Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 459th Edition

Welcome to the 459th Edition of my series.  I hope everyone has a good Labor Day.  I am excited that this Thursday kicks off the real season of football.  I have a draft on Tuesday so we'll see if I can earn some extra money.  That's all so far so I'll just get on with my selections.

Jake Shimabukuro:  Life on Four Strings (2012):  I start the week out with this PBS documentary which was presented to me by my Aunt Marcia when I was out there the last time.  Shimabukuro is a musician who has mastered the ukulele and has found some rather unexpected success from it.  This shows his life from boyhood growing up in Hawaii with a single mother to his rise after a viral Youtube video of him playing the Beatles hit WHILE MY GUITAR GENTLY WEEPS on his ukulele.  He is very innovative with this instrument that most people associate to singer Tiny Tim and his song TIPTOE THROUGH THE TULIP TREES.  Marcia was also talking about how her daughter Carrie and her husband David got to meet this man after a show and was very personable to everyone.  This is really worth a look and one will never look at the ukulele the same way again when finishing this documentary.  This is available through Instant Netflix.

One Hour Photo (2002):  This is my tribute to Robin Williams who recently left us and I know this is a bit overdue.  Mark Romanek wrote and directed this unusual thriller.  Williams stars as Sy who plays a more creepy role than usual.  He is an employee who has worked for many years at a photo lab in a department store.  When developing photos, he takes an interest in their photos especially towards the Yorkin family whose photos he has developed for years.  Connie Nielson co-stars as Nina Yorkin who is in a troubled marriage with her husband Will, played by ALIAS alum Michael Vartan.  Sy also imagines that he is part of the family even to the point of being "Uncle Sy" to their son Jacob, played by Dylan Smith.  Things happen at work and uses his job to expose a secret to their family and becomes very obsessive to the point of violence.  Williams was great in this movie and is a really good portrait on someone who seems very lonely in life.  I believe this is one of the more underrated films of Robin Williams.

The Special Relationship (2010):  This is my HBO movie for the week.  This takes a look at the relationship between then U.S. President Bill Clinton, played by Dennis Quaid, and British Prime Minister Tony Blair, played by Michael Sheen.  They become pretty good friends but have a disagreement where Blair goes behind Clinton's back which puts their "special relationship" to the test.  This was also around the time that Clinton was had the sex scandal with Monica Lewinsky.  Hope Davis co-stars as Hilary Clinton and Helen McCrory co-stars as Cherie Blair.  This was a pretty good dramatization of the political leaders and good performances.  This is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

Nothing Ever Happens (1933):  This is my musical short of the week which in many ways is a recap of last week's feature GRAND HOTEL except it has some musical numbers and different actors.  It is also a pretty good parody and a good companion piece that has pretty good musical numbers and performances.

Trouble Along the Way (1953):  I was browsing through the library and when on the comedy shelf I found one with John Wayne so I was rather curious.  Michael Curtiz directed this comedy where he is a controversial football coach being hired by Father Burke, played by Charles Coburn, who is trying to save his private college and believes improving the football program and bringing in Steve Williams, played by Wayne, despite his controversial past as a coach.  At the same time, Williams is in a custody battle for his daughter Carol, played by Sherry Jackson.  Donna Reed co-stars as Alice who is a social worker trying to evaluate how fit Steve is of being a father and disagrees with his relationship with his daughter which is more of a friendship.  The parent/child relationship really reminds me of THE CHAMP.  James Dean is an extra as one of the football spectators.  This was good to see the Duke stray away from his usual wars and westerns and do a pretty good comedy/drama that has become rather forgotten.

The Gauntlet (1977):  Clint Eastwood directed and stars in this action film.  Eastwood stars as alcoholic detective Ben Shockley who is assigned to a "simple" task of getting a prostitute named Gus Mally, played by Sondra Locke, from Phoenix to Las Vegas in order to testify at a mob trial.  He soon learns that he is dealing with both the mob and with a lot of police corruption leading to a very violent climax where over 8000 rounds of bullets are fired.  In many ways, this movie made me think of a rather Hitleresque society they way the whole police force would follow such corrupt orders.  Pat Hingle and William Prince also co-star in this action movie.  This is one where disbelief must be suspended and if you can do so, this might be a pretty fun movie to watch.

