|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stumpage Reports
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thursday, January 23, 2003 :::
Damn, Its Cold Tonight: or, Some of My Favorite Movies
For lack of any other ideas, here's a list of some of my favorite movies with pithy comments describing them. They're not really in order, but the first three could probably be #1 depending on what day you asked me. All the links are to The Internet Movie Database entries.
The Great Escape (1963): I heard someone describe this movie as the ultimate "schoolkids vs the principal" fantasy. This is a great mixture of adventure, humor, sadness, all of it beautifully photographed, and a crackerjack cast.
The Searchers (1956): John Ford's journey into the dark side of the American West. John Wayne played one of his most villianous roles, acted with a subtlety people don't usually associate with the Duke.
King Kong (1933): Simply the greatest love story of all time. "Oh no, it wasn't the airplanes. It was beauty killed the beast."
Goodfellas (1990): A wonderful retelling of the American Dream. Scorsese's bravura camera work and a rockin' soundtrack complete this 146-minute piece of perfection.
The Ten Commandments (1956): The only guilty pleasure on this list. This thing freaked me out as a kid and I can watch it anytime today. With a cast that included Charlton Heston, Edward G. Robinson, Yul Brynner, and Vincent Price, its a wonder the sets lasted through the movie with all the scenery-chewing going on.
Ask me tomorrow and the list might include Jaws (1975), Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Bride of Frankenstein (1935), The Quiet Man (1952), The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), A Clockwork Orange (1971), This Is Spinal Tap (1984), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), and The Cowboys.
Looking at this list, you can probably guess I'm not a big fan of Fellini or anything too avant-garde. I do enjoy movies where people bend the narrative and mess with the with form like Don't Look Now, Requiem For A Dream, Run Lola Run, and Reservoir Dogs. But for a favorite movie, I like a followable storyline, good guys, bad guys, a girl, and keep it under 2 hours unless you are David Lean.
Best Tagline For A Movie:
Who will survive and what will be left of them?
--- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Quote of the Day:
"It is error alone which needs the support of government. Truth can stand by itself."
--- Thomas Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia
::: posted by tom at 10:21 PM
|
|
|
|
