36. The Philadelphia Story (1940)
When the legendary Katharine Hepburn opened on Broadway in Phillip Barry's 1938 play The Philadelphia Story, she had gotten some of the finest reviews of her career (up to that point). Even though she had won an Oscar in 1932 for Morning Glory, by Hollywood standards, she had been considered "old hat" and her best performances behind her. Broadway critics encouraged Kate the Great to pursue retaining her luminous stage role of Tracy Lord for the inevitable film version of the hit play. She did more than that. She convinced Phillip Barry to sell her the film rights as she went shopping for a movie studio to produce it. Once Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer agreed, she handpicked director George Cukor (her personal favorite) to helm the picture and insisted he get the best leading men to star opposite her. What resulted was one of the finest romantic-comedies of all-time featuring some of the best performances from its three leading stars (especially Ms. Hepburn). The story is of wealthy heiress Tracy Lord (Hepburn) planning her second wedding to a man "completely different" from her first husband, C. K. Dexter Haven (the always charming Cary Grant). The festivities are interrupted by Haven and two reporters who work for a tabloid magazine trying to get a scoop on the affair. One of the reporters (played by the great Jimmy Stewart in an Oscar-winning performance) begins to fall madly in love with Tracy and she becomes part of a massive love quadrangle that includes her, Haven, the reporter and her intended. It is a smartly written and brilliantly acted romantic-comedy (something we don't see very often anymore). It was also a great "comeback" for Katharine Hepburn as it was (to me) her greatest film role.
Next Post: #35
Monday, August 2, 2010
The 100 Best Movies: #37
37. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
Quite possibly one of the greatest franchises of all-time and certainly one of the best of the last decade, Peter Jackson's faithful adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's world of hobbits, elves, dwarves and orcs captivated audiences and critics alike. In 2000, Peter Jackson gathered a cast and crew in his native New Zealand to film all three of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings novels simultaneously. The first film, The Fellowship of the Ring, was released in 2001 and was an immediate success. It garnered so much praise and several prestigious award nominations. The following year came the second film, The Two Towers, and audiences definitely wanted more. In 2003, came this stunning and riveting conclusion to the series and it was the best one of the trio. The story focuses on Frodo and Sam's journey into the ominous Mount Doom to destroy the Ring of Power (all while the wicked Gollum is plotting to take the Ring from Frodo's posession). In the meantime, the rest of Middle Earth, led by Gandalf and Aragorn, are fighting off the armies gathered by the servants of the evil Sauron. The film series features a phenomenal cast that includes Sir Ian McKellen (as Gandalf), Elijah Wood (as Frodo), Sean Astin (as Sam), Orlando Bloom (as Legolas the Elf) and Viggo Mortensen (as Aragorn). Mortensen, for me, gives the best performance in this final film. With each passing moment, Mortensen gives the character a regal quality that is necessary as he is the titular King that returns (SPOILER!). While several people love the first film because of its introductory quality, it is this film's final battle and brilliant definition of its characters that make it a cinematic wonder. The only qualm I have about this film comes at the end, or as I like to call it, "The Never-Ending Movie." This conclusive movie seems to have like five different endings (literally, it fades to black four different times and begins another character's final chapter). It is no wonder this film is three hours and then some! But despite this minor difficulty, the film is a monumental experience (concluding a thrilling franchise) that won 11 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director - finally breaking down the "Oscar Curse" fantasy films (like Star Wars) had experienced in the past.
Next Post: #36
Quite possibly one of the greatest franchises of all-time and certainly one of the best of the last decade, Peter Jackson's faithful adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's world of hobbits, elves, dwarves and orcs captivated audiences and critics alike. In 2000, Peter Jackson gathered a cast and crew in his native New Zealand to film all three of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings novels simultaneously. The first film, The Fellowship of the Ring, was released in 2001 and was an immediate success. It garnered so much praise and several prestigious award nominations. The following year came the second film, The Two Towers, and audiences definitely wanted more. In 2003, came this stunning and riveting conclusion to the series and it was the best one of the trio. The story focuses on Frodo and Sam's journey into the ominous Mount Doom to destroy the Ring of Power (all while the wicked Gollum is plotting to take the Ring from Frodo's posession). In the meantime, the rest of Middle Earth, led by Gandalf and Aragorn, are fighting off the armies gathered by the servants of the evil Sauron. The film series features a phenomenal cast that includes Sir Ian McKellen (as Gandalf), Elijah Wood (as Frodo), Sean Astin (as Sam), Orlando Bloom (as Legolas the Elf) and Viggo Mortensen (as Aragorn). Mortensen, for me, gives the best performance in this final film. With each passing moment, Mortensen gives the character a regal quality that is necessary as he is the titular King that returns (SPOILER!). While several people love the first film because of its introductory quality, it is this film's final battle and brilliant definition of its characters that make it a cinematic wonder. The only qualm I have about this film comes at the end, or as I like to call it, "The Never-Ending Movie." This conclusive movie seems to have like five different endings (literally, it fades to black four different times and begins another character's final chapter). It is no wonder this film is three hours and then some! But despite this minor difficulty, the film is a monumental experience (concluding a thrilling franchise) that won 11 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director - finally breaking down the "Oscar Curse" fantasy films (like Star Wars) had experienced in the past.
