My Top 100, 90-81

Welcome to week two of counting down my top 100 favorite movies!  This week is a pretty eclectic bunch of movies.  There are a lot of lighthearted favorites, a couple of mysteries, some from the “I don’t usually like this kind of movie, but…” file, and even a few of my modern favorites.  So, let’s get to number 90…

The African Queen at The Redford

Yesterday, I paid a visit to the Redford Theater to see two of my favorite stars, Katharine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart, together on the big screen in The African Queen.  This was such a fun screening for me for several reasons.  First of all, this was the first time I’d seen the movie in a fairly long time, so it was really nice to see it again.  Even though I love the movie, it’s not one I watch from beginning to end very often; I usually just catch bits and pieces of it when it’s on TCM.  Plus the print they showed was the most recent restoration, which looked absolutely spectacular.  The picture was so clean and sharp and the colors were so vibrant, it was a real treat to see.  To me, it was like getting to see the movie for the first time all over again.  For one thing, I had kind of forgotten how much humor is in it.  And Hepburn and Bogart’s performances just beg to be seen on the big screen.  I always thought both of their performances were terrific when I watched the movie at home on TV, but seeing them in a theater setting really magnified the greatness.

It’s also worth noting that the crowd was probably one of the most enthusiastic ones I’ve been in.  When I go to classic film screenings, I’m used to people clapping for scenes they really like.  But I think this screening definitely holds the record for the most random applause I’ve heard so far.  I can’t think of a better way to spend a cold, rainy Saturday afternoon than to lose myself in an amazing movie along with a bunch of people who are just as into the movie as you are.

What’s on TCM: June 2010

June is looking like a pretty stellar month on TCM.  Natalie Wood is the star of the month, which I’m happy to see since I’ve become pretty fond of her lately.  If you’re a Jeanette MacDonald fan, you’re really in luck because 10 of her movies are on this month.  It’s really a pretty diverse month.  You can see anything from tributes to Judy Garland and Jaques Cousteau to a day of movies about brides and a night of movies that involve mental institutions.  It’s going to be a busy month, so let’s get to the highlights.