KEN STREMSKY'S MOVIES AND ISSUES I have long thought that one of the best ways to learn about the issues is to watch movies that deal with issues. On May 25, 2002, I e-mailed several movie studios and asked them if I may show entire movies in libraries free of charge to me, the libraries, and the viewers of the movies, and then discuss the issues the movies deal with. I hope that people watch the following movies and then discuss the issues with their friends. I have worked part-time for a national video store rental chain since July 1999. I have posted a long recommended movie list at http://resumes.yahoo.com/kstremsky3/recommendedmovies I may add movies to this list in the future. TORA! TORA! TORA! AND WAR If our country had learned from the lessons taught in the movie Tora! Tora! Tora! that discusses the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, the attack on our country on September 11, 2001 might have been prevented or not been as bad. Tora! Tora! Tora! shows what happens when intelligence information is not shown to people who need to know including members of Congress. A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS AND CHARACTER A Man For All Seasons with Paul Scofield talks about the life and death of Sir Thomas More and his relationship with King Henry V111. Sir Thomas More's character and his relationship with God was more important to him than his life. Sir Thomas More could not be bought by anyone. THE SECRET WAR OF HARRY FRIGG The Secret War of Harry Frigg is my favorite Paul Newman movie because it shows that an unlikelu person may provide the best leadership. THE BEST MAN AND POLITICAL CHARACTER The Best Man with Henry Fonda shows the importance of political character in a candidate for President of the United States of America. The Best Man also shows why a candidate's health should not be an issue in campaigns. ELIZABETH AND LEADERSHIP Elizabeth is about the leadership of Queen Elizabeth and how she provided quality leadership to Great Britain. Queen Elizabeth is one of the best leaders the world has ever had. Only a few President of United States ofr America have been better leaders than her. I highly recommend that parents watch the movie with their sons and daughters after they watch the movie themselves. Someday, I hope we have more leaders in Congress and the White House who are at least half as good as she is. Our country has not had a President of the United States of America at least half as good as she was since President Harry Truman. We have had a few Presidents of the United States of America who may have been teflon coated because no matter what they did or their administration did they have had high approval ratings. If Queen Elizabeth had been President of the United States of America in the 1980s, I doubt Iran Contra would have happened and I doubt the people who were involved in Iran Contra would have gotten away with committing treason. THE CANDIDATE AND POLITICS The Candidate with Robert Redford is one of the best movies on politics I have ever seen. Name recognition is often more important than a person's positions on the issues. The raising of campaign contributions often takes up a lot more time than it should. Debates too often become mud throwing contests instead of issue discussions. THE MAN IN THE GRAY FLANNEL SUIT AND LIVING THE BALANCED LIFE The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit with Gregory Peck is the best movie I have seen dealing with the importance of leading a balanced life. A person who does not make time for their spouse and children is the biggest fool of all. The movie also discusses the fact that society needs to make it easier for soldiers to adapt to peace time. OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY AND BUSINESS Other People's Money with Gregory Peck shows why business needs to think about both the short term and the long term and not just the short term. The movie also deals with the importance of business ethics. THE EFFICIENCY EXPERT AND BUSINESS The Efficiency Expert with Anthony Hopkins deals with strategy, business ethics, and why it is important for a business to care about its employees. TRAFFIC AND ILLEGAL DRUGS Traffic deals with the illegal drug war better than any movie I have ever seen. The movie shows how many police officers in a foreign country have been corrupted by dealers who obtain profits from illegal drugs. REQUIEM FOR A DREAM AND ILLEGAL DRUGS Requiem for a Dream is the most intense movie I have ever seen dealing with the dangers that come from abusing drugs including illegal drugs. Illegal drugs often ruin lives. SKIPPED PARTS AND TEENAGE PREGNANCY Skipped Parts is the best movie I have ever seen dealing with teenage sex and teenage pregnancy. If parents do not talk to their kids about sex, they should not be surprised if young girls become mothers and young boys become fathers. Of course, sexually transmitted diseases are often killers of humans. THE WRONG MAN AND THE LEGAL SYSTEM The Wrong Man with Henry Fonda is the scariest Alfred Hitchcock movie I have ever seen because it is based on a true story. A case of mistaken identity almost gave an innocent man a very long prison sentence. 