Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 942nd Edition

Welcome to the 942nd edition of my series.  I hope everyone is having a good holiday season however celebrated.  My 49ers are hanging on by a thread for playoff eligibility and my fantasy team is not doing well.  I'm still moving on with my day to day life.  I will shut up not and get on with my selections.

Tokyo! (2008):  This movie has three different short films and there are some Christmas references including carols sung in Japanese.  Leos Carax, Michel Gondry, and Boon Joon Ho directed each of the three short films.  The shorts are INTERIOR DESIGN, MERDE, and SHAKING TOKYO which all obviously happen in Tokyo.  Each story has rather dark elements to it and I think my favorite one was MERDE.  Ayako Fujitani, Ryo Kase, Ayami Ito, Nao Omori, Satoshi Tsumabaki, Shunji Awai, Yoshiyuki Morishita, Soji Arai, Denis Lavant, Jean-Francois Balmer, Renji Ishibashi, Kyusaka Shimada, Julie Dreyfus, Edith Le Merdy, Andree Damant, Yu Aoi, Teruyaki Kagawa, Naoto Takenaka, Hiroshi Yamamoto, Yutaka Matsushige, and many others co-star in this anthology series.  This may not be for everyone.  To those that love the Japanese cinema, it would be a good one to watch.  I would suggest checking out the plots for each of the three movies.  This is available to watch on Pluto TV, Freevee, and Tubi.

Red One (2024):  I suppose this is the holiday blockbuster for the year.  Jake Kasdan directed this holiday action film where Santa Claus, played by OZ alum J.K. Simmons, is kidnapped on Christmas Eve.  Santa's Head of Security Callum Drift, played by former WWE champion Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, is charged with rescuing him.  He gets some help from bounty hunter Jack O'Malley, Callum's own director Zoe, played by Lucy Liu, polar bear Agent Garcia, voiced by Reinaldo Faberlle, and some other unexpected help.  Bonnie Hunt, Kristofer Hivju, Kiernan Shipka, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Wesley Kimmel, Nick Kroll, Wyatt Hunt, Clayton Cooper, Lanz Duffy, Marc Evan Jackson, Makana David, Samantha Benson, and many others co-star in this film.  When I first saw this trailer, I was pretty well sold.  Between the Rock, the polar bear, my own celebrity crush Lucy Liu, and even the full-size Rock 'Em, Sock 'Em robots.  I believe this is the perfect holiday action movie in which no one can dispute the status of holiday movie.  With DIE HARD, I do consider a holiday film, but I know many feel that is not the case.  For me, this was endless fun and a bit of an adrenaline rush.

Good Time (2017):  This appears to take place around Christmas as there is a Christmas tree in the movie but no real talk about it.  Josh and Benny Safdie directed this crime film that takes place in New York City's underworld.  Robert Pattinson stars as Connie Nikas who includes his developmentally disabled brother Nick, played by director Benny Safdie, in a robbery that is botched and Nick gets arrested.  This leads Connie into an odyssey into the New York Underworld as he looks to free Nick from prison where just about everything goes wrong.  Jennifer Jason Leigh, Buddy Duress, Taliah Webster, Barkhad Abdi, Necro, Eric Paykert, and many others co-star in this film.  I suppose this would be referred to as a "character study".  Pattinson gives a good performance and is what lead to Matt Reeves casting him in THE BATMAN.  This is a very dark film with a lot of interesting characters to go along with Connie's odyssey around the city.  This is available to watch on Max.  

A Christmas Dream (1946):  This is my holiday short for the which comes from Czechoslovakia.  Borivoj and Karel Zeman directed this stop-motion animated short film.  A little girl gets some new presents prompting her to put aside the old doll and play with new dolls.  She has a dream where the toys come to life and wreak havoc.  This is an interesting enough watch and it is very strange like most Czechoslovakian films I have seen.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel, Max, and Tubi.

The Milky Way (1936):  Now I pay homage to Boxing Day which comes on December 26th.  Leo McCarey, Ray McCarey, and Norman Z. McLeod directed this boxing comedy.  Harold Lloyd stars as timid milkman Burleigh Sullivan somehow manages to knock out the champion in a brawl.  People see publicity in Burleigh and put him in a series of fixed fights which is to lead up into humiliation.  Adolphe Menjou, Verree Teasdale, Helen Mack, William Gargan, George Barbier, Dorothy Wilson, Lionel Stander, Charles Lane, Marjorie Gateson, and many others co-star in this comedy.  Lloyd has been pretty underrated through the years.  He is regarded as one of the best silent film comedians of all time and he made a very successful transition into the world of "talkies" like this one.  Lloyd does some really good physical gags in this film in the fight scenes.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel, Fandor, Tubi, Pluto TV, Fawesome, and MGM +.  

Scrooge (1970):  Ronald Neame directed this musical retelling of the Dickens classic and the music was written by Leslie Bricusse.  Albert Finney stars as the miser Ebenezer Scrooge in this musical version.  We all know the story, Scrooge is very stingy and maybe greedy.  He is visited by the ghost of his business partner Jacob Marley, played by Alec Guinness, now in chains who warns Scrooge he must change or he'll end up in a bigger chain.  Ghosts from the past, the present, and future come down and show Scrooge events from his life including what may happen to his employer Bob Cratchit, played by David Collings.  Edith Evans, Kenneth More, Laurence Naismith, Michael Medwin, Anton Rodgers, Suzanne Neve, Frances Cuka, and many others.  This has some really good music numbers in my opinion.  I also thought Finney captured the essence of Scrooge very well.  This is available to watch on MGM +, Paramount +, Plex, and Pluto TV.

