SEPARATE BUT EQUAL

SEPARATE BUT EQUAL - 1991

RATING - PG

STARRING - Sidney Poitier, Burt Lancaster

AWARDS - 7 Emmy Nominations, 2 Wins

RATINGS - 24 Amazon ratings (5/5), IMBD (7.5/10)

STORY - SEPARATE BUT EQUAL is one of my favorite movies. Nominated for seven Emmy Awards. It is about the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court Case. Starring Sidney Poitier as Thurgood Marshall, the lead attorney for the NAACP, Burt Lancaster, as John W. Davis, arguing the other side, and Richard Kiley, as Chief Justice Earl Warren, it is a powerful story about one of the most important Supreme Court Decisions in the history of our country. The first half is set in South Carolina and depicts the human side of that tragic law called 'separate but equal'. They were separate but anything BUT equal. The second half is the legal battle. My only comment would be that this should be REQUIRED WATCHING to understand the background of the civil rights' movement and the racial situation in our country. As entertaining as it is educational. Five stars all the way. Unfortunately, it's hard to buy (VHS is still relatively cheap but very expensive on DVD) but readily available from Netflix, etc. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 10/20/2007.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMBD

THE MISSILES OF OCTOBER

THE MISSILES OF OCTOBER - 1973

RATING - NR but probably PG for some language and tense scenes.

REVIEWS - 32 Amazon reviews (4.5/5), IMBD (8.0/10)

AWARDS - Prime time EMMY plus other nominations.

THEMES - The Cold War, government in time of crisis, diplomacy, nuclear war, docudrama.

STORY- THE MISSILES OF OCTOBER (1974-NR) is a tense, tight, made for TV, docudrama about the Cuban missile crisis. It is a Golden Laurel award-winning film based on all historical evidence about those 13 days in October, 1962. Many of us have forgotten or never knew the crisis 45 years ago that brought us to the edge of nuclear war and possible extinction of life as we know it. Unbeknown to America and with full denial from Russia, the USSR had begun to build a nuclear missile arsenal in Cuba that was capable of destroying all of America and most of South America and it was 90 miles from our shores. When a U-2 spy plane discovered the project from 14 miles above the earth, it precipitated perhaps one of the greatest confrontations in world history. The two superpowers, the two nations capable of annihilating one another were face to face. Not that these weapons weren't already the greatest concern of the world already, but why was Russia putting these clearly 'offensive weapons' only 90 miles from the U.S. What were they up to? JFK and his administration had 10 days to figure it out and react before the missiles would be fully installed. The film is about those 13 days in October when the U.S. and Russia played the ultimate nuclear chess game. The film is mostly about the American side but also shows a very interesting side of the Russians during this time as it bounces back and forth between the two leaders. The tension was unimaginable as this was no theoretical discussion about war, this was nuclear war on our doorstep. It makes the discussion of WMD's in Iraq look like a elementary discussion. In reality, this might be a great film for all our leaders to watch before going to war. Kennedy had to face Khrushchev as well as his own military machine, who wanted to take out the nuclear weapons with military force. Kennedy, for all his personal flaws, really seemed to grasp the dangers of war and what responding militarily could do to the world. He chose, instead, to use our military might as the bargaining chip for peace. Khrushchev, also, had to battle his 'comrades' who were eager to take on the U.S. and he showed great courage in standing up to them and negotiating with the U.S. This is a well done film about a historical moment in our history that could have changed the course of world history overnight. As one reviewer said, this proves that history does not have to be boring. Should be required viewing for everyone under 50 as a reminder that we can deal with the most difficult of all situations and not have to go to war, even though it could have ended up with two nations destroying each other. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 10/13/2007

LINKS - AMAZON, IMBD

DUEL

DUEL - 1971

RATING - PG probably for tense scenes.

AWARDS - Golden Globe nomination plus others.

REVIEWS - 177 Amazon reviews (4.5/5), IMBD (7.7/10)

THEMES - Suspense, fun, good entertainment.

