It’s always a good time to read about director Alfred Hitchcock and expect a lot of attention on the Master of Suspense in the upcoming months as there are two films currently in production about him. ALFRED HITCHCOCK AND THE MAKING OF PSYCHO (expect a title change on that one) based in the book by Steve Rebello, is in pre-production with Sacha Gervasi (ANVIL! THE STORY OF ANVIL) directing and an outstanding cast attached. Anthony Hopkins has signed on to play Hitch, Scarlett Johansson is cast as Janet Leigh, Jessica Biel will be playing Vera Miles, British actor James D’Arcy is Tony Perkins, and Helen Mirren will play Alma Reville (Mrs Hitchcock). The other Hitchcock film in the works is THE GIRL produced by The BBC that will premiere later this year on HBO. THE GIRL focuses on the love/hate relationship between Hitchcock (played by Toby Jones) and his abused young discovery Tippi Hedren  (Sienna Miller).

Wile we wait for those, Super-8 ALFRED HITCHCOCK Movie Madness will be a great way to celebrate the life and films of the legendary British director. It takes place April 3rd at the Way Out Club in St. Louis (2525 Jefferson in South City). We’ll be showing condensed (18 minute) versions of several of Alfred Hitchcock’s greatest films on Super-8 sound film projected on a big screen. They are: 18-minute condensed versions of NORTH BY NORTHWEST, THE BIRDS, PSYCHO, FRENZY, and FAMILY PLOT, a Hitchcock Trailer Reel, a PSYCHO Promo Reel, and a THE BIRDS Promo reel. The non-Hitchcock movies we’ll be showing April 3rd are the Hammer Horror shocker LUST FOR A VAMPIRE, The Three Stooges in THREE SAPPY PEOPLE, THE GUINESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS, the 1936 Sci-Fi epic THINGS TO COME, and the 1945 horror film DEAD OF NIGHT. We’ll have Alfred Hitchcock trivia with prizes, and much more. The Way Out Club is located at 2525 Jefferson Avenue (at Gravois) in South St. Louis. Admission is only $3.00.

Alfred Hitchcock directed 54 feature films between 1925 and 1976, and here, according to We Are Movie Geeks, are his ten best:

10. FRENZY

FRENZY, Hitchcock’s next to last feature film from 1972, represented a homecoming of sorts since it was the first film completely shot in his native England since his silents and early ” talkies ” in the 1930′s. By dipping into the then somewhat new territory of serial killers, he took full advantage of the new cinema freedoms and truly earned his ‘ R ‘ MPAA rating. Perhaps ole’ ” Hitch ” wanted to give those young up-and-coming film makers a run for their thriller movie money ( take that Brian DePalma! ). Anthony ( SLEUTH ) Schaffer’s screenplay told of an innocent man ( Jon Finch ) on the run ( ala NORTH BY NORTHWEST ) after police believe him to be the notorious necktie rapist/strangler. Seems this fellow’s buddy ( Barry Foster ) made his pal’s ex-wife the latest victim in a very graphic murder in a horrific sequence early in the film ( supposedly Michael Caine passed on the role because of the extreme brutality ). But later in the story ” Hitch ” shows surprising discretion. The killer enters an apartment with another woman and the camera stays in the hallway as they close the door. Slowly the camera begins a long tracking shot down the hall ( we hear no sounds from the closed room ) and out into the busy, bustling street ( perhaps showing that life goes on). Very stylish, you old sneak!  Later we get a taste of the master’s sense of humor as the police inspector talks about the case to his gourmet-wannabe’ wife ( her dishes just sound awful!) in a series of running gags ( literally ). Even more hilarious ( and gruesome ) is when the killer realizes that his latest victim grabbed his very personal lapel pin. He’s got to track down the produce truck that carries her corpse ( shades of THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY ) stuffed in a sack of potatoes! Though he neared the end of his career Hitchcock proved he could still leave movie audiences gasping! Look for him in an early scene amongst a crowd who spot a body floating in the Thames ( such a proper Englishman-he’s wearing his bowler ).

An 18 minute condensed version of FRENZY will be screened at Super-8 ALFRED HITCHCOCK Movie Madness April 3rd at The Way Out Club

9. SABOTEUR

Though not his first movie in Hollywood, SABOTEUR (1942) was Hitchcock’s first fully American film (REBECCA and SUSPICION both took place in England), one that took its lead characters on a coast-to-coast trek, ending up at one of the most American sites of all: the Statue of Liberty. Robert Cummings is wrongly suspected of being the saboteur who blew up the plant where he worked. He then goes on a cross-country run from his enemies, encountering a beautiful girl, a traveling circus (the unforgettable bearded-lady), etc. The real Saboteur is Nazi spy Norman Lloyd (still with us at 97!) who has since disappeared from the factory. Going on the run Cummings follows a lead concerning Fry which leads him to the ranch of wealthy Otto Kruger who is mixed up with a bigger plot of Sabotage. SABOTEUR introduced many elements that would become Hitchcock staples: the “wrongly-accused man” theme; the innocent hero in pursuit of the real villain with the police on his heels; the cultured villain whose outward respectability masks evil; the reluctant or hostile blonde heroine; the use of important sites (the Statue of Liberty climax, the shoot-out at Radio City) for spectacular set pieces; and, of course, the dark humor. While history hasn’t revealed SABOTEUR to be among Hitchcock’s most popular films, it certainly belongs on this list and is the one most deserving of rediscovery.

8. VERTIGO

Let’s state this right from the top: VERTIGO is one of the greatest films ever made. It’s not simply hyperbole that notables such as Leonard Maltin and Martin Scorsese have called the film Hitchcock’s masterpiece.  To paraphrase Scorsese, rarely have we seen the complexity of a man’s thoughts and feelings portrayed so beautifully and compellingly onscreen.  Everything in VERTIGO – from the costumes to the location scenery to the performances of its lead actors is quite simply, perfect. Hitchcock had long wanted to film a story in the City by the Bay, and with the French novel FROM AMONG THE DEAD, he had the framework for his most personal and revealing film. The San Francisco backdrops contribute greatly to the overall dreamlike quality of much of the film, with the Spanish architecture, redwood forests, and of course, the Golden Gate. The plot of VERTIGO is famously convoluted, but suffice to say that Hitch had yet another morally ambiguous lead character in Scottie (the always solid Jimmy Stewart, here playing against his all-American every guy type), and a plethora of dualities in almost every character – and then some. Madeleine (the wonderful Kim Novak) is not really Madeleine, but Judy. And Midge (Barbara Bel Geddes) wants to be Madeleine, but paints a portrait of herself as Carlotta. The old college buddy is really a calculating murderer. Hitchcock uses paintings, reflections, mirrors, and shadows to show us these dual personas constantly throughout the film. On its surface, VERTIGO is about trying to change someone you love. Haven’t we all tried this to some extent at some point in our lives? The danger, as it is here, is that it can become an obsession – this power we have to transform someone. To take the point even further, isn’t it the movies themselves which transform reality for us? It would also be easy to dismiss VERTIGO as one of the darkest and most cynical portrayals of romantic love ever filmed. But Hitchcock actually has a genuine affinity for romance. Look at the scene where Scottie finally molds Judy into the Madeleine he loves. As she enters the room, bathed in an ethereal light, Bernard Herrmann’s lush romantic score swells to a crescendo, and Scottie’s face transforms as he embraces her as Hitch shoots in a full 360 dolly (Notice how the background changes, reflecting Scottie’s memories.) Has there ever been a more beautifully rendered sequence showing a man and woman in love? Many directors would have ended the film right there, but of course, Hitch is not most directors. With its themes of the conflicts inherent in romantic love, its obsessive power to transform reality, and its dark impulses that we both fear and are drawn to, VERTIGO abides as a unique look into the mind of one very special genius.

7. REBECCA

Based on the novel by Daphne du Maurier, REBECCA was Alfred Hitchcock’s first American film and won the Oscar for Best Picture in 1940, the only Hitchcock film to ever do so (though Best Director went to John Ford that year for GRAPES OF WRATH). We never see the title character in REBECCA, but we constantly feel her presence. Joan Fontaine stars as an unnamed woman who is the “companion” of a spoiled rich woman – Mrs. Van Hopper (Florence Bates). She meets Rebecca’s widower: the rich but brooding Maxim de Winter (Laurence Olivier). The two marry and he takes her to Manderley, his palatial estate in the English countryside. There, the second Mrs. de Winter must compete with the memory of Rebecca’s perfection, and cope with the menacing housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers (Judith Anderson). REBECCA is an eerie exercise in suspense, one of the more gothic and strange of Hitchcock’s films, as it deals more with psychological terror than the espionage thrillers he’d been making in England. REBECCA proved that a skilled director accustomed to making small pictures in England could embrace the Hollywood system and develop a big movie that would find favor with critics and audiences alike. Yet Hitchcock once told Francois Truffaut that his first American film,”is not a Hitchcock picture.” Apparently producer David O. Selznick, a legendary micromanager, insisted on being closely involved with the movie and producing a faithful adaptation of the book forcing Hitchcock to deliver a film that broke the mold of his British thrillers.

6. THE BIRDS

Hitchcock’s vision of the end of the world, or at least the end of humanity as its master, was a brilliant stamp on perhaps the single greatest decade of filmmaking by any one person in the history of cinema. Think about it – nearly every film on this Top 10 Tuesday list was made during the period from the early 1950s to 1963, when THE BIRDS was released. Tippi Hedren portrays Melanie Daniels, a Paris Hilton-like jetsetter who’s really a good girl at heart, if somewhat used to getting what she wants. And what she wants is Rod Taylor, in his best debonair yet macho guise, as Mitch. Melanie impulsively follows Mitch to his homestead of Bodega Bay, bringing along some caged songbirds, and coincidentally bringing on some wild bird attacks.(Mention should be made here of the Bernard Herrmann “score” for THE BIRDS – there are few actual bird sounds, only the electronic renderings of Herrmann, and no music.) You may provide your own interpretation of these events (Are the birds drawn to light? Are they some psychological manifestation of a mother’s jealousy? A romantic rival’s jealousy?= Or just some damn crazy birds?), or you can just enjoy the visceral ride of admiring a master craftsman. The famous setpieces in THE BIRDS – the schoolyard suspense, the attack at the party, the siege in the farmhouse, etc. are all prime examples of Hitchcock’s techniques for heightened suspense and making the macabre out of the mundane.Perhaps the best scene in the movie is the gas station sequence, where Melanie is trapped in a phonebooth (ah, the good old days of land lines!) and looks on helplessly as the birds begin their onslaught. When the inevitable explosion occurs, Hitch immediately cuts to a skyview, and we see the world as the birds see us – tiny, insignificant creatures amid burning petroleum that they have drained from the earth – a brilliant microcosm of the futility of human enterprise when faced with the forces of nature.

An 18 minute condensed version of THE BIRDS will be screened at Super-8 ALFRED HITCHCOCK Movie Madness April 3rd at The Way Out Club

5. NORTH BY NORTHWEST

In NORTH BY NORTHWEST Hitchcock once again explored the theme of an innocent man on the run. Unlike his recent THE WRONG MAN, this reluctant hero was not trying to escape the police ( they don’t believe him ), but a group of ruthless spies! Making this film compelling ( and very entertaining ) is Cary Grant at his most charming as Roger O. Thornhill ( the O stands for nothing ), terrific location work, and Bernard Herriman’s pulse pounding score. Early on the baddies led by the sinister James Mason and his aide Martin Landau (something…odd…is going on between those two! ) force bourbon down Grant’s throat and put him behind the wheel of a car. The camera assumes the driver’s view as it careens down a dark country road. Later Grant’s framed for a killing as news cameras capture the murder ( look for the kid in the background plugging his ears before the gunshot ). Grant gets a brief rest as he boards a train and encounters Eva Marie Saint as a cool sexy blonde ( ” Hitch ” had a thing for that type..and locomotives! ). Later we see one of the most famous film images as Grant runs down a deserted field to escape a swooping crop dusting bi-plane. The thrill ride concludes with an incredible chase on Mount Rushmore! Hitchcock went all out to give movie audiences their money’s worth! Look for him just missing a bus right after the great Saul Bass opening titles.

An 18 minute condensed version of NORTH BY NORTHWEST will be screened at Super-8 ALFRED HITCHCOCK Movie Madness April 3rd at The Way Out Club

4. STRANGERS ON A TRAIN

Hitchcock indulges his penchant for locomotives once again in the 1951 classic STRANGERS ON A TRAIN. One of his greatest thrillers begins innocently enough on board said train when tennis player Guy Haines ( Farley Granger ) has a casual conversation with one of cinema’s creepiest villains Bruno Anthony ( Robert Walker ). Both have people in their lives causing them problems. Bruno has a mean, tight-fisted father while Guy has a loose, shrewish wife who won’t grant him a divorce so he may marry a gorgeous US senator’s daughter Anne Morton ( Ruth Roman ). Hmmm, what if they did murders for each other? The police would never suspect. Guy light-heartedly agrees, but Bruno believes that it’s real and binding. He tracks down Mrs. Haines to a carnival and strangles her ( in a low angle shot we observe the killing through the woman’s discarded spectacles-this party gal wore glasses! ). Soon Bruno calls on Guy to keep his end of the deal or he’ll alert the authorities. What to do? Walker gives a mesmerizing performance as the dead-eyed murderer with serious parental issues ( foreshadowing Norman Bates? ). Strolling through the carnival he barely breaks his stride to pop the balloon of a passing youngster. Later Bruno attends Guy’s big tennis match. All eyes in the stands are on the back-and-forth moving tennis ball except Bruno. He fixes his steady, unmoving, unblinking stare on Guy. The suspense doesn’t let up through the wild climax as both men fight aboard a whirling, spinning out-of-control merry-go-round. The influence of this masterwork continues to this day in films ( the comedy THROW MOMMA FROM THE TRAIN ) to a recent episode of TV’s ” Modern Family “. Watch for Hitchcock attempting to board the train toting a cumbersome double bass case ( ya’ know, a body could fit in that! ).

3. SHADOW OF A DOUBT

In SHADOW OF A DOUBT (1943) Teresa Wright plays Charlie, a small-town high-schooler in the sleepy burb of Santa Rose who enjoys an extended visit from her favorite uncle, also named Charlie (Joseph Cotten). The horrified Charlie eventually discovers that her beloved Uncle is a mass murderer, preying upon and killing wealthy old women. Thornton Wilder, Sally Benson, and Alma Reville (Mrs. Hitchcock) based their screenplay on a story by Gordon McDowell, who in turn was inspired by the real-life serial killer Earle Leonard Nelson, known as the “Merry Widow Murderer”. Joseph Cotten was deftly cast against type by Hitchcock, bringing a superficial cheerfulness to Uncle Charlie, which can turn on a dime to efficient cruelty. The structure of SHADOW OF A DOUBT is perfectly calculated, letting the viewer know early on just what kind of man Uncle Charlie really is, but providing tension through his devious charade as a gentle, kind man deserving of his family’s love, an unease which fuels the chilling cat-and-mouse game between Cotten and Wright that provides the film’s tense center. SHADOW OF A DOUBT is said to be Hitchcock’s personal favorite and it’s not difficult to see why: much like BLUE VELVET, it’s about the menace that lurks below every picturesque small town or, as Hitchcock himself claimed, “It brought murder and violence back into the house where it rightfully belongs.” Look for the master’s cameo playing poker on a train.

2. PSYCHO

Everyone remembers the film’s most famous scene: the oft-copied but seldom equaled artistry of the shower murder, with its nerve-wracking staccato string music, its implied nudity and stabbing, and its 78 separate edits. But what everyone does not realize is that this iconic sequence – one of the most famous in film history – was actually a creative response thought up by Saul Bass and Alfred Hitchcock to avoid censorship. In 1959, censorship (the Code) was still alive and well in Hollywood, movie ratings were still years away, and Alfred Hitchcock was at a crossroads in his career. With a string of box office hits and a popular hit TV show, Hitch was one of Hollywood’s most bankable and recognizable directors. But Hitch was also troubled by the critical and box office failure of VERTIGO, one of his most personal films. He felt that his next project should be something different other than the same big studio crowd-pleasers he had built his reputation on, so when he read a review of a new novel by Robert Bloch inspired by the real-life serial killer Ed Gein , Hitch was immediately attracted to the lurid subject matter, with its themes of transvestism, incest, necrophilia, and a dose of taxidermy. Hitch began story conferences with screenwriter Joseph Stefano (later to produce TV’s OUTER LIMITS), getting more and more excited at the prospect of filming cheaply, dealing with taboo subject matter, and – most importantly – killing off his leading lady in the first act. He decided to forgo the usual studio crew for one made up primarily from his TV show, which could shoot quickly and economically. With a few exceptions, such as visual consultant Bass and composer Bernard Herrmann, Hitch kept the production low-budget and under the radar. At a time when Technicolor had become almost commonplace, PSYCHO was shot in black and white for both artistic and cost-saving reasons. (Hitch once responded to a question of why he didn’t film in color with, – That would have been in bad taste.) In today’s horror climate of “torture porn” and overblown SAW-like deaths, it’s easy to forget how difficult it was to make a film like PSYCHO, breaking new ground in telling an adult story in adult terms. The problem of how to film a brutal murder without actually showing anything was just one of many hurdles Hitch had to solve. Setting the tone with its opening voyeuristic shot of a barely-clad couple in the throes of a passionate affair, PSYCHO portrayed an openness about sex that only foreign films at that time had shown.Hitch tread carefully with the censors, often asking for more than he actually wanted, but Stefano remembers that even such a mundane item as a toilet had never been shown onscreen in a major studio film, let alone a toilet flushing! Made at the peak of his genius, Hitchcock’s PSYCHO has rightly claimed its throne as Father (or Mother) of the modern horror film, influencing thrillers for decades and creating a new sense of realism that continues through the slasher films of today. Stripping the bleak essence of human nature to austere, colorless banality, PSYCHO would have assured Hitchcock’s reputation even if it were his only film.

An 18 minute condensed version of PSYCHO will be screened at Super-8 ALFRED HITCHCOCK Movie Madness April 3rd at The Way Out Club

1. REAR WINDOW

Only a master of suspense like Alfred Hitchcock could produce such a quintessential film on the subject of paranoia. There is no shortage of films about conspiracy theories and government coverups, but what of the paranoia that comes from us fearing the worst in each other? James Stewart delivers an uncharacteristically neurotic performance as a wheelchair bound photojournalist who believes he has witnessed a murder while spying on his neighbors from his apartment window. Hitchcock sets up a thrilling story with two distinct and opposing characters, but creates within the viewer uncertainty regarding who is right and who is wrong. REAR WINDOW pits the aggressive, short-tempered bully against the helpless, voyeuristic interloper. Shot almost entirely in one location, as only Hitchcock could do, the film maintains a level of excitement that seethes the potential danger of the story’s protagonist. REAR WINDOW would later inspire a television remake in 1998 starring Christopher Reeves and a modern retelling in 2007 called DISTURBIA.

REAR WINDOW will play in St. Louis as part of Landmark’s Tivoli Theater’s Reel Late Midnight Series April 27th and 28th. The Tivoli is located at 6350 Delmar in The Loop

When J. EDGAR was released last Fall, We Are Movie Geeks published our Top Ten Tuesday article on Clint Eastwood’s best films as director. With word that Eastwood has come out of acting retirement, it’s time for another Top Ten list, this time of movies that Clint has starred in. TROUBLE WITH THE CURVE is currently filming and stars Clint as an ailing baseball scout in his twilight years who takes his daughter (played by Amy Adams) on the road for one last recruiting trip. This will be Clint’s first acting role since GRAN TORINO in 2008.

Super-8 CLINT EASTWOOD Movie Madness will be a great way to celebrate the life and films of this legendary American actor. It takes place February 7^th at the Way Out Club in St. Louis (2525 Jefferson in South City). Condensed versions of these memorable Clint Eastwood films will be shown on a big screen on Super-8 sound film: WHERE EAGLES DARE, ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ, and THE EIGER SANCTION each run 18 minutes, and HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER runs 35 minutes. We’re also bring our 16mm projector and showing a 16mm print of an episode of RAWHIDE, the western TV series that Clint Eastwood starred in in the 1960′s and 8-minute versions of TARANTULA and REVENGE OF THE CREATURE, two ’50s sci-fi films that Clint Eastwood had small roles in early in his career. We’ll have Clint Eastwood trivia with prizes, and much more. The Way Out Club is located at 2525 Jefferson Avenue (at Gravois) in South St. Louis. Admission is only $3.00.

Clint Eastwood has appeared in 67 films in his six (!) decades as an actor, and here, according to We Are Movie Geeks, are his ten best:

Honorable Mention: HONKYTONK MAN

By the 1980s, Clint Eastwood was one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars.  With his own production company, directorial skills, and economic clout, Eastwood was able to make smaller, more personal films.  A perfect example is the underrated HONKYTONK MAN, which also happens to be one of Eastwood’s finest performances.

Drawing upon Eastwood’s love of both music and period history, MAN tells the story of Red Stovall, a consumptive but hard-living country singer, set sometime during the Depression.  While on his way to Nashville for a shot at the Grand Ole Opry, Red stops to collect his nephew Hoss (charmingly played by Eastwood’s son, Kyle) from his sister’s farm in the Oklahoma dust bowl.  Also tagging along is Hoss’s grandfather (John McIntire), who wants to return to his family homestead in Tennessee.  From that setup, the film is essentially a road trip full of adventures—both comic and tragic—that will affect Hoss forever.

This fairly simple story is told with great affection by Eastwood the director.  The period detail and setpieces are wonderful, with Eastwood again showing a keen eye for both comic timing and character-driven drama.  He even throws in some suspense, as once again Eastwood the actor wields a gun—but this time with humorous results.  And a traffic stop which begins with some tension ends with an extended punchline.  Eastwood also handles his actors with ease, drawing first-class performances from a group of great character actors, including Eastwood “regulars” Verna Bloom (HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER) and Matt Clark (JOSEY WALES), plus Barry Corbin, Tim Thomerson, and Gary Grubbs.  As grandpa, the veteran McIntire was never better; the scene where he recalls the Land Rush of 1893 is simply perfect.  Also giving a fantastic performance was Alexa Kenin as Marlene, a young stowaway on the road trip who provides much comic relief.  A familiar face on 1970s TV, Kenin was a rising young supporting actress (PRETTY IN PINK) who was found dead in her apartment a few years later at age 23.  Her cause of death has never been disclosed.

MAN is also peppered with some of the brightest stars of country music.  Ray Price, Shelly West, David Frizzell, and Porter Wagoner all make brief appearances, and Marty Robbins, who died a short time after filming, had a Top 10 country hit with his rendition of the title song.  In addition to the country music which fills the soundtrack, there is a healthy shot of blues in the form of Linda Hopkins.  Eastwood does all his own singing for the film, and has a pleasant enough voice to make his performance entirely believable.  Relaxed and funny, Eastwood seems right at home with the period dialogue, such as “my raw-boned Okie girl,” and “double damn tarnation!”  Whether he’s on stage singing, or teaching his nephew the ways of the world, or stealing chickens (!), Eastwood dominates the film and shows just what a great screen presence he is—sometimes rough, sometimes sensitive, but always likable.

10. ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ

Fact: Alcatraz is an impenetrable island fortress. Fact: No one has ever escaped from Alcatraz. Fact: Clint Eastwood doesn’t care much for facts! In ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ Eastwood gave one of his best screen performances; distinctive, persuasive, and powerful. We know very little of his Frank Morris except that he has escaped from prisons before and has been sent to Alcatraz because no one gets off the Rock. Eastwood’s fifth and final film with director Don Siegel has aged well, with no sentiment or melodrama to get in the way of the details of the escape. ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ doesn’t proceed at the break-neck pace of your typical action film. Siegel follows the breakout plan with meticulous detail. Even when Morris and his two comrades manage to get out of their cells, the story doesn’t focus on the suspense of the chase between escapees and guards. In fact, the prison officials are not seen until the discovery on Angel Island, and at that point, the prisoners are never seen again. Instead, the battle is between men and the physical space they have to conquer. It’s less about avoiding guards and more to do with navigating heights and depths and barriers. The prison itself, rather than those who oversee it, becomes the antagonist. When Eastwood won his first directing Oscar, he thanked Siegel (and Sergio Leone) and when watching ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ, a masterful piece of storytelling in which the characters say little, letting the camera explain the action. the older director’s influence is apparent.

An 18 minute condensed version of ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ will be screened at Super-8 CLINT EASTWOOD Movie Madness February 7^th at The Way Out Club

9. IN THE LINE OF FIRE

As Clint Eastwood’s movie career neared the fifty year mark, his characters eased into old age, slowed down physically, and were haunted by their ghosts of the past. This is definitely the case with Secret Service agent Frank Horrigan in Wolfgang Peterson’s IN THE LINE OF FIRE. Frank’s still on the job, and he sweats and wheezes as he joins the much younger agent s in running alongside the presidential limo. Besides his shortened stamina, he’s haunted by that Fall day in Dallas over thirty years ago, when he couldn’t shield the young Commander-in-Chief in time. As Frank puts it, ” If I had taken that bullet, it would’ve been alright with me”. Unfortunately a deranged assassin played with gusto by John Malkovich knows of Frank’s past and taunts him ( ” I see you standing over the grave of another president’ ) in several encounters. Eastwood’s registers Frank’s every emotion ( shock, disgust, fear while trying to keep him on the line long enough for a trace ) during several phone conversations with the threatening gunman. Besides these scenes with Malkovich, Eastwood shows a different side with two of the other young actors in the film. With the novice agent played by Dylan McDermott, Eastwood’s a teacher, mentor, and father figure, while with Rene Russo’s Lilly Raines, he attempts a gentle, hesitant friendship that becomes a tender romance. Peterson has crafted a gripping, edge-of-your-seat action thriller anchored by one of Eastwood’s best, mature, vulnerable performances.

8. THE BEGUILED

THE BEGUILED was a gothic tale of deception and horror from 1971 set in the time of the Civil War. Clint Eastwood played John McBurney, a wounded Union soldier who takes refuge in a Southern school for ladies whom he must keep beguiled or risk being turned over to the Confederates. Directed by Don Siegel, this gothic horror story ends with the captive paying dearly for his ingratitude towards his captors’ sick brand of Southern hospitality. In addition to the implied sexual situation, there is an explicit seduction followed by a gruesome amputation scene. Siegel (whose DIRTY HARRY would open a couple of months after this box-office failure) not only paces THE BEGUILED with a solid mix of sexual tension, eroticism and black humor, he fits the female cast perfectly to their roles – from Geraldine Page’s yearning spinster (with a very dirty secret), to Elizabeth Hartman’s naive nineteen-year-old with chaste romantic fantasies, to Jo Ann Harris’s seductive teen slut. The characters Eastwood played in his career survived Nazis, lynchings, assassins, and gangsters but John McBurney never stood a chance in a house full of scorned women.

7. HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER

One of the headstones in a graveyard in HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER bears the name Sergio Leone as tribute as the first western that Clint Eastwood directed exudes the mythical aura of many of Leone’s genre offerings. Basically reprising his “Man With No Name” persona from the Leone trilogy, Eastwood took the standard Western revenge story to new levels. In HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER Eastwood is “The Stranger” who wanders into the small mining town of Lago to merely have a few drinks, a quick shave, and bath. Before long, he’s killed three bad guys, raped the town tramp, forced the town to rename itself ‘Hell’ and has literally painted it red. And he’s the hero! Almost all the characters in HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER are repellant and unlikeable especially the cowardly townsfolk who stood by idly and watched as three gunmen bullwhipped their sheriff to death. No wonder John Wayne, after seeing HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER, wrote an angry letter of protest to Eastwood complaining about the negative depiction of Wayne’s beloved “spirit of the West”. Too bad Duke, HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER is one of the greats!

