1 Year…100 Films, #81: SPARTACUS (1960)

“I’m the real Spartacus.” – All the guys.

Basic Premise of Film: Story of titular character. Leads a failed rebellion against owners who use them for slave labor/gladiators/whatever they want.

Okay, not gonna lie. When it comes to the older movie epics, “Ben-Hur” set the standard really high for me. So, because of that pre-set standard, the bar was really high for this film. I had initially first seen this one in sixth grade when we were covering the greek/roman period in history. I found the movie long and boring — I mean, it did take two class periods to watch the whole thing. I figured not having seen it since I was 12 I should give it another go and try to appreciate it now that I’m mostly grown-up. Let me tell you, where I was blown away by “Ben-Hur”, I was not as blown away with this one. I think my main issues were with how the passage of time was handled. Like I couldn’t tell if we were within a months’ time or a years’ time. It was a little confusing. I had to wait for someone to actually say how long it had been since some big event so I could get a good grasp on the timeline. I was also very underwhelmed with the overall plot. After reading about the real life Spartacus to see how accurate this movie was, I feel like there still could have been a little more. I’m just saying, the higher on this list I get the more I’m expecting from movies. Just wait until we crack the top 30 – I’m expecting to have my mind blown by each single film at that point.

Now for the logistics of the film — we’ll start with Stanley Kubrick. This is the second Kubrick film I have ever seen. The first one was The Shining, and I didn’t really care for it because I had read the book before watching it and just loved the book so much. But back to this movie…From what I read this is the least Stanley Kubrick film of all the ones he directed. It is the “least Kubrick film” because he solely directed this one whereas in all his other films he also had either written them or had some major creative authority over the end result. In this one, not so much. I figured there’d be some of that Kubrick-ness considering what his other films are, but I didn’t see any of that. The reason there wasn’t much of Kubrick’s style in here was because Kirk Douglas, who was playing Spartacus, seems to have been the one running the show. Now, Kirk Douglas did a good job, in my opinion, in the role. He was fit AF and angry and calm all at the same time. His love interest as played by Jean Simmons who I quickly recognized from this little mini-series called “The Thorn Birds.” Did anybody else watch that one? No? Just me? Okay. Tony Curtis even managed to make a minor role in the film. Lastly, let me say that this was my first Laurence Olivier film. While the wasn’t THE lead, he was the antagonist of the film. I expect to see him in a more central role somewhere further up the list.

When the AFI list first came out this film wasn’t even ranked; fast forward 10 years later and it makes its Top 100 debut at 81. I mean, I guess it might still be on the list at the next update but it might get bumped down a couple of spots. It wasn’t this big award winner but the production was amazing. I’m still holding a torch for “Ben-Hur” but one might go down for sure, I don’t see it getting any higher on the list.

I viewed this film on a hosted site. CLICK HERE to watch. Available for rent and/or purchase on YouTube, Amazon, and VUDU from $2.99.

For fun today, I only have a question: DID YOU LIKE SPARTACUS? Tell me why.

1 Year…100 Films, #82: SUNRISE – A SONG OF TWO HUMANS (1927)

“This song of the man and his wife…”

Basic Premise of the Film: Man is bored with wife and life in the country and madly in love with some hussy from the city. Man and paramour plot for him to kill wife so they can run off together. He rethinks plan and instead man and wife fall in love all over again.

Guys, this is my first legit silent film. I mean I’ve seen Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin films before, but not a sincere silent MOVIE. You know, like an extended one. Well, actually, all of that was a lie. I saw the “The Artist” and that was a silent film except for the last second when we hear the guy say “Okay,” or something like that. But to get back on topic…After watching this movie, the only word I was able to come up to describe it was BEAUTIFUL. It was so beautiful. Honestly, amazing and great just don’t cut it. Not even wonderful. The only other time that I’ve used beautiful to describe a film was after I saw “12 Years a Slave” – but that’s a story for another time. I think it took me like three days to get over how much I loved this film. After the travesty (for me at least) that was “Easy Rider,” I’m glad this one worked out so well. The thing with silent films – besides the no talking part – is that you’re only listening to music. In order to keep you interested the score has to be great. Sunrise’s score: TOP NOTCH. It helped to convey the mood of the film from it’s darkest points to it highest points. I’m already planning to find out if they have released the music to his film in either CD or digital form. I need that in my life.

