REVISION!

Here is a list of the films on the list that we both saw before we started this blog and will not be reviewing for the time being:

It Happened One Night- 1934

Captain Blood- 1935

Mutiny on the Bounty- 1935

A Night at the Opera- 1935

The 39 Steps- 1935

Modern Times- 1936

Swing Time- 1936

My Man Godfrey- 1936

Dodsworth- 1936

Grand Illusion- 1937

Snow White and the Seven Dwarves- 1937

Bringing Up Baby- 1938

Stagecoach- 1939

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington- 1939

The Wizard of Oz- 1939

Gone with the Wind- 1939

Ninotchka- 1939

Rules of the Game- 1939

Wuthering Heights- 1939

His Girl Friday- 1940

Fantasia- 1940

The Philadelphia Story- 1940

The Grapes of Wrath- 1940

Dance, Girl, Dance- 1940

Pinocchio-1940

The Bank Dick-1940

Citizen Kane- 1941

The Lady Eve- 1941

The Maltese Falcon- 1941

Dumbo- 1941

The Palm Beach Story- 1942

Casablanca- 1942

The Magnificent Ambersons- 1942

Yankee Doodle Dandy- 1942

The Ox-Bow Incident- 1942

To Have and Have Not- 1944

Laura- 1944

Gaslight- 1944

Double Indemnity- 1944

Mildred Pierce- 1945

The Children of Paradise- 1945

The Long Weekend- 1945

Detour- 1945

The Best Years of Our Lives- 1946

Brief Encounter- 1946

The Killers- 1946

Great Expectations- 1946

It's a Wonderful Life- 1946

Spring in a Small Town- 1948

The Lady from Shanghai- 1948

The Red Shoes- 1948

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre- 1948

Rashomon- 1950

All About Eve- 1950

Sunset Blvd.-1950

A Streetcar Named Desire- 1951

Strangers on a Train- 1951

The African Queen- 1951

Diary of a Country Priest- 1951

An American in Paris-1951

A Place in the Sun- 1951

Singin' in the Rain- 1952

Ikiru- 1952

High Noon- 1952

From Here to Eternity- 1953

Wages of Fear- 1953

Mr. Hulot's Holiday- 1953

Shane- 1953

On the Waterfront- 1954

Rear Window- 1954

The Barefoot Contessa- 1954

Guys and Dolls- 1955

Rebel Without a Cause- 1955

Night and Fog- 1955

The Night of the Hunter- 1955

The Searchers- 1956

Giant- 1956

The Bridge on the River Kwai- 1957

Gigi- 1958

Vertigo- 1958

North by Northwest- 1959

Some Like it Hot- 1959

Breathless- 1959

Ben Hur- 1959

Psycho- 1960

The Apartment- 1960

Breakfast at Tiffany's- 1961

The West Side Story- 1961

To Kill a Mockingbird- 1962

The Manchurian Candidate- 1962

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance- 1962

Goldfinger- 1964

My Fair Lady- 1964

Dr. Strangelove- 1964

Doctor Zhivago- 1965

The Battle of Algiers- 1965

The Sound of Music- 1965

In the Heat of the Night- 1967

The Graduate- 1967

Bonnie and Clyde- 1967

The Jungle Book- 1967

Planet of the Apes- 1968

2001: A Space Odyssey- 1968

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid- 1969

Midnight Cowboy- 1969

Easy Rider- 1969

The Wild Bunch- 1969

Little Big Man- 1970

Patton- 1970

MASH- 1970

A Clockwork Orange- 1971

The Shining- 1980

G.B.

