Song of the South

Songs - Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah (#47)

It truly is a shame that Disney won't release Song of the South on DVD. The Brer Rabbit stories are delightful, and Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah is a classic. I wonder what children think when they ride Splash Mountain at Disney World and have no idea where the story comes from.

Please, Disney, let us see this movie again. Update it if you think you must, but don't keep Brer Rabbit from us.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcxYwwIL5zQ

Top Gun

Quotes - "I feel the need..." (#94)
I'm surprised this movie didn't make it on to the Thrills list, because that's what it does best. The love story isn't that great (although who doesn't love You've Lost That Loving Feeling?), but the action sequences with the fighter jets are amazing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTbASqoqH3Q
The headline stars aren't what makes this movie. Tom Cruise plays himself yet again, and Kelly McGillis is just kind of there. This time it's the supporting actors who really shine. Tom Skeritt is great (as always). Anthony Edwards lends the perfect touch of humor. Val Kilmer - well, Val Kilmer has the volleyball scene. And a little known actress named Meg Ryan completely steals the show. When I saw this back when it was first released, I recognized that her five minutes or so onscreen were the best in the entire movie.
Exciting, funny, and sad, with a soundtrack to match (except Take My Breath Away - one of the slowest, most boring songs ever written), Top Gun is a great movie. Especially when seen in a movie theater.

The Mission

Score (#23)

Ok, in all honesty, I don't remember much about this movie except that it was boring, and I certainly don't remember the score.

But I do love Jeremy Irons. And I like that Robert DeNiro, unlike Al Pacino, is willing to do different movies and not always play the same character.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuyQQD-EAOQ

Dog Day Afternoon

Thrills (#70); Quotes - "Attica! Attica!" (#86)

This movie about a bank robbery gone wrong kept my interest because it kept the action going until the very end. I couldn't really guess what the resolution would be. There were things I didn't like about it though. For one thing, I just couldn't figure out why the cops didn't rush in there and end it all. I know they had their reasons, but it sure seemed like Pacino gave them plenty of opportunities. Worse, though, was the crowd's attitude towards the police. I know it was part of that whole '70s counterculture thing, but there was absolutely no respect for authority.

Another thought while watching this was Al Pacino's language. For crying out loud - does he only know one word? If this movie had been made ten years earlier, he wouldn't have said it at all. The reason for the change? The rating system. It used to be that nudity and swearing were never in movies and violence was largely off-screen. The rating system opened it all up. And the quality of films rapidly went downhill.

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

Top 100 (#99); Stars - Katharine Hepburn (#1), Spencer Tracy (#9), Sidney Poitier (#22); Cheers (#35); Passions (#58)

Hepburn and Tracy are confronted with an issue I think we all wrestle with at one time or another - what do you do when what you say you believe in is put to the test? It's one thing to stand for an idea. It's another thing to act on it.

It's a good, real story with an all-star cast.

Personally, I would be thrilled if Sidney Poitier came to dinner.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuU1BwNNUjM&feature=related

The Grapes of Wrath

Top 100 (#21/23); Stars - Henry Fonda (#6); Cheers (#7); Heroes - Tom Joad (#12)

It's fitting that John Ford filmed this in black and white. The entire mood of the story is grey. It's a well-told story of hopelessness, frustration, and determination, and - unlike most movies - it follows the book pretty closely.

My one objection to the AFI list - I think it's Ma, not Tom, who is the real hero in this story. She keeps the family going without complaint, doing whatever she has to do to help her children survive.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efR_cqJJjJ8&feature=related

Airplane!

Laughs (#10); Quotes - "...Don't call me Shirley." (#79)

Spoofs annoy me because they're comedy that tries too hard. Does every single line have to be a joke? That really only works on The Muppet Show.
Anyways, this has all the elements of a classic spoof (including a cast right out of the Love Boat passenger list), and when you put it all together, it works.

If you like this type of thing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVq4_HhBK8Y

Lassie Come Home

Stars - Elizabeth Taylor (#7); Heroes - Lassie (#39)

Once upon a time, Hollywood made dog movies that didn't include talking animals and toilet humor. And they were worth watching.

