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Showing posts with label classic films. Show all posts
Showing posts with label classic films. Show all posts
Monday, October 7, 2024
Coen Brothers, Hitchcock, and More
I promise I'm not neglecting this blog on purpose! We've been busy re-watching favorite films and also movies by the Coen Brothers, Alfred Hitchcock, and more. Look forward to special posts on these filmmakers in the coming year when we've finished viewing them all (or most of them, anyway).
Thursday, February 9, 2017
FAVORITES: Amelie, Diner, and A Town Called Panic
FAVORITES for January & February:
Amelie (Jean-Pierre Jeunet, 2001)
Whimsical, Coming of Age, Adventure, Romance
Why is it a Favorite?
I saw Amelie in the theater when I was 16 years old, just starting my journey into the realm of movies and romance. This film means a lot to me, not just because it brings back memories of my teenage years and the tumultuous relationships I had, but also because it made me start thinking about what I value and who I want to be. It's a darn good film, one of the best ever made, in my opinion. It is escapist, but it also has meaningful moments. It is gorgeous in the artistry and cinematography--oh, those bold colors. It has complicated, strange, and interesting characters. It employs an interesting narrative structure...I could go on. There is a certain "comforting something" about the atmosphere of this film--like puffy clouds and chalk drawings and mud between the toes--that makes me nostalgic and contented.
Diner (Barry Levinson, 1982)
1950s, Coming of Age, Friendship, Day-in-the-life
Why is it a Favorite?
I LOVE coming of age films that center around a group of men, as you've read on this blog many times before. Diner is definitely that, but it also has the advantage of having a very improvisational script which leads to a flow that really appeals to me. Some might call it "slow" or "aimless," but I like that. I enjoy being the eavesdropper/voyeur who just watches what's going on. Films don't have to have monumental struggles or conflicts, there doesn't need to be a big moment of truth. This film feels like real-life, the conversations, the relationships, the arguments, the little moments.
A Town Called Panic (Stéphane Aubier, Vincent Patar 2009)
Whimsical, Animation, Adventure
Why is it a Favorite?
I first saw this film when I was home sick and browsing through my Netflix streaming options. It looked fun and uplifting so I pressed "play." The series of reactions that ensued sounded something like this:
"What?" then
"What is this?" then
"OMG, what?!" then
"Seriously, what the **** is this?"
I have never laughed so hard and something I barely understood. This film is completely, absolutely bizarre and I love it. I can't describe it so you'll just have to watch.
Amelie (Jean-Pierre Jeunet, 2001)
Click here for the basics
Rating: Q=8, P=8 / Obsession
Scale 1=4, Scale 2=4, Scale 3=4, Scale 4=4
Whimsical, Coming of Age, Adventure, Romance
Why is it a Favorite?
I saw Amelie in the theater when I was 16 years old, just starting my journey into the realm of movies and romance. This film means a lot to me, not just because it brings back memories of my teenage years and the tumultuous relationships I had, but also because it made me start thinking about what I value and who I want to be. It's a darn good film, one of the best ever made, in my opinion. It is escapist, but it also has meaningful moments. It is gorgeous in the artistry and cinematography--oh, those bold colors. It has complicated, strange, and interesting characters. It employs an interesting narrative structure...I could go on. There is a certain "comforting something" about the atmosphere of this film--like puffy clouds and chalk drawings and mud between the toes--that makes me nostalgic and contented.
Diner (Barry Levinson, 1982)
Click here for the basics
Rating: Q=7, P=8 / Obsession
Scale 1=3, Scale 2=4, Scale 3=4, Scale 4=4
1950s, Coming of Age, Friendship, Day-in-the-life
Why is it a Favorite?
I LOVE coming of age films that center around a group of men, as you've read on this blog many times before. Diner is definitely that, but it also has the advantage of having a very improvisational script which leads to a flow that really appeals to me. Some might call it "slow" or "aimless," but I like that. I enjoy being the eavesdropper/voyeur who just watches what's going on. Films don't have to have monumental struggles or conflicts, there doesn't need to be a big moment of truth. This film feels like real-life, the conversations, the relationships, the arguments, the little moments.
