it is much more disheartening to have to steal than to be stolen from, hmmm?

Average rating: 7

The Red Shoes (1948) - "Under the authoritarian rule of charismatic ballet impressario Boris Lermontov, his proteges realize the full promise of their talents, but at a price: utter devotion to their art and complete loyalty to Lermontov himself. Under his near-obsessive guidance, young ballerina Victoria Page is poised for superstardom, but earns Lermontov's scorn when she falls in love with Julian Craster, composer of The Red Shoes, the ballet Lermontov is staging to showcase her talents. Vicky leaves the company and marries Craster, but still finds herself torn between Lermontov's demands and those of her heart. "
length: 2 hours, 15 minutes

source: I borrowed the DVD through the public library
I watched it because: Anton Walbrook is my current cinematic fascination
IMDB: 8.1/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 98% Audience: 91%
my IMDB: 8/10

MPAA rating: NR

notable quote: "Not even the best magician in the world can produce a rabbit out of a hat if there is not already a rabbit in the hat."

directed by: Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger

my notes: I love movies that turn out to be vastly different than expected. What a deep, weird, beautiful, distressing film this is! Walbrook's performance as Lermontov is exceptional. 

    Roger Ebert's review is here, which I think is brilliantly written.

Academy Award winner:
• Best Art Direction - Set Decoration, Color—Hein Heckroth, Arthur Lawson

• Best Music, Scoring of a dramatic or comedy picture—Brian Easdale
Academy Award nominee:
• Best Picture

• Best Writing, Motion picture story—Pressburger

• Best Film Editing—Reginald Mills 

overall: strongly recommended

 

It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown (1974) - "Linus is certain that the Easter Beagle will bring eggs for everyone this year, but the rest of the gang is skeptical; taking matters into their own hands, Peppermint Patty and Marcie try to make Easter eggs, while Lucy throws a private egg hunt."
length: 30 minutes

source: I own the DVD (in a box set)
I watched it because: Easter was a blur, and I missed it
IMDB: 7.5/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: N/A% Audience: 80%
my IMDB: 8/10

MPAA rating: TV-G

notable quote: "Never trust a man with a blanket!"

directed by: Phil Roman

my notes: this is a favorite of mine, and for good reason. It's got some religious undertones, but primarily about hope. That's never a bad thing. 

Emmy Award nominee: Outstanding Children's Special—Lee Mendelson, Bill Melendez 
overall: highly recommended

Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (1922) - "Wisborg, Germany, 1838. After acquiring a high-profile new client eager to purchase a residence in the bustling port city, avaricious estate agent Knock sends his young employee, Thomas Hutter, to the misty Carpathian Mountains. Excited yet sad to leave his lovely wife, Ellen, behind, Thomas embarks on a long journey to superstition-ridden Transylvania to deliver the papers personally. However, when the unsuspecting realtor finally meets the mysterious Count Orlok, the menacing figure of a gaunt tormentor begins to haunt Ellen's restless dreams, urging her to abandon hope and accept the inevitable. Although the odds are stacked against him, Thomas must still protect everything he holds dear in the name of love. But blood, the warm essence of life, is eternal, and the fresh marks on his neck reveal that evil has already spread."
length: 1 hour, 34 minutes

source: I borrowed the DVD through the public library
I watched it because: it's on all the best-lists
IMDB: 7.8/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: N/A%
my IMDB: 5/10

MPAA rating: NR

notable quote: "You've hurt yourself...the precious blood!"

directed by: F.W. Murnau

my notes: Ummmm, not my cup o' tea. It is 'good', and well made, and must have been terribly shocking a hundred years ago! And I never never never need to see it again.

    Roger Ebert's review is here, with which I mostly agree. "Nosferatu remains effective: It doesn’t scare us, but it haunts us. It shows not that vampires can jump out of shadows, but that evil can grow there, nourished on death."

overall:  recommended despite my distaste

It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown (1976) - "To celebrate Arbor Day, the gang decide to do a great gardening project for Charlie Brown. Unfortunately, Charlie Brown learns that they did it in his baseball diamond, turning it in to a lush garden. With no alternative, he is forced to play against Peppermint Patty's team in that field. However, the bizarre setting seems to be working to his advantage. "
length: 24 minutes

source: I own the DVD (in a box set)
I watched it because: I also missed Arbor Day (a.k.a. Earth Day) this year
IMDB: 7.2/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: N/A%
my IMDB: 7/10

MPAA rating: not rated

notable quote: "Explain love to me, Chuck."

directed by: Phil Roman

my notes: trees, flowers, and baseball; what's not to like?

Emmy Award nominee: Outstanding Children's Special—Lee Mendelson, Bill Melendez 
overall:  recommended

 

[the title quotation is from The Red Shoes]