REVIEW COLLECTION: The Filmography of John Hughes, Part I (Second Edition)

WRITER'S NOTE: The following is a collection of reviews posted on my Instagram accounts @be.kerian and @film_freeq since 2020. They’ve been organized by their initial (theatrical) release dates. This profile covers one of the most influential filmmakers of the 1980s. (You can read the 1st Edition here.) 

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Mr. Mom (1983) 

Back when he was known for making comedies earlier in his career, Michael Keaton headlined one of John Hughes' earliest scripts (based on the writer's own experiences as a father) by playing a family man who becomes a full-time stay-at-home dad after losing his job, while his wife (Teri Garr) takes on a new career of her own. Mishaps involving grocery shopping, laundry, the home vacuum cleaner, and an ugly plaid shirt are hysterical, and why Mr. Mom (along with Keaton's performance) remain classic 80s comedy. References to infidelity (including a soap opera fantasy sequence) and a scene in a male strip club are its major timeouts. Advice for parents: never overload the laundry or feed a baby chili. 

National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983) 

Released the same year as Mr. Mom, Hughes adapted his story, "Vacation '58" (first published in National Lampoon magazine), itself based on a family road trip he had as a kid. Directed by the late Harold Ramis, this 80s comedy centers around the Griswold clan as they take a cross-country trek via station wagon from Chicago, Illinois, to Walley World, California. Everything goes south at nearly every turn, leading patriarch Clark Griswold to several breaking points. This is the role that funnyman Chevy Chase will probably be most remembered for, striking a balance between a nice guy and a ticking time bomb. Nobody but him could've pulled that off so effortlessly.) 

The movie itself, however, isn't as ideal as we may remember it. Sure, it has many hilarious moments and one-liners, and it may be a "family" comedy. But it's not really family-friendly, no matter how much we'd like to think it is. Various issues--er, detours (some rather dark)--range from infidelity, images of nudity and references to nude magazines, underage drinking and drug use, a climactic hostage situation, several harsh profanities, the unexpected fate of Aunt Edna and her dog, and a ghetto scene that even Ramis deeply regretted in retrospect.

TRIVIAL FACT: This was technically Hughes' first collaboration with regulars Anthony Michael Hall (as the original Rusty Griswold) and John Candy (as a theme park security guard). 

Sixteen Candles (1984) 

After making a name for himself as a writer for National Lampoon magazine, John Hughes made his directorial debut with this first of many comedies/dramas centered around teenage adolescence. In a breakout performance, Molly Ringwald plays Samantha Baker, whose aspirations for the perfect sixteenth birthday don't go as she had hoped. What follows is a wild night of school dances, hard partying, and a triangle of young love, leading up to one of the most iconic moments in contemporary cinema. 

The film is noteworthy for its authentic portrayal of high school teenagers (including Anthony Michael Hall's geeky Farmer Ted and Michael Schoeffling's dreamy Jake Ryan), as well as genuine family dynamics. (Remember that scene between Ringwald and her screen dad Paul Dooley?) On the other hand, Sixteen Candles has also been the subject of controversy due to cultural insensitivity. Look no further than the stereotype that is Long Duck Dong. Not since Mickey Rooney's yellow-faced Mr. Yunioshi in Breakfast at Tiffany's has the Asian/Asian-American community been given such a bad wrap. (To be fair, Hughes and actor Gedde Watanabe may not have intended this, but we know better now, don't we.) Add to that some brief-but-gratuitous nudity, underage drinking, references to date rape, and Ringwald dropping an F-bomb right before the opening credits, and we have an 80s flick we need to think twice about before blowing out the candles. 

Weird Science (1985) 

In a 1980s-technological twist on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, high school nerds and social outcasts Gary and Wyatt (Anthony Michael Hall and Ilan Mitchell-Smith) decide to create the girl of their wildest dreams, with disastrous and outrageous results. Weird Science is one of John Hughes' crudest comedies, and easily his most sexualized, with lead actress Kelly LeBrock as both a figure of unquestionable objectification and, surprisingly, a smarter-than-she-looks woman. An oxymoron, if ever there was one. 

Bill Paxton almost steals the show as, perhaps, the worst on-screen big brother (up until, maybe, Buzz McCalister), while Robert Downey, Jr., made his feature film debut here (as one of the main bullies). And there's that catchy theme song by Danny Elfman's band Oingo Boingo. Weird Science marked the last collaboration between Hall and Hughes, and the last of the writer-director's films to be released by Universal (until 1988's The Great Outdoors) before moving to Paramount for his next five features. 

TRIVIAL FACT: The house used for the climactic party sequence was later used in Richard Kelly's 2001 teenage thriller Donnie Darko. 

Pretty in Pink (1986) 

Pretty in Pink certainly wasn't the first movie that Hughes wrote but didn't direct. But his sensibilities are certainly evident in this coming-of-age story about economic class differences and anxieties, including a love triangle with more layers than most other related stories put together (I'm looking at you, She's All That). Personally, I didn't identify with the culture of rich kids. But the emotional struggles these characters go through are relatable and understanding (especially Molly Ringwald's Andie and Jon Cryer's Duckie). "His name is Blaine?! That's a major appliance, that's not a name!" The film's ending remains controversial, and a reason why Hughes reportedly wrote the similarly-themed although tonally-different Some Kind of Wonderful the following year.

TRIVIAL FACT: Wonderful's Eric Stoltz was originally cast (and filmed some scenes) as Marty McFly in 1985's Back to the Future before being replaced by Michael J. Fox. He did eventually work alongside actress Lea Thompson, who, after starring in the critically- and commercially-disastrous Howard the Duck in '86, had something of a career-saving role as popular girl Amanda Jones.

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) 

"Bueller? . . . Bueller?" Regarded by many as the best film written and directed by John Hughes, Ferris Bueller's Day Off not only boasts a hilarious fourth-wall comedy crusade, with an irreplaceable Matthew Broderick as the iconic hooky-playing high schooler (even though nobody's really this free-spirited), Alan Ruck as best friend Cameron, and Mia Sara as girlfriend Sloane. And let's not forget Jeffrey Jones' hard-nosed principal Ed Rooney, Jennifer Grey's envious sibling Jeanie, and Ben Stein's droll economics teacher. This classic example of fantastical realism (a trademark of Hughes' filmography) also stands as something of a travelogue for the city of Chicago, Illinois. I mean, who could ever forget the art museum tour, or the parade-crashing sequence? If you haven't seen it yet but will soon ("Anyone? Anyone?"), stay through the credits!

This film and 1985's The Breakfast Club are the only John Hughes titles selected into the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "historically, culturally, and aesthetically significant". [Read my full review of The Breakfast Club here.] 

Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987)*

For his first official transition into more adult-oriented films, Hughes enlisted two comedy greats. In Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Steve Martin plays Neal Page, a stuck-up marketing executive just trying to get home to see his family for Thanksgiving. But weather delays, transportation issues, and violent outbursts (including an infamous tirade at a car rental desk) turn his short trip into a three-day trek, especially when he tags along with an obnoxious-but-loveable travelling salesman. John Candy gave his best performance to date as Del Griffith, who reveals more layers and feelings than his occupation-of-choice let's on. (He sells shower curtain rings, of all things.) 

The film reminds me of how cinematic Hughes was in the 1980s, in the most unconventional, down-to-earth, non-Hollywood way. He also happened to make some of the most unforgettable movies that have since become holiday staples every year. And in terms of working with the late Candy, Hughes really knew how to play to the beloved actor's strengths and bring out the qualities that made him such an admirable actor and person. Cheers, and happy Thanksgiving, everybody. [*extended review for this edition] 

She’s Having a Baby (1988) 

Before Planes, Hughes technically made the transition from teenage adolescence into adulthood with She's Having a Baby (released in February 1988, three months after Planes). Narrated and headlined by Kevin Bacon, the film received mixed to negative reviews from critics and did poor at the box-office, likely due to its polarizing and often-dark take on marriage, love, sex, and child-rearing. 

