Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 398th Edition

 

Welcome to the 398th Edition of my long-running series.  It's hard to believe I am just two weeks away from the number 400.  This week I will be starting rehearsals for ROMEO AND JULIET in Farmland.  Playing Paris, I will be a lot more toned down and high class than my last show.  Now onto my recommendations for the week.

Skyfall (2012):  I start the week out with the latest 007 and as someone who has seen them all, this is my favorite as well as Daniel Craig being my favorite Bond.  Yes, Connery fans, I said it.  I like Craig better than Connery.  Sam Mendes directs what is kind of a third part to a trilogy which charts the rise of Bond.  This follows CASINO ROYALE and QUANTUM OF SOLACE.  In this one, an assignment goes wrong where agents around the world are being killed.  This forces M, reprised by Judi Dench, to relocate the MI6 agency and her authority also comes in jeopardy to Gareth Mallory, played by Ralph Fiennes, who is the new Chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committtee.  M then turns to the man who while is a loose cannon, is the only one she trusts in James Bond.  Bond then goes on assignment, aided by field agent Eve, played by Naomie Harris, and faces the mysterious and flamboyant Silva, played very well by Javier Bardem.  Ben Whishaw plays Q for the first time in the Daniel Craig era.  Berenice Marlohe, Tonia Sotiropoulou, and Albert Finney have parts in this film.  This Bond film just had it all with great action, great emotional depth, performances, and all.  One part I like a lot about the whole trilogy is the working relationship in this one with Bond and M.  The theme song from Adele ranks pretty high in James Bond theme songs.  This movie goes a little bit in-depth towards Bond's childhood and even M's past that is quite interesting.  There is also a greatly shot climatic action scene and has a good end to the "trilogy" and hopefully we got more in the future from Daniel Craig.

Divine Trash (1998):  This is my documentary for the week which focuses on Baltimore filmmaker John Waters who was a pioneer in the Underground film.  This movie goes into the childhood of Waters whose friends and family reflect on his childhood including his parents.  It then goes into detail on his early career when becoming quite the cult favorite. It also talks about Divine who worked in many of his movies as a transvestite actress who is many ways was the inspiration to the drag queen.   It also goes into the making of his biggest hit from that era PINK FLAMINGOS.  This does not go into his later career but for those of you that love that great musical HAIRSPRAY need to give credit where credit is due for his 1988 film of the same name.  This gives some really good insight into the underground film world of the 70s and to the careers of the team of John Waters and Divine.

Lawless (2012):  John Hillcoat directed this true story in which Nick Cave wrote the screenplay to the novel THE WETTEST COUNTY IN THE WORLD written by Matt Bondurant.  This takes place in depression era Franklin County, Virginia and centers around the Bondurant brothers played by Shia LaBeouf, Tom Hardy, and Jason Clarke who turn to bootlegging for survival.  They soon must deal with corrupt Special Deputy Charlie Rakes, played by Guy Pierce, who wants a cut of the profits by any means necessary.  Jessica Chastain, Mia Wasikowska, and Gary Oldman co-star in this film.  The author Matt Bondurant is the grandson to Jack, the one that LeBeouf plays.  Nick Cave for years has been a very underrated singer for Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and has gotten more and more involved with film like writing the music scores to a few films including this one and now writing like this film and THE PROPOSITION which was also got a very good reception.  Many people bash LeBeouf for some of his performances but this one is quite different and did a very good job in his role.  Some may notice the subtle reference to my town of Muncie, Indiana where the jars are Ball jars which was a company founded in Muncie.  This is a very well-written and realistic film during the Prohibition era and shows the types of choices people make to survive.

Capriccio Italien (1953):  This is my short film for the week.  This is a few minute symphony concert where Johnny Green conducts the MGM Symphony Orchestra in a performance of the title work that was written by Tchaikovsky.  It is that simple, if you like Tchaikovsky this might be something to look up which was pretty well performed.

The Good Earth (1937):  Sidney Franklin directed this tale that takes place on a farm in China.  Paul Muni stars as Wang who then marries a kitchen slave named O-Lan, played by Luise Rainer in an arranged marriage.  Their marriage soon becomes more about love and they start out as poor but soon become more and more successful leaving O-Lan to question some of their morals about their workers.  This is a really good study of a family from that era.  It is probably quite obvious to many that Muni, Rainer, among other actors are not Chinese but are not disrespectful about it.  Muni plays the part well and it is not like Mickey Rooney's politically incorrect performance in BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S.  This was very common in this era for Americans to play other races, especially Asians and blacks.  Think of this as a beautiful story about a family and try not to look at this as racist so that you can enjoy it the way it is meant to be seen.

