Stand and Deliver

Stand and Deliver (Ramón Menéndez, 1988)

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Rating: Q=5, P=5 / Average OJ

Scale 1=2, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=2

High School, Los Angeles, Biopic, Empowerment, Discrimination

This is a feel-good movie in the same vein as To Sir With Love and Dangerous Minds--a great teacher that transforms his students. In this case it is 1980s Los Angeles, the majority of students are Hispanic, and the subject that transforms is calculus. A really inspiring story that made me feel a little more hopeful about the problems we face today in the education world--there are devoted and determined people out there that deeply care about young people and their future. I know they still exist and will keep making a difference...despite the rule-makers.

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Ready Player One

Ready Player One (Steven Spielberg, 2018)

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Rating: Q=6, P=6 / Average OJ

Scale 1=4, Scale 2=2, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=3

Fantasy, Science Fiction, Future, Dystopian, Games

I enjoyed this film...more than I expected, actually. The only thing that disappointed me, really, was that there wasn't more back story about reality 2045. It would have been fun, too, to dive even deeper into the world of Oasis. For an obviously visually-focused film--full of action, color, special effects--it has a surprisingly solid script with fairly good acting, too. I'm sure it's partly because it's based on a book and...Steven Spieldberg. Great film for young adults, gamers, pop culture fans, dreamers, and action/fantasy film lovers.

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Working Girl

Working Girl (Mike Nichols, 1988)

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Rating: Q=5, P=4 / Average OJ

Scale 1=2, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=2, Scale 4=2

Drama, Romance, Work, Class, 1980s

This was a fun one--those hairstyles! I feel this is one of the better romantic comedies out there--it balances things well and Melanie Griffith and Harrison Ford is certainly a good combo. I'm sure we've all had the urge to take revenge and/or to break the rules like Tess does in this story. I like watching schemes unfold.

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Sleepless in Seattle

Sleepless in Seattle (Nora Ephron, 1993)

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Rating: Q=6, P=4 / Average OJ

Scale 1=3, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=2, Scale 4=2

Romance, Drama, Coping

For some reason, I had never seen this film all the way through. I distinctly remember seeing it on the airplane flight my family took to Hawaii (that was 1993, the year it was released), but I don't think I really watched or understood anything. This is great writing and good acting, overall. While Romantic Comedy/Chick Flick isn't my genre of choice, I do occasionally like a lovely little romantic fantasy story that makes you feel good.

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Witness

Witness (Peter Weir, 1985)

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Rating: Q=7, P=5 / Can't Get Enough

Scale 1=3, Scale 2=4, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=2

Drama, Crime, Complex Relationships, Police, Amish, Philosophical

What a truly great film. I wasn't expecting to like this one as much as I did. The acting is terrific, the story is solid, and there is just the right balance of tension and ease. Harrison Ford is wonderful in this role--I wish he had/will have more opportunities to show his skills as an emotional actor. Plus...Viggo Mortensen's first film role!? He doesn't say anything, but it's fun to see him in the background.

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The Terminator & Terminator 2: Judgment Day

The Terminator (James Cameron, 1984)

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Rating: Q=4, P=4 / Average OJ

Scale 1=2, Scale 2=2, Scale 3=2, Scale 4=2

Action, Science Fiction, Time Travel, Post-Apocalypse

My go-to film genre has never been "Action," but this one is a classic and I had only ever seen clips of this film, so I felt it was high time I watched it. It was mindless escape: lots and lots of chasing and shooting with a touch of science fiction. The causality stuff drove me crazy, but I still liked considering the concepts. I'd much rather watch The Time Machine or 12 Monkeys, though.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (James Cameron, 1991)

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Rating: Q=4, P=3 / Average OJ

Scale 1=2, Scale 2=2, Scale 3=2, Scale 4=2

Action, Science Fiction, Time Travel, Post-Apocalypse

I did enjoy Terminator 2 just a little bit more than it's predecessor. Maybe because there was a little bit more emotion and emphasis on the philosophy/morality theme. But there is WAY more exploding and shooting and destruction in this one. I do really like the concept of a cyborg programmed to kill that is "taught" not to kill. Again, I had so many questions about causality that it became ridiculous...so don't try to figure the logic out--there isn't any. 

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