ON BORROWED TIME (1939) is one of the most inquired-about movies out there. What I mean by that is: every movie expert, call in show, movie website or magazine columnist specializing in movie trivia every once in a while gets someone who dimly recalls seeing a movie when they were a kid (or at least years ago): this movie involved a grandfather and his young grandson who trap Death up in a tree. That's all they can usually remember about it and they have been desperately trying to discover what the movie was called or any other information about it. That movie is ON BORROWED TIME and it's a testament to the power of that concept that it remains in the back of so many people's minds even if they can recall no other details about it.

It IS a rather potent theme on which to base a movie. I recently rewatched the thing and I can honestly say I had forgotten just how powerful it is. In fact, if I was to re-do my recent 100 FAVOURITE MOVIES list, I would include ON BORROWED TIME on it and necessarily bump some other movie off. The thing I think I really like most about it is the very soothing picture of Death it presents. It's the same effect that Rod Serling was going for in the famous episode of Twilight Zone "Nothing in the Dark" in which old lady Gladys Cooper (who looks EXACTLY like Beulah Bondi in this movie) meets Death (a young Robert Redford). However, the effect isn't nearly as effective and successful as director Harold S. Bucquet manages to portray in ON BORROWED TIME.

The film opens as young Pud (Bobs Watson) visits his grandparents (Lionel Barrymore and Beulah Bondi). Pud's parents are killed in a car accident and he comes to live with the grandparents. There is an especially close relationship between Pud and Gramps; in fact, the boy mimics everything the old man does -- including cussing. This gets them in Dutch with mean old Aunt Demetria (hatchet-faced sourpuss Eily Malyon) who, upon learning that the young boy inherited $55,000 from his dead parents, begins to rangle for full custody of the boy to get her claws on the cash. Gramps isn't fooled for a moment; he and Pud often sing a taunting melody of "Aunt Demetria is a pismire!" For those not in the know, a pismire is a really nasty and vicious ant. Get the connection. I thought you would. Unfortunately, Granny begins to believe that Gramps just might be a bad influence on the boy and begins to become swayed by Demetria's lies. Even lovely and thoughtful Marcia Giles (Una Merkel), who comes to help the old folks with daily chores and cooking, becomes a target for Aunt Demetria. She's been seen kissing a boy in the park. She should be fired! Needless to say, the innocent kiss was between Marcia and her fiancee. But nothing stops Aunt Demetria's perfidy. WHAT A PISMIRE!!! Meanwhile, naughty neighbourhood ruffians have been climbing Grampa's apple tree and stealing his prized golden russets. So Pud has Gramps make a wish that anyone climbing up that apple tree won't be able to come down unless he gives them permission.

The first half of the movie plays like a pretty straight forward domestic drama. Except for the fact that, right before Pud's parents die in the car crash, they pick up a hitchhiker named Mr. Brink (Cedric Hardwicke) who just happens to be Death incarnate. Meanwhile, an increasingly tired Granny begins to see through Demetria's evil plans and determines not to let her adopt Pud after all. Unfortunately, before she gets a chance to tell anyone, Mr. Brinks enters her bedroom and Granny quietly dies. The heartbroken Gramps stops eating for a while but then realizes that he's got to pull himself together and convince the authorities that he's a fit guardian or else they'll take Pud away from him and leave him in the clutches of Demetria. Gramps makes a valiant effort but Demetria is determined and sets the legal machinery in action to adopt Pud and declare Gramps unfit. Then Mr. Brink shows up and tells Gramps it's time to go. An angry Gramps tells Mr. Brink that he wouldn't go with him even to a rat fight! Brink disappears for a while but comes back insisting it's time for Grampa to go with him. The crafty grandfather asks Mr. Brink a favour: before he leaves, could he have one of his prized golden russets? Of course. But wheelchair bound Gramps asks Mr. Brink to climb up in the tree and get one for him. TRAPPED!!! Mr. Brink cannot get down from the tree unless Grampa says he can. The consequences being that, not only won't Grandpa die, but NO ONE IN THE WHOLE WORLD CAN DIE. Unless, that is, they touch the tree or eat one of the apples. However, this seeming blessing begins to take on the aspects of a curse as we slowly realize that those who are suffering cannot achieve the release of death and must continue to linger and suffer. One nice feature of the film is that no religious denomination is espoused. Mr. Brink is simply Death with no Judeo-Christian (or any other) attachments. As much as any movie dealing with this subject could be, ON BORROWED TIME remains a secular fantasy.

