Take One Hundred

No. 80: The Wild Bunch

2011-08-11T23:25:00.013-05:00

For most of this month, stepping outside felt like walking into a full-blast microwave oven. The place to be in August? Not Kansas. So why then, on the one day - I mean literally, the one day - it's not over 100 degrees, would I choose to stay inside? Call it a classic case of writer's guilt. Pretty sure I just made that up, but it's true - after all, it's been almost a month since my last post.

No. 81: Modern Times

2011-07-17T00:22:00.005-05:00

Silent films: I think it's fair to say they're an acquired taste. One of the first movies I ever saw was my mom's scratchy VHS tape of Charlie Chaplin's "The Gold Rush." I didn't care that it was silent; my eyes were glued to the screen as I watched him skip around in his Little Tramp suit, dancing with potatoes in his hands. Ever since then, I've had a weakness for silent films. There's just

No. 82: Giant

2011-07-02T22:34:00.005-05:00

Readers, let me tell you something: I like the films of director George Stevens. I like Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, and I especially like James Dean. I like melodrama and “epic” style. So why didn’t today’s film - AFI No. 82, Giant - appeal to me? Well, there are reasons. A long, negative list of reasons. Negatives aside, I’ll give you the standard briefing. Directed by the

No. 83: Platoon

2011-06-25T11:44:00.009-05:00

Readers, think back to the movies of your childhood. Most kids my age remember, you know, The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Aladdin. I definitely saw those movies, but unlike most kids, a good chunk of my younger years were spent watching World War Two films. For this, I can thank my Dad. He introduced me to the strange magic of Cary Grant leading a doomed bombing raid over Tokyo, Robert

Blogpostless in D.C.

2011-06-14T15:12:00.005-05:00

So, as most of you know, this week I'm in Washington D.C., competing in the finals of National History Day. Which means, uhhh.. I didn't finish my blog post before I left. Shameful, right? I swear - I watched Platoon - I really did!Obviously, no blog post, so here's the next best thing: my ten-minute-documentary on Elia Kazan and the Hollywood Blacklist. Enjoy!

No. 84: Fargo

2011-06-02T23:25:00.008-05:00

Official confession time. I call myself a movie buff, but of the Coen Brothers’ many great films, I’ve only seen Raising Arizona and O Brother, Where Art Thou? Pretty lame, right? I haven’t seen The Big Lebowski, No Country For Old Men, Miller’s Crossing, True Grit, or any of the rest. Until recently, I hadn’t even seen Fargo (1996) - today’s movie, and AFI film No. 84. Even worse? Fargo has

No. 85: Duck Soup

2011-05-30T11:13:00.009-05:00

Writer’s block: the bane of my existence. I like writing, but when I have no idea what to write, I tend to put it off until I feel more inspired. This post is only…oh…5 months late, thanks to ten volleyball tournaments, end-of-the-year finals, and one seriously time-consuming History Day documentary. But now it’s summer, and you know what that means? Consistent blog posting. And I was quite

No. 86: Mutiny On The Bounty

2011-01-14T22:03:00.005-06:00

Right now, I’m sitting at home with a mug of steaming tea, watching the wonderful Fred and Ginger flick Swing Time(1936). I have a nasty cold, and it’s not very fun. On the bright side: my mom has a cold, too! We’re hunkered down for the day (with the sleeping dog) watching classics. I could get used to this. I kept putting off watching AFI #86, Mutiny On The Bounty. Why? Maybe I thought it

No. 87: Frankenstein

2011-01-02T19:58:00.004-06:00

Frankenstein (1931) Starring: Colin Clive, Boris Karloff, Mae Clarke Directed by: James Whale Awards won: …none? [That’s ridiculous.] When I walk through a video store, I get sidetracked looking at garish horror movies: blood splatters, dead bodies, vampires and zombies. But those aren’t the horror movies I like. I prefer the older horror flicks

No. 88: Easy Rider

2010-12-26T20:12:00.003-06:00

Easy Rider (1969) Starring: Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Jack Nicholson Directed by: Dennis Hopper (and produced by Peter Fonda) Awards: Nominated for 2 Oscars, including Best Supporting Actor for Nicholson I heard conflicting opinions about Easy Rider before I ever watched the movie - everything from “it’s unwatchable” to “it’s my favorite movie of all time.” My poor brain was confused, so I

