Two Sexually Significant Movies

Diary of a Mad Housewife (1970) and Last Tango in Paris (1972) are two movies I highly recommend for social, psychological, sexual, feminist and cinematic reasons.  Women of experience in any and all of these areas should find both films viable enough to overcome any qualms that may exist in minor details and I believe the same could be said for men but not being a man of experience I may not be qualified to argue that point properly.  Frank Langella and Marlon Brando have the sex appeal (as far as this woman is concerned) and the acting chops to perform their decidedly masculine roles with the right amount of cad (Langella) and codger (Brando).  These two films show men and women acting and reacting to societal pressures to gender roles and sexuality.  And there's lots of nakedness and sex, of course.  While the endings to one or both these films might be unsatisfactory, I believe these films have so much to offer.  After all, we each have to choose how we will express our sexual selves and perform our roles.

LA Confidential (1997)

One of the more satisfying noir films, LA Confidential has the 1950’s LAPD rubbing the Hollywood underbelly in a picture that was nominated for nine Academy Awards.  The film won Best Adapted Screenplay Oscars for Brian Helgeland and Director Curtis Hanson (from the James Ellroy novel) and Best Supporting Actress went to Kim Basinger who also won a Golden Globe.  It’s the great writing and great performances that make this one of my most favorite films (probably in my top 20). After Ellroy saw it, he was quoted as saying, "I understood in 40 minutes or so that it is a work of art on its own level.  It was amazing to see the physical incarnation of the characters."

I like to introduce the film to friends of mine that have not seen it because frankly the plot is complicated enough that having someone watch it with you is a tremendous help in appreciating its many marvels.  If you aren’t sure, the second viewing will nail it for you.  I have not read the novel but several of the things that happen are based upon rumors that circulated and actual events which occurred in and around Hollywood and the Los Angeles crime scene.  You can visit the awesome www.imdb.com to get all kinds of thrilling information about the film’s trivia. 

LA Confidential received box office success as well as critical acclaim.  It stars Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, James Cromwell, Kim Basinger, Danny DeVito, and David Strathairn.  Before working on films, Kevin Spacey made a great mark in the TV series Wiseguy (1987-1990) as Mel Profitt in 1988.  Several of the co-stars and minor players made that series watchable such as Joan Severance as Susan, Mel’s sister, Patti D’Arbanville as Amber Twine in 1989, and David Strathairn as a Sheriff in 1990, among other guest stars and celebrities.  Other Spacey works which I highly recommend are The Usual Suspects (1995), Se7en (1995), The Negotiator (1998), Pay It Forward (2000), and the Netflix series House of Cards (2013).  You may be feeling I have missed some films here but I do not recommend films that I don’t feel strongly about or haven’t seen.  Russell Crowe movies I recommend are The Insider (1999), Gladiator (2000), A Beautiful Mind (2001), Master and Commander (2003) and Cinderella Man (2005).  Guy Pearce films I recommend are Memento (2000), The Hurt Locker (2008), The Road (2009), and The King’s Speech (2010).

James Cromwell has been in over 160 films and TV shows so I am only going to list a few where the role or the impression was significant and the film is personally recommendable:  Babe:  Pig in the City (1998), The General’s Daughter (1999), The Green Mile (1999), Space Cowboys (2000), I, Robot (2004), The Queen (2006), and Surrogates (2009). While I can’t imagine any disagreements about LA Confidential being Kim Basinger’s best work, it is still worth seeing Nine ½ Weeks (1986) and Batman (1989) which are watchable for many reasons including her performances.  I should state for the record that I have not seen 8 Mile (2002).  Danny DeVito is a strong performer whether in comedy or drama and I therefore recommend some movies here highly and others not so highly but which his presence saved One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975), Terms of Endearment (1983), Romancing the Stone (1984), Twins (1988), Batman Returns (1992), Renaissance Man (1994), Junior (1994), Get Shorty (1995), and The Rainmaker (1997).

David Strathairn may be most well known as being consistently cast by John Sayles whom he met in college; however, his body of work extends beyond Sayles to movies such as LA Confidential , George Clooney’s Good Night, and Good Luck (2005) and Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln (2012).  I have not seen Return of the Secaucus Seven (1979) which was Strathairn’s debut but I recommend:  Silkwood (1983), Iceman (1984), Matewan (1987), Eight Men Out (1988), Passion Fish (1992), Limbo (1999, also starring Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) on which film I worked for a time before giving up my career in ‘the biz.’  [The two of them were incidentally the nicest cast members that I met on that production]; The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) and The Bourne Legacy (2012).

Two other LA Confidential notable contributors:  Music by Jerry Goldsmith (over 131 credits including 18 Oscar nominations and one win (Best Music, Original Score for The Omen, 1976), eight Golden Globe nominations and seven Primetime Emmy nominations and five wins, five Grammy nominations and a multitude of other award nominations and wins) and a personal musical favorite Planet of the Apes (1968); and cinematography by Dante Spinotti (over 65 cinematography credits including two Oscar nominations, three nominations and a Lifetime Achievement Award (2012) from the American Society of Cinematographers and two nominations and one win and a personal cinematography favorite The Last of the Mohicans (1992) from the British Society of Cinematographers.

Running Time:  138 Minutes

Favorite Quote:  “[Voiceover] Something has to be done, but nothing too original, because hey, this is Hollywood.”  (Danny DeVito as Sid Hudgens)

KILL BILL Volume 1 [2003] & Volume 2 [2004]

I have placed Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction (1994) in my Top Ten Films of All Time and you can read my review on it in the archives under April 2014 or directly go to that page by clicking on this link: www.lisasmovielist.blogspot.com/2014/04/pulp-fiction-a.html

As I stated before writer-director Quentin Tarantino crafts cinematic sequences that mix heady-themed, snappy dialogue with visceral action to create intense, if not orgiastic, masterpieces.  While all of Tarantino’s films are in this same class, both Kill Bill films are a special case for several reasons.  [Effectively telling one story in two films, these two are here treated as one film, hence one review.]  The fact that the star/hero is female is one reason I am putting this film in a separate class from the other Tarantino films.  A male friend told me they didn’t really get the movie and I replied, ‘you have to understand female resentment to really appreciate it.’  My boyfriend and I watched both movies over the last two nights and he asked me if they are ‘feminist.’  I guess they are and he wasn’t asking just because the hero is female.  Several of the men in the film are killed by the female victims that the male characters had victimized in a sexual way.  [The other motive for killing (both male and female victims) is that they attempted to murder the heroine (vs self-defense).]  There is no doubt that Uma Thurman carries the movie and kudos for that but I’m not sure that by itself makes it feminist…

The main plot of the film (I hope I am not giving it away, ha ha) is the killing of Bill and his main sin appears to be that (outside of not being ‘nice’) is that he attempted to kill (and had others attempt to kill) the heroine who basically has left the clan.  While Bill appears to have some remorse for attempting to kill her, it is not enough for the female character to let this go and it is worthwhile to examine this as the main character herself has made the transition from ‘killer for hire’ to only killing for the reasons mentioned above. Therefore, it appears to me, that the negating of Bill’s motive (that it is not okay that he does not allow her to choose someone else) is essentially supporting the legitimacy of feminism. Since it is not okay for her to determine who or why she should kill or love (which is an anti-feminist stance), she is effectively an instrument or object belonging to Bill which is what she will not submit to and therefore becomes a self-determining female or feminist.

