Movies for kids and adults

Subject: Movies for kids and adults
From: Dan
Date: 14 Jul 99 - 12:58 PM

The tread about reading to your kids reminded me how hard it was, when my kids were young, to find high quality movies the whole family could enjoy together. I became a fanatic on this because it was such a good way to spend time with the kids, but I deplored how many films were laced with profanity and violence, if not overt sex. My favorite one was probably The Black Stallion. We also enjoyed all the old Hitchcocks and all the old Betty Davis classics. Classic westerns like Silverado and Shane worked wonderfully. Mudcatters with small children might appreciate a good list. What are some others?

Subject: RE: Movies for kids and adults
From: bbc
Date: 14 Jul 99 - 01:50 PM

I think "Babe" is a great movie, but, then, I'm fond of pigs.

bbc

Subject: RE: Movies for kids and adults
From: The Shambles
Date: 14 Jul 99 - 02:04 PM

Hook was great. I liked it. The kids liked. The critics..........well, what do they know?

Subject: RE: Movies for kids and adults
From: catspaw49
Date: 14 Jul 99 - 02:07 PM

Karen loves "Babe" too Barb......she couldn't stop talking about it when she first saw it.

We have ALL the Disney stuff. I know about all the objections to some of it, but most, especially "Lion King" have a great message. And the kids do love them. Every new one we get gets played continually for about a week! Plus, in "The Lion King" I feel an odd kinship with Timon and Pumbaa (sarcasm and flatulence repectively).

catspaw

Subject: RE: Movies for kids and adults
From: Peter T.
Date: 14 Jul 99 - 03:33 PM

"The Wrong Trousers" is the best. The problem is that it is way too short. I have watched it with small children, who want to watch it over and over, particularly because the adults (not just me) laugh a lot. Any of the 3 Wallace and Gromits are fine, but TWT is the best.
yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: Movies for kids and adults
From: bob schwarer
Date: 14 Jul 99 - 03:36 PM

Paulie

Subject: RE: Movies for kids and adults
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 14 Jul 99 - 05:18 PM

The Secret of Roan Inish, bar none. Satisfies the folky in me, too!
Has magic, a girl who believes in herself, and some fine Irish-style flute playing!
Allison

Subject: RE: Movies for kids and adults
From: Mudjack
Date: 14 Jul 99 - 05:31 PM

My kids are both getting to old to have kids.We're without grandchildren and told we won't have any.
As an anti war movement and statement against war, I wished it was manditory that all high school students be required to sit down and watch Steven Spieberg's " Saving Private Ryan". Then maybe they can get a better perspective to maybe war ain't so great.
I wish I could be more in tune to kids and whats going on. Like what makes them tick and what makes them laugh. The few times I'm around them I see children glued to their TVs watching strange cartoons. Thats not real and the fantasy factor seems questionbly dangerous.
I watched Jurassic Park thinking this was a movie for both kids and adults(hearsay) and got the bee-jeebers scared right out of me.
If I had it to do over about raising young ones, I would throw away the TV, go only to selected movies at the theatre and READ to my kids till they learned to read, and then we would ALL read to one another, thus developing a real since of imagination and not what some devious jerk force feeds us thruogh the media and screen.Using one's imagination seems to be a disappearing function we all need.Good thread and thanks for allowing me to release a thought or two.
Mudjack

Subject: RE: Movies for kids and adults
From: Lowcountry
Date: 14 Jul 99 - 05:35 PM

Two wonderful Australian films, The Man From Snowy River, and The Earthling.

Subject: RE: Movies for kids and adults
From: Matthew B.
Date: 14 Jul 99 - 06:32 PM

"October Sky" is a really great movie for the whole (thinking) family. An intelligent, fascinating and well acted story about a high school student in a coal mining town in WV who decides (in 1957) that he wants to build a rocket. Based on a true story, it had me riveted to the screen and totally entertained... and didn't include one speck of stuff that I wouldn't show to kids of any age.

A rare find, and even more so because I saw it on a recent flight.