An 35 minute condensed version of HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER will be screened at Super-8 CLINT EASTWOOD Movie Madness February 7^th at The Way Out Club

6. MILLION DOLLAR BABY

For a fella that’s long past most folks’ retirement age, Clint Eastwood is full of surprises. And great performances. In 2004′s MILLION DOLLAR BABY, which he also produced, directed, and scored, Eastwood is grizzled old boxing medic Frankie Dunn. Like many of his later characters Dunn is haunted by the past. But it’s not just the memories of big fights and title bouts, it’s his estrangement from his daughter. In his golden years his only family is another former boxer Eddie ‘ Scrap-Iron’ Dupris played by Morgan Freeman who helps in running Dunn ‘s seen-better-days training gym. Just as in  UNFORGIVEN the two actors have a great relaxed rapport as they wax nostalgic about the good ole’ days ( correcting each other’s recollections ) and disparage the lack of class and grit in the new kids. And then Hilary Swank’s Maggie enters their lives. We see Eastwood act casually dismissive of the ” lady ” boxer, but he gradually responds to her spirit. Reluctantly he becomes her stern trainer and slowly becomes a surrogate father to Maggie. In one terrific sequence Maggie’s greedy, ” trashy”, relatives berate and bully them. The Eastwood of a couple of decades ago would’ve put that young ‘mouth-y’ punk through a wall, but the older, wiser man knows this thug isn’t worth the effort or abbreviation. He’s worth no more than a hard, disgusted stare. In the film’s heartbreaking final scenes we get to see a tender, loving Eastwood that he’s rarely shown on screen. The final encounter between Frankie and Maggie may have the most macho movie fan reaching for his hankie. Although Eastwood earned no acting gold , his co-stars Freeman and Swank both earned Oscars. It’s quite a testament to Eastwood’s acting ( and directing ) skills - he’s so good he pushes his fellow thespians do their best work.

5. GRAN TORINO
In 2008, Clint Eastwood made GRAN TORINO, both as a director and as an actor, but Eastwood himself pronounced this would be the last time he stars in one of his films. Whether or not that holds true is yet to be seen, given rumors about his next film TROUBLE WITH THE CURVE. What was, perhaps painfully clear however, is that Eastwood is no longer a spring chicken. Much like his character in the film, Walt Kowalski is an aging and stubborn man, set in his ways. Walk sets out to teach a teenage neighbor a thing or two after he attempts to steal Walt’s pride and joy, a sweet 1972 Gran Torino muscle car. The tension arises as Walt, a Korean War veteran, builds an unlikely friendship with the boy of Hmong ethnicity, both of whom live in a crumbling urban neighborhood. Walt sees the world around him falling apart in his eyes, but eventually comes to terms with his own prejudice through his actions in the teenage boy’s benefit. Eastwood plays the crotchety curmudgeon with a natural ease, drawing a bit from Dirty Harry’s own sense of charm and manners. It’s great to see Eastwood expanding his storytelling craft into more meaningful films, while also embracing his age as an actor in a less flattering role, giving the film a stronger resonance.

4. DIRTY HARRY

“You’ve got to ask yourself a question: ‘do I feel lucky?’ Well, do ya, punk?” Clint Eastwood muttered his most famous line in DIRTY HARRY, starring as Harry Callahan, the hard-working San Francisco cop who can’t finish his lunch without having to stop a bank robbery with his 44 Magnum (“the most powerful handgun in the world”). Harry must take the law into his own hands when a psychotic killer is released on a technicality and the cat and mouse play between Harry and the killer ‘Scorpio’ is taut, suspenseful and horrifying but critics in 1971 attacked the movie for evading the complex legal problems and moral issues of vigilante justice. Clint’s cynical superhero is basically irresponsible in endangering the lives of innocent people in his personal crusade against criminals but that just made Harry more endearing to most audiences and the movie was a smash success, spawning four (excellent) sequels. Director Don Siegel keeps the action tightly-wound and fast-paced and Andy Robinson is one of the most vicious, warped, and complex villains in cinema. Due to Callahan’s fascist nature, John Wayne, Burt Lancaster, Frank Sinatra, Steve McQueen, and Paul Newman all reportedly turned down the part. Eastwood stepped in to the role and when he’s twisting Scorpio’s broken arm (“I have a right to a lawyer!” Scorpio whines), he smiles just a little and we behold the perfect match between actor and character.

3. THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES

In 1976, the nation’s Bicentennial received a special gift with the release of THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES, arguably Clint Eastwood’s best Western film, and one of the best Westerns ever made.  There is so much about JOSEY WALES that is remarkable, compelling, and downright entertaining, that I reckon we’ll begin with the making of the film.  Based on a novel by Forrest Carter, the film follows the books’ mixture of vengeance tale, travelogue, buddy story, Old West folklore, and realistic Native American characters, with a sprinkling of actual historical figures, such as the great Comanche leader Ten Bears.  (The author himself is a fascinating story, as he was originally a segregationist speechwriter named Asa Carter, who worked for George Wallace and even ran for public office before reinventing himself as an award-winning author sympathetic to Native American causes.  For years, “Forrest” denied that he was Asa Carter and even tried to give the impression that he was Native American.)

The film’s production is also a grand tale of Hollywood lore.  Originally, Phil Kaufman (RIGHT STUFF) was hired to direct the movie with Eastwood and his company producing.  Kaufman worked on the pre-production and casting, rewrote the script, and began principal cinematography.  However, less than a month into shooting, Kaufman was unceremoniously fired from the production, and Eastwood took over as director and finished the film.  The Director’s Guild became involved and created a new rule that prohibits anyone working on a film to replace a director fired from the same film.  This rule (unofficially called the “Eastwood rule”) is still in effect today.  According to legend, Kaufman was fired because both he and Eastwood were smitten with a pretty young actress in the film named Sondra Locke.  In fact, Locke and Eastwood became a couple afterwards and worked together on five more movies before their relationship crashed and burned in a stormy public breakup 10 years later.  However, a more likely reason for the firing was Kaufman’s detail-oriented style using multiple takes.  An economy-minded Eastwood supposedly had his fill when Kaufman drove miles back to town from an isolated set to acquire a small prop he wanted to include in a scene.

Whatever its origins, JOSEY WALES has become a modern classic.  One of the few Western films to be included in the National Historic Registry, the movie succeeds on all levels.   JOSEY WALES begins as a post-Civil War revenge tale, but this plotline is soon more or less resolved in what is the first of many amazingly filmed gun battles.  The story then becomes a road movie, with Wales on the run from the evil bluecoats.  It is interesting to note that in nearly every other film treatment of the Missouri/Kansas border wars, the pro-Union Kansas abolitionists are portrayed as the good guys, while the Missouri rebels are the bad guys.  JOSEY WALES neatly flips this model so that we immediately sympathize with the outlaw.  During his flight to safety in the Indian Nations, Wales collects a ragtag group of citizens (a Native American man and woman, two Kansas women, a Mexican, etc.) who seem willing to forgive whatever crimes are in his past and follow him.  It also doesn’t hurt that Wales is mighty handy with a pistol, and has saved many of their lives.

The film is built as a series of misadventures, and Eastwood the director shows an exceptional flair for character-driven comedy, and for staging some of the coolest gunfights ever to hit the silver screen.  Eastwood the actor gives one of his best performances as Josey Wales, a man who has lost everything but finds he is not alone.  As the film progresses, we see the brittle hardness of the outlaw soften into a man with hope for a future.  The supporting roles are uniformly excellent as well.  John Vernon (POINT BLANK, ANIMAL HOUSE) is the turncoat who comes to sympathize with Wales.  Bill McKinney (DELIVERANCE) is the obsessed evil bluecoat leader.  Sam Bottoms, Woodrow Parfrey, Sheb Wooley, and Royal Dano are all great character actors who are marvelous here.  Locke is simply wonderful in her scenes and brings a sweet note of innocence to the movie.  But special mention must go to Chief Dan George (LITTLE BIG MAN), the great Native American actor as Wales’ first new friend, Lone Watie.  Part Scarecrow of Oz, part spokesman for the Native American plight, and part action hero, George steals every scene he is in.

And the classic dialogue- much of it lifted right from the novel –is simply unforgettable:   “Dyin’ ain’t much of a living.”  “Hell is coming to breakfast.”  “Endeavour to persevere!”   Most important of all, the film has a big, bold heart as Eastwood unabashedly shows both his love for this period of American history and his love of film, never shying away from softer moments, such as with Locke, or from the violence of the frontier which could happen at any moment.  In the meeting with Ten Bears, the thematic climax of the film, these elements combine beautifully in a brilliantly executed scene that contains the wonderful “There is iron in your words of death” speech delivered by actor Will Sampson.  The struggles of the modern world may not be life or death, but we as moviegoers and Americans can certainly relate to stories of friendship, adversity, and everyday human truths.

2. THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY

In 1964, Clint Eastwood accepted the lead role in a Western being filmed in Spain titled “The Magnificent Stranger.”  The part had been offered to many of Hollywood’s most rugged actors, including Henry Fonda, Charles Coburn, and Charles Bronson.  Eastwood, on break from his TV series RAWHIDE and looking for a film project, immediately recognized the story as a remake of Kurosawa’s YOJIMBO.   When the movie was finally released in the US, the title had changed to A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS, and both a star and a new genre, the “spaghetti Western,” were born.

The “Man With No Name” series of Westerns directed by Sergio Leone and starring Eastwood came to a spectacular conclusion with THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY.   Set amid the turmoil of the Civil War, the story follows three men (hence the title) on a quest for gold treasure.   Leone directs with his usual dramatic flair, filling the screen with landscapes, gunfights, closeups of dangerous men, treks through the desert, prison camps, Civil War battles, and an incredibly suspenseful and satisfying conclusion.  With cinematographer Tonino Delli Colli, who would later shoot films for some of Europe’s greatest directors (Louis Malle, Roman Polanski, Lina Wertmuller, etc.) and composer Ennio Morricone (who topped his previous two No Name Westerns with one of the great film scores of all time here), Leone created what some critics regard as his masterpiece.  Yes, even better than ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST.

Eastwood’s “No Name” character fills the good role of the title, while great character actors Lee Van Cleef and Eli Wallach are the bad and the ugly.  Van Cleef, the co-hero of Leone’s and Eastwood’s previous Western FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE, here perfectly personifies evil.  Ruthless and calculating, with his “devil eyes,” Van Cleef is a great screen villain.  Wallach gives the performance of his career as Tuco, the ugly.  Whether he’s faced with death on the hangman’s noose, or confronting his Catholic heritage, or trying to revive his “friend,” the marvelous Wallach always makes Tuco sympathetic and likable—so much so that you’re alarmed when Eastwood’s character is mean to him.

Eastwood has joked that the small cigarillos he had to smoke kept him in character as The Man With No Name because (a) he’s a non-smoker, and (b) they tasted really, really bad.  In his final Leone Western, Eastwood shows the same laconic squint that made him so famous.  But he also shows a bit of the same compassion we only glimpsed in the previous No Name Westerns, here in his relationship with Tuco, and in smaller moments, such as witnessing the carnage left after warfare.  In its final images of Eastwood riding off into the sunset, rich and invincible, THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY capped an incredible trilogy in the annals of film mythology.

1. UNFORGIVEN

In the 1960′s Clint Eastwood broke free of his television work and helped redefine the movie Western ( along with film maker Sergio Leone ). Nearly thirty years later Eastwood decided to close the door on his work in the ‘oaters’ with the character of William Munny in UNFORGIVEN. While most of his Westerners were anti-heroes or rebels, Munny is a full-fledged outlaw who’s tried to change his ways. You can see the toll this life has taken on Munny’s face : exhausted by his failure at farming during the day and from sleepless nights haunted by the ghosts of his victims of his lawless years. Eastwood has great rapport with his co-stars. Morgan Freeman shares the trail ( and criminal memories ) during the trip to avenge the “working” ladies. The two old saddletramps are almost an elderly married couple who calls out the other on their B.S. without hesitation. Eastwood becomes the teacher/ mentor with Jaimz Woolvett as the full-of-bravado ‘ Schofield Kid’. After a bloody shoot-out they exchange the film’s best lines. The visibly shaken Kid : ” Yeah, well, I guess they had it coming.” The weary Munny replies, ” We all got it coming, kid “. And then there’s the scenes with the town Sheriff, ” Little” Bill Daggett expertly played by Gene Hackman ( earning a well-deserved Oscar ). After Bill shows his true colors, Eastwood releases his inner beast from his younger violent days in a memorably brutal, bloody climax. His ” Man with no Name” may be his most famous Western character, but Willian Munny makes for an exceptional final act for Eastwood’s work in this genre.

Clint Eastwood has made so many great films and runner-ups for this list would have to include A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS, FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE, BRONCO BILLY, TIGHTROPE, and WHERE EAGLES DARE.  Stop by the Way Out Club February 7^th for more Clint mania.

Why, hey there all you fancy kids out there… It’s time for another delicious Top Ten brought to you by the WAMG gang!

So sit back, relax, and enjoy our picks for the

TOP TEN WORST FILMS OF 2011

In our opinon, anyway… I mean, we are just a bunch of movie lovers who were less than fond of the films below. Hey, they aren’t all winners! So let’s jump right in and start with number 10.

10. Red Riding Hood

Opened March 11, 2011

Opening Weekend: $14,005,335

Domestic Box Office: $37,662,162

In Theaters: 77 days / 11 weeks

The tagline on the poster read, ‘Believe the Legend. Beware the Wolf.’ It left off ‘Be ready to lose two hours you’ll never get back’. A bloodthirsty werewolf terrorizes a rural village and the paying public in this terrifyingly awful take on the classic fairytale of RED RIDING HOOD. Director Catherine Hardwicke (TWILIGHT, yeah, need we say more??) has set a bunch of modern characters into the days of old, only to be made more cringing with foolish overacting, dreadful dialogue and the ripping off of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST lines – “Let’s Kill the Beast!!” Either British thespians Julie Christie and Gary Oldman lost a bet or were in desperate need to make their house payments. There’s a big, bad wolf – only this time he and the full moon should’ve been left from rising.

09. Conan The Barbarian

Opened August 19, 2011

Opening Weekend: $10,021,215

Domestic Box Office: $21,295,021

In Theaters: 49 days / 7 weeks

No Arnold Schwarzenegger – no CONAN THE BARBARIAN! It’s that simple. Not only was the re-imagining silly and unnecessary, the 3D did nothing but hamper Lionsgate’s attempt to bring one of history’s most iconic action heroes to back to life. Fans became the hell-bent avengers to the memory of the original 1982 version of the boy born on the battlefield who grows into a hulking warrior seeking retribution for his father’s death. With all its ferocious beasts, CONAN THE BARBARIAN left the audience facing the most horrific of monster of all – the movie itself.

08. Dream House

Opened September 30, 2011

Opening Weekend: $8,129,355

Domestic Box Office: $21,302,340

In Theaters: 49 days / 7 weeks

DREAM HOUSE was a mystery story that had very little actual mystery, a thriller with few thrills. This stretched-thin, often deeply labored ghost story made its 85 minutes feel like 12 days as it weaved around situations of suspense and straight up horror. With a plot that hinged upon recycled twists from far better movies and a twist you could see coming in your sleep, DREAM HOUSE never worked as a thriller because it had no element of surprise. Stars Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz met on this movie and married and while I’m glad to know that DREAM HOUSE was a positive experience for someone, I just wish it had been the viewer.

07. The Hangover Part II

Opened May 26, 2011

Opening Weekend: $85,946,294

Domestic Box Office: $254,464,305

In Theaters: 113 days / 16 weeks

Todd Phillips made such huge waves with the edgy, comedic THE HANGOVER, so much so there was actually some buzz for Oscar recognition. So, how does THE HANGOVER PART II fail so miserably when it’s directed by the very same person? It’s simple, really. The filmmakers made absolutely no effort to do anything original This is formulaic shlock on a level that redefines the textbook definition. THE HANGOVER PART II quite literally takes the first script, pulls out all the key details, but leaves the plot, characters and dialogue the same, replacing the empty spaces like blanks on a game of Mad Libs. Part I: Alan cares for a baby. Part II: Alan cares for a monkey. Part I: Stu loses a tooth. Part II: Stu gets a face tattoo. We could go on all day doing this, but you get the point. If HANGOVER PART II were actually HANGOVER PART I, it would have succeeded, but its not and therefore feels like an unwelcome episode of cinematic deja vu.

06. Zookeeper

Opened July 8, 2011

Opening Weekend: $20,065,617

Domestic Box Office: $80,360,843

In Theaters: 112 days/ 16 weeks

The concept of Kevin James as stumbling likeable boob who talks to animals may have seemed like a winner on paper but James, a graceful fat funnyman in the John Candy/Chris Farley mold, was unable to transcend the thin story and weak script that the lightweight, family-friendly comedy THE ZOOKEEPER gave us. The film lacked the disarming silliness, adorable critters, and inspired gags kids crave and wasted the sheer personal appeal of James and Rosario Dawson. At 102 minutes, it seemed to run for several hours as James bumbled his way through a story that made less and less sense by the minute. THE ZOOKEEPER was the worst live-action kids movie of 2011.

05. Hoodwinked Too! Hood Vs. Evil

Opened April 29, 2011

Opening Weekend: $4,108,630

Domestic Box Office: $10,143,779

In Theaters: 84 days / 12 weeks

HOODWINKED TOO!:HOOD VS. EVIL is everything awful about modern feature animation in one loud, obnoxious, unending package. The character designs are ugly, the script is jammed with dated pop culture gags, and each character, no matter how insignificant, has to be voiced by a celebrity. Tedium and torture for movie audiences of all ages and a waste of artistic talents.

04. I Don’t Know How She Does It

Opened September 16, 2011

Opening Weekend: $4,402,201

Domestic Box Office: $9,662,284

In Theaters: 70 days /10 weeks

I DON”T KNOW HOW SHE DOES IT is a limp, whiney mess trying to pass itself off as a modern working mom comedy. The film can’t decide on a tone (characters being interviewed as in a ” mockumentary”, then the lead breaks the fourth wall to speak directly to the audience ) and wastes the talents of great comic actors ( Seth Myers, Olivia Munn, and as a drippy hubby Greg Kinnear ). Sarah Jessica Parker adds yet another entry to her growing list of movie misfires.

03. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Opened December 25, 2011

Opening Weekend: $72,348

Domestic Box Office As Of January 9th: $508,738

Still In Theaters

Two insufferable hours of sanctimonious Hollywood mush, EXTREMELY CLOSE AND INCREDIBLY LOUD aims so high and so has that much further to fall.  A self-important look at one boy’s experience with the 9-11 tragedy, the end product has the oily feel of a cynical politician contemptuously reciting platitudes to a hopeful audience. It’s a picture that looks to be tailor-made for Academy consideration, with the supporting players, including Tom Hanks, Max Von Sydow, and Sandra Bullock, given big emotional scenes that are practically variations on their most lauded turns. But it’s this kid Thomas Horn, who’s in every scene, who gives the whiniest, most precocious, and unpleasant performance by a child actor in cinema history. You’re supposed to feel sympathy for him but I just wanted to knock him down and stomp on his neck!

02. Larry Crowne

Opened July 1, 2011

Opening Weekend: $13,096,065

Domestic Box Office: $35,608,245

In Theaters: 49 days / 7 weeks

What happened to Tom Hanks, the director of BAND OF BROTHERS? For that matter, what happened to Tom Hanks the actor? Hanks directed a pleasing debut feature in THAT THING YOU DO, but his sophomore effort falls with a loud thud. Co-written with Nia Vardalos (MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING), Hanks also stars as the title character, a down-on-his luck, happy-go-lucky do-gooder returning to school, with a hint of Andy Griffith, as subtle as garlic. Hanks draws on a heavily stereotypical performance to develop his dopey character, while Julia Roberts musters every ounce of her being to give a cold, emotionless and otherwise completely unlikable performance as Hanks’ love interest and college teacher. The story and the dialogue is so riddled with cliches you’d get more originality watching a marathon of B-grade film noir. Predictable, sappy, painfully unfunny… all accurate descriptions of this Hollywood romantic bomb.

01. Jack and Jill

Opened November 11, 2011

Opening Weekend: $25,003,575

Domestic Box Office: $71,974,493

In Theaters: 59 days / 8 1/2 weeks

If you went to the theater expecting this to be a good movie, then we can’t be friends anymore. Adam Sandler has knocked some funny films out of the park, but this might be the biggest blunder of his career. When did Sandler decide to take the Tyler Perry, Martin Lawrence cross-dressing route, and why did  his friends not stop him? I could sit here and talk about the horrible acting, and Sandler’s annoying girly voice, but I would rather just throw my hands in the air and be done with it!

What do you think? What movies dissapointed you this year? We’d love to know!

Till next time,

WAMG

Another year has come and gone and with it passes another year of movies, good and bad, but today we focus on the best films to have hit theaters in 2011. Of course, the very phrase “best of…” is subject to widely varying opinions, which is why we choose to do things a little differently. While we do consider these the best films, that’s merely how they’re seen in our eyes. You may, heck… we even encourage you to disagree. For what it’s worth, here’s our Top Ten list of the Best Films of 2011.

How it works: We five Movie Geeks each have compiled our own lists of the top ten films of 2011. From these lists, we’ve tabulated votes based on a point system, resulting in our Movie Geeks Top Ten Films of 2011. Each of the individual geeks’ lists can be found at the end of our compiled list. *Our lists are based on the selection of films released theatrically in Saint Louis during the 2011 calendar year. (*This is why you will not see SHAME represented on our list.)

Honorable Mention: RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

We begin this year’s best of 2011 with the honorable mentions. While it didn’t make our 10, this film was loved and hailed by both moviegoers & critics alike and no list would be complete without director Rupert Wyatt’s stunning RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES. Never once feeling CGI-driven, Wyatt made sure the action and suspense went hand in hand with the powerful, emotional prequel. WETA Digital Senior supervisor Joe Letteri’s ground-breaking work made you feel like you were watching real apes done with performance capture — you never knew where effects began and the person ended. The legendary role of Caesar was fully realized with Andy Serkis’ riveting portrayal of the Ape that would be King. The extraordinary Serkis infused soul, wisdom and heart into the chimpanzee APES fans have grown to know since Pierre Boulle wrote his 1963 novel. It’s another historic performance by Serkis and, hopefully, one voting members of The Academy will award with a Best Supporting Oscar nod in the early morning of January 24th when the nominations are announced.

Honorable Mention, Part 2: HARRY POTTER & THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, PART 2

As the highest grossing film of 2011, and the third highest grossing film of all time, we couldn’t leave HARRY POTTER & THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, PART 2 off the list. Not only is this film the final chapter in the Potter saga, it’s the end of an era. Harry, Hermione, and Ron have dominated the screen since the release of HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER’S STONE in 2001. The stand out performance in this film doesn’t go to the main actors, however. Alan Rickman brought a presence to the screen that was touching and deep. His final portrayal of Snape should really settle the great Snape debate for fans around the world. This film wrapped up the series in the best way possible. The final battle was eloquent and stunning. I wouldn’t change a thing! (Well, other than the death of Fred Weasley. He deserved a better death scene!)

10. THE TREE OF LIFE

In his review, Travis Keune called THE TREE OF LIFE an “exquisite sensory escape into one of the most spiritual cinematic experiences” and thus is #10 on our list. Through stunning cinematography and raw emotional power, director Terence Malick’s hymn to life excavates answers to the most haunting and personal human questions through a kaleidoscope of the intimate and the cosmic. From the raw emotions of a family in a small Texas town to the wildest, the movie delves into the infinite edges of space and time, from a boy’s loss of innocence to a man’s transforming encounters with awe, wonder and transcendence. Under Malick’s careful direction and visionary work, THE TREE OF LIFE showcased complicated and haunting powerhouse performances by Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, and newcomer Jessica Chastain.

09. TAKE SHELTER

TAKE SHELTER is a film driven by its performances, but this small cast is so immensely in tune with their characters that the film becomes more than just a passive form of entertainment. Drawing the audience into the internal/external conflict of Michael Shannon’s performance, the film is much more of philosophically charged thrill ride, an amusement park of Armageddon, and a mystery that unfolds slowly and meticulously. The special effects, as minimal as they are, are used splendidly for the most wonderful emotional effect, signifying both the confused fear and looming dread experienced by Shannon’s lead character.

08. BRIDESMAIDS

“Sistas’ are doin’ it for themselves” goes the title of a great rock anthem which can be applied to this year’s funniest film since it was written by star Kristen Wiig and Anne Mumolo (their first screenplay!) and starred several of the best comic actresses working today. Wiig played maid of honor to another SNL vet Maya Rudolph and leader of the bridesmaids featuring Mellissa McCarthy in a scene stealing supporting (Oscar take note!) performance (her Megan may be the most fearless comic screen creation since John Belushi’s Bluto). That’s not to say that the men were left out of the fun. Director Paul Feig keep the comic timing brisk and comedy movie kingpin, producer Judd Apatow stunned Hollywood by only featuring the women in the film’s marketing. And, some of the actors scored big laughs especially Jon Hamm as the ultimate slimy Lothario and Chris O’Dowd as Wiig’s sweet-natured Irish state trooper (their courtship was certainly more engaging than any of this year’s dismal romantic comedies, many of which will show up on the worst lists). Of all the movie comedies inspired by the box office bonanza THE HANGOVER, BRIDESMAIDS delivered even more laughs and a whole lotta’ heart.

07. WAR HORSE

A nearly perfect blending of Steven Spielberg’s favorite subjects merges effectively his latest epic adventure, WAR HORSE. The film is a parable on life and death, a war movie, a children’s tale and a period story, a film about the unconditional love between a boy and his pet. It’s corny and manipulative as Hell but the breathtaking scenery, the grandiose John Williams score, and the rich emotional attachments deliver exactly what one goes to Spielberg movies for; an emotional experience. Spielberg sends us the message of pain and suffering yet spares us from the carnage. Take your family to see WAR HORSE and view it for exactly what it is. A look at a very special relationship, one that transcends time and species.

06. HUGO

I never thought I’d say this, but I was pretty burned out on 3D this year. And then Martin Scorsese’s HUGO came out. Leave to one of cinema’s older statesmen directors to use this technology (and state of-the-art computer graphics) in exciting, new ways. Like Woody Allen’s MIDNIGHT IN PARIS, Scorsese celebrates a golden era of the fabled city in telling the story of a boy living in the train station. This would’ve made for a delightful family film, but then this movie master surprises us with a moving story celebrating one of the early cinema master and makes a powerful case for film preservation. It’s wonderful to see a master artist embracing the future while reminding us of our shared film history.