An American Pickle (2020):  There is some Jewish emphasis including the main character Herschel so I suppose this could play to Hannukah.  Brandon Trost directed this comedy and was based on a 2013 short story called SELL OUT which was written by Simon Rich.  Seth Rogan stars as Herschel Greenbaum who is an immigrant working in a pickle factory.  An accident happens where Herschel falls into a vat of brine and becomes preserved.  He wakes up 100 years later in modern-day Brooklyn and stays with his great-grandson Ben, also played by Rogan, while trying to adjust to the modern era.  Sarah Snook, Molly Evensen, Eliot Glazer, Kalen Allen, Kevin O'Rourke, Sean Whalen, Geoffrey Cantor, Carol Leifer, Jorma Taccone, Marsha Stephanie Blake, and many others co-star in this comedy.  This is a lot different than other Seth Rogan comedies and the first he has produced that did not get an R rating.  There is a lot of comedy to it but has almost as much drama in this study of people whose generations are way apart from each other.

North By Northwest (1959):  This is not exactly a holiday film but it is on the Criterion Channel as part of "Hitchcock for the Holidays" so there is that.  Alfred Hitchcock directed this classic film which was written by Ernest Lehman.  Cary Grant stars as advertising man Roger Thornhill but is soon mistaken for a spy named George Kaplan and he is framed for murder.  Now on the run from the authorities, he meets beautiful blonde Eve Kendall, played by Eva Marie Saint, who helps Roger evade the authorities.  Now he must evade the authorities and those who try to kill him while now knowing who to trust when no one is as they seem including Eve.  James Mason, Jessie Royce Landis, Leo G. Carroll, Josephine Hutchinson, Philip Ober, Martin Landau, Adam Williams, Edward Platt, Robert Ellenstein, and many others co-star in this film.  This uses Hitchcock's favorite theme of mistaken identity.  This movie has some very iconic scenes and one of the best climaxes of all time in film which involves an action scene on top of Mt. Rushmore.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel and Tubi

Black Christmas (1974):  Having watched the 2006 remake, I decided to revisit the original.  Bob Clark directed this classic holiday slasher.  This takes place around a sorority during Christmas break where one of the sisters has disappeared and they are getting strange and anonymous calls putting a concern on them.  Olivia Hussey stars as Jess who is now pregnant and considering an abortion.  John Saxon co-stars as the cop who is investigating the calls.  Keir Dullea, Margot Kidder, Marian Waldman, Andrea Martin, James Edmond, Doug McGrath, Art Hindle, Lynne Griffin, Michael Rapport, Leslie Carlson, Martha Gibson, and many others co-star in this film.  This is one of the best and most underrated slasher films of all time.  The 2006 version emphasizes the gore factor a lot more and while this is less gory, it still has its creepy feel to it from the atmospheric scenes.  This would be a good double feature to go along with A CHRISTMAS STORY which was also directed by Clark.  This is available to watch on AMC +, Prime, Peacock, Fandor, Fawesome, Tubi, the Roku Channel, Shout! Factory TV, and Screambox.

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...Spring (2003):  I end the week with this Korean film and I suppose this can be associated with Bodhi Day which was on the 8th of December.  Kim Ki-Duk directed and wrote this Korean film.  A Buddhist master raises a young boy to grow up in wisdom and compassion through endless exercises.  The boy grows up and while learning many lessons, some things he had to learn on own.  Oh Yeong-Su, Jong-Ho Kim, Kim Young-min, and many others co-star in this film.  It is hard to really explain this movie any further but the less known, the better.  I think this would qualify as a "character study" and a bit of coming of age.  This is a rather moving film but can get a bit dark at times.  Sometimes the Buddhist master would use some extreme measures to teach the boy.  This does have some very beautiful scenery and is a beautiful film.  

Well, that is it for this week but continue on for another edition of "The Holiday Corner".  Tell me what you like and dislike and I will return in a couple weeks for my last one of the year before 2025 starts which so far includes Michelle Yeoh, Lauren Bacall, Christopher Walken, Peter Sellers, Bing Crosby, and many others.

THE HOLIDAY CORNER

These selections mostly equate to Christmas with one being for Boxing Day.

Carol for Another Christmas (1964):  This is part one of a Peter Sellers trilogy.  Joseph L. Mankiewics directed this variation of the Dickens classic which was written by Rod Serling.  Sterling Hayden stars as the Scrooge-like Daniel Grudge who is a wealthy industrialist still reeling over the loss of his son in WWII.  Like Scrooge, Daniel is visited by ghosts of the past, present, and future who hope to give him more perspective.  Ben Gazzara, Percy Rodriguez, Steve Lawrence, Eva Marie Saint, James Shigeta, Pat Hingle, Robert Shaw, Peter Sellers, and Britt Ekland co-star in this tv movie.  I always say this is Serling's TWILIGHT ZONE CHRISTMAS CAROL.  It does have quite the cast with Sellers really shining in the future scene.  I have always been a Sterling Hayden fan so that helps a lot.  If you want a different version of the Dickens classic, I would say this is worth a look.  This is available to watch on Max.  

Black Christmas (2006):  Glen Morgan directed and co-wrote this remake of the 1974 classic horror film.  Like the original, this centers around a sorority house where the sorority sisters are getting killed one by one.  This version ups the gore factor and has a different backstory of the history of the house before it became a sorority house.  Andrea Martin from the original co-stars as house mother Ms. Mac.  Michelle Trachtenberg, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Lacey Chabert, Katie Cassidy, Kristen Cloke, Yan-Kay Crystal Lowe, Karin Konoval, and many others co-star in this remake.  This does not beat the original by any means but has its own direction.  I will also say that I love the array of girls in the sorority house.  This is available to watch on Freevee, Tubi, Fawesome, the Roku Channel, and Tribeca Shortlist.

