February 14 - Picnic at Hanging Rock

Today’s movie is a period mystery with scenes that happen on February 14. Watch and enjoy this film tonight.  

PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK      

On February 14, 1900 [00:35 to 39:51] teachers Miss McCraw and Poitiers and students Miranda, Irma, Edith, Rosamund and Marion from Appleyard College take a trip to the rock for a picnic. However, Sara, who is attracted to Miranda is left behind. After the meal, Miranda, Irma, Marion and Edith climb the rock and are noticed by Michael Fitzhubert, who is there with his aunt, uncle and their valet, Albert. Miranda, Irma and Marion enter a recess in the rock and Edith runs screaming down the rock. It is soon determined that the three girls and Miss McCraw are missing and a search by the police turn up nothing.    Michael and Albert return to the rock. Albert finds Michael delirious, and later finds Irma unconscious and bruised. Irma claims to have no memory of what happened. When she visits the school for the last time her classmates attack her demanding to know what occurred on the mountain. Miss Lumley resigns and Mrs. Appleyard tells Sara that she is being removed as her tuition has not been paid. Sara is later found dead, an apparent suicide and Mrs. Appleyard’s body is later discovered at the base of Hanging Rock.   

               

Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay (Buccaneer Books, Cutchogue, NY, 1967) at page 2 and in the film at 00:20 and 5:15 tell us it is Valentine’s day, which is February 14^th, as per Holidays, Festivals and Celebrations of the World ed. by Helene Henderson (Omnigraphics, New York, 2005) at page 576

                   

Producers – Hal McElroy and Jim McElroy

Director - Peter Weir

Screenwriter - Cliff Green

Runtime – 1 hour 55 minutes

Released – August 8, 1975

Cast –

Anne-Louise Lambert as Miranda, Rachel Roberts as Mrs. Appleyard, Dominic Guard as Michael Fitzhubert, Helen Morse as Mlle. de Poitiers, John Jarratt as Albert Crundall, Margaret Nelson as Sara Waybourne, Wyn Roberts as Sgt. Bumpher, Karen Robson as Irma Leopold, Christine Schuler as Edith Horton, Jane Vallis as Marion Quade, Vivean Gray as Miss McCraw, Martin Vaughan as Ben Hussey, Kirsty Child as Miss Lumley, Jacki Weaver as Minnie, Frank Gunnell as Mr. Whitehead , Tony Llewellyn-Jones as Tom, John Fegan as Doc. McKenzie, Kay Taylor as Mrs. Bumpher , Peter Collingwood as Col. Fitzhubert, Garry McDonald as Const. Jones, Olga Dickie as Mrs. Fitzhubert, Jenny Lovell as Blanche

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2016.

February 8 - The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex

Today’s movie is a period drama with scenes that occur on February 8. Watch and enjoy this film tonight.  

THE PRIVATE LIVES OF ELIZABETH AND ESSEX   

Robert Devereux, 2^nd Earl of Essex returns to London after defeating the Spanish at Cadiz. Instead of the welcome he expected the Queen berates him for not capturing the Spanish treasure fleet and he leaves court. Essex and the Queen love each other  and each grapples with how to express that love, each refusing to make the first step towards a reconciliation. However, after Irish rebels crush the English, The Queen uses this as an excuse to recall Essex. She intends to appoint him Master of Ordnance in London, but his enemies at court, including Sir Walter Raleigh and William Cecil, goad Essex into accepting command of the army sent to Ireland. However, Raleigh and Cecil trick Penelope Grey, a lady-in-waiting to the Queen, who also loves Essex into intercepting the letters Essex and the Queen send to each other. Without support, Essex is defeated by the rebels, who ship his army back to England. On February 8, 1601 [1:11:29 to 1:29:28] Essex and his army  march on the Palace.  Elizabeth convinces Essex she will accept him as a co-ruler, but once he disperses his forces, he is arrested, convicted of treason and beheaded.    

Elizabeth I by Anne Somerset (Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1991) at page 541 gives the date of Essex’s rebellion.

