Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 402nd Edition

Welcome to the 402nd Edition of my series.  ROMEO AND JULIET started this weekend and is going very well.  We have another performance tonight at 7 pm and next weekend on Saturday and Sunday which is also 7 pm.  This is in Farmland, Indiana at Wildcat Park and the show is free.  Also, I want to let know that my friend Sarah is looking to do a documentary on her family and is looking for donations to get a camera.  Please visit http://www.gofundme.com/Family-Documentary if interested and to get more details.  I really believe this will be very good so please help out if you can.  I will now get to my selections for the week.

Batman:  The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2 (2013):  I start the week out with this animated superhero movie and is the sequel based on the graphic novel from Frank Miller.  I am usually not that quick to get to a sequel but after featuring the first one maybe a month ago, I was hooked on this dark portrayal and decided to take a look at this one.  In the first one, we find Bruce Wayne, voiced by Peter Weller, who has retired from the superhero game but feels the need to return even in his older age but has a mixed reaction from the public.  He is soon joined by Carrie Kelly, voiced by Ariel Winter, who takes it upon herself to become the new Robin and is a pretty good character.  In this sequel, Commissioner James Gordon, voiced by David Selby, is retiring and is being replaced by Ellen Yindel, voiced by Maria Canals-Barrera, who declares Batman as a fugitive.  Batman must deal with the Joker, voiced by LOST alum Michael Emerson, who has just gotten out of Arkham Asylum and immediately returns to his old ways.  Batman's other issue is dealing with Superman, voiced by BOSTON LEGAL alum Mark Valley, who now works for the government and is being sent to apprehend Batman.  Other characters include an aging Selina Kyle who in the past was Catwoman and Oliver Queen who was the Green Arrow.  Oliver forms an alliance with Batman and have some good interactions in their reflections of the past.  I always like a dark take to Batman and this really does it for me.  There is also quite a battle with Superman and I always hear people say Superman would always win.  While Batman has no special powers, he is still very resourceful and turns into a really good fight between the two.  The only problem that I have is with Emerson as the Joker.  I have nothing against him and like him as an actor and I'm not even saying he was bad as the voice.  It is just not the same as Mark Hamill's voice as the joker.  Other than that, I really enjoyed this animated series.

Cinema Verite (2011):  This is part four of my tribute series to James Gandolfini.  This is a behind the scenes look at the 70s PBS series AN AMERICAN FAMILY which is considered to be the first reality tv show.  Diane Lane stars as Pat Loud, who is the matriarch of the family and one that producer Craig Gilbert, played by Gandofini, takes an interest for his idea for what would soon be known as reality tv.  Gilbert found this to be a hard sell to the board of PBS who did not know how watchable this would be but finally gave the green light to get it going after the family accepts not really knowing what they are getting into.  The camera begins to bring out many secrets like her swinger husband Bill, played by Tim Robbins, and their gay son Lance, played by Thomas Dekker, who makes it very obvious.  Patrick Fugit, Kaitlyn Dever, Kathleen Quinlan, and Lolita Davidovich co-star in this HBO original movie.  Gandolfini was really good as Gilbert who at first has pretty good intentions but then just wants ratings.  Lane is also good as Pat who tries to keep her family together as she begins to question her decision.  This is an interesting look into the start of reality tv which we all know is at a big rise no matter how much we may like or hate it.

Kit Kittredge:  An American Girl (2008):  I now bring a more family oriented selection.  This takes place in Cincinnati in the great depression which stars Abigail Breslin as the title character who is an aspiring reporter and must deal with the struggle of the depression.  Julia Ormond co-stars as her mother Margaret who must turn the house into a boardinghouse so that they can make more money and help others who are staying with them.  Chris O'Donnell co-stars as her father Jack who has lost his job.  Jane Krakowski, Wallace Shawn, Joan Cusack, Max Thierot, Willow Smith, Glenne Headly, Colin Mochrie, and Stanley Tucci co-star in this movie.  The main plot consists of a chest full of money and other belongings that is stolen and the suspect is a homeless person named Will, played by Thierot, who is a homeless teen doing yardwork for the family in return for food.  Kit refuses to believe that he would do this and starts her own investigation.  This has a really good variety of characters and is a really good look into the depression which really affected just about all walks of life.  It is also interesting how everyone looks down on "hobos" and no matter what happens they are the ones to blame.  I also liked the element of everyone working together in order to survive.  Breslin is also very good as the title character who can serve as an inspiration to other children.  She is someone who is very loyal and goes after what she wants like never giving up in getting an article published in the local newspaper no matter how much she is looked down upon due to her age.  The American Girl series started out with a series of dolls and books from the perspective of girls 9-11 varying in ethnicity and other things which deal with very significant topics that can be understood from a young audience.  There are a few direct to video movies but this is the first theatrical one and would be very good for a family to watch.

Two Gun Goofy (1952):  This is my animated short for the week which features Disney's Goofy.  This is a western parody in which a bandit dog named Pistol Pete is running roughshot in a lawless town until Goofy enters the picture and unintentionally foils Pistol Pete's plans.  This is some good classic Disney fun and has some pretty funny moments in it.  You can find this on DVD on The Complete Goofy put out by Disney.

