Black Narcissus (1947)

Black Narcissus (1947) ★★★★★ 5/5

Far up in the most remote mountaintops of the Himalayas sits a run down temple. This temple soon becomes a convent of nuns brought in to teach and heal the poor people of the nearby Indian villages. The convent is run by Sister Superior Clodagh (Deborah Kerr) who is young and inexperienced. Her first obstacle is making the place operational. Locks are missing, the plumbing is bad, and the water is causing sickness. Her second obstacle is that she has discovered the people coming to the convent are being paid to do so. There is no interest by the people coming to the temple to learn or grow. They just want to be paid. Yet another obstacle is that these people are superstitious and there is a fear that if a sick person were to die under their care, the rest of them would see the place as cursed and leave immediately.

British agent Mr. Dean (David Farrar) is an ambassador of sorts who lives in the convent and in a sense oversees the nuns. He offers his services which include repairs and advice. The advice often delivered with a tone found offensive to the nuns. Mr. Dean also brings them Kanchi (Jean Simmons). Kanchi is a local problem girl. She is 17 and at the age where she should be married off. She speaks no English and is a little too sexy for the nuns liking. A Young Indian Prince (Sabu) comes to the Convent and pleads for the nuns to take him in and educate him. Dean fears that there may be issues with Kanchi and the Prince.

The Prince does indeed catch the eye of Kanchi, who seductively gazes at him and indulges in his scent. His scent is a cologne from England called "Black Narcissus." Narcissus is a species of plants which includes Amaryllis and Daffodils. The smell does not only affect Kanchi, but it also takes hold of Sister Superior Clodagh who begins to reminisce of her days before taking to the habit. Apparently in 1949 these scenes were considered inappropriate by the Catholic Legion of Decency and were removed for the film's showing in the United States. While they seem completely harmless, I would imagine at the time this was released the Catholic Church did not feel it appropriate to see nuns as anything other then spiritual and holy. My guess is that they did not a nun to be perceived as a typical woman longing for romance, jewels, and wealth. In remembering her past, Sister Superior Clodagh seems to miss some aspects of her previous life.
The memories are generally triggered by Mr. Dean and the Prince.

But Clodagh is not alone. The other sisters become swayed in their thinking. They begin to long for other things in life. They become confused about what they want and what they are there for. With clouded judgement, one begins to have impure thoughts about Mr. Dean, another requests a transfer thinking the place is having a negative impact on her thoughts, others lose their compassion, and one sister kills a sickly newborn baby to prevent him from a slow death. The death of the child was also the death of the convent. The villagers fled the convent and abandoned the nuns.

Sister Ruth (Kathleen Byron) eventually snaps. She defies the sisterhood by failing to renew her vows, then donning a somewhat sexy red dress, applying make up and hunting Mr. Dean down to confess her love. She sees red and blacks out in a crazed frenzy. When she awakens Dean sends her back to the convent and she attempts to murder Sister Superior Clodagh. It is a brilliant and suspenseful scene - the pinnacle of the movie.

Black Narcissus won 2 Academy Awards. One for Cinematography and one for Art Direction. That was no surprise as the landscapes shot in both the Himalayas and Ireland are of sweeping landscapes. There is a stark contrast between the two and each is beautiful in their own way. The imagery is bright and bold throughout the film and colors are used extensively through murals on the temple walls and clothing of the Indian people.

The film is worthy of the list and should be watched. It is suspenseful and dramatic. The musical score carries the plots and changes quite well. The dynamics between the nuns and the changes they go through is exciting. Initially I was not expecting much from the film. Seriously, how entertaining could a movie about some nuns be. But this is far more then a movie about nuns. It is about how these women deal with and respond to their environment and their suppressed desires. The breakdown of Sister Ruth is climatic and clearly an influential scene in the development of film as far as portraying and conveying a mental collapse. The film transcends from a film about nuns to a film about one woman's insanity. Everything changes in the film at that point. The angles from which the film is shot to the colors, sounds and music. Tension is heightened flawlessly. For this scene alone it is worth watching, but you should watch it as a whole of course to fully capture the emotion.