Length: 119 minutes

Director: Stanley Kubrick

Cast: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duval, Danny Lloyd, Scatman Crothers

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081505/

Eric's Impressions: When people ask me who my favorite director is I always respond Martin Scorsese, but the more and more I watch Stanley Kubrick's movies, the latter makes me re-think that question. Jack Nicholson is my all-time favorite actor and it's not just because people have said I look like him. He's so perfect for this role and I was amazed to hear that author Stephen King wasn't happy with him being cast or with Kubrick's interpretation of his novel. Though I have the utmost respect for Mr. King, I hope he has reconsidered this sentiment over the years because like everything Kubrick and Nicholson have done, this is nothing short of brilliant! The opening title sequence filmed over the Colorado Rockies sets the tone for this horror/psychological thriller. Even more amazing than King's opinion is the rejection of this film by the motion picture industry at the time it came out. In fact, Kubrick was nominated for an infamous Razzie as Worst Director??? Though I'm not a huge fan of Shelley Duval - and her acting at times in the early going of this is downright annoying - she didn't deserve the flak she got for her portrayal of the psychotic caretaker's wife. She got better and better as the film went on and you felt her character's true fear for her life in the end. I will rank this right up there with any horror film ever made as well as any Hitchcock thriller.

Natalie's Impressions: I am not a fan of horror films and probably never would have watched this film if we hadn't been doing this blog. Except maybe I would have given this one an exception because it is Kubrick. I have now seen all his films except his really early first three films and one or two others. After I saw Barry Lyndon last year, I came to the conclusion that Kubrick is one of the best directors of all time. When you look at his filmography, you get the impression that his goal was not only to make a film from every genre but to make the best film ever of that genre. A lot of great directors like Scorsesee or Spielberg have their genres that poeple know them for- granted Spielberg has a similarly broad range like Kubrick- but I can't think of any other director that has been so underappreciated. I simply cannot fathom how this film not only didn't get any critical acclaim when it came out, but actually got panned. I can only chalk it up to the theory of randomness. It is completely random which films do well and which don't. We like to think it is because of the talented actors and directors, and to some extent it is but ultimately randomness theory is the only way to explain such a blatant lapse in judgement from so many people. Maybe the world just wasn't ready for this film when it came out, although I find that hard to believe given that the previous decade was full of horror films that were as provocative and disturbing as this. This film is not a typical horror film, however. It does have some characteristics of horror films, but this film actually had an ok ending. It wasn't all bad and evil. And I can't think of any other horror films since Hitchcock that have the same amazing cinematographic quality as this film. Kubrick is the master of using camera angles to tell a story. It is only one of many talents he had that separates him from other directors in my mind. I only hope that as time goes by, his films continue to get more and more appreciation.

COUNTDOWN: Just 949 movies to go!

MOVING FORWARD

If you can't tell from our posts thus far, we're having a tremendous time with this blog. With that being said, we've decided to mix things up moving forward in 2010 and stop watching/reviewing the movies in chronological order. We're going to finish the list watching them in random and/or themed order. We'll keep you posted. Thanks for reading.

Gold Diggers of 1933- 1933

US

Length: 96 minutes

Director: Mervyn LeRoy

Cast: Warren William, Joan Blondell, Aline MacMahon, Ruby Keeler, Dick Powell, Guy Kibbee, Ned Sparks, Ginger Rogers

www.imdb.com/title/tt0024069/

Eric's Impressions: Like the last film reviewed, here we ago again with another story behind the story of a theater production. This one does dig a little deeper with a statement on how true love doesn't know a price tag. The Warner Brothers regulars are all here including Joan Blondell, Dick Powell, Ginger Rogers (still playing minor roles at this point) and my personal favorite, Guy Kibbee. The scenes of Mr. Kibbee posing in the mirror with a puppy that eerily looks just like him and falling drunkenly in love with a showgirl will have you in stitches. I also like the message of "Remember My Forgotten Man" and the other Depression-era numbers that serve as tributes to the those most hurt by the economic times of the late '20s and early 1930's.

Natalie's Impressions: Of the last few musicals from this period that I have seen, this one is the more complex and thematically mature. There is more to it than just a love story or just a movie about making movies. It has a couple of different twists to it. It is not just one of those films Warner Brothers just churned out that fit the cookie cutter musical mold. It is an introspective look at the pyschological effects of the Depression on all classes, especially in light of the fact that it occurred not long after World War I. For those of the Lost Generation that survived, life didn't get much easier. This film is partly in recognition of those men. But lets not forget that this is a comedy! While I didn't laugh nearly as hard watching this film as Footlight Parade, for instance, there were some comedic gem moments with Guy Kibbee.

COUNTDOWN: Just 950 movies to go!

