What follows is my personal list of great
movies. I have always been a movie fan,
and did a film course for three years, so have seen more films than I care to
admit. Clearly such a list is immensely subjective;
in general film critics agree on the merits of movies in the way that Irish
Catholics and Protestants agree on religious matters. I have grouped things by film genre. In general my own preferences compared with
full time critics tend towards the modern.
The critic Leslie Halliwell believes that there hasn't been a really
good movie made since 1948, which to me is a clear demonstration of how much he
lives in the real world; he is the sort of person that would have classified
the Renaissance as a vulgar departure from good taste. Personally, while I am aware of the
significance of, say, "the Battleship Potemkin" for film theory, this
doesn't mean that you might actually want to watch it. Many of the movies critics’ all-time greats
are littered with films which pioneered various techniques, or were remarkable
films for their time; they are not all fun to watch.
So, without
further ado, here they are.
Silence Of The Lambs (1991)
Directed
by: Jonathon Demme
Starring:
Anthony Hopkins, Jodi Foster, Scott Glenn
Web Link: Link
to internet movie database
For me, one of the most striking crime films
ever made, based on a Thomas Harris novel of the same name, and possessing a
towering performance by Anthony Hopkins as the serial killer Hannibal
Lecter. The taut direction treads keeps
the gore at bay and keeps the audience on the edge of their seats.
Body Heat (1981)
Directed by:
Starring:
William Hurt, Kathleen Turner
Web Link: Link to
internet movie database
Wonderfully atmospheric film and a remarkable
debut by any standards. Borrowing
heavily from the classic "Double Indemnity” (see later) Kasdan creates a
world of intrigue and murder one hot summer in
Blood Simple (1983)
Directed
by: Joel Coen
Starring: John Getz, J. Emmet Walsh
Web Link: Link to
internet movie database
In this stunning debut (the film cost just $1.5
million) by the Coen brothers, the twisting plot is secondary to the
tremendously atmospheric photography.
This conjures up the world of small town
Directed
by: Joel Coen
Starring: William Macy, Steve Buscemi, Frances
McDormand
Web Link: Link to
internet movie database
The Coen Brothers return to their roots in the
cold, cold North of the
Rear Window (1954)
Directed
by: Alfred Hitchcock
Starring:
James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Raymond Burr
Web Link: Link to
internet movie database
Intensely gripping suspense film from Hitchcock
at his best. James Stewart and Grace Kelly
sizzle on screen, and the tension never lets up. Remarkably, virtually every scene in the film
is contained to the view from Stewart's flat, but this exercise in film
technique does not detract one iota from the enjoyment. The moment when Grace Kelly shows her nightie
to the wheelchair-bound Stewart with the line “preview of things to come” shows
how a scene does not have to be explicit to be erotic.
Vertigo (1958)
Directed
by: Alfred Hitchcock
Starring:
James Stewart, Kim Novak
Web Link: Link to
internet movie database
Frequently quoted as Hitchcock's finest
achievement (though I prefer Psycho and Rear Window), this is another great
vehicle for the talents of James Stewart, entranced by the mysterious Kim Novak
and forced to confront his darkest fears.
Hitchcock adopted a very unusual narrative structure (as he did in
Psycho, Rope, Marnie and others) but manages to do this while still creating a
gripping film.
Manhunter (1986)
Directed
by: Michael Mann
Starring:
William Petersen, Brian Cox, Tom Noonan
Web Link: Link to
internet movie database
One of my favourite thrillers, this film is
based on the Thomas Harris book Red Dragon (he also wrote "The Silence OF
The Lambs"). This is a much lower
budget film, and it shows in the wooden acting of Petersen, but Brian Cox is
tremendous as Lecter and Tim Noonan manages to add the touch of sympathy to the
killer that Silence OF The Lambs failed to deliver in the Buffalo Bill
character. A fine soundtrack by
Shriekback and some truly amazing scenes, such as the one with the tiger. A must.
The Searchers (1956)
Directed
by: John Ford
Starring:
John Wayne, Natalie Wood, Vera Miles
Web Link: Link to
internet movie database
Without doubt one of the great westerns, as remarkable
for the dramatic photography and unusual story line as for Ford's ability to
conjure a good performance out of John Wayne.