While the first half of the film can seem like a typical 1930's movie and the acting likewise, the second half really sees the acting kick in for real. Young Bobs Watson as Pud is particularly effecting. While most child actors get on my last nerve (and Watson CAN occasionally be a little loud and shrill), he excels in the crying department (no doubt the fact which led to his casting in the film). When Watson turns on the waterworks after Gramps tells him he must die and go with Mr. Brink, Bucquet leaves the camera on Watson in one continuous take as the tears flow and the little jerk had my tears flowing as well. Pud pleads with his grandfather to let him go with him (in other words, for the boy to die) and Gramps naturally refuses. Then an increasingly frantic Pud pleads and accuses his grandfather of not loving him anymore. I'll tell you, I'm getting a lump in my throat just writing about it. In the usually annoying category of child actors, Bobs Watson kicks hell out of most of them in this one scene alone. And, in fact, once things get serious in the film's second half, he is uniformly excellent. The same can be said for Lionel Barrymore who is always fun and crotchedy but in the second half of the film gets serious about his acting and really gives a powerful performance. Cedric Hardwicke as Mr. Brink makes a charming, low key Death and, if I had my choice, is the one I'd like to come and get ME when my time is up (rather than the Monty Python version with the salmon mousse that almost certainly WILL come and get me!). Beulah Bondi (in heavy old age makeup) can be slightly (I said slightly) cloying in some scenes (particularly as her end approaches) with a little too much quivering "old lady" voice but her deathbed scene really hits like gangbusters as well and makes up for any slight ham she may have been slicing earlier in the picture. And Una Merkel is gloriously loveable as the almost angelic Marcy who is too good to be true, sure, but I'd like to marry her if that other guy takes a powder. Veteran character actors also populate the film with equally fine performances: Henry Travers (Clarence the Angel himself) as a country doctor who first disputes but comes to believe Grampa's story about Death in the tree, Grant Mitchell as lawyer Ben Pilbeam and Nat Pendleton as strongarm Mr. Grimes. Then of course there's the perfect (read: hissable) performance of Eily Malyon as pismire Aunt Demetria.

This is a quiet little movie which is easy to overlook but I really can't recommend it enough. It sort of takes one by surprise as the rather lightweight first half turns into something much more weighty, thought-provoking and emotional. And modern viewers might be flabbergasted at the ending of the film; it's can honestly be said it's something you rarely see happen in a movie -- then OR now! When the year 1939 is constantly referred to as the best ever for movies, it's a shame that ON BORROWED TIME isn't mentioned along with all those other greats because frankly it belongs right there among 'em.

THE FIVE SONGS: ELEVENTH INSTANCE. On this Independence Day, I'm not gonna drag in Bill Pullman. Instead I've been reflecting on independence and the fact that we're never truly independent. We rely on the support and company of friendship. I've been lucky to have more friends than I deserve who put up with my wacky ways. Far from being a little ray of sunshine, I have described myself more as "a squirt of lemon to the eye". I'm acidic and I like it that way. Hell, at least I'm entertaining in my malfunctions. But since I have only five songs here to work with, I have chosen to list five songs which I strongly associate with certain people in my life who I'm grateful to call friends. There are many more, of course, but if you're not here it's no slight; it's just that as yet there is no one song I associate ironclad with you. So get to work on that. And meanwhile, with little comment, here they are -- the songs I cannot escape instantly recalling one person every time I hear it.

1. QUESTION by THE MOODY BLUES -- Person associated with: Cheeks. "Why do we never get an answer when we're knocking at the door?" Good question. Good song. It also has special meaning for Cheeks.

2. 4TH OF JULY by X -- Person associated with: Daddy Pax. How appropriate for today! This just happens to be my favourite X song. And I'm pretty sure it's his too. "On the stairs I smoke a cigarette alone. / Mexican kids are shootin' fireworks below. / Hey baby! / It's the 4th of July!" This song has a lot of energy, it really rocks and it's really punk in the best, most admirable sense. And so is he.