When the movie begins (after the credits roll) we get the cast listing along with a little intro story to set it up. I recognized the name of the actress who plays the lead role of “The Wife,” but it took me a good 20 minutes into the film to realize why. The actress, Janet Gaynor, was the recipient of the first ever Oscar for Best Actress. Only then did I actually begin to appreciate the superb acting job that was done by the leads nearly 90 years after the fact. Yes, I just realized that I watched a near-90 year old film. Let me not forget Gaynor’s co-lead, George O’Brien, as “The Man.” What they did was just beautiful. I can’t say that enough. The acting these silent actors had to do back then is incomparable to the acting that is done today, with the exception of Jean Dujardin. They couldn’t use words to express what they were feeling, they had to solely rely on their body language and face and especially eyes to convey all the feelings and emotions of their characters. I don’t know what else I can say about the acting job, except beautiful. Yes, you’ll probably be tired of the world by the end of this post. I also want to give a quick shout out to the cinematography because that is what really helped to make this beautiful film. It was wonderfully filmed. Every shot and angle was honestly so good.

Lastly, I feel like I can’t finish this write-up without talking about the film’s director, F.W. Murnau. He happens to be guy who directed this other little film by the name of Nosferatu. So because of that masterpiece we got this even better masterpiece — well, actually, I’ve never seen Nosferatu but I hear it’s one of the best horror films ever, even if it just Dracula — so I can’t exactly call it a masterpiece myself, but I’ll take the world’s word for it. ANYWAYS, Murnau helped create such a spectacular film that I’m so glad many of us are still around to enjoy it’s beauty some 90 years later. I honestly don’t think I’ll ever get over how wonderful this film is.

When the AFI list first came out in 1998, this film wasn’t even in the top 100! LIKE HOW!? I sincerely doubt this movie wasn’t as good then! I guess it’s nice that when it did crack the Top 100 ten years later, it came it at a rather nice #82. I fully expect this film to be ranked higher whenever this list is updated next because it is an important one (in film history) and a really good one as well.

I watched this film on YouTube. This is the first film on this list in which copyright has expired on it, so it is now in the public domain. 

And now, for fun…

This time for fun, I’m not going to include some random clip from the film, the trailer or some short documentary. Instead, here’s the movie. I just really want you all to watch it and fall in love with it the same way I did.

1 Year…100 Films, #83: TITANIC (1997)

“I’m the King of the World” – Jack Dawson

Basic Premise of the Film: Two star-crossed lovers meet and fall in love on the ill-fated ship’s maiden (and only) voyage.

Honestly, what can I say about this film that hasn’t already been said? It’s very hard to say. Like “Ben-Hur” before it, this could be called the film epic of my generation. Maybe it has, I don’t know — haven’t actually looked into it. As I’m sure you can tell, I’ve seen this movie several times before and I absolutely love it, not in my personal Top 10, but Top 20 for sure. When this movie first came out I was 8 so obviously I didn’t fully understand how much of a “big deal” it actually was. This thing was a cultural phenomenon. It was everywhere. I distinctly remember how Celine Dion‘s song from the soundtrack, “My Heart Will Go On” was pretty much on loop on every single radio station. That song did not go away for a good 6 six months, I swear. The times I’ve seen it as I’ve gotten older have helped me to understand why people went back and saw it 4 or 6 times in theaters. Yes, it has a running time of three hours but you don’t feel it. It is not only just about the events surrounding the ship but we were given people who we want to root for which is why this film was propelled to the great success it was.

Now, before we get anything further we have to talk about James Cameron – the writer and director of this film. Without this man we wouldn’t have this film. He was  obsessed with this ship and the story surrounding it which is why this film was made. He loved this story so much that he ensured that no expense (and detail) was spared to ensure that it was as accurate as possible and boy did he knock it out of the park. Before someone corrects me on it, I know the story of Jack and Rose is fictional, but I was referring just now to the story of the ship. In the film he covers the details of what factors lead to this tragedy. So, instead of watching just some basic story of this tragedy, we also got a romantic story thrown in there to keep us interested and to add to how great this tragedy was about to be. When you throw all of this in the same pot you can completely understand why this film is the second-highest grossing film of all time without adjusting for inflation (it was the highest grossing film of all time until it was passed by another Cameron film: Avatar). James Cameron had had a very successful career prior to this film, but this is one the that will definitely be the one that will always be mentioned when he’s referred to.

