My 2011 TCM 31 Days Of Oscar Movie Challenge

2044   8.1   8.5 

Watched
February 1st - 1:00PM

I liked it more than I thought I would,
but still think it is over rated -
Good movie, but doesn't rank as
the best movies of all time like the critics always say.
In my opinion - #25 on this list deserves that title

portlander's rating:

322   7.6   7.5 

Watched
February 2nd - 8:00PM

First time I watched it and probably the last -
just an utterly pointless movie -
a random bunch of scenes, all of which led nowhere.

portlander's rating:

373   7.1   7.3 

Watched
February 2nd - 10:00PM

One of my all time favorite movies -
Jack Nicholson at his best -

Best line -
"Would you like to come in?"
"I'd rather stick needles in my eyes"

portlander's rating:

347   7.5   7.7 

Watched
February 3rd - 10:30AM

My Favorite Hepburn & Tracy movie.

portlander's rating:

932   7.9   8 

Watched
February 3rd - 5:30PM

Finally saw this movie for the first time and after seeing it,
I have no idea why it is considered such a classic -
a very mean spirited movie -
Vivien Leigh was great though -
Never would have guessed that she also played Scarlett O'Hara.

portlander's rating:

194   7.7   8.1 

Watched
February 4th - 2:45PM

Peter O'Toole and Katherine Hepburn were wonderful in this movie -
it is just a crime that Peter O'Toole never won an Oscar.

Favorite line

John - "My God, if I went up in flames
there's not a living soul who'd pee on me to put the fire out."
Richard - "Let's strike a flint and see."

portlander's rating:

784   8   8.3 

Watched
February 4th - 10:00PM

Terrific movie and one of my all time favorite war movies -
fully deserving of its Best Picture Oscar.

Favorite line:

Colonel Saito -
"Do you know what will happen to me if the bridge is not built on time?"
Colonel Nicholson-
"I haven't the foggiest."
Colonel Saito -
"I'll have to kill myself, What would you do if you were me?"
Colonel Nicholson -
"I suppose if I were you... I'd have to kill myself."

portlander's rating:

1065   7.5   8.1 

Watched
February 5th - 10:00PM

The Best Bio Pic ever made
Ben Kingsley is extraordinary - he really Becomes Gandhi

Favorite line

"When I despair, I remember that all through history
the way of truth and love has always won.
There have been tyrants and murderers
and for a time they seem invincible
but in the end, they always fall - think of it - Always."

portlander's rating:

148   7.3   7.8 

Watched
February 6th - 1:15PM

One of the best prison movies ever made -
Burt Lancaster was riveting - sad that if his character had been as compassionate to people as he was to birds -
he might not have had to spend his whole life in prison.

portlander's rating:

77   7.5   7.7 

Watched
February 6th - 5:45PM

One of my Favorite Baseball movies -
entertaining and moving adaption of the life of Lou Gehrig -
Gary Cooper is terrific - they don't make movie stars like him anymore.

Best Line

"People all say that I've had a bad break.
But today...
today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth."

portlander's rating:

93   6.8   6.7 

Watched
February 7th - 5:15PM

Good Musical -
not in the class of The Sound Of Music or Oliver! -
but still pretty good -
my favorite song was 'Some Enchanted Evening'

portlander's rating:

102   6.7   7.3 

Watched
February 8th - 3:30PM

No Big explosions or splashy special effects -
just an emotional, gripping tale about the end of the world.
Let's hope the world is never stupid enough to make this movie a reality -
as the banner said at the end of the movie -
'There is still time brother'

portlander's rating:

154   7.3   7.9 

Watched
February 8th - 5:45PM

Humphrey Bogart is outstanding as
the more that a little bonkers Captain Queeg -
The case of the missing strawberries is my favorite scene -
The movie is a Classic.

portlander's rating:

822   7.1   7.7 

Watched
February 8th - 10:00PM

One of my Favorite Dustin Hoffman movies -
the relationship between Father and son is so sweet and so real
as it develops after the mother abandons them -
the following court custody battle is exceptionally well done -
and the last scene always makes me choke up.

portlander's rating:

598   7.3   7.9 

Watched
February 9th - 12:00AM

Excellent civil war drama -
Morgan Freeman and Denzel Washington are great -
and Mathew Broderick is good too -
but It's hard seeing him as anyone other than Ferris Bueller.

portlander's rating:

551   8.2   8 

Watched
February 10th - 12:00AM

Very creepy movie about a woman
being held prisoner by her deranged sister -
Bette Davis gives what might be her best performance.

