Daft Punk combines funk, techno, disco, rock and synth-pop. | Source
Motorcycle Helmets
The best way to describe Daft Punk is as DJs in funky helmets that look like motorcycle helmets. We never see their faces or the color of their skin and hair. Who are these guys, and what is their story in electronic music?
Disney Movies
Grammy Award-winning Daft Punk rose to prominence when Disney released a 20-minute sneak peek of TRON: Legacy at the designated IMAX theaters across America. The free promotional screening tickets sold out within a couple of hours.
One of the best promotional events through Disney movies introduced mainstream America to Techno music.
In conjunction with the promotional screening, Disney released sound clips from the TRON: Legacy soundtrack. The clips were different from the way Americans experience music. The clips introduced us to the exclusive and decisively acclaimed French techno duo Daft Punk.
Directed by Joseph Kosinski, who also directed Top Gun: Maverick, the highly anticipated movie about a young man searching for his father, who disappeared into a computer some years ago, matched perfectly with the electronically energized music.
In 2021, supposedly, Daft Punk bid each other goodbye.
Movie Soundtrack
Daft Punk’s music soundtrack connects with the Disney movie. Not long after the promotional release of the soundtrack clips, the complete soundtrack hit the streets, and it swiftly climbed the Billboard charts to number ten and didn’t let up in the following weeks.
The duo proved the world’s brilliance of techno music when the genre was performed in its relevant context. TRON: Legacy is the proper content.
The soundtrack achieved “Best Original Score” from the Austin Film Critics Association. It was honored with Best Original Score for a Fantasy/Science Fiction/Horror Film by the International Film Music Critics Association.
Film Score
Daft Punk composed the Tron: Legacy soundtrack, which plays like a creative process that brings the audience into the computer alongside the lead character.
Who is Daft Punk?
The two performers are Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter. To create the movie soundtrack, they brought together 100 talented musicians from London and formed a symphony. They recorded the soundtrack at AIR Lyndhurst Studios, Britain’s central scoring facility.
Devotees were euphoric over the thought that the electronic music duo was developing the soundtrack for a Disney movie. The movie added prestige to Daft Punk’s first film score. The soundtrack achieved “Best Original Score” from the Austin Film Critics Association. It was honored with Best Original Score for a Fantasy/Science Fiction/Horror Film by the International Film Music Critics Association.
“Tron” is an excellent reminder of Daft Punk’s music.
Tron’s “Recognizer” moved over to the Resident Evil: Retribution teaser trailer. “The Game Has Changed” appeared in the Game of Thrones trailer and was played as part of the 2014 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Sochi, Russia.
Hypnotic
Disney is known for its detailed and strategically staged promotional campaigns. The announcement of Daft Punk’s 90-second piece for the second TRON movie became a surefire success. A 10-week promotional campaign on Facebook, featuring something new every Tuesday about TRON: Legacy, ran successfully. Befittingly called “TRON Tuesdays,” a global countdown to the sequel’s official release brought attention to the movie. So much attention was paid to Daft Punk fans, who gathered on Facebook to listen to the electronic duo’s latest rendition.
Daft Punk’s “Derezzed” played every Tuesday during the campaign. The music generated a hypnotic effect.
So much so that fans became mesmerized when they heard and saw the music, in which Michael Sheen looks menacing with his white hair as Castor, a conniving and renowned program in The Grid. He controls the End of Line Club at the top of a tower in the computer system where the story happens.
Games of Thrones
Daft Punk magnifies the meaning of Techno performances. Their super-charged performance fills the venue with multi-electronic lights, including visual machinery, and laser effects play an integral part.
Both Homem-Christo and Bangalter are renowned for their heavy beats in their visual and story compositions. They wear ornate robot regalia in public and while performing their monogram trademark, which they orchestrated in collaboration with Disney’s production design for TRON: Legacy.
The music received so many accolades that Tron’s “Recognizer” played in Resident Evil: Retribution teaser trailer, and “The Game Has Changed” played in the Game of Thrones trailer. A portion was part of the 2014 Winter Olympics 2014 opening ceremony in Sochi, Russia.
