Forum Overview :: Peter Molyneux's The Movies

The Best Movie of 1932 by Brody Wilder 03/16/2026, 6:15pm PDT WINNER: Shanghai Express Jo Sternberg finally takes the top spot with this, the most crowd-pleasing effort of his career. I have never read Guy de Maupassant's Boule de Suif, first published in prehistoric year 1880, though from its many film adaptations I presume it's about a carriage packed with a cross-section of French society, who find themselves in mortal danger and must look to the lowest among them for salvation. The action has since been transposed to a stagecoach (for 1939's Stagecoach with John Wayne and 1967's Hombre with Paul Newman), a spaceship (for 2000's Pitch Black with Vin Diesel), and - most relevant to this post - a train, for 1932's Shanghai Express with Marlene Dietrich. Dietrich plays emotionally invincible superhooker Shanghai Lil. When her train of fellow expats is threatened by a brutal Chinese warlord, Lil's utilitarian approach to life may be all that can save them. If Dietrich was the Steven Seagal of romantic melodrama, this was her Under Siege (nevermind that Under Siege 2: Dark Territory was the one with the train; for the comparison to work it has to be a good movie). Sternberg and Dietrch's partnership would go darker and weirder in the years to come, but never more accessible. Not as Good as the Remake: Scarface Famous surgeon Hawkeye Pierce once said of the 1930s, "You knew where you stood in those days. Franklin Roosevelt was always president, Joe Louis was always the champ, and Paul Muni played everybody". In that decade alone, Jewish Muni tackled roles ranging from French Louis Pasteur (in The Story of Louis Pasteur) to Mexican Benito Juarez (in Juarez) to - most regrettably of all - simple Chinese peasant farmer Wang Lung (in The Good Earth). He was the godfather of method acting, and Scarface was The Godfather of Warner Bros' violent pre-code social realist pictures. Here, Muni portrays the clever rise and meteoric fall of no-bullshit Italian immigrant Tony Camonte, a performance that's over-the-top in all the right places. If you watch one gangster movie from the prohibition era, this should be the one. It's in Bill's House, and Fred's House: American Madness Frank Capra released three films in 1932: Forbidden (a romantic melodrama in which Barbara Stanwyck's mousy librarian falls for a rich married jerk), The Bitter Tea of General Yen (a romantic melodrama in which Barbara Stanwyck's repressed missionary falls for a brutal Chinese warlord - hey, they were in the papers at the time), and, least loved of all, American Madness. Starring Walter Huston as a humanist bank manager instead of Barbara Stanwyck as a victim of love, American Madness is the sort of optimistic financial procedural that's exactly my cup of noble Chinese suicide tea. When a robbery precipitates a potentially catastrophic bank run, only one man's plea to the universal spirit of communism that lives in every good citizen's heart can save the day. A climax so moving that Capra shamelessly reused it for his own masterpiece, 1946's It's a Wonderful Life. Please, Sir, May I Have Some Horror There was a brief window, between Dracula proving its financial viability and the censorship crackdown of 1934, in which the horror genre was allowed to blossom. Let's take a look at the adult-oriented monster movies of 1932. The Mummy was Universal's flagship entry in the market they'd pioneered the year before, a product-improved version of the Dracula story that just barely avoids classification as a remake. Starring Boris Karloff as the immortal lover, Imhotep sheds his bandages after the opening teaser, and spends the remainder of the picture supernaturally macking on Zita Johann in gorgeous Egyptian sets. If you have memories of a zombie-like figure shambling after his prey, you're probably thinking of one of the increasingly silly sequels. Speaking of zombies, travel book The Magic Island was a purportedly non-fictional account of Haitian Voodoo published in 1929, generally credited with introducing those ghastly creatures to the popular consciousness. In 1932 it was (as always, very loosely) adapted for the screen in White Zombie, starring Bela Lugosi and his famously hypnotic eyes. One of Lugosi's finest films, though that's admittedly not saying much, this was about the best you were going to do for supernatural zombies until 1944's I Walked With a. Viral zombies, on the other hand? Stay tuned. Keeping to the tropics, Island of Lost Souls was a straightforward take on The Island of Doctor Moreau, featuring the great Sir Charles Laughton (a man whose appetite for food was only exceeded by his appetite for men) in the Marlon Brado role. A national contest was held to find the sexiest possible girl to play Lota, Panther Woman - whether they succeeded is for the reader to decide, though I will say that all of the other animal-human hybrids were effectively grotesque. Like the same year's Freaks, I could see this movie unnerving people well into the 1970s. Rounding things out, let's go back to famously gay director James Whale (assayed so masterfully by Ian McKellen in Gods and Monsters) for camp classic The Old Dark House. The trope of a rainstorm forcing passing motorists to impose upon a spooky family was old hat even at this early stage, so Whale leans into the absurdity with a horror/comedy hybrid that would prefigure his work on Bride of Frankenstein. That film's Dr. Pretorius, Ernest Thesiger, appears here as an effete old man who would quite like you to have a potato. Really can't go wrong with any of these.

