Sunday, October 31, 2010

Six Classic Halloween Favorites

Happy Halloween, Rankography! I'm sure you've read plenty of lists about horror films this year, but what's the harm in one more?

1. Nosferatu (1922): This is one of the most genuinely creepy movies I've ever seen. If the Maltese Falcon is the stuff dreams are made of, Nosferatu is the stuff nightmares are made of. The scene where Nosferatu is coming up the stairs and all we see is his shadow is just so incredibly eerie, I just love it.

2. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931): Fredric March was simply brilliant as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde! Miriam Hopkins was fantastic as well. Not only does it have great performances, it's got great special effects. Gotta love the scenes of Dr. Jekyll turning into Mr. Hyde. And if you like pre-codes, there are some incredibly pre-code moments worth watching for here.

3. What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962): Because let's face it, few things are more disturbing than watching an aging Bette Davis singing "I've Written a Letter to Daddy" while wearing little girl dresses and hairstyles.

4. I Walked With a Zombie (1943): This is a pretty unique horror movie. You expect a horror movie to be full of screaming, violence, and blood, but you never actually see any blood, the only violence happens off-screen, and there's only one scream in the whole movie. And even though it's a movie about a zombie, this isn't a zombie like you'd see in Night of the Living Dead. But despite all this, it remains wonderfully atmospheric and eerie.

5. Freaks (1932): Even though I don't think I'll ever fully understand why this was such a controversial movie, I do know that all the freaks banding together to take down Cleopatra is quite scary. It's the classic "outer beauty doesn't always equal inner beauty" message with a horrifying twist.

6. Halloween (1978): Like I Walked With a Zombie, the original Halloween was made on a pretty small budget. These two movies are proof that you don't need a big budget to become a Halloween classic.

Want to rank your favorite classic horror movies or want to see what other people had to say? Head on over here and go to town!

Monday, October 25, 2010

Shocktober: 5 Horror Films Worth a Watch





Growing up, October was always Shock-tober - a time when the whole family gathered around to watch classic (and not-so-classic) Horror films. Instead of blogging about the best Horror movies of all time that we all know - Halloween, The Exorcist, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Shining, Psycho, Nightmare on Elm Street, The Omen, Friday the 13th, etc. - I thought I would cover five 'modern'/post 2000 Horror films worth checking out.

The House of the Devil (2009): I was a bit skeptical upon learning of this homage to kitchsy '80s horror movies, but this is surprisingly well done -- it is respectful to the genre without being overly tongue in cheek...it is fun to look at, supported by a terrific soundtrack (putting to excellent use "One thing leads to another" by the Fixx), and is well cast with unknowns to support the illusion of a straight-to-video horror flick. "House of the Devil" does boast one well-known face: character actor Tom Noonan, best known for his portrayal of Francis Dollarhyde in Michael Mann's "Manhunter." There are some genuine scares in this one, but it is particularly memorable because it is one of those rare examples of a "tribute" movie that is actually better than what it is setting out to honor.

The Strangers (2008): Yikes. I do believe that this will become a horror classic. This startlingly simplistic, yet original, scarefest does not leap out at you with ghosts, creatures from the beyond, aliens, or the demonically possessed. Instead, it unmercilessly attacks you with your worst fears -- psychopaths without a motive, assaulting you at their own pace in the middle of nowhere. If you have no patience for a feature length horror flick, but still want to be frightened, just watch the two-minute trailer and you will leave your lights on...indefinitely. Unfortunately, this chiller ultimately derails with the unnecessarily brutal and unredeeming ending...which keeps it from being perfect.

Vacancy (2007): Much like "The Strangers," Nimrod Antal's "Vacancy" relies on our worst fears, our fellow man, to scare the bejeezus out of us...this time, the setting is in one of those ramshackle flea fests of a motel that one often passes on a road trip... and then makes a mental note to never run out of gas. Ever. This was Antal's first English language film and I expect bigger things to come. Unlike "The Strangers," the ending makes for a very satisfying revenge flick. Starring Luke Wilson (surprisingly effective in a non-comedic role) and Kate Beckinsale.


Joy Ride (2001): Joy Ride - directed by John Dahl ("Unforgettable", "Rounders") - is a taut thriller about 3 twenty-somethings on a roadtrip who mess with the wrong truck driver. This highly entertaining film crisscrosses several genres and, at the end of the day, works well as a straight up thriller (with elements of a psycho slasher on the loose). Much better than similar road trips from hell (e.g., "The Hitcher"...both original and remake), this is one of those films that plays with our psyche because the events that transpire are not entire implausible and there is enough comic relief (delivered by Steve Zahn) to lighten the load. Also stars Paul Walker and Leelee Sobieski.