The Heart of Christmas (2011):  Last week, I featured FULL HOUSE alum Jodie Sweetin in a Hallmark movie.  This week, I feature her FH sister Candace Cameron Bure who plays the overworked mother Megan Walsh.  She struggles to make ends meet which a lot of times results in her not being able to be there for her kids.  She learns of a family celebrating Christmas on Halloween and is given a card for a blog to read.  Jeanne Neilson and Eric Jay Beck star as parents whose two-year-old son Dax, played by twins Christopher and Nicholas Shone, has been diagnosed with leukemia.  Dendrie Taylor, Erin Bethea, George Newbern, Burgess Jenkins, Karl T. Wright, and many others co-star in this movie.  This is based on a true story and keep in mind it was produced by a company called God and Country Entertainment.  This was a pretty heartwarming movie that emphasizes the importance of family.  This is available to watch on Freevee, Plex, and the Roku Channel.

A Muppet Christmas Carol (1992):  I know, another version of the Dickens classic!  Well, this one has the Muppets so where can we go wrong?  Brian Henson directed this film with the musical numbers written by Paul Williams.  Michael Caine stars as Ebenezer Scrooge in this adaptation of the story.  Kermit and Miss Piggy are Bob Cratchit and his wife who I don't think is named.  Gonzo narrates the story as Charles Dickens with Rizzo the Rat helping him out and Gonzo might be the best portrayal of Dickens.  Dave Goehlz, Steve Whitmire, Jerry Nelson, Frank Oz, David Rudman, Karen Prell, Jessica Fox, Steven Mackintosh, Robin Weaver, Raymond Coulthard, and many others co-star and provide their voices to this wonderful adaptation.  Caine was perfect as the miser and has said it is one of his favorite roles.  This is available to watch on Disney Plus.

Hellboy 2:  The Golden Army (2008):  This superhero sequel has a Christmas sequence in the beginning in a flashback scene between Professor Broom, reprised by William Hurt, and Hellboy when he was just a little boy.  Guillermo Del Toro returns to direct this sequel where a prince of the mythical world starts a rebellion to rule the Earth.  Hellboy, reprised by Ron Perlman, must stop him from locating the all-powerful Golden Army.  Abe Sapien, played by Doug Jones, and Liz, played by Selma Blair join him in his fight.  John Alexander, James Dodd, Seth MacFarlane, Luke Goss, Anna Walton, Jeffrey Tambor, Brian Steele, Roy Dotrice, and many others co-star in this superhero film.  I enjoyed this more than the original film.  This has some good action but it also has a good amount of drama like the relationship between Hellboy and Liz.  In the original, David Hyde Pierce voiced Abe Sapien but in this one Jones gets to voice the character he plays and does a great job.  In addition to Abe Sapien, Jones also plays the roles of Chamberlain and Angel of Death.  This is available to watch on Max.

Creed II (2018):  This is another selection for Boxing Day on the 26th of December so this counts as a holiday movie, at least in my own warped mind.  Steven Caple Jr. directed this sequel to the CREED franchise.  Michael B. Jordan reprises his role of Adonis Creed who is now a champion and still being trained by Rocky Balboa, reprised by Sylvester Stallone.  Adonis gets a new sort of challenge in the way of Viktor Drago, played by real-life boxer Florian Munteanu, whose father and manager is Ivan Drago, reprised by Dolph Lundgren.  Probably needless to say that Ivan Drago is the man who killed Adonis's father Apollo in the ring and was defeated by Rocky in ROCKY IV.  Tessa Thompson, Phylicia Rashad, Russell Hornsby, Wood Harris, Milo Ventimiglia, Robbie Jones, Andre Ward, Brigitte Nielsen, Jacob Duran, and many others co-star in this sequel.  This is kind of a spinoff of ROCKY IV where Ivan is trying to get respect again in his homeland and does what he can to get his son to bring the name back to glory.  I feel it also has shades of ROCKY III in it as well.  I guess I'm a sucker for nostalgia and closure it can bring to the characters.  

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 941st Edition

Welcome to the 941st Edition of my series.  I hope everyone has had a good holiday however celebrated.  I know I have a lot to be thankful for in my life.  I also hope everyone has a good holiday month with all the holidays there are to celebrate this month.  I'll be having a lot of holiday selections and there will still be some non-holiday ones.  There will also be some holiday selections that might be pushing it a bit so just continue to read to understand what I am talking about.  I will shut up now and get on with my selections for the month.

Snatch (2000):  This movie is partly centered around Boxing and Boxing Day is the 26th so this is a holiday movie.  Guy Ritchie wrote and directed this crime comedy.  This movie centers around unscrupulous boxing promoters, violent bookmakers, a Russian gangster, very amateur robbers, and so-called Jewish jewelers all in pursuit of a priceless stolen diamond.  Everything that can go wrote goes very wrong in this violent crime comedy.  Brad Pitt co-stars as boxer Mickey O'Neil who has a hard time bringing himself to go down as planned.  He might be the standout in this film with his very interesting voice.  Jason Stathan, Stephen Graham, Ade, William Beck, Andy Beckwith, Ewen Bremner, Nicola Collins, Charles Cork, Sorcha Cusack, Benicio Del Toro, Dennis Farina, Jason Flemyng, Adam Fogerty, Alan Ford, Robbie Gee, Goldie, Sid Hoare, and many others co-star in this crime comedy.  There is quite a bit going on for me to really explain this movie any further.  Each group has their own funny problems in this heist film.  This is available to watch on Hulu.

Kundun (1997):  The holiday I selected here is Bodhi day which is December 8th and it celebrates Buddhist traditions.  Martin Scorsese directed this biopic on the 14th Dalai Lama and was written by Melissa Mathison.  This shows the Lama being appointed at a very early age and having to learn of his calling.  This takes place between the years of 1937-1959 when the Dalai Lama must deal with Chinese communists invading their country of Tibet where he is forced to flee the country.  Tenzin Thuthob Tasarong, Gyurme Tethong, Tulku Jamyang Kunga Tenzin, and Tenzin Yeshi Paichang all play the Dalai Lama at different ages.  This was quite a project that Scorsese took upon and did what he could for authenticity and attention to detail.  Much of the cast were relatives of the Dalai Lama.  This has gone a bit under the radar through the years but was quite the cinematic achievement.  This is available to watch on Youtube.

