The List is Life

Everyone on Facebook has been creating a list of their favorite movies by year of release, and I figure it's my responsibility to make my list and give it to all of you lucky movie fans. And if you think I'm just doing through the '80's- you don't know Lance.

2016- La La Land
2015- The Revenant
2014- The Grand Budapest Hotel
2013- American Hustle
2012- Skyfall
2011- Midnight in Paris
2010- The Kids Are Alright
2009- Inglourious Basterds
2008- In Bruges
2007- La Vie en Rose
2006- Pan's Labyrinth
2005- King Kong
2004- Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
2003- Kill Bill: Volume One
2002- Chicago
2001- Dancer in the Dark
2000- Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

1999- Election
1998- Gods and Monsters
1997- L.A. Confidential
1996- Fargo
1995- Dead Man Walking
1994- Bullets Over Broadway
1993- The Nightmare Before Christmas
1992- Unforgiven
1991- The Silence of the Lambs
1990- Misery

1989- Crimes and Misdemeanors
1988- Dangerous Liaisons
1987- Fatal Attraction
1986- The Mission
1985- The Color Purple
1984- Amadeus
1983- Krull
1982- Tootsie
1981- Superman II
1980- Airplane!

1979- Alien
1978- Grease
1977- Star Wars
1976- Network
1975- Grey Gardens
1974- Young Frankenstein
1973- Paper Moon
1972- Cabaret
1971- Harold and Maude
1970- The Boys in the Band

1969- Midnight Cowboy
1968- The Lion in Winter
1967- Valley of the Dolls
1966- Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
1965- The Sound of Music
1964- Goldfinger
1963- The Birds
1962- The Manchurian Candidate
1961- West Side Story
1960- The Apartment

1959- Some Like it Hot
1958- Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
1957- The Bridge on the River Kwai
1956- Invasion of the Body Snatchers
1955- Marty
1954- On the Waterfront
1953- From Here to Eternity
1952- The Bad and the Beautiful
1951- A Streetcar Named Desire
1950- Sunset Boulevard

1949- Adam's Rib
1948- Bicycle Thieves
1947- Possessed
1946- Gilda
1945- Mildred Pierce
1944- Laura
1943- Casablanca
1942- Now, Voyager
1941- Meet John Doe
1940- The Philadelphia Story

1939- The Women
1938- A Woman's Face
1937- Stella Dallas
1936- My Man Godfrey
1935- The Informer
1934- It Happened One Night
1933- Baby Face
1932- Shanghai Express
1931- City Lights
1930- All Quiet on the Western Front

1929- The Hollywood Revue of 1929
1928- Sadie Thompson
1927- Metropolis

And past that- you'll need a true movie expert.

NYC Movie Weekend!

One of the things I love most about living in New York City is the number of theaters that show classic films around the city. Now don't get me wrong- there are fewer options than when I first got here over twenty years ago. But there are still several theaters left that give you the opportunity to see classic films on big screens.

Here are some fun goings-on that are happening this weekend:

Coen Brothers Film Festival at Film Forum

If one was going to make a list of modern auteurs, Joel and Ethan Coen would rank high with their distinctive blend of dark comedy and human tragedy. Starting in 1984 with the grisly Blood Simple, Joel and Ethan have worked together to find the humor in murder, kidnapping, and bowling. Film Forum is hosting fifteen of their best from Friday 1/29 through Thursday, 2/4, ending with their newest star-studded film, old Hollywood homage Hail, Caesar! I can't wait to find out who has kidnapped Baird Whitlock!

My favorites?

Blood Simple (1984)
Raising Arizona (1987)
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
No Country for Old Men (2007)
And of course their most recognized film, Fargo (1996), but that stopped showing on Thursday, so you'll have to rent that one if you don't already own it. Everyone owns a copy of Fargo, right?

The Landmark Loew's Jersey brings you the news

The Landmark Loew's Theater in Jersey City is an old movie palace that has seen better days, but valiant volunteers have been working hard to step-by-step restore this gem to its former glory. It has a long way to go- but the old movie organ works and the screen is huge. So it's always a good time to get on the PATH train and see an old movie.

This and the following weekend are dedicated to movies about mass media and they are kicking off the festival with an Elia Kazan classic, A Face in the Crowd (1957). This film will wow you. It charts the career of "Lonesome" Rhodes (a surprising Andy Griffith), a former jailbird who sings his way into a radio and then TV empire. There's no Mayberry sheriff here as a beloved folk hero turns into a megalomaniac bent on becoming a political kingmaker. I'd say this film was prophetic if it weren't for the fact it was based partially on entertainer Arthur Godfrey. But all one needs to do is look at the television clown running for president now to understand that this movie is barely fictional. Amazing cast includes the always stellar Patricia Neal, Walter Matthau, and introduces Lee Remick with a baton.
If this weekend doesn't work for you- try next weekend when The Landmark is showing the equally amazing Ace in the Hole (1951) and Network (1976).
Seriously, these three movies are all must-sees.


Catch the vibes of Dr. Phibes!

If classic, camp horror films are more your speed, go to the tres alternative movie house, Anthology Film Archives where The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971) will scare the laughs right out of you. Care of schlock movie house American International, this gem stars the Crown Prince of Horror, Vincent Price as the titular doctor who is seeking revenge on the nine doctors who were responsible for the death of his beloved wife. To make sure he wasn't just Vincent Price being creepy, the plot adds the twist that he can't speak and his voice has to come from a weird victrola-thing that he attaches to his neck. Not weird enough? How about if he wears a mask that looks like the heavily powdered face of Price, but in reality, he's horribly burned underneath? Still not enough? What if instead of just tracking down and killing these dudes, he kills each of them according to one of the biblical plagues? What if he has a hot assistant named Vulnavia? Not even the venerable Joseph Cotton can bring any seriousness to the proceedings- but that's okay. This movie is a hoot- and if you don't believe me- check out the trailer.

Well that's what's going on in movie theaters in NYC this weekend. Go see a classic movie! Or stay at home with a plastic organ and your burned face.