Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 389th Edition

 

Welcome to the 389th Edition of my series.  I just received word that ROCKY will finally be made into a musical so Broadway beat me to it.  Hopefully it's a great musical.  I am awaiting casting for the play INHERIT THE WIND which will happen in Anderson so I will let know next week if I got a part or not.  I don't really have a lot to say so I'll just get on with my selections.

The Bad News Bears (1976):  I start the week out with this great baseball comedy directed by Michael Ritchie.  Walter Matthau stars as former minor league pitcher Morris Buttermaker who is now a lazy, beer swilling swimming pool cleaner who takes the job of a little league baseball team in Southern California to get some money.  He soon learns the team he has is quite possibly the worst team in little league and they have virtually no talent for baseball.  Finding this, he seeks out the daughter of his ex-girlfriend Amanda, played by Tatum O'neal, who is a very good picture and discovers talent in a motorcycle punk named Kelly Leak, played by Jackie Earle Haley.  When these two join the team, they get a fire and become legitimate contenders.  The portrayals here are very realistic and holds nothing back.  Matthau plays the irresponsible coach to perfection and it gives good focus on the children who also put on good performances.  Vic Morrow plays the rival coach who is the meanest little league coach in movies.  This ranks up as quite possibly the best sports comedy of all time.

The Amazing Spider-Man (2012):  This is my superhero film for the week.  Sam Raimi introduced us to the live-action film of Spider-Man and in some ways gave a resurgence to the genre.  There were three and pretty fun action films but saw disappointment in the third one.  I'm not really sure if it was just that in which brought about the reboot but director Marc Webb directed this one which is a more serious version and gives a darker edge.  With the origin story, there are a lot of similarities to the first one but this gives a good spin even going into the disappearance of Peter Parker's parents where he ends up living with his Aunt May, played by Sally Field, and his uncle Ben, played by Martin Sheen.  Andrew Garfield took up the role of Peter Parker who is bit by that radioactive spider giving him his gift to become Spider-Man.  In this movie, Peter is searching for answers about his father which leads him to Oscorp and meeting Dr. Curt Connors, played by Rhys Ifans, who was a partner to his father.  Connors has his own lab experiment which goes wrong where he becomes his alter ego the Lizard who Spider-Man must look to stop.  In the original trilogy, Dylan Baker plays Connors who is Peter's professor and my understanding is that they were soon leading into him becoming the Lizard but this reboot happened.  Emma Stone co-stars as Gwen Stacy who becomes friends with Peter while also forming a love interest.  Dennis Leary also co-stars as Gwen's father who is the captain of the police force who believes that Spider-Man is the enemy.  Garfield played Spider-Man very well and gave more emotional depth to the role in my opinion than what Garfield gave to it though I still like the other franchise.  Emma Stone has become one of my favorite actresses right now and her performance here makes that no different.  Campbell Scott, C. Thomas Howell, and many others have parts in this superhero film.  Next year there is to be a sequel which features Mary Jane and villains like Electro, the Rhino who both are new villains to the motion pictures.  It will also feature other characters the first trilogy not in this one.  I think we have a good franchise ahead of us for Spider-Man and look forward to the futures.  This is available on Starz On-Demand.

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920):  This is Travis's selection for the co-op film series and my silent film for the week some say was the first feature horror film.  Robert Wiene directed this classic which stars Werner Krauss as the title character who goes around showing his somnambulist Cesare, played by Conrad Veidt, who awakens from a deep sleep.  Friedrich Feher co-stars as Francis who tells the story of bad events that happened that include murder and the mysterious doctor and his somnambulist.  For those wondering what a somnambulist is, all I can say is to watch the movie and you'll learn.  For those who like silent films, this is a must.  Also, horror movie buffs should give this a look as this is very important to the genre.  I had seen this movie a couple times and even have it on dvd but I liked the idea of seeing it on a bigger screen and was a very good experience.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

Austin Powers:  International Man of Mystery (1997):  This is part one of a two-part series on BUFFY alum Seth Green.  Now I bring the first of a trilogy to the James Bond parody which is directed by Jay Roach.  SNL alum Mike Myers wrote the screenplay and stars as the title character as well as his arch-enemy Dr. Evil, who is modeled after Donald Pleasance's portrayal in the bond film YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE.  Austin agrees to go into a cryofreeze in the 60s for when Dr. Evil returns.  He then comes out of the cryofreeze to deal once again with Dr. Evil while trying to adjust to the ways of the 90s.  Dr. Evil has many henchman like Alotta Fagina, Frau Farbissina, Random Task, and Number Two.  Elizabeth Hurley plays Vanessa Kensington who is assigned to team with Powers in the modern era and while trying to resist his charm, she soon succumbs to it.  Michael York, Mimi Rogers, Robert Wagner, SNL alum Will Ferrell, Clint Howard, and many others co-star in this well-written comedy.  This does deliver a lot of laughs but before watching this, it might do good to watch the first five James Bond films which are the ones most referenced to understand the jokes.

