The Ten Commandments

When TCM announced the lineup for this year's Big Screen Classics series, The Ten Commandments was the movie I was most excited to see (I bought tickets to it and The Maltese Falcon as soon as they were available).  I have so many memories of watching this on TV with my sisters when I was young because it seems like it was broadcast every year around Easter and Passover.  Since it is so long, we were always given permission to stay up past our bedtimes to watch it to the end which was a rare treat.  Sometimes we made it to see the Ten Commandments written on the stone tablets and sometimes we didn't!  Seeing this spectacle on the big screen last night was an amazing experience and I had so much fun anticipating every epic moment!  Moses (Charlton Heston), the son of Hebrew slaves, is an adopted Prince of Egypt vying with Rameses (Yul Brynner) for the throne of Seti I (Cedric Hardwicke) and the attention of Nefretiri (Anne Baxter).  When his true identity is revealed, Moses is banished to the desert but eventually returns to Egypt to lead his enslaved people to freedom and to receive the Ten Commandments from God.  I loved all of the elaborate sets, reported to be the biggest and most expensive up to that point, as well as the period costumes and I was surprised by how stirring I found all of the big action sequences to be, especially the scale of the scene in which the Hebrews leave Egypt (14,00 extras and 15,00 animals were used) and the grandeur of all of the Egyptian chariots giving chase across the desert.  Some of the special effects, such as the turning of a staff into a snake, have not aged particularly well but the parting of the Red Sea is still pretty impressive, even by today's standards, and the writing of the commandments on the stone tablets is quite dramatic.  Heston is incredibly handsome and charismatic in the role of Moses and I found his struggle to accept his destiny to be very moving while Brynner's campy performance as Rameses is a lot of fun to watch.  The overture and an intermission (it is almost four hours long) are included in the theatrical version and, for some reason, I really enjoyed that!  It was certainly exciting to see this movie as it was meant to be seen and I definitely recommend checking out the rest of TCM's lineup (go here).

The Maltese Falcon

I have been so excited to see The Maltese Falcon ever since the 2021 TCM Big Screen Classics series lineup was announced!  I had the chance last night and it was so much fun watching what is widely regarded as one of the best examples of film noir, with Humphrey Bogart as the private eye and Mary Astor as the femme fatale, on the big screen.  The story begins when a beautiful woman named Ruth Wonderley (Astor) hires detective Sam Spade (Bogart) to find a missing person.  The case takes a sinister turn when his partner Miles Archer (Jerome Cowan) and Floyd Thursby, the man he is tailing, are murdered.  Spade discovers that his client, now known as Brigid O'Shaughnessy, was once Thursby's colleague and that she, Joel Cairo (Peter Lorre), Wilmer Cook (Elisha Cook, Jr.), and Kasper Gutman (Sydney Greenstreet) are all in pursuit of a mysterious black statue of a falcon, purported to be a lost tribute from the Knights Templar of Malta to Charles V of Spain, which Thursby apparently found in Istanbul.  After a series of convoluted misadventures Spade eventually finds the falcon and solves the case.  This movie is incredibly suspenseful with so many twists and turns that you can't possibly guess what it going to happen next and features one of the best MacGuffins in film history.  Bogart gives a brilliant performance as the ruthless anti-hero who quips and fights his way out of every situation with a cheeky grin on his face.  Lorre is hilarious as the eccentric Cairo and Greenstreet, in his very first screen role, steals every scene that he is in as Gutman.  Astor is also fantastic as the manipulative O'Shaughnessy and her performance in the emotionally charged final scene with Spade is epic.  I loved the hard-boiled dialogue, the use of light and shadow in the cinematography, and the stylized direction by John Huston.  It is a wildly entertaining movie and I highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't seen it!

Fiddler on the Roof

Even though I recently saw the movie version of Fiddler on the Roof on one of my streaming platforms (I can't remember which one), I couldn't miss out on an opportunity to see it on the big screen last night because I love it so much!  Tevye (Topol) is a poor Jewish milkman living in the small village of Anatevka in Imperial Russia with his wife Golde (Norma Crane) and five daughters.  He clings to his traditions to help him deal with the hardships of life but his daughters Tzeitel (Rosalind Harris), Hodel (Michele Marsh), and Chava (Neva Small) challenge those traditions by choosing to marry Motel (Leonard Frey), Perchik (Paul Michael Glaser), and Fyedka (Raymond Lovelock), respectively, without a matchmaker.  Watching this movie makes me so happy and I eagerly anticipate all of my favorite songs, especially "Tradition," "Matchmaker, Matchmaker," "If I Were a Rich Man," "Sabbath Prayer," "Sunrise, Sunset," "Far From the Home I Love," and "Anatevka."  I tried really hard, unsuccessfully, not to sing along!  The choreography is fantastic and I really love the Russian dance in "To Life," the bottle dance during the wedding, and the ballet sequence in "Chavaleh" but my very favorite production number is "Tevye's Dream" because I once played Fruma-Sarah and it is always fun to see her!  I'm pretty sure that I sang every word with Ruth Madoc!  I always really enjoy Topol's portrayal of Tevye because he imbues the role with quite a bit of humor, especially with his conversations with God and his interactions with Golde (the scene where he wants to see Motel's sewing machine kills me every time), but he also shows vulnerability when he rejects Chava.  I also really like Frey because he is so adorably dorky as Motel, particularly in the song "Miracle of Miracles."  I have seen this movie dozens of times but last night I was struck by the fact that all of Tevye's clothes are threadbare, even the coat he wears at the wedding.  I have never noticed that before (probably because I've never seen it on such a big screen).  I also noticed that the shot composition in "Tradition" is mirrored in "Anatevka" which I think is really effective.  I don't think I will ever get tired of seeing this movie (or the stage musical, for that matter) and I highly recommend seeing it as part of the TCM Big Screen Classics series (go here for information and tickets).