The Godfather (1972):  Francis Ford Coppola directed this film that was based on the mafia novel from Mario Puzo and in turn really made the careers of many.  This movie centers around the Corleone family which is headed by Don Vito Corleone, played very well by Marlon Brando.  His grown kids consist of Sonny, played by James Caan, Fredo, played by John Cazale, Michael, played by Al Pacino, Connie, played by Talia Shire, and his foster son Tom Hagan, played by Robert Duvall.  The main premise of this movie is that a drug dealer named Virgil Sollazzo, played by Al Lettieri, is looking to get the Corleone family involved in the drug industry but Don Corleone sees nothing but trouble in the future despite the money that can be made.  This sparks a bit of a war between other mafia families that got involved with Sollazzo and the family must adjust to the new times.  One of the main subplots is with Michael who when we meet him has just gotten back from the military and does not want to be involved with the family.  However, certain events happen which slowly get him into the family business finding that he probably is the smartest of the Corleone family in his dealings.  Pacino is one of the few actors whose careers were really made after this one was over.  I had heard that Coppola really had to fight for Pacino to be in that part when the producers wanted a more known actor in the part and it turned out that like usual in these types of situations that the director was right.  Richard Castellano, Abe Vigoda, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard Conte, Diane Keaton, Gianni Russo, Al Martino, Alex Rocco, Richard Bright, and many others co-star in this film.  Also, the baby which is being baptized is Coppola's daughter Sophia who has come into her own as a director.  Many people I know refer to this movie as "long and boring" in which I can agree on the long part obviously but do not agree with the boring part.  This movie was nearly three hours but they were a good three hours.  If you are just looking for a lot of violence, this really is not the one.  It is really a very good movie about a family and when the violence happens, they let know.  I have also read the actual novel and it is really good to read even if this has already been seen because it does lend a little more detail to certain scenes and goes a little more in-depth on much of the supporting characters.  In many ways, this film and book predicted the downfall of the mafia in my opinion.  People in the mafia were getting arrested for drug dealing which turned out to be much harder raps to beat with all the investigation put into it making people on the inside testify for lesser sentences.   This movie is considered by many to be one of the best and I do not disagree.  There are many memorable quotes, scenes and has been parodied on many occasions.  An interesting story that I read was that Gianni Russo, who plays Connie's abusive husband, had connections to organized crime and using them to look into the role.  Brando did not like the idea of him in the part being so inexperienced that Russo made actual threats to Brando in which Brando thought he was acting making him believe that Russo was perfect.  Brando based his voice on real-life mobster Frank Costello.  I don't usually talk about awards in this but Brando won the Oscar for best actor while Pacino, Caan, and Duvall were all nominated for best supporting actor.  This is the start of what is one of the best trilogies of all time. 

The Angry Red Planet (1959):  Now I go into a b-movie where a crew of four is sent to Mars in a mission gone bad.  When making it back, only two are alive and one is unconscious while the other is traumatized.  Naura Hayden plays Dr. Iris Ryan who is unharmed but traumatized and agrees to go up to rather extreme measures in order to piece together what happened.  This is one that must be watched open minded to enjoy this b-movie that is so bad that it's good.  It has bad dialogue and some really bad special effects with much of the aliens that made it very enjoyable.  This is one that should be viewed by a group of friends to enjoy this guilty pleasure.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

Batman:  The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 (2012):  This is my animated superhero movie for the week which is based on the graphic novel by Frank Miller and left me pleasantly surprised.  It has been ten years since Bruce Wayne, voiced by Peter Weller, put on his costume and Commissioner Gordon, voiced by David Selby, is nearing retirement.  There is a new kind of evil in Gotham City in which Bruce feels he must become Batman again at 55 years of age.  These are also many years after Dick Grayson who became his own superhero and Jason Todd who was the Robin that died.  Ariel Winter voices Carrie Kelley who is a high school age girl who likes what Batman is doing and finds her chance becoming the new Robin.  The other storyline is of Harvey Dent, voiced by Wade Williams, who now has his full face back after being Two-Face and is supposedly rehabilitated but finds that is not very easy.  I really enjoyed this one.  This is actually darker in my opinion than the Christopher Nolan/Christian Bale trilogy so if you did not like it for that reason, this may not be for you.  I have always favored Batman in a more darker take like this one.  This one is really quite violent and gory where nothing is held back.  I really loved the action scenes in this movie.  There were many elements I really liked about this like in the beginning when Bruce and Gordon were reflecting on their times and discussing the future.  I also thought that Carrie Kelley was a very well-developed character and was able to accept a girl being Robin.  Watching this one really makes me want to see the second one and I usually don't get quite that eager.  I almost always enjoy DC animation movies and this did not disappoint at all.

The Jungle Book (1967):  After all this sex and violence, I finally bring one that is more for the family.  This is my Disney animation for the week and loosely based on stories by Rudyard Kipling.  In this movie, a young boy named Mowgli, voiced by Bruce Reitherman, has been raised by wolves in the jungle.  Sebastian Cabot voices Bagheera the panther who learns that a tiger named Shere Khan, voiced by George Sanders, is coming to track down Mowgli due to his hated for humans and decides it will be best to Mowgli to go into a man village despite Mowgli's disagreement.  Along the way, Mowgli meets Baloo the Bear and they become good friends while singing quite a few musical numbers including THE BARE NECESSITIES.  Soon, Baloo and Bagheera must protect Mowgli and look to get him to a man village even though Baloo does not want that for him.  Sterling Holloway, Louis Prima, and Clint Howard all lend their voices to the cast.  This is the first time I have seen this Disney film and have seen the 1942 live-action version and both of these are really quite different while each have their own qualities.  I will say that I enjoyed the movie but was a bit uneasy about the ending.  I do not want to give anything away so if you want my thoughts just message me.

Greyout (2009):  I end the week with this animated short film that was a student film from Jackson Mill of the Etobicoke School for the Arts.  This is a five minute animation film about a man who seems disillusioned with the world around him and tired of all the apathetic people and society.  I'm not quite sure of this person's actual image but the movie does entertain with the animation style and dialogue.  Here is the website http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJBO-a8_AVk.

Well that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 397th Edition

 

Welcome to the 397th Edition of my series.  INHERIT THE WIND went very well.  It was a great cast and crew to pull it off.  It is possibly my favorite to have been in.  I will now be moving onto ROMEO AND JULIET next month.  We recently lost a great person in the acting world of James Gandolfini who was only 51 years of age and is most known as Tony Soprano on THE SOPRANOS.  Next week, I will likely start a James Gandolfini tribute series which could be as many as six parts but I do not know yet.  Also, I want to remind everyone to visit http://www.gofundme.com/Family-Documentary in which my friend Sarah is looking for funding in order to get a camera to shoot a documentary on her family.  I believe this will be quite compelling once she gets what she needs to get started.  I will now get on with my selections.

