Night of the Living Dead (1968) Directed by George A. Romero
"Barbra, they're coming to get you Barbra!" Boy are they, this movie is legend and it's hard to believe that you can pick it up for $1 at the Walmart. I remember watching this at the drive-in back in 1971 and getting the s**t scared out of me. I was working at that same drive-in in 1978 and got to see Dawn of the Dead for free.
I can't say much that hasn't already been said.
Looker (1981) Directed by Michael Crichton
I read somewhere that Crichton wanted this to be a comedy, but the studio wanted a thriller, so it's kind of a mix and badly edited.
Hollywood plastic surgeon Larry Roberts (Albert Finney) gets framed for murdering three models he had recently preformed surgery for. They as well as a fourth model, Cindy(Susan Dey), all had exact to the milimeter measuements for what they wanted done. In trying to find out what is going on Larry and Cindy run afoul of a plot by an evil corporate head (James Coburn) to manipulate people through digital television commercials.
The plot is never totally revealed, especially why they were murdering the models after making digital duplicates ot them (loose ends). In researching the movie I read that there were15 minutes cut that explain the evil plot. Their are some funny moments involving the LOOKER gun and the digital actors on real sets (a real guy with a bullet hole through his head laying across the table while the kids eat their Oaties).
Crichton did foretell the coming of digital effects in movies with this film that was made the year the IBM PC was introduced.
Fort Apache (1948) Directed by John Ford
Lt. Col. Owen Thursday(Henry Fonda) and his daughter Philadelphia (Shirley Temple) are on their way to a bleak little outpost in the west called Fort Apache. Thursday feels slighted for receiving command in such an isolated frontier outpost.
This is a study in how myths are made and is based on Custer's last stand. Fonda's character is a military commander who cares more about protocol and regulations than the men under his command. He knows nothing about the Indians and has no respect for them. He tricks John Wayne into luring the Cochise and his people back to the reservation only to renig on Wayne's word.
He eventually rebukes Waynes advice and orders him to the rear and leads the rest of the troop into an ambush. Practically everyone is killed including Thursday, who is then memorialized as a hero, when in actuality he was a fool.
As with all of John Ford's westerns the characters are all well fleshed out and you are made to care about them. Look for all the Ford regulars like Ward Bond and Victor Mclaglen. This is also the screen debut of John Agar who would become the leading man in many a 50's B movie (remember Revenge of the Creature?).
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) Directed by John Ford
This is one of my favorite westerns. John Wayne plays the sixtyish Captain Nathan Brittles who has to deal with a great Indian uprising on the eve of his retirement.
This film has great scenery and a lot of good acting. Look for Ben Johnson, Victor Mclaglen, Harry Carrey Jr., and John Agar.
My favorite scene is when Victor Mclaglen goes into the saloon wearing John Wayne's retirement suit and mayhem insues when they try to arrest him for being out of uniform. When asked to come along peaceably, he replies "Laddy, I've never gone anyplace peaceably in me life.".
This is one of the greats.
Post Edited (07-27-05 07:22)
"Fort Apache" and "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" are two of three films in a loose trilogy of Ford westerns. The third is "Rio Grande." Trek_geezer, have you see that one yet?
I have seen Rio Grande, and it's funny I get it confused with She Wore a Yellow Ribbon because Ben Johnson appears in both movies as Tyree and Victor McGaglen's character has the same name in both, Quincannon.
John Wayne is supposed to be the same character that he played in Fort Apache.
Overall, these are three great westerns and some of John Wayne's best..
Post Edited (07-27-05 13:05)
Yup, there isn't much more that could be said for NOTLD. Nice going with the watching it. It's a classic (and that's been said at least 10.000.579,125 times)