My Favorite Movies

Robert Newton truly brings Long John Silver to life--no other actor can ever fill that shoe! One of my all-time favorite movies, and totally faithful (in spirit) to the book.

The time-travel element makes it look a little dated now (the "present" just screams 1970s), but otherwise it's a nearly perfect movie--one of my all-time favorites. It's got a clever and original plot, weaving together history, fantasy, murder, romance, and charming fish-out-of-water humor thanks to Malcolm MacDowell in the role of H.G. Wells, while David Warner turns what director Nicholas Meyer intended as a mere "plot device" (Jack the Ripper) into an Oscar-worthy (but overlooked) performance. This is the movie that made me a fan of his ever since it first came out in theatres!

Great dark comedy; one of my all-time favorites. David Warner is funny, tragic, and endearing in the unforgettable title role. His performance is a sheer tour-de-force.

One of my favorite guilty pleasures. I first saw this movie because Robert Newton was in it (and barely recognized him from Treasure Island, the only other movie I'd seen him in back then besides Oliver Twist), then read the novel--twice. The movie pales in comparison. But it did make me a fan of Emlyn Williams. The grotesquely made-up Charles Laughton dominates the picture as the pompous, overbearing Squire Pengallan (a character invented for the movie), yet Williams is the one who steals the show as the "dirty little blackguard" Harry. It's worth watching again and again just to see him pitted against Robert Newton as the romantic hero.

Charming comedy, one of my favorites. Tom Conti is hilariously exasperated and utterly adorable.