My Faves!!! - Part VI

Next up in my series, part VI, the 1980's.  Here's a decade that introduced the Rubik's Cube, Cabbage Patch Kids and parachute pants.  There are very few things that were good about the 80's, but I loved every minute of them!!  MTV, or MuchMusic here in Canada, changed my life.  John Hughes was a voice for every awkward teen out there.  The Blue Jays became a winning team!  Some movies that came out in that decade were absolutely terrible, but some, including the ones I will list here, were worth watching again and again.  I've rated 455 movies on imdb.com from this decade.  Here are what I consider the best of the best from the strangest decade I've lived through, the 1980's.

The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams
Directed by: Irvin Kershner
IMDB Rating: 8.8
Rotten Tomatoes: 96%

This was the first "Star Wars" experience I had in the theatres.  I was eight years old, already a huge fan of everything Luke Skywalker and Han Solo, and now I got to see them larger than life!  So happy it turned out to be the best movie of the series.  Dark, brooding, full of action and comedy, back-stabbing and cut open Tauntauns.  A movie that ends with the audience knowing there would be another follow up soon enough.  Darth is Luke's dad?!?  No freaking way!  Remember, no Internet back then to leak any plot points...this was a surprise to all of us!  This was a movie experience I'll never forget, and the movie has just gotten better and better with multiple views, now that I'm older and can understand better what was happening.  Here's hoping the next three turn out to be even half as good as "Empire".
- Director Irvin Kershner was George Lucas' teacher at USC.
- Only five people knew that Vader was Luke's father before the film was released.  The line was scripted as "Obi-Wan killed your father".  When James Earl Jones dubbed over the line "I am your father", he thought Vader was lying to Luke.  The five people were George Lucas, Irvin Kershner, Lawrence Kasden (co-writer), Mark Hamill (told just before the shooting of the scene) and Jones.

The Blues Brothers (1980)
Starring: John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Carrie Fisher, Cab Calloway, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles
Directed by: John Landis
IMDB Rating: 7.9
Rotten Tomatoes: 86%

Remember, this list is not a collection of the greatest movies of all time.  It is a collection of my favourites.  I realize a lot of people would not rank "The Blues Brothers" as one of their faves, but this is MY list, dammit!  The cool, the comedy, the music, the greatest car pileup ever filmed, it's all here.  I know it's hard to watch this movie with me because I'm always saying the next line.  I can't help myself.  I've seen the movie at least 50 times and still laugh my ass off.  I sit on the couch and sing along with James Brown, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin and Cab Calloway each and every time.  Just seeing some of the best Blues musicians jam (Steve Cropper and Donald Dunn fer chrissakes!) is worthy of being on this list.  I'll love it forever!
- The first prisoner to jump on a table and start dancing during "Jailhouse Rock" is Joe Walsh, famed Eagles band member.
- The "Bluemobile" is a 1974 Dodge Monaco.  A dozen were used in the movie, all purchased from the California Highway Patrol.  They all had "cop tires, cop suspension and a cop motor".

Airplane (1980)
Starring: Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Leslie Nielsen, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Directed by: Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker
IMDB Rating: 7.8
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%

Slapstick and parody comedy had been around forever before "Airplane" came out.  It took this genius comedy to raise it to an art form!  I have said, and still say, "Airplane" is pound for pound the funniest movie ever made.  Robert Hays is straight-faced brilliant.  Julie Hagerty, even with her horrible voice, matches him gag for gag.  But then enters Leslie Nielsen.  Nobody is better at this type of comedy than Mr. Nielsen.  "I am serious, and don't call me Shirley.".  I had to watch this movie four or five times before I could even hear all the jokes from laughing so much.  Fabulous cameos from Barbara Billingsley, Abdul-Jabbar, Peter Graves and my all time favourite, Ethel Merman.  By no means a perfect movie, but it'll make any bad mood turn itself around within minutes.
- The arguing "red zone/white zone" couple at the beginning of the movie were actual announcers from Los Angeles International Airport.  They were a married couple in real life.
- At heart, this is mostly a parody of the 1957 film "Zero Hour!" which was not meant to be funny but contained lines such as "We have to find someone who can not only fly this plane, but who didn't have fish for dinner!".

Raging Bull (1980)
Starring: Robert DeNiro, Cathy Moriarty, Joe Pesci
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
IMDB Rating: 8.3
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%

It's 33 years later and I'm still upset that "Ordinary People" beat "Raging Bull" for Best Picture at the Academy Awards.  This, for me, is Martin Scorsese's best film, artistically.  Filmed in gorgeous black and white, it is absolutely brutal in it's depiction of Jake LaMotta.  The opening credits, with DeNiro jumping up and down in the boxing ring in slow motion set to haunting music is worth the price of admission.  The actual boxing scenes have never been filmed so realistically, in both their violent intensity and the sounds that accompany them.  There is no other actor alive that could have portrayed LaMotta, DeNiro taking Method acting to a new level.  Much like other perfectly cast roles (George C. Scott in "Patton", Robert Duvall in "Apocalypse Now", Gene Hackman in "The Conversation") DeNiro became LaMotta.  It's a hard movie to watch, and may not be "entertaining" in the traditional sense, but there is no denying that this is a perfectly made film featuring two artists at their very best!
- The boxing scenes took six weeks to film because of their incredibly detailed choreography.  The scenes amount to about ten minutes of screen time.
- The early years of LaMotta were shot first, then production shut down for a few months so DeNiro could gain the 60 pounds required to play LaMotta later in life.
- When "Raging Bull" was first screened for Jake and Vicki LaMotta, he turned to her and asked "Was I really like that?".  She said "You were worse!".

Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981)
Starring: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, John Rhys-Davies, Paul Freeman, Denholm Elliott, Alfred Molina
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
IMDB Rating: 8.6
Rotten Tomatoes: 95%

Working in video stores for nearly 20 years, I was often asked "What's your favourite movie?".  I never had an answer, but I always said, if I were to only watch one movie over and over for the rest of my life, it would be "Raiders".  Love is not strong enough a word for how I feel about this film.  I saw it opening day when I was nine years old, and it scared the crap out of me!  I have subsequently seen it more times in a theatre than any other movie.  (Five more times in 1981 and whenever I could manage up to this day!).  It's thrilling, non-stop action has possibly the best pacing ever.  Ford is Jones, although, I think I could've been OK with Tom Selleck being Jones as well.  The bad guys get theirs and the good guys go, ultimately, unrewarded.  It's perfect!  Again, watching this movie with me can become excruciating...I know every line!  I just don't care, though.  Saying the lines with the characters is half the fun for me.  The other half is knowing exactly what will happen next and being rewarded every single time!  I LOVE this movie!!
- Indy's jacket and hat are on display at the Smithsonian.  His whip was sold at auction in 1999 for $43,000.
- Melissa Mathison, Harrison Ford's girlfriend at the time of filming, visited the set often and started to work on a script idea with Steven Spielberg during breaks in filming.  That script turned out to be...

