THESE ARE MY FAVORITES FROM CHILDHOOD TO NOW

PLANET OF THE APES

ESCAPE FROM THE PLANET OF THE APES

BENEATH THE PLANET OF THE APES

 

 

WHAT LIES BENEATH-HARRISON FORD AS CHILLY VILLAINOUS HUBBY TO MICHELLE PFEIFFER IN THIS HITCHCOCK-WORTHY OFFERING.

DECEIVED-GOLDIE HAWN AS A MODERN FILM-NOIRE HEROINE. HAWN IS PITTED AGAINST A SUBTLE CALCULATING KILLER.

 

CREEPY KID VILLAIN FILMS

THE BAD SEED

THE OMEN

 

BEST BOOKS-EASY READERS

 

ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST

MARATHON MAN

THE GREAT GATSBY-F. SCOTT FITZGERALD

THE CARPETBAGGERS

 

CAPTAINS AND THE KINGS-TAYLOR CALDWELL

79 PARK AVENUE-HAROLD ROBBINS

THE OTHER SIDE OF MIDNIGHT-SIDNEY SHELDON

RAGE OF ANGELS-SIDNEY SHELDON

 CALL OF THE WILD-JACK LONDON

DEAD RINGER

THE NANNY

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE

 

EXPERIMENT IN TERROR

 

POSTMAN RINGS TWICE

DOUBLE INDEMNITY

 

CITIZEN X

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATOO

 

A PERFECT MURDER-SURPASSED THE ORIGINAL IN MY OPINION. GRACE KELLY/GWENETH PALTRO WERE NECK AND NECK UNTIL THE ENDING WHICH ECLIPSED THE EARLIER VERSION. DOUGLAS WAS A PERFECTLY ENTITLED A-HOLE.

THE GAME-M. DOUGLAS HAD A STRING ON EXCELLENT STUFF HAPPENING FOR HIM.

DISCLOSURE-M. DOUGLAS-AGAIN A WINNER. HE TOPPED HIS POP IN MOST WATCHABLE, LASTING FILMS. HERE’S WHY…SENIOR DOUGLAS’ES WORKS WERE STUCK IN PERIOD PIECES AS WESTERNS, GLADIATOR SPARTACUS, AND FILM NOIRE 40S ERA. SO DURABLE SEEMINGLESS TIMELESS CLASSICS, A WINNING RECIPE TO GROW FANBASE. 

FATAL ATTRACTION-IN THE VAIN OF NOIRE, A PREVILEDGED MARRIED LAWYER HAS HIS CAKE AND EATS IT TOO, THE OTHER WOMAN IS THE VILLAIN, AS THE INJURED PARTY THE MARRIED GENTLEMAN’S INSISTANCE THAT IT’S OVER WHEN I SAY IT’S OVER GOES IGNORED, ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE AS THE OTHER WOMAN REFUSES TO BE KICKED TO THE CURB AND HAS IT OUT WITH THE WIFE IN A WINNER TAKE ALL BRAWL. DINNER IS SERVED….AND THERE IS RABBIT ON THE MENU!

 

SORRY, WRONG NUMBER

THE STRANGE LOVES OF MARTHA IVERS-VAN HEFLIN/STANWYK/LISABETH SCOTT TORCHER, MURDER AND INTRIGUE SERVED UP ARTFULLY.

 PAYBACK-GIBSON KILLED IT. SCORE WAS PERFECT FOR IT (CHRIS BOARDMAN). 

THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1-2-3  MUSIC SCORE (DAVID SHIRE)

MEMOIRS OF AN INVISIBLE MAN-CHEVY CHASE IS COOL AND ENTERTAINING IN THIS DEPARTURE FROM PURE COMIC NOSENSE. HAVE SEEN IT MORE THAN ONCE, ENJOY IT MORE THAN HIS OTHER WORKS.