God Bless America (2011):  I start out with this satire from comedian Bobcat Goldthwait who has really found his niche in directing.  Joel Murray stars as Frank whose life has gone into a downward spiral and has had enough of our media driven society.  He soon takes his gun and begins offing people like reality tv stars believing he is doing the world a favor.  He finds an unlikely accomplice in a 16 year old named Roxy, played by Tara Lynne Barr, who shares his views and joins him on their unusual killing spree.  Some may remember Joel Murray from the sitcom DHARMA AND GREG where he played Pete.  He was very fun as the unlikely killer and played his part very well.  I really do not know what more to describe this, it is rather twisted and funny if you take it for what it is which is satire and at times it has some good points.  This really not is for everyone so use your judgment but it was quite enjoyable to me.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

Safety Not Guaranteed (2012):  Colin Trevorrow directed this independent film written by Derek Connolly.  Aubrey Plaza stars as Darius who is a bit shy and an intern with a magazine.  She soon goes on a road trip with the staff writer Jeff, played by Jake Johnson, and fellow intern Arnau, played by Karan Soni.  They set out to interview a man who put an ad in the paper wanting someone to travel back in time with him.  Mark Duplass co-stars as Kenneth who puts up this ad and claims to have built a time machine.  Darius forms a bond with him and begins to understand him more and more forming a relationship with him.  Kenneth is a very likable person while a bit out there and Plaza is really good as Darius.  This is a very enjoyable independent film and a love story with more everyday kind of characters.  Jeff Garlin and Kristen Bell both have cameos in this movie.  This is also available on Instant Netflix and is far less violent than my first selection.

The Butcher Boy (1997):  Neil Jordan directed and co-wrote this film based on the novel by Pat McCabe.  This is another rather unusual one.  Eamonn Owens stars as Francie who is a pre-teen to early teen boy whose harmless fantasies become more violent and real due to his abusive and alcoholic father, played by Stephen Rea and his suicidal mother, played by Aisling O'Sullivan.  Owens played the part very well, slowly going off the deep end.  He has some interesting fantasies with the Virgin Mary, played by Sinead O'Connor of all people.  It is from the perspective of the young boy and does a good job keeping the movie likable even with the murder, abuse and alcoholism.  This is one that deserves more exposure and is worth a watch if you can get past the disturbing elements of the film.

Donald in Mathmagic Land (1959):  This is my animated short for the week.  This is possibly the best educational short film of all time which stars Donald Duck who learns that Math is used in so many ways.  I do recall at one point seeing this I believe in middle school and remember the billiards segment of it.  There are also many other elements like how math is used for legendary works of art.  This is a timeless Disney classic that is important for kids but enjoyable fo.  r adults.

Crime and Punishment (1935):  Josef Von Sternberg directed this movie which stars Peter Lorre as Roderick who is a very intelligent criminology student and writer but still struggles to support his family.  He lives in an apartment complex where a pawnbroker named Raskolnikov makes life difficult for many so he resorts to murder through his knowledge of criminology.  Edward Arnold co-stars as Inspector Porfiry who is investigating the murder.  Roderick does the perfect murder but his conscience continues to haunt him.  This is a rather unknown Peter Lorre film but is worth a watch.  Lorre and Arnold work very good together in the scenes where he is trying to keep the detective from finding out.

Silent Movie (1976):  I now bring some Mel Brooks for the week and his parody on the film industry.  Mel Brooks stars as Mel Funn who is a has-been filmmaker and looks to get back in the picture by making the first silent film in 40 years which while not referenced, I'm sure they are referring to Chaplin's MODERN TIMES.  He also tries to help a movie studio which people are trying to sabotage.  Marty Feldman and Dom Deluise co-star as Mel's sidekicks who go along with him to find some big stars for their movie.  Now did I mention this was actually a silent film with one spoken work.  Sid Caesar plays the movie executive while Bernadette Peters co-stars as night club singer Vilma.  Many celebrities like Paul Newman, Anne Bancroft, James Caan, Liza Minelli, Burt Reynolds and Marcel Marceau play themselves and who Mel is trying to get into his movie.  I really enjoy this comedy that has gone onto become pretty unknown but is a pretty good homage to silent film.

4 For Texas (1963):  This is my western for the week which stars Rat Packers Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin.  Sinatra plays gunslinger Zack Thomas and Martin plays his rival Joe Jarrett.  They are rivals but must team up with common enemies.  Anita Ekberg and Ursula Andress co-star as their love interests.  Charles Bronson plays Matson who is the main villain as well as corrupt banker Harvey Burden, played by Victor Buono.  There is also a cameo from the Three Stooges which were from Moe, Larry, and Joe. Richard Jaeckel, Mike Mazurki, Jack Lambert and Jack Elam also co-star.  This is probably a western comedy more for Rat Pack fans as it is not really great but it was a fun movie and Dean Martin's scene with the Stooges was pretty funny and where can you go wrong with Ursula Andress? 

Reds (1981):  Warren Beatty directed, co-wrote, and stars in this epic true story about radical American journalist John Reed who is played by Beatty.  Diane Keaton co-stars as Louise Bryant who marries Reed and becomes a revolutionary alongside Reed.  They go to Russia to help with the October Revolution of 1917 and then return to the U.S. to do similar things there.  Jack Nicholson, Edward Herrman, Paul Sorvino, Maureen Stapleton, M. Emmet Walsh, and Gene Hackman co-star in this film.  One thing I really liked about this is that Beatty had some of the actual survivors in this movie to reflect on those times so it is in some ways part documentary.  Beatty is great as Reed and him and Keaton work great together.  Beatty also clearly put a lot of effort into this film.  Nicholson is also good as real-life playwright Eugene O'Neill.  Stephen Sondheim wrote the music score for this film.  This is a movie that is a little over three hours long and requires full attention but can be rewarded pretty highly for this one.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954):  This is my musical for the week which was directed by Stanley Donen.  Howard Keel stars as Adam who the oldest of the seven brothers who live in a backwoods home.  Adam soon goes into town looking for a wife to help around the house and soon meets Milly, played by Jane Powell, who takes to him right away agreeing to marry.  She expected it to be just the two of them but soon meets the six brothers.  She immediately looks to teach them more manners and how to talk to women.  The brothers soon become inspired and want to become married so they each go into town abducting the women they had met thinking they will get married.  The women are stuck in the home for a few months due to an avalanche which makes everyone think on their lives.  Russ Tamblyn and Julie Newmar are some of the many co-stars and probably most known.  Keel and Powell were good together as always.  I suppose some of the events could be considered questionable morally but it is easy to just let that go and enjoy the musical written by Johnny Mercer and Gene DePaul.  This is a must for musical lovers and like this more than other musicals from this era.

X2 (2003):  This is part three of my Hugh Jackman trilogy and I end with this superhero sequel.  Bryan Singer directs this one which has most people in the original reprising their roles of X-Men like Jackman as Wolverine, Famke Janssen as Jean Grey, Halle Berry as Storm, James Marsden as Cyclops, Patrick Stewart as Professor X and Anna Paquin as Rogue.  On the villain side Ian McKellan reprises his role as Magneto and Rebecca Romijn reprises Mystique.  Their new enemy is in scientist William Stryker, played by Brian Cox, who hates mutants and has a way of getting to them which forces the rivals to team up in order to stop him.  Alan Cumming joins the cast as unusual mutant Nightcrawler who teams up with X-Men and I thought Cumming was perfectly cast.  Some of the characters we meet at the school are Iceman, Pyro, Shadowcat, Jubilee, Colossus, among others.  Also look for a character named Dr. Hank McCoy which many will know who he becomes.  Another addition is in Kelly Hu who plays the part of Lady Deathstrike and has a good fight scene later with Wolverine.  Also, for all you fans of the tv series HIGHLANDER, look for Peter Wingfield, who plays Methos in the tv series, who is one of Stryker's military guys.  This was actually a very good sequel that topped the first one and ranks pretty high in the superhero genre in my opinion.  I do not feel much else needs to be explained except to check it out.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 396th Edition

Welcome to the 396th Edition of my series.  I would like to start by saying Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there.  INHERIT THE WIND is going so well and hope people can check this out on either today at 3 pm, Friday or Saturday at the Anderson Mainstage Theatre.  Message me for details.  Also, visit http://www.gofundme.com/Family-Documentary and help support my friend Sarah on her documentary project if you can.  I will now get to my selections for the week.

Laurel Canyon (2002):  I start the week out with this movie wrote and directed by Lisa Cholodenko.  Christian Bale stars as Sam who has just graduated as a psychiatrist and will soon go to grad school.  Kate Beckinsale co-stars as his fiance who along with Sam moves into his mother's house in Laurel Canyon and were under the impression she would be gone but this was not the case.  Frances McDormand plays Sam's mother Jane who is a music producer and still trying to get an album for her boyfriend Ian, played by Alessandro Nivola, released though she seems more interesting in smoking pot and drinking.  Alex slowly becomes more immersed into their lifestyle and getting distracted in writing her dissertation much to Sam's dismay.  Sam though is distracted by an intern named Sara, played by Natascha McElhone, and their relationship is in much danger.  Rick Gonzalez also co-stars in this film.  I actually really enjoyed this complex tale of love and lust and what can happen when people have a hard time communicating.

The Tree of Life (2011):  Terrence Malick wrote and directed this film which is about a family through the point of view of the oldest son Jack, played by Hunter McCracken as a child and Sean Penn as an adult.  As a kid, he struggles with his loss of innocence as well as struggling with his parents' conflicting ways of parenting.  As an adult, Sean Penn plays the part of Jack as a lost soul in the modern world seeking answers to the origins and meaning of life.  Brad Pitt plays the father who is a rather authoritarian father and Jessica Chastain plays the mother who is quite the opposite.  Both of them do a great job. With Malick, his style is quite hit or miss as far as how people will see his films and this is no exception.  We may see people like Pitt, Penn, and Chastain but the real star of this film and others is the cinematography and even the music soundtrack.  It is really hard to describe this rather poetic film and I believe everyone will see this in a different way and a different journey.  The imagery is quite beautiful and the narrative used is quite interesting as well.  If you are not a fan of Malick's previous films, this probably is not for you but if you can just sit down and take it in, it can be rewarding.  This could also demand more than one viewing to be able to take it in.

Australia (2008):  This is part two of my Hugh Jackman series and included OKLAHOMA last week.  Baz Luhrmann directed and co-wrote this film that as you might guess takes place in Australia.  This takes place during WWII and it starts with an English aristocrat named Lady Sarah Ashley, played by Nicole Kidman, who inherits a cattle station, teams with a rough-hewn stock man named Drover, played by Jackman, and an Aborigine boy named Nullah, played well by Brandon Walters, to stop a plot of corrupt cattle barons.  This also takes place during the time when Aborigine children were being taken to become more "westernized" and an attack from Japan that happened shortly after Pearl Harbor.  This movie gets a lot of mixed reaction but I found it to be a very fun romantic adventure with some pretty moving moments at times.  I also thought Kidman and Jackman worked very well together.  I tend to enjoy Baz Luhrman films like MOULIN ROUGE and while it was a little less than three hours, it really did not feel that way to me. 

Weasel Stop (1956):  This is my animated short for the week and this week decided to focus on the Looney Tunes character Foghorn Leghorn who I do not believe I have ever used in the past.  In this one, a shaggy dog is on guard at the chicken coop.  There was a weasel who was looking to get access to the chickens but Foghorn never likes to side with dogs and helps the weasel to get to the dog in some pretty funny moments.  Foghorn was a very big rooster and a stereotypical southern accent being rather obnoxious.  He would usually play pranks on dogs, most notably the Barnyard Dog.