If these arguments seem too intellectual for you then I direct your attention to the scene where Lucy Liu as Oren-Ishi cuts Boss Tanaka’s head off (and there ensues an interesting speech from the top of the table).  It calls to mind Robert De Niro as Al Capone in Brian de Palma’s The Untouchables (1987) where he makes a speech around a big dining table and sums up by beating a guy’s head in with a baseball bat. Yes, women are now bad asses too.  [And that’s not even mentioning the multi-cultural thing which is pretty awesome, too.]

I don’t have any special opinion about the fact that the precipitating factor is her becoming pregnant although I’m sure some would argue that this is a legitimate way to a) show that since she has to now be in charge of someone else she gains some sense of agency which she lacked before and b) it emphasizes the nature of her conflict in a specifically female way.  Of course this all begs questions like:  What is the opposite of a feminist film?  What makes feminist motives different from non-feminist motives?  Can this film be judged by the same standard as any other film starring a male hero?  I would only suggest you watch Tarantino’s Django Unchained (2012) before you try to answer those kinds of questions.

Tarantino’s obvious paeans to anime, martial arts films, samurai warriors, heros in general, comic books, specific film genres, musical styles and other known favorites are found in these films and it is a testament to his deft handling that whether you are aware of them or not, the appealing sequences are worthy of study as short films on their own.  Like Pulp Fiction, the story is told in a nonlinear fashion; however, Tarantino has title cards which are a considerable help in keeping the chronology straight.  Finally one more reason these films are for me in a class by themselves is that they work so well as one story told in two episodes.  If you have time watch them in one sitting.  If not, try to keep the time between them as short as possible.

I don’t have much to say in the way of how Tarantino’s often over-the-top treatment of violence might offend some people however, in this film it is done to such an effect that it approaches comedy and frankly I couldn’t stop myself from laughing several times. (This might be why I can watch Tarantino’s films over and over but I can hardly stomach any of Oliver Stone’s movies more than once.  If you want to complain about violence then feel free to dismiss Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese and Stanley Kubrick, too as I’m okay with that since I feel Tarantino belongs in their company anyway.)

The Kill Bill films were produced by Lawrence Bender.  The other Bender-Tarantino pictures which I highly recommend are Reservoir Dogs (1992, starring Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Chris Penn, Steve Buscemi, Lawrence Tierney and Michael Madsen), Pulp Fiction (1994) [see my earlier review], and Inglorious Basterds (2009, starring Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz and Michael Fassbender among others, including narration by Samuel L. Jackson and Harvey Keitel).

Kill Bill stars Uma Thurman (nominated as Best Actress for a Golden Globe), David Carradine, Daryl Hannah, Lucy Liu, Michael Madsen, Viveca A. Fox, Julie Dreyfus, Chiaki Kuriyama, Shin’ichi Chiba and Chia Hui-Liu among many talented others). The film was nominated for five BAFTA’s including Best Actress (Uma Thurman), Best Editing, Best Film Music, Best Sound and Best Visual Effects.

Running Times:  Kill Bill Volume 1 is 111 Minutes; Kill Bill Volume 2 is 136 Minutes

A Favorite Quote:  “That woman deserves her revenge and we deserve to die.” (Michael Madsen as Budd) 

A Sentimental Favorite:  “You and I have unfinished business!” (Uma Thurman as Beatrix Kiddo, AKA The Bride, AKA Black Mamba)

SONGCATCHER, MY BODYGUARD AND STARMAN

SONGCATCHER – A

Songcatcher (2000) is a beautiful gem and recommended for its emphasis on music and history.  The story follows a woman musicologist who discovers English ballads while visiting her sister in the Appalachians.  Produced by Richard Miller, written by and directed by Maggie Greenwald, the film stars Janet McTeer, Aidan Quinn, Michael Davis, Michael Goodwin, Jane Adams, E. Katherine Kerr, Emmy Rossum, Pat Carroll, Iris DeMent and Hazel Dickens.  The music score is by David Mansfield and the soundtrack features many famous female country singers who perform mountain ballads in traditional as well as contemporary arrangements.  Running time:  109 Minutes.

 

MY BODYGUARD – A

My Bodyguard (1980) stars Chris Makepeace, Adam Baldwin and Matt Dillon with notable appearances by Martin Mull, Ruth Gordon, Joan Cusack, and John Houseman.  Makepeace is a fish out of water when he goes to a new school and attempts to befriend the local black sheep as his bodyguard.  Produced by Don Devlin, directed by Tony Bill and written by Alan Ormsby, this endearing film was nominated by the Writers Guild of America as best drama written directly for the screen.  Running time:  102 Minutes.

 

STARMAN – A

Starman (1984) stars Jeff Bridges as an alien who is stranded on Earth and has the good fortune to meet Karen Allen who decides to help him get home while avoiding being captured by the Charles Martin Smith.  This charming story takes a lighter look at some of the ridiculous things that earthlings do while maintaining enough of a sci-fi angle to keep the story moving.  Also starring Charles Martin Smith and Richard Jaeckel, the film was directed by John Carpenter and written by Bruce A. Evans and Raynold Gideon.  By way of a better synopsis, here’s a good quote:  “Do you seriously expect me to tell the President that an alien has landed, assumed the identity of a dead housepainter from Madison, Wisconsin and is presently out tooling around the countryside in a hoped up orange and black 1977 Mustang?” [Richard Jaeckel as George Fox].  Running time:  115 Minutes.

WORLD WAR Z - A

I am by no means an expert on zombie movies but World War Z (2013) is a strong apocalyptic horror film that packs a realistic punch.  Starring Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos and Daniella Kertesz, the film was directed by Marc Forster who has some very impressive credits: Monster’s Ball (2001, starring Billy Bob Thornton, Halle Berry); Finding Neverland (2004, starring Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet, Julie Christie and Dustin Hoffman); The Kite Runner (2007, starring Khalid Abdalla, Ahmad Khan Mahmoodzada and Atossa Leoni) andQuantum of Solace (2008, starring Daniel Craig and Olga Kurylenko).  He also directed Machine Gun Preacher (2011, starring Gerard Butler, Michelle Monaghan and Michael Shannon), which I have not seen but is on my list to see soon.  Mr. Butler and Mr. Pitt are equally easy on the eyes in my book but just because they are does not mean I will recommend everything they touch…I’m just sayin’!

World War Z is one of those movies with so many writing credits that it is impossible to give credit where it is due except to say it is based upon the book “World War Z:  An Oral History of the Zombie War” by Max Brooks.  If you want to know more then please visit the awesome website www.imdb.com and look up the movie to find the full cast and crew credits.

The producers’ credits are also lengthy and include Mr. Pitt but it’s difficult to say how much beyond its being initially feasible by virtue of his name being attached is given over to a producer’s other expertise; however, it is important to note that several very solid films have his producer credit on them:  The Departed (2006, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg and Jack Nicholson and winner in four of five Oscar categories); Running with Scissors (2006, starring Joseph Cross, Annette Benning [in her Golden Globe nominated performance], Brian Cox, Joseph Fiennes and Evan Rachel Wood among others); The Private Lives of Pippa Lee (2009, starring Robin Wright, Alan Arkin and Mike Binder); Eat Pray Love (2010, starring Julia Roberts, Javier Bardem, Richard Jenkins and Viola Davis); Moneyball (2011, starring Brad Pitt, Robin Wright, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Jonah Hill and nominated in six Oscar categories) ; The Tree of Life (2011, starring Brad Pitt, Sean Penn and Jessica Chastain and nominated in three Oscar categories) and 12 Years A Slave (2014, starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael K. Williams, Michael Fassbender and Lupita Nyong’o in her Best Supporting Actress Oscar performance and winner of Best Picture and Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay Oscars amongst nominations in nine categories total).

Other worthy films in which Mr. Pitt has appeared (if not already mentioned): Thelma and Louise (1991, starring Susan Sarandon, Geena Davis and Harvey Keitel); A River Runs Through It(1992, starring Craig Sheffer, Brad Pitt and Tom Skerritt); Interview with the Vampire (1994, starring Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise and Antonio Banderas); Se7en(1995, starring Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Gwyneth Paltrow and Kevin Spacey); Twelve Monkeys (1995, starring Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe and Brad Pitt); Seven Years in Tibet(1997, starring Brad Pitt, David Thewlis and JD Wong); Fight Club (1999, starring Brad Pitt, Edward Norton and Helena Bonham Carter); Ocean’s Eleven(2001, starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts, amongst others);Ocean’s Twelve (2004, starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts, amongst others); Ocean’s Thirteen(2007, starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts, amongst others);The Curious Case of Benjamin Button(2008, starring Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett and Tilda Swinton) and Inglourious Basterds (2009, starring Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger and Eli Roth).

Other Pitt films may or may not be to your liking but they are not strong enough for me to recommend.  I have not seen Sleepers (1996, starring Kevin Bacon, Robert De Niro, Jason Patric, Dustin Hoffman and Brad Pitt amongst others) but it is on my list to see soon. Mireille Enos has been in several TV series; however, her most picture before World War Z was in Gangster Squad(2013, starring Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone). Daneilla Kertesz also comes from a TV background but World War Z appears to have been her first film.

Running Time:  116 Minutes

According to www.imdb.com World War Z 2 is to be released in 2015.

THE QUIET MAN - A

Director John Ford’s love story stars John Wayne as an American boxer who returns to the Irish village where he was born and has to endure an epic fight in order to secure his bride.  A strong supporting cast and Oscar-winning cinematography make this movie a paean to Ireland.  This film is my most favorite John Ford movie and in my top twenty films of all time.  The Quiet Man (1952) won Ford a Best Director Oscar and also stars Maureen O’Hara, Ward Bond, Victor McLaglen and Barry Fitzgerald.  The screenplay was written by Frank Nugent and is based upon the short story by Maurice Walsh.

Most notable films directed by John Ford:  Mary of Scotland (1936, starring Katharine Hepburn and Frederic March); Stagecoach (1939, starring John Wayne, Claire Trevor, Andy Devinem, John Carradine and a Best Supporting Actor performance by Thomas Mitchell); Drums Along the Mohawk (1939, starring Claudette Colbert, Henry Fonda, Edna May Oliver); Young Mr. Lincoln (1939, starring Henry Fonda, Alice Brady and Marjorie Weaver); Grapes of Wrath (1940, starring Henry Fonda, Jane Darwell [in her Oscar-winning Best Supporting Actress role], John Carradine for which John Ford won the Best Director Academy Award); The Long Voyage Home (1940, starring John Wayne, Thomas Mitchell and Ian Hunter); How Green Was My Valley (1941, Starring Walter Pidgeon, Maureen O’Hara, Anna Lee, Donald Crisp [in his Oscar-winning Best Supporting Actor role] and Roddy McDowall, winner of five Oscars including Best Picture and Best Director); They Were Expendable (1945, Robert Montgomery, John Wayne); Fort Apache (1948, starring John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Shirley Temple also written by Frank Nugent); She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949, starring John Wayne, Joanne Dru and John Agar also written by Frank Nugent and winner of Best Cinematography Oscar); Rio Grande (1950, starring John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara, Ben Johnson); The Searchers (1956, starring John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles, Ward Bond, Natalie Wood also written by Frank Nugent); The Last Hurrah (1958, starring Spencer Tracy, Jeffrey Hunter, Dianne Foster, also written by Frank Nugent); The Horse Solders (1959, starring John Wayne, William Holden, Constance Towers); The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962, starring James Stewart, John Wayne and Vera Miles); How the West Was Won (1962, “Civil War” Section, starring James Stewart, John Wayne, Gregory Peck among others and winner of three Academy Awards); Donovan’s Reef (1963, starring John Wayne, Lee Marvin, Elizabeth Allen, Jack Warden and Cesar Romero also written by Frank Nugent); and Cheyenne Autumn (1964, starring Richard Widmark, Caroll Baker, Karl Malden, Sal Mineo, Dolores del Rio and Ricardo Montalban).  While this does not include all of Ford’s pictures, they are the ones I feel are worth at least one viewing.

Writer Frank Nugent also wrote Mister Roberts (1955, starring Henry Fonda, James Cagney, William Powell and Jack Lemmon in his Oscar-winning Best Supporting Actor performance).  John Ford, Mervyn LeRoy and an uncredited Joshua Logan directed the film.  Additional notable films with Maureen O’Hara include:  The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1935, starring Charles Laughton, Maureen O’Hara and Cedric Hardwicke); Miracle on 34^th Street (1947, starring Edmund Gwenn, Maureen O’Hara, John Payne, Gene Lockhart and Natalie Wood); Against All Flags (1952, starring Errol Flynn, Maureen O’Hara and Anthony Quinn); The Parent Trap (1961, starring Hayley Mills, Maureen O’Hara and Brian Keith); Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation (1962, starring James Stewart and Maureen O’Hara); McClintock! (1963, starring John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara and Patrick Wayne); The Rare Breed (1966, starring James Stewart, Maureen O’Hara and Brian Keith) and Big Jake (1971, starring John Wayne, Richard Boone and Maureen O’Hara).  Barry Fitzgerald as well as Ward Bond and several other cast members had many bit parts in John Ford films as well as numerous others; however, most famously Barry Fitzgerald appeared in:  Bringing Up Baby (1938, starring Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant and Charles Ruggles); The Dawn Patrol (1928, starring Errol Flynn, Basil Rathbone and David Niven); The Sea Wolf (1941, starring Edward G. Robinson, Ida Lupino and John Garfield); And Then There Were None (1945, starring Barry Fitzgerald, Walter Huston, Louis Hayward among others); and The Story of Sea Biscuit (1947, starring Shirley Temple, Barry Fitzgerald and Lon McCallister).

A Favorite Quote:  “Put his name on the list.  Now cross it off!” (Barry Fitzgerald as Michaleen Oge Flynn)

Running Time:  129 Minutes

DRACULA (1979)

Director John Badham’s romantic version of the Bram Stoker horror classic stars Frank Langella, Laurence Olivier, Donald Pleasence and Kate Nelligan.  [I herein admit that I am a huge fan of Frank Langella and it was not because this film was my first exposure to him… but we’ll get to him later.]  This stylish screenplay version was written by W. D. Richter, deviates from the Bram Stoker novel and is based on the Broadway play by Hamilton Deane and John L. Balderston (which also starred Mr. Langella who received a Tony Award for the role). John Badham began directing series and movies in TV and struck gold several times with popular (and watchable) films such as Saturday Night Fever (1977, starring John Travolta); War Games (1983, starring Matthew Broderick and Ally Sheedy); and Short Circuit (1986, starring Ally Sheedy and Steve Guttenberg).  In 1998, Badham went back to doing episodes and movies for TV including cable.

I first saw Frank Langella in Mel Brooks’The Twelve Chairs (1970, starring Ron Moody and Frank Langella and Dom DeLuise).   [Due to the charming characters, I consider The Twelve Chairs my favorite Mel Brooks’ movie, even ahead of Young Frankenstein(1974, starring Gene Wilder, Marty Feldman and Peter Boyle).]  Frank Langella was acclaimed for his role inDiary of A Mad Housewife (1970, starring Carrie Snodgress, Richard Benjamin and Frank Langella) but I have not seen it. (It is going on my must-see list right now though!)  Other films with Mr. Langella that I highly recommend are:  Sphinx (1981, starring Lesley-Anne Down and Frank Langella); Frost/Nixon(2008, starring Michael Sheen and Frank Langella in his Best Actor Academy-Award nominated performance); andRobot & Frank (2012, starring Peter Sarsgaard and Frank Langella).  For the record, I do rather enjoy Bela Lugosi’sDracula (1931) and if you haven’t seen either one, then I recommend you watch Lugosi’s prototypical portrayal to fully appreciate Langella’s characterization.

