Well, let’s see… I guess the real boost for this piece began with Zack’s writing project re: Rolling Stone’s Top 500 Albums. We exchanged ideas on the music covered in that Issue, and each of us fashioned our personal listings as well.
And I suppose it is only natural to spread the conversation to another art form that we have both enjoyed: Film. And, in truth, the piece I am writing today had its genesis to some things that I started to record when Zack was still at NYU & while I was still trying to make a go of it selling Insurance over at Benefit Planning (*whew*… what a 3 years that was!)…
Anyway… I recently had a chance to jot down the names of some Film Titles… films that I really love… films that I never tire of seeing… movies I can see again, and again… and still again. There are plenty of great films that I have thoroughly enjoyed that are not on this list, and there are surely films on this list that are not great by any measure… but this is not The New Yorker, I am not Pauline Kael, nor am I any type of movie critic, nor am I trained in the study of film. This is simply a personal excursion thru some things that have added enjoyment to my life, and it is clearly not meant to be a listing of the “greatest films” ever made.
Try to look at what is “included” here, rather than what was “excluded”. I’ll have a few words later about omissions.
The Films are listed in no particular order; but just how they popped into my head… one exception: the #1 Film is in fact my #1 Film.
So get comfy… Jimbo has a story to tell… see you on the other side….
Dr. Zhivago Sweeping scenery, set to a wonderful score, period dress, the complexity of love, the back drop of the Russian Revolution… this is the complete package for me. The opening scene set the stage: the walk thru the barren steppe, the majesty of the Urals standing watch over the grave site of Zhivago’s mother, the wind turning up the leaves… and the orphan Yuri Zhivago listening to the howling wind striking against the window panes with only his mother’s balalaika to ease his loneliness. And my gosh… how beautiful Julie Christie was as Lara… wonderful eyes & a fragility to her expression. Yes, this was the love story of love stories.
Lawrence of Arabia I think I must have seen this movie at least six times when it came out & having seen it on the “big screen” it’s hard for me to think of seeing it any other way (I don’t care how big your home TV is). The desert scenes are simply breathtaking… and much like Zhivago, a spectacular musical score. What a cast! What about Jose Ferrer as the malevolent Turkish Bey? This is an amazing film… you just have to block out half a day to see it.
Bridge On the River Kwai The third of my David Lean Films. This is an Alec Guiness tour de force. I can think of few film characters besides Colonel Nicholson that I have enjoyed more… his allegiance to duty, honor put him in conflict with the “bigger picture” & it is only in the final scene when he confronts his own folly. Tremendous. And I don’t know why; but I always get a chill when the prisoners come marching into the camp whistling Colonel Bogey’s March. And Ladies… have you ever seen Bill Holden looking better? Mighty fit & trim!
Man For All Seasons I do love period films… for their scenery and costumes — and certainly this film does not disappoint in those categories. But it is Paul Scofield’s portrayal of Thomas More that makes this film outstanding (and, by the by, Robert Shaw as Henry VIII is first rate, too) and the “court room” scene is power packed, brilliantly scripted and Scofield’s performance gives weight to defending one’s principles. Masterful.
Lion in Winter The producer of this film, Marty Poll was a customer of ours at Chipp… but that’s not the reason for its inclusion here. No, it is here because of two great performances: Peter O’Toole as Henry & Katharine Hepburn as Eleanor. Their interplay was marvelous. Makes one wish that they could have collaborated on other projects.
Beckett Richard Burton and Peter O’Toole… do I have to say more? Both have marvelous “stage voices” that have translated superbly to film. Great script that begins with King Henry submitting himself to the lash… an act politically motivated for the day, it kept the citizens calm & eased the King’s torment over the murder (and his part in it) of Thomas Beckett… and then the story proceeds to tell us “how did we get here”. Great scene when Henry meets Beckett on the shores of Dover & Thomas reveals that his first allegiance was to God and the Church… and not to Henry… you can feel the cold and damp air of the sea… the grey sky of morning… the King experiencing the loss of person who he had seen as a “soul mate.”
Tom Jones A “period” film of a different stripe. This is a film adaptation of Fieldings novel (of the same name) & if I recall my High School English, Tom Jones is considered to be the first book written in English in the “novel” form. Now, that’s neither here nor there as far as the movie is concerned; but I’ll tell you what is… a terrific performance by the young Albert Finney, a hilarious performance by Hugh Griffith, a marvelous musical backing — harpsichord and all, and this: unquestionably the finest eating scene ever made. Besides the varieties of the foods consumed, it was the way the food was consumed… yes, the woman’s cleavage might have been a bit of a distraction; but it was the manner of eating course after course of food & drinking wine that turned thoughts to “bedroom pursuits”… “Excuse me waiter? Can I please have our check!”