A Fistful Of Dollars (1964)
Directed
by: Sergio Leone
Starring:
Clint Eastwood, Gian Maria Volonte, Marianne Koch
Web link: Link
to internet movie database
This movie launched the "spaghetti
westerns" (made in
Once Upon A Time In The West
(1969)
Directed
by: Sergio Leone
Starring:
Henry Fonda, Claudia Cardinale, Jason Robards, Charles Bronson
Web link: Link to internet movie database
A true epic (even the credits last twelve
minutes), this is Sergio Leone's finest western. A sprawling story is held together by fine
acting, great atmosphere and a wonderful eye for the beautiful scenery in which
the story unfolds. Written by horror
film director Dario Argento
High Noon (1952)
Directed
by: Fred Zinnemann
Starring:
Gary Cooper, Grace Kelly
Web link: Link to
internet movie database
As the clock ticks away in a small town Gary
Cooper has to come to terms with his own fears and beliefs. Universally accepted as one of the great
westerns. As a bonus, you get Grace Kelly
too.
Others
Others include "Stagecoach" (John
Ford, 1939), "
|
|
|
|
|
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Directed
by:
Starring:
Gary Lockwood, Keir Dullea
Web link: Link to internet
movie database
Stanley Kubrick is without doubt one of the
great directors, and in this movie he turns his attention to the area of
science fiction. While overlong and
lacking in tension in many places, this is a remarkable film visually. The special effects still look remarkable
today (this is really only appreciated on the big screen), and Kubrick is
daring in his rejection of normal cinematic form in producing a truly epic
film.
The Day The Earth Stood Still
(1951)
Directed
by: Robert Wise
Starring:
Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal
Web link Link to internet movie database
Perhaps the best of a clutch of SF movies in
this period. Nothing political about
this; just a well-written, gripping story.
And can you remember the phrase that will save the earth?
Forbidden Planet (1956)
Directed
by: Fred Wilcox
Starring:
Walter Pidgeon, Anne Francis Leslie Nielsen
Web Link: Link
to internet movie database
Fred Wilcox, whose most signifcant previous
credit was "Lassie Come Home", managed to create what is arguably the
greatest science fiction film of all time.
Based on "The Tempest", the film manages to combine genuine
tension, unsettling music, fine special effects and memorable characters,
despite some variable acting. The best
lines are stolen by Robbie the Robot, who was so popular he turned up in two
separate TV series in years to come. If
you only watch one science fiction film, this should be the one.
Blade Runner (1982)
Directed
by: Ridley Scott
Starring:
Harrison Ford , Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, Daryl Hannah
Web Link: Link to
internet movie database
Memorable for the nightmare world of Los Angles
in the next century, the visual creations of this film have been copied
shamelessly ever since. Based loosely on
a well-known Philip K. Dick story “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?”,
Ridley Scott uses his remarkable visual sense to great effect, transcending the
basic plot into a series of extraordinary images.
Invasion Of The Body Snatchers
(1956)
Directed
by: Don Siegel
Starring:
Kevin McCarthy, Dana Wynter
Web Link: Link to internet movie
database
The all-time great conspiracy film. This low budget movie is gripping and
intelligent, managing to make a virulent attack on McCarthyism while remaining
true to its genre roots. As the true
paranoid knows only too well, they really are
out to get you.
The 1978 Lawrence Kasdan version is also
remarkable, lacking in paranoia but gaining in fine acting from Donald
Sutherland. A rare example of a remake
being almost as interesting as the original.
Pitch Black (2000)
Directed
by: David Twohy
Starring:
Radha Mitchell, Vin Diesel
Web Link: Link to internet movie database
Low budget
Others
Other SF films of great merit include "The
Stepford Wives” (Bryan Forbes 1974), "Planet Of The Apes" (Franklin
Schaffner, 1958 - but none of the ghastly sequels), "Scanners" (David
Cronenberg 1981), "The Incredible Shrinking Man" (Jack Arnold 1957),
"Them" (Gordon Douglas, 1954), “Gattaca” (Andrew Niccol 1997).