Bullets or Ballots (1936):  I now bring a Warner Brothers gangster film.  Edward G. Robinson stars as detective Johnny Blake who soon gets screwed out of his job when Captain Don McLaren, played by Joe King, becomes police commissioner.  He soon joins the mob who is headed by notorious mobster Al Kruger, played by Barton MacLane.  Humphrey Bogart co-stars as the more villainous mobster of "Bugs" Fenner who does not buy into Blake.  I liked in the beginning how Al and Bugs go to the movie theater knowing there were propaganda shorts about mobsters and how they are bad for society.  Joan Blondell co-stars as Lee Morgan who is trying to maintain her numbers game.  Louise Beavers also co-stars and has a very well-developed black character for the time who went beyond the usual servants they would usually portray.  This is a classic gangster film that is packed with some pretty good action with good performances and a good story.  I will leave it at this so that I don't give too much away.  This is based some on real events like Al Kruger is based on Dutch Schultz and Bogart is based on "Lucky" Luciano though keep in mind they are more character inspirations than actual portrayals of the people. 

Laserblast (1978):  This is more my "so bad, it's good" movie for the week which was viewed through an episode of MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000.  Kim Milford stars as Billy Duncan who is a teenager who stumbles upon a high-tech laser gun and decides to take revenge on those he feels wronged him.  One thing I found interesting was how Billy was made fun of people who seemed even dorkier than him.  One good element was the stop-motion animation of the aliens, otherwise it had to be enjoyed for how bad it was.  Gianni Russo, Roddy McDowell, and Keenan Wynn all co-star in this movie.  I liked how in the episode there were jokes about Leonard Maltin's 2 and a half star review and comparing other movies that were better that he gave the same rating.  This would be one to bring over some friends and maybe make your own MST3K version or just watch it that way.

Apocalypto (2006):  Mel Gibson directed and co-wrote this film along with Farhad Safinia.  This takes place in the Mayan era.  Rudy Youngblood stars as Jaguar Paw who along with his tribe are captured for sacrifice while his own wife and son are trying to survive their own situation.  He soon makes a daring escape and sets out to find his wife and son.  Gibson and Safinia did a lot of research on the Maya civilization before bringing this to life.  The costumes and the set were very realistic.  I liked that Gibson did not cast a bunch of stars but real-life Mayan people who have not acted but provide authenticity.  It also has the movie in Yucatec Maya language to add more realism to the film.  I liked that the movie started out with a rather laid back tribe who is portrayed just like any family having its ups and downs.  They were then invaded by a far more barbaric tribe.  It is very violent but it is realistic and even inspirational.  I really do not care about all of Mel Gibson's rants when he can put out a movie like this one.

Raw Deal (1948):  This is my film noir for the week.  Dennis O'Keefe stars as Joe Sullivan who is in prison because he took the rap for Rick, played by Raymond Burr, and looks to escape.  Rick soon arranges for an escape believing he will not be successful and either get shot or locked up even longer.  He then gets further with a love struck girl named Pat, played by Claire Trevor and his sympathetic case worker Ann, played by Marsha Hunt.  Once this happens, we know that a showdown is set to happen.  While they are in the car, they do not get along very well making things difficult for Joe.  There is some very interesting voiceovers from Trevor.  There is also that really good tension between the two women who vie for his affections.  This has many good elements and I am so glad that Instant Netflix really emphasizes this genre.

The Jerk (1979):  Carl Reiner directed this rags to riches back to rags comedy that stars Steve Martin in his film debut and a very good one.  Martin stars as the very naive Navin who has grown up in Mississippi with a poor but very loving black family.  He soon learns he was adopted and decides he wants to see what else is out there which I never really realized this but it's really the plot element of ELF.  Navin soon sets out for St. Louis and is taken advantage for his naivety but a simple invention earns him fortune.  Bernadette Peters, Mabel King, Catlin Adams, Bill Macy, M. Emmet Walsh, Dick O'Neil, and Maurice Evans all co-star in this comedy.  Martin was so perfectly cast in this film and even co-wrote the film.  This is available on Instant Netflix and is a great comedy for the adults.

High Art (1998):  I now end with this independent film written and directed by Lisa Cholodenko.  Radha Mitchell stars as Syd who is an assistant editor for a magazine.  She then must go to the apartment above her and meets photographer Lucy Berliner, played by Brat Pack alum Ally Sheedy, who is a drug addict and lesbian and has not worked in photography in years.  Syd soon sees some of her work and takes a liking to the work as well as becoming intrigued by her world.  She looks to get Lucy involved with the magazine while also falling in love with her.  Patricia Clarkson also co-stars as Greta and very good in her role.  Sheedy also does very good as Lucy.  This was a pretty well-done independent film with good performances and a good plot.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike.  Also, let me know if you watch one of my selections for the first time and please comment. 