3. WISH I MAY by ANI DIFRANCO -- Person associated with: Ilsa*. "I wonder what happens if i get to the end of this tunnel and there isn't a light / I've worn down the treads on all of my tires." I can relate with the world beating you down. We've both had that. "Don't tell me it's gonna be alright / you can't sell me on your optimism tonight / it's a stiff competition to see who can stay up later / the stars or the street lights / and all they really want is to be alone with the darkness." But the fact remains that through it all she remains fucking strong! How's that for something to aspire to?

4. THIS BITTER EARTH by DINAH WASHINGTON -- Person associated with: Rob. This is also my favourite Dinah song and I first heard it because of this guy. "And if my life is like the dust That hides the glow of a rose / What good am I Heaven only knows / This bitter Earth Can it be so cold." Life is a series of hard knocks and it's realistic to see it that way. However, the song ends on an up note. "And this bitter earth may not be so bitter after all." And still always remains an optimist.

5. GRAVEDIGGER by DAVE MATTHEWS -- Person associated with: Fink. I thought it would be appropriate to end the list in the grave. It would certainly take friendship for me to include a song by Dave Matthews on my list because I am definitely not a fan (Oh, it's SUCH a dark day here in the ole blog). "Gravedigger / when you dig my grave / will you make it shallow / so that I can feel the rain?"

MY 100 FAVOURITE FILMS (PART TEN). The time has come, the walrus said, to end this frikkin' list already. Now that we're knocking on the door of the 21st century, it's time to see what terrors I've decided are the final 10 of my favourite 100.

• JFK (1991) dir. Oliver Stone -- I wouldn't say I buy where Oliver Stone is coming from but the film itself is a well-coordinated monster which never fails to entertain me. Of course, anything to do with the Kennedy assassination has a built in interest factor, but the sheer jutzpah demonstrated in simply getting this movie made logistically speaking is impressive. Kevin Costner is appropriately wooden as D.A. Jim Garrison and the endless parade of Hollywood cameos keeps even more interest up. And who could've been more perfectly cast as David Ferrey than Joe Pesce?!?

• Peter's Friends (1992) dir. Kenneth Branagh -- Wrongheaded people at the time referred to this as "The British Big Chill" but this is a complete misnomer. A group of college friends from the 80's gets together ten years later in 1992. The comedy and drama arises from each individual character's backstory and motivations as well as the current interaction with each other after so much time has passed. Whereas the cast of THE BIG CHILL never really sold the chemistry of "old friends", this cast really has that chemistry of people who really connected long ago. This probably owes something to the fact that most of the cast HAS known each other and had a close relationship with each other for years: Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson were married, Phyllida Law is Thompson's real mother, Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry were long time comedy partners and even American Rita Rudner co-wrote the screenplay. Speaking of which, the screenplay is littered with witty lines. Oh and another rather good 80's soundtrack that perfectly fits each scene.

• And the Band Played On (1993) dir. Roger Spottiswoode -- Originally made for HBO, this much-ballyhooed AIDS film featured a huge all star cast. It basically traces the emergence of the AIDS epidemic from the point of view of disease researcher Matthew Modine from the late 70's to the early 90's. Alan Alda makes one of his first "villain" appearances which has marked something of a second-career path for him; he's particularly venal and spiteful in the role of Dr. Gallo. All the big stars making essentially cameos seem to have checked their egos at the door and Iam McKellan is particularly effective as a gay politician fighting for recognition of the disease and more funding to fight it.

• Clerks (1994) dir. Kevin Smith -- Kevin Smith's first movie (financed on his own credit card) is still sidesplittingly funny with dialogue sharp as a pin. Here is where he lays down his manifesto: he's going to make dialogue-driven comedies that pile on the pop culture references and liberally sprinkle them with dick and fart jokes -- while still remaining oddly relevant and damn-near artistic. While I recommend his entire outpit (sans JERSEY GIRL which still ain't THAT bad), this is the one that made my top 100.