E.T. - The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Starring: Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore, Dee Wallace, Peter Coyote
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
IMDB Rating: 7.9
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%

I will admit that this movie does not hold up well.  For some reason in today's world it doesn't hold the same wonder and magic as it did 30 years ago.  If you weren't there in 1982, you have no idea how wonderful this film was!  I was 10 years old, saw it at least five times in the theatre, and cried like a pregnant woman each and every time!  Was it because I wanted a pet of my own so badly?  Maybe.  More likely though was the way Spielberg made us feel about kids, aliens and the people who loved them.  Yes, it's a manipulative film.  It takes you on a ride from elation to unbearable sadness and back again, but isn't that why we go to the movies??  We want to escape from the drabby life we live day to day.  There are few movies that achieve that pure escapism as well as "E.T." did, and does, for me.  I get totally lost in it.  I almost never like kid actors, but this movie is a great example of an exception to the rule.  Henry Thomas was a marvel to watch, and Drew Barrymore proved at a very early age that she could easily hold the viewer's attention.  Just a truly beautiful film that every kid should see before they get all old and grumpy.
- Was test-screened at the Cannes Film Festival as an unofficial entry.  It received a standing ovation.
- The original intent was to have M&M's featured as E.T.'s candy of choice, but the Mars company turned down the request.  Reese's Pieces were chosen as a replacement and, as a result, sales skyrocketed.  Product placement became a huge business after "E.T.".

This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
Starring: Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, Rob Reiner
Directed by: Rob Reiner
IMDB Rating: 7.9
Rotten Tomatoes: 95%

The king of all parody is "Airplane".  The crown prince is "Spinal Tap".  This near perfect fake documentary is so funny it needs to be watched multiple times to hear all the jokes and see all the little nuances.  The wonderful thing about this film is how it was spawned from improvisation.  No script needed, just a general outline that led the actors in a certain direction.  It was the first of it's kind, and it led to such great films as "Best In Show" and "A Mighty Wind".  It's enjoyable, to me, to read about a real rock band's viewing of this movie and having them tell how accurate some of the situations were and are.  When someone says "These go to eleven" or "Hello, Cleveland!" and you know exactly what they're referring to, that's the mark of a great, long-lasting movie.
- Rob Reiner has said his character's name, Marty DiBergi, is taken from Martin Scorsese (Marty), Brian DePalm (Di), Steven Spielberg (Berg) and Federico Fellini (i).
- The only title on imdb.com to be rated out of 11.

The Terminator (1984)
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Michael Biehn, Lance Henriksen, Paul Winfield
Directed by: James Cameron
IMDB Rating: 8.1
Rotten Tomatoes: 100%

A machine from the future comes back in time to kill a woman whose son will one day be the leader of a rebellion that will rise up against the machines that control the future.  Kill the woman, take care of the kid, take care of the rebellion.  Brilliant!  The machine looks like Arnold Schwarzenegger.  Brilliant!  The ever-present drone of music throughout this film gives such a sense of dread, you can't look away.  Fantastic action sequences for it's time.  Arnie was a big name before this came out; he became a well-deserved super star action hero afterwards.  And James Cameron, in creating a whole new breed of action hero and anti-hero, all done on an incredibly low budget, became a huge player in Hollywood, soon to direct some of the most expensive movies in history.
- Arnie was cast as the terminator, but was committed to film "Conan The Destroyer" first.  During the wait, James Cameron spent his time working on another script.  That script was "Aliens".
- O.J. Simpson was considered for the title role, but producers felt his image was too "nice" to be seen as a cold-blooded killer.  Ha!

Back To The Future (1985)
Starring: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Crispin Glover, Lea Thompson
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
IMDB Rating: 8.5
Rotten Tomatoes: 96%

Here's another one of those films from my youth that I had so much fun watching that it has become part of my life.  Funny, touching, action-packed, it had it all.  I felt like I could relate to Michael J. Fox's portrayal of Marty McFly because he wasn't much older than me at the time.  He wore jeans and sneakers, got around town on a skateboard (I used a bike instead), argued with his parents and liked loud music.  Relatable!  The story, even if you want to find holes in it, played out beautifully...not at all too convoluted for the young audience it was aimed at.  Christopher Lloyd was a great choice for the wacky Dr. Brown and even Crispin Glover, pre-nuttiness, played his role nicely.  Always a joy to watch again on a rainy weekend afternoon!
- Even though Michael J. Fox was always the actor meant to play Marty, he couldn't get around scheduling conflicts from filming "Family Ties".  Eric Stoltz was hired for the role, filming for four weeks before both producers and Stoltz realized he was wrong for the part.  By that time, Fox was able to re-work his schedule to do the part.
- The original idea for the movie came to co-writer Bob Gale when he was flipping through his dad's old school yearbook and wondered if him and his father would be friends if he was able to go back in time.

The Princess Bride (1987)
Starring: Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Chris Sarandon, Christopher Guest, Mandy Patinkin, Andre The Giant, Wallace Shawn, Fred Savage, Peter Falk
Directed by: Rob Reiner
IMDB Rating: 8.1
Rotten Tomatoes: 97%

How can anybody not love "The Princess Bride"?!?  It's so easy going, so joyously adventurous, so funny and romantic and...just...so darn good.  There is nothing objectionable throughout the fantasy.  Some great cameos from Wallace Shawn, Andre The Giant, Billy Crystal and Carol Kane.  A wonderful connection between Fred Savage and Peter Falk.  Great baddies played by Chris Sarandon and Christopher Guest.  But the star of the show is the constant adventure, reminiscent, in some part, to "The Adventures Of Robin Hood".  This is one of those films you watch as a kid, mouth open in wonder and awe, and feel that same way each time you watch it subsequently.  It's a feeling that you want to have over and over, and it's always nice to pop it in the ol' DVD player, sit back and enjoy once again.
- Although Mandy Patinkin was quite active throughout the filming of his scenes, the only injury he sustained was a bruised rib from trying to stifle his laughter filming his scenes with Billy Crystal.
- Rob Reiner has said Cary Elwes was cast for his Douglas Fairbanks or Errol Flynn quality, both of whom portrayed Robin Hood on the big screen.

Wings Of Desire (1987)
Starring: Bruno Ganz, Otto Sander, Peter Falk, Solveig Dommartin
Directed by: Wim Wenders
IMDB Rating: 8.0
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%

I remember the first time I saw this film, not knowing what to expect because I hadn't heard too much about it.  My takeaway?  One of the most beautiful movies I've ever seen.  Gorgeously filmed in black and white, we follow the "adventures" of two angels looking over the good people of Berlin.  Their job is to watch over people, people in misery, angry people, people who may make wrong decisions if their angels weren't watching.  Through their wanderings, one of the angels falls in love with a trapeze artist.  His only wish is to fall from Heaven and become human again, to live out the rest of his life with his perfect being.  Wim Wenders let's us into the lives of these rather meaningless people.  The reactions from the angels is, at times, simply heartbreaking.  They want to let people know everything will be OK, but they can only do so much.  It's a fabulous fairy tale, paced beautifully and acted superbly.  Bruno Ganz can say more with a simple glance than most actors can say in an entire monologue.  Such a wonderful film!!
- A fake Berlin Wall had to be created as filming at the actual Berlin Wall was prohibited.  The wall was cheaply made from wood and warped in the rain.  A new wall had to be built as a result.