The making of a "Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations"

On November 14th, 2005 I published the very first "Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations" on Myspace back when it was on the rise.  I wanted to do something that anybody could take interest.  I know I really cannot write a detailed review on a movie and I got a vision in my head that maybe I could recommend 10 diverse movies on a weekly basis and here I am over seven years.  Many cannot believe I have kept this up as long as I have but to be frank, neither can I.  I do it though because I enjoy it.  I have done this from time to time but it's been awhile so I thought I would post my what I call unwritten rules I use to put it together.

1.  No themes:  The only theme I really have each week is diversity.  I want each one to be quite a bit different and I want to accommodate to everyone's taste in some ways.  I might start with something like SHREK, then I could go A CLOCKWORK ORANGE, then I might do some sports movie.  I also do not do any kind of top ten nor will I do the 10 Sports Movie recommendations unless of course I am offered pay.  The only times I have done a little bit of a theme is one week I managed to do ten different documentaries but even then I made sure each was quite different.As far as genres go, I don't really try to limit comedy, action, drama so much but I would usually limit sub-genres like you will not see SAVING PRIVATE RYAN and FULL METAL JACKET on the same list.  In the end, what I am more going for is someone reading it and thinking "I'll watch this with the kids, when they go to bed I'll watch this extremely violent action movie, and I'll impress my girlfriend by watching this love story".

2.  Different actors, writers, directors, etc.:  This has always been the main rule.  I do not use two movies with the same actor, director, or writer, even if it is just some one second cameo. 

3.  Here is where I begin to become more obsessive.  I always listen to references to people, titles, among other things to make sure they are not said in other selections.  An example is if the first movie mentions the name Hitler, none of the other nine selections can mention the name, show a photo, or feature the person.  Some names like God and Jesus I don't get that technical about as long as they are not featured in more than one since I would probably get nothing done if I made that big of deal.  There are a few other exceptions and I don't get obsessive to the point of places like McDonalds and Wal-Mart.  It mostly applies to people, characters, and maybe titles of movies, shows, and books.  I do look to see who is thanked in the credits so if I have a movie with Robert De Niro, the other selections cannot feature him nor list his name as a producer or even in the thank you credits.  I always check the soundtrack at the end of the credits as well as imdb.com to make sure they have not been mentioned.

 4.  I always have 5 movies from the 70s and below and 5 from the 80s and above.  I always have at least one from the 30s and below and one that is from 2011 and later.

I guess that's really about it.  Any normal person would go insane but fortunately I am not normal.  I also want to take the time to thank everyone who has supported me through the years.  I also want to thank filmarcade.net for allowing me to publish my work on their site.  I now post on Facebook and imdb.  I also have a facebook page for it now on https://www.facebook.com/shaunberk as well as my own page http://shaunberkey.blogspot.com.  I am now up to the 401st edition so visit that page to get some movie recommendations. 

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 401st Edition

Welcome to the 401st Edition of my long-running series.  There are a couple things going on this week I'd like to promote.  On Friday night from 10-1, Ashley Gray and Alex Wnek are playing at the Folly Moon in Downtown Muncie so we're in for some good music there.  On Saturday and Sunday, I have performances for ROMEO AND JULIET which is in Farmland, Indiana at the Wildcat Park.  Shows are at 7 and they are free.  If you cannot make it this weekend, you can catch it on the first Saturday and Sunday of August.  I will now get on with my selections for the week.

Lust, Caution (2007):  I start the week out with this Asian film that was directed by Ang Lee.  This is an espionage thriller that takes place in WWII Shanghai.  Wei Tang stars as Mei Tai Tai who is part of a college theater troupe that have strong beliefs against Japanese official Yee, played by Tony Leung.  She is soon chosen to get close to Yee by befriending his family and him but finds herself getting too close to Yee.  This is a very good film about love and betrayal as well as capturing the emotions of the characters.  Joan Chen also co-stars in this movie.  This is rated NC-17 and is a very complex and even long film but worth the longevity.  Leung and Tang do a great job on this film.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

True Romance (1993):   This is part three of my tribute series to James Gandolfini which is so far four parts but could be five.  Tony Scott directed this film which was written by Quentin Tarantino.  Christian Slater stars as Clarence who is a comic store clerk and a big movie buff.  When going to see the three part Sonny Chiba series at a movie theater, he meets Alabama, played by Patricia Arquette, who he immediately takes a liking to even after finding out she is a call girl.  They soon get married but get into some trouble where they are being trailed by cops and drug dealers.  This is an earlier film for Gandolfini who plays one of the mob enforcers and has a very disturbing scene with Alabama.  Val Kilmer plays Clarence's mentor who is Elvis.  Gary Oldman is great as Alabama's pimp Drexl who actually has dreadlocks.  Dennis Hopper, Christopher Walken, Bronson Pinchot, Michael Rapaport, Saul Rubinek, Brad Pitt, Samuel L. Jackson, Chris Penn, and Tom Sizemore all have parts in this film.  Tarantino sold this script for funding so that he could do RESERVOIR DOGS.  This is a very violent film, especially in the showdown at the end.  I believe this is Slater's best performance.  This has a very good story but even better characters.  People like Pitt and Jackson have pretty small parts and is earlier in their careers.  If you can get past the violence, this is a very enjoyable one to watch.