 

SHOULD BE ON TCM/BET/ OR SOMEDAY EMMETT TV

 

A SOLIDIER’S STORY

DEVIL IN THE BLUE DRESS

 

JACKIE BROWN

COFFEE

FRIDAY FOSTER

 

J. D.’S REVENGE

BLACULA

SCREAM BLACULA SCREAM

 

CLAUDINE-DRAM-EDY, DIANNE CARROLL, AND JAMES EARLE JONES, SUPPORTING CAST FILL THE SCREEN IN ICONIC ROLES AS WORTHY AS ANY (DATED PORGY AND BESS TYPE OFFERING-THIS IS THE STUFF I WOULD LIKE TO SEE AS A PLAY), INSTANT CLASSIC, EDITORIALIZES BLACK LIFE IN THE ‘70S IN AMERICA WITH A HOST OF ISSUES, ALMOST ANY ONE WILL FIND FAMILIAR OR SPEAK TO THEM ON SOME LEVEL.

 

COOLEY HIGH-EXCELLENT PERFORMANCES OF RISING STARS-A MUST SEE.

 

BOOMERANG-ELEGANT STAR-STUDDED PERFOMANCES. COMEDY/DRAMA, ROLE REVERSALS, INTELLIGENTLY MADE. WE NEED 100’S LIKE IT.

 

A RAGE IN HARLEM-VISUALLY STUNNING AND ENTERTAINING.

 

ROCKY-HUMBLE INNER CITY BOXER, WITH A DREAM TO GO TOE TO TOE WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT BACKED CHAMPION, WHO IS A BLACK MAN. THE PREMISE IS UNIQUE AS FOR ONCE A WRITER, FLIPS THE SCRIPT AND IGNORES COLOR/RACE AND FOCUSES ON A CORPORATE –MINDED SAVVYCHAMPION, AND A HUMBLE SEEMINGLY BORN-LOSER, AND HIS ONE SHOT TO REDEEM HIS LIFE AND GET THE GIRL.

 

SHAFT-BLOCKBUSTER SUPER NEGRO OF HIS DAY, TRANSFORMS THE CLASSIC ROLE OF THE NOIRE FILM DETECTIVE GENRE MADE FAMOUS BY SPILLANE AND HAMMETT. THE TIDYMAN CHARACTER’S SETTING IS IN 1970’S HARLEM AND IT’S MODERN DAY VILLAINS WHO LORD OVER THE UNDERWORLD.WALL TO WALL ACTION.

 

SUPERFLY-UNIQUE ANTI-HERO WILL HAVE YOU ROOTING FOR A HANDSOME PIMP TO ESCAPE A PRISON OF HIS OWN MAKING.

 

CLEOPATRA JONES-AN ACTION STAR WITH GREAT SCREEN PRESENCE, AND GREAT CAST MAKE IT WORTH SEEING.

 

WILLIE DYNAMITE-THE FILM IS FAR BETTER THAN THE TITLE.  WOULD INDICATE. GRITTY AND WORTH VIEWING.

 

BLACK CAESAR-FRED WILLIAMSON OWNS THE SCREEN. EDGY NONSTOP ACTION/FILM NOIRE.

 

COMEDY

 WHICH WAY IS UP

JO JO DANCER (YOUR LIFE IS CALLING)

SILVER STREAK-PRYOR/WILDER COMEDIC INSANITY AT IT’S BEST.

 

BEVERLY HILLS COP-EDDIE MURPHY

 

RUSH HOUR-CHAN/TUCKER ACTION COMEDY TEAM PERFECTION.

 

THE BIRD CAGE-CRIED LAUGHING THROUGH IT THE FIRST TIME. ROBIN WILLIAMS/NATHAN LANE/GENE HACKMAN.

 

THE CONVERSATION-GENE HACKMAN…HIS BEST FILM. CEREBRAL THRILLER.

 

BLOW OUT-TRAVOLTA/NANCY ALLEN 

 

DRESSED TO KILL-NANCY ALLEN/MICHAEL CAINE PSYCHO-DRAMA. CLASSIC

 

THE GODFATHER-PACINO/DENIRO/BRANDO/CAAN/DUVALL/SHIRE/KEATON. ENOUGH SAID.