Glory I think I could listen to Morgan Freeman read a menu. And certainly he is a part of my enjoyment of this film… his “speech”, a prayer really, that he shared with his comrades on the Eve of Battle made a believer of me. Denzel Washington turns in a first rate performance. And I thought that Matthew Broderick stole the show… I love the fact that he looked the age of Robert Gould Shaw… that officers, even “senior” officers (particularly coming from political appointments) could be so young. I thought his Boston accent rang true, and his voice overs were spot on… and when he volunteered his regiment to lead the assault, his voice fairly cracked, “I wish you could have seen the men yesterday, General… they showed heart.” And I had a catch in my throat… and when he prepared for the battle, making sure he looked the part of a leader, his red sash in place… he turns letters written to his mother over to a newspaper correspondent… joins his men… dismounts his horse and slaps its rump to send it scampering off thru the surf… I had a catch in my throat, again… and when the final battle scene took place, sound alternating between the sounds of battle, and the sound of the stirring music, again I was absorbed. Oh my, what a film.
Guns of Navaronne Another “Mars” film, this one set in WWII. And like many films of this “genre” the cast can take a story line & make it “explode”… which is exactly what happens with this film. Gregory Peck, Anthony Quinn, David Niven & Anthony Quayle all turn in terrific performances. Great pace to the story… and even the obviously “fake scenes” (the model boat in the “bath tub”, or the guns toppling into the water from the cliff) are passable. This is a wonderful film & just thinking about it — I can feel the testosterone coursing thru my veins.
The Train Big performances by Paul Scofield and Burt Lancaster (Jeanne Moreau also had a small role… and the curve of her lips & her expression was marvelously sensuous). Good story here. Scofield plays a Nazi officer with a weakness for exceptional French art… and on the eve of the liberation of Paris he sets to strip the Louvre of its collection and send it back into the Reich by train (for safe keeping)… Lancaster, a dispatcher in the Paris yards, and other members of the Underground fight to keep the paintings in France. Terrific movie… and I’m glad it’s in black and white.
All About Eve A terrific vehicle for Bette Davis; but somehow I think the movie would have dropped notches without George Sanders playing the arch cad, Addison DeWitt. His voice overs alone are worthy of some award. But still, Bette takes the prize with one of the most memorable lines ever on the big screen… she gulps down one dry martini, and then reaches for another & says, “Fasten your seat belts, it’s going to be a bumpy night…” Oh, you could die!
Working Girl I like watching Melanie Griffith traipsing about in her underwear. OK, so shoot me! But there is more… a fabulous opening sequence with a circular approach to the Statue of Liberty set to a wonderful Carly Simon tune. I love the bar scene when Griffith and Baldwin dance to Lady in Red (by the by, every woman should have at least one red dress just so they can dance to that song)… Harrison Ford does a credible job; but it’s Joan Cussack who steals the scenes as Griffith’s gum chewing pal with “gigantic hair”.
Lady Killers For Zack’s generation Alec Guiness is best remembered for his role in Star Wars as Obi-won Kenobe. For me he was Colonel Nicholson in Bridge On the River Kwai (and for roles in Lawrence of Arabia, Dr. Zhivago & Passage to India). But for my brother Paul he was known for his comedies! Lady Killers is Paul’s favorite movie, and it’s one of my favorites as well. Guiness armed with an obsequious smile, leads a pack of thugs (including a young Peter Sellers) in a planned heist that needs the help of an unwitting confederate… his land lady, Mrs. Wilberforce. Understated English Comedy. For those who prefer a broad farce, see below.
Start the Revolution Without Me I think it was Alan and Lynn who first told me about this film… a pure romp for Gene Wilder and Donald Sutherland. Funny scene after funny scene with the stars playing 2 sets of twins switched just after being born in a French country Inn… 2 brothers growing up in the Aristocratic d’Assissi Family from Corsica, and the other pair of brothers growing up as peasants in Paris… pure mayhem. But the finest scene is owned by Hugh Griffith, who plays King Louis… and dressed in a chicken suit, he enters the Ballroom to shocked stares of the assembled dressed in their finery, and says quietly as he makes his way down the grand stair case, “oh… my wife told me it was to be a costume ball.” And as funny as this film is… it has an absolutely terrible and stupid ending.