Subject: RE: Movies for kids and adults
From: alison
Date: 14 Jul 99 - 09:49 PM

Babe
The Lion King

and more recently they interupted me watching "Seven brides for seven brothers" and sat glued to it..... keep asking to watch it again....

Mine are a bit young for "The secret of Roan Inish" but what a great movie...

Slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Movies for kids and adults
From: Art Thieme
Date: 14 Jul 99 - 10:54 PM

__Buckaroo Bonzai__ (Chris & I always loved that one.)

Art

Subject: RE: Movies for kids and adults
From: Vaughn
Date: 14 Jul 99 - 11:35 PM

"Fairy Tale"

Absolutely charming, based on the true story of two little English girls in the early part of the century who claimed to have photographed fairies. Harry Houdini and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle are minor characters, as are the fairies themselves- Nanny Buttoncap, Titania, etc. Even my jaded 9 year old niece loved it.

Also, here's another vote for "Roan Innish"

Subject: RE: Movies for kids and adults
From: thosp
Date: 14 Jul 99 - 11:52 PM

"The Thief of Bagdad" the one with Sabu as family fare----- and re the frayed thread anti-war for me it's "The King of Hearts" (although it's quite a bit more than anti-war)

Subject: RE: Movies for kids and adults
From: Night Owl
Date: 15 Jul 99 - 12:03 AM

I was constantly disappointed by "children's" movies while my daughter was growing up....but we both loved "The Black Stallion", (she still does a great imitation of the Black Stallion swimming). The best movies we found together, were going to the pond and watching adult ducks giving swimming lessons to their babies while trying to protect them; pairs of barn swallows teaching their babies to fly and the babies being nervous about their first attempts and how the parents would "bribe" and encourage them to take the first leap; watching chickens try to catch a fly; watching a friendship develop between a dog, cat and a horse; and our favorite "movie"...watching horses trying to scratch their unreachable itches on their favorite tree.

Subject: RE: Movies for kids and adults
From: Margo
Date: 15 Jul 99 - 01:01 AM

"Simon Birch". A wonderful movie that made me laugh and cry. Simon really has faith in God, and it's wonderful.....you've just got to see it. You can rent that one.

Thosp, you really jogged my memory about "the King of Hearts". I have seen that a dozen times probably. I couldn't stop going to the theatre when it was first playing. Funny.

Margarita

Subject: RE: Movies for kids and adults
From: thosp
Date: 15 Jul 99 - 01:25 AM

Margarita--- i'll try Simon Birch- -- re King of Hearts---- i try to use it to center me --- when i feel myself slipping into realites that don't match my heart/sprite ---that part of me that i hope i never lose

Subject: RE: Movies for kids and adults
From: alison
Date: 15 Jul 99 - 02:11 AM

toy story... another favourite in my house.

slaitne

alison

Subject: RE: Movies for kids and adults
From: Peter T.
Date: 15 Jul 99 - 10:10 AM

Bugs Bunny Cartoons! All Chuck Jones cartoons ever! Most Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons ("The Ruby Yacht of Omar Khayyam" especially)! Read them "The Jungle Book" and avoid the movie, and if they are older, do the same with "The Little Mermaid" (two travesties). Avoid Disney's Winnie-the-Pooh at all costs!!!!!
yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: Movies for kids and adults
From: alison
Date: 15 Jul 99 - 10:17 AM

The Princess Bride... great movie.. my kids are still a bit young for it though.

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Movies for kids and adults
From: Matthew B.
Date: 15 Jul 99 - 10:44 AM

Lady and the Tramp

Subject: RE: Movies for kids and adults
From: Art Thieme
Date: 15 Jul 99 - 12:29 PM

"Lady Is A Tramp" was a good old Sinatra song too!!

Subject: RE: Movies for kids and adults
From: Fadac
Date: 15 Jul 99 - 01:42 PM

I like a little film that came out of Canada, The Harmony Cats.

Blues Brothers. I did see Blues Brothers 2000. Dumb, real dumb, but great music.

