This challenge will run from 12:01 AM 1 June until 11:59 PM 30 June.
Movies and TV content specifically about a historical figure, event or period are eligible.
2 hours TV content (based upon broadcast, not run, time) = 1 entry
The initial premise was to combine War and Western challenges, and those are the primary focuses here. You're welcome to expand to include biographies, documentaries, even "costume dramas."
Regarding specific films, I would suggest--and this goes for any questions--that you ask about a specific film in the discussion thread (http://forum.dvdtalk.com/dvd-talk/601871-verily-behold-third-annual-historical-appreciation-challenge-upon-us.html) and see what feedback you get from others who have seen it. If you don't get anything helpful, I would say if you feel that you have a sufficient reason to believe that it's an appropriate selection then go ahead and watch it. If it turns out not to really fit the nature of this challenge, go ahead and share those thoughts with us.
Lastly, many of the films at the heart of this challenge have considerable run times, so even though there's always a sort of de facto goal of hitting 100 movies watched, it's not really expected here. We'd much rather you take this opportunity to finally see Lawrence of Arabia than to squeeze in two shorter films.
Check List
GENERAL
--- Recreation of a specific Historical Event (like Apollo 13)
--- Sports film
--- Bio Pic
--- Documentary
--- Folk Hero/Mythological (Robin Hood, Greek gods, etc.)
--- Judeo-Christian (based on stories from the Torah, Mishna, New Testament, etc.)
--- Non-Judeo-Christian religion (may be about an individual holy person, like Kundun)
--- Film about Women's History (prominent woman, feminism, etc.)
--- Film about minority rights (prominent minority figure, civil rights, etc.)
--- Film about LGBT rights (prominent LGBT figure, gay rights, etc.)
--- Zeitgeist Film (movie that captures the spirit of a specific setting)
--- Musical
DECADES - Watch a film set--but not produced--during five different decades no more recent than the 1980s:
--- Movie 1 (Decade)
--- Movie 2 (Decade)
--- Movie 3 (Decade)
--- Movie 4 (Decade)
--- Movie 5 (Decade)
Watch a film that takes place during five different centuries prior to the 20th Century (Note Century of setting):
--- Movie 1 (Century)
--- Movie 2 (Century)
--- Movie 3 (Century)
--- Movie 4 (Century)
--- Movie 5 (Century)
Watch 5 movies about historical events of different countries (Note Country of setting).
--- Movie 1 (Country)
--- Movie 2 (Country)
--- Movie 3 (Country)
--- Movie 4 (Country)
--- Movie 5 (Country)
BIO PICS
--- Bio Pic of a War participant
--- Bio Pic of a Historical Person
--- Watch a Western Bio Pic
--- Watch a Sports or Humanities Bio Pic
--- Watch a Bio Pic about a prominent woman, minority or LGBT figure
Watch a Documentary from each of the following (may be as general or specific as you prefer):
--- War
--- Western
--- Historical Event
--- Biographical
--- Sports or Humanities (Miracle on Ice, Frida, etc.; lots of range here!)
WAR
Watch 5 movies that take place during different American wars. (Civil War, World Wars I or II, Viet Nam, etc.)
--- Movie 1
--- Movie 2
--- Movie 3
--- Movie 4
--- Movie 5
Watch 5 movies that take place during different countries' wars (Trojan War, Crusades, the Anglo-Zulu wars, etc.)
--- Movie 1
--- Movie 2
--- Movie 3
--- Movie 4
--- Movie 5
WESTERN
--- John Ford Western
--- John Wayne Western
--- "Singing Cowboy" Western
--- Clint Eastwood Western
--- Spaghetti Western (not starring Clint Eastwood)
--- Comedy Western (may be spoof, parody or just humorous)
--- Western based on a novel
--- Western told from perspective of Native Americans
--- Western told from perspective of Outlaws
--- Western about cross-country travel (wagon train, cattle drive, etc.)
Wild Cards (3 max): The checklist is pretty generous, so be very selective about what you use here.
These aren't necessarily "safe" lists (though most should be fine), but these should all prove helpful to participants as they seek to explore the themes of this challenge.
Crackle - Free Streaming!
Biography (http://www.crackle.com/shows/index.aspx?c=82&name=Movies#o=2&fa=82&fs=&fx=&fab=&fg=Biography&fry=)
Documentary (http://www.crackle.com/shows/index.aspx?c=82&name=Movies#o=2&fa=82&fs=&fx=&fab=&fg=Documentary&fry=)
Historical Films (http://www.crackle.com/shows/index.aspx?c=82&name=Movies#o=2&fa=82&fs=&fx=&fab=&fg=Historical&fry=)
War Films (http://www.crackle.com/shows/index.aspx?c=82&name=Movies#o=2&fa=82&fs=&fx=&fab=&fg=War&fry=)
Western Films (http://www.crackle.com/shows/index.aspx?c=82&name=Movies#o=2&fa=82&fs=&fx=&fab=&fg=Western&fry=)
The Criterion Collection
Made During World War II (http://www.criterion.com/explore/90-made-during-world-war-ii)
War Films (http://www.criterion.com/explore/114-war-films)
The History Channel
TV Schedule, 1-7 June (http://www.history.com/schedule/6/1/2012?view=week)
I Check Movies
IMDb - Biography (http://www.icheckmovies.com/list/biography)
IMDb - History (http://www.icheckmovies.com/list/history)
IMDb - War (http://www.icheckmovies.com/list/war)
IMDb - Western (http://www.icheckmovies.com/list/western)
100 Essential Westerns (http://www.icheckmovies.com/list/100+essential+westerns)
Spaghetti Westerns (http://www.icheckmovies.com/list/spaghetti+westerns)
YouTube - Free Movies (http://www.youtube.com/movies?fl=f&pt=fm)
Mubi
Biopic Movies (http://mubi.com/watch?utf8=%E2%9C%93&genre_id=16&sort=popularity)
Historical Movies (http://mubi.com/watch?utf8=%E2%9C%93&genre_id=49&sort=popularity)
War Movies (http://mubi.com/watch?utf8=%E2%9C%93&genre_id=50&sort=popularity)
Free Streaming Movies
In the Year of the Pig (http://mubi.com/films/8752)
Messenger of the Great River (http://mubi.com/films/messenger-of-the-great-river)
Remote Transmissions (http://mubi.com/films/remote-transmissions)
Zero Silence (http://mubi.com/films/zero-silence)
Netflix Watch Instantly
Art & Design (http://movies.netflix.com/WiGenre?sgid=2416&pgid=2223) (Good for Humanities selections!)
Biographies (http://movies.netflix.com/WiGenre?sgid=314&pgid=315)
Classic War Stories (http://movies.netflix.com/WiGenre?sgid=639&pgid=306)
Classic Westerns (http://movies.netflix.com/WiGenre?sgid=640&pgid=306)
Documentary (http://movies.netflix.com/WiGenre?lnkctr=mhwG864&sgid=864)
Epics (http://movies.netflix.com/WiGenre?sgid=333&pgid=306)
Faith & Spirituality Documentaries (http://movies.netflix.com/WiGenre?sgid=857&pgid=2108)
Foreign Action & Adventure (http://movies.netflix.com/WiGenre?sgid=2500&pgid=296)
Judaica (http://movies.netflix.com/WiGenre?sgid=1132&pgid=2108)
Military & War Action (http://movies.netflix.com/WiGenre?sgid=679&pgid=296)
Military & War Drama (http://movies.netflix.com/WiGenre?sgid=680&pgid=315)
Westerns (http://movies.netflix.com/WiGenre?sgid=390)
MinLShaw
05-27-12, 01:30 PM
Daily Recommendations
6/1 My Week with Marilyn (Marilyn Monroe born, 1926); The Miracle Worker (Helen Keller died, 1968)
My List on Letterboxd (http://letterboxd.com/travissmcclain/list/2012-historical-appreciation-challenge/)
06/01 Bronenosets Potyomkin [Battleship Potemkin] Review on Letterboxd (http://letterboxd.com/travissmcclain/film/battleship-potemkin/)
06/02 Hell Is for Heroes Review on Letterboxd (http://letterboxd.com/travissmcclain/film/hell-is-for-heroes/)
06/03 Joan of Arc [TV mini-series] Review on Letterboxd (http://letterboxd.com/travissmcclain/film/joan-of-arc-1999/)
06/06 Moulin Rouge [1952] Review on Letterboxd (http://letterboxd.com/travissmcclain/film/moulin-rouge/)
06/13 A Fistful of Dollars Review on Letterboxd (http://letterboxd.com/travissmcclain/film/a-fistful-of-dollars/)
06/16 For a Few Dollars More Review on Letterboxd (http://letterboxd.com/travissmcclain/film/for-a-few-dollars-more/)
06/17 The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Review on Letterboxd (http://letterboxd.com/travissmcclain/film/the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/)
06/18 Grey Owl Review on Letterboxd (http://letterboxd.com/travissmcclain/film/grey-owl/)
06/25 Saving Private Ryan Review on Letterboxd (http://letterboxd.com/travissmcclain/film/saving-private-ryan/)
Check List
GENERAL
-X- Recreation of a specific Historical Event - Bronenosets Potyomkin [Battleship Potemkin (Mutiny of the Potemkin)
--- Sports film
-X- Bio Pic - Joan of Arc [TV mini-series]
--- Documentary
-X- Folk Hero/Mythological (Robin Hood, Greek gods, etc.) - Joan of Arc [TV mini-series]
--- Judeo-Christian (based on stories from the Torah, Mishna, New Testament, etc.)
--- Non-Judeo-Christian religion (may be about an individual holy person, like Kundun)
-X- Film about Women's History (prominent woman, feminism, etc.) - Joan of Arc [TV mini-series]
-X- Film about minority rights (prominent minority figure, civil rights, etc.) - Grey Owl (Native Canadians)
--- Film about LGBT rights (prominent LGBT figure, gay rights, etc.)
--- Zeitgeist Film (movie that captures the spirit of a specific setting)
DECADES - Watch a film set--but not produced--during five different decades no more recent than the 1980s:
-X- Bronenosets Potyomkin [Battleship Potemkin] (1900s - 1905)
-X- Hell Is for Heroes (1940s - 1944)
-X- Grey Owl (1930s)
--- Movie 4 (Decade)
--- Movie 5 (Decade)
Watch a film that takes place during five different centuries prior to the 20th Century (Note Century of setting):
-X- Joan of Arc [TV mini-series] (15th Century - 1420s)
-X- Moulin Rouge [1952] (19th Century - 1890s)
--- Movie 3 (Century)
--- Movie 4 (Century)
--- Movie 5 (Century)
Watch 5 movies about historical events of different countries (Note Country of setting).
-X- Bronenosets Potyomkin [Battleship Potemkin] (Russia)
-X- Joan of Arc [TV mini-series] (France)
-X- Grey Owl (Canada/United Kingdom)
--- Movie 4 (Country)
--- Movie 5 (Country)
BIO PICS
-X- Bio Pic of a War participant - Joan of Arc [TV mini-series] (Joan of Arc, Hundred Years' War)
-X- Bip Pic of a Historical Person - Joan of Arc [TV mini-series] (Joan of Arc)
--- Watch a Western Bio Pic
-X- Watch a Sports or Humanities Bio Pic - Moulin Rouge [1952] (Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec)
-X- Watch a Bio Pic about a prominent woman, minority or LGBT figure - Joan of Arc [TV mini-series]
Watch a Documentary from each of the following (may be as general or specific as you prefer):
--- War
--- Western
--- Historical Event
--- Biographical
--- Sports or Humanities (Miracle on Ice, Frida, etc.; lots of range here!)
WAR
Watch 5 movies that take place during different American wars. (Civil War, World Wars I or II, Viet Nam, etc.)
-X- Hell Is for Heroes (World War II)
-X- The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (Civil War)
--- Movie 3
--- Movie 4
--- Movie 5
Watch 5 movies that take place during different countries' wars (Trojan War, Crusades, the Anglo-Zulu wars, etc.)
-X- Bronenosets Potyomkin [Battleship Potemkin (Russia - Bolshevik Revolution)
-X- Joan of Arc [TV mini-series] (France - Hundred Years' War)
--- Movie 3
--- Movie 4
--- Movie 5
WESTERN
--- John Ford Western
--- John Wayne Western
--- "Singing Cowboy" Western
-X- Clint Eastwood Western - A Fistful of Dollars
--- Spaghetti Western (not starring Clint Eastwood)
--- Comedy Western (may be spoof, parody or just humorous)
--- Western based on a novel
--- Western told from perspective of Native Americans
--- Western told from perspective of Outlaws
--- Western about cross-country travel (wagon train, cattle drive, etc.)
Wild Cards (3 max): The checklist is pretty generous, so be very selective about what you use here.
DVD: 7 | Blu-ray Disc: 0 | Netflix Watch Instantly: 0 | Theatrical Exhibition: 0 | TV Broadcast: 0 | iTunes Digital Download: 0 | HuluPlus: 1 | Podcast/Streaming: 1
Trevor
05-27-12, 01:44 PM
Trevor's Third Historical Challenge
Goals
Watch at least a dozen of my unopened documentary discs.
Watch at least half of them with Jen and/or Elise.
After watching, put at least four of them in my "to sell" pile.
Don't even look at the checklist.
1 - Natural Disasters: Forces of Nature (2004) (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0330686/) - DVD - FTV -
2 - Eye of the Leopard (2006) (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1569978/) - DVD - FTV -
3 - On Board Air Force One (2009) (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1567394/) - DVD - FTV -
4 - Shark Quest (http://www.amazon.com/Shark-Quest-Seen-National-Geographic/dp/B000FT50PG/ref=sr_1_4?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1339173442&sr=1-4) - Dollar store documentary, Digiview Entertainment - DVD - FTV -
6 - Hatfields & McCoys (2012) (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1985443/) - TV/DVR - FTV - episode 2 - My DVR died before I could get to the final episode. Drats.
7 - The Longest Day (1962) (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056197/) - BD - FTV -
8 - Mysteries of the Bible S3E3, The Bible's Greatest Secrets (1996) (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1209026/) - Netflix Streaming - FTV -
9 - Antarctica
10- Alaska
11 - Herod's Lost Tomb
12 - Blue Planet
13 - Modern Marvels: The Empire State Building
shadokitty
05-27-12, 01:44 PM
FTV *
FTV Total = 4
June 1
.5 Dogfights: Mig Alley - DVD
1. Bonanza: Jack Knife - TV Land *
1.5 Dogfights: Air Ambush - DVD
2.5 Dogfights Greatest Air Battles - DVD
June 2
2.75 The Adventures of Robin Hood: The Coming of Robin Hood - DVD
3. The Adventures of Robin Hood: The Moneylender - DVD
June 12
4. Hercules and the Masked Rider - DVD
June 13
5. Beyond the Law - DVD *
June 14
6. Apache Blood - DVD *
June 15
7. This Man Can't Die - DVD *
Jeffy Pop
05-27-12, 01:48 PM
Third Annual Historical Appreciation Challenge
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7sQNpySN5PE/TVATx_Euq2I/AAAAAAAAAA0/Z4bxV7lSPRQ/s1600/Wild%2BBUnch%2B2.jpg
June 3
1. The Wild Bunch
June 5
2. Night Passage
June 10
3. Valhalla Rising
June 12
4. The Godfather
June 16
5. The Godfather: Part II
June 17
6. All the President's Men
June 18
7. Moonrise Kingdom
June 27
8. The Hidden Blade
June 30
9. Days of Heaven
Checklist:
GENERAL
XXX Recreation of a specific Historical Event All the President's Men (Watergate)
--- Sports film
--- Bio Pic
--- Documentary
--- Folk Hero/Mythological (Robin Hood, Greek gods, etc.)
--- Judeo-Christian (based on stories from the Torah, Mishna, New Testament, etc.)
--- Non-Judeo-Christian religion (may be about an individual holy person, like Kundun)
--- Film about Women's History (prominent woman, feminism, etc.)
--- Film about minority rights (prominent minority figure, civil rights, etc.)
--- Film about LGBT rights (prominent LGBT figure, gay rights, etc.)
--- Zeitgeist Film (movie that captures the spirit of a specific setting)
DECADES - Watch a film set--but not produced--during five different decades no more recent than the 1980s:
XXX The Wild Bunch (1910s)
XXX The Godfather (1940s)
XXX The Godfather: Part II (1950s)
XXX All the President's Men (1970s)
XXX Moonrise Kingdom (1960s)
Watch a film that takes place during five different centuries prior to the 20th Century (Note Century of setting):
XXX Valhalla Rising (1000 AD)
XXX The Hidden Blade (1800s)
--- Movie 3 (Century)
--- Movie 4 (Century)
--- Movie 5 (Century)
Watch 5 movies about historical events of different countries (Note Country of setting).
