Classic Cinema Zone

Director John Ford ‘s brilliant adaptation of John Steinbeck’s immortal Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Grapes of Wrath , is finally making the transfer to Blu-ray. The film starred Henry Fonda as Tom Joad, a former convict imprisoned for manslaughter who returns home to Oklahoma to find his family packing up to leave the Dust Bowl for the promised land of California. With indefatigable determination, Joad leads his family through the poverty and misery of dispirited farmers looking to escape the Great Depression and start anew regardless of what awaits them on the other side. … Read Full Post

More and more, the studios are mining their vaults to release classic movies on the Blu-ray format. This month features a number of great films that are must-haves for anyone’s shelf. A few have been released on the format before, while others are making their Blu-ray debut. But all would be great additions to any classic movie collection.

Another classic from Alfred Hitchcock will soon be released on the Blu-ray format and should be a necessary addition to anybody’s collection. To Catch a Thief stars Cary Grant as an ex-jewel thief enjoying retirement on the French Riviera, only to find himself being accused of a series of burglaries that bear his mark. Grace Kelly co-stars as the daughter of a wealthy jewel owner (Jessie Royce Landis), who becomes attracted to Grant’s dangerous lifestyle. … Read Full Post

For over 50 years, veteran character actor Charles Durning has been turning in one memorable performance after another. He turns 89 years old today and shows no signs of slowing down. … Read Full Post

With a long history of making romantic films, Hollywood is more than capable of setting the mood for those who don’t want to go out to a crowded restaurant and pay for an overpriced meal, but still want to spend some quality time with their significant other. Some here are fun and light, while others require a box of tissues to be on hand. But all are classic movies that have stood the test of time.

Here’s a listing of movie and TV people who left us during 2011 (some of whom you may not have heard much about), plus brief comments and a link to the Internet Movie Database or other sites where you can read more, including two who have tributes on this site.

Two months ago, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department reopened their investigation of the mysterious death of screen icon, Natalie Wood, after receiving what was then called substantial new evidence. But yesterday, detectives revealed that nothing new has been unearthed that would point to anything other than an accidental death. … Read Full Post

It has become somewhat obligatory to celebrate even the most minor of milestones when it comes to the life and career of Alfred Hitchcock. And, of course, 2012 offers no exceptions. … Read Full Post

Whether you like monsters or goblins or ghosts or even aliens from another planet, there’s nothing quite like watching old scary movies on Halloween. While some of these classic films seem rather tame or even laughable by today’s standards, they still manage to pack a terrifying punch. Here are just a few of some of the best horror movies from classic Hollywood and beyond.

With an elegant and quietly commanding personality, Sidney Poitier became the first African-American to win Best Actor at the Academy Awards. Because of his refusal to compromise his principals and his insistence on taking roles that avoided stereotypical depictions of blacks, Poitier earned the respect of audiences and his peers. As in Major League Baseball with Jackie Robinson in the 1940s, Poitier broke down barriers and paved the way for others to follow.