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I don't understand how this topic fits into this special interest group, but Night of the Hunter does: Charles Laughton's only directorial effort, Robert Mitchum's spookiest character, and a quick bare-bottom spanking (heard, not seen) by silent star Lillian Gish late in the picture. Even without the spanking, a must-see classic film.

This topic crops up from time to time and I always mention The Family Way, a British film from the 60's. Others which happen to spring to mind are Walkabout, The Producers, Spring and Port Wine and a recent discovery, Now Voyager. (I have a theory it inspired Brief Encounter)

I haven't see the list but at least one of the the classic westerns, Shane, High Noon or The Searchers should be there.

The movie couldn't decide if it was a comedy or making social commentary - but I did love the bath scene.



These are classics.



I've enjoyed so much of your list that I must track these down.

I had to read Walkabout for school. We also watched the film. I preferred the book. The Producers was great. The Front, an early Woody Allen film was great. Then there’s Peter Sellers The Party. The list was. Issuing some excellent films. I’m thinking of trying to put together my own list, but it’s my favourite films, and just because I like it doesn’t mean other people will. These lists are ‘bests’, they’re the panellists/reviewers favourites and that’s why they often skew one way or another.

I've seen it described as a comedy, but I see it as a serious film but with some brilliant comic moments. My favourite is when they're trying to find polite ways to explain to John Mills' character that the marriage hasn't been consummated. "It hasn't taken." "It hasn't gelled." And the penny just refuses to drop.

I'm intending to read the book too. It's always interesting to compare and sometimes there are surprising differences. I came across a clip on Youtube where Jenny Agutter was talking about the film years later. I wondered if she might feel exploited at all, as she was only sixteen when she did those nude swimming scenes, but instead she seemed proud of the film - and justifiably so.

Another very funny scene was near the end, where the gossiping women are trying to work out if someone has been murdered only to discover otherwise. It's where the biggest gossip chastises the others for speculating over that.

I'm always happy to decry the state of modern filmmaking, there's some good stuff getting put out there. Three Thousand Years of Longing came out this year, and that was great. So did Everything Everywhere All At Once, which is possibly my favorite movie of all time so far - if you haven't seen it, I highly recommend tracking it down. Even has a little nod to our favorite subject.

Yes, "Metropolis" was directed by Fritz Lang, who was married to Thea von Harbou, the author of the novel of the same name which the film was based upon. (It was a pretty accurate adaptation, as I recall.)

Other motion pictures thus far not mentioned, which I would rate highly are "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie," "Doctor Zhivago," "Fargo," "Diner," "Amadeus," "Blade Runner," "Judgement at Nuremberg," "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," "Back to the Future" and "The Bridge on the River Kwai."

I'm fond of the classics... --C.K.