The Envelope, Please. Wait, where is it?

My next Netflix shipment was supposed to arrive today. Unfortunately, the company shipping plant was down for whatever reason on Monday --as an apology e-mail from the company confirmed.

I've come to rely on getting cinema treasures in the mail every few days. Sadly, those little red envelopes won't be in my mailbox today. I'm already behind. Although, I've upgraded to the two-at-a-time plan, I think my film queue could very well outlast my life expectancy.

In all of this, what's a cinema lover to do? For one, I'll reflect on some cinema standouts
(As any true film geek, I keep a running list of the movies I see...)

In this politically charged year of Hilary vs. Obama, with McCain safely on the sidelines, it's a good time to check out Frank Capra's, Mr. Smith Goes To Washington. Hmm... Can an idealistic senator make it in Washinton? (Mr. Capra also made a little movie called It Happened One Night, one of my all-time favorites.)

Other Recommends:

*Marty (1955) --The little movie that could...and did. It swept the Academy Awards for its year. It's isn't showy. It doesn't ask to be more than it is. It's just a simple, sweet story about Marty-- a regular guy that has zero luck when it comes to women. (Marty's director, Delbert Mann passed away last year.)

*Overnight -- A documentary (and great character sketch) about Miramax screw-up kid, Troy Duffy, a bartender who hit it big selling a shoot em' up script to Harvey Weinstein only to royally mess up it up in ways you wouldn't believe. A great chronicle of what not-to-do when you finally sell that script.

*Viridiana (1961) -- Any movie that's ever been banned breeds natural curiosity (at least for me,) especially if it's director has a last name of Bunuel. There's some intoxicatingly creepy imagery as a young nun's uncle sets out to corrupt her. Through the eyes of Bunuel, religion doesn't escape attack either, as highly evidenced in this film.

*Jesus Camp (2006) -- Speaking of religion, if you're one that thinks that atheists are scary or wrong for what they believe: This documentary about fundamentalist Christian youth will make you have second thoughts. Now, they're scary...!

*My Dinner With Andre (1981) -- I admit, I've been avoiding this Louis Malle movie for years. Two guys in a restaurant talking to each other for the entire duration of the film? [Yawn] Boy, was I wrong! The conversation they have and the questions they pose to each other about the nature of life and humanity is absolutely fascinating. Don't avoid it like I did for so long!

*Throne Of Blood (1957) -- Kurosawa's take on Macbeth is perhaps not as well known as that other movie that he did that involved a handful of samurai warriors-- a movie I won't bother mentioning because you know it already-- but in some ways I like this even better.

*The Illusionist (2006) -- The preview to this film seemed to be everywhere for a time. However, the film itself vanished into thin air. It's a shame because this is an excellent film about a famous magician that falls in love with an aristocratic woman. I cannot reveal the film's magic, but the amazing way it all comes together in the end, is perhaps its greatest trick of all.

Copyright © 2008 KLiedle

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