THE 50-FILM WRAP-UP: VOLUME ONE

I've neglected my blog. Thank God there is no such thing as blogger jail, or I'd be in it. I guess. Probably not for that long though. Or maybe I would just have to do some community blogging.

You know, I use to hate the word "blogging." I was ashamed to even say I had a blog when I started this thing.

But now I use it freely and proudly. "Oh, yeah, I have a blog. You don't have a blog? You should read this blog. Oh, this blogger wrote the funniest thing on my blog. Want to read it, my blog I mean?"

That oughtta buy me some points with the Blog Police. Don't you think?

Anyway...

These past few months I've watched more than a few movies but instead of writing about them because I've been super busy(lazy), I've been making a list of these movies in order to write about them later. Now, there are so many on said list that I'm feeling this giant weight over my head. I just need to get them out of the way.

Some of these films I've seen before, but I recently watched again, but most on this list are first time viewings.

Forgive me if I repeat the same things over and over. I never was too good with words.

And now, my easy way out.....

THE 50-FILM WRAP-UP

VOLUME ONE

(Because I'm sure this will happen again, I feel a need to quantify this post in regards to the future inevitable posts)

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FAMILY PLOT (1976) First Viewing

This was a great little Hitchcock picture, the last of his career, that I was actually putting off seeing because I heard it was bad. I heard wrong. This was a wonderful little movie that worked on it's own twisted logic. Very funny and charming. Except for the awfully fake rear-projection chase scene, I'd say this movie is a solid entertainment.

CONAN THE BARBARIAN (1982) First Viewing

The score is brilliant in this Schwarzenegger vehicle. And the action is just as great. How can you beat James Earl Jones turning into a snake and Arnold lopping off heads at will?

FLIRTING WITH DISASTER (1996) First Viewing

I'm a little in love with Tea Leoni. And also with Patricia Arquette. And, also with Ben Stiller. Actually I'm just kidding about Ben Stiller, but I do have a crush on Alan Alda. This movie is a fun little romantic comedy with somewhat of a bite. Kind of like how a Howard Hawks picture would be if it was more edgy. Of course nothing David O. Russell has every made even approaches Hawks' many masterpieces, but this movie is fun nonetheless.

NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959)

What else can be said about this brilliant exercise in suspense. It may just be my favorite Hitchcock movie, mostly because it never, ever looses it's steam from the incredible opening by Saul Bass, to the hilarious cut to the tunnel at the end.

SABOTAGE (1936) First Viewing

Another one by the Master of Suspense. This is one of his earlier British pictures and it sure keeps your knuckles white. One scene in particular, on a bus, will have you screaming at the screen. This is the first time (along with the tracking shot in YOUNG AND INNOCENT) while watching one of Hitch's early films that I could see a true genius oozing off the screen.

THE LADY VANISHES (1938) First Viewing

Truly, one of the best of Hitchcock's I've seen. It's funny, suspenseful and thrilling. I don't want to give away any of the plot, but I'll tell you that the Jodie Foster film FLIGHT PLAN basically ripped this one off more than Van Sant did with PSYCHO.

THERE WILL BE BLOOD (2007) First Viewing

So much has been written about this already, so I guess my opinion on it really doesn't matter. All I can say is that, if you haven't seen it, run to do so. It's a great picture that should be watched on a large screen with a very loud stereo.

VERTIGO (1958)

All the colors in this film, whether they be physical or psychological are right on. This just may be tied with NORTH BY NORTHWEST when it comes to my favorite of Hitch's pictures. If you haven't see this one yet, you should first punch yourself in the face for depriving yourself of it's genius, then, run out and see it as quickly as possible. The Herrmann score alone would warrant a viewing, but in this case the image and story match the music 100%. Truly a masterpiece.

