#18: Psycho (1960)

Emily says:
The only thing I knew about this movie was the epic scene in the shower, when Marion (Janet Leigh) is murdered.  My most vivid memory of this scene is from when I went to Universal Studios when I was about 12 and our tour talked about how this scene was made.  I don't remember much about how it was made, because after they showed the scene I was so freaked out.

Although I thought the piercing string music was a little over the top in the shower scene, I really enjoyed how it added suspense to the rest of the film.  I also found Norman Bates' character one who was both creepy and easy to feel sad for, which is a hard line to walk.

Perhaps the most interesting thing I found out from watching this movie was that the star of this film (Janet Leigh) is the mother of Jamie Lee Curtis - whose wikipedia entry I read and discovered she is married to Christopher Guest, who is apparently a Baron.  Who knew?

Paul says:

#34: To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

Emily says:

Although I've read the book a couple times, I'd never seen the movie before! I really enjoyed this one, especially because Scout was depicted almost exactly as I imagined her - right down to the impish grin.

 One thing I noted as I watched the movie was that as a kid, the Boo Radley storyline was much more interesting to me than the court storyline. This time it was the opposite. I wonder if that is a result of the movie or that I'm an adult now.

I've long thought that Boo Radley is one of the most interesting characters in all of literature.  Perhaps Atticus Finch is one of the greatest heroes - definitely one of the most wonderfully decent men of literature. This is a classic that I could watch over and over again - and maybe I'll make a point to re-read the book this summer too.

Paul says:

#36: Midnight Cowboy (1969)

Paul says:

Emily says:
From what I read about this movie, I didn't expect to enjoy it nearly as much as I did.  Jon Voight's character was compellingly pathetic and heartbreaking, while Dustin Hoffman's performance was unbelievably good.  I enjoyed the progression of Voight's character from the superficial "stud" into a true friend with depth and caring.

#41: West Side Story (1961)

Emily says:
My high school did a production of West Side Story when I was still there, and I think that my fellow choir members' love for this musical and incessant singing of its songs ruined my enjoyment of it.

That being said, I'd never seen the film until now, and I enjoyed it much more than anticipated.  I thought the dancing was amazing, and the costumes were great - a wonderful combination of matchy-matchy you'd expect from a musical and 1960's wear (converse sneakers, skinny jeans, and cute dresses).  The acting was pretty good too, and it was just overall a very pleasant surprise.

Paul says:

#55: The Sound of Music (1965)

Emily says:

I really advocated skipping this one, because I've seen the Sound of Music about a trillion times. I probably know every word of every song in the whole movie, but Paul talked me into watching it again for the sake of the project, and I'm glad we did. I was more sensitive to the historical questions in the movie this time, and I enjoyed reading up on the real Von Trapp family on wikipedia while watching.

My mom and dad went to Austria a long time ago, where they went on the Sound of Music tour. One of my favorite parts of re-watching this movie was imagining my parents on this tour together. For those of you who know my mom and dad, you can imagine my mom's boisterous enthusiasm for the movie along with my dad's introverted lack of enthusiasm for feel-good musicals. Oh, what I would give to have been a fly on the wall for that tour.

I was surprised, by the way, to find out that the remnants of the family live in Vermont now, where they run what seems to be an overpriced vacation destination. Strange.

#67: The Manchurian Candidate (1962)

Starring: Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey, Janet Leigh, Angela Lansbury
Director: John Frankenheimer
IMDB

Emily says:

I'd never seen this movie before, but I really enjoyed all the twist and turns in this film about an American soldier (played by Frank Sinatra) who is awarded a metal of honor. As the film goes on, we learn of how he has been manipulated by communists in Manchuria. Its fun to put the puzzle together as you hope that Sinatra's character can be liberated from the mind games that have been played on him. This is one that I'd watch again for sure.

