It's time for the early '70's

Next film session will be the movie, The Graduate. I enjoy the movie every now and then, I"m not a big Hoffman fan. You gotta love the music though! This will be a GREAT movie to watch after seeing Pyscho. The change of styles in comparing the two movies is huge. They are both great movies, but for very different reasons. Now, here's was on the agenda for the voting polls.

Sleuth (1972)
Milo Tindle (Michael Caine) has an affair with Marguerite (Eve Channing), the wife of mystery writer Andrew Wyke (Laurence Olivier). Andrew tells Milo he'd be glad to be rid of his wife, but wants to avoid paying alimony. He suggests that Milo pretend to rob the house and get away with the wife and her jewelry, while Andrew claims the insurance loss. You won't guess all the twists in this smart psychological thriller. -- provided by Netflix

The Sting (1973)
Fueled by ragtime music, The Sting takes the thrill of the confidence game to giddy heights. After rookie grifter Johnny Hooker (Robert Redford) tracks down veteran flim-flam man Henry Gondorff (Paul Newman) in 1930s Chicago, the duo plans to fleece a homicidal racketeer (Robert Shaw) through a phony racetrack scam. Ripe with double and triple crosses, The Sting keeps viewers guessing (and yearning for another Newman-Redford seriocomic teaming). -- provided by Netflix -- THIS IS ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITE MOVIES!!

Chinatown (1974) R
Private eye J.J. Gittes (Jack Nicholson) uncovers intricate dirty dealings in the Los Angeles waterworks and gets his nose slashed for his grief. Suspicious, porcelain-skinned femme fatale Faye Dunaway (who harbors a nasty family secret) finances Gittes's snooping. Director Roman Polanski reimagines 1930s Los Angeles in this brilliant detective thriller. And Robert Towne's onion-like script reveals itself one complex layer at a time. -- provided by Netflix

The Conversation (1974)
Gene Hackman set the standard for 1970s film acting with his portrayal of Harry Caul, a surveillance expert obsessed with his privacy. A past mistake -- and the fear that he may repeat it -- haunts Caul. The Conversation benefits from tremendous supporting performances (especially that of the late, great John Cazale), excellent use of San Francisco locales and Walter Murch's sound editing. -- provided by Netflix

PYSCHOTHERAPY, PYSCHOTHERAPY, PYSCHOTHERAPY IS WHAT THEY WANNA GIVE ME!!!!

Ahhhh...the Ramones, or Skid Row, or whoever else sang that song. Yesterday we viewed Pyscho and it seem to go over very well. Only one person had seen the remake of the movie and that made it more enjoyable to watch. I always liked the background story that sets up the night at Bate's Motel. I think, after viewing the movie, Norman looks a lot like my brother-in-law. I'll have to let him know that! Be sure to vote for the next movie!! And YEAH you're too late on those questions Sam! I'll put a new quote in before our next movie and give candy to the winner, if there is one!

Guess Who's Back?!?!

After a long break and a few personal matters, the Film Club will resume. On December 4th, I will be showing Pyscho (1960). On IMDb.com, it rated an 8.7 by website fans. I do not know if most of the students have seen the original movie, but I cannot deny them the great camera work by Hitchcock (the director, not the superhero movie - which by the way, is great). So, for a late 1960's movie, I have picked out four very different movies. By the way, you can vote for a movie as many times as you want!!! So, if you really want to see a movie and it's not getting the votes, KEEP VOTING!!! Here's the rundown...
Cool Hand Luke (1967)
What we have here is a failure to communicate! Lucas Jackson (Paul Newman) is a man who likes to do things his own way. That leads to a world of hurt when he winds up in a hellish Southern prison camp -- and on the wrong side of a sadistic warden (Strother Martin). George Kennedy won an Oscar as a fellow prisoner who tries to break Luke and then comes to revere him. The stellar cast includes Dennis Hopper, Harry Dean Stanton and Joe Don Baker. -- provided by Netflix -- rated an 8.3 on IMDb.com (#16 for 1960's)
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
Legendary outlaws Butch Cassidy (Paul Newman) and the Sundance Kid (Robert Redford) display perfect comedic timing and charisma as they pull off heist after heist in this Oscar-winning film from director George Roy Hill. To evade a relentless posse, the boys flee to Bolivia, thinking they'll find easier pickings there. But trouble finds the fugitives wherever they go, and soon, the charming desperadoes are on the run again. -- provided by Netflix -- rated an 8.2 on IMDb.com (#27 for 1960's)
The Graduate (1967) R
Dustin Hoffman (in his first major film role) turns in a landmark performance as a naïve young man recently graduated from college who is seduced by a middle-aged neighbor (Anne Bancroft). He, in turn, falls in love with her daughter (Katharine Ross). Mike Nichols won a Best Director Oscar, and Simon and Garfunkel achieved immortality with a score that includes "Mrs. Robinson." -- provided by Netflix -- rated an 8.1 on IMDb.com (#29 for 1960's)
Rosemary's Baby (1968) R
Rosemary Woodhouse (Mia Farrow), the young wife of a struggling actor (John Cassavetes), is thrilled to find out she's pregnant. But the larger her belly grows, the more certain she becomes that her unborn child is in danger. Perhaps there's something sinister behind the odd enthusiasm her eccentric neighbors (Sidney Blackmer and Ruth Gordon, in an Oscar-winning performance) have for her welfare. Or perhaps it's all in her mind. -- provided by Netflix -- rated an 8.0 on IMDb.com (#49 for 1960's)

We watched the #1 movie of all time (according to AFI)

It seems the students enjoyed the movie Citizen Kane, especially at the end when everything comes together. We breifly talked about Orson Welles and his radio play for War of the Worlds. I enjoyed the line, "Don't believe everything you hear on the radio," spoken by Welles himself. The controversy about who's responsible for the screenply for Kane and the rumors about the movie being based on William Randolph Hearst add to the pleasure of watching this film. It may not be my favorite movie of all time, but it is a great movie to share with young viewers. Now, for the roundup for next session on October 23, 2008.

The Third Man(1949) NR
Who was Harry Lime? And who killed him? And is he really dead? These are just a few of the questions writer-turned-sleuth Holly Martins (Joseph Cotten) tries to answer as he trolls the shadowy streets of postwar Vienna. Director Carol Reed turns Graham Greene's classic mystery into a film noir without equal. You'll be humming the zither theme for weeks! -- provided by Netflix

The Big Sleep(1946) UR
Tough-as-nails private eye Philip Marlowe (Humphrey Bogart) takes on a blackmail case and soon falls for Lauren Bacall, the feisty daughter of a wealthy general. The plot thickens when the murder victims pile up. The film was blessed with stellar talent: Raymond Chandler wrote the novel on which the movie is based, William Faulkner adapted the book for the screen, and Howard Hawks directed. -- provided by Netflix

Notorious(1946) UR
This top-notch Hitchcock espionage thriller builds to an incredibly suspenseful climax. Government agent T.R. Devlin (Cary Grant) recruits Alicia Huberman (Ingrid Bergman) to spy on her father's influential Nazi friends. As part of her cover, she marries ringleader Claude Rains, but finds she's falling in love with Grant. The 360-degree camera pan around a smitten Grant and Bergman ranks as one of the screen's hottest love scenes. -- provided by Netflix

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre(1948) NR
John Huston won Academy Awards for writing and directing this powerful saga that pits gold against greed in the wilds of Mexico. Three poverty-stricken dreamers (Walter Huston, Humphrey Bogart and Tim Holt) head to the mountains south of the border in search of gold. Their fortune and friendship grow at first, but soon, paranoia and greed begin to take over, endangering all that they've gained. Walter Huston also won an Oscar for his role. -- provided by Netflix

Citizen Kane - October 9, 2008 - 3:45 pm

For next Thursday, Citizen Kane has been voted in. It won with a whopping 2 votes out of 3. Hey, this could be the last movie for the club...if I don't see more interaction and voting on here! The blog is available on the school's computers and yet still nobody but Bobby and Sam have left comments! I could be at home doing more constructive things....Let's start this up....NEW GAME....First person (you have a week to answer this) who can tell me what movie this quote is from, I will personally bring YOU in candy for the next movie.

"You can't expect to put the two of us up in the maid's room."
"Well don't get excited. I'll remove the maid out."

