101 I Must See Before I Die

Picture this: 1920-something China. A rich man has four wives. Each wife has her own house. Each house is connected by a common courtyard. Every night the four wives stand by their door to see which house will get the red lantern. The house with the red lantern gets to 'host' the husband for the night. The wife with the red lantern also gets to decide what's for dinner and has general control of the combined households. You'd think that would be enough to pit four women against each other, right? Well it does, but there's one more thing that the lantern bearer gets... a foot massage! Throw four women together in vicious competition for a foot massage and you've got the makings of top-notch drama. Five stars.

Maybe I was sucked in by all the hype, but I just wasn't impressed. I wanted to to like this one a lot more than I did. Maybe I'm just not as much of a movie snob as I thought, or perhaps my pallet needed to be cleansed after a steady diet of old Hollywood war movies and classic westerns? Whatever the reason, I found À bout de souffle to be good but not great.

A wonderful showcase for the talents of Bette Davis and yet another opportunity for her to play a most distasteful character.

Have you ever noticed that Sean Connery is always playing Sean Connery? I mean sure, he's a Scotsman who usually plays an Englishman. Occasionally he'll stretch his acting skills and play an Irishman, but he's always himself. The beauty of it is that he's so damn likeable nobody ever questions it. Hell, I'd bet few even notice it. He's my favorite James Bond, his Irish cop was the best part of The Untouchables and his persona was completely acceptable as a Russian submarine commander in The Hunt of Red October. In my opinion, any movie is better with Sean Connery in it.

Which brings me to The Man Who Would Be King. Absolutely fantastic! And not just because Connery is in it. Michael Caine's 'Peachy' is spot-on. An epic drama with a surprising amount of humor. Very, very good stuff.

I enjoyed this one more than I expected to. Cher is unquestionably the star here but it is Olympia Dukakis that, for me, really makes the whole thing work. A nice, romantic, ethnic comedy.

Strongly anti-German, specifically anti-Nazi, rendition of John Steinbeck's novel. Hitchcock's commendable contribution to the allied effort of WWII may seem a bit racist when viewed with 21st century eyes but one has to keep in mind that public sentiment was understandably less empathetic in 1944. This one is definitely NOT politically correct so, depending on your point of view, you can either credit Hitchcock or blame Hitler.

Powerful, gruesome documentary footage of Nazi concentration camps. A hard but necessary watch, should be required viewing for students the world over.

Fellini puts the loveable Giulietta Masina through yet another tragic set of circumstances. Here she's a prostitute who dreams of finding her one true love, even though her heart is repeatedly broken by a series of men with ill intentions. Masina's irrepressible impish charm compels you to root for her, but her characters always seemed destined for disappointment. Come on Federico, give the gal a break! (Where the hell is Frank Capra when you need him? lol)

Quirky off-beat take on teen angst that seems to get better with time. I like this one a lot more now than when I first saw it ten years ago (that may say more about me than it does about Rushmore).

There is enough symbolism here to keep a whole team of cinematic existentialists busy for months. At its core, it's a film about a man who gets trapped in a hole. Too simplistic? Probably. It's the story of an entomologist who gets captured by a group of villagers and is forced to shovel sand along side the beautiful Kyoko Kishida (I could think of far worse fates). He spends most of his waking hours plotting his escape, but the longer he's there the more he feels obligated to his hole-mate. Is he falling in love? Is he learning the meaning of true freedom? Can he figure out a way to escape? Does he really want to? Is he an 'everyman' and the hole a representation of an oppressive society? Can I find a clever way to end this review?

Some of my favorite Hitchcock 'moments', especially the amusement park scenes. Hitch takes a merry-go-round (could there be anything more innocuous?) and makes it nightmarishly threatening. Brilliant.

Krzysztof Kieslowski's masterful statement on French society and one woman's struggle to come to terms with the loss of her husband and child. Juliette Binoche gives a mesmerizing performance as a character who, through the process of grief, reconciles her life. Five stars (because Flixster won't let me give it six).

