Movie Moxie Podcast 21: Season of the Witch & Country Strong plus Historical Films as a Genre

Welcome to 2011 and the first episode of The Movie Moxie Podcast of the year. One the first weekend of releases Shannon battles out the Toronto weather and takes on new releases of Season of the Witch and Country Strong. Genre analysis of the week goes to Historical Films and had a comprehensive looks at the strong first two weeks of DVD releases in 2011.

0:00 – 8:00 - Introduction
8:00 – 12:00 – Season of the Witch Review
12:00 – 19:15 – Country Strong Review
19:15 - 32:20 Historical Films as a Genre
32:20 - 38:20 DVD releases
38:20 – 45:00 – Upcoming Next Week
45:00 – 46:32 – Outro

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Show Notes

• Friday January 7, 2010 Film Releases
• Video of the winter-ness in Toronto
• DVD Releases for January 4, 2011
• DVD Releases for January 11, 2011
• 2011 Book to Film Club
• Golden Globe Awards Nominations (Awards this Sunday January 16, 2011 - I'll be tweeting though them.)
• Reviews of Country Strong and Season of the Witch (Coming Soon)

Historical Films as a Genre Show Notes

• Wikipedia definition of Historical Drama "The historical drama is a film genre in which stories are based upon historical events and famous persons. Some historical dramas attempt to accurately portray a historical event or biography, to the degree that the available historical research will allow. Other historical dramas are fictionalized tales that are based on an actual person and their deeds, such as Braveheart, which is loosely based on the 13th century knight William Wallace's fight for Scotland's independence, and Saving Private Ryan, a heavily fictionalised version of a search for a paratrooper of the US 101st Airborne Division during World War II." Wikipedia has a great list of historical films by time period here.
• Shannon's definition of Historical Films: "Straight-up historical is a film genre which focuses on historical events, famous persons and/or are centred in a specific historical period (but not a real person or event). Biopics and war films are in by default under the umbrella of historical films. There is also a sub-genre of historical fantasy, which is historical-set fictional film with fantasy elements."
• 2010 Historical Films: Black Field, Aftershock and The White Ribbon
• Selection of Biopics from 2010: Agora, Creation, Howl, Mao’s Last Dancer, The King’s Speech plus the more recently-set The Social Network & 127 Hours
• 2010 War Films that Fit the Historical bill: The Messenger and The Red Baron
• Historically set fantasy films: Ladyhawke
• Sword & Sandals: Jason and the Argonauts, Spartacus, Cleopatra, Julius Ceaser
• Arthurian: King Arthur (2004), Excalibur, Tristan & Isolde
• More Recommends: include biopic Mongol, Red Cliff and The Warlords
• Debate in genre includes ‘new info revealed’ takes on films – King Arthur (2004), Centurion
• Recent Favourites of Genre: Bright Star & Arn: The Knight Templar
• All Historical Films Reviewed

IMDB Top 50 History Films (as of January 11, 2011)
1. Schindler's List (1993)
2. Ningen no jôken (1959/I)
3. The King's Speech (2010)
4. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
5. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
6. Das Boot (1981)
7. Downfall (2004)
8. The Elephant Man (1980)
9. Braveheart (1995)
10. The Great Escape (1963)
11. The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)
12. Hotel Rwanda (2004)
13. Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
14. The Battle of Algiers (1966)
15. Mihai Viteazul (1971)
16. Andrei Rublev (1966)
17. Ben-Hur (1959)
18. There Will Be Blood (2007)
19. The Social Network (2010)
20. All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
21. Gandhi (1982)
22. Inherit the Wind (1960)
23. The Lion in Winter (1968)
24. Ip Man (2008)
25. Rang De Basanti (2006)
26. Bronenosets Potyomkin (1925)
27. Ivan Vasilievich: Back to the Future (1973)
28. Z (1969)
29. Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes (1972)
30. Becket (1964)
31. Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages (1916)
32. In Cold Blood (1967)
33. Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)
34. All the President's Men (1976)
35. Glory (1989)
36. JFK (1991)
37. The Winter War (1989)
38. The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser (1974)
39. Spartacus (1960)
40. Kuroi ame (1989)
41. Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors (1966)
42. The Leopard (1963)
43. The Untouchables (1987)
44. Breaker Morant (1980)
45. A Night to Remember (1958)
46. The Killing Fields (1984)
47. The Mirror (1975)
48. Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)
49. The Message (1977)
50. Kagemusha (1980)