About

Salutations to anyone and everyone out there ruining their eyesight voluntarily sat in a movie theatre or in front of their large widescreen TVs at home mesmerised by the images floating by in front of you – unless you happen to be watching the latest Judd Apatow or Uwe Boll, in which case, in the words of Mary Astor’s Antoinette de Mauban in The Prisoner of Zenda “you REALLY shouldn’t be here, you know?”

Though this blog will feature fairly regular theatre reviews and even the odd opera or classical piece by yours truly, it will, by and large, be a chapel in the North Transept of the Cathedral Devoted to the Moving Image in general.

Any showings of films, good or bad, attended by yours truly will be reviewed here. Also, there will be regular listings of reviews from that most cynical of keyboard bashers, my friend Allan Fish of the UK. His reviews will be taken from his gargantuan book devoted to the ****½ and ***** masterpieces of the screen (including those of the small screen) and will be updated with random entries on a regular basis. He’d like me to point out that, in italics at the beginning of each review, he lists a caption (quote or some other remembrance) to remind him of the film in question. This is a practice he freely admits was used by one of his influences Leslie Halliwell on his ‘Halliwell’s Hundred’ and ‘Halliwell’s Harvest’ books of the 1980s, and he doffs his cap here.

Please be patient with me, as my IT knowledge is limited, but my enthusiasm, I am constantly told, is tireless, haranguing people into theatres with a zealousness not seen since Midshipmen patrolled the inns of Portsmouth and Southampton looking for ‘volunteers’ for the King’s Navy in Press Gangs.

You’ll see, in the Pages section to the right, a list of movies by year in the Movie Timeline, a basic reference tool to show what major films and milestones were released in a given year. Try and keep the comments clean – well, within reason – and we may make a go of this crazy enterprise.

Sam Juliano, September 2008

This page has the following sub pages.

58 Comments »

58 Responses

on September 25, 2008 at 6:53 pm | Reply Fred

Best Wishes to all at Wonders in the Dark!!!
on November 16, 2008 at 11:54 pm | Reply Ann

Hi Sam
I have just posted a blog about your blog on The Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center set to open in July 2009. If you think it’s appropriate we would love it if you would link to us in your blog roll to help us get the word out.
Here is the post about your blog:
http://www.katharinehepburntheater.org/2008/11/16/katharine-hepburn-reviewed/

Here is our website:
http://www.katharinehepburntheater.org

Thanks so much!
on January 1, 2009 at 9:40 pm | Reply RD

Yes, sadly the Halliwell’s Film Guide has now been decimated.

Note to John Walker – please keep releasing your reviews; people will flock.

Gritten, you’re a fool.
on April 2, 2009 at 7:03 pm | Reply Kyle Grant

Hi Sam,

I’ve been reading Wonders in the Dark for quite some time now and must say you are doing a great job with your movie insight. I just finished reading your write up on ‘Goodbye Solo’ and it definitely sounds quite intriguing. Anyways, as a like-minded fan of movies, I wanted to introduce myself and Muze Clothing.

We are a designer apparel company inspired by timeless movie lines. Like yourself, we’re huge movie fans, and I thought you’d appreciate what we do. When you get the chance take a look at our blog, http://www.muzeclothing.com/blog, and then check out some of our current movie inspired shirts.

I’d love to send you out a shirt to review and of course would be more than happy to reciprocate links to each other’s sites. If you have any suggestions for upcoming shirt releases please don’t hesitate to voice them!

All the best and keep up the excellent coverage!

Kyle
on May 3, 2009 at 7:23 pm | Reply sara

heyy; websites great . but i’m having a hard time finding a movie title. if anyone could help me that would be great. just e-mail me and i’ll give the description of what the movies about.
thanks; bye.
on May 17, 2009 at 4:22 pm | Reply Alex

Good site, admin.
on May 18, 2009 at 6:02 pm | Reply Sancho

Good site, admin.
on June 25, 2009 at 3:19 pm | Reply Emily Z

Hi,

I wanted to write and tell you about a new website for filmmakers, musicians, artists, and fashion designers: www.PutItOn.com. I’ve been using the site as an artist and have my work there, and am trying to support. Basically, the site allows artists from all over the world to connect, display their portfolios, and sell their work (with no commission taken). The site gives artists a free gigabyte of space to showcase their portfolios, allows you to stream audio and video works, lets you create live personal broadcasts, and translates any writing into ten different languages. If you could take the time to visit the site, and if you like it too, let your readers know about it, and even sign up yourself or link to it on your site it would be greatly appreciated! We are trying to make a go of helping out artists everywhere and are trying to get the word out, so please help us out if you like the site after checking it out!