Producer - Hal B. Wallis

Director - Michael Curtiz

Screenwriters - Norman Reilly Raine and Aeneas MacKenzie

Awards – The film was nominated for Best Art Direction, Best Color Cinematography, Best Sound Recording, Best Special Effects and Best Original Score Oscars at the 12^th Academy Awards

Runtime – 1 hour 46 minutes

Released – November 11, 1939

Cast –

Bette Davis as Queen Elizabeth I

Errol Flynn as Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex

Olivia de Havilland as Lady Penelope Gray

Donald Crisp as Francis Bacon

Alan Hale, Sr. as Earl of Tyrone

Henry Daniell as Sir Robert Cecil

Vincent Price as Sir Walter Raleigh

Henry Stephenson as Lord Burghley

James Stephenson as Sir Thomas Egerton

Nanette Fabray as Margaret Radcliffe

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2016.

February 4 - Super 8

Today’s movie is a science fiction film with a scene that happens on February 4. Watch and enjoy this film tonight.

SUPER 8     

On February 4, 1979 [00:59 to 4:02], the day after Elizabeth Lamb’s death in an industrial accident, her son Joe mourns, while her husband, deputy sheriff Jack, blames her co-worker Louis Dainard for her death. Four months later Joe’s best friend Charles Kaznyk is making a Super 8 zombie film for a contest, along with Preston, Martin and Cary. Charles also recruits Alice Dainard to star in the film. While filming at an abandoned railway station, their biology teacher, Dr. Woodward crashes his truck into a train, causing a huge wreck that Charles’s camera records, as the kids run away. They find some strange white cubes. The Air Force arrives to investigate the crash and strange things start to happen. All dogs in the town run away, people go missing and mechanical and electrical devices are mysteriously stolen. Deputy Lamb confronts Col. Nelec, the head of the investigation and is arrested. Alice goes missing. Charles and Joe watch the film of the accident and see a creature escaped from the wreck. The Air Force starts a huge wildfire and uses it as an excuse to evacuate the town. The kids return to town to rescue Alice and Jack Lamb escapes.  At the school, the kids find Dr. Woodward’s hidden films and notes. They learn that an alien crashed in 1958, but instead of helping it return home, it was kept a prisoner. Woodward decided to help it and caused the train crash. The kids are arrested by the Air Force, but the bus carrying them is attacked by the creature and they escape. They return to the town, where the Army is attacking the creature. Joe and Cary climb into a tunnel underneath the cemetery’s garage. They rescue Alice and some other missing people. Joe talks the alien into leaving. The metal cube and metal objects coalesce around the water tower which becomes a spacecraft. The alien blasts off for home.       
                  

Mrs. Lamb’s date of death is given at 53:50 on her tombstone

Producers - J. J. Abrams, Bryan Burk and Steven Spielberg

Director - J. J. Abrams

Screenwriter - J. J. Abrams

Runtime – 1 hour 52 minutes

Released – June 9, 2011

Cast – Joel Courtney as Joe Lamb, Elle Fanning as Alice Dainard, Kyle Chandler as Jack Lamb, Riley Griffiths as Charles Kaznyk, Ryan Lee as Cary McCarthy, Ron Eldard as Louis Dainard, Gabriel Basso as Martin Read, Noah Emmerich as Colonel Nelec, David Gallagher as Donny, Bruce Greenwood as the alien, Zach Mills as Preston Scott, Amanda Michalka as Jen Kaznyk, Glynn Turman as Dr. Thomas Woodward, Michael Hitchcock as Deputy Rosko, Caitriona Balfe as Elizabeth Lamb, Joel McKinnon Miller as Sal Kaznyk, Beau Knapp as Breen, Jessica Tuck as Mrs. Kaznyk, Dan Castellaneta as Izzy, Richard T. Jones as Overmyer, Dale Dickey as Edie, Colin Mathews as Crazy Beto's Customer, Brett Rice as Sheriff Pruitt, Katie Lowes as Tina

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2016.

February 2 - American Sniper

Today’s movie is a biography with a scene that happens on February 2. Watch and enjoy this film tonight.  

