Well said! And here are some personal b&w favorites that are definitely not boring but often overlooked:
Cat People (1942)
Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
Detour (1945)
Night of the Demon (1957)
The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
Good list, specially Shadow of a Doubt, one of my all time favorites.
That always annoys me too.
I think Casablanca is a good film, but it didn’t quite live up to its reputation for me. Nothing wowed me. There are some old, foreign B&W movies and also some by Billy Wilder that I think are better, just as an example (but that’s my opinion, mostly subjective). What you say about the B&W thing is all too true, sadly. Did you hear that people in the UK (I believe?) were walking out on The Artist because they didn’t realize it was a silent film? I also get annoyed when people won’t watch a movie because it’s foreign and has subtitles. Sigh. 
Just Steve, you may be happy to know that I’m also a Cat People fan.
I like some silent movies. Mostly the comedy ones.
That’s quite a custom with English speaking people.
Take my country as an instance. In here, all films are foreign, and most with subtitles.
I Robot: Nothing really special with this film. Just an average little murder mystery with robots. C
Hooray! That’s not surprising, as Jacques Tourneur was a master of light and mood.
Another b&w film I should have listed is The Night of the Hunter (1955), which also features some extraordinary lighting and direction and is not even remotely boring…quite the contrary, IMO.
The Night of the Hunter’s lighting was so awesome that it actually set the basis for the film noir.
Also, it has a mesmerizing performance from Robert Mitchum.
Sadly, the film didn’t get a good reception on its time and Charles Laughton, already an amazing actor, never got to direct again.
A casualty from absurd contemporary critics 
I’m glad that I’m not the only one who feels this way!
I defintely understand that. It’s considered one of the greatest films of all time, and people really talk and brag about it. And for people who haven’t seen it and then do, they feel like it’s been built up, concluding it’s overrated. That’s happened to me with lots of movies.
I perfer the comedies as well. There are a lot of silent dramas I like too, but sometimes the romance and overracting are too cheesy. I perfer the likes of Holy Trinity of Silent Comedy, but also I think Douglas Fairbanks and Clara Bow had their great comedy moments as well.
Has anyone ever seen Plesantville?
^^ I enjoyed Pleasantville! Very interesting premise, well executed.
SoA: At the risk of spoiling a surprise for anyone who might soon watch The Night of the Hunter, there’s a breathtaking shot involving water that is one of the most beautiful compositions (suitable for framing as a still) in cinematic history. Having seen the film, you probably know the one.
A lot of folks here might enjoy Charles Laughton’s portrayal of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. The Disney version has enough references to the 1939 film that it might be a fun point of entry. Speaking of silent films, Lon Chaney’s take on Quasimodo is also quite good, but Laughton’s remains the personal favorite. Anthony Quinn’s is worth a look but doesn’t quite measure up.
I just looked it up, it sounds pretty fun. I’m interested.
The underwater shot is breathtaking. My favorite part of the film.
So eerie and yet so incredibly beautiful.
It’s a pretty good movie. I say it’s worth a rent.
Pleasantville is good. It presents an interesting commentary on society norms.
I’m currently wrapping up People Will Talk starring Cary Grant. Not his greatest role, but hey… it’s Cary Grant! I’m thinking the next movie I’ll watch will be Ponette or My Man Godfrey.
Aww, Cary! 
I just got back from seeing Beauty & the Beast in 3-D. Absolutely beautiful presentation! I wondered for more than a year how the heck 2-D animation with 3-dimensionality would look, and the result is somewhat similar to stacking paper. But the scope and feel is very similar to that of CG/live action 3-D movies, so I was very impressed. Having my parents watching it with us too made it a really vivid experience—they apparently watched this 20 years ago on one of their first dates in the theater too! 
<3 This viewing made me appreciate the movie even more. Tangled Ever After was also adorable. Great timing on everything, much like an old Disney short.
50/50 pretty much met my expectations. I didn’t expect a hilarious masterpiece, but I think the movie’s more of a drama, anyway. I wouldn’t watch it for the sake of humor, although it made me chuckle a few times.
I really,really want to see that! I’ve heard great things, but I don’t have money to spend on movies at the moment.
I still need to see this!