Rear Window (1954) Starring James Stewart and Grace Kelly Directed by Alfred Hitchcock Written by John Michael Hayes (screenplay) and Cornell Woolrich (short story) There is so much that impressed me about this movie that it's difficult to know where to begin. This was the second of four collaborations between director Alfred Hitchcock and star … Continue reading The AFI Top 100 Films: Rear Window (#42)
Category: Reviews
The AFI Top 100 Films: King Kong (#43)
King Kong (1933) Starring Fay Wray, Bruce Cabot and Robert Armstrong Written by James Ashmore Creelman and Ruth Rose (screenplay), Merian C. Cooper and Edgar Wallace (story) Directed by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack I think most people from my generation know all about King Kong but haven't actually seen it. We know … Continue reading The AFI Top 100 Films: King Kong (#43)
The AFI Top 100 Films: The Philadelphia Story (#51)
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)
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 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)
My Love Affair with Parks and Recreation
I gave Parks and Recreation a miss when it premiered on April 9th, 2009, because I made the mistake of thinking that it was just trying to capture lightning in a bottle twice. The mockumentary-style comedy was becoming a thing after the success of The Office, and it just felt like NBC wanted something that … Continue reading My Love Affair with Parks and Recreation
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 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 