Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 175th Edition

Welcome to the 175th Edition of my long running series. This week I chose one for the Random Myspace Profile selection, next week will not have any and in the 177th Edition, I will start with 9 new ones but don't know how many will end up in the 177th. I hope everyone is having a good week. Let's get you the movies for this week...

 

Road House (1989): I chose this due to the recent death of the mother of wrestler Terry Funk who had a small part as a bouncer. Patrick Swayze stars as Dalton, a bouncer who is hired to tame a rough bar the Double Deuce, a small town bar that has gotten too rough lately. Dalton then finds himself having problems with the town mobster Brad Wesley, who him and his henchmen run the town with force. He then sets his sights on a beautiful woman, played by Kelly Lynch, and saving the town. Sam Elliot co-stars as Dalton's bouncer friend who comes to give him some help. Singer Jeff Healey plays a nightclub singer and Terry Funk is fun in his small role. This is one of those those movies I say could only work in the 80s, a remake would be a bad idea. Nice b-movie action film.

Recount (2008): This is my Golden-Globe winning HBO film for the week which takes a look at the aftermath of the 2000 election in Florida between Al Gore and George W. Bush. When Gore was just about to concede the election to Bush on account of electoral votes, his guys find something strange in the voting and set out to try to get a recount of all the votes. Kevin Spacey plays Ron Klain who has been hired for Gore's campaign even after being fired by him at one time and reluctantly takes the lead in the big Florida campaign. Laura Dern is great as Katherine Harris who does what she can to keep Bush in office and wins a lot of wanted and unwanted fam in the job she has and her personality. Bob Balaban, Ed Begley Jr., John Hurt, and many others co-star in this compelling tv movie showing how cuthroat politics can be and what both sides are willing to do in order to stay on top. BUFFY alum Danny Strong actually wrote the script.

Meet John Doe (1941): I bring you some Frank Capra this week. Gary Cooper is Long John, a bum who needs money and Barbara Stanwyck is Ann Mitchell, a reporter who hires him to become the "John Doe" character who threatens to jump off a bridge on a certain date out of protest. People begin to take him seriously starting quite a political movement but really getting to Long John. This is something that is quite difficult to explain but it has an interesting social commentary and is quite enjoyable with Cooper and Stanwyck.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005): I now bring you part 27 of the Random Myspace Profile selection and for this one I choose Cool Celebrations. Only here does someone make a random list going from Capra to Tim Burton. I much prefer the Gene Wilder version but I still hold a liking to this version. Johnny Depp puts his weird spin on the character of Willy Wonka and Burton puts his own spin on it with the usual Danny Elfman with the music score. We all know the story here, Mr. Wonka puts out 5 golden tickets all over the world to take a tour of his chocolate factory and for the winner to get a lifetime supply of chocolate. Charlie is our main person who is poor but very proud and loves his family. The other four children are just plain spoiled. Christopher Lee has an interesting role as Wonka's father and Freddie Highmore is Charlie.

Minnie the Moocher (1932): This is my short film for the week which shows Cab Calloway in the beginning singing his title song and then going into the Betty Boop short. In this Betty and Bimbo the Dog run away from home with Betty thinking her parents are too strict but sees that the outside is not much better leading up to quite a musical number with the final song. I was a bit disturbed by the singing and dancing walrus that was meant to resemble the movements of Cab Calloway.

Pi (1998): The Facebook friend I chose for this week is Tom, the original owner of the Blue Bottle. Darren Aronofsky directed this mind-boggling film which stars Sean Gullette as Maximillian Cohen a paranoid schizophrenic who is trying to uncover the understanding of all existance in this strange world and is starting to stray from reality. In his quest, he has a religious sect and a Wall Street firm that wants his information. Mark Margolis is Maximillian's professor friend. There is not much more that can be said on here without really giving things away.

When a Woman Ascends the Stairs (1960): This is my Japanese movie for the week which centers around a middle-aged geisha named Mama, otherwise known as Keiko. She is a waitress who must choose between getting married to a wealthy man or buying a bar of her own. It is a very interesting character study showing how society can continue to destruct one person who for various reasons keeps falling in debt and interesting to see something in that year in Japan centering around someone who does not know if she wants marriage. Very though provoking film definetly worth a look.

Million Dollar Baby (2004): I brought in Clint Eastwood for this one and many may not feel he deserves the credit he does but I am not one of them. In my own mind, Clint Eastwood is one of the greatest and this one here proves it. This is the second time I have seen this movie and I liked it the first time but I watched it this time and saw something totally different moving it up more. Eastwood is an aging boxing manager named Frankie Dunn who tends to become very over-protective of his fighters which forces one of his fighters who is getting bigger to go to a more crooked promoter to get teh title match. One day in his gym he sees a girl practicing and wants him to train her. He turns her away at first citing he does not train girls but through her persistance and the appeals of his friend Eddie, played very well by Morgan Freeman, who is a former fighter and lives at the gym, he finally takes her on as his protege. Hilary Swank plays Maggie, a waitress who really has nothing and despite being in her 30s wants to learn boxing. She learns a lot from Frankie and he even becomes kind of a father figure in her life. With these three stars, this movie works so well. The ending is quite unexpected and I even liked the very end when it shows why Morgan Freeman provides the narration. Clint Eastwood directed this film that contains a lot of boxing scenes but has little to do with boxing.

