What is your fave black & white movie?
2nd-fave film after Jaws, the OG Night of the Living Dead.
I have viewing traditions:
1st day of summer? Monsieur Hulot's Holiday.
4th of July? Jaws.
Thanksgiving? MST3K Turkey Day.
Christmas? Charlie Brown Christmas.
Halloween? NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD :D
📽️
April 8? Empire Records
a hard days night
I lied Lolol I got so excited I jumped the gun. A hard says night is one of my favorites but My Man Godfrey, Christmas In Connecticut, and The Lady Eve are my favs too
All solid jazz, but GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH, My Man Godfrey is a cut above the rest!
(Although I will say that Barbara Stanwyck is a particular joy in Christmas in Connecticut.)
im a big Stanwyck fan. her comedies are the best. But wow yeah my man Godfrey. That’s the movie I recommend to anyone who asks for a movie recommendation. it’s in color now, which is fine either way, but there’s actually 1 joke that now lands better because you can see what color everyone’s wearing
I've been circling and circling and circling this one, and I think I gotta give that a spin this week by way of the Criterion Channel!
i was a freshman in HS when the Beatles anthology aired and my friend group got really really into the Beatles. I think I’ve watched this a hundred times since then. It’s really fun. I enjoy help a lot too as far as Beatles movies go, but not as much.
Definitely Clerks lol
Probably still stands as the best thing Kevin Smith's ever done, hands down.
HELL YES
I mean, all of Bergman's Faith Trilogy was something amazing, no? Winter Light was especially sharp haps.
My fave of The Trilogy is Through a Glass Darkly.
Ask me on any given day and that could change... but right now? I'm thinking I'm leaning towards Winter Light.
But Through a Glass Darkly? Utterly brilliant.
I still haven't seen that one 😬
It's very sharp stuff, aye. I think you'd dig it!
Completely different, but this also reminds me that I need to see the Third Man
That you do, aye. I think you'll *adore* the movie when you track it down. It somehow makes zither music and noir vibes WORK.
It's earned thunderous buzz over the ensuing decades since its release, and it's all well deserved.
Orson Welles's introduction is [italian chef kisses own fingers dot GIF]
I mean, also Hour of the Wolf for me!
The Lighthouse, hands down.
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSs
A24 doin' it right. Hot damn, that was a surreal joy to watch.
And the cinematography was *CHOICE.*
Agreed, an absolute joy.
No, I shall not choose
[dangles a copy of The Apartment in front of Rex]
wE'rE hAvInG a SaLe, ReX... :D
Sorry, I already purchased The Apartment on widescreen VHS, DVD, Arrow blu-ray (the best version currently available), and "4K" streaming
THIS ONE'S IN FLIPBOOK FORM
I do still need the autographed by Iz Diamond screenplay
I feel seen, thank you, but the thing is that Ed Wood, The Third Man, The Thin Man, The Philadelphia Story, and YES SERIOUSLY Plan Nine From Outer Space may all be in my top ten...
THE PHILADELPHIA STORY IS FREAKING BOSS, and I say that as someone who thinks that anything Jimmy Stewart does is beyond brilliant.
And that zither score from The Third Man doesn't faze me. I love it, as I love the entire rest of the movie.
It feels silly to even mention Casablanca, Citizen Kane, The Maltese Falcon, half a dozen Marx Bros movies, and maybe Touch of Evil but people are Really Sleeping on The Killing
THE KILLING IS DAMN IMPRESSIVE
Not only is it impressive as early Kubrick jazz and something that features Coleen "Leech Woman" Gray, but you can see its DNA in The Dark Knight and realize just how influential a work it is.
I see your Colleen Gray and raise you a Marie Windsor, who was simply too tall and badass to be the movie star she should have been
The Killing's only competition for my favorite Kubrick is Strangelove which is also IN BLACK AND WHITE how bout that
Did you know PSYCHO is in B&W? And many more Hitchcock movies but you've never even noticed...
HOLY CRAP THE BLOB I MEAN COME ON
The Last Picture Show
Hud
Okay, Hud is some masterclass stuff. Love it to pieces. It drove home the point early that Paul Newman could do no wrong.
THAT'S a film that would make for a great double-feature with The Last Picture Show.
