Frankenstein
The first: Edison Studios, 1910.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
Branagh, DeNiro are implacable foes.
Young Frankenstein
Wasn’t your hump on the…?
Next: Dracula movies.
Nosferatu
The original, a plagiarism, survived.
*Dracula *
With Lugosi, the definitive version.
Dracula
With Frank Langella, very scary.
Next: Universal multiple monster movies.
Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man
First in the series (1943).
House of Dracula
Three cinematic monsters - oh, my!
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein
Not especially scary, naturally. Naturally!
Next: Movies known for squabbles among cast and/or crew.
Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?
Famous feuding actresses played sisters.
Queen Kelly
Director demanded period underwear, socks.
Gone with the Wind
Gable: “Director, or I, go.”
Next: movies where the leads had an affair (or began a lasting relationship).
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Brad divorced Jennifer, married Angelica.
Swing Shift
Goldie and Kurt became lovers.
Time After Time
McDowell and Steenburgen got married.
Next: Films of Michael Palin
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Witches are wooden, like ducks.
Life of Brian
Not messiah; very naughty boy.
A Fish Called Wanda
Murder, lust, greed, revenge, seafood.
Next: films about kidnappings.
films about kidnappings.
Ruthless People
Awful husband doesn’t want wife
Taken
Neeson has set of skills
Labyrinth
Sexy Goblin King steals baby
Next: Michael Bay movies.
The Amityville Horror (2005)
Unnecessary remake of B picture.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)
Horrible remake of cult classic.
Pearl Harbor
Titanic with bullets. Only worse.
Next: remakes you like, even if you like the original better.
Total Recall
Better than Ahnold, for certain.
Robocop
CGI makes science fiction better.
Sabrina
Although Harrison is no Bogie.
**Next: ** Movies with Sigmund Freud as a character.
A Dangerous Method
Freud, Jung intense; develop psychoanalysis.
The Seven-Per-Cent Solution
Freud treats Sherlock Holmes’ addiction.
Freud
Pseudo-bio details five-year span.
Next: cult/independent movies that became stage musicals that became big-budget Hollywood films.
Hmm. Have there been three of those?
Little Shop of Horrors
The original is actually scary.
Hairspray
Travolta not really so Divine.
The Producers
The remake tries too hard.
Next: Movies you watched just for the FX (or because they were in 3D).
Clash of the Titans
Mythology was never like this.
Jurassic Park
Okay, dinosaurs and Jeff Goldblum.
Iron Man
Hey, they got it right!
Next: Non-animated movies with talking animals
Francis, the Talking Mule
Inspired a whole TV show.
The Cat from Outer Space
It’s about a space Tabby.
Underdog
Live-action version of superhero dog.
Next: movies about [an] animal[s] where the animal[s] do[es]n’t die at the end.
Beethoven
Giant dog upends family’s life.
Free Willy
Dolphin pal makes his escape.
Zootopia
Brave bunny cop saves city.
Next: Movies about alien invasions of Earth.
The War of the Worlds (1953)
Devastating invasion thwarted by germs.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
One body at a time.
*Plan 9 from Outer Space *(1959)
Zombies are tools of invasion.
Next: films starring a real-life husband and wife, who were already married before filming started.
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Taylor, Burton chew scenery avidly.
Batteries Not Included
Cronyn, Tandy share decaying building.
Dead Again
Branagh, Thompson in reincarnation thriller.
Next: Movies with an Oscar-winning song.
Song of the South
Zip A Dee Doo Dah.
Mary Poppins
van Dyke’s Chim Chim Cheree
Dirty Dancing
The Time Of My Life
**Next: **Peter Sellers movies, not including the Pink Panther Series
Being There
Gardener mistakenly becomes Washington insider.
Murder by Death
Neil Simon’s classic mystery send-up.
Ghost in the Noonday Sun
Great children’s novel finds screen.
Next: Movies with “monster” or “creature” in the title.
Monster
Charlize Theron gets uglied up.
*Creature from the Black Lagoon
*Bathing beauties in bikinis, beware!
*Creature Comforts
*Animals talk about zoo life.
Next: Tony Randall movies.