My Fair Lady

M: Here is another movie that V introduced me to. A classic with great music and great characters. The dialogue is witty and fun. Audra Hepburn is fantastic, although it is a bit weird at time with the voice-over singing. Also, it seems to me that Professor Higgins, although enjoyably portrayed by Rex Harrison, should probably sing, instead of just talk. But, all in all, a great movie worth seeing. 3 1/2 stars

V:  I love this movie!!  I loved watching it as a kid, and I love it much more now that I understand the irony.  Cool costumes, wonderful music.  Rex Harrison is so great. This got Best Picture and Best Actor at the Oscars that year.  The dubbing in of Marnie Nixon's wonderful voice was a little rough sometimes.  But still . . . 4 stars.

Gone with the Wind

M: Believe it or not, I had never seen this movie. V finally got me to watch it. Great movie, beautifully acted. Nearly flawless. 4 stars

V:  It's a classic.  Vivienne Leigh is terrific.  I really liked Clark Gable, too.  Great acting, interesting characters.  I even enjoyed watching all the "making of" and actor biographies attached to the DVD.  4 stars.

Ben-Hur

V: So I dragged out another classic for M to see. (It had been a long time since I'd seen it -- as evidenced by the fact that I remember the burping scene as my favorite. Yes, there's a burping scene, not really the most important part of Ben-Hur - which you surely realize if you've seen Ben-Hur. I mean, deep and heavy sweeping epic BEN-HUR . . . and I remembered the burping scene. I was young, OK?) The movie goes a little slowly for our modern taste. The people kind of pause and stare at each other for uncomfortably long, dramatic periods of time. And I wonder . . . did people really used to do that, y'know, back in the day? Were they actually slower than we are now? I digress. It is really, still, a very cool movie. Did you know it held the record for most academy awards until 1998's Titanic? Almost 40 years! It has amazing costumes and sets - and the chariot race! Even people who haven't seen Ben-Hur have seen the chariot race. And M's boss's dark humor was revealed when we watched the galley scene. "We keep you alive to run this ship. Row well . . . and live." Hey! says M, That's what my boss is always telling the associates! Ha, ha, ha. (watch this scene and you'll see. It's hilarious.) It's long. It's good, though. And I even watched the long making-of documentary afterward. (Well, this spread over a couple of days.) It's a winner. Who am I to say otherwise? 4 stars

M: I agree that Ben-Hur is, well, epic. It is absolutely amazing how many costumes and actors are in this movie. No special effects, just tons of man-power and time. And a 3 1/2 hour originally composed sound-track to boot. Really pretty amazing. For me, the whole religion thing clashed a bit with the rest of the show. I know it was an important part, and I am probably a bad person for saying that, but it didn't quite fit for me. That is perhaps the only thing keeping this movie from getting absolute top marks. Even still, Ben-Hur is amazing to watch. There is no way this movie could ever be made today. No way. I cringe when I hear that Titanic broke the record for academy awards. Titanic?! My nemesis. Check out Ben Hur. It is worth seeing an epic that doesn't rely on computerized graphics. A classic. 3 1/2 stars

All About Eve

V: Today was a sick day for V. I usually don't like to watch movies without M, but since I had hours of lying in bed ahead of me, and it was an old show, I thought I'd go ahead. I had picked up a pack of old Best Picture winners from the library and out of four, this was the one I picked.

All About Eve (1950) garnered a record 14 Oscar nominations (not tied until Titanic in 1998). The star, Bette Davis, didn't win the best actress Oscar, (but got the Golden Globe, NY Critics, and Cannes award) though many felt it was the best performance of her career.

All About Eve is the story of a young woman who flatters and deceives her way into stardom at the expense of those who offered her help. It is also the story of an actress who is beginning to feel less valued because she has reached the ripe old age of 40, worrying about her identity as an actress and a woman. The script is great. The acting is really great. The story is interesting and engrossing as you follow the variety of characters. I'd heard of this movie and have meant to see it for a long time. I'm glad I did. It was especially fun for me to see Bette Davis in action, who is a Hollywood legend, but of whom I knew little. I would be embarrassed not to give this film 4 stars, since it is one of the classics, and who am I to say otherwise. But I also think it really deserves it. There is great tension throughout, great story, great characters. 4 stars

M: Oooh. Sounds good.

Midnight

V:This is an olllldie, but goodie. It was recommended to me by VSL (Very Short List) so I thought I'd give it a try. This 1939 movie stars Claudette Colbert, Don Ameche and John Barrymore (Drew's grandpappy). A penniless singer poses as a wealthy baroness and has to decide between marriage for love or money. This is a fun little romantic comedy. I liked Claudette Colbert, she was very charming. There were some funny, silly parts in the thick of the mix-up. Like a lot of romantic comedies, there is a lot of silliness, and not enough development of the romance. But it was cute. 3 stars

M: This is an oldie . . . .

I find that sometimes when I watch an older film I rank it on a sort of scale. I say to myself "that was good . . . considering how old it is." But, I don't think that is a fair way to rank a movie, so I am trying to base my review strictly on how the movie struck me, today. I have to say, it didn't strike me all that well. I don't know exactly why the romantic couple ever fell in love. So he drove her around in a cab for a few hours, and threatened her with a little physical abuse and kidnapping. Does that love make? Maybe in the 30's. In fairness, there were a few pretty funny parts. But mostly silliness and overacting. 2 1/2 stars