Lists

Post Reply
User avatar
Edwards Kings
Posts: 5879
Joined: Sun Mar 14, 2004 6:00 pm
Location: Duluth, Georgia

Lists

Post by Edwards Kings » Mon Jul 13, 2009 3:27 am

As I was thinking about the list of books I posted in the other thread and after watching the dismal offerings from the current summer movie releases ("My Sisters Keeper" being the exception, of course :D ), I thought I would start another string about movies I like to watch, based on certain classifications I have in my own mind. To start, I like movies about the times when castles were king and page-boys wore their hair a certain way because cloth was too expensive to use for napkins. Why pay $12+ bucks a head for the mental equivalent of a Bazooka Joe cartoon when you can buy or rent most of these for the price of one ticket or less. Here are my Five Favorite - Medieval:



1) In the mid-60's, this genre seemed to attract the best scripts and talent. The best of the best, IMHO, is "A Man for All Seasons" from 1966 with Paul Scofield as Sir Thomas More. The story takes place in 16th century England. More loves life yet has the moral fiber to lay down his life for principles. Concentrating on the last seven years of English chancellor's life, the struggle between More and his King, Henry VIII (Robert Shaw), hinges on Henry's determination to break with Rome so he can divorce his current wife and wed again, and good Catholic More's inability to go along with such heresy. More resigns as chancellor, hoping to be able to live out his life as a private citizen. But Henry will settle for nothing less than that the much respected More give public approval to his headstrong course. More wins as he loses. This movie won something like six academy awards and for a reason. Nothing fancy, just dialogue and acting. Watch for a young John Hurt as Richard Rich.



2) Just behind that one is "Beckett" from 1964. The movie opens with King Henry II (Peter O'Toole), who ruled England from 1154 to 1189 enters Canterbury Cathedral to do penance at the tomb of his former friend, Thomas á Becket (Richard Burton). Bare to the waist, the king kneels to receive a flogging from Saxon monks. He begins to reminisce, recalling at first the carefree, promiscuous adventures with Becket, then his favorite drinking and wenching companion. King Henry II of England has had trouble with the Church. When the Archbishop of Canterbury dies, he has a brilliant idea. Rather than appoint another pious cleric loyal to Rome and the Church, he will appoint his old drinking and wenching buddy, technically a deacon of the church, to the post. Unfortunately, Becket takes the job seriously and provides abler opposition to Henry than his predecessors were able to do. This leads to the famous "Who will rid me of this turbulent priest?" Burton at his best.



3) From 1968, "A Lion in Winter". Christmas 1183--an aging and conniving King Henry II (Peter O'Toole) plans a reunion where he hopes to name his successor. He summons the following people for the holiday: his scheming but imprisoned wife, Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine (Katherine Hepburn); his mistress, Princess Alais, whom he wishes to marry; his three sons Richard (first movie for Anthony Hopkins), Geoffrey, and John, all of whom desire the throne; and the young but crafty King Philip of France (who is also Alais' brother and played by Timothy Dalton). With the fate of Henry's empire at stake, everybody engages in their own brand of deception and treachery to stake their claim. Great dialogue again and only real actors can pull of this movie.



4) "The Taming of the Shrew" from 1967. Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor that may be a biopic. Set in Padua, Italy in the late 1500s, two daughters of a local rich merchant Baptista are the focus of the story. Shy Bianca is courted by a number of good-looking and well-to-do young men, but Baptista announces that she cannot marry until the older daughter Katharine (Elizabeth Taylor) is wed. As Katharine is out-spoken and far from demure, none of the men in the town want to marry her, so Bianca remains unwed even though many suitors hover to woo her. When Lucentio (Michael York) arrives in Padua he sees the competition and poses as a servant, getting a job in the house where Bianca lives so he can be near to her and figure out to wed and bed the beauty. When Petruchio (Richard Burton) a rough-and-ready land owner comes to Padua shopping for a rich wife and lays eyes on Katharine, he falls in love with the fiery femme, and after a furious, aggressive, and combative courtship they marry, and move to Petruchios rustic mansion where their combative relationship continues challenging Katharines sense of honor. Back in Padua Lucentio confesses to Bianca that he is not a student but the son of one of the most respected men in town, and the couple decides to marry with Baptistas blessing. At the wedding all the couples and folks from the town arrive and Katharine, humbled from a new-found wisdom from her honeymoon with Petruchio gives advice to Bianca on how to be a successful wife. Burton and Taylor fight like cats and dogs, which may not have been acting for them.



