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The Stranger 1946
I'm surprised this Orson Welles-directed noir isn't better known than it is, because it is one solid suspenser. Edward G. Robinson is a "sort of detective" working to track down Nazi war criminals, and he thinks he's found one in small-town USA. We know he's right pretty much from the beginning (so that's not a spoiler), but how it plays out keeps the suspense high. It's very similar to Hitchcock's Shadow of a Doubt (maybe that's why it's a bit…
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Gunfight at the O.K. Corral 1957
How it entered my Flickchart:
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral > Benji
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral > The Stratton Story
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral < National Velvet
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral < Little Rural Riding Hood
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral > This is Not a Film
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral > Haywire
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral > Born to Kill
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral < Sleeping Beauty
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral > Monsieur Verdoux
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral < Rooty Toot Toot
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral > GattacaFinal ranking: #434
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Pee-wee's Big Adventure 1985
Jon's been after me to watch this for quite a while, and he was totally right. He knows my taste pretty well, especially when it comes to off-beat humor. I can definitely see us coming back to this one often, and quoting it even more.
How it entered my Flickchart:
Pee-Wee's Big Adventure > Benji
Pee-Wee's Big Adventure > The Stratton Story
Pee-Wee's Big Adventure < The Fugitive
Pee-Wee's Big Adventure < Black Dynamite
Pee-Wee's Big Adventure > Topper
Pee-Wee's Big Adventure < (500) Days of… -
Aventure Malgache 1944
A propaganda short film made by Hitchcock during World War II. Interestingly, it's in French, starring French actors who had fled Vichy France to England. The story flashes back to Madagascar, as the Resistance plays out there as some leaders follow Vichy and others go underground to help people escape and support the Allies.
It's not a particularly interesting film to watch - pretty dry and not very suspenseful, especially by Hitchcock's standards. Still, the completist in me is glad to have caught up with it.
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In Bruges 2008
Definitely liked it more the second time around - this time I think it's one of those films that may grow on me with every rewatch. The first time I was expecting a straight up hitman flick, so I wasn't ready for the tonal shifts or especially the existential crisis stuff, and it threw me a lot. This time I was totally on board with all of it.
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The Five-Year Engagement 2012
Definitely my favorite Apatow-produced film thus far. It's warm, actually funny, and hits in the difficulties of long engagements quite well. Disclaimer, my husband and I got married about three weeks after we got engaged, so we went into this film with some pretty clear preconceptions about just going ahead and getting married. The film ended up jiving with us pretty well, and neither of us are fans of romantic comedy/dramas in general. Note that the other Apatow production I…
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The Naked City 1948
Faux-documentary-style detective film, going through a homicide investigation in New York City from start to finish. The narrator treats the town almost as a character, and I think this was one of the earliest films to have exteriors shot on location, with areas like the Brooklyn Bridge getting some iconic attention. The film builds its narrative according to fiction rules, but includes a lot of vignette details that give it character (which is good, since very few of the actual…
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Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters 2013
How it entered my Flickchart:
Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters < Opera
Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters > Monsieur Beaucaire
Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters < A Christmas Carol (1951)
Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters > Hannah Takes the Stairs
Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters < Be Kind Rewind
Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters >Touchez Pas au Grisbi
Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters > First Knight
Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters > Sunnyside
Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters < Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Hansel and… -
The Untouchables 1987
Had to rewatch this after watching Gangster Squad. Yeah, I liked Gangster Squad, but this one is eons better.
