EDIT: Ah jeez, can't believe I forgot to mention this! I have to work on a Tuesday again this week, so the next meeting is moved up to Monday the 29th, if it's not inconvenient for anyone (never know with Thanksgiving weekend). Apologies for not saying so sooner. :(
Ah man, Sunset Boulevard. So good. I almost forgot how good, actually, but after tonight's viewing, it vaulted way up into my favorites list. Jeez. So much to love in that movie, and it's kind of wild how insanely meta it is. Like a living history lesson, even with how nutso it is.
1. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948): In the aftermath of the Mexican Revolution, three men -- the aged, wise Howard; the even-keeled Bob Curtin; and the paranoid Fred C. Dobbs -- band to seek out gold in the Sierra Madre mountains. But not only do they have to deal with ruthless bandits, they also must contend with the greed and hatred that gold lust fosters within each of them. Directed by John Huston, starring Walter Huston, Tim Holt and Humphrey Bogart.
2. The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976): Former Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus is recovering from a bit of murderous insanity when he is paid a visit by new Chief Inspector Jacques Clouseau, whereupon Dreyfus is driven insane once more by Clouseau's clumsy behavior and attempts to kill him using a convoluted bomb threat. Directed by Blake Edwards, starring Peter Sellers, Herbert Lom and Lesley-Anne Down.
3. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968): After the dawn of man all the way to mankind's journey into outer space, an American spaceship is bound for Jupiter after a mysterious alien artifact is discovered on the moon relaying signals to the gas planet. Astronauts Dr. David Bowman and Dr. Frank Poole wile away the time with their onboard computer, HAL 9000. But along the way, a number of errors pile up, and HAL decides to take some initiative in correcting those errors. Directed by Stanley Kubrick, starring Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood.
4. It Happened One Night (1934): Spoiled heiress Ellie Andrews wishes to marry fortune-hunter "King" Westley against the wishes of her father, and she runs away from home when he interferes. On a bus, she meets newspaper reporter Peter Warne, who recognizes her and agrees to help reunite her with Westley if she will give him exclusive rights to her story. Hilarity ensues. Directed by Frank Capra, starring Claudette Colbert, Clark Gable and Walter Connolly.
5. Dog Day Afternoon (1975): Sonny Wortzik, his friend Sal and another accomplice attempt to rob a bank, but the plan quickly falls apart once the accomplice loses his nerve and flees the scene. The police are quickly alerted to suspicious activity in the bank; Sonny and Sal take the bank workers hostage, and the ordeal plays out for everyone in the streets and at home to see. Directed by Sidney Lumet, starring Al Pacino, John Cazale and Charles Durning.