A MOVIE (1958):  This is one of two short films I am using this week.  Bruce Conner directed this interesting short film which tells a really good story through newsreel footage and old movies.  Conner was an artist in many ways and did quite a few short films with this being the most famous.  This is said to be a statement towards poverty and has some great footage that turns it into a great story and work of art.  This is something that can be seen on youtube and is only about 12 minutes long.

Julia (2008):  Erick Zonca directed this very gritty and brutal independent film.  Tilda Swinton stars as the title character who is unemployed, an alcoholic, and very short of money.  She then meets a very unstable Mexican woman who is planning to kidnap her son from the boy's grandfather saying he is a very bad person and talks about having a lot of money.  She then decides to this job on herself in her quest to make money and soon kidnaps the boy named Tom, played by Aidan Gould.  She soon asks his grandfather for the ransom but is connected to Mexican drug trafficking and finds she is in way over her head.  Swinton is great in this role of an alcoholic very desperate to make money.  Saul Rubinek and Jude Ciccoletta also co-star in this film.  There is nothing upbeat about this, there are some pretty disturbing scenes at times, and it is not for everyone but is a very well-written script with good performances.  It is also a rather overlooked independent film that I hope to give more exposure.

The Boy with Green Hair (1948):  I came across this one when on TCM On-Demand which was something I had not heard of but caught my interest.  Dean Stockwell stars as Peter Frye who is an orphan and passed around to selfish relative to the next.  He soon ends up with "Gramp", played by Pat O'Brien, who is an ex-Vaudevillian and far kinder than everyone else.  Peter finally starts to adjust to this new life but is not told about his orphan state and the day after he finds out, his hair mysteriously turns green.  He then must deal with the public who do not know what to do and jump to unreasonable conclusions just because his hair is a different color.  Gramp accepts the new hair as well as his teacher, played by Miss Brand.  Robert Ryan co-stars as a psychiatrist trying to understand Peter.  The movie itself is really a statement towards the horror of war which is the reason for him being an orphan as well as prejudice and intolerance.  As a MOULIN ROUGE fan, I never knew where the song NATURE BOY originated until I watched this movie and it being the theme song.  This was one of those unexpected gems that I found that really should be watched.

Raise the Red Lantern (1991):  This is my Asian film for the week that was directed by Yimou Zhang.  Usually, when I feature Chinese films they are some type of martial arts or some all-out action films but this one is quite different.  Gong Li stars as Songlian who is going to school but when her father dies, she becomes one of the wives to the wealthy Chen Zuoqian.  She becomes the fourth wife and that is a lot of times how they address each other which I found interesting.  They try to live harmoniously but compete for Chen's affections but things get out of hand that lead into tragedy.  If I say more, I might give things away but Yimou Zhang has directed some great movies and this is another one.  Gong Li also puts on a very good performance showing she is one of the best actresses in Hong Kong and pretty known in the states.  When this first came out, it was actually banned in China.  If you like the foreign and Asian cinema, this is one that must be viewed.

Inherit the Wind (1960):  Stanley Kramer directed this film that is based on the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial.  This movie takes place in a small Tennessee town which is a very religious town.  Dick York co-stars as Bertram Cates who believes in the Darwin theory and tries to teach it to his class only to get arrested.  Fredric March stars as fundamentalist prosecutor Matthew Brady who is very strong towards his religious beliefs.  Spencer Tracy stars as attorney Henry Drummond who is far more open-minded and defends Cates with everything he has.  Gene Kelly plays E.K. Hornbeck who is a newspaper reporter and finds the way the town is very laughable and tries to help get Cates off.  This is a very intense trial film trying to defend a man for expressing his beliefs in a very judgmental town.  This movie is very realistic in the way it portrays those times.  There is a good line in this film from the character of Cates who says "religion is supposed to inspire, not put fear into anyone" and that is so well said.  I have seen people who are church goers and are very judgmental towards others not really thinking about how even the bible says not to judge.  It also fits today in these times when we consider things such as gay marriage and the rights gays are to have.  Some of the events in the film are no better than what we see of the extremist Westboro Baptist Church.  This is a very good movie which lives onto today.

Zombie-American (2005):  This is my second of the short films of this week and decided to check it out after seeing a link on the Horror Movie Madness group I am in on Facebook.  This is kind of a mockumentary short which stars Ed Helms as Glen who is a zombie and wants to show people that they are not all so bad.  He talks about how difficult it is but that he is just like everyone else and teaching tolerance towards zombies.  With the big zombie craze that has happened lately, this was a very interesting spin put onto it.  Ed Helms is perfect as Glen in his pre-OFFICE and HANGOVER roles.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and what you dislike.  Stay tuned for next week which so far includes Emma Thompson, Scarlett Johansson, Claude Rains, Barbara Stanwyck, Naomi Watts, more Seth Green, and many others.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 388th Edition

Welcome to the 388th Edition of my series.  I did not get cast in LEGALLY BLONDE:  THE MUSICAL which is fine.  I did not figure I really fit any of the characters in the show and was a last minute audition.  This Tuesday, I will be auditioning for INHERIT THE WIND which will be at the Anderson Mainstage Theatre so I will keep updated on that on.  I will now get to my selections for the week.

