Best Family Films

Free Film, a Good one, Too

2008-07-17T11:00:00.001-07:00

The web site snagfilms.com is offering free documentary viewings, and one of the best available is the wakeup call for fast food addicts, "Super Size Me." You can click here to watch it.

I Am Legend, But Am I Kid-Friendly?

2008-01-09T09:53:00.000-08:00

Lots of discussions with various parents over holiday vacation about who might want to see "I Am Legend." I enjoyed it thoroughly -- I'm a sucker for dystopian, apocalyptic science fiction, and Will Smith carries the loneliness of the movie with his usual hard work and charm. But I have to admit I was surprised, after leaving the movie, to look up the poster and realize it was rated PG-13 instead of R. To me, the bloodletting, the shock value and the general atmosphere all screamed R, not a lighter PG-13. I had considered taking my 15 year old daughter, who has seen many R movies for a film class in high school, but I was glad she couldn't make it that night -- I think the violence and nightmarish qualities would have disturbed her. Then again, my 15-year-old nephew loved it and has seen it three times. Do boys take all these things less seriously? Have videogames enured them to some of the worst spots?

Happy Holidays watching films with your family!

2007-12-20T10:38:00.000-08:00

We hope you enjoy the extra time off with walks, hikes, skiing, board games and plenty of family time, including some evenings around the movie screen. The Post just ran my suggestions in different categories for some great holiday movie-watching -- if you like sci-fi, try The Abyss, Contact or Silent Running. For kids, try Disney's grand old classic Robin Hood, or a terrific animation called Kiki's Delivery Service. For comedy, you can't beat Galaxy Quest, Meatballs or Planes, Trains and Automobiles. (If your kids enjoy Young Frankenstein, they may also be ready for Monty Python's Life of Brian, arguably the funniest movie ever made.)

Tattered Cover Tuesday Night!

2007-12-10T08:19:00.000-08:00

Join us for the last book movie book signing of the holiday season, at the Tattered Cover Highlands Ranch. Stock up on stocking stuffers and fill up your Netflix queue one last time before all the relatives hit, with some great movie recommendations from Denver Post family movie critic Michael Booth. The Tattered Cover signing is at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 11, at Tattered Cover Highlands Ranch. 9315 Dorchester Street -- Take C-470 to Broadway, exit south, turn right on Highlands Ranch Parkway, and look for it on the left. See you there!

Holiday shopping for movies and books

2007-11-26T14:11:00.000-08:00

Here's one great idea for your shopping -- the Borders on Parker Road in Aurora has set up a great display of our movie book, "The Denver Post Guide to the Best Family Films," alongside some of the movies we recommend. You can buy both at the same time, for a great holiday package. Don't forget the book signings coming up at Barnes & Noble, 960 S. Colorado Blvd., on Sunday Dec. 2 at 1:30 p.m., or Borders-Aurora, 6606 S. Parker Road, Thursday Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. or Tattered Cover Highlands Ranch, 9315 Dorchester Street, Highlands Ranch Town Center, on Tues. Dec. 11 at 7:30 p.m.

If you'd rather buy your books online, try these links, at Tattered cover here
Amazon here, and the Barnes & Noble link is here

Join us for book signings!

2007-11-21T13:04:00.000-08:00

Come out and talk movies with Denver Post family movie critic Michael Booth, at signings and holiday events schedule for Barnes & Noble, 960 S. Colorado Blvd., on Sunday Dec. 2 at 1:30 p.m., or Borders-Aurora, 6606 S. Parker Road, Thursday Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. or Tattered Cover Highlands Ranch, 9315 Dorchester Street, Highlands Ranch Town Center, on Tues. Dec. 11 at 7:30 p.m.

If you'd rather buy your books online, try these links, at Tattered cover here
Amazon here, and the Barnes & Noble link is here

KBCO at the Movies!

2007-11-08T09:45:00.000-08:00

Catch the great KBCO sage Brett Saunders and a conversation with me about "The Denver Post Guide to the Best Family Films," at about 7:05 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 9th. KBCO will also be giving away copies of the book over the next few days.