A Fish Called Wanda (1988)
Starring: John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline, Michael Palin
Directed by: Charles Crichton
IMDB Rating: 7.6
Rotten Tomatoes: 93%

Probably the funniest heist film ever!  This is another one of those movies I can watch a hundred times and laugh out loud each and every time.  John Cleese plays a perfect straight man who is, at first, duped by an American con artist who he then falls madly in love with.  Jamie Lee Curtis is charming as the American, and does very well keeping up with the comic talent that surrounds her.  But the reason this movie is on my list, or reasons, has to be the performances from Kevin Kline and Michael Palin.  I like to call what they do "intellectual slapstick", it's hilariously funny, but it's smart funny, if you know what I mean.  They are fantastic, especially when they have scenes together.  I've talked to a few people that don't like this movie at all.  I say, try it again...you must be missing something!
- John Cleese's character is named Archie Leach, which is the real name of Cary Grant.
- Although Kevin Kline was rumoured to really eat the fish from the tank, and said that he would, the fish were actually made from Jell-O.

Die Hard (1988)
Starring: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Bonnie Bedelia, William Atherton
Directed by: John McTiernan
IMDB Rating: 8.3
Rotten Tomatoes: 92%

Not since "Raiders Of The Lost Ark" 7 years prior was there a movie that seemingly had non-stop action and thrills.  "Die Hard" simply took my breath away the first time I saw it, instantly becoming one of my favourite films!  Bruce Willis became synonymous with the phrase "action hero" based on his performance as John McClane, up to this point, the most realistic action hero we'd ever seen.  He got hurt, he bled (a lot), he got frustrated and acted out without thinking...us ordinary schmoes could relate.  And Alan Rickman...perfectly portraying the cool villain who is always one step ahead, until he falls a little behind.  So much fun, so much blood, so funny, an action classic that needs to be seen every Christmas!
- Actors who were offered the role of John McClane but turned it down included Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Harrison Ford, Burt Reynolds, Richard Gere and Mel Gibson.
- Although he had acted for many years on stage and on TV, this was Alan Rickman's first feature film.

Cinema Paradiso (1988)
Starring: Philippe Noiret, Enzo Cannavale, Antonella Attili
Directed by: Giuseppe Tornatore
IMDB Rating: 8.4
Rotten Tomatoes: 89%

Here's another movie I watched for the first time in open-mouthed awe.  For someone that loves movies as much as I do, to watch someone discover that love is remarkable.  The bond that is created between the child and the projectionist is real and lovely.  Some have called this movie overly sentimental.  I can see that criticism, but I don't care.  This is a movie that lets the viewer get lost for 90 minutes, and its a wonderful journey.  Touching, funny, sweet and romantic...and very, very good!
- Said to be an autobiographical account of director Giuseppe Tornatore.

Field Of Dreams (1989)
Starring: Kevin Costner, James Earl Jones, Amy Madigan, Ray Liotta, Timothy Busfield, Burt Lancaster, Frank Whaley
Directed by: Phil Alden Robinson
IMDB Rating: 7.5
Rotten Tomatoes: 87%

I know a lot of people that just don't like this film.  I don't get it.  Of course, I'm a huge fan of baseball, so that earns points from me.  My parents were divorced when I was very young and I didn't get to see my dad very often, so my story paralleled the story in the movie a bit.  Mixing fantasy and reality has always interested me as well.  So there are three reasons why I'm so enthralled with this movie.  Kevin Costner, in all his plastic delivery of lines, nonetheless commands your attention.  The supporting players, from Ray Liotta as a baseball playing ghost, to Timothy Busfield as the non-believer are great.  Then there's a phenomenal cameo from Burt Lancaster in his final movie role that makes you want to believe in everything that's going on.  Baseball, fantasy, father/son strained relationship, for me this movie can do no wrong.  "Hey, Dad, wanna have a catch?", kills me every time!!
- The then unknown duo of Ben Affleck and Matt Damon were extras during the Fenway Park scenes.
- The movie is based on W.P. Kinsella's book "Shoeless Joe" and the movie was supposed to be titled as such, but test audiences didn't like the title.  The studio changed the name to "Field Of Dreams".  When Kinsella was told about the change, he said he didn't care because his publishers came up with the title "Shoeless Joe".  The title he wanted was "Dream Field"!

Do The Right Thing (1989)
Starring: Spike Lee, Danny Aiello, John Turturro, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Samuel L. Jackson
Directed by: Spike Lee
IMDB Rating: 7.8
Rotten Tomatoes: 96%

It's the hottest day of the year.  A one block area in Brooklyn, N.Y. is active with people working, walking, talking and yelling.  Different races converge, tempers start to boil.  We all know what will happen, but we can't look away.  Following Spike Lee's character Mookie around the neighbourhood, we get to see how he tolerates some things and reacts negatively to others.  There is no way we can understand what he's thinking at any one time, making it easier for us, the viewer, to make up our own minds.  This is where the brilliance of this movie comes out.  I will have one opinion and emotion totally different from someone else's during the climax of the film.  How can this be?  Why would this occur?  These are the questions that Lee poses.  How can the same action be viewed in so many different ways, and who's right and who's wrong?  Every time I watch this movie I see new things and form different opinions, which is exactly why this is on my list!
- Spike Lee approached Robert DeNiro to play the role of Sal, but DeNiro turned it down saying he's played similar roles too many times.
- The F-word is used approximately 240 times throughout the film, about twice per minute.

Crimes And Misdemeanors (1989)
Starring: Woody Allen, Martin Landau, Alan Alda, Mia Farrow, Anjelica Huston, Claire Bloom, Sam Waterston, Jerry Orbach
Directed by: Woody Allen
IMDB Rating: 8.0
Rotten Tomatoes: 92%

Woody Allen made some hilarious comedies.  He also made some great dramas.  With "Crimes And Misdemeanors" he combined the two, two separate stories that converge on each other for one of the best single scenes he has ever filmed. (A still of the scene is featured in the poster to the left).  Story one has the magnificent Martin Landau contemplating murder in order to break off an affair that won't go away.  Story two has Allen himself trying to placate a ego-maniacal director, played hilariously by Alan Alda, as he starts to fall for Alda's assistant, Mia Farrow.  Writing for the movies has rarely been so sharp and so enjoyable.  All the players are spot on brilliant.  Easily one of my favourite Woody Allen films that must be viewed by anyone calling themselves a fan of his work!
- Allen had filmed more scenes in which he's making a documentary about old vaudevillians.  While editing he decided to cut all those scenes, one's that included Sean Young and more of Daryl Hannah.
- The role played by Alda was based on a comedy writer named Larry Gelbart who was known for saying things like "Comedy is tragedy plus time" and "If it bends it's funny; if it breaks, it's not funny".

