Posted on 04/12/2006 6:51:41 PM PDT by MoJo2001
Who is that handsome hairy dude all dressed up?
'Hostage' with Bruce Willis (again). Excellent movie, but not for kids.
What was your opinion of Doom with the Rock?
I buy movies for the troops in the war zones and don't want to get anything that can't be watched several times without getting bored, so your opinion here is invaluable.
Would you happily watch this DVD again and still enjoy it the second time around? Or would you recommend a few other movies as being better made?
What are your top ten favorite movies that you think the troops would also enjoy watching?
I'm gleaning ideas now as I send a lot of movies to the troops in the war zones.
Go for it!
What a wonderful (but so very difficult) question to answer. Judging by what I've heard from several personal heroes of mine who are serving I would go easy on the chick flicks since most of our heroes are men. I think just about any quality fun film--dramas, comedies, adventure, kids; movies, etc...anything to help them escape and enjoy for a while.
Now as for specifics...hard to say. I spend 3-4 weeks teaching about Hitchcock and Psycho, Vertigo, The birds with a little Scorsese thrown in- Taxi Driver etc---I doubt the soldiers would want to watch Vertigo...they would resist as much as most (not all) of my students do.
My personal choices for the guys (and for me):
King Kong
narnia
Cinderella Man
etc
http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=20714
How's your dogwood? Any hope showing?
Add the Schwartzenegger, Tarrantino, and Bruce Willis stuff. They are mostly pure fun and escapist entertainment. Of course we are making generalizations here. Are there any movies that would not be appreciated or allowed? I don't think so...but I'm not sure.
What is really interesting is that many servicemen and women (in Iraq) are making their own films. I just wish I knew where to find them...
Thanks! I read another review as I was scrolling through this thread looking for ideas, and seems like a movie at least some of the troops would find fun.
I loved Vertigo.
Have a VHS copy of it, but never have sent one to the troops.
I'm a heretic in that I wasn't thrilled with Narnia. I read and liked the books, and bought a BBC rendition of the series, which I remember as being fairly good, as well as the books some years ago for some young ones in the family.
Not sure why the recent movie didn't stick with me. Too slick? Too little heart? Too cold?
We'll go ahead and rent King Kong now that several people here seem to have liked it. Our first impression from TV trailers was that the computer graphics were hoaky.
Cinderella Man...boxing? I was bored by de Niro's Raging Bull. Is this really better?
Please let me know what your etc. are.
I've already sent The Searchers, Shane, Stagecoach, even Unforgiven to multiple bases. Only a few got High Noon before it became hard to get and the price skyrocketed.
No T in my guv's name.
Have already sent lots of Ahnold and Bruce to the guys. Which are your favorites.
Tarrantino is a director?
The only film I have from a unit is a 17 minute depiction of them in Afghanistan, mostly practicing with weapons, standing guard and receiving metals, put to music.
NO T in medals, either....
The soldiers request comedies and that is hard as tastes differ so much.
What are your favorite 10 modern comedies which are not chick flicks?
Usually by the time I get here, everyone's gone!
Me, too. LOL!
The Searchers, Shane, Stagecoach, even Unforgiven
_____________________________________________________
Oh what a fabulous selection! I love them all. We differ on Raging Bull...I like it. I haven't seen Cinderella Man yet so cannot compare.
Tarantino did Pulp fiction and Sin City - Kill Bill Reservoir Dogs etc
Well, after renting and watching King Kong I just have to concede that our tastes are really different.
We thought it had too many preposterous scenes. And it's LONG...3 hours. The lead actress was okay, but they pretty much gave her a johnny one-note emotional life. The writing was dumb and most of the actors couldn't rise above it. I know they cribbed a lot of lines from the original, but they didn't create the same world around those lines for them to remain classic fun.
And why the actress was at the top of the Empire State building in winter in a flimsy gown and wasn't BLUE, I'll never know.
I can't say I've ever really enjoyed Tarantino ...including Pulp Fiction, Sin City, Kill Bill... never seen reservoir dogs. A moment here or there doesn't make up for forcing me wade through all that dreariness and degeneracy.
As far as Westerns, I've screened dozens for the troops and the best modern ones I've found are Tombstone and Open Range. A couple old ones newly discovered that I found interesting and fun are Winchester73 with Jimmy Stewart and Rock Hudson and Cowboy with Glenn Ford and Jack Lemmon.
While our taste in modern films is pretty different, our taste in Westerns may be similar.
I'm surprised that Memoirs of a Geshia was on the conservative best 10 list. I read the book and saw the film, but what was evident in the film that I don't remember so much from the book was that this tale (written by an American man) is basically a well-constructed smoke screen to hide a male wet dream about a pubescent girl desiring a old man.
My list did not reflect my own personal taste. I was responding to what might - and I emphasize might - be interesting to watch "over there".
OK we disagree on Tarantino...and I'm not talking about the narrative (story line) - but rather the
design, style, cinematography --- the feel of the movies he makes. Main point: the troops probably would enjoy...the "masculine' ambience of Quentin's films.
Memoirs-----OK novel...TERRIBLY disappointing film. That's all I have to say about that. It was probably on the list becuase it showed the reality of Japanese imperial pre war society---not a pretty picture. A reality check on the nostalgic left's misunderstandings of Asian cultures.
And yes...I strongly confirm that Shane and Searchers are strikingly superior films...the proverbial onion skin film theory holds true for them.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.