Movie Guy: AFI Countdown 40 to 36

Climbing ever toward the top of the AFI "mountain," here are 5 more films upon which the AFI and I wholeheartedly (mostly) agree:

The Sound of Music (1965)
The story of a free-spirited young governess who brightens the lives of a widowed naval captain and his morose children through music and song was a hit on Broadway and it was a huge success as a movie. Critics were mixed about both, with "saccharine" being the operative buzzword for the story's failings. Personally, I think that the sweeter the main story is, the greater the impact later when the clandestine rise of the Nazi party in Austria is revealed.
Filmed in the beautiful Austrian countryside and carried by the luminous Julie Andrews, this film may be the most sugary film about the insidious spread of the Third Reich, and I think that's just fine, because it serves as a reminder that when fascism and prejudice rule: everyone is affected.

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
Stanley Kubrick makes the list again with this black comedy based upon the thriller novel Red Alert. Kubrick had intended to make a straight thriller, but as he wrote early drafts of the screenplay, he began to notice the dark humor inherent in cold war paranoia and the politics of mutually assured destruction. Great performances by George C. Scott, Keenan Wynn, Sterling Hayden, Slim Pickens, and Peter Sellers (in three roles) elevate the already sharp script to the level of brilliance.

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
This is a very different type of Western from director John Huston. Instead of cowboys, we have down-on-their-luck gold prospectors in Mexico, and our "hero" Dobbs (Humphrey Bogart) isn't much of a hero at all and is quite the opposite further into the film. This is a great story, but very bleak. Bogart's performance is stellar, but Bogie fans looking for his usual charm are likely to be disappointed by the feckless Dobbs. I like this film, but it isn't one of my favorites. Still, I think it belongs on the list. I just might swap it places with 12 Angry Men.

The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)

We meet three servicemen returning from World War II on board the same transport plane. One of them (Harold Russell) has lost both of his hands as a result of battle. The other men (Frederic March and Dana Andrews) have injuries that are far less visible. March's character finds that he is quite fond of drink upon returning to home, and we find that Andrews's character is having an extremely hard time adjusting to life after the war. In a very dramatic sequence late in the film, we realize that he is suffering from PTSD (though it was called something else in those days) - one of the first mainstream films to deal with that affliction. This film is also notable for casting a disabled veteran (Russell) in the role of a disabled veteran. Russell was nominated for Best Supporting Actor, but the Academy wanted to make sure he was given an Oscar (and they probably didn't think that a non-professional actor would really win), so he was given a special Oscar "for bringing hope and courage to his fellow veterans" early in the awards ceremony. Russell then did actually win the Best Supporting Oscar as well, giving him the distinction of being the only person to win two Oscars for the same performance. I really like this film, and the performances by Frederic March and Myrna Loy elevate this above melodrama.

The Bridge On The River Kwai (1957)
Like most people my age, Sir Alec Guinness is to me - first and foremost - fatherly Master Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi from Star Wars (1977). In the years since, I have found many performances from the talented Sir Alec that are far superior. One of these is the role of by-the-book British Lt. Colonel Nicholson in this film. What I love about this film is that it's hard to know who to root for: Nicholson is building a bridge for his Japanese captors as a way of boosting morale among his men in the camp. Meanwhile, the shifty Shears (William Holden) is coerced by the British Army to destroy the bridge because of its advantage to the Japanese. Great cinematography. Great performances. Great film.

*BONUS*

Writing about the The Best Years of Our Lives, I was reminded of this routine by the late, great George Carlin:

Movie Guy: AFI Countdown 45 to 41

Well, there seems to be a number of you reading these posts. I hope that you're finding a few films that you want to check out for yourself. Here are five more from the list, all of which I rather like for very different reasons.

Shane (1953)
This film marks the the last screen appearance of one of my favorite actresses: Jean Arthur (Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, You Can't Take It With You), and it is a worthy performance. Arthur was not the first choice for the role nor was Alan Ladd in the title role. Ladd was cast quickly when it turned out that Montgomery Clift wasn't available, so director George Stevens may not have realized that Alan Ladd did not have a real affinity for guns. The shooting practice scene allegedly too over 100 takes, and you can see Ladd flinch a couple of times at other points in the film when he fires a pistol. Filmed in 1951, but not released until 1953 due to an extensive editing process, the studio was worried that they were going to lose money on this film, but they needn't have worried: Shane was a big hit with audiences. The premise - a reformed gunfighter reluctantly drawn into a fight between homesteaders and a cattle baron - may have been a familiar story, but the added perspective of the homesteader's young son, caught up in the romanticized notion of the Western gunfighter, resonated with audiences. This movie makes it onto most lists of the greatest Westerns with good reason.

