I’m participating in the A-Z Blogging Challenge, where I post every day in the month of April (except Sundays) and each day is a letter.

My theme for the month is a series of posts about the things that shaped me.

Yesterday was pretty much all books; today it’s all about the movies.

The Godfather

It was the first film on the syllabus of my first film class, and so I got to see The Godfather for the first time on the big screen, in a darkened theater, the way movies are meant to be seen.

From the first notes of the trumpet and Bonasera’s “I believe in America” speech — I was riveted. By the time the baptism sequence started, I knew I was watching cinematic brilliance.

It’s almost a cliche by now to call it the greatest movie ever made, but it’s earned it. I saw it thirty years after it was made, and except for the cut of James Caan’s suits, nothing gave away its age. It’s timeless and beautiful and thoroughly cemented my undying love of the film medium.

(Side note: I hate-hate-HATED the novel. This is one of those exceptions of the movie being so much better than the book. Feel free to argue with me.)

Guys and Dolls

Speaking of Brando — besides Don Corleone, my favorite role of his is Sky Masterson (and I will fight anyone who disagrees).

The ridiculousness of Brando singing doesn’t take away from what pure, delightful fun this movie is. I’m an absolute sucker for big Technicolor movie musicals, and this one ranks high on my list.

I know Sinatra was livid that he didn’t get Sky’s part and so didn’t get to sing “Luck Be a Lady Tonight” on celluloid, but they gave him a couple other doozies and rewrote the title song so it wasn’t just about his character, Nathan Detroit, but he was an active participant (and really, it’s my favorite song in the entire movie — though “Adelaide” is a close second, and “Fugue for Tinhorns” is super fun, and — oh, just watch it).

And while Brando doesn’t hold a candle to Sinatra when it comes to singing, he does a passable enough job. You would have expected his voice to be dubbed by a professional singer, but nope. It’s all Brando.

Gone with the Wind

Another classic — I don’t usually like the big romantic epics, but Gone with the Wind is in a class all its own.

It’s another film where I just do not remember the first time I saw it; it’s as if I’ve always known it. But I do remember reading the novel for a high school paper — it was my very first 1000+ page book and I was proud when I finished it. It certainly didn’t feel like 1000 pages; it’s a surprisingly fast read if you ever want to give it a shot.

Scarlett O’Hara is one of the worst-behaved heroines in literature, so it is the characters around her that make this story so interesting and appealing…. except for Ashley. I never understood what attracted Scarlett (a strong, independent woman) to such a pathetic wet blanket of a person.

William Goldman

Some of you may not know the name, but everyone is familiar with some part of William Goldman’s work. As a novelist and Hollywood screenwriter, he gave us some of the most brilliant stories in recent history.

My favorites:

  • Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (this one’ll come up again)
  • All the President’s Men (always makes me want to work for a newspaper)
  • The Stepford Wives (the 1975 thriller is LEAPS and BOUNDS better than the 2004 stupidity)
  • Chaplin (Robert Downey, Jr. deserved the Oscar way more than Pacino that year)

Oh, and also:

And it continues. He was an astounding storyteller, and his book The Big Picture: Who Killed Hollywood? and Other Essays is one of my favorite film-related texts. His voice is so conversational, and so seriously funny.

Which is why he is also the mastermind behind the definitive movie of my childhood — The Princess Bride. As both the novelist and screenwriter, he’s the reason we know Fezzik, Vizzini, Buttercup, the Dread Pirate Roberts, and, of course, Inigo Montoya.

On “P” day, I’ll continue my love for this film and everything about it, because this post is long enough and I won’t be able to shut up about it.

So for now:

*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something I may earn a commission. Thank you.