Our They Just Don't Make 'Em Like They Used To List (plus ones we've seen)
This page is dedicated to the list of movies we've been watching as well as a brief blurb on all of them. It started out as a quest to see all the Best Picture Oscar Winners but expanded to stuff we've seen. It's more for myself than anyone just so that I can keep track.
BBC Persuasion
BBC She Stoops to Conquer
BBC Cranford
Nanny McPhee Returns: SO much better than the first. I love Emma Thompson and the script was adorable.
A Streetcar Named Desire: Umm. I wouldn't recommend it. Stressed me out. Love Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and so SND, written by the same guy, was similar but so much more nitty. I wanted to see it for the famous scene "Stellaaaaah". Great acting. Poor Blanche. I think they changed the ending which I'm not happy with.
The Great Escape: Great movie, I'd buy it!
Murder on the Orient Express: So complex.
Angels with Dirty Faces: Interesting ending.
Blackbeard's Ghost: If you haven't seen it, go out and get it! Jack Sparrow was surely based off of Ustinov's character. Besides, it has Track and Field in it!
Blind Side: Surprisingly good; Wasn't sure if I'd like it or not, but I did.
When in Rome: Despite bare chested drawings of a female, devoid of anything really; funny, I'd watch it again.
How to Steal a Million: the dialogue is fantastic and dry humor.
Bullitt: Didn't even finish it. Bleh. Good car chase scene.
The Seven Samaurai: Quite possibly the best action movie I've seen!
Lost in Austen: Cute; British humor but I'd watch it again.
Persuasion BBC mini-series: Loved it! She's a little plain to fit the role and keeps her mouth open too much, but I loved it! I'd buy it!
North by Northwest: Great spy thriller with Cary Grant; Seems he always had younger women going for him
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?: Probably pretty shocking for it's day, but not very shocking for us
3:10 to Yuma (original):6/10 stars; why? It was original; not bloody, really focused on the characters; Glenn Ford's just a likeable guy
Spartacus: Kirk Douglas, Tony Curtis, Laurence Olivier; Quite a lot of gore for such an old movie; directed by Stanley Kubrick; C really liked it! Both agreed it was better than Braveheart; Get the 5 minutes new footage version; changes the movie quite a bit; Definitely emotional;
The Man Who Knew Too Much: As good as "The Man Who Knew Too Little" was bad; Que sera, sera; (Of course in "Little" you can't beat: Wallace: Was that a tear? ...How do you people do it? Did you... poke yourself in the eye? Or are you thinking right now: "My dog is dead." )
The Robe: Good strong words and testimony of the Savior; not as good as Ben-Hur
Bell, Book and Candle: Eh, not really sure if it's worth your time. Lots of stars in it though- Jimmy Stewart, Hermione Gould, Jack Lemmon
Random Harvest: A "they just keep missing each other" movie; Not much basis for a relationship, but I don't know if I'd have the self-control she did
Kiss Me Kate: Didn't finish it. Boring. Rather read the original
Dial M for Murder: Interesting plot; not my favorite Hitchcock, but still a good one to watch; moral of the story is don't marry a tennis player!*
The Enchanted Cottage: So romantic! A more realistic "Beauty and the Beast", but the real message is all about true beauty and love.*
Arsenic and Old Lace: Very quirky and very funny! Love to see it done on the stage!
The Treasure of Sierra Madre: Bogey's doing the most acting I've ever seen him do; I really liked it because every time I predicted something to happen, something else did; Colby liked it but said it was a movie he's not sure he'd want to watch more than once
12 Angry Men: Intellectually stimulating movie; takes place in one room but the dynamics between all the characters follow relations between real people accurately
Roman Holiday: It's great! If there was a modern version, I don't think everyone would have ended up so happy (or sad)!
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington: American ideals on the screen; We watched it twice!
The Maltese Falcon: Great flick! Bogey fans unite(!) AND the ending makes judicious sense
An American in Paris: Love story does not follow; Lost us at the stalker tendency of Gene Kelly
It Happened One Night: The blueprint for all chick flicks; Loved it*
Gone with the Wind*: Fourth time I've seen it, but first time I appreciated it (I last watched it when I was 14 and kept falling asleep); Drama never stops; but who could ever love a man named "Ashley"...
Cleopatra: Epic
Doctor Zhivago: Omar Sharif and Alec Guiness keep popping up in these movies we watch as does Bogart; I don't really know what to think; Makes me glad I wasn't born in Russia during this time; Music is good *
Casablanca: It's been quoted and parodied so much that even to see the original seems cliche; Enjoyable and appreciable now that I am older*
Gigi: Great costumes, memorable songs but the same dissatisfying end as "My Fair Lady"*
Laurence of Arabia: suspenseful, liked seeing the footage in Jordan; "I liked it" hubby; "Undecided" from wifey
The Rainmaker (1956): These characters are as fascinating to watch as "Cat"; Burt Lancaster, you and Hepburn are fantastic!
African Queen: a timid Bogey and determined Hepburn
From Here to Eternity: Better version of "Pearl Harbor"; beach kissing scene; generational differences for viewers
The Sting: Great, fun picture full of all sorts of vices; makes Oceans 12 look lame
Bridge on the River Kwai: Alec Guinness and Bill Holden in Japanese camp; interesting ethical situations
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof: Wifey's favorite, mesmerizing characters
The Big Sleep: Hard-boiled detective; classic film noir; After watching this one, watch the ultimate detective spoof "Murder By Death"
The Count of Monte Cristo (Richard Chamberlain): Much more believable than new one, but not quite the caliber of these other films; I'm reluctant to include it, even because it's more of a blockbuster than these other ones and not as intriguing
Cowboy: Jack Lemon in a serious role; Great Western movie; SPCAA would have died
Horton Hears a Who!: Pretty cute, love Carol Burnett
Shrek Forever After: Animation just keeps getting better and I'm very impressed with the way they've kept the story alive for four installments. Really hits the middle-age ogre in all of us!
Wait Until Dark: Most of the plot probably wouldn't fly these days (okay so this story wouldn't have even happened) but still pretty complex; you don't figure it out until halfway through; they take quite a while to set it up, but it's fun. It would make a good play.
Prince of Persia: Pretty good; We watched it twice; engaging enough story and the action was enjoyable. It's nothing ground breaking.
Iron Man 2: Not as good as the first; The dialogue wasn't as snappy, but still one of the better Marvel movies out there. I thought the climax was lacking.
Big Fish: What a great movie! Great storytelling, great filmmaking, imagery, characters. I love it on so many different levels!! The casting was perfect!
