Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema VII [The Boss / Chicago Confidential / The Fearmakers) (Blu-ray) by Stuart Galbraith IV Political corruption ties together all three entries in Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema, Volume VII, with all three from the United Artists catalog: The Boss (1956), Chicago Confidential (1957), and The Fearmakers (1958). As before, the labeling of some of these titles as "noir" is debatable, but it's a good mix. One is intriguing for its ethical issues, another boasts a fine cast, and the third, despite a fatally miscast lead, is a valiant effort. The Boss is a historical drama of political corruption with the main character, M...Read the entire review »

The Initiation of Sarah (Blu-ray) by Ian Jane The Movie:Not to be confused with the 2006 remake of the same name, The Initiation Of Sarah is a 1978 made for TV movie directed by Robert Day which follows the story of Sarah Goodwin (Kay Lenz). When we meet her, she and sister Patty Goodwin (Morgan Brittany) are saying goodbye to Sarah's adopted mother (Kathryn Grant) and heading off to college just in time for pledge week. Pretty Patty gets accepted into the fancy ‘hot chicks' house lorded over by bitchy Jennifer Lawrence (Morgan Fairchild) thanks to mom's connections but no such luck for Sarah. She gets accepted into one house and one house only, and the woman in charge there is a creepy older lady named Erica Hunter (Shelly Winters).As the two sisters go about their business, Sarah befriends a girl named Alberta (Tisa Farrow), nicknamed Mouse because she's a bit on the shy side. When Sarah runs into Patty o...Read the entire review »