SEA OF LOVE-PACINO/BARKIN. SIZZLE.

HEAT-PACINO/DENIRO

SCARFACE-PACINO/PFEIFFER HAVE YOU GLUED TO THE SCREEN FROM START TO FINISH. ELEVATED THE ANGSTER GENRE IN FULL COLOR.

 

THE UNTOUCHABLES-COSTNER/CONNERY/DENIRO-THEIR BEST FILM.

CINEMATIC HEAVEN, GREAT CHARACTERS, MUSIC…ART WAS MADE.

 

A BRONX TALE-COOL URBAN STORY, WORTH WATCHING.

 

ENTER THE DRAGON-MATIAL ART MASTERPIECE. PERFECTLY CAST. BRUCE LEE/JIM KELLY/JOHN SAXON.

 

THE GREEN HORNET-ENTER TAINING REMAKE OR CLASSICS-TOTALLY CRAZY AND ENTERTAINING. IT DID MAKE ME WANT TO SEE THE SERIES REVIVED ON TV THOUGH. I HATE IN MY SOUL THAT THESE CHARACTERS ARE BEING WASTED BY A GENERATION THAT COULD BE ENJOYING THEM AS I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO DO.

 

CLASSIC SCI-FI

 

FRANKENSTEIN-STATLINGLY INSIGHTFUL AUTHOR EXAMINES SCIENCE/SCIENTIST DESIRE TO PLAY GOD AND RE-ANIMATE MAN. INTERESTING THAT IT’S A POOR DEAD GUY WITH NO RIGHTS, AND THE SCIENTIST IS A WEALTHY GUY, WITH RESOURCES AND A PROMISING CAREER, BUT HE FEELS THE NEED TO BREAK THE RULES AND INSTEAD OF CREATING A LIFE THROUGH HIS INTENDED BRIDE…THE NORMAL WAY…HE DIGS UP CORPSES WHO HAVE ROTTING FLESH AND ORGANS, BRAINS IN SKETCHY SHAPE AT BEST WHEN THEY WERE ALIVE, AND ATTEMPTS TO RE-INVENT A WHEEL, (CYCLE OF LIFE) THAT WAS ALREADY WORKING…GREAT THEATRE, IN SPITE OF ALL THAT.

DRACULA-THE CHARACTER IS A VILLAIN, THROUGH AND THROUGH. HE SEEMS TO SYMBOLIZE SUPREMECY  AND THE RICH WHO SEEM THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO THE VERY LIVES OF THE POOR TO MAINTAIN THEIR EXISTENCE OVER OTHERS.

 

TO ME, AND HIS NEED TO EXIST BY DRINKING THE BLOOD OF AN EMPLOYEE (WRITER), AND SEIZE THE BLOOD OF FEMALES AND WEAK-WILLED MEN IN ORDER TO MAKE THEM SUBMISSIVES TO WHATEVER HIS NEEDS ARE…HMMM  DOESN’T WANNA KILL YOU…JUST ENSLAVE YOU BY BREAKING DOWN THEIR WILLS BY DEPLEATING THEIR LIFE SOURCE/RESOURCES…AS THE WRITER/VICTIM…OFFERED HIM A …GOOD JOB…YEAH, I CALLED THIS ONE.

 

SO, LEAST SYMPATHETIC CHARACTER OF ALL TIME….IN FACT I WOULD SAY, THE MOST MONSTEROUS, EVERY OTHER SO-CALLED MONSTER, IS ACTUALLY A CREATURE IN FACT. THIS CHARACTER EXISTS, FROM THE MISERY OF OTHERS.