Best Line:

"You mean all this time we could have been friends?"

portlander's rating:

339   7.3   7.2 

Watched
February 10th - 10:00PM

Good Gene Kelly musical
He is a great dancer as always, but the ending number goes on forever.

portlander's rating:

1771   7.7   8.1 

Watched
February 11th - 8:00PM

A classic movie with one of the best endings to a movie ever - it is also one of the most imitated and most parodied endings ever - Both Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft shine in this movie.

portlander's rating:

7767   7.9   8.7 

Watched
February 11th - 10:00PM

One of my all time favorite movies -
Tom Hanks gives the performance of his life -
the movie is full of memorable moments and lines -
along with a fabulous soundtrack.

Favorite line:

"Sometimes, I guess there just aren't enough rocks."

portlander's rating:

3504   6.6   6.8 

Watched
February 12th - 12:30AM

Saw this movie for the first time and liked it
even though I am not a big fan of Julia Roberts or Richard Gere -
It was a nice but predictable hooker with a heart of gold story -
the best part of the movie was seeing Jason Alexander -
I had no idea he did movies before Seinfeld
and wish he would do more of them.

portlander's rating:

96   7.9   7.4 

Watched
February 12th - 8:15AM

Another movie I saw for the first time -
a very sad film, but what a joy it was to see
the great Bette Davis and Humphrey Bogart in a movie together

portlander's rating:

40   7.5   7.7 

Watched
February 12th - 10:00AM

Read the book but never saw the movie before -
It was great to see Burgess Merideth
as a much younger man and outside the Rocky movies. -
It is a timeless tale of dreams shattered -
but sad and tragic that the movie
seems to equate shooting a dog in the back of the head
and shooting a mentally disabled person as the same thing.

portlander's rating:

338   7.9   7.9 

Watched
February 12th - 4:00PM

One of the best westerns ever made
and probably the genesis of all future disaster movies -
a group of diverse strangers
trapped together in a life threatening situation.

portlander's rating:

3016   7.6   8.2 

Watched
February 12th - 8:00PM

Just a Wonderful movie that I never get tired of watching -
The Wizard Of Oz is amazing -
everything about it is pure magic and a joy to watch.

Best Line:

"And remember my sentimental friend -
A heart is not judged by how much you love,
but by how much you are loved by others."

portlander's rating:

1956   7.8   8.2 

Watched
February 12th - 10:00PM

70 years later and Gone With The Wind is still quite simply
The Best Movie Ever Made.

a sampling of some of my favorite lines from this epic movie.

Scarlett -
"As God is my witness, as God is my witness they're not going to lick me.
I'm going to live through this and when it's all over, I'll never be hungry again. No, nor any of my folk.
If I have to lie, steal, cheat or kill.
As God is my witness, I'll never be hungry again."

Rhett - "No, I don't think I will kiss you, although you need kissing, badly.
That's what's wrong with you. You should be kissed and often, and by someone who knows how."

Scarlett - "Rhett if you go, where shall I go, what shall I do?"
Rhett - "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn."

Scarlett - "Tara! Home. I'll go home.
And I'll think of some way to get him back.
After all - tomorrow is another day. "

portlander's rating:

595   7.9   8 

Watched
February 14th - 4:00PM

Terrific movie and one of my favorite Katherine Hepburn Movies - Jimmy Stewart and Cary Grant are great too -
and I thought the kiss between Jimmy and Katherine's characters was kind of hot.

