{"version":"https:\/\/jsonfeed.org\/version\/1","title":"Chris O'Neil's Cinema World","home_page_url":"https:\/\/www.classichitswsyb.com\/blogs\/chris-oneils-cinema-world\/","feed_url":"https:\/\/www.classichitswsyb.com\/blogs\/chris-oneils-cinema-world\/json","description":"Chris ","items":[{"id":"o1023-2001-6a4424f322409","url":"https:\/\/www.classichitswsyb.com\/blogs\/chris-oneils-cinema-world\/post\/75-years-of-alfred-hitchcocks-strangers-on-a-train\/","title":"75 Years of Alfred Hitchcock's \"Strangers On A Train\"!","date_published":"2026-06-30T20:20:03+00:00","summary":"Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece still thrills 75 years later!","content_html":"<p>Alfred Hitchcock crafted multiple unforgettable, highly influential and thrilling masterpieces.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p>This one is a real doozy and if you&#39;re staying in and beating the heat, this one I highly recommend!<\/p>\n\n<p>&quot;Strangers On A Train&quot; was released 75 years ago and by now the plot sounds like something we&#39;ve seen hundreds of times: two strangers that meet on a train and one discusses swapping murders, so neither gets caught! This plot device has been remade and parodied for years and has even been a couple of direct re-makes and even some of your favorite TV series: &quot;Law &amp; Order&quot;, &quot;Castle&quot; and even receiving the &quot;Simpsons&quot; spoof treatment!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p>The film also kicked off Hitchcock&#39;s golden decade which would also include: &quot;Rear Window&quot;, &quot;Dial M For Murder&quot;, &quot;Vertigo&quot;, etc.<\/p>\n\n<p>If you&#39;d like to hear our discussion about this film, then click the link below!<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"left: 0; width: 100%; height: 400px; position: relative;\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?visual=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F2125444596&show_artwork=true\" style=\"top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;\" allowfullscreen allow=\"encrypted-media *;\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>","image":"https:\/\/mmo.aiircdn.com\/1023\/65b289379528d.jpg","author":{"name":"Chris O\u2019Neil"},"_mobile_inapp_url":"https:\/\/www.classichitswsyb.com\/_app_pages\/stations\/5018\/blogs\/posts\/85578"},{"id":"o1023-2001-6a398a8fbc168","url":"https:\/\/www.classichitswsyb.com\/blogs\/chris-oneils-cinema-world\/post\/movie-review-toy-story-5\/","title":"Movie Review-Toy Story 5","date_published":"2026-06-22T19:18:39+00:00","summary":"Is the fifth installment of Toy Story worth your time or money!?","content_html":"<p>Well, I will never judge a Toy Story sequel again! The Toy Story franchise is five for five! Even though (like &quot;Toy Story 4&quot;), this latest film doesn&#39;t hit the heights as the first three do, it&#39;s still overall a very solid film that will entertain both adults and kids.<\/p>\n\n<p>Although pretty much all of the toys return, this time around the main focus is on Jessie (once again voiced by the always brilliant Joan Cusack). Yes, Buzz Lightyear &amp; Woody both serve ample screen time and are both very important to the story, the focus is primarily on Jessie and her worries as her current human, Bonnie is gifted a frog like tablet named, &quot;Lilypad&quot; Lily from her parents hoping that this will help make her new friends. Will Bonnie abandon Jessie, Buzz and the rest of her toys in favor of her new tablet!? I leave that for you to find out!<\/p>\n\n<p>Yes, it&#39;s extremely predictable and you can see some jokes and plots coming from a mile away, but in this case, who cares!? This is a rare form where nostalgia is used effectively and it somehow keeps the franchise fresh and strong! I think having Pixar pioneer and Toy Story co-creator, Andrew Stanton involved is a huge asset!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p>I&#39;m typically a sequel and franchise snob, but in this case, I&#39;m all for &quot;Toy Story 5&quot;! For now, I will trust in this franchise and so should you!<\/p>","image":"https:\/\/mmo.aiircdn.com\/1023\/6a398610377fb8e2300.jpg","author":{"name":"Chris O\u2019Neil"},"_mobile_inapp_url":"https:\/\/www.classichitswsyb.com\/_app_pages\/stations\/5018\/blogs\/posts\/85465"},{"id":"o1023-2001-6a3056f967b3d","url":"https:\/\/www.classichitswsyb.com\/blogs\/chris-oneils-cinema-world\/post\/movie-review-disclosure-day\/","title":"Movie Review-Disclosure Day ","date_published":"2026-06-15T19:48:09+00:00","summary":"Is the new alien film from Spielberg worth your time and money!?","content_html":"<p>My wife and I were able to catch the new Steven Spielberg film, &quot;Disclosure Day&quot;! To be fair, Nicole was more excited to see this than I was. For me, Spielberg can be a hit or miss (especially over the last 25 years). I always reserve judgment until after the credits role and to be fair, Spielberg has helmed some of the greatest films in cinema history (five of his are amongst my all-time favorites)!