I love American history, French films, Italian food, and English writers.

This is where I keep track of films that I've watched and blurb what I thought about them.

I also write a blog about books: Every Book and Cranny

MY FILM RATING SCALE

******* 7/7: Brilliant, All-time Favorite
****** 6/7: Pretty Damn Good
*****5/7: Mostly enjoyable
****4/7: Mildly Enjoyable
*** 3/7: Okay, Watchable
** 2/7: Mostly unenjoyable
* 1/7: Unwatchable, couldn't finish

 

Wow.  I had mistakenly written Chaplin off as too overtly slapstick for my tastes, but this film proved me wrong.  Way wrong.  So beautiful.  Chaplin is credited not only with starring in the film but also as the film’s director, producer, screenwriter, and he composed the music himself.  The song that is played at the end was later given lyrics and became known as “Smile,” first recorded by Nat King Cole and later by a host of others.  
Modern Times (1936)
Director : Charlie Chaplin
Starring : Chaplin, Paulette Goddard
My Rating : ******* 7 / 7

Wow.  I had mistakenly written Chaplin off as too overtly slapstick for my tastes, but this film proved me wrong.  Way wrong.  So beautiful.  Chaplin is credited not only with starring in the film but also as the film’s director, producer, screenwriter, and he composed the music himself.  The song that is played at the end was later given lyrics and became known as “Smile,” first recorded by Nat King Cole and later by a host of others.  

Modern Times (1936)

Director : Charlie Chaplin

Starring : Chaplin, Paulette Goddard

My Rating : ******* 7 / 7

My favorite of Hitchcock’s British / pre-American films.  I’ve watched this film a handful of times but re-watched it last weekend as I’ve just acquired Criterion’s newly released blu-ray edition.  Well worth it!  The sound quality and images are much improved from the previous edition I own.
The Lady Vanishes (1938)
Director : Alfred Hitchcock
Starring : Margaret Lockwood, Dame May Whitty
My Rating : ******* 7 / 7

My favorite of Hitchcock’s British / pre-American films.  I’ve watched this film a handful of times but re-watched it last weekend as I’ve just acquired Criterion’s newly released blu-ray edition.  Well worth it!  The sound quality and images are much improved from the previous edition I own.

The Lady Vanishes (1938)

Director : Alfred Hitchcock

Starring : Margaret Lockwood, Dame May Whitty

My Rating : ******* 7 / 7

Dial M for Murder (1954)
Director : Alfred Hitchcock
Starring : Grace Kelly, Tom Wendice
My Rating : ******* 7 / 7

Dial M for Murder (1954)

Director : Alfred Hitchcock

Starring : Grace Kelly, Tom Wendice

My Rating : ******* 7 / 7

Based on a play by Tennessee Williams
Baby Doll (1956)
Director : Elia Kazan
Starring : Karl Malden, Carroll Baker, Eli Wallach
My Rating : ****** 6 / 7

Based on a play by Tennessee Williams

Baby Doll (1956)

Director : Elia Kazan

Starring : Karl Malden, Carroll Baker, Eli Wallach

My Rating : ****** 6 / 7

I could watch this everyday.  
Taxi Driver (1976)
Director : Martin Scorsese
Starring : Robert De Niro, Cybill Shepherd, Jodie Foster
My Rating : ******* 7 / 7

I could watch this everyday.  

Taxi Driver (1976)

Director : Martin Scorsese

Starring : Robert De Niro, Cybill Shepherd, Jodie Foster

My Rating : ******* 7 / 7

Stalker ( 1979 )
Russian
Director : Andrey Tarkovsky
Starring : Aleksandr Kaidanovsky, Anatoli Solonitsyn, Nikolai Grinko
My Rating : ******* 7 / 7

Stalker ( 1979 )

Russian

Director : Andrey Tarkovsky

Starring : Aleksandr Kaidanovsky, Anatoli Solonitsyn, Nikolai Grinko

My Rating : ******* 7 / 7