AMERICAN SNIPER      

Chris Kyle is a hunter and rodeo rider. After a break-up with his girlfriend, news of a terrorist incident motivates him to join the US Navy, where he becomes a SEAL sniper. He gets married, but is soon deployed to Iraq. He becomes well known as a sniper and a bounty is put on his head. When he is home between tours, his war experiences make it hard for him to reintegrate into his family and society. In Iraq Kyle kills the best known enemy sniper. Back at home he finds helping other vets enables him to put the war behind him. On February 2, 2103 [2:01:14 -  2:04:01] he says goodbye to his family as he prepares to go shooting with another vet.

The date is given in the film at 2:01:17

Producers - Clint Eastwood, Robert Lorenz, Andrew Lazar, Bradley Cooper and Peter Morgan

Director - Clint Eastwood

Screenwriter - Jason Hall

Awards – The film won the Best Sound Editing Oscar. It was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Actor (Cooper), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing and Best Sound Mixing at the 87^th Academy Awards.

Runtime – 2 hours 12 minutes

Released – November 11, 2014

Starring –

Bradley Cooper as Chris Kyle

Sienna Miller as Taya Kyle

Max Charles as Colton Kyle

Luke Grimes as Marc Alan Lee

Kyle Gallner as Goat-Winston

Sam Jaeger as Captain Martens

Jake McDorman as Ryan "Biggles" Job

Cory Hardrict as 'D' / Dandridge

Navid Negahban as Sheikh Al-Obodi

Eric Close as DIA Agent Snead

Eric Ladin as Squirrel

Kevin "Dauber" Lacz as himself

Brian Hallisay as Captain Gillespie

Keir O'Donnell as Jeff Kyle

Marnette Patterson as Sarah

Leonard Roberts as Instructor Rolle

Copyright by Ivan Walters  in 2016

January 31 - Ace Ventura: Pet Detective

Today’s movie is a comedy with a scene that happens on January 31. Watch and enjoy this movie tonight.

ACE VENTURA: PET DETECTIVE  

Ace Ventura is a very eccentric and broke pet detective in Miami, Florida. When Snowflake the Dolphin mascot for the Miami Dolphins football team is stolen, the owner orders  employees Roger Podacter and Melissa Robinson to him. They hire Ventura, who locates a rare gem in the dolphin’s tank that he thinks came from a 1984 Dolphins AFC championship ring. His attempts to locate the ring that is missing a stone fail until he learns about Ray Finkle, a player who was not in the team photo he used. Podacter dies in an apparent suicide that Ventura proves to be murder. Ventura learns that Finkle blamed Miami quarterback Dan Marino for causing him to miss the game winning field goal in the 1984 Super Bowl. Finkle went insane with revenge and was committed. At the mental institution where Finkle was committed, Ventura uncovers evidence that Finkle has transformed himself into “Lois Einhorn”, a detective who is in charge of the Snowflake case. On Super Bowl Sunday, January 31, 1993 [1:08:38 – 1:22:54] Ventura tracks Einhorn/Finkle to where she/he has stashed the kidnapped Marino and Snowflake. Ventura rescues both in time for a halftime return to the Super Bowl game.       

Producer - James G. Robinson

Director - Tom Shadyac

Screenwriters - Jack Bernstein, Tom Shadyac and Jim Carrey

Runtime – 1 hour 26 minutes

Released – February 4, 1994

Cast –

Jim Carrey as Ace Ventura

Courteney Cox as Melissa Robinson

Sean Young as Lt. Lois Einhorn / Ray Finkle

Tone Lōc as Emilio

John Capodice as Sgt. Aguado

Dan Marino as Himself

Noble Willingham as Riddle

Troy Evans as Roger Podacter

Raynor Scheine as Woodstock

Udo Kier as Ronald Camp

Frank Adonis as Vinnie

Tiny Ron as Roc

David Margulies as Doctor

Bill Zuckert as Mr. Finkle

Alice Drummond as Mrs. Finkle

Rebecca Ferratti as Sexy Woman

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2016

January 29 - Mayerling

Today’s movie is a period drama with a scene that happens on January 29. Watch and enjoy this film tonight.

