My Favorite Movies

I don't recall ever seeing a more powerful anti-war film. The transformation of Florya (Aleksei Kravchenko) from an innocent boy into a battle-hardened soldier is something that must be witnessed in order to be fully appreciated.

"The pain and loneliness of death frighten me. But Dr. Niide looks at it differently. He looks into their hearts as well as their bodies."

Kurosawa does such a magnificent job of infusing the virtues of decency and humanity into the story that they almost become concrete, tangible characters. The fact that Red Beard is rarely, if ever, listed as one of Akira's cinematic milestones has me a little perplexed. Highly underrated.

Kurosawa's compelling "samurai" adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth. This isn't just a typical retelling of the story or a film version of the stage play, this is much more of a character study with surprising depth and motivation. An epic film, in every sense of the word.

Pedro Almodóvar continues to confound and amaze me. He can take the most peculiar circumstances, the most perverse scenarios, and extract incredible, romantic love stories. I'm not certain how he does it, but after viewing several of his films I have formed a hypothesis: he views situations without prejudice. He ignores preconceived notions. Instead of focusing on the differences, Almodóvar concentrates on the commonality, thus encouraging us (his audience) to see the world with an unjaundice eye. In the end, what might have appalled us is now cause for reflection, maybe even celebration.

Confounding and amazing...

As a child of the 60's, I grew up knowing Peter Lorre as a spooky looking character actor with supporting roles in old classics like The Maltese Falcon and Arsenic and Old Lace. Although I enjoyed his performances I never fully appreciated his talent until I saw this 1931 Fritz Lang masterpiece. In it, Lorre plays a psychotic child murderer stalking a German city. Lorre's approach to the character is unusual in the sense that he himself is tormented by the unspeakable acts he commits. There is a tangible emanation of right and wrong, of good versus evil, that Lorre projects. I found myself fascinatingly disgusted (or disgustingly fascinated) by my empathy for his character.

Director William Wyler is known for getting the best from his actors and The Children's Hour is certainly no exception. James Garner, Audrey Hepburn and (especially) Shirley MacLaine are at the top of their game.

I don't know why this film doesn't get more press. Maybe the taboo nature of the material got it swept under the proverbial rug? It was certainly ahead of its time in terms of social statement and point-of-view. Or maybe it's just that schmucks like me don't shout its praises loudly enough. Whatever the reason, this is a film that should not be missed.

Once in a great while a film comes along that is not only brilliant and artistic but meaningfully important. This is one of those films.

Gene Tierney's character gets my vote as the most cold-hearted, sociopathic, beautifully packaged villain to ever grace the silver screen. On a scale of pure evil she's right up there with Hannibal Lector and the shark from Jaws.

This one is disturbing for all the right reasons. Watching Andy Griffith play a money-grubbing, amoral, unlikeable bastard is like watching Mister Rogers play Hannibal Lector. After all, this is the same Andy that kept the streets of Mayberry safe for all those years and the same Andy that taught Opie how to fish and throw a curve ball. It's even more unnerving because Griffith does it so well.

Next to The Wizard of Oz, this is undoubtedly the most beloved film of my childhood. To Kill a Mockingbird introduced me to the concept of motion pictures as catalysts for change and social commentary. For this, I am forever grateful to Harper Lee and Robert Mulligan.

Speaking as a submarine veteran of both the Atlantic and Pacific fleets, this is by far the grittiest, most realistic sub movie I've ever seen. Technically and emotionally stunning.

"You know, at one time, I used to break into pet shops to liberate the canaries. But I decided that was an idea way before its time. Zoos are full, prisons are overflowing... oh my, how the world still dearly loves a cage."

Australian writer-director David Michôd's first feature-length film?! Are you kidding me?! Viscerally fantastic!

This is one of those gems that few have seen and hardly anyone ever talks about. I liked this film the first time I saw it, loved it the second time, and now, after three viewings, I'm thinking about asking it to marry me.

Terrence Malick has crafted two characters that treat robbery and murder as incidental mishaps and necessities. Martin Sheen's character is sociopathic and cold-blooded but yet still likeable. Sissy Spacek, as his young accomplice, is fully aware of his atrocities, yet she retains her innocent charm. This bizarre intermingling of murder and manners, of the brutal and the benign, is why Badlands is unnerving and unforgettable.

