Nobody's perfect. There was never a perfect person around. You just have half-angel and half-devil in you.

The story is set in 1916 (the film shows a 1916 newspaper, and a scene late in the film shows American soldiers headed off for World War I). Bill (Gere), a Chicago manual laborer, knocks down and kills a boss in the steel mill where he works. He flees to the Texas Panhandle with his girlfriend Abby (Adams) and younger sister Linda (Manz). Bill and Abby pretend to be siblings to prevent gossip.
The three hire on as part of a large group of seasonal workers with a rich, shy rancher (Shepard). Although he is young, he learns he is dying of an unspecified disease. When the rancher falls in love with Abby, Bill encourages her to marry him so that they can inherit his money after he dies. The marriage takes place and Bill stays at the ranch as Abby's "brother." The farmer's foreman, Robert Wilke, suspects their scheme. The rancher's health unexpectedly remains stable, foiling Bill's plans.


Eventually, the farmer discovers Bill's true relationship with Abby. At the same time, Abby has begun to fall in love with her new husband. The farmer goes after Bill with a gun, but Bill kills him. Although the killing was in self defense, due to the class difference between them and the fact that Bill and Abby had started a scam on the farmer, he fears being charged as a murderer if caught. Bill and the women escape. The foreman Wilke puts the police on their trail, and the police kill Bill in the hunt. Abby leaves Linda at a boarding school and goes off on her own.



In my early years of watching and studying film, this was the first film that made me love film as much as I do. I saw the scene you see below in a documentary called Visions of Light: The Art of Cinematography. In this film the they talk about great ways of visual expression and one of the scenes they show is the picture below. The music of Leo Kottke, one of my favorites, is playing why they cross that bridge. The scene in the film is short, but totally breathtaking. I did not know much of the film then. I got a whisper in my ear about the film and had to see it for myself. It was a good idea to to watch that film. It now is one of my favorite films of all time and to me the best of Terrence Malick career.


I continued watching this documentary and realized there are films in here I needed to see. The film opened my eyes to so much out there. I realized also that my film obsession would need to grow. True, I liked a few classic films at that time, but I did not realize that I need to watch more films and get better knowledge on the films I loved. As the friend who came with me pointed out to me she asked me why do I like these films. Is it the acting? Is it the story? Is it the way the film is presented? After watching the documentary I changed my film outlook. This gave me ideas that there are films out there that I should see and films of today needed to part of that example. There were very few at the time that I could actually say I loved. It got a bit better over time, but my scope of films had to follow some kind of criteria. Classic, great contemporary, among other things was what I needed to follow.


Film was always good, but after watching Days of Heaven it was so much better. The film turned my idea of what film was. It did not have to be simple, but the complex could work so well and the story had to be better then most. With my great love of film I realized I had to keep some of these films at high expectations. I now and used to look for a good film to go see. I needed to be engaged in the film and also like what the film is about. I don't often go to the movies because I look for one that make me learn and understand how great films are made.

I even stopped going to my local theater and went to the local art house or college movie theater to check out the classics. If you need to find a film that has these qualities then look no further. Days of Heaven is quite amazing. It's a movie that needs to be scene for all it's great visual mastery. I suggest you go as soon as you can whatever way you get your movies and check it out. Enjoy this classic.

"This life's hard, man, but it's harder if you're stupid!"

Eddie Coyle is an aging, low-level gunrunner for a crime organization in Boston Massachusetts. He is facing several years in prison for a truck hijacking in New Hampshire set up by Dillon, who owns a local bar. Coyle's last chance is a sentencing recommendation from a ATF agent, Dave Foley, who demands that Coyle become a confidential informant in return.

A gang led by Jimmy Scalise and Artie Van has been pulling a series of robberies in broad daylight at local banks, Coyle having supplied them with guns. Another gun runner, Jackie Brown, is in popular demand. Coyle wants to buy more pistols from him while a younger couple is shopping for machine guns.

Jackie goes to great lengths to get Coyle what he needs. Coyle delivers the guns to Scalise, but then he offers to set up Jackie for the cop Foley to avoid jail. In a train station's parking lot, waiting to sell his machine guns, Jackie is apprehended by Foley's men.