Daft Punk Tour
During 2017, rumors were rampant on the Internet about a possible Daft Punk tour. As stories go, they were just rumors. Daft Punk did release a holiday song called “Celebrate the Holidays: Face to Face.”
Daft Punk began in 1994 and continues as a duo, so keep your ear to the ground for any news of future touring plans.
Your family wants to watch a good movie, and you need help picking a good family movie. Without spending too much time searching, I found the following movies streaming on either Netflix or Amazon.
Early Man
Incredibles 2
Five Fingers of Marseilles
Christopher Robin
A Quiet Place
Disney’s Earth
Alvin and the Chipmunks
VeggieTales Takes a Look at a Meaningful Life
Dolphin Tale
The Sandlot
Lady Bird
Logan
Kull: Skull Island
Boss Baby
Diary of a Wimpy Kid – The Long Haul
Little Italy
If you liked “Chicken Run” and “Wallace & Gromit,” you’ll like “Early Man.”
1. “Early Man”
Early Man brings laughter to the household because the movie is cute and filled with fun and likable characters. Dug, voiced by Eddie Redmayne, is a prehistoric caveman with goofy friends. The situation is hilarious, where the invaders are challenged to a game of soccer because Dug and his tribe need to win back their home.
The movie will capture your family’s attention because the kids relate to the innocence of the idiots, and adults will find the story funny. The undertone of humor in the situations makes parents chuckle. The claymation takes the story to a whole new level of brilliance.
“Incredibles 2” is just as good as “Incredibles” because Brad Bird directed both.
2. “Incredibles 2”
Incredibles 2 is an ideal family movie because it is about a family of superheroes. Other superheroes are also enthralling to see how the family adjusts to being superheroes when mom, Elastic Girl, leaves the family at home with dad in charge. Jack-Jack’s superhero powers are totally out of this world. Brad Bird wrote and directed the movie. His screenplay flies along with tight dialogue and plenty of funny moments. I strongly recommend this movie for family movie night because it is pure entertainment and will satisfy all ages.
If you want to watch back-to-back movies, I strongly recommend the prequel, Incredibles. Again, Brad Bird directs a funny and action-packed film for the whole family.
My library includes both movies because, on family movie night, we all agree to watch Incredibles. I loaned the Blu-ray to friends who haven’t seen it yet. When they return it, they profusely thank me as we discuss our favorite scenes.
Any scene with Edna is my favorite. She is such a funny and quirky character. In Incredibles 2, she goes way out and befriends Jack-Jack.
All the voice actors’ return in Incredibles 2 shows how capable Bird is as a director. Pixar will not fail you because the voice actors create delightful characters.
Finding a well-made Western is pure joy.
3. “Five Fingers of Marseilles”
Five Fingers of Marseilles is a western set before and after Apartheid in South Africa. The inhabitants of Marseilles are under the oppression of a corrupt police force, and Five Fingers is a group of rebels that stands up to it.
Tau executes two police officers, and he flees the town. The Five Fingers breaks up, and Tau chooses a life of crime and gets arrested.
Two decades later, he is discharged from prison as the dreaded outlaw known as The Lion of Marseilles.
He returns home wanting comfort and reconnection with those he had disregarded. Tau is entangled in another injustice and rebuilds the Five Fingers. Together they fight for justice.
Scripted by Sean Drummond, the story is believable and moves along quickly. Directed by Michael Matthews, the movie is in English with subtitles.
It’s a unique story about growing up, but not too seriously.
4. “Christopher Robin”
Winnie the Pooh, along with his best friends of the Hundred Acre Wood, leaves home for the big city to help Christopher Robin, who is now a father and in the workforce, become the loving and playful boy he used to be.
The journey is delightful, with silly Pooh and friends trying so hard to help Christopher. The movie will capture your heart.
Directed by her husband, Emily Blunt is so believable in “A Quiet Place.”
5. “A Quiet Place”
A Quiet Place trailer is an intense and scary movie. The story follows a family who must be quiet. Directed by John Krasinski, the supernatural thriller stars Krasinski and his wife, Emily Blunt. The film is enthralling and made so much money that the studio is producing a sequel.
Disneynature opens the world of nature to kids of all ages.
