In between all of the new releases this hot Summer I’ve had the chance to squeeze-in some of Hollywood’s greatest films. Here are my thoughts on three of the of the all-time classic:
“The Birds” – Alfred Hitchcock’s thriller about birds gone wild is an incredible film. The suspense level builds perfectly and the balance of story, dialogue and attack scenes is masterful. Set and costume design are outstanding and the ending may just be the most surprising of any movie I’ve ever seen. The DVD I watch provided a bonus feature with the original, extended ending, but I like it the way it is. This is a memorable movie.
“Citizen Kane” – Recently the British Film Institute removed it from the top spot of “The Greatest Movies of All-time”, knocking it down to #2 (replaced by Hitchcock’s “Vertigo”). While I wouldn’t have it on the top of my list either, it’s a very engaging story with incredibly sharp and sophisticated dialogue. Orson Welles’ performance is outstanding, and he actually looks old as Kanes gets old. How come he could do that back then and make-up artists today can’t pull this off?
“Singin’ in the Rain” – Considered the best musical of all-time, this film has several classic numbers including “Make ‘Em Laugh” and “Good Morning”. And of course who can forget the great Gene Kelly singing and dancing the title song. I was lucky enough to see this in a theater – the Fathom Events/Turner Classic Movies 60th anniversary screening. Great story, nice, light touches of humor. And I enjoyed the similiarities with “The Artist”, though both films are very unique and original.