Turner Classic Movies: 31 Days of Oscar
CMH Picks: Week Four
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Sunday February 22nd: One Flew Over the Cuckcoo’s Nest at 10:30pm EST
Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975, Milos Forman director)
If you’re feeling in the mood for something outside the classical-Hollywood era, then watch this film. Its theme of institutional control vs. common human dignity is always relevant in our often-confusing and isolating world. Also Louise Fletcher’s Oscar winning performance as Nurse Ratched is also one of the most coldly terrifying symbols of corrupted power you will ever witness. For real, she’s scary as hell.
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Monday February 23rd: Annie Hall at 8:00pm EST
Woody Allen and Diane Keaton in Annie Hall (1977, Woody Allen director)
This is the movie that made me fall in love with New York City. And that makes perfect sense since this film is as much a love letter to NYC as it a romance about Annie Hall. Although the writing is on-point and the acting flawless, I often find myself trapped in the beauty of its portrayal of NYC, even though I live here now.
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Tuesday February 24th: A Midsummer Night’s Dream at 2:30pm EST
A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1935, Max Reinhardt director)
In high school I showed this film to two of my non-Shakespeare loving friends and they loved it. So, if you want to get some of your friends into Shakespeare and the 1996 version of Romeo and Juliette just isn’t your style, show them this. It just might work.
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Wednesday February 25th: Out of Africa at Midnight EST
Meryl Streep and Robert Redford in Out of AFrica (1985, Sydney Pollack director)
Although a bit outside the classical Hollywood era, this film is still considered a classic none-the-less. If you happen to be up at midnight (or have a DVR), just give it a shot. You will not be disappointed.
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Thursday February 26th: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington at 3:35pm EST
James Stewart in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939, Frank Capra director)
Because sometimes you just need to believe that in the brutal, dishonest, and corrupt world of politics, the good guys can sometimes win.
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Friday February 27th: The Lion in Winter at 12:15pm EST
Katharine Hepburn and Peter O’Toole in The Lion in Winter (1968, Anthony Harvey director)
Katharine Hepburn and Peter O’Toole are all the reasons you need to watch this movie. Sure, it’s well written, produced and directed but, by George, do these two hit it out of the park with this one.
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Saturday February 28th: Shadow of a Doubt at 3:45pm EST
Joseph Cotten and Teresa Wright in Shadow of a Doubt (1942, Alfred Hitchcock director)
This is my favorite Hitchcock film and, in my opinion, his first masterpiece. Be sure to pay close attention to the speech Uncle Charlie (Joseph Cotten) gives Charlie (Teresa Wright) at the town’s local dive bar. The sheer hatred Charlie displays for humanity is terrifying.
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Sunday March 1st: Shall We Dance at 8:15pm EST
Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in Shall We Dance (1937, Mark Sandrich director)
This was my choice for today for two reasons: The musical number Slap That Bass and the song The Way You Look Tonight. One happens to be my favorite music number in any of the Fred and Ginger films, while the other happens to be my favorite song.
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Monday March 2nd: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring at 8pm EST
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001, Peter Jackson director)
Honestly, the whole trilogy is playing from 8:00pm to 6:00AM the next morning. If you have the time (or the DVR space), watch it. The love of escapism is nothing to be ashamed over and nothing helps you to escape more than getting lost in a world that is far, far from our own. So,please, enjoy that nine hours of pure escape and fun!
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Tuesday March 3rd: Dodsworth at 1pm EST
Walter Houston in Dodsworth (1936, William Wyler director)
What I love about this film is there are no bad guys, only a bad situation – a dissolving marriage. Rather than a heavy handed approach, Wyler simply let the emotions of the character unfold as naturally and truthful as possible, resulting in a film that feels oddly human from the first frame to the last.
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Minoo Allen for Classic Movie Hub
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