Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 428th Edition

Welcome to the 428th Edition of my series.  Unfortunately, I will not get to see my San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl this year.  They did have a good season and have been in the NFC championship game three years in a row.  I will just look forward to next season.  I don't really have anything more to say so I'll just get on with my selections.

Going the Distance (2010):  I start the week out with this romantic comedy which is bound to get some to agree and some to disagree.  Nanette Burstein directs this movie about a long-distance couple.  Drew Barrymore and Justin Long star as the couple Erin and Garrett.  Erin is a journalist who just finished an internship in New York but ends up back in San Francisco.  Garrett lives in New York and is a music producer.  They meet in New York and fall in love but then have a long-distance relationship and must consider the pros and cons of living so far away as well as the sacrifices they are willing to make.  Christina Applegate, Charlie Day, Christina Applegate, Ron Livingston, Jim Gaffigan, and many others co-star.  Applegate is amusing as Erin's eccentric sister.  This is a good date movie and not a bad look into a long-distance relationship.

Iron Man 3 (2013):  I now go from romantic comedy to superhero film.  Shane Black directed this third entry into the Iron Man series where Robert Downey Jr. reprises his role as Tony Stark aka Iron Man.  In this one at terrorist known as the Mandarin, played by Ben Kingsley, and destroys the world around Iron Man.  Tony finds himself in his most difficult fight of his life as he must fight for revenge and retribution.  I really enjoyed this one.  This one has more emotional depth than the first two.  I believe the first one is still the best of the three but this one tops the second one.  This one focuses more on Tony Stark though I guess the whole Iron Man franchise is really more about the man than it is the superhero.  Gwyneth Paltrow reprises her role as Pepper Potts where she is more in the middle than ever and Don Cheadle reprises his role as Rhody who is trying to establish himself as the War Machine.  Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Jon Favreau, Paul Bettany, William Sadler, Miguel Ferrer, and many others co-star in this superhero film.  I also really like the narration in the beginning and middle from Stark.  This is available on Starz On-Demand.

X Marks the Spot (1944):  This is my short for the week which actually came from the episode of MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 episode KING DINOSAUR which I featured last week.  That can probably tell you a lot.  This was meant to be some message video to scare drivers and we start out with narration from Arthur W. McGee which is quite possibly the most boring narration of all time and then a storyline in the afterlife with bad acting which is a perfect way to get to Joel, Tom Servo, and Crow before their feature movie to pick apart.  It is really best to watch this through the MST3K episode which is available on Amazon Prime but cannot seem to find it anywhere on Netflix.

Intolerance:  Love's Struggle Through the Ages (1916):  This is my silent film for the week which was directed by D.W. Griffith who is known by many to be the "Father of Cinema" and directed quite possibly the best silent film in this one.  This movie has four different stories which all take a look at the price of prejudice and hatred.  The first story is a more contemporary story which took place more around the time this movie came out which involves oppressed workers who go on strike.  The next story is the story of Jesus leading up to his death.  The next story takes place in France during the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre of 1572.  The last story takes place in 539 B.C. during the Fall of the Babylonian Empire.  They are all linked by a mother, played by silent film legend Lillian Gish, rocking the cradle of a baby.  The stories jump around a lot and might have been the first multiple story film.  Also what lead to this film was Griffith's very controversial 1915 film A BIRTH OF A NATION which painted the black race as a bunch of savages and the Ku Klux Klan as the heroes.  My understanding is that Griffith wanted to show that he is not racist and makes a very innovative film here with a pretty good message.  This is for someone who likes to watch silent films and older films.  This is available on both Instant Netflix and Amazon Prime.

Requiem for a Heavyweight (1962):  This is one of the few DVDs my dad got me for Christmas.  Ralph Nelson directed this film which was written by TWILIGHT ZONE writer Rod Serling.  Anthony Quinn stars as boxer Mountain Rivera who is at the end of his career after a knockout loss to Cassius Clay, which to those who do not know is Muhammed Ali before he became Muslim and yes he plays himself in this movie. He must adjust to life after boxing but finds he really does not know much besides fighting.  His manager Maish, played by Jackie Gleason, finds an opportunity in a wrestling career which does not sit well with Rivera because he will have to purposely lose a lot of his matches though realizes he does not have much choice in order to survive.  Mickey Rooney co-stars as Rivera's trainer who does not like the way Maish treats him and Julie Harris plays the employment agency employee Grace who tries to help him find work beyond fighting.  I found it interesting that they talked about the wrestling industry in the way they did as in those days it was supposed to be protected in every way possible and while there was always speculation, it was never fully revealed that it is staged until the 80s when Vince McMahon Jr. came out and said so which in many ways was the right thing in my opinion.  As someone involved with wrestling, I do feel that fake is the wrong word for what they do and prefer to think of it as a form of theater.  Look for a cameo from boxing legend Jack Dempsey who plays himself in a scene in his own restaurant at the time and also look for a cameo from former wrestler Haystacks Calhoun.  One criticism I will give is that I really wanted to see more wrestling footage but was more about the person.  Quinn was great as Mountain Rivera and this really goes down as a rather underrated film.