12 ANGRY MEN AND THE LEGAL SYSTEM 12 Angry Men with Henry Fonda is the best movie I have seen about the fact that a jury should not take lightly its responsibility to decide guilt and innocence. BRUBAKER AND PRISONS Brubaker with Robert Redford is the best movie I have ever seen dealing with the fact that prisons should not be run poorly. Brubaker ran his prison the way prisons should be run. MUSIC OF THE HEART AND EDUCATION Music of the Heart is a true story that shows how important music education is and the fact that music education has the ability to improve the lives of children significantly. FINDING FORRESTER AND EDUCATION Finding Forrester shows the importance of believing that students may achieve greatness in education and in life and that no teacher should believe that a student can not do great in school because of the color of the skin the student has. Finding Forrester also shows the importance of having high educational standards for students. STAND AND DELIVER AND EDUCATION Stand and Delivers shows that people from diverse backgrounds may learn calculus and other types of mathematics when they are taught by great teachers. OCTOBER SKY AND EDUCATION October Sky is based on a story and shows why creativity and science education is important to the future of our country. HOOSIERS AND EDUCATION Hoosiers shows why sports often improves the educational experiences of students. REMEMBER THE TITANS AND EDUCATION Remember The Titans shows how sports may improve the educational experiences of students. APOLLO 13 AND THE SPACE PROGRAM Apollo 13 shows what can go wrong in space and the importance of our space program. If humans do not branch out on to other planets, they will become extinct if the Earth ceases to exist. A SIMPLE TWIST OF FATE AND PARENTING A Simple Twist of Fate with Steve Martin is the best movie I have ever seen which shows what a great parent is. If most parents were half as good at parenting as the Steve Martin character is in this movie, I think we would have less crime and more students would have a basic knowledge of history when they graduate from high school. IN THE COMPANY OF SPIES AND USES OF INTELLIGENCE In The Company of Spies shows how intelligence agencies should operate and how intelligence agencies reduce the chance of war. DETERRENCE AND NUCLEAR WAR Deterrence shows a situation that may exist in the future that might involve the usage of nuclear weapons. THE FOURTH PROTOCOL AND NUCLEAR TERRORISM The Fourth Protocol deals with nuclear terrorism and the power of small nuclear weapons. BYE DAWN'S EARLY LIGHT AND NUCLEAR WAR Bye Dawn's Early Light is one of the best movies I have seen that deals with nuclear war. GALLIPOLI AND WARFARE Gallipoli which stars Mel Gibson is a true story about one of the most insane battles in military history which took. Soldiers where sent into battle by military commanders who would not allow the soldiers to win. Soldiers were sent into battle without adequate military support. The blood bath that takes place in the movie makes you wonder who hated the soldiers more their military commanders or their military enemy. I think the military leaders were the ones who hated the soldiers the most. If President Johnson and our military leaders during the Vietnam War had learned from the lessons of Gallipoli we might have won the war. I doubt many of our soldiers would have been cannon fodder if their lives had been important to President Johnson and our military leaders at that time. If a country sends soldiers into battle, the country needs to support the soldiers and allow the soldiers to win. Soldiers should not be blamed for following ethical commands when the President of the United States of America and our country's military leaders are idiots. If President Johnson and our military leaders during the Vietnam War had read the Art of War by Sun Tzu on a regular basis, I think we would have not lost many soldiers and we probably would have won the war. OUTBREAK AND BIOTERRORISM Outbreak shows how easy it is for biological weapons to kill people and why we need to continually improve our country's ability to fight biological terrorism. If our country does not get a lot more prepared for biological terrorism than it is now, I doubt our country will survive. The response to the Anthrax situation was pathetic. Our country's leaders should have realized years ago that Postal Service employees were in jeopardy when biological warfare is carried out via mail. A BRIDGE TOO FAR AND WARFARE A Bridge Too Far shows that Murphy's Law is often true in war. Soldiers often die from the weirdest situations. HOLY SMOKE! AND CULTS I highly recommend that parents watch the movie Holy Smoke! before their children graduate from high school because cults may have a lot of power on some college campuses. THE INSIDER AND THE MEDIA The Insider deals with the importance of having the media especially television networks not controlled by corporations who do not believe in the importance of investigative journalism. THE VERDICT AND MEDICAL MALPRACTICE The Verdict deals with medical malpractice and why people should be allowed to sue for punitive damages. CLASS ACTION AND PRODUCT LIABILITY Class Action with Gene Hackman shows why it is important for people to be able to sue automobile manufacturers and other manufacturers from punitive damages when the companies sell products they know are not safe. PHILADELPHIA AND DISCRIMINATION Philadelphia shows why people should not be discriminated against because of their health and sexual orientation. THE PRINCESS DIARIES AND SELF-CONFIDENCE The Princess Diaries shows why it is important for people especially young women to have self-confidence. It is one of my favorite movies. FOOTLOOSE AND LIFE Footloose with Kevin Bacon is my favorite movie. The more deals with the importance of dance. The movie shows why censorship is often a bad idea. The movie also shows why God's name should not be used to commit evil deeds.