To Langella’s Dracula, Olivier plays Professor Van Helsing.  Olivier may be most well-known for his role as Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights (1939, starring Merle Oberon, Laurence Olivier and David Niven); however, I find that the pairing of those two is more satisfying in The Divorce of Lady X(1938, starring Merle Oberon, Laurence Olivier and Binnie Barnes).  Other Olivier performances I recommend are found in Hitchcock’s Rebecca (1940, starring Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine);Pride and Prejudice (1940, starring Greer Garson and Laurence Olivier);That Hamilton Woman (1941, starring Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier);Spartacus (1960, starring Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier and Jean Simmons);Marathon Man (1976, starring Dustin Hoffman, Laurence Oliver and Roy Scheider); A Bridge Too Far (1977, starring Sean Connery, Ryan O’Neal and Michael Caine, amongst many others);The Boys from Brazil (1978, starring Gregory Peck, Laurence Oliver and James Mason); A Little Romance (1979, starring Laurence Oliver, Diane Lane and Thelonious Bernard); and The Bounty(1984, starring Anthony Hopkins, Mel Gibson and Laurence Olivier).  If you prefer your Shakespeare with the Olivier flair then Hamlet (1948 in which Olivier won his only Oscar), Richard III (1955 in which he was nominated for Best Actor) and Othello (1965 in which he was nominated for Best Actor) might be your cup of tea.

Donald Pleasence is considered well known for his part in the Halloween saga which began with the filmHalloween (1978, starring Donald Pleasence, Jamie Lee Curtis and P. J. Soles); however, his range is (obviously!) better displayed in meatier roles in several films, namely:  The Great Escape (1963, starring Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough, James Donald, Charles Bronson, Donald Pleasence and James Coburn); You Only Live Twice (1967, starring Sean Connery, Mie Hama and Donald Pleasence); THX 1138 (1971, starring Robert Duvall and Donald Pleasence);The Eagle Has Landed (1976, starring Michael Caine, Donald Sutherland and Robert Duvall); and Telefon (1977, starring Charles Bronson, Donald Pleasence and Lee Remick) and Escape From New York (1981, starring Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine, Donald Pleasence, Issac Hayes, Harry Dean Stanton, Adrienne Barbeau).  And, of course, it’s no small feat to be cast as the personification of Satan [in The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965, starring Max von Sydow, Dorothy McGuire, Charlton Heston and Claude Rains amongst other famous character actors)].

To date, my favorite Kate Nelligan performance is in Eye of the Needle(1981, starring Donald Sutherland and Kate Nelligan).  I have not seen most of her other movies, or the roles have been very small; therefore, I recommend you visit www.imdb.com to see what might interest you out of her complete filmography.  The original music score for Dracula was composed by John Williams (who will most likely get a review all to himself in the near future.) If you are inclined to appreciate musical scores then I suggest you look him up but for the sake of something indicative of his massive talent and incredible influence in cinema, you only need to view the amazing Jaws (1975, starring Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss) or Star Wars (1977, starring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher).  Both of those films won Williams Oscars for Best Score.  He had to compete against himself in 1977 forClose Encounters of the Third Kind(starring Richard Dreyfuss, Francois Truffaut and Teri Garr), another example of a finely crafted film worth multiple viewings.

A Favorite Quote:  “I am the king of my kind.” (Frank Langella as Count Dracula)

Running Time:  109 Minutes

PAPER MOON - A

Set during the Depression, a con man is suddenly responsible for a little girl who may or may not be his daughter.  The characters are played by real life father and daughter, Ryan O’Neal and Tatum O’Neal.  Also starring Madeline Kahn and John Hillerman, this motion picture is charming and definitely not for young children.  Madeline Kahn and Tatum O’Neal were both nominated for Best Supporting Actress and the Oscar went to 10-year-old Ms. O’Neal, making her the youngest Oscar winner ever. (The other nominees in that category were Linda Blair for The Exorcist; Candy Clark for American Graffiti and Sylvia Sidney for Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams.)

Adapted by Alvin Sargent from Joe David Brown’s novel “Addie Pray”, the film was directed by Peter Bogdanovich and filmed in black and white.  Paper Moon is a very endearing comedy and one of my favorite films of all time (probably in the top 20 to 25).  The film was also nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Sound though it did not win in those categories.  That year, the film, in those categories at least, had to compete with Day of the Dolphin(starring George C. Scott, Trish Van Devere and Paul Sorvino), The Exorcist(starring Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow and Linda Blair ), The Last Detail(starring Jack Nicholson and Randy Quaid), The Paper Chase (starring  ),Serpico (starring Al Pacino, John Randolph and Jack Kehoe) and The Sting (starring Paul Newman, Robert Redford and Robert Shaw).

I recommend Mr. Bogdanovich’s screwball comedy What’s Up Doc?  It was released in 1972 and stars Ryan O’Neal, Barbra Streisand and Madeline Kahn. I regret I haven’t seen The Last Picture Show (1971, starring timothy Bottoms, Jeff Bridges and Cybill Shepherd with John Hillerman) and therefore won’t recommend it but I will put it on my must-see list, especially since I love Larry McMurtry who wrote the novel on which it is based.  Alvin Sargent wrote many screenplays, two of which are on my must-see list:  Julia(1977, starring Jane Fonda, Vanessa Redgrave and Jason Robards) andBobby Deerfield (1977, starring Al Pacino, Marthe Keller and Anny Duperey).  Of movies I have seen, I most recommend Ordinary People (1980, starring Donald Sutherland, Judd Hirsch, Mary Tyler Moore and Timothy Hutton) which was adapted from the Judith Guest novel of the same name. Ordinary People won four Academy Awards:  Best Picture (Ronald L. Schwary), Best Supporting Actor (Timothy Hutton who vied with Judd Hirsch in the category), Best Director (Robert Redford) and Best Adapted Screenplay (Alvin Sargent).  Mary Tyler Moore’s performance is powerful and she was nominated for Best Actress but she had to compete against some formidable opponents that year:  Ellen Burstyn in Resurrection (which also starred Sam Shepard and Richard Farnsworth); Goldie Hawn in Private Benjamin (which also starred Eileen Brennan); Gena Rowlands in Gloria(which also starred Buck Henry and Julie Carmen) and my favorite, the winner Sissy Spacek in Coal Miner’s Daughter where she plays Loretta Lynn(which also starred Tommy Lee Jones and Beverly D’Angelo as Patsy Cline).

As for Ryan O’Neal, I am not a big fan of sad romantic movies like Love Story(1970, starring Ali MacGraw and Ryan O’Neal) and it has been many years since I have seen Barry Lyndon (1975, starring Ryan O’Neal, Marisa Berenson and Patrick Magee); however, I can recommend A Bridge Too Far (1977, starring Sean Connery, Ryan O’Neal and Michael Caine amongst many others). As far as Ms. O’Neal goes for younger audiences I would recommend:  The Bad News Bears (1976, starring Walter Matthau, Tatum O’Neal, Vic Morrow, Joyce Van Patten, Ben Piazza and Jackie Earle Haley); International Velvet(1978, starring Tatum O’Neal, Christopher Plummer and Anthony Hopkins) and Little Darlings (1980, starring Tatum O’Neal, Kristy McNichol and Armand Assante).  I also recommend The Runaways (2010, starring Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning and Michael Shannon) wherein Tatum O’Neal plays Dakota Fanning’s mother. 