A Christmas Story Christmas (2022):  Clay Kaytis directed this follow-up to the 1983 classic A CHRISTMAS STORY.  Peter Billingsley reprises his role of Ralph Parker who is now a grown-up living in Chicago as a struggling writer and is married with two children.  Erinn Hayes co-stars as Ralph's wife Sandy and River Drosche and Julianna Layne play his children.  Ralph returns to his old hometown having learned about his father's death and tries to follow in his father's footsteps to bring the "perfect" Christmas to his kids.  While there, he is also given the task of writing his father's obituary which proves to be a big struggle.  Julie Hagerty, Scott Schwartz, RD Robb, Ian Porter, Sam Parks, Davis Murphy, Zack Ward, Ian Petrella, Derek Morse, Henry Miller, and many others co-star in this holiday film.  Much of the original cast reprise their roles besides Ralph's mother who was originally played by Melinda Dillon but she declined so the role went to Julie Hagerty.  This movie should not be that good but is very good in my opinion.  This pays great tribute to the original while also making this stand on its own.  Ralph is still having some great fantasies even in his adult life.  This is available to watch on Max.  

A Christmas Carol (1910):  This is my silent short film for the week which is a very early version of the Dickens classic.  Marc McDermott stars as Ebenezer Scrooge who is visited by the three ghosts which we all know the basic story.  This was made in the very early days of cinema and was produced by Thomas Edison like much of the movies in this era.  This is pretty interesting to watch for historical purposes and manages to cover quite a bit of ground in only 11 minutes.  This is available to watch on Tubi.

A Real Young Girl (1976):  Catherine Breillat wrote and directed this very provocative French film.  Charlotte Alexandra stars as the sulky adolescent Alice who returns home from boarding school for summer break.  She becomes very curious exploring her own sexuality going between the lines of fantasy and reality.  If I describe this movie too much, I could get another red flag but the movie is Unrated so a step above R if that says anything.  Hiram Keller, Rita Maiden, Shirley Stoler, and many others co-star in this film.  The actress Alexandra portrays a 14-year-old kid but she was 20 years of age at this time so there was no child exploitation in this movie.  This movie did not get released until 1999 partly due to the censors and partly due to the studio going bankrupt.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Scandal (1950):  This does partly take place during the holidays in Japan and have a couple Christmas carols.  Akira Kurasawa directed and co-wrote this film that takes a look into how far the media should go.  Toshiro Mifune stars as painter Ichiro who meets famous singer Miyako, played by Shirley Yamaguchi.  A tabloid manages to get a photo of them and writes a very scandalous story.  Ichiro decides to take them to court and hires attorney Otokichi Hiruto, played by Takashi Shimura, who agrees to work pro bono for them while dealing with his own issues.  Yoko Katsuragi, Noriko Sengoku, Eitaro Ozawa, and many others co-star in this film.  At first, I thought this was heading toward romantic comedy but that was far from being the case.  This is a much lighter film for Kurasawa and the character played by Mifune.  This is a very underrated Kurasawa film and is very enjoyable.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Showgirls (1995):  There is a little bit of a Christmas element to this film.  I guess I'm walking a rather thin line this week with my selection A REAL YOUNG GIRL and now this one.  Paul Verhoeven directed this movie which was written by Joe Eszternas.  SAVED BY THE BELL alum Elizabeth Berkley grows up and becomes a drifter named Nomi Malone who makes her way to Vegas.  She stars out at a strip bar and when she meets headliner showgirl Cristal Connors, played by Gina Gershon, she manages to join them.  Nomi and Cristal have a love/hate relationship and Nomi wants her spot.  Kyle McLachlan, Glenn Plummer, Robert Davi, Alan Richins, Gina Ravera, Lin Tucci, Greg Travis, Al Ruscio, Patrick Bristow, William Shockley, Michelle Johnston, Dewey Weber, Rena Riffel, and many others co-star in this Vegas film.  When this first came out, it was the worst movie ever made.  It won a lot of Razzies for that year.  As time has went on, it has been forgiven and has become a cult film.  This was supposed to catapult Berkley to stardom but that did not quite go on as planned.  This is essentially a voyage of the sleazy world known as Vegas and holds nothing back.  Keep in mind, this is rated NC-17 so it might be best to watch this when the children are gone or are asleep.  This is available to watch on Tubi and Pluto TV.

They Drive By Night (1940):  Who would go from an Elizabeth Berkley movie to a Humphrey Bogart movie?  I guess that is me.  Raoul Walsh directed this Film Noir which is based on the novel by A.I. Bezzerides.  George Raft and Humphrey Bogart star as truck-driving brothers Joe and Paul Fabrini who struggle to with corrupt businessmen and get into some trouble along the way including a murder rap.  Ann Sheridan, Ida Lupino, Gale Page, Alan Hale, Roscoe Karns, John Litel, George Tobias, and many others co-star in this film.  This was before Bogart would become a big star and had billing under Raft.  I feel if I go on further, I'll be giving away too much.  It is a very compelling film with Raft and Bogart doing well as brothers just barely scraping by.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

The Christmas Tree (1969):  This does have a Christmas tree in it but there is far more to it than just some Christmas tree.  Terence Young directed this French film which is based on the novel by Michel Bataille.  William Holden stars as Laurent Segur, whose son Pascal, played by Brook Fuller, is contaminated from a nuclear weapon that was in a crashed plane they witnessed.  Pascal has months to live so Laurent does what he can to make them the best months of his life with the help of his girlfriend Catherine, played by Virna Lisi.  Bourvil, Madeleine Damien, Mario Feliciani, Friedrich Von Ledebur, Georges Douking, and many others co-star in this film.  This is quite the tearjerker that may not be easy to watch sometimes.  It is a very moving film though on making the most of your lives and living everyday like it is your last as it very well may be.  This is available to watch on Tubi and Flex.

