CLASSIC FILMS & REMAKES

(2005 Director: Peter Jackson) MUST SEE!! Won 3 Oscars including Sound NOT ONLY did this screenplay remain true to the original novel by authors Merian C Cooper & Edgar Wallace ... BUT ALSO ...

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it developed the characters even more richly than the original film. How does THIS "King Kong" movie compare to the original 1933 Legendary King Kong starring Fay Wray? Or to the wonderful 1976 remake starring Jessica Lange as the damsel sacrificed. A group of producers collaborated to produce this movie (Jan Blenkin, Carolyn ne Cuningham, Fran Walsh & Peter Jackson) Even with magnificent Kong & other prehisotrics on Skull Island..and great special effects & scenery, it STILL remains true to the story line...but adds some wonderful classic touches of Downtown NYC (almost authenitc to the times of the 1930's!!) right down to the WW I fighter planes...and old style machine guns....NOT modern firepower...but THEN modern firepower to battle the "beast." Speaking of the story line...perhaps a word should be devoted to the writers of the original wonderful story, namely,Merian C Cooper & Edgar Wallace.

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Jack Black is wonderful in this "character actor" role as the crazed (and financially desperate) movie producer....

(1942 release...Director: Michael Curtiz)
Romance, true love, difficult, war-torn love....Rick & Ilsa meet again...in Casablanca...in Rick's lounge. Morrocco is neutral during WW II though the French police cooperate a little too fully with the German Third Reich! This movie has everything....even some twists of humor. Bogart, Bergman, Peter Lorrie & patriot Victor Lazlo (played by ?) & French officer (Claude Rains) and my favorite all time lines "We'll always have Paris." and "Round up the Usual Suspects."

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Don't forget..this story is entirely set DURING WORLD WAR II...AND IS ONE OF THE BEST FILMS EVER MADE!! This movie was Woody Allen's character's obsession in Woody Allen's film, "Play It Again Sam!"

great steve martin role & loved Tom welling as big bro & Bonnie Hunt!!

Directed by Arthur Penn..See this one as a tribute to the late great Anne Bancroft. She was superb as teacher Anne Sullivan. Yes this was an inspiration to me when I saw it as a child. Finally I am becoming a teacher & sign language interpreter. True story of Helen Keller! SUPERB STORY AND AMAZING ACTING PERFORMANCES FROM ALL!!

Absolutely hands down the MOST VIVID & CHILLING DRACULA!! (Dracula? Gary Oldham.......)

(1972 Director: George Roy Hill) Worthwhile watch. Valerue Perrine is outstanding in this film setting Kurt Vonegut's talent onto the silver screen..,.the charater "Billy Pilgrim" (played by beautiful Nordic Michael Sachs) drifts in and out between times/realities..part sci fi...during War time to the present, past...and the planet Tralfamidor!! LOL!!

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Wonderful novel by the late great Kurt Vonnegut!!

WOW! Another novel (John Irving's this time..but why does it feel like almost Kurt Vonnegut??) movie on the screen. Robin Williams as a very loveable character....

(1961 Director: Daniel Petrie) MUST SEE!! MOVING BEYOND WORDS...FAR AHEAD OF THE TIMES!! A very young Sydney Potnier!

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Yes there was a remake...I haven't managed to see the remake yet, but will have to! Looking forward to it! [more review to follow]

(1959 Director: Billy Wilder) The best of the best! Clean (mostly) laughs & early drag..but for the CLASSIC reason....to escape the Mob.. Jack Lemmon, Toni Curtis & a must-see Marilyn Monroe performance from a 1959 film!!

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1962 Director: Robert Mulligan) Remarkable classic...based on Pulitzer prize-winning novel by Harper Lee (Adaped to screenplay by Horton Foote who won an Oscar!) GIV E CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE I SAY! Here is tagline from Harper Lee's book: "[close] A gripping, heart-wrenching, and wholly remarkable tale of coming-of-age in a South poisoned by virulent prejudice, it views a world of great beauty and savage inequities through the eyes of a young girl, as her father?a crusading local lawyer?risks everything to defend a black man unjustly accused of a terrible crime."[close] A gripping, heart-wrenching, and wholly remarkable tale of coming-of-age in a South poisoned by virulent prejudice, it views a world of great beauty and savage inequities through the eyes of a young girl, as her father?a crusading local lawyer?risks everything to defend a black man unjustly accused of a terrible crime.

