THE YEAR IN MOVIES 2009. Just as I did at the end of last year, I've compiled a list of films which, though not new, were first seen by yours truly this year. Needless to say, I watch a lot of movies. And this is a list of my 25 favourite films which I saw for the first time in 2009. It was a tough job whittling it down to 25 and some runners-up will follow at the arse end of the list. But right now, let's lift up the lid and take a look at my favourite 25 "first see" films:

1. AGE OF CONSENT (1969) - Michael Powell's last directorial hurrah after the debacle that was PEEPING TOM (1960). James Mason is the burnt-out artist who retreats to the Great Barrier Reef to recharge his batteries but encounters wild child Helen Mirren. The future dame's copiously-displayed pulchritude is also a plus.
2. THE BIG KNIFE (1955) - Robert Aldrich's backstab at Hollywood is nice and trashy in that mid-50's kinda way. Jack Palance (perhaps miscast but not really a problem) as the big star trying to get out of his movie contract with tyrannical movie mogul Rod Steiger (chewing the scenery as usual) while trying to save his marriage to Ida Lupino. Able support by Wendell Corey, Shelley Winters and Everett Sloane completes the picture.
3. BLACKBOARD JUNGLE (1955) - The rock and roll juvenile delinquent classic that still has guts. Richard Brooks directs new teacher Glenn Ford as he takes on a group of unruly, violent students. Sidney Poitier, Vic Morrow, Richard Kiley and Louis Calhern fill out the cast while Bill Haley & the Comets blare out "Rock Around the Clock".
4. BLACK NARCISSUS (1947) - Classic Powell & Pressburger mad nun movie! Beautiful colour photography and breathtaking scenery. The usual brilliant direction by P&P with a brilliant script and superb acting provided by Deborah Kerr, Kathleen Byron (in a stunning performance), Flora Robson, an incredibly young Jean Simmons, David Farrar and even Sabu!
5. BOB LE FLAMBEUR (1956) - Jean-Pierre Melville's answer to TOUCHEZ PAS LE GRISBI, this French caper film may miss the presence of Jean Gabin (he was too expensive) but Roger Duschesne as "Bob the Gambler" is an adequate substitute.
6. BREATHLESS (1960) - Godard's assault of the "new wave in French cinema" starring the immensely appealing Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg as the murderer on the run and his enigmatic American acquaintance. Hugely influential, it took me a couple viewings to really become immersed in it.
7. CALLAN (1974) - Veteran director Don Sharp takes the TV series starring Edward Woodward and makes a superb . . . what is it? . . . a crime picture? . . . an espionage picture? . . . I'm not sure. What it IS is a breath of fresh air!
8. DAY OF WRATH (1943) - Director Carl Theodor Dreyer (of VAMPYR fame) takes us back to the witch trial hysteria of 17th century Denmark and gives us a multi-layered, subtle film about the power of evil.
9. DOUBT (2008) - Yes, I do watch new films. Trouble is most of them ain't worth watching. This one, while not what I'd call a "great" film concerns the by-now-hackneyed child abuse angle in a Catholic school. However, the film is saved by an intelligent script that draws deeply-layered characters and by the uniformly excellent acting of the cast headed by Philip Seymour Hoffman and Meryl Streep.
10. HIGH AND LOW (1963) - Akira Kurosawa reunites with Toshiro Mifune in a departure for the director: a police procedural in modern-day Japan. Mifune plays the shoe company executive about to try a buyout of the company. A kidnap attempt on his son mistakenly takes a servant's boy instead. Will Mifune scuttle his takeover attempt and bankrupt himself to pay the ransom for his servant's child?
11. LE JOUR SE LEVE (1939) - The great Jean Gabin plays a murderer holed up in his apartment while the police set up a siege outside. Director Marcel Carne utilizes a series of flashbacks to show us what led this decent-seeming guy to murder.
12. LADY IN THE WATER (2006) - M. Night Shyamalan's generally lambasted movie is actually a superbly-realized fairy tale which didn't deserve it's incredibly hostile reception. Super acting by all involved with nice special effects that serve the story.
13. LEAGUE OF GENTLEMEN (1960) - Frankly one of the greatest "caper" films I've ever seen. Jack Hawkins leads an all-star cast of delightful British character actors as they plan and execute a bank robbery. Basil Dearden's direction is sure and crackling.
14. LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (2008) - Frequently hailed as one of the best horror films ever made, Tomas Alfredson's exquisitely realized vampire tale is unbeatable!
15. MASK OF DIMITRIOS (1944) - Far from a classic film, the creepy atmosphere provided by director Jean Negulesco combined with the mystery maguffin element and the reteaming of superb screen team Peter Lorre and Sidney Greenstreet make this a barrel of fun.
16. ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE (1969) - I've never been THAT much of a James Bond fan but this has shockingly become probably my favourite Bond film of them all! No one could be more surprised than myself. Sure, the absence of Sean Connery is a huge blow to the film but George Lazenby makes an acceptable 007 and, I'm firmly convinced had Connery actually starred in this film it would be known as the best of the lot. Hell, it's even got Diana Rigg in it! What's not to like?!?
17. RED DESERT (1964) - Michelangelo Antonioni's fourth chapter in his trilogy, I guess you'd call it. The first colour film by the director makes breathtaking use of the colour film. Oh, and Monica Vitti's back! While not up to the heights of L'ECLISSE or L'AVENTURA, it's still wonderful.
18. ROAD HOUSE (1948) - Director Jean Negulusco is back with this barnstormer of a semi-noir that finds poor Cornell Wilde acting between the two powerhouses of Ida Lupino and Richard Widmark; it's a wonder he didn't get crushed! Lupino is superb as the blousy lounge singer constantly putting out cigarettes on the piano while Widmark wheels out his patented psycho act from KISS OF DEATH. A tremendous treat!
19. THE ROARING TWENTIES (1939) - One of the greatest of Warner Bros. gangster films. Directed by the great Raoul Walsh (who knows a thing or two about Warner Bros. gangster films) and starring tough guy James Cagney and a still up-and-coming Humphrey Bogart.
20. THE SHIPPING NEWS (2001) - Just the kind of movie I like: everybody in it is miserable!!! Lasse Hallstrom (CHOCOLAT, THE CIDER HOUSE RULES) directs a superb cast headed by Kevin Spacey, Judi Densch, Julianne Moore and Cate Blanchett. More plusses as far as I'm concerned: the movie is set near the sea, it's in the winter in Newfoundland and . . . well, everybody's miserable. I'm a sucker for it all!
21. THE STEEL HELMET (1951) - The first movie EVER about the Korean War; Samuel Fuller made it while the war was STILL GOING ON!!! As with every Fuller movie, it's hard hitting and pulls no punches. Excellent lead performance by Gene Evans as Sgt. Zack. You can tell this film was made by a guy with actual combat experience. Simply one of the best war films ever made.
22. SUMMER WITH MONIKA (1953) - Early Ingmar Bergman film gives us this full Bergman treatment. The story of a pair of young lovers who fall in love, run away together and discover that life ain't all beer and skittles.
23. UNCLE SILAS (1947) - Film adaptation of the classic J. Sheridan LeFanu gothic novel by extremely mysterious director Charles Frank. This delirious fever dream is everything a gothic melodrama should be. Just beginning screen actress Jean Simmons is the menaced ingenue, Katina Paxinou is deliciously evil as her French governness and Derrick De Marney is slimy as all hell!
24. WALK HARD: THE DEWEY COX STORY (2007) - Razor-sharp skewering of all those musical biopics (RAY and WALK THE LINE are particular targets), Jake Kasdan's comedy does something pretty rare these days; it's a comedy that's actually funny. John C. Reilly has the role of his career and the soundtrack is bitingly funny and musically damn good.
25. WATCHMEN (2009) - Zack Snyder took the movie that couldn't be made and made a pretty respectable film out of it. The revered Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons graphic novel is still better than the film but the sheer chutzpah that made a coherent film of it has got to be respected. Who watches the Watchmen? Well, I certainly did and I enjoyed it.

