Star Wars (1977)

“The force will be with you, always.”

Synopsis:
In a galaxy far, far away, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) joins the rebellion against the Empire by teaming up with Jedi master Obi-Wan Kanobi (Alec Guinness) and rogue pilot Han Solo (Harrison Ford) to rescue kidnapped Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) from the clutches of evil Darth Vader (David Prowse/James [...]

Farewell, My Lovely (1975)

“She’s cute — cuter than lace pants.”

Synopsis:
Private eye Philip Marlowe (Robert Mitchum) is hired by a hulking ex-con (Jack O’Halloran) to locate his missing girlfriend, Velma.

Genres:

Detectives and Private Eyes
Literature Adaptation
Search

Review:
Raymond Chandler’s iconic fictional detective Philip Marlowe has been portrayed by a diverse array of actors over the years, including Dick Powell (Murder, My Sweet, [...]

Little Theatre of Jean Renoir, The (1970)

“Nothing is more exciting than other people’s troubles… They make life bearable.”

Synopsis:
Jean Renoir tells a trio of semi-comedic stories: an elderly homeless couple (Nino Formicola and Milly) find comfort in each other and their memories on a cold Christmas night; a housewife (Marguerite Cassan) obsessed with waxing her floors accidentally causes the death of [...]

Hill, The (1965)

“Roberts, the court martial broke you, but I’m going to finish the job. I’m gonna bust you wide open.”
[Note: The following review is of a non-Peary title; click here to read more.]

Synopsis:
During World War II, a sadistic military prison warden (Harry Andrews) in North Africa makes life miserable for a group of detainees — particularly [...]

Latino (1985)

“When the compas come, they get rid of you and your Somozan soldiers — paid in U.S. dollars.”

Synopsis:
A Green Beret soldier (Robert Beltran) is sent to the Nicaraguan border to help fight against the Sandinistas — but he soon discovers that not all Nicaraguans are happy about America’s involvement with the Contra rebels.

Genres:

Revolutionaries
Soldiers
South and Central [...]

Lady Windermere’s Fan (1925)

“Lady Windermere faced the grave problem of seating her dinner guests…”

Synopsis:
A socially outcast woman (Irene Rich) blackmails Lady Windermere’s husband (Bert Lytell) in exchange for not revealing to Lady Windermere (May McAvoy) that she is actually her mother; meanwhile, rakish Lord Darlington (Ronald Colman) has designs on Lady Windermere; Lady Windermere suspects her husband of [...]

Slumber Party 57 (1976)

Synopsis:
Six teenage friends (Janet Wood, Noelle North, Debra Winger, Bridget Holloman, Rainbeaux Smith, and Mary Appleseth) on a sleepover tell boastful stories about losing their virginity.

Genres:

Flashback Films
High School
Virginity

Review:
Poor Debra Winger: she’ll never be able to live down her body-baring debut in this vacuous teen sexploitation flick, designed to tap into 1950s nostalgia while offering [...]

Silent World, The (1956)

“No instrument can replace man. Divers are indispensable in a modern study of the sea.”

Synopsis:
Jacques Cousteau and his crew explore the ocean on their diving ship, the Calypso.

Genres:

At Sea
Documentary

Review:
Fans of underwater diving and sea life will be both shocked and disturbed to visit this Oscar-winning documentary by famed diver and explorer Jacques Cousteau (who [...]

Terminal Man, The (1974)

“You want to fix me?”

Synopsis:
A man (George Segal) suffering from seizures which make him violent has a “helpful” microcomputer implanted his brain, with unexpectedly disastrous results.

Genres:

Literature Adaptation
Mind Control
Psychopaths
Science Fiction

Review:
This disappointing sci-fi “thriller” by director Mike Hodges (based on a novel by Michael Crichton) is, unfortunately, anything but thrilling. With its deathly slow pacing and [...]

Remember My Name (1978)

“I didn’t cry when you disappeared…”

Synopsis:
An ex-con (Geraldine Chaplin) stalks a construction worker (Anthony Perkins) and his wife (Berry Berenson).

Genres:

Alan Rudolph Films
Ex-Cons
Stalkers

Review:
Like his debut, Welcome to L.A. (1977), Alan Rudolph’s second feature received mostly negative reviews upon its release, but remains an interesting failure. It’s essentially a slow-motion “fatal attraction” thriller, with Chaplin’s ex-con [...]