The Pink Panther

07/20
The Pink Panther (Blake Edwards, 1963) A-

The Pink Panther, directed by Blake Edwards and co-written by Edwards and Maurice Richlin, is a 1963 comedy film, starring David Niven, Peter Sellers, Robert Wagner, Capucine and Claudia Cardinale.
It is the first entry in what became a film franchise, concerning the adventures of bumbling Inspector Jacques Clouseau (played by Peter Sellers) and his attempts to locate the Pink Panther diamond. The film also introduced the cartoon character of the same name, in an opening credits sequence animated by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises. In 2006, MGM released a new film with the same title, based on the series, starring Steve Martin as Clouseau. A sequel to this was released in 2009 and titled The Pink Panther 2.
The Pink Panther was shot in Italy, Paris, and Los Angeles, California. It was originally released theatrically by United Artists, and is now available on VHS and DVD from MGM Home Entertainment. The Technirama film was shot in an aspect ratio of 2.20:1 in Technicolor. Promotional taglines for the initial release included "A Madcap Frolic Of Crime and Fun" and "You only live once, so see The Pink Panther twice!" The film is number 62 on Bravo's list of "100 Funniest Movies". The score was listed at #20 on AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores.

The Hangover

07/17
The Hangover (Todd Phillips, 2009) B+

The Hangover is a 2009 comedy film directed by Todd Phillips, who also directed the films Road Trip, Old School, and Starsky & Hutch. The main plot follows four friends who travel to Las Vegas for a bachelor party, only to wake up the next morning not remembering a thing and missing the groom, whose wedding is scheduled to occur the next day. The film stars Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha, and Heather Graham. The film was released in North America on June 5, 2009 to critical praise and box office success.

The Producers

07/16
The Producers (Mel Brooks, 1968) A

The Producers is a 1968 comedy film written and directed by Mel Brooks, which tells the story of a theatrical producer and an accountant who attempt to cheat their investors by deliberately producing a flop show on Broadway. The film stars Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder and features Dick Shawn.

The Producers was the first film directed by Mel Brooks, who won an Academy Award for his screenplay.

Watchmen

07/12
Watchmen (Zack Snyder, 2009) A-

Watchmen is an American superhero film released in 2009, based on the 1986 comic book limited series Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. Set in an alternate 1985, the film follows a group of former vigilantes as tensions heighten between the United States and the Soviet Union while an investigation of an apparent conspiracy against them uncovers something even more grandiose and sinister.

The General

07/11
The General (Clyde Bruckman & Buster Keaton, 1927) A+

The General is a 1927 silent comedy released by United Artists based upon the Great Locomotive Chase from 1862. Buster Keaton starred in the film and co-directed it with Clyde Bruckman. It was adapted by Al Boasberg, Bruckman, Keaton, Charles Henry Smith (uncredited) and Paul Girard Smith (uncredited) from the memoir The Great Locomotive Chase by William Pittenger. The film was a box-office disaster at its original release, but is now considered by critics as one of the greatest films ever made.

Zelig

07/02
Zelig (Woody Allen, 1983) A-

Zelig is a 1983 American mockumentary written and directed by Woody Allen.

Ordinary People

07/01
Ordinary People (Robert Redford, 1980) A

Ordinary People is a 1980 American film drama that marked the directorial debut of Robert Redford. The story concerns the disintegration of an upper middle class family member in Lake Forest, Illinois, following the death of the oldest son. The screenplay by Alvin Sargent was based upon the 1976 novel by Judith Guest. The film was a critical and commercial success, winning that year's Academy Award for Best Picture and various other major film awards.