As promised, I thought I'd mention those movies which I thoroughly enjoyed seeing for the first time this year but just missed being on the list: Ingmar Bergman's THE DEVIL'S EYE, FLASHBACKS OF A FOOL (more miserable people!), Douglas Sirk's monumental tearjerker MAGNIFICENT OBSESSION, the hypnotic PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK, Kurosawa's RASHOMON, classic 70's chase film VANISHING POINT, Luchino Visconti's early neo-realist classic LA TERRA TREMA and OTOSHIANA aka PITFALL.

A STRANGELY FORGOTTEN 1949 FILM NOIR: "THE WINDOW" IS WELL-WORTH LOOKING INTO. (OK, I promise no more bad jokes). With a story by Cornell Woolrich (credentials don't come much noiry-er ... and Woolrich was also the author of ANOTHER story involving a window with which Hitchcock fans should be QUITE familiar!), "THE WINDOW" is an at times nail-biting movie that had a much higher profile back when it was released and, in fact, earned it's young star an Academy Award. That young star, of course, was Bobby Driscoll: Disney's very own PETER PAN who also appeared as the juvenile lead in TREASURE ISLAND and SONG OF THE SOUTH. In fact, "THE WINDOW" features a title card stating the fact that the youngster was loaned out by Walt Disney in order to make this film. Another title card makes mention of Aesop's Fable "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" which is exactly what this movie is about.

Director Ted Tetzlaff (better known as an Oscar-nominated cinematographer) begins "THE WINDOW" with a rather brave ploy. We first see Bobby Driscoll as young Tommy cowering in a loft somewhere and he appears to be overacting horribly. Oh no, the viewer thinks, here we go having to sit through an entire movie with a hammy child actor. However, this "hamming it up" is deliberate since we aren't into the actual plot yet; young Tommy is merely playing cops and robbers with some other kids and is emoting in just the way kids do when playing such games. Rest assured, although I am no fan of child actors, I can honestly state that Bobby Driscoll is one of the best of them and no bad acting will be demonstrated in this film.

Tommy Woodry has a big problem; he likes to tell tall tales and whoppers involving gangsters and killings in the street. One such fib he tells the neighborhood kids is that his dad has a ranch in Texas and they'll be moving to it in a couple days (as soon as all the Injuns have been taken care of). Soon afterward, the landlord shows up at Tommy's parents' door with prospective renters to take the place after they leave. Tommy's lie has nearly upended his family right into the street. Arthur Kennedy and Barbara Hale play Tommy's weary parents very realistically; they give Tommy a serious but not caustic talking to about telling lies and then Dad goes off to his job on the night shift. The New York tenement building (a step down in quality from Ralph Kramden's place) is sweltering in the summer heat and Tommy asks his mother if he can sleep out on the fire escape. Once there, the heat is still stifling. Looking up, Tommy sees a breeze way up at the top of the tenement lift some washing hanging on a line so he decides to climb up to the top-most fire escape for some air. This fire escape is outside the apartment of the Kellersons (excellently played by superb characters actors Paul Gregory and Ruth Roman). Peeking inside the window of the apartment, Tommy witnesses the Kellerson's struggle with and ultimately stab an unknown man with a pair of scissors. He scampers downstairs (leaving his pillow outside the window) to tell his mom he's just seen a murder. Of course, Ma doesn't believe "the boy who cried wolf" and sends him to bed.

Tommy keeps on about the murder until his parents get fed up and lock him in his room. Naturally, Tommy escapes out his window and heads on down to the police department to report the murder. In a scene very reminiscent of the later 50's science fiction classic INVADERS FROM MARS (a film which shares remarkable similarities with this movie), Tommy approaches the immense desk and tries to convince the cop he's seen a murder. Never really convinces, a patrolman DOES promise to check it out but, when he walks Tommy home, marches him right up to his front door and hands him over to his mother. However, the cop does go upstairs and, under the pretext of renovating their apartment, takes a look around the Kellerson's place but finds nothing. Already suspicious that their secret is out, the Kellersons are further rattled when Tommy's mother marches him up to the Kellersons to apologize for "telling stories about them". Tommy won't open his mouth but the Kellersons now begin to suspect the kid knows something. Mr. Kellerson promises his wife to find out exactly WHAT when he can get the kid alone.

