Top 5
Obama Gets Trick or Treaters!
by Steven CrowderIt’s that time of year again! Time for parents to celebrate their own holiday under the disguise of it being “all for the kids.” Be honest, how many times have you “checked the candy for safety” only to realize you’d devoured an entire pack of Snickers? Here’s hoping your Halloween is more enjoyable than Cindy and Carl’s (or Barack Obama’s for that matter)!
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Top 5: If You Were a TCM Guest Programmer
by John NolteI’m not someone with many hopes and dreams, 17 years of bill collecting will do that to you, but for me sitting across from The Mighty Robert Osborne and guest programming an evening of Turner Classic Movies would be like hitting the Powerball. I’m not sure how one gets invited to do such a thing, and can tell you from experience that a letter explaining you have only six-weeks to live doesn’t help, so in the meantime we’ll all have to live vicariously through Dennis Miller or play guest programmer right here.
Sharing great movies with those who haven’t seen them is a passion of mine, so that would be the focus of my choices (and why I love Miller choosing “Dodsworth“).
1. Springtime in the Rockies (1942) — Check this cast out: Betty Grable, Carmen Miranda, John Payne, Cesar Romero, Harry James, Charlotte Greenwood and Edward Everett Horton. Twentieth Century-Fox had them some stars and TCM would just have to make a phone call to Fox and borrow this simple, sweet, unassuming color musical packed with a dozen lovely tunes over a very well-paced 91 minutes. Fox could never compete with what MGM was doing in the musical department, and to their credit didn’t really try. So instead of aspiring to create classics they went for escapism, and sometimes those are the best movies of them all. (more…)
Top 15 Films of the New Millennium
by John NolteUsing reader scores, IMDB ranked their top 15 films produced since 2000. Other than “The Departed,” which along with “Mystic River,” “Crash,” “Crash,” and “Crash,” ranks in the top 5 over-rated films of ever, there’s little to quibble over. Taste is a subjective thing.
My personal Top 15 are ranked as my favorites always are — based on nothing more than re-watchability. “Rocky Balboa” might not be better written, photographed or acted than any number of films not on this list, but I’m going to watch it a helluva lot more, that’s for sure.
1. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) – Ever since the lights came up after that first screening, like a drug this lyrical, gorgeously photographed piece of myth-making has tugged me back for another taste. This isn’t easy to admit, but I think I admire Andrew Dominik’s directorial debut even more than John Ford’s “Young Mister Lincoln” (1939), which it resembles in so many ways. Were this also a listing of the greatest performances of the new millennium, Casey Affleck’s portrayal of Robert Ford would rank #1, as well.
2. The Passion of the Christ (2004) – Easily, the purest and rawest emotional cinematic experience I’ve ever had. The Left’s bigoted, venomous attacks combined with the film’s eventual blockbuster success were almost as satisfying as the re-election of George W. Bush. (more…)
Top 5: John Hughes Scenes (NSFW Language Warning)
by John Nolte
1. Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987) - The hardest I have ever laughed in my life. There I was in the theater; bent over, my feet off the ground, convulsing and gasping for air. As a stand-alone, the scene’s funny, but Hughes meticulously uses everything that came before as a perfect set up to create an epic comedic moment. It’s so well-crafted that no matter how many times you watch, the laughs don’t diminish. A true classic in my book, alongside the Marx Brothers, Preston Sturges and Billy Wilder. (Runner up: “Those aren’t pillows!”)
P.S. I miss John Candy. (more…)
Top 5: American Moments
by John NolteMore like my top five available American moments on YouTube but still entertaining and not from the Golden Era. A reminder that the Hollywood we’re stuck with today can still throw a bone our way.