Meat Loaf:  In Search of Paradise (2007):  This is my rock documentary for the week which documents the ambitious 2007 tour to promote the BAT OUT OF HELL III album.  It mostly goes into what went on during the tour and Meat Loaf's preparation for concerts.  He is clearly never satisfied with anything which is probably good even when critics like his show.  The one that seemed to get to him though is the controversy towards the staging of PARADISE BY THE DASHBOARD LIGHT which I thought was quite ridiculous.  It also showed Dennis Quaid joining for a couple music numbers which were not bad.  If you are looking for something more biographical, this is not it.  It goes into parts of his childhood and a little into his early career but mostly just focuses on the present at that time.  I found this to be a pretty good documentary and can even be inspirational as it talks about his difficult childhood.  It also did a pretty good job on focusing on other band members.  This is very enjoyable as long as you do not expect something biographical and at least tolerant towards Meat Loaf. 

Hare-Way to the Stars (1958):  This is my animated short for the week and decided to take a look at Marvin the Martian.  In this one, Bugs Bunny is asleep and wakes up and climbs into a rocket ship, not knowing it at the time.  He then finds himself in space encountering Marvin the Martian who is out to destroy the Earth and Bugs must rely on his wits to stop the destruction of our planet.  This does have some pretty funny moments like Marvin's henchmen creatures.  This is available on Youtube.

Dimples (1936):  I now bring Shirley Temple to this week.  She plays the title character whose grandfather Professor Eustace Appleby, played by Frank Morgan, is a very loving person but pick pockets.  She entertains people while he goes to work.  She wants Eustace to go straight but is very difficult for him to stop.  She soon meets Caroline Drew, played by Helen Westley, who takes an immediate liking to Dimples.  She also meets her nephew Allen, played by Robert Kent, who is a theater producer and finds an opportunity for legitimate theater though Mrs. Drew is against the theater.  That is really the story in a nutshell.  It's a harmless family movie and had some pretty comedic moments, especially with Frank Morgan and some good music numbers.  I enjoy watching something innocent like this from time to time.

The Apple Dumpling Gang (1975):  I continue the family selections with this live-action Disney western comedy.  Bill Bixby stars as gambler and bachelor Donovan who has three orphaned children forced upon him.  These kids obtain a gold nugget that is causing a lot of complications and agree to give it to a couple bumbling outlaws, played by Don Knotts and Tim Conway.  One interesting thing about this is that everyone seems to know their outlaws, they are so bumbling and no one really cares too much what they do since nothing ever goes right for them.  Slim Pickens, Susan Clark, and Harry Morgan also co-star in this movie.  This is pretty likable and a fun one for the family to watch that is based on the California gold rush.  The best scenes in my opinion are the attempted crimes gone wrong between the bumbling outlaws.

Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012):  I now bring an independent film directed and co-written by Benh Zeitlin.  Lucy Alibar co-wrote the screenplay.  This takes place in a southern Delta community.  Quvenzhane Wallis, in her great film debut, stars as Hushpuppy who is a six year old girl living with her tough father Wink, played by Dwight Henry, whose health is fading as well as the community.  Hushpuppy must learn survival and hopes to be able to save her father.  The movie is really about the relationship between a daughter and her single father and the father preparing her for the real world as well as his inevitable death.  It also does a good job of telling the story through the eyes of the young girl and her trying to learn about the world at that young age.  Zeitlin had Wallis's mother on hand helping him get the emotions from her that she wanted.  This movie does have a pretty authentic feel and much of the cast were locals like the leads.

Teacher's Pet (1958):  This is my romantic comedy for the week which stars Clark Gable and Doris Day.  Gable plays James Gannon who the hard-boiled editor of a newspaper and strongly believes that experience is what makes a good journalist and does not believe that a classroom really does any good.  Doris Day stars as Erica Stone who teaches a journalism class.  James had written a letter to Erica refusing to speak in her class and made some insulting remarks.  He is then told to apologize but then takes an interest in Erica and poses as a student while forming a romantic relationship.  Gig Young and Mamie Van Doren co-star in this film with Van Doren having a very amusing musical number playing a nightclub singer.  Gig Young plays Erica's psychiatrist friend and is a good part of this movie as well.  I had not heard of this one until I found it at my local library but I took quite a liking to it.  I thought it had good characters and a good storyline with the leads working great together.  There was a lot of criticism of Gable's age and believability as a student but in their defense, the class seems to be full of older people.  I actually laughed quite a bit, especially at Van Doren's THE GIRL WHO INVENTED ROCK AND ROLL.