The Apartment (1960)

The Apartment (1960) ★★★★★ 5/5

Absolutely love this movie. It is one I have seen before and was thrilled to find it as an upcoming movie on the DVR. Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine make a dynamite onscreen duo in this fantastic film. Lemmon plays C. C. Baxter, an corporate employee of an insurance company who makes his way up the corporate ladder by loaning his apartment to senior executives who use the pad to carry on affairs with their mistresses. When he is given the promotion, he finds out his boss, Mr. Sheldrake (Fred MacMurray), is wanting to take advantage of the apartment himself. The first day of the promotion, Baxter plans to go home and sleep off a cold. But instead, Sheldrake gives him tickets to see "The Music Man," so Baxter tries to take advantage of it by asking out the cute elevator girl, Fran Kubelik (MacLaine).


Although the story is quite complex as to the dynamics and relationships between the characters, the setup makes it easy to follow along and anticipate what will happen before it actually occurs. The audience knows before it even happens that Kubelik won't show up for the date. They also know that the girl that Sheldrake is going to meet is going to be Kubelik. In spite o the predictability, the film holds up amazingly because they seem to be setting the viewer up for the character's emotional reactions rather then the actual event happening.

The characters in this film are so likable, yet at the same time so vulnerable that you want to reach into the screen, shake them and tell them what to do. It is an interesting take on married business men and one that has been examined in film so often that it seems as if in 1959 that the notion of having a mistress was nothing out of the ordinary. They have a boys club. They have their mistresses and work very hard at scheduling in their affairs and congratulate each other on their conquests. The workplace in the film was so sexually charged. There is ass slapping, there are secretaries who are love interests and there are no female employees with high paying positions. Kubelik and her relationship with Sheldrake is so stereotypical, but at the same time still common in media and news stories today. The married man sleeping with a young, beautiful woman, but constantly telling her that he loves her and is going to leave his wife. He strings her along and in doing so MacLaine gracefully conveys what effect that has on a woman. Her vulnerability leads her to a suicide attempt. It leads to loneliness, self pity, self loathing, self depreciation and confusion. We see the whole thing played out and it plays out brilliantly in her face alone.

Lemmon as Baxter shows the same emotion and same vulnerability. He unwillingly loans his apartment out to the unfaithful executives. He is forced to sleep outside, stay at work late, and wander the streets because his home is in use. However, he can't build up the courage to say no because he needs his job. When he makes the connect that Kubelik and Sheldrake are having an affair, we see how hurt and alone he is. When he finds Kubelik overdosed in his bed on Christmas Eve, he takes the blame for that - as he did with constant noise complaints his tenants would make. He is a martyr of sorts for the boys club and you just want to grab hold of him and tell him to stop.

By the film's close, Baxter and Kubelik both make personal changes. These changes help make the movie even stronger. There is nothing more satisfying in a film then when the main characters overcome adversity and there is an evolution as to who they become. As the film ends, and the couple play gin on New Year's Eve, there is a solid sense of closure and a rewarding feeling that the main characters did stand up to their biggest challenges. For Baxter is was reclaiming his apartment. For Kubelik it was accepting that she did not have to settle for a married man who used women.

An excellent film and a deserving winner of the 1961 Oscar for Best Picture. Shot in black and white, the film is timeless. Great movie! And keep an eye out for a very young, and very nice looking Ray Walston.

Duck Soup (1933)

Duck Soup (1933) ★★★★★ 4/5

Duck Soup starts immediately with an extremely current topic. The government of the fictitious Fredonia has gone Bankrupt and is looking for funding from alternative sources. In this instance, the extremely wealthy Mrs. Teasdale (Margaret Dumont) plans to donate millions of dollars, but only if the current leader steps down and allows the country to be run by Rufus T. Firefly (Groucho Marx).