Note:  I have really enjoyed the TCM Big Screen Classics series this year (I went to as many of them as I could).  The selections for next year have been announced and are as follows:  The Maltese Falcon, Boyz n the Hood, The Ten Commandments, La Bamba, Fried Green Tomatoes, The Birdcage, The African Queen, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Citizen Kane, The Silence of the Lambs, West Side Story, and On Golden Pond.  I think I am most looking forward to The Maltese Falcon and The Ten Commandments.  Are you looking forward to any of these movies?

Ghost

I really loved the movie Ghost when it was first released in theaters thirty years ago.  I thought Patrick Swayze was incredibly appealing as Sam Wheat but I especially enjoyed Whoopi Goldberg in a hilarious performance as Oda Mae Brown.  It is now back in theaters as part of the TCM Big Screen Classics series and I had the chance to see it yesterday.  I loved it just as much as I did then (for the same reasons).  Sam is an investment banker on Wall Street who discovers that there are unusually high balances in the accounts he manages and confides this information to his friend Carl Bruner (Tony Goldwyn).  Later that night he is killed when a robbery goes wrong and soon realizes that he is now a ghost.  He stays close to his girlfriend Molly Jensen (Demi Moore) and is horrified when his murderer, Willie Lopez (Rick Aviles), uses the key he stole from him to break into the apartment he shared with her.  He finds the medium Oda Mae, a con artist who turns out to have a real psychic gift, and convinces her to warn Molly that she is in danger.  Sam eventually learns that he was killed because of a money laundering scheme and uses both Oda Mae and Molly to thwart the killer.  It was so much fun to watch this again and most of my favorite scenes involved Oda Mae, especially the scenes where she impersonates Rita Miller in order to access the stolen money and when Sam forces her to turn the money over to a group of nuns.  Even though it is a bit simplistic, I've always liked the symbolism of having a beam of light take the good people to Heaven and having shadows take the evil people to Hell (I remember cheering when the murderers were dragged to Hell the first time I saw it), although I did find the final scene where Sam goes to Heaven to be a little bit cheesy this time around (the rainbow beams are a bit much).  I remember thinking that the, now iconic, pottery scene with "Unchained Melody" by the Righteous Brothers was so steamy when I first saw it and now I was surprised by how tame it seems by today's standards.  I love Swayze's performance as Sam because, not only is he incredibly handsome (I love his burgundy shirt and black jeans), he is so earnest in his protectiveness of Molly.  I would definitely like to have him watching over me!  Moore, and her uncanny ability to cry on cue, is also really good as a grief-stricken woman who is torn between wanting to believe that Sam is still with her and her better judgment.  Finally, Goldwyn is so creepy as Carl, especially in the scene where he contrives to take off his shirt.  I'm not usually a fan of romances but I love this movie (there is a reason why it was the number one box office draw in 1990).  I highly recommend it, especially on the big screen (go here).

