Crime on her Mind -- Rita on Friday

So this subject is easy-peasy. Crime flicks. Yeah, seen a lot of them. I go to the internet and give a glance thru titles for a reminder of faves.

What! 17,628. You heard me. 17,628 listed. Ya gotta be kidding. So I glance thru a few. I get to a thousand and I quit.

So my list, which could number 100, will be kept down to the ones I never forgot or were willing to see again. Maybe.

The first one I thought of is probably not even listed. But I’m not going through the last 16 thou. to find out. First crime movie that I saw that I never forgot was Big Deal on Madonna Street An Italian movie 1958, a satire of caper movies. Hilariously funny with the dorkiest group of crooks ever. Lead by gorgeous Marcello Mastroiani. It probably no longer exists.

Another memorable one also maybe not listed. French. The Bride Wore Black 1968, based on story by Mr. Noir himself , William Irish (really Cornell Woolrich) Directed by Truffaut with Jean Moreau.

 Great Movies:

• The Godfather series
• Dial M For Murder
• In the Heat of the Night
• Witness For the Prosecution
• Shawshank Redemption
• The Fugitive
• In Cold Blood
• Gaslight
• To Kill a Mockingbird

 

Movies that scared the hell out of me:

• Psycho
• Silence of the Lambs
• Play Misty For Me
• The Omen

 

I love Comedy Movies:

• Miss Congeniality  (Sandra Bullock delightful)
• Kindegarden Cop (really Arnold was so cute)
• Hollywood Homicide  (loved Josh Harnell & Harrison Ford)
• Beverly Hills Cop ( Eddie Murphy was great)
• A Fish Called Wanda  (Kevin Kline absolutely brilliant)

Really good ones:

• Pelham One Two Three
• Dog Day Afternoon
• Body Heat
• North by Northwest, (and most of Hitchcock)
• Anatomy of a Murder
• Frequency
• Assault on Precinct 13
• Assasination of Jesse James by that Coward, Robert Ford
• Die Hard

All right already, I’m stopping, but there are plenty more. What’s your list?

Comments

[Susan Shea]

Rita, that's a great set of lists. I agree about the scary ones - do you know, I have never seen the end of Psycho? Fled the theater as a young teen when it opened, turned off the computer when I tried to see it as a grown woman who writes murder mysteries...

[rita lakin]

When I saw it in the movie theatre and the shower scene came on, people actually ran screaming to get out. SO you were not alone...

[Pat Morin]

I really have to get out more. There are so many of these movies that I have never seen! But I REALLY loved Body Heat. I still remember it.

[Terry Shames]

Oh, Rita, I agree with so many of these! There are scenes in The Heat of the Night that I will never forget. And how many times can you see The Fugitive. Real chemistry in that movie. On you didn't mention that I can see again and again is LA Confidential. It has some moments in it that are right up at the top of movie-making.

There are a couple of your list that I never got around to, and I'm going to see them right away.

[Terry Shames]

Okay, totally different comment. Regarding Psycho, I'm the only person I ever knew who was totally indifferent to it. I was on a date with my first real crush, and we whispered to each other through the whole movie, only glancing at the movie occasionally. Sigh. To be that young again.

[rita lakin]

Terry
That was the perfect way to see Psycho, otherwize you wouldn't want to take a shower at night ever again...

[rita lakin]

To all:

The movie that scared me the most of all was Play misty for me...I had nightmares about that one.

[camille minichino]

Found Big Deal on Madonna Street on Netflix, Rita . . . can't wait to see Marcello. Thanks.

[rita lakin]

Cam Really? I thought it was gone forever. Let me know what you think of it. It may seem dated after all these years but at the time it was hilarious.

[Ann]

Whoa, there's a LOT on these lists I haven't seen. This week's topic is going to have me glued to Netflix for a solid month! :-) Rita: If you had to pick ONE movie that's your favorite from all these lists, what would it be? (I gotta start somewhere! ;-) )

[rita lakin]

It's impossible for me to pick one! I love all the comedies. If you haven't seen Witness for the Prosecution, you must.

Just pick any of them.

[Michael A. Black]

Hi Rita. Great list. I loved The Fugitive and end up watching it whenever I come across it channel surfing. Which version of Assault on Precinct 13 are you referring to? The original was a B-movie made a while ago. I would take issue with The Shawshank Redemption, though. If you've ever seen Eastwood's Escape From Alcatraz, you'll realize that Shawshank totally ripped off several scenes.