Talking about children's books and films. Useful information for parents.
13 Sep 2018 Leave a comment
in movies 12+, Old Movies, Uncategorized Tags: American history, comedy, gangsters, gender, history, humour, jazz, love, prohibition, sexual identity
black and white, comedy
released: 1959
director: Billy Wilder
starring: Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, Marilyn Monroe
rated: not rated (PG)
length: 2 hrs, 1 min
Age: 12+
Interests: comedy, jazz, romance, history, Prohibition, gangsters, gender roles
26 Mar 2018 Leave a comment
in Movies, movies 11+, Old Movies Tags: murder, mystery, romance, suspense
black and white, mystery/suspense
released: 1940
director: Alfred Hitchcock
starring: Joan Fontaine, Laurence Olivier, George Saunders, Judith Anderson
rated: PG
length: 2 hrs, 10 min
Age: 11+
Interests: mystery, suspense, romance, murder
13 Feb 2018 Leave a comment
in Movies, movies 12+, Old Movies Tags: history, music, musicals, religion, rock music, theatrical plays, violence
colour, musical (rock opera) drama
released: 1973
director: Norman Jewison
starring: Ted Neely, Carl Anderson, Yvonne Elliman
rated: G (PG would be more accurate, due to the violence – see below.)
length: 1 hr, 48 min
age: 12+
interests: musicals, rock music, theatre, religion, history
10 Feb 2018 2 Comments
in Movies, Old Movies, Parenting, Silent Movies
My eleven-year-old has become more reclusive and immersed in her own activities and projects. She heads up to her room after school and apart from a hastily eaten dinner, I don’t see her again until I have to start bugging her about bedtime.
Okay, so I’ve been feeling a little lonely.
I wanted to reclaim at least one evening a week for us to spend time together, so I announced that from now on Saturday night is Movie Night. We are going to sit down every Saturday night and watch a movie together. No ifs, ands, or buts.
Oh, and we’re going to watch Old Movies.
16 May 2017 Leave a comment
in Movies, movies 11+, Old Movies, Uncategorized Tags: city life, crime, fashion, mystery, New York, violence
colour, thriller/mystery
released: 1954
rated: PG – “for Some Mild Sensuality and Thematic Elements”
length: 1 hr, 52 min
age: 11 +
interests: mystery, crime, murder, suspense More
20 Sep 2016 Leave a comment
in Books, movies 9+ Tags: city life, homelessness, misfits, orphans, racial tension, running away from home, sports, violence
by Jerry Spinelli
Age: 9+
Interests: family, city life, orphans, misfits, homelessness, racial tension
Also by this author: Wringer, Milkweed, Stargirl, Loser, Eggs
Other books about racism in America: One Crazy Summer, The Watsons Go to Birmingham — 1963, Smoky Night, Amos Fortune, Free man More
22 Aug 2016 Leave a comment
in Books, books 11+, Movies, movies 10+ Tags: death, family, Germany, history, Holocaust, Jewish history, morality, orphans, politics, strong girls, violence, war, writers, WWII
by Markus Zusak
Age: 11 +
Interests: history, WWII, war, Germany, Jewish history, Holocaust, orphans, strong girls More
15 Jan 2014 Leave a comment
in Movies, movies 6+ Tags: adventure, castle, cooking, fairy tale updated, knights, mice, Princess, rats
released: 2008
rated: G
length: 93 min.
age: 6+
interests: mice, rats, castles, princesses, cooking, updated fairy tales, adventure
Next: read the book!
05 Mar 2013 2 Comments
in Movies, movies 9+ Tags: cowboys, crime, curse, desert, family, family history, friendship, jail, mystery, racial tension, treasure, violence
released: 2003
rated: PG for violence, mild language and some thematic elements
length: 117 min.
age: 10+
scary factor: suspenseful scenes with rattlesnake, deadly lizards – nothing a 10 yr old couldn’t handle
violence: two boys fight; one boy whacks a provoking guard in the head with his shovel, knocking him out; in flashback a man is shot (in extreme wide shot – no closeups); Kate then shoots the sheriff in revenge; guards in work camp have guns, but only a lizard is actually shot
language: authentic but rather mild, for teenage boys: damn, hell, crap, Oh, my God… that kind of thing. (According to imdb.com there is one “jackass” but I didn’t even notice it.)
other: flashbacks depict scenes of racial hatred (burning down the school) and vague threat of sexual violence (drunken sheriff tries to force Kate to kiss him)
interests: mystery, desert, prison work camps, bad luck, family history, curses, cowboys, crime and punishment, buried treasure
next: read the book if you haven’t! Holes by Louis Sachar
04 Feb 2013 Leave a comment
in Education, Issues, Movies, Old Movies, Parenting, Silent Movies
Here’s a TED talk about visual literacy through watching old movies, similar to what Martin Scorsese talks about here.
What do you think? I’m a big fan of showing old movies to kids, and I think showing them movies that are radically different from current offerings (ie. historical settings, foreign stories, subtitles, art films, experimental narratives, silent movies, etc.) serves to broaden their experience and knowledge of film and of the world.
So many movies today, especially ones made for kids, are such formulaic, pandering pieces of junk that I can’t help but worry that we’re limiting the very scope of their imaginations. As well as shredding their attention spans and ability to concentrate for long periods of time. Too fast, too loud, too violent. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – watching old movies is a wonderful way of slowing down the frenetic pace of our lives and opening up a window to other times and places.
Related posts:
Click on “Old Movies” in Categories over there on the right, to see all the old movies I’ve reviewed.
Rarest Kind of Best 