A New New Thought for Random Thoughts About Movies

Discussion in 'Movies, TV and Music' started by Ghost, Dec 1, 2007.

  1. riverplate

    riverplate Member+

    Jan 1, 2003
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    #526 riverplate, Dec 14, 2016
    Last edited: Dec 14, 2016
    2016 National Film Registry selections announced...

    Thelma & Louise, The Birds, Blackboard Jungle Among Film Titles
    - Library of Congress
    https://www.loc.gov/item/prn-16-209...ational-film-registry-reaches-700/2016-12-14/

    "The Atomic Cafe" (1982): This influential film compilation provocatively documents the post-World War II threat of nuclear war as depicted in a wide assortment of archival footage from the period -- newsreels, statements from politicians, advertisements, training, civil defense and military films.
    "Ball of Fire" (1941): In this Howard Hawks-directed screwball comedy, a showgirl and gangster's moll (Barbara Stanwyck) hides from the law among a group of scholars compiling an encyclopedia. Cooling her heels until the heat lets up, she charms the elderly academics and bewitches the young professor in charge (Gary Cooper).
    "The Beau Brummels" (1928): Al Shaw and Sam Lee were an eccentrically popular vaudeville act of the 1920s. In 1928, they made this 8-minute Vitaphone short for Warner Bros. The duo later appeared in more than a dozen other films, though none possessed this wacky charm.
    "The Birds" (1963): In this, Alfred Hitchcock transfixed both critics and mass audiences by deftly moving from anxiety-inducing horror to glossy entertainment and suspense, with bold forays into psychological terrain. Marked by a foreboding sense of an unending terror no one can escape, concluding with its famous final scene.
    "Blackboard Jungle" (1955): An adaptation of the controversial novel by Evan Hunter about an inner-city schoolteacher (Glenn Ford) tackling juvenile delinquency and the lamentable state of public education. Retaining much of the novel’s gritty realism, the film effectively dramatizes the social issues at hand and features outstanding early performances by Sidney Poitier and Vic Morrow.
    "The Breakfast Club" (1985): Set in a daylong Saturday detention hall, John Hughes' film offers an assortment of American teenage archetypes such as the nerd, jock and weirdo. Over the course of the day, labels and default personas slip away as members of this motley group actually talk to each other and learn about themselves.
    "The Decline of Western Civilization" (1981): Director Penelope Spheeris' controversial documentary about the Los Angeles hard-core punk rock scene circa 1980. The work remains a bracing historical and musical record of that culture, mixing outrageous performances and whirling mosh-pits with far more restrained interviews.
    "East of Eden" (1955): Director Elia Kazan and screenwriter Paul Osborn fashioned John Steinbeck's classic Cain-and-Abel allegory into a screen actor's showcase. Kazan capitalizes on the teen angst theme popular in the '50s and artfully builds tension between the troubled, rebellious Cal (James Dean) vying against good brother Aron (Richard Davalos) for the love of their taciturn father (Raymond Massey).
    "Funny Girl" (1968): Reprising her Tony-winning performance as legendary singer-comedienne Fanny Brice, Barbra Streisand's impressive vocal talent and understated acting, as guided by distinguished veteran director William Wyler, earned her an Academy Award for her screen debut.
    "Life of an American Fireman" (1903): A seminal work in American cinema, among the most innovative in terms of editing, storytelling and the relationship between shots. Edwin S. Porter was an influential pioneer in the development of early American cinema and this provides a superb snapshot of how advanced U.S. filmmaking had become. Porter followed up several months later with The Great Train Robbery.
    "The Lion King" (1994): The story of a young lion cub destined to become King of the Jungle, but first exiled by his evil uncle. Like Disney’s beloved Bambi, this seamlessly blends innovative animation with excellent voice-actors and catchy, now-classic songs by Elton John and Tim Rice.
    "Lost Horizon" (1937): Frank Capra’s big-budget romantic fantasy, based on the James Hilton novel. A dashing diplomat (Ronald Colman) and a group of plane passengers are kidnapped and taken for mysterious reasons to a remote valley in the Himalayas where they find a seemingly blissful paradise, Shangri-La.
    "Musketeers of Pig Alley" (1912): Considered the first gangster film, this 17-minute early work by director D.W. Griffith is also noteworthy for employing several innovative camera techniques. The cast members, filmed with such revolutionary camerawork, included Lillian Gish, her sister Dorothy, as well as Lionel Barrymore, Donald Crisp, Harry Carey and Antonio Moreno, all of whom would go on to long careers in sound films.
