Movie Recommendations

Near-perfect concoction of brutal beast vs. macho buddies, masterfully paced by Spielberg. Maximum tension with surprisingly little gore.

Brian has the misfortune to be born at the same time and place as a more famous Nazarene. Lots of hysterical bits, plus pungent satire of current Middle East politics.

Nonstop excitement, based on the cliffhanger serials of the 1940s and 1950s. Don’t bother with the sequels, though.

As comedic as it is dramatic, this film follows the attempts of WW II POWs to live with elan—and to uncover the spy in their midst.

Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan in an on-again, off-again relationship that spans a decade.

It’s long, but it’s also a stirring saga of honor, betrayal, and redemption in ancient Jerusalem and Rome. And that chariot race. . . .

Danny Kaye at his best. Tongue-twisting songs, mistaken identity, and a hysterical parody of every Robin Hood movie ever made. Remember: The pellet with the poison’s in the vessel with the pestle; the chalice from the palace has the brew that is true.

Together with From Russia with Love, this film marks the high point of the James Bond series. Although you can see the beginnings of the campiness and gadgetry that mar most later entries, Goldfinger still packs a punch. The showdown with Oddjob in Fort Knox is classic.

Two landowners scheme to ruin an idealistic, hunchbacked lawyer-turned-farmer whose land contains a vital water source. (subtitled)

Gary Cooper as the small-town tuba player and poet who inherits a fortune and must deal with slick lawyers, hangers-on, and a media frenzy whipped up by ace reporter Jean Arthur.