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Psycho (1960)
Psycho is the perfect thriller
Aaahhh. Psycho is about as close as you can come to a perfect thriller. Thrillers are all about how the story is told. You show too much, there's not enough suspense. Show to little, and people don't know what's going on. Different angles and lighting can evoke different feelings. Hitchcock is a master of not only coming up with a great story, but telling that story perfectly. Hitchcock finds the perfect balance between terror, suspense, and mystery in all his films, and Psycho is certainly no exception. It is no surprise that one of the most iconic scenes in Hollywood history is in this movie. To top it off the acting is phenomenal as well. Often times with films at the time scenes of strong emotion would be excessively dramatic and over the top. However, in psycho, these scenes are not as often, and when they, the over the top dramatization seems appropriate, considering their lives are usually at stake.
If you want to watch a fantastic movie, watch Psycho. If you want to fall asleep tonight, don't watch Psycho
Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
Bonnie and Clyde is a classic, but maybe not an entertainer
Bonnie and Clyde is no doubt a classic. As one of the first films in the New Hollywood era, it was ground breaking, and inspired other great movies, such as Buch Cassidy and the Sundance kid. However, I don't think the movie provides as much entertainment as it does nostalgia. There is no denying the movie is very well done, from the acting, to the cinematography, to the editing, to the sound, and of course, those special effects. But I just couldn't find the story compelling. It probably would've resonated a lot more had I watched it back in the 60s when the great depression was more recent, but watching it now, it simply didn't resonate. And I didn't think it was fun enough to just be a crime/action/thriller either. They did to many stupid things on the crime front for me to take that part of the movie seriously, and I kind of hated Bonnie and Clyde's personalities from the beginning so I never really cared about their personal interactions. Overall, it was still a very well-made movie that is worth watching for the historical factor alone (both of the actual making of the movie and also the affect of the great depression). Although, who knows, you might enjoy the story. (Two people can have different opinions, right? I think that's allowed in 2019.) But if you're just looking for something along the same lines, I would recommend Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid instead.
Touch of Evil (1958)
Orson Welles does it again
If you ever find yourself considering whether or not you should watch Touch of Evil, the answer is very simple: 'Of course. It's made by Orson Wells.' This movie is one of the last great early Noir films. While the plot of the movie isn't particularly unique, the execution of the movie is flawless. There is of course the famous the long take at the beginning of the movie, but the rest of the movie is also great. The thing that stuck out to me, was how much it seemed like a modern day action/spy thriller. While there where definitely parts that were distinctly Noir, several sequences, especially that beginning long shot, felt like they belonged in a James Bond movie or something. To be honest though, what I liked most about this movie was the music. The bongos especially stood out. The music was just much more upbeat than traditional Noir and that higher tempo really added tension and drama to the movie, while also not feeling very forced. Bottom line, if you like well made movies that will keep you involved every step of the way, watch Touch of Evil.
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
A Noir film for the ages
Now this is how you make a crime noir film. The plot of most crime/mystery/dramas is usually pretty similar, so it's pretty easy to predict where the movie is going, especially if you are familiar with the genre. However, The Maltese Falcon had me guessing until the very end, in no small part due to the execution of the movie. Humphrey Bogart and Mary Astor put on a wonderful performance, but I think what makes the movie so compelling is that it is told entirely from Samuel Spade's point of view. However, the way the film is shot does a great job of enhancing that point of view and making the audience feel like they are partners with Spade.
There's really not much to critic about this movie, because it's stellar all around and won't disappoint even the biggest film noir enthusiasts.
Young Mr. Lincoln (1939)
Another Ford masterpiece
Wow. What a movie. Young Mr. Lincoln is a wonderfully crafted movie all around. Henry Fonda gives an amazing performance as Abraham Lincoln that completely immerses you in the movie, and makes you feel like you've known Abe forever. In addition to the acting the camera work and especially lighting were superb. At times I could almost feel soft sunlight coming through the screen. Although, I shouldn't be surprised given John Ford's strong track record. Ford managed several busy and populous scenes very well, so that they flowed beautifully and didn't seem like they were purely large and noisy. Overall, this movie shows how to do everything right in cinema. While the movie may seem slow at first, I highly recommend watching and watching till the end, as it does pick up and is very enjoyable.
His Girl Friday (1940)
His Girl Friday holds up over time.
His Girl Friday is a well-made and well-acted screwball. The filming, editing lighting, and sound of this movie are very well done. The dialogue is very fast paced, but done to perfection. However, I think what makes it stand up over time, as with many other screwball comedies from the time, is the fact that the overly dramatic acting of the time actually works quite well with this style. The characters aren't trying to be dead serious, so their over the top nature adds to the somewhat mocking nature of the genre. I also think the strength of Hildy as a character helped to make the movie more enjoyable and believable. She wasn't constantly fainting or acting helpless like many female characters of the time, which seems pretty unnatural in modern times.
While most screwball comedies are meant to be just that, comedies, I found His Girl Friday to be more sad than funny. While there were plenty of funny jokes and exchanges, the underlying mocking of the callousness of the press seems all to relevant nowadays and I couldn't help but root for Hildy to get out and leave with Bruce. Instead of finding her constantly getting sucked back in by Walter funny and comical, I found it disheartening. Perhaps I am taking the movie too seriously. Nevertheless, the movie still holds up well and I would recommend it.
City Streets (1931)
City Streets is a great historical piece, but not for the average person
City Streets is a well-crafted and great example of early gangster movies. However, while the movie is well made, the very reason the movie is noteworthy (an early and well-made example of movies at the time) also contributes to why the movie loses some of its appeal overtime. The plot of the movie is similar to that of most gangster movies, so there are really no surprises to the modern viewer and the suspense is somewhat lacking. This of course would not have been the case back when the movie was first made, because gang activity was actually a common concern and the genre was just starting out. So, the predictability wasn't there, while the verisimilitude of the movie was.
City Streets also suffers from the over dramatic acting of the time. While film buffs and people interested in cinema history may enjoy this as a part of history, the average person who is just looking for a good and enjoyable story to get lost in, may have trouble doing so with this movie.
Dracula (1931)
Dracula is the perfect example of an outdated classic
Dracula is a cinema classic and there is no doubt about its historical significance. It was one the first monster films that spawned an entire genre as well as countless spin offs of the movie itself. However, I think it has definitely lost some of its appeal as time goes by. I thought the beginning of the movie was very good, because it was not overly dramatic like many movies at the time. It was mellow, in a suspenseful way, which made it feel more real. In addition, the relatively small cast and secluded gloomy nature of the setting made the movie feel spooky. However, as the movie went on, the acting started to get overly dramatic, which kind of broke the spell. In addition, the movie really milked the shocking (at the time) monster aspect to the point where it felt very dragged out. I'm sure it had a much more profound effect back when it was released. The quality of the movie is still very good, I just think that the execution of the plot was to slow. For that reason, I think the same film condensed to maybe 45 min would still hold up well today.
Sherlock Jr. (1924)
Sherlock Jr. is a fun masterpiece of early American cinema
I really liked Sherlock Jr. as an entertaining and innovative movie from the earlier days of cinema in America. While it was cheesy at certain times, it was still very much a classic love story. Too often nowadays I find that that cheesy comedies have no story or plot and rely entirely on comedy. Which is often times bad. Sherlock Jr. however integrated comedy into the narration of its story near flawlessly. I was also struck by the innovation of Buster Keaton. Due to the lack of special effects, the movie had to come up with more interesting ways of surprising the audience to both keep them engaged and make them laugh. They couldn't just add anything they wanted in an editing room. Having said all this however, I think it's a good thing that the movie only has a 45 minute run time, because I think that cheesy/slapstick comedy is only funny for so long. On the other hand, if the movie was longer, maybe Keaton would've just come up with some other crazy things to wow us.