My Top 100 Films - All Time

One of John Wayne's darkest and most complex roles. It's easy to see why The Searchers is widely considered to be the Duke's best film. Unlike many of his other characters where their disposition and development is set according to type, Ethan Edwards (Wayne) is blatantly racist and morally flawed. He's a walking, talking paradox in the sense that you applaud what he is trying to do but you're appalled by how he's doing it. For example: During the course of his career in the western genre, John Wayne must have shot and killed hundreds of American Indians. True? But how often have you seen Wayne, after killing an Indian, ride over and shoot out the eyes of the corpse? Not only did he want to kill the man, he wanted him to stumble around blind in the hereafter. That scene, as filmed, shows a level of contempt that no Wayne character possessed before or since.

The Searchers isn't the be-all/end-all of John Wayne's films. Neither is it the only time Wayne played a character with depth and substance. But it is arguably his most challenging and triumphant performance, deserving of its status as one of the best westerns to ever grace the big screen.

I've heard it said that Touch of Evil, NOT Citizen Kane, is Orson Welles' greatest cinematic achievement. While I disagree with that statement I do agree that it's clearly a masterpiece of film noir, especially in the camera work. If there is a detractor here it's buying into the casting of Charlton Heston as a Mexican lawman. He's just not that convincing. Otherwise, it's one of the best representations of movie making as an art form.

*Great performances by stars on their way up, like Dennis Weaver and Janet Leigh, as well as stars on their way out, i.e. Orson Welles and Marlene Dietrich.

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.

One of the all-time classics

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.

I spent 8 years of my life in the U.S. Navy. Six of those years I was on active duty making seven FBM submarine patrols in both the Atlantic and the Pacific. If there is a grittier, more realistic submarine movie out there I've never seen it. Cinematically speaking, this is about as close as you'll ever get to knowing what the submarine service is really like (unless, of course, you enlist).

*Skip this one if you're claustrophobic.

In my opinion, it was Frankenstein, not the earlier Dracula, that cemented Hollywood's stake (pun intended) in the horror genre and ultimately saved Universal Studios from pending bankruptcy.

No single person can be credited for the success of this classic. James Whale, Boris Karloff, Mary Shelley, Jack Pierce, Carl Laemmle Jr., all should be praised for bringing Frankenstein to life. Having said that, there is one person who deserves a lion's share of the praise and, to this day, goes virtually uncredited for the picture's success, French writer Robert Florey. Florey was the one who took Shelley's unfilmable novel and carved out a treatment that met Universal's time and budget requirements. It's a shame that Florey goes without recognition because without him there would have been no Frankenstein and thus, no Bride of Frankenstein, and thus, no Universal Studios.

From September, 1962 to June, 1980 I lived in the small town of Henryetta, Oklahoma. Sometime around 1968 or '69 I started going to the movies at what was then known as the Blaine Theater. As theaters go, it wasn't a large place but, to me, it was a palace. By the late 60's the old movie house was already in decline but you could tell by the ornamental plaster and cobweb covered guild that it was once quite a showplace. Built sometime in the 1920's, it had been a stop on the vaudeville circuit. It still had some of the trappings of the era with it's elevated stage and exposed riggings.

My time there began with films like Support Your Local Sheriff, On Her Majesty's Secret Service and The Million Dollar Duck. There was stale popcorn, flat soda, and smuggled chocolate. Every feature was preceded by a cartoon, divided by an intermission, and capped off with a stomachache.

Flixster - Cinema Paradiso

As I grew older I went less with my mother and more with my friends. Sometimes I even went alone. I saw True Grit there in '69, Willy Wonka in '71 and The Biscuit Eater in '72. Once, my brother & sister and I were dropped off for an afternoon matinee and we were the ONLY people in the entire theater (in case you're wondering, it was Barbara Streisand's Hello Dolly). In time the Blaine became more known for its torn seats, stained screen and the occasional rat that would scurry over your foot. Eventually the place was closed down. It reopened later as the Cine' 2, a two-screen mini-plex, but that too soon closed. Today, the place is little more than an eyesore on the south side of Main Street.

If this all sounds like an Americanized, hillbilly version of Cinema Paradiso then I've made my point. If there's an ounce of cinemaphile in you then you should do more than just see this film. You should own it. Treasure it. Share it.

Long after you and I have turned to worm food, people will still be laughing at the physical comedy of Charlie Chaplin. His genius is timeless and still, in spite of his fame, under-appreciated. In the truest sense, MODERN TIMES is not a silent film. Chaplin's singing scene had me laughing so hard my sides hurt, and I still have no idea what he was saying. Sheer brilliance!

It's the playful chemistry between Bogart and Bacall that makes this film stand out amongst other classics of this era. There is warmth and humor here that seems oh so genuine. A true Hollywood classic.

