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The last films viewed as a single man...

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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!

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