The Philadelphia Story (1940)
A series of flops (including Bringing Up Baby) had Katharine Hepburn regarded as box-office poison near the end of the thirties, and this film was planned as her comeback, having played the part in the successful Broadway production. Allegedly, her co-star in Bringing Up Baby, Cary Grant, was offered his choice of the two leading male roles, and he chose the smaller but more pivotal role, leaving the more showy role to James Stewart. Well, it was a substantial comeback as the film broke a box office record at Radio City Music Hall and became the 5th most popular film of 1941. Hepburn is a treat as the free-spirited Tracy Lord, and Grant and Stewart are her capable leading men in this very clever romp. It was remade into a movie musical in 1956 called High Society, and then that was adapted for the stage, playing in the West End in 1987 and on the Broadway stage in 1998. In that Broadway production, the role of Tracy's younger sister was played by a twelve-year-old Anna Kendrick.

Midnight Cowboy (1969)
This was the first X-rated film ever to win an Oscar for Best Picture, and - since the MPAA has traded in the "X" for "NC-17" - it will remain as the only film with that distinction. (Although under revised standards, the film garnered an R-rating as early as 1971.)
I think of this as a very ugly film: ugly subject matter, ugly characters, ugly morals, ugly color schemes, ugly stories. All of this ugliness results in a superior film with that rings true on many levels - most notably in Dustin Hoffman's brilliant performance as Ratso Rizzo.

Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
In the middle of the Great Depression, many people in this country did not feel that the government had their best interests at heart. When a pair of young bank robbers named Clyde Barlow and Bonnie Parker started robbing banks, they became folk heroes. In 1967, there were, again, many people in this country who - because of a war many people didn't like - felt that the government was not acting in their best interests. This was a perfect time for Barlow and Parker to resurface as counter-culture icons - this time in Arthur Penn's Bonnie and Clyde. This is a fun movie. Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway make for very charismatic and attractive leads, and the cast is rounded out by such notables as Estelle Parsons, Michael J. Pollard, Denver Pyle, and a young actor named Gene Hackman. It's also the film debut of one of my favorite actors: Gene Wilder.

King Kong (1933)
The visual effects are pretty dated in this film, sure, but the 2005 remake had the benefit of millions of dollars in high tech CGI and more, and it just didn't resonate with audiences. I think that the reason for this is that - for all of its aesthetic appeal - the filmmakers forgot one very important element: heart. This film - for all of its hokey special effects - manages to be very moving. It seems counter-intuitive that the two remakes of this movie (the other was in 1976) had more realistic-looking and expressive apes, but it is the stop-motion model "toy" in the original that tugs the most at our hearts. I don't really know. I just like this film.

*BONUS*
Here is one of the more memorable numbers from High Society (the musical remake of The Philadelphia Story) starring Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra.

Movie Guy: AFI Countdown 50 to 46

In this next batch of films, we have both the oldest and the youngest films on the list.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Movie-making has changed. At least, big budget movie-making has changed. Actors are in front of green screens, often talking to, running from, or even fighting with something that actually isn't there. This isn't necessarily a bad thing in the right hands, and director Peter Jackson was - at least for this film - the right hands. This is probably the least CGI-infused of Jackson's entries into the world of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth. Personally, I found the Lord of the Rings trilogy books to be a little over-written. I felt that The Hobbit was perfect, and the subsequent books were . . . a little self-indulgent. They're still good, but I think they actually work a little better as movies - at least, as movies directed by Peter Jackson, who took great pains to be faithful to Tolkien's lengthy descriptions of places and scenery. These are good movies: moving stories, great characters, beautiful scenery, and breathtaking battle scenes. I may not like what Jackson is doing with The Hobbit, but I think that at least one of his LOTR movies belongs on this list, and it might as well be the story that introduces us to Frodo, Sam, and the rest of the nine.

