Classic Movies

[R*R]

I take it you have seen One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. Jack Nicholson at his best. Would this be defined as a classic yet?

[R*R]

Oh and something fun for Hitchcock movies is trying to figure out where he appears in his own movies as in most of them he makes a very short cameo. If you google you will finds sites that tell where he appears.

[DoubleDealDecker]

A Clockwork Orange
The Bride of Frankenstein
The Searchers
Duck Soup

[swede554]

The Guns of Navarone is a great classic war/action/drama/adventure movie. I've seen it a couple of times, it was actually one of my favorite movies as a kid. There's this one scene that scared me(as it would most 10 years old) if you watch it you'll know which scene it is.

Anyhow to lazy to write up review of it so here's the sypnosis from Wikipedia:
"The Guns of Navarone is a 1961 film based on a well-known 1957 novel about World War II by Scottish thriller writer Alistair MacLean. It starred Gregory Peck, David Niven and Anthony Quinn. The book and the film share the same basic plot: the efforts of an Allied commando team to destroy a seemingly impregnable German fortress that threatens Allied naval ships in the Aegean Sea, and prevents 2,000 isolated British troops from being rescued."

[TheDudeAbides]

So I rented Casablanca this weekend due to the overwhelming praise for it here, and I wasn't disappointed. I was a little worried heading in that, after all the hype I've heard about it, it wouldn't live up. But it did. Great call.

Bogart is seriously bad-ass. That may be one of the greatest characters I've ever seen in a movie. I'm sure I'm the only one around here who hasn't seen it, so I'm not worried about spoilers. But I was pleasantly surprised by the ending. I was anticipating a happy ending where he gets the girl, but alas it wasn't to be. Which is great, because I expected all these classic movies to be highly formulaic and predictable. Whoever mentioned the quality of the last scene, and the memorable lines from it - was bang on. I watched it twice.

I think I'd actually like to attack the classic Westerns next. I have a good foundation (well, I've seen some of them anyway) and would love to see some more.

So, let's say starting at the beginning - what are the ones I must see? I'd like to watch them chronologically if possible. Where do I start? I know that a lot of you mentioned some in this thread, but where to begin?

[diebitter]

Western tend to fall into 3 groupings in my estimation: pre 1965 or thereabouts (Fistful of Dollars is the turning point) where the Amwrican western is supreme, then mid 60s to early/middle 70s, then post mid 70s.

The best of each era, IMHO, is The Searchers, Good the Bad and the Ugly (though Once Upon a Time in the West is of equal qualitym but a deeper and slightly less accessible work), and Unforgiven (though Josey Walws comes close).

I have a soft spot for Quick and the Dead among recent westerns though, but that's a guilty pleasure.

What other categories do you like? Scifi and horror are particularly rich areas for hidden gems.

[esad]

[ QUOTE ]
Which is great, because I expected all these classic movies to be highly formulaic and predictable.

[/ QUOTE ]

You've got it a bit reversed. Today since most studios movies cost so much to make they almost always have the formulaic happy ending. Back in 20s, 30s, 40s, etc. when the studio system was in place they could take a chance on movies that didn't cost too much and were easy to recoup money on.

There are tons of older movies that have downright depressing endings. There are also of course tons of movies with the typical formulaic endings were everything is sugar and spice.

[TheDudeAbides]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Which is great, because I expected all these classic movies to be highly formulaic and predictable.

[/ QUOTE ]

You've got it a bit reversed. Today since most studios movies cost so much to make they almost always have the formulaic happy ending. Back in 20s, 30s, 40s, etc. when the studio system was in place they could take a chance on movies that didn't cost too much and were easy to recoup money on.

There are tons of older movies that have downright depressing endings. There are also of course tons of movies with the typical formulaic endings were everything is sugar and spice.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah. My experience with the classic movies are mostly films I saw with my grandmother, who's a sucker for a happy ending (whew - thank the Lord I didn't post this in OOT...).

[Blarg]

Try to go through John Ford's movies. He's the iconic western director, and his are the flicks usually pointed out as the best in the genre. The reason everybody knows Monument Valley is because of Ford. Tarantino says he knows whether he's going to get along with a new girlfriend by whether she likes Rio Bravo or not.

Two more good ones are Ride the High Country and High Noon, and, as a sort of closer to the style and belief system of the old westerns in much the way the arrival of Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns were, there's Shane. And of course The Wild Bunch and The Magnificent Seven are mandatory. The latter comes with an excellent commentary and supplementary features that add a ton of punch and color.

A fun thing is to pair a couple of these movies with their Japanese inspirations. See them first, then the Westerns that were made out of them. Interestingly, their director was himself inspired by American westerns, so there's a sort of circle of influence and tribute going on. The Magnificent Seven was inspired by The Seven Samurai, and For a Fistful of Dollars was inspired by Yojimbo. A lot of Kurosawa's work, and some older Japanese work in general, gives me the feeling of the western frontier. The world seems wild and harsh, and morality and civilization anywhere from extremely fragile to for all practical purposes non-existent.

There are too many other good ones to mention, but just as a fun treat, I'd like to recommend topping your western viewing off with another Japanese flick, but a modern one, that has been called a "noodle western." It's Tampopo, and is a funny and very likeable flick about a guy who is a sort of ramen soup version of Clint Eastwood's man with no name.

[entertainme]

The Lion in Winter

I just watched this again this weekend with my son, (first time he's seen it.) I love this movie. It's one of the few I could watch over and over again.

Peter O'Toole is King Henry II. He releases his queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, (Katherine Hepburn), from her confinement of 10 years for Christmas court with the goal of choosing his successor from their three sons.

<u>Prince John:</u> I thought I'd come and gloat a little.
<u>Eleanor:</u> Mother's tired. Come stick pins tomorrow morning; I'll be more responsive.
<u>Prince John:</u> It's no fun goading anyone tonight.

I really think I'd put this film on my top 10 list for the dialogue and acting.

(I realize you're looking at westerns now, but if you haven't seen this, put it on the list for another time.)