Those were the 1980's.  Here are some other films I still need to see from that decade:

Das Boot (1981)
Gandhi (1982)
Sophie's Choice (1982)
Out Of Africa (1985)
A Room With A View (1985)
The Last Emperor (1987)
The Big Blue (1988)
The Year Of Living Dangerously (1982)
Fanny And Alexander (1982)
Withnail & I (1987)
The Killing Fields (1984)
Henry V (1989)
Gallipoli (1981)
The Vanishing (1988)
Ran (1985)

My Faves!! - Part V

Now for Part V of my series, my favourite decade not only for movies, but for music, TV shows, and fashion.  The 1970's, although I only lived through part of it, is largely responsible for who and what I am today.  I seemed to have discovered that later in my life, but I'm so glad I did.  As a result, for the purpose of these lists, I have seen at least 154 films from the 1970's.  (Probably more, but I've only rated 154 on imdb.com).  Anyways, here are the films I consider to be the best of the best from that highly influential decade...

The French Connection (1971)
Starring: Gene Hackman, Roy Scheider, Fernando Rey
Directed by: William Friedkin
IMDB Rating: 7.9
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%

It was early during the 1970's that filmmakers started to perfect the gritty, real-life police drama.  There was none better than "The French Connection", and it was based on actual events!  Gene Hackman was absolutely stellar in the role of Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle; hard-nosed, no-nonsense, play by the rules then break 'em kind of cop.  Roy Scheider is equally great as his partner.  But the true star of the film is the cinematography.  Through much of the movie it's almost as if the viewer is watching a documentary.  The now infamous car chase scene through the streets of New York was called, and some still call it, the best car chase scene ever filmed.  Fast paced, high octane adventure thats still fun to watch.
- The car chase was filmed entirely out of sequence and over a five week period as they were restricted to only five hours of shooting time a day at the location.
- The real cops that the movie is based on, Eddie Egan and Sonny Grosso, make cameo appearances in the film; Egan as the detectives' supervisor and Grosso as Klein, the BNDD special agent.

The Godfather (1972)
Starring: Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, James Caan, Robert Duvall, John Cazale, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, Sterling Hayden
Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
IMDB Rating: 9.2
Rotten Tomatoes: 100%

Believe the hype!  This is widely considered one of the very best movies ever made, and it deserves to be on that short list.  Beautifully written, gorgeously filmed, phenomenal acting...it's got it all.  It shocks me to find out that there are still some people out there that haven't seen this masterpiece, but only because I've seen it about 50 times.  I'll even sit and watch the edited for TV version that lasts over four hours!  Al Pacino rightfully became a superstar after this film, and Francis Ford Coppola became the most sought-after director in the world.  Just plain fabulous filmmaking!
- Sergio Leone turned down the chance to direct the film, regretting it later and inspiring him to direct "Once Upon A Time In America".
- James Caan was originally hired to play Michael, but when Al Pacino came along, he was moved to the role of Sonny.
- Robert DeNiro was given the role of Paulie initially, after testing for Michael and Sonny.  Eventually, DeNiro backed out of the role to do another film, making it possible for him to be cast in the sequel.

The Exorcist (1973)
Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Max Von Sydow, Linda Blair, Jason Miller, Lee J. Cobb
Directed by: William Friedkin
IMDB Rating: 8.0
Rotten Tomatoes: 87%

"Psycho" and "Jaws" scared the crap out of me the first time I saw them.  That was nothing compared to the first time I saw "The Exorcist"!  I even remember going to the theatre to see the re-release, the one that included the infamous "spider crawl", and still feeling scared...I was almost 30 years old!  But beyond the horror of seeing a young Linda Blair acting possessed (and what a fantastic job she does) there's a really interesting story with lots of history in religion and religious beliefs.  Most horror films are made for shock value, to get a reaction from the audience.  Few keep the viewer completely involved beyond those scary scenes.  "The Exorcist" is ALWAYS interesting!  A true classic.
- The author of the book, William Peter Blatty, won $10,000 on the TV show "You Bet Your Life".  When asked what he would do with the money he said he wanted to take some time off to write a novel.  That novel turned out to be "The Exorcist".
- Rick Baker was hired as a Special Effects assistant on this film.  He went on to garner 12 Academy Award nominations including 7 wins for Make-Up and Special Effects.

The Sting (1973)
Starring: Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Robert Shaw, Charles Durning, Ray Walston, Eileen Brennan
Directed by: George Roy Hill
IMDB Rating: 8.3
Rotten Tomatoes: 92%

The problem with a lot of con films are the enormous holes in the plot that we, the audience, are supposed to forgive because we're having such a good time.  Unfortunately, it's those giant holes that keep us from having a good time.  I dare you to find any holes in "The Sting".  It is expertly constructed by David S. Ward, who won the Academy Award for writing.  Then we have the remarkable team of Newman, Redford and George Roy Hill who struck gold with "Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid" only four years earlier.  Then, on top of all of that, throw in one of the best actors around in Robert Shaw as the baddie.  Oh, let's not forget the unforgettable musical score by Marvin Hamlisch!  A fun, easy-to-follow film that is always entertaining.
- Robert Shaw's limp was not a character choice.  He split all the ligaments in his knee a week before filming began.
- Robert Redford hadn't seen the entire film until 2004.

The Conversation (1974)
Starring: Gene Hackman, John Cazale, Allen Garfield, Frederic Forrest
Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
IMDB Rating: 8.0
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%

Even though it was nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, a lot of people have never even heard of "The Conversation".  That's a huge shame, because it is one of Coppola's best and easily, for me, Gene Hackman's best performance.  He plays a surveillance expert...quiet, keeps very much to himself, very meek and mild.  He begins to think that the couple he's been hired to watch may be murdered soon, and a huge conspiracy could be uncovered by what he has recorded.  What is this lonely introvert supposed to do?  Hackman and Coppola give the viewer every reason to be concerned, but watching Hackman run through a gamut of emotions, mostly internalized, is pure magic!  And the sound editing is quite impressive as well.
- Coppola originally wrote the outline to the film in 1966 but couldn't get financing until "The Godfather" became such a huge hit.
- Gene Hackman learned to play the saxophone for this film.