Nutty Fun!!

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(Director: Richard Brooks) Ol blue eyes + vilolet eyes! Roarawe! + a young young...Burl Ives...1958 movie...here is why Liz was such a hearthrob!!

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Hmmm a 1932 classic Bette Davis & Humphrey Bogart movie which I have never seen! Wasn't she lovely as a young woman! I applaude her daring I am a huge fan!

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(1997 Director: Curtis Hanson) James Ellroy's best selling novel apparently \(not surprisingly!) If there were 5 more movies you could see and no more....make sure this is one of them!
Hey - try this quiz and see how we compare...A 6 star movie for its courage

L.A. Confidential
Plot? Police graft
Location? 1960's Los Angeles/Hollywood

Adjectives? Irony (Gary's word..)

Book written by James Ellroy

Based on the book by James Bradley (2006 Directors: Clint Eastwood & Steven Spielberg) Wonderful tribute to the men who died & who survived WW II in Japan. Story deals with the ceremonial welcome and publiciity surrounding the "heroes" of that war, cerntering on the lives of a choice few of these fine men. IF you liked Adam Beach (2002) in Director Nicolas Cage's "Windtakers," you may enjoy him even more in Flags of Our Fathers where he portrays an Indian hero and survivor with fellow solidiers Harry Pepper (The Green Mile, Battlefield Earth), Jamie Bell, (King Kong, Undertow), Jesse Bradford (Heights, Eulogy, Hackers), Neal McDonough (The Guardian, Walking Tall) & Paul Walker. Tale is told from each of the perspectives & their familes......Robert Patrick (Terminator II, Walk the Line) has a short role as Captain in this film.

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(1991 Drector: Martin Scorsese) What a thocker! DeNiro & the amazing Nick Nolte (soo versatile!) This is MUST SEE in my movie categories...but hold onto your seat!! The quite young & lovely Juliette Lewis proves what an amazing actress she is in this..and in From Dusk Till Dawn.

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Rmeember this ia a remake of the 1962 Gregory Peck/Telly Savalas (Dirty Dozen)/Robert Mitchum fillm.

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(Nov 2008 Director: Marc Forster) (Screenplay by Paul Haggis, Neal Purvis & Robert Wade) Loved Daniel Craig in Casino Royale as the "new" Bond...THIS movie openswith A for Action!!

This movie has continuity with Casino Royale, Daniel Craig's first Bond movie. Bond enlists the aid of Mathis (Giancarlo Giannini) & also Felix (Jeffrey Wright) who co-starred with him in Casino Royale....James does have a vengeance for those who killed his love interest, despite his protestations made to "M." He goes rogue yet again..but THIS time "M" eventually shows her faith in Bond's motives.. Jeffrey Wright (W, Broken Flowers, Casino Royale) is in this movie again....playing a low low key SudAmerica informant

[UPDATE: 11/29/08 **Awesome interview of Craig & Kurylnko on Jimmie Kimmel Live tonight. Did you know??? Daniel Craig had a rather serious shoulder injury & an injury to his finger during filming (His shoulder required surgery post-film.) These 2 did their stunts themselves!

MORE,...
Except of review by Scott Mantz of Access Hollywood, ". . .Where 'Casino Royale' successfully rebooted the franchise that was born in 1962 by going back to basics, 'Quantum of Solace' strips Bond so far back that he more closely resembles the likes of gritty super-spy Jason Bourne. That's evident from the get-go during a hyper-kinetic car chase, which turns into a thrilling rooftop pursuit that?s reminiscent of 'The Bourne Ultimatum.'

Picking up where 'Casino Royale' left off, Agent 007 seeks out to avenge the death of his beloved Vesper. His personal vendetta leads him to Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric), a ruthless businessman who plans to seize control of the world's most valuable resource. With the help of a mysterious ally named Camille (Olga Kurylenko), it's up to James Bond to stop that from happening.

Thanks to a career that includes art house fare like 'Monsters Ball,' 'Finding Neverland' and 'The Kite Runner,' Marc Forster may seem like an unusual choice to direct a reported $200 million tentpole like 'Quantum of Solace.' He rises to the occasion when it comes to the action scenes, but his attempts to shake up the franchise have taken the fun out of the character. Gone are the cheesy one-liners & Bond works his bedroom eyes on just one femme fatale.

More importantly, the screenplay (written by Paul Haggis, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade) is so convoluted that trying to determine the plot winds up being a mission unto itself. Then again, that's been the case with most of the Bond movies over the last 20 years, since the end of the Cold War made it increasingly difficult for writers to come up with fully realized villains that moviegoers loved to hate."

(by Sexyvixen posted here) for this movie....New Bond Girl Proud of Her 'Little Oddity'
Posted by SexiVixxEN http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/gemmaarterton_blog...Bond girls have long been exceptional women. From Ursula Andress to Halle Berry, they have each embodied the feminine ideal of their particular time. Arterton, a graduate of London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art who was best known for a BBC adaptation of Thomas Hardy's "Tess of the D'Urbervilles," beat out 1,500 contenders to become the latest Bond girl.

Fantastic...both amazing in their roles as Priest and Nun!

MUST SEE

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Impossible to beat the best! WONDERFUL! and the little child star Natalie Wood!

Simply delightfully Wonderful!

A wonderful classic with Humphrey Bogart (one of his later films) Look for Peter Ustinov in this film...

(1962 Director: David Lean) One of those films which dare to touch on a rare subject, Arabia. Wonderful performances Peter O'Toole & Omar Shariff (Dr. Zhivago) which are legends and support formula acting training (in my humble opinion-imho)

(Oct 2006 Director: Martin Scorsese) The subject is loyalties, corruption, mob life. Scorsese won his Oscar (Best Director) & this one also took Best Picture. Did I miss any other Oscars? Wonderful cast....interesting story set in Boston (good accents)....Sort of a little more fun tale of local corruption than your average mob movie. More heart in a word. Casts the wonderful Jack Nicholson as the amazing convincing Kingpen hardened yet in some ways still human!

This movie was released prior to American Gangster. I say that because these are LOCAL mob stories...(this one set in Boston).

Matt Damon & Leonard Dicaprio at some points in this film I could hardly tell apart!So I watched it again! They had distinct characters. Their acting is that intense. Martin Sheen & Mark Wahlberg were great in heading up the undercover dept.

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No matter how corrupt, friendships win in the end.....

Timothy Dalton made an excellent Bond...Hmmmm....one wonders why?

(1978 Director: Michael Cimino)

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At least 5 of my still today favorite aactors + actress Meryl Streep star!. Loved Lisa (Maaico's) review of this movie. This is one of those films that shakes you up truly--test of courage, conviction, friendship & how far out of hand CAN people let things go?!?

Great performances!! A GREAT "guy" flick in my humble opinion.....!

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Another film "must see" in this genre (post-Vietnam) might include American Graffiti II (Yes but the SEQUEL!! TRUST ME!)....i am reading the James Fenimore Cooper book currently.

(1928 French Director: ) Silent French film Renee Maria Falconetti 'stars as Joan D'Arc

2 supreme lead actor heavyweights turn in an excellent performance.

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(1990 Director: Jean-Paul Rappeneau) French with English Subtitles. Depardieu is well cast alonside dreamy Vincent Perez (Queen of the Damned).

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Would be hard to improve on the Faye Dunaway & Warren Beatty Bonnie & Clyde.

(12/31/09 RELEASE...Director: Vadim Perelman) LOVED the original...NEVER saw the TV series though..but am interested in seeing what would be done in a remake (new special effects, i assume?) OOOH....spooky..scheduled for a New Year's Eve release??

