THE GREAT FILMS of all time world wide
2001: A Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick, 1968) Barry Lyndon
42nd Street (Choreographer: Busby Berkley, 1933) Whoopee!, Golddiggers of 1933, Footlight Parade, Dames, The Gang's All Here, Jumbo
A Clear and Present Danger (Philip Noyce, 1994)
A Kiss Before Dying (Gerd Oswald, 1956) Oswald directed many of the best episodes of The Outer Limits TV series. 80 Steps to Jonah
A Man of No Importance (Suri Krishnamma, 1994)
A Man's Castle (Frank Borzage, 1932) Borzage was one of the screen's best directors of romances. Little known fact: Borzage and Raoul Walsh were friends when they worked at Fox in the early 30's. A Farewell to Arms, Stranded, History is Made at Night, Stagedoor Canteen
A Midsummer Night's Dream (Kenneth Branagh, 1993) Henry V (1989)
A New Leaf (Elaine May, 1971)
A Night To Remember (Richard Wallace, 1943) The Masquerader
A Night at the Opera (Sam Wood, 1935)
A Night in Casablanca (Archie Mayo, 1946)
A Raisin in the Sun (Daniel Petrie, 1961)
A Room With a View (James Ivory, 1985) Heat and Dust, Maurice, Jefferson in Paris, The Golden Bowl
A Shot in the Dark (Blake Edwards, 1964) Return of the Pink Panther
A Summer at La Goulette (Férid Boughedir, 1995)
A Taxing Woman (Juzo Itami, 1987) A female Japanese tax agent fights a "duel" with a crooked businessman. Both the heroine and the villain have remarkable quantities of energy, ingenuity and enthusiasm for their work. Thoroughly satirical look at modern Japanese life, with an enormous amount of inside information about business, government, and crime. The Funeral.
A Walk in the Clouds (Alfonso Arau, 1995)
A Woman Under the Influence (John Cassavetes, 1974)
Ace Ventura, Pet Detective (Tom Shadyac, 1994)
Aimée & Jaguar (Max Färberböck, 1998)
Air Force One (Wolfgang Petersen, 1997)
Alexander's Ragtime Band (Henry King, 1938) Love Is a Many Splendored Thing
Algie the Miner (Alice Guy, 1912) The Making of an American Citizen, The Ocean Waif
All I Desire (Douglas Sirk, 1953) Sign of the Pagan, All That Heaven Allows, A Time to Love and a Time to Die
Allegro Non Troppo (Bruno Bozzetto, 1976) is an inventively bizarre animated film comedy set to classical music.
American Dreamer (Rick Rosenthal, 1984)
American Ninja 2: The Confrontation (Sam Firstenberg, 1987) Avenging Force
Amistad (Steven Spielberg, 1997)
An Autumn Afternoon (Yasujiro Ozu, 1962)
Antonio Gaudi (Hiroshi Teshigahara, 1985) Documentary about the Barcelona architect.
Arena (Peter Manoogian, 1988)
Ask Me Again (Deborah Reinesch, 1989)
Avanti (Billy Wilder, 1972). One of the best of the comedies in which Wilder specialized later. Sabrina, One, Two, Three, The Fortune Cookie
Ay, Carmela! (Carlos Saura, 1990) Flamenco, Tango, Goya
Babette's Feast (Gabriel Axel, 1987)
Back To School (Alan Metter, 1986) Girls Just Want To Have Fun.
Back to the Beach (Lyndall Hobbs, 1987)
Band of Outsiders (Jean-Luc Godard, 1964) Breathless, A Woman is a Woman, Contempt, Pierrot le Fou, Weekend
Battery Film (Franklin Backus, Richard Protovin, 1985)
Beau Brummel (Harry Beaumont, 1923)
Beau Travail (Claire Denis, 1999)
Beauty and the Beast (Jean Cocteau, 1946) The Blood of a Poet, Orpheus
Before Night Falls (Julian Schnabel, 2000)
Behind the Headlines (Richard Rosson, 1937)
Belle de jour (Luis Buñuel, 1967) The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie
Bells Are Ringing (Vincente Minnelli, 1960) Meet Me in St. Louis, The Band Wagon, Gigi, Some Came Running, Home From the Hill, The Sandpiper
Bengal Brigade (Laslo Benedek, 1954) The Wild One
Big Business (Jim Abrahams, 1988) Jane Austen's Mafia!
Big Deal on Madonna Street (Mario Monicelli, 1958) Comedy about some inept crooks.
Bigger Than Life (Nicholas Ray, 1956) They Live By Night, On Dangerous Ground, Johnny Guitar
Billy Elliot (Stephen Daldry, 2000)
Black Dju (Pol Cruchten, 1996)
Blade Runner (Ridley Scott, 1982) Someone To Watch Over Me
Bleu Shut (Robert Nelson, 1970) Oh Dem Watermelons, The Awful Backlash
Blue City (Michelle Manning, 1986)
Body Shot (Dmitri Logothetis, 1993)
Bonnie and Clyde (Arthur Penn, 1967) The Chase, Little Big Man, Dead of Winter
Born to Ride (Graham Baker, 1991)
Boys Don't Cry (Kimberley Pierce, 1999)
Boyz n the Hood (John Singleton, 1991)
Brain Donors (Dennis Dugan, 1992) Happy Gilmore, Big Daddy
Breaking Away (Peter Yates, 1979) The Hot Rock, Suspect, The House on 92nd Street, The Year of the Comet
Bullet to Beijing (George Mihalka, 1995)
Bunny Lake is Missing (Otto Preminger, 1965) Laura, Whirlpool, River of No Return, The Man With the Golden Arm, The Cardinal
By the Law (Lev Kuleshov, 1926)
California Casanova (Nathaniel Christian, 1989)
Camille (Ray C. Smallwood, 1921)
Campus Man (Ron Casden, 1987)
Caprice (Frank Tashlin, 1967) Son of Paleface, Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter, The Glass Bottom Boat
Cat Ballou (Elliot Silverstein, 1965)
Catch Me If You Can (Stephen Sommers, 1990)
Chameleon (Michael Pavone, 1995)
Character (Mike van Diem, 1997)
Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen (Clive Donner, 1981)
Charulata (Satyajit Ray, 1964): gentle portrait of an Indian woman. Aparajito (1956), Jalsaghar/The Music Room (1957), The Big City (1963), The Chessplayers (1977).
China Gate (Samuel Fuller 1957) I Shot Jesse James, The Baron of Arizona, The Steel Helmet, Park Row, Run of The Arrow, The Crimson Kimono, Underworld USA, Dead Pigeon on Beethoven Street
Choke Canyon (Chuck Bail, 1986)
Christmas in Connecticut (Peter Godfrey, 1945)
Chungking Express (Wong Kar-wai, 1994) Fallen Angels, In the Mood for Love
Cinema Paradiso (Giuseppe Tornatore, 1988) is the story of a poor little boy and his love for the movies. It is very touching and emotionally involving. The Star Maker, Malena.
Citizen Kane (Orson Welles, 1941) The Magnificent Ambersons
Classic Film and Television Home Page
Cleopatra (Cecil B. De Mille, 1934) Spectacle film about the famous Egyptian Queen (Claudette Colbert) and her fights with the Roman Empire. Short compared with modern epics (an hour and a half), fast paced, and filled with eye-popping visual detail. People sometimes chortle over De Mille's sugar coating of history, but the fact remains, that if more films like this were made today, Americans would not be so ignorant about history. The silent version of The Ten Commandments, The Buccaneer.
Cloak and Dagger (Richard Franklin, 1984)
Cléo de 5 à 7 (Agnès Varda, 1961) Jacquot de Nantes, Les Glaneurs et la glaneuse / The Gleaners and I
Code Two (Fred Wilcox, 1953) Forbidden Planet
Comedy
Composition 1 (Themis) (Dwinell Grant, 1940)
Condorman (Charles Jarrott, 1981) The Boy in Blue
Contemporary: Science Fiction | Comedy | Thrillers and Action | Drama | Teen Films | Dance Films | Documentaries
Corvette Summer (Matthew Robbins, 1978) The Legend of Billie Jean
Cousin Bette (Des McAnuff, 1997)
Crack-Up (Irving Reis, 1946) Hitler's Children
Cyrano de Bergerac (Jean-Paul Rappenau, 1990) Le Hussard sur la toit / The Horseman on the Roof
D.C. Cab (Joel Schumacher, 1983) Batman Forever, A Time To Kill
Daddy-Long-Legs (Marshall Neilan, 1919)
Daisy Miller (Peter Bogdanovich, 1974) Nickelodeon, Saint Jack
Dance Films
Dances With Wolves (Kevin Costner, 1990)
Dangerous Beauty (Marshall Herskovitz, 1997)
Dangerously Close (Albert Pyun 1986) Radioactive Dreams
Dark Victory (Edmund Goulding, 1939) The Great Lie, The Razor's Edge
Dark Waters (André De Toth, 1944) Springfield Rifle, Crime Wave
Daughters of the Dust (Julie Dash, 1992)
Dead Reckoning (John Cromwell, 1947) Son of Fury, The Racket
Death in Venice (Luchino Visconti, 1966)
Deep in My Heart (Stanley Donen, 1954) Damn Yankees, Indiscreet, Charade
Desperate Remedies (Stuart Main, Peter Wells, 1994) The Mighty Civic
Destiny (Youssef Chahine, 1997)
Destry Rides Again (George Marshall, 1939) Hold That Coed, True To Life, Perils of Pauline, The Mating Game
Detour (Edgar G. Ulmer, 1946) Paranoid classic about a hitchhiker who encounters every sort of terrifying problem. The Black Cat, Murder is My Beat, Beyond the Time Barrier
Diary of a Country Priest (Robert Bresson, 1950) Un Condamné à mort s'est échappé/A Man Escaped, Une Femme douce
Die Hard (John McTiernan, 1988) The Hunt For Red October
Diplomaniacs (William A. Seiter, 1933) Roberta, You Were Never Lovelier
Dishonored (Josef Von Sternberg, 1931) Perhaps the best of Sternberg's seven films with Marlene Dietrich. This tale casts Dietrich as a glamorous Mata Hari like spy in World War I. When facing the firing squad at the end of the movie, Dietrich insists on being dressed to the nines: as she puts it, I want to die in the uniform in which I served my country. Sternberg had few equals in the ability to treat film as a visual spectacle. Other Dietrich films by Sternberg: The Blue Angel, Shanghai Express, Blonde Venus, The Scarlet Empress.
Disorganized Crime (Jim Kouf, 1989)
Diva (Jean-Jacques Beineix, 1982) IP5: L'île aux pachydermes
Doctor, You've Got to be Kidding (Peter Tewksbury, 1967) The Truth about Girls
Documentaries
Don't Cry, Its Only Thunder (Peter Werner, 1982) No Man's Land
Don't Tell Her It's Me (Malcolm Mowbray, 1990)
Double Wedding (Richard Thorpe, 1937) Zany screwball fun with the team of William Powell and Myrna Loy, better known for their Thin Man detective movies. Her Highness and the Bellboy; The Great Caruso, The Prisoner of Zenda; Athena
Dr. Akagi (Shohei Imamura, 1998)
Drama
Dream Breakers (Stuart Millar, 1989) When the Legends Die
Dreamscape (Joseph Ruben, 1984) True Believer, The Stepfather, Return to Paradise
Dumb and Dumber (Peter Farrelly, 1994)
Earth Girls Are Easy (Julien Temple, 1989) Temple has made many classic music videos.
East Palace, West Palace (Zhang Yuan, 1996)
Eating Raoul (Paul Bartel, 1982) Scenes From the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills
Eddie and the Cruisers (Martin Davidson, 1983) Long Gone
Elephant Walk (William Dieterle, 1954)
Emergency Call (Edward L. Cahn, 1933) Bad Guy; Destination: Murder; You Have to Run Fast
Emma (Douglas McGrath, 1996)
Empire City (Mark Rosner, 1991)
Encino Man (Les Mayfield, 1992)
Europa Europa (Agnieska Holland, 1990)
Ever After (Andy Tennant, 1998)
Experiment Perilous (Jacques Tourneur, 1944) I Walked With a Zombie, Canyon Passage, Out of the Past, Berlin Express, Stars in My Crown, Night of the Demon, The Comedy of Terrors
Experimental Films
Fahrenheit 451 (François Truffaut, 1966) La Nuit américaine / Day For Night
Fair Game (Andrew Sipes, 1995)
Fatty at Coney Island (Roscoe Arbuckle, 1917) The Garage.
Field of Dreams (Phil Alden Robinson, 1989) Sneakers
Fireworks (Kenneth Anger, 1947) Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome, Eaux d'Artifice, Scorpio Rising, Kustom Kar Kommandos
Flaming Creatures (Jack Smith, 1963)
Flash Gordon (Michael Hodges, 1980) Croupier
Flickers (Cyril Coke, 1980) British TV miniseries about the early days of the British film industry, and the attempt of two outsiders, a poor Cockney (Bob Hoskins) and a middle class businesswoman (Frances De La Tour) to run their own production company. Characterizations so rich they seem four dimensional, and brilliant acting by the entire troupe, especially the two leads. Comic, upbeat, and definitely not about the sort of upper class twits that show up on too much British TV. Will Violet ever stop talking? Script by Roy Clarke.
Follow Me Quietly (Richard Fleischer, 1949) This hour long B movie about the hunt for a serial killer is a triumph of direction, photography and storytelling. Much less gruesome than modern serial killer stories. Bodyguard, Armored Car Robbery, The Narrow Margin, Violent Saturday.
Forces of Nature (Bronwen Hughes, 1999)
Foreign Films: French | Italian | Japanese | Other Foreign Language | The British Isles and Commonwealth | Shakespeare Films
Foreign Student (Eva Sereny, 1994)
Four Weddings and a Funeral (Mike Newell, 1994)
Fourth Story (Ivan Passer, 1990)
French Films
Fury (Fritz Lang, 1936) The Spiders Part I: The Golden Sea; Der Müde Tod, Dr. Mabuse Der Spieler, Siegfried, Spione/Spies.
Gabbeh (Mohsen Makhmalbaf, 1996)
Gaby (Luis Mandoki, 1987) Born Yesterday
George Dumpson's Place (Ed Emshwiller, 1961 - 1963)
George of the Jungle (Sam Weisman, 1997)
German Expressionism and Film Noir
Ghost (Jerry Zucker, 1990) Top Secret! (with Jim Abrahams and David Zucker)
Ghosts of Mississippi (Rob Reiner, 1996) A Few Good Men, The American President
Giant (George Stevens, 1956) Annie Oakley, The More the Merrier. See also below under Musicals.
Girl Shy (Fred Newmeyer, Sam Taylor, 1924) Lloyd plays a naive country boy who finds true love in the city. Has a much imitated chase finale, when he tries to get to church in time to rescue his girlfriend. For Heaven's Sake, The Kid Brother, Mad Wednesday
Glory Alley (Raoul Walsh, 1952) Other Walsh musicals: Going Hollywood, The Man I Love
Goddess Dancers of Cambodia (Faubion Bowers, 1970): unforgettably beautiful documentary about the traditional dance troupe.
Gods and Monsters (Bill Condon, 1998)
Going My Way (Leo McCarey, 1944) Duck Soup, Ruggles of Red Gap (1935)
Golden Demon (Koji Shima, 1953) This is not a horror movie; the golden demon of the title is money, excessive love of which almost destroys a young couple's happiness.
Golden Earrings (Mitchell Leisen, 1947) The Eagle and The Hawk, Artists and Models Abroad, Midnight, The Lady is Willing, To Each His Own, The Mating Season
Good Morning, Babylon (Taviani Brothers, 1987). Two Italian brothers emigrate to America, where they design the sets for D.W. Griffith's silent movie masterpiece, Intolerance (1916). The Night of the Shooting Stars.
Good Morning, Miss Dove (Henry Koster, 1955) First Love, It Started With Eve, Music for the Millions
Grand Old Girl (John Robertson, 1935)
Grease II (Patricia Birch, 1982)
Great Expectations (Alfonso Cuarón, 1998)
Greed (Erich Von Stroheim, 1924)
Ground Zero (Michael Pattinson, Bruce Miles, 1987)
Groundhog Day (Harold Ramis, 1992) Caddyshack
Guarding Tess (Hugh Wilson, 1994) Blast From the Past, Dudley Do-Right
Gumshoe (Stephen Frears, 1972) Dangerous Liaisons, Hero
Hackers (Iain Softley, 1995)
Hairspray (John Waters, 1988) Pink Flamingos, Polyester, Crybaby, Pecker, Cecil B. Demented
Hands Up! (Clarence Badger, 1926) Raymond Griffith is a traveling magician out West. Delightful. Also: It.
