The Running Wild Blog
Articles on the craft of filmmaking and the films we create.
MOVIE MONDAY: Reviews of Rituals, Phantasm, Death Line, and Night of the Comet
My weekly movie reviews. You can also read these on letterboxd. This week focuses on four horror/thrillers from the 70s and 80s programmed on Shudder. Rituals (1977) Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars I wanted to love this movie and then I wanted to like it but...
BONUS WESTERN MOVIE REVIEW: The Wild North (1952)
Here comes another winter Western I'd never heard of, programmed this season by Criterion Channel. And like The Secret of Convict Lake, it's a surprisingly good film. Stewart Granger plays a French trapper. Yes, his accent takes a little getting used to but...
SPECIAL CHRISTMAS WESTERN MOVIE REVIEW: Ebenezer (1998)
The other night, Cara said we should watch a Christmas movie. I suggested, "How about the Western version of Christmas Carol?" She said she'd never heard of one. So she, John, and I poured some egg nog and sat down to watch Ebenezer, starring the great Jack...
BONUS WESTERN MOVIE REVIEW: The Secret of Convict Lake (1951)
This under-seen Western is further proofs that hidden gems lurk in the deep waters of the genre. The fact that my friend Gus, who has seen more movies than anyone I know, had only heard of the title but never watched the movie is evidence that The Secret...
MOVIE MONDAY: Western Movie Reviews – Week 186 – Charro!
Each Monday, I continue to share Western movie reviews. I have now launched a podcast about the making of Westerns and the overall filmmaking process. Click here to listen. Week 186: Charro! (1969) Charro! may not be a great Western but it's a...
MOVIE MONDAY: Reviews of Q, A Return to Salem’s Lot, Deadly Illusion, , and Full Moon High
My weekly movie reviews. You can also read these on letterboxd. This week focuses on four films directed by one of my favorite filmmakers, Larry Cohen. Q (1982) Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars Larry Cohen's tabloid style is perfect for this material and, combined with...
BONUS WESTERN MOVIE REVIEW: Buchanan Rides Alone (1958)
As I revisit the Boetticher/Scott Westerns, Buchanan Rides Alone is my third favorite of their collaborations or a possible tie for my second. Wrongfully put aside compared to the attention given to Ride Lonesome, Buchanan is a far more original and...
MOVIE MONDAY: Western Movie Reviews – Week 185 – Tension at Table Rock
Each Monday, I continue to share Western movie reviews. I have now launched a podcast about the making of Westerns and the overall filmmaking process. Click here to listen. Week 185: Tension at Table Rock (1956) This Western from Charles Marquis Warren...
MOVIE MONDAY: Reviews of Kiss of Death, The Dark Corner, and Call Northside 777
My weekly movie reviews. You can also read these on letterboxd. This week focuses on three films, all directed by Henry Hathaway, programmed as part of Criterion Channel's "Noirvember" Kiss of Death (1947) Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars I can't believe I have...
MOVIE MONDAY: Western Movie Reviews – Week 184 – Copper Sky
Each Monday, I continue to share Western movie reviews. I have now launched a podcast about the making of Westerns and the overall filmmaking process. Click here to listen. Week 184: Copper Sky (1957) This is another low-budget Western from Charles...
