Tag: Movies

Top 50 Movies in My Lifetime (My Opinion)

Movie TitleTop 2 StarsYear
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance KidPaul Newman, Robert Redford1969
Citizen KaneOrson Welles, Joseph Cotten1941
RockySylvester Stallone, Talia Shire1976
All Quiet on the Western FrontLew Ayres, Louis Wolheim1930
DraculaBela Lugosi, Helen Chandler1931
Animal HouseJohn Belushi, Tim Matheson1978
Witness for the ProsecutionTyrone Power, Marlene Dietrich1957
Duck SoupGroucho Marx, Harpo Marx1933
The GodfatherMarlon Brando, Al Pacino1972
Nicholas and AlexandraMichael Jayston, Laurence Olivier1971
GoodfellasRobert De Niro, Ray Liotta1990
The Grand Budapest HotelRalph Fiennes, Tony Revolori2014
John WickKeanu Reeves, Ian McShane2014
You Only Live TwiceSean Connery, Donald Pleasence1967
Airplane!Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty1980
The Last SamuraiTom Cruise2003
CasablancaHumphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman1942
Bull DurhamKevin Costner, Susan Sarandon1988
The Good, the Bad and the UglyClint Eastwood, Eli Wallach1966
The Naked GunLeslie Nielsen, Priscilla Presley1988
Death at a Funeral Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence2010
Once Upon a Time in HollywoodLeonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt2019
The CandidateRobert Redford, Peter Boyle1972
The Best ManHenry Fonda, Cliff Robertson1964
CasinoRobert De Niro, Sharon Stone1995
Road HousePatrick Swayze, Sam Elliott1989
Margin CallKevin Spacey, Jeremy Irons2011
Raging BullRobert De Niro, Joe Pesci1980
The Good ShepherdMatt Damon, Angelina Jolie2006
DownfallBruno Ganz, Alexandra Maria Lara2004
Glengarry Glen RossAl Pacino, Jack Lemmon1992
Bonnie and ClydeWarren Beatty, Faye Dunaway1967
High NoonGary Cooper, Grace Kelly1952
City HallAl Pacino, John Cusack1996
HeatAl Pacino, Robert De Niro1995
Scarface (1932)Paul Muni, Ann Dvorak1932
Wall StreetMichael Douglas, Charlie Sheen1987
Too Big to FailWilliam Hurt, Billy Crudup2011
Casino RoyaleDaniel Craig, Eva Green2006
Fatal AttractionMichael Douglas, Glenn Close1987
The Dirty DozenLee Marvin, Charles Bronson1967
All the King’s MenBroderick Crawford, John Ireland1949
Advise and ConsentHenry Fonda, Charles Laughton1962
The Last HurrahSpencer Tracy, Jeffrey Hunter1958
The Ides of MarchGeorge Clooney, Ryan Gosling2011
RoninRobert De Niro, Jean Reno1998
Mission: Impossible – FalloutTom Cruise, Henry Cavill2018
The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)Steve McQueen, Faye Dunaway1968
The Thomas Crown Affair (1999)Pierce Brosnan, Rene Russo1999

I collected this list in about an hour’s time. I’m sure there are movies I would add/subtract to my top 50 if given more time and reflection. These are movies that I would view again and again. I know that most of these movies are older and were enjoyed when I was younger. Just about all these movies had compelling storylines that I enjoyed.

Movie Review: A Haunting in Venice

Summary: Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) is asked by a friend and mystery author Ariadne Oliver (Tina Fey) to attend a seance held on Halloween so he can debunk claims by a woman (Michelle Yeow) that she can communicate with the dead. Strange events occur including a few murders, unexplained attacks, spooky noises and visions of ghosts. Excellent storytelling and plenty of plot twists and turns.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Highlights: Branagh is brilliant as Poirot. First time, I saw Tina Fey in a dramatic role and she was very good.Kelly Reilly plays the distraught mother of a deceased child and it good to see her outside her role of Beth Dutton in Yellowstone. Excellent supporting cast.

This is a bit of a “dark movie.” Most of the scenes are shot with little light. A bit disconcerting at times but consistent with the movie’s theme and settings.

I really enjoyed the ending. Poirot was able to review events and even minute clues to come up with not only the murderer but the motives and ambitions of all the guests.

Excellent mystery and storytelling…

My Top 22 Political Themed Movies

Combining my interest in both politics and movies, I list the top 22 Political Themed Movies of my lifetime.  The first seven on this list I would  categorize as “classics.” Some movies are serious, some are satire, a few comedic.

  1. Citizen Kane (Orson Welles, Joseph Cotton) 1941
  2. The Candidate (Robert Redford), Peter Boyle ) 1972
  3. Nicholas and Alexandra ( Michael Jayson, Lawrence Olivier) 1971
  4. The Best Man (Henry Fonda, Cliff Robertson) 1964
  5. All The Kings Men (Broderick Crawford) 1949
  6. Advise and Consent (Henry Fonda, Charles Laughton) 1962
  7. The Last Hurrah (Spenser Tracy) 1958
  8. The Ides of March (George Clooney, Ryan Gosling) 2011
  9. Downfall (Hitler’s last days) (Alexandra Lara, Bruno Ganz) 2004
  10. Nixon (Anthony Hopkins) 1995
  11. Game Change (Julianne Moore, Woody Harrelson) 2012
  12. The Contender (Joan Allen, Jeff Bridges) 2000
  13. Seven Days in May (Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas) 1964
  14. Failsafe (Henry Fonda, Walter Matthau) 1964
  15. City Hall (Al Pacino, John Cusack) 1996
  16. Primary Colors (John Travolta, Emma Thompson) 1998
  17. The American President (Michael Douglas, Annette Bening) 1995
  18. Duck Soup (Marx Brothers) 1933
  19. V for Vendetta (Natalie Portman ) 2005
  20. Frost/Nixon (Frank Langella, Michael Sheen) 2008
  21. Vice (Christian Bale) 2018
  22. The Seduction of Joe Tynan (Alan Alda, Meryl Streep) 1979