The Equalizer 2 (2018):  Antoine Fuqua directed this action sequel which is based on the tv series of the same name.  Denzel Washington reprises his role of Robert McCall who seems like a simple man loving books and being a Lyft driver.  He is actually a retired CIA Black Ops operative to acts as a vigilante when he feels it is necessary.  A longtime friend of his gets murdered and the one-man army investigates seeking vengeance on those involved.  Pedro Pascal, Ashton Sanders, Orson Bean, Bill Pullman, Melissa Leo, Jonathan Scarfe, Sakina Jaffrey, Kazy Tauginas, and many others co-star in this action film.  This is Washington's first sequel and it was quite a bit of fun.  In the first one, he helps a young woman who he believes needs help and in this one, someone he loves is murdered.  This didn't win any Oscars but still a really good watch and good sequel.  This is available to watch on Hulu.

Well, that is it for this week but continue on for my segment "The Holiday Corner" which I will have in all the December editions.  Stay tuned for my return in the next couple weeks which so far includes the Rock, Robert Pattinson, Harold Lloyd, and many others.

THE HOLIDAY CORNER

This will consist of mostly movies and tv specials that are holiday oriented in some way or other.  I will be featuring this segment in all my December editions.  I don't really know how many I will have of each one so just get your holidays going I suppose.

Home Alone (1990):  This is one of the more popular holiday movies out there and was a childhood favorite of mine.  Chris Columbus directed this holiday comedy which was written by John Hughes.  Macauley Culkin stars as the 8 year old Kevin McCallister whose family is preparing to go to Paris for Christmas.  The night before they leave, Kevin gets into some trouble and due to some misunderstanding, they leave without him.  Kevin is left to fend for himself and excited to be home all by himself.  He soon learns that he must deal with a couple burglars in his neighborhood in Harry and Marv, played by Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern, and the burglars underestimate Kevin.  John Heard, Catherine O'Hara, Roberts Blossom, Angela Goethals, Devin Ratray, Gerry Bamman, Hillary Wolf, John Candy, Larry Hankin, Michael C. Maronna, Kristin Minter, Diana Rein, Kieran Culkin, Senta Moses, and many others co-star in this holiday classic.  I have come to believe that Kevin McCallister would grow up to become Jigsaw.  There are lots of iconic moments in this holiday movie.  John Williams wrote the music score which I was not aware of until I watched this recently.  One thing I was thinking is why they never did the movie within a movie of ANGELS WITH FILTHY SOULS.  This is available to watch on Disney Plus.  

Shazam! (2019):  I think we can legit call this a superhero holiday film on the lines with BATMAN RETURNS.  The beginning takes place on Christmas and the later years also happen around the holidays.  Asher Angel stars as foster kid Billy Batson who has an encounter with a wizard, played by Djimou Hounsou, and gains new superhero powers.  Billy learns when saying "Shazam" that he becomes a superheroed adult, played by Zachary Levi, with powers.  With the help of his foster brother Freddy, played by Jack Dylan Grazer, he learns of his powers and must prepare for battle against mad scientist Dr. Sivana, played by Mark Strong.  Adam Brody, Faithe Herman, Meagan Good, Grace Caroline Currey, Michelle Borth, Ian Chen, Ross Butler, Jovan Armand, D.J. Cotrona, Marta Milans, Cooper Andrews, Ethan Pugiotto, John Glover, and many others co-star in this superhero movie.  I think this is more oriented to the younger crowd and is a lot of fun.  I also felt it is about a foster family trying to make it and working together.  This is available to watch on Max.

Michael Bolton's Big, Sexy Valentine's Special (2017):  This may take place on Valentine's Day but it starts out with Santa Claus enlisting the help of Michael Bolton.  Santa tells Michael that the elves got carried away making way too many toys but not there are not enough children.  Michael must put on a telethon to help get more babies conceived.  This has quite the cast including Sarah Shahi, Adam Scott, Matthew Kimbrough, Grey Griffin, Brooke Shields, Janeane Garofalo, Louis Anderson, Sinbad, Bob Saget, Sarah Silverman, Randall Park, Kenny G., Andy Samberg, Fred Armisen, Colton Dunn, Jorma Taccone, and many others.  Michael holds is own among all the other comedians in the special.  I grew up hating Michael Bolton and now I am a fan.  He does a great job mostly parodying himself and has a lot of music numbers that include a piano version of JACK SPARROW which is my favorite part.  This is available to watch on Netflix and I'll be watching again in February.  

Finding Santa (2017):  Now I target the Hallmark crowd with this Hallmark holiday movie.  David Winning directed this Hallmark holiday that takes place in a small town which I know that is a big surprise.  FULL HOUSE alum Jodie Sweetin stars as parade organizer Grace Long whose Santa Tom White, played by Jay Brazeau, breaks his arm and now needs a replacement.  The ideal replacement would be Jay's son Ben, played by Eric Winter but he does not want to do it which prompts Grace to take a trip to the big city in hopes of talking him into it.  Katey Hoffman, Dolores Drake, Ava Telek, Billy Wickman, Laura Mitchell, Karen Holness, Ian Rozylo, Karen Kruper, Mike Cavers, John Prowse, Devon Alexander, and many others co-star in this Hallmark movie.  Okay, I think from the description, we all know what will happen.  I don't think anyone watches Hallmark for the suspense.  I believe this is the first time I have featured Sweetin and I wanted to feature something with her in it.  This is a feel-good movie for the holidays.  This is available to watch on Hallmark Movies Now, Peacock, Tubi, and Pluto TV.

