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Across the Pacific Bogart and Astor, witty dialog, menacing villains, and something different for an American film released in 1942: a certain measure of respect for Japanese customs and treating the Japanese characters in the work generally with a sympathetic touch. In fact, the only evil creep in the thing was Sidney Greenstreet. All that notwithstanding, Regina and I would keep watching this again and again simply for the magic between Humphrey Bogart and Mary Astor. The Addams Family Raul Julia and Anjelica Huston almost had me believing the Charles Addams cartoons were inspired by this movie. Excellent comedy. You've heard of LOL? Well, this one was ROTFSFBLs. Five feathers. The Adventures of Robin Hood 1938. To really appreciate this version of the Robin Hood saga, one must really read "The Sheriff's Tale," in my not-yet-published book ABC is for Artificial Beings Crimes. Be that as it may, of all the versions ever produced, this is the best. Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland are great together, and the duo of Claude Rains and Basil Rathbone make a fine set of villains. Regina and I have seen this so many times it is beyond grading. The African Queen At first this seems to be a comic wartime romance epic for seniors, but I saw it in 1951 when it was released, loved it, and I was only nine. I've seen it a number of times since and still love it. Africa, WWII, Bogey, Kate, white water: for what more can you ask? Airplane A sendup of every airport disaster flick cliche ever committed. The more familiar you are with movies the funnier this is, for some of the gags go back to films of the 'Forties. Be prepared to laugh. If you are adverse to a bit of bathroom humor, be warned: Airplane is occupado. There is a sucky sequel. Alice In Wonderland I've seen several film versions of the Lewis Carroll classic, but nothing to equal the 1951 Disney animated version. I loved it as a kid and it still holds up. Alien The old low-budget Alien and I go way back. It has a special place in my heart for two reasons: (1) When I got my Hugo for Best Novella, Alien got its Hugo for Best Dramatic Presentation; (2) When I first saw this flick in the theater I was two weeks out of the hospital after a rather bad heart attack. You should have seen me and this young eight-month plus pregant woman helping each other out of the theater. Five knocked knees derived mostly by letting the audience's imagination fill in the critter one hardly ever sees. Great score, very imaginative set design. Aliens New director, different approach. Alien hadly ever let the audience see the critter. Aliens, as it name might suggest, has everyone up to their nipples in slimey gray-green things with acid for blood. Lots of eye candy, which is not a criticism. The space marines were a touch on the two-dimensional side, which is a criticism. Still, I had to wait a few years to catch my breath before picking this little nit. Good adventure. Alien 3 I believe I am the only person I know who likes this film. There is, of course, the perpetual struggle of Ripley v. the aliens, but the story is set on a planet whose only inhabitants run a lead smelter and who are a collection of compulsive rapists and murderers who are holding things together as dedicated monks engaged in salvation through works. As despicable as these characters are, they are dedicated to their own moral betterment, and in the end reach beyond themselves to defeat a common foe. That theme is one of my major vibes. If it's not one of your motivating themes, there is one other reason for watching this production: You need to see it to fully appreciate what is going on in the next in the series, Alien Resurrection. David Fincher filled the director's chair this time around. He might like it, too. Alien Resurrection There's a special moment in Forbidden Planet when we realize the monster threatening everyone is the murderous manifestation of one man's primitive id. Another such moment was in The Matrix when Neo wakes up from "reality" to find himself in a nutrient bath being tapped for energy. Wonder moments of science fiction. There are so many of these wonder moments in Alien Resurrection, I was muttering, "That's what I'm talking about. That's why I go to SF movies. That's why I write this stuff." Ripley is a whole new creature in this one, and so are the alien threats. The weapons division has finally gotten their mitts on a few alien specimens and they are experimenting. Recombinent DNA gone amok. Usually a series loses steam sequel by sequel, (for example, Star Wars, Star Trek, Rocky, Planet