A Town Called Panic (Stéphane Aubier, Vincent Patar 2009)
Click here for the basics
Rating: Q=7, P=8 / Obsession
Scale 1=3, Scale 2=4, Scale 3=4, Scale 4=4
Whimsical, Animation, Adventure
Why is it a Favorite?
I first saw this film when I was home sick and browsing through my Netflix streaming options. It looked fun and uplifting so I pressed "play." The series of reactions that ensued sounded something like this:
"What?" then
"What is this?" then
"OMG, what?!" then
"Seriously, what the **** is this?"
I have never laughed so hard and something I barely understood. This film is completely, absolutely bizarre and I love it. I can't describe it so you'll just have to watch.
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Thursday, November 17, 2016
Anatomy of a Murder
Anatomy of a Murder (Otto Preminger, 1959)
Click here for the basics
Rating: Q=6, P=5 / Average OJ
Scale 1=3, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=2
Crime, Mystery, Courtroom
Duke Ellington cameo and soundtrack. Jimmy Stewart as a fisherman/jazz pianist/attorney. George C. Scott as a slick city attorney. Glorious script, for example:
"One judge is quite like another. The only differences may be in the state of their digestions or their proclivities for sleeping on the bench. For myself, I can digest pig iron. And while I might appear to doze occasionally, you will find that I am easily awakened, particularly if shaken gently by a good lawyer with a nice point of law."
I loved so much of this movie. But it's also hard to watch because it is about a rape. The way that women were and still are questioned/prosecuted by lawyers and attorneys is frequently unexceptable and unbearable. Sometimes even disgusting.
After watching this film I remembered how much I love Preminger's writing. And the way he always makes the films feel like an escape. Despite this one being nearly 3 hours, I don't think I was tired or bored or distracted for a second.
Duke Ellington cameo and soundtrack. Jimmy Stewart as a fisherman/jazz pianist/attorney. George C. Scott as a slick city attorney. Glorious script, for example:
"One judge is quite like another. The only differences may be in the state of their digestions or their proclivities for sleeping on the bench. For myself, I can digest pig iron. And while I might appear to doze occasionally, you will find that I am easily awakened, particularly if shaken gently by a good lawyer with a nice point of law."
I loved so much of this movie. But it's also hard to watch because it is about a rape. The way that women were and still are questioned/prosecuted by lawyers and attorneys is frequently unexceptable and unbearable. Sometimes even disgusting.
After watching this film I remembered how much I love Preminger's writing. And the way he always makes the films feel like an escape. Despite this one being nearly 3 hours, I don't think I was tired or bored or distracted for a second.
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Thursday, September 22, 2016
42nd Street
42nd Street (Lloyd Bacon, 1933)
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Rating: Q=4, P=4 / Average OJ
Scale 1=2, Scale 2=2, Scale 3=2, Scale 4=2
Musical, Romance
I've said before that musicals are not my favorite genre of film, so I have lots of catching up to do. But I enjoy many of the early films--from the 1930s--because they are light-hearted and the placement of the songs make sense. 42nd Street is a fun diversion, a nice escape during the Great Depression. And it's a treat to see some of the famous faces/voices of a bygone era, like Ruby Keeler and Dick Powell. While watching, it is hard not to think about how vastly different the world is today.
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Thursday, September 15, 2016
In A Lonely Place
In A Lonely Place (Nicholas Ray, 1950)
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Rating: Q=6, P=4 / Average OJ
Scale 1=3, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=2, Scale 4=2
Thriller, Suspense, Mystery
"I was born when she kissed me. I died when she left me. I lived a few weeks while she loved me."
This film takes its place in the library of classics because of the script. Each line is meaningful, there is no filler. And the lines are delivered with impeccable timing by two stars: Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame. Even though the story and characters are not new--the volatile writer, the mysterious and beautiful woman, an unsolved murder--the way it is told seems fresh. For the time and even now. It has a feeling of a stage production, as many films of the 1950s do, but it is enhanced by beautiful film artistry, especially lighting and angles.
This film takes its place in the library of classics because of the script. Each line is meaningful, there is no filler. And the lines are delivered with impeccable timing by two stars: Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame. Even though the story and characters are not new--the volatile writer, the mysterious and beautiful woman, an unsolved murder--the way it is told seems fresh. For the time and even now. It has a feeling of a stage production, as many films of the 1950s do, but it is enhanced by beautiful film artistry, especially lighting and angles.