Starring very young Roddy McDowell and Elizabeth Taylor, Lassie Come Home is what family movies should be.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pp6v0jHSENY

Lawrence of Arabia

Top 100 (#5/7); Thrills (#23); Score (#3); Cheers (#30); Heroes - T.E. Lawrence (#10); Top Ten - Epic (#1)

Very, very long. I was glad I was sitting on my couch instead of on a camel. But it was interesting. Peter O'Toole did a wonderful job capturing the complexity of his character - his deep thinking, his arrogance, his fears. The scenery was stunning and the music impressive.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5TqQeEmIzg

42nd Street

Stars - Ginger Rogers (#14); Quotes - "...You've got to come back a star!"; Songs - 42nd Street (#97); Musicals (#13)

It was a little bit confusing keeping the characters straight, and I have no idea what the 'asbestos' thing was at the end. But other than that, this Busby Berkley musical was fun, and very 1930s.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuqJJMSK15U

Chariots of Fire

Cheers (#100)

Missionary Jim Elliott said "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." That's the theme of this movie, the story of an Olympic athlete who gave up his chance at a gold medal because he refused to race on a Sunday.
It's a triumphant movie about a man who chose to put God first, and it's nice to see Hollywood recognize that once in a while.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4a0rEogx54

Adam's Rib

Laughs (#22); Stars - Katharine Hepburn (#1), Spencer Tracy (#9); Top Ten - Romantic Comedy (#7)

This is easily my favorite Hepburn-Tracy movie. They play married lawyers who end up on opposite sides of an attempted murder trial. It's the perfect mix of courtroom, comedy, and romance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEwR9Xocv2U

The Third Man

Top 100 (#57); Thrills (#75); Stars - Orson Welles (#16); Villains - Harry Lime (#37); Top Ten - Mystery (#5)

This film noir murder mystery was confusing at times, but Orson Welles definitely has a commanding onscreen presence.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7d9VpSdGhA

Batman

Stars - Michael Keaton (Current); Villains - The Joker (#45); Heroes - Batman (#46)

As I've stated before, I'm not real big on comic book movies. However, I loved Jack Nicholson's Joker. Considerably lighter than Heath Ledger's portrayal, Nicholson played him with maniacal glee. Nicholson is great in just about any role, and he was the perfect choice for this movie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JVqUuNZxXA

Erin Brockovich

Stars - Julia Roberts (Current); Cheers (#73); Heroes - Erin Brockovich (#31)

Pushy people annoy me. So do loudmouths. And women who dress trashy. So while Erin Brockovich's pushiness may have ended up helping people who needed it, I just found her irritating and unlikeable.

Lilies of the Field

Stars - Sidney Poitier (#22); Cheers (#46)

Oh, how I love this movie! Sidney Poitier is one of my all-time favorites, and I love him in this role as a handy man who encounters a group of nuns and ends up developing a deep friendship with them.
One of the movie's gems is their singing "Amen".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rn6w255CGkk

Love, love this movie!

The Philadelphia Story

Top 100 (#51/44); Laughs (#15); Stars - Katharine Hepburn (#1), Cary Grant (#2), James Stewart (#3); Passions (#44); Top Ten - Romantic Comedy (#5)

With stars like Hepburn, Grant, and Stewart, this movie is definitely worth your while. They are dashing and glamorous and keep the pace of the movie going.

Anyone familiar with the Hays Code of the 1930s and '40s knows how this film is going to end, but it's still a fun ride.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fub0KDi0eUg

The Hustler

Top Ten - Sports (#6)

On the plus side, young Paul Newman sure was easy on the eyes. Come to think of it, old Paul Newman wasn't all that bad either.

On the negative side, I thought this movie was sad. Their lives were all about gambling, drinking, and empty relationships. Just really, really pointless.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifvmjrtS1lo
(side note: be careful when looking for clips of this movie because apparently it's also the title of a magazine)

Stand and Deliver

Stars - Edward James Olmos (Current); Cheers (#86)

This is one of the few movies on the Most Inspirational list that truly inspires. When I was in high school, I wanted to be Jaime Escalante. This movie shows what a difference great teachers can make.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5Y1BxtjkMc

Unforgiven

Top 100 (#98/68); Stars - Clint Eastwood, Richard Harris, Morgan Freeman (Current); Top Ten - Western (#4)

My aunt walked out of the theater during this movie. I wish I had. Terrific cast, but unappealing plot.

The Little Foxes

Stars - Bette Davis (#2); Villains - Regina Giddens (#43)

Nothing says family like thievery, blackmail, and abuse. And Regina Giddens and her brothers do it so well. Cheers to her daughter for seeing through it all.