Coyle feels he has fulfilled his end of the deal. Foley, though, claims it still is not enough. He wants more or else it is prison for Coyle. In desperation, Coyle agrees to inform on his friends Scalise and Van as they prepare to pull off their next bank job, but it turns out Foley already has inside information and has caught them in the act. The mob thinks that Coyle was the snitch. They assign his friend, Dillon, to kill him. Before carrying out his orders, Dillon treats his friend to a night on the town, taking him to dinner and a Boston Bruins hockey game.

I was introduced to this Film when I was in high school. I was in a class that had to read a book I really did not want to read. It was an assignment from a teacher I really did not care to listen to. I was mumbling one day to one of my other teachers mentioning to him how does this book we are reading have to do with the class that I am taking. The teacher asked me about the book I was reading. I told him that the book is not that great and really not worth much in the way of reading. The teacher asked me if he could help. I told him, yea, find me a book worth reading and I will read that and write a paper on it. He laughed and the next day when I saw him he handed me a copy of Friends of Eddie Coyle. He even told me if I can find a copy on video of this film he be happy to see it again. That day in class the teacher came up to me and told me I had no right to ask for a book change. I told the teacher that I just complained about the subject matter and wanted a new book. It was the other teacher that gave me something better to read.

Over the course of that semester I read this Friends of Eddie Coyle and loved the story. Hunting down the movie took a bit more time. In the age before internet I had to ask my co-worker at the library and they had to go through a database that had all the public records of what each library owned. It was quite labor intensive. The co-worker found it and got it to my library. He told me I have three weeks with this video. One day I showed the copy to the teacher that wanted it and he told me that he will have it back in a few days. The few days came and went. No movie, yet. One day just before it was do he asked me to stay after school. I agreed to it and we watched the movie together. I could not believe my eyes on how great these characters where playing the roles they were assigned. The movie was like watching normal people act like normal every day lives. It was amazing to watch these actors do such a great job. He told me after watching the film, this is one of his favorite books and favorite films of all time. I could not agree more.



The book was a great read and I got an "A" on the paper because of my excitement and of course watching the film. The teacher finally realized that if you want to capture the attention of a student find someway that will interest them. I really liked this movie. I wanted my own copy of this film. One day that came true. I saw it on TV and I taped it. I could not believe that movie was on. I was excited to see it again and watch all the great acting that came with it. In the age of the DVD it became harder and harder to find it. Even when I was in college I was looking for it. I mentioned it to one of the film teachers and he loved the film too and yet no DVD.

2009 was a great year for DVD's because Friends of Eddie Coyle was finally going to be put out. I got the e-mail from Criterion that they were going to put it out. This excited me to no end. Finally I get to see the film again in sharp great picture and wonderful and subtle acting. This movie is a must watch. The movie set in some areas in and around Boston give a whole fresh feel to it. The movie is great and you should watch this too. Enjoy!!

Mister Hart, here is a dime. Take it, call your mother, and tell her there is serious doubt about you ever becoming a lawyer.

The story centers on Hart, a brilliant young law student from Minnesota who attends Harvard Law School and becomes obsessed with one of his teachers, Professor Charles W. Kingsfield, Jr. Hart becomes an expert on Kingsfield's subject, contracts; he reads everything about the subject, including all of Kingsfield's papers, most of which are not on the reading list. He goes so far as to break into the law library to read Kingsfield's original law school notes. Hart becomes such an expert that Kingsfield asks him to contribute to a paper.

At the same time, he begins a relationship with Susan Field, who turns out to be Kingsfield's daughter. Susan stands aloof from the law-school rat-race and dismisses all the things Hart cares about most.

At the end of the term, Professor Kingsfield really means something to his students, but he still does not know their names. For him, the class is only a group of people, the students simply names on a paper. He does not even recognize Hart after several encounters and classroom debates. After one incident, wherein Kingsfield asks Hart to leave the class, Hart says in front of the lecture hall, "You are a son of a bitch, Kingsfield."

After much effort preparing for the final exam, Hart's grade is delivered to him, but he simply makes a paper airplane out of his final report card, and sends it sailing into the Atlantic Ocean without looking at it.

