380 She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949 / John Ford)
Between 1948 and 1950, John Ford and John Wayne made 3 westerns that became known as the cavalry trilogy. Sharing themes rather than characters, they all stand up well to this day. This, the middle entry, is my favourite with Wayne playing a captain going out on patrol shortly after Custer’s 7th cavalry troop had been wiped out at the Little Bighorn. Wayne was more of a presence than an actor, but here, playing a character over 20 years older than he was when making the movie, he excels. File under ‘they don’t make ’em like this anymore’!
379 Sons of the Desert (1933 / Williams A Seiter)
Much of Laurel & Hardy’s most memorable work was in shorts, such as ‘Laughing Gravy’, ‘The Laurel and Hardy Murder Case’ and ‘County Hospital’, rather than feature length films.
This effort is one of their best full length movies. as the twosome deceive their wives in order to go to a lodge convention. The scene of Stan trying to eat a wax apple is probably the best known, but this is delight throughout.
378 Thing from Another World (1951 / Christian Nyby)
I may be alone in liking all three versions made of this story. John Carpenter’s effort is the most famous but there is plenty of fun to be had with this original version of the story of an arctic research team terrorized by an alien creature. A bit creaky maybe, and without the special effects showcased in the remakes, it is still suspenseful, and one of the best of the 50s science fiction movies.
377 Yojimbo (1961 / Akira Kurosawa)
A samurai in 19th century Japan arrives in a town terrorized by 2 criminal gangs. He sets them against each other for the good of the town. Remade famously as ‘A Fistful of Dollars’ and less so as ‘Last Man Standing’, this version has to be seen for the great action sequences and for one of Tishiro Mifune’s best performances.
376 They Drive by Night (1940 / Raoul Walsh)
I seem to have a lot of trucking movies in this list! This one features two brothers struggling to run a company in the face of corrupt businessmen, and is elevated by a tremendous cast headed by George Raft, Humphrey Bogart, Ida Lupino and Ann Sheridan. Cracking old style entertainment.
375 The Poseidon Adventure (1972 / Ronald Neame)
A ship carrying passengers celebrating the new year is flipped over by a tidal wave, and a small group of them try to escape. Archetypal 1970s disaster movie featuring numerous clichés but it is still great entertainment. My favourite film for New Years Eve, the sequel (‘Beyond the Poseidon Adventure’), the remake and even the TV movie version all have merit but the original is the best.
374 Gambit (1966 / Ronald Neame)
Unlike the previous entry, avoid the remake and head only for the original version of this fun caper. Michael Caine plays a cat burglar who enlists dancer Shirley MacLaine’s help in pulling off an elaborate heist. Lightweight, but the leads are fun, the plot twists effective, and the 60s style is intoxicating.
373 Milk (2008 / Gus Van Sant)
Probably Sean Penn’s career best performance in this true story of Harvey Milk, a gay activist turned politician. Penn is ably supported by Josh Brolin, Alison Pill and Victor Garber, in particular, and Dustin Lance Black’s screenplay tells the tragic and complex story without becoming too preachy.
372 An Inconvenient Truth (2006 / Davis Guggenheim)
As well as putting over an important message, this really leaves you wondering ‘what if’, that is, what would have happened if Gore hadn’t been denied the US election victory by some extremely dubious manoeuvring by the Bush family in Florida? In all likelihood, and his recent financial activity back this up, he would have been swallowed up by the political machine and nothing would have changed, but it would have lead to an interesting presidency. It is easy to pick at the flaws of this film, but it did deliver the dangers of global warming to a large audience.
371 Tarzan the Ape Man (1932 / W S Van Dyke)
The first viewing of Tarzan in a talkie, and first of 12 appearances by Johnny Weissmuller as the titular hero, a series which brings back happy memories of school holidays when the BBC would often show all of the series of films. All great fun, the first 2 entries (this and ‘Tarzan and His Mate’) are the best, making the most of the chemistry between Tarzan and Jane, played by Maureen O’Sullivan.