Chinatown (1974)
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Huston, Diane Ladd
Directed by: Roman Polanski
IMDB Rating: 8.4
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%

Roman Polanski created a beautiful, heartfelt throwback to 1940's Hollywood film noir with "Chinatown".  The difference is Polanski could get away with a little more in the 70's.  Nicholson, although a star already, really made a name for himself as P.I. J.J. Gittes.  Rarely before, if ever, did a lead character play half of the movie with a bandage across his face, symbolically showing J.J. was sticking his nose in something he should stay away from.  Dunaway is great, a little over-the-top in places, but believable under the circumstances.  One of the most memorable endings to a movie ever, and the last line has been re-used, changed-up and parodied as much as any other famous line in the history of film.  Maybe a little dated by today's standards, but still a great watch!
- The last movie Roman Polanski made in the United States.
- In the original script a voice-over is used to drive the story, narrated by J.J. Gittes.  Polanski ditched this idea so the audience would discover things at the same time as the character.

The Godfather, Part II (1974)
Starring: Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro, Robert Duvall, John Cazale, Talia Shire, Lee Strasberg, Bruno Kirby
Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
IMDB Rating: 9.0
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%

It's a very rare thing in Hollywood for a sequel to be as good as it's predecessor.  Coppola's second "Godfather" film may actually be better than the original!  We watch how Michael Corleone begins to run his "family", paralleled with the beginnings of Vito Corleone's life in America.  All the players from the first movie carry on their greatness in the second, and now we have the wonderful Robert DeNiro to watch as well.  Some equally iconic scenes like the first film, "Fredo, you broke my heart", help make this sequel an integral part of the Corleone saga.  Filled with everything we loved from the first film, mix in McCarthy Era political intrigue, and all the backstory involving DeNiro, it's no wonder this is the only sequel to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards.
- This sequel was being worked on before "The Godfather" was even completed, based on the buzz in Hollywood for the first film.
- Francis Ford Coppola did not want to direct the sequel because of the stress from the first film.  He handpicked Martin Scorsese to direct, but the studio turned him down.

Young Frankenstein (1974)
Starring: Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle, Teri Garr, Marty Feldman, Madeline Kahn, Cloris Leachman
Directed by: Mel Brooks
IMDB Rating: 8.0
Rotten Tomatoes: 94%

Still one of the funniest movies I've ever seen.  I still laugh out loud, even after having watched it dozens of times.  The perfect combination of Gene Wilder's comic timing and Mel Brooks' talent for high-schtick keeps the viewer howling.  All the supporting players are just as good; Madeline Kahn as Dr. Frankenstein's lover, Marty Feldman as "Eye-Gor", Cloris Leachman as Frau Blucher...even an uncredited turn by Gene Hackman as the blind man in the woods is hysterical!  Mel Brooks came up with some funny films, but his best is definitely "Young Frankenstein"!
- Steven Tyler of Aerosmith came up with "Walk This Way" after watching the scene where Marty Feldman tells Gene Wilder to "walk this way...this way".
- Gene Wilder came up with the "Puttin' On The Ritz" sequence.  It was shot even though Mel Brooks didn't think it was all that funny.  He changed his mind when he heard the reaction of the audience at a screening of the film.

Jaws (1975)
Starring: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss, Murray Hamilton
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
IMDB Rating: 8.2
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%

I first saw "Jaws" at a drive-in when I was about 5 years old (what was my mother thinking?!?).  Just as "Psycho" kept me away from taking showers for a while, "Jaws" kept me from learning how to swim!  I would not go into the deep end of a pool until I was about eight for fear that I'd be eaten by a shark.  This was the first true summer blockbuster movie back in 1975.  It shattered all box office records and had people going to see it again and again.  It is simply a great movie!  Not just because of the music and not knowing when the shark will strike again.  The story, the camerawork (a beautiful shot on the beach stolen straight from Hitchcock), the actors working so well together on screen (off screen was a different story apparently), the comedy when you least expect it, the fun of it all!  It doesn't scare me the way it once did, but I sure do appreciate it a lot more now.
- Shots used to show the shark's point of view were created out of necessity, as the animatronic shark kept on breaking down.  These shots ultimately added to the horror element of the movie.
- "You're gonna need a bigger boat" was ad-libbed by Roy Scheider.  Spielberg liked the unscripted line so much that he left it in the final product.

Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
Starring: Al Pacino, John Cazale, Charles Durning, Chris Sarandon, Carol Kane
Directed by: Sidney Lumet
IMDB Rating: 8.1
Rotten Tomatoes: 97%

Based on a true story "Dog Day Afternoon" is not what people would call an exciting film.  It moves along rather slowly, but it says so much about the era, a time when New York cops were looked at as enemies of the people.  The story is rather simple, a man wants to rob a bank so he can pay for his lover's sex-change operation...you've heard it a million times before.  But all of a sudden people start to relate to him, the hostages, the crowds outside, the millions watching from home.  The cops, though, have a job to do, and you know darn well it ain't gonna end good.  Pacino and Cazale are a marvel to watch.  It's almost like watching a play at times.  The real star is the understated direction of Lumet, who made a name for himself making realistic, tough dramas like this.  Still a treat to watch, and I try to watch it at least once a year...usually during the dog days of summer.
- In the real robbery, $213,000 was taken from the bank.
- Most of the film was improvised by the cast during rehearsals.  They worked around an outline of the script and Lumet wrote down the good ideas as they happened naturally through preparation of the film.  The famous line "Attica! Attica!" came from these improvisations.

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher, Danny DeVito, Brad Dourif, Christopher Lloyd, Will Sampson
Directed by: Milos Forman
IMDB Rating: 8.8
Rotten Tomatoes: 96%

For me, this is the quintessential movie from the 1970's; it's gritty, realistic, incredibly well acted with an ending that can be considered happy or sad, depending on the way you look at it.  Nicholson was definitely at the top of his game while filming this movie.  Every action he takes, every smile, every smirk, every angry outbreak is completely believable and true to his character.  Louise Fletcher created a villain so clouded in her horribleness that the viewer almost feels sorry for her.  And the quiet strength, and physical size, of Will Sampson's Chief is probably one of the best characters put on film.  It took a while for me to first watch this movie, I thought it would not be interesting.  I was never so happy to be so wrong.  It is masterful filmmaking!
- Kirk Douglas owned the rights to the film and planned to star as McMurphy.  He waited too long, became too old for the role, and gave the rights over to his son, Michael Douglas.
- Most of the extras used in the movie were actual mental patients at the Oregon State Mental Hospital.

Taxi Driver (1976)
Starring: Robert DeNiro, Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd, Albert Brooks, Peter Boyle
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
IMDB Rating: 8.5
Rotten Tomatoes: 96%

Martin Scorsese and Robert DeNiro teamed up for the first time three years prior with "Mean Streets", which is a great movie.  Their second, of eight(!) collaborations, was "Taxi Driver", and the world took notice.  DeNiro is in just about every scene of the film, and he commands your attention each and every minute.  He absolutely melts into the role of Travis Bickle.  All the supporting characters, from Foster's young prostitute to Shepherd's uptown-girl object of desire, to Harvey Keitel's cameo as Sport the pimp, are spot on.  Scorsese uses the camera as an open window for us to view the world of Bickle, going so far in one scene to turn the camera away from the action because it's just too hard for us, the viewer, to watch Bickle blubbering on the phone.  Great filmmaking, and a real show of DeNiro's Method.
- The script said "Travis looks in the mirror".  From this, DeNiro ad-libbed everything he said to himself, including the infamous "You talkin' to me?".
- There were over 200 applicants to play the role of Iris (played by Jodie Foster).  Some, then unknown actresses, that applied included Kim Basinger, Carrie Fisher, Mariel Hemingway, Bo Derek, Kim Cattrall, Rosanna Arquette and Michelle Pfeiffer.