I saw this movie on TCM one night and really thought it was well done. It is a great movie to show would be lawyers who are about to go to law school or even ready to pass the bar to become one. The movie is well written and has a nice side plot of a love story. The greatness of this film is it's like other films I like. The era of this film is why I really like watching films. I think re-watching a film like this gives you a feel of how great films like this from 1973 should be. Even some the authenticity of the behind the scenes of going to law school and studying for those dreadfully hard tests show in the film.

I know three friends who are lawyers and let me tell you, all three have seen the film and love how great film shows how some law professors are that way in real life. I would recommend to any film buff or anyone who wants to get into law. Hope this film will have you enjoy what goes on behind the scenes of what it is like to be a lawyer. Enjoy!

You sell whatever you want, but don't sell it here tonight.

Ambitious politician Walter Chalmers is holding a Senate subcommittee hearing in San Francisco on Organized Crime in America. To improve his political standing, Chalmers hopes to bring down mobster Pete Ross with the aid of key witness Johnny Ross, Pete's brother. Bullitt takes place the weekend before the hearing, from Friday night (during the opening credits) to Sunday night. Following the theft of $2,000,000, and his escape to San Francisco Johnny is placed in the San Francisco police custody for the weekend. Chalmers requests Lieutenant Frank Bullitt's unit to guard him.

Bullitt, Sergeant Delgetti, and Detective Carl Stanton give Ross around-the-clock protection at the Hotel Daniels, a cheap flophouse near the freeway. Late Saturday night, a pair of hitmen burst into the room and shoot both Inspector Stanton and Ross, seriously wounding them both. Bullitt wants to investigate who shot the pair and find the Mafia boss who ordered the hit. Chalmers attempts to shift blame on to Bullitt and the San Francisco Police Department.



Ross subsequently dies of his wounds. Bullitt suppresses news of the death, asking Doctor Willard to misplace the chart and have the body placed in the morgue under a John Doe. Chalmers arrives at the hospital on Sunday morning and is angered that Ross has disappeared. He is further incensed when he and his police minder Captain Baker receive no help from Bullitt. Chalmers places pressure on Bullitt to produce Ross, to no effect.

Bullitt reconstructs Ross's movements, finding his way to a hotel where he finds a woman registered under the name Dorothy Simmons (Brandy Carroll). With the hearing the next day, Bullitt suspects the dead mobster may not be who he seems. After picking up his Ford Mustang Bullitt is tailed by the two hit-men, resulting in a famous car chase that ultimately kills the hit-men.

Back at the police station, Bullitt is interrogated, and is given until Monday morning to follow his remaining lead. He begins to investigate Simmons, but discovers that she has been murdered. Later, Bullitt and Delgetti learn that Simmons's true identity was Dorothy Rennick, and that the murdered man that they knew as Ross may in fact be her husband, Albert. Bullitt asks immigration for a copy of Mr. Rennick's passport, hoping to prove this theory.

Chalmers arrives at the morgue, demanding, from Bullitt, a signed admission that Ross died while in his custody. Bullitt refuses, producing a copy of the Rennicks' passport photos. Chalmers realizes his mistake upon seeing the couple's true identity: the murdered man was not Johnny Ross, but Albert Rennick. The real Ross set Rennick up in order to escape, then killed Rennick's wife to silence her. Chalmers later tries to smooth things over by offering Bullitt a chance to further his career, which Bullitt refuses on the spot, knowing how Chalmers operates. Based on clues in the Rennicks' luggage, Bullitt follows Ross to the airport, where he discovers the real Johnny Ross and pursues him. A stand-off ensues, with Bullitt eventually shooting and killing Ross.

My first viewing of Bullitt was when I was eleven years young. I was coming home from playing outside when my friend from up the street came over with his brand new VW GTI. I was much younger then this friend. He was actually ten years younger then my parents. The reason I called him a friend is because we both shared the love of cars. I would ride my bike past his house and he be outside with his two seat classic car washing it and detailing it. I loved that car. I always thought it was cool to see him work on it every weekend during the summer. He would take it out for it's usual route around the block and maybe to the store and back. One day he asked if I wanted to be his passenger. His wife always laughed at the car because it was not the hip car to have, but it was a car that actually was pretty cool.



