Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 161st Edition

Welcome to the 161st Edition of everyone's favorite weekly 10 movie recommendation blog. Last week I got a bit carried away with the Barrymores. This week, I only have one. I do not have anything from the Random Myspace Profile selection but there will be some next week. Four are planned but as always it is subject to change. Now I will shut up and just give you my ten recommendations for this week.

Sports Oddities (1949): This is my short film for the week which is one of those amusing little Pete Smith shorts where people play the sports for fun in a very odd and fun way. Pete Smith narrated many of these and did unusual topics from these. This one focused on fun ways of bowling, ice skating, among others. I got this from THAT MIDNIGHT KISS dvd from last week where I will have an animated short from it next week.

Explorers (1985): GREMLINS director Joe Dante directed this nice homage to the b-movie classics while still remaining a family friendly film. A young Ethan Hawke stars in this movie as Ben as an alien-obsessed kid. River Phoenix plays his kid scientist friend Wolfgang who along with their other friend Darren (Jason Presson) build a spaceship and encounter a group of aliens who seem to know a lot about our planet. This had a lot of funny moments and as Alice Cooper might put it on his radio show, a closet 80s classic. One of the many 80s films to make the parents look stupid. B-movie buffs will enjoy all the references and clips shown.

Rudy (1993): I chose my facebook friend Amanda for this one who I went to school with from Elementary school up to high school graduation. I must also pay tribute to actor Robert Prosky who has recently died. He played a small role of Father Cavanaugh. David Anspaugh directed and Angelo Pizzo wrote this wonderful football film based on a true story. They are the same guys from HOOSIERS. This movie takes place in my state of Indiana but more north of me and focuses on a real-life person named Rudy Ruettiger whose dream as a boy and growing up was go to Notre Dame and play football. He suffered from Dyslexia and struggled in school but never gave up even though he really had no athletic ability. He gets into Holy Cross and finally makes his way to Notre Dame and on the practice squad. Jon Favreau plays his tutor and friend who helps him get to Notre Dame. Charles S. Dutton plays the groundskeeper of the football field and gives him work while keeping him in line. When Rudy gets to the football field, he slowly wins the admiration of his coaching staff and team, even the top players, for his hard work ethic on the field. Sean Astin is great as Rudy, a man who was told he could never play football by everyone he knew but never gave up. The DVD I had of this movie had a really good short documentary which features the real person and him reflecting on the times and is actually an extra in the movie. I also liked seeing on how it shows that doing something seemingly little for someone can go a long way where in the documentary he credits everyone who helped him in his journey to play for Notre Dame. It was the first movie shot at Notre Dame since the 1940 film KNUTE ROCKNE: ALL AMERICAN. My dad cites this as the best sports movie of all time.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975): Milos Forman directed this groundbreaking and daring film at the time that takes place at a mental institution. Jack Nicholson plays the role of McMurphy, a rebellious patient who unites the others against the mean Nurse Ratched, played in a nice low-key performance by Louise Fletcher where the villainy is not real visible until you keep watching. The other patients are played by unknowns who at the time were people like Danny Devito, Christopher Lloyd, Brad Dourif who is most known as the voice of Chucky in the CHILD'S PLAY movies, and Vincent Schiavelli who went on to have a successful career as a character actor. This was originally a play which starred Kirk Douglas as McMurphy and never realized the involvement that he and son Michael Douglas had getting this to become a movie and how long it took. Sometimes I like a movie even more when I learn of the effort it takes to make it. The version I had has some nice extra features which document the effort and thought into the movie. See this iconic performance from Nicholson. Ken Kesey wrote the novel and did not like it but one where many disagreed.

Life after Tomorrow (2006): I got this documentary at the recent awards ceremony for the Anderson Mainstage Theater which was where I was in ANNIE. Julie Stevens directed this documentary where it takes a look at many of the girls in the 70s and their lives during and since then. It takes a look at the backstage parents, the difficult road schedule, among other things. Sarah Jessica Parker lends a lot of insight who played the title role when she was a child. I won't get too detailed with this one except that is not really a family film but still something interesting showing the backstage life in professional theater.

The New World (2005): Terrance Malick directed this version of the Pocahontas story. I seem to need two viewings out of him which I learned when I saw DAYS OF HEAVEN and this was the same. I saw it once, it was good but this time I saw so much more and the imagery was so beautiful and I liked the way much of it was shot from people's perspective and a limited dialogue. Colin Farrell plays explorer John Smith and Q'Orianka Kilcher plays the Native American Pocahontas were as the story goes saved the life of John Smith and forms a relationship. It has taken some criticism for the exaggeration of the relationship but what else are you going to do with Pocahontas and John Smith. This also shows her Americanization in the colony after leaving the tribe where she later marries John Rolfe, played in a lighter performance by Christian Bale, and spends her last days with the name Rebecca Rolfe. This is by no means the Disney film and is a lot sadder. I also feel this is the best performance from Colin Farrell.

Captains Courageous (1937): Victor Fleming directed this film based on the Rudyard Kipling story. Child star Freddie Bartholemew stars Harvey who is a spoiled rich kid who believes the world revolves around him. Melvyn Douglas stars as his father who finally realizes that he needs to get on his son more and takes him on a boat trip only for Harvey to fall out and be lost from his father. Spencer Tracy plays fisherman Manuel who takes him out of the boat and takes him to the fishing boad lead by the crusty Lionel Barrymore. Harvey at first like always feels he is the center of the world but very slowly begins to like it on there. Mickey Rooney co-stars as Barrymore's son and character actor John Carradine even co-stars. A great story, great performances make this a very fun and exciting movie to watch.