But what was with Bette Davis' hair? It distracted me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrLaTDYUr0k&feature=related

Saving Private Ryan

Top 100 (#71 - revised); Thrills (#45); Stars - Edward Norton (current); Cheers (#10); Top Ten - Epic (#8)

Excellent, excellent movie. Gory, yes, but war is hell. I think what struck me the most was the realization that these soldiers that we send off to war are, for the most part, just kids. They're 18, 19, 20 years old. And they're heroes.

I think Tom Hanks' charge to Matt Damon to "Earn this" should have made the top quotes. It's a charge to all of us.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwhP5b4tD6g

The Paper Chase

Cheers (#91)

Well, that was boring.

This movie about first-year students at Harvard Law School was about as exciting as, well, Harvard Law School.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Top 100 (#29/26); Stars - James Stewart (#3); Cheers (#3); Heroes - Jefferson Smith (#11)

It kind of makes me sad that corrupt Washington politicians are nothing new. But this movie gives hope that among the crooked, self-serving Congresspeople, there might be some Mr. Smiths. Thank you, Frank Capra.

Jimmy Stewart is incredible in this role, and while I would have been able to forgive Clark Gable for beating him out for an Oscar for GWTW, I can't forgive Robert Donat's Mr. Chips. The award should have gone to Stewart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAjDmw6IrFg

Casablanca

Top 100 (#2/3); Thrills (#37); Stars - Humphrey Bogart (#1), Ingrid Bergman (#4); Cheers (#32); Quotes - "Here's looking at you, kid" (#5), "...Beginning of a beautiful friendship" (#20), "Play it, Sam..." (#28), "...The usual suspects" (#32), "We'll always have Paris" (#43), "Of all the gin joints..." (#67); Songs - As Time Goes By (#2); Heroes - Rick Blaine (#4); Passions (#1)

I have long held that Casablanca is the best-written movie of all time, and I think this list proves it. Six top 100 quotes (and five of them in the top 50). Casablanca has held its spot firmly for seventy years, and I can't imagine any film taking its place. Nobody talks like that anymore.

If you haven't seen this movie, see it! If for nothing else simply to hear the beautiful dialogue.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvE-KVCbvow&feature=related

Grease

Songs - Summer Nights (#70); Passions (#97); Musicals (#20)
Okay, so the cast is too old (who on earth thought Stockard Channing could play a teenager?), but I am still hopelessly devoted to Grease.
The songs are just about the best in any musical. Who doesn't love John Travolta crooning Oh, Sandy? Or the whole gang chiming in on Summer Nights? This movie is the one that I want to sing along with. Come on, join me!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpJUrt0O7uY
and Mel, this is just for you
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNAPQKNAiC0

Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing

Stars - William Holden (#25); Passions (#85)

A cheesy title with an even cheesier song, I thought this movie was just enh. It had potential - a Eurasian woman in early 1950s Hong Kong falling in love with an American, defying racism to find true love - but in the end it fell flat. Maybe it was too predictable.

I enjoyed the shots of Hong Kong and glimpses of Chinese culture, though.

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein

Laughs (#56)

This movie is absolutely everything you'd expect from a movie called Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.

'Nough said.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gg5N9FJc__Q

A Beautiful Mind

Cheers (#93)

Russell Crowe did a wonderful job in this story about a schizophrenic man. I liked the way Ron Howard and the screenwriters chose to portray John Nash's schizophrenia. It brought the audience inside his head and allowed them to see the world as he saw it.

Very well done.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKV1SxfmeYQ&feature=related

Fame

Cheers (#92); Songs - Fame (#51)

It was a good movie about the rough road to breaking into show business, but I liked the spin-off TV series better. On the plus side, they both had LeRoy (and ER's Rocket Romano was in the movie, too - with hair).

The best part of this movie? The song, of course!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2COKt6DqSaQ&feature=related

Last Tango in Paris

Stars - Marlon Brando (#4); Passions (#48)

It's rated NC-17, so I'm not going to bother.
And considering the fact that the movie posters were too risque for my blog, and I had to go with the album cover, I think that was a wise choice.

I have better things to do.

Dirty Harry

Thrills (#41); Stars - Clint Eastwood (Current); Quotes - "...Do I feel lucky?..." (#51); Heroes - Harry Callahan (#17)

My brother will be the first to tell you that Clint Eastwood is awesome. And he is, in a guy movie action hero kind of way. This movie was action-packed.

I guess I've watched too much CSI, though, because I kept wondering why the cops weren't looking for a white guy (because of his racial slurs) who was a Vietnam vet (because he was a sniper) with a grudge against the Catholic church (because he wanted to kill a priest). And while Dirty Harry preferred to use his .44 Magnum to get his man, I couldn't figure out why they didn't just compare handwriting samples. "To what?" my husband asked. "They weren't allowed to search his apartment." "Doesn't he have a driver's license? A job application? A bank account? Did he sign something at the hospital?"