He and I became friends. He told me all about classic muscle cars and also about the wonderful world of European classics. These cars all had a history and lore that would make the car fanatic that I am now. I loved everything about the stories of past cars he had. He even told stories to my father who also shared some of the same history. His VW GTI was a car that was not cool now (or maybe it was) but it was flashy and cool for me. It was quick, it made a unique sound compared to my parents wheels at the time and and was fast around the block. We would go to Lime Rock every year that I knew him. We did this for about six years till he moved away and got divorced. He kept the GTI for a while then bought an Alfa Romeo which I loved to death. It was sad to see him get divorced, and also to not see him again.

In the time I knew him, beside teaching me about cars he taught me about classic films with great cars in them. He told me about LeMans, Bullitt and Grand Prix. All classics in their own way. He always liked Bullitt because of it's famous chase scene in downtown San Francisco. It was that scene one day when he came over to pick me up my dad and him were watching. I caught the beginning of it on my dad's small TV. My friend telling my father about the time they saw it as a kid. My dad telling me and my friend that he saw it in the drive in. The chase scene was so great that my dad said all the cars at the drive in were stepping on their breaks. The stories they told about this film were great. I had to see it from beginning to end.



Every moment of the film was exceeding my expectations and I was having a blast reflecting on what makes older films such classic icons. This movie does that. It is part of every American Culture lore. Steve McQueen is in the world of acting one of the great of his time and all other chase scenes will be judged by the one in this film. Every once in a while I try to pick up something new in the film and here and there I do. It's the greatness of using San Fransisco as a character that makes the film. There is a few websites devoted to the areas that this film used and you should check it out.

This is one of my films I tell my friends to watch, so it's old and not new, but you know it's a film that just does a great job for it's time. It's classic beyond words. It's awesome and wonderful to watch and just see the actors play cool like it's no big thing. The music is pretty damn good too. it's the reason I like good movies with great music. I just wish you all could enjoy the pleasure of this film like me. Never saw it in the big screen I would love to see how it would be presented. Watch this and tell me what you think. The 1960's films were great for their time and this one is no different. Enjoy!!

How can you trust a man who wears both a belt and suspenders? The man can't even trust his own pants.

The main storyline revolves around a struggle for Sweetwater, a piece of land near Flagstone containing the region's only water source. The land was bought by Brett McBain, who foresaw that the railroad would have to pass through that area to provide water for the steam engines that power the locomotives. When railroad tycoon Morton learns of this, he sends his hired gun Frank (Fonda) to intimidate McBain, and Frank kills McBain and his three children, planting evidence on the scene to frame the bandit Cheyenne (Robards) and his gang. By the time McBain's new bride, Jill (Cardinale), arrives from New Orleans,the family is dead and she is the owner of the land.

Meanwhile, a mysterious harmonica playing gunman (Bronson), whom Cheyenne later dubs "Harmonica", pursues Frank. In the film's opening scene, Harmonica kills three men sent by Frank to kill him, and, in a roadhouse on the way to Sweetwater, he informs Cheyenne that the three gunfighters he killed appeared to be posing as Cheyenne's men. Sometime later, Harmonica kills two men sent by Frank to kill Jill. Back at Sweetwater, construction materials are delivered to build a railroad station and a small town. Harmonica explains to Cheyenne that Jill will lose Sweetwater unless the station is built by the time the track's construction crews reach that point, and Cheyenne puts his men to work building it.



Meanwhile, Frank turns against Morton, who wanted to make a deal with Jill. Frank's betrayal is made easy by the fact that Morton is crippled. After having his way with her, Frank forces Jill to sell the property in an auction. He tries to buy the farm cheaply by intimidating the other bidders, but Harmonica arrives, holding Cheyenne at gunpoint, and makes a much higher bid based on his reward money for delivering Cheyenne to the authorities. After rebuffing another intimidation attempt by Frank, Harmonica sells the farm back to Jill. At this point, some of Frank's men try to kill Frank, having been paid by Morton to turn against him, but Harmonica helps Frank kill them in order to save that privilege for himself.

After Morton and the rest of Frank's men are killed in a battle with Cheyenne's gang, Frank goes to Sweetwater to confront Harmonica. On two occasions, Frank has asked Harmonica who he is, but both times Harmonica refused to answer him. Instead, he mysteriously quoted names of men Frank has murdered. The two men position themselves for a duel, at which point Harmonica's motive for revenge is revealed in a flashback: When Harmonica was a boy, Frank killed his older brother by tying a noose to the top of an arch, placing it around the brother's neck, and forcing Harmonica to support his brother on his shoulders with a harmonica in his mouth. Harmonica draws first and shoots Frank, and when Frank again asks who he is, he puts the harmonica in Frank's mouth. Frank nods weakly in recognition and dies.