Intolerance (1916)
There are 85 years spanning #50 and #49 on the list. In fact, this is the earliest film on the list. The film most often associated with director and producer D.W. Griffith is the controversial Birth of a Nation (1915) because of its racial stereotypes and glorification of the KKK. Intolerance was Griffith's response to this criticism, and he may have gone just a little bit overboard. This movie is estimated to have cost $2.5 million in 1916. Apparently, that would be the equivalent of about $47 million today. Just for comparison: Birth of a Nation had a budget of $112,000. So this movie cost over 22 times more than that, and it did not do well at the box office. It has, however, had a good deal of critical praise, and, of course, it did make this list, which Birth of a Nation did not.
I'm on the fence on this film. It's ambitious. It's also very pretentious. It's comprised of four separate stories in four separate eras: ancient Babylon (amazing sets), 16th century France, a brief story of the crucifixion of Jesus, and a modern story, which is really the most compelling of the four. The binding theme of the stories is "intolerance," which is a bit of a flimsy thread. "Fortunately," Griffith hammers us with the word "intolerance" over and over and over, so we won't miss the connection.
I actually think Birth of a Nation is a better film, but it will never make the AFI 100 list because of its controversial themes - themes that I , too, find abhorrent. I guess the question is: if a poorly made movie was uplifting, positive, and without controversy, would it be allowed on this list? I f the answer is no, then why disqualify a well-made film that has ugly implications? (There are two Godfather films on this list. Just saying.) However, I will not be making a pitch to have Birth of a Nation added to the AFI 100. I'm just not sure that this film belongs here, either. If you've got three-and-a-half hours to kill, give it a look: I'd be interested to get your opinions.

Rear Window (1954)
Jimmy Stewart is perfect as the temporarily wheelchair-bound photographer who indulges in some innocent voyeurism of his neighbors, but then finds that there may have been a murder. Hitchcock's direction is always tight and controlled, but it is exceptionally so in this film. The tension builds until we are at fever pitch. This movie is a great ride. This is definitely a favorite of mine, and I'm not sure that Grace Kelly was ever better than in this film.

A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
The author of the original play and co-author of the screen adaptation, Tennessee Williams, said of this film in his memoirs: "marvelous performances in a great movie, only slightly marred by Hollywood ending." I'd have to agree with that. Williams's plays were way too controversial for film at the time. Later films of Cat On a Hot Tin Roof, Suddenly Last Summer, and 27 Wagons Full of Cotton (filmed as Baby Doll) would also require significant changes in order to be deemed appropriate for movie audiences. This is not an upbeat story. These are not terribly likable characters. However, it's brilliantly performed, deftly directed, and terribly compelling to watch. Good film. Elia Kazan was a great director.

It Happened One Night (1934)

I love this film. It is one of the earliest and best romantic comedies. It is the model for so many romantic comedies that would follow. Claudette Colbert is perfect. Clark Gable is perfect. Love this movie. if you haven't seen it: see it.

*BONUS*
One of the stipulations of the AFI 100 list is that (since the "A" is for American) all films on the list must be American-made. This makes Fritz Lang's German expressionist masterpiece, Metropolis. ineligible for the top 100, but I'd still add it to your to-watch list. There are a few different versions, but there was a very good restoration done in 2002.

Movie Guy: AFI Countdown 55 to 51

Today's five films bring us to the half-way point on this list. I hope you've been enjoying this little exercise of my cinematic obsession.

North by Northwest (1959)
I love Hitchcock's spy thrillers, and this tale of an "ordinary" man mistaken for a secret agent is one of my favorites. The quotation marks are because there isn't really anything particularly "ordinary" about Cary Grant's Roger Thornhill, but neither is he cut out to deal with cold-blooded assassins or James Mason's villainous master spy - except: that's exactly what he must do if he is to stay alive. Most people will be familiar with the iconic image of Grant fleeing for his life pursued by an old biplane, and that scene is a perfect metaphor for the "WTF", nightmarish scenario our hero finds himself in for this film. This is a brilliant action film, and - if you haven't seen it - you should.

M*A*S*H (1970)
This is another brilliant film from Altman. It may not be as slick as Nashville or The Player, but it is by far the most overtly comic film in the Altman oeuvre. It also spawned one of the most popular television comedy-drama shows ever. Set during the Korean conflict, this film's release was perfectly-timed to meet the anti-war sentiment of a public disillusioned with the war in Vietnam. It was extremely popular at the time, and it still stands on many lists of the funniest films ever made. The football game near the end of the film is a real highlight.

