Some decades were harder to pick from than others. From the 1970s through today it was very hard to just pick 10 movies. For the 1940s it was hard to even find 10. Despite people's love for this era of moviemaking, I am not a fan of it. Film noir doesn't grab me. I don't particularly like the work of Orson Welles and Hitchcock and the phony way Bogart speaks in his films turns me off what others consider classics (Casablanca, Maltese Falcon). Still I muddled through and got 10 for each decade, minus the 1920s which I am woefully behind on.
There is no 1 to 10, because any one of these could be my favorite for that time period at a given moment. And if you wondered what my final criteria was, it is this. How many of these films have I seen multiple times and would watch again. Certain movies like Schindler's List, I have no desire to ever see again, despite acknowledging their greatness. Others like Clerks fell greatly in my esteem upon second viewings. I've seen most of these movies multiple times and will stop surfing the remote if one of these happens to be on. I'd love your feedback and challenges to any films listed or not. And please rent some of these if you haven't seen them already. I doubt you'll be disappointed.
The Freditor
1920s--Only saw one movie from this decade and really liked it.
Metropolis
1930s
King Kong
Of Mice and Men
It Happened One Night
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
The Wizard of Oz
Gone With the Wind
Robin Hood
A Night at the Opera
Duck Soup
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
1940s
Treasure of the Sierra Madre
The Great Dictator
Going My Way
Holiday Inn
Miracle on 34th Street
Shop Around the Corner
The Grapes of Wrath
Bells of St. Mary's
Oliver Twist
Three Godfathers
1950s
All About Eve
Mr. Roberts
African Queen
The Killing
The Night of the Hunter
The Quiet Man
12 Angry Men
Guns of Navarone
Singing in the Rain
The Caine Mutiny
1960s
Planet of the Apes
The Sound of Music
West Side Story
To Sir with Love
In the Heat of the Night
Dr. Strangelove
Inherit the Wind
Mad Mad World
Spartacus
To Kill a Mockingbird
1970s
The Godfather 1, 2
Jaws
The Exorcist
French Connection
Rocky 2
Blazing Saddles
Taking the Pelham 1 2 3
Network
All the President's Men
Patton
1980s
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Poltergeist
Rain Man
Field of Dreams
The Untouchables
Wall Street
Die Hard
Platoon
Aliens
Empire Strikes Back
1990s
Forrest Gump
Lion King
Dumb and Dumber
Babe
Goodfellas
Silence of the Lambs
Terminator 2
Toy Story 2
Saving Private Ryan
LA Confidential
2000s
King Kong
Lord of the Rings 2, 3, 1
Kill Bill Vol. 1
School of Rock
Elf
Snatch
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
The Incredibles
The Bourne Identity, Ultimatum
Traffic
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Whoops, one little bit of trivia I forgot to add to my Charlton Heston obituary
I made such a big deal about Charlton Heston walking with Martin Luther King during King's March on Washington and then sitting on the dais for the I Have a Dream speech. What I failed to note was that while America celebrated and mourned Dr. King on Friday, April 4 this year, the 40th Anniversary of King's death, Charlton Heston died the very next day, April 5.
The Freditor
The Freditor
Monday, April 21, 2008
Charlton Heston, one of my all-time favorite actors, dies at the age of 84
Charlton Heston stands with Sidney Poitier and Harry Belafonte after MLK's March on Washington.July 23, 2001--The legendary Ziegfield Movie Theatre in New York City, my friend Bob and I were standing along the ropes of the red carpet for the premiere of the remake of Planet of the Apes. We took photos and watched as stars like Mark Wahlberg, Paul Giamatti and Helena Bonham Carter passed by, but we were both psyched to see a cast member who had a small role in the new film--Charlton Heston.
