Watching It Now on Netflix

Empire Of The Air is a Ken Burns historical documentary made in 1991. Plot: The history of radio is shown from the discovery of the inventions that made radio so innovative to the development of television.  The major inventions, the men who invented them, and the importance of radio in American culture are profiled in this documentary. My Take: I had never heard of Howard Armstrong, and that's a shame.  There are other men profiled who had roles in the development of radio as an entertainment and communication medium.  However, I had no idea that the the history of radio was such a soap opera.  It's a compelling tale, and it's a part of American history that is highly representative of both the brilliance and greed of those that make history.

Tangled is a 2010 Animated Movie from Disney starring Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi. Plot: A re-telling of the story of Rapunzel, this story throws a musical twist into that classic fairy tale. My Take: Disney gets back to its roots as great storytellers with this amazing animated movie.  The story is timeless and well-known, but this version has added enough new twists to keep it fresh.  The music is amazing, and the voice actors are perfect for their roles.  This is not just a kids movie, either, although all the little kids I've watched the movie with love it and sing along.  Funny, smart, and exciting, I'd say that this is destined to be yet another Disney classic.

The Fighter is a 2010 Sports Drama starring Christian Bale, Amy Adams, and Mark Wahlberg. Plot: Based on a true story, The Fighter is about two brothers raised as fighters on the streets of Boston.  Wahlberg plays Mickey, the younger brother trying to make something of himself in the boxing world and wants to rely on his older brother, Dickie, who is now a trainer (Bale).  However, Dickie has his own demons to battle. My Take: Bale turns in an excellent performance (especially if you watch the actual man who the movie is based on during the credits). Adams turns in as gritty of a role as I've ever seen her.  The boxing scenes are about as realistic as it gets, and the film is well done in every possible way.  This film garnered several Oscar nominations, and won for Best Actor (Bale) and for Best Supporting Actress (Melissa Leo; the mother of the fighters).