Thoughts on Living the Life Creative
(Some quick looks are more recent movies) Free State of Jones (2016) - Fascinating look at a little known part of Civil War history. Cast does nice job with a rather plodding script. There's a subplot set in in the 1940s that could have been completly eliminated. Matthew McConaughey does fine in a rather subdued performance. Rating... Continue Reading →
Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944) The legendary "Doolittle Raid" on Japan gets its moment on the big screen. A group of volunteer bomber crews launches land-based airplanes from an aircraft carrier to strike back just months after Pearl Harbor. Directed by Mervyn LeRoy Starring Spencer Tracy, Van Johnson After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the... Continue Reading →
The Pride of the Yankees (1942) - Biopic of Yankee great Lou Gehrig, starting with baseball on the streets of New York to becoming one of the greatest baseball players of all time. Directed by Sam Wood Starring Gary Cooper, Teresa Wright Baseball can be divided into two eras, the Reserve Clause era and the... Continue Reading →
The Islamic Enlightenment: The Struggle Between Faith and Reason, 1798 to Modern Times by Christopher Bellaigue (2017) - This is the book that everyone in the West needs to read if they want to begin to understand the Middle East. A careful examination of the effects of the collision between the "modern world" and Islamic... Continue Reading →
Battleship Potemkin (1925) - The classic Russian silent movie that memorializes (and embroiders) a pivotal moment in Russian history. The sailors of the Russian ship decide to join the growing revolution of 1905. Also, one of the greatest silent movies ever made. Directed by Sergei Eisenstein Starring Aleksandr Antonov, Vladimir Barskiy At some point in... Continue Reading →
Bulldog Drummond by "Sapper" (H.C. McNeile) - After the action of the Great War is over, a wealthy young man finds excitement when a beautiful young woman asks for his help. This is a classic of 1920's British thrillers. Capt. Hugh Drummond, DSO, MC is a wealthy young man, home after serving in the war. ... Continue Reading →
(Some quick looks are more recent movies) Legend (2015) - Based on the real-life mobster brothers of London's 1960's. The Krays may not be as well known in the U.S. but they were legends in England. Violent and unpredictable, they scorched across the world of English crime. The movie is OK, with Tom Hardy doing... Continue Reading →
She Done Him Wrong (1933) - A beautiful saloon singer is caught between a violent escaped criminal (and former beau) and a handsome temperance league member. Directed by Lowell Sherman Starring Mae West, Cary Grant, Gilbert Roland, Noah Beery Once upon a time, Mae West was as a big star as you could be. Hit... Continue Reading →
Twin Peaks (ABC 1990-91) - FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper arrives in the quiet town of Twin Peaks to investigate a murder. Following those clues will take into dark places of strangeness beyond imagination. He'll also discover some damn fine coffee. Created by Mark Frost and David Lynch Starring Kyle MacLachlan, Piper Laurie, Michael ... Continue Reading →
The Power by Naomi Alderman (2017) - It's called "The Day of the Girl". On that day fifteen-year-old girls around the world discover that chemical released by accident after World War II has been making changes in their bodies. Now they have the ability to release electrical power from their bodies. A tiny tickle or... Continue Reading →
Stories Are My Life 