Z is for Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession (2004)

Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession (2004)

So here we are at the END of A-Z

(source)

The Z Channel wasn't America's first premium cable outlet specializing in feature films, and it wasn't the most commercially successful, but few, if any, had as strong an impact on the film industry or a more influential list of customers. Based in California and blanketing sections of the state dominated by the movie business,

Z Channel had been operating for several years before former screenwriter Jerry Harvey took over as head of programming in 1980. Under the guidance of Harvey and his staff, the channel became a film buff's dream, screening rare classics, important foreign films, and maverick American titles that had fallen through the cracks of commercial distribution. Harvey and his staff also programmed original and uncut versions of films which had only played American theaters in altered form (including Heaven's Gate, Once Upon a Time in America, Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, and The Leopard) long before the concept of the "director's cut" had currency beyond the most hardcore of film fans. And The Z Channel aggressively championed pictures they believed were overlooked, and programmed deserving Oscar-nominated movies during the Academy's voting period, years before studios began distributing video "screeners" to potential voters. (More than one industry expert has credited Z Channel's showings of Annie Hall as a key factor in the film winning Best Picture.) But Jerry Harvey was also a deeply troubled man, and when legal and economic problems began dogging the company in the late '80s, he snapped, leading to a horrible and tragic murder and suicide. The Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession is a documentary that looks at the channel's short but remarkable history as well as Harvey's damaged personal life. It includes interviews with Robert Altman, Quentin Tarantino, James Woods, Jim Jarmusch, Alexander Payne and a number of other filmmakers and critics who attest to Z Channel's lasting impact.

Y is for You've been Trumped (2011)

I was struggling with Y and then I found this.

In this David and Goliath story for the 21st century, a group of proud Scottish homeowners take on celebrity tycoon Donald Trump as he buys up one of Scotland's last wilderness areas to build a golf resort.

X is for XEROX; A personal retrospective... 2001

I looked and Looked and could not come up with a viable X. So I looked up Documentaries on XEROX and I came up with this slow and boring one... But at least I got an X

The Xerox Alto is the first computer designed from the start to support an operating system based on a graphical user interface (GUI) using the desktop metaphor.^[1][2] The first machines were introduced on 1 March 1973,^[3] a decade before mass market GUI machines appeared.
The Alto used a custom multi-chip central processing unit (CPU) filling a small cabinet, and each machine cost tens of thousands of dollars in spite of being intended to be used as a personal computer. Only small numbers were built initially, but by the late 1970s about 1,000 were in use at various Xerox labs, and about another 500 in a number of universities. Total production was about 2,000 units.
The Alto became well known in silicon valley and its GUI was increasingly seen as the future of computing. In 1979, Steve Jobs arranged a deal in which Apple Computer would license the concepts from Xerox in exchange for Xerox being able to purchase stock options in Apple. After two famous visits to see the Alto, Apple engineers used the concepts to introduce the Apple Lisa and Macintosh systems, sparking the GUI revolution that took hold during the 1980s.
Xerox eventually commercialized a heavily modified version of the Alto concepts as the Xerox Star, first introduced in 1981. A complete office system including several workstations, storage and a laser printer cost as much as $100,000, and like the Alto, the Star had little direct impact on the market.

W is for WORLD TRADE CENTER (2006)

A human face to horrible tragedy. Accurate or inaccurate though it may be, I think it is very well made, and I cried, a lot.

From YouTube

Published on Mar 11, 2016

On September 11, 2001, Port Authority Police officers John McLoughlin and Will Jimeno are patrolling the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan when they see a plane fly dangerously low overhead. As all of the police officers return to the station, they see on TV that the North Tower of the World Trade Center has been hit by the plane. Sergeant McLoughlin assigns many of the officers to assist in a precautionary evacuation attempt of the North Tower and they board a Metropolitan Transit Authority bus. On the bus, they hear reports that the South Tower is also hit by another plane. When they arrive at the World Trade Center, they realize the extent of the disaster, and see one of the victims jump out of the towers to certain death. The men proceed to get safety equipment from Building 5 and enter the concourse between the towers.

