Movie Review #29 Strangers on a Train (1951)

- Perhaps not his best, but Hitchcock still delivers.

When I decided to do a black and white film month back in March, I thought yeah, I'll dive into some classics and give them quite the lashing. But, as you can see from the previous three reviews, I've seen nothing but good to great films. While Chaplin's comedy didn't quite resonate with me, Persona isn't for the everyday viewer and The Apartment doesn't dive deep into serious issues, each certainly have cause to view and this week's is no different with the twisted mind of one Alfred Hitchcock.

Movie Review #28 The Apartment (1960)

- Romance Comedy, not so light-hearted.

I sat down to watch this film along with Some Like It Hot, both directed by famed director Billy Wilder. Both movies were also co-written by Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond. However, after watching Some Like It Hot, I almost dreaded watching The Apartment. I felt Some Like It Hot played out too many stereotypes and the believability of all the hi-jinx was rather difficult. But, in essence they were both romantic comedies from the outside looking in and so, I flicked on The Apartment. I can safely say that The Apartment was far superior, an engaging romantic comedy with some serious undertones that aren't just there for a few free laughs.

Movie Review #27 Persona (1966)

- Playing with your mind for two hours

I'll admit that when I first sat down to watch Persona, I hadn't watched any Ingmar Bergman movies nor had I any idea who that was. So when I first sat down to watch Persona the only thing I knew was that it shared its name with a video game and that was all. So calling me an unknowing viewer was probably an understatement. Of course now, some two years later I have watched more Bergman movies due to again the IMDb Top 250 and have been ever so pleased with what I have seen from him. It is my opinion that Persona is the best work I have seen by him thus far (The Seventh Sign and Wild Strawberries).

Movie Review #26 The Kid (1921)

- A light-hearted laugh with a serious undertone

When I started this blog back in February, I really wanted somewhere to throw down my thoughts about particular movies in a venue that didn't have a character limit, and with an added bonus could get a reader base that was not just limited to my circle of friends. To that point I have been successful, however another goal, not as apparent, was that I wanted an excuse to watch older movies, as I had seen very few movies made prior to my creation on this earth. Last year I started watching the “greats” and since then I have been watching many of the IMDb's Top 250, and so all this month I'll be reviewing old black and white films that just happen to be on that list and you can compare my rating to theirs. I figured I'd start with a real oldie on this special month, a movie from 1921 to be exact. Yes, Charles Chaplin's first full feature and a 91 year old film. So, not to state the obvious, but it's a silent film by a great slapstick comedian.