I don’t simply dislike classic films, so you can’t blame this on that. In fact, several of my personal favorites are old — Casablanca and The Philadelphia Story to name a couple. Those films are great because they are great films with incredible acting and brilliant dialogue that stands the test of time. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is just plain dumb. And by the way, the ending is the most ridiculous part. Spoiler alert: the so-called “happy” ending takes place only because Senator Paine ( Claude Rains) comes clean at the end. There was not going to be any redemption for the feeble Mr. Smith — he was going to lose his bid to show the world that politics is evil — until Sen. Paine decides, for some unknown reason, to throw himself on the mercy of congress in a ludicrous confession. Where’s the moral in that? Mr. Smith goes to Washington and fails to blow the lid off corruption. Some plot.

I will give credit where credit is due though. Jean Arthur as Clarissa Saunders was wonderful as the sassy but ultimately helpful secretary to Mr. Smith. Ironically, of the three Oscar nominations for acting that the film received she was not among the honored. But despite her great performance her character does have a major flaw — she falls for the idiotic Mr. Smith even though his naiveté about politics (and life for that matter) is obvious. She’s be better off marrying the unattractive but intellectually equal Diz Moore. This film was all wrong.

I would like to say there was at least one memorable line wrapped up in Mr. Smith’s long-winded diatribe in congress:

“Just get up off the ground, that’s all I ask. Get up there with that lady that’s up on top of this Capitol dome, that lady that stands for liberty. Take a look at this country through her eyes if you really want to see something. And you won’t just see scenery; you’ll see the whole parade of what Man’s carved out for himself, after centuries of fighting. Fighting for something better than just jungle law, fighting so’s he can stand on his own two feet, free and decent, like he was created, no matter what his race, color, or creed. That’s what you’d see. There’s no place out there for graft, or greed, or lies, or compromise with human liberties. And, uh, if that’s what the grownups have done with this world that was given to them, then we’d better get those boys’ camps started fast and see what the kids can do. And it’s not too late, because this country is bigger than the Taylors, or you, or me, or anything else. Great principles don’t get lost once they come to light. They’re right here; you just have to see them again!”

That’s a nice bit of writing, but it’s alone in an otherwise dull script. And of course the sentiment is as true today as it was in 1939, and probably 1839 and 1776 as well. Guess I’m a pessimist, but the more things change the more they stay the same, especially when it comes to politics.

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again — so many films you think you love from their reputation just don’t hold up when you see them again with a critical eye. Just because something is old does not make it classic.

Next on the list: To Kill a Mockingbird

To begin, the film was made during the height of the red scare and the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) and the film’s writer, Carl Foreman, was a former Communist and when he was called before HUAC he would not name names and was blacklisted. It is said that High Noon is about standing up for what is right even when everyone else does nothing, which is exactly what happens in the film when nobody in the town is willing to help Marshal Kane (Gary Cooper) even though he was responsible for cleaning up the town in the first place. Kane’s new wife, a quaker, initially leaves her new husband because he wouldn’t run away but then goes against her religion and helps her husband, even killing one of the bad guys. Is this Foreman making a statement about religion?

What makes the film even more interesting to me is that John Wayne hated it. In fact, he said it was the most un-American film ever made. Considering Wayne was a racist and someone who agreed with what HUAC was doing I guess that makes me a fan of High Noon. Lord knows I love a good liberal cause! Strangely, the film is listed as a favorite by both Bill Clinton and Dwight Eisenhower.

High Noon was nominated for Best Picture but did not win. Cooper won for Best Actor, though in my mind he didn’t really do much so it must have been a bad year for actors!

Next: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

All About Eve won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1951 and it was well deserved. The story is about fame, ambition, jealousy and the nature of people. And while the film is “all about Eve” it’s really just as much about Channing, who is trying to find her way as an “older” actress now that she has hit the big 4-0. Channing is struggling with aging in a young woman’s world, and even worries that her younger boyfriend will leave her for a new model. But as the film moves on and she begins to see the “real” Eve she learns that she has true friendships and the love of her boyfriend and that no matter what Eve does she will always have that. After seeing the film I can’t believe Davis didn’t win the Best ACtress honor, but it’s quite possible the votes were split between her and Anne Baxter who played Eve thus handing the Oscar to Judy Holliday in Born Yesterday.

The film is loaded with tremendous acting performances from Davis and Baxter to George Sanders who won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor as well as Celeste Holm and Thelma Ritter who were both nominated for Best Supporting Actress. The film even includes Marilyn Monroe in one of her earlier roles. The acting was brilliant in large part because of a wonderful screenplay by Joseph L. Mankiewicz who also directed the film. The dialogue is really excellent and quite provocative for its time. It’s very intelligently written with lots of humor as well. And it has the famous line from Bette Davis:

“Fasten your seatbelt, it’s going to be a bumpy night!”