-Fadac

Subject: RE: Movies for kids and adults
From: Mo
Date: 15 Jul 99 - 06:37 PM

How about - It's a Wonderful Life? I developed a love of lots of old movies (Life & Death of Col Blimp, Cruel Sea, Anything with Stewart Granger or Rock Hudson in it...) by watching them with my parents - because they loved them and told me they were great films, I paid more attention to them - maybe it would still work for today's children? There's Gregory's Girl too of course - it's great for kids of all ages!

Cheers,

Mo

Subject: RE: Movies for kids and adults
From: Mr. D.
Date: 15 Jul 99 - 06:40 PM

I REALLY agree with Princess Bride--it is hilarious and so much fun. One of the all time great ones which will make you cry and cheer is Never Ending Story.

Subject: RE: Movies for kids and adults
From: The Shambles
Date: 15 Jul 99 - 06:53 PM

Not seen it yet, so what is the verdict on The Phantom Menace? Good for all the family or what?

Subject: RE: Movies for kids and adults
From: WyoWoman
Date: 15 Jul 99 - 06:54 PM

Time Bandits

And I love Buckaroo Banzai, Princess Bride, Never-Ending Story, King of Hearts, Gregory's Girl ... all great suggestions.

Re. cartoons like "Aladdin," I'm just really, really tired of the same ol' stories in which the girl waits around (sometimes these days with great spunk) to be rescued. I like stories for kids of both sexes in which the boys and girls are more partners than active/passive roles.

(I'm not trying to make this political -- I just think it's important for girls and women to rescue themselves from their own jams.)

WW

Subject: RE: Movies for kids and adults
From: alison
Date: 15 Jul 99 - 09:34 PM

WW

have a go at "The Magic sword- quest for camelot"... good for young kids anyway and the girl is the heroine.. she does have to get past the "you can't do that you're a girl"stuff... but she goes on to avenge her fathers death and rescue excalibur. Having said that the rest of it is the usual mediocre stuff....

and there's always "Mulan" usual disney type stuff..... girl proves herself in a man's world type of thing.

didn't say I like either of these but they are ones where the girl doesn't sit back and wait for the handsome prince....

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Movies for kids and adults
From: Lucius
Date: 15 Jul 99 - 10:43 PM

My three year old son is a Beatles fanatic. It started with Yellow Submarine, and then we had to rent A Hard Day's Night. Holding off on HELP, as we're trying to raise him Quaker. Eschew Disney.

Peace & Love Lucius

Subject: RE: Movies for kids and adults
From: Penny S.
Date: 16 Jul 99 - 11:29 AM

Shambles: re Phantom Menace -I'll let you know soon.... Penny

Subject: RE: Movies for kids and adults
From: Fadac
Date: 16 Jul 99 - 11:57 AM

Phantom Menace is a good swashbuckler, like the rest of the Star Wars films. I liked it.

So how little kids are we talking about? I guess Star Wars would be ok for those about five or six and older. Younger ones might like the frog characters.

Just a comment on the frog guys. Some people didn't care for the chactors at all. Saying things like, "There just for kids, etc." Well they were supposed to be low tech I guess, but they went up against the robot armys, with basicly sticks and rocks. Knowing it's just a holding action. That take curage, and lots of it. Reminds me of the legond of the Polish Cav. units attacking Nazi tanks. Legend has it that some broke their lances against the armor of the tank. Guts, you bet, But so dumb, to waste that currage in a hopless attack. Breaks your heart.

