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All in Drama
This week, we watch the sprawling tale of what it was like to be a kid in the rural South in the 30s. This film has some of the best acting in an older film we’ve seen, and the film remains an amazingly moral tale about what it takes to stand up for a cause and defend all human rights equally. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), directed by Robert Mulligan.
This week, we watch a film that combines romantic drama and science fiction in a very unique way. Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet each give their career best performances, bringing dramatic weight into a story that could be classified as fantasy, and making the relationship between Joel and Clementine relatable and heartbreaking. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), directed by Michel Gondry.
This week, we watch the fictional story about the real musical genius, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. This film is remembered for its performances and its period piece elements, with real locations throughout the majority of the movie, and ridiculous costumes at every turn. If you can get past his laugh, this one is a classic. Amadeus (1984), directed by Milos Forman.
This week, we watch Stanley Kubrick’s take on the Vietnam War. Instead of being a rehash of the ideas explored in the many other war films made by the time of its release, Kubrick focuses on the human aspect of turning men violent. The result is an extremely tense and unpleasant viewing experience that many veterans claim is the closest a film has come to realistically portraying what being sent to war is like. Full Metal Jacket (1987), directed by Stanley Kubrick.
This week, we watch the best picture winning film about two Con-Artists going in together to pull off a huge grift. Those two men happen to be Paul Newman and Robert Redford. The Duo’s on-screen charisma shines yet again, and while it might not be setting out to do anything but entertain, it does so in spades, and amounts to a ride worth taking. The Sting (1973), directed by George Roy Hill.
This week, we watch the most polarizing science fiction film of all time. Famous for it’s slow pacing, heady ideas, and mind-bending visuals, this film has not aged since it’s release over 50 years ago. It inspired all visually based movies after it, from Star Wars to Interstellar, and other art forms as well (David Bowie owes his career to a viewing of this film). 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), directed by Stanley Kubrick.
This week, we watch the Italian Neorealism film classic that is named by many to be the single greatest film ever made. We don’t get it. Bicycle Thieves (1948), directed by Vittorio De Sica.
This week, we watch the classic musical about the movie industry’s shift to ‘talkies’. While there are stories of Gene Kelly being hard to deal with on set, there’s no question that he brings the best out of the whole cast. And despite the films age, its still hilarious. Singin’ in the Rain (1952), directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen.
This week, we watch the film that just won Best Picture at the Oscar’s (as well as Best Director, Best Writing, and best Foreign Picture). It is also currently very high on the IMDB top 250 list. We couldn’t recommend this movie enough, and we highly recommend watching it without watching a trailer or reading about it. Parasite (2019), directed by Bong Joon-ho.
This week, we watch the Lock, Stock……and Two Smoking Barrels: Part 2. This time with Brad Pitt. It’s probably a good time to make sure your subtitles button works. Snatch (2000), directed by Guy Richie.
This week, Tarantino rewrites history for the first time in his action/fantasy tale about Nazi’s screening a film in a movie theater, and the surrounding plans to kill Hitler and his top advisers. Utilizing his powers of dialogue and quick, brutal violence, Quentin weaves together five chapters of tense and hilarious character interactions. And you know something, Utivich? I think this just might be his masterpiece. Inglourious Basterds (2009), directed by Quentin Tarantino.
This week, we watch the oldest film on the list! Charlie Chaplin’s big screen debut. He writes, directs, acts, and composes music for this timeless comedy, which somehow still made us laugh throughout the short run time, despite being nearly 100 years old. The Kid (1921), directed by Charles Chaplin.
This week, we watch Russell Crowe and Guy Pierce in their first Hollywood roles. Both actors drop their Australian accents for this modern take on the Noir genre. Gone are the hard shadows and silly voices of the genre’s classics, but the numerous locations and plot twists remain. LA Confidential (1997), directed by Curtis Hanson.
This week, we watch the controversial Netflix best picture hopeful that reunites De Niro and Scorsese, De Niro and Pacino, De Niro and Pesci, De Niro and Keitel… you might want to call it a 3.5 hour reunion tour from Scorsese, but the emotional retrospective weight of the characters makes this one of the most impactful of all his films. The Irishman (2019), directed by Martin Scorsese.
This week, we watch the film that broke Japanese cinema onto the worlds stage. Revolutionary for its time, its non-linear story telling has influenced not only film, but criminal psychology as well, as lawyers and academics alike have referenced the theories presented here for the past 70 years. Rashomon (1950), directed by Akira Kurosawa.
This week, we watch a pushover accountant let his work superiors use his apartment to sleep with their mistresses. He is also falling for the elevator girl, who is sleeping with his new boss. Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine are fantastic as the leads, and they guide the story from comedy to drama and back again flawlessly. The Apartment (1960), directed by Billy Wilder.
This week, we watch the story of Tony Montana, a cuban refugee who builds an empire from blood and cocaine. Al Pacino’s performance is memorable, lastingly quotable, and somewhat off the rails. He also sacrificed his nostrils health by snorting large amounts of powdered milk. Scarface (1983), directed by Brian De Palma.
This week, we watch the Indian film that broke through to Chinese audiences for the first time, with positive messages on education, pressure, choice, marriage, and suicide. This film successfully tackles very serious topics, while remaining funny for its nearly 3 hour runtime. Aamir Khan steals the show as Rancho. All is well! 3 Idiots (2009), directed by Rajkumar Hirani.