Madeline Kahn’s most famous work would probably be in the Mel Brooks’ classic films Blazing Saddles (1974, starring Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder and Slim Pickens with Madeline Kahn and John Hillerman)and Young Frankenstein(1974, starring Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn, Marty Feldman with Cloris Leachman, Peter Boyle and Teri Garr); however, I think her role as Eunice is pivotal because as the ‘straight man’, she anchors the whole picture so you can appreciate the rather bland Ryan O’Neal and the peppery Barbra Streisand in What’s Up Doc?  John Hillerman may be best-loved as Magnum PI’s Higgins; however, he was a character actor in many films, the most notable being:  High Plains Drifter(1973, starring Clint Eastwood and Verna Bloom); Chinatown (1974, starring Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway and John Huston); and The Day of the Locust (starring Donald Sutherland, Karen Black, Burgess Meredith and William Atherton).

 A Favorite Quote:  “No, I don’t know what it is, but if you got ‘em, it’s a sure bet they belong to somebody else!” (Tatum O’Neal as Addie Loggins)

Running Time:  102 Minutes

IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT - A

Produced by Frank Capra and executive producer Harry Cohn, director Frank Capra’s romantic comedy stars Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert with Walter Connolly and Roscoe Karns.  Released in 1934, It Happened One Night won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor and Best Actress.  The screenplay, written by Robert Riskin, was adapted from a short story “Night Bus” by Samuel Hopkins Adams.  Colbert plays a wealthy socialite on the lam to reunite with her new husband (that her father disapproves of) when she gets spotted by a reporter, played by Gable, who recognizes and essentially blackmails her into giving him her story. Sometimes credited as the first screwball comedy, this film is lighter on the screwball and heavier on the romance. 

Gable and Colbert are well matched and their interaction is both witty and charming.  This is my favorite Gable film as I really do not enjoy Gone With the Wind (1939, starring Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh and Thomas Mitchell among many others).  I would prefer to watchMutiny on the Bounty (1935, starring Charles Laughton, Clark Gable and Franchot Tone and winner of the Oscar for Best Picture) or Boom Town (1940, starring Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy, Claudette Colbert and Heddy Lamar). Gable and Tracy fans might also enjoySan Francisco (1936, starring Clark Gable, Jeanette MacDonald and Spencer Tracy).  Colbert fans might enjoy Cecil B. DeMille’s Cleopatra (1934, starring Claudette Colbert, Warren William; Henry Wilcoxon); however, I prefer Drums Along the Mohawk (1939, starring Claudette Colbert, Henry Fonda and Edna May Oliver).

My second favorite Capra film is You Can’t Take It With You (1938, starring Jean Arthur, James Stewart and Lionel Barrymore amongst other great cast members and also written by Robert Riskin) which I much prefer to the much-loved It’s A Wonderful Life (1946, starring James Stewart).  I highly recommend these:  Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936, starring Gary Cooper, Jean Arthur and George Bancroft; written by Robert Riskin and winner of Best Director Oscar for Capra); Mr. Smith Goes To Washington (1939, starring James Stewart, Jean Arthur, Claude Rains Harry Carey, and also winner of Best Original Screenplay for Lewis R. Foster); Meet John Doe (1941, starring Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyck and Edward Arnold and nominated for Best Original Screenplay for Robert Connell and Robert Presnell Sr.)  Another Capra film, the comedy Arsenic and Old Lace(1944, starring Cary Grant, Priscilla Lane, Raymond Massey), written by Julius J. Epstein and Philip G. Epstein [famous for Casablanca (1942, starring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid and Claude Rains, among others)] , is worth a viewing as well as a few good laughs.

Running Time:  105 Minutes

A Favorite Quote:  “I want to see what love looks like when it’s triumphant.  I haven’t had a good laugh in a week.” (Clark Gable as Peter Warne) [It’s a comedy, so don’t expect me to give away any really funny lines!]

WALKABOUT - A

Cinematographer-director Nicolas Roeg’s visually stunning tale finds two siblings lost in Australia’s outback, one teenage girl and one small school-aged boy, where they encounter an aborigine boy who is on a ritual journey (known as a ‘walkabout’).  Roeg’s imagery is practicably axiomatic so that the viewer is shown without intellectualism of any sort, the stark contrasts between urban and wild, civilization and nature, Australian and aborigine.  This is the film to study to understand the maximal contribution that cinematography can make to storytelling.  I would put in the same category both Lawrence of Arabia (1962, starring Peter O’Toole, Alec Guinness and Anthony Quinn, which won the Cinematography Oscar for Freddie Young) and Gravity (2013, starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, which won the Cinematography Oscar for Emmanuel Lubezki).  The distance between the viewer and the scene is at once apparently so far yet we are intensely and inexorably in it. Since I wrote this several years ago, I have since seen several films by Cinematographer/Director Pawel Pawlikowski and recommend what I have seen to date:  Cold War, Ida and My Summer of Love.

I am at this point in time unable to recommend almost all of Mr. Roeg’s other directorial works because I have not seen most of them, except for The Man Who Fell To Earth (1976, starring David Bowie, Rip Torn and Candy Clark).  As cinematographer, Mr. Roeg’s credited and uncredited works are numerous and I refer you to the www.imdb.com website to see what might appeal to your tastes but I would strongly suggest that any of the BAFTA nominees are worthy of a viewing.

Starring Jenny Agutter, Lucien John (Roeg) and David Gulpilil, Walkabout was written by Edward Bond and inspired by the novel (1959) of the same name by John Vance Marshall.  Edward Bond wrote the English dialogue for the Michelangelo Antonioni film, Blow-Up (1966, starring David Hemmings, Vanessa Redgrave and Sarah Miles).  Walkabout was produced by Sy Litvinoff and was nominated for a Palme d’Or when it debuted in 1971.  It is very possible that I may have erred by not putting Walkabout in my top ten films of all time.  It is definitely vying most competitively with Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange (1971, starring Malcolm McDowell, Patrick Magee and Michael Bates.)  A Clockwork Orange was executive produced by Sy Litvinoff who optioned the Anthony Burgess novel.  He certainly had an ability to pick projects that shock and awe (A Clockwork Orange) and awe and shock (Walkabout).

Jenny Agutter has been in many films but I most recommend these three:  Logan’s Run (1976, starring Michael York Jenny Agutter, Richard Jordan, Roscoe Lee Brown, Farrah Fawcett and Peter Ustinov), Equus (1977, starring Richard Burton with Peter Firth, Colin Blakely, Joan Plowright, Eileen Atkins, Harry Andrews and Jenny Agutter) and An American Werewolf in London (1981, starring David Naughton, Jenny Agutter and Griffin Dunne).  David Gulpilil has been in several films but the two most recognizable roles for American audiences are probably from Peter Weir’s The Last Wave (1977, starring Richard Chamberlain, Olivia Hamnett and David Gulpilil) and Crocodile Dundee (1980, starring Paul Hogan, Linda Kozlowski, John Meillon and David Gulpilil).  Luc Roeg has been a film producer since 1987.  I haven’t seen any of his films as a producer but I am immediately putting onto my must-see list his Othello (1995, starring Laurence Fishburne, Irene Jacob and Kenneth Branagh).