My husband concluded that I was right.

But he said it wouldn't be as exciting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0-oinyjsk0

A League of Their Own

Stars - Geena Davis (Current); Quotes - "There's no crying in baseball!" (#54)

What's not to love about this movie? Baseball, Tom Hanks, the '40s, Bill Pullman - it's just altogether wonderful! I love the humor, the costumes, the music, the wartime romance, and of course, the baseball. My only complaint is that Jerry McGuire made the Top Ten sports list, while this movie did not. I honestly think it's because those who made the list didn't consider girl sports movies. Sheesh. Did the kick butt baseball players in this movie teach us nothing?

It's also worth mentioning that whoever cast the modern day versions of the team did an excellent job. I can't believe how much those actresses look like their younger counterparts. Well done!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPqYnC-SW5w

Arthur

Laughs (#53); Songs - Arthur's Theme (#79)

Dudley Moore's Arthur is annoying (there's nothing charming about a 40-year-old drunk who refuses to grow up), but Liza Minelli's Linda is sweet. And so is their love story.

I've always thought Arthur's Theme (The Best That You Can Do) is a really annoying song. Plus it's Christopher Cross, and that makes it even more irritating.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fojX7Ip4jSs&feature=related

Poltergeist

Thrills (#84); Quotes - "They're here!" (#69)

I remember seeing the commercials for this movie when I was little and thinking it looked so scary. The way Heather O'Rourke uttered her famous line was creepy, and I just knew something terrifying was going to happen.

Truth is, when I finally saw Poltergeist years later, I didn't find it all that frightening.

I liked Signs better.

The Thief of Bagdad

Top Ten - Fantasy (#9)

I liked this much better than The Birth of a Nation (although what's with the 3 hour long silent movies?) When I overlooked Douglas Fairbanks' overly dramatic gesticulations and gymnastics, I found it was exciting. It was the Indiana Jones of its day. I'm sure audiences cheered and booed, and got caught up in all the action.

Fairbanks was dashing, and his costar was named Snitz Edwards. Who just goes by the name of Snitz? I wish we used cool nicknames nowadays.

Oh, and you know what else? Douglas Fairbanks had an invisibility cloak long before Harry Potter did.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvFYcV84xv4

Superman

Stars - Marlon Brando (#4); Heroes - Superman (#26)

I'm not real big on comic book movies, but I liked Superman. Christoper Reeve was dreamy and Gene Hackman was delightfully evil.

It could have done without the countless sequels, though, and I never cared for Margot Kidder.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_917sNg0JyQ

When Harry Met Sally...

Laughs (#23); Stars - Billy Crystal (Current); Quotes - "I'll have what she's having" (#33); Songs - It Had to Be You (#60); Passions (#25); Top Ten - Romantic Comedy (#6)

If the question was simply Can a man and a woman be just friends without falling in love? instead of Can a man and a woman be just friends without having sex? I think I would have liked this movie a lot better. I really, really wish Hollywood would get that romantic relationships don't have to revolve around sex.

On the plus side, though, this movie has a great soundtrack - one that introduced Harry Connick Jr. to the world.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pN8OccsbPA

A Clockwork Orange

Top 100 (#46/70); Thrills (#21); Villains - Alex DeLarge (#12); Top Ten - Science Fiction (#4)

I watched about five minutes of this, decided I didn't need two hours of sex and violence, and turned it off. And that's all of a review that I'm going to do.

The Palm Beach Story

Laughs (#77); Stars - Claudette Colbert (#12)

The wife of a struggling inventor is convinced that divorcing him is the only way to further his career. She leaves him and flirts with a wealthy millionaire, hoping that in so doing, she can help her husband.

This is a sweet slapstick comedy, and I loved how her husband was willing to go to great lengths to win her back.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kleA7y03mfU

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

Musicals (#21)

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers doesn't have the catchy songs that many musicals have. There's no Do-Re-Mi or I Feel Pretty or any of those other songs that we all love to sing along to. But the dancing is wonderful. The barn raising scene is what gives this movie its spot on the list.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yLx-7IyB70

My Fair Lady

Top 100 (#91); Stars - Audrey Hepburn (#3); Songs - I Could Have Danced... (#17); Passions (#12); Musicals (#8)

I love musicals, and I love this story. I love the romance that comes not out of heated passion but of a true understanding of each other. I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face is one of the most romantic songs ever written, and Rex Harrison delivers it perfectly.

