As 2014 approaches, I like to look ahead and make a few plans for my life. I have a few projects on the back-burner that I intend to get rolling soon. I’m excited for the possibilities.

I also love the opportunity that the new year affords me to reflect on the months and years I leave behind. I take the time to look beyond my own life and into the past to see what lessons history might hold. I think this is why I love classic movies as I do. I enjoy imagining what my parents and grandparents might have thought when they watched the films for the first time.

One of my favorites for New Year’s Eve watching is After the Thin Man, originally released Christmas Day in 1936. It stars the brilliant William Powell and Myrna Loy, reprising their roles as Nick and Nora Charles, detective and socialite. It also features Jimmy Stewart in one of his early roles.

It’s a basic whodunit, set at New Year’s Eve, with lots of murders and a big reveal at the end. It’s also a lovely comedy filled with endearing one-liners and an adorable romance to boot. The chemistry between Powell and Loy is priceless. Their antics (shooting balloons in their penthouse apartment with a pistol) are just plain fun to watch.

If you’ve never seen a Thin Man movie—there are 5 of them– I recommend watching them. The Thin Man, the first in the series, is based on the novel of the same name by Dashiell Hammett (who also wrote The Maltese Falcon).

These films set the standard for “His & Hers” detective stories, with witty banter and playful exchanges over smoking guns and bullet-riddled corpses. Nick and Nora paved the way for Hart to Hart, Moonlighting, Remington Steele, and even Castle. These are some of my favorite shows. I love the dynamics of investigations from both the man’s and woman’s point of view.

Watch After the Thin Man and let me know what you think! And may you be blessed with a joyful and prosperous new year!

That’s a wrap for this Toast to Cinema. Thanks for reading.