 

THE WOLFMAN-LIKE THE FRANKENSTEIN CREATURE, THE HUMAN PART OF THE ROLE DESERVES SOME SYMPATHY, AS HIS MONSTER-HALF CAN BE A METAPHOR FOR DRUG ADDICTION OR ALCOHOLISM OR STRAIGHT UP MENTAL ILLNESS WHEN UNDER INFLUENCE OF IT’S ‘CURSE’. WELL PLAYED BY LON CHANEY, JR. THIS WAS HIS BEST FILM IN MY OPINION, AND THE SCRIPT WAS AS WELL DONE AS THE GREAT GATSBY, AS I CAN’T IMAGINE IT WITH ANYTHING MORE OR LESS THAN WAS NEEDED TO TELL THE STORY.

 

CARRIE

THE FURY

 

DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL

MINORITY REPORT

BLADE RUNNER

GATTACA

MATRIX

TERMINATOR

TOTAL RECALL

TRUE LIES

LOGAN’S RUN

 

PORTRAIT OF DORIAN GREY

4-D MAN

REINCARNATION OF PETER PROUD

TRILOGY OF TERROR

FRANKENSTEIN: THE TRUE STORY

YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN

 

 

BEST BOND FILMS

 

ON HER MAJESTY’S SECET SERVICE

SKYFALL

 

BEST BOND SONGS

GOLDFINGER & SKYFALL

 

 

BEST TV SHOWS OF ALL TIME

 

STAR TREK

BATMAN

ARROW

THE FLASH

BLACK LIGHTNING

THE OUTER LIMITS

THE NAKED CITY

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE

COLUMBO

DYNASTY

MONK

BLACKLIST

 

SOAPS

YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS

AS TH WORLD TURNS

GUIDING LIGHT

 

BEST LIVE ACTION/ADVENTURE OR ANIMATED SERIES

ULTRAMAN

SPEED RACER

SPIDERMAN

SUPERMAN-LIVE ACTION

THUNDERBIRDS

FILMATION-SUPERMAN/BATMAN/AQUAMAN/

TEEN- TITANS/ATOM/HAWKMAN

THRILLER-BBC TV 

 

BEST SUPERHERO FILMS

SUPERMAN-REEVES

BATMAN-CHRISTIAN BALE

BLACK PANTHER

WONDER WOMAN

SPIDERMAN-MAGUIRE/HOLLAND

AVENGERS

AVENGERS:AGE OF ULTRON

ANT-MAN

CAPTAIN AMERICA: WINTER SOLDIER

 

X-MEN

HULK-EDWARD NORTON

IRON-MAN

THOR

 

FILM NOIRE

 

 

EMMETT WILLIAMS

 

 

 

BORING BUT WORTH WATCHING

 

SECONDS-STARRED ROCK HUDSON. UNIQUE LITTLE FILM, ABOUT A MAN WHO WANTS TO START OVER BUT CAN’T LET GO OF THE PAST.

PATTERNS-VAN HEFLIN USUALLY FITTING INTO A TOUGH GUY OR UNDEDOG ROLE, BUT THIS TIME A VERY SUSPENSEFUL AND CEREBRAL ROLE SHOWS HIS RANGE EVEN MORE. THE VILLAIN IS SEEMINGLY A PREDESCESSOR OF GORDON GEKKO, THE CHARACTER ACTOR PLAYING HIM STARRED IN CITIZEN KANE.

CITIZEN KANE-A CINEMATIC MASTERPIECE- ROLES PERFECTLY PLAYED. SUSPENSEFUL IN A DIFFERENT WAY, YOU KINDA ROOTED FOR KANE AS A KID, THEN KINDA DIDN’T WHEN HE WASTED HIS INHERITENCE AND BECAME A STEREOTYPIC SILVER-SPOON FED JERK/BULLY.

THE RAZOR’S EDGE-SOMBER STORY OF A MAN WHO TRIES IN VAIN TO SAVE A FRIEND WHO SPIRALS DOWN INTO ALCOHOLISM AFTER A DOUBLE TRAGEDY, BUT FINALLY HAS TO MOVE FORWARD ON HIS OWN.