Favorite Moment -

Jimmy carrying Katherine while singing 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow'

Favorite line -

Dexter -
"Well, I'm designing another one anyway, along more practical lines."
Tracy -
"What'll you call her?"
Dexter -
"I thought the True Love II. What do you think?"
Tracy -
"Dexter, if you call any boat that,
I promise you I'll blow you and it out of the water.
I'll tell you what you can call her if you like,
in fond remembrance of me - the Easy Virtue."

portlander's rating:

69   7.8   7.2 

Watched
February 14th - 6:00PM

Saw this movie for the first time and really enjoyed it -
the chemistry between Marsha Mason and Richard Dryfus is sparkling.

portlander's rating:

2544   8.2   8.7 

Watched
February 14th - 10:00PM

The 3rd of three great Valentine's Day movies in a row -
great selections by TCM -
Casablanca is such a wonderful movie -
one of my all time favorites and the best Black & White movie ever made. It is a movie full of wonderful moments and lines and the ending is probably the most famous ending to a movie of all time.

Some Of My Favorite Lines:

Ilsa -
"Don't, Rick! I can understand how you feel."
Rick -
"You understand how I feel, How long was it we had, honey?"
Ilsa -
"I didn't count the days."
Rick -
"Well, I did. Every one of 'em. Mostly I remember the last one, The wild finish. A guy standing on a station platform in the rain with a comical look on his face because his insides have been kicked out."

Captain Renault -
"What in heaven's name brought you to Casablanca?"
Rick -
"My health. I came to Casablanca for the waters."
Captain Renault -
"The waters? What waters? We're in the desert."
Rick -
"I was misinformed."

Rick -
"I wouldn't bring up Paris if I were you, it's poor salesmanship."

Rick -
"Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine."

Ilsa -
"Kiss me, Kiss me as if it were the last time."

Rick -
"And remember, this gun is pointed right at your heart."
Captain Renault -
"That is my least vulnerable spot."

Ilsa -
"You're saying this only to make me go."
Rick -
"I'm saying it because it's true. Inside of us, we both know you belong with Victor. You're part of his work, the thing that keeps him going. If that plane leaves the ground and you're not with him, you'll regret it. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your life."
Ilsa -
"But what about us?"
Rick -
"We'll always have Paris. We didn't have, we lost it until you came to Casablanca - We got it back last night.
Ilsa -
"When I said I would never leave you."
Rick -
"And you never will. But I've got a job to do, too. Where I'm going, you can't follow. What I've got to do, you can't be any part of. Ilsa, I'm no good at being noble, but it doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world. Someday you'll understand that -
Now, now...Here's looking at you kid."

Rick -
"Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

portlander's rating:

567   8.2   8.4 

Watched -
February 15th - 12:00AM

Watched this movie for the first time -
the only thing that made this movie worth watching was the performance of Humphrey Bogart -
His dissent into madness must have been what gave them the idea to cast Bogart as Captain Queeg in The Caine Mutiny - a much better movie -
besides Bogart, the other characters are not very interesting -
and the treasure hunt story was rather pedestrian -
I guess all the gold dust blowing away at the end was supposed to be a poetic ending - but I though it just made the whole movie pointless.

portlander's rating:

305   7.5   7.4 

Watched
February 15 - 2:15AM

A very funny gender bending comedy starring three of my favorite actors - Julie Andrews, Robert Preston and James Gardner - Andrews is fantastic as a woman, pretending to be a man pretending to be a woman

portlander's rating:

675   7.7   7.9 

Watched
February 15th - 6:00PM

A heartwarming, life affirming, feel good romantic comedy -
it is one of my favorite Woody Allen Movies.

Best Line:
"what if the worst is true. What if there is no God and you only go around once and that's it. Well, ya know, don't you wanna be part of the experience? You know, what the hell it's not all a drag. And I'm thinking to myself, Jeez, I should stop ruining my life searching for answers I'm never gonna get, and just enjoy it while it lasts. And after who knows, I mean maybe there is something, nobody really knows. I know maybe is a very slim reed to hang your whole life on, but that's the best we have. And then I started to sit back, and I actually began to enjoy myself."

portlander's rating:

39   7.9   7.2 

Watched
February 16th - 8:00PM

My Favorite Peter O'Toole movie -
It is a charming and hysterically funny comedy
about a washed up movie star making an appearance on a live TV show - O'Toole is Brilliant.

Favorite Lines:

Belle - "So, Swanny..."
Benjy - "Ma, he's an actor, not a river"

Stockbroker #1 - "I think Alan Swann is beneath us!"
Stockbroker #2 - "Of course he's beneath us - He's an actor."

Alan - "Damn you! I'm not an actor, I'm a movie star!"

portlander's rating:

1093   8   8.4 

Watched
February 16th - 10:00PM

I have never been able to sit through this entire movie because I always find it excruciatingly long and boring -
I probably wouldn't have made it through this time
if it hadn't been part of my TCM movie marathon and a Peter O'Toole mini-marathon.
However, I did finally watch it beginning to end and have to say it will probably be the last time I watch it.
a few good scenes can't make up for the endless scenes of camels walking through the desert -
and at 4 hours - it is just not an interesting enough movie to keep my attention that long.

portlander's rating:

59   6.4   7.2 

Watched
February 17th - 2:00AM

I remember liking this movie a lot better the first time I saw it -
I thought it was a witty parody of the entertainment industry along the lines of S.O.B. - However, upon seeing it now - I didn't like it very much at all - it isn't charming, witty or clever -
just a movie about a nasty little punk who stumbles upon a job as a stunt man - why they gave him the job after he was responsible for the death of one of their crew I have know idea - the actor who plays the stuntman isn't very good which doesn't help matters.
I saw in the opening that the director of The Stunt Man waited a year and a half for Peter O'Toole - so why in all that time couldn't he find a better actor for the title role? and then after waiting all that time for O'Toole - why give him so little to do?

portlander's rating:

1629   8.6   8.9 

Watched
February 17th - 8:00PM

Entertaining court room drama that moves quickly even though most of the action occurs in the jury room - it has a fine cast and is well acted - but I would have liked a resolution as to whether the kid was guilty or not, based on the evidence I think he probably was guilty and Henry Fonda's character was very manipulative the way he got everyone to switch their votes - he was probably secretly a defense lawyer.

portlander's rating:

359   6.7   7.2 

Watched
February 17th - 10:00PM

I liked this movie better this time than other times I have watched it -
maybe after the the 4 hour long snoozefest that was Lawrence Of Arabia - all movies will look more interesting to me now - LOL
I did think the climatic race scenes could have been shot better to inject more drama into them - and they kind of glossed over that both the main characters lost in the 200m race -
However, on the whole I liked it, especially the music and think it is a good movie - although my vote for the Best Picture Oscar of 1981 would still go to On Golden Pond

portlander's rating:

703   8.1   8.1 

Watched
February 19th - 12:00AM

Finally saw this movie all the way through
and my opinion of it has improved -
it is a very good satire of the TV industry -
and it is amazing how it foresaw
the news and entertainment divisions of networks mingling -
some networks today will say or do anything for ratings.

Best Line -

"You've got to say, 'I'm a Human Being, Goddamnit! My life has Value!'
So I want you to get up now, I want all of you to get up out of your chairs. I want you to get up right now and go to the window.
Open it, and stick your head out, and yell,
'I'm As Mad As Hell, And I'm Not Going To Take This Anymore!'

portlander's rating:

142   7.7   8.1 

Watched
February 19th - 9:15AM

Saw this movie for the first time -
a good well acted courtroom drama about Evolution Vs. Creationism -
I always thought the movie was about the scopes monkey trial, but the movie just uses that case as its basis -
Spencer Tracy was terrific as the defense attorney
and it was fun seeing a couple of my old TV favorites in the movie - Dick York as the defendant and Harry Morgan as the judge.

portlander's rating:

7388   8.2   8.9 

Watched
February 19th - 10:00PM

The Concluding chapter to the greatest movie trilogy of all time - Return of the King is just a flat our Awesome Movie with jaw dropping special effects and unlike other 3+ hour epics - in the end, it leaves you wanting more - an extraordinary motion picture achievement, it is well deserving of its 11 Oscar wins.