Even though it features some clever surreal/fantasy moments (like the neighborhood song-and-dance number, complete with lawnmowers and sprinklers) and celebrity cameo appearances during the end credits, She's Having a Baby will more often than not have viewers scratching their heads, even feeling depression and wondering, "What are we to make of this?" Hughes did recuperate with subsequent (and more successful) hit movies starring John Candy. 

The Great Outdoors (1988) 

Canadian comedy legends Dan Ackroyd and John Candy play rival in-laws at war during summer vacation in the woods with their families. Directed by Howard Deutch (in his third consecutive and final collaboration with writer-producer John Hughes), The Great Outdoors was made during a time when both comedians were still at the top of their game, and when such "family" movies were both more sincere and crude. If there's one scene this crowdpleaser is most remembered for, it's "the Old '96er" ("That ain't the last bite"). Oh, and let's not forget the raccoons, bears, and "Land of a Thousand Dances." 

Uncle Buck (1989) 

Hughes directed the John Candy in another of his most unforgettable roles, as an obnoxious but endearing uncle who looks after his nieces and nephew during a family crisis. If released today, this 1989 not-really-family-friendly comedy would likely be rated PG-13, due to some surprisingly crass content. Still, this has what most comedies lack today: a genuine balance of humor, heart, and heightened laughs. (Honestly, nobody cooks pancakes or does laundry like Buck Russell!) And nobody but Candy could've pulled off such a tailor-made performance so seamlessly. At its heart, Uncle Buck is a story about an estranged relative who gets a second chance to know his family again, particularly during a complex dynamic with his niece (a brief return to teenage angst for Hughes).

Uncle Buck is also notable for introduced Hughes to a then-unknown child actor named Macaulay Culkin (who plays nephew Miles). Reportedly, Hughes was inspired to write 1990's Home Alone specifically for Culkin, based on a scene where Miles interrogates a potential babysitter through a front door mail slot.

This is one of two films from 1989 that features actresses Amy Madigan and Gaby Hoffman (the other being Field of Dreams).

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) 

If you want full disclosure, the other installments in the Vacation film series are unnecessary cash-grabs, although they have their moments (i.e., an amusing Sound of Music parody and Eric Idle's bike rider in 1985's European Vacation, and a Hoover Dam tour and Wallace Shawn's blackjack dealer in 1997's Vegas Vacation). The 2015 reboot, starring Ed Helms as an older Rusty Griswold, was considered a major disappointment. 

But if there's one installment that stands above the rest (and qualifies as the most perennial), it's 1989's Christmas Vacation. Here, the Griswold's decide to stay home and invite extended family over for the holidays. This episodic comedy (written by John Hughes, one year before Home Alone) has plenty of classic moments and lines to choose from. Trekking out in the middle of nowhere for the ultimate Christmas tree. Setting up a ridiculous amount of house lights. Getting stuck in the attic with nothing but old home movies. An obnoxious, goofy cousin pulling up in an old RV. A quirky great-aunt mistaking saying grace for the Pledge of Allegiance. ("You couldn't hear a dump truck driving through a nitroglycerin plant!") 

While not as problematic as its R-rated predecessor, Christmas Vacation still comes with a few twinkle lights, specifically some peppered language issues (including the infamous scene where Clark rails about his cheapskate boss) and at least two sequences where Chase ogles a lingerie store employee. Those elements notwithstanding, this remains an uproarious holiday comedy that still makes us laugh over and over every year. 

RETROSPECT: "The Breakfast Club" (1985)

John Hughes once said, "Many filmmakers portray teenagers as immoral and ignorant, with pursuits that are pretty base. But I haven't found that to be the case. I listen to kids. I respect them. Some of them are as bright as any of the adults I've met." Nowhere has that been more expressed--or done better--than in his 1985 ensemble piece, The Breakfast Club. 

Set over the course of one Saturday, five high school students (each representing distinct cliques) spend the entire day in detention for different reasons. The archetypes include popular girl Claire Standish (Molly Ringwald), star athlete Andrew Clark (Emilio Estevez), academic scholar Brian Johnson (Anthony Michael Hall), shy recluse Allison Reynolds (Ally Sheedy), and juvenile delinquent John Bender (Judd Nelson). There's also authoritative vice principal Richard Vernon (Paul Gleeson), who apparently doesn't want to be there as well, yet coldly labels each teenager and has each of them write a paper about who they think they are. And then there's the experienced custodian (and one-time valedictorian) Carl (John Kapelos, another Hughes regular), who seems to represent an unexpected side of becoming an adult. 

My first real introduction to this film came at a time when my understanding of cinema as an art form and a means of storytelling was transitioning into a more mature perspective. Inspired by Hughes' aforementioned quote, I applied this same theme to my own work in terms of not only examining and reviewing films, but also other people, moments in history, and diverse genres, styles, and subjects, for that matter. When I look at and think of The Breakfast Club, I see a great example of a story set in one primary location (in this case, the school library), not to mention a daring screenplay where everybody just talks and takes full advantage of the environment. In addition, I see a raw portrayal of adolescence, human psychology, and being real, as the titular quintet slowly comes to see they have more in common than they realized, even as they struggle with their own angst and sense of identity. 

Some of those topics are hard to listen to, ranging from physical abuse or neglect at home, to codependency, not meeting expectations, suicidal thoughts, or other issues related to school. The film earns its R-rating for strong language choices, much of it coming from the rebellious Bender, who antagonizes everybody--and drives the main action--from the get-go. There are also a few sexual references that have become outdated (as written by Ringwald, in a piece for the New Yorker, in 2018), and an infamous scene where most of the teens smoke marijuana. 

One of the reasons that The Breakfast Club has otherwise endured, since it was first released in 1985, is because it asks more questions than answers. The key scene where Brian and Claire first bring up what will happen when they all return to classes on Monday is a great example. It's also a reason that social norms and conventions have since been broken down and examined more than ever. 

In an interview with the Chicago Tribune in 1985, Hughes had this to say: "I told the actors that if [this film] bombs, we have nothing to be ashamed of. I said, 'We have made a movie that will be around for a long time. If nothing else, even if doesn`t do any business, we have documented a slice of life that normally doesn`t get documented in the movies. We can be proud of this.' '' 

The Magic of Disney Animation, Revised Editions: Fantasy in Technirama

WRITER'S NOTE: The following excerpts were originally published on March 19, 2020, and March 24, 2020. 

PART I: ONCE UPON A DREAM . . .

1959 represented the end of an era for animation in Walt Disney's lifetime. The ambitious and expensive Sleeping Beauty was the last film of his made with a sense of romanticism. Since then, the animation department produced their feature-length stories with the Xerox process. (Read more about that here.) It was also the last fairy tale they made until The Little Mermaid thirty years later. 

Despite being the title character, Princess Aurora (voiced by Mary Costa) has little screen time compared with the other central characters, particularly the good fairies (Flora, Fauna and Merryweather) and the wicked Maleficent. The plot is rather simple, centering on the protection over a royal princess who is cursed at birth, and sentenced to a "sleeping death" by a jealous fairy. (Sound familiar?) The approach to the story, in terms of its scope and artistry, is what makes it distinct from Snow White and Cinderella, even though it features many of the same tropes (i.e., "true love's kiss," talking/singing to forest animals). Another main difference with Aurora is that, while memorable in character and voice, she lacks much depth.

Sleeping Beauty is best remembered for its lavish art direction and set pieces, especially in widescreen. The filmmakers used a process known as Technirama, following Lady and the Tramp's Cinemascope aspect ratio (remember, movie theaters had to compete with television at the time). This process would only be revived once, in the mid-1980s. 