Trouble in Paradise (1932):  Ernst Lubitsch directed what I would call a crime comedy love story.  Herbert Marshall stars as high-class European thief Gaston Monescu who soon meets Lily, played by Miriam Hopkins, who is herself a pickpocket masquerading as a countess.  They decide to team up to rob a beautiful jewelry store owner named Madame Mariette Colet, played by Kay Francis.  They soon become employed by her and make their plans but Gaston's relationship with Colet soon complicates things finding himself having to choose between two beautiful women.  This has some great direction, performances, and dialogue and is a very underrated film that Criterion released.  Marshall was a lot of fun in his role despite his profession and may have gotten some criticism for glorifying theft.  This is absolutely worth a watch and stands the test of time.

The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit (1968):  This is my Disney movie of the week that I came across at the library and decided to take a look at Kurt Russell's younger days when he made a lot of live-action Disney films.  Dean Jones stars as Fred who is a business executive who must come up with a campaign to promote a product called Aspercel and has very little time to do it.  His other problem is with his daughter Helen, played by Ellen Janov, who loves horses and wants one of her own.  She has had some success in competitions and takes riding classes.  He decides to combine the two and get a horse to call it Aspercel in hopes that her daughter will be able to win with this horse.  Diane Baker co-stars as Suzie Clemens who is Helen's horse instructor and plays an important part.  A young Kurt Russell co-stars as Ronnie who is Helen's love interest and believes she is overworking herself.  There are some pretty funny moments like a scene with Fred trying to track down the horse.  It is nothing great but a harmless movie for the family to watch and enjoy.

Crossfire (1947):  Edward Dmytryk directed this film noir which is really my favorite genre from this area and do not get the exposure deserved.  Robert Finley stars as Detective Finley who is investigating the murder of a military man which appears to have been done by someone in the unit.  Robert Mitchum co-stars as Keeley who is the leader of the unit who does his own investigation to clear his friend Mitchell, played by George Cooper, who is the main suspect but does not believe he did it.  Robert Ryan and Gloria Grahame co-star in this film.  This is a very gritty movie and has a very good story as well as characters.  I don't want to go too much further to give ideas of the plot or anything else away.  This is available on TCM On-Demand.

Invictus (2009):  Clint Eastwood directed this film based on a book by John Carlin.  This is a true story that takes place during Nelson Mandela's first team as president of South Africa.  This does not go much into his past background so I'll just give a few basic points.  He was arrested in 1962 for inciting Workers' strikes and leaving the country without permission and was held in prison as a political prisoner for nearly 30 years being released in 1990.  He focused on bringing the country together and even hired people who had previously wronged him.  When being released, he did not want to be bitter or focus on revenge towards his oppressors.  In 1994, he became president of South Africa.  Morgan Freeman stars as Mandela and does a great job.  He wanted to unite the apartheid-torn land and finds an unusual way of doing it.  He enlists the struggling South Africa rugby team and looks to motivate them to become better and win the rugby world cup.  Matt Damon co-stars as the team captain Francois Pienaar who meets with the president and becomes more motivated as a team in which many people seem to have given up on.  This movie is more about unification than anything.  If you want a bunch of suspense, this is not really it since it is predictable, especially if you know the story.  This is for people looking for inspiration and maybe more politicians should take a look at this one.  I am a big fan of Eastwood and really like what he does with this being no exception.  What I also like about him is that when casting, he limits his big name actors but still gets good performances out of the more unknown actors.  Freeman has been friends with Mandela for a long time and being the one Mandela said should play him.

Topaz (1969):  Alfred Hitchcock directed this spy thriller based on the novel by Leon Uris and based on events that lead to the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.  Frederick Stafford stars as a French agent Andre Devereaux who uncovers information about Russia placing missiles in Cuba during the Cold War.  CHARLIE'S ANGELS alum John Forsythe plays American spy Michael Nordstrom who interviews a high ranking Russian who defects but is more reluctant when the French are involved.  This is one where you must give your whole attention.  It is by no means a high-ranking Hitchcock film but it still works with the performances from the more known actors in Hollywood.  This is mostly for fans of this kind of genre and can be a bit hard to follow at times.  Still has quite a few Hitchcockian touches though to make it worth a look.

Recon (1996):  I end with this short film that was written and directed by Breck Eisner that was a student film.  This is a short film which stars Peter Gabriel which if you know me, you know that he is my favorite singer and to my knowledge, this is his only acting job.  This is a futuristic short about a murder investigation in which Peter is someone who is unable to see the line between fantasy and reality.  This short also has Charles Durning, Elizabeth Pena, and Valarie Trapp.  This is available on Youtube.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 395th Edition

Welcome to the 395th Edition of my long-running series.  This week, INHERIT THE WIND opens at the Anderson Mainstage Theatre.  Performances are Thursday-Sunday starting at 7:30 every day except Sunday which is at 3 pm.  There are performances next week on Friday and Saturday.  Also, please check out this website http://www.gofundme.com/Family-Documentary which is the site for my friend Sarah who is trying to get enough donations to get a camera in order to fund a documentary she wants to do.  I know many people who have read this are filmmakers know the struggle of getting a movie off the ground so please consider donating if you can.  I will now get to my selections for the week.

Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010):  I start out with this documentary that pays tribute to the world of graffiti art.  This movie starts out with French shop keeper and amateur filmmaker Thierry Guetta who has quite a fascination with street graffiti and after getting footage of artists like Shephard Fairey and Space Invader, he sets his sights on the very elusive Banksy who is one of the pioneers of this form of art.  He finally meets him but still refuses to show his face but something that was not an easy feat.  Banksy soon finds the Guetta is a very average filmmaker and turns the tables on him telling him to start coming up with his own street art.  Guetta then took up this challenge, becoming Mr. Brainwash, and comes up with some very clever art leading into a pretty big show.  This is really about all I can explain but really enjoyed seeing these people do what they are passionate about and the way Banksy kind of takes charge.  This really gives a good look into this form of art and is a rather inventive documentary.  This movie is available on Instant Netflix.