STORY - DUEL is Steven Spielberg's first full length feature movie (originally made for the CBS Movie Of The Week and then expanded for theaters) and the one that put him on the Hollywood map. If you're in the mood for a good Hitchcock-like movie, this is it. Watch it when you're home alone at night. The film stars Dennis Weaver and THE TRUCK. It starts out looking thru the lens of a camera mounted on the front bumper of a car backing out of the garage, then driving thru the suburban Los Angeles neighborhood, into the rush hour traffic of the LA freeway system. When you finally meet the middle-aged salesman on his way to meet a client somewhere outside of LA in a rural, desert area, he's turned off the freeway onto a lonely, two lane highway. That's where you also meet the co-star of the film, the Peterbilt truck with the tanker trailer. Peterbilt has the long, menacing-looking hood (the face) and the small windows (eyes) and this one looks like it went thru the Vietnam War and is dirty and greasy and has a set of various state license plates on the front bumper (which you learn in the commentary represent each state where he[it] has killed a motorist). Sick of the diesel smoke blowing in the window of his red 4 door Plymouth Valiant sedan, Dennis Weaver looks for an opening to pass THE TRUCK. Whether it was passing it that triggered the decision to terrorize the motorist or he was just waiting for the right victim to come along, we don't know but we keep waiting to see the driver and there are many suspenseful moments when you think the two men will confront each other face to face. The movie is full of suspense as THE TRUCK tries to run Weaver down in the mountains and desert of rural California on a lonely highway. The suspense is constant so that you don't want to turn away for a minute or you might miss something. There is little or no foul language, no sex, just good old fashioned suspense and a fist fight and some vehicles doing damage to property. Very climactic ending. The movie was made entirely on location in 12 days, a phenomenal accomplishment. Watch the interview with Spielberg and you will get a feel for the genius of him as a filmmaker. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 10/13/2007.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMBD

SMOKE SIGNALS

SMOKE SIGNALS (1998)

RATING - PG-13 for some intense images, mainly a burning house in which you see the victims trying to escape from a distance and the frightening rescue of one of them.

THEMES - Forgiveness, overcoming family problems.

AWARDS - Quite a few awards & nominations including the Audience Award at Sundance.

REVIEWS - "Two Big Thumbs Up"-Siskel & Ebert (3/4), "One of the Best Films of the Year!"-Rolling Stone, 171 Amazon reviewers (4.5/5)

STORY - This is a film written and directed by Native Americans. It is not meant to be politically correct. It is an inside story. It's about a journey that two totally different Native American young men take to discover a father and a hero that, they discover, they really did not know. The first is Thomas, whose parents were killed in the tragic fire when he was a baby. He was spared in a dramatic rescue by Victor Joseph's father. Thomas is raised by his grandparents and turns out to be the town nerd-hands down. Victor Joseph grows up stoic and masculine and tough, what you might expect for someone whose father one day walked out on him and his mother and left them to fend for themselves. Word comes that his father has died and his ashes are waiting to be picked up. He has no money for the bus ticket but Thomas does and offers to pay his way if he can go along. They both have very different memories of the man. Which one is the truth? The bus ride and what they discover when they get there is the heart of this often funny, but equally often serious and reflective film. You will chuckle at the 'traffic report' for the Indian radio station. They break to a remote location where a 'reporter' is sitting on the roof of a car in the middle of nowhere and gives a play by play of each car that goes by. A fun film with a message for the family. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 10/13/2007.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMBD, ROGER EBERT

ONCE UPON A TIME...WHEN WE WERE COLORED

ONCE UPON A TIME...WHEN WE WERE COLORED - (1995)

RATING - PG for thematic elements including mild violence, language and sensuality.

STARRING - Al Freeman, Jr., Phylicia Rashad, Leon

THEME - Racial discrimination, family, community, growing up in the South.

REVIEWS - Siskel & Ebert (4/4) 'TWO THUMBS UP'