The Shining

The Shining is one of my favorite Stephen King novels and, even though it deviates from the source material quite a bit, I think Stanley Kubrick's adaptation is a masterpiece.  I do think that the book is much scarier (I slept with the light on for a week after I finished reading it as a teenager) but the movie is incredibly unsettling.  Just hearing the dark and ominous notes of Symphonie fantastique by Hector Berlioz during the opening sequence gave me goosebumps when I had a chance to see it again yesterday as part of the TCM Big Screen Classics series.  Aspiring writer Jack Torrence (Jack Nicholson) is desperate to escape from his troubled past and hopes to find the time and solitude to work on his novel so he takes a job as the winter caretaker at the Overlook Hotel in the remote mountains of Colorado with his wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall) and his young son Danny (Danny Lloyd).  Once they arrive, the cook Dick Hallorann (Scatman Crothers) recognizes that Danny has a strong psychic ability that he calls "shining" and warns him that the hotel also has a "shine" because of its troubled past.  Danny begins having frightening visions about the former inhabitants of the hotel but Jack seems to be haunted by these malevolent ghosts.  When a severe winter storm cuts them off from the outside world, Jack has a complete psychotic break causing him to attack his family.  What makes this movie so unnerving is that you are never entirely sure of what is happening at the Overlook Hotel because Jack, who is a recovering alcoholic with a history of hurting his son, is such an unreliable character.  Is he slowly being driven mad by isolation and claustrophobia or is he being possessed by the ghosts of the hotel?  Whenever Jack interacts with the ghosts of the former caretaker Grady (Philip Stone), the bartender Lloyd (Joe Turkel), or a woman murdered in the bathtub (Lia Beldam), there is always a mirror in the scene leading to speculation that he might be talking to himself.  The sound design, including Danny's Big Wheel traveling across different floor surfaces, ice cubes rattling in Jack's glass, the echo of the typewriter in the cavernous lobby, and the staccato beating of a heart, is incredibly foreboding and does much to enhance the tension.  The long Steadicam tracking shots following the characters through the maze of the empty hotel (and an actual maze) also highlight the isolation.  The many parallels between the shot compositions (which become more apparent the more times you see it) are absolutely brilliant, especially in the scene with Danny and Jack in their apartment and the scene with Jack and the woman in Room 237 because it makes us question how Danny gets the bruises on his neck.  Nicholson, in an iconic performance, is unbelievably menacing and conveys a feeling of terror with just a glance.  Duvall is also very good (although my biggest criticism of the movie as compared to the book is the character of Wendy because she is so weak and passive).  This  movie is one of the best examples of how to create an atmosphere of unease and I highly recommend it, particularly on the big screen (go here for more information).

Psycho

I am a huge fan of Alfred Hitchcock and I have seen Psycho many times but never on the big screen.  Last night I finally had the opportunity and it was amazing (the crowd cheered when the opening credits started rolling).  It is the perfect movie to watch in October because it is considered by many critics to be the original (and best) slasher horror film.  Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) laments the fact that she must conduct a clandestine relationship with her boyfriend Sam Loomis (John Gavin) because he can't afford to marry her.  She sees an opportunity for them to be together when her boss asks her to deposit $40,000.  She impulsively embezzles the money and goes on the run to meet up with Loomis.  On the road she decides to stop for the night at the secluded Bates Motel during a rainstorm.  When the lonely proprietor, Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins), invites her to dinner, his mother objects which leads to tragedy (and one of the most famous scenes in cinematic history).  The narrative then shifts to the investigation of Marion's disappearance, conducted by Loomis, Marion's sister Lila (Vera Miles), and a private investigator (Martin Balsam) hired to locate the money, and the discovery that Norman Bates may not be who he seems.  There are so many aspects of this movie that I think are brilliant!  The first time I saw it, I was surprised when Marion was murdered so soon into the runtime because Hitchcock takes great pains to establish her as the sympathetic main protagonist.  Then, all of the audience's sympathy is transferred to Norman as he frantically cleans up the murder scene and disposes of Marion's body to cover for his mother.  Finally, the revelations about Norman are so shocking because of the dramatic build up about Mrs. Bates!  Hitchcock is the master of manipulation!  Even though I have now seen it many times, I still think it is incredibly suspenseful and I discover something new every time!  The shower scene is absolutely terrifying for what you don't see rather than for what you do (the cutting of this scene is ingenious) and the iconic score featuring the screeching strings adds to the intensity.  I love the use of light and dark to foreshadow danger and the symbolism of the stuffed birds.  Both Perkins and Leigh give superb performances, especially in the scene where the two of them talk about being trapped by the circumstances of life.  It was so exciting to watch one of the best psychological thrillers ever made last night and I highly recommend seeing it as it was meant to be seen.  There is one more opportunity (go here for tickets).

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

For the second night in a row I got to watch one of my very favorite movies on the big screen again!  I have been fascinated with Close Encounters of the Third Kind since I saw it when it was first released in 1977 as a nine year old.  I have seen it many times since (even on the big screen) but last night was the first time that I got to see the Director's Cut and I loved it!  Claude Lacombe (Francois Truffaut), a French scientist, investigates an increase in UFO activity around the world and discovers a way to communicate with these UFOs by broadcasting a distinctive five-tone musical phrase into outer space.  In response, he receives a set of geographic coordinates that lead to Devil's Tower in Wyoming.  Lacombe and the U.S. military evacuate the area by using a false story about a toxic spill.  Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfuss) and several other people, including Jillian Guiler (Melinda Dillon) and her son Barry (Cary Guffey), also have an encounter with these UFOs and both he and Jillian become increasingly obsessed with the shape of Devil's Tower without knowing what or where it is (you will never look at mashed potatoes in the same way again).  They both make the connection when they see the reports of the toxic spill on television and travel to Devil's Tower for another awe-inspiring encounter with the UFO.  What I love most about this movie is that everyone reacts to the UFOs with wonder and amazement rather that fear and I feel that same sense of wonder every time I watch the mother ship descend into the arena!  It is absolutely magical!  I think the special effects hold up really well, especially in the design of the aliens.  I remember when this was first released the design of the aliens was a really big secret and I was so excited to see what they would look like!  My favorite character in this movie is Lacombe because he also has a feeling of wonder about the UFOs and I love Truffaut's portrayal of him (when I first saw this my Dad had to tell me that he was a famous French New Wave director and I became a little bit obsessed with him).  The more I see this movie the more struck I am by the lengths to which the government goes in order to suppress information about what is happening and, especially right now, I find that scenario entirely plausible.  This movie is both thought-provoking and spellbinding and I highly recommend seeing it on the big screen.  You have one more opportunity to see it as part of the TCM Big Screen Classics series on Oct. 1 (go here for more details).

Note:  I also own Close Encounters of the Third Kind on Blu-ray so I can watch it whenever I want but I just can't resist seeing it on the big screen!

Airplane!

I am a huge fan of the TCM Big Screen Classics movie series and I was particularly excited about the selections slated for this year.  Many of the screenings had to be canceled because of Covid-19 but I am happy to report that a lot of them have been rescheduled now that movie theaters are opening up again so I was able to see Airplane! last night!  I remember watching this hilarious spoof of disaster movies on my little black and white TV late at night when I was in high school but it was so much more fun to see it on the big screen.  On a flight from Los Angeles to Chicago, which is carrying a little girl (Jill Whelan) who needs a heart transplant, the pilot Captain Oveur (Peter Graves), the Co-Pilot Roger Murdock (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), the Navigator Victor Basta (Frank Ashmore), and several of the passengers all become incapacitated with food poisoning.  It is all up to Ted Striker (Robert Hays), a pilot suffering from PTSD after the war, to save them with the help Elaine Dickinson (Julie Hagerty), a stewardess who is trying to break up with Striker, Dr. Rumack (Leslie Nelson), an unflappable physician on board, Steve McCroskey (Lloyd Bridges), a hard-boiled air traffic control supervisor, and Captain Rex Kramer (Robert Stack), a pilot who flew with Striker in the war.  This movie is filled with slapstick comedy (slapstick comedy is based on physical humor such as pratfalls and mild violence but that isn't important right now), off-color jokes, and naughty sexual innuendos and, even though contemporary audiences might find some of it offensive, I laughed out loud multiple times and I was not alone!  I started laughing during a reference to Jaws in the opening scene and didn't stop until the end-credits scene where a man is still waiting in a cab driven by Striker at the beginning of the movie.  Almost everyone was laughing and quoting their favorite lines ("What's the vector, Victor?") as they walked out of the theater so it was definitely a lot of fun!  Unfortunately, last night was the final screening of Airplane! but there are lots of great movies in the series coming soon to a theater near you (go here for more information).  I am especially looking forward to Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Psycho, and The Shining.

The Color Purple

I have only seen the movie version of The Color Purple on cable TV so I was happy that it was a part of the TCM Big Screen Classics Series this year.  I had the opportunity to see it yesterday and I had forgotten how powerful this movie is!  Celie (played as young girl by Desreta Jackson and as an adult by Whoopi Goldberg), a young black girl living in the rural South in the early 1900s, has already had two children by her abusive father who have been taken away from her.  Eventually, she is forced to marry an older man known to her only as Mister (Danny Glover).  He beats her and forces her to cook, clean, and take care of his three children but, worse than that, he separates her from her beloved sister Nettie (Akosua Busia) and he hides all of Nettie's letters to her.  After several years of this treatment her spirit is entirely broken but it is her relationships with Sofia (Oprah Winfrey), the wife of Mister's son Harpo who teachers her that she can stand up for herself, and Shug Avery (Margaret Avery), Mister's mistress who teaches her to love herself, that give her the strength to overcome the adversity in her life.  The treatment that Celie endures is sometimes difficult to watch but it is worth it for the triumphant ending which always brings a tear to my eye.  There are so many scenes where Celie, almost wordlessly and almost without any change in facial expression, submits to the indignities of her life but Goldberg delivers an affecting performance that is both somehow sympathetic and compelling.  Her transformation is incredibly powerful, especially when she confronts Mister which, in turn, helps Sofia (a strong debut performance from Winfrey) find her voice again.  I wanted to cheer out loud during that scene.  I loved the message about the importance of female relationships and about finding the beauty in life when it seems so bleak.  I think the movie is more hopeful and inspiring than Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize winning novel (mostly because it is so beautifully shot in a bucolic setting filled with wildflowers) and I highly recommend checking it out!

Love Story

Yesterday I had the chance to see the movie Love Story for the first time on the big screen and I thoroughly enjoyed it!  Oliver Barrett IV (Ryan O'Neal), the son of a wealthy and prominent family, is a pre-law student at Harvard and Jenny Cavalleri (Ali MacGraw), a working class girl from Rhode Island, is a classical music student at Radcliffe when they meet and fall in love despite their differences.  When he finds out that she has a scholarship to study in Paris, he asks her to give it up and marry him.  She agrees but his father (Ray Milland) threatens to cut him off financially if he goes through with the marriage.  Despite his family's objections they get married and she struggles to put him through law school.  After Oliver graduates and gets a job with a top law firm in New York, he promises to give Jenny the life she deserves but, when fate intervenes, she tells him that she doesn't regret anything.  I was really excited to finally get a chance to see this movie because it is such a classic but I was surprised to see so many negative comments on social media about how cheesy and overly sentimental it is.  I have to admit that the line, "Love means never having to say you're sorry," is pretty lame but Oliver and Jenny are very appealing characters and I was definitely invested in their relationship.  I enjoyed the fact that Oliver is a hockey player but I especially liked Jenny as a character because she gives as good as she gets and isn't intimidated by Oliver's wealth.  I also liked the fact that she wants Oliver to reconcile with his father, not for the money, but because it is an important relationship that needs to be mended.  O'Neal and MacGraw have so much chemistry with each other and they give very affecting performances. The clothes in this movie are so timeless and I particularly liked all of Jenny's plaid skirts and tights.  Finally, I absolutely loved the main orchestral theme!  When I was a little girl I had a jewelry box that played this theme but I never knew what it was from!  Whether you saw this when it was first released 50 years ago or are experiencing it for the first time, I highly recommend seeing it on the big screen.  You have one more chance on Wednesday (go here for more information).

Meet Me In St. Louis

Yesterday I saw Meet Me in St. Louis, the final movie in the TCM Big Screen Classics series for this year (see below for next year's selections).  Believe it or not, I had never seen this movie (on the big screen or otherwise) so I was really excited for this opportunity.  This movie is a series of vignettes about the Smith family, including Alonzo Smith (Leon Ames), his wife Anna (Mary Astor), their children Lon, Jr. (Henry H. Daniels), Rose (Lucille Bremer), Esther (Judy Garland), Agnes (Joan Carroll), and Tootie (Margaret O'Brien), Grandpa (Harry Davenport), and their maid Katie (Marjorie Main), in the year leading up to the World's Fair of 1904 in St. Louis, Missouri.  In the summer, Rose and Esther are plotting romances with Warren Sheffield (Robert Sully) and John Truitt (Tom Drake), respectively.  In the fall, Agnes and Tootie are involved in a Halloween prank gone wrong.  In the winter, the family learns that Alonzo has been transferred to New York City.  They celebrate their final Christmas in St. Louis at an elegant ball on Christmas Eve and, afterwards, Esther must soothe a distraught Tootie.  In the spring, the family makes a visit to the World's Fair and they marvel at the fact that St. Louis is their home.  This movie is absolutely charming and features some well known songs such as "The Boy Next Door," "The Trolley Song," and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas."  Garland gives a marvelous performance as Esther but, in my opinion, Margaret O' Brien absolutely steals the show as the irrepressible Tootie.  I loved her sassy performance in the song "Under the Bamboo Tree," her Halloween prank on a grouchy neighbor, and her poignant response to the song "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas."  I really enjoyed all of the period costumes and the fantastic Smith family home, especially all of the gas lamps.  I loved this appealing and nostalgic look at a time gone by and I would highly recommend checking it out on the big screen (go here for information and tickets).

Note:  I have really enjoyed all of the movies in the series this year (I was able to see all of them except for The Wizard of Oz because it was screened during the Sundance Film Festival).  The selections for next year were recently announced and include An American in Paris, Love Story, The Color Purple, King Kong, A League of Their Own, Airplane!, Annie, The Blues Brothers, Ghost, Babe, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Psycho, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and Fiddler on the Roof.  Are you excited to see any of these movies on the big screen?  I am looking forward to Close Encounters of the Third Kind, which is one of my favorite movies!

When Harry Met Sally

I didn't see When Harry Met Sally when it was first released in theaters because I am not a big fan of romantic comedies.  I have since seen it several times because I had a friend who absolutely loved it and was appalled that I hadn't seen it before.  She forced invited me to watch it with her and, of course, I thought it was absolutely charming.  I was really excited that it was included in the TCM Big Screen Classics series this year and I've been looking forward to seeing it in the theater for months.  Sally Albright (Meg Ryan) and Harry Burns (Billy Crystal) drive cross-country from college to New York City together and immediately dislike each other.  Over the next twelve years they have several chance encounters and they eventually become friends, become attracted to each other, break up, and then fall in love.  There are so many things that I love about this movie!  I love Carrie Fisher as Sally's best friend Marie and Bruno Kirby as Harry's best friend Jess.  I love it when they end up together after Sally sets Marie up with Harry and Harry sets Jess up with Sally.  I love it when they toast Harry and Sally at their wedding, saying that they got together because they didn't find either of them attractive!  I love it when Harry and Jess do the wave several times at the Giants game when they are talking about Harry's divorce.  I love the scene with Sally at the restaurant (you know the one I mean) and a customer (played by director Rob Reiner's mother) says, "I'll have what she's having!"  I love it when Harry and Sally discuss Casablanca on the phone while watching it separately in bed.  I love that every time Harry is shown reading a book, he turns to the last page.  I love when Harry and Sally sing a karaoke version of "Surrey With the Fringe on Top."  I love when Harry tells Sally that she looks good in skirts and then she is wearing one in the next scene.  I love all of the interviews with the older couples about when they first met.  I love all of the music by Harry Connick, Jr., especially his version of "It Had to Be You."  Watching this movie was just delightful and I was really impressed with how timeless it is.  I highly recommend seeing this on the big screen (go here for information and tickets).