Running Time:  100 Minutes

SPELLBOUND - A-

Director Alfred Hitchcock’s psychological suspense thriller Spellbound (1945) stars Ingrid Bergman, Gregory Peck, Michael Chekhov and Leo G. Carroll.  Bergman plays a psychoanalyst who helps her new boss, played by Peck, figure out what’s bothering him.  While Bergman battles the stereotype of the female working professional as cold, she begins to warm up to Peck as they discover that his amnesia and dreams may be evidence of murder.  One dream sequence was designed by the Surrealist Salvador Dali and cut down to two minutes from a reported twenty. Some additional sequences which were designed by Dali were not used in the film; however, from what I’ve seen they might have made the film even better as they would have introduced the (potentially) interesting psychological aspect of Peck’s developing relationship with Bergman.  I am fairly certain that Hitchcock wanted to keep the focus on the central mystery of the film, which is what actually happened to Dr. Edwardes.  [It has recently been brought to my attention that the Producer, David O. Selznick, appears to have been the motivating figure behind Hitchcock directing a film about psychoanalysis in the first place and Hitchcock frequently feuded with Selznick’s personal therapist who was an advisor on the film.  It is not clear to me if Selznick or Hitchcock was more troubled by Dali; however, as Hitchcock was very meticulous about editing, etc. I give all the credit or blame to Hitchcock.]

This film is in my top ten primarily because of interplay of the suspense, the psychological themes and the romance.  I refer you to my review of Notorious (1946) on this website where I mention the romantic relationship and dialogue between Ingrid Bergman and Cary Grant which is more deftly played. I could speculate that Peck was naturally less of a warmer character than Grant anyway or that Hitchcock was not interested in the male-female dynamic from a psychological point of view.  (Was he Psycho?] Other Hitchcock movies which display Grant’s warmth and also the snappier dialogue are To Catch A Thief (1955) with Grace Kelly and North by Northwest (1959) with Eva Marie Saint.  Spellbound was inspired by the novel The House of Dr. Edwardes (1927) by Hilary Saint George Saunders and John Palmer (as ‘Francis Beeding’).  It was adapted by Angus MacPhail and Ben Hecht.  Ben Hecht wrote the screenplay for Notorious aswell as many other Oscar-nominated films, some of which he did not receive credit on the final productions for having made contributions.  I repeat my advice to use the awesome www.imdb.comwebsite to find all the Wonderful andHot writing he has done for The Picturesfrom 1926 to 1964, except to say how much I enjoy His Girl Friday (1940, starring Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell and Ralph Bellamy and adapted by Hecht from the play The Front Page).

Other Hitchcock movies which I highly recommend for various and sundry reasons:  The 39 Steps (1935, starring Robert Donat and Madeleine Carroll);The Lady Vanishes (1938, starring Margaret Lockwood, Michael Redgrave and Paul Lukas); Jamaica Inn (1939, starring Maureen O’Hara, Robert Newton and Charles Laughton);Rebecca (1940, starring Laurence Olivier; Joan Fontaine and George Sanders and also produced by Selznick); Lifeboat (1944, starring Tallulah Bankhead, John Hodiak and Charles Slezak); The Paradine Case(1947, starring Gregory Peck, Ann Todd and Charles Laughton and also produced by Selznick); Rear Window(1954, James Stewart and Grace Kelly);The Trouble with Harry (1955, starring John Forsythe, Shirley MacLaine and Edmund Gwenn); The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956, starring James Stewart and Doris Day).

You may realize if you are big fan of Hitchcock that there are certain Hitchcock movies which I have left off the above list (not counting the films I already reviewed).  This is because I am not particularly enamored of them; however, I will state for the record that I generally recommend any of Hitchcock’s films and would consider it beneficial to see any of them at least once.  (One of my standards for a highly recommended work is that it is worth multiple viewings.)  I may be forgiven for repeating my suggestion to check out the awesome www.imdb.com website as well as my recommendation forHitchcock (2012, starring Anthony Hopkins and Helen Mirren) for those who want more insight into him but more particularly on the making of Psycho (1960).]

Ingrid Bergman has already been recommended for Notorious and I here repeat myself to mention some other most worthy works:  Gaslight (1940, starring Charles Boyer and has Ms. Bergman in her first Best Actress Oscar-winning performance); Anastasia (1956, which has Ms. Bergman in her second Best Actress Oscar-winning performance); Inn of the Sixth Happiness (1958); Indiscreet (1958, starring Ingrid Bergman and Cary Grant); Cactus Flower (1970, starring Walther Matthau and Goldie Hawn in her Best Supporting Actress Oscar-winning performance); Murder on the Orient Express (1974, starring Albert Finney and in which Ms. Bergman won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar);  Autumn Sonata (1978, Ingmar Bergman directed this feature starring Ingrid Bergman and Liv Ullmann); and A Woman Called Golda (1982 made-for-television movie).

I refer you to my review of The Big Country (1958) on this website so you know how much I like Gregory Peck and herewith highly recommend some other pictures of his:  Captain Horatio Hornblower R. N. (1951, starring Gregory Peck, Virginia Mayo and Robert Beatty); Roman Holiday (1953, starring Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn, winner of the Best Academy Award);Moby Dick (1956, starring Gregory Peck and Richard Basehart); Guns of Navarone (1961, starring David Niven, Gregory Peck and Anthony Quinn); To Kill a Mockingbird (1962, starring Gregory Peck in his Oscar-winning role):Cape Fear (1962, starring Gregory Peck, Robert Mitchum and Polly Bergen); Captain Newman, M.D. (1963, starring Gregory Peck, Tony Curtis and Angie Dickinson); The Omen (1976, starring Gregory Peck and Lee Remick); The Boys from Brazil (1978, starring Gregory Peck); and The Sea Wolves (1980, Starring Gregory Peck, Roger Moore and David Niven) and Cape Fear (1991, starring Robert DeNiro, Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange and Juliette Lewis with cameos by Gregory Peck, Robert Mitchum and Martin Balsam who were in the original 1962 version).

Genre:  Psychological Suspense Thriller

Running Time:  111 Minutes

A Favorite Quote:  “Women make the best psychoanalysts until the fall in love.  After that they make the best patients.  (Michael Chekhov as Dr. Alex Brulov)

Now you know my top ten favorite films of all time.  My next review will be Nicolas Roeg’s Walkabout (1971).

PULP FICTION - A+

Writer-director Quentin Tarantino crafts cinematic sequences that mix heady-themed, snappy dialogue with visceral action to create intense, if not orgiastic, masterpieces.  While all of Tarantino’s films are in this same class, Pulp Fiction(1994), with Django Unchained (2012, starring Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz and Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington and Samuel L. Jackson) a close second, is clearly at the head of it.  The screenplay for Pulp Fiction was co-written by Tarantino and Roger Avary who won Best Original Screenplay Academy Awards, the only Oscar winners out of the seven categories nominated including Best Editing by Sally Menke.  The story’s nonlinear path is complemented by a collection of popular songs which help maintain the viewer’s sanity by offering pointed and lyrical pauses between episodes of witty banter and stark violence.  (If it were possible to make a person insane just by watching a film, I am sure I would nominate both Quentin Tarantino and Stanley Kubrick as Best Crazymaker …but it’s the kind of crazy I love!)

Produced by Lawrence Bender, Pulp Fiction was nominated for Best Picture and won the Palme d’Or.  The other Bender-Tarantino pictures which I highly recommend are Reservoir Dogs (1992, starring Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Chris Penn, Steve Buscemi, Lawrence Tierney and Michael Madsen), Kill Bill Volume 1( 2003, starring Uma Thurman, David Carradine, Daryl Hannah and Michael Madsen) and Kill Bill Volume 2 (2004, with the same stars as Kill Bill Volume 1plus Lucy Liu, Viveca A. Fox and others) and Inglourious Basterds (2009, starring Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz and Michael Fassbender among others, including narration by Samuel L. Jackson and Harvey Keitel).

