Wednesday Night at the Cinema

And it's time for a midweek break! As usual, it's dinner at the gang's favorite restaurant, hashing over everyone's recent trials and triumphs, the dramas and comedies since last we met.

Then, it's down the street to that old theater that's always waiting for us!

First it's Segundo de Chomon's 1908 charmer, The Gold Spider.



Then our feature presentation, 1944's Bluebeard, with a young John Carradine!



Bluebeard is a delightful bit of gothicism, often overlooked. Although a quickie from Poverty Row, this was well-directed (by Edgar G. Ulmer) and well-acted by Carradine. Ulmer was often underestimated, but his power and innovation often shines through the low budgets he often had to work with. For example, a year after making this, he made Detour, now a bona fide classic of the film noir genre and acknowledged as an innovative, daring film far ahead of its time. But Bluebeard itself is a nice little film, creepy and disturbing when it needs to be, but also kind of comforting. Carradine's performance is remarkably nuanced; his character evokes both pity and terror, a tall order.

After the show, we're off to the cafe for coffee and drinks and conversation...the May evening air is cool, but with hints of the summer heat to come...