Alien (1979)
Directed
by: Ridley Scott
Starring:
Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, John Hurt, Ian Holm
Web Link: Link to
internet movie database
Landmark film, which first illustrated Ridley
Scott's tremendous visual eye. Instead
of the usual Start Trek vision of the future, the cargo vessel
"Nostromo" is all dark corridors and dripping pipes. The film cleverly spends ages exploring the
characters of the victims before any of the pyrotechnics begin, this ensuring
that you identify with individuals rather than ciphers when the Alien begins
its carnage. Remarkable.
Psycho (1960)
Directed by:
Alfred Hitchcock
Starring:
Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles
Web link: Link to
internet Movie Database
Many people's favourite Hitchcock, this is now
acknowledged as one of the great horror films.
A great deal has been written of the Freudian symbolism in the movie, a
film where Anthony Perkins peeks at Janet Leigh through a pinhole behind a
picture "Susannah & The Elders", which portrays the classical
story of the rape of the Sabine women.
The many bird symbols associated with Perkins also can be read in fairly
obvious ways, as well as the relentless downward camera angles, from the
opening shot to the blood in the plughole to the car in the swamp. But above all this the film is gripping and
has a genuinely shocking and surprising script.
Great camera work by Saul Bass, and Hitch at his best. Hitchcock financed this himself; a wise
investment.
Night Of The Demon (1957)
Directed
by: Jacques Tourneur
Starring:
Dan Andrews, Peggy Cummins, Niall MacGinnis
Web link: Link
to internet movie database
Truly chilling suspense film, well before the era
when special effects allowed mediocre directors to rely on gore for their
thrills. The duff American lead aside,
the film bristles with tension; one of the all time greats.
Halloween 1978)
Directed
by: John Carpenter
Starring:
Donald Pleasance, Jamie Lee Curtis, Nancy Loomis
Web link: Link to
internet movie database
Low budget early film from John carpenter which
spawned dozens of imitators. Pure
relentless terror with little respite.
Incredible opening sequence which stuns the audience, and the film never
lets up from there. Carpenter never
really bettered this early shocker.
The Exorcist (1973)
Directed
by: William Friedkin
Starring:
Linda Blair, Ellen Burnstyn, Max von Sydow
Web link: Link to
internet movie database
A classic which made national headlines due to
its controversial subject matter and the violent objections of the moral
majority. This aside, it is a genuinely
scary movie, building William Blatty's novel into a truly disturbing
supernatural tale. This was the writer
William Peter Blatty’s first attempt at writing outside the comedy genre!
Rosemary's Baby (1968)
Directed
by: Roman Polanski
Starring:
Mia Farrow, John Cassavettes
Web link: Link
to Internet movie database
Almost flawless horror flick. Great performances are elicited from the cast
as Polanski's imagination takes root in our dreams and nightmares.. Does for childbirth what "The Hand That
Rocked The Cradle" did for the nanny profession.
A Nightmare On
Directed
by: Wes Craven
Starring:
Heather Langenkamp, Robert Englund
Web Link: Link to internet movie database
Arguably one of the first mainstream feminst
films of the 80s; as so often horror has tackled subject matter which the
Dead Of Night (1945)
Directed
by: Various
Starring:
Mervyn Johns, Roland Culver
Web Link: Link to
internet movie database
An architect's recurring dreams lead to a
compendium of supernatural short stories, and finally to murder. Tremendous script, with the director managing
to generate genuine tension.
Others
Other fine horror films include "Night Of
The Living Dead" (George Romero, 1968), "The Fog" (John
Carpenter, 1980), "Monkey Shines" (George Romero, 1988), "An
American Werewolf In London" (John Landis, 1981)., "Coma"
(Michael Crichton, 1978), "The Shining" (Stanley Kubrick, 1980),
"Frankenstein" (James Whale, 1931), "Cat People" (both the
1942 Jacques Tourneur version and the very different, but also interesting,
Paul Schrader 1982 remake). Of special
interest, though not a great film, is "The Slumber Party Massacre"
(Amy Jones, 1982), the first (only?) truly feminist slasher movie. ...
Aliens (1986)
Directed
by: James Cameron
Starring:
Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Lance Henriksen
Web Link: Link to
internet movie database
My favourite action film ever. Cameron chooses not to just recycle the
successful Alien formula but instead moves to epic territory. He balances militaristic imagery with
wonderfully strong female characters.
The film was shot entirely in
The Terminator (1984)
Directed
by: James Cameron
Starring:
Web Link: Link
to internet movie database
The film which launched James Cameron's
career. For ages I avoided this film
because it starred Arnie, but this is irrelevant, especially as he plays a
robot ("Just be yourself, Arnie").
