Videmus

Netflix is great.

We've been tossing in movies geared to our studies these days as the weather begins to be too hot to do much outside that doesn't involve swimming or tons of ice, or, perhaps swimming in tons of ice. Recently viewed are The Red Badge of Courage and Gods and Generals. We'll follow up with Gettysburg once the replacement for the disk, which unfortunately split in half during transit, arrives. For pre-WWI era I ordered Nicholas and Alexandra. WWII has so many classic movies one hardly knows where to begin.

Another benefit is that I'm catching up on all the movies I wanted to see in the theaters but couldn't because I have: 1) a spouse who cannot sit idly for more than five minutes; 2) a movie maniac friend who used to hit the late shows with me after the kiddies were all tucked in bed, but now lives across state lines; 3) no one locally who enjoys anything other than explosion-laced, barrel-blazing, Bruce Willis fare.

This misanthropic introvert never need leave the comfortable confines of her couch.

Finally got to see Good Will Hunting (eh, predictable) and The Piano (great storytelling and beautiful moody camerawork.) How about Harvey Keitel? Never imagined Mr. White in a romantic lead, that's for sure. Yesterday I watched The English Patient. Another beautifully filmed piece of work. And Ralph Fiennes. 'Nuff said. In a conversation with another Fiennes fan, I confessed that even when he played the chillingly psychotic Nazi in Schindler's List, he was still hot. That's intensity. And his little brother Joseph's not so bad either. Oh, to catch them onstage with the Royal Shakespeare Company one day.

Figuring the girls would enjoy The English Patient, I let Sarabelle and Gracie watch it again later on. They were mesmerized, but willingly covered their eyes during the love scenes, no prompting from Mom necessary, "Ewwww! Is it over yet?" The movie gave them a taste of WWII's African front and also a preview of our upcoming ancient Greek studies with Herodotus's Histories figuring prominently in the story.

Please pass the popcorn.