1951 Movies
OSCARS Won/Nominated
OSCARS
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The African Queen
Dir: John Huston Stars: Humphrey Bogart, Katherine Hepburn 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die This movie has everything. Bogart finally won his Oscar with this one, and it is deserved. He is the grizzled asshole again, and you can't get a better thespian foil than Katherine Hepburn. Their banter as he is taking her down the river on his dilapidated steamer is never boring. The premise that they are going to weaponize the ship and do their part for the Brits in WWI is a bit too much...but Huston is good enough to make everything on the screen exciting. B+ |
OSCARS
Best Original Score
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Alice in Wonderland
Dir: Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, & Hamilton Luske There is something so special about Alice in Wonderland. When you take Disney classic animation and use source material that is ultimate fantasy and otherworldy-ness...you get magic. Since anything can be done in animation and anything can happen in the context of the Lewis Carroll story...it is a match made in heaven. It is that simple. A DVD |
The Day the Earth Stood Still
Dir: Robert Wise 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die The 1950s were full of corny Sci-Fi features. The Day the Earth Stood Still is one that has a bit more brain behind it...and more than its 2008 remake does. There isn't much action, and most of the film has Klaatu just talking to humans and trying to get a grasp on who they are and how they act. Sometimes the relentless dialogue gets tedious, but this film, directed by the great Robert Wise, is entertaining enough to not be pigeonholed into that B-Movie status. C+ |
Pandora & the Flying Dutchman
Dir: Albert Lewin Stars: James Mason, Ava Gardner 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die This movie was just all over the place. Not only does it just seem to be an exhibition of Ava Gardner, but the director does not seem to have the handle on Technicolor cinema yet. There are many continuity errors with the lighting and hues and it makes it seem really makeshift. The story is all sorts of random, with Pandora having no less than 4 different men after her. One kills himself. One kills someone else. One destroys his life's work. One is the cursed captain of the Flying Dutchman. There is an attempt to break the land speed record and elaborate bullfighting...all in the same movie. hahahaha C- |