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Time For Some “I” Popping Cinema!
My “Movies A-Z” countdown continues with a great letter – “I”! There are classic comedies, riveting dramas, Oscar-winning best pictures, and some really offbeat stuff as well, so let’s get going.
Remember,this is NOT a countdown, just ten great movies to share with you, beginning with one of Asia’s darkest revenge thrillers:
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10 – “I Saw The Devil”
This is a powerful revenge thriller, about a Cop who seeks out the murderer of his fiancé – as the trailer states:
“He’s Not Getting Even – He’s Just Getting Started…”
Check out the trailer:
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Choi Min-sik stars as the serial killer who plays a deadly game of cat and mouse with a young Police Detective. He’s best known for his starring role in this brilliant film:
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“Old Boy” is just one of many great revenge thrillers – see more here:
https://johnrieber.com/2012/01/28/revenge-is-sweet-top-ten-sexploitation-revenge-classics/
Ready for some campy cult horror that actually has some great scares?
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9 – “I Saw What You Did (And I Know Who You Are!)”
Legendary Actress Joan Crawford is top-billed, but she’s not in the film much – but it’s a great 50’s thrill ride – as you can see by this classic trailer:
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It’s a great premise: making crank calls – until you call a killer! It’s surprisingly fun to watch all these years later – and Joan Crawford has made a great comeback thanks to the new TV series “Feud”:
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Of course, someone who was featured in this TV drama didn’t like it so much – in fact she sued them! See the story here:
https://johnrieber.com/2017/06/30/olivia-de-havillands-big-feud-with-the-makers-of-the-hit-show/
Famous Actors sometimes go out on a limb for their art – here’s an Oscar Winner who went X-rated!
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8 – “Inserts”
In 1975, Best Actor winner Richard Dreyfus starred as a reclusive film Director in Hollywood who spends his day making X-rated movies in his mansion!
Click here to see more about this forgotten cult gem:
https://johnrieber.com/2014/05/22/forgotten-movie-sexcapades-big-stars-inserts-and-labors-of-love/
There is a lot of provocative cinema to discover, including virtually ALL of Lars Von Trier’s work!
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7 – “The Idiots”
In 1998, Von Trier used his “Dogme” style of filmmaking – no microphones, no lights, no sets – to tell the story of a group of adults who spend their time seeking their “inner idiot” to release their inhibitions.
Check out the trailer:
This is a challenging film to watch – there are moments that are brilliant – but amazingly uncomfortable as well – adults acting like mentally disabled people…as I said Von Trier is no stranger to controversy:
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Last year the Director released a star-studded meditation on sex – see the trailer for “Nymphomaniac 1 & 2” here:
OK, let’s all calm down now and cheer ourselves up with the greatest holiday movie of all time:
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6 – “It’s A Wonderful Life”
This masterpiece from Frank Capra tells the story of George Bailey, who needs to hit bottom to realize that he does, indeed have a “Wonderful Life” – here is the trailer:
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There are so many moments of brilliance int he film, which is also very dark as well – a meditation of “Good” versus “Evil” thank to Mr. Potter – luckily George has “Zuzu’s Pedals” to protect him – there is lots of great trivia about this movie, which you can see here:
Downsizing has been a big topic in the US for the past few decades, as older workers are pushed out for younger blood – and here is a good film that tackles the issue:
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5 – “In Good Company”
Dennis Quaid has a new boss: Topher Grace, who sees Quaid as a washed up Executive – until he meets his daughter, Scarlett Johansson – check out the trailer:
The movie is a romanic comedy/drama that strikes the right balance throughout, and the acting is terrific…now, how about a comedy starring the biggest stars in the world – and a LOT OF THEM?
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4 – “It’s A Mad Mad Mad Mad World!”
This 1963 comedy was produced and directed by Stanley Kramer and starred movie legend Spencer Tracy – along with an all-star cast including Edie Adams, Milton Berle, Sid Caesar, Buddy Hackett, Ethel Merman, Mickey Rooney, Phil Silvers, Terry-Thomas, and Jonathan Winters.
Check out the trailer:
It’s a wild chase for $350,000 in cash – whoever gets there first gets it all! While overblown and bloated in places, it’s a great example of an “all-star” cast going all out for fun!
Another incredible cast took home Oscars for the Best Picture of 1967:
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3 – “In The Heat Of The Night”
A brilliant film, which won Rod Steiger the Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of a racist Sheriff in a small southern town – check out the trailer:
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Sidney Poitier was also nominated for his role as Detective Virgin Tibbs of Philadelphia, who confronts this racist town as he investigates a murder…recently, there was a 50th anniversary screening – see that story here:
Here’s an obscure treat that was just released on a remastered DVD:
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2 – “Invasion Of The Body Snatchers”
In 1978, Donald Sutherland starred in the remake of the 50’s sci-fi-fi classic, about aliens who come to earth and take us over – from within – here is the trailer:
This is a dark, moody film that is worth seeking out…and speaking of that, I want to share a very obscure film from 1972, directed by the legendary Robert Altman:
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1 – “Images”
Susannah York stars as a woman who is engulfed by terrorizing apparitions. As she kills them, we don’t know if these demons are figments of her hallucinatory imagination – or real people.
Check out the trailer:
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Susannah York won Best Actress at the 1972 Cannes Film Festival for her work int he film, with is a classic Altman movie: great images, a dreamlike nature to it, and a raw honesty – all wrapped up in a murder mystery…or is it?
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According to IMDB, Susannah York once said of this film:
“It seemed a whole string of incidents with nothing to link them together into a meaningful whole. In fact, I would have turned down the part, only Bob [Altman] rang me up from Los Angeles. Imagine trying to hold a conversation with somebody in America from a telephone box in a Greek village cafe! I couldn’t hear very much, but I gathered he wanted to fly over to Greece to talk things over with me. I was trying to say . . . well, is it really worth your while to come all that way, because I’m not very keen”.
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There you go, ending the letter “I” with a classic Robert Altman film!
If you missed any of my previous posts, you didn’t see this classic film – that begins with a “D”:
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“Darker Than Amber” is a great cult film, and you can see 59 others when you click on my “Movies A-F” list here:
Don’t worry, gangsters haven’t been forgotten, even if Marlon Brando always forgot his lines:
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Yep, that’s why Robert Duvall “wore” his lines on set! It’s just one of the great “G” movies, which you can see here:
“The Godfather” is a classic, and so is this:
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“Helldriver” is Japanese exploitation at its best – just one of ten great films that begin with “H” – see them all here:
Let me know what you think of the letter “I”!
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