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1. The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) – A beautifully crafted uniquely American movie where, for once, the antagonist isn’t “the system” or “the racist system.” Chris Gardner (a superb Will Smith) wants something from life. He believes in this country and understands the key to achieving the dream is simple: never, ever give up. A superb script, based on a true story (the real Gardner has a touching cameo in the closing scene) never once takes the grinding pressure off, but aided by genuinely decent people (white Wall Streeters, no less) and driven by a love for his son, rather than play victim, Gardner keeps moving forward long after most of us would’ve surrendered to self pity. Movies don’t get much more conservative than this. (more…)
Memorial Day Top 5: Great WWII Films You Might Have Missed
by John NolteThese may not be the best known or most famous of WWII films, but they deserve to be. Keep an eye out. You’ll be glad you did.
1. Command Decision (1948) – Made just after WWII, this Air Force drama set in 1943 when the outcome of the war was still in doubt, is one of the most intelligent examinations of the burden of command ever put on film. Clark Gable is absolutely outstanding as Casey, a Brigadier General forced to give orders that on their face appear cold and even monstrous, but in truth are just the opposite. Caught between the Washington brass who have a war to sell and the men under him who see only a General ordering their comrades to certain death, Casey is a leader willing to be hated and even lose his command in order to do the greater good. What Casey cares about before anything is saving American lives. That means winning the war as quickly as possible, something which can only be accomplished if unspeakable sacrifices are made in the here and now. (more…)
‘Star Trek’ Flicks — Worst to Best: Part 2
by John NolteLet’s just get to where we left off in Part 1.
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5. Star Trek: Generations (1994) – Yes, “Where the hell’s Kirk?” was my mantra through most of the second act, but the Next Generation (TNG) crew got off to a promising start with William Shatner’s Captain Kirk bookending events to graciously hand off the baton. Plot holes riddle the story of Malcolm McDowall’s Soran and his maniacal attempt to return to the Nexus, an energy ribbon with a crack-like addictive ability to deliver its inhabitants into a dream-like nirvana (there had to be easier ways to get in the thing other than blowing up an entire friggin’ planet), but the concept of the Nexus – the idea of choosing between a false perfection and an imperfect reality is Trek at its best, and the scene where Picard enjoys a heart-wrenching Christmas with a family he’ll never have is a franchise high point. The best moments, though, arrive when Kirk and Picard, two Captains wildly different in personality but who share a love called Enterprise, come together to save the Universe. The complaints about Kirk’s death being anti-climatic are valid and the less than iconic setting for the demise of an icon is obviously due to budget and imagination constraints, but for me it works. When heroes fall it’s often in nondescript places we’ve never heard of where a stand has been taken to risk one’s life for those they’ve never met. Kirk may not have been real, but his final moments are. (more…)
‘Star Trek’ Flicks — Worst to Best: Part 1
by John NolteWith the rebooted “Star Trek” hitting a gajillion theatres at midnight tonight, a good enough excuse has finally arisen to allow for a couple of top 5 posts listing the 10 “Trek” films from worst to best. Okay, I didn’t need an excuse, but I did need an intro sentence with all that information in it.
Other than 10, 9, and 8, which really are difficult to sit through, the remaining 7 are on fairly regular rotation here in my little East L.A. abode. Revisiting the Trek world and spending time with old friends from the original crew is a cinematic pleasure The Hot Little Number I Used to Call Mrs. Harry and I look forward to at least once a year.
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10. Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) – If you’re a fan of high-adventure mixed with compelling themes and interesting characters the final chapter of the Next Generation (TNG) crew is your nemesis. The story itself isn’t as bad as you might think, it’s mediocre to be sure, but the real problem is that this cast is much too bland to elevate blah material. There was never much spark between TNG crew and even less natural warmth. They tried valiantly (and frequently the strain showed), but unlike the original gang, other than Picard, they always came off as chemistry-free television actors who had no business being on the big screen. This meant the material had to deliver the zing the actors couldn’t and the story and direction for “Nemesis” doesn’t come close. A dull villain and listless script can make for a forgettable one-hour television episode, but spread over 116-minutes, this outing should’ve been called “Star Trek: Interminable.” (more…)
Top 5: Revengers
by John NolteA kung-fu flick with fancy wire work is still a kung-fu flick and a revenge flick with CGI is still a revenger . Some may confuse “Wolverine” with a superhero film, but make no mistake, it’s a revenger of the best kind: a B-level plot with A-level action — all meat and potatoes without a vegetable anywhere in sight.
