Lang Masterpiece. Clearly Fritz Lang's best work. This is the best silent feature ever filmed, but large sections of the film have been lost forever, but the remaining sections put together a fantastic story and create a futuristic world not duplicated for decades.

Lang Great Work. Not quite as impressive as the other Lang masterpieces, "Woman in the Moon" nevertheless stands as a landmark in science fiction. A bit dated for the modern viewer, the film captured the minds of many in 1931. It's a good, but not fantastic Lang picture.

Eastwood Masterpiece. With "Unforgiven," Clint managed to take a long dead genre and pave the way for the Western Renaissance. The fine script remained untouched for several decades before Eastwood optioned it, eventually signing on Gene Hackman and Morgan Freeman.

Eastwood Great Work. Originally overlooked in the box office, the film finally found its audience on dvd. A fine script and a fantastic performance by Hillary Swank carry this best picture winner. Really 2 movies in one, Eastwood directs the transition brilliantly.

Brooks Masterpiece. Brooks' Wild West, Slapstick saga is carried by Cleavon Little, who gives the performance of his career. Comedic genius is also achieved by the supporting cast - Gene Wilder, Madeleine Kahn, and the recently deceased Harvey Korman.

Brooks Great Work. Mel's directorial debut was a a smash hit. Once again Gene Wilder shines as an eccentric, quirky accountant in "The Producers." It is also much more linear than most of Brooks' films, where the storyline usually submits to the laughs.

Hawks Masterpiece. Howard Hawks has been dubbed the master of the studio, and he shows it here. He takes the most out of a mediocre script and limited set to create an intriguing, heart-warming film that is funny, romantic, and thrilling all at once. Cary Grant is superb and Rosalind Russell gives the performance of her career.

Hawks Great Work. This is really just a lighthearted musical, with sterling performances by Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell. This not only shows Hawks' range but also his unfailing ability to provide quality crowd-pleasing movies. His direction takes a mediocre script and turns out a quality performance.

Kazan Masterpiece. The old Turk, Elia Kazan, directs Eva Marie Saint and Marlon Brando to their best performances (including The Godfather.) Everything worked in this movie, the acting, the splendid cinematography, the great and quotable script, and Brando's heartwrenching performance. Surely, it is Kazan's best.

Kazan Great Work. Aside from Kazan's excellent direction, this movie is best known as the best adaptation of a Tennessee Williams' play. Marlon Brando is excellent and a mature Vivien Leigh again shows her quality. It's Kazan's most electric piece.

Mankiewicz Masterpiece. It could be called "All About Women" and features a plethora of A-list actresses, including Bette Davis, Celeste Holm, Anne Baxter, Thelma Ritter, and Marylin Monroe. Joseph L. is able to balance the egos to create one of the greatest dramas of all time.

Mankiewicz Great Work. A technical masterpiece, Mrs. Muir seems a bit dated now, but can still work if you are in the right mood. Gene Tierney, an often overlooked actress, carries the load and does well in this one. George Sanders, Natalie Wood, and Rex Harrison co-star.

Lubitsch Masterpiece. And Garbo laughs, which in itself proved to be quite an achievement for a director. Ernst Lubitsch provides the most successful of the Garbo transitions to talkies. Some 70 years after its filming, Ninotchka still manages to provide legitimate laughs.

Lubitsch Great Work. This film was remade as the modern day romcom "You've Got Mail." Somehow, Jimmy Steward and Margaret Sullivan seem to provide more chemistry than Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. Basically a fun, light-hearted romcom.

Ford Masterpiece. Without question John Ford's best work, and likely John Wayne's as well. This is another example of a movie that could well have been run of the mill, but was made so much more by Ford's direction and the complexity of Wayne's character.

Ford Great Work. This is the film that really put Ford on the map, and was also part of the great batch of movies to come out in 1939. The score is masterful and the cast impressive, including John Wayne, John Carradine, and Thomas Mitchell. Mitchell won an oscar for his performance.

Browning Masterpiece. Without question the best of the classic universal horror pictures. The scenes are top quality for the era and Bela Lugosi's interpretation of the old count is priceless. It is exactly this film's direction that makes it so scary in an era where special effects couldn't garner scares.

Browning Great Work. The second part of this double feature, "The Devil Doll," is one of the forgotten masterpieces of Tod Browning. Unfortunately the film is not available on its own, but it is worth obtaining anyway. Maureen O'Sullivan and Lionel Barrymore both star in the film.

Fleming Masterpiece. Victor Fleming's contribution to the greatest epic in cinema history is questionable. George Cukor and Sam Wood played a part in the film's creation and David Selznick lent a great deal of creative input. Other than that, its hard to argue with the quality of the film.

Fleming Great Work. This film hardly compares with "Gone with the Wind" or "The Wizard of Oz," but it is a fine film in its own right. Wallace Beery manages to entertain and the decision to shoot entirely from Jim Hawkins' point of view was an interesting approach, especially for the era.