Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 406th Edition

Welcome to the 406th Edition of my long-running series.  I would also like to congratulate my friend Allen who I work with in the wrestling industry to his marriage yesterday.  Hope everyone has a great week as we will soon be ending the month of August getting us soon out of summer which I seem to be a minority but I'd just like it to stay.  Either way, I'll still get you your movie recommendations for the week so read on and enjoy.

Igby Goes Down (2002):  This is part four of my four-part Claire Danes series.  Burr Steers wrote and directed what I suppose could be a coming of age story.  Kieran Culkin stars as the title character who is a 17 year old struggling to adjust to the world and must deal with a dying mother, played by Susan Sarandon, who he has never really gotten along with and his father, played by Bill Pullman, who is insane.  Igby soon escapes to Manhatton without anyone's knowledge and soon forms a relationship with a older girl named Sookie, played by Claire Danes.  Ryan Phillippe co-star Igby's older and favored brother Oliver. Jeff Goldblum, Rory Culkin, Amanda Peet, Jared Harris, and Bill Irwin all co-star in this.  This is something that is rather hard to explain as it is really more driven by characters.  Those who don't really like "coming of age" stories might like this one since I'm not really sure one would call it that and it is a darker one.  Culkin is very good as the title character.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

Mousehunt (1997):  This is part four of my five part Christopher Walken series and he makes a pretty funny cameo as Caesar the Exterminator.  This is my family oriented comedy for the week.  Gore Verbinski directed this comedy which stars Nathan Lane and Lee Evans as brothers Ernie and Lars Smuntz who inherit a home after their father dies.  They soon learn the home is worth a lot of money but must fix it up but then find there is a mouse living there who does not want to go anywhere.  They are determined to rid the home of the mouse but the mouse is quite resourceful and they find that is no easy task.  This is one that must be taken for what it is worth which is a comedy.  I thought the two leads worked pretty well together.  I will say that I began to feel more for the mouse than I did for them though when it showed the mouse's living quarters and really did nothing wrong.  Vicki Lewis,  Maury Chaykin, Michael Jeter, and Ian Abercrombie all co-star in this comedy.

The Pleasure of Being Robbed (2008):  This is my independent film for the week which was directed by Joshua Safdie.  Eleonore Hendricks stars as kleptomaniac Eleonore who steals anything which gives her a sense of connection like a scene where she got some kittens and even a car.  This movie went to a lot of mixed opinions so I watched it with an open mind and felt for a rather low-budget movie, this was not bad.  It is mostly driven by the character of Eleonore but have some rather quirky characters that she meets and is a pretty likable person despite her flaw.

Grandad of Races (1950):  This is my short film of the week that documents a Barbary horse race that started in medieval times in the Northern Italian town of Siena.  It is a very difficult and rough race and is a pretty informative short film.  It has some very good photography and they have some great outfits.

Les Miserables (1935):  I have lately gotten on quite a kick for this Victor Hugo story and decided to dig deeper and look into this older version which as you might guess does not have all those great musical numbers but still a good story.  Fredric March stars as Jean ValJean who was sent to a very rough prison for 19 years after stealing a loaf of bread and finally gets paroled.  In his life of parole he finds that it becomes very hard to adjust when everyone just sees him as a convict which is an age-old situation.  He finally meets a very noble priest, played by Cedric Hardwicke, who is able to help him start a new life.  In this new life, he becomes a new person an a respectable person in his community but find he cannot escape the ruthless policeman Javert, played well by Charles Laughton, who is pursuing ValJean for violating his parole.  Javert in this one is portrayed as a pretty good person but sees the law in a very black and white sense and feels it is his duty to capture Valjean for committing this crime bringing a very good climax.  Valjean also agrees to look out for a dying woman's daughter Cosette, played by Rochelle Hudson, making him more determined to evade Javert.  In the struggles of these two men, they find it even more complicated when they find themselves in the French Revolution.  March was very good as Valjean and one thing I liked about this one that the musical nor the 1998 film version had was in the beginning they show Valjean being sentenced many years for his petty crime.  This is another great adaptation of a very timeless classic that stands even today which I believe is a statement that even after they have done their time, we do not let them more on with their life to try to get it back together which can cause them to commit crimes they do not want to commit but must to survive.

Five Easy Pieces (1970):  This is my tribute to Karen Black who recently left us.  Bob Rafelson directed this film based on a story by Carole Eastman.  Jack Nicholson stars as Robert Dupea who leaves his career as a concert pianist behind and works in a oil rig field while mostly dropping out of the upper-class lifestyle.  He is also in a very uncommitted relationship with Rayette, played by Karen Black, who is a waitress.  Robert soon gets news from his sister that his father is not well and decides to take a road trip along with Rayette to visit.  When there, gets confronted by his rich, cultured family which he left behind.  This is really more of a character study on Robert and manages to take a simple story to make it quite complex.  Billy Green Bush, Fannie Flagg, Toni Basil, and Lois Smith all co-star.         This is a very good entry for Nicholson that deserves a watch.

