#105 - Carrie

The movie Carrie teaches us that prom is overrated. It also shows us thematically what happens when bullying goes too far. As someone who has lived during the eras of Columbine and Virginia Tech, this movie was ahead of its' time.

Though it's a fantasy and somewhat you feel Carrie is justified in what she does to her classmates, in its' own way it could be a cautionary tale for teens on how bullying can make a young person feel oppressed and how that feeling of oppression can turn to violence.This film is well acted and shouldn't be lumped in with Friday the 13th like horror movies. It has real depth and a real story to tell. Of course, the source material, Stephen's King novel of the same title helps make this a solid picture.

Overall, it's a great movie that although is head and shoulders above most scary movies, should be watched near Halloween. That's when I watched it and I can't imagine watching it at any other time of year.

#104 - Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

If you ever wondered if Elizabeth Taylor (may she rest in peace) was a truly good actress or just a pretty face, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? proves she was both. Her performance in this film is phenomenal as a woman who love/hates her husband. Without giving much away, her Oscar was well-deserved.

This film is absolutely riveting as you watch Taylor and Richard Burton (who were married in real-life) as George and Martha play these games and "terrorize" a young married couple they weave into their messed up web. The movie is just these 2 couples for 134 min. but as I said is absolutely riveting. Sometimes it gets uncomfortable, and yet you'll continue to watch. You want to find out what happens next

Young adults like me may watch this movie and totally get cold feet about ever getting married because this movie seems like it's really happening in front of you (without credits, a cast, or crew), you feel like you are watching a real-life marriage self-implode.

BTW, the secret at the end about George and Martha's son will leave you with your mouth wide open.

#103 - Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Steven Spielberg is in my opinion a master when it comes to making 2 kinds of movies: those about war and those about beings from another world. The special effects in Close Encounters are great, but it's the plight of the people that grabs you.In this movie, we relate to the ordinary people who are experiencing something extraordinary because each character reacts in a unique way to what has happened. We sympathize and understand why they feel that way. Like much of Spielberg's work its a beautifully shot film (here by amazing cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond) and feature iconic images that become etched in your brain.

This film features a great score from John Williams that only adds to the pictures breathtaking imagery and emotional story, and overall impact. It's a movie that will stay with you long after you've removed the disc from your player.

#102 - Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?

This movie is epic, there's just no other way to describe it. It pits two screen divas against one another in an all-out cat fight, possibly the best, contentious chick battle ever put on film.

In this picture, Joan Crawford (surprisingly, playing the sympathetic sister) is a wheel-chair bound woman who is "at the mercy" of her absolutely insane sister played by Bette Davis.

I don't want to give away any of the plot because it's just so well told and it would ruin the surprise revelation that comes toward the end. This film is creepy but, fun. I watched it with one of my good friends and she and I had a great time watching these two divas going toe to toe as they "poured venom on one another."

It's a spectacular film. My friend and I speculated if they did a remake which two big-time actresses would they cast. My vote: Meryl Streep and Glenn Close.

#101 - Great Expectations

Like a lot of books to screen films this one is not as interesting or enjoyable when put on screen as it was on the page. What is good about it is that this movie adaptation of Great Expectations was very faithful to the book, however, it doesn't quite translate to the screen because it doesn't retain it's energy, and the film is flatter than the text on the page.

In addition, the performances were not attention grabbing and were rather stilted. They didn't bring the characters to life and I feel that when I was reading the book that my imaging of the characters in my head was more satisfying than the movie's portrayal.

This movie plodded along, and was rather boring. When I read the book I found the story riveting and a real page turner. When I read the story it flew by, but when I watched the movie it felt like it took forever to be over.

#99 & #100 - Captain Blood/The Adventures of Robin Hood

Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, and Basil Rathbone star in these two swashbuckling adventures that set a template or formula for all swashbuckling adventures to follow.

Captain Blood came first in 1935 and marked the first time Flynn and de Havilland were paired up. Both of them have classic good looks to spare and have fantastic chemistry. They seem natural and believable as love interests. As for Basil Rathbone, he is awesome as Flynn's adversary. He sets an example of what the "bad-guy" should be like.

As 1001 perfectly puts it: "This movie has everything you want from a swashbuckler: sea battles, and flashing blades, a dashing hero, an imperiled but plucky heroine, cutthroats, plumed hats, wrongs rights....it's super fun."



If you enjoy Captain Blood then watch The Adventures of Robin Hood. Flynn, de Havilland, and Rathbone are together in another enjoyable, fantastic, and fun "swashbuckler, costume romance."

Flynn is perfect as Robin Hood: handsome, athletic, and as 1001 says,"a light-hearted trickster one moment and a determined rebel the next." De Havilland is gorgeous and perfectly cast as the fairest lady in the land Marian. As in Captain Blood, the chemistry between her and Flynn is undeniable and watching them flirt with one another is so much fun. Basil Rathbone brings his evil "A" game as Sir Guy of Gisbourne.

This movie is a delightful adventure full of "sword-clashing and arrow-shooting battles" with a love story in between. Like Captain Blood, "it's super fun."

#98 - Philadelphia

This film is beautiful. It is artful, touching and entertaining. I may be a bit bias b/c I have spent a lot of time in Philly but, I found this to be one of the best films that takes place in Philly that I've seen.

For it's time "Philadelphia" was a revolutionary film. It was the first mainstream movie to tackle the subject of AIDS. In this picture, "Tom Hanks stars as Andrew Beckett, a homosexual Philadelphian lawyer who is fired by his firm after they discover he has AIDS. They claim to have fired him for being incompetent at work and so Andrew hires a homophobic, hotshot lawyer Joe Miller (Denzel Washington) who harbors many misconceptions about the disease."
(pg. 821)

From the 1st minute this film grabbed me. The opening scene/credit sequence is one of the most well-done credit sequences I've seen. As the credits roll, the viewer is treated to different views of the people, places, and well, the streets of Philadelphia. The sequence isn't just a treat for the eyes but a delight for the ears. As you see the sights of Philadelphia, Bruce Springsteen's beautiful song "The Streets of Philadelphia" serenades you. The opening is a perfect introduction for this film.

But, the greatness doesn't end after this opening sequence. This movie continues to be great all the way to the end. First, the performances are excellent and make you believe you are watching real life. Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington are magnificent. Casting or having a strong casting director working for him seems to be one of director Jonathan Demme's strengths. In one of Demme's more recent movies "Rachel Getting Married" the characters also seem real and are relatable. You feel like you know them and therefore care about them.

What also makes this movie so watchable is how it was shot. A majority of the time in this film is spent in the Philly Courthouse (Trivia: The courtroom scenes were filmed in an actual courtroom that the city let the producers used. It was not a set.) You'd think this would get repetitive & boring. However, it never does. Demme has us enter the courthouse from different vantage points, shows us different point of views in each scene, and keeps the dialogue interesting. The dialogue is mixed with emotion and humor that help advance the plot.

Another thing I like about how Demme shoots his movies is how he focuses close-up on people's faces and lingers on them. He allows the characters to use expressions or body language to convey emotion without telling us how they feel all the time. It gives the audience a richer and more intimate experience that helps make Philadelphia a very moving picture.

Philadelphia and Rachel Getting Married are two movies that caused me to get emotional b/c they had very relatable, flawed characters who just want to be loved for who they are, flaws and all.