Murders in the Rue Morgue - 1932

I looked up the list of Universal Monster movies and saw this one on there. It's the "immortal" story by Edgar Allen Poe. Immortal was on the title card.

So Pierre and Camille go to the carnival and see a gorilla. Bela Lugosi with a strange unibrow is talking about the evolution of man, and the crowd isn't happy about what he's saying. Pierre is a medical student and a little more open-minded. They approach Erik (the chimp/gorilla). Camille is instantly liked by Erik, but he tries to attack Pierre.

Bela is actually doing experiments to try and fuse Erik's blood with women's. He hasn't had any success so far, but he's not giving up. I want to commend him on his dead-person disposal system. It's very efficient. Anyway, Pierre is doing his own experiments to try and figure out what's killing these women.

Camille wasn't super stupid like most of the women I've seen so far in these movies. The only annoying thing she did was faint. Other than that, she did her best to stay safe. When she's kidnapped, it's infuriating. The policeman talks to everyone except the one man who can probably clear everything up. It's not like time is important or anything.

Okay, so I thought I read this in the past, but now I'm not so sure. I figure I'd remember a gorilla/chimp in Paris. They kept showing the face of a chimp, but the body was huge like a gorilla. We had a lot of fun with this movie for sure. It was pretty funny. I'm totally giving this one a Good Movie! review. I loved it! Beware the unibrow!!!

The Wolf Man - 1941

Another classic monster movie leading up to Halloween. This one stars Lon Chaney, Jr.

Lawrence is the younger son of Sir John Talbot. His brother has died, so he's come home to take responsibility of the estate. One of the first things he does is peep on the woman across the street. Then he proceeds to go over there and press his suit. He demands that she go for a walk with him at 8 p.m. She says no multiple times, but she still shows up outside at 8. Sigh...

Gwen brings her friend, Jenny, but the woman is a red shirt. If you don't know what that is, it's a Star Trek reference. In the original series, when they would land on a planet, there would be random guys with the main actors. They were the expendables, and they were usually wearing red shirts. So Larry and Gwen take Jenny and leave her with the fortune teller. She gets attacked by a werewolf, but then Larry kills the "wolf" with his silver-tipped cane. Afterwards, he notices he's been injured and learns that he's actually killed a man.

So, I was on Team Frank during this movie. Larry was a doofus. He kept pursuing Gwen, even after he knew she was engaged. Don't even get me started on Gwen herself. Ugh. And the whining...Larry was the king. Just give the man a crown. I also wasn't sure why Larry was a wolf-man, and the fortune teller turned into an actual wolf. When Larry bit the dust, I was happy. Frank had all my sympathy. Kick Gwen to the curb and find a better girl. You deserve better!

Frankenstein - 1931

I've decided to watch one of these classic Universal monster movies a day until Halloween. Today was Frankenstein. This is another one where I should probably read the book...

So, Dr. Frankenstein is graverobbing and creating his monster. Fritz, his loyal sidekick, steals a brain, which initially is a normal brain. A sudden noise causes him to drop that one, so he's left with the abnormal, or criminal, brain.

People care about Dr. Frankenstein and are coincidentally at his lab at the exact moment of creation. His former professor is impressed and works with him to observe the results. Fritz takes pleasure in tormenting the creature until one day he goes too far. The creature takes revenge, and Fritz is no more. The scientific men are convinced they need to destroy the creature, and the professor sends Frankenstein home to recover while he vows to take care of the creature.

The creature escapes and wrecks havoc on Frankenstein's wedding, but I'm not super sad about it. In fact, I didn't really like this movie. After the creature escapes, he has this really sweet interaction with little Maria. Due to a misunderstanding (and her inability to swim), she drowns. He wasn't being cruel, and no one tried to help him. I hate the way Frankenstein just left him at the mill and pretended like nothing happened. "Oh well, I created this creature, but let me go on my merry way and get married!" Nope.