<\/p>\n\n<p>In a nutshell, a cybersecurity specialist steals extraterrestrial technology from a secret part of the government, which of course makes him a target of federal authorities. In Kansas, a local meteorologist encounters a particular bird which somehow awakens her psychic abilities and her reading everyone&#39;s thoughts and empathizing with everyone around her. Things get stranger when she starts her forecast and starts speaking in an unknown and strange language! I will not spoil the rest for you.<\/p>\n\n<p>Overall, the film isn&#39;t bad and after a difficult start, it does pick up once the premise is set! When I mention difficult, is that I don&#39;t think the first act 100% clicks and isn&#39;t executed the best. Not sure if speeding up the process would&#39;ve helped, but once the story takes off it is fairly entertaining (for the most part). Some of the scenes leading up to the climax are hit and miss unfortunately and it ends suddenly! Maybe that was the point, but it didn&#39;t work 100% for me. The best part of the film was Emily Blunt&#39;s performance. Even though the script and concept doesn&#39;t always work, there&#39;s not a moment where Blunt isn&#39;t real. She does an incredible job here!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p>Is the film as bad or as good as the critics say? In a word, NO! It&#39;s far from being Spielberg&#39;s best, but far from being his worst.<\/p>\n\n<p>My wife declared: &quot;it&#39;s almost as good as Close Encounters&quot;! I don&#39;t agree, but that is the beauty of art, it&#39;s subjective! When there&#39;s a Steven Spielberg film in theatres, I will always give it a shot though!<\/p>","image":"https:\/\/mmo.aiircdn.com\/1023\/6a3051ab5d719.jpg","author":{"name":"Chris O\u2019Neil"},"_mobile_inapp_url":"https:\/\/www.classichitswsyb.com\/_app_pages\/stations\/5018\/blogs\/posts\/85370"},{"id":"o1023-2001-6a2873692a6b0","url":"https:\/\/www.classichitswsyb.com\/blogs\/chris-oneils-cinema-world\/post\/movie-review-backrooms\/","title":"Movie Review-Backrooms","date_published":"2026-06-09T20:11:21+00:00","summary":"A YouTube series with a huge cult following has become one of the biggest box office phenomenon's of the year! ","content_html":"<p>When I first saw 20 year old filmmaker Kane Parsons&#39; film debut a couple of weeks ago, I was stunned! It took me a few days to process and I think that was the case for a lot of people!<\/p>\n\n<p>This young filmmaker has been creating short films for nearly a decade! He started his &quot;Backrooms&quot; series on YouTube four years ago and you can watch all 22 episodes along with his other shorts and content under his Kane Pixels channel.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p>I was originally just wanting to see the film because the always brilliant, award nominated actor,&nbsp;Chiwetel Ejiofor was in it! Whenever he&#39;s on the screen he always lights it up and he did not disappoint here! Joining him is rising star (also award nominated),&nbsp;Renate Reinsve, who plays Ejiofor&#39;s therapist. Reinsve&#39;s character is working through the trauma of the demolition of her childhood home and her troubled mom&#39;s institutionalization by trying to help Ejiofor&#39;s character cope with his alcoholism and crumbling marriage.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p>To say more would spoil everything. It&#39;s best to go into this blind. If you&#39;re a fan of psychological horror with a hit of sci-fi, then you have to check this out. Although it&#39;s far from being perfect, I found the performances, the sound, the technical aspects and the concept very inventive and worth sitting through some of the jumbled scenes where things don&#39;t fit together. Perhaps that is the point as well. See this on the big screen! I&#39;m very excited for what lies ahead for Kane Parsons and champion his creativity and mantra!<\/p>\n\n<p>If you&#39;ve seen the film, then click below for my SPOILER filled talk!