The Snow Walker (2003):  I wanted to find something that seemed interesting and that I really knew nothing about on Amazon Prime which I am using their 30 day free trial so decided upon this one.  Charles Martin Smith wrote and directed this independent film based on the story WALK WELL MY BROTHER by Farley Mowat.  This takes place in the 1950s where Barry Pepper stars as a former WWII fighter pilot named Charlie Halliday who is now a Bush pilot.  He then goes on a personal trip and runs across a group of Inuits whose family member Kanaalaq, played by Annabella Piugattuk, appears very sick.  Charlie is asked by the group to take her with him so she can get to a hospital and in return give him some valuable ivory.  He takes her with him but then has problems with the plane and lands in the middle of nowhere in the Arctic tundra.  Charlie and Kanaalaq must fight for survival while having a language barrier between them but slowly take a liking to each other in the process.  James Cromwell, Jon Gries, Kiersten Warren, and Michael Buble all co-star in this film.  Pepper and Piugattuk work very well together in this character driven film.  It was also very realistic in the filming as it was filmed in very cold weather.  This is one I hope to give more exposure and can be seen on Amazon Prime.  I enjoy it when I find a gem like this that I had not heard of and becoem pleasantly surprised during filming.

Road House (1948):  This is from another DVD my dad got me and notice the year so no this is not that 80s movie with Patrick Swayze nor is the Swayze movie a remake of this selection.  This is my film noir for the week.  Richard Widmark stars as Jefty who is the owner of a nightclub in a small town and hires torch singer Lily Stevens, played by Ida Lupino.  Jefty becomes smitten with Lily but she falls for Jefty's business partner Pete, played by Cornel Wilde.  This sends Jefty off into a jealous rage.  I do not want to go further in description.  This genre is usually my favorite from this era.  This has a lot of good performances and well-written characters in a film that has gone under the radar through the years.

The Boys are Back (2009):  Scott Hicks directed this film which is based on the novel by Simon Carr.  Clive Owen stars as sports writer Joe Warr whose wife Katy, played by Laura Fraser, dies of cancer making him a single father to their six year old son Artie, played by Nicholas McAnulty, and his teenage son Harry, played by George Mackay, from another marriage.  He must learn how to raise children on his own and finds it is not an easy job.  Emma Booth co-stars as Laura whose kids go to the same school and tries to help him.  Both Joe and Artie must cope with the loss of the woman they love and do it in much different ways.  This is a very moving story and is a much lighter character for Owen.  It has very good performances and is a good story of single parenting and the ups and downs of it.  This is a more character-driven film which does just as much for me as some big budget movie full of explosions and special effects.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

Birdman of Alcatraz (1962):  John Frankenheimer directed this film based on real-life convicted murderer Robert Stroud.  Burt Lancaster plays Stroud who is documented in his early and very dangerous days which get him put in solitary confinement much of his life.  Hey then finds a baby bird which he decides to nurse back to health.  He then finds something useful for himself in prison where he becomes a self-taught bird expert where he learns of medicines for sick birds in which in real life helped a lot of bird breeders and poultry farmers.  This is based on a book by Thomas E. Gaddis who was a believer in prison rehabilitation and I understand this was fictionalized for his statement.  Former inmates have said he was far more unpleasant than the person portrayed in the film though others have said different and in the beginning Stroud was not a good person.  Karl Malden, Thelma Ritter, Neville Brand, Telly Savalas, and Hugh Marlowe co-star in this film.  Lancaster was great as Stroud and no matter what kind of person he was, it was still remarkable that a man of such limited education and criminal background was able to learn the types of things he did.  This is available on Amazon Prime.

12 Years a Slave (2013):  I now end with this movie which I made a trip to the movie theater to see and am glad I did.  Steve McQueen, no nothing to do with the legendary actor, directed this film based on the book of the movie title which was written by Solomon Northup who this moved is based upon in which John Ridley wrote the screenplay.  Chiwetel Ejiofor plays this person who was a free black man in 1850s New York who appeared to have been fairly successful and was married with two children.  His whole world was changed when he was abducted where people make up a new name and location and sold him into slavery.  He must then do what he can do survive his days as a slave while keeping his dignity and finding a way to get his freedom back.  Paul Giamatti, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Michael Fassbender, Sarah Paulson, Lupita Nyong'o, Alfre Woodard, Garret Dillahunt, Brad Pitt, and Quvenzhane Wallis all co-star in this very powerful film.  Ejiofor was really good as Solomon in many ways and Lupita Nyong'o has a great breakthrough performance as one of the slaves.  Through the years, I have some knowledge of famous slaves like Frederick Douglas, Harriet Tubman, and John Brown but had never heard of this person and McQueen and Ridley with a great portrayal from Ejiofor really bring exposure to this real-life person.  This was not always easy to watch as it pulled no punches.  In scenes where the slaves were beaten, they really wanted to see the horror in what happens like the lash marks to the back.  This is also a very rewarding and powerful film and prefer supporting these types of movies in the movie theater.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Jennifer Lawrence, Chris Evans, James Cagney, Joan Crawford, Boris Karloff, and many others.  Also, continue to read for the return of Fun and Useless Facts.