    "Paris Is Burning" (1990): A vibrant time capsule of New York’s ballroom subculture in the '80s. The film explores the complex fashion shows and vogue dance competitions among black and Hispanic gay men, drag queens and transgender women in Manhattan.
    "Point Blank" (1967): Based on a novel by Donald Westlake (writing as Richard Stark), this tense, stylish thriller from director John Boorman opens with Walker (Lee Marvin) getting double-crossed by a mobster friend (John Vernon) while conducting a crime on Alcatraz Island. Shot, left for dead, and now missing $93,000, Marvin soon learns that his wife was also romantically involved with Vernon.
    "The Princess Bride" (1987): Adapting his popular 1973 novel for the screen, William Goldman collaborated with director Rob Reiner to craft a lighthearted parody of classic fairy tales that retains the writer’s wit and memorable characters and adds bravura performances and a barrage of oft-quoted dialogue. It is a joyride filled with assorted storybook figures.
    "Putney Swope" (1969): Writer-director Robert Downey Sr.'s surrealistic satire of Madison Avenue and black power. A cult classic from an earlier time, Downey's wildly irreverent underground breakout film presents hilarious vignettes of an ad agency takeover by black nationalists.
    "Rushmore" (1998): Director Wes Anderson's indie film remains a cultural milestone of Gen X and millennials. A geeky misfit (Jason Schwartzman) tries to escape the stigma of being wildly unpopular at Rushmore Academy by becoming the king of extracurricular activities. He makes bizarre, unsuccessful attempts to woo an elementary schoolteacher (Olivia Williams) and has a chaotic, up-and-down relationship with a wealthy businessman-mentor (Bill Murray).
    "Solomon Sir Jones films" (1924-28): Solomon Sir Jones was a Baptist minister and businessman who also had an important career as an accomplished amateur filmmaker. Jones was born in Tennessee to former slaves and grew up in the South before moving to Oklahoma in 1889. Solomon Sir Jones films consists of 29 silent black-and-white films documenting African-American communities in Oklahoma from 1924 to 1928. They contain 355 minutes of footage shot with then-new 16-mm cameras.
    "Steamboat Bill, Jr." (1928): Opens with ship captain Steamboat Bill (Ernest Torrence) awaiting the arrival of his long-unseen son (Buster Keaton) whom he hopes to groom as his successor. Keaton, fresh from Boston schooling, turns out to be a dandy wearing a striped blazer and sporting a ukulele. Impatient parent Torrence wearily begins the daunting makeover. The film is remembered for its breath-stopping stunts and cyclone finale.
    "Suzanne, Suzanne" (1982): This insightful 30-minute documentary profiles a young black woman, Suzanne Browning, as she confronts a legacy of physical abuse and its role in her descent into substance abuse. Directed by Browning's aunt Camille Billops and James Hatch, this film essay captures the essence of a black middle-class family in crisis.
    "Thelma & Louise" (1991): Screenwriter Callie Khouri began her script with a single-sentence premise: Two women go on a crime spree. Anchored by two career-defining performances from Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis (and a breakout early appearance by Brad Pitt), this skillfully contrasts action-movie themes with a social commentary before building to an unforgettable climax. Directed by Ridley Scott, it has become a symbol of feminism.
    "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" (1916): Directed by Stuart Paton, the film was touted as the first submarine photoplay. Universal spent freely on location, shooting in the Bahamas and building life-size props, including the submarine, and taking two years to film. Based on Jules Verne's novel and to a lesser extent The Mysterious Island. The real star of the film is its special effects. Although they may seem primitive by today's standards, 100 years ago they dazzled contemporary audiences.
    "A Walk in the Sun" (1945): The film (adapted by Robert Rossen from the Harry Brown novel) tells the story of the struggle a platoon faces after surviving a beach landing near Salerno, Italy, and then having to fight their way a few miles toward a bridge and fortified farmhouse held by the Nazis. It forgoes the usual focus of war movies on fierce battle scenes for an episodic, perceptive character study, interspersed with sharp, random bursts of violence.
    "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" (1988): Introduced a new sense of realism into the interactions between cartoons and live-action characters on screen. Set in a 1940s Hollywood where cartoon characters are real, a private investigator (Bob Hoskins) is hired to prove the innocence of the accused murderer and uncontrollably crazy 'toon' Roger Rabbit, with memorable appearances by Roger’s voluptuous wife, Jessica Rabbit (voiced by Kathleen Turner). The film embodies Disney’s high-quality animation, Warner Bros.' character design and Tex Avery's sense of humor.
     
