KEITH'S MOVIE NOTES

KEITH'S MOVIE NOTES

These are miscellaneous notes on movies I have seen or friends have recommended. Not polished (yet).

The Big Country
Recommended by friends, no detail given.

Back to School, with Rodney Dangerfield
(successful father pushing son to return to school agrees to attend with him to complete high school)

Blueberry Hill
A teenage girl matures in a small hill town and moves on to seek her fame and fortune. Romance, family challenges.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Friends praise this movie/video game/? because the good characters pursue their values.

Chocolat

"Chocolat" is about pursuing pleasure, doing your own thing, living--and dying-- by your own values, paying the price for nonconformity, and finding a balance between individuality and a sense of belonging. And, of course, it's about chocolate!" - Lisa

Crocodile Dundee
Who can resist adventure and romance in the outback?

The Crossing
of the river by George Washington
recommended by friends as a heroic story of smarts against overwhelming odds

Die Hard
A good tale of perserverence. Rather gory, and having the usual affectations by Bruce Willis.

Endless Summer
Essentially a travelogue of great surfing around the world - incredible beaches.

ET
Is science fiction any less hokey? :-) But a good story of effort, in the face of extreme uncertainty.

Flight Plan
A thriller set on a trans-oceanic flight of a large airplane.

Hellfighters
John Wayne and youngers in a tale of struggle against oil well fires and romantic decisions.

Hunt for Red October
Submarine cold war thriller. Well done by the same director as The Thomas Crown Affair and Die Hard, John McTiernan. Music by Basil Poledouris. Good cast including Sean Connery and James Earl Jones. Some operational parts of this film are best viewed in widescreen format.
(Translation of some of the chorus.)
(Great quotes from the movie.)

Insomnia
"You wouldn't know it from the commercials or previews, but "Insomnia," starring Al Pacino, Robin Williams, and Hilary Swank, is an ode to honesty and integrity. The movie's theme is, quite bluntly, when you try to fake reality, for *whatever* reason, people die. The movie also effectively portrays the epistemological slippery slope you start sliding down when you decide to lie.
It's a moody, atmospheric film produced .... - Lisa

Love Letters
Ayn Rand wrote the screenplay for this tale of love letters set in England during WWII.
(Often seen on cable TV, and available on video.)

My Dog Skip
A boy growing up during WW II - choosing between competing "values", observing people's attempts to cope with life.

The Name of the Rose
Recommended by friends, may be hard to find on video.

October Sky
Tale of high school boys expanding their horizons by experimenting with rockets in an isolated coal mining town.

Remains of the Day
Friends recommend this movie for its exploration of loyalty and values forgone. Probably sad. Set in England during WWII, with servants and a nobleman as main characters.

Serenity
Based on the Firefly series on TV. A "space western" in the broad sense. Adventure, substantial violence, good overall values.

Shawshank Redemption
A prison movie, thus harsh, but worthwhile - shows good values (and the results of good and bad values).

Shreck
A delightful movie, for adults as well as kids. (Adults will chuckle at many quick side references and use of terms that wouldn't mean anything to a 20 year old let along a kid.)

Strictly Ballroom
Lots of dancing, of course, in this story of how a top ranked amateur dancer takes an unknown as his new partner, innovates in style, and beats out the scheming establishment.

Stuart Little
Despite its hokey premise it is an entertaining movie with good values.

The Usual Suspects
Objective friends recommend it, I do not know much about it.

White Heat
A drama of love and murder in Rhodesia during WW II.
A sad tale, but noteable for the factors differentiating a successful farmer from an unsuccessful one. The romantic leads are attractive.

TELEVISON
I'm impressed by some British productions, apparently out of ITV's Yorkshire operations.
Of note:
- Heartbeat, a police show set in a small town in a rural area
- The Royal, an old hospital
- A Touch of Frost, a detective show (a more refined version of Columbo)
- Inspector Morse, a chief inspector who likes opera. But plots in the two-hour version are too involved.)
I'm impressed by the characterization and plots of these human dramas.
OTOH, I've encountered another of the horrid British comedies where people are bumbling fools and the jokes are DUMB. If you remember Faulty Towers you'll know to avoid Putting on Appearances.

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