Welcome to the 390th Edition of my series. It's hard to believe that in ten weeks, I will have the big 400. In June, I will be making my return to the Anderson Mainstage Theater for the first time since August of 2010 when I was in ARSENIC AND OLD LACE. I will be playing the part of Elijah which is a bible salesman. Excited to get to be in a drama which is really my preference but hard to do since theaters are usually limited on dramas and when there is one, I just don't fit the show. I will keep updated closer to the time of the show. Also, my friends Travis and Sarah are looking to do a documentary about events in the life of Sarah's family. They are looking to raise enough money to buy a camera for filming. Please visit http://www.gofundme.com/Family-Documentary to get more details and how to donate. Every little bit counts and if they get that money they are looking for, we are in for a good documentary.
Last
Chance Harvey (2008): Joel Hopkins both wrote and directed this love
story. Now this should be taken for what it's worth, a love story but
what is a little different is that the two main characters are
middle-aged which is something that is not seen much these days. Dustin
Hoffman stars as Harvey who is in London to be at his daughter's
wedding. When getting there, he finds things are rather difficult with
his ex-wife, played by PICKET FENCES alum Kathy Baker, remarried and his
daughter closer to her step-father, played by James Brolin. Emma
Thompson co-stars as Kate who works at the airline in London and has her
first encounter with Harvey and as part of her job asked him his
reasons to visit London but Harvey just brushed her off. Kate is also
having difficult times in her life and the first part shoots back and
forth between their life until they finally have an encounter where
Harvey apologizes and they slowly form a relationship. This movie has
nothing flashy but has two very likable characters that I am sure many
can relate. Hoffman and Thompson work very well together and is a good
story about single people later in life. I have heard this came from a Q
& A session with Hoffman complaining about the lack of writing
characters his age which gave Thompson the idea to go to Hopkins to make
this movie after the two leads enjoyed working together in STRANGER
THAN FICTION.
Ricky
Steamboat: The Life Story of the Dragon (2010): This is my wrestling
documentary for the week. For those who don't know, Ricky Steamboat is a
legendary wrestler who was big in the 80s and 90s and considered by
many in the wrestling world to be the best. This is a WWE produced DVD
and is a little over an hour long as far as the documentary goes. It
covers the basic ground like going briefly into his childhood and into
his wrestling career covering his times in NWA, WWF, and WCW. What I
did not know about Steamboat is hwo he got his name. Early in his
career he was sent to work for Eddie Graham in Championship Wrestling
from Florida (CWF) and they had a wrestler named Sammy Steamboat at one
time and due to his resemblance he was billed as his nephew Ricky
Steamboat. It talks about his biggest feuds with Jake Roberts, Macho
Man Randy Savage, and most notably Ric Flair who had some of the best
matches of all time. It also talks about a very successful tag team run
with Jay Youngblood. It then goes into his WWF run where he was given
the nickname "The Dragon" and became most known for his epic
Intercontinental championship match WRESTLEMANIA III match against Randy
Savage. It then goes onto his run into World Championship Wrestling
while making a brief WWF return where he actually breathed fire and I
remember really liking that when I was a child. Unfortunately, while
having good matches, he never got the push he deserved and then returned
to WCW up to his retirement. It also goes into his return to the
now-WWE where he is a road agent and made a brief return into wrestling
showing after all these years he still has it. Steamboat was one of the
very few who remained babyface (good guy) through his career and was
still able to stay over with the crowd which is something that people
like Hulk Hogan and even the Rock earlier in their career could not do.
While, this probably could have covered more ground, it is still very
informative and the extras are worth it for some of his best matches.
There is one with Steve Austin when he was "Stunning" Steve Austin who
he mentioned WCW really misused and saw a lot of talent.
The
Avengers (2012): This is part one of a multiple part Harry Dean
Stanton series where he has a cameo in this movie and the rest will
feature him a lot more. It is also a two-part series for Paul Bettany
who provides the voice of Jarvis. I know I have done a lot of superhero
movies lately and is more and more becoming my favorite genre. Joss
Whedon directed and co-wrote the script to this film that got put out at
the absolute right time. Before this movie, they had done individual
movies for Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, and the Hulk where they
would have their encounters with the mysterious Nick Fury, played by
Samuel L. Jackson, of S.H.I.E.L.D. who was looking to recruit them. He
soon brings them together to battle Thor's brother Loki, played by Tom
Hiddleston, who plans to enslave Earth. Robert Downey Jr. reprises his
role of Tony Stark aka Iron Man. Chris Evans reprises his role of Steve
Rogers aka Captain America as he is trying to adjust to the modern
world after being frozen for many years. Chris Hemsworth reprises his
role as Thor, the Thunder God from Asgard. Of these four characters,
Mark Ruffalo is the only one that was not in a previous film and plays
Bruce Banner who most know becomes the Hulk. Eric Bana played the Hulk
in the 2003 film HULK which did not work out well. In 2008, they did a
reboot called THE INCREDIBLE HULK which I liked a lot better that had
Edward Norton. I believe that of these three Ruffalo played the part
the best. S.H.I.E.L.D. recruited Banner for his scientific expertise
and not to become the dangerous Hulk but things just got too intense for
him to not become the Hulk. Joining these four in their battle are
S.H.I.E.L.D. agents Black Widow and Hawkeye. Scarlett Johannson plays
Natasha Romanoff aka the Black Widow who is introduced in IRON MAN 2.