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  2. usscouse

    usscouse BigSoccer Supporter

    May 3, 2002
    Orygun coast
    So, starwars. " Rogue One" Opens soon so, I thought I'd see if I could find out how Rey and Finn sort out life after the big fight and how Luke Skywalker's appearance influenced the next movie.

    As it turns out it's sweet FA. That movie is lost in the future of this. "Stand alone Prequel." First of a new series of stand alone episodes.

    I kinda liked Rey , cute in a granddaughter way. well aren't movies about imagination. !!! Finn was OK but in a pudgy none hero way.

    But I digress. Rogue One starts with the rebel spies acquiring the plans for the Death Star. That means we'll have original storm troopers and X-wing fighters. Then biggest of all were going to have James Earl Jones back as... Him!!!

    Then talking of Rey, from the future. Hints are that Rey's mom will feature in this, with a bit of a stretch in the timeline.

    So, I was going to skip this one, after the last. But I think I've changed my mind. :)

    image.jpg
     
  3. Dr. Wankler

    Dr. Wankler Member+

    May 2, 2001
    The Electric City
    Club:
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    Two months since our last random thought? Actually, this isn't a thought because I haven't really thought about "what movie best captures the 70s?" But I give my assent to this article: it's Slap Shot.

    http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/why-slap-shot-is-the-perfect-1970s-sports-movie-w468651

    I've probably seen a dozen hockey games in the arena where they filmed Charlestown Chiefs games.

    Nowadays, it's rightly considered a sports-movie classic, and it’s hard to find a self-respecting hockey fan who can't rattle off a few choice lines from the Hanson Brothers — the child-like goons played by professional hockey players David Hanson, Jeff Carlson and Steve Carlson — at the slightest provocation. But there’s far more to this near-perfect puck opera than bloody brawls or sidesplitting antics. No other sports film of the 1970s so brilliantly captures the downbeat look and feel of its era, while also realistically rendering the lives of its subjects, both on the field (or ice, in this case) and off.

    Much of its innate authenticity is due to an excellent script by Nancy Dowd, who based the story (and its eyebrow-singeing dialogue) on her brother Ned's brief career as a minor league hockey player. Her sibling, who makes a brief appearance in the film as the dreaded enforcer Ogie Ogilthorpe, played for the Johnstown Jets of the North American Hockey League; at his sister's behest, he often set up a tape recorder in the Jets' locker room and on team bus rides, in order to capture the hilarious off-color repartee of his teammates. While Slap Shot's violence is certainly reminiscent of the brutal brand of play that characterized the NHL during the mid-1970s – as epitomized by the ruthless Philadelphia Flyers, a.k.a. the "Broad Street Bullies" – all of the film's fight scenes, even the one where the Hansons charge into the crowd in search of a guy who hit one of them with a set of keys, were based on actual incidents involving the Jets.

