Today’s movie is a true crime drama with a scene that
happens on February 28. Watch it tonight and enjoy.
44 MINUTES: THE NORTH HOLLYWOOD SHOOTOUT
On February 28, 1997 [1:18 to 1:39:08] while various LAPD
officers prepare for their day, Larry Eugene Phillips Jr. and Emil Mătăsăreanu
prepare to commit a bank robbery. Donnie Anderson messes up during a SWAT raid
and he is told to take some time off.
Detective Frank McGregor has been tracking these exceptionally violent
two robbers for the last six months. Officer Nicole Gomez and Officer Henry
Jones respond to a domestic violence call.
The robbers enter the bank, but are spotted by a squad car. Other
officers including Donnie Anderson rapidly arrive, while the robbers shoot up
the ceiling of the bank. The bank is soon surrounded. The robbers empty the
vault and lock all the employees and customers inside. The two robbers come out and open up on the
police with their AK-47 machine guns. Henry Jones is wounded. Frank McGregor
risks his life and drives a car to picks up the injured Jones. The police have
to resort to getting machine guns from a gun store. The robbers leave the bank,
with one driving and one walking along side their car. Frank McGregor kills the
robber who was on foot. The second robber tries to commander another vehicle
just as SWAT arrives with their machine guns. With Donnie Anderson playing a
major part, the police arrest the other robber. As a result morale soars on the
force as the citizens, at least for a while appreciate the police.
A based on fact docudrama. Lots
and lots of violence. Keeps the melodrama to a minimum and concentrates on the
real story.
Los Angeles Times (Saturday, March 1, 1997) at pages 1, 19-20 and
film at 1:20 give the date of the incident
Today’s movie is an
action/adventure espionage film with a scene that happens on February 27. Watch it tonight and enjoy.
THE BOURNE
SUPREMACY
Jason Bourne and Marie are living in Goa,
while he tries to remember his past. In Berlin, Pamela Landy, a CIA Deputy
Director has arranged to pay $3 million to a Russian who says he has flies that
will reveal who stole $20 million from the CIA seven years ago. However, the
Russian and the CIA agent who was delivering the cash are killed and the money
stolen. A fingerprint left behind indicates the killer was Jason Bourne. A
hitman finds Jason in Goa, but ends up killing Marie. On February 27,
2004 [23:03 to 34:16] Jason arrives in Naples. He escapes custody and goes to
Berlin. There he tracks Pam Landy and kidnaps Nicky Parsons. He recalls that he
killed Russian politician Vladimir Neski, but this job is not in his file. Bourne exposes the fact that CIA agent Ward
Abbott was involved in the theft of the $20 million and tried to frame Bourne
for the two recent murders in Berlin. When confronted, Abbott kills himself.
Bourne goes to Moscow and in spite of being chased by Abbott’s Russian
partners, finds and apologizes to the Neski’s daughter for killing her parents.
Great action. I was upset that
they killed off Marie. I liked her a lot.
Date given in film at 31:25 on a cell phone.
Director - Paul Greengrass
Producers - Frank Marshall, Patrick Crowley and Paul L.
Sandberg
Today’s movie is a biographical romance with a scene that happens on
February 26. Watch it tonight and enjoy.
BRIGHT STAR
Fanny Brawne is introduced to poet John Keats and his friend Charles
Brown. She buys Keats book of poems and visits his brother Tom, who later dies
of tuberculosis. Keats spends Christmas with the Brawne family and he later
starts to teach her poetry. They like each other, but Keats does nothing to
advance the relationship, since he is poor. When Brown sends a Valentine’s card
to Fanny, Keats confronts them. Brown says it was a joke, but warns Keats that
Fanny is just a flirt. Fanny is angered at Keats lack of trust and ends their
association. Then the Brawnes move into the other half of the house occupied by
Keats and Brown and Fanny and Keats rapidly develop an intense affection for
each other. When Keats and Brown take a summer holiday to the Isle of Wight,
Fanny misses him terribly, at times even becoming suicidal. Only his letters
sustain her and when he returns they become secretly engaged. Keats becomes ill
after a trip to London and back in the rain and his friends plan to send him to
the warmer climate of Italy to recover. Then Charles Brown impregnates the maid
Abigail and cannot go with him. Keats lives in London, but returns to stay with
the Brawnes when he has another attack of tuberculosis. Fanny’s mother agrees
they can marry after Keats returns from Italy as his new book of poems has been
a success. Keats goes to Italy, where he dies. On February 26, 1821
[1:48:29 to 1: 49:03] Keats’s funeral procession leaves the church in Rome
carrying his body to the cemetery. Fanny goes into mourning.
A psychological biopic/romance.
Tries to explore the psychology of the poet as well as be a romance film.
Overall, a fairly good movie.
John Keats by Robert
Gittings (Little, Brown and Company, Boston, 1968) at page 433
Producers - Jan Chapman and
Caroline Hewitt
Director - Jane Campion
Awards – The film was nominated
for the Best Costume Design Oscar at the 82nd Academy Awards.
Screenplay - Jane Campion
Runtime – 1 hour 59 minutes
Released – May 15, 2009
Starring -
Ben Whishaw as John Keats
Abbie Cornish as Fanny Brawne
Paul Schneider as Charles Armitage Brown
Kerry Fox as Frances Brawne
Thomas Sangster as Samuel Brawne
Antonia Campbell-Hughes as Abigail O'Donaghue Brown
Today’s movie is a war drama with
scenes that happen on February 25. Watch it tonight and enjoy.
COURAGE UNDER FIRE
Lieutenant Colonel Nathaniel Serling
commands a tank battalion at the start of the Gulf War. During the confusion of
a night battle his tank destroys a US tank that was firing at an Iraqi tank and
not at them, like his crew thought. On February 25, 1991 [15:57 to 16:16; 16:30
to 16:42; 16:46 to 16:49; 17:00 to 17:04; 17:11 to 17:15; 25:40 to 28:24; 32:34
to 36:33; 37:07 to 38:10; 39:18 to 39:49; 1:27:07 to 1:27:16 and 1:27:30 to
1:31:16] a Blackhawk helicopter is shot down in Iraq. The Army refuses to
censor Serling and covers up the friendly fire incident. Serling is assigned to
investigate the circumstances surrounding the Blackhawk shootdown. Serling
interviews the survivors of the Blackhawk’s crew, who tell them that after they
were shot down and surrounded by Iraqis, an Army medical Huey helicopter
appeared. The Huey strafed the Iraqis, destroyed an enemy tank and was then
shot down itself. During the rescue the next day, someone at the Huey used an
M-16 to give covering fire. Serling
then learns that the pilot of the Huey was a woman, Captain Karen Walden who is
being considered for a posthumous Medal of Honor, a project that has a high
level of political support. Serling begins his investigation while suffering
from PTSD and guilt himself. The Huey’s co-pilot, Warrant Officer Rady says
Walden ordered the crew to dump the choppers fuel bladder on the Iraqi tank and
use a flare gun to ignite it. However, he was injured when they were shot down
and knows nothing else. Specialist Ilario says that at night the Captain was
injured during an Iraqi attack. The next day during the rescue the Captain was
the last to leave and was killed. No one fired an M-16 during the rescue.
Serling’s boss pushes him to finish the report, but he is troubled by
inconsistencies in the stories. Staff Sergeant John Monfriez who was in the
Huey to provide covering fire thinks M-16 ammo ran out first thing in the
morning. He says Walden was a coward and that it was his idea to use the fuel
bladder on the tank. He even says Walden shot at him during the evacuation. Serling
asks Garner, a reporter who has been investigating the alleged friendly fire
incident involving Serling, to help him find a missing Huey crewman, Sergeant
Steven Altameyer. He is found in a hospital where he just mumbles about a fire
before passing out. Serling is pulled off the Walden investigation, but
nevertheless he goes back to question Monfriez, who gets so upset he pulls a
gun on Serling and then commits suicide. Serling then locates Ilario, who had
gone AWOL and finally gets the real story. During the night Monfriez, supported
by Altameyer and Ilario wanted to sneak off, even though Walden ordered them to
stay, as the Captain refused to leave the wounded Rady. Walden and Monfriez end
up pointing guns at each other. An Iraqi appears behind Monfriez and is shot by
Walden. He returns fire, thinking he was her target and shoots, wounding her.
During the rescue Walden stays behind giving covering fire with the M-16.
Monfriez tells the rescue chopper pilots Walden is dead. The wounded Altameyer
is ignored and Ilario is silent as the rescue choppers napalm the wrecks of the
two US helicopters. Gartner’s investigation reveals that while Serling’s tank
did cause friendly fire deaths, his actions immediately thereafter prevented
any more such incidents. He gets a
medal. Walden is awarded the Medal of Honor.
Serling visits the family of the man who was killed and leaves his medal
on Waldens tombstone. Recovered from his PTSD Serling returns to his family.
A good movie. This is a story of
the “fog of war’ and the search for truth. In searching for Walden’s truth,
Serling is able to accept his own.
Date given in film at 15:09 in
speech and on blackboard.
Producers - John Davis, Joseph M. Singer and David T. Friendly
Director - Edward Zwick
Screenplay - Patrick Sheane Duncan
Runtime – 1 hour 57 minutes
Released - July 12, 1996
Starring –
Denzel Washington as Lieutenant Colonel Nathaniel Serling
Meg Ryan as Captain Karen Emma Walden
Lou Diamond Phillips as Staff Sergeant John Monfriez
Today’s movie is a drama with a scene that happens on February
24. Watch it tonight and enjoy.
TESTAMENT
The Wetherly family lives in
Hamelin, California 90 miles from San Francisco. One day nuclear war breaks
out. Tom Wetherly was in San Francisco, leaving his wife Carol, sons Brad and
Scottie and daughter Mary Liz at home. On February 24, 19___ [24:15 - 26:50]
the Wetherlys adopt an orphan child, Larry, but Henry Abhart, a ham radio
operator can’t learn how the war started or what is happening in the outside
world. The town escaped blast damage, but not radiation. Eventually both
Scottie and Mary Liz die from this. As society breaks down, Carol decides to
kill herself and her surviving family, but in the end she can’t bring herself to
do so.
The date is given in the film at 24:26-27
Director - Lynne Littman
Producer - Jonathan Bernstein
Screenplay - John Sacret Young
Awards – Jane Alexander was
nominated for the Best Actress Oscar at the 56th Academy
Today’s movie is a combat film with a scene that happens on
February 23. Watch it tonight and enjoy.
FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS
In late 1944, US marines train in
Hawaii, then sail to Iwo Jima. They land and after an easy landing take heavy
casualties. The Marines drive on Mount Surabachi. On February 23, 1945 they
reach the top and raise a large flag, an act that is the subject of an iconic
photo. . [1:12:09 to 1:20:36] Later during the battle, many of those who were
in the photo are killed, leaving only John “Doc” Bradley, Ira Hayes and Rene
Gagnon alive. After the battle Rene is asked who was in the photo and he names
five men, including himself. He incorrectly identifies Harlon Block as Hank
Hansen. Ira threatens to kill him if he identifies him as having been in the
picture, but Ira is identified anyway. The three are sent off on a war bond
drive. They decide not to correct the mistake about Harlon, as Hank’s mother
was honored due to her son being in the photo. Ira has a hard time on the tour,
often getting drunk. He hates being considered a hero, thinking those who were
killed were the real heroes. After the war Ira can’t escape from the unwanted
fame. He finally tells Harlon Block’s family he was actually in the photo, and
later dies of exposure after a drunk. Rene Gagnon is a high school janitor,
while ‘Doc’ Bradley runs a funeral home.
An
interesting film. The action part and after the war are both good in their own
way. A companion film to Letters from Iwo
Jima.
Flags of Our Fathers by James Bradley (Bantam Books,
New York, 2000) p. 201
Director - Clint Eastwood
Screenplay - Paul Haggis
Awards - Nominated
for the Best Sound Editing and Best Sound Mixing Oscars.
Today’s movie is a biographical drama with a scene that
happens on February 22. Watch it tonight and enjoy.
THE ASSASSINATION OF RICHARD NIXON
Samuel Bicke’s
life is falling apart. His wife has left him and he has stopped working for his
brother. He’s a hypocrite, demanding honesty of others, yet often telling lies
himself. He lies about his marital staus to get his new job as a salesman. His
boss thinks President Nixon is the greatest salesman ever due his political
duplicity about the Vietnam War. Bicke decides to set up a mobile tire sale
business with a government loan. His wife files for divoce, and after his boss
learns Bicke lied on his job application, Bicke quits. He breaks into his brother’s tire sale
business and arranges for a large tire order to be sent to his friend Bonny, to
be paid for with the loan proceeds. However, the loan doesn’t come through and
Bonny is arrested for receiving stolen goods.Bicke’s bother bails out Bonny,
but severs all ties with Bicke. Bicke steals a gun from Bonny,but can’t kill his
old boss. Bicke does kill his dog. On February 22, 1974 [2:01 to 3:04 and
1:19:11 to 1:30:05] Bicke tries to hijack an airliner to crash into the White
House. He kills a pilot, but as the police close in he commits suicide. Nixion
was not at the White House that day in any event.
Washington Post
(Saturday, February 23, 1974) at pages 1 and 10 and the film at 2:50 give the
date
Today’s movie is a comedy with a scene that happens on
February 21. watch it tonight and enjoy.
MADAGASCAR
February 21,
2003 [00:24 to 20:03] is the tenth birthday of Marty, a zebra in New York’s
Central Park zoo. He develops a mid-life crisis and wants to escape to the
wilds of Connecticut. His friends Alex the lion, Melman the giraffe and Gloria
the hippo follow Marty to Grand Central Station where they are all captured.
The zoo decides to ship them to a wildlife preserve in Kenya. However, a group
of psychotic penguins take over the ship so they can go to Antarctica. This
results in the four friends being knocked over board in their boxes and washing
ashore. They eventually learn they are on the island of Madagascar from a group
of lemurs who come to accept them after Alex drives off the fossa who usually
eat the lemurs. After Alex starts to revert to his naturally carnivorous
traits, he is banished to the far side of the island. The ship returns, steered
by the penguins and by now Marty wants to return to the Big Apple. Alex at
first is resistant, fearing he might attack his friends again, but overcomes
his instincts enough to rescue them when they are captured by the fossa. The
penguins catch enough fish for Alex to eat since the ship can’t set sail for
New York, as it is out of fuel.
Date given in film at 3:23; 20:11
and at http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/NYK/2003_games.html
Director - Eric Darnell and Tom
McGrath
Producer - Mireille Soria
Screenplay - Mark Burton, Billy
Frolick, Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath
Released – May 25, 2005
Runtime – 1 hour 26 minutes
Voice Cast –
Ben Stiller as Alex, a lion
Chris Rock as Marty, a zebra
David Schwimmer as Melman, a
giraffe
Jada Pinkett Smith as Gloria, a
hippopotamus
Sacha Baron Cohen as King Julien,
king of the lemurs
Cedric the Entertainer as
Maurice, an aye-aye and King Julien's royal advisor.
Andy Richter as Mort, a Goodman's
mouse lemur
Tom McGrath as Skipper, the
leader of penguins
Chris Miller as Kowalski, a
penguin and Skipper's right hand
Jeffrey Katzenberg as Rico, a
smart and silent penguin
Christopher Knights as Private,
an eager, lowly penguin
Today’s movie is a wartime action
film with a scene that happens on February 20. Watch it tonight and enjoy.
THE HEROES OF TELEMARK
Nilssen, director of the Norsk
Hydro plant in German occupied Norway is ordered to increase the facilities
production of heavy water by 400%. Nilssen sends a photo through the Norwegian
Resistance to Dr Rolf Pedersen, a physicist at the University of Oslo. As a
result the Resistance hijacks a coastal steamer to take Pedersen to England
through the mine-infested North Sea. The data that Pedersen brings convinces
the Allies that Germany is trying to make an atomic bomb. Pedersen and Knut
Straud, his Resistance minder parachute back into Norway to see if a commando
raid on the factory is possible, as Allied HQ says the factory must be
destroyed. The pair ends up coincidentally at the home of Pedersen’s ex-wife.
Pedersen concludes a commando raid is out of the question, but Straud opposes
bombing, as it would cause too many civilian casualties. London decides on a
commando raid. When a hunter, Jensen stumbles across the advance team they keep
him a prisoner. The plane bringing in
the 50 British commandoes crashes. Straud decides to proceed with the raid
using the ten-man advance team. They
tie up Jensen and leave him behind. The team rappels down a cliff and enters
the factory. They blow up the equipment for making heavy water and escape from
the factory. Jensen, who turns out to be a traitor helps the Germans try to
track down the escaping team. Pedersen ends up having to pose as a pro-German
Norwegian to avoid arrest, but is accidentally exposed. He makes a death
defying escape off of a bus. Pedersen learns the Nazis have restored full
production, but a bomber raid to destroy the factory fails. The Nazis plan to
ship the heavy water they have extracted to Germany. Pedersen and Straud plant
a bomb on the ferry that will transport the water for part of its journey. On
February 20, 1944 after Pedersen sees a woman he knows and her child get on the
ferry he gets on board also. He gets all the children onboard into a lifeboat
on a pretext, so when the bomb goes off they are saved. The ferry and its cargo
of heavy water sink to the bottom of a very deep lake. [1:59:25 to 2:09:21]
An exciting film. However it
introduces unnecessary elements of melodrama. Would have been better as purely
an action film.
2194 Days of War ed. by Cesare Salmaggi and Alfredo
Pallavisini (Gallery Books, New
York, 1977) at page 492 gives the
date the ferry was sunk.
Today’s movie is a period drama with a scene that happens
on February 19. Watch it tonight and enjoy.
AUSTRALIA
Lady Sarah
Ashley travels to her husband’s cattle station Faraway Downs in Australia. He
is murdered shortly before she arrives and an indigenous Australian called
“King George” is accused of the crime. When her manager Fletcher mistreats a
half-native boy, Nullah after he informs her of cattle thieving by her
neighbor, cattle baron “King” Carney, she fires Fletcher. Since she can’t have
children of her own, Lady Sarah informally adopts Nullah after his mother is
killed. Lady Sarah gets Drover, a ranch hand to take her cattle to Darwin to
sell them. In spite of many difficulties, some created by Carney’s men, the
cattle are sold and Drover and Lady Sarah start a relationship. Fletcher kills
Carney, marries his daughter and continues to harass Lady Sarah. We learn he
also killed Lady Sarah’s husband and is Nullah’s father. Two years later Nullah
is taken by the authorities to an island near Darwin with other native orphans.
Drover and Lady Sarah quarrel and he leaves. On February 19, 1942 [2:03:30 to
2:21:30] when the Japanese bomb Darwin and the island, Lady Ashley fears Nullah
is dead. Drover rescues Nullah and the pair are reunited with Lady Sarah.
Fletcher tries to kill Nullah, but “King George”; Nullah’s grandfather kills
him. Lady Sarah and Drover return to Faraway downs, while Nullah and his
grandfather return to the bush.
Fire in the Sky by Eric M. Bergerud (Westview Press,
Boulder, 2000) at page 37 gives the date of the raid
Director - Baz Luhrmann
Producers - Baz Luhrmann,
Catherine Knapman and G. Mac Brown
Screenplay - Baz Luhrmann, Ronald
Harwood, Stuart Beattieand Richard Flanagan
Awards – The film was nominated
for the Best Costume Design Oscar at the 81st
Today’s movie is a western with a scene that happens on February 18.
Watch it tonight and enjoy.
CHISUM
John Chisum is a major rancher in
Lincoln County, New Mexico. While stopping some cattle rustlers, he meets Billy
the Kid, who is working as a ranch hand for Chisum’s neighboring rancher,
Englishman Henry Tustall. A third rancher Lawrence Murphy is trying to take
over the county, but after he sees Murphy’s illegal and underhanded tactics,
Alexander McSween, lawyer and shopkeeper, who Murphy had brought in to help
facilitate his takeover goes to work for Chisum and Tunstall. Chisum’s niece
Alice arrives for a visit and is attracted to both Billy Boney (a/k/a “Billy
the Kid), as well as Pat Garrett, who Chisum hires as a ranch hand. In an ambush
by Murphy’s men Billy is wounded but saved by Garrett. On February 18, 1878
[1:01:04 to 1:08:18] Tunstall, who has fatherly feeling towards him, gives
Billy the Kid a Bible. Tunstall killed by men working for Murphy. The killers
are arrested by Chisum and Garrett, but they along with the sheriff are killed
by Billy the Kid. Murphy stooge Nodeen is appointed sheriff. Billy the kid and
his gang go to Mcsween’s store to get supplies and end up in a battle with
Murphy’s men, during which McSween is killed by Murphy’s men. Mrs. McSween
warns Chisum. He drives a herd of catle through the town and his supporters
defeat Murphy’s men, while he personally kills Murphy. Garrett is made sheriff,
while Billy the Kid moves on as peace is restored to the county.
Today’s film is a war movie with a scene that happens on
February 17. Watch it tonight and enjoy.
THE HUNLEY
H. L. Hunley takes his ship the Hunley, out in Charleston harbor and it
sinks with all hands. As the blockade still needs to be broken, Gen. Beauregard
has the ship raised and puts George Dixon in charge. He starts looking for a
crew and after some difficulty, finally finds enough volunteers to man it. They
practice cranking the propeller. The crew do not all get along with each other.
Dixon flashes back to the Battle of Shiloh, where a gold coin given to him by
his wife (who was later killed in steamboat explosion caused by a drifting
mine), deflected a bullet and saved his life.
They take the ship down and sit on the bottom to see how long they can
stay down and almost get stuck. The Union navy is warned about the sub. They
crew votes that if after an attack they are stuck on the bottom, they will open
the valves, flooding the ship rather than suffocating. They go out to attack
the U.S.S. Wabash, but the attack
fails. Following the warning, the ship has draped metal chain netting over the
side. Also the rope which was attached to the torpedo they were to release
under the ship gets loose and becomes entangled in the propeller. It has to be
cut loose while sailors on the Wabash
shoot at the Hunley. Beauregard proposes putting the torpedo at
the end of a long spar. The Housatonic
is ordered to change its position in the harbor and always be ready to steam,
meaning it can’t hang metal netting over the side. The second in command Lt.
Alexander is ordered to Mobile, and a young soldier who had been volunteering
to join the crew is allowed to do so.
On February 17, 1864, the C.S.S.
H. L. Hunley sails out and attacks the U.S.S.
Housatonic. The torpedo is rammed into the side of the ship. It blows up,
and the Housatonic is the first ship
ever sunk by a sub. A bullet from the
ship breaks a window in the conning tower and wounds Dixon. The explosion opens
the seams on the Hunley and it takes
on water. It settles to the bottom, and they can’t release the ballast or pump
the ship. As agreed the crew opens the valves and the ship floods, killing the
entire crew. [1:12: 44 to 1:30:38]
An interesting film about an
important, but overlooked moment in naval history. The story of the crew is
almost wholly fictional, but is still interesting. Concentrates on the
character of Dixon and his private struggles.
The Encyclopedia of Military History from 3500 b.c. to
the Present by R. Ernest Dupuy & Trevor N. Dupuy (Harper & Row, New
York, 1977) at page 901 gives the attack date
Director - John Gray Screenplay - John Gray and John
Fasano
Awards - Won the Emmy for Outstanding Sound Editing.
Today’s movie is a
biographical drama with a scene that happens on February 16. Watch it tonight
and enjoy. SPOILER ALERT!
LA VIE EN ROSE
On February 16,
1959 [00:43 to 2:29] Edith Piaf, famous French chanteuse, collapses while
singing in New York City. Edith was born to a street performer mother, but at
age 4 her father took her to be raised by his mother, who ran a bordello in
Paris. Edith became the pet of the girls who worked there. After several years
her acrobat father returned for her and she sang while he performed acrobatics
in the street. Edith is hired by Louis Leplee a nightclub owner as a singer and
in spite of his murder, she gradually with the help of songwriter Raymond Asso
becomes a well known and popular performer. Edith begins an affair with Marcel
Cerdan, a famous boxer and is devastated when he is killed in an airplane
crash. She later becomes a drug addict and dies of cancer at the young age of
47.
The date is given in the film at 1:00
Director - Olivier Dahan
Producer - Alain Goldman
Screenplay - Isabelle Sobelman and Olivier Dahan
Awards – Marion Cotillard won the
Best Actress Oscar and the film won the Best Makeup Oscar. The film was also
nominated for the Best Costume Design Oscar at the 80th Academy
Awards
Today’s movie is a romantic comedy with a scene that happens on February 15. Watch it tonight and enjoy.
JUST WRIGHT
Leslie Wright is a physical therapist who lives with her girlfriend Morgan Alexander. Lesley meets Scott McKinght, a player for the New Jersey Nets, but Scott ends up proposing to Morgan. However on February 15, 2009 [32:31 – 34:25] at the NBA All-Star game, Scott is injured. After rumors spread that his career is over, Morgan dumps him. However Leslie works with Scott and enables him to return to play, as they become close. Then Morgan shows up again and reconciles with Scott. It takes Leslie debating whether to leave town to become the trainer for the Sixers for Scott to realize that he loves Leslie and not Morgan. They get married and she becomes the trainer for the Nets.
Director - Sanaa Hamri
Producers - Debra Martin Chase, Shakim Compere and Queen Latifah
Screenplay - Michael Elliot
Released – May 14, 2010
Runtime – 1 hour 40 minutes
Starring –
Queen Latifah as Leslie Wright
Common as Scott McKnight
Paula Patton as Morgan Alexander
James Pickens Jr. as Lloyd Wright
Pam Grier as Janice Wright
Phylicia Rashad as Ella McKnight
Laz Alonso as Mark Matthews
Mehcad Brooks as Angelo Bembrey
Michael Landes as Nelson Kaspian
Leo Allen as Paul
Dwight Howard as Himself
Dwyane Wade as Himself
Rashard Lewis as Himself
Bobby Simmons Jr. as Himself
Jalen Rose as Himself
Rajon Rondo as Himself
Chris Paul as Himself
Doris Burke as Herself
John Legend as Himself
Elton Brand as Himself
Today’s movie is a romantic comedy which takes place on
February 14. Watch it tonight and enjoy.
VALENTINE’S DAY
This is the
interwoven stories of a group of people and their romantic adventures (and
mis-adventures) on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2010 in Los Angeles, centered on Reed Bennett, florist and Sean Jackson,
retiring football player. There’s a proposal, an outing, adultery, a decision
not to have sex, an “I Hate Valentine’s Day “ party, an outdoor movie
screening, a rear end collision and some kissing among other incidents. [00:16
– 1:57:52]
This is the
American version of Love Actually. Fortunately, it’s as entertaining as
the British version.
Today’s movie is a period drama waith a scene that happens
on February 13. Watch it tonight and enjoy.
YOUNG BESS
When her mother is executed,
Princess Elizabeth is declared illegitimate and out of the line of succession.
Her father remarries several times including Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves and
Catherine Howard. On February 13, 1542 [10:41 to 11:18] Catherine Howard is
executed for adultery. Elizabeth does
become friends with her father’s last wife, Catherine Parr. After her father’s
death Elizabeth persuades her half-brother Edward VI to allow their stepmother,
Catherine Parr to marry Sir Thomas Seymour. Elizabeth lives with the Seymours,
but ends up in a love triangle with Catherine and Thomas. Elizabeth moves out.
Later after Catherine dies, Thomas’s brother Edward has Thomas arrested and
executed for treason. After the death of her half-siblings, Edward VI and Mary,
Elizabeth becomes queen.
Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII by David Starkey
(HarperCollins Publishers, New York, 2007) at pages 683-684 gives the execution
date.
Producer - Sidney Franklin
Director - George Sidney
Awards – This film was nominated for the Best Costume Design
and Best Art Direction at the 26th Academy Awards.
Today’s movie is a psychological drama with scenes that
happen on February 12. Watch it tonight and enjoy.
BLACK SWAN
Nina Sayers is a
member of a ballet company that is to perform Swan Lake. The director Tom Leroy
forces his longtime star, Beth into retirement and auditions others for the
dual role of the white swan and the black swan. He thinks Nina is perfect as
the white swan, but doesn’t have the emotional intensity to dance as the black
sawn. He tells Nina he is casting Veronica in the part. She asks him to
reconsider and he kisses her, but Nina bites him, so he casts her in the
role. Beth is injured in an accident
that Tom thinks might have been a suicide attempt. Nina goes out for a party
night with Lilly, who she perceives as a rival and hallucinates a lesbian
encounter with her. On February 12, 2010 [1:25:17 to 1:42:41] the ballet
premieres. After the first act, when Nina returns to her dressing room, she has
a fight with Lilly, stabs and apparently kills her after Lilly says she is
going to dance the black swan. Nina dances the black swan and learns her fight
with Lilly was a hallucination. She dances the white swan and enacts throwing
herself off a cliff (actually onto a mattress) where it is discovered she has
stabbed herself.
A very strange film. For much of the movie you wonder if
what you see is real or if Nina is just imagining it.
Date given in film at 1:20:58 on a poster
Director - Darren Aronofsky
Producers - Ari Handel, Scott Franklin, Mike Medavoy, Arnold
Messer and Brian Oliver
Screenplay - Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz and John McLaughlin
Awards – Natalie Portman won the
Best Actress Oscar for her role. The film was also nominated for the Best
Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography and Best Film Editing Oscars at the
83rd Academy Awards.
Today’s movie is a biographical film with a scene that
happens on February 11. Watch it tonight and enjoy.
MANDELA: LONG WALK TO FREEDOM
Nelson Mandela becomes a
barrister in apartheid era South Africa and gradually drifts into supporting
armed revolution against the White dominated government. He is arrested, tried,
convicted of treason and sentenced to life imprisonment on Robben Island.
However, as violent protest and international condemnation of the government’s
repressive policies build up pressure on South Africa, the government finally
dedcides to negogiate with the African National Congress and started talks with
it’s leader, Mandela. On February 11, 1990 [1:50:52 – 1:55:47] he is released
from prison. Mandela goes to to be elected the president of South Afica in the
first election with universal sufferage and pursues a policy of racial
reconciliation.
Date given in film at 1:50:56
Director - Justin
Chadwick
Producers - David M. Thompson and Anant Singh
Screenplay - William Nicholson
Awards – Nominated for the Best Original Song Oscar at the
86th Academy Awards
Today’s movie is an animated comedy/drama with a scene that happens on February 10. Watch it
tonight and enjoy.
RIO 2
Linda Gunderson and her husband
launch an expedition into the Amazon rainforest. After they find evidence of
the existence of more blue Spix macaws, Jewel, the mate of Blu, a blue Spix
Macaw who used to belong to Linda decides they should go to the Amazon and help
the search. Blu and his family set out. However the news to the discovery and
Jewel’s trip arouses opposition. Some comes from a gang of illegal loggers who
think the discovery of more blue spix macaws could disrupt their operations. Nigel
the cockatoo, who is Jewel and Blu’s arch nemesis decides now would be a good
time to get revenge. On February 10,
2014 Jewel and Blue meet the blue spix macaws including Eduardo, Blu’s long
lost father. Jewel and Blu manage to defeat both the loggers and Nigel in an
action packed conclusion.
Director - Carlos Saldanha
Producer - Bruce Anderson and John C. Donkin
Screenplay - Don Rhymer, Carlos Kotkin, Jenny Bicks and Yoni Brenner
Released – March 20, 2014
Runtime – 1 hour 41 minutes
Today’s movie is a comedy with a scene that happens on
February 9. Watch it tonight and enjoy.
MR. SATURDAY NIGHT
Self-deprecating comedian Buddy Young, Jr. tells a
reporter how he had a TV show back in the 1950’s where he was called “Mr.
Saturday Night”. Now he does shows at
nursing homes. Afterwards his brother/manager Stan gives him bad news. Stan is
retiring and Buddy has lost his cruise ship engagement. This leads to an
argument between them about how Buddy is ungrateful and Stan never did enough,
including mention of how Stan worked for a year to get Buddy on the Ed Sullivan
Show. Unfortunately, his appearance is
on February 9, 1964 [13:16 to 15:48] right after the Beatles appearance and Buddy
bombs after he turns on the inattentive audience. Stan and Buddy do a comedic
living room routine, and while Stan chickens out at their first public
appearance, Buddy goes on alone. Buddy works his way up to the Borscht belt of
Jewish resorts in the Catskills where he meets his wife Elaine. Buddy plays in Las Vegas and eventually gets
his TV show. In the present Buddy asks Phil Gusman the head of a major agency
to represent him, but he sends Annie Wells a young agent in his place. Buddy
attacks her for her lack of knowledge concerning comedians of his era. Buddy plays in dives to keep going. In a
flashback we see his show was cancelled when after the ratings took a nosedive,
he did a monologue questioning the sexual orientation of Davy Crockett. Buddy
also ignored his wife and his daughter and fired Woody Allen as a joke writer.
Annie does her homework and wins him over and gets him jobs. Buddy and Stan’s
mother dies. Annie gets Buddy an audition with Larry Meyerson, a hot Hollywood
director, but Buddy blows the audition, causing an actual physical fight with
Stan. However after this Buddy makes up with his daughter and at the end with
Stan.
This movie has its up and downs.
Both come from the fact that this was Billy’s Crystal’s movie. When he’s good
he’s good, but there was no one to tell him when it was bad.
Gould, Jonathan. Can’t Buy Me Love. New York, Harmony
Books, 2007. This book at page 3 gives the date of the Beatles appearance on Ed
Sullivan
Producer - Billy Crystal
Director - Billy Crystal
Awards – The movie was nominated for the Best Supporting
Actor (Paymer) Oscar at the 65th Academy Awards
Screenplay - Billy Crystal, Babaloo Mandel and Lowell Ganz
Today’s movie is a period drama with a scene that happens on
February 8. Watch it tonight and enjoy.
ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE
Elizabeth is Queen of England in
1585, but there is concern as she is unmarried and facing a possible Catholic
revolt in favor of her cousin, Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots. Walter Raleigh
comes to court and intrigues both the Queen and her chief lady-in-waiting Bess
Throckmorton. An assassin is sent in to
kill Elizabeth. A cousin of Bess’s who is Catholic asks for her help in
assassinating the Queen, but she refuses. Bess was followed to their meeting
and her cousin is later arrested and tortured into revealing the Spanish plan,
“the Enterprise of England” an invasion.
Elizabeth’s horoscope foretells one empire will fall and one will rise
but can’t disclose which is which. Elizabeth refuses to let Walter Raleigh
return to Virginia and he seduces Bess. An attempted assassination fails and
Mary Stuart is tried, convicted of treason and executed on February 8, 1587.
[1:09:58 to 1:13:18] Bess learns she is pregnant, and she secretly weds
Raleigh. The Queen learns of this, is outraged and Raleigh is imprisoned. The
Armada is sighted and Raleigh is released to man his ship against them.
Elizabeth gives a stirring address to her troops. The English attack the
Spanish with fire ships, then storms scatter the Armada, saving the
country. Elizabeth forgives Bess and
Raleigh.
A good period drama. Especially
good at developing the relationship between the Queen, Bess and Raleigh. Good
cinematography and costumes.
Scotland: The Story of a Nation by Magnus Magnusson
(Atlantic Monthly Press, NewYork, 2000) at page 380 gives the execution date
Producer - Tom Bevan, Eric Fellner and Jonathan Cavendish
Director - Shekhar Kapur
Screenplay - William Nicholson & Michael Hirst
Awards - Won Oscar for Best Costume Design and Cate
Blanchett was nominated for Best Actress
Running Time - 1 hour 54 minutes
Released - October 12, 2007
Starring -
Cate Blanchett as Elizabeth I of England
Geoffrey Rush as Sir Francis Walsingham
Clive Owen as Sir Walter Raleigh
Abbie Cornish as Elizabeth 'Bess' Throckmorton
Samantha Morton as Mary, Queen of Scots
Jordi Mollà as Philip II of Spain
Eddie Redmayne as Anthony Babington
Tom Hollander as Sir Amyas Paulet
David Threlfall as Dr. John Dee
Adam Godley as William Walsingham
Laurence Fox as Christopher Hatton
Will Houston as Don Gerau De Spes
Christian Brassington as Archduke Charles of Austria
John Shrapnel as
Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Nottingham
Today’s movie s a period drama with a scene that happens on
February 7. Watch it tonight and enjoy.
ARISTOCRATS
After three London seasons, Lady
Caroline Lennox has still not found a husband. However, her parents are
appalled when she falls in love with commoner Henry Fox, a politician. After
her parents refuse to approve the marriage, they elope. Her parents, the Duke
and Duchess of Richmond disown Caroline. Her younger sister, Emily is wooed by
Lord Kildare, but her family dislikes him, because even though he is very rich,
he is also Irish. The Duke of Richmond is promoted to the post of Master of the
Horse, but this puts him in the Cabinet and into conflict with Henry Fox.
Caroline’s first child is sickly and was lucky not be killed by his
doctors. Emily’s parents finally
withdraw their objections to Lord Kildare.
