UPDATE - July 2012

First and foremost, I hope everyone who took the time to read it, enjoyed my latest TOP 20 list. It was, of course, the 5th TOP 20 list and I can honestly say, looking over my selections, that I'm pleased with how it turned out. The last 100 was great batch of films and I can only hope the next 100 will be as good. Anyway, think of this as a, sort of, State of the Union Address, as it pertains to the goings on of my small blog. I wanted to swing...

Read More

TOP 20: #402 - #501

The halfway mark has been reached, ladies and gentlemen and I, for one, cannot believe it. September 11, 2009 seems like only yesterday. That day I came, created a blog and began watching my way through the "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die" book. On that day, having 501 films watched seemed like a lifetime away. But, in reality, I was able to accomplish this milestone in just under three years. I could sit here and go on and on about how...

Read More

152. Casablanca (1942)

Running Time: 102 minutesDirected By: Michael CurtizWritten By: Murray Burnett, Joan AlisonMain Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains, Conrad VeidtClick here to view the trailerAS TIME GOES BYTechnically, with the watching of "Casablanca" I've officially crossed the halfway mark and have already started into the second half, as 501 movies watched means that more than half of THE BOOK is complete. "Casablanca" was one of...

Read More

500. Easy Rider (1969)

Running Time: 95 minutesDirected By: Dennis HopperWritten By: Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Terry SouthernMain Cast: Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Jack Nicholson, Luke Askew, Phil SpectorClick here to view the trailer500!Had I gone through THE BOOK chronologically, without skipping a single film, this is still exactly where I'd be at this point in my journey. As I reach the 500 movies watched mark, I figured I'd commemorate the occasion by watching the...

Read More

The Second Half Begins This Fall!

It's become a tradition of mine (and one that I enjoy doing) to put together little sneak peek videos for you guys and give you a glance at some of the film I'll be watching during my next run of 100 films (#502 - #601). It's hard to believe that I've nearly watched my way through one half of the "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die" book and to commemorate the occasion, I've tried to schedule some heavy hitters. Of course, you already know about "Kubrick Week", but there are other big titles planned for my next 100. I've taken the time to...

Read More

975. Good Bye Lenin! (2003)

Running Time: 121 minutesDirected By: Wolfgang BeckerWritten By: Wolfgang Becker, Bernd LichtenbergMain Cast: Daniel Bruhl, Katrin Sass, Chulpan Khamatova, Maria Simon, Florian LukasClick here to view the trailerTHE WALL COMES CRUMBLING DOWN...OR DOES IT?In a 100 that was filled to the brim with films from the 21st Century, this will be my last movie of the season that is from the "Oughts". In fact, out of all the films from 21st Century that are...

Read More

217. Adam's Rib (1949)

Running Time: 101 minutesDirected By: George CukorWritten By: Ruth Gordon, Garson KaninMain Cast: Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Judy Holliday, Tom Ewell, David WayneClick here to view the trailerMAN vs. WOMAN, TRACY vs. HEPBURNBelieve it or not, this is the first Spencer Tracy film that I've watched for THE BOOK (unless I'm forgetting something) and wouldn't you know that it's alongside the lady he made a total of nine films with, Katharine Hepburn....

Read More

Kubrick Week - Coming This Fall

"Kubrick Week" will be the kickoff to my next 100 films, the kickoff to the second half of THE BOOK and will begin this fa...

Read More

996. Le scaphandre et le papillon/The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)

Running Time: 112 minutesDirected By: Julian SchnabelWritten By: Ronald HarwoodMain Cast: Mathieu Amalric, Emmanuelle Seigner, Anne Consigny, Marie-Josee Croze, Olatz Lopez GarmendiaClick here to view the trailerLOCKED INFour to go until I reach the halfway mark of my journey and wouldn't you know, another TOP 20 contender rears it's head. I had high hopes for "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" and I love it when high hopes pay off.The film tells...

Read More

June 2012 Recap

Before I get into this month's recap, I just wanted to let everyone know that I intend to make the 5th TOP 20 this weekend. I'm going to be putting in a little extra overtime between today and tomorrow, so that I'll be on tap to present the TOP 20 on Sunday afternoon or possibly Monday. I also wanted to apologize in advance for any sloppy writing or shortened reviews. I'm kind of running on fumes at this point and am just ready to wrap up the 100...

Read More

983. Va, Vis et Deviens/Go, See, and Become (2005)

Running Time: 140 minutesDirected By: Radu MihaileanuWritten By: Alain-Michel Blanc, Radu MihaileanuMain Cast: Moshe Agazai, Moshe Abebe, Sirak M. Sabahat, Yael Abecassis, Roschdy ZemClick here to view the trailerTHE STORY OF SCHLOMOI'm really reaching the end of my rope in coming up with clever subtitles for these posts, aren't I? Oh well. Anyway, with the watching of "Go, See, and Become" (also called "Live and Become") I reach the number ninety-five...

Read More

Kubrick Week - COMING SOON

...

Read More

952. Amores perros (2000)

Running Time: 153 minutesDirected By: Alejandro Gonzalez InarrituWritten By: Guillermo ArriagaMain Cast: Gael Garcia Bernal, Emilio Echevarria, Goya Toledo, Vanessa Bauche, Alvaro GuerreroClick here to view the trailerLOVE'S A BITCHAfter seeing "21 Grams", approximately eight years ago, I liked it so much that, when I came across "Amores perros" while shopping for DVD's, I decided to give it a blind buy. I never got around to watching it and when...

Read More

220. The Reckless Moment (1949)

Running Time: 85 minutesDirected By: Max OphulsWritten By: Mel Dinelli, Henry GarsonMain Cast: Joan Bennett, James Mason, Geraldine Page, Henry O'Neill, Shepperd StrudwickBLACKMAIL!Moving right along, we come back to the 1940s and my first offering from classic director Max Ophuls and his 1949 Hollywood film, "The Reckless Moment".The film begins by introducing Lucia Harper (Bennett) and retelling a story that happened about a week before Christmas,...

Read More