The World Will Know His Name And The Truth.

Starring: Paul Walter Hauser, Sam Rockwell, Kathy Bates, Jon Hamm, Olivia Wilde, Nina Arianda, Ian Gomez, Wayne Duvall

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"You're the only one who treated me like a human being! And now you're yelling at me, telling me I have to be somebody that I'm not! I'm not that guy, you're that guy!" - Richard Jewell

Why watch this? Law enforcement and reporters are sometimes the problem.

Plot Summary: Security guard Richard Jewell is hailed as a hero after discovering a bomb and helping evacuate the area during the 1996 Atlanta Olympic bombing. His life instantly turns into a nightmare when the FBI suspects him of being the bomber and leaks this false theory to the media. Jewell then relies on an independent attorney to fight against the combined powers of the FBI and a sensationalist press seeking to destroy his reputation.

Malpaso Prod., Appian Way Prod., Misher Films,
75 Year Plan Prod.; Warner Bros. Pictures

The movie was fake. The mission was real.

Starring: Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, John Goodman, Tate Donovan, Victor Garber, Kyle Chandler

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"Shoot him. He's an American spy ... Look, they're going to try to break you, OK, by trying to get you agitated. You have to know your resume back to front." – Tony Mendez

Why watch this? A great movie about an interesting, and very tense, true story.

Plot Summary: This film chronicles the creative way that several US government employees were smuggled out of Iran after the fall of the Shah, back in 1979. The US team assigned to the rescue concoct the idea of filming a science fiction movie in Iran as their cover.
 

Dad's Preview: "It's so crazy it just might work!" The courage it must have taken to pull off such ballsy plan! Director/Star Ben Affleck proves once again that he's a very good director in this well-paced political thriller. It could have been silly, yet the result is a taut, believable film. John Goodman and Alan Arkin are also exceptional in key supporting roles.

GK Films, Smokehouse Pics; Warner Bros. Pics

You don't get to 500 million friends without making a few enemies

Starring: Jessie Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, Rooney Mara, Bryan Barter, Dustin Fitzsimons, Joseph Mazzello, Patrick Mapel

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"You better lawyer up asshole, because I'm not coming back for 30%, I'm coming back for EVERYTHING." - Edwardo Severin

Why watch this? It's scary that there exists a new generation of narcissistic young men.

Plot Summary: This drama chronicles the founding of Facebook by Mark Zuckerberg, beginning with his college days at Harvard. As Facebook rises to global prominence, Zuckerberg finds himself embroiled in two lawsuits, one brought by former friends who claim he stole their idea, and the other by his initial business partner over ownership disputes. The film recounts the story through the differing perspectives presented in legal depositions and flashbacks.

Columbia Picts, Relativity Media, Scott Rudin Prod.,
Michael De Luca Prod., Trigger Street Prod.;
Sony Pictures Releasing

They Thought He Couldn't Do the Job. That's Why They Chose Him.

Starring: Charles Martin Smith, Brian Dennehy, Zachary Ittimangnag, Samson Jorah, Hugh Webster, Tom Dahlgren

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"I'd heard some of the tales about the Arctic: the mad trappers, Diamond Tooth Gertie, The Ice-Worm Cocktail and all that. So, I was prepared for things to be a little weird." - Tyler, narrating

Why watch this? It might change your perspective on wolves and their unfair reputation.

Plot Summary: Biologist Tyler is sent to the Canadian Arctic to study the declining caribou population, believed to be caused by wolves. Living in isolation, he observes a wolf pack and discovers unexpected truths about their behavior and their role in the ecosystem. This experience leads him to a profound realization about the true threat to the caribou and the interconnectedness of nature.