    But Dowd's script also accurately depicts the crushing tedium of life in the minors. Slap Shot’s Charlestown Chiefs spend most of their downtime in seedy dives, diners and motel rooms, watching game shows or soap operas while drinking away their boredom and dreaming of better things. (In the words of Brad Sullivan’s delightfully sleazy Morris Wanchuk, "Here's to all that gorgeous snatch in F-L-A!") The Chiefs' wives have it even worse; at least their husbands get to work out their frustrations on the ice. As Shirley Upton (Swoosie Kurtz) puts it, "I only drink in the afternoon. Or before a game. Or when Johnny's away."​

     
  4. riverplate

    riverplate Member+

    Jan 1, 2003
    Corona, Queens
    Club:
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    Kino Lorber -- not to mention others, such as Olive, Shout Factory, the MOD studio archive collections and, of course, Criterion -- have been releasing so much great stuff on DVD and BluRay lately it's almost impossible to keep up. My wallet is screaming! I almost fainted when this promo just came out. The exciting OSS 117 EuroSpy thrillers from the 60s are finally seeing the light of day...

    [​IMG]
     
  5. riverplate

    riverplate Member+

    Jan 1, 2003
    Corona, Queens
    Club:
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    This is unbelievable...

    [​IMG]

    'Fate of the Furious' Nabs $100.2M in U.S.; Record $532.5M Global Start - Hollywood Reporter
    http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ne...abs-1002m-us-record-5325m-global-start-994377
     
  6. riverplate

    riverplate Member+

    Jan 1, 2003
    Corona, Queens
    Club:
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    'Avatar' Sequels Book Release Dates, Starting in December 2020 - The Wrap
    http://www.thewrap.com/avatar-sequels-new-release-dates/
     
  7. Matrim55

    Matrim55 Member+

    Aug 14, 2000
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  8. Belgian guy

    Belgian guy Member+

    Club Brugge
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    Aug 19, 2002
    Belgium
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    Awesome. :ROFLMAO:
     
  9. Bazi

    Bazi Member+

    Jan 15, 2009
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    The misses brought home an Asian movie called "In the mood for love" and it was a really good drama. Now I really have to check out the director because I already liked Chungking Express.
     
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  10. riverplate

    riverplate Member+

    Jan 1, 2003
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    This pathetic picture indicates what passes for Hollywood royalty in this day and age. The 81-year-old Burt Reynolds is almost incapable of walking anymore, but he still managed to be better dressed than the other two slobs. To show how sad the Tribeca Film Festival is this year, the most anticipated event is the closing night screening of the first two Godfather films followed by a reunion of the surviving cast. Let's hope they show up looking respectable, instead of like they just spent a night in a homeless shelter.

    [​IMG]
     
  11. Belgian guy

    Belgian guy Member+

    Club Brugge
    Belgium
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    That's a modern classic. :)
     
  12. Belgian guy

    Belgian guy Member+

    Club Brugge
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    Is Chevy Chase that sweaty or just wet from the rain? :eek:
     
  13. riverplate

    riverplate Member+

    Jan 1, 2003
    Corona, Queens
    Club:
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    [​IMG]

    Jeff Goldblum Joins 'Jurassic World' Sequel
    - Hollywood Reporter
    http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/jeff-goldblum-joins-jurassic-world-sequel-997569
     
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  14. riverplate

    riverplate Member+

    Jan 1, 2003
    Corona, Queens
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    #540 riverplate, May 10, 2017
    Last edited: May 10, 2017
    Blade Runner 2049 ...
    There are still pages left in this story.

     
  15. riverplate

    riverplate Member+

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  16. Val1

    Val1 Member+

    Arsenal
    Mar 12, 2004
    MD's Eastern Shore
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  17. Dr. Wankler

    Dr. Wankler Member+

    May 2, 2001
    The Electric City
    Club:
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    Just skimming the article and I came across a mention of a documentary about the league made by Kelly Candaele, whose mother played in the league. Kelly's brother is former MLB journeyman Casey Candaele. When his mother visited the Astros' clubhouse shortly after he joined the team, Casey heard his mother giving Astro slugger Jeff Bagwell a hard time because she used a heavier bat than she did back in the day.
     
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  18. LastBoyscout

    LastBoyscout Member+

    Mar 6, 2013
    I'm happy Denis Villeneuve is doing this movie and not Riddley Scott. But they really should have ditched Harrison Ford too.
     
  19. riverplate

    riverplate Member+

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    Corona, Queens
    Club:
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    Opens in theaters on Friday, September 1 for a one-week run.

