Which films are noted film critic Leslie Halliwell talking about here? All these come from my dog-eared 7th Edition of the Film Guide, published in 1989. Point for each.


1. This curiosity slowly gathered commercial momentum and came to be cherished by longhairs who used it as a trip without LSD.
2001 A Space Odyssey -- Fritter

2. The critics loved it, thinking it about unemployment and urban decline; it certainly paints a low picture of Liverpool. (1985)
Letter to Brezhnev -- Zoot Horn Polo

3. BLANK was startlingly good in a primitive way; this sequel is the screen’s sophisticated masterpiece of black comedy, with all the talents working deftly to one end. Every scene has its own delights, and they are woven together into a superb if wilful cinematic narrative which, of its gentle mocking kind, has never been surpassed. (1935)
Bride of Frankenstein -- Chip Priest

4. Three hours of frantic chasing and violent slapstick that is too much even when done on this scale with this cast, but one must observe that scene to scene it is extremely well done and most of the players are in unusually good form though they all outstay their welcome and upstaged by the stuntmen.
It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World -- Fritter

5. Careful, cold transcription of the stage success; cinematically quite uninventive when compared with BLANK itself, but a pretty good entertainment. (1964)
My Fair Lady -- Chip Priest

6. Brilliant comic musical, the best picture by far of Hollywood in transition, with the catchiest tunes, the liveliest choreography, the most engaging performances and the most hilarious jokes of any musical. (1952)
Singin' in the Rain -- Zoot Horn Polo

7. A feast of hardware and noisy music; not much story. (1986)
Top Gun -- Zoot Horn Polo

8. Archetypal highflying BLANK vehicle, with a little man coming out top as he seldom does in life. Supreme gloss hides the corn, helter-skelter direction keeps on watching, and all concerned give memorable performances. Cinema classic. (1939)
Mr Smith Goes to Washington -- Zoot Horn Polo

9. As much about the meeting of cultures as about cops and robbers, this is one of those lucky movies which works out well on all counts and shows that there are still craftsmen lurking in Hollywood. (1985)
Witness -- Chip Priest

10. Hollywood’s most wisest sparkling comedy, with a script which is even an improvement on the original play. BLANK’s direction is so discreet you can hardly sense it, and all the performances are just perfect. (1940)
The Philadelphia Story -- Chip Priest

11. Mutilation murders in New York turn out to be the work of savage beasts descended from Indian hunters who went underground in despair at the future of mankind. Nuthatch horror movie with a message, though providing little of either commodity. Clearly waste of money. (1981)

12. Occasionally brilliant, generally nasty suspenser clearly derived from many viewings of Psycho. Certainly not for the squeamish.
Dressed to Kill -- BK

13. A immensely long and convoluted epic Western marking its director’s collaboration with an American studio and his desire to make serious statements about something or other. Beautifully made, empty, and very violent. (1969)
Once Upon a Time in the West -- Zoot Horn Polo

14. A remake using the basis of the original story but filled with revolting detail which alienated many audiences. (1982)
The Thing -- Chip Priest

15. A savage cop show which became a cult and led to a spate of dirty cop movies. (1971)
Dirty Harry -- Zoot Horn Polo

16. Recreation of a tragicomic episode from the newspaper headlines; for half its length a fascinating and acutely observed film which then brought itself down in a surplus of talk and excessive sentiment about homosexuality.
Dog Day Afternoon -- BK

17. Bright, likeable, but overlong, unconvincingly studio set and casually developed comedy suspenser cashing in on star charisma but riding to enormous success chiefly on its tinkly music and a general lack of simple entertainment. (1973)
The Sting -- Zoot Horn Polo

18. A deliberately gruesome update of the above [Note: not the question above, but the listing above in the book], with much unpleasant detail carried along by a certain style. (1986)
The Fly -- Stephen

19. Cutting would help, but the dull conversational sections to heighten the cunningly judged moments of suspense and a violence.
The Godfather -- Zoot Horn Polo

20. Ironic adventure epic with many fine moments but too many centres of interest and an unforgivably confusing climax. It is distinguished by BLANK’s portrait of the BLANK (who) finally cannot bear to see his BLANK blown up: and the physical detail of the production is beyond criticism.
Bridge on the River Kwai -- BK

21. A sequel designed entirely at the box office, its tone is set by the scene in which the villains on motorcycles are covered in tar. (1980)
Any Which Way You Can -- Zoot Horn Polo

22. Despite undeniable technical proficiency this is its writer-director’s most outrageously sick film to date, campy, idiosyncratic and in howling bad taste from beginning to end… a pointless pantomime for misogynists. (1970)
The Devils -- Grease for Roads

23. Cinema par excellence: a studio bound Hollywood melodrama which after various chances just fell together impeccably into one of the outstanding entertainment experiences of cinema history, with romance, intrigue, excitement, suspense and humour cunningly deployed by master technicians and a perfect cast.
Casablanca -- BK

24. Horror suspense story with no Raison D’etre but a series of inventively gory shock moments, which were enough however it to ring the box office bell.
Friday the 13th -- Snowy

25. Made but disowned by MGM after accusations of tastelessness, this strident and silly melodrama has dated badly but has sequences of great power. (1932)
Freaks -- Steve Hamilton

1. 2001: A Space Odyssey

13. The Good, The Bad And The Ugly?

10. His Girl Friday (or was it The Front Page? shit)

Correct.

4. It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World

Is 19 The Godfather?

Correct.

(The ones above are incorrect)

8. City Lights

Someone else have a go.

:ohdear:

Just edited number five. Now reads.

5. Careful, cold transcription of the stage success; cinematically quite uninventive when compared with BLANK itself, but a pretty good entertainment.

22. Fatal Attraction

It's good but it's not right!

My first thought was Peeping Tom...?

It's good to think arty for this one.

Mulholland Drive?

2. Distant Voices, Still Lives

They're all from the 1989 edition of the guide, so no.

The film in question is from 1970.

Is 23 Casablanca?

Correct! :applaud:

12. Halloween

or

Dressed to Kill?

25. Is that Boom! :unsure:

25 is wrong, I'm afraid.

Which of you answers for 12. are you going with?

16. Dog Day Afternoon?

20. Bridge on the River Kwai?

:P

I'll go with Dressed to Kill, because there isn't actually any true violence or blood in Halloween.

Both correct and correct for Dressed to Kill, too.

24. Texas Chainsaw Massacre?

Surely, he would describe that as a horror rather than suspense fillum? hmmm...

7. Star Wars???

No more from me. Ace quiz!!!!!! :applaud:

Both wrong, but you're on the right lines with 24.

I just checked and it does actually say 'horror suspense story'. I'll amend...

6 - The Producers?

Good quiz, shame I know so little about cinema.

Think more obvious.

As a general rule, actually, think obvious.

The Fly?

Is 24. Friday the 13th?

The Fly is one of the answers, but not that one...

18. The Fly?

:applaud:

Since then, I've added dates for a clue.

2. Letter to Brezhnev

8. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

13. Once Upon A Time In The West

15. Dirty Harry