The Ice Follies of 1939
Yes this movie really does exist and yes it stars classic film favorites Joan Crawford and James (or Jimmy as […]
All At Sea (1957)
aka Barnacle Bill. Long before Alec Guinness would become eternally famous in the world of pop culture as Obi-Wan Kenobi […]
Beware My Lovely Ida When Robert is On Dangerous Ground
Thanks to the fine folks at The Dark Pages, a newsletter that specializes in the world of Noir, my piece […]
Visiting the Kirk Hammett Collection At The Royal Ontario Museum
I’ve been long overdue to finally travel about seventy minutes up the road from where I live to downtown Toronto […]
The Invisible Ray (1936)
For the third consecutive year, Universal Studios, cast the two titans of 1930’s horror films together once again. As the […]
Thunder In Carolina (1960)
The “thunder” being referred to in this Howco International Pictures production isn’t coming from the skies overhead but rather the […]
Dracula In The Movies : From A to Z
Looking to share some simple trivia on the Count and the many movies he’s appeared in I wanted to have […]
Looking Back at the Highlights of 2019 and Ahead to 2020
If only I could secure a flux capacitor for my Prius I’d travel back in time and relive some great […]
Casting Suggestions For The Apparent Remake of The Dirty Dozen
Every so often news of a remake splashes the headlines of some Hollywood trade paper and most recently Variety had […]
The Perfect Killer (1977)
Taking his turn as an aging hitman looking to retire from the syndicate, western favorite, Lee Van Cleef, assumes center […]
Boxing Movies for Boxing Day
Keeping up with my annual theme of Boxing Day Brawlers and Bruisers (which can be revisited here) it’s time to […]
Christmas Eve (1947)
Far from a conventional Christmas movie, this Edwin L. Marin directed feature casts a heavily made up 45 year old, […]
Les Miserables (1952)
In general terms I know the story of Jean Valjean, the main character of Victor Hugo’s classic novel. I’d seen […]
High Society (1956)
Just a short 16 years following the Grant-Hepburn-Stewart classic, The Philadelphia Story, from director George Cukor came this musical rendition […]
Ebenezer (1998)
If a film producer wanted to create a wild west slant on Charles Dicken’s classic story of Ebenezer Scrooge, there […]
Kid Galahad (1962)
Far better than the bulk of Elvis Presley’s later films between 1965 and 1969, Kid Galahad, proves an entertaining outing […]
Gallery ›
Casting Suggestions For The Apparent Remake of The Dirty Dozen
Every so often news of a remake splashes the headlines of some Hollywood trade paper and most recently Variety had […]
Boxing Movies for Boxing Day
Keeping up with my annual theme of Boxing Day Brawlers and Bruisers (which can be revisited here) it’s time to […]
Spotlighting Fay Wray Posters For October’s Monsterbash of 2019
Shining the light on Fay Wray couldn’t come at a better time. I’m about to embark on a journey once […]
Jack Palance Snarls His Way into Movie Poster Art
Earliest memory of Jack Palance? I’d have to think mine was seeing his brooding yet memorably understated performance as Count […]
Featured Actor ›
Catching Up On Pacino
I do have to admit that while growing up and discovering both movies and the actors that populate them I […]
(Paul Henreid + Patricia Medina) X 2 = Popcorn Adventures
From Columbia Pictures by way of frugal producer Sam Katzman, who fans of Monogram cheapies with Bela and the Bowery […]
My Favorites of Lee and Cushing For Halloween
As Halloween approaches it seems everyone has a list of horrors to see and there’s usually very little that interests […]
When Bronson Met Boone On Have Gun Will Travel … Part 2
Before Richard Boone had found his most identifiable character, Paladin, on Have Gun Will Travel he had headlined an earlier […]
Blogathon ›
Counterpoint (1968)
Far from the blood and guts battles we are accustomed to seeing in big screen depictions built around WW2 with […]
Farewell Friend (1968)
aka … Adieu l’ami On the subject of movies if you ask me to name something or more specifically someone […]
Edmond O’Brien Does It All … Directing and Terrorizing in Shield For Murder (1954)
Some villains chew the scenery, quite often stealing a film from the top billed actor. Then there are other heavies […]
The Secret Invasion (1964)
Actor Stewart Granger is once again the focus here at Mike’s Take thanks to the time taken by Maddy Who […]
Brando's Pick of the Month ›
Kangaroo (1952)
Brando’s Pick of the Month Carrying on with the theme of movies starring or featuring animals in the title leads […]
Francis The Talking Mule (1949)
Brando’s Pick of the Month This Universal International production from house director Arthur Lubin launched the unlikely comedy of duo […]
Devil Dogs of the Air (1935)
Brando’s Pick of the Month Cheating just a bit this month as we look to this James Cagney-Pat O’Brien standard […]
Devil Dog : The Hound of Hell (1978)
Brando’s Halloween Pick of the Month Coming on the heels of a big screen horror flick, The Evil, Richard Crenna […]
Slumming With .... ›
Slumming With Teen Sex Comedies of the 1980’s in Triplicate
OK gentlemen. Raise your hands if you’re old enough to recall the days when you’d hit the video stores looking […]
Slumming With George Zucco …. Can Be So Much Fun!
