Classic Movies

When Was the last time you sat down with a true CLASSIC movie?

I love movies, especially older movies. I have a pretty extensive collection of DVDs of what I consider "the classics" when it comes to movies. Yes, "Casablanca" is the one I treasure and view the most. I think I can recite most of the movie by heart..."here's looking at you kid." When Casablanca came out in 1942, the U.S. had just declared war on Germany a few months earlier. So Casablanca was a very "timely release." People wanted to see movies about the war. That's why so many movies were made about WW2. But Casablanca was really the king of movies with the great war as the setting. Why? Because it was a LOVE STORY set during the war. Bogart and Bergman were the perfect choice as long lost lovers who reunite in a Moroccan night club.

I don't know why, but with certain movies, like Casablanca, I just never tire of watching them over and over. Another one of my classics is Dr. Zhivago. Omar Sharif and Julie Christie again, were brilliantly cast to play two lovers who lose and find each other time and time again during the days of the Russian revolution and the years after. David Lean directed Dr. Zhivago and during the late 1950s through the mid 60s, there was no greater director of movies that eventually would be regarded as classics. He started with "Bridge on the River Kwai" in 1957, followed it up with "Lawrence of Arabia" in 1962
and then Dr. Zhivago in 1965. In my opinion, there was no greater accomplishment in film than what Lean did during this stretch of 8 years.

I think sometimes a lot of us get stuck on the "new release" movies when we go to rent them or view them online. It's easy to do. But for your next movie, check out imdb.com and look for a classic from the past. A good way to sort through them is to check the "Best Picture" winners.  Maybe you can introduce your teenager to one of these films. So many of these movies are worthy of your time.

Will Johnson

(Photo via. Flickr/Creative Commons: mediafury)