I would have liked to see Julie Andrews in the role of Eliza, just to see if that would have been better. Audrey Hepburn was good, but she's never been one of my favorite actresses. Nevertheless, I do really enjoy this movie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34IhQdYfkIc

The Lady Eve

Laughs (#55); Stars - Henry Fonda (#6), Barbara Stanwyck (#11); Passions (#26)

Barbara Stanwyck plays a con artist who's after Henry Fonda and his money in this romantic comedy.

This was the first time I've seen Fonda in a romantic lead role, and he's definitely charming. Stanwyck, too, was charming. But something in this movie just didn't click. Maybe I didn't like how manipulative she was. Maybe it was that I couldn't find a basis for their romance. Maybe I thought he should have wised up a bit. Anyway, the movie was just okay to me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kk86Zj-HFX4

Fantasia

Top 100 (#58); Top Ten - Animation (#5)

I don't mind classical music, and I'm all for finding creative ways to introduce classical music to children. But in all honesty, I thought Fantasia was boring. It had it's moments, like The Sorcerer's Apprentice and the sequence with ostriches and hippos dancing ballet, but for the most part, it dragged on.

Oh, and what was with the evolution lesson in the middle of it? Real nice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEjPDS8Jp1E

Harvey

Laughs (#35); Stars - James Stewart (#3); Top Ten - Fantasy (#7)

Elwood P. Dowd has a special friend - a 6 foot pookah (not rabbit) named Harvey. Harvey's existence causes concern for Elwood's sister, who thinks Elwood belongs in a mental institution. But Elwood and Harvey's friendship is harmless, and most people find it endearing.

Jimmy Stewart is my most favorite actor, and Elwood P. Dowd was his favorite role. For a man with as impressive a resume as Stewart had, that's saying a lot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvfXvW2wsuQ

Chicago

Songs - All That Jazz (#98); Musicals (#12)

When my sister and I saw this movie, our first thought was "Crap! Not only is Catherine Zeta-Jones beautiful, but she can sing and dance, too!" And she can. She turns in a wonderful performance as Velma Kelly. Equally impressive are Queen Latifah, John C. Reilly, and Richard Gere. The only one I don't like is Renee Zellweger, but then I don't like her in any movie.

It's sexy and bawdy, but Chicago is my guilty pleasure.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ka7K2NPZAIQ

12 Angry Men

Top 100 (Revised - #87); Thrills (#88); Stars - Henry Fonda (#6); Cheers (#42); Heroes - Juror #8 (#28); Top Ten - Courtroom (#2)

Eleven jurors are ready to convict a young man for killing his father. One juror isn't so sure. He fights with the others to sift through the evidence before they make a decision.

I like courtroom drama, and this is well done.

Oh, and guess what? One of the jurors is played by Piglet! Well, the guy who voiced Piglet. Yay!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjRYwa-hrPY

Beauty and the Beast

Songs - Beauty and the Beast (#62); Passions (#34); Top Ten - Animated (#7); Musicals (#22)

Ah, Disney, you do so well when you use a tale as old as time as the storyline to your animated films. Your recent announcement that you were no longer doing fairy tales showed poor business sense. Fairy tales are what Disney does best. It always has been. Skip the movies about computers and talking dogs. Go back to the basics. Disney is about magic, the kind of magic where a pretty girl falls in love with a beast.

Beauty and the Beast is classic Disney - a fairy tale romance, cute supporting characters, a dastardly villain (oh, how I love to hate Gaston!), and wonderful songs. It really should have made the Top 100.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhG9hKiplfQ

The Adventures of Robin Hood

Thrills (#100); Score (#11); Heroes - Robin Hood (#18)

Errol Flynn is at his swashbuckling best in this movie. It's an exciting story, one that Hollywood has told countless times. (I think Prince of Thieves is my favorite, because Alan Rickman is fabulous, although I also love Disney's animated version). This is one of the earliest tellings, though, and it's terrific.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32uvu4pIoT4

Fiddler on the Roof

Cheers (#82)

The Sound of Music may be the greatest musical of all time, but Fiddler on the Roof is my favorite.

Tevye loves his daughters and will do anything for them. But when he has to choose between pleasing his daughter and obeying his God, the decision brings tears. I love his humanness.

The songs are great, too. If I Were a Rich Man; Matchmaker, Matchmaker; Miracle of Miracles - all terrific!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKxH4fiA5-A