Month: October 2020

WOW!  It’s quite rare to enjoy a week with THREE films!!  All Netflix films, all riveting, all powerful, all instant classics!  Enjoy!!  J&J

P.S.  Please vote.  Thanks if you have already done so.

Movie 1: Rebecca

This film is based on the Daphne du Maurier novel with overtones of Alfred Hitchcock… It boasts a great cast, a retro vibe and classic contrast between the 1940s and 2020. Beautiful sets and cinematography. Don’t miss it!

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Movie 2: The Exception

This period romance is also a war drama featuring Christopher Plummer and an impressive supporting cast. It’s a riveting production with filled with history, a bit of nudity and brief violence.

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Movie 3: The Eichmann Show

It’s the story of the four month long trial of Nazi Adolf Eichmann in 1961 Jerusalem for war crimes. The “behind the scenes” true story is riveting and exhausting. It’s set one year after Eichmann was apprehended from Argentina.

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Movie 1: The Trial of the Chicago 7

This film is a timely throw back to the infamous 1969 trials of seven defendants charged by the government with conspiracy to undermine the government. Sound familiar?!? Given our current events, this is a must see film currently available on Netflix. The Oscar race starts NOW.

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Movie 2: Oloture

Well now…where does one start to describe this film? In general it’s based on sex trafficking in Lagos, Nigeria. It’s quite gritty and difficult to watch. It is often brutally violent and frankly quite hard to tolerate. That said, it’s based on real situations. This film is in heavily accented English so the English subtitles are most helpful.

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Movie 3: War Machine

This film is “loosely” based on real events. It’s set in Afghanistan with US and NATO forces. It’s supposed to be a satirical portrait of the region’s war. It ends up being a commentary on global conflict and failed multinational management. That said, Brad Pitt’s portrayal as General McCrystal is surprisingly realistic!

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Movie 1: Welcome to Sudden Death

It has been called “the latest low rent action film”, “disposable”. Yes it’s a campy throw back to Claude Van Damme’s idea of an action film. It’s actually a bit too campy. The best thing to be said about this movie is it gave several very bad actors temporary employment.

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Movie 2: The Siege of Jadotville

Now we are talking!! It’s the true story about the “Congo Crisis” in September 1961 where 157 Irishmen routed a force of 3,000 attackers. Ireland remarkably suffered no fatalities. It’s an incredible story.

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Movie 3: Sand Castle

Here is another good film. This film is set in the early years of the “American-Iraqi conflict”. It’s not a children appropriate film due to “actual footage”, “snipers”, “massive explosions, hand-to-hand combat and so on”. That said, it’s a powerful reminder of recent history.

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Movie 1: The Boys in the Band

This remake based on the 1968 original is updated by an all star cast, including Jim Parsons, Zachary Quinto, Matt Bomer and Andrew Rannells. It’s pretty true to the original with an extra “bite” in the script. Kudos to Netflix for this one!

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Movie 2: The Outpost

This film is based on the book “The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor”. It takes place in the deep interior of Afghanistan where American soldiers battled Taliban fighters over a 19 year period. It’s painful to watch but important history.

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Movie 3: The Invisible Guest

This Spanish production is a Thriller/Mystery filled with more ‘who did what to whom’ than your ordinary whodunnit. The story line zips along at a rabid pace! It’s quite unique and inventive. Spanish with English subtitles.

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