Wednesday, July 22, 2015

July 22 - Life As We Know It

Today’s movie is a romantic comedy with a scene that happens on July 22. Watch it tonight and enjoy.

LIFE AS WE KNOW IT

Holly Berenson, who runs an Atlanta bakery is set up on a blind date with Eric Messer, who is a television technical director with the Atlanta Hawks, by her friend Alison and his friend Peter, who are dating each other. To say the date is a disaster would be an understatement. However, as Peter and Alison later get married and name Holly and Eric their daughter Sophie’s godparents, the two tolerate each other. Shortly after Sophie’s first birthday Peter and Alison are both killed in a car accident. Holly and Eric are shocked to learn they were jointly named as Sophie’s guardians. After no one in Sophie’s family is able to care for her, the pair reluctantly decide to take on the task. They live in Sophie’s house in a purely platonic relationship. They constantly bicker with each other, especially about their work schedules. Sophie is a late developer, but on July 22, 2010 [1:43:37 to 1:44:06] Sophie is filmed taking her first steps. Eric plays the field, while Holly develops a relationship with Sophie’s pediatrician, Sam. After Eric offers to give Holly the money she needs to expand her bakery, their date leads to sex and a relationship. The child protective services caseworker tells them they either need to get married or just stay friends. However, Eric is offered a job as the television technical director with the Phoenix Suns. When he tells Holly about this, the discussion ends in an argument when Holy accuses him of looking for a way out of dealing with her and Sophie. Eric takes the job. Holly resumes her relationship with Sam. Eric returns for Thanksgiving, hoping to patch things up with Holly. They fight again, but Eric tells Holly he loves her. After Eric leaves Sam tells Holly she needs to work out her feelings for Eric and Sam leaves. The caseworker returns for her last visit. Holly realizes she loves Eric and races to the airport to try and catch him. She fails but returns home to find him there. Eric again tells her he loves her and they are reconciled. We jump ahead to Sophie’s second birthday when Eric and Holly celebrate being together a year.

A different kind of romantic comedy. As Eric says they do things in reverse. Instead of getting married and having a child he and Holly’s relationship happens in exactly the reverse order. This is a funny and watchable movie

Date given in film at 1:43:49-50

Producer - Barry Josephson and Paul Brooks

Director - Greg Berlanti

Screenplay - Ian Deitchman and Kristin Rusk Robinson

Runtime - 1 hour 55 minutes

Released – October 8, 2010

Starring –

Katherine Heigl as Holly Berenson

Josh Duhamel as Eric Messer

Josh Lucas as Sam ("Doctor Love")

Melissa McCarthy as DeeDee

Hayes MacArthur as Peter Novak

Christina Hendricks as Alison Novak

Jessica St. Clair as Beth

Sarah Burns as Janine Groff

Faizon Love as Walter

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

July 21 - Inherit the Wind

Today’s movie is a drama with a scene that happens on July 21. Watch it tonight and enjoy.

INHERIT THE WIND

A high school biology teacher, Bertram Cates is arrested for teaching the theory of evolution in violation of state law. Matthew Harrison Brady, well known former presidential candidate and biblical scholar volunteers to conduct the prosecution. Cates is denounced by many including Rev. Jeremiah Brown, the father of his fiancée, Rachel. A reporter E. K. Hornbeck arrives and offers to get an attorney to represent Cates as he senses the case can be whipped up into a media frenzy. Matthew Brady arrives with a lot of hoopla, while Henry Drummond, well known attorney and friend of Brady is welcomed only by the members of Cate’s class. The trial begins and Brady and Drummond duel, with the judge subtly favoring the prosecution. That evening at a mass prayer meeting Rev. Brown denounces Cates. Brady and Drummond discuss why their formerly similar views have diverged. The state calls Rachel as a prosecution witness. In her testimony she reveals that Cates left the church because he was upset after Rev. Brown said that a boy who had drowned was going to hell. She breaks down and is excused. The judge refuses Drummond’s request to call several scientists as witnesses and ends up funding Drummond in contempt of court. Drummond apologizes to the court and calls Brady to the stand. Drummond’s questioning of Brady implies that Drummond beliefs, if carried to their limit would deny the right to think for oneself. He also shows that the Bible and scientific fact are not incompatible. The next day, on July 21, 1925 [1:51:58 to 2:08:03] Cates is found guilty sentenced to pay a $100.00 fine. Rachel reconciles with Cates. Brady is outraged at the mildness of this penalty, and Drummond says he will appeal the conviction. Brady tries to speak to the crowd, but dies.