05. MIDNIGHT IN PARIS

They’ve always loved Woody Allen in France and apparently the feeling is mutual. MIDNIGHT IN PARIS is Allen’s time-traveling love letter to Paris and is mostly sweet and sentimental. Allen clearly idolizes the city and the luminaries (Cole Porter, F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway etc) who once hung out there as much as Gil, the Allen proxy so well-played by Owen Wilson. Allen’s script is often hilarious and his take on the ex-patriot bohemian art scene is never cynical or tongue-in-cheek. These artists are presented matter-of-factly and it’s mostly up to the audience to be up to speed on their cultural history. Woody Allen has a habit of redefining himself with unimaginable success. His directorial skills have led him to both musicals and drama, and though his popularity wanes and his films are inconsistent, Allen has always kept a steady foot in the comedy spotlight and continues, like the famous artists depicted in his new film, to retain a place among the greats.

04. MONEYBALL

To use a term from this film, screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, after his previous grand slam, steps up to the plate and hits another one out of the park. One of the best films of 2010 was THE SOCIAL NETWORK, about the creation of a website (and the litigation over it). Sorkin took what could have been a dry subject and, along with director David Fincher, made a compelling piece of cinema. Now, with co-writer Steve Zallian, he’s crafted an equally involving  script based on a book concerning baseball stats and acquiring the best performing players for the bucks. MONEYBALL is not the typical sports movie. Most of the excitement occurs in the locker rooms and management offices, not on the field.  The  anchor of the film is Brad Pitt’s portrait of Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane. Beane’s had his share of hard times (in flashbacks we see this golden boy bomb out in the major leagues), but he fights tooth and nail for the club (going toe to toe with grizzled old player scouts as he puts his team together). We also get to see him as a loving, divorced father ( look at his eyes as he’s mesmerized by his daughter’s singing ). Pitt uses all of his considerable acting chops, and charm, in this uplifting underdog story of a team, and a man, who decide to go against the tide and prove that baseball is not just about the almighty dollar. As Jack Buck would say, “Now, that’s a winner!”

03. THE ARTIST

Like HUGO, THE ARTIST celebrates film history, but in a very different way. Writer/director Michel Havanavicius does not use the new tech that Scorsese embraces. Instead he tells his story of 1920′s movie making forsaking most modern film techniques. Yes, it’s in black and white, and it’s silent. Somehow the style helps draw us into this riff on A STAR IS BORN by way of SINGING IN THE RAIN with a dash of SUNSET BOULEVARD. It helps that the two leads are able to say more with a look or gesture than pages of spoken dialogue. Jean Dejardin’s George Valentin begins as affable veteran star whose ego sends him into despair, while Berenice Bejo is a delight as the actress on her way to the top whose idol worship of Valentin turns to love. The two French stars get great support from their American co-stars (led by a blustery, soft-hearted studio boss played by John Goodman), authentic LA locations, and the best movie canine sidekick ever. This love letter to Hollywood from Paris may be the most sweetly charming film of the year.

02. THE DESCENDANTS

Writer/director Alexander Payne’s THE DESCENDANTS, based on a novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings, is the story of a father and husband trying to find his way after failing in both roles. It isn’t as funny as Payne’s previous films CITIZEN RUTH, ELECTION, ABOUT SCHMIDT, or SIDEWAYS, but it’s his most emotional. The tale of a man who has to pull his family together, THE DESCENDANTS is the story not of death, but of the strategy people devise to cope, to defend and to protect themselves against pain and loss. And though it sometimes reveals the distasteful, ugly ways in which people interact while coping with tragedy, it is also a beautifully shot and truthful portrayal of human frailties and reactions to losing a family member. Clooney gives one of his richest, most nuanced performances, generating real warmth and vulnerability as well as the usual smoldering charisma. THE DESCENDANTS is deserving of the many awards it’s received.

01. DRIVE

DRIVE can be considered a ballet of visceral violence, an ode to the underbelly of ’90s nostalgia and a fiercely fresh artistic venture into cinema as an all-encompassing medium for full sensory storytelling. Ryan Gosling portrays a young Eastwoodian silent but deadly badass, a dangerous man with a heart of gold, while Albert Brooks breaks out of his typically hapless comical mode and shocks audiences with his deviously withdrawn but maniacal mob boss performance. Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston and Ron Perlman all supply solid supporting performances. DRIVE is visually tremendous with a soundtrack ranking amongst the best of the year, DRIVE is a fantastic film. Period.

Melissa’s List:

10. MELANCHOLIA

09. BRIDESMAIDS

08. DRIVE

07. MONEYBALL

06. LIKE CRAZY

05. MY WEEK WITH MARILYN

04. THE HELP

03. THE TREE OF LIFE

02. THE ARTIST

01. HARRY POTTER & THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, PART 2

Michelle’s List:

10. THE TREE OF LIFE

09. MY WEEK WITH MARILYN & JANE EYRE

08. DRIVE

07. MONEYBALL

06. WARRIOR

05. MIDNIGHT IN PARIS

04. RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

03. WAR HORSE

02. THE DESCENDANTS

01. THE ARTIST

Tom’s List:

10. RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

09. HUMAN CENTIPEDE 2

08. THE SKIN I LIVE IN

07. HUGO

06. WAR HORSE

05. THE MUPPETS

04. MELANCHOLIA

03. SUPER

02. THE DESCENDANTS

01. DRIVE

Jim’s List:

10. WARRIOR

09. YOUNG ADULT

08. HUGO

07. THE INTERRUPTERS

06. OUR IDIOT BROTHER

05. MONEYBALL

04. DRIVE

03. THE DESCENDANTS

02. BRIDESMAIDS

01. THE ARTIST

Travis’ List:

10. MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE

09. MONEYBALL

08. BELLFLOWER

07. 50/50

06. THE DESCENDANTS

05. HUGO

04. *WE NEEDS TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN (*Technically, this film is not eligible, as it does not release theatrically in Saint Louis until 2012.)

03. MIDNIGHT IN PARIS

02. TAKE SHELTER

01. DRIVE

Michael Fassbender is perhaps the most talented, fastest rising international star. Originally born in Germany, Fassbender has grown rapidly from being primarily a television actor into a worldly thespian of staggering proportion, garnering ecstatic praise both in Europe and the United States for his unflinching, intense performances in roles that are often controversial and extraordinarily demanding. Fassbender has received some of his breakout roles in genre films, a cinematic place that only rarely produced tremendous genre-spanning talent.

In honor of this tremendous new acting force, we’ve compiled our list of Top Ten performances from Michael Fassbender. His latest role may prove to be his most stellar, even controversial one yet. Appearing in his second film directed by Steve McQueen, SHAME has Fassbender portraying a sex addict. SHAME is opening soon, with dates varying depending on your location.

Honorable Mention: CENTURION

In Neil Marshall’s CENTURION, Michael Fassbender portrays Quintus Dias, a member of a small band of Roman soldiers cut off from their legion and trapped behind enemy lines. They must fight to survive while making their way out of hostile territory in what is now known as Germany, fending off brutal guerrilla warfare from the formidable Germanic tribes who resist the Roman Empire. Fassbender leads his men against all odds, determined but well aware of the truth of their mortal scenario. Primarily an action/adventure role, Fassbender adds an unspoken depth to the character that gives far more detail to the performance than your average action movie star.

10. BLOOD CREEK

Professor Richard Wirth is a Nazi intellectual, obsessed with the occult and supernatural. Sent to the United States by Hitler to embed with a specially-selected rural German-American family, he seeks ultimate power through the use of an ancient Nordic rune stone which lay on the family farmland. Fassbender embraces this genre role, something we rarely see fine actors do, giving the film a much needed boost in credibility. On its own, the film is average supernatural horror fare, but with Fassbender’s involvement, Wirth becomes something more, like a Freddy Krueger or a Pinhead. Fassbender delivers two versions of his character; Wirth pre-transformation and Wirth during the final stages of his transformation into something inhuman, powerful and potentially unstoppable. Aided by quality special effects (including man-eating zombie horses) and genre-experienced work from Dominic Purcell and Henry Cavill, Fassbender leads this otherwise forgettable film into the ranks of being a somewhat unknown, hidden gem of occult horror.

09. EDEN LAKE

EDEN LAKE is more than just a violent horror movie about a young upper-middle class couple who find themselves terrorized instead of relaxing in the woods. This is a film, not unlike LORD OF THE FLIES, that paints a moral message about youth and rebellion as well as survival and the nature of human evil. Fassbender plays Steve, a good man and boyfriend to Jenny, played by the freckled beauty Kelly Reilly. Steve practically drags Jenny into the woods to enjoy a relaxing weekend together, but has the ulterior motive to pop a particular question. What ensues is a seemingly harmless run-in with a band of disrespectful teens, which ultimately turns shockingly violent. Fassbender plays the educated, well-mannered type with ease, but his skill emerges as Steve’s life hangs in the balance and Jenny must fight both for hers and Steve’s lives against the merciless teenagers. His pain and fear come alive in his performance, a step far beyond the average horror movie victim’s onscreen charisma.

08. 300

Zack Snyder’s 300 (2006) is a film with lots of violent, high-octane stylized action for the guys and lots of sexy ripped actors with airbrushed abs for the ladies. The cast is nearly as massive as the film’s epic scale, each playing their parts. Michael Fassbender was one of those parts, portraying the valiant Stelios, one of the leading warriors of the 300 that took on insurmountable odds. Fassbender, in perhaps his most physically demanding “action” role holds up both as eye candy for the girls and a believable ass-kicker for the dudes. Fassbender’s Stelios is a confident, glass-is-half-full type of soldier, as the following exchange of dialogue definitively illustrates…

Persian: A thousand nations of the Persian empire descend upon you. Our arrows will blot out the sun!
Stelios: Then we will fight in the shade.

07. X-MEN: FIRST CLASS

In the previous X-Men films, Sir Ian McKellan had made the role of the intelligent, determined mutant villain Magneto his own. When the prequel to the first X-flick was cast, Michael Fassbender was given quite a challenge in playing a younger version of this iconic baddie. The relative screen newcomer was more than up to the task. He added something new to the character: a sexy, bad-boy “vibe,” a considerable task with Kevin Bacon giving a similar feel to the film’s main villain, Sebastain Shaw. In the film after several scenes involving his harrowing years as a boy in captivity, we meet Fassbender as Erik Lehnsherr in his mission-hunting down and killing the agents of Hitler that destroyed his family (one online blogger suggested a great TV spin-off, “Magneto, Nazi Hunter”). One tense scene set in a South American bar is quite memorable. It isn’t long before he crosses paths with James McAvoy’s altruistic Charles Xavier. In their quest to locate more mutants the two form quite a great team. Some reviewers have suggested that a repressed romance between the two is hinted (check out the deleted scene as they recruit Angel). It isn’t long before Charles and Erik finally clash over their views of humanity and the men part ways (shortly after Erik is surprised by Raven in his bedroom). With his dapper 60′s duds, Erik’s almost an super-powered Bond, who’s more compelling than Charles and his “groovy” mutant pick-up lines. Around the time of the first Wolverine spin-off, there was talk of a Magneto solo flick. Let’s hope that if this comes to fruition, Mr. Fassbender will agree to don that Cerebro-blocking helmet once more.

06. ANGEL

What may be one of his least known roles, Fassbender portrays the avant-garde artist Esme in ANGEL (2007). A British film about the rise and fall of an eccentric young 20th century writer named Angel Deverell (Romola Garai), ANGEL has a decidedly high brow appeal, despite the somewhat unlikable main character. Fassbender is surrounded by tremendous talent, including Sam Neill and Charlotte Rampling, but doesn’t allow this to overshadow what he has to offer the film. Fassbender takes on a clean, proper British appearance which is in contrast to the moodiness of his character, with whom Angel falls in love. Fassbender’s performance amongst a great cast is what remains memorable from this less-than-perfect melodrama from director Francois Ozon.

05. INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS

“There’s a special rung in hell reserved for people who waste good scotch”.

In INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS Michael Fassbender played film critic-turned-British Lieutenant Archie Hicox with the kind of finesse reserved for Bond-like characters . He only has a couple of scenes including a memorable one with a couple of the basterds, Diane Kruger, and a few Nazis. The scene takes place in a claustrophobic bar and plays out as one of the more tense scenes in recent memory. Fassbender speaks the Kings English and looks dashing while doing it.

04. A DANGEROUS METHOD

Cronenberg probes the minds of iconic psychoanalyst founders Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud (Viggo Mortenson), exploring their relationship in the early days of the emerging field. Jung, the film’s central character and perspective from which the story is told, is played by Michael Fassbender. Jung begins as a level-headed man, fascinated by Freud’s work, but slowly becomes more obsessed with the complicated details of the study as a result of his relationship with Freud and Sabina (Knightley). Fassbender methodically builds the slow unraveling of Jung’s piece of mind. Perhaps the least recognizable of his performances, with his own persona hidden behind the wire rim glasses, short cut hair and dark mustache, Fassbender is all but Jung himself having leapt from the text books, at least in theory as our imaginations might perceive the influential psychoanalyst. Fassbender proposes a convincing portrayal of Jung as much a patient of his own mind as a master of others’ minds.

03. FISH TANK

A tremendous independent outing, FISH TANK (2009) is an under-appreciated gem about a teenage girl named Mia (Katie Jarvis) written and directed by Andrea Arnold. Mia lives in a low class, low income British community with her little sister and her immature mum who cares more about partying and sex than she does being a good mother. Mia dreams of being a hip hop dancer, but the core of the story revolves around the arrival of her mum’s new boyfriend Connor, played by Michael Fassbender. Connor is an attractive man, generally a good person with a stable head on his shoulders, which seems an odd fit for Mia’s mum, but he’s also clearly a free spirit. Connor quickly befriends Mia, perhaps initially to quell the constant storm between her and her mum, but over time develops into a much more intimate bond, bordering dangerously close on the inappropriate. Fassbender is excellent as the smart, cool headed slacker type who struggles with giving into his own immoral temptation, led on by the young, impressionable and curious Mia.

02. JANE EYRE (2011)

Nothing could be more romantic than a man pining over a woman – look at the photo above. Who wouldn’t want Fassbender looking at you with such longing in his face. So it should come as no surprise that the brooding Mr. Rochester from JANE EYRE is number 2 on this week’s Top 10 list. Everyone remembers the sections in Charlotte Bronte’s novel of Jane’s (Mia Wasikowska) childhood, of Jane being a governess at Thornfield and falling in love with Mr. Rochester, and then bolting. Fassbender conveys such agony after her leaving – the type you feel when you are in love with somebody. Wasikowska and Fassbender scenes together are played out so beautifully. It’s tender, romantic, sexy, and exciting – the sparks fly. Fassbender’s take on the gruff, dark character goes part and parcel with his sexual charisma. If you’ve ever read the book, then go watch the movie. You’ll never think of JANE EYRE again without picturing Fassbender in your mind as Rochester.

01. HUNGER (2008)

Perhaps it is a sign for the future of this pairing that the top two films from Michael Fassbender (in our opinion) are also directed by Steve McQueen. No… not the iconic actor who died an untimely death, but the exciting new filmmaker responsible for the upcoming film SHAME. Starring Michael Fassbender as the Irish republican Bobby Sands, HUNGER (2008) is McQueen’s first feature film. It tells the story of Sands and his fellow political prisoners, whom he led on a hunger strike in the infamous Maze Prison in Northern Ireland. The film is brutally vivid and realistic, assaulting the senses with the terrible conditions and abuse the prisoners suffer at the hands of the guards. Fassbender’s performance is riveting, painful to watch and evokes more excruciating empathy that any one viewer may expect or wish to endure. HUNGER is the definition of the level of commitment Fassbender has toward his craft, a commitment any viewer should be able to appreciate, even if your nerves and stomach cannot.

Welcome to the 2011 Holiday Movie Geek Gift Guide! What is this? No, it’s not my personal gift wish list made public in hopes that readers will bury me in their affection — although, I wouldn’t be disgusted if you did — no, this is guide to finding that perfect, special gift for the Movie Geek in your life. You know who I mean. We all have at least one friend who obsesses about movies, someone who spouts a movie quote or a director factoid every other breath. What does one buy a person so firmly entrenched in the culture of movies? I hope this guide helps you with your shopping ideas, but don’t expect to find the typical, no brainer ideas — such as gift cards — on this list.

10. Postage Stamps

Yes, this is perhaps the only place you’ll find someone recommending postage stamps as a holiday gift. Whether you just like to express your movie geekness with flair on your mail, or enjoy collecting the history of cinema of commemorative USPS postage stamps, this is a fun — and relatively cheap — gift idea. Buy a book, a sheet, or even a First Day Cover featuring the likes of John Wayne, Marilyn Monroe and the more recent addition of Gregory Peck. And, if you want to get really creative, seek out some of the cool and often odd foreign commemorative stamps, available most readily through eBay. I’ve come across some pretty neat finds from China, Russia, Europe, and even third world countries! Sure, many of these turn out to be simply methods of increasing revenue for the respective states, but the art is often worth it. Some of the most bizarre finds I’ve made have come from African nations.

Price Range: from $0.88 (First Day Covers) up to $8.80 (Panes)

09. Trinkets & Toys

Movie Geeks typically appreciate anything affiliated with their favorite films… no mater how impractical or silly it may be. Once again, many splendid treasures can be found while trolling for ideas on eBay, but I recommend taking a more hands on approach if possible. Try heading out to your local indoor flea market or antique mall. If you’ve never been, you may be surprised to find far more “contemporary” goodies from the ’60s through the ’90s than actual “antiques,” but whatever your gift buying needs, remember this one thing… never underestimate the value of a heartfelt, unique gift that has meaning. Not all gifts have to be “new in box.” With that said, the choices range greatly, from STAR WARS Death Star Cookie Jars, to 20-inch functional Leg Lamps from A CHRISTMAS STORY, you can definitely find an original gift for your movie geek that doesn’t suffer from the fatigue of been there, done that. Some additional places to look for movie themed toys and statues include higher-end items from Sideshow Collectibles and more whimsical and/or horror movie fare from MEZCO Toys.

Price Range: $9.99 to $999.99 Varies greatly, depending on the item.

08. Hallmark Ornaments

No, I’m not talking about the cute, even nauseatingly adorable ornaments most people are familiar with from hallmark, but rather the nifty collectible ornaments based on memorable movie moments and characters. Hallmark has been rolling out a new slate of such ornaments each year for as long as I can remember. Amongst the options are a continued presence or ornaments from A CHRISTMAS STORY, a favorite of many movie geeks. Check out Hallmark to browse the vast collection of ornaments, including options from Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, Star Trek, Pirates of the Caribbean, Indiana Jones… and more.

Personally, my favorite is one from a few years ago: A CHRISTMAS STORY ornament depicting the Leg Lamp (aka “major award”) which actually lights up, inside the “FRA-GI-LE” wooden crate with a working hinged door, and a button that when pushed plays a couple of great quotes from the movie.

Price Range: from $7.95 up to $49.95

07. T-Shirts

We’ve all had holidays where we’ve received that dreaded sweater or the can’t go wrong with socks options, but there’s absolutely no reason you can’t still give the gift of fashionable apparel, without the fear of receiving the icy stare of gift-giving disgust in return. With the advent of online print-on-demand companies, which gave rise to websites devoted to offering high quality novelty t-shirts, movie geeks can always find a way to flaunt their film buffery on the chest for the world to see. If your movie geek has a nasty penchant for horror films, check out the spine-tingling selection of t-shirts over at Fright Rags. With the recent theatrical release of THE MUPPETS (2011), another popular option may be found with The Muppets T-Shirt Collection over at Threadless.

Price Range: from $14.95 up to $29.95 (price may vary by size)

06. BOSE Videowave

Yeah, sure… it’s a tad pricey, but the holidays only come ’round once a year, right? Certainly this is on the high end of any shopper’s gift list, but for those who can stomach the price tag, you’ll be guaranteed to have one giddy movie geek on the receiving end. The Bose Videowave is definitely not what most of us think of when we consider the typical home theater system, but then again, Bose doesn’t make “typical” products. One thing they have been a leader in for years is make home audio technology space-efficient without sacrificing quality performance. Now they’ve moved into video as well, which means you can have one killer home theater system for your home, without taking up too much precious floor space or having speakers strewn all over the room. Whether you’re looking to conserve space, hide unsightly electronics, or simply prefer that modern minimalist aesthetic, Bose Videowave is a mighty fine option to consider… so long as you can handle trading in a thick wallet for a dimensionally thin system.

Product Details:

• 46″ LCD Display, with stand
• Resolution: 1920 x 1080p (Full HD)
• Aspect ratio: 16:9
• Refresh rate: 120Hz
• All-in-One Click Pad Remote Control
• 16.5 x 9.5 inch Control Console
• iPad Dock
• Inputs/outputs
• 3 HDMI inputs (rear panel)
• 2 high-definition analog A/V inputs (rear panel)
• 1 USB input (rear panel)
• 1 HDMI input (front panel)
• 1 analog A/V input (front panel)
• 1 USB input (front panel)
• 1 headphone jack (front panel)

Price Range: $5,349.99 (for the movie geek you love the most!)

05. IRIS 9000

IRIS 9000 is a voice control module for the iPhone 4S and Siri Video, designed to evoke the HAL 9000 from Stanley Kubrick’s classic, groundbreaking science-fiction film 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY. Simply dock your iPhone and use the built-in micro remote to trigger Siri from up to 50 feet away.

“I’m sorry, Dave, but that is simply to cool for school.”

Product Details:

• Control your iPhone 4S and Siri from across the room
• Classic Sci-fi styling. Aluminum accents.
• Included micro remote triggers Siri with a single button press
• Built-in mic picks up your voice at a distance
• Embedded speaker amplifies Siri’s responses
• Use as a standard speakerphone to make and receive calls
• Glowing LED eye flickers along with Siri’s voice
• Powered by included 120-240V AC adapter
• ONLY COMPATIBLE WITH iPhone 4S
• Patent pending technology
• Exclusive product designed and manufactured by ThinkGeek

Price Range: $59.99 (but, this may be hard to get your mitts on.)

04. Books & Graphic Novels

For devoted movie geeks, when we’re not mesmerized by the flickering brilliant lights of the movie screen, we usually have our noses buried deep within a book that is often somehow connected to our love of the movies. This can take various forms, be it a screenplay, a director’s biography, a collection of reviews and/or essays on film, or even art book and graphic novels. Help to encourage and enhance your movie geek’s passion and knowledge of cinema by promoting a continued education though books. Even if they’re fascinated with foreign films, subtitles simply aren’t enough to ensure the movie geek in your life remains sufficiently literate. Now, you may wonder why I also recommend graphic novels. While there are some movie/comic book partnerships, the truth is that comic books and movies share a very similar method of storytelling. They both combine images carefully composed within set frames and constructed into meticulously crafted sequences, along with words, either spoken or written, to tell their tales.

Recommended New & Recent Books:

• CRAZY4CULT: Cult Movie Art, by Gallery 1988
• DREW STRUZAN: OEUVRE, by Dylan Struzan
• SAUL BASS, by Jennifer Bass & Pat Kirkham
• MARILYN MONROE: METAMORPHOSIS, by David Wills
• ART OF THE MODERN MOVIE POSTER POSTER: Int’l Poster Style & Design
• PAULINE KAEL: A LIFE IN THE DARK, by Brian Kellow
• LIFE ITSELF: A MEMOIR, by Roger Ebert
• HARRY POTTER PAGE TO SCREEN: The Complete Filmmaking Journey, by Bob McCane
• THE ART OF PIXAR: 25th Anniversary – The Complete Color Scripts and Select Art from 25 Years of Animation, by Amid Amidi
• MONSTERS IN THE MOVIES, by John Landis
• THE HAMMER VAULT, by Marcus Hearn
• ALIEN VAULT: The Definitive Story of the Making of the Film

Price Range: from $9.95 up to $34.99 (or, higher for deluxe or complete collections)

03. Soundtracks

No movie is complete without music. Even before the talkies made their debut, music was an essential element in the art of motion picture storytelling. For that reason, movie geeks have come to love original scores and soundtracks from their favorite movies. Consider it a way to appreciate a film, even when you’re not in front of your television. A great soundtrack can immerse the listener directly into the motion picture experience, much like reading a good book, the imagination takes hold. I remember my most vivid memory of this was with the JURASSIC PARK score from John Williams, and how after buying the audio cassette (yes, it was that long ago) and playing it nearly till it fell apart, over and over, reliving the film in my bedroom at night as I went to sleep. What are your movie geek’s favorite films? Once you know this, you have a pretty good stepping stone toward choosing a motion picture soundtrack or score that will make the recipient’s eyes and ears perk up.

Price Range: from $9.99 up to $14.99 (or, higher for box sets)

Recommended New Soundtracks:

• DRIVE Motion Picture Soundtrack – Cliff Martinez/Various Artists
• BELLFLOWER Music From the Motion Picture (Vinyl LP) – Jonathan Keevil
• HANNA Original Soundtrack – The Chemical Brothers
• THE MUPPETS (2011) Soundtrack – Various Artists
• MANIAC Original Soundtrack (Vinyl LP) – Jay Chattaway
• BLUE VALENTINE Original Motion Picture Soundtrack – Various Artists
• HUGO Original Motion Picture Soundtrack – Howard Shore
• BRIDEMAIDS Original Motion Picture Soundtrack – Various Artists
• CONTAGION Original Motion Picture Soundtrack – Cliff Martinez

02. Mondo Posters

One of the hottest recent trends in movie geekdom is a pop-culture phenomenon known by the name of Mondo, a company based in Austin, Texas. Mondo offers fans limited edition movie poster prints designed by artists from around the globe — such as Tyler Stout, Jeff Proctor, Ollie Moss and many more — numbered and signed. Within roughly a decade, Mondo posters have become insanely popular and highly collectible. Most of these sell out the same day they go up for sale, if not within the hour. Some of them, such as certain Tyler Stout pieces, sell for hundreds of dollars or more on eBay. Take a look at just a few examples below, then tell me these aren’t tremendous works of art. A gift of a Mondo movie poster for a movie geek is like a cute, cuddly puppy or a pretty pony on Christmas morning for a little girl or boy… except, the posters won’t make a mess and don’t cost a fortune in food and veterinarian bills.

Price Range: from $35.00 up to $65.00 (or, much, MUCH higher if it sells out!)

01. Movies… but, isn’t this obvious?

The idea of giving a movie geek movies for Christmas may seem obvious, even dull, but the truth is… nothing beats getting a good movie. However, there’s a trick to selecting just the right movie as a gift. First of all, have an idea what titles or types of movies interest your movie geek. First of all, if the person is into, say… Italian horror, chances are they won’t appreciate getting a sappy, romantic comedy. Secondly, for most movie geeks, DVD is dead. With the exception of hard-to-find cinematic gems, blu-ray is typically the format of choice these days. Finally, try finding a gift that is more unique than the typical movie off the shelf at a big box retails tore. Every year, there are a number of special limited editions and collector’s set that become available. These are always a treat for the serious movie geek. Movie geeks like “stuff,” so the more cool “stuff” that comes with the movies, the better. The same theory goes for discs. The more discs the better, whether it’s a single movie with 2 discs full of special features, or a box set with multiple films, there’s a reason studios market these as “collector sets.”

