Movie #51: The Sound of Music. Or really, did Mary Poppins decide to join a covent?

Title: The Sound of Music

Starring: Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer

Directed by: Robert Wise

Number on the AFI List: 40

Year: 1965

I know that Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music are totally different and awesome in their own ways, but I couldn't help but chuckle at the typecasting Julie Andrews received on two of her first films. That aside, The Sound of Music is remarkable not only because of Andrew's fabulous performance as Maria, but the rest of the cast as well. The children's voices are beautiful and captivating from the moment they begin to sing. The "Do-Re-Me" scene is so fun; its so rewarding to see the children be children again and find their individual voices. I loved watching Captain Von Trapp's character arch from being a strict, commanding father who doesn't know how to love his children well to a more lenient, loving man, all thanks to Maria. The fabulous nuns, especially the compassionate Mother Abbess, were a joy to watch. I loved how Mother Abbess showed so much grace to Maria, encouraging Maria to face her problems head on and to not feel shame or guilt because she'd fallen in love with Captain Von Trapp. And of course, the entire family's bravery to not succumb to the Nazi's demands of Captain Von Trapp joining their ranks was inspiring and suspenseful.

 

I've seen this movie many times, the musical a couple of times, and it never fails to be captivating and moving. It will stand the test of time because of its beauty and bravery, and will always be one of the greatest musicals of the 20th century.

 

Favorite moment: there are too many to name. Probably the "Do-Re-Me" scene. Its one of the moments that has stuck in my brain since I was a child.

 

Will I watch it again: yes!

 

 

 

Movie #50: Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. Or really....no actually, thats a perfect title.

Title: Dr. Strangelove or: How I learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

Starring: Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, and an actor with the best name ever: Slim Pickens 

Directed by: the infamous Stanley Kubrick

Number on the AFI List: 39

Year: 1964

Oh, this film. I had no idea what to expect. I would've never guessed a quirky Cold War pseudo-comedy/drama that was actually pretty uncomfortable to watch. Should I laugh? Ok, I can laugh. Sometimes. Maybe? But it was also terrifying. My thoughts ran rampant, like...the doomsday clock just moved forward in real life and now I'm watching a movie about a bomb that will destroy the whole world made by a nazi and wow are we really all this fickle and childish?!

I don't want to give too much of the plot away. Just know that there were some mistakes made by an air force general while clinging to a conspiracy theory, then a group of men including the president unmade those bad decisions, then...well...a crazy Texan who's name in real life is Slim Pickens basically ruins it all for everyone. Just watch it. You'll get what I mean.

Shout out to Peter Sellers for playing three different roles in the movie. I had no idea, until I read this fun article about 15 things you might not know about Dr. Strangelove.

This movie is a turn towards Kubrick's more off the wall direction and sense of humor. I never thought I could laugh at impending doom, but he coached some brilliant performances out of each of his actors, especially George Scott who played General Buck Trugidson. Childish, yet believable and hysterical (the fight with the Russian ambassador had me rolling). Peter Sellers as President Muffley was great-especially his phone conversations between himself and the Russian President, Dimitri. I've never been more entertained to listen to an actor on the phone (shout out to invisible Dimitri for being petty and whiney enough to give the funniest moments of the film).

Do I recommend watching this movie in the current political climate of the world? Well...I don't know. But it will make you laugh. And cringe. That much I do know.

Favorite moment: the phone conversation between President Muffley and Russian President Dimitri:

Will I watch it again: I'd be willing to, for sure! 

MOVIE NUMBER 50 MEANS I'M HALFWAY THERE Y'ALL. I'm going slower than I expected but I WILL FINISH!

My rankings thus far (these keep getting harder!)

1. City Lights

2. It's a Wonderful Life

3. Modern Times

4. To Kill a Mockingbird

5. The Bridge on the River Kwai

6. Sunset Boulevard

7. Sunrise
8. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
9. Wizard of Oz
10. Psycho
11. Gone with the Wind
12. Ben Hur
13. On the Waterfront
14. A Streetcar Named Desire
15. The African Queen
16. 12 Angry Men
17. Citizen Kane
18. Some Like it Hot
19. All About Eve
20. Sullivan's Travels 
21. Spartacus 
22. Double Indemnity
23. Casablanca
24. Singing in the Rain
25. Vertigo
26. Bringing up Baby
27. The Gold Rush
28. The Best Years of our Lives
29. The Maltese Falcon
30. Yankee Doodle Dandy
31. It Happened One Night
32. High Noon
33. A Night at the Opera
34. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
35. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
36. The Grapes of Wrath
37. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
38. North by Northwest
39. The General
40. Rear Window 
41. King Kong
42. The Philadelphia Story
43. Intolerance
44. West Side Story
45. Swing Time
46. Duck Soup
47. The Apartment
48. The Searchers
49. Shane
50. Lawrence of Arabia 

Movie #49: To Kill a Mockingbird. Or really...Atticus Finch is the hero we need.

