Michael Freeman

Dracula came out today in 1931, but not Bela Lugosi. It was the acclaimed Spanish version, and Caramba! is it good. While star Carlos Villarías was no Bela, he does a fine job and this is otherwise a stylish take on Bram Stoker, with tasty erotica by Lupita Tovar as Drac's victim https://t.co/Ek6jmWIoSS

#OTD in 1969 we lost the great Jazz composer Krzysztof Komeda. His tragic death after a drunken fall came as he scored his biggest triumph, the hit soundtrack to Rosemary's Baby, complete with that haunting opening lullaby. His albums of acid Jazz compositions are also superb. https://t.co/8dY6vx8seu

Something didn't click in The Dark Half (released today, 1993), George Romero's take on Stephen King's Jekyll/Hyde story. Timothy Hutton is good as the writer haunted by his sicko muse, but the explanations have "bad King writing" all over them. Still fun at times, thanks to Tim https://t.co/pvncOsHzwn

Is it time to reassess Citizen Kane, putting that acclaimed film aside to find Orson Welles' greatest work is Touch of Evil (released today, 1958)? Not the studio edit but the restored version, which is truly remarkable. Plus a great Welles performance, and support by Janet Leigh https://t.co/kmzULdlBhR

The Third Man may be Carol Reed's masterpiece but Odd Man Out (released today, 1947) isn't far behind. Irish nationalist Johnny McQueen's plight on the run is intensely gripping, and James Mason has rarely been better. Visually stunning chase through the shadowy alleys of Belfast https://t.co/VPqFcHBIkv

#OTD in 1978, we lost the great character actor Will Geer. A friend of Woody Guthrie and victim of the blacklist, as an actor Geer was memorable as the ominous "Old Man" in Seconds, the criminal Prosecutor in In Cold Blood, and as the eccentric Bear Claw in Jeremiah Johnson. https://t.co/eEAcnj6IqJ

If there had been no Jack Nicholson (#BOTD), somebody would have to invent him! He stared in 2 of my favorite 1970s films, getting high acclaim for Chinatown, and critical scorn for The Shining. And he's a knockout in both! I hope Jack enjoys his retirement; his legacy is assured https://t.co/ipSq9kdYTw

Along with The Searchers, John Ford made one of cinema's greatest westerns in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (released today, 1962); both got ignored by the Oscars. A great look at how legends are born, the cast is unbeatable: John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, and Lee Marvin. Fabulous https://t.co/TDSvQeIcZj

One of my favorite ghost stories, Portrait Of Jennie (released today, 1949) is more of a romantic fantasy than a scary film, as poor painter Joseph Cotten meets a beautiful girl in a park in old-fashioned clothes. One of Jennifer Jones' finest roles, this film is captivating https://t.co/u5qrY2lRw0

Zombie cats are creepy. Zombie children: horrifying! Pet Sematary (released today, 1989) is a wickit fun Stephen King horror movie, with a doozie of an ending that's even scarier than Fred Gwynne's bad Maine accent. One of the few King horror flicks of the 1980s to have aged well https://t.co/dehiG1kY2v

I loved the magical fantasy in Field Of Dreams (released today, 1989) but now wonder if I'd find it to be sentimental mush. Any thoughts? Has this film aged poorly? Hasn't "If you build it, he will come" become a stale TV cliche? I liked the film and Costner but fear a re-watch https://t.co/7gIM2zw53H

Dustin Hoffman was originally going to star in and direct Straight Time (released today, 1978) but his slow pace prompted the studio to bring in Ulu Grosbard, who did a terrific job on this tale of a prison inmate trying to readjust. A 17-year-old Theresa Russell just sizzled. https://t.co/meAQ04VwV7

Lewis Milestone's anti-war film All Quiet On The Western Front (released today, 1930) due high praise for its realistic and grim depiction of the horrors of WW1, but nobody heeded the pacifist message a few years later, including Hitler, who saw the film as anti-German. A classic https://t.co/UKU4JhAGex

Just watched: Bullfighter And The Lady. Budd Boetticher got his only Oscar nod for this script; cocky Robert Stack falls for a Mexican woman who snubs him, so he trains to be a bullfighter, with tragic results. Fascinating look at Mexico in the 1950s; Katy Jurado is great here https://t.co/D3wmLvSsUd

Do you love vacationing in the mountains? Try visiting the mountains of Viñales, Cuba. https://t.co/bdfGQIwaNb

I loved Jessica Lange (#OTD) as the mentally ill actress in Frances and war crimes attorney in Music Box, but what's her most underrated performance? Some say King Kong, but I prefer her on the dining table in The Postman Always Rings Twice. Yes, she was smokin' in that one. https://t.co/deTlKnyrHw

Imitators of George Romero's Dawn Of The Dead (released today, 1979) opted for speed: rapid fire zombie attacks as in a video game. They missed the story that made this film so good. We care about the 4 survivors in the shopping mall, so when the zombies arrive, it shocks us more https://t.co/086avgUKJB