Recommended New & Recent Box Sets & Special Editions:

• BEN HUR: 50th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Edition
• Coen Brothers Collection: BLOOD SIMPLE, MILLER’S CROSSING, RAISING ARIZONA, FARGO
• JURASSIC PARK: Ultimate Trilogy – JURASSIC PARK, THE LOST WORLD, JURASSIC PARK III
• WILLY WONKA & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY: 40th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Edition
• STAR WARS: The Complete Saga, Episodes I-VI
• TRON: LEGACY 3D & TRON Limited Edition Box Set
• WEST SIDE STORY: 50th Anniversary Edition
• Three Colors Trilogy: BLUE, WHITE, RED – The Criterion Collection

Price Range: from $29.99 up to $169.99

Once upon a time not long ago, in a living room not so far away, was a television set that opened up a magical, comical, crazy world filled with fuzzy, funny make-believe characters too great to simply be called puppets. No, these were The Muppets, and we loved them completely. Great thanks goes out to Jason Segel for making his dream of a Muppets return come true this Wednesday, but most importantly, boundless thanks should be given to Jim Henson himself, creator of The Muppets, on the holiday of gratitude. We Are Movie Geeks would like to extend our own thanks, and in doing so, presents out Top Ten MUPPETS Hall of Fame.

10. Dr. Teeth & the Electric Mayhem

Led by front-Muppet Dr. Teeth on keyboards and vocals, this groovy band added some rock & roll to The Muppet Show. Janice rocked the guitar and Sgt. Floyd Pepper laid down the bass line, Zoot would toot his saxophone and Animal destroyed the drums. Rarely the basis of many sketched, Electric Mayhem iss to The Muppet Show what Paul Shaffer is to the Late Show with David Letterman… only, cooler.

09. Dr. Bunsen & Beaker

Few characters have taken the repeated abuse that Beaker endures. Part assistant and part lab rat to the seemingly blind Dr. Bunsen, Beaker has harnessed the power of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton with his accident-prone physical antics, despite being his limited dialogue of “meeps.” Dr. Bunsen and Beaker are two peas in a pod, inseparable like Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. In a British poll, Dr. Bunsen and Beaker even beat out Mr. Spock on the list of their favorite cinematic scientists. Whether Beaker is being electrocuted, beaten, or blown up, he takes his punishment from Dr. Bunsen in good humor.

08. Statler & Waldorf

Affectionately likened to The Odd Couple, Statler & Waldorf are the Grumpy Old Men of The Muppets. They have always provided that cynical, sarcastic edge to balance out all the upbeat, positive humor. Perched high up in their private theater box, they watch The Muppet Show, separate but still part of the experience, commentating on the performances. They’re jokes may be stale, but the segues they provide between Muppet segments are priceless.

07. The Swedish Chef

The Julia Child of the Muppet-verse, The Swedish Chef is uniquely enough a Muppet with human hands. The Chef’s trademark line “Bork! Bork! Bork!” was followed by the throwing of spoons over his shoulder to crash into the pots and pans behind him. Who doesn’t love this gibberish speaking Swede who employs tennis rackets as a utensil? Best known for his epic kitchen battles with such culinary foes as the “Japanese Cake” and “Lobster Banditos,” the funniest was with an unwilling tortoise not too keen on becoming “Turtle Soup.” A Food Network channel could do with this “trained professional” among its lineup of chefs.

06. Rowlf the Dog

Although this big, furry, friendly dog has been more of a supporting player in the Muppet Show TV universe (usually playing the piano for a guest star), Rowlf was the first to really get major name recognition. In the mid sixties the Muppets were becoming famous via some national commercials and appearances on the Ed Sullivan show. Then the fledgling, struggling ABC TV network decided to present a new variety show starring country singer Jimmie Dean (perhaps now best known for his line of breakfast sausages, but then coming off the hit record “Big, Bad John”). While most variety show hosts would have a stand-up comic as part of the regular cast, the producers called on Jim Henson to create a Muppet for Dean to interact with. And so Rowlf was born. At least once an episode Dean would sit next to the big canine (voiced by Henson) and relate funny stories, tell jokes, and often team up for a tune. As a youngster watching, I was entranced. When Rowlf toys became available, I made sure to put him on my list for Santa. He was a treasured plaything even though he didn’t quite move like on TV. He was one of the first two-man Muppets (one Muppeteer worked the mouth and left hand while another worked the right hand). I was so delighted to see Rowlf show up on the syndicated TV show more than a decade later. It was like seeing an old childhood pal as everyone was being introduced to so many new characters who would become our new friends.

05. Gonzo

Gonzo, or “Gonzo The Great” is a weird dude. No, really! He’s a weirdo! A distant alien from space, Gonzo is a strange step above the rest. Always positive, and a bit of an intellectual, Gonzo seeks any opportunity he can to put on a show. His love for Camilla the Chicken has been going strong for decades. Whether it’s the Tap-Dancing Top Hat act, catching cannonballs, or riding his motorcycle into super-stardom, Gonzo loves the spotlight. Hey, his daredevil stunts are rarely successful, but he is still one respectable Muppet!

04. Fozzie Bear

“Wocka, Wocka, Wocka” (cue the thrown tomatoes). Kermit’s best friend is the fuzzy bear with the polka-dot bow-tie known as Fozzie. He longs to be a stand-up comic though his jokes usually fall flat and he’s constantly heckled by the likes of Statler and Waldorf. His failure to win over an audience provokes more embarrassment than sympathy but he tries so darn hard you gotta love him. Kermit and Fozzie have frequently been paired together in countless movies, books, and specials. In the MUPPET MOVIE (1979), Fozzie was the first Muppet Kermit met on his journey.

03. Animal

In comedies one of the more popular characters are ones that represent the unbridled, uninhibited id: the wild thing. Going back to the thirties there was Harpo Marx chasing after the girls. In the seventies it was John Belushi as “Bluto” in ANIMAL HOUSE. On the tube about the same time there was Animal on “The Muppet Show.” Starting out as the drummer for The Electric Mayhem (perhaps inspired by The Who’s legendary wild man drummer Keith Moon) he soon broke through as one the most popular cast members. He could be considered one of the “wuzzit” creatures one the show (like Gonzo), Animal does have a feral quality with his pointy teeth and furry, frizzed hair. And of course his uniquie fashion sense is best showcased by his spiked collar and chain leash. In the Muppet movies he becomes a force for good as he helps tackle the bad guys (he even grows to giant proportions in one film). Most recently Animal further established his drumming mastery by sitting in with The Roots on Jimmie Fallon’s talk show. When he’s not chasing the ladies or on a destructive whim, he’s a manic, musical force of nature. And with Frank Oz providing that guttural grunt of a voice, Animal is the wild card in the Muppet ensemble.

02. Miss Piggy

Miss Piggy is a Prima donna pig convinced she is destined to be a great star and will let nothing stand in her way. She presents a public face which is the essence of feminine charm, but can instantly fly into a violent rage whenever she thinks she has been insulted or thwarted. Poor Kermit is often the target of her anger and when she isn’t sending him flying through the air, she’s often smothering him with unwanted kisses. Miss Piggy does not seem to be aware that she’s overweight — she dresses as if she’s 30 pounds lighter. She has a lot of fantasies but she did actually make the cover of People Magazine in 1979 and had her own perfume called Moi!

01. Kermit the Frog

It’s not easy being green… or, the first frog that can actually talk to humans! Making his debut in 1955, Kermit eventually returned to the swamp when an agent passing through (Dom DeLuise) inspired him to try out Hollywood, where he encountered the rest of the Muppets along the way. Not necessarily one to crave the spotlight, Kermit has been the star of The Muppets since the beginning (Shhh, don’t tell Miss Piggy). Kermit inst just a talent on stage though! He’s also a chart topper! His song “The Rainbow Connection” reached #25 on the Billboard Top 100. Although he has thousands of siblings, Kermit stands out among them all! It’s no wonder why Kermit always remained Jim Henson’s favorite Muppet.

Contest Winner! Anita Says: “Kermit of course. All of the Muppet characters are great but I think it will come down to a 2 way race between Kermit and Miss Piggy, so I’m voting for Kermit because he is the only green icon I know.”

J. EDGAR opens in theaters this Friday and it is the 33rd film directed by Clint Eastwood. Beginning with the thriller PLAY MISTY FOR ME in 1971, Eastwood has directed  westerns, action films, comedies, and dramas. From the very early days of his career, Eastwood had been frustrated by directors insisting that scenes be re-shot multiple times and perfected, and when he began as a director in 1971, he made a conscious attempt to avoid any aspects of directing he had been indifferent to as an actor. As a result, Eastwood is renowned for his efficient film directing and to reduce filming time and to keep budgets under control.

As seen through the eyes of Hoover himself, J. EDGAR explores the personal and public life and relationships of a man who could distort the truth as easily as he upheld it during a life devoted to his own idea of justice, often swayed by the darker side of power. Academy Award nominee Leonardo DiCaprio stars in the title role. J. EDGAR also stars Academy Award® nominee Naomi Watts as Helen Gandy and the screenplay is by Oscar winner Dustin Lance Black (MILK)

Here are, according to We Are Movie Geeks, the top ten best films directed by Clint Eastwood

10. A PERFECT WORLD

A PERFECT WORLD was Eastwood’s follow-up to his Oscar-winning UNFORGIVEN and was a complex, fascinating essay on the irreconcilable tension between being drawn to someone with charisma and being repulsed by someone, sometimes the same person, who is evil. Clint took a back seat to star Kevin Costner who played smart and charming as an escaped con/kidnapper. The little boy who he snatches grows to like his abductor, but the guy is a violent criminal. The ending was tough, because the movie is showing us the nastiness the guy is capable of and it’s hard to take. But it’s true to the lesson here: we admire people for their charms not their morals.

9. BRONCO BILLY

BRONCO BILLY is Clint Eastwood’s loving tribute and sly send up of the western movie heroes he grew up watching as a lad( and perhaps a parody of his own early film cowboy image ). This 1980 from from a script by Dennis Hackin stars Clint as the owner star of a down-on-its-luck traveling wild west show. although he can’t afford to pay them, his crew is fiercely loyal especially Doc Lynch( the delightful Scatman Crothers ). Along the way they are joined by a now penniless spoiled, rich gal played by Clint’s frequent co-star Sondra Locke. Of course she falls for the gruff, no nonsense cowpoke and becomes part of the trick shooting act( after the regular girl quits after Billy botches the trick in a very funny opening scene ). In another memorable sequence Billy foils a bank robbery after one of the robbers breaks the piggy bank of a young boy. This film didn’t fare well at the box office perhaps because movie audiences wanted to see Clint blow away the bad guys with his magnum or punch them out with the help of his orangutan pal, Clyde, but it’s gained a reputation as an almost Capra-like love letter to the myths of the  old West.

8. GRAN TORINO

“Get me another beer, dragon lady. This one’s empty!” is my favorite of many great lines from GRAN TORINO and the one that I growl at my wife daily. GRAN TORINO manages to list seemingly every slang word for every ethnic group that there is (it avoids the N-word, choosing “Spooks” instead). It has themes similar to Clint’s THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES in that both movies deal with an angry, lonely man gradually allowing people back into his life after bottling up his emotions for a long time following a trauma (both characters also spit beef jerky constantly and have to deal with a cantankerous old woman who doesn’t like them very much). It’s also a kind of urban Western update of THE SHOOTIST (directed by Clint’s old friend and mentor Don Siegel and John Wayne’s last movie) in that Clint’s dying character Walt Kowalski picks a fight with the evil local gang in the hope he’ll catch a bullet and go out in a blaze of glory rather than succumb to the slow agony of cancer (just like John Wayne did). If it’s his last acting role, like he’s said, Clint will have gone out with a blaze of glory himself.

7. LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA

When Clint Eastwood announced that while he would be making the film version of FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS by James Bradley and Ron Powers he then stated that he would also be working on a film which would tell the story of the battle from the Japanese side called LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA. this news caught many film-goers by surprise. This major World War II battle would be brought to the screens twice and the great All-American director Clint Eastwood would devote one version showing the view of our Pacific enemy. Not many thought he could pull this off, but FLAGS and LETTERS opened within months of each other in 2006 and while both enjoyed terrific notices, some critics and academy members thought that LETTERS was the superior film.

LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA focuses on the weeks leading up to and the days after the allied forces invading the island occupied by the Japanese forces. The conflict is seen primarily through the eyes of lonely soldier named Saigo (Kazunari Ninomiya) who just wants to return to his life at home as a baker and commanding officer General Kuribayashi (Ken Watanabe) who spent time in the United States. The General has been given the hopeless task of defending the island after his superiors inform him that no food, or troops will be sent to help. He and his men are expected to die for the honor of Japan. The film shows the great importance of honor to these people. The soldiers are taught that being captured alive would bring shame to their family. In a horrific scene several soldiers discharge grenades they are holding rather than be taken. While sending letters back to his family, the General tries to stop some of the brutal measures inflicted on the foot soldiers from the other officers. As the end nears, Saigo will do anything to survive while the General reflects on the happy times he spent with the people who are now his enemy. This is a rare film about World War II told from a perspective not often presented and Clint Eastwood showcases his superb filmmaking skills in telling this engrossing story.

6. MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is one of WAMG’s top ten picks for a number of reasons. First off the film has an amazing cast; Kevin Spacey, John Cusak, and Jude Law. It was produced and directed by Clint Eastwood in 1997. John Kelso (John Cusak) is sent to write a magazine story about a prominent Savannah citizen, Jim Williams (Kevin Spacey), Christmas party. Kelso attends the party and is intrigued with Jim Williams and other people at the party, especially Williams’ young and violent lover, Billy (Jude Law). Later, Billy is found dead and Jim Williams is accused of the murdering him. Kelso decides to stay on in town to cover the murder trial and the ensuing characters that he meets along the way makes for an interesting journey through the streets and alleys of Savannah. Clint Eastwood does a great job of showcasing the city of Savannah; it too has a starring role in the film. I love this movie because of its overall beauty in an otherwise ugly situation. The characters are believable and interesting. No matter how many times I have watched this film, I never grow tired of it.

5. THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES

“Well, you gonna pull those pistols or stand there whistling Dixie?” Eastwood starred in and directed, THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES in 1978 and his direction shows him at a sort of tipping point between Sergio Leone and Eastwood’s own later films. Gigantic close ups of wet faces and glistening teeth alternate with grandiose high shots of galloping horses. Eastwood’s Josey Wales is his familiar Western figure, taciturn, slightly mean, given to spitting tobacco juice on dogs, full of provocative lines; Bounty Hunter: “A man’s got to make a livin” Josey: “Dying ain’t much of a living, boy”. When he tries to speak in ritualized and poetic English to the Comanches, while making a peace proposal, he fails. Perfumed speech is not his forte. And when he rides off into the sunset, it’s without any suggestion of remorse for the hundred or so dead bodies he’s left in his wake.

4. MILLION DOLLAR BABY

One of the great qualities of Clint Eastwood’s directing career is his way of surprising moviegoers. A case in point can be found in 2004′s MILLION DOLLAR BABY. The screenplay by Paul Haggis based on the short stories of F.X. Toole seems to be the standard rags to riches sports flix this time set in the world of woman’s boxing. Clint gets some terrific performances out of Hilary Swank as the plucky, determined boxer Maggie Fitzgerald and Morgan Freeman as wise, world-weary ex- boxer Eddie “Scrap Iron” Dupris. Both actors were awarded Oscars for their work. Even with his great work behind the camera, Clint gives one of the best acting performances as Maggie’s tough, grizzled coach Frankie Dunn. Maggie works hard to finally convince Frankie that’s she worthy of his mentoring. After Frankie finally agrees there’s the expected grueling training sequences inter-cut with scenes of the two getting to know and respect each other. It’s shown that Frankie is estranged from his own children while Maggie’s family is un-supportive and highly dysfunctional. Soon Frankie and Maggie’s relationship grows into a father-daughter bond. As the film builds to the boxing movie cliche finale of the win at the big championship bout it takes a completely unexpected tragic turn and the bond between Frankie and Maggie is put to the ultimate test. MILLION DOLLAR BABY takes the sports movie and turns it into a tender, family drama and is one of Clint Eastwood all-time great cinema triumphs. BABY joined THE UNFORGIVEN as an Oscar winning Best Picture and another well deserved Best Director award winner for Eastwood.

3. HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER

HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER is probably Clint Eastwood’s darkest western and that’s saying a lot. The hero is a mysterious, ghost-like figure and he fights against the evil and corruption that infests a small town in the middle of nowhere. Eastwood is fighting a lone battle , and his only sidekick is the midget Mordecai, while almost all other inhabitants of the town of Lago are corrupted or/and cowardly. This is Clint Eastwood’s first Western film that he directed, and it’s clear and evident that the guy not only loves the genre that made his name, but he also knows what makes it work. When working for Sergio Leone, Eastwood was obviously taking notes because HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER oozes the mythical aura of many of Leone’s finest genre offerings

2. MYSTIC RIVER

3 childhood friends, Jimmy, Dan & Sean, drifted apart after a terrible tragedy & grew up in the same city. Destiny pitted them again & it’s brutal tragedy again. Jimmy’s 19 year old daughter murdered & Dave is the strong suspect. Sean is a cop trying to solve the crime before something unusual done by uncontrollable with situational fix. Its superb script & screen play & I must praise Dennis Lehane for it. But the real laudable act is done by old macho cowboy named Clint Eastwood. This is Clint Eastwood’s finest achievement as a director along with his other Oscar winning nuggets like Unforgiven & Million Dollar Baby. With awesome cast & finest performances of Sean Penn, Tim Robbins &Kevin Bacon he shapes a master crime thriller. Robbins and Penn both recieved Oscars for their roles. Marcia Gay Harden has done amazing justice to her role as psychologically confused wife of Tim Robbins. A must-see modern Greek tragedy.

1. UNFORGIVEN

In many interviews Clint Eastwood has said that UNFORGIVEN is his Western swan song, and it’s that’s the the case heâ’s left the genre with an all time classic. Clint plays an outlaw named Bill Munny who has given up that life for his late wife and is struggling to make a go out of farming and raising his two children.When a group of prostitutes in the town of Big Whiskey offer a bounty on a cowboy who cut up one of their own, Bill feels he must take up his guns again. Picking up his old partner Ned Logan (Morgan Freeman) rides into the town, meets a young upstart named The Schofield Kid (Jaimz Woolett), and incurs the ire of the town sheriff Little Bill Dagget (an Oscar winning performance by Gene Hackman). “Little” Bill has no tolerance for bounty hunters and demonstrates by brutally beating English Bob in the town square. The script by David Webb Peoples is a thoughtful meditation on the consequences of revenge and violence. In one memorable scene Munny and the Kid have gunned down several of the thugs from the brothel incident. Gasping and shaking the Kid says,”They had it comin!” to which Munny soberly replies, “We all got it comin’, kid.” At the end of the movie, Clint dedicates the film to his two cinema mentors, Sergio Leone (FISTFUL OF DOLLARS) and Don Siegel (DIRTY HARRY). The Motion Picture Academy thought this film was in the same class as the films of those two great directors and awarded Clint a well deserved directing Oscar along with Best Picture.

Do the robot, yo!

ro·bot
noun /ˈrōˌbät/  /ˈrōbət/
robots, plural

1. A machine capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically, esp. one programmable by a computer
   
2. (esp. in science fiction) A machine resembling a human being and able to replicate certain human movements and functions automatically
3. Used to refer to a person who behaves in a mechanical or unemotional manner

Well, maybe not the third one!

With the release of REAL STEEL this Friday, October 7th, WAMG has come down with robot fever… and what better way to celebrate than to share our Top Ten Robots with you!

Set in the near-future, where the sport of boxing has gone hi-tech, REAL STEEL stars Hugh Jackman as Charlie Kenton, a washed-up fighter who lost his chance at a title when 2000-pound, 8-foot-tall steel robots took over the ring. Now nothing but a small-time promoter, Charlie earns just enough money piecing together low-end bots from scrap metal to get from one underground boxing venue to the next. When Charlie hits rock bottom, he reluctantly teams up with his estranged son Max (Dakota Goyo) to build and train a championship contender. As the stakes in the brutal, no-holds-barred arena are raised, Charlie and Max, against all odds, get one last shot at a comeback.

So, let’s get our ROBOT on and boogie into our TOP TEN ROBOTS IN FILM!

HONORABLE MENTION: ROBOCOP (ROBOCOP 1987)

He’s a robot… who’s a cop! What more could you want???

10. JOHNNY 5 (SHORT CIRCUIT 1986)

Hello Bozos… Something wonderful has happened! Johnny Five is ALIVE!

09. TERMINATOR (THE TERMINATOR 1984)

The thing that won’t die, in the nightmare that won’t end. He’ll be back!

08. DATA (STAR TREK)

Earth. Population Nine Billion. All Borg… and Data!

07. WALL-E (WALL-E 2008)

After 700 years of doing what he was built for – he’ll discover what he’s meant for… melting our hearts!

06. ASH (ALIEN 1979)

Sometimes the scariest things come from within… like the stuff dripping down his head!

05. GORT (THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL 1951)

A robot and a man . . . hold the world spellbound with new and startling powers from another planet! Hey, for 1951 with was terrifying!

04. IRON GIANT (THE IRON GIANT 1999)

It came from outer space!… befriended a little boy names Hogarth! If your name is Hogarth, you need an alien robot friend!

03. BISHOP (ALIEN 1979)

A word of warning… don’t play with knives (Unless you’re Bishop!)

02. ROBBY (FORBIDDEN PLANET 1956)

AMAZING! If you do not speak English, Robby is at your disposal with 187 other languages along with their various dialects and sub-tongues. If only people worked that way…

01. C-3PO and R2-D2 (STAR WARS)

You just can’t choose, or separate these two! See… A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away… C-3PO and R2-D2 became robot best friends!

So, what do you guys think? Is there any-BOT-y that we forgot? (Yes, we realize that our jokes are nerdy! Who would you pick?
We now leave you with this gem of a PSA from our number one bots… STAY FANCY KIDS!

Article by Jim Batts, Dana Jung, and Tom Stockman

We’re celebrating one of Hollywood’s great tough guys and one of our favorite actors September 6^th at The Way Out Club in St. Louis with Super-8 LEE MARVIN Movie Madness.

Lee Marvin rose through the ranks of movie stardom as a character actor, delivering mostly villainous supporting turns in many films before finally graduating to leading roles. Regardless of which side of the law he was on however, he projected a tough-as-nails intensity and a two-fisted integrity which elevated even the slightest material. Born February 19, 1924, in New York City, Marvin quit high school to enter the Marine Corps and while serving in the South Pacific was badly wounded in battle when a machine gun nest shot off part of his buttocks and severed his sciatic nerve. He spent a year in recovery before returning to the U.S. where he began working as a plumber. The acting bug bit after filling in for an ailing summer-stock actor and he studied the art at the New York-based American Theater Wing. Upon making his debut in summer stock, Marvin began working steadily in television and off-Broadway. He made his Broadway debut in a 1951 production of Billy Budd and also made his first film appearance in YOU’RE IN THE NAVY NOW in 1951. Soon Marvin began appearing regularly onscreen, with credits including a lead role in Stanley Kramer’s 1952 war drama EIGHT MEN OUT. After a string of villain roles, Marvin grew unhappy with studio typecasting and moved to television in 1957 to star as Detective Lieutenant Frank Ballinger in the police series M Squad, which lasted three seasons.

Marvin’s return to the big screen was in 1961 opposite John Wayne in THE COMANCHEROS and starred again with the Duke the next year in the John Ford classic THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE. In 1965 he appeared in a dual role as twin gunfighters in the Western spoof CAT BALLOU opposite Jane Fonda, a performance which won him the Academy Award for Best Actor (his first and last nomination).  Next was THE DIRTY DOZEN (1967) the biggest hit of his career and he followed that with such great films as POINT BLANK (1967), HELL IN THE PACIFIC (1968) and even sang in the 1969 western musical PAINT YOUR WAGON with Clint Eastwood (now considered a fiasco, it was actually a financial success and earned Marvin a Golden Globe nomination). Some of his best films from the ’70s were PRIME CUT, EMPEROR OF THE NORTH (both 1972), and THE ICEMAN COMETH (1973). Marvin slowed down in the ’80s but did star in Sam Fuller’s great WWII epic THE BIG RED ONE in 1980 and worked opposite Charles Bronson in the memorable DEATH HUNT in 1981. His final screen role was alongside Chuck Norris in DELTA FORCE in 1986. Lee Marvin died of a heart attack on August 29, 1987 at age 63 and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Super-8 LEE MARVIN Movie Madness will be a great way to celebrate the life and films of this legendary American actor. Condensed versions (all run 18 minutes) of these memorable Lee Marvin films will be screened on a big screen on Super-8 sound film: THE WILD ONE, THE DIRTY DOZEN, CAT BALLOU, THE PROFESSIONALS, THE KLANSMAN, and EMPEROR OF THE NORTH. We’re also bring our 16mm projector and showing a 16mm print of an episode of M-SQUAD, the rough, hard-boiled detective TV series that Lee Marvin starred in in the late ’50s. We’ll have some Lee Marvin trivia with prizes. The Way Out Club is located at 2525 Jefferson Avenue (at Gravois) in South St. Louis. Admission is only $3.00.

Lee Marvin appeared in 61 films in his four decades as an actor, and here, according to We Are Movie Geeks, are his ten best:

Honorable Mention: THE BIG HEAT

After several small roles, Lee Marvin had his ‘Star is Born’ moment in Fritz Lang’s THE BIG HEAT (1953) where, as Vince Stone, the sadistic goon of ganglord Alexander Scourby, he mutilates Gloria Grahame’s face by throwing scalding coffee on it. It was such a cruel, violent, and unexpected outburst that shocked audiences (and critics) suddenly took notice of this rugged new actor and it led to further villain roles  the next year opposite Marlon Brando in THE WILD ONE and Spencer Tracy in BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK. Marvin would go on from here and deliver a ream of brilliant gruff hard bastard performances. THE BIG HEAT is a tough, uncompromising drama starring Glenn Ford about one man’s crusade against corruption and the high cost his actions have on his own life and the lives of those around him. It’s a violent, fast paced story of an honest cop’s angry and vengeful struggle against the mobsters who killed his wife. Exciting and gripping throughout, the mean-spiritedness it depicts gives it a harder edge than most film noirs of its period.

10. PRIME CUT

Michael Ritchie was certainly an odd choice to direct a film about Irish mobsters starring the iconic Lee Marvin.  Ritchie built a career crafting a series of near-perfect films that examined the social and political aspects of competition (THE CANDIDATE, SMILE, SEMI-TOUGH, BAD NEWS BEARS).  While PRIME CUT is an entertaining but somewhat cliched gangster film, it is remembered today only for some great imagery and for the feature film debut of future Oscar winner Sissy Spacek. Marvin plays Nick Devlin, an enforcer for the mob who is sent to Middle America to reign in an insubordinate crime boss (a gleefully malevolent Gene Hackman). Unfortunately, these two have a history that (of course) involves a woman (the beautiful Angel Tompkins), so things head south real fast (as they say in farm country).  Marvin here proves that he was one of the coolest anti-heroes ever, rivaling Eastwood’s or Bronson’s calm exterior that could explode with violence at any moment.  PRIME CUT is betrayed by an episodic, hackneyed script with scenes that have no payoff (a young man leaving his family, Hackman’s weird brother, etc.), while other scenes border on parody (Spacek recounting how she used to snuggle with her girlfriend at the orphanage sounds like something from Penthouse Letters).  But the opening sequence is both gruesome and funny, as easy listening music plays while cattle (and one unlucky human) are literally led to slaughter, intercut with some meatpacking scenes.  The sex slavery storyline is revealed casually in a sequence that’s shocking even by today’s standards (the film contains copious amounts of nudity) but also emphasize the movie’s themes of man’s status as an animal.  Utilizing the wide open spaces of Midwestern farmland, Ritchie juxtaposes images of clean-cut, blonde, overall-clad farm boys armed with shotguns hunting human prey– through a vast field of sunflowers!  In the film’s most famous sequence, Marvin and Spacek run from a deadly combine hay-baler through bright golden wheatfields in broad daylight (the machine ends up destroying an automobile which leads to a nice visual joke).  And the climax is all-out mayhem at the hands of Marvin/Devlin and a submachinegun, as only the man with the steely blue eyes can dispense it.