Next Up: High Noon

Double Indemnity did get nominated for Best Picture, probably because it was a crappy year for films (Bing Crosby’s Going My Way won the honor). Stanwyck was nominated for Best Actress (she also lost) and in fact the film lost all seven of the Oscars for which it was nominated. I found Stanwyck to be quite good as the icy cool murderous wife and Edward G. Robinson was great as the insurance agency’s skeptical leader. And then there was MacMurray. I was really impressed with his performance in another AFI film, The Apartment, but he was clunky and over-the-top in this performance. I know it is interesting to see the dad from Father Knows Best and the Absent Minded Professor as a killer, but it wasn’t enough for me to say this was a great performance.

I’m going to chalk this one up to AFI voters who think Billy Wilder can do know wrong (he certainly is one of our greatest directors) but this is not one of his best. Overrated!

Next Up: All About Eve

Time once again for my annual review of the top albums of 2012 according to me. No apologies here…these are not the “best” albums of the year, simply my favorite:

1. Babel — Mumford and Sons – They may have gotten a bit overexposed this year, but when you release an album as great as Babel the attention is well deserved. No other album got as much airplay on my Spotify account this year and I still find myself putting it on even as background when I’m reading or doing other things. Such a great album. Thank you Mumfords!
2. Blak and Blu — Gary Clark, Jr. – After Clark’s EP last year I couldn’t wait for his first full-length album and it didn’t disappoint. He’s a genuine guitar god with a hint of R&B and I always turn it up and melt into the riffs.  Best debut album in years.
3. My Head is an Animal — Of Monsters and Men – It seems every year a single song sneaks up on me and catches my attention and this year I couldn’t get enough of “Mountain Sound” by Iceland’s Of Monsters and Men. And guess what? When the album was released in the U.S. in April the whole damn thing was great! Any band that incorporates a glockenspiel is all right by me. These guys are definitely taking advantage of the indie-folk resurgence and as you can see from my top 10 this year I’m all in.
4. The Lion The Beast The Beat — Grace Potter & the Nocturnals – A solid follow up to 2010’s eponymous effort, which was my favorite album of that year. Grace has a rock and roll voice beyond comparison and her band can bring it. And it sure doesn’t hurt that she’s gorgeous!
5. Brilliant – Ultravox – Yes, that’s right…Ultravox! Reformed after nearly 20 years, Midge Ure and company released Brilliant in 2012 and it was…well…brilliant! It’s hard to recapture the same sound after so long, but Midge’s voice is as great as ever and Brilliant could easily have been recorded in 1984. Love it.
6. Sunken Condos — Donald Fagen – For his fourth solo album Donald Fagen dances with the date that brung him and the result is classic Fagen. If you don’t like Donald Fagen you don’t like music. Sunken Condos is nine jazz-infused pop gems.
7. The Hunger Games: Songs from District 12 and Beyond – It’s pretty rare for a movie soundtrack to get much airtime in my rotation but when this soundtrack came out I couldn’t get enough. Great songs from The Decemberists, Arcade Fire, Neko Case, The Civil Wars and Glen Hansard. And yes, two excellent tracks from Taylor Swift, whom I had no interest in prior to this but I love both of her songs on this record.
8. The Sound of the Life of the Mind — Ben Folds Five – I’ll admit this “reunion” album is not as good as the old BFF or even Ben’s solo work, but it’s BFF and that’s good enough for me. There are some great tunes here including the title track and my favorite – Do It Anyway.
9. Blunderbuss — Jack White – I’ve always been sort of luke warm on Jack White, but for some reason the songs from this album, starting with Love Interruption, hit me over the head like a ton of bricks. Shakin’ brought it home and it’s easily one of my favorite albums of the year.
10. Halcyon — Ellie Goulding – By all accounts I shouldn’t like Ellie Goulding because frankly I’m not much into “dance” music and I am definitely not a fan of dub step or anything those weird deejays like Skrillex and DeadMau5 play. But from the first time I heard last year’s “Lights” I was hooked and Halcyon is a lovely mix of musical goodness, topped off by Ellie’s unique voice. Still not sure why she’s dating Skrillex though!

Honorable Mentions: Smilers — Aimee Mann; Little Broken Hearts — Norah Jones; Port of Morrow — The Shins; The Only Place — Best Coast; Synthetica – Metric; The Idler Wheel — Fiona Apple; Gossamer — Passion Pit.

“This is the end…this is the end, my friend.” — Jim Morrison

We’re really getting into this countdown now as we crack into the top 30 films of all time according to AFI. I suppose I may have some disagreements with AFI as we get closer to the top, but this is not one of them. Apocalypse Now is an amazing film that holds up well today even after 33 years. It is one of my favorites and it consistently ranks among the top films ever on nearly every significant countdown.