Randy Orton:  Evolution of a Predator (2011):  This is my WWE documentary for the week which obviously focuses on wrestler Randy Orton.  This focuses mostly on his wrestling career starting with the WWE's developmental league at the time Ohio Valley Wrestling and to his evolution into the World Wrestling Entertainment.  It touches some on his childhood and his deserting the military which is pretty well known and why he was not cast in THE MARINE 3.  It also talks about his maturity through the years.  It was good to see the softer side of Randy Orton who has been billed as things like Legend Killer, the Viper, and the Apex Predator.  I really enjoyed watching this one and has some good matches with the DVD but is likely only for wrestling fans.  I have always been a pretty big Orton fan so I really enjoyed this one.

Boom Town (1940):  Jack Conway directed this film which stars Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy.  Gable plays Big John McMasters and Tracy plays Square John Sand who are friends who become partners making it big in the oil industry.  Their friendship is put to a test when Big John falls in love with Square John's longtime girlfriend Betsy, played by Claudette Colbert, where they have a very complicated relationship over the course of twenty years.  Hedy Lamarr, Frank Morgan, Lionel Atwill, and Chill Wills all co-star.  This was a pretty decent film on greed, that had quite a bit of action like a really good bar fight.  It is also a good love story that that starred four of the biggest stars at the time.  This was possibly the last movie where Tracy received second billing and after this would put a clause in his contract to get top billing and this would be the last time him and Gable worked together.

Starcrash (1978):  This is my guilty pleasure Sci-Fi movie for the week which was produced by none other than Roger Corman.  Caroline Munro stars as the scantily clad outlaw Stella Star who along with her alien companion Akton are hired by the Emperor of the Galaxy, played by Christopher Plummer whose choice here obviously was not his best, to rescue his son and destroy the evil Count's secret weapon.  There was also a robot that helped her that sounded very southern and we also have a young David Hasselhoff.  STAR WARS may have very well spawned off many rip-offs and this seems to have drawn some inspiration but did not match STAR WARS in any way but is still quite fun.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

The White Dragon (2004):  I end this week on this Asian swordfighting and martial arts comedy.  Cecelia Cheung stars as a young noblewoman who falls in love with a prince.  She soon acquires the powers of the "White Dragon" by accident making her a very good martial artist.  She soon comes across a blind swordsman, played by Francis Ng, who she learns is trying to assassinate the prince.  She tries to prevent it by killing the assassin herself but after failed attempts, she begins to understand the assassin more and more.  There is a lot of great action in the beginning but also quite a bit of comedy like in the way she gets her powers.  I am usually not as much into martial arts comedy but this still had a good blend of action and love story where I could tolerate it and did laugh quite a bit.  Not really my favorite of this genre but still tolerable and enjoyable.

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- 405th Edition

Welcome to the 405th Edition of my long-running series.  I had quite a scare with my car which overheated but it turned out to just be a radiator belt issue so things got better.  I want to congratulate my friends Lisa and Ed for their marriage and may they have many happy years ahead.  This Friday, Ashley Gray is playing from 7-8 at Freaky Tiki Friday in Downtown Muncie and will be at Folly Moon later that evening from 10-12 so come out and hear some great music.  I will not get to my selections for the week.

Big Fan (2009):  Robert Siegel wrote and directed this film that was not so much about sports but the sports fan in which I think all us sports fans can relate to in some way.  Patton Oswalt stars as Paul who is an absolute die-hard New York Giants fan.  Paul lives at home with his mother and is a parking garage attendant.  On his time off, he always calls into a sports radio station, a lot of times to debate with his rival Philadelphia Phil, played by Michael Rapaport, who is obviously an Eagles fan.  Him and his friend Sal, played by Kevin Corrigan, always go to the Giants stadium to tailgate then plant a tv to their car to watch the game their.  His family, especially his mother, played by Marcia Jean Kurtz, don't understand why he won't do anything better with himself but have no way of understanding the mind of a die-hard fan.  Things change when a player, played by Jonathan Hamm, he idolizes assaults him even putting him in the hospital where he must consider the consequences of what happened.  Oswalt was a lot of fun in this comedy in my opinion and while I am not quite to that extreme, I can relate a little bit.  This is a very fun and underrated football comedy on the fans.

Action Jackson (1988): Now I bring some guilty pleasure 80s action that stars Carl Weathers as the title characters.  Sergeant Jericho "Action" Jackson was demoted from Lieutenant after almost tearing the arm off crooked car manufacturer Sean Dellaplane, played by COACH alum Craig T. Nelson, who is a very violent man and frames Jackson for a murder.  He must then set out to prove himself innocent and get Dellaplane.  Vanity, Sharon Stone, Thomas Wilson, Bill Duke, and Robert Davi all co-star in this film.  This is by no means an Oscar winner but gives action from start to finish with all kinds of shootouts, explosions, and fights.  Nelson did pretty good as the villain.  This did not result in any kind of franchise and Weathers will always be known for this and ROCKY the most as well as ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT but this goes down as a very fun action film if that is what you are looking for.  I hope now to see Weathers in the EXPENDABLES part three.

