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Academy Award-Winning Dramas Worth Watching Again

October 25, 2013 by

While we can all agree to disagree on some of the Academy Awards choices, there’s no denying that the Oscars have honored some truly outstanding films over the years. Here are a few winners of "Best Picture" that deserve to be watched and enjoyed again.

1.     The English Patient. Anthony Minghella’s World War II dramatic romance is gorgeously shot. The film stars Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche, and it’s rich, complex, and will inspire multiple viewings to piece together all the flashback montages.

2.     Ordinary People. Robert Redford enjoyed his directorial debut  with this 1980 Oscar winner. This remarkable portrait of a family in the midst of falling apart, focuses on the Jarretts as they try to recover from the accidental death of one son, and deal with the attempted suicide of the other.

3.     The Deer Hunter. Michael Cimino’s haunting tale of traumatized Vietnam vets trying to return to "normal" life is a controversial epic, as it shows life on the streets for the injured heroes as it truly was. Add in names like Robert De Niro, Meryl Streep, and Christopher Walken and you have winner!

4.     The Godfather. Francis Ford Coppola’s Mafia epic is one of the greatest dramas of all time. Both the original film and the sequel won the Oscar for Best Picture — an honor that has never been repeated and probably never will.

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Suspense Films That Will Keep You Up At Night

August 29, 2013 by

One of the most-loved, and most-enduring film genres is suspense. People are drawn to the twisty, dark mysteries that leave you guessing and gasping until the very end. From masters like Alfred Hitchcock to modern marvels, here are a few suspense movies you need to see on a dark and stormy night.

1.     Psycho. Hitchcock’s most well-known film, tells the tale of a disturbed motel owner. This psychological horror has one of the most iconic murder scenes of all time, and the unexpected twist at the end is well-worth the wait.

2.     The Silence Of The Lambs. Young FBI Agent Clarice Starling works with the startling Hannibal 'The Cannibal' Lecter to hunt down a serial killer who is on the loose. This movie is one of the few films to win all five major Oscars.

3.     Cape Fear. The original version of this is great too, but Martin Scorsese's remake very well may exceed it. Robert De Niro stars as a revenge-motivated psycho out to ruin Nick Nolte and his family.

4.     Blow-Up. This twisted British suspense film is a true modern classic. It follows a photographer who accidentally captures a murder on film, and then discovers that even in pictures, nothing is really what it seems.

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Great Historical Documentaries

August 8, 2013 by

We live in a sort of boom time for interesting documentaries, and some of the best capture the past in ways only film can do. Here are four illuminating historical documentaries:

Mighty Times: The Legacy of Rosa Parks
We all have heard of Rosa Parks. In this short documentary we see how one person can change the fate of the nation. Just by refusing to give up her seat on the bus Rosa Parks helped fight the battle against segregation and make our country what it is today. 

The Fog of War
Learn about the life and times of U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara. Start at the beginning with his birth during World War I to his time working during World War II, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the Vietnam War. Through interviews with McNamara we hear about his outlook on modern warfare. 

Liberty! The American Revolution
It may be long but if you want to learn the ins and outs of the American Revolution this six hour PBS documentary is for you. From the very beginning to the last shot fired you can see a thorough explanation of how our nation became what we know and love. 

Once in a Lifetime
This documentary chronicles the rise and fall of the New York Cosmos, a 1970s-era club in the defunct North American Soccer League who counted Pele among their players.
 

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