FUNNY FACE (1957) First Viewing

I enjoyed this fun movie, but didn't love it by any means. The dance numbers are magical and Audrey Hepburn is cute as a button, but the age difference between her and Astaire kind of ruined it for me. All in all, if you're a fan of musicals by all means watch it because it's brilliant to look at. If dancing actors is not your thing I'd say stay away, stay away.

THE RULES OF THE GAME (1939) First Viewing

Often thought of as the greatest film of all time. Any time I hear that I know I'm going to be disappointed because nothing could ever live up to that hype. But this one, actually did. I enjoyed it thoroughly and thought that the camera work was just fantastic. It seems as if though Renoir never stops moving his camera as the picture nears the climax and it helps build up this breathless sense of suspense and excitement, even though the film isn't a thriller! This truly is a great movie, but I much preferred.....

THE GRAND ILLUSION (1937) First Viewing

A prison break film with manners. This picture is every bit as great as THE RULES OF THE GAME, but I just relate to this one a little more. If you've never seen this one, like VERTIGO you should run to see it. It's funny, charming, heartbreaking and clever all at once and the camera work is just magnificent. Before this year I didn't know much about Renoir, and now after seeing a few of his pictures I know why he is considered one of the great film artists of his time.

LADY IN A CAGE (1964) First Viewing

Here's a white-knuckle thriller starring an older Olivia de Havilland and featuring a young James Caan. I read about this on DAVE'S BLOG ABOUT MOVIES AND SUCH and it was every bit as good as he said it was. The opening titles were killer and the movie literally had me on the edge of my seat, as cliche as that sounds.

SEDUCED AND ABANDONED (1964) First Viewing

This movie makes me both ashamed and proud of my Sicilian heritage. It just goes to show you how loving, caring, insane, suicidal, homicidal, fun and ignorant they all are. Seriously, this movie plays like a comedy that's not really funny when you think about it. It's one of the great Italian films and it is available by the Criterion Collection in a wonderful new transfer.

MAFIOSO (1962) First Viewing

I saw this movie at the Music Box Theatre in Chicago sometime last year or so, and again I watched it on DVD (Pristine transfer once again by the Criterion Collection). All I can say about this one is "WOW." May just be tied with GOODFELLAS and the first two GODFATHERS as the best of the Italian mafia movies. I see a huge influence here on a movie like GOODFELLAS, mainly because of the humor involved. When watching a movie about criminals killing one another you wouldn't think you'd be laughing so much, but I was and then I wasn't and then I was and then I wasn't. It's very odd with it's mood and structure. Pretty much like no movie I've seen before it. A very important film.

THE LADY EVE (1941) First Viewing

The only other Preston Sturges films I've seen are THE GREAT McGINTY, SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS and THE MIRACLE AT MORGAN'S CREEK. I must say that THE LADY EVE is my favorite. This movie is charming and hearth warming. Barbara Stanwyck is simply charming and Henry Fonda plays the Innocent goof role better than anyone. The movie is short and sweet and leaves you with a refreshing taste in your mouth. Many people say "They don't make movies like they used to." That's a half truth. Crime films, dramas, experimental and documentary films all have their modern day counterparts, but pictures like THE LADY EVE really aren't made anymore. Instead we get films like MUST LOVE DOGS. Give me a break...

HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY (2008) First Viewing

I wasn't a fan of the first HELLBOY, but I quite enjoyed the sequel. I feel as if though Del Toro focused more on the freaky creatures in this one and it totally works in favor of the picture. I think all the actors did a terrific job and the story was much more fairy tale like than the first. That's where Del Toro belongs. In the realm of the weird. As long as he stays with this series and continues to make it stranger and stranger as it progresses I'll be along for the ride. I wouldn't recommend it to everyone though. Especially those who find it hard to believe in trolls. You know the type.

THE DARK KNIGHT (2008) First Viewing

I knew what I was in for when I knew the picture wasn't going to be subtitled THE DARK KNIGHT. As in BATMAN 2: THE DARK KNIGHT. Or BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT. It's just THE DARK KNIGHT. Which is both awesome and hard to believe. I couldn't believe a studio would allow this. And then I sat through the film. This is no regular studio superhero film. This is a dark crime film that belongs alongside some of the greats. See it in IMAX if you can.

