Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 949th Edition

Welcome to the 949th edition of my series.  I continue rehearsing for LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS out in Richmond where I play Mr. Mushnik.  This happens in May, and I will provide more details on my next installment.  I will just get on with my selections for the week.  

Kinky Boots (2005):  This is part five of my five-part series for Joel Edgerton.  Julian Jarrold directed this film which was written by Geoff Deane and Tim Firth.  Edgerton stars as Charlie Price who ends up inheriting his father's shoe factory business and finds that it is on its last legs.  Charlie meets the drag queen Lola, played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, who complains about the adequate footwear.  Charlie convinces Lola to be their footwear designer in hopes of saving the business while Lola must adjust to certain prejudices within the factory.  Sarah-Jane Potts, Jemima Rooper, Nick Frost, Linda Bassett, Robert Pugh, Ewan Hooper, Stephen Marcus, Mona Hammond, Kellie Bright, Joanna Scanlon, Leo Bill, and many others co-star in this film.  This is inspired by a true story in Northhampshire of a struggling factory and saved when making kinky boots for drag queens.  This would also become a Broadway musical which was written by Harvey Fierstein and Cyndi Lauper.  This is available to watch on Pluto TV.

Queen of the Ring (2024):  Ash Avildsen directed this wrestling biopic which is based on the book by Jeff Leen.  ARROW alum Emily Bett Rickards stars as wrestling legend Mildred Burke who is essentially the pioneer for women's wrestling.  This starts in her younger days as a single mother working as a waitress in a small town.  When a wrestling promotion hits her town, she decides she would like to become a wrestler in a world where most places banned women from wrestling and was very taboo in this era.  When meeting Billy Wolfe, played by Josh Lucas, she convinces him to train her and they begin an early revolution in women's wrestling.  Tyler Posey, Walton Goggins, Francesca Eastwood, Marie Avgeropoulos, Kailey Farmer, Cara Buono, Gavin Casalegno, Adam Demos, Deborah Ann Woll, Kelli Berglund, Damaris Lewis, Martin Kove, Jim Cornette, Jett Jansen, Toni Storm, Trinity Fatu, Britt Baker, Ash Avildsen, Jared Kripke, Mickie James, and many others co-star in this film.  I have been excited about this film since hearing about it and was determined to see it when it hit my local theaters.  This is a great historical film showing the early days of women's wrestling and how far it has come and quite a few wrestlers got to make appearances.  It was also really good to see wrestler Jared Kripke who I know from working a lot in the Indiana Powerhouse Wrestling shows in my town.  This is for both wrestling fans and non-wrestling fans and was worth a trip to the movie theaters to see.

The Tale (2018):  This is part three of my trilogy for Laura Dern.  Jennifer Fox wrote and directed this film which is based on herself.  Dern stars as Jennifer Fox who is a documentarian working in New York.  She starts to reexamine a short story she wrote at the age of 13 and the nature of her relationship at the time with a riding instructor in Mrs. G, played by Elizabeth Debicki, and her running instructor Bill, played by Jason Ritter, in a summer camp which would turn into sexual abuse.  She sets out to learn more of what happened with herself and other people which opens old wounds.  Common, Jessica Sarah Flaum, Laura Allen, Juli Erickson, Matthew Rauch, Ellen Burstyn, John Heard, Frances Conroy, and many others co-star in this film.  This would be Heard's last movie before his death.  This is not easy to watch and is likely not for everyone.  This is Fox's first narrative film having directing documentaries before this one.  This is available to watch on Max.

The Egg Collector (1940):  This is my animated short for the week which comes from Merry Melodies.  Chuck Jones directed this animated short which features the character of Sniffles the Mouse, voiced by Margaret Hill-Talbot, and his friend the Bookworm.  They decide to take up egg collecting but mess with the wrong owl, voiced by Mel Blanc.  Sniffles is a character who has a series of shorts in the '30s and '40s and would appear some in the later years.  This is also available to watch on Max.

Modern Times (1936):  Charlie Chaplin wrote and directed this mostly silent film and would star as his iconic character the Tramp.  The Tramp struggles to make it in the industrial world of this era.  He starts out at a factory which has some very iconic special effects and would later try to adjust to the modern era along with his homeless friend, played by Paulette Goddard.  Henry Bergman, Tiny Sandford, Chester Conklin, Hank Mann, Stanley Blystone, Al Ernest Garcia, Richard Alexander, and many others co-star in this film.  Chaplin went the silent route most of the film in a time when everybody was still doing "talkies".  The exceptions were things like the boss of the factory was talking, a barking dog, and an interesting music number by Chaplin near the end.  This is a satire towards the Industrial Revolution and I think took a little bit from LES MISERABLES.  Like many of Chaplin's comedies, he would use comedy in very serious situations like in this case dealing with the transitions of using machinery.  This is available to watch on Max, Prime, and Freevee.

A New Leaf (1971):  Elaine May directed this dark comedy which is based on the short story THE GREEN HEART by Jack Ritchie.  Walter Matthau stars as playboy Henry Graham who learns that his playboy lifestyle has depleted all of his funds.  Instead of just looking for a job, he looks to find a wealthy woman to marry and then murder.  He meets wealthy scientist Henrietta Lowell who agrees to marry him and Henry's plans just go awry.  Jack Weston, George Rose, James Coco, Doris Roberts, Renee Taylor, William Redford, Graham Jarvis, Jess Osuna, David Doyle, Fred Stewart, and many others co-star in this comedy.  This is a pretty interesting romantic comedy which include murder plots.  This rather unknown Matthau film is worth a look.  This is available to watch on Kanopy and Pluto TV.

Eat Wheaties! (2020):  This is part two of my six-part Paul Walter Hauser series.  Scott Abramovitch directed this comedy which is based on the novel THE LOCKLEAR LETTERS by Michael Kun.  ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT alum Tony Hale stars as Sid Straw whose social ineptitude gets the best of him.  He claims to have known Elizabeth Banks in college and starts writing letters on her Facebook page not knowing everyone can see them and it goes viral causing his world to crash around him.  As Sid tries to get his life back together, he begins to understand what is most important in the world.  Elisha Cuthbert, Danielle Brooks, David Walton, Sarah Burns, Alan Tudyk, Sarah Chalke, Lamorne Harris, Sarah Goldberg, Sugar Lyn Beard, Robbie Amell, Kylie Bunbury, Hayden Szeto, Rizwan Manji, Mimi Kennedy, Phil Reeves, Kristian Bruun, and many others co-star in this comedy.  This has a lot of comedic moments and a good cast.  I suppose this is middle aged sort of coming-of-age story and shows how social media can lead to a lot of misunderstandings.  This could be a good double feature to watch along with the movie WORLD'S GREATEST DAD.  This is available to watch on Peacock.

Thunder on the Hill (1951):  Douglas Sirk directed this crime drama which is based on the play by Charlotte Hastings.  Claudette Colbert stars as nurse Sister Mary who works at a convent hospital.  Ann Blyth co-stars as convicted murderer Valerie Carns who is being transported to hang but flooding strands her and the guards.  Mary becomes convinced that Valerie did not commit the murder and sets out to prove her innocence which was against the wishes of the guards and her own superiors.  Robert Douglas, Anne Crawford, Philip Friend, Gladys Cooper, Michael Pate, John Abbott, Connie Gilchrist, Gavin Muir, Phyllis Stanley, Norma Varden, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a good story on walking a thin line in many ways.  The atmosphere and tension are also there at full force for this suspenseful story.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Bone (1972):  Larry Cohen wrote and directed this dark comedy in his directorial debut.  Andrew Duggan and Joyce Van Patten star as Beverly Hills couple Bill and Bernadette.  Yaphet Kotto stars as Bone who invades their home assuming they are a very wealthy couple only to find out they are having all kinds of issues with their marriage and finances.  Everything unfolds from there with Bone's resolution to their problems.  Jeannie Berlin and Brett Somers co-star in this film.  This movie is very out there in their portrayal of the dark side of suburban life.  Kotto puts on a very good performance as the title character and has cited that one as his best.  This is available to watch on Tubi and Full Moon which is a Prime subscription.

Executive Decision (1996):  I end the week with this action film which was directed by Stuart Baird in his directorial debut.  Kurt Russell stars as intelligence expert David Grant who must join a group of anti-terrorists to save a 747 from a group of terrorists hijacking the plane.  They use a specialty plane to get on board on the 747 and must diffuse a bomb and take on the terrorists.  Halle Berry co-stars as flight attendant Jean who is able to help the group.  Steven Seagal, John Leguizamo, Oliver Platt, Joe Morton, David Suchet, BD Wong, Len Cariou, Whip Hubley, Andreas Katsulas, Mary Ellen Trainor, Marla Maples, J.T. Walsh, Ingo Neuhaus, Nicholas Pryor, Richard Riehle, and many others co-star in this action film.  This is not necessarily an all-out action film as much of the movie is the anti-terrorist unit trying to plan before they make their attack.  The suspense is just as effective in my opinion and the action means a lot when we get to that point.  This would be good for a guy's night.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned in a couple weeks for the installment which so far includes Jennifer Connelly, and many others.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 948th Edition

Welcome to the 948th edition of my series.  I would like to announce that I will be playing Mr. Mushnik in LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS at Richmond Civic Theater in May of this year.  The shows will be May 8-11 and May 15-18 of this year and I will have more information in the coming weeks.  I will shut up now and get on with my selections for the week.

Red Sparrow (2018):  This is part four of my five-part Joel Edgerton series.  Francis Lawrence directed this spy thriller which is based on the novel by Jason Matthews.  Jennifer Lawrence stars as Dominika Egorova who is a Russian ballet dancer who becomes injured, and learns it was not an accident.  She takes revenge on those who wronged her and her Uncle Ivan, played by Mattias Schoenaerts, approaches her to become an agent which would help her avoid prosecution and be able to care for her ailing mother.  She trains to be a "Sparrow" which an operative capable of seducing their targets with "sexpianoge" and the target assigned is CIA operative Nate Nash, played by Edgerton.  Charlotte Rampling, Mary-Louise Parker, Joely Richardson, Bill Camp, Jeremy Irons, Thekla Reuten, Douglas Hodge, Sakina Jaffrey, Sergei Polunin, Sasha Frolova, Sebastian Hulk, Nicole O'Neill, Kristof Konrad, and many others co-star in this thriller.  There is a lot going on and is hard to explain beyond what I already did.  It is a very provocative film to say the least with Lawrence and Edgerton bringing a lot to the table.  

The Secret of the Marquise (1922):  Lotte Reiniger directed this German animated short which was actually an early commercial for Nivea.  Reiniger uses her silhouette animation to convey this love story where is it explained that Nivea was used to maintain such beautiful skin.  Reiniger was quite the pioneer for the world of animation and had one of the first feature animated films in THE ADVENTURES OF PRINCE ACHMED.  Most of her career consisted of silhouette animated shorts and would go on for many years.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel along with much of her other works.  

The Hitch-Hiker (1953):  Ida Lupino directed and co-wrote this film which is based on true events.  Edmond O'Brien and Frank Lovejoy stars as friends Roy Collins and Gilbert Bowen who are looking to go on a fishing trip.  Along the way, they pick-up a hitchhiker named Emmett Myers, played by William Talman, who happens to be a murderer and takes them hostage forcing them to comply with his demands.  Jose Torvay, Wendell Niles, Sam Hayes, Jean Del Val, Clark Howat, Natividad Vacio, and many others co-star in this Film Noir.  This is based on a real-life killing spree in 1950 by Billy Cook.  This is a very gritty and disturbing film which holds nothing back.   This is available on the public domain and my friend Dennis did a showing for his Public Domain series at Cornerstone Center for the Arts which I was unable to attend.  I did still take the time to include it this week which was really worth a look.  It is available to watch on Prime, Freevee, Plex, Tubi, Pluto TV, Fawesome, and probably others.

The Lady in the Car with Glasses and a Gun (2015):  This is my French film for the week which was directed by Joann Sfar and based on the novel by Sebastian Japrisot.  Freya Mavor stars as Dany who decides to go joyriding in her boss' car and visits a seaside town.  When there, everyone seems to know who she is and learns she is the lead suspect of a murder.  Dany must piece together what has happened while wondering if she is crazy.  Benjamin Biolay, Elio Germano, Stacy Martin, Thierry Hancisse, and many others co-star in this film.  This is the remake of a 1970 film of the same name which I know nothing about but might seek it out.  Mavor does a good job of carrying this film.  It is an interesting enough psychological thriller that is not for everyone.  This is available to watch on the Roku Channel as well as Prime Video channels Magnolia Selects, Monsters and Nightmares, and Warriors and Gangsters.

Coonskin (1974):  Ralph Bakshi wrote and directed this blend of animation and live-action.  Scatman Crothers and Pre-MIAMI VICE alum Philip Michael Thomas star as Pappy and Randy who are attempting a prison break and tell the animated stories of Brother Rabbit, voiced by Thomas, Brother Bear, voiced by Barry White, and Preacher Fox, voiced by Charles Gordone, and their rise to the top of the crime ranks in Harlem.  I supposed this is Bakshi's animated entry into the world of Blaxploitation.  This is a satire of race relations in America, and this is sure to offend.  This is a darker version of SONG OF THE SOUTH which some might have already noticed in the description.  It is hard to really describe this in words except to check this out if you are not easily offended.  This is available to watch on Kanopy which requires a library which uses this service and on the Prime Video channel CONtv.