Getting back to Sleeping Beauty's characters, the fairies are humorous and trustworthy (with fairy dust different from Tinker Bell's), while Marc Davis's designs and animation of the evil Maleficent and beautiful Aurora have stood the test of time. Even Milt Kahl's animation of Prince Phillip and his horse Samson are active and engaging. All elements are brought together in one of the film's central moments: the climactic battle between Phillip and Maleficent as a dragon.

Another highlight is Aurora's dance with the forest animals while singing "Once Upon A Dream" (set to Peter Tchaikovsky's classical ballad). The animators' skill in movement and weightlessness is on full display, recalling Pinocchio as a marionette, as well as the dwarfs dancing with Snow White. It's moments like these that recall the dreams that Disney had that came to fruition. And even though the medium would change for Walt and company the following decade, the medium (and Walt's ambitions) would still carry on and inspire.

PART II: A DARK MOMENT 

Fast forward to the mid-1980s. The animation department at the Disney Studio had been at work for several years on an ambitious adaptation of Lloyd Alexander's five-part fantasy book series, "The Chronicles of Prydain." The project dates back to the previous decade, when legendary animators Ollie Johnson and Frank Thomas suggested it could make an amazing film if done properly. 

The result (eventually renamed The Black Cauldron) would mark many firsts for the studio. It was the most expensive animated movie at the time. It was the studio's first non-musical in years, instead focusing on an action-adventure story to capitalize on the blockbuster hits that audiences were into (i.e., Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark). It was also the first (and only other) time they utilized the 70mm Technirama widescreen scope since Sleeping Beauty, along with a groundbreaking six-track Dolby digital sound system. Finally, it was the first feature film that many Disney "Renaissance" animators worked on, including Ruben A. Aquino, Andreas Deja, and Rob Minkoff.  The company had even changed their studio logo from "Walt Disney Productions" to "Walt Disney Pictures," with an iconic white silhouette of the Magic Kingdom against a bright-blue backdrop, set to a variation of "When You Wish Upon A Star."

Most of all, The Black Cauldron became the first animated Disney film to receive be rated PG. But it almost would have likely received a higher rating, if not for some last minute edits. The story follows a trio of medieval characters (a farm boy, a princess, and a minstrel) on a quest to stop an evil king from destroying their kingdom with a magical cauldron (hence the film's title). What they encounter proved too "violent and scary" for audiences and studio executives--namely, then-chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg, who was appalled by the forementioned footage after a reported test screening. The controversial move pushed the film's initial 1984 release date by six months, as well as the eventual layoff of some of the filmmakers involved.

Make no mistake, The Black Cauldron is artistically and technically dazzling and features a few standout characters, including Hed Wen the mystical pig, Gergei the mischievous creature (whose voice may have inspired Andy Serkis's version of Gollum in The Lord of the Rings years later), and the frightening Horned King (voiced by the late John Hurt). But the film ended up being a huge financial disappointment for the studio, not to mention a missed opportunity. Although it has its fans nowadays, the film lacks the pathos, story investment, and coherence it should've had. And that was an issue that the artists and filmmakers made sure to correct on their next feature: a story about a "great mouse detective."

REVIEW COLLECTION: The Magic of Disney Animation, Part II b: Package Deals

WRITER'S NOTE: The following is a collection of reviews posted on my Instagram page @film_freeq in January 2023. (You can read this post's predecessor from 2020 here.)

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After the release of Bambi in 1942, the Walt Disney studio was in a financial slump, in part because of the Second World War in Europe. For the next 8 years, Walt and his team made a series of "packaged features," which were basically individual collections or anthologies of animated shorts. 

South of the Border

The first of these official compilations (between 1943 and 1949) came about by way of a trip to South America, in an effort to improve relations between the country and the United States. Saludos Amigos presents both live-action footage of Latin America (in terrific 16mm technicolor), as well as colorful and lively animated segments starring Goofy (as a gaucho, hilarious in slow-motion), Donald Duck (overseeing Lake Titicaca with a Llama over a suspension bridge), Pedro the anthropomorphic Chilean airplane (a precursor to Thomas the Tank Engine), and the charismatic Brazilian parrot Jose Carioca (the breakout star of the show). 

The Three Caballeros (which followed in 1944) introduced Panchito the Mexican Charro Rooster, who, along with Jose Carioca, gives Donald Duck a birthday surprise with a colorful trip through Latin America, forming the iconic centerpiece trio in this cultural and geographical feast. 

In their first attempt to combine live-action with animation since Mickey Mouse briefly interacted with conductor Leopold Stowkovski in Fantasia, said sequences in Caballeros aren't quite up to par, especially compared to the fully-hand-drawn segments. Both films do also have some questionable elements, including an infatuated Donald chasing live-action women onscreen (like Aurora Miranda). Hmm. Even Saludos Amigos has a few outdated depictions and stereotypes, and even a glimpse of Walt Disney behind the scenes--the same with Goofy--smoking a cigarette. Minor details, but some to keep in mind before going on these tours. 

Donald Duck and the Aracuan Bird in Melody Time's "Blame It On the Samba"

Let the Music Play

One of Walt Disney's biggest regrets was that he never got to continue his 1940 masterpiece, Fantasia. However, the closest he probably ever came in his lifetime was in the music anthologies made later in the decade. With Make Mine Music (1946) and Melody Time (1948), the artists and writers at the studio set various segments to classical and contemporary music--some, original; others, retelling children's storybooks (like Make Mine's "Peter and the Wolf") or historical legends (like Melody's Johnny Appleseed and Pecos Bill). 

Other highlights include Melody's "Blame It On the Samba" (a reunion for Three Caballeros alums Donald Duck, José Carioca, and the Aracuan Bird) and "Bumble Boogie" (adapted from Rimsky-Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumble-Bee"); and Make Mine's "All the Cats Join In" (a nostalgic dance bit involving teenage adolescence), "Casey At the Bat" (a fast-paced slapstick comedy about a baseball player so full of himself until he loses), "After You're Gone" (about anthropomorphic musical instruments), and the grand finale "The Whale Who Wanted to Sing At the Met" (which speaks for itself). Even though it wouldn't be until the turn of the century that Fantasia would get an official follow-up, these two films stand as worthy companion pieces. 

The same year as Make Mine Music, the studio released the live-action/animated hybrid, Song of the South. This adaptation of Joel Chandler Harris's "Uncle Remus" stories was considered a landmark at the time. But in spite of the memorable tune, "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah," and lead actor James Baskett winning an honorary Academy Award (groundbreaking for an actor of color at the time), this film remains Walt Disney's most controversial and ostracized, due to its reported caricatured portrayals of African-Americans and romaticising of slavery in the Deep South. (Similar things have been said about 1939's Gone With the Wind in recent years.) The animated segments (starring Br'er Rabbit, Br'er Fox, and Br'er Bear) can be viewed on YouTube, as well as "Disney Sing-Along Songs" VHS tapes from the 1980s and 1990s. But the film, in its entirety, has never been released to the public since 1986 (save for bootlegged copies and distribution overseas), and reportedly won't be until this next decade. 

(l-r) Mickey Mouse, Goofy, and Donald Duck in Fun and Fancy Free's "Mickey and the Beanstalk"

Two for One

The last group in this series of Disney films from the 1940s was comprised of two 30-minute shorts back-to-back. For 1947's Fun and Fancy Free, the ever-popular Jiminy Cricket presents two stories so different in genres but similar in themes and as literary adaptations. "Bongo" (told and sung by actress-singer Dinah Shore) follows a circus bear who escapes into the woods and falls head-over-heels for a female forest bear. The story is a romantic comedy full of broad slapstick humor, especially in the form of a bear-slapping jamboree. 

