I’m officially hooked on Daniel “I Drink Your Milkshake” Day-Lewis. Desperately searching for another adaptation with a climactic scene in which he rages so hard that the blood vessels in his head appear to be on the verge of exploding, I found The Crucible.

The film starts mysteriously with a group of girls in the woods participating in some type of ritual. As they each call out the name of the boy they hope to marry, they throw an offering into a boiling cauldron. One of them, Abigail (played by Winona “Shoplifter” Ryder), goes the extra mile by slaughtering a chicken, smearing her face with the blood, and wishing death upon another woman. This really sends the other girls into a frenzy – they start screaming, dancing around, and getting naked. Girls gone wild!

When Abigail’s uncle happens upon their wild little party, the girls get scared and scatter. Afterwards, two of the younger girls who had been present fall into some sort of catatonic state. Naturally, witchcraft is to blame.

I should mention that witchcraft was a pretty serious charge in Salem circa 1692, it being punishable by hanging and whatnot. When Abigail and the girls realize they will be blamed for the girls’ “possession,” they first accuse Tituba, a slave from Barbados, of bewitching them. When they see how easily that worked, they begin accusing others of witchcraft, and mass hysteria ensues. Witchcraft is soon blamed for seemingly every possible thing that goes wrong in the town, and many innocent people are arrested.

Arthur Miller intended this play to be an allegory of the McCarthy-era Communist witch-hunts. I think this story is as timely as ever. We’ve seen plenty of mass hysteria in our time. Just think of 17th century Salem as present-day Guantanamo Bay.

The Crucible (1996)
DVD Date of Release: June 2004
Based on The Crucible by Arthur Miller

What’s in a name? Would a rose by any other name smell just as sweet? These questions take on new meaning and are at the heart of the story The Namesake. Gogol is a man who must learn the true meaning of his name, and when he learns the meaning, he must then learn to live up to it.

The movie begins with the arranged marriage of Ashima and Ashoke in Calcutta, India. After the wedding, the couple settles in New York, where Ashoke had been living and studying. Ashima’s introduction to the American way of life includes new things like Rice Krispies, which she instinctively mixes with chili powder and peanuts.

They soon have a son, whom they name Gogol, and a daughter Sonia. As is often the case with first generation immigrants, it becomes clear that by the time Gogol and Sonia are teenagers, the cultural divide between them and their parents is wide indeed. As a couple whose marriage was arranged for them, it is especially hard for Ashoke and Ashima to relate to the dating customs of their two Americanized children.

Some of the cultural differences are quite funny, others more poignant. This film reminded me in some ways of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, except that it was much more beautiful and a lot less annoying. Credit for that should go to Mira Nair, a favorite director of mine. If you like this film, you will definitely like some of her others that similarly explore themes of cultural identity like Mississippi Masala and Monsoon Wedding.

The Namesake (2007)
DVD Date of Release: November 2007
Based on The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

Sure, I heard about all the critical praise for this movie, all its nominations, awards, Daniel Day-Lewis’s Oscar and everything else. But I simply had to see it to find out the meaning of “I drink your milkshake! I drink it up!” I hadn’t heard a line so often quoted since Borat’s “High five!”

And I’m happy to report that in the context of the oil baron Daniel Plainview’s tirade against the preacher Eli Sunday, the line actually makes sense. It’s brilliant, actually. And yes, I have been quoting it repeatedly.

But that’s hardly the only brilliant thing this movie has going for it. For all the hype and hoopla you’ve likely heard about Day-Lewis’s role as Plainview, I’m telling you, it’s all true. He’s so good it’s frightening. His is such a visceral performance, it’ll rattle your bones and make your hair stand on end. The scene in which he’s baptized into the church, well, I don’t know how else to describe it except to say that I had the sensation of being unable to look away and simultaneously wanting to run out of the room. It’s not as if there’s more violence in this film than in the average fare, but still, it’s not for those with weak nerves.

The film does have its faults, however, and I have to complain about one in particular. Paul Dano plays both Paul and Eli Sunday, whom I didn’t realize until practically the last scene were supposed to be twin brothers. I thought it was the same person. I really wonder at the decision to have him play twins…it’s confusing and pointless. Couldn’t there just be two brothers, played by two different actors?

There Will Be Blood (2008)
DVD Date of Release: April 2008
Based on Oil! by Upton Sinclair

I’ve always wanted to visit India. I love to imagine the colors, flavors, sights, sounds, and smells, and the sheer diversity of a country so large and with such rich history. But since I can’t afford the flight, I had to make do with watching A Passage to India. While showing some breathtaking landscapes and other beautiful sights, this movie also shows an ugly chapter of India’s history—that of the British Raj.

The main character, Adela Quested, arrives in India, her first trip outside of her homeland, England. She seems open and curious, not to mention eager for an adventure, which is in contrast to most of her compatriots who openly hold their noses and sneer in disgust at the Indians. One such person with clear disdain for the Indian people is Adela’s fiancé, Ronny Heaslop, who is the city magistrate. Ronny is pretty much a racist a**hole who is against any socializing between the British and Indians, a view not shared by his mother, Mrs. Moore, who shows sensitivity to local customs and a willingness to be friendly. One person she befriends is Dr. Aziz, a man she encounters by accident one evening but with whom, upon conversing, she discovers that she shares many things in common.

Dr. Aziz generously offers to escort Adela and Mrs. Moore to visit the Marabar Caves, a trip that ends disastrously with Adela accusing Aziz of attempted rape. Aziz’s subsequent trial brings to light the much larger battle between the politically and racially divided British and Indian people. Your heart will break for Aziz, who starts off with such innocence and eagerness to please his British “guests,” but who becomes, understandably, disillusioned and increasingly bitter toward them. And if you’re interested in learning more about this era, you could always watch Gandhi.

A Passage to India (1985)
DVD Date of Release: March 2001
Based on A Passage to India by E.M. Forster

It took just one scene in Michael Clayton—the one where she suddenly realizes her world is crumbling around her—to make me a completely devoted fan of Tilda Swinton. Before then, I’d seen her in some things, but mostly heard about her when she’d show up somewhere wearing something crazy, but I didn’t realize what a gifted actress she truly is. So it was a pleasure to discover her in Orlando, where her character not only spans 400 years of history, but also changes gender from male to female. Now that is a role that few people could pull off.

The film starts in 1600, where Orlando is a young boy in the court of Queen Elizabeth. The Queen (played by Quentin Crisp, in one of many gender twists) orders Orlando not to grow old. Miraculously, he doesn’t, and lives the next 400 years without aging a day.

Admittedly, Swinton does look decidedly female and it is difficult to believe her as a boy, unlike say, Hillary Swank in Boys Don’t Cry. It doesn’t really matter, though, because the film (and book) is more concerned with the fluid and arbitrary distinctions in gender identity. What makes a “real man,” or a “real woman”?

Most interesting is when Orlando suddenly wakes up one day in the 1700s to find that he now inhabits a woman’s body. With a shrug, he declares, “Same person, no difference at all. Just a different sex.” However, despite having the same intellect and ability, as a woman she is corseted and dressed in the most restrictive clothing, while simultaneously stripped of her right to property and inheritance.

The most telling line in the film may be, “As a man, one has choices.” Women may have more choices now…but we’ve still got a way to go, Virginia.

Orlando (1993)
DVD Date of Release: August 1999
Based on Orlando by Virginia Woolf

There’s a saying, “With friends like these, who needs enemies?” And also, “Revenge is a dish best served cold.” Both of these are appropriate for The Count of Monte Cristo.

Life seems blessed for Edmond Dantes, who has been promoted captain of a trading ship and is engaged to the beautiful Mercedes. What he doesn’t count on is how his promotion will infuriate the ship’s first mate, Danglars, or how his “best friend,” Fernand Mondego, envies his engagement to Mercedes. Danglars and Mondego scheme together to have Dantes arrested for treason, accusing him of carrying a letter from Napoleon Bonaparte, whom he encountered on the famed island of Elba. Chief Magistrate Villefort knows that Dantes is innocent, but for his own reasons has him jailed anyway.

Thus Dantes comes to spend thirteen years imprisoned in the Chateau d’If, where he is whipped by the warden and…hey wait a minute…is this The Passion of the Christ? The scenes where Dantes (with his long hair and beard) is beaten will no doubt remind you that Jim Caviezel also played Jesus in The Passion, and must have been all the audition Mel Gibson needed for his gore-fest.

Eventually Dantes manages to escape in a daring feat that would make Houdini proud. He learns that after his imprisonment, his father committed suicide and his fiancée married his archenemy, Mondego. That’s when he starts planning his sweet, sweet revenge. And the Count of Monte Cristo is born.

This film is shot beautifully, and will make you want to sail a boat around the Mediterranean even if, like Dantes, you have to escape a prison tower and join a gang of pirates to do so. And if that’s not reason enough to see this, then the prospect of seeing Jesus kick butt in a swordfight should be.

The Count of Monte Cristo (2002)
DVD Date of Release: September 2002
Based on The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

I’ve never been to Las Vegas, but this film is pretty much exactly how I imagine any trip to Vegas would turn out. Well, I imagine it would be a cross between this and the episode of No Reservations where Anthony Bourdain does his best to recreate Fear and Loathing, but ends up skydiving with Elvis impersonators and eating deep-fried Twinkies. Strange and self-destructive, yes, but not quite the same as ingesting massive quantities of hallucinogens and trashing hotel rooms.

This film has sooooo many good things going for it. First, it stars Johnny Depp as Raoul Duke. Need I say more? Second, it is directed by Terry Gilliam—the genius behind such gems as Brazil and the highly underrated Adventures of Baron Munchausen. Third, it co-stars the practically unrecognizable Benicio Del Toro as Dr. Gonzo. These could be hands-down my favorite performances by Depp and Del Toro both.