of the Apes, The Matrix). Me, I'm ready for the next Alien even if Sigourney has to battle the critters from her walker. All Quiet on the Western Front The 1930 Lew Ayres version. This captivating and touching adaptation of the Erich Maria Remarque WWI novel is like a time machine. It will take you from high school and stick you in the muddy trenches right in the midst of a shelling. Watch this one; Do not be suckered into watching the remake. Anatomy of a Murder The old Longyear family digs are in Marquette, Michigan, and my relatives make up a substantial hunk of the population there. So what? Well, Marquette is where Anatomy of a Murder was filmed. Every time we visit we get taken to the bar and restaurant that was specially built for the film as the set for the Thunder Bay Inn. Pretty good hamburgers there, too. Jimmy Stewart, reputedly, hated the place. The UP does take some getting used to, I suppose. Anyway, I liked the story, the script, the acting, the score, the setting, and my sister who still lives there told me the production company borrowed my grandfather's snowshoes to hang on a wall in one of the sets. I've seen the movie four times since she told me that and I'll be damned if I can find them. Apollo 13 Three spacemen take off in their spaceship, get too far away to return, then things start going wrong. Life threatening things. Sounds like a tired old space opera plot, doesn't it, except this one is about real spacemen, a real spacecraft, and very real problems. I thought it would be ho-hum fare for kids who had spent their few years when astronauts, orbiting, and trips to the Moon were items out of a dusty history text, but the sixteen year old lad who sat to my left during the performance literally was on the edge of his seat for the last three quarters of the show. Why? The events depicted on the screen (mostly) really happened. There really is space treavel and dangerous situations that can be overcome through courage, wit, intelligence, and sheer endurance. Another kid I know hated it. Regina and I ate it up. If for no other reason it is worth seeing this flick because all the scenes that are supposed to be in free-fall actually are in free-fall, the sets carried by the famous Vomit Comet.. Arsenic & Old Lace It is impossible to describe this film without blowing the whole plot. Let me try putting it this way: If you grew up in a really sick-crazy family with a lot of secrets to hide, and, moreover, if you are a writer and watched a lot of B movie horror and cop flicks in your youth, after seeing it you won't be able to keep a straight face for a month. Hmmm. Perhaps this darkish comedy was made for me. The Bad Seed 1956. "A Portait of the Serial Killer as a Young Girl," for you Joycians. This is an adaptation of a Broadway play which is obvious throughout the pic. Rather than a problem, I think it adds a strange bit of malevolence all its own. The daughter everyone wants, except for this one strange little quirk. One of my secret acting fantasies is to play caretaker Leroy (the other is to play Sheridan Whiteside in The Man Who Came To Dinner). Barabbas I'm not big on religious sales vehicles, but the themes of endurance and redemption in this flick, in addition to Anthony Quinn's performance and an excellent script made this a winner for me. Don't know what Regina thinks. Saw this one by myself. Batman Tough to keep all the Batflicks straight. Loved the Jack Nicholson Joker, Regina hated the Danny DeVito Penguin (we disagree on this), we both think the one with Robin should have been burned before it got out of the can, the first one with Michael Caine was terrific, the second somewhat disappointing and creepy (See Quick Shot Reviews). This entry is for the first Michael Keaton entry. We both loved it. Becket King Henry II had a great idea to get control of the church in England: appoint his old drinking and whoring buddy, Thomas à Becket (played by Richard Burton), Bishop of Canterbury. Only two things in life matter to Thomas, however: God and his friendship with Henry. By his appointment, Henry (Peter O'Toole) placed these two halves of his friend in conflict. Very convincing, lavish, impressive performaces---the ceremony in which Lord Gilbert is excommunicated by itself is worth whatever you have to do to see this one. Ben Hur 1959. The magnificent Charlton Heston meets Lew Wallace's great novel and "epic" is redefined. Another religious sales piece, but an incredible story of endurance and love. The chariot race (filmed way before computerized special effects) is your basic binder of spells. We really like it. The Big Sleep 1946. Mr. and Mrs. Bogart, with