5) Hamlet - 1990. The only one of my top five not from the mid-60's. Starring Mel Gibson (can you believe it) who does a very good job in the title role. I am no Shakespear expert, but I was surprised how well he did. Worth the rental or addition to your library.



[ July 14, 2009, 06:20 AM: Message edited by: Edwards Kings ]
Baseball is a slow, boring, complex, cerebral game that doesn't lend itself to histrionics. You 'take in' a baseball game, something odd to say about a football or basketball game, with the clock running and the bodies flying.
Charles Krauthammer

DOUGHBOYS
Posts: 13088
Joined: Sat Feb 05, 2005 6:00 pm

Lists

Post by DOUGHBOYS » Mon Jul 13, 2009 4:09 am

I looked real hard and couldn't find 'Field of Dreams' anywhere! :D
On my tombstone-
Wait! I never had the perfect draft!

User avatar
Edwards Kings
Posts: 5879
Joined: Sun Mar 14, 2004 6:00 pm
Location: Duluth, Georgia

Lists

Post by Edwards Kings » Mon Jul 13, 2009 6:14 am

Originally posted by DOUGHBOYS:

I looked real hard and couldn't find 'Field of Dreams' anywhere! :D That is another category (i.e. "Movies Where Kevin Costner Sleepwalking Through His Lines Actually Make the Movie Better") all together! ;)
Baseball is a slow, boring, complex, cerebral game that doesn't lend itself to histrionics. You 'take in' a baseball game, something odd to say about a football or basketball game, with the clock running and the bodies flying.
Charles Krauthammer

DOUGHBOYS
Posts: 13088
Joined: Sat Feb 05, 2005 6:00 pm

Lists

Post by DOUGHBOYS » Mon Jul 13, 2009 6:55 am

I have got to get some culture!

I've always thought of these as hoidy toidy movies that are tough to sit through. Academy Awards stuff that the general public kind of yawns at.

Like I said, I have got to get some culture! :D
On my tombstone-
Wait! I never had the perfect draft!

User avatar
Glenneration X
Posts: 3730
Joined: Sat Mar 21, 2009 6:00 pm
Location: Long Island, NY

Lists

Post by Glenneration X » Mon Jul 13, 2009 12:20 pm

Braveheart is the best medieval movie of all time.

User avatar
Edwards Kings
Posts: 5879
Joined: Sun Mar 14, 2004 6:00 pm
Location: Duluth, Georgia

Lists

Post by Edwards Kings » Tue Jul 14, 2009 12:17 am

Originally posted by G-X:

Braveheart is the best medieval movie of all time. I liked "Braveheart", but to me it is a different genre. Same time period, but more of an epic semi-biopic. The ones I mentioned above are more like plays that have been adapted for movies. Ones like (no particular order):



Braveheart (1995)

Rob Roy (1995)

Spartacus (1960)

Gladiator (2000)

The Patriot (2000)



are more action extravaganzas, relying on bloody battle sequences rather than dialogue and acting. Good movies, but just good in a different way.



Two from what I consider this class that missed horribly in my mind were "The Last Samurai" from 2003 and "Troy" from 2004. I like a few of Cruise's movies (probably only one of two people who actually liked "Minority Report"), but haven't seen the actor from "Taps", "The Outsiders" or even "Risky Business" in quite a while. Brad Pitt may be the worst actor I have ever seen make millions not really doing anything. Makes Lou Diamond Phillips look like Henry Fonda in comparison. "Troy" was a joke.
Baseball is a slow, boring, complex, cerebral game that doesn't lend itself to histrionics. You 'take in' a baseball game, something odd to say about a football or basketball game, with the clock running and the bodies flying.
Charles Krauthammer

DOUGHBOYS
Posts: 13088
Joined: Sat Feb 05, 2005 6:00 pm

Lists

Post by DOUGHBOYS » Tue Jul 14, 2009 4:03 am

What about the Steve Reeves epics? :D
On my tombstone-
Wait! I never had the perfect draft!

User avatar
Edwards Kings
Posts: 5879
Joined: Sun Mar 14, 2004 6:00 pm
Location: Duluth, Georgia

Lists

Post by Edwards Kings » Wed Jul 22, 2009 12:52 am

I had forgotten about Hercules! I think he only had one movie where he used his own voice!