Shit, wait, there's also like four Frankenstein movies and Creature From The Black Lagoon and Dracula and Mexican Dracula and obviously NotLD
Not to mention every other absolutely perfect Billy Wilder movie...
Besides the ones mentioned, I love noirs like Out of the Past and He Walked By Night
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Noirs are flippin' *rich.* :) Such a texture and depth to them. And they're just so much FUN.
Love me some Kansas City Confidential and - with a bit of foreign flavor - Rififi.
I haven't seen those two, but I see He Walked By Night available on a few sites. I'd love to see it and get back to ya!
It’s great-Richard Basehart gives an incredible performance & John Alton’s cinematography is, well, John Alton’s cinematography. But I love Kansas City Confidential & Rififi, too. Gun Crazy is another terrific B & W noir.
Ah, the Thin Man flicks were great stuff.
If you ask me on odd numbered days, I might pick differently.
GAAAAAAAAAAAAAH, I LIKE IT :D
Welles didn't mess around directorially. He didn't just make films; he *breathed* films.
I saw the original cut of that when I was in high school, and I thought it was good, but when they restored it and re-edited it, it became one of my favorites. It's a crime what the studio did to that movie. They mangled it.
Which is to say nothing of the wholesale gangland beatdown of the third act of The Magnificent Ambersons.
21st century contender:
I borrowed that from the library after seeing that it got a Best Director nomination, and... FREAKING WOW.
You're right to champion that one.
So so many, but these days Manchurian Candidate.
That one hits and it STILL hits hard.
So much to love there from Angela Lansbury's performance to the ace cinematography (THAT CARD IN THE FOREGROUND, THOUGH)
So much of it is so deeply weird, even beyond the premise. All the Lincoln paraphernalia …
Casablanca.
Our Xmas B&W movie is this beautiful, heartwarming, funny, thought-provoking seasonal movie starring Jimmy Stewart.
What? No.
m.imdb.com/title/tt0033...
It’s so hard to say because there are too many that I love! Night of the living dead is up there for me too. Spellbound is definitely one of my favorites. Nights of Cabiria as well. Hour of the Wolf is another that I love. So many good b+w movies.
Right?! Beyond difficult choices because there's so much good stuff!
Spellbound is fantastico. Love love love those Dali visuals, not to mention the Peck/Berman performances.
Seen Hour of the Wolf some time ago by way of the library, need to see that again.
I SO NEED TO SEE NIGHTS OF CABIRIA. /1
Love love love the hell out of Fellini's work (I especially dig what Giulietta Masina did in La Strada), so this one's something of a priority to me.
Glad you dig all that jazz, and thanks so much for sharing!
Nights of Cabiria is wonderful! Guilietta Masinsa is captivating to watch in the lead role.
She's such a luminous gem, and Fellini knew that full-force.
If I ever get around to that, I'll make it a point to get back to you about it!
I like Fellini but I LOVE Masina. Such a rare talent. I just wish she had been in more stuff.
Yeah, let me know what you think if you watch it!
Mmhmm. Fellini's great as a director, but Masina is LUMINOUS as an onscreen talent. Completely unreal.
And aye, I'd love to discuss that with ya upon seeing that! :D
No, I’m sorry, this is too hard, half of everything I love is probably black and white.
There really should be an “edit to add Alt text” option. Anyway, The Thirty-Nine Steps, His Girl Friday, It’s a Wonderful Life.
Black-and-white films made for some of the best that cinema had to offer, for sure!
That dialogue in His Girl Friday is UNREAL, it crackles and pops with energy!
The 39 Steps has an absolutely killer finale, and I can't use enough digital ink to praise the mastery of It's a Wonderful Life.
Sweet Smell of Success
And for July 4th viewing, I prefer "Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia"
Peckinpah, baby. You *cannot* go wrong there!
I think it captures the fourth of July experience perfectly:
It's hot as balls and you're sweating like a pig. For reasons you don't understand you decide to go to some event but you're obligated to obtain and bring along some awkward contribution.
Everybody around you is setting off loud noises constantly and unexpectedly.You have to stop for ice on the way, there's tourists and car trouble, pesky flies. And even though everybody talked it up, when you arrive the event is a shitshow. I mean, it's the perfect July 4th film.
I’ve only got three viewing traditions - Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein during Halloween and Charlie Brown Christmas and It’s a Wonderful Life at Christmas.
