Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 366th Edition

Welcome to the 366th Edition of my series. I now have a three-way tie going in my division of Fantasy Football and am on top due to points. I hope to continue my current four game win streak. This week is Thanksgiving and I hope everyone has a good Thanksgiving. I am just going to let know that I am thankful for a great family, great friends, and for the things I am most proud of like this blog, the acting I have done, my ring announcing in the world of professional wrestling, and even the photography I have been doing. I will now get onto my selections for this week.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012): When I was in Columbus, Indiana, I checked out their independent movie theater the Yes Cinema and thought this might be interesting. Something rare in the film industry where the author of the novel, Stephen Chbosky, wrote the screenplay and directed the film. Logan Lerman stars as introverted freshman Charlie who is still coping with a suicide of his friend as well as his own mental illness. He also tries to prepare himself for the hazing from the seniors. He soon meets a senior named Patrick as well as his senior stepsister Sam, played by post-Harry Potter Emma Watson, who become friends to him. Watson shows she is far more than Hermione in a really good performance. Charlie soon forms a liking for Sam despite their age difference and a dark past that she has had. Paul Rudd, Dylan McDermott, and Joan Cusack all co-star. I liked Cusack's more low key than usual performance. I have not read the book since I am not much of a reader, though I'm trying to get into reading. In watching the movie, I really enjoyed it and if the book got butchered, it is the fault of the author who probably thought he is the only one who would know his vision so took it upon himself to do the inevitable film. I remember my freshman year and how difficult it was so many can relate to the Charlie character as well as the other two characters. There are also some great references to THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW. There is also a good soundtrack with songs from people like The Smiths so where can you go wrong when the Smiths are featured in a soundtrack? These are the kinds of movies I want to support in the movie theaters.

In Good Company (2004): This is part one of a two-part Scarlett Johansson series. Now I bring this workplace comedy from the Weitz Brothers and this may hit home with some. Dennis Quaid stars as Dan who is a 51 year old executive who has been with his company for many years and learns his company is being restructured. He is soon demoted and gets Carter, a 26 year old as his new boss. THAT 70S SHOW alum Topher Grace plays Carter who tries to still make Dan feel he is included. One interesting element is that it shows these two characters kind of paralleling each others. Dan is dealing with the news that he will become a father again as well as his daughter going to a far more expensive school. We then see Carter who is moving up very fast in the corporate world but finds that it is not all it is cracked up to be and is dealing with a divorce. Just when things could not become more complicated, Dan finds out his daughter Alex, played by Scarlett Johansson, is dating Carter. Marg Helgenberger, David Paymer, Philip Baker Hall, Selma Blair, and Malcolm McDowell have parts. McDowell is uncreditted and this would have been a great loophole in The Madness if I had known about it. This is a pretty decent comedy on the corporate world that can be realistic.

Rudo Y Cursi (2008): This is my Mexican movie for the week which takes place in the world of Soccer. Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal star as brothers of the title nicknames whose names are Beto and Tato. They are in a lower-class close knit family and play local games of soccer a lot. They are soon discovered by a talent scout named Batula who recruits them in a professional league with each going to different teams. In their new found fame and money, each of them give into different temptations. Beto develops a gambling addiction and Tato dates a model and his publicity is affecting his play especially when he sees his fiance with another man. This is a good foreign sports film of showing what can happen when losing focus of what is more important at the time. This is another good blend of comedy and drama that my first two choices have displayed.

A Knight for a Day (1946): This is my Disney short for the week which features Goofy. This takes place in the middle ages where Goofy is a lowly squire named Cedric whose master Sir Loinsteak becomes subdued and he takes his place against champion Sir Cumference with some comical results. This is a good Disney short and should be viewed if you can get it.

You Only Live Twice (1967): Now I bring some James Bond into the picture being played by Sean Connery. Agent 007 must investigate abductions of space shuttles before a war breaks out. Bond works with the Japanese secret service to investigate these findings which lead to the terrorist organization the SPECTRE. This time Bond gets some beautiful Japanese girls played by Akiko Wakabayashi and Mie Hama. Karin Dor plays a good female villain working for SPECTRE. Donald Pleasance plays Ernst Stavro Blofeld and is the first time they show the character's face. It is also the model for Dr. Evil in the Austin Powers movies. Charles Gray plays a character named Mr. Henderson and would go onto play Blofeld in the 1971 James Bond film DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER. This is not the greatest Conney Bond or Bond but still has some good moments to make this enjoyable in my view.

The Story of Temple Drake (1933): This movie is based on the William Faulkner novel called SANCTUARY. Miriam Hopkins plays the title character who is rather rebellious and is loved by good hearted attorney Stephen Benbow, played by William Gargon, but she does not love him enough. She soon ends up at a house of a gang of bootleggers who soon rape her and make her a sex slave. Soon, one of the members is killed but not by the person accused and Stephen defends that person slowly seeing what Temple has become. Jack La Rue plays the leader of the gang named Trigger. This was already a controversial book and was a controversial decision just to do the movie even before the Hayes code. This was a very well done movie that while controversial was still a good story. I usually enjoy these types of movies from that era the most. Hopkins was very good as the title character.