And then the ending. Bah. Team Creature all day. Dr. Frankenstein leads the charge to destroy his own creation. Then when he gets thrown off the top of the mill, he gets to recover with his understanding fiancé, while the Grinch gets pinned down and burned alive. Sorry, this is another Boris Karloff film, so I'm calling him the Grinch. I love the Grinch! Man up, Frankenstein. Take responsibility for your actions! I definitely need to read this book.

Dracula - 1931

It's almost Halloween, and I haven't seen this movie. Does anything else need to be said? To be honest, I still need to read the book. I read excerpts of it in high school, but that was sooooo long ago.

I don't think I need a refresher on the plot, but Bela Lugosi makes Renfield his slave, travels to England and wrecks havoc on the population. Renfield was an interesting character I must say. Anyway, the doctor of the sanitorium where Renfield is staying has a daughter, Mina. I'm not sure what Dracula did with his wives in Transylvania, but he's picked Mina for his first English wife.

This was a fun one. I love how Bela just stares at people, and they do what he wants. The bats were epic as well. I know the effects were going to be primitive, it IS 1931, so it's more endearing than cheesy for me. Thank goodness this wasn't a silent film. I tried to watch the 1925 Phantom of the Opera the other day and couldn't do it. I've been able to watch a couple of those, but I may have reached my limit for a while.

Bela Lugosi is a legend, and it was neat to see him in one of his better known roles. The epic stare and "hand thing" he did was cool. The movie is on the short side, and I enjoyed it! Good Movie!

The Longest Day - 1962

This is another movie that reminds me of my dad. We would tease him if he had it on TV and called it "The Longest Movie." I'd never actually watched it. It's based on a book by Cornelius Ryan and follows the events of June 6, 1944 - D-Day.

The version I watched had everyone speaking in their native language, and I didn't have subtitles. I did get the general idea of what was going on since I could pick up the German here and there. Regardless, I appreciated the way the film was done in that respect. It made it more realistic to have everyone speaking their own language.

There are TONS of big name actor in this movie. I'm not even exaggerating. The poster itself lists 42 international stars. That's insanity. The production of this film was also crazy epic. Battle scenes weren't small in scale and real locations were used in multiple instances. I won't say it was perfect. A few times I saw obvious effects scenes, but overall, it wasn't super distracting.

With so many characters, it was hard to find out what happened to them unless we saw them die. I want to point out that I'm just making up that my favorite characters made it out just fine. You might be surprised at who they are. First is the dog of the German soldier at Normandy. The pooch runs off, and I'm sure he led a happy life with a new family. The other is the Frenchman near the shore when the invasion starts. He's a nut, and I love him. The ships offshore start the bombardment, and the man starts shouting with glee, waving his flag out the window and giggling. His wife thinks he's lost his mind since he's running around the house while items are breaking and things are exploding nearby. Maybe he was the one who brought champagne to the troops. I'm not 100% sure, but I AM sure he was fine.

I did like this movie. It showed how a lot of cogs came together to make D-Day a "success." It's hard to classify it that way without noting the terrible casualties on that day. The brave men who stormed those beaches under heavy fire, the paratroopers who landed behind enemy lines, the resistance workers who risked their lives for their country...all these people were recognized for their efforts. With over three hours of film, the time was there to include those scenes. The one thing that ended up lacking was character development. That was something I understand. The focus of the film was the overarching story. The filmmakers consulted people that were actually involved and some of them were represented in the film. I wish there was a book that went through the making of this movie, but I couldn't find one. Good Movie!

The Magnificent Seven - 1960

This is one of those movies that I associate with my dad. He'd watch westerns, and I know he liked this particular movie. There are a lot of big names in it, but it wasn't something I'd ever really wanted to watch before.

The film is a remake of a 1954 Japanese film called the Seven Samurai. In this version, a small town in Mexico is being terrorized by a hoodlum and his gang. Some of the men are fed up and head to the border to hire some gunmen to help them.

The men are outnumbered, but they use their skills and some traps to make an initial victory. The villains aren't giving up, though, and things get complicated after that.