6. Disneynature’s “Earth “
Disneynature celebrates each Earth Day with the release of a documentary celebrating Earth, the environment, and animals. The first of the series was Earth, released in 2009. The movie set a documentary opening-day record, grossing $4 million from 1,804 theaters.
The concessions person explained that the movie theater had four loaded school buses for the 10:00 am showing. He talked about the kids swamping concessions with orders of sixty kids’ treat packages. Disney conducted an all-out campaign to encourage schools and families to attend the Earth Day opening, a wise move on their part.
Three Animals Tell the Story
In the movie Earth, we are introduced to a mother polar bear and her two cubs as we first catch sight of their snouts peeking out from their winter den. The movie charts several other animals, but the documentary focuses primarily on these three animals to tell the story of Earth: the polar bears, humpback whales, and African elephants. It is by far an epic film, giving the attention this endangered planet deserves.
Any movie night can become your own special Earth Day by watching a Disneynature film or one of the older Disney films about nature called True Life Adventures. Adventure movies focus on wildlife, and an Oscar-winning series initiated by Walt Disney himself. He truly loved wildlife and saw the importance of conveying the message to keep your planet sustainable. Once your family views a Disneynature documentary, you can discuss the need to change our living habits and help preserve our planet Earth, and the importance of keeping it intact for many generations to come.
7. “Alvin and the Chipmunks”
Alvin and the Chipmunks were super popular in the late 1950s and then returned in 2007 as computer-generated images, known as CGI. The three little rascals look more real than ever now. Like the movie poster says, “Things are going to get messy.”
JETT Records executive Ian Hawke, a former college roommate, rejected his most recent song. To make the story even more interesting, Dave had, at one time, a relationship with Claire Wilson, his next-door neighbor.
Favorite Scene
Alvin and his two buddies sing “Only You And You Alone.” Dave realizes he discovered three diamonds in the rough.
The movie takes off, and the Chipmunks sing the songs he writes, and he keeps them fed and sheltered. The singing and montages in the film are brilliant. Jason Lee does a fantastic job of playing off the little CGI animals.
One of my favorite scenes is when Theodore wakes up in the middle of the night, scared from a nightmare. Dave helps him feel safe by letting him sleep in his bed. Very cute; any parent or child will relate to this scene, later revisited with Uncle Ian in a rather poignant scene.
Little Rascals
But the chipmunks, being little rascals, cause some problems for Dave. But they are so adorable you can’t help but laugh, which makes this an ideal family movie. A cute scene is when Alvin tries to create the mood for Dave’s reunion dinner with Claire. The dinner becomes odd. She bails on Dave when he confesses, “My life is being sabotaged by talking chipmunks.”
Alvin and the Chipmunks want to make up for the blunder, so they record a song and get a record deal with Ian Hawke. Now, Alvin and the Chipmunks are more famous than the Jonas Brothers. The little animals are working so hard to keep up with the demand. Dave worries about them and tries to get control over the situation. With missed opportunities and Hawke’s underhanded scheme to steal the chipmunks, Dave lets them go. Hawke tells the chipmunks to call him Uncle Ian. He wants to make money off them without their well-being in mind. The little guys are overworked. They miss Dave, and Dave misses them.
Family Can Watch Together
Directed by Tim Hill, the movie is fun for anyone, but it’s one the family can watch together without worrying that parents will get bored or that jokes will go over the kids’ heads. The talented cast and voice actors make the movie. Some of the cast members are Jane Lynch from Glee, Justin Long as Alvin, Matthew Gray Gubler as Simon, Jesse McCartney as Theodore, David Cross as Ian Hawke, and Jason Lee as Dave.
Behind-the-Scenes
The Alvin and the Chipmunks DVD has a behind-the-scenes featurette detailing how they created the chipmunks’ singing. It is well worth the look, and you will discover the real singers of the movie.
VeggieTales are pure magic for the little ones.
8. “VeggieTales Takes a Look at a Meaningful Life”
The VeggieTales, in general, are great family movies because they are light and fluffy. The jokes are clean, and the situations are hilarious. Sure, the tales bring in the Christian faith, so what? They are fun, and kids and parents have a good time watching the veggie characters interact with each other without legs or arms, yet they still move things around in the air as if they have extremities.