Immense energy pervades this fairly low budget movie, transcending its
modest expectations.
Robocop (1987)
Directed
by: Paul Verhoeven
Starring:
Peter Weller, Nancy Allen
Web link: Link to
internet movie database
Another film which many people avoid because of
the title and publicity. The studio took
an inspired gamble in giving this big-budget film not to a rock video brat, but
to a Dutch art film director (Verhoeven has made "The Fourth Man",
"Spetters" etc). He responded
by producing a film which works at the basic level, but is also a vicious
critique of values in Reagan
Total Recall (1990)
Directed
by: Paul Verhoeven
Starring:
Web link: Link to
internet movie database
One of the cleverest plots I can recall seeing
in any movie. Even at the end the
ambiguity is left, but by that time you are out of breath, caught up on a
roller-coaster of wild action. Vastly
better than it sounds.
Die Hard (1988)
Directed
by: John McTiernan
Starring:
Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman
Web link: Link to
internet movie database
No pretensions about this film, just straight
entertainment. I went to see this film
against my better judgement, but my low expectations were greatly
exceeded. A taut plot and fine direction
lift this a cut above the usual blood and guts adventure. Any director that can make a fine movie while
having to contend with Bruce Willis as the star is all right in my book. Great entertainment.
The Matrix (1999)
Directed
by: Wachowski Brothers (Andy & Larry)
Starring:
Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie Ann Moss
Web link: Link to
Internet Movie Database
So
remarkable directed that even Keanu Reeves appears to be acting. Genuinely inventive writing from Andy
Wachowski, and all the money is up there on the screen. The betrayal with the agents dinner was
filmed at Level 41 restaurant in
Others
Other rip-roaring action films include
"Predator" (John McTiernan, 1987) and "Assault On Precinct
13" (John Carpenter, 1976).
Taxi Driver (1976)
Directed
by: Martin Scorsese
Starring:
Robert De Niro, Cybil Shepherd, Albert Brooks
Web link: Link to
internet movie database
Definitive Scorsese exploration of the male
psyche, aided by a towering performance by De Niro as the ex-Vietnam vet who
lets the squalor and violence of
The
Parallax View (1974)
Directed
by: Alan Pakula
Starring:
Web link: Link
to internet movie database
Containing one of the most remarkable sequences
I have seen on film (the video clip Beatty watches when being tested for the
Parallax corporation), the much underrated Alan Pakula pulls of a triumph of a
political thriller. Great camera work
from Pakula's long time partner in photography, Gordon Willis.
Stand By Me (1986)
Directed
by: Rob Reiner
Starring:
Wil Wheaton, River
Web link: Link to
internet movie database
If the prospect of some American kids growing
up doesn't sound appealing, then you are right, but watch this film
anyway. Truly enchanting tale of young
angst.
The Last Picture Show (1971)
Directed
by: Peter Bogdanovich
Starring:
Jeff Bridges, Timothy Bottoms, Cybill Shepherd
Web link: Link
to internet movie database
Small town life has never been more acutely
observed. It only won two Oscars out of the eight it was nominated for, but
could have scooped the lot.
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's
Nest (1975)
Directed
by:
Starring:
Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher
Web Link: Link to internet movie
database
Not promising subject matter, but Nicholson's
performance towers over this study of life in a metal institution. It won all five big Oscars (film, director,
script, leading actor, leading actress).
The French Connection (1971)
Directed
by: William Friedkin
Starring:
Gene Hackman, Roy Scheider
Web link: Link
to internet movie database
Remembered for the great car chase, but this is
a cut above the usual cop thriller. An
excellent script as well as fine performances.
From Here To Eternity (1953)
Directed
by: Fred Zinneman
Starring:
Web link: Link
to internet movie database
Remembered for the much copied scene of Kerr
and Lancaster making love on the beach, the movie was in fact a great success
in all departments. Clift oozes sexual
tension (all the more intriguing as in real life he was gay) with his saxophone
playing, and even Frank Sinatra has a go at acting.
Fail Safe (1964)
Directed
by: Sidney Lumet
Starring:
Henry Fonda, Walter Mathau
Web link: Link to
internet movie database
Greatly underrated political thriller (it
suffered from being released at the same time as Dr Strangelove; Fail Safe
covers similar material but plays it straight).