For the second-half of this double-bill, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy deliver some of their best screen "performances" as poor farmers in an update of "Jack and the Beanstalk" (narrated by ventriloquist entertainer Edgar Bergen, with help from his famous dummies Charlie McCarthy and Mortimer Snerd). In this variation, the dynamic trio have a fantastical encounter with magic beans and a happy-go-lucky, shape-shifting giant named Willie (voiced by Snow White's very own Sneezy, Billy Gilbert). This is a wonderful blend of story, color, animation, and live-action, with one clever meta gag thrown in for good measure. Both shorts collectively remind us to find the joy in life, in spite of the countless problems in the world. 

And finally, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad paired Kenneth Graham's Victorian story, "The Wind in the Willows," and Washington Irving's Gothic novel, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow". The former features humans and anthropomorphic animals, including an accountant badger, villainous weasels (later used in 1988's Who Framed Roger Rabbit), and the carefree and reckless Mr. Toad, whose selfish ways eventually become his downfall when he is framed for a crime. The colorful characters, impressive special effects for their time, and the climactic, frentic chase sequence are certainly the high points. "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," on the other hand, starts out jolly and wonderful enough--until Ichabod Crane's terrifying climactic encounter with the Headless Horseman. This scene alone remains one of the scariest ever created by the Disney studio. That said, this double-feature will probably be more appealing to sophisticated adults than to children. 

Ichabod and Mr. Toad was released the same year as the studio's live-action So Dear To My Heart, which featured hand-drawn animated segments and starred then-child actors Bobby Driscoll and Launa Patten (Disney regulars who also played the lead children in Song of the South and in the "Pecos Bill" segment of "Melody Time"). Patten also plays the little girl in the "Beanstalk" segment of Fun and Fancy Free, which, in turn, marked the last time that Walt Disney voiced Mickey Mouse--with the exception of The Mickey Mouse Club TV series in the 1950s, and archival recordings for the 2013 animated short, Get a Horse. 

1941's The Reluctant Dragon

Bonus Feature

Although the 1941 release, The Reluctant Dragon, wasn't officially part of the above lineup, it still qualifies as its own "packaged feature." Humorist Robert Benchley made a visit to the Walt Disney studio in California to pitch an idea to the man himself, based on a children's book by Kenneth Graham. What he inadvertently (or, perhaps, intentionally) gets--from black-and-white to technicolor--is an exclusive tour of the animation studio, how the filmmaking processes works (including a sneak peak at the yet-to-be-released Bambi, as well as five other segments), and a special surprise. 

Despite being an entertaining behind-the-scenes feature, The Reluctant Dragon was still criticized by numerous artists involved in the Writer's Strike that same year; many of these same people later formed the independent animation studio UPA (famous for their Mr. Magoo and Gerald McBoing-Boing cartoons). The hilarious-if-bizarre cartoon itself (about an eccentric fire-breathing creature and a kooky knight) was later released as part of the "Walt Disney Mini Classics" VHS series, paired with the 1950 short, "Morris the Midget Moose." 

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WRITER'S NOTE: You can read this post's successor from 2020 here.

Oscar Nominations 2023: A Multiverse of Recognition

Michelle Yeoh in Everything Everywhere All At Once

The nominations for the 95th Academy Awards were everything, everywhere, all at once. Literally. 

Right off the bat (or, should I say, multiverse?), the A24-distributed genre-bender picked up the most nominations this year with eleven, including many firsts for its four main stars: martial arts legend Michelle Yeoh (Best Actress), former scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis (Best Supporting Actress), former Goonie Ke Yu Quan (Best Supporting Actor), and breakout star Stephanie Hsu (Best Supporting Actress). The filmmaking duo Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (a.k.a. Daniels) picked up muliple accolades for directing (the first time the Academy recognized two filmmakers for the same movie in this category, since Joel & Ethan Coen back in 2011), for their original screenplay, and as co-producers (along with Jonathan Wang). The film was also recognized for its editing, costume design, original song, and Son Lux's score. I am bummed that the film's visual effects weren't nominated, because the small crew they reportedly had--and what they pulled off--was extremely impressive.

Trailing behind are two other highly-acclaimed entries. First, the obvious. Martin McDonagh's dark dramedy The Banshees of Inisherin picked up nine nominations including Best Picture, and acting nods for Colin Farrell (Best Actor), Kerry Condon (Best Supporting Actress), Brendan Gleeson and Barry Keoghan (Best Supporting Actors). McDonagh's directing and original screenplay, along with Carter Burwell's score and Mikell E.G. Nielsen's film editing, were also recognized. 

Tying with Banshees, surprisingly, is the Netflix-produced, German war-thriller All Quiet On the Western Front. In a first since Parasite in 2020, Edward Berger's harrowing historical drama was nominated as both Best International Feature and as Best Picture. The film also picked up nominations for Berger's adapted screenplay (shared with Lesley Paterson and Ian Stockell), production design, sound, makeup and hairstyling, visual effects, and Volker Bertelmann's gripping score. This marks another historical moment in the Academy's history, in which two different adaptions of a novel have been nominated in different years. (In this film's case, there's also the famous 1930 screen version.) 

Felix Kammerer in All Quiet on the Western Front

Other surprises in this year's roster include many other first-timers, specifically in dramas. Paul Mescal, for his leading role in Aftersun. Andrea Riseborough, for her leading role in To Leslie. Brian Tyree Henry, for his supporting role in Causeway. Bill Nighy, for his leading role in Living (also nominated for Kazuo Ishiguro's adapted screenplay). And Ana de Armas, for her leading role in Blonde (a rare occasion where an NC-17-rated film is recognized by the Academy). 

Angela Bassett's supporting-but-commanding role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever marks a first for a Marvel movie, and the first comic-book-based performance since Joaquin Phoenix's win for DC's Joker three years prior. Wakanda Forever also picked up accolades for makeup and hairstyling, visual effects, Ruth E. Carter's costume design, and its song, "Lift Me Up" (written by singer Rihanna, director Ryan Coogler, composer Ludwig Gorannson, and music artist-producer Tems). DC's The Batman picked up three nominations of its own, including sound, visual effects, and makeup and hairstyling (if only for Colin Farrell's unrecognizable turn as the Penguin). 

Longtime film producer Jerry Bruckheimer earned his first-ever nomination for the record-breaking Top Gun: Maverick, which was also recognized for its editing, sound, original song (Lady Gaga and BloodPop's "Hold My Hand"), visual effects, and even its adapted screenplay. Co-producer and star Tom Cruise received his first nomination in over two decades (the last being Magnolia in 2000). More importantly, Maverick's accolades this year stand as proof that blockbuster entertainment can qualify as art and cinema. 

(l-r) Austin Butler in Elvis, Cate Blanchett in Tar, and Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick

And then there's Ruben Östlund's satire Triangle of Sadness. Described by Next Best Picture as "a brilliantly scathing takedown of the wealthy and the beautiful," this Palme d'Or-winning black comedy--and possibly one of the year's most divisive entries--earned nominations for Best Picture, and for Östlund's directing and original screenplay. 

Not surprisingly, Baz Lurhmann's operatic biopic Elvis gave the Australian auteur his first nomination since Moulin Rouge in 2001. Elvis also picked up nominations for Austin Butler's committed lead performance, as well as co-producer Catherine Martin's production and costume designs, Best Picture, cinematography, film editing, sound, and makeup and hairstyling. Brendan Fraser's comeback role in The Whale,  along with the film's makeup and hairstyling, was also a no-brainer (co-star Hong Chau received a surprise nomination for her supporting-but-equally-layered role), as was Cate Blanchet's leading role in Tar, which also picked up nominations for Best Picture, cinematography, film editing, and Todd Field's direction and original screenplay. Damien Chazelle's three-hour period musical-drama Babylon was nominated for production design, costume design, and Justin Hurwitz's score.

