Movies for the Day, Saturday, December 8, 2018

Today's movies mark the birthday of James Thurber, a World War II anniversary, and the birthday of Kim Basinger.

Which of today's movies would you watch?

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947) is
about a daydreamer who gets caught up in
a real life adventure.  This comedy is based
on the classic story by James Thurber, who was
born December 8, 1894.






The Secret Life of Walter Mitty








The Young Lions (1958) follows
the lives of three soldiers during
World War II, one German and two
Americans.  This movie is considered one
of the best World War II studies.  Yesterday
was the anniversary of the attack on Pearl
Harbor in 1941; today, the United States declared
war in 1941.




The Young Lions










L.A. Confidential (1997) is set in 1950s Los
Angeles and follows three policemen as they
investigate a series of murders and fight
corruption.  This movie won Oscars for Supporting
Actress, to Kim Basinger, and Writing.  Basinger
was born December 8, 1953.





L.A. Confidential

Movies for the Day, Friday, December 7, 2018

Today's movies mark National Salesperson's Day, an Apollo anniversary, and Pearl Harbor.

Which of today's movies would you watch?







O Lucky Man! (1973) is a somewhat
surrealist musical about a coffee salesman
who pushed to the top, falls, and gets up
again.  This is considered an excellent movie.
Today is National Salesperson's Day, usually
the first Friday in December.





O Lucky Man!

For All Mankind (1989) is a documentary
retrospective at the Apollo moon
missions.  The last Apollo mission to the
moon was launched December 7, 1972.







For All Mankind












Pearl Harbor (2001) follows two pilots
before and during the attack on Pearl
Harbor on December 7, 1941, which precipitated
the formal declaration of war by the
United States.  This movie won an Oscar
for Sound Effects Editing.





Pearl Harbor

Movies for the Day, Thursday, December 6, 2018

Today's movies mark National Miners Day, an Everglades anniversary, and the birthday of Nick Park.

Which of today's movies would you watch?

The Stars Look Down (1939) is an excellent
movie about the struggle of coal miners in
Wales.  Based on an A.J. Cronin novel, the movie
also involves a romance.  Today is National
Miners Day.






The Stars Look Down










Wind Across the Everglades (1958)
is about a game warden vs. poachers in
the Everglades.  Everglades National
Park was established December 6,
1947.





Wind Across the Everglades










Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the
Were-Rabbit (2005) pits Wallace and his
trusty dog against a giant rabbit.  This movie
won an Oscar for Best Animated Feature
Film (clay animation).  The movie is based
on characters that appeared in animated shorts
and who were largely created by Nick Park,
born December 6, 1958.




Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit

Movies for the Day, Wednesday, December 5, 2018

Today's movies mark the birthday of Fritz Lang, the premiere of Abbott & Costello, and the birthday of Walt Disney.

Which of today's movies would you watch?

Die Nibelungen (1924) is a classic must see
silent movie based on German mythology,
folklore and magic.  It was created and
directed by the acclaimed Fritz Lang, born
December 5, 1890.  It is actually a series of two
films.






Die Nibelungen

Who Done It? (1942) is a classic
from the comedy duo of Abbott &
Costello.  They masquerade as
detectives after they are caught up in a
murder mystery.  Their classic TV series
premiered December 5, 1952.





Who Done It?

Cinderella (1950) is the classic fairy tale
brought to animated life by Walt Disney
featuring a cruel stepmother,
a fairy godmother and a prince charming.  Disney was
born December 5, 1901.  There have been many
iterations of this tale.  See also, for example, Cinderella
(1957), a TV special which won Emmy nominations
for Actress, to Julie Andrews, and for Score, to
Richard Rodgers.


Cinderella

Movies for the Day, Tuesday, December 4, 2018

Today's movies mark the birthday of Munro Leaf, International Day of Persons with Disabilities, and the birthday of Jeff Bridges.

Which of today's movies would you watch?







Ferdinand the Bull (1938) is a Disney
Silly Symphonies cartoon about a bull.  It is
based on The Story of Ferdinand by Munro
Leaf, born December 4, 1905.  It won an
Oscar for Best Short Film, Cartoons.





Ferdinand the Bull









Light in the Piazza (1962) is a "soaper"
about the beautiful but mentally disabled
daughter of well-to-do Americans wooed
by an Italian man when they all vacation in
Italy.  Yesterday was United Nations Day of
Persons with Disabilities.  A very good movie.





Light in the Piazza











Rancho Deluxe (1975) is a very
good off-beat comedy about present-day
cattle rustlers.  It stars Jeff Bridges, born
December 4, 1949.






Rancho Deluxe

Movies for the Day, Monday, December 3, 2018

Today's movies mark the birthdays of Joseph Conrad and Jean-Luc Godard and International Day of Persons With Disabilities.

Which of today's movies would you watch?







Lord Jim (1965) is about a seaman with
the British Merchant Marine who is branded a
coward and seeks redemption.  This movie is
based on the classic novel by Joseph
Conrad, who was born December 3, 1857.





Lord Jim










Week-end (1967) is a surreal movie about
a married couple who go to the French
country side for the weekend (and more). This movie
is an anti-Western diatribe, a 1960s time capsule,
a woman's road to guerilla hood, and features a
traffic jam considered one of the great set pieces in
movie history.  This movie is from acclaimed
director Jean-Luc Godard, born December 3,
1930.


Week-end











Best Boy (1979) follows the director's
cousin, a middle aged mentally retarded
man, over a three year period.  This
film won an Oscar as Best Feature Documentary.
Today is United Nations International Day of
Persons With Disabilities.




Best Boy

Movies for the Day, Sunday, December 2, 2018

Today's movies mark World AIDS Day, a nuclear energy anniversary, and the birthday of Woody Allen.

Which of today's movies would you watch?








An Early Frost (1985) is a TV movie about a
young man dying of AIDS.  Yesterday was World
AIDS Day.  This movie won Emmys for Writing,
Cinematography, Sound Mixing, and Editing.






An Early Frost









Day One (1989) is a good TV
movie docudrama about the Manhattan
Project, which developed the atomic bomb
during World War II.  The first
sustained nuclear reaction was on
December 2, 1942.  The first atomic
explosion was July 16, 1945.




Day One









Deconstructing Harry (1997) is a very
good Woody Allen comedy about a
novelist confronting his past choices.
Woody Allen was born December 1, 1935.







Deconstructing Harry