All The President's Men (1976)
Starring: Robert Redford, Dustin Hoffman, Jason Robards, Jack Warden, Martin Balsam, Hal Holbrook
Directed by: Alan J. Pakula
IMDB Rating: 8.0
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%

Two crack reporters from The Washington Post team up to investigate a robbery which turns out to go straight up to the President of the USA.  As a result of their investigation, Richard Nixon resigns from office.  How could this story NOT make a great movie?!?  One of the things I love about this movie is it's break-neck speed.  It has to cover a lot of information, something that took months to gain and decipher, all in two hours.  If you're not paying attention, you will miss something. It's almost as if the movie is challenging you to keep up.  But how hard is it to pay attention when you have two of the best actors of the day playing the all important leads?  Mystery, intrigue, cover-ups...it's all there, and it's all so much fun to watch!
- There was an attempt to film in the actual Washington Post newsroom with actual employees as extras, but the filmmakers realized too many of the employees were too aware of the camera, some even attempting to act.  The "newsroom" was re-built in a Burbank studio for $450,000.
- On May 31, 2005, W. Mark Felt came forward as the actual "Deep Throat" that leaked information to Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein.  Bob Woodward and the Washington Post corroborated the confession.  Felt, at the time of the Watergate investigation, was second-in-command at the FBI.

Rocky (1976)
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burgess Meredith, Burt Young, Carl Weathers
Directed by: John G. Avildsen
IMDB Rating: 8.1
Rotten Tomatoes: 92%

Let's, for a minute, forget about what this movie spawned.  Forget about parts II through V and focus on the original.  I find "Rocky" to be one of the best character studies ever filmed, and not because Rocky is so deep and meaningful, but because it isn't.  It's simple, about a simple guy, who gets thrust into the limelight, and his struggles on how to accept that.  Who are his true friends?  Who really wants him to succeed?  Does he have what it takes to be the best?  There is no other person in the world that could have played Rocky Balboa after seeing the remarkable job Stallone did.  This was a personal journey for Stallone, and you can feel it through every frame of the film.  Yes, it's slow, but if you let yourself be caught up in the character, it surely doesn't matter.  Oh, and the phenomenal music score helps out a bit, too!
- Producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff offered Stallone $350,000 for his script, meaning someone else would star.  Stallone, although having only $100 to his name, refused, saying he would only make the movie if he got to star in it.
- Stallone got the idea of the story after watching a boxing match between Muhammed Ali and Chuck Wepner on March 24, 1975.  Wepner, although a respected boxer, was predicted to go no more than three rounds against Ali.  Although Ali kept beating on him, Wepner kept coming back, lasting until 19 seconds left in the 15th round when Ali was awarded a TKO.

Annie Hall (1977)
Starring: Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Tony Roberts, Carol Kane, Paul Simon
Directed by: Woody Allen
IMDB Rating: 8.2
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%

Up until "Annie Hall", Woody Allen was known for his slapstick movies.  They worked great, "Sleeper", "Bananas", "Love And Death" were all very funny.  Now we got to see a little more depth to the man.  "Annie Hall" is not short on slapstick, by any means, but it has a wealth in character development that we never got from Allen.  It has some lovely dramatic scenes that we never got before.  It has some wonderful shots of New York, a city captured so beautifully by Allen for so many years to come.  I felt like a was watching a true life romance bloom between Allen and Keaton, and loved watching it all unfold.  Woody Allen was a good writer/director before 1977.  He became an icon after, all because of this exquisite film.
- Diane Keaton's real name is Diane Hall, nicknamed Annie.
- This is Sigourney Weaver's film debut.  She plays Woody's date at the end of the film.

Star Wars (1977)
Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Alec Guinness, Peter Cushing
Directed by: George Lucas
IMDB Rating: 8.8
Rotten Tomatoes: 93%

I was 5 years old when "Star Wars" was released.  As a result, it passed me by, too young to know what it meant to movie going audiences.  That is until I started collecting the action figures, and lunch boxes, and t-shirts, and everything else STAR WARS!!!  "Jaws" may have changed the way people went to the movies, "Star Wars" changed movies.  Because of it's sheer power over kids, young and old, merchandising from movies would never be the same.  It's not a perfect film by any means, but it's a film that changed our lives!  It's hard to explain that to anybody who wasn't around at the time, but this movie is as much a part of me as baseball, bacon, and my lactose intolerance.  It's a part of me that I would never want to let go of, even with the multiple editions that Lucas has profited from over the years.  I can quote just about every line from the film and I won't even apologize when I do it.  To me, this is not only a great movie, it's an unforgettable moment in time.
- George Lucas planned to score the film with existing classical music, like Stanley Kubrick used in "2001: A Space Odyssey".  That is until Steven Spielberg introduced Lucas to John Williams.
- Peter Mayhew won the role of Chewbacca as soon as George Lucas saw his 7'2" frame.
- Harrison Ford was hired to read the part of Han Solo during screen tests of other actors.  Through theses screen tests, Lucas realized the only person meant to play Solo was Ford and he was hired for the role.

Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (1977)
Starring: Richard Dreyfus, Francois Truffaut, Melinda Dillon, Teri Garr
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
IMDB Rating: 7.7
Rotten Tomatoes: 95%

I watched this movie much later in life.  I kept putting it off and putting it off for fear that I may not like it.  I began to believe in aliens after I watched it!!  Spielberg perfectly conveys the wonder and excitement wrapped up in making contact with alien beings.  He picks the perfect leading man in Richard Dreyfus, a man we, as the viewer, will totally go along with no matter how far he needs to go.  The special effects, for it's time, were astounding.  The little kid was even great!  How can you not watch the climax of the film open-mouthed, tingling all over.  It's everything we want to believe about other-wordly beings.  Would you go into the space craft?  Hard to say, but watching it is wholly enjoyable.
- Teri Garr was cast by Spielberg after he saw her in a coffee commercial.
- Stanley Kubrick was so impressed by child actor Cary Guffey's performance that he tried to get him cast as Danny in "The Shining" years later.