Apocalypse Now is the story of Captain Benjamin Willard, played by Martin Sheen, who is sent up the river in Vietnam to track down and “terminate” Colonel Walter E. Kurtz, played by Marlon Brando. Kurtz has gone insane and has created a cult of sorts and has taken the war into his own hands. The journey up river into Cambodia is dangerous and deadly but the trip itself helps set the mood for what Willard finds when he gets to Kurtz’ compound. The film, loosely based on the novella Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, was directed by Francis Ford Coppola.

I suppose one could prattle on here about the major themes of the film such as the nature of war, the inner darkness of man, right and wrong, the Vietnam War itself, etc. I’ll pass on that and just say that the film is full things worth pondering. For me it’s mostly memorable for its incredible cinematography and a handful of scenes that are truly some of the most memorable ever shot.

My favorite scene takes place as Willard enlists the help of Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore to clear a path for their boat to head up river. Played by Robert Duvall, Kilgore and his team storm into a village at the base of the river blaring Wagner from their helicopters and blowing the village to kingdom come…and then of course they go surfing. Duvall delivers two classic lines in this scene — “I love the smell of napalm in the morning” and “If I say it’s safe to surf this beach it’s safe to surf this beach!” I can watch this scene a million times and it always makes me smile. Bombs are going off in all directions and Duvall never flinches while his troops are diving for cover.

The images of “Vietnam” are beautiful and the battle scenes are marvelously shot. The places the gang runs into up river are like something out of a science fiction film, none more otherworldly than Kurtz’ compound with dead bodies strewn all over and native ritual dances taking place. Awe inspiring stuff.

There are several other memorable performances in the film — Lawrence Fishburne as Clean, Dennis Hopper as a crazy photojournalist who has fallen under Kurtz’ spell, of course Brando and Sheen were brilliant. Even Harrison Ford and Scott Glenn have small roles early in their careers.

Apocalypse Now won a lot of critical acclaim but it did not clean up at the Academy Awards, winning only for sound and cinematography. Only Duvall was nominated for acting (Sheen was robbed) and Coppola did get nominated for best director, losing to Robert Benton for Kramer vs Kramer which also won best picture that year. It was a good year for films, and Apocalypse Now was nominated for best picture along with All That Jazz, Breaking Away and Norma Rae. Being There was also from 1979 and it didn’t even get nominated! Still, for my money Apocalypse Now should have won.

Next up: Double Indemnity

The Maltese Falcon has always had a special place in my heart because, and I know this is stupid, but it’s the only film that has a character named Gutman! Sydney Greenstreet is Kasper Gutman, better known as the fat man. I suppose this is common place for you if your name is Smith or Jones, but it’s always been a point of pride for me. But the real reason I love the film is that it’s classic Bogie. As Sam Spade Bogart plays a tough and smart private dick who uncovers a plot to acquire an ancient jeweled bird potentially worth millions. Spade plays his cards close to the vest as the plot advances until the wonderful ending where he nicely wraps up all the details and even sends the beautiful Miss O’Shaughnessey “over” for the murder of his partner. And he closes the film with one of his most classic lines when the detective asks Spade what the bird is — “It’s the stuff that dreams are made of” he says. Classic.

Some other great Bogart lines from the film:

• “We didn’t exactly believe your story, Miss O’Shaughnessy. We believed your 200 dollars.”
• “I don’t mind a reasonable amount of trouble.”
• “When you’re slapped, you’ll take it and like it.”
• “Don’t be too sure I’m as crooked as I’m supposed to be.”

I’ve never read the novel so I don’t know if these and the other great lines are thanks to director John Huston or novelist Dashiell Hammett, but either way the film is full of great lines. And it’s also full of wonderful secondary performances by Greenstreet, Peter Lorre and Mary Astor whose over-the-top performance as Miss O’Shaughnessey is priceless.

Next: Apocalypse Now

It’s pretty much impossible to review The Godfather Part II out of context from The Godfather because the stories are so intertwined it’s truly one long film. In fact, as most fans know the films were in fact combined in a later release that told the story chronologically, and some believe this is in fact the best way to view The Godfather story. I won’t go that far, but again I think the stories are so connected it’s not fair to review one without discussing the other.

That being said, I’ll try. I will reserve final judgment about which film I think is better for after I view The Godfather again as part of this quest, but it should be noted that part two comes in at #32 on this list and the original is #2. Having seen both several times I find it hard to disagree, and in fact watching The Godfather Part II again yesterday for this review I was struck by how weird it feels as a standalone film. Part two serves two purposes really — one is to introduce how Vito Corleone got his start in the family business and the other is to witness how Michael Corleone completes his father’s work and ends up bringing the family to the point of both ultimate power and internal demise at once. Michael foreshadows this midway through the film when he asks his mother if it’s possible to help the family while at the same time losing it. Clearly it is.

