TCM

I am facing a month of homelessness, yet I don't care: TCM is on TV. Temporarily - it's only there to lure peoplein to shelling 10 more euros a month more to get a more channels. But y'know? Consider me lured.

I mean, how can you not love a channel with classic movies 24/7 without commercial breaks? I had it on all day while I was stuffing my room in boxes. I saw most of Quo Vadis (I always start up slowly), big chunks of Angels with Dirty Faces, the beginning and end of Sunday in New York (someone came to visit me in the middle of it for 30 minutes), and the first 45 minutes or so of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. So admittedly, with TCM, I might not get anything done anymore, but I think it's worth it.

I was surprised how much I liked Quo Vadis, considering I'm not a sword-and-sandals type generally.I thought Nero was over the top, but so much fun, too, and while the whole Christian propaganda angle was a little heavy for me, the film manages to give you the impression that you're getting a peek into history. As for Seven Brides, I absolutely loved the extended dance sequence where the 6 younger brothers try to lure the girls from their competitors.

Ah, to be able to watch classic movies all day...of course, there's still worthwhile things getting made now: I just got back from Ratatouille, and it's absolutely charming. It's strange to call a maker of animation films an auteur, since they're typically such a team effort, but Brad Bird truly has a vision of the world that shines through in every film he makes. Basically, he's saying don't be afraid to be special. Don't be afraid to be yourself. Even if that's a cooking rat. Or, who knows, a film-reviewing physicist?

Finally, I know I'm behind on my top50, so, to tide you over, the list of a friend of mine.He's a Hitchcock fan, as you can maybe tell, and it has exactly 6 titles in common with mine. It just goes to show you how personal these types of lists are.

1. Vertigo (1958)
2. The Godfather (1972)
3. North by Northwest (1959)
4. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
5. The Godfather Part 2 (1974)
6. Casablanca (1942)
7. Psycho (1960)
8. Citizen Kane (1941)
9. On the Waterfront (1954)
10. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
11. Blade Runner (1982)
12. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
13. Spartacus (1960)
14. Star Wars; The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
15. One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
16. Hotel Rwanda (2004)
17. Some Like it Hot (1959)
18. The Prestige (2006)
19. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
20. The Marathon Man (1976)
21. Matrix (1999)
22. Easy Rider (1969)
23. Das Boot (1981)
24. The Deer Hunter (1978)
25. Marnie (1964)
26. The Third Man (1949)
27. The Graduate (1967)
28. Notorious (1948)
29. The Big Sleep (1946)
39. Mr Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
31. Strangers on a Train (1951)
32.The French Connection (1971)
33. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
34. Dirty Harry (1971)
35. Gladiator (2000)
36. Scarface (1983)
37. The Sting (1973)
38. Jesus Camp (2006)
39. Soldaat van Oranje (1977)
40. Schindler's List (1993)
41. The Pianist (2002)
42. A Beautiful Mind (2001)
43. Als Je Begrijpt Wat Ik Bedoel (1983)
44. The Count of Monte Cristo (2002)
45. Glengarry Glen Ross (1978)
46. JFK (1991)
47. To Catch a Thief (1955)
48. The Man Who Would Be King (1975)
49. Dead Man (1995)
50. Fatherland (1994)