Wonderful performances and a razor-sharp script that keeps you on the
edge of your seat.
Touch Of Evil (1958)
Directed
by: Orson Welles
Starring:
Orson Welles, Charlton Heston, Janet Leigh, Marlene Dietrich
Web Link: Link to
internet movie database
Not Welles' most famous film but still
fascinating. It features an extremely
famous long opening tracking shot (lovingly referenced and mimicked in Robert
Altman's "The Player". Great
atmosphere.
Peeping Tom (1960)
Directed
by: Michael Powell
Starring:
Carl Boehm, Anna Massey
Web Link: Link to
internet movie database
A film years ahead of its time, made by one of
Bonnie & Clyde (1967)
Directed
by: Arthur Penn
Starring:
Web link: Link
to internet movie database
A film which captured the rebellious spirit of
the times and which received a critical panning until they noticed the length
of the queues outside the cinemas.
Warren Beatty had to put up $90,000 of his own money in order to get the
film financed (a smart move indeed).
Manchurian Candidate (1962)
Directed
by: John Frankenheimer
Starring:
Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey, Janet Leigh
Web link: Link to internet movie database
Classic
cold war spy thriller, with fine performances and a superb script.
It's A Wonderful Life (1946)
Directed
by: Frank Capra
Starring:
James Stewart, Donna Reed, Henry Travers
Web link: Link
to internet movie database
This film is just so nice that you secretly yearn for a mad axe murderer to appear.
James Stewart turns in a sterling performance in what is certainly a classic;
as likely to appear at Christmas as Santa.
The Big Chill (1983)
Directed
by:
Starring:
William Hurt, Kevin Kline, Glenn Close, Tom Berenger
Web link: Link to
internet movie database
A funeral brings together a group of friends
who have lost touch. Much soul-searching
about lost youth follows, but this unpromising material is woven into a
genuinely fascinating film by Kasdan.
Diner (1982)
Directed
by: Barry Levinson
Starring:
Steve Guttenberg, Mickey Rourke, Ellen Barkin
Web link: Link to
internet movie database
A well-observed story of a group of students
trying to work out the answer to life the universe and everything. This is the kind of material that could send
you rushing for the exit if badly handled, but instead it is brought together
into a fine movie.
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Directed
by: Frank Darabont
Starring:
Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman
Web link: Link to internet movie database
Delightful and uplifting prison drama.
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Directed
by: Quentin Tarantino
Starring:
John Travolta, Samuel L Jackson, Uma Thurman
Web link: Link to internet movie database
Tarantino’s masterpiece, surpassing the fine
Reservoir Dogs, has one of the best scripts to grace a movie in many
years. Sparkling dialogue, clever
narrative structure and, above all, style.
American Beauty (1999)
Directed
by: Sam Mendes
Starring:
Kevin Spacey, Annette Benning, Mena Suvari
Web link: Link to internet movie database
It took a Brit to completely debunk the
American dream. It needed that cold cynicism
to cut through the optimism that is
The Usual Suspects (1995)
Directed
by: Bryan Singer
Starring:
Kevin Spacey, Stephen Baldwin, Gabriel Byrne
Web link: Link to internet movie database
Gripping
crime movie, with a superb twisting plot about hapless gangsters caught up with
the legendary criminal Keyser Soze. Pete
Pothelswaite gets a fine cameo as Soze’s agent, but Kevin Spacey steals the
show.
Directed
by: Luc Besson
Starring:
Jean Reno, Gary Oldman, Natalie Portman
Web link: Link to
internet movie database
Fine quirky
movie carried along by great acting from Jean Reno and the remarkable child
actress Natalie Portman, and ven Gary Oldman only oeracts a bit. Make sure you get the European cut, and
notthe hacked Amercian Cut, which butchers 24 minutes and reduces a beautiful
film to a low-budget action movie.