With Frank dead, Harmonica and Cheyenne say goodbye to Jill, who is supervising construction of the train station as the track-laying crews reach Sweetwater. Cheyenne collapses almost immediately, revealing that he was shot by Morton while he and his men were fighting Frank's gang. The work train arrives, and the film ends as Jill carries water to the rail workers and Harmonica rides off with Cheyenne's body towards the horizon.

I was a High School Junior when I took a video editing class that allowed us to make videos and edit them to certain length. We also were allowed to the the video cameras out of class and do projects and have them at a desired length of what the teacher wanted. These big video cameras were used around school to do all sorts of projects by other students for other classes. An example we had a student who was sick for part of the year at their home and we set up a camera and had the cable company run a feed to the cable company and then to a public access station that would let the student see the class at their house and hear the teachers lecture in class. At the end of the week someone would pick up and hand the assignments in. It was quite revolutionary for it's time.

One day I wanted to do some extra credit. I asked the teacher for this idea I wanted to practice editing commercials out of a film. The teacher knew I had an eye for good editing and his choice for a film was Once Upon A Time In The West. He told me he has rarely seen it on TV and it was going to be on the upcoming weekend and he wanted me to tape it and bring into class and edit the film minus the commercials.



The teacher told me that he saw the film back in the day on the big screen and loved it. I did not know much about the film when I was told about it. After watching the film at home while taping it I could see why. The film was visually wonderful. The acting was top notch and the action was great as well. When I brought the video to school I went to tell the teacher that I really liked the film and looked forward to editing the commercials out of it. The film ran three and half hours with commercials. I had to edit about a half an hour of them. After I was done with the project I told the teacher that we should sit down and watch it and see how I did. When the project was complete the teacher told me that there was stuff missing that really change the movies intent. After a long while I finally saw the film and I could see all the stuff they edited out. The movie is a classic.



If you want to see a film that is a true classic western I suggest you start with this. It is raw and very good. Even Henry Fonda as one of the best villains it has really great cinematography. Sergio Leone did a wonderful job with the actors. Most of all the music of Ennio Morricone is really great. With the age of blue ray and with large televisions that are out there this film is one that should be shown in that format. I had the pleasure to see the film at a small cinema and was blown away on how it really is a great experience. Watch this and you will too. Enjoy!

"We're all out of cornflakes. F.U." Took me three hours to figure out F.U. was Felix Ungar!

Felix Ungar checks into a fleabag hotel room and attempts to kill himself by jumping out the window, but he can't get the window open and ends up pulling a muscle in his back. Limping back on the street he tries to get drunk and ends up hurting his neck when he throws down a shot. Finally, he stands on a bridge, contemplating jumping into the river.

Meanwhile, in the pig-sty Upper West Side Manhattan apartment of divorced sportswriter Oscar Madison; Meanwhile, in the pig-sty Upper West Side Manhattan apartment of divorced sportswriter Oscar Madison, Roy, Vinnie, and Murray the cop are playing poker and discussing their friend, Felix Ungar, who is unusually late to the game. Murray's wife calls and tells him that Felix and his wife Frances have split up. As they are discussing what to do, and worried that Felix might try to commit suicide, Felix arrives not knowing that his friends already know that his wife has kicked him out of the house.



Felix eventually breaks down crying and his friends try to console him. Oscar then suggests that Felix move in with him, since Oscar has lived alone since he split up with his own wife, Blanche, several months earlier. Felix agrees, and urges Oscar to not be shy about letting him know if he gets on Oscar's nerves.

The movie is a classic comedy. It's considered one of the best of it's genre. The movie still makes me laugh to this day with it's witty dialogue and really funny one liners. It was my first in the series of educational movies that I learned that writing is an art all in itself. Movies that are well written are usually the films I gravitate to because they really know how to make the character part of everyday life. I think I also like the film because the writing of Neil Simon is something of an American Treasure. Neil could write some of the best comedy there has ever been written.