<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"left: 0; width: 100%; height: 400px; position: relative;\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?visual=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F2335367633&show_artwork=true\" style=\"top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;\" allowfullscreen allow=\"encrypted-media *;\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>","image":"https:\/\/mmo.aiircdn.com\/1023\/65a1399f776ca.jpg","author":{"name":"Chris O\u2019Neil"},"_mobile_inapp_url":"https:\/\/www.classichitswsyb.com\/_app_pages\/stations\/5018\/blogs\/posts\/85295"},{"id":"o1023-2001-6a216f9eef4a1","url":"https:\/\/www.classichitswsyb.com\/blogs\/chris-oneils-cinema-world\/post\/100-years-of-marilyn-monroe\/","title":"100 Years Of Marilyn Monroe","date_published":"2026-06-04T12:29:18+00:00","summary":"Reflecting on the iconic & legendary Marilyn Monroe who was born 100 years ago in June of 1926!","content_html":"<p>Norma Jeane Mortenson was born on June 1st, 1926 in Los Angeles! Her childhood was mainly spent in orphanages &amp; foster homes which seems far removed from the spotlights and glamour of Hollywood! She married at the age of 16 and was working at a factory during WWII before she was discovered by a photographer from the First Motion Picture Unit and became a pin-up model which led to short lived film contracts with 20th Century Fox &amp; Columbia Pictures. After freelancing for a bit, she signed a longer contract with Fox in 1951 and scored a successful run of roles in both comedies and dramas which showed off her talents as an actress!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p>Her breakthrough year was in 1953 when she scored leading roles in the film noir classic, <span style=\"font-size:12.0pt\"><span style=\"font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,sans-serif\">&ldquo;<\/span><\/span>Niagara<span style=\"font-size:12.0pt\"><span style=\"font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,sans-serif\">&ldquo;<\/span><\/span>, the musical comedy&nbsp;<span style=\"font-size:12.0pt\"><span style=\"font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,sans-serif\">&ldquo;Gentlemen Prefer Blondes&ldquo; (Which made her a global star) &amp; the romantic comedy,&nbsp;&ldquo;How To Marry A Millionaire&ldquo;! Of course posing for Playboy that year, she made her first TV appearance, and the top money making star of the year! Not too shabby! She would of course go on to form her own production company in 1954 with her friend, Milton Greene! In 1955 she starting taking her acting very seriously when she started taking acting lessons which led to her receiving multiple critics awards and nominations for her subsequent films!&nbsp;<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n<p>Despite her troubled private life and tragic death at the age of 36 in 1962, she still remains a huge pop culture Icon and one of the most influential stars of all time!<\/p>\n\n<p>If you are looking to watch some of her films, here are the ones I suggest:<\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt\"><span style=\"font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,sans-serif\"><strong>&ldquo;The Asphalt Jungle&ldquo; (1950) &amp;&nbsp;&ldquo;All About Eve&ldquo; (1950)<\/strong> were her first prominent film roles and she made a huge impression despite such small roles!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt\"><span style=\"font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,sans-serif\"><strong>&ldquo;Niagara&ldquo; (1953)<\/strong> Her star-making role! This an opportunity to see Monroe shine as the ultimate&nbsp;&ldquo;Femme Fatale&ldquo;!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><strong><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt\"><span style=\"font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,sans-serif\">&ldquo;River Of No Return&ldquo; (1954)&nbsp;<\/span><\/span><\/strong><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt\"><span style=\"font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,sans-serif\">A western musical which showcased her sultry singing voice. Not one of her favorites and certainly not her greatest film, but still a worthwhile film to watch!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt\"><span style=\"font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,sans-serif\"><strong>&ldquo;Some Like It Hot&ldquo; (1959)&nbsp;<\/strong>Most likely her most famous role and many consider her greatest! Even though she struggled with anxiety and was pregnant at the time, you would not know it from watching her shine in this film!