The awesome cast of Pulp Fictionincludes John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, (all three of which were nominated for Acting Oscars), Bruce Willis, Harvey Keitel, Maria de Medeiros, Tim Roth, Amanda Plummer, with Ving Rhames, Eric Stoltz, Rosanna Arquette and Christopher Walken.  A quick list of recommended films in which Mr. Travolta appears: Brian De Palma’s Carrie (1976, starring Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie with Amy Irving and John Travolta); Saturday Night Fever (1977, starring John Travolta); Blow Out (1981, starring John Travolta with Nancy Allen, John Lithgow, Dennis Franz and also directed by Brian de Palma); Look Who’s Talking (1980, starring John Travolta, Kirstie Alley and George Segal with Bruce Willis providing the Baby’s voice);  Get Shorty(1995, starring John Travolta; Gene Hackman, Rene Russo and Danny DeVito ); Face/Off (1997, starring John Travolta and Nicholas Cage); The General’s Daughter (1999, starring John Travolta and Madeleine Stowe).  Travolta is also extremely watchable in the TV series Welcome Back, Kotter (initially aired in 1975, starring Gabe Kaplan) and the made-for-TV movie The Boy in the Plastic Bubble (1976, starring John Travolta, Glynnis O’Connor, Diana Hyland, Robert Reed and P. J. Soles).

Recommendations for Samuel L. Jackson fans (if not already mentioned): A Time To Kill (1996, starring Matthew McConaughey, Sandra Bullock, Samuel L. Jackson, Kevin Spacey); The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996, starring Geena Davis and Samuel L. Jackson); and The Negotiator (1998, starring Kevin Spacey and Samuel L. Jackson). Recommendations for Uma Thurman fans (if not already mentioned): Dangerous Liaisons (1988, starring Glenn Close, John Malkovich, Michelle Pfeiffer, Swoosie Kurtz, Keanu Reeves, Mildred Natwick and Uma Thurman); and Henry & June (1990, starring Fred Ward, Uma Thurman, Richard E. Grant, Maria de Medeiros and Kevin Spacey).

Films to see for Bruce Willis fans (if not already mentioned):  Die Hard (1988, starring Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman and Bonnie Bedelia) and rest of the Die Hard series films; The Last Boy Scout (1991, starring Bruce Willis and Damon Wayans); Twelve Monkeys (1995, starring Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe and Brad Pitt); The Jackal (1997, starring Bruce Willis, Richard Gere and Sidney Poitier); Mercury Rising (1998, starring Bruce Willis, Miko Hughes and Alec Baldwin); The Sixth Sense (1999, starring Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment and Toni Collette), Hart’s War (2002, starring Bruce Willis); Sin City (2005, starring Mickey Rourke, Clive Owen and Bruce Willis); Surrogates (2009, starring Bruce Willis, ); Red (2010) and Red 2(2013, starring Bruce Willis, Mary-Louise Parker, Helen Mirren, Morgan Freeman and John Malkovich); and Looper (2012, starring Bruce Willis, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Emily Blunt).  Also Willis was terribly cute in the TV seriesMoonlighting in which he co-starred with Cybill Shepherd and initially aired in 1985. (Yes, he was terribly cute at least once!)

In addition to films already mentioned, must-see films with Mr. Keitel are: Mean Streets (1973, starring Robert De Niro and Harvey Keitel); Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974, starring Ellen Burstyn and Kris Kristofferson with several hidden gems including Jodie Foster and Harvey Keitel); Taxi Driver(1976, starring Robert De Niro; Jodie Foster and Cybill Shepherd); The Duellists (1977, starring Keith Carradine, Harvey Keitel with Albert Finney); The Last Temptation of Christ(1988, starring Willem Dafoe, Barbara Hershey and wherein Keitel plays Judas); The Piano (1993, starring Holly Hunter, Harvey Keitel and Sam Neill);Little Fockers (2010, starring Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Blythe Danner, Teri Polo, Jessica Alba, Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand, wherein Keitel plays Randy Weir); Moonrise Kingdom (2012, starring ); and The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014, starring Ralph Fiennes, F. Murray Abraham and Mathieu Amalric, wherein Keitel plays Ludwig).

Honorable mention films for the rest of the cast:  Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead (1990, starring Gary Oldman, Tim Roth and Richard Dreyfuss); Rob Roy (1995 starring Liam Neeson, Jessical Lange; John Hurt and Tim Roth); Planet of the Apes (2001, starring Mark Wahlberg, Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Roth); Broken (2012, starring Tim Roth, Cillian Murphy and Charlie Booty); Cattle Annie and Little Britches(1981, starring Burt Lancaster, Rod Steiger, Diane Lane and Amanda Plummer); The World According to Garp (1982, starring Robin Williams, Mary Beth Hurt, Glenn Close and John Lithgow wherein Amanda Plummer plays Ellen James); and The Fisher King(1991, starring Robin Williams, Jeff Bridges and Mercedes Ruehl wherein Amanda Plummer plays Lydia).

Running Time:  154 Minutes

A Favorite Quote:  “Any time of the day is a good time for pie.” (Maria de Medeiros as Fabienne)

The final installment of my top ten films of all time alphabetically is Spellbound.

PSYCHO - A

Alfred Hitchcock’s trend-setting film Psycho was released in 1960 and terrorized many theater-goers with its (surprisingly sparse) violent shower scene.  I recommend the movie Hitchcock (2012, starring Anthony Hopkins as Hitchcock, Helen Mirren as Alma Reville, Scarlett Johansson as Janet Leigh and Danny Huston as Whitfield Cook) which tells the story of the development and making of the film Psycho.  It puts into proper perspective how Psycho as a new kind of horror movie was a practically necessary deviation to (or perhaps evolution of) Hitchcock’s existing suspense thriller genre.  As I mentioned before, I am not going to go into Hitchcock too much until my list of top ten movies of all time alphabetically is finished.  (This is because I still have one more Hitchcock film in my top ten to discuss.)

The screenplay was written by Joseph Stefano, based upon the novel by Robert Bloch which was inspired by the actual murderous crimes of Ed Gein.  As in all of Hitchcock’s films, the writing is worthy of study; however, in this film it is more understated as compared to, for example, Notorious [see my review on this blog], which makes perfect sense because a) there is no living or growing romantic relationship between the male and female stars in the movie and b) the film’s gothic visuals speak more appropriately to the themes of killing and death.  It is well known that Hitchcock as a Producer-Director was a ‘control-freak’ and therefore it is appropriate to give Hitchcock credit within the context of the writing as he approved every word.

Starring Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, John Gavin and Martin Balsam, the film received four Academy Award nominations including Best Director for Hitchcock, Best Supporting Actress for Leigh, Best Cinematography, Black-and-White for John L. Russell and Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Black-and-White for Joseph Hurley, Robert Clatworthy and George Milo. Janet Leigh was in many movies; however, at this time I can only recommend The Manchurian Candidate (1962, starring Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey and Janet Leigh).  Vera Miles starred in many movies and series for TV for which I will refer you to the awesome www.imdb.com website; however, in terms of notable films of hers, I recommend two:  The Searchers (1956, starring John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles, Ward Bond and Natalie Wood) and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence (1962, starring James Stewart, John Wayne and Vera Miles).

