Sunday, February 23, 2014

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 432nd Edition

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Welcome to the 432nd Edition of my series.  I have enjoyed this nicer weather and like many I am done with this crazy winter.  I have enjoyed getting back on this day shift.  I will now get to my recommendations for the week.

 photo survivor.jpgLone Survivor (2013):  Peter Berg directed and co-wrote the screenplay to this war film that is a true story and based on the autobiography of Marcus Luttrell.  Mark Wahlberg stars as Lutrell who was a Navy Seal and lead a team in 2005 to capture or kill al Qaeda leader Ahmad Shahd.  The group is soon discovered and they are in a fight for their lives.  Taylor Kitsch, Emile Hirsch, Eric Bana, and many others co-star in this war drama.  It is really hard to go further into words about this movie without giving a lot away.  Berg did a great job directed this honest and realistic depiction of war time experience.  Wahlberg was very good in his role as Luttrell.  I also liked that there were showed some people who are Arab and from Afghanistan as really good people.  The end credits are also very good which pay tribute to our military.  This was worth going to the theater.

 photo a6dc6213-6fa6-4b6f-a4a8-875cd1be0611.pngParadise Lost 3:  Purgatory (2011):  I have been featuring this series lately and now I bring the conclusion of this documentary trilogy.  To recap, these are based on the horrific 1993 murder of three eight year old boys in Memphis.  The three people arrested for the murder were in their late teens and were convicted under very questionable evidence becoming known as the "West Memphis 3".  This movie recaps the first two and some new evidence that was found that could lead to a new trial which lead to a very unusual release.  This shows the support that the West Memphis 3 was able to get even from celebrities like Johnny Depp, Pearl Jam, and the Dixie Chicks.  It was also interesting to see the one of the fathers of the victims changed his believes and sided with the defendants in his belief they are innocent.  This was a very good documentary series which takes a really good look at our flawed justice system.  I hope in a few years from now we can get another where are they now sort of documentary.

 photo Batman.jpgBatman:  Gotham Knight (2008):  This is my animated superhero movie for the week which had an interesting anime look to it.  This actually has a few different short stories which include him training up to becoming the Dark Knight.  In these stories he goes up against the likes of Scarecrow, Killer Croc, and Deadshot.  I have enjoyed other animated Batman movies but this was still very enjoyable in my opinion with the action and animation.

 photo Porky.jpgPorky and Gabby (1937):  This is my animated short for the week.  This features Porky Pig and Gabby Goat on a camping trip and running into comical mishaps on the road where just about anything can go wrong.  This was a pretty funny short with the iconic Porky Pig and his sidekick Gabby which is a very grumpy goat.  It was a very short lived character who was always with Porky Pig but was deemed too offensive for the time.  This is really good to watch for historical purposes.

 photo Angels.jpgAngels over Broadway (1940):  Ben Hecht directed this which I don't really know how to describe.  John Qualen stars as Charles Engle who has just embezzled a lot of money from his boss.  He is ready to kill himself but an alcoholic and struggling playwright named Gene Gibbons, played by Thomas Mitchell, finds his note and talks him out of it.  Douglas Fairbanks Jr. co-stars as Bill O'Brien who is a hustler and reluctantly joins Gene on a scheme to save Charles from going to jail.  Rita Hayworth completes this circle which schemes to get money on a gambling scheme.  This movie had a pretty good blend of comedy and drama.  This was a pretty interesting casting who did a pretty good job.  I believe this is the first time I have used Douglas Fairbanks Jr.  Thomas Mitchell is most known for playing Uncle Billy in IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE and does a very good job in this one as the playwright.  This is worth a look for classic movie buffs.

 photo haunting.jpgThe Haunting (1963):  Robert Wise directed this film that was based on the novel by Shirley Jackson.  Richard Johnson stars as Dr. John Markaway who wants to investigate the possibility of ghosts and decides to stay at the Hill House which has had a history of violence and insanity.  Joining him are the skeptical Luke, played by Russ Tamblyn, the clairvoyant Theo, played by Claire Bloom, and the insecure Eleanor, played by Julie Harris.  As time goes by, more and more ghostly events happen in horrific ways which leads to quite a conclusion.  Lois Maxwell also joins this cast later.  She is most known for playing Miss Moneypenny in the James Bond films and is quite a bit different in this one.  This is a very good and atmospheric film that still produces chills after all these years without having to get all violent.  This is a very good entry into the horror genre and deserves a look.

