Love with the Proper Stranger
This is such an underrated film, in my opinion. Steve McQueen and Natalie Wood are dynamic as a couple who have a one-night stand, only to be surprised with a pregnancy. This film has one of my favorite scenes that shows a character does not have to say every emotion they’re feeling. Ahead of it’s time, Love with the Proper Stranger deals with sex, love, abortion, and many social “no-nos” of that time. This film is available on Amazon for digital download, but there is no blu-ray in sight.
Bad Day at Black Rock
This is Spencer Tracy at his best. In a town still dealing with the chaos of World War 2, a one armed stranger, John J. Macreedy, asks to speaks to a man named Komoko. But before Macreedy can see Komoko, the town tries to keep secret what happened to this man. Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, There Will Be Blood) said in an interview that you could learn more from the director, John Sturges’, commentary of Bad Day at Black Rock, than you could ever learn in film school. Sadly, the commentary was only released with the laser disc release of the film. However, if this film gets a blu-ray release, the cherry on top would be Sturges’ commentary.
A Place in the Sun
If anyone is a fan of the television show, The Office, then you might remember Will Ferrell’s character, Deangelo Vickers. Well, I can only say that the writers have seen A Place in the Sun once or twice. Elizabeth Taylor plays Angela Vickers, a young socialite, who meets a handsome young man named George Eastman (Montgomery Clift). Their romance is electric. However, Angela doesn’t know that George’s other girlfriend is pregnant with his child. Many people, including Turner Classic Movies’ Host, Robert Osborne, say A Place in the Sun is their favorite film. So there is just one question… where is the blu-ray?
Splendor in the Grass
Yes, another Natalie Wood film. Splendor in the Grass is probably one of her best and most famous films. Set in the late 20s, Splendor in the Grass focuses on the taboo-like subject sex, while also relating it to the repression of young people’s sexual desires in the early 60s. I’m going to leave the plot there, and wait for you to see it. This is my personal favorite from Wood and Beatty. Splendor in the Grass delivers unbelievable performances from every character, which makes this film a must-watch.
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
In a time period when the news is led with stories about the civil liberties of homosexuals, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof takes our current social conflicts and turns it into a powerful film that was released decades ago. Everything about this film is brilliant. Based on the play by Tennessee Williams, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof displays the feelings of a gay ex-football player, Brick, being forced to live as a straight man with his wife, Maggie. What I love the most about this film is the underlying secret of Brick that the film never comes out and blatantly says. It’s as if we are a fly on the wall, looking at this couple’s tumultuous marriage.
Little Movie Reviews 