Movies
Remember the Titans
This was one of the first DVDs that we owned in my family and I remember saying that only DVDs I was going to own was this and U-571. Granted, Blu-ray and streaming came, but I still do keep a copy of this.
Based on a True Story
Movies
Last Breath
The setting is so good. There is also so much cool technology and learning that you get just through osmosis. I mean, a 4-day decompression is absolutely crazy. I know that you need 2 10-minute hold sessions when you dive at 100 feet, but 4 days? Not only that, but I really want to see the math
Movies
Taking Chance
This movie is only like an hour long because it was an HBO special feature at the beginning of draw down from Afghanistan. Kevin Bacon is outstanding in this and does a great job and honestly is the only real character.
Movies
Soul Surfer
Speaking that this is based on a true story, the story is good and inspiring. It is really impressive what she was able to do so shortly after the attack. I hope she is still able to help others who have lost limbs to push forward into "normal."
Books
The Reaper
This is a decent book that tells a good story. However, it is nothing crazy. A memoir that doesn't explain anything beyond some almost repetitive statements about how military members deal with combat actions.
Books
Ghosts of Honolulu
This is a crazy story of the attack on Pearl Harbor and those that lived on the island that you have never heard of. The closest you would ever hear about this is probably from the TV show NCIS for 2 reasons... 2) Douglas Wada worked for NIS which is the predecessor to NCIS.
Movies
Reagan
Let me start off by saying it was an informative movie. I knew his work with Gorbachev thanks to books like The Main Enemy and his relationship with Margaret Thatcher thanks to The Spy and the Traitor, but a lot of the others items I didn't know.
TV
Shogun
The start of this show is slow. However, Anna Sawai and Hiroyuki are simply putting on a clinic to whomever aspires to be in Hollywood. I cannot express to you how amazing their performance was.
Movies
Darkest Hour
This is part of an unintended trilogy that all cover the same event, the evacuation of Dunkirk. I recently saw and old Graham Norton Show interview were Hugh Jackman gushed over Gary Oldman's performance on this movie and having never seen it, I felt I had to
Books
The Last Viking
This book was nowhere near as interesting as I thought it was going to be. There is a heavy reliance on dates and people that override the narrative that I think was meant to be told. While Harold led an intriguing life, it is lost in the multitudes of historical details.
Books
Lay Them to Rest
This was an outstanding book and I applaud Laurah Norton for her ability to bring a lay mans understanding to an extremely technical process. Follow her as she works with her friend to solve a cold case from 30 years ago where the only item they have of the decedent is a head.
Books
Bind, Torture, Kill
This story is so much more than the history of serial killer and his victims. In fact, it is more about the police who investigated and the city the suffered under his terror. You do learn more than enough about his acts of evil, it focuses on those that put in the work to capture him.