It's a Mystery, Charlie Brown (1974):  This is one of my short films for the week and decided on some Peanuts for the week.  There are a couple stories going on here.  One is that Woodstock just built a nest and has a comic struggle doing so but finally gets it built.  The nest soon disappears and Snoopy puts on his Sherlock Holmes outfit in order to find the nest for his friend.  In the other story, Sally struggles to come up with a science project for school.  Charlie, Lucy, Linus, Marci, Pigpen, and Peppermint Patty all make appearances in this really fun tv special of people I consider friends.

They Drive by Night (1940):  This is part two of a two-part Humphrey Bogart series.  Raoul Walsh directs this film which stars George Raft and Bogart as truckers Joe and Paul Fabrini.  They run their own business and struggle with all the competition and corrupt businessmen as they work a lot of hours and never really know how much pay they will get..  They continue to stay in business even through encouragement that it is easier to work for someone who has more money.  Through much tragedy, one of them comes to harm and the other is accused of murder on a mutual friend.  Ann Sheridan, Ida Lupino, Alan Hale, and many others co-star in this film.  It was interesting to see these guys play working people and not mobsters like they had on many occasions.  This is pretty good unknown Bogart that classic film buffs will enjoy.

Oklahoma (1999):  I now bring this Rodgers and Hammerstein musical which was a live performance and a revival in London.  Hugh Jackman stars as Curly who looks to win over Laurey Williams, played by Josefina Gabrielle, but must compete with farmhand Jud Fry, played by Shuler Hensley.  The other story is of Will Parker, played by Jimmy Johnston, who looks to win over Ado Annie, played by Vicki Simon, but her father does not approve of Will because of his lack of money and she is to be with peddler Ali Hakim, played by Peter Polycarpou.  That is really the basic storyline of this musical western.  Like a lot of people, I first got exposed to Jackman as Wolverine which was a perfect casting and then I heard he can do things like this and has come a long way.  He was great as Curly and shows his vocal talent that did not fully get exposed until 2012 when he did LES MISERABLES.  I was in a version of this musical at the Muncie Civic Theater in 2008 where I played Slim and was a good production.  There was also a version in 1955 with Gordon Macrae and will possibly catch heat but I like this version better.  One thing I like about this that the movie did not have was Jud's solo LONELY ROOM which really sets the tone later for Jud and brings some sympathy to this villainous character which they probably did not want.  I'm not the biggest Rodgers and Hammerstein fan but this is probably my favorite from them and this was a very good production.

Early Summer (1951):  This is my Japanese film for the week.  Yasujiro Ozu directed this family portrait which challenges traditions within a family.  Setsuko Hara stars as Noriko who is 28 years old and still single.  This is in a postwar Japan where traditions are changing.  She has a job and her boss suggests his 40 year old friend to marry her.  Noriko's family wants her to accept but Noriko looks to make plans of her own.  This is a really beautiful story which makes it on account of its good writing and characters.  This is a pretty realistic portrait of a family and is a must as long as you are okay with subtitles.

Donnie Darko (2001):  I now continue with this cult film directed and wrote by Richard Kelly.  Jake Gyllenhaal stars as the title character who is a troubled teenager who does not get along with with his family, teachers, or classmates.  A new student named Gretchen, played by Jena Malone, understands him a lot more and even agrees to date him. Now, the complicated part of his life is with a really creepy rabbit named Frank who is predicting the end of the world.  Strange things begin to happen where Donnie can no longer see what is real and what is not.  Holmes Osborne, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Mary McDonnell, Patrick Swayze, Beth Grant, Seth Rogen, Noah Wyle, Drew Barrymore, and Katherine Ross all co-star in this film.  Swayze is very amusing as the self-help guru Jim Cunningham.  Seth Rogen makes his film debut.  This was a very thought-provoking film and may not be for everyone but if you like something very dark, then it is for you.  I also really enjoyed the 80s soundtrack and pop-culture references.

Brave (2012):  This is my Pixar selection for the week.  Kelly McDonald provides the voice of Princess Merida who is Princess Merida in Scotland.  She is a more free-spirited princess who wants to be able to carve her own path in life.  In trying to live a more free life, she inadvertently causes an ancient curse to happen within her family in which she must work to end.  Billy Connolly and Emma Thompson play her parents.  Julie Walters, Robbie Coltrane, Craig Ferguson, and CHEERS alum John Ratzenberger also provide voices.  I was expecting more action out of this film but is was really more about family conflict and a lot of what happened was the price of a mother and daughter not being able to communicate very well.  With this, I really enjoyed this film a lot and is a good one for the family adding a good character to the Disney princess line.  I liked WRECK IT RALPH better but this still entertains a lot.

Duel (1971):  This is my tv movie of the week and the first feature film out of Steven Spielberg.  Dennis Weaver stars as a businessman who is just trying to get home but then encounters a semi truck who he slowly finds he is trying to kill him.  We never actually see the driver, just the truck that was the villain of the film.  This is a low budget film but is just as good of thriller as many others.  Weaver does a great job in mostly carrying this film by himself.  It definitely is quite possibly the best tv movie of all time.  This movie is full of thrills and suspense and is really one of my favorites from Spielberg.

Daybreak (1939):  This is my French film.  1939 is known for the year of many great American films being released but this is competition from France.  Marcel Carne directed this drama which stars Jean Gabin as Francoise who has just killed a man.  He soon locks himself in an apartment looking to evade the police.  While doing this, he begins to reflect on the events that lead to this killing.  I really don't want to give away too many more details.  It was a very well done film that does a great job with the use of flashback to explain the circumstances of what happened.  I found this was a pretty easy one to follow even with the subtitles. 

