These classic movies have stood the test of time. In my house, they have even stood the test of teenagers – who complained bitterly about watching "old stuff," only to be mesmerized.

I think that’s the heart of these movies — they tell stories that we become immersed in, without any special effects other than excellent acting and superb cinematography.

How Green Was My Valley

Director John Ford focuses on life in a Welsh mining town, with all its grand tragedies and small triumphs. Maureen O’Hara plays Angharad Morgan, who married for position and comes to understand the power of love. Local lad Huw Morgan, Angharad’s youngest brother, is the narrator who introduces us to his family and the local village. We get to know everyone from the landed mine owners to the women-folk waiting for their men to come singing home each evening.

The music for this film is haunting, setting the mood along with the dramatic lighting. John Ford did more with lighting and framing shots in black and white than most directors manage in the digital age. When I find this showing on one of the classic movie channels, I know how my next two hours will be taken. It’s worth every second.

The Quiet Man

Most often viewed on St. Patrick’s Day, The Quiet Man is a joyous, riotous celebration of Ireland. Shot on location (a stunning concession from the studio), the country is as much a character as John Wayne’s Sean Thornton and Maureen O’Hara’s Mary Kate Danaher. Sean has returned to his native County Mayo after a prize-fighting career in the States, which he left in shame after accidentally killing a man in the ring. One of the first persons he notices is Mary Kate Danaher, bringing the sheep in from the field.

Mary Kate’s brother is the local squire and something of a bully, who doesn’t want to give his sister’s dowry to a man he doesn’t respect. The movie’s tensions are resolved in one of the best brawls, which is avidly followed by the townsfolk while Michaeleen is making book. If you’ve never seen it, you’re missing a gem of a movie — a romance, a comedy, and a loving look at the Old Sod. Even if you have seen it, you can always watch this one again.

Kristen Blount – Administration Office

Invictus, by John Carlin, uses the 1995 Rugby World Cup Final as a lens through which to view the emergence of South Africa in the post-apartheid years. Carlin, who was the South Africa bureau chief for The Independent newspaper from 1989 to 1995, observed the process of transition closely, and explores the personalities and processes involved in the transition in great detail.

Carlin’s book takes us through the negotiations between the Botha / De Klerk government and the African National Congress, and explores the motives and actions of the die-hards on either side of the political divide. The author examines Nelson Mandela’s political skill in detail, emphasizing his ability to create a positive impression, change minds, and build bridges. It is through this lens that events surrounding the Rugby World Cup begin to assume a greater significance. Mandela’s government could have chosen to change the team’s name, and their kit, in order to erase controversial symbols of the apartheid era. Instead Mandela got behind the team and encouraged others to do the same in order to retain the support of moderate whites and to bring the country together. This fascinating decision had the intended widespread repercussions as the country got behind the team, which began to exceed everyone’s expectations.

Invictus was recently released as a movie starring Matt Damon as Francois Pienaar and Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela. The movie has a much tighter focus than the book, setting the scene quickly and then showing us Mandela’s management of the Springboks and the Rugby World Cup as an act of statesmanship. The movie focuses on the moment when the Springboks beat the highly rated New Zealand All Blacks to claim the 1995 Rugby World Cup, and explores the final third of Carlin’s book to illustrate the transcendent moment when the new South Africa truly became a single nation. Matt Damon gives an engaging performance as Francois Pienaar, and Morgan Freeman is spectacular as Mandela. You don’t need to be a rugby fan to enjoy Invictus. Check out the book or the movie today!

John Jewitt – Savage Branch

The year is 1960 and Kennedy is running against Nixon for President. Nixon’s people want Sterling Cooper to market Nixon — but Nixon isn’t the only one who uses Sterling Cooper. Their client list includes Lucky Stripe Cigarettes, Right Guard, Bethlehem Steel, Liberty Capital Savings, even the Israeli Tourism Bureau. 