They carry books and a football. The veggies don’t walk with legs. They bounce to and fro because they are vegetables.
One such VeggieTales movie that went directly to DVD is It’s a Meaningful Life – A Lesson in Being Content. The story is somewhat like Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life. The classic movie follows a sad businessman as he reflects on how his life has turned out, and he wishes he had never been born. An angel guides him to the right path by showing how important his life is. The movie boasts James Stewart, Lionel Barrymore, and Donna Reed.
Would Life Be Better?
The VeggieTales character Larry the Cucumber plays Stewart, who loves playing football and wants to play in the Salad Bowl. He wants to be famous for all the fortune that goes with fame. But he gets injured in a game, and his dream ends. Many years later, silly-but-sweet Stewart cares for his family and friends. He loves his job at the toy train factory.
He ponders what he would be if he weren’t injured, had become a famous football star, and had made lots of money. Would life be better? He changes the past to show Steward what it would be like if it had happened the way he wanted. A moral is learned through Christian teachings, and Stewart learns a lesson about life.
Multi-Grammy Winner – Steven Curtis Chapman
What the movie is really about is the song “Meant to Be,” produced by Steven Curtis Chapman, a multi-Grammy winner as well as a Dove Award winner. Of course, It’s a Meaningful Life has the traditional new silly song called “Goodnight Junior.”
You can even visit the VeggieTales website and download some excellent activities from the movie for kids and parents to do together. The DVD includes cool family bonus features, such as sing-along songs, interviews, audio commentary, and the Meaningful Family Life Guide.
9. “Dolphin Tale”
Dolphin Tale is a true story that follows a teenage boy, Sawyer, played by Nathan Gamble. Sawyer meets his best friend, a dolphin, washed up on Clearwater Beach in Florida. Dolphin is named Winter, who loses her tail after being snagged in a crab trap. He decides to take responsibility for Winter at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, and his life changes.
The dolphin plays herself in the movie, making it realistic for families to watch. The Blu-ray/DVD offers several perspectives on the dolphin’s story. The featurettes are entertaining but educational at the same time.
Sawyer helps find a prosthetic expert to fit Winter with a prosthetic fin—a fantastic and unbelievable feat – never been done before. I encourage families to watch this movie together because it is one of the best family movies I have ever seen. The film will tug at your heartstrings, featuring a talented cast including Morgan Freeman, Ashly Judd, and Harry Connick Jr.
10. “The Sandlot”
The Sandlotis a movie everyone in the family can enjoy because its story has both tension and apprehension, making it a film kids can watch with their parents. The film is about kids growing up in the 1960s, when kids could play on the streets and have more freedom. They didn’t need permission to go places or to stay in touch with their parents. They just played and had fun all day.
Scotty, a new kid in the neighborhood, tries to make friends with the kids who play baseball on the sandlot. It’s hard at first, but the boys come around, and the adventure begins. Scotty learns to play baseball as the story follows him and his buddies on an adventurous summer quest to retrieve a baseball with a Babe Ruth autograph. The movie entertains audiences of all ages, featuring some of the wildest moments, scary situations, and a first kiss. All nine boys grew up that summer and became best friends. The film is enchanting and a fun comedy.
Director Greta Gerwig is from my hometown.
11. “Lady Bird”
The movie is not only filmed in my hometown but also about it. I marvel at the phenomenon of connection. That’s the feeling I have toward Lady Bird because it’s set in my hometown.
Greta Gerwig’s movie follows a teenage girl, played by Saoirse Ronan, who calls herself “Lady Bird” and goes to a Catholic school similar to Gerwig’s High School.
The story is charming, no matter where you live, because it is about being a teenager with a prominent dream to go to college and be away from home.
She tries to be who she really is while contending with the crazy life of high school and her relationship with her mother.
And, Lady Bird received esteem at festivals, from the public, and the industry.
12. “Logan”
Hugh Jackman stars under the direction of James Mangold. Mangold’s notable credits include Walk the Line, which he co-wrote; The Wolverine;Girl, Interrupted;Cop Land;Knight and Day;Ford v. Ferrari; and 3:10 to Yuma.