The Deer Hunter (1978)
Starring: Robert DeNiro, John Savage, Christopher Walken, John Cazale, Meryl Streep
Directed by: Michael Cimino
IMDB Rating: 8.2
Rotten Tomatoes: 92%

This movie is more than just a Russian roulette scene, so much more.  At it's heart, it's a coming-of-age story, one in which lifelong friends go off to fight the war in Vietnam and come back as very different men.  It's a three hour epic, but it needs to be in order to tell the entire story.  All the leads are fantastic as we peek into their ordinary lives, ones that soon become a little extraordinary in their own ways.  Meryl Streep plays a simple role, but conveys a lot of emotion in doing so.  And back to those famous scenes of Russian roulette, both of them are incredibly gripping and intense, surely meant to stay with you long after the movie is done.
- This was the remarkable John Cazale's last film.  He died from cancer soon after filming was completed.  Because of his weakened state, all of the scenes he was in were filmed first.
- Roy Scheider was cast as Steven, the role played by John Savage, but dropped out just before shooting began over "creative differences".

Manhattan (1979)
Starring: Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Mariel Hemingway, Meryl Streep, Michael Murphy
Directed by: Woody Allen
IMDB Rating: 8.0
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%

I've said it before and I'll keep saying it, "Manhattan" is Woody Allen's best movie!  I loved "Annie Hall", but in levels of love, "Manhattan" ranks higher.  Maybe it's because of the gorgeous black and white cinematography, casting New York City in a beautiful grey hue.  Maybe it's the very beginning of the film, an extended dance of innocuous New York scenes playing to the great music of George Gershwin.  It could be the story, slight on slapstick, high on comedy, with dashes of regret and temptation.  It could be the remarkable job by Allen, Keaton and especially Hemingway.  Or, quite possibly it's because of my absolute favourite single shot from any movie I've seen; Allen and Keaton sitting on a bench with the Queensboro Bridge in the background (look left).  Actually, it's all of these things and more.  I don't care that Woody Allen never liked the finished product...I do!
- Meryl Streep Filmed her scenes for this movie during breaks from filming "Kramer Vs. Kramer".
- Woody Allen told United Artists that he'd do his next film for them for free if they would shelf "Manhattan".

Kramer Vs. Kramer (1979)
Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Justin Henry, Jane Alexander, JoBeth Williams
Directed by: Robert Benton
IMDB Rating: 7.7
Rotten Tomatoes: 86%

Take a story about a marriage that's falling apart.  Mix in a young boy caught between the two.  The mother runs off leaving the boy with his father.  All of a sudden the mother resurfaces and wants the child back.  This is the high drama that is "Kramer Vs. Kramer", played out with all the tension, aggravation and emotion from the three great leads.  I say three, meaning the fabulous job done by Justin Henry who was only eight years old when the movie was filmed.  As a child from a divorced household, I felt I could relate to a lot that was going on, not only from the eyes of the child, but from the adults battling their feelings for each other and the love for what they created.  Hoffman and Streep match each other turn for turn.  In many places, the movie is uncomfortable to watch, which is exactly how it's meant to be.
- Dustin Hoffman contributed a lot of personal moments to the film as he was going through a divorce himself at the time of filming.
- The scene in the restaurant where Hoffman knocks the wine glass in the wall was planned by Hoffman, but not shared with Meryl Streep.  Her frightened reaction is authentic.

Ok, that took a while.  I told you I love the 1970's!  There are still some movies I'd like to see from that decade.  They include:

Aguirre, The Wrath Of God (1972)
McCabe And Mrs. Miller (1971)
Scenes From A Marriage (1973)
Day For Night (1973)
Days Of Heaven (1978)
The Man Who Fell To Earth (1978)
Cabaret (1972)
The Garden Of Finzi Continis (1970)
Julia (1977)
A Bridge Too Far (1977)
Murmur Of The Heart (1971)
That Obscure Object Of Desire (1977)
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (1971)

My Faves!!! - Part IV

Here's the next part in my series, the 1960's.  This is where the lists start to get a little longer, simply because of the number of films I've seen from the 1960's and on.  According to my ratings on imdb.com, I've seen at least 76 movies from this decade.  Let's see how many I rated 10 out of 10...

The Apartment (1960)
Starring: Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, Fred MacMurry, Ray Walston
Directed by: Billy Wilder
IMDB Rating: 8.4
Rotten Tomatoes: 93%

Jack Lemmon plays an office worker who's a real up-and-comer.  Not because of his work ethic, but mainly because he lets the top brass use his apartment for extra marital flings.  So risque!  And so funny, and sweet, and touching, and dramatic, and everything that a movie should be...endlessly entertaining.  Lemmon is his usual magnificent self, MacMurray is such a bastard you want to punch him in the face, and MacLaine is so bewitchingly sweet and beautiful that its almost impossible to take your eyes off of her, even in her darkest moments.  Only Billy Wilder could make this tragic tale light-hearted and with a happy ending.  Warms my heart just thinking about it.  "Shut up and deal!".
- Shirley MacLaine filmed her cameo for "Ocean's Eleven" while on break from this film.
- Writers Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond always had Jack Lemmon in mind while creating the screenplay.

Psycho (1960)
Starring: Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, John Gavin, Marin Balsam
Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
IMDB Rating: 8.6
Rotten Tomatoes: 97%

Any movie that can keep me from taking showers is something quite special in my books!  I was about 8 years old when I first saw this movie...its a wonder how I manage to take showers now.  Never before, and possibly since, has a movie had such an impact on audiences.  People fainted in theatre...fainted!!  The star of the film murdered less than half way through??  Unheard of!  Not being allowed to enter the theatre after the film began??  Could never happen today!  But beyond all the hype, the movie still holds up as a tight, frightening thriller with outstanding performances from Perkins, Leigh and Balsam.  We studied the shower scene in film class and it still amazes me that that scene is only 45 seconds long, and we're still talking about it 50 years later.  A true classic that can be watched again and again without getting sick of it.
- Alfred Hitchcock demanded a 60% share of the profits from Paramount instead of his normal $250,000 fee.  Paramount reluctantly agreed.  Hitch made over $15 million!
- First American film to ever show a toilet flushing on screen.

Lawrence Of Arabia (1962)
Starring: Peter O'Toole, Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn, Omar Sharif, Claude Rains, Jose Ferrer
Directed by: David Lean
IMDB Rating: 8.4
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%

This film showed me that camerawork and music can help rouse the spirits of any film viewer.  Phenomenal story played out by some of the best actors of the day and it all plays second fiddle to the remarkable, epic filmmaking of David Lean and his team.  This is simply a gorgeous movie to behold!!  Peter O'Toole rightfully became a star, Omar Sharif is just magical, Alec Guinness is the ultimate actor.  But the sweeping scenes of the desert, the cast of thousands, the glorious, angelic score that plays throughout...it makes watching a three-and-a-half hour movie fly by.
- Reportedly the longest film not to have a speaking role for a woman.
- King Hussein of Jordan lent an entire brigade of his soldiers to be used as extras.

Dr. Strangelove (1964)
Starring: Peter Sellers, Sterling Hayden, George C. Scott, Keenan Wynn, Slim Pickens
Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
IMDB Rating: 8.6
Rotten Tomatoes: 100%

One of the funniest satires I've ever seen still holds up today and makes me howl with laughter.  Hayden as Col. Ripper is completely believable in his insanity, trying desperately to start World War 3.  George C. Scott has never been funnier as Gen. Turgidson.  (His accidental prat fall in the War Room still cracks me up).  But this film belongs to the genius that was Peter Sellers!  Playing three different roles, all with incredible ease, he is simply fantastic to watch.  The strange thing is, he plays the rolls completely straight, letting the situation dictate the comedy.  His conversation with the Russian president on the phone should be studied by everyone who wants to be a comic actor!  Probably my favourite Kubrick film, and that's saying a lot.
- Sellers was also set to play the role of Maj. Kong (played by Slim Pickens) but he couldn't develop a Texan accent to his liking.
- Look closely at the people surrounding Dr. Strangelove during his scenes in the War Room.  You can see the rest of the cast holding back laughter as Sellers ad-libbed most of his lines.

A Man For All Seasons (1966)
Starring: Paul Scofield, Robert Shaw, Wendy Hiller, Leo McKern, Orson Welles, Susannah York
Directed by: Fred Zinnemann
IMDB Rating: 7.9
Rotten Tomatoes: 79%

Based on the true story of Sir Thomas More, a man who would not give in to the King Of England.  More was unwilling to bend his views between Church and State when King Henry VIII wanted to divorce his wife to marry Anne Boleyn.  The movie was taken from a stage play, and it seems like we're watching a play at times...which is good!  The acting is spectacular, from Scofield's stoic portrayal of More, to Shaw's manic and maniacal portrayal of Henry VIII.  But even beyond the acting, one can get completely engulfed by the story, watching a man who believes so much about what he preaches that he's willing to die for it.  That just doesn't happen everyday.
- Paul Scofield and Leo McKern reprised their roles from the Broadway play.
- John Hurt's first major film role.

The Good, The Bad And The Ugly (1966)
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach, Lee Van Cleef
Directed by: Sergio Leone
IMDB Rating: 9.0
Rotten Tomatoes: 97%

I will be the first to admit that this movie is not for everybody.  It's long (almost three hours), it's poorly dubbed in spots, and there are long passages where there is no dialogue whatsoever.  Those are just three of the reasons that I love this movie sooooooo much!  Could anybody be cooler than Eastwood?  Yes!  His name is Lee Van Cleef!!  Eli Wallach, stuck in for comedy relief, is just as strong as the other two.  The music...fahgetaboutit!  Ennio Morricone became a superstar composer after this film.  Every note fits perfectly with what we're watching, especially during the climax where nary a word is spoken for about ten minutes.  Even though Leone made two other "Man With No Name" movies before this one, this is easily the best of them.  A perfect movie for a lazy Sunday afternoon.
- The bridge that gets blown up was a real bridge built by Spanish Army engineers.  It was agreed that the Army's captain would light the fuse.  A crewman mistakenly told him to "go" but no cameras were rolling.  The Spanish Army rebuilt the bridge only to blow it up again!
- Charles Bronson was offered the roles of Tuco and Angel Eyes, declining both.

The Graduate (1967)
Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft, Katharine Ross
Directed by: Mike Nichols
IMDB Rating: 8.1
Rotten Tomatoes: 88%

This was the first movie I became obsessed about, not Star Wars, not Raiders, but The Graduate.  I realize it hasn't aged well, and I know I look at it through rose-coloured glasses, but I don't care.  I completely connected with Benjamin, not that I had an affair with an older woman, but his sense of being lost, not knowing what the future held for him, and wanting to do something, anything, to shake that feeling.  But the movie is also incredibly funny, and to watch a young Dustin Hoffman perfectly portray those emotions is what I love most.  Oh, and staring at the gorgeous Katharine Ross ain't too bad either.  I will never get sick of this film.
- The famous image from the promotional still that has Hoffman obscured by Mrs. Robinson's leg was not the leg of Anne Bancroft.  A stand-in was used for the shot.  That stand-in was Linda Gray, famous for he role on TV's Dallas.
- Robert Redford screen tested for the role of Benjamin.  He would have been very close to the description of Benjamin from the novel.  Mike Nichols didn't think Redford could portray the underdog qualities of the character because Redford was too good-looking.

Once Upon A Time In The West (1968)
Starring: Henry Fonda, Charles Bronson, Claudia Cardinale, Jason Robards
Directed by: Sergio Leone
IMDB Rating: 8.7
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%

Another spaghetti western directed by Sergio Leone, with glorious music from Ennio Morricone, that's just as good, and in some scenes even better, than "The Good, The Bad And The Ugly".  The opening...a good fifteen minutes without any words spoken.  The scene where we first meet Henry Fonda's character Frank has to be ranked as one of the best scenes ever filmed!  Fonda's steely blue-grey eyes, playing so far against type, and doing it perfectly.  Claudia Cardinale!!  Who needs Sofia Loren or Raquel Welch when you have Cardinale...hubba hubba!!  Another long, poorly dubbed western that I could watch, and have watched, over and over again.
- Leone wanted to reunite the three leads from "The Good, The Bad And The Ugly" for the opening scene, but Clint Eastwood was unavailable.
- Henry Fonda originally turned down the role of Frank.  Leone convinced him by telling Fonda to imagine a shot of a gunslinger, shot from the waist down, shooting a child in the back, camera panning up, and the audience realizing it was Henry Fonda!!

Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid (1969)
Starring: Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Katharine Ross
Directed by: George Roy Hill
IMDB Rating: 8.2
Rotten Tomatoes: 89%

The first pairing (of two) of Newman and Redford gives us pulse-pounding action, hilarious banter and great fun.  You know, without knowing anything about the story, that things will not end well for our heroes.  But you just don't care!!  The dialogue in the film is so natural you'd think Newman and Redford were Butch and Sundance.  All the secondary characters, Butch's gang, Katharine Ross, the entire Bolivian Army, add to the excitement of the film.  But the movie is really about the chemistry between the two stars, something I wish would have happened more than the two times it did on screen.  These guys were the original Pitt and Clooney!
Or Damon and Clooney.  You know what I mean!
- When first cast for the movie, Redford was supposed to be Butch and Newman Sundance.  It was Redford who requested to switch roles.
- Butch Cassidy's real gang was known as The Wild Bunch, but the similarly titled movie was released not long before this one, so the name of the gang was changed to The Hole In The Wall Gang.

That'll do it for the 1960's.  A lot of Westerns, eh?  Some other movies I still would like to see from this decade include:

Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
The Sand Pebbles (1966)
Seven Days In May (1964)
The Longest Day (1962)
Doctor Zhivago (1965)
True Grit (1969)
Persona (1966)
Hud (1963)
La Dolce Vita (1960)
The Lion In Winter (1968)
Eyes Without A Face (1960)
Judgment At Nuremberg (1961)
Jules And Jim (1962)
L'Avventura (1960)