Travis McClain

In a nutshell, here are the basics:

• 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 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

Discussion Thread

Travis McClain

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
Documentary
Historical Films
War Films
Western Films

The Criterion Collection
Made During World War II
War Films

Flickchart

The History Channel
TV Schedule, 1-7 June

I Check Movies
IMDb - Biography
IMDb - History
IMDb - War
IMDb - Western
100 Essential Westerns
Spaghetti Westerns

Mubi
Biopic Movies
Historical Movies
War Movies

Free Streaming Movies
In the Year of the Pig
Messenger of the Great River
Remote Transmissions
Zero Silence

Netflix Watch Instantly
Art & Design (Good for Humanities selections!)
Biographies
Classic War Stories
Classic Westerns
Documentary
Epics
Faith & Spirituality Documentaries
Foreign Action & Adventure
Judaica
Military & War Action
Military & War Drama
Westerns

Travis McClain

My List

1. 6/01 Law and Order (1953)
2. 6/06 This Is the Army
3. 6/09 3:10 to Yuma (2007)
4. 6/09 The Last Days of Frank and Jesse James
5. 6/10 True Grit (1969) Commentary by Jeb Rosebrook, Bob Boze Bell and J. Stuart Rosebrook
6. 6/11 Sex in the Ancient World "Egyptian Erotica"/"Prostitution in Pompeii"
7. 6/12 Seraphim Falls Commentary with Pierce Brosnan, Writer/Director David Von Anckmen, and Production Designer Michael Hanan
8. 6/17 Stagecoach (1939)
9. 6/19 High Noon
10. 6/20 Before Stonewall
11. 6/20 Bonnie and Clyde
12. 6/21 Ambush at Cimarron Pass
13. 6/21 The General
    6/21 The Great Train Robbery (1903)
14. 6/23 True Grit (2010)
15. 6/24 Silverado - Along the Silverado Trail: A Western Historians' Commentary
16. 6/24 Destry Rides Again
17. 6/25 Heavenly Creatures
18. 6/25 Winchester '73
19. TV Content
    6/27 Look Here "Martin Luther King, Jr., October 27, 1957" (28:09)
    6/28 The Real Story "Pirates of the Caribbean" (46:10)
20. 6/28 The Outlaw
21. 6/29 Sword of the Valiant: Sir Gawain and the Legend of the Green Knight - contains some magical/fantasy elements
22. 6/29 Amistad
    Victory at Sea
23. 6/02 "Design for War"/"The Pacific Boils Over"/"Sealing the Breach"/"Midway Is East"
24. 6/04 "Mediterranean Mosaic"/"Guadalcanal"/"Rings Around Rabaul"/"Marenstrum"
25. 6/6-7 "Sea and Sand" (6/6)/"Beneath the Southern Cross"/"The Magnetic North"/"Conquest of Micronesia" (6/7)
26. 6/17 "Melanesian Nightmare"/"Roman Renaissance"/"D-Day"/"Killers and the Kill"
27. 6/26-30 "The Turkey Shoot"/"Two if by Sea"(6/26)/"The Battle for Leyte Gulf"/"Return of the Allies" (6/30)
28. 6/30 "Full Fathom Five"/"The Fate of Europe"/"Target Surachi"/"The Road to Mandalay"
29. 6/30 "Suicide for Glory"/"Design for Peace"

Check List
Looking Back
DVD: 5, 26 episodes | Blu-ray Disc: 3 | Netflix Watch Instantly: 12 | Theatrical Exhibition: 0 | TV Broadcast: 0 | iTunes Digital Download: 4 episodes | Podcast/Streaming: 1

Trevor

Days of Heaven - crew commentary
The Naked Archaeologist - 14 episodes
1987 World Series - 7 games
Witness to Jonestown
Life With Father
The Wings of Eagles
Davey Crockett - all 5 episodes
Dazed and Confused
A Serious Man
Saving Private Ryan

CardiffGiant

1. Hunger (2008)*/1981 Irish Hunger Strike (Bobby Sands): 4/5
2. All the Pretty Horses (2000)*/Exploration of the dying "Old West" 4/5
3. Howl (2010)*/Biopic on the Howl Obscenity Trial 4/5
4. Forbidden Games (1952)*/WWII 4/5
5. Saving Private Ryan (1998)/WWII 4/5

* - First Time Viewing

Giles

Count: 7 ¼

- Gettysburg / 2011 / Adrian Moat (6/1) ☼ [American Civil War]

- Jeopardy! [episodes: #6161 / #6162 / #6163] (6/1) ☼

- Gods and Generals / 2003-2010 / Ronald F. Maxwell / 280min version / BD (6/2) ☼ [American Civil War]

- Conquest of the Air / 1936 / Alexander Esway, Zoltan Korda (6/2) ☼ [Documentary: 'Aviation']

- Jeopardy! [episodes: #6164 / #6165] (6/2) ☼

- Inside Job / 2010 / Charles Ferguson / BD (6/3) ☼ [Docu: 2008 Global financial meltdown ]
---Director, Producer commentary track

- Once Upon a Time in the West / 1969 / Sergio Leone / BD (6/4) [Western]
---Commentary track ☼

- The Tree of Life / 2010 / Terrence Malick (6/4) ☼ [1950's Americana / Autobiographical / 'Birth' of the Universe]

- Conversation with John Lahr: Angela Lansbury / 2009 (6/5) ☼ [Biographical interview]

- Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern (Season 6 episode 16): Embassy Row, Washington DC / 2011 (6/5) ☼ [Cultural diversity/international cuisines]

- Step Into Liquid / 2003 / BD (6/5) [Sports / multi-person biopic]
---Director commentary track ☼

- Gettysburg / 1993 / 271min version BD (6/6) ☼ [American Civil War]

- Jeopardy! [episode: #6166] (6/6) ☼

- Bergman 101 (6/7) ☼

- Jeopardy! [episode: #6167] (6/7) ☼

- X-Men: First Class / 2011 / Matthew Vaughn (6/8) ☼ [time frame: JFK/Cuban Missle Crisis] WILD CARD #1

- Jeopardy! [episode: #6168] (6/8) ☼

- Lewis & Clark: Great Journey West / 2002 / Bruce Neibaur (6/9) [American frontier/biopic]

- The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story / 2009 Gregory V. Sherman & Jeff Sherman (6/9) ☼ [documentary biopic]

- Jeopardy! [episode: #6169] (6/9) ☼

- Jeopardy! [episode: #6170] (6/10) ☼

- To the Limit / 1989 / Mike Hoover + Greg MacGillivray (6/11) ☼ [Sports / biopic]

- Greece: Secrets of the Past / 2006 / Greg MacGillivray (6/11) ☼ [Cultural / Geographic]

- Paths of Glory / 1957 / Stanley Kubrick / BD (6/12) ☼ [World War I]
-----Critic Gary Giddins commentary track ☼

- The Wild Bunch / 1969 /Sam Peckinpah BD (6/13)
-----Commentary track with Peckinpah biographers/documentarians Nick Redman, Paul Seydor, Garner Simmons and David Weddle ☼

- Jeopardy! [episode: #6171] (6/13) ☼

- Rescue / 2011 / Stephen Low (6/14) ☼ [Global humanitarianism relief: 2009 Haiti earthquake]

- Jeopardy! [episode: #6172] (6/14) ☼

- The Adventures of Robin Hood / 1938 (6/16) BD
-----commentary track ☼

- Jeopardy! [episode: #6173] (6/16) ☼

- Jeopardy! [episode: #6174] (6/16) ☼

- Beginners / 2011 / Mike Mills (6/17) ☼ [Semi auto-biography] WILD CARD #2

- Walt and El Grupo (6/18) ☼ [Disney 1941 S. America visit]