--- Movie 1 (Country)
--- Movie 2 (Country)
--- Movie 3 (Country)
--- Movie 4 (Country)
--- Movie 5 (Country)
BIO PICS
--- Bio Pic of a War participant
--- Bio Pic of a Historical Person
--- Watch a Western Bio Pic
--- Watch a Sports or Humanities Bio Pic
--- Watch a Bio Pic about a prominent woman, minority or LGBT figure
Watch a Documentary from each of the following (may be as general or specific as you prefer):
--- War
--- Western
--- Historical Event
--- Biographical
--- Sports or Humanities (Miracle on Ice, Frida, etc.; lots of range here!)
WAR
Watch 5 movies that take place during different American wars. (Civil War, World Wars I or II, Viet Nam, etc.)
--- Movie 1
--- Movie 2
--- Movie 3
--- Movie 4
--- Movie 5
Watch 5 movies that take place during different countries' wars (Trojan War, Crusades, the Anglo-Zulu wars, etc.)
XXX The Wild Bunch (Mexican Revolution)
--- Movie 2
--- Movie 3
--- Movie 4
--- Movie 5
WESTERN
--- John Ford Western
--- John Wayne Western
--- "Singing Cowboy" Western
--- Clint Eastwood Western
--- Spaghetti Western (not starring Clint Eastwood)
--- Comedy Western (may be spoof, parody or just humorous)
XXX Western based on a novel Night Passage
--- Western told from perspective of Native Americans
XXX Western told from perspective of Outlaws The Wild Bunch
--- Western about cross-country travel (wagon train, cattle drive, etc.)
BobO'Link
05-27-12, 01:50 PM
Third Annual Historical Appreciation Challenge
http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/54427main_MM_image_feature_102_jw4.jpg
Earthrise
Taken from lunar orbit on December 24, 1968 during the Apollo 8 mission, the first manned voyage to orbit the Moon.
☼ - First time viewing
▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲ - Rating on a 1 to 10 scale
List Complete!
June 1st
1. King - Documentary on the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
2. 1968 with Tom Brokaw ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
June 2nd
3. The Race to the Moon: Failure is Not an Option ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
4. Maverick: War of the Silver Kings; Point Blank (1957) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
June 3rd
5. LBJ and Vietnam: In the Eye of the Storm ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
6. The Vietnam War: TET Offensive ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲; Unsung Heores: The Battle of Khe Sanh ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
7. The Vietnam War: America Enters the War ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲; TET in Saigon and Hue ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
8. The Vietnam War: Ringing Down the Curtain ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲; The Endgame ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
9. The Race to the Moon: Code Name: Project Orion ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲; Modern Marvels: The Space Shuttle ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
10. Buffalo Bill (1944) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
June 4th
11. Maverick: According to Hoyle; Ghost Rider (1957) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
12. Maverick: The Long Hunt; Stage West (1957) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
June 5th
13. Maverick: Relic of Fort Tejon; Hostage (1957) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
14. Maverick: Stampede; The Jeweled Gun (1957) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
June 6th
15. Maverick: The Wrecker; The Quick and the Dead (1957) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
June 7th
16. Maverick: The Naked Gallows; Comstock Conspiracy (1957) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
June 8th
17. Maverick: The Third Rider; Rage for Vengeance (1958) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
18. The Race to the Moon: Modern Marvels: Apollo 13 ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲; Ancient Discoveries: Lost Science of the Bible (2008) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
19. Maverick: Rope of Cards; Diamond in the Rough (1958) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
June 9th
20. Maverick: Day of Reckoning; The Savage Hills (1958) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
21. Maverick: Trail West to Fury; The Burning Sky (1958) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
June 10th
22. Maverick: The Seventh Hand; Plunder of Paradise (1958) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
23. Maverick: Black Fire; Burial Ground of the Gods (1958) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
June 11th
24. Maverick: Seed of Deception (1958) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲; Rawhide: Incident of the Judas Trap (1959) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
25. Rawhide: Incident in No Man's Land; Incident of the Burst of Evil (1959) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
26. Rawhide: Indicent of the Roman Candles (1959) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲; Engineering an Empire: Greece ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
27. Engineering an Empire: Greece:Age of Alexander ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲; Engineering an Empire: The Aztecs ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
June 12th
28. Engineering an Empire: Carthage ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲; China ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
29. Engineering an Empire: Russia ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲; Britain: Blood and Steel ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
June 13th
30. Engineering an Empire: The Persians ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲; Engineering an Empire: The Maya Death Empire ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
June 14th
31. Engineering an Empire: Napoleon: Steel Monster ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲; Engineering an Empire: The Byzantines ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
June 15th
32. Engineering an Empire: Rome ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
33. Engineering an Empire: Egypt ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
June 16th
34. Engineering an Empire: Da Vinci's World ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲; Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire: The First Barbarian War ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
35. Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire: Spartacus ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲; Julius Caesar ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
36. Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire: The Forest of Death ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲; The Invasion of Britain ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
June 17th
37. Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire: The Dacian Wars ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲; Rebellion and Betrayal ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
38. Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire: Wrath of the Gods ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲; The Soldiers' Emperor ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
June 18th
39. Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire: Constantine the Great ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲; The Barbarian General ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
40. Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire: The Puppet Master ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲; The Last Emperor ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
June 19th
41. Ancients Behaving Badly: Caligula ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲; Atila the Hun ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
42. Ancients Behaving Badly: Julius Caesar ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲; Alexander the Great ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
June 21st
44. Ancients Behaving Badly: Genghis Khan ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲; Cleopatra ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
45. Barbarians: The Vikings ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲; The Goths ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
June 22nd
46. Barbarians: The Mongols ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲; The Huns ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
47. Biography: Genghis Khan ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲; Modern Marvels: Barbarian Technology ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
June 23rd
48. Cosmos: The Shores of the Cosmic Ocean ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲; One Voice in the Cosmic Fugue ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
49. Cosmos: Harmony of the Worlds ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲; Heaven and Hell ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
50. Cosmos: Blues for a Red Planet ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲; Travelers' Tales ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
51. Cosmos: The Backbone of Night ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲; Journeys in Space and Time ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
52. Cosmos: The Lives of the Stars ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲; The Edge of Forever ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
53. Cosmos: The Persistence of Memory ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲; Encyclopedia Galactica ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
54. Cosmos: Who Speaks for Earth? ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲; JFK: A Presidency Revealed - Pt1 ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
June 24th
55. JFK: A Presidency Revealed - Pt2 & Pt3 ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
56. Biography: JFK: A Personal Story ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
57. Voices of Civil Rights ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲; Mississippi State Secrets ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
58. Crossing the Bridge ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲; Biography: Dr. Martin Luthor King, Jr. ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
June 25th
59. Biography: Thurgood Marshall ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲; The JFK Assassination ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
60. Modern Marvels: Apollo 11 ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲; Bay of Pigs Declassified ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
61. Peyote to LSD ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
June 26th
62. Days of Rage and Wonder: Riot: The Chicago Conspiracy Trial ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲; Sex in the Vietnam War ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
63. Deadwood: Tell Your God to Ready for Blood; I Am Not the Fine Man You Take Me For ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
64. Deadwood: True Colors; Full Faith and Credit ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
June 27th
65. Deadwood: A Two-Headed Beast; A Rich Find ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
66. Deadwood: Unauthorized Cinnamon; Leviathan Smiles ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
June 28th
67. Deadwood: Amateur Night; A Constant Throb ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
68. Deadwood: The Catbird Seat; Tell Him Something Pretty ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
June 29th
69. Days of Rage and Wonder: Hippies ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
70. The World at War: The Final Solution - Pt1 ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
71. The World at War: The Final Solution - Pt2 ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
June 30th
72. Ancient Aliens: The Evidence; The Visitors ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
73. Ancient Aliens: The Mission; Closer Encounters ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
74. Ancient Aliens: The Return; Chariots, Gods and Beyond ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
75. Biography: Joseph Kennedy, Sr: Father of an American Dynasty ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
Checklist not even close!
GENERAL
--- Recreation of a specific Historical Event (like Apollo 13)
--- Sports film
--- Bio Pic
-X- Documentary - Engineering an Empire: The Persians
--- Folk Hero/Mythological (Robin Hood, Greek gods, etc.)
--- Judeo-Christian (based on stories from the Torah, Mishna, New Testament, etc.)
--- Non-Judeo-Christian religion (may be about an individual holy person, like Kundun)
--- Film about Women's History (prominent woman, feminism, etc.)
--- Film about minority rights (prominent minority figure, civil rights, etc.)
--- Film about LGBT rights (prominent LGBT figure, gay rights, etc.)
--- Zeitgeist Film (movie that captures the spirit of a specific setting)
--- Musical
DECADES - Watch a film set--but not produced--during five different decades no more recent than the 1980s:
--- Movie 1 (Decade)
--- Movie 2 (Decade)
--- Movie 3 (Decade)
--- Movie 4 (Decade)
--- Movie 5 (Decade)
Watch a film that takes place during five different centuries prior to the 20th Century (Note Century of setting):
--- Movie 1 (Century)
--- Movie 2 (Century)
--- Movie 3 (Century)
--- Movie 4 (Century)
--- Movie 5 (Century)
Watch 5 movies about historical events of different countries (Note Country of setting).
--- Movie 1 (Country)
--- Movie 2 (Country)
--- Movie 3 (Country)
--- Movie 4 (Country)
--- Movie 5 (Country)
BIO PICS
--- Bio Pic of a War participant
--- Bio Pic of a Historical Person
--- Watch a Western Bio Pic
--- Watch a Sports or Humanities Bio Pic
--- Watch a Bio Pic about a prominent woman, minority or LGBT figure
Watch a Documentary from each of the following (may be as general or specific as you prefer):
-X- War - The Vietnam War: Ringing Down the Curtain
--- Western
-X- Historical Event - The Race to the Moon: Failure is Not an Option
-X- Biographical - King (Dr. Martin Luthor King, Jr.)
--- Sports or Humanities (Miracle on Ice, Frida, etc.; lots of range here!)
WAR
Watch 5 movies that take place during different American wars. (Civil War, World Wars I or II, Viet Nam, etc.)
--- Movie 1
--- Movie 2
--- Movie 3
--- Movie 4
--- Movie 5
Watch 5 movies that take place during different countries' wars (Trojan War, Crusades, the Anglo-Zulu wars, etc.)
--- Movie 1
--- Movie 2
--- Movie 3
--- Movie 4
--- Movie 5
WESTERN
--- John Ford Western
--- John Wayne Western
--- "Singing Cowboy" Western
--- Clint Eastwood Western
--- Spaghetti Western (not starring Clint Eastwood)
--- Comedy Western (may be spoof, parody or just humorous)
--- Western based on a novel
--- Western told from perspective of Native Americans
--- Western told from perspective of Outlaws
--- Western about cross-country travel (wagon train, cattle drive, etc.)
KaBluie
05-27-12, 01:58 PM
Third Annual Historical Appreciation Challenge
Challenge Goal = 100
Personal Goal = 50
First Time Views = Green
2012-06-04
01. RoadRacers (1994)
RoadRacers Director's Cut DVD
02. RoadRacers (1994) with Audio Commentary by Robert Rodriguez (1998)
RoadRacers Director's Cut DVD
03. Confessions Of Sorority Girls (1994)
Confessions Of Sorority Girls DVD
2012-06-05
04. Motorcycle Gang (1994)
Motorcycle Gang DVD
05. Runaway Daughters (1994)
Runaway Daughters DVD
06. Girls In Prison (1994)
Girls In Prison DVD
07. Shake, Rattle And Rock! (1994)
Shake, Rattle & Rock! DVD
2012-06-06
08. Dragstrip Girl (1994)
Dragstrip Girl DVD
09. Jailbreakers (1994)
Jailbreakers DVD
2012-06-08
10. Cool And The Crazy (1994)
Cool And The Crazy DVD
11. Reform School Girl (1994)
Reform School Girl DVD
12. The One And Only, Genuine, Original Family Band (1968)
Disney Channel On Demand
2012-06-11
13. Hitler's Pawn (2004)
HBO On Demand
14. George Harrison: Living In The Material World, Part 1 (2011)
HBO On Demand
15. George Harrison: Living In The Material World, Part 2 (2011)
HBO On Demand
16. Quiz Show (1994)
Cinemax On Demand
2012-06-14
17. The Ballad Of Lucy Whipple (2001)
Movie Pass On Demand
2012-06-15
18. Brian's Song (1971)
Movie Pass On Demand
19. One Day (2011)
HBO 2 West
2012-06-19
20. Reagan (2011)
HBO On Demand
2012-06-20
21. Joan Rivers A Piece Of Work (2010)
Movie Pass On Demand
22. Jesus Christ Superstar (1973)
Retroplex
2012-06-22
23. Beatles' Biggest Secrets (2004) & Discovering Lennon (2010)
BBC America
2012-06-23
23 & 1/2. Wicked Attraction "A Slice Of Murder" (2012)
Investigation Discovery
2012-06-24
24. Wicked Attraction "Bad Fortune" (2011)
Investigation Discovery Lookback
2012-06-25
25. The Three Stooges (2000)
Movie Pass On Demand
26. Cinema Verite (2011)
HBO On Demand
2012-06-27
27. 1939 Hollywood's Greatest Year (2009)
TCM On Demand
My 2010 Lists - (B-Movie (http://forum.dvdtalk.com/10085272-post40.html)/Make-Your-Own (http://forum.dvdtalk.com/10135776-post38.html)/Historical (http://forum.dvdtalk.com/10179755-post11.html)/Sci-Fi (http://forum.dvdtalk.com/10225706-post32.html)/Animation (http://forum.dvdtalk.com/10291110-post27.html)/Criterion (http://forum.dvdtalk.com/10348657-post24.html)/Horror (http://forum.dvdtalk.com/10379217-post45.html)/Holiday (http://forum.dvdtalk.com/10502230-post20.html))
My 2011 Lists - (TV On DVD (http://forum.dvdtalk.com/10564798-post16.html)/Academy Award (http://forum.dvdtalk.com/10608559-post7.html)/B-Movie (http://forum.dvdtalk.com/10693248-post9.html)/Make-Your-Own (http://forum.dvdtalk.com/10745690-post18.html)/Historical (http://forum.dvdtalk.com/10788624-post18.html)/Sci-Fi (http://forum.dvdtalk.com/10829885-post25.html)/Animation (http://forum.dvdtalk.com/10864346-post20.html)/Horror (http://forum.dvdtalk.com/10929000-post49.html)/Comedy (http://forum.dvdtalk.com/10984340-post15.html)/Holiday (http://forum.dvdtalk.com/11005123-post8.html))
My 2012 Lists - (TV On DVD (http://forum.dvdtalk.com/11051561-post16.html)/Leap Day (http://forum.dvdtalk.com/11133088-post20.html)/Action (http://forum.dvdtalk.com/11131574-post18.html)/Make-Your-Own ("]B-Movie[/URL]/[URL="http://forum.dvdtalk.com/11205160-post9.html)/Historical (http://forum.dvdtalk.com/11248773-post9.html))
June 11
2. The Three Musketeers (2011, Paul W.S. Anderson)*
June 14
3. Mad Men: Season 4, episode 1, Public Relations*
3.5 Mad Men: Season 4, episode 2, Christmas Comes but Once a Year*
4. The Three Musketeers (1974, Richard Lester)
June 17
5. Mad Men: Season 4, episode 3, The Good News*
June 18
5.5. Mad Men: Season 4, episode 4, The Rejected*
6. Mad Men: Season 4, episode 5, The Chrysanthemum and the Sword*
June 20
6.5. Mad Men: Season 4, episode 6, Waldorf Stories*
7. Brave* (wild card)
June 21
8. Mad Men: Season 4, episode 7, The Suitcase*
June 27
8.5 3:10 to Yuma (2007)*
June 28
9.5 Red River*
10.5 Mad Men: Season 4, episode 8, The Glimmer Man*
11. Mad Men: Season 4, episode 9, The Beautiful Girls*
We are not makers of history. We are made by history. ~Martin Luther King, Jr.