Best Line:

"Hold your ground, hold your ground! Sons of Gondor, of Rohan, my brothers! I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day. An hour of woes and shattered shields, when the age of men comes crashing down! But it is not this day! This day we fight! By all that you hold dear on this good Earth, I bid you stand, Men of the West!"

portlander's rating:

1070   7.5   7.8 

Watched
February 20th - 10:00PM

A very entertaining and charming movie -
the story is really a very simple one and there isn't a whole lot of plot or action - however, the beautiful songs and music
as well as the very engaging performances by Rex Harrison and Audrey Hepburn carry the movie - It is one of my favorite musicals.

Favorite Song - I Could Have Danced All Night

Favorite Line:

"Eliza, you are to stay here for the next six weeks learning to speak beautifully, like a lady in a florist's shop. If you work hard and do as you're told, you shall sleep in a proper bedroom, have lots to eat, and money to buy chocolates and go for rides in taxis. But if you are naughty and idle, you shall sleep in the back kitchen amongst the black beetles, and be wolloped by Mrs. Pearce with a broomstick. At the end of six weeks you will be taken to Buckingham Palace, in a carriage, beautifully dressed. If the king finds out you are not a lady, you will be taken to the Tower of London, where your head will be cut off as a warning to other presumptuous flower girls! But if you are not found out, you shall have a present of, ah... seven and six to start life with as a lady in a shop. If you refuse this offer, you will be the most ungrateful, wicked girl, and the angels will weep for you."

portlander's rating:

54   8.1   7.7 

Watched
February 21st - 1:00AM

Very funny story that I remember best as the Musical with Lucille Ball and Bea Arthur -I still like that version better -
but this Original version is great too with a wonderful performance by Rosalind Russell as the quirky, high spirited Auntie Mame.

Favorite Line:

"Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death!"

portlander's rating:

21   6.6   7.3 

Watched
February 21st - 12:00PM

This movie wasn't on my original list of movies to watch because I had never heard of it before - however I decided to give it a try since Bette Davis is in it and I am glad that I did.
Watch The Rhine is a very good movie about a leader of the German underground movement hiding out with his wife's family in America at the beginning of WW2.
Bette Davis is marvelous as always -
I had never seen Paul Lukas before - but he is terrific as the underground leader, as good as he is in this movie though,
I would still have voted for Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca for the Best Actor Oscar of 1943.

portlander's rating:

309   7.9   8.2 

Watched
February 21st - 10:00PM

This was a movie about 3 servicemen returning to their home town after WW2 - There were some good scenes and some good melodrama - but I didn't think it was the landmark movie that I have heard it described as - There have been other movies that tackled the subject of returning veterans better - but it isn't often that the story of WW2 vets adjusting to life after the war is told, so I am glad that this movie did that.

portlander's rating:

132   7.6   7.7 

Watched
February 22nd - 8:00PM

First time I have watched this movie and I really liked it - an intense drama about two escaped convicts who escape after their prison truck crashes - they are chained together so they have to rely on each other to survive - they start out as bitter enemies, but gradually become friends and even take turns saving each other's lives.
Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier are both deserving of their Oscar nominations - I hadn't even heard of this movie before now, but I would certainly watch it again.

portlander's rating:

1871   7.9   8.4 

Watched
February 22nd - 10:00PM

I am not a big fan of classical music and I absolutely Hate Opera -
however, I Love this movie - it is one of my favorite Best Picture winners -
the story and acting is so good that I forgot that I hate Opera -
and you can not really go wrong with Mozart providing the soundtrack.

portlander's rating:

1983   6.9   7.3 

Watched
February 23rd - 1:00AM

One of my All Time favorite movies - I never get tired of watching it -
Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis are outstanding as the best friends who set out on a weekend getaway and end up on the run from the law.

Some of My Favorite Lines:

J.D. -
"Well, I've always believed that if done properly, armed robbery doesn't have to be an unpleasant experience."

