FilmMattic

Weekend       There were some formidable contenders to consider for "W." We've got Sam Peckinpah's Western The Wild Bunch , but I've already honored enough classic Westerns for one alphabet ( High Noon , Once Upon a Time in the West , and Unforgiven ). Who Framed Roger Rabbit is an entertaining, live-action/animation, fantasy-comedy spectacle from the special effects wizard Robert Zemeckis, but he's already captured a magical spot ( Back to the Future ). Judy Garland's performance in Victor Fleming's The Wizard of Oz will forever astound me; it's a true marvel of its time and a movie I cherished during my youth. But its enchantment doesn't quite send a chilly tingle up my spine the way it did when I was a kid, so I have to pass. Finally, the supremely talented Billy Wilder gets another crack at my Alphabet with Witness for the Prosecution, and just like Some Like It Hot, he was oh-so-close. Movies based on plays can be rather hit-or-miss; ho...

Back to the Future        Marty McFly is a bellwether of the American teenage sensibility that rose from the 80's. From the audacious, plutonium-powered DeLorean "time machine," invented by eccentric scientist "Doc" Brown, Marty is accidentally sent back in time to 1955. What follows, of course, is a delightful sequence of unforgettably entertaining moments. As we bear witness to Marty's superlative trip back in time, we are beset by a tense realization that haunts Marty's otherwise earnest and refreshingly calm demeanor; he must make certain his teenage parents-to-be not only meet, but fall in love. Why? Well. to ensure he gets Back to the Future .