I should let ISI's members in on something, I have reinvigorated "conservative movie night" at ISI. Ok, I could probably eliminate that word "conservative" from the title of movie night, but I use it only to imply that the movies we are choosing to watch are either classic films and/or have timeless themes attached to them.

After watching the PBS special, "The Question of God," which pitted the ideas of C.S. Lewis against those of Sigmund Freud, and holding discussions centered around that 4-hour mini-series, we thought we'd continue an "after hours" social event by having a conservative film night.

So, our first film was the new documentary on Ronald Reagan's war on communism, "In The Face of Evil: Reagan's War in Word and Deed." We were privileged enough to have ISI President and former Domestic Policy Advisor to President Reagan, Ken Cribb, join us for the viewing and discuss with us Reagan's moral imagination.

Tonight, we will be viewing, the 1939 classic, "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," which features Jimmy Stewart's character engaging in a classic filibuster before his congressional colleagues.

I'd like to ask our ISI members and forum participants which films they'd recommend for future viewings by ISI staff.

One great resource is National Review's list of the "Top 100 Conservative films". Here's their list: http://www.nationalreview.com/conservative_movies/conservative_movies.shtml

Also, for conservative film buffs of post-modern times, visit the Liberty Film Festival's website: http://www.libertyfilmfestival.com

They have a lot of great information on there.

Thanks Francisco for the nr list. I was just at the video store today thinking that there must be good movies out there that I haven't seen before!

I think a couple of good movies to stimulate discussion that people aren't as likely to have already seen are 12 Angry Men with Henry Fonda, Murder on the Orient Express (all-star cast, based on the Agatha Christie novel), and Shadowlands (Anthony Hopkins as C. S. Lewis). Oh, and there was this movie a couple of years ago about a Classics teacher played by Kevin Klein at a private boys school...nothing like Dead Poets Society except for the teaching at a private boys school part, but it was compared to it when it came out...maybe the name will come to me. I remember enjoying it.

Oh, and if you want to have a family film night, The Incredibles is great. Comments like "Everyone is special" are met with "Thats just another way of saying nobody is" and "They keep coming up with new ways to celebrate mediocrity..." Really quite good and entertaining. IMO, some of the best storytelling I have seen in years, cartoon or otherwise.

Crunchy Conservative,

Thanks for the suggestions. The movie with Kevin Klein you mentioned, is called "The Emperor's Club." Good movie, and it's on my list!

I like your suggestion for Shadowlands, it's also on the list. Perhaps it will be bumped up to be played sooner rather than later. I think most people here have probably seen "The Incredibles". And yes, it is definitely a conservative flick, as it hits on the idea that we are not all equal and it goes totally against the idea of (you hit it) mediocrity.

Keep the suggestion box flowing...

The US Conference of Catholic Bishops reviews movies on their site. Here is a couple of their lists http://www.usccb.org/fb/vaticanfilms.htm and http://www.usccb.org/movies/topten.htm

I am a huge movie fan - of good movies, that is. If y'all haven't seen it already, watch the movie "Cinderella Man" that came out this summer. It is a boxing story, but also a love story of a family that sticks together during the Great Depression. Other movies I have watched recently that truly impacted me include "Hotel Rwanda," which I am recommending to everyone I know, and the version of "Les Miserables" with Liam Neeson. The former is the story of genocide between ethnic groups in Rwanda, and of the heroic efforts of one man to shelter over a thousand people in his hotel. The latter pits the intention of the law versus its letter in an incredibly vivid story of good and evil, mercy and justice.

My all-time favorite movie is still "Gattaca," however, a science-fiction story about man's human nature and genetic potential. I especially like how one little quirk at the end of this movie keeps it from being entirely a humanist tale.