Wonderfully sinister lurking about ensues while poor little Tommy gets more and more frantic that the Kellersons now know he saw the murder and that they plan to murder him! Mrs. Kellerson brings a "misdirected" telegram to Tommy's mother saying her sister is sick. Tommy thinks the Kellersons faked the telegram in order to get him mother out of the apartment while his father is at night work so that they'll find Tommy alone. A prudent phone call from the local drug store reveals that the telegram is actual genuine (one of several "fake outs" the script pulls on the viewer) but the end result is the same; Mom goes off to take care of her sister and Pop goes off to his night job and Tommy is left all alone in the apartment for the night. Who ever heard of day care in the 40's, right?!? Don't coddle your kids!!! Tommy leaves a note saying he's running away from home (more for self-preservation than enmity towards his parents) and provides a nice little P.S. to the note saying that everything he said about the Kellersons was true. As he is about to unlock the front door and leave, the door swings open of its own accord. Oh No! It's that homicidal Kellerson guy!!! No, wait, it's just Tommy's Dad home on a break to check on his son. (Another great fake out). But catching Tommy in the act of walking out the front door, Dad locks Tommy in his room and NAILS HIS WINDOW SHUT! (Fire codes were also pretty lax with parents in the 40's as well, I guess!). Then off Dad goes to work once more.

The Kellersons wait until 2 am before sneaking downstairs. Mrs. Kellerson takes a flashlight and climbs down the fire escape to shine a light through the terrified boy's window. The scene features Tommy scuttling across the wall just out of reach of the flashlight's beam and it's truly nail-biting. Meanwhile, Mr. Kellerson uses a passkey to come in the front door (unbeknownest to Tommy). The industrious kid uses a wire hanger to poke the key out of the lock on the other side of the door so he can pull it under the door and make his escape. The poor kid doesn't realize that, the whole time he's trying to hook the key, Mr. Kellerson is standing RIGHT OUTSIDE THE LOCKED BEDROOM DOOR staring bemusedly down and, at one point, even places the key where Tommy's wire hanger can reach it. Tommy opens the door and comes face to face with Kellerson! Soft-soaping the boy with plans to take him to the police station so all this can be straightened out, Mr. & Mrs. Kellerson walk Tommy out the door and down the street. They suddenly push the boy into an alley but Tommy somehow wriggles away and leads the Kellersons on a New York street chase. Sadly, they nab the boy and load him into a taxi (pretending they're his parents). A particularly brutal scene in the backseat finds the Kellersons trying to subdue the struggling boy. Tiring of this, Mr. Kellerson pulls his wife in front of Tommy to block the view of the cab driver (and us) and literally hauls off and punches the boy in the face! Knocking him unconscious. Now at their mercy, the pair carry the boy up to their apartment where they precariously place him on the fire escape so that he will have a convenient "accident".

Ted Tetzlaff shoots the screenplay with a swift, sure hand keeping suspense ratcheted up quite well. It is strange that he didn't make more films as a director since he demonstrates a sure hand with this movie. Also, great use of New York exteriors is made in which the sweltering heat of the city seems to ensure crime will bubble up. The entire cast is small but excellent without exception. Barbara Hale and Arthur Kennedy portray Tommy's parents with palpable weariness but still manage to convince us of their basic decency. Ruth Roman and Paul Gregory are exceptional as the seedy and genuinely threatening Kellersons. And Bobby Driscoll makes a fine little leading man. He obviously had the acting chops which is why the fact of Hollywood's "chewing him up and spitting him out" once he hit adolescence and was no longer "cute" is particularly tragic. Tossed aside and forgotten (just like the murdered man in "THE WINDOW"), Bobby Driscoll's unidentified dead body would be found in a similar abandoned tenement building in 1968 surrounded by empty bottles and religious pamphlets; it would take some police work to identify the nameless corpse as Disney's one-time top child actor and winner of a juvenile Academy Award for his performance in "THE WINDOW".

THE MALTESE FALCON (1931). Paleocinema's Terry Frost has a pet peeve. . .and that is blogger's who do movie lists of "The Top 10 Remakes" and ignore things like the 1941 MALTESE FALCON directed by John Huston and starring Humphrey Bogart -- which IS a remake, folks, but people often forget that fact. The truth is that Dashiell Hammett's classic detective story of the fabled black bird was made TWO TIMES before the 1941 version we all know and love. That version, in fact, is one of my favourite films. So why am I talking about the OTHER version??? Well, what could I possibly say about the 1941 classic that hasn't already been said. But the first version from 1931 has not had nearly as much said about it so I thought what the hell.

As I said, the 1931 MALTESE FALCON was the first film version of Dashiell Hammett's novel. The second, a couple years later, was the rather light-hearted SATAN MET A LADY featuring Bette Davis and Warren William (of Universal's THE WOLF MAN as well as Perry Mason and Philo Vance movies). Naturally, neither of these films can hope to compare to the classic 1941 version. But the 1931 film (awkward, flimsy and routine as it is) isn't a total loss. The screenplay by Maude Fulton and Brown Holmes sticks relatively well to the original novel; you'll be surprised when you watch it to hear quite a few direct quotes from the novel that would also be used in Huston's 1941 version. It's also interesting to note the scene in which Sam Spade is awaked by a phone call saying his partner Archer has been murdered; the same scene in John Huston's 1941 version is shot very similarly to the same scene in the 1931 version. The direction by Roy Del Ruth isn't much to write home about; it suffers from the long, awkward silences and forced badinage which many early talkies display. Roy Del Ruth (1893-1961) wasn't exactly known for his mystery/suspense credentials; other than the horror B-picture THE ALLIGATOR PEOPLE , I know Del Ruth mostly for directing the Eleanor Powell musicals BROADWAY MELODY OF 1936, BROADWAY MELODY OF 1938 and BORN TO DANCE. As an early talkie detective movie, THE MALTESE FALCON plays out only slightly better than average. There is never any sense of danger or, indeed, any mystery or suspense. In fact, the players mostly behave rather flippantly; perhaps in style at the time but today it can be a little annoying. One interesting note is the added-on final scene of the film which finds detective Sam Spade (newly appointed to the District Attorney's team) visiting femme fatale Ruth Wonderley in her prison cell. There is none of the sense of tragedy or emotional wrenching which Humphrey Bogart and Mary Astor evinced in 1941. Instead, Spade is rather cavalier towards the woman he's turned in and comes across as quite the bounder.