*= first time viewing
blue= personal BluRay
black= personal DVD
green= other
June 1st
1. C.S. Lewis: Beyond Narnia (Norman Stone, 2005)* - documentary/biography
-- Cleopatra: Portrait of a Killer (Paul Elston, 2009)* - documentary/biography
June 2nd
2. Saddle the Wind (Robert Parrish, 1958)* - western
3. Art of the Steal (Don Argott, 2009)* - documentary
4. Planet Earth: 1.8, "Jungles" / 1.9, "Shallow Seas" (2006) - documentary/nature
5. Planet Earth: 1.10, "Seasonal Forests" / 1.11, "Ocean Deep" (2006) - documentary/nature
June 3rd
6. The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: "Chapter 9: Demons of Deception" (1996) - WWI
7. The Law and Jake Wade (John Sturges, 1958)* - western
June 4th
8. The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: "Chapter 10: Phantom Train of Doom" (1996) - WWI
9. Desperate Journey (Raoul Walsh, 1942)* - WWII
June 5th
10. Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman: 1.10, "Running Ghost" / 1.11, "The Prisoner" (1993) - historical
11. Albuquerque (Ray Enright, 1948)* - western
12. Whispering Smith (Leslie Fenton, 1948)* - western
June 6th
13. Howl (Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman, 2010)* - biography
14. The Duel at Silver Creek (Don Siegel, 1952)* - western
15. War Arrow (George Sherman, 1953)* - western
16. The Duchess (Saul Dibb, 2008) - biography
June 7th
17. Spartacus (Stanley Kubrick, 1960)* - biography/war
18. The Cheyenne Social Club (Gene Kelly, 1970) - western
19. Firecreek (Vincent McEveety, 1968)* - western
June 8th
20. Wake Island (John Farrow, 1942)* - WWII
21. El Dorado (Howard Hawkes, 1966) - western
June 9th
22. The Stalking Moon (Robert Mulligan, 1968)* - western
June 11th
23. The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: "Chapter 11: Oganga, the Giver and Taker of Life" (1996) - war
June 12th
24. Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman: 1.12, "Happy Birthday" / 1.13, "Rite of Passage" (1993) - historical
25. The Stratton Story (Sam Wood, 1949)* - biography/sports
26. The Wings of Eagles (John Ford, 1957)* - biography/WWII
June 13th
27. Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman: 1.14, "Heroes" / 1.15, "The Operation" (1993) - historical
28. The House of Mirth (Terence Davies, 2000)* - period piece
29. Fort Apache (John Ford, 1948)* - western
June 14th
30. The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: "Chapter 12: Attack of the Hawkmen" (1996) - WWI
31. Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman: 1.16, "The Secret" / 1.17, "Portraits" (1993) - historical
32. Nixon (Oliver Stone, 1995)* - biography
June 15th
33. The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: "Chapter 13: Adventures in the Secret Service" (1996) - WWI
June 17th
34. Escape from Fort Bravo (John Sturges, 1953)* - western
35. The Agony and the Ecstasy (Carol Reed, 1966)* - biography
36. The Pillars of the Earth: "Part I: Anarchy" / "Part II: Master Builder" (2010)* - historical
37. The Pillars of the Earth: "Part III: Redemption" / "Part IV: Battlefield" (2010)* - historical
June 18th
38. The Pillars of the Earth: "Part V: Legacy" / "Part VI: Witchcraft" (2010)* - historical
39. The Pillars of the Earth: "Part VII: New Beginnings" / "Part VIII: The Work of Angels" (2010)* - historical
40. The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: "Chapter 14: Espionage Escapades" (1996) - WWI
June 19th
41. The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: "Chapter 15: Daredevils of the Desert" (1996) - WWI
42. Battle Hymn (Douglas Sirk, 1957)* - war
June 20th
43. Frost/Nixon (Ron Howard, 2008) - historical
44. Foyle's War: 1.2, "The White Feather" (2002)* - WWII
45. Ivan the Terrible, Part I (Sergei M. Eisenstein, 1944)* - biography
June 21st
46. Ivan the Terrible, Part II (Sergei M. Eisenstein, 1958)* - biography
47. Foyle's War: 1.3, "A Lesson in Murder" (2002)* - WWII
June 25th
48. Intolerance (D.W. Griffith, 1916)* - period piece
June 26th
49. Le Grande Illusion (Jean Renoir, 1937)* - WWI
50. Horatio Hornblower: Duty (Andrew Grieve, 2003) - war
June 29th
51. I Knew It Was You: Rediscovering John Cazale (Richard Shepart, 2009)* - documentary
-- Night and Fog (Alain Resnais, 1955)* - documentary
June 30th
52. Immortal Sergeant (John M. Stahl, 1943)* - war
53. Foyle's War: 1.4, "Eagle Day" (2002)* - war
54. Foyle's War: 2.1, "Fifty Ships" (2003)* - war
GENERAL
-X- Recreation of a specific Historical Event (like Apollo 13): Wake Island (1942), Japanese attack on Wake Island
-X- Sports film: The Stratton Story (1949)
-X- Bio Pic: The Wings of Eagles (1957), life of Frank Wead
-X- Documentary: Night and Fog (1955)
--- Folk Hero/Mythological (Robin Hood, Greek gods, etc.)
--- Judeo-Christian (based on stories from the Torah, Mishna, New Testament, etc.)
--- Non-Judeo-Christian religion (may be about an individual holy person, like Kundun)
--- Film about Women's History (prominent woman, feminism, etc.)
--- Film about minority rights (prominent minority figure, civil rights, etc.)
--- Film about LGBT rights (prominent LGBT figure, gay rights, etc.)
--- Zeitgeist Film (movie that captures the spirit of a specific setting)
--- Musical
DECADES - Watch a film set--but not produced--during five different decades no more recent than the 1980s:
-X- 1910s: The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones, "Chapter 9: Demons of Deception" (1996)
-X- 1890s: The House of Mirth (2000)
-X- 1860s: Escape from Fort Bravo (1953)
-X- 1970s: Frost/Nixon (2008)
--- Movie 5 (Decade)
Watch a film that takes place during five different centuries prior to the 20th Century (Note Century of setting):
-X- 18th century: The Duchess (2008)
-X- 16th century: Ivan the Terrible, Part II (1958)
-X- 12th century: The Pillars of the Earth (2010)
--- Movie 4 (Century)
--- Movie 5 (Century)
Watch 5 movies about historical events of different countries (Note Country of setting).
-X- Russia: Ivan the Terrible, Part I (1944)
-X- Italy: The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965)
-X- Babylon: Intolerance (1916)
--- Movie 4 (Country)
--- Movie 5 (Country)
BIO PICS
--- Bio Pic of a War participant
-X- Bio Pic of a Historical Person: Nixon (1995)
--- Watch a Western Bio Pic
--- Watch a Sports or Humanities Bio Pic
-X- Watch a Bio Pic about a prominent woman, minority or LGBT figure: Howl (2010)
Watch a Documentary from each of the following (may be as general or specific as you prefer):
--- War
--- Western
-X- Historical Event: Cleopatra: Portrait of a Killer (2009), rise of Cleopatra
-X- Biographical: C.S. Lewis: Beyond Narnia (2005)
-X- Sports or Humanities: Art of the Steal (2009), story of the Barnes Foundation
WAR
Watch 5 movies that take place during different American wars. (Civil War, World Wars I or II, Viet Nam, etc.)
-X- World War II: Desperate Journey (1942)
-X- World War I: The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: "Chapter 11: Oganga, the Giver and Taker of Life" (1996)
-X- Korean War: Battle Hymn (1957)
--- Movie 4
--- Movie 5
Watch 5 movies that take place during different countries' wars (Trojan War, Crusades, the Anglo-Zulu wars, etc.)
-X- Third Servile War (Roman Empire): Spartacus (1960)
-X- World War I (France/Germany): Le Grande Illusion (1937)
-X- Napoleonic War (England): Horatio Hornblower: Duty (2003)
--- Movie 4
--- Movie 5
WESTERN
-X- John Ford Western: Fort Apache (1948)
-X- John Wayne Western: El Dorado (1966)
--- "Singing Cowboy" Western
--- Clint Eastwood Western
--- Spaghetti Western (not starring Clint Eastwood)
-X- Comedy Western (may be spoof, parody or just humorous): The Cheyenne Social Club (1970)
-X- Western based on a novel: Whispering Smith (1948), based on novel by Frank H. Spearman
--- Western told from perspective of Native Americans
-X- Western told from perspective of Outlaws: Firecreek (1968), oscillates between good James Stewart and "bad" Henry Fonda
--- Western about cross-country travel (wagon train, cattle drive, etc.)
Wild Cards (3 max): The checklist is pretty generous, so be very selective about what you use here.
Giles
05-27-12, 02:58 PM
http://blog.sfmoma.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Bertolucci1900.jpg
Third Annual Historical Appreciation Challenge
Count: 6.5
- Hatfields & McCoys - Part 1 6-1 ☼
- Pocahontas Blu-ray 6-1
- From Earth to the Moon Part 1 6-1 ☼
- Hatfields & McCoys - Part 2 6-2 ☼
- Bill W. / 2011 6-4 [Bio-doc of William G. Wilson, co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous] ☼
- Mad Men [ep: "The Other Woman"] 6-5 ☼
- Mad Men [ep: "Commissions and Fees"] 6-5 ☼
- Hatfields & McCoys - Part 3 6-6 ☼
- American Experience ["Hoover Dam"] 6-6 ☼
- From the Earth to the Moon - Parts 1 + 2 6-7 ☼
- From the Earth to the Moon - Part 3 6-10 ☼
- Mad Men [ep: "The Phantom"] 6-10 ☼
- Band of Brothers Parts 1 + 2 Blu-ray 6-11 ☼
- Band of Brothers Parts 3 + 4 Blu-ray 6-12 ☼
- Band of Brothers Parts 5 + 6 Blu-ray 6-13 ☼
- Band of Brothers Part 7 Blu-ray 6-14 ☼
- Chaps! [1944 London during the Blitz]6-21 ☼ WILD CARD #1
- Evita Blu-ray 6-26 ☼
- Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter 6-27 ☼
☼ = First Time Viewing/commentary listen
cardsfan111
05-27-12, 04:19 PM
Third Annual Historical Appreciation Challenge
Goal: With some travel plans this month, I'll be content to reach 20 entries
June 1
1. The Curious Case of Curt Flood (2011) - HBO Sport Documentary
1.5. Imax: Under the Sea (2009) - Documentary
June 2
2.5. Recount (2008) - Film
June 3
3. The Adventures of Brisco County Jr. (1993) - Episode 8, Senior Spirit - Western
3.5. The Adventures of Brisco County Jr. (1993) - Episode 9, Brisco for the Defense - Western
4.5. You Don't Know Jack (2010) - Biography/Film
June 4
5. The Adventures of Brisco County Jr. (1993) - Episode 10, Showdown - Western
5.5. The Adventures of Brisco County Jr. (1993) - Episode 11, Deep in the Heart of Dixie - Western
6.5. The Frisco Kid (1979) - Western
June 6
7.5. Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (2008) - Documentary
8. Little House on the Prairie (1976) - Season 3 - Little Girl Lost
June 7
8.5. Little House on the Prairie (1977) - Season 3 - Quarantine
9.5. The Legend of the Lone Ranger (1981) - Western
June 9
10.5. Exporting Raymond (2010) - Documentary
11.5. Amelia (2009) - Biography/Film
12.5. Quiz Show (1994)
June 10
13.5. The Babe (1992) - Biography/Film
June 11
14. Little House on the Prairie (1976) - Season 3 - Little Women
14.5. Little House on the Prairie (1976) - Season 3 - Injun Kid
June 13
15.5. Hemingway & Gellhorn (2012)
June 14
16.5. Seabiscuit (2003)
June 15
17. Little House on the Prairie (1977) - Season 3 - To Live With Fear, part 1
17.5. Little House on the Prairie (1977) - Season 3 - To Live With Fear, part 2
June 23
18. Little House on the Prairie (1977) - Season 3 - The Wisdom of Solomon
18.5. Little House on the Prairie (1977) - Season 3 - The Music Box
June 24
19.5. Ken Burns' Baseball (1994) - 1st Inning
June 25
20. Little House on the Prairie (1977) - Season 3 - The Election
June 26
20.5. Little House on the Prairie (1977) - Season 3 - Gold Country, part 1
21. Little House on the Prairie (1977) - Season 3 - Gold Country, part 2
June 30
22. Brave (2012) *Wild Card*
23. With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story (2010) - Documentary
List is FINAL
Chad
05-27-12, 04:35 PM
1. The Golden Blade (1953)
2. The Great Silence (1968)
<BR>
Mister Peepers
05-27-12, 05:30 PM
100% First Time Viewing
June 1
1. Undercurrent
June 2
2. Lonesome Rider
3. Comanche Station
June 3
4. Shenandoah
June 4
June 5
5. The Shooting
June 6
6. Bad Company
7. Hombre
8. Far From Vietnam
June 7
9. Funeral Procession of Roses
10. Ulzana's Raid
June 8
11. Long Riders
June 9
12. Will Penny
13. The Last of the Mohicans
14. Support Your Local Sheriff
15. Sex and the City 2
June 10
16. Jeremiah Johnson
17. Pale Rider
18. Fast Five
June 11
June 12
June 13
19. The Ballad of Cable Hogue
June 14
June 15
20. Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid
June 16
21. The Professionals
22. Open Range
23. Hondo (in 3d)
June 17
23.25 Pawn Stars: Cornering the Colonel
23.50 Pawn Stars: Ace in the Hole
23.75 Pawn Stars: Bare Bones
24. Pawn Stars: Going Postal
24.25 Pawn Stars: Out of Gas
24.50 Pawn Stars: Rough Riders
24.75 Pawn Stars: Message in a Bottle
25. Pawn Stars: Sharp Shooters
25.25 Pawn Stars: Never Surrender
25.50 Pawn Stars: Wheels
25.75 Pawn Stars: Pedal to the Metal
26. Pawn Stars: Wise Guys
26.25 Pawn Stars: Not on My Watch
26.50 Pawn Stars: What the Truck
26.75 Pawn Stars: Peacemaker
27.75 Constantine and the Cross
28.75 "Studio One": A Bolt of Lightning
June 18
29.75 David Copperfield
30.75 "Studio One": A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
June 19
31.75 Abraham Lincoln
June 20
32.75 Yellowneck
33.75 Brazil Report on Torture
34.75 Saul and David
June 21
35.75 Captain Scarlet
June 22
36.75 The Jungle Book
June 23
37.75 Oliver Twist
38 Pawn Stars: Spidey Cents
38.25 Pawn Stars: Hot Air Buffoon
38.50 Pawn Stars: Chumlee's Dummies
38.75 Pawn Stars: Late Night Chum
39. Pawn Stars: License to Pawn
39.25 Pawn Stars: Zzzzzz
39.50 Pawn Stars: Packing Heat
39.75 Pawn Stars: A Shot and a Shave
June 24
40. Auction Kings: Vampire Hunting Kit/Meteorite
40.25 Auction Kings: Love Meter/Knights of Templar Sword
40.50 Auction Kings: Rolling Stones' Snooker Table/Aliens
40.75 Cajun Pawn Stars: Buy George!
41 Cajun Pawn Stars: Under the Gun
41.25 Cajun Pawn Stars: Gimme Some Skin
41.50 Cajun Pawn Stars: Little House on the Bayou
42.16 Behind Taliban Lines
43.16 Camp Victory, Afghanistan
43.82 Rules of Engagement
44.48 Bad Voovoo's War
45.48 The Old Testament
46.48 Little Men
June 25
46.73 Pawn Stars: Pin It to Win It
46.98 Pawn Stars: That Sinking Feeling
47.98 Eagle in a Cage
48.23 Pawn Stars: Love Me Spender
48.48 Pawn Stars: Stalled Deals
June 26
49.48 The Legend of Sea Wolf
49.73 Pawn Stars: Crosby, Stills and Cash
49.98 Pawn Stars:Bear-ly There
50.98 Herod the Great
51.64 Antiques Roadshow: Vintage Secaucus
June 27
52.64 Hearts in Bondage
52.89 Pawn Stars: Put Up Your Dukes
53.14 Pawn Stars: Off the Wall
54.14 Cyrano de Bergerac
June 28
55.14 Scrooge
56.14 Esther and the King
57.14 Vanity Fair
June 29
58.14 Martin Luther
59.14 Becky Sharp
June 30
60.14 Ancient Aliens: The Evidence
61.14 Ancient Aliens: The Visitors
62.14 Ancient Aliens: The Mission
63.14 Ancient Aliens: Closer Encounters
64.14 Ancient Aliens: The Return
64.64 Ancient Aliens: Mysterious Places
65.14 Ancient Aliens: Gods and Aliens
66.14 Timequest
June 2
1. All the President's Men*
2. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
3. O' Brother, Where Art Thou?
June 3
4. Hatfields & McCoys: Part 1*
5. Hatfields & McCoys: Part 2*
6. Hatfields & McCoys: Part 3*
June 4 - 9
Nothing
June 10
7. Boardwalk Empire: Season 1 - Episodes 1&2 *
8. Boardwalk Empire: Season 1 - Episodes 3&4 [Broadway Limited / Anastasia]*
June 11
9. Boardwalk Empire: Season 1 - Episodes 5&6 [Nights in Ballygran / Family Limitation]*
June 12
10. Boardwalk Empire: Season 1 - Episodes 7&8 [Home / Hold Me In Paradise]*
11. Boardwalk Empire: Season 1 - Episodes 9&10 [Belle Femme / The Emerald City]*
12. Boardwalk Empire: Season 1 - Episodes 11&12 [Paris Green / A Return to Normalcy]*
13. Once Upon A Time In The West
June 13
14. The Proposition
15. Apollo 13
16. Amadeus
17. Shakespeare in Love
18. Meek's Cutoff*
June 14
19. Two Mules For Sister Sara*
June 15
20. The Godfather (At the Fox Theater in Atlanta)
June 16
Nothing
June 17
21. The Mercenary*
June 18 - 19
Nothing
June 20
22. Yojimbo
June 21
23. Sanjuro
June 22
24. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
GENERAL
[B]X - Recreation of a specific Historical Event (like Apollo 13) - Apollo 13
--- Sports film
X - Bio Pic - Amadeus
--- Documentary
--- Folk Hero/Mythological (Robin Hood, Greek gods, etc.)
