Skip to main content

The last films viewed as a single man...

Image
By
I am finally stepping up to the plate and writing briefly about the films I viewed before the marriage happened. Since August 12 I have seen many other films (more than I can think of right now) and will not worry about writing about ever single one of those. However, I will begin the habit again of writing!!


This was a new addition to my educational documentary film rage I have been on in the recent months. Unlike The Lottery and Waiting For Superman, Whatever It Takes follows the story of one administrator and one of his students. There was much less about schools as a whole, and more about how this guy was full of grit and fuel. Like the other films I have seen it motivated me to be an educator, but the film was less powerful and emotionally stimulating as the others. I thought it was ok, but I now better understand why it was not popping up as the first option on Netflix for someone interested in educational documentaries.

So it has been said that is perhaps one of the best films of all time. Certainly it is one of both John Ford's and John Wayne's best, and yet I think I am seriously lacking in taste or understanding to fully agree with past critics that this is the best ever made. The Searchers did something I haven't seen too many westerns (at least ones made prior to the 60's) do, and that was to show the psychological side of both natives and whites. John Wayne was actually pretty dark, he did not glow as most western heros of the time did. I felt that this film epitomized the western genre in that it wandered, it suffered, at times it appeared there was no ending, and it drifted. In fact, the very experience in watching this film could, perhaps, be identified with the nature of the west - large and daunting, mysteriously beautiful, distant but yet also familiar.

The Freshman was a film I have been wanting to see for a while. After seeing Matthew Broderick in Glory I was happy to see him here in this comedy. Marlon Brando was hilarious as the "God Father" and the whole film school thing was so funny. This was a great comedy from the 80's that I am surprised I haven't seen earlier. There is a good twist ending too!

All I can say is - THIS FILM IS AWESOME!

How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying is a slightly disturbing, humorous, and sarcastic musical about a fellow who bribes and brown noses his way to the top of a massive corporation. I thought of Trent as I watched this and wondered if he had any insights to this and if some of the scenes were particularly more funny because he has spent a significant amount of time in Corporate America. Daniel Radcliffe will be staring in this same story on Broadway in the not-too-distant future. Woot woot!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hinckley's Two Month Update

By
I can't believe it has only been two months since Hinckley joined our family! It feels like a lot longer than that and he is growing so big way too fast! At his two month check-up today, he weighed 13 lb 12 oz and was 26 1/4 inches long. Apparently he is so tall that he is off the medical charts for his age. Hinckley is such a happy, easy-going baby. He smiles, laughs, and coos a lot. Having him in our family is so fun because he helps us realize the joy of everything once again. He smiles at bright colors or new sounds, enjoys kisses and cuddling, and squeals in delight at seeing nature when we take walks. Yesterday at church it was like he had a rubber neck; for about five minutes he just kept turning back and forth to take it all in--the sights, sounds, and smells. Today he had to get three shots at the doctor's office and even that didn't phase him for long. Oh he screamed and his face got redder than I have ever seen it. I held him and fed him afterwards and then ...
2 comments
Read more

So begins our stay in DC

By
I will try to keep a fairly good record of our exploits and adventures here in the Nation's capital. It is exciting and I am particularly happy about the amazing opportunities there are for pictures! Our trip began at the bus stop outside of the Barlow Center. I took an exterior shot of the Center - the top 2.5 windows on the right are ours. Once on the bus we went past some of the "Occupy" folk which was interesting. And then we came to our stop just outside of Union Station (where I will also be getting off to work at the FJC). Our first grand site was the Capital. So here we are. Washington DC is very different for both Kass and I, but we are finding a way to call it home as quickly as we can. Our first full day in DC consisted of going to Safeway on the bus, eating a modest lunch, and then going to the the Mall for the second time. We began at the capital building and headed towards the Lincoln Memorial (2 miles) before walking home another 2 miles or so. Our first st...
5 comments
Read more

Dishes

By
It is that time of day when the house is quiet, the table is half covered in pots, pans, and tuber ware with food scattered across. The car isn’t in the garage and the dog lies sleeping on the blue blanket. The sun lies somewhere back there, behind the cloud over those mountains. It makes some nice gold colors on the rocky face of the mountains outside of the window. I guess it is so nice because at this time of year there is a lot of plants and flowers in the back yard so the gold makes it seem sort of dreamlike. Yeah, I’ll do em I guess. Call it being nice or being bored. Does it matter? Approaching the sink I am nipped by the denting smell. The eggshells, scraps of mango, carrot peel, and chunks of tofu drip in my fingers. Oh yes, the trash is under the sink these days. Drip once, drip twice on the floor. The water in the frying pan trembles, shaking the crusty flakes of burnt egg. Yogurt and peanu...
7 comments
Read more