Movie Treats- entertaining movies

Born Free (1966)

Actors: Virginia McKenna, Bill Travers, Geoffrey Keen, Peter Lukoye, Omar Chambati
Directors: James Hill, Tom McGowan

Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)

Run Time: 95 minutes

Born Free is a bona fide family classic. The tale of how Kenya game warden George Adamson and his wife Joy (on whose book the film is based, with Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers in the principal roles) adopted and raised three orphaned lion cubs, taking a particular shine to the one they call Elsa before helping her return to the wild, is familiar by now; so's John Barry's Oscar-winning title song. And while the movie has its flaws (it contains references to "Bwana George" and such that would be considered frightfully un-PC nowadays), the animal footage, especially that of the lions in their various stages of development, is extraordinary and timelessly entertaining. DVD bonus features are limited to theatrical trailers, but the digitally remastered film can be viewed in both widescreen and full screen. A keeper.

Animals Are Beautiful People (1974)

Rating: G (General Audience)

Run Time: 92 minutes

On the short list for the "world's toughest place to live" award, Southwest Africa's Namib Desert houses a wealth of intriguing creatures, featured in Jamie Uys's Animals are Beautiful People. As various beasts, bugs, fish, and fowl appear, a soft-spoken narrator pinpoints behaviors that mirror human ones, often inventing whimsical tales meant to inspire chuckles or sighs. A male wart hog, a "homely bachelor," lands a "wife" with a penchant for redecorating his burrow; austere maribou glower like disapproving undertakers; a billowy, nameless fish is called a dizzy blonde. Uys's respect for the harsh lifestyle these creatures endure clearly displays itself amid the comical sound effects and Fantasia-lite melodies that infuse the 90-minute show. The result: a richly informative, beautifully filmed lesson in the power of adaptation and the lush wildlife that inhabits the cradle of civilization. Six years after completing this project, Uys went on to create The Gods Must Be Crazy. (Ages 5 and older)

Dirkie

SYNOPSIS: Dirkie Lost in the Desert is a story of suspense, conflict and incredible human courage as an 8 year old boy and his dog are left to face this vast wasteland alone after an airplane crash while an army of men and machines penetrate the desert searching for them. The film is based on true events and is sure to hold you spellbound!

EDITORIAL REVIEW: This rare and obscure piece of art comes from South Africa (our first from that region)! Some of you may remember director Jamie Uys' (Jamie Hayes) 1980 blockbuster The Gods Must Be Crazy (Coca-Cola bottle falls from the sky in the Kalahari desert and a Sho thinks it is "new technology" given to him from the Gods)? Well, Dirkie is the film Hayes directed 11-years earlier, in 1969, and cast his own son, Wynand Uys (or Dirkie Hayes in English) as the lead. Young Dirkie and Uncle Pete (and Dirkie's doggy) are involved in a plane crash, stranding the three in these badlands of Africa. Battles with scorpions, hyenas and other desert animals leave Dirkie fighting for survival. With very little battery power left to operate the plane's damaged radio, it may be too late before someone knows what happened. Dirkie will set out, alone, and find his own way to safety! Will Dirkie overcome events that can make even the strongest adult quiver with fear? (you know he will, we just like to entice you to buy!) This is a nice family picture.

The Goonies

Actors: Jeb Stuart Adams, Steve Antin, Sean Astin, Bill Bradley, Josh Brolin
Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)

Following a mysterious treasure map into a spectacular underground realm of twisting passages, outrageous booby-traps and a long-lost pirate ship full of golden dubloons, the kids race to stay one step ahead of a family of bumbling bad guys... and a mild-mannered monster with a face only a mother could love.