The Essentials: Hamlet/Hand of God/Happy Man/Hard Day's Night

Billy the Kid (1938) ? Aaron Copland

Haven't seen this or heard the music.

The Birdcage (1996) ? Mike Nichols

Here I disagree; the French original is better.

The Birds (1963) ? Alfred Hitchcock

Not my fave Hitchcock, but even minor Hitchcock is generally worth the time.

The Bishop?s Wife (1947) ? Henry Koster

Haven't seen this.

Black Angel (1943) ? Cornell Woolrich

Haven't read this, but I know that Woolrich wrote the story on which "Rear Window" is based.

 

The Birds is one of the worst films I have ever seen.

I'm sorry, I'm a huge fan of Hitchcock, but The Birds just is terrible!

 

The Birds isn`t bad. He`s a great psychological director but I would consider The Birds a creature feature. It builds suspense quite well.

I like Birdcage. It has a great cast(Even though Nathan Lane is far too over the top as Albert) The plot is brilliant. The last scenes between Lane and Hackman are some of the funniest comedic scenes of the 90's. Hank Azaria has his best film role here...

 

There is no ending! No explanation, no anything. The great thing about all other Hitchcock films is that they are psychological, and there is always the hint of the paranormal, but in this ? it's just rubbish. If I want unexplainable rubbish with no point I'll check out the latest B-grade horror.

 

I disliked "Marnie" when I first saw it; saw it again recently, and liked it a lot. The same thing happened with "Suspicion." I haven't seen "The Birds" in a long time, and admit that I didn't like it much when I saw it; but I think I'd have to see it again to be sure.

 

Yeah, I didn't like The Birds much initially, either. I think I need to watch it some more. I've actually been meaning to lately. But it certainly has a different feel than most Hitch films.

The Birdcage- Never seen the original, but I agree with Rogue that this is a film that always makes me laugh out loud. Nathan Lane is particularly hysterical. I saw him in The Producers in London, and yes, he just really is that funny.

I read the book before I saw the film. I love the book, and I think the film adaptation is one of the best from a book ever. It stayed true to the feel while developing the central love story a lot more so it was a story instead of just a collection of tall tales.

 

Black Angel (1946) ? Roy William Neill

In this brilliant adaptation, most of Woolrich?s novel is jettisoned for time and the story is tightened considerably. However, the film benefits from one of Dan Duryea?s finest performances as the cynical and world weary musician who finds himself caught up in the desperate wife?s efforts to clear her husband. As well, there?s a solid supporting performance from the always welcome Peter Lorre. A great film noir, sadly overlooked.

The Black Island (1937) ? Herge

An early Tintin adventure that finds our hero delving into a mystery that starts on his own home turf. A fabulous climax on the titular island, as well as a hilarious passage involving a double talking resident of the area, elevate this one and Herge is finally beginning to slip into his great period. The artwork is larger and less strained here, very clear and simple, while still showing traces of Herge?s trademark sense of humor.

Black on Black (1918) ? Aleksandr Rodchenko

Minimalism, with a very obvious debt to Malevich?s White on White, finds Rodchenko playing shades of black to create an image that is visible to the degree of your proximity and angle of viewing. If a color deserves this kind of treatment, black certainly is the color that does. A reminder that there was a time when even the minimalists actually did something with their canvases.

Black Rain (1989) ? Ridley Scott

An atmospheric thriller that finds two cops from America plunged into the underworld of Japan at its most brutal, this film manages to evoke a real feeling of time and place. Scott?s visual style is on prominent display: wet streets, misty, smoky backdrops and a pulsating score from Hans Zimmer (sadly underused) all help. But in the end it?s the performances that sell this one; Michael Douglas and Andy Garcia are brilliant as the mismatched detectives. The climactic chase and fight scene is a knock out, with real energy. Often forgotten when Scott is considered, understandable since it is a lesser film from him, it?s still entertaining, evocative and intriguing.

The Black Stallion (1979) ? Carol Ballard

Evocatively directed and with a star making performance from the big black horse of the title, this film is both magical and transcendent. The sequences on the island, practically free of dialogue or score, are among the most magical ever put on film as the boy and the horse slowly come to terms with each other. It?s a slow, moody film, content to hold most every shot a few seconds longer than most films would; and for all the emotional impact of the friendship of boy and horse, this film transcends because of a parade of intensely evocative images: a horse?s legs churning the water, a slow dance back and forth in and out of the frame as the boy offers food, a qualifying sprint in a night of incredible darkness, a torrential rain storm on the track. Magical, evocative, amazing.

Availability:

All three films are available on DVD. How great; I remember when Black Angel wasn?t.

The Black Island is readily available in The Adventures of Tintin, Vol. 2 omnibus.

Back in, er, Black on Black is on display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. And Google really won?t give you the same experience with this one, but go ahead, if you must.

 

The Black Island - great stuff. I'll agree with any Tintin you put on this list, except for possibly The Castafiore Affair.

 

The only one I've seen is "The Black Stallion", which is a good kid's movie.

 

Blade (1998) ? Stephen Norrington

A hyper cool action flick, all blues and grays in an urban nightmare. Snipes manages to reinvigorate his career with his snarling ferocity and Stephen Dorff is a brilliant foil as the villain. The film delves deep into the world of the vampires, giving us a glimpse into a world fully formed. There?s religion, that some vampires adhere to and others have moved beyond; war between sects; racism between born vampires and vampires who were turned. And the film just constantly throws loop after loop. By the time Pearl shows up, you?ve accepted the fact that you have no idea what the hell is around the next corner. And the climactic ritual and showdown is suitably orgasmic and climactic. A stunner.

Blade II (2002) ? Guillermo Del Toro

And this one stretches even farther. The Reapers are outstanding villains and if the first film was cold in its urbanity, this one is warm and explosive in its vibrancy. The action sequences are show stopping: a battle at a vampire club is show stopping and when we first see the Reapers in action it?s a moment of pure jaw dropping sugar high cinema. And a later sequence in the sewers is equally outstanding. Jaw dropping special effects, mind blowing action sequences; this film pushes the envelope even farther and succeeds in every way.

Blade Runner (1982) ? Ridley Scott

In this fantastic sci fi film, Harrison Ford gives one of his finest performances as the laconic android killer. The supporting cast is his equal with particularly Rutger Hauer giving a fabulously over the top performance as the villainous Roy Batty. Also, don?t blink; for about thirty seconds, Sean Young was credible and this movie finds her at her most luminous and beautiful. A brilliant film, deep in symbolism, with stunning set direction and a staggering score by Vangelis, his only truly great score. Noir meets sci-fi and, brother, does it work.

The Blair Witch Project (1999) ? Daniel Myrick/Eduardo Sanchez

The gimmick is a famous one by now and I think we all know by now that these three kids didn?t really die. But that hardly matters, the film is so intensely acted and filmed. There are moments that feel almost like snuff cinema, so disturbing is the fear and terror. A terrifying film, leaning on the principle of the unseen. Screams in the darkness are, in point of fact, more terrifying than seeing the character actually being tortured and the final shot of the film is a mind bending throwback.

Blazing Saddles! (1974) ? Mel Brooks

At times dull, thanks to a sleepwalking Gene Wilder and a not very good substitute for Richard Pryor, but at times Brooks shows flashes of the genius that will inform some of his better films. The final half hour, when the action breaks out of the set into a film studio (Screw you, I?m working for Mel Brooks, Slim Pickens shouts at one point) and the villainous Harvey Korman flees through the streets of Los Angeles and to a movie theater showing the film he is currently acting in, surely stands as one of the most mindblowingly experimental cinema segments of all time. And when our heroes ride off into the sunset and then stop their horses, get off and get into a studio car, you realize you?ve seen one of the most ridiculous films ever made. A classic, even if there is the occasional misstep.

Availability:

These films are all available on DVD.

 

"Blazing Saddles" isn't the best Brooks film; that's "Young Frankenstein."

 

Blade Runner is an essential.

I like Blazing Saddles better than Young Frankenstein.

 

Blade Runner is fantastic. An absolute classic.

Blair Witch is often openly ridiculed these days, but I think for a film with no music or special effects, that doesn't ever show you the "threat" or even go into much detail as to what it is, it is absolutely brilliant. It had me absolutely petrified, I'll tell you that.

 

I'd take Young Frankenstein or The Producers (original) over Blazing Saddles any day, personally.

In a pinch, I think I'd even say High Anxiety is funnier, but that may just be my love for Hitchcock talking.

 

Considering the targets available, "High Anxiety" wasn't that funny...the best scene was Brook whipping the microphone cord like some sleazy Vegas vocalist. Remember "The Man Who Did Not Like Women" in Joe Queenan's book? That was funnier.

The two "Blade" movies go on my list.

 

Blade II outdid the first.It proves why Del Torro is right for the Sci-Fi/action film.The movie has a dark sense of humor as well(Try getting a stake through that) I`d have to say the true star of the Blade films is Kris Kristofferson as Whistler. It has a great supporting cast as well,the all ways fantastic Ron Perlman has a fun role.We all most have a Romeo/Juliet romance between Nyssa the vampie and Blade.

Blade is good but I found parts of it to drag,II is by far the superior of the two.I haven`t seen Trinity but I`ve heard it wasn`t that hood.

Blazing Saddles is probably my favorite Brooks film.The plot is so funny and biazarre.My dad thought the movie was racist,but the point of the movie is to show how stupid the idea of racism is and it is a parody of it. The entire cast soars in their roles. If I had to chose the definative Brooks film it would be between Blazing Saddles or the Producers

 

Trinity is lame, has this euro-club-trash looking dork portraying Dracula. Worst and geekiest Dracula committed to film and when he first emerges from his tomb -- think Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.

Guillermo Del Toro's sequel is the best of the trilogy, too bad the director went commercial mainstream, I miss the man that gave us The Devil's Backbone and Chronos.

 

Blade Runner is absolutely a classic. I like the first two Blade films, but it's a shame the third couldn't deliver.

As for Blair Witch..."nothing's happening...nothing's happening...nothing's happening...and it's over. A lot of people in the audience look really pissed."

 

Yeah, I haven't seen Blade Trinity yet.

Blink (1994) - Michael Apted

The story is, on its face, a simple one of a girl, recently blind, now sighted, thanks to an operation, being menaced by a serial killer. But with Stowe strong as always and Aiden Quinn surprisingly brilliant and a script with its eye toward the dark and hidden heart of humanity, the film manages to be something very different. We shouldn't be surprised, I suppose, for an Apted film to be so layered, but the relationship that slowly forms between Quinn's detective and Stowe's victim is one of the most damaged relationships since Vertigo; the film cuts deep into their souls and the characters become painfully vulnerable. It's one of the few real noir films of the nineties, as dark and hopeless, as obsessive and neurotic, as nihlistic and shattering as any classic noir film. Very underrated, very forgotten.

Blood on the Tracks (1975) - Bob Dylan

Someone said once that hearing this album was liking seeing your father cry for the first time. And it is a surprisingly vulnerable album; what isn't surprising is how successful the vulnerability is. As Dylan's marriage wound down, he forged some of the most personal songs of his career for this album (though even the more typical songs are successes here: note especially the fantastic Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts). There's a dark edge to Idiot Wind, a strange sort of vulnerability to Shelter from the Storm. This is one of the greatest artists of all time, near the peak of his talent. A devestating album.

Blood Simple (1984) - Joel Coen/Ethan Coen

The brothers first film together is a template setter. There's less of their trademark humor and more of their goulish honesty about violence than would work in their later films, but its still very much in character. The story is simple (no pun intended); a man who believes his wife is cheating (she is) and he hires a detective to find out. From there, it almost seems that no one tells the truth ever again or even acts in a non-calculated way. The moments of violence are shocking and horrifying. The original trailer featured a quote from Hitchcock about what a long and tedious affair it was to kill a man and there is a death scene here that is certainly one of the longest and most excruciatingly suspenseful ever put on film. By the time the film dissolves into its absolutely exuberantly violent and brutal climax, you've hit that blood simple stage yourself, unable to even put two thoughts together. A stunning debut.

Bloom (1996) - Audio Adrenaline

Energetic, through the roof and always fun. Probably the band's most famous song, Walk on Water, is here, but so too are many of their other great songs, I'm Not the King, Never Gonna Be Bigger than Jesus and the humorous interlude of Jazz Odyssey. And on their cover of Free Ride, they actually manage to not embarass themselves, about all anyone can expect when you're covering Free Ride.

Blue Belly Sky (1996) - The Waiting

Agreeable and ultra-catchy folk rock. Occasionally, the lyrics get muddy (anyone know what Israel is about? anyone?), but when the lyrics and the music work together, it's genius. The brilliant Mercy Seat, the fantastic Is This the Day, the rollicking Truly Amazing . . . a great album.

Availability:

The films are both available on DVD and the three albums are still in print as far as I know.

 

"Tangled Up In Blue" from Blood On The Tracks is one of Dylan's best performances (along with "Like A Rolling Stone"). He's written so many great songs that have been performed better by other musicians that I primarily think of him as a songwriter. It's good to hear him "nail" a performance.

 

I have an affinity for the Coens, but I didn't much like "Blood Simple". The male lead was bland, and the budget extremely low. It was also apparently the only movie of theirs on which they did not have final cut. Their second movie, "Raising Arizona" is like 159 times better, in assurance, execution and creativity.

 

Completely agree. "Tangled Up In Blue" just has an amazing electricity about it, a terrific compellingness. You can't turn it off once it's started; you've heard the story a thousand times before, but you want to hear how it turns out. Just in case it is different this time?

 

Blink: Man, never even heard of this. Sounds good to me.

Blood on the Tracks: Bob Dylan?s sound never really agreed with me, but that's probably just a personality fault of mine. And I?ve not heard much of his later stuff.

Blood Simple: I dunno.

Bloom: I always figured Big House was Audio A?s most known song. I like ?em both ? more so the harder stuff they do. On this album, I?m Not the King is definitely of note. I hope Worldwide and Until My Heart Caves In are on this list, too. It?ll be a long, long time before we get that far, though.

Blue Belly Sky: Now you?re just making things up to make me feel uncultured.

 

Well, I guess we can wrap it up and call it day; someone finally figured me out.

The Blue Lotus (1936) - Herge

Early Tintin, still showing signs of clunkiness, particularly in the art. But it also introduces one of the most significant characters in the Herge canon, Chang, the character that proves that Herge wasn't the racist imperialist people liked to claim he was. The poison of madness, the secret cult, the surprising revelation of the real villain's identity, those things all make this a classic.

Blue Nude (1952) - Henri Matisse

Plauged with a crippling arthritis, Matisse reinvented himself in his final years. From paints, he moved to colored paper, cut and pasted in varying shapes. The method had variable success and it never worked better than here. Abstract shapes (and large ones!) somehow form a human figure. Stunning.

Blue Poles (1948) - Jackson Pollack

Pollack is certainly one of the most divisive artists of the twentieth century. For my money, no artist of the century was as brilliant at creating environments so dense and thick you could live in them, breathe in them, swim in them. And this work is one of his best.

Blue Velvet (1986) - David Lynch

A dense and demented trip into the dark underbelly of society. Bolstered by one of the most horrifying vulnerable performances of cinema history (Isabella Rosselini) and one of the most overtly terrifying and evil villains (Dennis Hopper), this is a film that chills to the bone. Hopper is easily at his career best here, pulling out all the stops as the nightmarishly evil and compelling Frank Booth. There are moments of profound brutality here; the scene that introduces Booth is one of the most disturbing scenes of cinema history, a brutally violent rape scene that is sure to kill the libido for a week or so. And by the time he meets up with Dean Stockwell and they give us one of the most stunning musical moments of all time, you're almost in tears. A shattering, iconoclastic, disturbing and heartwrenching film. They call it pornography; quite the opposite: you probably won't have any interest in sex for a few days after you see this, so plan accordingly.

Blue Velvet (1986) - Various Artists

The film is so overwhelmingly visceral and violent that you can be forgiven for not noticing Angelo Badalamenti's fantastic score on the first viewing. Here, it's accessible all by itself, a sweeping and elegaic string score. Mysteries of Love is beyond gorgeous, an emotional and bittersweet piece of sheer heaven. Add on a smattering of source music, including a fantastically cool honky tonk country ramble and Roy Orbison giving what is is still probably the most incredibly vulnerable performance of pop music with In Dreams and you've got a great, great album.

Availability:

Film is available on DVD, album on CD and the Blue Lotus is available in the Adventures of Tintin, Vol. 2 omnibus.

Blue Poles is currently at the National Gallery in Australia and Blue Nude is currently at the Metropolitan in New York, I think (?).

 

I have reserved "The Blue Lotus" at the local library. I never read Tintin as a kid because Barbar and the Little Prince turned me off francophone kid lit forever. Of course, Herge is Belgian, ne c'est pas? It might make a difference.

Seen better Matisses.

Jackson Pollock is getting us back to the 'giant cultural self-hypnosis cum put-on' argument, which I'm sure you don't want to rehash. Again.

Chasing "Blue Velvet"

"In Dreams" is brilliant.