"Must go faster."

It’s been a busy summer for me this year. It seems like it’s gone by in a blur. There was a vacation in Penticton where I actually burned my feet on the sand, literally. There was a camping trip that almost didn’t happen, a wedding celebration where I learned the art of the ‘sandwich’ (thanks Anthony), a weeklong camp with teenagers (yes, I’m insane) and a couple days at the Baker’s cabin where I water-skied for the first time. Sort of.

So basically, it’s been a terrible summer…for watching movies.

I have some serious catching up to do, but in the mean time here’s a rundown on the few flicks I did manage to watch.

When I was in high school a friend of mine and I were addicted to baseball and would spend all our time sorting through boxes of baseballs cards, practicing our curveballs in the backyard and watching Major League. While there are a few campy moments and a completely unnecessary romance plot, the finale of this film is enough to put a smile on anyone’s face. It’s a rousing, roaring celebration that comes together perfectly. An incredibly fun film with some hilarious acting by Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, Wesley Snipes and a chameleon-esque performance by President David Palmer.

The Great Escape deserves a full length review, as does the excellent 2-disc Collector’s Edition DVD. For now let’s just say that if you haven’t seen this World War II classic then you owe it to yourself, and the rest of film-lovers everywhere, to see this one as soon as humanly possible. It’s the true story of a group of Allied POWs who plan a mass escape from a German prison camp and stars some of Hollywood’s most famous actors including James Garner, Steve McQueen, Richard Attenborough, Charles Bronson and James Coburn. Despite being released more than 40 years ago The Great Escape remains exciting and entertaining.

The quintessential gangster movie, Goodfellas pretty much defines the roles that Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci have become famous for. The film is based on actual events, which is scary considering the kinds of things going on throughout. Goodfellas gives a no-holds-barred look at mob life in the 60s, 70s and 80s and uses clever voice-over narration to describe the thoughts and ambitions of each character. Ray Liotta gives a terrific performance in the lead role but is easily overshadowed by De Niro and Pesci who were simply born to play these characters. Another classic that deserves your attention.

I recently finished reading the non-fiction book Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War by Mark Bowden. It’s easy to see how it inspired Ridley Scott and Jerry Bruckheimer to team up and create Black Hawk Down, a film based on the events of Mogadishu 1993. After finishing the book I was eager to watch the film again. It’s a completely different experience when you are familiar with the individual soldiers involved in the conflict and are aware of how they were feeling during the battle. Although a very hard movie to watch for some (it’s basically the Saving Private Ryan of modern war) I think it’s an important one. And it just happens to be incredibly exciting and entertaining as well.

It’s hard to give Hotel Rwanda a proper review (even a mini-review) since I’ve only seen it once, several weeks ago. I was so wrapped up in the drama unfolding on-screen that I never really considered how it measured up as a film. Maybe that’s a good thing for a movie that is simply retelling events that actually happened (I seem to be watching a lot of those lately). I do recall thinking that Don Cheadle is an amazing actor. Just watch Ocean’s 11 (Basher) and then Hotel Rwanda (Paul Rusesabagina). He never has to worry about getting typecast, that’s for certain. The movie itself is definitely engaging and worth seeing. I would like to learn more about the real story and watch it again before giving my full opinion though; I’ve heard rumblings that some key elements may not be entirely accurate.

Independence Day is just plain fun. What else would you expect from a movie about aliens attacking earth? This film is all about the script. When Dave and I first saw this together at the theatre back in 1996 (whoa, that’s 10 years ago!) we were quoting the film backwards and forwards every chance we got. Will Smith steals the show with his hilarious quips and Jeff Goldblum is a terrific addition. Although I felt the film was a little too patriotic, it was to be expected (it is named after the single most important American holiday). The Limited Edition DVD includes some additional footage but not much. All in all it’s just a great ride and one that will give any action/adventure seeker his fill.

That just about brings us up to date. I did manage to watch three films while at Camp (of course I did), but I’ll leave that for another day. Right now I must start watching more movies!