It wasn't the supremely happy ending I was expecting. The Magnificent Seven don't all make it through the final battle, which was sad. Was it more realistic that way? Of course! But a lot of these men died of stupidity. These professional gunmen almost all died from standing in the open like morons. Or my favorite, the one yelling, "Here I am, Chris!" and then immediately gets shot off his horse.

Anyway, the beginning of the movie was really good. The seven were brought together in a natural way, and the story was good. This movie is somewhat famous for its soundtrack, and I understand why. Other than the ending, I liked this movie, and it made me feel closer to my dad. I miss him so much, but watching some of these movies helps me feel that he's not so far away. Good Movie! (except the end - I'm not letting that one slide!)

Ben-Hur - 1959

Many people have heard of this epic, but I am pretty sure I've never seen it. I mean, the movie is famous for the chariot scene, but that's the only thing I knew about it. I didn't even realize it was Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. After watching it, I'd say Christ is more of a background character, but that's something else.

This is the story of Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish prince living in Jerusalem. He meets up with his childhood friend, Messala, but their friendship isn't as easy as it was. Messala is a Roman tribune and wants Judah to spy on his fellow Jews and report which ones are making trouble in the city. Not surprisingly, Judah refuses, and Messala forces him to choose. From then on, the two are enemies.

An unfortunate accident brings the two into an interaction that sends Judah, his mother and sister into prison. The next four years, Judah has no idea what's happened to his family as he rows for the Roman armada. Saving a Consul's life sends his fate into chariot racing. He eventually makes his way back to Jerusalem, and he's still determined to find his family. Throughout the film, a faceless benefactor shows up here and there...spoiler, it's Jesus.

The chariot race is the culmination of the vengeance Judah has built up for Messala. At this point, he believe his mother and sister are dead, but they're actually in a leper colony. After he discovers their fate, he wants to see them, even though the woman who loves him is trying to tell him to leave them alone. Eventually, the four of them want to see Jesus, but they get there in time for the result of his trial.

The movie is definitely an epic. I was getting lost reading about the production, and I still want to learn more. I'm definitely impressed with the main actors for learning to drive those chariots. I was watching the movie and thinking, "That's really them." The other shout out I want to make is to Stephen Boyd (Messala). According to what I read, he did almost all his own stunts (minus 2), including being dragged underneath the chariot's horses! I was definitely impressed with the whole sequence.

Also notable was the music. I really enjoyed it and felt it accurately reflected what was going on in the scenes. Beautiful. The whole thing gave me Ten Commandments vibes, but it had its own personality. This epic was approximately 3 hours and 45 minutes with the musical interludes, but it actually flew by. Great Movie!

Isle of the Dead - 1945

I needed something on the shorter side to watch, and I saw this movie starring the Grinch. I mean, Boris Karloff. It's an hour and 15 minutes and listed as a horror movie.

In Greece, there's a legend of the vorvolaka, a malevolent spirit in human form. The beginning of the movie takes us to the battlefield where the general, known as the Watchdog (Karloff) is telling one of his subordinates they should take their own life for dishonor on the battlefield. An American journalist is witness to the event and talks to the general. They end up taking a trip to the island where the general's wife is buried.

While there, they meet a man living on the island. He has some interesting people staying with him, but by morning, there's one less. A plague has taken the life of the man, and now everyone is commanded to stay on the island until the wind shifts. A superstitious woman singles out Thea as the cause of the troubles and poisons the mind of the general. The woman believes her to be the dreaded vorvolaka, and some of her evidence lies in the fact that the woman Thea's traveling with is ill.

I probably shouldn't have watched this movie before bed, but being sick with a cold, I didn't have nightmares or anything. I'm a sensitive soul, so most people would probably laugh at me for being scared at the end. The premature burial was terrifying, and with that being the woman's greatest fear, it was so sad.

I wanted to point out this film was inspired by a painting. That was a cool detail I learned when doing my research, and the painting was cool as well. The movie was entertaining and easily earns a Good Movie! review.

The First of the Few (US title Spitfire) - 1942

When I started this movie, I didn't remember why it was in my watchlist. I want to point out this is related to the Battle of Britain with the title coming from the Churchill quote, "Never was so much owed by so many to so few." The lead actor, Leslie Howard, is also the producer and director. Tragically, he was killed when the Luftwaffe shot down the civilian airliner he was in days before the film released in the United States.

