Ebert's 'Great Movies'

Classic Sci-Fi - might be the BEST sci-fi ever

I really feel that, much like fine wine, Fellini is an 'aquired taste'.

Dark, vexing & pessimistic. Vittorio De Sica's masterpiece is anything but uplifting. It's one of those rare films that simultaneously fascinate and dishearten. I loved it but, at the same time, it made me want to slit my wrists.

This is arguably the best of Universal's classic monster movies. It's also director James Whale's last horror film. Whale, who directed the original Frankenstein, returned with a very different approach for the sequel. Where the sets of Frankenstein were close to perfect in their European authenticity, sets for "The Bride" were essentially a hodge-podge of canted architecture and macabre facades. The director also reworked the characters. He reduced Henry Frankenstein [Colin Clive] to what amounted to be a minor supporting role, added Dr. Pretorius [Ernest Thesiger], a flamboyant mad scientist (providing dark comic relief), and gave voice to the monster [Karloff]. The result is a film that is entirely original and self-sustaining. Any 1935 movie patron could have walked into the theater, having never seen the original Frankenstein feature, and not felt lost or uninformed.

Aside from the opening scene and perhaps some later close-ups of the bride [Elsa Lanchester], there is little to frighten an audience here. Instead Whale achieves something much more rare. He creates a film that subtly pokes fun at itself while, at the same time, is very serious in its approach.

If there is anything here to be critical of it is Whale's unabashed attempt at religious symbolism. The camera seems to love the cross prominently displayed in the hermit's shack, and the raising of the captured monster tied to a stake is an obvious and distasteful reference to the crucifixion. It seems to me that what we have here is a case of Whale's enormous ego getting the better of his good judgement. Otherwise, the film may be as close to flawless, in terms of direction, casting, makeup, and set design, as any production before or since. A true cinematic masterpiece.

As much as I dislike the term "instant classic", Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing is indeed just that. Lee puts racism in American on the hot seat without drawing lines or taking sides. This is art with a message that all of us should sit up and take note of.

Not all monsters are grotesque and ugly, sometimes they are as beautiful and breathtaking as Barbara Stanwyck. Considered by many to be the best and most influential film noir ever made, Double Indemnity has become the standard by which all others are judged. For my money, from the cast and direction to the cinematography and scripting, it's a near perfect film. Definitely one of my all-time top 20 movies.

Documentary film maker Errol Morris manages to squeeze theatrics from the mundane as he chronicles the controversy surrounding the relocation of a pet cemetery in northern California.

Besides being a humorous study in 70's hairstyles and fashion accessories, Gates of Heaven is a sardonic look at Americans, their cultural values, and their anthromorphic attitudes about their pets.

I often found myself chuckling or shaking my head in disbelief, but I sat there transfixed and engrossed (with my cat in my lap).