Next Post: #36
Sunday, August 1, 2010
The 100 Best Movies: #38
38. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
While hokey, schmaltzy and everything a "feel-good" movie has to be, there is just a pull around this movie that I cannot escape. First of all, it was another one of my mother's favorite films. In fact, she was the one who would make me watch it every year when it was on. And because it was on every year, it became a very strong part of my childhood. It just wouldn't be Christmas without this movie. What I also find fascinating about this film is the memory that people seem to have of it. People always seem to remember the more interesting second half of this movie: beginning with the moment when Frank Capra's everyman hero George Bailey (the amazing Jimmy Stewart) wishes he was never born. When relaying their experience with the movie, audiences tend to forget that this part doesn't happen until a good hour and a half into the film. But it is because of this movie's ending that it is so inspiring to people ("Teacher says 'Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings!'"). That and the idea that one man can make a difference in the lives of the people around him. In addition to the delightful leading man that is Jimmy Stewart, there are good supporting performances from Donna Reed (as George's loving wife), Henry Travers (as the angel, Clarence), Thomas Mitchell (as the befuddled Uncle Billy) and the great Lionel Barrymore (as the wicked Mr. Potter). The movie is typical of what in Hollywood was called "Capra-corn," but it is a charming and memorable film (especially if you watch it every year like clockwork!).
Next Post: #37
While hokey, schmaltzy and everything a "feel-good" movie has to be, there is just a pull around this movie that I cannot escape. First of all, it was another one of my mother's favorite films. In fact, she was the one who would make me watch it every year when it was on. And because it was on every year, it became a very strong part of my childhood. It just wouldn't be Christmas without this movie. What I also find fascinating about this film is the memory that people seem to have of it. People always seem to remember the more interesting second half of this movie: beginning with the moment when Frank Capra's everyman hero George Bailey (the amazing Jimmy Stewart) wishes he was never born. When relaying their experience with the movie, audiences tend to forget that this part doesn't happen until a good hour and a half into the film. But it is because of this movie's ending that it is so inspiring to people ("Teacher says 'Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings!'"). That and the idea that one man can make a difference in the lives of the people around him. In addition to the delightful leading man that is Jimmy Stewart, there are good supporting performances from Donna Reed (as George's loving wife), Henry Travers (as the angel, Clarence), Thomas Mitchell (as the befuddled Uncle Billy) and the great Lionel Barrymore (as the wicked Mr. Potter). The movie is typical of what in Hollywood was called "Capra-corn," but it is a charming and memorable film (especially if you watch it every year like clockwork!).
Next Post: #37
The 100 Best Movies: #39
39. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
I have never been a huge science-fiction fan. Fantasy films, yes, but not so much am I a lover of science-fiction. And I mean full on science-fiction. Several of my friends have spent hours discussing Frank Herbert's Dune world or I have known people who have spent time coming up with Battlestar: Galactica Fan Fiction, but the extent of my "Sci-Fi" appreciation goes as far as the Star Trek franchise and this brilliant Stanley Kubrick film. Kubrick, much like Federico Fellini and Ingmar Bergman, was a master at cinematic images. In this 1968 masterpiece, he fills the screen with iconic pictures that make the audience feel like their on one long acid trip. From the evolutionary cavemen that begin the film to the metaphorical large baby, this movie confounds, thrills and even frightens at times. It also helps that Kubrick (along with co-writer Arthur C. Clarke) created one of the most terrifying movie viilains of all-time: the HAL 9000. That soft yet extremely disturbing voice of the spaceship's computer saying "What are you doing, Dave?" will haunt audiences forever. It is Kubrick's finest film and is a perfect example of the science-fiction genre.
Next Post: #38
I have never been a huge science-fiction fan. Fantasy films, yes, but not so much am I a lover of science-fiction. And I mean full on science-fiction. Several of my friends have spent hours discussing Frank Herbert's Dune world or I have known people who have spent time coming up with Battlestar: Galactica Fan Fiction, but the extent of my "Sci-Fi" appreciation goes as far as the Star Trek franchise and this brilliant Stanley Kubrick film. Kubrick, much like Federico Fellini and Ingmar Bergman, was a master at cinematic images. In this 1968 masterpiece, he fills the screen with iconic pictures that make the audience feel like their on one long acid trip. From the evolutionary cavemen that begin the film to the metaphorical large baby, this movie confounds, thrills and even frightens at times. It also helps that Kubrick (along with co-writer Arthur C. Clarke) created one of the most terrifying movie viilains of all-time: the HAL 9000. That soft yet extremely disturbing voice of the spaceship's computer saying "What are you doing, Dave?" will haunt audiences forever. It is Kubrick's finest film and is a perfect example of the science-fiction genre.
