Saturday 30 April 2011

40. The Sound of Music

What it's about
Lovely lady looks after lots of children, there is singing and Nazis.

What I thought
I really liked this one, my mum and sisters were singing along. I loved the kids, especially the little girl.

What Mum thought
Mum had seen this one before. "Nazis, Julie Andrews, lots of memorable songs, good direction, story and great characters. May not be my number 1 musical, but it's definitely one of the best. Peter is a bit of a fan too, but doesn't want to admit it."

What Dad thought
Dad had seen this one before. "Nazis and nuns, where else are you going to get a film with both in with singing too. There are worse musicals."

Friday 29 April 2011

39. Dr. Strangelove

Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the War Room.
What it's about
A man starts a war.

What I thought
I liked the planes and the uniforms. I loved the music too!

What Mum thought
Mum had seen this one before. "Great performances from Sellers, Heydon and Scott. Over the top performances, which are hilarious and still manage to ring true. Absolutely timeless, brilliant direction, cinematography. Love it!"

What Dad thought
First time for Dad. "I LOVE this film. It's one on the list I've been looking forward to. I was a little nervous after my disappointment at Mr Smith, but this didn't just match my expectations it exceeded them The dialogue was superb, the exchanges such as -

'Okay. I'm gonna get your money for ya. But if you don't get the President of the United States on that phone, you know what's gonna happen to you?'
'What?'
'You're gonna have to answer to the Coca-Cola company.'

An excellent soundtrack, a brilliant premise and beautiful performances. This film really made my day."

A big plane like a '52... varrroom!

Thursday 28 April 2011

38. The Treasure of Sierra Madre

What it's about
Some men go looking for gold!

What I thought
Not much here for me to like, but the old man was funny.

What Mum thought
Mum had seen this one before. "Not more Bogart! Luckily, Huston completely steals the spotlight on this one. A wise old toothless codger who just kicks his heels up and has a good time. Apart from Huston and, of course, 'Badges? We ain't got no badges...' it drags."

What Dad thought
First time for Dad. "OMG this was long! While it's a competent film, I don't understand why it's on the AFI list. I found it predictable and whilst there are some snappy exchanges and excellent writing, it couldn't raise it to the level of classic for me."

Wednesday 27 April 2011

37. The Best Years of Our Lives

What it's about
Some men come back from war and have to get used to living normal lives again.

What I thought
I really liked Homer, but I got a little bored.

What Mum thought
Mum had seen this one before. "I think the best praise of all for this came from Capra who said it deserved every award Wyler could get for it. This film beat It's a Wonderful Life, and although I love that film, I can see why this did so well. In particular, Harold Russell, who won two academy awards for his portrayal of Homer Parrish. Although quite slow paced, it is a well written and directed character-driven story."

What Dad thought
First time for Dad. "I quite enjoyed this film, although I agree it was slow. It was ambitious to show the ex-service men returning to normality after World War II. It expertly portrayed them returning to a life which had remained the same when they had changed so dramatically. Harold Russell stole the film with an excellent performance. A little disappointing that he didn't go on to do a lot more film. Overall a brave film."

Friday 8 April 2011

Joe's Journey

We've been a bit behind with the film updates. Mum, Dad and I have watched a couple more of the AFI list, but we haven't gotten the photos done yet. I will get Mum to put up some more posts very, very soon.

While you wait, could you please go and visit this little boy's website. It's called Joe's Journey.

Joe is 4 years old and has Spastic Diplegia Cerebral Palsy and uses a Kaye Walker and wheelchair to get around.  He finds getting around extra hard and gets upset he can't be like his sister and friends.

If you have any spare money to give, they have a special donate button. Or, if you live near to them or around the Midlands, keep an eye on the events page.

Thank you,

Dexter