 photo stones.jpgShine a Light (2008):  Martin Scorsese directed this rock documentary to the long-running band the Rolling Stones.  This is filmed during their "A Bigger Bang" tour.  This is part documentary and part concert footage but more concert footage.  There is some behind the scenes action even with the Rolling Stones talking to Martin Scorsese and interview footage of when the band was first together.  In the concert there are appearances from Christina Aguilera, Buddy Guy, and Jack White.  The concert footage is very good and shows that Mick Jagger still has it all these years along with the other band members whose performance do not decline with age.  One prerequisite of this movie is probably to at least be a casual fan of the Rolling Stones since most of this movie is of them singing.  Also, if you are looking for a documentary that shows a lot of their history, this is also not the one to watch.  If you just want to see some good concert footage of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, and Ron Wood this is a good one to watch.  Scorsese did a good job putting together this rock documentary.

 photo yankees.jpgThe Pride of the Yankees (1942):  This is my baseball movie of the week which was directed by Sam Wood.  This is a biopic on New York Yankees legend Lou Gehrig, played very well by Gary Cooper.  This briefly goes into his childhood where he discovers his love for baseball but is torn between his new love and his mom wanting him to go into engineering.  I think everyone can guess which one he chose.  Teresa Wright, Walter Brennan, and Babe Ruth co-star in this film.  Ruth plays himself in this movie.  It then leads up to him being diagnosed with a nerve disease which is now referred to as "Lou Gehrig's Disease" and leaves it up to one of the most inspirational speeches of all time.  This is one of the best baseball films of all time and deserves a watch.

 photo Python.jpgAnd Now for Something Completely Different (1971):  I now bring the Monty Python troupe and their first full length movie starring John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin.  This movie is put together mostly of the first couple seasons of their tv series MONTY PYTHON'S FLYING CIRCUS.  This has the rather dry British humor that is not for everyone.  This is pretty well put together like a very funny beginning and other sketches that some were very funny and some I did not find as funny but the good outweighed the bad for me.  This is available on the app Crackle.

 photo gnomeo.jpgGnomeo and Juliet (2011):  I end with this variation of Shakespeare's tragedy ROMEO AND JULIET which was directed by Kelly Asbury.  This takes place with two neighboring gardens from the homes of Capulet and Montague where the gnomes on each side come to life where they do not like each other but two of the gnomes of the title characters get together and form a forbidden relationship.  I have never been the biggest fan of Shakespeare but this story has always been my favorite.  James McAvoy and Emily Blunt provide the voices of the title characters.  Michael Caine, Jason Statham, Ozzy Osbourne, Patrick Stewart, Julie Walters, Hulk Hogan, Dolly Parton, and many others provide the supporting voices.  I knew enough background to the story to understand the characters of this movie and found it to be a rather fun version of the tale.  They made this tragedy into a pretty good family film.  This is to be taken for what it is worth and if not taken to seriously it can be enjoyable.  It is also an homage to Shakespeare as there are many references to his other works.

Well, that is it for this week for the ten recommendations but continue to read for my returning segment "Movie Night at the Shera".  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Reese Witherspoon, and many others.

MOVIE NIGHT AT THE SHERA



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 photo blackfish-1.jpgBlackfish (2013):  I joined my friend Shera this night as she wanted to view this documentary.  Gabriela Cowperthwaite directed this documentary which is really about the exploitation of killer whales.  The main part of this documentary is on the killer whale Tilikum which shows a lot of violent tendencies and is responsible for the deaths of three people but was still kept at Seaworld.  This does go onto show that he was not the only one who has done this sort of thing and looks into what makes these whales so violent.  It has some disturbing footage on the capture of killer whales and then are taken into captivity.  It also shows the unscrupulous training methods that have been used on the killer whales.  They also showed some Seaworld promotional videos with James Earl Jones as their spokesperson which makes me wonder if he has seen this and how he feels now.  I had seen this a few weeks ago and when watching this with Shera, she watched in horror and disgust on how these animals were being exploited and mistreated.  She spoke of being going to Seaworld a lot as a child when she was in Florida but knowing what she does now has no interest of taking her own daughters there in the future.  This is a very eye-opening documentary which will make many think twice before paying to go to Seaworld.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