Enigma (2001):  This movie takes place during WWII where Nazi U-boats have changed their enigma code.  They enlist the services of genius Tom Jericho, played by Dougray Scott, who has helped before but had trouble letting go of his love Claire, played by Saffron Burrows, who disappeared.  In his attempt to crack the code, he finds that Claire might have a connection and enlists her friend Hester, played by Kate Winslet, to help investigate Claire's personal life.  It's really hard for me to describe this movie without giving a lot away.  It is one that you must give full attention to and maybe give a second viewing if necessary.  This is based on a novel by Robert Harris and it is based on a true story upon a code breaker named Alan Turing.  The unlikely duo of Mick Jagger and Lorne Michaels produced this film and Jagger can be seen in a cameo appearance.

Justice League:  Doom (2012):  This is my animated superhero movie for the week and the latest of the Justice League animated superhero movies.  The superheroes of focus on this one are Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, the Flash, Wonder Woman, and Martian Manhunter while joined by a newer one named Cyborg who comes in handy a few times.  Immortal supervillain Vandal Savage raids Batman's batcave and finds files he has put together on each Justice League member that shows their weaknesses in which Batman put them together in the event that they turn or fall into mind control.  Savage now has these files in which he hires each one's rival so they can exploit those weaknesses.  Batman must deal with his strongest rival in Bane.  Wonder Woman must deal with her rival in female supervillain Cheetah.  The Flash must deal with his rival the Mirror Master.  Superman must deal with his rival in Metallo.  Green Lantern has a more personal battle with female supervillain Star Sapphire.  Martian Manhunter deals with his own kind in his rival Ma'alefa'ak.  I have really been enjoying watching animated superhero movies and even tv shows lately.  I admit I really don't have a lot of superhero knowledge on account of comic books but try to get educated through these and even look up characters for more background information when necessary.  I noticed in this one Barry Allen, who is the Flash, was working as a detective which I have not seen in other of these animated superhero movies.  This has some great action scenes as well as some good voice acting.  This was a pretty compelling movie and is available on Instant Netflix.

The Kite Runner (2007):  Marc Forster directed this great independent film which is based on a book by Khaled Hosseini.  Khalid Abdalla stars as Amir who has just gotten a book published and has a great life ahead of him but receives a call that leads him back into his home country of Afghanistan.  It then flashed back to his childhood with his best childhood friend Hassan and Amir does something that loses Hassan's trust which tears them apart.  Years later, he looks to rewrite that wrong and finds that his old country is now being run by the Al Qaeda.  He must do a very dangerous thing in order to earn that redemption.  This is a pretty good depiction of Afghanistan and even diverts from stereotypes like Amir's righteous father who wants nothing to do with terrorism.  While there are some very disturbing scenes, Forster managed to make this into a very moving film with a very authentic feel and good performances.

What Makes a Good Party? (1950):  This is my short film for the week and chose the always entertaining Coronet series of "educational" film.  This short shows a few teenage girls who look to throw a welcoming party for a new student.  It goes into detail how it must be organized to the last degree and the steps in which to go about it.  You also must have some fun activities like in here were hat-making contests and everyone getting together to sing JIMMY CRACKED CORN.  There was not any mention of alcohol, I guess that just was not as big for parties.  This teaches us that everything must be planned, there cannot be any spontaneity and what can be more fun than having about a dozen people standing around a piano and singing that song.

Storm Over Asia (1928):  This is my silent film for the week which is Russian and came out when talkies were starting to come out though I have no idea when Russia had their first talkie.  Valery Inkijinoff stars as Bair who is Mongol herdsman who is cheated by a western fur trader and must escape to the hill after a brawl.  He is soon captured by the Soviets who is found alive after he is shot by the Mongols and they find him alive and discover an amulet that suggests that he is a descendant of Genghis Khan.  They soon restore him to full health and make him the head of a Mongolian puppet regime.  For those who like the silent film, this has some great footage and possibly the best from Russia in this era.  If silent is not part of your repertoire, this is not for you but if you do like this cinema.  I was presented this when seeing my 1001 MOVIES YOU MUST SEE BEFORE YOU DIE book and this is available on DVD which I got from Netflix.