- Jeopardy! [episode: #6175] ☼

- Django / 1966 / Sergio Corbucci ☼ BD

- Kizu: The Untold Story of Unit 731 / 2004 / Serge Viallet ☼ [WWII Japanese atrocities to the Chinese]

- Midnight in Paris / 2011 / Woody Allen (6/19) ☼ [1920's Paris & 'Time Travel'] WILD CARD #3

- Love Camp 7 / 1969 / Lee Frost (6/20) ☼ [WWII Nazi Atrocities]

- Salon Kitty / 1975 / Tinto Brass BD (6/20) [1939-WWII]

- Jeopardy! [episode: #6176] (6/20) ☼

- Rebuiliding Titanic / 2011 (6/21) ☼

- Naked Science [episode: World's Oldest Child] / 2011 (6/21) ☼ [Early homosapien 'life' discovery]

- Legends of Flight / 2010 / Stephen Low BD (6/21) [Aviation history]

- The Music Lovers / 1970 / Ken Russell (6/21) ☼ ['Tchaikovsky']

- History Detectives (Season 9) [episode 1: The Ni'ihau Incident (WWII) / 'Old Secession' US Civil War canon reminants / Yakima Canutt's Saddle] (6/22) ☼

- Frank and Ollie / 1995 / Theodore Thomas (6/23) ☼ [Disney animators biopic]

- The Two of Us / 1967 / Claude Berri (6/23) ☼ [1944 Nazi-occupied France]

- Bride Flight / 2008 / Ben Sombogaart (6/23) ☼ [Post-WWII Dutch immigrants to New Zealand]

- Directed by John Ford / 1971 / Peter Bogdanovich (6/24) ☼ [Director film retrospect]

- Stanley Kubrick: Life in Pictures / 2001 / Jan Harlan (6/24) ☼ [Director bio/film retrospect]

- Rome: Engineering an Empire / 2005 / Christopher Cassel [Roman architecture/engineering]

- Amish on Break / 2011 (6/25) ☼ [cultural insight/differences]

- Jeopardy! [episode: #6177] (6/25) ☼

- Jeopardy! [episode: #6178] (6/25) ☼

- Jeopardy! [episode: #6179] (6/25) ☼

- Gates of Hell (6/26) ☼ [multi-religious interpretations of the 'underworld']

- Disneyland: Secrets, Stories and Magic of the Happiest Place on Earth / 2007 / (6/26) ☼

- Tora! Tora! Tora! / 1970 / Richard Fleischer, Kinji Fukasaku / 148min Japanese cut BD (6/27) ☼ [World War II]

- The Bible: In the Beginning / 1966 / John Huston BD (6/27) ☼

- The Ten Commandments / 1956 / Cecil B. DeMille BD (6/28)
-----Katherine Orrison commentary track ☼

- The King of Kings / 1961 / Nicholas Ray BD (6/28) ☼

- Chronos / 1987 / Ron Fricke BD (6/28) [Ancient and modern day monuments]
-----Global location & Annotations 'pop up' information ☼
-----Director/Composer/Production Manager commentary track ☼ (6/29)

- History Detectives (Season 9) [episode II: WWII propaganda war leafet, Spanish Civil War Douglas Roach eulogy, Tiffany watercolor] ☼ (6/29)

- Jeopardy! [3 episodes: #6180, 6181, 6182] ☼ (6/29)

- The Prisoner of Shark Island / 1936 / John Ford ☼ (6/29)

- Jeopardy! [episode: #6183] ☼ (6/30)

- War of the Gods [episode: Zeus] ☼ (6/30)

- Hershey: Sweet Memories / 1997 ☼ (6/30)

- Great Old Amusement Parks / 1999 ☼ (6/30)

- Mystery of the Nile / 2005 / Jodhi Llompart ☼ (6/30)

- Tokyo Olympiad / 1965 / Kon Ichikawa ☼ (6/30)
-----Peter Cowie commentary track



☼ = First Time Viewing/commentary listen

davidh777

*First-time viewing

June 4:

1. The Cowboys (1972)*: I was familiar with the basic story from reading MAD magazine as a kid. Fun to finally see the film, and recognize one of the kids (A Martinez). A little long as films of this era tend to be (probably could have trimmed 20 minutes without too much damage). Also interesting to watch the reunion featurette.

June 5:

2. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)*

June 10:

2.5. Spartacus Blood & Sand: Season 1, episode 3: Legends*
3. Spartacus Blood & Sand: Season 1, episode 4: The Thing in the Pit*

June 11:

3.5. Mad Men: Season 3, episode 1: Out of Town*

June 12:

4.5. Seven Men from Now (1956)*
5. Mad Men: Season 3, episode 2: Love Among the Ruins*
5.5. Mad Men: Season 3, episode 3: My Old Kentucky Home*

June 13:

6. Mad Men: Season 3, episode 4: The Arrangements*
6.5. Saving Private Ryan: Finally broke out my Blu-ray!

June 14:

7.5. Mad Men: Season 3, episode 5: The Fog*

June 16:

8.5. True Grit (2010)*

June 25:

9.5. The Adventures of Robin Hood (1940)*
10.5 Oliver! (1968)

June 28:

11. Mad Men: Season 3, episode 6: A Guy Walks into an Advertising Agency*

June 29:

11.5 Once Upon a Time in the West (1969)*

June 30:

12.5. L.A. Confidential (1997)
13.5. Two Mules for Sister Sara (1970)*

Checklist:

pagefrance

* = Denotes first time viewing
Formats:
OLV = On-line viewing
DVD = DVD from my personal collection
DVD = DVD rental
BLU = Blu Ray rental

June 1
1. Le Silence de la Mer* (2004) OLV / German occupation of France during World War II
2. Secreteriat* (2010) BLU/ Famous racehorse that won the triple crown in 1973.

June 2
3. Désiré Landru* (2005) OLV / Early 20th century France / True life tale of a serial killer who tricked women into giving him their possesions and then he would kill them and burn their remains.

June 3
4. La Reine Margot (1994) DVD / France, 1572 / Massacre of St. Bartholomew.

June 4
5. Jeremiah Johnson (1972) DVD / Tale of 19th century Colorado Mountain Men. Very loosely based on real life mountaineer "Liver-eating" Johnson.
6. X-Men: First Class* - WILDCARD 1 (Seen in theater) / I know, this is more for the Fantasy/SF Challenge or even my own Comic Book Challenge but I include it as a wildcard because it's set in the early 60's and weaves the Cuban Missile Crisis into the storyline.

June 5
7. The 70's* (miniseries) - Part 1 (2000) DVD/ The social and political panorama of the the 70's told through the lives of four friends.
8. The 70's* (miniseries) - Part 2 (2000) DVD

June 6
9. Helen of Troy (miniseries) Part 1 DVD/ Ancient Greece / The Trojan War (not accepted as an historical fact by modern historians)
10. Helen of Troy (miniseries) Part 2 DVD

June 7
11. Clash of the Titans (2010) BLU / Ancient Greece / Tale of men versus the Gods.

June 8
12. Changeling* (2008) BLU / 1920's Los Angeles / True story about a mother who searches for her missing son even after the police present her with a boy who they say IS her son but she denies it.

June 9
13. The Elephant Man (1980) DVD / 19th Century England / Based on the life of John Merrick, a man grossly disfigured who is taken into the care of a doctor.

