BEFORE BEING TOLD to keep our social distance, I went all-in and subscribed to Disney Plus, Netflix, Google Premium, and Amazon Prime--then noticed Mia (12) diving deep into Studio Ghibli (see My Neighbor Totoro above). After stressing my credit card with two new subscription fees (and renewing Express VPN so we can be region-agnostic), we now have a wishlist of films for the kids during the next 10 days of our confinement. Here are the ones we will watch during our first weekend stuck inside the house.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
I reference this Oscar Winner from Ang Lee during the Film Studies module I teach on the Clonmel Digital Campus. The film is a "glorious cultural fusion joined emotional sophistication to thrilling Hong Kong-style acrobatic action" according to Kenneth Turan of the LA Times. It's available on Netflix.
The Adventures of Robin Hood
We need the 1938 version with Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland. We can get it for $3.99 on Google Play and it casts directly onto our Samsung TV in three-strip Technicolor, using production values that help our 21st century kids appreciate what their Depression Era grandparents saw during the Golden Age era of studio entertainment.
Children of Paradise
Mia (12) wants to learn French so it's only natural to infuse French culture in the form of this epic French romantic onto her viewing screens.
Watching the Watcher
One of the most interesting side effects of being locked away for the next two weeks is watching our primary school kids watch me as I watch third level students work their way through assigned discussion items. Every so often, something interesting--like a penguin in a film--appears in the flow of video chats.
[Bernie Goldbach teaches film studies on the Clonmel Digital Campus for the Limerick Institute of Technology.]
