The Philadelphia Story (1940) Starring Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant and James Stewart Directed by George Cukor Written by Donald Ogden Stewart (screenplay) and Phillip Barry (original play) In the very first scene of The Philadelphia Story, we see wealthy socialite CK Dexter Haven (Grant) packing his bags into his trunk angrily. His wife Tracy Lord … Continue reading The AFI Top 100 Films: The Philadelphia Story (#51)
Category: Movies
The AFI Top 100: A Streetcar Named Desire (#45)
A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) Starring Vivien Leigh, Marlon Brando, Kim Hunter and Karl Marlden Written by Tennessee Williams (play) and Oscar Saul (adaptation) Directed by Elia Kazan This one is definitely an actor's showcase. Director Elia Kazan gathered mostly Broadway stars to repopulate their roles in Tennessee Williams' intense play, including Marlon Brando and … Continue reading The AFI Top 100: A Streetcar Named Desire (#45)
The AFI Top 100 Films: A Clockwork Orange (#46)
A Clockwork Orange (1971) Starring Malcolm McDowell Written by Stanley Kubrick (screenplay) and Anthony Burgess (novel) Directed by Stanley Kubrick There's a lot to see in A Clockwork Orange that apparently isn't really there. Numerous interviews with the author reveal that there doesn't seem to be much thought behind a lot of the most iconic … Continue reading The AFI Top 100 Films: A Clockwork Orange (#46)
Movie Review: Melancholia
Melancholia (2011) Starring Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsborough and Kiefer Sutherland Written and Directed by Lars von Trier Lars von Trier is one of those directors with a distinct, uncompromising vision. You get the feeling when you see one of his movies that every shot is exactly the way he wanted it to look, and every … Continue reading Movie Review: Melancholia
The AFI Top 100 Movies: Taxi Driver (#47)
Taxi Driver (1976) Starring Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd Directed by Martin Scorcese Written by Paul Schrader Taxi Driver is a movie that's more fun to think about than to watch. It moves with a rather ponderous pace, with long shots of characters staring or significant gaps in conversation that seem to encourage … Continue reading The AFI Top 100 Movies: Taxi Driver (#47)
The AFI Top 100 Films: Jaws (#48)
(Ed. Note -- You might have noticed that we've skipped a few movies on this list. We saw The Philadelphia Story (#51) fairly recently, so it wasn't included in our watch list. And we're saving Snow White and the Seven Dwarves for our run of Disney animated movies, coming up right after we finish the AFI … Continue reading The AFI Top 100 Films: Jaws (#48)
The AFI Top 100 Movies: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (#50)
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) Starring Paul Newman, Robert Redford and Katherine Ross Directed by George Roy Hill Written by William Goldman I'm not really sure what I was expecting when I sat down to watch this movie, but I have to say it was a delightful surprise. Most westerns from this era … Continue reading The AFI Top 100 Movies: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (#50)
The AFI Top 100 Films: From Here to Eternity (#52)
From Here to Eternity (1953) Starring Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Deborah Kerr and Donna Reed Directed by Fred Zimmerman Written by Daniel Taradash From Here to Eternity almost comes across as a melodrama, and without a doubt all of the ingredients are there. Shocking revelations from damaged people with haunted pasts, villains who are infuriatingly … Continue reading The AFI Top 100 Films: From Here to Eternity (#52)
Coming Back From the Point of No Return
Ryan and I saw Dream House over the weekend, and it was interesting for reasons that ultimately didn't have anything to do with its actual story. I'll try to briefly describe what happens without spoiling it, just in case any of you are interested in watching a psychological thriller from last year starring James Bond … Continue reading Coming Back From the Point of No Return
The AFI Top 100 Movies: Amadeus (#54)
Amadeus (1984) Starring F. Murray Abraham, Tom Hulce and Elizabeth Berridge Written by Peter Shaffer Directed by Milos Forman I think we're getting into the stretch of the top 100 where there are nothing but good movies left; each of these movies does exactly what they set out to do, exemplifying the craft of film-making … Continue reading The AFI Top 100 Movies: Amadeus (#54)
From the Desk of Jakebe T. Rabbit 