FUN AND USELESS FACTS

Drew Barrymore (Going the Distance) and Gwyneth Paltrow (Iron Man 3) are the goddaughters of famed director Steven Spielberg.

Ron Livingston (Going the Distance) and John Favreau (Iron Man 3) were in the 1996 comedy SWINGERS.

Ron Livingston (Going the Distance) and Paul Giamatti (12 Years a Slave) both went to Yale University.

Ron Livingston (Going the Distance) and Michael Fassbender (12 Years a Slave) were in the 2001 tv mini-series BAND OF BROTHERS.

Jim Gaffigan (Going the Distance), Mark Ruffalo (Iron Man 3), Kiersten Warren (The Snow Walker) were in the 2004 comedy 13 GOING ON 30.

Gwyneth Paltrow (Iron Man 3) and Brad Pitt (12 Years a Slave) were in the 1995 film SE7EN and were at one time engaged.

Gwyneth Paltrow (Iron Man 3) plays Catherine in the 2005 film PROOF.  My Facebook friend Erica played the part in a production at the Muncie Civic Studio Theater.

Gwyneth Paltrow (Iron Man 3), Kiersten Warren (The Snow Walker), Paul Giamatti were in the 2000 film DUETS.

Guy Pearce (Iron Man 3) and James Cromwell (The Snow Walker) were in the 1997 film L.A. CONFIDENTIAL.

Guy Pearce (Iron Man 3) and Michael Fassbender (12 Years a Slave) were in the 2012 film PROMETHEUS.

Guy Pearce (Iron Man 3) and Garret Dillahunt (12 Years a Slave) were in the 2009 film THE ROAD.

Ben Kingsley (Iron Man 3) plays Fagin in the 2005 film OLIVER TWIST.  My Facebook friend Steve played the part in a version at the Muncie Civic Theater.

Ben Kingsley (Iron Man 3) plays Sweeney Todd in the 1997 movie THE TALE OF SWEENEY TODD.  My Facebook friend Jimmy played Sweeney in a 2011 version at Jay County Civic Theater in which I played Beadle Bamford.

James Badge Dale (Iron Man 3) and Brad Pitt (12 Years a Slave) were in the 2013 movie WORLD WAR Z.

James Badge Dale (Iron Man 3) and Barry Pepper (The Snow Walker) were in the 2013 movie THE LONE RANGER.

Paul Bettany (Iron Man 3) and Clive Owen (The Boys are Back) were in the 1997 film BENT.  My Facebook friend Ryan was in a version at the Muncie Civic Studio Theater where he plays Owen's character Max and did a really good job.

Paul Bettany (Iron Man 3) and Laura Fraser (The Boys are Back) were in the 2001 movie A KNIGHT'S TALE.

Linden Ashby (Iron Man 3) plays Morgan Earp in the 1994 film WYATT EARP.  Burt Lancaster (Birdman of Alcatraz) plays his older and most famous brother Wyatt Earp in the 1957 film GUNFIGHT AT THE OK CORRAL.

Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man 3) plays Sherlock Holmes 2009 film SHERLOCK HOLMES and the 2011 film SHERLOCK HOLMES:  GAME OF SHADOWS.  Benedict Cumberbatch (12 Years a Slave) plays Sherlock Holmes in BBC tv series SHERLOCK.

Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man 3) and Alfre Woodard (12 Years a Slave) were in the 2003 movie THE SINGING DETECTIVE.

John Favreau (Iron Man 3) directed Paul Dano (12 Years a Slave) in the 2011 movie COWBOYS AND ALIENS.

Mark Ruffalo (Iron Man 3) and Paul Dano (12 Years a Slave) were in the 2009 film WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE.

Dale Dickey (Iron Man 3) and Garret Dillahunt (12 Years a Slave) were in the 2010 film WINTER'S BONE.

Don Cheadle (Iron Man 3) and Brad Pitt (12 Years a Slave) were in the OCEANS films.

Lillian Gish (Intolerance) and Mickey Rooney (Requiem for a Heavyweight) have had the two biggest careers in Hollywood.  Gish's career went from 1912-1987 and Rooney's career started in 1926 and still appears in stuff today.

Mickey Rooney (Requiem for a Heavyweight) and James Cromwell (The Snow Walker) were in the 1998 movie BABE:  PIG IN THE CITY.

Jackie Gleason (Requiem for a Heavyweight) and Karl Malden (Birdman of Alcatraz) were in the 1983 movie THE STING II.

Barry Pepper (The Snow Walker) and Paul Giamatti (12 Years a Slave) were in the 1998 film SAVING PRIVATE RYAN.

Richard Widmark (Road House) and Burt Lancaster (Birdman of Alcatraz) were in the 1961 film JUDGMENT AT NUREMBERG.

Richard Widmark (Road House), Thelma Ritter (Birdman of Alcatraz), and Karl Malden (Birdman of Alcatraz) were in the 1962 film HOW THE WEST WAS WON.

Celeste Holm (Road House) and Thelma Ritter (Birdman of Alcatraz) were in the 1950 film ALL ABOUT EVE.

Clive Owen (The Boys are Back) and Paul Giamatti (12 Years a Slave) were in the 2007 action film SHOOT 'EM UP.

Clive Owen (The Boys are Back) and Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave) were in the 2006 films CHILDREN OF MEN and INSIDE MAN.

Paul Giamatti (12 Years a Slave) was Friar Laurence in the 2013 movie ROMEO AND JULIET.  My Facebook friend Bob played the part in a version in Farmville last summer where I was Paris.

Alfre Woodard (12 Years a Slave) played Ouiser in the 2012 tv movie STEEL MAGNOLIAS.  My Facebook friend Phoebe played the part in a version at the Muncie Civic Theater.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 427th Edition

Welcome to the 427th Edition of my series.  This weather is driving me nuts.  I like my state of Indiana but this time of year would love to live in Florida.  I know it is temporary though and will just live day by day knowing the warm weather will come.  This evening, my San Francisco 49ers return to Seattle for the NFC championship where they were blown out earlier in the year but hope they can adjust and overcome that Seattle curse.  I will now get to my recommendations for the week.

George Harrison:  Living in the Material World (2011):  I start the week out with this music documentary directed by Martin Scorsese.  I have been using a lot of music documentaries lately and may continue to do so for a few weeks.  For those who don't know, George Harrison was a part of that British group the Beatles as their lead guitarist.  This documents his early days where he meets his bandmates in the Beatles.  It then shows his work as a solo artist, his work with musician Ravi Shankar, his time with the Traveling Wilburys, among other parts of his life.  Harrison died in 2001 and much of his friends and family reflect on their times with with Harrison.  This is a very informative documentary which take a very good look at the ups and downs of the former Beatle.  This is available on HBO On-Demand.

The Proposition (2005):  This is my western for the week which was directed by John Hillcoat and written by Nick Cave who is most known for this band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds though Cave is becoming a jack of all trades showing his ability to write a screenplay.  This takes place in 19th century rural Australia where lawman Captain Stanley, played by Ray Winstone, captures two of Burns brothers in Charlie and Mike, played by Guy Pierce and Richard Wilson, who held responsible for a raid on the farm.  Their older brother and the mastermind of the raid Arthur, played by Danny Huston, is still at large.  Stanley then propositions Charlie into killing Arthur which will get him and Mike a pardon if he can do it in nine days.  There are quite a bit of holiday elements so I wish I knew that and I would have posted it last month but glad to have seen it.  John Hurt and Emily Watson co-star in this film.  The acting, cinematography, and music score really work for this film to look very authentic.  Cave is one of my favorite musicians but has made quite a mark in the film industry and this is a very good one here.

Get Low (2009):  Aaron Schneider directed this film based on the real-life Felix Bush.  This takes place in 1930s Tennessee where Robert Duvall stars as the hermit Bush who is a rather mysterious person and hires a funeral director named Frank, played by Bill Murray, to have a funeral while he is still alive so that he can hear what people have to say about him.  Lucas Black co-stars as Frank's employee who tries to promote the funeral and get everyone there.  Sissy Spacek and Bill Cobbs co-star in this independent comedy-drama.  This was a rather odd but fun and moving film with a great performance from Duvall as well as the others.

Man with a Movie Camera (1929):  Dziga Vertov directed this silent documentary film which takes a look at a day in the Soviet Union.  It takes a look at everyday city life to the point of showing an audience watching the film as well as even the editing.  This is more of a visual film which has very fitting music scores for each one.  The footage and the camera work was absolutely amazing.  This is available on Instant Netflix and Amazon Prime.

Have You Ever Wondered? (1947):  This is my short film for the week which is a comedy short from Pete Smith.  This in a comedic way takes a look at questions about driving, gumballs, food combinations, and even knocking on wood.  The questions are rather stupid but still some funny moments into this entry into many shorts from Pete Smith.

Harold and Maude (1971):  Hal Ashby directed this cult classic which stars Bud Cort and Ruth Gordon as the title characters.  Harold is I believe 18 years of age and has grown up in a very rich family but does not seem to fit in with them.  He spends his time staging suicide tableau situations and going to funerals.  Maude is a very free spirited woman who is almost 80 years of age and she also seems to like funerals.  The two of them meet at a funeral and form an unusual relationship with a bit of an age difference.  Vivian Pickles co-stars as Harold's mother who tries to find her son a future wife through a dating service but Harold clearly does not want it.  I suppose this could be considered a coming-of-age story for Harold.  The two leads worked very well together and was a very well-written story.  There is also a really good soundtrack from Cat Stevens.  It contains some funny moments but also good themes of love and life.  This is available on Amazon Prime.

King Dinosaur (1955):  This is a selection from MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000.  Let me see if I can even explain this movie.  Four scientists are sent to visit Planet Nova which is moving into our solar system.  They soon encounter dinosaurs which really looked more like regular lizards.  I never really found a dinosaur that could believably be called "King Dinosaur".  This is the perfect movie to punish Joel, Crow, and Tom Servo to watch.  This is available on Amazon Prime.

Fighter (2007):  This is not that really good movie with Mark Wahlberg.  This movie was actually made in Denmark and directed by Natasha Arthy.  Semra Turan stars as Aicha who is a Turkish girl who is determined to be a Kung Fu fighter at all costs even with her strict father expecting her to follow in her footsteps.  She secretly joins a co-ed kung fu club and begins to fall in love with her teammate Emil, played by Cyron Melville, but must decide to continue her dream or to follow the Muslim family tradition.  This is a nice little independent film of a girl who wants to break tradition and become a fighter but has a lot more than fighting and cultural divide.  This was a pretty well crafted film with good fight scenes.

Cape Fear (1962):  J. Lee Thompson directed this thriller based on the novel by John D. McDonald.  Gregory Peck stars as small-town attorney Sam Bowden whose life becomes very difficult when ex-con Max Cady, played by Robert Mitchum, comes into town.  Bowden helped put Cady behind bars so Cady does what he can to annoy him and his family then slowly becomes meaner.  He most notably appears to be targeting his daughter Nancy, played by Lori Martin.  Polly Bergen, Martin Balsam, and Telly Savalas co-star in this suspenseful film.  It does a great job of unfolding in slowly building up to a very good climax.  Mitchum did a great job in playing the part rather subtle, then becoming more psychotic.  Many years later, Martin Scorsese directed a more intense version of this film and I feel both have their qualities.  This one took a more subtle approach which worked very well though I liked the scenes between Cady and the daughter better in the remake.  This is still worth a look and is available on the Comcast On-Demand free movies.

Her (2013):  I end with this recent Spike Jonze film and made a rare appearance to the movie theater to see this one.  After an unsuccessful pursuit of a rap career, Joaquin Phoenix turns in a great performance as Theodore who works as a letter writer and is a lonely man going through a divorce.  He spends his life at home playing video games and sometimes being with friends.  He soon decides to purchase an operating system called OS1 which is the first artificially intelligent operating system.  He soon becomes drawn to the operating system which has a female voice which names herself Samantha, voiced by Scarlett Johansson.  Samantha soon begins to understand Theodore more than anyone and they begin to fall in love even if he cannot physically be with her.  This takes place in the future and while technological it does not portray a bleak future like a lot of movies do.  Jonze has been able to really amaze me with movies like BEING JOHN MALKOVICH and ADAPTATION and this did not disappoint.  This was a very unusual but very beautiful love story.  Chris Pratt, Rooney Mara, Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, Amy Adams, Olivia Wilde, Brian Cox, and many others either make appearances or provide voices.  It may not have needed to be as long as it was but was still a really great movie in my opinion and is one of those I would rather go to a movie theater to see.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and what you hate and stay tuned for next week which so  far includes Drew Barrymore, Gwyneth Paltrow, D.W. Griffith, Mickey Rooney, Clive Owen, and many others.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 426th Edition

 

Welcome to the 426th Edition of my series.  I hope everyone was able to stay safe last week in this crazy weather.  My days consisted of getting movies watched for the most part.  Today, the 49ers play the Carolina Panthers so I hope for the best there.  They played very well in that cold weather in Green Bay so maybe now they can run through Carolina to get to the next round.  I will now get you your recommendations for the week.

Beats, Rhymes, and Life:  The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest (2011):  Last week, I featured a documentary on former Cream drummer Ginger Baker.  This week, I feature the rap group a Tribe Called Quest.  Michael Rapaport directs this documentary of the inner workings and behind the scenes drama where members reflect on their times and to their breakup in 1998.  They were rather innovative in the hip-hop scene with their style which is regarded as alternative hip hop.  Unfortunately, there was a lot of tension with the members of the band which is very well documented in this documentary.  This plays some of their music and has interviews with the group members and their peers.  I believe this is an enjoyable documentary even if you do not like rap music.  This movie is available on the app Crackle.