The first time I saw the film was when I was a teenager and I never laughed so hard in my life. The wonderful and funny interaction between Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau was priceless. It was like they did not have to rehearse or any second takes of the scenes they were done with such great ease. It was not the only times they worked together, but it was the second film they stared together in film.



Looking for a laugh then I would make sure you don't pass this one up. Enjoy a film that will make you laugh and will also see inside the male mind of a neat freak and a messy freak. It might bring back memories of having a roommate yourself. After watching this film, like myself, you will be a fan of Neil Simon's writing. Enjoy!

Come on, read my future for me. You haven't got any. Hmm? What do you mean? Your future's all used up.

Mexican Narcotics officer Ramon Miguel 'Mike' Vargas has to interrupt his honeymoon on the Mexican-US border when an American building contractor is killed after someone places a bomb in his car. He's killed on the US side of the border but it's clear that the bomb was planted on the Mexican side. As a result, Vargas delays his return to Mexico City where he has been mounting a case against the Grandi family crime and narcotics syndicate. Police Captain Hank Quinlan is in charge on the US side and he soon has a suspect, a Mexican named Manolo Sanchez. Vargas is soon onto Quinlan and his Sergeant, Pete Menzies, when he catches them planting evidence to convict Sanchez. With his new American wife, Susie, safely tucked away in a hotel on the US side of the border - or so he thinks - he starts to review Quinlan's earlier cases. While concentrating on the corrupt policeman however, the Grandis have their own plans for Vargas and they start with his wife Susie.

I had more appreciation of Orson Wells after I saw Citizen Kane. I knew most of his story. I knew what his background was and even his gift of telling a great story. I wanted to know more about his films and his directorial efforts. His films were different and odd, but they told a well proven story that very few who can actually remake or redo. I liked the way Orson did thinks with such professionalism. His stuff was the making of a great legend. I wish I lived in the time that he was popular because I would have seen his films first run. Very few directors I can say that about and he is one of them.



I was at my local Art-House cinema one day checking out a John Sayles film when I was walking up the stairs from my seat when a friend who I have not seen in a while approached me with an film that was coming to the theater. He told me that it was wonderful to see me at the movie, but he told me that they are going to play a Film Noir tribute and wondered if I would love to come see them presented. I had some Film Noir in my collection like Laura, and Maltese Falcon. I did not know that there were other classics out there that had to be watched. My film education had to be expanded and I told him I would go to these films. They showed the two I mentioned above, but they also showed films I have never seen before. These are the films that I knew that I would love to this day. These films alone I was told will speak volumes in my learning about style and understanding the history of cinema.

The week long tribute of movies had a great impact on what I was learning about classic cinema. I saw styles and ideas that I don't think could ever be done this way again. Film is great because if the story is told really well, there is no reason to remake the film. There is a general consensus that these films are classic. There are a few that actually try to do the uneventful and sometimes they just don't have the same power or impact as the first. I have been a lobbyist for some 60's and 70's films of that idea. At the end of this week they debut a Orson Welles controversial film called Touch of Evil.



This film caught my eye because when I saw the trailer for during the week, it had an interesting twist. The movie had been been not to popular with the film audience and it was supposed to be never seen again. Welles viewed the new cut and wrote a 58-page memo to Universal's head of production, Edward Muhl, detailing what he thought needed to be done to make the film work. However, many of his suggestions went unheeded and Touch of Evil was eventually released in a version running 93 minutes. In the short of it there was a re-release of the film in the 70's and also at one point came out on video. In 1998 the restored one came out in select theaters and to this day is as close as Orson wanted. I watched this 1998 version with great interest. I thought what Orson wanted was amazing and well put together. I put it quickly on my tops of film likes and always wondered why the film world in 1958 did not like it. For more information the Wiki site on the movie is well done and presented to give you an idea about the background.

The film has special meaning to me because I like movies that have questioned for it's not so simple formula of being put out. I like films that question the very essence of movie making. Touch of Evil is a great film because Orson Welles acting is actually pretty damn good. It is a movie that has a good deal of small roles that actually add so much to a great piece of work. Don't take my word for it, I would check this film out. Classic!! Enjoy!!!

I cannot negotiate in an atmosphere of mistrust.