Here's a bonus quote for you...see if anyone can get this one!

"Welly, welly, welly, welly, welly, welly, well. To what do I owe the extreme pleasure of this surprising visit?"

The Lady Vanishes

We watched Alfred Hitchcock's The Lady Vanishes today and I think everybody was uncomfortable sitting in a science class. But we can't be comfortable all the time. The movie was enjoyed after the initial slow start and none of the students knew what was going on at the beginning of the movie. Hopefully, the rest of the film sessions can be either in the library or a different classroom (with a pulldown screen). Now we know why the humming guitarist was killed! We also learned what a "macguffin" is, according to Hitchcock. I didn't know if any of the students saw Hitchcock's cameo appearance near the end of the movie wearing a black coat and smoking a cigarette (as usual). Orson Welles supposedly watched this movie 11 times!! Which we may view his most classic movie October 9th! VOTE NOW!

The Lady Vanishes - Sept. 25 - 3:45 pm

The Lady Vanishes is the winner for the next movie. The deciding vote coming from my wife because we had a tie and everybody has seen The Wizard of Oz. My Aunt Mary even said she wouldn't vote for Oz because she knows most people have seen it and she would want people see a movie that have not seen! NICE! While I'm at it, here's the line up for next film session on October 9.

Citizen Kane (1941) PG
Orson Welles reinvented movies at the age of 26 with this audacious biography of newspaper baron Charles Foster Kane (in essence, a thinly veiled portrait of publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst), who rises from poverty to become one of America's most influential men. A complex and technically stunning film, Citizen Kane is considered one of the best movies ever made. -provided by Netflix

Casablanca (1942) PG
Of all the "gin joints" in Morocco, Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), with husband Victor (Paul Henreid) in tow, had to walk into the one owned by Rick (Humphrey Bogart), a former beau she abandoned in Paris. War looms over them all, and in a much-discussed ending, Rick and Ilsa make heroic but heartbreaking choices. As time goes by, director Michael Curtiz's 1942 classic war noir only gets better. Peter Lorre and Claude Rains also star. -provided by Netflix

Shadow of a Doubt (1943) PG
Master of suspense Alfred Hitchcock directed this tale about Charlie (Teresa Wright), a small-town girl consumed with finding out whether her unhinged Uncle (Joseph Cotton) is a serial killer. The arrival of detectives and a murder-infatuated neighbor (Hume Cronyn) only increase Charlie's paranoia. Tension builds as she draws closer to the truth, and in classic Hitchcock style, the film culminates in a nail-biting scene aboard a speeding train. -provided by Netflix

Double Indemnity (1944) NR
Smitten insurance man Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray) plots the perfect murder with femme fatale client Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck): Stage her husband's "accidental" death to collect double indemnity on his life insurance, then abscond with the loot. But the lethal duo must first get past a crafty claims investigator (Edward G. Robinson) who senses something isn't kosher. What ensues is a cat-and-mouse game with fatal consequences. -provided by Netflix

Film Club Movie - It Happened One Night

On Sept. 11, the film club officially kicked off the school year with It Happened One Night. The concensus was that the movie was good, as far as I could tell. But that's more for them to let me know by sending comments. Here's the line up for Sept. 25th's film club session.

The Adventures of Robin Hood
(1938) NR
This 1938 swashbuckler, which won Academy Awards for Best Film Editing, Best Interior Decoration and Best Original Score, stars Errol Flynn as Robin Hood, champion of the poor and disenfranchised. Robin Hood goes up against his worst enemy, Sir Guy of Gisbourne (Basil Rathbone), a cold-hearted royal who's after the woman Robin Hood loves, Maid Marian (Olivia de Havilland). provided by Netflix


The Lady Vanishes
(1938) UR
Traveling aboard a transcontinental train, young Iris Henderson (Margaret Lockwood) becomes alarmed when an acquaintance, elderly governess Miss Froy (Dame Mae Whitty), suddenly vanishes. Inexplicably, all the other passengers deny having seen the woman. So Iris turns to her lone ally -- handsome music scholar Gilbert Redman (Michael Redgrave) -- for help. As the two search for clues to Froy's disappearance, they uncloak a sinister plot. provided by Netflix