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Thursday, September 8, 2016
Safety Last!
Safety Last! (Fred C. Newmeyer and Sam Taylor, 1923)
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Rating: Q=6, P=6 / Average OJ
Scale 1=3, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=3
Comedy, Silent, Romance
The classic scene of Harold Lloyd dangling from a clock twelve stories up--I'd seen it countless times. So why did it take me so long to watch the whole film?
I really love silent films and I've never quite figured out why people won't give them much of a chance. I suppose it's because lots of sound seems to rule the big box office films. But comedy can be spot-on with just a well-timed piano soundtrack. Harold Lloyd was a genius of comedy, not far behind Chaplin and Keaton, but he doesn't have that legendary status like the others. Maybe because he always plays characters that seem real, the average guy in a tricky or messy situation. In Safety Last! he's just the new guy in the city trying to impress his girl. Of course, everything he plans goes awry.
If you don't normally watch silent films, take a chance on this one. It's short, truly funny, and has classic moments you'll somehow recognize (Oh, that's where that gag came from!). Then try other greats like Sherlock Jr. and City Lights.
I really love silent films and I've never quite figured out why people won't give them much of a chance. I suppose it's because lots of sound seems to rule the big box office films. But comedy can be spot-on with just a well-timed piano soundtrack. Harold Lloyd was a genius of comedy, not far behind Chaplin and Keaton, but he doesn't have that legendary status like the others. Maybe because he always plays characters that seem real, the average guy in a tricky or messy situation. In Safety Last! he's just the new guy in the city trying to impress his girl. Of course, everything he plans goes awry.
If you don't normally watch silent films, take a chance on this one. It's short, truly funny, and has classic moments you'll somehow recognize (Oh, that's where that gag came from!). Then try other greats like Sherlock Jr. and City Lights.
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Thursday, January 14, 2016
Witness for the Prosecution
Witness for the Prosecution (Billy Wilder, 1957)
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Rating: Q=6, P=6 / Average OJ
Scale 1=3, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=3
Mystery, Crime, Courtroom Drama, Based on Novel, Suspense
Oh, how I love Agatha Christie! This is one of her most famous novels but one I haven't read or seen, so I was pleasantly surprised by how her narrative complexity and subtleties translated very well to the film adaptation. Marlene Dietrich is fascinating, Charles Laughton is marvelous. A great courtroom drama that keeps you watching until the twist ending!
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Thursday, November 19, 2015
Spellbound
Spellbound (Alfred Hitchcock, 1945)
One of Hitchcock's most marvelous films. Ingrid Bergman and Gregory Peck deliver wonderful performances but the real star, in my opinion, is the artistry and camerawork. Symbolism takes center stage as it leaps from the mis-en-scene into the narrative, too. So much texture and detail fill each frame. There's even a Salvador Dali dream-sequence. Complete with eyes on the curtains! If you like mysteries, I guarantee you'll like this one.
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Click here for the basics
Rating: Q=8, P=6 / Can't Get Enough
Scale 1=4, Scale 2=4, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=3
Thriller, Psychological, Suspense, Romance
One of Hitchcock's most marvelous films. Ingrid Bergman and Gregory Peck deliver wonderful performances but the real star, in my opinion, is the artistry and camerawork. Symbolism takes center stage as it leaps from the mis-en-scene into the narrative, too. So much texture and detail fill each frame. There's even a Salvador Dali dream-sequence. Complete with eyes on the curtains! If you like mysteries, I guarantee you'll like this one.
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Thursday, October 29, 2015
Touch of Evil
Touch of Evil (Orson Welles, 1958)
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Rating: Q=6, P=5 / Average OJ
Scale 1=3, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=2
Film Noir, Crime, Suspense, Thriller
Stories about corruption have been part of the film canon for decades. Orson Welles captures the sordid and gritty side of the law so marvelously it's scary. The artistry is so immaculate and precise I'm sure that every frame could make a meaningful still-life. And Welles' portrayal of Quinlan is one of the most memorable ever. Classic film, perfect for Halloween-time.
