ALL-TIME CLASSIC MOVIE FAVOURITES – THE DEAD ZONE (1983)

 

“The Dead Zone” is a horror thriller, screenplay by Jeffrey Boam, based on the Novel by Stephen King and Directed by David Cronenberg.

 

When a survivor from a road accident awakes from a coma after five years, schoolteacher Johnny Smith (Christopher Walken) discovers he has psychic abilities, when he touches someone, he gets visions of the past, present or the deadly future.

However after five years he finds life has moved on without him, his girlfriend Sarah Bracknell (Brooke Adams) is now married; he no longer has a job and he's basically crippled due to his muscles having atrophied.

So he struggles to find his place in the world, but along the way he does use his abilities to help Sheriff Bannerman (Tom Skerritt) solve a murder case.

He then helps to save a child's life but when he discovers the chilling fate for the world, he must save everyone from an evilly corrupt presidential hopeful Greg Stillson (Martin Sheen) but at what cost.

Character stalwarts, Herbert Lom, Anthony Zerbe and Colleen Dewhurst provide excellent support to the stars in the gripping movie.

ALL-TIME CLASSIC MOVIE FAVOURITES – THE FOG (1980)

 

“The Fog” is a horror thriller, written by John Carpenter and Debra Hill and Directed by John Carpenter.

 

The story is set against the backdrop of the peaceful community of the coastal town of Antonio Bay, California who are making preparations to celebrate the towns’ centenary.

However strange supernatural occurrences blemish the festivities as an unearthly impenetrable and opaque fog rolls off the ocean to shroud the seaside town and leads to unaccountable disappearances, so is there something evil lurking in the fog?

Could it be linked to events a century earlier when a hideous crime was committed by the town's elders when they sealed the fate of a ship full of drowned mariners now lying on the bottom of the sea.

So has the fog brought the restless dead seeking revenge and demanding justice?

Adrienne Barbeau, Jamie Lee Curtis, Janet Leigh, John Houseman and Hal Holbrook bring this ghostly tale to life, while the photography by Dean Cundey makes it all seem real.

ALL-TIME CLASSIC MOVIE FAVOURITES – THE CHANGELING (1980)

 

“The Changeling” is a horror drama, Screenplay by William Gray and Diana Maddox from a story by Russell Hunter and Directed by Peter Medak.

 

When music professor and composer John Russell (George C. Scott) and his family are enjoying a perfect family vacation, a freak automobile accident claims the lives of his wife and daughter.

Consumed by grief, he is urged to rent a huge nineteenth century house, and the house seems to possess all the room John needs to reflect and hopefully write music.

However it isn’t long before he realizes he is not alone in the house as he shares it with the spirit of a murdered child who has homed in on John's grief and despair and uses him to uncover decades of silence and deceit.

With the help of Claire Norman (Trish Van Devere), who helped John secure the house, they set out to find the answers and the powerful and devious man who guards them.

This is not a violent or “Kensington Gore” type of horror, it scares with great story telling, eerie sounds and dark corners and it uses pathos with great effect.

The film also benefit from accomplished direction and the acting excellence of its stars and a great supporting cast including Melvyn Douglas, John Colicos and Barry Morse.

ALL-TIME CLASSIC MOVIE FAVOURITES – CAREFREE (1938)

 

“Carefree” is a Musical Romantic Comedy, Written by Allan Scott, Ernest Pagano. Dudley Nichols, Hagar Wilde, Marian Ainslee, and Guy Endore and Directed by Mark Sandrich.

Stephen Arden (Ralph Bellamy) has a problem in the relationship with his fiancée, Amanda (Ginger Rogers), so he turns to his friend Dr. Tony Flagg (Fred Astaire), a psychiatrist, for help to understand why she keeps breaking off the engagement.

After some minor misunderstandings, she falls in love with Tony, so he tries to use hypnosis to strengthen her feelings for Steven, however things get complicated when he realises that he’s in love with her.

It’s an interesting and amusing vehicle in which Ginger and Fred acquit themselves ably but are supported by a first-rate group of players headed by old friends like eager Jack Carson and irascible Clarence Kolb plus charming comedian Luella Gear.

ALL-TIME CLASSIC MOVIE FAVOURITES – THE ROARING TWENTIES (1939)

 

“The Roaring Twenties” is a Crime Drama, screenplay by Jerry Wald, Richard Macaulay and Robert Rossen, from a Story by Mark Hellinger and Directed by Raoul Walsh.

The story begins in the dying moments of World War I and after the Armistice Lloyd Hart (Jeffrey Lynn) goes back to practice law, former saloon keeper George Hally (Humphrey Bogart) turns to bootlegging, and Eddie Bartlett (James Cagney) becomes a cab driver.

Through delivering bootleg liquor Eddie manages to build a fleet of cabs and hires Lloyd as his lawyer and George and Eddie become partners in the flourishing rackets, but love, loyalty and rivalry will ultimately bring everything crashing down.

Priscilla Lane, Gladys George, Frank McHugh and Paul Kelly complete the line up in this absolute classic

ALL-TIME CLASSIC MOVIE FAVOURITES – STAR TREK III: THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK (1984)

 

“Star Trek III: The Search for Spock” is a Sci-Fi Action Adventure based on Gene Roddenberry’s original creation, story by Harve Bennett and Directed by Leonard Nimoy.

 

After the death of Spock (Leonard Nimoy) Admiral Kirk (William Shatner) and the Enterprise crew, Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley), Scotty (James Doohan), Sulu (George Takei), Chekov (Walter Koenig), Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) and Saavik (Robin Curtis) arrive at Spacedock for some essential repairs, only to discover that the Enterprise is to be decommissioned.

But when he learns that the Klingons are planning to steal the secrets of the Genesis Device from its creators (Bibi Besch and Merritt Butrick), for their own deadly purpose Admiral Kirk and his bridge crew risk their careers stealing the decommissioned U.S.S. Enterprise to return to the restricted Genesis Planet to thwart their enemies.

ALL-TIME CLASSIC MOVIE FAVOURITES – MAGIC (1978)

 

“Magic” is a Horror Drama, screenplay written by William Goldman from his own Novel and Directed by Richard Attenborough.

 

Magician's assistant Corky (Sir Anthony Hopkins) performs disastrously at his first solo appearance, but his mentor, Merlin (E.J. André), tells him he needs to find some charm, and he chooses to do that by getting a ventriloquist dummy called “Fats” to improve his act, and within a few years, Corky is at the height of fame, thanks to his foul-mouthed dummy, however along the way Fats develops a mind of his own, so much so that Corky’s agent Ben Greene (Burgess Meredith) wonders who is actually in control of who.

After refusing the to have a medical exam for a big Network gig he escapes to his old hometown to get his head straight, and finds the town very changed apart from his old crush Peggy Ann Snow (Ann-Margret) who he falls in love with anew, much to the displeasure of Fats and her husband Duke (Ed Lauter).

Goldman's intensely suspenseful, spooky novel shows up on the big screen unabridged and complete in all its terrifying splendour.

ALL-TIME CLASSIC MOVIE FAVOURITES – 28 DAYS (2000)

 

“28 Days” is a Comedy drama, written by Susannah Grant and Directed by Betty Thomas.

 

New York based writer Gwen Cummings (Sandra Bullock) is ordered by the court to enter a drug and alcohol rehab centre for twenty-eight days or go to jail for the same period, after ruining her sister's wedding day when she stole the wedding limousine and when on a drunken joyride before crashing it into someone’s house.

Gwen resents having to be there because although she is aware she drinks too much but doesn't believe it's a problem and if she chose to, she could stop at any time.

Unfortunately, her live-in boyfriend Jasper (Dominic West) encouraged her excessive alcohol consumption because he was just as bad.

Her councillor Cornell (Steve Buscemi) and the other people in her group sessions

Andrea (Azura Skye), Gerhardt (Alan Tudyk), Oliver (Michael O'Malley), Roshanda (Marianne Jean-Baptiste), Daniel (Reni Santoni), Bobbie Jean (Diane Ladd) and Eddie Boone (Viggo Mortensen), force her to confront her demons and lay the foundations for rebuilding the relationship between Gwen and her sister Lily (Elizabeth Perkins).

ALL-TIME CLASSIC MOVIE FAVOURITES – WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION (1982)

“Witness for the Prosecution” is a Courtroom

Drama, written for television by John Gay, screenplay written by Billy Wilder and

Harry Kurnitz, Agatha Christies play adapted for television by Lawrence B. Marcus, and Directed by Alan Gibson.

 

In this extremely enjoyable courtroom drama, cantankerous, yet brilliant barrister Sir Wilfred Robarts (Sir Ralph Richardson) returns to his office in London, having recovered from a heart attack, under the watchful eye of Nurse Plimsoll (Deborah Kerr).

He is subsequently invited to defend Leonard Vole (Beau Bridges), who is the prime suspect in the murder of an elderly rich woman.

The unemployed, former World War II veteran, married to his beloved German wife Christine Vole (Dame Diana Rigg), is accused of seducing, and murdering the wealthy middle-aged single woman, Emily French (Patricia Leslie), in order to inherit eighty thousand pounds, and the stubborn QC must defend him.

  

ALL-TIME CLASSIC MOVIE FAVOURITES – PSYCHO (1960)

 

“Psycho” is a horror thriller, Screenplay by Joseph Stefano, based on the Novel by Robert Bloch and Directed by Alfred Hitchcock.

 

The plot concerns a Phoenix secretary Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) who is dissatisfied with the way life has treated her, and unable legitimize her relationship with her married lover Sam Loomis (John Gavin), she embezzles $40,000 from one of her employer's client when she is entrusted with depositing the money at the bank.

Seeing it as an opportunity to start a new life, Marion leaves town and heads towards California, however fatigue sets in after getting caught in a storm, she gets off the main highway and pulls into the Bates Motel which is managed by a quiet young man called Norman (Anthony Perkins) who seems to be dominated by his mother, but is everything as it appears?

 

Vera Miles, Martin Balsam and John McIntire also shine in this classic Hitchcock masterpiece, a film not to be missed.

ALL-TIME CLASSIC MOVIE FAVOURITES – BLAZING SADDLES (1974)

 

“Blazing Saddles” is a comedy western, written by Norman Steinberg, Andrew Bergman, Richard Pryor and Alan Uger, from the Story by Andrew Bergman and Directed by Mel Brooks.

It’s the story of a town where everyone seems to be named Johnson, but apart from that it’s in the way of the railroad and in order to grab their land, a politically connected nasty individual, Hedley Lemar (Harvey Korman), sends in his henchmen, lead by Taggart (Slim Pickens) to make the town unliveable.

The town demands a replacement, from the Governor, Lepetomane (Mel Brooks), after their Sheriff is killed, and Hedley convinces him to send the town the first Black Sheriff in the west.

Sherriff Bart (Cleavon Little) is a sophisticated urbanite has some difficulty winning over the townspeople but when he does he soon becomes Lemar’s most formidable adversary aided by Jim the gunslinger (Gene Wilder), despite Lemar using Lili Von Shtupp (Madeline Kahn) and Mongo (Alex Karras).

ALL-TIME CLASSIC MOVIE FAVOURITES – ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES (1938)

 

“Angels with Dirty Faces” is a Crime Drama, screenplay by John Wexley and Warren Duff, from a story by Rowland Brown and Directed by Michael Curtiz.

It’s the story of two boyhood friends, Rocky Sullivan (James Cagney) and Jerry Connolly (Pat O'Brien) who were running from the police one night when Rocky was caught.

After he was arrested he went into the prison system and became a lifelong criminal, while Jerry went straight and became a Catholic Priest and ministered to people in the same neighbourhood where he and Rocky grew up.

When Rocky is released from prison after his latest term he resumes his criminal lifestyle and is hero worshipped by many of the local kids.

Jerry is worried that the kids will follow Rocky down the wrong path into the criminal world, and works hard to keep them on the straight and narrow.

But no matter what he says he can’t get through to them, even after Rocky is convicted of murder and sentenced to the electric chair, so Jerry visits him on death row and asks him for one last favour.

A classic of the genre, with extraordinary acting by James Cagney, ably complimented by Pat O'Brien as his friend, Humphrey Bogart who is the perfect actor as the arch villain, and the radiant Ann Sheridan adds a feminine touch.

ALL-TIME CLASSIC MOVIE FAVOURITES – TRUE GRIT (2010)

 

“True Grit” is a Western drama, screenplay written by Joel and Ethan Coen from the novel by Charles Portis and Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen.

 

The story of a stubborn 14-year-old farm girl Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) who sets out to capture hired hand Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin), following the murder of her father.

After settling her father’s affairs, she enlists the help of tough, drunken, hard-nosed U.S. Marshal Reuben J. “Rooster” Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) to track down her father's murderer in Indian Territory.

Despite his shortcomings Mattie identifies him as a man with “true grit,” and insists on accompanying Cogburn and they are joined by an arrogant self-important Texas Ranger, LaBoeuf (Matt Damon) who also has a claim on Cheyney for murdering a Senator.

It becomes apparent that their fugitive has taken up with a gang of outlaws led by Lucky Ned Pepper (Barry Pepper) and the unlikely trio find danger and surprises on the journey, and each has their “grit” truly tested.

Dakin Matthews, Paul Rae, Roy Lee Jones, Ed Corbin, Domhnall Gleeson and as the 40-Year-Old Mattie Elizabeth Marvel, among others make up a very able supporting cast.

 

ALL-TIME CLASSIC MOVIE FAVOURITES – THE UNTOUCHABLES (1987)

 

“The Untouchables” is a Crime Drama, Written by David Mamet, suggested by a book by Oscar Fraley and Eliot Ness and Directed by Brian De Palma.

The story is set during the era of Prohibition in the United States, when legendary crime boss Al Capone (Robert De Niro) rules Chicago with an iron fist after building an empire with bootleg alcohol.

Prohibition Agent Eliot Ness (Kevin Costner) attempts to take Capone down, but due to widespread corruption within the Windy City's police force even his best efforts fail.

So because of the rampant corruption, he assembles an elite group of lawmen, a small hand-picked team who won't be swayed by bribes or fear, to help him, including Irish-American cop Jimmy Malone (Sean Connery), George Stone (Andy Garcia) and Oscar Wallace (Charles Martin Smith) and with his team in place Ness renewed his determination to bring Capone to justice.

ALL-TIME CLASSIC MOVIE FAVOURITES – TRUE GRIT (1969)

 

“True Grit” is a Western drama, screenplay written by Marguerite Roberts from the novel by Charles Portis and Directed by Henry Hathaway.

 

The story of a stubborn 14-year-old farm girl Mattie Ross (Kim Darby) who sets out to capture hired hand Tom Chaney (Jeff Corey), following the murder of her father.

After settling her father’s affairs, she enlists the help of tough, drunken, hard-nosed U.S. Marshal Reuben J. “Rooster” Cogburn (John Wayne) to track down her father's murderer in Indian Territory.

Despite his shortcomings Mattie identifies him as a man with “true grit,” and insists on accompanying Cogburn and they are joined by an arrogant self-important Texas Ranger, LaBoeuf (Glen Campbell) who also has a claim on Cheyney for murdering a Senator.

It becomes apparent that their fugitive has taken up with a gang of outlaws led by Lucky Ned Pepper (Robert Duvall) and the unlikely trio find danger and surprises on the journey, and each has their “grit” truly tested.

Jeremy Slate, Dennis Hopper, Alfred Ryder, John Fiedler and the wonderful Strother Martin among others make up a very able supporting cast.

ALL-TIME CLASSIC MOVIE FAVOURITES – BLUE THUNDER (1983)

 

“Blue Thunder” is an action, crime, drama, written by Dan O'Bannon and Don Jakoby and Directed by John Badham.

 

Los Angeles Police pilot Frank Murphy (Roy Scheider) is chosen by Capt. Jack Braddock (Warren Oates) as test pilot for an experimental police helicopter, Blue Thunder, a specially modified, heavily armed helicopter designed to counter street insurgencies.

Unfortunately, his trainer for the trials is Col. F.E. Cochrane (Malcolm McDowell) with whom he has issues dating back to their time in Vietnam which adds to the tension.

But when Frank and his Observer, Officer Richard Lymangood (Daniel Stern) prepare to put the aircraft through its paces they discover the sinister implications of the new aircraft and the top-level conspiracy behind it, and with that knowledge comes danger.

 

A great movie of its time, although the technology dates it, but it is still very watchable and among a very accomplished cast Candy Clark stands out above the rest as Frank’s love interest, Kate.

ALL-TIME CLASSIC MOVIE FAVOURITES – CARRIE (1976)

 

“Carrie” is a horror classic, screenplay by Lawrence D. Cohen, based on the Novel by Stephen King and Directed by Brian De Palma.