On February 7, 1747 [Part 2 – 2:34 to 7:08] Lord Kildare and Lady Emily
are married. Taking advantage of her married state, Emily visits her sister
Caroline. Emily starts spending big bucks, while Caroline thinks her husband
cares more about politics than her. Emily is finally able to reconcile Caroline
with their parents. The Duke of Richmond dies of a stroke and his wife soon
dies also. The mother’s will gives the custody of the three younger girls
Louisa, Sarah and Cecilia to Emily, not Caroline, which causes a rift between
the sisters. Emily raises the girls and
arranges the marriage of Louisa to Thomas Connolly. Caroline is upset when her
sons turn out to be wastrels, losing vast sums at gambling and drinking. Lord
Kildare wants to keep Irish taxes in Ireland, but Henry Fox thinks he is
wasting his time. Emily sends her
sister Sarah to London to be introduced into society by Caroline. The King
tries to encourage a match between Lady Sarah and the Prince of Wales. Sarah is
sent to the country to make the Prince’s heart grow fonder for her, but she
injures her leg. Then George II dies. His advisors suggest that the new King,
George III should marry Charlotte of Mecklenburg instead of Sarah, who marries
Charles Bunbury. He is an idiot who soon ignores her. Caroline’s oldest son dies.
Emily hires William Ogilvie as her children’s tutor. Sarah is the
subject of gossip due to gambling and flirting. She commits adultery with a
Frenchman and then starts an affair with William Gordon and becomes pregnant by
him. She then runs away with him. Emily and Caroline become estranged. Louisa
tries to restore harmony, but the price for Sarah to return to the family is to
never see William Gordon again. The youngest sister Cecelia dies. Bunbury divorces Sarah. Emily begins an
affair with William Ogilvie, while Sarah meets George Napier, a poor army
Captain. Both Emily and Caroline’s husbands die. Caroline and Emily reconcile, but Caroline dies shortly
thereafter. Emily shocks Sarah and
Louisa by announcing she is going to marry William Ogilvie. Captain Napier’s
wife dies of a fever. Sarah and George
Napier are married and have eight children. Mr. Ogilvie has trouble fitting
into society. He and Emily’s grandson Edward support democratic ideas in
opposition to the rest of the family.
Edward becomes involved in the French plans to support the United
Irishmen in an anti-English revolt. Emily tries to get those involved in this
plot to give up their plans, as she is convinced it will not succeed. Some of
Louisa’s servants are arrested for being involved in plotting. Mr. Ogilvie
visits Edward, who is in hiding, but fails to persuade him to flee the country.
Edward is wounded while being arrested and dies shortly thereafter of his
wounds.
An interesting historical movie.
For the most part it is accurate. The aristocrats in this film followed their
natures instead of morality and paid the price.
The Dictionary of National Biography, Vol. VII ed by
Sir Leslie Stephen and Sir Sidney
Lee (Oxford University Press, New York, 1968) at page 130
gives the wedding date.
Producers – Christopher Hall and David Snodin
Director - David Caffrey
Screenplay - Harriet O'Carroll
Runtime – 5 hours
Released – June 20, 1999
Starring –
Serena Gordon as Lady Caroline Lennox Fox
Anne-Marie Duff as Lady Louisa Lennox Conolly
Geraldine Somerville as Lady Emily Lennox FitzGerald,
Duchess of Leinster
Siân Phillips as Older Lady Emily Lennox FitzGerald, Duchess
of Leinster
Jodhi May as Lady Sarah Lennox (age 16)
Alun Armstrong as Henry Fox, 1st Baron Holland
Ben Daniels as James FitzGerald, 1st Duke of Leinster aka
Lord Kildare
Julian Fellowes as Charles Lennox, 2nd Duke of Richmond
Diane Fletcher as Sarah Lennox, Duchess of Richmond and
Lennox
Today’s movie is a biographical drama with a scene that
happens on February 6. Watch it tonight and enjoy.
KLIMT
On February 6, 1918 [2:00 to 5:22] Egon Schiele comes to
see the dying Gustav Klimt in the hospital. Klimt starts thinking back on his
life. He is an artist who is deeply involved in the philosophical debate about
the theory of art. Klimt is so avant-garde, he is not happy to win a gold medal
at the 1900 Paris Exposition for his art. He meets Lea de Castro and begins a
sexual relationship with her, watched by Duke Octavo and her double. His
paintings are not as well received in his hometown of Vienna. He throws himself
into a decadent lifestyle and soon has a fourteen illegitimate children by
Jewish mothers and syphilis. He steals his own painting back from a museum.
Klimt meets Egon Schiele. Klimt’s hallucinations become more and more
disjointed as he slowly dies on February 6, 1918 [1:27:06 to 1:33:20].
A very mixed up film. Beautiful
and innovative cinematography, but even if you know Klimt’s story you could not
figure it out from this film or what message you’re supposed to take away. A
mysterious movie, rather like Klimt’s art.
The Lady in Gold: The Extraordinary Tale of Gustav
Klimt’s Masterpiece Portrait of
Adele Bloch-Bauer by Anne-Marie O’Conner (Alfred A.
Knopf, New York, 2012) at
page 64 gives the date of Klimet’s death
Producers - Matthew Justice, Arno Ortmair, Dieter Pochlatko
and Andreas Schmid
Director - Raúl Ruiz
Screenplay - Gilbert Adair, Raúl Ruiz and Herbert Vesely