99 Homes (2014):  This is part two of my Laura Dern trilogy.  Ramin Bahrani directed and co-wrote this film which shows the dark side of home ownership.  Andrew Garfield stars as Dennis Nash who is a recently unemployed single father whose home of been foreclosed.  Michael Shannon co-stars as real-estate broker Rick Carver who is the source of the foreclosed home and offers Dennis a job working for him in order to win back his home.  Dennis finds that he is selling his soul but understands his son, played by Noah Lomax, and his mom, played by Dern, need a home.  Clancy Brown, Douglas M. Griffin, Randy Austin, Carl Palmer, and many others co-star in this film.  Garfield gives a very good performance as a desperate man.  I found this to be a very sad but compelling on how crooked the world of real estate can be.  This is available to watch on Starz, Tubi, the Roku Channel, Plex, and Fawesome.

I remember Mama (1948):  George Stevens directed this film which is based on a play by John Van Druten and the novel by Kathryn Forbes.  Barbara Bel Geddes stars as Katrin who is writing a novel based on her own childhood.  Irene Dunne co-stars as Martha who is the matriarch of the Hanson family and does what she can with her pennywise budget.  Oscar Homolka is very amusing as the eccentric Uncle Chris.  This looks at the ups and downs of an immigrant Norwegian family in 1910 San Francisco.  Philip Dorn, Cedric Hardwicke, Edgar Bergen, Rudy Vallee, Barbara O'Neil, Florence Bates, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a very touching film that holds up today.  It is a good look at a loving family from this era.  This was a very good mother.

A Real Pain (2024):  Jesse Eisenberg wrote and directed this dramedy of a couple reunited cousins.  Eisenberg also stars as David who along with this cousin Benji, played by Kieren Culkin, go to Poland to honor their late grandmother.  Tensions arise for these mismatched cousins against the backdrop of their family history.  Will Sharpe, Daniel Oreskes, Liza Sadovy, Kurt Egyiawan, Jennifer Grey, Ellora Torchia, and many others co-star in this film.  This is more of a character study than anything and hard to really describe beyond what I already have.  It does have a very good blend of comedy and drama.  Culkin and Eisenberg work greatly together and their mismatching personalities work perfectly.  This is available to watch on Hulu.

Scarecrow (1973):  This is my homage to Gene Hackman who recently left us.  Jerry Schatzberg directed this buddy comedy.  Hackman stars as Max who is an ex-con and determined to open up a car wash.  Al Pacino stars as former sailor Lion who is determined to meet his child for the first time and make things right with his wife.  They form an unlikely friendship as their drifting ways and personalities make things very difficult.  Dorothy Tristan, Ann Wedgeworth, Richard Lynch, Eileen Brennan, Penelope Allen, and many others co-star in this film.  Hackman has said this was his favorite performance and Pacino has also spoken very highly of this film.  This is a transitional film in between THE GODFATHER for Pacino and might be the first time he has gotten to show a more comedic side.  While this has some pretty funny moments, there are very serious situations that make it hard to watch at times.  This does deserve to get more exposure, so I hope to put this on the radar.

Hunger (2008):  Steve McQueen directed this film which is based on a true story.  Michael Fassbender stars as Bobby Sands who leads the 1981 IRA hunger strike at Maze Prison in Northern Ireland.  This was meant to improve prison conditions and get them recognized as political prisoners.  Liam Cunningham, Stuart Graham, Laine Megaw, Brian Milligan, Liam McMahon, Karen Hassan, Frank McCusker, Lalor Roddy, and many others co-star in this film.  McQueen makes his feature film debut, and this is a different Steve McQueen than the one we know.  This is a brutally honest film that is not easy to watch.  It is a very well-done and significant film with a good performance out of Fassbender.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Well, that is it for this week, but I have brought back the segment "Tube Time".  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Joel Edgerton, Laura Dern, Charlie Chaplin, Walter Matthau, Paul Walter Hauser, and many others.

TUBE TIME

Cobra Kai (2018-2025):  This is part one of a six-part series for Paul Walter Hauser who plays the recurring role of Stingray in this series.  The rest of my selections for him will be in the film selections.  Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg directed this continuation series of the KARATE KID franchise which came to an end this year.  Ralph Macchio and William Zabka reprise their roles of Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence who were rivals in the first KARATE KID and find themselves rivals again years after the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament.  Daniel is doing well as he is married, has children, and has a successful car business.  Johnny is struggling in life still trying to find purpose.  Johnny rescues his bullied next-door neighbor Miguel, played by Xolo Mariduena, and becomes a Mr. Miyagi type figure to him.  He also decides to reopen Cobra Kai which sets off his old rival Daniel.  Daniel starts to train again himself and takes in Robby Keene, played by Tanner Buchanan, not knowing in the beginning that he is Johnny's estranged son.  As time goes on, Daniel and Johnny must team up against common enemies in John Kreese, reprised by Martin Kove, and the even more ruthless Terry Silver, reprised by Thomas Ian Griffith.  Courtney Henggeler, Mary Mouser, Jacob Bertrand, Gianni DeCenzo, Vanessa Rubio, Peyton List, Owen Morgan, Aedin Mincks, Griffin Santopietro, Dallas Dupree Young, Khalil Everage, Joe Seo, Nathaniel Oh, Hannah Kepple, Yuji Okumoto, Rose Bianco, Oona O'Brien, Nichole Brown, Annalisa Cochrane, Paul Walter Hauser, Dan Ahdoot, Bret Ernst, Alicia Hannah-Kim, Carsten Norgaard, Diora Baird, Bo Mitchell, Lewis Tan, Patrick Luwis, Keith Arthur Bolden, Keith Arthur Bolden, Brandon H. Lee, Daniel Kim, Barrett Carnahan, Rayna Vallandingham, Vas Sanchez, Edward Asner, Sean Kanan, Tamlyn Tomita, Elizabeth Shue, Britt Baker, Elizabeth Berkley, Robyn Lively, and many others co-star or guest star in this television series.  This series goes six seasons with the first five having ten episodes and the last season having 15 episodes.  This show provides flashbacks from the movies to explain situations and characters.  I also believe that watching the movies would be beneficial but does not have to be to get into the series.  The first couple seasons consist of characters from part one of the trilogy.  Season three starts to bring characters from part two of the trilogy.  The last three seasons start to bring characters from part three of the trilogy.  They do not deal with THE NEXT KARATE KID though bringing in Hilary Swank might have been interesting.  I do feel that part three means more now thanks to this series.  Thomas Ian Griffith comes out of acting retirement to reprise his role of Terry Silver.  This show has some great fight scenes and even wrestling type storylines which they even reference sometimes.  What I really like about it is that forgiveness and redemption and emphasized a lot on this show.  I also believe that it is a good redemption story for the character of Johnny Lawrence.  This show manages to come up with a great ending after six seasons which comes full circle from first KARATE KID film.  This has a great blend of action, comedy, and drama and is one I'll probably continue to revisit.  Cobra Kai never Dies!  This is available to watch on Netflix.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 947th Edition

Welcome to the 947th Edition of my series.  I just wish everyone well and hope we're all getting through these crazy times.  I don't have a lot going on right now but could have some announcements in a couple weeks. For now, I'll just shut up and get to my selections. 