--- Judeo-Christian (based on stories from the Torah, Mishna, New Testament, etc.)
--- Non-Judeo-Christian religion (may be about an individual holy person, like Kundun)
--- Film about Women's History (prominent woman, feminism, etc.)
--- Film about minority rights (prominent minority figure, civil rights, etc.)
--- Film about LGBT rights (prominent LGBT figure, gay rights, etc.)
--- Zeitgeist Film (movie that captures the spirit of a specific setting)
DECADES - Watch a film set--but not produced--during five different decades no more recent than the 1980s:
X - All the President's Men (1970's)
X - O Brother, Where Art Thou? (1930's)
X - Hatfields & McCoys: Part 2 (1880's)
X - Boardwalk Empire (1920's)
--- Movie 5 (Decade)
Watch a film that takes place during five different centuries prior to the 20th Century (Note Century of setting):
X - Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (19th Century)
X - Shakespeare in Love (16th Century)
--- Movie 3 (Century)
--- Movie 4 (Century)
--- Movie 5 (Century)
Watch 5 movies about historical events of different countries (Note Country of setting).
--- Movie 1 (Country)
--- Movie 2 (Country)
--- Movie 3 (Country)
--- Movie 4 (Country)
--- Movie 5 (Country)
BIO PICS
--- Bio Pic of a War participant
--- Bio Pic of a Historical Person
--- Watch a Western Bio Pic
--- Watch a Sports or Humanities Bio Pic
--- Watch a Bio Pic about a prominent woman, minority or LGBT figure
Watch a Documentary from each of the following (may be as general or specific as you prefer):
--- War
--- Western
--- Historical Event
--- Biographical
--- Sports or Humanities (Miracle on Ice, Frida, etc.; lots of range here!)
WAR
Watch 5 movies that take place during different American wars. (Civil War, World Wars I or II, Viet Nam, etc.)
X - Hatfields & McCoys: Part 1 (Civil War)
--- Movie 2
--- Movie 3
--- Movie 4
--- Movie 5
Watch 5 movies that take place during different countries' wars (Trojan War, Crusades, the Anglo-Zulu wars, etc.)
--- Movie 1
--- Movie 2
--- Movie 3
--- Movie 4
--- Movie 5
WESTERN
--- John Ford Western
--- John Wayne Western
--- "Singing Cowboy" Western
X - Clint Eastwood Western - Two Mules For Sister Sara
X - Spaghetti Western (not starring Clint Eastwood) - Once Upon A Time In The West
--- Comedy Western (may be spoof, parody or just humorous)
X - Western based on a novel - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
--- Western told from perspective of Native Americans
X - Western told from perspective of Outlaws - The Proposition
X - Western about cross-country travel (wagon train, cattle drive, etc.) - Meek's Cutoff
Wild Cards (3 max): The checklist is pretty generous, so be very selective about what you use here.
BuddhaWake
05-27-12, 09:42 PM
June 2nd
1. Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired (Zenovich, 2008)
2. Mi Querido Tom Mix (Garcia Agraz, 1992)
3. Merchant of Venice (Radford, 2004)
June 3rd
4. St. George Shoots the Dragon (Dragojevic, 2008)
June 4th
5. Children of Glory (Szabadság, szerelem) (Goda, 2006)
6. Homero Manzi: Un poeta en la tormenta (Spagnuolo, 2009)
June 5th
7. Imagen Final (Habegger, 2008)
June 10th
8. Wonderland (Cox, 2003)
9. Wadd: The Life & Times of John C. Holmes (Paley,1999)
June 16th
10. 9th Company (Bondarchuk, 2005)
June 17th
11. The Officer's Ward (Dupeyron, 2001)
June 18th
12. Poisoned by Polonium: The Litvinenko File (Nekrasov, 2007)
jmsmath
05-28-12, 12:05 AM
2012 Historical Appreciation Challenge
DVD | Blu-ray | HD DVD | Theater | TV/DVR
☼ = First Time Viewing
Goals:
- <s>25 entries</s>
- <s>Watch at least three of the following:</s>
-- Braveheart
-- <s>The Dirty Dozen</s>
-- <s>The Green Berets</s>
-- How the West Was Won
-- JFK
-- Once Upon a Time in the West
-- Patton
-- Rio Bravo
-- Troy
-- <s>The Wild Bunch</s>
- <s>Generation Kill or The Pacific</s>
June 1
01. The Outrage (1964)☼
June 2
02. Kelly's Heroes (1970)☼
June 3
03. Battleship Potemkin (1925)☼
04. The Hunter (1980)☼
05. The Wild Bunch (1969)☼
June 4
06. Chisum (1970)☼
June 5
07. Standard Operating Procedure (2008)☼
June 6
08. All the Pretty Horses (2000)☼
June 7
09. Shoot, Gringo... Shoot! (1968)☼
June 8
10. Battle of Blood Island (1960)☼
June 9
11. The Bushwhackers (1951)☼
June 10
12. Hatfields & McCoys: Part 1 (2012)☼
June 11
13. Hatfields & McCoys: Part 2 (2012)☼
14. Hatfields & McCoys: Part 3 (2012)☼
June 12
15. Geronimo: An American Legend (1993)☼
June 13
16. Bad Company (1972)☼
June 14
17. A Bullet for a Stranger (1971)☼
June 16
18. The Green Berets (1968)☼
June 17
19. The Assassination of Richard Nixon (2004)☼
20. Generation Kill (2008):
- Get Some☼
- The Cradle of Civilization☼
June 19
22. Generation Kill (2008):
- A Burning Dog☼
- Stay Frosty☼
June 20
23. Generation Kill (2008):
- Bomb in the Garden☼
Longmire (2012):
- Pilot☼
June 21
24. Longmire (2012):
- The Dark Road☼
- A Damn Shame☼
June 22
25. Kansas Pacific (1953)☼
June 23
26. Lady from Chungking (1942)☼
June 25
27. Hang 'Em High (1968)☼
June 26
28. Posse (1993)☼
June 27
29. El Alamein: The Line of Fire (2002)☼
June 29
30. Flight of the Intruder (1991)☼
June 30
31. The Dirty Dozen (1967)☼
32. The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958)☼
Checklist:
GENERAL
-X- Recreation of a specific Historical Event - Battleship Potemkin (1925)
--- Sports film
-X- Bio Pic - The Hunter (1980)
--- Documentary
-X- Folk Hero/Mythological (Robin Hood, Greek gods, etc.) - The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958)
--- Judeo-Christian (based on stories from the Torah, Mishna, New Testament, etc.)
--- Non-Judeo-Christian religion (may be about an individual holy person, like Kundun)
--- Film about Women's History (prominent woman, feminism, etc.)
--- Film about minority rights (prominent minority figure, civil rights, etc.)
--- Film about LGBT rights (prominent LGBT figure, gay rights, etc.)
--- Zeitgeist Film (movie that captures the spirit of a specific setting)
--- Musical
DECADES - Watch a film set--but not produced--during five different decades no more recent than the 1980s:
-X- The Outrage (1870's)
-X- Kelly's Heroes (1940's)
-X- Battleship Potemkin (1925) (1900's)
-X- The Hunter (1960's)
-X- The Wild Bunch (1969) (1910's)
Watch a film that takes place during five different centuries prior to the 20th Century (Note Century of setting):
-X- The Outrage (19th Century)
--- Movie 2 (Century)
--- Movie 3 (Century)
--- Movie 4 (Century)
--- Movie 5 (Century)
Watch 5 movies about historical events of different countries (Note Country of setting).
-X- Battleship Potemkin (1925) (Russia)
--- Movie 2 (Country)
--- Movie 3 (Country)
--- Movie 4 (Country)
--- Movie 5 (Country)
BIO PICS
--- Bio Pic of a War participant
--- Bio Pic of a Historical Person
--- Watch a Western Bio Pic
--- Watch a Sports or Humanities Bio Pic
--- Watch a Bio Pic about a prominent woman, minority or LGBT figure
Watch a Documentary from each of the following (may be as general or specific as you prefer):
-X- War - Standard Operating Procedure (2008)
--- Western
--- Historical Event
--- Biographical
--- Sports or Humanities (Miracle on Ice, Frida, etc.; lots of range here!)
WAR
Watch 5 movies that take place during different American wars. (Civil War, World Wars I or II, Viet Nam, etc.)
-X- Kelly's Heroes (1970) - World War II
-X- The Green Berets (1968) - Vietnam War
-X- Generation Kill (2008) - Iraqi War
-X- Kansas Pacific (1953) - Civil War
--- Movie 5
Watch 5 movies that take place during different countries' wars (Trojan War, Crusades, the Anglo-Zulu wars, etc.)
-X- Battleship Potemkin (1925) (Russian Revolution)
--- Movie 2
--- Movie 3
--- Movie 4
--- Movie 5
WESTERN
--- John Ford Western
-X- John Wayne Western - Chisum (1970)
--- "Singing Cowboy" Western
-X- Clint Eastwood Western - Hang 'Em High (1968)
-X- Spaghetti Western (not starring Clint Eastwood) - Shoot, Gringo... Shoot! (1968)
--- Comedy Western (may be spoof, parody or just humorous)
--- Western based on a novel
-X- Western told from perspective of Native Americans - Geronimo: An American Legend (1993)
-X- Western told from perspective of Outlaws - The Wild Bunch (1969)
--- Western about cross-country travel (wagon train, cattle drive, etc.)
Wild Cards (3 max): The checklist is pretty generous, so be very selective about what you use here.
indy2003
05-28-12, 08:40 AM
June 1st
1. Pierrepoint: The Last Hangman
June 2nd
2. All the President's Men
3. Master & Commander: The Far Side of the World
4. O Brother, Where Art Thou?
June 3rd
5. Hemingway and Gellhorn
June 4th
Nothing. :(
June 5th
Nothing :(
June 6th
6. Cemetery Junction
7. Big Miracle
June 7th
8. The Efficiency Expert
June 8th
9. Moonrise Kingdom
June 9th
Nothing. :(
June 10th
10. Mad Men: Episodes 5.12 & 5.13
June 11th
Nothing. :(
June 12th
11. Hoosiers
June 13th
Nothing. :(
June 14th
12. Hatfields & McCoys: Part 1
June 15th
13. Hatfields & McCoys: Part 2
June 16th
14. Hatfields & McCoys: Part 3
15. The Woodmans
June 17th
Nothing. :(
June 18th
Doc Moonlight
05-28-12, 09:03 AM
June 1
1. VERA CRUZ (1954) BD
June 2
2. WAGON TRAIN: "The Colonel Harris Story" (1960)*, "The Annie MacGregor Story" (1958)* DVR
June 3
3. THE BIG COUNTRY (1958) BD
June 4
4. PT109 (1962) DVR
June 5
5. DJANGO DER BASTARD/ THE STRANGER'S GUNFIGHT (1969)* DVD
June 6
6. DARLING LILI (1970)* DVD
June 7
7. AL CAPONE (1959)* DVR
June 8
8. THE IRON LADY (2011)* BluRay
June 9
9. RED CLIFF: PART 1 (2010)* BluRay
June 10
10. PAT GARRETT AND BILLY THE KID (2005 restoration)* DVD
June 11
11. MAD MEN "Commissions and Fees" (2012)*, "The Phantom (2012)* DVR
June 12
12. RISE AND FALL OF "LEGS" DIAMOND (1960)* DVR
June 13
13. BLACK LEGION (1937)* Live
June 14
14. IMAGINARY WITNESS: HOLLYWOOD AND THE HOLOCAUST (2011)* Netflix Streaming
June 15
15. TALES OF THE RAT FINK (2006)* DVR
June 16
16. DOG DAY AFTERNOON (1975) DVD
17. THE LAST SUNSET (1961) (DVD)
June 17
18. KHARTOUM (1966)* DVD
June 18
19. Mobsters: Danny Greene (2011)* Mickey Cohen (2011)* DVR
June 19
19. FORTY GUNS (1959) DVD
June 20
20. ALIAS JESSE JAMES (1958) DVD
21. THE LONG RIDERS (1980) BD
June 23
22. AMAZING GRACE (2006) DVD
23. FEAR STRIKES OUT (1956)* DVD
24. RED TAILS (2012)* BD
June 24
25. APACHES (1973)* DVD
June 25
26. THE DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND (2002)* DVD
27. THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST MATTHEW (1964)* DVD
June 26
28. HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER (1974) DVD
June 27
29. FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN (1996)* DVD
June 28
30. REDACTED (2007) DVD
June 29
31. AMERICAN MASTERS: JOHN FORD/JOHN WAYNE: THE FILMMAKER AND THE LEGEND (2005)* DVD
32. THE ARTIST (2011)* BD
33. AMAZONS OF ROME(1961)* DVR
June 30
34. WINGS (1927)* BD
35. THE HORSE SOLDIERS(1959) BD
36. ROLL ON TEXAS MOON (1946)
GENERAL
-X- Recreation of a specific Historical Event (like Apollo 13) DOG DAY AFTERNOON
-X- Sports film FEAR STRIKES OUT
-X- Bio Pic AL CAPONE
-X- Documentary IMAGINARY WITNESS: HOLLYWOOD AND THE HOLOCAUST
-X- Folk Hero/Mythological (Robin Hood, Greek gods, etc.) PAT GARRETT AND BILLY THE KID (Billy the Kid)
-X- Judeo-Christian (based on stories from the Torah, Mishna, New Testament, etc.) THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST MATTHEW
-X- Non-Judeo-Christian religion (may be about an individual holy person, like Kundun) KHARTOUM (Muslim protagonist ignites holy war)
-X- Film about Women's History (prominent woman, feminism, etc.) THE IRON LADY
-X- Film about minority rights (prominent minority figure, civil rights, etc.) AMAZING GRACE
-X- Film about LGBT rights (prominent LGBT figure, gay rights, etc.) DOG DAY AFTERNOON
-X- Zeitgeist Film (movie that captures the spirit of a specific setting) DOG DAY AFTERNOON
-X- Musical DARLING LILI
DECADES - Watch a film set--but not produced--during five different decades no more recent than the 1980s:
-X- Movie 1 DARLING LILI (1910s)
-X- Movie 2 AL CAPONE (1920s)
-X- Movie 3 MAD MEN (1960s)
-X- Movie 4 RED TAILS (1940s)
-X- Movie 5 THE IRON LADY(1970s)
Watch a film that takes place during five different centuries prior to the 20th Century (Note Century of setting):
-X- Movie 1 VERA CRUZ (19th Century)
-X- Movie 2 RED CLIFF: PART 1 (3rd Century)
-X- Movie 3 AMAZING GRACE (18th Century)
-X- Movie 4 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST MATTHEW (1st Century)
-x- Movie 5 AMAZONS OF ROME (5th Century BC)
Watch 5 movies about historical events of different countries (Note Country of setting).
-X- Movie 1 VERA CRUZ (Mexico)
-X- Movie 2 THE BIG COUNTRY (USA)
-X- Movie 3 RED CLIFF:PART 1 (China)
-X- Movie 4 KHARTOUM (Sudan)
-X- Movie 5 AMAZING GRACE (England)
BIO PICS
-X- Bio Pic of a War participant PT 109
-X- Bio Pic of a Historical Person THE IRON LADY
-X- Watch a Western Bio Pic PAT GARRETT AND BILLY THE KID
-X- Watch a Sports or Humanities Bio Pic FEAR STRIKES OUT
-X- Watch a Bio Pic about a prominent woman, minority or LGBT figure THE IRON LADY
Watch a Documentary from each of the following (may be as general or specific as you prefer):
-X- War FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN
-x- Western AMERICAN MASTERS: JOHN FORD/JOHN WAYNE: THE FILMMAKER AND THE LEGEND
-X- Historical Event IMAGINARY WITNESS: HOLLYWOOD AND THE HOLOCAUST
-X- Biographical TALES OF THE RAT FINK
-X- Sports or Humanities (Miracle on Ice, Frida, etc.; lots of range here!) THE DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND
WAR
Watch 5 movies that take place during different American wars. (Civil War, World Wars I or II, Viet Nam, etc.)
