Five old-school movies to watch during a pandemic

Long Beach State’s cancellation of face-to-face sessions from March 12 to the end of the semester leaves many CSULB students learning in the comfort of their own homes. And as thousands of Californians stay at home in adherence to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s “safer at home” initiative, opportunities to kill time have become more narrow. As the nation attempts to lower the curve, here are five films to watch during this pandemic: 

FERRIS BUELLER, YOU’RE MY HERO:

In John Hughes’ “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” socialite Ferris Bueller fakes an illness to get out of class and lives it up in downtown Chicago with his best friend, Cameron, and his lover, Sloane. Although a majority of society is prohibited from participating in the events that take place in this film, students can live vicariously through the film’s characters from the safety of their own home. 

THE STORY OF RIGHT HAND-LEFT HAND: 

Spike Lee’s “Do The Right Thing” follows a neighborhood in Brooklyn in the summer of ‘89. Not only is the temperature rising; so is the racial tension between the residing Black, Italian American and Asian American residents. In parallel, public outrage ensued after President Donald Trump referred to COVID-19 as the “Chinese Virus.” The film is a cautionary tale that uses its protagonist, Mookie, to discover what it means to do the right thing.

STAY CALM:

George Lucas’ debut film, “THX 1138,” follows an underground society run by robots where love among the enslaved humans is outlawed. When rogue slave THX 1138 refuses to take love-suppressing supplements, he learns the meaning of love but at a cost. THX 1138 is a reminder of what love means to humans in the face of adversity. 

I’LL CALL MY BABY DYLAN: 

For the remainder of the semester, Alfonso Cuarón’s “Children of Men” is a reminder that hope still exists. Cuarón’s vision is a dystopia where all humans have become infertile. When the main character, Theo, discovers a pregnant woman, he goes to great lengths to ensure her survival with the help of some allies.

BACK TO MY WAKING LIFE:

Where the lines between fantasy and reality are blurred, Richard Linklater’s “Waking Life” asks its audience what it means to be alive. The film’s fever-dream-like state is in part to 250 hours of animation over the use of real actors. For students contemplating the meaning of their own existence, “Waking Life’s” existential overtones will feel right at home.