Movies have always been considered magic on some level, to make fiction appear to come to life. Some movies, though, just flat-out have more magic than others. Steven Spielberg's E.T.: the Extra-Terrestrial is one of those movies. The film has more heart, finesse, performance, and magic in single scenes than some movies have in their entire running time, and does it with an animatronic special effect as a main character.
Read MoreFor movie fans who want to dive into the great and heavy works of Alfred Hitchcock, North by Northwest is the first of two movies that I steer them to first.
Read MoreTo anyone who will listen, I preach the greatest love and respect of Casablanca, the 1943 Oscar winner for Best Picture from director Michael Curtiz. You might be able to name singular instances, throughout the vast history of cinema, of better ensemble acting, better war-time intrigue, better left-field star turns, better broken hearts, better dialogue, and better romance. You might. However, I challenge and dare you to find a better movie in Hollywood history that has all of those qualities working together at once. Because of the successful combination of so many outstanding qualities, Casablanca is a perfect movie to me.
Read MoreSpielberg and Lucas made Raiders of the Lost Ark as a homage to the Saturday morning adventure serials of the 1930's and 1940's. The look and feel of the finished product is like no other, between the locations, the fashion, and the sets (and the snakes!).
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