Walt Disney Pictures, Amarok Prod. Ltd.;
Buena Vista Distribution Company

The Story That Won't Go Way

Starring: Kevin Costner, Kevin Bacon, Tommy Lee Jones, Laurie Metcalf, Gary Oldman, Michael Rooker, Jay O. Sanders, Sissy Spacek, Joe Pesci, Beata Pozniak, Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Donald Sutherland, Ed Asner, Brian Doyle-Murray, John Candy

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"The organizing principle of any society, Mr. Garrison, is for war. The authority of the state over its people resides in its war powers. And Kennedy wanted to end the Cold War in his second term." – X

Why watch this? Oliver Stone takes on the Kennedy assassination, not an easy topic to resolve.

Plot Summary: This historical story chronicles New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison's investigation into the assassination of President John F. Kennedy after he becomes suspicious of the official explanation provided by the Warren Commission. As Garrison and his team delve deeper, they uncover a complex web of potential motives and inconsistencies that suggest a vast conspiracy to assassinate the president and frame Lee Harvey Oswald.
 

Dad's Preview: On the heels several box offices successes (namely Platoon 1986), Oliver Stone had the clout to address the nation's story that invented the term conspiracy theory. What he delivers is a compelling courtroom drama packed with Hollywood A-List stars, that tells a whopper, occasionally peppered with facts. That is the way Stone likes his films - controversial. Costner shines as the steadfast New Orleans District Attorney, Jim Garrison, determined to convince the jury that Kennedy was killed as part of a government conspiracy, and Lee Harvey Oswald was the scapegoat. During the trial, Garrison plays the famous Zapruder film over and over. I personally do not need to see a man's skull blown up that many times. I feel the best performance belonged to Tommy Lee Jones, as gay businessman Claw Shaw. This drama is historical, exciting, engrossing, and one possible way it might have happened.

Le Studio Canal+, Regency Enterprises,
Alcor Films, Ixtlan Corp; Warner Bros.

The true story behind the scandal that shook the world.

Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber, John Slattery, Brian D'Arcy James, Stanley Tucci, Elena Wohl, Lou Cariou

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"They knew and they let it happen! It could've been you, it could've been me, it could've been any of us." - Mike Rezendes

Why watch this? This covers the breaking story that many refused to believe.

Plot Summary: This crime true story recounts the Boston Globe's investigative reporting team as they uncover a massive scandal within the local Catholic Archdiocese. Prompted by a new editor, the team begins to delve into allegations of child molestation by priests and discovers a deep-rooted cover-up. Their meticulous investigation ultimately exposes a system that protected perpetrators and silenced victims, shaking the entire Catholic Church to its core.

Participant Media, First Look Media, Anonymous
Content, Rocklin/Faust Prod., Spotlight Film;
Open Road Films

At the far ends of the earth she found a reason to live, and a cause to fight for.

Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Bryan Brown, Julie Harris, John O. Miluwi, Iain Glen, Iain Cuthbertson, Constantin Alexandrov, Waigwa Wachira

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Your hair is color of fire. They think you are a witch." - Sembagare

Why watch this? Dian Fossey's tragic story compels, as did her work with the great apes.

Plot Summary: This biopic tells the true story of Dian Fossey, an American primatologist who travels to Rwanda to study and protect endangered mountain gorillas. She establishes a research center and builds deep connections with the gorillas, becoming fiercely dedicated to their well-being. However, her passionate efforts to combat poaching and the illicit trade in gorillas put her at odds with various groups and ultimately lead to a tragic end for her.

The Guber-Peters Co.; Universal Pictures

Into the heart Into the soul

Starring: Emile Hirsch, Vince Vaughn, Catherine Keener, Marcia Gay Harden, William Hurt, Jena Malone, Brian H. Dierker, Kristen Stewart, Hal Holbrook, Zach Galifianakis, Vince Vaughn

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"The core of man's spirit comes from new experiences." – Christopher McCandless (aka "Alexander Supertramp")

Why watch this? The tale of this deep-thinking young man has lessons for all of us.