The cast itself handles the proceedings, on the whole, adequately. Sam Spade is no Humphrey Bogart here; instead we find Ricardo Cortez (1899-1977) cast in the role of Hammett's detective. The aforementioned flippancy is amped up considerably by Cortez's performance; which is a shame since one gets the feeling that Cortez's Sam Spade COULD have been better had he been reigned in. Cortez plays Spade as a ladies man which, frankly, could have worked if not for the over-played flippancy. Ricardo Cortez was a silent film actor (appearing in the silent SORROWS OF SATAN) who would go on to appear in the sound films THE PHANTOM OF CRESTWOOD, THIRTEEN WOMEN (a personal fave with Myrna Loy, Irene Dunne and the Hollywood-Sign-leaping Peg Entwhistle) as well as the Boris Karloff horror-meller THE WALKING DEAD. The femme fatale role of Ruth Wonderley (the character is never known as Brigid O'Shaunnessey) is played by decidedly NON-femme fatale type Bebe Daniels (1901-1971) who would be more at home when she appeared in the musical 42ND STREET. Daniels is not terrible but she seems outmatched by the role which Mary Astor would make her own a decade later. A pleasant surprise is finding the wonderful Una Merkel (1903-1986) in the role of Spade's secretary Effie. Merkel, as usual, gives the most naturalistic, unaffected performance of the film with her easy-going breeziness. Merkel appeared in Roland West's sound remake THE BAT WHISPERS (more on Roland West in a minute) as well as DESTRY RIDES AGAIN (with James Stewart & Marlene Dietrich), the classic ON BORROWED TIME (with Lionel Barrymore), 42ND STREET, BORN TO DANCE (again with James Stewart & Eleanor Powell), THE BANK DICK (with W.C. Fields) and THE MAD DOCTOR OF MARKET STREET (with Lionel Atwill). Merkel is probably one of two actors who would've fit right in with the cast of the 1941 MALTESE FALCON (more on the second in a minute). The wife of Spade's partner Archer is played by noted comedienne Thelma Todd (1905-1935) who would be found dead several years later inside her car. Whether it was suicide or murder is still not known; however director Roland West was considered a suspect for years. Todd is probably best known screen roles nowadays are probably her appearances in the Marx Brothers' comedies MONKEY BUSINESS and HORSE FEATHERS.

How can one compare the performances of Peter Lorre and Sidney Greenstreet as Joel Cairo and Casper Gutman respectively to the 1931 version's Otto Matieson and Dudley Digges. Again, Matieson and Digges aren't bad in the roles; just undistinguished. In a pre-code movie like this, one would expect Joel Cairo to be played rather floridly but Matieson barely shows us any dandified behaviour. Effie tells Sam that there's a "beautiful" client waiting in the outer office that's a "knock-out"; Otto Matieson doesn't really fit THAT bill! Otto Matieson (1893-1932) would only make one more film after this (MEN OF THE SKY) before he would be killed in a car crash. Dudley Digges (1879-1947) as Casper Gutman can hardly be called fat but here he is as "the fat man" played by Sidney Greenstreet a decade later. Admittedly, Gutman is never referred to as "fat" in the 1931 film so that's merely a minor quibble. Digges does sport a rather amusing pair of spit curls encroaching upon his male pattern baldness. Dudley Digges (also seen as the "chief detective" in James Whale's THE INVISIBLE MAN) does play up the possibility of a homosexual relationship with his gunsel Wilmer "who is like a son" to him. The 1941 film really doesn't go there but here in pre-code 1931 the acting and script really seem to be stating this relationship unambiguously. And here, Wilmer is played by the incomparable Dwight Frye (1899-1943) who was all over those classic Universal horror movies from DRACULA (as Renfield) to FRANKENSTEIN until his untimely death from a heart attack. Frye is certainly the second actor from the 1931 version who would have fit right into the cast of the 1941 version. Elisha Cook Jr. was perfect as Wilmer but, had he been somehow unable to appear in the film, Frye would've been an apt replacement. Frye as Wilmer was also luckier in the sense that he isn't humiliated at every turn the way Bogart's Sam Spade humiliated Elisha Cook Jr.

Is the 1931 MALTESE FALCON worth watching. Well, yes. Will you be disappointed by it? Most certainly. Especially if you know and love the 1941 classic. But for any true fan of the book or the movie (which admittedly is essentially the book filmed), the pre-code 1931 MALTESE FALCON is worth a look. Although it REALLLLLLLLLLLLY should have been much spicier -- being a pre-code film and all. Ah well. If it (and SATAN MET A LADY) had been any better, we may never have gotten Huston's 1941 version. And THAT would've been the TRUE crime of the century!

BIJO TO EKITAININGEN from Toho Studios in Japan is known as THE H-MAN here in its English-dubbed version. Famed director Ishiro Honda and producer Tomoyuki Tanaka are the same pair who unleashed GOJIRA (aka GODZILLA) and RODAN upon the unsuspecting world. This time, however, Honda and Tanaka take a detour from their nuclear bomb-created giant stomping monsters and give it a neat little twist. But not TOO far a detour . . . the film opens with a mushroom cloud! Instead of the H-bomb causing giant Tokyo-stomping lizards, this time it has spawned radioactive blob-like creatures that consume human flesh and bone.

The first scene in THE H-MAN finds a gangster waiting inside a car for his partner in crime to show up with the swag. It's night and pouring with rain. This is an important part of the film since it is almost always raining; Honda is combining his H-bomb monster movie with the film noir genre and it works for the most part. As the second criminal emerges from underneath a sidewalk grating, he attempts to put the swag into the trunk of the car (alright. . .BOOT for my UK friends) but he is interrupted by something we can't see attacking his legs. The crook pulls out a gun and starts firing down at the unseen thing while his partner panics and drives of in the car. The first crook, still screaming, runs out into oncoming traffic right into another car. However, when the panicked driver gets out of the car to see whom he's hit, there is nothing on lying on the rain-soaked street but empty clothing. Of course, our crook has been gobbled up and dissolved by our friendly neighbourhood H-Man blob. Or blobs. There appear to be more than one.