Shawshank Redemption From start to finish this is a great script and a magnificent performance by Morgan Freeman. Not a pretty setting, and there are a couple of upsetting scenes — but it all makes Andy Dufrayne’s path to freedom the Shawshank Penitentiary, and his “redemption” all the more worthwhile. And even more, the story offers a beautiful metaphor… being locked in a prison; but where “hope is a good thing”. The Warden’s role is wonderfully staged, and I love how his “look” is modified over the 20+ year period.
Casablanca Talk about never tiring of a film! I saw this movie for the first (and only time) on the “big screen” as an undergraduate at Union some 33 years ago. We had a Film Society that brought “The Classics” to our campus. It was one of the first videos that I have owned & I have seen countless times since. When I first saw it, I thought that Ingrid Bergman was beautiful, I feel the same today. There has never been a more breathtaking smile on the screen. Of course Bogart was terrific, as was Claude Rains. And while “Play it again, Sam” has worked its way into our lexicon of phrases, I prefer the line, “Paris? I remember it well… the Germans wore grey and you wore blue…”
The Christmas Carol (Alistair Sim) When I was a kid there were two versions of this Dickens classic that you could catch on TV… one with Reginald Owen, and the other with Alistair Sim. By the way, this was years before Cable TV and the advent of the VCR. Either movie could only been seen on either Channel 11, 9 or 5 (this was also well before the Fox Network ever existed). It would be aired on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, and usually at inconvenient times. My favorite version was with Reginald Owen… and it was only the rare occasion that I could catch it. Paul insisted that the Alistair Sim version was superior, and over the years I would come to see this as well. I still love to watch it… and play it at least 3 times during Christmas at times convenient to me, and not according to network programming. Hurrah for VCR technology!
The Producers The best Mel Brooks movie by far. Zero Mostel has never been funnier on film and Gene Wilder shines. And Ken Mars: “Churchill, Churchill, Churchill… the Fuehrer was a better Statesman than Churchill, the Fuehrer was a better General than Churchill, the Fuehrer was a better dancer than Churchill, the Fuehrer was a painter than Churchill… he could paint a room in 4 hours… two coats!” Perfect Brooks humor… and a plus… he wrote the music and lyrics for Springtime For Hitler. And during the casting call for the play?? “Dancing Hitlers to the left, singing Hitlers to the right…”
2001 A Space Odyssey Interesting movie. My father couldn’t make it thru the opening ape scenes. I loved how the music was used during the space scenes & the brevity of the dialogue. The movie opened when we were at Union & I had numerous acquaintances who saw the movie… just so they could experience the scene of traveling thru the monolith while stoned. I don’t know if that had been Arthur C. Clarke’s intent. How about the voice they used for HAL… “What are you doing Dave?”
Shakespeare in Love Real clever script… I loved how the story and actual lines from Romeo & Juliet and the Twelfth Night became interwoven into the plot of the movie itself. “anon good nurse, anon…” or “my sleeve wants for a button, where were my mistress’ eyes?”. Wonderful costuming, beautiful set design, terrific score and some might sexy scenes, too. Patty Dench turns in an outstanding performance as Queen Elizabeth. I can’t tell you how many times I have seen the movie since Shaina gave it to me as a present.
Pulp Fiction Zack introduced me to this film. Powerful film superbly written and executed… a spectacular cast. John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Harvey Keitel… great! And Uma Thurman? Sexiest Junkie I have ever seen in film. I love how Tarantino shifts the story from character to character, great pace, never a dull vignette. And the scene with Jed, Zed & the Gimp has to be one of the more disturbing scenes I’ve seen in film. The ending? Fabulous! Great Film Zeebo!
To Kill a Mockingbird This is one of two films that I have enjoyed to the same level as the book. And I adored this book. To this day I can’t read the book without seeing or hearing Gregory Peck’s voice as Atticus. He was such a marvelous actor, so many great roles; but perhaps this was his finest performance. I don’t know if the young actress who played Scout ever did anything else; buy my oh my, she was brilliant in the role. And what a story line… its relevancy is timeless.
North By Northwest Yes there are better Hitchcock Films; but this has been my favorite for awhile. I have always enjoyed Cary Grant (and I think he was also great in To Catch a Thief… a movie that just as easily could have been added to this listing) and one of my favorite scenes is when he meets Eva Marie Saint in the dinning car… I love their verbal exchange and gosh, does she have a beautifully soft voice. James Mason is an excellent villain, a young Martin Landau plays a good thug, and the concluding scenes around the massive heads of Mount Rushmore are legendary.