9. DEATH HUNT

Lee Marvin and Charles Bronson had interesting parallel careers that intersected several times including right at the beginning. They both made their big screen debuts in the 1951 military comedy YOU’RE IN THE NAVY NOW (Bronson had several lines. Marvin had none). They both had bit roles the next year in DIPLOMATIC COURIER and in 1958 Bronson made a guest appearance on an episode of Marvin’s TV cop show M-Squad. Marvin would go on to win an Oscar for best actor in 1965′s CAT BALLOU while Bronson would be accused of being a non-actor, a ‘wooden indian’ who nonetheless managed to coast on his brooding charisma to the top of the international box-office. THE DIRTY DOZEN (1967) was one of the biggest hits of both men’s careers and two unrelated episodes of the TV western The Virginian each actor had guest-starred in were strung together and released theatrically as THE MEANEST MEN IN THE WEST later that year to make it look like they had teamed up yet again (scenes were awkwardly edited to make it look like they’re interacting). In 1981, the actors worked together one last time for the snow-bound action adventure DEATH HUNT. Loosely based on a true story, it’s the tale of mysterious lone trapper Albert Johnson (Bronson) who’s killed some people in a dispute over dogs. This triggers a massive manhunt by the Mounties, led by hard-bitten Sergeant Ed Millen (Marvin) through the unforgiving Canadian Yukon wilderness. DEATH HUNT is simple blood and thunder stuff, with a rugged supporting cast (Ed Lauter, Carl Weathers) and a handful of violent action sequences well-directed by Peter Hunt, a highly-regarded British film editor who had helmed the 007 classic ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE.  Marvin and Bronson’s gruff charisma bounce off each other nicely though they only share a couple of scenes and director Hunt shows great skill as looks, nods and raised eyebrows show the two men’s grudging, mutual respect. Angie Dickinson plays Sgt. Millen’s girlfriend and will appear two more times on this top ten list.

8. ATTACK

It’s unsurprising that Robert Aldrich directed three of the films in this top ten list as so many of his films, VERA CRUZ (1954), FLIGHT OF THE PHOENIX (1965), THE LONGEST YARD (1974), depict an isolated a group of rugged men in a self-contained and threatening universe. (WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE and KISS ME DEALY showed off his diversity), so it’s natural that he worked so well with a physical actor like Lee Marvin. Their first collaboration was ATTACK! (1956), a dark and cynical look at men at war and is one of Aldrich’s very best films, bearing his personal signature in a portrait of infantry warfare set in Belgium circa 1944. Scripted by James Poe (husband of Barbara Steele!) and based on the play The Fragile Fox by Norman Brook, ATTACK! is an intimate battle saga centering on the craven Captain Cooney (Eddie Albert), a coward who has achieved his rank due to family connections, specifically his father’s political power. In a strong supporting performance, Lee Marvin plays Colonel Bartlett, an officer who’s aware of Cooney’s incompetence but overlooks the problem in order to promote his own personal ambition and tasks him with setting up artillery observation posts in a strategic, heavily bombarded area. However, the platoon, led by Lt. Costa (Jack Palance), feels victimized, resents the situation and vows to take revenge. Though Marvin’s character is not part of the ultimate conflict, ATTACK! features a number of memorable scenes which combine physical action, superb dialog and emotion perfectly. One scene in which a mortally wounded Lt. Costa prays that God will let him live long enough to kill Cooney is gut-wrenching. The dynamic between Palance and Albert is similar to that of Willem Dafoe and Tom Berenger in PLATOON thirty years later. ATTACK! Is one of the toughest and most realistic films about WWII combat from the the 1950s.

7. THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE

By 1962 television was the main showcase for stories of the old west. This is when the greatest director of those tales, John Ford, made his last truly classic Western motion picture: THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE starring Marvin as the title character. He had played several cowboy villains on the screen before, but Valance may be his most memorable. In his first scene Valance orchestrates a stagecoach robbery and has to be restrained by his toadies Lee Van Cleef and Strother Martin before he kills lawyer Jimmy Stewart with his heavy, silver bullwhip . Every time Valance sees his victim he calls him “dude” in a gutteral, taunting growl. Marvin plays an evil, sadistic bully who intimidates everyone in the small town ( including Andy Devine’s ineffectual sheriff ) except for John Wayne’s Tom Doniphon. There’s a terrific stare down between Marvin and Wayne in the diner where Stewart works. Gunplay is averted, but it’s clear that Valance is a mad dog that needs to be put down. When the newspaper office is trashed and the editor beaten, Stewart’s had enough. In one of the greatest screen showdowns he faces off against the brute who gleefully ‘licks his chops” at the chance to finish off the “dude”. Well, I guess the title kind of gives it away. Still there’s secrets and mysteries behind it that are well worth exploring. As the newsman says at the film’s climax, ” When the legend becomes fact, print the legend!”.

6. EMPEROR OF THE NORTH

This slice of Depression-era Americana is one of Lee Marvin’s best but least-known films.  The movie opens with a lyrical shot of a train chugging through some beautiful Midwestern countryside, smoke billowing behind, mellow country tune playing on the soundtrack.  However, this Norman Rockwell-esque vision soon gives way to a scene of brutal murder at the hands of a superbly menacing Ernest Borgnine.  Borgnine, often cast as a heavy later in his career, here plays one of his best bad guys as ‘Shack’ – captain of a legendary train on which no hobo or drifter ever gets a “free ride”.  Shack enforces this simple rule with a variety of deterrents, such as chains, lead weights, and sledge hammers. Marvin portrays ‘A- Number 1′,  a seasoned, veteran hobo who is smart, strong, and pragmatic.  He sums up his philosophy of life nicely as a rail-hopping metaphor:”Don’t ever grab unless you’re sure you can hold on, [because] you ever let go, she’ll throw you under.”  Part of the fun of EMPEROR is knowing, almost from the first frame, that these two grizzled men are heading for a grand showdown. Director Robert Aldrich is mostly known for his tough guy films (KISS ME DEADLY, DIRTY DOZEN, LONGEST YARD, etc.), and EMPEROR is no exception.  The movie expertly builds to the final confrontation, which takes up nearly the entire second half (including an awesomely suspenseful imminent train collision).  Also thrown in are atmospheric and flavorful set pieces  such as hobo camps and trainyards where some great character actors have names like Hogger and Cracker, and a buddy subplot with Marvin mentoring a young wannabe, rather annoyingly played by Keith Carradine. The film can also be seen as a commentary on the state of things in America, then and now–the characters and even the trains could symbolize different aspects of society or government. But it is Marvin’s persona, in one of his best performances, that is the core of the film.  Violent and cynical, witty and playful, philosophical and resigned, Marvin displays all of this and more, delivering some of the best lines of his career. The train is “my hotel,” he tells Carradine, “The stars at night — I put them there!”  This rough and rugged film (devoid of women except for one brief humorous scene) is truly an underrated classic. An 18 minute condensed version of EMPEROR OF THE NORTH will be screened at Super-8 LEE MARVIN Movie Madness September 6^th at The Way Out Club

5.CAT BALLOU

In 1965 Lee Marvin had already made a name for himself on screen as a great Western villain most notably in 1962′s THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERY VALANCE. Perhaps he thought that it was time to poke some fun at that image by taking on a duel role in director Elliot Silverstein’s comedy-oater . That’s right, a duel role! Marvin is the evil hired killer Tim Strawn, dressed in black and sporting a silver fake nose. After gunning down Catherine ” Cat” Ballou’s daddy she sends for legendary gunfighter ( he stars in pulp novels! ) Kid Shelleen (also Marvin). He has one of the greatest movie entrances ever as he arrives via stagecoach ( in the luggage compartment). Thanks to his love of the bottle, Shelleae’s is far from his gun slingin’ best ( “He missed the barn!”). In those dark politically incorrect days you could still derive humor from the tipsy. Whether he’s about to fall off his galloping steed or ripping the towel off a pompous rich bather, Shelleen is a hoot! He’s even better when he straightens himself up ( with the help of trainer Tom Nardini ) and has a showdown with Strawn. After that Shelean strikes a classic pose as he and his horse lean against a building after a boozy night. CAT boasts a bouncy title tune performed by roving narrators Nat King Cole and Stubby Kaye and an incredibly cute Jane Fonda, but it’s Marvin that makes it a classic. The Motion Picture Academy thought so and awarded him the Oscar for Best Actor. An 18 minute condensed version of CAT BALLOU will be screened at Super-8 LEE MARVIN Movie Madness September 6^th at The Way Out Club

4.THE BIG RED ONE

In his last decade as a movie star, the 1980′s, Marvin made just a handful of films. Sam Fuller’s 1980 epic war film stands out as one of the best of either man’s screen careers. Real life WWII vet Marvin plays the grizzled GI who’s only referred to as the sergeant ( we never hear his full name ) who leads an ever dwindling squad including Robert Carradine’s aspiring writer ( a surrogate for Fuller? ) and Mark Hamill ( in between his first two Star Wars gigs ) as a cartoonist through the last battles of the European combat theatre. Marvin’s terrific as the gruff, fatherly figure trying to keep these young men alive. His most memorable scenes, though, may be away from his boys. He’s introduced in a tense battlefield showdown with an unseen enemy at the start of the movie. Later  the sergeant befriends a young refugee after a grueling fire fight. When the boy puts a helmet on his head, so he can play “soldier”, the sergeant gently takes it off and  sadly tosses it aside. He’s seen too many young men, not much older than this boy, march to their deaths. In the film’s final sequence the sergeant desperately tries to save the life of an enemy soldier he had just shot. Seems the war had ended just moments before. With very little dialogue Marvin conveys such much of this weary fighting man’s emotion using only his tired, red eyes. We had gotten to see Marvin’s tough side many times before, but here we get a rare glimpse at his tender side.

3.THE DIRTY DOZEN

In THE DIRTY DOZEN (1967), the biggest boxoffice hit of his career, Lee Marvin played WWII Major John Reisman (a role turned down by John Wayne), leader of the unusual and top-secret mission to take twelve soldiers convicted of felony offenses, either serving prison sentences or condemned to death, and turn them into a unit capable of a tough suicide mission: attacking a chateau in France that’s a gathering for a large group of Nazi officers. THE DIRTY DOZEN remains one of the most popular and enduring war films of all time (a reputation that not even three crappy made-for-TV sequels, one starring Marvin, in the late ’80s could taint). Its enduring legacy comes partly from its ensemble cast, several of them actual combat veterans, which includes Charles Bronson, Telly Savalas, Donald Sutherland, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Ryan, and Clint Walker. But the film’s main appeal is Robert Aldrich’s direction, which delivers entertaining, big-scale action and macho posturing. With so many great actors competing for screen time, it’s an impressive feat for anyone to catch the audience’s attention. Given the prominence of his role, Marvin, who always gave 100% to any performance, certainly does. The actor’s legendary screen presence allows him to command the viewer’s attention any time he’s on screen. Other standouts include an understated Bronson, a despicable Savalas and wild-man John Cassavetes, who earned a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his work as Franco, the most outspoken of Reisman’s convicts. THE DIRTY DOZEN easily stands the test of time, as entertaining today as I’m sure audiences found when it was released in 1967. The nature of war has changed, but the impact of THE DIRTY DOZEN has not. An 18 minute condensed version of THE DIRTY DOZEN will be screened at Super-8 LEE MARVIN Movie Madness September 6^th at The Way Out Club

2.THE KILLERS

THE KILLERS (1964) was based on a short story by Ernest Hemingway filmed previously in 1946. It was originally intended as a TV movie but when producers saw the opening scene where Lee Marvin and Clu Gulager, as two contract killers, walk into a school for the blind and cold-bloodedly murder John Cassavettes, they decided a theatrical release more appropriate. The story’s told mostly in flashbacks as an investigation by these hit men of why their target, a former race car and getaway driver, didn’t run when he had the chance. This leads to a hidden million dollar stash from a heist years before by a mail robbery gang led by Ronald Reagan (in his last film – looking presidential despite bad hair and a nasty moment slapping Angie Dickinson silly!). Marvin was excellent in perhaps is most iconic role as Charlie Strom, a growling killing machine in a tailored suit and shades. He steals the show as the brains behind the assassination outfit, but he’s so confounded by the willingness of Cassavettes to meet his ultimate fate that his curiosity leads to his own. He and Gulager almost anticipate Travolta and Jackson’s similarly argumentive pairing in PULP FICTION thirty years later especially in a scene where they bicker over who is going to finish their steak first. Marvin is the perfect thinking man’s hit-man, never wasting a word, thinking ahead and planning his moves. He garners respect even when brutalizing a blind librarian. Director Don Siegel would go on to DIRTY HARRY among others and does a nice clean job setting THE KILLERS in a brightly lit, cheery L.A. that’s at odds with the grim story. It’s a film noir without the noir and one of the best crime films of the ’60s.

1. POINT BLANK

One of the most influential films of the 1960s, director John Boorman’s take on the crime thriller is perhaps Lee Marvin’s best film.  Based on the novel THE HUNTER by Richard Stark (aka Donald E. Westlake), Marvin plays Walker (no first name, “not even for his wife”), a man betrayed during a heist by his good friend Reese and wife Lynne (screen debuts of John Vernon and Sharon Acker).  Years later, Walker returns to exact his revenge, and reclaim his cut of the loot–the rather mundane amount of $93,000 – with the help of sister-in-law Chris (Angie Dickinson, who has never been sexier). Boorman tells this story using nearly every cinematic tool at his disposal.  Rapid edits and jump cuts not only change locations but whip us from past to present. Sound effects overlap from one scene to the next, and dialogue or sounds from a previous scene play over an entirely different scene.  Colors change throughout from muted, washed-out hues to bright, vibrant shades as the movie becomes more exciting or violent (note that even Marvin’s hair color changes!).  In one striking sequence (which predates a similar one in Kubrick’s 2001), Walker goes from room to room as the decor changes, leaving us questioning both time and reality. Add in some great dialogue (mostly lifted right from the book), a tense musical score by Johnny Mandel, and a veteran cast (Keenan Wynn, Carroll O’Connor, Lloyd Bochner), and you have a constantly inventive film that’s full of surprising touches.  Dickinson plays a tough cookie very well–when she finally loses it and starts beating on Walker, it’s a classic scene. Marvin met Boorman in England while shooting DIRTY DOZEN and became intrigued by the character of Walker.  According to Boorman, Marvin had a great deal of creative input into the film and its structure, and Boorman believed Marvin saw some of himself in the story of a man seeking to reclaim his own humanity.  One ongoing debate about POINT BLANK is whether the entire film is a dying man’s dream.  Whether that’s true or not, it is definitely the stuff that dreams are made of for true lovers of cinematic masterpieces.

Lee Marvin made so many great films and runner-ups for this list would have to include THE WILD ONE, BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK, DELTA FORCE, and HELL IN THE PACIFIC. Stop by the Way Out Club September 6^th for more Marvin mania. Here’s a wonderful illustration of Lee Marvin by our friend Paul Daly. More of Paul’s artwork can be seen on Facebook HERE

There’s a lot of evil out there! Disposing of the nasty creatures, monsters, zombies, witches, vampires and the like is a dirty job, but somebody’s gotta do it. Remakes of FRIGHT NIGHT and CONAN THE BARBARIAN will splatter evil blood all over screens this week when they open in theaters on Friday, August 19th, so here’s a look at our favorite monster killers from the movies.

Now, before we get started… a list like this really needs to be defined, so here are those pesky rules that govern who makes the cut and who gets cut:

• You must have multiple kills! One and done is not enough.
• You must be a full-time monster hunter. None of this part-time, moonlighting crap!
• You must actually “kill” the monsters. Sorry, but The Ghostbusters don’t make the cut.

Honorable Mention: Hans, trolljegeren – TROLLHUNTER (2010)

Do trolls really exist? Hans says so, but he’s a modest hunter who actually empathizes with his prey, regardless of the fact his job is to kill them. Hans may look like a dirty old man wandering about the Norwegian countryside, sleeping out of a camper trailer, but when night falls, Hans is already on the hunt. Armed with UV light cannons and covered in troll stench to mask his human odor, Hans is persistent and patient, but his greatest weapon against these massive and destructive behemoths is his knowledge of the beats, and the folklore from which they’re derived. His words of warning may sound like cautionary tales from the Brothers Grimm, but heed his wisdom or you may find yourself stuck to the bottom of a hairy troll foot like a glob of old gum.

10. Columbus & Tallahassee – ZOMBIELAND (2009)

Jesse Eisenberg is Columbus — as in Ohio — a wiry, unlikely hero in the fight against the undead zombies that now plague the Earth. One glance at Columbus and you wouldn’t think he’d last a day, but his secret to survival is having rules, and sticking to them. Double tap! Woody Harrelson is Tallahassee — as in Florida — a rough and wild zombie killing machine, surviving for one purpose… to find the world’s last supply of Twinkies. Together, Columbus and Tallahassee are an equal and opposite force to be reckoned with, getting creative in the art of zombie extermination. Use whatever you can find, but the key to a great zombie kill is to deliver the final blow in style.

09. Earl & Valentine – TREMORS (1990)

Earl (Fred Ward) is a simple man who just wants to live the simple life. Valentine (Kevin Bacon) is a daydreamer, always looking for the next best way to make easy money. The one thing these two working class guys have in common is a desire to get the hell out of the tiny town of Perfection, Nevada. They get their wish, but it’s far from easy. When they discover the existence of a long dormant, prehistoric burrowing creature of extraordinary size, they’re suddenly thrown into the roles of the town’s heroes. Earl and Valentine are forced to think on their feet, with limited resources and no advanced knowledge of their prey, these hunters ingeniously employ scrap steel pipes to pole vault to safety and radio-controlled dynamite bombs to splatter the “graboids.” Earl and Valentine come through in a pinch, developing their craft well enough to spawn three sequels.

08. Buffy Summers – BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER (1992)

In 1992 TV writer Joss Whedon wanted to turn the horror film on it’s (pointed) ear. What if the gorgeous teenage blonde turned the tables on the monster? What if she fought back and became the monster’s biggest fear? Whedon’s vision was realized by actress Kristy Swanson in the title role of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, a film directed by Fran Rubel Kuzui. Buffy Summers is the then cliché “valley girl.” Her only interests are cheerleading, shopping with her girlfriends, and cute boys. Out of the blue she’s approached by the creepy Merrick (Donald Sutherland), who informs her that she is the chosen one who will eradicate the vampire horde led by Lothos (Rutger Hauer). The slayer skills pass from woman to woman through the years and it seems to have landed in Ms S! Finally convinced, Buffy is put through rigorous training exercises by Merrick until she’s ready to face the undead. The bloodsuckers are stunned as the former blonde bubble-head plunges her stake into their chests. Soon she’s rescuing her hunky beau Pike (Luke Perry) and trading quips with toady Amilyn (Paul “Pee Wee Herman” Reubens). This all leads up to a fiery showdown at the school dance when Buffy faces down the vampire master Lothos. This movie didn’t make much noise at the box office but just a few years later Whedon took the concept to a struggling new TV network and Buffy, now played by the gifted Sarah Michelle Gellar, became the iconic hero that he had envisioned. As inscribed on her tombstone (not to worry-she got better) — Buffy Anne Summers, she saved the world…a lot.

07. Alice – RESIDENT EVIL Franchise

From working for the Umbrella Corporation to fighting a major virus outbreak, Alice is one badass chick! The virus is spreading fast, and no place is safe. Luckily, Alice’s genetic structure has adapted to the T-Virus, heightening her strength, speed, and agility. This puts her at a great advantage for some super slaying! She’s kicking butt and taking names — and looking mighty fine in the process — as she destroys the infected hordes that stand in her way of finding a cure. Much like Alice refuses to die, this franchise also refuses to lay down for the count, but we’re OK with that.

06. Blade – BLADE Trilogy

Wesley Snipes was swarthy, intelligent and believable as the comic book hero BLADE in 1998. Snipes claims he was in his element performing all the dramatic Martial Arts and sword fighting moves himself — no stand ins. Blade represents the inner struggle between the perceived good and evil in all of us. When Blade’s mother was bitten by a vampire during pregnancy, she did not know that she gave her son a special gift while dying. Half Man, Half Vampire he walks within the two worlds belonging to neither. His grounding comes from the tough Love and of his human mentor Abraham Whistler (Kris Kristofferson). Whistler crafts tools and weapons for Blade while dispensing the potion that holds Blade suspended between human and Vampire. BLADE spawned two cool sequels and a TV series.

05. Hellboy – HELLBOY I & II (2004/2008)

What chance do the forces of good have against the demons and spawn of Satan wishing to take over this planet? Well, a very good chance since we’ve now got a demon in our corner. In 2004 film maker Guillermo del Toro introduced movie audiences to Mike Mignola’s comic book hero, HELLBOY. Near the end of World War II allied forces break up a black magic ritual and discover an red, ape-like infant with one enormous stone hand. The soldiers befriend the creature with a candy bar and adopt him as a mascot. Years later he matures into the crimson hulk nicknamed Hellboy. Raised by Professor Broom, he becomes the muscle for a secret government agency called the Bureau for Paranormal research and Defense (the BRPD). Armed only with a massive revolver, Hellboy battles-and usually destroys — beasties many times his size. In the first film he’s thrown about like a rag doll by a creature that tries to escape in the subway system, but thanks to his stamina and courage Hellboy triumphs. His only real weakness seems to be his love for the beautiful mistress of fire, his co-agent Liz Sheridan played by the lovely Selma Blair. Oh, he loves his cigars, too. Ron Perlman, then best known as “Vincent” of TV’s “Beauty and the Beast” perfectly captured the spirit of the wise-cracking, monster-slaying, demon as hero. Four years later he returned to kick some more beastie butts in HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY and star in two made for home video animated features “Blood and Iron” and “Sword of Storms.” Hopefully that big rock fist of his will be sending more minions back to Hades in another movie adventure very soon

04. Doctor Van Helsing – HORROR OF DRACULA (1958)

What mere mortal dares to defy the lord of the undead Count Dracula? Not to mention his vampire minions? That brave, brilliant, dedicated man is none other that Dr. Van Helsing created by Bram Stoker and first played by Edward Van Sloan opposite Bela Lugosi as Dracula in 1931, but perhaps best known by Peter Cushing’s riveting performance in 1958′s THE HORROR OF DRACULA. Director Terence Fisher’s bloody color classic had Christopher Lee as a younger, savage, sexy count and featured Cushing (who had just played Dr. Frankenstein) as a man of swift action determined to rid the world of this unholy plague. He’s fearless as he dispatches two of Dracula’s victims, Harker and Miss Lucy, and tender as he comforts the frightened young girl, Tania. When he finally catches up to the fiend, Van Helsing battles the powerful demon with every once of his mortal strength. In one of the most exciting finales in horror history, the doctor escapes the vampire’s clutches, races down a long table and leaps to a window, pulling down the curtains and exposing Dracula to the sunlight that will destroy him. For a while. The character was so popular that England’s Hammer Studios filmed a sequel two years later, THE BRIDES OF DRACULA, that spotlighted the slayer and not the count (he would have to wait a few more years to return). In a memorable BRIDES sequence Van Helsing was bitten by Baron Meister. Regaining consciousness, the doctor sears the bite with a branding iron and then douses it with holy water to make the wound vanish from his neck. Over a decade later Cushing would return to the role in DRACULA A.D. 1972, THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA, and the bizarre Kung Fu horror hybrid THE LEGEND OF THE SEVEN GOLDEN VAMPIRES. Though the vampire hunter would later be played in big budget films by Laurence Oliver, Anthony Hopkins, and Hugh Jackman (!), most horror film fans regard Peter Cushing as the greatest vampire slayer of the movies.

03. Ash – EVIL DEAD Trilogy

“Give me some sugar, baby!” Unless, that is, you’re a rotting, stinkin’ fleshbag of evil hag bones looking eat eat the souls of innocent young vacationers. If so, beware for the sound of Ash’s wrath! They took his girl, they took his friends… but, most importantly, they took his hand. Armed only with his homemade chainsaw prosthetic and his boom stick, Ash gives these vile demonic bastards a dose of Hell they’ve never dreamed of calling home. Like the power of Grayskull to He-Man, Ash draws his mighty strength for ugly witch ass-kicking from his quick-draw tongue, flinging one-liners around like a Indiana Jones’ bullwhip. Through three epic chapters of the EVIL DEAD saga, Ash has prevailed (reluctantly) in putting the creepsters in their place.

02. Chief Martin Brody – JAWS Franchise

Chief Brody may not be a full-time monster slayer, but he sure as hell has had multiple below sea level kills. He can’t help it if those pesky Great Whites think of Amity Beach as a swim-thru fast food joint. Many have to tried to emulate, but none have come close to the bespectacled, Head Shark Slayer Martin Brody of JAWS. Battling with his wits, guns and an electrified power line, the native New Yorker is always the last man standing (or swimming) against the eating machines. While he may be more afraid of drowning, the Chief’s standard, send-off to the beasties: “Smile You Sonofabitch!”

01. Lt. Ellen Ripley – ALIEN Franchise

When in a crisis situation, it’s well known that women can handle the shit much better than men with their take charge attitude. None is more evident than in our #1 monster slayer — Lt. Ellen Ripley. The guys are mentally freaking out all around her, while Ripley is keeping it together and taking down the Aliens with flame-throwers, pulse rifles, sonic electronic ball breakers, nukes, knives, and sharp sticks. Whether surrounded by the doomed truckers of the Nostromo, the Colonial Marine badasses, or the Alien Queen, its Ripley who emerges Vanquisher over all she surveys. Not bad in a day’s work for the ultimate Monster Slayer.

Horror fans may have mixed feelings about the ongoing Final Destination franchise, but with FINAL DESTINATION 5 fated to make it’s stand in theaters on Friday, August 12th, one thing we can count on is a roller coaster of death-defying thrills. Actor Tony Todd also returns as the mysterious Mr. William Bludworth, a mortician with an unusual knowledge of death and the rules of the fabled Grim Reaper. In honor of the talented character actor, I present my Top Ten list of favorite Tony Todd roles.

10. THE ROCK (1996)

“I’m not a soldier, Major. The day we took hostages, we became mercenaries. And mercenaries get paid. I want my fucking money!”

In Michael Bay’s entertaining action-thriller, Tony Todd plays Captain Darrow, a military officer now loyal to Brigadier General Francis Hummel (Ed Harris) who seizes Alcatraz and holds tourists hostage as he plans a homegrown terrorist plot for the sake of his fellow fallen soldiers. Captain Darrow and Major Tom Baxter (David Morse) are devoted to Hummel’s cause, even once he begins to show signs of remorse, but for different reasons. Todd gives Darrow a calm, cool confidence that contrasts Morse’s more traditional, rigid military persona.

09. FINAL DESTINATION (2000) / FINAL DESTINATION 2 (2003)

“In death there are no accidents, no coincidences, no mishaps, and no escapes.”