The Epic Journey of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson (2012): I decided to do a WWE documentary this week. For those of you who do not know, that actor Dwayne Johnson was a big star in the World Wrestling Federation which then become World Wrestling Entertainment. This documentary briefly touches upon his childhood being born into a wrestling family consisting of his grandfather "High Chief" Peter Maivia and his father Rocky Johnson. It then touches some of his college football background when he was on the Miami Hurricanes and was then on the practice squad on the Canadian Football League. It was soon after that when Johnson decided to go into wrestling following in his family's footsteps. It leaves out the time he was in the United States Wrestling Association which I'm aware he used a name called Flex Kavana. It starts with his debut in SURVIVOR SERIES '96 where takes the name Rocky Maivia and is the winner. He starts out as a babyface, a wrestling term for good guy, but crowds would always boo him, maybe because he just tried too hard to be good. He then became popular when he did a heel turn, a bad guy in wrestling terminology, and then won the fans over with his work on the microphone where he became very entertaining making fans want to watch every week. He would soon be known for many different catchphrases. It focuses a lot on his feuds with people like Mankind, Triple H, Stone Cold Steve Austin and even Hulk Hogan. In time through his career he decided to pursue the film industry and slowly left wrestling to make movies but making occasional appearances. There was a lot left out but I guess they just wanted to choose the most important things to make it two hours. Now I know a lot of wrestling fans criticized his move into acting but I know being involved in the industry that it can really take a toll being on the road all the time and while it is choreographed, taking falls onto that wrestling ring can really take a toll on the body. This includes interviews from his parents, his ex-wife Dany, Triple H, Chris Jericho, Vince McMahon, and many others. This is probably for mostly wrestling fans and always enjoy featuring these documentaries from time to time.

Pardners (1956): This is part two of my two-part Dean Martin series. Last week, I featured him with his Rat Pack actors Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. This time he is in his famous comedy duo with Jerry Lewis. Lewis plays spoiled rich boy Wade Kingsley Jr. and Dean Martin plays rancher Slim Mosely Jr. whose fathers were partners and were murdered. Wade does not want the life his mother wants for him and wants so bad to be a cowboy and Slim is experiencing financial trouble getting help from Wade and becoming unexpected partners. They have done better work than this but this is not a bad western parody. I liked the beginning where they played their fathers. I checked this out at a library which features Lewis and Martin. This is one of the last great comedy duos and one to take a look upon.

Black Sunday (1960): This is my Italian Horror film for the week directed by Mario Bava i. Barbara Steele stars as Princess Asa Vajda who was executed as a witch and many years later returns from the grave hoping to take the body of a lookalike descendant also played by her. This movie has a great opening scene that gets right to the point and is a great horror films becoming one of the most iconic horror films. Barbara Steele is also a very iconic female horror villain. This movie conveys a lot of very disturbing images without showing a lot of violence. This is available on Instant Netflix and a very important entry into Gelato.

The Aura (2005): This is my Argentinian film for the week. Ricardo Darin stars as Esteban who is a taxidermist. He has always dreamed about committing the perfect crime and believes that the cops and criminals are both stupid when it comes to heists. He is soon invited to a hunting trip and finds the opportunity to finally create this perfect crime. He also soon finds out that nothing is as easy as it seems when he gets to the real thing. This was a very clever film with a great performance from Darin. This is available on Instant Netflix and is a must if you do not mind subtitles.

Well, that is it for this week. Tell me what you like and what you dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Monica Bellucci, and many others. Continue to read as I have added some to this one.

FUN AND USELESS FACTS

I haven't really done this in a while but decided I wanted to do it. If you find your own fun and useless fact just go ahead and comment as I'm sure I missed many.

Marg Helgenberger (In Good Company) and Dylan McDermott (The Perks of Being a Wallflower) were in in the 1994 movie THE COWBOY WAY.

Philp Baker Hall (In Good Company) and Joan Cusack (The Perks of Being a Wallflower) were in the 1999 movie CRADLE WILL ROCK.

Philip Baker Hall (In Good Company) did some guest spots on the tv series THE PRACTICE which starred Dylan McDermott (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

Malcolm McDowell (In Good Company) plays Dr. Loomis in the Rob Zombie era of HALLOWEEN. Donald Pleasance (You Only Live Twice) was the first Dr. Loomis starting in the 1978 film HALLOWEEN.

Malcolm McDowell (In Good Company) provides the voice for Professor Moriarty in the 2010 movie TOM AND JERRY MEET SHERLOCK HOLMES. My Facebook friend Sean played the part of Professor Moriarty in a Muncie Civic Theater version of SHERLOCK HOLMES.

Sean Connery (You Only Live Twice) and Dennis Quaid (In Good Company) team up in the 1996 film DRAGONHEART

Sean Connery (You Only Live Twice) plays King Arthur in the 1995 film FIRST KNIGHT. Malcolm McDowell (In Good Company) plays the part in the 1985 movie ARTHUR THE KING.

Donald Pleasance (You Only Live Twice) plays Dr. Seward in the 1979 film DRACULA. My Facebook friend Kevin played the part in a production of Muncie Civic Theater.

Charles Gray (You Only Live Twice) plays the narrator in THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW. My Facebook friend Joe played the part in a production at the Muncie Civic Studio Theater.

Miriam Hopkins (The Story of Temple Drake) plays Ivy Pearson in the 1931 film DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE. My Facebook friend Nikki played the part of Lucy Harris which is equivalent of Ivy in a Muncie Civic Theater production of JEKYLL AND HYDE: THE MUSICAL.