Juli's Cinema Spot

There is a treasure of a movie hiding at your nearest library or video store. That is, The Treasure of Sierra Madre , number 30 on the AFI list. In the basic storyline, an American down on his luck entes a lottery. He wins and is now able to afford equipment to go hunting for gold with a friend of his. They are led by a guide named Howard. About thirty minutes in, I began to wonder if he was trustworthy. In fact, can any of the trust each others? To find out the answer and learn what happens next, you'll have to watch the movie. There is lots of suspense, fights, and gunfighte. All the makings of a great action movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat. This one gets a two thumbs up.

Number 37 on the AFI list is The Best Years of Our Lives . It tells the story of three men returning from war wondering what life will be like for them now. It reminds me of a number of books I've read lately, but I digress. The cinematography in this movie was very good. In the opening scenes, there were quite a lot of camera shots from the point of view of the guys. This lets you see their hometown from their point of view, which reveals quite a bit about the characters themselves. The central theme of this movie seems to be that you can't go home again because something always changes once you leave. Home is never the place you left. For once we have a movie that doesn't romanticize war. Though I'm not a big war movie fan, so maybe there are others out there. Please comment and let me know. Myrna Loy is one of my favorite actresses, so she made the movie enjoyable. We watched this movie back in August and her performance is the only one I still remember. I know AFI r...

I'm glad my husband and I made the rule that we aren't allowed to multitask while watching these movies because this was the first time I'd ever really sat down and watched It's a Wonderful Life in its entirety. AFI rated this one as number 11 on their top 100 list, but I definitely think it belongs in the top ten. Jimmy Stewart, ah Jimmy Stewart. I think I mentioned at one time that Stewart is one of my favorite actors, didn't I? I can't picture anyone else as George Bailey. The dance scene at the high school and when he walks Mary home have got to be my favorite scenes in the movie. Frank Capra called this his favorite film. It's another movie that pays tribute to the human spirit and the importance each peoson plays in the lives of their friends and families. The dvd has a neat "making of" documentar in teh special features and aa personal rememberance featuring interview clips with Frank Capra and Jimmy Stewart. This movie definitely gets a tw...

I'm finally getting around to posting my review of movies my husband and I watched way back in July and August. I'm staring here with Double Indemnity starring Barbara Stanwyck and Fred Macmurray, directed by Billy Wilder. This one made number 38 on the list. "Aah, the things we do for love" was the thought that occurred to me while watching this movie. It also occurred to me that we never really know what people are capable of. The human spirit, both the good deeds people do and the harsh, hard hearted things they do surprise me all the time. It was interesting to see Fred Macmurray in a different role than the father on My Three Sons. Barbara Stanwyck also did a remarkable job as Mrs. Diedrichson. Even if you don't know what the term double indemnity is all about, you know she's up to something. It's very creepy really. There was some cheesy dialogue now and then, but it was done in a "gotta love it" kind of way. Despite this, though, there we...