Lastly, if it wasn’t for this film we probably wouldn’t have gotten Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio as soon as we did. What I mean by that is that had this film not propelled them to super stardom, we wouldn’t have fully paid attention to their work until years later. They played these characters from opposite ends of the social spectrum so well we rooted for them to get that happily ever after. We almost got it too, but as always, we can’t have our cake and eat it too. Besides the acting (of everyone involved), the editing and pacing of the movie was excellent. James Honer‘s music score is definitely one of the best ones of all time! I actually got to see this film in theaters last year and, honestly, I was blown away. My husband went with me somewhat reluctantly but even he was blown away by how amazing the movie was on the big screen. It was made to be watched on a giant screen!

When the list was first introduced in 1998, while eligible, I think this film was just too new for it’s significance in film history to be felt. 10 years later it significance and brilliance was noticed enough for it to make it’s debut at #83. Awards-wise it was nominated for a record-high 14 Oscars (tied for most with “All About Eve”), it won 11 of those including for Best Picture and Best Director. Those 11 wins tied it for most Oscar wins with “Ben-Hur”. Funny how it all came back full circle, huh? I fully expect this film to remain on this list whenever it is updated next. I also expected to climb a bit higher in the rankings – I say it can make it to 78 tops. We shall see, though.

This is another film I didn’t have to watch because I’ve seen it several times – totally still rolling with my 2-VHS box set. 

And now, for funsies…

Here’s the original trailer for ya!

1 Year…100 Films, #84: EASY RIDER (1969)

“Dude means nice guy. Dude means regular sort of person” – Wyatt

Basic Premise of the Film: Two guys are cruising through Southwest USA on their way to Mardi Gras. Lots of bike riding, scenery and pot smoking.

Here’s a film that I’ve never seen before until today, heard it was a good one, but honestly: WHAT IN THE ACTUAL FUCK?!?! What was this movie even about!? I swear there was little to no plot, overall, and little character development. That ending though: UGH! I’m a little upset about this one guys. Now that that’s out of the way, we can get down to discussing the merits of this film — as I see them at least.

If there was ever a film I would call a period piece, this one would be it without a doubt. It’s a time capsule to a way a life that could have been possible, was for a bit, and was lost just as fast. It captures the spirit of a life that you rarely see these days. Sure people try to go against “the man” and all, but it’s not in the same sense as it was nearly 50 years ago. Yes, believe it or not, the 1960s were 50 years ago. What Wyatt (Peter Fonda) and Billy (the late Dennis Hopper) wanted was just to live easy. They had a plan and man were they sticking to it. It also doesn’t hurt that the two leading actors were also avid real life participants of this lifestyle: drugs and good times. Maybe rock and roll, who knows. What this film also captures so well is the music of the time. That is one thing I will sing this film praises about. It’s soundtrack is top notch. Every song is an iconic song of that era. You hear them and you’re think, “Yep. That song is totally of the times.” Just a quick sidebar here: The American Film Instititue also has a list for the “100 Greatest Movie Songs” and the film’s iconic song, Steppenwolf’s “Born to Be Wild” was ranked #29. Just through I’d throw that out there.

Now, a little more about the film. This film was written by Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper — son of Henry Fonda of “12 Angry Men” and “The Grapes of Wrath” — and directed by Hopper. I think it’s fitting that these men were also able to be the two leads in this film so they could make it in the exact way they envisioned it. The film also starred a relatively unknown actor, at the time, by the name of Jack Nicholson who shot to super-stardom as the drunk lawyer so joins Billy and Wyatt on their journey. So, all things considered, while I didn’t really like the film overall, the cast was superb – at least for what this film was about. It was an immediate hit and big awards contender. I mean it  Nicholson was nominated for Best Supporting Actor and the film received a Best Original Screenplay as well. What I did read after viewing is that this film helped to usher in a new way of making films in Hollywood. Because this film was made on such a small budget and it was such a critical and financial success movie studios realized that indie/small budgets could be as successful as their big budget films.

When the “100 Greatest List” first debuted it was ranked at 88, at the update, obviously, 84. I would guess that’s it’s considered one of the greatest because as mentioned before it’s a period piece/time capsule, changed the way studios handled their indie/art films, and because it is just so darn iconic. I do believe that if, and when, this list is updated it will probably move a couple spots higher at most just because its one of those films that is going to age well — whether you like it or not. Let me state again, I didn’t absolutely hate it (even if it came off that way). I just think it started out with so much potential and then it just didn’t deliver for me personally. If you’re looking to be entertained and enthralled, I wouldn’t recommend this film. If you’re in the market to watch an important film in film culture, this one is definitely it. Just don’t complain to me when that end (and the entire film) seems like a waste of time. I will end on saying that I’m glad I watched it so I never have to watch it again.

I feel that I should also mention that there was a very ill-fated sequel/prequel made to this film. Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper had nothing to do with it. Here is the link to the trailer.

I viewed this film on a hosted site. CLICK HERE to view. Available to rent  from $2.99 on these platforms: YouTube, Amazon, and VUDU.

 

For fun today, I’m including the intro (comes about 5 mins or so into the film). It pretty much shows you what 70% of the film is like: no dialogue and lots of scenery.

1 Year…100 Films, #85: A NIGHT AT THE OPERA (1935)

“I saw Mrs. Claypool first. Of course, her mother saw her first but there’s no point in bringing the Civil War into this.” – Otis Driftwood.

Starting with this post, I’ve decided I’m going to try something new when it comes to my 100 Greatest Films Posts.

Basic Premise of the Film: “Mistaken” identities. Scheming. Plotting. All in the name of opera and signing the best opera singer in the world.

The only exposure I’ve ever had to the Marx brothers prior to this film was through that one episode of “I Love Lucy” when they’re in Hollywood and Lucy impersonates Harpo and then he actually shows up —  it’s actually a pretty funny episode (I believe it’s a season 4 episode in case you wanted to check it out).

In regards to the film at hand, it is not very hard to see why this film is on the list. The Marx brothers were comedic geniuses. I think this film would have been much funnier for me personally had I not already seen about half of these gags recycled in other medias. What wasn’t lost on me, however, was being able to see the originals performs these gags and delivery the punchlines. It was superb. Just because they were real life brothers doesn’t mean that they should be able to bounce off of each other so well. Let’s also forget that there was a total of FIVE Marx brothers, not just the three that we can all name off the top of our heads (the other two are Zeppo and Gummo in case you were curious). You know that list I’ve mentioned before that list the “50 Greatest American Screen Legends“? Groucho, Chico and Harpo and ranked, collectively, at number 20 – so you KNOW they’re the best of the best when it comes to film.

Let’s stop for a minute to discuss the fact that, so far, this is the oldest film on the list. As I’m sure I’ve said before, I don’t know what kind of prehistoric film I was expecting, but I was completely surprised by the film quality, editing and sound. I don’t think I was watching a remastered version – mainly because I know a remastered version of this film hasn’t been made available (Thanks Wikipedia!). Originally released in 1935, I would never have thought that an 80-year-old movie would still be funny to me. Yes, I did say a lot of their jokes and gags have been reused and recycled, but still, it’s refreshing to know that this is still considered a standard when it comes to comedic films. While this film wasn’t a prestigious award winner, it was a winner with audiences which is why we’re still talking about it today. Maybe not as a main topic, but definitely amongst movie critics and lovers — the cinephiles if you will.

When AFI’s list first came out in 1998 this film wasn’t even ranked! Say what?! Ten years later it made it’s debut at #85. Now, will this film still be on the list at the next update? For sure. Why? I mean, why not? The fact that a lot of this film still influences comedy today is reason alone. Not to drag another film down, but how often do you see, let’s say, elements of “The Last Picture Show” being used in other films? Not very often, right? My only hope is that this film might go up a couple of spots. It is so far our second solid comedy on this list after “Bringing Up Baby” so it’s safe to say that any other comedies we will come across will be more poignant. We will see about that one for sure.

I viewed this film through a hosted site. CLICK HERE to view. As always, it is also available to rent/stream on Amazon Instant and VUDU (possible charges may apply).

And now, just for fun…

Here is what I think was one of the best and most genius scenes of the entire film. Their delivery is some of the best I have ever seen!