• Nobody's Fool (1994) dir. Robert Benton -- Paul Newman is magnificent as a good-for-nothin' screw-up who managed to mess up his entire life but somehow still manages "to grow on" people. Another fantastic cast features Jessica Tandy (in her final film role), Bruce Willis (perfectly cast as his asshole foreman), Melanie Griffith (the best performance I've ever seen her give) as well as a talented aggregation of no-name but endlessly watchable character actors.

• Ju-On (2000) dir. Takashi Shimizu -- the best in the recent vogue for Japanese horror, this is one of my favourite ghost movies of all time. Intricately plotted and filmed, it's also tremendously creepy for almost the entire running time.

• Battle Royale (2000) dir. Kinji Fukasaku -- Near future depiction of a popular Japanese game show. A search is made for the most "juvenile delinquent" high school in Japan. Those kids are then taken on a field trip, knocked out and taken to a deserted island where they are given a variety of weapons (or non-weapons as luck would have it) and told simply that the last one alive. . .wins. It's interesting to see how various kids react; some simply refuse to accept it, others reluctantly realize they must kill to survive eventually and still others immediately fall right into the hunter mode. Sort of a LORD OF THE FLIES meets SURVIVOR movie with guns. Spellbinding.

• The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) dir. Wes Anderson -- Typical Wes Anderson weirdness in his finest film depicting the incredibly disfunctional family of ne'er-do-well Royal Tenenbaum (Gene Hackman) who fakes having fatal cancer in order to get back in the good graces of his estranged family. Yet another top drawer cast including Angelica Huston, Danny Glover, Gwyneth Paltrow, Bill Murray and many more. Another fine example of a soundtrack perfectly matching the mood of the film.

• The Lord of the Rings (2001-2003) dir. Peter Jackson -- That's right I'm counting all three of the trilogy as one film and there's nothing you can do about it. And that's because they simply ARE one film. The "impossible-to-film" Tolkien trilogy was finally filmed in epic fashion. And despite Kevin Smith's cogent and frankly very funny observation that THE LORD OF THE RINGS is basically a long walk ("Even the fucking TREES walk in that movie!") it revives the long-dead tradition of a motion picture "epic" which I had thought everyone had simply forgotten how to make.

• Shaun of the Dead (2004) dir. Edgar Wright -- A perfect melding of horror and comedy; the film is equally funny AND scary and that's a feat which I'm pretty sure has never (or ALMOST never) been done before. The very true comparison of braindead zombies with our own very somnambulant modern state is so biting because it's so true. Then you have the cast which is so incredibly LIKEABLE! Plus a director who actually knows how to put all this together AND effectively shoot action sequences. What you get is a modern horror comedy classic.

And what you also get is the end of my 100 favourite films. As I said before, these are my subjective favourites based on my simple love of the films and my connection with them. These are the films I watch continually over and over again. There are, of course, many more and I agonized long and hard over leaving them off because there are quite a lot of films I love that didn't make the list. And as I've said before, the next time I would decide to make this list I'm sure there would be many changes about who would make the cut. Not to mention those films which I simply haven't seen yet. Movies I've only seen for the first time very recently (A CANTERBURY TALE, EXECUTIVE SUITE, THE THIEF OF BAGDAD to name a few) rocketed right to the top 100 displacing other films which would have been in their places. So the only thing I have to say is: keep watching movies. I mean, what else are you going to do. . .pay attention to REALITY?!?!?!? Please. Don't make me laugh.

MY 100 FAVOURITE FILMS (PART NINE). We're heading into the home stretch.

• On Golden Pond (1981) dir. Mark Rydell -- How CHARIOTS OF FIRE won best picture this year I'll never know. Examination of old age and the communication (or lack thereof) between the generations. Katharine Hepburn and Henry Fonda are sublime as always and Jane Fonda allows herself to be subordinated to the needs of the film. Henry Fonda's character feels himself fading away while Hepburn as his wife tries her best to bolster his sagging confidence. Bittersweet without being cloying.

• The Four Seasons (1981) dir. Alan Alda -- Three couples (Alan Alda & Carol Burnett, Rita Moreno and Jack Weston & Len Cariou and Sandy Dennis)grapple with the onset of middle age and the breakup of one of their marriages. A film divided into four parts (Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter) rejoins the groups only when they rejoin each other on their shared group vacations during each season of the year. Strongly character driven and quite funny in places. The introduction of Bess Armstrong as the "newcomer" throws all their staid lives into a tailspin.

