Politics have weighed heavy in all
forms of media lately. So I was looking for some alternative
entertainment to the Inauguration and as always, I turn to the movies
to help me. Here are a few that came to mind to help avoid the “real
world”:
THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (1962/2004)
A
veteran and war hero has been brain-washed & programmed by the
Russians and/or private multinational corporations (depending on what
version you watch) to be their pawn as he ascends to the office of
President of the United States. The original is a classic and
well-worth seeking out. The performances by Frank Sinatra, Laurence
Harvey, and especially Angela Lansbury are quite amazing. Denzel
Washington, Liev Schrieber, and Meryl Streep are good, but the
altered storyline is not quite as strong, nor packs the punch of the
original.
SEVEN DAYS IN MAY (1964)
An possible
coup-d'etat by a cadre of politicians and the military, led by a
zealous general, is uncovered, and a race to stop it by the generals
assistant. Taut thriller with great leads, as Burt Lancaster and Kirk
Douglas face off. They scenes together are the real action sequences
of the movie. I especially like Douglas' hesitance and guilt at
having to turn on his mentor, Lancaster.
ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN (1976)
A routine burglary at the Watergate bulding is followed up by two
Washington Post reporters, leading to political espionage and the
resignation of President Richard Nixon. Showing the power of
journalism and the press, holding those who have committed crimes
accountable. A president taken down without guns or violence. STILL
relevant today as 40+ years ago.
V FOR VENDETTA (2005)
In a near-future fascist England, a
woman joins forces with a masked vigilante to try and give the
control back to the people. Loved the original comic book series and
was astonished that it got made in the post-9/11 era with a
terrorist/anarchist for a lead character. But it is still a strong
movie, showing what a repressive regime does to people and what the
people must do to stop it.
One of my favorite scenes:
RED DAWN (1985)
A surprise invasion by Soviet forces
into the United States leaves a group of high schoolers ito becomes
the resistance force. More an artifact of the 80's Cold War thinking,
it still holds up in many ways by showing what the cost of resistance
is on the people, especially the young. Great cast of (then) young
actors and veteran character actors. AVOID the 2012 remake at all
costs!
THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT (1995)
Before delving into the “The West
Wing”, writer Aaron Sorkin wrote this love story involving a
lobbyist and the president. There's a great cast here, top to bottom
Michael Douglas, Martin Sheen, Annette Benning, Richard Dreyfus, to
name a few. This is really a prototype run of his West Wing series, with some
great speeches, especially about the idea of democracy
This is one
of my favorite scenes:
IDIOCRACY (2006)
A military
experiment ends up freezing average man and he wakes up 500 years
later to a future where the population has become unthinking idiots,
and the US on the verge of starvation. Some have said that Mike
Judge's comedy has become prophetic and a documentary. I don't that
it's gone THAT far, that's for you to decide. But it IS very funny.
Happy viewing!