Jackass Presents:  Bad Grandpa (2013):  This was included in my Movie Night at the Shera segment and went ahead and put it into this edition.  Johnny Knoxville brings back his show that was popular in the early 2000s where he plays 86 year old Irving Zisman who is asked to take his 8 year old grandson Billy, played by Jackson Nicoll, from Nebraska to California to his real dad, played by Greg Harris.  There are characters created but put themselves in real-life situations with unsuspecting people when Irving takes Billy into the world.  Both Knoxville and Nicoll are very politically incorrect but very funny.  I admit I really did not get into JACKASS but was open to this movie.  My favorite scene was probably the one where they were in a bingo hall and a scene where Billy was pushing Irving in a shopping cart.  They did a really good job aging Knoxville to the age his character was supposed to be.  This is not for everyone, especially those who get offended easy.  If you do not get offended easy, this will be great for some laughs.

Pumping Iron (1977):  I continue with this documentary showing bodybuilders preparing for the 1975 Mr. Olympia and Mr. Universe contests which features action star Arnold Schwarzenegger who is a five time Mr. Olympia and defending his title.  Another person featured is Lou Ferrigno of THE INCREDIBLE HULK fame.  This was an interesting look into the world of bodybuilding and seeing some of these people before they were famous as well as the other bodybuilders.  This documentary has gained more exposure through the years and is available on Instant Netflix which is really worth a look.

Dragonwyck (1946):  Joseph Mankiewics directed this film based on the novel by Anya Seton.  Gene Tierney stars as Connecticut farmgirl Miranda who meets a wealthy distant relation named Nicholas Van Ryn, played by Vincent Price, who invites her to be a companion to his daughter and later marrying him.  She arrives to find that things are a bit strange and that Van Ryn is not very liked and for good reason.  Walter Huston co-stars as Miranda's father Ephraim.  Glenn Langan co-stas as Dr. Turner who leads a revolt against Van Ryn while also really liking Miranda.  Jessica Tandy also co-stars in this film.  This is a very good atmospheric drama with really good performances and cinematography.

Bread and Tulips (2000):  I end with this Italian film which was directed and co-wrote by Silvio Sidney.  Licia Maglietta stars as Rosalba who is a mother and housewife and left behind at a cafe.  She decides to go hitchhiking and ends up in Venice where she meets a lot of interesting characters and decides to stay there for awhile.  This is a comedy and Maglietta was very amusing as Rosalba.  Bruno Ganz also co-stars as Fernando who is one of the people she meets in this new town.  This is a good film on self-discovery that keeps your interest throughout the film.  It is hard to really describe this film further but is a must-watch as long as one can tolerate subtitles.  This is available on Amazon Prime.

Well, that is it for this week.  Stay tuned for next week which so far includes Mike Myers, Bela Lugosi, Samuel Fuller, Steve McQueen, and many others.  Continue to read on for Movie Night at the Shera.



MOVIE NIGHT AT THE SHERA

Rocky (1976):  We watched this on Thursday night.  I figured with our mutual best friend Ashley living in Philadelphia, that this would be a good one to take a look at and Shera agreed to check this one out.  For me, this is the definitive for inspirational films.  Sylvester Stallone wrote and stars in this film which was directed by John G. Avildsen.  Stallone stars as local boxer Rocky Balboa who has had a few local fights and works as a loan shark in order to make a living.  The heavyweight champion Apollo Creed, played by Carl Weathers, cannot find a ranked opponent so comes up with a great publicity stunt to give a Philadelphia boxer an actual title shot and gives it to Rocky due to his nickname Italian Stallion.  Talia Shire co-stars as Adrian who is very shy and Rocky does what he can to help her overcome the shyness and win her over.  Burt Young co-stars as Pauly who is Rocky's best friend and Adrian's brother who is flawed but tries to do good.  Rounding out the cast is Burgess Meredith as Mick who owns the local gym and offers to be Rocky's manager.  I actually had the pleasure of seeing the Rocky statue when I visited Ashley in Philadelphia and I also ran up the steps that Rocky ran up in this movie and part two.  I really did not think I had it in me, granted, I started from the first step but I still felt very accomplished.  What really adds to this already great movie is the soundtrack from Bill Conti which can always motivate me.  This movie was a make or break for Stallone who was down and out when writing this even to the point of selling his dog.  When the producers saw the script, they really liked it but wanted a more experienced actor for Rocky like Robert Redford, Ryan O'Neil, Burt Reynolds, or James Caan but Stallone was determined to play the title character where the producers gave in but for less money.  This one one of those decisions that was the absolute right thing and this would go onto win an Oscar for Best Picture.  All the actors really fit their roles.  This has always been one of my favorites and am a big fan of the series with the exception of the 5th one which I say does not count and the lastest one made up for it.  Shera also really enjoyed and seems to be ready for the sequel.   This is available on Instant Netflix and Amazon Prime.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations-458th Edition

