Happy Olympics, Columbia! It's that time again for (undangerous) nationalism and spectacle and sport. To help get you in the spirit, Weekend Rental correspondent Brandon Hammer has suggested three Olympics films. GO USA!

Chariots of Fire (1981): [Cue the theme music.] Winner of four Academy Awards including Best Picture, Chariots of Fire is perhaps the epitome of the classic Olympics movie. It's based on the true story of two British runners who competed in the 1924 Paris Olympics, Harold Abrahams (Ben Cross) and Eric Liddell (Ian Charleson), both of whom attempt to use running in order for some greater purpose. On the one hand, Abrahams, the son of a Jewish immigrant, wants to do well in order to spite society's prevalent anti-Semitism. Liddell, on the other hand, as an ardent Christian and Scot, wants to compete because he feels it is necessary to fulfill God's will. Even, according to Roger Ebert, if you don't like running movies, it's still a very inspiring film.

As I was without an Internet connection for the past week, I ended up watching a lot of television news. And while hearing about Barack Obama's every move and every analyst's baseless prediction of the day is fun for... well, really not all that long, here are some movies about the news are much more entertaining than trying to figure who among Olbermann, O'Reilly, and Lou Dobbs needs to shut up first.

Broadcast News (1987): Nominated for seven Academy Awards, Broadcast News takes a look at the evolution of television journalism and its shift of focus from quality reporting to getting ratings. The vehicle through which writer/director/producer James L. Brooks presents this shift is a love triangle between Jane Craig (Holly Hunter), a passionate producer who cares deeply about the quality of her reporting; Aaron Altman (Albert Brooks), another devoted reporter who wants to be recognized for his hard work; and Tom Grunick (William Hurt), a good-looking new guy who is able to work his way up the ladder of promotion, despite his total lack of knowledge or journalistic skill. As significant changes happen at the network, the relationships between the three reach a climax, allowing the film to shed light on the way news media has shifted today.

This past Monday, francophiles and French citizens celebrated Bastille Day. And since gossiping about President Sarkozy and his wife is no way to celebrate the holiday -- and Film Forum is no longer featuring its wonderful series on Godard -- here are a few suggestions for some French films worth renting.

The Rules of the Game (1939):
Directed by Jean Renoir, the son of the Impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste and a man regarded as one of the greatest directors of all time, the film is an incendiary satire of the self-absorption within France's bourgeoisie on the eve of World War II. The film only slowly reaches the point at which the viewer sees that the nation's elite are feuding with each other over sex while their country faces imminent war. The movie was so powerful that a man set fire to a newspaper at its premiere in an attempt to burn down the theater, while the French government (and later the occupying Nazi regime) banned the film. The Rules of the Game survived and remains both a cinematic achievement ad well as a relevant social critique.

In honor of the Yankee Stadium's final season, this year's MLB all-star game will take place in the Bronx on Tuesday. To remember some of baseball's most interesting historical moments, Bwog Film Rental Analyst Brandon Hammer suggests you check out one (or two or three) of the following movies.

The Pride of the Yankees (1942):

Those who yearn for the glory days of the Bronx Bombers will find comfort in this 1942 film. Starring Gary Cooper in the lead role, The Pride of the Yankees is a beautiful biopic about Columbia's own Lou Gehrig, whose endurance to last 2,130 consecutive games (the equivalent of more than 13 baseball seasons) brought him the nickname the "Iron Horse." Cooper's performance is powerful; he captures the essence of a man who was known for his kindness and humility, a man who, though his life and career were cut short by a terrible disease, considered himself "the luckiest man on the face of the earth." The film also features and intriguing performance by Babe Ruth as himself, as well as a reenactment of Gehrig's famous speech of July 4, 1939.

Though this weekend many of your fellow Americans will be doing such celebratory things as eating hamburgers in an outdoors setting and watching fireworks, we know that 1. it is hot out, 2. many of you are vegetarians, and 3. there's an argument to be made that if you've seen one firework, you've seen 'em all. With that in mind, here's an alternative Movie Rental Guide to the Weekend that is both indoors and firework-free. And as always, feel free to leave your own suggestions in the comments.

For the History Buffs: John Adams (2008)

Other than the economy and the presidential candidates and of course, IvyGate's triumphant return, the big news story of the week was the Supreme Court, which handed down a number of controversial decisions, from issues concerning the death penalty to the Second Amendment. For those of you want more of a judiciary fix, here are some weekend rentals from Film Rental Correspondent Brandon Hammer to satisfy your palate.