TRON (1982) First Viewing

Surprisingly, this is not a film I grew up with. I was born in 1984, so I would think that TRON would be something I would watch over and over again as the years passed, but I only recall seeing it once, if that. Watching it again, with relatively fresh eyes I can say that I enjoyed it and that's about it. I don't know how often I'd need to revisit this world, but it is genuinely unique and visionary and deserves it's place in cinema history.

TENEBRAE (1982) First Viewing

Completely changing gears here is another picture from 1982 called TENEBRAE; A giallo thriller written and directed by the great Dario Argento. While I earlier lambasted his INFERNO, I pretty much loved everything about TENEBRAE. Even though the plot is just as convoluted, it flows so much easier. The ending is shocking. The effects are cheesy but effective. What more can ask for in a movie like this?

DEMONS & DEMONS II (1985&1986) First Viewing

I watched both of these pictures in the same night. Both are directed by Lamberto Bava (son of Mario) and both are written by Lamberto Bava and Dario Argento. DEMONS takes place entirely in a movie theatre. The audience is watching a movie about Demons and of course, half the audience becomes...demons. It sounds pretty stupid, but it's ridiculously fun to watch. The effects are horribly gory and well done and the violence is so over the top it's extremely difficult to get offended by it. If you're looking for something to watch on Halloween night, this would be one to consider. The sequel, DEMONS II, is pretty much the same movie, only it takes place in an apartment building. The effects aren't as bloody or as fun and to be quite honest, it got a little tedious. Maybe if I didn't watch them back to back I wouldn't have felt this way. Only time will tell.

MARATHON MAN (1976)

One of my all time favorite thrillers. I remember seeing this movie as a kid more than a few times. I've always had an extreme fondness for Roy Schieder and Dustin Hoffman was no slouch either. It wasn't until recently that I actually understood the themes of MARATHON MAN. With Hoffman's character father playing a major role in the psychological undertones. I always thought it was just a neat thriller with a horrible scene of dental torture. I'm extremely glad now, in my adult years, to find out this "thriller" means so much more than that.

SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS (1957)

Burt Lancaster is one mean bastard in this inside look at newspaper columnists in 1950's New York. The film could be the example used when making the case that all films should be shot in black & white. Period. If you haven't seen this one and are a fan of film noir or just movies with wonderful dialogue and camera work check this out. You won't be disappointed.

STROMBOLI (1950) First Viewing

Caught this one late one night on TCM. What a brilliant work of art. Rossellini captures some of the most amazing images in this film about a city woman who goes to live in a small Italian village. There is a scene in which the villagers fish for tuna which, in my eyes, is one of the greatest sequences in the history of cinema. Nobody can deny the raw power of that scene. Not available on DVD, so if you see it playing on TV, watch it! Watch it! Watch it!

TOUCHAZ PAS AU GRISBI (1954) First Viewing

One of my favorite crime pictures. I can't say enough good things about this movie. One day, as I so often do, I was browsing the Criterion Collections website, saw this movie, with a title I couldn't pronounce and I got it based on the fact that it was a crime film and I love crime films. Now, after watching it, I am making it a personal quest of mine to see every last one of Jacques Becker's films. Right up there with the classics BOB LE FLAMBEUR, KISS ME DEADLY, THE ASPHALT JUNGLE.........

MOUCHETTE (1967) First Viewing

A very sad tale about a young girl. Like all of Bresson's films, there is a compassion that isn't fit for words here. The movie is short, depressing and extremely moving. It didn't connect with me as much as BALTHAZAR did, but I liked it more than PICKPOCKET. Worth watching.