This is one of my favorite genres, especially when it comes to the smaller, lesser known – or better yet – less respected members of this family. Sure, there’s “Star Trek II,” “Once Upon a Time in the West,” “The Sting,” “Man on Fire,” and both “Kill Bill” films – love ‘em all, and so do you, but here are five you may have missed that are even more satisfying than their better known cousins.
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1. Death Wish II (1982) – Michael Winner’s first “Death Wish” (1974) is often mistaken as a revenge film when it’s really a vigilante film. For we purists that distinction matters. The original may show up on all kinds of Top 10 Revenge Film lists but at no time does Bronson’s Paul Kersey look for the thugs who murdered his wife and raped his daughter. What he does do is take it to the streets as an avenging angel to overcome his own sense of helplessness. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great because punks get blown away and liberal critics howl, but a revenger it is not. (more…)
Top 5: Western Themes
by John NolteCan you remember the last piece of film score that made you want to jump into the screen and join in on the action — that made you want to destroy an arch-villain’s volcano lair or swing into ship full of enemy pirates…? But of all the genres, there’s nothing quite like a Big Western Score. The best are rousing, moody, flavorful… They drive a sense of danger and adventure into your innards and make you long to be a cowboy, which is no small achievement for someone like me who would rather spend a night in jail than outdoors.
Here are my 5 favorites in all their YouTube glory.
1. Dimitri Tomkin – Red River (1949): Sweeping, epic, majestic and impossible to believe never nominated for an Oscar. An important part of scoring is deciding where to put the music and ”Red River” has some of the best spotting choices I’ve ever seen. It kicks in precisely when it should, not just to enhance a moment, but also to change moods and start fresh. Watch the scene again where John Wayne (who’s absolutely brilliant in his most unsympathetic role) tells Montgomery Clift (every bit as good as Wayne) he’s gonna kill him. This is “the” moment in the film and you expect dark, melodramatic music, but when Clift walks away and gets on his horse the score soars with adventure completely changing the mood and stripping the melodrama from the moment. (more…)
Top 5: If Hollywood Was Your Only Source of History
by John Nolte
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If present-day Hollywood had their way here are five things you’d never know…
1. That JFK had way more in common with Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush than most of today’s Democrats: By modern standards, Kennedy was a fairly conservative Republican; forward-leaning on national defense and a tax cutter who may not have called it trickle-down but to improve the economy and grow the treasury he cut taxes across the board (yes, including the evil rich). Kennedy’s “tax cuts for the wealthy” not only worked but would become the starter blueprint for both the Reagan and Bush II tax cuts. (more…)
Top 5: Easter Weekend Films
by John NolteAnother Easter season comes and goes without a single offering from mainstream Hollywood to attract oh, say, a billion or so believers into theatres. We’re not political, they say. We’re not agenda-driven, they say. Our choices are based on profit, they say. We have to appeal to an international audience, they say.
“The Pink Panther” sequel no one asked for we get, but where’s, “The Passion II: Acts of the Apostles?” –and anyone familiar with the Bible knows I’m not joking.
Once again Hollywood steps over dollars to make pennies on “Observe and Report” and we’re forced to return to a more tolerant Hollywood on DVD. Congratulate me, tomorrow I celebrate my first year as a Roman Catholic and here are my five favorites over this Holy Week. (more…)
Big Hollywood’s Top 100 Screen Legends
by John NolteThe American Film Institute went a little list-crazy a few years back. Most of their surveys were fun and about the pure pleasure of movie watching (top 100 chills, quotes, songs, laughs… ), but 1999’s “100 Years…100 Stars” definitely caught my eye because it was less about fun, more about creating something defining and just that bad.