Thumb Wars:  The Phantom Cuticle (1999):  I decided to end this was one with more of a short film.  I have always seen these available but have not gotten around to them until now and this is the first one.  Most have probably guessed that this is a parody of STAR WARS but with the use of thumbs.  It is based on the very first one where a farmboy named Loke Groundrunner and Princess Bunhead, among others look to thwart Black Helmet Man and the Thumbpire from their evil plans.  This is a very fun 30 minutes if just taken for what it's worth.  It has some really funny references from the movies as well as a great opening sequence.  There are a lot of other thumb parodies out there but this is the first.  Steve Oedekerk directed, wrote, and provided much of this voices.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Christian Bale, Jessica Chastain, and many others.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 394th Edition

Welcome to the 394th Edition of my series.  Right now, I am busy with rehearsals for INHERIT THE WIND that is happening at the Anderson Mainstage Theatre in Anderson.  The show is going very well and starts in a couple of weeks and will give more information next week.  I learned that in July, I will be making my debut in Farmland, Indiana and in my first Shakespeare show of ROMEO AND JULIET in which I have two parts.  I play Abram in the first scene and then I become Paris.  Before I get to this week's selections, I ask that you visit my friend Sarah's page at http://www.gofundme.com/Family-Documentary where she is looking for donations to get a camera in order to shoot a documentary on some events that happened in her family.  I really believe this will be good if she is able to do it.  I will now get on with my selections for the week.

All the Little Animals (1998):  This is part three of my three-part Christian Bale series.  Jeremy Thomas directed this film based on the novel by Walter Hamilton and was pleasantly surprised by this one.  Bale plays a mentally slow young man named Bobby whose mother has just died and is now under the care of his very sadistic and abusive stepfather, played by Daniel Benzali.  He soon runs away from home and meets a strange man named Mr. Summers, played by John Hurt, who uses his time to find roadkill and bury it.  Summers soon takes in Bobby becoming a better father figure than his stepfather and teaches him his ways.  I really liked Bale in this movie and seeing him play a more lighter role than usual.  Hurt was also very good as his mysterious character.  I will say that I was quite moved by this film.  This is good early Bale and is worth a look in my opinion.

The Devil Wears Prada (2006):  I continue with part two of my two-part Emily Blunt series as well as Tracie Thoms who were both in last week's feature LOOPER and both have good parts in this movie.  David Frankel directed this movie that was based on the novel by Lauren Weisberger.  Anne Hathaway stars as Andy Sachs who has just graduated with a journalism degree and takes a job with fashion magazine Runway even if she does not fit into that world.  She is the second assistant to the ruthless and powerful executive Miranda Priestley and takes it as a temporary personal challenge.  Emily Blunt co-stars as Emily who advises Andy on how to act around their cruel boss.  Stanley Tucci co-stars as Nigel who has worked there for a long time and helps Andy dress better to fit into the workplace.  Andy slowly begins to fit in more and more with the magazine causing tension with her friends and family.  ENTOURAGE alum Adrian Grenier plays Andy's boyfriend who has a hard time dealing with her schedule and the person she is becoming.  Simon Baker, Rich Sommer, Daniel Sunjata, David Marshall Grant, and James Naughton co-star in this film.  This is a very interesting look into the fashion world and similar to the tv series that came out about that year UGLY BETTY in terms of the main character not really fitting into that world and must adjust to the other personalities.  Meryl Streep is great in her role as the ruthless boss but a complex performance.  I really liked Hathaway in what appears to be a trademark role for her in characters who do not fit in very well but must learn to fit in like THE PRINCESS DIARIES.  This is one that some really liked and some did not so just use your judgment.  That's all.

The Getaway (1972):  Sam Peckinpah directed this movie based on the novel by Jim Thompson.  Steve McQueen stars as ex-con Doc McCoy who has just been paroled.  Ben Johnson co-stars as the corrupt Sheriff Beynon who arranges his parole but has the catch that he must rob a bank.  Joining Doc is his wife Carol, played by Ali MacGraw, who goes along with the plan.  Al Lettieri co-stars as Rudy, who is a partner of the robbery.  The heist goes absolutely awry and Doc and Carol must escape Beynon and Rudy who are both after him.  Slim Pickens also co-stars in this film.  This is my favorite of Steve McQueen that I have seen which had a great blend of action and drama with good performances from him and MacGraw who work very well together.

Winning Your Wings (1942):  This is my short film for the week which is an Air Force promotional video directed by John Huston and has real-life Air Force member James Stewart who joined the military during WWII and encourages people to join the Air Force.  He talks about the benefits and many others things.  This is a pretty good and interesting video and something we likely will not see today as we really don't see many celebs joining the military like we did then as it was far more supported in that era.  This is available to see on Youtube and is quite good to watch to see the difference then and now as far as military goes.

Kid Galahad (1937):  This is part two of my two-part Edward G. Robinson series and part one of a two-part Humphrey Bogart series.  Michael Curtiz directed this early boxing film.  Robinson stars as boxing promoter Nick Donati whose last protege did not work out.  At a party, he sees a bellhop named Ward, played by Wayne Morris, punch out a champion and soon sees potential in him as a future champion.  Ward is a rather naive and innocent man being brought into a world that is not that way but is open to making that money to start his farm and is soon rebilled as the title name.  Nick begins to change his mind when his mistress Fluff, played well by Bette Davis, begins to fall for him and Ward begins to fall for Nick's sister Marie, played by Jane Bryan.  Humphrey Bogart co-stars as more of a villainous promoter leading into a rather violent climax at the end.  This is a pretty good early look into the world of boxing and has a great story as well as performances.

Jane Eyre (2011):  This is the latest adaption to the classic novel by Charlotte Bronte and there have been many.  Cary Fukunaga directs this adaptation which stars Mia Wasikowska as the title character who had a very bleak childhood and finds work at the Thornfield Hall.  Michael Fassbender plays Rochester who is the head of Thornfield Hall and can be rather dark and cold in his personality but soon forms a friendship and relationship with Jane.  A secret of Rochester could destroy their future.  I will admit, I do not believe I have seen any of the other productions but judging this movie as a whole, I thought it was pretty well done.  It had a good look into that time period with good costumes and performances.  Jamie Bell, Amelia Clarkson, Sally Hawkins, Judi Dench and many others co-star in this film. This is a pretty good period piece if you are into that genre.