Oh, rock! :D
A Charlie Brown Christmas is pretty much ironclad as a pick, but I always try to work in It's a Wonderful Life for the holiday season.
Love your tradition of Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein for Halloween! Their comedies work WONDERFULLY as a counterpoint to the scarier offerings.
It's a tie for me between Night Of The Living Dead & Psycho
Black-and-white Hitchcock is a *delicacy.* That certainly applies to Psycho, and definitely Notorious as well as Shadow of a Doubt!
Hitchcock was awesome, I think black & white added to the creepiness of the films
As an aside: a cool gif. a very cool gif
We can't ever forget this banger, from back before "the old site" fell off.
LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE the hell out of this choice.
Just about everything Kurosawa did was on the genius level, but Seven Samurai? That's special.
The great-granddaddy of the modern action movie. Around three-and-a-half hours, and not a second is wasted.
absolutely - just made a friend watch it and said there wasn't an ounce of fat on it
This is one:
And 21st century:
To think that they found a long-thought-lost complete print of that movie in a sanitarium closet, of all places.
That's something of a miracle in and of itself!
TRULY!
I should finish this lol
I won't spoil the ending. 😂
Just really hope the God guy gets her out.
that's a damned great film
best performance ever
TRULY. And it was the first Criterion Collection DVD I ever owned--had never seen it before, but the cover made me really curious.
don't remember where i first saw it ( college?) but waited for the bluray from criterion
I could easily make a top 5 all-time list that was all b&w:
Wings of Desire
Duck Soup
The Philadelphia Story
Masculin Féminin
Andrei Rublev
Also (NotLD, The War is Over, Eraserhead, Llewyn Davis)
I could easily make a top 5 all-time list that was all b&w:
Wings of Desire
Duck Soup
The Philadelphia Story
Masculin Féminin
Andrei Rublev
Also - NotLD, The War is Over, Eraserhead, Strangelove
I saw Wings of Desire for the first time not too long ago, and it was everything the hype promised and THEN SOME.
I still stand in amazement of the damn thing.
I love that movie so much. “When the child was a child”
Seeing (and adoring) Wings of Desire (during my art-house movie theater frequenting days) is why I lined up for Until The End Of The World.
At least the latter had a banger of a soundtrack, I suppose...
I love b&w movies and could probably list hundreds of them. Today I'll pick John Frankenheimer's The Train
the ending... made me cry as a kid and still does today - makes it so about America that... well... crying again
I watched NOTLD as a kid in the 80s, raised on a diet of Disney movies, family fare, and happy endings.
This went against all of that and utterly horrified me, traumatized me, turned my world on its head.
It's a damning indictment of our society that the movie continues to be as relevant as it is.
Most of the non-MST3K movies I watch are black & white, I can’t pick one! But if I have to I’ll say Gold Diggers of 1933
:D
Fine choice, mammajamma!
I can't just choose one. I don't know if it's my favorite but I love the cinematography in The Spiral Staircase. Very cool Gothic thriller vibes there.
Fucking sweet movie.
I loved this, but it's been too long since the last viewing. A lot of stuff is slipping from memory.
I gotta change that.
too many, but this is up there
Terrific choice! :D
Billy Wilder has a number of movies that could fit the bill of "best black/white movie" (gah, Double Indemnity), and Some Like It Hot stands the comedic test of time.
Absolutely killer closing line, too!
comments got a lot covered, but i gotta show some love for M, The Third Man, Carnival of Souls, Bringing Up Baby, 8 1/2, Cat People
Bringing Up Baby was viewed as box office poison once upon a time, and that's a shame, because it's such a fun comedic romp. Couldn't be happier that time has vindicated it.
But Cat People? Gah. That's my jam. Jacques Tourneur was phenomenal with those kinds of films, esp. Night of the Demon!
Night of the Demon, how could i forget. people hated the monster, but i kinda like him!
I had no qualms w/ the monster design, I thought it was really sharp, but I wonder if it would have made the film more effective to keep it in the dark or use it less? To make everyone wonder if what happened in NOTD was mere suggestion or actual demonic shenanigans?
Eh, whatevs. STILL LOVE IT :D
yeah, i think the general consensus (and allegedly Tourneur's opinion) was that it shouldn't have been shown at all. i still think the from-a-distance stop motion effects are incredibly scary, and i've come to feel an affinity for the goofy close-up monster. we're all muppets, after all.