MAYERLING   

           

Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria doesn’t get along with his parents or his wife so he has affairs and dabbles in supporting Hungarian revolutionaries.  Then he meets Mary Vetsera. Rudolf entertains Edward the Prince of Wales on a visit. People act to keep Rudolf and Mary apart. His father appoints him inspector general of the armed forces, while her parents send her away. However Rudolf tracks her down in Venice and they consummate their relationship. After the failure of a Hungarian uprising leaves Rudolf implicated and he sees there is no future in his relationship with Mary, he decides on suicide. He and Mary go to his hunting lodge at Mayerling where on January 29, 1889, they have one last night together. [1:59:51 – 2:09:06]. Early the next morning, Rudolf shoots Mary, then himself.      

Producers - Robert Dorfmann and Maurice Jacquin

Director - Terence Young

Screenwriter - Terence Young

Runtime – 2 hours 20 minutes

Released – October 22, 1968

Starring –

Omar Sharif as Crown Prince Rudolf

Catherine Deneuve as Baroness Mary Vetsera

James Mason as Emperor Franz Josef

Ava Gardner as Empress Elisabeth

James Robertson Justice as Edward, Prince Of Wales

Geneviève Page as Countess Larisch

Andréa Parisy as Princess Stéphanie

Ivan Desny as Count Josef Hoyos

Fabienne Dali as Mizzi Kaspar

Véronique Vendell as Lisi Stockau

Howard Vernon as Alfred, 2nd Prince of Montenuovo

Irene von Meyendorf as Countess Stockau

Mony Dalmes as Baroness Helen Vetsera

Bernard Lajarrige as Loschek

Maurice Teynac as Moritz Szeps

Charles Millot as Count Taafe

Jacques Berthier as Archduke Jean Salvator

Roger Pigaut as Count Karolyi

Véronique Vendell as Lisl Stockau

Lyne Chardonnet as Hannah Vetsera

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2016

January 25 - Eagle Eye

Today’s movie is a thriller with a scene that happens on January 25. Watch and enjoy this film tonight.  

EAGLE EYE   

Jerry Shaw attends the funeral of his twin brother Ethan, an Air Force officer on January 25, 2009 [10:36 to 38:00]. Afterwards he finds $750,000 in his bank account, guns and classified documents in his apartment. In spite of a warning call from a woman to run, he is arrested by the FBI. The woman on the phone arranges for his escape and directs him to Rachel Holloman, who she controls by threatening her son, Sam, who is on the way to Washington, DC to  play at the State of the Union. The woman arranges for a powerful crystal explosive to be placed in a necklace and has a sonic trigger placed in Sam’s trumpet.  Ethan’s job was to monitor ARIIA, an advanced supercomputer and Jerry and Rachel learn that the woman’s voice directing them is that of ARIIA. After the President ignored ARIIA’s advice in an operation, ARIAA decides to remove the executive branch down to Defense Secretary Callister, who agreed with ARIIA. Jerry was recruited by ARIIA because as Ethan’s twin he can override biometric locks set by Ethan and activate the plan. Rachel is given the necklace to wear at the speech and her son will be there to trigger the explosion that will wipe out the leadership. However, Jerry with the help of two FBI agents who now believe he is innocent help him to stop the plan and shut down ARIIA. 

The date is given in the film at 19:30

Producers - Steven Spielberg, Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Pat Crowley

Director - D. J. Caruso            

Screenwriters - John Glenn, Travis Adam Wright, Hillary Seitz and Dan McDermott

Runtime – 1 hour 58 minutes

Released – September 26, 2008

Cast –

Shia LaBeouf as Jerry and Ethan Shaw

Michelle Monaghan as Rachel Holloman

Julianne Moore as the voice of the super computer ARIIA

Rosario Dawson as Zoë Perez

Michael Chiklis as George Callister

Anthony Mackie as Major William Bowman

Ethan Embry as Toby Grant

Billy Bob Thornton as Tom Morgan

Anthony Azizi as Ranim Khalid

Cameron Boyce as Sam Holloman

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2016