For starters, the list was a bit of a cheat. There weren’t 100 stars, there were 50; 25 men and 25 women. But in order to get to the number 100, the AFI counted the 50 stars and celebrities who acted as on-camera hosts and presenters. In other words, the television show produced around the list was more important than creating a serious, comprehensive list. (more…)
Top 5: Most Recently Watched
by John NolteUnless there’s a story beyond: “The repairman was surprised to discover Ms. Pershwipple’s telephone worked just fine…” I vote we keep porn out of it. Other than that, this could be an interesting and revealing exercise… Very simple, what are the last five movies you watched, and sorry big guy, no exemptions for that secret viewing of Garbo’s “Anna Karenina“ with just you and your box of tissues.
My single caveat is that this list will be the last five I’ve watched but haven’t written about. No point in mentioning them again. So starting with the most recent…
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1. Witness For the Prosecution (1957) – **SPOILER** This may be the only film where a make-up job attempting to transform a star, in this case Marlene Dietrich, into a different person completely fooled me. That’s her, though, and Dietrich’s acting has more to do with pulling the stunt off than the actual make-up. Sadly, this was Tyrone Power’s last completed film. He was only 42 during filming, but looks 15 years older. Obviously he was a very sick man, even if he didn’t know it. But it’s Charles Laughton and his wife Elsa Lanchester who shine brightest in what is a true actor’s piece beautifully adapted for the screen and directed by Billy Wilder. (more…)
Top 5: Time Travel Movies
by John NolteThere’s nothing better than a time travel flick that works, but it has to work – it has to hold together. The few months I spent doing script coverage some years ago, it felt like a time travel screenplay came my way at least once a week. But they never held together and died a horrible, twitching death somewhere before page 60. These are difficult stories to construct, but when they hum they’re pure magic because the idea alone fires the imagination with possibilities and achieves a wish-fulfillment stature before the lights even dim.
The Time Machine (1960) – This movie kicks so much ass that there’s none left to kick, and just when you think you’ve found some left to kick, you quickly discover you were wrong and that you owe this movie an apology. What more could you ask for than Morlocks and Eloi and that way-cool mannequin that changes outfits as the days, years, and centuries pass? You got Rod Taylor and Yvette Mimieux and cannibalism and underground caves filled with big, weird, thumping machinery. This is experience talking, so listen up: Every day of the week for months you could watch Rod Taylor crumble those books, toss Morlocks like rag dolls, and give those hippie Eloi all kinds of hell and it never gets old because nothing can stop this movie from being awesome. And if that isn’t enough, Mr. French is in it. (more…)
Top 5: Why Aren’t These On DVD?
by John NolteThe story behind why some films get a DVD release and others don’t must help to make some sense of it all, but the format is into its second decade and if something doesn’t change soon regarding these five I just might have to hold my breath.
1. The Stone Killer (1973) – The Mighty Charles Bronson made some classic urban thrillers in the 1970s but this is far and away the best. Brutal action, tough dialogue, expertly paced and loaded with some of the best sleazy character actors of the era: Paul Koslo, Ralph Waite (pre-Pa Walton), Alfred Ryder and Stuart Margolin. My VHS copy was recorded off of Cinemax when Reagan was in office. The entire Pauly Shore canon has been available on DVD for years, but one of the best genre films from one of our greatest movie stars… (more…)
Top 5: Superhero Moments
by John NolteMy buddy and fellow Big Hollywooder Christian Toto penned a “Top 5 Superhero Moments” over at his blog which has inspired my own.
I only steal the best. Ask my wife’s first husband.