And let's not forget the cutting-edge visual effects for Avatar: The Way of Water (also nominated for sound, production design, and Best Picture--a first for producers James Cameron and Jon Landau since the original back in 2010). Steven Spielberg ties with the Daniels and McDonagh for three major awards, for co-writing (with Tony Kushner), co-producing (with Kushner and Kristie Macoska Krieger), and directing the semi-autobiographical The Fabelmans, which was also recognized for Rick Carter and Karen O'Hara's production design, John Williams' original score, Michelle Williams' radiant leading role, and Judd Hirsch's brief-but-memorable supporting role. 

(l-r) Viola Davis in The Woman King, Ram Charan Teja in RRR, and Paul Mescal in Aftersun

And we have to mention a few snubs. Jordan Peele's superb sci-fi/horror/western Nope got exactly that from the Academy. (It could've at least been commended for Keke Palmer's dynamic lead performance and Hoyte Van Hoytema's IMAX cinematography.). Some of my favorite performances of the year, like Danielle Detweiller in Till, John Boyega in Breaking, and Janelle Monae in Glass Onion, represent actors and actresses fully-committed and truthful to their craft. (Rian Johnson's sequel to his 2019 murder mystery Knives Out did get acknowledged for its screenplay.) 

Others will likely be upset that the Indian blockbuster RRR didn't get more recognized (except for Original Song). The trifecta of Mexican filmmakers that is Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Guillermo del Toro, and Alfonso Cuarón, each received sole nominations for their respective 2022 work (Iñárritu's Bardo: False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths for Best Cinematography, del Toro's Pinocchio as Best Animated Feature, and Alfonso Cuarón's Le Pupille as Live-Action Short), but Iñárritu himself wasn't nominated. In addition, del Toro's film should've been recognized in other categories since the film arguably transcends its stop-motion medium; the same goes for A24's charming Marcel the Shell With Shoes On (also nominated, and one of my favorite films of 2022). 

Perhaps the biggest upset is the lack of female representation in the Best Director race, particularly Sarah Polley (Women Talking), Gina Prince-Bythewood (The Woman King), and Charlotte Wells (Aftersun), who each delivered impressive work in 2022. Polley's adapted screenplay, at least, got some recognition. In spite of these disappointments, this has to be one of the most diverse and eclectic set of nominations in the Academy's history. Until Sunday, March 12, stay plugged in, because anything, anywhere, can happen. And yes, all at once. 

2022: Standout Films of the Year

Films in 2022 went everywhere. Tom was in Cruise control more than ever, thanks to the record-breaking (and critically-acclaimed) success of the long-awaited aerial sequel, Top Gun: Maverick. James Cameron's equally-anticipated Avatar: The Way of Water had rich worldbuilding, not to mention cutting-edge motion-capture filmed underwater, with astonishing and jaw-dropping results. The directing duo known as the Daniels (a.k.a. Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert) blew the roof off the multiverse and then some in Everything Everywhere All at Once. 

Warner Bros and DC hired Matt Reeves to helm a new variation on Batman, starring Robert Pattinson, which turned out to be a bold and exhilarating move; the whole ensemble in The Batman was phenomenal, as was the more detective-noir storyline. Marvel Studios and filmmaker Ryan Coogler made an exceptional standalone follow-up with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which expanded the MCU in rich and challenging ways, while also paying an emotional tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman, whose absence is felt throughout. 

Edward Berger's adaptation of All Quiet On the Western Front successfully reminded us of the sheer horrors and traumas of the First World War, told from the perspective of German soldiers. Actors Colin Farrell and Brenden Gleeson gave career-defining performances as two Irish friends-turned-enemies in Martin McDonagh's dark and strangely-endearing tragicomedy The Banshees of Inisherin. Director Steven Spielberg made one of his most personal--and challenging--films with the semi-autobiographical The Fabelmans, which follows a young Jewish boy and how his life is influenced by the movies and his family. Director James Gray made his own semi-autobiography with the more raw Armageddon Time, a coming-of-age period piece about familial generation gaps and social/political change. 

Charlotte Wells made an impressive directorial debut with her melancholic drama Aftersun, about a woman who recounts a summer trip she took with her father two decades prior. Maria Schrader's harrowing and empowering drama She Said (based on the New York Times articles that ignited the #MeToo movement) showcased strong, dedicated women, while also giving voices back to many people who have been wronged for years. Chinonye Chukwu's Till was a powerful and important piece about the late Emmet Till, but also about his mother's courageous fight for justice and social change, anchored by a phenomenal breakout performance by Danielle Deadweiller. And finally, actor Brenden Fraser gave the biggest comeback performance of the year (literally and figuratively) as an overweight, gay English teacher in Darren Aronovsky's psychological drama, The Whale. 

But if there's one thing that most of this year's best films had in common, it's that they leaped through many periods in time--past, present, future--with untold stories from the history of our nation and the world that were just starting to see the light of day, not to mention generating discussion or debate while taking steps towards a better, more acknowledging and socially-conscious, future. For the time being, here are four of my picks (including a few unlikely protagonists) for the standout films of 2022. 

4. Breaking (Bleecker Street, dir. Ahbi Damaris Corbin) 

"Everything you say, everything you do, matters. You matter." 

Another film that hasn't been talked about as much (and one that people should see) is Ahbi Damaris Corbin's Breaking. Based on the true story of Brian Brown-Easley, John Boyega gives one of the year's best performances as a war veteran who held a Wells Fargo bank hostage after his veterans check was denied. In an act of desperation, Brown-Easley got the attention of the media and the FBI (including a fellow officer, played by the late and magnetic Michael Kenneth Williams, in his final screen performance). What follows is a heartbreaking story that shines a light on homelessness and injustice, and goes deeper than anything we've come to expect from this subgenre of cinema. 

3. Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (Netflix, dir. Guillermo del Toro & Mark Gustafson) 

"I want to tell you a story. It's a story you may think you know, but you don't." 

I missed out on quite a few animated films this year, including Pixar's Turning Red. I did, however, see (and very much enjoyed) DreamWorks' The Bad Guys, an entertaining and visually-fun gem that puts a clever twist on classic fairy tale villains in an Ocean's 11-esque setting. But the year's best animated feature--and one that rivals the best live-action features--used Carlo Collodi's original text for Pinocchio in a stop-motion masterpiece from Guillermo del Toro. Co-directed by Mark Gustafson, this rendition (although not really for children, despite its PG-rating) emphasizes themes of love, loss, life, spirituality, immortality, war, and death. It's a real work of art, and a genuine labor of love. 

2. Marcel the Shell With Shoes On (A24, dir. Dean Fleisher-Camp) 

"It's like a movie, but nobody has any lines, and nobody even knows what it is while they're making it." 

Using stop-motion animation in a live-action setting, this charming mockumentary follows a tiny, one-eyed mollusk (in miniature footwear, no less) on a quest to find his family. Directed and co-written by Dean Fleisher-Camp and starring actress Jenny Slate as the voice of the titular shell (Slate also co-wrote the script), Marcel is a film about our need for community, especially in an era where we've been isolated for so long, and the difference between that and an "audience" (a theme that fits my number one pic, surprisingly). A rare film that works for both young and old, and another triumph for the stellar independent studio A24. 

1. Nope (Universal, dir. Jordan Peele) 

"This dream you're chasing--where you end up at the top of the mountain--it's the one you never wake up from." 

Jordan Peele's genre-bending commentary on people's obsession with spectacle is his most ambitious project to date. Combining horror with comedy, sci-fi, and even western, Nope features an engrossing ensemble cast of characters from different backgrounds (including two Black horse trainers, played by Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer), as well as their own ambitions and secrets. This is a film that forces us to reexamine the way we look at social media and each other. In short (and ironically), it's a roller-coaster. 

WRITER'S CUT: Batman, The Animated Series, and the Phantasm

"WRITER'S CUT": A collection of previously-published posts that have been thoroughly reexamined and re-edited by yours truly. (The following piece was originally posted on February 19, 2017.) 