The Muppet Movie (1979):  With the rise of the tv show THE MUPPET SHOW that started in 1976 and what better idea than to turn this into their first movie?  The movie shows Kermit who lives in the swamp and expresses his feelings by singing THE RAINBOW CONNECTION which has gone onto becoming one of the best songs of all time.  An agent, played by Dom Deluise, convinces out favorite frog to pursue a career in Hollywood and in the process meets who would become his best friends like Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, the Great Gonzo, among many others.  In their pursuit of Hollywood they must face a frog-leg restaurant magnate, played by Charles Durning, who is after Kermit.  There are many celebrity cameos like Milton Berle, Mel Brooks, James Coburn, Elliot Gould, Bob Hope, Madeline Kahn, Carol Kane, Cloris Leachman, Richard Pryor, Telly Savalas, Paul Williams, and Orson Welles.  There is also a very amusing cameo from SESEME STREET'S Big Bird who did not join the Muppets because he was in pursuit of public tv while they wanted Hollywood and both ended up very successful.  This is available on Instant Netflix.  This is a very fun movie that is for everyone and I still question if I was supposed to be born a man feeling like I'm more of a Muppet.

Possessed (1947):  This is my film-noir this week directed by Curtis Bernhardt and stars Joan Crawford fresh off her great 1945 film MILDRED PIERCE.  Crawford stars as Louise Howell who we first meet in a very dazed state of mind looking for a man named David, who will be played by Van Heflin.  She is then taken to a psychiatric hospital where she is able to piece together events of what happened revealing her borderline personality taking an early look at Schizophrenia.  The story of Louise and David is that Louise is very emotionally unstable and in love with David but David is not really returning the amount of love nor does he want that kind of life at the time so he leaves.  Louise is working as a nurse for Dean Graham, played by Raymond Massey, and tending to his invalid wife who soon dies and she forms a relationship with Dean but still longs for David making the events all unfold to a very satisfactory film and possibly Crawford's best performance.  This is really worth a look even by today's standards.

Half Nelson (2006):  Ryan Fleck co-wrote and directed this independent film that stars Ryan Gosling.  Gosling plays Dan Dunne who is an inner city middle school history teacher and coaches girls basketball.  Dunne strays from the history curriculum and teaches in a way to make students thing for themselves which does not do well with his superiors who want him to go with the curriculum.  He still has much stress in his life and has a problem with drugs.  Shareeka Epps co-stars as Drey who is a middle school girl in Dan's class and on the team.  She has her own problems like her father always being absent.  She is close to her mother but her mother works a lot.  She finds Dan doing drugs at school and they form an unlikely friendship and find their lives changing.  Anthony Mackie stars as Frank who is a small-time drug dealer who Dan is trying to keep Dray away from.  All three of these people put on very good performances.  This is a rather realistic portrait of the inner city struggles and a movie driven by the characters which is something I can usually enjoy.  Gosling is someone I can usually really enjoy and he did not disappoint me in this one.

Jacob (1994):  This is my tv movie for the week and part of "The Bible Collection" that TNT aired.  Matthew Modine stars as the biblical title character who is the son of Isaac, played by Joss Acklund, and Rebekah, played by Irene Papas, and when his father is dying, Rebekah and Jacob scheme to not have the other son Esau, played by Sean Bean, have the inheritance.  This sets off a lot of tension which makes Jacob leave and soon meets Rachel, played by THE PRACTICE alum Lara Flynn Boyle, and falls in love.  In order to earn her hand in marriage he must work for her father Laban, played by Giancarlo Giannini, for seven years.  For seven years, he proves to be a very good worker and believes he is getting his wish only to be tricked into sleeping with his oldest daughter Leah, played by Juliet Aubrey, and must work another seven years to have Rachel.  This is mostly going to be for those who are religious but is a pretty good love story with Modine very good as Jacob who would go onto have twelve sons and at least one daughter including who most know as Joseph. 

Witchfinder General (1968):  I end this week with some Vincent Price where in England, there are a lot of witch superstitions as there is a lot of political strife that allows unscrupulous men to gain local power.  Michael Reeves directed this movie and is his final movie as he died of a drug overdose shortly after it was put out.  Price stars as witch prosecutor Matthew Hopkins who along with his sadistic assistant Stearne, played by Robert Russell, they go around and interrogate those they say are witches and in a very torturous manner.  Ian Ogilvy stars as Richard Marshall who is engaged to a priest's niece and after they go after the priest he sets out to go after Hopkins and Stearne.  This is a pretty dark movie and is quite violent and disturbing but I do not believe it is as unrealistic as some might think with the paranoia of people thought to be witches and must go through very extreme measures to prove their innocence.  Price is great in his role and might be one of his best performances.  This is available on Instant Netflix and is a very well-done and underrated Vincent Price film.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and what you dislike.  Stay tuned for next week which so far includes Walter Matthau, Emma Stone, Mike Myers, Tilda Swinton, Gong Li, Spencer Tracy, Ed Helms, and many others.