The Naked Kiss (1964):  Samuel Fuller directed this pulp film that has been described as many things.  Constance Towers stars as Kelly who is a former prostitute who arrives in the small town of Grantville first becoming a salesperson and then as a nurse in a hospital for handicapped children which she becomes very popular among the staff.  She also must deal with a traumatizing event.  Anthony Eisley co-stars as Captain Griff who becomes curious of Kelly after meeting her and is determined to uncover her secret.  It is interesting to see what this film has become and is available on Criterion.  It is considered brilliant by some, campy by others, even Ed Wood -like, and it really can be rolled into all of them with Fuller's direction. 

Superman vs. the Elite (2012):  I end with this animated superhero movie.  This is a really interesting take to Superman whose ethics and morals come into question.  There is a new group of more ruthless superheros that come to town and feel the need to kill the enemies which Superman does not do which makes many question if that is really the right thing when the enemies could come back and do the same thing.  Superman must then figure out how he fits into today's world and looks to then show why the group of the Elite are wrong in what they do.  I know many hate Superman for his values and this is a really good one for anyone who really likes or hates Superman.  There are also some pretty comical scenes in the beginning where Superman is more of a propaganda piece.  There are some really good action scenes.  This is available on Instant Netflix and is a great entry to the DC animated universe that really does not disappoint me.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike. Stay tuned for next week which so far includes more James Gandolfini and many others.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 400th Edition

 

Welcome to the 400th Edition of my series.  It is always hard for me to believe when I get to milestones like these whether being an anniversary or like this one.  I just always enjoy putting these together though.  Contrary to popular belief, I do still have a live outside of the movies that I enjoy.  I want to thank everyone through the years who has supported my insanity.  I want to also remind everyone that my friend Sarah is still looking to raise enough money to film a documentary on her family that I believe has a lot of potential.  I know filmmakers reading this knows what it is like to struggle when making a film so please check out http://www.gofundme.com/Family-Documentary and support her efforts if possible.  I will now get to my selections for the week.

Romance and Cigarettes (2005):  This is part two of my tribute series to the late James Gandolfini.  John Turturro wrote and directed this contemporary musical.  Gandolfini stars as Nick who is a working class man who is married to Kitty, played by Susan Sarandon, and has three daughters.  He is also carrying on an affair with a red-head named Tula, played very well by Kate Winslet.  Everything soon begins to come out but has everyone has a hard time expressing themselves through words so they break out into song and dance.  Steve Buscemi, Bobby Cavanale, Mandy Moore, Mary-Louise Parker, Aida Turturro, Christopher Walken, Eddie Izzard, and Amy Sedaris co-star.  This movie has a pretty good sense of humor with some pretty well-choreographed numbers.  Much of the music are hit songs and the problem I had there was that they played the song and the actor sang to it and I would have rather seen more of a MOULIN ROUGE thing but I'll let that one go.  This is not for everyone but was a very good effort from Turturro that did work for me.

The Ship That Died (1938):  This is my short film for the week which is from John Nesbitt's Passing Parade series.  This takes a look at the Mary Celeste which was a ship that set sail for the the Strait of Gibraltar but was found days later with no crew.  When found, there had really been no signs of foul play or mutiny and this shows the theories as to what could have happened.  This is about a ten minute short that is worth a look.

The 400 Blows (1959):  I figured this would be fitting for the week.  Francois Truffaut makes his directorial debut with this French film about a misunderstood adolescent who delves into delinquency for attention.  Jean-Pierre Leaud stars as Antoine who has parents that fight a lot and struggles in school.  He does everything from running away, skipping school, sneaking into movies, and even stealing things.  There is not a lot more to explain except that it is a very good character study from a child's point of view and it is very well-written with a very good performances from Leaud.  It is a very good exploration of a child's life and while there are troubled moments, there are also positive moments to fit in with the story.  This is something from the Criterion Collection that is available on DVD and is a must as long as you are okay with subtitles.

Winnie the Pooh (2011):  Now I bring a more family oriented movie from the week from directors Stephen J. Anderson and Don Hall who brought back our childhood friends and with respect.  John Cleese narrates this story of Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Rabbit, Eeyore, Owl, Piglet, Kanga, Roo, and Christopher Robin.  There are a couple things going on.  One of them is that Eeyore has lost his tail and Pooh puts on a contest to find that tail with comical alternative selections.  In another story, the gang believes that Christopher Robin has been abducted by a creature called a "backsoon".  The other part of the story is Pooh becoming very hungry and cannot get to any honey.  This is something I grew up on and I know many others reading this did too.  It has some pretty good songs in it and is very fun for the whole family.  Jim Cummings, Bud Luckey, Craig Ferguson, Jack Boulter, Travis Oates, Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Wyatt Dean Hall, and Tom Kenny voice the characters.  This is really more of a throwback to what we know and stays very friendly to children while being fun for adults.  They stayed with regular animation showing that computer animation is not always necessary.  Also, do not stop the movie when the credits start, just keep watching.

