The Graduate

"The Graduate" was made in 1967 and directed by Mike Nichols. It stars Dustin Hoffman as a recent college graduate with no well-defined aim in life who is seduced by Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft). This scene, and the line "Mrs. Robinson, you're trying to seduce me, aren't you?" is widely known, referred to and parodied. Mrs. Robinson has become a name for any seductive older woman after the success of the film.

The film is the highest ranked on the AFI list that we have seen so far. In 1998 it was ranked at number 7, and in the updated list it is down ten places to number 17.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

I have to agree with Max; I was disappointed with the film and feel that the "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" sequence was particularly hard to watch. It felt as though a whole shift of mood had taken place, and although I'm all for musicals, in which songs break the dialog frequently, this was so out of place in terms of the tone of the film that it felt like the director was just tripping and decided to add it in for his own amusement.

This movie was reminiscent of "Easy Rider" and also harkened back to the first film we saw for this blog, "Treasure of the Sierra Madre," and in a funny way seemed like a mixture of these two. I say that because the whole premise of the film is, just like in "Easy Rider," the thrill of two men abandoning all responsibility and taking off across the American landscape. The scenes in which they scour over the terrain get old quickly, as was the case with "Treasure."

I struggle to imagine what has kept "Butch Cassidy" in the hearts and minds of film buffs for all these years. Perhaps if I were to revisit the film I would begin to understand, but I know I won't be able to bring myself for a little while...

A mullet of a movie...

First, sorry for the looooong absence, my partner in crime was jetting around the world.

Secondly, the title of this post says it all. I suspect that the only people who enjoy this film where those born before 1980. There is of course nothing wrong with old films- I happen to enjoy many black and white movies. But, the problem with this one, is that the film is just so boring. This movie is like a mullet, at one time it had to have been popular, and maybe there was even some merit to getting a mullet; but, now is no time to don a mullet, and there is nothing cool about Butch Cassidy.

What makes this movie even more difficult is how the screenwriters clearly threw out one liners, but they all fall flat on the audience. In fact, I cannot think of one time that the script made me laugh. And, oh God, don't ever make me watch that god awful bike scene again.

As a reviewer, I am obliged to come up with one at least one good thing to say about this movie...Besides the scenery, the effect of having the unstoppable pursuers chasing them through the desert is pretty cool. But, other than that, watch HBO's John Adams and avoid this movie.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

Yeehaw...

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is ranked 73 on AFI's 100 Greatest Movies. On the tenth anniversay list, it fell twenty-three places, but is still ranked as one of the best westerns of all time.

The film follows the antics of two infamous train robbers: Butch Cassidy (Paul Newman) and his partner The Sundance Kid (Robert Redford) as they attempt to escape from the law. The film came out in 1969, and received almost immediate acclaim; according to Wikipedia, "...Adjusted for inflation, the film ranks among the top 100 grossing movies of all time and the top 10 for its decade".

Oh Titanic...

I cant say that this movie had the same effect on me that Holly describes. I was 14 years old when I saw this movie in theaters; my friend Kevin and I saw it because we had heard about the lines of teenage girls and wanted to see what the hype was about (neither of us said it, but I am sure the teenage girl factor was also a motivation). Although the love story aspect did not captivate us and Celine's booming voice came off as slightly annoying- the film still carried much weight with us.

When I watch Titanic now it seems that the movie was just destined to become the phenomenon that it was. As Holly pointed out, the film became the highest grossing film of all time, and that record does not seem likely to change.

Everything about this movie is big, even on the small screen Titanic carries more power with it than most action movies. All of the actors do a fine job. If I had to come up with a complaint, I would have to say that the film's script is the weakest part; much of Kate Winslet's diauloge comes across as just overly pretentious, and not in a good way. Winslet's character comes across like an Emo kid who just read Sylvia Platt in modern poetry class and quotes it to their parents when forced to do dishes. I guess this is what they wanted the character to sound like, but it comes off like they are trying way too hard.

Either way, this is small potatoes to the whole film, which is still a great flick eleven years later.

Titanic

"Titanic" is one of the movies that marked my passage from childhood into the teenage world. In fact, it was the first movie I saw in theaters without parents - a significant milestone for me at the age of eleven. Even though the film, and the Celine Dion song with which it has become inherently linked, is more than a little cliche today, I cannot underestimate the impact it had on me and on many others of my generation who saw it in 1997. When my two friends and I left the theater in tears, we returned home only to turn on the radio and hear the haunting opening of "My Heart Will Go On." Immediately, the tragedy was felt all over again, and inspired a fresh bucketload of tears.

What is it about "Titanic" that created such a storm? You could say that it is the baby-faced charm of Leonardo di Caprio, the timelessness and captivating quality of the historical event, or the breathtaking computerized ship horribly vertical in the Atlantic ocean with the ant-like figures clinging desperately to it. But I think what really captured moviegoers' imaginations and hearts was the classic love story between Jack and Rose. As corny as it may be, the romance is as poignant here as in "Casablanca". Set up as polar opposites, the couple's overriding affection for one another perhaps proves to us what we romantics love to see reaffirmed - that love conquers all, and always perseveres. Although it's corny, I will not deny that I can't help but sob and sigh as Jack freezes to death while telling Rose "don't let go!"

Titanic

James Cameron's "Titanic" was made in 1997 to dramatize the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912. It features Leonardo di Caprio and Kate Winslet as Jack and Rose, lovers who meet on board the ocean liner but are separated by class. The film was both a critical and commercial success, tying with "All About Eve" for the most Academy Award nominations, 14. It won 11, including Best Picture. "Titanic" became the highest grossing film of all time.

The film also stars Billy Zane, Frances Fisher, Gloria Stuart, Kathy Bates, Victor Garber and Bernard Hill.

Who hasn't seen "Titanic"?!