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt\"><span style=\"font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,sans-serif\"><strong>&ldquo;The Misfits&ldquo; (1961)&nbsp;<\/strong>My pick for her greatest film performance! Unfortunately it was her last! This film caused her a lot of stress because of her substance use, her marriage with screenwriter Arthur Miller was falling apart, health struggles, etc.<\/span><\/span><br \/>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>","image":"https:\/\/mmo.aiircdn.com\/1023\/6a216440387fe.jpg","author":{"name":"Chris O\u2019Neil"},"_mobile_inapp_url":"https:\/\/www.classichitswsyb.com\/_app_pages\/stations\/5018\/blogs\/posts\/85230"},{"id":"o1023-2001-6a060cd94c0e7","url":"https:\/\/www.classichitswsyb.com\/blogs\/chris-oneils-cinema-world\/post\/were-the-1950s-an-awful-time-for-cinema\/","title":"Were the 1950's an awful time for cinema?","date_published":"2026-05-14T17:56:00+00:00","summary":"There's an internet post that claims that the 1950's was \"kinda an awful time for cinema\"! IS that true?","content_html":"<p>I love cinema! On social media, I pretty much focus on cinema related content. I saw this post while scrolling through X this morning and I came across<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/huppertspiano\/status\/2054569228452212832\"> this post!<\/a>&nbsp;I was alarmed because the 1950&#39;s was an incredible decade for cinema! So many great films in America and throughout the world for that matter!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p>Then I was wondering if she was referring to to specifically Hollywood! the 1950&#39;s was a transitional but turbulent era for Hollywood! They had to deal with the rise of television, so film companies had to come up with creative and unique ways to keep drawing audiences to the theatres! Some even came up with campy and gimmicky efforts to do this! There was also the Hollywood blacklist, which ruined a lot of careers. One could argue, that while there were classics coming from Hollywood, there was a lot of paranoia, content restrictions and desperation from the studios, etc.<\/p>\n\n<p>Focusing just on Hollywood though, there were just so many masterful films that were made in that infamous decade! I wish this person on X would&#39;ve elaborated on which she meant by this! Part of me also wonders if she was doing this for clicks! Well if that&#39;s the case, she got me!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p>See below for a list of must-see films that came out from Hollywood in the 1950&#39;s! Keep in mind that some of these films either did OK or were disasters at the box office, but their audience grew over time!<\/p>\n\n<p>1.<strong> &quot;In A Lonely Place&quot; (1950)&nbsp;<\/strong>- Now considered one of Humphrey Bogart&#39;s performance, was considered a box office failure and lost money for Bogart&#39;s production company!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p>2. <strong>&quot;Gun Crazy&quot; (1950)&nbsp;<\/strong>- Despite now being considered a film noir masterpiece, the film bombed at the box office and failed to make back its production costs!<\/p>\n\n<p>3. <strong>&quot;Outrage&quot; (1950)&nbsp;<\/strong>-This is another cult classic that despite having a low budget, still failed to generate money at the box office. The subject matter was considered taboo and it made it difficult for a traditional release.<\/p>\n\n<p>4. <strong>&quot;Night Of The Hunter&quot; (1955)<\/strong>&nbsp;- A commercial and critical failure that has become one of the most beloved cult classics of all time!<\/p>\n\n<p>5. <strong>&quot;Vertigo&quot; (1958) -&nbsp;<\/strong>Many consider this to be one of Alfred Hitchcock&#39;s greatest films but was a commercial disappointment at the time.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p>Listen to my discussions on these films by clicking on my podcast link below!<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"left: 0; width: 100%; height: 450px; position: relative;\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?visual=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Fusers%2F1333817835&show_artwork=true\" style=\"top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;\" allowfullscreen allow=\"encrypted-media *;\"><\/iframe><\/div>","image":"https:\/\/mmo.aiircdn.com\/1023\/6a0603501277f.jpg","author":{"name":"Chris O\u2019Neil"},"_mobile_inapp_url":"https:\/\/www.classichitswsyb.com\/_app_pages\/stations\/5018\/blogs\/posts\/84940"},{"id":"o1023-2001-69f3b232769e6","url":"https:\/\/www.classichitswsyb.com\/blogs\/chris-oneils-cinema-world\/post\/the-love-of-horror-movies-runs-deeper-than-jump-scares\/","title":"The Love Of Horror Movies Runs Deeper than Jump Scares!","date_published":"2026-04-30T19:49:06+00:00","summary":"Horror movies don't pretend everything is fine and we are OK with that!","content_html":"<p>I saw an interesting article that notes that the Gen Z audience is drawn to horror movies is because the films (for the most part) doesn&#39;t pretend everything is fine, they don&#39;t offer clear, concise and happy endings! It&#39;s interesting the article mentions Gen Z specifically, because me, as a child from the slasher 80&#39;s, I kind of felt the same way!<\/p>\n\n<p>It&#39;s refreshing to me that (at least in the horror film genre), that some things DO NOT change!&nbsp; Anxiety, grief, dread, uncertainty, social collapse, etc. are amongst the key themes that have made the horror genre popular for over 100 years now! If you want to delve into this article and read all the details,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wokewaves.com\/posts\/why-horror-is-so-emotionally-honest-right-now\"> click here!<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p>Whether you&#39;re a fan of horror movies or not, you can&#39;t deny how emotionally truthful these films can be (some of them anyhow).<\/p>\n\n<p>I review and talk about horror movies, quite a bit! Click on the link below and browse hundreds of episodes (especially if you&#39;re a horror movie fan)!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"left: 0; width: 100%; height: 450px; position: relative;\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?visual=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Fusers%2F1333817835&show_artwork=true\" style=\"top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;\" allowfullscreen allow=\"encrypted-media *;\"><\/iframe><\/div>","image":"https:\/\/mmo.aiircdn.com\/1023\/69f3ae9af2b8b.jpg","author":{"name":"Chris O\u2019Neil"},"_mobile_inapp_url":"https:\/\/www.classichitswsyb.com\/_app_pages\/stations\/5018\/blogs\/posts\/84765"},{"id":"o1023-2001-69e133072dcb0","url":"https:\/\/www.classichitswsyb.com\/blogs\/chris-oneils-cinema-world\/post\/50th-anniversary-of-alfred-hitchcocks-final-film\/","title":"50th Anniversary of Alfred Hitchcock's final film! ","date_published":"2026-04-16T19:05:00+00:00","summary":"Family Plot was released 50 years ago in April of 1976! ","content_html":"<p>&quot;Family Plot&quot; was not supposed to be Alfred Hitchock&#39;s final film!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p>A film that was titled, &quot;The Short Night&quot; was going to be spy-filled suspenser about an assassin who falls in love with the wife of his quarry. Hitchcock apparently described it as a French-farce turned inside out. The word is Hitchcock worked on the script with write, David Freeman in the late 70s but never went into production unfortunately. It required The Master Of Suspense to film on location in Finland, which could not do because of his failing health.<\/p>\n\n<p>We were left with a decent dark comedy though. &quot;Family Plot&quot; was based on a 1972 novel called &quot;The Rainbird Pattern&quot; which was more intense and dark than the Hitchcock film! What we were left with this a fun and entertaining film! The stand out scenes are: The graveyard confrontation and especially the runaway car sequence! Bruce Dern &amp; Barbara Harris make the perfect screwball couple! The film does not reach the heights as his earlier work, but a lesser Hitchcock film is a great one for someone else!<\/p>\n\n<p><br \/>\nIf you want to hear a deep dive into this and what could have been his final film, then click on the link below and listen!<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"left: 0; width: 100%; height: 400px; position: relative;\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?visual=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F2300726735&show_artwork=true\" style=\"top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;\" allowfullscreen allow=\"encrypted-media *;\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>","image":"https:\/\/mmo.aiircdn.com\/1023\/65b289379528d.jpg","author":{"name":"Chris O\u2019Neil"},"_mobile_inapp_url":"https:\/\/www.classichitswsyb.com\/_app_pages\/stations\/5018\/blogs\/posts\/84594"},{"id":"o1023-2001-698a3b7714120","url":"https:\/\/www.classichitswsyb.com\/blogs\/chris-oneils-cinema-world\/post\/50th-anniversary-of-taxi-driver\/","title":"50th Anniversary Of Taxi Driver","date_published":"2026-02-09T19:54:31+00:00","summary":"Martin Scorsese's \"Taxi Driver\" is 50 years old this year!","content_html":"<p>In my pre-teen years is when my love for cinema started kicking into higher gear.<\/p>\n\n<p>My first Martin Scorsese film experience was &quot;Goodfellas&quot; back in 1992 when I snuck the VHS tape into my parent&#39;s house (I got busted and the tape was taken away until my father deemed he was ready to share it with me). After that first viewing, I was hooked and wanted to see more of Scorsese&#39;s cinema. I believe &quot;Taxi Driver&quot; was my fourth or fifth Scorsese film! Like many, I saw the iconic: &quot;You Talking To Me?&quot; monologue in various film clips over the years and I was psyched when I was finally able to see it within it&#39;s context!<\/p>\n\n<p>I&#39;ve seen &quot;Taxi Driver&quot; countless times since and have been fortunate enough to see it on the big screen twice! I consider &quot;Taxi Driver&quot; Scorsese&#39;s third masterpiece and it somehow gets better, scarier &amp; more relevant after each viewing!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p>If you want to hear some of the crazy inspirations for the film, behind the scenes and more, then click on the link below!<\/p>\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"left: 0; width: 100%; height: 400px; position: relative;\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?visual=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F2261991797&show_artwork=true\" style=\"top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;\" allowfullscreen allow=\"encrypted-media *;\"><\/iframe><\/div>","image":"https:\/\/mmo.aiircdn.com\/1023\/65b289379528d.jpg","author":{"name":"Chris O\u2019Neil"},"_mobile_inapp_url":"https:\/\/www.classichitswsyb.com\/_app_pages\/stations\/5018\/blogs\/posts\/83692"},{"id":"o1023-2001-697a0d7f17201","url":"https:\/\/www.classichitswsyb.com\/blogs\/chris-oneils-cinema-world\/post\/1986-films-the-hitcher\/","title":"1986 Films- The Hitcher","date_published":"2026-01-28T13:22:00+00:00","summary":"40 years of the horrifying, thrilling, cult classic, \"The Hitcher\"","content_html":"<p>The weather has kept me from the movie theatres the past couple of weeks, so I&#39;ve been digging through my library of 3,000 plus films and re-visiting them! One of them was the 1986 cult classic, Robert Harmon&#39;s &quot;The Hitcher&quot;! The film premiered in January of 1986 (major release came in February) and was a box office disappointment to say the least. The film&#39;s incredible cinematography, music score and the unforgettable performance from the legendary and iconic, Rutger Hauer are what help give this film it&#39;s timeless appeal!<\/p>\n\n<p>The creepiness of Hitchhiker&#39;s is definitely not something new. &quot;The Vanishing Hitchhiker&quot; is an old folk tale, urban legend that may have roots in the medieval Europe or Roman times often appearing in tales of saints, and adapting from horse-drawn carriages to automobiles as transportation changed, becoming a widespread modern urban legend about ghostly figures who vanish after getting a ride, often revealing they died long ago.&nbsp;&nbsp;The tales would often serves as a caution against picking up strangers and driving at night, sometimes reflecting on purity or &quot;bad&quot; behavior. There&#39;s countless stories out there for sure and this cult classic film combines many of the American Hitchhiker urban legend tales and most definitely inspired by film noir classics: notably 1945&#39;s &quot;Detour&quot; &amp; &quot;The Hitch-Hiker&quot; from 1953. Interestingly enough, Eric Red, the screenwriter was inspired to write the screenplay after driving cross country and hearing The Doors classic, &quot;Riders On The Storm&quot;. The lyrics,&nbsp;&quot; there&#39;s a killer on the road&quot; in particular struck him.<\/p>\n\n<p>If you want to hear my in-depth analysis of the film, click on the link below!<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"left: 0; width: 100%; height: 400px; position: relative;\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?visual=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F2253397685&show_artwork=true\" style=\"top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;\" allowfullscreen allow=\"encrypted-media *;\"><\/iframe><\/div>","image":"https:\/\/mmo.aiircdn.com\/1023\/65b289379528d.jpg","author":{"name":"Chris O\u2019Neil"},"_mobile_inapp_url":"https:\/\/www.classichitswsyb.com\/_app_pages\/stations\/5018\/blogs\/posts\/83562"},{"id":"o1023-2001-69712a610a254","url":"https:\/\/www.classichitswsyb.com\/blogs\/chris-oneils-cinema-world\/post\/1986-films-big-trouble-in-little-china\/","title":"1986 Films- Big Trouble In Little China","date_published":"2026-01-21T19:34:57+00:00","summary":"This cult classic turns 40 this year!","content_html":"<p>I can&#39;t count how many times I saw John Carpenter&#39;s action\/fantasy\/comedy cult classic, &quot;Big Trouble In Little China&quot; on HBO when I was a kid! I drove my parents nuts for sure. I introduced the film to my friends and they liked it as well! Heck, everyone I know enjoys the film! Which makes me wonder why this film bombed at the box office when it was released in the Summer of 1986!