Plot Summary: There are those who are drawn to living life on the free edge, as close to nature as possible. Beautiful mountains. Scenic deserts. Raging rivers. One such person is Christoper McCandless, a man in his early twenties, disenchanted with modern America, and determined to experience life "off the grid". After graduating from Emory University, he burns his credit cards and embarks to see the wild, leaving behind no trail to follow. This devastates all those who love him, but he MUST do this to be honest with himself. He is a cheerful, intelligent kid who enamors the wayward folks he encounters, yet breaks their hearts when he moves on. His destination is Alaska.

River Road Ent., Square One C.I.H.,
Linson Films; Paramount Vantage

This is a true story

Starring: Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt, Jeremy Strong, Finn Wittrock, John Magaro

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"If we're right, people lose homes. People lose jobs. People lose retirement savings, people lose pensions. You know what I hate about f***ing banking? It reduces people to numbers." - Ben Rickert

Why watch this? To learn about the financial crisis of 2008 and why it will happen again!

Plot Summary: Several disparate groups of investors recognize the precariousness of the housing market in the mid-2000s, and decide to bet against it. Their unconventional strategy involves navigating the complexities of the financial system and confronting those who are either unaware of or profiting from the impending collapse. As they research the flaws and corruption within the mortgage-backed securities market, their initial skepticism gives way to alarm, as they realize the widespread impact the crisis will have.

Regency Enterprises, Plan B Ent.;
Paramount Pictures

Hell was an ocean away.

Starring: James Badge Dale, Joseph Mazzello, Jon Seda, Jon Berethal, Rami Malek, Ashton Holmes, Josh Helman, Martin McCann, Kkeith Nobbs, Toby Leondard Moore, Jacob Pitts, William Sadler

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Well, the Marine Corp. taught me how to kill Japs. And I got really good at it." - Cpl. Eugene Sledge, when asked by a job interviewer what skills he had learned in the Marines

Why watch this? Axs".

Plot Summary: This 10-part miniseries follows the intense, interconnected experiences of three U.S. Marines across the brutal Pacific Theater of Operations during World War II. Based on true stories, the narrative tracks their journeys from the initial battles on Guadalcanal through key, violent campaigns on islands like Peleliu and Okinawa. It highlights the intense physical and psychological toll of combat and survival, exploring the profound impact of war on these men's lives.

Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman,
HBO Entertainment, DreamWorks Television,
Playtone; HBO

The crime that shocked a nation.

Starring: Robert Blake, Scott Wilson, John Forsythe, Paul Stewart, Gerald S. O'Loughlin, Jeff Corey, John Gallaudet, James Flavin, Charles McGraw, Will Geer, John McLiam

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"There's two kinds of laws, honey. One for the rich and one for the poor." - Dick

Why watch this? A senseless crime. How can this happen to innocent people?

Plot Summary: The story traces the paths of two ex-convicts, Perry Smith and Richard Hickock, who hatch a plan to rob a rural Kansas family. After a botched attempt, the drifters go on the run while law enforcement works to track them down. The true-crime narrative explores the complex motivations of the killers and the chilling investigation that follows.

Pax Enterprises; Columbia Pictures

Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century.

Starring: Frances McDormand, David Strathairn, the remaining participants were all actual nomads roaming America including: Linda, Charlene Swankie, Bob Wells, Peter Spears, Derek Endres, Gay DeForest, Patricia Grier, Angela Reyes, Carl Hughes, Douglas Soul

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"One of the things I love most about this life is that there's no final goodbye. You know, I've met hundreds of people out here and I don't ever say a final goodbye. I always just say, "I'll see you down the road." And I do." - Bob Wells

Why watch this? Vagabonds. Bums. The homeless. Nomads. This you should know...

Plot Summary: After losing everything in the Great Recession, Fern, a widow in her sixties, becomes a modern-day nomad, traveling the American West in her van. Along her journey, she experiences the challenges and freedoms of life on the road, forming connections with other nomads who have embraced this unconventional way of life.

Highwayman Hear/Say Prod.,
Cor Cordium Prod.; Searchlight Pics

The True Enigma Was the Man Who Cracked The Code

Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Rory Kinnear, Charles Dance, Mark Strong, Matthew Beard

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Sometimes it's the very people who no one imagines anything of who do the things no one can imagine." – Christopher Morcom

Why watch this? This engrossing story is based on the life of brilliant cryptographer Alan Turing.

Plot Summary: Mathematician Alan Turing and his team of codebreakers work for Britain's top-secret Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park during World War II. Facing the seemingly unbreakable Nazi Enigma machine, Turing attempts to build a device that can decipher its messages.

Black Bear Pictures, Bristol Automotive
Orange Corp.; The Weinstein Co.

Houston, we have a problem.

Starring: Tom Hanks, Ed Harris, Bill Paxton, Kevin Bacon, Gary Sinise, Kathleen Quinlan, Chris Ellis, Joe Spano, Marc McClure, Xander Berkeley

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"We've never lost an American in space, we're sure as hell not gonna lose one on my watch! Failure is not an option." - Gene Kranz

Why watch this? It's important history, and so well done. I love that combo.

Plot Summary: Astronauts Jim Lovell, Fred Haise, and Jack Swigert facing a severe crisis when their spacecraft is crippled by an explosion en route to the moon. This incident forces NASA's mission control to abort the scheduled moon landing and work tirelessly to bring the crew back home. Faced with dwindling resources and technical challenges, the astronauts and the ground crew must rely on their ingenuity and teamwork to overcome the perilous situation and ensure their survival.

Imagine Entertainment; Universal Pictures

April 1945, a nation awaits its... downfall

Starring: Bruno Ganz, Alexandra Maria Lara, Ulrich Matthes, Corinna Harfouch, Juliane Köhler, Heino Ferch, Christian Berkel, Matthias Habich, Thomas Kretschmann, Michael Mendl

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Who do you think you are to dare disobey an order I give? So this is what it has come to! The military has been lying to me. Everybody has been lying to me, even the SS! Our generals are just a bunch of contemptible, disloyal cowards" - Adolf Hitler

Why watch this? This is an excellent deep-dive into Adolph Hitler.

Plot Summary: This story depicts the final, frantic days of the Third Reich from inside Adolf Hitler's Berlin bunker in April 1945 as Soviet forces close in. Told partly through the eyes of his secretary, Traudl Junge, the film portrays a delusional Hitler commanding non-existent armies while his inner circle begins to unravel.

Bernd Eichinger; Constantin Film,
Momentum Pictures

She brought a small town to its feet and a huge corporation to its knees.

Starring: Julia Roberts, Albert Finney, Aaron Eckhart, Dawn Didawick, Conchata Ferrell, Marg Helgenberger, Tracey Walter, Peter Coyote

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"Ya know why everyone thinks that all lawyers are backstabbing, bloodsucking scumbags? 'Cause they are!" - Erin Brockovich

Why watch this? This is Julia Roberts at the peak of her career. She is a force.

Plot Summary: This is the true story of a tenacious single mother who, after convincing her lawyer to hire her, stumbles upon suspicious medical records hidden within real estate files. Despite lacking formal legal training, she investigates and uncovers a massive corporate cover-up involving the poisoning of a town's water supply by a large utilities company. Driven by a fierce sense of justice and empathy for the affected residents, Erin takes on the powerful corporation in a landmark class-action lawsuit.

Columbia Pic, Jersey Films; Universal Pictures

What is the cost of lies?

Starring: Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgård, Adam Nagaitis, Emily Watson, Paul Ritter, Robert Emms, Sam Troughton, Karl Davies, Michael Socha

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"The truth doesn't care about our needs or wants, it doesn't care about our governments, our ideologies, our religions. It will lie in wait for all time. And this, at last, is the gift of Chernobyl. Where I once would fear the cost of truth, now I only ask: What is the cost of lies?" - Valery Legasov

Why watch this? This incredible mini-series realistically explores one of the world's most terrifying disasters.

Plot Summary: Initially, the story details the event itself, and the aftermath, as clean-up crews quickly descend upon the smoldering reactor. Workers and civilians are immediately exposed to lethal doses of radiation. It's gut-wrenching. The Soviet government sends in renown chemist, Valery Legasov, and deputy chairman, Boris Shcherbina, to assess (and deal with) the situation. This historically-accurate accounting leads to the final episode that explains exactly what caused the explosion and immediate meltdown.

Sky UK, Sister Pictures, The Mighty Mint,
Word Games; HBO

The spectacular story of America's first astronauts.

Starring: Scott Glenn, Ed Harris, Fred Ward, Sam Shepard, Lance Henriksen, Kim Stanley, Barbara Hershey, Veronica Cartwright, Pamela Reed

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"It takes a special kind of man to volunteer for a suicide mission, especially when it's on national TV." – Chuck Yeager

Why watch this? It's an educational, and thoroughly engaging, film about the U.S. space program.

Plot Summary: Based on Tom Wolfe's book, the film chronicles the early days of the American space program, focusing on the lives of the first astronauts. It follows their selection and rigorous training as they strive to be the first Americans in space, juxtaposed with the exploits of legendary test pilot Chuck Yeager.

The Ladd Company; Warner Bros.

All the President's Men (1976), Director: Alan J. Pakula, rated PG

Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein are about to ask you a few questions.

Starring: Robert Redford, Dustin Hoffman, Jack Warden, Martin Balsam, Hal Holbrook , Jason Robarbs, Ned Beatty

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"It leads everywhere. Get out your notebook. There's more." - Deep Throat

Why watch this? This explains Watergate in a very interesting and suspenseful manner.

Plot Summary: Two reporters from the Washington Post, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, are assigned to what initially seems like a minor break-in at the Democratic Party Headquarters in the Watergate complex. As they investigate, they uncover a much larger political conspiracy, tracing the trail of illegal activity higher and higher within the Nixon administration, despite obstacles and threats to their safety. Their persistent investigative journalism ultimately aims to reveal the truth about the Watergate scandal and its connections to those in power.

Wildwood Enterprises; Warner Bros.

Ordinary men. Extraordinary times.

Starring: Damien Lewis, Ron Livingston, Dale Dye, Scott Grimes, Neal McDonough, Donnie Wahlberg, David Schwimmer, Kirk Acevedo, Michael Cudlitz, Rick Gomez, Frank John Hughes, Matthew Settle, Rick Warren

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"The only hope you have is to accept the fact that you're already dead. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you'll be able to function as a soldier is supposed to function: without mercy, without compassion, without remorse. All war depends upon it." – Lt. Speers to a very nervous Pvt. Blithe

Why watch this? This encapsulates WWII in an enthralling, intense, realistic package.

Plot Summary: The story follows Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, from their training in the United States to the end of World War II in Europe. The series chronicles their experiences through significant battles like D-Day, Operation Market Garden, and the Battle of the Bulge, highlighting their courage, sacrifice, and the bonds of brotherhood forged in combat.

Playtone, Dreamworks Television;
HBO Entertainment

The list is life. The man was real. The story is true.

Starring: Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, Ralph Fiennes, Caroline Goodall, Jonathan Sagallie, Embeth Davidtz, Mark Ivanir, Beatrice Macola

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

DML Top 50 #25 - Dad's Full (Spoiler) Review and Deep Dive of Schindler's List

"They came with nothing. Nothing. And they flourished. For six centuries there has been a Jewish Krakow. Think about that. By this evening those six centuries are a rumor. They never happened. Today is history." – SS 2nd LT Amon Göth

Why watch this? ... to remember, and not let it happen again - EVER on this Earth.

Plot Summary: During World War II in German-occupied Poland, a German industrialist named Oskar Schindler arrives in Kraków seeking to make his fortune amidst the war's chaos. Initially driven by profit, he establishes a factory employing Jewish workers, seeing them as a source of cheap labor. As the Nazi regime intensifies its persecution of Jews, Schindler is confronted with the atrocities of the Holocaust and undergoes a profound moral transformation.

Amblin Entertainment; Universal Pictures