River of No Return (1954):  Otto Preminger directed this western which stars Robert Mitchum as Matt Calder who is living on a remote farm with his son Mark, played by Tommy Rettig, who he just got reunited after many years.  They soon encounter a couple unexpected visitors in gambler Harry, played by Rory Calhoun, and his fiance Kay, played by Marilyn Monroe.  When Matt refuses to lend Harry his only horse and gun, Harry knocks him out and takes his things but Kay decides to stick around to nurse him back to health.  They are soon subject to an Indian attack and must go down a river on a raft to get through it.  This movie did have some pretty good action and I really liked the scene at the end.  I really though Monroe did a pretty good job in this more dramatic role.  This is nothing great but it also is not that bad and worth a look in my opinion.

Step Brothers (2008):  I now bring a comedy from Adam McKay.  Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly star as the title characters.  Ferrell plays Brennan who is 40 and still lives with his mom, played by Mary Steenbergen, and is unemployed.  Reilly plays Dale, who lives with his rich father, played by Richard Jenkins, and does not seem to really have any aspiration except to play on his drum set.  Each of their single parents meet to make them stepbrothers which force them to become roommates.  This makes each of their lives quite difficult leading to a lot of bickering but then start getting along more.  They are soon given a directive to find a job which also shows something of lacking experience.  This was something I just took for the comedy that it is meant to be.  I laughed quite a bit and the two stars play stepbrothers very well.  Adam Scott, Kathryn Hahn, Andrea Savage, Seth Rogen, Phil Lamarr, Ken Jeong, and Horatio Sans all have parts.  This is by no means for the family.  Have some friends over for drinks and get some laughs with this good comedy.  I was reading that McKay wanted to make this into a drama and I am glad that he either changed his mind or that the producers told him to do a comedy since I do not see something like this working as a drama unless you make the title characters actual children.

The Arrangement (1969):  Elia Kazan wrote and directed this film which was based on his own novel that he wrote.  Kirk Douglas stars as Eddie who is a very successful man having a midlife crisis.  He is in an unhappy marriage to a wife, played by Deborah Kerr, who does everything to hold onto the marriage.  Faye Dunaway co-stars as his mistress Gwen who makes him realize the things he gave up for the success.  The movie starts out with a very fateful situation where Eddie must reevaluate his life.  It is pretty heavy handed at times and something that requires full attention.  It does give some really interesting flashbacks.  Richard Boone, Hume Cronyn, and Harold Gould all co-star.  There is quite a blend of drama with unexpected comedy.  Originally, Brando was to play this part but backed out in the end and Kazan always wished he had played that protagonist. At the time, this was quite a flop in the box office and by the critics.  While it is not without flaw, it does have its moments and was glad to give it a watch.

The Expendables 2 (2012):  Simon West directed this sequel to the 2010 action film that is written by Sylvester Stallone who also stars.  Stallone directed the first one but takes a backseat in this one while still co-writing the screenplay.  Stallone returns from the first one where his group of mercenaries are given a new mission that is referred to as "easy" but they find it is far from that.  Joining him are the ones from the first one like Terry Crews, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Jet Li, Jason Statham, and are joined by Liam Hemsworth and Asian actress Nan Yu which I am always a sucker for a fighting Asian woman.  Also joining them later are Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis who reprise their roles from the first one but their parts are more expanded and even take part in quite a bit of the action.  The other person that helps them is Chuck Norris who plays Booker and calls himself the lone wolf.  The terrorist group they must stop is lead by Jean Claude Van Damme, who actually declined the first one as well as Norris, which to my knowledge is his first villain role unless he played villains early in his career.  BUFFY alum Charisma Carpenter has a cameo as Statham's love interest from the first one.  This movie has explosions, lots of shooting, lots of violence and with this group of people, what more can you really ask for?  There is a lot of action but it also has some comedy like some one liners referencing their own careers in many ways.  This for me, was a very fun action movie where I just suspended my disbelief for a couple hours to see some pretty well-written characters and some great action.  This is available on Instant Netflix and is another one to get a group of friends together.  I will say that I actually liked this one a little better than the first despite this one not having Mickey Rourke.  I believe this sequel stands on its own and is not really a rehash sequel but just another mission but much different from the first.  For the next one, I'd like to see Steven Seagal, Mr. T, and Carl Weathers.  Those are who come to mind for now but I'm sure I'll come up with others soon.

Brian's Song (1971):  I now tone it down from the last selection and this is my tv movie for the week.  I have heard this called the "chick flick for the guys", among other things.  It is also one that has made many a tough man tear up.  This is a true story about the friendship of Bears players Gale Sayers, played by Billy Dee Williams, and Brian Piccolo, played by James Caan.  It starts with the first time they meet at training camp as rival running backs and quite different on many ways on their personalities which brought them together as friends.  Also keep in mind, this is during the time of segregation and they were purposely made roommates in order to help with segregation.  Jack Warden, Bernie Casey, and David Huddleston co-star in this very moving tv movie.  This is far more than a football film but a really good movie about a male friendship.  The two leads worked so well together and were Sayers and Piccolo.  This is available on Instant Netflix and just have those tissues ready.

