1962 Movies
OSCARS Won/Nominated
IMDB Top 250
IMDB Top 250
Journey to the Seventh Planet
Dir: Sidney Pink This is, for all intents and purposes, an Ed Wood movie. It is ridiculous, cheap, hammy, and silly. But there is a sort of charm to be had with such awful, old-school sci-fi. The being is only a light pattern on a black background. The models are Mister Rogers Neighborhood-esque. The stop-motion is pretty awful. The acting and the quips are so wrong and so miscued. But...I have to say...I kind of like that corniness. C- |
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Lawrence of Arabia
Dir: David Lean Stars: Peter O'Toole, Alec Guiness, Anthony Quinn, Omar Sharif 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die IMDB #84 This is the biggest movie I have ever seen, and I am sorry that I have never seen it on the big screen. When a movie seems to dwarf Gone With the Wind, Ben Hur, and Lord of the Rings...it MUST be big. Watching the desert canvas that David Lean was painting on throughout Lawrence of Arabia, I couldn't help but think that even then, the lens wasn't big enough to capture the vastness of the Arabian desert. Never before have I seen the desert as such a harsh, unforgiving terrain. I also have to mention Peter O'Toole, who plays Lawrence as a hubristic, effeminate oddball, and it is totally believable that he was able to unite the Arab tribes against the Turks. I guess it would take a movie of such scope to Inspire Steven Spielberg to become the filmmaker he is today. WOW!!! Simply WOW!!!!! A DVD |
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The Music Man
Dir: Morton DaCosta Stars: Robert Preston, Shirley Jones, Buddy Hackett You can't really deny how good Robert Preston is as Harold Hill and Shirley Jones is great as Marian, but my biggest issue with this boisterous production is that they lack any type of chemistry and their courting/flirtatious relationship feels false...and it sucks a lot of life right out of the film. The production numbers are second to none when compared to the great musicals of the time...so it is this strength that holds it all together...but that lack of chemistry is critical. B |
OSCARS
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To Kill a Mockingbird
Dir: Robert Mulligan Stars: Gregory Peck 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die IMDB #95 When you head out to adapt such a beloved novel and character as To Kill a Mockingbord and Atticus Finch, you are almost certainly fighting a losing battle. However...this is about as great an adaptation as one can do. If you can effectively portray Atticus as the iconic, moral gentleman he is so famous for...you will succeed...and as the Oscar ceremony also recognized...Gregory Peck pulls it off superbly. That is about all you need to know. B+ |
OSCARS
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Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?
Dir: Robert Aldrich Stars: Bette Davis, Joan Crawford 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die Bette Davis and Joan Crawford give riveting performances in this film...and the entire concept where a woman is keeping her paraplegic sister captive and under her control shows me that Rob Reiner's Misery was not as original as I thought it was. The movie drags at times...but the tension is palpable and the legendary feud between the two actresses really elevates their hate-filled performances. The black and white photography is a nice touch because it adds to the drab helplessness that Blanche must have been feeling in her situation. Jane is the quintessential crazy shut in and Bette Davis created quite an iconic, archetypal character. I enjoyed it. B+ |