Suddenly Last Summer - I liked this one a lot. Good story and Taylor and Hepburn are great. 8/10
Army of One - pretty wacky, but Cage makes it kind of fun. 6/10
A Few Good Men = good courtroom drama with some strong performances. 7.5/10
First Time Viewings:
The Catered Affair (1956, Richard Brooks)
In this one a young woman tells her parents at breakfast that she is going to be married, but doesn't want a big wedding. I liked how the story progressed and the cast is very good, especially Bette Davis.
7.5/10
Dodsworth (1936, William Wyler)
This one is about a retired auto manufacturer and his wife that go away on a European vacation, only to find out they want very different things from life. Walter Huston and Ruth Chatterton are both very good in the lead roles and the supporting cast is good too. The film is good throughout, with a few great moments.
7.5/10
The Best Years of Our Lives (1946, William Wyler)
This Best Picture winner is about three men who return to their hometown after World War II. The film is nearly three hours, but well paced and engaging throughout, with some great scenes present. It features a strong ensemble cast, who play some memorable characters. It also did a wonderful job showing how the characters had to adjust after the war.
8/10
Mrs. Miniver (1942, William Wyler)
This is another Best Picture winner directed by Wyler and another good movie. It's very well made and acted, with a good story, and some powerful moments.
7.5/10
Carrie (1952, William Wyler)
This one has a pretty good story that goes in some interesting directions. It's made better by the acting, as Jennifer Jones is very good and Laurence Olivier is even better in the other lead role.
7.5/10
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962, Robert Aldrich)
This one is about a former child star that torments her paraplegic sister in their decaying Hollywood mansion. The film has some terrific scenes and explores some interesting themes throughout. Joan Crawford is really good and Bette Davis is fantastic.
8/10
The Big Country (1958, William Wyler)
A new Englander arrives in the Old West, where he becomes embroiled in a feud between two families over a valuable piece of land. The film is well shot, has a good score, and is very well acted. It's pretty long, but fairly well paced throughout and the it gets better as it goes along.
7.5/10
Mildred Pierce (1945, Michael Curtiz)
I've been meaning to watch this one for quite a while and I now I've finally seen it. Well made and acted with a good story, an interesting structure, and some nice twists.
7.5/10
Scary Movie 2 (2001, Keenen Ivory Wayans)
The first sequel of the franchise is really stupid, but has some good laughs here and there. The short running time is also a plus. It's dumb, but mildly amusing.
5.5/10
Repeat Viewings:
The Children's Hour (1961, William Wyler)
I saw this one about two years ago and while I definitely liked it, for some reason it had a much bigger effect on me this time. The whole cast puts in some strong work and it tells a great story, with important themes. A very powerful film right here.
9/10
Roman Holiday (1953, William Wyler)
I myself prefer It Happened One Night, but I like this one a lot as well. It has some beautiful locations and Audrey Hepburn is simply wonderful in her role. Gregory Peck and Eddie Albert are quite good as well and the film has plenty of laughs and some good drama as well.
8/10
Ben-Hur (1959, William Wyler)
This nearly 4 hour epic features amazing sets and costumes, beautiful cinematography, a great score, a strong cast, and many excellent sequences. I do think the second half is a step down from the first though.
8/10
How to Steal a Million (1966, William Wyler)
I enjoyed this one even more this time around. Audrey Hepburn and Peter O'Toole are wonderful together, and Hugh Griffith and Eli Wallach add strong support. The story is a lot of fun and there are lots of good laughs as well as some nice tension during the heist scene.
8/10
Baby Doll (1956, Elia Kazan)
When I first saw this I didn't care for it, but I felt I might appreciate it more after another viewing. I was right. Carroll Baker, Karl Malden, and Eli Wallach all put in some damn good work here and the film tells a pretty good story too.
7/10
Scary Movie (2000, Keenen Ivory Wayans)
It's been several years since I last saw this and I wasn't expecting to like it to be honest. The movie is pretty damn stupid, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't laugh my way through it and have a lot fun watching it. I suppose this would qualify as a guilty pleasure movie for me.
7/10
Movie Awards:
BEST FILM - The Children's Hour
BEST ACTOR - Laurence Olivier (Carrie)
BEST ACTRESS - Bette Davis (What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR - Eli Wallach (Baby Doll)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS - Bette Davis (The Catered Affair)
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY - Robert L. Surtees (Ben-Hur)
BEST SCORE - Miklos Rozsa (Ben-Hur)
BEST SCRIPT - John Michael Hayes & Lillian Hellman (The Children's Hour)
BEST DIRECTOR - William Wyler (Ben-Hur)