The Alphabet Meme

Daniel at Getafilm has tagged me for this new meme created by Fletch over at Blog Cabins.  Here are the rules:

1. Pick your favorite film to represent each letter of the alphabet.
2. The letter “A” and the word “The” do not count as the beginning of a film’s title, unless the film is simply titled A or The, and I don’t know of any films with those titles.
3. Return of the Jedi belongs under “R,” not “S” as in Star Wars Episode IV: Return of the Jedi. This rule applies to all films in the original Star Wars trilogy; all that followed start with “S.” Similarly, Raiders of the Lost Ark belongs under “R,” not “I” as in Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. Conversely, all films in the LOTR series belong under “L” and all films in the Chronicles of Narnia series belong under “C,” as that’s what those filmmakers called their films from the start. In other words, movies are stuck with the titles their owners gave them at the time of their theatrical release. Use your better judgement to apply the above rule to any series/films not mentioned.
4. Films that start with a number are filed under the first letter of their number’s word. 12 Monkeys would be filed under “T.”
5. Link back to Blog Cabins in your post so that I can eventually type “alphabet meme” into Google and come up #1, then make a post where I declare that I am the King of Google.
6. If you’re selected, you have to then select 5 more people.

Ok, here goes.  I kind of liked this one.  I’m not saying these are the greatest films beginning with each letter, or even my very favorites.  Often, there are multiple films per letter that I wish I could name; ‘D’ for instance or ‘A’.  Then there were hard ones: ‘X’ and ‘Z’, of course, but also unaccountably (for me) ‘E’ and ‘H’.  Well anyway, here they are …

Angels in America (2003; dir. Mike Nichols)  Overpowering adaptation of Tony Kushner’s epic play.  Mike Nichols’ best work, with excellent acting from Al Pacino, Meryl Streep, Emma Thompson, Jeffrey Wright and Mary-Louise Parker.

Blade Runner (1982; dir. Ridley Scott)  The greatest science fiction film ever made.  Because of this and Alien, I will forgive Sir Ridley all manner of bloated epics.

Cabaret (1972; dir. Bob Fosse) — the artfully decadent musical adaptation of Christopher Isherwood’s short stories.  Joel Grey, in particular, is a delight.

Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb (1964; dir. Stanley Kubrick) Kubrick’s acerbic, paranoid, absurdist comedy that showcases a fabulous performance by Peter Sellers.

8½ (1963; dir. Federico Fellini)  The very beginning of Fellini’s “Felliniesque” period, although elements of the surreal were there in prior films.  Marcello Mastroianni’s wry and witty performance drives the film.

Fanny and Alexander (1982; dir. Ingmar Bergman)  A magical five-hour epic that is the culmination and summation of Bergman’s art.  Buckle down and see the long version — you can watch it like the Swedish did on TV, over four nights.  It’s well worth it.

The Godfather (1972; dir. Francis Coppola)  The seminal gangster flick that changed all the rules.  Influences can be seen in filmmakers from Martin Scorsese to Johnny To.

Hero (2002; dir. Zhang Yimou)  A gorgeous, tremendously entertaining film in the modern wuxiá pian genre.

Ikiru (1952; dir. Akira Kurosawa) Exceedingly affecting story of a career civil servant’s attempts to make something of his life after learning of his terminal illness.  Takashi Shimura turns in a great performance.

Jules et Jim (1962; dir .Francois Truffaut)  Truffaut’s liberating look at a very unconventional romance, suffused with sadness and centered around a remarkable performance by Jeanne Moreau.

King Kong (1933; dir. Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack)  The original, still wonderfully entertaining ape movie that’s spawned multiple remakes and sequels.

Lord of the Rings (Trilogy: 2001, 2003, 2004; dir. Peter Jackson)  Each of these films (Fellowship of the Ring; The Two Towers; Return of the King) stands alone, but together, they are unprecedented.

Mon Oncle (1958; dir. Jaques Tati)  Tati’s second feature with Monsieur Hulot, and his first in color.  Sweet, melancholy and original.

Night of the Hunter (1955; dir. Charles Laughton) A one-of-a-kind thriller/noir/fairy-tale with a devastating performance by Robert Mitchum.

Ordet (1955; dir. Carl Th. Dreyer)  Overwhelming examination of redemption, madness and the nature of faith.  Considered by many to be Dreyer’s greatest, although I have a hard time choosing, myself.

Pan’s Labyrinth (2006; dir. Guillermo del Toro)  Dark, masterful fantasy from a director who seems to do much better work in his native tongue than in English.  What does this bode for The Hobbit?

The Queen (2006; dir Stephen Frears)  This film grows on you, or at least it did on me.  I liked it much better the second time around.  Dame Helen Mirren and Michael Sheen are brilliant as Elizabeth II and Tony Blair.

Rules of the Game (1939; dir. Jean Renoir)  Considered by many as Renoir’s greatest; I’m not so sure, myself, but it is one of those films that keeps on giving, every time you see it.

Seven Samurai (1954; dir. Akira Kurosawa)  Possibly the most influential film ever made.  Takashi Shimura shows his versatility as stone warrior Kambei; Toshiro Mifune is pleasingly over-the-top as Kikuchiyo.

Tokyo Story (1953; dir. Yasujiro Ozu)  Devastating tale of changing family dynamics in post-war Tokyo.  Exquisitely directed by Ozu from a place of great stillness.

Unforgiven (1992; dir. Clint Eastwood)  A revisionist film that attempts to both demystify and re-imagine the classic western.  Eastwood stars as a vicious gunfighter looking for one more kill.

Volver (2006; dir. Pedro Almodóvar)  Possibly Almodóvar’s most entertaining film, which is saying a lot. Penelope Cruz channels Sophia Loren to great pneumatic effect.

What’s Up Doc? (1972; dir. Peter Bogdanovich) Hilarious homage to screwball comedies, helmed by the director/raconteur cinephiles love to hate.  Barbra Streisand, Kenneth Mars and even Ryan O’Neal are fine.

X2: X-Men United (2003; dir. Bryan Singer) Hah!  I bet everybody else picked the original. But these aren’t horrible comic-book adaptations, and I kinda like the first two.

Young Frankenstein (1974; dir. Mel Brooks) Wonderfully loving, funny send-up of horror movies by director Brooks and company.  Pardon me Roy, is that the cat who chewed your new shoes?

Zodiac (2007; dir David Fincher) Tense, well-acted procedural revolving around the still-unsolved Zodiac killer case in 1960s San Francisco.

Here are some tags:

Bill at The Kind of Face You Hate

Jonathan at Cinema Styles

Fox at Tractor Facts

Joe at CINEMA FIST

Sam at Wonders in the Dark

You’re welcome.