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1. Superman (1978) – Superman Saves Lois and Catches the Helicopter: “You’ve got me? Who’s got you?” The genius of this moment is that director Richard Donner makes you wait for it. There’s forty minutes of mythology and story and teases until finally, finally he hits you with the awesome. The special effects still convince, the score still makes you want to tie a bath towel around your neck and “fly” through the house (Right? Don’t leave me hanging), and in the ensuing decades this moment’s only gotten better because of my growing appreciation for just how fabulous Christopher Reeve is in the title role and in knowing that Margot Kidder as Lois Lane was one of the most perfect pieces of casting ever. (more…)
Top 5: Ash Wednesday
by John NolteThere are a billion Catholics in what Hollywood calls the worldwide market and today’s Ash Wednesday, one of most important holy days of the faith and the beginning of our Lenten season — and how many films have been produced to tap that market this year? Is “squat” a number? But the profit driven movie business, in keeping with the spirit of that old saying, “the sixteenth time’s the charm,” does have a couple more Iraq films in the pipeline.
So as we enter the next 46 days, during which we’re asked to reflect on our relationship with God and how we can improve on that relationship and as individuals, here are five films about just that, about lost souls who one way or another found their way home. (more…)
Top 5: Oscar Highlights and Lowlights
by John NolteA 23.3 rating this year, compared to last year’s record low of 21.9. The headlines read, ”Oscar Ratings on the Rise.” If George W. Bush ran the Academy they would read, ”Oscar Viewership Barely Keeps Up With Annual Increase in U.S. Population.”
First the highlights: (more…)
Top 5: Best Picture Noms
by John NolteWith the Academy Awards just a few days away, here’s a list – from best to worst — of the films nominated for best picture along with links to their Big Hollywood reviews. Last year when critics called 2007 a great year for movies, I thought to myself, “If that’s the definition of ‘great’ what’s ‘lousy’ gonna look like?”
Well, that would be 2008. (more…)
Top 5: More Conservative Films For Thought
by John NolteNational Review’s 25 Best Conservative Movies of the Last 25 Years did what all good lists do, ignite debate and discussion. Last week, NRO’s own Kathryn Jean Lopez jumped in to make a solid case in favor of “Rocky Balboa,” yesterday Maura Flynn stirred things up with a little disagreement and smart choices of her own, and on Monday Ben Shapiro weighed in with a line by line argument for and against the NRO picks and a few excellent additions, including “Tombstone,” and “L.A. Confidential.” Thus far, it’s been a fascinating conversation, and while I normally don’t argue “taste,” Ben’s opinion on “Braveheart” requires a response:
It’s an action epic with some romance thrown in. Liberals could easily caricature Braveheart’s Longshanks as a redneck, particularly after he defenestrates the prince’s gay lover.
Ben’s correct about what “Braveheart” is and what liberals could do with it, but you also have to look at what “Braveheart” is about. The film’s essence is about fighting and dying for liberty, a value the Left conceded thirty-plus years ago on the Killing Fields of Southeast Asia straight through to their call last year to strip 25 million innocent Iraqis of their liberty (and security) in the hopes of embarrassing George W. Bush. Like patriotism-when-the-guy-you-didn’t-vote-for-is-in-office, what was once a universal value has become through default, a conservative value. (more…)
Top 5: Best Moments From Tomorrow’s TCM Pick
by John NolteA two-fer today: A Top 5 and a pick for tomorrow when TCM airs “The Guns of Navarone” at 2:15pm PST.
Director J. Lee Thompson’s epic 1961 World War II adventure is my favorite Men on a Mission film. “The Great Escape” might have more star power and “The Dirty Dozen,” The Mighty Lee Marvin and The Mighty Chuck Bronson, but “Navarone’s” complex and realistic look at the emotional toll of war, and more specifically, the killing of another human being, on the noble warrior makes it something much more than a series of suspenseful and exciting set pieces. [some spoilers ahead] (more…)
Top 5: Favorite Conservative Moments
by John NolteWith National Review’s John J. Miller counting down the 25 best conservative movies of the last 25 years, it got me to thinking about conservative “moments” on film. This is not a preview of any upcoming films on the NRO list. You’ll have to keep an eye on the Corner for those. These are just clips [some with adult language] that stand out for the reasons stated below:
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1. “I’m not your best friend; I’m your only friend.”Other People’s Money (1991): One of the reasons Leftist films have been bombing at the box office (even with Leftists) is due to a one-sidedness that insults the intelligence. In just a couple years, between narratives and documentaries, there have been over a dozen anti-war films that have all flopped, and one of the reasons is that at no time was a single character allowed to stand up and point to the elephant in the room: (more…)
Top 5: Is The Color Film Big Hollywood’s Problem?