-X- Movie 1 PT 109 (WWII)
-X- Movie 2 APACHES (Mexican-American War of 1846-48)
-X- Movie 3 REDACTED (Iraq War)
-X- Movie 4 WINGS (WW I)
-X- Movie 5 THE HORSE SOLDIERS (The Civil War)
Watch 5 movies that take place during different countries' wars (Trojan War, Crusades, the Anglo-Zulu wars, etc.)
-X- Movie 1 VERA CRUZ (French-Mexican War)
-X- Movie 2 DARLING LILI (WW I, British/French/German)
-X- Movie 3 RED CLIFF: PART 1 (Hun Dynasty Civil War)
-X- Movie 4 KHARTOUM (Holy War of the Sudan 1880s)
-x- Movie 5 AMAZONS OF ROME (Roman Etruscan War)
WESTERN
-X- John Ford Western THE HORSE SOLDIERS
-X- John Wayne Western THE HORSE SOLDIERS
-X- "Singing Cowboy" Western ROLL ON TEXAS MOON
-X- Clint Eastwood Western HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER
-X- Spaghetti Western (not starring Clint Eastwood) DJANGO DER BASTARD/THE STRANGER'S GUNFIGHT
-X- Comedy Western (may be spoof, parody or just humorous) ALIAS JESSE JAMES
-X- Western based on a novelTHE LAST SUNSET (based on "Sundown at Crazy Horse" by Howard Risby)
-X- Western told from perspective of Native Americans APACHES
-X- Western told from perspective of Outlaws PAT GARRETT AND BILLY THE KID
-X- Western about cross-country travel (wagon train, cattle drive, etc.) WAGON TRAIN
Wild Cards (3 max): The checklist is pretty generous, so be very selective about what you use here.
Mondo Kane
05-28-12, 10:18 AM
(Not gonna be a big list tho)
2nd:
(Wildcard #1) 1. Matinee (1993) (Cuban Missle Crisis)
-------------------
3rd:
2. Shake Hands with the Devil (1959) (IRA)
-------------------
4th:
3. Anzio (1968) (WWII)
-------------------
5th:
4. Hate They Neighbor (1968) (Spaghetti Western)
-------------------
6th:
5. Germany Year Zero (1948) (WWII, Aftermath-Germany)
-------------------
7th:
6. Richard III (1955)
-------------------
8th:
7. Dillinger (1973) (Biopic)
-------------------
9th:
8. Vera Cruz (1954) (Mexican Revolution)
-------------------
10th:
9. Desert Flower (2009) (Biopic)
-------------------
11th:
10. The Ascent (1977) (WWII)
-------------------
12th:
11. Silver Lode (1954) (Western)
-------------------
13th:
12. The Counterfeiters (2007) (WWII)
-------------------
15th:
13. Revenge (1964) (Shogunate era)
14. Twelve O'Clock High (1949) (WWII)
-------------------
18th:
15. Ride Lonesome (1959) (Western)
-------------------
19th:
16. Hunger (2008) (Prison/Biopic/IRA)
-------------------
20th:
17. The Dark Avenger (1955) (Hundred Years War)
-------------------
21st:
18. Pollock (2000) (Biopic)
19. Doc (1971) (Western/Biopic)
-------------------
22nd:
20. Flame & Citron (2008) (WWII)
-------------------
23rd:
21. Imagine: John Lennon (1988) (Documentary)
-------------------
24th:
22. Quills (2000) (Biopic)
-------------------
25th:
23. 13 Assassins (2011) (Shogunate era)
-------------------
26th:
24. Springfield Rifle (1952) (U.S. Civil War)
-------------------
27th:
25. The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 (2011) (Documentary)
-------------------
29th:
26. The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel (1951) (WWII)
-------------------
30th:
27. Quo Vadis (1951) (Roman Empire)
28. Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (1983) (WWII)
Bladz
05-28-12, 01:14 PM
June 2
1. Thank God It's Friday (1978)
June 3
2. Dazed and Confused (1993) *
June 4
3. Grease (1978)
June 6
4. Saturday Night Fever (1977)
June 7
5. Platoon (1986) *
June 8
6. Rescue Dawn (2006) *
June 9
7. Apocalypse Now (1979)
June 10
8. Brothers (2009) *
June 11
9. Unforgiven (1992) *
June 12
10. The War Game (1965) *
June 14
11. Once Upon A Time In The West (1968) *
June 29
12. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
* First Time Viewing
Dimension X
05-28-12, 02:12 PM
In for two or three flicks.
6/7/12
1) Killer Elite (2011)
6/13/12
2) The Help (2011)
6/22/12
3) The Conspirator (2010)
6/28/12
4) J. Edgar (2011)
5) Red Tails (2012)
6/30/12
6) Duck You Sucker (1971)
2010 List (forum.dvdtalk.com/10179467-post4.html) - 21
2011 List (forum.dvdtalk.com/10787936-post10.html) - 4
ororama
05-29-12, 12:08 AM
It's not made by great men-Gang of Four
1. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003) * 138 min. British frigate H.M.S. Surprise chases and is chased by superior French privateer Acheron along the coast of Brazil, around Cape Horn and to the Galapagos Islands during the Napoleonic Wars. Excellent naval adventure.
2. The Virgin Suicides (1999) * 97 min. A look back at high school life in the mid-1970s in suburban Michigan, it has the (mostly Top 40) pop music of the era, and some of the hair, clothes and cars, but its real focus is on the life of the teens, so it is more than just a period piece. Really captures what high school felt like in the 1970s.
3. Stander (2003) * 112 min. True story of South African police captain who turned bank robber after killing a protester during an anti-apartheid demonstration. Amazing story with first rate lead performance by Thomas Jane.
4. Sugata Sanshirô (1943) 79 min. A young man in Tokyo in the 1870s wants to learn jujitsu, but becomes a top student of a new martial art, judo. He has more difficulty learning mental and spiritual self-control than mastering the physical aspects of the discipline, and has to battle proponents of jujitsu worried that their discipline will be eclipsed.
5. Sugata Sanshirô Part Two (1945) 82 min. Sugata battles with proponents of two new styles of fighting that he believes lack the traditional values of Japanese martial arts, American boxing and karate.
6. Chunhyang (2000) * 137 min. The son of a governor falls in love with the daughter of a courtesan in 18th century Korea. Based on a folktale, the story is perhaps the most popular subject of pansori.
7. The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail (1945) 59 min. A group of samurai in 12th century Japan try to get their lord, hunted by his brother who is Shogun, past a checkpoint to a place of refuge north of Kyoto.
8. Atonement (2007) * 123 min. A child's lie in mid-1930s England has disastrous consequences for several lives, into World War II and beyond.
9 3:10 To Yuma (2007) * 122 min. Excellent remake of a classic western.
10. Finding Neverland (2004) * 101 min. J.M. Barrie and the family who inspired Peter Pan. Very nice performance by Johnny Depp.
11. Benedict Arnold: A Question of Honor (2003) * 92 min. From greatest American hero to its greatest traitor.
12. Tumbleweeds (1925) * 77 min. William S. Hart's last movie is a story of the Oklahoma Land Run and the end of the frontier. DVD includes an 8 minute prologue from 1939 in which Hart gives some historical background about the land run and talks about his career.
13. Hunger (2008) * 96 min. Brilliant.
14. Go West (1925) * 68 min. Buster Keaton explores the love between a cowboy and his cow.
15. Benedict Arnold: Triumph and Treason (1995) * 45 min. Solid biography which recognizes Arnold's importance to the Revolution as well as his notoriety.
16. The Big Trail (1930) * 122 min. Epic story of a wagon train headed for Washington, with Raoul Walsh directing John Wayne in his first starring role. One of the first widescreen movies.
* First time viewing.
omike
05-29-12, 12:58 PM
2012 Historical Appreciation Challenge
* = first time viewing
June 01
01. The World At War (1973) Ep. 1 - A New Germany: 1933 - 1939* / Ep. 2 - Distant War: Sept. 1939 - May 1940*
June 02
02. Twelve O'Clock High (1949)* (Fox Studio Classics 75th Anniversary 4 Disc Set)
Date: Fall 1942 - Winter 1943 Place: England, Air over France, Germany
Excellent film about a new commander who takes over a "hard luck" American bomber group and tries to get it into shape by instilling the men with pride in the group. A well acted movie about men under intense pressure. Actual combat footage was used for the battle scenes.
03. Red Ball Express (1952) VHS Taped off AMC long ago.
Date: July - Sept.? 1944 Place: France, following Patton
The story of one unit in the supply effort to keep Patton's 1944 race across France moving. An interesting topic but a pretty standard story. One unusual element for the time is the inclusion of three black GI's, one played by a very young Sidney Poitier. The issue of racism is briefly and superficially considered. A decent cast with many familiar faces and well paced direction keep things interesting.
June 03
04. 55 Days at Peking (1963)
Date: Summer 1900 Place: Peking, China
June 04
05. Boxer Rebellion (1975)* R3 DVD
Date: 1900 Place: In and around Peking, China
June 07
06. Saving Private Ryan (1998)*
Date: June 6 - June 13, 1944 Place: France
June 08
07. The World At War (1973) Ep. 3 - France Falls: May - June, 1940* / Ep. 4 - Alone: May, 1940 - May, 1941*
June 09
08. Immortal Sergeant (1943)* (Fox Studio Classics 75th Anniversary 4 Disc Set)
Date: Sometime in 1941-1942 Place: North Africa
An introspective, almost meek, corporal must take over command of the remains of a lost patrol after his sergeant is killed. OK movie, somewhat stage bound has a pretty exciting conclusion. Romantic flashbacks tend to slow things down but they are part of the point of the film.
June 10
09. Divide and Conquer (1943)* (Mill Creek War Classics 50 Movie Pack)
Date: Sept. 1939 - June 1940 Place: Europe
Third film in the Frank Capra directed Why We Fight series covers the early days of the European theater from the Fall of Poland to the Fall of France.
10. The Battle of the River Plate (1956)*
Date: Nov. - Dec. 1939 Place: At sea, mostly the Atlantic
The story of the British pursuit of the pocket-battleship Graf Spee. Visually rich with an excellent sea battle. When the story turns from standard military matters to a media event it is marked by a switch from the dull colors of the Atlantic to a bright blast of color in Montevideo. Would have liked more insight into the final decision regarded the fate of the Graf Spee.
June 12
11. The World At War (1973) Ep. 5 - Barbarossa: June - December, 1941* / Ep. 6 - Banzai!: Japan 1931 - 1942*
June 14
12. Deadwood Season 1 (2004) Ep. 1 - Deadwood* / Ep. 2 - Deep Water*
June 15
13. The World At War (1973) Ep. 7 - On Our Way: USA 1939-1942* / Ep. 8 - The Desert: North Africa 1940 - 1943*
June 18
14. Deadwood Season 1 (2004) Ep. 3 - Reconnoitering the Rim* / Ep. 4 - Here Was A Man*
June 19
15. The World At War (1973) Ep. 9 - Stalingrad: June 1942 - February 1943* / Ep. 10 - Wolf Pack: U-Boats in the Atlantic 1939 - 1942*
June 23
16. Canyon Passage (1946)* (Classic Western Round-Up Vol. 1)
Date: 1856 Place: Oregon Territory
Dana Andrews plays the upright owner of a transport company and Brian Donlevy is the weak willed banker with a taste for Poker. They both love Susan Hayward. Interesting setting, forests and mountains, rather than plains and deserts, but the story tends to wander a bit. Still an all around good cast and characters keep things interesting. Any movie with Hoagy Carmichael in it is OK in my book.
17. The Lawless Breed (1952)* (Classic Western Round-Up Vol. 1)
Date: 1853 - 1896 Place: Mostly Texas, also Kansas and Alabama
Rock Hudson stars as John Wesley Hardin in the story of his life as told by himself. I never killed any man who didn't try to kill me first pretty much sums up Hardin's criminal career as told here. Unfortunately a there were quite a few of these men and several were lawmen doing their duty. I've never been a huge Rock Hudson fan and maybe that's why I had trouble staying interested. Lots of familiar faces in the smaller rolls but none of the main players were very convincing for me.
18. Deadwood Season 1 (2004) Ep. 5 - The Trial of Jack McCall* / Ep. 6 - Plague*
June 24
19. The World At War (1973) Ep. 11 - The Red Star: The Soviet Union 1941 - 1943* / Ep. 12 - Whirlwind: Bombing Germany September 1939 - April 1944*
June 25
20. The World At War (1973) Ep. 13 - Tough Old Gut: Italy November 1943 - June 1944* / Ep. 14 - It's A Lovely Day Tomorrow: Burma 1943 - 1944*
June 26
21. The World At War (1973) Ep. 15 - Home Fires: Britain 1940 - 1944* / Ep. 16 - Inside the Reich: Germany 1940 - 1944*
June 27
22. Deadwood Season 1 (2004) Ep. 7 - Bullock Returns to the Camp* / Ep. 8 - Suffer the Little Children*
June 28
23. Deadwood Season 1 (2004) Ep. 9 - No Other Sons or Daughters* / Ep. 10 - Mister Wu*
June 29
24. Wagon Master (1950)*
John Ford directed story about two horse traders hired to guide a Mormon wagon train to their promised land. Along the way, they run into both natural and human obstacles. I could have done without the bandits, they were predictable and didn't seem to add much to the story, and the romance between Ben Johnson and Joanne Dru didn't ring true to me. The film worked best for me when it stuck to the wagon train story. I find myself becoming more of a Harry Carey Jr. fan with each film I see him in.
June 30
25. Soldier (2012) Ep. 2* / Ep. 3*
This Korean historical drama began airing on one of the off the air digital channels I get two weekends back but I missed the first episode. Set in the 13th century it's based on the life of Kim Jun, a real historical figure, who went from slave of the state to a top military official in the kingdom of Goryeo (or so the summery says anyway). Generally these dramas stick to major historical facts while of course making up many of the details that never get into history books.
26. Deadwood (2004) Ep. 11 - Jewel's Boot is Made for Walking* / Ep. 12 - Sold Under Sin*
June 2, 2012
1. SOUTH SHAOLIN VS. NORTH SHAOLIN (1984/Hong Kong-Taiwan-South Korea, 90 min., color, kung fu adventure) VHS (in Mandarin with English subs.)
Dir.: Woo Ka Chin. Cast: Casanova Wong, Eagle Han. The one about Ming Dynasty princes being smuggled as babies into South China and pursued by Qing enforcers even as the babies grow up, separately, into adulthood. One of the princes is raised as a Shaolin monk and winds up rescuing the brother he doesn’t know. Not much narrative coherence, but lots of great fights.
June 3, 2012
2. KINGS GO FORTH (1958/U.S., 110 min., b&w, war drama/United Artists) DVD
Dir.: Delmer Daves. Cast: Frank Sinatra, Tony Curtis, Natalie Wood.
Romantic melodrama set in France during WWII in the aftermath of D-Day, with Sinatra and Curtis both in love with Wood, who plays an American girl raised in France and the daughter of an interracial marriage. Typical 1950s big-star vehicle, but its racial angle is muted by Wood’s casting. June 3 is Tony’s birthday. He would have turned 87.
June 4, 2012
3. DEADLY DUO (1971/Hong Kong, 81 min., color, historical martial arts adventure/Shaw Bros.) DVD (in Mandarin with English subs.)
Dir.: Chang Cheh. Cast: Ti Lung, David Chiang, Ku Feng.
The conquering Jins hold the Sung Dynasty prince in captivity in an impregnable castle and a handful of heroes break in to try and free him. Lots of action, simple plot in smaller-scale version of the historical kung fu epics Chang Cheh was making at the time (THE HEROIC ONES, BLOOD BROTHERS).
4. JAMAICA INN (1939/U.K., 98 min., b&w, historical adventure) DVD
Dir.: Alfred Hitchcock. Cast: Charles Laughton, Maureen O’Hara, Robert Newton.
A gang of cutthroats operating out of the title inn in the 1820s lure cargo ships to their doom on the rocky Cornish coast and plunder them. An Irish girl gets involved and hooks up with an undercover agent for the King. Not bad, but its cramped sets and low budget cried out for a widescreen big-budget color remake, which we never got. Very un-Hitchcockian.
June 5, 2012
5. THE GREEN DRAGON INN (1977/Taiwan, 93 min., color, kung fu adventure) VHS (English-dubbed)
Dir.: Wu Min-hsiung. Cast: Yueh Hua, Lo Lieh, Polly Shang-Kwan.
In Old China, a rich man’s son is wanted for murder and an imperial officer and his men arrest the criminal and must get him to court despite an army of warriors sent to stop them. The three stars are old hands at this kind of thing, but this isn’t one of the best of the genre.
June 6, 2012
6. WHY WE FIGHT, PART 1: "PRELUDE TO WAR" (1942/U.S., 53 min., b&w, documentary) DVD
Directors: Frank Capra, Anatole Litvak. Narrator: Walter Huston.