The leaders of Fredonia agree that the present leader should step down and soon Firefly, along with his assistant Bob Roland (Zeppo Marx), is heading the country. While the budget issue is resolved, there is a new threat of war from a neighboring country of Sylvanian lead by Trentino (Louis Calhern). In an effort to gain the upper hand as the threat of war approaches, Trentino hires two spies. These spies, Chicolini (Chico Marx) and Pinky (Harpo Marx) are completely incompetent. Eventually they become associates of Firefly and when battle ensues, they help Firefly win the war.

The plot of this movie is nothing more then a stage for the Marx Brothers to use witty dialogue and fast paced gags. The movie is quick. Constant movement and play on words comprise the bulk of the movie. It's a film you can't look away from because you might miss something. Chances are even if you are watching you will miss something. One liners delivered through the film are play on words that in some cases are so subtle that you might not get them until after they have been slung. Poor enunciation of several words is used to further bring along dialect unexpected. Many times I was actually throw back as to how sexual in nature some of the comments were. While today, sexual dialogue in movies is nothing new, the implied meanings of some of the lines seem quite bold for 1933. Clearly, this film was years ahead of it's time in the medium of film.

Physically, the comedy is a combination of what the Marx Brothers learned in their Vaudeville days with a new twist as a result of editing. Smooth choreography and constant motion allow for antics to be performed throughout the film. Chico Marx and Harpo Marx work well together in scenes where they antagonize a third part. There are two scenes in particular here. One involving their report to Trentino on Firefly's activities. Another involving a lemonaid salesman
(Edgar Kennedy) who the duo annoy beyond belief. Amazingly, Harpo Marx does it without speaking a work . . . or even blinking. Halfway through the film I realized Harpo Marx never blinked. I then became fixed on trying to find a moment where he blinks. I failed to find that.

There are subtle things throughout the film which help to make it a classic in the sense that you will never see the same film twice. Everytime you watch it you will pick up on something new. Whether it be a missed one liner, a subtle physical movement or the references. Throughout the film, the music used comes from other sources. It is a primitive form of sampling and for those of you who know music well, you should be paying attention to what is playing in the background during different scenes. The music picked correlates to the scene. Another thing you may notice the second time around is the costume changes. This holds particularily true in the war scene. I also couldn't help noticing how fit Zeppo Marx was.

Of course the most famous scene in the movie is the mirror scene. In this scene, a giant mirror is broken. This happens while Groucho Marx chases Harpo Marx. In having no place to hide, Harpo Marx goes on the opposite side of where the mirror would have been and mimicks Groucho Marx move for move. A very well done and entertaining scene.

The influences of this movie can be seen even in comedies of today. Whether it is playing music related to a scene, editing in/out props, slapstick, one liners, gags, or whatever, this movie really did have an impact. Let's not forget that each of them played a character and stayed true to that character from film to film, and even from film to television. While true it is not a great movie in terms of story, it is a fine exmple of why the Marx Brothers were such a powerful force in entertainment from the 20's to the 70's. This movie solidifies their existence as major stars. Every movie buff and pop culture junkie knows who these brothers are. Admittedly, if it wasn't for this book, I probably never would have seen this movie. I am glad I did because it helps to see why the Marx Brothers are held in such high regard. You must see this movie to appreciate how the Brothers transformed from Vaudville to Film, as well as how comedy was intially presented in the medium.

Return of the Jedi (1983)

Return of the Jedi (1983) ★★★★★ 3/5

Once my favorite of the original trilogy, it has been removed of that title. Not by time, but rather by George Lucas himself. Because of his meddling in the film over time, it has completely ruined it. While in music it is a fairly common practice to remix and revise songs as time progresses, this practice does not hold true for movies. Upon their creation and release, the audience has the choice to either embrace it or disregard it. When Return of the Jedi was released, I embraced it. Now, I disregard it because of revisions made to the movie.

Over the course of time, George Lucas has altered the film repeatedly. Whether it be sharpening the imagery, adding effects, or worst of all completely altering scenes, his actions after initial release have ruined everything about the film.

