A BETTER ALTERNATIVE TO KEEP YOU FROM GOING NUTS ON ELECTION DAY |

Ideas for a Political Movies Festival

By Gary Meyer

I think it is much healthier to watch reruns (WEST WING, JOHN ADAMS or VEEP) than the returns on Election Night.

Or better yet revisit some great movies.

I actually started programming a series several years ago and updated it for 2020.

I suggest some double features or make your own festival. This was done too quickly to provide details or links to most films.

These are not in any special order but let’s start with a cartoon. BETTY BOOP FOR PRESIDENT.

Stanley Kubrick’s DR. STRANGELOVE plus THE MOUSE THAT ROARED both with Peter Sellars in multiple roles.

THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE: two takes from John Frankenheimer and Jonathan Demme.

Preston Sturges’ THE GREAT MCGINTY with Frank Capra’s STATE OF THE UNION

BULWORTH plus BLAZE

ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN and THE POST

BOB ROBERTS with THE IDES OF MARCH

Plus selected short cartoon. DAFFY DUCK FOR PRESIDENT

INDEPENDENCE DAY and MARS ATTACKS

WAG THE DOG plus THE CANDIDATE

MEET JOHN DOE plus MR SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON

THE CONTENDER and PRIMARY COLORS

IN THE LOOP plus THE CAMPAIGN

CHARLIE WILSON’S WAR with GAME CHANGE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRLwV2xafpk

IN THE LINE OF FIRE plus PARALLAX VIEW

FAIR GAME and NO WAY OUT

IDIOCRACY with TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE

THE LAST HURRAH and BEAU JAMES

Make your own Nixon Follies Film Festival from: NIXON, DICK, SECRET HONOR, ELVIS AND NIXON, and FROST/NIXON.

Before he was President Barack Obama, he had a bad story and these two fictionalized films explore that time in SOUTHSIDE WITH YOU and BARRY.

President Kennedy selection: JFK, PT 109, THIRTEEN DAYS, EXECUTIVE ACTION.

Franklin D. Roosevelt: SUNRISE AT CAMPEBELLO, HYDE PARK ON HUDSON, HELL-BENT FOR ELECTION ( a UPA allegorical cartoon directed by Chuck Jones designed to inspire voting for FDR) ELEANOR AND FRANKLIN and sequel ELEANOR AND FRANKLIN:THE WHITE HOUSE YEARS, WARM SPRINGS (and and exception to my docs rule: Ken Burns’ marathon THE ROOSEVELTS).

Abraham Lincoln inspired numerous films including

LINCOLN, YOUNG MR, LINCOLN, ABE LINCOLN IN ILLINOIS, ABRAHAM LINCOLN-VAMPIRE HUNTER, and THE CONSPIRATOR.

And there are other celluloid presidents to consider.

LBJ, , GIVE ‘EM HELL, HARRY!, and WILSON are a few.

I suspect Olive Stone and Michael Moore will take on Trump and I plan to stay far away.

Let’s take a break for BALLOT BOX BUNNY. Watch here.

To see what actors played real Presidents take a look here.