 

1 Year…100 Films, #86: PLATOON (1986)

“Somebody once wrote, ‘Hell is the impossibility of reason.’ That’s what this place feels like. Hell.” – Chris Taylor

Let me first point out how fitting I found that the movie at number 86 was made/released in 1986. It’s the little things guys! Moving on…

This is another feature that I haven’t seen before but one in which I had heard plenty about beforehand. What I do know is supposed to be really good. My husband does love himself some war movies and he was surprised that I’d never seen this one before. He’s actually suggested we try watching it several times but knowing how overly long Oliver Stone movies could be I would always pass. Well, no more excuses for me now!

Basic Premise of the Film: Young and innocent Charlie Sheen is sent off to the middle of the Vietnam War. The Green Goblin and the dude from Inception are his superiors. One is corrupt, the other is a genuine good guy, while the other, in the sense of life, becomes a man.

Now, the way my husband described it to me, there are two movies that are considered to be THE movies when it comes to the Vietnam War. One being this one and the other being Apocalypse Now (more on that one later). He says it is so because they both don’t shy away from showing what the war did to the men while there. I also found it fitting that both movies star a father-son duo as the leading actors in each of those motions pictures. In this film, to stay on track, we have Charlie Sheen as the main character. We see his journey from week, innocent and privileged boy to tough and weathered man. I think what should be noted is that the director of this film, the great Oliver Stone, wrote this film based on his recollections of the time he actually served in the Vietnam. If you’ve seen this film you know it’s not easy to witness how some of these men went from being good guys to being over taken by the evils of war and just losing themselves out there in the jungles of Southeast Asia. I think what surprised me the most is how un-Oliver Stone-y this movie really was. If you’ve seen Scarface  you can see how most of the films that he’s either written or directed can sometimes be doing the most. Case in point: The Doors. That movie was so ridiculous and not far fetched that I turned it off after 15 minutes. Yeah, I really liked that one. Mainly, they’ll just drag on for waaay too long – which is why I thought Scarface could have been an hour shorter. BUT…back to the film.

I think the real revelations here were Willem Dafoe and Tom Berenger. From what I read around about the movie, at the time of casting, Willem Dafoe was mainly know for playing the “bad guy” and Tom Berenger was known for being “the good guy.” In this film, they were cast as the opposite of that. Berenger played the man who was taken over from the perils of war so well that I even low-key hated him as much as Charlie Sheen’s character. Yes, he was to be respected because of how long he’d been able to survive being out there on the front lines. At the same time, however, that it no excuse for bending the rules of war and getting corrupt. Willem Dafoe was there as his friend and to be the voice of reason, but well, it didn’t exactly go that way. Not to be forgotten, this is some of the finest acting Charlie Sheen has ever done in his career. He went as the optimistic boy, thinking he was off to fight the good fight only to have his hopes dashed when he realized there wasn’t really a good fight to fight for. There’s also a very young Johnny Depp and Drama from Entourage to spot throughout the film – among other known faces.

Honestly, the pacing of this film was good. With a running time of nearly two hours, I never once felt that it dragged. There was great character development throughout the whole film because we were able to easily how they were are being affected by what they were seeing. That fact alone is not what makes this film so great. It is also aided by the fact that it doesn’t go to great lengths to try and sugar coat what the Vietnam War was actually like. What we saw are things that were actually seen. As I mentioned before, Oliver Stone himself is a veteran of this war, and we owe him a big thank you for sharing aspects of his story with us. For that main reason I believe that this film in considered one of the greatest American Films. When the list was first introduced nearly 20 years ago, Platoon was ranked at #83. Ten years later it dropped a few spots to land it at #86. It’s hard to say — at least not yet — whether it deserved to fall but it was definitely a better film than The Last Picture Show so at least it is ranked higher than that one. Considering the fact that this movie won Best Picture (amongst other Oscars) during its respective year, I don’t expect it ranking to change too much during the next update of the list. If you haven’t ever seen this film, I highly recommend it. You won’t be sorry.

If anyone has seen Platoon, what did you think of it? Leaves your answers and comments below!

I viewed this film via my husband’s DVD. I forgot to check if it was streaming but it’s on YouTube to rent starting at $2.99. 