The Big Lebowski Another Film courtesy of Mr. Zachary. And to think that I couldn’t keep my eyes open the first time he put it on for me (I wasn’t logging a lot of regular sleep time in those days… I also slept thru Hunt For Red October). On the second go ’round I paid attention and laughed my ass off. John Goodman is so over the top funny in his role, Steve Buscemi (“You’re out of your element, Donnie”) was terrific, John Turturro was the best (“If you pull your piece on me, I’m going to take it and shove it up your ass and pull the trigger ’til it goes click, click”)… and the scene when Goodman goes and bashes in someone’s car with a crowbar is simply hysterical… “Are you looking at this Larry??? This is what happens when you fuck a stranger in the ass…” I love the gratuitous vulgarity!
Absence of Malice This is a Paul Newman and Sally Field story. I have always had a weakness for Sally Field (well… not as the Flying Nun). I love her “look”… just the right combination of “girl next door” and sexy “can I take you to bed”. Paul Newman has to be one of the screen’s most versatile actors. I love the story line here. Wilfred Brimley has a scene stealing role. And, as with many of my film favorites, there are scenes and settings that I love… when Newman leaves Field’s bed in the morning, finishes buttoning his shirt cuff, gives her a quick peck, and they make an arrangement for the next date… Fields looks terrific… it reminds me that I love the sight of a woman first thing in the morning, still in bed, hair mussed, no make-up and skin wonderfully warm to the touch… nothing is sexier.
Schindler’s List Spielberg owned the rights to the book for years before he put it on the big screen. I can remember reading the book when it was first published and thinking that it was a great tale… and particularly great because it actually happened… that even during the monstrosity that we know as the Holocaust, there were those that performed courageous acts. I have always been warmed by the various Memorials that have honored the “Righteous”… the Non-Jews who helped Jews, when to do so would put themselves, and their families, in harm’s way. Bravo to Spielberg for bringing the story of Oskar Schindler’s story to “life”. Outstanding film… and the concluding scene features the “Schindler Jews”, their descendants, and the actors & actresses who portrayed them in the film, each placing a stone (the old Jewish custom), or a flower on Schindler’s headstone, the words of Kaddish being recited… and I can not contain the flow of my tears.
Sophie’s Choice This is the second of my book/film favorites. I can remember reading 3 books within weeks of each other: The World According to Garp by John Irivng, Earthly Powers by Anthony Burgess & Sophie’s Choice by William Styron… I have never had a better threesome of books to read in my life. Brilliant writing. The screen success of Sophie’s Choice is a product of a wonderful screenplay and two stunning theatrical performances… Meryl Streep is riveting as Sophie (exceptional accent work) and Kevin Kline is a genius as Nathan… And when Stingo returns to Brooklyn to find Nathan and Sophie in death’s repose, he picks up the volume of Emily Dickinson and reprises the verse… “Ample make this bed…” Yes, there is a catch in my throat and a sadness that I feel…
Ten Commandments Yes, I watch it every year. And why the network plays it every Easter Sunday regardless of whether it coinicides with Passover or not, is a mystery to me. Maybe it is to give Jews something to do on Easter Sunday. But I watch it without fail. I love Edward G. Robinson’s portrayal of Dathan. But something is amiss… somehow the idea of Charlton Heston, Mr. Right Wing, crypto-fascist, NRA toady, playing our greatest Jewish Prophet no longer sits well with me.
Star Wars Yes, I have enjoyed them all… not like Zack; but I can’t think of a better rainy day movie. It was a delightfully fun science fiction romp with high tech special effects, creatures from different worlds, bracing musical score and an easy to follow story line. Alec Guiness is a great Ben Kenobe & James Earl Jones deserves some type of an award for doing the voice over for the evil Darth Vader, “I find your lack of faith disturbing…”
Zulu I saw this when it first came out in a “Drive-In” (do you remember hearing about those?). It has been a “staple” of mine ever since. It is a perfect 4:00PM on a Sunday afternoon, rush to get the chores finished & get comfy on the couch movie. Check out a young Michael Caine. The scenery is stunning, the action and pace is marvelous. I enjoy historical films that stick close to authenticity, and this film scores high marks in that department. As a bonus Richard Burton does the voice over at the end of the film when he reads the list of who was awarded the Victoria Cross for the Battle (most ever awarded for a single action).
What’s New Pussycat? Sure there are much better Woody Allen Films; but this is a film that is simple as hilarious as it is improbable. Yes, Woody wrote it; but it was Peter Sellers who absolutely made the film playing a crazy psychiatrist with a run away libido, long hair & a wine velvet suit… The film had a silly story line; but funny scene after funny scene. The best: a quay alongside the Seine, Sellers wants to commit suicide in a Viking manner, wraps himself in a Norwegian Flag and prepares to set himself afire in a boat… he is disrupted by the appearance of Woody Allen who happens to be celebrating his birthday with an impromptu feast on the same quay… Sellers accuses him of ruining his suicide… “You are a selfish gourmet.”
