The following one hundred and fourteen posts are those that originally appeared in Filmbobbery from 2003 to 2009. They are in reverse chronological order from top to bottom, documenting the progression of the Movies Worth Rediscovering concept from the original clumsily-titled “Overlooked (or Obscure) Goodies” articles to the themed MWR features of later years. The numbers which follow the titles are volume and issue numbers of the original articles.
The first ten entries are the last ones written and published, and comprise my top ten favorites of all time. The list has not changed significantly since 1977. Anyone wishing to know more about me need look no further than those choices to discern what most appeals to me — although even I am surprised at times by what I love.
The ninety-four other reviews are of movies worthy of discovery, or of revisiting. I wanted to positively spotlight movies of all sorts — famous and obscure alike, from the silent days through the 1990s — that I felt warranted further notice. I enjoyed this continuing feature more than any other I ever wrote, and I could have kept it up for hundreds of other titles. I shall be doing so in another format on this website.
This archive could really use an index but failing that, I’ll just list the movies and my star ratings for them in their order of appearance below.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Jaws (1975) ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
The War of the Worlds (1953) ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Airport (1970) ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Duel at Diablo (1966) ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
The Blob (1958) ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Our Man Flint (1966) ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
North by Northwest (1959) ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
The Thing from Another World (1951) ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
The Man in the White Suit (1951) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
The Tall Target (1951) ☆ ☆ ☆
Tension (1949) ☆ ☆ ☆
The Window (1949) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
Evergreen (1934) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
Hi, Nellie! (1934) ☆ ☆ ☆
The Wind (1928) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
The Crowd (1928) ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Hope Floats (1998) ☆ ☆ ☆
Real Genius (1985) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
Conspiracy of Hearts (1960) ☆ ☆ ☆
Ride Lonesome (1959) ☆ ☆ ☆
He Walked by Night (1948) ☆ ☆ ☆
International House (1933) ☆ ☆ 1/2
Seven Chances (1925) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
October Sky (1999) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
Teachers (1984) ☆ ☆ ☆
Hooper (1978) ☆ ☆ ☆
Hellfighters (1968) ☆ ☆ ☆
Dial 1119 (1950) ☆ ☆ ☆
The Farmer’s Daughter (1947) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
The Tunnel (1935) ☆ ☆ 1/2
The Penalty (1920) ☆ ☆ ☆
Cannery Row (1982) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
Time After Time (1979) ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Assault on Precinct 13 (1976) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
Theater of Blood (1973) ☆ ☆ ☆
The Molly Maguires (1970) ☆ ☆ ☆
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1967) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
The Three Lives of Thomasina (1964) ☆ ☆ ☆
Master of the World (1961) ☆ ☆ ☆
Enemy Mine (1985) ☆ ☆ ☆
Hell in the Pacific (1968) ☆ ☆ ☆
In the Good Old Summertime (1949) ☆ ☆ ☆
The Shop Around the Corner (1940) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
The Jackal (1997) ☆ ☆ ☆
The Day of the Jackal (1973) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
Manpower (1941) ☆ ☆ ☆
Slim (1937) ☆ ☆ ☆
Passed Away (1992) ☆ ☆ ☆
A Soldier’s Story (1984) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
Capricorn One (1978) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
Take the Money and Run (1969) ☆ ☆ ☆
Bells are Ringing (1960) ☆ ☆ ☆
We’re Not Married! (1952) ☆ ☆ ☆
Magic Town (1947) ☆ ☆ ☆
The Hurricane (1937) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
Addicted to Love (1997) ☆ ☆ ☆
Falling Down (1993) ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
The Tall Guy (1989) ☆ ☆ ☆
The Bedroom Window (1987) ☆ ☆ ☆
My Life as a Dog (1985) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
Zelig (1983) ☆ ☆ ☆
A Small Circle of Friends (1980) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
Black Sunday (1977) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
The Big Fix (1978) ☆ ☆ ☆
The Last Voyage (1960) ☆ ☆ ☆
The Private War of Major Benson (1955) ☆ ☆ ☆
Brute Force (1947) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
Seven Days in May (1964) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
The Big Country (1958) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
Boomerang! (1947) ☆ ☆ ☆
The Whole Town’s Talking (1935) ☆ ☆ ☆
The Dish (2000) ☆ ☆ ☆
Zeppelin (1971) ☆ ☆ ☆
Suddenly (1954) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
She (1935) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
The Bounty (1984) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
The Shoes of the Fisherman (1968) ☆ ☆ ☆
The Glass Wall (1953) ☆ ☆ ☆
Black Legion (1937) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
The Dead Zone (1983) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
Duel at Diablo (1966) ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Sayonara (1957) ☆ ☆ ☆
Oil for the Lamps of China (1935) ☆ ☆ ☆
Captain Newman, M.D. (1963) ☆ ☆ ☆
Man Without a Star (1955) ☆ ☆ ☆
Take Me Out to the Ball Game (1949) ☆ ☆ ☆
History is Made at Night (1937) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
I Don’t Buy Kisses Anymore (1992) ☆ ☆ ☆
The Onion Field (1979) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
Attack (1956) ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
The Hot Heiress (1931) ☆ ☆ ☆
Indian Summer (1993) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
Silver Streak (1976) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
Call Me Madam (1953) ☆ ☆ ☆
They Won’t Forget (1937) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
Gorky Park (1983) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
The Devil’s Brigade (1968) ☆ ☆ ☆
The Monolith Monsters (1957) ☆ ☆ ☆
Fury (1936) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
The Good Earth (1937) ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars and Motor Kings (1976) ☆ ☆ ☆
Hell’s Outpost (1955) ☆ ☆ ☆
The Thin Blue Line (1988) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
Personal Velocity (2002) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
The Best of Times (1985) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
Village of the Damned (1960) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
Gun Crazy (1949) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
Waterproof (1999) ☆ ☆ ☆
Fool’s Parade (1971) ☆ ☆ ☆
The Raid (1954) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
Non-Stop New York (1937) ☆ ☆ ☆
These films comprise an entertaining, quality cross-section of cinema from 1920 through 2002, from musicals and film noir to science-fiction and war pictures. All of them, in my opinion, are worth watching, which is the whole point of this exercise. Whether you agree or disagree, I’d like to hear about it, so make some comments and let’s start a conversation. And keep watching movies! 28 February 2013.