Welcome to the 458th Edition of my series.  I continue to work at my weekly second job at Silo where I host karaoke at Silo in Downtown Muncie and I run it again on Wednesday from 8 pm to around midnight, maybe 1 am depending on the crowd so come on out for drinks, food, and sing some songs.  Not a lot else happening at the moment so onto the selections for the week.

Any Day Now (2012):  I start the week out with this independent film directed and co-wrote by Travis Fine.  Alan Cumming and Garret Dillahunt star as gay couple Rudy and Paul who take in a young boy with Down Syndrome named Marco, played by Isaac Levya, after being abandoned by his drug-addicted mother, played by Jamie Anne Allman.  Rudy works at a nightclub as a cross-dressing dancer.  Paul is an attorney who has been in the closet for years and got exposed the hard way putting their custody in jeopardy when their unconventional relationship is discovered.  Paul looks to make the courts see that he and Rudy are fit parents.  Frances Fisher, Chris Mulkey, Alan Rachins, and Mindy Sterling co-star in this drama which takes a look at our flawed legal system when it comes to custody issues, especially at that time which was the late 70s.  Cumming and Dillahunt are great together and is a very moving film.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

Brothers (2004):  Susanne Bier directed and co-wrote this Danish film.  Ulrich Thomsen stars as Michael who has a successful military career with a wife and children.  Nikolaj Lie Kaas co-stars as his brother Jannik who is more the black sheep of the family.  Michael is sent to Afghanistan and Jannik steps up and helps to take care of the children while Michael is gone while becoming closer to his wife Sarah, played by Connie Nielson.  On the other storyline, Michael is being held prisoner in Afghanistan and does an unspeakable act in order to survive.  When returning home, he is traumatized by the events which make him more difficult to be around.  This storyline might seem a bit familiar and this was remade in the United States in 2009 which I still found to be a pretty decent film.  I really feel this movie captured more in emotional depth and is really worth a look if you are tolerant to English subtitles.  This had a great story and performances and moved along very well.

Tarzan (1999):  This is my Disney selection for the week.  This is a different telling to the famed Edgar Rice Burroughs story.  Tony Goldwyn voices the title character in this one.  It starts from his infancy where his parents die and he is taken in by an ape named Kala, voiced by Glenn Close, and is reluctantly accepted by Kerchak, voiced by Lance Henriksen, who is the head of the apes.  When grown, there is an expedition group which includes Jane, voiced by Minnie Driver, who we all know becomes his love interest.  Also part of the expedition is Clayton, voiced by Brian Blessed, who has more ill intentions.  Nigel Hawthorne, Wayne Night, Alex D. Linz, Rosie O'Donnell, Rodger Bumpass, and many others provide this voices to this film which I suppose is the end of the 90s era of Disney that I so enjoyed.  Phil Collins wrote the soundtrack which I did not know until this time that I watched it.  I was aware that he had a song but did not know that he wrote the whole soundtrack and did a really good job as much as Phil can be hit or miss for me.  This is a really good take to the classic tale and a good entry for Disney.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

The Trial (1962):  Orson Welles directed and co-stars in this film based on the novel by Franz Kafka.  Anthony Perkins stars as Josef who is an office worker and is accused of a crime without being told what he did.  He looks to prove his innocence in a very bizarre, surrealistic, and dystopian world.  Anthony Perkins does a great job as the naive government worker and I like to promote Perkins in his other works besides PSYCHO.  This is a very complex film and rather hard to describe.  This has a great look and really good cinematography to capture the mood of the film.  Orson describes this as his best work.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

Aqua Antics (1942):  This is my short film for the week which is part of the Pete Smith Specialty series.  This takes a look at a group called the California Water Bugs.  They did a lot in the way of water tricks like driving a motorcycle over a pier with someone water skiing.  This is a sequel to the 1941 short WATER BUGS.  Smith provides very amusing narration like always and is good eight minute entertainment.