Under Siege (1992):  Now I follow up with some Steven Seagal from more in his early career.  Seagal stars as Casey Ryback who is a former Navy Seal who got into some trouble and is now the cook upon a ship.   Soon, terrorists come aboard the ship and reverts to his old ways to save the day.  The group is lead by the XO commander Krill, played by Gary Busey who was quite amusing in his role, and former CIA operative William Stranix, played by Tommy Lee Jones.  BAYWATCH alum Erica Eleniak, STAR TREK alum Colm Meaney, Patrick O'Neal, Bernie Casey and many others co-star.  This is a pretty decent action film if you can suspend your disbelief for a bit.  I do believe this is Seagal's best movie and is very fun in this action film.  This is available on Amazon Prime which I am currently trying their free trial.

The Iron Giant (1999):  Brad Bird directs this animated feature which features a very big robot who is befriended by a young boy named Hogart, voiced by Eli Marienthal.  He finds that he is a very gentle giant but in our society we fear the unknown.  Most notably government agent Kent Mansley, voiced by Christopher McDonald, who looks to destroy the giant.  Vin Diesel voices the iron giant and I really liked what he did with his voice.  Harry Connick Jr., James Gammon, John Mahoney, Cloris Leachman, M. Emmet Walsh, and SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS co-star Rodger Bumpass lend their voices to this film.  This is a really good homage to sci-fi films and is something that is both for kids and adults.  The animation, the voices, and the story are very good and is just a good movie in general.  This is available on HBO On-Demand.

The Present with a Future (1943):  This is my short film for the week which is a war propaganda short.  Bette Davis plays I guess herself who lets her children know that for Christmas, instead of presents she is giving her children war bonds to help with the WWII efforts.  Very interesting watch which at the time was very inspiring. 

The Struggle (1931):  D.W. Griffith directed this film which was his last.  This takes a very early look into alcoholism which was not dealt with very much at the time.  Hal Skelly stars as Jimmie Wilson who struggles to keep his marriage and relationship with his daughter.  This really takes a good look in how one might deal with their alcohol problems.  There is a disclaimer in the beginning making a statement on prohibition which was in effect at the time and how these things still happen even with that law.  Griffith is known as quite a pioneer in the film industry with very innovative things like camera techniques.  His most known work is the controversial BIRTH OF A NATION, then his follow-up INTOLERANCE.  Many filmmakers cite him as an influence in their careers.  This movie is available on Instant Netflix and while it is not Griffith's best, it is still pretty good.

Little Norse Prince Valiant (1968):  I decided to take a look at some early anime.  This takes place during the Iron Age where a boy named Horus finds the Sword of the Sun from the rock giant Moog and learns from his dying father that he must return to his ancestral territory.  In the process, he must defend a village from the attacks of a demon named Grundewald.  He also befriends a girl named Hilda who rather mysterious and sings a lot of songs but harbors a secret.  The animation was very well done in this film as well as the characters most notably Hilda.  This is the directorial debut of Isao Takahata who would go onto do anime films like GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES and POM POKO.  This is a really good one for anime fans to watch as well as fans of animation.  This is available on both Instant Netflix and Amazon Prime.

The Crawling Eye (1958):  This is actually an episode of MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 that I watched.  A series of decapitations occurs which appear to be connected to a mysterious radioactive cloud.  I don't think I really need to go much further.  This was an earlier episode of the show which still had Joel Hodgson.  The episode beginnings were pretty good and made very clear of Forrest Tucker being in this movie and being in the tv series F TROOP.  Probably best to watch either with this show or with a large group of friends. This is available on Amazon Prime.

Stephanie Daley (2006):  This might get some mixed opinions but I found this independent film to be rather compelling.  Hilary Brougher wrote and directed this film which stars Tilda Swinton as pregnant forensic psychologist Lydie Crane who must investigate a case where a 16 year old of the title, played by Amber Tamblyn, is accused of concealing her preganancy and killing her newborn.  Stephanie claims to have not killed her newborn nor knew of the pregancy.  Lydie also dealt with a pregnancy loss and must face her own grief in dealing with her job.  The movie flashes back on the lives of both characters and then where they are in a room talking.  Vincent Piazza, Melissa Leo, Jim Gaffigan, and Timothy Hutton co-star in this film.  Swinton and Tamblyn worked pretty well together and are good in their flashback scenes. 

A Woman is a Woman (1961):  This is my French film for the week which was directed by Jean-Luc Godard.  Anna Karina stars as striptease artist Angela who is desperate to become a mother but her boyfriend Emile, played by Jean-Claude Brialy, is reluctant.  When Emile suggests she have a child with his friend Alfred, played by Jean-Paul Belmondo, she must decide what to do.  This movie really has a lot of comedic moments and is even a parody in many ways.  This is probably not Belmondo's best movie as he has done others like BREATHLESS which he is most known for.  I did laugh quite a bit and love the parody techniques that were used in this film exaggerated dialogue and actions but still reminds us it is a parody.  This is a good entry into the French New Wave and is available on Instant Netflix.

