What I learned from Ghostbusters

Ghostbusters (1984)

1.  No human would ever stack books like that.  But a dead librarian just may...

2.  The magic word is "Please." It's the gateway to proper manners.

3.  There is a HUGE difference between Summarian Gods and Babylonian Gods.  But I'm still not sure what those differences are exactly.

4.  Peter Venkman is not the kind of guy you want to date.  He carries around 300cc of Thorazine for those "just in case moments."

5.  When someone asks you if you're a God, you say "YES!"  I really didn't think Winston needed to iterate this point...isn't that a given?

6.  Don't cross the streams.  Unless it's nearing the end of the movie...

Summary:
Great 80's blockbuster.  This remains one of my fondest memories as a kid.  Quotable, fun, and supernatural!

What I learned from Raiders

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

1.  An iconic character is defined by the first moments on screen.  And what an amazing opening sequence this movie delivered!  Mystery, confidence, intrigue, the fedora, giant spiders, whips, little gold statue, rampaging boulder, hostile natives, run for your life! 

2.  There will always be someone else trying to piggyback off your success.  "Thanks for doing all the hard work...now I'll take that golden statue."  It's bound to happen, but in the long run it usually doesn't work out for them...

3. Your best work stems from your passion.  The fact our hero is an ancient relic adventurer and a college anthropology professor shows a true passion for what he does.  His motives weren't driven by the price an item can fetch.  It was the thrill of discovery!  It was the wonders of history.  When we can correlate between what we are passionate about and the work we do, we'll find the best results!

4. It's good to have international friends!  Not only does it give you a diverse and broad perspective of the world, but it also opens up travel accommodations!

5.  Sometimes there are easier solutions to solve conflict than engaging in a fight.  For example, bring a gun to a sword fight!

6. Snakes are EVIL.  I hate snakes.  No I'm not quoting the movie, I'm sympathizing with the character.  Seriously, what else could survive in sealed tomb for thousands of years?
  
7.  If you seek great power, you must respect great power.  Lest you be melted by it...

8.  Our nation's critical assets are being guarded by "Top Men."  Who?  Top...Men...

Summary:
As a kid, this movie had everything I wanted.  Fighting, adventure, ancient objects, Wrath of God - but at its core, there was a hero you could root for who took you on a fun ride that was memorable every step of the way. 

What I learned from Shawshank

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

1. No good thing ever dies.  Hope is special, and it gives power over challenges.  When everything else is stripped away from you, you can still hold on to hope.  It can only be taken when you give it up. 

2. Salvation lies within [the Bible].  It's a great book with lots of answers if you haven't read it.
3. Pay attention during Earth Science, lest you pick up a Horse Apple in mistake of Soapstone or Alabaster.

4.  Everybody in prison is "innocent."  Okay, perhaps not, but when we focus on a person's fault, they are never allowed to move beyond that stigma.  We rarely allow ourselves to learn about someone beyond their actions.

5. Sometimes you have to crawl through a mile of crap to come out clean on the other side.  The best stuff in life rarely comes simply.  Just because you're in the worst of it doesn't make it the end of it.

6.  Stay awake during Earth Science.  You don't want to be the guy who mistakes a Horse Apple for Soap Stone.  Education can prevent many embarassing moments from occuring.

7. It's possible to make a movie that is better than the book.  Yes, this is a Steven King short story!

8. Your talents can be useful wherever life takes you.  I struggled finding relevance when I made a radical career change where my old skills didn't lend themselves in the same capacity as they had for the other job.  Though it took some time, those skills and past experiences provided a unique point of view in problem-solving that no one else had. 

9.  Persistance is crucial to reaching a goal.  Hopefully it will not take you a 100 years, but it takes time to slowly carve your life the way you want it to turn out.

10.  Get busy living or get busy dying.  No further explanation needed.

Summary:
Why not start with the Shawshank Redemption?  It is my favorite movie for a number of reasons.  I enjoy prison genre film and who doesn't love a movie Morgan Freeman narrates?  The guy could captivate our attention reading the phone book.  It's a truly great example of how movies can instill hope in a powerful way.  I think of the prisoners standing in the yard as "The Marriage of Figaro" plays overheld and think about what that moment meant to them.  I still tear up (now as a Pavlovian response) anytime I hear the closing score to this movie.

Introduction

Welcome!

If you've stumbled on to this blog, I hope you find what you are looking for!  To give you a sense of what this blog is all about, I'll tell you a little bit about myself.  As a former primary grade teacher, I know that knowledge can be delivered by all situations whether expected or not.  I'm also an avid movie watcher.  I started to wonder what important life-lessons could be derived from film?  What inner truths are bestowed upon the average movie watcher?  This blog attempts to analyze movies through humorous, ironic, and heart-felt observations that not only capture my enjoyment for what made that movie memorable and may in fact make me a better person. 

If you like movies, or just a clever sense of humor, I hope you'll enjoy this blog.  I enjoy a wide range of movies, and while I cannot guarantee that all the movies listed will be family/kid appropriate, the content and humor in this blog will be.  If you haven't seen the movie, there may be some spoilers included in each list.

I look forward and welcome your feedback in what you like and ways to improve the blog!  Enjoy!