The Best Movie of Every Year by Brody Wilder 03/14/2026, 8:42pm PDT     The Best Movie of 1930 by Brody Wilder 03/14/2026, 8:46pm PDT         Best thread in ages NT by Gaige Grosskreutz 03/15/2026, 1:05pm PDT     Do you have a job/family NT by Mysterio 03/15/2026, 3:16am PDT         God forbid. NT by Brody Wilder 03/15/2026, 8:56am PDT             Is this Tom Chick? NT by mysterio 2 03/17/2026, 11:37pm PDT                 He might honestly be the last person to read and post here. NT by Kenji Carter 03/18/2026, 8:05am PDT     The Best Movie of 1931 by Brody Wilder 03/15/2026, 3:53pm PDT         Holy cow, Caltrops is back! by Mischief Maker 03/15/2026, 4:46pm PDT             Are your motivss pure, Maker of MischIEF? NT by Tomorrow People 03/16/2026, 9:39pm PDT         Re: The Best Movie of 1931 by E. L. Koba 03/19/2026, 5:15pm PDT             Set your expectations for "early talkie" and you should have a good time. by Brody Wilder 03/19/2026, 6:25pm PDT                 Dubbing is actually pretty crucial, when you think about it. by Brody Wilder 03/19/2026, 7:21pm PDT     The Best Movie of 1932 by Brody Wilder 03/16/2026, 6:15pm PDT         Keep 'em coming! NT by MM 03/16/2026, 6:34pm PDT         That's SIR Ian McKellan to you, smart guy. NT by caltrops analyzer 03/17/2026, 6:54am PDT             I gave Sir Ian's knighthood to Charles Laughton, who never got one. by I felt like he deserved it. 03/17/2026, 4:46pm PDT     The Best Movie of 1933 by Brody Wilder 03/17/2026, 4:45pm PDT         Thanks for doing these. by Ice Cream Jonsey 03/17/2026, 8:48pm PDT             Thanks for reading! NT by Brody Wilder 03/17/2026, 8:56pm PDT     The Best Movie of 1934 by Brody Wilder 03/18/2026, 1:06pm PDT     The Best Movie of 1935 by Brody Wilder 03/19/2026, 5:43pm PDT         Hitchcock by Gaige Grosskreutz 03/19/2026, 8:28pm PDT             I like Hitchcock. by Brody Wilder 03/19/2026, 9:22pm PDT     The Best Movie of 1936 by Brody Wilder 03/20/2026, 7:35pm PDT     The Best Movie of 1937 by Brody Wilder 03/21/2026, 7:30pm PDT         We need more movies with electric chairs in them. by Gaige Grosskreutz 03/22/2026, 9:50am PDT     The Best Movie of 1938 by Brody Wilder 03/22/2026, 7:33pm PDT     The Best Movie of 1939 by Brody Wilder 03/23/2026, 4:59pm PDT         I have nothing to contribute, but I love these. NT by Hangman 03/25/2026, 12:58pm PDT         Fukk yes NT by Gary 03/25/2026, 10:02pm PDT             Re: Fukk yes by PICKLES 03/26/2026, 5:47pm PDT         #Beep# NT by Hero detector 03/26/2026, 7:07pm PDT     The Best Movie of 1940 by Brody Wilder 03/26/2026, 7:25pm PDT         YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!! by HES BACK YOU LITTLE SHIITS! 03/26/2026, 8:47pm PDT     The Best Movie of 1941 by Brody Wilder 03/27/2026, 8:02pm PDT         I love Hammett. An actual real-life PI turned author, his writing rings true. by Mischief Maker 03/27/2026, 10:48pm PDT     The Best Movie of 1942 by Brody Wilder 03/29/2026, 8:20pm PDT         I was half-expecting you to be edgy and not pick Casablanca. NT by Mischief Maker 03/29/2026, 9:35pm PDT             I admit, I considered doing Arabian Nights with Maria Montez and Sabu. by Brody Wilder 03/29/2026, 9:57pm PDT                 Wizard of Oz is still good, right? 