Being John Malkovich (1999):  I end this edition with what I consider to be one of my favorite movies.  Spike Jonze directed this movie while Charlie Kaufman wrote the screenplay.  John Cusack stars as struggling puppeteer Craig Schwartz who gets an office job and soon discovers a portal to the brain of John Malkovich who plays himself.  Cameron Diaz co-stars as his wife Lotte and Catherine Keener co-stars as his co-worker Maxine who are the two people he tells about the portal and each of the three have their own motivation for taking over his brain.  In watching this, I'm thinking what kind of mind does Charlie Kaufman have coming up with a movie about finding a portal to John Malkovich's brain?  In some ways this is a comedy but it could also be considered a drama.  It is a very dark film to say the least of the lengths people will go to get what they want.  Mary Kay Place, Orson Bean, Octavia Spencer, Willie Garson, W. Earl Brown, and Charlie Sheen all have parts in this very complex film that is really hard to describe in words plus I don't really want to give anything away.  This is another movie that is available through Instant Netflix and should really be watched.

Well, that is it for this week.  Leave your comments on what you like and dislike.  Stay tuned for next week.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 399th Edition

 

Welcome to the 399th Edition.  I hope everyone had a good 4th of July.  I am paying tribute to the late actors Jim Kelly and James Gandolfini.  I have a multiple series with Gandolfini starting in this one but just one from Kelly.  This Thursday, I have an internet radio interview on the show MAKE ART, MAKE MUSIC, MAKE LOVE which is hosted by fellow AMERICA'S GOT TALENT alum Sid Yiddish.  We will be discussing my times on AGT, community theater, wrestling, among other things.  It is at 5:30 and the link is http://www.que4.org/.  You will see the title of the show from 4-7 and I have the 5:30 to 7 spot so check it out if you can.  I will now get to my selections for the week.

Katy Perry:  Part of Me (2012):  I start out the week with this documentary on the pop singer of the title which was directed by Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz.  I will be the first to admit, I really did not know a lot about Katy Perry since it really is not my style of music but I found to be rather inspiring and compelling.  I also found that her music really is not that bad in my opinion.  This movie is documented during her California Dreams tour which was her first big tour and then goes into her personal life.  It shows her childhood and growing up in a Pentecostal life where her father is a Pentecostal preacher.  It then goes into her discovering a new world and events which make her end up where she is now.  It has interviews with her and much of her family including her parents which do not like her music but still love her and did not disown her even in that rather strict environment.  If you just cannot stand Katy Perry, this may not be for you while it does show a very likable side of her in the backstage.  Fans of Katy Perry will in all likelihood love this one.  I loved in the final credits that she chose Twitter followers to thank.

Customers Wanted (1939):  This is my animated short for the week which features Popeye.  This one takes place at a carnival where Popeye and his rival Bluto each have a penny arcade and are competing for customers.  The most notable customer in this one is Wimpy who was put to a lot more use in this one.  In his penny arcade observation they put clips of older cartoons but minimal and they work very well.  This is also a bit different in that usually Popeye and Bluto have more physical altercations but was more limited in this one.  This is probably findable on Youtube and other public access apps.

Argo (2012):  This is a true story that takes place during the U.S. hostage crisis in Iran in 1980.  Ben Affleck puts in another great directing entry and Chris Terrio wrote the screenplay based on a selection from THE MASTER OF DISGUISE by Tony Mendez and Wired Magazine article THE GREAT ESCAPE by Joshuah Bearman.  Affleck stars as Mendez who was an exfiltration expert with the CIA.  They learn that six Iranian hostages manage to escape to the official residence of the Canadian Ambassador.  Mendez is soon put in charge of their escape hatching a daring plan that they are part of a Canadian film crew looking for filming locations.  With help from his Hollywood contacts like John Goodman and Alan Arkin, Mendez comes up with a cover which makes him a Hollywood producer and when getting to the hostages, he assigns each of them a role in a very risky escape plan.   Bryan Cranston, Victor Garber, Clea Duvall, Tate Donovan, Rory Cochrane, Kyle Chandler, Chris Messina, Titus Welliver, Bob Gunton, Richard Kind, and many others co-star in this film.  If I go anymore into the plot, I will be afraid to give anything away but Affleck did a great job directing and even acting with good performances from the ensemble.  I did find myself on the edge of my seat throughout the film.

Lured (1947):  Douglas Sirk directed this very interesting film-noir. In London, a serial killer is killing people he meets through personal ads and announces the killings with a cryptic poem.  Lucille Ball, in a much different role, is an American in London named Sandra Carpenter and is a dancer.  Her friend soon disappears and agrees to help the police find the killer.  Charles Coburn co-stars as Inspector Harley Temple who enlists Sandra to help with the case.  Soon, Sandra begins to answer ads to learn more about the people leading to encounters with people like Boris Karloff and George Sanders.  Karloff is a lot of fun in his scene.  Sanders is also good as the playboy Robert Fleming who forms a relationship with Sandra.  Cedric Hardwicke and Alan Napier co-star in this film.  This is a very underrated film from Sirk and very unknown of Lucille Ball.  I hope that I can get this more on the radar, especially classic movie buffs.