370 Gran Torino (2008 / Clint Eastwood)
Eastwood’s last great film to date, he stars as a Korean war veteran with deep seated racial issues struggling to come to terms with living next door to a Hmong family. Perfect for the grizzled character, Eastwood delivers a tough, touching and funny performance.
369 Doctor in the House (1954 / Ralph Thomas)
Overshadowed by the ‘Carry On’ series, the ‘Doctor’ film series ran for 7 instalments. ‘In the House’ introduced the character of Simon Sparrow as a medical student arriving at St Swithan’s hospital and was packed full of British comic talent headed by Dirk Bogarde and Kenneth More. James Robertson Justice steals the film as the imposing surgeon Sir Lancelot Spratt, as he did in the sequels, and gets to utter the immortal line “What’s the bleeding time?”
368 Day for Night (1973 / Francois Truffaut)
One of the best films about the making of a film, with its numerous story strands involving the various characters, it makes an interesting companion to Robert Altman’s ‘The Player’.
Truffaut not only directed this film, he wrote the screenplay and also stars as the director of the film within the film, so this project is a personal triumph for him.
367 Skyfall (2012 / Sam Mendes)
Daniel Craig’s first outing as Bond, ‘Casino Royale’, revitalised the franchise. After a slightly disappointing second film, many critics hailed this as the best Bond film ever. I wouldn’t quite go that far but it is brilliant entertainment. Some great action sequences allied with top notch performances from Craig, Judi Dench, Ralph Fiennes and Javier Bardem, some welcome humour and playful nods to previous films – did anyone else notice the ‘Live and Let Die’ tribute?
366 Animal Crackers (1930 / Victor Heerman)
The Marx Brothers second film is largely just the routines from one of their stage shows transferred to film. The staging and some of the support performances may appear dated now, but the anarchy and sarcastic wit is as fresh as it was over 80 years ago.
365 The Public Enemy (1931 / William A Wellman)
James Cagney is inextricably linked with the gangster film genre and his first appearance in such a role was in The Public Enemy, as a thug rising through the ranks of a crime syndicate. Violent for its time and very influential, Cagney is outstanding but he is matched by Jean Harlow and Joan Blondell in supporting roles.
364 Silver Linings Playbook (2012 / David O Russell)
Probably did not get as wide an audience as it should because it was billed a romantic comedy, ‘Silver Linings Playbook’ has the advantage over most films in that genre by having original and complex characters and a great ensemble cast, with Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence and Robert De Niro all excelling. It is not until the last section of the film that a typical rom-com plot kicks in, but by that point I was rooting for the 2 lead characters so much I didn’t care!
363 A Matter of Life and Death (1946 / Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger)
Powell and Pressburger delivered a great series of films in the 1940s that really raised the profile of the British film industry and this is one of their most fondly remembered efforts.
David Niven plays a wartime pilot who after being shot down argues in a ‘court’ that he should be allowed to live rather than enter heaven so he can kindle a romance with he radio officer he was talking to just before he jumped from his plane. The beautiful mix of colour and black and white photography gives the film a great look and the story unfolds in fascinating and unexpected ways.
362 Rollover (1981 / Alan J Pakula)
Overlooked at the time and largely ignored today, Pakula’s last great film tells the story of an oil company attempting to wreck the world’s economy. The deliberate pace and complex plot do not detract from the tension built up throughout the movie. Jane Fonda and Hume Cronyn excel in their roles.
361 Killing Them Softly (2012 / Andrew Dominik)
Received a mixed reception from critics last year. Some found that the parallels between the collapse of a criminal economy when a mob run card game is held up with the state of the current world economy too heavy handed. Whilst not subtle, I found the parallels neat. I also found it refreshing that a film featuring some extremely violent set pieces was also contemplative and thoughtful. Boasts another excellent performance from Brad Pitt, and a wonderful turn by the late James Gandolfini.