And now, for fun, here’s the original 1986 trailer for the film:

1 Year…100 Films, #87: 12 ANGRY MEN (1957)

“Well, it’s not easy to stand alone against the ridicule of others, so he gambled for support… and I gave it to him.” – Juror #9

Well, it’s certainly not the first and definitely not the last but, this is another movie I’d never heard of or seen before. I have heard of the lead actor, Henry Fonda, though! He was in this little film called “The Grapes of Wrath” — another movie ranked on this list – as well as the father of famous actors Jane and Peter Fonda. When I asked my husband what the knew about this film, he said that it was great. Such a different review than the one he gave me for The French Connection. I did watch a film trailer so I can try and get a scope on why these dudes were angry, but after watching the aforementioned trailer, I still didn’t know a single thing. Well, I thought I knew, but once I actually started watching the movie, I realized I actually didn’t.

Basic Premise of the Film: A 12-man jury begins deliberation on a murder trial. Discussions and arguments ensue on trying to reach a unanimous verdict. Based on a play of the same name.

Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect. When I first saw the title of the movie on the list I was expecting a western for some reason. I guess a film from the 1950s about 12 angry dudes equals “western” to me. Obviously, after I saw the trailer beforehand, I saw that it wasn’t a western in any way whatsoever. Come to find out it’s a legal thriller! Well, it’s not exactly a thriller but the way they go about reaching a solution to the problem at hand is a little bit thrill-ish. I think knowing that it’s a play now makes the single-room set of the film not seem so bad. In fact, the depth they were able to get out of those four walls was amazing — they were able to make that small room seem much bigger than it actually was. You realized that these guys were in this rooms for hours, sweating up a storm, but the passage of time (and the pacing!) made you feel that this all transpired in like an hour and half – which just so happens to be the actual running time of the film. HA!

Now, let’s talk about Henry Fonda. That man was such a great actor. The way he was able to convey his emotions and confusion and keep it together without losing his damn mind like some of the others — solid work. The guy kept his cool when the others were calling him a foo. I mean, I saw his skills when I saw “Grapes of Wrath” but here, they were solid AF. No nod for Best Actor this time around though. There was also some familiar faces in there for me. We have a very young Jack Warden — who will always be Saul in “While You Were Sleeping” to me — and Ed Begley, father of — you guessed it: Ed Begley, Jr.  The rest of the cast was a pleasure to be introduced to; maybe I’ll see them again somewhere further up the list…?

Lastly, the film’s legacy. This film has so many things going for it that has helped it remain one of the most popular and greatest films of all times. As mentioned earlier, Henry Fonda as Juror #8 is honestly, an unsung hero. He was the only one who thought differently from the group, stuck to his guns and got everyone to see the light. The suspense is great! You would think that with such a simple plot it wouldn’t be, but once these people start flipping to the other side one after another, you totally get it. While it didn’t win as many awards as you would expect for a film on this list, the nominations is did get are usually reserved for the best films in the nominated year. Oscar-wise, it was nominated for Best Picture, Film and Adapted Screenplay (or “Best Writing of Adapted Screenplay” as it was called back then). Honestly, is it a great film? Yes. Does it deserve to be on this list? Sure. Will it survive the next list update? We’ll see. When the list first debuted in 1998, the film wasn’t even ranked. Maybe it was an honorable mention? I don’t know but it was for sure nominated. I guess it wasn’t good enough to make the cut in 1998 but for the 2007 update I guess it got enough of the votes needed to be ranked. For it’s first time, it has a rather nice debut for cracking the top 90, we’ll see how well it fares for the next update — whenever that is.

I veiwed this film on a hosted site. CLICK HERE to watch. Not currently available for rent on YouTube but the full movie is available for viewing here, here and here.

And now, just for fun…

There exist what can either be called a remake or a new adaptation (a la True Grit style) of the film/play from the 90’s. I’m sorry but were they thinking this was going to be a better film? Was Jack Lemmon supposed to be better than Henry Fonda. Nothing but love to the late and great Jack Lemmon but, based on the trailer alone, he’s not better. Here’s the trailer for this newer version. Have any of you seen it?

Buy the VHS guys! 