Hairspray (2007):  This is part three of my Christopher Walken series.  Adam Shankman directs this musical remake of the 1988 John Waters film where Waters makes a cameo.  This takes place in 60s Baltimore which in some ways centers around the Corny Collins Show which was an AMERICAN BANDSTAND type show and was in the time of integration.  Nikki Blonski stars as pleasantly plump teen Tracy Turnblad who is a big fan of the show along with friend Penny, played by Amanda Bynes.  Soon, there is an audition for the show which Tracy wants to do but not her mother Edna, played by John Travolta, in belief she will be mistreated.  Walken plays her father who encourages her to pursue her dream which gets Edna on board.  Tracy soon takes a liking to the black group that occasionally gets a time on the show but that she believes should be integrated.  Michelle Pfeiffer co-stars as Velma who is pretty high up on the show and is determined to keep the show with the white group which includes her daughter Amber, played by Brittany Snow.  I really like both movies and found this to be quite a decent musical.  It was very amusing to see Walken and Travolta as a married couple and to even have a love duet between them.  Blonski makes her film debut and is perfect in the role originated by Ricki Lake who makes a cameo.  I always like when Walken gets to play more against type and really got to display other talents here in my opinion.  James Marsden, Queen Latifah, Zac Efron, Elijah Kelly, Allison Janney, and Jerry Stiller all co-star in this musical.  There are also a lot of fun musical numbers.  It is unfortunate that many who love this version really dislike the 1988 version which should be given credit where credit is due so look for that version in the coming weeks.

Killer-Dog (1936):  This is my short film for the week which is one of the Pete Smith Specialty shorts.  Most of these were comedic but this one is a little more dramatic.  This is a short about a farm dog named Major that was part collie and part wolf dog.  Some sheep were killed and Major is the prime suspect even though he has a history of being a very faithful companion to a little girl even saving her life on a few occasions.  This is a pretty well put together film for being only ten minutes or so.  This is available on Comcast on TCM-On Demand.

I Confess (1953):  I now bring a little unknown Hitchcock.  Montgomery Clift stars as Father Michael Logan who takes in the confession of a caretaker at the church who has murdered someone.  Circumstantial evidence points to Father Logan and even though he knows who the killer is, he is very dedicated to his job and cannot break the seal of confidentiality to clear himself.  Anne Baxter co-stars as Ruth who had previous relations with Logan before he entered the priesthood and tries to prove his innocence.  Karl Malden co-stars as Inspector Larrue and is probably the standout of the film as an inspector trying to get Logan to save his own life.  This is quite different than most Hitchcock films.  For one, we already know the killer from the beginning.  There are also not any real dark comedic moments like other Hitchcock films have.  This still stands as a pretty good film that is based on a play by Paul Anthelme which I would like to see a theater get sometime.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (1979):  Bill Melendez, known for the Peanuts animated specials, directed this animated adaptation of the C.S. Lewis book and was produced by BBC.  I came across this when I was doing my volunteer work at the library and caught my interest.  I'll go through the basic storyline where four siblings Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy who are evacuated to the country during WWII at a house owned by a professor.  They soon discover a new world of Narnia through a wardrobe where they find all kinds of mythical creatures like fauns and dwarves and decide they should stand up to the White Witch.  They are joined by a very noble lion named Aslan which is actually symbolic of Jesus.  This is a pretty good family oriented adaptation of the classic novel which I will likely soon see on stage at the Muncie Civic Theater.  Go to http://www.munciecivic.org for more details.

Temple Grandin (2010):  This is part three of my Claire Danes series.  This is my HBO movie of the week which is a biopic and Claire Danes is the title character.  Grandin is an autistic person who grew up in the 60s when it was far more misunderstood at that time and people just made fun or think of those types of people as stupid.  Julia Ormond plays Temple's understanding mother who pushed her to think and do things for herself.  She also came to understand her own autism and what she can do with it which I really thought was interesting.  David Strathairn co-stars as Dr. Carlock who took an interest and liking while more important an understanding of Temple which was very inspirational to her.  Temple Grandin would go on to graduate college to the point of a Ph.D. and has worked in the field of cattle as well as becoming a speaker on autism.  Danes was really good as Grandin and can serve as an inspiration to those who are autistic or parents of autistic children.  I also liked that it shows that you must accept a child's mechanisms of coping even if a bit unusual and especially for people with autism.  Catherine O'Hara also co-stars as Temple's aunt whose ranch Temple would stay at and take interest in things like cattle even creating a very innovative gate.  Danes met with the real-life Grandin to prepare for the part.

