M (1931)

A child killer prowls the streets of Berlin. The public want him caught as soon as possible. The police want to be the ones to catch him. And the criminal underworld wants him gone by any means.
A large part of filmmaking is intuitive, but even so, any director worth their salt in the past 80+ years has been influenced by Lang’s expressive techniques. M was his first sound film and he used it like he used everything else: expertly. It enabled him to have things happen off-screen and to imply menace when otherwise there would appear to be none.
Peter Lorre is perfectly cast. If you've ever doubted his acting abilities, M will put an end to them. The last act is unforgettable stuff.

4½ lost balloons out of 5

Der müde Tod [Destiny] [1921]

Director Fritz Lang showed us how to really make a special FX riddled film with his futuristic sci-fi masterpiece, Metropolis. Destiny, while not as visually amazing as Metropolis, it still holds up with it's amazing special effects with heart and a bizarre little tale about Death, the power of love and asks the viewer to question their thoughts on destiny and whether or not there is someone out there made especially for you.
It's incredibly creepy at times, funny at others and filled with a lot of heart. Three stories are told here, all linked together by a very scary looking Grim Reaper. They seem to tell the same story but in very different locales from each other, which I guess is where "destiny" comes into play.
Well worth hunting down if you still have the patience to enjoy films for the film-making and not the Happy Meal toys. It's silent, told through title cards and melodramatic, but oh so beautiful.

4 ½ Candlelit Lives out of 5