Wait Until Dark begins with a backbone to the story of which we are about to forge upon. As the film opens we see an old man splicing a doll with a knife; in many ways resembling how you would butcher and than carve out the organs of an animal, the organs being cotton in this case. Lacing the inside with heroin, the old man sows the doll back up and hands it to a gorgeous but antsy young lady by the name of Lisa (Samantha Jones). With the doll under her arm, Lisa quickly exits the building and takes a taxi to the nearest airport. Once there a strange man confronts her, but not before she was able to hand the doll off to Sam Hendrix (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) to watch over.

As the story progresses we come upon a young and very beautiful Susy Hendrix (Audrey Hepburn). Susy tragically lost her ability to see during an accident that graced her life in a prior time. Coping with the darkness of the world around her, Susy is lucky enough to have a loving husband guiding her a long the way, and even a rambunctious neighbor to assist with the grocery list. As time would turn out, the strange character Lisa ran into at the airport was actually a thief by the name of Roat (Alan Arkin) looking to get his chubby paws on the doll and the drugs. As it becomes clear who posses the doll, Roat turns up at the Hendrix’s home with two other crooks Carlino (Jack Weston) and Mike Talman (Richard Crenna), only to begin plotting a terrible scheme to retrieve the belongings.

Once night falls the crooks enter the house disguised as several cunning characters and begin to take advantage of poor Susy. Fearing for her life and the sake of her husbands she hides the doll and refuses to tell anyone where it is. As the crooks become more voracious and forceful, Susie’s only contention for survival is to fend for herself. Locked inside her own home, surrounded by the pitch black darkness, and inhaling the fumes from the gasoline splashed across the floor, she makes one last attempt to plea for her life, will she survive? Wait until dark to find out!



The first time I saw this movie was when I was in my mid twenties. I had a friend who loved the old classic films from the 50's and 60's. He told me that there were some movies that just screamed repeated viewings. He told me about how he could watch some of these films over and over and not get tired of the how fun some of those films were. He gave me a pile of videos to watch and over the course of the few weeks I would watch a film a night. I did not know where to start. He had so many great films and films I never heard of. I decided to watch Wait Until Dark. It was glad I got introduced to this film, because it is one classic that you cannot do without.

After watching the movie I was a bit shaken, but really enjoyed the way it was done. The music by Henry Mancini and the acting is pretty damn good. Based on a Fredrick Knott play which was pretty good. I asked my father about the film and he told me that he saw the movie in theaters and when he saw it, he loved it. He thought it was a very scary film. He told me that Alan Arkin's was the ultimate villein.



When the movie came out on DVD I picked it up and rewatched the film. I tell you it's just as good and scary as the first time I saw it. It's an underrated classic and I recommend this wonderful film. Check this film out and I know you will put this on your Halloween watch list for years to come. This film is great fun and you can see why Audry Hepburn was nominated for an Academy Award. Great film and don't get scared. Also, if you get it leave the lights off and watch in the dark, you will be glad you did. Enjoy!!!

What we see and what we seem are but a dream, a dream within a dream.

"On Saturday 14th Feburary 1900 a party of schoolgirls from Appleyard College picnicked at Hanging Rock near Mt. Macedon in the state of Victoria. During the afternoon several members of the party disappeared without a trace..."

This quote is taken from the opening of the film and tells that story that will have the cinema world spinning and putting Peter Weir's first film as a classic. It's one of the oddest first films for a director in my collection. The picture above was a movie poster at the theater I regularly go to. Walking out I spotted this and told my friend we have to come back when this is playing. Since I am a fan of Peter Weir I wanted to know more about the films I was not so familiar with, starting with this one. The quote also insists that this is based of fact, but the truth is it's based on a novel by Joan Lindsay.

This film was never introduced to the people in the United States until 1997 or so. I saw it at my local independent cinema that I always go to. The striking attractiveness of the young girl on the front of the poster (see above) got me to come to see the movie. The turnout for the film was actually quite impressive and I was surprised that films like this had a following or even a popularity. The Australian landscape made itself a character in the movie. In a cast of virtually unknowns to me each person played there roles quote well.