The group consists of McLoughlin, Jimeno, Dominick Pezzulo and Antonio Rodrigues. Officer Christopher Amoroso appears to inform them of other events, such as the attack on the Pentagon, the second plane's hit on the South Tower and an attack on Israel though the group does not accept any of these as true. As the men prepare to enter the North Tower, the buildings begin to rumble. McLoughlin realizes that the South Tower is collapsing onto them and that their only chance of survival is to run into the service elevator shaft. Amoroso trips and does not have time to get up, and Rodrigues is unable to get to the shaft in time, resulting in both deaths. McLoughlin, Jimeno and Pezzulo manage to escape the huge amounts of dust and rubble flying down from the South Tower. However, as the rubble continues to crush the elevator shaft, the three are trapped. As the cascade of debris subsides, Pezzulo realizes he can free himself and manages to move nearer to Jimeno who, along with McLoughlin, is pinned under rubble and cannot move. Pezzulo tries but fails to shift the debris covering Jimeno's legs and is instructed by McLoughlin not to leave.

As Pezzulo becomes optimistic that they will live, the rumbling begins again as the North Tower starts to collapse. Although Jimeno and McLoughlin are not further harmed, Pezzulo is fatally injured when a concrete slab falls into the hole, crushing his torso. After he fires a gun through a gap in the rubble to try to alert rescuers to their position, he dies. Jimeno and McLoughlin spend hours under the rubble, in pain but exchanging stories about their lives and families. McLoughlin is particularly anxious to keep Jimeno from falling asleep and Jimeno also realizes that by straining to grab a metal bar above his body, he can make a noise that rescuers might hear. Two United States Marines, Dave Karnes and Jason Thomas, who are searching for survivors, do hear it and find the men, calling for help to dig them out. Jimeno is rescued first, and then hours later McLoughlin is lifted out of the debris, barely alive and in critical condition. They are then both reunited with their distraught families at the hospital. Two years after the attacks, McLoughlin and Jimeno attend a barbecue with their families: McLoughlin's wife Donna, Jimeno's wife Allison, daughter Bianca, and their newest addition Olivia.

The epilogue states that John and Will were two of the 20 people pulled out alive and are now retired from active duty. Dave Karnes re-enlisted in the Marines.

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V is for Valkyrie (2008)

V is for VALKYRIE This movie is fantastic, for anyone with interests in  WW II movies. Just FANTASTIC!

By 1944, many senior German officers knew they would lose the war and that honorable surrender was the only way out. To do so however, they will have to eliminate their greatest obstacle - Adolf Hitler. There had been several attempts on Hitler's life but all had failed. The leaders of the conspiracy recruit the aristocratic Col. Claus von Stauffenberg, who had lost his left eye and right hand in action in North Africa, to lead their latest operation. The plan has Stauffenberg placing a bomb in the Fuhrer's bunker, the Wolf's Lair, and then returning to Berlin to take charge of the operation, which will include rounding up the SS and Josef Goebbels. When Hitler survives the blast, it all begins to fall apart. Based on a true story.

U is for The Untouchables (1987)

I like The Untouchables TV series. Probably one of the first things I ever watched related to violence and certainly my first awareness about The Mafia. I liked this film does not seem possible it is from 1987.

Young Treasury Agent Elliot Ness arrives in Chicago and is deternimed to take down Al Capone but he learns that it's not going to be easy, because Capone has the police in his pocket. But Ness meets Jimmy Malone a veteran patrolman and probably the most honorable one in the force. He asks Malone to help him get Capone but Malone warns him that if he goes after Capone, he is going to war. They recruit academy cadet, George Stone and Treasury agent Oscar Wallace, who is also an accountant, who wants to prosecute Capone for tax evasion. When they make headway, Capone tries to get them but they are untouchable.