The Top 25 Rivalries in Wrestling History (2013):  I end with this World Wrestling Entertainment produced documentary.  This takes a look at their top 25 wrestling feuds which goes beyond WWE and branches out to WCW, ECW, WCCW, and NWA so really diversifies the list.  I did not watch this thinking "why is that in there?", "this should be higher", or "where is this feud?".  I just watched it and enjoyed them going pretty in-depth into each feud.  The one I knew the least about was one between Magnum T.A. and Tully Blanchard where there was a lot of real-life tension in their feud.  I do like that it features some WWE feuds but also goes beyond it like also featuring the feud between the Von Erichs and Fabulous Freebirds.  Last week, I featured the documentary for the 80s promotion GLOW which is really for just about anyone to enjoy of wrestling and non-wrestling.  This one is probably going to be most enjoyed by wrestling fans and is very educational in the world of wrestling.  I was surprised to see Vince Russo as one of the interviewees.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

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- 425th Edition

Welcome to the 425th Edition and the first one of the new year.  I hope everyone is having a good 2014 so far and continues to do so.  With all the snow coming in, I decided to bring some movie recommendations for the week.  This evening I will be snowed in and watching my team the 49ers taking on the Packers.  I fear the 49ers playing in the Green Bay weather but can still pull if off.  I will now bring your recommendations for the week.

GLOW:  The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (2012):  I start the week out with this documentary on the first ever all-female wrestling promotion that lasted from 1986-1990.  A wrestling fan named David McLane had a vision of an all-female wrestling promotion and along with Jackie Stallone, yes the mother of Slyvester, founded this wrestling promotion.  This shows that this started out as an audition where it was something for women but they had no idea what they were getting into until they got there that it was wrestling.  These were women who were mostly actresses, models, and dancers who then decided to go ahead and use this in hopes to help their career.  The trainer at the time to train these very inexperienced women was Mando Guerrero who is a part of the famed wrestling family.  Mando is not nearly as known as the others, most notably Eddie, but I have seen him on some AWA shows and really liked the way he worked so these women were in pretty good hands.  It then goes to reflect about the start of the show where they created many interesting characters with rather over-the-top storylines as well as many rap videos in the vain of the Chicago Bears' SUPERBOWL SHUFFLE.  There were many of the women reflecting from their times then and now like Mt. Fiji, Matilda the Hun, Hollywood, Godiva, Big Bad Mama, Tina Ferrari, among a few others.  Tina Ferrari would go onto become Ivory in the WWF/WWE and is the only one from this that went to that promotion.  Dee Booher who was Matilda the Hun went onto wrestle after that but I don't really know the background as to what she did.  This was a very popular show but due to business reasons, it had to be cancelled.  David McLane has attempted to repeat this success and in 2000 brought a promotion called Women of Wrestling that was rather short lived.  I have heard that it was brought back but appears to be to a limited audience.  So going back to the documentary, as soon as I saw this title and that I could watch it on Instant Netflix, as a wrestling fan I jumped right at it.  It is a very well-done documentary and even an important time in the world of wrestling.  I really believe this is something which can be enjoyed by wrestling fans and non-wrestling fans.

Beware of Mr. Baker (2012):  I continue with another documentary where I go from the world of wrestling to the world of rock.  This documentary focuses on Ginger Baker who is most known for being the drummer in the bands Cream and Blind Faith and consided by many of his peers to be the best drummer of all time but just not as known today as much as his bandmate Eric Clapton.  Journalist Jay Bulgar goes to Africa where Baker is now living and tries to get an interview out of him.  Baker is clearly a bit anti-social but goes along with it and held back no opinions of his wild days of drugs and rock 'n roll.  He was also a very innovative drummer but at the time did not get the sort of credit he deserved and with his life style he does not have much to show for it financially.  This also has much of his peers and bandmates like Eric Clapton reflecting on their times with him on how very innovative his style was but that he was also very self-destructive.  There are some family members who are in on this like his son who always had a very difficult relationship with his father.  This also shows some very good work he did with musicians in Africa.  In all, Baker is a very difficult person and quite bitter about a lot of things but someone very important in the music industry.  Bulger does a great job in trying to get more exposure to this man.  I was aware of Ginger Baker but really knew nothing at all about him until I watched this documentary.  I came across this movie when I was at my Dad's and is available on Showtime On-Demand.

