Welcome to the 354th Edition of my series. I am now back in Indiana
after having a great week in Philadelphia. I went and visited my
friends Ashley and Stephen. I got to see the Rocky statue which was my
number one obsession while out there. Other than that, I just had good
times with friends and meeting some of their family. Now I am back in
the real world so I guess the watching movies part is pretty cool but
hope to go back there someday. I will now get to my selections for the
week.
Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten (2007):
This is my documentary for the week which is based on the lead singer of
The Clash which are known for songs like ROCK THE CASBAH and LONDON
CALLING. I have always liked their music but until I saw this
documentary knew nothing about Strummer. This was put out four years
after his death and focuses on many events in his life like forming the
Clash and his post-times as an activist and his later band Joe Strummer
and the Mescaleros. I really did not know what to expect except knowing
some things would be said about The Clash but it is way more than the
Clash and a very insightful and inspiring documentary just about anyone
can enjoy. The only thing I was slightly bothered by was that on the
people speaking there were no names indicating who they were but
something I allowed to pass due to the quality of the documentary.
All-Star
Superman (2011): This is one of my animated selections for the week
and as you might guess is about Superman. In this one, Superman saves a
crew of a manned mission on to be exposed to solar radiation which Lex
Luthor sets him up to do. He soon learns that he is dying but still
must stop Lex from his global domination. I know a lot of people hate
Superman for his invulnerability and limited weakness but I thought this
was real good in presenting to Superman a new challenge. It was also
good in Superman trying to do things before his death. This might be
one that even non-Superman fans can enjoy.
Tinker Bell
(2008): This is my Disney selection for the week which focuses on the
backstory of Peter Pan's famed fairy friend. She is born in the Pixie
Hollow and becomes a tinker fairy. She does not like her standing
because she must stay there and cannot enter the mainland so sets out to
find ways to fit in so she can do more. When doing this, she creates
more disaster than anything so sets out to redeem herself. Mae Whitman,
Kristin Chenoweth, Raven-Symone, Lucy Liu, Angelica Huston, and many
others lend their voices to this film. This is a pretty good direct to
video movie that the family can enjoy. A good family double feature
could be this along with PETER PAN.
Porky's Hare Hunt
(1938): This is my animated short for the week and the last of my
animated selections for the week. This animated short features Porky
Pig as a hunter going after a rabbit which is the first model for Bugs
Bunny. In this, the rabbit has a totally different look and voice but
is considered to be the first Bugs Bunny cartoon of the icon. The voice
is very interesting and I believe the people who created the character
of Woody Woodpecker saw this and really liked the laugh on the bunny as
it sounds exactly like Woody. This is a good, classic animation short
and the start of big things for Merry Melodies.
Bruce
Lee: The Man, the Myth (1976): This is actually a biopic on Bruce Lee
shot shortly after his death. Lee impersonator Bruce Li plays him.
This shows Lee from his beginnings, to his move to the United States up
to his death focusing on his martial arts, film career, and family.
This movie appears to be a bit fictional which is probably to be
expected. It was pretty entertaining and nothing horrible. Lee fans
will be of most interest.
Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fair
(1952): This is the fourth of the popular series where parents of 15,
in this movie 14, children from a farm win a contest to be in a fancy
house, which was shown in the first film. In this one, their daughter
is grown up and going to school. The parents soon enter the county fair
hoping to win the necessary money in order to get her there. Ma
competes in baking and Pa competes in the horse races which lead into
some pretty comical results. This is a pretty decent entry into the
popular comedy series of films of that era which just about anyone can
get into.
Death at a Funeral (2007): This is my
British comedy for the week which was directed by Frank Oz. Matthew
Macfadyen stars as Daniel whose father has died and he must make the
funeral arrangements. Many things go wrong in the funeral like the
undertaker botching a job, the return of his selfish brother, a cousin's
fiance who accidentally ingested drugs, and a dwarf, played by Peter
Dinklage, who comes with quite a secret. There is a really good opening
sequence, then lead into some very good characters with good
performances. There is an American version in 2010 which I have not
seen but surely it does not top this great comedy. This is available on
Instant Netflix.
The Big Combo (1955): This is my
film noir for the week. Cornel Wilde stars as hard-nosed police
lieutenant Diamond who is determined to bring down suspected mob boss
Mr. Brown, played by Richard Conte. He is soon ordered to stop his
investigation due to the money the precinct is losing. He soon makes
one last attempt by going after Brown's girlfriend Susan, played by Jean
Wallace. Wilde is great in his role as a righteous cop but willing to
cross lines to get Brown. This is a very dark film noir but very
compelling. This is one of those very forgotten film noirs so if this
is your genre, here is one to see.
Rodan (1956): This
is my Japanese monster classic for the week. This is a giant
prehistoric reptile who is terrorizing the town after being waken in a
mine. This is one that is not quite as iconic as Godzilla, Mothra, and
King Ghidorah but deserves his place in history with these creatures.
This is not for everyone but is a fun movie to watch, especially for
fans of the genre. This is available on Instant Netflix.
Where
the Heart Is (2000): I end with this inspirational film from Matt
Williams and based on the novel by Billie Letts. Natalie Portman stars
as Novalee Nation who is a pregnant 17 year old heading to California
with her boyfriend who is looking to pursue a music career. She is soon
abandoned at a Wal-Mart in Oklahoma giving birth to the "Wal-Mart
baby". She soon tries to rebuild her life and in the process meets many
eccentric but very kind strangers to become her new family when they
seemed to be the only ones she trusted. This is a very good date movie
and I suppose chick flick but remains enjoyable in my opinion with all
the well-written characters and performances. This is also available on
Instant Netflix.
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