good night and good luck

the year: 2005

the genre: drama


the cast: Jeff Daniels (Sig Mickelson); David Strathairn (Edward R. Murrow); Patricia Clarkson (Shirley Wershba); Robert Downey, Jr. (Joe Wershuba); George Clooney (Fred Friendly)


the plot: In the early 1950's, CBS reporter Edward R. Murrow and his producer Fred W. Friendly decided to take a stand and challenge Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin as he exploited the paranoia of Communism in the United States.



don't miss: the music. The plot is fantastic, but the music really adds to the movie. The band playing throughout the movie is Matt Catingub's band. Matt Catingub produced Rosemary Clooney's last album and George Clooney (her nephew) was so impressed, he personally asked Matt to do the music for this film.



listen for: "What'd the general have to say?" "It was a colonel. Two of them." "That makes a general."



did you know: The filmmakers decided not to cast anyone as McCarthy because anyone "playing McCarthy" would seem like they were overacting, even if they were simply mirroring McCarthy's mannerisms. The role was never cast to begin with as a result. Interestingly, Clooney also said this was the prime reason the film was in black and white -- to match the black and white footage of McCarthy.


extra bonus points: if you know the significance of the film title.

sneakers

the year: 1992

the genre: suspense


the cast: Robert Redford (Martin Bishop); Sidney Poitier (Donald Crease); Dan Ackroyd (Darren "Mother" Roskow); David Strathairn (Irwin 'Whistler' Emery); River Phoenix (Carl Arbogast); Ben Kingsley (Cosmo); Mary McDonnell (Liz); James Earl Jones (Agent Bernard Abbott)


the plot: A burglar, a spy, a fugitive, a delinquent, a hacker, and a piano teacher... and these are the good guys. Martin Bishop is the head of a group of experts who specialise in testing security systems. When he is blackmailed by Government agents into stealing a top secret black box, the team find themselves embroiled in a game of danger and intrigue. After they recover the box, they discover that it has the capability to decode all existing encryption systems around the world.



don't miss: Carl trying to get a date.



watch for: the jacket Robert Redford wears. It's the same one he wears in The Natural.



listen for: "Uh, could we maybe just go back to the "they might kill us" part?"


extra bonus points: if you can name what each of the gang wants from the NSA in exchange for the encryption chip.



also listen for: "We got bupkis! We turn ourselves in now, they'll give us twenty years in the electric chair!"