Readers have movies in mind

By now, having scanned through the new fall TV shows, you realize there's nothing much worth watching. So off you go to the video store, searching for a good movie to plug into your VCR. But before you head off, peruse these recommendations, drawn up by readers of this column.

Several columns ago, after reviewing the American Film Institute's list of the best 100 movies of this century, I invited readers to submit their own favorite all-time films.

Through e-mail and snail-mail, the suggestions arrived on my desk, piling up into a sizable stack of reader-endorsed flicks. If you're looking for something good to watch instead of suffering through "Wind on Water," consider renting one of the following:

* "The General," a silent movie starring Buster Keaton, was recommended by an Arizona priest, who added that "I also favor the Marx Brothers."

* Early comedians were also on the mind of a Connecticut woman, who lauded "the comic genius of Harold Lloyd and Buster Keaton."

* "My personal favorite is 'Gunga Din,'" said a New York State resident, who added that "there should have been more religious movies on the [AFI] list," such as "Going My Way."

* "If you're a supporter of capital punishment," wrote a New Yorker, "you could find something to like in 'Dead Man Walking.' If you are a capital punishment opponent, there was something to like about it."

* "In my opinion," an e-mailer opined, "the [AFI] list of films is interesting, but why wasn't 'The Ten Commandments' included? It should have made the top ten!"

* A religious movie made the list of another e-mailer, who penned: "Please do not forget 'The Song of Bernadette,' [the story of the Marian apparitions in Lourdes]. It had me bawling like a newborn. It's a must-see for all Catholics."

* "42nd Street," a 1930s' musical, got thumbs-up from a Brooklyn, New York, resident, who said it captured "the mood of the Depression."

* "The scariest horror film I ever saw was 'Night of the Living Dead,'" shivered another reader. "It left me freaked out for three days." As an antidote, he prescribes "Breakfast at Tiffany's" or "Dumbo."

* A couple got together to cite "Sergeant York" with Gary Cooper as the best war movie ever.

* Foreign films dominated the list submitted by a Brooklyn man, who included "My Night at Maud's" as a film that "suggests that the only true love is love ordained by God." He also recommended "The Seventh Seal" and "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg."

* The popularity of coming up with great films led one man to say, "I could go on and on" after he gave his top ten, led by "Witness for the Prosecution" and including "The Good Earth" and "Imitation of Life," which he termed "the biggest tear-jerker of all time."

* A man from New York City went through the exhausting work of coming up with his own list of 100 films, running from "Lawrence of Arabia" to "Mary of Scotland."

* Maybe this TV season, as poor as it is, matches the content of contemporary films. At least, that's the opinion of one reader, who said: "The movies they make today are not as good as the old ones. I haven't been to a movie in close to ten years."

I hope everyone who wrote can echo one woman who said, "It was fun making up this list. Thanks for the opportunity."

And thanks to all who wrote with suggestions. I hope their samples provide everyone with some good viewing tips.

(10-29-98) [[In-content Ad]]