Jeremy Renner plays Clint Barton aka Hawkeye who only has a very brief
cameo in THOR. The only character I thought was underdeveloped was
Hawkeye and came to this belief after watching the animated series
AVENGERS: EARTH'S MIGHTIEST HEROES where he is a very strong character
and on the same level as the others. I hope that in the next one, they
do more with him but he still got to show himself at the end. My Uncle
Bill took me to see this for my birthday last year and I was blown away
and I regard this quite possibly as my favorite superhero movie and
thought it was better than THE DARK KNIGHT RISES which was put out that
same year but got overshadowed unfortunately. The beginning of the
movie is them coming together and just trying to co-exist and have a
very difficult time due to their diverse beliefs and philosophies
especially Captain America and Iron Man whose attitudes clash at times
but then learn to work together for the greater good. Joss Whedon did
such a good job of this film and I now believe that just about anything
he does turns into gold. Other actors include Stallan Skarsgard, Paul
Bettany, Clark Gregg, Cobie Smulders, Powers Boothe, Alexis Denisof, and
Harry Dean Stanton. They really did a great job of leading into the
movie rather than just putting it out right away. There are more
individual films of these characters as well as a sequel and look
forward to them all.
Animals
in Action (1955): This is my short film for the week. This is one of
those narrated by Pete Smith where footage of many different kinds of
animals with rather comical narration. It includes animals doing many
tricks like a monkey bathing a cat, a dog parachuting from a plane and
many others. Mostly just animal stock footage but still fun to watch
and is rather enjoyable.
The
Invisible Man (1933): This is my Universal Horror classic for the week
which is based on the novel by H.G. Wells and directed by James Whale.
Claude Rains, in his debut, plays the title character who is a
scientist that makes an invisible formula to make himself invisible but
in trying to go back, he begins to go insane and become murderous.
Gloria Stuart, known by most as the older Rose in TITANIC, plays his
love interest. Rains is great in his debut being able to portray his
emotions without showing his face and is the beginning of a long and
great career. Character actors Henry Travers and Una O'Connor co-star
and are good in their parts. I have noticed that with a lot of classic
horror, it consists of a doctor or scientist, most notably Victor
Frankenstein and Dr. Henry Jekyll, who have good intentions that go awry
and I believe this fits that and is a well done film that still stands
today with good performances and special effects. This is available on
Instant Netflix. 
Branded
to Kill (1967): This is my Japanese film for the week which was
directed by Seijun Suzuki. Jo Shishido stars as Yakuza number 3 hitman
Goro Hanada who is sent on a job and fails which first puts him in
conflict with a very mysterious woman, his treacherous wife, and the
number one hitman who is known to not be seen. This is a very
interesting film and has some very intense and clever action scenes as
well as good characters. The climatic action scene that takes place in a
boxing ring is great. This is well-done and acted and is a must for
foreign film buffs. This is something that the Criterion Collection
released and can be obtained on DVD. 
Double
Indemnity (1944): Billy Wilder directs this great crime drama and
co-wrote the script with Raymond Chandler who reportedly did not get
along while writing.. Barbara Stanwyck stars as Phyllis Dietrichson who
is a married woman and meets insurance rep Walter Hill, played by Fred
MacMurray, to talk about her husband's will. She soon proposes a plan
to kill her husband to receive the proceeds of his accidental insurance
policy in which the very smitten Walter ups it by giving the idea of a
clause of the movie title. Soon, Phyllis's husband is found dead and
the death is at first accepted as an accident. Edward G. Robinson
co-stars as Walter's boss and friend Barton Keyes who does not buy the
idea of an accident and believes Phyllis did it with the help of another
man. This is really one of the best in this genre which has great
narration by MacMurray. It also has really good dialogue with great
performances to keep people of all ages interested. This is based on a
novel by James Cain which is actually based on true story on a woman
named Ruth Snyder. This is available on Instant Netflix and really
deserves a watch.
The
Impossible (2012): I went and saw this at the Yes Cinema in Columbus,
Indiana when I was visiting my dad. I don't usually go to movie
theaters but I like supporting that one when I can which is a non-profit
theater which shows independent films, classics, and many other types
of things. Going into this movie, I had heard very little about it but
ended up blown away in the end. This is actually based on a true story
of a tourist family in Southeast Asia about a tourist family visiting in
2004 and being there the absolute right time as that was the year of
the tsunami. Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor star as married couple Maria
and Henry who have three children which all become separated in the
aftermath. Maria and the oldest son Lucas, played by Tom Holland,
struggle for survival and must help each other in every way. Henry has
the other sons and sets out to find the others. This was not easy to
watch and is not for everyone but at the same time, it was also very
inspirational moving me to tears many times. Watts was great and even
Tom Holland did a good job of playing the older son who in a sense must
really learn to become a man in order to survive and help his mother.
McGregor was also very good in his role. This is a very good and
realistic independent film that I thought worked on many levels and was
never overdone. I really encourage people in or near Columbus to check
out this theater at http://www.yescinema.org.
Delusions
of Grandeur (1971): This is my French film for the week that was
directed by Gerard Oury. Louis de Funes stars as Don Salluste de Bazan
who is banned from appearing court and is sentenced to collect taxes
from the poor. Yves Montand co-stars as Blaze who is Salluste's
assistant who without his knowledge is secretly helping the peasants
pay. This movie was really a slap-stick comedy and one that works very
well with quite a few funny moments. If I go too far into this, I might
give a lot away. For those who do not like to watch the foreign cinema
will probably not want to see this unless the English is dubbed good
but is a French classic and possibly the best comedy from that country.
This is also a must for foreign film buffs.
Party
Monster (2003): I end this week with part two of my two-part series
for Seth Green. This is based on a true story of Club Kid party
organizer Michael Alig, played by Macauley Culkin in his return to
acting, who was very flamboyant and addicted to drugs. Seth Green
co-stars as James St. James who formed relationship with Alig and
co-founding the Club Kids. Alig's life hits even a bigger downward
spiral when he kills his drug dealer Angel, played by Wilson Cruz, and
feeling very untouchable did not hesitate to boast about it. Alig was
really on the rise in the 80s and early 90s and was out there for the
publicity no matter how it was achieved. Diana Scarwid, Chloe Sevigny,
Dylan McDermott, Natasha Lyonne, Wilmer Valderrama, John Stamos, and
even Marilyn Manson have parts in this really unusual film. This is not
for everyone and at times found it rather hard to watch. Culkin does
do a very good job in his part of a cross-dresser in his first film in 9
years. Culkin and Green both met with the real people they played in
preparation for their parts. McDermott was pretty good as Peter Gatien
who was kind of a father figure to Alig and helped him get started in
the crazy night club scene in New York. This is based on a novel from
James St. James called DISCO BLOODBATH. This movie went to very mixed
feelings but it did keep my interest and I really did not have much
knowledge of this group called the Club Kid which actually included
Rupaul who probably became the most famous of all these people. I liked
how the movie started with James St. James claiming the movie was about
him and reflecting on his book and virtually a falling out with Alig.
It is really hard to explain a movie like this but is available on
Netflix and again is not for everyone.Well, that is it for this week. Stay tuned for next week which so far includes John Travolta, Keira Knightley, Boris Karloff, more Harry Dean Stanton, Elijah Wood, Elia Kazan, Paul Bettany, Basil Rathbone, and many others. Continue to read for a Fun and Useless Facts segment.
FUN AND USELESS FACTS
Kathy Baker (Last Chance Harvey) and Mark Ruffalo (The Avengers) are in the 2004 film 13 GOING ON 30.
Kathy Baker (Last Chance Harvey) and Stallan Skarsgard (The Avengers) are in the 2001 movie THE GLASS HOUSE.
Richard Schiff (Last Chance Harvey) was in the 1998 episode TREES IN THE FOREST on the tv series THE PRACTICE which starred Dylan McDermott (Party Monster)
Richard Schiff (Last Chance Harvey) and Gwyneth Paltrow (The Avengers) were in the 1995 film SE7EN.
Dustin Hoffman (Last Chance Harvey) and Gwyneth Paltrow (The Avengers) were in the 1991 film HOOK
Robert Downey Jr. (The Avengers) and Geraldine Chaplin (The Impossible) play son and mother in the 1992 film CHAPLIN. Geraldine Chaplin was the real-life daughter of silent film legend Charlie Chaplin who was played by Downey.
Robert Downey Jr. (The Avengers), Mark Ruffalo (The Avengers) and Chloe Sevigny (Party Monster) were all in the 2007 film ZODIAC.
Scarlett Johannson (The Avengers) and Ewan McGregor (The Impossible) star in the 2005 film THE ISLAND.
Scarlett Johannson (The Avengers) and Mia Kirshner (Party Monster) were in the 2006 film THE BLACK DAHLIA.
Jeremy Renner (The Avengers), Tom Hiddleston (The Avengers) have guest starred in the stop-animation series ROBOT CHICKEN which was co-created by Seth Green (Party Monster) who does a lot of the voices.
Samuel L. Jackson (The Avengers) and Ewan McGregor (The Impossible) co-star in the new STAR WARS trilogy.
Samuel L. Jackson (The Avengers) and Naomi Watts (The Impossible) were in the 2009 film MOTHER AND CHILD.
Gwyneth Paltrow (The Avengers) turned down the part of Rachel in the 2002 film THE RING which would ultimately go to Naomi Watts (The Impossible).
Harry Dean Stanton (The Avengers) and Chloe Sevigny (Party Monster) were father and daughter in the HBO tv series BIG LOVE.
Mark Ruffalo (The Avengers) and Naomi Watts (The Impossible) are friends in real life.
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