Sounds like you know what you’re talking about TC. I respectfully request your top 10 list of must watch movies. I’ll settle for your top five if you don’t have the time. Many thanks in advance.
Sounds like you know what you’re talking about TC. I respectfully request your top 10 list of must watch movies. I’ll settle for your top five if you don’t have the time. Many thanks in advance.
Well, I did spend 40 years in Hollywood learning something. :-)
In no particular order - all available on streaming at MGM+ or TCM - I'll catch these any time they're available:
"1900" (only the director's 5 hour cut - which doesn't seem like that long when you're watching) - the rise and fall of fascism in Italy.
"The Bridges at Toko-ri" (Everybody told me if I did this movie I wouldn't have a career - but I already didn't have a career" - Mickey Rooney. Best aviation movie ever)
"Singing in the Rain" - best "Hollywood movie" ever
"Casablanca" - best movie ever
"Full Metal Jacket" - best Vietnam movie.
"Lonely Are The Brave" - Kirk Douglas' favorite Kirk Douglas movie - mine too,.
"Chinatown" - because it's great
"Godfather" - I and II together.
"Aliens" - best sequel ever
"Band of Brothers" - the 10 best war movies ever made
When I was first here in Hollywood, I "educated" myself by writing articles for movie magazines in order to meet Hollywood people doingthings thsat interested me. Fortunately, I have excellent interviewing skills. Steven Spielberg wouldn't spend 30 seconds with Tom Who? but he once spent 90 minutes of a scheduled 45 minute interview with Tom Cleaver from Starlog Magazine talking about Indiana Jones and told me at the end he'd never done that with another interviewer.
Among the people I interviewed was Julius J. Epstein, who with his brother Phillip and Howard Koch wrote "Casablanca." He was still actively at work at age 93, and it took him six weeks to find the time to meet with me. He told me the best story about writing Casablanca.:
As is well known, the writers were a day ahead of production throughout the project. One Sunday, they were desperately trying to come up with a line that would explain the way the cops in Casablanca worked. The Epstein brothers were driving down Sunset Boulevard, headed over to the Warner studio on Formosa in West Hollywood where they worked, and were arguing about lines. They got stopped at the traffic light on Cherokee, just up from the Hollywood Athletic Club. Phil looked out at the people on the sidewalk (the only difference between then and now being hair styles, clothing and vehicles); he snapped his finger, turned to Julius and said "Round up the usual suspects!"
Sounds like you know what you’re talking about TC. I respectfully request your top 10 list of must watch movies. I’ll settle for your top five if you don’t have the time. Many thanks in advance.
Well, I did spend 40 years in Hollywood learning something. :-)
In no particular order - all available on streaming at MGM+ or TCM - I'll catch these any time they're available:
"1900" (only the director's 5 hour cut - which doesn't seem like that long when you're watching) - the rise and fall of fascism in Italy.
"The Bridges at Toko-ri" (Everybody told me if I did this movie I wouldn't have a career - but I already didn't have a career" - Mickey Rooney. Best aviation movie ever)
"Singing in the Rain" - best "Hollywood movie" ever
"Casablanca" - best movie ever
"Full Metal Jacket" - best Vietnam movie.
"Lonely Are The Brave" - Kirk Douglas' favorite Kirk Douglas movie - mine too,.
"Chinatown" - because it's great
"Godfather" - I and II together.
"Aliens" - best sequel ever
"Band of Brothers" - the 10 best war movies ever made
others may differ
TC...have to agree about Casablanca which I can watch again and again.
I've lost count of how many times.
When I was first here in Hollywood, I "educated" myself by writing articles for movie magazines in order to meet Hollywood people doingthings thsat interested me. Fortunately, I have excellent interviewing skills. Steven Spielberg wouldn't spend 30 seconds with Tom Who? but he once spent 90 minutes of a scheduled 45 minute interview with Tom Cleaver from Starlog Magazine talking about Indiana Jones and told me at the end he'd never done that with another interviewer.
Among the people I interviewed was Julius J. Epstein, who with his brother Phillip and Howard Koch wrote "Casablanca." He was still actively at work at age 93, and it took him six weeks to find the time to meet with me. He told me the best story about writing Casablanca.:
As is well known, the writers were a day ahead of production throughout the project. One Sunday, they were desperately trying to come up with a line that would explain the way the cops in Casablanca worked. The Epstein brothers were driving down Sunset Boulevard, headed over to the Warner studio on Formosa in West Hollywood where they worked, and were arguing about lines. They got stopped at the traffic light on Cherokee, just up from the Hollywood Athletic Club. Phil looked out at the people on the sidewalk (the only difference between then and now being hair styles, clothing and vehicles); he snapped his finger, turned to Julius and said "Round up the usual suspects!"
Missed Full Metal Jacket and Lonely are the Brave… otherwise, that’s my favorite list also!
You like the 5-hour 1900? That makes you one of the few people cool enough to even know about it! :-)
Chinatown - happens to be my all time favorite. Thank you TC