January film roster, 2011

I keep a record of every movie I watch; I started it when I first began writing for Examiner.com, and I have now been keeping track for almost two years. It's an interesting document - to me, anyway - because it reveals certain trends in my film viewing. It also helps me remember what I have seen; some movies are just not as memorable as others. Sometimes I write reviews of the films for my column, and sometimes I write one for the classic movie guide I am writing. I recommend it as a practice to anyone who watches films seriously (or even just intelligently). Here's the list for January 2011, with links to the articles when there is one.

Don't Bother to Knock (1952) - good Monroe film, trying to see more of her movies
I Know Where I'm Going! (1945) - one of my favorites, have seen it several times now
A Night at the Opera (1935) - with my daughter, the Marx Brothers fan
Stella Dallas (1937) - love Stanwyck, and she's great in this weepy melodrama of mother love
Room Service (1938) - again with the kid
Lady of Burlesque (1943)- more Stanwyck, but funny this time
Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988) - we own the pinball machine, so we have to watch the film sometimes
Miranda (1948) - with the kid, who enjoyed Glynis Johns as a mermaid very much
Angels with Dirty Faces (1938) - terrific Cagney picture!
Mad About Men (1954) - more Glynis with fins, at the insistence of the kid
42nd Street (1933) - with the LearningQUEST group for my First Fridays Film Festival series
The Old Dark House (1932) - a funny old screamer with Gloria Stuart, Charles Laughton, and Boris Karloff
The King's Speech (2010) - took the kid to see it, to heck with the R rating! Great film
The Legend of the Guardians (2010) - kid's choice, and I enjoyed the visual effects
True Grit (1969) - had to see the original again after seeing the Coens' version; still good
Play It Again, Sam (1972) - Adorable Woody Allen with a Bogart twist; almost as good as The Purple Rose of Cairo (but not quite)
A Day at the Races (1937) - more Marx for the junior film fan; she says this one is the best