The Long, Hot Summer (1958):  Martin Ritt directed this drama that stars Paul Newman as Ben Quick.  He is kicked out of a town for allegedly burning a barn and soon ends up in a small Mississippi town and quickly makes his way into the Varner family who is lead by the patriarch Will Varner, played by Orson Welles, who hires him in his store.  He soon believes that he would be good for Clara, played by Joanne Woodward in the first of many teams of her and Newman.  Anthony Franciosa co-stars as Jody Varner who Will feels lacks ambition and has a very difficult relationship.  Angela Lansbury, Lee Remick, and Richard Anderson all co-star in this film.  If I go on too much further, I will be giving a lot away but is a good movie with a good story, cast, and performances that deserves a look.  In this movie, characters are really more just gray areas where many great dramatic moments happen.

Hearts of the West (1975):  I bring a little more comedy in this one and more of an homage to Hollywood westerns from the 20s to 30s.  A young Jeff Bridges stars as Lewis Tater who is looking to get his dime novels published.  He is very innocent and naive and soon ends up with a group of western actors who take him in and learns that it is a conniving business but soon becomes a star.  Andy Griffith, Blythe Danner, Donald Pleasance, and Alan Arkin all co-star in this really fun comedy.  Griffith is also fun as the veteran actor.  Bridges does a great job in his role and is something that has not really gotten a lot of exposure.  I got a lot of laughs and hope others can get a hold of this one. 

Much Ado About Nothing (2012):  I end this week with some Modern-Day Shakespeare being brought to us by none other than Joss Whedon.  This is a really difficult one to really describe on something like this but I'll do my best.  ANGEL alum Alexis Denisof stars as Benedick and Fran Kranz stars as Claudio.  They each fall in love with a different woman.  Benedick verbally spars with Beatrice, played by ANGEL alum Amy Acker, while deep down they really like each other and Governor Leonato, played by Clark Gregg, and Don Pedro, played by Reed Diamond, try to help make it happen.  Claudio falls for Hero, played by Jillian Morgese, but Pedro's rebellious brother John, played by Sean Maher, schemes for the relationship and marriage to not happen.  Nathan Fillion co-stars as Dogberry who is a detective investigating things that have happened and is quite funny in his role along with his sidekick Verges, played by BUFFY alum Tom Lenk.  I have always said that ROMEO AND JULIET is my favorite Shakespeare story and when it comes to the comedies, this is my favorite and was excited when I heard Whedon was in on this one and all the people I have known for his shows like BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, ANGEL, DOLLHOUSE, and FIREFLY were part of this movie and well cast.  Whedon actually shot this movie in 12 days while working on AVENGERS.  I really liked the modern-day setting and the use of black and white.  I will say that I heard that Anthony Head was to be Leonato but had to drop out and I would have loved to have seen him play that part and reunite with some of his alums from BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER.  Clark Gregg still did a good job though and he is most known for playing Agent Phil Coulson in the Marvel films as well as Whedon's upcoming AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.  I made a rare movie theater appearance to see this one but was in my dad's town of Columbus, Indiana which I like to support their not-for-profit theater Yes Cinema and was very glad to see I was going to get to view this one and did not disappoint.  It might be good to do a little background though on the Shakespeare story to understand what is happening.

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 Claire Danes, more Christopher Walken, and many others.

FUN AND USELESS FACTS

Patton Oswalt (Big Fan) and Jerry Stiller (Hairspray) were in the 1998 sitcom THE KING OF QUEENS.

Patton Oswalt (Big Fan) and Queen Latifah (Hairspray) were in the 2004 movie TAXI.

Patton Oswalt (Big Fan) and Thomas F. Wilson (Action Jackson) were in the 2009 film THE INFORMANT.

Patton Oswalt (Big Fan), Jerry Stiller (Hairspray), and James Marsden (Hairspray) were all in the 2001 comedy ZOOLANDER.

Kevin Corrigan (Big Fan) and Christopher Walken (Hairspray) were in the 2012 film SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS, the 2001 film SCOTLAND, PA, and the 1993 film TRUE ROMANCE.  Michael Rapaport (Big Fan) was also in TRUE ROMANCE.

Craig T. Nelson (Action Jackson) and Claire Danes (Temple Grandin) were in the 2005 movie THE FAMILY STONE.

Crait T. Nelson (Action Jackson) and David Strathairn (Temple Grandin) were in the 1983 film SILKWOOD.

Bill Duke (Action Jackson) directed Queen Latifah (Hairspray) in the 1997 movie HOODLUM.

JAMES BOND VILLAINS
-Robert Davi (Action Jackson) plays murderous drug lord Franz Sanchez in the 1989 film LICENSE TO KILL.
-Christopher Walken (Hairspray) plays Max Zorin in the 1985 Bond movie A VIEW TO A KILL.

Michelle Pfeiffer (Hairspray) and Claire Danes (Temple Grandin) were in the 2007 film STARDUST.

Michelle Pfeiffer (Hairspray) declined the part of Catherine Tramell in the 1992 film BASIC INSTINCT which would ultimately go to Sharon Stone (Action Jackson) which has Stone's most iconic and impersonated scene.  Pfeiffer also declined the part of Ginger in the 1995 film CASINO which would also go to Sharon Stone who would then win an Oscar for her role.

Michelle Pfeiffer (Hairspray) and David Strathairn (Temple Grandin) were in the 1999 film A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM.

Queen Latifah (Hairspray) plays the part of Mama Morton in the 2002 film CHICAGO.  My Facebook friend Amanda played the part in a recent production at Muncie Civic Theater.

Zac Efron (Hairspray) plays Troy Bolton in the 2006 movie HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL.  My Facebook friend Corey played the part in a production at Lee's Theatrical Productions in Anderson.

Zac Efron (Hairspray) and Claire Danes (Temple Grandin) were in the 2008 film ME AND ORSON WELLES where they both worked for Welles who I just happened to feature this week in THE LONG, HOT SUMMER.

Allison Janney (Hairspray) was discovered by Paul Newman (The Long, Hot Summer) and Joanne Woodward (The Long, Hot Summer) while acting in a play directed by Newman at Kenyon College.  They both encouraged her to go to New York after graduation to study at the Neighborhood Playhouse.

Allison Janney (Hairspray) and Catherine O'Hara (Temple Grandin) were in the 2009 film AWAY WE GO.

James Marsden (Hairspray) and Claire Danes (Temple Grandin) are in the upcoming independent film AS COOL AS I AM.

Nicholas Barnes (The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardobe) and Alexis Denisof (Much Ado About Nothing) were in the 1994 tv movie ROMEO & JULIET.  Barnes plays Balthasar which my Facebook friend Sean played in a recent production in Farmland.  Denisof plays Tybalt in which my Facebook friend Austin played that part in our production.  Claire Danes (Temple Grandin) plays Juliet in the 1996 modern version ROMEO + JULIET and my Facebook friend Kasey played the part in our production.

Simon Adams and Nicholas Barnes voice the part of Edmund in this week's feature THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE.  My facebook friend Kevin is playing the part in the upcoming version at Muncie Civic Theater.  Sheila Hancock voices the White Witch in this week's feature while my Facebook friend Katie is playing the part at Muncie Civic Theater.  Arthur Lowe and Liz Proud voice Mr. and Mrs. Beavers while my Facebook friend Scott and Lori plays the part in the upcoming production.  Stephen Thorne voices Aslan while my Facebook friend Sean plays the part in the upcoming production.  The show Muncie Civic Theater goes from August 23, 24, 30, 31, September 1, 5, 6, 7.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 404th Edition

 

Welcome to the 404th Edition of my long-running series.  Hope everyone is has a good week.  I will now get to my selections for the week

Scotland, Pa. (2001):  This is part two of my Christopher Walken series which may go five parts.  Billy Morrisette directed and wrote the screenplay for this very interesting adaptation of Shakespeare's MACBETH.  I'll give the basic synopsis of the original Shakespeare play.  A general named Macbeth is visited by three witches being told he will be the King of Scotland.  His scheming wife, who is referred to as Lady Macbeth, compels him to kill the king and does so becoming the king but soon is wracked with guilt and paranoia making him commit more and more murders.  In this story, we are in 70s suburban Pennsylvania and James LeGros stars as Joe McBeth who is a very hard-working fast-food employee but lacks ambition.  Soon his scheming wife Pat, played by NEWSRADIO alum Maura Tierney, sets forth a plan to get him to rob the safe and kill his boss Norm, played by James Rebhorn, and then buy the restaurant for himself.  Walken plays police detective McDuff who is investigating the death of Norm and believes there is a lot more to it than people say.  Kevin Corrigan, Tom Guiry, Amy Smart, Andy Dick, and Timothy Levitch in this cleverly done dark comedy adapted from possibly Shakepeare's darkest play.  I also really like the idea of modernizing Shakespeare and taking place in a fast-food restaurant which Morrisette sites he came up with the idea when working at a Dairy Queen and reading a lot of Shakespeare at the time.

Les Miserables (1998):  This is part two of my Claire Danes series.  Billie August directed this adaptation to the classic novel from Victor Hugo.  I will admit that before this, the only adaptations I had seen are some musical versions that were released to DVD including last year's movie version which I cited as my favorite of 2012 and is really has become one of my favorite musicals.  This is the first time I have seen a non-musical version but I tried to stay open minded and liked it a lot more than I thought I would.  I'll just give the basic synopsis of the story.  In the beginning, we meet convict Jean Valjean, played by Liam Neeson, who has gotten paroled for many years in prison for stealing a loaf of bread.  He soon finds that living a life as a paroled convict is far too difficult and is then able to start a new life.  In his new life, he cannot escape the encounter of ruthless police officer Javert, played by Geoffrey Rush, who is determined to take back Jean ValJean for breaking his parole.  Uma Thurman co-stars as Fantine who is a mistreated factory worker who resorts to prostitution to support her daughter and asks Jean Valjean to see over her daughter Cosette, played by Claire Danes in her grown years, which changes his life forever but must still evade Javert.  Watching this compared to the musical versions I have seen, it is mostly the same story but things unfold differently at least in this movie version and there were even some elements I liked better than the musical versions.  The book was first published in 1862 and Hugo bases Valjean loosely on the real-life Eugene Francois Vidocq who was on the run many years but pardoned and became very important in the world of criminology.  Toby Jones, Hans Matheson, and Peter Vaughan co-star in this film.  If you can get past not having musical numbers and the very brief appearance of the character Eponine, you might really enjoy this movie and I will probably start looking into more versions now.