Mildred Pierce (2011):  I continue with this HBO mini-series which I guess you could call it a remake of the 1945 film but is quite a bit different and expands on that movie.  This is more based on the 1941 novel by James M. Cain in which the original movie put a murder mystery spin on it whereas this movie does not really have that element.  Kate Winslet plays the title character in this movie who catches her husband Bert, played by Brian F. O'Byrne, with another woman and throws him out becoming a single mother to her 11 year old daughter Veda, played very well by Morgan Pierce, and her 7 year old daughter Ray, played by Quinn McColgan.  She then must find a job but has a very hard time finding one due to her lack of experience and does not want to take something that is "beneath her".  She finally breaks down and takes a job as a waitress which would build experience so that she can open her own restaurant in the future.  Much of this movie is on the dysfunctional relationship between Mildred and Veda.  Veda was very conniving to her mother and too smart for her own good.  The older Veda is played by Evan Rachel Wood who I have playing Ashley in THE RISE AND FALL OF SHAUN BERKEY and also did a great job.  Guy Pierce, Melissa Leo, James Le Gros, Mare Winningham, Hope Davis, Mark Margolis and many others co-star in this mini-series.  Todd Haynes directed this mini-series and did a great job with the authentic feel and the casting.  Winslet was very good as the title character.  I have seen the 1945 film and is one of the best movies I have seen from that era but try not to judge this upon that movie as this is more based on the novel than the movie.  This is available on HBO On-Demand and was really worth it.

Stopping the Show (1932):  This is my animated short for the week which features Betty Boop and which I believe is the first Betty Boop cartoon so if I'm wrong, just let me know in the comments.  This takes place in the movie theater setting where we first see a noose reel which is a parody towards the newsreel, then a cartoon with Bimbo and Koko the Clown, then we get Betty who impersonates singers like Fanny Brice and Maurice Chevalier.  One of the funny elements was seeing the audience members.  The other animation was pretty good.  This was a good introduction to Betty Boop who would become very iconic in the years to come.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947):  With the rise of the new Ben Stiller movie, I thought it would be appropriate to include this movie.  This is based on a short story by James Thurber brought to life by director Norman Z. McLeod.  Danny Kaye stars as the title character who works for a pulp magazine and has a lot of heroic daydreams.  He then becomes part of an actual conspiracy wondering what is real and what is not real.  This is a pretty good comedy with fun dream sequences.  Virginia Mayo, Boris Karloff, and Ann Rutherford all co-star in this film.  Karloff is very amusing in his comedic role.  Thurber has said that he absolutely hated the movie and Kaye's portrayal but was a big minority.  I have heard good things about the newer version but have not seen it yet but will look to eventually.

Black Girl (1966):  This is my foreign film for the week.  This is part two of my two-part Ousmane Sembene series.  Sembene was an African filmmaker and in both movies so far he focuses on the hardships of the poor.  Last week I featured MANDABI which was about a man in Africa trying to get money for his money order.  This one features actress Mbissine Therese Diop as Diouana who is a Senegal woman who takes a job with a family in France.  She is made constantly aware of her race and mistreated by her employers.  She must contemplate her own future with this employment.  This is really more of a character study with a good performance from Diop.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

12 Angry Men (1954):  This is actually an episode of the tv series STUDIO ONE but since it is my blog, I will feature it if I want.  This is a teleplay on the story that would become a feature film in 1957.  Robert Cummings plays juror #8 who is on a jury for a murder trial and looks to convince the 11 others that that there is reasonable doubt.  This is a pretty well done hour long show.  The 1957 film would top it but this still has some good moments and performances.  George Voskovec and Joseph Sweeney were the only two actors from this show to be in the film.

Shrek the Musical (2013):  This is my live Broadway selection for the week.  This is based on the hit 2001 film of the ogre and his donkey friend rescuing a princess and finding that he loves her. This has a lot of other characters like Pinocchio, White Rabbit, the three pigs, and many others.  Brian d'Arcy James plays Shrek and does a very good job in his role.  Sutton Foster was also very good as Princess Fiona and has her own secret where they do a good job in her transformation scenes.  John Tartaglia was a lot of fun as Pinocchio.  Jeanine Tesori wrote the musical numbers and were pretty good.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

Romeo and Juliet (1968):  Now I bring you Shakespeare and my favorite Shakespeare play as well as my favorite movie adaptation to Shakespeare.  This is really the original tragic love story in my opinion.  Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey star as the title character who are each part of feuding families.  Romeo is a Montague while Juliet is a Capulet and they meet in forbidden love.  I had the pleasure of being in this play over the summer which was an abridged version but was still a good play.  I played the part of Paris who is hoping to marry Juliet.  In watching this movie again, there was a part in the play that was not in the movie which I really liked doing but there was also a scene in the movie where Paris encounters Juliet near the end that would have been a good scene.  Whiting and Hussey work very well together and do a great job.  A young Michael York co-stars as Tybalt who does not like the Montagues at all.  There is also a very good music number called WHAT IS A YOUTH which is sung at the party and I lobbied to sing it for our play but I was not successful.  Most at least know the basics of this story.  It has violence, betrayal, deception, romance, action, among other things and is a very good version to watch.

Peter and Ben (2008):  I decided to end this week with this documentary short film from England.  Peter is a reclusive man in a remote area who finds an abandoned sheep in which he takes in and names him Ben.  Peter raised Ben but then realized this sheep was too much like a dog and saw a need to look into getting the sheep back with the flock.  This is a really good 10 minute short film.  It is available on Comcast On-Demand in the free movies section on the Film Festival category.

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