 

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 387th Edition

 

Welcome to the 387th Edition of my series.  Last night, I had an Action Packed Wrestling show and I brought in "Sexy" Sean Casey and Andy Chene who won the tag team championships bringing the APW titles to the Shaun Berkey Talent Agency.  I will keep posted on the next show.  Yesterday, I tried out for LEGALLY BLONDE:  THE MUSICAL at Muncie Civic Theater so I await casting which I'll find out this week.  I will now get to my movies for the week.

Breezy (1973):  I start this week out with this very unknown Clint Eastwood film.  This is the first movie he directed without actually being an actor.  I will be the first to admit I am a big Clint Eastwood I feel that he has earned the success that he has gotten and then I find this unknown gem that has been way under the radar.  Eastwood directs this love story and Jo Heims wrote the screenplay.  Kay Lenz plays the title character is a good-hearted hippy.  She soon realizes that a man only wanted to take advantage over her and she gets away.  She soon ends up on secluded property of a middle-aged and divorced businessman named Frank Harmon, played by William Holden.  She immediately looks to make her way into his life and Frank reluctantly helps her when he can but slowly begins to really like her to the point of falling in love.  This is the kind of love story that I enjoy.  One of the things I liked was how mismatched they were in terms of age and personality.  Breezy really wanted the relationship and Frank tries to resist her in every way but soon seems to like her spirit and slowly begins to fall in love with her.  I remember the first time I ever saw this was a few years ago when going through the free movie section on On-Demand and coming across this movie I had never heard of and was so pleasantly by what I saw.  This is a simple yet very effective and touching love story with to very well written characters.  Kay Lenz was great as the title character and it is unfortunate that she has never been more known and Holden was also very good as Frank.  This is Eastwood's third movie that he directed but the first in which he was not an actor in the film though has a part as an extra.  This is now available on Instant Netflix and is so worth a
watch.


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Gone Baby Gone (2007):  Ben Affleck makes his debut behind the camera as a director in this film based on a novel based on a Dennis Lehane novel and the second feature in a row this week where someone better known in acting directs turning what they do into absolute gold.  This is a story about a 4 year old girl who disappears.  Casey Affleck and Michelle Monaghan star as private detectives Patrick Kenzie and Angie Gennaro who are hired by the girl's aunt Bea, played by Amy Madigan, to find her.  In their investigation, they find far more than they bargained for leading them into many personal and professional dilemmas.  I really do not want to say any more on this movie plot wise.  Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris, Amy Ryan, and Titus Welliver co-star in this story which has many twists and turns.  Ben Affleck cast his brother because his brother was perfect for the part.  Casey Affleck had quite a year with this movie and his other great performance in THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD.  Amy Ryan was also good as the troubled mother of the four year old girl.  I went into this not really knowing what to expect, just knowing some who have told me how good this movie is which lived up to each expectation I had.  This is not a movie for everyone but can be very rewarding if given a shot.



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Cannibal Capers (1930):  This is my animated short for the week which was from Disney after I checked out a dvd of Disney's "Silly Symphonies" and when analyzing my choices, this sounded rather interesting to me.  With this title, nothing really extreme happens.  Watching today, this would be considered racism unless you can understand this era and many people did that in those days.  This is said to be more of a parody of how Hollywood portrayed black people of this time.  In this short film, a group of cannibals are doing a tribal dance only to get attacked by a fierce lion.  The caricatures are obvious spoofs and while they are cannibals, the short is no worse than a lot of the Looney Tunes shorts.  This really should be taken for the silliness it is worth.  I always enjoy visiting older cartoon shorts and was glad to look into Disney for a change.  This can be found on that dvd I mentioned and on Youtube.

 

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The Hunger Games (2012):  Gary Ross directed this film based on the popular novel by Suzanne Collins.  This movie takes place in a dystopian futuristic world where there are twelve districts and each year they have a big event of the title name.  These games are where every district must choose two people between the ages 12 to 18 years.  This movie's main focus is towards District 12 where we meet the very resourceful Katniss Everdeen, played well by Jennifer Lawrence, who seems to be the breadwinner in her home of her younger sister and mother.  Then comes the lottery where now her younger sister becomes eligible for the first time and is chosen.  When this happens, Katniss steps up and volunteers to take that spot.  The male taken from District 12 is a guy named Peeta, played by Josh Hutcherson, who has always known Katniss but gets to know her more in these games.  The first part of the movie focuses on their preparation for the game.  Woody Harrelson co-stars as Haymitch who is a previous mentor and while having alcohol issues, he is caring to the contestants.  The second half of the film is obviously the games where they must fight for surival.  Stanley Tucci, Wes Bentley, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, Toby Jones, Donald Sutherland, Lenny Kravitz, and many others co-star.  One thing I found interesting was the main land where the games and coverage took place was very lavish while the world of District 12 was not much different than what we would see today.  It was also interesting to see the training and how just knowing how to fight and use weapons is not enough but they must learn to present themselves and be liked for purposes of getting sponsors to give them things like food and supplies.  This is a very interesting look at the modern-day gladiator games and have heard similarities from Battle Royale which I have not seen yet but know I need to sometime.  This is a pretty good film adaptation launching Lawrence into stardom and would later that year star in SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK. This also has a pretty good soundtrack to it having groups like Arcade Fire involved.  I believe this is one of the better action films from that year.

