Wandering Reveries

I’ve watched some interesting films since Friday, which have provided a brief distraction from the events of this week.

Oblivion - I am not a big Tom Cruise fan; however, I do enjoy sci-fi, and this story was interesting enough that he didn’t bother me.

Killing Them Softly - Really enjoyed this movie. It was slow paced for a film about a mob hit, but that didn’t take anything away from it.

Meet the Fokkens - Found this on Netflix about twin sisters who have worked in Amsterdam’s red light district for over 40 years. Very interesting story of how they came to work in the red light district and how it affected their lives.

Holy Motors - The description says we’re following a day in the life of Oscar through a variety of roles. Other than that, I have no idea what I just watched. Parts were certainly entertaining.

An interesting program from NOVA I received through Netflix about the debate over intelligent design in the town of Dover, PA. The debate began as supporters of intelligent design attempted to have it included in the science curriculum. Two school board members quit in protest, teachers refused to teach the controversy, and the issue was eventually taken to court. The judge ultimately ruled that ID is not science and that the introduction of it in the Dover science curriculum was a violation of the separation of church and state. As the intelligent design debate continues, this is a good program to watch.

You can read a transcript of the program here.

You can read various court documents here.

By far, my favourite documentary on this debate is Flock of Dodos.

Browsing Netflix last night, I came across Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007, which tells the story of how Bond became a cultural phenomenon and the men behind it. Watching this documentary explained a lot about why the Bond movies differ so much, for example, how Connery’s Bond is different from Roger Moore’s. Also, a discussion of the lawsuits and issues which hampered the franchise at times and threatened to create a competing franchise. This documentary is a must for any Bond fan with interviews with George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Peirce Brosnan, and the current producers.

Last night, I watched the documentary The Man Nobody Knew about former CIA Director William Colby. The film was directed by his son, Carl, and covers his life as a member of the clandestine services - first, OSS, and later, the CIA. It’s a very interesting look at his service and the toll it took on himself and his family, as he wrestled with the issues involved in secrecy, particularly during his years as CIA Director when the Agency was being investigated by Congress. A good film looking at intelligence issues from a personal angle with interviews from many influential policy makers. It’s currently available on Netflix, and you can learn more about the film here.

I watched The People vs. George Lucas on Netflix the other day. An interesting documentary about the relationship between George Lucas and his fans, specifically Star Wars fans. Whether it’s his re-release of the original trilogy with all the edits fans hate or the new trilogy (which doesn’t exist in my dvd universe), fans have a love-hate relationship with George Lucas. For me, while I am a Star Wars fan, it’s the Indiana Jones movies which have had more impact on my life (certainly were a contributing influence on my love of history - even wanted to be an archaeologist at one point), and I absolutely hated the monstrosity that shall not be named. As fans we appreciate his original creations and the impact they had on us, but hate where he took them later.

A documentary about Stanley Kubrik’s The Shining has been released. It’s called Room 237 discussing the theories about the meaning of the film. Looks like it’ll be an interesting documentary. I never read Stephen King’s book, but I’ve always been a fan of the movie (I’m celebrate Kubrik’s entire catalog), so this will be something I try to find asap.

If you want to find out more, they have a blog about the movie: Room 237.

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