a powerhouse team on typewriters, take on the confusing Raymond Chandler novel and make a really great mystery story for the big screen (and the little screen). Every time Bacall and Bogart get together there is a sizzle that made them a winning couple in a number of flicks. This one burned the steak. Blade Runner When I first saw this in 1982, I hated it. The promos prepared me for another Star Wars and what I got was something resembling a 1940's B movie mystery. But then I saw it again. And again. And again. When I got my own VHS copy of Blade Runner, I made a tape cassette of the soundtrack to play in my car when I was driving. It took three years, but I wore out the tape (to all of my passengers' relief). The story, roughly based on Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? is a search and destroy cop flick. It takes place, however, in a setting of so many layers of sight and sound it makes the experience incredibly compelling. Leonard Maltin gives it one and a half stars. Maybe he needs to see it again. Regina gives it four bullets. Several versions of this are out including a director's cut that many seem to favor. I prefer the original. The Blues Brothers Great music, side-splitting gags, highly destructive special effects and action sequences, really stupid dialog (intentionally so), and a contest of cameos and pop references. We loved it. I couldn't get through ten minutes of the sequel. Body Heat Wow. Come watch Kathleen Turner lead William Hurt down the garden path by his . . . uh, ego. Steamy acting, incredible score, with lawyer Hurt getting it on with this very hot chick and hardly believing his good fortune. She just wants him to do this one little job for her, however. It seemed like a good idea at the time . . . After seeing this pic in the theater, Regina and I disagreed on what happened in the ending. Turned out she was right, so pay attention when seeing this for the first time (and turn on the AC). The score will be running through your head for weeks afterward. The Bourne Supremecy I am not a fan of amnesia whad-I-do tales, and I didn't see the previous Bourne film. No matter. Action, suspense, intrigue, twists --- Yummy! Regina gives it less than high marks, but I felt her crushing my arm and screaming in my ear during the pic, so take that into account. The Bride Came C.O.D. 1941. James Cagney and Bette Davis comedy in which flier Cagney is paid by bride Davis's father to abduct her. The object is to prevent her from becoming a bride. Then they crash in the desert and witty comedy ensues. Bridge On The River Kwai Drawn from an actual WWII POW event, under oppressive conditions British prisoners of war in Burma are put to work by their Japanese captors building a railway bridge across the Kwai River (I Kwied a river over you). The commander of the Brits, played by Alec Guiness, gets into a battle of wills with the camp commandant, played by silent film star Sesseu Hayakawa, with a curious partnership as a result. According to a documentary I saw, British ex-POWs who went through the actual event hate the motion picture for its inaccuracies. This is one of those cases, though, where the story is too good to be confused by the facts. This is the movie that had the world whistling the "Colonel Bogey March." Bridget Jones' Diary Renée Zellweger is so damned cute, adorable, and funny as a thirty-something British working woman trying to get her life together, I fell in love. Great script, many laughs, and unrealistic expectations generated for the sequel which never should have been let loose from the pound. Casablanca Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Claude Raines, Peter Lorre, Conrad Veidt. You need more? Consider this: The original choice for the role of Rick was Ronald Reagan. Think about that as time goes by. Here's looking at you, kid. The Castle In this 1997 Australian comedy, a man whose home is at the end of a runway, beneath some high-power lines, on an old landfill is notified that his property is being condemned to allow for an expansion of the airport. A bloke's home, however, is his castle. When this fellow decides to fight, the foundations of city hall begin crumbling. This description doesn't even---I mean, his family. His attorney. His bloomin' attitude. Several kinds of magic. Catwoman Halle Berry is the best Catwoman yet. Regina gives it only a B+, but she's allergic to cats. So am I, but sometimes sacrifices must be made. If you like the genre (comix-to-film), get this. Chicken Run In this Nick Park (of Wallace and Grommit fame) animated spoof of WWII POW escape flicks, the chickens are trying to escape from the