Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 472nd Edition

Welcome to the 472nd Edition of my series.  Today is the last performance for 1776, it's been a great show and hope to work there again sometime.  There was a great cast and crew to bring together a good musical.  I got to meet a lot new great new people and hope someday to work with them again.  Thanks to all involved, it has been worth the drive from Muncie.  I will now get to my recommendations for the week.

Brooklyn Rules (2007):  Michael Corrente directed this movie which was written by Terence Winter.  This centers around three friends who have been friends since childhood.  The first is Michael, played by Freddie Prinze Jr., the second is Carmine, played by Scott Caan, and the third is Bobby, played by Jerry Ferrara.  They have always grown around the Mafia and Carmine decides he wants more of that lifestyle which affects the other two.  Alec Baldwin, Mena Suvari, Annie Golden, and Monica Keena co-star in this movie.  This was not a great movie but a decent one that takes a look at friendship and the questions of loyalty and the tests a friendship can have.  The characters are pretty well written and is worth a look if you don't have the expectations of GOODFELLAS or THE GODFATHER.

Patton Oswalt:  My Weakness is Strong (2009):  This is my stand-up special for the week.  Oswalt is likely most known as Remy the Rat in RATATOUILLE.  He reflects on the difficulty of having to be a good example to kids during that film.  He talks about everything from texting to werewolves.  It is a stand-up show that many can relate to while still delivering some laughs.  Fans of Oswalt and those who do not know him should check out this special which is a little over an hour.  This is available on Instant Netflix.  I'll also put in a plug for his comedy BIG FAN.

The Whistleblower (2010):  This is part three of my David Strathairn trilogy.  Larysa Kondracki directed and co-wrote this film based on a true story.  Rachel Weisz stars as Kathy Bolkovac who is an American police officer and her idealism and need for money lead her to accept a job as peacekeeper in post-war Bosnia.  In her thought that she would be able to help rebuild the devastated nation, she soon begins to uncover sex trafficking and corruption from the diplomatic community.  She puts her life on the line in hopes of saving the female slaves.  Monica Bellucci, Vanessa Redgrave, Benedict Cumberbatch, David Hewlett, Liam Cunningham, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a very intriguing thriller and can make one cringe.  Kathryn Bolkovac still works as a motivational speaker and provides consultancy on whistleblowing protection.  Weisz was great in this film and it deserves a look.

 Un Chien Andalou (1929):  This is my short film for the week which was directed by Luis Bunuel and co-wrote alongside Salvador Dali.  This is Bunuel's debut film and was the start of quite a career.  This is a surrealistic film with rather bizarre imagery left to interpretation.  They have everything from slitting a woman's eye and a dead horse on top of a piano.  This is mostly from those who are buffs of the French cinema.  No matter what you think, it will be remembered.

The Unearthly (1957):  I decided to check out a little MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 this week and came across this one.  John Carradine stars as mad scientist Dr. Charles Conway who specializes in longevity where he misleads people into thinking their depression will be cured but really turns them more into zombies.  This episode had the original host Joel and along with Crow and Cambot, they make some pretty funny jokes at this enjoyable b-movie.  It made me think about John Carradine who had a lot of really good movies and a lot of really bad ones.  Tor Johnson co-stars as Lobo which was a character he played or was at least named in the Ed Wood movies and actually talks in this one for a change.  This is available on watch on Instant Netflix.

1776 (1972):  In being a part of production, I decided to revisit this musical on the signing of the declaration of independence.   William Daniels stars as Massachusetts representative John Adams who wants independence from British rule but struggles to convince the others and is opposed by some of congress, mostly with the thoughts that it was not the right time and it would not work.  Along for the ride is Benjamin Franklin, played by Howard Da Silva, and a reluctant Thomas Jefferson, played by Ken Howard, who Adams appoints to write the Declaration of Independence.  I had the pleasure of playing Samuel Chase of Maryland and got to eat on stage.  This is a dramatization of the events that lead up to the signing.  To my knowledge, there really is not any real documents that show what happened during this time period.  It is good to see the supporting cast portrayed and made me appreciate it a lot more.  There are also a lot of fun musical numbers.  It was brought to my attention that the original version did not have the song COOL, CONSIDERATE MEN which apparently happened due to Richard Nixon's objection.  The version which has 2 hours and 46 minutes does have this song and is available on Amazon Prime which is what I watched it on.  This has been a pretty underrated musical and will be a fun watch if you don't expect absolute historical accuracy.

Monkey on my Back (1957):  This is another biographical drama which is based on former champion boxer and WWII hero Barney Ross.  Cameron Mitchell stars as Ross, who starts out with a gambling addiction who is in debt to many but changes his ways for a woman only to develop a morphine addiction.  Dianne Foster co-stars as his love interest Cathy who does what she can to save from his addiction but finds it is not easy.  This is a pretty decent and watchable drama in this era.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

The Rain People (1969):  Francis Ford Coppola wrote and directed this drama.  Shirley Knight stars as Natalie who goes into a panic after learning of her pregnancy and runs away from home leaving her husband behind.  Along the way, she meets a hitchhiker named Jimmy but nicknamed Killer, played by James Caan, who is brain damaged and a bit slow in the head.  She does what she can to help him and even find him a job so she can move on but cannot do that.  She also meets a patrolman, played by Robert Duvall, where she has another rather complicated relationship.  This is a nice road movie and coming of age one in some ways.  Caan and Duvall would later have their careers made in Coppola's THE GODFATHER but this is a pretty good pre-teaming with believable performances..  This is not a very upbeat movie but very well-written and underrated.

Whiplash (2014):  I had the pleasure of viewing this one at the Keystone Arts Cinema in Indianapolis.  My friend Doug and I had not seen anything there for awhile but like going out there and when he suggested this one I had not heard of it but trusted his judgment.  Damien Chazelle wrote and directed this independent film.  Miles Teller stars as young drummer Andrew who attends a very prestigious music academy in the class of the ruthless Fletcher, played by J.K. Simmons.  Fletcher will not hold back on his students to the point of verbal and a little physical abuse.  Andrew and Fletcher form a very odd relationship and rivalry that gets very intense.  Paul Reiser and Melissa Benoist co-star in this film.  I don't know when the last time was I saw Reiser who plays Andrew's father who begins to question his son's decision to join Fletcher's class.  This is a really good film showing how far someone will and should go to achieve greatness in the eyes of the public which can be very difficult on their personal life.  This movie has a very interesting climax between Andrew and Fletcher.  This was worth the money paid at the movie theater which is a movie theater I prefer to support which show independent film.

The Five Senses (1999):  I end the week with this Toronto independent film.  Jeremy Podeswa wrote and directed this movie of interconnecting stories that base themselves on each of the five senses.  The movie centers around a three year old girl who goes missing and those involved in her life whether directly or indirectly.  Molly Parker, Mary-Louise Parker, Gabrielle Rose, Nadia Litz, and many others co-star in this independent drama.  My favorite story was that of a man losing his hearing and doing what he can to keep from losing it.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Robert De Niro, Halle Berry, Mickey Rourke, and many others.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 471st Edtion

Welcome to the 471st Edition of my series.  We have had a really good run on 1776.  There is still next weekend.  It is on Friday and Saturday at 8 pm and Sunday at 2 pm.  It is at the Ivy Tech in Noblesville and tickets are $18 for adults and $12 for children.  I have enjoyed being part of this great cast and am glad to return to the Belfry group.  It has not been the easiest with the weather but has been worth it.  I will get to my selections for the week.

Justice League:  War (2014):  I start the week out with this animated superhero movie.  This is more of a prequel for the Justice League where Superman, voiced by Alan Tudyk, Wonder Woman, voiced by Michelle Monaghan, Batman, voiced by Jason O'Mara, Green Lantern, voiced by Justin Kirk, the Flash, voiced by Christopher Gorham, Cyborg, voiced by Shemar Moore, and Shazam, voiced by Sean Astin and by Zach Callison as Billy Batson, all team up to take on a world threat lead by Darkseid, voiced by Steve Blum.  Each of them starts out working alone but circumstances bring them all together.  I find there was a lot of mixed reaction to this movie.  The characters are portrayed a little differently.  This is from DC's New 52 series which was a revamp and relaunch.  I read that in the comic books that Aquaman was part of this one but in this movie is replaced by Shazam which is a character I have never really been into.  I did like the origin story used for Cyborg which is a character I have never looked into in-dept and was a good story of a trouble father/son relationship.  Ioan Grufford provides the voice for Thomas Morrow in this movie.  People who are the comic geeks may not like this.  The more casual fans like me should get some enjoyment out of it even if it is not the best of the animated movies.