 

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The Wizard of Oz (1939):  I decided to attempt what I had never have and watch this movie to the Pink Floyd album DARK SIDE OF THE MOON and with the success of OZ:  THE GREAT AND POWERFUL, I thought I would revisit this one.  Most people know this story.  We have Dorothy, played very well by Judy Garland, and her dog Toto caught up in a tornado gets swept into a magical land where she must find a way to get back home to Kansas to get back to her Auntie Em.  She first ends up in the land of the Munchkins and soon meets the good witch Glinda, played by Billie Burke, who sets Dorothy on the path to follow the Yellow Brick Road to find the Wizard in order to get home.  At the same time meeting the good witch, she also meets a very mean witch we know as the Wicked Witch of the West, played by Margaret Hamilton in a role of a lifetime for her, who targets Dorothy for those slippers.  We later learn that that witch's name is Elphaba in the book and musical WICKED.  Along the way she meets the iconic Scarecrow, played by Ray Bolger, Tin Man, played by Jack Haley, and Cowardly Lion, played by Bert Lahr who join Dorothy into her Journey to see the Wizard in hopes they can find what they lack while trying to survive the Wicked Witch of the West.  Frank Morgan plays the title character as well as about four other characters and is very amusing in this film.  I don't think I really need to go further there.  This was based on children's books from L. Frank Baum who wrote many books about Oz and this is not the first movie adaptation but the one that remains iconic and was the big hype at the time with all the actors excited to be part of the successful book series.  Now to my thoughts of listening to it with DARK SIDE OF THE MOON.  I followed the instructions where you play the cd on the third roar of the lion.  It was interesting to watch but when cd is half the length of the film so it was interesting while it lasted but leaving me to wonder if I did something wrong.  In looking further into this, apparently there is a copy called DARK SIDE OF THE RAINBOW so maybe I need to look into that one.  Either way, this is a timeless classic for the whole family to watch which I remember my Dad introducing me to the movie.

 

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From Paris with Love (2010):  This is my guilty pleasure action movie for the week.  As you might guess, it takes place in Paris.  Jonathan Rhys-Meyers stars as James Reece who is an aide to the US ambassador but longs to get out more into the field.  He soon gets that wish and is told to pick up government employee, Charlie Wax, played by John Travolta, who is looking to stop a terrorist plan from developing.  He finds he got far more than he bargained for when he finds that Wax is very unorthodox and does not always follow the book.  Travolta clearly had a lot of fun in his role as a ruthless spy.  Rhys-Meyers I thought did a good job in his role.  The plot is not the greatest but can be a fun action film if that is what you are looking for at the time.



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Monster (2003):  Patty Jenkins directed and wrote the screenplay of this film that is based on the true story of Aileen Wuornos who was billed "America's first female serial killer".  Charlize Theron plays Wuornos to perfection.  This shows her in the beginning trying to survive.   In real-life Wuornos had a very difficult childhood and ended up alone while resorting to prostitution to survive.  When working, a man raped her and she killed him to get away which lowered her faith on how people are in life and then ended up killing six other men between 1989 and 1990.  Christina Ricci co-stars as Selby Walls who is a lesbian and forms a relationship with Wuornos but eventually finds it very difficult to live with her.  Part of this movie is Aileen trying to find herself a job to support herself and Selby and get out of prostitution but found with her life it was not very simple.  Both Theron and Ricci did a really good job of altering their usually very attractive looks to play these parts like gaining some weight and Ricci was very good as Walls.  The real Wuornos gave Patty Jenkins letters and documents she has written to give Jenkins insight into her life.  Bruce Dern, Pruitt Taylor Vance, and OZ alum Lee Terguson co-star in this film.  Look for Kane Hodder as an undercover cop.  This is not a very easy movie to watch but the movie was very well done with Theron winning a very deserved Oscar for her portrayal.  Below are a couple photos of the real-life Aileen Wuornos and must say I had a hard time differentiating between her and Theron.  I know the 1st one is her mug shot and I am pretty sure the second one is Wuornos.



