Thursday, September 9, 2010

Thing 148 Classic Movie Day

Warning: This blog contains spoilers. If you've any interest in seeing Citizen Kane, Ben Hur, An Affair to Remember, Breakfast at Tiffany's or Gone With the Wind - then turn away now. Here comes the spoilers.

It's a sleigh. Jesus saves them. She can't walk. She secretly loves them and frankly my dear, he does give a damn.

I'm still not well, which means I'm still stuck to my couch, which means... something new is getting harder and harder. But this Thing is awesome. One of the girls at work gave it to me. Classic movies, movies that get referenced all the time in new movies, and in Family Guy, and other satirical material. In fact, it was Family guy that ruined Citizen Kane before I ever saw it.

I'd be writing here all day if I reviewed the lot - it suffices to say, that these are classics for a reason. Amazing movies which broke the mold for their time. Having said that - they were for a different time. They were made for a different audience, and so they're not as accessible for us as they were for the people who would have paid money at the cinema back in the day...
But hotties are always hotties. And Hepburn is a smoking hottie... Get it? Smoking? She's got a cigarette? Once again, I'm a hoot.

The big two out of this list for me, were Ben Hur and Citizen Kane (I know everyone else is thinking Breakfast at Tiffany's, but I just found the whole movie to be entirely too fluffy).

If you want to sit down and watch Ben Hur - give yourself a million and a half hours (actual running time 212 minutes - three and a half hours). I think someone decided that they'd make three or four different endings, and then couldn't decide which one, so they picked all of them. And then in the very end; Jesus saves the day.

But, Charlton Heston is awesome... thoroughly awesome.
Pictured: Awesomeness

The hero of the day was Citizen Kane. Orson Welles, one of Hollywood's favourite sons. The movie opens with him, dying. A snow globe rolls from his hand and he whispers his dying words: "Rosebud..."

The rest of the movie, is an investigation into what he meant and why he said the word Rosebud. The rest of the movie is brilliant, except for the last two minutes. Which is, as the man says, underwhelming.

Everyone be advised to take the time to see them. Cultural icons. Amazing shows. If a little outdated.

1 comment:

  1. dan, john brown knows ben hur word for word, we dread seeing it come up on the tv schedule as he watches it every time.......ah classic movies!!

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