An operation run by the government turns mutant kids into killers. Logan begins mentoring a mutant girl with two claws rather than his three. The movie is dark and gets more serious, but laughs and merriment appear toward the end.
A Harry Potter alumnus, Tom Felton, looks mighty mean, suntanned, and ready to be the wicked, bad guy.
13. “Kong: Skull Island”
Being promoted as a reimagining of the beginning of the mythic Kong, an exciting, creative venture, I acknowledge that remakes are not original. Yet, the movie is supposedly original, so don’t name it Kong.
The movie follows a diverse group brought together to research an uncharted island in the Pacific. The island is stunning, but dangerous. The group adventures into a strange and unfamiliar island, and they are unaware of exploring the realm of the mythic Kong.
14. “The Boss Baby”
The Boss Baby is a hilarious movie that the family is sure to like. The impact of a new baby’s arrival is told from a delightfully unpredictable narrator, a heatedly creative 7-year-old named Tim.
The voice of Alec Baldwin dons a suit and speaks in a sly, animated way. The movie’s heart-filled message about the meaning of family should appeal to the whole family.
15. “Diary of a Wimpy Kid – The Long Haul”
The last Wimpy Kid movie has a new cast, and it looks entertaining, although a road trip? I could be amusing. Watch the trailer, and you might see some familiar faces from the earlier movies.
Hayden Christensen played young Darth Vader.
16. “Little Italy”
Little Italy focuses on two childhood friends, Leo (Hayden Christensen) and Nikki (Emma Roberts). The movie is directed by Donald Petrie, who brought us Miss Congeniality, starring Sandra Bullock.
As in a classic story, Leo and Nikki become attracted to each other when they are adults. Their parents’ own contentious pizzerias put a bite on their passionate romance. If you are familiar with the story, this particular one is not a tragedy. Some classic stories end unhappily, but this romantic comedy is safe for a blossoming romance.
Streaming Movies are Rewarding
Watching a good movie with the family can be rewarding on many levels. They are upbeat, funny, and honorable. Whether you rent them on Netflix, Amazon, or cable, the stories share a message that the whole audience can relate to, refreshingly.
Growing up in a family with a single mom and two siblings allowed me to be glued to the television every Saturday morning and watch cartoons.
The cartoons helped me forget all the troubles and hardships we endured. It allowed me to escape and think about how I could make the world a better place for my family if only I, too, could be a superhero.
The superhero cartoons were the best at inspiring me because they encapsulated the idea of confronting and solving your problems. To this day, I follow that concept. I get a kick out of tackling issues and throwing them in jail as I head back to my office. In this day and age, I sometimes have to be a superhero.
“In the midst of the vagaries of life, they provide us a trip to the land of goodness and fairies, of imaginations and possibilities.
A childhood that wasn’t spent watching cartoons or reading comic strips, no wonder, seems too dull to imagine.”— Sanhita Baruah
Cartoons to Watch
I don’t know when cartoons became popular. They appeared on the television each Saturday morning. They were my favorite because I was mesmerized by Bugs Bunny, The Road Runner, Batman, Daffy the Duck, and Superman.
Watching cartoons on Saturday mornings gave my mother time to herself. They entertained all three of us — me, my brother, and my sister — while my mother cherished her Saturday ritual of pampering herself and preparing for the week ahead. She worked hard and deserved all the luxury she could muster in those invigorating morning rituals.
Not that my home was dysfunctional. I wanted my mother to be happy because she worked extremely hard, raising three kids on her own. I think most of the time, she was smiling, but she had so much to do for us. She was my superhero.
Batman for Kids
The history of cartoons teaches kids that they can watch comic book characters come to life on television or on a device. Stories like the Dark Knight ally with Red Tornado, Green Arrow, Aquaman, Plastic Man, Blue Beetle, Wildcat, Deadman, Bronze Tiger, and Atom, and have them take on many evildoers, showing them how to solve problems.
Kids watch the annoying hoodlums running as mad and crazy scientists. They see the no good, off the wall, intergalactic crooks, from world power, crazed dictators to skidding teenagers. They learn that taking responsibility for others means helping them confront their problems.
