I remember in high school (circa 1997)lol, I took a "movies" class and we were introduced to older flicks that had a huge impact on society whether positive or negative. (Rebel Without a Cause, Plan 9 From Outer Space, Apocalypse Now,etc) What are some of your favorite old flicks?

I think I'm getting old because I wouldn't have said Apocolypse Now is an old movie. I guess it is though. It was made 30 years ago.

Anyway, great question. Off the top of my head, I like some of the old Brando movies, A Streetcar Named Desire,and On the Waterfront.
Gone with the Wind is another one I enjoy watching from time to time. I like Abbott and Costello as well.

Blimey, how 'old' is old ?

That said, I did find that a lot of films that were before even my time were still good![Note: " Before even my time" does not mean "Workers leaving the Lumiere Brothers factory"!] The old silent Buster Keaton film "The General" is still a delight.

In films with sound (!)"His Girl Friday" is better than its later reincarnations ("The Front Page") because it casts the brilliant newspaper man, whose existence is essential to the partnership of the two hot newsmen,as a woman.She happens to be the estranged, recently divorced, wife of the other, and on her way to marrying a sober, boring man, when the big story breaks.You can imagine what the dialogue is like! Sparkling, with more twists than you could guess... and what an ending! Later versions kept the plot but cast her as a man, thereby losing the tension generated by two people who can't live with each other (they're too much alike) but somehow can't live without each other. Brilliantly done!

And everyone should see "Casablanca". If ever a film had everything; witty script,dramatic situation,great contrast; Casablanca is it.

"The Third Man" is another of that Casablanca genre. I was quite old before I understood what a subtle, bitter, love story it is underneath the main story ( a woman would get that straight away, but mere men don't see beyond the tension of the drama).

But if anyone can explain to me what is so "wonderful" about "Citizen Kane", I'd be grateful.Film buffs love it, but I've always thought they loved it for the technical skill of the director not as a story told on celluloid.

By the way, if you order " The Thin Man" by mistake for "The Third Man", you won't be too disappointed. "Thin" is a sparkling comedy, with an eccentric detective, who prefers parties and drink to work, and a smart cameo by one of the great comic dog stars of cinema. dg may therefore see why I like it, but it does have a more general appeal !

quote:

Originally posted by FredPuli:
and a smart cameo by one of the great comic dog stars of cinema. dg may therefore see why I like it, but it does have a more general appeal !

Btw, how long do we have to keep pretending you're a dog?

quote:

Originally posted by dg:

Btw, how long do we have to keep pretending you're a dog?

Pretending? I am Dean Spanley, reincarnated.

And there you were thinking that Lord Dunsany ["My Talks with Dean Spanley" now reprinted as "Dean Spanley: the novel"] invented me

All the clues are there: alcoholic, drinks Hungarian wine, becomes a dog....

You seem to have got the sequence of events out of order, you nutcase. But anyway, do we have to treat you like a spaniel now, rather than a puli?

Oh well, a change is as good as a rest, I suppose.

quote:

Originally posted by dg:

But anyway, do we have to treat you like a spaniel now, rather than a puli?

As a dog I'm reincarnated, too. Came back as a puli.Dreadlocks are more my style than layering

quote:

Originally posted by FredPuli:
But if anyone can explain to me what is so "wonderful" about "Citizen Kane", I'd be grateful.Film buffs love it, but I've always thought they loved it for the technical skill of the director not as a story told on celluloid.

I'm glad you asked because Citizen Kane is probably my favorite pre-1950 movies (which is what I label as the time period known as the "classics.") The inventive film techniques are a major part of why it's great, but those techniques aren't working in isolation; they're contributing to the storytelling and emotions and is what gives the story itself such strength. Its the way it tells the story that is great. I felt like Citizen Kane expressed itself much more strongly than any classic film I'd ever seen, which is why, to me, its aged so well. It feels modern. It's a great story as well, with great symbolism and meaning. Plus, a movie is more than a story and Citizen Kane is truly well-rounded.

there's quite a few older ones that I like.

The Thin Man series (1930's-1940's)
Charlie Chan series (1930's-1940's)
Rebecca (1940)
Harvey (1950)
North by Northwest (1959)

just to name a few...

My favorite movies:

The Wizard of Oz (although I've seen it at least 30 times!)
The Time Machine - actually, ALL adaptations as well
Anything Doris Day...I loved her!

I guess that's it!