John Adams (2008):  I start the week out with this mini-series which was directed by Tom Hooper and based on the book by David McCullough.  Paul Giamatti stars as the second president of the United States in John Adams.  This takes a look at his earlier days as an attorney starting with the Boston Massacre of 1770 which makes him take more of a political stand.  It also shows his times as vice president and president.  Laura Linney co-stars as John's loyal wife Abigail Adams who also serves a lot as his adviser.  Adams struggles to balance political life and his family.  Stephen Dillane co-stars as John's political colleague and rival Thomas Jefferson who does not always agree with Adams.  John Dossett, Sarah Polley, Samuel Barnett, David Morse, Andrew Scott, Danny Huston, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Steven Hinkle, Mamie Gummer, Kevin Trainor, Tom Wilkinson, Michael Hall D'Addario, Rufus Sewell, Justin Theroux, Zeljko Ivanek, and many others co-star in this mini-series.  This is a seven-episode series and episodes range around 60-90 minutes long.  This is a great story with a lot of authenticity to detail.  Giamatti and Linney were perfect together as John and Abigail.  This is available to watch on Max.

The Three Stooges (2000):  This is part three of my five-part Joel Edgerton series.  James Frawley directed this tv movie that takes a look at the iconic comedy team.  Paul Ben-Victor stars as Moe Howard who was essentially the leader of the Stooges as he is at a low point of his career in the '50s believing everything is over.  He is pestered by tv executive Tom Cosgrove, played by Edgerton, to make a comeback and starts to look back at the beginning of his career.  Moe, along with his brother Shemp, played by John Kassir, and Larry Fine, played by Evan Handler, are on Vaudeville being taken in by Ted Healy, played by Marton Csokas.  They have issues with their pay and Ted's alcohol problems and manage to break away to get a tv deal with Shemp getting replaced by their other brother Curly, played by Michael Chiklis, where they rise to fame quickly in the physical comedy.  Rachael Blake, Anna Lise Phillips, Jeanette Cronin, Joel Edgerton, Linal Haft, Brandon Burke, Lewis Fitz-Gerald, Peter Callan, Laurence Coy, and many others co-star in this tv movie.  This was a pretty good look at the comedy team and were a lot like the people they played on television.  This was also pretty well cast as far as the Stooges go and for those unfamiliar, I would suggest looking up some of their comedy shorts.  This is available to watch on TUBI and the Roku Channel.

Semi-Pro (2008):  Kent Alterman directed this basketball comedy which takes place when they had the American Basketball Association.  Will Ferrell stars as Jackie Moon who is the coach and player for the Flint Michigan Tropics and learns their team has a chance of getting in the NBA.  For any hopes of getting into the NBA, they must improve their team a lot.  Woody Harrelson co-stars as Monix, who has had a long career in the NBA and joins the ABA team to be closer to his wife.  Monix could also prove the answer they need to get better.  Andre 3000, Maura Tierney, Andy Daly, Will Arnett, Andy Richter, David Koechner, Rob Corddry, Matt Walsh, Jackie Earle Haley, DeRay Davis, Josh Braaton, Jay Phillips, Peter Cordell, Pat Kilbane, Patti LaBelle, Tim Meadows, Jason Sudeikis, Kristen Wiig, Ed Helms, and many others co-star in this comedy.  I thought this was a lot of fun with the usual sort of Ferrell comedy so take that for what it is worth.  Harrelson also added a lot to it to the movie.  This is not an award-winning film by any means but is very enjoyable if not taken too seriously. 

La Jetee (1962):  This is my short film of the day which was written and directed by Chris Marker.  A man in the wake of World War 3 must explore his memories.  This is told with narration and still images.  This was the main inspiration for Terry Gilliam's 12 MONKEYS.  This is a very disturbing short film with haunting imagery.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.  

Bad Seed (1934):  I follow up with another French film but this one a comedy.  This is also not the same story of the 1956 film of the same name which is about a murderous young girl.  Alexander Esway and Billy Wilder directed this comedy.  Pierre Mingand stars as Henry Pasquier whose wealthy father Dr. Paquier, played by Paul Escoffier, announces he will no longer be supporting his playboy lifestyle.  Henry's father also sells his Buick roadster and later sees the car with the keys in the ignition and was unable to resist taking the car in order to keep a date.  This gets him in trouble full of many misadventures with a gang.  Danielle Darrieux co-stars as Jeannette who will become Henry's love interest.  This is Wilder's directorial debut and was hiding out in Paris at Hotel Ansonia which was a haven for members of the German film industry who were hiding out from the threat of Hitler and the Nazi Party.  This is hard to describe much further than what I already have but is a good action comedy.  This is available to watch on Kanopy which requires a library card from one who uses that service.

The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959):  Terence Fisher directed this Hammer version of the classic novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.  Peter Cushing stars as Sherlock Holmes and Andre Morell plays his assistant Dr. Watson.  They are hired by Sir Henry Baskerville, played by Christopher Lee, to investigate an alleged family curse of a supernatural hound that takes revenge on the Baskerville family after his father dies under mysterious circumstances.  Francis De Wolff, Miles Malleson, Ewen Solon, John Le Mesurier, Helen Goss, Sam Kydd, and many others co-star in this Hammer film.  With it being Hammer films, this was more of a horror take on the story.  This was apparently going to be a series of Sherlock Holmes, but audiences did not like it when there are no monsters turning up so those plans were scrapped.  Cushing was a very good Holmes and this movie still holds up very well.  This is available to watch on Prime, TUBI, and Plex.

A Bronx Tale:  The Original One Man Show (2024):  Chazz Palminteri wrote and directed this one man show which I believe was a revival of his own show that was done in 1989.  This is based on Palminteri's on childhood from the Bronx where he talks a lot about the relationship with his father and the relationship with the local gangster Sonny who would be another father figure in his life.  In 1992, Robert De Niro would purchase the rights to make a movie and met Palminteri's demands that he writes the screenplay and would play the role of Sonny.  The 1992 film of the same name was a very underrated film in my opinion.  I did not know until I watched this that Palminteri based this on his own youth in the Bronx.  This has also since been turned into a Broadway musical and maybe one day I could play the role of Sonny.  This is also available to watch on Kanopy.

