This is the grandfather of the film noir genre. Humphrey Bogart will always be iconic as Sam Spade, the anti-hero private dick everybody imagines when they read the pulp detective stories. The cinematography is top-notch, the script is marvelously done, and the mood can't be any more noirish. It's "the stuff that dreams are made of."

The Man Who Would Be King is first-rate entertainment at the hands of John Huston. Do not ever expect anything less from him because he always has a great yarn to tell. Michael Caine and Sean Connery deliver some of the best acting of their careers. The ending puts the final stamp on the film's greatness.

Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison is a superb Robinson Crusoe type of picture that features a Marine and a nun hiding from the Japanese soldiers during WWII. The best scene is when Robert Mitchum, in his camouflaged face, snuck inside the storeroom of canned victuals but got trapped at the top of the shelf. It's done with high tension, making his performance highly memorable.

Stallone, Pelé, and other international soccer stars take on the Nazis for a game of soccer. That's one half of it, and the other half is The Great Escape plan. The most impressive sight is Pelé doing a bicycle kick. No matter what time of the day is, Victory is an entertaining WWII soccer picture that simply defies logic.

"After all, crime is only a left-handed form of human endeavor." This one is a towering giant among films noirs. It portrays some of the most unsavory, tough-looking characters ever shown on screen. Oft-copied but never equalled, The Asphalt Jungle is the king of heist pictures.

Before there was Jaws, there was John Huston's Moby Dick, a grand spectacle of oceanic action-adventure with a terrific Gregory Peck performance. This one is faithful to the book in spirit. In fact, John Huston and Ray Bradbury's screenplay is through and through outstanding. Even better is Oswald Morris' immaculate seafaring cinematography.

Susan Tyrrell may have been Oscar-nominated, but Stacy Keach gives the best performance as Billy Tully. His constant glassy eyes have the appearance of a brain-damaged person. What a shock Tully is only 30 years old. That's one truly washed-up person for such age. Muhammad Ali even praised Stacy Keach's performance by saying, "Man that's for real, that's me talking up there." How ironic it would be for him decades later.

The pairing of Humphrey Bogart and Edward G. Robinson is tremendous. Of course, it's kind of like To Have and Have Not all over again. Clearly a play, the dialogue isn't that bad, but thanks to superior acting quality, sitting through this ordeal is made easier until the storm clears.

Beat the Devil is strictly for fans of Humphrey Bogart, John Huston, and film noir. Relying heavily on subtlety, the movie does feel like a cross between Casablanca and The Maltese Falcon, yet there isn't a moment of clarity in terms of where the story is heading. It can be annoying for some viewers yet is well-paced and interesting.

Prizzi's Honor has a great story with a neo-noir feel, fantastic camera work, and plenty of subtleties. Unfortunately, Kathleen Turner's character is underdeveloped while Angelica Huston's Oscar win isn't deserving. Hence, Jack Nicholson is the one who made the film work.