chicken yard before the greedy and rather insensitive owner of the chicken farm can turn them into pies. Then along comes a Yank rooster flying in who is charged with the rather challenging task of teaching the hens to fly. Ginger's Steve McQueen impression is priceless. Children of the Revolution Another Australian comedy, this one should not be allowed to get away unviewed. A fiesty Austrailian radical in the mid 'Fifties (played by Judy Davis) who sends breathy fan mail to Stalin is invited to Moscow by Stalin's staff to distract the dictator who has been ordered by his doctor to quit smoking. Stalin quits means everybody quits, thus the need for the distraction. One night of love and Stalin drops dead. His devastated fan is quickly hustled out of the Soviet Union and back to Australia. Nine months later a child is born, and that's only the beginning. The child grows. A Christmas Carol A tale filmed many times, but our favorite is the 1951 Alastair Sim version. Do not be fooled by immitations. On Christmas Eve, before the hearth with the little knuckleheads gathered around, this is the version you want playing on your TV. When the bairns begin complaning because it's in black & white and there's no rap score, just looked puzzled at them and ask, "You can't see the colors?" White does contain all the colors, doesn't it? City Slickers Three friends with screwed-up lives go on vacation out west doing a dude trail drive where they encounter the trail boss from hell. A really witty script and great comic delivery by all concerned make this a fun trip with a big fuzzy warm glow good message at the end. The sequel should've been gutshot. A Clockwork Orange A dark comic trip into a strange violent society one of whose leaders winds up in jail and undergoing behavioral modification therapy to cure him from his violent, evil ways. I've had my copy on the shelf for over twenty years and I still can't hear "Singing In The Rain" without getting the willies. Collateral Cabbie Jamie Foxx gives a ride to Tom Cruise, who is a service provider with an errand to do. On-the-edge of your seat action/suspense. One hell of a ride. If you are an action fan, this is a must see (and I'm not a Tom Cruise fan). Regina gives it an A- (she says she always knew Tom was a cold blooded killer), but she grades low. *Connagher A Sam Elliot, Katherine Ross western based on a Louis Lamour novel. It is all the things a western needs to be (fights, outlaws, rustlers) but it is also a love story so compelling Regina and I have almost worn out our VHS copy. No DVDs available on this one. Too bad. If you ever get a chance to see this on TV or you find it lurking among your friend's copies, settle back and fall into a really great yarn. Conan the Barbarian I had been approached to do some Conan pastiches and had waded through a few of the Robert Howard novels. So, when Conan the Barbarian first came out, I had very low expectations. Curious thing happened. The movie was great. Everyone who had anything to do with it really believed in the project. Music, sets, story, dialog ----everything worked. The ads for the next in the series gave the impression that the next love interest in the barbarian's life was going to be Grace Jones. Wow. The mind boggles (and I have a high-boggle threshold). Then I saw the sequel. I don't know how a motion picture can blow and suck at the same time, but the sequel accomplished just that. The original, however, is magic. The best acting Arnie ever did, I think. Cool Hand Luke A loser gets drunk, vandalizes some municipal property, and winds up on a southern chain gang. Not exactly The Count of Monte Cristo. An epic nonetheless. It's how a lost soul who never does find his way helps lift a hundred other lost souls out of the darkness. Actor Paul Newman has had some impressive roles, but the best acting he ever did was in this film, in my opinion. Cyrano de Bergerac The foil-wielding soldier-poet with the great nose. We are captivated by the Jose Ferrar version, and this is his best film. Great role, great dialog, great acting, a funny, touching performance. Dark Star John Carpenter's spoof on 2001 with astronauts looking for unstable planets to blow up and a computer controlled bomb that has its own ideas. A little draggy in spots, but so was 2001: A Space Odyssey, despite its great special effects. A lot of fun for SF fans (your mundane friends won't get it). The Day The Earth Stood Still The Mysterious Regina's favorite SF film (and quite high on my list, as well). Klaatu (played by Michael Rennie) comes from way out there and lands his flying saucer in Washington, D.C. bringing a warning. Having