-Fadac

Subject: RE: Movies for kids and adults
From: Peter T.
Date: 16 Jul 99 - 04:10 PM

I was dragged to see The Phantom Menace by an 11 year old (I would have gone myself). We both hated it. It is really boring, boring in the sense of completely predictable, and makes not much sense (one scene has people shooting 24th century bombs out of medieval catapults. Huh? The great evil opponent devil shows up for no reason, and fights for no reason, and is up against 2 Jedi knights, which breaks every rule of these films, and then he dies, and no one cares anyway). The best part is the Queen (I am quoting now from my assistant critic) but anyone can figure out what is going on with her.
The script is poor. It is also seriously racist, people have talked about JarJar Binks who is portrayed as a sort of dumb Rastafarian, but worse than that, the evil leaders are all like Asians out of Charlie Chan films, and far worse than that (which no one seems to have mentioned anywhere) Anakin Skywalker's owner is a caricature Jew merchant with a big hooked nose.
Worse than all that, is the fact that there is so much killing going on. The film is a series of massacres. Lucas seems to think that if you kill robots, you can enjoy the experience without incurring any moral problems, since they aren't real people being killed. This supposedly excuses all this mayhem.
I really liked the second Star Wars film (the first few minutes of the first film are good too), which was a fine piece of work. This one stinks!!! Enjoy!
yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: Movies for kids and adults
From: Peter T.
Date: 16 Jul 99 - 04:11 PM

I was dragged to see The Phantom Menace by an 11 year old (I would have gone myself). We both hated it. It is really boring, boring in the sense of completely predictable, and makes not much sense (one scene has people shooting 24th century bombs out of medieval catapults. Huh? The great evil opponent devil shows up for no reason, and fights for no reason, and is up against 2 Jedi knights, which breaks every rule of these films, and then he dies, and no one cares anyway). The best part is the Queen (I am quoting now from my assistant critic) but anyone can figure out what is going on with her.
The script is poor. It is also seriously racist, people have talked about JarJar Binks who is portrayed as a sort of dumb Rastafarian, but worse than that, the evil leaders are all like Asians out of Charlie Chan films, and far worse than that (which no one seems to have mentioned anywhere) Anakin Skywalker's owner is a caricature Jew merchant with a big hooked nose.
Worse than all that, is the fact that there is so much killing going on. The film is a series of massacres. Lucas seems to think that if you kill robots, you can enjoy the experience without incurring any moral problems, since they aren't real people being killed. This supposedly excuses all this mayhem.
I really liked the second Star Wars film (the first few minutes of the first film are good too), which was a fine piece of work. This one stinks!!! Enjoy!
yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: Movies for kids and adults
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 16 Jul 99 - 04:44 PM

As one who stood in line for the original openings of the first 3 Star Wars flicks, but waited nearly a month before viewing this one, I agree that the Phantom Menace is a disappointment to those of us er.. *coff* mature enough to wait like I did; it lacks the warmth and humor as well as the good ensemble work of the oldies. Sure, there's a lot of bang bang shoot-em-up- but so much milder than the real slasher flicks out there and tame compared to what I hear is on tv most every day and night. But for a good comic-book summer escape film, it's fine.
I asked my 13-yr-old what he thought about the racist accusations- because I certainly could see what the reviewer meant when I read about them- and my son pointed out that for someone like him, who hasn't been exposed to those stereotypes before, they didn't have that connotation before. Lucas should have known better, though. I think he's lost his creative spark.
Now, if Liam Neeson wants to keep his hair long and look at me that way, I'll take it all back... *sigh*
Allison-engaging-in-a-summer-fantasy

Subject: RE: Movies for kids and adults
From: Penny S.
Date: 16 Jul 99 - 06:49 PM

Couldn't get in this evening.

Went to hunt glow-worms instead. Not as many as last week.

Penny

Subject: RE: Movies for kids and adults
From: Penny S.
Date: 16 Jul 99 - 07:02 PM

Having now read the above reviews, I can tell Peter T that the Guardian reviewer picked up on the slave owner characteristics.

Maybe I should be glad to have missed it.

Penny

Subject: RE: Movies for kids and adults
From: thosp
Date: 16 Jul 99 - 07:43 PM

FLASH ---- many glow-worms found in theatres showing "Phantom Menace"

Subject: RE: Movies for kids and adults
From: The Shambles
Date: 17 Jul 99 - 03:45 PM

Penny S.

Where do you go to hunt for your glow worms?

