My Top 10

I LOVE a good list! A shopping list, to-do list, favorite movies or book lists. I thought it would be fun to do a “top” list for my next blog. I’m not sure why I chose to do a top 10 list of my favorite films. After I started writing it, I realized my top 5 was really easy to choose. Rear Window is always #1. That will never change. And Little Women (49) is always there, and Notorious. Jezebel, and The Philadelphia Story make the top too. The problem for me trying to nail down this list is, depending on the day, and when I’ve watched a movie I really love, it might be top 10 to me for a bit. This is my third draft, and I’ve already taken out White Christmas, and considering taking out The Enchanted Cottage. From Here to Eternity has been on my mind so much lately, it feels like it has to be included. Because of this little predicament, I decided to just give some honorable mentions at the end, but not write anything about them. So, without further ado, let’s dive in. I’m going in no particular order other than Rear Window #1.

#10 The Birds 1963

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, The Birds was the first Hitchcock film I saw. It was in freshman English class, and we had read the short story by Daphne DuMaurier, so naturally, we had to watch the film. The two are nothing alike by the way. I’m sure by today’s standards, The Birds seems hokey and fake. But I think it’s still brilliant, especially when you look at it in context. The Birds is essentially a romantic comedy that switches to horror. And horror there is. Gouged eyes, fake blood, bird attacks, it’s fabulous if you ask me. But this is about the farthest I’ll go in the horror department. Now I cant wait to do a top 10 or 20 Halloween list! Some are bothered by the lack of resolution in the end, but I love that Hitch gave us an open ended ending. It’s ominous and real. You get to decide what you think happens. The film stars Tippi Hedren, Rod Taylor, and Jessica Tandy. You can rent it from Amazon Prime for $3.99, or buy it here https://www.ccvideo.com/the-birds/025192147289

#9 Little Women 1949

If you read my introduction blog, you know this is one of the first classics I watched as a child. I know this is almost everyone’s least favorite version of the Louisa May Alcott novel, but it’s always going to be my favorite. *I have seen all the others, except the Greta Gerwig 2019 version. June Allyson, Peter Lawford, Margaret O’Brien, Elizabeth Taylor, Janet Leigh, Mary Astor, Lucile Watson, and C. Aubrey Smith all star in this sweet family drama. If you don’t know anything about Little Women, simply put, it follows the lives of 4 young women and the trials their family has while their father is away fighting in the Civil War. I can quote almost the entire movie. I’ve literally seen it at least 100 times. It makes me laugh, cry, and everything in between. It’s the quintessential family movie. If you haven’t seen this one, please give it a shot, and then report back here with your thoughts. I would love to know what you think. You can stream it on HBO Max or rent it from Amazon Prime for $3.99. You can buy a copy here https://www.ccvideo.com/little-women/888574712426

#8 The Philadelphia Story 1940

I’ll admit, I lean into my serious side a bit too much sometimes. Because of this, I guess I don’t find a lot of comedy movies, past or present funny. The Philadelphia Story makes me belly laugh at times. When Mike (played by Jimmy Stewart), is drunk with C.K, I can’t control myself, he’s hilarious! All of Kathrine Hepburn’s lines make me giggle. It’s just flat out funny. The first time I watched this film, it just fell flat for me. Maybe it was just the wrong timing. But it was a Christmas gift from my aunt, so I felt obligated to try it again at some point. The following Christmas I decided to give it one more try. And it just clicked. It was funny, and fresh, the perfect romantic comedy in my book. It’s been a favorite for 14 years now. The Philadelphia Story stars Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, Jimmy Stewart and is directed by the great George Cukor. You can stream this one on HBO Max or rent it on Prime for $3.99. Buy here https://www.ccvideo.com/the-philadelphia-story-criterion-collection/715515205719

#7 From Here to Eternity 1953

The only proper way to start this one is to state the obvious; The cast is loaded. Montgomery Clift, Deborah Kerr, Burt Lancaster, Donna Reed and the MAN himself, Frank Sinatra all star in this drama set on the Schofield Barracks, Oahu in 1941. It follows the drama surrounding the main characters love lives, and time in the military. Unbeknownst to the characters, the bombing of Pearl Harbor is also around the corner. From Here to Eternity was nominated for 13 Academy awards, and won 8, including for Donna Reed and Frank Sinatra in their supporting roles. All five stars were nominated, and certainly could have won for their incredible performances. If you haven’t seen this film, I’d bet you’ve probably seen the still that leads this blog of Lancaster and Kerr on the beach. It’s steamy, romantic, and iconic. Fun fact, Joan Crawford was actually tapped to play in place of Deborah Kerr. I would typically love Joan in any role she played, but I really don’t know that she could of pulled this one off. This film is available to stream on HBO Max or you can rent it on Prime. You can also pick up a copy here https://www.ccvideo.com/from-here-to-eternity-1953/043396053199

#6 Jezebel 1938

So, I have this list of movies (I’m going to blog about this list at some point) that I love and adore, but, the first time I watched them, I just didn’t care for them. This movie, Jezebel, is on that list. Casablanca and The Philadelphia Story are among others on it too. The first time I watched this, I just kept thinking how similar it felt to Gone with the Wind. A copycat if you will. But Jezebel was actually made and released a year earlier in 1938. And let it be known, I don’t like Gone with the Wind, so looking back, I get why I wasn’t impressed the first time. Everyone talks about Scarlet O’Hara, with her fashion, her sass, her courage. But Bette Davis’s Julie, truly is all of those things and more. She’s fearless, pushes the fashion envelope, and grows into someone you can admire. There are a lot of memorable scenes in this movie, but none stand out more than ball scene with Julie and Preston, played by Henry Fonda. They clear the dance room because of Julie’s racy fashion decision to wear a red dress. Everyone is appalled, and Julie is so embarrassed by what’s happened, she begs Preston to stop dancing, but he refuses. Punishment for her stubborn ways. You’ll cringe, and probably laugh inappropriately like I always do. You’ll have to watch now to understand the context of this scene. So get transported back to 1850’s Louisiana, and enjoy the film I watched every morning for 4 months straight while getting up with baby Jack. You can stream it on HBO Max, rent it from Prime, or buy it here https://www.ccvideo.com/jezebel-1938/888574655808

After 20 revisions (I’m not kidding), I realized the blog was a little too long. So, I decided to split this into two, and you’ll get the second half of my list at the end of the week, or early next week. I hope you enjoyed the first half. Drop a comment and let me know if you’ve seen any of these, or plan to watch them.

Slow down and enjoy a Tuesday Matinee.

Megan