Footlight Parade- 1933

US

Length: 104 minutes

Director: Lloyd Bacon

Cast: James Cagney, Joan Blondell, Ruby Keeler, Dick Powell, Frank McHugh, Ruth Donnelly, Guy Kibbee, Hugh Herbert, Claire Dodd, Gordon Westcott, Arthur Hohl, Renee Whitney, Barbara Rogers, Paul Porcasi, Philip Faversham

www.imdb.com/title/tt0024028/

Eric's Impressions: This is one of many films on the list during the 1930s about what occurs behind the scenes of a theatrical/musical production. Many of the players are the same in these including Dick Powell, Joan Blondell, Ruby Keeler and Guy Kibbee just to name a few. What makes this one stand out is Mr. J-A-M-E-S Cagney. I still haven't seen a film of his that I didn't like and this one is no different. Cagney plays the producer always trying to outdo himself and the final three production numbers promise to blow you away as the underlining love story comes to a close. This was Hollywood showing off and we the viewers reap the benefits of a true mind trip.

Natalie's Impressions: This film could be my favorite musical because of one scene that made me laugh till I cried. Even when I think back on it I laugh out loud. James Cagney wakes up with a cat in his lap after falling asleep at the office. His secretary comes in and he wakes up and immediately starts talking a mile a minute about cats as the new theme for a prologue. He is talking a mile a minute and the fact that it is Cagney just makes it even funnier. It was so unexpected! Cagney made the film for me. Not only is his acting and comic timing right on the money, but he even dances some fancy footwork! Visually the film is stunning. The synchronized swimming is impressive but so is the sheer number of dancers they had to get to perform some of the scenes. For people who like showy musicals, this is the one!

COUNTDOWN: Just 951 movies to go!

Freaks-1932

U.S.

Length: 64 minutes

Director: Tod Browning

www.imdb.com/title/tt0022913

Eric's Impressions: It's no surprise that this film was directed by Tod Browing - the Tim Burton of his time - the champion of soceity's outcasts. I was disappointed to find out that the studio made Browning change the ending to something happy because it wasn't needed. There was plenty of pleasure to be found in the revolt of the freaks against the evil trapeze artist and strongman. The opening message along with the early barkings of the carnival baker foreshadow the appreciation you should and must have at the conclusion of the film for all people no matter what he/she may look like.

Natalie's Impressions: I was afraid I would be too deeply disturbed by this film to get through it but I loved every second of it. There is a tremendous amount of heart in this film. Not only does it send a very important moral lesson, but it is is so artfully done. However, it does strike me as slightly ironic that the people in the film will be forever immortalized and remembered for the "freaks " that they were and not for anything else they did in life. In regards to the ending, I almost don't mind the way Browning had to end the film because the final scene is not what I remember from the film. The penultimate scene that he wanted to end the film with, is the one that stands out in my mind when I think of this movie.

COUNTDOWN: Just 952 movies to go!

M-1931

Germany

Length: 117 minutes

Director: Fritz Lang

Cast: Peter Lorre, Ellen Widmann, Inge Langut, Otto Wernicke, Theodor Loos

www.imdb.com/title/tt0022100/

Eric's Impressions: One of cinema's most haunting films, this one will leave you confused in the end as you will find some sympathy for a person who kills children. Played brilliantly by the always memorable Peter Lorre, the main character is a man running from the police for the crimes he has committed. At first you want the murderer to be caught, but when you find out how corrupt the police and government of this German city are, you almost want him to get away. Lorre will creep you out with his pre-killing whistling and overall demeanor. The stories of how director Fritz Lang mistreated his actors are legendary, but in a way they may have assisted Lang in reaching a higher level of acting prowess.

Natalie's Impressions: What struck me most about this film was its timeless message. This film is still very relevant today and that is a frightening fact. When Eric first told me about this film, I swore I would never watch it because it sounded like a really stupid horror movie but it is not at all a stupid horror movie. Above all, it is sad. Very very very sad. I am glad I did finally see it because it moved me a great deal. It is a film that will stay with you for a long time. A perfect film, in my opinion. The timing of the scenes, the length of them, the action-reaction time of the actors with each other is flawless. This is superb directing by Lang.

COUNTDOWN: Just 953 movies to go!