Double Indemnity (1944)
Directed
by: Billy Wilder
Starring:
Barbara Stanwyck, Fred McMurray, Edward G. Robinson
Web link: Link
to internet movie database
Arguably the best film noir, this movie has it
all. Fine performances, great plot,
excellent direction. The definitive
exploration of the dark side of the American dream. Remade as “Body Heat” by
The Woman In The Window (1944)
Directed
by: Fritz Lang
Starring:
Edward G Robinson, Raymond Massey, Joan Bennett
Web link: Link
to internet movie database
It is a curious thing that many of the very
best film noir movies were made by Fritz Lang, and starred Edward G
Robinson. This is one of the greats, and
offers agonising suspense at times, as well as a balancing light touch.
The Big Sleep (1946)
Directed
by: Howard Hawks
Starring:
Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Dorothy Malone
Web link: Link to
internet movie database
Under no circumstances mix this up with the
ghastly Michael Winner 1978 remake; Michael Winner is to directing what Eddie
The Eagle is to ski-jumping. The
masterful original follows the Bogart incarnation of Philip Marlowe through a
maze of intrigue, with a fine script and cast.
A classic.
The Big Heat (1953)
Directed
by: Fritz Lang
Starring:
Glenn Ford, Gloria Grahame, Lee Marvin
Web Link: Link to
internet movie database
Brutally violent for its day, the film has a
lot of virtues, and was a significant departure from the candy floss image
Hollywood of American life likes to project.
This movie is realistic and quite gripping.
Gilda (1946)
Directed
by: Charles Vidor
Starring:
Rita Hayworth, Glenn Ford
Web Link: Link to
internet movie database
Memorable for the famous one glove striptease
of Rita Hayworth (and for her singing), but also a fine noir, full of betrayal,
blackmail and murder.
Kiss Me Deadly (1955)
Directed
by: Robert Aldrich
Starring:
Ralph Meeker
Web Link: Link
to internet movie database
The ultimate paranoia film from the depths of
the McCarthy era. Just what is in the
mysterious suitcase, and why are so many people after it? Quite brutal for its day; if you can, get the
restored version,which has a significantly extended ending from the theatrical
release.
The Last Seduction (1994)
Directed
by: John Dahl
Starring:
Linda Fiorentino, Bill Pullman
Web Link: Link
to internet movie database
Amazing acting from Linda Fiorentino in thei
modern day film-noir that stays true to its rules: a femme fatale, murder,
betrayal, and as a bonus it has a lovely dig at small town
Others include "The Maltese Falcon"
(John Huston, 1941) and "
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid
(1982)
Directed
by: Carl Reiner
Starring:
Steve Martin, Rachel Ward
Web Link: Link to internet movie database
A movie which spawned endless imitators (e.g.
the Holsten ads). We see modern shots of
Martin and Ward seamlessly interwoven with original footage of many film noir
classics. Incredibly funny; it must have
taken years to find all the scenes and stitch them together.
To Be Or Not To Be (1942)
Directed
by: Ernst Lubitsch
Starring:
Jack Benny, Carole Lombard, Robert Stack
Web Link: Link
to internet movie database
Acknowledged as one of the great comedies, this
film pastiche on Nazis and Jews in
Airplane! (1980)
Directed
by: David Zucker, Jerry Zucker & Jim Abrahams
Starring:
Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Lloyd Bridges, Leslie Nielsen
Web Link: Link to
internet movie database
There are so many gags happening in the
background that even after several viewings you still spot new things. It took me ten viewings before I noticed that
the jet airliner was making a propeller engine noise. Laugh a minute stuff.
Some Like It Hot (1959)
Directed
by: Billy Wilder
Starring:
Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis, Marilyn Monroe
Web Link: Link
to internet database
Commonly regarded as the best comedy ever,
Lemmon and Curtis make the most of a wonderful script, and Marilyn's talents
are well utilised. Delightful.
Bringing Up Baby (1938)
Directed
by: Howard Hawks
Starring: Katherine
Hepburn, Cary Grant
Web Link: Link
to internet movie database
"Baby" is a pet leopard which
Katherine Hepburn introduces to zoology professor Grant. Although bordering on farce, it is
magnificently handled, and Hawks' direction never loses its touch.
The General (1927)
Directed
by: Buster Keaton
Starring:
Buster Keaton
Web link: Link to internet
movie database
If you decide to just see just one silent film,
let this be it. Keaton is a comic
genius, and here his talents are fully used.
Hysterically funny (and by the way, the train is real; this was the most
expensive sequence ever filmed at the time).