One Down, Two to Go (1976):  This is my tribute to martial arts actor Jim Kelly who recently left us.  Kelly stars as Chuck who is part of a fight tournament but the mob screws him over so enlists some friends to go after the mob which include Jim Brown, Fred "The Hammer" Williamson, and Richard Roundtree.  This is one where you really just have to appreciate the blaxploitation genre and the four actors all in the same movie.  I really wish they could have included Pam Grier on this team and then it would have been complete.  This is more a guilty pleasure than anything.

Welcome to the Rileys (2010):  This is part one of my tribute series to late actor James Gandolfini.  This is my independent film for the week and really the pleasant surprise.  Jake Scott directed this movie which was written by Ken Hixon.  Gandolfini and Melissa Leo play married couple Doug and Lois Riley who actually live in Indianapolis, Indiana which is about an hour from where I live so that element was kind of cool in my opinion.  Doug and Lois lost a daughter eight years ago and still cannot cope with the death.  Doug has a mistress named Vivian, played by Eisa Davis, while Lois has not been able to leave the house in years out of fear.  Doug soon takes a business trip to New Orleans where he meets a call girl and stripper named Mallory, played by Kristen Stewart, and forms an unusual relationship with her becoming a father figure of sorts likely because she reminds him of his daughter.  Doug soon finds that he is more needed in New Orleans and informs Lois that he is staying which prompts her to finally leave the house in a New Orleans trek.  They try to help Mallory make a better life for herself.  I really found myself enjoying this one a lot.  I thought Kristen Stewart actually did do a good job and managed to act her way out of that paper bag in this one.  Her and Gandolfini worked so well together and Melissa Leo really added to that dynamic when she joined.  I really believe this deserves a watch and exceeded my expectations a lot.

David and Bathsheba (1951):  This is my biblical movie for the week which star Gregory Peck and Susan Hayward as the title characters.  David, years after his successful encounter against Goliath, is now the king and has been in many battles but wants the love of a woman who loves him for who is is and not as a king.  He soon meets Bathsheba who he becomes attracted to immediately and she shares that except she is married to David's soldier Uriah, played by Kieron Moore.  Uriah is more dedicated to the army than to his wife and is sent out by David to a battle that is for sure to get him killed.  This sin of adultery brings the wrath of god and David must do what he can to save Bathsheba from being stoned to death.  Peck and Hayward are very good in their roles but this is probably one for people who really enjoy biblical films though Peck was very good as the king.

The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992):  Curtis Hanson directed this thriller that was written by Amanda Silver.  Annabella Sciora stars as Claire who has a pretty good suburban life with her husband Michael, played by Matt McCoy, her daughter Emma, played by Madeline Zima, and a baby on the way.  They soon find that they are pretty busy and set out to hire a nanny.  They soon hire Peyton Flanders, played very well by Rebecca De Mornay, who makes her way into the home but is not who she seems.  Julianne Moore, Ernie Hudson, and John de Lancie co-star in this film.  Hudson did a really good job as the family's mentally disabled yard worker.  I remember as a kid always enjoying this movie so I was glad to revisit it and I have not really changed in my feelings.  It has a very good amount of suspense without really having to get extremely violent.  For me, this is a very enjoyable psychotic female movie if you are into this type of genre.

The Rescuers (1977):  This is my Disney selection and my more family friendly selection for the week.  Bob Newhart and Eva Gabor provide the voices for mice Bernard and Miss Bianca who work for the Rescue Aid Society which is a group of mice in the United Nations that helps people in need.  They set out to rescue an orphaned girl named Penny, played by Michelle Stacy, who is abducted by an unscrupulous pawn shop owner named Madame Medusa, voiced by Geraldine Page, in order to get to a diamond.  With the help of an Albatross, they look to rescue Penny from Madame, her henchman Mr. Snoops, voiced by Joe Flynn, and a couple alligators greatly named Brutus and Nero.  In some ways, Madame Medusa reminds me of Cruella Deville but still stands out on her own.  There are some decent music numbers and a pretty fun story.  This is one of the first Disney movies that go post-Walt Disney and stands pretty well.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

Hot Rod (2007):  I end with this independent comedy directed by Akiva Schaffer and written by Pam Brady.  SNL alum Andy Samberg stars as Rob Kimble who is a slacker and has a career choice of being a daredevil which he is quite inept but never gives up.  The main thing is that he wants respect from his stepfather Frank, played by Ian McShane, who is rather abusive to Rod.  Soon, he has a disease that was going to cost a lot to cure and Rod did not want him to die without his respect so he sets out to win money by doing the stunt of a lifetime.  Bill Hader, Isla Fisher, Danny McBride, Sissy Spacek, Will Arnett, Chris Parnell, and many others.  I found this to be very enjoyable and quite underrated.  This was produced by SNL alum Lorne Michaels and this is quite possibly my favorite comedy to star an SNL alum from the 90s and up and it is unfortunate it did not get much exposure.  Samberg proves he can handle a feature film in this one and I laughed a lot.  This is available on Instant Netflix and is a great comedy for a group to watch.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and what you dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes more James Gandolfini and many others.