The Godfather Part II

I had never seen The Godfather Part II before (I had never seen The Godfather until it was screened as part of the TCM Big Screen Classics series a few years ago) so I was really excited to see it yesterday.  This movie tells the parallel stories of how a young Vito Corleone (Robert DeNiro) comes to America and rises to become the Don of the Corleone crime family and how his son Michael Corleone (Al Pacino), after eliminating all of his rivals, consolidates his power as the Don by eliminating anyone who betrays him, including family members.  I think the story is a little bit convoluted and I had a hard time following who was playing whom.  However, Michael Corleone is such a complex and compelling character and I enjoyed seeing his arc in this film.  He was absolutely ruthless in the first film but that was nothing compared to what he does in this one.  The scene where he tells his associate to assassinate his brother Fredo (John Cazale) at the funeral of his mother (Morgana King) is pretty chilling but shutting the door on his wife Kay (Diane Keaton) is particularly harsh.  I think the young Al Pacino is incredibly handsome and he gives a riveting performance.  Pacino keeps his face very stoic but you can see everything he is feeling by looking into his eyes, especially during the final scene where he is alone and bitter.  Equally captivating is DeNiro as the young Vito (he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance).  I loved the scene where he takes his revenge against the man who murdered his family and I was especially impressed with how well he mimicked the mannerisms of Marlon Brando (who played Vito in the first film).  The cinematography and score are moody and atmospheric and I especially enjoyed the period verisimilitude, especially in the scenes in Cuba (even if I didn't really understand what Michael was doing there).  Many people say that this is the best sequel in movie history and I can understand why because it brilliantly portrays the natural progression of Michael Corleone's corruption begun in the first movie.  I highly recommend seeing it on the big screen (go here).

Alien

The first time I saw Alien, I was in high school babysitting for a family down the street.  It was after midnight and the kids were all asleep so I went downstairs to the basement and started watching HBO.  This movie came on and I distinctly remember everything about it because it was the single most terrifying movie experience I have ever had.  No one can hear you scream in space and, apparently, no one can hear you scream in the basement of a neighbor's house!  I have since watched this movie countless times but never on the big screen (I was 11 when it was first released in theaters) so I was beyond excited when it was announced as a TCM Big Screen Classics selection!  My Dad loves this movie as much as I do so he came along with me to see it last night!  We had such a great time!  The crew of the commercial towing vehicle Nostromo is awakened from stasis to investigate a distress call in space.  They land on a moon and find an alien ship which they investigate.  Kane (John Hurt), one of the crew members, discovers a chamber containing hundreds of eggs and, when he touches one, a creature emerges and attaches itself to his face.  Back on board the Nostromo, the creature detaches itself and is later found dead.  Kane seems to be fine but eventually an alien bursts from his chest, killing him, and escapes into the ship.  One by one, the crew members, including Captain Dallas (Tom Skerritt), Navigator Lambert (Veronica Cartwright), Science Officer Ash (Ian Holm), and Engineers Parker (Yaphet Kotto) and Brett (Harry Dean Stanton), are killed as they hunt for the alien until Warrant Officer Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) is left alone to confront it in some of the most suspenseful scenes ever filmed.  In fact, this movie is the standard I use to judge all other science fiction and horror movies and most of them pale in comparison.  The use of lighting and sound design in this movie is absolutely brilliant and seeing it on the big screen made it even more ominous.  I jumped a mile (although, thankfully, I did not scream) when they find Jones the cat while looking for the alien.  This movie is a masterpiece and I highly recommend seeing it on the big screen.  Go here for details and tickets.

The Shawshank Redemption

Yesterday I went to see one of my favorite movies, The Shawshank Redemption, on the big screen once again and it made me so happy!  Mild-mannered banker Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) is convicted of killing his wife and her lover and sentenced to two consecutive life terms despite the fact that he is innocent.  When he arrives at Shawshank State Penitentiary, he is horrified by the violent captain of the guards (Clancy Brown) and the corrupt warden (Bob Gunton) but he refuses to give into his emotions on the first night.  He befriends Ellis "Red" Redding (Morgan Freeman) and uses his skills as a banker to curry favor with the guards and the warden and to help his fellow prisoners.  Throughout his time at Shawshank Andy clings to hope.  I love that he never gives into despair but, instead, he quietly takes steps to obtain his freedom and does so when he deems that he has done enough penance for his sins.  I love that he also instills a sense of hope in Red who believes that he has been institutionalized by his time in prison and wonders if he will suffer the same fate as Brooks (James Whitmore), who is unable to live on the outside after 50 years in prison.  I love the triumphant ending when the two of them reunite in Zihuatanejo, a place with no memory where they can find redemption.  The story is so inspirational and I especially love the scene where Dufresne plays an aria from the opera The Marriage of Figaro by Mozart for the entire prison to remind them that nothing cannot take away the memory of the things they love!  Both Robbins and Freeman give powerful performances that are incredibly moving.  Robbins is so rigid and self-contained in his portrayal of Dufresne that even they way he walks is circumscribed.  This makes the scene where Dufresne raises his arms in victory after escaping from the sewers of the prison so poignant (I wait during the entire movie for this scene).  Finally, the score by Thomas Newman is incredibly beautiful and evocative.  In my opinion, this is one of the best adaptations of a Stephen King story (it is based on the novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption) and I highly recommend seeing it!  You have another chance to see it on the big screen on Wednesday (go here).

