Rock It, Elvis! Rock It!
As you can see, Elvis and his pelvis are VERY excited about the ten films I am about to share with you! What could go wrong?
Well, Patty Duke needs her “dolls”, and I’ve got Paul Newman’s greatest role as well!
My countdown of “Movies A-Z” is now on the letter “V”, which is full of amazing performances, campy cult films, and Elvis Presley as well!
Let’s get started with one of the greatest “camp” films of all time, a cult classic based on a provocative best seller!
“Valley Of The Dolls”
What a way to start! This 1967 camp classic was based on the best-selling novel the year before by Jacqueline Susann…the story of young women making their way through a “far out” Hollywood!
Here is the trailer:
Of course, Tinseltown is anything but, as the realities of the entertainment industry chew up and spit out a bevy of young starlets.
And speaking of chewing up an d spitting out, Patty Duke chews all the scenery – and “dolls” she can as Neely O’ Hara, who succumbs to the temptations of Hollywood – and “dolls” aka pills!
Sharon Tate and Barbara Parkins also star in this hilariously retro look at the movie business!
Let’s head north of Hollywood into the valley – where they speak an entirely different language:
“Valley Girl”
This 1983 comedy taught the world about the unique speaking style used by “valley girls”! Here’s the definition:
“Valley Girl syndrome refers to the stereotype of using a rising inflection at the end of a declarative statement, commonly associated with ‘Valley Girls. ‘ It is not a medical or genetic condition but a characteristic of speech pattern or dialect.”
I love it! Watch the movie’s trailer and hear it for yourself!
Deborah Foreman plays Julie, a simple girl from the valley, who meets Randy, a punk from the city – played with relish by Nicolas Cage!
Can these two polar opposite worlds come together for love? Well, it IS a comedy – and a blast as well – as is everything Nic Cage does!
I celebrated the iconic Actor by watching 7 “cage-tacular” films and if you click here you can see them all!
Speaking of someone who was mesmerizing on screen, time to take a break and let “The King” entertain us!
“Viva Las Vegas!”
How can this go wrong? Elvis! Ann-Margret! THAT SONG! Let’s check out the trailer!
Elvis made movies with thin plots, but he more than made up for it when he had a blast like this!
And Ann-Margret was amazingly talented as well!
This movie is a lot of fun, but if you want to know more about the incredible Ann Margret, click on my story here:
Now, one of Paul Newman’s greatest performances:
“The Verdict”
The great Director Sidney Lumet made this film, about an alcoholic Attorney who gets the case of a lifetime. Here is the trailer:
Newman plays a Lawyer in decline, looking for one last case to redeem himself. It’s a terrific film with an incredibly powerful ending – he was Oscar nominated for the role and it is, for me, his best ever!
The film was nominated as Best Picture of 1982, and Lumet and Newman were both nominated as well. This is a great legal thriller, so check it out!
Newman was known for such popular films as “Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid” and “The Sting”, but he also made the most profanely funny sports movie ever!
Newman starred in this hilarious hockey movie, and he has a blast in it!
He later said that “Slap Shot” was his favorite film he made – see why by checking out my story here!
My wife Alex mentioned to me that I had to include her favorite “movie with a V” and so I did:
“Vision Quest!”
Matthew Modine stars in this terrific 1985 coming of age story set in Spokane, Washington.
Modine plays a high school wrestler with girls on his mind. It’s honest and real and very entertaining. Here is the trailer:
Linda Fiorentino stars as the girl who captures his imagination. It’s a really good movie, with terrific performances as well.
Speaking of classic performances:
“Vertigo”
One of Alfred Hitchcock’s greatest films, and an example of what a great Actor James Stewart was as well. Here is the trailer for this masterpiece:
Perfectly cast, James Stewart plays an ex-police officer who suffers from an intense fear of heights. He’s hired to prevent an old friend’s wife from committing suicide, but all is not as it seems. Many consider “Vertigo” to be Hitchcock’s greatest film.
The film was shot in San Francisco, and the city’s iconic Coit tower is seen many times – and become a major plot point as well…here is a look at this iconic tower:
Hope you enjoyed this trip through “V” cinema!
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Categories: 70's Cinema, Academy Awards, Action Films, Art, Comedy Movies, Cult Movies, Film Fight Club, Great Films, Hollywood, Movies, Obscure Movies, Pop Culture, Sports Movies, Talent/Celebrities
johnrieber 
Thanks for the memory as ’tis said ) ! Do remember ‘The Verdict’ and ‘Vertigo’ so must have visited the cinema more often than I remember . . . and I also seem to remember reading ‘Valley of the Dolls’ . . . nice to think back and wonder what one thought then in comparison to now . . .
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HA, right? It wa a scandal then and “PG” rated in today’s world!
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ooh, great choices and I have to say that slap shot is one of my all time fave sports movies
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yes I love “Slap Shot”..Paul Newman always for the win!
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A really mixed selection today. I watched The Verdict again recently, on TV. It still holds up as a great film!
Best wishes, Pete.
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Yes, we watch he’d The Verdict again a few months back and that ending is something..oh and the scene where he shows up at a wake? Oh my…
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Valley of the Dolls is a fascinating book. I think I should watch this movie. The trailer is interesting.
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The movie is pure campy fun…
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