Category: CLASSIC MOVIES
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Midnight Cowboy [1969]
One of the all time greats. Dark, disturbing dramatization of James Leo Herlihy’s novel was rated X in 1969, but it’s essentially an old fashioned story with a modern twist. John Voight is terrific in his starring debut as Joe Buck, a young and handsome man (who dresses as a cowboy) who moves from Texas…
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Citizen Kane [1941] ★★★★
I wasn’t surprised one bit when I read that many consider “Citizen Kane” as the best film ever made. Afterall, The American Film institute called it the greatest movie of all time back in 1998. “Citizen Kane” is indeed one of those ageless movies that get better with repeated viewings, and through the years, it has become one of…
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Bride Of Frankenstein [1935]
Not only does this sequel equals the brilliance of the first “Frankenstein” movie, but it surpasses it in every way possible. Universal Studios had to wait nearly four years before James Whale accepted the offer to direct this follow up to the 1931 box office hit, but it definitely turned out to be well worth…
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Abbott And Costello Meet Frankenstein [1948]
Considered by many as one of the boys’s best movies, “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein” is a wonderful blend of comedy and horror. The movie opens with a full moon rising in foggy London, where Lawrence Talbot (Lon Chaney Jr.) is placing a panicked phone call to the States. He is the only one who…
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Frankenstein Meets The Wolfman [1943]
From the opening scene in the graveyard to the final battle between two of universal’s most famous monsters, “Frankenstein Meets The Wolfman” is considered a treat for horror fans. We follow the story of Larry Talbot (again played by Lon Chaney Jr.), the man who still wants nothing more than to be cured of his irrepressible…
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Sunset Blvd. [1950] ★★★★
The opening scene in “Sunset Blvd.” became one of the most iconic sequences in cinema history. We meet Joe Gillis, an unemployed screenwriter, in a very unusual way. He’s floating dead in a swimming pool, recounting his doomed personal and professional involvment with megalomaniac silent movie star Norma Desmond (a wonderful Gloria Swanson). Norma lives…
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Monty Python And The Holy Grail [1975]
It all started with a TV show called “Monty Python’s Flying Circus”, featuring five British comedians, John Cleese, Michael Palin, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Graham Chapman, and an american named Terry Gilliam. Six years later, and with a minimal budget, “Monty Python And The Holy Grail” was released, and it was written by the whole…
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The Thief Of Bagdad [1940] ★★★★
To begin with a story: I remember watching “The Thief Of Bagdad” when I was very young with my grandfather (who taught me everything there is to know about films). It was probably the first movie I had ever seen, and I was fascinated by it. A couple of years ago, I learned that Criterion was releasing…
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The Stranger [1946]
Orson Welles’s least known film as a director also turned out to be one of his most fascinating. “The Stranger” was an immediate postwar thriller about tracking down Nazi war criminals (Hitchcock did the same with “Notorious”). Edward G. Robinson plays a government investigator tracking down charismatic Nazi Franz Kindler (Orson Welles) , the man who…
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Vertigo [1958] ★★★★
One of the most interesting things about this movie is the fact that it was a flop at the time of its release. Hitchcock instantly blamed James Stewart, saying he was “too old to attract audiences anymore”. The two never worked together again, eventhough Stewart was the original choice for the role of Roger Thornhill in…
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The Wolf Man [1941]
Classic horror movie starring Lon Chaney Jr. as Lawrence Talbot, the man who wants nothing more than to be cured of his irrepressible (when the moon is full of course) lycanthropy. It all started when he was bitten by a werewolf (Bela Lugosi in a chilling role) . As the gypsy woman Maleva explains:”Even a…
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The Invisible Man [1933]
One of the best movies of its genre, telling the story of a scientist (Claude Rains in an unforgettable role) who finds a way to make himself invisible, becoming mentally unstable as a result. It seems that one of the drugs he used has properties that can turn a man insane. Believing he can take…
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12 Angry Men [1957] ★★★★
Completely absorbing movie starring Henry Fonda as a juror who is convinced that a boy who is accused of murdering his father is completely innocent. But how will he convince the rest of the jury, when they have no doubt in mind that the defendant is guilty of all charges? Rarely a movie manages to keep you…
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It’s A Wonderful Life [1946] ★★★★
Frank Capra’s classic movie has won the hearts of millions of viewers around the world. It’s certainly an ageless film that seems to get better and better with each passing year. James Stewart is perfectly cast as man who has worked all his life to make good in a small town. Thinking he has failed, the frustrated…
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Black Friday [1940]
When a professor becomes gravely ill, his friend who also happens to be a brain specialist (Boris Karloff) attempts to save him by transplating part of the brain from an injured gangster (Bela Lugosi). The operation proves deadly as the professor’s dual personalities transform him into a Jeckyl and Hyde. Under certain conditions, the gangster’s persona reemerges.…
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True Grit [1969]
I’m a huge fan of Clint Eastwood movies, but John Wayne was the real deal when it came to western flicks. “True Grit” was the only movie that won the duke an oscar, and it was a well deserved win. He plays a hard nosed and totally fearless one-eyed U.S marshal called Rooster Cogburn who is hired…
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Mean Streets [1973]
The movie that started it all, putting both Martin Scorsesse and Robert De Niro on the map permanently. They later worked together on “Taxi Driver”, “The King Of Comedy”, “Raging Bull”, “Goodfellas” and finally “Casino”. “Mean Streets” is about a small time hood (Harvey Keitel) who works for his uncle, reclaiming bad debts. He and his…
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House Of Wax [1953]
Chilling horror movie from the 50’s starring Vincent Price as a renowned wax sculptor who rebuilds his old fire destroyed showplace using human victims as wax figures. His assistant begins to suspect his boss of foul play after the sudden disappearance of several bodies from the morgue. “House Of Wax” was an example of early…
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The Phantom Of The Opera [1925]
Fascinating silent film starring Lon Chaney in the title role as the tragic disfigured Erik who haunts the corridors and the cellars of the Paris opera house. He secretly befriends and coaches a beautiful young woman named Christine, and drives the leading lady in the play to flee her role, allowing his new protege to…
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It Came From Outer Space [1953]
Another classic sci-fi movie worth mentioning about an alien spaceship that crashes in the Arizona desert. Its passengers take over the identities of the townspeople so they can walk around unnoticed, but it’s only after a few murders that a stargazer and a schoolteacher begin to suspect alien influence. “It Came From Outer Space” was probably one…
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