1 Year…100 Films, #88: BRINGING UP BABY (1938)

“Now it isn’t that I don’t like you, Susan, because, after all, in moments of quiet, I’m strangely drawn toward you, but – well, there haven’t been any quiet moments.” – David Huxley

Well, guys, we’re definitely making progress on the list as of late since I’m running a bit behind schedule. Now, I’ve seen my share of Cary Grant films but I have yet to see a single Katherine Hepburn movie so I was pretty excited about this one. Not as excited as I was for “Swing Time” but still excited.

Basic Premise of the Film: Zoologist David is trying to land a million dollar grant as well as get married to his beloved. He meets Susan and crazy shenanigans ensue. A leopard named Baby is involved.

After viewing, I can see why this movie was a “flop” when it first opened — the plot overall is a bit silly. However, I can understand why this movie is now considered a classic. Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn are simply wonderful and funny in this film. I know I said that the plot is silly, but sometimes silly and simple is what the people really need. If any other two actors would have been casts as the leads I don’t think I’d be writing about this movie right now. But the fact that we have to of film’s greatest screen legends makes this film all the better. On that list of AFI’s “50 Greatest American Screen Legends,” Cary Grant is #2 (on the male list) and Katherine Hepburn is #1 (on the women’s list) so you know it’s good. I did however like the actual “baby” in the movie. Low-key made me want a pet leopard — but one that’s been trained though. I don’t have much else to comment on except that the two leads had great chemistry together so it makes sense why they made several films together.

When the list was first made in 1998 this film as ranked at 97, at the 10 year update it got bumped up to it’s current position. Obviously it’s more significant because it’s timeless and is apparently an OG Rom-Com before people even realized what a rom-com was. I’m guessing at the next update we should expect this movie to be a few spots higher. We shall see…

I viewed this film on a hosted site. CLICK HERE to watch. Just a reminder, a lot of these websites that host movies online have pop-ads if you click on play so be sure to close these ads asap or set up your pop-up ad blocker. 

And now, for fun, here’s the original trailer for the film:

1 Year…100 Movies, #89: THE SIXTH SENSE (1999)

“I see dead people.” – Cole Sear

This film has one of the worst kept secrets ever: It’s twist ending. Everyone knows it. I won’t repeat it on here mainly to save the one soul who literally knows NOTHING. It is for the fact that this plot twist is so widely known that I’ve never tried watching the movie. Well, I actually did once and two seconds in I said forget it. I feel that once you know the movie won’t be as exciting when you reach the climax, but I guess we’ll see how that plays out with this one.

Basic Premise of the Film: John McClane is a child psychologist. Movie covers his sessions with 9-year-old Cole who has a dark secret. Suspense/horror ensues.

Other than the big twist, I knew absolutely nothing about the film. I was surprised at how amazing it turned out to be. Knowing the big twist didn’t take away anything from the movie. Yes, I noticed some of the clues that foreshadowed the plot twist, but that didn’t matter one bit. The pacing and the overall story is some of the best I’ve ever seen for a film classified as a “suspense” or “horror” film. Before this one, I had seen a couple of M. Night Shyamalan‘s films. These films included “Signs,” “Unbreakable,” and last year’s “The Visit.” The first two films I used to base what I should expect from The Sixth Sense — you know, decent movie with a dumb ending. I couldn’t have been more wrong. I’m sure that’s been well established by now. From what I’ve read and have seen, this movie is peak M. Night Shyamalan. All of his horror specialties come together most successfully in this film. Haley Joel Osment definitely deserved his Best Supporting Oscar nomination that year. The way he conveyed Cole’s fear and as well being able to keep the movie’s secret without giving it away was definitely worthy. Bruce Willis was amazing as well (I just realized that this is the second Bruce Willis film on this list). I read about how Willis changed the way he does things normally (i.e., writing with his right hand instead of his left) in order to help keep the big secret. All the nominations it received, it deserved.

When the “100 Greatest Films” list first debuted, this movie had yet to be released so it just missed it by a year. It should have come as no surprise that when the list was updated it was placed at #89. I think there has yet to be a film with a similar story line or in the same genre to be better than this one. I’m fully expecting it to be ranked higher at the next update because of how great it is. But, please, let me know, what did you think of this movie when you first saw it?

I saw this film on a hosted site. CLICK HERE to watch. As always, available for rent on YouTube starting at $2.99.

I couldn’t think of a “for funsies” for this one that didn’t involve giving away the main plot element of the film. Just now, shiet’s crazy good.

