Rebel Without A Cause (1955)

James Dean killed in a car crash at the age of 24 on this day in 1955.




IMDB.com Entry on Rebel Without A Cause:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048545/?ref_=nv_sr_1

IMDB.com Entry on James Dean:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000015/?ref_=tt_ov_st_sm

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)

Today is the United Nations' "World Heart Day." 

Article for World Heart Day on TimeAndDate.com:
https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/un/world-heart-day

Of course, this is the first film that came to our minds .......




"Cover your heart!"

IMDB.com Entry on Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom:
 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087469/?ref_=nv_sr_2

Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)

Star Trek: The Next Generation debuted on this date in 1987. 

Wikipedia.org Article for Star Trek: The Next Generation:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Trek%3A_The_Next_Generation

50 years ago the first episodes of the original Star Trek series began airing in 1966 and creator Gene Roddenberry's vision began to take shape.

Find the link to Gene Roddenberry and the original Star Trek Series' Wikipedia.org Articles from our Star Trek: Insurrection (1998) Post:
http://film366.blogspot.com/2016/02/star-trek-insurrection-1998.html

or from our Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989) Post:
http://film366.blogspot.com/2016/03/star-trek-v-final-frontier-1989.html

Film366.com decided that we would honor all the Star Trek movies to celebrate Star Trek's 50th Anniversary this year. We also are celebrating the release of the new Star Trek Beyond (2016) that came out in July and a new Star Trek Online TV series coming out in January.

So, film #10 in the series unfortunately saw the TNG cast in their last film, with this feature in 2002 ....  Not great, but worth seeing how things ended for the cast ....




Startrek.com official entry on Nemesis:
http://www.startrek.com/database_article/star-trek-nemesis

Mysterious Island (1961)

Hey, did you know September is National Honey Month?!  

Wikipedia.org Article for National Honey Month:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Honey_Month

Well, go get some.  But "bee" careful... especially around those giant honeycombs!




This isn't the first time we pushed Mysterious Island. Check out Chris' Star Wars connection to Mysterious Island in this Digging Star Wars episode...

And, yes, Phil and the Dying Breed Movie Club also covered Mysterious Island....




IMDB.com Entry on Mysterious Island:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055207/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Rhapsody in Blue (1945)

Happy Birthday, George Gershwin!




IMDB.com Entry on Rhapsody in Blue:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038026/?ref_=nm_knf_i2

Watch now on Amazon Prime (for FREE!):
https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/primesignup/?redirectToAsin=B004W07M28&t=0m0s&gccRef=1&titlDesc=Rhapsody%20in%20Blue&ref_=imdbref_tt_wbr_piv&tag=imdbtag_tt_wbr_piv-20

How The West Was Won (1962)

Happy Pioneer Day!




IMDB.com Entry on How the West Was Won: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056085/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Jonah: A Veggie Tales Movie (2002)

Today is Christian Music Day. The Christian pop rock band The Newsboys lent their talents to the first full-length animated feature from Big Idea - creators of Veggie Tales. Here's the trailer...




Here's our video recommendation for Jonah: A Veggie Tales Movie...




IMDB.com Entry for Jonah: A Veggie Tales Movie: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0298388/?ref_=nv_sr_1

For more on Christian Music Day, visit: http://www.christianmusicday.com/

Regarding Henry (1992)

This is the first full day of Fall! 

Wikipedia.org Article for Autumn:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autumn

And what better film to kick off this leaf-kicking season than the Harrison Ford drama .......

Regarding Henry (1992)




The original score by Hans Zimmer is my all-time favorite soundtrack. Once reserved for solitary autumn walks, the Regarding Henry soundtrack is now background music to many post-dinner clean-ups, chit-chats, and meditations in the Mich household. A fellow fan of the soundtrack wrote: “…someplace where your soul resides, this music is playing.” I couldn’t agree more. ~ Chris

IMDB.com Entry on Regarding Henry:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102768/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

Francisco Vazquez de Coronado dies on this day in 1554.