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
(1939) UR
When idealistic junior senator Jefferson Smith (James Stewart) arrives in Washington, he's full of plans and dazzled by his surroundings -- qualities he retains even in the face of widespread corruption on the part of his colleagues. Jean Arthur puts in a sharp performance as Smith's cynical secretary, and former cowboy star Harry Carey makes a fine vice president in this Academy Award-winning classic from director Frank Capra. provided by Netflix

The Wizard of Oz
(1939) G
Dreams really do come true. … Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Munchkins and all of Oz's other fantastic characters spring to life in this restored version of the 1939 classic starring Judy Garland. Featuring commentary from film historian John Fricke and several cast members, this renewed version will send fans soaring over the rainbow. Also included: a featurette about the restoration process, a storybook and more.

Start voting NOW! By the way...The Adventures of Robin Hood is my Uncle Rick's favorite movie of all time and The Wizard of Oz is, his wife, Aunt Mary's favorite movie of all time. So we are pitting them against each other!

About the Movies...

Our official movie viewing date for the new year is September 11. The movie starts at 3:45 p.m. Here's a rundown of the movies and a brief description for each one.

M (1931) - German-American director Fritz Lang presents his first "talkie" -- and cinema's first serial killer -- in this 1931 classic. Plump pedophile Hans Beckert (Peter Lorre), propelled by a compulsion he can't control, escapes the eye of the law -- but not the wrath of the Berlin underworld being blamed for his crimes. The character of Beckert was later used in Nazi propaganda films to illustrate the evils of sexual deviance. -- provided by Netflix

One Way Passage (1932) - Terminally ill Joan Ames (Kay Francis) is determined to make the most of her final days in this touching drama, which won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. On a long sea voyage, she becomes involved with Dan Hardesty (William Powell), a convicted murderer being transported to an appointment with the executioner. Unaware of what fate has in store for the other, the two share their last days ... but not their deepest secrets. -- provided by Netflix

Trouble in Paradise (1932) - When thief Gaston Monescu (Herbert Marshall) meets his true love in pickpocket Lily (Miriam Hopkins), the cunning pair of jewel thieves embark on a scam to rob lovely Parisian widow and perfume company executive Mariette Colet (Kay Francis). But when Gaston becomes romantically entangled with Mariette, the larcenous ruse is jeopardized and Gaston is forced to choose between two beautiful but vastly different women. -- provided by Netflix

It Happened One Night (1934) - Runaway socialite Ellie Andrews (Claudette Colbert) is en route to the Big Apple to elope with a fortune-hunting flyboy. Along the way she meets crusty newspaperman Peter Warne (Clark Gable), who's just been sacked and -- unbeknownst to Ellie -- plans to sell her story to get his job back. But a string of zany misadventures leads them to realize they're madly -- if reluctantly -- in love. It Happened One Night swept every major Academy Award. -- provided by Netflix

Vote for the movie that you think you will enjoy and the winner will be announced a week prior to the viewing date. Hurry, before it's too LATE!!..ooohh and don't forget to do your homework!

The beginning of the end of the beginning

Lights!

CAMERA!!

I thought this year (my second year as sponsor) I would blog the movies that are viewed by me and the students of the Shoals High School Film Club. My family and I moved into the small community a couple of years ago and I was excited to hear the small high school had a film club for the students to view movies that they may not have had the opportunity to see. They needed a sponsor late last school year and I was glad to step in and finish off the school year with my favorite movies. This school year, I have a plan to change things up and give a broad history of movies. I decided to cut back from viewing movies every Wednesday to just two Wednesday a month. Plus, we will start watching movies in September starting with films made in the 1930s. Each month with progress to the next decade, until we reach our present decade. This journey will take us to the end of April. In May, the students will decide on a movie of their choice and my approval. Until this year, most of the movies have been independent films or current movie/DVD releases. I sat and watched the students enjoy them, but I didn't think they really learned from them. In presenting a broad history of film, they will be able to see the progression of dialogue, cinematography, settings, style, acting, editing, scripting, and tons of other film traits. Plus, we will be going from black and white talkies to computer generated action films. Each blog will present the movie we viewed that Wednesday. The students are free to leave comments and critiques on the movies they have viewed.

ACTION!!!!!!!!!

These are a few of our favorite films.