Subject: RE: Movies for kids and adults
From: Peter T.
Date: 17 Jul 99 - 04:39 PM

Thanks Penny, trust the Guardian! (not that I trust the Guardian). Do you hunt for glowworms to the sound of the Mills Brothers?
yours, Peter T. (sorry, thread creep, well creeping, actually)

Subject: RE: Movies for kids and adults
From: Penny S.
Date: 17 Jul 99 - 07:57 PM

Shambles, I hunt them in a local wood on an old claypit site, where they inhabit the old wooded fringe and some grazed grassy areas. There are a good number of sites still, and I should think, from the map I have in a book, that you have a few in your neck of the chalk.

I have now seen the film. I am not impressed. The crowd scenes (computer generated) are out of focus - the same was true in the Mummy). There is an absence of plot, and more particularly, counter plot. There are no complex characters. There is not enough dialogue to explain what plot there is. Jar Jar is irritating, probably based on old racist stereotypes, but also on the idea that stupidity and clumsiness are funny. The dealer may be a Jewish stereotype, but not so obviously. The battle droids are clearly useless - presumably why Palpatine later recruits storm-troopers. The best shot, of the Gungans emerging from the mist, looks as though it came from a samurai movie. Anakin is too sweet and young. I know what children his age can do in technology.... and Amidala is too mature for this relationship to develop as we are supposed to believe it will. Darth Maul is not seen being nasty to anyone before taking on the Jedi, so it's hard to believe he is evil. If Lucas wants to follow the hero patterns, he needs a more comples relationship with his mother - she should try to hold him back. As it is, what the Jedi suggest of it being a problem doesn't make sense. There are not enough events, the narrative isn't as dense as the previous films, and many details are not explained. In the Jedi/Sith fight, I have no idea why there were force fields where they were fighting, for example. People hardly spoke at all. The world does not seem to be consistent with that in the books. Is it fair for two Jedi to fight one man?

The star fields are not so good - too uniform, so the galaxy probably would not work. As before, the planets, except the wooded ones, would not work as habitable places. Planets do not have aqueous cores. Qui Jon said that all the stars had planet systems, which is extremely unlikely - OK, I was there with a planetary geologist/astrobiologist studying habitability, so this was a special interest complaint. But if the story really worked, would I be noticing these things? Genetically there is something odd about the Skywalkers. Dark mother has blond son with no father, due to action of some form of mitochondria or psychoplasts in the cells. Blond son marries dark girl, has blond son and dark daughter. This only works if Anakin did have a father and he was blond. Mythologically, blond is good, dark is bad. What's going on when the colouration is sex-linked?

And why do I and my companion still have no idea what the title is about?

For children, they might enjoy it, but there was a good deal too much fighting for anyone trying to bring up children Quaker, and the purpose of much of it was not clear, so it would be hard to explain or discuss. It was clearly made for the ten-year-old boy market, whom it would probably please. It was the young teenage children who kept going to the loo. I may have a report from some pupils on Monday, as I recognised part of the audience.

Peter T, we creep about quietly so as not to disturb the local yobs. Please explain the Mills Brothers reference.

Subject: RE: Movies for kids and adults
From: Penny S.
Date: 17 Jul 99 - 07:58 PM

Shambles, I hunt them in a local wood on an old claypit site, where they inhabit the old wooded fringe and some grazed grassy areas. There are a good number of sites still, and I should think, from the map I have in a book, that you have a few in your neck of the chalk.

I have now seen the film. I am not impressed. The crowd scenes (computer generated) are out of focus - the same was true in the Mummy). There is an absence of plot, and more particularly, counter plot. There are no complex characters. There is not enough dialogue to explain what plot there is. Jar Jar is irritating, probably based on old racist stereotypes, but also on the idea that stupidity and clumsiness are funny. The dealer may be a Jewish stereotype, but not so obviously. The battle droids are clearly useless - presumably why Palpatine later recruits storm-troopers. The best shot, of the Gungans emerging from the mist, looks as though it came from a samurai movie. Anakin is too sweet and young. I know what children his age can do in technology.... and Amidala is too mature for this relationship to develop as we are supposed to believe it will. Darth Maul is not seen being nasty to anyone before taking on the Jedi, so it's hard to believe he is evil. If Lucas wants to follow the hero patterns, he needs a more comples relationship with his mother - she should try to hold him back. As it is, what the Jedi suggest of it being a problem doesn't make sense. There are not enough events, the narrative isn't as dense as the previous films, and many details are not explained. In the Jedi/Sith fight, I have no idea why there were force fields where they were fighting, for example. People hardly spoke at all. The world does not seem to be consistent with that in the books. Is it fair for two Jedi to fight one man?