Africa Screams (1949):  Now I bring Abbott and Costello in a more unknown movie.  In this movie, they play bookstore employees Buzz and Stanley.  Buzz convinces a customer named Linda, played by Hilary Brooke, that Stanley is an expert on Africa knowing she has a lot of money.  She then leads a group that abducts them and actually takes them to Africa in search of diamonds though leads them to think it is for the Orangutan Gargantua and along the way encounter lion tamers, lions, a gorilla, and a group of cannibals.  There are some pretty funny moments like Costello's fear of animals and an encounter with a lion and a cage.  Look for Joe Besser and Shemp Howard who are known as the "4th and 5th stooges" of Three Stooges fame.  This is more for fans of classic comedy and Abbott and Costello and is available on Instant Netflix.

Meet the Robinsons (2007):  This is my Disney animation selection for the week.  This centers around Lewis, voiced by both Daniel Hanson and Jordan Fry, who has been orphaned all his life and is quite the young inventor.  He soon meets a mysterious boy named Wilbur Robinson, voiced by Wesley Singerman, who turns out to be from the future and has a time machine which is was Lewis has always wanted.  Wilbur enlists Lewis to go in his time machine to help catch the Bowler Hat man, played by Stephen J. Anderson, and soon has quite the twist of fate.  Angela Bassett provides the voice to Mildred who is the very nice head of the orphanage.  If I talk too much more about this, I will likely give it away.  It is a very complex movie involving time travel but also has a good story and message to it.  Tom Kenny, who is most known as the voice of Spongebob, has a voice as Mr. Willerstein.  Laurie Metcalf, Harland Williams, Nicole Sullivan, Adam West, and Tom Selleck also provide voices.  This is a pretty complex film but still pretty easy to follow in the twists and is good for the kids and adults.  There are also a few good movie references that some may or may not get.  Keep Moving Forward.

Doctor Dolittle (1967):  Richard Fleischer directed this movie which is based on the novels by Hugh Lofting. Before there was Eddie Murphy, Rex Harrison starred as the title character.  Dr. John Dolittle decides he no longer wants to deal with humans as a doctor and learns how to communicate with animals and becomes a veterinarian.  Anthony Newley, Samantha Newley, Richard Attenborough, and Peter Bull all co-star in this family movie.  I do not feel there is much need to go into much more details.  I will say I have not seen the remake but I'm aware that in that one, each animal speaks in English but in this one, Dolittle knows how to translate most animals.  This movie is about two and a half hours and is also a musical.  I don't know that it needed to be this long and I was not big on the encounter and dealings with some island natives.  If you want an explanation, just message me.  The rest of the movie was a lot of fun though with Harrison great in the title role and is a movie like the last selection that the family can watch.

D.C. Cab (1983):  I end this edition with this guilty pleasure directed by a young Joel Schumacher.  This centers around a group of cab drivers in Washington D.C.  Adam Baldwin stars as Albert who has aspirations to start his own cab company which is always what he has wanted to do.  He then joins the group of the title run by his father's friend Harold, played by Max Gail.  This company includes the likes of Mr. T, Gary Busey, a young Bill Maher, Otis Day, Paul Rodriguez, Charlie Barnett, need I say more?  This movie is quite politically incorrect and much of the time quite illogical but if you approach it with the right attitude, it can be very enjoyable.  Irene Cara plays herself in this movie.  It is probably one to get a group of friends together to watch.  This is available on Instant Netflix and is enjoyable if looking for a little fun, I mean where can you go wrong with people like Mr. T and Gary Busey?  A funny thing I read is that Jim Carrey auditioned but Schumacher did not cast him on account of believing that Carrey was too talented to be in the ensemble.

That is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes more Humphrey Bogart, Hugh Jackman, and many others.  Continue to read as I return with the honorable tv mention.

HONORABLE TV MENTION

The Avengers:  Earth's Mightiest Heroes (2010-2012):  I will be the first to admit, I have never been a heavy comic book reader and get into the superhero genre through the movies and lately animated cartoon series like this one.  In 2012, we got exposed to the movie THE AVENGERS which is possibly by favorite superhero film.  I soon came across this animated series and really took to this series.  The series starts out with individual episodes of Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk, Captain America, Ant-Man, Wasp, and Black Panther.  You'll notice the last three characters were not in the live-action film though there is set to be one of Ant-Man but has not been cast as of yet.  In the movie, Nick Fury of the S.H.I.E.L.D. finds a way to bring these guys together.  In the series, Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, brings together these character to form the Avengers and would also take in Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye, who left S.H.I.E.L.D. to join them.  Stark brought them together after many villains imprisoned by S.H.I.E.L.D. escaped so thought it best to team up and they ended up staying in Tony Stark's mansion.  In this series, the Avengers try to distance themselves from S.H.E.I.L.D. as much as they can but work with them with necessary though have a very uneasy alliance.  One thing, I favor the series over the movie is the development of the character of Hawkeye where in this movie, he is portrayed as just as strong of a character as the others where in the movie I thought him a bit underdeveloped in the film but will hopefully do more in later movie.  In this series, he reminds me of the Flash from the Justice League in terms of his smartalec attitude.  In the series, I would have liked to have seen more from the character Black Widow who I thought was portrayed very well in the film but used sparingly in this cartoon series.  Other characters that would join the Avengers later in the series include Ms. Marvel, the Vision, and sometimes Captain Marvel.  There are many guest appearances from superheroes like the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, Wolverine, War Machine, Heroes for Hire Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and many others.  I did learn more and more about much of these characters and now know what to expect for the upcoming CAPTAIN AMERICA:  WINTER SOLDIER.  I thought all the characters and the villains were very well-developed.  I am aware that there is now a new animated series that recently started called AVENGERS ASSEMBLE which I have recorded but have not gotten to it yet.  I have heard mixed reactions and will soon check it out for myself.  This is available on Instant Netflix which is where I found it.  I will now start getting into some of those more often.