Mr. William Bludworth is a mysterious man, a mortician with an uncanny knowledge of Death and the rules of fate. This is something the “spared” victims of a devastating plane crash discover as Death creatively picks them off, one by one. Tony Todd plays Bludworth with an ambiguous creepiness. Tony Todd returned in FINAL DESTINATION 2, but was limited to portraying the voice of the “Devil” in FINAL DESTINATION 3.

08. HATCHET (2006) / HATCHET II (2010)

“I had a tour group, out in the swamp, last Halloween. It was the mist of night, and there was this kid, who looked kind of like you, he was spooked by something in the marsh. He saw two eyes staring at him from the woods, it chilled him to his very marrow. He wanted to get off the boat in a hurry, and he had his foot dangling over the edge.”

Tony Todd had merely a single scene in HATCHET as Reverend Zombie, an eccentric voodoo character sought upon by the vacationing youngsters for a haunted swamp tour. Unfortunately, Zombie’s little business was shut down due to insurance costs. Fortunately, Reverend Zombie returns with a bigger role in HATCHET 2.

07. PLATOON (1986)

Oliver Stone’s PLATOON marks one of Tony Todd’s first two feature films (both in 1986) and his first big break, appearing alongside a tremendous cast of young, yet to be acknowledged stars including Johnny Depp, Forest Whitaker, and Kevin Dillon. PLATOON also put Todd in the presence of veterans Tom Berenger, Kieth David, and Willem Dafoe. Todd plays Sergeant Warren, the Bravo squad leader, wounded in battle during the “church ambush” scene.

06. BIRD (1988)

Tony Todd plays Frog, a musician and friend to Charlie Parker in Clint Eastwood’s biopic. Todd based his performance on Coleman Hawkins, a real-life friend to Parker, who was played by Forest Whitaker in BIRD. Todd loves music, and went through saxophone training for the film, despite not being a musician. Todd appeared in two scenes, but any screen time in such a significant film from such a great filmmaker is a testament to one’s talent.

05. HEART OF THE BEHOLDER (2005)

Writer/director Ken Tipton’s indie film HEART OF THE BEHOLDER is an under-appreciated drama-thriller shot in my hometown, based on a true story about a family that opens the first video cassette rental stores in St. Louis in 1980. The story is wrought with controversy, included but not limited to the fundamental “VHS versus BETA” question. While Tony Todd performance as the iconic Chuck Berry is only a cameo, his few minutes on screen is not just enjoyable, but also adds a quality touch to a scene thick with racial tension.

04. THE MAN FROM EARTH (2007)

“There’s absolutely no way in the whole world for John to prove his story. Just like there’s no way for us to disprove it. No matter how outrageous we think it is, no matter how highly trained some of us think we are, there’s absolutely no way to disprove it! My friend is either a caveman, a liar, or a nut. So while we’re thinking about that, why don’t we just go with it.”

Jerome Bixby had a long and fruitful career in science-fiction writing and with Star Trek, which probably had some influence over Tony Todd in his decision to take the role of Dan, a college professor and friend to the mysterious John Oldman. This dialogue-driven film is a heavily philosophical but enjoyable experience, a smart but accessible inquiry into the nature of faith and knowledge. Todd is wonderful as the level-headed and open-minded voice of reason amidst Oldman’s friends, as the group come to terms with the shocking revelation laid at their feet by the enigmatic John Oldman.

03. THE CROW (1994)

“So, kill the crow… and destroy the man.”

Alex Proyas brought James O’Barr’s fascinating graphic novel to life in THE CROW, having the incredibly bittersweet experience of directing Brandon lee in his final film. The perfectly cast film packs a gritty atmosphere, enhanced by gritty performances. Amongst these is Tony Todd’s performance as Grange, a cold and calculating, well-dressed and intelligent right-hand man to Michael Wincott’s frighteningly psychotic crime boss Top Dollar. Todd enjoys a pivotal moment in the film, which spells the unfortunate end to Eric Draven’s vengeful spree of criminal cleansing.

02. NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1990)

“This is something no one’s ever heard about, and no one’s ever seen before. This is hell on earth.”

In my opinion, Tony Todd was sort of a given choice for the role of Ben in Tom Savini’s remake of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. His first starring role, Todd gives a commanding performance as the African-American man who helped define horror as social commentary in George A. Romero’s 1968 original. Shot in color and with the added detail of Savini’s special effects skill, NOTLD ’90 is an enjoyable film that brought a classic story to a new generation of genre fans.

01. CANDYMAN (1992)

“They will say that I have shed innocent blood. What’s blood for, if not for shedding?”

Based on Clive Barker’s short story The Forbidden, director Bernard Rose’s CANDYMAN was the film that truly made Tony Todd a household name. Todd portrays Daniel Robitaille, a slave who is brutally murdered for having a relationship with a white woman. As a result of his agonizing death, Robitaille evolves into the supernatural spirit of vengeance known in legend as “The Candyman” by those who would use his story as a cautionary tale. As the story goes, if his name is spoken five time into a mirror, he will appear. This is something Virginia Madsen learns the hard way, starring as the woman who would become The Candyman’s horrifying love obsession. Todd clearly delved deep into this role, a rich character that became a genre icon, steeped with texture and an essence of classical folk lore.

With RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES opening on Friday, August 5th, this week’s Top 10 Tuesday is not one dedicated to the ape characters or iconic lines, but the various POTA fashion statements. We’re almost sure that’s what Pierre Boulle was envisioning when writing his 1963 novel. “What would the humans and simians be wearing when my book is made into a film?” Yep, this week is all about the apes franchise costumes and red-carpet “who are you wearing?”

Our honorable mention goes out to the Simpsons’ razzle-dazzle, Broadway version of PLANET OF THE APES and the showstopping number, “Dr. Zaius.”

So on with the 10…

10. Spacesuits

The original and the 2001 remake had both astronauts dressed in the typical white suits that would make designer Tom Ford proud.

9. Helmets

What self respecting gorilla doesn’t leave the house without sporting a helmet? A must have for any gorilla in the wild searching for humans.

8. Bikinis

Nova and Daena in these pretty, prehistoric bathing suits. Very trendy for the “never trust anyone under 30″ set.

7. Hair Do’s

Both apes wearing bobbed do’s and smartly dressed from the “women of power” collection. Somewhere Donna Karan is smiling.

6. Hipsters and Sideburns

Very ”Tommy Hilfiger” for every season, the chimpanzees come off looking effortless in these sturdy styles that are perfect for young and old alike.

5. Elder Statesmen

Nothing makes an orangutan more dapper than a long vest coat. Goes right along with Calvin Klein’s unwavering vision of minimal designs and wearable urban styles.

4. The Real Kings of the Jungle

It’s all about the hair. Looking ever so quaffed, the gorillas are known to go heavy on the hair spray with just a light touch of mousse.

3. Mutants

Talk about needing a makeover. The high necked collars are a big plus for all apocalyptic mutants.

2. Man – or Ape – About Town

Dressed in the executive line from Brooks Brothers, all Cornelius needs are the preppy, Argyle socks to come into focus.

1. Rag Clothing

Always classic. Always vintage. When you’re being held in captivity, the only way to go are with these rags - smartly worn by Charlton Heston’s “Taylor” in PLANET OF THE APES. So reminiscent of the quintessential American designer Ralph Lauren.

So that’s it – any fashion faux pas we missed? Let us know below, but be nice.

Hey wait…we’re not finished!

Check out this real apes and Rise of the Apes Mashup…with a kickass song from Wolfmother!

Starring James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow, Brian Cox, Tom Felton, and Andy Serkis, director Rupert Wyatt’s, RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES opens in the U.S. on August 5, 2011 and in the U.K. August 11, 2011.

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES Official Site: http://www.apeswillrise.com/
On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/apeswillrise
On Twitter: @apeswillrise #apeswillrise

Official YouTube Page: http://www.youtube.com/user/apeswillrise and iPhone / iPad App: http://www.apeswillrise.com/app/

In many ways, the western is a dead genre, but I like to think of it as the genre that just won’t die. Like trying to put down the toughest, meanest gunslinger in the old west, the western film keeps popping back up in the least expected times and places… but, not always in the traditional style we’re used to seeing. Call it survival of the fittest, but the western is far from dead, as is apparent with Jon Favreau’s new COWBOYS & ALIENS, which opens this Friday, July 29th, combining the western with the science-fiction, creating a crossover with twice the fun. In honor of the opening of this rare hybrid, we’re looking at our favorite Western Crossover films this week in Top Ten Tuesday.

Honorable Mention: THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE WEIRD

This modern ode to the western from Korean filmmaker Jee-woon Kim is less of a hybrid than an over-the-top, good time cinematic high that doesn’t quit. Just about every element of this film is derived from the handbook for making western films, but injected with enough steroids to make the average bat boy a contender for breaking Hank Aaron’s homerun record. Horse chases, gun fights, speeding locomotives and thieving outlaws, everything you want in a western is here for the taking, with a generous bonus of Asian action-adventure flair.

10. PAINT YOUR WAGON

Go ahead and laugh, mock it if you will, but the truth is… PAINT YOUR WAGON isn’t as bad as everyone makes it out to be. While some may run away screaming at the idea of hearing Clint Eastwood sing, there are far worse voices in the music industry. This western musical is more western than musical and co-stars Lee Marvin (DIRTY DOZEN) and Jean Seburg (BREATHLESS). While there were other musicals such as OKLAHOMA and SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS that employ the old west, they’ve all been light on the elements that make great westerns. This is where PAINT YOUR WAGON takes its place above the rest.

09. BACK TO THE FUTURE, PART III

Mix sci-fi and western – with a dash of comedy thrown in – and you come up with the perfect cowboy movie in BACK TO THE FUTURE, PART III. This time director Bob Zemeckis has Marty McFly and Doc Brown travelling from 1985 to 1885 for one last round-up. McFly faces Biff Tannen’s ancestor, Buford “Mad Dog” Tannen, in a final showdown while Doc finds true love with a pioneer woman who loves Jules Verne. While you may feel at times like you’re watching John Ford’s STAGECOACH, Part 3 is deftly filled with nods to both genres with names like Clint Eastwood, the town saloon and a runaway steam locomotive that transforms into a hover-train.

08. MAD MAX 2: THE ROAD WARRIOR

A shotgun wielding hero, the frontier settlers and a band of baddies who gallop into town encapsulates everything a classic western should be… except that George Miller’s MAD MAX 2: THE ROAD WARRIOR is set in a bleak wasteland where the villains are bikers trying to take over the oil fields from the settlers and Mel Gibson’s Max, “a man who wandered into the wasteland,” rides in to save the day on his Pursuit Special vehicle. Can’t you hear the twangy sounds of Clint Eastwood’s HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER resonating throughout?

07. RANGO

How many animated westerns are there to choose from? Exactly. Not many. However, RANGO doesn’t make this list on technicalities. Surprisingly, this was one of the best animated films I’ve seen in recent years and definitely captures the essence of some of the best and most unique western films. Filled with stylistic influences and homages to the greats, RANGO takes a lost pet chameleon and throws him into a strange scenario reminiscent of The Man With No Name.

06. EL TOPO

Mexican writer, director and star Alejandro Jodorowsky truly puts the weird in the western with EL TOPO, creating a journey of one legend and his six-year old son. El Topo is on a quest to become the greatest fighter, as he confronts the warrior masters, each one with a unique specialty. This odd-ball twist on the western has the taste of so many old school martial arts films, creating one of the most bizarre and surreal cult spaghetti westerns of all time.

05. RED SUN

With extraordinary connections like SEVEN SAMURAI inspiring THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN, it was only a matter of time before someone melded the samurai film with the western. RED SUN is just that very brilliant melding. Director Terence Young places the western icon Charles Bronson and the eastern icon Toshiro Mifune on the big screen together, a meeting of two cultures toward a common goal against a common enemy. Gunslinger ans samurai paired in a way that is as bold as it is unexpectedly natural.

04. WESTWORLD

“Why don’t you make arrangements to take our hovercraft to Medieval World, Roman World and Westworld. Contact us today, or see your travel agent. Boy, have we got a vacation for you.” However, not quite the one the guests of the DELOS Resort had in mind. Michael Crichton’s WESTWORLD pits vacationer Richard Benjamin against Yul Brenner’s “Gunslinger” in the ultimate gun fight. A premise that’s not entirely far-fetched, this twist on the classic westerner embodies a futuristic, adventure crossover. This time, the conflict is between Cowboys and Robots.

03. SUKIYAKI WESTERN DJANGO

Japanese filmmaker Takashi Miike takes blending the east and the west one wild step further with SUKIYAKI WESTERN DJANGO. Directly inspired by Sergio Leone’s spaghetti westerns, a stranger crosses paths with two rival clans, both seeking fortune in a small town. The mysterious gunslinger offers his services to both sides, planning to take advantage of the situation the entire time. Being Takashi Miike, he adds his own trademark flair in both the characters and the visual style.

02. SERENITY

There is no shortage of fandom for this contemporary classic, spawned from Joss Whedon and his TV series Firefly, but its reputation is well-earned. Those who haven’t seen SERENITY would not understand, but this affectionately coined “Space Western” teleports the trademark elements of a good western and character traits into a science-fiction adventure story in space. The heroic cowboy, the bounty hunter, the frontier settlers, the dangerous uncharted territories, the (deadly) damsel in distress… its all there and tons of fun.

01. BLAZING SADDLES

Mel Brooks’ comical parody of the old west may seem like an unlikely choice, but its so pitch-perfect and hilarious that it had to be the top pick. BLAZING SADDLES has every necessary element of a classic western, but Brooks turns it all into a farce, pushing boundaries and poking fun at the inherent flaws of the genre. Cleavon Little plays the black sheriff Bart, while Gene Wilder plays Jim, his cowardly deputy. The top notch comedic cast runs away with their exaggerated stereotypes while delivering dialogue that is often politically incorrect, but intelligently appropriate.

Yet another superhero movie opens this week. But, this isn’t just any superhero. CAPTAIN AMERICAN: THE FIRST AVENGER opens nationwide in theaters on Friday, July 22nd. Complimenting his enhanced strength, speed and overall badassness, Captain America sports a nifty cool indestructible shield, which he uses both for defense and offense. In honor of this classic character’s triumphant debut on the big screen, here’s my list of the Top Ten Coolest Movie Weapons.

Honorable mention: The Point-of-View Gun, THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY

It may not be lethal, but it’s a brilliant idea. If you can’t kill your enemy, or “kill them with kindness,” then why not try winning by way of forcing your point-of-view upon them? This bulky but effective contraption proves to be a thorn in the side of Zaphod Beeblebrox, but a real blast in the hands of Trillion.

10. Anton Chigurh’s Cattle Gun, NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

Don’t laugh at Anton Chigurh’s bowl-cut hair, otherwise you may find yourself staring down the barrel of his air-powered cattle gun, used to “humanely” slaughter livestock with minimal damage. Likewise, it’s a silent, mostly untraceable weapon in the hands of this ruthless, unstoppable hit-man for hire.

09. Oddjob’s Bowler Hat, GOLDFINGER

Oddjob’s weapon of choice may seem dated, but it’s simplicity is it’s charm. Serving as Goldfinger’s driver and bodyguard, Oddjob wields a black bowler hat with a rim lines with a razor-sharp blade. His Frisbee-throwing prowess renders Oddjob capable of decapitating a marble statue from 50 yards.

08. Proton Packs, GHOSTBUSTERS

For all your paranormal extermination needs, look no further than the Ghostbusters. Decked out in the khaki jump suits, these plasma-slinging geeks are equipped with a portable particle accelerator systems, which produce charges proton beams capable of subduing even the meanest, slimiest ghosts. The contraptions look homemade, but the result is the coolest light show you’ll ever see.

07. Zorg ZF-1, THE FIFTH ELEMENT

Compact and versatile, the ZF-1 is all a soldier needs in one badass gun. Live rounds, mini-rockets, even a flamethrower and more are packed into this state-of-the-art beauty. Capable of inflicting mass carnage on hordes of ugly Mangalores, the ZF-1 is easy to use… just don’t hit the red button.

06. Shoulder Cannon, PREDATOR

He may be “one ugly mother f*cker,” but the Predator hunter is full of wonderful toys. From a retractable spear to a remote controlled killer frisbee, these feline-reptilian-with-dreadlocks-looking aliens reserve their best gadget for special occasions. A hands-free, shoulder-mounted, laser guided energy blaster cannon will surely ruin any prey’s day.

05. The Samaritan, HELLBOY

“The Good Samaritan,” as Hellboy has named it, may appear to be just a run of the mill old school six-shooter… if that revolver was on more steroids than Jose Canseco, Hulk Hogan and Sylvester Stallone combined. The Samaritan’s classy look carries a Dirty Harry appeal, simple but powerful.

04. Tesla Arc Gun, DISTRICT 9

This is certainly a strange looking weapon, but strange is good, as Wikus discovers when he grabs the gun t defend himself against some unsavory criminals. It’s flashy, rather loud and bulky, but the up-side is it doesn’t leave a mess of blood and guts behind. Instead, only a puff of disintegrating vapor remains where once stood a bad guy.

03. Scaramanga’s Gold Pistol, THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN

Francis Scaramanga is world’s most expensive assassin. While many hired killers would use sniper rifles, Scaramanga’s weapon of choice is a custom-made gold pistol. The fascinating thing about this pistol, is that it’s actually a cigarette lighter (breech), a fountain pen (barrel), a cuff-link (trigger) and a cigarette case (grip)… and it shoots gold bullets.

02. M56A2 Smart Gun, ALIENS

This M56A2 Smart Gun is a heavy-duty machine gun mounted on what is essentially a steadicam rig, allowing the hulking weight and size of this gun to rest at the Colonial Marine’s center of gravity. The pivoting action of the mechanical arm allows range with ease of movement as it mows down the enemy. Too bad it didn’t get used much in this movie.

01. Darth Maul’s Lightsaber, STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE

Be completely honest with yourself… you had to see this one coming, right? Whether your STAR WARS allegiance is casual, hardcore, or somewhere in between (such as mine), the light saber is by far the coolest weapon to ever grace the big screen. Does it get better? Yes it does, when you create a double light saber, put it in the hands of a menacing-looking Sith lord with incredible fighting ability, portrayed by Ray Park. Darth Maul’s double light saber combines two of my favorite real weapons, the samurai sword and the staff, with the light saber, making it the perfect tool for a science-fiction, martial arts assassin. I may not love STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE as a whole movie, but I will never get tired of watching the epic scene when Qui Gon Jinn and Obi Wan Kenobi square off against Darth Maul.

You can tune in right here for the TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON premiere LIVE from New York City, TODAY, at 5:30 p.m/EST to watch director Michael Bay and stars Shia LaBeouf, Josh Duhamel, John Turturro, Tyrese Gibson, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Patrick Dempsey, Kevin Dunn, Julie White, Frances McDormand and Ken Jeong walk the red carpet. The event will be streamed free at yhoo.it/transformerspremiere.

Michael Bay’s TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON will be shown exclusively at 3D and IMAX locations across the country beginning at 9PM local time Tonight, June 28th, allowing moviegoers nationwide to be among the first to see the latest installment in the hit franchise, and the first to be shot in 3D. The movie will open wide beginning at 12AM on June 29th.

On Monday evening, the crew of WAMG went to the screening of TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON and found there was much to love about Michael Bay’s spectacular third chapter in the Autobots vs the Decepticons saga – plus a few things not in the movie. There are some scenes that’ll leave you literally slack-jawed and one cameo more than a little misty. So here goes.

1. Linkin Park Performing “Iridescent” Live in Moscow

In celebration of the film, Linkin Park performed a special outdoor concert to more than 10,000 fans at Vasilyevsky Spusk of the Red Square in Moscow – with the Kremlin and St. Basil’s Basilica as the backdrop (June 23rd). The 3D Michael Bay film opened the Moscow International Film Festival. You can hear the song during the film’s end credits.

2. Tyrese Gibson on The Green Carpet

Okay, so maybe this wasn’t exactly a part of the film, but the always handsome Tyrese Gibson’s arrival on the green carpet for the Global Premiere of TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON made us sit up and take notice. Moscow Film Festival on June 23, 2011 in Moscow, Russia. (Photo by Lucian Capellaro).

3. The 3D Look Of TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON

Held in May at the Paramount Theater at Paramount Pictures in Los Angeles, Director/Executive Producer Michael Bay and James Cameron spoke to the gathered crowd of attendees at the TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON 3D - TRANSFORMING VISUAL ART: A Conversation with Michael Bay and James Cameron. After seeing this roller coaster of a movie, we’re convinced!

5. Bumblebee in TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON

Sam Witwicky’s faithful Autobot once again had us wishing for a guardian camaro to call our own.

6. IMAX-Sized Transformers Posters

7. Optimus Prime and Sentinel Prime (spoilers ahead)

Lots to love about the Primes in the 3rd installment. To begin with, Optimus now transforms into a conventional Peterbilt 379 cab, rather than the cab over design of his original Generation 1 body, however he keeps his first generation trailer. Second, the autobot smackdown between Sentinel Prime (voiced by Leonard Nimoy) and Optimus Prime. Lastly, big cheers to the Buzz Aldrin cameo & to the STAR TREK nod by the filmmakers.

8. BIG action scenes between the Autobots and Decepticons

Invisotext Spoiler:

When Optimus learns that the humans have concealed the discovery of a Cybertronian ship on the moon he and Ratchet investigate. They recover Sentinel Prime, who Optimus returns to life using the Matrix. After Sentinel Prime insists the Earth expel the Autobots the Wreckers prepare the Autobot ship Xantium for flight. The Autobots escape in the first booster stage and return to Earth before Starscream destroys the ship. Optimus kills Shockwave in combat and uses Shockwave’s weapon to stop the space bridge from bringing Cybertron to Earth.

9. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

Berlin premiere of TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON on June 25th, 2011 at the CineStar Sony Center

and finally

10. Michael Bay’s Thank You Note To The Fans

(via http://www.michaelbay.com/)

BERLIN, GERMANY – JUNE 25: Director Michael Bay attends the “Transformers 3″ European premiere on June 25, 2011 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images for Paramount)

06/26/2011

I just want to take the opportunity to thank all the fans around the world for letting me have fun with the Transformers franchise. It has been a wonderful opportunity to have worked with about 4000 crew members around the world. These artists are some of the very best in the entire film business. I’m honored to have had you work along side me. We had an amazing time.

Many theaters are presenting it in the brand new 7.1 sound, which is awesome. This is the most comple intricate sound track that me and my Academy Awarding winning sound team have done. They really out did themselves to make this a big picture experience. Hopefully you will have as much fun watching this movie as we all had making it.

Thanks,

Michael Bay

I’m just gonna say it… WE LIKE TO PARTY, but even we can’t party as hard as the Wolfpack! Alan, Stu and Phil are bringing the party back to theaters this Thursday with THE HANGOVER PART II, so we thought, what better way to ring in the party than to count down our favorite party animals!

These are the cool kids that bring the party! They rage, they get down… heck, they might even get “jiggy wit it”! Sure, they might not be from the fluorescent box of crayons, but these folks can MacGyver a good time out of a paper clip, a broomstick and a Nelson cassette. (Yep, I said it!)

So, without further adieu…

TOP TEN PARTY ANIMALS

Honorable Mention: TRENT (Vince Vaughn) SWINGERS (1996)

Trent (Vince Vaughn) is an aspiring actor. He’s loud, flirtatious, and he’s living the swinging lifestyle. Vegas is this kings castle, and he’ll take his queen of the night in the form of a cocktail waitress, or anything with legs! Just remember Trent’s inspiring words whenever you tackle your next party endevours… “You’re so money and you don’t even know it!”

10. VAN WILDER (Ryan Reynolds) NATIONAL LAMPOONS VAN WILDER (2002)

Ryan Reynolds plays the ultimate college frat boy in this hilariously unapologetic comedy, which is what is to be expected from the National Lampoon group. He is a career college student that embraces his inner wild man by throwing wild parties, creating havoc, and grossing people out with disgusting pranks. His character is shameless, but you begin to root for the party boy. The laughs rarely cease during this riotously college romp and your stomach hurts from laughing at Van Wilders antics with many of the interactions with other cast mates. After watching this movie, not only do you want to see it again because you laughed so loudly you missed some other funny parts, but you walk away with many quotable lines. As you should from any over-the-top comedy. Party on Van Wilder!

09. DAVID WOODERSON (Matthew McConnaughey) DAZED AND CONFUSED (1993)

DAZED AND CONFUSED is filled with a myriad of up and coming and already established actors. It is another movie about small town high school hazing at its finest, but this on is the last day of school, set in 1976. The film covers many situations from sex, drugs, alcohol, and rock and roll; however the two main standouts are the soundtrack that lends itself perfectly and the most poised and cool character-Matthew McConaughey’s David Wooderson. He is a long since graduated nowhere-man clinging to his good ol’ days. And he does it well and with big swagger. The younger guys come to him for his almost jedi-like guidance regarding girls, etc. And he just about has to fend the youthful girls off with a stick. He is always having a good time and dressing the slick part. Dreamy David Wooderson has some parting wisdom about his choice in females, to paraphrase, he gets older, but the girls stay the same age! To be that cool and self-confident… rock on Woodson!

08. DUDLEY “BOOGER” DAWSON (Curtis Armstrong) REVENGE OF THE NERDS (1984)

Such class!… Such elegance!… Such poise!

How else do you think someone winds up with the nickname “Booger”? Oh wait, I get it now! Sure, Booger is a nose-picker, but he also won that Burping Contest against the Alpha Beta’s, which helped lead to an amazing victory for the Lamda Lamda Lamda’s at the Greek Games. When throwing a party, be sure to include his invite because he can chug a beer with the simplest of ease, and you know he’s going to wear the best t-shirt to the party! (Such as his clever, clever shirt “Gimme’ Head Till I’m Dead”) Classy!

07. JAMES “DROZ” ANDREWS (Jeremy Piven) PCU (1994)

When you lead “The Pit”, such as Droz, you had better know how to party! Especially when you are at war with the “Balls and Shaft” group. Not only is he fighting them, he is also combating the Womynists, a radical feminist group that is fighting to shut them down, and Ms. Garcia-Thompson, President of the school and enemy number one of “The Pit”. What they don’t know is that Droz is a true partier. He just wants to bring everyone together! Through his persuasion, and a little funk… George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic to be exact, he manages to throw a successful party and rally the various groups to protest against the school President, leading to her termination. The most important lesson to take from Droz is “What is this? You’re wearing the shirt of the band you’re going to see. Don’t be that guy.”. Please, don’t be that guy!

06. BERNIE LOMAX (Terry Kiser) WEEKEND AT BERNIE’S (1989)

How much fun can a dead guy be? Well, if you’re the recently departed Bernie Lomax, you’re the life of the party! Terry Kiser could be considered as having the easiest acting job of all-time.. playing a dead guy for 90 minutes, but I argue it takes talent to play dead and still be cool in the process. With that sly smirk of a smile permanently affixed to his face, courtesy of rigor mortis, not even a bad hair day can throw Bernie off his game, and he had plenty of postmortem bad hair days. (Nothing a few staples won’t fix.) So, break out the beer and get the party started. Bernie’s having formaldehyde, on the rocks.

05. FERRIS BUELLER (Matthew Broderick) FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF (1986)

John Hughes was a master storyteller who captured an entire generation in just a handful of films, a generation of teenagers of the 80′s, a generation that liked to party. Possibly his most perfect, epitomizing representation of this era of free-spirited youth was Ferris Bueller. Portrayed with a zen-like sense of ease and coolness, Matthew Broderick helped to define a generation unlike any other by spontaneously crafting an entire day of good times, a celebratory experience for his friends to enjoy before leaving the party known as high school and entering the real world of being a responsible adult. Here’s to you, Ferris!

04. FRANK “THE TANK” RICARD (Will Ferrell) OLD SCHOOL (2003)

OLD SCHOOL has an interesting twist on the old adage “ wake the sleeping giant” because instead of a giant , a great party animal is awakened. Frank Ricard has his wife (and himself, really) believing that his wild days are behind him. He’s a mature button-down guy until that fateful housewarming party- or “Mitch-A-Palooza” when one of the college guys reminds him of his old reputation. Reluctantly Frank takes a big gulp of beer and his Mr. Hyde, Frank the Tank is released. After astounding the youngsters with his beer-bong skills, Frank is soon shedding his inhibitions-and clothes. Time to revisit another of his favorite past times-streaking. During his naked jog through the neighborhood Frank’s stunned wife pulls her car alongside him. Her repressed hubby is gone. After getting tossed out of the house they shared, he joins old pals Mitch and Bernard in their new college fraternity. Ferrell had made name for himself on TV’s Saturday Night Live and in several small film roles, but with his role as the legendary “Frank the Tank”, he became a major big screen comedy star.

03. SUGAR KANE KOWALCZYK (Marilyn Monroe) SOME LIKE IT HOT (1959)

No one but Marilyn Monroe could’ve taken on the role of fun-loving Sugarť Kane Kowalczyk in SOME LIKE IT HOT. Girl loved to party, she even knew how to smuggle in and mix drinks inside of a hot water bottle. Sugar is the ukulele player and main singer of the all-girls band headed, where else, down to Florida when she meets up with Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis who, while running for their lives disguised as dames, also like to party. Through her sultry songs and provacative dresses, Sugar is innocently enough pure sex and deserves the status of party-icon. A definite must-see for any Monroe fan.

02. RICK GASSKO (Tom Hanks) BACHELOR PARTY (1984)

These days everybody thinks of Tom Hanks as the sweet natured, two-time-Oscar winning family man. Ah, but here’s a relic of his checked past. Just a few months after his big screen starring role in Disney’s (er, Touchstone’s) SPLASH, the ultra-raunchy BACHELOR PARTY exploded on the scene. Those of us familiar with Tom’s TV work (“Bosom Buddies” and guest star turns in “Happy Days”, “Taxi” and “Family Ties”) had seen his wild side, but for those who only knew him as Madison the mermaid’s beau, this must have come as quite a shock. Before the big event we get to see him tangle with his fiancee’s ex on the tennis court, take a cut of the gambling that occurs on the school bus he drives, and oogle a stacked young mom at his buddy’s photo studio. But at the debauchery really starts when his bachelor party begins. But with so much temptation thrown at him, can Tom stay true to the gorgeous Whitesnake video vixen Tawny Kitaen? Hanks and his own “wolf-pack”(including Adrian Zmed!!) really laid down the ground work that the guys of THE HANGOVER would build upon twenty five years later.

01.  JOHN “BLUTO” BLUTARSKY (John Belushi) NATION LAMPOON’S ANIMAL HOUSE (1978)

When it comes to movie party animals, can there be any other character as number one? I’d even put him on my short list of the greatest movie comedy characters of all time. But, if you examine the film again, it’s main focus is Larry Kroger- shy, innocent young freshman. That all changes when he and his pal Kent arrive at Delta House. The first frat brother they meet is Bluto. From the moment he spins around and relieves himself on the two freshmen’s shoes, the movie belongs to him. It’s nearly impossible to single out one scene as the best Bluto moment. Is it when he reacts in wide-eyed horror to a photo slide of Kent Dorfman’s face? Or leading his frat brothers in a drunken, head-butting group sing of Louie, Louie? How about his help in stealing Niedermeyer’s horse? Or his late night visit to dream girl Mandy’s Pepperidge’s sorority house? You can’t forgot him at the toga party dressed like Julius Caesar and bashing sensitive singer Stephen Bishop’s guitar to smithereens. And many radio Djs still use bits of his rallying speech to his moribund frat pals (Over?! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?). I’d think that the character helped director John Landis enormously. When he needed a laugh, he could just cut to Bluto. He’s almost a classic silent movie comic as his silent reactions say more than pages of dialogue. In that way he’s a little bit of Harpo Marx, a bit of his brother Groucho (with those expressive eyebrows), a bit of Curly Howard of the Three Stooges, and a whole lot of the Loony Tunes Tasmanian Devil. Bluto’s scruffy mug was soon adorning posters, T-shirts, and the covers of Newsweek and Rolling Stone Magazine. The movie brought back toga parties to colleges and the fictional movie band, Otis Day and the Knights, became a real touring band that performs to this day. All the screen party wild men from Jack Black, Dan Fogler, and Seth Rogen today through Chris Farley and John Candy are children of John Belushi’s lovable reveler. Of course, his character is the last one shown before Bishop’s Animal House theme kicks in over the end credits, with our favorite Delta brother featured in the chorus-Do the Bluto! Do the Bluto!

So, who would you want at your party???

I will leave you with a party tip from the King of Party, Mr. Andrew W.K.:

“Used at the right time, a fistful of confetti can blow minds!”

Article by Jim Batts, Dana Jung, and Tom Stockman

Celebrated producer and director Roger Corman will be in St. Louis this weekend to help kick off the Vincentennial Vincent Price Film Festival. We Are Movie Geeks has decided to take a look at the directing career of the man known as ‘King of the B’s’, a Hollywood legend who’s discovered so much talent and gave so many future directors and actors their starts, that he has to be considered a one-man movie industry. Since we just posted the Top Ten Best of Vincent Price last week and included three of the eight Corman/Price collaborations in that list, we decided to leave off the films he made with Price this week and focus on other films that he directed. Roger Corman will be at the Hi-Pointe Theater at 1005 McCausland Ave. in St. Louis on Saturday May 21 to speak after an 8:00pm screening of his 1965 film THE TOMB OF LIGEIA about the films he made with Vincent Price and again Sunday May 22 after an 8:00pm screening of his 1964 shocker MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH for a discussion of his overall career and to receive a lifetime achievement award from Cinema St. Louis. Both interviews and Q&A sessions will be moderated by Tim Lucas, editor of Video Watchdog magazine and the author of Mario Bava, All the Colors of the Dark.

10. ATTACK OF THE CRAB MONSTERS

In the early 1950′s vampires and werewolves were pushed aside by all manner of giant, radiation-mutated beasties in monster movies playing at the local bijou and, especially, at the passion pit ( drive-in ). It was only a matter of time before Roger Corman entered the atom-age zoo. In 1956 he produced and directed for Allied Artists ( formerly Monogram Studios ) ATTACK OF THE CRAB MONSTERS. Roger would be the first to admit that a great deal of the film’s success comes from that grabber ( no pun intended ) of a title. Working from a script by frequent collaborator Charles Griffith ( who has a small role as Seaman Tate ), he tells the story of a group of scientists who are in search of another group of scientists who have vanished. The cast includes many actors that Corman would continue to employ- Mel Welles ( the future Mr. Mushnik in LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS ), Ed Nelson ( BUCKET OF BLOOD ), and Pamela Duncan ( THE UNDEAD ). Oh yes, and the actor who would gain immortality as the professor on TV’s Gilligan’s Island, Russell Johnson. But here he’s not a scientist, but the macho handyman/mechanic who spends the last few minutes of the film shirtless. But what of the title monsters? They’re not stop-motion creatures ala THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS nor real crabs on miniature sets. The beasties are full sized with bug eyes, wiggling antennae, and clacking claws that pull in their prey. And here’s an even weirder twist-after the eat somebody the crabs communicate telepathically to the other humans and lure them to their underground lair. The ants from THEM have got nothing on these crustaceans! Drive-ins had to have been created to showcase creature feature fun like this.

9. THE PREMATURE BURIAL

THE PREMATURE BURIAL (1962) is the ‘odd man out’ among the series of Corman’s Edgar Allan Poe adaptations because of the absence of Vincent Price (Corman began this project at a different studio while Price was under contract at American International). Ray Milland was instead cast as the paranoid and cataleptic Guy Correll, a 19th-century English nobleman convinced that hereditary catalepsy will cause him to be buried alive. While Price’s flamboyant theatrics are missed, Milland’s low-key anxiety as man teetering on the edge of mental collapse works fine for the material. A sequence where Milland, trapped immobile in a coffin looking up and hoping the mourners will see his open eyes, is particularly nightmarish as is the film’s dream centerpiece. With its lavish sets and impenetrable fog, THE PREMATURE BURIAL is unmistakably a Corman production and the stunning Hazel Court is, as always, absolutely wonderful in the female lead. Milland and Corman reteamed the following year for X, THE MAN WITH THE X-RAY EYES, a film Corman considered among his very best.

8. BLOODY MAMA

 “A family that slays together stays together!”was the tagline for BLOODY MAMA, Corman’s loose 1970 account of Ma Barker and her gang of rural depression-era criminal offspring. Shelly Winters, indulging in some bold over-the-top overacting, was born to play Ma, who, after dumping her weak husband, takes her hillbilly brood off on a brutal crime spree of killing, raping, kidnapping, and torture (Winters had played the spoofish Ma Parker on Batman three years earlier). BLOODY MAMA is a squalid whitetrash crime melodrama that packs one hell of a mean and lingering punch and is one of the most sadistic films from the Corman canon, a perverse mix of murder, incest, bloodshed, family bonding, and action. Corman inserts a good deal of social commentary on America at that time and directs a strong cast including Bruce Dern, Don Stroud, and a young Robert DeNiro who sniffs glue like there’s no tomorrow. Though historically far from accurate (the real Ma Barker never participated in her son’s crimes and her legend as the gang’s leader was fabricated by the FBI to justify her eventual killing), BLOODY MAMA is an entertaining lesson in family psychology peppered with machine gun fire.

7. LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS

 
Long before the off-Broadway Ashman/Meinken musical, the Frank Oz directed film of said work, and the Fox Kids TV show there was this seventy minute 1960 black and white comedy classic. And it all kind of stemmed from a bet that producer/director Roger Corman made . A fellow at the studio showed him a storefront set that would be taken down in two weeks. Corman told him he could use it in a film. In two weeks? No way , the studio guy said. Corman bet him that not only could he come up with a movie idea in that time, but he could shoot it in two days. He brainstormed overnight with frequent screenwriter Charles Griffith, they hammered out a script , and Roger shot it in two days ( and one night ). This second entry in Corman’s ‘black humor trilogy’ begins at a run- down skid row flower shop owner by the tightwad tyrant Gravis Mushik ( you gotta love these Yiddish sounding names! ) played by Mel Welles. Sweeping the floors there is lowly employee Seymour Krelboin ( Jonathan Haze ) who yearns for the lovely cashier/clerk Audrey ( Jackie Joseph ). Aside from Burson Fouch ( Dick Miller ) who purchases single flowers that he devours with a pinch of salt, they have no customers. Seymour shows Mushnik a strange hybrid plant that he is cultivating. Maybe putting this weird plant in the front window will inspire some walk-in traffic. When it doesn’t respond to soil supplements and water, Seymour stays at the shop trying to nurture the plant to grow. When he accidentally cuts his finger, a few drop of blood falls onto the bud. Then it grows and blooms. For the next few nights, he pricks his fingers to feed it. Finally he’s all bleed out. The plant will have none of this and becomes vocal and demanding: “Feeed me! Feed me! Bring on the chow!”. Seems it, Audrey Jr. ( after his unrequited love ), has to have human flesh and blood! Corman piles on the laughs here-from the pseudo-Dragnet narration to the wild, bellowing plant to a hilarious appearance by a very young Jack Nicholson as the masochistic( had they ever been shown in movies before? ) dental groupie Wilbur Force. This is one dark ( almost pitch black ) comedy. Who’d have ever thought that this would be adapted into a musical that’s become a staple of schools the world over?

6. BUCKET OF BLOOD

 
In 1959 Roger Corman produced and directed the first of his ‘black humor trilogy’ for American International Pictures, A BUCKET OF BLOOD. For this black and white sixty six minute gem Corman explored the seedy world of coffee houses to take a satirical look at modern art and those proto-hippies: beatniks. Previously these bearded and bereted jazz lovers were spoofed in the musical FUNNY FACE and they would later inspire the beloved TV character Maynard G. Krebbs on the Dobie Gillis show. The movie centers on the slow-witted schlub Walter Paisley ( Corman regular Dick Miller ), a bus boy at a coffee house/ art gallery who wants to impress the beautiful Carla ( Barboura Morris ). He decides to turn to sculpting with poor results. Out of frustration he flings his modeling knife out the window accidentally killing a stray alley cat. Then a light bulb go on above his head. He covers the cat in clay and passes it off as his art. The beatniks there are impressed as is Carla. Unfortunately One of the patrons shows his appreciation by giving the art sensation a herbal gift. Undercover cop Lou ( future TV game show host Bert Convy ) sees this and follows Walter back to his apartment/studio to arrest him for possession of ‘reefer’. Paisley panics when Lou pulls out his revolver and smashes the cop with a frying pan. What to do? Another sculpture! As Walter becomes more popular he seeks out more ‘subjects’ to put together a big art show. BUCKET OF BLOOD boasts a very funny script by frequent collaborator Charles Griffith, a great jazzy score from Fred Katz ( later the pianist at Chicago’s Second City Cabaret ), and a great cast of supporting players ( Corman regulars Anthony Carbone and Ed Nelson ). Viewers expecting a brutal thriller from the title might be surprised by the delightful satire that Corman concocted. Or should I say sculpted?

5. WILD ANGELS

 
After years of shooting on enclosed sets for the AIP Poe films, Roger Corman needed a change; he wanted to shoot films on location, using open spaces and existing houses as sets. He got his wish with the film that’s generally credited as launching an entire genre of biker films in the 1960s and 70s. Compared to all the copies that followed, Corman’s WILD ANGELS (1966) set a high standard for chopper action, sexy motorcycle mamas, drugs, and brutal violence. Peter Fonda stars as gang leader Blues, whose one desire in life is to be “free to ride, .. get loaded, and party without being hassled by the man”. Along for the ride are fellow bikers Nancy Sinatra, Bruce Dern, Diane Ladd, and Gayle Hunnicutt (I love that the prettiest biker chick has the scar on her face!). Some of actual members of the Venice Chapter of the Hell’s Angels also are in the movie as extras, though some of the real Angels later sued Corman after the film was released, as they perceived the movie portrayed them in a negative light. From its opening shots of Fonda riding his chopper, to its climactic funeral party, with its general tone of anarchy and rebellion, WILD ANGELS still packs a visceral punch for moviegoers. Corman regards this movie, along with THE TRIP and EASY RIDER, to be the three seminal counterculture films of the decade. Who are we to argue?

4. MACHINE GUN KELLY

Corman gave Charles Bronson his first starring role in the low budget gangster bio MACHINE GUN KELLY (1958) as a hardened criminal who always has his Thompson machine gun in hand and the fear of death on his mind. The most interesting thing about watching MACHINE GUN KELLY today is seeing a relatively young Bronson (actually he was 37) give the type of performance he wouldn’t give after he became a megastar; that of a smiling, fast-talking ladies’ man (and watch him tease a caged lion!). This was one of the first films to gain Corman international recognition and acclaim, due in part to his crisp and efficient directorial style and also a symbolism-heavy script that focused on the psychological mind of a criminal. It was Corman’s idea to film the story of Kelly, a real-life thug who coined the term ‘G-Men’ but ended up surrendering meekly to authorities and later died in prison. Susan Cabot, who played the moll who was the driving force behind Kelly’s exploits as well as the title character in Corman’s THE WASP WOMAN (1959), was bludgeoned to death by her own son in 1986.

3. X – THE MAN WITH THE X-RAY EYES

 
Next to Vincent Price, one of Roger Corman’s favorite performers was Ray Milland. With his old Hollywood star power and sometimes brooding screen presence, Milland could carry a film and gave standout performances regardless of budget or studio. In X - THE MAN WITH THE X-RAY EYES (1963), Corman’s rumination on the dangers of too much scientific knowledge, Milland does not disappoint. Appearing in nearly every scene, Milland plays Dr. Xavier, a research scientist on the verge of a breakthrough to enhance visual abilities. We watch as the obsessed Dr. Xavier descends into the depths of the world he created. Originally the Xavier character was a musician, and this gave the story an oblique anti-drug theme. Some of those elements remain, but the movie’s themes are solidly in the realm of “be careful what you wish for” science fiction, technology vs. religion, and the limits to mankind’s quest for knowledge. Don Rickles, in his screen debut, also shines as a sleazy promoter. Made during a busy time when Corman was at his creative peak (he made four other films that same year), X holds up well today. Highly regarded by many critics (Stephen King wrote about it), what Corman called his “low budget Greek tragedy” is a compelling little gem with something to say.

2. THE TRIP

Until 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY was released the following year, Corman’s uniquely weird THE TRIP (1967) was unofficially the most psychedelic film ever. Taking advantage of the keen interest at the time in both the drug culture and the hippie movement, Corman received a wonderfully wacked-out script from Jack Nicholson (yes, the Oscar-winning actor) and assembled a first-rate cast of young talent (Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Bruce Dern, and Susan Strasberg). Utilizing ground-breaking effects, with in-camera lighting, image projection, and post-optical work creating wild visuals of spiraling symbols and eddys of color, plus then-novel rapid editing techniques, Corman created a snapshot of 1960s counterculture that has rarely been equaled. The plot is simple: a young director of TV commercials (Fonda) is going through a bittersweet divorce from wife Strasberg (stunningly sexy and beautiful in a nearly silent role). About 10 minutes into the film, Fonda drops acid, and the entire rest of the movie chronicles his experiences-both real and LSD-induced ‘trip’. What follows is outlandishly colorful fashions, body paint, and lots of hippie slang (the word ‘man’ ends every other sentence). Corman also continues his desire, after years of the claustrophobic Poe films, to shoot more in open, natural settings and locations, like the Big Sur scenery here. Corman even manages to sneak in some horror film imagery during Fonda’s drug-induced dreams. And if anyone doubts the reality of the 60s culture, Corman notes that the houses chosen as sets were redressed very little, if at all. In other words, people actually used to live like that! Upon its release, the film was considered controversial for its sex and nudity (tame by today’s standards), and for its perceived pro-drug themes. Corman claims he tried to balance both the positive and negative aspects of LSD, and was upset when the studio added a ‘disclaimer’ at the beginning of the film without his knowledge or consent. A must-see for both fans of Corman and 1960s cinema, this TRIP is groovy!

1. THE INTRUDER

 
Ironic that topping this list is the only of his movies that Corman claims lost money, but THE INTRUDER, a timely look at school desegregation in the South, is his most unusual and visionary film, far too truthful and bold for U.S. audiences in 1961 and one that gets better with age. William Shatner gives a hugely charismatic performance as Adam Cramer, a cocky racist agitator who travels the South in the wake of the Supreme Court’s Brown vs. Board of Education decision, stirring up protests and riots and organizing white citizens groups with himself as their leader. Cramer arrives in a small town (filmed in the bootheel of Missouri) where the local white high school is about to get its first black students and manipulates the townsfolk, taking control of the debate and agenda, and turning an already-tense situation into a riot. THE INTRUDER flopped in its U.S. release despite reissues under the titles SHAME and I HATE YOUR GUTS. Segregation was no doubt a touchy topic at the time, but few directors would have had guts to release a film like this, and it took a maverick like Corman to do so. There’s no sugar coating of the subject of racism in THE INTRUDER. Charles Beaumont’s startling script pulls no punches and it was Europe where it was initially received as the daring and well-made film that it is. THE INTRUDER is a masterpiece by any measure and a cult classic still ripe for rediscovery.

Article by Jim Batts, Dana Jung, and Tom Stockman

Born in St. Louis on May 27, 1911, iconic actor Vincent Price retained a special fondness for his place of origin, and that love is now reciprocated with Vincentennial, a celebration of his 100th birthday in his hometown. Price was not only a notable St. Louisan but one of the 20th century’s most remarkable men. To do full justice to the range of his accomplishments, Vincentennial features not only a 10-day film festival but also a pair of exhibits, a stage production, two publications, and illuminating discussions by Price experts and film historians. We decided to do a special edition of Top Ten Tuesday here at We Are Movie Geeks in honor of the many great films that Vincent Price starred in, and after we had assembled the list we realized that all ten of these films will be showing at the upcoming Vincentennial Vincent Price Film Festival. For all the details about Vincentennial visit www.vincentennial.com

10. LAURA (1944)
“I shall never forget the weekend Laura died”, is the first line, intoned by a somber Clifton Webb, of LAURA (1944), a glossy and gripping story of murder among the elite. Vincent Price often said that his favorite of the films in which he appeared was director Otto Preminger’s 1944 film noir, and most movie buffs who don’t like horror are quick to agree. As noirs go, it’s less a dark and dirty crime drama than most, more reliant on character and script, but it really is a classic and Price’s oily supporting performance is nothing short of sublime. The film pits gruff police detective, Mark McPhereson (Dana Andrews) against smug and cultured columnist, Waldo Lydecker (Clifton Webb). McPherson has been assigned to investigate the murder of Laura Hunt (a simmering Gene Tierney). Through a series of interviews conducted with potential suspects, McPherson builds his profile of the dead girl – all the while falling under the spell of her striking portrait. But the puzzle unravels when the murder victim materializes in a bizarre twist of fate that forces McPhereson to re-think his entire case. Vincent Price plays Laura’s fiancee, silver-tongued do-nothing gigolo Shelby Carpenter who gets mixed up in the mystery and is too charming for his own good. LAURA has an incredible adult script (the screenplay was nominated for an Oscar) with a fascinating story filled with unnerving plot angles, twists galore and hints of necrophilia and homosexuality. The film’s dialogue is particularly well done: intelligent, humorous at times, and enhanced by the snappy delivery and exchanges between all the actors. David Raksin’s grand musical theme has become a standard.

LAURA will play at the Vincentennial Vincent Price Film Festival at 7:00pm on Tuesday, May 24th at Brown Hall on the campus of Washington University. Admission is free.

9. THE TINGLER (1958)
During the 50′s and 60′s one man was known in Hollywood for gimmicks that made his thrillers unique. That man was producer/director William Castle. He was a master of promotion refer to as ‘ballyhoo’Ă‚Âť. Castle began his career making low budget ‘B’ pictures for Columbia. In 1958 he left the studio to make MACABRE. Castle came up with a gimmick to attract people to the theatre. Each person who purchased a ticket was issued an insurance policy for $1000 against death by fright. And for good measure he hired ‘nurse’ to patrol the lobby. For his next picture he cast Vincent Price in 1959′s THE HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL. Of course Castle needed a different gimmick, Instead of insurance, he presented this film in ‘Emergo’. At one point in the film a skeleton would swoop over the audience. Columbia was aware of the big box grosses for these inexpensive films and welcomed Castle back . For his return he came up with ‘Percepto’ to hype THE TINGLER. Once again Price starred, this time as Dr. Warren Chapin who’s studying the effects of fear on human beings. He believes a creature he dubs ‘The Tingler’ emerges from the spine at times of extreme terror. Only a scream would suppress it. Also in the cast as his aide David was Daryl Hickman, whose brother Dwayne ( TV’s Dobie Gillis ) would costar with Price in DR. GOLDFOOT AND THE BIKINI MACHINES in 1965. For most of the film Price plays the role of a kindly physician until he conducts a fear experiment on his cheating spouse. Later Price has a wild, crazed scene during an experiment on himself. In order to experience pure fear he injects LSD that David Picked up at a pharmacy! Later he must wrestle with a slithering Tingler that he had extracted from a deceased woman. The highlight of the film is near the finale when that Tingler gets loose in a film showing an old silent film (perhaps inspired by the real Silent Movie Theatre on Fairfax in L.A. ). The screen goes blank as the shadow of the creature crawls past while Price implores the audience to scream for their lives. Then ‘Percepto’ begins as patrons in certain wired seats get a slight electric jolt. In 1993 Joe Dante directed MATINEE, a lovely tribute to these popcorn flicks featuring St. Louisian John Goodman as a Castle-inspired character. If that peaked your interest, don’t miss a chance to experience this bit of showbiz history. And you’ll have even more admiration for Price as he delivers this loopy dialogue with a straight face.

THE TINGLER will play at the Vincentennial Vincent Price Film at 9:30pm on Friday, May 20th and again at Noon on Saturday May 21st at the Hi-Pointe Theatre. These screenings will feature a version of the gimmick ‘Percepto’ perfected by The Film Forum’s Bruce Goldstein and will feature an introduction and post-film discussion by Mr. Goldstein. Ticket information can be found HERE

8. THEATRE OF BLOOD (1972)
In the early 1970′s Vincent Price’s career was at a high point. The Doctor Phibes films were unexpected hits. How would he capitalize on these? In 1973 he took on a role in a film with a similar plot structure. In fact, many fright film fans consider THEATRE OF BLOOD an unofficial finale in a Phibes trilogy. Produced by United Artists rather then American International BLOOD differed from the Phibes film in that it was set in modern times and boasted one of the most prestigious casts that Price ever worked with. Price portrays Edward Lionheart , a stage actor thought to be dead , who returns to murder the critics that denied him a thespian award. Many of Britain’s finest stage and screen actors appear to be having a blast as the victims. The members of the Critic’s Circle are Michael Hordern, Robert Coote, Jack Hawkins, Arhur Lowe, Robert Morley, Dennis Price, Harry Andrews, Coral Browne, and Ian Hendry (his character is the only critic who has some sympathy for Lionheart ). Diana Rigg plays Lionheart’s daughter Edwina, a movie make up artist. Hendry and Rigg were both part of the TV series ‘The Avengers’, he in the first episodes as Dr. David Keel and she achieving worldwide fame later as Emma Peel. Speaking of TV, in 1989 Ms. Rigg would take over hosting duties from Mr. Price on the PBS ‘Mystery!’ series. In later years Price would refer to BLOOD as his favorite horror film for several reasons. The ingenious script has Edward dispatching the critics in murder scenes inspired by deaths in Shakespeare’s plays. This gave Price a chance to recreate several of the classic roles. He also gets to assume several disguises: a bobby, French chef, swishy hairdresser, and a masseuse who tricks Hawkins into believing his wife ( played by the British Marilyn Monroe, Diana Dors ) is having an affair a la ‘Othello’. Price may also have had a soft spot for this film as he met the woman who would be his last wife, Coral Browne. The film has some great comic relief from Milo O’Shea and Eric Sykes as investigating officers who seem always two steps behind Edward. The film has great location work ( nothing was shot on studios sets ), brisk direction, and a witty script that blends suspense and humor. Vincent Price is a delight in this, perhaps, his last great horror film.