BLOWOUT (1981)

Anyone who knows my tastes in movies knows my unabashed love for Brian DePalma. I like all of his movies and downright love most of them, but none as much as this. BLOWOUT is DePalma's masterpiece. A reworking of Antonioni's BLOWUP, the story focuses on a sound man who catches the audio of a car blowout while recording some ADR work for a horror film. The story unfolds from here. It's a brilliantly shot film, scored beautifully by Pino Donaggio. It ranks up there with some of my favorite Hitchcock films and should be seen by anyone interested in the art and craft of filmmaking.

ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE (1969) First Viewing

The darkest James Bond film I've seen. At first I didn't really get into this picture, but by the end I was drawn into its yarn. The final hour is thrilling and sad. What I thought to be a very campy and formula driven picture turned out to be quite different and the more and more I think about it, the more I like it. Give me some time on this. I'm sure at some point I'll list it as the greatest movie of all time.

HAROLD AND KUMAR ESCAPE FROM GUANTANAMO BAY (2008) First Viewing

I liked the first one. I liked this one. I never need to see either of them again, but if I said I didn't laugh, I'd be lying. That's about it

MURDER INC. (1960) First Viewing

Not the best crime film in the world, but Peter Falk's portrayal of a mob hit man is absolutely unforgettable. He, along with the wonderful CinemaScope photography, are reason enough to watch this relatively short film.

NIGHTMARE ALLEY (1947) First Viewing

What a brooding picture. If you're a fan of film noir, or high contrast cinematography you have to check out this film set among the carnivals of the 1940's. It starts off as a love story, turns into a con picture. And quickly turns into the fall of a man, into alcoholism and insanity. If you ever wondered what the true meaning of the word "geek" is, here's your film. Or I suppose you could just look it up on the Internet. But you should probably watch the movie because it's so good.

THE LEOPARD (1963) First Viewing

An expertly shot, acted, scored drama about the fall of upper crust in Sicily. Usually stories about rich people, realizing their way of life is coming to an end is a story that makes us regular folk happy. But here, I truly felt bad because our main character, Prince Salina (Burt Lancaster) is such a likable guy. The waltz at the end is magnificently orchestrated with subtlety and grace. A wonderful picture.

BEFORE SUNRISE & BEFORE SUNSET (1995 & 2004)

One of the best, if not the best, modern romantic film. I refer to both of these pictures together, because this is how they have to be watched. It is really something to watch the first one, then, immediatly pick up on the story 10 years later with the same actors. The locations are wonderful and the tracking camera, particularly in BEFORE SUNSET is mesmerizing.

EASTERN PROMISES (2007)

There is a special place in my heart for early Cronenberg. THE FLY, SCANNERS, VIDEODROME, DEAD RINGERS....But I very much enjoy the new direction he has been taking his films. EASTERN PROMISES, like A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE has no mutants or monsterous transfermations. It focuses on people and the choices they make. This is the second time I've seen this picture, and I love it even more now. Also, watch out for the best hand to hand fight in a movie that I've ever seen.

DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER (1971) First Viewing

I'm trying to make it through all the Bond pictures before the awesomely titled QUANTUM OF SOLACE comes out this year. This one, the last true Bond picture that Connery was apart of is great if you look at it as a comedy. The plot invovled some sort of huge laser, diamonds, two gay hitmen and a chase through the dessert with a lunar cruiser. A lot of fun with great music and well put together action.

THE RIVER (1951) First Viewing

The third Renoir film that I've gotten through. This time, in color. And boy what wonderful color it is. The story centers around a British family that lives in India. It's a great coming of age story that, to me, seemed a bit cheesy at times, but halfway through it really started to move me. At first I was against the narration, but by the end I wanted more. I can see this movie growing on me with repeat viewings.

FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE (1963) First Viewing

I'm actually watching the Bond films in order, so I saw this way before DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER and ON HER MAJESTY'S. As of right now, I've seen the whole series up until THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN, and all the films after LICENSE TO KILL. Out of all of them, FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE is my favorite so far. It's down and dirty. It's real. It's the only one that seems like a spy picture rather than a farce(not that I mind some of the goofiness). Robert Shaw in this film is great, and Connery, of course, is at the top of his game.

YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE (1967) First Viewing

Another Connery classic. I know I'm not authority on Bond, and this is by no means a shocking revalation, but Connery is by far the greatest of Bonds. He's calm, cool, collected, deadly and charming all at once. And, he's got hair on his chest and he's not afraid to get his suit wrinkled. What can I say about this movie. It's over the top. Pretty much the opposite of FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE, but I still love it!

BLACK NARCISSUS (1947) First Viewing

Could this be the greatest color film of all time? I don't know. But it's up there. Every shot looks like a moving painting. If for anything, you have to check this out purely for the picture, but the movie itself is wonderful as well, especially if you are interested in Religion. A great psychological drama.

BABEL (2006) First Viewing

This film was so bad, I think a nimrod made it.

TOPAZ (1969) First Viewing

Although TOPAZ contains moments of greatness (a certain murder scene I will not spoil), the film as a whole doesn't work. It pains me to say this, because I have a total man crush on Alfred Hithcock. It's okay though. I've said it before and I'll say it again. The worst Hitchcock is better than a lot of other filmmaker's best.

PIERROT LE FOU (1965) First Viewing

When I was in college, I really loved Godard. Now, as I get older, I can see my love fading, which seems to happen to a lot of people. It's not that I dislike him. I still love films like BREATHLESS, WEEKEND and BAND OF OUTSIDERS. But this movie just felt like a meandering mess with no real point. The only high point was Karina singing to Belmondo about her "fate line." And of course the shocking explosion at the end.

THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY (1955) First Viewing

Shirley MacClaine sure was cute in this dud. I don't know about this picture in regards to the rest of Hithcock's filmography. It seems like, in hindsight, I should have enjoyed it. The premise is funny enough. The score is magnificent. The cinematography is great to look at. But if I put my love aside, I find myself not ever wanting to return to it. That can't be good.

BADLANDS (1973) First Viewing

A pretty solid first effort by Terrence Malick. I don't know if I'd attribute as much praise as it gets, but it sure is good. Martin Sheen is real good in the movie and I remember the cinematography to be quite striking. It's a bit like BONNIE AND CLYDE, but darker and more existential. If you ask me though, I'd trade both this and B&C for Joseph H. Lewis' GUN CRAZY.

LAST YEAR AT MARIENBAD (1961) First Viewing

I saw this film at a theatre with a brand new restored print and boy did it look wonderful. If you're a fan of films with a fluid camera, ambiguous stories or just experimental cinema in general, I suggest you seek out this beautiful nightmare about a man named X and a girled named A out.

THE TRIAL (1962) First Viewing

The more of Orson Welles' movies I see, the more I love the man. He may not always make perfect pictures, but they are always most certainly interesting. This one takes place in a dream-like state of mind, where our protaganist is led around dark cityscapes and rooms being accused of a crime he knows nothing about. Very strange picture with incredible photography.

THE KING OF COMEDY (1982) First Viewing

I really enjoyed both DeNiro and Lewis in Scorsese's dark comedy about fame and infatuation. It isn't nearly as great as some of his other pictures, but it certainly does pack its own punch. Sometimes, DeNiro as Rupert Pupkin makes you so uncomfortable you almost have to look away.

I CONFESS (1953) First Viewing

Yet again, another great Hitchcock film. This one dealing with the rules of the church and murder. Two of Hitch's greatest interests.

LIVE AND LET DIE (1973) First Viewing

I don't know if I can get used to Moore as James Bond. He's a little too fancy for me. The plot of this picture is relatively lame. It's about heroin something or other and ends with 007 making someone explode. It's totally watchable, but worse than every Bond before it.

.....Well, there you go. I don't know what the point of all this was. Hopefully, you'll want to see a few of these and this list will make you do so, except for the few that I didn't like, in which case I urge you to stay away.