Wikipedia.org Article for Francisco Vázquez de Coronado:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francisco_V%C3%A1zquez_de_Coronado

Let's face it: anything he touched BELONGS IN A MUSEUM!




IMDB.com Entry for Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097576/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Rear Window (1954)

Happy Birthday, Phil Congleton - co-creator of FILM366.com! Here's his pick for the FILM OF PHIL'S BIRTHDAY!




IMDB.com Entry for Rear Window: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047396/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Henry Fool (1997)

On this day in 1946, the Cannes Film Festival premiered after a 7-year delay caused by World War II. Today's film won Best Screenplay at Cannes in 1997. Here's a scene/trailer from HENRY FOOL...





IMDB.com Entry on HENRY FOOL: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0122529/?ref_=ttawd_awd_tt

Batman: The Movie (1966)

Adam West is 88 today !!!!

Wikipedia.org Article for Adam West:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_West

Yes, it's the campy cult classic, but for what it is, it is a great movie to watch.  Loads of fun !!!  

From the TV screens found at the same Bat-Time on the same Bat-Channel we give you the only theatrical feature film appearance of Adam West and Burt Ward in...........

Batman: The Movie (1966)

Trailer for the film on YouTube

Grand Hotel (1932)

The Great Garbo was born on this day in 1905!




IMDB.com Entry for Grand Hotel: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022958/?ref_=fn_al_tt_3

Google Info on Greta Garbo: https://g.co/kgs/7BVjG1

Sling Blade (1996)

Happy Birthday, John Ritter! He would have turned 68 today. Here's one of his finest film performances...



IMDB.com Entry on Sling Blade: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117666/fullcredits?ref_=tt_ov_st_sm

IMDB.com Entry on John Ritter: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000615/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t4

Stalag 17 (1953)

Today is National POW/MIA Recognition Day !!!!  

We already did The Great Escape (1963) and the Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), earlier this year, so what's next ??

Let's recognize these heroes in another famously classic film, also starring William Holden (Kwai) and directed by the great Billy Wilder in .....

Stalag 17 (1953)

IMDB.com Entry for the Film:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046359/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Wikipedia.org Article for the Film:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stalag_17

Trailer for the Film on YouTube:

Rushmore (1998)

September is National School Success Month! Be true to your school...

Let's go back to a great school ................

Trailer for the Film on YouTube:



IMDB.com Entry on Rushmore:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0128445/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988)

Henry Bliss has the unfortunate history of being the first automobile accident fatality. It all happened on this day in New York City in 1899. 

Wikipedia.org Article for Henry Bliss:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_H._Bliss

If only people listened to those crazy designers who thought up this thing called seat belts...

... like in this classic...

Trailer on YouTube:

.
IMDB.com Entry on Tucker: The Man and His Dream:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096316/?ref_=nv_sr_2

It Happened One Night (1934)

Happy Birthday, Claudette Colbert! She would have been 113!

Wikipedia.org Article for the film:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claudette_Colbert

Trailer for the film on YouTube:


IMDB.com Entry for the film: 
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0025316/?ref_=nv_sr_1

WarGames (1983)

On this day in 1957, NORAD begins operations. 

Wikipedia.org Article for NORAD:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_Aerospace_Defense_Command

We thought this was a fitting movie in light of this fact...

"SHALL WE PLAY A GAME" ????

Trailer for the film on YouTube:


IMDB.COM Entry on WarGames:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086567/?ref_=nv_sr_1

United 93 (2006)

Patriot Day.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1998)

Today, in American History! The United States opens its first paved coast-to-coast highway...forever changing American travel as we know it. Today's FILM OF THE DAY...

Why was this movie picked out to celebrate the date of America's first coast-to-coast highway? Watch the movie and find out!

IMDB.com Entry on Who Framed Roger Rabbit?: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096438/?ref_=nv_sr_1

The Big Mouth (1967)

On this day in 1890 the original Colonel Sanders (Colonel Harland David Sanders), was born.

Wikipedia.org Article for Colonel Sanders:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonel_Sanders

Kentucky Fried Chicken Virginia 60" original USA Ad (1967) on YouTube:


Since we are having fun with this one, lets go back to one of the Colonel's most popular film appearances in another shout out to the legendary Jerry Lewis in ......

