Show Business: The Road to Broadway (2007): This documentary focuses on the 2004 season on Broadway and some risky selections. This first focuses on WICKED which as we know now is the back story of the Wicked Witch of the West which was its first year that included the icons Idina Menzel and Kristen Chenowith. There is a lot of discussion among critics and others on if this was a good idea or not and even opened to some mixed reviews but has gone on to become one of the popular musicals of our time. The next show we get a look into is TABOO which was a show written by Boy George and is based on his career. Rosie O'Donnell was the producer of this short lived musical which really lacked a demographic to stay on for a long period on Broadway. There is also discussion as to Rosie's controversy at the time was its downfall. The third musical that is looked upon is one called CAROLINE, OR CHANGE which was another acclaimed musical and I don't really know as much background on that one. The last one this focuses on is AVENUE Q which is a very adult oriented puppet show which was also a risk to put on Broadway but found a big audience. I thought AVENUE Q was the most interesting segments to watch in which the writers discuss the long term plans of their musical. WICKED and AVENUE Q are the ones I have seen a version of at some point. Both of which were very good and maybe someday I'll be a part of these. This was a very interesting look into the inner-workings of Broadway with interviews from Idina Menzel, Kristen Chenowith, Alan Cumming, and many others.
1968 with Tom Brokaw (2007): This is my second and last documentary for this week which was really a special on the History Channel. You can probably guess who hosts this documentary and shows footage of a similar story he did in the actual era. This is a really good look at the events of this chaotic year that included the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy. There is also really good interview footage with Bruce Springsteen, Michelle Phillips, Arlo Guthrie and many others. People from this era will love this and it is a very interesting documentary on the multiple events of that era.
The Negotiator (1998): Samuel L. Jackson stars in this intense action film as expert negotiator Danny Roman who is just getting it all together with his marriage is soon framed for murder of his partner. He soon takes a government office hostage in his desperation to prove his innocence and to prove an inside conspiracy. He soon acquires the services of rival negotiator Chris Sabian who does what he can to stop Roman and to convince that he is innocent. David Morse, Paul Giamatti, J.T. Walsh and many others co-star. This is a great thriller full of twists and turns with a good story.
Camouflage (1943): This is one of the animated shorts for this week which comes from a DVD my dad got for me for Christmas which features many war propaganda shorts from that era. In this one, a chameleon shows the army of how to hide in preparation for an attack. This was a great educational show and very politically incorrect with the Japanese so a very entertaining short from the era.
Mark of the Vampire (1935): This is my vampire film for the week. Bela Legosi, fresh off his DRACULA success, plays Count Mora who is believed to be a vampire feeding off the village. Lionel Barrymore plays Inspector Zelen who is brought onto investigate a murder but finds out not everything is what it seems. This was a pretty good entry into the genre and Barrymore was very good as Zelen while Legosi mostly continued his performance as Dracula but was good. This was available on my Pub-D-Hub app on my Roku player.
The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. (1953): This would have been perfect for last week and this came from another DVD my Dad got me which was a boxed set of Stanley Kramer's films he produced. Dr. Seuss actually wrote this screenplay as well as the music. Tommy Rettig plays Bart who is overwhelmed by his constant piano lessons. Hans Conried is the title character who is Bart's teacher and has play to make 500 boys to practice at his big piano for 24 hours. Bart soon does what he can to stop the evil plan. This is a pretty funny and dark film which has quite a set and some pretty good music numbers. This is one of the rare screenplays that Dr. Seuss wrote and is good for the family.
Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol (1962): This is another tv special and animated selection. I know it's past the season but when I found this on Instant Netflix I just could not pass it up. The senile Mr. Magoo plays Scrooge in a production. Now we get to see Magoo hate Christmas and be visited by the three ghosts. Fans of classic animation will love this. I know you might want to wait until Christmas of this year but will be a great addition to all the holiday specials for the families.
Howl's Moving Castle (2004): This is part one of a Christian Bale series which may be four parts. This is my anime selection being directed by Hayao Miyazaki. One of the first people we meet is Sophie who is an 18 year old girl but cursed by a witch to be an old woman. She soon sets out to reverse the curse which leads into the strange moving castle run by Howl, voiced in english by Christian Bale, who is a very shy wizard who is the only person that can break the curse. Miyazaki has done better but this one does not disappoint. This is available on Instant Netflix. Jean Simmons, Lauren Bacall, and Blythe Danner all lend their voices on this one. This is a pretty moving anime selection which the family can watch.
The Thing With Two Heads (1972): Ray Milland stars in this film as a successful doctor named Maxwell who is dying. He soon hatches a plan to have his head put on another body. In all the desperation, they get a black man, played by Rosey Grier named Jack, who is on death row and about to be executed. He does not know that the plans for him are to attach a second head so Jack wakes up with another head on him and also sets off to prove his innocence. Maxwell was very upset with the body selection due to his bigotry. If you're looking for great plot, this is not it but this is one to get all the friends together. THE SIMPSONS once spoofed this on one of their Halloween specials. Also note this is the same year FROGS came out which also starred Ray Milland who must not have gotten the best offers that year but still would make a good double feature. This is also available on Instant Netflix.
Superman/Shazam: The Return of Black Adam (2010): This is another animated short where Superman takes on a much more difficult villain in Black Adam that may be too much even for him. Black Adam's bigger target is Captain Marvel whose torch is past through the aging Shazam to a young boy who must learn his new destiny. Together they must take down the murderous Black Adam. This was only 24 minutes but packs in a lot of good action with a great addition to the great DC animated films. I know a lot of people hate Superman for his near invulnerability but this one shows him more challenged and might be a more likable one than others. This is available on Instant Netflix which includes three other shorts from other superheroes.
Well, that is it for this week. Tell me what you like and what you hate. Stay tuned for next week which so far includes more Christian Bale, Jack Nicholson, and many others.
FUN AND USELESS FACTS
Kevin
Spacey and Samuel L. Jackson of this week's feature THE NEGOTIATOR
co-starred in the 1996 film A TIME TO KILL where Spacey was the
prosecutor in a controversial murder trial with Jackson as the defendant
David
Morse and Paul Giamatti of this week's feature THE NEGOTIATOR were our
first two presidents George Washington and John Adams in the 2008 HBO
mini-series JOHN ADAMS.
Kevin Spacey (Negotiator) played Superman's (Superman/Shazam) main arch-enemy Lex Luthor in the 2006 film SUPERMAN RETURNS
Lionel
Barrymore (Mark of the Vampire) played Ebenezer Scrooge for many years
on a radio version of A CHRISTMAS CAROL. Jim Backus voiced Mr. Magoo
who in this special played Scrooge in this week's feature MR. MAGOO's
CHRISTMAS CAROL.
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