A good presentation of theapparent conflict between science and religion. What the observer should take away from the film is that it is extremists on both sides of the issue who refuse to see that there is no conflict at all. This is a fictionalized version of the “Scopes monkey trial” where the names have been changed to protect the innocent.

Summer for the Gods: The Scopes Trial and America’s Continuing Debate Over Science and Religion by Edward J. Larson (Basic Books, New York, 1997) at pages 147-191 gives the verdict date

Awards – The film was nominated for the Best Actor(Spencer), Best Black and White Cinematography, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Film Editing Oscars at the 33^rd Academy Awards.

Producer - Stanley Kramer

Director - Stanley Kramer

Released – October 12, 1960

Runtime – 2 hours 8 minutes

Starring –

Spencer Tracy as Henry Drummond

Fredric March as Matthew Harrison Brady

Gene Kelly as E. K. Hornbeck

Dick York as Bertram T. Cates

Harry Morgan as Judge Mel Coffey

Claude Akins as Rev. Jeremiah Brown

Donna Anderson as Rachel Brown

Monday, July 20, 2015

July 20 - The Good German

Today’s movie is a period film noir with a scene that happens on July 20. Watch it tonight and enjoy.

THE GOOD GERMAN

Captain Jacob "Jake" Geismar a correspondent for the New Republic goes to Berlin for the Potsdam Conference. It turns out his driver Corporal Patrick Tully’s mistress is Geismar’s pre-war mistress Lena Brandt. It turns out everyone is looking for her supposedly dead husband Emil Brandt. Brandt knows that his boss, Franz Bettman knew that the SS was using slave labor to build his rockets. The US army wants to send Bettman to America to build rockets. On July 20, 1945 [1:06:52 to 1:17:08] President Truman gives his “Fighting for Peace” speech in Berlin. Emil is murdered to prevent his exposing Bettman as a war criminal. Geimar uses Brandt’s notes to trade for Lena’s freedom. It turns out that Lena, who is Jewish survived before she married Brandt, an SS officer by turning over a dozen Jews to the Nazis and Geismar lets her leave without him.

Truman by David McCullough (Simon & Schuster, New York, 1992) at pages 428-9 give the date of this speech

Producers - Ben Cosgrove and Gregory Jacobs

Director - Steven Soderbergh

Screenwriter - Paul Attanasio

Awards – The film was nominated for the Best Original Score Oscar at the 79^th Academy Awards.

Runtime – 1 hour 45 minutes

Released - December 15, 2006

Starring –

George Clooney as Captain Jacob "Jake" Geismar

Cate Blanchett as Lena Brandt

Tobey Maguire as Corporal Patrick Tully

Beau Bridges as Colonel Muller

Tony Curran as Danny

Leland Orser as Captain Bernie Teitel

Jack Thompson as Congressman Breimer

Robin Weigert as Hannelore

Ravil Isyanov as General Sikorsky

Dave Power as Lieutenant Hasso Schaeffer

Christian Oliver as Emil Brandt

Dominic Comperatore as Levi

Sunday, July 19, 2015

July 19 - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Today’s movie is a fantasy adventure film with a scene that happens on July 19. Watch it tonight and enjoy.

HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE

The evil magician Voldemort’s followers, the death-eaters, are causing problems in both the magical and muggle worlds. Dumbledore takes Harry Potter on a trip to recruit Professor Horace Slughorn to return to Hogwarts as potions master on July 19, 1996 [2:51 to 5:26]. Slughorn reluctantly agrees. Narcissa Malfoy gets Professor Snape to make the unbreakable vow to protect her son Draco and complete his task if he cannot. On a trip to Diagon alley, Harry and his friends visit Weasley’s Wizards Wheezes, the closed Ollivander’s wand shop and spy on Draco taking an interest at some item at Borgin and Burkes, a dark magic shop. On the Hogwarts express Harry spies on Draco but is discovered and immobilized, but rescued by Luna Lovegood. Ron and Harry take potions, with Harry using a heavily annotated textbook, the property it says of ‘the half-blood prince, that enables him to win a small vial of ‘liquid luck’ from Slughorn. Dumbledore enables Harry to ‘see’ the day he met Tom Riddle aka Voldemort. Ron becomes the Gryffindor quidditch goal keeper, with the secret help of Hermione Granger. Katie Bell is injured by a cursed necklace. After Harry makes Ron thinks Harry gave him a dose of ‘liquid luck”, Ron’s saves win the match. He starts a relationship with Lavender Brown, which causes heartache for Hermione. Harry overhears Snape and Malfoy talking about Draco’s mission. Harry learns Draco was interested in a vanishing cabinet. Death-eaters attack and burn the Weasley’s home. Dumbledore shows Harry an altered memory of Slughorn’s where Tom Riddle asked him a question about dark magic. Ron gets a love potion meant for Harry and this indirectly causes the end of his relationship with Lavender. Draco and Harry fight, with Harry using a very deadly spell he found in the potions textbook. Because of this he decides to get rid of it in the Room of Requirement with Ginny Weasley and they kiss. Harry drinks his vial of ‘liquid luck’. He meets Slughorn at Hagrid’s after Agragog’s funeral and persuades Slughorn to give him the real memory. Tom Riddle asked him about horcruxes. These are items that, after a wizard killed someone he could hide a piece of his soul in it, so that even if his body was destroyed he would keep on existing. Dumbledore says that’s what Voldemort did. Dumbledore has been looking for horcruxes and found one that when destroyed, hurt his hand. He has found another one and asks Harry to go with him to find it. The go to the lake of inferni and get a locket, but the effort severely weakens Dumbledore. Upon their return to Hogwarts they learn Draco has used two linked vanishing cabinets, one inside and one outside to get a group of death-eaters past all the school’s protective enchantments. Draco disarms Dumbledore, but cannot bring himself to kill him. Snape appears and kills Dumbledore. Draco and Snape flee Hogwarts. Dumbledore is buried and Ginny comforts Harry and the start a relationship. The locket is empty, except for a note signed R.A.B. Harry vows to find the other horcruxes and kill Voldemort.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling (Scholastic Inc., New York, 2005) Dumbledore comes to get Harry on a Friday (page 43) after he has been at Privet drive two weeks (page 44). The Friday that meets this definition in 1996 is July 19.

Producer - David Heyman and David Barron

Director - David Yates

Screenplay - Steve Kloves

Awards – The film was nominated for the Best Cinematography Oscar at the 82^nd Academy Awards.

Released – July 15, 2009

Runtime – 1 hour 33 minutes

Starring –

Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter

Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley

Emma Watson as Hermione Granger

Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange

Jim Broadbent as Horace Slughorn

Robbie Coltrane as Rubeus Hagrid

Warwick Davis as Filius Flitwick

Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy

Michael Gambon as Albus Dumbledore

Alan Rickman as Severus Snape

Maggie Smith as Minerva McGonagall

Timothy Spall as Peter Pettigrew

David Thewlis as Remus Lupin

Julie Walters as Molly Weasley.

Saturday, July 18, 2015

July 18 - Rush

Today’s movie is a biographical sports drama with a scene that happens on July 18. Watch it tonight and enjoy.

RUSH

James Hunt and Niki Lauda are two race car drivers who develop an intense rivalry. Hunt is a fly-by-the seat-of-your pants guy, while Lauda is cool and calculating and tries to win by having better equipment. Lauda buys his way into Formula One racing while Hunt marries a supermodel. After his car owner loses sponsorship, Hunt joins the McLaren racing team, in spite of a reputation as a loose cannon. In 1976 Lauda wins the first two races and Hunt’s win in the Spanish Gran Prix is voided on a technicality. Hunt continues to struggle, as on July 18, 1976 [57:18 – 59:04] Lauda wins the British Gran Prix, but Hunt’s win in Spain is restored. Lauda gets married and Hunt gets divorced. Lauda crashes during the rain-soaked German Gran Prix and is in the hospital for weeks, suffering from disfiguring burns. This allows Hunt to catch up with Lauda in the points race. Lauda wins the Italian Gran Prix. During the rainy Japanese Gran Prix, Lauda retires from the race rather than risk his life again. This allows Hunt to finish third and get enough points to win the championship by one point.

The date is given in the film at 57:21

Producers - Andrew Eaton, Eric Fellner, Brian Oliver, Peter Morgan, Brian Grazer and Ron Howard

Director - Ron Howard

Screenwriter - Peter Morgan

Runtime – 2 hours 2 minutes

Released – September 2, 2013

Starring –

Chris Hemsworth as James Hunt

Daniel Brühl as Niki Lauda

Olivia Wilde as Suzy Miller

Alexandra Maria Lara as Marlene Lauda

Pierfrancesco Favino as Clay Regazzoni

David Calder as Louis Stanley

Natalie Dormer as Nurse Gemma

Stephen Mangan as Alastair Caldwell

Christian McKay as Alexander Fermor-Hesketh, 3rd Baron Hesketh

Alistair Petrie as Stirling Moss

Colin Stinton as Teddy Mayer

Julian Rhind-Tutt as Anthony 'Bubbles' Horsley

Augusto Dallara as Enzo Ferrari

Friday, July 17, 2015

July 17 - An American Werewolf in London

Today’s movie is a horror comedy with a scene that happens on July 17. Watch it tonight(if you dare) and enjoy.

AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON

Two American students David Kessler and Jack Goodman are on a summer backpacking hike through the Yorkshire moors. On July 17, 1981[00:01 to 17:24], the night of the full moon, they are attacked by a large animal and Jack is killed, but David sees the naked body of a man instead of an animal after their attacker is shot and killed. Three weeks later, Jack appears to David as a zombie explaining David is now a werewolf and that he should suicide to avoid hurting anyone and release Jack’s soul. When the full moon appears David becomes a werewolf and roams London, attacking and killing many. After he fails to get himself arrested or commit suicide, David transforms again and is killed by the police.

The full moon shown at 12:14 happens on this date.

Producers - George Folsey, Jr., Jon Peters and Peter Guber

Director - John Landis

Screenwriter - John Landis

Runtime – 1 hour 37 minutes

Released – August 21, 1981

Starring –

David Naughton as David Kessler

Jenny Agutter as Nurse Alex Price

Griffin Dunne as Jack Goodman

John Woodvine as Dr. J.S. Hirsch

Lila Kaye as Barmaid

Frank Oz as Mr. Collins

John Landis as Man smashed in window

David Schofield as Dart Player

Brian Glover as Chess Player

Rik Mayall as 2nd Chess Player

Don McKillop as Inspector Villiers

Paul Kember as Sergeant McManus

Michael Carter as Gerald Bringsley

Frank Singuineau as Ted

Sydney Bromley as Alf

Albert Moses as Hospital Porter

Elizabeth Bradley as Woman at Zoo

Alan Ford as Taxi Driver

Christine Hargreaves as Ticket Lady

Linzi Drew as Brenda Bristols

Thursday, July 16, 2015

July 16 - Someone Like You

Today’s movie is a romantic comedy with a scene that happens on July 16. Watch it tonight and enjoy.

SOMEONE LIKE YOU

Jane Goodale is a production assistant for the Diane Roberts TV talk show. Eddie Alden is the show’s womanizing producer. Ray Brown becomes the show’s new executive producer. Even though he’s in a long term relationship, he and Jane start an affair. This develops to the point where he dumps his current girlfriend and asks Jane to move in with him. Then after Jane has ended her lease, he dumps her. Jane is forced to share Eddie’s apartment, as she can’t find anywhere else to live. Jane develops the ‘new cow’ theory that men won’t commit because they’re always looking for new conquests. Jane’s friend Liz, who works for M, a magazine for men asks her to write a column about male behavior from a female perspective. They create the persona of the elderly “Dr. Marie Charles” to be Jane’s alter ego and the listed author of the articles. On July 16, 2000 [52:35 to 52:41] the issue of “M” magazine containing “Dr. Marie Charles” first article hits the newsstands. The column becomes a huge hit. Diane Roberts wants Marie Charles as a guest on her show. Ray asks her out for New Year’s Eve, but stands her up and Jane learns his girlfriend is none other than Diane Roberts. She argues with Eddie over the new cow theory, but after seeing the love between her sister and husband after her sister miscarries, tells Diane that Dr. Charles will be on the show. She had intended to do the interview over the phone, but at the last minute appears on the show and confesses. She says no theory can be one size fits all for all men. She races after Eddie and they kiss.

A decent romantic comedy. The leads work well together and have good chemistry. Just enough quirky cinematic tricks to keep it interesting.

Date given in film at 52:37, where if you zoom in and freeze, you can see the caption of an article which appeared in The New York Times on this date titled “Amid Race Profiling Claims, Asian-Americans Avoid Labs”.

Producer - Lynda Obst

Director - Tony Goldwyn

Screenplay - Elizabeth Chandler

Runtime – 1 hour 37 minutes

Released – March 30, 2001

Starring –

Ashley Judd as Jane Goodale

Greg Kinnear as Ray Brown

Hugh Jackman as Eddie Alden

Marisa Tomei as Liz

Ellen Barkin as Diane Roberts

Catherine Dent as Alice