Greatest Movie ever made? (The Wizard of Oz)
- Thread starter Obliviax
- Start date
Cinderella Man, Heroes, Money Ball, and I was hooked on theLord of the Rins trilogy.
I visited a small privately owned Wizard of Oz museum last week in Cocoa Florida. I was surprised to learn three items from the book that did not make it to the movie; the mice rescuing the cowardly lion, the pumpkin head character and the tin man’s proposal to a munchkin.
Some sad news…. the actress that worked the opening scene…… the first victim of the shark…. passed away last month. An amazing piece of work that terrified people for weeks.
Iconic ‘Jaws’ actress dead at 77
Susan Backlinie terrified audiences in the opening scene of Steven Spielberg's 1975 blockbuster.
The Usual Suspects, Rounders, and every Easter because of my parents I watch The Quiet Man when on TV.
One of my monthly habits is at the beginning of each month, I check out the monthly guide for Turner Classic Movies to see what they are offering that month. I think it is a great channel and keeps good old classic movies alive.
Agree it’s a classic but there are quite a few really good movies.
Introducing the anti hero in the good the bad and the ugly.
And the hopelessly outnumbered magnificent seven.
Boggy in casa blanca and African queen.
These are just a few westerns oh and jw in the searchers and the quiet man.
Introducing the anti hero in the good the bad and the ugly.
And the hopelessly outnumbered magnificent seven.
Boggy in casa blanca and African queen.
These are just a few westerns oh and jw in the searchers and the quiet man.
Did you catch my posts on this last month? I happened to be staying at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood for a wedding. TCM took over the hotel and had a four day weekend where they used the local theaters to review and narrate movies. A person can stay at the hotel and attend these. They sell packages. Two of the narrators were John Travolta (Pulp Fiction) and Jodie Foster (Silence of the Lambs). Travolta actually showed up at the hotel bar the evening after his narration. I haven't seen the 2025 event schedule yet but here is the '24 one. Ben Mankiewicz was there all week and readily available. Did you know his grandfather wrote the screenplay for Citizen Kane? If I was a big classic movie buff, this would be on my "can't miss" schedule.
The Wizard Of Oz is a classic, no doubt. Magical. Top-10 for sure.
But I couldn't pick an obvious "greatest ever made" myself.
All in the conversation on my personal list: Gone With The Wind; On The Waterfront; Platoon; Shane; Goodfellas; The Godfather (Parts 1 and 2); The Searchers; Passion Of The Christ; The Sound Of Music; Forrest Gump.
But I couldn't pick an obvious "greatest ever made" myself.
All in the conversation on my personal list: Gone With The Wind; On The Waterfront; Platoon; Shane; Goodfellas; The Godfather (Parts 1 and 2); The Searchers; Passion Of The Christ; The Sound Of Music; Forrest Gump.
Agreed, one of the most powerful and beautiful movies ever made in my view with an incredible performance from Tom Hanks.
Director Zemeckis delivers a message that you've rarely heard from Hollywood over the last 50 years.
Gump stands for the simple values that our elites believe are for simple-minded people. Good-hearted Jenny goes down the road of fake enlightenment and liberation before being saved in the end by Gump's love after all her fashionable friends prove to be fakes and frauds.
Gump "knows what love is." Jenny finds out what love is the hard way.
This is a movie that stands the test of time.
I'm a big fan of all the gangster classics from Godfather on. So many great movies but I haven't seen many of the top 100 ilk come out in many years. I like sleepers too and good epic westerns like the original True Grit and Unforgiven. Jeremiah Johnson is in my top 10 for sure, all time.
Outlaw Josie Wells.
I also have to throw in some sleepers that people don't think about. I feel like Cast Away was so well done and so different than anything I've ever seen. The narrative of the producers really fills in a lot of blanks about little events in the move that go unappreciated (him throwing away his oars). I also think Excalibur is a great movie in both acting (the Shakespearian British voices) and historical significance of King Arthur and the Round Table.
I know it isn’t on anybody’s list, but 1 of my all timers is The Great Outdoors. Akroid and Candy played great brother in-laws.
Last edited:
And maybe the greatest car chase of all time from the Steve McQueen movie Bullitt.
Also, Jack Nickolson's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.
Lots of great movies in various genres ....
Also, Jack Nickolson's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.
Lots of great movies in various genres ....
There's a sleeper with Alan Arkin called "Coupe de Ville" (circa 1990) which is a buddy/roadtrip kinda movie but with such a great melancholy underlying plot it's hilarious and a tear jerker at the same time. It never came out on video but it crops up once in awhile on tv. Great movie and very underrated. I actually have it in my top 10, along with It's A Wonderful Life which was panned for being overly sentimental and cloying but I don't care, I think it's one of the best movies ever made.
The Curse of the Wizard of Oz is a good read. Buddy Ebsen was supposed to be the Tin Man, but became violently ill from the make up.
There is more.
There is more.
Seems that people gravitate to movies of their youth, when they have more impact on the viewer’s development. Movies are designed to hit emotional aspects of our personality and our youth is when we develop what we are deep inside. Bet you could determine the age of any commentor by the movies they nominated.
Because of that biased some great movies made before our times are often overlooked. Grapes of Wrath, Twelve Angry Men, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Cain Mutiny and more were incredible movies that explored the very souls of our nation.
Others like The Ten Commandments, Ben Hur, Lawrence of Arabia, and more were epic looks at global history. Even some of the earliest movies are notable for their inventiveness and developing the industry itself. Charlie Chaplin movies, the Great Train Robbery, Buster Jeaton, W C Fields, and more.
No doubt the movies industry has been very impactful on our country and society. Not always good, sometimes great.
Because of that biased some great movies made before our times are often overlooked. Grapes of Wrath, Twelve Angry Men, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Cain Mutiny and more were incredible movies that explored the very souls of our nation.
Others like The Ten Commandments, Ben Hur, Lawrence of Arabia, and more were epic looks at global history. Even some of the earliest movies are notable for their inventiveness and developing the industry itself. Charlie Chaplin movies, the Great Train Robbery, Buster Jeaton, W C Fields, and more.
No doubt the movies industry has been very impactful on our country and society. Not always good, sometimes great.
Last edited:
'Once upon a time in the wild west' and 'Hard Times' with Charles Bronson were both great flicks.
Animal House and Wizard of Oz are basically the same movie. The moral in Wizard of Oz was that there's no place like home. In Animal House it's that you can drive your motorcycle up a flight of stairs and make music by rapidly tapping your throat with your fingers.
Many great movies mentioned so far, but I don't think anyone mentioned Once Upon a Time in America.
Rewatched Better Off Dead the other day with the kids expecting them to laugh their asses off. My wife and I expected to laugh too, as we loved that movie when we were teens. It does not hold up.. at all. It was terrible. And my kids knew it. They never laughed once.
Ha. Did the same with 16 candles. My daughter left at the quarter pole.
A drama can be timeless, but humor seems to be generational. For example, I like the Honeymooners, but it doesn't crack me up the way it did for older people.
Although I also believe Saving Private Ryan is one of the best, I'm also a big fan of Hacksaw Ridge. Sargent York is also a classic.