Creed (2015):  This is a holiday film in a sense as the day after Christmas is Boxing Day which some people tell me it has nothing to do with the sport of boxing.  However, in my warped mind it is all about the sport of boxing so this counts per my own blog rules.  Ryan Coogler directed this boxing film that is also part of the ROCKY universe.  Michael B. Jordan stars as Adonis Johnson who is the illegitimate son of the late Apollo Creed and would like to follow in his father's footsteps.  Johnson seeks out Rocky Balboa, reprised by Sylvester Stallone, and asks him to mentor him.  Rocky reluctantly agrees to train Johnson and gets him a big fight.  Tessa Thompson, Phylicia Rashad, Andre Ward, Tony Bellow, Ritchie Coster, Jacob "Stitch" Duran, Graham McTavish, Malik Bazille, Gabe Rosado, Wood Harris, Rupal Pujara, Brian Anthony Wilson, and many others co-star in this film.  This was a great continuation from the saga where Rocky becomes a mentor for a change and takes in Adonis like his own family.  This is available to watch on Max and don't forget about Boxing Day.

Anna and the Apocalypse (2017):  I end with this horror musical comedy zombie movie, possibly the best musical comedy zombie movie of all time.  John McPhail directed this musical and the lyrics were written by Roddy Hart and Tommy Reilly.  Ella Hunt stars as small-town British girl Anna who is still in high school but nearing the end.  As Anna and her friends expect to just have a typical day at school but then a zombie apocalypse starts.  Malcolm Cumming, Sarah Swire, Christopher Leveaux, Marli Siu, Ben Wiggins, Mark Benton, Paul Kaye, Euan Bennet, Ruth McGhie, Kirsty Strain, and many others co-star in this musical.  To those that hate the Hallmark oriented movies, this could be a good alternative.  This takes place during the holiday, there are fun musical numbers, and there are zombies.  This is available to watch on AMC +, Pluto TV, The Roku Channel, and Tubi.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 940th Edition

Welcome to the 940th Edition of my series where I'm mostly back to normal now with the Madness being over.  I hope everyone has a good Thanksgiving, however celebrated.  I know I have a lot to be thankful for in my life.  I don't have much happening so I will shut up and get on with my selections.

Grindhouse (2007):  I finally watched this in the way it was meant to be watched.  Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino were the main directors and creators of this homage to exploitation films of the '70s.  Rodriguez directed the feature film PLANET TERROR and directed the fake trailer of MACHETE which would go onto be its own feature film.  In PLANET TERROR, an experimental bio-weapon is released which turns thousands into zombie-like creatures.  A group of survivors band together to save the day mainly in Cherry, played by CHARMED alum Rose McGowan, and Wray, played by Freddy Rodriguez.  This is most known for McGowan having a machine gun for a leg.  Tarantino directed the other feature film in DEATH PROOF where Kurt Russell stars as Stunt Man Mike who stalks and murders voluptuous women with his "death proof" cars.  He messes with the wrong trio in Rosario Dawson, Tracie Thoms, and Zoe Bell.  This was meant to be a "double feature" with a few "coming attractions" before and in-between which were directed by Eli Roth, Edgar Wright, and Rob Zombie.  I did not realize that last year's horror hit THANKSGIVING was originally a fake trailer in this film which was also directed by Roth.  Danny Trejo, Vanessa Ferlito, Sydney Tamiia Poitier, Jordan Ladd, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Marcy Harriell, Omar Doom, Michael Bacall, Monica Staggs, Jonathan Loughran, Michael Parks, James Parks, Marley Shelton, Electra Stone, Elise Avellan, Josh Brolin, Jeff Fahey, Michael Biehn, Rebel Rodriguez, Bruce Willis, Naveen Andrews, Julio Oscar Mechoso, Fergie, Nicky Katt, Tom Savini, Carlos Gallardo, Cheech Marin, Udo Kier, Sheri Moon Zombie, Tom Towles, Sybil Danning, Bill Moseley, Nicolas Cage and many others co-star or have cameos in the features and/or the fake trailers.  This was quite the project thought up by the minds of Rodriguez and Tarantino and did a great job of paying homage to this kind of event.  I had individually watched to two feature films but this was the presentation that was meant to be watched.

The Bucket List (2007):  Rob Reiner directed this comedy which was written by Justin Zackham.  Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman star as Edward Cole and Carter Chambers.  Cole is a very wealthy and eccentric man and Chambers is more of an everyday sort of guy.  The one thing they have in common is that they are in the same room of the cancer ward and are terminally ill.  When Edward sees Carter making a bucket list, he gets the idea for them to escape the ward and do some of these things before they go.  They set out on quite the adventure forming a very unlikely friendship.  Sean Hayes, Beverly Todd, Rob Morrow, Alfonso Freeman, Rowena King, and many others co-star in this film.  Nicholson and Freeman may a great duo and play off each other very well.  Alfonso Freeman is Morgan's son and they play father and son in the movie.  This is a funny but also very touching film on living life to the fullest.

Dodgeball:  A True Underdog Story (2004):  Rawson Marshall Thurber wrote and directed this comedy centered around the world of Dodgeball.  Vince Vaughn stars as struggling gym owner Peter LaFleur who is in danger of having to sell to his rival White Goodman, played by Ben Stiller.  Peter must raise $50,000 in a pretty short amount of time and is talked into entering a dodgeball tournament by his misfit but very loyal gym members.  White decides to follow suit and form his own team which develops a very intense rivalry.  Christine Taylor, Rip Torn, Justin Long, Stephen Root, Joel David Moore, Chris Williams, Alan Tudyk, Missi Pyle, Jamal Duff, Gary Cole, Jason Bateman, Hank Azaria, Al Kaplon, William Shatner, David Hasselhoff, Julie Gonzalo, Curtis Armstrong, and many others co-star or have cameos in this sports comedy.  This actually started a resurgence in dodgeball leagues.  This was all-out comedy and was a lot of fun in my opinion.  Stiller goes all out in his villainous role of White.  This is available to watch on Hulu and the Roku Channel.