Saving Private Ryan I can’t think of a better battle scene than the opening sequence of this movie. Incredible. The sound alone can only be properly appreciated in the theatre. But after the Omaha landing we are left with a fairly simple story line… and I’ll be honest, I thought the hour long plots of the old TV Combat show had scripts that were as equally as good. That not withstanding… there is something exceptionally moving about the final scene where an aged Ryan now takes his wife & family to the grave site in France of the officer who laid down his life so many years before so that he could live. Ryan can not contain the emotion and the tears, and neither can I.
McCabe & Mrs. Miller This is a Western that strikes an authentic chord… it ain’t so pretty. It’s damp and cold, the smells aren’t so nice, the whores don’t look like they came out of Playboy, people are shot and die in stupid ways. Warren Beatty and Julie Christie turn in terrific performances, and there is a satisfying trick ending. No, this is not John Wayne, not a classic stylized John Ford Western… it’s better!
Well… I think should about do it. I am sure that upon further reflection I could probably add another ten titles or so.
Just from a film standpoint there have been a couple of movies that I have loved for one reason or another; but somehow just “miss” it on whether I would want to see them on the drop of a hat… Godfather, Citizen Kane, Gone With the Wind & Deer Hunter come immediately to mind.
Perhaps, for those who know me, there are more surprising omissions.
First, the Marx Brothers. I adore them (and also the most perfect foil in any movie: Margaret Dumont). And as much as I laugh my way thru their dialogue, I don’t have a real favorite film… but not to disappoint you, pick from the following list: Night at the Opera, Duck Soup or Day at the Races.
Second, Charlie Chaplin. I think I must have been ten or so when my Dad would take me to a small revival theatre on the Upper East Side to see Charlie Chaplin movies. I had to be the youngest kid in there by miles; but no body laughed harder than me. And when the house lights went up people just stared at me. But I would be hard pressed to come up with even the names of the films that sent me roaring. My father-in-law gave me a collection of his shorter pieces; but unfortunately the quality of the recordings are lacking. But make no mistake, Charlie Chaplin is “King” for me… and it is easy to trace his talent thru to Groucho, and then to Woody. And one more thing… Chaplin will always be in my heart because of the way that he connects me to my Dad.
Third, Abbott & Costello. I think that I must have been of a same age as I was for Chaplin when I first started to watch Abbott & Costello movies on Sunday mornings. This was somewhat of an event for our home… the movies would be aired at 11:00AM on Channel 11… and my companion for these films was usually my Aunt Tiny… now in fact, she didn’t like the films; but pretended that she did for my benefit… we would get comfy on our couch in the den sharing a pillow… and with every scene that sent me into a paroxysm of laughter she would give me a kiss. And boy could I laugh… yes, “Who’s on First?” is a classic routine, that I never tire of; but for my money funniest routine is “The Susquehanna Hat Company on Bagel St”.
Fourth, Disney Feature Length Animated Films. Again, for those who know of my habits, these films actually constitute a separate category alone to themselves. This is not a news flash… I adore these films. To this day… I take a “Disney nap” when sleep debt reaches too high… I put one of my favorites in the VCR, take off my glasses, get comfortable on a couch, or on the floor, close my eyes and get swept to my dreams on the dialogue & the music. For those keeping score I rank them in the following order: Beauty and the Beast, Little Mermaid, Lion King, Sleeping Beauty, Fantasia & Jungle Book.
There is another genre that I have left off… the musical, either a translation from the stage (like Fiddler on The Roof) or made specifically for film (like Mary Poppins). And while there certainly have been movies that I have enjoyed, there is only one that I would single out: Cabaret. It is, coincidently, the only movie that surpassed its stage version (although I have not seen Chicago, many folks say that it also is superior to the stage version). Cabaret was greatly helped by the retention of Joel Grey as the sensational M.C. from the original cast production & the addition of Liza Minelli to play a superb Sally Bowes. Their romp thru the musical number “Money” is worth the price of admission.
And then there are the “stars”… films that are good because the actors who portray their parts do such great work. In general, I would sit and watch a film that one of the following… Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, Tom Hanks, Robert Duvall, Dustin Hoffman… and there are probably a couple of others… I just forget.
Anyway… that’s a “wrap”, as they say in Hollywood. A bit of journey thru what makes me tick, I guess.
Nice to visit with you; but I have to run… a couple of errands still to do & I want to be home in time to catch The Big Lebowski on the Comedy Channel at 3:30PM.
Love and Kisses to you all…Jimbo