Paul says:

#91: My Fair Lady (1964)

Starring: Audrey Hepburn, Rex Harrison, Stanley Holloway
Director: George Cukor
IMDB

Emily says:

I really enjoyed this movie. Eliza Doolittle is spunky and fun. The music is enjoyable. The costumes fabulous. Audrey Hepburn is okay - but she's no Julie Andrews. The lack of change in Henry Higgins' character irks me (see Paul's post below) and the ending seems a little contrived - but its a musical after all! It's fun to watch and I just wish that Julie Andrews had played Eliza in the movie as well as on stage!

Paul says:
Here we continue our theme of musicals that were not nearly as bad as Paul thought they would be. There are some birlliantly funny scenes and clever lines/lyrics. The thing that bugs me here is that at the end of the movie the protagonist - the likable poor street-dwelling Eliza Doolittle - goes back to Prof. Henry Higgins in spite of the fact that he's shown no remorse for being cold, cruel, and demeaning towards her. He doesn't deserve her, and she doesn't deserve him for completely separate reasons. Other than that, I honestly have no complaints - quite a surprise really.

Rating: 8/10

#93: The Apartment (1960)

Starring: Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, Fred MacMurray
Director: Billy Wilder
IMDB

Emily says:

I didn't expect much out of this film but utterly enjoyed it! I loved how the main character supplemented his income by renting out his apartment to co-workers and then got in over his head. I could totally relate to the character's inability to say no - even when in got him in trouble.

I thought the romance in the film was incredibly well done. Shirley MacLaine played the part wonderfully, and the development of confidence by both characters as they grow to care about each other was really nice. Too often in films like this, two spineless characters just form a co-dependent union that is unsatisfying, but the romance of these two helps them to become better characters.

This movie is both hilarious and touching. Probably my second favorite on the list (as of #51).



Paul says:

What a pleasant surprise this film was. I had no idea what to expect from it, but loved what I got. The main character is an office flunky who doesn't know how to say no to anybody. His bosses all use his apartment to carry on affairs behind their respective wives' backs. The whole thing spirals downhill and he's left almost shut out of his own apartment. My favorite part is probably the disapproving neighbors who think the main character is an unapologetic playboy. The end ultimately is very touching. Few films can pull of humor this well and still manage to be poignant. This is one, and I heartily approve.

Rating: 9/10

#99: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967)

Starring: Spencer Tracy, Sidney Poitier, Katharine Hepburn, Katharine Houghton
Director: Stanley Kramer
IMDB

Emily says:
I hadn't seen Guess Who's Coming to Dinner for years. The first time I saw this film, I was probably about 10 and many of the racial issues in the film were lost on me. I remember the beginning as more of a farcical dinner party spiraling out of control than a study of race relations.

This time as I watched I was impressed that the film confronts both the racism of Joey's white parents and that of the family's black housekeeper Tillie and John's father. Tillie provides both comical relief and insight into the reality that racism is not a uniquely "white" problem.

It was fun to see Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn as the parents of a young girl in love. Their ability to portray parents who were torn between their own prejudices and their love for their daughter and her happiness was impressive. While at first I was not fond of Joey, she grew on me as the film progressed, and Sidney Poitier was excellent as always.

What I liked most about the film was that while it was about a political topic, it was more than a political film. It managed to be a film that was not only about race but also about the struggles that every couple has as they introduce their new spouses to their family, and that families have as they meet one another and discover their differences and similarities.  This is one I can imagine watching over and over again.

Paul says:
THIS is a really good movie. Great acting performances all around, the last movie that Spencer Tracy ever did, great social message, cleverly delivered, witty, some laugh-out-loud moments, some great characters, what's not to love? I'd never seen this film before and was thoroughly impressed and pleasantly surprised. This movie was timely when it was made in the mid-60s but still is applicable today. The events it portrays could probably happen in some American households to this day, if not with mixed-race couples, certainly with gay/lesbian ones, and the message is the same, you don't control your emotions and who cares what anyone else says? Definitely would watch this film again.

Rating: 9/10