The New Housekeeper (1960):  This is my "short film" for the week which is technically the very first episode of the classic sitcom THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW.  As I always say, it is my blog so I make the rules and can make whatever definition I want to film.  Sheldon Leonard directed this episode of the series.  Andy Griffith stars as the widowed small-town Sheriff Andy Taylor whose housekeeper Rose gets married and leaves the house much to the objection of Andy's six-year-old son Opie, played by Ron Howard.  Andy asks his Aunt Bea, played by Frances Bavier, to movie in and help raise Opie.  Don Knotts, Frank Ferguson and Cheerio Meredith co-star in this episode.  This would become a very iconic series with very iconic characters.  This was a good start to the series back when life was simpler, at least that's what people I know from that era would say.  This series in available to watch on Paramount +, Peacock, and Pluto TV.

Yours for the Asking (1936):  Alexander Hall directed this romantic comedy.  George Raft stars as casino owner Johnny Lamb who hires struggling socialite Lucille Sutton, played by Delores Costello, to be his casino hostess.  Lamb's buddies fear that Lucille could put him on the straight and narrow which might not be good for casino business.  Ida Lupino, Reginald Owen, James Gleason, Edgar Kennedy, Lynne Overman, and many others co-star in this comedy.  Lupino and Owen are fun as a couple of con artists.  This is a pretty decent B-list movie that was able to hold my attention.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

The Crimson Kimono (1959):  Samuel Fuller wrote and directed this Film Noir which I felt would be appropriate for the month with many people calling it "Noirvember".  Glenn Corbett and James Shigeta star as LAPD detective partners Charlie Bancroft and James Shigeta.  They are investigating the murder of a stripper on the Japanese side of Los Angeles and each one falls for the key witness Christine Downs, played by Victoria Shaw, which puts a ripple in their friendship and partnership.  Anna Lee, Paul Dubov, Jaclynne Greene, Nelye Morrow, Gloria Pall, and many others co-star in this Film Noir.  This is some rather unknown Fuller and is one that deserves a little more exposure in my opinion.  Fuller was respectful of race in this movie as all Asians were played by Asian actors instead of white actors being made to look like Asians which was very common in this era.  In addition, it has a really good story and was worth a watch.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel and on Prime.

The Wild Robot (2024):  Chris Sanders directed this Dreamworks film which is based on the book by Peter Brown.  Lupita Nyong'o stars as the voice of intelligent robot ROZZUM unit 7134 with Roz for short and is on an uninhibited island where she learns to adapt to the harsh surroundings.  She also takes in an orphaned gosling named Brightbill, voiced by Kit Connor, and tries to parent him with the help of the fox Fink, voiced by Pedro Pascal.  Bill Nighy, Stephanie Hsu, Matt Berry, Ving Rhames, Mark Hamill, Catherine O'Hara, Boone Storm, Alexandra Novelle, Raphael Alejandro, Paul-Mikel Williams, Eddie Park, Dee Bradley Baker, and many others co-star in this Dreamsworks film.  I went to the theaters to see this one having heard really good things from my peers.  This did not disappoint.  It was a very fun movie and a great movie about working through one's differences.  This is a movie the whole family can enjoy.

The New Centurions (1972):  I pay homage to Quincy Jones who composed the music score for this film and recently left us.  Richard Fleischer directed this film which is based on the novel by Joseph Wambaugh.  Stacy Keach stars in this cop drama as Ray Fehler who is in law school but also decides to join the LAPD while in school.  He is paired with veteran cop Kilvinski as he learns the ropes in the police world.  As time goes on, Ray starts to love his job too much and becomes neglectful of his wife and daughter.  Jane Alexander, Scott Wilson, Rosalind Cash, Erik Estrada, Clifton James, James Sikking, Isabel Sanford, Carol Speed, William Atherton, Peter de Anda, Ed Lauter, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a pretty good look at the police force and the types of effects it can have if they are not careful.  This might be the start of Estrada in his police roles.  He plays a rookie in this film and would go onto the popular tv series CHIPS.  A few years ago, he filmed a short lived reality series in my town of Muncie called ARMED AND FAMOUS where he became a police officer along with other celebrities.  This has gone onto be an underrated film but it is available to watch on Tubi.

Double Indemnity (1944):  Here is another selection for Noirvember and is a classic at that.  Billy Wilder directed this film which is based on the novel by James M. Cain and Wilder co-wrote the screenplay along with Raymond Chandler.  Fred MacMurray stars as insurance agent Walter Neff and meets housewife Phyllis Dietrichson, played by Barbara Stanwyck, when trying to sell insurance to her husband.  Phyllis is not the most happy wife in the world and forms an affair with Walter.  Even worse, she proposes a plan to murder her husband and collect double indemnity as the title says.  The murder seems so clever but Walter's boss Barton, played by Edward G. Robinson, does not buy it and suspects Phyllis of murder.  Byron Barr, Porter Hall, Jean Heather, Tom Powers, Richard Gaines, Fortunio Bonanovo, and many others co-star in this Film Noir.  Stanwyck is a top notch femme fatale and will stop at nothing.  The story also holds up by today's standards and is just as compelling.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel and is being released in select theaters.

Three Identical Strangers (2018):  I end the week on this documentary which was directed by Tim Wardle.  This takes a look at Edward Galland, David Kellman, and Robert Shafron who were just three everyday people.  When they were just 19 years old, they discover they are actually triplets all adopted individually through the same adoption agency.  At first these three guys were on cloud nine and experiencing their 15 minutes of fame through all the media publicity they were getting.  The adoptive parents had a more realistic attitude trying to understand why the agency would keep the fact they are triplets from them.  Reality would also finally sink in with the triplets when they learn the adoption agency the Jewish Board of Guardians is very corrupt and sinister.  There were a few other twin groups this effected in their own scientific study.  The phrase "truth is stranger than fiction" could not be truer for this story.  This is a very fascinating and bizarre documentary that is very well done.  This is available to watch on Hulu.

Well, that is it for this week but continue reading for the return of my segment "The Bookworm Corner" and my new segment "The Thankful Moments" as we prepare for Thanksgiving.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for the first Sunday in December which so far includes Brad Pitt, Martin Scorsese, Akira Kurasawa, and many others.