 

High school senior Carrie White (Sissy Spacek), is a shy, unworldly, and friendless teenage girl who has been sheltered from real life by her domineering, fanatically religious mother (Piper Laurie), while struggling in secret with the special telekinetic powers she possesses, a secret which she cannot divulge to her mother as she would consider it to be a gift from the devil.

The only adult authority figure who tries to help Carrie with her life is her Physical Education teacher, Miss Collins (Betty Buckley) but she is warned by the Principle not to get too involved.

After an incident of bullying by her classmates the culprits are banned from attending the Senior Prom and blame Carrie so they plan to exact their revenge on her by humiliating her in front of everyone at the Prom.

So will they succeed or will she unleash her telekinetic powers on them in a horrifying display of rage.

Amy Irving, William Katt, John Travolta, Nancy Allen and P.J. Soles play Carries classmates, good and bad, in what is possibly the best movie adaptation of a Stephen King novel.

ALL-TIME CLASSIC MOVIE FAVOURITES – THE DEAD ZONE (1983)

 

“The Dead Zone” is a horror thriller, screenplay by Jeffrey Boam, based on the Novel by Stephen King and Directed by David Cronenberg.

 

When a survivor from a road accident awakes from a coma after five years, schoolteacher Johnny Smith (Christopher Walken) discovers he has psychic abilities, when he touches someone, he gets visions of the past, present or the deadly future.

However after five years he finds life has moved on without him, his girlfriend Sarah Bracknell (Brooke Adams) is now married; he no longer has a job and he's basically crippled due to his muscles having atrophied.

So he struggles to find his place in the world, but along the way he does use his abilities to help Sheriff Bannerman (Tom Skerritt) solve a murder case.

He then helps to save a child's life but when he discovers the chilling fate for the world, he must save everyone from an evilly corrupt presidential hopeful Greg Stillson (Martin Sheen) but at what cost.

Character stalwarts, Herbert Lom, Anthony Zerbe and Colleen Dewhurst provide excellent support to the stars in the gripping movie.

ALL-TIME CLASSIC MOVIE FAVOURITES – THE CHANGELING (1980)

 

“The Changeling” is a horror drama, Screenplay by William Gray and Diana Maddox from a story by Russell Hunter and Directed by Peter Medak.

 

When music professor and composer John Russell (George C. Scott) and his family are enjoying a perfect family vacation, a freak automobile accident claims the lives of his wife and daughter.

Consumed by grief, he is urged to rent a huge nineteenth century house, and the house seems to possess all the room John needs to reflect and hopefully write music.

However it isn’t long before he realizes he is not alone in the house as he shares it with the spirit of a murdered child who has homed in on John's grief and despair and uses him to uncover decades of silence and deceit.

With the help of Claire Norman (Trish Van Devere), who helped John secure the house, they set out to find the answers and the powerful and devious man who guards them.

This is not a violent or “Kensington Gore” type of horror, it scares with great story telling, eerie sounds and dark corners and it uses pathos with great effect.

The film also benefit from accomplished direction and the acting excellence of its stars and a great supporting cast including Melvyn Douglas, John Colicos and Barry Morse.

ALL-TIME CLASSIC MOVIE FAVOURITES – THE SHINING (1980)

 

“The Shinning” is a horror classic, screenplay by Stanley Kubrick and Diane Johnson, based on the Novel by Stephen King and Directed by Stanley Kubrick.

 

Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) is an aspiring author and recovering alcoholic cursed with a persistent writer's block.

His solution is to take a job as an off-season caretaker at the secluded Overlook Hotel in Colorado's snow-capped mountains, and drags his wife, Wendy (Shelley Duvall), and his gifted son, Danny (Danny Lloyd) with him.

The Torrance’s arrive as the Hotel begins to shut down for the season, and they are given the grand tour, during which they meet the Hotel's chef, Hallorann (Scatman Crothers).

Halloran chats with Danny about the rare psychic gift they share called “The Shining”, and warns him about certain rooms he should avoid, as the Hotel has a grizzly past.

In the weeks that follow the closure of the Hotel Jack fails to overcome his writers block and little by little, Jack starts losing his mind.

He feels trapped in a gargantuan silent prison set in an unforgiving environment of seemingly endless snowstorms, his days are filled with strange occurrences and eerie visions and incessant voices in his head demand a sacrifice, leading to a thrilling and dramatic finale in true Kubrick style.