“Grown-ups’ could learn a lesson from watching cartoons.”— James Jean-Pierre
Treasures
I was satisfied watching cartoons every Saturday. If I felt unsatisfied, I kept watching until Bugs Bunny or the Road Runner saved me. Based on my childhood memories of watching morning cartoons, I checked out these “old” treasures through Warner Bros. archives, such as Looney Tunes. I can still get my hands on another set of Saturday morning cartoons at Amazon Prime.
A cartoon hero is the only way to capture the good old days of cartoons. The darker ones are more of escapism with a lesson in how not to behave than the silly Bugs Bunny and goofy Road Runner.
Mel Blanc is a hero because of what he could do with his voice for all the Looney Tunes, “the Warner Brothers cartoons, to be the voice of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Porky Pig.”— Nicolas Cage
Cartoons Versus Comics
Perhaps, you were one of the millions of kids watching cartoons of the 60s and remember the Saturday mornings with Batman, superheroes, or Looney Tunes.
You need to share them with your kids. Not only are they pure entertainment, but they are also much safer to watch than some of today’s television programs.
You set an example of telling your friends that your kids watch old cartoons. Hooking up with the superheroes on Saturday mornings, watching the popular and well-liked comics, is not just a pastime — it is a passion and escapism.
Cartoons YouTube
Watching episode after episode of each series, I know you will laugh yourself silly, but make sure you share them with your kids. You might even discover some cartoons you haven’t seen before, like Batman: The Animated Series, Volume One.
YouTube offers tons of these cartoons, so grab your device, put on your headphones, and start the entertainment.
Batman in Action
Amazon Prime
What makes it easy for parents and kids is that Amazon Prime offers endless chances to view good, old cartoons. If you are a Prime member, they are available at no charge, except for your Prime membership. They are not very long, so your kids are not wasting their whole Saturday morning, like I did, watching the classics.
Be warned. The cartoons are addictive because there are so many stories available, and they’re so much fun to watch. They are not as cheesy nor as suspenseful as the movies with the same characters. The characters are dark with a foreboding soundtrack. The hilarious cartoons are more entertaining than the film because they feature slapstick humor suitable for kids.
Steven Spielberg and Michael Crichton made a great creative team. | Source
Friendship With Benefits
Steven Spielberg and Michael Crichton developed motion pictures and television programs, notably the Jurassic Park franchise and the long-running ER series. The two men, who were dear friends working together, are a fascinating story of success.
Dinosaurs from “Jurassic Park”
An acquaintance, a high school teacher, told me about a time he showed his students the movie Jurassic Park. At the end of the film, some of his students thought dinosaurs were still alive on our planet. Not that the students were stupid. The movie was realistic enough to make the dinosaurs appear real in their minds’ eyes.
The movie’s detailed and realistic images of various dinosaurs, along with its story, acting, and sound, created a realistic world based on Crichton’s bestselling novel.
The original movie focuses on a devastating effort to produce and clone dinosaurs for an innovative theme park.
The franchise began in 1990 when Spielberg grabbed the rights to the unpublished book. Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment purchased the rights to the novel.
After four sequels, the franchise flourished, with the first two based on Crichton’s books, and it spawned tons of video games, comic books, and theme parks.
The franchise resurrected Richard Attenborough’s career and bolstered the careers of Jeff Goldblum, Sam Neill, Lauren Dern, Chris Pratt, and Bryce Dallas Howard.
Jurassic Park’s motion picture franchise includes a water excursion at Universal Studios theme parks.
The franchise movies alone have grossed close to $ 5 billion worldwide.
Crichton and Spielberg Winning Team
The success of the Jurassic Park franchise indicates that Crichton and Spielberg made a winning team. They invested their good fortune in an American medical television series that proved just as fruitful as the dinosaur movies.
Under the umbrella of Amblin Television, Crichton and Spielberg’s team created the medical drama ER. The show lasted 15 years and won several prestigious awards, bringing together famed talents that I will mention later in the article.
If anything, ER is a lesson in producing an award-winning television show and practically keeping it on the air for years. I am sure students of film and television classrooms study this series in its entirety. They identify and highlight the factors that contributed to the show’s high ratings and large worldwide audience.
Endless drama in an Emergency Room kept viewers glued to the TV.