The Big Mouth (1967)

IMDB.com Entry for the Film:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061401/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

Trailer for the Film on YouTube:

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)

On this stardate in 1966, the very first episode of Star Trek (The Original Series) airs on NBC.

50 years ago the first episodes of the original Star Trek series began airing in 1966 and creator Gene Roddenberry's vision began to take shape.

Find the link to Gene Roddenberry and the original Star Trek series' Wikipedia.org Articles from our Star Trek: Insurrection (1998) Post:
http://film366.blogspot.com/2016/02/star-trek-insurrection-1998.html

Film366.com decided that we would honor all the Star Trek movies to celebrate Star Trek's 50th Anniversary this year. We also are celebrating the release of the new Star Trek Beyond (2016).

Since this was the day that the first episode aired back in 1966 it was only fitting to pick the film that was  the last screen appearance of the original crew all together in one place in a really good film called ...............




Star Trek Official Website Entry on THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY:
http://www.startrek.com/database_article/star-trek-vi-the-undiscovered-country

Thunderball (1965)

Legendary James Bond film director Terence Young passed away on this day in 1994.

Wikipedia.org Article for Director Terence Young:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terence_Young_(director)

Young directed several famous Bond films from Dr. No (1962) to From Russia with Love (1963) to .........

Thunderball (1965)




IMDB.com Entry on Terence Young: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0950109/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1

IMDB.com Entry on Thunderball: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059800/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_19

Nosferatu (1922)

Happy Birthday, Max Schreck! Today, we're skipping the FILM OF THE DAY trailer and going straight to the Digging Star Wars episode on Nosferatu (1922) starring Chris Mich and Mike Gleason...




IMDB.com Entry on Max Schreck: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0775180/?ref_=nv_sr_1

IMDB.com Enrty on Nosferatu (1922): http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0013442/?ref_=nm_knf_i1

Digging Star Wars Entry on Nosferatu (1922): http://diggingstarwars.blogspot.com/2011/10/nosferatu.html

Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)

A-B-C. Always Be Close to watching this movie. My third favorite movie of all-time. ~ Chris




IMDB.com Entry on Glengarry Glen Ross: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104348/?ref_=nv_sr_1

L.A. Story (1991)

On this day in 1781, a group of Spanish settlers founded what would become Los Angeles, CA.




IMDB.com Entry on L.A. Story: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102266/?ref_=nv_sr_1

The Last Boyscott (1991)

In honor of the first professional American football game played on this day in 1895, Film366.com presents...




IMDB.com Entry on The Last Boyscout: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102266/?ref_=nv_sr_1

American Graffiti (1973)

On this day in 1995 the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame opened in Cleveland, Ohio.

Wikipedia.org Article for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_and_Roll_Hall_of_Fame

Yep, we need a film that is more famous for it's soundtrack and design then it is for the film itself, so ......

American Graffiti (1973)

This is the stuff of Hollywood legends. This is the film that put George Lucas on the Hollywood map. This is American Graffiti.

If you've never seen the film, now - in a post-Lucas Star Wars world - is the perfect time to see it and witness how it all started.

If you have seen Graffiti, read my WCU genre theory essay excerpt I wrote on American Graffiti and David R. Shumway's article "Rock 'n' Roll Sound Tracks and the Production of Nostalgia." There are SPOILERS in the article, so save the read till AFTER you've seen it...

