Movies I like–and disdain | Inquirer Entertainment

Movies I like–and disdain

/ 10:14 PM May 25, 2012

Now that I’m older and more conscious of time well-spent and time wasted, there are movies I would gladly buy—and those I wouldn’t. I hate silly romances and comedies that feature the Marx Brothers, Red Skelton and Jerry Lewis. I like the early films of Tom Hanks and the sophisticated comedies of William Powell and Joan Bennett.

My DVD suki knows I also prefer European films and classics from the late ’40s and ’50s. Sometimes though, he mistakes a classic for a new production of it—like the latest version of “Tom Sawyer,” which I returned because the characters in it were speaking in German! After watching it three times while reading the subtitles, I gave up!

But, I was interested in a scene where Tom and Huckleberry Finn watch their own wake—I found that amusing. Because I have shades of Tom and Huck, I’m rather conscious of what people might say about me when I’m gone.

ADVERTISEMENT

Amusing stories

FEATURED STORIES

I love films with amusing stories. I prefer “bang-bang” films to excursions into the afterlife. Dracula’s bloody antics and other stories bore me. I don’t like films that leave me feeling dirty—that’s one reason why I didn’t enjoy the “Lord of the Rings” series, whose characters and locales look grimy. I felt muddy and dirty after viewing them!

Since I don’t like bats and devilish creatures, I also didn’t enjoy the “Harry Potter” movies. I hate howling dogs and high-pitched screams, which I find predictable. I prefer ships and Columbus and Magellan to interplanetary aliens and their spaceships.

I also like romances such as “Casablanca,” “An Affair to Remember,” and “Three Coins in the

Fountain.” I love biopics like “Essex and Elizabeth,” “Viva Zapata,” and “Desirée.” I adore movies that examine relationships, like the Judi Dench-Cate Blanchett drama, “Notes On A Scandal.” I don’t like talky films like “Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.”

I enjoy Nazi-Jewish tales—so I absolutely loved “Schindler’s List” and “The Diary of Anne Frank.” I relate to the problems of their characters—could I have been Jewish in a past life?

Subtitles

ADVERTISEMENT

Even as a child, I enjoyed Errol Flynn’s adventures involving Jewish concentration camps. Recently, when I bought a copy of a film titled, “Lebanon,” I was surprised that it was about a Russian concentration camp! I thoroughly enjoyed “Confucius,” starring Chow Yun Fat, though the subtitles were hard to read because they were too tiny.

I like films that center on children’s point of view, which is why I love “E.T.” For the same reason. I’m enthralled with Charles Laughton’s “Night of the Hunter,” in which a widow’s children are hunted by a sadistic preacher, chillingly portrayed by Robert Mitchum. I truly love watching old films—but I enjoy watching those grand MGM musicals the most!

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

TAGS: cinema, Entertainment, Film, Movies

© Copyright 1997-2024 INQUIRER.net | All Rights Reserved

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By continuing, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. To find out more, please click this link.