More of my favorites. These fall into my minds category of B&W war movies.



The Paths of Glory – 1957



"In Stanley Kubrick's "Paths of Glory" war is viewed in terms of power. This mesmerizing, urgent film about a true episode in World War I combines the idea that class differences are more important than national differences with the cannon-fodder theory of war, the theory that soldiers are merely pawns in the hands of generals who play at war is if it were a game of chess." Not my write-up but hits the nail on the head. Want to see Kirk Douglas act and I mean really act, this is the one. A man of honor in a horrific war (plays a French Colonel as France was being bled white by WWI) witnessing and being party to sensless acts of cruelty. Early Kubrick when he had something to say.



Hell is for Heroes – 1962



World War II centering around a single, outnumbered squad of battle-weary GIs made to hold the line against the German Siegfried line. Steve McQueen is Reese as the group is unexpectedly ordered back into the line when on their way to a rest area and maybe home. Reese has an ax to grind after a recent court martial busted him to private. Reese takes de facto command and by various ruses, they manage to convince the Germans that a large force is still holding the position. Reese gets busted in the chops for trying to do the right thing again and reacts the only way left for him. Bob Newhart (yes, that Bob Newhart) in his first movie and in the midst of all this drama, has his own scene where he shows his stuff.



Battleground – 1949



Another undersized, tired American sqad as they engage the Germans in a snowy, foggy winter near Bastogne in World War II. They're low on fuel, rations, and ammunition; the Germans are constantly encouraging their surrender via radio and leaflets, and most importantly, the pervasive thick fog makes movement and identification difficult and prevents their relief by Allied air support. This film focuses much more on the psychology and morale of the soldiers. James Whitemore and Van Johnson are my favorites in this movie. Probably the first of the war movies after WWII that was closer to real than to propoganda.



The Longest Day – 1962



England in June 1944. Unseasonal storms. Allied troops are massed ready for the invasion of France, some already on the boats. The Normandy beaches will be their destination while paratroopers are dropped inland to take key towns and bridges. On the other side of the Channel the Germans still expect the invasion at Calais, and anyway the weather makes them think nothing is likely to be imminent. Eisenhower decides to go. EVERYONE is in this movie. Duke, Mitchum, Stieger, Fonda, Burton, Ryan, and even small parts for Mineo, McDowall, Connery. Red Buttons (a personal favorite), too.



Twelve O’Clock High – 1949



"12 O'Clock High" tells the story of an American Bomber Group low on morale and performance after heavy losses over the skies of Germany. General Frank Savage (Gregory Peck), a desk bound staff chief, is sent to the group after the Bomber Commander is relieved of duty. At first encountering resistance, Savage enventually shows the pilots how to take pride in their unit and serve above and beyond the standards of the Army Air Corps. My Grandfathers (13 missions as a turret gunner in a B-24) favorite as he said this movie really showed the pressure they were under. Notice it came out about the same time as Battleground and more realistic war movies were in vogue.



The Caine Mutiny – 1954



During the Second World War, onboard a small insignificant ship in the U.S. Pacific Fleet, an event occurs unlike any that the United States Navy has ever experianced. A Ship's Captain (Humprey Bogart) is removed from his command by his Executive Officer (Van Johnson) in an apparent outright act of mutiny. As the trial of the mutineers unfold, it is then learned that the Captain of the ship was mentally unstable, perhaps even insane. The Navy must then decide: was the Caine Mutiny a criminal act? Or an act of courage to save a ship from destruction at the hands of her Captain. Bogart was a star character actor made by the studios, but in this one he acts. I never eat strawberries without thinking of this movie.



In Harm’s Way – 1965



Captain Rockwell Torrey (John Wayne) and Commander Paul Eddington (Kirk Douglas) are part of the Navy's effort to recuperate from, and retaliate for, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Torrey is romantically involved with nurse Maggie Haynes (Patricia Neal...love interest? shudder), and also tries to restore his relationship with his estranged son, Jeremiah, a young Naval officer. Otto Preminger directed and I could watch this movie over and over. Not the best, but it is the Duke.