THEATRE OF BLOOD will play at the Vincentennial Vincent Price Film Festival in a 35mm print at 2:30pm on Saturday, May 21st at the Hi-Pointe Theatre. Ticket information can be found HERE

7. THE LAST MAN ON EARTH (1964)
Even though Richard Matheson’s novel I AM LEGEND has been filmed three times (officially), only one of the film versions worked with a script by Matheson himself (though billed as -’Logan Swanson’Âť). Originally a Hammer Film property (how great would that have been?), Matheson’s script was eventually sold to Lippert Productions and made cheaply in Italy with an Italian cast and crew, as THE LAST MAN ON EARTH (1964). For its bankable American star, Vincent Price was cast as the lead. Price was at the peak of his popularity from a series of brilliant Edgar Allan Poe adaptations directed by Roger Corman (the producers wisely emphasized the horrific elements of Matheson’s story with Price’s image in the advertising). But in LAST MAN Price delivers one of his best performances as the only ‘human’Âť left after a biological plague has decimated the population. Whether he’s dealing with feelings of loneliness and grief, or simply displaying human pettiness, Price imbues the film with a sense of quiet despair. Price appears in nearly every frame of the film, and dominates the story with his great persona. Today, despite its low budget and black & white cinematography, with its remarkable opening scenes of death and desolation, and of Price nightly withstanding the siege of ‘vampires’, the film is viewed as a highly influential (George Romero cites it as an inspiration) and memorable version of the famous tale.

THE LAST MAN ON EARTH will play at the Vincentennial Vincent Price Film Festival in a glorious 35mm print at 7pm on Friday, May 20th at the Hi-Pointe Theatre with an introduction and post-film discussion by Richard Squires, creator of the Web site The Vincent Price Exhibit (www.vincentpriceexhibit.com). Ticket information can be found HERE

6. THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES (1971)
The unique touch of cult director Robert Fuest is evident throughout THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES (1971) and its equally entertaining sequel DR. PHIBES RISES AGAIN (1972). The bizarre, absurdist set design, the operatic musical score, and the grand performance by star Vincent Price all combine to create a truly surreal horror masterpiece. It is a testament to Price’s epic screen presence that he dominates the film without uttering a single word of dialogue! (Neither does his assistant, the beautiful Vulnavia). It’s true that he does speak offscreen through a microphone, but he carries both films by expressing his character mostly through action and facial features. Whether he’s playing his pipe organ with great flourish, displaying his whimsical glee at the fate of his enemies, or grimly resigning himself to the burning obsession which drives him, Price, even hidden underneath HOUSE OF WAX-inspired makeup–showcases yet again his ability to dominate a film. He is also obviously having great fun here under the guidance of Fuest, whom Price called “one of the best directors I’ve ever worked with.” A further multitude of riches await the fan in DR. PHIBES as well. Caroline Munro, in what must surely be her briefest film role ever, plays Phibe’s dead wife, and is shown only in still photos wearing snazzy 1920s outfits or as a lifeless body. The SAW film series owes DR. PHIBES a great debt, as several of the death sequences (especially the climactic ones) are very intricate mechanisms in which the victim decides his own fate. The film was also the only screen pairing of Price and the great Joseph Cotten, even though the men were lifelong friends from their days in Orson Welles’ Mercury Theatre Company.

THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES will play at the Vincentennial Vincent Price Film Festival 2:30pm on Sunday, May 22th at the Missouri History Museum’s Lee Auditorium. Admission is free.

5. CHAMPAGNE FOR CAESAR (1950)
Many works of fiction have been said to be ahead of their time. In the world of motions pictures few are more prophetic than the 1950 comedy classic CHAMPAGNE FOR CAESAR. By that year, mind you, quiz shows were popular on radio and that young upstart television, but by the end of the decade these programs would inspire a national craze ( and a scandal later depicted in Robert Redford’s film QUIZ SHOW ). CAESAR foreshadows all this while showcasing some delightful performances by actors generally not known for big screen comedies. The plot centers on an unemployed genius Beauregard Bottomley played by one of Hollywood’s most celebrated leading men, Ronald Colman. He was best known then for roles in THE PRISONER OF ZENDA, LOST HORIZON, and RANDOM HARVEST, but today he may be best known as the vocal inspiration for cereal pitch man ( er..bird ) Toucan Sam. Beauregard shares a modest LA bungalow with his sister Gwenn played by Barbara Britton ( who later co-starred in TV’s Mr. and Mrs. North) who teaches piano and the film’s title character Caesar, a parrot with a taste for booze ( his exclamations, such as “get loaded!”,and “How about a short one?”ť are provided Looney Tunes’ man of a thousand voices Mel Blanc ). One evening the Bottomleys view a few minutes of a game show on a TV in a store’s window display. It’s ‘Masquerade for Money’ť sponsored by My Lady Soap ( the soap that sanctifies ) and hosted by Happy Hogan ( Hmmm wonder if Stan Lee saw this? That name was given to Tony Stark’s driver/bodyguard in his Iron Man comic book stories a decade alter ) played by Art Linkletter who would soon have a huge TV hit with his transplanted radio show People Are Funny. Beauregard dismisses it until the unemployment office sends him to the My Lady Soap headquarters for a job interview with the company president Burnbridge Waters by Vincent Price. Price had been making films for twelve years, but this film shows a zany, comic style not yet seen on screen. When Waters concentrates he goes into a trance and almost becomes a wax figure. He’s arrogant, pompous, and dismissive especially with his squad of yes men ( which include Ed Wood regular Lyle Talbot, who played Lex Luthor in the serial ATOM MAN VS. SUPERMAN and Commissioner Gordon in the serial BATMAN AND ROBIN, and John Hart who would replace Clayton Moore as TV’s Lone Ranger for one season). Leaving Waters’s office after losing out on the job and being insulted, Beauregard decides to go on the My Lady sponsored quiz show. There he easily answers the questions, but refuses the prize money. He wants to return on the next show and go double or nothing. Waters is delighted when this turns into a ratings ( and soap sales ) bonanza, but is horrified when his questions cannot stump Beauregard, who intends to keep earning money until he owns the company. A rattled Waters sends Hogan out to romance info from Gwenn and he hires intellectual femme fatale Flame – Neill played by Celeste Holm ( the original Ado Annie in Oklahoma had won a supporting Oscar for GENTLEMAN’S AGREEMENT three years ago and was about to be seen in ALL ABOUT EVE ) to distract Bottomley. I don’t wish to reveal much more or  spoil the film’s great humor and surprises. The main reason to see is the delightful performance of Mr. Price. His droll wit would come through in his later work, but here he’s a whirling dervish of mirth-an inspired comic villain. A few years later Price and Colman would spar again in Irwin Allen’s campy THE STORY OF MANKIND, but here in CHAMPAGNE FOR CAESAR the laughs are intentional., and very, very plentiful.

CHAMPAGNE FOR CAESAR will play at the Vincentennial Vincent Price Film Festival in a 35mm print at 7:00pm on Monday, May 23rd at Brown Hall on the campus of Washington University. Admission is free.

4. THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH (1964)

The famous AIP Corman-Poe series of films concluded with a great one-two punch: THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH and THE TOMB OF LIGEIA, both released in 1964. Corman had wanted to do RED DEATH immediately after the success of the first film in the series, HOUSE OF USHER. However, he had second thoughts when he realized the similarities between the story elements for RED DEATH and Ingmar Bergman’s THE SEVENTH SEAL, which had just been released a few years earlier. Since he did not want to appear to be copying Bergman, he decided to delay the project. This was a fortuitous choice, as THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH benefited from the wait by acquiring a larger budget, location shooting in England, and Corman’s experience on the previous Poe pictures. Drawing not only on Bergman, but also on the work of Hitchcock and German expressionist films, Corman created one of his greatest cinematic works of art. Working with the outstanding cinematographer Nicolas Roeg (later a unique & talented director in his own right), Corman used subdued primary colors (blue, yellow, white) to create a nightmarish quality that permeates the film. The color red does not appear until later, which makes its use all the more shocking. The sets (allegedly left over from bigger productions like BECKET and A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS) are amazing, and enhance the atmosphere even further. Shooting in England also allowed Corman to draw on the talented pool of actors there, such as Jane Asher, Patrick Magee, and Hazel Court. The real star of RED DEATH is, of course, Vincent Price, portraying the personification of evil, Prospero. Aside from the grand and sometimes witty dialogue, Price imbues Prospero with subtle shades of character. We can sometimes glimpse the depths of depravity lurking just underneath the urbane princely exterior, or the nearly hidden stirrings of conscience that he constantly subjugates to the power and corruption of his devil-worshipping personality. Of all the Corman-Poe films, RED DEATH was not Price’s favorite (he liked LIGEIA more), because he felt the story strayed too far from the original Poe material (even though it also contained elements from Poe’s Hop Frogť). But in terms of sheer cinematic perfection, with its tone of impending dread, use of color, great performances, and visual style, THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH remains Corman’s masterpiece.

THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH will play at the Vincentennial Vincent Price Film in a spectacular 35mm print at 8pm on Sunday, May 22nd at the Hi-Pointe Theatre. This will include an introduction by Roger Corman, a clip reel of career highlights, a Lifetime Achievement Award presentation to Mr. Corman, and a post-film interview with the director about his storied career conducted by Tim Lucas, editor of Video Watchdog. Ticket information can be found HERE

3. THE TOMB OF LIGEIA (1964)
The final entry in Roger Corman & Vincent Price’s six-film cycle of Edgar Allen Poe adaptations, THE TOMB OF LIGEIA was never a favorite to kids because of its lack of overt horror elements and its focus on gothic romance. The years have been very good to LIGEIA, now considered to be the most ambitious and mature film in the series and Price himself is on record as saying it was the best of his eight Corman collaborations. Price played British aristocrat Verden Fell, who believes his wife Ligeia, who’d committed suicide, will return from the grave and that her spirit has entered a cat. He meets Lady Rowena (Elizabeth Shepherd), her spitting image, and the two marry, opening the doorway for Ligeia’s revenge. Corman and crew returned to England after filming the previous entry, MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH there, filming LIGEIA at the crumbling Castle Acre Priory in Norfolk, and the film benefits from the lack of stagy, claustrophobic studio sets that marked the rest of the series. In fact, the first twenty minutes takes place in the bright outdoors and that Fell has a medical aversion to sunlight seems appropriate, almost like they were cleverly building on what had gone on in the previous films. Elizabeth Shepherd was a beautiful and talented actress who had been hired to replace Honor Blackman on “The Avengers” TV series as the first Emma Peel but was fired and replaced with Diana Rigg before audiences were able to see her in action. Her Rowena is more fleshed out than any female character in the Price/Corman/Poe series. Unlike the morose, downcast women of the earlier films, Ms Shepherd wears a smile throughout much of the proceedings that grows more sinister as the story progresses, though her character isn’t immune from the same fate as most Poe women. It’s mostly a two-person drama and Ms Shepherd holds her own against Price, who’s at his most anguished. Screenwriter Robert Towne, who would go on to win an Oscar nine years later for CHINATOWN, provided a genuine, if suggestive, ghost story with a sense of realism missing from the earlier Poe films. Corman employed Arthur Grant, longtime director of photography for many Hammer horror films, including THE CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF and FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED and Grant utilizes the English countryside in ways he did not for Hammer.

THE TOMB OF LIGEIA will play at the Vincentennial Vincent Price Film in a spectacular 35mm print at 8pm on Saturday, May 21st at the Hi-Pointe Theatre. With an introduction by Roger Corman and a post-film interview with the director about his collaborations with Price, conducted by Tim Lucas, editor of Video Watchdog. Ticket information can be found HERE

2. WITCHFINDER GENERAL (1968)
It’s likely that Vincent Price never delivered a better performance than the one he gave in WITCHFINDER GENERAL (1968), the fact-based story of infamous witchhunter Matthew Hopkins and the barbaric acts he practiced in mid-17th century England. Price completely jettisoned his usual campy theatrics in favor of an appropriately low-key, sinister, and menacing depiction of a purely evil man who hides behind a mask of religious allegiance. Price plays Hopkins as an unmerciful fiend with a genteel manner and an appetite for torture, especially burning. The movie is cruel in its violence but also intelligent and effective and Price is relatively restrained in a complex role as a man who whose mission is to achieve confessions and take the lives of those marked as Satan’s helpers. Price regarded his performance here as the finest of his horror movie career. Director Michael Reeves and Price famously battled on set over the actor’s approach to playing Hopkins, and Price eventually agreed that Reeves was a genius and his insistence that Price subdue his performance was the right one. Reeves was just 25 when he directed WITCHFINDER GENERAL, his fourth film, but was no stranger to working with major horror stars. He previously had helmed CASTLE OF THE LIVING DEAD (1964) with Christopher Lee, THE SHE-BEAST (1966) with Barbara Steele, and THE SORCERERS (1967) with Boris Karloff. Price and Reeves were scheduled to re-team the following year for THE OBLONG BOX but Reeves was found dead of a barbiturate overdose in February of 1969 (some sources claim it was suicide). WITCHFINDER GENERAL is an extremely sadistic movie, but its details are based on fact. The Civil War in 17th century Britain was horrific and left people hungry and desperate. Accusing a neighbor of witchcraft had the instant benefit of claiming the property they left behind. Locals were eager to help Hopkins, even when he asks that the daughters of the men he imprisoned be brought to his bedchamber. The real-life Hopkins lived a long life and died of natural causes but the film gives him a bloody death, even though it’s unsatisfying to its young hero (played by Reeves regular Ian Ogilvy) who ends the film with the haunted refrain “You took him from me!”. When American International released this film in the U.S. in 1968 they changed the title to CONQUEROR WORM and tried to pass it off as one from their Edgar Allen Poe series by adding a few lines from the author’s abstract poem of that title. WITCHFINDER GENERAL is not only one of Vincent Price’s very best films but the black-hearted Mathew Hopkins is one of cinema’s most frightening villains.

WITCHFINDER GENERAL will play at the Vincentennial Vincent Price Film Festival in a 35mm print at 7:00pm on Thursday, May 26th at Brown Hall on the campus of Washington University. Admission is free.

1. THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM (1962)
Not much of Edgar Allen Poe’s short story which shares its title is on screen besides the eponymous torture device, but thanks to a deft screenplay by Richard Matheson, a pitch-perfect performance by Vincent Price, sure handed direction by Roger Corman, and the inspired casting of Barbara Steele, THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM is an epic helping of gothic grand guignol that deserves its place on the top of this list. Vincent Price’s Don Medina is a much more lively than his Roderick Usher form the previous year. Price was often accused of overacting, but his frantic scenery-chewing was the correct style for this material. The casting of the otherworldly Barbara Steele shows that American International was properly impressed with her horror debut in the previous year’s BLACK SUNDAY (as they should have been), the Italian film they distributed and this was her stateside debut. Steele is something to behold in THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM, slinking and smirking like a deranged cat around the torture chamber, driving Price and the audience to delirium. Steele wasn’t long for Hollywood though. She fled the set of an Elvis film the next year and returned to Europe where she starred in a string of unparalleled gothic horrors. Corman’s camera stays in time to the berserk performances of his two horror stars, as he experiments with odd lens techniques and hallucinatory framing and you’d never guess that THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM was shot on for only $200,000 as it is consistently dazzling to look at with spooky color camerawork by Floyd Crosby and imposing art design by Daniel Haller. Stock footage of the climactic torture sequence would later find its way into the 1966 spy spoof DR. GOLDFOOT AND THE BIKINI MACHINE, which also starred Vincent Price as well as GHOST IN THE INVISIBLE BIKINI (also 1966). THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM is a fantastic and fascinating viewing experience that just keeps getting better with age.

THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM will play at the Vincentennial Vincent Price Film Festival at 5:00pm on Saturday, May 21st at the Hi-Pointe Theatre. Ticket information can be found HERE

Everyone loves a good underdog. Maybe he’s the kid in school that just can’t win, like in DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: RODRICK RULES, or maybe they are just a misunderstood nerd that ends up saving the day in the end. Either way, underdogs have a special place in our heart, and that is why this weeks top ten is

TOP TEN UNDERDOGS (in children’s movies)

Be sure to tell us your picks too!!!

Honorable Mention: Daniel Larusso aka Daniel-san – THE KARATE KID (1984)

The Karate Kid starring Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita is one of those movies that you either care nothing about or absolutely love. There’s not really anything in between and I happen to fall into the latter category. Obviously, I could start out by saying that the director was no other than John G. Avildsen (yeah, the guy that directed Rocky) and I wouldn’t have to say much more. But there is so much more. This is a story about friendship, honor, coming of age, and beating the odds. It had us cheering for the underdog and gave us iconic pop culture catch-phrases such as “wax on, wax off” and “sweep the leg”,  There were several sequels including one with future 2-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank as “the girl karate kid”, but none ever quite lived up to the original.

So, for all you Karate Kid purists like myself, here’s a little treat. Look for many of the original Cobra Kai members from the film, as well as Johnny and Daniel-son. Enjoy! (CLICK HERE)

Honorable Mention: Clifford – MY BODYGUARD (1980)

Being the new kid in school is always going to be awkward and difficult, especially the older one becomes. Clifford (Chris Makepeace) is forced to go to a new school because of family situations and is a slight and small guy for his age, so automatically he is observed to be an easy target by a group of bullies. Fearing for his safety, Clifford hires the most feared student in the entire school, Linderman (Adam Baldwin), to keep him safe from the lunch money extortionists. Ultimately this results in a friendship based on trust and clearing of misunderstandings in both of their complicated lives. In the fall of 1980, director Tony Bill shows us the heart and courage even the little guy or the biggest giant can have, even if they are outcasts.

10. Bastian – THE NEVERENDING STORY (1984)

THE NEVERENDING STORY was wonderful film from 1984 full of fantasy and imagination. It’s the story of a little boy named Bastian who borrows a magical book from a small, old book store and doesn’t realize until the end that he’s a part of the story. His vivid imagination takes him beyond the limits of the real world only to see his own self in another young boy called Atreyu who rides on a flying half-dragon-half-dog that looks like something out of a Chinese New Years parade. The brilliance of THE NEVERENDING STORY is that nothing is simplified for a young audience. The drama, the scope, the frightening aspects, and the message are all presented in the setting of a children’s story but with the artistry of an adult-minded filmmaker (Wolfganag Peterson). It’s more for adults who dream than kids who live from day to day, though the title is misleading; the story does end (though there was a sequel, a very bad one).

09. Josh Baskin – BIG (1988)

Who hasn’t wished to be “grown up” at some point in their childhood? Penny Marshall directed BIG, a funny and thought-provoking tale of a boy named Josh and what happens when you get what you wish for. For Josh Bastin — played as an adult by Tom Hanks — this impossible wish came very true thanks to the power of a mysterious Voltar carnival fortune telling machine. At first, Josh found this stroke of luck to be a dream come true, with all the perks of being an adult combined with all the wonder, imagination and freedom of spirit that comes with being a child. Unfortunately, the facts of life soon catch up with Josh, resulting in an early lesson in what it means to grow up. Josh experienced half a lifetime of emotions and societal revelations in the short time he spends as a counterfeit adult, ultimately making him a wiser kid.

08. Ben, Wolfgang, & Steve – EXPLORERS (1985)

Ben, Wolfgang and Steve were just a couple of misfit kids who didn’t fit in. Add talk of aliens and the sci-fi world, and they were shunned even further. (They would be cool in our group!) These dreamers didn’t let that stop them! Instead, they made their own spacecraft in their makeshift lab. Sure, they might be all about B Movies, Comics and Space, but that just makes them cooler in my book! It takes some serious guts to travel blindly though space, but these kids were tough enough to do it! Kudos to you, oh brave EXPLORERS!

07. Dumbledore’s Army (Harry, Hermione, Ron, Neville, Ginny, Luna) – HARRY POTTER SERIES

I can’t think of a better underdog than the kids in Dumbledore’s Army. Harry Potter never had an easy life, Hermione Granger is picked on for being smart, and having non-magical parents, Ron and Ginny Weasley come from a poor family, Neville Longbottom is a clumsy mess, Luna Lovegood is just a strange bird, and Cho Chang… well Cho was in the army, but I am not a Cho fan… (traitor!). For years before the D.A. (Dumbledore’s Army) formed, these brave kids were fighting some of the worlds most frightening and powerful enemies, while the popular, likable kids were busy hiding. They possess courage, bravery, and character because they didn’t rely of popularity and likability to define them. This is why the underdogs often times succeed! These kids don’t need to sit at your lunch table, or to be in your club… they have magic and wit on their side. Be careful, or you will end up working for them one day!

06. The Bears – THE BAD NEWS BEARS (1976)

The classic 1976 version of THE BAD NEWS BEARS is still one of the funniest films about kids down on their luck. You’ve got the great Walter Matthau as Morris Buttermaker (luv the name), the baseball team’s coach. Think an early version of Tom Hanks in A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN. He’s a boozer and part-time pool cleaner, who’s trying to train the Bears, a rag-tag group of kids who are in no way, shape or form athletic. The team begins to win games and gain confidence once players Amanda Whurltizer (Tatum O’Neil) and Kelly Leak (Jackie Earle Haley) become a part of this motley little league team. A nice touch is composer Jerry Fielder’s score which is flooded with the music from the opera Carmen. The best aspect of the film, is how it deals with teamwork. You might not have the most skilled players, but if a team sticks together, they can work wonders.

05. Charlie Bucket – WILLY WONKA & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (1971)

Charlie Bucket is just a well-mannered, poor boy from a poor family, until he finds the last remaining golden ticket in a chocolate bar, changing his life forever. In the classic 1971 original WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, Charlie’s story is one of going from rags to riches, but it’s not so easy as simply winning the lottery. Charlie, along with the other lucky children, are led through a metaphorical labyrinth of tests and challenges as Wonka hopes to weed out all the bad seeds and find that one, special child, pure of heart, that he’ll bequeath his empire of sweets upon when he retires. The problem is, no matter how good a person is, temptation always finds a way to rear it’s ugly head, but it’s how we handle this temptation and the inevitable truth that we can never be fully pure of heart all the type… that’s the strength that Wonka sees in Charlie.

04. Kevin McCallister HOME ALONE (1990)

HOME ALONE is one of the funniest movies ever made. Sure, it’s full of wholesome sentimentality, but in its own way it is as anarchic as CLOCKWORK ORANGE.  Any film that gives a ten year old unconditional license to go nuts like Kevin MacCallister does for a full ninety minutes without repercussion from their parents should always hold a place in our hearts. Macauley Culkin, no matter how much he may annoy us, is unyielding of his willingness to be rid of the family unit. We all felt this when we were 11 years old and the fantasy of leaving our parents behind as we explore our own behavior upon the world is undeniable. In Kevin all our childhood dreams come true. It’s fantasy on a basic level. He takes care of himself, he thwarts the bad guy and he still does it with enough acumen to realize that growing up can’t be done on our own. For example Kevin realizes that preconceptions can be misjudged when old man Marley comes to his aid just as we’re sure that he is also one of the bad guys. But all in all, no matter how much you want to read into this film, it will always be a movie when the little man wins. And we always need that in our lives, no matter how old we are.

03. Dorothy Gale – THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939)

This day is worse than usual for Dorothy Gale. She’s still stuck at her aunt and uncle’s dull farm in the center of dreary, colorless Kansas. And now that old harpy, Miss Gulch, wants to take away her dog. Looks like it,s time to hit the road, but before she gets too far a traveling medicine man convinces her to go back. She does return just in time for a twister’s rampage. The family and staff are already hunkered down in a storm cellar, so Dorothy and her pup seek refuge in the house. The wind sends a board to knock her out, as the home is sent spinning through the clouds. Then things get very interesting and extremely colorful. Her house lands on the evil Wicked Witch of the East. Suddenly Ms. Gale is a hero to the citizens of this strange new land and an enemy of the witch’s sister. She decides to head back home and is told that a magical man miles up the road may have a way for her to return. Along her journey to him she is joined by three other underdogs who are also in need of help. After surviving encounters with that witch, some really nasty, ill-tempered trees, and sleep-inducing flowers they reach this sorcerer. But he’ll only grant their wishes in return for destroying that same witch and bringing back her broom as proof! When they’re attacked by the witch’s flying monkeys ( so very creepy ) Dorothy’s captured. The others must band together to infiltrate the witch’s castle and rescue her. In the ensuing melee Dorothy’s actions to save one of her friends causes the demise of the witch. Returning with their prize she discovers the truth about the magic man. Forget the updates like THE WIZ and that revisionist  book and stage musical bit of hooey “Wicked” ( has some nice tunes, though ). Victor Fleming’s 1939 MGM musical  THE WIZARD OF OZ is the definitive adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s classic story. This is one picked on little girl who’s able to call on her reserves of inner strength when facing insurmountable odds. The top notch production values, effects, songs, and acting all combine to make a film that continues to delight and enchant. Many generations to come will savor the story of Dorothy Gale who found that when she finally got out of Kansas life was a witch!

02. The Squad – THE MONSTER SQUAD (1987)

When television became the main source of home entertainment in the mid 1950′s, kids rediscovered the classic Universal Studios monster movies and Hal Roach’s short subject film series “Our Gang” ( renamed “The Little Rascals” for TV ). It wasn’t until 1987 that some film producers got the bright idea of combining the two. The result was Fred Dekker’s cult fave THE MONSTER SQUAD.  Sean and Patrick are twelve year olds who adore all monsters to the consternation of their teachers and school principal. They form a fan club that meets at a tree house decorated with garish posters and ghoulish model figurines. Younger, timid Eugene is another member as is Horace, who’s saddled with the nickname of “Fat Kid”.One day, Horace is saved from a beating from two schoolyard bullies by the older ( junior high ), cooler ( a preteen chain-smoking Fonzie ) Rudy who joins the club because the tree house offers a great view of Patrick’s older sister’s bedroom window. One day Sean’s Mom gives him a book she picked up a yard sale. It’s written by Dr. Abraham Van Helsing, but it’s in German! They work up the courage to bring the journal to their reclusive neighbor they’ve dubbed “ Scary German Guy”.Translating the tome, he informs the boys of a lost amulet that can upset the balance of good and evil once every one hundred years. And that date occurs in the next two nights. Only an incantation spoken in German by a virgin lass can seal the hell portal opened up by the amulet. Well, it turns out that the real Count Dracula has come to their sleepy little town looking for the amulet and the book! And he’s brought some monster muscle-a tortured werewolf, an ancient mummy, an amphibian “gill-man”,and the for real creature stitched together by Dr. Frankenstein! Unfortunately the producers could not get the rights to the classic Universal monster designs, but the late, great make-up effects wizard Stan Winston creates some wonderful work inspired by those icons. Luckily Sean’s pesky kid sister Phoebe befriends Frankenstein’s monster and the club has a powerful ally. When that fateful night arrives, the picked on kids summon their courage to become champions and thwart the Count’s plan to conquer the world. Horace even gets to save those bullies from the “ gill-man “! Although the film is a bit dated ( primo 80′s fashions ,hairstyles, homophobic slurs, and a smoking  fourteen year old) THE MONSTER SQUAD gives us some underdog kids who face down their fears. And it taught all of us that “Wolfman has nards”.

01. The Goonies Themselves (Mikey, Brand, Chunk, Mouth, Andy Stef, Data) – THE GOONIES (1985)

In the summer of 1985 director Richard Donner introduced us to the group of misfit kids that called themselves “The Goonies” comprised of Mikey, Brand, Chunk, Mouth, Andy, Stef, Data, and eventually Sloth. The nicknames alone can give the air of dorkdom these poor kids possess, but that did not curtail their friendship and love of adventure. When they are threatened to be separated by forces with greater power and money and being chased by a family of villains, the ultimate underdogs ban together on a quest to save their homes and alliance. Facing the stigmas of asthma, disfigurement, poverty, obesity, and overall dorkiness, these kids are outright loveable and through their allegiance discover their true bonds and ultimately save the day. One of the classics every kid should watch-even One-Eyed Willie.

So what do you think? Is there anyone that you would have included?

Until next time… stay fancy!