by John NolteMy original plan was to do a top five list of today’s actors under thirty-five with more personality than the ShamWow! guy, but you can only tap your chin so long.
To try and explain away the fact that the true movie star is fast becoming extinct, a few apologists over the years have tossed out the excuse that there’s no way today’s celebrities, er, uhm, actors can compete with their historical counterparts because color, unlike black and white, makes them too human and thus brings them down to earth. It would be foolish to completely dismiss that idea, but not as foolish as raising it before, oh, say, a lack of presence, talent, and most of all, class. Of course, if you’re determined to hold that position you must also believe that putting Ashton and the Jessica-of-the-day in a good noir film would change everything. (more…)
Top 5: Directed by Ron Howard
by John NolteBefore he turned to tedious Oscar-bait and incomprehensibly dull “thrillers” with Tom Hanks, Ron Howard used to tell a pretty solid story every now and again. Howard’s best film will always be the timeless “Music Man,” but we’re looking at his turns behind the camera today: (more…)
Top 5: Cagney
by John Nolte1. White Heat (1949) – The last of the classic gangster pictures is also one of the best. Virginia Mayo gives the performance of her career, Edmond O’ Brien is sturdy as ever, and the script is a masterpiece of character, plotting, and story twists – but you never notice because Cagney’s towering performance as a mother-obsessed sociopath is so overpowering it sucks up all the greatness going on around him. (more…)
Top 5: Favorite Jack Lemmon Films
by John NolteA five “best” list of Lemmon films would look a little different than this, especially 4 & 5, but “favorite” is more fun. Besides, no one has a corner on taste.
1. The Days of Wine and Roses (1962) – There have been countless films since dramatizing the horrors of drug and alcohol addiction, many of them more explicit and visceral, but none ever as emotionally agonizing as this tragic love story of two alcoholics. The first act could be any early 60’s, meet-cute, oh Miss Halbersham you’re beautiful without your glasses romantic comedy. At first, Jack Lemmon plays Jack Lemmon wooing the lovely Lee Remick but then the two martini lunch turns into a living nightmare that ends so sadly it takes your breath away. (more…)
Top 5: You’re Right – I’m Wrong
by John NolteFriday was a list of films you were wrong about. Here are five I am wrong about. As a matter of fact, I’m so sure I’m wrong in not liking them, they each sit in my DVD collection and have been viewed frequently in the hopes that a repeat viewing will finally reveal what all the fuss is about.
But, no. Not yet. Can’t stand any one of them. What am I doing wrong?
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2001: A Space Odyssey – Some compare this to watching paint dry, but that’s unfair because when paint dries SOMETHING ACTUALLY HAPPENS. (more…)
Top 5: I’m Right – You’re Wrong
by John NolteHere are my five every-which-way-awesome films that get nowhere near the love they deserve. Those who haven’t seen them should. Those who have and didn’t like them were doing something wrong.
1. Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo (1999) – Pure masterpiece. Ask anyone. Okay, ask me. The best comedy of the last ten years. A genius concept, perfectly executed with more quotable dialogue than any film since “Blazing Saddles.” But it’s The Mighty Rob Schneider who carries it off creating both a sympathetic character and major laughs as he reacts to the madness around him. Two other comedic greats in the reaction department, Bob Hope and Jack Benny, would’ve been proud. Don’t miss the sequel, either. Not only is there more Deuce, but Schneider throws in a little pro-America to boot. (more…)


























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