A Cinderella story that quickly turns into a nightmare.

Directed by Hitchcock and produced by David O. Selznick [Gone with the Wind], two of the giants of the golden age of Hollywood. Often times a collaboration of two such egos would result in a competitive struggle that would damage the end product but here there's just the right amount of Hitchcock's noir-ish suspense and Selznick's Hollywood pizzazz to make the whole thing work. There's not one illogical or nonsensical twist or turn in the entire screenplay. I sat, eyes glued to the TV, for an hour and a half, anxiously waiting to see what was going to happen next. Absolutely incredible, top to bottom, side to side.

When it comes to The Big Lebowski you won't find too many critics that ride the fence. In fact, cinemaphiles generally fall into one of three categories. Either (1) they love the film, (2) they haven't seen the film or (3) they just don't get it. Count me among those in group number one.

The plot, like most Coen brothers' scripts, begins with a catalystic injustice (i.e. a case of mistaken identity) that starts a chain reaction of strange occurrences, eventually coming full circle to right a wrong. The plot is dark, hilarious and complex (hit the pause button if you get up to go pee). This is one of those rare movies that actually lives up to the hype.

Some of my favorite Hitchcock 'moments', especially the amusement park scenes. Hitch takes a merry-go-round (could there be anything more innocuous?) and makes it nightmarishly threatening. Brilliant.

One of the best film noir pictures ever made. Just look at the plethora of glowing reviews. Not much more can be said.

So...

Let us digress for a moment and delve into the rarely discussed realm of the subtext, the underbelly if you will, of this iconic American classic. There are certain realities concerning Sunset Boulevard that are inescapable. One of the more evident ones is the non-platonic relationship between 50-something Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson) and 30-something Joe Gillis (William Holden). To get the full effect of the circumstance one must, if only for a moment, visualize the two of them together... mono a mono. Personally, every time I try to wrap my brain around that I throw up a little in my mouth. My twisted imagination conjures up a Harold-n-Maude(ish) image. I know what you're thinking. It is an unsettling mental visage that no one (except of course ME) would ever dwell on. Still, its a crucial concept that must be grasped if you're to immerse yourself in the ambiance of the picture and fully appreciate its geriatric sexuality.

Not all monsters are grotesque and ugly, sometimes they are as beautiful and breathtaking as Barbara Stanwyck. Considered by many to be the best and most influential film noir ever made, Double Indemnity has become the standard by which all others are judged. For my money, from the cast and direction to the cinematography and scripting, it's a near perfect film. Definitely one of my all-time top 20 movies.

Picture this: 1920-something China. A rich man has four wives. Each wife has her own house. Each house is connected by a common courtyard. Every night the four wives stand by their door to see which house will get the red lantern. The house with the red lantern gets to 'host' the husband for the night. The wife with the red lantern also gets to decide what's for dinner, has general control of the combined households and, most importantly, gets a foot massage. Throw four women together in vicious competition for a foot massage and you've got the makings of top-notch drama. Five stars.

Powell and Pressburger's spectacle of color, choreography and catastrophe makes Black Swan look like an ugly duckling.

Most of the disparagement that has been heaped on Jim Jarmusch's Dead Man is unjust and undeserved. What an under-appreciated gem of a film.

Billed as a 'dark comedy', I feel relatively safe in saying that the laughs are purely unintentional. The true value of this 'film' is that it gets steadily worse as it goes along, which actually makes it better.

*Ed Wood would be so proud!

**UPDATE: Four viewings so far (and counting!) I love Rocky Horror and Plan 9 and believe me, this is 100 times funnier! Find it, rent it, buy it, borrow it, whatever - just SEE IT!

Barbara Stanwyck exudes enough sexuality to spark a fence post. I don't think I've ever seen a film with such perfect casting. Hilarious and brilliant.

A masterful interweaving of hillbilly hierarchy and the plague of meth. This is the culture of the Ozarks, accurate and honest and unapologetic.

Fellini puts the loveable Giulietta Masina through yet another tragic set of circumstances. Here she's a prostitute who dreams of finding her one true love, even though her heart is repeatedly broken by a series of men with ill intentions. Masina's irrepressible impish charm compels you to root for her, but her characters always seemed destined for disappointment. Come on Federico, give the gal a break! (Where the hell is Frank Capra when you need him? lol)

Precursor to later episodic horror (i.e. TV's Night Gallery and The Twilight Zone). Five house guests recount their nightmares to each other with each one a little more sinister than the last. A spine-tingling horror classic that scared me as a child and still today creeps me out.

The absolute BEST adaptation of Charles Dickens ever put on film.

George C. Scott's signature performance in the role he was born to play. Few actors ever become so strongly identified with one character. It's a safe guess that, in America's collective memory, Scott is more Patton than Patton himself. Completely iconic.

One of the very, very few remakes that rival the original production. A good film in it's own right but still falls a little short of the 1956 classic.

*NOTE: Several terrific scenes worth noting, including an homage to the original (with Kevin McCarthy) and a 'swinging' priest cameo that looks suspiciously like Robert Duvall.

Underrated classic. Robert Duvall at his best.

"I know it was you, Fredo. You broke my heart. You broke my heart!"

I was absolutely engrossed in this story from beginning to end. The only knock on this film is that it most likely put a dent in Brazil's tourist trade. Simply outstanding cinema.

Groundbreaking horror that opened the door for films like Night of the Living Dead.

A tragic love story set against the colorful backdrop of a Chinese dye mill. The fantastic cinematography makes Ju-Dou a treat for the eyes even though the story is heartbreaking and sad. Highly recommended!

Arguably Eastwood's most underrated western. Had it been made at the end of his career, as was Unforgiven, I dare say that THIS might be the film everyone talks about.

If it is true that Hitchcock's Psycho would have been less effective if it had been filmed in color then the opposite could be said for Dario Argento's Suspiria. It is the abnormally bright hues, especially the reds, that help give the entire picture a surreal sort of feel and atmosphere.

Released in 1977, it has lost some of its initial shock value. In fact, modern "gore-mongers" who enjoy graphic offerings like Saw and Hostel will no doubt find the violence soft-core and perhaps even a little comical. Still, Suspiria is an important, if not timeless, genre classic.

High on my list of the best westerns ever made!!

I have to say I saw the ending coming but only because wonderful movies such as this have influenced so many films since. Clouzot seems to know what creeps us all out and uses that to full effect in this film. This is one for every thriller/horror fan's 'must-see' list.

I first saw this one in 1972 and enjoyed it very much. Now, some 36 years later, I can honestly say that it's stood the test of time. It's a film that's shot mostly, if not entirely, on location so it never has that "studio" feel about it. It's gritty, it's unpolished, and it's wonderfully understated. You don't have to like westerns in order to enjoy and appreciate this one.

A stark, unflinching portrayal of rouge journalism and how one man's ambition can overtake and smother ethics and decency. A box office flop when it was released in 1951, this may well be Kirk Douglas at his absolute best.

Director/Writer/Producer Billy Wilder sends his main character, newspaper reporter Chuck Tatum (Douglas), down a hole, literally as well as figuratively, and presents a tale that is wonderful, brutal, dark and unapologetic. A must-see film.

Quirky, energetic and out-there. I absolutely loved it!

I recently finished reading Sherman Alexie's "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" and felt compelled to revisit Smoke Signals for about the 8th or 9th time. I love this film a little more every time I view it, which is easy to do considering that the first time I saw it I just wasn't that impressed. I had felt that, in their quest to have the first "All Indian" movie, they had sacrificed a little quality and technical expertise. Maybe I still feel that's true but it's not something I notice much any more. Now I find myself engrossed in the rich characters, especially Arnold (Evan Adams). Arnold is a misfit and yet he might be the most 'indian' character in the entire ensemble. He's bright, he's introspective, and he's terribly, terribly honest. Even when he's embellishing stories he is still exposing truths.

Much like it's screenwriter, Smoke Signals is deceptively deep, intelligent and philosophical even if it's not perfectly crafted. .

Beautiful, imaginative and utterly adorable.