Wednesday Open Thread

Dec 06, 07:20 AM CST

Our recent discussion regarding the movie “Bobby” makes me wonder what politically themed movies top everyone’s list of favorites?

I’d list “The American President,” “The War Room,” and “All the President’s Men.”

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  1. A FACE IN THE CROWD
    1957, directed by Elia Kazan, lead character Andy Griffeth. Based loosely on Huey Long.
    — Janet Brown    Dec 06, 07:43 AM CST #
  2. Aaah…The American President. Aaron Sorkin makes me weepy…
    — HawkeyeAtHeart    Dec 06, 08:08 AM CST #
  3. “Z” 1969, directed by Costa Gravas had a big impact during my college years. More recently, I really enjoyed “Dave,” 1993 and “My Fellow Americans,” 1996, and “The American President.”
    — Janet E Stewart    Dec 06, 10:32 AM CST #
  4. We liked “Street Fight” a documentary about Newark, NJ’s current mayor Cory Booker during his first campaign – which he lost 4 years ago.

    Two years ago, we were gripped by “Going Up River” a documentary about John Kerry. We were especially moved by the scene where he was speaking before the Senate at age 27.

    We also really appreciated, “An Inconvenient Truth” with Al Gore, which we watched last night. . . Tell me again, “Why did anyone pick Bush over Gore?”
    — Connie Harvey    Dec 06, 11:42 AM CST #
  5. Bob Roberts
    Election
    The Candidate

    Comedies aren’t usually my favorites, but – when it comes to politics – everything is so damn ridiculous that the comedies tend to be a hell lot more honest and usually more insightful.

    For dramas, I’d put Spike Lee’s MALCOLM X and even his Do The Right Thing towards the top. I find that the best political films usually aren’t about POLITICS at all.
    — Kyle Michaelis    Dec 06, 11:55 AM CST #
  6. My favorite has always been Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.

    Traffic is also one of my favorites. It’s not an easy movie to watch, but it is very well done and is a powerful commentary on the “War on Drugs.”
    — Elisia Harvey    Dec 06, 12:12 PM CST #
  7. I’ve always considered Dr. Strangelove more of a horror film – way too close to reality for any of us to admit. Still, a brilliant choice.
    — Kyle Michaelis    Dec 06, 12:24 PM CST #
  8. “Burn” with Marlon Brando
    “The Harder They Come”
    Soundtrack by Jimmy Cliff
    “Battle for Algiers”
    “Thirteen Days”
    “Mr Smith goes to Washington”
    “Z”
    among others
    — vince powers    Dec 06, 02:55 PM CST #
  9. any news on Lathrop in Omaha? I don’t know election laws, what are the chances he’s gonna hold on?
    — Reg    Dec 06, 04:27 PM CST #
  10. Senator’s Lathrop election victory was reaffirmed today, He won by 14 votes.
    — vince powers    Dec 06, 06:44 PM CST #
  11. Brazil
    Malcolm X
    The Yes Men
    Bob Roberts
    The Contender
    Rude Boy
    Gladiator
    Hijacking Catastrophe
    — Don Kuhns    Dec 06, 07:19 PM CST #
  12. Gladiator?
    — vince powers    Dec 06, 08:36 PM CST #
  13. With both Vince and Janet’s recommendations, I think I’m going to have to check out “Z.” It’s available on DVD – compared favorably at Amazon with Oliver Stone’s “JFK,” another of my personal favorites (one of the best-composed propaganda pieces in film histry).

    Will certainly be on the look-out. Sounds fantastic.
    — Kyle Michaelis    Dec 06, 09:49 PM CST #
  14. “Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb” & “Fail-Safe” – two films, released in the same year (1964) about the same topic, different treatment. Both spoke to the threat of REAL weapons of mass destruction.
    How is it that we faced down a terrorist organization with the destructive capacity to annihilate the entire world and yet we cringe in fear over a few radical middle easterners?
    I lived in the midst of a city run by the Mafia in a country plagued by the Red Brigades in the 1980’s. There were murders nearly every day in my neighborhood and bombings – some carried out by government officials – which sporadically slaughtered dozens.
    People in other countries have learned to live normal lives amidst the threat of terror without throwing their liberties and freedoms in the toilet. Why can’t we?
    “Excellent Cadavers” (1999) is a film that fairly accurately describes the political atmosphere that surrounded the events taking place where I lived in those years. See it and then ask yourself if it couldn’t happen here.
    — Brian T. Osborn    Dec 06, 10:27 PM CST #
  15. Gladitor, Vince! You know, that one about the numb-n*** son of a country’s past leader that led his country into ruin. It starred Joaquin Phoenix as Commodus Bush.
    — Brian T. Osborn    Dec 06, 10:31 PM CST #
  16. Mr. Smith Goes To Washington
    The American President
    Bowling For Columbine

    Oddly enough, though, (and, yeah, veering off the topic a little), I think the most engrossing political drama I’ve seen has actually been on television: Aaron Sorkin’s “West Wing,” and the incredible HBO drama about the streets of Baltimore, “The Wire.”
    — Dave Sund    Dec 06, 11:16 PM CST #
  17. Dave –
    I agree with you completely. No movie has ever competed against the West Wing in my mind as of yet. I really miss the show – I’ve tried to find something to fill the void – but haven’t been able to.

    Hopefully Santa is reading the blog these days and will get this hint – WW Complete Series on DVD!

    Well, I have a lot of movies to add to my rental list now – thanks everyone.
    — Eric Fought    Dec 07, 08:16 AM CST #
  18. Well I know my santa is completing my collection of WW this year, as she told me…so much for surprises…lol. If you haven’t given it a try yet, I would suggest Studio 60. I am starting to feel like Sorkin can do no wrong…
    — HawkeyeAtHeart    Dec 07, 08:48 AM CST #
  19. A movie about politics and freedom of speech will soon arrive in Lincoln, Nebraska.

    The film, SHUT UP AND SING will be shown at the Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center.

    Friday, Jan 5th – Thursday, Jan 18th

    http://theross.org/nowshowing.php?mid=198

    “This documentary captures the female country & western group the Dixie Chicks in performance around the U.S. and London between the years 2003 and 2006. While performing in 2003, singer Natalie Maines ignited a maelstrom of controversy and red-state rage when she declared from a London stage on the eve of the Iraqi conflict that she was ashamed President George W. Bush was from her home state of Texas.”

    A crowd of 8,000 fans turned out in Omaha to hear their nationwide “Accidents & Accusations” tour on November 28th.

    This afternoon the Dixie Chicks garnered five Grammy award nominations.
    — Robert Smith    Dec 07, 05:23 PM CST #
  20. I’m a couple days late like usual for this time of year. HBO has acouple of great series. “Deadwood” speaks plainly about the roots of Western Statates politics.
    “The Wire” ties politics to the everyday world very neatly.
    — Steve Hollister    Dec 10, 09:34 PM CST #

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