HONORABLE THEATER MENTION

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 photo Monty.jpgSpamalot:  I had the pleasure of seeing this musical last night at the Muncie Civic Theater which is mostly based on MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL which was written by Python alum Eric Idle and John Du Prez. Todd Terrell stars in this musical as King Arthur who journeys to find the Holy Grail along with his other knights played by Sean Smith as Lancelot, Kris Eckman as Robin, Michael Wenger as Galahad, Gabe Carpenter as Bedebere, and Scott McFadden as Patsy who all worked very well together.  Kayla Robertson was also very good as the Lady of the Lake who helps the knights but complains about her lack of stage time in the musical.  Sean Orlosky was very amusing as the Historian in his short time on the stage.  Zach Allen, Connor Fak, Gary Kern, Jim Banta, Edward Conley, and many others also put on a good show with a very good cast.  Ball State professor Paul Tavianini directed this musical and his wife Johnna Tavianini was the musical director.  There are a lot of fun music numbers as well as some which parodies musicals like THE SONG THAT GOES LIKE THIS and the more known ALWAYS LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE OF LIFE.  There are also a lot of fun dance numbers like from the Laker Girls and some familiar scenes from the movie.  This had a very good Monty Python feel and believe you will really enjoy this.  Performances are February 28th, March 1st, March 2nd, March 6th, and March 7th.  Most shows are at 7:30 pm except for March 2nd which is at 2:00 pm.  In addition to this one, the Muncie Civic Studio Theater has RED LIGHT WINTER which is February 28th, and March 1st which are both at 8 pm so check that one out as well if you can and show your support for community theater in Muncie.

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Sunday, February 16, 2014

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 431st Edition

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Welcome to the 431st Edition of my long running series.  I will likely be releasing this later in the day for awhile since I now work 9-5:30 which I took to get back my day shift.  I have a few auditions lined up so will keep posted on that while we are going.  I hope everyone had a good Valentine's Day.  I will now get on with my selections for the week.

 photo onion.jpgThe Onion Movie (2008):  I start out with this movie adaptation of the satirical news organization.  Len Cariou stars as the anchorman Norm Archer who broadcasts the news but must also deal with the corporate sponsor and the program commercials.  This movie mostly had a variety of segments, some really good, some not as good.  Steven Seagal is rather amusing playing himself promoting his movie COCK PUNCHER.  Michael Bolton and LOST alum Daniel Dae Kim have cameos as well.  To really appreciate a movie like this, you must get into the onion first so check out their website at http://www.theonion.com.  This is a fun movie if it's not taken too seriously.

 photo megamind.jpgMegamind (2010):  I now go to some Dreamworks animation and part two of my two-part Will Ferrell series.  Ferrell voices the part of the title character who is the local supervillain.  He soon defeats his nemesis Metro Man, voiced by Brad Pitt, but finds now that he has no one else to fight.  He then decides to create himself a foe which backfires when that person tries to destroy the world and Megamind must fix what he started.  Tina Fey, Jonah Hill, David Cross, Justin Theroux, J.K. Simmons, and Ben Stiller provide voices in this animated film.  This does deliver a lot of good laughs and is a pretty clever story while being a good homage to the superhero genre.  This is a good one for the family to watch.

 photo master.jpgThe Master (2012):  I now get a little more serious on this by bringing some Paul Thomas Anderson and my tribute to Philip Seymour Hoffman who unfortunately left us recently.  Joaquin Phoenix stars as Freddie Quell who is a WWII veteran returning home but does not adjust well as he has some flashbacks and turns a lot to alcohol.  He soon meets up with the very charismatic Lancaster Dodd, played by Hoffman, who leads a cult-like group called the Cause.  Freddie then takes part in exercises to clear his emotions but may not be the answers he is looking for in the end.  Amy Adams also co-stars in this film.  The character of Lancaster Dodd was partially based upon Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard.  This is Phoenix's return to film after an unsuccessful pursuit of a rap career and made a great return giving a great performance of a veteran with PTSD.  It is really hard to describe the film but is very powerful and rewarding in the end.  

 photo juvenile.jpgWhat About Juvenile Delinquency? (1955):  This is my short film for the week and came from last week's episode of MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 that I featured last week.  In the later years of the show, they would first get a little bad short film which were mostly the intended education videos so this gives an idea of what to expect.  This takes a look at juvenile delinquency from that era, yes it existed in those days.  I will just say that this is part of the episode which features THE ATOMIC BRAIN and is available on Instant Netflix.