From Hell (2001): Detroit-brethren the Hughes Brothers ("Menace II Society," "The Book of Eli") deliver with a creepy thriller investigating the Jack the Ripper murders in 19th century London. Not surprisingly, Johnny Depp puts on his best period face and acting chops and helps carry the trite Heather Graham. Moody, suspensful, atmospheric, and terse. For an evening of films in the same vein -- I also recommend Tim Burton's "Sleepy Hollow."
Finally, I have a bit of a soft spot for Rob Zombie films - his remake of Halloween is definitely worthy of a watch as is The Devil's Rejects (as we all know how white trash can make me shiver in my boots). Just stay away from Rob Zombie's Halloween 2...terrible.

To rank your favorite Horror films or check out other user rankings, go to Rankography.com.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

The 7 Best Baseball Movies




In tribute to the baseball playoffs which are in full swing, I thought I would highlight my favorite seven movies about baseball and the fall classic.  If you want to add your own two cents, you can rank the category here.  And also check out our member rankings for other great Sports Movies.

Before I get started, lets talk a little bit about criteria.  I was looking for the baseball movies that gave me the best appreciation of the players that played the game and/or made me feel good about the game.  These are not necessarily the most technically accurate or most humorous, but rather these are Movies that embody the spirit of the game.


7.  Eight Men Out - We start with a downer film, but yet a very good movie that honestly portrays the early days professional baseball.  Eight Men Out follows the story of the infamous 1919 Chicago White Sox, nicknamed the "Black Sox", who threw the World Series for a big payday from gamblers.  Feeling spurned by a miserly owner, most of the players on the team conspired to lose the Series that they were heavily favored to win.  The film also follows the brilliant play of Shoeless Joe Jackson, who was part of the conspiring group but who chose not to cooperate and actually had a brilliant series.  It is a very good period piece on the early years of professional baseball.


6.  Bull Durham - This hilarious romp follows the players at the Durham Bulls minor league ball team, in particular an up and coming Pitcher (Tim Robbins) and a washed up Catcher (Kevin Costner).   Then you throw in sexy Susan Sarandon trying to woo both players and it makes for a fun filled romp around the bases.  


5.  A League of their Own - Following the All American Girls Professional Baseball league which was formed during World War II, this poignant film is both funny and touching.  Tom Hanks is brilliant as a "has been" alcoholic Manager that inherits a girls team, the Rockford Peaches, near Chicago.  It follows his transformation from reluctantly accepting the "insulting" job to gaining respect and admiration for his team of female players.  Geena Davis plays the teams star and Lori Petty is outstanding as her "overshadowed" younger sister.  The cast includes Madonna, Rosie O'Donnell and Jon Lovitz, who all give their career best performances in this one of a kind classic.


4.  Bang the Drum Slowly - One could call this tear-jerker a Brian's Song for baseball.  The movie includes a young and unknown Robert DeNiro as a rookie catcher who has been diagnosed with Hodgkins disease and is playing in his last season and Michael Moriarty as a veteran pitcher who befriends him during this sad but beautiful movie.


3.  Pride of the Yankees - I don't know what it is about Gary Cooper but I just love watching his movies.  There is a comfortableness in his roles that is just a joy to watch.  Of course, then you give Gary Cooper the role of Lou Gehrig, one of the greatest stories in baseball history, and it is a combination that is tough to beat.  The film follows Lou Gehrig's rise from a shy rookie to the baseball legend that he became.  Cooper delivers Gehrig's famous farewell speech, after learning he has an incurable degenerative disease later named Lou Gehrig's Disease, with such grace that you really feel as if you were there.


2.  Field of Dreams - I am not a huge Kevin Costner fan, per se, but this is Costner's seminal work -- in Field of Dreams he paints his masterpiece.  I love this movie and frankly it was really hard to pick a number 1 and a number 2 between my two favorites.  The movie follows the life of a couple in Iowa struggling to save their family farm but it is really much more.  The film is an exploration of four "unfulfilled lives" seeking one last shot at redemption, the tragedy of Shoeless Joe's brilliant career tainted by the Black Sox cheating scandal and of course America's love of the game of baseball.  The final scene in which James Earl Jones delivers his oration on America and baseball is also one of my favorite movie scenes ever.  The richness of his phenomenal voice, the cadence of his voice...I can listen to it over and over.  "If you build it, they will come Ray...they will come, Ray...they will come to Iowa for reasons they cannot even fathom..."   You can listen to this beautiful speech on Youtube.


1.  The Natural - From a baseball perspective, this movie has it all; a young star, scandal, an amazing comeback and all the while great baseball.  Ultimately, I chose it over Field of Dreams because it was more fully a baseball movie than Field of Dreams.  What an intriguing story, Roy Hobbs, once a great young prospect that only plays briefly in the majors because of a shadowy scandal with a woman (Kim Basinger) ending in his being shot.  Then Hobbs attempts a comeback 14 years later to try to save a franchise from an "evil" owner.  All the story elements are there and then a brilliant cast including Robert Redford, Robert Duvall, Glenn Close and Wilford Brimley carry it home.  I can still call up the song every time I think of Hobbs climatic home run...Da Na Na...Da da duuuu.  It is a must see for any baseball fan.


Enjoy the playoffs and the World Series.



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