[9] The Beguiled is a period suspense drama that spirals into claustrophobic horror. Clint Eastwood plays against type as a dying Union soldier rescued by a little girl who brings him to her finishing school in the Confederate south. The Beguiled has all the makings of a sweet drama or light comedy as several of the young women become infatuated with Clint during his convalescence. …
[9] A teenaged girl (Jenny Agutter) and her little brother (Luc Roeg) are stranded in the Australian Outback after their father begins shooting at them, catches the car on fire, and blows his brains out. They manage to survive for a few days, but ultimately come to rely on a young aborigine (David Gulpilil) who crosses their path. The boy is on ‘walkabout,’ a rite of …
[8] A fifteen-year-old boy (John Moulder-Brown) begins working at a British bathhouse where a young woman (Jane Asher) goads his sexual awakening. The boy begins obsessing over the woman and her fiancee. He stalks them at night and tries to break them up. Once the boy and woman consumate their unhealthy relationship, things take an even darker turn. I found Deep End to be acompelling coming-of-age story …
[10] Which of King Henry II’s sons will succeed him on the throne? This question is rife with political intrigue, personal vendettas, and intense family drama in The Lion in Winter. The relationships are fascinating to watch unfold. The three sons will stop at nothing to wear the crown. King Henry has his favorite, and his wife Eleanor has hers. Their desires come to a …
[9] Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway star as the legendary real-life bank robbers in Arthur Penn’s volatile Bonnie and Clyde. With its anti-hero point of view and graphic violence, this film helped lead the charge for grittier, more realistic fare that cropped up throughout the ’70s. While the film certainly sensationalizes the criminals, it also humanizes them. It’s easy to see how a bored waitress …
[9] A South London biker boy (Colin Campbell) finds himself caught in a romantic triangle, unsure whether to patch things up with his young wife (Rita Tushingham) or pursue an increasingly comfortable relationship with a fellow biker (Dudley Sutton). The Leather Boys is an obscure but surprising discovery, featuring beautiful, widescreen black & white photography, moody locations, a smart script, and solid performances. Produced at …
[10] Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel is lovingly adapted to film by director Robert Mulligan, screenwriter Horton Foote, and producer Alan J. Pakula. Gregory Peck earned the Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Atticus Finch, a lawyer of uncompromising morals who puts the safety of his family on the line to defend Tom Robinson (Brock Peters), a black man accused of raping a white …
[9] A crippled woman tries desperately to escape the torture of her jealous sister in this deliciously wicked suspense thriller starring icons Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. Crawford is quite good in the sympathetic role, but its Davis’ maniacal performance as ‘Baby’ Jane Hudson that you’ll never forget. Her part is as juicy as it is ugly, and Davis is fearless in it — whether …
[10] An unshakable sheriff and his riff-raff crew brace for a days-long siege when a swarm of bad guys descend on their town, threatening to free one of their own from jail. Rio Bravo is the last great film from legendary director Howard Hawks (Scarface, Bringing Up Baby, The Big Sleep). It’s not the epic western you might imagine from Hollywood in the ’50s. Nor …
[10] A young boy is orphaned and left in the care of his only living relative, an eccentric aunt who defies convention and encourages discovery. The pair endure challenge after challenge in an episodic narrative that ends in the boy becoming a man and getting married, a decision that threatens to finally tear them apart. It’s so rare for me to fall this much in …
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