Gods and Monsters (1998) – Bill Condon

The bio-pic, Gods and Monsters, is the next film on the What Else to Watch list, for Bride of Frankenstein, from DK Canada’s The Movie Book. The film chronicles the last days, as well as life and career of director James Whale, played brilliantly by Ian McKellen. The legendary film maker, perhaps best known for…

A Monster Calls (2011) – Patrick Ness

It’s been a long time since a book has reduced me to tears, but Ness’ powerful, and beautiful young adult books, A Monster Calls has done just that. Inspired by an idea from Siobhan Dowd who passed before she could tell it herself, the story is a singular experience that is heartbreaking in its truth…

Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925) – Fred Niblo

  The next film up on the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film list of recommendations following my screening of Intolerance is this tale of Ben Hur (Ramon Navarro), a young Jewish prince intent on vengeance for the ruin of his family at the hands of the Romans, interwoven around the tale of Christ…

The Jazz Singer (1927) – Alan Crosland

  The first ‘talkie,’ is also the first title in the musical section of the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book. This was the first time I had seen this one, all I’d known of it before was that at some point, Al Jolson as Jack Robin, previously Jakie Rabinowitz, dons blackface to…

Blonde Venus (1932) – Josef von Sternberg

  von Sternberg and Marlene Dietrich team-up for another film from the list of titles to watch in the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book following my screening of The Blue Angel. This time around Dietrich plays Helen Faraday, a young woman, who wooed by a man, Ned (Herbert Marshall) on a walking trip…