Commodified (or Communal) Nostalgia

                Via his article, David R. Shumway analyzes the ideology of numerous nostalgia films from the Sixties, Seventies and Eighties through their use of popular music. While he explores several pioneering films, the majority of his text centers on American Graffiti, a 1973 film whose storyline takes place in 1962. Shumway positions nostalgia as a fondness for the past, but with two clear types: 1) Personal nostalgia – the subjective experience of an emotional state of consciousness for longing for one’s own past and 2) Commodified nostalgia – the revival by the culture industry of certain fashions and styles of a past era, evoking the affect of nostalgia even among those who do not have actual personal memories of the period being revived (Shumway 1999, 39). “Commodified” is a marker for Shumway’s commercial ideology on what would better be termed “Communal Past,” which is knowledge and/or remembrance of the past, a feeling of generational belonging, even if the participants shared knowledge does not derive from personal experience or “truth” obtained within the designated generation. One should bear in mind that all the movies analyzed by Shumway were initially seen by audiences in the movie theater, as the advent of the home movie theater had not yet occurred prior to the films’ release dates. In other words, the movies were seen in the theater and were therefore a communal experience. People could laugh, gasp, cry, dance, sing along and so on together in response to the shared commodity.

                In the end, all the films analyzed, including American Graffiti, are deemed commodified nostalgia due to various factors of the production, but especially due to their compilation rock ‘n’ roll soundtrack. Another commonality of the analyzed films shared was that they depict youth as a period of sexual initiation and experimentation. Nostalgia is an important factor considering this thematic thread, as early sexual activities are often threatening experiences and result in terribly painful memories. The filmmaker’s combination of music and narrative allows pleasurable rewriting of the past to occur in the mind of the spectators, omitting any unpleasantness or doldrums from both socially-shared and personal histories.

The Great Pretender

                The philosophies of all three articles ring true in the American Graffiti character of Curt Henderson, played by Richard Dreyfuss. Shumway points out that while the music of Graffiti creates the commodified/communal experience, the ironic twist is that the film’s hero is Curt, an independent individual who escapes from an idealized, nostalgic world (Shumway 1999, 42). Even more interesting is that the valorized Curt not only escapes but is a success and a writer. For this argument, Curt is a successful (a.k.a. “good”) writer as well.

After bouncing from one familiar white middle-class suburban scenario to another (the drive-in burger joint, the sock hop, courting rituals in the backseat of a car), Curt finds himself seated on a hood of a parked car, without a ride, and singing along to The Platters’ The Great Pretender. The filmmakers’ song choice is not by chance. Enter the Pharaohs, a racially-mixed gang that challenge, corner and kidnap Curt. Up to now, Curt has demonstrated his adaptability to any scenario by analyzing, understanding and pushing the limits and mechanics of the situation. In other words, he is a “great pretender,” confident that he can helm any scenario (genre) to his liking. He is not limited by format; he uses it to his fullest advantage. Although intimidated by this new social group, Curt adapts quickly, finding common subjects of conversation, undergoing initiations and becoming involved in their illegal activities, all the while maintaining his own identity. When the Pharaohs come full circle and ask him to join the gang, Curt now has the power and he declines their offer. Everyone fails to entrap him in the familiar white middle-class suburbia – his eclectic variety of friends, formidable enemies turned allies, and even the mysterious and beautiful blond in the elusive T-bird. He refuses settle down in town, since there simply isn’t enough room for him to voice his ideals. Heeding the advice of the revered disc jockey Wolfman Jack, Curt goes onto to higher education and the “great big world out there.” The Dragnet-style end placard tells the audience that Curt is a writer alive in Canada while his peers eke out a meager existence in their hometown or find death in Vietnam or behind the wheel (Coppola, Lucas, Katz and Huyck, 1973 [1990]). Not only does Curt avoid the dark days of America involving the assassination of JFK and the Vietnam War, he has the power to express his own ideologies as a writer. Curt is the only character in Graffiti who finds success because he can read a situation, study and contemplate his options, and takes action, namely, by escaping.

IMDB.com Entry on AMERICAN GRAFFITI: 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069704/?ref_=nv_sr_1

George Lucas’ journey into 1960s Americana takes place during one night, mostly in the streets, while the characters ride around in cars, get in trouble and try to figure out their lives. Lucas hands us a very basic, kind of boring plot for a film that is more of a commentary on the visuals of the 1960s, than any real story or plot about the 1960s. Of course you would think a person who could take an outer space adventure, like Star Wars (1977) and make it believable, could also take 1960s Americana and make it look believable and genuine, which Lucas does with this film quite well.  It is a basic plot about two students going off to college and the decisions they make in the next 24 hours stems on if they will actually leave for school or not.  Some of the scenes are a little silly and unbelievable, especially the scene with the liquor store guy shooting at another guy running out of the store after he swipes a bottle of liquor.  Also, the scene with McKenzie Phillips spraying foam all over another person’s car. Why didn't the people get out the car or do anything?  It does have a great soundtrack which really helps date the movie. The movie looks fantastic and has a genuine 1960s feel. which I think is what Lucas was shooting for. Even in Star Wars, Lucas was knocked for having bland dialoge and not a very original plot, but who cares really, whatever, his amazing film making made us believe that Star Wars was real and he captured that brilliantly. It is the same thing with this film.  Perfect in its design and appeal, but is still kind of a slow boring, bland script that just carries us through this world he created with film.  Richard Dreyfus as usual is fantastic and Wolfman Jack makes an interesting cameo as “not himself”, very interesting.  It's also an interesting combination of the Happy Days/Laverne & Shirley gang meeting Han Solo, with names like Ronny Howard, Cindy Williams, McKenzie Phillips, Suzanne Somers and Harrison Ford in the mix. This quiet, almost pointless, almost plot-less movie is a genuine slice of American life and it captures the early 1960s perfectly. - Phil

I even did this ..............

More American Graffiti (1979) 

This film tries to follow along the same lines that George Lucas did in the first film, as Director Bill L. Norton tries to recreate the 1960s, but this time Norton actually has more source material for this film. This story seems a little bit more interesting, with more going on and I think the film goes off the rails, because of the subject matter.  The script revolves around four different timelines, flashing forward and backwards, all within a few years of each other, 1964, 65, 66 and 67.  The director does do an interesting thing with multiple camera shots, multiple frames, using different images, using two or three images at a time, to convey different feelings, emotions and perspectives from other characters.  Also, Norton dabbles with imagery by shrinking the screen to smaller sizes and moving it around a lot, especially when the plot moves back to Vietnam.  He shrinks the screen to 4:3 to make it look more like what a news reel about the war would look like on the television in the 1960s.  He also takes it one step further by throwing in the grainy, washed out color, with dark tones seen in the old Vietnam News Reels.  In one silly, unnecessary scene, where Candy Clark is at a strip club, the owner owns a snake and in a moment of tongue-and-cheek, some guy shoots the snake with a gun, because it startled him at the bar. A bar fight erupts later in the film at a different bar, which also gave a feeling of silliness. That is the problem with this film.  It doesn’t know if it should be serious or not.  I will also have to take some points off of the film, because the cameraman’s hand comes into the shot (twice), during one of the fight scenes in Vietnam.  This film is an interesting change from the first film, because this one tackles issues like Vietnam, riots protesting the war, police brutality, drugs, you name it. I did think it was a bad move using Simon and Garfunkel's “Sound of Silence”.   That song is synonymous for the movie The Graduate (1967) and by using it in this film, the way they did, seemed almost like satire. There was a certain reward hearing Richie Cunningham say “shit” too. - Phil

Trailer for More American Graffiti on YouTube:

Rocky Balboa (2006)

Leading up to this day in 1752, The Liberty Bell arrives in Philadelphia. 

Wikipedia.org Article for the Liberty Bell:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty_Bell

So, grab a cheese steak and drink some raw eggs as we watch:

Rocky Balboa (2006)

Trailer for the film on YouTube:


About the Liberty Bell: http://www.ushistory.org/libertybell/

My son Luke loves this movie, but wishes I was telling you to watch CREED.  Perhaps next year, son.

IMDB.com Entry on ROCKY BALBOA film: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0479143/?ref_=nv_sr_1

I rarely do this on Film366, but I'm gonna do it here. Here's a scene from Rocky Balboa. Yes, it's a spoiler. So, if you're gonna watch this movie for the first time - don't watch it. But, if you've seen it OR on the fence about watching this - go ahead. Why? Because I'm still blown away a great monologue like this came out of - all things - a 6th film in a series of movies...Rocky movies at that! It's awesome.