Favourite Films
I have started to remember a few films that I have enjoyed -
I mean specially enjoyed - y'know, the film here and there that blows your mind apart - fills your soul with
possibilities.
These films were, to me, much more than entertainment. They
were formative, confirming my own beliefs and attitudes. The remainder are
mere entertainment, no
matter how good.
The Graduate (1967)
- the dawning of
adult life. Humorous, observant about what can pass for success in
American society, and ultimately a hymn to freedom and love. I skipped on
air all the way down Wimbledon High Street to my flat in Kings Road, sometime in
the '60s, confirmed and elevated at a concept or two that have endured for forty years.
101 Dalmatians (cartoon version) Cruella DeVille is simply marvelous. The whole thing a joy. Superb art.
Ghost - wonderful about theology, love - and the nature of the universe - in a simple way that illustrates the ultimate truth about human life and death.
Dead Calm - terrifying ....
Short Circuit - the one with the cute mechanical escaped thingy. "Oh Stephanie ..!"
Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs (1937) - OK I'm going back in time, when I was a very wee lad - but what a fine film when you are aged nine!
Pinocchio (1940) - much in the same category.
The Wizard of Oz (1939) -
again a wonderfully entertaining story. A must for every child to
see.
A Man for All Seasons (1966)
One of the best movies of all time. Perhaps even better than Robert Bolt's
play - which is saying a great deal. Adult in every way, portraying the reality
of a very great man.
Should you not have seen any one of the above do yourself a favour and look out for it.
I also enjoyed many of the following -
The African Queen (1951) - marvelous
tale. Bogie and Hepburn were born for this.
Shawshank Redemption 1994 Memorable and uplifting.
Jaws (1975) - surely one of the most suspenseful films ever made. Who will ever forget the deep chords of music that announce the approach of the great white shark?
Diehard - glorious action & suspense.
The Sting - amusing, convincing, clever!
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) - mesmerising. Not remotely theological, but at least it raises eternal questions and asks who controls who.
West Side Story (1961) Must be one of the best musicals ever. Believable - unfortunately.
The Silence of the Lambs (1991) Terrifying, almost as good as the book.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) Great, but sad.
Cool Hand Luke (1967) You really have to admire such stubborn courage.
The French Connection (1971) Clever
Casablanca (1942) Well, if you couldn't enjoy this you couldn't enjoy
anything. "Of all the Jim-joints ..."
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
Mad and beautiful.
Alien (1979) Wow! What a beast! What a fight.
Apocalypse Now (1979) - fearful indictment of war
The Quiet Man (1952) - lies, lies and more damned lies about Ireland, but great fun.
Rear Window (1954) - This was/is great entertainment.
Wuthering Heights (1939) - need I say more than - "Heathcliff! Heathcliff"?
On The Waterfront (1954) - Powerful. Marlon Brando at his best.
The Bridge on the River Kwai - Discipline and dedication gone crazy.
12 Angry Men - such tense legal argument.
Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) The Charles Laughton version of course.
My Fair Lady (1964) What a splendid musical. Totally enjoyable.
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) rumbustuous hokum fun!
Lawrence of Arabia (1962) - superb drama in the desert (Lawrence was mad of course)
Dr Strangelove - or .... (1964) Peter Sellars at his very, very deadpan best. In the 1960s the film faced grim possibilities of which we were well aware.
The Sound of Music - there can be few people who have not enjoyed this.
- and then there's
King Kong (1933)
Psycho (1960)
Singin' In The Rain (1952)
- and so on.
I think I have mentioned just as many as I should.
Mere lists are boring. Detailed reviews, I have discovered, can be found
at
www.filmsite.org
www.mrqe.com
http://www.imdb.com/search
- or via a good Search Engine near you. 