So here again is a bit of plot without giving it away. Picnic at Hanging Rock is about three virginal young women and a school mistress who, on Valentine's Day in 1900 disappear without a trace while on an expedition to a splendid outcropping called Hanging Rock. Whatever the origins the story provides Peter Weir with material for a kind of Australian horror-romance that recalls Nathaniel Hawthorne's preoccupation with the spiritual and moral heritage of his own New England landscape. The movie is comprised of clues. Its methods are illusory, not necessarily to trick us but to force us to use our imaginations.

The film also has this wonderful aware of showing a bunch of sexual longings everywhere: students for students, students for school mistress, school mistress for someone we don't even know and even the maid for the gardener. Peter Weir also provided us with a feeling that the rock that they go to on this hot day is alive. When four girls ignore all the warning signs we have they sense that they are being called. One chubby girl panics and runs back screaming back to the base of the rock. Later the report is true that four people have disappeared and the viewer, such as myself really wonders if this rock is really the culprit.



The film is well done and wonderfully rich with dialogue and great visuals of what Australia is known for. Take my word for it, the film is a classic. It's a film that begs to be looked at closer for it's film study. I just watched it the other day to remind me how great sometimes great directors first films are wonderful and creative. Enjoy this Australian film and you too will put Peter Weir on your films to watch list! Enjoy!

One man can change the world with a bullet in the right place.

"One man can change the world with a bullet in the right place." That line stuck with me from the very first time I saw If.... It's not hard to be attracted to this film. I mean the first time I saw this I was an impressionable young adult at the age of 18 seeing on of all channels Bravo. This is when Bravo actually had some quite interesting programming on TV. They would put on Films that never really hit the mainstream, but enough for people like me to soak up the films that I have never heard before or films that just hit that line of cult. On a typical week you could see films like If..., Night On Earth, Peeping Tom, and other great and strange odd things. Bravo also put on TV shows that I long to wish they were back on TV. Things like South Bank Show, or documentaries on the birth of Memphis or other unusual classic stuff.

My first time watching this film I was intrigued that it did not follow the formula I was taught. Movies back then to me were easy and the plots made sense of everything around the rest of the story. It was driving; point A to point B. It was what I thought a straight line. Little did I know that straight line took a lot of twists and turns before it got there. I always had the VCR rolling at home and looking for something that really made the grade. What was also cool about Bravo and AMC is their was no commercials like they have on their now. If there was, then they would only put on one or two just to give you a chance to catch your breath. If... was British, but that was okay by me. My world cinema was lacking and what I needed to is watch films outside the typical ones I knew.



If you asked me when I was eighteen what my favorite films were I would give you some really bad films. I mean what person in their right mind would think all the Police Academy are essential viewing. Even contemporary films like Lethal Weapon series are gold to me. I really liked films that really had no business liking good films, but Bravo, and AMC and especially If... changed my viewing landscape. Taking a few film classes and talking to the right people who loved Cinema also helped too. Every day I come to class with a notepad of what I should see and watch. This is way before DVD or Netflix and I would come home with about a dozen or so films to borrow from the library or video store.



During this learning experience I even asked my best friend who was getting a degree in Theater what I should watch and he gave me a few ideas what to see and pay close attention to. His films were mostly American films like Diner, Bullitt, Godfather, Dog Day Afternoon and others. I needed to find stuff that would capture my interest and make me remember that I can show off these films to a teacher or a friend and tell them how great they are. It is good in conversation that you like these films because one day it actually gets someone's attention that has the same appreciation as you do.

So, my first film has a simple title, but not a so simple plot. The movie is called If.... The movie is Lindsay Anderson's second full length film, but film debut of one Malcolm McDowell. It caught the attention of great film director Stanley Kubrick who was so engrossed with Malcolm's lead in the film that he cast him in A Clockwork Orange. Malcolm and his friends in the film are very rebellious and they have a plan to change the ridged ways of the school they are attending. There are certain parts that are in black and white, and rumors still surface that it was done intentionally or as Lindsay told everybody "I ran out of colour stock." I would tell you more, but then I would have to kill you. The movie finally made a DVD appearance in 2007 to much of my happiness.



The movie is a must own and worth every penny to study and talk about. Criterion did a wonderful job of restoring it to it's great luster and added a wonderful second DVD with great bonus material. After watching this film I'm sure you will be dying to see what other classic gems I will have up my sleeve. Take a time to watch. And....Action!!