Welcome
to the 232nd Edition of my long running series. This week I pay tribute
to the late Corin Redgrave. Yesterday I went to Shelbyville with my mom
to try out for WHEEL OF FORTUNE. The way their process works is that
you fill out a form to put in a drawing. They then draw five names at a
time so they can tell a little bit about themselves and they do a brief
puzzle. In that only so many names get drawn so my name was not drawn
nor was my mom's name. I had no idea it is easier to get on AMERICA'S
GOT TALENT than it is some game show. Now let's get on to my selections
for the week.
Doubt (2008): This is apossibly part one of a five
part Meryl Streep series but this is very subject to change for right
now. Philip Seymour Hoffman stars as the charismatic Father Flynn who is
not favorable to the strict customs of the catholic school. Meryl
Streep stars as the very strict principal Sister Aloysius Beauvier who
becomes very suspicious of Flynn's interest in a young, black child
making her believe that there is more to Flynn just wanting him to feel
accepted. She does everything she can to uncover proof of her
suspicions. Amy Adams co-stars as Sister James who kind of gets this
guilt started. Streep and Adams would go on to star in JULIE AND JULIA
together. I really liked Meryl Streep's performance in this movie and if
I did not know that she was in this movie, I may not have recognized
her. This is a very interesting look at scandal in a catholic school and
the price of suspicion without proof.
An Officer and a Gentleman
(1982): I suppose you could say this is a movie about learning to grow
up. Richard Gere stars as Zack Mayo who is a rebellious loner and
decides to join the Navy after tiring of his life leading to nowhere and
his distant father who did not teach him much. When getting to boot
camp, he sees it will not be easy under his instructor Sergeant Foley,
played very well by Louis Gossett Jr. in possibly his best performance
in his career. Debra Winger co-stars as Paula who attends a lot of Navy
functions hoping to meet a guy and meets Zack. Foley teaches Zack about
discipline becoming kind of a father he never had type person but it was
not easy. This movie is a love story but it is far more than that in my
opinion with a good performance from Richard Gere. This is one of many
films that John Travolta turned down and Richard Gere obtained which
does not sound like a big deal but Travolta would usually go on to be in
something far worse.
Lost Boys of Sudan (2003): This is my
documentary for the week which I know my dad likes me to have in this
blog. I got this from Netflix and it focuses on a couple of refugees
named Peter and Santino from Sudan who are brought to live in America.
They were orphaned as children in a civil war in Africa and chose along
with many others to come to America. Then, they must learn to adapt to
the difficult life in American society. This is from the film company
Docu-Rama which puts out some pretty good things and I hope to get this
documentary more exposure. This is a real-life story on the American
dream becoming far more difficult that it was cracked up to be.
A
Man For All Seasons (1966): This is my tribute to the late Corin
Redgrave who plays Roper in this movie. This is also part two of likely
two of a Leo McKern series whose movie A FOREIGN FIELD was featured last
week and he plays Cromwell in this one. This is possibly part one of a
two-part Vanessa Redgrave series who makes a cameo here as Anne Boleyn. I
guess this is my second film of the week centered a lot around
Catholicism. Paul Scofield stars as Sir Thomas More, a counselor to
Henry the 8th, played by Robert Shaw. Henry is determined to divorce his
wife so that he can wed again to his mistress Anne Boleyn. The only
problem is that Thomas More refuses to sign a treaty due to his beliefs.
This is a great portrait on Thomas More who always stood up for his
beliefs. Orson Welles, Wendy Hiller, Susanna York, John Hurt, and many
others co-star.
Black Hawk Down (2001): This is part two of
possibly three for an Orlando Bloom series whose movie LORD OF THE
RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING was featured last week and has a
pretty small role in this one as Blackburn. This is my war movie for the
week directed by Ridley Scott which details a an American mission in
Somalia in hopes to capture two top lieutenants of a Somali warlord.
They then find themselves in some brutal gunfire between the gunmen and
Somalis. This was a very good portrayal of a real life disaster and has
quite the all-star cast with Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor, Sam Sheperd,
Eric Bana, Tom Sizemore, and many others. This is a favorite of our
former president George W. Bush. There is some very realistic action
scenes and good performances in what went down as one of the great war
movies of the era.
Death of a Cyclist (1955): This is my foreign
language film for the week that I found on TCM. Juan Antonio Bardem
directed and co-wrote the screenplay. This movie shows a couple who is
having a secret affair and end up striking a biker. Both people here
have a lot to lose and do not want to be exposed therefore they leave
the cyclist to die. This shows both people dealing with what they did
and what they must do to avoid being exposed. I thought this movie moved
along pretty well and shows that actions have consequences.
Love
(1919): This is my silent short for the week which stars comedy legend
Fatty Arbuckle. He plays a poor but hard-working farmer who is in love
with his neighbor Winnie. Her family is arranging for her to marry a
rich man named Al, played by Fatty's comedy co-star Al St. John, making
Fatty go to hilarious lengths to win over Winnie. This was a pretty
funny 23 minutes of a forgotten comedy legend.
Sleeper (1973):
This is a futuristic comedy from Woody Allen. He plays Miles, a clarinet
player who owns a healthfood store but then becomes frozen. 200 years
later he becomes unfrozen by anti-government radicals hoping he will
help overthrow an oppressed government. Diane Keaton plays his love
interest who forms a very uneasy relationship with Miles. There are a
lot of really good comedy bits like with a big banana and his posing of a
robot. Woody also wrote the jazzy music score. This is probably my
favorite from Woody Allen along with TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN.
Hell
Town (1937): With the lack of time I had in the show I am in, I had to
resort to the boxed set of much older films from John Wayne. John plays
Dare, a gambling cowboy who takes a liking to his cousin's girlfriend
but must still deal with cattle rustlers and crooked cardsharps. I will
be the first to say, I am not as big of a fan of the Duke as a lot of
people and I am glad this was only 59 minutes but it is always
interesting to see how Wayne started and has pretty good presence here.
White
Fang (1991): This is my live-action Disney movie for the week which
they have been showing a lot on WGN lately and I needed a movie from the
90s so I settled upon this one. This is based on the novel by Jack
London. This movie takes place during the Yukon gold rush where Ethan
Hawke stars as Jack Conroy, a young person in search of gold who forms a
relationship with a wolf-dog of the title name. Klaus Maria Brandauer
plays his very respectful partner. Much of this is based on the events
the wolf must go through. White Fang is captured and put in an illegal
dog fighting competition where Jack years later saves White Fang but
must work very hard to form the bond they once had due to many years of
fighting and people being cruel to him. There is an immediate disclaimer
in the beginning of the film which assures that no animals were harmed
in this production. I always sympathize with an animal going through
hardship so I really liked this movie. It probably is not for younger
children though, maybe late elementary age. The dog in the movie is
named Jed and has been in other movies like John Carpenter's THE THING.
Well,
that is it for this week. Let me know what you like and what you hate.
Stay tuned for next week which so far includes the late John Forsyth,
Anthony Quinn, Frances McDormand, Akira Kurasowa, LOST alum Terry
O'Quinn and many others.
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