From the near misses, I voted for
The Hidden Room/
Obsession. I had it at #20, and didn't think it was going to make the Countdown, so I'm glad it was at least close!
Laura, on the other hand, I knew would be here somewhere - the question was just where it would wind up. Happy to see if make the top 10, since it was my #1. I saw it in the 1940s Hall of Fame, and wrote this at the time:
Laura (1944)
Dir. Otto Preminger
Starring: Dana Andrews, Clifton Webb, Gene Tierney
Laura is a film I've been looking forward to watching since it was nominated. I like film noirs, and I love Vincent Price, though it's strange to see him in something that's not a horror film. Also for once, Price wasn't my favourite performance. Clifton Webb as Waldo Lydecker was particularly great, stealing the show and keeping my attention even though I didn't like his character. He was still well written and a great part of the story, I just mean that I thought he was a despicable, unlikeable person.
Unfortunately I can't say much about the cinematography. I was too busy listening to the dialogue and being mesmerized by the actors, which is definitely a big plus for
Laura because that's not normally the case when I watch these kinds of films. It wasn't until the final act when I started paying attention to the visuals. My favourite shots were rather late in the film: Lydecker and his shadow in the stairwell, and the image of the clock and it's shadow growing as the door opens behind it. The cinematography in the whole final act was great, so I'll definitely have to watch this again sometime soon and pay attention to the composition of the rest of the film.
Unfortunately I don't really have anything to add about either film, and can't even find a good gif of
The Hidden Room/
Obsession either. I'm going to have to start making those myself it seems!
Seen: 39/91
My List: 18
01. Laura (1944) - #10
02.
03. Stranger on the Third Floor (1940) - #92
04. Murder My Sweet (1944) - #28
05. Shadow of a Doubt (1943) - #12
06. Detour (1945) - #24
07. Rebecca (1940) - #35
08. Ministry of Fear (1944) - #75
09. The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) - #40
10.
11. This Gun for Hire (1942) - #78
12. Mildred Pierce (1945) - #15
13. Odd Man Out (1947) - #47
14.
15. Strangers on a Train (1951) - #18
16.
17. The Asphalt Jungle (1950) - #16
18. Night and the City (1950) - #25
19. Phantom Lady (1944) - #69
20. The Hidden Room/Obsession (1949) - DNP
21.
22. The Killing (1956) - #11
23.
24. Kiss Me Deadly (1955) - #14
25. The Stranger (1946) - #38