T is for TRUMBO (2015)

T is for TRUMBO. We watched this recently; our son a Junior in High School chose it as he was studying about the McCarthy Era. It is a fantastic Film and it includes references to one or two of the films I chose.

In 1947, Dalton Trumbo was Hollywood's top screenwriter, until he and other artists were jailed and blacklisted for their political beliefs

S if For SAHARA... Two different Movies same name 2006 - 1943

S is for SAHARA to be honest I did not remember the Humphry Bogart one when I looked up the Clive Cussler Book, I remembered I enjoyed the book but LOVED the movie .

SAHARA I enjoyed the Clive Cussler book and LOVED the movie, like Hidalgo Arguably not much history but will make viewers curios about History , The WW II 1943 is like all films from that era one of my favorites.

Sahara is a 2005 American–Spanish action-comedy adventure film directed by Breck Eisner that is based on the best-selling book of the same name by Clive Cussler. It stars Matthew McConaughey, Steve Zahn and Penélope Cruz.

It opened at number one in the US box office, grossing $18 million on its first weekend. From a financial perspective, Sahara was unusual because it performed reasonably well, generating $119 million in gross box-office sales.^[2] However, due to its huge budget—including $130 million in production costs and $81.1 million in distribution expenses—its box-office take amounted to barely half of its expenses.^[2] The film lost approximately $105 million according to a financial executive assigned to the movie;^[3] however, Hollywood accounting methods assign losses at $78.3 million, taking into account projected revenue.^[2] According to Hollywood accounting, the film has a projected revenue of $202.9 million against expenses of $281.2 million.^[2]
The Los Angeles Times presented an extensive special report on April 15, 2007, dissecting the budget of Sahara as an example of how Hollywood movies can cost so much to produce and fail. Many of the often closely held documents had become public domain after a lawsuit involving the film. Among some of the items in the budget were bribes to the Moroccan government, some of which may have been legally questionable under American law

Sahara is a 1943 drama war film directed by Zoltán Korda. Humphrey Bogart stars as a U.S. tank commander in Libya during the Western Desert Campaign of World War II. The story is credited to an incident depicted in the 1936 Soviet film The Thirteen (Russian: Тринадцать) by Mikhail Romm. Later, Sahara was remade by André de Toth as a Western with Broderick Crawford called Last of the Comanches (1953) and by Brian Trenchard-Smith as the Australian film Sahara (1995).^[3]
In Sahara events are depicted which point to the Battle of Gazala, an important battle of the Western Desert Campaign of World War II, fought around the port of Tobruk in Libya. Bogart makes reference to events that occurred in May–June 1942. The battle had begun with the British stronger in terms of numbers and quality of equipment, and had received many of the M3 tanks, which was the tank used in the film. A small group of American advisors and crews had come to train them in use of the equipment.
The British forces were routed, and as shown in Sahara, many tanks which were only damaged, were unable to be salvaged because of the 8th Army's retreat. The British lost virtually all their tanks, although a number of damaged tanks could be evacuated. General Rommel pursued the British into Egypt, trying to keep his opponent under pressure and denying him the opportunity to regroup. As both sides neared exhaustion, the British were able to check Rommel's advance at the First battle of El Alamein, which is where the radio report calls Bogart and tank crew to rally in the film

R is for THE ROAD TO GUANTANAMO (2006)

I could not watch the entire thing because it made me feel so angry... it has a great rating from

Rotten Tomatoes and it deserves it...Heart wrenching. There are no innocents sides in war.  

Part drama, part documentary, The Road to Guantánamo focuses on the Tipton Three, a trio of British Muslims who were held in Guantanamo Bay for two years until they were released without charge.

Q is for THE QUEEN (2009)

We can all remember where we were the day Princess Diana died in Paris in 1997.  We were at a wedding in Michigan. I have become more of a fan of Diana as I have learned of her great work helping and bringing awareness to old explosive  mines and the damage they cause particularly to children in certain parts of the world. Although I was a great admirer of her help[ to bring loving awareness to people suffering from AIDS  I cannot say I was a huge fan. This movie helped me see her in such a human way, through the eyes of others.