The History Buffs: Inherit the Wind (1960)

Based on the play of the same title, Inherit the Wind is the dramatized story of the infamous Scopes Monkey Trial, in which John Thomas Scopes was put on trial for teaching the theory of evolution. The case created such hype that it drew two of the most famous lawyers of the time, three-time presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan for the prosecution and Clarence Darrow for the defense. Though all of the names are changed (Bryan becomes Matthew Harrison Brady while Darrow is changed to Drummond), the story is nonetheless an interesting examination of the conflict between those who have very different views of the governing principles of the United States. Moreover, despite the film's age, its subject matter -- from what it is acceptable to teach in school, to how two friends can maintain their relationship amid social and political competition, to the battle between urban and rural -- is still quite relevant.

Since the weather is going to be mediocre this weekend, and you are probably still recovering from the three days of partying last week in honor of the Flag Day-Father's Day-Bloomsday holiday trifecta, Bwog enlisted newbie critic Brandon Hammer to brainstorm some classic and not-so-classic films that would fall into the general category of appropriate summer rentals.

Nostalgic for Camp: Heavy Weights (1995)

For those whose greatest memories of summer are when they could escape from their parents, school, and everything else at camp, Heavy Weights will bring you back to these more innocent times. Co-written by Judd Apatow, Heavy Weights is the story of a group of overweight boys, whose historically fun Camp Hope is taken over by a weight-loss maniac (played by Ben Stiller). What follows is the oppression, and subsequent rebellion, of the campers. The film is hilarious with great acting by Stiller and Tom Hodges, whose character (Lars) is a hysterically funny uber-European exercise fanatic.

Last night, Project Bluelight, a Columbia University undergrad film project, premiered their first film, "Setup," in Roone Cinema before a Ferris Reels showing of There Will Be Blood the Oscar winning There Will Be Blood.

Opening shot: a giant chicken getting run over by a car while fetching coffee. However, this short (6 minute) film was more than just Family Guy-esque comedy. The audience moved through the complex plot effortlessly with the aid of well-timed dialog, tight cinematography and more than one killer Punch Line.

It's a rainy Saturday and, yes, it would be prudent to spend the day in Bulter, but don't you deserve a break? (Bwog thinks you do.) And there's really no better way to relax and pass a dreary Saturday than with a couple feel-good flicks. Here, Bwog has compiled a smattering of movies that will help ease your midterm anxiety and brighten your day. So cozy up with some Swiss Miss and popcorn and enjoy!

(N.B. Some of these titles may be difficult to find on DVD, but Kim's will probably have the VHS version.)

1. Manhattan: A Woody Allen classic all too often overshadowed by Annie Hall. The story is pretty much the same as most of Allen's films. He plays a lusty, bumbling New Yorker seeking love wherever he can find it�a search which lands him with a high schooler and later his best friend's mistress. With Meryl Streep and Diane Keaton.

You need a break. Seriously, there's only so much information your brain can absorb in a day, only so many sentences it can formulate (or so I like to tell myself), and giving it a rest will surely improve its performance. So put aside those textbooks, sign out of Facebook, and take just a few hours to zone out.

I recommend heading down to Loews 84th Street (it's really not far!) to catch the next screening of I Am Legend, the latest post-apocalyptic thriller starring everyone's favorite alien-killer, Will Smith, appearing here as the only living boy (OK, man) in New York, and perhaps the planet.

There is absolutely nothing to think about in this movie. Once the mind-numbingly simple premise has been explained, there's really nothing to do but sit back, relax, and succumb to the thrilling images of Manhattan sans people, of Smith glistening with sweat as he does pull-ups in his gorgeous, ENORMOUS townhouse on Washington Square, and of the most ill-conceived zombies I have ever seen. But Legend is more than just action-packed escapism--it's also a comedy, the best kind of comedy: unintentional comedy. As the movie unfolds, it makes less and less sense, until the absurdities have piled so high it's impossible not to laugh. How could you fall 20 feet, land on your back, and walk away unscathed? Why would anyone have a laboratory in his basement? Where did those lions come from? We pointed out ridiculous flaws all the way to the subway, chuckling merrily, and by the time we got back to campus, life seemed a little less serious.

Remember, it's just school.