 photo legion.jpgBlack Legion (1937):  Archie Mayo directed this gritty film which is Humphrey Bogart's first starring role.  Bogart plays hard-working machinist Frank Taylor who expects to be promoted to foreman but loses it to a Polish man.  He is soon convinced to join the group of the title which is a Ku Klux Klan sort of group who intimidates foreigners.  It becomes too late when realizing it is not a very good group to be a part of.  This movie really stands time and makes quite a statement which is relevant today.  A lot of times when we think of this sort of group, we think of racism towards blacks but it was just prejudice towards foreigners in general.  This is a very compelling film which really deserves a look.

 photo blast.jpgBlast of Silence (1961):  This is my Criterion Collection selection for the week.  Allen Baron wrote, directed, and stars in this gritty look into the life of an assassin.  Baron plays Frank Bono who returns to his New York home on a job to kill a mid-level mobster but must deal with a fat gun dealer and a girl from his past.  Meeting this girl gives him second thoughts on his profession but leaving it is no easy deal either.  Baron does a great job as Bono and works very well with the low budget to make it quite authentic.  It also has a really good narrative to it.  This is one that deserves more exposure and hope I can get it what it deserves here.

 photo cowboy.jpgCowboy (1958):  This is my western for the week which was directed by Delmer Daves and based on the book by Frank Harris.  The start of this week looked more into comedy, then I went through violence and darkness so now I get into a little more of a balance here.  Jack Lemmon stars as hotel desk clerk Frank Harris which is semi-autobiographical to the author.  Frank dreams of being a cowboy and soon joins a cattle driving outfit lead by the cold Tom Reece, played by Glenn Ford.  Frank was also in pursuit of a woman, played by Anna Kashfi, whose father did not approve.  Tom was the more ruthless but realistic person while Frank was the most idealistic but as we get into the movie, their roles really begin to change which I found to be a very intriguing part of this western.  Dick York and Richard Jaeckel also co-star in this western.  This is one of the DVDs my dad got me for Christmas.

 photo conviction.jpgConviction (2010):  I now bring a more inspirational film and one based on a true story which was directed by Tony Goldwyn.  Sam Rockwell stars as small-town man Kenny Waters who has always been in trouble with the law but then gets wrongly accused and convicted of murder.  Hilary Swank co-stars as his sister Betty Anne Waters who is a high school dropout and works at a bar while raising two sons as a single mother.  In the love for her brother she decides to put herself through law school and dedicates nearly two decades of her life proving her innocence.  Peter Gallagher co-stars as attorney Barry Scheck who is most known for being one of the attorneys in the O.J. Simpson trial but is also the co-founder of the Innocence project which Betty Anne turns to for help.  Melissa Leo, Minnie Driver, Clea Duvall, and Juliette Lewis all co-star in this film.  Also, my Facebook friend and actress on the rise Alana Jo Beckman is an extra in the barn scene which was a scene of a few kids playing together and can be seen in a green dress.  Rockwell and Swank work very well together and give good performances.  I also liked Juliette Lewis in her small role and how well she played her scenes that were 18 years apart from each other and really showing the aging in her looks, voice, and mannerisms.  The real-life Betty Waters has praised this movie.  This is a very compelling watch that went onto be rather underrated. 

 photo chase-1.jpgThe Chase (1966):  Arthur Penn directs this movie adaptation of a play by Horton Foote.  Robert Redford stars as prison escapee Bubber Reeves who is preparing to return to his small southern town he is from.  Marlon Brando co-stars as Sheriff Calder who begrudgingly works his job as the sheriff and looks to bring in Reeves alive but must deal with a local mob among other locals who are threatened by Reeves.  Jane Fonda, Angie Dickinson, Robert Duvall, Miriam Hopkins, E.G. Marshall, and many co-star in this film.  A lot of this is a really good look at a small town and then we must see how people in a small town deal with an event that is happening and became very compelling.  This is available on the Crackle app.

 photo Mitt.jpgMitt (2014):  I now end the week with this documentary which is a Netflix original.  This takes a look at former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and mostly his unsuccessful 2012 campaign but also his 2008 campaign which put him more in the limelight of politics.  I'm not going to start labeling myself as I really do not consider myself a democrat or republican.  The main focus of this documentary is showing Romney getting through these campaigns along with his family who seem to be his main advisers which include his wife and children.  It also showed Romney in a different light but on the other hand, I guess I never really knew much about him since I tend not to get very political.  If you are expecting some bashing towards Obama, this really is not it and really focuses more on his rivalry with McCain.  I think this can be likable for both democrats and republicans and this is available on Instant Netflix.

Well, that is it for this week.  Stay tuned for next week which so far includes Mark Wahlberg, Rita Hayworth, and many others.

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Sunday, February 2, 2014

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 429th Edition

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Welcome to the 429th Edition of my series.  With the Super Bowl tonight, I will likely lean more towards the Broncos but want a good and close game.  I hope next year will be better for both my fantasy team and my real team of the 49ers who had a good year but came up short.  I am also sad to report that my favorite bar the Folly Moon has shut down.  It was a bar that I feel I really fit in and have never had a bar like that before but hope to find another really good hangout.  My social life really improved at the place after meeting many new friends and becoming closer to others and hope to keep it that way though I do put this out all the time.  I will now get to my recommendations for the week.

 photo hustle.jpgAmerican Hustle (2013):  I start the week out with this award winning film directed by David O. Russell who repeats his success from last year from SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK and reuniting actors Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, and Robert De Niro who appears in this movie uncredited.  Christian Bale stars as con man Irving Rosenfeld who along with his partner Sydney Prosser, played very well by Amy Adams, are forced to work for wild FBI agent Richie DiMaso to help bring down members of the mob and corrupt politicians.  Jennifer Lawrence co-stars as Irving's estranged wife Rosalyn who Irving is reluctant to leave due to their son and Rosalyn not granting a divorce.  This is rather hard to really describe into words.  It is loosely based on the Abscam sting by the FBI.  This does not claim to be anything really accurate as a disclaimer happens in the beginning saying "Some of this happened."  This was a pretty fun film and Lawrence was great in her role as well as the others.  Christian Bale gained quite a bit of weight for his role which was the opposite for his 2004 film THE MACHINIST.  I might not have known Bale if I didn't already know he was in the movie.  Jeremy Renner, Louis C.K., Jack Huston, Michael Pena, Elizabeth Rohm, Alessandro Nivola, and many others co-star in this film.  I enjoyed Russell's film from last year more but this was still very enjoyable and interesting for me.

 photo pilgrim.jpgScott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010):  Edgar Wright directed this homage to the world of video gaming.  ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT alum Michael Cera stars as the title character who develops a crush for a girl named Ramona, played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead, but must battle her seven exes in order to win her over which include the likes of Brandon Routh, Jason Schwartzman, and Chris Evans.  Each fight is a different video game style fight and each one is quite a bit different making it all the more fun.  Anna Kendrick, Kieran Culkin, Aubrey Plaza, Ellen Wong, and many others co-star in this film.  Thomas Jane makes an uncreditted appearance.  This was a very well done and very fun film that had good action scenes, a lot of comedy, and a good soundtrack.  I believe this is Cera's best movie and a great homage to the video game world we grew up in.

 photo paradise.jpgParadise Lost:  The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (1996):  This is my documentary of the week per the suggestion of my Facebook friend Chris.  This is an HBO documentary which was directed by Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky which takes a look at the horrific murder of three eight year old boys in West Memphis. It then takes a look at the three late teens arrested which was supposedly at the result of the occult.  There are interviews with the suspects and the parents on each side.  It then goes into the trial which begins to have questionable evidence.  This is not really for everyone, especially in the beginning with the images of the dead bodies.  It does take a good look into the system and even the flaws.  It also has an interesting use of soundtrack from Metallica.  This is a fairly unbiased documentary and really keeps the interest in the two and a half hours of this movie.  This is part one of a documentary trilogy and I intend to look into the other two in the coming weeks.

 photo john.jpgYou, John Jones (1943):  This is my short film for the week which was directed by Mervyn Leroy.  James Cagney stars as the title character who is called way on an air raid alarm when his daughter, played by Margaret O'Brien, is saying the Gettysburg Address.  While sitting on a bench when nothing happens, God shows him what it would be like for his daughter if she had been in other countries.  Ann Sothern stars as the wife of John.  This is obviously WWII propaganda where established actors are starring in a short film.  It is a bit morbid when he imagines each country and how horrible off his daughter would be if she was there so we see how Margaret O'Brien would suffer in about seven different countries.  This is a rather interesting short film and is on the YANKEE DOODLE DANDY dvd set.

