Days of Heaven - 1978

It took 3 tries after reading Roger Ebert's book, but I finally hit the gold mine. Not only did this make it on my top 100 list, it actually feels like a perfect movie to me. I wouldn't change one thing. Richard Gere plays Bill- a dirt poor, hot tempered, uneducated blue collar worker. Brooke Adams plays Abby, Bill's girlfriend. After accidentally killing a co-worker at a steel mill factory in Chicago, Bill takes his girlfriend and little sister with him across the country to find any kind of grunt work they can get their hands on. They end up in a wheat field in Texas. In order to protect Abby, Bill pretends it is his sister not his lover. Her pretty looks cannot be hidden under her migrant worker facade, the rich farmer sees her beauty and decides she will be his. This movie is poetry in motion. The movie has about 10% of the dialogue you would get from a regular show. It almost feels like a silent movie- there are long stretches where no one is speaking. The director uses stunning scenery and a monotone voice of a 12 year old narrator to tell this amazing story of love, greed, poverty, sickness, jealousy, social class differences, murder, con artistry, etc. Everything flows smoothly. The shots of the farmer fields, trains, airplanes, etc. are just breathtaking. The symbolism in this movie is what every director longs for but few ever achieve. The burning of the wheat fields is symbolic of Abby starting a new life. The farmer who falls in love with Abby (Sam Shepherd) overcomes a life threatening illness because of love, but in the end is still sick inside because it really wasn't true love. This movie has so much to offer to the audience. 5 solid stars and it was never in question. Good call Ebert.

The Big Heat - 1953

this is my second straight movie that I watched as a result of reading Ebert's book - The Great Movies. I do see why this is on his top whatever list, but it won't make it on mine. Ebert tends to rate movies high if they are groundbreaking, the first movie to address a certain issue, a certain topic, etc. This movie is one of the first crime mystery movies that did really well in the box office. Glenn Ford plays a no nonsense police homicide detective named Seragant Bannion. His wife in the show is Marlon Brando's sister in real life, which was an interesting fact- and she was a good actress in the movie. You will recognize a few faces in the movie (Lee Marvin). the script is great. For 1953 there are quite a few killings and maybe that is why Ebert liked it- it set the precendance for what a movie can be. In the end it is a 3 star noir movie for me. Check out the trailer and see if it interests you before putting it on your queue.

Room Service (1938)

My wife and I saw this FUNNY play down at the Shakespearean Festival and even to this day we make reference to it and laugh.  I always knew that the Marx Brothers made this show into a film, and had always wanted to see it, so when I saw it at the library I checked it out.  I had no idea that Lucille Ball was in it.

Gordon Miller (Goucho Marx) is the producer for an upcoming show, but does not have a financial backer yet.  In the meantime he is mooching off of his brother in law and living in his hotel with all of the actors of the show as well.  The writer of the show arrives to stay with them, the regional manager of the hotel arrives, the rest of the Marx Brothers arrive, Lucille Ball arrives, and many more arrive.  This show is all about people coming and going, and lies being built upon lies.

Even now I am laughing at the show, but it is the stage play and not this movie.  It felt like the Marx Brothers were playing straight while trying to be funny, the same with Lucille.  5 stars for the play, 1 star for the movie.  I am very sad.

Strangers on a Train (1951)

I am going to borrow my synopsis from IMDb...

"Bruno Anthony thinks he has the perfect plot to rid himself of his hated father and when he meets tennis player Guy Haines on a train, he thinks he's found the partner he needs to pull it off. His plan is relatively simple. Two strangers each agree to kill someone the other person wants disposed of. For example, Guy could kill his father and he could get rid of Guy's wife Miriam, freeing him to marry Anne Morton, the beautiful daughter of a U.S. Senator. Guy dismisses it all out of hand but but Bruno goes ahead with his half of the 'bargain' and disposes of Miriam. When Guy balks, Bruno makes it quite clear that he will plant evidence to implicate Guy in her murder if he doesn't get rid of his father. Guy had also made some unfortunate statements about Miriam after she had refused him a divorce. It all leads the police to believe Guy is responsible for the murder, forcing him to deal with Bruno's mad ravings.Written by garykmcd "

I have one word for this movie...predictable...2 stars. 

The Avengers (2012)

Together we have watched many movies where the producers have brought together very strong personalities because they felt that these independent actors would be able to create a positive chemistry for the film.  We can attest to the fact that this has not always worked well.  The producers for The Avengers apparently felt that they could bring together these very well established actors to make a good movie, but frankly I was skeptical.  I have enjoyed all of the pre-"Avenger" films to one level or another, but I wasn't holding out that they could bring the magic together in one movie.

Loki (Tom Hiddleston) is the brother of Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and has come to earth to claim his rightful spot as the ruler over Thor and his protected people.  Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson) is head of S.H.I.E.L.D. and is tracking the destruction of Loki, and decides that they need to bring the "Avengers" together.  We see the gathering of all the players, which takes a long time to do, but it helps build the relationships and needed chemistry between each of them.  Soon enough though they begin to fight Loki and his minions.  It is here in the film that I finally relaxed because the chemistry between the actors was perfect.  They all got their screen time and lines; I was afraid that Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) was going to have to carry this movie, but they gave the rightful place to Captain America (Chris Evans) as the real leader of the Avengers.

The writing was perfect, there was the right amount of comedy throughout the film.  I give this movie a very solid 5 stars, it is well worth the time.  Stay all the way through the credits.  I took my two oldest boys 10 and 8 and they enjoyed it.

The Third Man - 1949

I agree with you on this one. Just okay for me. 2.5 stars. Loved the camera work with the lighting, angles, shadows and everything but the story just wasn't that exciting to follow. I like movies that keep me guessing.

The Man with the Golden Arm - 1955

I suppose every human being will struggle with some type of addiction in their mortal lives. The flesh is weak. But not all addictions are like a heroin addiction, at least that is what this movie portrays to the viewer. Sinatra plays Frankie Machine. A good guy who got mixed up with the wrong kind of drug. The movie starts out with Frankie on top of the world. He is out of rehab and ready to start a clean life. He wants to be a musician, a drummer. He wants to leave behind his legacy of dealing cards and doing drugs. Frankie goes against the advice from his doctor, and decides to return to his old stomping grounds. It doesn't take long for Frankie to take his first heroin hit, start working as a dishonest card dealer for a shark named Louise (played fantasticly by Darren McGavin (who you will recognize from The Christmas Story, The Natural and Billy Madison). Frankie is torn between an old life with his wife Zosch Machine (played by the same actress who plays the cold hearted baroness in Sound of Music) and his girlfriend Molly (played by Kim Novak). Believe it or not in this movie his girlfriends is actually the better influence for Frankie. Zosch is a liar and manipulates Frankie. I love how the director (Otto Preminger) portrays Frankie. It really is creepy how much the drug controls him. I did not like how bad the copy of the film was, hard to see images and hard to hear the voices talking. This would be a great movie to do a remake off. 3 stars for me. If the sound was better as well as the picture quality I would give this 4 stars and make my kids watch this show.