So, not too long ago, I had this genius idea: I would get stoned and watch films that were CERTAIN to be offbeat. I would watch films that were either “stoner films” or I would watch films that were bizarre or ridiculous to watch even sober. Surely, the marijuana would enhance that bizarreness. After all, I live in a state where it’s legal. And, sure as … Continue reading Power Rangers (2017): A High Thoughts Revue
Something important to know about me: the Scream series is one of my all-time favorites. The first film is unmatched, in my opinion. The second and third films are a bit dated, but still good. The fourth one still had to same feeling as the films before it. So, that’s where my expectations were. And the 2022 Scream did not disappoint. An absolute love letter to the … Continue reading Scream (2022): For Wes
An ex-prize fighter turned New Jersey longshoreman struggles to stand up to his corrupt union bosses, including his older brother, as he starts to connect with the grieving sister of one of the syndicate’s victims. I tell you what, we just don’t get the same cattiness from filmmakers like we did in the 50s and 60s. Elia Kazan made On the Waterfront as a direct response … Continue reading 19. On the Waterfront (1954)
Some filmmaker, at some point in time, will make a great film about the lives of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, because this one was a miss. That’s not to say that it’s bad, because it isn’t. It’s just not great. And the reasons for that seem to be endless. The biggest thing Being the Ricardo’s has going against it is its casting. From the moment … Continue reading Being the Ricardos (2021)
An angel is sent from Heaven to help a desperately frustrated businessman by showing him what life would have been like if he had never existed. I thought it was very poetic that my watch day for It’s a Wonderful Life just happened to land on Christmas eve, the night that my father and I would always have a viewing of this film. For those that … Continue reading 20. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946 )
After two male musicians witness a mob hit, they flee the state in an all-female band disguised as women, but further complications set in. Some Like it Hot, written and directed by the great Billy Wilder, is, in fact, one of my favorite films. However, I’m trying to figure out how the film has aged. I’m trying to figure out if this classic romantic comedy … Continue reading 22. Some Like it Hot (1959)
An Oklahoma family driven off their farm by the poverty and hopelessness of the Dust Bowl joins the westward migration to California, suffering the misfortunes of the homeless in the Great Depression. Don’t you hate it when a movie made in the 1940s is still relevant 81 years later? The Grapes of Wrath starred Henry Fonda, Jane Darwell and Russell Simpson as members of the Joad … Continue reading 23. The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
A troubled child summons the courage to help a friendly alien escape Earth and return to his home world. The first note that I wrote down while watching this film was “why this Spielberg movie? What sets this one apart?” I was truly troubled by this. Don’t get me wrong; this film holds a special place in my heart. I saw it when I was … Continue reading 24. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
A naive man is appointed to fill a vacancy in the United States Senate. His plans promptly collide with political corruption, but he doesn’t back down. Screenplay by Sidney Buchman, directed by Frank Capra and starring James Stewart, Jean Arthur and Claude Rains, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is still as relevant today as it was in 1939. Honestly, it’s probably more relevant now than … Continue reading 26. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
A town Marshal, despite the disagreements of his newlywed bride and the townspeople around him, must face a gang of deadly killers alone at high noon when the gang leader, an outlaw he sent up years ago, arrives on the noon train. By now we should all know my stance on Westerns and how I feel about so many of them being on the AFI … Continue reading 27. High Noon (1952)