• Strange Brew (1983) dir. Rick Moranis/Dave Thomas -- Before Beavis & Butthead, before Wayne & Garth there was Bob & Doug McKenzie. Direct from SCTV, the pair make their big screen debut in an audacious knuckleheaded comedy which manages to snare Max Von Sydow into the mix as well. The plot is too ridiculous to recount (deliberately convoluted as part of the joke) but the strange and very true-to-life brotherly relationship between Moranis and Thomas makes the film eminently watchable.
• A Christmas Story (1983) dir. Bob Clark -- the perennial Christmas favourite actually deserves to be dragged out every year. Magnificently written Jean Shepherd sorta memoir/reminiscence that manages to evoke the late 30's/early 40's with the addition of modern sensibilities looking backward. Peter Billingsley manages to carry the film on his tiny shoulders while Darren McGavin's father is priceless.

• Brazil (1985) dir. Terry Gilliam -- Former Python's masterpiece of dystopian near-future (are we there finally at long last?!?) with the faceless, monolithic power-that-be treating you and I like pawns. Jonathan Pryce is the nebbish office worker who dreams of heroics while battling his appliances. Katharine Helmond is his plastic surgery-obsessed mother (My God we ARE there already, aren't we?). Michael Palin is genuinely frightening in his smiling evil portrayal. Gilliam's epoch-shaking battle with the studio who wanted to impose a happy ending on the film was the stuff of a book in itself (THE BATTLE OF BRAZIL) but Gilliam's original cut is the ONLY one to watch; avoid the studio version like the plague!

• The Breakfast Club (1985) dir. John Hughes -- Not a John Hughes fan but I love this movie. Probably because I practically lived it. Unusually effective "brat pack" cast brings real emotion to the plight of high schoolers desperately trying to resist being crammed into the neat little boxes imposed by society at large. My late great college professor (The Underground Grammarian Dr. Richard Mitchell) once said to me that he always watched two movies before the start of every school year: EDUCATING RITA (which just missed out on this list) to remember how a teacher SHOULD be and THE BREAKFAST CLUB to remember where his students were coming from. Keen soundtrack too.

• Clockwise (1986) dir. Christopher Morahan -- John Cleese's cinematic highpoint as he plays a teacher obsessed with punctuality who must travel to be guest of honour at a teacher's symposium. Naturally, everything that could possibly go wrong does go wrong. A modern day screwball comedy/road picture.
• 84 Charing Cross Road (1987) dir. David Hugh Jones -- Based (almost verbattim) from the real life correspondence between author Helene Hanff and the manager of a rare book store in England. The two leads are sensitively played by Anne Bancroft (who got her husband Mel Brooks to produce the picture for her) and Anthony Hopkins who manage to depict a love story between two people who never actually meet.

• Shirley Valentine (1989) dir. Lewis Gilbert -- Hello, wall. The story of a beaten down, ignored and taken for granted British housewife (Pauline Collins in an Oscar-worthy performance) who one day gets fed up and takes off for a vacation in Greece. She finds herself becoming so alive there that she suddenly decides not to go home at all and to stay in Greece for good. Brilliantly written and acted. And a film which every woman I've ever known who has seen it LOVES it.
• Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (1990) dir. Tom Stoppard -- closely adapted from his own play, Tom Stoppard's film follows the misadventures of those two extremely minor characters from HAMLET. The film follows the events in Shakespeare's play but prefers to stick with the two dolts instead of following the main characters of HAMLET. Tim Roth and Gary Oldman are perfect as the dumb and dumber Shakespearean characters; sort of an Elizabethan Abbott & Costello.

Well, holy frijoles! We're almost to the end of the 100. Stay tuned for the next installment which will bring us up to the present day (Lord help us!). And there awaits for us AIDS, assassination, more AIDS, a dodgy knee, Japanese school children with assault weapons, big feet, ghosts and zombies. See you there.