1939? NT by Gaige Grosskreutz 03/30/2026, 8:39am PDT                     Probably, but it's not my cup of tea. by Brody Wilder 03/30/2026, 4:43pm PDT             I didn't realize these weren't Oscar Best Picture winners until just now by laudablepuss 03/31/2026, 11:43am PDT                 The Academy has rarely selected films of cultural, historical, or aesthetic impo by Brody Wilder 03/31/2026, 5:25pm PDT                     How the hell did "Arthur" wind up being oscar-bait? by Mischief Drunkard 03/31/2026, 5:43pm PDT         Vince Gilligan said the comedic engine of Pluribus is a descendant of Bewitched. by Fullofkittens 03/30/2026, 7:26am PDT             Re: Vince Gilligan said the comedic engine of Pluribus is a descendant by Gaige Grosskreutz 03/30/2026, 8:40am PDT         Ooooh. So Bogart was 43 in Casablanca, not 37 as the script says. I'd chalked it NT by up to the smoking & booze -MM 03/31/2026, 8:53pm PDT             This was supposed to be a reply to the 1944 list. Whoops! NT by MM 03/31/2026, 8:54pm PDT     The Best Movie of 1943 by Brody Wilder 03/30/2026, 9:22pm PDT         I'm cumming!!! NT by 8======D ~ ~ ~ 03/31/2026, 4:48am PDT     The Best Movie of 1944 by Brody Wilder 03/31/2026, 8:20pm PDT         Double Indemnity is the first of these I have seen, and a top 10/15 movie for me by Ice Cream Jonsey 03/31/2026, 9:18pm PDT         Loving these! NT by The entire world 04/01/2026, 5:48am PDT             Justifies ICJ not pulling the plug on this place in 2011. NT by Keister M. Feister 04/01/2026, 7:33am PDT     The Best Movie of 1945 by Brody Wilder 04/01/2026, 7:47pm PDT         Waaaaaaaait a minute! by Mischief Maker 04/01/2026, 9:23pm PDT             Lots of people like that movie! I could be anyone. by Brody Wilder 04/02/2026, 2:49am PDT     The Best Movie of 1946 by Brody Wilder 04/05/2026, 8:36pm PDT         Brody, what makes for good film noir - to you? NT by Ice Cream Jonsey 04/05/2026, 9:33pm PDT             First of all, it has to hate women as much as I do. by Brody Wilder 04/05/2026, 10:46pm PDT                 I'm still working on your question. Thank you for asking it. NT by Ice Cream Jonsey 04/08/2026, 9:42pm PDT     The Best Movie of 1947 by Brody Wilder 04/08/2026, 3:24am PDT         Re: The Best Movie of 1947 by matt mysterio 04/29/2026, 9:18pm PDT     The Best Movie of 1948 by Brody Wilder 04/11/2026, 11:08pm PDT     You bastards ran him off! NT by we can't have nice things 04/27/2026, 11:24am PDT         What are you talking about? The list is over. Movies ended in 1948. NT by Mischief Maker 04/27/2026, 11:46am PDT             I really hope he continues. NT by Gaige Grosskreutz 04/27/2026, 1:29pm PDT     The Best Movie of 1949 by Brody Wilder 04/28/2026, 5:19am PDT         Fuck yes NT by Ice Cream Jonsey 04/28/2026, 6:49am PDT         The Third Man was the only noir I rooted for the villain by broad strokes 04/30/2026, 12:36pm PDT             Maybe you're not prejudiced enough? The gypsy music subconsciously informs the NT by audience they are being swindled. 05/01/2026, 8:19am PDT                 I'm prejudiced enough! I am! Continue! NT by Mysterio GAMER 05/19/2026, 3:08pm PDT         PLEASE CONTINUE NT by Mysterio GAMER 05/19/2026, 1:29pm PDT     Love Bump NT by Lonnie 05/31/2026, 4:50am PDT         Aw man by Lonnie 06/09/2026, 11:54pm PDT