(1989 Director: Tim Burton) Ahhhhhhhhhh Fine Batman movie stars Michael Keaton (as Bruce Wayne) v. his adversary the Joker (Jack Nicholson). Kim Basinger co-stars for some eye candy donning some rather large spectacles in some scenes at The Daily Planet (newspaper) where the 2 of them work together. One of my personal favorites, Pat Hingle stars as the Mayor of Gotham City. My only criticism? Michael is NOT Val Kilmer....& to me possibly, I am only saying possibly seemed a wee tad bit um....UI but since he was starring opposite the Kingpen himself (Jack Nicholson-The Departed) should it come as any surprise? I just also recognized NIcholson's trademark comment (or perhaps first coined it in Batman) comment repeated again and again and again in film after film...."Nice outfit!". Hmmm good line by the way--would be NICE if more men had at least ONE automatic "line" in their reperatoire--"Nice outfit," certainly gets 4 stars from me also as an excellent critique commentatry (in a positive tone yet) Jack Palance also co-stars as an early victim of The Joker's The Joker displays some wonderfully diabolic laughter as his bandages come off following his plastic surgery (repairing his face post-accident trauma). Alfred is played by Michael Gough.

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(1948 Director: John Huston) Humphrey Bogart classic film.

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(1958 Director: William Wyler) This film was made even before I was born...and I like the freedom some old (classic) movies have conjoining the likes of Gregory Peck, an ex-ship captain, with rancher hands (including Charlton Heston) in a film where independent seems to poke the eye of the typical Spaghetti western.

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(1958 Directors RIpley, Barry,Aubuchon, Keely Smith & Robert Mitchum) Six directors??

(2009 Director: Guy RItchie) I want to see this movie...the button is NOT working?!?!?

(1977 Director: Michael Winner)

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Another movie I wonder how I missed?!? Want to see if for these tp actors' early performances, especially Burgess Meredith, Christopher Walken, Chris Sarandon & Eli Wallach.

(1992 Director: Abel Ferrara) So the original starred Harvey Keitel! with ahuge cast of costars,

Good story of justice/revenge from reading its synopsis.

(1966 Director: Sidney Lumet) Only a select few of the many movies I have viewed make it to my "Must See" list, but this is definitely one of them! Although it begins as something of a creeper, old-fashioned and slower moving, the pace quickens as the lives of 8 close female college friends from the Class of '33 change and progress. All attended an elite women's college, which does, of course, make them far from the norm of their day (the 1930's up through 1941 and the declaration of war).

Director Sidney Lumet follows the lives of . Obviously, these are women from privileged families, beautiful women each of them, with strong friendships between them. I hadn't reaized there 8 in total until near the end of the film, when one of the last "hold-outs" finally marries a charming and successful man, and her new husband announces, "WIen I married I didn't realize I was marrying my wife and her 7 friends!"

Some smashing performances, including the performance of Larry Hagman who co-stars as the alcoholic actor/writer husband of Kay (Joanna Pettet), a vibrant and politically minded young lady. Larry descends into the depths of his alcoholism, cheating and eventually turning to physical abuse of Kay, something Kay has kept a secret from even her close friends.

Several of these women do marry and at least 3 have children. The rest either do not marry very young or remain childless, a situation somewhat unusual for a woman if you consider the time period==which by the way is pre--WW II! [more review to follow]

(2009 Director: J. J. Adams) Interesting casting, for example, Eric Bana as the sinister villain, Capt. Nero, JOhn Cho as Sulu....keep in mind all of these are the Enterprise members in their super youth! A surprising Zoe Saldana as Uhura..and my personal favorite?!? Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz & MI III) as young engineering genius Scotty~!

This remake, redo, alternate reality...sequel was action packed right from the first frame of the movie.. For those of U who haven't guessed it already, I am old enough to have seen the original series but wasn't originally interested. Since it was my brother's favorite, I watched more episodes and in later years could almost be described as a "Trekkie," no conventions or anything mind you,..

Is the focus in this new movie on Spock? Or is the focus on "Jim"? Originally I might have said Jim but then I certainly thought Spock. See how "into" the Star Trek characters devotees are? Certainly there is focus on James T. Kirk--whose rebel, outrageous fast-living ways + incredible reflexes + talent impress an old favorite, Capt. Pike.

(2013 intended release; DIrector: ) This is such a classic! Have YOU seen the remake with Patrick Stewart starring as Capt. Ahab?

Lots of remakes of this amazing movie taken from the book written by Herman Melville since the original movie released in 1956 in Technicolor.

