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The Maltese Falcon (1941) --> The third film adaptation of the Dashiell Hammett novel, The Maltese Falcon was John Huston's directorial debut (he also wrote the screenplay). Even after 60-plus years the film still holds the viewer's interest. Starring Humphrey Bogart, in his first major role as a "good guy" (he played mostly nefarious characters before this) and the beautiful Mary Astor (an Oscar winner who was a star since the late '20s), the movie centers around a mysterious black statue (the Maltese Falcon). Bogart plays the iconic private eye Sam Spade, whose partner is hired by Astor for protection. When he is shot to death, Bogart takes the case. The movie is famous for Bogart's "anti-hero" character which would influence film to the present day. Cited by many as the introduction of film-noir, The Maltese Falcon is one of the greatest mystery films in the history of cinema.


Full Spectrum Staff

Noam Chomsky - Distorted Morality: America's War on Terror? (2003) --> Silent Films put out this film, a lecture by Noam Chomsky at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government on February 6, 2002, which tackles the hypocrisy of the U.S. government pertaining to international terrorism. Chomsky focuses the majority of his lecture on 1985, the year of international terrorism, and sites three cases in the Middle East and others in Central America where the U.S. was engaged in terrorism. These cases, in his opinion, are the only major examples of that year that would be considered terrorism under the U.S.'s definition of the term.

He goes on to mention that the literature for these attacks is non-existent. He continues with other examples and foretells that if the American government doesn't admit that it has had the largest terrorist network in history more examples of a similar nature to 9/11 will probably occur in the future. One part of his lecture included the invasion of Afghanistan which should hit home to Canadians as it is the first example in our history (that I know of) where we have participated in international terrorism or to put it more bluntly, state aggression.


Scott D. Brown

To Have and Have Not (1944) --> Based on the work by Hemingway, Bogart is stellar in this movie. He stars as Harry Morgan, a neutral boat captain living on the island of Martinique during WWII. When he meets up with Marie 'Slim' Browning, a singer and fugitive (played by Lauren Bacall in her first lead film role), he decides to break his neutrality and help her escape the Nazis. But what makes this movie great, other than Bogart and Bacall's electricity, is Walter Brennan's portrayal of Eddie the drunk. This was the first time someone played a chronic drunk with such competence that others after used the role as an example of how to do it properly.


Full Spectrum Staff

Raising Helen (2004) --> Starring Kate Hudson as Helen Harris, Raising Helen is Gary Marshall's veiled attempt (he directs) at showing the world that the happiest and true place for a woman is in the home raising children. Helen Harris is the successful, young and beautiful career woman (in other words, the poster child for the positive results of women's liberation), who after her sister and brother-in-law die in a car crash, is bequeathed their three children. Over the objections of the older and more domestically responsible Jenny (Joan Cusack playing Hudson's other sister), the three children are left with Helen and the family battles begin. The final result is that the kids grow to love their new aunt/mother, Jenny realizes her dead sister was right in her choice of custody, and Helen realizes that raising children is more rewarding that a career. Marshall's film is touching at times but a propaganda film under the guise of a comedy/drama was a bit insulting. There is nothing stopping Hellen from filling both roles with a little more help from the community and her family.


Scott D. Brown

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