Family Films Book Now Available On-Line

2007-10-13T21:15:00.000-07:00

"The Denver Post Guide to the Best Family Films," scheduled to hit bookstores around Oct. 25, is now available for pre-order at your favorite on-line site. The Amazon link is here, and the Barnes & Noble link is here

Keep an eye on this site for more announcements about book store events and TV and radio interviews -- we'll be doing 10 minutes with our friends at KBCO on an upcoming morning show. And keep your eye on this space for more great lists of family movies.

2007-10-13T21:14:00.000-07:00

Family Movies and Travel

2007-08-13T12:53:00.001-07:00

We just had a terrific family trip to NYC and points east, and one of the many fun elements of walking around New York was remembering all the movies shot at the famous scenes we walked by. Just a few examples, the "Home Alone 2" scenes in Central Park, the ice cream shop in "Serendipity," the bike-riding scene in "Kramer vs. Kramer" on the Mall at Central Park, the computer-generated scenes in "The Day After Tomorrow" . . . and of course "Sleepless in Seattle" at the top of the Empire State. The list goes on and on. It's a nice way to engage your kids in the scenery without going on blah-blah-blah about 300 years of history.

This week's Denver Post column

2007-07-31T11:31:00.000-07:00

Here's our Family Film pick for this week, appearing in The Denver Post feature section every Tuesday:

Breakfast Club Rises, Shines

Stop watching "The Breakfast Club" in its frequent cable-TV
rotation.

To get the full essence of the best high school movie ever made
(not just my opinion - Entertainment Weekly put it tops on a list
of 50 all-time greats), you need to rent the full R-rated disc from
your favorite retailer. Yes, there are a couple dozen f-bombs; yes,
the kids smoke pot onscreen; yes, Judd Nelson's bully character
sexually harasses poor Molly Ringwald in a very raw way.

But they nail it. Through one of the best ensemble performances
from Hollywood youth, and through the words of writer/director John
Hughes, "The Breakfast Club" speaks undeniable truths about the
high school experience that ring true a generation later. Think
about that, it's a remarkable achievement: In 1985, when "The
Breakfast Club" came out, were there any high school movies from
1963 that rang as true?

Hughes exploits the claustrophobia of a high school library on a
Saturday morning - from the opening seconds, it's just so wrong.
Kids shouldn't be dropped off at high school on a Saturday! It's
detention time for five mouthy teenagers from Shermer High School
in suburban Chicago, and the stereotypes announce themselves
immediately: the Brain, the Jock, the Princess, the Criminal and
the Basket Case.

In nine hours of threatening, bickering and, eventually, poignant
(but never maudlin) self-revelation, the stereotypes dissolve and
re-form. These students have the chance to break the mold, but the
ending is not naive - they may fall back into the same old rut.

Pair this with the lighter tone of "Ferris Bueller's Day Off,"
since Hughes himself did. He filmed that comedy classic back to
back with "The Breakfast Club," using the same school sets and
the same crew. Legend has it that you can see identical posters in
the hallways in both films.

Each Tuesday, Michael Booth uncovers a movie gem for rewarding
family entertainment. Send your suggestions to
mbooth@denverpost.com.

We have a publication date . . .

2007-07-27T16:04:00.000-07:00

Sept. 15 is the print date for "The Denver Post Guide to the Best Family Films." List price is scheduled to be $12.95. Watch this space for more information about book availability, and author appearances throughout the fall.

The Book is on the Way!

2007-07-23T12:42:00.000-07:00

You've asked for a compilation of our weekly family DVD picks, and "The Denver Post Guide to the Best Family Films, by Michael Booth," will arrive this fall. Check here for more information, or send an e-mail to mbooth@denverpost.com to be placed on a mailing list for notice when the books arrives from Johnson Books in Boulder.

Also use our e-mail address to send your own recommendations for future columns, which appear every Tuesday inside the Lifestyle section of The Denver Post.