Category Archives: Books, Film, and TV

2. Rope (1948) The first color film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and one of only two in which he served as producer, Rope is a flawlessly executed experiment in film-making. I’ve seen a lot of film “experiments”, and this stands … Continue reading →

5. The Sting (1973)Don’t blink! You just might miss something! George Roy Hill’s story of two small time con artists trying to hit the big time is thoroughly entertaining. Several shifts in the plot keep you guessing until the climax, … Continue reading →

8. Rear Window (1954)The best motion picture of the 1950s (argued by some as the decade to produce the greatest films), Rear Window is a deep and entertaining classic with many strengths. A fine suspense story is combined with romantic … Continue reading →

11. Balance (1989) So here’s not only the best animated film I’ve ever seen, but also the shortest film on this list. It’s only a quarter of the length of the second-shortest film on this list (see la Riviére du … Continue reading →

14. Serenity (2005)From start to finish there are no wasted moments. The first ten minutes present such a wealth of information and excitement that, if you blink, you’ll have to rewatch what you just missed. All your emotions will be … Continue reading →