The cinematography is used to effectively convey the (altered) state of mind of the characters. Bizarre lighting and colors, and manipulated depths of field, along with the sound design, all serve to replicate the druggy experiences of Duke & Gonzo. And the lounge lizard scene…well, it’s one of my favorites too. It’s hilarious and despite its over-the-top insanity, perfectly captures how I imagine I would feel in a seedy Vegas lounge. It’s grotesque, surreal, panic-inducing, and brilliant.

Lest you dismiss this as just an inane, drug-glorifying movie (for that, you could watch Half Baked or any of the Harold & Kumar films) I want to stress that this film showcases some of Hunter Thompson’s best writing and also offers some pretty sharp critiques of American culture. Because where else in the world could Vegas—a city of broken dreams and sheer, unadulterated excess—even exist?

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
DVD Date of Release: February 2003
Based on Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson

I’m a sucker for talking animals. I don’t know why. For some reason, I really want to believe that they can speak. And also plot revolutions.

As a very thinly veiled allegory of Stalinism, Animal Farm shows how the main principles of communism (or in this case, “animalism”) –unity, equality, and comradeship—were perverted by those in power, twisted and manipulated by a regime even more oppressive than the one it replaced. Nevertheless, there are those who remain true to its ideals and original intent.

The humans in this film are truly despicable. The adults are drunk and debauched, the kids cruel and abusive. The animals are starved and over-worked, so it’s no wonder they finally get fed up and decide to rebel. Inspired by Old Major, a wise old pig, they are able to organize and effectively defeat the humans, gaining control of the farm. But when leadership is taken over and abused by Napoleon, a scheming, greedy, pig, things start to go awry. Napoleon and his goons bend the laws to suit their own needs, eventually going against the most basic and fundamental tenets of Animal Farm. Drunk with power and literally drunk on whiskey, the pigs become indistinguishable from the humans that they defeated.

Animal Farm the book was published in 1945, but I think that its message is as timely now as it was then. It is interesting that the pigs distract the other animals with television so that they won’t be outraged by what’s happening to the farm. The pigs also become masters at producing propaganda and spreading disinformation, which the sheep (yes, literally sheep) swallow readily. It just might make you think about a current news network that coincidentally is named for an animal that can often be found on or around farms…

Animal Farm (1999)
DVD Date of Release: January 2000
Based on Animal Farm by George Orwell

It’s the 4th of July this week, Independence Day. The day we celebrate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence and freedom from tyranny, unless of course you’re Native American, in which case invading Europeans with their genocide and land-stealing probably seemed pretty darn tyrannical. But that’s another story. In the spirit of celebrating freedom from oppression, I watched The Color Purple this week, a story about Celie, a poor woman in the early 1900s who endured much suffering before finally finding independence and true happiness.

The film opens with a young Celie giving birth to a baby that is promptly taken away from her by her father. We learn that the baby is a product of incest and Celie’s father continues to abuse her, resulting in a second baby that is also taken away. Celie’s only escape is when she is married off to a much older man, Albert, who is widowed with three kids. Albert is abusive and treats Celie no better than a slave. He also kicks out Celie’s sister, Nettie, when she refuses his advances, cutting Celie off from the only family she has left and the only source of happiness in her life.

Celie endures many years with Albert but things change one day when Albert brings home Shug Avery, a sultry jazz singer with whom he’s been having a long-term affair. Ironically, considering the circumstances, Shug not only befriends Celie but also helps her gain confidence and finally stand up to Albert. This has some of the most moving portrayals I have ever seen on screen, including one by a little up-and-comer named Oprah Winfrey, as Sofia, Albert’s daughter-in-law. I admit it, I cried a lot during this one, and lately I only cry during Will Smith movies. But that’s another story.

The Color Purple (1985)
DVD Date of Release: May 2007
Based on The Color Purple by Alice Walker

I didn’t see this film when it first came out because, well, it looked silly. Just from the previews I could gather that somehow robots start committing crimes…Will Smith is some sort of cop…and I could easily predict a “happy” ending with the triumph of humans over machines and the restoration of law and order. But recently I saw “I Am Legend,” in which Will Smith is the last human left in New York City, strangely immune to some virus that has turned everyone else into flesh-eating monsters, and I realized that, predictable ending or not, a Will Smith film is like pizza—even when it’s bad, it’s still pretty good.

This film starts out with the requisite shots of Will Smith working out. Is this in his contract or something? We quickly learn that in the year 2035 Converse All-Stars are considered collector’s items (I hate annoying product placement) and that Smith’s character, Spooner, doesn’t like robots. He suspects one of snatching a woman’s purse when it was actually running to return the purse to her; his suspicion is ridiculed because the very idea of robots committing crimes is ludicrous.

Or is it? The premise is that each robot is programmed to follow Three Laws: 1) not to harm humans or by inaction allow them to be harmed, 2) they must obey humans unless the human orders violate law #1, and 3) they must protect their own existence unless doing so violates #1 or #2. When it becomes clear that a new generation of robots is able to disobey the Three Laws, Spooner has to figure out how, and why. The answer is surprising, in that it logically makes sense, and it’s almost not a bad idea…

I, Robot (2004)
DVD Date of Release: December 2004
Based on I, Robot by Isaac Asimov