IN MEMORY OF KEVIN CONROY (1955-2022)

With The Lego Batman Movie as one of the most recent animated incarnations of Bob Kane and Bill Finger's classic comic book creation, many children today will have their first memories of Batman as a toy figure, as well as a self-aware parody of the character's mythology--as seen in 2014's The Lego Movie, and, of course, the campy T.V. series from the 1960s. Just as my parents' generation grew up with the latter, my generation grew up with the dark and serious version from the 1980s and 1990s.

Batman: The Animated Series was one of my favorite shows as a young boy. It was, first and foremost, a successor to Tim Burton's 1989 film, which was my first real introduction to the character. But this cartoon was more accessible for a kid and adult audience than for the latter crowd that the aforementioned film was really intended for. I vividly recall the opening segment where two bank robbers flee an explosion while the Caped Crusader gets into action and corners both criminals on a rooftop. The imagery of this intro alone was both thrilling and a bit terrifying, if only because of the titular character's iconic close-up where he squints his eyes.

Even so, I grasped in the many episodic adventures of Batman and his alter ego Bruce Wayne (both brilliantly and distinctively voiced by Kevin Conroy) as he battled his many adversaries, from Two-Face to the Riddler, the Scarecrow, the Man-Bat and, of course, the Joker (an unforgettable and scene-stealing vocal performance by Mark "Luke Skywalker" Hamill). The show's creator's were also inspired by the Max Fleisher Superman cartoons of the 1940s, which shows in the simplistic-yet-bold art direction of Gotham City. Since then, this arguably-definitive version of Batman has led to several other successful TV and movie spin-offs, including Batman & Mr. Freeze: Subzero (1997), Batman Beyond (1999-2001), Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (2000), Justice League (2001-2004), and The Killing Joke (2016). But none would have been possible without the animated counterpart's first cinematic outing in 1993.

The trailer for Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is one of the most exciting previews I've ever seen, on par with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990). Like the trailer for the 1989 film, this advertisement was simple but extremely effective in its high-concept presentation of Batman's pursuit of both the Joker and a new villain known as the Phantasm. And although I never saw the movie in theaters, I did geek out when it came on home video.

The story follows a mysterious figure (think Death crossed with the Ghost of Christmas Future) who eradicates the head crime lords of Gotham, while Batman is framed for it. This impacts Gotham's view--or at least that of Councilman Arthur Reeves--of the character's role as a hero or vigilante ("He's just as bad as the crooks he brings in!"), even though Batman himself vows for justice over vengeance. Meanwhile, an old flame of Bruce Wayne's returns to town. And then the Joker shows up.

The film shows a side of Bruce that had never been seen prior to the animated series: human, traumatized, and conflicted about which life to live--as a costumed crime fighter, in honor of the vow he made over his parents' dead bodies, or as a married man. ("I didn't count on being happy," he laments.) Even the world of Gotham City, once seen as a promising future of hope a la Tomorrowland, later becomes a bleak and desolate wasteland far from what it could've been. By juxtaposing Bruce's backstory with the present (recalling The Godfather, Part II or Citizen Kane), the film is a thoroughly engrossing and tragic tale of vengeance, romance, and mystery.

With an untouched animation style and voice cast (including Conroy, Hamill, Dana Delany, and Abe Vigoda) that far exceeds the "cartoony-ness" of the medium, the film is rightfully rated PG, due to its dark and violent atmosphere, various fights, and off-screen deaths. Though tame compared with Burton's more haunting variations, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is recommended for older preteens and adults, showcasing the titular character as Kane and Finger intended him to be. It has also stood the test of time as one of the character's greatest (and most underappreciated) cinematic outings. 

RETROSPECT: "Greatest Films of All-Time" or, The 25 Highest-Rated Critical Picks From IMDb's "Top 250," 2nd Edition

On December 3, 2022, Sight & Sound magazine released their current poll of the Greatest Films of All-Time, in which they periodically--that is, every ten years--recognize and rank what many filmmakers, critics, and historians consider to be the greatest works of cinema from around the world. Topping their list this decade is a 1975 film from Belgium called, Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles, about a single mother and prostitute who goes through a daily routine of house work in her apartment, including taking care of her teenage son. 

In honor of this recent poll, here is an updated list of the 25 highest-rated critical films from the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)'s "Top 250," along with metascores, IMDb rankings and user ratings, synopses, excerpts of critical reviews, and where said films rank on the aforementioned poll if applicable. (You can read my first edition of this list here.) 

25. Modern Times (1936, dir. Charles Chaplin) (96) (IMDb Top 250: #47) (8.5/10) (Sight & Sound 2022: #78 TIE)

Synopsis: "The Tramp struggles to live in modern industrial society with the help of a young homeless woman." 

Chaplin's sentimental politics and peerless comic invention dovetailed more perfectly in this film than in any other he made.

~Ty Burr, Boston Globe 

24. Parasite (2019, dir. Bong Joon Ho) (96) (IMDb Top 250: #34) (8.5/10) (Sight & Sound 2022: #90 TIE) 

Synopsis: "Greed and class discrimination threaten the newly formed symbiotic relationship between the wealthy Park family and the destitute Kim clan." 

[A] furious and fiendishly well-crafted . . . film. ... Giddy one moment, unbearably tense the next, and always so entertaining and fine-tuned that you don’t even notice when it’s changing gears, Parasite takes all of the beats you expect to find in a Bong film and shrinks them down with clockwork precision.

~David Ehrlich, IndieWire

23. Spirited Away (2001, dir. Hayao Miyazaki) (96) (IMDb Top 250: #31) (8.6/10) (Sight & Sound 2022: #78 TIE) 

Synopsis: "During her family's move to the suburbs, a sullen 10-year-old girl wanders into a world ruled by gods, witches, and spirits, and where humans are changed into beasts."

Miyazaki's works . . . have a depth and complexity often missing in American animation. Not fond of computers, he draws thousand of frames himself, and there is a painterly richness in his work. He's famous for throwaway details at the edges of the screen (animation is so painstaking that few animators draw more than is necessary). And he permits himself silences and contemplation, providing punctuation for the exuberant action and the lovable or sometimes grotesque characters. 

~Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun Times (2002) 

22. 12 Angry Men (1957, dir. Sidney Lumet) (96) (IMDb Top 250: #5) (9.0/10) 

Synopsis: "The jury in a New York City murder trial is frustrated by a single member whose skeptical caution forces them to more carefully consider the evidence before jumping to a hasty verdict."

A penetrating, sensitive, and sometimes shocking dissection of the hearts and minds of men who obviously are something less than gods. It makes for taut, absorbing, and compelling drama that reaches far beyond the close confines of its jury room setting. 

~The New York Times

21. Rififi (1955, dir. Jules Dassin) (97) (IMDb Top 250: #250) (8.1/10) 

Synopsis: "Four men plan a technically perfect crime, but the human element intervenes..." 

One of the great crime thrillers, the benchmark all succeeding heist films have been measured against, it's no musty museum piece but a driving, compelling piece of work, redolent of the air of human frailty and fatalistic doom.

~Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times 

20. The Third Man (1949, dir. Carol Reed) (97) (IMDb Top 250: #186) (8.1/10) (Sight & Sound 2022: #63 TIE) 

Synopsis: "Pulp novelist Holly Martins travels to shadowy, postwar Vienna, only to find himself investigating the mysterious death of an old friend, Harry Lime."

Director Carol Reed outdid himself with this noirish thriller set against a Europe physically and morally devastated by war. . . . The Third Man is a consummate production, from Graham Greene’s witty, disturbing screenplay to Robert Krasker’s evocatively skewed photography and Anton Karas’ unforgettable zither score. But, despite his minimal screen time, Orson Welles’ amoral Harry Lime steals the show . . .