Is it College Yet (2002):  This is actually a tv movie and is really the series finale of the animated MTV series DARIA.  For those of you that do not know, this was a spin-off from BEAVIS AND BUTTHEAD about a smart and unenthusiastic young girl of the title name who observes the world around her and giving off her sarcastic wit to just about anyone.  In this movie, all the students face high school graduation and try to figure out what they will do after high school.  This show was surprisingly very good and a very good satire to high school life perfectly portraying each high school stereotype.  This is actually the second movie from this series and the first one was IS IT FALL YET? which was also pretty good.  It might be good to start with the tv series first to at least get to know these characters and it will be easier to enjoy this tv movie.

The Lone Chipmunks (1954):  This is my Disney animated short and I am pretty sure my first one to feature the chipmunk duo of Chip and Dale.  This features Pegleg Pete robbing a bank and deciding to hide the look in Chip and Dale's tree.  This does not sit will with the duo and on top of that they learn there is a reward so they take it upon themselves to capture Pete.  This is a pretty funny short from Disney and are somewhat overlooked categories though as a kid I did watch CHIP AND DALE'S RESCUE RANGERS.

American Madness (1932):  I saw a boxed set for Frank Capra and decided to take a look at this early piece of work.  Walter Huston stars as Thomas Dickson who owns a bank during the depression era of the 30s.  This was obviously a hard time to run a bank and made even more difficult when he learns that $100,000 was stolen and must figure out who did it.  Keep in mind this is very early Capra but shows shades of his future greatness and this is a pretty good story. Pat O'Brien and Kay Johnson also co-star in this film. 

Two-Lane Blacktop (1971):  Monte Hellman directed this film that starred musician James Taylor and musician Dennis Wilson who is known for being with the Beach Boys.  They star as a couple men drag racing with their grey 55 Chevy where Taylor is billed as the driver and Wilson is billed as the mechanic.  They are serious about what they do and do not have much to say to each other though are joined by a girl, played by Laurie Bird, who is intrigued by their world.  They soon meet another driver named G.T.O, played by Warren Oates, who they challenge to a drag race where the winner gets the loser's car.  Along the way, the race metaphorically depicts the lives of these people and the struggle to get to that destination.  This is the only movie in which Wilson and Taylor have acted but do a pretty good job here.  Also, look for Harry Dean Stanton as one of the passengers early in the movie.  This was released through the Criterion Collection and is a really good watch.

Hot Coffee (2011):  This is my documentary for the week.  It starts out talking about the infamous McDonald's case where a woman spilled coffee and sued for it being too hot.  I will admit that this did really open my eyes when I listened to some of the facts of the case.  The coffee spill actually caused actual burns on the body and it turned out that there were many other complaints about that before this case.  It also turned out that they were leaving the water very hot, more than other places.  It then goes on to talk about how this was one of the ones used to start a crusade against frivolous lawsuits which affected the ones that were more justified.   Some of the biggest moments were seeing George W. Bush propose a cap on lawsuits and Senator Al Franken really championing for a young woman who was raped at the workplace and they did nothing about it.  This was very eye-opening for me and also made me realize how sad it is that the media is able to manipulate just about every story to their beliefs before looking into the facts.  This documentary is available on Instant Netflix.

The Best Years of Our Lives (1946):  William Wyler directed this film about WWII veterans and their lives after the military.  This movie centers around three people in a small town returning home from the war and finding that it is not that easy.  Fredric March stars as Al Stephenson whose kids are mostly grown and has not really gotten to know them.  He also has a hard time adjusting at the bank he has always worked at when being given the Vice President position.  Dana Andrews plays Fred Derry who has a hard time finding a job and is in a marriage where the love only seems to happen when there is money.  Harold Russell stars as a Navy veteran whose hands were burned off and has a hard time adjust to a life where he is pitied.  Myrna Loy, Teresa Wright, Virginia Mayo, and Hoagy Carmichael all co-star in this classic.  This movie really ranks very high for me in films of this era.  It is a something that holds up today with veterans finding it difficult to adjust back into society.  This subject was not dealt with much in this era as much of the movies from this era are promoting patriotism but Wyler did such a good job bringing this movie to life.

Walkabout (1971):  Nicholas Roeg directed this film about survival.  Jenny Agutter and Luc Roeg star as young siblings who are left in the Australian outback to fend for themselves.  On their journey they meet an aborigine teen who is on a "walkabout" which is a ritualistic separation from the tribe.  There is not a lot to say except that the direction, acting and cinematography was great.  The limited dialogue also works very well.  There is a little bit of nudity from the girl but was tastefully done if you can get past that element.  This is a film really about innocence and survival and really deserves a look. 

The Guest Room (2009):  I end this week with this short film which stars my Facebook friend Alana Jo Beckman whose birthday was last Thursday so I thought this would be a good birthday present for her.  Louis Kerman directed this short that was written by Jacquie Floyd.  Mary Lynne Gibbs and Jeff Priskorn play parents and Beckman plays their little girl and according to her imdb profile, this was her second film but has done quite a bit in her young age.  It is really hard to describe this movie without really giving it away but was a pretty well done short with good performances from the actors.  This is available on http://vimeo.com/9219839 and is a good 10 minute film.  We should all watch out for Alana Jo Beckman in the future.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike.  Stay tuned for next week which so far includes Sharon Stone, Christopher Walken, and many others.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 403rd Edition

Welcome to the 403rd Edition of my long-running series.  We have one more performance this evening of ROMEO AND JULIET.  It has gone quite well.  It is a free show at 7 pm and is in Farmland at Wildcat Park for if you can make it.  I don't really have a lot to say so I'll just give the recommendations

Zero Dark Thirty (2012):  I begin the week with part five of my five part tribute series to the late James Gandolfini. The team of director Kathryn Bigelow and writer Mark Boal reunite from THE HURT LOCKER to put on this film about the search and kill of Osama Bin Laden.  Jessica Chastain stars as CIA operative Maya whose first experience is to stand in on an interrogation of prisoners following the 9/11 attacks.  She is reluctant to take part in their brutal tactics at first but believes it might be the only way to get the necessary information.  She soon dedicates her life to capture Bin Laden no matter how much her colleagues disagree with her.  Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler, Jennifer Ehle, Harold Perrineau, Mark Strong, Mark Duplass, Mark Valley, Joel Edgerton, and many others are also in this film.  Chastain is very good in her role as the dedicated CIA worker and I really liked Clarke who plays Dan who does what he can to get information even through reward if they deliver but treated badly if they do not deliver for him.  I really thought this was well done and was worth the two and a half hours.  In its genre, it really had a lot of competition and comparisons to ARGO and I honestly cannot say which one I liked better.  They each had their own compelling true story but could make a good double feature among friends for debate.

How I Play Golf, by Bobby Jones No. 10: 'Trouble Shots' (1931):  I came across this series of short films from the golf pro Bobby Jones.  In this one, Joe E. Brown bets Edward G. Robinson that he can beat Bobby Jones in a game of golf and finds this is no easy feat.  Joe soon gets himself in these trouble shots as the title indicates like hitting a ball in the sand.  Bobby then demonstrates the proper ways of getting out of these trouble spots that any golfer can do.  It seems like these would be some pretty informational shorts while being humorous for those who love golf.

Monterey Pop (1968):  This is my rock documentary for the week that focused on the pre-Woodstock festival of the title.  It shows a lot of the live performances by the Mamas and the Papas, Canned Heat, Simon and Garfunkel, Jefferson Airplane, the Animals, the Who, Country Joe and the Fish, Otis Redding, Jimi Hendrix, and Ravi Shankar.  It also has footage of fans and even band members admiring each other.  Some of the memorable moments include Pete Townshend destroying his guitar on stage and Hendrix setting his guitar on fire.  For many of these artists, this concert really put them on the map, especially Hendrix who would be more known for his work on Woodstock.  This is for anyone who enjoys this music and is a very well-done concert video and is good to see all these people that left us too soon.  This is available on the Criterion Collection which includes more Jimi Hendrix footage, additional outtakes, and a really good book.

Homeboy (1988):  This is part one of my Christopher Walken series which is possibly five parts.  Michael Seresin directed this movie in which Mickey Rourke wrote and starred in which Rourke is billed as Sir Eddie Cook.  Rourke stars as boxer Johnny Walker who is a rather shy and awkward person who is not really in shape to be boxing but it is all he really knows so kind of a pre-WRESTLER I suppose and even maybe a precursor to his next real-life profession of boxing which I believe he did quite shortly after.  Walken co-stars as the smooth talking Wesley Pedergass who is trying to help Johnny get more fights but has unethical intentions for Walker.  Debra Feuer plays his love interest who Johnny has a hard time telling her due to his shyness.  Rourke is very good as the shy and awkward boxer just trying to get by.  This is pretty good unknown Rourke who carries the movie quite well.  This is his writing debut.

The Spiral Staircase (1945):  This is my thriller for the week which is based on a novel by Ethel Lina White.  Dorothy McGuire stars as Helen who is a mute service worker for the bed-ridden Mrs. Warren, played very well by Ethel Barrymore.  There is a serial killer on the loose who tends to target women with afflictions making Mrs. Warren fear for Helen's life.  She tries to convince Helen to get out of there but there is soon a murder at the home making it much more difficult.  George Brent, Kent Smith, Rhonda Fleming and Elsa Lanchester co-star in this very underrated film that was a very pleasant surprise for me.  McGuire was very good at playing the part while conveying emotions.  This is worth a look and keeps you the whole way through.