The Queen is a 2006 British drama film depicting the British Royal Family's response to the death of Diana, Princess of Wales on 31 August 1997. The film was directed by Stephen Frears, written by Peter Morgan, and starred Helen Mirren in the title role of HM Queen Elizabeth II. In the film, the Royal Family regards Diana's death as a private affair and thus

P is for Palestine Blues (2006) Documentary

Another movie on my to watch list. As I said on the E for EXODUS post I became interested in the Palestinian Territories history while researching The Bridge of Deaths.

Palestine Blues', follows the repercussions of the Israeli Security Wall and Settlement expansion in the engulfed/annexed Palestinian farming communities of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Instead of focusing on the object of the Wall, "Palestine Blues" examines the grassroots resistance movement that has sprung up against it. 'Palestine Blues' is not a 'traditional' political reportage but rather an interminable road trip across hard and liquid borders, across a terrain that is being erased as it is being traversed. - Written by Anonymous

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON for $2.99

What is left for Palestinian farmers who learn that in 24hrs the Israeli Army will confiscate their lands for the construction of a Security Wall? What do people do when their very survival is threatened by one of the world's most powerful armies? PALESTINE BLUES tells the story of a village's confusion, desperation, and resistance, their daily victories and wrenching defeats. Unexpectedly filled with moments of poetry and humor this film's intimate access, unforgettable characters and story structure blur the line between documentary and narrative. Filmed at times with a hidden camera and at times under extreme duress, Palestinian-American filmmaker Nida Sinnokrot gives us a lasting chronicle of a people and their ancient life-giving orchards, ever threatened by destruction.

O is for OSAMA (2003) Afghan with English subtitles.

Osama is on my to watch pile. I added a not so flattering review, but the prices it has received would strongly disagree.

Osama (February 18/04)
Osama is, as virtually every other review has noted, the first film to be shot in post-Taliban Afghanistan - and while there's no denying the significance of that achievement, it doesn't change the fact that the film simply isn't that good. Though it is impressive on a technical level, the movie doesn't entirely work in terms of involving the audience (hard as the filmmakers try).
The simple story follows a young Afghani girl (played by Marina Golbahari) who's forced to assume the identity of a boy in order to support her mother and grandmother (all the male members of the family are dead). Her hair is cropped and she assumes the name Osama, and quickly lands a job as an assistant to a store owner. Things go awry when all the boys in her village are corralled and sent to a religious school which also operates as a Taliban boot camp.
While Osama does a fantastic job of showing us just how awful conditions were under the Taliban, the film's lack of a compelling narrative eventually undermines the positive elements (not to mention their lasting effectiveness). Writer/director Siddiq Barmak clearly has an agenda here, and who can blame him? The reprehensible manner in which the Taliban treated its citizens - particularly the women - is oftentimes hard to take, especially when young children are involved. And in that respect, the movie works. If Barmak's goal was to inform the rest of the world the shocking nature of the Taliban regime, he's undoubtedly succeeded.
But in terms of keeping us entertained throughout the film's 82 minutes, Barmak doesn't fare nearly as well. Though the titular character's plight is certainly one worth sympathizing with, the movie's unrelentingly bleak tone eventually becomes overwhelming (which was likely the point, but still). As unusual a complaint as this may seem - especially when you consider where the film is set - Osama isn't nearly as fascinating as Barmak clearly believes it to be. The disjointed style employed by the director doesn't help matters; the movie lurches from one vignette to another, tenuously held together by the central character. And while Golbahari's performance is undeniably quite impressive, it's just not enough to keep us engaged.
There is exactly one riveting sequence in the film that almost makes one forget everything that came before it: set in a primitive outdoor court, a judge makes decisions according to his whim - while lying comfortably on a futon of some kind. That, unlike an earlier moment that finds a leering old man teaching the boys how to bathe, manages to enthrall us without resorting to unpleasantness. Finally, the movie ends on a decidedly downbeat note - which isn't all that surprising, really - but Barmak mucks up what should have been a heartbreaking conclusion by beating us over the head with heavy handed visuals.
Osama unquestionably deals with an important issue, but the sad truth is that potential viewers would be far better off watching a documentary on the rise and fall of the Taliban.