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Monday, September 21, 2015
The Magnificent Ambersons
The Magnificent Ambersons (Orson Welles, 1942)
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Rating: Q=7, P=5 / Can't Get Enough
Scale 1=4, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=2
Drama, Based on Book, Class, Philosophical
Such an intricate film full of wonderful artistry and cinematic flourishes. Orson Welles really liked to experiment with the set, the angles and lighting, the art as an extension of the narrative. The Magnificent Ambersons really feels like a movie, an escape, a complete entity. I've always liked that about films made during the late 1930s and early 1940s. They somehow manage to lift me up by their form alone...almost as if because it is a film, it will make me feel good. These classics leave me with a warm feeling for a long time after, even the ones with tragic figures or depressing endings.
Georgie is a bratty, irritating character, the kind of person we strive not to be. But he is not evil and neither are his parents or his friends. An interesting critique on class and upbringing.
Georgie is a bratty, irritating character, the kind of person we strive not to be. But he is not evil and neither are his parents or his friends. An interesting critique on class and upbringing.
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Monday, September 14, 2015
Topper Returns
Topper Returns (Roy Del Ruth, 1941)
Comedy, Slapstick, Mystery
Sometimes I like to watch a silly, frivolous movie--nothing special, just average writing and acting and artistry. The Topper films are just that. This one is a lot of ridiculous, over-the-top moments but that's about it. Not a waste of time, but I won't watch again.
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Click here for the basics
Rating: Q=5, P=3 / Thanks But No Thanks
Scale 1=2, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=2, Scale 4=1
Comedy, Slapstick, Mystery
Sometimes I like to watch a silly, frivolous movie--nothing special, just average writing and acting and artistry. The Topper films are just that. This one is a lot of ridiculous, over-the-top moments but that's about it. Not a waste of time, but I won't watch again.
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Monday, August 24, 2015
Sunrise
Sunrise (F.W. Murnau, 1927)
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Rating: Q=6, P=7 / Comfy Old Standard
Scale 1=3, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=4, Scale 4=3
Silent, 1920s, Complex Relationships, Suspense/Thriller
"The more you consider "Sunrise" the deeper it becomes -- not because the story grows any more subtle, but because you realize the real subject is the horror beneath the surface." -Roger Ebert
While the majority of modern audiences might find silent films tedious, it is hard to feel that way about this one. This film is a classic--it was one of the first films to employ the use of so many artistic film techniques, it is truly beautiful to watch, and the story is timeless. There are moments that will make your heart beat fast and make you hold your breath. Loved it.
While the majority of modern audiences might find silent films tedious, it is hard to feel that way about this one. This film is a classic--it was one of the first films to employ the use of so many artistic film techniques, it is truly beautiful to watch, and the story is timeless. There are moments that will make your heart beat fast and make you hold your breath. Loved it.
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Thursday, August 6, 2015
Dog Day Afternoon
Dog Day Afternoon (Sidney Lumet, 1975)
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Rating: Q=5, P=4 / Average OJ
Scale 1=2, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=2, Scale 4=2
True Story, Bank Robbery, Hostage, Crime, Complex Relationships
The incredibly bizarre story of the bank robbery that actually happened in Brooklyn 40 years ago (really, that long?) is still as interesting, tense, and uncomfortable to watch today. I had to get up more than a few times just because all the yelling and sweaty-ness was getting to me. Al Pacino is phenomenal, undoubtedly due to the superb directing of Sidney Lumet.
Humans are prone to get in too deep, to not think things through. They become torn between self-interest and "the right thing to do" and get carried away in schemes, lies, and dreams. And we will watch them in fascination because...well, it's us.
Humans are prone to get in too deep, to not think things through. They become torn between self-interest and "the right thing to do" and get carried away in schemes, lies, and dreams. And we will watch them in fascination because...well, it's us.
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Monday, July 27, 2015
Imitation of Life
Imitation of Life (John M. Stahl, 1934)
Click here for the basics
Rating: Q=6, P=6 / Average OJ
Scale 1=3, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=3
Race, Drama, Complex Relationships
A beautifully stirring and important film about race that is still as compelling and moving as it was back in 1934. I urge you to watch this--the acting, dialogue, and striking images force every viewer to confront the truths about race in this country.