Apparently all this has been caused by the ever-present Pacific H-Bomb testing. A ghost ship turns up containing no one on board except more empty clothes. Men who board the ship are attacked by the blob monsters. The police go to the home of the girlfriend of the crook who sped away in the car (played by Yumi Shirakawa: veteran of other Toho productions including RODAN and SECRET OF THE TELEGIAN). The girlfriend is a nightclub singer named Chikako Arai whom the police question but she knows nothing. The police, the singer and a scientist all team up to try to get to the bottom of this blobby madness. The blob creatures can really get around; they flow like water, climb up over windowsills, scale walls and ceiling and even can travel through the rainwashed storm drains at will. Half the time the appear as flowing blobby liquid while the other half of the time they form themselves into a green-glowing humanoid shape right before they engulf an unsuspecting victim. In fact, all this rain in the movie causes the blob creatures to swarm and multiply inside the Tokyo sewer system. In an echo of THEM!, the police venture down into the sewers and eventually battle the blobs with a sort of "greek fire" flamethrower which burns on water. Unfortunately (but de riguer for any Toho monster movie) the entire city is set on fire as a result. Oops.

1958 saw the release of BIJO TO EKITAININGEN; the funny thing is that the same year saw the release of the classic drive-in monster movie THE BLOB as well -- a film which THE H-MAN shares a blobby monster in common. The funny part is that THE H-MAN (according to ole imdb) was released on May 28, 1958 while THE BLOB with Steve McQueen came out September 12th. Hmmmm. Regardless, Honda's decision to combine the Japanese monster movie with film noir works quite well. The only problem is that Honda allows the film noir elements to lapse a good deal in the middle of the picture. Whenever Honda employs the rainy nights and the trenchcoated villains, he is very successful. Sadly, these scenes are interspersed with fairly ordinary "talking in offices" scenes which have really no atmosphere to speak of. A few shadows of venetian blinds on the walls would've worked wonders. As for the "Japanese monster movie" portion of the film, these work extremely well. The blob creature special effects are every bit as nicely done as the American BLOB movie; the only difference being THE BLOB that attacks Steve McQueen is more rounded and solid while the H-MAN blob creatures are more liquid. As more film unspools, we are treated to more graphic depictions of the blob's victims as we see the poor guy engulfed and dissolving to nothing. Very effective! It is also a nice change of pace that Honda has chosen to get us away from the Godzillas and Rodans stomping Tokyo towards a more subtle and creepy creature that silently attacks from a dark corner. Director Honda would make a similar change-of-pace Toho monster movie to even greater success when he made MATANGO in 1963. Phil Hardy, in his Overlook Film Encyclopedia of Science Fiction states: "The plot appears merely as an excuse to string together extraordinary scenes of hallucinatory images as bodies liquify, enclosed within gelatinous blobs. Such scenes, together with the film noir aspects of the gangster plot, make this Honda's most sensual film..." He's got a point there as the blob creatures are more tactile and subtle threat than Godzilla's big foot squashing a car dealership. Hardy calls THE H-MAN "...one of Honda's best movies". It certainly is up there, probably, but it's definitely not his best; that honour surely goes to 1963's eerily effective MATANGO!

1958 was a huge year for horror movies. Just a cursory glance over the list of films released the same year as THE H-MAN not only includes THE BLOB but also features many other timeless wonders. Just look at this list: Hammer's epoch-shaking HORROR OF DRACULA and THE REVENGE OF FRANKENSTEIN, Mexico's El Vampiro sequel EL ATAUD DEL VAMPIRO aka THE VAMPIRE'S COFFIN as well as LA MOMIA AZTECA CONTRA EL ROBOTO HUMANO aka THE ROBOT VS. THE AZTEC MUMMY, BELL BOOK AND CANDLE, THE FLY, Richard E. Cunha's schlockfests GIANT FROM THE UNKNOWN and FRANKENSTEIN'S DAUGHTER, I BURY THE LIVING, I MARRIED A MONSTER FROM OUTER SPACE, Hammer clone BLOOD OF THE VAMPIRE, IT! THE TERROR FROM BEYOND SPACE (which would later "inspire" Ridley Scott's ALIEN), THE 7TH VOYAGE OF SINBAD, the quiet little Francis Lederer starrer THE RETURN OF DRACULA (sort of a cross between SON OF DRACULA and Hitchcock's SHADOW OF A DOUBT), the Quatermass-like Lewtonesque TROLLENBERG TERROR aka THE CRAWLING EYE, the cheezy ATTACK OF THE 50 FT. WOMAN (Harry!......Harryyyyyy!!!), John Agar's delirious BRAIN FROM PLANET AROUS, Toho's VARAN THE UNBELIEVABLE, Karloff's FRANKENSTEIN 1970, I WAS A TEENAGE FRANKENSTEIN, Jack Arnold's SPACE CHILDREN and MONSTER ON THE CAMPUS, and WAR OF THE COLOSSAL BEAST! Surely THE H-MAN is in some mighty fine company and a welcome addition to the monster rogue's gallery. This little known film is a nice change of pace from the usual Japanese Toho productions and, if for no other reason, is a worthwhile look for any fan of Ishiro Honda's monster movies.

A YEAR IN MOVIES 2008. In 2008, I watched a WHOLE LOT of movies. Some of them were old favourites but many were movies I was watching for the very first time ever. Last year at about this time I made a list (yes, ANOTHER list) of my 25 favourite films which I had seen for the first time in 2007. These were movies, old and new, which I had never seen until that year. If you want to see what I had newly discovered in 2007 click here. Well, this year I spent much time (and considerable filthy lucre) acquiring movies I had never seen before. So, because of that, this year I've had to expand the list to 50! And believe me, I still had to agonize over which movies did not make the cut. But in my ever-widening quest to track down and see more and more "must see" films, the year 2008 brought these films to my eyes -- movies I had never seen before this year but have now become new favourites. At the end of each brief description, I will also attribute credit to those who encouraged me to seek out the film. So, with your kind indulgence, I would like to once again list (in alphabetical order) these new favourites which I saw for the very first time in 2008:

• AGUIRRE, THE WRATH OF GOD (1972) -- Klaus Kinski, the maddest of madmen, stars as the equally mad Spanish conquistador futilely tracking through the jungle to find the lost city of El Dorado. Apparently both director Werner Herzog and Kinski pulled guns on each other during the filming. Loaded with many haunting images, the final shot of the raft swarming with monkeys is one of the best evocations of madness and futility I've ever seen! Utterly delirious fever dream of a film. Who made me watch this?: Danny Peary's CULT MOVIES book recommended by Terry Frost of Paleocinema.
• ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWS (1955) -- Oh, what melodrama from director Douglas Sirk. Jane Wyman is the widow who falls for younger man Rock Hudson only to have her children, her friends . . . hell, the entire town disapprove and try to ruin their only chance for happiness. Completely soppy and damned effective, too. Who made me watch this?: Martin Scorsese.
• AMERICAN MADNESS (1932) -- The Frank Capra film that probably none of you have seen. This is the first truly "Capraesque" Capra film which finds Walter Huston heading a bank by using the "personal touch". However, when a Depression-panicky public embarks on a run on the bank, Huston's altruism is tested. The "run on the bank" scene is technically brilliant. This film is particularly appropriate to watch now that the economy has tanked here in 2008!
• ATTACK! (1956) -- One of the best war movies I've ever seen -- and that's something since I usually don't LIKE war movies. Robert Aldrich directs a superb cast including Jack Palance, Eddie Albert and Lee Marvin. An incompetent Captain is getting his men killed while the higher brass refuses to do anything about it. Gripping, suspenseful and mesmerizing. Who made me watch this?: Weaverman over at FLEAPIT OF THE MIND.