 photo rain.jpgRain (1932):  Lewis Milestone directed this film which stars Joan Crawford and was possibly her star-making role.  This takes place on a south seas island called Pago Pago.  Crawford stars as prostitute Sadie Thompson who is enjoying herself on the island until a missionary named Mr. Davidson, played by Walter Huston, confronts her and does not like her behavior and in a ruthless way tries to get her what would be redemption in her mind.  The scenery is great, especially for this time of year.  Huston is very good as the sinister preacher and Crawford was really good as well.  This is something I recorded on TCM during the Joan Crawford marathon.

 photo targets.jpgTargets (1968):  Peter Bogdanovich directs and co-stars in this thriller.  Boris Karloff stars as Byron Orlok who is an aging horror movie star but ready to get out of the business.  On the other story, Tim O'Kelly stars as Bobby Thompson who is a Vietnam Veteran and decides to go on a killing spree which then bring the two stories together.  This was a very interesting movie where Karloff plays an actor who cannot adjust to the changing times of the horror genre.  The actions of Bobby are based on the real life Charles Whitman who is known as the University of Texas sniper.  The climax at the end was great.  Bogdanovich made his directorial debut and was working under Roger Corman who told him he could make any movie as long as he uses stock footage from THE TERROR and casts Boris Karloff.  He did both and made the most of his request turning it into an interesting and underrated movie.

 photo garment.jpgThe Garment Jungle (1957):  This is a DVD my dad got me for Christmas.  Vincent Sherman directed this dark film towards the garment industry.  Lee J. Cobb stars as Walter Mitchell who owns the garment place and does whatever possible to keep out the unions.  Soon, his son Alan, played by Kerwin Mathews, joins the place and learns that the business is being run by the mob.  Alan soon looks to work with a labor union being lead by Tulio, played by Robert Loggia, and tries to convince his father that his business practice is wrong.  This is a really gritty crime drama with a great statement and has unfortunately flown under the radar.  Hopefully this can get this movie more exposure.

 photo madison.jpgNo Sleep 'Til Madison (2002):  This is my hockey comedy for the week which stars Jim Gaffigan as Owen.  He is a big hockey fan and loves high school hockey and along with reluctant friends, he annually goes to the Wisconsin State High School Tournament which results in an annual road trip.  In this year, he finds that his friends have lives and which slowly lead them away from the road trip.  Owen then must look into his priorities in live and reevaluate his hockey obsession.  This was a very fun comedy with pretty well written characters and has quite a bit of laughs.  It also has a more serious storyline of growing up.  I got this on DVD from Netflix and is some really good, early work with Gaffigan after using a few of his movies where he is a supporting character the last few weeks.

 photo blacula.jpgBlacula (1972):  Now I go into some vampire Blaxploitation.  William Marshall stars as the title character who is an African prince and is turned by Count Dracula himself into a vampire and being locked in a coffin.  He then ends up in modern-day Los Angeles where his coffin is opened and he is on the loose.  Soon, he discovers a woman who appears to be his late wife reincarnated and wreaks havoc in L.A. while pursuing his reincarnated wife.  I don't think I need to give much more explanation than that.  This is a rather clever and fun movie if you don't take it too seriously.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

 photo thelma.jpgThelma and Louise (1991):  Ridley Scott directed this female buddy movie.  Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon star as the title characters.  Thelma is a housewife in a loveless marriage to her controlling husband, played by Christopher McDonald, and Louise is a waitress who has problems with her boyfriend Jimmy, played by Michael Madsen, who is on the road all the time.  They are best friends and decide to hit the road.  While on the road, things go awry when Louise kills a man who tried to rape Thelma and go on the run.  They soon flee and head for Mexico while being pursued by the police and doing things that get them in even more trouble.  Harvey Keitel and Brad Pitt co-star in this film.  This is a pretty good road movie which have both serious and funny moments in it with a really good climax.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

Well, that is all for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike.  Stay tuned for next week which so far includes Kirsten Dunst, Cate Blanchett, James Cagney, James Stewart, Jennifer Garner, and many others.

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