Saint Jack (1979):  Peter Bogdanovich directed this film which is based on the novel by Paul Theroux.  Ben Gazzara stars as Jack Flowers who is a pimp in '70s Singapore hoping to live return to the United States in a life of luxury.  Denholm Elliott, James Villiers, Joss Ackland, Rodney Bewes, Mark Kingston, Lisa Lu, George Lazenby, Peter Bogandavich, and many others co-star in this film.  This is more of a character study on the character of Jack Flowers and his complicated life.  It is hard to describe beyond that description except that it is a pretty compellling story.  Gazzara puts on a great performance as the title character and is able to carry the movie very well.  They did meet a lot of controversy from the Singaporean government in its portrayal of corruption.  This is available to watch on Prime, Freevee, TUBI, Shout! Factor TV, The Roku Channel, Plex, Pluto TV, Fandor, CONtv.

Rio Bravo (1959):  Howard Hawks directed this western which is based on a short story by B.H. McCampbell.  John Wayne stars as Sheriff John T. Chance who has his hands full when arresting Joe Burdette, played by Claude Akins, for murder.  Knowing he would deal with this brother Nathan, played by John Russell, he gets together alcoholic gunslinger Dude, played by Dean Martin, a young gunslinger Colorado, played by Ricky Nelson, and his aging deputy Stumpy, played by Walter Brennan.  The sheriff also takes a liking to a gambler named Feathers, played by Angie Dickinson.  Ward Bond, Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez, Estelita Rodriguez, and many others co-star in this western.  I thought this was a very well done western and possibly John Wayne's best.  This would be Ward Bond's last feature film after a long career.  The other characters were very well written and there is even a good music number by Dean Martin and Ricky Nelson.

Foxes (1980):  This is part one of a possible Laura Dern trilogy.  Adrian Lyne directed this coming-of-age story.  Jodie Foster, Cherie Currie, Marilyn Kagan, Kandice Stroh star as four teenage friends in Jeanie, Annie, Madge and Deirdre.  They all have very different personalities, and each have something going on in their lives in San Fernando Valley part of Los Angeles in a world of alcohol, drugs, and sex.  Jeanie is trying to settle down, but Annie does not make that easy in her drug problems.  Scott Baio, Sally Kellerman, Randy Quaid, Lois Smith, Adam Faith, Sloan Roberts, Mary Margaret Lewis, Grant Wilson, Fredric Lehne, Robert Romanus, Laura Dern, and many others co-star in this film.  Dern has more of a cameo scene later in the movie during the party scene and was her first credited role.  This is Lyne's first theatrical film to direct and started quite a career in the world of provocative films.  This can be seen on Youtube.

Well, that is it for this week, but I have a new segment called "Presidential Madness" so read on.  Tell me what you like and dislike and I'll be back in two weeks with Jennifer Lawrence, Laura Dern, and many others.

PRESIDENTIAL MADNESS

I have a handful of selections that have included past presidents in some way.  I don't have any fictitious presidents for this year, maybe next year.  

America:  The Motion Picture (2021):  Matt Thompson directed this animated film that takes a very interesting look at the history of America where much of the timelines are combined.  When George Washington's, voiced by Channing Tatum, best friend Abraham Lincoln, voiced by Will Forte, is murdered by Benedict Arnold, voiced by Andy Samberg, George puts together a team to take on Arnold and King James, voiced by Simon Pegg.  George teams up with Samuel Adams, voiced by Jason Mantzoukas, Thomas Edison, voiced by Olivia Munn, Paul Revere, voiced by Bobby Moynihan, and Geronimo, voiced by Raoul Max Trujillo, to take on the British which are led by Benedict Arnold and King James.  Judy Greer and Killer Mike also co-star in this animated action comedy.  This might lack some of the historical accuracy and some could be turned off by the gore.  Apparently, Washington died before Lincoln was born so there is no way they could have been best friends.  I did love the homage to the '90s series RENEGADE which introduced Geronimo and was a favorite of mine when I was in middle school.  This is politically incorrect adult animation and a different take on how America would come to be.  This is available to watch on Netflix.

Hamilton (2020):  I use another live performance of the musical that took America by storm.  Thomas Kail directed this musical which was written by Lin-Manuel Meranda and based on the book by Ron Chernow.  This centers around founding father Alexander Hamilton, played by Meranda, who would end up on the $10 bill.  This takes a look at his friendship with Aaron Burr, played by Leslie Odom Jr., and we all know where that would lead in the end.  Daveed Diggs co-stars as Hamilton's main rival Thomas Jefferson.  Chris Jackson co-stars as our first president George Washington who is portrayed as a father figure to Hamilton.  Phillipa Soo, Renee Elise Goldsberry, Jonathan Groff, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Okieriete Onaodowan, and Anthony Ramos co-star in this live musical.  This uses a mostly hip-hop soundtrack and uses "color-blind" casting.  I love the music in this and was a very interesting way to look at the history of our founding fathers.

Forrest Gump (1994):  Robert Zemeckis directed this film which is based on the novel by Winston Groom.  Tom Hanks co-stars as the title character who has an I.Q. of 75 but has a lot of loyalty.  Sally Field co-stars as Forrest's mother who encourages him to be whoever he wants to be.  He becomes an accidental inspiration of history going to Vietnam, winning medals, and meeting presidents Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon.  What Forrest really wants though is to be with his childhood sweetheart Jenny, played by Robin Wright in the adult years.  Gary Sinise, Mykelti Williamson, Michael Conner Humphreys, Rebecca Williams, Bob Penny, Sam Anderson, Margo Moorer, Peter Dobson, Siobhan Fallon Hogan, Hanna Hall, Geoffrey Blake, Haley Joel Osment, and many others co-star in this film.  I felt that Forrest's encounters with presidents made this a worthy selection to this category.  I think most people who have wanted to see this probably have by now.  There are a lot of historical moments from the '50s to the '70s that get referenced in this film.  Through the years, I have seen people villainize the Jenny character for the way she treats Forrest.  I kept an open mind in revisiting the movie and I find it is not that black and white.  She was Forrest's only friend in childhood and they went their separate ways in adulthood.  I felt in the adult years that Jenny did not want Forrest to be exposed to her own messed-up world she was living in at the time.  I still feel this is a very touching man of such childlike innocence from Forrest and the loyalty he has toward his friends.  I feel we could use a few Forrest Gumps in our world.  This is available to watch on Paramount Plus and Pluto TV.

Vice (2018):  Adam McCay wrote and directed this political biopic which centers around former vice president Dick Cheney.  Christian Bale stars as Cheney which takes place from his younger days into his days as the vice president.  Amy Adams co-stars as his wife Lynne Cheney who always did what she could to keep him in line.  Sam Rockwell co-stars as our former president George W. Bush.  Steve Carrell, Alison Pill, Eddie Marsan, Justin Kirk, LisaGay Hamilton, Jesse Plemons, Bill Camp, Don McManus, Lily Rabe, Shea Whigham, Stephen Adly Guirgis, Tyler Perry, Cailee Spaeny, and many others co-star in this film.  When thinking of who should portray Dick Cheney, most likely would not think of Christian Bale.  However, Bale went to extreme measures to be able to pull off playing the role.  There is a lot of dark comedy to this movie.  I also thought this movie had the best narration in a film in my opinion with Plemons.  This is available on Fawsome and Moviesphere.