Your Past is Showing (1957): This movie focuses on a tabloid reporter named Nigel Dennis, played by Dennis Price who blackmails his victims in exchange for money. Then some of his victims decide to try to kill him but fail in many funny ways Terry-Thomas and Peter Sellers are two of the people tryng to do it. Sellers is great as always and had many disguises to fool others. This is a good, dark British comedy so if you like that kind of comedy, this one is worth a try.

West Side Story (1961): I end with this musical based loosely on ROMEO AND JULIET. In here we have the Jets and the Sharks. Richard Beymer plays Tony, one of the Jets, who does not really seem to fit in a lot with the gang. The Sharks are a bunch of Puerto Ricans led by Bernardo, played by George Chakiris, whose sister, played very well by Natalie Wood, meets Tony much to the dismay of the rest of the Sharks. Bernardo might be based on the Tybalt character in R & J. OZ alum Rita Moreno plays Anita, the more tough of the females but still honorable. This is a much different musical, especially for that time and even has some good anti-hatred messages at the end.

 

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you love and what you hate and stay tuned next week which will include Robert Mitchum, Steve McQueen, a Grindhouse film, the Three Stooges, and Ellen Page.

FUN LITTLE FACTS

Sam Elliot (Road House) played Wild Bill Hickok in 1995 tv movie BUFFALO GIRLS and Gary Cooper played the same role in the 1936 film THE PLAINSMAN

Theater connections to CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY with my good friends from myspace and facebook.
-Sean played Willy Wonka in a Muncie Civic Theater production which we all know Johnny Depp was in this week's feature
-Missy played Mrs. Bucket in the same production which we all know Helena Bonham Carter plays the role in this week's feature.
-Lauren, Missy's daughter, played Veruca Salt in that production, was she doing a great acting job or playing herself? Just kidding, she is a nice girl playing a spoiled child.
-Bill played Grandpa George in a recent version at The Artist's Studio in Fishers
-Wes, Bill's son, was the head Oompa Loompa in the production

Johnny Depp (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) played Sweeney Todd in the 2007 film SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET and my facebook friend Rick played the role in a stage production at Anderson Mainstage Theater and was nothing short of phenomenal.

Helena Bonham Carter (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) played Elizabeth in the 1994 film MARY SHELLEY'S FRANKENSTEIN and my facebook and myspace friend Lisa played the role in a Muncie Civic Theater production that I was in.

My Facebook friend Kayla would like Helena Bonham Carter (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) to play her in THE RISE AND FALL OF SHAUN BERKEY

Christopher Lee (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) played Uncle Drosselmeyer in the 1979 film NUTCRACKER FANTASY. I played the role in a version in Muncie for the Muncie Ballet Studio company and my facebook and myspace friend Eric has played the part in Anderson. Wow I did not know I had that in common with Christopher Lee.

Christopher Lee (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) has played the role of Dracula many times and my once mentioned friend Sean played the role at a Muncie Civic Theater production. A rare time where I mention a facebook or myspace friend twice.

Christopher Lee (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) played the role of Dr. Fu Manchu many times and Peter Sellers (Your Past is Showing) plays the role in the 1980 film THE FIENDISH PLOT OF FU MANCHU

James Bond Franchise
-Christopher Lee (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) was the main villain in 1974 film THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN
-Peter Sellers (Your Past is Showing) played James Bond in the 1967 James Bond spoof CASINO ROYALE
-Shirley Eaton (Your Past is Showing) was "golden girl" Jill Masterson in the 1964 film GOLDFINGER. Let's set a record straight here, she did not die of the gold paint being put on her like many believe, sorry to spoil your thoughts.
-Michael Brennan (Your Past is Showing uncredited) plays Janni, one of Emilio Largo's henchmen in the 1965 film THUNDERBALL.

Mark Margolis (Pi) played mob boss Antonio Nappa in the HBO series OZ and Rita Moreno played the role of Sister Peter Marie, the prison counselor and nun.

Morgan Freeman (Million Dollar Baby) has cited Gary Cooper (Meet John Doe) as an inspiration.

YOUR PAST IS SHOWING actors Peter Sellers and Dennis Price have both played the King of Hearts.
-Sellers played the role in the 1966 ALICE IN WONDERLAND episode of THE WEDNESDAY PLAY
-Price played the role in the 1972 film ALICE IN WONDERLAND

WEST SIDE STORY
-When I was in High School, they did a version of it.
--My Facebook friend Josh was Tony. He was very good. I saw the school performance which was a bad idea because the jocks and the preps could not appreciate that kind of thing and made fun of him the whole way through but it never broke him so that is advice to all you young theater actors out there, don't let people get to you.
--Facebook friend Erin played Maria if I remember correctly
--Others included Angie, Adam W, Adam F, and Josh that I remember off hand.

-My facebook friend Kellin is playing one of the Jets girls in a version being shown at Indiananapolis Civic Theater which is quite an accomplishment to get there. Her name could very well become a name we all know someday.