It's a better film than people give it credit for. It's not great, but it is one of my favorites.
Carnival of Souls has atmosphere to SPARE.
Rented it on a whim from Blockbuster (on Criterion DVD, no less), dug the hell out of it.
Gotta love that it came from Herk Harvey, a man who directed a number of educational (?) short films, including the MST3K'd Cheating short and Shake Hands w/ Danger.
Kind of same story. After hearing MST3K referencing it, I came across it at a Blockbuster and had to grab it to get the joke about it. I found I really liked it for all the reasons it got made fun of.
RIGHT?! That's the way for a lot of stuff I love!
I discovered Bergman and Kurosawa (among other directors and a number of important films) because of MST3K, just one more reason why I owe it an incalculable debt.
Yeah, the RiffTrax crew busts on that a lot, but there's seriously cool stuff there.
MST3K and descendants are the reason I've found a lot of not great movies that I really enjoy. Some of them before seeing them riffed!
Fantastic thread, so many great picks. B&W is, very roughly, half the history of the medium! So, endless riches.
I'll just mention a few I didn't seen upthread
Seconds (!)
I Know Where I'm Going (1945)
The Invisible Man (1933)
The Black Cat (1934)
The Seventh Seal
More recently
A Field in England
It never ceases to amaze me how the effects of The Invisible Man STILL HOLD UP *TO THIS VERY DAY.*
Amazing picture, that.
It's wild. Raines is magnificent. Really is one of the best Universal horrors.
According to Reddit, the unraveling scenes were accomplished by "shooting with a completely black set with walls and floors made to be non-reflective, and then covering Claude from head to foot with black velvet tights"
Seconds is so good. It feels so modern ON SO MANY LEVELS it’s just unbelievably great
One of my favorite films, no q.
When I recommend it, I always feel like I should include something like "if you're having a rough time, maybe don't watch it alone?"
Think it was Dana Stevens who wrote an appreciation a few years ago entitled "Oh My God, Seconds"—what film fans say when it comes up
*"maybe don't watch it alone or, alternatively, make sure you're stocked up on your favorite ice cream for after."
I'm coming into this thread halfway but B&W movie nights (COVID free) might be super cool
I WILL subject everyone to so much Guy Maddin
Tired: so sick of my dad and brother, film aficionados (and more), suggesting obscure films and media to me, let me watch something fun
Wired: what black and white cinema is nonbinary papa iv thinking about today
The collected works of Joan Crawford
But Trog is in color
oh yeaah
Seven Samurai.
After that: Casablanca, Dr. Strangelove, Maltese Falcon.
Love love love the hell out of all of these, but especially Seven Samurai.
The thing that's really cool about that movie is that you don't *feel* its hefty runtime. That one goes by like it's NOTHIN'.
Film noir is endlessly entertaining, and boy howdy, does The Maltese Falcon satisfy. YOWZA.
The Haunting for vibes and cinematography, Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid for fun. Though any time I get a chance to see Cabinet of Dr Caligari with love accompaniment that would trump both on all counts.
Ernest Goes To Jail (1990)
I *love* that they're showing Night of the Living Dead. I'll be doing a live-posting of NOTLD tomorrow night. My Halloween tradition!
On July 4th, it's Jaws.
On Thanksgiving, it's MST3K Turkey Day.
On Christmas Eve, it's A Charlie Brown Christmas.
But Halloween belongs to Night of the Living Dead!
2/2
14:30 - The Black Cat (1934)
15:45 - Frankenstein (1931)
17:00 - The Bride of Frankenstein
18:30 - The Wolf Man (1941)
22:00 - When A Stranger Calls
23:45 - Black Sabbath
1:30 - Carnival of Souls
3:00 - Night of the Living Dead
4:45 - Spider Baby
6:15 - Eye of the Devil
What a lineup!
Fourth-favorite movie behind Monsieur Hulot's Holiday, the original Night of the Living Dead, and Jaws.
Just fantastico.
I appreciate this reminder, too...
... The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is my 4th-fave movie (behind Jaws, Night of the Living Dead, and Monsieur Hulot's Holiday and ahead of Raiders of the Lost Ark), and since I have a free day tomorrow and it's been awhile, I really need to rewatch it tomorrow.
