Currently Reccommending

Last Updated: 18-Nov-2007

Into the Wild - I saw this film which was based on the book by Jon Krakauer about Chris McCandless, the adventurous college grad who gave away all his worldly possessions and took to the road in the early 90s to ultimately spend months alone in the Alaskan wilderness as part of his idealistic attempt to abandon the aesthetics and comfort of American life and to live self-sufficiently off of the land. It is interesting to note that many Alaskan locals and experienced survialists disagree with the way the Chris McCandless story is told by Jon Krakauer. The movie, regardless of how you feel about McCandless, is beautifully filmed and has great character performances and a soundtrack recorded by Eddie Vedder. McCandless clearly had profound understanding of life for a 23-year-old, and his philosophy comes through nicely in the film.

Past Reccommendations

Alone in the Wilderness - I first saw this documentary two years ago and I was so amazed that I made my first ever call to PBS to purchase the DVD. This 1968 film tells the story of Dick Proenneke, a man who leaves civilization and builds a log cabin (without a single power tool) in Lake Clark National Park, AL. Filmed by Proenneke himself, Alone in the Wilderness is a fascinating account of rugged determination. Not to mention how cool it is to see absolute mastery of woodworking with hand tools, e.g. the 6 foot planks he rips from rough logs using only a hand saw.

Too many men work on "parts of things". Doing a job to completion satisfies me.   -Dick Proenneke
Life Is Beautiful - I'm not sure why I hadn't seen this film before because it's 10 years old. Nevertheless, it's fantastic and is worth renting. The film takes a very unique perspective on the Holocaust. The story centers on a Jewish-Italian man (played by Roberto Benigni who won Best Actor for the role) who uses humor and levity to protect his son from the horrors of the concentration camp to which they are sent.
The Departed - If you haven't seen Scorsese's new flick, PLEASE go see it. Featuring an unbelievable cast, this film's intricate plot is chock full o' violence and treachery. I don't want to give anything else away.
Find Me Guilty - Dark-ish comedy starring Vin Diesel as a mobster who defends himself during his RICO trial. Based on a true story and much of the dialogue is taken from actual court transcripts.