STORY - The film begins in 1946 in a cotton field outside of Glen Allan, Mississippi. A young woman suddenly goes into labor and quickly delivers Cliff, the main character. The rest of the movie is about Cliff growing up in the Deep South from 1946-62. It's the story of Cliff's grandparents and aunt taking responsibility for raising Cliff when the family of his father refuse to have anything to do with him and his young, unmarried mother is unable to do so. It's about a community of African-Americans forced to live separately but (un)equally in a white dominated society where we see Grandad teaching little Cliff how to recognize 'W' and 'C' so he drinks from the correct fountain and uses the right bathroom. It's about a proud community that is willing to work hard and long for meager wages and still not accept charity. It's about a kind, white woman that keeps Cliff in supply of good reading when she realizes 'coloreds' aren't allowed in the library. It's about a community that worships together in a style and form that helps them overcome the daily oppression. And, finally, it's about hope that doing the right thing will eventually be rewarded. There is a feeling that this is probably very much what it was like to grow up in 1950's Mississippi. The only objectionable family scenes might be a brief fight in a bar setting where some sensual dancing between couples takes place and when Cliff and a friend sneak into the burlesque show tent at the circus. None of it is graphic or overemphasized. As one of the characters responded when asked why he returned to Glen Allan to visit, 'to remind me of why I left', so this movie should remind us of why we left discrimination 'officially' behind and why we must work to keep it behind. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 10/7/2007.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMBD, ROGER EBERT

SOMETHING THE LORD MADE

SOMETHING THE LORD MADE - (2004-NR)

RATING - NR but probably PG for some language & mature themes.

THEME - Racial prejudice, teamwork, humility, justice.

AWARDS - 2004 EMMY for Outstanding Picture.

STORY - (HBO Made for TV) Won the 2004 Emmy for Outstanding Picture. I don't know what the competition was but this is one of my favorite movies and deserves any awards it receives. It is the true story of Dr. Alfred Blalock and Vivian Thomas. The film begins in the 1930's when white heart surgeon Blalock hires Thomas, an African American, as the janitor in his medical lab. Thomas takes home textbooks at night and teaches himself medicine. He is also very skilled with his hands and wants to pursue a career as a surgeon but America is not a friendly environment for blacks who want to achieve in the scholastic world, especially the world of medicine. It soon becomes apparent to Blalock what a genius Thomas is and what a skilled surgeon he could make. While Thomas perfects a new technique that saves thousands of infant lives (still in use today I understand), Blalock gets all the credit. The acting is outstanding and the story will bring tears to your eyes. It's still hard to believe this was America 50 to 60 years ago. A great movie. Too bad it never made it to the theaters. Other than some brief, rough language on the part of Dr. Blalock this is a very family friendly film, one you will want to watch more than once. Better yet - buy several for family & friends. Five stars for sure. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 10/6/2007.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMBD

WHITE LIGHT, BLACK RAIN: THE DESTRUCTION OF HIROSHIMA & NAGASAKI

WHITE LIGHT, BLACK RAIN: THE DESTRUCTION OF HIROSHIMA & NAGASAKI - (2007-NR)

THEME - DOCUMENTARY of the survivors of Hiroshima & Nagasaki as well as several Americans who participated. Nuclear war.

STORY - A just released powerful HBO documentary. You know the statistics: winds at 1000 MPH and temperatures at 9000 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT at ground zero and everyone nearby instantly vaporized. 140,000 dead in Hiroshima and 70,000 in Nagasaki. What we don't always remember is the story of those who survived. This is the story of 14 Japanese civilians who survived and 4 Americans deeply involved in the attack. Many of these stories have not been told before. I found their stories both tragic for what they have had to live through and with and uplifting because it also reflects the best of the human spirit in surviving unbelievable circumstances, much like those who survived the concentration camps. These people have lived with scars and permanent disabilities, abandonment by their own government and discrimination in the work place. At least an additional 160,000 Japanese died from complications of their bomb wounds and thousands committed suicide rather than live with the horror. But tens of thousands survived to tell their story and to remind the rest of the world about the horrors of this incredible weapon. Whether we have the weapon or oppose those who have it or trying to get it, no one must underestimate the horrors accompanied by the use of it. People will debate whether we should have used it. It did end the war and save potentially hundreds of thousands of additional military casualties but at a tremendous price. Perhaps if enough people will continue to watch this powerful film and others like it, we will not forget this horror and make sure this was the first and last time this planet experiences a nuclear attack. The nuclear weapons in the world today EQUAL 400.000 HIROSHIMAS-A VERY SOBERING THOUGHT. The images of the destruction and mutilated and burned bodies (dead and alive) are very disturbing but perhaps we should all keep those images alive as a grim reminder of what these weapons can do. Put this at the top of your list. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 10/6/2007.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMBD