Spring Viewing

It's swordfights and sandals season around here.  That means I force my peeps to watch every movie my mom and I watched over the Easter Season, and then some.  It's the "some" that has taken over for the most part, as my latest viewing of The Ten Commandments didn't hold up to the test of time.  Other than Yul Brenner.  So, if you feel somewhat religious, or at least enjoy the entertainment value of any movie with a concept of Theology, then here a list for you.

Pompeii

It has swordfights.  It has sandals.  It has gladiators.  Gladiators who must eventually kill each other.  But not before they become friends against the machine.  One's black, one's white (isn't that always the way with Gladiators?), both have British Accents.  In fact, everyone in this movie has a British Accent, except for Kiefer Southerland, who dismally tries.  It has romance, it even has Horse Whisperers.  But that's not all . . . it also has, gasp!  Natural disasters galore!  Mount Vesuvius erupts of course, but we all knew that.  What we didn't know about were the earthquakes, the pyroclastic flows and the tsunamis that went with it. Oh, and did I mention Jon Snow?  It has Jon Snow, doing something productive that season HBO killed him off.  And all charmingly connected together by the Pompeiian remains of two lovers in their final embrace.  Even Chris managed to stay up and watch.

Troy

Why this movie didn't do well in theatres is beyond me.  I once saw an interview with Brad Pitt where he said he didn't understand the power of an entrance, until he made Legends of the Fall.  Perhaps he hadn't made this movie yet. I'd call it a skin flick.  Mostly his.

Gladiator

I remember seeing this movie in the theatre and the exact point where every woman in the audience finally got Russell Crowe.  Literally, there was a collective audible gasp as he takes to a stolen stead and defies the Emperor.

Cleopatra

I've read Cleopatra's Memoirs, and this movie was historically very accurate.  Liz is just stunning, and Cleo is my favorite historical character.  The featurette included on the making of the film is a real piece of history itself, nearly putting Fox into bancrupcy. 

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark

Still hasn't lost its magic.  Like being on a roller coaster for the entire film, and one of the best opening scenes Steven Spielburg has ever done.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

The best of the entire series.  Ok, I get that Steve met his wife and all he could come up with was magic rocks for the second installment.  The premise for the fourth installment was nothing short of ludicris (especially since the History Channel did they best to debunk the Crystal Skull myths).  This story has meaning, it has Sean Connery and River Phoenix, may he rest in peace, and everything else you expect from an Indy movie.

The Natural

What kind of wife would I be if I didn't mention Baseball as a Spring passage.  My Husband doesn't count the days until Spring, he counts the days until "Pitchers and Catchers" day.  What can I say, its a Baseball movie.  It has Robert Redford in it.  Better than "Field of Dreams" or "Bull Durham" in my opinion.