The star fields are not so good - too uniform, so the galaxy probably would not work. As before, the planets, except the wooded ones, would not work as habitable places. Planets do not have aqueous cores. Qui Jon said that all the stars had planet systems, which is extremely unlikely - OK, I was there with a planetary geologist/astrobiologist studying habitability, so this was a special interest complaint. But if the story really worked, would I be noticing these things? Genetically there is something odd about the Skywalkers. Dark mother has blond son with no father, due to action of some form of mitochondria or psychoplasts in the cells. Blond son marries dark girl, has blond son and dark daughter. This only works if Anakin did have a father and he was blond. Mythologically, blond is good, dark is bad. What's going on when the colouration is sex-linked?

And why do I and my companion still have no idea what the title is about?

For children, they might enjoy it, but there was a good deal too much fighting for anyone trying to bring up children Quaker, and the purpose of much of it was not clear, so it would be hard to explain or discuss. It was clearly made for the ten-year-old boy market, whom it would probably please. It was the young teenage children who kept going to the loo. I may have a report from some pupils on Monday, as I recognised part of the audience.

Peter T, we creep about quietly so as not to disturb the local yobs. Please explain the Mills Brothers reference.

Penny

Subject: RE: Movies for kids and adults
From: Penny S.
Date: 17 Jul 99 - 07:59 PM

Oops, as they would say in the film.

Subject: RE: Movies for kids and adults
From: The Shambles
Date: 17 Jul 99 - 08:36 PM

Penny S.

Would you let me know the sites you refer to. I remember well when we lived in Sussex, many years ago now, we used to see them quite a lot. In truth I have not looked here, but it has not been too extensivly farmed, so I might be lucky. Is it worth looking, do you think?

This is thread wriggle, if they are worms, but of course they are not, are they?

Subject: RE: Movies for kids and adults
From: LEJ
Date: 17 Jul 99 - 09:01 PM

Penny... the Mills Brothers recorded a song called "Glow worm" back in the fifties."Glow little glow worm, glimmer, glimmer" was the first line.

LEJ

Subject: RE: Movies for kids and adults
From: Rosebrook
Date: 18 Jul 99 - 03:47 AM

We had family movie night this week at our house and rented "The Mighty". Great story about friendship and acceptance.

Rose

Subject: RE: Movies for kids and adults
From: Penny S.
Date: 18 Jul 99 - 05:19 AM

Shambles, the map I have is in 10 km squares. You can find a copy at

http://www.uknature.freeserve.co.uk/glowworm.html

or run a search on "lampyris noctiluca"

LEJ, thanks for the reference - that is the source for the one line I have been known to hum as we go about our surveys.

Penny

Subject: RE: Movies for kids and adults
From: Penny S.
Date: 18 Jul 99 - 05:27 AM

Glow-worms

Subject: RE: Movies for kids and adults
From: The Shambles
Date: 18 Jul 99 - 05:28 AM

Many thanks Penny.

The Princess Bride was indeed a little gem.

Subject: RE: Movies for kids and adults
From: Penny S
Date: 18 Jul 99 - 06:30 AM

And I think I've sussed the truth behind the title. It is "The Phantom Menace" because there is no sense of any.

Penny

Subject: RE: Movies for kids and adults
From: campfire
Date: 18 Jul 99 - 10:53 PM

Another fan of Roan Inish, and also of Never Ending Story. I didn't even borrow a kid to go see that one.

campfire