I watched several great movies in 2024, but these are my favorite first-time new-to-me film discoveries of the year. These are not in order of favorite, but in the order that I watched them in 2024:

Garden of Evil (1954)
Directed by Henry Hathaway
Gary Cooper, Richard Widmark and Camron Mitchell play an American trio stranded in Mexico, who agree to help Susan Hayward, whose husband (Hugh Marlowe) is injured and trapped in the mountains. The journey is treacherous, and the men are suspicious of Hayward’s motives, which she keeps secret.

I knew nothing about this film going in — only knowing it was a western. I also had some predictions of how it would play out early on, and all of them were wrong.

The cast of this film is excellent, and Gary Cooper and Susan Hayward are good, but Richard Widmark was the standout performer in this film. Widmark is so good and his character is not at all how you expect him to be.

I watched this via a Twilight Time Bluray, and it was stunning. It made me miss the boutique line even more. Filmed in gorgeous Technicolor and on-location shots, it included some gorgeous matte painting backdrops. It also made me mourn that many 20th Century Fox films will never have a restoration.

The film also included a unique Bernard Herrmann score here. With a western flair, much of the score doesn’t sound like Herrmann’s signature style.

Desperately Seeking Susan (1985)
Directed by Susan Seidelman
Rosanna Arquette plays Roberta Glass, a bored New Jersey housewife who enjoys reading the personal ads between two lovers, including one that reads “Desperately Seeking Susan,” asking two lovers to meet in a park in New York City. Roberta travels to the meeting spot, hoping to see the lovers — Susan and Jim (Robert Joy). She then follows Susan to a thrift shop, where Susan sells a distinctive jacket with a pyramid on the back. Roberta is intrigued by her bohemian look and lifestyle and buys the jacket. While trying to catch up with Susan, Roberta hits her head and loses her memory. A friend of Jim, Dez (Aidin Quinn), finds Roberta and assumes she’s Susan.

After years of hearing about it, I finally watched this and had a great time. I never really knew what it was about, but I didn’t expect it to be a mix of comedy, crime, romance and mystery. Madonna’s signature fashion look in this (that Arquette’s character mimics) is so great, and the music is outstanding, too. After watching this, I was ready to change my whole life like Roberta Glass.

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