BJ and I enjoy watching old movies together, and last Sunday I was reminded of a few classics by, of all people, the leader of a band visiting our church. He sang a few songs, one inspired by "The Bicycle Thief" and another about Klaatu from "The Day The Earth Stood Still." These are kind of weird topics for a band to be singing about, I think. And, to answer my earlier question, the movies have nothing in common, except their inspiration for this guy's lyrics (and they were both made waaaaaay before I was born: 1948 and 1951, respectively). I've had the Klaatu song stuck in my head this week. Since I hadn't seen it, I picked up the 1951 version of "The Day The Earth Stood Still" from the library and watched it tonight. I really liked it. And I can tell I'd be completely disappointed with the 2008 version (with Keanu Reeves). If you've never seen it, it's about an alien visitor with a message to give to Earth. It's great to see how a good story can suck you in, without relying on fantastic special effects or 3D.
If you're in the mood to watch some classic films with a friend this weekend, visit your library, grab some popcorn, and watch either of these. You won't be disappointed (although I should warn you that "Ladri di Biciclette" is in Italian with English subtitles).
And if zombies are more your style (I heard people talking about zombies on NPR this morning driving my friend to the airport--thus the recommendation) maybe you should watch "Shaun of the Dead" with Simon Pegg. Skip the popcorn and make sure there are no kids around with this one.
And if sheep are entertaining to you, or anything by the creators of Wallace and Gromit, you should definitely find a DVD of "Shaun the Sheep." But maybe you should only watch this one with children in the room.
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