Top 5: Most Recently Watched

by John Nolte

Unless 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.

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2. Lure of the Wilderness (1952) – In the swamplands of Georgia, a young man (Jeffrey Hunter), searching for his lost dog, comes across a fugitive (Walter Brennan) and his grown daughter (Jean Peters). They’ve been hiding out so long the girl knows nothing other than the swamps, but the old man claims he’s innocent and Hunter’s character agrees to help them. The second act draaags something awful, all of which would’ve been forgiven had the swamp setting created more of a mysterious mood and feel. When the atmosphere is rich enough, a slow pace can sometimes benefit a film. Without, though, you’re hitting fast-forward.

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3. Scene of the Crime (1949) – This was a nice little pick up courtesy of my “Record All Things Van Johnson” DVR feature. A tightly plotted piece of noir with Johnson playing a Los Angeles homicide detective hunting down the killer of a fellow detective and friend of his who may or may not have been involved in the rackets. Good black and white photography, great locations, sharp dialogue and a 94-minute runtime made this quite the find.

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4. Bats (1999) – Chuckle away snobs, but when Lou Diamond Phillips isn’t playing a pretentious noble Indian, he’s a terrific b-movie presence and for all the hell critics gave this little programmer, it’s got a fast moving plot, three very good bat-attack scenes and Dina Mayer (aka: The Girl in “Starship Troopers”). If you loved “Nightwing” (1979), you’ll love this – and if you didn’t — well, then, we’re just going to have to take another look at this whole relationship thing we thought we had going.

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5. The Big Hit (1998) – Okay, you caught me… I was in the letter “b” section of my DVD collection and in one of those “Lou Diamond Phillips Movie Moods” - and don’t tell me you’ve never had a “Lou Diamond Phillips Movie Mood”  – and especially don’t tell me if you really haven’t because I feel weird enough about it already. But you’ve had “Charlie Sheen Movie Moods,” right? …. Right? Anyway, Phillips is absolutely hilarious (non-dairy creamer?) playing a blazingly crazy, over-the-top gangster/assassin investigating a kidnapping he masterminded and trying to pin it on his colleague, a milquetoast gangster/assassin played by Mark Wahlberg. Humor, outrageous gunfights, kung fu, Pumpkin from “Married with Children” and a well-deserved and overdue respect for “King Kong Lives” made this the sleeper of 1998.

Okay, your turn.


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Posted Mar 23rd 2009 at 5:21 pm in Top 5 | 175 Comments