1001 Movies (162-221)
You know that book, “1001 movies you must watch before you die”? When I was reading through the lists, I was thinking that if I were going to die in say, a year, I wouldn’t actually spend 2 hours out of my last 365 days on some of these movies. So, I’m going through and deciding whether I think the movies on this list are all that great. Fine morbid fun.
Movies 1-60 :: Movies 61-100 :: Movies 101-160 :: Movies 162-220
Movies 221-260 :: Movies 261-300
On the rating system:
Watch anytime: Superb entertainment
Repeat viewing: Good entertainment
Worth once: if you’ve nothing better to do
Historical significance: not for pleasure
163. Shadow of a Doubt 1943
Type: mystery
Rating: worth once
Comments: This is worth watching but it’s not a necessity. See my full comments.
165. Meet Me in St. Louis 1944
Type: period
Rating: repeat viewing
Comments: I think this is like Little Women – a kind of all-American must-see for girls. I don’t know about the boys. It’s my favorite Judy Garland musical – even better than Wizard of Oz. Fav moments: the Trolley song and the heartbreaking scene with the snowmen.
167. Laura 1944
Type: mystery
Rating: historical significance
Comments: This did not work for me. But you could watch if your life is that meaningless. See my full comments.
168. Gaslight 1944
Type: suspense
Rating: worth once
Comments:Fun woman-in-jeopardy film but not a must see. It’s also amusing to see Angela Lansbury as a very young woman.
171. Double Indemnity 1944
Type: crime
Rating: repeat value
Comments: YES YES YES – I don’t really like film noir that much and I LOVED this one. The storytelling is still razor-sharp, and the characters are fascinating.
182. Brief Encounter 1945
Type: romance
Rating: historical significance
Comments: This one made me gag. Everyone appears to love it. They’re probably right. But…the only character I liked was the cuckolded husband. I don’t think he deserved his stupid wife.
187. Beauty and the Beast 1946
Type: fantasy
Rating: repeat viewing
YES. This should be seen by anyone who enjoys fairy tales or fantasy.
188. Big Sleep 1946
Type: mystery
Rating: repeat viewing
Comments: This one is my favorite Humphrey Bogart movie. It’s perfect for him, which makes it perfect for watching. I prefer watching movies in groups but this one is best watched alone on a rainy evening.
194. It’s a Wonderful Life 1946
Type: fantasy
Rating: repeat viewing
Comments: Yeah – I know it was running each Christmas for years. But it’s still quite good.
195. Gilda 1946
Type: crime
Rating: worth once
Comments: I haven’t seen this one in a while. As I recall, it was a well done piece of drama.
197. Out of the Past 1947
Type: crime
Rating: worth once
Comments: Solid movie. See my full comments.
198. Ghost and Mrs. Muir 1947
Type: fantasy
Rating: worth once
Comments: This one drags in the last half hour but charming enough at the beginning. A nice contribution to the Gothic/Paranormal romance with a couple of well-drawn characters.
206. Rope 1948
Type: crime
Rating: historical significance
Comments: Dull. Dull. Dull. I can believe that some incredibly sensitive and thoughtful people have had their life changed by this movie. Didn’t work for me.
220. The Third Man 1949
Type: spy
Rating: worth once
Comments: In a humanity-is-worthless kind of way, this is very much worth seeing. My full comments.
After the break is the full list from 162 to 221:
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