Emmy Award Winners
The show won multiple Emmy Awards, with 124 nominations and 22 wins, reflecting the caliber of work that stood behind and in front of the camera, launching the stellar careers of George Clooney, along with Anthony Edwards, Noah Wyle, Julianna Margulies, and Maria Bello.
“ER”
Although I never watched the series as a whole, but as clips from different shows, I tend to shy away from medical shows. ER taps into the intimate workings of an urban training hospital and the critical issues faced by the dedicated physicians and staff of its vigilant emergency room.
Every week, fans glued themselves to the television and watched quirky and unique medical professionals save lives in a place where nothing is taken for granted or guaranteed. The emergency room doors open, and another distraught person or persons gets placed in their hands, life or death, within an hour’s worth of television programming.
The series lasted as long as it did because of the talented writers, as evidenced by the final season, particularly in the show’s ending. The arc ties into the earlier seasons, including Noah Wyle’s professional choices and personal life.
Now, Wyle is starring in HBO’s Emmy-winning The Pitt, very similar to ER, but set over one day in an emergency room in Pittsburgh.
Curtain Call
The final season is a curtain call for all the show’s lead characters. They returned one way or another, including those who died on the show.
One point of view about the medical drama is the large cast of major actors who left due to injury, death, firing, or disappearance. Like most long-running shows, I understand that cast members go in hopes of bigger and better careers.
The final season includes movie stars Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance. The main arc centers on Catherine Banfield, the ER’s medical director, played by Basset, and her husband, Russell Banfield, played by Vance. Both are intense and effectively support their respective sides of the issue.
The series ends well, and that is what matters to the fans. The finale is rewarding to those who faithfully followed the multiple storylines.
George Clooney
I am sure you’ll appreciate watching the episodes, knowing that you can watch them again and again since you own the DVD. The cast changing through the years might throw you off, but it is graced with guest appearances from Clooney and other original cast members.
If you still need an emergency room fix on television, there are similar shows that follow ER’s formula, which validates the series even more, such as Grey’s Anatomy, a long-running show as well.
Skateboard movies show tricks on the board while offering a story to keep you entertained.
Skateboarding is an adrenaline high!
Skateboard Movies Worth Watching
Skateboard films produce creative tricks, thrilling stunts, and high-energy circumstances that draw an audience. These movies often showcase the talent and subculture of skateboarding, engaging and entertaining those interested in extreme sports. Combining visuals, music, and decent storytelling also contributes to their appeal.
Get ready to swoop into the culture of tricks, actions and storytelling. Check out this list of skateboard movies. Enjoy the action and drama.
1. Lords of Dogtown (2005)
2. Thrashin (1986)
3. Mid90s (2018)
4. Skate Kitchen (2018)
5. Paranoid Park (2007)
6. Gleaming the Cube (1989)
1. Lords of Dogtown (2005)
Lords of Dogtownis a memorable skateboarding movie based on a real-life story. The film follows the development of the skateboarding culture and its personalities. We meet four young boys in the 1970s, living in California, who hang out together and skateboard.
The movie touches on the innocence of the young at heart, living free without the burdens of adulthood.
Twilightdirector Catherine Hardwicke cut her teeth, helming this iconic movie about skateboarding. The late Heath Ledger shines under her direction as Skip, the owner of a surfboard and skateboard shop. The kids look up to him because he’s the oldest and knows more about surfing and skateboarding than anyone in the area. Skip is also wild and crazy, making his scenes enjoyable.
During a Director’s Cut podcast, Hardwicke talked about using skateboard fans as the background for the competition scene. She was amazed by their enthusiasm for the extreme sport, which was so genuine.
What is Dogtown in Santa Monica?
In the movie, these young skateboarders eat, sleep, breathe and live skateboarding.
The boys hang out with other skateboarders and surfers at the famous Dogtown in Santa Monica — a coffee, breakfast, and lunch spot. Here, American skateboard and surfing nostalgia percolates, keeping the traditions alive.
It’s all about skateboarding in empty pools.
Empty Swimming Pools
The young, blonde-haired boys with their vans, sneakers and boards ride their skateboards throughout Santa Monica. They want something more from their skateboarding- empty swimming pools- a higher purpose in life.
One boy discovers a dried-up, abandoned swimming pool.