John Gavin played Julius Caesar in Spartacus (1960, starring Kirk Douglas) which is one of the few ‘sword and sandal’ movies I can recommend with a straight face.  Martin Balsam was a popular character actor in many critically acclaimed and/or popular films including On the Waterfront (1954, starring Marlon Brando, Eva Marie Saint, Lee J. Cobb, Karl Malden and Rod Steiger); 12 Angry Men (1954, starring Henry Fonda along with a whole host of fabulous character actors); Cape Fear(1962, starring Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum); Seven Days in May (1964, starring Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas); Catch-22 (1970, Starring Alan Arkin); Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970, starring Martin Balsam, Joseph Cotton, So Yamamura, E. G. Marshall, James Whitmore and Jason Robards); Little Big Man (1970, starring Dustin Hoffman, Faye Dunaway and Chief Dan George);The Taking of Pelham One Two Three(1974, starring Walter Matthau, Robert Shaw, Martin Balsam and Hector Elizondo); Murder on the Orient Express (1974, starring Albert Finney); All the President’s Men (1975, starring Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman); and Cape Fear (1991, starring Robert De Niro; Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange; Juliette Lewis with cameos by the original stars Gregory Peck, Robert Mitchum and Martin Balsam).

A Famous Quote:  ‘A boy’s best friend is his mother.’ (Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates)

Genre:  Horror

Running Time:  109 Minutes

The next installment of my top ten films of all time alphabetically is Pulp Fiction!

THE PHILADELPHIA STORY - A

Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn (nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress) play a wealthy divorced couple who are forced into close proximity for the preparations leading to Hepburn’s next marriage ceremony.  To explore the rich themes of marriage, love, romance and the class system, we get the average Joe’s perspective from James Stewart as a reporter and Ruth Hussey as a photographer who are brought in deceitfully to cover the Philadelphia Socialite’s wedding.  The dialogue is witty and the characterizations by Grant and Hepburn are exquisite.  Massey’s performance got her a nomination for Best Supporting Actress and Stewart’s won him a Best Supporting Actor Oscar. Hepburn starred in the play of The Philadelphia Story which Philip Barry wrote for Hepburn who backed the production and purchased the movie rights with the help of Howard Hughes so she could engineer a comeback after having a few flops.  Donald Ogden Stewart won the Best Adapted Screenplay Academy Award and George Cukor got nominated as Best Director but didn’t win.  Roland Young as Uncle Willie and Virginia Weidler as Dinah Lord are sporting good fun to watch as they appropriately counter the pointedly staid John Howard, John Halliday and Mary Nash.

As I already promised Cary Grant will come later in a review all of his own; however, I will here recommend a few of Hepburn’s pictures which are worth seeing any day of the week:  Bringing Up Baby (1938, a screwball comedy also starring Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn); Adam’s Rib (1949, starring Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn, directed by Cukor which I like much better than Pat and Mike [1952, directed by Cukor] or Desk Set [1957, directed by Walter Lang] which they both also starred in); The African Queen(1951, starring Humphrey Bogart in his Oscar-winning portrayal of Charlie Allnut and Katharine Hepburn, nominated for a Best Actress Academy Award, directed by Oscar Nominee John Huston); Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967, starring Spencer Tracy [Oscar nominated] and Katharine Hepburn in her Oscar-winning role; Oscar-winning script by William Rose, nominated for best picture and best director Stanley Kramer; 10 Oscar nominations in total); The Lion in Winter(1968, starring Peter O’Toole and Katharine Hepburn in her Oscar-winning role; directed by Anthony Harvey, seven nominations total with three Oscar wins); Rooster Cogburn (1975, starring John Wayne and Katharine Hepburn) and On Golden Pond (1981, starring Katharine Hepburn in her Oscar-winning role, also starring Henry Fonda in his Oscar-winning role and Jane Fonda in her Oscar-nominated Best Supporting Actress role; directed by Mark Rydell; ten nominations total with three Oscar wins including Adapted Screenplay for Ernest Thompson from his play).  Hepburn was nominated in 1933 for her role in Morning Glory as well as some other productions but I have not seen them or feel I can personally recommend them at this time; although it’s probably true that none of her movies would ever be a waste of time. As always, I suggest you look at the awesome webpage www.imdb.com if you wish to discover a complete filmography.

As to James Stewart again there is probably no movie of his that wouldn’t be worth seeing; however, some of my personal favorites are You Can’t Take It With You (1938, starring Jean Arthur, James Stewart and Lionel Barrymore amongst other great cast members, directed by Frank Capra and in my humble opinion much better than It’s A Wonderful Life [1946, which also was directed by Frank Capra]); Mr. Smith Goes To Washington (1939, starring James Stewart, Jean Arthur and Claude Rains, also directed by Frank Capra);Broken Arrow (1950); The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956, directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring James Stewart and Doris Day); Cheyenne Autumn (1964) ; The Flight of the Phoenix (1965) [the remake of that from 2004 is okay, too, especially if you like Giovanni Ribisi and/or Hugh Laurie] ;Harvey (1972, TV Movie); and The Shootist (1976, starring John Wayne; Lauren Bacall and Ron Howard).  I’m sure some of you are feeling like I missed some titles there but those are most likely movies I will recommend with reservations to be discussed at a later date or not.

Nominated for six Academy Awards including Ruth Massey’s performance for Best Supporting Actress, Best Director for George Cukor and Best Production for Joseph L. Mankiewicz, this film was released in December 1940.  George Cukor directed several films with Hepburn which I did not already mention such as A Bill of Divorcement (1932, starring John Barrymore and Billie Burke); Sylvia Scarlett (1935) and Little Women (1933) but with other stars which I recommend more such as Dinner at Eight (1933, starring John Barrymore, Jean Harlow, Lionel Barrymore, Billie Burke and Wallace Beery); David Copperfield(1935, starring Freddie Batholomew, W. C. Fields and Lionel Barrymore);Gaslight (1944, starring Charles Boyer, Joseph Cotton, Angela Lansbury and which won Ingrid Bergman her first Best Actress Oscar).  Incidentally Cukor was fired from Gone with the Wind (1939) and some of the scenes he shot are in the final version.  I really wonder if I wouldn’t have liked that movie so much more if he had been kept on as the director for the whole production!

Personal favorites of Mr. Mankiewicz include The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947, starring Rex Harrison and Gene Tierney, directed by Makiewicz and produced by Fred Kohlmar and a tear-jerker so don’t forget to keep those hankies handy) andAll About Eve (1950, starring Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, George Sanders and Celeste Holm, Thelma Ritter which was written and directed by Mankiewicz and produced by Daryl Zanuck, winner of multiple Oscars and apparently still holding onto its record for the most female acting nominations at four). If you are an actress this is obviously a must-see!

The Philadelphia Story was remade as the musical High Society (1956, starring Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra and Louis Armstrong) which I find annoying and barely watchable but honestly I don’t like many musicals.  I make an exception for two:  Guys and Dolls (1955, starring Marlon Brando, Jean Simmons, Frank Sinatra and Vivian Blaine with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser) and My Fair Lady (1964, starring Rex Harrison and Audrey Hepburn and directed by Cukor, winner of eight Academy Awards from the Lerner and Loewe musical adaptation of the 1938 film adaptation of the play Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw).  I like these two because the music keeps me humming while I iron my shirts and darn my socks!  I WAS KIDDING – but I really do like those two movies for their music.

Favorite Quotes:   (James Stewart as Macaulay Connor) “Doggone it, C. K. Dexter Haven, either I’m gonna sock you or you’re gonna sock me.”  “Shall we toss a coin?” (Cary Grant as C. K. Dexter Haven)

Trivia Quote:  "I have no one to thank but myself!”  [Donald Ogden Stewart during his Oscar acceptance speech]

Genre:  Romantic Comedy

Running Time:  112 Minutes

The next installment in my top ten films of all time alphabetically  is Psycho!