This movie was about R. J. Mitchell, the father of the Supermarine Spitfire. The first half of the movie is Mitchell's history making seaplanes, and then he takes a holiday in Germany. There he finds out the Germans are rearming. He's then determined to make a plane to protect England.

There are a lot of real pilots in this film and a lot of flight footage. I was entertained for most of the movie. The very beginning seemed a bit slow.

For some reason, some of the inaccuracies bothered me. Most of the time, it doesn't. When you're dealing with a real person, I think it's important to either be as accurate as possible or just say outright that you're taking liberties. Mitchell never met Messerschmitt. I couldn't figure out if the dinner at the Richthofen Club really happened. I didn't discover whether that was even a real place. The other thing was Mitchell's death. The movie gave the impression he could get better if he rested, but he actually had cancer. I don't know why they changed that. Whatever. Oh! And the Rolls-Royce Merlin was named for a bird of prey! Not a wizard...

I admire these men. Beyond the movie, I just imagine the talent and guts it had for these men to accomplish what they did. Mitchell was an intelligent man who used his talents to create a plane that was one of the best in the war. The character of the test pilot actually represented a few different real men, and my hats off to them as well. It takes a special kind of person to do things like that for sure! Good Movie!

The Night of the Hunter - 1955

I'd seen this movie before, but it showed up on a list of classic thrillers, so I wanted to watch it again to write down my thoughts on it. I remembered most of the storyline, but some new things also stood out to me.

A man claiming to be a preacher is going around the countryside committing crimes in the name of God. He looks for widows and takes their money. Sometimes he kills them. At one point, he gets arrested for stealing a car, and while he's in jail, he meets Peter Graves (I can't remember the character's name). He knows Graves stole $10,000 and that it's somewhere at his house. Once the preacher-man is out, he heads straight there. Graves is hung for murder, so his wife is the convenient widow, ready to mold into the preacher's disciple.

The money is hidden in a young girl's doll, and her older brother is very protective. He makes her swear not to tell, and he can tell something isn't right with the preacher. When his mother disappears, all bets are off, and the children go on the run.

I remember this movie disturbing me the first time I watched it. The callous nature of Harry Powell tracking children is sickening. But after this watch, I did a bit more research. What really sends a shiver down my spine is there was a serial killer that inspired this character for the book by Davis Grubb and thus the film. His name was Harry Powers, and he killed five people and was suspected of killing two others. Eww.

The movie had some really amazing shots in it, and I'm not usually someone who picks up on that sort of thing. There were a couple silhouette shots I really liked, and the story didn't drag. I hate to call this a good movie, because so much goes wrong, especially for those children. Fortunately, the children have someone watching out for them, and the end of the movie isn't depressing. If I ignore the super weird beginning, it easily earns a Good Movie! review.

Full Metal Jacket - 1987

This movie revolves around a man called "Joker" who enlists in the Marines during the Vietnam War. The first half of the movie is his training, and the second half is in Vietnam.

The drill sergeant was something else. Apparently, he drew upon his own past experience for his part. Joker tried his best at first to help "Gomer Pyle," but he eventually got tired of him just like everyone else. It was interesting to see Vincent D'Onofrio in a role like this.

The acting was good, and the experience was interesting. I wasn't the biggest fan of the musical choices at times. They didn't always seem to match and were downright contradictory at times. Maybe that was on purpose and it went over my head.

This is not a happy movie. I don't know how accurate it is, but it is based on a 1979 novel The Short-Timers. I won't be watching this one again, and when I reflect on it, I just don't know what to think about it. I don't feel like my time was wasted, but I didn't necessarily enjoy my watch either.

Call Northside 777 - 1948

This movie is based on a true story. The actual men involved were named Joseph Majczek and Theodore Marcinkiewicz.

A policeman is murdered during prohibition, and two men are convicted of the crime. They are sentenced to 99 years in prison, and that would be the end of the story is it wasn't for a mother's love. She takes out an ad in the newspaper offering a significant reward for information on who murdered the policeman. It's been over 11 years since her son went to prison, and she's been scrubbing floors and saving every penny to help him.

The reporter assigned to the story is skeptical. He doesn't believe the man is innocent at the beginning, but as he digs deeper into the story, he isn't so sure.

The movie took a few liberties with the details, but for the most part, it seemed to follow the actual story. I was a bit peeved at the end. There were two men who were unjustly imprisoned, but the movie never said anything about the second man. In reality, he was incarcerated for another five years before being exonerated.

I enjoyed the movie itself. It was pretty good, and I didn't know what was going to happen. I'd never heard of the case, so the end was a surprise. It was just amazing to realize what was put into motion by a simple ad in a newspaper. Good Movie!

All That Heaven Allows - 1955

Cary is a widow who is facing an empty nest. She has an older man who wants to marry her, but she's more interested in the gardener. She eventually decides she wants to marry him, but then the social consequences become apparent.

I found this movie to be a bit weird. No one really cared about anyone else's feelings, but they wanted Cary to care what they thought. I mean, her kids cared what would happen to their lives, Ron only cared that she'd give up her social standing/house and live with him, and her "friends" (besides Sara) were gossipy little snobs. When it comes to remarriage, I understand caring more about your kids when they're younger, and for quite a while I wasn't sure exactly how old these two were. But then they're just like, "I'm getting married!" and the other one says, "I'm going abroad, let's sell the house!" And then Ron pouted like a child when he made her choose, and she chose the children. What did he think would happen?

Okay, I know this is a romantic drama, but I giggled. Out loud. The expert outdoorsman, Ron, plummets himself off the side of a cliff and plops down on some snow. They don't really show how far of a drop it is, but they want it to be a serious injury. Before I discuss his diagnosis, I just want to mention it was funny the way Cary ignored him when he shouted for her (how did she not hear him?) and he just splats into the snow while she cruises away. And then, it's so serious, right?! I guess it's only a concussion. The movie ends with her saying she's home and that's it. I saw him move his legs, so he's okay there, and he knows who people are, so I guess he's going to be fine. So now I don't have to feel bad for laughing when he fell. It was hilarious though.

Anyway, I guess this was an okay movie, but I don't see myself watching it again. People in it made no sense. How was Cary able to stay in the house? How long had she been a widow? I never got an answer to those questions. It seemed like an awful nice (and huge) house for one person. And I know "it's been in the family for a long time," but the woman still has to eat and pay bills, doesn't she? Anyway, I'm way overthinking it. My favorite part is all wrong, and I won't be watching this one again.

Brute Force - 1947

This is another one of those movies I have no idea how it ended up on my watch list. Not a clue.

A prisoner was set up and gets back from solitary with revenge on his mind. Not only that, he learns his wife won't get a life-saving surgery unless he's there with her. Now his mind is on escape. The problem is, this is a high security facility, and the chances are extremely low of success.

The plan is smacked together with some inside information but also really fast. There's also a snitch in the mix, and the plan only has a one in a million chance to succeed.

The movie is sad. There isn't any reason to get attached to the characters, because there will be disappointment. It reminded me of that movie where four men were driving trucks of explosive material and everyone died.

At least Calypso lived...

Kitty Foyle - 1940

I have no idea how this ended up on my list to watch. I had absolutely no idea what it was about when I started it, and I still don't know why it was on the list.

Kitty has just agreed to marry Mark. When she goes up to her apartment to pack up her things, she finds her old lover, Wyn, waiting for her. All the old feelings come back, and she agrees to meet him at the pier and sail with him to South America.

Her reflection calls her out and tells her to take a moment to think about everything she's been through. Kitty then flashbacks through everything she's been through with Wyn and Mark. At the end, she makes her final decision.

The movie itself was pretty entertaining, but my copy of it was garbage. For some reason, my version had weird clips from other shows or something before and after the film. Then, during the movie were super old commercials. Where did I get this?!

