A List So Large It Could Fill A Theater THIS BIG!

If only theaters could reopen…instead, because of this horrible pandemic, we are all staying home and living a #quarantinelife…which gives us all time to go back and watch some of the greatest films in history.

My “Movie A-Z” countdown has hit another letter packed with classic cinema – part of the fun in a list like this is to be able to tell you about films you may not have heard of!

That said, let’s talk about ten great films that begin with the letter “L”!

10 – “The Long Good Friday”

Bob Hoskins and Helen Mirren star in this terrific 80’s gangster film. A London mobster uses some very unorthodox techniques on his competitors:

However, the times are changing, and Hoskins has to learn to adapt or else. Check out the trailer:

Check out the trailer:

This is Hoskins’ greatest performance – and Helen Mirren is also terrific – here is more about this classic gangster film:

https://johnrieber.com/2012/08/08/bob-hoskins-retires-celebrate-this-great-long-good-friday-star/

Next up is a very obscure psychological horror film from the early 70’s:

9 – “Let’s Scare Jessica To Death”

Jessica had a breakdown. Now she is recovering. but her dreams are back, quickly becoming nightmares. Check out the trailer:

Thanks to Warner Archive, this is now on home video – it’s worth a look – here is more on the cast, along with some fun trivia about the movie:

https://johnrieber.com/2016/10/19/shocktober-day-19-scares-jessica-to-death-eerie-psychological-horror/

The “L” list includes many films that are on my top fifty of all time, including this “L.A> Noir” from the late 70’s – starring Art Carney!

8 – “The Late Show”

Carney may be best known for his comedic work on “The Jackie Gleason Show”, but he excels in this part – a workout private Detective hired by Lily Tomlin to find her cat – here is the trailer:

Lily Tomlin is also terrific in the movie, which was written and directed by Robert Benton – whose next film would be the Oscar-winning “Kramer Vs. Kramer”.

I cannot recommend this more highly – and it’s on DVD as well – see more trivia here:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/06/01/klute-the-late-show-electra-glide-in-blue-three-obscure-film-noir-70s-classics/

Albert Brooks is one of America’s most under-appreciated Directors, and here’s one reason why:

7 – “Lost In America”

Brooks wrote, directed and stars in this comedy about 80’s America – here is the trailer:

From Julie Hagerty’s obsession with the number “22” at the craps table, to Brooks’ desire to get “lost in America” and “touch Indians”, this is a perfect look at life in 1980’s America.

Criterion just released a great Blu-Ray release – see details here:

https://johnrieber.com/2017/07/26/albert-brooks-lost-in-america-criterion-collection-three-more-great-reasons-to-love-him-taxi-driver-for-one/

Next on my list is one of the most fascinating movie documentaries ever – made originally to capture the world’s greatest Band making music – but instead it showcased the dissolution of the group instead:

6 – “Let It Be”

An inside look at the recording of the last Beatles album, this 1970 documentary was released in theaters – and years later, shortly on VHS – and then disappeared…

The film contained a number of uncomfortable scenes between the band members as they struggled to work together…when they ultimately broke up, this because a sad ending to an incredible body of work – and the film has an incredible live performance by the band at the end of the film from a London rooftop!

Luckily, Director Peter Jackson was given access to ALL of the filmed material, and he has made a new version that focuses more on the creation of the music and the camaraderie between them – the ultimate release date is TBD due to the pandemic, but you can read more about this new version by clicking on my story here:

https://johnrieber.com/2020/03/12/the-new-beatles-let-it-be-documentary-out-in-september-never-before-seen-beatles-rehearsals/

Time to head to “L.A” for one of the best film noir about the city ever made:

5 – “L.A. Confidential”

Director Curtis Hansen tells the story of a corrupt L.A. police department – and the young Detective out to solve a vicious murder – in the 90’s classic “L.A. Confidential”:

Guy Pearce, Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe and Oscar-winning Best Supporting Actress Kim Basinger are great in this crime thriller. Every time I watch this film I grow to love it more.

Another “L.A. Noir” was directed in 1973 by the legendary Robert Altman:

4 – “The Long Goodbye”

Elliott Gould stars as Private Detective Philip Marlowe – here is the trailer:

Altman shot part of the film from L.A.’s legendary “Hollywood Hightower” – see more inside trivia about this legendary movie location – and classic cult film by clicking here:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/09/14/hollywoods-hightower-movie-past-vintage-los-angeles-climbs-these-legendary-stairs/

Robert Altman really captured the mood of Hollywood in his film – and Sophia Coppola did the same for Tokyo:

3 – Lost In Translation

An aging Actor goes to Tokyo to film a Whiskey commercial. He meets the young wife or a Photographer, there to shoot a ditzy starlet. Their friendship is the basis for a terrific film – check out the trailer:

Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson are so perfect in the film, which explores friendship, loneliness and so much more:

Alex and I stayed in the iconic Park Hyatt Hotel where this was filmed in Tokyo – click here to see more about this magical place!

https://johnrieber.com/2018/03/01/tokyos-iconic-park-hyatt-hotel-lost-in-the-translation-bar-views-of-tokyo-2016-2/

I love all of these films on this list for one reason or another – but this next film is on my “top ten of all time” list:

2 – “The Last Of Sheila”

Legendary Broadway Showman Stephen Sondheim and “Psycho” Actor Tony Perkins loved games, so they created a murder mystery that was played by the biggest names in Hollywood….here is the trailer:

What an all-star cast: James Coburn, Raquel Welch, Richard Benjamin, Ryan Cannon and more star in this twisty, devilish fun mystery with a side helping of Hollywood shade!

Read more about this incredible movie here:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/06/29/psycho-and-sondheim-the-last-of-sheila-classic-hollywood-murder-mystery-richard-benjamin-rules/

Finally, I am a huge fan of Director Steven Soderbergh, and this film is one of the best, another “L.A. Story”:

1 – “The Limey”

Terence Stamp stars as a British mobster who comes to L.A. to find his missing daughter – here is the trailer:

Stamp is mesmerizing in the role, and Peter Fonda stars as the last man to see the daughter alive – this is classic film noir, and another of my favorite films…read more about it here:

https://johnrieber.com/2013/11/14/the-limey-night-moves-classic-action-noir/

There you go, ten GREAT GREAT GREAT films that begin with the letter “L”…it’s been fun looking at every letter of the alphabet through a cinema filter, like my look at the letter “K”:

Sadly, Jerry Lewis passed away – but he left us with his terrific performance in “The King Of Comedy” – you can see that film and all of my “killer K” choices here:

https://johnrieber.com/2017/08/19/killer-movies-with-a-k-my-movies-a-z-has-kung-fu-killers-and-catholic-high-school-girls-in-trouble/

You can always click on “movies” in my list of categories on the main page to see all of my lists, but here is a link to “Movies A-F”, a compilation of those first posts:

https://johnrieber.com/2017/08/04/classic-movies-a-f-sixty-great-movies-with-one-thing-in-common-the-alphabet/

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Let me know your favorite “L” film – and feel free to share this on social media with your friends!

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