Sunset Boulevard (1950)

Wow it's been a crazy couple of weeks. I'm now nearly a month behind schedule on finishing AFI's list. I apologize to all of my loyal fans for being so neglectful...At least I think that I have loyal fans. I promise right here and now that I will spend the next month doing nothing with my spare time but watch movies so that I can get back on schedule.



I've met a lot of crazy people in my lifetime. I've had a mentally disturbed individual chase me down a busy street in subzero weather, steal my umbrella, and then she used my umbrella to attack her neighbor. That's not my only encounter either. I've also had a schizophrenic tell me all about his different personalities. You cannot imagine how awkward it is to hear that kind of information. I learned all about the personality that always wants to hurt him, the personality that smokes, and the personality that believes in horoscopes. Sunset Boulevard begged the question, "How much money would it take to become the live-in boyfriend of a crazy old lady." Given my past experience I would say, "There isn't enough money in the world." but someone else might be of a different opinion. At least the main character of this movie had a different opinion.

First off let me say that before I started this movie the only thing I knew about it was that Andrew Lloyd Weber made a musical of it. I haven't even ever seen the musical I just have the title song on my iPod. Here is some dude singing it for some show...I think the show is South Park...or maybe it's Lost...or CSI. Ok I don't really know. Just watch the dang clip.



Sunset Boulevard is about a struggling writer in Hollywood that stumbles upon a run-down mansion while running from repo-men. He suddenly finds himself ghost writing (not connected with the PBS show Ghostwriter) for a down and out silent film actress who is writing her comeback script. As time goes on he becomes part slave part lover to this whacko lady. Things are going fine until he falls in love with another woman. If you wanna know the rest see the movie.

I didn't hate this movie, but I wasn't crazy about it (no pun intended). As my movie watching progresses all the old movies begin to blur together. It's like reading a "Create your own adventure" book: after a while "it's all the same, only the names have changed." That was a Bon Jovi lyric for those of you that didn't know. I don't have much to say about this movie because it's just like all the other old movies I've seen so far. I'm sure it was amazing for the time but let's face it, it's a little outdated.

The bottom line:
Rating: 3.1
Would I own it? I don't see a reason to
Would I recommend it? If someone asked about it I would tell them about it. That's as far as my commitment goes with this film.