• L'AVVENTURA (1960) -- The first in director Michelangelo Antonioni's groundbreaking "trilogy". A group of friends go off for a day trip to a deserted Mediterranean island and one of the group disappears mysteriously. A truly revolutionary film beautifully shot and starring the sublime Monica Vitti! Who made me watch this?: Martin Scorsese.
• THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL (1952) -- Surely one of the best movies about Hollywood. Director Vincente Minnelli is blessed with a superior cast: Kirk Douglas, Lana Turner, Dick Powell, Walter Pidgeon, Barry Sullivan and Gloria Grahame (who won an Academy Award for this one). Tinseltown wheeling and dealing beautifully presented. Who made me watch this?: Terry Frost from Paleocinema.
• THE BIG RED ONE (1980) -- Yet another war movie on my list. What's going on?!? This is director Sam Fuller's restored DVD version and it's an epic! This is a depiction of World War II from the dogface point of view; from a director who actually fought in World War II. All Fuller's crusty humour and forthright truthfulness is evident. Lee Marvin is a wonder. Who made me watch this?: Martin Scorsese.
• A CANTERBURY TALE (1944) -- This Powell & Pressburger classic has made it's way on to my top ten list of all time. A gentle little tale concerning some English travelers during the Blitz who encounter a mysterious assailant who throws glue into women's hair. But not really. It's about much more than that; the glue hurler is just a maguffin to get the movie started rolling. A truly sublime and spiritually surprising film. Who made me watch this?: Weaverman.
• COTTON COMES TO HARLEM (1970) -- One of the first of the 70's "blaxploitation" movies and one of the best. This one was actually based on a novel by Chester Himes featuring his two famous detectives Coffin Ed and Gravedigger (Godfrey Cambridge & Raymond St. Jacques respectively). The film is jam-packed with great character actors: Calvin Lockhart, Redd Foxx, John Anderson and Cleavon Little among them. The late Ossie Davis directs with flair and humour.
• CUTTER'S WAY (1981) -- A bizarre film with no real likeable characters that still manages to hold one's interest. John Heard plays a badly wounded Vietnam vet and Jeff Bridges plays his male hoyden friend who witnesses someone dumping what looks like a dead body in an alley. Heard becomes obsessed with proving a local bigwig has committed the murder while Bridges does everything he can NOT to help him. A true cult movie. Who made me watch this?: Danny Peary in his CULT MOVIES books via Terry Frost.

• LES DEMOISELLES DE ROCHEFORT (1967) aka YOUNG GIRLS OF ROCHEFORT -- Infectious French musical with great Michel Legrand songs, directed by Jacques Demy with exploding colour and starring scintillating Catherine Deneuve, Francoise Dorleac, Michael (WEST SIDE STORY) Chakiris and Gene Kelly himself; giving the production some real MGM musical cache! You can't stay depressed if you watch this movie! Who made me watch this?: Terry Frost.
• THE DIVORCEE (1930) -- A pre-code Hollywood movie that doesn't pussyfoot around delicate subject matter. Norma Shearer and Chester Morris are a married couple very much in love until Shearer discovers that Morris has had an affair. Norma decides what's good enough for him is good enough for her and promptly goes out and starts sleeping around. Startling movie if you're not used to pre-code Hollywood.

• L'ECLISSE (1962) -- The third in Michelangelo Antonioni's "trilogy", this has now become my favourite film of all time. I saw it for the first time this past January and I've watched it 11 times so far this year. Monica Vitti returns along with Alain Delon in a film impossible to describe. Even more groundbreaking than L'AVVENTURA, the final 10 minutes is stunning! Who made me watch this?: Martin Scorsese.
• EXECUTIVE SUITE (1954) -- Nothing could be more boring to me than the world of high finance. Which is why this Robert Wise film surprised the hell out of me by being so absorbing. The head of a manufacturing company drops dead without naming a successor. His entire board of directors begins jockeying for position as if they were in a Shakespearean play or the medieval court of King Henry II! Absolutely perfect cast includes William Holden, Barbara Stanwyck, June Allyson, Walter Pidgeon, Fredric March, Shelley Winters, Nina Foch, Louis Calhern and Paul Douglas. Who made me watch this?: Peter Biskind in his book excellent book on 50's films SEEING IS BELIEVING.
• FIDO (2006) -- Billy Connelly is perfectly cast as a zombie (he has no dialogue and yet is excellent) in a world where zombies have been domesticated and utilized as servants. Andrew Currie directs with real comic flair. Who made me watch this?: Terry Frost.
• FRANCESCO, GUILLARE DI DIO (1950) aka THE FLOWERS OF ST. FRANCIS. A religious movie that is truly beautiful and not the slightest bit preachy. Based on a medieval work describing incidents in the life of Francis of Assisi, this movie can truly be called sublime. Robert Rossellini directs from a Frederico Fellini screenplay. A beautiful, beautiful, beautiful film! Who made me watch this?: Martin Scorsese.