The Last Don (1997): I decided to use a tv mini-series for this one. This is a three-part mafia series based on the novel by GODFATHER author Mario Puzo. This is a great series which combines the Mafia, Vegas, and Hollywood. Danny Aiello plays the ruthless Don Clericuzio who is determined for his grand-children to not lead the life of him and his sons. However, a grandson as a result from the Santadio war makes that very difficult sparking a war between two cousins. Joe Mantegna is his nephew Pippi De Lena, who is his main hit-man and is like one of his children. Penelope Ann Miller is his wife who cannot shut her eyes to what she sees. Jason Gedrick plays Pippi's son Cross who does not want a big part in the mafia family but has his own thing going but uses the resources when necessary. Rory Cochrane plays Dante Clericuzio, the Don's kill-happy grandson. CHEERS alum Kirstie Allie is his mother who is driven out of her mind through the years. I read the book when it first came out and I have been acquainted with this mini-series from the beginning. One thing I like about Puzo is he writes a compelling story and has a lot of good characters. Daryl Hannah also co-stars as a big movie actress and Cross' love interest. It's interesting some of the people from tv shows we see like OZ and LAW AND ORDER: SVU alum Chris Meloni, Bruno Campos who was in NIP/TUCK for a season and on a 90s sitcom I liked called JESSE, SOPRANOS alum Vincent Pastore and even SAVED BY THE BELL alum Lark Vorhees. Also look for Burt Young, Robert Wuhl and even singer K.D. Lang. This is not near the caliber of THE GODFATHER but is a great for a tv series.

Carousel (1956): I am bringing in Rodgers and Hammerstein for this one. Gordon Macrae and Shirley Jones star as Billy Bigelow and Julie Jordan. Billy Bigelow is in the after-life and wants to go back down to earth to see his troubled family. He must tell the story of how he and Julie met, the mistakes he made and his death. Billy had trouble keeping a job and made other bad decisions and wants to make it up for his past decisions by going back down for a day. This is probably my favorite R & H music wise and the stars sing great and the whole cast bring this to life with some nice dance sequences. This was a bit over-shadowed at the time with the release of R & H's OKLAHOMA in 1955 and THE KING AND I in the same year.

Hercules (1958): I end this week with the strongman who is played by Steve Reeves this year. They did not have much budget for this and it showed but they did their best. If you want a big blockbuster, this is not it but it is something fun to get the friends together and watch it like MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000. The story is your basic Hercules story and something AMC seems to frequently show.

Well, that is the movie recommendations for the week. Stay tuned for next week when I will be featuring a cartoon short, a singer biopic, and a "miracle". Please leave your comments of what you like and don't like.

HONORABLE TV MENTION

Clerks (2000): This was a short-lived series following the great low-budget comedy in 1994. This lasted only six episodes and was done by Kevin Smith where he and Jason Mewes take the characters of Silent Bob and Jay as well as Brian O'Halloran and Jeff Anderson as the two clerks from the movie. This show really never had a chance in my opinion and it was nothing like the 1994 film or its sequel. I checked it out at the library so it might be something worth getting on Netflix. Only two episodes actually got aired on television.

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (2008): Joss Whedon wrote this series during the Writer's Strike when finding a way around it. There are three approximate 15-minute episodes which stars DOOGIE HOWSER alum Neil Patrick Harris as the title character who is determined to join the Evil League of Evil but falls in love with a nice girl named Penny, played by Felicia Day, but his plans are side-tracked when she falls for the egotistical Captain Hammer, played by FIREFLY alum Nathan Fillion. It's interesting on the way they position this for likability of the characters. Some may feel for the title character because he is up front about what he wants. It also has some pretty cool music numbers.

FUN LITTLE FACTS

My facebook and myspace friend Eric was an extra in RUDY.

Jack Nicholson (Cuckoo's Nest) played the Joker in the 1989 film BATMAN. Danny Devito (Cuckoo's Nest) plays the Penguin in the 1992 film BATMAN RETURNS. Christian Bale (the New World) plays Batman in 2005 film BATMAN BEGINS and the 2008 film THE DARK KNIGHT. I'll even include Robert Wuhl who was reporter Alexander Knox in the 1989 version.

My facebook and myspace friend Becca played Annie at the Muncie Civic Theater's version from last year. I figured I would share that since I featured LIFE AFTER TOMORROW.

Spencer Tracy (Captains Courageous) played Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde in the 1941 version. My facebook friend Matt played the role in the recent Muncie Civic Theater production of JECKYLL AND HYDE: THE MUSICAL.

LAST DON actors Danny Aiello was in the 1974 film THE GODFATHER PART II as one of the Rosato brothers, and Joe Mantegna was in the 1990 film THE GODFATHER PART III as the crooked Joey Zaza.

CAROUSEL'S Gordon Macrae and Shirley Jones played Curly and Laurie in the 1955 version of OKLAHOMA. My Facebook friends Corby and Jennifer played the roles in a production of the show last July which I was in.