out of

(Link to Source)

N is for .... NOSTRADAMUS (Documentary)

 I used several psychics to research history in THE BRIDGE OF DEATHS ; I was searching for the past and the psychics used Psychometry holding my grandfather's watch as one of the resources. It stands to reason that I would find famous predictors of future events as well. I first saw a movie about Nostradamus in the 1980s and I found it fascinating.

Below find a documentary and there are various others as well as a film from 1994 online ) 

For those of you who are not familiar with the famous middle ages seer this is from Wikipedia.

Michel de Nostredame (depending on the source, 14 or 21 December 1503^[1] – 2 July 1566), usually Latinised as Nostradamus,^[2] was a French apothecary and reputed seer who published collections of prophecies that have since become widely famous. He is best known for his book Les Propheties, the first edition of which appeared in 1555. Since the publication of this book, which has rarely been out of print since his death, Nostradamus has attracted a following that, along with much of the popular press, credits him with predicting many major world events.^[3][4] Most academic sources maintain that the associations made between world events and Nostradamus's quatrains are largely the result of misinterpretations or mistranslations (sometimes deliberate) or else are so tenuous as to render them useless as evidence of any genuine predictive power.^[5]

M is for Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

This is another in my to watch soon list. I find the story of violent freedom fighter; yes MANDELA  has such a past,  to a Nobel Prize winning pacifist hopeful that we can all grow and that the world can also change.

A chronicle of Nelson Mandela's life journey from his childhood in a rural village through to his inauguration as the first democratically elected president of South Africa.

L if for The Last Samurai (2003)

THE LAST SAMURAI is one of those movies that reminded us all that Tom Cruise is far more than just a pretty face.  The first such Tom Cruise film was Born on the 4th of July.

The film is set in Japan during the 1870s, The Last Samurai tells the story of Capt. Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise), a respected American military officer hired by the Emperor of Japan to train the country's first army in the art of modern warfare. As the Emperor attempts to eradicate the ancient Imperial Samurai warriors in preparation for more Westernized and trade-friendly government policies, Algren finds himself unexpectedly impressed and influenced by his encounters with the Samurai, which places him at the center of a struggle between two eras and two worlds, with only his own sense of honor to guide him.

I have never visited Japan, but the culture is very interesting to me. One of my favorite hobbies is ORIGAMI and I live near THE MORIKAMI JAPANESE MUSEUM & GARDENS in Delray Beach , Florida.

Happy A to Z be sure to visit others on the LINKY

K is for The Snows of KILIMANJARO (1952)

Since this one is based on a Hemingway short story written in 1936 and it is about a writer reflecting on his life.  The African setting and culture fascinated me as a kid.

I was born in 1959 but in  the 1960s and 70s with no recordings of films readily available for home viewing, many films from other eras played at the movie theaters, I love that my generation had that exposure.

J is for J. EDGAR (2011)

"As the face of law enforcement in America for almost 50 years, J. Edgar Hoover was feared and admired, reviled and revered. But behind closed doors, he held secrets that would have destroyed his image, his career and his life." MOVIECLIP TRAILERS

Many of our favorite historical films are about an individual, a historical figure. I did consider The Aviator (2004) *Trailer available at the end of post . Howard Hughes is a fascinating character but as someone originally from Mexico I had to chose THE ALAMO.

In an era where through modern tech we simply assume that our privacy is limited J. Edgar is an interesting window as to  the roots of spying on American citizens.

