassavete’s directorial debut.

Rated: [PG]
Part of The Criterion Collection. Available on Blu – ray, DVD & Digital Copy

Johnny Staccato: The Complete Series (1959 – 1960)

B&W – 804m
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 – Fullscreen
One Dir.: John Cassavetes

Starring: John Cassavetes, Eduardo Ciannelli, John Williams, Shirley Knight, Elizabeth Montgomery, Gena Rowlands, Dean Stockwell, Geraldine Brooks, Cloris Leachman, Mary Tyler Moore, Paul Stewart, Nita Talbot, Martin Landau, Michael Landon, Elizabeth Patterson, Tom Reese, John Marley, Sig Ruman, Harry Tyler, Susan Oliver, June Foray and Steve Allen.

A private detective who likes to play Jazz Piano in his spare time solves murder mysteries, prevents bombs going off, etc. An intelligent show that had great music and acting… Sadly, Cassavetes burned out on the show and canned it after one season. Thankfully the episodes still survive!

Available on DVD.

Too Late Blues (1961)

B&W – 103m
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 – Widescreen / 1.78:1 – Widescreen (Blu–ray, DVD & Digital Copy)
Writer – Dir.: John Cassavetes
Starring: Bobby Darin, Stella Stevens, Seymour Cassel, John Cassavetes and Don Siegel.

A poisonous love affair between a self-righteous musician and a female singer starts and continues. Is it helping or hurting their careers? Troublesome film is far from a walk in the park emotionally but fine performances are given and that must be commended. A little more plot would have helped too. This may feel claustrophobic for some given the structure of two or three people in a scene at a time during the dramatic moments. Darin does his best impression of Cassavetes in the film.

Available on Blu–ray, DVD & Digital Copy.

A Child Is Waiting (1963)

B&W – 104m
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 – Widescreen
Dir.: John Cassavetes. Pro.: Stanley Kramer
Starring: Burt Lancaster, Judy Garland, Gena Rowlands, Steven Hill, Paul Stewart, Lawrence Tierney, John Marley, Bill Mumy, Elizabeth Wilson and John Cassavetes.

A psychiatrist brings in a new teacher at an asylum for the mentally retarded and she starts to form attachments. Meanwhile one kid in the asylum forms a bond with her and starts to come out of his shell. A masterfully done tale of humanity, also serves as a historical document in the development of how people with Autism / Asperger’s Syndrome were lumped in with the retarded and how they all were treated. Cassavetes wanted to focus more on the kids because he started to view them as interesting characters. Kramer kicked him out of the editing process and did a bit of re-shooting to bring the film to that balance that it is now. As much as Kramer shifted the focus of the film masterfully to the middle ground of how the adults at the asylum act with their charges, Cassavetes captured the children in an accepting light. A must watch film for anyone with Autism Level 1 / Asperger’s Syndrome and their parents; not to mention people in disability services, Vocational Rehab and anyone interested in mental health. Some of this may be hard to watch for some, but it is well worth it in the end.

Out Of Print on VHS but Available on Blu–ray, DVD & Digital Copy

Faces (1968)

B&W – 130m
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 – Widescreen
A.K.A.: The Dynosaurs
Writer – Dir.: John Cassavetes
Starring: John Marley, Gena Rowlands, Seymour Cassel and Anne Shirley. 

Be sure to check out the 18 minute alternate opening on the Criterion Collection DVD and / or Blu–ray.

Former husband and wife respectively enter into relationships with younger partners as they try to find romance in the new pairings. A broad story is masterfully handled by Cassavetes and the cast. A must watch for the performances!

Trivia: Steven Spielberg became friendly with Cassavetes and served as a production assistant for two weeks on this film. This was after Cassavetes allowed Spielberg to direct him for a day. Steve Buscemi has said that this is his favorite film. Woody Allen and Robert Altman said that this film inspired some of their films. The original cut of this film ran for around six hours. That cut no longer exists but the script for it is available in book form. There are several different versions of this film.

Rated: [R]
Part of The Criterion Collection.
Available on Blu–ray, DVD & Digital Copy.

Churchill (2017) & Darkest Hour (2017)

Movie Poster for Churchill (2017)

Churchill (2017)

C. – 105m
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1 – Widescreen
A.K.A.: Churchill: The Untold Story Of D–Day

Starring: Brian Cox, Miranda Richardson, John Slattery, Richard Durden, Martin Landau, Ella Purnell. 96 hours before the World War II invasion of Normandy, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill struggles with his existing status, which appears to be rapidly marginalized. Cox and the rest of the cast are in fantastic form here. One cannot look away for fear of missing any number of nuances that enrich every screen performance. Wonderful cinematography, direction and script help make this a winner for the ages. A MUST WATCH! This reviewer would like to see the film get some award nominations!

Trivia on the film: This is one of Martin Landau’s final films, though he is not credited in it and his credit on IMBD.com was quickly removed upon his death in July 2017 at age 89. Also, this was the first of two Winston Churchill films from 2017. The other was Darkest Hour (2017), with Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill. A similar occurrence happened in 2005 when two films were made about Truman Capote: Capote (2005) and Infamous (2006), though the latter film was released the next year to avoid confusion with it’s unrelated predecessor. It occurred again in 2012 when two films were made about Alfred Hitchcock: Hitchcock (2012) and The Girl (2012). Two similarly themed story films were made in 2015: Danny Collins (2015) with Al Pacino and Ricki And The Flash (2015) With Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline; written by Diablo Cody and directed by Jonathan Demme. This film, Churchill (2017) and Darkest Hour (2017) are the fourth such occurrence. 

Rated: [PG] – Thematic Elements, Brief War Images, Historical Smoking Throughout, & Some Language. Note: Although the film is rated PG, viewers may not that Brian Cox as Winston Churchill yells the, “F Word,” while knocking his breakfast off the table in one scene. The start of the word is audible but the voice track is quickly cut while the sound effects are boosted for good measure. This may prove objectionable to some. Judge for yourself.

Available on Blu–ray, DVD & Digital Copy.   

Darkest Hour (2017)

C. – 125m
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 – Widescreen
Starring: Lily James, Gary Oldman and Kristin Scott Thomas.

Sir Winston Churchill arrives in office to find himself in a rough place, have to see about a peace treaty with the Nazis or rally his country to send the troops to battle them. Strong acting is the film’s major asset. However the makeup job given to Gary Oldman is similar to the one given to Sir Anthony Hopkins in Hitchcock (2012). In short, you can tell it is the actor under the makeup. Most people this reviewer has talked to about the film, or have read reviews by about the film say that, “Gary Oldman is unrecognizable under the makeup.” This reviewer never escaped the knowledge that it was Gary Oldman under the makeup. Oldman is a more than capable actor and is never less than stellar with his performance here. However, this film suffers from being the second Winston Churchill film of 2017. While it is the better known of the two, mostly due to Oldman’s presence, it is also the lesser of the two in the writing for a lack of stirring speeches. Still, there is enough to like here for general viewers and this reviewer will reiterate the point: Gary Oldman is never less than stellar in his performance.   

Trivia: Sir John Hurt was supposed to play Neville Chamberlain in this film. Chamberlain was the Prime Minister who was on his way out due to dying from cancer. When Hurt was cast he too was dying of cancer. At the time of his death he never was able to make a script reading or shoot a scene. The film is still dedicated to him though since it was his final cinematic project.

Gary Oldman won a Golden Globe for Best Actor – Motion Picture – Drama for his performance as Sir Winston Churchill.

Rated: [PG–13] – Some Thematic Material

Available on Blu–ray, DVD & Digital Copy