Historical Movie Listing? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Agent 13 · 12-20-2005, 10:31 AM

I'm looking for a listing of movies based on historical events. Is there such a thing? I hate to reinvent the wheel if someone out there knows of a list of this sort.

Since we homeschool, I'm always looking to make education for my kids more enjoyable, if at all possible.

We all retain more from interesting material, versus dry textbooks that we cram for tests and forget the next day.

Thanks for any help!

jennymcc · 12-20-2005, 01:53 PM

Hi Jen,

One idea:

If you go to imdb.com and select "More Searches" under the search field, then click on Power Search in the menu on the left, you can search for History (or Biography) films in the Genre field.

Hope this helps.

Jenny

Harry T Stone · 12-21-2005, 05:04 AM

http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=history

Agent 13 · 12-21-2005, 01:46 PM

I used several sources to compile a decent listing that should keep any parent and their children enjoyably busy for a long time to come:

http://www.freewebs.com/agent13/movieswanted.htm

"You can bring a horse to water, but you can't make him drink."
"A child's mind is not a bucket to fill, but a fire to ignite."

debwalsh · 12-21-2005, 06:59 PM

I have the 1934 Cleopatra - I love Claudette Colbert. I have a few other movies on your list, mostly either on VHS or Beta.

The 1980 Caligula on your list isn't the one starring Malcolm McDowell, is it?

jennymcc · 12-22-2005, 01:28 PM

Quote:

The 1980 Caligula on your list isn't the one starring Malcolm McDowell, is it?

If it is, DON'T show that one to your kids! Actually, I wouldn't even recommend it for adults!

Agent 13 · 12-22-2005, 02:37 PM

Thanks for enlightening me Deb and Jenny.

Don't worry, though. My list is a rough sketch.

I will sift through them, but that's a big job. I'd definitely check out titles before actually trading for any of them I'm not familiar with. Swearing can usually be removed with our TV Guardian, while some of the other nonsense we'd just as well do without.

debwalsh · 12-22-2005, 07:18 PM

I was actually going to go to see Caligula in the theatres when it opened, because it starred Malcolm McDowell, and I'd been enchanted by him in Time After Time. The night before I was going to go see it, the film was confiscated, and it was banned in Boston. And the reviews were virulent. All of which I think was more a publicity stunt by Penthouse or Hustler or whichever magazine produced the film - "banned in Boston" carries a certain cache in some quarters - but there are two versions, R and X. It's based on a book by Gore Vidal, who requested that his name be removed from the film.

I was going to suggest that I, Claudius might be good to take a look at, and then I remembered Messalina and Caligula in that series. Even the edited version originally shown on US PBS would not be appropriate for children or my Mom.

If you can track down a copy, The Adams Chronicles was made for PBS back in the '70s, and is an excellent 13-part series on the birth of this country, told from the perspective of John and Abigail Adams and their descendents. I used to live two blocks away from their family home (purchased when John was President) - it was donated to the National Trust by the Adams family in the 1930s. The Adams Chronicles inspired a lifelong fascination with the Adamses for me, it was brilliantly done. And no, like an idiot, I don't have a copy. Hmm, I may need to remedy that ... :>

12-20-2005, 10:31 AM	#1
Agent 13 Member Senior Member Join Date: Feb 02, 2003 Location: Good ol' USA Posts: 1,510	Historical Movie Listing? I'm looking for a listing of movies based on historical events. Is there such a thing? I hate to reinvent the wheel if someone out there knows of a list of this sort. Since we homeschool, I'm always looking to make education for my kids more enjoyable, if at all possible. We all retain more from interesting material, versus dry textbooks that we cram for tests and forget the next day. Thanks for any help!
	__________________ It often requires more courage to dare to do right than to fear to do wrong. Abraham Lincoln

12-21-2005, 05:04 AM	#3
Harry T Stone Youngest Judge Ever Occasional Poster Join Date: Nov 02, 2005 Location: Manhattan Criminal Court, Part 2 Posts: 52	http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=history
	__________________ *That'll be a fifty dollar fine and time served!*

12-21-2005, 01:46 PM	#4
Agent 13 Member Senior Member Join Date: Feb 02, 2003 Location: Good ol' USA Posts: 1,510	Historical Listing I used several sources to compile a decent listing that should keep any parent and their children enjoyably busy for a long time to come: http://www.freewebs.com/agent13/movieswanted.htm "You can bring a horse to water, but you can't make him drink." "A child's mind is not a bucket to fill, but a fire to ignite."

12-21-2005, 06:59 PM	#5
debwalsh Ancient Archivist Frequent Poster Join Date: Mar 23, 2004 Location: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Posts: 503	I have the 1934 Cleopatra - I love Claudette Colbert. I have a few other movies on your list, mostly either on VHS or Beta. The 1980 Caligula on your list isn't the one starring Malcolm McDowell, is it?
	__________________ Deb Walsh Savage Traders Online!

12-22-2005, 02:37 PM	#7
Agent 13 Member Senior Member Join Date: Feb 02, 2003 Location: Good ol' USA Posts: 1,510	Thanks for enlightening me Deb and Jenny. Don't worry, though. My list is a rough sketch. I will sift through them, but that's a big job. I'd definitely check out titles before actually trading for any of them I'm not familiar with. Swearing can usually be removed with our TV Guardian, while some of the other nonsense we'd just as well do without.
	Last edited by Agent 13; 12-22-2005 at 03:48 PM.

12-20-2005, 01:53 PM	#2
jennymcc VP:AmCanTranConComCo Frequent Poster Join Date: Oct 13, 2005 Location: Maryland Posts: 206	Hi Jen, One idea: If you go to imdb.com and select "More Searches" under the search field, then click on Power Search in the menu on the left, you can search for History (or Biography) films in the Genre field. Hope this helps. Jenny

12-22-2005, 07:18 PM	#8
debwalsh Ancient Archivist Frequent Poster Join Date: Mar 23, 2004 Location: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Posts: 503	I was actually going to go to see Caligula in the theatres when it opened, because it starred Malcolm McDowell, and I'd been enchanted by him in Time After Time. The night before I was going to go see it, the film was confiscated, and it was banned in Boston. And the reviews were virulent. All of which I think was more a publicity stunt by Penthouse or Hustler or whichever magazine produced the film - "banned in Boston" carries a certain cache in some quarters - but there are two versions, R and X. It's based on a book by Gore Vidal, who requested that his name be removed from the film. I was going to suggest that I, Claudius might be good to take a look at, and then I remembered Messalina and Caligula in that series. Even the edited version originally shown on US PBS would not be appropriate for children or my Mom. If you can track down a copy, The Adams Chronicles was made for PBS back in the '70s, and is an excellent 13-part series on the birth of this country, told from the perspective of John and Abigail Adams and their descendents. I used to live two blocks away from their family home (purchased when John was President) - it was donated to the National Trust by the Adams family in the 1930s. The Adams Chronicles inspired a lifelong fascination with the Adamses for me, it was brilliantly done. And no, like an idiot, I don't have a copy. Hmm, I may need to remedy that ... :>