31 Days of Oscar

Turner Classic Movies is hosting "31 days of Oscar".... a thirty-one day movie marathon of Oscar winning films. I love movies - and have always been a fan of the classics and thought I had seen more than most my age - but this is giving me a chance to watch a lot of great films for the first time. Thank goodness for DVR....I get to record and watch on my own time.

Here is a list of some of the movies I've watched since the first of February - complete with my person rankings. Consider this your next netflicks list....

5 Stars (Loved It! Highly Recommended)

--Now, Voyager (1942) Bettye Davis

A depressed young woman has a break down and then undergoes a transformation on a world cruise. My Bettye Davis Favorite!

--Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep

Divorce and custody battles have come a long way.

--On the Waterfront (1954) Marlon Brando

“I coulda been a contenda….” Marlon Brando – do I need another reason to love this movie??

4 Stars (Great! Recommended -Just not a 5 Star)

--Wuthering Heights (1939) Laurence Oliver

Cathy & Heathcliff’s epic romance that never fails to make my heart race.

--Roman Holiday (1953) Audrey Hepburn, Gregory Peck

Makes me want to tour Italy on a Vespa.

--North By Northwest (1959) Cary Grant

My favorite Alfred Hitchcock. Never realized how creepy Mt. Rushmore looks from the top.

3 Stars (Classic and Worth My Time)

--War and Peace (1956) Audrey Hepburn & Henry Fonda

If only all the Russian names didn’t sound alike it would be easier to keep all the characters straight.

--African Queen (1951) Humphrey Bogart, Katharine Hepburn

I’m so glad I rafted the Nile River on modern rafts and with a life jacket.

--A Damsel in Distress (1937) Fred Astaire, George Burns, Gracie Allen

My first George & Gracie movie. They are hysterical.

--My Favorite Year (1982) Peter O’Toole

Laughed my head off. A movie depicted a 1950’s version of the TV Show 30 Rock.

--GiGi (1958)

You can’t just say “Gigi – You got to sing it.

--Bachelor In Paradise (1961) Bob Hope, Lana Turner

Loved it for the peak into 1960’s fashion, décor, and general life.

--Doctor Zhivago (1965) Julie Christie

Great story – and educational. Never knew so much about the Russian Revolution.

2 Stars (Had a few good moments)

--The Great Escape (1963) Steve McQueen;

A true story about how British airmen escape from a Nazi prison camp.

1 Star (OK, but I skipped through some of the slow parts)

--The Sunshine Boys (1975) Walter Matthau, George Burns

Slow plot – but great acting.

--Anna Karenina (1947) Vivien Leigh

To me Vivien Leigh can only be Scarlett O’Hara

--Executive Suite (1954) June Allyson

Wallstreet of the 1950’s. Lots of dialogue.