Heston was 77 then and a little shaky, but he looked happy there with his wife of 60+ years and college sweetheart, Lydia. A year later we would find out he had Alzheimer's, but that night was something special for Heston and especially for Bob and I. That was the only time either of us would ever see the man. We grew up watching and loving the Planet of the Apes (POTA) series and became Huge fans of its original star Heston. In the film he was as comfortable giving dense speeches as written by Twilight Zone's Rod Serling, as performing the half-naked stunts and showing anger, fear, tenderness and unyielding strength. I can't imagine another actor having the skills to fulfill the role of Taylor. Because of that part and that film, until I was about 20 years old, Charlton Heston was my favorite actor. I caught as many movies as I could of the man in that pre-video era.
Nearly 7 years later, Bob calls me and tells me that the Ziegfield will be holding a retrospective in honor POTA's 40th Anniversary. On March 29th, we go to see POTA on a big screen for the first time in our adult lives. We were surrounded by about 100 die-hard Ape fans and we chatted with them for about 20 minutes before the show started. We discussed several different things, but one subject that came up was Heston's failing health. Why do so many great minds fall to Alzheimer's? We put those thoughts away as we enjoyed the majesty of the film. It was my 2nd time seeing POTA in a theatre, Bob's 3rd. But just one week later, on the morning of April 6th, Bob calls to tell me that Charlton Heston had died. Very sad, but it had to be a relief to him and his family. You can't live a fuller life than he did.
My second favorite Heston film is The Ten Commandments. I've seen it only a few times less than POTA. The physical transformation that he goes through in that film is similar to the one he goes through in POTA, until the burning bush and his white mane come along. As a youngster, I never thought about the fact that this tall, blond WASP would play the leader of the Jews. He seemed perfectly cast for the part and I have yet to see another Moses who is as regal. Some of his roles were great, like in Ben-Hur, The Big Country, as John the Baptist in The Greatest Story Ever Told, Soylent Green and Major Dundee. Some were just so-so like in: The Greatest Show on Earth, Touch of Evil, Earthquake, Midway and Airport 1975. But he was never boring.
However, when I turned 20 in 1986 I had become a serious movie fan and when I watched other actors I found Heston to be a bit hammy. But his hamminess was part of that old-school approach to acting that started to disappear a few years after Heston had established himself. Though only 1 year older than Marlon Brando, their acting styles were generations apart. Heston was brought up in the theatrical tradition of acting that had dominated film for its first 50 years. The overacting and precise diction that bore little resemblance to real life. Brando was from the new school of method actors that paused and slurred their words to bring more realism to the screen. While Brando's style became the dominant form for the next 50 years of filmmaking, there was obviously still a strong call for Heston's style because he was the Top Box Office star of the '50s, '60s and early '70s.
By the time he made Planet of the Apes in 1967, he was king in the cinema world. Already an Oscar winner for Best Actor for Ben Hur and star of two Best Picture winners. For such a big star and serious actor to take part in a science fiction film was unheard of at the time. It was a risk, but one that paid off handsomely. From what I hear, Heston had such faith in the film's success that he took less money up front for a bigger percentage of the film's profits. It made $33 Million in just the US in 1968, an incredible amount for the time. Along with 2001-A Space Odyssey, Planet of the Apes ushered in a new era of serious science fiction filmmaking which would eventually culminate in Close Encounters and Star Wars nine years later.
His role in the new POTA in 2001 was a throwaway part that was more camp than serious acting. The whole movie was a big letdown after 30 years of praying for a new film by its legions of fans. Actually, my favorite acting jobs by Heston in the last 15 years were in True Lies as Arnold Schwarzenegger's angry boss and his hosting of Saturday Night Live in 1993. The writers that week pulled out all the stops and made one of the funniest shows of the last two decades. I'm sure many Heston fans like myself never realized how funny the man could be. Back then Phil Hartman, Chris Farley, Norm MacDonald, Mike Myers and Adam Sandler were all on the show and had memorable moments with Heston. Other than the obvious Apes skits, my favorite was called Bag Man. In it Heston plays an elderly stock boy working in a supermarket. When manager Phil Hartman attempts to fire him, Heston starts describing these horrific things that a man "could" do if he were pushed. All the while menacingly holding a box cutter, by the end of the skit, a very anxious Hartman is offering him a raise.