Others
Other favourites of mine include
"Manhattan" (Woody Allen, 1979), "Stardust Memories" (Woody
Allen, 1980), "The Man With Two Brains" (Carl Reiner, 1983),
"All Of Me" (Carl Reiner, 1984), "Lost In America" (Albert
Brooks, 1985), "A Night At the Opera" (Sam Wood, 1935 - Marx
Brothers), "National Lampoon's Animal House" (John Landis, 1978),
"Dark Star" (John Carpenter, 1974) and "Naked Gun" (David
Zucker, 1988).
Directed
by: Martin Brest
Starring:
Robert De Niro, Charles Grodin, Yaphet Kotto
Wev link: Link to
internet movie database
A rare outing for Robert De Niro in comedy,
proving that a great actor can shine in just about any role. Fast paced story, bolstered by excellent
performances.
The Princess Bride (1987)
Directed
by: Rob Reiner
Starring:
Web Link: Link
to internet movie database
One of my absolute favourites, this is an
adult-oriented fairy tale with a sizzling script by William Goldman and lovely
cameos from the likes of Billy Crystal and Mel Smith. Some tremendous lines; a joy to watch. Amazingly,
Directed by:
Michael Curtiz
Starring:
Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Claude Rains, Peter Lorre
Web Link: Link to
internet movie database
Difficult to add anything to what has already
been written. For a change you can
concentrate on the length of Bogarts's cigarette (the continuity not being what
it could have been).
The Graduate (1967)
Directed
by: Mike Nichols
Starring:
Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft, Katherine Ross
Web Link: Link to
internet movie database
Hoffman received just $17,000 for his
performance in the movie (which made a cool $300 million dollars for a $3
million outlay). Nichols seems to
capture the spirit of the times, and Simon & Garfunkel cleaned up with the
sound track. Includes some memorable
scenes.
Dr Zhivago (1965)
Directed
by: David Lean
Starring:
Julie Christie, Omar Sharif, Rod Steiger, Alec Guinness
Web Link: Link to
internet movie database
One of the great epic romances, set in the
First World War, we have plenty of love, passion, danger and scenery. Keep the Kleenex handy.
Now Voyager (1942)
Directed
by: Irving Rapper
Starring:
Bette Davis, Claude Rains
Web Link: Link to
internet movie database
Stunning performance from Davis as the ugly
duckling who turns into a swan with a
little help from Claude Rains.
One of the great weepies.
Stella Dallas (1937)
Directed
by: King Vidor
Starring:
Barbara Stanwyck, John Boles, Anne Shirley
Web Link: Link
to internet movie database
If you don't cry when watching this you have no
soul. Stanwyck sacrifices all for her
daughter in this remake of a less successful 1927 version.
The English Patient (1996)
Directed
by: Anthony Minghella
Starring:
Ray Fiennes, Kristin Scott Thomas, Juliette Bincoche
Web Link: Link
to internet movie database
Epic love story with cut-above acting. The studio almost forced Mighella to cast
Demi Moore instead of Kristin Scott Thomas.
In this section I have included films which
repeatedly appear in "All Time top 10" listings of critics and
directors. Of the above films, "The
Searchers", "Vertigo", "The General" and "2001: A
Space Odyssey" often appear. The
ones below also do, but many are for their artistic contribution or innovation
rather than because they are necessarily enjoyable to watch.
The Bicycle Thieves (1948)
Directed
by: Vittorio de Sica
Starring:
Lamberto Maggioriani
Web link: Link
to internet movie database
The classic example of "Italian
Neo-Realism", the movie is a tale of human suffering amongst biting
poverty. As was the manner of this
period, most of the actors are non-professionals, and the director makes the
most of his limited material.
Citizen Kane (1941)
Directed
by: Orson Welles
Starring:
Orson Welles, Joseph Cotton
Web link: Link to
internet movie database
Although this always comes top of any critics'
top ten, it rather leaves me cold. It
was certainly tremendously influential, Welles inventing the "deep
-focus" technique and setting new standards in set building. This was Welles' first film at the age of
25. He never again achieved such
critical success; as he himself put it "I started at the top and worked
down".