Perhaps the BEST of the spaghetti westerns

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

Bravo Preston Sturges! Joel McCrea turns in the performance of a lifetime.

This may be one of the most over looked and under appreciated classics of all time. A box office flop when first released, this film was simply too far ahead of its own era. Directed by the late, great Charles Laughton, the story becomes more nightmarish and less anchored in reality as it progresses. Sets, over the course of the film, become more stage than screen. Some of the backdrops are obviously one-dimensional. They're often silhouetted with unnatural back lighting, adding to the overall ominous feel of the picture. Other scenes, most notably Willa Harper (Shelley Winters) at the bottom of the lake, are shot with an awareness of cinematography that is nothing short of brilliance. Robert Mitchum is suburb as the villainous Harry Powell, rivaling his equally evil but dimensionally different character in Cape Fear. The Night of the Hunter easily makes my all-time top 100 films list and shouldn't be missed.

The most well-crafted teen angst film ever made. Perfectly cast.

*NOTE: Deserving of it's "R" rating, not for the youngsters.

I'm not sure whether I should cheer or cry. Here we have Ray Milland in a performance for the ages and we don't see anything else like this from him before or since. Was it just a part he could really sink his teeth into or was he not given other chances to carry a significant film in a lead role? Yes, I know he appeared in many motion pictures before and after The Lost Weekend, but none of them showcased his talent the way this one did. If he'd had more movies like this one we would all be talking about Ray Milland the way we talk about William Holden or John Garfield. I don't think there is much to argue about when it comes to picking the best performance of Milland's long career - this is it!

Available as a Japanese Bootleg or on EuroVideo DVD. Two of Hollywood's greatest stars make this one a must-see.

Look, I know that Lana Turner is the face that drew 1959 audiences to the theater but it's Juanita Moore's performance that anchors this film as a true American classic. Don't get me wrong, Lana is absolutely wonderful in her role, as are John Gavin, Sandra Dee and Susan Kohner, but Miss Moore is the person who you'll be thinking about and talking about long after the credits roll.

Juanita Moore - Imitation of Life

Imitation of Life is sentimental without being sappy. It's also boldly allegorical without being preachy. I'm tempted to say that it was ahead of its time but, by 1959, it was long overdue.

I find it more than a little amusing when some young horror fan writes that he didn't find The Exorcist the least bit shocking or scary. Of course moviegoers today don't have the same visceral reaction, they're callused. And why are they callused? Because of groundbreaking films like The Exorcist and Rosemary's Baby and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

Shock, horror and fright are emotions that can't be sustained without an ever-increasing amount of stimulus. Genre fans are like crack addicts, the dosage has to be continually increased in order to maintain the same high. It's a phenomenon most of us can relate to. Kids of my generation really didn't find Tod Browning's Dracula or James Whale's Frankenstein all that scary. We were building up an immunity of sorts. A resistance. A tolerance. The Exorcist was our new drug. It did what horror films were supposed to do, it served as a catalyst for that fantastic, exhilarating euphoria of being scared.

So go ahead kids, watch your Hostel (wince!) and your Wolf Creek (cringe!). I'm happy with my head-spinning, pea-soup-spitting, bed-levitating, she-did-WHAT-with-a-crucifix!? classic.

I have to say I saw the ending coming but only because wonderful movies such as this have influenced so many films since. Clouzot seems to know what creeps us all out and uses that to full effect in this film. This is one for every thriller/horror fan's 'must-see' list.

Great films distinguish themselves in a number of different ways. Some of them are perfectly cast. Others have tremendous cinematography. Still others may have great scripting, direction or editing. I Want to Live stands out for one enormous reason, Susan Hayward's performance.

Hayward shines in this true story about a woman convicted of murder and sentenced to die in California's gas chamber. There are numerous supporting characters in this dramatization but its Susan Hayward's heart-wrenching portrayal that will haunt you long after the movie has ended. She won an Oscar for this performance and deserved every bit of it.

1971 cult classic that, over time, has become more mainstream and widely accepted. A 20-year-old Bud Cort, obsessed with death, meets an 80-year-old Ruth Gordon, obsessed with life. Each is fascinated by the other and thus one of the strangest romances in film history is kindled. As much as I love this film, the bedroom scene between Cort and Gordon still gives me the heebie-jeebies. (LOL)

This may well be the best epic film ever made. It's certainly the best I have ever seen.

The absolute BEST adaptation of Charles Dickens ever put on film.

A Cinderella story that quickly turns into a nightmare. Directed by Hitchcock and produced by David O. Selznick (Gone with the Wind), two of the giants of the golden age of Hollywood. Often times a collaboration of two such egos would result in a competitive struggle that would damage the end product but here there's just the right amount of Hitchcock's noir-ish suspense and Selznick's Hollywood pizzazz to make the whole thing work. There's not one illogical or nonsensical twist or turn in the entire screenplay. I sat, eyes glued to the TV, for an hour and a half, anxiously waiting to see what was going to happen next. Absolutely incredible, top to bottom, side to side.

When you think of filmdom's strangest romances, what are the first movies that come to mind? Harold & Maude maybe? Sunset Boulevard perhaps? How about a film where an attractive and vivacious young woman moves into a house on the seashore and falls in love with the cantankerous ghost of a sea captain that haunts her new home? As strange as it may sound, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir is one of the all-time great love stories. This is a script that could have easily turned out corny and ridiculous but instead has a class and charm that will forever anchor it as a true Hollywood classic.

Depression era con-man Moses Pray (Ryan O'Neil) reluctantly accepts the responsibility of transporting orphaned Addie Loggins (Tatum O'Neil) from her deceased mother's graveside to her Aunt's farm in Missouri. Along the way Moses discovers that his 9-year-old travel companion is a better con-artist than he is. The two are more alike than either would dare to admit and eventually they form an odd but profound friendship.

I'm not sure if it was the comforting familiarity of working with her father or if it was just a character perfectly suited for her talents, but Tatum O'Neil knocks my socks off every time I watch this movie. If ever a young actress deserved Oscar recognition, she's the one. The kid is just spectacular (and the film isn't bad either!).

The first thing you notice about Leave Her to Heaven is the color. With the bright hues, the perfect lighting and the unblemished actors one gets the sense that they're watching one of the grand MGM musicals of the 1940's. All of this is by design, a ploy to lull you into the illusion that you're witnessing a fairy tale brought to life. And just about the time you've bought into the rich, glamorous visuals, that's when director John Stahl starts to show you glimpses of the dark underbelly of the story. Without giving too much away, there is one climatic scene, when Gene Tierney is in a rowboat in the middle of the lake, when the true darkness of the film is laid bare for the entire world to see. To say it's shocking would be an understatement.

To watch this film is like finding a perfect, brilliantly red, shiny apple. Admiring that apple. Polishing that apple. Imagining how sweet and juicy that apple is going to taste. And then cutting it open only to discover that inside is a worm... not just any worm but a knarly, slimy one. One with an overbite and a pastel wardrobe. Ewwwww!!

If you're looking for the honest, trustworthy, all-American Andy Griffith we've all come to know and love you'll have to look elsewhere. Here, in his first film, Griffith's character is anything but likable. To watch this performance is at once fascinating and unsettling. While it exposes a range that Griffith fans may have been previously unaware of, it's definitely disturbing to see Sheriff Andy Taylor behave like a demonic Ernest T. Bass. I'm surprised that I haven't heard more about this exquisite Elia Kazan film before. Patricia Neal, Tony Franciosa, Walter Matthau, and Lee Remick are remarkable in supporting roles. A masterpiece of political satire that should be high on everyone's 'must-see' list.

The more I see of Chaplin the more I am astounded by the depth of his talent. For those who only associate Charlie Chaplin with silent films, The Great Dictator is a must-see. His genius for physical comedy is nearly equaled by his adeptness of dialogue. Hilariously funny and timeless.

In order to wage war, in order for human beings to kill other human beings on a massive scale, there must be some rationalization. Historically, we, as warriors, create in our minds a caricature of those we call our enemies. It's a phenomenon that's universal and cross-cultural. We see those who oppose us as less than human, men who don't laugh, don't shed tears and are, essentially, evil. In this manner they become non-people. In this manner we need not have sympathy or guilt when we destroy them. The Burmese Harp, a product of post-war Japan released in 1956, breaks down this wall of propaganda and reminds us of the toll that war takes on the souls of men.

Its been called an "anti-war" film but I'm not so sure that was foremost in the minds of those who brought this story to the screen. It seems, in retrospect, to be more of a soldier's portrait that has been stripped of its patriotic facade. Whatever their intent, the film makers have given us an under-rated gem that should not be missed.

To my knowledge, there have been at least six film incarnations of Victor Hugo's THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, including Lon Chaney's eerie portrayal in 1923. In my opinion, this 1939 telling, featuring Charles Laughton and Maureen O'Hara, stands "head and hump" above the rest. Laughton is in rare form in what may have been his best performance and, for Charles Laughton, that's saying a lot. Where Chaney's Quasimodo is often menacing and macabre, Laughton manages to exude an almost impish sense of humor in the face of unbelievable cruelty and tragic circumstance. Never have I felt so much empathy for a character. This is one for the ages.