But the thing that most amazes me about Heston is his early political beliefs. While he later became a cause celebre for the right wing, from the '50s to the early '70s he was a noted liberal democrat with a strong belief in the civil rights of black people. In fact, after making The Ten Commandments and Ben-Hur he became quite caught up in the whole freedom movement. When Martin Luther King had his march on Washington and later gave the I Have a Dream speech, Heston was right by his side. Unfortunately, he is cut out of most of the pictures you see. But for a white man of his stature to stand with Dr. King that day was a very brave thing to do. Despite the hullabaloo you hear nowadays, most of America hated King and what he stood for back then. Anyone attached to that cause put themselves at great risk, if not physically, at least monetarily.
I don't care about Heston's love of guns and ascendancy to the head of the NRA. I attribute some of his later political beliefs to his eventual delirium. He was a tall, statuesque man who played parts that were larger than life and indeed lived a life that was larger than most. I'm glad he's getting such a loud sendoff.
The Freditor
Heston was 77 then and a little shaky, but he looked happy there with his wife of 60+ years and college sweetheart, Lydia. A year later we would find out he had Alzheimer's, but that night was something special for Heston and especially for Bob and I. That was the only time either of us would ever see the man. We grew up watching and loving the Planet of the Apes (POTA) series and became Huge fans of its original star Heston. In the film he was as comfortable giving dense speeches as written by Twilight Zone's Rod Serling, as performing the half-naked stunts and showing anger, fear, tenderness and unyielding strength. I can't imagine another actor having the skills to fulfill the role of Taylor. Because of that part and that film, until I was about 20 years old, Charlton Heston was my favorite actor. I caught as many movies as I could of the man in that pre-video era.
Nearly 7 years later, Bob calls me and tells me that the Ziegfield will be holding a retrospective in honor POTA's 40th Anniversary. On March 29th, we go to see POTA on a big screen for the first time in our adult lives. We were surrounded by about 100 die-hard Ape fans and we chatted with them for about 20 minutes before the show started. We discussed several different things, but one subject that came up was Heston's failing health. Why do so many great minds fall to Alzheimer's? We put those thoughts away as we enjoyed the majesty of the film. It was my 2nd time seeing POTA in a theatre, Bob's 3rd. But just one week later, on the morning of April 6th, Bob calls to tell me that Charlton Heston had died. Very sad, but it had to be a relief to him and his family. You can't live a fuller life than he did.
My second favorite Heston film is The Ten Commandments. I've seen it only a few times less than POTA. The physical transformation that he goes through in that film is similar to the one he goes through in POTA, until the burning bush and his white mane come along. As a youngster, I never thought about the fact that this tall, blond WASP would play the leader of the Jews. He seemed perfectly cast for the part and I have yet to see another Moses who is as regal. Some of his roles were great, like in Ben-Hur, The Big Country, as John the Baptist in The Greatest Story Ever Told, Soylent Green and Major Dundee. Some were just so-so like in: The Greatest Show on Earth, Touch of Evil, Earthquake, Midway and Airport 1975. But he was never boring.
However, when I turned 20 in 1986 I had become a serious movie fan and when I watched other actors I found Heston to be a bit hammy. But his hamminess was part of that old-school approach to acting that started to disappear a few years after Heston had established himself. Though only 1 year older than Marlon Brando, their acting styles were generations apart. Heston was brought up in the theatrical tradition of acting that had dominated film for its first 50 years. The overacting and precise diction that bore little resemblance to real life. Brando was from the new school of method actors that paused and slurred their words to bring more realism to the screen. While Brando's style became the dominant form for the next 50 years of filmmaking, there was obviously still a strong call for Heston's style because he was the Top Box Office star of the '50s, '60s and early '70s.
By the time he made Planet of the Apes in 1967, he was king in the cinema world. Already an Oscar winner for Best Actor for Ben Hur and star of two Best Picture winners. For such a big star and serious actor to take part in a science fiction film was unheard of at the time. It was a risk, but one that paid off handsomely. From what I hear, Heston had such faith in the film's success that he took less money up front for a bigger percentage of the film's profits. It made $33 Million in just the US in 1968, an incredible amount for the time. Along with 2001-A Space Odyssey, Planet of the Apes ushered in a new era of serious science fiction filmmaking which would eventually culminate in Close Encounters and Star Wars nine years later.