[ July 22, 2009, 06:54 AM: Message edited by: Edwards Kings ]
Baseball is a slow, boring, complex, cerebral game that doesn't lend itself to histrionics. You 'take in' a baseball game, something odd to say about a football or basketball game, with the clock running and the bodies flying.
Charles Krauthammer

Ryan C
Posts: 836
Joined: Mon Feb 18, 2008 6:00 pm
Contact:

Lists

Post by Ryan C » Wed Jul 22, 2009 5:37 pm

Nice List - I love movies so I'll add some more great B&W ones that you can put on your rental list:



Stalag 17 (1953-Dir Billy Wilder) - William Holden, Otto Preminger - The original prison camp movie and yes the inspiration for the famous sitcom "Hogan's Heroes". For the Allied prisoners of Stalag 17, every escape attempt ends the same way -- in disaster. The cynical Sgt. Sefton (William Holden, in his Oscar-winning role) thinks they're all fools for trying … but soon his hectoring starts to raise suspicions that there's a German spy in the prison camp -- and that spy is him!



From Here to Eternity (1953-Dir Fred Zinnemann) The WWII movie to watch with your significant other. Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr have their infamous kiss in the waves. Monty Clift, Frank Sinatra, Donna Reed, Ernest Borgnine. Lots of romance with the attack on Pearl Harbor as the backdrop.



The Desert Fox (1951-Dir Henry Hathaway) - James Mason gives an electrifying performance as the famous German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel.



The Train - (1965-dir John Frankenheimer) Burt Lancaster again play Labiche, a reluctant French railway inspector who helps delay Paul Scofield's German colonel from looting priceless Art treasures out of France in the War's last days. Lancaster did all his own stunts in this film and famously blew out his knee during filming. Rather than shut down the film, Lancaster came up with an idea to have his character get shot in the leg so he could get away with the noticible limp he had due to the injury - now that's tough!!!



The Young Lions - (1958-dir Edward Dmytrk) - An ambitious anti-war movie that combines politics, romance, nationalism, and morality, The Young Lions was a distinctive entry in the post-World War II re-examination of Hit lers 's legacy. Marlon Brando continued his image-smashing roles by portraying a disillusioned Na zi officer. In his first dramatic role, comedian Dean Martin also confounded expectations. Montgomery Clift played an American Jewish soldier who fights anti-Semitism on all fronts. Also - Hogan's Heroes John "Seargeant Schulz" Banner makes as nice cameo appearance.



Run Silent, Run Deep - (1958-dir Robert Wise) - Clark Gable plays single-minded Cmdr. Richardson, who lost his submarine during an overzealous pursuit and has sworn to take revenge against the Japanese destroyer that sunk his ship. But on the skipper's new vessel, the executive officer (Burt Lancaster) believes Richardson's obsession is putting the crew's lives in danger, leading to talk of mutiny in this taut World War II thriller also starring Jack Warden.



Sergeant York - (1941, Howard Hawks, WWI) (Gary Cooper, Walter Brennan) - Gary Cooper stars as Alvin York, a poor Appalachian pacifist drafted into World War I. Placed in an impossible position, York single-handedly captures an entire enemy platoon and becomes a national hero.



They Were Expendable - (1945-dir John Ford) One of director John Ford's pet projects, based on the true story of the development of PT boats. During the bleak days following Pearl Harbor, Navy lieutenants Robert Montgomery and John Wayne persuade the brass to let them send untried plywood boats against the Japanese fleet.



The Lost Patrol - (1943 - dir John Ford) - Set in the Mesopotamian desert during World War I, John Ford's remake tells the struggles of a British cavalry sergeant (Victor McLaglen) and his troops. After the unit's commander -- the only one who knew their destination -- is killed by Arabs, the sergeant must take the helm and lead the men north in search of their brigade. Enduring the unforgiving desert conditions, the troops can only wait as Arab snipers eliminate their ranks, one by one. Boris Karloff also stars.



The Hill - (1965-Dir Sidney Lumet) One of my personal favorites - Sean Connery took on this project as a way to break away from James Bond a little. At a British World War II military stockade in North Africa, abusive officers force prisoners to endure grueling punishment designed to break them. But after one of the men dies as a result of the brutal treatment Connery is determined to seek justice. Ossie Davis, Harry Andrews and Ian Bannen co-star.