MY 100 FAVOURITE FILMS (PART EIGHT). As promised, we're going to sail on through the seventies and enter (just barely) the eighties. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

• The Sunshine Boys (1975) dir. Herbert Ross -- George Burns and Walter Matthau play two old vaudevillians who are hired for a modern day (70's) TV programme celebrating the history of entertainment. There's one snag. They despise each other. Often fall down funny, the comedy is accompanied by sharp characterisations. Burns and Matthau really have the vaudeville comedy routine down pat (not surprising considering George's vast experience on vaudeville).

• The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) dir. Jim Sharman -- Another of those epoch-making midnight movies, Richard O'Brien's music is superb in this science fiction/horror parody musical. Brad (Asshole) and Janet (slut) find their car breaking down in a rainstorm in front of a spooky old mansion. Inside they meet a bizarre congregations of wackos including servant Riff Raff (O'Brien himself) and their transvestite leader Dr. Frank N. Furter (a career-making performance from Tim Curry). Naturally, there is no substitute for experience the film in a theatre but even watching it on DVD is fun. Don't dream it -- be it!

• Dawn of the Dead (1978) dir. George A. Romero -- Part Two of Romero's dead series, this one rivals the original while being totally different. Instead of a terrifying film experience, this time we're seeing a more blatant comment on modern society's fixation on consumerism. Equally as funny as it is scary, the film benefits greatly from the lead performance of Ken Foree and the groundbreaking special effects of Tom Savini.

• Hot Stuff (1979) dir. Dom DeLuise -- Apparently based on true event, this hilarious comedy finds four police detectives taking over a fencing operations and videotaping the crooks as they bring in the stolen goods. Jerry Reed, Suzanne Pleshette and Dom DeLuise are exactly on the same wavelength (not surprising since Dom directed) as they are surrounded by a gaggle of expertly turned character actors performing along with them. Standout scene is when DeLuise is coerced into smoking some pot by some elderly English drug pushers.
• Chilly Scenes of Winter (1979) dir. Joan Micklin Silver -- Incredibly downbeat film (what a surprise for the 70's, right?) showing in vivid detail what happens when one person toys with another person's feelings. Easy going John Heard falls in love with married woman Mary Beth Hurt and, while she constantly vascillates back and forth whether she's leaving her husband or staying with him, Heard is emotionally raked over the coals for the better part of an two hours. I found the ending to be incredibly cathartic. Pieter Riegert as Heard's best friend and Oscar winner Gloria Grahame as Heard's certifiable mother add greatly to the proceedings. God knows why this film is usually referred to with the title HEAD OVER HEELS (as it is on imdb) since I've never EVER seen a version entitled that, the video copy isn't called that and the imdb entry itself features pictures of the film with the "CHILLY SCENES OF WINTER" title. And this is also the movie which made me really love Janis Joplin's "Get It While You Can" even more!

• The Ninth Configuration (1980) dir. William Peter Blatty -- Ilsa*'s recommendation was a sound one. What I expected to be a combination between M*A*S*H* and ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST (and at first it is) turns into something quite surprisingly deep and moving. An endlessly superior cast fills the military mental institution that Stacey Keach is taking over. While the first half of the movie deals with a lot of comedy and impressive performances of mental imbalance, slowly and almost imperceptably Blatty introduces the more serious themes the movie is actually about. Jason Miller gives a fantastic performance, Ed Flanders is phenomenal and Scott Wilson gives an Oscar-worthy performance. Also features the iconic 70s image of the crucifixion on the moon.
• Fatso (1980) dir. Anne Bancroft -- An incredibly funny and equally moving film featuring Dom DeLuise as an overweight man who tries to lose weight but keeps failing at the attempts. Director Bancroft also plays his sister and proves to be a fantastic director. It's a shame she didn't direct more films. And if you only think of DeLuise as a comedian, you'll certainly be surprised by the acting chops he displays in this film.

• Invasion (1980) dir. Leslie Woodhead -- This film is probably completely unknown to everyone reading this and, in fact, is apparently impossible to find. In fact, this is the only movie on my top 100 list for which I was completely unable to find a picture! Made for Granada TV, it is a gripping and, at times, terrifying historical drama depicting the events of the "Prague Spring" in which democracy momentarily managed to overthrow the Communist rule in Czechoslovakia. I really wish this was made available on DVD because it's a stunning work. Julian Glover stars as Alexander Dubcek and he's surrounding by an accomplished array of character actors.