1 Year…100 Movies, #90: SWING TIME (1936)

“Listen, no one could teach you to dance in a million years. Take my advice and save your money!” – Penny Carrol

You guys, I’m so excited for this one. Why you ask? I just absolutely love every Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movie I have ever seen. One of my favorite movies is actually “Top Hat.” If you’ve never seen any of their movies, you are definitely missing out! I know the fact that the films were made in the 1930’s might be daunting, but guys, it was the “Golden Age of Hollywood!” These are the films that set the ground for movies today and are the ones we should be watching and never forget. Keep in mind that the oldest movie we have seen, thus far, is from 1942 (Yankee Doodle Dandy) and this one is another six years older. But, before I ramble on too much…

As much as I love Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire, I have never actually gotten a chance to see “Swing Time.” I have, however, seen one of the early dance numbers from the film on YouTube. I didn’t know what movie it was from, I just wanted to see what else they had been up to together. I just absolutely love to watch them dance together, it’s amazing. Needless to say, again, I was very excited for whatever was in store.

Basic Premise of the Film: Guy heads off to NYC to make his “fortune”/enough for his future father-in-law to let him marry his beloved. Shenanigans ensue. Singing and dancing is involved.

Well, I’m sure you all will not be surprised when I say that I absolutely loved it. I really loved it. I don’t know how I went so far in life without watching it. What surprises me most about watching an 80-year-old movie (yeah, let that sink in for a hot second) is how funny it still is. You would think it’d feel outdated or something, but it doesn’t. I sometimes feel like I’m purposefully expecting some caveman like quality movie when it comes to anything made before 1940-ish which is why I probably always end up surprised. You guys remember that “100 Years…100 Stars” list I talked about during Yankee Doodle Dandy? Where James Cagney is #8? What number was Mr. Astaire? #5. That Fred Astaire was the whole package. He could act, sing, and dance. And quite excellent, I might add. I know there are a lot of people in the business that can do it all, but I feel that back in the day they had to be on a whole different level. Especially considering how fast movie studios would put out films; like one every other week. Mofo’s were busy. We can’t talk about Fred Astaire without talking about his better half (in this film at least), Ginger Rogers. She is simply beautiful and amazing. She was also the full package. Actress, singer, and dancer — all at the same time. She is also ranked on the “100 Years…100 Stars” list but at #14. Yes, she’s lower but let’s not forget that this list is technically titled “50 Greatest American Screen Legends” and is split into two lists of 25. People might not right away consider Rogers and Astaire screen legends, but when you look at the list and see the people who are above and below them, they’re definitely where they belong on that list.

Doing some quick research on the film before viewing, it was my understanding that “Swing Time” was peak Astaire and Rogers. Of all 10 movies they made together, this was their best and it is not hard to see why. The dancing is great. They have their big dance number towards the end of the movie and it is amazing. I seriously can’t find the words to say how wonderful they are together. To quote someone that was quoted on Wikipedia (I know, for shame) this movie contains “the greatest dancing in the history of the universe.” I already know one reason why this movie is so significant and why it should always be on AFI’s list through every update: it introduced the world to the song “The Way You Look Tonight.” Yeah. That’s your little fun fact of the day. I can just listen to Fred Astaire sing all day. I will say however this movie includes an extended dance sequence in which Fred Astaire has blackface on (see: Bojangles of Harlem). Yes, this is highly offensive today, but lets not forget that back then this was normal. I’m not defending or supporting the use of the blackface BUT it does help us see why it’s an important film since many films do serve as  time capsule for all of us that know nothing about that life. I mean, he does some great tap dancing but I low-key couldn”t get over what I was seeing. The rest of the film is great though. When the list was first made in 1998, this movie wasn’t ranked — just like Sophie’s Choice and The Last Picture Show. Maybe they’ll decide to vote it out at the next update but based on “The Way You Look Tonight,” I think it deserves to stay on the list.

I watched this film on Daily Motion, FOR FREE!! CLICK HERE to watch. I know it’s on YouTube for rent but why rent when you can watch it for free.

And now for fun…

Here’s that big dance number I was raving about. Also, to all my ladies out there, let us swoon over that exquisite dress/gown Ginger Rogers is wearing. So beautiful and you know they’re still making dresses very similar to that today.