A is for...

An author friend of mine has been blogging his favorite books for months now. He has been going through the alphabet (obviously beginning with 'a') and nearly reached the halfway mark when it dawned on me that I should do the same with movies. I may even start a book list, too, but for now I'll just do this.

 
 Although the first in a series is typically the best and Alien is great, I loved Aliens just a little more. Perhaps the further character development of Ridley with the addition of a near love interest and a maternal drive is the key. Or maybe it's just because this movie kicks ass in general. Let's face it, how much better can it get when you have space marines, lots of HUGE guns and explosions, and one mutha of an alien all in one film. Ask anyone who's seen the series and I venture most will admit that this one may be slightly better than the first.

Let's face it, it doesn't get much better than Bette Davis in All About Eve. In fact, I can't find one weak part in this movie. Even Marilyn Monroe's brief appearance as a rising starlet is one of her best performances. Every single element (great acting, an amazing script, even the awesome costumes) mixes together to form the best rags to riches story there is. If you're a fan of classic movies and have not seen this gem, you are not a true fan. This film is the perfect example of 'Hollywood' at it's best.

I don't know if I can rave enough about this sweet, simple fairytale story of a young, French woman whose sensitivity and caring touches everyone she meets. Beautifully filmed with a wonderful cast, the movie defines 'feel good films'. I guarantee that if you watch this film you will have a warm, happy feeling in your heart by the closing credits. Audrey Tautou has never been better. Just look at the keywords listed at Netflix:
"feel-good, romantic, quirky, imaginative." Yep, that about covers it.

I could just keep going and add Arsenic And Old Lace (another great classic starring Cary Grant as the naive nephew of two 'sweet' old ladies), Amadeus (the Oscar winning story of the tragic life of one of the greatest composers in history), and About A Boy (a bittersweet story of a young man's attempts to make sense of his mixed up life that is one of my favorite Hugh Grant films). Let's face it, 'a' isn't just a good place to start because it's the beginning of the alphabet. 

One down, 25 more to go. As Margo Channing so perfectly puts it in All About Eve:
"Fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy night."