Anyway, I liked the movie. It had a good ending, and Kitty was a good character. She was independent and strong. I liked her, and I liked the person she ended up with. Good Movie!

Gone with the Wind - 1939

I've been watching a lot of movies lately to try and free up some space on my hard drive. I'm hoping this four-hour epic will make a difference.

This is a bit of a cheater, since I have seen it before. It was many years ago, but there are a lot of scenes that stick with you. Scarlett is a spoiled brat who wants Ashley Wilkes. She is peeved that he's going to marry Melanie and does her best to break that up. Ashley is something of a weak-willed man, so he can't just push Scarlett away. Also, she's manipulative and persistent so you'd have to be pretty strong to go up against her and have a chance.

Enter Rhett Butler. He understands her and sees right through her. Scarlett doesn't like that, but every time she's in real trouble, she asks Rhett for help. For some reason, the man falls in love with her, but she just can't let go of Ashley, even though he's married and has a child.

Eventually, Rhett gets what he wants, but marrying Scarlett isn't good for either of them. Mostly it's bad for Rhett. Dang Scarlett just wants something she can't have (Ashley), and when she finally realizes she loves Rhett, it's too late. Rhett's famous line of, "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn." is appropriate and what she deserves. Scarlett isn't ready to give up and heads back to Tara. After all, tomorrow is another day.

This was still the epic I remember. It is really long at four hours, and I feel like some of it wasn't necessary. Scarlett is still frustrating to watch, but not because the actress is awful. It's the character. Rhett isn't a perfect person, but he at least grows during the movie. By the time Scarlett accomplishes any growth, it's just too late. Both Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable do a great job in this movie, and they're easy to watch. The four hours flew by for me, and it was a great rewatch experience. Good Movie!

Nosferatu - 1922

I've heard of this movie, but I'd never seen it before. It's a silent film, and this version had been restored.

The music of the original has been lost. With a silent film, a lot of the atmosphere of the scene comes from the music and the actors. I've noticed there are a lot of exaggerated movements in early silent films, probably to convey those emotions. What I'm trying to say is that I tend to focus more on the music when watching a silent film. In the version I watched, Berndt Heller is credited with reconstructing the 1921 soundtrack and conducting the Saarbrucken Radio Symphony Orchestra.

Nosferatu is a Dracula story. Count Orlok is interested in buying a house in the village of Wisborg. Hutter heads off to offer the count a home across from his, and strange things begin to happen. Eventually, the count shows his true self and heads to Wisborg. He's seen a picture of Hutter's wife, and now he's obsessed with her.

Hutter has to get back to the village before the count, since the creature is spreading plague throughout his journey. 

I thought the music was really well done. It fit the scenes well. The vampire was a bit over-the-top, but that was a bit expected. The effect of using the shadows at the end was very good, and I liked that. The story was decent, but the cards were hard to read at times. That's more an issue with the restoration I watched. I appreciate the film for what it is, and it was interesting. I don't know that I'd watch it again, but that doesn't mean I didn't like it. It's just not my type of movie.

The Lady Vanishes - 1938

I went into this feeling a sense of deja vu. I kept thinking I'd seen it before, but it didn't feel quite right. It wasn't until after the movie ended I realized it was the 2013 version that I'd seen. 

A young woman is taking a train to go home and get married when she meets an older woman. She's been hit on the head, and the woman is nice enough to take care of her. The young woman falls asleep, but when she wakes, her new friend is gone. She then is surprised to find that no one else seems to have seen the woman...ever.

The young woman finds an unlikely ally in a man who was something of a nemesis the night before. They work together to figure out whether or not the young woman is having some kind of hallucination or if there's a conspiracy. But why would someone want to kidnap and coverup the disappearance of a harmless-looking old woman?

So this is an Alfred Hitchcock movie, and it apparently differs a bit from the book it is based on. The book, The Wheel Spins by Ethel Lina White, is followed better by the 2013 version according to what I've read. Since this was made in 1938 (pre WWII), there are elements of espionage and spies. Overall, the movie was fun to watch, but the spy element was a bit strange. Think of watching an old woman, who has to be lifted out of windows, race across a field to some trees. It was odd.