Naked Gun 33 1/3:  The Final Insult (1994):  There is a cameo from a Bill Clinton impersonator so I went ahead and included the conclusion to the trilogy.  Peter Sagal directed this comedy sequel and as far as I know there are only three of these movies.  I haven't found the ones between one and this one.  Leslie Nielson reprises his role of Frank Drebin who retires from the police squad much to the delight of his wife Jane, reprised by Prescilla Presley.  However, Frank just couldn't stay away and infiltrates a gang of terrorists who plan to detonate a bomb at the Academy Awards.  George Kennedy, O.J. Simpson, Fred Ward, Kathleen Freeman, Anna Nicole Smith, Ellen Greene, and many others co-star in this comedy.  There are a lot of celebrity cameos playing themselves.  Like the first two, this parodies a lot of movies and delivers a lot of laughs.  I would recommend watching the first two and then this one.  This is available to watch on Paramount Plus and Pluto TV.  

Newsies (1992):  This Disney musical features a cameo from Teddy Roosevelt who was the governor at the time so I am qualifying this to make this segment.  Kenny Ortega directed this musical which is based on the New York City newsboy strike of 1899.  Christian Bale stars as Jack Kelly who leads the newsboys and things get complicated when the newspaper raises the prices making it more difficult for them to sell papers.  Bill Pullman, Robert Duvall, Ann-Margret, David Moscow, Luke Edwards, Max Casella, Gabriel Damon, Marty Belafsky, Arvin Lowe Jr., Aaron Lohr, Michael Lerner, and many others co-star in this classic Disney musical.  When this came out, it was a huge flop and was the lowest grosing live-action Disney movie of all the time.  Through the years though, it has gained a cult following and even has a Broadway musical now.  This is available to watch on Disney Plus.

Bubba Ho-Tep (2002):  This is the perfect viewing for President's Day as it portrays John F. Kennedy into his later years.  Don Coscarelli directed this film on nursing home life which is based on the novel by Joe R. Lansdale.  Bruce Campbell stars as an aging Elvis Presley who is now living in a nursing home.  One might say that Elvis died back in 1977, but that is not true.  The person who died that day was a man named Sebastian Haff whose name Elvis took to lead a quieter life.  Ossie Davis co-stars as John F. Kennedy who is also in a nursing home.  Many might say that JFK was assassinated and that Davis is a black man.  What happened is JFK survived the assassination attempt but was turned black by the government.  There is a mummy, played by Bob Ivy, at the nursing home feeding off souls of the patients.  Elvis and JFK must team up to save the nursing home.  Ella Joyce, Heidi Marnhout, Larry Pennell, Reggie Bannister, Daniel Roebuck, Daniel Schweiger, Harrison Young and many others co-star in this film.  This plot described seems rather absurd.  However, it is strangely compelling in my opinion.  Many call this movie the CASABLANCA of our time and rightfully so.  The DVD has the best commentary track of all time where Bruce Campbell is in character as "The King".  This is available to watch on Tubi and Pluto TV.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 946th Edition

Welcome to the 946th Edition of my series.  I did quite a focus on Black History Month and an additional segment with a very unoriginal title.  Tonight is the Super Bowl and I'm rooting for the Eagles as I'm not ready for an NFL three-peat at this time.  I hope everyone is getting through the crazy times we are in.  I will shut up now and get on with my selections.

The Underground Railroad (2021):  This is part two of my five-part Joel Edgerton series.  Barry Jenkins directed this mini-series which was based on the book by Colson Whitehead.  Thuso Mbedu stars as Cora who is a slave in the deep south and becomes a runaway.  She discovers an underground railroad making an amazing discovery in the process.  Edgerton co-stars as Ridgeway who is a slave bounty hunter on the trail of Cora.  Aaron Pierre, Sheila Atim, Peter Mullan, William Jackson Harper, Jeff Pope, Lucius Baston, Marcus Gladney Jr., Kraig Dane, Kylee D. Allen, Ryan James, Mychal-Bella Bowman, Luray Cooper, Trevor David, Monique Grant, Lily Rabe, Damon Herriman, Lucy Faust, Will Poulter, and many others co-star in this mini-series.  This is a fictional series even with an element of fantasy.  This is very graphic at times, and it is full of home at times.  This has ten episodes in it with most being around an hour with the exception of a couple episodes that are much shorter.  There are also some very strong characters in this series.  This is available to watch on Prime and Freevee.

Within Our Gates (1920):  Oscar Micheaux wrote and directed this silent film.  Evelyn Preer stars as Sylvia Landry who is an educated black woman and abandoned by her fiancé Conrad, played by James D. Ruffin.  When this happens, she decides to help run a school for young black kids.  Along the way, she is met with prejudice in her efforts.  Micheaux is essentially the first black filmmaker of all time.  This was apparently a response to Griffith's controversial epic A BIRTH OF A NATION.  Another event around this time that is could be in response to was the Chicago Race Riot of 1919.  This is a very significant film in the history of motion pictures and was one of the first to really get the black voice out.  This is available to watch on MGM+, Fawesome, MUBI, and the Roku Channel.

Porgy and Bess (1959):  Otto Preminger and Rouben Mamoulian directed this musical which was written by the Gershwins.  This is set in a fishing village in 1912 South Carolina among a group of black residents.  Dorothy Dandridge stars as Bess who has had quite a past and turns to the crippled Porgy, played by Sidney Poitier.  They form a relationship, but they meet a lot of disapproval from the community including Bess's old love Crown, played by Brock Peters, and her old drug supplier Sportin' Life, played by Sammy Davis Jr.  Pearl Bailey, Diahann Carroll, Ruth Attaway, Claude Akins, Clarence Muse, Joel Fluellen, Ivan Dixon, and many others co-star in this musical.  Poitier's singing voice was dubbed by opera singer Robert McFerrin.  This has met with a lot of controversy through the years and has never really had an official release.  This is highlighted by the soundtrack by the Gershwins including the song SUMMERTIME.  I was able to find a copy of this film on Youtube.