I is for The Immigrants (Emigrants) (1971)

I is for...OOPS E.... I was determined to include this movie and EXODUS so here I publicly declare my absolute ignorance (also an I word)

In the 1970s as a highcshool student I went on a field trip to see this film. I remember being impacted by both the film and the discussions in school, little did I know then that in 1981 I would marry a Swede and live for five years in Malmö  part of  Skåne , Sweden    further south than Småland ;)

In the middle of the 19th century, Kristina and Karl-Oskar live in a small rural village in Småland (southern Sweden). They get married and try to make a living on a small spot of land. However, the small size of their land, the infertile soil, and some bad harvests makes it tough. One of their children even starve to death. Thus, they decide to emigrate to the U.S. They meet a group of farmers with their families planning the emigration under the leadership of a banned priest. They sell everything and embark for the U.S. The journey on the sailing ship is long and tedious. Some of the emigrants will never reach the New World.

H is for HIDALGO (2004)

I LOVE HIDALGO! This is  a fun must see but when it comes to the "historical"  be warned. After I enjoyed this movie at the cinema with my then six year old son we were sorry to see how criticized the historical inaccuracies of the film got so much attention.  For my young son the movie made him curious and that has some level of merit.

I chose it however because the carnage as part of the horrible genocide od  Native Americans is certainly a true depiction, the rest does feel a bit like Indiana Jones or some other action adventure film with a lose historical backdrop.

G is for GUADACANAL DIARY (1943)

This WW 2 story focuses on a group of US Marines as they invade the island of Guadalcanal in the South Pacific in 1942 and struggle against the Japanese for control of the island. Good acting from a top-notch cast that includes Preston Foster, Anthony Quinn, William Bendix, Richard Jaeckel, Richard Conte and Lloyd Nolan. RAY ACTON  (If you like this one visit RAY he has a nice selection of Military and War movie trailers on his YouTube Channel)  

F is for FREEDOM (2015)

FREEDOM is on my to watch soon list.  Slavery a subject with a dark cloud over many countries in many different eras is tragic. It is however a premise that lends itself as a backdrop to great story telling.

Two men separated by 100 years are united in their search for freedom. In 1856 a slave, Samuel Woodward and his family, escape from the Monroe Plantation near Richmond, Virginia. A secret network of ordinary people known as the Underground Railroad guide the family on their journey north to Canada. They are relentlessly pursued by the notorious slave hunter Plimpton. Hunted like a dog and haunted by the unthinkable suffering he and his forbears have endured, Samuel is forced to decide between revenge or freedom.

100 years earlier in 1748, John Newton the Captain of a slave trader sails from Africa with a cargo of slaves, bound for America. On board is Samuel's great grandfather whose survival is tied to the fate of Captain Newton. The voyage changes Newton's life forever and he creates a legacy that will inspire Samuel and the lives of millions for generations to come.

E is for EXODUS (1960) - Paul Newman

EXODUS

Is based on a book by Leon Uris and tell the tale of the founding of the state of Israel after WW II.

This is from the perspective of the Jewish people and in the 1960s it was a much talked about film. I was born in 1959, but from a very young age I found the conversations about films and books at my grandmother's Sunday meals fascinating.

In the process of researching The Bridge of Deaths, I came across documents on Palestine dated pre WWII . The movement to Lobby the inception for Israel was very active before the war and many of the documents I found were fascinating and eye-opening. In my research I found that the movement to have many Jewish families immigrate and establish in The Palestinian Territories was already well established before 1939 when Hitler invaded Poland and WWII erupted in Europe.

