Movies for the Day, Wednesday, January 3, 2018

Today's movies mark the admission of Alaska as a state, the birthday of J.R.R. Tolkien, and the birthday of Saint Damien.

Nanook of the North (1922) is an early silent
documentary about the life of Inuits in the
Arctic Circle area.  This movie is on the
National Film Registry.  Alaska, which stretches
to the Arctic Circle and features "Eskimos,"
was admitted to the Union on January 3,
1959.




Nanook of the North









Molokai:  The Story of Father
Damien (1999) is the story of the
priest who ministered to the lepers
in Hawaii.  Saint Damien was born
January 3, 1840; his feast day is
May 10 except in Hawaii where it is
celebrated on his date of death, April
15, 1889.




Molokai: The Story of Father Damien







The Lord of the Rings:  The Fellowship of
the Ring (2001) is the first of a trilogy based
on the epic fantasy by J.R.R. Tolkien, born
January 3, 1892.  Followed by The Lord of the
Rings:  The Two Towers (2002) and The Lord of
the Rings:  The Return of The King (2003).  The Fellowship
won Oscars for Cinematography, Visual Effects,
Makeup, and Original Score.  The Two Towers
features an American Film Institute Quote, "My
precious."



The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring