Movie of the Week: 'The Prowler' (1951)

Part of the enduring power of film noir is its ability to capture the anger and darkness that bubbled under the surface of postwar America. Under all the triumphalism of the 40's and the forced sense of normalcy in the 50's, there lay a deep-seated sense of resentment that often reared its head from the shadows and permanent night of some of these noir pictures. There is perhaps no better example than eclectic director Joseph Losey's "The Prowler".

Top 15 American Films of All Time

The evolution of American film is something that has been endlessly fascinating for me. Even after broadening my horizons with the revelations that were the films of Godard, Kurosawa, et al., I have always returned to American cinema. From the early days of D.W. Griffith to the present day auteurs like Paul Thomas Anderson, the evolution of American cinema, that often derisively-used term, is something massive, complex, and awesome to behold. Below are fifteen essential pictures that simultaneously define and reflect American culture and values.
Note: I've excluded the likes of "Citizen Kane" and the first two "Godfather" films because nothing new can possibly be written about them despite their respective unadulterated brilliance. Also, these are fifteen essential films, not the fifteen essential films, so read accordingly. Thanks for reading!

MOVIE OF THE WEEK: 'The Bride Wore Black' (1968)

All right, this is hopefully the first of many in a regular series featuring movies that deserve some extra attention. Inevitably, not all of them will be Great Cinema, but I'll try to keep it interesting with entries that might be a little off the beaten path for the casual moviegoer. Thanks for reading!