Grand Hotel (1932):  Edmond Goulding directs this movie based on the play by William A. Drake.  This takes place in a very fancy Berlin hotel and has one of the first all star casts.  John Barrymore stars as Baron von Geigern who unexpectedly finds himself broke and survives upon poker and jewel theft.  Lionel Barrymore co-stars as the terminally ill Kringelein who is trying to live his last days in the life of luxury.  Joan Crawford co-stars as Flaemmchen who is a scheming stenographer.  Greta Garbo co-stars as Russian ballerina Grusinskaya.  Wallace Beery is a ruthless tycoon named Preysing who is trying to close a very important deal.  Rounding out the cast is Lewis Stone who plays the disfigured Doctor Otternschlag.  Their lives intersect his the very high class hotel.  There are great performances but my favorite was Lionel Barrymore.  In real-life there was a little feud sparked between Crawford and Garbo due to Garbo's insistence on getting top billing.  This is a well-filmed classic with good performances and scenery.

There's Always Tomorrow (1956):  Douglas Sirk directed this melodrama.  Fred MacMurray stars as Clifford Groves who is a toy manufacturer and feels very unappreciated by his wife Marion, played by Joan Bennett, and his three children, played by William Reynolds, Gigi Perreau, and Judy Nugent.  An old flame in Clifford's life named Norma, played by Barbara Stanwyck, and forms a friendship leading his son Vinnie to suspect the worse making things difficult for all.  I have always been a pretty big fan of sirk and his really good melodramas and this was a really good undiscovered gem that is not as well known as his works like MAGNIFICENT OBSESSION, ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWS, and IMITATION OF LIFE.  The performances and script are very well done and hope that I can give more exposure to this closet classic as Alice Cooper might call it.

In the Line of Duty:  The FBI Murders (1988):  This is my tv movie for the week and is based on events that lead into a very bloody shootout in real-life referred to as the 1986 FBI Miami .  David Soul and Michael Gross play a couple bank robbers who are on quite the crime and killing spree but manage to fly under the radar.  Bruce Greenwood co-stars as one of the FBI agents looking for the criminals while trying to keep a good home life.  Ronny Cox, Ben Sheehan, Teri Copley, and Richard Jenkins all co-star in this very well-made tv movie.  It gives great time taking a look into the lives of the criminals and then showing the FBI very anxious to find these people.  This was a very authentic looking movie and really deserves more viewings.

The 3 Worlds of Gulliver (1960):  This is a version of the classic story from Jonathan Swift which is usually known as GULLIVER'S TRAVELS.  Kerwin Mathews stars as Doctor Gulliver who is very poor, even in his line of work and sets out for more weather even if his fiancee Elisabeth, played by June Thorburn, seems content with what they have.  He first sets out on a ship to India where he is washed ashore into a world of very tiny people.  When he finally convinces them that he is harmless, they try to use him in a war against a people of giants where he is ore of a gnome compared to them.  Ultimately he is trying to bring peace among the communities.  Ray Harryhausen provides some very good special effects that still hold up pretty well by today's standards.  It also has a good music score by Bernard Herrmann as well as a decent and fun performance from Mathews who has played legendary characters like Jack and Sinbad.

Food Inc. (2008):  I end with this documentary which takes a rather dark look into the food industry in America.  Robert Kenner directed this documentary which in some ways is to food what BLACKFISH is to killer whales and Seaworld.  This takes a look into the rise of the fast food industry and how much of the food put out is through corporate controlled America.  It also shows the health and safety of those who work the assembly line which is very overlooked.  This is a very eye-opening documentary which did not have a big agenda except to look into the facts.  The part I liked the most was organic farmer Joel Salatin who had a more natural way of farming and making his food as well as being very anti-corporate.  This is available on Instant Netflix and makes me wonder what really is healthy to eat in our society today.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and what you dislike.  Stay tuned for next week which so far includes the late Robin Williams, Dennis Quaid, John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and many others.  Continue to read for my Movie Night at the Shera segment.