~British Film Institute (2012) 

19. Gone With the Wind (1939, dir. Victor Fleming) (97) (IMDb Top 250: #159) (8.2/10) 

Synopsis: "The manipulative daughter of a Georgia plantation owner conducts a turbulent romance with a roguish profiteer during the American Civil War and Reconstruction periods."

Gone with the Wind's epic grandeur and romantic allure encapsulate an era of Hollywood filmmaking -- but that can't excuse a blinkered perspective that stands on the wrong side of history.

~Rotten Tomatoes

18. Dr. Strangelove or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964, dir. Stanley Kubrick) (97) (IMDb Top 250: #68) (8.4/10) 

Synopsis: "An insane American general orders a bombing attack on the Soviet Union, triggering a path to nuclear holocaust that a war room full of politicians and generals frantically tries to stop."

The film is a model of barely controlled hysteria in which the absurdity of hypermasculine Cold War posturing becomes devastatingly funny--and at the same time nightmarishly frightening in its accuracy.

~TV Guide Magazine

17. Psycho (1960, dir. Alfred Hitchcock) (97) (IMDb Top 250: #32) (8.5/10) (Sight & Sound 2022: #31 TIE) 

Synopsis: "A Phoenix secretary embezzles $40,000 from her employer's client, goes on the run, and checks into a remote motel run by a young man under the domination of his mother."

What makes Psycho immortal, when so many films are already half-forgotten as we leave the theater, is that it connects directly with our fears: Our fears that we might impulsively commit a crime, our fears of the police, our fears of becoming the victim of a madman, and of course our fears of disappointing our mothers.

~Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times (1998) 

16. Rashomon (1950, dir. Akira Kurosawa) (98) (IMDb Top 250: #150) (8.2/10) (Sight & Sound 2022: #41 TIE) 

Synopsis: "The rape of a bride and the murder of her samurai husband are recalled from the perspectives of a bandit, the bride, the samurai's ghost and a woodcutter."

The word ‘Rashomon’ has passed into the English language to signify a narrative told from various, unreliable viewpoints. In this case, the mystery relates to the murder of a samurai and the rape of his wife in 11th century Japan, events which are relayed in wildly differing versions by those present: the bandit, the treacherous wife, a passing woodcutter and the spirit of the dead samurai. . . . This radically non-linear structure, with its profound implications about the fallibility of perspective, impressed judges at the 1951 Venice Film Festival. They awarded Akira Kurosawa’s film the Golden Lion, helping to encourage a broader interest in Japanese film in the west. With its snaking bolero-like score and poetic use of dappled forest light, Rashomon is a work of enduring ambiguity.

~British Film Institute (2012) 

15. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948, dir. John Huston) (98) (IMDb Top 250: #145) (8.2/10) 

Synopsis: "Two down-on-their-luck Americans searching for work in 1920s Mexico convince an old prospector to help them mine for gold in the Sierra Madre Mountains." 

Mr. Huston has shaped a searching drama of the collision of civilization's vicious greeds with the instinct for self-preservation in an environment where all the barriers are down. And, by charting the moods of his prospectors after they have hit a vein of gold, he has done a superb illumination of basic characteristics in men. One might almost reckon that he has filmed an intentional comment here upon the irony of avarice in individuals and in nations today...But don't let this note of intelligence distract your attention from the fact that Mr. Huston is putting it over in a most vivid and exciting action display.

~Bosley Crowther, The New York Times

14. Pan's Labyrinth (2006, dir. Guillermo del Toro) (98) (IMDb Top 250: #137) (8.2/10) 

Synopsis: "In the Falangist Spain of 1944, the bookish young stepdaughter of a sadistic army officer escapes into an eerie but captivating fantasy world." 

This is like no movie you've seen before, a haunting mixture of horror, history and fantasy that works simultaneously on every level.

~Liam Lacey, The Globe and Mail (Toronto) 

13. All About Eve (1950, dir. Joseph L. Mankiewicz) (98) (IMDb Top 250: #131) (8.2/10) 

Synopsis: "A seemingly timid but secretly ruthless ingénue insinuates herself into the lives of an aging Broadway star and her circle of theater friends."

Set in the Broadway jungle rather than among the ‘sun-burnt eager beavers’ of Hollywood, Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s film dissects the narcissism and hypocrisy of the spotlight as sharply as [Billy] Wilder’s [Sunset Blvd], but pays equal attention to the challenges of enacting womanhood.

~Time Out

12. Some Like It Hot (1959, dir. Billy Wilder) (98) (IMDb Top 250: #129) (8.2/10) (Sight & Sound 2022: #38 TIE) 

Synopsis: "After two male musicians witness a mob hit, they flee the state in an all-female band disguised as women, but further complications set in."

Both the gangster story and the screwball antics hark back to Hollywood films of the 1930s, but Wilder’s outrageous and subversive play with gender was truly boundary pushing and helped lead to a loosening of censorship after United Artists released the film without certification.

~British Film Institute (2012) 

11. Metropolis (1927, dir. Fritz Lang) (98) (IMDb Top 250: #116) (8.3/10) (Sight & Sound 2022: #67 TIE) 

Synopsis: "In a futuristic city sharply divided between the working class and the city planners, the son of the city's mastermind falls in love with a working-class prophet who predicts the coming of a savior to mediate their differences."

Fritz Lang claimed to have been inspired to make Metropolis by his first glimpse of the New York skyline. The result is the grandest science fiction film of the silent era (and for many years to come), a seminal prediction of a megacity where the masses work as slaves for the good of a ruling elite.

~British Film Institute (2012) 

10. North By Northwest (1959, dir. Alfred Hitchcock) (98) (IMDb Top 250: #99) (8.3/10) (Sight & Sound 2022: #45 TIE) 

Synopsis: "A New York City advertising executive goes on the run after being mistaken for a government agent by a group of foreign spies, and falls for a woman whose loyalties he begins to doubt."

This is Hitchcock's longest film and also his most self-referential. Little jokes abound about art and artifice, role play and reality, duty and duplicity and each viewing reveals something new to enhance the pleasure of watching the Master of Suspense at his most mischievous and assured.

~David Parkinson, Empire 

9. Seven Samurai (1954, dir. Akira Kurosawa) (98) (IMDb Top 250: #20) (8.6/10) (Sight & Sound 2022: #20) 

Synopsis: "Farmers from a village exploited by bandits hire a veteran samurai for protection, who gathers six other samurai to join him."

Strongly influenced by the poetic westerns of John Ford, Kurosawa’s story of farmers recruiting a motley troupe of samurai to help them fend off bandits in turn had a huge impact on subsequent westerns and action films . . . The early section’s gathering together of the diversely talented fighters is a trope in action movies to this day, while the restrained use of slow-motion in the frenzied final faceoff has since been abused to far less subtle ends. Kurosawa expertly sustains the suspense over a lengthy duration, instilling the story with an almost Shakespearian grandeur.

~British Film Institute (2012) 

8. Singin' in the Rain (1952, dir. Stanley Donan & Gene Kelly) (99) (IMDb Top 250: #84) (8.3/10) (Sight & Sound 2022: #10) 

Synopsis: "A silent film star falls for a chorus girl just as he and his delusionally jealous screen partner are trying to make the difficult transition to talking pictures in 1920s Hollywood."

There is no movie musical more fun than Singin' in the Rain, and few that remain as fresh over the years. Its originality is all the more startling if you reflect that only one of its songs was written new for the film, that the producers plundered MGM's storage vaults for sets and props, and that the movie was originally ranked below An American in Paris, which won a best picture Oscar. The verdict of the years knows better than Oscar: Singin' in the Rain is a transcendent experience, and no one who loves movies can afford to miss it.

~Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times (1999) 

7. City Lights (1931, dir. Charles Chaplin) (99) (IMDb Top 250: #52) (8.5/10) (Sight & Sound 2022: #36 TIE) 

Synopsis: "With the aid of a wealthy erratic tippler, a dewy-eyed tramp who has fallen in love with a sightless flower girl accumulates money to be able to help her medically."

By 1931 talkies were the industry norm, but Chaplin was autonomous enough to be able to make City Lights silent, preferring the purity of mute pantomime for the antics of his iconic Tramp character. Despite this anachronism, the result was a huge success with audiences, who responded to the film’s exquisitely poised balancing act between humour and pathos. . . . Earnestly sentimental in its story of the downtrodden Tramp being mistaken for a wealthy benefactor by a blind and impoverished flower girl, the film nonetheless yields some of Chaplin’s most ingenious comic set-pieces, including a classic sequence in which the Tramp becomes an unwilling contestant in the boxing ring. The closing shot, after it dawns on the girl who her sponsor really was, counts among the cinema’s most moving.

~British Film Institute (2012) 

6. Vertigo (1958, dir. Alfred Hitchcock) (100) (IMDb Top 250: #100) (8.3/10) (Sight & Sound 2022: #2) 

Synopsis: "A former San Francisco police detective juggles wrestling with his personal demons and becoming obsessed with the hauntingly beautiful woman he has been hired to trail, who may be deeply disturbed." 

This classic from the master of suspense was so poorly received upon release that Alfred Hitchcock later withdrew it from distribution for several years. Its reputation has since grown and it is now widely regarded as Hitchcock’s finest film, a haunting examination of male desire memorably filmed in real San Francisco locations. . . . The story of acrophobic Scottie Ferguson (brilliantly played by James Stewart), who compulsively remodels Judy Barton (Kim Novak) in the image of his dead love Madeleine Elster (also Novak), is unflinchingly dark and tragic. Though Hitchcock was originally deemed to have erred in giving away the film’s plot twist halfway through, Vertigo succeeds as a hallucinatory fable about the traps of desire. A thriller of dreamlike allure, it’s whipped to dizzying heights by Bernard Herrmann’s Wagner-influenced score.

~British Film Institute (2012) 

5. Lawrence of Arabia (1962, dir. David Lean) (100) (IMDb Top 250: #98) (8.3/10) 

Synopsis: "The story of T.E. Lawrence, the English officer who successfully united and led the diverse, often warring, Arab tribes during World War I in order to fight the Turks."

It was a miracle that picture... And maybe the greatest screenplay ever written for the motion-picture medium.

~Steven Spielberg

4. Citizen Kane (1941, dir. Orson Welles) (100) (IMDb Top 250: #96) (8.3/10) (Sight & Sound 2022: #3) 

Synopsis: "Following the death of publishing tycoon Charles Foster Kane, reporters scramble to uncover the meaning of his final utterance; 'Rosebud'." 

Pauline Kael claims that Welles’ debut film – the wonder boy was just twenty-five – is “more fun than any other great movie.” You can still sense Welles’ enthusiasm for film as “the biggest toy-train set any boy ever had.” The techniques he used to tell the story of a tycoon destroyed by ambition and childhood neglect revolutionized movies in ways that are still being felt.

~Peter Travers, Rolling Stone (1999) 

3. Rear Window (1954, dir. Alfred Hitchcock) (100) (IMDb Top 250: #49) (8.5/10) (Sight & Sound 2022: #38 TIE) 

Synopsis: "A wheelchair-bound photographer spies on his neighbors from his Greenwich Village courtyard apartment window, and becomes convinced one of them has committed murder, despite the skepticism of his fashion-model girlfriend."

Simply put, Rear Window is a great film, perhaps one of the finest ever committed to celluloid. All of the elements are perfect (or nearly so), including the acting, script, camerawork, music (by Franz Waxman), and, of course, direction. The brilliance of the movie is that, in addition to keeping viewers on the edges of their seats, it involves us in the lives of all of the characters, from Jefferies and Lisa to Miss Torso. There isn't a moment of waste in 113 minutes of screen time.

~James Berardinelli, ReelViews

2. Casablanca (1942, dir. Michael Curtiz) (100) (IMDb Top 250: #43) (8.5/10) (Sight & Sound 2022: #63 TIE) 

Synopsis: "A cynical expatriate American cafe owner struggles to decide whether or not to help his former lover and her fugitive husband escape the Nazis in French Morocco."

Directed by Hungarian refugee Michael Curtiz, Casablanca exemplifies the consummately crafted Hollywood drama, in which all the elements seem to have fallen alchemically into place. The screenplay sparkles with memorable lines, the supporting cast overflows with indelible performances, and the whole is given an urgent, topical edge by being made on the cusp of America’s involvement in the war.

~British Film Institute (2012) 

1. The Godfather (1972, dir. Francis Ford Coppola) (100) (IMDb Top 250: #2) (9.2/10) (Sight & Sound 2022: #12) 

Synopsis: "The aging patriarch of an organized crime dynasty in postwar New York City transfers control of his clandestine empire to his reluctant youngest son."

Overflowing with life, rich with all the grand emotions and vital juices of existence, up to and including blood. And its deaths, like that of Hotspur in Henry IV, Part I, continue to shock no matter how often we've watched them coming.

~Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times 

***

BONUS LIST: IMDb's Top 250, based on User Scores. The following are films ranked in the aforementioned list that currently don't have metascores. (Read my first edition post from 2022 here). 

Sunset Blvd. (1950; dir. Billy Wilder) (IMDb #59) (8.4/10) (Sight & Sound 2022: #78 TIE) 

The Great Dictator (1940, dir. Charles Chaplin) (IMDb #62) (8.4/10) 

Come and See (1985, dir. Elem Klimov) (IMDb #95) (8.4/10) 

M (1931, dir. Fritz Lang) (IMDb #97) (8.3/10) (Sight & Sound 2022: #36 TIE) 

Bicycle Thieves (1948, dir. Vittorio De Sica) (IMDb #121) (8.3/10) (Sight & Sound 2022: #41 TIE) 

Like Stars on Earth (2007, dir. Aamir Khan & Amole Gupte) (IMDb #122) (8.4/10) 

Dangal (2016, dir. Nitesh Tiwari) (IMDb #126) (8.3/10) 

The Kid (1921, dir. Charles Chaplin) (IMDb #128) (8.3/10) 

The Gold Rush (1925, dir. Charles Chaplin) (IMDb #177) (8.2/10) 

The General (1926; dir. Clyde Bruckman & Buster Keaton) (IMDb #187) (8.1/10) (Sight & Sound 2022: #95 TIE) 

Sherlock Jr. (1924; dir. Buster Keaton) (IMDb #194) (8.2/10) (Sight & Sound 2022: #54 TIE) 

Mary and Max (2009, dir. Adam Elliot) (IMDb #201) (8.1/10) 

The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928, dir. Carl Theodor Dreyer) (IMDb #207) (8.2/10) (Sight & Sound 2022: #21 TIE) 

Tokyo Story (1953; dir. Yasujiro Ozu) (IMDb #208) (8.2/10) (Sight & Sound 2022: #4) 

Pather Panchali (1955, dir. Satyajit Ray) (IMDb #220) (8.3/10) (Sight & Sound 2022: #35)

La Haine (1995, dir. Mathieu Kassovitz) (IMDb #230) (8.1/10) 

Hachi: A Dog's Tale (2009, dir. Lasse Hallström) (IMDb #231) (8.1/10) 

Jai Bhim (2021, dir. T.J. Gnanavel) (IMDb #232) (8.8/10) 

My Father and My Son (2005, dir. Çagan Irmak) (IMDb #233) (8.2/10) 

The 400 Blows (1959, dir. François Truffaut) (IMDb #239) (8.1/10) (Sight & Sound 2022: #50 TIE) 

Dersu Uzala (1975, dir. Akira Kurosawa) (IMDb #245) (8.2/10)