1) When Harry Met Sally (1989) - for a time she was the It Girl
2) Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
3) Top Gun (1986) - a few scenes can make a career
4) In the Cut (2005) - brave performance
5) You've Got Mail (1998)
6) Joe Versus the Volcano (1990) - much mocked but it broke all the rules
7) When a Man Loves a Woman (1994) - completely forgotten film, good acting
8) Courage Under Fire (1996)
9) Hanging Up (2000)
10) DOA (1988)
Fascinating look at the film - narrated by George Roy Hill mostly, with some voice over from Paul Newman and William Goldman, full of on the set footage. Hill is matter of fact about his decisions and vision- he was a smart guy.
This has an interesting Roger Corman style premise (Tarzan in an urban setting) and was written by John Sayles but instead of being directed by Lewis Teague and produced by Julie Corman, who would've kept the pace fast, it's done by someone else and is part Canadian, so has the joy sucked out of it like a lot of Canadian attempts at exploitation.
There are interesting things - 'White Rabbit' over the opening credit, gangsters who dress in bright colours like they're in Death Wish Three, Robert Davi as a stock drug dealer. Betty Buckley is the woman who raises the kid.
Kathleen Quinland feels all wrong - too old, too school marmish. Robert Knepper is okay. They have nil chemistry. The core of the film should be a love story. They never seen into each other.
When you dig into the premise a little more it kind of wobbles - I mean, Tarzan grew up around apes not humans, whereas Wild Thing is in the city with plenty of people around. He'd know how to talk and interact with people and stuff.
The movie perks up at the end when Wild Thing goes on a rampage. He kicks arse
The film just needed to be pulpier. More sex, more violence, more emotion. Have wild thing be wilder.
It's a frustrating movie.
1) The Wild Geese (1978) - a last minute replacement for Burt Lancaster and he did well
2) This Sporting Life (1963) - everyone should be gifted such a star vehicle
3) Robin and Marian (1976) - great as Richard I
4) Juggernaut (1974) - fun cocky hero
5) Mutiny on the Bounty (1962) - film should have used him more
6) Heroes of Telemark (1965)
7) Major Dundee (1965)
8) Gladiator (2000)
9) Man in the Wilderness (1971)
10) The Guns of Navarone (1961) - accent terrible but the attitude is spot on
Like Pretty Boy Floyd I think this began as a script - you can see its appeal with its buddy two leads, one of whom is the handsome and good shot, Ned. It's based on a true story about which I knew nothing, Ned Christie's War, in Oklahoma, where a Cherokee went on a crime spree that was justified and held off enemy attackers.
Not as depressing as I feared. I mean, the whites are bad, and Ned's kid killed and wife assaulted but he kicks a lot of arse and kind of goes to his death. Long epilogue. Good action - described in more detail than usual for McMurtry. The structure is stronger too. I liked this book a lot.
1) To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
2) The Guns of Navarone (1961)
3) Spellbound (1945)
4) Duel in the Sun (1946)
5) Twelve O'Clock High (1949)
6) The Gunfighter (1950)
7) Roman Holiday (1953)
8) The Big Country (1958)
9) Cape Fear (1962)
10) MacArthur (1977)
Ah this list is boring... everyone says these films. Sorry!
What about Peck movies with connection to Australia
1) MacArthur - scenes in Australia
2) Captain Horatio Hornblower (1951) - written by Ivan Goff and originally meant for Errol Flynn
3) Million Pound Note (1954) - from script by Rex Rienits
4) On the Beach (1959) - set in and shot in Australia
5) Guns of Navarone (1961) - Richard Harris as an Aussie
6) The Dove (1973) - he produced it, it has scenes in Australia
7) Moby Dick (1998) - shot in Australia
8) The Omen (1976) - with Aussie Leo McKern
9) Fortunes of Richard Mahoney - Peck was meant to make this with Greer Garson
10) several of his collaborators emigrated to Australia: Casey Robinson (Days of Glory) and Anne Baxter (Yellow Sky)
Sweet fantasy adventure. Public didn't go for it though it's developed a cult. Good script. Maybe they didn't like Rutger Hauer as a hero though he's fine... a believable knight. Michelle Pfeiffer is gorgeous (I would've preferred long hair). Matthew Broderick is very New York but that's fine it suits the character. Leo McKern and John Wood fun. Maybe this needed to be set in England? Who knows. Kurt Russell, the original choice, would've been interesting. Very satisfying ending. I guess they could've done more with the extras who sat around watching the fight - didn't they have an opinion?