MOVIE NIGHT AT THE SHERA

Leon:  The Professional (1994):  We watched this one last Sunday at Shera's house after a trip to the grocery and making something to eat.  This movie has always stayed with me and this version I have adds about 24 minutes which make sense of a couple scenes from the American version which is titled THE PROFESSIONAL.  This one is referred to as the "International Version".  Luc Besson wrote and directed this film which features the film debut of Natalie Portman when she was 12 years of age.  Portman plays Matilda who is a rather troubled girl who has an abusive father, played by THE PRACTICE alum Michael Badalucco, and stepmother, played by Ellen Greene who some may recognize from LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS.  She also has a sister she is not very fond of but a four year old brother who she does love.  Her father has been dealing drugs with a group of corrupt DEA agents lead by Norman Stansfield, played by Gary Oldman, where things go wrong.  When Matilda returns home after making a trip to a local grocery, she finds that her family has been killed and she avoids them when a local neighbor of the title name, played by Jean Reno, allows her into his home to save her life.  The only one in her family that Matilda weeps for is her younger brother and discovers that Leon is a professional assassin and asks him to help her get revenge on those responsible.  He reluctantly takes her in and trains her to be an assassin while she helps him with things like people skills while they target Stansfield who is trying to cover up his own trail leading to quite the climax.  Danny Aiello also co-stars as Leon's mentor.  I was glad to be able to introduce this to others and thank Shera for allowing this movie in our view.  She did not necessarily enjoy it on my level but still found it to be intriguing and did still enjoy it.  This movie is a bit out there at times and is not for everyone.  I thought it had a really good story with good characters.  I also really liked the music score from the underrated Eric Serra.  I really liked the dynamic between Leon and Matilda where Leon is reluctant and is very careful.  Jean Reno does a great job as the title character and is very likable despite his profession.

Jackass Presents:  Bad Grandpa (2013):  We watched this one last Thursday and since she watched something more within my taste, I figured I would watch something more to her taste and has expressed how much she likes this one.  I admit, I was never really into that tv series JACKASS but was willing to keep an open mind on this one as it sounded pretty interesting.  Johnny Knoxville plays Irving Zisman who is a very raunchy and politically incorrect 86 year old man who is asked to take his 8 year old grandson Billy, played by Jackson Nicoll, to his real father, played by Greg Harris, many states away.  Billy shows he is just as foul-mouthed as his grandfather who introduces him to many places pretty much showing the title of the movie.  This movie has characters but create real-life situations with unsuspecting people including a scene at a bingo hall and even one where he enters Billy in a beauty pageant.  We both laughed quite a bit throughout the movie, more with Shera but I did laugh quite a bit myself.  This is very politically incorrect so if you offend easy, this likely is not for you.  I like that we had a diverse couple of titles for the week to present here.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 457th Edition

Welcome to the 457th Edition of my series.  Last Wednesday, I had my first night of running karaoke at Silo.  I had a lot of first night jitters and trouble with the speakers but I survived and it ended up being a fun night.  As of now, we are doing this every Wednesday though considering Thursdays so people in or near my area should come on out.  A down moment of the week was losing actors Robin Williams and Lauren Bacall.  Obviously the sadder of the two is Robin Williams who committed suicide.  I really did not know Mr. Williams was that bad off.  Anytime I'd see him on an interview he just seemed to be having a lot of fun but like many funny people, they can use that comedy to hide how they really feel.  Depression is real and those who are depressed, please talk to someone.  I will now get to my recommendations for the week.

Louis C.K.:  Hilarious (2010):  I start the week out with this live stand-up comedy film from the famed comedian.  A lot of reflection is his life as a single father and a divorce he had just recently had at the time.  He also takes some amusing jabs toward those who believe are entitled and are ungrateful.  A lot of funny moments are when he is up front about just winging his comedy.  This was some very good material on making comedy out of pessimism and really kept my attention the whole way through.

Jack Goes Boating (2010):  Philip Seymour Hoffman makes his directorial debut on this film based on a play by Robert Glaudini of which Hoffman starred in the play and in this movie as the title character.  Jack is a very shy and awkward person and his friend Clyde, played by Jack Ortiz, and his wife Lucy, played by Daphne Rubin-Vega, set him up on a blind date Connie, played by Amy Ryan, who is also rather shy.  Jack and Connie form a growing relationship but as theirs begins to grow, Clyde and Lucy are dealing with a troubled marriage.  This is a pretty humorous story but also very honest.  The four actors work very well together and is more of a character driven film more than anything.  

Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999):  This is one of two mockumentaries for the week and this is a satire towards beauty pageants.  This takes place in a small town in Minnesota where every year they have a local beauty pageant.  CHEERS alum Kirstie Alley stars as former winner Gladys Leeman who is mostly in charge of the pageant and wants to do whatever possible to insure that her daughter Becky, played by Denise Richards, will win.  Kirsten Dunst co-stars as Amber who is the more everyday girl and the biggest threat towards Becky's big win leading to a lot of violence happening around a beauty pageant.  Ellen Barkin, Allison Janney, Brittany Murphy, Amy Adams, Will Sasso, and a cameo from former Batman Adam West.  There were a lot of funny moments like the most unqualified judges of all time and a good parody towards beauty pageants.

The Adventures of Junior Raindrop (1948):  This is my "educational" short for the week.  This is an animated short on a little raindrop named Junior Raindrop where his father is Father Cloud and they discuss letting go.  He must fall to earth because of something like poor watershed conditions where floods are caused.  Notice the quotations around education.  I'm not sure what I was supposed. to be watching but still entertained.

The Rutles:  All You Need is Cash (1978):  This is my second mockumentary for the week which was directed and written by Monty Python alum Eric Idle.  This is an obvious parody on the rise of the Beatles where we have Dirk, Barry, Stig, and Nancy, played by Eric Idle, John Halsey, Ricky Fataar, and Neil Innes.  This is a very fun satire that charts the early days and the rise of the Rutles who are a great parody to the Beatles.  There are also a lot of rewrites on the Beatles songs.  Michael Palin, George Harrison, John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner, Rolling Stones members Mick Jagger and Ron Wood, Paul Simon, and Al Franken all make appearances in this more underrated mockumentary.

Algiers (1938):  Charles Boyer stars as Pepe Le Moko who is a thief who escaped from France with a fortune in jewels and resides in Algiers.  He becomes a leader in a Casbah and in some ways runs it like a prison and making it hard to penetrate by the police.  He receives a visit from a Parisian woman named Gaby, played by Hedy Lamarr, who he forms a relationship with while making his mistress Ines, played by Sigrid Gurie, and could be his downfall.  Boyer was great as the charismatic Pepe.  The title and some of the scenery was the inspiration for the 1942 classic CASABLANCA which originally had Hedy Lamarr in mind.  The charter of Pepe is also the inspiration for the Looney Tunes character Pepe Le Pew.  This is a pretty decent film with good performances that is available on the public domain.

Invisible Invaders (1959):  This is my sci-fi movie for the week.  Aliens have informed scientist Adam Penner that they have been on the moon for many years but are able to maintain invisibility.  They also threaten to take over the planet if the humans do not surrender.  These aliens then take over the bodies of humans that have died.  A group of people look to find a weakness in these aliens before it is too late.  I just thought of this and this was before Neil Armstrong walked on the moon.  These people might have saved the lives of these astronauts.  This B-movie is available on Instant Netflix so just take it for what it is worth.

Lila Says (2004):  This is my foreign film for the week.  Moa Khouas stars as Chimo who lives in a poor Arab neighborhood who is a good writer and has been offered a writing school in Paris but has to write a good essay to be approved.  He soon meets a new girl of the title who lives with her deranged aunt.  He becomes very close to her but does not know how to declare her love.  His friend Mouloud also really likes her where tragic consequences ensue.  This was a pretty compelling and provocative drama with good performances.  It also have really good cinematography and music.

The Boy in the Plastic Bubble (1976):  This is my tv movie for the week and is an early John Travolta movie.  This is based on a true story where Travolta stars as Tod Lubitch who is born without an immun system and must stay in a sterile environment at all times to protect from bacteria and viruses.  He tries to make the most of his life in a world where he cannot physically touch anyone.  This is actually based on the lives of David Vetter and Ted DeVita who both had the disease shown in this movie.  This is a pretty moving and inspirational movie when John Travolta was just getting on the rise as Vinnie in WELCOME BACK, KOTTAR.  This is available on my Roku app Premier and can be viewed on Youtube.  Worth a look into a young Travolta.

Mud (2012):  I end this week with this story on the fugitive life and I suppose lost love.  Jeff Nichols wrote and directed this drama.  14 year old friends Ellis and Neckbone, played by Tye Sheridan and Jacob Lofland, sneak out one morning and encounter a man who goes by the title name, played by Matthew McConaughey, who they learn is a fugitive but sympathize with his tall tales about lost loves and crimes of passion and convince the kids to help him reunite with his former love, played by Reese Witherspoon who did really good as a more trashy character than usual.  Sam Shepard, Michael Shannon, Joe Don Baker, and many others co-star in this film.  This movie has a great low-budget feel and McConaughey is quite possibly at his best in this one.  This is driven by the complexities of the characters.  This is available on Instant Netflix and really deserves a look.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike.  Stay tuned for next week which so far includes Alan Cumming, Connie Nielson, Glenn Close, Orson Welles, Joan Crawford, Barbara Stanwyck, and many others.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 456th Edition

Welcome to the 456th Edition of my series.  Starting this Wednesday, I will be running karaoke on Wednesdays at the Silo in Downtown Muncie.  As of now I will be doing this on a weekly basis so anyone in or near the Muncie area and have nothing more to do, please join me on my first night.  Nothing else has changed so let me get to this week's selections.

Off the Menu:  The Last Days of Chasen's (1997):  I start the week out with this documentary which takes a look at the Hollywood restaurant Chasen's.  This was a restaurant that opened up in 1936 and closed its doors in 1995.  This documentary was filmed in the last days and reflects on the history of the place.  This was a popular place among actors, politicians, and many others.  It also takes a look at a few of their long-time employees.  It is always a sad time when our favorite restaurant, bar, or coffee shop closes and enjoyed seeing the history of the place and even how it looked very highly upon their employees.  It also reflects on significant moments from actors like Liz Taylor making the chili there very popular and it getting named after her.  I could really relate to this documentary looking back at a couple of my hangouts closing like the Blue Bottle Coffee Shop and the Folly Moon bar.  This is an interesting look into the Hollywood world at a restaurant that maintained a long stint.

Seven Psychopaths (2012):  Martin McDonagh wrote and directed this rather violent comedy.  Colin Farrell stars as struggling screenwriter Marty who inadvertently becomes caught up in the criminal underworld when his friends Billy and Hans, played by Christopher Walken and Sam Rockwell, kidnap a dog which belongs to a ruthless mobster named Charlie, played by Woody Harrelson.  That's about the best I have to say about this film.  It was a very well-written comedy with some really good characters and performances.  Tom Waits, Gabourney Sidibe, Olga Kurylenko, Michael Pitt, Harry Dean Stanton, and Abbie Cornish all co-star in this film.  It is a good film on a writer struggling to write a screenplay and kind of comes to life when he does write the screenplay.

Ocean Paradise (2010):  This is my Asian film for the week which stars Jet Li.  When I say that name, I am sure many thing some martial arts film or maybe an action film but that is far from the truth in this one.  Jet stars as Wang who is a single father raising an adult son who has autism.  He soon learns he is terminally ill and looks to teach his son certain life skills and look for a place for his son to stay after he passes away.  Zhang Wen co-stars as his son Dafu and does a great and sincere job of playing someone who is autistic.  This may very well be the first movie I have seen Jet Li where he does not beat someone up and does a great job in this drama and is a moving tribute towards the relationship between a father and his son.  This is available on Instant Netflix and is one I really hope to get some exposure.  It actually comes up as OCEAN HEAVEN on Netflix but imdb has Paradise instead.

Time Out for Trouble (1961):  This is one of two short films for the week.  This short has a really mean mantle clock which seems to really have a hatred of humans which she feels cause their own accidents because they let their feelings overwhelm their judgment, get bored easily and never watch for danger.  The scenes are done with point-of-view shots and creepy organ music along with a talking clock.  This is meant to be a safety video which was produced by the Oklahoma State Department of Health but is really bizarre instead.  This would really be a good starter short for the Rifftrax guys if they have not viewed it yet.

The Phantom Light (1935):  This is my British film for the week.  Michael Powell directs this movie where a couple lighthouse keepers are murdered.  Binnie Hale and Gordon Harker star as Alice and Sam who are investigating these murders before they possibly become next.  This is referred to as a "quota quickie" and was an early one for director Powell who was known for movies like BLACK NARCISSUS and THE RED SHOES.  This is a pretty fun movie from that era and can be best appreciated by fans of the classic British cinema.

Moontide (1942):  Archie Mayo directs this film noir though really more of a drama in my opinion.  French actor Jean Gabin stars as longshoreman Bobo who has a drinking binge and wakes up by a dead man and has no idea what happened.  He rescues a lovely woman named Anna, played by Ida Lupino, from suicide and forms a relationship with her.  Things seem great until Bobo's friend Tiny, played by Thomas Mitchell, who might hold the trump card of the unsolved murder in hopes to break up their relationship.  Claude Rains also co-stars in this film.  Gabin makes in American debut in this movie and does a really good job.  Mitchell was also pretty good as Tiny.  He is probably most known as Uncle Billy in IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE.  This was a very compelling film in my opinion and was worth a look.

World of Art (2011):  This is my modern day short film for the week which I pay tribute to my Facebook friend Alana who has a small but significant part in this movie and is my birthday gift to her which was last Friday.  Mike Allore wrote and directed this homage into the world of art.  Johnny Victor stars as Art who ironically enough is an artist.  He is an artist who lacks inspiration and ends up in a strange jail that contains works of art like Mona Lisa herself as well as the farmer couple in the famous AMERICAN GOTHIC painting, among others.  He escapes in a journey to learn about himself and find this inspiration, even getting to meet Vincent Van Gogh.  This was very fun and enjoyable as well as a very clever homage to artists.  I think this is one that any artist can relate to.  I was able to find this 30 minute movie on youtube and here is the site https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-uUj9cBeL8 .  This is an independent film that really deserves to have a look with really good acting, costumes, and even special effects for an independent film.

Damien:  Omen II (1978):  Don Taylor directs this sequel to the 1976 classic THE OMEN.  It is a few years later where Damien, played by Jonathan Scott-Taylor is now a pre-teen and is becoming more and more aware of his destiny as the anti-Christ.  William Holden and Lee Grant star as his wealthy surrogate parents who just cannot accept the fact that Damien might have something to do with some of the bad accidents going on around them.  Lew Ayres, Sylvia Sidney, and Lance Henrikson co-star in this sequel.  This does not top the first one but is still a decent sequel.  Holden does a good job of picking up where Gregory Peck left off in the first one and I believe Holden is a rather underrated actor.  Scott-Taylor is good as the older Damien and learning about himself.  It still has a pretty creepy feel to it and would be a really good double feature to watch the original followed by this one.

The Wages of Fear (1953):  Henri-Georges Clouzot directed this foreign film which takes place in a South American village.  In this village, men are hired to transport nitroglycerin shipments but do not have the equipment to make it safer.  Yves Montand, Falco Lulli, Peter Van Eyck, and Charles Vanel star as those who have been hired and in addition to the dangers of driving, there is also an intense rivalry forming.  This is a rather dark look at humanity but still very compelling.  It also has well written characters that people can get behind while quite flawed.  This is also a good homage to the working man.

Kung Fu Killer (2008):  I end the week with this guilty pleasure movie which stars David Carradine, and no this has nothing to do with this previous series KUNG FU or KUNG FU:  THE LEGEND CONTINUES.  Carradine stars as Crane who is a Caucasion monk whose spiritual grandmother Grandmaster is killed and Crane infiltrates the underworld to avenge her murder with his martial arts skills.  I don't really remember if there was some backstory on how he became a monk.  He also looks to save a beautiful night club singer, played by Daryl Hannah, from the clutches of an evil gang.  This can be a fun movie if you are not too serious and can suspend your disbelief for awhile.  This is actually a Spike TV original.

Well, that is it for this week.  Stay tuned for next week which so far includes Philip Seymour Hoffman, Kirsten Dunst, Eric Idle, Hedy Lamarr, John Travolta, and many others.