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The Mackintosh Man (1973):  John Huston directed this thriller.  Paul Newman stars as a member of British Intelligence named Joseph Rearden who must go to extreme measures in order to expose a traitor named Sir George Wheeler, played by James Mason.  He is recruited by a man of the title name and Mrs. Smith, played by Dominique Sanda, and then gets himself arrested to infiltrate the group more.  This is a secret mission and soon Mackintosh dies that makes things more complicated.  For Rearden, nothing is what it seems and must go on the run to clear his name with the help of Mrs. Smith.  This is a much different role than usual for Newman and is more downplayed than usual so of interest to see that aspect.  I came across this at the library and was worth a look.  Below is a photo of the book it is based upon.



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On the Waterfront (1954): Elia Kazan directs this film which stars Marlon Brando in possibly his best movie.  Brando stars as the iconic character Terry Malloy who is an ex-prizefighter who runs errands for corrupt and murderous union boss Johnny Friendly, played by Lee J. Cobb.  He soon meets the sister of someone who Friendly kills named Edie, played by Eva Marie Saint, and slowly begins to realize that what he is doing is not right.  Karl Malden co-stars as Father Barry who is a very courageous preacher and looks to do everything he can to bring down Friendly and is part of what convinces Terry to stand up to the corruption.  Rod Steiger plays Terry's brother Charley who is also very crooked.  This movie is quite dark for its time but it is a great film and even inspirational.  This movie has the famous line of "I could've been a contender".  This movie is a classic and is one of my favorites from this era which stands the test of time and beyond.



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The Amateurs (2005):  I end with week with this independent and adult oriented comedy.  Michael Traeger wrote and directed this small-town comedy.  Jeff Bridges stars as Andy Sargentee who has just lost his job and is having a hard time adjusting to his son's "cool" stepfather Howard, played by Steven Weber.  Andy soon gets the idea to produce a porno film and be the first town to band together to make a full-length amateur adult film.  Joining Andy in his effort are fellow locals played by Tim Blake Nelson, SOPRANOS alum Joe Pantoliano, CHEERS alum Ted Danson, William Fichtner, Patrick Fugit, John Hawks, and Brad Henke.  GILMORE GIRLS alum Lauren Graham, Glenne Headly, Jeanne Triplehorn, Isaiah Washington, EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND alum Brad Garrett and Alex D. Linz also co-star.  I was not sure what to expect but I really enjoyed this movie.  I thought Bridges was great and I loved the way he did the narration.  If you are easily offended, this might not be for you but this movie is more about a town banding together more than anything and Andy just thought this would be a good way for everyone to be successful.  I actually got a lot of laughs when watching this.  I also thought each character was pretty well-written.  Mostly what this this movie its R rating is the discussion of sex.  This movie is available on Instant Netflix and is a pretty funny comedy.



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Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Kate Winslet, Nathan Fillion, and many others.  Continue reading for my "fun and useless facts segment" that I am bringing back for the week.

FUN AND USELESS FACTS

Clint Eastwood (Breezy director) and Morgan Freeman (Gone Baby Gone) have worked together on quite a few occasions and all of which to my knowledge are ones in which Eastwood have directed.  Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Clint Eastwood (Breezy director) and Donald Sutherland (The Hunger Games) worked together in the 1970 film KELLY'S HEROES and were two of the title characters in the 2000 film SPACE COWBOYS.

Clint Eastwood (Breezy director) and Jeff Bridges (The Amateurs) were the title characters in the 1974 film THUNDERBOLT AND LIGHTFOOT.

Clint Eastwood (Breezy director), Mark Margolis (Gone Baby Gone) and Ed Harris (Gone Baby Gone) were in the 1997 film ABSOLUTE POWER.

Clint Eastwood (Breezy director) and Bruce Dern (Monster) were in the 1968 western HANG 'EM HIGH.

Clint Eastwood (Breezy director) and Michael Hordern (The Mackintosh Man) were in the 1968 film WHERE EAGLE'S DARE.

William Holden (Breezy) and Paul Newman (The Mackintosh Man) were in the 1974 disaster movie THE TOWERING INFERNO.

William Holden (Breezy) turned down the part of Major Gruver in the 1957 film SAYONARA which would ultimately go to Marlon Brando (On the Waterfront).

Ben Affleck (Gone Baby Gone director) and William Fichtner (The Amateurs) were in the 1998 movie ARMAGEDDON.

Ben Affleck (Gone Baby Gone director) and Charlize Theron (Monster) were in the 2000 movie REINDEER GAMES.

Ben Affleck (Gone Baby Gone director) and Scott Wilson (Monster) were in the 2001 movie PEARL HARBOR.

Ben Affleck (Gone Baby Gone director) and Kane Hodder (Monster) were in the 2003 film DAREDEVIL where Hodder is uncredited

Michelle Monaghan (Gone Baby Gone) and Charlize Theron (Monster) were in the 2005 film NORTH COUNTRY.

Morgan Freeman (Gone Baby Gone) and William Fichtner (The Amateurs) were in the 2008 film THE DARK KNIGHT.