The story is that of Han Solo's (Harrison Ford) rescue from Jabba The Hut. The entire cast reunites in the beginning of the film for an epic battle involving beasts, bounty hunters and odd creatures. However so much has changed. There is a ridiculous dance/music number by Sy Sootles and a bunch of other superimposed new characters. There are wide panning shots in the exterior with herds of mythical creatures. The shot looks so incredible animated and fake to begin with it doesn't even belong in a film. It looks like it should be in a video game. The Sarlac Pit where Solo and Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) are sentenced to die is a bizarre pink color and suddenly has a head that looks like it was borrowed from Little Shop of Horrors. I had no idea what I was watching.

With the help of C3-PO, R2-D2 and Chewbacca, Solo, Skywalker, Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) and Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams) are saved. The group teams with the Rebel alliance to help destroy the newest Death Star being built. The main action occurs on the Ewok's planet Endor. On the ground, Solo, Leia, the driods and Chewbacca work with the Ewoks to battle Imperial troops on the ground in a effort to disarm the protective shields around the Death Star. In air, Calrissian and the Rebels attack the Death Star. Meanwhile Skywalker is on the Death Star battling his Father Darth Vader (James Earl Jones & David Prowse) as the Emperor (Ian McDiarmid) cheers for the Dark Side of the Force.

In the overall experience of the full 6 part series, Return of the Jedi does a wonderful job of closing the story line. The first 3 films in the series (which actually follow the release of Return of the Jedi) really do a nice job of tying in the characters and bringing us to the point where we see Palpatine go from a corrupt Senator to an evil Emperor. If this movie would have been left in it's original state and not tampered with, I would have easily given it 5 stars. There is too much damage done though and the film does not allow viewers to savor the originality of the film. Furthermore, the final scene has been altered to the point where it can not be fixed. As the Rebels celebrate, a ghostly image of Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness), Yoda (Frank Oz) and Anakin Skywalker (Sebastian Shaw) smile onward. It is a beautiful conclusion and all is well. Or is it? In the new version of the film, Anakin is shown in his younger years as played by Hayden Christensen in the recent prequels. He doesn't fit at all. It looks awkward in every way possible. This alteration made me feel sick. It completely ruined a fine and tender moment in the trilogy. Horrid.

George Lucas has cheapened and ruined his film. His alterations do far more damage then good and I can only hope that no other director or producer decides to go back and take such liberties with other films. Complete disgrace!

The Paleface (1948)

The Paleface (1948) ★★★★★ 1/5

With no question this is the worst movie I have seen in my journey through 1001 movies you must see before you die. I almost couldn't bear to finish it. The Paleface stars Jane Russell as Calamity Jane and Bob Hope as Painless Potter. Potter is a completely dimwitted, moronic dentist who gets caught up with Calamity Jane in a Western adventure turned comedy.

While I always held high regard for Bob Hope for his musicals with Bing Crosby, his USO work and his unparallelled gigs as the host of the Academy Awards, his performance in The Paleface was a complete let down. If you took Jack Black and threw him into a 1940's movie, it would be no different then Bob Hope's performance in The Paleface. The comedy was forced, over the top, and in no way funny at all, although you can tell Hope thought he was hysterical. There is no doubt in my mind that a lot of this film was ad-libbed and everyone working on the set laughed out of obligation and they kept it in the film. It was so ridiculous. You can even tell just by looking at the poster for the film.

Jane Russell on the other hand was brilliant in the film. She plays Calamity Jane, or a very loose adaptation of her. She is strong, confident and independent. Her character and performance breaks the genre's stereotype of the women being either victims or weepy, lovesick romantics. The film opens with a jailbreak. Jane is the one being broken out. It turns out the jailbreak is orchestrated by the Governor who requests Jane's assistance in preventing the sale of firearms to Indians in exchange for a pardon from a 10 years sentence.

Jane is smarty, savy and cunning agent. She works to figure out the plan to smuggle the arms to the Indians, and to fight them off. In all of her conquests, Potter comes out looking like a hero with growing confidence that only increases the unnecessary one liners.

