Posted on 07/01/2014 7:32:59 AM PDT by SES1066
With a natural 3 day weekend coming for the 4th of July, Independence Day 2014, we have plenty of time for some of our favorites in movies, music and TV! What are you, my fellow FReeping Patriots, going to be enjoying? In your answers some of your fellow readers might find missing gems so offer up your favorites, famous and not.
An EASY query for the scholars, what are the other non-floating Federal Holidays?
Musically, we have America's March King in John Phillip Sousa and much of his work. As a classical music buff, I love a lot of Aaron Copland, from his Fanfare to Rodeo. John Williams and Ferde Grofé will both be played in this week as well as a lot of "Country & Western", the last bastion of patriotism in this wasteland of pop culture. I'll add a plea for a too-often ignored verse, the 4th stanza of the National Anthem, one that should always be heard on Memorial Day, the 4th and Veteran's Day!
On TV, outside of the fireworks shows from Boston and New York, we have the PBS "Capitol 4th" and that seems to be about it! I MOURN the loss of the evening-long WGBH and A&E presentation of the Boston Pops celebration of the 4th. I still call it a crime that it is no longer available!
Finally, on this topic, other than for a sound spectacular that goes well with fireworks, how did a classical music piece celebrating the failure of Napoleon at Moscow become our 4th of July staple!?!? (I still love it though!)
This year, I will try to watch The Patriot with Mel Gibson at some point during the weekend.
“Gettysburg”. The battle occurred July 1 through 3, 1863.
IMHO, it’s a “must-see” anytime, but especially so on the 4th of July.
So many Oscar-caliber performances!!!
Jeff Daniels, Kevin Conway, Sam Elliott, C. Thomas Howell, Stephen Lang, Richard Jordan (in a truly heart-breaking performance, and unfortunately his last), Martin Sheen as Lee....really, if you haven’t seen it, please do yourself a favor-—and see it!!!
Yes, “The Patriot”..Also, “Drums Along the Mohawk”...
For silly fun, though, go for “ID4” !!!
ID4 was a good McDonnell Douglas commercial with bits of a sci fi movie. But Alex Reiger was good in it.
The musical “1776” and “The Patriot” The one with Mel Gibson and Heath Ledger....not the Steven Segal offering. The latter is not a horrible flick, just not in the spirit of the day.
Don’t forget December 15th, Bill of Rights day!
KYPD
We were just discussing this last night. I wanted to watch fireworks from our kayaks in the bay, but my wife just doesn’t like kayaking all that much.
She absolutely despises The Patriot. Her opinion is that it’s more like The Retributionist as Gibson’s character doesn’t come alive until he’s paying back for his son’s death.
Gettysburg is out. My son just re-read Killer Angels last week and although it’s his favorite movie, he said he’d rather not watch it this week.
1776 and Yankee Doodle Dandy are on TCM this Friday.
Mars Attacks seems appropriate to me.
“Dead, White and Blue” Walking Dead Marathon on AMC
My wife won't watch The Patriot either; but it is because she finds it to be too intense. When we saw it in the theater, she had to leave a couple of times. It does not bother me that Gibson's motives are questionable in the movie. He had fought for the British during the French & Indian War, and a case could certainly be made for not wanting to break off from the parent stem. Some men are motivated by revenge, some from anger, etc. It added to the story to have Gibson's views evolve as the story progressed.
My only complaint was the sequence involving the burning church. Nothing that heinous ever occurred on the part of the British.
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