The Deer Hunter (1978)
Of all the films on this list, this is the one with which I have the biggest gripe against its inclusion. It received many accolades and awards when it was released, but I could write another lengthy series of blog entries about all of the times that the Academy Awards got it wrong, and many of the critics later recanted their positive reviews upon subsequent viewings of the film. The performances are pretty good, but this was not the best work of Robert DeNiro, Meryl Streep, or Christopher Walken. Director Michael Cimino deliberately misled the media about his military service record in order to purport that this was an "autobiographical" film, and the central conceit of the movie - the forced Russian roulette of Vietnam P.O.W.s - was most likely a complete fabrication. Minor parts of this film are way too protracted (the wedding sequence, for example) while more plot-central sequences are truncated or glossed over. It may be one of the first films to have looked at the Vietnam War from an anti-war perspective, but many other films have done it better since, and, in my opinion, this film just isn't good enough to be on this list even with extra points added for "historical significance." I wouldn't even put this on a list of the top 200 films.

Taxi Driver (1976)
Now this is a De Niro performance that could earn a movie a place on this list even if it had nothing else going for it. Fortunately, that isn't the case here. Scorsese's direction is moody and engaging. Paul Schrader's script perfectly captures dark reverie of insomnia and loneliness. The story explores the fine line between misanthropic villainy and avenging heroism, and it leaves one (me, at least) recognizing the value of human connection. Others may perceive different messages in this film. John Hinckley certainly did.

West Side Story (1961)
This is a lavish musical production. The orchestra was tripled from the Broadway version (somewhat to the chagrin of composer Leonard Bernstein), and Jerome Robbins's choreography absolutely soars beyond the confines of a theater stage. The movie perfectly captures the struggle for identity among the poor, devolving into prejudice and gang violence. Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet provides us with the hope that love will conquer all, and we are moved to find that it can - even if it must descend into tragedy. Beautiful film.

*BONUS*

Saul Bass's opening credit sequence got a lot of attention at the time in 1961. This was before audiences would be treated to the opulent opening credits of the James Bond films, but this is still very cool. (And it includes one of Hitch's famous cameo appearances.)

Movie Guy: AFI Countdown 60 to 56

We're now almost halfway through this list. I hope that I've piqued your interest in seeing at least a few on the films. Here are the next five, all of which I would recommend seeing if you haven't. (I'll bet you've probably already seen at least two of them.)

Duck Soup (1933)
On some level, all Marx Brothers movies are the same: a thin plot that provides an opportunity for Chico to play the piano and give us a scene of absurd wordplay, for Harpo to play the harp and chase girls, and for Groucho to . . . well, be Groucho. Make no mistake, though: this formula does not make the films any less funny or any less brilliant. This is the one with the famous "mirror scene."

Nashville (1975)
I have always been fascinated by Robert Altman as a director. He uses a screenplay basically only as a map of what is to happen, and he permits the actors to improvise their dialogue, often talking over one another as people naturally do. Surprisingly, this seems to work quite often, and it never worked better than it does in this very affectionate satire of the American country music industry.

The Gold Rush (1925)
I would be hard-pressed to choose a favorite Chaplin film. This might be my favorite. It also might be my third favorite. It's very difficult to compare one to another, because Chaplin brought so many touching and hilarious scenes to his films with a minimum of dialogue - and none of it actually spoken. The cabin scenes are a real highlight of this film form a technical standpoint, but I think that it is the earnest Little Tramp's adoration of the lovely Georgia Hale that really makes this film for me. In 1942, Chaplin re-visited this film, adding his own score and narration and also editing a few scenes. Unlike George Lucas's meddling with his original Star Wars trilogy, this actually worked quite well. I still think I prefer the 1925 version, but only slightly.

Rocky (1976)

I remember when the news came that they were turning Sylvester Stallone's underdog screenplay into a Broadway musical, many of my theatre friends were aghast. Rocky? The Musical? A musical about boxing? (I'm not sure how many of them were familiar with the 1964 musical version of Golden Boy, starring Sammy Davis, Jr.)

To me, however, it made perfect sense, because - at its heart - Rocky is a love story. A washed up boxer and mob enforcer falls in love with the bookish wallflower who works at his neighborhood pet shop. He sees in her what no one else does, and he begins to see something more in himself as well. I won't say that this movie isn't about the boxing, because it obviously is, but it's also about heart and how loving someone can help you to love yourself enough to do anything in the world.

Jaws (1975)
Sometimes it is serendipity that makes for a good movie, or - to give credit where credit is due - a director who knows how to turn setbacks into serendipity. There were several expensive, mechanical sharks built for this film, and none of them ever quite worked right. In order to stay on schedule as much as possible, young director filmed much of the film with the monstrous shark unseen: from the shark's perspective or by the presence of yellow barrels used to buoy the creature when the shark hunters are trying to catch it near the end of the film. This actually heightened the suspense considerably, and it gave the scenes far more impact when the shark was able to put in a rare appearance.