• FREEWAY (1996) -- If you told me I'd watch and love a movie with Reese Witherspoon in it, I would've called you a doity boid. However, this is the one to watch. When she still had "acting cred", Reese stars as a delinquent who encounters a serial killer. The clash of these two immovable objects is jaw-dropping. Basically a twisted retelling of Little Red Riding Hood that also stars Kiefer Sutherland and a surprisingly good Brooke Shields. Who made me watch this?: The Finkmaster Flash, that's who!
• THE FURIES (1950) -- A Western Gothic that plays like King Lear. Walter Huston plays an all-powerful cattle baron in New Mexico territory battling with his strong-willed daughter Barbara Stanwyck. Another magnificent Western directed by Anthony Mann which also features a stellar cast: Judith Anderson, Wendell Corey, Wallace Ford, Gilbert Roland, Thomas Gomex , Beulah Bondi and Albert Dekker among them. Who made me watch this?: Martin Scorsese.
• GIANT (1956) -- Sprawling adaptation by director George Stevens of Edna Ferber's epic novel of powerful Texas cattle rancher Benedict clan encountering the challenge of newly discovered oil. Notable as James Dean's last film, also starring Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, Mercedes McCambridge, Carroll Baker, Chill Wills, Dennis Hopper, Sal Mineo, Rod Taylor et. al. Who made me watch this?: Peter Biskind.
• HANK WILLIAMS: THE SHOW HE NEVER GAVE (1980) -- Canadian country singer Sneezy Waters is spellbinding as country great Hank Williams. The film concerns an imaginary "last concert" in a honkytonk bar on the final night of Hank's life. The songs are great, of course, and the performance really gets to the heart of the man. Who made me watch this?: Weaverman.
• HEIMA (2007) -- Concert film of Icelandic group Sigur Ros as they tour Iceland giving free, impromptu concerts for the locals. Breathtaking photography of the beautiful Icelandic terrain is accompanied by equally spectacular musical performances -- particularly the live version of their song "Von" given in what looks like a school cafeteria that sometimes reduces me to tears.
• IKIRU (1952) -- Akira Kurosawa's meditation on death and the meaning of one's life as it has been lived. Takashi Shimura is a revelation as a bureaucrat who develops stomach cancer and looks back on a wasted life. Can he manage one great task to leave his mark on the world he's about to leave? Who made me watch this?: Weaverman.
• THE INFORMER (1935) -- John Ford won a Best Director Oscar for this film which, in many ways, is very unlike a John Ford movie. Ford ventures into German Expressionistic shots in depicting a down-on-his-luck man turning in his Irish rebel friend for money. The evocation of the 1922-era "Irish troubles" is a subject close to Ford's heart. Victor McLaglen won a Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of informer Gypo Nolan. Ford would tell McLaglen that he would not be shooting any scenes that day and then suddenly roll the cameras on him; resulting in a frantic quality in McLaglen's performance which is heartfelt and real.
• JOHNNY GUITAR (1954) -- Another Gothic Western shot with a bizarre colour palette by director Nicholas Ray. Starring grande dame Joan Crawford as Vienna: a "takes no shit from nobody" saloon keeper who clashes with the strait-laced puritanical townfolk lead by Mercedes McCambridge. Sterling Hayden, Ward Bond and John Carradine also star. Who made me watch this?: Martin Scorsese.
• JUNGFRUKALLEN (1960) aka THE VIRGIN SPRING -- Director Ingmar Bergman takes us back to medieval Sweden as he retells an old folk tale concerning a young girl who sets off to deliver candles to church and is set upon, raped and murderer by three toughs. Unflinching and bold, this won an Oscar for Best Foreign Film. A literally breathtaking final reel caps off a surprisingly spiritual film.

• KUNDUN (1997) -- Martin Scorsese's overlooked depiction of the life story of H. H. the Dalai Lama, his discovery as a young boy and the eventual takeover of Tibet by Communist China. Visually beautiful film.
• LADRI DI BICICLETTE (1948) aka THE BICYCLE THIEF -- One of the most famous of Italian Neo-Realist cinema, Vittoria De Sica's film about a destitute man who can only land a job if he's got a bicycle; and then someone steals his bicycle. The man and his son search for the bicycle. From this we get an immensely moving and powerful film. Who made me watch this?: Martin Scorsese.
• A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH (1946) -- Yet another superb Powell & Pressburger masterpiece set during World War II. American servicewoman Kim Hunter picks up a radio call from British airman David Niven as his shot-up plane is going down in flames. He has no parachute and bails out to certain death. Only he survives. The battle is then on between those powers in Heaven who demand that Niven head straight for the afterlife and the living who try all they can to let him stay on Earth. Those scenes taking place in the afterlife are shot in black & white while the Earth-based scenes are shot in vivid colour. No one made 'em like Powell & Pressburger. Who made me watch this?: Weaverman.
• IL MIO VIAGGIO IN ITALIA (1999) aka MY VOYAGE TO ITALY -- Martin Scorsese's documentary examining the groundbreaking Italian movies of the 40's, 50's and 60's by such directors as Rossellini, De Sica, Antonioni, Fellini, etc. Every Italian film on this list is there because of this monumental documentary. Who made me watch this?: Terry Frost.
• THE NAKED SPUR (1953) -- Another wonderful Anthony Mann western featuring James Stewart giving a rather dark performance as a bounty hunter trying to bring back desperado Robert Ryan. Janet Leigh, Ralph Meeker and Millard Mitchell round out the cast of flawed characters in this western character study. Who made me watch this?: Martin Scorsese.

• NATTVARDGASTERNA (1962) aka WINTER LIGHT -- Now officially my second favourite film of all time, this Ingmar Bergman masterpiece concerns a pastor's crisis of faith. Devastatingly vivid performances by Bergman regulars Gunnar Bjornstrand, Ingrid Thulin and Max Von Sydow anchor this bleak depiction of three hours on a wintery afternoon. Masterful, thought-provoking and emotionally raw. Who made me watch this?: Weaverman.
• THE NINTH CONFIGURATION (1980) -- William Peter Blatty wrote and directed this bizarre film which initially appears to be a cross between M*A*S*H* and ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST but, before you know it, reveals itself to be about much more deeper subjects. Surprisingly spiritual as well as funny. Stacey Keach takes over the running of a military insane asylum. Co-starring Ed Flanders, Jason Miller, the magnificent Scott Wilson, and Robert Loggia. This is a movie you want to immediately re-watch after your first viewing. Who made me watch this?: my dear wife Ilsa*.
• NOTORIOUS (1946) -- Alfred Hitchcock's tale of espionage took a second viewing before I really appreciated it. Party girl Ingrid Bergman is convinced to spy on a South American group of Nazis by US agent Cary Grant. Claude Rains plays the Nazi whom Bergman is asked to romance.
• OM SHANTI OM (2007) -- The biggest moneymaker in the history of Indian film, this Bollywood musical spectacular is unlike any other Bollywood production I've ever seen. It stands on it's own as a top notch musical. I've never been a particular fan of Bollywood movies but this one surely blows them all out of the water. The ravishing Deepika Padukone co-stars with Indian superstar Shakrukh Khan in this musical which is genuinely funny as well as tragic and romantic. Also famous for cramming 30-some hugely famous Bollywood movie stars into a single dance number. This one's got it all.
• A PERSONAL JOURNEY WITH MARTIN SCORSESE THROUGH AMERICAN MOVIES (1995) -- This documentary is Martin Scorsese's direct riposte to the famous AFI list of 100 Greatest Films. There isn't a much more infectious movie fan than Scorsese and going along with him as he looks at the entire history of American film is a dream come true. Packed with billions of movie clips, this film will send you racing to the DVD store. Who made me watch this movie?: Terry Frost.