If it was not for Hope this would have been a great movie. I just couldn't get past the stupidity of his character and the humor which was not funny in any way whatsoever. Interestingly enough, the film spawned Hope the biggest musical hit of his career. "Buttons and Bows" was not only a huge hit for him, but it also ended up winning the Academy Award for best song. The musical numbers in the film are sparse and done so in a way that they fit. Singing and dancing segments do not just pop up at inappropriate places. Hope sings "Buttons and Bows" while they ride along on a wagon trail. So it is not like they just break out into song and dance which would be somewhat unfitting for a Western. On another positive note, I will say that the use of Technicolor in this film makes it easy on the eyes. the colors of the sets and costumes work well in the film.

This is a movie that does not need to be on the list. The only reason to see it is to become better acquainted with Jane Russell. Of course there will be more to come from her in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) - which incidentally does belong on the list.

The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

The Empire Strikes Back (1980) ★★★★★ 5/5

This is a special movie for me. It brings back amazing memories as the first movie I really, clearly recall seeing in the theater. I was six years old and my Dad took me to see this on a snowy night. It was playing in one of those old theaters with the balconies on either side of the screen, the red velvet curtains draping around the screen, plush carpet with oriental designs. This was long before the movie plexes when theaters were in the heart of small downtown streets. Watching this movie in that theater was epic. Being a kid and looking up at the screen full of action and adventure. The sight of that movie on the big screen has always been embedded in my head.

Watching the film on a 60" LED, HD TV from Blu Ray brought back everything. The movie still holds up and is just as good now if not better. To my relief the additions Lucas added to the film were much more minor then what he added to Star Wars. There were no added dinosaurs or flying droids. It seemed that the bulk of the revisions were simply in making the colors brighter from explosions and lasers.

In this sequel to Star Wars, Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) and Han Solo (Harrison Ford) find themselves on the run from Darth Vader (David Prowse & James Earl Jones) with Chewbacca and C-3PO. Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) makes his way to The Dagobah system with R2-D2 where Yoda (Frank Oz) begins training him as a Jedi Knight. Leia and Solo make their way to Cloud City where they can hide from Vader with the assistance of Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams). However Vader beats them to Cloud City and already has arranged for Calrissian to assist in capturing them. Once captured, Vader surrenders Solo to Boba Fett (Jeremy Bulloch), a bounty hunter who is going to take Solo to Jabba The Hutt to claim a reward for the price on his head. Vader uses Solo as a test in a carbon freeze chamber. When Vader sees that this device stores prisoners without harming them, he decides to lure Skywalker there in hopes of freezing him in the same manner to deliver him to the Emperor. Skywalker does come to resuce his friends but is too late. Instead he must face Vader where we learn the truth about their relationship. "Luke, I am your Father," Vader says in an effort to bring Luke to the dark side. Skywalker does not give in and chooses to drop hundreds of stories to the bottom of Cloud City where he is stuck hanging from an antenna. While this is happening, Calrissian overthrows a small group of Stormtroopers and rescues Leia and Chewbacca. They flee to the Millennium Falcon and leave Cloud City. As they fly off, Skywalker dangles from the antenna calling to Leia. She senses his trouble and can comprehend where he is. Once Skywalker has been saved, the film closes with Skywalker, Leia C3-PO and R2-D2 safe in a space station looking out upon the universe. The stage is set for the rescue of Solo.

Initially, I always found this to be my least favorite of the original trilogy. Looking at The Empire Strikes Back now, I feel I was wrong. I think this is actually the best of the original three films. The romance between Solo and Leia is classic Hollywood. They have a love/hate relationship with sexual tension so thick you can cut it with a knife. The storyline between Vader and Skywalker is well played. Fighting scenes are exceptional with astonishing visual and sound effects. The mastery in the beginning of the film where the Rebels battle the Empire on the planet Hoth is orchestrated beautifully. Flying fighters take down giant machines. Costumes are far more advanced in this film then the last. While I would say this movie is superior then Star Wars, it also has to be said that this film shouldn't be seen without first seeing Star Wars.