*BONUS*
I haven't had an opportunity to see Rocky: The Musical yet, and I've also never seen a performance of the 1964 Golden Boy, but - as a big fan of Sammy Davis Jr. - the original cast album is a prize in my music collection. This is my favorite song from the show:

Movie Guy: AFI Countdown 65 to 61

There are a couple more of my personal favorites in today's batch.

The African Queen (1951)

The action romantic comedy has become a popular genre in films, and this is one of the earliest and the best. The chemistry between Bogart and Hepburn is undeniable, even early on in the film when their alliance is practical but uneasy. Director (and screenwriter) John Huston guides us easily between sharp banter and tense action sequences, and presents us with one of the most darkly funny lines in cinema:

"By the authority granted to me by his Imperial Majesty Kaiser Wilhelm the Second. I pronounce you man and wife. Proceed with the execution." (Even out of context, that's funny.) 

If you aren't cheering at the end of this film, you may not be getting enough Vitamin B12 in your diet.

Network (1976)
Speaking of darkly funny, Paddy Chayefsky's satirical screenplay somehow managed to predict Morton Downey Jr., Jerry Springer, Glenn Beck, and the glut of "reality" television that we as a viewing audience are subjected to/ voraciously consume. What I love about this film is that it's hilarious, but there are no real jokes. The entire movie is the joke. Oh, sure, there are a few good one-liners here and there - William Holden is in this movie, after all - and I guess you could argue that the final voice-over narration delivers the punchline for which the entire movie has been the set-up, but I think that cheapens the experience. Warning: If you're one of those people who gets really mad when you read an Onion article that someone has posted on Facebook, you might not really "get" this movie.

Cabaret (1972)
In my opinion, there are two film versions of successful Broadway musicals that make significant changes from the stage versions but are still good movies in their own right. One is Milos Forman's 1979 version of Hair, and the other - the more successful critically and financially of the two - is Bob Fosse's take on this 1966 Kander and Ebb musical. Most of the characters and subplots from the Broadway version have been excised and replaced with stories from the original non-musical play version I Am A Camera, from the original novel Berlin Stories, or completely new creations. The character of Cliff is now Brian, and there are significant changes in the two lead characters. A few songs were also cut, but a few more were added, written by Kander & Ebb. What you get is an altogether different story that still hits on the major themes of the stage production: the wild hedonism of pre-socialist Germany, the insidious rise of the Nazi party, and a foreshadowing of the nightmare that Europe would become under the Third Reich. Joel Grey is the one casting carry-over from the Broadway version as the clownish but insidious Emcee of the Kit Kat Klub, and Liza Minelli brings her larger-than-life style to the now American Sally Bowles. If you're a big fan of the Broadway version, you may take issue with some of the changes, but this is also a great film just as it is.

American Graffiti (1973)
In between the dystopian sci-fi thriller THX-1138 and the groundbreaking space adventure Star Wars, writer/director George Lucas gave us this coming-of-age story about teenagers in 1962. During a night of sock hops, cruising, and drag racing, a group of recent high school graduates contemplate their plans for the future.  This is fun movie directly relatable to the Baby Boomers who were there and indirectly for anyone who graduated high school and said, "What now?"
There is a sequel called More American Graffiti that brings back most of the cast and is highly underrated, in my opinion. 

Sullivan's Travels (1941)

Oh, I really like this movie, and I find that it's not one that many people have heard of, actually. This may be because star Joel McCrea doesn't have the name recognition or following of a Jimmy Stewart or a Cary Grant. However, don't let the fact that you may not know many (or any) of the actors in this film mislead you to think that this isn't a superior piece of cinema. What starts out as a light-hearted comedy ends up taking us places that we don't expect to go. It is funny, moving and inspiring. This is one of my favorites on the list, and I'm actually reluctant to say too much about it, because I'd really like you to see it for yourself. By the way, if you saw L.A. Confidential, Kim Basinger's character was made up specifically to look like Veronica Lake: the lead actress in this film.

*BONUS*

Since I mentioned the musical Hair, I will say that the original authors of the 1968 Broadway show were rather unhappy with the 1979 movie version. What I think this movie has going for it is the addition of a cohesive plot (by Michael Weller), inventive choreography by Twyla Tharp, the brilliant eye of director Milos Forman, and a highly charismatic performance by Treat Williams. With all due respect to James Rado and Gerome Ragni, their "plotless", almost stream-of-consciousness, concert musical may not have translated well to the screen on its own, and the fact that a decade had passed since the Summer of Love meant that the tribal hippies would be viewed by audiences a little more subjectively.

  

Movie Guy: AFI Countdown 70 to 66

Okay, after this entry I only have to come up with a clever new way to segue into the next batch of films from the AFI top 100 . . . 13 more times. Piece of cake.

A Clockwork Orange (1971)

Stanley Kubrick's take on Anthony Burgess's indictment of the psychological theory of behaviorism is a highly disturbing masterpiece. Malcolm McDowell's portrayal of the sadistic, classical-music-loving, sociopathic young gang leader Alex is captivating. After a particularly heinous assault, Alex is subjected to aversion therapy to cure his immoral ways in a scene that is nearly as disturbing as any of his previous acts. This is not an easy film to watch, and - unless you're a bit like Alex yourself - it may leave you feeling unsettled. It certainly does me, but, of course, that was entirely Kubrick's intention - that and to leave us questioning how we define morality.

Tootsie (1982)
Taking advantage of Dustin Hoffman's real-life reputation as a difficult actor, Sydney Pollack cast him as the uncastable Michael Dorsey, who must cross-dress as Dorothy "Tootsie" Michaels in order to land a role on a soap opera. Much to his surprise, Tootsie becomes a sensation. This film cleverly mixes farcical, Some Like It Hot -type gags with actual social commentary about the role and treatment of women in society, but not quite as much as it is given credit for - this is at its heart just a romantic comedy, albeit a very good one.

Unforgiven (1992)
In the early Westerns, it was easy to tell the good guys from the bad guys: the good guys wore white hats and the bad guys wore black ones. As the cinema Westerns became more sophisticated, the good guys were discernible by their actions. With the introduction of the anti-hero, sometimes the actions were dubious, but ultimately you knew who the good guy was when he was faced with a decision that required him to check his moral compass, and he chose the road of the righteous. In producer-director-star Clint Eastwood's updating of the Western, the lines between good and bad aren't just unclear - they're non-existent. Nearly every character in this film has their own moral high-road, and - when we see far enough down each of these roads - we are repulsed by where they go. The message of this film appears to be that at the end of the high road there is a dangerously slippery slope, or maybe I'm just reading too much into it.

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
Okay, imagine you're watching a boxing match between two very capable fighters. At first, you're not sure that they're evenly matched: one seems to be a flyweight and the other one is definitely a heavyweight, but when the punches start flying you begin to think that it may be the heavyweight who's out of their league. The fight goes on for some time, and it is fascinating. Sometimes one fighter looks like they're winning, and then sometimes it seems the other fighter has the advantage. All of a sudden, one of the boxers takes the gloves off and connects bare knuckles against jawbone. Reeling, the other fighter responds with a kick to the shins. Suddenly, you're watching a brawl - a no-holds-barred street fight. It's horrendous . . . but you can't look away.
Now, change the fisticuffs to verbal sparring and the fighters to Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, and you've got Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Okay, do the theme song along with me: dun dadundaaaaa dun dadahhh dun dadundAAAA dundadaadAAAA...
If you were an imaginative, active kid in 1981, Raiders of the Lost Ark was a game changer. Forget the towel/Superman cape. Cast aside the toy pearl-handled six-shooters and the ten-gallon hat. Now you had to find a beat-up brown fedora and a piece of rope or extension cord or anything that could double for your trusty bull whip. Today, you were going to be Indiana Jones!
George Lucas and Stephen Spielberg's tribute to old action movie serials (Lucas's second tribute, counting Star Wars) had everything a good action film from the 40s needed: a swashbuckling hero, ancient and modern perils, Nazis, a global conspiracy, a plucky female love interest, and, of course, a rousing musical score. Who doesn't love this movie? Even the nitpickers who take issue with how long Indy can hold his breath clinging to the side of a German submarine have to admit: this movie is awesome.

*Bonus* I wasn't sure what today's bonus was going to be, but then I found that I had a song stuck in my head from the movie Tootsie. Strangely, it wasn't the title song played over the montage of Dorothy Michael's rise to fame, you know, the one that goes "Go, Toot-sie, go...", it was the cheesy, light pop love song "It Might Be You" (strangely referred to as the "theme from Tootsie"). My earworm is now your earworm.