    [​IMG]

    Close Encounters Of The Third Kind - 40th Anniversary - Hollywood Reporter
    http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/be...rd-kind-2017-4k-restoration-explained-1033691
    After a long and exhaustive restoration effort, a new 4K version of Steven Spielberg’s sci-fi epic Close Encounters of the Third Kind is heading back to theaters Friday, just in time to mark the classic's 40th anniversary.

    Following a one-week theatrical run, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will release the new restoration on a 3-disc 4K Ultra HD and a limited-edition 3-disc 4K Ultra HD “Light and Sound” gift set, and in HD on a 2-disc remastered Blu-ray. Both the Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD releases include three restored versions of the film, including the original 1977 theatrical version, the 1980 Special Edition and the 1997 Director’s Cut.

    The version that is being re-released theatrically is the final 1997 Director's Cut, which is a re-edit of the 1977 version as well as some elements from the 1980 Special Edition, although it omits scenes inside the mothership, which Spielberg introduced in the 1980 version but later decided were a mistake.
     
  20. riverplate

    riverplate Member+

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    Corona, Queens
    Club:
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    [​IMG]

    Linda Hamilton To Return To 'Terminator' Franchise
    - Variety
    http://variety.com/2017/film/news/linda-hamilton-back-terminator-sequel-trilogy-1202564622/
     
  21. riverplate

    riverplate Member+

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    Corona, Queens
    Club:
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    'Blade Runner 2049' Sputters At Box Office - N.Y. Daily News
    http://www.nydailynews.com/entertai...ox-office-weak-31-5-million-article-1.3549286
     
  22. Dr. Wankler

    Dr. Wankler Member+

    May 2, 2001
    The Electric City
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    We were at a multiplex for a Live HD transmission of something non-Blade Runner related on Saturday. We arrived early to allow for longer lines at the ticket window and concessions. There were none.

    We just assumed our metroplex was unusual. I guess not.
     
  23. riverplate

    riverplate Member+

    Jan 1, 2003
    Corona, Queens
    Club:
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    [​IMG]

    James Cameron's 'Titanic' Lands 20th Anniversary Re-release In Theaters
    - Hollywood Reporter
    https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/n...nds-20th-anniversary-release-theaters-1058456
     
  24. riverplate

    riverplate Member+

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    Corona, Queens
    Club:
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    #550 riverplate, Dec 13, 2017
    Last edited: Dec 13, 2017
    2017 National Film Registry selections announced...

