Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933)

Brassy broads! Scantily-clad chorus girls! Lascivious babies!  Songs about public philandering! Everything a respectable film should have.

The plot is simple. Brazen ladies don't let dire economic circumstances get them down; instead go around being fabulous and witty. That's all the plot you need, as it turns out, because everything about this film works. The songs are great, the choreography is wonderful, the dialogue is snappy, and the performers are charismatic. Ruby Keeler is still a terrible singer, though (clip not the same film, but you get the idea). I don't understand how someone can be so terrible and charming at the same time.

The film also offers an interesting alternative glimpse into depression-era attitudes. Modern day depictions of the Depression tend to romanticize certain aspects while overlooking important others. Gold Diggers of 1933 addresses these issues frankly and presents an outlook that is both realistic and positive. Artifacts from the time period itself are more valuable than any re-creation.

In sum, fun, funny, smart, so on. Go watch it right now. Start with this.

The Thing from Another World (1951)

October! Horror films! They go together like social interaction and crippling anxiety! In honor of Halloweentime, I'm going to start this blog off with some of the horror films I've watched in my life, both recently and not. So, first things first:

I'm starting with a film that presents a problem for me, writing wise. I'm sure this problem will persist throughout my blogging here, so I might as well address it now. I tend to be a bit snarky and ironic in my dealings with things. I shall make no excuses, for that's just the way it is.  My terrible satirical-ness extends to my writing because I  often don't feel comfortable expressing myself unless I'm being awesomely hilarious. However, when it comes to certain films, it's difficult for me to be satirical. The Thing is one of those films. I like this film so much that I must be sincere when I talk about it, no matter how uncomfortable it makes me. Maybe, just maybe, by writing enough of these straightforward reviews, I can finally emerge from my caustic shell and become a real, live, adult human. Together, we can make a better world.
 I honestly can't think of a single thing that doesn't work in this film. Its paced beautifully, the characters and their interactions with each other are genuine and mature, and it's exciting and scary. Nuclear-era technological anxiety is very present, as it was in many films of the  time. However, the anxiety is dealt with in a forthright and calm way, which was an approach that was a somewhat unusual. It's a very optimistic film, which isn't often something you get with stories involving malevolent invading aliens.
I'm tired of talking.

See this film, for it is great.