I recently saw
Nick of Time with Johnny Depp. It reminded me of why I think some movies deserve to be called great. By telling an intriguing story, they make you feel emotion. Here are some movies that, no matter how many times I see them, I feel the same intense emotions at the same places in the film.
Body Heat (1981) - passion; we saw this movie at a drive-in on a cold night and by the middle of the picture, we were sweating from the steamy scenes.
Seven Days in May (1962) - fear and loathing; chilling because at the time the film was released the world was one tick away from a nuclear holocaust.
Like Water for Chocolate (1992) - passion, longing, joy, humor, compassion, sadness for what might have been, for what should have been. This is not a thriller, but it is a wonderful movie.
L.A. Confidential (1997) - passion, obsession, envy, innocence and the perfect blend of all these elements into a smart, stylish thriller.
Das Boot (1981) - claustrophobia, suspense, loneliness, compassion for an enemy who is more like us than he is different from us.
Manchurian Candidate (1962) - nightmarish horror, hopelessness, ice cold cruelty; makes you want to run home and thank your Mother for being so nice to you.
My Dinner With Andre (1981) - intensely interesting 2-hour conversation between two men who never leave their table at a New York restaurant. This is not a thriller, but an odd, compelling little movie.
Nick of Time (1995) - fear, anxiety, mistrust, resourcefulness, and tenacity that comes to a satisfying conclusion.
Night of the Hunter (1955) - terror enhanced by every nuance of a film noir style and lyrical images.
Ransom (1996) - hope, anguish, loathing, and finally relief in a plot with several twists you don't see coming; one of the best
movie trailers of all time:.
Rear Window (1954) - Hitchcock was the master of finding terror in the most unexpected places.
Have you ever wondered how many people it takes to make a movie? I ran across a blog called Film Industry Bloggers. Every day of the week, except Sunday, five to six film industry specialists blog about topics of interest to them. They have 32 bloggers in all.