Empty swimming pools become the next wave of skateboarding. The four boys search the neighborhoods for every abandoned pool to conquer and skate.
The young boys skate the empty pools with the drive to find a bigger and challenging cement hole. They glide on their boards to wild parties, pick up cute, tanned girls, and await the next step toward their higher purpose.
2. Thrashin (1986)
Directed by David Winters, this 1986 movie follows how some Valley boys deal with punk rockers. Billed as a teenage adventure, Thrashers received 72% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The skateboarders called “The Ramp Locals” use their skateboards against the punk rockers. Corey Webster, played by a young Josh Brolin, leads the group, while the street punks follow Tommy Hook, played by Robert Rusler.
The difficulty begins when Corey falls in love with Tommy’s little sister, played by Pamela Gidley, who is visiting from Indiana. It builds during the severe “LA Massacre,” a 20-mile downhill skateboarding race, like all gang conflicts. The prize is a corporate sponsor.
The best scene for any skateboard fan is the final race. A camera is strapped to the front of a skateboard, creating in your seat thrills as an exhilarating sense of the gallant “thrashers” — hence the movie’s title.
3. Mid90s (2018)
Mid90s follows Stevie, a thirteen-year-old living in 90s-era Los Angeles. He spends his summer navigating between his troubled home life with his brother and a group of new friends he hangs out with at a local skate shop.
Jonah Hill wrote and directed this film. We know him for his acting talent in 21 & 22 Jump Street and Money Ball.
The coming-of-age movie premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, where Hill received a standing ovation.
4. Skate Kitchen (2018)
Crystal Moselle directs Skate Kitchen. The movie focuses on Camille, played by Rachelle Vinberg. She skateboards but is introverted, so she keeps to herself. She hooks up with an all-girl skateboarding group after cutting ties with her mother. She becomes friends with the girls and develops confidence.
She also meets Devon, played by Jaden Smith, a skateboarder who isn’t as he seems. As the story unfolds, Camille learns about true friendship and self-discovery.
What is so remarkable about this skateboarding movie is that it is about a teenage group of girls who skateboard together, compared to Lords of Dogtown, which is about all boys. The only girls in the cult movie are cute and suntanned, lacking depth and intelligence.
The girl’s group is called Skate Kitchen. They are talented and outgoing, and being cute or suntanned is the least of their concerns.
An all-girl skateboard group is about self-discovery and friendship.
5. Paranoid Park (2007)
Another skateboard movie that caught my eye is Paranoid Park, directed by Gus Van Sant, based on the book by Blake Nelson. The popular book makes it to the silver screen smoothly with an entertaining appeal.
In the story, we meet a teenage skateboarder named Alex, played by Gabe Nevins, a withdrawn 16-year-old boy who has recently discovered Paranoid Park — a massive skate park in Portland, Oregon. The Portland unruly skateboarders built Paranoid Park to create a place to cruise the concrete without being constantly harassed by the cops.
Alex hooks up with another skateboarder at the park, quickly becoming friends. His new friend is known for being an anarchist at the park. But that doesn’t stop Alex from being his friend because he feels he needs more drama to forget about his troubles back home.
The theme is there are consequences to your actions.
Making the Right Choices
Making the right choices defines the story in the movie. Alex and his new friend take a wild shot and hop on a train. A security guard sees them and chases after them. But tragedy falls upon the two teens when the security guard gets killed because he pursued them, and they are angsty over the consequences of their youthful waywardness.
Alex doubts he can convince anyone of what happened that night. Who would believe him if he told the truth? The local authorities investigate the death while troubled Alex expresses himself in a journal. We get to experience his hardship and personal pain, wearing the same shoes as an adolescent boy who only sought to escape from the troubles of home and the concept of mortality.
6. Gleaming the Cube (1989)
Gleaming the Cube is a coming-of-age movie. The action-drama stars a young Christian Slater playing a skateboarder named Brian. Brian’s adopted brother disappeared, and the authorities found him dead. The police say it’s a homicide, but Brian doesn’t believe it.
Brian skateboards around the city, searching for answers about how his brother died. He investigates and discovers that his brother works in a shop that sends weapons to Vietnam.