a tough time getting through to the humans, he decides to go out and meet the peeps. His associate, a giant police robot named Gort, waits patiently at the saucer, that is until Klaatu gets shot. A generation of us memorized that famous command, "Klaatu barado nikto," just in case. You never can tell. Destination Moon 1950. My first love affair with a movie. I was eight years old when I saw this film and spent the next three years designing spacecraft to get me off this planet. The showing was in New York City, and the entire corner of the building which contained the theater served as a gantry for a giant gleaming silver spaceship (that coincidentally looks just like my Hugo). I watched the film again a few years ago, and it's better seen by the very young. Oscar-winning special effects and a script by Robert Heinlein. Die Hard How much trouble can one barefooted man in a pile of broken glass be? A bunch of crypto-robber terrorists find out when they take over an office building whose staff is having a party, with NYPD Detective Bruce Willis a guest at the invitation of his estranged wife. The writing muse sayeth: "A sympathetic character is one who struggles against overwhelming odds to achieve worthwhile goals." Strap dynamite on that and you have Die Hard. Followed by a sucky sequel which was followed by a terrific sequel: Die Hard With A Vengeance This time Bruce Willis is teamed up with store owner Samuel L. Jackson as apparent terrorist Jeremy Irons jumps the pair through a series of hoops else he will set off explosions threatening the city. Non-stop action sort of like running a marathon through a minefield with twenty athletic alligators chasing you. The Dirty Dozen From the novel. An unconventional combat officer with a spotty record is charged with taking a bunch of condemned murderers and other stockade heroes and turning them into soldiers then into a commando unit charged with a virtual suicide mission. It's an ass-kicking WWII tale of redemption, courage, and sacrifice with a four-star cast, great action, and a tight, well-crafted script that salted the grunts with wit and laughter. Spawned a genre of howlingly bad thud monkeys. Dracula (1931) Bela Lugosi recreating his stage role in this classic tale. Black and white, 'Thirties B movie production values, and magic from beginning to end. I can still smell the mould when I watch it. The Eagle Has Landed Michael Caine as a WWII German officer whose unit is charged with slipping into England unobserved: Object, the kidnapping of Winston Churchill. This is a really terrific adaptation of the Jack Higgins novel with a great cast and compelling action. Ed Wood El Cid Excalibur Fahrenheit 451 Fantasia Dancing hippos and dying dinosaurs are fun and all, but what keeps me coming back to this film is Mickey Mouse in "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," which is an allegory to much of my life, now that I think of it. I love it. I identify with it. It's me with ears. Great music, too. Fargo 55 Days at Peking Flash Gordon Forbidden Planet Forrest Gump Four Weddings and a Funeral Frankenstein (1931) The Fugitive Galaxy Quest Gandhi Gladiator The Godfather The Godfather Part II The Godfather Part III Groundhog Day Harry Potter: The Sorcerer's Stone Hell In the Pacific Hidalgo We loved the horse, the acting, the script, the action, the sets, the cinematography, and the ending. A good ride. Regina gave it a B. When it comes around again, I'll watch it. The Hill Sean Connery as a busted sergeant-major in a British army stockade in North Africa during WWII. Harry Andrews plays the MF running the place, and it gives a whole new meaning to the term "grit." In my opinion, in this vehicle Connery did the best bit of motion-picture acting he ever did. Terrific cast, acting, and script. The Hornblower TV Series The Horse Soldiers I Claudius TV Series I'm All Right Jack I Married A Monster From Outer Space The Incredibles Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Indiana Jones, Raiders of the Lost Ark In The Heat of the Night In The Line of Fire Invaders From Mars I Robot Regina loved this, I loved it, and Isaac would've loved it. An SF-Asimov fan must. I was a Male War Bride Jaws *Judge Dee and the Monastery Murders To Kill a Mockingbird King Kong (1932) King Solomon's Mines Kung Fu Lawrence of Arabia Life With Father Lilies of the Field The Lion In Winter Little Lord Fauntleroy Little Shop of Horrors (original) Little Shop of Horrors (musical) M Mad Max Mad Max in The Road Warrior The Magnificent Seven A Majority of One Marat/Sade Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World. If you are a Master