Brief Encounter: 1945, Great Britain (Romance)
From what I gather, this film is a classic cause it was middle class and did not have a happy ending. The book calls it a five-hankie movie so if you dare to watch get ready for the water works.
Bringing Up Baby: 1938, USA (Comedy)
Howard Hawks’ screwball comedy is full of double entendres, witty dialogue and slap stick. Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn star in this classic that like many others did not fare well in the box office but gained popularity over time
Bullitt: 1968, USA (Mystery & Thriller)
Forever know for its classic car chase sequence that was the granddaddy of them all, Bullitt is actually considered one of the greatest police dramas ever. Still you talk about it and people will only remember that Steve McQueen drove a car around San Francisco.
The Burmese Harp: 1956, Japan (War)
“The Burmese Harp achieves its power and poignancy through the juxtaposition of the horror of war with the beauty of nature.” I didn’t figure I could describe it better. Some of these old foreign films can be difficult.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid: 1969, USA (Western)
This is a great movie that I would not classify as your classic western. It is more of a buddy picture with such great report between Paul Newman and Robert Redford that produces memorable lines throughout. It is without a doubt a much see for anyone as a timeless classic and one of my all time favorites.
Cabaret: 1972, USA (Musical)
The book loves this movie in an over gushing way. Liza Minnelli gave a perfect performance and the characters are contemporary and fashionable. It was set in 1930 Berlin which seems extremely odd to me, but I am not sure why. It may be more because it was made in the seventies and that usually makes me leery when it comes to musicals.
Camille: 1936, USA (Romance)
“Turn what could have been a tear-jerker into a classic.” That final line in the book confuses me. I don’t quite understand what that implies. A tear-jerker is not a classic? What about Brief Encounter as detailed above? Anyway, now I can say I know a movie that Greta Garbo starred in playing the ‘definitive movie mistress.’
Carrie: 1976, USA (Horror)
This is probably the best Stephen King adapted movie, well after Stand By Me and Maximum Overdrive of course. This is the role that everyone thinks of first when you mention Sissy Spacek. Don’t really know what else there is to say about it, the book was sort of middling in its praise for it.
Casablanca: 1942, USA (Romance)
Eternal is the word I would use to describe this movie. It will never go away and forever be referenced in everything pop culture until time stops. Bogart is at his best as an anti-hero.
Catch-22: 1970, USA (War)
While a black comedy on the insanity of war is not an original concept, the all star cast of this picture puts it over the top. Alan Arkin, Orson Welles, Anthony Perkins, and Jon Voight deliver the goods. The catch 22 being that Arkin tries to get out of the military via insanity except that his ability to complete the necessary paperwork proves him sane. In the end, he is the sanest person in his company. Sounds about right.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
3 comments:
I am surprised to see Carrie on this list. I think it'd be more appropriate on a novel list such as this simply because it was the first book by King and sort of opened the door for modern paperback writers. The movie itself is OK. You're average horror movie, including a couple sequels. I'd have to put Shawshank Redemption as probably the best King work turned into film. Although Redemption was only a short story, much like Stand By Me. I think they should have used the working title for Maximum Overdrive though - "The Sweet Tenderness of Love."
I watched Casablanca in college for class, but honestly remember little about it other than the cliched part that done over and over again in parodies. There's no doubt it belongs here though.
The rest of these films I have little experience with.
I wouldn't have been surprised to see "Brokeback Mountain" on this list. I haven't seen the movie, but I know it won a lot of acclaim upon its release.
I am pretty sure it would have won some Oscars if they would have just kept that working title. Someday when I have money or can con people into backing me, I am remaking that movie. :)
I always forget Shawshank was a King story. Short stories usually work out the best for movies though because that is basically all a movie can handle. Think aobut most novels that become movies, so much has to be cut and reworked that it disappoints.
This book was printed in 2005 which is the same year Brokeback Mountain came out. So it is too new for this book. The newest movie was in 2004 and a couple from 2002.
I'd put "The Shining" at No. 3 behind Shawshank and Stand By Me for movies off King works. I'm pretty sure Maximum Overdrive was a short story also. I think it was in the Night Shift collection. It's funny, but King makes fun of himself for writing that one in his book on writing.
Post a Comment