His role in the new POTA in 2001 was a throwaway part that was more camp than serious acting. The whole movie was a big letdown after 30 years of praying for a new film by its legions of fans. Actually, my favorite acting jobs by Heston in the last 15 years were in True Lies as Arnold Schwarzenegger's angry boss and his hosting of Saturday Night Live in 1993. The writers that week pulled out all the stops and made one of the funniest shows of the last two decades. I'm sure many Heston fans like myself never realized how funny the man could be. Back then Phil Hartman, Chris Farley, Norm MacDonald, Mike Myers and Adam Sandler were all on the show and had memorable moments with Heston. Other than the obvious Apes skits, my favorite was called Bag Man. In it Heston plays an elderly stock boy working in a supermarket. When manager Phil Hartman attempts to fire him, Heston starts describing these horrific things that a man "could" do if he were pushed. All the while menacingly holding a box cutter, by the end of the skit, a very anxious Hartman is offering him a raise.
But the thing that most amazes me about Heston is his early political beliefs. While he later became a cause celebre for the right wing, from the '50s to the early '70s he was a noted liberal democrat with a strong belief in the civil rights of black people. In fact, after making The Ten Commandments and Ben-Hur he became quite caught up in the whole freedom movement. When Martin Luther King had his march on Washington and later gave the I Have a Dream speech, Heston was right by his side. Unfortunately, he is cut out of most of the pictures you see. But for a white man of his stature to stand with Dr. King that day was a very brave thing to do. Despite the hullabaloo you hear nowadays, most of America hated King and what he stood for back then. Anyone attached to that cause put themselves at great risk, if not physically, at least monetarily.
I don't care about Heston's love of guns and ascendancy to the head of the NRA. I attribute some of his later political beliefs to his eventual delirium. He was a tall, statuesque man who played parts that were larger than life and indeed lived a life that was larger than most. I'm glad he's getting such a loud sendoff.
The Freditor
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Witnessed a new Phenomenom at the movies last night--Kind of shocked me--fred
I'd read about them, but hadn't seen any yet. The R-Rated trailer or as the industry calls them "red band trailers" don't cut anything out for a general audience. In the past, you'd wait to see some horrific horror film with blood, guts and decapitated heads, but the trailers that they'd play before the movies would have menacing shadows during the killings and never any blood.
By the same token you'd never see nudity or hear curse words in a trailer because it might offend the audience that is there to see an R-Rated movie--How Stupid.
But in order to increase the hype and excitement for an upcoming release, the movie studios have taken off the gloves and decided to release red band trailers to give the audience a real idea of what the movie is about. To see one for the first time is exciting. Kind of like the first time you saw an uncut R-rated movie on cable TV. In the back of your mind you're saying, "Wow, I can't believe they are doing that on TV." Well that was my same reaction yesterday when I heard a character say the F-word in a trailer for the upcoming comedy, "Pineapple Express." "Wow, I can't believe they are using a word like that in a trailer." Then they show a man's brains gets blasted and a stoner putting his thumb through his fly to simulate a penis.
A couple more of these and I will not notice it anymore.
The Freditor
By the same token you'd never see nudity or hear curse words in a trailer because it might offend the audience that is there to see an R-Rated movie--How Stupid.
But in order to increase the hype and excitement for an upcoming release, the movie studios have taken off the gloves and decided to release red band trailers to give the audience a real idea of what the movie is about. To see one for the first time is exciting. Kind of like the first time you saw an uncut R-rated movie on cable TV. In the back of your mind you're saying, "Wow, I can't believe they are doing that on TV." Well that was my same reaction yesterday when I heard a character say the F-word in a trailer for the upcoming comedy, "Pineapple Express." "Wow, I can't believe they are using a word like that in a trailer." Then they show a man's brains gets blasted and a stoner putting his thumb through his fly to simulate a penis.
A couple more of these and I will not notice it anymore.
The Freditor
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