And Commander fan, get the two-DVD collector's edition set, fire up the popcorn, and prepare for a multi-nighted treat. The movie was a rip-snortin' sea yarn which almost equals the several rip-snortin' sea yarns, movie lot yarns, deleted scenes, interactive cannon demonstration, and other great features contained in this set. Director Peter Weir narrates the incredible adventure of picking which of the Patrick O'Brian books to do then followed it with mind stunning tales of the incredible preparations that went into the making of this picture (not to mention the ship, twice, not counting the miniatures or interiors). This DVD set kept the mysterious Regina and me occupied for almost a week, which did not include watching the feature. At the end, among other feelings, I was left with envying everyone who had a connection with this project. The only sour note: Patrick O'Brian never lived to see this story on the screen. Even so, what a compliment to the author. The Matrix Monty Python and the Holy Grail Monty Python's The Life of Brian The Maltese Falcon The Manchurian Candidate The Man Who Came To Dinner The Mark of Zorro Manhunter 1986) William L. Petersen, Brian Cox, Dennis Farina. This is the original motion picture made from the Thomas Harris novel, Red Dragon, which takes place in storytime before the box office hit, Silence of the Lambs, Harris's sequel to Red Dragon. In my opinion, the earlier work was the better novel. So, too, the earlier version of the movie is the better. Manhunter is a great movie: Screenwriting and directing (both by Michael Mann), acting, cinematography (Dante Spinotti), and music. Everything works and anyone who was ever connected with this production has a lot to be proud of. Men in Black Metropolis Monsters, Inc. The Mummy Mutiny on the Bounty My Man Godfrey Mystic River I have the old Quick Shot we did. I said it was a great film on a number of levels. Regina gave it an A+ (and she only gave Spiderman 2 an A). Strange, though, now that this is some time later: the story left me with a very bad feeling such that I wouldn't want to see it again. I suppose I should see it again just to find out what I thought was so great about it the first time. The Naked Jungle The Naked Prey The Name of the Rose The Natural Night of the Generals Night of the Hunter No Time for Sergeants Oh Brother Where Art Thou *The Oklahoma Kid On The Beach The Omega Man One, Two, Three On Golden Pond *Once More With Feeling Outland Patton People Will Talk The Producers Psycho The Public Enemy Quigley Down Under Raiders of the Lost Ark The Red Badge of Courage The Ref The Road Warrior (under Mad Max) Rocky Rollerball (1951) The Scarlet Pimpernel Seabiscuit Tobey Maguire, Jeff Bridges. To come away from this flick without both feeling good and just a little misty you have to have never had any serious problems in your life or be dead. It's a great story, not at all flawed by being true. Despite the occasional commercials for FDR's clumsy efforts at doing something about the Great Depression, the message comes through loud and clear: You don't throw away a life just because it's been beat up some. Courage, perseverance, and sheer grit do count. Seven Seven Days In May The Seven Samurai Shaka Zulu TV Series Shrek 1, 2, & Third Shrek: We liked number 2 more than Shrek, and we loved Shrek. The cat is edging out the jackass as our favorite character. The third was okay, but it didn't have the same edge as one and two. The Shootist Silence of the Lambs Sleeper Sleuth Snow White Soylent Green Spartacus Spiderman: the whole thing Spiderman is Regina's favorite comic book character (which explains, finally, why I have to wear that weird little outfit at night). She gives it all an A. I'll give Spiderman 2 a gold star for special effects, but the plot got a little draggy in spots for me. Teen angst was a lot more interesting forty or fifty years ago. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan Star Wars Sunset Boulevard Tarzan And His Mate Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles The Time Machine The Terminator Terminator 2 - Judgment Day The Thing (1954) THEM The Thirteenth Warrior THX 1138 Tombstone Tootsie True Grit True Lies Twelve O'clock High Unforgiven Victor/Victoria Victory At Sea (TV Series) Wag The Dog The War of the Worlds (1953) Westworld What Price Glory? The Wizard of Oz Who Framed Roger Rabbit? World At War (TV Series) X Y Young Frankenstein Z |
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| DVDs (and sometimes VHS tapes) of available movies on this list can be obtained at: | *Greyed-out
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