Films 1 - 10

I don’t normally go for French things. I don’t like croissants, I can’t stand camembert cheese and I don’t why, but those cirque de sol lei people freak me out. There is an exception to this of course. Yves Montand, who is just cool. This is a movie about a bunch of guys in central America taking trucks of nitro-glycerin across rocky mountain passes. This is an Uber-tense movie so hold on.

Okay, I’m trying to get the French stuff out of the way. Rules of the game is a really smart, comedy of social classes with some really humorous moments in it. Definitely worth watching.

You’re going to see Kubrick a couple of times on this list, he is one of my idols and A Clockwork Orange has always been my favorite film of his. Don’t watch this if you aren’t into a lil’bit o’ the Ultra-violence.

Sid note: Maybe "idol" is a little strong after "Eyes Wide Shut".

What Comrade Alex list would be complete without a solid film about the revolution? I love Sir David Lean, he can make you sit for three hours without even knowing it. This one is worth watching just for the funeral scene at the beginning of the film.

Take (1)Sir David Lean + (1)Omar Shariff mix with (1)Peter O’toole and (1)Alec Guiness and you have a practically perfect movie. This is a great story with a compelling cast of actors.

Sid note: Boy, Sir Lean sure could make them long.  And casting Alex Guiness as a middle-easterner, brilliant!  After all, there is only one Omar Sharif, although he could have pulled off playing both parts.

I don’t normally go for boxing movies (I don’t even really care for Raging Bull) but this one is great. From Robert Wise comes the story of Rocky Graziano. Wise is one of those filmmakers who can craft a great story out of a pack of chewing gum and a rubber band. Oh yeah by the way it has the dreamy Paul Newman in it as well.

Sid note:  Golly gee wiz, Comrade.  Paul Newman is simply dreamy.

Probably my favorite Marilyn Monroe movie and definitely my favorite Clark Gable film. The trio of Clift, Gable and Monroe is great despite the obvious production problems that occurred during the filming. I think Marilyn gives her most honest performance in this picture.

I think everybody who watches this movie falls in love with Audrey Hepburn. You have to have a cold Siberian heart not to. From the Capote novel, comes a superb film.

Sid note: Let's not forget about hansom actor George Peppard.

This is a four hour silent film about the early life of Napoleon Bonaparte. And another French film at that (what’s going on here?). Abel Ganz’s work is truly visionary stay tuned for the big wide-screen shot (the first in history) towards the end, it will blow you away.

Sid note: I quit reading about this one after "four hour silent film".

Hal Ashby is one of those directors that has a true gift for creating the bizarre. Bud Cort is at his most Bud-Cortness in this picture. Soundtrack by Cat Stevens a.k.a Yusef Islam.

Sid note: Bud Cort loses some of his "Bud-Cortness" under his birth name, Walter Edward Cox.