My Favorite Movies

Fantastic. Worth viewing over and over. My favorite Lynch movie.

Contraband is one of my favorite obscure treasures. Bolstered by quirky characters, lots of comedy, and an unlikely romance. Conrad Veidt and little known character actor Hay Petrie are given a chance to shine. There is a most unusual moment in this film, with the two tied to a pillar that is unlike anything else I've seen from this period. This movie also has some unusual pacing and you are liable to wonder what on earth is this all about for the first 40 minutes, but let go, enjoy, and stick it out. It will put you in the mood for good Viking food.

Both one of favorite horror film and one of my favorite black comedies.

I try to watch James Bond movies exclusively for the camp, but the kid in me gets sucked in everytime. This one I hated as a kid. Now it is my favorite. Campy in a whole other way, this requires patience like no other Bond film. Plus there is Diana Rigg. Sap that I am I always have a tear in my eye at the end of this one.

I've seen this a few times over the years, but recently I kept catching this on TV and would get stuck watching it to the end (at least twice). So atmospheric and such a great ending.

So many great Hitchcock films, but this is probably my personal favorite. The second act gets into a psychological area that seems even more unsettling than an off-hand murder or two. That and the color.

I have a weakness for movies that start off one way and kind of wander off course, and this is a beautiful example of a man on the run story that devolves from a chase movie into a slow and beautiful reflection on humanity and death. It is wonderfully surreal and that quality perfectly meshes with the perspective of James Mason?s Johnny McQueen. The first in a creative streak for Carol Reed that produced this, Fallen Idol and The Third Man in succession and arguably extends to Outcast of the Islands (I have yet to see The Man Between). This blurb cannot do justice to the film, but I need to get back to work! Highly recommended!

This is truly remarkable for the time it was made. Social dramas of the early 30s are rarely this interesting affecting without the pre-code novelty, which really isn't a draw here. Paul Muni is genuinely affecting, his escape, genuinely exciting, and the ending genuinely haunting. Probably one of my favorite endings ever both visually and story-wise.

All the stars we're in alignment. A high water mark for Samuel Fuller, Richard Widmark, Jean Peters and especially Thelma Ritter in a pivotal role. Violent and harsh but even manages to be touching in parts. The ending has a bit of the "epilogue" quality, but I can't hold that against it.

Still probably my favorite western. Excellent visually and movingly acted version of the Wyatt Earp story. I like John Ford in generally but every now and then I love something he does, and this is one of those occasions. I am also always struck by Walter Brennen's serious turn as the Clanton father. So often the goofy sidekick, but this is a frightening, underused side of him.

Sleazy, violent and grim nightmare/maze of a film noir. Just the way you like it.

Excellent update (well for then at least) of the Orpheus story. Captivating portrayal of Death by the under-used María Casares. In addition Palpable obsession with Death in this version, there is also a great deal of humor that come through in the scenes where Orpheus must deal with the practical ramifications of his bargain.

Personal favorite of the Universal horror films. A dark and human threat. Humorously frank (allusions to having to travel around without clothes, two rather shocking murder, and even the effects are interesting

POSSIBLE SPOILERS: This is becoming one of the quintessential classic films for me. A perfect combination of setting, characters/actors, humor, action and sentiment. There are many sub-plots revolving around the perpetual activities of running a dangerous mail route but the 2hr running time allows enough room to get invested in them. Cary Grant is a perfect choice as the kind of hardened character with enough humor that it's welcome and believable as he allows himself to be more human, meeting Jean Arthur halfway as she tries to accept the life he leads. And Hawks lets the fun come across - see Grant light up in the coin toss scene, or the scenes around the piano, or another great little moment where Jean Arthur shares a humorous whisper back and forth with a secondary character whose observations match that of the audience, beckoning her to just try talking to Grant one last time. Add to this the Richard Barthelmess/Rita Hayworth pairing that is uniquely affecting. He plays a bitter character, lacking the conventional looks and charisma of someone like Grant, but what's great here is that Hayworth really seems committed to him. The story could easily have introduced tangled love interests, based on the history, but surprisingly, it doesn't. It sticks to the theme of characters repressing and dealing with their emotions and everybody seems to learn something in the process. And not to forget Thomas Mitchell - he is great here, as are some many of the supporting characters. Plus some South America via Hollywood ambiance and effects ranging from quaint models to surprising aerial photography. The kind of movie I'll gladly watch again and again.