Happy, Texas (Mark Illsley, 1999)
Harley Davidson and the Motorcycle Man (Simon Wincer, 1991) The Girl Who Spelled Freedom
Hatari! (Howard Hawks 1962) Rio Bravo, El Dorado, Rio Lobo
Hear My Song (Peter Chelsom, 1991) An Irish promoter tries to lure a singer to his club. A gentle film about the power of music.
Heartaches (Don Shebib, 1981)
Heartbreak Hotel (Chris Columbus, 1988) Mrs. Doubtfire
Heat (Paul Morrisey, 1972) Trash
Heaven and Earth (Haruki Kadokawa, 1990) Spectacular drama of medieval battles, choreographed to make ingenious color patterns on the screen.
Hell's Highway (Roland Brown, 1932)
Hell's Hinges (William S. Hart, Charles Swickard, 1916)
Hello, Frisco, Hello (H. Bruce Humberstone, 1943) I Wake Up Screaming, Sun Valley Serenade, The Desert Song
High and Dizzy (1920) Harold Lloyd's chair gets caught up by a crane on a tall building. Other Lloyd films in which he dangles from high buildings: Safety Last, Feet First (the skyscraper finale is a gem, the rest of this film is slow moving)
His Girl Friday (Howard Hawks 1940) Twentieth Century, Ball of Fire, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Hollywood Classics: Drama | Comedy | RKO B Movies | Musicals | Film Noir | Hollywood's Last Generation of Classical Filmmaking | Experimental Films
Hollywood Comedy
Hollywood Sound Films: Drama
Hollywood's Last Generation of Classical Filmmaking
Home Fries (Dean Parisot, 1997)
Homicidal (William Castle, 1961) Truly bizarre little thriller whose plot is always taking unexpected turns. Mark of the Whistler; Voice of the Whistler; Crime Doctor's Warning; Straight-Jacket
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (Joe Johnston 1989) The Rocketeer
Honeymoon Academy (Eugene Quintano, 1990) National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon I. Quintano also scripted Making the Grade.
Honeymoon in Vegas (Andrew Bergman, 1992)
Horse Feathers (Norman Z. MacLeod, 1932) Monkey Business, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Hotel Paradiso (Peter Glenville, 1966) Summer and Smoke, The Comedians
House of Angels (Colin Nutley, 1992)
How Awful About Allan (Curtis Harrington, 1970) The Cat Creature
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings (Fiedler Cook, 1979)
I've Heard the Mermaids Singing (Patricia Rozema, 1987) Mansfield Park
In & Out (Frank Oz, 1997)
In Search of the Castaways (Robert Stevenson, 1962) The Absent-Minded Professor, Mary Poppins, Bedknobs and Broomsticks
In the Street (Helen Levitt, Helen Loeb, James Agee, 1944)
Intolerance (D.W. Griffith, 1916)
Intruder in the Dust (Clarence Brown, 1949) The Eagle, Possessed, The Rains Came
Ishi: The Last of His Tribe (Robert Ellis Miller, 1978) Her Life as a Man
Isn't Life Wonderful (D.W. Griffith, 1924): A young couple copes with life in post W.W.I Germany.
It's A Great Feeling (David Butler, 1949) Butler did many "backstage" looks at show business. Pigskin Parade, Playmates, They Got Me Covered, Shine On Harvest Moon, Tea For Two
It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (Stanley Kramer, 1963)
It's a Wonderful World (W.S. Van Dyke, 1939) Also starring Jimmy Stewart, not to be confused with his later It's a Wonderful Life (1946). Hide-Out. Nelson Eddy - Jeanette MacDonald movies: Naughty Marietta, Sweethearts and the MacDonald San Francisco.
Italian Films
Japanese Films
Jersey Girl (David Burton Morris, 1992) Hometown Boy Makes Good
Johnny Be Good (Bud Smith, 1988)
Julius Caesar (Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1953) All About Eve
Jumpin' Jack Flash (Penny Marshall, 1986) A League of Their Own
Jury Duty (Michael Schultz, 1990) The Spirit
Just One of The Guys (Lisa Gottlieb, 1985)
Kagemusha (Akira Kurosawa, 1981) Sanshiro Sugata, The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail, Stray Dog, The Idiot, Ikiru, The Seven Samurai, High and Low, Dreams, Rhapsody in August
Kiss Me Deadly (Robert Aldrich, 1955) Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte, The Longest Yard, The Frisco Kid
Kolya (Jan Svarek, 1995) Dark Blue World
Kundun (Martin Scorsese, 1997)
L'Atalante (Jean Vigo, 1934)
L'Avventura (Michelangelo Antonioni, 1960) is a haunting drama about a disappearance. Il Grido, La Notte, The Eclipse, The Red Desert. Antonioni's English language dramas Blow-Up, Zabriskie Point. Beyond the Clouds.
La Bamba (Luis Valdez, 1987)
La Corona di Ferro / The Iron Crown (Alessandro Blasetti, 1941)
La Kermesse héroique (Jacques Feyder, 1934) The Kiss, Anna Christie
La Nuit de Varennes (Ettore Scola, 1982)
Lady For a Day (Frank Capra, 1933) Platinum Blonde, The Miracle Woman, American Madness, It Happened One Night
Lady Killer (Roy Del Ruth, 1933) The dynamic James Cagney plays a small time hood who winds up in Hollywood. Packs a vast amount of plot twists in a short running time. Life of the Party, The Maltese Falcon, The Little Giant, Kid Millions, Thanks a Million, On the Avenue, Broadway Melody of 1938, My Lucky Star, Broadway Rhythm, On Moonlight Bay; Stop, You're Killing Me, The Alligator People
Lamerica (Gianni Amelio, 1994) Grim but well made look at poverty in post-Communist Albania.
Lapis (James Whitney, 1963-1966)
Last Dance (Tsai Ming-liang, 1997)
Late Chrysanthemums (Mikio Naruse, 1954) While Mikio Naruse made 87 films between 1930 and 1967, his work seems hardly to have made any impression in the Western World. This is to be lamented, for he was clearly a magnificent filmmaker. His subject matter is remote from the tastes of contemporary audiences. Naruse grew up in poverty, and his characters are poor and often aging women struggling to get by in Japan. His stories are completely lacking in violence, action or glamour. What they do have is a marvellous storytelling ability. His visual style alternates between beautifully composed looks at Tokyo streets, to interior scenes where his characters have dramatic encounters with family, loved ones and friends.
Law of Desire (Pedro Almodóvar, 1987) Dark Habits, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, High Heels
Le Chagrin et la pitié / The Sorrow and the Pity (Marcel Ophuls, 1971)
Le Million (René Clair, 1931) Entr'acte, I Married a Witch
Le Pacte des loups / The Brotherhood of the Wolf (Christophe Gans, 2001)
Le Placard / The Closet (Francis Veber, 2000)
Le Samouraï (Jean-Pierre Melville, 1967)
Les Ripoux / My New Partner (Claude Zidi, 1985)
Les Vampires (Louis Feuillade, 1915) Classic crime thriller.
Les Voleurs / Thieves (André Téchiné, 1996) Les Roseaux sauvages / Wild Reeds, Alice et Martin
Let Us Be Gay (Robert Z. Leonard, 1930) Leonard's best films seem to be gentle, upbeat combinations of sophisticated comedy and drama. His characters are remarkably refined and genteel. Many of his films seem to involve romantic duels between men and women. His characters also often struggle against injustice, often being victimized by more powerful people. After Office Hours, Stand by for Action, In the Good Old Summertime
Letter From an Unknown Woman (Max Ophuls, 1948) Touching romantic drama about a woman, and her unrequited love for a concert pianist. Shows Ophuls' emotional sensitivity, and his ability to depict feelings of love on screen. Ophuls' constantly moving camera is visually fascinating, as one delicate composition succeeds after another, and the tracking creates a thrilling visual experience. The Exile, Caught, La Ronde, Lola Montès.
Life is Beautiful (Roberto Benigni, 1998) Johnny Stecchino
Lilies of the Field (Ralph Nelson, 1963) Father Goose
Little Kitty Kelly (Norman Taurog, 1941) That Midnight Kiss
Living in Oblivion (Tom Di Cillo, 1995). Everything possible goes wrong on the set of an ultra-cheap, low budget art film in this dark comedy.
Lola Rennt / Run, Lola, Run (Tom Tykwer, 1998)
Longtime Companion (Norman René, 1990) Prelude to a Kiss
Loulou (Maurice Pialat, 1980)
Lover Come Back (Delbert Mann, 1961)
Lumière Brothers' First Films (Louis Lumière, 1895 - 1897) Compilation of 85 of the Brothers' best short films, each 50 seconds long.
M Hulot's Holiday (Jacques Tati, 1953) Family fun at a French resort. Mon Oncle, Playtime, Traffic.
M. Butterfly (David Cronenberg, 1993)
Ma Vie en rose (Alain Berliner, 1997) The Wall
Macbeth (Orson Welles, 1947) Welles' version of the Shakespeare tragedy. His Othello is visually outstanding, but it suffers from poor sound recording.
Madame Dubarry (Ernst Lubitsch, 1920). Lubitsch got his start directing historical epics, which combined spectacle with saucy looks at the personal lives of famous men and women. The silent version of Lady Windemere's Fan
Major League (David S. Ward, 1989) Major League II. Ward wrote the script for The Sting.
Man Facing Southeast (Eliseo Subiela, 1986): an unearthly stranger shows up in Buenos Aires, claiming to be from another planet.
Man of Marble (Andrzej Wajda, 1976) In 1950's Poland, a stone worker is cited as a model worker. Man of Iron (1980 sequel) His steel worker son takes part in Solidarity. Shot live during the events it depicts. Ashes and Diamonds. Wajda's work reflects Italian Neorealism.
Man of the Century (Adam Abraham, 1999)
Mannequin (Michael Gotlieb, 1987)
Mask (Peter Bogdanovich, 1985) Targets
Maybe, Maybe Not (Sonke Wortmann, 1994)
Mediterraneo (Gabriel Salvatores, 1992) is a warm hearted comedy about some Italian soldiers who go native. Some modern Italian films have been big successes in America.
Melvin and Howard (Jonathan Demme, 1980) Citizen's Band, Who Am I This Time?, Something Wild, Swimming to Cambodia, Philadelphia
Meshes of the Afternoon (Maya Deren, 1944) At Land, A Study in Choreography for Camera
Metalstorm (Charles Band, 1982) Trancers, Murdercycle
Metropolitan (Whit Stillman, 1990)
Midshipman Jack (Christy Cabanne, 1933)
Miss Mary (Maria Luisa Bemberg, 1987)
Modern Girls (Jerry Kramer, 1986)
Molly and Gina (Paul Leder, 1993)
Mr. North (Danny Huston, 1988) The Dead
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (Frank Capra, 1939) Capra's political film, about an idealistic young senator (Jimmy Stewart) and his fight with a crooked political machine. Meet John Doe, It's a Wonderful Life
Murder Ahoy (George Pollock, 1964) Murder, She Said
Music For Madame (John Blystone, 1937) Opera film with tenor Nino Martini. Blystone was Buster Keaton's codirector on Our Hospitality.
Musicals
My Favorite Year (Richard Benjamin, 1982) Comedy, which like the Dick Van Dyke Show, takes us backstage at the old Sid Caesar - Imogene Coca Your Show of Shows. Among the best of Benjamin's movies are two films whose young protagonists discover themselves, almost by accident, to be living under false pretenses and phony identities: Little Nikita, Mrs. Winterbourne.
Mystery Broadcast (George Sherman, 1943) Crime Doctor's Courage
Mystery Date (Jonathan Wacks, 1991)
Mystery Street (John Sturges, 1950)
Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase (William Clemens, 1939)
Neighbors (1920). Other outstanding Buster Keaton short films: The Scarecrow, The Frozen North, The Electric House.
Never Been Kissed (Raja Gosnell, 1999)
Never Weaken (1921) Harold Lloyd made a large number of really good short films. Among the best: Off a Trolley, Captain's Kidd's Kids, His Royal Slyness, Get Out and Get Under, Number Please, Now or Never, Among Those Present
Niagara (Henry Hathaway, 1953) 23 Paces to Baker Street
Night Tide (Curtis Harrington, 1960) Games
Nighthawks (Bruce Malmuth, 1981) Hard To Kill
No Questions Asked (Harold F. Kress, 1951)
Nostalghia (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1983)
Now, Voyager (Irving Rapper, 1942)
Odd Jobs (Mark Story, 1984)
Off Beat (Michael Dinner, 1986) Curse of the Corn People
OffOn (Scott Bartlett, 1968)
Old Man Rhythm (Edward Luwig, 1935)
Orlando (Sally Potter, 1993)
Othello (Oliver Parker, 1995)
Other Foreign Language Films
Our Hospitality (Buster Keaton, Jack Blystone, 1923).
Out of Bounds (Richard Tuggle, 1986)
Outrageous Fortune (Arthur Hiller, 1987) Teachers, Taking Care of Business
Outside the Law (Tod Browning, 1921) Dracula
Panic in the Streets (Elia Kazan, 1950) Gentleman's Agreement
Paris Does Strange Things (Jean Renoir, 1956): A Polish noblewoman delights everyone in 1900 Paris. La Chienne, Boudu sauvé des eaux, Toni, Grand Illusion, The Rules of the Game, Swamp Water, The Woman on the Beach, The River, French Can Can
Parnell (John M. Stahl, 1937) Leave Her to Heaven
Parting Glances (Bill Sherwood, 1986)
Peacemaker (Kevin S. Tenney, 1990)
Pee Wee's Big Adventure (Tim Burton, 1985) Edward Scissorhands
Persuasion (Roger Michell, 1995)
Peyote Queen (Storm De Hirsch, 1965)
Phantom Lady (Robert Siodmak, 1944) The Spiral Staircase, Criss Cross
Phörpa / The Cup (Khyentse Norbu, 1999)
Picnic at Hanging Rock (Peter Weir, 1975) Four girls mysteriously disappear in the Australian Outback, a disappearance that is never explained by the film. Extraordinarily atmospheric film that hints at supernatural explanations (e.g., the girls have gone away to be the brides of pagan deities).
Picture Perfect (Glenn Gordon Caron, 1997)
Places in the Heart (Robert Benton, 1984)
Planet of the Apes (Franklin J. Schaffner, 1968)
Platoon (Oliver Stone, 1986) Born on the Fourth of July, The Doors
Play Girl (Frank Woodruff, 1940) Lady Scarface
Pleasantville (Gary Ross, 1998)
Plein Soleil/Purple Noon (René Clément, 1960)
Police Academy II (Jerry Paris, 1986) The Feminist and the Fuzz
Pollyanna (David Swift, 1960)
Porky's (Bob Clark, 1981) Porky's II
Posse (Mario Van Peebles, 1993) Gang in Blue
Potemkin (Sergei Eisenstein, 1925) Alexander Nevsky
Pretty in Pink (Howard Deutch, 1986)
Princess Caraboo (Michael Austin, 1994)
Princess O'Rourke (Norman Krasna, 1943)
Providence (Alain Resnais, 1977) Nuit et brouillard, Hiroshima mon amour, L'Année dernière à Marienbad / Last Year at Marienbad, Je t'aime, je t'aime, Stavisky, Mon oncle d'Amérique
Psycho (Gus Van Sant, 1998)
Q Planes (Tim Whelan, 1939) Higher and Higher
Quick Billy (Bruce Baillie, 1971) Castro Street
Quilombo (Carlos Diegues, 1984) Escaped slaves build their own nation in 16th Century Brazil. A triumph of visual style.
RKO B Movies
Raise the Red Lantern (Zhang Yimou, 1992) One of six films Zhang made with actress Gong Li, in each of which she plays a gutsy woman who takes on the patriarchy that has always run China. The Story of Qiu Ju.
Rappin (Joel Silberg, 1985) Breakin, Lambada
Red Corner (Jon Avnet, 1997) Fried Green Tomatoes
Repo Man (Alex Cox, 1984)
Ride The High Country (Sam Peckinpah, 1962) The Ballad of Cable Hogue, Junior Bonner, The Osterman Weekend
Ride the Whirlwind (Monte Hellman, 1965) The Beast From Haunted Cave, The Shooting, Two Lane Blacktop
Robin Hood (Alan Dwan, 1922) Dwan was at his commercial peak in the 1920's: the party in The Great Gatsby was modeled after one thrown by Dwan.
Rock Star (Steven Herek, 2001)
Romancing the Stone (Robert Zemeckis, 1982) Contact
Romeo and Juliet (Franco Zeffirelli, 1968) Hamlet (1991). Tea with Mussolini
Romeo and Juliet (Paul Czinner, 1966) Prokofiev ballet, danced by Dame Margot Fonteyn and Rudolph Nureyev.
Rosalie Goes Shopping (Percy Adlon, 1990) Sugarbaby, Salmonberries
Rosemary's Baby (Roman Polanski, 1968) Two Men and a Wardrobe, Tess, Frantic
S:tream:S S:ection S:ection:S S:ectioned (Paul J. Sharits, 1968 - 1970)
Sailor's Luck (Raoul Walsh, 1933) Other Walsh comedies: What Price Glory, Gentleman Jim, The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw, Marines, Lets Go!
Samadhi (Jordan Belson, 1967) Allures
Savage Messiah (Ken Russell, 1972) Song of Summer, Women in Love, The Boyfriend, Mahler, Lisztomania, Clouds of Glory
Say Yes (Larry Yust, 1982)
Scarface (Howard Hawks 1932) The Barbary Coast, Come and Get It
Scarlet River (Otto Brower, 1933) Interesting Western set on a movie location shooting a Western movie. Brower also codirected the science fiction serial Phantom Empire (1935), which contains one of the first depictions of television.
Science Fiction
Scream of Fear (Seth Holt, 1961)
Secrets of the French Police (A. Edward Sutherland, 1932) International House, The Invisible Woman
Separate Tables (John Schlesinger, 1982) Cold Comfort Farm
Serpico (Sidney Lumet, 1973) Prince of the City, Power, Guilty as Sin, Night Falls on Manhattan
Seven Men From Now (Budd Boetticher, 1956) Behind Locked Doors, The Man From the Alamo, Horizons West, Seminole, Maverick pilot, The Tall T, Decision at Sundown, Westbound, The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond
Shag (Zelda Barron, 1988)
Shakespeare Films
Shakespeare in Love (John Madden, 1998)
Shanghai Noon (Tom Dey, 2000)
She's All That (Robert Iscove, 1999)
Sherlock, Jr. (Buster Keaton, 1924). Movie projectionist Buster Keaton falls asleep and dreams his way into the mystery movie he is showing. Keaton's comedies show great visual imagination. The Navigator, Go West, The General, College, Steamboat Bill, Jr.
Shock Corridor (Samuel Fuller 1963) The Naked Kiss
Shooting Straight (George Archainbaud, 1930) Framed, The Silver Horde, The Penguin Pool Murder, The Lost Squadron, Three Who Loved, Keep Em Rolling
Show People (King Vidor, 1928) deals with a slapstick comedy actress who forgets her roots after success. La Bohème; The Fountainhead
Sibling Rivalry (Carl Reiner, 1990) Reiner wrote many of the classic episodes of the original Dick Van Dyke Show. The Jerk
Silent Comedy
Silent Film: Silent Films | Silent Comedy
Silent Films
Singing in the Rain (Gene Kelly, Stanley Donen 1952) is a musical comedy about the transition to talkies. On the Town; It's Always Fair Weather
Sister Act (Emile Ardolino, 1992)
Slamdance (Wayne Wang, 1987) Chan is Missing, Smoke, Blue in the Face
Solas (Benito Zambrano, 1999)
Some caveats: it is very difficult to see many foreign films in the USA. Despite talk of the "Information Superhighway", such works are simply unobtainable. For example, I have been able to see very few pre-1950 Japanese films. The non-distribution of current foreign films is a scandal. For a sample of what we are missing, see Film Comment's poll of the Top 150 Foreign Films of the 1990's Unreleased in the US. I have managed to see only one film on this list. Readers will also want to check out critic Jonathan Rosenbaum's Top 100 American Movies.
Something To Sing About (Victor Schertzinger, 1937) He also did the excellent Grace Moore opera film, One Night of Love (1934). The Woman Between, The Fleet's In
Something Wicked This Way Comes (Jack Clayton, 1983) The Great Gatsby
Something in the Wind (Irving Pichel, 1947) And Now Tomorrow
Spanish Fiesta (Jean Negulesco, 1942): dance short with the Ballets Russes.
Speed (Jan DeBont, 1995)
Spy Kids (Robert Rodriguez, 2001)
Stand and Deliver (Ramon Menendez, 1987)
Stand-In (Tay Garnett, 1937) Slave Ship, The Joy Of Living, Seven Sinners, The Valley of Decision; The Postman Always Rings Twice
Star Wars (George Lucas, 1977) American Graffiti
Strange Lady in Town (Mervyn Le Roy, 1955) Little Caesar, The King and the Chorus Girl, Fools for Scandal
Streets of Fire (Walter Hill, 1984) 48HRS, Southern Comfort
Strictly Ballroom (Baz Luhrmann, 1993) La Bohème, Moulin Rouge
Student Exchange (Mollie Miller, 1987)
Sucre amer / Bitter Sugar (Christian Lara, 1997)
Sullivan's Travels (Preston Sturges, 1942) is a comedy about a film director who wants to make a film about the Depression. Sturges was Hollywood's most gifted satirist. The Great McGinty, Christmas in July, The Palm Beach Story, The Great Moment, The Miracle of Morgan's Creek, Hail the Conquering Hero, Mad Wednesday
Sunrise (Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau, 1927) Nosferatu.
Sunset Boulevard (Billy Wilder, 1950) is a drama about a decayed silent movie queen, who lives in a Hollywood mansion with her director-turned-butler Max, played by real life great director Erich von Stroheim. Wilder's sort of thematic sequel, Fedora.
Support Your Local Gunfighter (Burt Kennedy, 1971) Hannie Caulder, The Train Robbers
Swing Kids (Thomas Carter, 1993)
Swingtime (George Stevens, 1936) The best of all Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movies. A Damsel in Distress, which has Fred Astaire, George Burns and Gracie Allen, both of whom can really dance, much to my surprise. Has gem of dance sequence at amusement park.
Take Me To Town (Douglas Sirk, 1953) A kind hearted saloon singer (Ann Sheridan) marries a preacher in this Western comedy-drama, and brings new liveliness to his family and congregation. Gracefully made, as are most of Sirk's films. A Scandal in Paris; Sleep, My Love; Has Anybody Seen My Gal; Meet Me at the Fair
Tear Gas Squad (Terry Morse, 1940)
Teen Films
Tendre poulet / Dear Detective (Philippe De Broca, 1977) L'Homme de Rio / That Man from Rio
Tex (Tim Hunter, 1982)
That Girl From Paris (Leigh Jason, 1936)
That Night in Rio (Irving Cummings, 1941) The Story of Alexander Graham Bell, Lillian Russell, My Gal Sal, Springtime in the Rockies
That Thing You Do! (Tom Hanks, 1996)
The "In" Crowd (Mark Rosenthal, 1988)
The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. (Roy Rowland, 1953) Unique fantasy musical, written by Dr. Seuss. Also: Two Weeks With Love.
The Accidental Tourist (Lawrence Kasdan 1988) Silverado
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across The Eighth Dimension (W.D. Richter, 1984) Late For Dinner
The Adventures of Don Juan (Vincent Sherman, 1948) Old Acquaintance, Mrs. Skeffington, Backfire
The Automatic Moving Company (Emil Cohl) Cohl was the pioneer of the animated film.
The Bat (Roland West, 1926) The Monster, The Bat Whispers
The Benny Goodman Story (Valentine Davies, 1955) Davies also wrote the story for Miracle on 34th Street.
The Best Films of All Time - by Michael Grost
The Beverly Hillbillies (Penelope Spheeris, 1993) Wayne's World
The Big Combo (Joseph H. Lewis, 1955) My Name is Julia Ross, Gun Crazy, A Lady Without Passport, A Lawless Street, Terror in a Texas Town
The Big Heat (Fritz Lang, 1953) You and Me, Manhunt, Ministry of Fear, Woman in the Window, Scarlet Street, Secret Beyond The Door, Rancho Notorious, The Blue Gardenia, Moonfleet, While the City Sleeps, The 1,000 Eyes of Dr. Mabuse
The Big Parade (King Vidor, 1925)
The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom (Joe McGrath, 1968)
The Brass Bottle (Harry Keller, 1964) Tammy Tell Me True
The Bride of Frankenstein (James Whale 1935) The Old Dark House, The Invisible Man
The British Isles and Commonwealth
The Chambermaid on the Titanic (Bigas Luna, 1997)
The Champagne Murders (Claude Chabrol, 1967) Masques
The Cheap Detective (Robert Moore, 1978)
The Children of Paradise (Marcel Carné, 1945) Le Jour se lève
The Clowns (Federico Fellini, 1971) is an exuberant documentary about circus clowns. It shows to the max the spectacular, surrealistic style that is known as Felliniesque. Variety Lights, The White Shiek, La Strada, Il Bidone, Toby Dammit, Satyricon, Ginger and Fred, Intervista.
The Cocoanuts (Robert Florey, Joseph Santley, 1929)
The Color of Pomegranates (Sergei Paradjanov, 1969) Beautiful avant-garde look at Armenian culture. Hagop Hovnatanian; Ashik Kerib
The Conspirators (Jean Negulesco, 1944) Hedy Lamarr stars in this spy story. Most notable for the beauty of its photography (by Arthur Edeson) and production values. You might want to turn off the volume and just watch the succession of beautiful images silent.
The Crying Game (Neil Jordan, 1992)
The Disappearance of Kevin Johnson (Francis Megahy, 1996) Livin' the Life / Real Life
The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill, But Who Came Down A Mountain (Christopher Monger, 1995)
The Falcon's Adventure (William Berke, 1946)
The Falcon's Brother (Stanley Logan, 1942)
The Fall of the House of Usher (Melville Webber, James Sibley Watson, 1928)
The Flintstones (Brian Levant, 1994) Jingle All the Way
The Flower Thief (Ron Rice, 1960)
The Full Monty (Peter Cattaneo, 1997)
The Gangster Chronicles (Richard C. Sarafian, 1981)
The Gold Rush (Charlie Chaplin, 1925) Chaplin plays a prospector. The scene where a starving Chaplin, trapped in his frozen cabin, boils and eats his shoe is famous. Outstanding short films: One A.M., The Pawnshop, The Rink, The Cure, The Idle Class
The Good, the Bad, and The Ugly (Sergio Leone, 1967) is the best Spaghetti Western. A Fistful of Dollars.
The Gospel According to St. Matthew (Pier Paolo Pasolini, 1966)
The Great Dictator (Charlie Chaplin, 1940) Chaplin's anti-Hitler satire, and his first sound film. City Lights, Modern Times
The Great K&A Train Robbery (Lewis Seiler, 1926) Enthusiastic Tom Mix Western, in which he battles a gang of train robbers. Tom Mix had been a real cowboy, and was the best rider of all screen Western stars. Flight Angels, Molly and Me
The Great Train Robbery (Edwin S. Porter, 1903)
The Heavenly Kid (Cary Medoway, 1985)
The Hypocrites (Lois Weber, 1915)
The Immortal Story (Orson Welles, 1969) Perhaps the most beautiful color film ever made. See also below under Shakespeare films. It's All True.
The Impressionists (Bruce Alfred, 2001)
The Incredible Shrinking Man (Jack Arnold, 1957) 3D versions of: It Came From Outer Space, Revenge of the Creature
The Jolson Story (Alfred E. Green, 1946) Union Depot.
The Krays (Peter Medak 1991) The Changeling; Zorro, The Gay Blade; The Seven Dancing Princesses
The Lady From Shanghai (Orson Welles, 1948) Other good mysteries by Welles: Journey into Fear, The Stranger, Mr. Arkadin, Touch of Evil
The Last of the Mohicans (Michael Mann, 1992) L.A. Takedown
The Lawless (Joseph Losey, 1950) A Doll's House
The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg (Aviva Kempner, 2000)
The Life of Oharu (Kenji Mizoguchi, 1952) The greatest of Japanese filmmakers. Sisters of the Gion, The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum, Ugetsu, A Geisha / Gion Festival Music, Sansho the Baliff, Chikamatsu Monogatari, Empress Yang Kei Fei
The Locket (John Brahm, 1946)
The Lords of Discipline (Franc Roddam, 1983)
The Mad Miss Manton (Leigh Jason, 1937)
The Madness of King George (Nicholas Hytner, 1994) The Object of My Affection
The Magic of Dance (Patricia Foy, 1982) BBC documentary series, hosted by Dame Margot Fonteyn, that explores the many forms of European classical dance.
The Makioka Sisters (Kon Ichikawa, 1983)
The Man Who Fell to Earth (Nicholas Roeg, 1976)
The Man Who Found Himself (Lew Landers, 1937) They Wanted to Marry, Double Danger, Law of the Underworld, Blind Alibi, The Power of the Whistler, Under the Tonto Rim
The Man Who Knew Too Much (Alfred Hitchcock, 1956) The Lodger, Number 17, The 39 Steps, Sabotage, Foreign Correspondent, Saboteur, Spellbound, Rope, Stage Fright, I Confess, Rear Window, The Trouble With Harry, Vertigo, North By Northwest, Psycho, The Birds, Marnie, Torn Curtain, Topaz, Family Plot
The Man With a Movie Camera (Dziga Vertov, 1928)
The Man in The Silk Hat (Maud Linder) Compilation of delightful scenes from the comedies of Max Linder (mainly 1910 - 1914).
The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (Nunnally Johnson, 1956)
The Mark of Zorro (Fred Niblo, 1920) The original Zorro movie. Blood and Sand, Ben Hur
The Mask (Charles Russell, 1994) Eraser
The Merry Widow (Erich Von Stroheim, 1924) Foolish Wives, Queen Kelly
The Moderns (Alan Rudolph, 1988)
The Mole People (Virgil Vogel, 1956)
The Money Jungle (Francis D. Lyons, 1968)
The Moon-Spinners (James Neilson, 1964) The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin; Dr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow
The Mystery of Mr. X (Edgar Selwyn, 1934)
The Mystery of Rampo (Kazuyoshi Okuyama, 1994) Avant-garde fantasy in the tradition of Cocteau and Resnais' Providence. Beautifully shot.
The Naked Gun (David Zucker, 1988) The Naked Gun 2 1/2
The Naked Spur (Anthony Mann, 1953) The Bamboo Blonde, Desperate, T-Men, He Walked By Night, The Black Book/Reign of Terror, Winchester 73, The Man From Laramie, The Tin Star, The Heroes of Telemark, A Dandy in Aspic
The Net (Irwin Winkler, 1995)
The Nutty Professor (Jerry Lewis, 1963)
The Outlaw and His Wife (Victor Sjostrom, 1917) The Wind
The Passion of Joan of Arc (Carl Theodore Dreyer, 1928)
The Patient in Room 18 (Bobby Connolly, Crane Wilbur, 1938)
The Peacemaker (Mimi Leder, 1997)
The Pelican Brief (Alan J. Pakula, 1993)
The Phenix City Story (Phil Karlson, 1955) The Texas Rangers, Scandal Sheet, Kansas City Confidential, Gunman's Walk, Hell to Eternity, The Wrecking Crew
The Pirates of Penzance (Wilford Leach, 1983)
The Pit and the Pendulum (Roger Corman, 1961) The Little Shop of Horrors, The Raven, Von Richthofen and Brown
The Plot Thickens (Ben Holmes, 1936) There Goes My Girl, Maid's Night Out, The Saint in New York
The Power (Byron Haskin, 1967) The Naked Jungle
The Prince and the Surfer (Gregory Gieras, Arye Gross, 1999)
The Prizefighter (Michael Preece, 1979)
The Purple Plain (Robert Parrish, 1955) Cry Danger
The Red Shadow (Roy Mack, 1932) This is a 20 minute version of "The Desert Song". Roy Mack was a prolific director of short musical films in the 1930's. Many are as good as the famous feature length musicals of the era.
The Red Shoes (Michael Powell, 1948) Contraband
The Rise of Louis XIV (Roberto Rossellini, 1966) Rossellini was the father of the neorealism movement. This film shows his logical style. I would love to see his Blaise Pascal, a biography of the man who built the first calculating machines. Stromboli.
The Rosary Murders (Fred Walton, 1987)
The Savage Bees (Bruce Geller, 1976)
The Scent of Green Papaya (Tran Anh Hung, 1993) The Vertical Ray of the Sun
The Secret of My Success (Herbert Ross, 1987) Footloose
The Shadow (Russell Mulcahy, 1994) Mulcahy is an important music video director.
The Shooting Party (Alan Bridges, 1984)
The Shop Around the Corner (Ernst Lubitsch, 1940). The Love Parade, Design For Living, Angel, Ninotchka, To Be Or Not To Be
The Silver Streak (Thomas Atkins, 1934) A nice early train movie.
The Skulls (Rob Cohen, 2000) The Fast and the Furious
The Spider's Stratagem (Bernardo Bertolucci, 1970) is a mystery; its dazzling color photography of the Italian countryside is like taking a trip to Italy. Beseiged.
The Street With No Name (William Keighley, 1948) No Time for Comedy
The Strong Man (Frank Capra, 1926) Harry Langdon plays a veteran who goes to work as a stage Strong Man's assistant.
The Sum of Us (Kevin Dowling, Geoff Burton, 1995)
The Taming of the Shrew (Richard Monette, 1989)
The Third Voice (Hubert Cornfield, 1960) The Lure of the Swamp, The Night of the Following Day
The Toll of the Sea (Chester M. Franklin, 1922)
The Traveling Saleslady (Ray Enright, 1935)
The Tree of the Wooden Clogs (Ermanno Olmi, 1978) is a miniseries about poor farmers in 19th Century Lombardy. It is the best film of the 1970's.
The Trouble With Angels (Ida Lupino, 1966)
The Unsinkable Molly Brown (Charles Waters, 1964) The Glass Slipper
The Untouchables (Brian De Palma, 1987) Get To Know Your Rabbit
The Wedding Banquet (Ang Lee, 1993) Sense and Sensibility.
The Wedding Singer (Frank Coraci, 1998) The Waterboy
The Wild Party (Dorothy Arzner, 1929) Nana
The Wild and the Innocent (Jack Sher, 1959) Four New Girls in Town
The Winslow Boy (David Mamet, 1999)
The Witness Chair (George Nicholls, Jr., 1936)
The Wizard of Oz (Victor Fleming, 1939) The Wet Parade
The Woman They Almost Lynched (Alan Dwan, 1953) Man to Man, Belle Le Grande, Silver Lode, Escape to Burma, Slightly Scarlet
The Wrong Box (Bryan Forbes, 1966) The Stepford Wives
The Year of Living Dangerously (Peter Weir, 1982) Film about the start of the terrible events in Indonesia in 1965. Extraordinary performances, especially by Linda Hunt as photographer Billy Kwan. One of the best films ever made about the problems of the poor and world hunger. Although nothing supernatural happens in the tale, film has remarkable supernatural atmosphere.
Them! (Gordon Douglas, 1954) The Falcon in Hollywood, Dick Tracy vs. Cueball, Yellowstone Kelly
Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey (Steven M. Martin, 1993)
They Died With Their Boots On (Raoul Walsh, 1941) Other Walsh adventure films: The Big Trail, Along the Great Divide, Captain Horatio Hornblower, Saskatchewan, The World in His Arms, Battle Cry, The Naked and the Dead
This Island Earth (Joseph M. Newman, 1955) Red Skies of Montana, Dangerous Crossing, The Lawbreakers
This is the 100th anniversary of the movies. In 1895 the Lumière brothers first publicly projected a film in Paris. It was a 50 second long documentary, showing the workers leaving the brothers' factory. Today films are being downloaded as plug-ins on the Internet. Over the years filmmakers have made films about the movies themselves. To celebrate the anniversary, here are some of my favorites. Many of the entries contain other recommended films by the same director. The list starts off with Classical Hollywood films (1916 - 1972). It then moves to foreign language films, and then finally to post 1972 Hollywood films, many of which are comedies: the genre modern Hollywood does best.
Three Bad Men (John Ford, 1926) The Blue Eagle, Four Sons, Hangman House, Up the River, Pilgrimage, The Lost Patrol, The Prisoner of Shark Island, Stagecoach, Young Mr. Lincoln, How Green Was My Valley, They Were Expendable, Fort Apache, Rio Grande, Mogambo, The Long Gray Line, The Searchers, The Last Hurrah, Sergeant Rutledge, Seven Women
Three Women (Robert Altman, 1977) MASH, Nashville
Three to Tango (Damon Santostefano, 1999)
Thrillers and Action
Thunderbolt (Josef Von Sternberg, 1929) Sternberg was the pioneer of the gangster movie, and this emotional drama about a gang leader on death row shows Sternberg's ability to light a slow fire under his audience. Made in the first year of sound films, and one of the best of the early talkies, the film acts as if the world of sound had been discovered for the first time, with brilliant, unusual speech rhythms, unique pacing, and emotion charged black spirituals on the sound track. Underworld, The Last Command, The Docks of New York, The Shanghai Gesture, Macao.
Thunderheart (Michael Apted, 1992)
Tillie's Punctured Romance (Mack Sennett, 1914). Early comedy feature, full of fun.
To Sir, With Love (James M. Clavell, 1967)
Tokyo Drifter (Seijun Suzuki, 1966) Delirious gangster film, with great compositions, color design.
Tommy Boy (Peter Segal, 1995)
Tomorrow is Another Day (Felix Feist, 1951)
Top Gun (Tony Scott, 1986)
Tornado! (Noel Nosseck, 1996)
Torrents of Spring (Jerzy Skolimowski, 1989)
Travels With My Aunt (George Cukor, 1972) Tarnished Lady, Our Betters, The Philadelphia Story, Gaslight, A Double Life, Pat and Mike, It Should Happen to You, A Star is Born, Let's Make Love, My Fair Lady
Trial and Error (Jonathan Lynn, 1997) My Cousin Vinnie
Tron (Steve Lisberger, 1982)
Tuff Turf (Fritz Kiersch, 1985) Into The Sun
Tumbleweeds (King Baggott, 1926) Beautifully photographed Western.
Turner (M. M. Serra, 1987)
Twenty Four Eyes (Keisuke Kinoshita, 1953): Follows 12 Japanese students and their teacher from first grade to adulthood. Starts out in the 1930's, and moves on to the World War II era. Probably the best "inside" picture of traditional Japanese life on film; recommended for people who want to learn more about that country. Although there are no war scenes in the movie, the film delivers a devasting indictment of Japanese militarism of the era, and war in general.
Twins (Ivan Reitman, 1988) Dave, Junior
Two in the Dark (Benjamin Stoloff, 1936) Palooka, To Beat the Band, Super Sleuth, The Mysterious Doctor
Universal Soldier (Roland Emmerich, 1992) Moon 44, Stargate
Unzipped (Douglas Keeve, 1995)
Valley Girl (Martha Coolidge, 1983) Real Genius, pilot for Sledge Hammer
Vampyr (Carl Theodore Dreyer, 1931) Day of Wrath
Victor Victoria (Blake Edwards, 1982) Blind Date, Switch. The semi-autobiographical films: S.O.B., That's Life!
Village of Dreams (Yoichi Higashi, 1995) Look at two eight year old boys and their childhood in a small village.
Vision Quest (Harold Becker, 1985)
W.R. Mysteries of the Organism (Dusan Makavejev, 1971) Satirical documentary on the relationship between sex and politics. The funniest anti-Communist film ever made. Man is Not a Bird, The Coca Cola Kid
Waltz Across Texas (Ernest Day, 1982)
Way Down East (D.W. Griffith, 1920) America
We Live Again (Rouben Mamoulian, 1934) Love Me Tonight, The Mark of Zorro, Summer Holiday, Silk Stockings
What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? (Blake Edwards, 1966) Bring Your Smile Along, The Great Race
What's Up, Doc? (Peter Bogdanovich, 1972) Paper Moon, At Long Last Love, Illegally Yours
While You Were Sleeping (Jon Turteltaub, 1995)
White Heat (Raoul Walsh, 1949) Other Walsh gangster films: The Regeneration, The Roaring Twenties, High Sierra
Who Slew Auntie Roo? (Curtis Harrington, 1972) What's the Matter With Helen?, Mata Hari
Wilde (Brian Gilbert, 1997) Vice Versa
Wing Commander (Chris Roberts, 1998)
Witness For the Prosecution (Billy Wilder, 1958). The best courtroom drama ever made. Charles Laughton is fabulously articulate and dramatic as the defense attorney; all by itself, the scene where is calls witness Marlene Dietrich a liar is worth the price of admission.
Wonder Ring (Stan Brakhage, 1955) Desistfilm, Window Water Baby Moving, Dog Star Man, Deus Ex, Stellar
Z (Constantin Costa-Gavras, 1969) Compartiment tueurs / The Sleeping Car Murders, Missing
Zebrahead (Anthony Drazan, 1992)
Zoolander (Ben Stiller, 2001)





































   


1968) Barry Lyndon 42nd Street (Choreographer: Busby Berkley,
1933) Whoopee!, Golddiggers of
1933, Footlight Parade, Dames, The Gang's All Here, Jumbo A Clear and Present Danger (Philip Noyce,
1994 A Kiss Before Dying (Gerd Oswald,
1956  Oswald directed many of the best episodes of The Outer Limits TV series. 80 Steps to Jonah A Man of No Importance (Suri Krishnamma,
1994 A Man's Castle (Frank Borzage,
1932  Borzage was one of the screen's best directors of romances. Little known fact: Borzage and Raoul Walsh were friends when they worked at Fox in the early 30's. A Farewell to Arms, Stranded, History is Made at Night, Stagedoor Canteen A Midsummer Night's Dream (Kenneth Branagh,
1993  Henry V (
1989 A New Leaf (Elaine May,
1971 A Night To Remember (Richard Wallace,
1943  The Masquerader A Night at the Opera (Sam Wood,
1935 A Night in Casablanca (Archie Mayo,
1946 A Raisin in the Sun (Daniel Petrie,
1961 A Room With a View (James Ivory,
1985  Heat and Dust, Maurice, Jefferson in Paris, The Golden Bowl A Shot in the Dark (Blake Edwards,
1964  Return of the Pink Panther A Summer at La Goulette (Férid Boughedir,
1995 A Taxing Woman (Juzo Itami,
1987  A female Japanese tax agent fights a "duel" with a crooked businessman. Both the heroine and the villain have remarkable quantities of energy, ingenuity and enthusiasm for their work. Thoroughly satirical look at modern Japanese life, with an enormous amount of inside information about business, government, and crime. The Funeral. A Walk in the Clouds (Alfonso Arau,
1995 A Woman Under the Influence (John Cassavetes,
1974 Ace Ventura, Pet Detective (Tom Shadyac,
1994 Aimée & Jaguar (Max Färberböck,
1998 Air Force One (Wolfgang Petersen,
1997 Alexander's Ragtime Band (Henry King,
1938  Love Is a Many Splendored Thing Algie the Miner (Alice Guy,
1912  The Making of an American Citizen, The Ocean Waif All I Desire (Douglas Sirk,
1953  Sign of the Pagan, All That Heaven Allows, A Time to Love and a Time to Die Allegro Non Troppo (Bruno Bozzetto,
1976  is an inventively bizarre animated film comedy set to classical music. American Dreamer (Rick Rosenthal,
1984 American Ninja 2: The Confrontation (Sam Firstenberg,
1987  Avenging Force Amistad (Steven Spielberg,
1997 An Autumn Afternoon (Yasujiro Ozu,
1962 Antonio Gaudi (Hiroshi Teshigahara,
1985  Documentary about the Barcelona architect. Arena (Peter Manoogian,
1988 Ask Me Again (Deborah Reinesch,
1989 Avanti (Billy Wilder,
1972 . One of the best of the comedies in which Wilder specialized later. Sabrina, One, Two, Three, The Fortune Cookie Ay, Carmela! (Carlos Saura,
1990  Flamenco, Tango, Goya Babette's Feast (Gabriel Axel,
1987 Back To School (Alan Metter,
1986  Girls Just Want To Have Fun. Back to the Beach (Lyndall Hobbs,
1987 Band of Outsiders (Jean-Luc Godard,
1964  Breathless, A Woman is a Woman, Contempt, Pierrot le Fou, Weekend Battery Film (Franklin Backus, Richard Protovin,
1985 Beau Brummel (Harry Beaumont,
1923 Beau Travail (Claire Denis,
1999 Beauty and the Beast (Jean Cocteau,
1946  The Blood of a Poet, Orpheus Before Night Falls (Julian Schnabel, 2000 Behind the Headlines (Richard Rosson,
1937  Belle de jour (Luis Buñuel,
1967  The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie Bells Are Ringing (Vincente Minnelli,
1960  Meet Me in St. Louis, The Band Wagon, Gigi, Some Came Running, Home From the Hill, The Sandpiper Bengal Brigade (Laslo Benedek,
1954  The Wild One Big Business (Jim Abrahams,
1988  Jane Austen's Mafia! Big Deal on Madonna Street (Mario Monicelli,
1958  Comedy about some inept crooks. Bigger Than Life (Nicholas Ray,
1956  They Live By Night, On Dangerous Ground, Johnny Guitar Billy Elliot (Stephen Daldry, 2000 Black Dju (Pol Cruchten,
1996 Blade Runner (Ridley Scott,
1982  Someone To Watch Over Me Bleu Shut (Robert Nelson,
1970  Oh Dem Watermelons, The Awful Backlash Blue City (Michelle Manning,
1986 Body Shot (Dmitri Logothetis,
1993 Bonnie and Clyde (Arthur Penn,
1967  The Chase, Little Big Man, Dead of Winter Born to Ride (Graham Baker,
1991 Boys Don't Cry (Kimberley Pierce,
1999 Boyz n the Hood (John Singleton,
1991 Brain Donors (Dennis Dugan,
1992  Happy Gilmore, Big Daddy Breaking Away (Peter Yates,
1979  The Hot Rock, Suspect, The House on 92nd Street, The Year of the Comet Bullet to Beijing (George Mihalka,
1995 Bunny Lake is Missing (Otto Preminger,
1965  Laura, Whirlpool, River of No Return, The Man With the Golden Arm, The Cardinal By the Law (Lev Kuleshov,
1926 California Casanova (Nathaniel Christian,
1989 Camille (Ray C. Smallwood,
1921 Campus Man (Ron Casden,
1987 Caprice (Frank Tashlin,
1967  Son of Paleface, Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter, The Glass Bottom Boat Cat Ballou (Elliot Silverstein,
1965 Catch Me If You Can (Stephen Sommers,
1990 Chameleon (Michael Pavone,
1995 Character (Mike van Diem,
1997 Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen (Clive Donner,
1981 Charulata (Satyajit Ray,
1964 : gentle portrait of an Indian woman. Aparajito (
1956 , Jalsaghar/The Music Room (
1957 , The Big City (
1963 , The Chessplayers (
1977 . China Gate (Samuel Fuller
1957  I Shot Jesse James, The Baron of Arizona, The Steel Helmet, Park Row, Run of The Arrow, The Crimson Kimono, Underworld USA, Dead Pigeon on Beethoven Street Choke Canyon (Chuck Bail,
1986 Christmas in Connecticut (Peter Godfrey,
1945 Chungking Express (Wong Kar-wai,
1994  Fallen Angels, In the Mood for Love Cinema Paradiso (Giuseppe Tornatore,
1988  is the story of a poor little boy and his love for the movies. It is very touching and emotionally involving. The Star Maker, Malena. Citizen Kane (Orson Welles,
1941  The Magnificent Ambersons Classic Film and Television Home Page Cleopatra (Cecil B. De Mille,
1934  Spectacle film about the famous Egyptian Queen (Claudette Colbert  and her fights with the Roman Empire. Short compared with modern epics (an hour and a half , fast paced, and filled with eye-popping visual detail. People sometimes chortle over De Mille's sugar coating of history, but the fact remains, that if more films like this were made today, Americans would not be so ignorant about history. The silent version of The Ten Commandments, The Buccaneer. Cloak and Dagger (Richard Franklin,
1984  Cléo de 5 à 7 (Agnès Varda,
1961  Jacquot de Nantes, Les Glaneurs et la glaneuse / The Gleaners and I Code Two (Fred Wilcox,
1953  Forbidden Planet Comedy Composition 1 (Themis  (Dwinell Grant,
1940 Condorman (Charles Jarrott,
1981  The Boy in Blue Contemporary: Science Fiction | Comedy | Thrillers and Action | Drama | Teen Films | Dance Films | Documentaries Corvette Summer (Matthew Robbins,
1978  The Legend of Billie Jean Cousin Bette (Des McAnuff,
1997 Crack-Up (Irving Reis,
1946  Hitler's Children Cyrano de Bergerac (Jean-Paul Rappenau,
1990  Le Hussard sur la toit / The Horseman on the Roof D.C. Cab (Joel Schumacher,
1983  Batman Forever, A Time To Kill Daddy-Long-Legs (Marshall Neilan,
19
19 Daisy Miller (Peter Bogdanovich,
1974  Nickelodeon, Saint Jack Dance Films Dances With Wolves (Kevin Costner,
1990 Dangerous Beauty (Marshall Herskovitz,
1997 Dangerously Close (Albert Pyun
1986  Radioactive Dreams Dark Victory (Edmund Goulding,
1939  The Great Lie, The Razor's Edge Dark Waters (André De Toth,
1944  Springfield Rifle, Crime Wave Daughters of the Dust (Julie Dash,
1992 Dead Reckoning (John Cromwell,
1947  Son of Fury, The Racket Death in Venice (Luchino Visconti,
1966 Deep in My Heart (Stanley Donen,
1954  Damn Yankees, Indiscreet, Charade Desperate Remedies (Stuart Main, Peter Wells,
1994  The Mighty Civic Destiny (Youssef Chahine,
1997 Destry Rides Again (George Marshall,
1939  Hold That Coed, True To Life, Perils of Pauline, The Mating Game Detour (Edgar G. Ulmer,
1946  Paranoid classic about a hitchhiker who encounters every sort of terrifying problem. The Black Cat, Murder is My Beat, Beyond the Time Barrier Diary of a Country Priest (Robert Bresson,
1950  Un Condamné à mort s'est échappé/A Man Escaped, Une Femme douce Die Hard (John McTiernan,
1988  The Hunt For Red October Diplomaniacs (William A. Seiter,
1933  Roberta, You Were Never Lovelier Dishonored (Josef Von Sternberg,
1931  Perhaps the best of Sternberg's seven films with Marlene Dietrich. This tale casts Dietrich as a glamorous Mata Hari like spy in World War I. When facing the firing squad at the end of the movie, Dietrich insists on being dressed to the nines: as she puts it, I want to die in the uniform in which I served my country. Sternberg had few equals in the ability to treat film as a visual spectacle. Other Dietrich films by Sternberg: The Blue Angel, Shanghai Express, Blonde Venus, The Scarlet Empress. Disorganized Crime (Jim Kouf,
1989 Diva (Jean-Jacques Beineix,
1982  IP5: L'île aux pachydermes Doctor, You've Got to be Kidding (Peter Tewksbury,
1967  The Truth about Girls Documentaries Don't Cry, Its Only Thunder (Peter Werner,
1982  No Man's Land Don't Tell Her It's Me (Malcolm Mowbray,
1990 Double Wedding (Richard Thorpe,
1937  Zany screwball fun with the team of William Powell and Myrna Loy, better known for their Thin Man detective movies. Her Highness and the Bellboy; The Great Caruso, The Prisoner of Zenda; Athena Dr. Akagi (Shohei Imamura,
1998  Drama Dream Breakers (Stuart Millar,
1989  When the Legends Die Dreamscape (Joseph Ruben,
1984  True Believer, The Stepfather, Return to Paradise Dumb and Dumber (Peter Farrelly,
1994 Earth Girls Are Easy (Julien Temple,
1989  Temple has made many classic music videos. East Palace, West Palace (Zhang Yuan,
1996 Eating Raoul (Paul Bartel,
1982  Scenes From the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills Eddie and the Cruisers (Martin Davidson,
1983  Long Gone Elephant Walk (William Dieterle,
1954 Emergency Call (Edward L. Cahn,
1933  Bad Guy; Destination: Murder; You Have to Run Fast Emma (Douglas McGrath,
1996 Empire City (Mark Rosner,
1991 Encino Man (Les Mayfield,
1992 Europa Europa (Agnieska Holland,
1990 Ever After (Andy Tennant,
1998 Experiment Perilous (Jacques Tourneur,
1944  I Walked With a Zombie, Canyon Passage, Out of the Past, Berlin Express, Stars in My Crown, Night of the Demon, The Comedy of Terrors Experimental Films Fahrenheit 451 (François Truffaut,
1966  La Nuit américaine / Day For Night Fair Game (Andrew Sipes,
1995 Fatty at Coney Island (Roscoe Arbuckle,
1917  The Garage. Field of Dreams (Phil Alden Robinson,
1989  Sneakers Fireworks (Kenneth Anger,
1947  Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome, Eaux d'Artifice, Scorpio Rising, Kustom Kar Kommandos Flaming Creatures (Jack Smith,
1963 Flash Gordon (Michael Hodges,
1980  Croupier Flickers (Cyril Coke,
1980  British TV miniseries about the early days of the British film industry, and the attempt of two outsiders, a poor Cockney (Bob Hoskins  and a middle class businesswoman (Frances De La Tour  to run their own production company. Characterizations so rich they seem four dimensional, and brilliant acting by the entire troupe, especially the two leads. Comic, upbeat, and definitely not about the sort of upper class twits that show up on too much British TV. Will Violet ever stop talking? Script by Roy Clarke. Follow Me Quietly (Richard Fleischer,
1949  This hour long B movie about the hunt for a serial killer is a triumph of direction, photography and storytelling. Much less gruesome than modern serial killer stories. Bodyguard, Armored Car Robbery, The Narrow Margin, Violent Saturday. Forces of Nature (Bronwen Hughes,
1999 Foreign Films: French | Italian | Japanese | Other Foreign Language | The British Isles and Commonwealth | Shakespeare Films Foreign Student (Eva Sereny,
1994 Four Weddings and a Funeral (Mike Newell,
1994 Fourth Story (Ivan Passer,
1990 French Films Fury (Fritz Lang,
1936  The Spiders Part I: The Golden Sea; Der Müde Tod, Dr. Mabuse Der Spieler, Siegfried, Spione/Spies. Gabbeh (Mohsen Makhmalbaf,
1996 Gaby (Luis Mandoki,
1987  Born Yesterday George Dumpson's Place (Ed Emshwiller,
1961 -
1963 George of the Jungle (Sam Weisman,
1997 German Expressionism and Film Noir Ghost (Jerry Zucker,
1990  Top Secret! (with Jim Abrahams and David Zucker Ghosts of Mississippi (Rob Reiner,
1996  A Few Good Men, The American President Giant (George Stevens,
1956  Annie Oakley, The More the Merrier. See also below under Musicals. Girl Shy (Fred Newmeyer, Sam Taylor,
1924  Lloyd plays a naive country boy who finds true love in the city. Has a much imitated chase finale, when he tries to get to church in time to rescue his girlfriend. For Heaven's Sake, The Kid Brother, Mad Wednesday Glory Alley (Raoul Walsh,
1952  Other Walsh musicals: Going Hollywood, The Man I Love Goddess Dancers of Cambodia (Faubion Bowers,
1970 : unforgettably beautiful documentary about the traditional dance troupe. Gods and Monsters (Bill Condon,
1998 Going My Way (Leo McCarey,
1944  Duck Soup, Ruggles of Red Gap (
1935 Golden Demon (Koji Shima,
1953  This is not a horror movie; the golden demon of the title is money, excessive love of which almost destroys a young couple's happiness. Golden Earrings (Mitchell Leisen,
1947  The Eagle and The Hawk, Artists and Models Abroad, Midnight, The Lady is Willing, To Each His Own, The Mating Season Good Morning, Babylon (Taviani Brothers,
1987 . Two Italian brothers emigrate to America, where they design the sets for D.W. Griffith's silent movie masterpiece, Intolerance (
1916 . The Night of the Shooting Stars. Good Morning, Miss Dove (Henry Koster,
1955  First Love, It Started With Eve, Music for the Millions Grand Old Girl (John Robertson,
1935 Grease II (Patricia Birch,
1982 Great Expectations (Alfonso Cuarón,
1998 Greed (Erich Von Stroheim,
1924 Ground Zero (Michael Pattinson, Bruce Miles,
1987 Groundhog Day (Harold Ramis,
1992  Caddyshack Guarding Tess (Hugh Wilson,
1994  Blast From the Past, Dudley Do-Right Gumshoe (Stephen Frears,
1972  Dangerous Liaisons, Hero Hackers (Iain Softley,
1995 Hairspray (John Waters,
1988  Pink Flamingos, Polyester, Crybaby, Pecker, Cecil B. Demented Hands Up! (Clarence Badger,
1926  Raymond Griffith is a traveling magician out West. Delightful. Also: It. Happy, Texas (Mark Illsley,
1999 Harley Davidson and the Motorcycle Man (Simon Wincer,
1991  The Girl Who Spelled Freedom Hatari! (Howard Hawks
1962  Rio Bravo, El Dorado, Rio Lobo Hear My Song (Peter Chelsom,
1991  An Irish promoter tries to lure a singer to his club. A gentle film about the power of music. Heartaches (Don Shebib,
1981 Heartbreak Hotel (Chris Columbus,
1988  Mrs. Doubtfire Heat (Paul Morrisey,
1972  Trash Heaven and Earth (Haruki Kadokawa,
1990  Spectacular drama of medieval battles, choreographed to make ingenious color patterns on the screen. Hell's Highway (Roland Brown,
1932 Hell's Hinges (William S. Hart, Charles Swickard,
1916 Hello, Frisco, Hello (H. Bruce Humberstone,
1943  I Wake Up Screaming, Sun Valley Serenade, The Desert Song High and Dizzy (
1920  Harold Lloyd's chair gets caught up by a crane on a tall building. Other Lloyd films in which he dangles from high buildings: Safety Last, Feet First (the skyscraper finale is a gem, the rest of this film is slow moving His Girl Friday (Howard Hawks
1940  Twentieth Century, Ball of Fire, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes Hollywood Classics: Drama | Comedy | RKO B Movies | Musicals | Film Noir | Hollywood's Last Generation of Classical Filmmaking | Experimental Films Hollywood Comedy Hollywood Sound Films: Drama Hollywood's Last Generation of Classical Filmmaking Home Fries (Dean Parisot,
1997 Homicidal (William Castle,
1961  Truly bizarre little thriller whose plot is always taking unexpected turns. Mark of the Whistler; Voice of the Whistler; Crime Doctor's Warning; Straight-Jacket Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (Joe Johnston
1989  The Rocketeer Honeymoon Academy (Eugene Quintano,
1990  National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon I. Quintano also scripted Making the Grade. Honeymoon in Vegas (Andrew Bergman,
1992 Horse Feathers (Norman Z. MacLeod,
1932  Monkey Business, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Hotel Paradiso (Peter Glenville,
1966  Summer and Smoke, The Comedians House of Angels (Colin Nutley,
1992 How Awful About Allan (Curtis Harrington,
1970  The Cat Creature I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings (Fiedler Cook,
1979 I've Heard the Mermaids Singing (Patricia Rozema,
1987  Mansfield Park In & Out (Frank Oz,
1997 In Search of the Castaways (Robert Stevenson,
1962  The Absent-Minded Professor, Mary Poppins, Bedknobs and Broomsticks In the Street (Helen Levitt, Helen Loeb, James Agee,
1944 Intolerance (D.W. Griffith,
1916 Intruder in the Dust (Clarence Brown,
1949  The Eagle, Possessed, The Rains Came Ishi: The Last of His Tribe (Robert Ellis Miller,
1978  Her Life as a Man Isn't Life Wonderful (D.W. Griffith,
1924 : A young couple copes with life in post W.W.I Germany. It's A Great Feeling (David Butler,
1949  Butler did many "backstage" looks at show business. Pigskin Parade, Playmates, They Got Me Covered, Shine On Harvest Moon, Tea For Two It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (Stanley Kramer,
1963 It's a Wonderful World (W.S. Van Dyke,
1939  Also starring Jimmy Stewart, not to be confused with his later It's a Wonderful Life (
1946 . Hide-Out. Nelson Eddy - Jeanette MacDonald movies: Naughty Marietta, Sweethearts and the MacDonald San Francisco. Italian Films Japanese Films Jersey Girl (David Burton Morris,
1992  Hometown Boy Makes Good Johnny Be Good (Bud Smith,
1988 Julius Caesar (Joseph L. Mankiewicz,
1953  All About Eve Jumpin' Jack Flash (Penny Marshall,
1986  A League of Their Own Jury Duty (Michael Schultz,
1990  The Spirit Just One of The Guys (Lisa Gottlieb,
1985 Kagemusha (Akira Kurosawa,
1981  Sanshiro Sugata, The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail, Stray Dog, The Idiot, Ikiru, The Seven Samurai, High and Low, Dreams, Rhapsody in August Kiss Me Deadly (Robert Aldrich,
1955  Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte, The Longest Yard, The Frisco Kid Kolya (Jan Svarek,
1995  Dark Blue World Kundun (Martin Scorsese,
1997  L'Atalante (Jean Vigo,
1934  L'Avventura (Michelangelo Antonioni,
1960  is a haunting drama about a disappearance. Il Grido, La Notte, The Eclipse, The Red Desert. Antonioni's English language dramas Blow-Up, Zabriskie Point. Beyond the Clouds.  La Bamba (Luis Valdez,
1987  La Corona di Ferro / The Iron Crown (Alessandro Blasetti,
1941 La Kermesse héroique (Jacques Feyder,
1934  The Kiss, Anna Christie La Nuit de Varennes (Ettore Scola,
1982 Lady For a Day (Frank Capra,
1933  Platinum Blonde, The Miracle Woman, American Madness, It Happened One Night Lady Killer (Roy Del Ruth,
1933  The dynamic James Cagney plays a small time hood who winds up in Hollywood. Packs a vast amount of plot twists in a short running time. Life of the Party, The Maltese Falcon, The Little Giant, Kid Millions, Thanks a Million, On the Avenue, Broadway Melody of
1938, My Lucky Star, Broadway Rhythm, On Moonlight Bay; Stop, You're Killing Me, The Alligator People Lamerica (Gianni Amelio,
1994  Grim but well made look at poverty in post-Communist Albania. Lapis (James Whitney,
1963-
1966 Last Dance (Tsai Ming-liang,
1997 Late Chrysanthemums (Mikio Naruse,
1954  While Mikio Naruse made 87 films between
1930 and
1967, his work seems hardly to have made any impression in the Western World. This is to be lamented, for he was clearly a magnificent filmmaker. His subject matter is remote from the tastes of contemporary audiences. Naruse grew up in poverty, and his characters are poor and often aging women struggling to get by in Japan. His stories are completely lacking in violence, action or glamour. What they do have is a marvellous storytelling ability. His visual style alternates between beautifully composed looks at Tokyo streets, to interior scenes where his characters have dramatic encounters with family, loved ones and friends. Law of Desire (Pedro Almodóvar,
1987  Dark Habits, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, High Heels Le Chagrin et la pitié / The Sorrow and the Pity (Marcel Ophuls,
1971 Le Million (René Clair,
1931  Entr'acte, I Married a Witch Le Pacte des loups / The Brotherhood of the Wolf (Christophe Gans, 2001 Le Placard / The Closet (Francis Veber, 2000 Le Samouraï (Jean-Pierre Melville,
1967 Les Ripoux / My New Partner (Claude Zidi,
1985 Les Vampires (Louis Feuillade,
1915  Classic crime thriller. Les Voleurs / Thieves (André Téchiné,
1996  Les Roseaux sauvages / Wild Reeds, Alice et Martin Let Us Be Gay (Robert Z. Leonard,
1930  Leonard's best films seem to be gentle, upbeat combinations of sophisticated comedy and drama. His characters are remarkably refined and genteel. Many of his films seem to involve romantic duels between men and women. His characters also often struggle against injustice, often being victimized by more powerful people. After Office Hours, Stand by for Action, In the Good Old Summertime Letter From an Unknown Woman (Max Ophuls,
1948  Touching romantic drama about a woman, and her unrequited love for a concert pianist. Shows Ophuls' emotional sensitivity, and his ability to depict feelings of love on screen. Ophuls' constantly moving camera is visually fascinating, as one delicate composition succeeds after another, and the tracking creates a thrilling visual experience. The Exile, Caught, La Ronde, Lola Montès. Life is Beautiful (Roberto Benigni,
1998  Johnny Stecchino Lilies of the Field (Ralph Nelson,
1963  Father Goose Little Kitty Kelly (Norman Taurog,
1941  That Midnight Kiss Living in Oblivion (Tom Di Cillo,
1995 . Everything possible goes wrong on the set of an ultra-cheap, low budget art film in this dark comedy. Lola Rennt / Run, Lola, Run (Tom Tykwer,
1998 Longtime Companion (Norman René,
1990  Prelude to a Kiss Loulou (Maurice Pialat,
1980 Lover Come Back (Delbert Mann,
1961 Lumière Brothers' First Films (Louis Lumière, 1895 - 1897  Compilation of 85 of the Brothers' best short films, each 50 seconds long. M Hulot's Holiday (Jacques Tati,
1953  Family fun at a French resort. Mon Oncle, Playtime, Traffic. M. Butterfly (David Cronenberg,
1993  Ma Vie en rose (Alain Berliner,
1997  The Wall Macbeth (Orson Welles,
1947  Welles' version of the Shakespeare tragedy. His Othello is visually outstanding, but it suffers from poor sound recording. Madame Dubarry (Ernst Lubitsch,
1920 . Lubitsch got his start directing historical epics, which combined spectacle with saucy looks at the personal lives of famous men and women. The silent version of Lady Windemere's Fan Major League (David S. Ward,
1989  Major League II. Ward wrote the script for The Sting. Man Facing Southeast (Eliseo Subiela,
1986 : an unearthly stranger shows up in Buenos Aires, claiming to be from another planet. Man of Marble (Andrzej Wajda,
1976  In
1950's Poland, a stone worker is cited as a model worker. Man of Iron (
1980 sequel  His steel worker son takes part in Solidarity. Shot live during the events it depicts. Ashes and Diamonds. Wajda's work reflects Italian Neorealism. Man of the Century (Adam Abraham,
1999 Mannequin (Michael Gotlieb,
1987 Mask (Peter Bogdanovich,
1985  Targets Maybe, Maybe Not (Sonke Wortmann,
1994 Mediterraneo (Gabriel Salvatores,
1992  is a warm hearted comedy about some Italian soldiers who go native. Some modern Italian films have been big successes in America. Melvin and Howard (Jonathan Demme,
1980  Citizen's Band, Who Am I This Time?, Something Wild, Swimming to Cambodia, Philadelphia Meshes of the Afternoon (Maya Deren,
1944  At Land, A Study in Choreography for Camera Metalstorm (Charles Band,
1982  Trancers, Murdercycle Metropolitan (Whit Stillman,
1990 Midshipman Jack (Christy Cabanne,
1933 Miss Mary (Maria Luisa Bemberg,
1987 Modern Girls (Jerry Kramer,
1986 Molly and Gina (Paul Leder,
1993 Mr. North (Danny Huston,
1988  The Dead Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (Frank Capra,
1939  Capra's political film, about an idealistic young senator (Jimmy Stewart  and his fight with a crooked political machine. Meet John Doe, It's a Wonderful Life Murder Ahoy (George Pollock,
1964  Murder, She Said Music For Madame (John Blystone,
1937  Opera film with tenor Nino Martini. Blystone was Buster Keaton's codirector on Our Hospitality. Musicals My Favorite Year (Richard Benjamin,
1982  Comedy, which like the Dick Van Dyke Show, takes us backstage at the old Sid Caesar - Imogene Coca Your Show of Shows. Among the best of Benjamin's movies are two films whose young protagonists discover themselves, almost by accident, to be living under false pretenses and phony identities: Little Nikita, Mrs. Winterbourne. Mystery Broadcast (George Sherman,
1943  Crime Doctor's Courage Mystery Date (Jonathan Wacks,
1991 Mystery Street (John Sturges,
1950 Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase (William Clemens,
1939 Neighbors (
1920 . Other outstanding Buster Keaton short films: The Scarecrow, The Frozen North, The Electric House. Never Been Kissed (Raja Gosnell,
1999 Never Weaken (
1921  Harold Lloyd made a large number of really good short films. Among the best: Off a Trolley, Captain's Kidd's Kids, His Royal Slyness, Get Out and Get Under, Number Please, Now or Never, Among Those Present Niagara (Henry Hathaway,
1953  23 Paces to Baker Street Night Tide (Curtis Harrington,
1960  Games Nighthawks (Bruce Malmuth,
1981  Hard To Kill No Questions Asked (Harold F. Kress,
1951 Nostalghia (Andrei Tarkovsky,
1983 Now, Voyager (Irving Rapper,
1942 Odd Jobs (Mark Story,
1984 Off Beat (Michael Dinner,
1986  Curse of the Corn People OffOn (Scott Bartlett,
1968 Old Man Rhythm (Edward Luwig,
1935 Orlando (Sally Potter,
1993 Othello (Oliver Parker,
1995 Other Foreign Language Films Our Hospitality (Buster Keaton, Jack Blystone,
1923 . Out of Bounds (Richard Tuggle,
1986 Outrageous Fortune (Arthur Hiller,
1987  Teachers, Taking Care of Business Outside the Law (Tod Browning,
1921  Dracula Panic in the Streets (Elia Kazan,
1950  Gentleman's Agreement Paris Does Strange Things (Jean Renoir,
1956 : A Polish noblewoman delights everyone in
1900 Paris. La Chienne, Boudu sauvé des eaux, Toni, Grand Illusion, The Rules of the Game, Swamp Water, The Woman on the Beach, The River, French Can Can Parnell (John M. Stahl,
1937  Leave Her to Heaven Parting Glances (Bill Sherwood,
1986 Peacemaker (Kevin S. Tenney,
1990 Pee Wee's Big Adventure (Tim Burton,
1985  Edward Scissorhands Persuasion (Roger Michell,
1995 Peyote Queen (Storm De Hirsch,
1965 Phantom Lady (Robert Siodmak,
1944  The Spiral Staircase, Criss Cross Phörpa / The Cup (Khyentse Norbu,
1999 Picnic at Hanging Rock (Peter Weir,
1975  Four girls mysteriously disappear in the Australian Outback, a disappearance that is never explained by the film. Extraordinarily atmospheric film that hints at supernatural explanations (e.g., the girls have gone away to be the brides of pagan deities . Picture Perfect (Glenn Gordon Caron,
1997 Places in the Heart (Robert Benton,
1984 Planet of the Apes (Franklin J. Schaffner,
1968 Platoon (Oliver Stone,
1986  Born on the Fourth of July, The Doors Play Girl (Frank Woodruff,
1940  Lady Scarface Pleasantville (Gary Ross,
1998 Plein Soleil/Purple Noon (René Clément,
1960 Police Academy II (Jerry Paris,
1986  The Feminist and the Fuzz Pollyanna (David Swift,
1960 Porky's (Bob Clark,
1981  Porky's II  Posse (Mario Van Peebles,
1993  Gang in Blue Potemkin (Sergei Eisenstein,
1925  Alexander Nevsky Pretty in Pink (Howard Deutch,
1986 Princess Caraboo (Michael Austin,
1994 Princess O'Rourke (Norman Krasna,
1943 Providence (Alain Resnais,
1977  Nuit et brouillard, Hiroshima mon amour, L'Année dernière à Marienbad / Last Year at Marienbad, Je t'aime, je t'aime, Stavisky, Mon oncle d'Amérique Psycho (Gus Van Sant,
1998 Q Planes (Tim Whelan,
1939  Higher and Higher Quick Billy (Bruce Baillie,
1971  Castro Street Quilombo (Carlos Diegues,
1984  Escaped slaves build their own nation in 16th Century Brazil. A triumph of visual style. RKO B Movies Raise the Red Lantern (Zhang Yimou,
1992  One of six films Zhang made with actress Gong Li, in each of which she plays a gutsy woman who takes on the patriarchy that has always run China. The Story of Qiu Ju. Rappin (Joel Silberg,
1985  Breakin, Lambada Red Corner (Jon Avnet,
1997  Fried Green Tomatoes Repo Man (Alex Cox,
1984 Ride The High Country (Sam Peckinpah,
1962  The Ballad of Cable Hogue, Junior Bonner, The Osterman Weekend Ride the Whirlwind (Monte Hellman,
1965  The Beast From Haunted Cave, The Shooting, Two Lane Blacktop Robin Hood (Alan Dwan,
1922  Dwan was at his commercial peak in the
1920's: the party in The Great Gatsby was modeled after one thrown by Dwan. Rock Star (Steven Herek, 2001 Romancing the Stone (Robert Zemeckis,
1982  Contact Romeo and Juliet (Franco Zeffirelli,
1968  Hamlet (
1991 . Tea with Mussolini Romeo and Juliet (Paul Czinner,
1966  Prokofiev ballet, danced by Dame Margot Fonteyn and Rudolph Nureyev. Rosalie Goes Shopping (Percy Adlon,
1990  Sugarbaby, Salmonberries Rosemary's Baby (Roman Polanski,
1968  Two Men and a Wardrobe, Tess, Frantic S:tream:S S:ection S:ection:S S:ectioned (Paul J. Sharits,
1968 -
1970 Sailor's Luck (Raoul Walsh,
1933  Other Walsh comedies: What Price Glory, Gentleman Jim, The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw, Marines, Lets Go! Samadhi (Jordan Belson,
1967  Allures Savage Messiah (Ken Russell,
1972  Song of Summer, Women in Love, The Boyfriend, Mahler, Lisztomania, Clouds of Glory Say Yes (Larry Yust,
1982 Scarface (Howard Hawks
1932  The Barbary Coast, Come and Get It Scarlet River (Otto Brower,
1933  Interesting Western set on a movie location shooting a Western movie. Brower also codirected the science fiction serial Phantom Empire (
1935 , which contains one of the first depictions of television. Science Fiction Scream of Fear (Seth Holt,
1961 Secrets of the French Police (A. Edward Sutherland,
1932  International House, The Invisible Woman Separate Tables (John Schlesinger,
1982  Cold Comfort Farm Serpico (Sidney Lumet,
1973  Prince of the City, Power, Guilty as Sin, Night Falls on Manhattan Seven Men From Now (Budd Boetticher,
1956  Behind Locked Doors, The Man From the Alamo, Horizons West, Seminole, Maverick pilot, The Tall T, Decision at Sundown, Westbound, The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond Shag (Zelda Barron,
1988 Shakespeare Films Shakespeare in Love (John Madden,
1998 Shanghai Noon (Tom Dey, 2000 She's All That (Robert Iscove,
1999 Sherlock, Jr. (Buster Keaton,
1924 . Movie projectionist Buster Keaton falls asleep and dreams his way into the mystery movie he is showing. Keaton's comedies show great visual imagination. The Navigator, Go West, The General, College, Steamboat Bill, Jr. Shock Corridor (Samuel Fuller
1963  The Naked Kiss Shooting Straight (George Archainbaud,
1930  Framed, The Silver Horde, The Penguin Pool Murder, The Lost Squadron, Three Who Loved, Keep Em Rolling Show People (King Vidor,
1928  deals with a slapstick comedy actress who forgets her roots after success. La Bohème; The Fountainhead Sibling Rivalry (Carl Reiner,
1990  Reiner wrote many of the classic episodes of the original Dick Van Dyke Show. The Jerk Silent Comedy Silent Film: Silent Films | Silent Comedy Silent Films Singing in the Rain (Gene Kelly, Stanley Donen
1952  is a musical comedy about the transition to talkies. On the Town; It's Always Fair Weather Sister Act (Emile Ardolino,
1992 Slamdance (Wayne Wang,
1987  Chan is Missing, Smoke, Blue in the Face Solas (Benito Zambrano,
1999 Some caveats: it is very difficult to see many foreign films in the USA. Despite talk of the "Information Superhighway", such works are simply unobtainable. For example, I have been able to see very few pre-
1950 Japanese films. The non-distribution of current foreign films is a scandal. For a sample of what we are missing, see Film Comment's poll of the Top 150 Foreign Films of the
1990's Unreleased in the US. I have managed to see only one film on this list. Readers will also want to check out critic Jonathan Rosenbaum's Top 100 American Movies. Something To Sing About (Victor Schertzinger,
1937  He also did the excellent Grace Moore opera film, One Night of Love (
1934 . The Woman Between, The Fleet's In Something Wicked This Way Comes (Jack Clayton,
1983  The Great Gatsby Something in the Wind (Irving Pichel,
1947  And Now Tomorrow Spanish Fiesta (Jean Negulesco,
1942 : dance short with the Ballets Russes. Speed (Jan DeBont,
1995 Spy Kids (Robert Rodriguez, 2001 Stand and Deliver (Ramon Menendez,
1987 Stand-In (Tay Garnett,
1937  Slave Ship, The Joy Of Living, Seven Sinners, The Valley of Decision; The Postman Always Rings Twice Star Wars (George Lucas,
1977  American Graffiti Strange Lady in Town (Mervyn Le Roy,
1955  Little Caesar, The King and the Chorus Girl, Fools for Scandal Streets of Fire (Walter Hill,
1984  48HRS, Southern Comfort Strictly Ballroom (Baz Luhrmann,
1993  La Bohème, Moulin Rouge Student Exchange (Mollie Miller,
1987 Sucre amer / Bitter Sugar (Christian Lara,
1997 Sullivan's Travels (Preston Sturges,
1942  is a comedy about a film director who wants to make a film about the Depression. Sturges was Hollywood's most gifted satirist. The Great McGinty, Christmas in July, The Palm Beach Story, The Great Moment, The Miracle of Morgan's Creek, Hail the Conquering Hero, Mad Wednesday Sunrise (Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau,
1927  Nosferatu. Sunset Boulevard (Billy Wilder,
1950  is a drama about a decayed silent movie queen, who lives in a Hollywood mansion with her director-turned-butler Max, played by real life great director Erich von Stroheim. Wilder's sort of thematic sequel, Fedora. Support Your Local Gunfighter (Burt Kennedy,
1971  Hannie Caulder, The Train Robbers Swing Kids (Thomas Carter,
1993 Swingtime (George Stevens,
1936  The best of all Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movies. A Damsel in Distress, which has Fred Astaire, George Burns and Gracie Allen, both of whom can really dance, much to my surprise. Has gem of dance sequence at amusement park. Take Me To Town (Douglas Sirk,
1953  A kind hearted saloon singer (Ann Sheridan  marries a preacher in this Western comedy-drama, and brings new liveliness to his family and congregation. Gracefully made, as are most of Sirk's films. A Scandal in Paris; Sleep, My Love; Has Anybody Seen My Gal; Meet Me at the Fair Tear Gas Squad (Terry Morse,
1940 Teen Films Tendre poulet / Dear Detective (Philippe De Broca,
1977  L'Homme de Rio / That Man from Rio Tex (Tim Hunter,
1982 That Girl From Paris (Leigh Jason,
1936 That Night in Rio (Irving Cummings,
1941  The Story of Alexander Graham Bell, Lillian Russell, My Gal Sal, Springtime in the Rockies That Thing You Do! (Tom Hanks,
1996 The "In" Crowd (Mark Rosenthal,
1988 The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. (Roy Rowland,
1953  Unique fantasy musical, written by Dr. Seuss. Also: Two Weeks With Love. The Accidental Tourist (Lawrence Kasdan
1988  Silverado The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across The Eighth Dimension (W.D. Richter,
1984  Late For Dinner The Adventures of Don Juan (Vincent Sherman,
1948  Old Acquaintance, Mrs. Skeffington, Backfire The Automatic Moving Company (Emil Cohl  Cohl was the pioneer of the animated film. The Bat (Roland West,
1926  The Monster, The Bat Whispers The Benny Goodman Story (Valentine Davies,
1955  Davies also wrote the story for Miracle on 34th Street. The Best Films of All Time - by Michael Grost The Beverly Hillbillies (Penelope Spheeris,
1993  Wayne's World The Big Combo (Joseph H. Lewis,
1955  My Name is Julia Ross, Gun Crazy, A Lady Without Passport, A Lawless Street, Terror in a Texas Town The Big Heat (Fritz Lang,
1953  You and Me, Manhunt, Ministry of Fear, Woman in the Window, Scarlet Street, Secret Beyond The Door, Rancho Notorious, The Blue Gardenia, Moonfleet, While the City Sleeps, The 1,000 Eyes of Dr. Mabuse The Big Parade (King Vidor,
1925 The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom (Joe McGrath,
1968 The Brass Bottle (Harry Keller,
1964  Tammy Tell Me True The Bride of Frankenstein (James Whale
1935  The Old Dark House, The Invisible Man The British Isles and Commonwealth The Chambermaid on the Titanic (Bigas Luna,
1997 The Champagne Murders (Claude Chabrol,
1967  Masques The Cheap Detective (Robert Moore,
1978 The Children of Paradise (Marcel Carné,
1945  Le Jour se lève The Clowns (Federico Fellini,
1971  is an exuberant documentary about circus clowns. It shows to the max the spectacular, surrealistic style that is known as Felliniesque. Variety Lights, The White Shiek, La Strada, Il Bidone, Toby Dammit, Satyricon, Ginger and Fred, Intervista. The Cocoanuts (Robert Florey, Joseph Santley,
1929 The Color of Pomegranates (Sergei Paradjanov,
1969  Beautiful avant-garde look at Armenian culture. Hagop Hovnatanian; Ashik Kerib The Conspirators (Jean Negulesco,
1944  Hedy Lamarr stars in this spy story. Most notable for the beauty of its photography (by Arthur Edeson  and production values. You might want to turn off the volume and just watch the succession of beautiful images silent. The Crying Game (Neil Jordan,
1992 The Disappearance of Kevin Johnson (Francis Megahy,
1996  Livin' the Life / Real Life The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill, But Who Came Down A Mountain (Christopher Monger,
1995 The Falcon's Adventure (William Berke,
1946 The Falcon's Brother (Stanley Logan,
1942 The Fall of the House of Usher (Melville Webber, James Sibley Watson,
1928 The Flintstones (Brian Levant,
1994  Jingle All the Way The Flower Thief (Ron Rice,
1960 The Full Monty (Peter Cattaneo,
1997 The Gangster Chronicles (Richard C. Sarafian,
1981 The Gold Rush (Charlie Chaplin,
1925  Chaplin plays a prospector. The scene where a starving Chaplin, trapped in his frozen cabin, boils and eats his shoe is famous. Outstanding short films: One A.M., The Pawnshop, The Rink, The Cure, The Idle Class The Good, the Bad, and The Ugly (Sergio Leone,
1967  is the best Spaghetti Western. A Fistful of Dollars. The Gospel According to St. Matthew (Pier Paolo Pasolini,
1966 The Great Dictator (Charlie Chaplin,
1940  Chaplin's anti-Hitler satire, and his first sound film. City Lights, Modern Times The Great K&A Train Robbery (Lewis Seiler,
1926  Enthusiastic Tom Mix Western, in which he battles a gang of train robbers. Tom Mix had been a real cowboy, and was the best rider of all screen Western stars. Flight Angels, Molly and Me The Great Train Robbery (Edwin S. Porter,
1903 The Heavenly Kid (Cary Medoway,
1985 The Hypocrites (Lois Weber,
1915 The Immortal Story (Orson Welles,
1969  Perhaps the most beautiful color film ever made. See also below under Shakespeare films. It's All True. The Impressionists (Bruce Alfred, 2001 The Incredible Shrinking Man (Jack Arnold,
1957  3D versions of: It Came From Outer Space, Revenge of the Creature The Jolson Story (Alfred E. Green,
1946  Union Depot. The Krays (Peter Medak
1991  The Changeling; Zorro, The Gay Blade; The Seven Dancing Princesses The Lady From Shanghai (Orson Welles,
1948  Other good mysteries by Welles: Journey into Fear, The Stranger, Mr. Arkadin, Touch of Evil The Last of the Mohicans (Michael Mann,
1992  L.A. Takedown The Lawless (Joseph Losey,
1950  A Doll's House The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg (Aviva Kempner, 2000 The Life of Oharu (Kenji Mizoguchi,
1952  The greatest of Japanese filmmakers. Sisters of the Gion, The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum, Ugetsu, A Geisha / Gion Festival Music, Sansho the Baliff, Chikamatsu Monogatari, Empress Yang Kei Fei The Locket (John Brahm,
1946 The Lords of Discipline (Franc Roddam,
1983 The Mad Miss Manton (Leigh Jason,
1937 The Madness of King George (Nicholas Hytner,
1994  The Object of My Affection The Magic of Dance (Patricia Foy,
1982  BBC documentary series, hosted by Dame Margot Fonteyn, that explores the many forms of European classical dance. The Makioka Sisters (Kon Ichikawa,
1983 The Man Who Fell to Earth (Nicholas Roeg,
1976 The Man Who Found Himself (Lew Landers,
1937  They Wanted to Marry, Double Danger, Law of the Underworld, Blind Alibi, The Power of the Whistler, Under the Tonto Rim The Man Who Knew Too Much (Alfred Hitchcock,
1956  The Lodger, Number 17, The 39 Steps, Sabotage, Foreign Correspondent, Saboteur, Spellbound, Rope, Stage Fright, I Confess, Rear Window, The Trouble With Harry, Vertigo, North By Northwest, Psycho, The Birds, Marnie, Torn Curtain, Topaz, Family Plot The Man With a Movie Camera (Dziga Vertov,
1928 The Man in The Silk Hat (Maud Linder  Compilation of delightful scenes from the comedies of Max Linder (mainly
1910 -
1914 . The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (Nunnally Johnson,
1956 The Mark of Zorro (Fred Niblo,
1920  The original Zorro movie. Blood and Sand, Ben Hur The Mask (Charles Russell,
1994  Eraser The Merry Widow (Erich Von Stroheim,
1924  Foolish Wives, Queen Kelly The Moderns (Alan Rudolph,
1988 The Mole People (Virgil Vogel,
1956 The Money Jungle (Francis D. Lyons,
1968 The Moon-Spinners (James Neilson,
1964  The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin; Dr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow The Mystery of Mr. X (Edgar Selwyn,
1934 The Mystery of Rampo (Kazuyoshi Okuyama,
1994  Avant-garde fantasy in the tradition of Cocteau and Resnais' Providence. Beautifully shot. The Naked Gun (David Zucker,
1988  The Naked Gun 2 1/2 The Naked Spur (Anthony Mann,
1953  The Bamboo Blonde, Desperate, T-Men, He Walked By Night, The Black Book/Reign of Terror, Winchester 73, The Man From Laramie, The Tin Star, The Heroes of Telemark, A Dandy in Aspic The Net (Irwin Winkler,
1995 The Nutty Professor (Jerry Lewis,
1963 The Outlaw and His Wife (Victor Sjostrom,
1917  The Wind The Passion of Joan of Arc (Carl Theodore Dreyer,
1928 The Patient in Room 18 (Bobby Connolly, Crane Wilbur,
1938 The Peacemaker (Mimi Leder,
1997 The Pelican Brief (Alan J. Pakula,
1993 The Phenix City Story (Phil Karlson,
1955  The Texas Rangers, Scandal Sheet, Kansas City Confidential, Gunman's Walk, Hell to Eternity, The Wrecking Crew The Pirates of Penzance (Wilford Leach,
1983 The Pit and the Pendulum (Roger Corman,
1961  The Little Shop of Horrors, The Raven, Von Richthofen and Brown The Plot Thickens (Ben Holmes,
1936  There Goes My Girl, Maid's Night Out, The Saint in New York The Power (Byron Haskin,
1967  The Naked Jungle The Prince and the Surfer (Gregory Gieras, Arye Gross,
1999 The Prizefighter (Michael Preece,
1979 The Purple Plain (Robert Parrish,
1955  Cry Danger The Red Shadow (Roy Mack,
1932  This is a 20 minute version of "The Desert Song". Roy Mack was a prolific director of short musical films in the
1930's. Many are as good as the famous feature length musicals of the era. The Red Shoes (Michael Powell,
1948  Contraband The Rise of Louis XIV (Roberto Rossellini,
1966  Rossellini was the father of the neorealism movement. This film shows his logical style. I would love to see his Blaise Pascal, a biography of the man who built the first calculating machines. Stromboli. The Rosary Murders (Fred Walton,
1987 The Savage Bees (Bruce Geller,
1976 The Scent of Green Papaya (Tran Anh Hung,
1993  The Vertical Ray of the Sun The Secret of My Success (Herbert Ross,
1987  Footloose The Shadow (Russell Mulcahy,
1994  Mulcahy is an important music video director. The Shooting Party (Alan Bridges,
1984 The Shop Around the Corner (Ernst Lubitsch,
1940 . The Love Parade, Design For Living, Angel, Ninotchka, To Be Or Not To Be The Silver Streak (Thomas Atkins,
1934  A nice early train movie. The Skulls (Rob Cohen, 2000  The Fast and the Furious The Spider's Stratagem (Bernardo Bertolucci,
1970  is a mystery; its dazzling color photography of the Italian countryside is like taking a trip to Italy. Beseiged. The Street With No Name (William Keighley,
1948  No Time for Comedy The Strong Man (Frank Capra,
1926  Harry Langdon plays a veteran who goes to work as a stage Strong Man's assistant. The Sum of Us (Kevin Dowling, Geoff Burton,
1995 The Taming of the Shrew (Richard Monette,
1989 The Third Voice (Hubert Cornfield,
1960  The Lure of the Swamp, The Night of the Following Day The Toll of the Sea (Chester M. Franklin,
1922 The Traveling Saleslady (Ray Enright,
1935 The Tree of the Wooden Clogs (Ermanno Olmi,
1978  is a miniseries about poor farmers in
19th Century Lombardy. It is the best film of the
1970's. The Trouble With Angels (Ida Lupino,
1966 The Unsinkable Molly Brown (Charles Waters,
1964  The Glass Slipper The Untouchables (Brian De Palma,
1987  Get To Know Your Rabbit The Wedding Banquet (Ang Lee,
1993  Sense and Sensibility. The Wedding Singer (Frank Coraci,
1998  The Waterboy The Wild Party (Dorothy Arzner,
1929  Nana The Wild and the Innocent (Jack Sher,
1959  Four New Girls in Town The Winslow Boy (David Mamet,
1999 The Witness Chair (George Nicholls, Jr.,
1936 The Wizard of Oz (Victor Fleming,
1939  The Wet Parade The Woman They Almost Lynched (Alan Dwan,
1953  Man to Man, Belle Le Grande, Silver Lode, Escape to Burma, Slightly Scarlet The Wrong Box (Bryan Forbes,
1966  The Stepford Wives The Year of Living Dangerously (Peter Weir,
1982  Film about the start of the terrible events in Indonesia in
1965. Extraordinary performances, especially by Linda Hunt as photographer Billy Kwan. One of the best films ever made about the problems of the poor and world hunger. Although nothing supernatural happens in the tale, film has remarkable supernatural atmosphere. Them! (Gordon Douglas,
1954  The Falcon in Hollywood, Dick Tracy vs. Cueball, Yellowstone Kelly Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey (Steven M. Martin,
1993 They Died With Their Boots On (Raoul Walsh,
1941  Other Walsh adventure films: The Big Trail, Along the Great Divide, Captain Horatio Hornblower, Saskatchewan, The World in His Arms, Battle Cry, The Naked and the Dead This Island Earth (Joseph M. Newman,
1955  Red Skies of Montana, Dangerous Crossing, The Lawbreakers This is the 100th anniversary of the movies. In 1895 the Lumière brothers first publicly projected a film in Paris. It was a 50 second long documentary, showing the workers leaving the brothers' factory. Today films are being downloaded as plug-ins on the Internet. Over the years filmmakers have made films about the movies themselves. To celebrate the anniversary, here are some of my favorites. Many of the entries contain other recommended films by the same director. The list starts off with Classical Hollywood films (
1916 -
1972 . It then moves to foreign language films, and then finally to post
1972 Hollywood films, many of which are comedies: the genre modern Hollywood does best. Three Bad Men (John Ford,
1926  The Blue Eagle, Four Sons, Hangman House, Up the River, Pilgrimage, The Lost Patrol, The Prisoner of Shark Island, Stagecoach, Young Mr. Lincoln, How Green Was My Valley, They Were Expendable, Fort Apache, Rio Grande, Mogambo, The Long Gray Line, The Searchers, The Last Hurrah, Sergeant Rutledge, Seven Women Three Women (Robert Altman,
1977  MASH, Nashville Three to Tango (Damon Santostefano,
1999 Thrillers and Action Thunderbolt (Josef Von Sternberg,
1929  Sternberg was the pioneer of the gangster movie, and this emotional drama about a gang leader on death row shows Sternberg's ability to light a slow fire under his audience. Made in the first year of sound films, and one of the best of the early talkies, the film acts as if the world of sound had been discovered for the first time, with brilliant, unusual speech rhythms, unique pacing, and emotion charged black spirituals on the sound track. Underworld, The Last Command, The Docks of New York, The Shanghai Gesture, Macao. Thunderheart (Michael Apted,
1992 Tillie's Punctured Romance (Mack Sennett,
1914 . Early comedy feature, full of fun. To Sir, With Love (James M. Clavell,
1967 Tokyo Drifter (Seijun Suzuki,
1966  Delirious gangster film, with great compositions, color design. Tommy Boy (Peter Segal,
1995 Tomorrow is Another Day (Felix Feist,
1951 Top Gun (Tony Scott,
1986 Tornado! (Noel Nosseck,
1996 Torrents of Spring (Jerzy Skolimowski,
1989 Travels With My Aunt (George Cukor,
1972  Tarnished Lady, Our Betters, The Philadelphia Story, Gaslight, A Double Life, Pat and Mike, It Should Happen to You, A Star is Born, Let's Make Love, My Fair Lady Trial and Error (Jonathan Lynn,
1997  My Cousin Vinnie Tron (Steve Lisberger,
1982 Tuff Turf (Fritz Kiersch,
1985  Into The Sun Tumbleweeds (King Baggott,
1926  Beautifully photographed Western. Turner (M. M. Serra,
1987 Twenty Four Eyes (Keisuke Kinoshita,
1953 : Follows 12 Japanese students and their teacher from first grade to adulthood. Starts out in the
1930's, and moves on to the World War II era. Probably the best "inside" picture of traditional Japanese life on film; recommended for people who want to learn more about that country. Although there are no war scenes in the movie, the film delivers a devasting indictment of Japanese militarism of the era, and war in general. Twins (Ivan Reitman,
1988  Dave, Junior Two in the Dark (Benjamin Stoloff,
1936  Palooka, To Beat the Band, Super Sleuth, The Mysterious Doctor Universal Soldier (Roland Emmerich,
1992  Moon 44, Stargate Unzipped (Douglas Keeve,
1995 Valley Girl (Martha Coolidge,
1983  Real Genius, pilot for Sledge Hammer Vampyr (Carl Theodore Dreyer,
1931  Day of Wrath Victor Victoria (Blake Edwards,
1982  Blind Date, Switch. The semi-autobiographical films: S.O.B., That's Life! Village of Dreams (Yoichi Higashi,
1995  Look at two eight year old boys and their childhood in a small village. Vision Quest (Harold Becker,
1985 W.R. Mysteries of the Organism (Dusan Makavejev,
1971  Satirical documentary on the relationship between sex and politics. The funniest anti-Communist film ever made. Man is Not a Bird, The Coca Cola Kid Waltz Across Texas (Ernest Day,
1982 Way Down East (D.W. Griffith,
1920  America We Live Again (Rouben Mamoulian,
1934  Love Me Tonight, The Mark of Zorro, Summer Holiday, Silk Stockings What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? (Blake Edwards,
1966  Bring Your Smile Along, The Great Race What's Up, Doc? (Peter Bogdanovich,
1972  Paper Moon, At Long Last Love, Illegally Yours While You Were Sleeping (Jon Turteltaub,
1995 White Heat (Raoul Walsh,
1949  Other Walsh gangster films: The Regeneration, The Roaring Twenties, High Sierra Who Slew Auntie Roo? (Curtis Harrington,
1972  What's the Matter With Helen?, Mata Hari Wilde (Brian Gilbert,
1997  Vice Versa Wing Commander (Chris Roberts,
1998 Witness For the Prosecution (Billy Wilder,
1958 . The best courtroom drama ever made. Charles Laughton is fabulously articulate and dramatic as the defense attorney; all by itself, the scene where is calls witness Marlene Dietrich a liar is worth the price of admission. Wonder Ring (Stan Brakhage,
1955  Desistfilm, Window Water Baby Moving, Dog Star Man, Deus Ex, Stellar Z (Constantin Costa-Gavras,
1969  Compartiment tueurs / The Sleeping Car Murders, Missing 1992 Zoolander (Ben Stiller, 2001    







19 Daisy Miller (Peter Bogdanovich,
1900 Paris. La Chienne, Boudu sauvé des eaux, Toni, Grand Illusion, The Rules of the Game, Swamp Water, The Woman on the Beach, The River, French Can Can Parnell (John M. Stahl,
1903 The Heavenly Kid (Cary Medoway,
1910 -
1912  The Making of an American Citizen, The Ocean Waif All I Desire (Douglas Sirk,
1914 . Early comedy feature, full of fun. To Sir, With Love (James M. Clavell,
1914 . The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (Nunnally Johnson,
1915  Classic crime thriller. Les Voleurs / Thieves (André Téchiné,
1915 The Immortal Story (Orson Welles,
1916 -
1916 . The Night of the Shooting Stars. Good Morning, Miss Dove (Henry Koster,
1916 Hello, Frisco, Hello (H. Bruce Humberstone,
1916 Intruder in the Dust (Clarence Brown,
1917  The Garage. Field of Dreams (Phil Alden Robinson,
1917  The Wind The Passion of Joan of Arc (Carl Theodore Dreyer,
1920  America We Live Again (Rouben Mamoulian,
1920  Harold Lloyd's chair gets caught up by a crane on a tall building. Other Lloyd films in which he dangles from high buildings: Safety Last, Feet First (the skyscraper finale is a gem, the rest of this film is slow moving His Girl Friday (Howard Hawks
1920  The original Zorro movie. Blood and Sand, Ben Hur The Mask (Charles Russell,
1920 . Lubitsch got his start directing historical epics, which combined spectacle with saucy looks at the personal lives of famous men and women. The silent version of Lady Windemere's Fan Major League (David S. Ward,
1920 . Other outstanding Buster Keaton short films: The Scarecrow, The Frozen North, The Electric House. Never Been Kissed (Raja Gosnell,
1920's: the party in The Great Gatsby was modeled after one thrown by Dwan. Rock Star (Steven Herek, 2001 Romancing the Stone (Robert Zemeckis,
1921  Dracula Panic in the Streets (Elia Kazan,
1921  Harold Lloyd made a large number of really good short films. Among the best: Off a Trolley, Captain's Kidd's Kids, His Royal Slyness, Get Out and Get Under, Number Please, Now or Never, Among Those Present Niagara (Henry Hathaway,
1921 Campus Man (Ron Casden,
1922  Dwan was at his commercial peak in the
1922 The Traveling Saleslady (Ray Enright,
1923 . Out of Bounds (Richard Tuggle,
1923 Beau Travail (Claire Denis,
1924  Foolish Wives, Queen Kelly The Moderns (Alan Rudolph,
1924  Lloyd plays a naive country boy who finds true love in the city. Has a much imitated chase finale, when he tries to get to church in time to rescue his girlfriend. For Heaven's Sake, The Kid Brother, Mad Wednesday Glory Alley (Raoul Walsh,
1924 . Movie projectionist Buster Keaton falls asleep and dreams his way into the mystery movie he is showing. Keaton's comedies show great visual imagination. The Navigator, Go West, The General, College, Steamboat Bill, Jr. Shock Corridor (Samuel Fuller
1924 : A young couple copes with life in post W.W.I Germany. It's A Great Feeling (David Butler,
1924 Ground Zero (Michael Pattinson, Bruce Miles,
1925  Alexander Nevsky Pretty in Pink (Howard Deutch,
1925  Chaplin plays a prospector. The scene where a starving Chaplin, trapped in his frozen cabin, boils and eats his shoe is famous. Outstanding short films: One A.M., The Pawnshop, The Rink, The Cure, The Idle Class The Good, the Bad, and The Ugly (Sergio Leone,
1925 The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom (Joe McGrath,
1926  Beautifully photographed Western. Turner (M. M. Serra,
1926  Enthusiastic Tom Mix Western, in which he battles a gang of train robbers. Tom Mix had been a real cowboy, and was the best rider of all screen Western stars. Flight Angels, Molly and Me The Great Train Robbery (Edwin S. Porter,
1926  Harry Langdon plays a veteran who goes to work as a stage Strong Man's assistant. The Sum of Us (Kevin Dowling, Geoff Burton,
1926  Raymond Griffith is a traveling magician out West. Delightful. Also: It. Happy, Texas (Mark Illsley,
1926  The Blue Eagle, Four Sons, Hangman House, Up the River, Pilgrimage, The Lost Patrol, The Prisoner of Shark Island, Stagecoach, Young Mr. Lincoln, How Green Was My Valley, They Were Expendable, Fort Apache, Rio Grande, Mogambo, The Long Gray Line, The Searchers, The Last Hurrah, Sergeant Rutledge, Seven Women Three Women (Robert Altman,
1926  The Monster, The Bat Whispers The Benny Goodman Story (Valentine Davies,
1926 California Casanova (Nathaniel Christian,
1927  Nosferatu. Sunset Boulevard (Billy Wilder,
1928  deals with a slapstick comedy actress who forgets her roots after success. La Bohème; The Fountainhead Sibling Rivalry (Carl Reiner,
1928 The Flintstones (Brian Levant,
1928 The Man in The Silk Hat (Maud Linder  Compilation of delightful scenes from the comedies of Max Linder (mainly
1928 The Patient in Room 18 (Bobby Connolly, Crane Wilbur,
1929  Nana The Wild and the Innocent (Jack Sher,
1929  Sternberg was the pioneer of the gangster movie, and this emotional drama about a gang leader on death row shows Sternberg's ability to light a slow fire under his audience. Made in the first year of sound films, and one of the best of the early talkies, the film acts as if the world of sound had been discovered for the first time, with brilliant, unusual speech rhythms, unique pacing, and emotion charged black spirituals on the sound track. Underworld, The Last Command, The Docks of New York, The Shanghai Gesture, Macao. Thunderheart (Michael Apted,
1929 The Color of Pomegranates (Sergei Paradjanov,
1930  Framed, The Silver Horde, The Penguin Pool Murder, The Lost Squadron, Three Who Loved, Keep Em Rolling Show People (King Vidor,
1930  Leonard's best films seem to be gentle, upbeat combinations of sophisticated comedy and drama. His characters are remarkably refined and genteel. Many of his films seem to involve romantic duels between men and women. His characters also often struggle against injustice, often being victimized by more powerful people. After Office Hours, Stand by for Action, In the Good Old Summertime Letter From an Unknown Woman (Max Ophuls,
1930 and
1930's, and moves on to the World War II era. Probably the best "inside" picture of traditional Japanese life on film; recommended for people who want to learn more about that country. Although there are no war scenes in the movie, the film delivers a devasting indictment of Japanese militarism of the era, and war in general. Twins (Ivan Reitman,
1930's. Many are as good as the famous feature length musicals of the era. The Red Shoes (Michael Powell,
1931  Day of Wrath Victor Victoria (Blake Edwards,
1931  Entr'acte, I Married a Witch Le Pacte des loups / The Brotherhood of the Wolf (Christophe Gans, 2001 Le Placard / The Closet (Francis Veber, 2000 Le Samouraï (Jean-Pierre Melville,
1931  Perhaps the best of Sternberg's seven films with Marlene Dietrich. This tale casts Dietrich as a glamorous Mata Hari like spy in World War I. When facing the firing squad at the end of the movie, Dietrich insists on being dressed to the nines: as she puts it, I want to die in the uniform in which I served my country. Sternberg had few equals in the ability to treat film as a visual spectacle. Other Dietrich films by Sternberg: The Blue Angel, Shanghai Express, Blonde Venus, The Scarlet Empress. Disorganized Crime (Jim Kouf,
1932  Borzage was one of the screen's best directors of romances. Little known fact: Borzage and Raoul Walsh were friends when they worked at Fox in the early 30's. A Farewell to Arms, Stranded, History is Made at Night, Stagedoor Canteen A Midsummer Night's Dream (Kenneth Branagh,
1932  International House, The Invisible Woman Separate Tables (John Schlesinger,
1932  Monkey Business, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Hotel Paradiso (Peter Glenville,
1932  The Barbary Coast, Come and Get It Scarlet River (Otto Brower,
1932  This is a 20 minute version of "The Desert Song". Roy Mack was a prolific director of short musical films in the
1932 Hell's Hinges (William S. Hart, Charles Swickard,
1933  Bad Guy; Destination: Murder; You Have to Run Fast Emma (Douglas McGrath,
1933  Interesting Western set on a movie location shooting a Western movie. Brower also codirected the science fiction serial Phantom Empire (
1933  Other Walsh comedies: What Price Glory, Gentleman Jim, The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw, Marines, Lets Go! Samadhi (Jordan Belson,
1933  Platinum Blonde, The Miracle Woman, American Madness, It Happened One Night Lady Killer (Roy Del Ruth,
1933  Roberta, You Were Never Lovelier Dishonored (Josef Von Sternberg,
1933  The dynamic James Cagney plays a small time hood who winds up in Hollywood. Packs a vast amount of plot twists in a short running time. Life of the Party, The Maltese Falcon, The Little Giant, Kid Millions, Thanks a Million, On the Avenue, Broadway Melody of
1933 Miss Mary (Maria Luisa Bemberg,
1933) Whoopee!, Golddiggers of
1933, Footlight Parade, Dames, The Gang's All Here, Jumbo A Clear and Present Danger (Philip Noyce,
1934  A nice early train movie. The Skulls (Rob Cohen, 2000  The Fast and the Furious The Spider's Stratagem (Bernardo Bertolucci,
1934  L'Avventura (Michelangelo Antonioni,
1934  Love Me Tonight, The Mark of Zorro, Summer Holiday, Silk Stockings What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? (Blake Edwards,
1934  Spectacle film about the famous Egyptian Queen (Claudette Colbert  and her fights with the Roman Empire. Short compared with modern epics (an hour and a half , fast paced, and filled with eye-popping visual detail. People sometimes chortle over De Mille's sugar coating of history, but the fact remains, that if more films like this were made today, Americans would not be so ignorant about history. The silent version of The Ten Commandments, The Buccaneer. Cloak and Dagger (Richard Franklin,
1934  The Kiss, Anna Christie La Nuit de Varennes (Ettore Scola,
1934 . The Woman Between, The Fleet's In Something Wicked This Way Comes (Jack Clayton,
1934 The Mystery of Rampo (Kazuyoshi Okuyama,
1935  The Old Dark House, The Invisible Man The British Isles and Commonwealth The Chambermaid on the Titanic (Bigas Luna,
1935 , which contains one of the first depictions of television. Science Fiction Scream of Fear (Seth Holt,
1935 A Night in Casablanca (Archie Mayo,
1935 Golden Demon (Koji Shima,
1935 Grease II (Patricia Birch,
1935 Orlando (Sally Potter,
1935 The Tree of the Wooden Clogs (Ermanno Olmi,
1936  Palooka, To Beat the Band, Super Sleuth, The Mysterious Doctor Universal Soldier (Roland Emmerich,
1936  The best of all Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movies. A Damsel in Distress, which has Fred Astaire, George Burns and Gracie Allen, both of whom can really dance, much to my surprise. Has gem of dance sequence at amusement park. Take Me To Town (Douglas Sirk,
1936  The Spiders Part I: The Golden Sea; Der Müde Tod, Dr. Mabuse Der Spieler, Siegfried, Spione/Spies. Gabbeh (Mohsen Makhmalbaf,
1936  There Goes My Girl, Maid's Night Out, The Saint in New York The Power (Byron Haskin,
1936 That Night in Rio (Irving Cummings,
1936 The Wizard of Oz (Victor Fleming,
1937  Belle de jour (Luis Buñuel,
1937  He also did the excellent Grace Moore opera film, One Night of Love (
1937  Leave Her to Heaven Parting Glances (Bill Sherwood,
1937  Opera film with tenor Nino Martini. Blystone was Buster Keaton's codirector on Our Hospitality. Musicals My Favorite Year (Richard Benjamin,
1937  Slave Ship, The Joy Of Living, Seven Sinners, The Valley of Decision; The Postman Always Rings Twice Star Wars (George Lucas,
1937  They Wanted to Marry, Double Danger, Law of the Underworld, Blind Alibi, The Power of the Whistler, Under the Tonto Rim The Man Who Knew Too Much (Alfred Hitchcock,
1937  Zany screwball fun with the team of William Powell and Myrna Loy, better known for their Thin Man detective movies. Her Highness and the Bellboy; The Great Caruso, The Prisoner of Zenda; Athena Dr. Akagi (Shohei Imamura,
1937 The Madness of King George (Nicholas Hytner,
1938  Love Is a Many Splendored Thing Algie the Miner (Alice Guy,
1938 The Peacemaker (Mimi Leder,
1938, My Lucky Star, Broadway Rhythm, On Moonlight Bay; Stop, You're Killing Me, The Alligator People Lamerica (Gianni Amelio,
1939  Also starring Jimmy Stewart, not to be confused with his later It's a Wonderful Life (
1939  Capra's political film, about an idealistic young senator (Jimmy Stewart  and his fight with a crooked political machine. Meet John Doe, It's a Wonderful Life Murder Ahoy (George Pollock,
1939  Higher and Higher Quick Billy (Bruce Baillie,
1939  Hold That Coed, True To Life, Perils of Pauline, The Mating Game Detour (Edgar G. Ulmer,
1939  The Great Lie, The Razor's Edge Dark Waters (André De Toth,
1939  The Wet Parade The Woman They Almost Lynched (Alan Dwan,
1939 Neighbors (
1940  Chaplin's anti-Hitler satire, and his first sound film. City Lights, Modern Times The Great K&A Train Robbery (Lewis Seiler,
1940  Lady Scarface Pleasantville (Gary Ross,
1940  Twentieth Century, Ball of Fire, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes Hollywood Classics: Drama | Comedy | RKO B Movies | Musicals | Film Noir | Hollywood's Last Generation of Classical Filmmaking | Experimental Films Hollywood Comedy Hollywood Sound Films: Drama Hollywood's Last Generation of Classical Filmmaking Home Fries (Dean Parisot,
1940 . The Love Parade, Design For Living, Angel, Ninotchka, To Be Or Not To Be The Silver Streak (Thomas Atkins,
1940 Condorman (Charles Jarrott,
1940 Teen Films Tendre poulet / Dear Detective (Philippe De Broca,
1941  Other Walsh adventure films: The Big Trail, Along the Great Divide, Captain Horatio Hornblower, Saskatchewan, The World in His Arms, Battle Cry, The Naked and the Dead This Island Earth (Joseph M. Newman,
1941  That Midnight Kiss Living in Oblivion (Tom Di Cillo,
1941  The Magnificent Ambersons Classic Film and Television Home Page Cleopatra (Cecil B. De Mille,
1941  The Story of Alexander Graham Bell, Lillian Russell, My Gal Sal, Springtime in the Rockies That Thing You Do! (Tom Hanks,
1941 La Kermesse héroique (Jacques Feyder,
1942  is a comedy about a film director who wants to make a film about the Depression. Sturges was Hollywood's most gifted satirist. The Great McGinty, Christmas in July, The Palm Beach Story, The Great Moment, The Miracle of Morgan's Creek, Hail the Conquering Hero, Mad Wednesday Sunrise (Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau,
1942 : dance short with the Ballets Russes. Speed (Jan DeBont,
1942 Odd Jobs (Mark Story,
1942 The Fall of the House of Usher (Melville Webber, James Sibley Watson,
1943  Crime Doctor's Courage Mystery Date (Jonathan Wacks,
1943  I Wake Up Screaming, Sun Valley Serenade, The Desert Song High and Dizzy (
1943  The Masquerader A Night at the Opera (Sam Wood,
1943 Providence (Alain Resnais,
1944  At Land, A Study in Choreography for Camera Metalstorm (Charles Band,
1944  Duck Soup, Ruggles of Red Gap (
1944  Hedy Lamarr stars in this spy story. Most notable for the beauty of its photography (by Arthur Edeson  and production values. You might want to turn off the volume and just watch the succession of beautiful images silent. The Crying Game (Neil Jordan,
1944  I Walked With a Zombie, Canyon Passage, Out of the Past, Berlin Express, Stars in My Crown, Night of the Demon, The Comedy of Terrors Experimental Films Fahrenheit 451 (François Truffaut,
1944  Springfield Rifle, Crime Wave Daughters of the Dust (Julie Dash,
1944  The Spiral Staircase, Criss Cross Phörpa / The Cup (Khy