Title: To Kill a Mockingbird
Starring: Gregory Peck, Mary Badham, Phillip Alford
Directed by: Robert Mulligan
Number on the AFI List: 25
Year: 1962

Atticus Finch: I remember when my daddy gave me that gun. He told me that I should never point it at anything in the house; and that he'd rather I'd shoot at tin cans in the backyard. But he said that sooner or later he supposed the temptation to go after birds would be too much, and that I could shoot all the blue jays I wanted - if I could hit 'em; but to remember it was a sin to kill a mockingbird. 

Jem: Why? 

Atticus Finch: Well, I reckon because mockingbirds don't do anything but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat people's gardens, don't nest in the corncrib, they don't do one thing but just sing their hearts out for us.

To Kill a Mockingbird is an incredible book turned film about justice, nobility, and respect. The screenplay is beautifully written by my favorite playwright, Horton Foote. Filled with subtleties and subtext, every scene has meaning and purpose, with life lessons flowing from Atticus Finch's mouth that make you hang on every word he says, and curiosity and wonder in all of the children's interactions.

The story is from Scout's eyes, played by Mary Badham. Scout, along with her brother Jem (Phillip Alford) and Dill (John Menga), wrestle with the hardships and evils of life, from death, to racism, to forgiveness. One of my favorite moments between the children is at the beginning, when Scout is asking Jem about their deceased mother. My heart broke for them both as they wrestled with who their mother was, trying to find love from someone who is no longer in their lives. I also love Scout's ferociousness. She constantly beat up boys at school who spoke out against her family. Of course, the response of Atticus to show forgiveness instead of hostility is what is most inspiring, and he proves his point in a show-stopping moment between him and Mr. Ewell.

I'm convinced no one could play Atticus Finch better than Gregory Peck. His respectful, calm, but firm demeanor command the screen-just like Atticus commands the town and his children. Atticus' grace towards his friends and his enemies is apparent throughout the whole film, from the way he cares for his children and Tom Robinson's family, and in the way he responds to his enemies, Bob Ewell and the rest of the white community who are out for unjust revenge against Tom.

Tom Robinson, played by Brock Peters, had the best moment of the film. His powerful speech during his trial brought tears to my eyes. Fighting against a people group who won't believe him in the only way he can- imploring people to believe his innocence. Atticus also fought for his client through a closing argument speech that in a sane world would leave everyone convinced that Tom was innocent. But this film doesn't take place in a sane world, it takes place in the south during the depression. Justice is nearly impossible to come by, but what is noble about Atticus is he continues to stand up for it.

A final thought on Boo Radley, the underlying hero of the film: Boo is someone desperate for friendship but who is unjustly kept away from others. Therefore, Scout, Jem, and many townsfolk have misconceptions about him-but one of the greatest lessons learned by the children is to not pre-judge others and to restore dignity to all people. Black, white, shut in, child, adult. We are all people in need of affection, justice, and respect. I hope that I, as well as other viewers of this film, learn these lessons right along with them.

Also- Boo Radley was Robert Duvall's film debut. Who knew?! I didn't.

Favorite moment: too many to name. Probably the end of the courtroom scene, where everyone rises in respect for Atticus.

Will I watch it again: I currently am, while I type this. Thanks, Netflix!

Movie #48: Lawrence of Arabia. Or really... ....

Title: Lawrence of Arabia

Starring: Peter O'Toole, Alec Guiness

Directed by: David Lean

Number on the AFI List: 7

Year: 1962

Ok. So. I started this movie and gave it the good 'ol college try.  I really did. But for some reason, in the 50s/60s, people were obsessed with making movies much longer than they should be to showcase their cinematic talents. In Lawrence of Arabia, this talent was to show sweeping shots of men riding through the desert on camels. While these shots were beautiful, I ended up dozing off just like Lawrence does mid-ride between one town to the next. And then I lost track of where I was in the movie. And then I realized that it was just a struggle for me to get into so I turned it off.

Sorry. It must be good considering it won so many awards and is number 7 on the AFI list. 

I may be cheating here with this sorry excuse for a review, but I really just want to move on and don't want to sit through another 2 hours of this long, overly drawn out film. 

I might return to this when this project is over. But considering its been since October since my last review...I'm afraid I'm losing steam and just want to keep moving forward.

Sorry, Peter O'Toole.

Love,

Jodi

Movie #47: West Side Story. Or really, just watch Romeo and Juliet.

Title: West Side Story

Starring: Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer

Directed by: Jerome Robbins, Robert Wise 

Year: 1961

Number on the AFI List: 51 (why)

Y’all. I couldn’t get into this movie. At all. Maybe its because I’ve been spoiled on the modern day method of musical movies. I couldn’t handle the break of character types into a song and dance number in full falsetto. Gangsters don’t sing like that. Juliet…wait, no, Maria got over the fact that her brother was dead way too easily. I know he was a jerk. But have some respect and don’t sleep with his killer an hour after it happened. And for the love of all that is holy, can everyone PLEASE stop over acting? Tony and Maria were boring. The gangsters at least played their stereotypes well and were a bit more entertaining to watch. Doc was touching.

The only fully redeemable character was Anita, played by Rita Moreno. She was awesome, from beginning to end. I believed her. I rooted for her. I struggled with her. She stole the show.

I wish I had more to say. The dancing and singing were both great, I can’t deny that. I just couldn’t handle the concept.

Ok. Back to listening to Hamilton.

Favorite moment: every time Anita was on screen.

Will I watch it again: only if I absolutely have to.

Movie #46: Spartacus. Or really...I AM SPARTACUS

Title: Spartacus

Starring: Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, Jean Simmons

Directed by: Stanley Kubrick

Number on the AFI List: 81

Year: 1960

I'm not a huge fan of Roman era movies, but it seems like they were all the rage in the 50s and 60s! I enjoyed Ben Hur better than Spartacus; Charleton Heston (as Ben Hur) seemed to grapple with his experiences and his place in life better than Kirk Douglas (as Spartacus), who was always proud of himself and remained proud of himself from the beginning. I wanted to see more struggle rather than a strong man just doing strong man things (great for Westerns...not so much a slave-freeing-slaves story). That being said, the supporting cast was SUPERB. By the end of the movie, I was in awe of Peter Ustinov as Batiatus- his arc from being the enemy to friend was beautiful to watch. I read he won an Oscar and rightly so! Laurence Olivier was of course flawless as Crassus; his paranoid spiral into jealousy and rage over Spartacus was compelling and convincing. I also have to give a shout out to Tony Curtis-this was the first dramatic role I've seen him in (I'm sure he did others), and he was amazing as the slightly flamboyant and strong Antonius. Jean Simmons as Varinia held her own against the primarily male cast, not being overshadowed or pushed to the side as just the damsel in distress, but fighting for her husband. The scene between her and Crassus is probably my favorite scene of the film-she doesn't let him get away with anything! "You think by threatening to kill my child you'll make me love you?" YES GIRL. GET HIM.  

I now know what inspired every battle sequence in subsequent films like Braveheart and Lord of the Rings. The long, drawn out choreography of the battle scene was a bit tedious, but well shot. (I also know why marching bands do what they do. Could it be a stretch to say that football players are our new gladiators and marching bands are our new soldiers? Just a thought I had.) I loved the speeches by Spartacus and Crassus interwoven together before the battle. It heightened the tension and struggle between the two men, both trying to overthrow the other. 

The ending was beautiful but again, with Ben Hur having been released a few years prior, it was a bit cliche.  And I didn't believe Spartacus was dying on that cross. (I did, however, believe that Varinia was looking at the love of her life dying on a cross). Kirk, if you happen to be reading this, I mean no disrespect, seeing as you have had quite the epic film career and well, I haven't. I did love the imagery of a man dying to set the captives free, but thats the Christian in me :)

Favorite moment:

I AM SPARTACUS

Will I Watch it again: Only if I must :)

Movie #45: Psycho. Or really....no, Psycho is the most fitting title.

Title: Psycho

Starring: Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, Janet Leigh

Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock

Year: 1960

Number on the AFI List: 14

Hit play:

I'm not going to be the first one to say this, or the last: Psycho is BRILLIANT. ANTHONY PERKINS.  My gosh! You couldn't find someone more perfect, subtle, neurotic, nervous, paranoid, manipulative, and yet...somehow sympathetic. You wouldn't think he was a killer until you find out he is (spoilers. Not sorry about it. You should know he's the killer by now.). How he wasn't even nominated for an Academy Award is beyond me. In fact, how The Apartment won best picture and Psycho wasn't even nominated for best picture is outlandish. Hitchcock's brilliant direction and style is on full display throughout this movie, how he can create intensity with use of darkness and light, silence and song, swooping camera shots, and subtle yet graphic scenes of murder. The infamous shower scene is brilliantly shot. While today, the cop out would be to show full on nudity and just get the shooting of the scene over with, Hitchcock uses various angles and shots that are so jarring you don't know where he's going next, just like Norman Bates with his blade. Apparently, it took seven full days to shoot that one scene. If anything, this goes to show that great movie making is about quality more than quantity, taking your time to do something well and thought out, rather than just doing a few shots to get a scene over with. 

My favorite moments were the conversations people had with Bates. In fact, my favorite scene of the movie is when Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) is eating her sandwich in Bates' office. The tension of both of them not wanting to get caught in their respective schemes is palpable-Crane with her money, Bates with his jealous attraction of her. 

Of course, everyone else in this movie is fantastic, too. Detective Arborgast (Martin Balsam) knows how to pressure and question Bates almost to the point of revealing his sins in a clever scene of cat and mouse (GREAT writing). Sam Loomis (John Galvin) and Lila Crane (Vera Miles) are excellent at finding out just what they need from the police and Bates himself, almost fooling Bates into believing they are just normal weary travelers.

Overall, this movie is fantastic and deserves to be watched over and over again. Modern horror filmmakers could learn a lot from Hitchcock's subtlety and style.

Favorite moment: I already mentioned it, but the dinner scene between Marion and Norman.

Will I Watch it Again: Yes. And buy it.