Wartime documentary aimed at educating viewers about the aggressive behavior of Germany, Italy and Japan in the years leading up to the war and why it was necessary to go to war against them.
June 7-10
June 11, 2012
7. [b]THE MASTER OF KUNG FU (1973/Hong Kong, 92 min., color, kung fu drama/Shaw Bros.) R3 DVD (in Mandarin with English subs.)
Dir.: Ho Meng-Hua. Cast: Ku Feng, Chen Ping, Wang Hsieh.
Ku Feng plays Wong Fei-Hung (1847-1924), the legendary Chinese herbalist/martial artist, as a mature character in a low-key film that's a little more serious than most of the films I’ve seen about Master Wong and less flamboyant in terms of its kung fu. Starts out well, but devolves in its last third into a routine crime drama about stolen jade, corrupt merchants and an elaborate frame-up.
June 12, 2012
[Wild Card]
8. HIGH FLIGHT (1957/UK, 102 min., color, aviation drama/Columbia) VHS (taped off TCM)
Dir.: John Gilling. Cast: Ray Milland, Kenneth Haigh, Anthony Newley.
Dull drama about flight training in the RAF. Good aerial scenes. I thought it had a historical setting, but there are absolutely no historical markers in it, other than a reference to flying saucers, which definitely places it post-war. The cars look older than 1957, so I’m using this as a Wild Card. This was made in color, but released theatrically in the U.S. in a cut black-and-white print. TCM ran a complete color print, but it was pan-and-scan, not Cinemascope.
9. JUDGE PRIEST (1934/U.S., 80 min., b&w, comedy-drama/Fox) DVD (Mill Creek Western Classics)
Dir.: John Ford. Cast: Will Rogers, Tom Brown, Stepin Fetchit.
Ford gets folksy in this snapshot of an old Kentucky town in the 1890s. Somehow, the spectacle of blacks happily performing “Dixie” while the “Little Colonel” from BIRTH OF A NATION (Henry B. Walthall) waxes nostalgic about the Confederacy throws me off a bit. Time to break out THE GRAPES OF WRATH and THE SEARCHERS.
June 13, 2012
10. APPOINTMENT IN TOKYO (1945/U.S., 110 min., b&w, documentary) DVD (Mill Creek Pearl Harbor set)
Compilation of four documentaries about the war against Japan: “Pearl Harbor Payback,” “Target Tokyo,” “Air War Against Japan,” “Appointment in Tokyo”
It’s always amazing to see the wealth of combat footage that was taken in World War II battles. The last film here has a street-by-street, building-by-building account of the Battle of Manila. I’ve never seen this footage before.
June 14, 2012
11. DECISIVE VICTORY (1942/U.S. 81 min., b&w and color, documentary) DVD (Mill Creek Pearl Harbor set)
Compilation of documentaries about the war against Japan: "Death March," "Decisive Victory," "They Beat the Japs"
The second film is actually John Ford's "The Battle of Midway," only retitled "Decisive Victory" and shown here in b&w, not its original color. "They Beat the Japs" compiles profiles of different generals who led the American forces in battle against the Japanese. Much of this material was compiled and produced long after the war, but I'm not sure when. This is a confusing box set containing several government-produced documentaries with the original credits removed and the films retitled for this set.
12. THE CARSON CITY KID (1940/U.S., 53 min., b&w, B-western/Republic Pictures) DVD (Mill Creek Western Classics)
Dir.: Joseph Kane. Cast: Roy Rogers, Bob Steele, Noah Beery Jr., Gabby Hayes.
In Gold Rush-era California, Roy Rogers plays an outlaw—who’s never seen actually stealing anything—seeking to get the goods on the gambler who’d murdered his brother and now runs the town of Sonora. Good cast, but not the most exciting Rogers western I’ve seen.
June 15, 2012
13. INHERITOR OF KUNG FU (1978/Hong Kong, 92 min., color, kung fu adventure) VHS (English-dubbed)
Dir.: Pao Hsueh Li. Cast: Ti Lung, Chang Lin, Philip Cheung.
Convoluted kung fu movie about rival clans searching for a special kung fu manual. Lots of fighting, but little sense.
14. SHINSENGUMI CHRONICLES: I WANT TO DIE A SAMURAI (1963/Japan, 93 min., color, historical adventure/Daiei) DVD (in Japanese with English subs.)
Dir.: Kenji Misumi. Cast: Raizo Ichikawa, Tomisaburo Wakayama, Shiho Fujimura.
Well-mounted drama about the ill-fated “shinsengumi,” a motley band of would-be samurai seeking to defend the waning Tokugawa Shogunate from imperial factions in the years before the Meiji restoration. Set in 1863, 100 years before it was made.
15. THE SUN SHINES BRIGHT (1953/U.S., 100 min., b&w, period drama/Republic) VHS
Dir.: John Ford. Cast: Charles Winninger, Arleen Whelan, John Russell, Stepin Fetchit.
Very odd remake of Ford’s own JUDGE PRIEST (1934, see #9), set in the early 1900s, but without the humor supplied in the original by Will Rogers. Old-fashioned even by 1953 standards and racially quite retrograde. Ford considered this film his favorite. I don’t get it.
June 16, 2012
Female Pirate Day
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16. ANNE OF THE INDIES (1951/U.S., 81 min., color, pirate adventure/Fox) VHS
Dir.: Jacques Tourneur. Cast: Jean Peters, Louis Jourdan, Debra Paget.
Jean Peters plays a pirate captain loosely based on the real-life female pirate, Anne Bonney. She’s brutal and ruthless, but softens, temporarily, when she falls for Louis Jourdan, a captured French naval officer. When he betrays her…well, hell hath no fury like a pirate woman scorned. Pretty hard-edged for 1951 and Jean is great in the role.
17. CUTTHROAT ISLAND (1995/U.S., 124 min., color, pirate adventure/Carolco) VHS
Dir.: Renny Harlin. Cast: Geena Davis, Matthew Modine, Frank Langella.
Overlong, overblown big-budget compendium of pirate movie clichés. Entertaining in parts, but it could have used more charismatic actors in the two lead roles.
June 17, 2012
18. THE PRICE OF POWER (1969/Italy, 108 min., color, western) 35mm – seen at Film Forum’s “Spaghetti Westerns” series. In Italian with English subs.
Dir.: Tonino Valerii. Cast: Giuliano Gemma, Fernando Rey, Van Johnson.
Bizarre Italian western that mixes gimmicky spaghetti western violence with a heavy-handed political allegory about the Kennedy assassination transplanted to 1881 Dallas and the assassination of then-President Garfield (played by Van Johnson).
June 18, 2012
19. THE YOUNG HERO OF SHAOLIN (1984/China, 91 min., color, kung fu biopic) VHS (English-dubbed)
Directors: Yang Fan, Ye Hoi Fung. Cast: Shi Bao Hua, Chen Yong Xia.
Mainland Chinese biopic covering the early years of Fong Sai Yuk, who went on to become a legendary Shaolin rebel. Not as flashy as the Hong Kong films about the hero, but still appealing.
20. COLORADO (1940/U.S., 53 min., b&w, B-western/Republic Pictures) DVD (Mill Creek Western Classics)
Dir.: Joseph Kane. Cast: Roy Rogers, Milburn Stone, Gabby Hayes.
Civil War tale with Rogers as a government agent seeking to stop Confederate saboteurs in Colorado, one of whom is his brother. Interesting ideas left undeveloped because of the low budget and short running time, but filled with action nonetheless. Rogers and Stone are very good in this.
June 19, 2012
21. WHY WE FIGHT #6: THE BATTLE OF CHINA (1944/U.S., 65 min., b&w, documentary/U.S. War Dept.) DVD
Narrator: Anthony Veiller. Japan's war on China and China's efforts to fight back, with the help of the Allies. Japan's atrocities are well-known to me, but the footage of them remains horrifying. No mention of Mao Tse Tung or the Chinese Communists.
22. AMERICAN EMPIRE (1942/U.S., 81 min., b&w, western/UA) DVD (Mill Creek Western Classics)
Dir.: William McGann. Cast: Richard Dix, Preston Foster, Leo Carrillo.
Two men who run a rickety riverboat on the Mississippi decide to go into cattle ranching in post-Civil War Texas, but must contend with a French cattle rustler from Louisiana. Great climactic battle, with dozens of horse-riding extras, but not much excitement until then.
June 20, 2012
23. WHY WE FIGHT #4: THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN (1943/U.S. 54 min., b&w, documentary/U.S. War Dept.) DVD
Narrators: Anthony Veiller, Walter Huston. Shows how England stood up to the Nazi invasion and the bombing raids on London. As I watched the destruction, I kept wondering why the U.S. didn't join the war much sooner. I guess I don't know as much about WWII history as I thought I did.
24. YOUNG BILL HICKOK (1940/U.S., 54 min., b&w, B-western/Republic) DVD (Mill Creek Western Classics)
Dir.: Joseph Kane. Cast: Roy Rogers, Gabby Hayes, Sally Payne.
Roy plays Bill Hickok during the Civil War as he works for the Union to thwart Morrell's Raiders out west who are robbing gold shipments meant for the Union Army. We see him earn his nickname, "Wild Bill," early on. Pretty exciting B-western with a great performance by Sally Payne as Calamity Jane.
June 21, 2012
25. FLYING TIGERS (1942/U.S., 102 min., b&w, WWII combat/Republic) VHS
Dir.: David Miller. Cast: John Wayne, John Carroll, Anna Lee.
Since the Flying Tigers, an American volunteer flying unit, was mentioned in BATTLE OF CHINA (see #21), I decided to re-watch this film, which was about that unit, which fought against the Japanese in China well before the U.S. entered the war. There weren't many Hollywood films about the war in China; this might be the most prominent.
26. THREE CAME HOME (1950/U.S., 105 min., b&w, WWII drama/Fox) DVD (Mill Creek Combat Classics set)
Dir.: Jean Negulesco. Cast: Claudette Colbert, Patric Knowles, Sessue Hayakawa.
An American woman and her son spend three-and-a-half years in a prison camp run by the Japanese on Borneo during WWII. Unstinting portrayal of the Japanese captors' brutality. Scenes of torture, physical and mental agony, and attempted rape certainly pushed the limits for Hollywood in 1950. Based on a true story and partly filmed on location.
June 22, 2012
27. TALL IN THE SADDLE (1944/U.S., 87 min., b&w, western/RKO) DVD
Dir.: Edwin L. Marin. Cast: John Wayne, Ella Raines, Ward Bond.
I needed a break from Japanese wartime brutality, so I shifted to this classic John Wayne western where he plays a cowboy caught between rival ranching factions in a western town. Smoothly written, fast-paced, beautifully shot, and wonderfully played. Ella Raines plays a hard-riding ranch girl—mean, hot-tempered, passionate, and absolutely stunning!
28. FIVE SHAOLIN MASTERS (1974/Hong Kong, 105 min., color, kung fu adventure/Shaw Bros.) R3 DVD (in Mandarin with English subtitles)
Dir.: Chang Cheh. Cast: David Chiang, Ti Lung, Fu Sheng, Chi Kuan Chun, Meng Fei.
Five fighters survive the burning of Shaolin Temple and fan out to recruit other patriots to resist the Manchu takeover. Five villains target the five heroes. Based on real-life figures. One of the best of Shaw Bros.’ Shaolin cycle.
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29. EMPIRE OF THE SUN (1987/U.S., 152 min., color, wartime drama/Warner Bros.) VHS
Dir.: Steven Spielberg. Cast: Christian Bale, John Malkovich, Nigel Havers.
An English boy is interned with other white civilians in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp during WWII and tries to make the best of it. Based on a book by J.G. Ballard, who actually lived it. Visually impressive, but the harshness of the experience is considerably softened.
June 23, 2012
30. SHANGHAI JOE (aka IL MIO NOME E' SHANGHAI JOE, 1973/Italy, 97 min., color, Italian western) VHS (English-dubbed)
Dir.: Mario Caiano. Cast: Chen Lee, Piero Lulli, Klaus Kinski.
A Chinese immigrant and kung fu expert in the 19th century travels to Texas and encounters bigotry, discrimination, and humiliation and is forced to frequently defend himself. Not bad, but clearly inspired by TV’s “Kung Fu” series.
31. THE LONE RANGER (1952/U.S. 65 min., b&w, western) DVD (Mill Creek Western Legends set)
Dir.: George B. Seitz, Jr. Cast: Clayton Moore, Jay Silverheels, Walter Sande, Glenn Strange.
Feature compilation originally released in 1952 as “The Legend of the Lone Ranger,” containing three 1949 episodes from “The Lone Ranger” TV series showing the origin of the character and how he met his sidekick, Tonto. They round up the Butch Cavendish gang in this one.
32. CHALLENGE OF THE MASTERS (1976/Hong Kong, 96 min., color, kung fu drama/Shaw Bros.) DVD (in Mandarin with English subs.)
Dir.: Lau Kar Leung. Cast: Gordon Liu, Chen Kuan Tai, Lily Li.
The legendary herbalist and martial artist Wong Fei Hung (1847-1924) is seen here as a youth whose father refuses to teach him kung fu, so he instead goes to his dad’s teacher to train and comes back in time to help his dad’s school in the annual Lion Dance. Not much plot, but lots of great kung fu.
June 24, 2012
33. RETURN OF THE BAD MEN (1948/U.S., 90 min., b&w, western/RKO) VHS
Dir.: Ray Enright. Cast: Randolph Scott, Gabby Hayes, Robert Ryan.
RKO outlaw mash-up, with lots of unrelated outlaws (Billy the Kid, the Sundance Kid, the Younger Bros., the Dalton Bros., Bill Doolin) awkwardly thrown into the same mix, along with the Oklahoma Land Rush. This is a follow-up to BADMAN’S TERRITORY, which was much better.
June 25, 2012
34. BEST OF THE BADMEN (1951/U.S., 84 min., color, western/RKO) VHS
Dir.: William D. Russell. Cast: Robert Ryan, Claire Trevor, Robert Preston.
Another RKO outlaw mash-up, but the outlaws here, the James brothers and the Younger brothers, actually did ride together after the Civil War. Ryan plays an ex-Union army major who leads the former Quantrill raiders on a robbery spree, all to get back at a vicious Pinkerton-like detective. Lawrence Tierney and Tom Tyler play Jesse and Frank James, just like they did in BADMAN’S TERRITORY (1946).
35. STAGECOACH TO DENVER (1946/U.S., 53 min., b&w, B-western/Republic) DVD (Mill Creek Western Classics)
Dir.: R.G. Springsteen. Cast: Allan Lane, Peggy Stewart, Roy Barcroft, Bobby Blake.
Murder and landgrabbing in Colorado as the stage lines expand. Red Ryder (Lane) and Little Beaver (Blake) get involved when a little boy is paralyzed after a stagecoach is derailed in a fake accident designed to kill the new Land Commissioner. Pretty good B-western.
36. THE STILWELL ROAD (1945/U.S., 82 min., b&w, wartime documentary) DVD (Mill Creek Pearl Harbor set)
“The Stilwell Road” is 49 min. and narrated by Ronald Reagan. It offers amazing footage of the campaign by the Allies (U.S, England, China, India, Burma, etc.) to retake Burma from the Japanese. Followed on the DVD by “The Battle of Saipan,” about a key battle in the Pacific, and a short about the battle for Guam.
June 26, 2012
37. MARY OF SCOTLAND (1936/U.S., 123 min., b&w, historical drama/RKO) VHS
Dir.: John Ford. Cast: Katharine Hepburn, Frederic March, Florence Eldridge.
Drama about the rivalry between Mary, Queen of Scots, and Queen Elizabeth I of England, with generous helpings of Mary's love life and the intrigue she faced in court. One of the few Ford films I hadn't seen before. It's an odd one and way too long. I don't quite get the point of it. It makes Elizabeth look bad, but, unlike Mary, she actually accomplished something. Did Mary actually do anything? The film doesn't say.
38. WE TAKE NEW GUINEA (1944/U.S., 85 min., b&w/color, wartime documentary) DVD (Mill Creek Pearl Harbor set)
Compilation of four documentaries on the Pacific War: “We Take New Guinea” (39 min.), narrated by Ronald Reagan; “The Pacific War” (16 min.), in color and done decades after the war; “Battles of Tarawa and Makin” (10 min.); and “Fury in the Pacific” (1945, 20 min.), narrated by Richard Carlson, about the battle to take Palau. Great combat footage throughout.
June 27, 2012
39. KINPATSU NO JEANIE (JEANIE WITH THE LIGHT BROWN HAIR) (1979/Japan, 100 min., color, animated historical drama) R2 DVD (in Japanese, no subtitles) Episodes 1-4 (of a 13-part series)
Anime series about a family in Virginia during the Civil War. Odd historical mix-ups include cowboys, covered wagons and saloons—in Virginia! Unusual in that, unlike such celebrated anime series as “Little Women,” this one was not based on a famous literary work, but was a completely original idea. The theme song is a Japanese-language version of the Stephen Foster song, “I Dream of Jeannie…”
40. THE BANDIT OF SHERWOOD FOREST (1946/U.S., 86 min., color, costume adventure/Columbia) VHS
Directors: George Sherman, Henry Levin. Cast: Cornel Wilde, Anita Louise, Henry Daniell.
