The Thursday List: Gangster Edition (International)

Kung Fu Hustle (2004)

This movie isn't simply a good story well told. This is my favorite martial arts film ever. It's well paced, with plenty of action, lots of laughs, and just the right amount of drama and suspense, and the special effects are all in service of the story, not simply there to look cool. On top of that it looks like the cast and crew really enjoyed making it, which is a plus in my book. It's a genuinely fun, enjoyable film. Highly recommended.

Snatch (2000)

A comedy of errors and omissions between a bunch of villains, ranging from truly bad men and men who desperately want to be truly bad but really aren't. It's a roller coaster, rapidly paced and a bit of a jigsaw. And funny. People get threatened and beat up and killed, but... yeah, it's a gritty crime comedy, with a marvelous cast, including Jason Statham, Benicio del Toro, Dennis Farina, and Stephen Graham. Alan Ford delivers a truly stand-out performance as Brick Top, the main villain and undeniably the film's Most Very Bad Man. This is one of my Top 10 Crime/Caper Films. Highly recommended.

Jackie Brown (1997)

Some may consider it heretical, but I consider this Quentin Tarantino's best film to date, not that his others have been exactly poor by any stretch of the imagination... except for maybe "Death Proof". It's got the trademark Tarantino pacing and dialogue, but the characters are by and large the most relatable and interesting of his works. It helps of course that the cast is stellar, particularly Robert Forrester, Pam Grier, Robert DeNiro, and Samuel L. Jackson, and they're working from a near-perfect script. High marks all around. Highly recommended.

Picture Day 1

Here is a snapshot of part of my personal movie collection, in case some of you wondered, which you probably didn't. But here it is anyway.

The movie immediately above "Hot Fuzz" is a double feature set of "Kelly's Heroes" (1970) and "Where Eagles Dare" (1968). Both are WW2 movies that star/co-star Clint Eastwood. Immediately above that case is the slot where "Kung Fu Hustle" (2004) usually sits. It's not there because I've been watching it this afternoon. Finally, the movie at the very top of the photo isn't "Se7en" (1995) but "The Magnificent Seven" (1960).

The Thursday List (coming soon)

On Thursdays I am going to try to post three films, featuring as brief as possible reviews of each. I just want to get a little more product going out the door here.

Also, please feel free to suggest or ask me about particular titles. I'm always up for that.

Stay tuned.

In the meantime...

The following are films I cannot recommend highly enough. I may or may not get around to reviewing them here fully, and so I figure it's good to have at least a partial list out anyway.

This list is in no particular order. I'm just naming them as they come to mind. many of you may know or at least heard of most of these, of course. I'd be remiss in my duties if I didn't list them, though.

Citizen Kane (1941)

The Producers (1968)

The Day of the Jackal (1973)

The Sting (1973)

A Night at the Opera (1935)

Blade Runner (1982)

Touch of Evil (1958)

The Wicker Man (1973)

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Blazing Saddles (1974)

High Noon (1952)

Get Carter (1971)

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

Chinatown (1974)

Brazil (1985)

The Third Man (1949)

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (1975)

Defending Your Life (1991)

The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976)

The Old Dark House (1932)

Gosford Park (2001)

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

True Grit (1969)

Strangers on a Train (1951)

Educating Rita (1983)

Session 9 (2001)

The Manchurian Candidate (1962)

L.A. Story (1991)

Please keep in mind, this list is nowhere near complete. I'll list some more another day. This group ought to keep you occupied and viewing happily for a while.