Others include "The Magnificent Ambersons
(Orson Welles, 1942), "Wild Strawberries (Ingmar Bergman, 1957), "The
Battleship Potemkin (Sergei Eisenstein, 1925), "Eight and a Half
(Frederico Fellini, 1963), "The Seven Samurai” (Kurosawa, 1957),
"L'Atalante” (
Spartacus (1960)
Directed
by:
Starring:
Kirk Douglas, Lawrence Olivier, Jean Simmons, Charles Laughton
Web Link: Link to
internet movie database
There are precious few epics worth watching,
even on a quiet Sunday afternoon, but Kubrick's genius moves this a notch up
from the usual fare. Tremendous
set-pieces and a fine cast. The gay
scene between Olivier and Tony Curtsi managed to squeeze past the censors as
they completely missed the allegory.
The Wicker Man (1973)
Directed
by: Robin Hardy
Starring:
Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, Britt Ekland
Web Link: Link
to internet movie database
A film that is completely impossible to
classify. It is not often that you see
Britt Ekland as a Scottish landlord's daughter, or Christopher Lee out of his
fangs. Quirky photography and a fine
soundtrack lift this thriller out of the ordinary into a cult classic, though
it may not be to everyone's taste. The
theatrical release was butchered, but a restored version was broadcast by the
BBC. Thi is very hard to get hold of,
unfortunately.
Straw
Dogs (1971)
Directed by: Sam Peckinpah
Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Susan George, Peter
Vaughn
Web link: Link to
internet movie database
I guess this particularly appeals to me as the
story is oen of a mathematician having problems in a rural country
village. Quite violent (especially for
the time) but Peckinpah shows his talent for action and suspense.
Directed
by: David Lean
Starring:
Peter O'Toole, Omar Sharif, Alec Guinness
Web link: Link
to internet movie database
Beautifully restored by the director in 1989,
the movie was a triumph of dedication (one year's shooting in the desert) and
determination of the young Peter O'Toole, who gives one of cinema's great
performances.
Easy
Rider (1969)
Directed
by: Dennis Hopper
Starring:
Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Jack Nicholson
Web link: Link to
internet movie database
The definitive "road movie". Fonda and Hopper throw away their watches and
drive across
Apocalypse Now (1979)
Directed
by: Francis Ford Coppola
Starring:
Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall
Web link: Link
to internet movie database
An extraordinary film. While almost unwatchable in places, this
re-working of Conrad's "A Heart Of Darkness" (updated to
Dr Strangelove (1963)
Directed
by:
Starring:
Peter Sellers, George C Scott,
Web link: Link
to internet movie database
There are not many films which enter the common
vocabulary. The movie has lots of classic
scenes and lines; and George C Scott is particularly good as the numbskull
general.
Not a well recognised genre, but given my other
interests please indulge me.
Babette’s Feast (1987)
Directed
by: Gabriel Axel
Starring: Asta
Esper Andersen
Web Link: Link to internet movie database
A charming film about a fine French chef forced
into exile in
Tampopo (1986)
Directed
by: Juzo Itami
Starring:
Tsutomo Yamakazi, Mario Abe
Web link: Link to internet
movie database
A Japanese
comedy? Yep, this is genuinely hilarious
and a glorious debunking of foodie habits; the film draws heavily on the film
“Seven Samurai” to describe the quest for the perfect noodle. Fabulous.
The Big Night (1979)
Directed
by:
Starring:
Marc Anthony
Web link: Link to
internet movie database
Low key tale of two brothers in 1950s
Other fine movies include: "Sleuth (Joseph
Mankiewicz, 1973), "Broadcast News" (James Brooks, 1987), "Night
Of The Hunter" (Charles Laughton, 1955), "Night Of The Iguana"
(John Huston 1964), "North By Northwest" (Hitchcock, 1959),
"Jaws" (Spielberg, 1975), "Saturday Night & Sunday Morning
(Karl Reisz, 1960), "Full Metal Jacket" (Stanley Kubrick, 1987),
"Twelve Angry Men" (Sidney Lumet, 1957), "Salvador" (Oliver
Stone, 1986), "Walkabout (Nicholas Roeg, 1970), "Women In Love"
(Ken Russell, 1969), "Lianna" (John Sayles, 1983), "The
Player" (Robert Altman, 1992), "The Third Man" (Carol Reed,
1949), "M*A*S*H" (Robert Altman, 1970) and "Bad Day At Black
Rock" (John Sturges, 1954).