While the plot for the kidnapping makes more sense in the 2013 version, I liked the chemistry between the leads in this movie. I'll have to go back and watch the other one again, because now I'm really curious as to how everything flowed in it. I remember a lot of it, but I'll give it another watch for the sake of comparison. Anyway, the 1938 version earned its own Good Movie! review.

Panic in the Streets - 1950

A man is murdered on the docks over some money. When his body is examined in the morgue, it's apparent he has something other than bullet holes.

The coroner on the case calls in his boss, and they discover the man has pneumonic plague. This is arguably worse than bubonic plague since it can be passed the same way as a common cold.

The murderers believe the authorities are looking for people connected to the dead man because he smuggled something into the country. The whole situation is being hushed up to prevent the "panic in the streets," so a couple people die. Overall, the inoculations are amazing and help most of the people. Not feeling too much sympathy for the woman who knew she'd probably been exposed to something and sent the doctor away.

The movie was pretty good, but spending time on the doctor's home life may have been a waste of time. I guess it was supposed to make him a more relatable character, but it was just jarring and a strange tonal shift. It was okay, but I won't be watching it again.

The Killing Fields - 1984

This ended up on my watch list because Julian Sands is in it. I really liked him as an actor and was saddened when he disappeared on a hike.

During the Vietnam War, violence spilled over into Cambodia. A reporter and his friend are wrapped up in getting the story. Sydney is fairly protected, since he works for the New York Times, but his partner, Dith Pran, is Cambodian and faces more danger.

As the Khmer Rouge takes over the city, a small group of journalists and French refugees take shelter in the embassy, but soon it becomes clear that Pran is going to be separated from the others. Sydney feels guilty he didn't get Pran out when he had the chance, and once he gets back to the states, he tries to find out what happened to his friend.

In the meantime, Pran is experiencing the horrors of being a prisoner of the Khmer Rouge. This is based on a true story, and Sydney and Dith were real people. They both wrote books, and I'll keep an eye out for them. 

Side notes: Sands wasn't in this much, which made me sad. I'll have to see what else I can find with him in it. Also, the music could be a bit jarring at times. I didn't understand some of the choices. Maybe it was an 80s thing, but some of it just had me shaking my head in confusion.

This movie was interesting and disturbing at the same time. I wasn't familiar with this particular event in history, but I'm always willing to learn something new. Even if it's not sunshine and roses. Things like this shouldn't be forgotten. Good Movie.

Band of Brothers - HBO series - 2001

This series needs no introduction. I'm obviously a little late to the party, but I wanted to see what all the hype was about. And if it was justified.

Briefly, this 10-part series follows the men of Easy Company as they try to live through some of the bloodiest battles in Europe during WWII. The characters are based on real people, so none of them have plot armor. There apparently was a major mistake made regarding Albert Blithe, but overall, with the men giving testimonies of what they went through, I believe it's about as accurate as it's going to get.

I want to make a special mention of episode 6 "Bastogne." I was nervous going into the episode, knowing what happened and fearing what would happen in the next hour. What I watched was not at all what I expected. Instead of focusing completely on the horror of the battle, it followed a medic, Eugene Roe, as he tried to help as many of his brothers as he could. And the episode made use of something brilliantly. Silence. I'm glad this wasn't something I was watching in the theater because I gasped audibly numerous times (also in other episodes). People  would've hated me.

Having the real men speak before each episode is a stroke of genius. It makes what follows more somber and real. Watching characters get hurt or die was painful. Even when there were one or two episodes left, I was still nervous some of my favorites wouldn't make it.

I was so invested in this group of men, I even watched the documentary on a separate disc. And I'll readily admit, I do not usually watch those. And if they are on a separate disc, forget it. But I was determined to watch it. I mean, it was clear some of them made it (they were interviewed), but the tension throughout the series was real. There were also a lot of guys to keep track of, and since I'm not great at remembering names, I was on edge constantly.

The hype was justified. Great Series!