"Following World War II, the life of the Jewish nation is uncertain. The United Nations is contemplating taking a vote on creating a Jewish homeland in Palestine. Until then, many Jews are exiled from much of Europe - especially Germany - and as they have no where to go, they are sent to detention camps among other places Cypress. Ari Ben Canaan, a Palestinian Jew, wants to smuggle as many Jews as possible into Palestine. In his mind, the easiest way to influence the United Nations vote is by sheer numbers residing in Palestine. Ari commandeers a ship with 600 Jews, and after some obstacles, manages to make it to Palestine. Ari grew up in a mixed Arab/Jewish community in Palestine. His best childhood friend, Taha, is Arab and is now leader of the Arab section of the community. Regardless of the United Nations vote, the road to Ari's dream of a peaceful Jewish homeland in Palestine will be a difficult one because despite his own model community, extremist factions, both on the Jewish side and the anti-Zionist side, will never see living together in peace and advocate violence to achieve their own ends. Within this fray is widowed American nurse, Kitty Fremont. Kitty is initially naive about the conflict and hostile toward Ari's means of achieving his goals. However, she ultimately falls in love with him and with his dream despite their religious and cultural differences." - Written by Huggo

EXODUS ~ FULL FILM in ITALIAN just for FUN!

D is for The Deer Hunter #BloggingFromAtoZ

PLEASE VISIT OTHER A-Z STOPS

 

I grew up watching the Vietnam War on TV daily in the six o-clock news.  In Washington D.C. seeing the protestors "The Hippies" in front of the White House.

I think it is a war that made my generation a bit too accepting of the inevitability of war, those a bit older fought it and opposed it, but those of us who were children I do not believe clearly grasped the actual horror.

I was 19 years old when I saw the Deer Hunter and that was the movie that put a human horror, a human face to that war for me.

Perhaps deep down inside I was a pacifist before I realized I was one! Happy A-Z

An in-depth examination of the ways in which the U.S. Vietnam war impacts and disrupts the lives of people in a small industrial town in Pennsylvania.

Director:

Michael Cimino

Writers:

Michael Cimino (story), Deric Washburn (story) | 3 more credits »

Stars:

Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, John Cazale | See full cast & crew »

C is for THE CLAN OF THE CAVE BEAR #BloggingFromAtoZ2016

The Clan of The Cave Bear is a movie I did not like much, but I absolutely loved the books and I read a few in both English and Swedish as I discovered the books when I was living in Malmö, Sweden.

Arguably the books are pure entertainment but the way they excited the imagination and stirred interest in the transition of human evolution and the  setting in prehistorical era fascinated me.

I think the movie is as good as it could have been; some stories are better in print than in film.
That  being said my first exposure in the cinema as a child about Prehistory was so extraordinarily inaccurate, that THE CLAN OF THE CAVE BEAR may well be touted as historical.

B is for A BRIDGE TOO FAR #Blogging from A-Z

B is a tough one. Simply because there are so many to choose from

Band of Brothers 

 Das Boot

The Bridge on the River Kwai

To name a few but I had to chose one that impacted me and had me so certain that in war there were always the good guys and the bad guys. Today as a pacifist I feel that in war there are no innocents and that most are pawns to great powers.

I still love watching the glossy distortions of history that great films provide and I love that as audiences become more sophisticated Hollywood and all other film industries try to be as historically accurate as possible.

   

#BLOGGING FROM A-Z ~ A IS FOR ALAMO

PERSPECTIVES IN HISTORY and sources.... so many of us are first introduced to historical events through old glossy Hollywood Films.

I was born in Mexico and spent my childhood there before my family relocated to Washington D.C. and thus my exposure to history became two-sided.

The firsts time I saw the handsome and brave John Wayne in the movie The Alamo I felt  Mexico had much to be ashamed for in regards to that historical event.

I remember asking the adults around me and as Mexicans their  answer was, "That movie is just a story. It was a bunch of Mexicans killing each other."

It is through movies like that and through having been lived in various countries and thus listening to the same stories from such different perspectives that always made me wonder about history. 

The clip below is the Movie from the 1960s and the long but fascinating documentary explains that the Mexican perspective is today the accepted historical norm.

* As a curious note, John Wayne was fluent in Spanish and the three women he married were Latinas, from Panama and Mexico.

John Wayne portrayed Davy Crockett in The Alamo.
John Wayne believed in the same republican values that Davy Crockett did. The movie is historically inaccurate, but Crockett would have likely said this about a Republic. THE SHADOW