1960 Movies
OSCARS Won/Nominated
OSCARS
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The Apartment
Dir: Billy Wilder Stars: Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die IMDB #108 This was wonderful entertainment. Beleive it or not...this was my first Billy Wilder movie...and it is very impressively made. The film goes easily from satire, to heavy, serious drama, to romantic dramedy...and it is well-handled the entire time. I was surprised by how subversive the content was...with constant lying, adultery, sexual escapades, and even several references to suicide. It juxtapositions to how goofy and enjoyable Jack Lemmon is in the lead, but it never feels uneven. I thoroughly enjoyed this Oscar classic and can't wait to get into more Billy Wilder films. A- |
Beyond the Time Barrier
Dir: Edgar G. Ulmer Stars: Robert Clarke Ahhhhh...cheesy, underbudgeted sci-fi. It is a thing of beauty in a certain way. It is so cheap, so corny, and so poorly acted...that it is intrinsically fun to watch. This time around...an Air Force pilot, flying an experimental flight, winds up 64 years in the future...where people live underground and are mutant, sterile, or both. A bit of Children of Men...a bit of I am Legend. Silly nonsense but 73 minutes of nonsense is acceptable sometimes. C |
OSCARS
Best Original Score
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The Magnificent Seven
Dir: John Sturges Stars: Yul Brenner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, James Coburn, Brad Dexter, Robert Vaughn 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die There is a certain, infectious majesty with these classic westerns. They don't feel like movies. I can't imagine the camera, sound, and lighting equipment out there in that authentic, gritty, sprawling setting. The story of The Magnificent Seven is straightforward, where a poor Mexican town hires 7 men to fight off their oppressor, but it is the gravitas of the actors that make it all work so well. Actually, the main character, Yul Brenner, might be the weakest. I could watch McQueen, Bronson, and Coburn, all day, every day. Films today just don't feel as epic and glorious as films like this John Sturges staple. B+ |
Peeping Tom
Dir: Michael Powell 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die This film ruined Michael Powell's career, a career that even Martin Scorsese admired. It is a bit subversive and perverse, the story about a truly disturbed man who films women at the moment of their death, and worships the films and his camera in ways that are totally unnatural. I think the history behind the film is that people were incredibly uncomfortable when they were called out to being just like the killer in the film, enjoying themselves as they are shown fear and death through a video camera, but I see the film just as a dark, interesting work. I didn't quite feel the sort of sociological impact this film is said to have had, historically. But I did enjoy it. B |