John Nolte

With the Academy Awards just a few days away, here’s a list – from best to worst — of the films nominated for best picture along with links to their Big Hollywood reviews. Last year when critics called 2007 a

National Review’s 25 Best Conservative Movies of the Last 25 Years did what all good lists do, ignite debate and discussion. Last week, NRO’s own Kathryn Jean Lopez jumped in to make a solid case in favor of “Rocky Balboa,”

Noon PST – Anatomy Of A Murder (1959) – A small-town lawyer gets the case of a lifetime when a military man avenges an attack on his wife. Cast: James Stewart, Lee Remick, Ben Gazzara, Arthur O’Connell Dir: Otto Preminger

In the Sunday L.A. Times, Reed Johnson examines the evolution of the portrayal of gay characters on film from 1941’s “The Maltese Falcon” to last year’s “Milk.” In his paragraph covering the gap between “Falcon” and 1980’s “Cruising,” Reed lets

9am PST – Boomerang (1947) – A prosecutor fights to prove the defendant in a scandalous murder case is innocent. Cast: Dana Andrews, Jane Wyatt, Lee J. Cobb, Cara Williams Dir: Elia Kazan BW-88 mins, TV-PG Here’s a treat for

2:30pm PST – Agony And The Ecstasy, The (1965) – Michelangelo fights censorship and an autocratic pope to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Cast: Charlton Heston, Rex Harrison, Diane Cilento, Harry Andrews Dir: Carol Reed C-134 mins, TV-PG

7:30am PST – A Place in the Sun (1951) – An ambitious young man wins an heiress’s heart but has to cope with his former girlfriend’s pregnancy. Cast: Montgomery Clift, Elizabeth Taylor, Shelley Winters, Anne Revere Dir: George Stevens BW-122

As a general rule, the trend these last fifteen years in the genre of the adult drama has been towards films with run-times increasingly longer, plots more convoluted, and the characters and their relationships simpler to the point of cliche.

[youtube amznbi0lFaU nolink] 7am PST – Elmer Gantry (1960) – A young drifter finds success as a traveling preacher until his past catches up with him. Cast: Burt Lancaster, Jean Simmons, Arthur Kennedy, Dean Jagger Dir: Richard Brooks C-147 mins,

By now most of you have seen this dishonest attack on Governor Sarah Palin narrated by Ashley Judd: Hi, I’m Ashley Judd, and years ago I was best known for starring in the same movie again and again before all

A two-fer today: A Top 5 and a pick for tomorrow when TCM airs “The Guns of Navarone” at 2:15pm PST. Director J. Lee Thompson’s epic 1961 World War II adventure is my favorite Men on a Mission film. “The

With National Review’s John J. Miller counting down the 25 best conservative movies of the last 25 years, it got me to thinking about conservative “moments” on film. This is not a preview of any upcoming films on the NRO

12:45pm PST – Mildred Pierce (1945) – A woman turns herself into a business tycoon to win her selfish daughter a place in society. Cast: Joan Crawford, Jack Carson, Zachary Scott, Eve Arden Dir: Michael Curtiz BW-111 mins, TV-PG An

In less than two months we’ve lost three of the stars of “Battleground” (1949). In December, Van Johnson was taken from us, last month it was Ricardo Montalban, and now James Whitmore. In the William Wellman classic, Whitmore plays Sgt.

5pm PST – Tree Grows in Brooklyn, A (1945) – A girl in the slums tries to find her way with the help of her devoted mother and alcoholic father. Cast: Dorothy McGuire, Joan Blondell, James Dunn, Lloyd Nolan Dir:

Not to sound all Phil Donahuey, but the women in “He’s Just Not That into You” are treated horribly, not only by the shallow, manipulative cinematic men they love, but by the film itself. By varying degrees of unattractive, Jennifer

After a month of celebrity videos ranging from creepy to disturbing, maybe this will help to take the edge off: [youtube PpA6N71Fc7c nolink]

My original plan was to do a top five list of today’s actors under thirty-five with more personality than the ShamWow! guy, but you can only tap your chin so long. To try and explain away the fact that the

4am PST – Time Machine, The (1960) – A turn-of-the-century inventor sends himself into the future to save humanity. Cast: Rod Taylor, Alan Young, Yvette Mimieux, Sebastian Cabot Dir: George Pal C-103 mins, TV-G George Pal’s take on the classic

Before he turned to tedious Oscar-bait and incomprehensibly dull “thrillers” with Tom Hanks, Ron Howard used to tell a pretty solid story every now and again. Howard’s best film will always be the timeless “Music Man,” but we’re looking at

5pm PST – The More the Merrier, The (1943) – The World War II housing shortage brings three people together for an unlikely romance. Cast: Jean Arthur, Joel McCrea, Charles Coburn, Richard Gaines Dir: George Stevens BW-104 mins, TV-G The

In Doug TenNapel’s look at how politics undermine the enjoyment of modern day films, he writes: …when a new trailer is released that takes place during the Iraq War[,] I turn to my wife and whisper, “Don’t tell me; it’s

8pm PST – Ace In the Hole (1951) – A small-town reporter milks a local disaster to get back into the big time. Cast: Kirk Douglas, Jan Sterling, Bob Arthur, Porter Hall Dir: Billy Wilder BW-111 mins, TV-14 Billy Wilder’s

When the lights dim on one of these action thrillers my question is always the same: Is this “300” or “The Kingdom?” Is this what it promises to be, a rousing, exciting, intelligent crowd pleaser true to its themes to