• Breaker Morant (1980) dir. Bruce Beresford -- Is the use of the words "Kangaroo Court" too obvious here? Based on true events, this film concerns itself with the courtmartial trial of "Breaker" Morant and two associates during the Boer War. It focusses on very basic questions concerning whether or not one can hold men accountable for peacetime laws during wartime in the field of battle. Edward Woodward is really quite superb as Morant (hey, he even gets to exercise his singing voice). Based on the book "Scapegoats of the Empire".
• My Dinner With Andre (1981) dir. Louis Malle -- Cinema verite busts into the top 100 list as we watch Wallace Shawn and Andre Gregory have dinner. That's the movie. However, the often spellbindingly engrossing conversation between the two men carries the film. It makes one wish that dinner was like this every night! And I can't hear Satie's Gymnopedie without thinking of this film.

Now that we've bid the seventies goodbye and have tiptoed cautiously into the eighties, our next ten films are going to feature a holiday, old books, beer, sorta Shakespeare and an old poop.

MY 100 FAVOURITE FILMS (PART SEVEN). It's time to finish off the sixties and head pell mell into the seventies. But before I do, I'd like to draw your attention to the picture of a movie theater on your left; that is the Walt Whitman in Pennsauken, N.J. Now long gone, it was originally built by my great grandfather who was an architect. But now, on with the movies. As I previously warned you all, we're getting into the territory where the films I love are on this list because I fell in love with them way back in childhood. It's true that there is a tremendous impact deriving from such movies and I make no apologies for the love I bear these films. As I said before, these are not necessarily the greatest films ever made (although sometimes they are) but merely those films with which I have a particularly strong connection. So, with the fear that I may have been apologizing TOO much, here we go with the next ten of my 100 favourite films.

• Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine (1965) dir. Norman Taurog -- As in the case of DONOVAN'S REEF, here we have a film that's pure fun. And like THE COMEDY OF TERRORS, this one also arose from AIP and it's one of my favourite movies to watch during the summer. (I must pause to mention that not only do I rewatch favourite movies all the time but also SOMETIMES those movies tend to be rewatched around the same time of year). This film features Vincent Price as the devilish arch fiend Dr. Goldfoot in a parody of the 60's vogue for spy films in which he creates ravishing lady robots who will explode at opportune moments. Please don't confuse this film with the dire and unfunny sequel DR. GOLDFOOT AND THE GIRL BOMBS because you'll be eternally sorry if you do. Here we have a very light, dumb romp that really sums up the mid-60's for me. All that and a theme song sung by Diana Ross and the Supremes (I shit you not!).

• Carry On Screaming (1966) dir. Gerald Thomas -- Another comedy/parody; this time poking affectionate fun at Hammer Horror. While (attempted) smooching in the woods at night, Jim Dale has his girlfriend snatched by a Frankensteinian monster named Oddbod. The monster returns with the girl to the sinister mansion of Dr. What (Kenneth Williams) and his hubba-hubba sister (Fenella Fielding doing a spot on Joan Greenwood impression) where the pair are coating them with wax and selling them as department store dummies. Most of the "Carry On" crew are on hand for the silliness (as is future Doctor Who Jon Pertwee) and, in feel, the Hammer Horror parody is just about perfect.

• Guess Who's Coming To Dinner (1967) dir. Stanley Kramer -- So what if Sidney Poitier is so perfect you'd have to be NUTS not to think he's a great catch?!? This film was still rather brave for it's time in its depiction of white woman Katharine Houghton (Kate Hepburn's real life niece) falling in love with black man Sidney Poitier. The film concerns itself with a single day as the pair break the news to their respective parents. The final (and most tearjerking) film teaming of Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn, the final speech is obviously showing more than what's in the script. And the scene where Hepburn tells off the bigoted Virginia Christine (later to hawk coffee as Mrs. Olsen) is pure gold; Hepburn is ever so calm and sweet resulting in the fact that her anger isn't apparent to Christine until the final "get lost".