Next Post: #38
The 100 Best Movies: #40
40. Gone With the Wind (1939)
Before anyone starts yelling at me as to why this is so low on the list (or, with some, why it is on the list at all), let me remind you of the purpose of this list. The list is of my personal favorite films which includes movies I love, movies I respect or movies that I just think are great. This film falls under the category of "movies I respect." Now, I must say, that if I were creating a list of the Greatest Films of All-Time (solely based on technical merit, cinematic quality and influential status; not personal taste or bias), then this film would most likely get into the Top 10. And believe me, when it comes to influential status, it doesn't get any grander than Gone With the Wind.
This movie just has an aura around it that cannot be denied. The novel, written by Margaret Mitchell in 1936, was the Twilight of its day. I mean, literally, it flew off the shelves. And when the film version was released in 1939 (after a notorious filming process), it was an event. The casting for its lead character of Scarlett O'Hara went through long lists of movie starlets at the time and countless auditions and screen-tests. This film is one of those that everyone has seen, or at least it was at one time. But it is a really good film from a year (1939) that was a banner year for cinema (other legendary films released that year included Stagecoach, The Wizard of Oz and #48: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington).
The film tells the story of wealthy Southern belle Scarlett O'Hara (played to Oscar-winning perfection by Vivien Leigh) as she learns her best friend plans to marry one of the wealthiest men in town, a former beau of Scarlett's named Ashley Willkes (played by Leslie Howard). At a celebration, she meets a debonair Southern gentleman named Rhett Butler (charismatically played by Clark Gable) and the tempestuous love affair between them ensues. Set against the backdrop of the American Civil War (and the Burning of Atlanta), Scarlett and Rhett have a love that never seems to end (which is quite possible since the film is almost 4 hours!). Now, there are several reasons people might dislike this film (its length, the subject matter, the supporting characters like Mammy and Prissy, etc.), but this film is so epic and so grand that it really is a wonder to watch. Every time I see this film, I cannot help but get caught up in it. It is truly one of the most legendary films that won several Academy Awards (DUH!) including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress (for Ms. Leigh) and Best Supporting Actress (for Hattie McDaniel as Mammy - the first African-American to win a competitive acting award).
Next Post: #39
Before anyone starts yelling at me as to why this is so low on the list (or, with some, why it is on the list at all), let me remind you of the purpose of this list. The list is of my personal favorite films which includes movies I love, movies I respect or movies that I just think are great. This film falls under the category of "movies I respect." Now, I must say, that if I were creating a list of the Greatest Films of All-Time (solely based on technical merit, cinematic quality and influential status; not personal taste or bias), then this film would most likely get into the Top 10. And believe me, when it comes to influential status, it doesn't get any grander than Gone With the Wind.
This movie just has an aura around it that cannot be denied. The novel, written by Margaret Mitchell in 1936, was the Twilight of its day. I mean, literally, it flew off the shelves. And when the film version was released in 1939 (after a notorious filming process), it was an event. The casting for its lead character of Scarlett O'Hara went through long lists of movie starlets at the time and countless auditions and screen-tests. This film is one of those that everyone has seen, or at least it was at one time. But it is a really good film from a year (1939) that was a banner year for cinema (other legendary films released that year included Stagecoach, The Wizard of Oz and #48: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington).
The film tells the story of wealthy Southern belle Scarlett O'Hara (played to Oscar-winning perfection by Vivien Leigh) as she learns her best friend plans to marry one of the wealthiest men in town, a former beau of Scarlett's named Ashley Willkes (played by Leslie Howard). At a celebration, she meets a debonair Southern gentleman named Rhett Butler (charismatically played by Clark Gable) and the tempestuous love affair between them ensues. Set against the backdrop of the American Civil War (and the Burning of Atlanta), Scarlett and Rhett have a love that never seems to end (which is quite possible since the film is almost 4 hours!). Now, there are several reasons people might dislike this film (its length, the subject matter, the supporting characters like Mammy and Prissy, etc.), but this film is so epic and so grand that it really is a wonder to watch. Every time I see this film, I cannot help but get caught up in it. It is truly one of the most legendary films that won several Academy Awards (DUH!) including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress (for Ms. Leigh) and Best Supporting Actress (for Hattie McDaniel as Mammy - the first African-American to win a competitive acting award).
Next Post: #39
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