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Mr. Chips and the Ice Skating Comeback

 Monday: The Fallen Idol (1948)

          Phillipe is the son of the French ambassador who runs the French embassy in London. While his father goes on a work trip Phillipe is left under the care of the butler, Baines, and his wife. Phillipe and Baines are friends. Mrs. Baines is very strict and controlling. Baines does what he can to make it better for Phillipe. He finds out a secret about Baines. Although he promises not to tell he lets it slip. Tensions start to rise in the embassy. Till one night everything comes to a head. Mrs. Baines falls down the stairs and dies. Baines is blamed. The only person who can clear his name is Phillipe who is confused about what he saw. I thought this movie was alright.

Tuesday: Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939)

        Charles Chipping becomes a Latin teacher at an all boys school in 1870. He struggles at first to maintain control over his students. Charles becomes very strict. His students are under control but he doesn't have the relationship that he wanted to have with them. Twenty years pass. Charles agrees to go on a walking tour of Austria with another teacher. There he meets a young suffragette named Kathy. After only a couple meetings they fall in love and decide to get married. Kathy changes Charles. She gives him the nickname Mr. Chips. He becomes warmer and kinder. His relationship with his students becomes what he wanted since the beginning. Through the decades he faces many obstacles, but his relationship with his students never changes. Charles becomes a beloved teacher. This is a good movie.

Wednesday: Ice Castles (1978)

           Alexis is an ice skater with natural talent. She lives in a small town. The owner of the ice skating rink and bowling alley is her coach. Her boyfriend Nick is a hockey player who can't commit to anything. Alexis gets the chance to skate in a competition. She doesn't score well but gets a big round of applause. A coach notices her and offers to train her. Alexis becomes a success. She is on the path to the Olympics. At a party one night she has an accident that leaves her blind. Her friends and family help her to get back on the ice. She is able to skate again, but doesn't know if she can compete again. I thought this movie was alright.

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Sunday: Cat People (1942)

         Irena is a Serbian immigrant living in New York City. She is a fashion sketch artist. Irena is drawn to the big cats at the zoo and often visits them. One day she meets a man named Oliver. They instantly like each other. Soon they are in love and get married. There is a legend in Irena's village about people with magic who put a curse on the woman in the village. If they get jealous, angry, or are intimate with a man they will turn into a cat and kill. Irena is worried it's true. She doesn't want to hurt Oliver. Oliver is worried so he sends her to a psychologist who doesn't believe it to be true and tries to convince her as such. Still Irena is haunted by it. Oliver turns to his friend Alice for comfort. She admits to have feelings for him but won't act on them. Irena's obsession drives a wedge between her and Oliver and has a drastic end. This movie was ok. I know that older horror movies like this don't really show anything scary. At least by today's standards. But usually it's at least spooky and has some big dramatic scene. Like the Universal horror classics such as Dracula and Frankenstein. But there was nothing. There was only two, maybe three, scenes of action that would suggest there are evil cats killing people. But you don't see anything.   

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