While The Darjeeling Limited and American Gangster got a lot of anticipation, perhaps rightfully so, there was no movie that I'd been waiting for longer than No Country for Old Men; it's a Coen brothers movie based on a Cormac McCarthy book. What's more, it's a very filmable Cormac McCarthy book at that, far more filmable than All The Pretty Horses and infinitely more so than Blood Meridian,which Ridley Scott will attempt in 2009. Basically, a man stumbles upon a busted heroin deal near the Texas/Mexico border, finds a case of money, and runs away. An assassin endeavors to hunt him down, and an aging sheriff tries to deal with the whole affair.

Some critics have been calling No Country for Old Men a return to the Blood Simple days of the Coens, but I didn't find it to be that, exactly. The movie's overall structure, and even some plot elements, are actually similar to The Big Lebowski, although their current film is obviously much more serious in tone. Like Raising Arizona, Barton Fink, and O Brother Where Art Thou! the movie has what Sherrif Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) calls "a true and living prophet of destruction," the ruthless but impeccably calm Anton Chigurgh (Javier Bardem,) and Chigurgh is both the scariest and most convincing prophet of destruction yet. The rest of the cast, particularly Jones, deserve a lot of credit for their performances, but Bardem steals the show; when he's on screen, much of the audience is visibly uncomfortable -- and he's on it a lot.

A group of first-years (who have collectively named themselves Floor 7 Productions) recently submitted their short film Waking Up and Other Hardships to Apple's '07 Insomnia Festival, in which high school and college student groups create their own three minutes of brilliance in under 24 hours based on a set of pre-listed elements. See if you can spot them for yourselves -- although it may be a bit difficult to rationally explain the huge oven mits.

You can rate the film until November 9th to help the group win gain their eternal glory, so go! Vote! This is probably the right weekend to do it, anyway.

Bwog movie-goer Christian Kamongi scopes out the New York Film Festival and shares his picks.

If you do one thing this semester, make sure you attend New York Film Festival (headed by Columbia's own Richard Peña). Much of its Cannes-heavy lineup has not yet secured distribution, so this may be the last chance to view these works for a considerable period of time.

The Last Mistress

French provocateur Catherine Breillat's adaptation of Jules-Amédée Barbey d'Aurevilly's Une Vieille Maitresse is rumored to be her most conventional work, but it's also a comeback from the serious misstep, Anatomy of Hell. The major draw is Asia Argento's performance, which New York Times film reviewer Manohla Dargis praises, "From the first moment she appears on screen... Ms. Argento has us in her grasp. She never lets go."

Go Go Tales

The fact that Abel Ferrara had to venture to Europe to secure funding for his latest feature proves Hollywood will only fund artistry as long as it maintains the artifice of the "prestige picture." Yet for a raw screwball comedy taking place in the last night of Willem Dafoe's strip joint, the seamy incandescence of the Cinecittà seems appropriate.

Mainstream press has generally characterized Go Go Tales as a comeback and the press' approval suggests that it might be a crowd-pleaser. Once again, Asia Argento provides the reason to watch as the "scariest, sexiest, most dangerous girl in the world."

Zach van Schouwen tips off Bwog on a Facebook revelation:

Top Movies in the Columbia Network
1. Fight Club
2. Love Actually
3. Zoolander
4. The Big Lebowski
5. Shawshank Redemption

All pretty standard, except for number 2. What, was Four Weddings and a Funeral too edgy?

3 pm — P.S. 1 Warm Up
Twisted Ones hosts a Brooklyn/Pittsburgh Underground Rock Celebration with:
Oneida
Sightings
Ex-Models
Dirty Faces
DJ Knox Overstreet
DJ Weirds
DJs Fitz and Brad Truax
Mighty Robot AV Squad

Word of advice to the skinny-jean inclined: Columbia hates hipsters, find kindred spirits here.

August 21 through Sunday, September 2

New York Korean Film Festival

Despite the racial makeup of SEAS, Asians are more than engineers, they also major in film studies!

8:00pm — 92nd Street Y: Michael Palin of Monty Python with Lorne Michaels

Go hear two founders discuss their respective overrated projects

Friday, September 7

Midnight - UCB Theater —

Aziz Ansari, Paul Scheer and a guest panel discuss chapters 13-22 of R. Kelly's Trapped in the Closet. Antonioni and Bergman may have passed on, but R. Kelly seems poised to continue the tradition.