(1937) This wonderful old HItchcock movie is a lovely snapshot of the big city in the 1930's, hustle and bustle. Oscar Komalka plays the foreign villain married to the lovely Sylvia Sidney.

(Director: Alex Gruenberg) Opening this double feature is the amazing 1949 classic B&W film is Charles Dickens' wonderful book being read by Vincent Price with choral by The Mitchell Choir Boys. Walter Coy stars as Ebeneezer Scrooge in the version BEFORE the listed movie....actually a pairing of two old classic films released in 1957 under the correct title (NOT found here on Flixster): "Holiday classics: The Christmas Carol/A Picture of the Magi" While reviewing the 100+ versions of "A Christmas Carol" listed even here I am reminded of how this amazing classic fiction tale of Charles Dickens manages to touch my heart each year. NEXT PAIRING: Bell System "Telephone Time" with the Reverend Dr. Frank Baxter introduces this 1957 movie with a bit of a Western bigoted slant from Communist-dominated Hungary aka the "barbed wire frontier" "Iron Curtain country" "A Picture of the Magi," the second flim treat featuring "Radio Budhapest"...a real time capsule of this time period. This story by John Kafka was directed by Robert Sinclair. Both of these black & white videos of yesteryear are short, totalling together only 50 minutes. But a "worth see.".

It seems this movie addresses a topic that was popular in "Dime Novels." Would enjoy hearing your reviews if anyone has seen this film.

Martin Landeau (Rufio) and Roddy McDowall join this big budget production of Cleopatra as supporting actors. There are some spectacular scenes, such as Cleopatra travelling to Rome following a long-term romance--bringing an absolutely royal pageantry caravan across the Mediterranean. MUST SEE!

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"Scrupulously honest" Police Det. Dave Bannon...Sounds like real movie fun!!

I make no apologies...a 1967 war film (in French) Setting? Turkish prison camp....Cast? OMG!!

Hold onto your scifi hat!!

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(2007 Director: Kenneth Branagh) Here is another one I cannot believe I missed! Just love remakes of quality movies (like this one)!!

(1998 DVD Released Diorector: Joseph L. Mankiewicz) Guess I will need to watch the original in order to watch the remake?!?!

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Denis O'Dea co-stars as Inspector Sharkey who follows up on a missing persons report filed by the Cutlers (Casey Adams & Jean Peters), neighboring "honeymooners" at the Rainbow Motel at Niagara Falls on behalf of poor bombshell Mrs. Rose Loomis (Marilyn Monroe) is the hot tamale wife of an aging George Loomis played masterfully by Joseph Cotton. Mr. Loomis is the classic jealous husband. The beauty of Jean Peters is somewhat downplayed due to her curvacious co-star, Marilyn; however, Peters is at least at striking! Her hubby, Ray Cutler (Casey Adams) has won a contest on creative uses for shredded wheat and their trip to Niagara Falls for a belated honeymoon has been paid for by the generous Shredded Wheat tycoon Mr. Kettering (Don WIlson) & his delightful wife (Lurene Tuttle).

I have never been to Niagara Falls but after watching this a second then a third time (currently showing on TV this afternoon on a Marilyn Monroe binge--I almost feel like I have been to the falls. Colorful lights are turned on at 8:30 pm nightly which add to their spectacular beauty. Tours of the Falls are by boat named "Maid of the Mist," A key feature of the area "back in the day" is the playing of song requests on a magnificent bell tower! Lots of appeal in this dated charmer...

This is the movie that has been "advertised" all week on this noncable television channel for classics! Quite by chance I stayed tuned in to my delight to watch a series of Marilyn Monroe classic films, beginning with "How to Marry a Millionaire" co-starring Lauren Bacall...

NEXT in the lineup starting RIGHT NOW 4:00 pm Arizona time) is this feature film "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes." Will be right back (afterward) to add my review of this movie!

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One of the best of the best classic films starring that adorable Jimmy Stewart who stars as Jefferson Smith. All American Smith is as American as applie pie...and just the ticket to replace a senate seat vacated by the untimely demise. Forbidden to "ask any questions or talk out of turn," naive and stalwart Smith tackles the needed dam project, etc. etc. In few words: Simply a delight!