American Cinema

My Favorite King Vidor Films

by John Charet

* * * * (Out of * * * *)

1.   The Crowd (1928) 

2.   Our Daily Bread (1934)

3.   The Big Parade (1925)

* * * 1/2 (Out of * * * *)

1.   Show People (1928)

2.   The Patsy (1928)
(no relation to the 1964 Jerry Lewis film)

3.   Bardelys the Magnificent (1926)

4.   La Boheme (1926)

5.   Street Scene (1931)

6.   Not So Dumb (1930)

7.   Our Daily Bread (1934)

8.   Duel in the Sun (1946)

9.   Hallelujah (1929)

10. Billy the Kid (1930)

11. Bird of Paradise (1932)

12. Stella Dallas (1937)

13. The Champ (1931)

14. The Citadel (1938)

15. H.M. Pulham, Esq. (1941)

16. The Wedding Night (1935)

17. The Texas Rangers (1936)

My Favorite Paul Verhoeven Films

by John Charet

* * * * (Out of * * * *)

1.   Showgirls (1995)

2.   Elle (2016)

3.   Black Book (2006)

4.   Basic Instinct (1992)

5.   Starship Troopers (1997)

6.   The Fourth Man (1983)

7.   Robocop (1987)

8.   Total Recall (1990)

9.   Turkish Delight (1973)  

10. Soldier of Orange (1977)

11. Spetters (1980)

* * * 1/2 (Out of * * * *)

1.   Flesh+Blood (1985)

My Favorite Edgar G. Ulmer Films

by John Charet

* * * * (Out of * * * *)

1.   Detour (1945)

2.   The Black Cat (1934)
(no relation to the Edgar Allan Poe story)

3.   The Naked Dawn (1955)

4.   Bluebeard (1944)

5.   Ruthless (1948)

6.   Strange Illusion (1945)

7.   Her Sister’s Secret (1946)

8.   The Strange Woman (1946)

9.   Murder Is My Beat (1955)

10. The Man from Planet X (1951)

11. People on Sunday (1930)
(co-directed with Robert Siodmak)

My Favorite Jan Troell Films

by John Charet

* * * * (Out of * * * *)

1.   The New Land (1972)

2.   Everlasting Moments (2008)

3.   Hamsun (1996)

4.   The Emigrants (1971)

5.   Here’s Your Life (1966)

6.   Flight of the Eagle (1982)
(I saw it on an old VHS tape)

7.   Zandy’s Bride (1974)

My Favorite Jacques Tourneur Films

by John Charet

* * * * (Out of * * * *)

1.   Stars in My Crown (1950)

2.   Cat People (1942)

3.   Night of the Demon (1957)

4.   I Walked with a Zombie (1943)

5.   The Leopard Man (1943)

6.   Out of the Past (1947)

7.   Wichita (1955)

8.   Canyon Passage (1946)

9.   The Flame and the Arrow (1950)

10. Great Day in the Morning (1956)

11. Anne of the Indies (1951)

12. Nightfall (1957)

13. Stranger on Horseback (1955)

14. Way of a Gaucho (1952)

15. Appointment in Honduras (1953)

My Favorite Andre De Toth Films

by John Charet

* * * * (Out of * * * *)

1.   Day of the Outlaw (1959)

2.   Play Dirty (1969)

3.   Pitfall (1948)

4.   Crime Wave (1954)

5.   Ramrod (1947)

6.   Man in the Saddle (1951)

7.   House of Wax (1953)

8.   The Stranger Wore a Gun (1953)

* * * 1/2 (Out of * * * *)

1.   Springfield Rifle (1952)

2.   The Bounty Hunter (1954)

3.   Riding Shotgun (1954)

4.   Thunder Over the Plains (1953)

5.   Carson City (1952)

6.   The Indian Fighter (1955)

My Favorite Sam Taylor Films

by John Charet

* * * * (Out of * * * *)

1.   Safety Last! (1923)
(co-directed with Fred C. Newmeyer) 

2.   My Best Girl (1927)

3.   The Freshman (1925)
(co-directed with Fred C. Newmeyer)
(no relation to the 1990 film)

4.   Girl Shy (1924)
(co-directed with Fred C. Newmeyer)

5.   For Heaven’s Sake (1926)

6.   Hot Water (1924)
(co-directed with Fred C. Newmeyer)

7.   Why Worry? (1923)
(co-directed with Fred C. Newmeyer)

My Favorite Frank Tashlin Films

by John Charet

* * * * (Out of * * * *)

1.   Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? (1957)

2.   The Alphabet Murders (1965)

3.   The Girl Can’t Help It (1956)

4.   The Man from the Diners’ Club (1963)
(I watched it on TCM years back)

5.   Bachelor Flat (1962)

6.   The Lieutenant Wore Skirts (1956)

7.   Artists and Models (1955)

8.   Susan Slept Here (1954)

9.   Son of Paleface (1952)

10. The First Time (1952)

11. Who’s Minding the Store? (1963)

12. Rock-A-Bye Baby (1958)

13. Hollywood or Bust (1956)

14. It’s Only Money (1962)

15. The Geisha Boy (1958)

16. The Disorderly Orderly (1964)

17. Cinderfella (1960)

18. The Glass Bottom Boat (1966)

19. The Private Navy of Sgt. O’Farrell (1968)

20. Caprice (1967)

21. Say One for Me (1959)

My Favorite Quentin Tarantino Films

by John Charet

* * * * (Out of * * * *)

1.   Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)

2.   Jackie Brown (1997)

3.   Inglourious Basterds (2009)

4.   CSI: Crime Scene Investigation – Season 5 (2004-2005)
4a. Episode 24: Grave Danger (2005)

5.   Pulp Fiction (1994)

6.   Django Unchained (2012)

7a. Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003)
7a. Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004)

8.   The Hateful Eight (2015)

9.   Death Proof (2007)
(released theatrically as part of the 2007 film Grindhouse)

10. Reservoir Dogs (1992)

My Favorite Spike Lee Films

by John Charet

* * * * (Out of * * * *)

1.   Do the Right Thing (1989)

2.   25th Hour (2002)

3.   When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts (2006)
(Documentary)

4.   4 Little Girls (1997)
(Documentary)

5.   American Utopia (2020)
(Concert Film)

6.   BlacKkKlansman (2018)

7.   Da 5 Bloods (2020)

* * * 1/2 (Out of * * * *)

1.   Passing Strange (2009)
(Episode of “Great Performances”)
(Television)

2.   Inside Man (2006)

3.   A Huey P. Newton Story (2001)
(Performance Film)
(Cable/Television)

4.   Jungle Fever (1991)

5.   Rodney King (2017)
(Performance Film)

6.   He Got Game (1998)

7.   Freak (1998)
(Performance Film)
(Cable/Television)