The son of Robin Hood (Wilde) shows up in Sherwood when a new tyrant tries to assassinate the boy king and do away with the Magna Carta. Modeled on Flynn’s THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD, but not nearly as good.
41. ROGUES OF SHERWOOD FOREST (1950/U.S., 80 min., color, costume adventure/Columbia) VHS
Dir.: Gordon Douglas. Cast: John Derek, Diana Lynn, Alan Hale.
The son of Robin Hood, again, but this time played by Derek. He goes up against King John and helps the enlightened nobles get the Magna Carta instated. Not quite a sequel, not quite a prequel, sort of a reboot. Alan Hale Sr. plays Little John for the third time in 28 years, but he died before this came out. Fast-paced, but lightweight.
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42. MACARTHUR (1977/U.S., 130 min., color, biopic/Universal) DVD
Dir.: Joseph Sargent. Cast: Gregory Peck, Ed Flanders, Dan O’Herlihy.
Covers General Douglas MacArthur from the beginning of World War II to the Korean War and his dismissal by Truman. Flawed film with a very uneven performance by Peck, but there are some powerful scenes, including MacArthur’s return to the Philippines, the Japanese surrender aboard the U.S.S. Missouri, and the occupation of Japan, which make the film worth seeing.
June 28, 2012
43. THE MOUNTAIN ROAD (1960/U.S., 102 min., b&w, war drama/Columbia) VHS
Dir.: Daniel Mann. Cast: James Stewart, Lisa Lu, Harry Morgan, Glenn Corbett.
A rare Hollywood film about the war in China. Stewart plays an army engineer who leads a demolition squad to blow up roads to slow the Japanese advance west. Lisa Lu plays an American-educated Chinese woman who accompanies them. The biggest threats to Stewart and his team come from the Chinese they encounter. Fascinating, incisive attempt to explore the cultural divide between China and America during the war.
44. CHINA DOLL (1958/U.S., 99 min., b&w, war-themed romantic drama/UA) DVD
Dir.: Frank Borzage. Cast: Victor Mature, Li Li Hua, Ward Bond.
Another rare Hollywood film about the war in China. An American Air Corps Captain inadvertently “buys” a Chinese woman bondservant while stationed in China during WWII and—long story short—winds up marrying her and fathering a baby. There’s too much of the subservient “China doll” stereotype in play here, esp. in contrast with the strong, independent Chinese woman in MOUNTAIN ROAD (see #43). But it turns out to be a real tearjerker.
June 29, 2012
45. WINDS OF THE WASTELAND (1936/U.S., 54 min., b&w, B-western/Republic) DVD (Mill Creek Western Legends set)
Dir.: Mack V. Wright. Cast: John Wayne, Phyllis Fraser, Lane Chandler.
In Old California, the Pony Express gives way to telegraph lines and stage lines. John Wayne plays a former Pony Express rider who starts up a stage line in a near-ghost town and competes in a stage race to Sacramento to win a government contract. Wayne is good and the stage race is very well done.
46. TV Westerns featuring Robert Redford DVD
Collection of TV western episodes in which Redford made guest appearances. Four half-hours:
The Deputy: “The Last Gunfight” (1960, b&w)
Whispering Smith: “The Grudge” (1961, b&w)
Tate: “The Bounty Hunter” (1960, b&w)
Tate: “Comanche Scalps” (1960, b&w)
Redford plays a bad guy in the first three, either a hotshot gunslinger or someone seeking revenge against the hero. In the last, he plays a good guy who goes after some raiding Comanches led by Leonard Nimoy!
June 30, 2012
47a. The Virginian: “The Evil That Men Do” (1963, color, 75 min., TV western/NBC-Universal) DVD (TV Westerns featuring Robert Redford)
Dir.: Stuart Heisler. Cast: Lee J. Cobb, James Drury, Robert Redford.
Redford plays an angry young convict paroled into Judge Garth’s custody to see if he can be rehabilitated. It’s a touch-and-go proposition throughout. Redford’s quite good and you can see why he became a movie star a few short years later.
47b. Buffalo Bill Jr.: “The Fight for Texas” (1955, b&w, 26 min., TV western) DVD (Mill Creek Ultimate TV Westerns) Dir.: George Archainbaud. Cast: Dick Jones, Nancy Gilbert, Richard Powers.
I needed a half-hour western to fill out this entry, so I picked one that dealt with the Texas Rangers. Now it’s on to the Sci-Fi/Fantasy Challenge.
Week Two: June 3-9
7. Zhong kui niang zi (1971)
8. Cha chi hu (1970)
9. Jin mao shi wang (1975)
10. Hong Xi Guan: Zhi Shao Lin wu zu (1994)
11. Xiao ao jiang hu zhi: Dong Fang Bu Bai (1992)
12. Xiao nian Su Qi Er (1985)
13. Feng shen jie (1983)
14. Da nei gao shou (1972)
15. She diao ying xiong chuan (1977)
16. She diao ying xiong chuan xu ji (1978)
Week Three: June 10-16
17. She diao ying xiong chuan san ji (1981)
18. American Graffiti (1973)
19. Ching gung kai si luk (1983)
20. Lonesome Dove (1989) pt 1
21. Lonesome Dove (1989) pt 2
22. Lonesome Dove (1989) pt 3
23. Lonesome Dove (1989) pt 4
24. Clash of the Titans (1981)
The Checklist
GENERAL
--- Recreation of a specific Historical Event (like Apollo 13)
--- Sports film
--- Bio Pic
--- Documentary
-X- Folk Hero/Mythological (Robin Hood, Greek gods, etc.) [Clash of the Titans (1981)]
--- Judeo-Christian (based on stories from the Torah, Mishna, New Testament, etc.)
--- Non-Judeo-Christian religion (may be about an individual holy person, like Kundun)
--- Film about Women's History (prominent woman, feminism, etc.)
--- Film about minority rights (prominent minority figure, civil rights, etc.)
--- Film about LGBT rights (prominent LGBT figure, gay rights, etc.)
--- Zeitgeist Film (movie that captures the spirit of a specific setting)
--- Musical
DECADES - Watch a film set--but not produced--during five different decades no more recent than the 1980s:
--- Movie 1 (Decade)
--- Movie 2 (Decade)
-X- Lonesome Dove (1989) (1870s)
-X- American Graffiti (1973) (1950s)
-X- Hatfields & McCoys (2012) (1880s)
[I]Watch a film that takes place during five different centuries prior to the 20th Century (Note Century of setting):
--- Movie 1 (Century)
--- Movie 2 (Century)
-X- Lonesome Dove (1989) (1800s)
-X- Feng shen jie (1983) (900s)
-X- Hong Xi Guan: Zhi Shao Lin wu zu (1994) (1600s)
Watch 5 movies about historical events of different countries (Note Country of setting):
--- Movie 1 (Country)
--- Movie 2 (Country)
--- Movie 3 (Country)
--- Movie 4 (Country)
-X- Zhong kui niang zi (1971) (China)
BIO PICS
--- Bio Pic of a War participant
--- Bio Pic of a Historical Person
--- Watch a Western Bio Pic
--- Watch a Sports or Humanities Bio Pic
--- Watch a Bio Pic about a prominent woman, minority or LGBT figure
Watch a Documentary from each of the following (may be as general or specific as you prefer):
--- War
--- Western
--- Historical Event
-X- Biographical [A&E Biography: Confucius]
--- Sports or Humanities (Miracle on Ice, Frida, etc.; lots of range here!)
WAR
Watch 5 movies that take place during different American wars. (Civil War, World Wars I or II, Viet Nam, etc.)
--- Movie 1
--- Movie 2
--- Movie 3
--- Movie 4
--- Movie 5
Watch 5 movies that take place during different countries' wars (Trojan War, Crusades, the Anglo-Zulu wars, etc.)
--- Movie 1
--- Movie 2
--- Movie 3
--- Movie 4
--- Movie 5
WESTERN
--- John Ford Western
-X- John Wayne Western [Ride Him, Cowboy (1932)]
--- "Singing Cowboy" Western
--- Clint Eastwood Western
--- Spaghetti Western (not starring Clint Eastwood)
--- Comedy Western (may be spoof, parody or just humorous)
-X- Western based on a novel [Lonesome Dove (1989)]
--- Western told from perspective of Native Americans
--- Western told from perspective of Outlaws
-X- Western about cross-country travel [Lonesome Dove (1989)]
Wild Cards (3 max): The checklist is pretty generous, so be very selective about what you use here:
---
---
---
gp1086
05-29-12, 10:00 PM
June 8
Too Big To Fail (2011) - Excellent HBO film regarding the financial meltdown of 2008. Superb acting, gripping script, and an understandable plot for those not completely familiar with America's financial system.
pagefrance
05-30-12, 08:01 PM
Hear ye, hear ye! It is so decreed that my list will go here!
* = First time viewing.
Title in black bold: DVD from my personal collection
Title in purple bold: Seen on TV broadcast
Title in blue bold: DVD/Blu Ray rental
Title in green bold: Seen online.
June 1
1. Guinevere (1994) An Arthurian tale that like the much superior The Mists of Avalon tells the tale through a woman's eyes, in this case Guinevere, Arthur's wife. There's much new age-y talk about how men and Christianity are evil and all was much better when they worshiped "the goddess". See The Mists of Avalon instead.
June 2
2. Introducing Dorothy Dandridge* (1999) Biopic of the first black actress nominated for an Oscar. Halle Berry gives a great performance.
June 3
3. Ray* (2004) Biopic of the rhythm & blues legend. Jamie Fox's performance is really astounding.
June 4
4. The Great Waldo Pepper (1975) I couldn't believe it when I found this DVD in a local supermarket after having looked for it for ages. A sentimental favorite of mine since I saw for the first time in the movie theater when I was a kid (yes, I'm that old). Great adventure film set in the 30's that tells the tale of an ex-fighter pilot (Robert Redford) who still dreams of the days of the flying aces but who now works in a flying circus doing aerial stunts.
June 5
5. Anonymous* (2011) Alternate history? Pure fiction? Or a great truth uncovered?. You be the judge. This movie proposes that the Earl of Oxford wrote the plays attributed to William Shakespeare and did so because writing was considered an ignoble act beneath a man of his royal lineage. William Shakespeare himself is portrayed as a vain actor who is a mere figurehead for the Earl's writings. The plot moves back and forth in time between the Earl's youth and his later years and that makes for confusing viewing at times but still a very good movie.
June 6
6. J. Edgar* (2011) Bio pic of famed FBI director J. Edgar Hoover. Hoover's obsessive nature is fully explored as well as his contributions to modern forensic science. His flaws are also on display, prime among them was his giant ego, self-serving morals and eagerness to take credit for anything his agents did. The story bounces back and forth between the past and the present (something I normally don't like) but since the same actors play their young and old selves, with the aid of makeup effects, the story never gets confusing thanks to the steady hand of director Clint Eastwood.
June 7
7. Cole Miner's Daughter* (1980) Bio pic of famed country singer Loretta Lynn.
June 8 - Nothing
June 9
8. Far And Away (1992) An epic tale that spans the continents, sweeping Panavision vistas, rousing score, star-crossed lovers... Director Ron Howard pushes all the right buttons to make this film feel epic. Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman star in a tale of Irish immigrants who want to participate in the Oklahoma Land Rush and start a new life.
June 10
9. Georgia O'Keefe* (2009) Biopic of famed American painter Georgia O'Keefe.
10. Spartacus: Gods of the Arena* Episodes: Past transgressions / Missio
June 11
11. Ali (2001) Bio pic of legendary boxer Muhammad Ali (Will Smith) and his struggles with the law when he refuses to enlist in the Army.
June 12
12. The Eagle* (2011) Based on the novel by Rosemary Sutcliff, The Eagle of the Ninth, this movie tells the tale of a young officer seeking to regain his family's honor by reclaiming a golden eagle which was the standard of the Roman ninth legion and had been lost. There's plenty of action and adventure and I quite enjoyed this movie, also the cinematography was outstanding.
June 13
13. Red Tails* (2012) George Lucas produces (but doesn't direct) this tale based on the real life all-negro fighter squadron in World War II. Sadly the acting is atrocious and the script is just as awful. There's even a pointless (and unlikely) love story forced in there that is so cliché-ridden it hurts to watch.
June 14
14. The Borgias*, S1 (2011) Episodes: The poisoned chalice / The assassin
June 15
15. Roy Rogers movies:* Hands across the border (1944) / Billy the Kid Returns (1938)
June 16
16. Lagardère - TV miniseries part 1 (2003) French TV miniseries based on the novel Le Bossu (The Hunchback) which has been filmed at least twice before. Since I haven't read the book I can't say how closely it sticks to the story but I can say that it's a rousing adventure tale with lots of intrigue and fantastic sword fighting scenes. Despite it's almost 4 hour length the movie remains entertaining throughout and never lags. Recommended if you come across it.
June 17
17. Lagardère - TV miniseries part 2 (2003)
June 18
18. Une Lumière Dans la Nuit - TV miniseries part 1 (2009) WILDCARD 1 French TV miniseries that tells the story of the invention of Braille - the reading and writing system used by blind people - and combines it with a murder mystery. The story is told in two timelines, one in the past with Louis Braille and his invention are pursued by both the French and English armies who want the Braille system to be used for military means instead of for blind people and the other in the present where a young blind woman and her friend seek to find the original apparatus used by Louis Braille and which could be of incalculable historic and economic value. They must as well escape a murderous cult who also seek the Braille apparatus which is central to their evil ways. I use a WILDCARD because only half the miniseries is set in the past while the other half in the present, though both stories are linked.
June 19
19. Une Lumière Dans la Nuit - TV miniseries part 2 (2009)
June 20
20. Sophie Scholl* (2005) German film about a young woman in Nazi Germany during World War II that gets arrested because she and her brother were printing and distributing anti-Nazi pamphlets. Mostly a courtroom drama with long scenes of interrogation but the narrative is never boring and there are scenes of great tension. If you didn't hate the Nazis before, you sure will after seeing this movie. Fantastic performances throughout. Nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.
June 21-22-23
21. Lawrence of Arabia* (1962) Yes, it took me three days to see the this movie spread across 2 DVDs. Incredibly enough I had never seen this most epic of movies. Lives up to its legend for sure.
June 24
22. Hollywoodland (2006) Based on the true life (and death) of George Reeves, TV's Superman. Faithfully recreates 50's Hollywood with all its glamour and seedy underbelly as well. The story is only a "what if?" since it doesn't seek to solve the mystery of Reeves' death. Incredible performances all round especially from Ben Affleck in the main role and Diane Lane as his mistress Toni Mannix.
23. Spartacus: Gods of the Arena* (2011) Episodes: Paterfamilias / Beneath the mask
June 25
24. American Experience Into the Deep: America, Whaling and the World* (2012?) Excellent documentary about the history of the whaling industry in America. Seen online at the PBS website here (http://video.pbs.org/video/1485863181).
June 26
25. Water for Elephants* (2011) Romance/drama set in a 1930's travelling circus. Based on the popular book. Entertaining.
June 27
26. American Experience* (2012?) Episodes: Annie Oakley / Jesse James
June 28
27. My Week With Marilyn* (2011) Very enjoyable telling of the events surrounding the filming of The Prince and the Showgirl. Michelle Williams does a superb Marilyn and Kenneth Branagh is dead on as Laurence Olivier. Highly recommended.
28. Secrets of the Dead* (200?) Episodes: The Airmen and the Headhunters / The Sinking of the Andrea Doria
29. The Help* (2011) Movie about the plight of black maids in 1950's Mississippi. All the white people (save one) are pictured as totally evil and the black people as noble and oppressed. Quite frankly the whole movie reeked of white guilt and sure enough, upon seeing the making-of feature on the disc, the writer of the book and the director of the movie are as white as can be.
June 29
30. The Edge of Love* (2009) I really went out of my comfort zone with this one but the movie was very slow-moving and It seemed to have no plot, it was all character-driven, not something I appreciate. Even the endless closeups of Keira Knightley and Siena Miller didn't help me enjoy this drama set in WWII England.
31. The Conspirator* (2010) Courtroom drama set during the end of the civil war about the trial of Lincoln's assassins, meaning those who aided John Wilkes Booth in his task.
June 30
32. U-571 (2000) Set in World War II, an American Navy task force captures a German U-boat in order to obtain their Enigma encoding machine, but things go awry as their own submarine is destroyed and they must now use the German U-boat to escape. Nail-biting suspense and fantastic underwater action scenes makes this one almost as good as Das Boot.
