[REVIEWS] Film: Classics

I find cinematic classics are a lot like literary classics. Everyone (within reason) knows the general story, can reference them, and maybe even quote them. But relatively few people have actually taken the time to actually personally experience them. I thought it was about time to remedy a few such cases, personally, so this batch is full of movies that Netflix called "Classics."




Singin' in the Rain (1952)

Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O'Connor combine their talents in one of the best musicals ever made. When Hollywood attempts the transition from silent movies to talkies, matinee idol Kelly hopes to make the cut. Jean Hagen stands out as a silent movie queen with a fingernails-on-a-blackboard voice. Musical fare includes "Good Morning," "Make 'Em Laugh" and the title tune.

I watched this three times in a row before sending it back. I think that pretty adequately sums up how much I like it and recommend it to anyone who hasn't already seen it. If I say any more, it'll just be squeeing and arm-flapping, so I'll leave it at that. XD [Rating: 5 stars]



Cabaret (1972)

Prewar Berlin's debauchery and turbulence is chronicled through the perspective of a British scribe (Michael York) and his comrades, among them flamboyant American nightclub entertainer Sally Bowles (Liza Minnelli). Existing in a morally ambiguous void, they doggedly maintain their façades as the world outside the cabaret gears for war. Director Bob Fosse uses the kitsch cabaret to reflect German society as it shifts from hedonism to Hitlerism.

How fucking adorable is Michael York? Really fucking adorable. I still lost interest quite a while before the end, though. I just can't take Liza Minnelli seriously, and I don't know exactly why. I pretty much only paid attention when Joel Grey was on screen for the last half. Heh. [Rating: 1.5 stars]



Citizen Kane (1941)

Orson Welles reinvented movies at the age of 26 with this audacious biography of newspaper baron Charles Foster Kane (in essence, a thinly veiled portrait of publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst), who rises from poverty to become one of America's most influential men. A complex and technically stunning film, Citizen Kane is considered one of the best movies ever made.

So many things reference/spoof this movie that I just couldn't take it seriously. It's a very good film! I just... hahahaha I couldn't help it. I LOLed. Often. The end seriously cracked me up. D: [Rating: 3 stars]



Casablanca (1942)

Of all the "gin joints" in Morocco, Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), with husband Victor (Paul Henreid) in tow, had to walk into the one owned by Rick (Humphrey Bogart), a former beau she abandoned in Paris. War looms over them all, and in a much-discussed ending, Rick and Ilsa make heroic but heartbreaking choices. As time goes by, director Michael Curtiz's 1942 classic war noir only gets better. Peter Lorre and Claude Rains also star.

I've never really quite understood the hype of Casablanca. I was probably ten or so when I saw it, so I figured I ought to give it another shot now. Alas, I still don't really understand the hype. I mean, I like it. It is a really good film. Just... I don't know. I'm not as enthusiastic about it as a lot of people seem to be. [Rating: 3 stars]



What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)

In this Grand Guignol chiller, Hudson sisters Jane (Bette Davis) and Blanche (Joan Crawford), both aging actresses, share a rotting Los Angeles mansion. Jane, once a vaudeville headliner, has seen her career wane while her sibling's star soared. A devastating car crash -- blamed on a drunken, green-eyed Jane -- leaves Blanche wheelchair-bound, and the increasingly psychotic Jane seizes the chance to settle the score and plot her showbiz comeback.

I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected to. It alternated between LOL-worthy (sometimes it was so camp that made me absolutely snort, which was kind of painful thanks to my current sinus infection) and really kind of horrifying. Overall, I must say, it's one of the most chilling stories I've ever been told. But, then, psychological horror/thrillers/dramas have always scared me more than any other sort. I especially loved the music -- all the variations on the song Baby Jane sings in the beginning. ♥ [Rating: 3 stars]



Freaks (1932)

Director Tod Browning cast authentic circus folk, not actors, in this Greek tragedy about sideshow "freaks." Normal-sized trapeze artist Cleopatra (Olga Baclanova) marries diminutive Hans (Harry Earles) with plans to poison him, take his inheritance and marry the brute Hercules (Henry Victor). When the freaks uncover Cleopatra's scheme and Hercules forces himself on an innocent girl, they gang up on the two miscreants. Wallace Ford also stars.

I've always found sideshow stuff really fascinating, so I'm not exactly sure why I didn't get my hands on this sooner. I'd seen bits and pieces of it over the years but I never managed to catch the whole thing at once before. Now it's on my DVD wishlist because I thought it was absolutely fantastic. It makes me wish I'd been around in the 30s to see it when it was brand new. But ... hahaha ... dude. Even in the world of "freaks," the intersexual gets picked on. :: facepalm :: Anyway, great film! I watched it twice in a row! Everyone should see it! [Rating: 4.5 stars]