The Twilight Zone: The Complete Series

Rod Serling’s Twilight Zone is one of those television titles that surpassed its small screen trappings to become something more, something bigger, iconic, finding its way into the very fabric of the cultural DNA. Even today, people make references to it, by humming the iconic opening theme by Marius Constant, (though Bernard Herrmann composed a…

From Here to Eternity (1953) – Fred Zinnemann

  An all star cast brings James Jones sprawling book to the big screen, and is my next recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book following my revisit with Casablanca for the Romance and Melodrama genre. Burt Lancaster, Frank Sinatra, Montgomery Clift, Deborah Kerr, Donna Reed, Ernest Borgnine, Claude Akins and Jack Warden bring…

The Red Badge of Courage (1951) – John Huston

  We delve back into the war section of the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book, and the next big title there, is John Huston’s adaptation of Stephen Crane’s novel, that follows a young, Union soldier, Henry Fleming (Audie Murphy) also known as The Youth, as he struggles with his fear, and the…

Raging Bull (1980) – Martin Scorsese

  We move back to Drama in the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book, and take a look at Martin Scorsese’s biopic on boxing legend Jake La Motta, brought to visceral life by an Oscar wining performance by Robert De Niro. As succesful as La Motta would prove to be inside the boxing ring,…

Young Frankenstein (1974) – Mel Brooks

  The Sci-Fi Chronicles book has been very enjoyable so far, and I’m still at the beginning of the massive tome! It was with great joy that I settled in to watch Mel Brook’s homage and send-up of the Universal Frankenstein films. Gene Wilder headlines a laugh-infused cast, that is just a joy to watch,…

Kings of the Road (1976) – Wim Wenders

  The next road movie following my viewing of Easy Rider for the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book is this German road film. It definitely falls into the road movie category, but there is a somberness to it, that doesn’t seem to be reflected in its North American counterparts, no matter what…

On The Waterfront (1954) – Elia Kazan

  “You don’t understand. I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am, let’s face it.” Brando turns in a bravura performance in this, the next drama entry from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book. The film scored itself…