[ July 22, 2009, 11:41 PM: Message edited by: Ryan Carey ]
Mastersball

“You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else.” - Albert Einstein

sportsbettingman
Posts: 3038
Joined: Sun Jan 23, 2005 6:00 pm
Contact:

Lists

Post by sportsbettingman » Wed Jul 22, 2009 6:29 pm

Originally posted by Edwards Kings:

quote:Originally posted by G-X:

Braveheart is the best medieval movie of all time. I liked "Braveheart", but to me it is a different genre. Same time period, but more of an epic semi-biopic. The ones I mentioned above are more like plays that have been adapted for movies. Ones like (no particular order):



Braveheart (1995)

Rob Roy (1995)

Spartacus (1960)

Gladiator (2000)

The Patriot (2000)



are more action extravaganzas, relying on bloody battle sequences rather than dialogue and acting. Good movies, but just good in a different way.



Two from what I consider this class that missed horribly in my mind were "The Last Samurai" from 2003 and "Troy" from 2004. I like a few of Cruise's movies (probably only one of two people who actually liked "Minority Report"), but haven't seen the actor from "Taps", "The Outsiders" or even "Risky Business" in quite a while. Brad Pitt may be the worst actor I have ever seen make millions not really doing anything. Makes Lou Diamond Phillips look like Henry Fonda in comparison. "Troy" was a joke.
[/QUOTE]Seeing Legolas (Bloom) act like a total wuss, along with the movie-killing actor "the guy from the crappy Hulk movie" are what made Troy so bad.



I thought The Last Samurai was a very good movie.



Gladiator was like two differently casted actors away from being great.



I thought The Patriot really sucked.



~Lance
"The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once."

~Albert Einstein

User avatar
Edwards Kings
Posts: 5879
Joined: Sun Mar 14, 2004 6:00 pm
Location: Duluth, Georgia

Lists

Post by Edwards Kings » Fri Jul 24, 2009 1:59 am

Great list, Mr. Carey. I love "Stalag 17", and although Billy Wilder was the director, it had Otto Preminger in one of the key role..."Guten morgen, Sergeants!"



I have never seen the Victor McLaglen one (The Lost Patrol), so that I will have to look for. Best known as one of the Dukes beefy sidekicks, he was big enough to fool the british army into letting him join up at 14, or so the legend goes. Won an early Oscar, too. Better actor than most give credit for.
Baseball is a slow, boring, complex, cerebral game that doesn't lend itself to histrionics. You 'take in' a baseball game, something odd to say about a football or basketball game, with the clock running and the bodies flying.
Charles Krauthammer

User avatar
Edwards Kings
Posts: 5879
Joined: Sun Mar 14, 2004 6:00 pm
Location: Duluth, Georgia

Lists

Post by Edwards Kings » Fri Jul 24, 2009 2:08 am

Originally posted by sportsbettingman:

I thought The Last Samurai was a very good movie.



I thought The Patriot really sucked.



~Lance You have no taste, Lance! :D



My wife is of the same opinion on "The Patriot", but I really liked it. Not sure why they changed the real life character (and criminally brutal a-hole) Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton into a character named Col. William Tavington for the movie when they were using other historical characters like Cornwallis, but such is the logic of Hollywood.



What did you think of Daniel Day Lewis and the movie "The Last of the Mohicans", which to me is on the same par as "The Patriot"?
Baseball is a slow, boring, complex, cerebral game that doesn't lend itself to histrionics. You 'take in' a baseball game, something odd to say about a football or basketball game, with the clock running and the bodies flying.
Charles Krauthammer

User avatar
Navel Lint
Posts: 1720
Joined: Thu Mar 29, 2007 6:00 pm
Contact:

Lists

Post by Navel Lint » Fri Jul 24, 2009 2:19 am

Originally posted by Edwards Kings:

Great list, Mr. Carey. I love "Stalag 17", and although Billy Wilder was the director, it had Otto Preminger in one of the key role..."Guten morgen, Sergeants!"



Great movie. Every once in a while when someone tells me that they have a great plan for one thing or another I'll respond with;



"tell that to Manfredi and Johnson"



I still havn't had anyone ask me what that means or acknowledge where it comes from. I usually just get a blank look and then we move on with the conversation.



[ July 24, 2009, 08:20 AM: Message edited by: Navel Lint ]
Russel -Navel Lint

"Fans don't boo nobodies"
-Reggie Jackson

Post Reply