Swing Time (1936)

Swing Time (1936) ★★★★★ 4/5

This delightful story starts off smart and fun right as it opens. John "Lucky" Garnett (Fred Astaire) is about to head off to be married to Margaret (Betty Furness) after finishing work. However his coworkers know that if he gets married his career is over. Since Garnett is the star attraction of their dance troupe, they know their performances wouldn't bring in any money. To prevent the marriage, Garnett's "friends" do everything they can to hold up and stall the wedding. The big ploy is telling him his tuxedo trousers need to be hemmed. "Pop" Cardetti (Victor Moore) is instructed to take the pants to be altered but the alterer will not make such changes to tuxedo pants. Eventually Pop brings the unaltered pants back and sends Garnett to be married. When he reaches the bride's home he finds the guests are gone, the wedding is cancelled and the Bride's Father is furious stating he will never allow Garnett to marry Margaret after this incident. Garnett suggests Margret and him should be married if he can make $25,000 and the Father agrees. So Garnett heads to New York City with Pops to make some money.

At the train station he is intercepted by his friends who try to detain him from the train by taking their money earned at the last performance back. This doesn't stop Garnett and Pops though. The two jump aboard a freighter train and shortly end up in New York . . .with nothing but a quarter. It is with this quarter they meet a beautiful red head. Garnett asks her to break change for the quarter to get Pops some cigarettes. The cigarette machine is a jackpot of sorts, spitting out money and cigarettes. Pops grabs a quarter and tells Garnett to get the original quarter back from the girl. She refuses the exchange and is annoyed by the disruption. When she drops her purse, Pops swipes the lucky quarter from it and she notices it missing. She summons an officer and he sides with Garnett telling her to move along. It is then that Pops reveals to Garnett he has the quarter. Garnett follows the girl to return it learn she is a dance instructor.

At the dance school he learns her name to be Penny (Ginger Rogers) and he opts for a complimentary dance lesson. He pretends to be awkward in his dance and at one point bringing her to the ground. Her boss sees this and fires her on the spot. Feeling bad, Garnett explains she should not be fired and performs a delightful dance with her to show off her ability. This scene is light and elegant. The dancing is superb and a testimony to the perfection of Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire. After seeing the two dance, Penny's boss calls a nightclub and lines them up with a job.

Through the film we watch the couple grow attracted to each other. Garnett wants to be with Penny but can nt because he is still engaged to Margaret. Penny is constantly courted by bandleader Ricardo Romero (Georges Metaxa). To prolong his stay in New York, Garnett makes as little money as he can to avoid going back home with $25,000. When Penny does find out Garnett is engaged, she accepts a proposal from Romero. Margaret comes to New York to tell Garnett she is engaged. Once he hears this, Garnett and Pops stall the wedding between Romero and Penny by using the hem trick that was introduced in the first scene of the movie.

The movie is funny and quite charming. Through the film, the interaction between Pops and Penny's friend Mabel Anderson (Helen Broderick) keep the film fresh. There is witty bickering between them as well as between Garnett and Penny. The dance numbers are entertaining and it is a spectacle to watch Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire move together as one. Seeing this film truly makes you understand why they worked so well together. Fred Astaire also performs a memorable solo in the "Bojangles of Harlem" number where he dances in front of a screen showing three shadow images of himself. Considering production values in the 1930's, this scene was quite spectacular and well ahead of it's time. To this day, the influence of this scene can still be seen in film, tv, commercials and music videos.

Musically, the film earned an Academy Award for the song "The Way You Look Tonight." A song that has been used repeatedly in film and stands the test of time. Other notable songs that one would recognize in the film are "A Fine Romance" and "Never Gonna Dance."

I gave this film 4 out of 5 stars, but almost feel guilty about it. I am on edge with this film thinking it might actually deserve 5 out of 5 stars. It is a must see film for movie lovers and entertains, quite well. I might actually rewatch this again to see if in fact I should bump it up. Watch this one and see what you think!