June 10 - No movies
June 11
14. Once Upon a Time in the West* (1968) DVD / Old West / I had never seen this one but now I know why it's revered as a classic!

June 12
15. ABBA the Movie (1977) WILDCARD 2 DVD / Concert film and documentary detailing the 70's supergroup ABBA's Australian tour. I include it as a Wildcard because it perfectly captures a moment in time when they were the most popular band on Earth.

June 13
16. Le Bossu (English title: On Guard) (1997) DVD / France, 1700's / Swashbuckling tale of a swordsman who takes into his care the daughter of a slain Duke and vows to avenge him and restore the girl to her rightful place in French nobility.

June 14
17. The Red Baron* (2008) DVD / Based on true life WWI flying ace Baron Manfred Von Richtofen.

June 15
18. The Duchess* (2008) DVD / England, late 1700's / Based on the true story of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire.

June 16
19. Revolutionary Road* (2008) BLU / 1950's U.S.A. / A couple is ripped apart by their disappointment with the lives they end up with.

June 17 - No movies
June 18
20. The Four Feathers* (2002) DVD / England/Sudan, 1800's / A man tries to regain his honor after being called a coward by his friends and fiancée. He travels to Sudan and participates in the Battle of Abu Klea.
21. The Young Victoria* (2009) DVD / England, 1800's / The early life of Queen Victoria.

June 19
22. Excalibur (1980) DVD / England, Mythical Middle Ages / The tale of King Arthur, ripe with anachronisms but a great tale nonetheless.

June 20
22. Le Pact des Loups (Brotherhood of the Wolf) (2001) DVD / France, 1700's / Based on the true events of a series of slayings in the area of Gévaudan, France. The tale told in the movie is fiction but the killings were real, who or what caused them is a mystery to this day, though many theories abound.

June 21
23. All Good Things* (2010) BLU / 1970's-80's U.S.A. / True story of the disappearance of a young woman.

June 22
24. Amelia* (2009) DVD / 1930's U.S.A. / The aviation career of real life female pilot Amelia Earhart.

June 23
25. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid* (1969) DVD / Old West, U.S.A. / Fictional account of real life outlaws Butch and Sundance.

June 24
26. Taking Woodstock* (2009) DVD / 1969, U.S.A. / Fact and fiction miggle in this tale about the behind the scenes goings on in bringing the Woodstock Festival to a small town in New York state.

June 25
27. Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982) DVD/ 1940's, U.S.A. / Steve Martin comedy modeled after 1940's hardboiled detective films of the 40's. Incorporates scenes of films of the era into the story.

June 26
Jay Silverheels (Tonto in the Lone Ranger) double feature!
28. Indian Paint* (1966) DVD / America, "before the white man came" as the prologue states. / A young Indian faces trials that makes him worthy to be one of his tribe.
29. Santee* (1973) DVD / Old West, U.S.A. / Tale of a bounty hunter (Glenn Ford) who befriends the boy whose father he murdered. It's also of historical significance because it was one of the first movies shot on videotape.
30. Braveheart (1995) DVD / 13th century Scotland / The story of Sir William Wallace who united the Scots against the English.

June 27
31. Les Miserables (2000, French TV mini-series) Part 1 DVD / Early 19th century France / Victor Hugo's classic tale of redemption and hardship gets a 6 hour miniseries from French TV. Stars Gérard Depardieu, John Malkovitch, Asia Argento, Virginie Ledoyen. I haven't read the book but at 6 hours this version must be pretty faithful to the original story.
32. Les Miserables - Part 2

June 28
33. The Call of the Wild (1997) DVD / Yukon late 1800's / Jack London's classic tale of a dog who is taken to the Yukon and used as a sled puller.
34. True Grit* (2010) DVD / Old West / A girl hires a Marshall to track down her father's killer.

June 29
35. Les Miserables - Part 3
36. Chéri* (2009) / France, 1900's / Tale of an aging courtesan who has an affair with a much younger man.

June 30
37. Les Miserables - Part 4

That's it: 37 entries!

CHECKLIST

jmsmath

2011 Historical Appreciation Challenge

Goals:
<del>30 entries</del>
<del>Band of Brothers</del>
<del>The Man with No Name Trilogy</del>
<del>Saving Private Ryan</del>

☼ = First Time Viewing

DVD | Blu-ray | HD DVD | Theater

June 1
01. The Train Robbers (1973)☼ Pretty good unheralded John Wayne western with a twist ending that I will admit I didn't see it coming. Great cinematography that would like outstanding on blu-ray. 7/10

June 2
02. Bloody Sunday (2002)☼ Reenacts the Irish civil rights march of January 1972 in Derry and the subsequent massacre by British paratroopers. Lots of shaky camera work was a distraction and kind of took me out of the film. Was the inspiration for the U2 song Sunday Bloody Sunday. 6/10

June 3
03. Lone and Angry Man (1965)☼ Medicore spaghetti waestern. Had its moments, but overall, just average. 5/10

June 4
04. Saving Private Ryan (1998)☼ Excellent, lives up to the hype and then some. Immediately moves into my top two or three war movies of all time. I don't know why I waited so long to see it!!! 9/10

June 5
05. No Room to Die (1969)☼ Bad dubbing aside, decent spaghetti western. A little better than the one I watched above. 6/10
06. Mongol: The Rise of Genghis Kahn (2007)☼ Pretty good story of Genghis Kahn. Don't know exactly how factual it is, but I was entertained. Seems like there was a lot left out when going from point a to point b. Maybe a directors cut is forthcoming? 7/10
07. The Long Riders (1980)☼ The story of the Jesse James gang. Decent movie that suffers from to many characters to track. Just seems like it could and should have been better. 5/10

June 6
08. Allegheny Uprising (1939)☼ Pretty good John Wayne movie taking place in pre-Revolutionary War British colonial America. 6/10
09. Tall in the Saddle (1944)☼ Excellent John Wayne western with somewhat of a twist. Loved Gabby Hayes in this. He provided just the right amount of humor. 8/10

June 7
10. In the Shadow of the Moon (2007)☼ Pretty good documentary focusing on the United States race to the moon with the Soviet Union. A little disappointed there wasn't more from Neil Armstrong, but it was mentioned he's somewhat of a recluse. Buzz Aldrin and Mike Collins were really good and both provided some real insight into the early days of NASA. 7/10

June 8
11. Jeremiah Johnson (1972)☼ Loved it!!! Surprised that I liked it so much considering how little I hear about it. Absolutely stunning cinematography. If it ever gets a blu-ray release, I will not hesitate to double dip on this one. 8/10

June 9
12. Price for Peace (2002)☼ Excellent documentary following the US involvement in WWII from Pearl Harbor to Nagasaki. Lots of interviews with US and Japanese veterans chronicling events from both sides. 7/10

June 13
13. Band of Brothers (2001)
- 13a. Currahee☼
- 13b. Day of Days☼
14. Band of Brothers (2001)
- 14a. Carentan☼

June 14
14. Band of Brothers (2001)
- 14b. Replacements☼
15. Band of Brothers (2001)
- 15a. Crossroads☼
- 15b. Bastogne☼

June 15
16. Band of Brothers (2001)
- 16a. The Breaking Point☼
- 16b. The Last Patrol☼

June 16
17. Band of Brothers (2001)
- 17a. Why We Fight☼
- 17b. Points☼

June 17
18. Rope and the Colt (1969)☼ Very good revenge based spaghetti western. Not a lot of dialogue, so the bad dubbing is not so noticeable. 7/10

June 18
19. X-Men: First Class (2011)☼ Wild Card #1 Easily the best X-Men movie since X2 and I think I liked it even better than that one. Good reset for the franchise and I can't wait until the next one. 8/10
20. In a Colt's Shadow (1965)☼ Not the best spaghetti western I've ever seen, but it had its moments I suppose. 4/10

June 19
21. They Were Expendable (1945)☼ I know this is considered a classic, but I was disappointed with it. Overly long in places and then other places it seemed to skim over events or just not explain how it went from point a to point b. 4/10

June 20
22. Ride with the Devil (1999)☼ Absolutely loved it!!! One of the best films I've seen this month. Great performances from all, but especially Jewel(!), Tobey Maguire and Jeffrey Wright 9/10

June 21
23. Milk (2008)☼ Interesting film... 7/10

June 22
24. Young Guns (1988)☼ A little disappointed in this one, not really bad, just not very good either. I guess I expected a little more from it considering the cast. 5/10

June 23
25. A Fistful of Dollars (1964)☼ As I expected, I loved it! And, from reviews, it looks like the trilogy only gets better. I can't wait to finish it off. 8/10

June 24
26. For a Few Dollars More (1965)☼ A classic!!! The scene where Manco and Mortimer meet for the first time is pure gold!!! 9/10

June 26
27. Hell is for Heroes (1962)☼ Underrated World War II film starring Steve McQueen as a gung ho soldier, but otherwise, not a very nice person. 7/10
28. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)☼ The only thing preventing this from getting a perfect score from me is the length. Regardless of the movie, I get restless and have a hard sitting through a three hour film. 9/10
29. Super 8 (2011)☼ Wild Card #2 Very good monster movie from Abrams (and Spielberg). The only complaint I have is the ending which is very typical Spielberg and could be seen coming from a mile away. 7/10

June 27
30. Defiance (2008)☼ Excellent true story of three brothers who hid over 1,000 Jews from the German army in the forests of Belarussia during World War II. 8/10

June 28
31. Amelia (2009)☼ Biography of Amelia Earhart which was much better than I expected based on the reviews. 7/10

June 29
32. Fear Strikes Out (1957)☼ Decent biography of Jimmy Piersall, outfielder, primarily for the Red Sox, who suffered from mental illness. I thought the film ended rather abruptly, then realized it was made in the middle of his career as he played until 1967. 6/10

June 30
33. A Knight's Tale (2001)☼

Checklist:

Dimension X

2010 Historical Film Challenge List - 21

6/6/11

1) The Longest Day (1962) - Time: June 5 & 6, 1944 / Conflict: WWII / Location(s): England, France

6/7/11

2) D-Day the Sixth of June (1956) - Time: 1942 - 1944 / Conflict: WWII / Location(s): England, Algeria, France

6/26/11

3) Mask (Director's Cut) (1985) - Time: 1979-1980 & 1984 / Location(s): California

6/27/11

4) Mask (Director's Cut) (1985) w/ Peter Bogdanovich commentary

The Man with the Golden Doujinshi

1. Smiles of a Summer Night
2. America, America
3. The Lower Depths
4. Anna and the King of Siam
5. 3 Bad Men
6. A Man Escaped
7. Annie Get Your Gun
8. Union Pacific
9. They Died with Their Boots On
10. Pursued
11. Colorado Territory
12. Dodge City
13. Overlord
14. Europa
15. Wagon Master
16. Bend of the River
17. Silver Lode
18. Rancho Notorious
19. Valkyrie
20. Viva Zapata!
21. Blossoms in the Dust
22. Che: Part One
23. Che: Part Two
24. Hunger
25. Escape from Fort Bravo
26. Vera Cruz
27. The Man from Laramie
28. The Last Wagon
29. The Cat's Meow
30. Let the Bullets Fly
31. Topsy-Turvy
32. The Mikado
33. How the West Was Won
34. Lonesome Dove: Part 1
35. Lonesome Dove: Part 2
36. Lonesome Dove: Part 3
37. Lonesome Dove: Part 4
38. Seven Men from Now
39. The Color Purple
40. Angel and the Badman
41. Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
42. The Far Country
43. The Tall T
44. The Tin Star
45. The Bravados

shadokitty

June 2

1. Texas - Decent movie about the fight for Texan independence from Mexico starring Patrick Duffy as Stephen Austin.

June 4

2. 300

June 6

3. Twelve O' Clock High

June 7

4. The Blue Max

June 17.

5. Journey to the Earth's Core- Seen on History International

June 19.

6. Raiders of the Seven Seas

June 21.

7. The Ten Commandments

June 22

8. Cutthroat Island

June 25

9. Gods and Generals

June 28

10. Dogfights S1: Mig Alley/ Dogfights S1: Air Ambush

June 30.

11. A Fistful of Dollars
12. For a Few Dollars More

Chad

1. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) BD
2. Major Dundee The Extended Version (1965)
3. A Minute to Pray, A Second to Die (1968)
4. Appaloosa (2008) BD
5. Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) BD

Doc Moonlight

June 1
1. THE FIRST TEXAN* (1956) Netflix streaming

June 2
2. POETRY AND PASSION: THE BALLAD OF SAM PECKINPAH* (2005) DVD

June 4
3. SILVER SCREEN: COLOR ME LAVENDER* (1998) Netflix streaming

June 6
4. CHINA GATE (1957) Netflix streaming

June 7
5. THE BALLAD OF CABLE HOGUE (1970) DVD

June 8
6. THE BALLAD OF CABLE HOGUE (1970)* Commentary (DVD)

June 9
7. THE FLESH AND THE FIENDS (1960) DVD

June 10
8. TARAS BULBA (1962) DVD

June 11
9. ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST (1968) Blu Ray
10. ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS (1986) DVD

June 12
11. THE BATTLE OF CULLODEN* (1964) Netflix streaming
12. JIM THORPE-ALL AMERICAN* (1951) DVD

June 13
13. TOO BIG TO FAIL* (2011) DVR

June 14
14. THE THREE MUSKETEERS* (1948) DVD the VINCENTENNIAL continues!

June 15
15. CHE: PART 1 (2008)* DVD
16. PRISONER OF SHARK ISLAND (1936)* DVD

June 16
17. PRISONER OF SHARK ISLAND (1936) * DVD - Commentary

June 17
18. KILL THE IRISHMAN (2011)* DVD

June 18
19. RASPUTIN-THE MAD MONK (1966) DVD
20. X-MEN: FIRST CLASS* (2011) Theater Wild Card)

June 19
21. KNIGHTS OF THE BLACK CROSS (1960) DVD
22. BLESSED!: STILL WE BELIEVE 2 (2008) DVD

June 20
23. CANNIBAL! THE MUSICAL (1993) Netflix streaming

June 21
24. AGORA* (2009) Netflix streaming

June 22
25. BEACH RED* (1967) DVD
26. RANCHO DELUXE (1975) DVD

June 23
27. PIRATES OF BLOOD RIVER (1962) DVD

June 24
28. THE BRINKS JOB* (1978) Netflix streaming In Memoriam: Peter Falk (1927-2011)
29. DE SADE (1969) DVD

June 25
30. JOE KIDD (1971) DVD
31. KUNDUN* (1997) DVD

June 26
32. KEN RUSSELL: IN SEARCH OF THE ENGLISH FOLK SONG* (1997) DVD
33. THE SONG OF BERNADETTE* (1943) DVD - VINCENTENNIAL!
34. CHINGACHGOOK: THE GREAT SNAKE* (1967) DVD
35. NEW YORK, NEW YORK (1977) DVD In Memoriam: Clarence Clemens (1942-2011)

June 27
36. THE FIGHTING KENTUCKIAN* (1949) DVD
37. MIDDLE MEN* (2010) DVD

June 28
38. WAGON MASTER* (1950) DVD In Memoriam: James Arness (1923-2011)
39. SWORD OF SHERWOOD FOREST (1960)

June 29
40. WAGON MASTER (1950) - Commentary
41. BIG WEDNESDAY (1978) DVD

June 30
42. AMERICA (1924) DVD

Checklist

BobO'Link

* - First time viewing

June 2nd
1. WWI - The War to End All Wars: Ep. 1 "With Flags Waving" *, Ep. 2 "The Battle of the Frontiers" *
2. WWI - The War to End All Wars: Ep. 3 "The Taxis of the Marne" *, Ep. 4 "A War of Chemicals and Engineering" *

June 3rd
3. WWI - The War to End All Wars: Ep. 5 "Flyboys" *, Ep. 6 "Citadel" *

June 4th
4. WWI - The War to End All Wars: Ep. 7 "Distant Fronts" *, Ep. 8 "Revolt" *
5. WWI - The War to End All Wars: Ep. 9 "Changing Tide" *, Ep. 10 "End Game" *
6. The NASA Collection: First Years of Exploration - Ep. 1 "Freedom 7" *, Ep. 2 "Voyage of Freedom 7" *, Ep. 3 "The World was There" *, Ep. 4 "Four Days of Gemini 4" *
7. The NASA Collection: First Years of Exploration - Ep. 5 "This is Houston, The Flight of Gemini VII" *, Ep. 6 "Legacy of Gemini" *, Ep. 7 " Apollo 11: The Eagle has Landed" *, Ep. 8 "Research Project X-15" *

June 5th
8. Ancient Mysteries: "Camelot", "The Quest for the Holy Grail"
9. Ancient Mysteries: "Atlantis: The Lost Civilization", "Dragons"
10. The NASA Collection: Deep Space Discovery - Ep. 9 "Moon, Old and New" *, Ep. 10 "Houston, We've Got a Problem" *, Ep. 11. "Apollo 15: In the Mountains of the Moon" *, Ep. 12 "Apollo 16: Nothing So Hidden" *
11. The NASA Collection: Deep Space Discovery - Ep. 13 "On the Shoulders of Giants" *, Ep. 14 " Skylab: The First 40 Days" *, Ep. 15 "Skylab: The Second Manned Mission" *, Ep. 16 "Aeronautical Oddities" *

June 6th
12. WWII Combat Zone: "Fall of Poland", "Invasion of Norway", "Dunkirk", "Battle of Britain" * (all)
13. WWII Combat Zone: "Malta", "Commerce Raiders", "Fall of Crete", "Pearl Harbor" * (all)

June 7th
14. WWII Combat Zone: "Battle of the Atlantic", "Fall of Singapore", "Fall of the Philippines", "Dieppe" * (all)
15. World at War: "A New Germany: 1933-1939", "Distant War: September 1939-May 1940" * (all)

June 9th
16. World at War: "France Falls: May-June 1940", "Making of the Series" * (all)
17. World at War: "Alone: May 1940-May 1941", "Barbarossa: June-December 1941" * (all)

June 10th
18. World at War: "Banzai!: Japan 1941-1942", "On Our Way: U.S.A. 1939-1942" * (all)

June 11th
19. The Lone Ranger: "The Masked Rider", "Old Joe's Sister", "Cannonball McKay", "The Man Who Came Back"
20. The Lone Ranger: "Outlaw Town", "Greed for Gold", "Man of the House", "Barnaby Boggs, Esquire"
21. The Lone Ranger: "Sheep Thieves", "Jim Tyler's Past", "Tha Man with Two Faces", "Buried Treasure"
22. The Lone Ranger: "Troubled Waters", "Gold Train", Pay Dirt", "Billie the Great"
23. The Lone Ranger: "Never Say Die", "Gold Fever", "Death Trap", "Matter of Courage"

June 12th
24. World at War: "The Desert: North Africa 1940-1943", "Stalingrad: June 1941-February 1942" * (all)
25. World at War: "Wolf Pack: U-Boats in the Atlantic 1939-1944", "Red Star: The Soviet Union 1941-1943" * (all)
26. Rome: S2E1 - "Passover", S2E2 - "Son of Hades" * (all)

June 13th
27. Rome: S2E3 - "These Being the Words of Marcus Tullius Cicero", S2E4 - "Testudo et Lepus (The Tortois and the Hare)" * (all)

June 17th
28. World at War: "Whirlwind: Bombing Germany September 1939-April 1944", Tough Old Gut: Italy November 1942-June 1944" * (all)
29. World at War: " It's a Lovely Day Tomorrow: Burma 1942-1944", "Hime Fires: Britain 1940-1944" * (all)
30. World at War: " Inside the Reich: Germany 1940-1944", "Morning: June-August 1944" * (all)

June 18th
31. World at War: "Occupation: Holland 1940-1944", "Pincers: August 1944-March 1945" * (all)
32. World at War: "Genocide: 1941-1945", "Nemesis: Germany February-May 1945" * (all)
33. World at War: "Japan: 1941-1945", "Pacific: February 1942-July 1945" * (all)
34. World at War: "The Bomb: February-September 1944", "Reckoning: 1945...and After" * (all)
35. World at War: "Remember", "The Two Deaths of Adolph Hitler" * (all)
36. World at War: "Hitler's Germany: The People's Community 1933-1939", "Hitler's Germany: Total War 1939-1945" * (all)

June 23rd
37. Deadwood (2004): S1E1, S1E2 * (all)

June 24th
38. Deadwood (2004): S1E3, S1E4 * (all)

June 25th
39. Deadwood (2004): S1E5, S1E6 * (all)
40. Deadwood (2004): S1E7, S1E8 * (all)
41. Ben-Hur (222 minute version - 1959) * (for this longer edition)

June 26th
42. Deadwood (2004): S1E9, S1E10 * (all)
43. Deadwood (2004): S1E11, S1E12 * (all)
44. Rome: S2E5, S2E6 * (all)

June 27th
44. Rome: S2E7, S2E8 * (all)
44. Rome: S2E9, S2E10 * (all)

June 28th
45. Fort Apache (1948) *

June 29th
46. The War Wagon (1967) *

June 30th
47. World at War: "Secretary to Hitler", "Warrior", "From War to Peace" * (all)
48. The Texas Rangers (1936) *
49. Canyon Passage (1946) *
50. Kansas Raiders (1950) *
51. The Lawless Breed (1953) *

Check List

Greg MacGuffin

June 2
1. The Thin Red Line (1998)

June 3
2. American: The Bill Hicks Story

June 4
3. The Three Musketeers (1921)

June 5
4. The Hurt Locker

June 6
5. True Grit (2010)

June 8
6. Waltz With Bashir

June 11
7. Gloomy Sunday

June 12
8. Once Upon A Time In The West

June 13
9. Some Like It Hot

June 16
10. Ashes of Time Redux

June 18
11. The People vs. George Lucas

June 19
12. Two Mules For Sister Sara

June 24
13. Mister Roberts

June 29
14. Seven Samurai

June 30
15. Winchester '73

takingchase

June 01

1. Kill the Irishman(2011) | First Time Viewing | High Def Viewing
An interesting look at the life of Danny Greene dubbed as "The man the mob couldn't kill." The movie is a little jumpy at times but overall a great look at the Cleveland mafia scene in the 70's and the many bomb's that rocked Cleveland in 1976 and gained national attention. With a stellar cast and an interesting story this movie comes recommended.
RATING: 8/10


2. The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.(1993) | First Time Viewing | DVD
Season 1 Episode 1. Two hour pilot episode
RATING: 7/10


3. The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.(1993) | First Time Viewing | DVD
Season 1 Episodes 2 and 3
RATING: 8/10


4. True Grit(2010) | First Time Viewing | High Def
This may be blasphemy but I enjoyed this quite a bit more than I ever did the original. There is just something about it that clicked so much more than the original ever did for me and that means a lot considering I grew up watching it with my grandfather. Jeff Bridges take on Rooster Cogburn is spot on and I really couldn't imagine anyone else pulling of Waynes iconic role besides him.
RATING: 9/10


5. A Sense of Freedom(1979) | First Time Viewing | DVD
It's a shame this movie is often overlooked. Made by the same man who did The Long Good Friday, John Mackenzie, A sense of freedom is in many ways a much more powerful film. Based on the real life thug Jimmy Boyle, A sense tells the tale of when a brutal man meets a brutal justice system. His iron will as he takes just about everything the prison guards throw at him is admirable but make no mistake he is a criminal and a murderer. The movie never seems preachy, it never sets Boyle up as a hero. You know he is rotten but you also know the punishment he receives is wrong as well. The whole picture is anchored down by David Hayman who delivers an amazing performance. If you can somehow track down a copy, I recommend doing so.
RATING: 7/10

KaBluie

Historical Challenge

First Time Viewing = Green

2011-06-08
01. Auto Focus (2002)
Cinemax On Demand
2011-06-10
02. Pirate Radio (2009)
HBO On Demand
2011-06-11
03. Amelia (2009)
Cinemax On Demand
2011-06-15
04. F For Fake (1973)
Showtime Family
2011-06-17
05. The Blind Side (2009)
Moremax
2011-06-20
06. Where Eagles Dare (1968)
Movie Pass On Demand
2011-06-27
07. Death Of A Gunfighter (1969)
Encore Westerns

aspects

Wednesday, June 1st
01. The Hurt Locker (2009)

BuddhaWake

June 1st
1. Massacre in Rome (Cosmatos, 1973)

June 4th
2. Tobruk (Marhoul, 2008)
3. Veronica Guerin (Schumacher, 2003)

June 5th
4. Last Days of Mussolini (Lizani, 1974)
5. Have a Good Funeral, My Friend... Sartana Will Pay (Carnimeo, 1971)

June 7th
6. La Vie en Rose (Dahan, 2007)

June 8th
7. A Rózsa énekei (Szilágyi, 2003)

June 11th
8. Max Manus (Rønning & Sandberg, 2008)
9. The Crudsades: Crescent & the Cross Part 1
10. The Crusades: Crescent & the Cross Part 2

June 12th
11. How the West Was Won

June 20th
12. The Two Escobars (Zimbalist & Zimbalist, 2010)

June 24
13. The Oath (Poitras, 2010)

June 26th
14. Invictus (Eastwood, 2009)

omike

2011 Historical Appreciation Challenge

List is final. No checklist.

* = first time viewing

June 01
01. The Tanks Are Coming (1951)* (Warner Archive Collection)
Date: July-Sept. 1944 Place: Normandy, France
The story of an armored division spearheading the drive across Normandy focusing on one tank crew and how they adapt to a new tank commander. Nice hardware but the character interactions are pretty standard stuff and the new commander eventually seems to be running the whole campaign. I'm not sure if we would have won the war without him. 4/10

June 02
02. Guadalcanal Diary (1943)
Date: July-Dec. 1942 Place: Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands
Excellent film about the the Marines who led the invasion of Guadalcanal. Although some characters begin as regional stereotypes, the fine cast gives nice, low key performances so that for example "the guy from Brooklyn" is a human being and not a caricature. The action scenes are also very well done. Of course there are elements of propaganda in the movie, especially in the portrayal of the Japanese, but war is not glorified, rather it is shown to be terrible and terrifying. 9/10

June 04
03. Bombardier (1943)* VHS taped off AMC long ago
Date: 1940?-1943? Place: New Mexico; Pacific island base; Nagoya, Japan
I don't think I watched this before. Stirring, documentary style story of the first bombardier school and the training of the first class. Pat O'Brien and Randolph Scott head a strong cast. Avoids most of the worst stereotypes often found in military training films. A bit of romance and refreshingly neither of the leads get the girl. The film ends with an exciting but historically inaccurate bombing raid on Japan, full of improbable heroics. Nagoya was bombed several times but the first time wasn't until December of 1944. 6/10
04. The Desert Fox (1951)
Date: 1941-1944 Place: North Africa; France; Germany
Excellent story of Erwin Rommel from the last days of the North Africa campaign to his death in 1944. It covers his growing disillusionment with Hitler and his decision to join the plot to kill him. James Mason portrays Rommel as an honorable and thoughtful man. Not a lot of action but quite compelling due to the fine cast and script. Michael Rennie's narration adds an authoritative touch. 8/10

June 06
05. The Sands of Iwo Jima (1949)
Date: 1943-1945 Place: New Zealand; Tarawa; Hawaii; Iwo Jima
The story follows a squad of Marines through two island invasions and shows how each member develops respect for a hard bitten sergeant. Better than I remembered with some training cliches but Wayne's character has a bit more depth than I recalled. Good supporting cast. Excellent action sequences with real combat footage well integrated. Some of the scenes on Iwo Jima really do look like Hell. 8/10

June 07
06. The Crossing (1999)* VHS
Date: Dec. 1776 Place: New Jersey/Pennsylvania border; Trenton, NJ
Washington crosses the Delaware River for an attack on a Hessian garrison in Trenton which results in the first victory for the rebels in the Revolutionary War. Well acted, well produced, and totally absorbing. The film did a good job evoking the earlier time. I really liked the way the final battle was presented -- chaotic and somewhat haphazard with no big stars. 8/10

June 08
07. Fixed Bayonets! (1951)*
Date: Early 1951 Place: Korea
Prime Samuel Fuller study of a platoon left behind in a rear guard action covering the retreat of their division. Gene Evans and Richard Basehart head a very good cast. Small scale action scenes are well done. There are some effective shocks and suspense but the heart of this film is the character and spirit of the infantry men. 7/10

June 13
08. Midway (1976)*
Date: April - June 1942 Place: Pacific Theater
Interesting story of the Battle of Midway with a good cast focuses on high level strategic decisions as well as the actual fighting. Subplot about an American pilot in love with a Japanese American woman and the reaction of his Navy captain father was only distracting. Also some of the acting on both sides seemed stilted. Perhaps there were just too many guest stars. 6/10

June 21
09. The Naked Spur (1953)* (James Stewart The Signature Collection)
Date: 1868 Place: The wilderness, far from Abilene
Gritty, intense story of three men, basically strangers, trying to take a man wanted for murder back to Abilene to collect a reward. Excellent cast and each character is sharply drawn. Robert Ryan is particularly effective as the sociopathic murderer, though none of the characters can be considered quite right. There are psychological battles along with physical conflicts not to mention challenges from the environment they are traveling through. 8/10

June 22
10. 7 Men From Now (1956)*
Date: The old west Place: Arizona
Randolph Scott plays an ex-sheriff trailing seven men who held up a Wells Fargo depot and stole $20,000 in gold. Others join him along the way but for differing reasons. I've always liked Randolph Scott and his character here shows more depth than some of his earlier roles and there is a strong supporting cast with Lee Marvin doing a particularly good job. 7/10

June 23
11. The Tall Target (1951)* (Warner Archive Collection)
Date: Feb. 22-23, 1861 Place: New York to Washington, DC railway
A New York police officer (named John Kennedy!) tries to stop an assassination plot against the newly elected president, Abraham Lincoln, but none of the local authorities believe him. Anthony Mann directs in a nice noir-ish style and the beginning has an almost Hitchcockian feel to it. Very suspenseful and lots of great train action. 8/10

June 24
12. The Mercenary (1968)* German R2 DVD
Date: 1910's Place: Mexico
Good story about a thief who hires a mercenary to help with his rebellion. Their success and a radical woman eventually leads the thief to become a true revolutionary. The plot meanders a bit especially in the second half. Fun action sequences and the rocky relationship between rebel and mercenary are very well done. Jack Palance is not very effective as a heavy, he's very subdued and mostly just rides around looking creepy. I really think I've seen much of this before in a different western but I can't place it right now. 6/10

June 25
13. The Big Gundown (1966)* aka La Resa dei Conti German R2 DVD
Date: Late 1800's Early 1900's ? Place: Texas, Mexico
Leisurely but entertaining story of a manhunter pursuing a young Mexican man accused of raping and killing a twelve year old girl. Lee Van Cleef is a personal fav and does a good job and the manhunter. The chase is a good way to introduce different locales with various quirky, seedy characters. It takes a while to get there but the end is outstanding. Very nice Morricone score, especially effective in the final shootout. 7/10
14. Kansas Raiders (1950)* (Classic Western Round-Up Vol. 1)
Date: 1863-1865 Place: Kansas-Missouri border
Jesse James and members of his future gang join up with Quantrill's Raiders but soon begin to have doubts about Quantrill's methods. OK but nothing special. Brain Donlevy is rather stiff as Quantrill and Audie Murphy is not totally convincing as Jesse James. Tony Curtis has a small part. According to Wiki, some members of the future James-Younger gang really did ride with Quantrill. 5/10

June 30
15. The Last Days of Pompeii (1968)*
Date: First century AD Place: Pompeii, Judaea
Due to misfortune a blacksmith begins fighting in the arena where he soon becomes champion. After he is finally defeated he turns to raiding following the suggestion of Pontious Pilate and becomes wealthy and master of the arena. A volcano ends all this. The finale is excellent with good special effects and a high level of excitement. The lead up is not as good. Preston Foster as the blacksmith is inconsistent, convincing in some scenes but not in others. A stronger lead would have helped a lot. Basil Rathbone is good as the subdued, introspective Pilate. 6/10

Checklist

JHCA13

6/1
1. The Longest Day (1962-Various) 1st-PC ****1/2

6/2
2. The Green Berets (1968-Wayne/Kellogg) 1st-PC ***

6/3
3. The War: Episode One-A Necessary War December 1941-1942 (2007-Burns) 1st-PC *****

4. The War: Episode Two- When Things Get Tough January-December 1943 (2007-Burns) 1st-PC *****

5. The War: Episode Three- A Deadly Calling November 1943-June 1944 (2007-Burns) 1st-PC *****

6. The War: Episode Four- Pride of Our Nation June 1944-August 1944 (2007-Burns) 1st-PC *****

7. The War: Episode Five- FUBAR September 1944-December 1944 (2007-Burns) 1st-PC *****

6/4
8. The War: Episode Six- The Ghost Front December 1944-March 1945 (2007-Burns) 1st-PC *****

9. The War: Episode Seven- A World Without War March 1945-September 1945 (2007-Burns) 1st-PC *****

6/5
10. Major Dundee (1965-Peckinpah) 1st-PC (Extended Cut) ***1/2

6/6
11. The Alamo (1960-Wayne) PC ***

12. Wyatt Earp: American Experience (2010-Rapley) 1st-NI ***

6/7
13. Blazing Saddles (1974-Brooks) 1st-PC *****

14. Tora Tora Tora: The Real Story of Pearl Harbor (2000-Verklan) 1st-PC ***1/2

15. Chisum (1970-McLaglen) PC ***

6/8
16. True Grit (2010-Coen) 1st-RNT ****1/2

6/9
17. The Comancheros (1961-Curtiz) PC ***1/2

6/10
18. Baseball: Inning 1- Our Game (1994-Burns) 1st-NI *****

19. Baseball: Inning 2- Something Like a War (1994-Burns) 1st-NI *****

20. All Quiet on the Western Front (1930-Milestone) 1st-PC *****

6/11
21. Baseball: Inning 3- The Faith of Fifty Million People (1994-Burns) 1st-NI *****

22. John Ford Goes To War (2002-Tom Thurman) 1st-NI ***

6/12
23. Baseball: Inning 4- A National Heirloom (1994-Burns) 1st-NI *****

6/13
24. Baseball: Inning 5- Shadow Ball (1994-Burns) 1st-NI *****

25. Sands of Iwo Jima (1949-Allan Dwan) 1st-PC ****

6/14
26. The King's Speech (2010-Hooper) 1st-RNT *****

27. Baseball: Inning 6- The National Pastime (1994-Burns) 1st-NI *****

28. Sanjuro (1962-Kurosawa) 1st-PC ****1/2

6/15
29. My Darling Clementine (1946-Ford) PC *****


6/16-MY BIRTHDAY!
NONE!

6/17
30. Secret Origin: The Story of DC Comics (2010-Carter) 1st-RNT ***

6/18-6/21
NONE!?

6/22
31. Baseball: Inning Seven- The Capital of Baseball (1994-Burns) 1st-NI *****

6/23
32. Once Upon a Time in the West (1968-Leone) PC *****

6/24
33. Baseball: Inning Eight- A Whole New Ballgame (1994-Burns) 1st-NI *****

6/25
34. Baseball: Inning Nine- Home (1994-Burns) 1st-NI *****

6/27
35. Baseball: Top of the Tenth (2010-Burns) 1st- NI *****

6/28
36. Baseball: Bottom of the Tenth (2010-Burns) 1st- NI *****

1st- 1st Time Viewing
PC-Personal Collection
BLUE- Blu Ray
Red- VHS
NFI- Net Flix Instant
RNT- Rental (Netflix/Red Box/Etc.)

My Checklist:

Gobear

June 1
1. The Song of Bernadette (1943)
Date: 1858 Place: Lourdes, France
An overly credulous biopic of St. Bernadette Soubirous who supposedly received a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary in a cave that became the Shrine of Lourdes.
2. The Times of Harvey Milk (1984)
Date: 1970s, Place: San Francisco, CA
This documentary on the gay rights pioneer won an Oscar, but I guess I'm familiar enough with his story to not be overwhelmed by it.
3. The Devil's Brigade (1968)
Date: 1944, Place: Montana, Europe
I'm surprised I've never seen this before; it's an extremely entertaining war film about a real-life joint Canadian-American brigade in WWII.

June 2
4. The House on 92nd Street 1945--An entertaining docudrama retelling the capture of a real-life German espionage ring at the outbreak of WWII.
Date: 1944 Place: NYC

June 3
5. Paths of Glory (1957).
Date: WWI Place: France
Watched the Criterion version--amazing restoration.
6. Howl (2010).
Date: 1955-1957 Place: San Francisco, CA
James Franco captures Allen Ginsberg's persona and vocal mannerisms in this biopic about his most famous work and the obscenity trial that followed.

June 4
7. The Boy Friend (1971).
Date: 1930s Place: Bournemouth, England
Ken Russell's films are an acquired taste, but I really enjoy his films, flawed as they often are. I'm really glad the Warner Archive decided to release this and Savage Messiah. How long until we get The Devils?

June 5
8. The Iron Mistress (1952).
Date: 1830s Place: New Orleans, LA
An Alan Ladd vehicle purporting to be a biopic of Jim Bowie. It's the kind of movie that used to populate television on weekend afternoons.
9. Return of the Bad Men (1948).
Date: 1860s Place: Oklahoma
A completely ahistorical B Western that crams in every known outlaw of the Old West into the story of the Oklahoma Land Rush.

June 6
10. Becket (1964).
Date: 1170 Place: Canterbury, England
Overly long and draggy in spots, but it still has Burton and O'Toole in powerhouse performances.

June 8
11. This Is The Army (1943).
Date: 1943 Place: Los Angeles
A patriotic rouser for the homefront during WWII. I watched this on Netflix, which is using an incredibly dilapidated print.

June 9
12. The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965)
Date: 1508-1512 Place: The Vatican
Charlton Heston makes one hunky Michaelangelo.

June 13
13. Witchfinder General (1968).
Date: 1640s Place: England
Vincent Price is in his metier as the real-life Witchfinder General, Matthew Hopkins, who burned to death innocent people accused of witchcraft amid the chaos of the English Civil War.

June 15
14. True Grit (1969).
Date: 1870s Place: Arkansas, Oklahoma
I forgot how totally awesome this film is. Haven't seen the Coen bros. version yet.
15. A Man For All Seasons (1968).
Date: 1535 Place: London, England
Robert Bolt should have left in the Common Man character from his play.

June 16
16. Robin and Marian (1976).
Date: 13th century Place: Sherwood Forest, England
I turn 50 in 2 months, so this tale of Robin Hood and Maid Marian at midlife really resonates with me.

June 17
17. Sign of the Cross (1932).
Date: 64-65 AD Place: Rome
Even for the pre-Code era, TSotC contains some extremely violent and sexual content. The lesbian seduction scene is still pretty raw for 2011, let alone 1932.
18. Black Death (2010).
Date: Mid-14th century Place: Cornwall, England
A terrific film that slipped under the radar, Black Death, besides being an interesting look at religious fanaticism, really conveys the feeling of living in the 14th century.

June 18
19. Skin Game (1971).
Date: 1871 Place: Texas
How do you make a comedy about the slave trade, especially in the heightened racial consciousness of the early 70s?

June 19
20. Glory (1989).
Date: July 11, 1863 Place: Fort Wagner, SC
Definitely one of the best Civil War films ever made.

June 20
21. The Buccaneer (1938).
Date: 1814 Place: Chalmette, LA
Not one of DeMille's best, this film stars Frederic March as Jean Lafitte in the War of 1812.

June 21
22. Funny Girl (1968).
Date: 1920s Place: NYC
One of Streisand's best films as she plays early 20th-century Ziegfeld Follies comedienne Fanny Brice.

June 22
23. Dangerous Liaisons (1988)
Date: 1782 Place: Paris, France
Keanu Reeves can't act.

24. Stage Beauty (2004).
Date: 1660s Place: London, England
But Billy Crudup sure can.

25. Mary, Queen of Scots (1971).
Date: 1561-1587 Place: Scotland
Far too generous a portrayal of a very foolish woman.

June 23
26. Creation (2008).
Date: 1859 Place: England
An interesting biopic about Charles Darwin, but the film oddly concentrates on Darwin's domestic life, not his discovery of evolution.

June 24
27. The King and I (1956).
Date: 1862, Place: Bangkok, Thailand
A classic musical based on the memoirs of Anna Leonowens on her time in the royal court of Rama V, King of Siam

28. The Spirit of St. Louis (1957).
Date: 1927 Place: New York to Paris
I disagree with the DVD Talk review, this movie is terrific.
29. Young Mr. Lincoln (1939).
Date: 1840s Place: Illinois
Good movie, although I don't see the need to buy the Criterion.

June 25
30. Hair (1979). A landmark movie musical.
Date: 1960s Place: New York City, Nevada
June 26
31. Pennies From Heaven (1981). Brilliant American adaptation of the original BBC miniseries written by Dennis Potter.
Date: 1930s Place: Chicago
32. Paper Moon (1973). Madeline Kahn so steals this movie despite her brief screen time.
Date: 1930s Place: American Midwest

June 27
33. Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967). The Chinese stereotypes are a bit jarring for 2011 sensibilities, but this is still a fun comedy.
Date: 1922 Place: NYC
34. Stagecoach (1939). I have always wondered why John Carradine dropped out of A films and spent most of his career making schlock. He's so good in this.
Date: 1880s Place: the Old West

June 30
35. The Affair of the Necklace (2001). A mediocre film about a fascinating incident that unfairly blackened the reputation of Marie Antoinette.
Date: 1785 Place: Paris, France
36. Emperor of the North (1973). They just don't make actors like Lee Marvin anymore.
Date: 1930s Place: Pacific Northwest
37. Marie Antoinette (1938). Norma Shearer beats Kirsten Dunst easily.
Date: 1770-1793 Place: Paris, France


Checklist

indy2003

June 1st
1. The Man Who Would Be King
June 2nd
Nothing. :-(
June 3rd
2. Tree of Life (wild card)
3. X-Men: First Class
June 4th
4. The Hill
5. The Makioka Sisters
6. Mad Men: Episode 2.6 & 2.7
7. Mad Men: Episode 2.8 & 2.9
8. 61*
June 5th
9. Mad Men: Episode 2.10 & 2.11
10. Mad Men: Episode 2.12 & 2.13
11. Insignificance
June 6th
12. Monty Python's Life of Brian
13. Mad Men: Episode 3.1 & 3.2
14. Maverick
June 7th
15. Rabbit-Proof Fence
16. Mad Men: Episode 3.3 & 3.4
17. Dark of the Sun
June 8th
Nothing.
June 9th
18. The Wonderful Country
19. Mad Men: Episode 3.5 & 3.6
June 10th
20. Hour of the Gun
June 11th
21. Once Upon a Time in the West
22. Once Upon a Time in America
23. Mad Men: Episode 3.7 & 3.8
June 12th
24. Mad Men: Episode 3.9 & 3.10
25. Mad Men: Episode 3.11 & 3.12
June 13th
26. Mad Men: Episode 3.13 & 4.1
27. Mad Men: Episode 4.2 & 4.3
June 14th
28. The Thin Red Line
29. Nicholas Nickleby
June 15th
30. Below
31. Paths of Glory
32. Stagecoach
33. North to Alaska
June 16th
34. Last Man Standing
35. Mad Men: Episode 4.4 & 4.5
June 17th
Nothing.
June 18th
36. Quigley Down Under
37. The Outlaw Josey Wales
June 19th
38. Rio Conchos
39. Take a Hard Ride
40. Mad Men: Episode 4.6 & 4.7
June 20th
41. Mad Men: Episode 4.8 & 4.9
42. Mad Men: Episode 4.10 & 4.11
43. Valkyrie
June 21st
44. Mad Men: Episode 4.12 & 4.13
45. True Grit (2010)
June 22nd
46. A Fistful of Dollars
47. For a Few Dollars More
48. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
June 23rd
49. Invictus
June 24th
50. Broken Trail: Part One
51. Broken Trail: Part Two
June 25th
52. New York, New York
June 26th
53. Reagan
54. Hair

hobbsjeff

insert list here


Check List