10 Great Movies in B/W

Following.

Ikiru

D'oh! Of all movies, how could I forget that one?

On the Waterfront
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
All Quiet on the Western Front
Citizen Kane
12 Angry Men
Stalag 17
The Third Man
Seven Samurai
Carnival of Souls
Night ot the Living Dead

ROMANTIC COMEDY MEGAPOST. Believe it or not, there was a time when romantic comedies were not shitty boring formulas. There actually are great old movies that established the formulas used today, and what's been forgotten about them is that they were smart.

The Thin Man. I love old noirish romantic comedies. There's a whole series, and all of them make me grin, although their quality varies. James Stewart, much younger than you'd be used to, is in one of them, though I don't remember which title.

Speaking of old noirish romantic comedies, His Girl Friday. It's the old Howard Hawks style of speaking seen on Sports Night, West Wing and Gilmore Girls (really fast, without taking breaths). This is either really off-putting or wonderful, depending on your point of view. Things to watch for: as in some of the old romantic comedies, a feminist perspective with a strong female lead is presented. Certainly it's not feminist by today's standards, but you do have to consider that this is, I think, the 40s we're dealing with here.

Trouble in Paradise. This is a movie by Ernst Lubitsch, one of the great directors whose movies have held up over time, and yet despite his fame in his own time, he's gotten a bit lost in the shuffle. Fuck that. This movie is genius. It's poignant, it's thoughtful, and it eschews conventions. Just see it, because if you care, it's a gorgeous movie, and if you don't, it's funny and does not insult your intellect.

Another great Lubitsch screwball is The Shop Around the Corner, which was basically remade under the name You've Got Mail. Obviously it's a good deal better than the latter movie. It has James Stewart, and if you don't like James Stewart, you are fucked in the head.

One other great old writer/director of screwballs is Preston Sturges, and both The Lady Eve and Sullivan's Travels have really nice Criterion Collection versions out. The Lady Eve is interesting partially to see Henry Fonda in his younger years, and playing a comedy role, and partially for an all-time great performance from Berbara Stanwick. The scene where she plays with his hair (you'll know it when you see it) is one of the sexiest scenes in movie history. And Sullivan's Travels...look, O Brother Where Art Thou is a very popular movie, and it draws greatly on Sullivan's Travels. There's a reason for that. It's funny and again, this is a movie with an actual thought in its head.

I'm getting a bit tired of writing, but seriously, people, Billy Wilder. The Apartment. Some Like it Hot. Funny. In the case of The Apartment, touching and with one of Jack Lemmon's greatest performances.

Woody Allen. Manhattan. Broadway Danny Rose. See them. If you don't like Woody Allen, see them for the cinematography. Gordon fucking Willis, bitches.

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PS - I feel I should mention Odd Man Out, which is directed by Carol Reed and while it's not as good as his The Third Man, the black and white cinematography is incredible. Besides, there are very few movies that are as good as The Third Man. But it's not a romantic comedy.

well then fucken ay

"MAN BITES DOG"

first off I Lubitsch

the Merry Widdow is one of my favs.

And then Sunset Boulevard!!!! One of the best films ever. How could it not be on anyone else's list!!?!?!

As far as Woody Allen goes, Mahattan is stunning and Stardust Memories is positively amazing.

Seconds

yes and all those other fine black and white kurosawa samurai movies


yojimbo

sanjuro

hidden fortress

rashomon

throne of blood

Touch of EVIL! dammit