Morgan Freeman (Gone Baby Gone) and Donald Sutherland (The Hunger Games) were in the 1995 film OUTBREAK.

Morgan Freeman (Gone Baby Gone) and Stanley Tucci (The Hunger Games) were in the 2006 film LUCKY NUMBER SLEVIN.

Ed Harris (Gone Baby Gone), Bruce Dern (Monster) and Jeff Bridges (The Amateurs) were in the 2003 film MASKED AND ANONYMOUS.

Ed Harris (Gone Baby Gone) and Scott Wilson (Monster) were test pilots in the 1983 film THE RIGHT STUFF.

Edi Gathegi (Gone Baby Gone) and Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games) were in the 2011 film X-MEN:  FIRST CLASS.

CAPONE GANG
-Titus Welliver (Gone Baby Gone) plays Al Capone in the 1991 film MOBSTERS.
-Stanley Tucci (The Hunger Games) plays Frank Nitti in the 2002 film ROAD TO PERDITION.
-Rod Steiger (On the Waterfront) plays Al Capone in the 1959 film AL CAPONE.

Titus Welliver (Gone Baby Gone) and Pruitt Taylor Vince (Monster) were in the HBO tv series DEADWOOD.

Michelle Monaghan (Gone Baby Gone) and Jonathan Rhys Meyers (From Paris With Love) were in the 2006 film MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE III.

Gary Ross (The Hunger Games director) directed Jeff Bridges (The Amateurs) in the 2003 film SEABISCUIT.

Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games) and John Haynes (The Amateurs) are in the 2010 film WINTER'S BONE.

Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games) and Charlize Theron (Monster) are in the 2008 film THE BURNING PLAIN.

Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games) is a fan of Jeff Bridges (The Amateurs).

Liam Hemsworth (The Hunger Games) cites Paul Newman (The Mackintosh Man) as one of his favorite actors.

Woody Harrelson (The Hunger Games) and Ted Danson (The Amateurs) were in the hit 1980s sitcom CHEERS.

Woody Harrelson (The Hunger Games) and John Travolta (From Paris With Love) were in the 1998 film THE THIN RED LINE.

Woody Harrelson (The Hunger Games) and Charlize Theron (Monster) are friends in real life.

Woody Harrelson (The Hunger Games) and Pruitt Taylor Vince (Monster) were in the 1994 film NATURAL BORN KILLERS.

Donald Sutherland (The Hunger Games) and Charlize Theron (Monster) are father and daughter in the 2003 film THE ITALIAN JOB.

Stanley Tucci (The Hunger Games) and Charlize Theron (Monster) were in the 2004 tv movie THE LIFE AND DEATH OF PETER SELLERS.

Stanley Tucci (The Hunger Games) and Pruitt Taylor Vince (Monster) were in the 1995 tv series MURDER ONE.

Toby Jones (The Hunger Games) plays Truman Capote in the 2006 tv movie INFAMOUS.  Scott Wilson (Monster) plays Richard Hickock which is one of the people Capote based his book upon in the 1967 film IN COLD BLOOD.

Pierre Morel (From Paris With Love director) directed Morgan Freeman (Gone Baby Gone) in the 2005 movie UNLEASHED.

Jonathan Rhys Meyers (From Paris With Love) and Christina Ricci (Monster) were in the 2001 film PROZAC NATION.

Jonathan Rhys Meyers (From Paris With Love plays Elvis Presley in the 2005 mini-series ELVIS.  Scott Wilson (Monster) plays Elvis's father Vernon Presley in the 1993 tv movie ELVIS AND THE COLONEL:  THE UNTOLD STORY.

Bruce Dern (Monster) and Jeanne Tripplehorn (The Amateurs) were in the HBO series BIG LOVE.

Pruitt Taylor Vince (Monster) and Paul Newman (The Mackintosh Man) were in the 1994 film NOBODY'S FOOL.

Paul Newman (The Mackintosh Man) was often mistaken for Marlon Brando (On the Waterfront) early in his career.

Paul Newman (The Mackintosh Man) declined the part of Harry Callahan in the 1971 film DIRTY HARRY which would ultimately go to Clint Eastwood (Breezy).

Paul Newman (The Mackintosh Man) cited this week's feature ON THE WATERFRONT as the first movie that had a big impact on him.

Paul Newman (The Mackintosh Man) declined the part of Lucien Wilbanks in the 1996 film A TIME TO KILL which would ultimately go to Donald Sutherland (The Hunger Games).

James Mason (The Mackintosh Man) and Marlon Brando (On The Waterfront) co-star in the 1953 film JULIUS CAESAR.

James Mason (The Mackintosh Man) and Eva Marie Saint (On the Waterfront) were in the 1959 film NORTH BY NORTHWEST.

Harry Andrews (The Mackintosh Man) and Marlon Brando (On the Waterfront) were in the 1978 film SUPERMAN.