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Remembering Neil Armstrong

I could not let this week go without saying how profoundly sad I was to hear the news of the passing of Neil Armstrong over the weekend at the age of 82. As I said on my Facebook page at the moment of Sally Ride’s passing:

I grew up in what we now know were the waning days of the “space race”/ Cold War, where the threat of nuclear obliteration was only bested by the scientific discovery that sprung up in the wake of the quest for world dominance.

Just the other day I was thinking about space again and a childhood film that I LOVED from the 1980’s Space Camp (1985). I just KNEW that was going to be me in a few years time. Alas, I did not reach those heights, but the curiosity of what is out there always stuck with me.

Looking around the world wide web I was pleased to find out that more people share in my sentiment when it comes to remembering the first man to land on the moon’s surface. Here is just a sample, my “mix tape”of sorts from a few film sites that also reflected on the life and achievements of a man who dreamed big and for a brief moment in time was among the moon and stars …

 

 

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Video Pick: 12 Angry Men (1957)

In memory of the life and work of Sidney Lumet who passed away last week, I decided to make my next video recommendation one of my favorites from his filmography. My reason for selecting this film is, that for me, it brings me back to a wonderful and equally frightening time in my life – my senior year in high school.

The time of my life was wonderful because I was actively partaking in the “rite of passage” of transitioning from being my parents’ daughter and yet, it was daunting and a little frightening because that meant I was taking a major first step into the wider world known as adulthood.

 


12 Angry Men | Movie Trailer | Review

 

What spoke to me above all else about 12 Angry Men was how the story unfolded and ultimately culminated in the triumph of the human conscience and the defeat of bias, prejudice and preconceptions. The film achieved this in a somewhat realistic and evenhanded way. It showed me in a way that we are all constantly in a battle with the angels of our better selves and that sometimes, they will prevail.

For an 17-18 year old who is about to enter this generally cynical world wishing to retain some level of “goodness” (or even to be able to define what that truly means), this message really spoke to me.  Ironically, this film was shown as part of our school’s “religious studies” curriculum; yet in spite of this, I feel like 12 Angry Men strips the notion of morality bare to an essential fundamental coda – in this hectic world, you still can listen to and act on that better part of yourself. A true life lesson indeed.

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Movie Going Dilemma

My decision to go see “Love and Other Disasters Drugs” this upcoming weekend has prompted me to ask myself a question: are there any movie actors that are on a self-imposed “Movie Embargo” list? In other words, are there any films that I will not see based solely on the actors in the movie? The question comes to mind because some of my initial reservation in going to this movie had to do with my indifference to one of the lead actors in the films.

After much thought, I have concluded not really … I feel quite ambivalent about “movie stars” as such. GRANTED there are people that I try to see most every project they are in (read Kate Winslet) but not really anyone that I would definitely say no to or whose screen presence I am completely turned off by.

So I bring the question to the readers: is there any film star, that once you see their name on the poster, you absolutely refuse to see the film, no matter the critical (or otherwise) response?

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