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Monday, May 4, 2015
All Quiet On The Western Front
All Quiet on the Western Front (Lewis Milestone, 1930)
War, Philosophical, Drama
The psychological trauma that faces all people who go to war is real, often total, and unchanging for most of our many centuries of civilization. This film is one of the most important ever made and quite possibly the best anti-war film produced. It is brilliant because it shows instead of telling, it shows that no matter which side of the war (this film follows the Germans) the soldiers are on, they usually have no idea why they are fighting. And they are usually young, keen to experience everything life can offer. This energy is quickly extinguished--long before they are killed by bombs or guns. My takeaway: As long as we have leaders who are hungry for power and--and this is key--people who can be persuaded to fight for them, war will remain.
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Click here for the basics
Rating: Q=6, P=5 / Average OJ
Scale 1=3, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=2
War, Philosophical, Drama
The psychological trauma that faces all people who go to war is real, often total, and unchanging for most of our many centuries of civilization. This film is one of the most important ever made and quite possibly the best anti-war film produced. It is brilliant because it shows instead of telling, it shows that no matter which side of the war (this film follows the Germans) the soldiers are on, they usually have no idea why they are fighting. And they are usually young, keen to experience everything life can offer. This energy is quickly extinguished--long before they are killed by bombs or guns. My takeaway: As long as we have leaders who are hungry for power and--and this is key--people who can be persuaded to fight for them, war will remain.
--Don't understand the ratings? Click here
Thursday, April 23, 2015
The Man Who Came To Dinner
The Man Who Came To Dinner (William Keighley, 1942)
Screwball Comedy, Dialogue, Romance, Based on Play
"Did you ever have the feeling that you wanted to go, and still have the feeling that you wanted to stay?" This line, sung by the incomparable Jimmy Durante, is a great summary of this film and my reaction to it. I liked the sharp wit, the interactions between characters, the comic timing. And while I couldn't stand the excruciating main character, Sheridan Whiteside, I found myself wanting to listen to him insulting his hosts, and interfering with their lives.
The art of the film is nothing special but the dialogue is wonderfully fun and fast-paced, probably what attracted Bette Davis, Anne Sheridan, and Monty Woolley. A fun one.
--Don't understand the ratings? Click here
Click here for the basics
Rating: Q=5, P=4 / Average OJ
Scale 1=2, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=2, Scale 4=2
Screwball Comedy, Dialogue, Romance, Based on Play
"Did you ever have the feeling that you wanted to go, and still have the feeling that you wanted to stay?" This line, sung by the incomparable Jimmy Durante, is a great summary of this film and my reaction to it. I liked the sharp wit, the interactions between characters, the comic timing. And while I couldn't stand the excruciating main character, Sheridan Whiteside, I found myself wanting to listen to him insulting his hosts, and interfering with their lives.
The art of the film is nothing special but the dialogue is wonderfully fun and fast-paced, probably what attracted Bette Davis, Anne Sheridan, and Monty Woolley. A fun one.
--Don't understand the ratings? Click here
Monday, February 23, 2015
SPECIAL: All 87 Best Picture Winners
I thought it would be fun to see a list of all the winning films and contemplate how they compare to one another. How many have you seen? I've seen 53/87. That's only 60% --not too bad.
Some of these are clearly better than others, some won because they were novel or epic but aren't really that spectacular or moving, and some are true masterpieces. Of the ones I have seen, I highlighted ten of my favorites.
2014 - Birdman
2013 - 12 Years A Slave
2012 - Argo
2011 - The Artist
2010 - The King's Speech
2009 - The Hurt Locker
2008 - Slumdog Millionaire
2007 - No Country for Old Men
2006 - The Departed
2005 - Crash
2004 - Million Dollar Baby
2003 - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2002 - Chicago
2001 - A Beautiful Mind
2000 - Gladiator
1999 - American Beauty
1998 - Shakespeare in Love
1997 - Titanic
1996 - The English Patient
1995 - Braveheart
1994 - Forrest Gump
1993 - Schindler’s List
1992 - Unforgiven
1991 - The Silence of the Lambs
1990 - Dances With Wolves
1989 - Driving Miss Daisy
1988 - Rain Man
1987 - The Last Emperor
1986 - Platoon
1985 - Out of Africa
1984 - Amadeus
1983 - Terms of Endearment
1982 - Gandhi
1981 - Chariots of Fire
1980 - Ordinary People
1979 - Kramer vs. Kramer
1978 - The Deer Hunter
1977 - Annie Hall
1976 - Rocky
1975 - One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest
1974 - The Godfather Part II
1973 - The Sting
1972 - The Godfather
1971 - The French Connection
1970 - Patton
1969 - Midnight Cowboy
1968 - Oliver!
1967 - In the Heat of the Night
1966 - A Man for All Seasons
1965 - The Sound of Music
1964 - My Fair Lady
1963 - Tom Jones
1962 - Lawrence of Arabia
1961 - West Side Story
1960 - The Apartment
1959 - Ben-Hur
1958 - Gigi
1957 - The Bridge on the River Kwai
1956 - Around the World in 80 Days
1955 - Marty
1954 - On the Waterfront
1953 - From Here to Eternity
1952 - The Greatest Show on Earth
1951 - An American in Paris
1950 - All About Eve
1949 - All the Kings Men
1948 - Hamlet
1947 - Gentleman's Agreement
1946 - The Best Years of Our Lives
1945 - The Lost Weekend
1944 - Going My Way
1943 - Casablanca
1942 - Mrs. Miniver
1941 - How Green Was My Valley
1940 - Rebecca
1939 - Gone with the Wind
1938 - You Can't Take It with You
1937 - The Life of Emile Zola
1936 - The Great Ziegfeld
1935 - Mutiny on the Bounty
1934 - It Happened One Night
1933 - Cavalcade
1932 - Grand Hotel
1931 - Cimarron
1930 - All Quiet on the Western Front
1929 - The Broadway Melody
1927 - Wings
Happy watching!
Some of these are clearly better than others, some won because they were novel or epic but aren't really that spectacular or moving, and some are true masterpieces. Of the ones I have seen, I highlighted ten of my favorites.
2014 - Birdman
2013 - 12 Years A Slave
2012 - Argo
2011 - The Artist
2010 - The King's Speech
2009 - The Hurt Locker
2008 - Slumdog Millionaire
2007 - No Country for Old Men
2006 - The Departed
2005 - Crash
2004 - Million Dollar Baby
2003 - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2002 - Chicago
2001 - A Beautiful Mind
2000 - Gladiator
1999 - American Beauty
1998 - Shakespeare in Love
1997 - Titanic
1996 - The English Patient
1995 - Braveheart
1994 - Forrest Gump
1993 - Schindler’s List
1992 - Unforgiven
1991 - The Silence of the Lambs
1990 - Dances With Wolves
1989 - Driving Miss Daisy
1988 - Rain Man
1987 - The Last Emperor
1986 - Platoon
1985 - Out of Africa
1984 - Amadeus
1983 - Terms of Endearment
1982 - Gandhi
1981 - Chariots of Fire
1980 - Ordinary People
1979 - Kramer vs. Kramer
1978 - The Deer Hunter
1977 - Annie Hall
1976 - Rocky
1975 - One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest
1974 - The Godfather Part II
1973 - The Sting
1972 - The Godfather
1971 - The French Connection
1970 - Patton
1969 - Midnight Cowboy
1968 - Oliver!
1967 - In the Heat of the Night
1966 - A Man for All Seasons
1965 - The Sound of Music
1964 - My Fair Lady
1963 - Tom Jones
1962 - Lawrence of Arabia
1961 - West Side Story
1960 - The Apartment
1959 - Ben-Hur
1958 - Gigi
1957 - The Bridge on the River Kwai
1956 - Around the World in 80 Days
1955 - Marty
1954 - On the Waterfront
1953 - From Here to Eternity
1952 - The Greatest Show on Earth
1951 - An American in Paris
1950 - All About Eve
1949 - All the Kings Men
1948 - Hamlet
1947 - Gentleman's Agreement
1946 - The Best Years of Our Lives
1945 - The Lost Weekend
1944 - Going My Way
1943 - Casablanca
1942 - Mrs. Miniver
1941 - How Green Was My Valley
1940 - Rebecca
1939 - Gone with the Wind
1938 - You Can't Take It with You
1937 - The Life of Emile Zola
1936 - The Great Ziegfeld
1935 - Mutiny on the Bounty
1934 - It Happened One Night
1933 - Cavalcade
1932 - Grand Hotel
1931 - Cimarron
1930 - All Quiet on the Western Front
1929 - The Broadway Melody
1927 - Wings
Happy watching!