No. 89: Patton

2010-12-18T22:34:00.015-06:00

Patton (1970)Starring: George C. Scott and Karl MaldenDirected by: Franklin J. SchaffnerAwards won: 7 Oscars, including one for Best PictureFirst off, I'd like to say I'm truly sorry for not posting in what, 2 months? I mean, I'm a busy teenager, but it doesn't take too much effort to sit and write a post. From now on – I promise! - there will be a lot more posts coming your way. When I sat down

No. 90: The Jazz Singer

2010-09-12T20:51:00.008-05:00

The Jazz Singer (1927)Starring: Al Jolson, May McAvoy, Walter Oland Director: Alan Crosland Awards: Special Oscar to Darryl F. Zanuck for producing the “revolutionary” motion picture (But not a real Oscar!) When I say "silent films," is the first word you think “snoozer?” Well, not for me. Even though I’m supposed to be a 14-year-old teen girl with no attention span, I actually like silent

No. 91: My Fair Lady

2010-09-01T22:02:00.004-05:00

My Fair Lady (1964) Starring: Rex Harrison, Audrey Hepburn, Stanley Holloway Director: George CukorAwards: 8 Oscars, including Best Picture I don't think I've ever started writing a post with negative thoughts about the movie. Well, that’s not true anymore – because you know what? I’m throwing this down: My Fair Lady is not a good movie. I know, it’s a shock. I’m usually a pretty

No. 92: A Place In The Sun

2010-07-27T22:51:00.005-05:00

A Place In The Sun (1951) Starring: Elizabeth Taylor, Montgomery Clift, Shelley Winters Director: George Stevens Awards: 6 wins, including Best DirectorMy mom and I go to a gym together - and we do some intense working out. Much to her chagrin, there’s something I like to do in addition to working out – read the tabloids people leave on the machines. The other day I was

No. 93: The Apartment

2010-07-09T16:56:00.008-05:00

The Apartment (1960)Starring: Jack Lemmon, Fred MacMurray, Shirley MacLaineDirector: Billy WilderAwards: 5 Oscars, including Best PictureI’m a huge Billy Wilder fan - I’ve seen pretty much every film he’s ever made. Sunset Boulevard, Double Indemnity, Stalag 17, Some Like It Hot…the list goes on and on. I only have one problem with Billy Wilder films: Fred MacMurray.Well, let me explain

No. 94: GoodFellas

2010-06-27T22:22:00.014-05:00

GoodFellas (1990) Starring: Robert DeNiro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci Director: Martin ScorseseAwards: Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Pesci I was at our local video store the other day, renting GoodFellas. While waiting, I had a conversation about the movie with the guy working the counter. His advice? “Take your vitamins before you watch it.” That sounded super negative. But they were just

No. 95: Pulp Fiction

2010-06-20T15:56:00.023-05:00

Blood splatters the back seat of a car. Brains land in Samuel L. Jackson’s hair. And, you start…laughing? That's what happens when you watch Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction. It’s a weird phenomenon, and I assumed it wouldn't be my thing. Well, that’s not true. I know I said I was terrified of this movie, and for some of it, I was. But to my eternal surprise, I really, really liked it.

No. 96: The Searchers

2010-06-17T10:39:00.011-05:00

The Searchers (1956)Starring: John Wayne, Vera Miles, Jeffrey HunterDirector: John FordAwards: None… How is that possible?!Fred and Ginger, Bogart and Bacall, Hepburn and Tracy…great screen teams, right? Well, in my opinion, there’s no better team than John Wayne and John Ford. Sure, they never acted together in front of the cameras. Fine, they didn’t have some catchy duo name. What they

No. 97: Bringing Up Baby

2010-06-14T16:51:00.014-05:00

Bringing Up Baby (1938)Starring: Katharine Hepburn, Cary GrantDirector: Howard HawksScrewball comedy – the phrase makes you think of everything from throwing pies to rapid-fire dialogue. In general, funny stuff. Are these things still funny today? Do obscure 1930’s jokes still make people laugh? Most screwball comedies seemed hilarious when they were made, but many don’t stand the test of

No. 98: Unforgiven

2010-06-11T20:11:00.010-05:00