Thank you!
on July 31, 2009 at 1:02 pm | Reply Stace England

Enjoyed the comments mentioning Micheaux’s Withing Our Gates.

http://www.youtube.com/user/cairomusic
on August 10, 2009 at 10:21 am | Reply fanny breteau

Hi, my name is Fanny and I work for a London based agency; the reason why i’m commenting this post is that we have film content that may interest you. Drop me an email if you want further details.
Cheers.
on August 22, 2009 at 2:38 am | Reply Sean Baker

Trying to get in touch with admin for DVD review.
on September 21, 2009 at 2:06 am | Reply DIDOMAN

Sam,
Do you know what wordpress theme you are using?
on October 25, 2009 at 12:22 pm | Reply richard

Chinese cinema …. do you know ‘Malu Tianshi’ (Street Angel with Zhou Xuan, Zhao Dan) … also a great one with Cui Wei ‘Hongqipu’.
on December 24, 2009 at 1:06 am | Reply Maria Dziubla

From the penumbra to the luminosity of film noir, I am spellbound. Sci fi noir especially propels me towards dreams and mares.

Thank you for this….

Maria Dziubla
on May 12, 2010 at 2:20 pm | Reply Chris

Hello,
I am the Blog Administrator at Movies Unlimited, a mail order retailer of classic movies. We’ve recently started a blog (www.MovieFanFare.com) and I thought some of your posts would be of interest to our readers. Would it be possible to reprint one of your posts on our blog? We would naturally provide a link back to your blog and provide a short bio if you supply it. The only changes we would make to your content would be adding any links we deem relevant to provide information to our readers (ex – links to our retail website or Wikipedia). Please let me know what you think of all of this, and keep up the amazing work!
- on May 12, 2010 at 3:22 pm | Reply Sam Juliano
  
  Chris, we’d be honored! You have our permission, and I thank you! I’ll be taking a look in at your place. Best Wishes!
on May 12, 2010 at 3:59 pm | Reply wondersinthedark

You’ll have to write a small bio, Sam.
- on May 12, 2010 at 4:48 pm | Reply Sam Juliano
  
  Aye Allan. I hope to speak with you on the phone later today. I am 100% certain that the post (s) Chris is interested in will be some of your excellent reviews on the older classics.
  - on May 12, 2010 at 5:07 pm wondersinthedark
    
    Doesn’t matter, whoever’s it is, it’s good for the site, while for rare films it may get people to order from MU, which is equally good.
on July 28, 2010 at 10:42 pm | Reply Lucas

Please write about on the blog:

Trailer for Brazilian abstract-LSD movie “LOST PAGE”

http://www.paginaperdida.com

Surrounded by an intriguing scenario and inhabited by strange characters, “Lost Page” (“Página Perdida”) is an abstract film, the result of a powerfull visual dimension created by Lucas Moreira added to the experimental electro-acoustic music of Marcelo Armani.
Produced by Sanglant Films and Department of Culture of São Leopoldo.

Hi-def images on the site.

Thanks!

Sanglant Films
on October 21, 2010 at 8:23 pm | Reply thelittlesleep

Sam,

I’m new to your blog but I’m loving the top 100 horror movie breakdown. While I don’t agree with every choice, or even with the why behind some choices, I’m so pleased to see a well-reasoned and well-written treatment of the horror movie; an approach far too many horror fans (in either literature or film) great with an anti-intellectual disdain.

Frankly, I’m inspired by your work here.

Cheers,

Paul Tremblay
- on October 21, 2010 at 8:31 pm | Reply Jamie
  
  So awesome, a fan.
  
  After the conclusion of the Horror Countdown when the last film is unveiled on Oct. 31, we’ll submit the four top 100 lists and ask members of this blog to submit their own lists. I hope you follow and partake, I’d love to see your list!
  - on October 21, 2010 at 8:41 pm Sam Juliano
    
    Aye Jamie, and thanks so much Paul, but the horror countdown is solely the domain of Jamie, Troy, Kevin and Robert. The work they have done here is truly inspiring!
on October 21, 2010 at 9:04 pm | Reply thelittlesleep

Ah! Kudos to Jamie, Troy, Kevin, and Robert. They should know that myself and other horror writers have been passing their essays around facebook.

paul
- on October 21, 2010 at 9:16 pm | Reply Jamie
  
  Oh great! I wonder how they are being received…
- on October 21, 2010 at 9:26 pm | Reply Troy Olson
  
  Wow, really? That’s quite an honor, Paul. Thanks for stopping by and following along!
on October 21, 2010 at 9:41 pm | Reply thelittlesleep

(fwiw: I meant to say “greet” not “great” in the first post…)

The reviews are being received quite well with the folks I know. And heck, when I found it two days ago, I spent my allotted writing time reading 100-31.

Really looking forward to the remainder of the list.

paul
- on October 21, 2010 at 10:55 pm | Reply Sam Juliano
  
  Paul: Without being too forward, can I ask if this is yours here:
  
  http://www.amazon.com/Mean-Time-Paul-Tremblay/dp/1926851064/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1287695631&sr=8-2
  - on October 22, 2010 at 12:04 am thelittlesleep
    
    Not forward at all! And yes, that’s my new weird/horror/lit story collection.
  - on October 22, 2010 at 1:06 am Sam Juliano
    
    Wow! Fantastic Paul! I just now ordered a new copy of THE LITTLE SLEEP!
    
    Amazon Order Number: 105-2552280-9242614
  - on October 22, 2010 at 1:34 am thelittlesleep
    
    That’s mighty kind of you, Sam. I hope you dig The Little Sleep!
  - on October 22, 2010 at 2:03 am Sam Juliano
    
    Paul, I’m sure it will be great!
on November 24, 2010 at 1:10 pm | Reply Oliver Moss

Bonjorno Sam,
I’m Oliver from Priceminister
I’m looking for film enthusiasts to participate in the 2010 Movie Blogger Survey.
It would be fantastic to get a maximum number of people to take the survey.
So if you help us promote it on your blog we will send you a free DVD that you can choose from our great selection.

The survey is fun and instructive; with questions like:

Who is the weirdest film director of all time?
a) David Lynch
b) Luis Buñuel
c) David Cronenberg
d) …

and takes less than 5 minutes to complete.

I’m also offering a brand new Samsung BD-C5500 Blu-Ray player to the blogger with the highest follower participation!

This could be a great opportunity for you to create content on your blog, engage in conversation with your followers and get a great free DVD on the way?

To take the survey and find out how to claim your DVD, visit our site: http://www.wix.com/olivermoss/the-movie-blogger-survey

Thank you for your time.

Don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

Best Regards,
Oliver Moss
http://www.priceminister.co.uk
on December 12, 2010 at 4:36 pm | Reply Squish

I stumbled onto your site on Jaime Grijalba’s recommendation and I must say I’m impressed. I was enchanted by your witty “unless you happen to be watching the latest Judd Apatow or Uwe Boll,” and found a lot of joy in your front page – from the obscure titles I’ve never heard to the sleeper films like The Plague Dogs and 70s Grindhouse fare like Female Prisoner #701. I have certainly found a site I intend to spend much more time with.
Feel free to visit by my place, you might be interested in the Club:
http://www.filmsquish.com
on April 5, 2011 at 5:52 pm | Reply Richard Thomas

Hey Sam,

Wanted to talk to you about my new eSingle “Victimized”. Can you drop me a note? I’m at wickerkat@aol.com. Here’s the link:
http://www.amazon.com/Victimized-ebook/dp/B004QS98VO

Thanks,
Richard
on April 21, 2011 at 1:26 pm | Reply Paul J. Marasa

Sam,
Just popping in my head to thank you for your recent comment on my site, and for adding me to the WitD blogroll. As I’ve mentioned before, WitD is one of three or so invaluable resources I’ve been using to keep The Constant Viewer viewing since 1876–I’ve made it to 1984; less than 30 years to go until I catch up with myself. Anyway, thanks again for your kind words and tireless efforts to keep the Wonders coming.
on August 20, 2011 at 8:18 pm | Reply monstergirl

This is by far one of the most interesting, eclectic & critical thinking person’s blog I’ve come across. Wonderful! Glad I stumbled onto it.
Cheers- MonsterGirl ( Jo Gabriel ) from The Last Drive In blog
http://monstergirl.wordpress.com/
- on August 21, 2011 at 11:51 am | Reply wondersinthedark
  
  “Your arrival, my good Jo, shows intelligence and brilliance.”
  “Did you expect less?”
  Tish and pish, Jo. Welcome. But most of the time it’s like a Cyber Beirut.
on September 7, 2011 at 3:09 pm | Reply rohanberrywriter

Sam, this is a lovingly maintained film website. Much like Allan Fish I too was a devotee of Leslie Halliwell’s filmguides. My bookshelves just don’t seem the same without an encyclopedia sized volume of reviews. The other thing about Halliwell was that he was old-school, unashamedly ‘critical’ in his considerations of the things he viewed. This is something your own website manages equally successfully. Keep up the good work. Thanks must go to John Greco whose own blogroll ‘Twenty Four Frames’ brought me here.
- on July 7, 2013 at 6:32 pm | Reply Sam Juliano
  
  Thanks so much my friend. I am only two year late responding!
on September 7, 2011 at 3:24 pm | Reply rohanberrywriter

I’ve added your website info to my own blogroll.
on November 16, 2011 at 11:28 am | Reply Amanda

Hi,

Please let me know if you accept paid guest posts on your site,Wonders In The dark. I work with freelance writers to create posts on sites like yours that link to a clients page within the context of the post. These are never reviews or advertisements for the link, just informational posts that are tailored to fit the content and audience of the site they are written for.

Is that something you are interested in discussing? If you are, what are your guidelines for this type of agreement?

Best,
Amanda
on January 19, 2012 at 4:34 am | Reply The Good Villager

Hallelujah! It is so hard to find a list of ‘best of’ films that is not a dick flick parade. Kudos and thanks for the brain-feed. I will be feasting.
on July 7, 2012 at 4:50 am | Reply danny bloom

could you blog one day about SCARE QUOTES and their overuse?
- on July 7, 2012 at 12:15 pm | Reply wondersinthedark
  
  Not really my field, Danny, but maybe someone fancies a go at it on the roster of writers – takers?
on August 16, 2012 at 5:22 am | Reply Rajtilak

Nice work Sam! Never thought a free WordPress blog can be so interesting. Mind adding me on your Blogroll?
on September 1, 2012 at 7:43 pm | Reply Alexz Renteria

Hello, My name is Alexz Renteria. I’m the PMD for FLOST – a new indy feature debuting this Fall by writer/director Julian Grant! I came across your blog and thought you’d be intrigued by our film. I’d love to send you a press kit and a free VIP online screener for your devouring if you’d pleasantly provide me an email address or shoot me one at alexzavani@gmail.com. -Alexz
on February 19, 2013 at 10:02 pm | Reply Winston Dinwoodie

My name is Winston and greatly admire your web site. Regarding your list of the “25 Greatest Opera Films Ever Made”, the descriptions omit mention of English subtitles. Having seen and loved the Bergman Magic Flute with the execellent subtitling, this is key data. Thanks for you help with this.
- on February 19, 2013 at 10:08 pm | Reply Sam Juliano
  
  Thanks for reaching out Winston! The ’25 Greatest Opera Films’ post continues to be one of the most referred to at the site, and as it is mine I am proud of it. The answer to your question is that every single opera film does have English subs. Every one.
on May 23, 2013 at 11:35 pm | Reply Sam Juliano

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
on February 19, 2014 at 3:15 am | Reply Gene'O

@Sam, Thanks for reading my plan, and for blogrolling my writing blog. I’m feeling my way around. I’m ok with the technology, but the way all the networks interact is confusing, and I am trying to figure that stuff out and still do a lot of writing.

The way I found Wonders in the Dark originally is that I noticed you were interacting with True Classics, and something here caught me and made me take a good look around. I liked your blog so much I decided I needed to keep you on the radar, and I am so glad I did!

Wonders in the Dark is one sweet blog 🙂
- on February 19, 2014 at 3:20 am | Reply Sam Juliano
  
  I was happy to add you Gene, and thought it was long overdue. I won’t ever forget all the “likes” you posted over so long a time. And I’ll certainly be making it a point to check up at your place. As I say it sounds like a great plan, and your blog is quite an appealing one! Great to hear you caught us through TRUE CLASSICS as Brandie is a real sweetheart of a lady. Thanks again my friend.
  - on February 19, 2014 at 3:46 am Gene'O
    
    you’re very welcome 🙂 And I only know Brandie online, but she is a good friend of my sister, and yes, she is a real sweetheart of a lady. We should chat again sometime.
on May 4, 2014 at 1:29 am | Reply fewcities (@taleofa)

Your ‘Like’ us on Facebook ‘link’ links to a ‘share on Facebook’. Can you rectify that.
on May 19, 2016 at 12:59 pm | Reply Realweegiemidget

Hi, would love any reviews with any stars from TVs #Dallas
https://weegiemidget.wordpress.com/2016/05/11/announcing-the-darlin-dallasers-blogathon/
on June 13, 2016 at 8:03 pm | Reply MJ

Hello there,

I am producing a film, on a subject which we discuss details about in a less public place, and am interested in using one of your stills in the project. If this is something that might interest you please get back to me and we discuss this further. Thanks so much. Your site is phenomenal!
on June 13, 2016 at 8:10 pm | Reply MJ

Hi Sam,

I am a producer interested in using one of your photos for a project I’m working on. Please contact me so we may discuss this in detail.

Thanks very much,
MJ
on February 17, 2018 at 1:10 pm | Reply maddylovesherclassicfilms

Hi Sam. Just wanted to check that you got my email about no longer being able to take part in the TV countdown? I’m so sorry to not be able to take part as I was really looking forward to it. Maddy