Monday, February 9, 2015
39 Steps
39 Steps (Alfred Hitchcock, 1935)
I studied Hitchcock in college but focused mainly on his works in Hollywood. It feels weird that I haven't seen some of his early, British classics. But last night I finally watched 39 Steps. It is beautiful. Beautiful shots with all the shadows and lines of expressionism. Great acting, especially from Robert Donat. I often forget how brilliant he was. And the plot is perfect, the transitions and dialogue, every revealing moment. You can see how Hitchcock would go on to make some of the best films of all time. If you are in the mood for a classic mystery, this may be it.
Click here for the basics
Rating: Q=6, P=5 / Average OJ
Scale 1=3, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=2
Mystery, Spy, Crime, Suspense, Thriller, Film Noir
I studied Hitchcock in college but focused mainly on his works in Hollywood. It feels weird that I haven't seen some of his early, British classics. But last night I finally watched 39 Steps. It is beautiful. Beautiful shots with all the shadows and lines of expressionism. Great acting, especially from Robert Donat. I often forget how brilliant he was. And the plot is perfect, the transitions and dialogue, every revealing moment. You can see how Hitchcock would go on to make some of the best films of all time. If you are in the mood for a classic mystery, this may be it.
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Thursday, January 1, 2015
Happy 2015, Oscar Dash 2015
Happy 2015!
Have you made a list of goals or resolutions? What about a movie list? I've made one of those, as I'm sure you imagined. Don't forget that Oscar Dash starts mid-month, just after the nominations are revealed on January 15. Stay tuned for that announcement!
Until then, I thought I'd share three of my movie goals for this year (besides the annual dash):
I want to watch more...
1. Classics. So many fantastic films were made in the 1930s-1950s. I have seen a lot of them but many still to go. Here are a few I plan to watch before summer: 39 Steps, Spellbound, All Quiet on the Western Front, The Man Who Came to Dinner, Gentleman's Agreement, The Conversation, and La Dolce Vita.
2. Epics and 3+ hour long films. It's hard to do this, of course, because there is always so much to do after work and on the weekends. But I feel I need to see award-winning films like The English Patient, Patton, and the entirety of the 1915 classic Birth of a Nation.
3. Documentaries. There was a spurt of great documentaries a few years ago and then I didn't hear about as many. I need to remedy this.
Have you made a list of goals or resolutions? What about a movie list? I've made one of those, as I'm sure you imagined. Don't forget that Oscar Dash starts mid-month, just after the nominations are revealed on January 15. Stay tuned for that announcement!
Until then, I thought I'd share three of my movie goals for this year (besides the annual dash):
I want to watch more...
1. Classics. So many fantastic films were made in the 1930s-1950s. I have seen a lot of them but many still to go. Here are a few I plan to watch before summer: 39 Steps, Spellbound, All Quiet on the Western Front, The Man Who Came to Dinner, Gentleman's Agreement, The Conversation, and La Dolce Vita.
2. Epics and 3+ hour long films. It's hard to do this, of course, because there is always so much to do after work and on the weekends. But I feel I need to see award-winning films like The English Patient, Patton, and the entirety of the 1915 classic Birth of a Nation.
3. Documentaries. There was a spurt of great documentaries a few years ago and then I didn't hear about as many. I need to remedy this.
Thursday, June 26, 2014
A Tree Grows In Brooklyn
A Tree Grows In Brooklyn (Elia Kazan, 1945)
Click here for the basics
Rating: Q=7, P=6 / Can't Get Enough
Scale 1=3, Scale 2=4, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=3
Drama, 1900s, Based on Novel, Coming of Age, Grief, Family, Tearjerker
What a beautiful, beautiful film. We need to watch films about the past, for many reasons. Lifestyle and environment were very different but values, the importance of dreams and goals, and the complexity of relationships haven't changed all that much. It's a reminder that the human race has always been adaptable and resilient. It reminds us that people everywhere wish to strive and succeed and create a stronger and happier next generation. Francie is one of the most lovable and relatable characters that has ever been on a film screen. We hope and dream and cry with her. She represents all young adults who must cope and learn to find the light in an often crushingly harsh world.
--Don't understand the ratings? Click here
--Don't understand the ratings? Click here
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