Fave Flick?

Now on DVD: the best Bond EVER

It only seems to get better “as time goes by.” Casablanca premiered in New York on Thanksgiving, 1942. It was nominated for 8 and won 3 Oscars (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay). Although Humphrey Bogart’s character never said the phrase, it inspired Woody Allen’s “Play it again, Sam.” And “A Night in Casablanca” was a Marx Brothers’ hoot.

You must remember this.
French cigarettes, German Lugers, champagne cocktails, and intrigue are everywhere in sultry Casablanca, Morocco during World War II. There’s a tense love triangle…thick anti-Nazi propagands…and REAL suspense, as script pages were being written-on-the-fly. Even the actors didn’t know how the story would end! This one rounds-up ALL the usual suspects. Ingrid Bergman is radiant; Sidney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre turn bit parts into unforgettable characters; and Claude Rains milks moviedom’s most-pregnant pause ever.

Read the entire script [PDF]
Read ALL about it. Acclaimed when originally published as “Round Up the Usual Suspects,” “The Making of Casablanca” draws upon Ingrid Bergman’s personal diaries, the vast Warner Brothers archives, and interviews with co-star Paul Henreid, Lauren Bacall (Mrs. Bogie), and scriptwriters Howard Koch and Julius Epstein. Richly detailed and full of surprises, “The Making of Casablanca” debunks cherished myths about the casting, script, story, and stars. A revealing peek-behind-the-scenes of Hollywood’s high-pressure World War II-era studio system.

What’s YOUR all-time favorite movie?

Best war movie…
…even though there’s only one brief combat scene: Bridge on the River Kwai, winner of SEVEN Oscars. The real battle is the clash-of-wills between the ruthless commandant of a Japanese prison camp deep in the Southeast Asia jungle, and captive Alec Guinness’ willful British colonel. (1957)

Funniest flick ever???
The Birdcage. Mike Nichols’ remake of “La Cage aux folles” unleashes Robin Williams’ and Nathan Lane’s zany improv. Versatile Hank Azaria steals the show as their housekeeper; Gene Hackman keeps a straight face as a straight-laced conservative senator. With soon-to-be “Ally McBeal” Calista Flockhart. (1996)

Talk about autobiographical!
In Annie Hall, the story of Alvie Singer is Woody Allen’s own, and centers on his relationship with Diane Keaton… whose real name IS Hall. Culture-clash, flashbacks, subtitles, split-screens, and lobster scenes all tell a story relatable-enough that falling-in-and-out-of-love seems, wistfully, worth the work. See if you can spot LOTS of other soon-to-be-famous stars.(1977)

Amazing, and true!
Actor/writer/director/producer Ed Wood drank-himself-to-death by 1978. But not before his meager talent and unbridled enthusiasm yielded bizarre “B” movies that are enduring cult favorites. Martin Landau won an Oscar, respectfully portraying Bela Lugosi, in his final days as a pathetic heroin addict.
(B&W, 1996)

Imagine competing for Oscars with…
“Gone With The Wind” AND “Mr. Smith Goes To Washington” AND “Stagecoach” AND “Wuthering Heights?”
The Wizard of Oz did, and won two (Best Song, Best Original Score). Perennial TV showings made this a classic. Munchkinland is Technicolor psychedelia. (1939)

Funniest sports movie!
In Slapshot, Paul Newman is player/coach of losing minor league hockey team; Strother Martin is shifty team General Manager. Actors playing The Hanson Brothers still appear at hockey games. Authentic locker room language and situations familiar to anyone who’s toiled in the minor leagues of any endeavor. (1977)

Two great movie trivia questions:
“Mel Gibson & Sigourney Weaver co-starred in???” Many won’t know, since this thriller was a sleeper. ” The Year of Living Dangerously was Weaver’s sexiest role.
What ACTRESS won a Best Supporting ACTOR Oscar?”
Linda Hunt, as Gibson’s sidekick, TV news photog Billy Kwan, filming the collapse of Indonesia’s Sukarno regime.
(1983)

Best prison movie? Shawshank Redemption
From Stephen King’s novella. Unjustly accused of murder, Tim Robbins’ cerebral, calculating CPA turns survivor in Maine big house. Narration by co-star Morgan Freeman is the gold standard. Nominated for 7 Oscars, but didn’t find real popularity until home video and cable. (1994)

And yours?