Val Lewton isn’t quite the household name he ought to be. Today, his films are seen as prime examples of low budget horror that rely on simple lighting and strong storytelling rather than special effects makeup or schlocky monsters.
A heightened sense of fear
My latest for DVD Netflix focuses on Alfred Hitchcock’s output during the 1940s, a decade fraught by global war. It was a time laced with suspicion, doubt, daring, and misplaced trust. He knew what plagued an audience’s psyche. These stomach-knotting thrillers use the paranoia and instability of World War II to his advantage.
REVIEW: JEZEBEL by Irene Nemirovsky
This is the first of Nemirovsky’s novels I have read. I’d heard her story and was intrigued. She was born in 1903 in Kiev to wealthy family, who immigrated to France. Well-educated, she became a prolific and respected writer in Paris. However, her life and talent were cut short when she died in 1942…
FOUND PHOTO: Winter Fun
A group of fun-loving folks out for a day in the snow.
FOUND PHOTO: Glenn Miller Orchestra, Perhaps?
I found this photo at a garage sale and I liked it because it was clearly a vintage photo of a big band. Upon closer inspection, I think it may be the Glenn Miller Orchestra. The lead trombonist looks like him, and the musicians’ big band music stands say “GM”. Any experts out there who…