33. Greystoke: the Legend of Trazan Lord of the Apes (1984) WILDCARD 2 Even though there are no purely fantasy elements in this movie, I think the very concept of a man raised by apes stretches the limits of credibility so I use a WILDCARD on this one. Retelling Tarzan's origin in the first half with incredible ape makeup by Rick Baker, I never really liked Christopher Lambert in the role but he does a good job nonetheless. The secon hald becomes a costume drama with a fish out of water story as Tarzan is reintroduced into British society. Upon seeing it again after all these years I must say it goes a bit overboard on the sentimentality and Tarzan's childlike behavior, but still a very good movie. The photography alone is breathtaking as are the aforementioned ape suits.
34. Frost/Nixon* (2008) This had the potential to be incredibly boring - a movie about a political interview? Not exactly exciting one might think - but under thecapable difrection of Ron Howard and the incredible performace by Frank Langella this becomes a very riveting view, with nary a dull moment.
CHECKLIST
GENERAL
--- Recreation of a specific Historical Event (like Apollo 13)
-X- Sports film - Ali
-X- Bio Pic - J. Edgar
--- Documentary
-X- Folk Hero/Mythological (Robin Hood, Greek gods, etc.) - Guinevere
--- Judeo-Christian (based on stories from the Torah, Mishna, New Testament, etc.)
--- Non-Judeo-Christian religion (may be about an individual holy person, like Kundun)
-X- Film about Women's History (prominent woman, feminism, etc.) - Introducing Dorthy Dandridge
-X- Film about minority rights (prominent minority figure, civil rights, etc.) - Ray
--- Film about LGBT rights (prominent LGBT figure, gay rights, etc.)
-X- Zeitgeist Film (movie that captures the spirit of a specific setting) - Hollywoodland (50's Hollywood)
DECADES - Watch a film set--but not produced--during five different decades no more recent than the 1980s:
-X- Lawrence of Arabia (1910's)
-X- The Great Waldo Pepper (1930's)
-X- The Edge of Love (1940's)
-X- My Week With Marilyn (1950's)
-X- Frost/Nixon (1970's)
Watch a film that takes place during five different centuries prior to the 20th Century (Note Century of setting):
-X- Anonymous (16th Century)
-X- Spartacus: Gods of the Arena (Ancient Rome... will note exact century as soon as I find out)
-X- The Eagle (2nd Century)
-X- The Borgias (15th Century)
-X- Lagardère (17th Century)[/COLOR]
Watch 5 movies about historical events of different countries (Note Country of setting).
-X- Far And Away (United States / Oklahoma Land Rush)
--- Movie 2 (Country)
--- Movie 3 (Country)
--- Movie 4 (Country)
--- Movie 5 (Country)
BIO PICS
--- Bio Pic of a War participant
--- Bio Pic of a Historical Person
--- Watch a Western Bio Pic
-X- Watch a Sports or Humanities Bio Pic - Georgia O'Keefe
-X- Watch a Bio Pic about a prominent woman, minority or LGBT figure - Coal Miner's Daughter
Watch a Documentary from each of the following (may be as general or specific as you prefer):
--- War
-X- Western - American Experience: Annie Oakley / Jesse James
-X- Historical Event - American Experience - Into the Deep: America, Whaling and the World
--- Biographical
--- Sports or Humanities (Miracle on Ice, Frida, etc.; lots of range here!)
WAR
Watch 5 movies that take place during different American wars. (Civil War, World Wars I or II, Viet Nam, etc.)
-X- Red Tails (World War II)
--- Movie 2
--- Movie 3
--- Movie 4
--- Movie 5
Watch 5 movies that take place during different countries' wars (Trojan War, Crusades, the Anglo-Zulu wars, etc.)
-X- Sophie Scholl (World War II, I've already placed this war in the other list above but this one is from the point view of the Germans)
--- Movie 2
--- Movie 3
--- Movie 4
--- Movie 5
WESTERN
--- John Ford Western
--- John Wayne Western
-X- "Singing Cowboy" Western - Roy Rogers: Hands Across the Border / Billy the Kid Returns
--- Clint Eastwood Western
--- Spaghetti Western (not starring Clint Eastwood)
--- Comedy Western (may be spoof, parody or just humorous)
--- Western based on a novel
--- Western told from perspective of Native Americans
--- Western told from perspective of Outlaws
--- Western about cross-country travel (wagon train, cattle drive, etc.)
Wild Cards (3 max): The checklist is pretty generous, so be very selective about what you use here.
Goals:
John Adams (1/7)
<s>The Pacific (10/10)</s>
Finish S.1 of Mad Men (0/8)/start S.2
1 John Wayne movie
Check out Downton Abbey?
<s>Pass my 2010 total (20.5/14)</s>
June 1st
.5. John Adams "Join or Die"*
June 2nd
1. The Pacific "Part 1"*
June 4th
2. The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939)*
June 5th
3. My Week With Marilyn (2011)*
June 6th
4. The Pacific "Part 2*/Part 3"*
June 7th
5. The Pacific "Part 4*/Part 5"*
5.5. The Pacific "Part 6"*
June 8th
6. The Pacific "Part 7"*
6.5.The Pacific "Part 8"*
June 9th
7. The Pacific "Part 9"*
7.5. The Pacific "Part 10"*
June 10th
8.5. J. Edgar (2011)*
9.5. You Don't Know Jack (2010)*
June 11th
10.5. Band of Brothers "Currahee"/"Day of Days"
11. Band of Brothers "Carentan"*
June 13th
~watching history be made with Matt Cain's perfect game :)~
June 14th
12. Band of Brothers "Replacements"*/"Crossroads"*
June 18th
13. Recount (2008)*
June 19th
13.5. Band of Brothers "Bastogne"*
June 20th
14.5. Soul Surfer (2011)*
June 21st
15.5. Grey Gardens (1975)*
June 22nd
16. Band of Brothers "The Breaking Point"*
June 23rd
17. Band of Brothers "The Last Patrol"*/"Why We Fight"*
17.5. Band of Brothers "Points"*
June 24th
18.5. In the Shadow of the Moon (2007)*
June 27th
19.5. 9/11 (2002)*
June 29th
20.5. Who Is Clark Rockefellar (2010)*
Undeadcow
06-02-12, 05:30 PM
Undeadcow's "Surprised I Own So Many Boring Historical Films" Challenge
June 1
Salon Kitty - the first half was pretty gonzo and sleazy but most of all I appreciated the theme of sexual liberation versus fascism.
June 2
2. Gladiator [Extended Edition] - Ripley Scott seems like a hit or miss kind of direct and Gladiator sinks in my opinion. There was some fleeting action fun but the drama weighs it down and the story is unconvencing. Also the tinting of the movie seems off. I can't believe this won an Academy Award and has been so hyped... can't believe I saw the same film (maybe the theatrical edition is better?)
June 4
3. Wyatt Earp - Entertaining but anticlimatic with the actual ending feeling more like a tacked on epilogue following the showdown. Despite Kevin Costner, who is a horrible actor, Wyatt Earp mostly works.
June 5
4. The Other Boleyn Girl - vastly under rated film, perhaps distorted by my appreciation of Natalie Portman. The tension and grand political spectical pays off.
June 6
5. Saving Private Ryan - a well executed war film but at times a bit too syrupy. The mid-section drags and becomes preachy but the last 40 minutes are intense gold. My grandfather was a sniper in World War 2 and said as far as any movie capturing the experience Saving Private Ryan is the most realistic war film he has seen although still off the mark.
June 10
6. 300 - fun but feels empty due to the negative space and barren backgrounds creating a stage play vibe that contrasts with the vibrant action.
7. Brotherhood of the Wolf - an epic film with some pacing issues but a grand ambition that pays off. Watching it now some of the effects are dated but there's a lot of content here. ...Plus I had to sneak in at least one horror film. I am curious that there are not more french historical dramas.
June 11
8. Alexander - worst movie I've seen so far this challenge, I still haven't finished it because it's so long and horrible ... and why is Colin Farrel portraying a Greek warlord using a Irish accent? However, watching this after 300 was insightful because Alexander in part follows the exploits of perisan king Darius the father of 300's Xerxes so there is some continuity.
June 12
9. Aguirre, Wraith of God - a minor masterpiece with great sceanery and a simple but compelling plot. I love the over-exaggerated political commentary and the ending is seething. Spanish Conquestidor centered films are an under norished cinematic niche that needs more entries. I can't wait for a high definition upgrade.
Planning: Missing In Action 1+2, Burmese Harp, Troy, King Arthur, The Good/Bad/Ugly, Assassination of Jesse James by..., Centurion (Neil Marshall film that snuck by me), Thou Shall Not Kill... Except (it's Vietnam era)
JOE29
06-02-12, 09:20 PM
I'll play- Got a late start. Don't know how much I can do but i'm in.
June 2
(1) The Warlords (2010)- Jet Li 8/10
June 3
(2) A Distant Trumpet (1964) Troy Donahue 7/10
(3) Snow White and the Huntsman (2012) I'm using as a Wild Card. 8.5/10
(4) Remembering Pelle Lindberg- Philadelphia Flyers goalie from the 80's with playoff game footage of May 1985
vs. the Quebec Nordiques. He was killed in a car accident in 11/85.
June 5
(5) 40 Guns to Apache Pass (1967) Audie Murphy. 7/10
June 6
(6) The Longest Day (1962) John Wayne and a host of others. I had to put this in on this day. 10/10
June 9
(7) Rio Grande (1950) John Wayne. 8/10
June 11
(8) Richard Dawson Tribute- Hogans Heroes
Season 1 Disc 1, 4 Episodes
(a) The Intruder- The first and best one-in B&W to boot.(b) Hold that Tiger (c) Kommandant of the Year (d) German Bridge is Falling Down.
June 12
(9) War Horse (2012) Great Movie. 9/10
June 13
(10) Broken Arrow (1950) Jimmy Stewart. I have watched this classic for many years now and it still holds up 9/10
June 15
(11) War of Arrows (2012) Okay, Asian film set in Korea in the 1600's. 7/10
June 16
(12) War Arrow (1953) Jeff Chandler. One of my favorite old-time Calvary vs. Indians Western. 8/10
June 18
(13) The 13th Warrior (1999) Antonio Banderas. Great movie. One of my favorites. 9/10
June 20
(14) I Will fight no more forever (1978) Ned Romero. Chronicles the plight of Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce 9/10
June 21
(15) Geronimo- An American Legend (1993) Wes Studi. Good adaption of the Geronimo tale 9/10
June 23
(16) Full Metal Jacket (1987) Matthew Modine. Excellent Viet Nam era movie. 9/10
June 25
(17) The Great Sioux Massacre (1965) Darren McGavin. Custer and the Little Big Horn 7/10
June 27
(18) Namath (2012) HBO Documentary about Joe Namath 8/10
CardiffGiant
06-05-12, 12:00 AM
Forgot about this. I'm in. Participation will be light.
1. Duck, You Sucker: Last year (I think), I watched the other three films in the Sergio Leone Anthology. I can easily say this is my least favorite of the four films, although, I'm aware they are not intended as sequels to one another. It was good, not great by any means, but the slow motion didn't work for me. It's not that I'm an impatient person, it's just that I felt those moments didn't resonate like Leone intended. I still like the "completeness" of each of the characters, but I wanted some backstory in with some characters and needless pauses out with the rest.
spartickes
06-08-12, 09:28 PM
* Denotes first viewing
1. Stalag 17 (World War II)
2. Jules et Jim * (Decades 1910's)
3. Quiz Show * (Historical Event)
4. Midnight Express * (General Bio Pic)
4.5. Code Breakers: The Lost Heroes of Bletchley Park * (Documentary War)
5. Stanley Kubrick's Boxes (General Documentary)
6. Let Me In * (Decades 1980's)
7. Ravenous * (Centuries 1800's)
8. Man On Wire (Sports/Humanities Doc)
9. Night Of The Hunter (Decades 1930's)
9.5. H. H. Holmes: America's First Serial Killer *
10.5. Reds * (Decades 1910's)
11.5. Singin' In The Rain (General Musical)
12. Pompeii: Back From The Dead * (Historical Event Doc)
13. Joe Kidd * (Clint Eastwood Western)
14. To Kill A Mockingbird
15. Apollo 13
16. La Grande Illusion * (War, Other Country)
17. William S. Burroughs: A Man Within * (Documentary Biographical)
18. Treasure Of The Sierra Madre
19. Mad Men "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes", "Ladies Room"
20. Mad Men "Marriage of Figaro", "New Amsterdam"
21. Mad Men "5G", "Babylon" *
22. Mad Men "Red in the Face" *, "The Hobo Code" *
23. Mad Men "Shoot" *, "Long Weekend" *
24. Mad Men "Indian Summer" * , "Nixon vs. Kennedy" *
25. Mad Men "The Wheel" *, "For Those Who Think Young" *
26. True Grit (Coen Bros.) (Western Based On A Novel)
27. Ride With The Devil * (American War: Civil War)
Check List
GENERAL
-X- Recreation of a specific Historical Event (Quiz Show)
--- Sports film
-X- Bio Pic (Midnight Express)
-X- Documentary (Stanley Kubrick's Boxes)
--- Folk Hero/Mythological (Robin Hood, Greek gods, etc.)
--- Judeo-Christian (based on stories from the Torah, Mishna, New Testament, etc.)
--- Non-Judeo-Christian religion (may be about an individual holy person, like Kundun)
--- Film about Women's History (prominent woman, feminism, etc.)
--- Film about minority rights (prominent minority figure, civil rights, etc.)
--- Film about LGBT rights (prominent LGBT figure, gay rights, etc.)
--- Zeitgeist Film (movie that captures the spirit of a specific setting)
-X- Musical
DECADES - Watch a film set--but not produced--during five different decades no more recent than the 1980s:
-X- Movie 1 (Jules et Jim 1910's)
-X- Movie 2 (Let Me In 1980's)
-X- Movie 3 (Night Of The Hunter 1930's)
-X- Movie 4 (Reds 1910's)
--- Movie 5 (Decade)
Watch a film that takes place during five different centuries prior to the 20th Century (Note Century of setting):
-X- Movie 1 (Ravenous 1800's)
--- Movie 2 (Century)
--- Movie 3 (Century)
--- Movie 4 (Century)
--- Movie 5 (Century)
Watch 5 movies about historical events of different countries (Note Country of setting).
--- Movie 1 (Country)
--- Movie 2 (Country)
--- Movie 3 (Country)
--- Movie 4 (Country)
--- Movie 5 (Country)
BIO PICS
--- Bio Pic of a War participant
--- Bio Pic of a Historical Person
--- Watch a Western Bio Pic
--- Watch a Sports or Humanities Bio Pic
--- Watch a Bio Pic about a prominent woman, minority or LGBT figure
Watch a Documentary from each of the following (may be as general or specific as you prefer):
-X- War (Code Breakers: The Lost Heroes Of Bletchley Park)
--- Western
-X- Historical Event (Pompeii: Back From The Dead)
-X- Biographical (William S. Burroughs: A Man Within)
-X- Sports or Humanities (Man On Wire)
WAR
Watch 5 movies that take place during different American wars. (Civil War, World Wars I or II, Viet Nam, etc.)
-X- Movie 1 (Stalag 17: WWII)
-X- Movie 2 (Ride With The Devil: Civil War)
--- Movie 3
--- Movie 4
--- Movie 5
Watch 5 movies that take place during different countries' wars (Trojan War, Crusades, the Anglo-Zulu wars, etc.)
-X- Movie 1 (La Grande Illusion)
--- Movie 2
--- Movie 3
--- Movie 4
--- Movie 5
WESTERN
--- John Ford Western
--- John Wayne Western
--- "Singing Cowboy" Western
-X- Clint Eastwood Western (Joe Kidd)
--- Spaghetti Western (not starring Clint Eastwood)
--- Comedy Western (may be spoof, parody or just humorous)
-X- Western based on a novel (True Grit)
--- Western told from perspective of Native Americans
--- Western told from perspective of Outlaws
--- Western about cross-country travel (wagon train, cattle drive, etc.)
Wild Cards (3 max): The checklist is pretty generous, so be very selective about what you use here.
That'sAllFolks
06-09-12, 04:01 AM
1. Ben Franklin bio on History Channel
'2. Founding Fathers (History Channel)
3. 10 Things You didn't Know About: the Rat Pack (H2)
6/10/.2012
4. The Plague (History Channel)
6/11/2012
5 .Apocalypse: The Second World War E1 (Smithsonian Channel)
6. Green Zone 5/10
7. Storage Wars (can't remember the ep name)
6/12/2012
8. Hollywood Treasure S2 E4
9. Apocalypse: The Second World War Ep. 2 (Smithsonian Channel)
10. Mad Men: Episodes 5.12 & 5.13
6/13/2012
11. Bio: Matthew McConaughey
6/14/2012
13. Moliere - 8.5/10 thoroughly enjoyed this film.
Buy: