Eighth Annual Historical Films Challenge June 1-30 2017
 

Welcome to the Eighth Annual Historical Films challenge.

List thread.

• Challenge runs June 1-30 2017. Memorial Day weekend is a bonus if you aren't participating in another challenge or want to take a break from it.
• Movies and TV content about an historical figure, event or period are eligible.
• Genres also include Westerns, War Movies, Biographical films and Period Films.
• Historical Documentaries
  
• Zeitgeist Wild Cards. These are for films that aren't technically period films, but are time capsules of their era. Films like Rebel Without a Cause, Easy Rider, Saturday Night Fever, Valley Girl. They might have been contemporary when released, but they forever represent their time periods. We have three on the checklist, but the actual amount is unlimited.

Total counts really aren't as important in this challenge. Most of the eligible films tend to be rather long, so go ahead and watch Lawrence of Arabia or Barry Lyndon. You can count however you wish. Each episode can count as a single entry rather than the standard 2 broadcast hours equals an entry.

If you have specific questions about a film's eligibility, then please ask in the thread.

Don't abuse the Zeitgeist Wild Card. We're talking the type of film you would consider dressing up as at a theme party. For instance, Vanishing Point takes place in the 70s and is dated, but you wouldn't say it represents what we think of as the 70s, compared to something like Billy Jack, with its 70s era hippies/Kung fu pseudo-spiritualism cheesiness.

I'm proposing one slight change to the rules. I'm allowing in time travel fantasy as long as the time travel is just an element to get the character to the past. Examples would be A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, Voyagers!, Outlander, Life on Mars, Quantum Leap, and the like. We're not talking something like Doctor Who, but programs where the protagonist is put back to previous time period and has to deal with it in a non sci-fi way. Fish out of water type stories or those with strong history elements. You can back load these on the final day so they can count for the Sci-Fi challenge but you are welcome to watch them whenever you wish for this challenge. Any objections to the new change?

Re: Eighth Annual Historical Films Challenge June 1-30 2017
 

I wouldn't mind the change.

As for the change to online historical documentaries, I don't mind that either, as between Dogfights, and Victory At Sea, I have two series of historical documentaries. I can also watch Band Of Brothers on HBO Go, and The Tudors, on Showtime Anytime.

Re: Eighth Annual Historical Films Challenge June 1-30 2017
 

I'm considering re-watching Roots for the first time since broadcast TV days.

Re: Eighth Annual Historical Films Challenge June 1-30 2017
 

I just installed Dolby Atmos/DTS-X not too long ago and have been saving Apocalypse Now for a special occasion. Might have to break it out. It used to be my favorite demo disk back in the Laserdisc days.

Re: Eighth Annual Historical Films Challenge June 1-30 2017
 

I'm OK with the time travel change. If I didn't already have enough traditional fare to fill 3+ months of this one I'd use it to finish Quantum Leap...

Re: Eighth Annual Historical Films Challenge June 1-30 2017
 

Change sounds good

Re: Eighth Annual Historical Films Challenge June 1-30 2017
 

Wouldn't the French Connection be suitable for this challenge?

It's adapted from a non-fiction book with characters and story based on real life people/events. And according to Wikipedia:

"In 2005, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being 'culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant'."

Re: Eighth Annual Historical Films Challenge June 1-30 2017
 

I didn't get to watch too much during May's MYOC. So I think I'm going to continue my 80's theme. Historical movies made during the 80's. And maybe I'll do some modern movies set in the 80's.

Re: Eighth Annual Historical Films Challenge June 1-30 2017
 

Yeah, I picked a bad example. I was just trying to think of a 70s movie that was just a movie and not a cultural touchstone. I forgot it was based on a real person/story.

Re: Eighth Annual Historical Films Challenge June 1-30 2017
 

I've been waiting for this one.

Re: Eighth Annual Historical Films Challenge June 1-30 2017
 

Would Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure qualify for the time travel angle?

Re: Eighth Annual Historical Films Challenge June 1-30 2017
 

I'd allow Bill and Ted, and even Peabody & Sherman cartoons. I want to make this challenge fun.

Re: Eighth Annual Historical Films Challenge June 1-30 2017
 

Since we are already 16 years into the 21st Century, I'd like to propose that the checklist item of 5 films set prior to the 20th century be changed to the 21st Century.

Re: Eighth Annual Historical Films Challenge June 1-30 2017
 

I recently bought Full Metal Jacket at Wal-Mart about a month and a half ago. Been looking for an excuse to open it up and revisit that classic film. Haven't seen Cutthroat Island in years either. And since I love pirate films, this will be a good chance to revisit that as well. Speaking of pirates, been looking for an excuse to finally watch Black Sails, since, since we have Starz on Dish, I get Starz On Demand, on Roku.

Edit to ask:

Would Time Tunnel episodes to the past count? Or did those get too sci-fi? I own the series, but have only seen the first few episodes.

Also, what of documentaries about people? I know Amazon Prime has one on Ray Harryhausen, and I have a couple documentaries on Tolkien on Google Play.

Re: Eighth Annual Historical Films Challenge June 1-30 2017
 

Documentaries on people or historical events are fine. Errol Morris type are OK. Michael Moore and Steve Bannon docs are OK. There's a great one that was on Netflix whose name escapes me that was about a recreation of different time periods meals.

I've never seen Time Tunnel, but if it's historical then it's OK. We're being more lenient this year than in the past.

Re: Eighth Annual Historical Films Challenge June 1-30 2017
 

I have seen The Time Tunnel (several times - I own a copy). I'd say the journeys to the past are OK. Much like Quantum Leap the SF part is mostly with them jumping in/out of a time period. There *are* the occasional "Lets try to send them something they need to help" on the part of the Project Tick-Tock scientists but it's rather minimal.

Re: Eighth Annual Historical Films Challenge June 1-30 2017
 

Thanks. That's why I changed the rule. Shows like that might use science fiction, but it is a device just to put modern characters into history so we can better relate to the events and cultural differences.

Re: Eighth Annual Historical Films Challenge June 1-30 2017
 

Oh, this might be pushing it, but I'm allowing in 11-22-63, the Stephen King miniseries, as well. I've been dying to see it and this gives me an excuse.

Re: Eighth Annual Historical Films Challenge June 1-30 2017
 

Thanks for clearing that up. I didn't know, so I wanted to ask. :)

Re: Eighth Annual Historical Films Challenge June 1-30 2017
 

THE FRENCH CONNECTION, though made in 1971, was about events that took place a decade earlier, so it is, to all intents and purposes, a historical film. Just to give you an example of how it played to audiences in the '70s, I remember seeing it back then with two black friends who pointed out that the scene where Popeye and Russo barge into a black bar in Brooklyn and roust the patrons might have happened that way in the early '60s but was not something that would be tolerated in the Black Power era.

Re: Eighth Annual Historical Films Challenge June 1-30 2017
 

Any chance we can start on the evening of May 31st? There is a screening of Norma Rae near me that night that I was wanting to go to.

If not, no big deal, but I figured it can't hurt to ask.

Re: Eighth Annual Historical Films Challenge June 1-30 2017
 

Would Hidalgo qualify as a western? I've been thinking of revisiting that movie, since I haven't watched it in years. If not, it's no big deal. I could probably squeeze it in on the last few days of this month under my make your own challenge.

Re: Eighth Annual Historical Films Challenge June 1-30 2017
 

As far as I am concerned, this is Memorial Day Weekend, so if it does not interfere with participation in the current Make Your Own Challenge, you can start tonight. TCM is showing War movies all weekend and that was the original focus of this challenge (and Westerns).

Re: Eighth Annual Historical Films Challenge June 1-30 2017
 

In that case, I just may start later tonight.

Re: Eighth Annual Historical Films Challenge June 1-30 2017
 

IMDB calls it a Western. It should also count as a Historical movie. It's a biographical film based on a real person (although his exploits are probably exaggerated).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Hopkins