    2017 NFR Is More Than A Field Of Dreams; Titanic, Superman Among Titles - Library of Congress
    https://www.loc.gov/item/prn-17-178...ry-is-more-than-a-field-of-dreams/2017-12-13/
    "Ace in the Hole" (aka "Big Carnival") (1951): A deeply cynical look at journalism. Features Kirk Douglas as a once-famous New York reporter, now a down-and-out has-been in Albuquerque. Douglas plots a return to national prominence by milking the story of a man trapped in a Native American cave dwelling as a riveting human-interest story, complete with a tourist-laden, carnival atmosphere outside the rescue scene. Based on the infamous 1925 case of Kentucky cave explorer Floyd Collins. A critical and commercial failure, which later led Paramount to reissue the film under a new title.
    "Boulevard Nights" (1979): Had its genesis in a screenplay by UCLA student Desmond Nakano about Mexican-American youth and the lowrider culture. Director Michael Pressman and cinematographer John Bailey shot the film in the barrios of East Los Angeles with the active participation of the local community, including car clubs and gang members.
    "Die Hard" (1988): Bruce Willis stars as a New York cop who faces off, alone, against a team of terrorists inside a high-tech, high-rise Los Angeles office tower. Gripping action sequences and well-crafted humor made this film a huge hit and launched Willis as a major box-office star. Alan Rickman, as witty insouciant terrorist and exceptional thief Hans Gruber, serves as Willis’ memorable foe.
    "Dumbo" (1941): Disney’s charming animation finds a perfect subject in this tale of a little elephant with oversize ears who lacks a certain confidence until he learns — with the help of a friendly mouse — that his giant lobes enable him to fly. Disney’s fourth feature film gained immediate classic status thanks to its lovely drawing, original score and enduring message of always believing in yourself.
    "Field of Dreams" (1989): Iowa farmer Kevin Costner one day hears a voice telling him to turn a small corner of his land into a baseball diamond: If you build it, they will come. They are the 1919 Black Sox team led by the legendary Shoeless Joe Jackson. Although ostensibly about the great American pastime, baseball here serves as a metaphor for more profound issues.
    "4 Little Girls" (1997): Documentary concerning America’s civil rights struggle. Revisits the horrific story of the young children who died in the 1963 firebombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. Director Spike Lee combines his experience in fiction filmmaking with documentary techniques, sensitively rendered interviews, photos and home movies to tell the story.
    "Fuentes Family Home Movies Collection" (1920s-1930s): Longtime Corpus Christi, Texas, residents Antonio Rodríguez Fuentes (1895-1988) and Josefina Barrera Fuentes (1898-1993) were very active in their local Mexican-American community. Their collection of home movies are among the earliest visual records of the Mexican-American community in Texas. The images provide a priceless snapshot of time and place, including parades, holidays, fashions and the rituals of daily life.
    "Gentleman’s Agreement" (1947): Won the Academy Award for best picture. One of the first films to directly explore the topic of religious-based discrimination. Philip Green (Gregory Peck), a Gentile, is a renowned magazine writer. In order to obtain firsthand knowledge of anti-Semitism, he decides to pose as a Jew. What he discovers about society, and even his own friends and colleagues, radically alters his perspective and throws his own life into turmoil. Elia Kazan film based on a book by Laura Z. Hobson.
    "The Goonies" (1985): Fingerprints of executive producer Steven Spielberg visibly mark every second, with the plot sporting a narrative structure and many themes characteristic of his work. Spielberg penned the original story, hand-selected director Richard Donner and hired Chris Columbus to do the offbeat screenplay. With its keen focus on kids of agency and adventure, the protagonists are Tom Sawyeresque outsiders on a magical treasure hunt.
    "Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner" (1967): Spencer Tracy’s last film and the second film for which Katharine Hepburn would win an Academy Award for best actress. Hepburn and Tracy play an older married couple whose progressiveness is challenged when their daughter (Katharine Houghton) brings home a new fiancé, who happens to be black. Celebrated actor Sidney Poitier plays the young man with his customary on-screen charisma, fire and grace.
    "He Who Gets Slapped" (1924): One of the earliest “creepy clown” movies. The first film produced completely by the MGM studio. Features Lon Chaney in a memorable role as a scientist who is humiliated when a rival and his wife steal his ideas just as he is to present them to the Academy of Sciences. He then becomes a masochistic circus clown where the highlight of his act is being repeatedly slapped. This landmark film from the silent era was directed by Victor Sjöström (newly arrived from Sweden) and also features Norma Shearer and John Gilbert, each on the cusp of stardom.
    "Interior New York Subway, 14th Street to 42nd Street" (1905): Early actuality film documents New York City’s newest marvel, the subway, less than seven months after its opening. It required coordinating three trains: the one we watch, the one carrying the camera and a third (glimpsed on the parallel track) to carry a bank of lights. The artistic flair is the vision of legendary cameraman G.W. “Billy” Bitzer.
    "La Bamba" (1987): Biopic of the life of rock star Ritchie Valens. Directed by Luis Valdez, the film charts Valens’ meteoric rise as a musician and his tragic death at age 17 in a 1959 plane crash, along with Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper. Lou Diamond Phillips stars as Valens.