Me and Orson Welles (2008):  This is possibly part one of a Claire Danes series that could go four parts.  Richard Linklater directed this movie which stars Zac Efron as Richard Samuels who is a high school student and aspiring actor.  He soon takes a trip to New York City where he has a chance encounter with Orson Welles, played very well by Christian McKay, who is to do a modern day version of Shakespeare's JULIUS CAESAR at the Mercury Theater.  Orson takes an immediate liking to Richard after an impromptu audition and gives him the part of Lucius.  He soon finds himself in a complicated world where about anything Orson says goes.  Danes plays Sonja Jones who works for the theater and takes Richard under her wing even forming feelings for each other.  Zoe Kazan, Eddie Marsan, and Ben Chaplin.  Efron was really good as the idealistic person who soon sees the real world he wants to be a part.  This is a really good movie showing a play being put together and being run by Orson Welles and was worth a watch.

The Fastest Gun Alive (1956):  This is my western for the week.  Glenn Ford stars as George Temple who has a past as one of the fastest gunmen of all time but is trying to move on with his life as a wife and father and finds it is very difficult.  In the town they are staying at, there is a group of criminals threatening to burn down the whole town and George must decide then what to do.  Broderick Crawford, Jeanne Crain, and Russ Tamblyn co-star in the pretty decent western.  This is right now available on TCM On-Demand.

In the Bedroom (2001):  Todd Field directed and co-wrote this film that I recall really liking at the time and was glad to revisit it for here.  Nick Stahl co-stars as Frank who is a college student dating a single mother named Natalie, played very well by Marisa Tomei, who has not quite divorced from her estranged husband, played by William Mapother, much to the concern of Frank's parents, played by Tom Wilkinson and Sissy Spacek.  Soon, a tragedy happens, causing everyone to handle it in different ways.  If I go on much further, I will just give too much away and I do not want to do that.  This is a rather dark story but still very well done which a lot of it had to do with the characters and performances.  I will just end this one here and just give it a shot for a well-done story and characters.

The Ritz (1976):  I came across this when doing my volunteer work at the library and remembering this from two or three years ago being done at the Muncie Civic Studio Theater.  Richard Lester directs this movie based on the play by Terrance McNally who also helped write the screenplay to this very comedic film.  Jack Weston stars as Gaetano who is on the run from mobster Carmine Vespucci, played by Jerry Stiller, and tells the cab driver to take him where Carmine will not find him.  Gaetano soon finds himself in a gay bathhouse, who is then pursued by "chubby chaser" Claude, played by Paul B. Price and Googie Gomez, played by Rita Moreno, who is posing as a transvestite.  Kaye Ballard, F. Murray Abraham, and Treat Williams also star in this very fun comedy and is very enjoyable as long as you can take a gay bathhouse.  Also look for CHEERS alum John Ratzenberger who makes his film debut.  This was probably a pretty daring movie to make in that time period.  I am glad that years later, we have a place like the studio theater that can put on shows like this.  I really did not know about this movie until I saw it at the library and remembered seeing a theatrical version of it that was also very well done but so was this movie.  It is too bad it is not very high on the radar but hopefully this will get it a little more exposure.

Supergirl (1984):  I end this week with what I call the guilty pleasure of the week.  With the Superman franchise at quite a success, they decided to try cashing in with a female version named Kara, played by Helen Slater in her film debut, who is the cousin of Superman.  I'm not quite sure where she is with Krypton being destroyed, maybe it was just a part of it that survived, I am not going to try to go further on that one.  A powerful source for their planet soon ends up on Earth where Kara goes to Earth becoming Supergirl.  I noticed that she had her Supergirl outfit as soon as she ends up on Earth but not when she leaves from her planet so I'm not really sure how it got on her so quick.  Soon, an enchantress named Selena, played by Faye Dunaway, gets possession and Supergirl must stop her.  In addition to Dunaway, we also have Peter O'Toole and Mia Farrow who unfortunately did not make their best career decisions.  This story and even special effects were not very well done.  Some may disagree, but I really feel Slater was well cast in the role but had a bad script to work with that ends up on here being a guilty pleasure.  I am sure sequels might have been planned as well as maybe Slater and Christopher Reeve teaming up at some point but with this not being very successful and the later ones in the Superman Franchise being below average, it just never happened.  Reeve was originally to make a cameo but had to pull out at the last minute.  Supergirl's secret identity was as Linda Lee and Clark Kent's cousin who was a high school student and was somehow able to go from being blonde to brunette looking quite a bit different becoming more believable that with Clark Kent to Superman who makes very little change.  Maybe we can soon get a reboot that is actually good but for right now this is all we have for Supergirl in live action.

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