For Sunday Showdown, I’m rating #88 rather than #89
since Netflix decided to send me DVDs in any order it felt like, rather than in
the order of my queue.
But finally, two comedies!! Thank God. I was almost at my limits of “drama” (Where
drama = me crying my eyes out week after week over sad movies).
 |
| Chaplin as Hitler = comic genius |
The
Great Dictator (IMDb). My confession: I’m not a huge
Charlie Chaplin fan. I appreciate him
for what he is: one of the greatest silent film comedians, but I’ve never been
much interested in watching his movies. The Great Dictator was Chaplin’s first
true talkie and was one of his greatest commercial successes. This was the first time I had seen it.
The movie is pretty slow, the slapstick too
overly-familiar to an audience watching now. But Chaplin playing Hitler – particularly
his speech in “German” – is sheer brilliance; the comedic timing just as
relevant for today. At any moment in
that speech he could’ve broken into “Live from New York, it’s Saturday night!!”
and I totally would’ve believed it was SNL.
What is interesting to me is The Great Dictator was on the IMDb list and not AFI. But AFI stuck
with Chaplin’s silent classics: Modern
Times (#69), The Gold Rush (#58),
and City Lights (#11).
 |
| Nobody puts Baby in a corner... |
Bringing
Up Baby is a wonderful screwball comedy. Katharine Hepburn and
Cary Grant throw out zany one-liners faster than I can keep up. It’s a
90-minute running joke that is a joy to watch. It’s not my favorite screwball comedy – don’t
worry, it’s coming –, but it’s definitely one of the best. If it gets a bit silly at times… that can be
forgiven.
So once again I’m going with AFI this week. I liked The Great Dictator, but Bringing Up Baby just has that
undeniable spark. But I’m sure Charlie
will get a future vote from me.
AFI’s Top 100
|
IMDB’s Top 100 (as of 1/1/12)
|
|
#88
|
Bringing Up Baby
(1938)
|
The Great Dictator (1940)
|
#89
|
Sixth Sense (1999)
|
Braveheart (1995)
|
#90
|
Swing Time (1936)
|
The Bicycle
Thief (1948)
|
#91
|
Sophie’s Choice
(1982)
|
The Apartment (1960)
|
#92
|
Up (2009)
|
Goodfellas (1990)
|
#93
|
The French
Connection (1971)
|
Downfall (2004)
|
#94
|
Pulp Fiction
(1994)
|
Gran Torino (2008)
|
#95
|
The Last Picture Show (1971)
|
Metropolis
(1927)
|
#96
|
Do The Right
Thing (1989)
|
The Sting (1973)
|
#97
|
Blade Runner
(1982)
|
Gladiator (2000)
|
#98
|
Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
|
The Maltese Falcon
(1941)
|
#99
|
Toy Story (1995)
|
Unforgiven (1992)
|
#100
|
Ben Hur (1959)
|
The Elephant Man (1980)
|
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