Recent Movies

Below is a quick list of some movies I recently watched. Perhaps this will become a monthly entry.

As usual, I borrowed these on DVD from the public library. I also finished watching the old TV episodes of the Sherlock Holmes TV series starring Ronald Howard. It was very good and worth the $5!

I was so inspired by watching "Dawn Patrol" last month, that I picked up another Errol Flynn movie, Captain Blood, a 1935 swashbuckler. You can't go wrong with an Errol Flynn movie. The DVD included a nice documentary about the making of the movie. This was essentially Errol Flynn's "first" movie and it made him a name.  A B&W film.

The background of the story is kind of interesting, especially since it gets lost in the adventure and love story. The movie is set during the 17th century during a war between Protestants and Catholics in England. I think the Catholics were the "bad guys" in this war. It's never really addressed in the movie. There is so much history we really should know about.

 

No more Errol Flynn at the Library, so opted for this one, Bad Day at Black Rock. I wasn't sure what I was getting into but the cover has a film noir look and I like film-noir. Also stars Spencer Tracy, Robert Ryan, Ernest Borgnine, Walter Brennan, Dean Jagger, and Lee Marvin. How could one go wrong with this one?

It turned out to be riveting. The DVD also included a commentary which was ok. It was sort of an oral essay and light on facts and information. I can't really describe the plot without giving away the ending. There is something of a twist at the end but I don't think it affected a second viewing (but I don't want to ruin a first viewing for you). Highly recommended. Supposedly has some McCarthyism/Black List connections. In Color. Widescreen.

 

 

After "Black Rock", I found another Robert Ryan movie from 1949, The Set-Up. This one is described as an American film-noir boxing drama. Directed by Robert Wise (director of "The Sound of Music" and others). What a great movie! They don't make 'em like this anymore. B&W is best for noir.

Some might find the beginning to be "talky" but it sets the stage. The boxing scenes are brutally captivating. No blood in B&W films but you can't avoid a sense of the pain in this movie. There is even a bit about the Bible and heaven in this movie. You won't see that at the theater today. This is really a movie about values, honesty, and relationships. Another thumbs up.

 

After some of the heavy films above, I was looking for something lighter. What could be better than a Buster Keaton film? This DVD contained two (2) films. The main attraction was Sherlock, Jr.  This is only 45 minutes but it contains some spectacular stunts and creative, ground breaking techniques. It's not side splitting laughter but it made me chuckle and feel better.

The second attraction was Three Ages. This is really three short films about a man finding a bride during three different ages in time: prehistoric, roman, and modern (1920s). The DVD is set up to watch it as a feature or each era as a separate short film.  B&W of course.

The DVD has a nice extra for each movie that takes you to several locations from the films and shows how they look "today" circa 2010.

 



jewsANDwords

I just finished this book, Jews and Words by Amos Oz and Fanio Oz-Salzberger. Although it is only it is only 232 small pages, it was a "stretch" book for me.

The book is essentially a series of non-fiction essays by a Jewish father and daughter. Both are writers and secular Jews. I heard an interview with them on NPR in December and was intrigued. I was struck by how much these self-proclaimed atheists mentioned God and the Bible in a positive way. And since Jesus was a Jew....

Fortunately, our library obtained a copy. Even though it was a 14 day load period (as a new book), I was able to renew it twice (that's 6 weeks total for anyone deficient in math) in order to finish it.  It is not easy to read this kind of writing. Lots of references to the Talmud, Mishnah, Bible, and esoteric (for me) Jewish writings both modern and ancient.

The book is divided into four (4) main sections. It also has a Preface, Acknowledgments, Epilogue, Sources, and Index.   The major sections are:

1. Continuity
2. Vocal Women
3. Time and Timelessness
4. Each  Person has a Name.

Within each major section were little essays, about 1-3 pages long. No footnotes but the Sources section in the back contained a list of references. This is a wealth of resources. If I wanted to devote more time to this, I would surf the web and check out some of these. However, I've already spent 6 weeks and that has been a stretch for me.

I'm glad I did it. I feel a sense of accomplishment, like I've broadened my horizons, my perspectives. It felt sort of like talking with a Jewish neighbor. Pleasant and somewhat mysterious due to the unknown references but also familiar due to the references to the Bible (OT). As you might guess, the views tend toward the liberal side but not much was spent on politics.

If you're feeling kind of adventurous, you might check out the link above to the NPR and listen to the interview and/or skim the highlights. Perhaps afterwards you'll feel a sense of having touched a foreign place.