Definitely the most abstract and non-linear of Kieslowski's trilogy. If Blue moved you to tears and White made you chuckle, Red will inspire you to ponder and reflect..

While it's true that Kieslowski's Three Colors: White is a dark comedy, don't expect an abundance of belly laughs. The humor here is much more cerebral and subtle. This is a film that is clever, dramatic, romantic, and funny (in that order).

A tragic love story set against the colorful backdrop of a Chinese dye mill. The fantastic cinematography makes Ju Dou a treat for the eyes even though the story is often heartbreaking and sad. Highly recommended!

Fanny and Aleander has:

A nursemaid with cleavage
A pillow fight
An uncle who farts out candles
Randy old men
Promiscuous young ladies
A Christmas party
A death
A ghost
A wicked stepfather
An enormous aunt
Bars on the windows
A clever escape
Another death
Another ghost
Puppets
An androgynous, psychic brother
Laughter
Love
And an intermission

Five stars for content, minus one half star for its THREE HOUR running time (watch from a VERY comfortable chair!)

Without Giulietta Masina, Fellini's films seem a little thin on charm and a little thick on just about everything else.

Director John Ford agreed to make this one in a deal with Republic Pictures to secure financing for his pet project, The Quiet Man. Never one to do things half-ass, Ford secured a rather large budget and a top notch supporting cast for his two stars, John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara. Rio Grande isn't Ford's most popular or most acclaimed film, but it's hard to deny it's prototypical old-west charm.

I find that I have to keep reminding myself that movies, like books and stage plays, are a form of escapism. They allow us to live other lives vicariously through characters that are usually fictional and always physically detached from ourselves. You see, the thing is this, I am disturbed by infidelity. Not that I'm naive enough to deny its prevalence, I just despise the mass presentation of it as acceptable and often inevitable. I'm also fully aware that watching a film about such matters (i.e. Casablanca, The Apartment, The Graduate, etc.) isn't going to make adulterers out of us any more than Goodfellas is going to make us gangsters or About Schmidt is going to make us hot-tub at the Kathy Bates estate. Still, no matter how much I rationalize it all, affairs, fictional or otherwise, bother me.

Why, you ask, am I telling you all this? Only to justify giving this marvelous film four stars instead of the five that it deserves. The missing star is an issue with me, not with David Lean's Brief Encounter.

A film that is remarkable for many reasons, eight of which are Alec Guinness. He played each of his roles with such pizazz that I kept flashing back (or flashing forward, depending on your point of view) to the late, great Peter Sellers. Guinness is beyond brilliant.

A young boy & his little sister are forced to make sacrifices for each other as they attempt to share an old pair of sneakers.. The Children of Heavin is a beautiful illustration of how adversity draws people closer together.

Light-hearted comedy about an 'Average Joe' who lets his imagination run free when he discovers that a gorgeous blonde bombshell [Marilyn Monroe] has moved into the apartment above his. As usual, Marilyn's character is ditsy, naive and breathtakingly beautiful. The kind of role that both made her famous and ensured she would be forever typecast as the clueless sexpot next door. Though it may not make the Top 100 Films list, The Seven Year Itch does contain one of the most memorable moments in movie history, when Marilyn stands above a subway vent and lets the wind blow her skirt up.

Not that there was ever any doubt, but Kurosawa doesn't necessarily need all the trappings of an epic period piece in order to tell a good story. Here we have a crime drama set in post-war Japan that's as engrossing and entertaining as they come. Compared to films like Seven Samurai, Ran or Throne of Blood, Stray Dog is almost 'contemporary' but it's smaller scale doesn't seem to lessen it's impact. American viewers might find the pace a little slower than they're accustomed to but Akira wasn't out to make a fast film, just a really good one.

For about the first twenty minutes or so I was pretty sure I wasn't going to like this film at all, that's when it seems to find it's sense of direction and takes off in a big way. I'm not enamored with Tsotsi but it has substance and, eventually, heart.

Odd occurrence sets off a strange chain of events: Coen brother's bread and butter - only this time it's a tale of Faust done as only Joel and Ethan could do it. And oh yes, there will be blood.

Finally, a Gloria Grahame film in which she's NOT a promiscuous 'ho' (i.e. The Bad and the Beautiful, It's a Wonderful Life, Oklahoma!, etc., etc., etc...).

1920's Russian propaganda that is still awe inspiring. Here it is, more than 80 years after it's initial release and it has not lost it's ability to motivate the masses. A classic in every sense of the word.

There's just something about watching Randolph Scott and Joel McCrea on horseback that makes me want to mosey along down yonder and punch some little doggies.

Look, I know this is no Turkish travelogue and there are millions of bleeding hearts out there who feel that Billy Hayes got a raw deal, but if you ask my opinion I think that five years in a Turkish prison is getting off pretty light. For gosh sakes, the man was smuggling drugs(!). This film, as controversial as it is, probably did as much damage to Turkey's illegal hashish trade as it did to it's international tourism.

It would be difficult to imagine a more demanding role than a character with three completely different personalities, and it would be equally difficult to imagine anyone rising to the challenge better than the lovely and gifted Joanne Woodward. Her performance is jaw dropping, utterly believable, and oscar worthy.

Ingrid Bergman is both beautiful and compelling in this story of an English missionary in China. Her presence elevates what would otherwise be an ethnocentric and somewhat dated film.

Don't you just love the way Burt Lancaster always plays Burt Lancaster, no matter the circumstance, the setting or even the nationality of the character? What would be a detriment to most other actors seems to only strengthen his popularity.

Here, in this classic WWII drama, Lancaster is a "FRENCH" engineer in charge of the railroad traffic in and out of Paris. He is also covertly intent on sabotaging the occupational German army every chance he gets. While those around him, be they French or German, speak with fluid accents, Burt never waivers from his trademark American dialect. The best part is that we, his legions of adoring fans, don't seem to mind one bit. It's not the words that fuel his performance, it's the emotion behind them. In The Train there is no actor less French than Burt Lancaster, and yet I can't imagine anyone better suited for the part.

Original and fantastically imaginative! I no longer question the appeal of Japanese anime, especially when it's this good.

I can't, in all honesty, say that this film is underrated. Had it gotten a tremendous amount of hype I may have been disappointed. I can, however, say with a fair amount of certainty that Dark City is under-appreciated. This has all the makings of a classic science fiction piece and may, in time, surpass The Matrix in the hearts and minds of genre fans.

A sentimental but powerful film with more memorable moments and classic one liners than you can shake a stick at. Undoubtedly ranks among the greatest westerns to ever come out of Hollywood.

"What a heavy burden God has laid on men! I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind." - Ecclesiastes 1:13-14

Has to be one of the first post-war films to come out of Italy after WWII. In 1945 the Italians had every right to be anti-German, yet this film is less about that than it is an homage to the men, women and children who fought against occupation in the underground resistance movement. A fantastic film.

Outrageous, over the top Coen comedy populated with reactionary, but lovable, idiots.

Great vehicle for Spencer Tracy that plays on post WWII anti-Japanese sentiment. Terrific cast includes Tracy, Walter Brennan, Ernest Borgnine and Lee Marvin.

Peckinpah lite. A western comedy with heart featuring the immensely likable Jason Robards and the always BEAUTIFUL Stella Stevens. A surprising amount of warmth and romance for a Sam Peckinpah film.

F.W. Murnau's treatment of Bram Stoker's Dracula has proven to be the standard by which all others are judged. Effects and techniques have certainly improved but Max Schreck's rendition is still, for me, unequaled. Simply fantastic.

An apathetic American sailor gets caught in the crossfire between ill-fated western colonialism and the Chinese revolution. A compelling drama full of passion and raw human decency, expertly directed by the legendary Robert Wise.

70's Gothic piece that's part crime drama and part supernatural horror. Thirty (+) years have done little to diminish this wonderfully creepy little film that's critically acclaimed but rarely discussed.