For me the parts of the film about Michael show how power creates paranoia. Michael becomes so obsessed with trying to figure out who tried to kill him that he eventually blames all of his so-called enemies and brings them all down. At the same time, he brings down his family and at the end he’s left with ultimate power but he’s all alone. This is in contrast to Vito’s quest for power, which we learn from the film comes as a result of circumstances. Vito is witness to the murder of his father, his brother and his mother. By heading off to America he rescues himself from the same fate, but ultimately his circumstances in New York also lead him to crime. I think it’s clear Vito had an innate ability within him to be a criminal, but it isn’t until he loses his job and becomes desperate to provide for his family does he let the criminal out. And we know from part one of the film that Vito is a brutal criminal, but his motivation is always the betterment of the family. Michael did not learn this lesson from his father.

Is The Godfather Part II a great film? I’m not so sure. It’s disjointed and the past vs present elements get confusing. Also, not a whole lot really happens in part two other than Michael wiping out the last of his enemies. The great lines that so many of us men quote are mostly from part one, though there are a few gems in part two (I know it was you, Fredo. You broke my heart. You broke my heart!). But for me the film is much ado about nothing. Again, it’s all part of a great story, but on its own part two doesn’t have as much to offer as part one.

Of course, the Academy didn’t see it that way. It doled out six Oscars including Best Picture (it beat Chinatown, which I think is a better film and if AFI counts for anything it does as well). Robert DeNiro won for Best Actor and Al Pacino, Talia Shire, Lee Strasberg and Michael Gazzo were nominated for acting. Frances Ford Coppola won best director and the film also won Oscars for art direction, music and writing.

The Godfather Part II is a great film, no doubt. But really it’s only great when considered in context of the Godfather saga.

Next Up: The Maltese Falcon

“I must be crazy to be in a loony bin like this.” — R. P. McMurphy (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest)

They don’t get much better than this. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a masterpiece of storytelling and a tour de force of acting led by Jack Nicholson in, for my money, his greatest role. Jack won the first of his three Oscars for playing R.P. McMurphy, who ends up getting a little more than he bargained for when he cons his way out of prison and into a mental hospital to escape the hard work in jail. McMurphy is not crazy, but maybe being surrounded by nut jobs rubs off on him. Or maybe trying to act rationally in a mental institution is impossible, because the more McMurphy tries to make things “normal” for his fellow inmates the harder things get inside.

The film is based on the award winning novel by Ken Kesey, and the title of the book and film comes from a children’s poem but essentially means to “transcend the absurdity of man’s earthly existence.” The story is a commentary on oppression and control, specifically control in terms of mental incarceration and what it truly means to be crazy. Of course, the title foreshadows the ending of the film in which (Spoiler Alert) Chief helps McMurphy transcend his earthly existence by killing him out of mercy after he is given a lobotomy. Heady stuff this.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest swept the big five Academy Awards in 1976, winning best actor, best actress for Louise Fletcher as the controlling Nurse Ratched, Best screenplay, best director for Milos Forman and of course Best Picture. Forman doesn’t get a lot of credit for being such a great director, but he also won a best director Oscar for Amadeus and directed some wonderful films including The People Vs. Larry Flynt, Ragtime and Man on the Moon. The film is also fun to watch because there are several actors in it who went on to become much more famous, including Christopher Lloyd and Danny DeVito.

I absolutely love One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and watching it again today was a treat. Jack is classic from the opening scene and that shit-eating grin is one in a million. There are also some very memorable scenes, especially the drunken party on the ward and the boat scene when McMurphy escapes with the gang and takes them on a fishing trip. Of course, there’s the famous line when McMurphy says “I want to watch the god damn World Series,” but like a lot of famous lines (Bogart never said “Play it Again, Sam”) — he never actually said it.

Next Up: The Godfather Part II

Dear Disney fanatics, please don’t yell at me. I like Disney. I know you loved Snow White when you were a little girl and your own daughter now loves Snow White. I get it. I really do. Just don’t try to tell me the film is better than Shrek, or Finding Nemo, or The Lion King, or The Prince of Egypt, or The Little Mermaid, or Ice Age, or Heavy Metal!

Believe me, I can get into a whole analysis of Snow White and we can discuss its impact and we can even get into themes like the Prince Charming fallacy and other feminist stuff. Save it for a different blog. This is about enjoying movies and I fell asleep watching Snow White today. Whistle on that while you work!

Next Up: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest