'1,001 Movies You Must See Before You Die' Challenge

Raiders Of The Lost Ark

Have I Seen It Before?: No Thoughts Before Viewing: This is one I've wanted to see for a while.  I've heard it deemed the British It's A Wonderful Life (1946).  I really don't know what to expect. Running Time: 104 minutes Directed By: Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger Written By: Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger Primary Cast: David Niven, Kim Hunter, Robert Coote Summary: A British wartime aviator who cheats death must argue for his life before court. My Thoughts: I really love the Powell & Pressburger films that I've seen so far.   They have a knack for sweeping grand stories in a rich old fashioned sense.  I particularly enjoyed this one.  It's a remarkably unique film told in a very original manner.  I was especially blown away by the distinct use of technicolor.  You can really sense that they spawn from a time when use of color in film is fresh and new.  The entire film is just incredibly sweet and lovely...

Have I Seen It Before?: Yes Thoughts Before Viewing: Another big classic I've been needing to rewatch.  Haven't seen it in a few years.  Jaws (1975) put me in the mood for more classic Spielberg. Running Time: 115 minutes Directed By: Steven Spielberg Written By: Lawrence Kasdan Primary Cast: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman Summary: Archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones is hired by the US government to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis.  My Thoughts: I feel like a bit of a monster for not loving this film like most film buffs do.  Don't get me wrong, it's one of the best in the adventure genre and I completely understand the appeal.  It has an instantly iconic approach and that in itself is very fun to watch.  Most of the brilliance to me comes down to Harrison Ford's performance.  The man is simply one of the most naturally charismatic actors to grace the silver screen.  I think the reason why I do...

Cleo From 5 To 7 My Life To Live

Cleo From 5 To 7 (1962)

Have I Seen It Before?: No Thoughts Before Viewing: Upon my French New Wave kick, this is one that I'm awfully intrigued by.  The premise of it being film in real time really fascinates me.  I'm also into the fact that Agnes Varda is the wife of Jacques Demy, who directed The Young Girls Of Rochefort (1967) and The Umbrellas Of Cherbourg (1964), which are both amongst my favorite discoveries upon this journey so far. Running Time: 90 minutes Directed By: Agnes Varda Written By: Agnes Varda Primary Cast: Corinne Marchand, Antoine Bourseiller, Dominique Davray Summary: Cleo, a singer and a hypochondriac, becomes increasingly worried that she might have cancer while awaiting test results from her doctor. My Thoughts: Well this is a lovely film.  I'll admit that it took a moment for me to be swooped by it but, once the magic unravel about 30 minutes in, it really hit me in a good way.  I think I'm going to need to see it again to digest it better...

Jaws