Since this seems of interest to some of you sickos, here's the Tubi selection of Spaghetti Westerns. They have about 13 Djangos on there, which is roughly 5% of the total Djangos. tubitv.com/category/spa...
Watch free spaghetti westerns movies and TV shows online in HD on any device. Tubi offers streaming spaghetti westerns movies and tv you will love.
tubitv.com
It's my favorite movie! :D
(Incidentally, Raiders is my fifth-fave behind The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly; Monsieur Hulot's Holiday; the OG Night of the Living Dead; and Jaws. There was a time when Spielberg was UNSTOPPABLE, and it was amazing to witness.)
Oh, excellent! :D I saw all of those except for Gothic, & I dig 'em all.
In particular, I love love love The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. What'd ya think? It's my 4th-fave movie behind Monsieur Hulot's Holiday, the OG Night of the Living Dead, & my all-time champ, Jaws.
And thanks for the follow!
My favorite film of all-time in my book, the top of the line, the A-1 choice of choices, the unstoppable champion: Jaws!
(Incidentally, I have Raiders as my fifth-favorite film, behind The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly; Monsieur Hulot's Holiday; the original Night of the Living Dead; and Jaws.)
without saying raiders of the lost ark, fav steven spielberg film?
My top four are similarly ironclad and unshakable:
Jaws
Night of the Living Dead
Monsieur Hulot's Holiday
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
📽️
Now playing: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Beyond metal. LOVE this movie. It's my 4th-fave behind Monsieur Hulot's Holiday, the OG Night of the Living Dead, and #1, Jaws.
I dig the hell outta Westerns - Spaghetti and otherwise - and this one's majestic. So much richness, texture, and grandeur. 📽️
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAND Return of the Living Dead!
Can't forget Return of the Living Dead!
If Jaws is a July 4th tradition, Return of the Living Dead is a July 3rd tradition!
What is your favorite black-and-white movie?
Night of the Living Dead
To think... time when Bruce Campbell was outside the mainstream, when he was known mostly by people who *knew.*
Love the hell outta Westerns, myself. 4th-fave film is The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, behind Jaws, The Night of the Living Dead, and Monsieur Hulot's Holiday, and ahead of Mon Oncle.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
UH-OH
I know that feel. I watched the OG Night of the Living Dead while sick at home on Halloween as a kid without anyone knowing, and... hoo boy. (It became my 2nd-fave film behind Jaws, though, so it all worked out.
Glad to hear it's spectacular! :D
Now playing: Night of the Living Dead
And now, time for the main event.
For those new to my shenanigans, it's one of my most beloved viewing traditions of the year, watching my 2nd-fave movie (behind Jaws) for Halloween.
There's a little history; I'll get to that before I start live-posting. 📽️
Favorite? Probably the OG Night of the Living Dead if we're not including Jaws as horror (I see it as more of a suspense movie).
Best? Holy hell, if it ain't The Thing, I'd like to hear arguments for anything else.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My fourth-favorite movie behind Jaws, Night of the Living Dead, and Monsieur Hulot's Holiday!
Bloody hell, when you go looking for a film, TGTBATU gives you *SO MUCH FILM.*
Tuco's run through the cemetery -alone- is more compelling than MOST MOVIES.
Jaws
Evil Dead
Friday the 13th
Fright Night
Return of the Living Dead
Evil Dead II
…Yentl?
The Exorcist III
Inferno
Malignant
One Cut Of the Dead
The Thing
Hush
You're Next
:D
Beyond amazing. Monsieur Hulot's Holiday is my third-favorite movie behind Jaws and the original Night of the Living Dead!
I have all six of Tati's feature-length movies listed as five-star affairs over at Letterboxd. Not an extensive filmography, but one of my faves.
Glad you dig his work!
Halloween night viewing: Night of the Living Dead on glorious Digital Versatile Disc
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAS :D
Monsieur Hulot's Holiday! Love love love the hell out of that, my third-fave film!
I *know* I'll be giving that a spin on the first day of summer!
If I ever programmed horror movies, I'd want to do a 3-day weekend of zombie movies:
Fri
Night of the Living Dead
The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue
Attack of the Blind Dead
Sat
Dawn of the Dead
Grapes of Death
Zombi 2
Sun
Day of the Dead
City of the Living Dead
Return of the Living Dead