Louise -
"You robbed the store? You robbed the whole damn store?"
Thelma -
"Well we needed the money."
Louise -
"Oh shoot!"
Thelma -
"It's not like I killed anybody for God's sake."
Louise -
"Thelma!"

State Trooper -
"Please, I have a wife and kids."
Thelma -
" Oh really, well, you're lucky. You be sweet to them, especially your wife. My husband wasn't sweet to me - Look how I turned out."

portlander's rating:

708   8.1   8.3 

Watched
February 25th - 8:00PM

Saw this movie for the first time and it did live up to its reputation -
It was terrific and I can see how it made Marlon Brando a star - he was completely deserving of the Oscar for Best Actor - Karl Malden was also terrific - My only quibble with the movie was the ending which I thought was a little hokey.

Best Line:

Charley: -
" Look, kid, I - how much you weigh, son? When you weighed one hundred and sixty-eight pounds you were beautiful. You coulda been another Billy Conn, and that skunk we got you for a manager, he brought you along too fast."
Terry-
"It wasn't him, Charley, it was you. Remember that night in the Garden you came down to my dressing room and you said, 'Kid, this ain't your night. We're going for the price on Wilson.' You remember that? 'This ain't your night' My night! I coulda taken Wilson apart! So what happens? He gets the title shot outdoors on the ballpark and what do I get? A one-way ticket to Palooka-ville! You was my brother, Charley, you shoulda looked out for me a little bit. You shoulda taken care of me just a little bit so I wouldn't have to take them dives for the short-end money."
Charley -
"Oh I had some bets down for you. You saw some money."
Terry -
"You don't understand. I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am, let's face it. It was you, Charley."

portlander's rating:

369   7.6   7.8 

Watched
February 25th - 10:00PM

Another one of my favorite black & White movies -
a great story about life on a military base in Hawaii right before the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 -
great performances by Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr -
but I am still amazed at how short that famous beach scene was -
it is still smoking hot though.

Favorite Line:

Karen -
"Now that'd take some figuring. How many men do you think there have been?"
Warden -
"I wouldn't know - Can't you give me a rough estimate?"
Karen -
"Not without an adding machine. Do you have your adding machine with you?"
Warden -
"I forgot to bring it."

portlander's rating:

1151   7.8   8 

Watched
February 26th - 2:30AM

A Great Movie about the life and very graphic death of Bonnie and Clyde -
Warren Beatty gives what I think is his best performance,
and Faye Dunaway is excellent as well -
the acting, the writing and the catchy music give the movie a certain amount of charm even though it is about ruthless bank robbers. It is one of my favorites.

Best Line:

"You've heard the story of Jesse James / Of how he lived and died / If you're still in need / Of something to read / Here's the story of Bonnie and Clyde. / Now Bonnie and Clyde are the Barrow gang / I'm sure you all have read / How they rob and steal / And those who squeal / Are usually found dyin' or dead. / They call them cold-hearted killers / They say they are heartless and mean / But I say this with pride / That I once knew Clyde / When he was honest and upright and clean. / But the laws fooled around / Kept takin' him down / And lockin' him up in a cell / Till he said to me: "I'll never be free / So I'll meet a few of them in Hell." / If a policeman is killed in Dallas / And they have no clue to guide / If they can't find a fiend / They just wipe their slate clean / And hang it on Bonnie and Clyde / If they try to act like citizens / And rent them a nice little flat / About the third night / They're invited to fight / By a sub-guns' rat-a-tat-tat. / Some day, they'll go down together / They'll bury them side by side / To a few, it'll be grief / To the law, a relief / But it's death for Bonnie and Clyde."

portlander's rating:

427   7.6   8 

Watched
February 26th - 11:45AM

The first time I saw this movie -
I liked it because it told the story of Robin Hood as I remember it and in a somewhat light hearted manner-unlike the dour, confusing, heavy handed Kevin Costner and Russell Crowe versions -
This is the best version of Robin Hood with the exception of the Mel Brooks parody - Men In Tights - which is still my all time favorite.

portlander's rating: