Child. Captive. Killer.

Starring: Abraham Attah, Idris Elba, Ama K. Abebrese, Kobina Amissa-Sam, Emmanuel Nii Adom Quaye, Kurt Egyiawan, Jude Akuwudike, Grace Nortey

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"Bullet is just eating everything, leaves, trees, ground, person. Eating them. Just making person to bleed everywhere. We are just like wild animals now, with no place to be going. Sun, why are you shining at this world?" - Agu, narrating

Why watch this? Shut the hell up with your privileged American problems.

Plot Summary: A young boy named Agu is forced to flee his small West African village after it is torn apart by a brutal civil war and his family is separated. He is captured by a ruthless rebel militia commanded by a charismatic leader who indoctrinates him into a life of guerrilla warfare and violence. The film follows Agu's harrowing journey as he loses his innocence, struggles for survival, and faces the horrors of being a child soldier.

Participant Media, New Balloon Primary Prod.,
Parliament of Owls; Netflix

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.

Once again the screen explodes with rage, passion and greatness!

Starring: Richard Burton, Peter O'Toole, John Gielgud, Gino Cervi, Paolo Stoppa, Donald Wolfit, David Weston, Martita Hunt, Pamela Brown, Percy Herbert, Sian Phillips, Inigo Jackson

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"It's funny! It's too funny! Becket is the only intelligent man in my kingdom, and he's against me!" - King Henry II

Why watch this? Many of England's kings ruled as spoiled, contemptuous brats.

Plot Summary: King Henry II of England appoints his close friend and confident, Thomas Becket, as Archbishop of Canterbury, expecting him to be a compliant ally against the Church. Instead, Becket undergoes a moral awakening and embraces his spiritual duties, causing him to place the honor of God above his loyalty to the king. This fundamental shift in allegiance shatters their friendship, turning the two men into bitter enemies and forcing a violent showdown.

Hal Wallis Productions; Paramount Pictures

1984 (aka Nineteen Eighty-Four, 1984), Director: Michael Radford, rated R for nudity, torture, disturbing scenes

George Orwell's Terrifying Vision Comes To The Screen.

Starring: John Hurt, Richard Burton, Suzanna Hamilton, Cyril Cusack, Gregor Fisher, James Walker, Andrew Wilde, Merelina Kendall, John Boswall, Phyllis Logan (voice only)

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"Obedience is not enough. Power is inflicting pain and humiliation. Otherwise, you cannot be sure. Power is tearing human minds apart and putting them together again in new shapes of your own choosing." - O'Brien as he tortures Winston

Why watch this? George Orwell's future-vision is a cautionary tale for us all.

Plot Summary: Winston Smith, a low-level government worker living in the totalitarian super-state of Oceania, struggles with his desire for individuality and truth in a world where an omnipresent Party, led by Big Brother, tightly controls information and history. He embarks on a dangerous, forbidden love affair with a woman named Julia, and together they seek to join a secretive resistance movement known as the Brotherhood. Their efforts to rebel against the relentless surveillance and psychological manipulation of the state test the limits of their loyalty and freedom.
 

Dad's Preview: This visceral onslaught is a beautifully bleak tale of a possible future for Earth. Its central themes are extreme propaganda and forced mind-control. Society's worker bees are subjected to constant vocal news feeds and stark visual imagery, all discredit the lies told by a man named Goldstein. The state's goal is to shift focus away from each person's self and toward the prosperity of the collective... the machine. I feel this film channels a future had Germany won World War II. You also can't watch this and not see parallels to today, where a government's sole focus is its own existence. People are merely grease for the cogs of the machine's endless hunger to oppress and subjugate the lowly. I loved the performances by Hurt, Hamilton and Burton, as well as the haunting Eurythmics' soundtrack.

Umbrella-Rosenblum Films; Virgin Films

'Fail Safe' Will Have You Sitting on the Brink of Eternity!

Starring: Dan O'Herlihy, Walter Matthau, Frank Overton, Edward Binns, Fritz Weaver, Henry Fonda, Larry Hagman, William Hansen, Russell Collins, Sorrell Brooke, Nancy Berg

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"If we can't convince them it's an accident we're trying to correct by any means, we're going to have something on our hands that nobody bargained for, and only a lunatic wants!" – Brig. General Warren A. "Blackie" Black

Why watch this? This film fictitiously documents our worst fears from the Cold War conflict.

Plot Summary: This story centers on a military crisis where a technical malfunction mistakenly sends American bombers to launch a nuclear attack on Moscow. The President of the United States desperately attempts to convince the Soviet leader that this is an accident and works with him to try to stop the bombers before they can drop their payloads. The film explores the escalating tension and the difficult decisions made to prevent a full-scale nuclear war triggered by this critical error.

Sidney Lumet, Charles H. Maguire, Max E.
Youngstein; Columbia Pictures

The Hours That Changed History

Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, David Strathairn, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, James Spader, Hal Holbrook, Tommy Lee Jones, John Hawkes, Jackie Earle Haley, Bruce McGill, Tim Blake Nelson, Jared Harris, Lee Pace

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"I can't listen to this anymore. I can't accomplish a goddamn thing of any human meaning or worth until we cure ourselves of slavery and end this pestilential war! And whether any of you or anyone else knows it. I know! I need this! This amendment is that cure!" - Abraham Lincoln

Why watch this? Folks laud our colonial forefathers... they should look to Lincoln instead.

Plot Summary: In January 1865, President Abraham Lincoln fights to pass the 13th Amendment to permanently abolish slavery before the Civil War concludes and returning southern states can veto it. He employs a team of political operatives to secure the necessary votes from a reluctant Congress, relying on intense lobbying and strategic compromises. While navigating this high-stakes legislative battle, Lincoln manages intense pressure from his cabinet, a tumultuous family life, and the moral weight of continuing the war.

DreamWorks Pics, 20th Century Fox,
Participant Media, Reliance Ent., Dune Ent., Amblin
Ent., The Kennedy/Marshall Co.;
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

No children. No future. No hope.

Starring: Clive Owen, Clare-Hope Ashitey, Julianne Moore, Michael Caine, Pam Ferris, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Charlie Hunnam, Peter Mullan, Danny Huston

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"As the sound of the playgrounds faded, the despair set in. Very odd, what happens in a world without children's voices." - Miriam

Why watch this?  This film shows us a future you might not want to see, but rather need to see.

Plot Summary: The story is set in dystopian 2027, twenty years since the last baby was born due to a mysterious infertility in women. This has led to war, global chaos, and a general sense of dread. England remains an isolated country still holding onto some form of government. It is now a police state, rounding up refugees, deporting them, or worse. Theo Faron, a former activist, is forcibly taken by a group of militants, called the Fishes, led by his ex-wife Julian. They want him to use his connections to acquire transit papers for a young girl named Kee. Theo quickly becomes the only chance Kee has to get her out of a crumbling country.

Strike Ent., Hit and Run Productions,
Toho-Towa; Universal Pictures

Based on the Incredible True Story.

Starring: Maxwell Simba, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Felix Lemburo, Aïssa Maïga, Lily Banda, Robert Agengo, Joseph Marcell, Noma Dumezweni, Lemogang Tsipa

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Democracy. Democracy is just like imported cassava. It rots quickly." - Trywell Kamkwamba

Why watch this? This splendid African story will move you to tears.

Plot Summary: Based on a true story, this film follows a resourceful teenage boy in Malawi who is forced to drop out of school when a devastating drought and famine strike his village. Refusing to let his community suffer, he teaches himself science and physics using books from a local library. Through incredible perseverance, he builds an innovative wind turbine from scrap materials to pump water.

BBC Films, Participant Media, British Film Institute,
Potboiler Prod.; Netflix

A stiff drink. A little mascara. A lot of nerve. Who said they couldn't bring down the Soviet empire.

Starring: Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Ned Beatty, Om Puri, Ken Stott, John Slattery, Terry Bozeman, Jud Taylor Hilary Angelo, Cyia Batten, Kirby Mitchell, Emily Blunt,

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"You mean to tell me that the U.S. strategy in Afghanistan is to have the Afghans keep walking into machine gun fire 'til the Russians run out of bullets?" - Charlie Wilson

Why watch this? An all-star cast delivers a sharp-edged, intelligent film about how stuff gets done in Washington.

Plot Summary: In the 80's, Texas Congressman Charlie Wilson has a full plate. When not governing, he's making deals, usually involving sleazy characters, beautiful women, alcohol, and wealthy donors. Once such donor (and occasional love interest) is Houston socialite, Joanne Herring. Using her sway on Wilson, she wants the US to quietly intervene in the ongoing war between Russia and Afghanistan. She arranges a trip to that part of the world, where he meets with Pakistan's President, who rips the U.S. for not supporting their fight against Russia. They also visit a Pakistan-based Afghan refugee camp and it's not pretty. Charlie, with help from CIA Operative Gust Avrakotos, decides to find hidden Congressional money to aid the Afghan people.

Relativity Media, Participant Prod.,
Playtone; 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

An assassin on the loose. A president in danger. Only one man stands between them...

Starring: Clint Eastwood, John Malkovich, Rene Russo, Dylan McDermott, Gary Cole, Fred Thompson, John Mahoney

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"I have a rendezvous with death, and so does the President, and so do you, Frank, if you get too close to me." - Mitch Leary / James Carney / Booth

Why watch this? An excellent political thriller about the President's Secret Service detail.

Plot Summary: Secret Service agent Frank Horrigan, haunted by his failure to save President Kennedy, gets a chance at redemption when a former CIA assassin begins threatening the current President. The assassin, who uses the alias "Booth," engages Horrigan in a dangerous psychological game, taunting him with clues about his elaborate plot and exploiting Horrigan's past trauma. Despite skepticism from his superiors, Horrigan must race against time to prevent a presidential assassination.

Castle Rock Entertainment, Apple-Rose
Prod.; Columbia Pictures

The Book the World Could Not Lay Down is Now a Motion Picture

Starring: Richard Burton, Claire Bloom, Oskar Werner, Georege Voskovec, Rupert Davies, Cyril Cusack, Peter van Eyck, Michael Hordern

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"What the hell do you think spies are? Moral philosophers measuring everything they do against the word of God or Karl Marx? They're not! They're just a bunch of seedy, squalid bastards like me: little men, drunkards, hen-pecked husbands, civil servants playing cowboys and Indians to brighten their rotten little lives." - Alec Leamas

Why watch this? There is always something smoldering deep within Richard Burton.

Plot Summary: Disillusioned British agent Alec Leamas is tasked with posing as a defector to East Germany. His mission involves spreading false information about a high-ranking East German intelligence officer, making him appear to be a double agent. As Leamas becomes embroiled in a web of plots and counterplots, the lines between friend and foe become increasingly blurred.

Salem Films Limited; Paramount Pictures

I am an idea. And ideas are bulletproof

Starring: Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving, Stephen Rea, Stephen Fry, John Hurt, Tim Pigott-Smith, Roger Allam, Ben Miles

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"A building is a symbol, as is the act of destroying it. Symbols are given power by people. Alone, a symbol is meaningless, but with enough people, blowing up a building can change the world." - V

Why watch this? ... it's a futuristic tale of a crafty vigilante standing up against fascism.

Plot Summary: In a dystopian future, Britain is under the rule of a totalitarian government. A masked vigilante known as V embarks on a mission to ignite a revolution against the oppressive regime. A young woman named Evey Hammond, a television network employee, becomes unintentionally involved in V's audacious acts of defiance. As V's plans unfold, Inspector Finch races against time to apprehend him, all the while uncovering dark secrets and questioning the very foundations of his government.

Silver Pics, Virtual Studios, Studio Babelsberg,
Vertigo DC Comics, Anarchos Prod. Inc.;
Warner Bros. Pictures

If you come in five minutes after this picture begins, you won't know what it's all about!
When you've seen it all, you'll swear there's never been anything like it!

Starring: Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey, Janet Leigh, Angela Lansbury, James Gregory, Henry Silva, Leslie Parrish, John McGiver, Khigh Dheigh, James Edwards, Douglas Henderson, Albert Paulsen, Barry Kelley, Lloyd Corrigan, Madame Spivy, Reggie Nalder

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"I told them to build me an assassin. I wanted a killer from a world filled with killers and they chose you because they thought it would bind me closer to them." – Mrs. Iselin

Why watch this? This Frankenheimer thriller was certainly ahead of its time. I genuinely left me disturbed.

Plot Summary: The film opens in the Korean War with the capture of U.S. soldiers by Soviet/Chinese forces. Three days later the men return and are eventually sent back home. For their service, Sergeant Raymond Shaw receives the Medal of Honor, thanks to Captain Ben Marco's recommendation. Marco, and many of the men involved, however, are having horrible nightmares. In Marco's fever dreams he witnesses Shaw murder two fellow soldiers in front of communist military leaders. He convinces his superior office that something happened in Korea akin to brainwashing, and he feels that Shaw may be compromised.

M. C. Productions; United Artists

He United the States of America.

Starring: Paul Giamatti, Laura Linney, Stephen Dillane, David Morse, Tom Wilkinson, Rufus Sewell, Justin Theroux, Danny Huston, Sarah Polley, Andrew Scott, Željko Ivanek, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, John Dossett

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"It is one thing to turn the other cheek, but to lie down in the ground like a snake and crawl toward the seat of power in abject surrender, well, that is quite another thing, sir. And I have no stomach for it, sir! No stomach at all!" – John Adams

Why watch this? It's a history lesson we need to understand now more than ever.

Plot Summary: This seven-part miniseries chronicles the life of Founding Father John Adams, starting with his defense of British soldiers after the Boston Massacre and his pivotal role in the American Revolution. The plot follows his journey as a devoted husband and dedicated statesman, serving as a diplomat in Europe, the first Vice President, and eventually the second President of the United States. It highlights his often turbulent personal life, strained political relationships, and his profound, unwavering partnership with his wife, Abigail.

High Noon Productions, Playtone, Mid
Atlantic Films; HBO Films

Harrison Ford is the President of the United States, and he wants you off his plane.

Starring: Harrison Ford, Gary Oldman, Glenn Close, William H. Macy, Wendy Crewson, Liesel Matthews, Paul Guilfoyle, Dean Stockwell

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Your national security advisor has just been executed. He's a very good negotiator. He bought you another half hour." - Ivan Korshunov

Why watch this? This superb film is at its best when Ford and Oldman go at it.

Plot Summary: A group of terrorists hijacks the presidential aircraft, Air Force One, demanding the release of their imprisoned leader. The President, initially believed to have escaped, secretly remains on board, fighting to protect his family and the other hostages. He races against time, battling the hijackers to regain control of the plane and thwart their plans.

Columbia Pics, Beacon Pics, Radiant Prod.;
Sony Pictures Releasing

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

America was born in the streets

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Daniel Day-Lewis, Cameron Diaz, John C. Reilly, Jim Broadbent, Brendan Gleeson, Liam Neeson

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"When you kill a king, you don't stab him in the dark. You kill him where the entire court can watch him die." - Amsterdam Vallon

Why watch this? Bill the Butcher - damn, what a character.

Plot Summary: In 1862, young Amsterdam Vallon returns to the Five Points district of New York City, seeking revenge against Bill "the Butcher" Cutting, who murdered his father years ago. Amsterdam infiltrates Bill's powerful gang, navigating the volatile and corrupt streets ruled by rival factions and politicians like William "Boss" Tweed. Amidst this simmering tension and personal vendetta, the city itself teeters on the brink of erupting into the historic Civil War Draft Riots.
 

Dad's Preview: I'll put this Martin Scorsese film up against all his others, including Taxi Driver (1976) and Goodfellas (1990). This has a story that is rich and so historically well performed. It takes place in 1863 New York City, in the slums of the Five Points. There two rival gangs (one Catholic, the other Protestant) have been at each other's throats for years. There are stellar performances from Daniel Day-Lewis, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Cameron Diaz, but it's Scorsese rich direction that stars in this historical gem.

Touchstone Pictures, Alberto Grimaldi
Productions; Miramax Films

It takes leadership to confront a nation's fear. It takes friendship to conquer your own.

Starring: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Guy Pearce, Timothy Spall, Derek Jacobi, Jennifer Ehle, Michael Gambon, Claire Bloom

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"This family's been reduced to those lowest, basest of all creatures. We've become actors!" - King George V

Why watch this? Some British films are so delightful. This is one of them.

Plot Summary: Prince Albert, Duke of York, unexpectedly becomes King George VI and must overcome a severe stammer to lead his nation. His wife, Elizabeth, seeks the help of an unconventional Australian speech therapist, Lionel Logue. Despite initial clashes, a unique and supportive friendship blossoms between the two men as Logue employs unorthodox methods to help the future king find his voice and confidence, especially as World War II looms.

UK Film Council, Aegis Film Fund, FilmNation
Ent., See-Saw Films, Bedlam Prod.;
Momentum Pictures

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.

Stirring - In the seeing! Precious - In the remembering!

Starring: James Stewart, Jean Arthur, Claude Rains, Thomas Mitchell, Edward Arnold, Beulah Bondi, Harry Carey, Eugene Pallette

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

DML Top 50 #34 - Dad's Full (Spoiler) Review and Deep Dive of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

"You all think I'm licked. Well I'm not licked. And I'm gonna stay right here and fight for this lost cause!" - Senator Jefferson Smith, Tenn.

Why watch this? ... an idyllic young Senator finds himself attacked by corruption.

Plot Summary: Idealistic young man Jefferson Smith is unexpectedly appointed to the U.S. Senate to fill a vacant seat. Initially, Smith is seen as easily manipulated by corrupt political figures, including his state's powerful political boss and even his childhood hero, Senator Joseph Paine. However, when Smith proposes a national boys' camp that interferes with a corrupt land scheme, he finds himself in a fight for his ideals against the powerful forces of political corruption.
 

Dad's Preview: Nobody plays the underdog like Jimmy Stewart. This is the second Stewart-Capra collaboration. Every American should watch this, and ask yourself, "What do I stand for?" Am I pulling for the young Tennessee senator, Jefferson Smith, who still believes is fair government, helping common citizens? Or do I relate more to the senator who takes bribes from bullying businessmen? Well? I choose Jeff Smith, and a government of the people by the people and for the people. This is a MUST SEE!

Frank Capra; Columbia Pictures