Iris was enjoying one last hurrah with her friends before mournfully boarding an international train that was to take her away to a boring life of wedlock. Little did she know what sort of adventure was just about to unfold!

While bidding her farewells, Iris helps a little old lady at the train station, only to be conked on the head by something falling from the window above her. With a sore head, Iris says goodbye to her friends as the old lady promises to take care of her and make sure she is okay.

Iris and the little old lady, Miss Froy, end up bonding over tea and make plans to share lunch together. But after a short nap, Iris awakes to find Miss Froy has disappeared, and nobody on the train seems to think the kind old lady ever existed. Lost in confusion and with a bump on her head, Iris insists something terrible must have happened to Miss Froy, but will anybody believe her, or is she just delusional?

This Alfred Hitchcock movie has a few of my favorite elements you can expect from the master of suspense, but filmed in the 1930s, really did a lot to set the tone for his future work. What’s a good suspenseful thriller without a little comic relief? The early scenes in The Lady Vanishes are peppered with humor, pushing the envelope with sexual undertones, and also perfectly introducing the cast of characters that play such integral parts in the unfolding of the mystery ahead. You have your smart, beautiful lady in distress, your wry, witty hero, the bumbling fools(s), and the eccentric, enigmatic stranger. Hitchcock’s talent for connecting a crazy plot with the everyday movie goer comes through in this early film. Just suppose next time you get on a train, something just as extraordinary (if not absurd) could happen to you!

Ever feel disappointed that there will be no more new stories from playwright Tennessee Williams? I completely fall in love with all of the movies I see featuring his writing, especially if Elizabeth Taylor is involved. So, when I saw that there was a modern movie based on his incomplete screenplay, I was so excited- despite the negative reviews I read.

Sure, Bryce Dallas Howard isn't quite Elizabeth Taylor. Okay, she isn't her by a mile. And yes, the plot is sort of a synthesized version of other Williams's masterpieces. The story moves slowly, and the characters are miserable beyond all belief. But as the movie progressed, I found my original opions about Howard's affected acting to shift more towards her character's nature. I loved seeing the characters develop, become more understandable, relatable even, as the story meandered on.

So, what is the story about? Of course, it is set in the south, features a beautiful, strong willed southern woman, and an aching dose of unrequited love. Fisher Williams (the Elizabeth Taylor-esque character) hates society life, but must attend all of the parties and mingle with people she despises. She brings along Jimmy, who's just a poor farmhand whose prestigious family has fallen on hard times. He feels a bit embarrassed at being Fisher's escort, and sort of play-thing, but goes along anyway, enjoying the parties and hoping for an opportunity to improve his family's life. You can't help but think he really hates Fisher, and believe me, you will hate her too (at first), but towards the end of the movie, you might find yourself disliking Jimmy and sympathizing with Fisher.

The characters certainly are dynamic. And the ending is less than satisfactory. But if you like period movies, long for more from Tennessee Williams, and don't mind a barely there plot, you might enjoy The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond.

Detective Scottie Ferguson finds himself suffering from vertigo after a tragic accident. Acrophobia prevents him from going back to work, so he accepts a strange sounding private detective job from an old friend. "I want you to follow my wife [Madeline]," he says to Scottie. "No… It's not that. We're very happily married."

Happily married, perhaps, but Madeline has taken to strange behaviors, leading her husband to believe that she has been possessed by the spirit of her grandmother. He must know more before he considers sending Madeline to a sanitarium.

Intrigued by the story, Scottie decides to check it out. He begins to follow Madeline, fascinated with her actions, stunned by her beauty, and obsessed with her story. Suddenly his whole life revolves around Madeline and saving her from unknown perils. But soon, his obsession begins to destroy his own life, and Scottie might be going a little crazy himself.

I am often asked what movie is my favorite movie. A silly question, really, considering the amount of movies I watch and adore. But if someone I know is interested in watching classic movies for the first time, I always suggest starting with Vertigo. Cinematically it's interesting to watch for Alfred Hitchcock's unique camera perspective and Saul Bass's graphic interpretation of dream sequences, but musically I dare to say Vertigo boasts one of the best soundtracks ever to grace the theater.

The plot is difficult to discuss, because it's a really easy movie to spoil. I definitely didn't want to risk telling you too much, but if you haven't seen this movie, please do yourself a favor and just do it already! I couldn't even tell you how many times I've enjoyed watching Kim Novak and James Stewart in these roles, and each time I notice and appreciate something new. I mean, really, I could talk about it all day. But I won't. Because you need to be watching it instead of reading about it.