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New DVD Releases

Wizbang Pop posted a list of the new DVD releases set for tomorrow.  I am going to have to check out the Dennis Miller one.

Pirates II Breaks Opening Record

We almost went to see Pirates II last night, but decided not to brave the crowds.  It appears the crowds were mucho grande.  The second in the Pirates of the Caribbean series (the third is already being filmed) broke the opening day box office record.   

Say It Ain't So

I have been really looking forward to seeing the new Superman movie, especially after seeing the new Superman actor interviewed.  John Hood, a person whose opinion I respect, says the movie isn't so super though.  Actually some of his criticisms are ones that I would say could be applied to the majority of super hero movies, and I still enjoy most of those, so I will probably see the movie anyway.  I would love to hear from others who have seen it.  I would also like to know whether or not it is appropriate to take a six and/or ten year old to see.

Penn To Play Clark In Movie

Ugh.  That is all I can think to say about Sean Penn playing Richard Clark.  No.  Wait.  Ick.  Okay, now I can't think of anything else to say about it.

The New Harry Potter Flick

I have not seen the new Harry Potter movie yet, but plan to see it as soon as my schedule will allow.  I understand the concern many Christians have with the subject matter, but find that most who have the most problems with it have not read any of the books or seen any of the movies.  From the ones I have read and seen so far, I don't see anything any more troubling than the magic and sorcery that can be found in many Disney movies.  Since Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is more intense and deals with more mature subject matter, it will be interesting to see if I still have the same opinion after seeing it.

La Shawn Barber has seen it and has the most comprehensive post I can imagine on the subject.  She not only links to reviews and other info about the movie, but posts links and information about the various books addressing the Christian viewpoint and other topics. 

Inspiring Movies

Betsy Newmark was inspired by AFI's list of most inspiring movies to come up with a list of her own top ten.

Chicken Little Reclaims #1 Spot

Chicken Little is doing great box office.  I saw the movie with the entire family and we all loved it.  That chicken is absolutely adorable.

Horror Flicks

I am a big fan of horror movies.  I don't favor the blood and guts slasher variety, but the Alfred Hitchcock suspense/mystery kind. Psycho is playing on the TCM channel as I write this, and it got me to thinking about which movies I would like to rent this weekend for the Halloween leadup.  I would like to compile a list of some of the best horror films.  Please share your favorites in the comments section, along with a short description of any films that are not well known, and the reason they are great films.

I will update this post periodically this week with some of my favorites.  Here is a start:

Silver Bullet -- This movie is based on a Stephen King short story and it has it all -- humor, suspense, mystery and horror.  Gary Busey is great as the alchoholic uncle of the hero of the story, a wheelchair bound boy (Corey Haim) who figures out what has been killing people in his small town.

The Lost Boys -- Another Corey Haim film, with the other Corey (Feldman), as well as Kiefer Sutherland, thrown in for good measure.  The hippie grandfather is my favorite character, and the last line of the movie is the best.  This is similar to Silver Bullet in that it is a mixture of humor and horror and was also made in the 80's.

The Birds -- One of my favorite Alfred Hitchcock movies. I watched this movie on television when I was a child and it really freaked me out.  I have seen it many times since.  It doesn't really freak me out anymore, but it is a great movie.

Jaws -- I have seen this movie many times and everytime I see it while channel surfing, I find myself watching it until the end.  The book is great, too.

Rosemary's Baby -- I wouldn't call this one of my favorites, but it is one of the scariest movies I have ever seen.  It gives me the creeps and if I see it while channel surfing I will usually avoid it like the plague so that I don't have nightmares.

The Omen -- Scary, scary, scary. 

Update:  Here is a good list with great commentary and this Yahoo list of top 100 horror movies is good, too, but does not include commentary.

Update 10/26:  REALLY SCARY (link via Kitty).

Update 10/27:  A really good kid movie is The Little Vampire.  Another is Casper.  We liked both of these enough that we bought the videos.  Now I guess I need to get the DVD's.

The Greatest Game Ever Played

This weekend we took the kids to see The Greatest Game Ever Played.  I have been looking forward to seeing the movie ever since I saw the preview a few months ago.  I loved it, but the five year old was a bit bored.  The movie was predictable, but enjoyable, and I cried at the end.   The movie is based on the true story of  a young caddy in the early 1900's, Francis Ouimet, who goes on to play in the U.S. Open.  It is a lovely American story of how someone who comes from the wrong side of the tracks, born to working class immigrant parents, could achieve great things through hard work and God-given talent.  It is a classic David vs. Goliath story and it has a lovely ending. Oh, and the little kid in the movie who skips school three days in a row to caddy is adorable.  It is a great family movie, but younger kids, like my five year old, will probably find it a bit boriing.

The Flight That Fought Back

Last week I watched a preview copy of the Discovery Channel movie, "The Flight That Fought Back." The movie is about Flight 93 which was hijacked and crashed into a Pennsylvania field on September 11. The movie was not quite what I expected. I thought it would strictly be a drama that might even take great artistic license to help the viewer "imagine" what happened on Flight 93.  It is much better than that. Instead, the movie combines a dramatization with first hand accounts of those who knew the passengers aboard Flight 93, many of whom were in telephone contact with them that day as plans were made to attempt to overpower the hijackers. The movie also uses a good bit of narration (by Keiffer Sutherland) to provide background about airport procedure and policies, evidence that was found after the crash, and about other events taking place that day outside of that one plane.

I found myself crying off and on through the first half of the movie. Maybe it was just the thought that all those rushing to make their flights were rushing to their deaths that made me so emotional. But more likely, it was because the movie brought back the events of that day so vividly through the use of real television broadcasts (although unfortunately all used were CNN) and audio from some of the actual telephone recordings left by those who died on that plane. The format of the movie follows the timeline pieced together largely from the cell phone calls that were made by passengers on the plane. Before watching the movie, I visited this site and read the timeline. I found just reading the timeline to be quite emotional, but while the movie made me cry, it is not upsetting. It sheds light on many events of that day and beautifully honors those who lost their lives on that flight. I definitely recommend the movie.

Arthur Chrenkoff also highly recommends the movie and posted the following from the Discovery Channel website about their efforts to raise money for a Flight 93 memorial:

Discovery Communications will air two specially created public service announcements that encourage viewers to donate to the Flight 93 National Memorial fund. The PSAs, one of which features Sarah Wainio, the sister of Honor Elizabeth Wainio who was a Discovery Communications employee aboard Flight 93, will air during the premiere of THE FLIGHT THAT FOUGHT BACK and across Discovery's U.S. networks on September 11. DVDs of THE FLIGHT THAT FOUGHT BACK will be available online at www.discoverystore.com. Discovery Communications will contribute all revenue generated from DVD sales to the Flight 93 National Memorial fund. In addition, from September 11 to September 17, a percentage of all retail revenue from any Discovery product sale will be contributed to the memorial fund. Visit the site, and consider donating to the cause.

I will post a reminder before the airing, which is Sunday night, September 11, at 9 p.m. Vist this website to learn more about the movie. Here is a Q&A with the movie's producer that reveals some additional information.

UPDATE:  The proposed  red crescent design of the Filght 93 memorial is deservedly causing some controversy.  Michelle Malkin and Ed Morrisey have more.

UPDATE II:  For those who found their way here searching for information on The Flight That Fought Back, please consider adding this site to your list of "favorites" and/or your blogroll.  (Hey, you can always remove it later if you don't like what you see.)