Enter the world of Mad Men, a group of Madison Avenue advertisers who weave dreams to hock a product, and stop at nothing to land the next big client. And the king of the ad men is Don Draper — cool, sophisticated, and confident enough to get the client to commit to Sterling Cooper, the ad agency where he works. Draper seems to have it all: a beautiful wife, a powerful position at Sterling Cooper, and a good life in the suburbs. But he harbors a secret that could tear it all apart.

The second season takes place in 1962 and leads up to the Cuban Missle crisis. Season three is set in 1963 and ends with the Kennedy assassination. There is an irony within the history. The guys think Nixon can beat Kennedy. People are encouraged to smoke. Children play with "dangerous" toys. The mom drinks while she’s pregnant. But I think that’s what makes it work — history is what it is.

Mad Men gives us an honest portrait of life in the 1960s through the eyes of flawed characters. There is the family man who also is having a number of affairs. There is the ambitious secretary who knows she is as smart as the men. The rich kid that wants to make it on his own. The closeted homosexual who tries to fit in to keep his job and home life intact. And the office manager who is tired of fooling around with the boss and just wants to settle down.

Critics love Mad Men, winner of several Emmy and Golden Globe awards. And now you can love it too. From the complex characters to the turbulent times, you will be sold on Mad Men.

Robert Bates – Glenwood Branch

The Guild is an online series written by Felicia Day that premiered in July 2007. Season 4 episodes are currently being released weekly on MSN Video. Initially developed as a sitcom pilot, the show was instead produced to be shown online, with short episodes combining to tell a complete story. The Guild tells the story of the Knights of Good, an online-gaming guild who collaborate in an unnamed massively-multiplayer online role-playing game. We quickly learn from observing Codex (Day) that the game is the guild members’ alternate, preferred reality. The real world, though, has an annoying habit of intruding, and the first season begins when Zaboo (Sandeep Parikh) appears at Codex’s door under the impression that they’re dating. Things are really turned upside-down when Bladezz (Vincent Caso) behaves badly in-game, and the guild arranges an unprecedented real-world meeting at Cheesybeards to discuss the matter. The drama, tension, and abundant humor in the show develop as we watch the group attempt to function and interact to resolve their problems in the real world.

Originally produced as a web series, and released in six-minute online episodes, seasons one and two of the show are packaged together on DVD, with extras including audio commentaries, script PDFs, and interviews with the cast and crew. The production and marketing of The Guild has broken new ground, with Day and others using technology to forge direct connections with the audience. Felicia Day is active on Twitter (@FeliciaDay), and has produced a number of special videos to bring attention to the show, including Do You Want To Date My Avatar, a prelude to the release of season three. The Guild is one of the media highlights of the past couple of years — a can’t-miss experience! Watch seasons one and two on DVD and catch up with season three and the new season four online.

John Jewitt – Savage Branch

Layer Cake, directed by Matthew Vaughn, is a London gangland crime drama that begins with an ending. The unnamed protagonist (Daniel Craig) is a highly successful businessman whose business happens to be drugs. As we meet him, he’s making preparations to disappear and live the rest of his life on the right side of the law. He’s able to do this because he has a clear head, a code of conduct that has protected him, and a clear sense of the end game. He’s also surrounded himself with a small team of trusted associates, and cut off his activities from the outside as much as possible. Everything changes quickly, though, as a series of new developments throw our man off stride.

First, gangland boss Jimmy Price (Kenneth Cranham) doesn’t want to let our man go, and keeps him busy by sending him to find the missing daughter of an old friend. Second, a loud-mouthed amateur crew led by The Duke (Jamie Foreman) ripped off a million ecstasy pills from a well-organized gang of Serbian smugglers, and dropped our man’s name in the process. The Serbians’ most dangerous operative, Dragan, is now hot on our man’s trail. Third, our man’s head is turned by a woman, Tammy (Sienna Miller), who is in a relationship with The Duke’s nephew, but sees the opportunity to upgrade as she meets his eye in a crowded nightclub.

Add to these shifts some uncharacteristically sloppy behavior by his right-hand man Morty (George Harris), and our man is forced to improvise, deciding who to trust as the world opens up, both for him and the audience. This classic caper is played for drama, not for laughs, and we the audience struggle to guess who has out-thought whom as the endgame plays out. Layer Cake has the cool factor of a Guy Ritchie film or Ocean’s Eleven, but ratchets up the tension mercilessly and refuses to show us a way out. Craig, pre-Bond, is perfect as the clear-eyed, focused anti-hero. We share his tension, and borderline desperation, as he struggles to make his way through the Layer Cake.

There are two alternate endings on DVD, and both make a significant change to the way that the story concludes. Be sure to watch them after you’ve watched the movie. You can also check out J.J. Connolly’s original novel.

John Jewitt – Savage Branch

The Men Who Stare at Goats by Jon Ronson explores the military’s use of new age and alternative technologies in the years since Vietnam. Ronson is particularly interested in the First Earth Battalion and the use of psychic energy to explore remote places, locate targets and, erm, to kill goats. In piecing together this secret history, Ronson gathers information from the few individuals who are known to have been associated with these projects, and pursues others who may have details to reveal. Since he’s researching secret and off-the-books initiatives, Ronson faces some difficulty in bringing us the whole story. Perhaps because of this, his book ranges widely, discussing the use of subliminal messages, the use of psychic energy to locate people, the use of drugs in the MK Ultra experiments, and the specifics of the First Earth Battalion training led by Lt. Colonel Jim Channon and explained in the manual that Channon wrote for the army.

The recent movie, starring George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Kevin Spacey, and Jeff Bridges takes elements from Ronson’s book and weaves together a coherent but fictional story that showcases major events from Ronson’s research. Reporter Bob Wilton (McGregor), travels to Iraq looking to make a name for himself, and sees the opportunity when he meets Lyn Cassady (Clooney), former Master Sergeant in the New Earth Army, who first represents himself as a contractor but later admits that he’s been reactivated. As Cassady embarks on his unspecified psychic mission, the two cross Iraq, bursting clouds and influencing the people they meet with “sparkly eyes.” While presenting a more coherent story than is found in the book, the creative license used to create the composite narrative of the movie undermines the authenticity of Ronson’s research to some degree. Both movie and book, though, contain provocative thoughts about human potential and the nature of what is possible.

Explore one perspective on the more creative initiatives of the military with Jon Ronson’s The Men Who Stare at Goats.

John Jewitt – Savage Branch

The Sun is dying.

The year is 2057 and Earth’s only hope is a successful re-ignition of the Sun with a mega-nuclear bomb.

The method of delivery is a space vessel rendered virtually impervious to the intensity of the Sun by means of a large mirror shield. Crewed by eight highly-specialized professionals, the Icarus II is our second attempt. As with the prior mission of Icarus I, things go wrong. The intended round-trip back to Earth is deemed unlikely.

No doubt the believability and enjoyment of Sunshine (this movie is nothing like Deep Impact or Armageddon) is due largely to the incredible visuals and attention to detail. Even without HDTV, each scene is crisp and clear. Or maybe it’s compelling because it plays on our own will to persist despite abject failure. The characters’ dialogue and emotional responses never come across as contrived — faithfully depicting the spontaneity of human interaction and life itself. As the credits roll, the paradoxical question lingers: is life worth dying for?

Dan Curry – Savage Branch

Something is not quite right in the city of Ember. Daylight is only available during the twelve prescribed hours that the lights are on. The citizens are not allowed to leave the city limits to investigate the "Unknown Regions." And the majority of the food comes from cans, with a precious few items grown in the greenhouse. However, the citizens are comfortable — this is the way of life that has always worked for them. Until now that is, with electrical outages increasing in their frequency and length, food becoming more scarce, and everyday objects like colored pencils being bartered fiercely.

Things begin to change when teens Lina Mayfleet and Doon Harrow receive their job assignments on graduation day. Lina is a messenger, while Doon is sent to the dreaded Pipeworks to keep the underground pipes in good repair. The two seem to be among the few people who are interested in uncovering and solving the source of the town’s problems. The intrigue builds as Lina discovers "Instructions for Egress" and the mayor seems determined to stop them at all costs. Can the two friends save the city before it is too late? Read The City of Ember or listen to the excellent audiobook to find out.

My family listened to the audiobook, ready by Wendy Dillon, who was adept at building suspense and creating the characters — we particularly enjoyed her as the mayor. After we finished the audiobook, we watched City of Ember (PG) on DVD, with a cast including Bill Murray, Tim Robbins, and Martin Landau. If you enjoy The City of Ember, keep reading — there are three more books in this series by Jeanne DuPrau.

Andrea Misner – Administration Office

Meet Richard Castle (played by Nathan Fillion), a (fictional) popular mystery writer who, having killed off his last beloved character (named Derrick Storm), is following New York Police Detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) for inspiration in developing his new character, Nikki Heat. Reluctantly, she agrees to let Castle shadow her. The two previously met when Beckett was investigating a series of murders that were similar to plotlines from Castle’s books. Castle was brought in as a consultant and helped Detective Beckett solve the case.

Fans of the Castle television series will enjoy Heat Wave, the novel that mirrors ABC’s show, and introduces Nikki Heat as she investigates the murder of a real estate tycoon during an oppressive heat wave. As she follows the murder trail, she finds more secrets — secrets to die for. To further complicate her investigation, the commissioner has assigned Jameson Rook, Pulitzer prize-winning journalist, to follow her for a story on the NYPD. Can Nikki Heat hide the heat between her and Rook?

The two detectives who help Beckett and Castle in the television series are also characters in the book, which reads as if Richard Castle had actually written it. Adding to the fun, throughout the series, the characters make reference to the book, while actual authors appear on the show. Castle, for example, plays poker with famous writers James Patterson and Stephen J. Cannell. Fillion and Katic have good chemistry as Castle and Beckett — two reluctant partners in crime solving.

If you enjoy audiobooks, Johnny Heller is the reader for the book on CD.

Robert Bates – Glenwood Branch

Do you ever catch yourself looking back in time and wondering how we got here? Stacy Peralta’s Dogtown and Z-Boys provides part of the answer, at least in regard to skating. This documentary traces the impact of the Jeff Ho Zephyr team on the resurgence of skateboarding in the mid-1970s, and describes the ongoing impact of the team members in the world of extreme sports and in popular culture.

Thanks in part to the Dogtown articles (with photographs by Craig Stecyk) published in Skateboarding Magazine, the Z-Boys are credited with transforming the world of skating by incorporating an aggressive style and a surfing aesthetic. The Z-Boys’ contribution to skating is most noticeable in footage from the 1975 Del Mar Nationals. At Del Mar, their low fluid style was a marked contrast to the upright maneuvers of more traditional skaters, and they exploded prevailing ideas about what was possible in the sport. The innovative style of the Z-Boys is evident throughout the movie, in footage of them surfing Dogtown’s beaches, skating in the area’s steeply banked schoolyards, and of course most famously taking advantage of L.A.’s empty swimming pools to perfect vertical (and eventually aerial) skating.

Using archival footage showing members of the team in action, Stacy Peralta’s movie traces the beginnings of the Jeff Ho Zephyr Team, notes their impact, and discusses the fragmentation of the team as the individual members moved on to new opportunities both within and outside the sport. Within the disintegration of the Zephyr Team are the seeds of the modern extreme sports movement. Check out the birth of modern skating (and some really incredible pool skating) in Dogtown and Z-Boys.

John Jewitt – Savage Branch