63/2072. Don't Make Waves (1967)
Notable for being the film that introduced Sharon Tate to audiences, Tate's introduction as "Malibu," a potential love-interest for unlikable protagonist tony Curtis, takes place on a trampoline with slow-motion close-ups of her bikini-clad chest and crotch. Obviously, this is sixties sex-comedy at its chauvinistic worst. The highlight is the literal landslide in the third act.

64/2073. King of Hearts (1966)
Stop me if you've heard this one: during World War I, the pointedly clueless British war machine sends the wrong man into a French insane asylum to diffuse a German bomb. I think the ultimate resolution of this absurdist French film is evident pretty much from the opening scene, so this is a classic case of enjoying the journey more than the destination. I really liked it.

65/2074. Letters to Juliet (2010)
American Amanda Seyfried and her giant eyes go to the beautiful Italian countryside and involve themselves in the half-century-old love affair of a British widow. Because that's the sort of thing that happens in romcoms, which now that I think of it, have a lot in common with French absurdist theater.

66/2075. The Front Page (1931)
This play adaptation grinds its axe on unscrupulous newspapermen and their complete disregard for facts in search of marketable sensationalism. The movie's satirically sharp stick is blunted somewhat by repeated stabs at conniving politicians, clueless ideologues, and frustrated mothers-in-law. The final takeaway is that our society probably gets the newsmen we deserve.

67/2076. Moon (2009)
A truly great bit of hard science fiction performed almost exclusively by Sam Rockwell (with an assist by Sam Rockwell). Highly recommended to science fiction fans.

69/2078. The Red Badge of Courage (1951)
It's hard to tell if some of the things seen onscreen are happening only in Civil War protagonist Henry's head. It's almost like the protagonist really loses his mind in the face of his fears, and it's not entirely clear if he ever recovers. As I understand it, the themes of the book — which I've never read — are pretty much just as ambiguous, so I think the movie's true point of view is revealed in its casting: Henry is played by one of the most decorated World War II veterans, Audie Murphy.

More to come.

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