<\/p>\n\n<p>&nbsp;There are a number of factors: 20th Century Fox didn&#39;t market the film well (to say the least) as they didn&#39;t seem to know how to sell this movie as the genre combo was unique back in 1986! Because of this, the test screenings were an apparent disaster. Also, this film might&#39;ve performed better if it was released in the Spring or Fall movie season, instead of 4th of July Weekend!<\/p>\n\n<p>The true test for any movie is TIME! &quot;Big Trouble In Little China&quot; certainly has thanks not only to HBO but also home video. The film&#39;s highly quotable, the &quot;leading man &amp; side-kick&quot; genre stereotype is turned on it&#39;s head, there&#39;s tons of laugh out loud moments and plenty of action for fans of the genre.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p>This is my personal favorite film from John Carpenter. Most choose &quot;Halloween&quot; Or &quot;The Thing&quot;, but for me this is the best film Carpenter&#39;s ever done! Listen to my analysis and history of the film below!<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"left: 0; width: 100%; height: 400px; position: relative;\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?visual=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F2249210804&show_artwork=true\" style=\"top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;\" allowfullscreen allow=\"encrypted-media *;\"><\/iframe><\/div>","image":"https:\/\/mmo.aiircdn.com\/1023\/65b289379528d.jpg","author":{"name":"Chris O\u2019Neil"},"_mobile_inapp_url":"https:\/\/www.classichitswsyb.com\/_app_pages\/stations\/5018\/blogs\/posts\/83357"},{"id":"o1023-2001-695d3bb9acfd7","url":"https:\/\/www.classichitswsyb.com\/blogs\/chris-oneils-cinema-world\/post\/80-years-of-nightmare-alley\/","title":"80 years of \"Nightmare Alley\"!","date_published":"2026-01-06T16:43:37+00:00","summary":"The \"Nightmare alley\" novel was published in 1946, inspiring film adaptations in 1947 & 2021!","content_html":"<p>William Lindsay Gresham&#39;s classic noir novel, &quot;Nightmare Alley&quot; was published 80 years ago this year, 1946! This was his first and most successful novel by the way. Gresham was inspired to write the book apparently after conversations he had with a former carnival worker while serving as volunteers in the Spanish Civil War!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p>The novel was purchased by Hollywood as a vehicle for 20th Century Fox star, Tyrone Power! Power had just served in WW2 and was known for his swashbuckling, romantic leading man roles. He got his way and was the star of the film , which had a significant budget which was unusual for a &#39;film noir&quot;. The film unfortunately received mixed reviews and flopped big-time at the box office and wasn&#39;t even available on home video until 2005!!!<\/p>\n\n<p>Fast forward to 2021, award winning filmmaker, Guillermo del Toro released his adaptation with an all-star cast including: Bradley Cooper (in the leading role), Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara &amp; Willem Dafoe! This version didn&#39;t have the hopeful Hollywood ending of the original. This adaptation was just as bleak as Gresham&#39;s novel!&nbsp; Like the 1947 film, this one bombed at the box office!<\/p>\n\n<p>Both film versions released lavish home video releases courtesy of the Criterion Collection! If you want to hear me go deep into the history of the novel and the film versions, then click below!<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"left: 0; width: 100%; height: 400px; position: relative;\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?visual=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F2240996600&show_artwork=true\" style=\"top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;\" allowfullscreen allow=\"encrypted-media *;\"><\/iframe><\/div>","image":"https:\/\/mmo.aiircdn.com\/1023\/65b289379528d.jpg","author":{"name":"Chris O\u2019Neil"},"_mobile_inapp_url":"https:\/\/www.classichitswsyb.com\/_app_pages\/stations\/5018\/blogs\/posts\/83192"}]}