Friday, September 22, 2006

Movies

I just read a former friend's list of fav. movies. Her list reads to me as that of someone anxious, desperate even, to psychologically distance herself from America. I can't converse with her on the subject because she has me filtered, blocked, roped off and handcuffed, ha ha ha ha.


But, she has done me a service: when I look back on my present list of fav. movies I think I see that I've always gone to the movies primarilyto feel connected with my native home, America.


Oh, and btw, this list I will present to Netflix when I get ready: that is, the list in not 'all time' favs necessarily, just the ones I want to watch now, and watch with members of my family. Some of them might bore my young children.


1. Grand Hotel (1932) Greta Garbo


2. A Place in the Sun (1951) (aka An American Tragedy,novel by Theodore Dreiser)


3. Spirit of Saint Louis, Dir: Billy Wilder, German Immigrant, at his very best. (J. Stewart)


4. Born Yesterday (from the play) Judy Holiday


5. Twelve O'Clock High (1949) Zanuch's triumph


6. Red River. Cowboys and Indians/ The West, John Wayne, Montgomery Clift.


7. Gervaise (Maria Schell) French


8. Laura (1940s) Clifton Webb, Gene Tierney


9. A Night To Remember (English version Titanic) Clifton webb, Barbara Stanwyck


10. A Tree Grows In Brooklyn (Elia Kazan Dir.)


11. On The Waterfront, Brando/Kazan


12. The Hanging Tree, Western/Gary Cooper still in the saddle and better than ever. Maria Schell.


13. Boy's Town (Spencer Tracy as Father Flanagan, "There is no such thing as a bad boy.")


14. All the King's Men (1949 - the current remake will bomb, trust me. Every critic will cite the 1949 superior version. Broderick Crawford. Politics out of control. I must read the novel by Penn Warren.


 


So, that's my list. What the hell is wrong with AOL? Twice while trying to type this everything went haywire: for one thing GD McAfee almost derails everything by demanding to "scan" now, or else....drop dead McAfee; I rely on another.


The movies: pls see CRASH so we can talk about it. A demented woman college something or other on a writer's message board said she won't see it 'cause she's already read The New Yorker review. "With respect to critics the only thing that would satisfy me is revenge." - Lee Strasberg co-founder of The Group Theater.  Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha..................... 


 


Barry


 


 


 

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

"I do have to say that An American Tragedy was one of the best books I have ever read. I loved it.
Penny"   - From: pennietoonz

The novel by Theodore Dreiser is 900 pages
long, and, I've been told, compared to the movie
dwells on plot, while the movie soften the characters,
makes them more sympathetic, by fleshing them
out.  I've yet to read the novel. It's on my TBR list.
Thanks for your Comment Penny.

Barry
http://journals.aol.com/bbartle3/Vengeance/

Anonymous said...

A Night to Remember.....one of my favorites.

Anonymous said...

It captured at least some
of the atmospherics I imagine
it might have been like to be trapped on
a sinking ship. The more recent treatment
just seemed like someone's fantasy
unlike my own, so I couldn't identify.

Thanks for your comment.
- Barry