• THE PHANTOM FROM 10,000 LEAGUES (1955) -- This is a terrible movie. Grade Z production budget and acting. But somehow I love it. A goofy underwater monster is butchering people. However, the movie seems to forget the monster for long stretches of ridiculous tomfoolery masquerading as a screenplay. This movie features Cathy Downs (Clementine herself from John Ford's MY DARLING CLEMENTINE) slipping waaaaaay down the Hollywood ladder to this film. Pure fromage!
• PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK (1975) -- This dreamlike movie dreamily directed by Peter Weir retells story of a group of students & a teacher at a young women's college in 1900 who go out on a daytrip to "Hanging Rock" and mysterious disappear. There is a real sense of eerieness evoked in this film which can't be explained. Rachel Roberts is notable as the crumbling headmistress.
• RED RIVER (1948) -- Classic Howard Hawks western starring John Wayne and Montgomery Clift battling each other over the first cross-country cattle drive in American history. This epic western saga is one of the best!
• SASOM I EN SPEGEL (1961) aka THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY -- Ingmar Bergman's searing chamber piece about a family of four on an island dealing with insanity. All four actors (Max Von Sydow, Gunnar Bjornstrand, Lars Passgard and particularly Harriet Andersson) give great performances. Andersson's portrayal of mental illness is one of the best performances in screen history. Ever.
• THE SCARLET EMPRESS (1934) -- If not THE BLUE ANGEL, then this movie is the quintessential statement of the Josef von Sternberg/Marlene Dietrich movie partnership. Deliriously decadent and sumptuously shot, this film traces the life story of Russian Empress Catherine the Great from shy girl to powerful monarch. Dietrich is breathtaking and perfectly cast while Sam Jaffe is superb as her dimwitted consort. Who made me watch this?: Martin Scorsese.
• SERGEANT RUTLEDGE (1960) -- John Ford's little known film about black cavalry officer Woody Strode standing trial for the rape and murder of a white woman. Part Civil War-era western and part courtroom drama. Jeffrey Hunter and Billie Burke co-star.

• SMULTRONSTALLET (1958) aka WILD STRAWBERRIES -- Another Ingmar Bergman masterpiece. An elderly doctor (Victor Sjostrom) is being given an award and drives to receive it along with his estranged daughter-in-law Ingrid Thulin. This film deals with strained family relationships, past regrets, approaching mortality and crippled emotions. Bibi Andersson and Gunnar Bjornstrand co-star. Who made me watch this?: Weaverman.
• STROMBOLI (1950) -- Robert Rossellini directs and Ingrid Bergman stars as a woman who marries an Italian fisherman in order to leave a prison camp. She goes to live on his home island of Stromboli and immediately hates it. Vivid character study of people who know nothing about each other and understand each other less. Who made me watch this?: Martin Scorsese.
• SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS (1957) -- Another classic film about the seedy wheeling and dealing that goes on in the show business world. Burt Lancaster plays a ruthless, all-powerful newspaper columnist who can make or break careers. Tony Curtis is the small-time reporter who wants to be something more. Exceedingly acidic portrait of New York celebrity nightlife.
• THE TALL T (1957) -- The best of the Budd Boetticher/Randolph Scott westerns. Scott plays an aging cowpoke who stumbles into a deadly situation. Based on a novel by Elmore Leonard. Richard Boone is fantastic as the head desperado. Who made me watch this?: Martin Scorsese.
• THE THIEF OF BAGDAD (1940) -- Epic fantasy film with still-incredible special effects, brilliant colour, charming lead part for young Sabu, marvelous villainous performance by Conrad Veidt and magical whimsy. A stunningly perfect fantasy film. Who made me watch this?: Terry Frost.
• TOUCHEZ PAS AU GRISBI (1955) aka HANDS OFF THE LOOT! -- Classic French gangster film which brings back aging tough guy Jean Gabin (Pepe Le Moko himself) in a terrific gangland movie. Who made me watch this?: Weaverman.
• TROUBLE IN PARADISE (1932) -- My favourite Ernst Lubitsch film. That's right; even better than NINOTCHKA. Herbert Marshall and Miriam Hopkins play two cat burglars who fall in love and join forces to burgle rich hottie Kay Francis. But while attempting to swindle the wavishing Kay Fwancis, Marshall instead falls in love with her. A movie that sparkles like good champagne. It's pre-code status also makes it more daring than you'd think. Urbane and classy to the nth degree. Who made me watch this?: Ilsa*.
• UMBERTO D. (1952) -- Another classic Italian neo-realist film which will tear your heart out. Director Vittorio De Sica dedicated the film to his father. Carlo Battisti plays an old age pensioner about to be thrown out of his cheap apartment; his only friend is his little dog. With nowhere to go and no money at hand, Umberto becomes desperate. Beautifully heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time. Who made me watch this?: Martin Scorsese.
• VIAGGIO IN ITALIA (1952) aka VOYAGE TO ITALY -- Masterful Roberto Rossellini film which stars Ingrid Bergman and George Sanders as an estranged married couple who go to Italy upon inheriting some property. Wonderfully acted character study finds both Bergman and Sanders in top form. Who made me watch this?: Martin Scorsese.

Well, there you have it: the best 50 films I saw for the first time in 2008. Trust me, there could've been about 25 more other top contenders but I vowed to keep it down to just 50. I can't recommend these movies highly enough and, again, if you ever find yourself at a loss as to what to watch, do yourself a favour and seek some of these films out. I don't think you'll be sorry you did.