    "Lives of Performers" (1972): Originally part of a dance performance choreographed by Yvonne Rainer. A stark and revealing examination of romantic alliances about the dilemma of a man who can't choose between two women and makes them both suffer. Rainer studied dance at the Martha Graham School. Much like other choreographers of her era, Rainer sought to blur the stark line separating dancers from non-dancers.
    "Memento" (2000): This innovative detective-murder, psychological puzzle tells its story in non-linear stops and starts in order to put the audience in a position approximating the hero’s short-term amnesia. Guy Pearce tries to avenge his wife’s murder but his anterograde amnesia forces him to rely on sticky notes, tattoos and Polaroids. Director Christopher Nolan’s breakthrough film.
    "Only Angels Have Wings" (1939): Considered the quintessential Howard Hawks male melodrama. Stars Cary Grant as the tough-talking head of a cut-rate air freight company in the Andes. Grant has a dangerous business to run and spurns romantic entanglements, fearing women blanch at the inherent danger. Displaced showgirl Jean Arthur arrives and tries to prove him wrong. Along with sparkling dialogue from Grant, Arthur and renowned character actor Thomas Mitchell, the film captivates with dazzling air sequences featuring landings on canyon rims, vertiginous ups and downs and perilous flights through foggy mountain passes.
    "The Sinking of the Lusitania" (1918): Newspaper cartoonist Winsor McCay produced this propaganda short (combining animation, editorial cartoon and live-action documentary techniques) to stir Americans into action after a German submarine sank the British liner RMS Lusitania in 1915, killing 1,198 passengers and crew, including 128 Americans. McCay was upset with the isolationist sentiment present in the country and at his employer, the Hearst newspapers chain. It took McCay nearly two years working on his own to produce the film, debuting a year after America entered the war.
    "Spartacus" (1960): Among the mega epics being produced by Hollywood at the time, this film stands out for its sheer grandeur and remarkable cast (Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, Jean Simmons, Charles Laughton, Peter Ustinov), as well as Stanley Kubrick’s masterful direction. The film is also credited with helping to end the notorious Hollywood blacklist of the 1950s – producer Douglas hired then-blacklisted writer Dalton Trumbo to author the script, which was based on a book by another blacklisted author, Howard Fast.
    "Superman" (1978): Richard Donner’s treatment of the famous superhero was not the first time the character had been on the big screen. Kirk Alyn played the role back in a 1948 serial and George Reeves appeared in both theatrical and TV versions in the 1950s. However, for many, Christopher Reeve remains the definitive Man of Steel. Recounts Superman’s journey to Earth as a boy, his move from Smallville to Metropolis and his emergence as a true American hero. Beautiful in its sweep, score and special effects, which create a sense of awe and wonder.
    "Thelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser" (1988): Charlotte Zwerin’s insightful documentary of the jazz pianist-composer Thelonious Monk blends together interviews with those who knew him best and riveting concert performances, many shot in the 1960s by Christian Blackwood.
    "Time and Dreams" (1976): A unique and personal elegiac approach to the civil rights movement. Created by Mort Jordan, a student at Temple University, as a personal journey back to his Alabama home where he contrasts two societies through vignettes and personal testimonies: the nostalgia some residents have for past values versus the deferred dreams of those who are well past waiting for their time to fully participate in the promise of their own dreams.
    "Titanic" (1997): James Cameron’s epic told the story of the great maritime disaster and made mega-stars of both its leads, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. Their upstairs-downstairs romance transported the audience to another world and time via spectacular sweeping scenes in the bow of the ship and beyond. The film cost $200 million to produce, leading many to predict a historic box office disaster, but it became one of the top-grossing films of all-time and a cultural touchstone of the era.
    "To Sleep with Anger" (1990): An evocative domestic drama about the effect storyteller/trickster Danny Glover has on the various members of a black family. More than just a portrait of contemporary black society, it’s a story of cultural differences between parents and children of how individuals learn (or don’t learn) from experience, and of how there should be no place for those who cause violence and strife. Director Charles Burnett has carved out a distinctive and exalted niche in American independent cinema.
    "Wanda" (1971): Film and TV actress Barbara Loden wrote and directed this affecting and insightful character study about an uneducated, passive woman from the coal-mining region of Pennsylvania, where the cinema verite-like film was shot. The title character possesses critically low self-esteem, leaves her kids and husband and then drifts aimlessly into a series of one-night stands and a dangerous relationship with a bank robber.
    "With the Abraham Lincoln Brigade in Spain" (1937-1938): This advocacy documentary about the Lincoln Brigade was shot during the Spanish Civil War to raise funds for bringing wounded American volunteers home. Some 2,800 Americans enlisted in the International Brigades to fight against fascism in defense of the Spanish Republic. The film was directed by Henri Cartier-Bresson with Herbert Kline and additional photography was provided by Jacques Lemare and Robert Capa.
     
    Dr. Wankler repped this.

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