Listen Up! My “A-Z” Celebration OF Cinema Continues With The Letter “G”!

Lean in closely, because I’ve got ten great films that begin with the letter “G” – if they are good enough to get Don Corleone’s attention, then they should be good enough for you!

As always, this is NOT a countdown, just ten movies from a variety of genres that capture what make cinema so great – although this list does happen to end with my favorite movie of all time!

Let’s begin with a movie that showcases some of our greatest Actors!

10 – “Glengarry Glen Ross”

Yes, this is an acting masterclass from Jack Lemmon, Ed Harris, Alan Arkin and Al Pacino – and of course, Alec Baldwin!

It’s one of the great films about selling – and the salesmen whose motto is “Always Be Closing!”

Check out the trailer for this great 1992 film from the David Mamet play:

Here is some amazing trivia: 

Alec Baldwin’s part was written specifically for the movie – that scene wasn’t in the play!

That’s right – the “always be closing” speech was written by Mamet specifically for the movie! See more great trivia here:

Speaking of great performances, here is one of the great ones from the 70’s:

9 – “The Gambler”

James Caan is terrific as a gambler who just needs one more score to pay off his debts. Here is a great scene with James Woods as a banker who disrespects Caan’s Mom:

This is a terrific film about gambling addiction, and of course James Caan is perfect in the role as a guy who is on the edge…it’s one of then great “Wrath Of Caan” movies, and you can see the others here:

Next up is a hilariously serious look at high school reunions and hit men:

8 – “Grosse Point Blank”

The idea of a high school reunion fills many with dread: who becomes successful? Who has struggled? Well, in this case John Cusack is doing just fine – as a professional hitman!

Yes, it’s a terrific “high school reunion” film from 1997, “Grosse Pointe Blank”, starring John Cusack, Minnie Driver and an inspiringly wacky Dan Aykroyd!

This film is dark, violent, and very funny, a deadly high school reunion with laughs and romance as well! It’s part of a classic “reunion” double bill you need to watch now. Here it is:

My next choice is one of 2017’s best movies, the acclaimed thriller that caught everyone off guard!

7 – “Get Out!”

Jordan Peele wowed Critics and audiences alike with his terrific thriller about a black man who goes into the country to meet his white girlfriend’s family – yes, it a horror version of “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner!”

Click here to see the trailer and get more trivia on this great movie!

Michael Caine is one of our greatest Actors, but you don’t think of him as a “tough guy”…well, think again:

6 – “Get Carter”

The setup for this early 70’s London gangster film is simple: Michael Caine returns to town and want to find out what happened to his brother – and nothing will stop him from getting answers…check out the trailer:

Michael Caine knows how to play it tough, and for anyone who only knows him as Bruce Wayne’s Butler, this gritty thriller is worth checking out.

I read a lot of “nordic noir”, crime thrillers based in Scandinavian countries, and this is one of the best:

5 – “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo“

This worldwide sensation was turned into a trilogy of films in Sweden, and Director David Fincher made his version in 2011 – with an all-star cast.

Daniel Craig plays disgraced journalist Mikael Blomkvist, who accepts an invitation to investigate a forty year old unsolved murder on behalf of the victim’s uncle, Swedish industrialist Henrik Vanger, played by Christopher Plummer. Meanwhile, professional “hacker” Lisbeth Salander is “the girl with the dragon tattoo”. Rooney Mara is terrific in the role: she is hired to investigate Blomkvist, and discovers the truth behind the conspiracy that led to his fall from grace.

Here is the trailer:

This is a dark, moody thriller – and in this case, it is worth reading the next two books in the series to see where this wildly entertaining story goes!

Here’s a more in-depth look at the genre of “nordic nor” and some of my favorite Authors:

Some have noted that I lean heavily on 70’s films in my countdowns…and to that I say, this classic action film is next on my list!

4 – “The Getaway”

The legendary Director Sam Peckinpah had his biggest hit ever in 1972, when he teamed Steve McQueen and Ali McGraw for this terrific action thriller.

For those who love to gossip, the two fell in love while making the film – check out the trailer:

This is a classic 70’s action film, and Peckinpah gives it a lot of stylized action – a really fun movie with great performances as well!

See more about this film and other classic 70’s action movies here:

Next up is a great film based on fact:

3 – The Ghost And The Darkness

This 1996 thriller starring Michael Douglas and Val Kilmer is based on a true story.

A bridge engineer and an experienced wild game hunter try to stop two lions – “The Ghost” and “The Darkness” – who are attacking local construction workers.

Here is the trailer:

It’s a terrific film and you know what? I’ve seen those two up close!

That’s right, the real Lions are in Chicago!

Click here for a tour!

I love films about Hollywood, and next up is one of my favorites:

2 – “Get Shorty”

This classic 1995 comedy skewers the entertainment industry as it tells the story of a mobster who “goes Hollywood”…check out the trailer:

John Travolta and Rene Russo head a terrific cast, including Gene Hackman, Danny DeVito, James Gandolfini and Dennis Farina – from a novel by Elmore Leonard, it’s one of the best “movies about movies” – here are five more:

We wrap up our ten “G” movies with what is, for me, the greatest film of all time:

1 – “The Godfather”

What can you say? The Best Picture of 1972 is a masterpiece, the story of Don Corleone and his family – with a cast headed up by Marlon Brando, James Caan, Al Pacino, Robert Duvall and Diane Keaton.

What can you say about this film – well, aside from the fact that Marlon Brando didn’t like memorizing his lines, so Robert Duvall wore them off camera!

Cue The Horses Head!

Or what about this trivia: the horse’s head in that bed was REAL!

Here’s so much more fun trivia about the greatest film of all time!

If you’ve missed any of my other letters, here’s a short recap:

An amazingly iconic movie poster sets the stage for a list of classic “A” movies, see them here:

If you want to see some classic “B” movies, try this one:

“Broadcast News” is a great movie. Here are more of my favorite “B” movies as well:

I also posted on ten great “C” movies, like this cult classic:

“Chuck & Buck” was joined by a wide range of great movies that began with the letter “C” – see them here:

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Let me know your favorite “G” movie!

Categories: 70's Cinema, Action Films, Africa, Art, chicago, Cult Movies, Film Fight Club, Film Noir, Great Films, James Caan, Jo Nesbo / Nordic Noir, Movies, Movies About Movies, Obscure Movies, Pop Culture

Tags: 1972 Best Picture, 1974 Academy Awards, 2017 Tribeca Godfather event, 60's westerns, 70's, 70's action movies, 70's classic cult films, 70's cult classic, 70's cult movies, 70's entertainment, 70's exploitation, 70's film noir, 70's grindhouse movies, 70's movies, 70's westerns, 70′s classic cult films, 70′s cult movies, 70′s movies, 70′s obscure cult films, 80's cult comedies, ABC always be closing, Academy Awards, Academy awards winners, acclaimed horror films, Action Movies, Actor Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, Al Pacino films, Al Pacino movies, Al Pacino performances, Alec Baldwin, Alec Baldwin films, Alec Baldwin impersonation, Alec Baldwin monologue, Alec Baldwin movies, Alec Baldwin performance, Allison Williams, Always Be Closing, bada bing, best acting performances, best actor oscar, best Al Pacino movies, Best Alec Baldwin movies, Best Director Oscar, best entertainment, best film reunions, best films of all time, best gangster films, best horror films, best horror films of 2017, best James Caan movies, best Marlon Brando performances, best mobster films, best mobstermovies, best moves of the year, best movie franchises, best movie lines, best movies, best movies ever, best movies of 2017, best movies of all time, best movies of the year, movies, Oscars