• The Lion in Winter (1968) dir. Anthony Harvey -- Two films in a row where Katharine Hepburn won the best actress Oscar! This time she's Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine and Peter O'Toole reprises his portrayal of Henry II from BECKET. Like EXECUTIVE SUITE, here we have a power struggle over the question of succession: who will be Henry's air to the throne of England? His sons are the young nitwit John (Nigel Terry: later to portray King Arthur in EXCALIBUR), the crafty John Castle or the rough-and-tumble (in more ways than one) Anthony Hopkins. A ridiculously young Timothy Dalton and a mind-numbingly gorgeous Jane Merrow are along for the ride. Palace intrigue on a grand, Shakespearean scale.

• Night of the Living Dead (1968) dir. George A. Romero -- The newly dead are walking around chomping on people. Who knew such a fantastic movie could arise from so simple a concept. NIGHT is an innovator and still remains compelling and frightening to this very day. The grainy, black and white photography gives a documentary feel as if this is really happening; the television bulletins help this as well. Duane Jones is the anchor as he presides over an amateur cast that nevertheless gives a good accounting of themselves. They're not only coming to get Barbara but the whole "midnight movie" audience which would soon elevate this film to icon status.

• Rosemary's Baby (1968) dir. Roman Polanski -- Simply the most faithful adaptation of a book to the screen I've ever seen. Mia Farrow's actor husband John Cassavettes makes a deal with a group of Satanists (lead by Sidney Blackmer and Oscar-winning Ruth Gordon) to impregnate her with the devil's child. The film is minutely paced to an exact degree in order to build up the most suspense. The ridiculous criticism about not seeing the baby at the end of the film is totally unfounded. Who needs to see the baby? That's missing the whole point of the film. I'm thankful we were spared the possibility of a rubber baby with red eyes looking like something from IT'S ALIVE. It would have ruined a film whose mood is painstakingly built from the first reel.
• Harold and Maude (1971) dir. Hal Ashby -- Bud Cort plays a morbid young man obsessed with death and faking suicide attempts. He also loves to go to strangers' funerals. So does Ruth Gordon whom he meets there and a warm friendship develops which eventually turns to love. The oddest of odd couples make up this first film on the list from the 1970s. It's funny how two characters so fascinated by death can make such a statement about life. The Cat Stevens soundtrack matches the mood perfectly and I've been lusting all my life after Harold's porsche hearse!
• 1776 (1972) dir. Peter H. Hunt -- This is the real way the American Revolution happened. Swear. The founding fathers really did sing (and you'll never convince me otherwise) as they do here in one of my favourite musicals. Williams Daniels will forever be John Adams in my mind (obnoxious and disliked, it must be said) and Howard DaSilva makes a perfect Benjamin Franklin. Ken Howard (The White Shadow himself) even makes a very credible Thomas Jefferson with a beautiful Blythe Danner as his wife. There are too many wonderful songs to count. I can rewatch this again and again. Frequent - lee!
• Jesus Christ Superstar (1973) dir. Norman Jewison -- Another of my favourite musicals DESPITE the fact that Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote the music. I hate Andrew Lloyd Webber. I really do. But THIS one I like. It's really an opera (that "rock opera" term would be bandied about in the early 70's) since almost every single word is sung. The mostly unknown cast (with future disco queen Yvonne Elliman as Mary Magdelene and a perfectly cast Barry Dennen as a slightly camp Pontius Pilate) bring us this hippy passion play with tunes.

• The Missiles of October (1974) dir. Anthony Page -- Tense and gripping TV movie starring William Devane as JFK and Martin Sheen as RFK (with our friend Howard DaSilva portraying Nikita Kruschev) depicts the Cuban Missile Crisis from start to finish. A large cast of superb character actors (even including THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD's Kenneth Tobey) are the bedrock upon which stands this phenomenol historical drama based on eyewitness accounts and memoirs of the participants.

And with the bombs NOT falling, we take our leave once again from the list until next time. And what do the 70's have in store?!? Well, how about ANOTHER drama based on historical events? -- as well as stolen goods fencing, diets, vaudevillians, insanity, the Boer War and a well known dinner. And if you thought you were worried about the 70s, it's only fair to warn you we'll be entering the 80s next time around.