THE BOOKWORM CORNER

I'm trying to become more of a reader and starting an early New Year's Resolution.  I decided to go the more local route for this selection.

Ghosts of Old Muncie by Chris Flook (2024):  This was written by our local historian Chris Flook.  He did some research on some alleged hauntings that took part mostly in the late 19th century to the early 20th century in Delaware County which is where Muncie is for those who are not in the area.  This has a variety of stories with some having explanation and others not so much.  To the history buffs out there, this is a very good read for those in and out of the area.  There are a couple of the historical figures that I have portrayed in the Historic Beech Grove Cemetery Walk where people tour and we bring these people to life to tell out story.  Flook has written quite a bit of historical books about Muncie and even outside of Muncie.  This includes the book INDIANAPOLIS GRAVEROBBING:  A SYNDICATE OF DEATH which also has some very interesting stories.  Check him out on Amazon and on his own website https://www.chrisflook.com/ where we can see a lot of his other work. 

THE THANKFUL MOMENTS

I decided to make a new category which at least includes a reference to Thanksgiving so just be thankful for my efforts I guess.  

The Glass Castle (2017):  There is a Thanksgiving scene among the family much later into the film.  Destin Daniel Cretton directed this film which is based on the book by Jeannette Walls, played by Chandler Head, Ella Anderson, and Naomi Watts in different ages in life.  This takes a look at a family that is always moving lead by her eccentric artist mother Rose Mary, played by Naomi Watts, and her alcoholic father Rex, played by Woody Harrelson.  While a dysfunctional family, they are still very loving and Jeannette must weigh the ups and downs with her parents in her own life.  Max Greenfield, Josh Caras, Charlie Shotwell, Iain Armitage, Sarah Snook, Sadie Sink, Bridgette Lundy-Paine, Shree Crooks, Eden Grace Redfield, Robin Bartlett, Joe Pingue, and many others co-star in this biographical film.  This can be very hard to watch at times.  It is still a very good look at an impoverished and dysfunctional family and what they would do to survive.  This is available to watch on Max.

The Daytrippers (1996):  This starts out as a family Thanksgiving to establish what the family is like.  Greg Mottola wrote and directed this road trip film.  Hope Davis stars as Eliza who thinks her marriage to her husband Louis, played by Stanley Tucci, is going well until she discovers what appears to a mysterious love note.  Eliza's mother Rita, played by Anne Meara, insists they go confront Louis and it becomes a family affair.  Joining them are Eliza's father Jim, played by Pat McNamara, her sister Jo, played by Parker Posey, and Jo's boyfriend Carl, played by Liev Schreiber, where they all rethink their relationships and meet a lot of new people along the way.  Stephanie Venditto, Campbell Scott, Marc Grapey, Douglas McGrath, Paul Herman, Amy Stiller, Marcia Haufrect, Marcia Gay Harden, and many others co-star in this film.  This was very well done with a great blend of comedy and drama and even heartbreak in this film, also about a dysunctional but loving family like the selection above.  Davis and Posey work very well as sisters in this film.  This is available to watch on Max and Criterion Channel.

Holidate (2020):  This references just about all the holidays mainly being Christmas but Thanksgiving comes into play.  John Whitesell directed this holiday romantic comedy.  Emma Roberts and Luke Bracey star as Sloane and Jackson who tire of being alone on the holidays and both have their own bad experiences on Christmas.  When they meet, Sloane has the idea of them doing a "holidate" with the inspiration of a family member where they form a platonic relationship but only on the holidays.  Remember, this is a romcom so we know where things are going.  Kristin Chenoweth, Frances Fisher, Andrew Bachelor, Jessica Capshaw, Manish Dayal, Alex Moffat, Cynthy Wu, Jake Manley, Julien Marlon Samani, Nicola Peltz Beckham, Savannah Reina, Olivia H. Hunt, Dan Lauria, Aimee Carrero, Meeghan Holaway, Carlos Lacamara, and many others co-star in this holiday comedy.  I thought at first it was going to be some Hallmark type movie but Hallmark has nothing on this one.  I also found myself laughing quite a bit at this movie.  It is more of an adult comedy with a bit of raunchiness.  It is predictable but what else would one expect in a romcom?  The journey getting there was good enough.  This could be a good double feature to go along with HOLIDAY INN which also takes place on holidays throughout the year.  This is available to watch on Netflix.

Thankskilling (2008):  This is the only movie that is actually themed around Thanksgiving.  I watched this when I was at my friend Carrissa and Arto's house along with Peter and we had a fun time watching this one.  Jordan Downey wrote and directed this B-movie about a foul-mouthed homicidal turkey.  A group of college kids go on a road trip during Thanksgiving break only to have a very mean turkey after them.  I don't think much more really needs to be said.  There is a sequel which is called THANKSKILLING 3, maybe Downey just wanted to play with our heads or maybe the turkey destroyed all the copies of the send one.  I guess we will never know.  This is to be enjoyed as a bad movie and is the perfect Thanksgiving B-movie.  This could be a good double feature to go along with LLAMAGEDDON which is about a murderous llama.  This is available to watch on TUBI.

Escape Room (2019):  This takes place around Thanksgiving having referenced one of them going on Thanksgiving break and these people really have nothing to be thankful for.  Adam Robitel directed this horror movie that capitalizes on the popularity of the escape rooms.  Taylor Russell, Logan Miller, Jay Ellis, Tyler Labine, Deborah Ann Woll, and Nik Dodani star as a group of strangers that get a mysterious black box with tickets to an escape room.  They learn it is a very extreme and deadly escape room where they must rely on their wits in order to survive.  Yorick Van Wageningen, Cornelius Geaney Jr., Bart Fouche, Jessica Sutton, Paul Hampshire, Caely-Jo Levy, Jamie-Lee Money, and many others co-star in this psychological horror movie.  This was pretty clever movie of working together hoping to survive but not everyone does survive which is to be expected.  This is available to watch on Hulu.