Posted on November 22, 2018 at 7:00 am
My favorite Thanksgiving movie is “What’s Cooking?”
And everyone should listen to Arlo Guthrie’s classic “Alice’s Restaurant,” which tells the story of one Thanksgiving that led to an arrest for…garbage.
Have a peaceful and grateful Thanksgiving, everyone!
Posted on November 11, 2018 at 12:03 am
As we commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of The Great War, later dubbed World War I, it is time to remember the heroes, the sacrifices, the world-changing geopolitics that resulted.
Some of the best movies about or set in WWI.
Sergeant York Gary Cooper won an Oscar for his portrayal of WWI hero Alvin York, the pacifist from the hills of Tennessee who carried out one of the most extraordinary missions in military history using lessons from his life on a farm. He captured 132 men by himself, still a record for a single soldier. In addition to the exciting story of his heroism in war, this is also the thoughtful story of his spiritual journey. He is a pacifist, opposed to fighting of any kind. By thinking of what he is doing as saving lives, he is able to find the inspiration and resolve for this historic achievement.
Wonder Woman Gal Gadot and Chris Pine star in this DC superhero origin story set during WWI. Yes, it is fiction and fantasy, but the plot line about poison gas is based in reality.
War Horse A horse named Joey goes him back and forth between the British and the German forces and, for a short idyllic time, a respite with a frail but brave little French girl and her affectionate Grandfather. The horse can switch sides in a way that a human cannot, and the movie makes clear the difference between the soldiers who are taken prisoner and shot and the animals who are inherently neutral and thus commoditized. The brutality of war affects the human characters differently as we see in their responses to the animal.
Paths of Glory Stanley Kubrick’s anti-war film is the story of a French general who orders his troops on a suicide mission. General Mireau (George MacReady) is willing to sacrifice his men to enhance his own reputation. Against his better judgment, Colonel Dax (Kirk Douglas) leads the charge. After the defeat, Mireau blames the men and demands that three soldiers be randomly selected to be executed as an example to rest of the troops. This powerful, fact-based absurdity-of-war film was banned outright in France for several years.
Oh What a Lovely War John Lennon stars in this WWI-set musical satire that was a commentary on all wars, especially the Vietnam conflict.
Flyboys Airplanes and movies were brand new technology and there have been more WWI air battles on film than there were in real life. This is the story of Americans who became the first American fighter pilots, volunteering in France before the US entered the war.
Posted on October 25, 2018 at 8:00 am
Halloween gives kids a thrilling opportunity to act out their dreams and pretend to be characters with great power. But it can also be scary and even overwhelming for the littlest trick-or-treaters. An introduction to the holiday with videos from trusted friends can help make them feel comfortable and excited about even the spookier aspects of the holiday.
Kids ages 3-5 will enjoy Barney’s Halloween Party
Witches in Stitches
Kids from 7-11 will enjoy the classic It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
Older children will appreciate The Witches
Two recent favorites, ParaNorman and Monster House, should become a Halloween tradition. Frankenweenie, Igor, and the Hotel Transylvania series are also a lot of fun.
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Happy Halloween!
Posted on July 2, 2018 at 8:00 am
Every year I look forward to the magnificent concert in front of the US Capitol Building on the 4th of July, broadcast on PBS. I’ve even been lucky enough to see it in person a couple of times.
This year, the Capitol Fourth concert features the Beach Boys, violinist Joshua Bell, Jimmy Buffett with the cast of his Broadway musical Margaritaville, opera star Renee Fleming, a capella all-stars Pentatonix, Broadway legend Chita Rivera, gospel legend CeCe Winans, the US Army Herald Trumpets, and “Pershing’s Own,” the magnificent US Army Band. Plus fireworks!
Here’s a reminder of last year’s concert.
Happy 4th!
Posted on July 1, 2018 at 6:18 pm
Independence Day Will Smith, Bill Pullman, and Jeff Goldblum star in one of the all-time great popcorn pleasures. Aliens attack the earth and it takes a quirky engineer, a plucky President, and a heroic military pilot to save the day. What does that have to do with the 4th of July? Listen to the President’s stirring pep talk.
The Patriot There are many films about the Civil War, but not many about the Revolutionary War. Mel Gibson stars in this uneven but stirring film about a farmer pulled into the rebellion.
1776 I love this film, based on the Broadway musical about the signing of the Declaration of Independence, with almost all of the stars from the acclaimed stage production, including William Daniels as the “obnoxious and disliked” John Adams, Ken Howard as a dashing Thomas Jefferson, and Howard Da Silva as Benjamin Franklin.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJmNnEPZHW8And don’t forget Schoolhouse Rock!