 

GIANT-EDNA FERBER STORY FOCUSES ON A RIVALRY BETWEEN ESTABLISHED TEXAS OILMAN (ROCK HUDSON) , VERSES NEWLY RICH OIL TYCOON AND FORMER EMPLOYEE WHO IS PLAYED BY JAMES DEAN. WITH A THREAD OF CHEAUVINISM AND BIGOTRY AND ROLES OF MEXICAN IN TEXAS SET IN THE ‘50S AMERICA.

DEAN-SO YOU WATCH A CHAPLIN FILM AND YOU CAN FEEL THE FUNNY COMING AS CHAPLIN USUALLY GOES THROUGH THE MOTIONS OF DOING THINGS THE RIGHT WAY BEFORE HE AD-ADLIBS OUT OF CONTROL. DEAN IS LIKE A COILING SPRING READY TO EXPLODE AS TENSION BUILDS, YOU FEEL SOMEBODY IS GONNA POP HIM ONE OR HE’LL SLUG SOME AUTHORITY FIGURE AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT.

 

NEITHER CHARACTER IS APPEALING ENOUGH TO ROOT FOR, ALTHOUGH YOU KINDA HAVE TO WANT DEAN TO STRIKE OIL TO SEE WHAT HE’LL DO WITH MONEY. ALSO YOU ROOT FOR LIZ TAYLOR WHO IS AS A MODERN/INTELLIGENT WOMAN ALSO HAS TO BATTLE FOR THE RESPECT OF HER NEIGHBORS AND HUSBAND.

 

HUDSON IS THE STABLISHMENT CHARACTER/THIS IS HOW IT’S ALWAYS BEEN. IT GETS DEEP AS FOR ME THE FILM IS A SAMPLE FOR ANY AGE, A LESSON IN BIGOTRY AND LIFESTYLE WILL ALWAYS EVENTUALLY CHANGE, ARE WE GONNA GET ALONG OR DO THE HATFIELD AND MCCOY THING AND BATTLE OURSELVES INTO PILES OF GENOCIDAL PILES OF DUST?

A COUPLE GOOD FIGHT SCENS IN AN ENDLESSLY LONG TALKY. THE MORAL OF THE STORY SEEMS TO BE THAT BETWEEN NEWLY RICH AND EQUALLY RACIST ESTABLISHED OLD MONEY CHARACTERS, YOUR BETTER OFF SIDING WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT AS THERE IS HOPE FOR THEM TO CHANGE, THE NEW MONEY BIGOT IS JUST A SELFISH EGOIST WITH A LOT OF MONEY. THE ESTABLISHED CHARACTER, MARRIES A MODERN WOMAN WHO RESCUES HIS RACIST TENDENCIES FROM HIM, AS HIS SON WEDS A LATIN GIRL, WHO GIVES THEM A GRANDCHILD AND HE CHOSES IN THE END TO FIGHT FOR THEM TO BE RESPECTED AS DIFFERENCES DISSOLVED SOMEWHAT.

 

 

NO DANGER OF NODDING OFF WHEN VIEWING THESE PICS BELOW.

 

WHITE HEAT-THE BEST CAGNEY FILM HANDS DOWN.

 

THE MALTESE FALCON-BEST THE BOGEY FILM GENRE.

 

DOUBLE INDEMNITY-(EWARD G. ROBINSON) EDDIE G. AND FRED MCMURRAY, PLUS, STANWYK LIGHT IT UP!

GASLIGHT

 

 

WAIT UNTIL DARK-AUDREY HEPBURN AS A FRAIL BLIND WOMAN, SEEMINGLY LEFT ALONE AT THE MERCY OF A NEST OF DRUG-DEALERS IN SEARCH OF HEROINE. A SUSPENSEFUL THRILLER.

 

PLAY MISTY FOR ME-DELICATE LOOKING LADY PSYCHO FAN IS AFTER RADIO DJ CLINT EASTWOOD IN THIS GENDER REVERSED STALKER FLICK FROM THE ‘70’S.