On any given day during the 1940’s if you walked about the movie sets in Hollywood you might see George […]
Slumming With Samantha Eggar … A Triple Feature
The more I looked for someone to feature in my third go around of ‘Slumming With”, it became painfully obvious […]
Slumming With Cameron Mitchell …. A Triple Feature
Picking up where I left off poking a bit of fun while Slumming With David Carradine, I selected Mr. Cameron Mitchell […]
Video Store Action Heroes ›
… All The Marbles (1981)
For this edition of the Video Store Action Heroes that sees yours truly costarring right alongside The Cinema Monolith, The […]
Hangar 18 (1980)
We’re Back! The Video Store Action Heroes have once again turned the clock back to simpler times when we’d all […]
The Evil That Men Do (1984)
Was there any doubt that for this edition of the Video Store Action Heroes where I got to choose the […]
Uncommon Valor (1983)
Well before Chuck Norris’ Braddock and Sly Stallone’s Rambo decided to go back to Vietnam and rescue the men left […]
Now Playing ›
Now Playing December 28th, 1968 At a Theater Near You
Thankfully Malcolm McDowell has given his consent to allow me to borrow his personal time machine that he used to […]
Now Playing Friday August 9th, 1974
Yes it’s off to London, Ontario, Canada and to the summer of 1974 for a flashback to some classic films […]
Now Playing August 17th, 1977
Under the circumstances of Burt Reynold’s passing, the time seems appropriate for joining me in a look back to the […]
Now Playing Monday July 21st, 1969.
Western fans rejoice! I’d be in my glory taking in five westerns we all know and love playing at the […]
Articles ›
The Breaking Point (1950)
Here’s an article I was fortunate enough to have published in the 2016 year end edition of the Noir Magazine, […]
The Badlanders (1958)
This article on The Badlanders was published in The Dark Pages celebration on the film The Asphalt Jungle. Read on […]
Lizabeth Scott Stands Up To Robert Ryan and Robert Mitchum in The Racket (1951)
Previously this piece was kindly published by Karen of Shadows and Satin in her Noir newsletter The Dark Pages. Lizabeth […]
Anthony Caruso : More Than The Henchman
This article on Mr. Caruso was kindly featured in the September 2014 issue of The Dark Pages put forth by […]
Book Takes ›
A Reading Break with Olivia, The Immortal Count and Lou’s on First
I often lament that I can’t read fast enough despite enjoying a good book be it non-fiction or a good […]
Recalling “The 50 Worst Films of all Time”
By Harry Medved and Randy Dreyfuss. Somewhere in the piles or boxes of books around here I have a dog […]
Dan Duryea : Heel With a Heart
By Mike Peros Dan Duryea is one those actors who is unforgettably identifiable. I can still recall the first time […]
Niv , The Authorized Biography of David Niven
By Graham Lord (published in 2003) Like any self respecting, self appointed film buff I knew the basic facts of […]
Live Take ›
The Charles Bronson Starter Kit and Then Some
Chatting up a list of Bronson titles worth checking into using posters as props from my personal collection.
Film Books We Rely On Vol. 3 or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Crime Movies
After a couple months of intense negotiations over finding the right director to film the third installment of videos dedicated […]
Film Books We Rely On Volume 2
Once again I am joined by Kristina from Speakeasy to share more of our favorite books devoted to the study […]
Film Books We Rely On
Making her debut on camera for a live take, I am joined by Kristina Dijan who operates the wonderful and […]
Monthly Reviews ›
November 2019 In Review
Honestly, I can’t recall the last time I went to a movie theater three times in the same month. Gotta […]
October 2019 In Review
Bottom line. October is a good excuse to start combing the shelves here in the movie room at Mike’s Take […]
September 2019 In Review
Canada’s beloved Blue Jays wrapped up their season as September wound down and with that I guess I’ll watch the […]
August 2019 In Review
Along came summer holidays and there they went…. The everchanging seasons here in Canada. But that doesn’t stop yours truly […]
Posts I Like
Dracula In The Movies : From A to Z
Looking to share some simple trivia on the Count and the many movies he’s appeared in I wanted to have […]
Looking Back at the Highlights of 2019 and Ahead to 2020
If only I could secure a flux capacitor for my Prius I’d travel back in time and relive some great […]
Kid Galahad (1962)
Far better than the bulk of Elvis Presley’s later films between 1965 and 1969, Kid Galahad, proves an entertaining outing […]
A Monster Bash Recap of Movies, Kong and Memorabilia
For those who have been regulars here at Mike’s Take, you know I like to make the 500 km drive […]
Murder, He Says (1945)
Supposedly Fred MacMurray stepped in to this eerie tale of backwoods madness as a Bob Hope substitute over at Paramount […]
Visiting the Kirk Hammett Collection At The Royal Ontario Museum
I’ve been long overdue to finally travel about seventy minutes up the road from where I live to downtown Toronto […]
10 Questions with Victoria Riskin Plus Her New Book – Fay Wray and Robert Riskin : A Hollywood Memoir
Thanks to a new book from Victoria Riskin on her parents, Fay Wray and Robert Riskin, a whole new chapter […]
High Society (1956)
Just a short 16 years following the Grant-Hepburn-Stewart classic, The Philadelphia Story, from director George Cukor came this musical rendition […]
At the Earth’s Core (1976)
This fantasy film clearly aimed at youngsters hit a bullseye when I was indeed a youngster seeing this on TV […]