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Yes we all know it’s a classic but none of us rush to watch this over the latest blockbuster. If it were not for this project I would never have seen this movie and I can’t say I’m terribly glad for it. I suspect my headache while watching this contributed to lessen my enjoyment. I kept picking out the horrid acting and comparing it to more modern actors at the top of their game. I admit this is entirely the wrong way to go about watching classics from nearly a century ago but I still could not help myself.

We all know the tale of Frankenstein so I’ll spare you the details. I’m certain that this movie in its time was superb and even today it does hold up OK but that’s about it really. When we have so many wonderful films that have come out since I can’t for the life of me pick this one over the hundreds of others that I would prefer to watch. I often think that some of these classics are highly rated simply because they are vintage. In this case I’m afraid that’s not enough for me so I’ll leave it with a 6/10.

Frankenstein (1931)

It’s complicated OK.

Magnolia is a long and interwoven tale of the people connected to two men who are about to die. Both men have estranged children well into adulthood who want nothing to do with their fathers. We also see a child who is a great chance of being emotionally scarred for life by his father and his simple attempt to prevent this. This is a highly charged movie with amazing confrontations and some quirky weather to boot.

Long and painful but a really rewarding experience and a hope filled ending. Nothing less than a 8/10.

Magnolia (1999)

No I’m Spartacus!

Amidst the almighty Rome of 73 B.C. a Thracian slave by the name of Spartacus refuses to remain beaten and treated like a dog. His ambitions run higher than simply escaping with his life. He intends to free all men, women and children from Rome and her iron grasp. He is driven by the idea of freedom and the love of a beautiful woman.

I fell in love with this movie the first time I saw it years ago and it gets better each time I see it. A classic that ages incredibly well and certainly a must see.

It would be criminal of me not to give this film a 10/10.

Spartacus (1960)

Cary Grant is a ruthless paper-man who’s lost his girl to a sweet insurance salesman. He’ll stop at nothing to get her back and boy is she worth it. They click like an old couple but nothing is certain and she seems determined to kick her old lifestyle for a simple home and family affair. The only problem is she belongs in the paper business and that is evident to everyone but herself.

A fast talking Rosalind Russell steals the show in this one. She’s adorable as one of the guys and deserves an 8/10.

His Girl Friday (1940)

A look at racism in the rural south of America in the 60’s. A detective is passing a town on the way home from seeing his mother when he gets taken in for a murder that coincidentally occurred the night he was there. The colour of his skin was cause enough. When his identity is confirmed his boss asks him to stay in town and help solve the murder. Over the next few days he faces tough trials and rises above in true movie fashion.

A satisfactory performance by Sidney Poitier but in my opinion he was outclassed by the superb Rod Steiger as Chief Gillespie.

An enjoyable flick but hardly more than a 7/10.

In The Heat Of The Night (1967)

With a few days to live a dying man’s life is told through imaginative stories that are larger than life. His son is trying to come to terms with never having known who his father really was and we slowly start to believe that just maybe the stories do hold some truth.

Truly a wonderful movie that has to be seen. It has a wholesome goodness to it that might be over the top for some but it’s simply wonderful story telling for the whole family. This is one of those movies that makes you look back on your life and question yourself just how much have you really lived.

Some rushed scenes with forced acting prevent an otherwise top mark. 9/10

Big Fish (2003)

It’s easy to see why Audrey Hepburn won an Oscar for her first leading roll. She’s absolutely the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen and a great actor. I think I’m in love.

She plays Princess Anne who’s on a tour of European cities when she gets tired of her demanding schedule and escapes her minders in the city of Rome. She happens to meet an American newspaper man by the name of Joe Bradley who is played by Gregory Peck. Joe figures out who she is and secretly tries to get an exclusive story out of her while they both lie to each other, in as far as their identities are concerned, in order to spend a day sight seeing together. Inevitably the day has to come to an end but their time spent together changes both their lives.

I found the last scene particularly interesting and moving. Not the whole 5 minutes but the very last 30 seconds before the credits role. It’s slow and painful and yet passes all too quickly and you feel good about the characters. All in all a very nice wholesome movie at 7/10.

Roman Holiday (1953)

Classic.

An engaging look at a couple and their problems which sustain their relationship. Set in one drink fueled night George and Martha air out their problems in front of their guests, Nick and Honey.

It’s all about the dialogue and it’s absolutely fantastic. The performances by all 4 actors is superb and I’m finding it hard to believe that A Man for All Seasons (1966) took out the best picture over this masterpiece. What a joke.

If you appreciate films this one will surely entertain you at 9/10.

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf (1966)

So what do you get when you mix 3 huge stars in one movie? Usually something bland which is what I saw in The Philadelphia Story. An unbelievable tale of self discovery of a young girl played by an old woman mixed in with a dash of revenge and naturally no melting pot will be complete without an ultimate ending wrapped in love.

I was utterly disappointed with the cast and even annoyed at times. Maybe it was my mood at the time but this one deserves nothing more than a 4/10.

The Philadelphia Story (1940)

I put off watching this movie for far too long. It put the brakes on my little project to watch the top IMDb 250 films. I got a little sick of watching all these old movies despite most of them being fantastic. I needed a little change and so I watched some popcorn movies this past week. All out of my system and back to the list now.

Bride of Frankenstein was better than I imagined it would be. The visual effects were surprisingly good for the thirties and the mood was just right for a horror flick. Lots of nice dark scenes with hard shadows. Some good stuff there. The plot wasn’t the strongest and the acting a bit over the top which was to be expected. All in all a good fun watch that doesn”t take up too much time at under an hour and twenty minutes. For pleasantly surprising me I gave it a 7/10.

Bride of Frankenstein (1935)