Rustin (2023):  George C. Wolfe directed this biopic on activist Bayard Rustin.  Colman Domingo stars as Rustin who was an activist in the 1960s and friends with Martin Luther King Jr., played by Aml Ameen.  He was one of the overlooked organizers of the 1963 March on Washington and was a big help to MLK.  In addition to racism, Rustin was also gay which brought him more trouble.  Chris Rock, Glynn Turman, Gus Halper, Johnny Ramey, CCH Pounder, Michael Potts, Audra McDonald, Jeffrey Wright, Lilli Kay, Jordan-Amanda Hall, Jakeem Powell, Ayana Workman, Grantham Coleman, Jamilah Rosemond, Jules Latimer, Maxwell Whittington-Cooper, and many others co-star in this biopic.  Domingo does a really good job as Rustin.  I admit I had never heard of him until watching this movie.  It was also good to see Rock play a more serious role.  

Blackenstein (1973):  I decided I needed some Blaxploitation and decided to go the horror route for them.  Joe De Sue stars as Vietnam veteran Eddie Turner who loses both arms and legs when stepping on a land mine.  His fiancé Winifred Walker, played by Ivory Stone, talks to her friend Dr. Stein, played by John Hart, who has a procedure in mind where he would attach arms and legs.  Unfortunately, Stein's assistant Malcomb switches the DNA injections turning Eddie into a monster.  Andrea King also co-stars in this horror movie.  This is no BLACULA by any means which was their horror film that turned out to be a lot better than it had any right to be.  This just turned into a rather entertaining bad movie that Mary Shelley might not have liked.  This is available to watch on Prime, Freevee, Tubi, and Plex.

40 Years a Prisoner (2020):  Tommy Oliver directed this documentary which takes a look at the revolutionary group MOVE.  This shows Mike Africa Jr., and his efforts to get his incarcerated parents to be exonerated.  In 1978, this group was protesting police brutality and racism.  The police went through very questionable measures where one of their own was killed.  This resulted in nine MOVE members being arrested and sentenced to 30 years to life.  This is a very unbiased and eye-opening documentary to watch.  I had never heard of this group until I saw this documentary.  This is available to watch on Max.

The Bingo Long Travelling All-Stars and Motor Kings (1976):  John Badham directed this baseball comedy which is based on a novel by William Brashler.  Billy Dee Williams stars as Negro League player Bingo Long who is unhappy by his treatment by their owner and decides to form his own traveling team.  James Earl Jones, Richard Pryor, Jophery C. Brown, Tony Burton, Stan Shaw, Otis Day, Ted Ross, Mabel King, Sam Laws, Ken Foree, Carl Gordon, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a fictional story which is loosely based on Negro league player Satchel Paige.  Pryor is very amusing as a player claiming to be Cuban in hopes of making it to the major leagues.  I am not for sure what is true and what is not true about this film.  The antics of the team resemble that of the Harlem Globetrotters.  It does have some very funny scenes and makes some good references for the Negro Leagues and their players.  

Good Burger (1997):  Brian Robbins directed this comedy featuring the Nickelodeon comedy duo of Kenan and Kel.  Kel Mitchell stars as the dim-witted but lovable teen Ed who works for the fast food restaurant Good Burger.  When competition opens up across the street, he teams with his new coworker Dexter, played by Kenan Thompson, to save the beloved local restaurant.  Sinbad, Abe Vigoda, Shar Jackson, Dan Schneider, Jan Schweiterman, Ron Lester, Josh Server, Linda Cardellini, Robert Wuhl, Lori Beth Denberg, Marques Houston, J. August Richards, Carmen Electra, and many others co-star in this comedy.  Alright, I suppose this does not have any historic significance for Black History Month, but there are cameos from NBA legend Shaquille O'Neil and funk singer George Clinton.  This came from the title sketch in the Nickolodeon series ALL THAT, and they decided it was time for a feature film.  This was directed at kids and does have some pretty funny moments.  It still lives on as a cult film and recently had a sequel.  It is a good watch for the whole family to enjoy.  This is available to watch on Paramount + and Pluto TV.

Song of the South (1946):  Harve Foster and Wilfred Jackson directed this controversial Disney film which is based on the book by Joel Chandler Harris.  James Baskett stars as the iconic Uncle Remus and he does the voice of Br'er Fox.  Remus tells stories to a young boy named Johnny, played by Bobby Driscoll, about the adventures of Br'er Rabbit, voiced by Johnny Lee, and how he always manages to outwit Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear.  No, I don't know why the animals always have to start with Br'er.  Ruth Warrick, Luana Patten, Lucile Watson, Hattie McDaniel, Erik Rolf, Mary Field, and many others co-star in this live-action/animation blend.  This has always been very controversial and has never really gotten any sort of release.  This does take place post-slavery in the Reconstruction era, so this is one part of controversy is the portrayal of the African Americans and plantation life.  This was Baskett's last film, and he was great in this role along with his iconic song ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH.  I say it is time to get this movie a DVD release and it would be great to see it on Disney Plus at least.  While it is not on Disney Plus, I managed to find it on Internet Archive link https://archive.org/details/Songofthesouth4K.  

The Black Cop (2021):  I end with this documentary short which was directed by Cherish Oteka.  This takes a look at British police officer Gamal Turawa who is interviewed about his times in the force.  He speaks on how he was a black man who "wanted to be white" so would do things to fit in with his colleagues.  He slowly would learn it was not right to do that and speaks of his evolution through the years.  This is a pretty compelling short film which is available to watch on Youtube.

Well, that is it for this week, but I do have an additional section with a very unoriginal name so read on for some more.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for a couple weeks which so far include Laura Linney, Joel Edgerton, Will Ferrell, Christopher Lee, and many others.

BLACK LIVES MATTER- MOVIE EDITION

I decided on an additional segment for Black History Month.  I came up with the unoriginal name and added "movie edition" in hopes of avoiding lawsuits.  I have both feature and short films so read on and enjoy.

The Jacksons:  An American Dream (1992):  Karen Arthur directed this mini-series which takes a look at the Jackson family which would become known as the Jackson 5 and later the Jacksons.  Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs and Angela Bassett star as the parents Joseph and Katherine Jackson.  Joe would become a rather overbearing father unable to live his own dreams and would live vicariously through his own children.  Holly Robinson Peete, Margaret Avery, Bumper Robinson, Floyd Rogers Myers Jr., Monica Calhoun, Jason Weaver, Angel Vargas, Terrence Howard, Lanei Chapman, Elizabeth Narvaez, Billy Dee Williams, Vanessa Williams, Monica Allison, Danielle Nicolet, Wylie Draper, and many others co-star in this music biopic.  This centers a lot around the patriarch Joe Jackson and later Michael when he would look to go off on his own.  I will say I had not heard of Rebbie Jackson which was the older sister of the siblings.  I had only known of Latoya and Janet who had less focus.  Draper plays Michael when he is older and was remarkable and died of Leukemia the next year.  The other Michael Jackson actors Alex Burrall and Jason Weaver also do very well in his younger years.   Howard makes his film debut as Jackie Johnson.  Jermaine Jackson is portrayed real-life son Jermaine Jackson II from ages 13-17.  This is a really good biopic showing the rise of the Jackson brothers aka the Jackson Five.

The Queen of Basketball (2021):  This is a documentary short which was directed by Ben Proudfoot.  This takes a look at Lusia Harris who is interviewed and talks about her times in basketball.  She was a pioneer in women's basketball and holds the honor of scoring the first points in an Olympic basketball game.  This is some deserved exposure for someone going overlooked for many years.  This is available to watch on Youtube.  

Concussion (2015):  Peter Landesman directed this film based on GQ article GAME BRAIN by Jeanne Marie Laskas.  Will Smith stars as African immigrant Dr. Bennet Omalu who is living in Pittsburgh as a pathologist.  When legendary Steeler player Mike Webster, played by David Morse, dies, he uncovers what we now know as CTE.  When trying to convey these findings, he is met with a lot of pushbacks, most notably the higher-ups in the National Football League.  Alec Baldwin co-stars as Dr. Bailes who had worked in the NFL and agrees to help Omalu in his findings.  Albert Brooks, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Arliss Howard, Mike O'Malley, Eddie Marsan, Hill Harper, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Stephen Moyer, Richard T. Jones, Paul Reiser, Luke Wilson, Sara Lindsey, Matthew Willig, Elizabeth Tulloch, Gary Grubbs, L. Scott Caldwell, Holt McAllany, and many others co-star in this film.  This was a pretty good look at the start of what is now in the forefront in the way of CTE.  Smith was up to the game as Omalu so if you haven't cancelled Smith for his actions on the Oscars, this is really worth a look.

Walk For Me (2016):  Elegance Bratton wrote and directed this short film.  Aaliyah King stars as Hassan who is exploring their trans identity as a girl named Hanna.  Her world is turned upside down when her worlds on each side collide.  Akasha Barker, Brenda Holder, Dominique Jackson, and Yolonda Ross co-star in this short film.  This is a good coming of age sort of story in trying to understand one's identity.  This is available on the Criterion Channel.  

Harriet (2019):  Kasi Lemmons directed this biopic on the iconic historical figure Harriet Tubman.  Cynthia Erivo stars as Tubman who escaped slavery and saved many from it after her escape.  Janelle Monae, Leslie Odom Jr., Joe Alwyn, Clarke Peters, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Omar J. Dorsey, Henry Hunter Hall, Tim Guinee, Nick Basta, Joseph Lee Anderson, CJ McBath, Alexis Louder, Aria Brooks, Zachary Momoh, Daphne Reed, and many others co-star in this biopic.  I thought this was a pretty moving look at the heroic figure.  Erivo does a good job as Tubman and never really took note of Erivo until I saw WICKED.  This is available to watch on Hulu.  

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020):  George C. Wolfe directed this music biopic which is based on the play by August Wilson.  This is centered around a recording session which happened in 1927 at a recording studio in Chicago.  The band gathered there, but the legendary Ma Rainey, played by Viola Davis, was late and took charge as soon as she got to the studio.  Chadwick Boseman co-stars as ambitious trumpeter Levee and has a lot of disagreements with Ma to raise the tension already in the small room.  Glynn Turman, Colman Domingo, Michael Potts, Jeremy Shamos, Jonny Coyne, Taylour Paige, Dusan Brown, and many others co-star in this movie.  I honestly would not have recognized Boseman as he looked a lot different than his most famous role of Black Panther.  This is a good look at a pioneering black woman in the music industry and a good performance from Davis.  It is also interesting to see how recording was done in this era and how far we have come.  This is available to watch on Netflix. 

Barbershop (2002):  Tim Story directed this comedy about the day in the life of a Chicago barbershop.  Ice Cube stars as Calvin who inherited the struggling business from his father and sees it as mostly a burden.  He decides to sell it to the local loan shark Lester Wallace, played by Keith David.  When selling the shop, Calvin finally understands his father's vision of it being a great place of comradery and does what he can to get it back.  Cedric the Entertainer, Eve, Anthony Anderson, Sean Patrick Thomas, Troy Garity, Michael Ealy, Leonard Earl Howze, Jazsmin Lewis, Lahmard J. Tate, Tom Wright, Jason George, DeRay Davis, Sonya Eddy, and many others co-star in this comedy.  This delivers a lot of laughs and is a bit relatable in some ways of people having a place to go among friends even if they may disagree a bit.  Cedric the Entertainer was amusing as the elderly barber who never really seems to get any business and has some interesting views of historic black figures.  This is available to watch on Prime. 

One Night in Miami (2020):  Regina King makes her directorial feature film debut and is based on the play by Kemp Powers, who also wrote the screenplay.  This is a fictional account where Muhammed Ali, played by Eli Goree, Malcolm X, played by Kingsley Ben-Adir, Jim Brown, played by Aldis Hodge, and Sam Cooke, played by Leslie Odom Jr., meet up and have a discussion over their involvement in the civil rights movement in the '60s.  Lance Reddick, Christian Magby, Joaquino Kalukango, Nicolette Robinson, Michael Imperioli, Lawrence Gilliard Jr., Derek Roberts, Beau Bridges, Emily Bridges, Amondre D. Jackson, Hunter Burke, Robert Stevens Wayne, Randall Newsome, and many others co-star in this film.  This gets into some very deep and interesting discussion over their lives in this era.  I loved when Ali referenced wrestling legend Gorgeous George as an inspiration for his own persona.  This is a great movie to celebrate the month and has some very good performances.  This is available to watch on Prime, Freevee, Tubi, and Pluto TV.

First Match (2018):  Olivia Newman directed this independent film which centers around high school wrestling but that is far from what this movie is about.  Elvire Emanuelle stars as the troubled Mo who has spent years in foster care.  She tries to reconnect with her estranged father Darrel, played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen, who has just been released from prison.  Mo decides the best way for this is to join the boys' wrestling team.  Colman Domingo, Jharrel Jerome, Kim Ramirez, Jared Kemp, Mugga, Jimmy Gary Jr., Antonio Ortiz, Travis Raeburn, Allen Maldonado, Jeanette Branch, Eisa Davis, and many others co-star in this film.  Emanuelle does well as a young girl with both fatherly issues and anger issues.  This is a brutally honest character study on the character Mo.  It is not an inspiration formulaic story like it might come off.  This is available to watch on Netflix.

Lokoza (2017):  I'm ending with this short film which was written and directed by Isabelle Mayor and Zee Ntuli.  This takes place in South Africa where a young boy named Themba lives with his father near a local oil refinery.  He is secretly in love with his best friend of years Khanya, played by Thuso Mbedu, who has a boyfriend and he goes to extreme measures to get her back.  This is about 17 minutes long and a great contemporary story.  How fitting that I start this out with a mini-series with Mbedu and end with a short film of hers which was not intentional.  This is available to watch on Kanopy so check your local library to see if they use these services.