Note:  This movie is celebrating its 25th Anniversary which makes me feel old because I remember seeing it in the theater during its first run!

Lawrence of Arabia

I tried many times, unsuccessfully, to watch Lawrence of Arabia on TV (it was my friend Tony's favorite movie) but I always fell asleep.  I finally came to the realization that it is a movie that really needs to be seen on the big screen to be appreciated.  When I saw it as part of the Megaplex Silver Screen Classics series a few years ago, I was absolutely captivated and I couldn't believe that I ever found it to be boring.  I was so excited to see it again as part of the TCM Big Screen Classics series yesterday and, once again, I thought it was a masterpiece.  It tells the true story of T.E. Lawrence (Peter O'Toole), a British officer who was able to unite a group of warring Arab tribesman to take the cities of Aqaba and Damascus from the Turks during World War I.  O'Toole (in his movie debut) is absolutely brilliant as a man who starts to believe in his own mythology but then ultimately becomes disillusioned by the necessity of violence, the perfidy of the British, and the renewal of tribal hostilities.  Much has been made about how handsome O'Toole is but it is Omar Sharif, who plays a tribal leader, who makes me swoon!  The rest of all-star cast, including Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn, Jack Hawkins, Jose Ferrer, Arthur Kennedy, and Claude Rains, is also outstanding.  This movie is truly epic and I really enjoyed all of the locations around the world used in filming.  The first time I watched it all the way though, I thought that British Headquarters in Cairo looked a lot like the Plaza de Espana in Spain and this time around I paid particular attention and then looked it up to confirm it.  I was right!  I loved the breathtaking cinematography, especially the widescreen shots of camels racing across the desert or of the rising sun, and the atmospheric score by Maurice Jarre.  It is almost four hours long (plus an intermission) but I found it to be riveting and I highly recommend seeing it when it is screened again on Wednesday (go here for tickets and information).

Hello, Dolly!

I had never seen the movie Hello, Dolly! before (I saw the stage musical at HCT years ago) so I was really excited to see it yesterday as part of the TCM Big Screen Classics series.  It is simply delightful and I absolutely loved it!  At the turn of the century, the irascible Horace Vandergelder (Walter Matthau) wants to get married so that he will have someone to do all of the chores at his Hay & Feed store in Yonkers, New York.  His niece Ermengarde (Joyce Ames) wants to marry the artist Ambrose Kemper (Tommy Tune) but her uncle objects because he doesn't have a steady income.  His clerk Cornelius Hackl (Michael Crawford) is longing for an adventure in New York City and doesn't want to come back to Yonkers until he has kissed a girl.  He convinces his fellow clerk Barnaby Tucker (Danny Lockin) to come along with him.  Irene Molloy (Marianne McAndrew) owns a millinery shop in NYC but tells her assistant Minnie Fay (E.J. Peaker) that she wants a rich husband to take her away because she hates hats!  An enchanting and recently widowed matchmaker named Dolly Levi (Barbra Streisand) is hired to find a wife for Vandergelder but she decides that she wants to marry him herself.  She just needs to convince him!  She arranges for all of the couples to meet for a memorable evening at the Harmonia Gardens Restaurant in New York City and merriment ensues.  This is like one of those old fashioned classic movie musicals that I remember watching at my Grandma Anderson's house so I am not entirely sure why I had never seen it before.  The story is a little weak but I loved the big song and dance numbers.  My favorites are "Put on Your Sunday Clothes," "Dancing," and "Hello, Dolly!" because they are incredibly elaborate and involve a large ensemble!  I also really love the songs "Before the Parade Passes By" and "It Only Takes a Moment" because they both have poignant messages about life and love.  The sets are spectacular, especially the Harmonia Gardens Restaurant, and each costume worn by Streisand is more lavish than the one before!  Streisand is very charismatic in the role and sings every song brilliantly but my only complaint is that she doesn't lip-sync very well.  This is a fun and lighthearted musical that absolutely delighted me and I recommend seeing it on the big screen (go here for tickets).

Glory

I have always loved the movie Glory but seeing it again yesterday as part of the TCM Big Screen Classics series reminded me of why!  It is incredibly powerful and moving!  Robert Gould Shaw (Matthew Broderick) is the son of wealthy abolitionists in Boston serving in the Union army when he is wounded during the Battle of Antietam.  While recuperating at home he is offered a colonelcy to lead the Massachusetts 54th Infantry Regiment made up of black freemen and runaway slaves, including John Rawlins (Morgan Freeman), Thomas Searles (Andre Braugher), and Silas Trip (Denzel Washington).  At first he is skeptical about their ability to fight and trains them relentlessly.  Eventually, Shaw comes to respect his soldiers and they him, especially when he and his second-in-command, Major Cabot Forbes (Cary Elwes), refuse their pay until the black soldiers receive the same amount as their white counterparts  After their training, the 54th is used mainly for foraging and for manual labor until Shaw advocates for them to be allowed to fight.  They acquit themselves with honor in their first battle and then Shaw volunteers the regiment to lead the charge on Ft. Wagner in an important campaign to secure Charleston Harbor in South Carolina.  They know that they will suffer serious casualties but Shaw leads them himself and their bravery inspires many other black men to enlist, turning the tide of the war.  I think Denzel Washington is a tremendous actor and he is absolutely brilliant in the role of an embittered former slave who doesn't know what he is fighting for.  I found myself with tears in my eyes several times, especially during the scene where he is being flogged for deserting and a single tear rolls down his cheek and the scene where he picks up the flag from a fallen soldier to continue taking it up the ramparts of the fort.  He is definitely deserving of the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, in my opinion.  I was also very impressed by Broderick's performance.  I tend to think of him more as a comedic actor but he conveys so much emotion in his eyes as Colonel Shaw!  The battle sequences are intense, especially the Battle of Antietam, and the attention to period detail is impressive.  Finally, I was incredibly moved by James Horner's stirring score, particularly the haunting voices of the Harlem Boys Choir.  It was an emotional experience watching this movie again and I highly recommend seeing it on the big screen!  You have one more opportunity on Wednesday (go here for tickets).

Field of Dreams

I was able to see Field of Dreams on the big screen last fall but it was so much fun to see it again as part of the TCM Big Screen Classic series yesterday.  Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) is a struggling Iowa farmer who hears a voice telling him to build a baseball diamond in the middle of his corn field.  At first his wife Annie (Amy Madigan) is skeptical but gives her consent when she sees how passionate he is about doing something spontaneous.  When building it causes financial hardship, Ray wonders why the voice asked him to do it.  At first he thinks it is so "Shoeless" Joe Jackson (Ray Liotta) and the other Chicago White Sox players who were banned from baseball for intentionally losing the 1919 World Series can play again.  Then he thinks it could be so Archibald "Moonlight" Graham (Burt Lancaster) can have the chance at bat that he missed out on during his one and only game in the Major League.  Then he sees that this experience has given a reclusive writer named Terrence Mann (James Earl Jones), who was once popular in the 1960s but has now become disillusioned, something to believe in again.  But eventually he realizes that baseball is a way for him to make peace with his father (Dwier Brown) who loved the game.  To be sure this feel-good movie is a nostalgic ode to baseball but it is ultimately about the power of a dream, the importance of family, and the need for redemption and reconciliation with baseball as the unifying theme.  As evidenced by the troubled relationship between the radical Ray and his conservative father, there are so many things that can divide people but there are also many things, like baseball, that can unite us and that is a great message for the world today.  This movie is so charming because Costner is incredibly endearing as Ray, the cinematography is stunning, and the score by James Horner is beautifully atmospheric.  I highly recommend it!  You have one more chance to see it on the big screen on Wednesday (go here for tickets and information).

Note:  I think this move resonates so deeply with me because my Dad and I have very different world views but the thing that unites us in an unbreakable bond is our love for a game!  In our case the game is hockey, not baseball (we're Canadian), but the sentiment is exactly the same.

Steel Magnolias

Yesterday I saw Steel Magnolias, the next movie in the TCM Big Screen Classics series, and it was a lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon.  This movie tells the touching story of how a group of friends, M'Lynn Eatenton (Sally Field), Shelby Eatenton (Julia Roberts), Truvy Jones (Dolly Parton), Annelle Dupuy (Daryl Hannah), Clairee Belcher (Olympia Dukakis), and Louisa "Ouiser" Boudreaux (Shirley McLaine), support each other through life's triumphs and tragedies in a small Louisiana town.  It is as funny as it is poignant because the women spend much of their time gossiping in Truvy's beauty salon and my audience laughed out loud through much of it.  My favorite line is when Ouiser says, "I'm not crazy M'Lynn.  I've just been in a very bad mood for forty years!"  All of the actresses give outstanding performances, particularly Field during a very dramatic moment, but I really enjoyed Tom Skerritt as Drum Eatenten because he is so goofy.  The movie was filmed in Natchitoches, Louisiana and I loved all of the stately old homes and gardens.  The production design is a lot of fun, especially all of the blush and bashful pink used for Shelby's wedding, and the 90s fashions are fabulous, especially the bridesmaid dresses.  I enjoyed watching this movie as much as I did the first time I saw it on the big screen thirty years ago and I highly recommend it (go here for more information).