L.A. Confidential (1997):  This is part two of my three part David Strathairn series.  Curtis Hanson directed this film which based on the novel by James Ellroy.  This takes place in '50s L.A. in this tale of police corruption and Hollywood sleaze.  There has been a string of murders being investigated by three very different cops but out for the same thing.  The first cop is Ed Exley, played by Guy Pearce, who looks to do everything by the book which does not make him very popular.  The second cop is Bud White, played by Russell Crowe, uses very violent means in order to get to the truth.  The third cop is Jack Vincennes, played by Kevin Spacey, who is out for the publicity.  Kim Basinger, Danny Devito, James Cromwell, Ron Rifkin, Matt McKoy, Paul Guifoyle, Simon Baker, and many others co-star in this film.  Basinger is great in her Oscar winning role.  The rest of the cast also did really well.  This is a very complex film and centers on quite a few characters but is a great homage to the era.  There are also some good twists in this one.

The Diary of Anne Frank (2009):  This is based on her diaries when her family, among others, hid from Nazis in Amsterdam.  Ellie Kendrick stars as the 13 year old girl who does what she can to make the most of having to hide out in the upstairs of her father's business.  In the process they take in another family and others for them to hide out as well.  They must all learn to work through the differences as the tensions mount being stuck in the fairly small space.  Iain Glen, Tamsin Greig, Felicity Jones, Ron Cook, Geoff Breton, Kate Ashfield, Nicholas Farrell, and Leslie Sharp co-stars in this moving and sad drama.  I just cannot imagine life for the Jewish in this era that fell victim to the Nazi regime and could not live their lives they way they wanted.  This gives good narration of passages that are from the diary.  This is a really good version which deserves a look.

Matinee Idol (1930):  This is my short film for the week.  This is where a Broadway star visits a playwright who deems a scene written as unrealistic in regards to adultery but learns all to well that it is not as unrealistic as he thought.  There were some interesting things they got away with in the pre-code and was pretty funny in its seven minutes.

It Happened to Jane (1959):  This is my romantic comedy for the week.  Doris Day stars as Jane Osgood who is a single mother trying to support her two children by running a lobster business.  Her business becomes difficult when her latest shipment is ruined by inattention at the railroad station and takes on Henry Foster Malone, played by Ernie Kovacs, who manages the train station and is considered "the meanest man in the world".  Jack Lemmon co-stars as George Denham who is a lifelong friend of Jane and is an attorney.  Together, they sue Malone for the price of her lobsters and lost business and will not settle for anything else.  This is a pretty good David vs. Goliath story and a pretty funny comedy that takes a shot at American business types.  Jack and Doris made a good team but was their only teaming and the movie is not as remembered but maybe this will put it on the radar.

Sleeping Beauty (1959):  This is my Disney film of the week which I had the pleasure to see it on a bigger screen at my local library.  Princess Aurora is our princess in this one and she is cursed from the day she is born by the evil and bitter witch Maleficent, voiced by Eleanor Audley.  Aurora is raised by three fairies in order to keep her on the radar in hopes of preventing Aurora's curse when she hits the age of 16.  I believe this one has the best prince in Prince Phillip as well as the best villain in Maleficent with a pretty disturbing climax.  This can fit very well into a Disney marathon, especially for a Disney Princess marathon.  I have not seen the recent movie of MALEFICENT but may have to view it sometime.

The Vampire Lovers (1970):  This is my Hammer Films selection for the week.  Ingrid Pitt stars as Camilla who is a vampire and targets a rich and remote area in the 18th century.  She targets a family, mainly Emma, played by Madeline Smith.  Peter Cushing, Kate O'Mara, and Jon Finch all co-star in this gothic tale.  This focuses more on the female vampires which was different at this time.  It also has some moments of eroticism.  This is a decent and more underrated Hammer entry and is good for fans of the genre.  Pitt does a really good job as Camilla and is a good, atmospheric tale.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

The Conspirator (2010):  Robert Redford directed this film based on the trial of Mary Surratt, played by Robin Wright, who was the only woman accused of conspiracy on assassinating President Lincoln.  Surratt owned a boarding house which housed Lincoln's assassin John Wilkes Booth, played by Toby Kebbell, and the other conspirators.  James McAvoy co-stars as Frederick Aiken who has just become an attorney and is assigned to defend Surratt with much reluctance for reasons like being on the other side for the civil war and at first believing with the others she is automatically guilty.  The more he gets to know Surratt, the more he believes she might be innocent but finds it very difficult to get her the fair trial as he has a lot of limitations on things like witnesses for the trial.  There are flashbacks to the planning of the assassination which involved her son John, played by Johnny Simmons, and his conspiring with Booth.  Kevin Kline, Evan Rachel Wood, Tom Winkinson, Justin Long, Danny Huston, James Badge Dale, Colm Meaney, Alexis Bledel, Jonathan Groff, Norman Reedus, Chris Bauer, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a really good movie on the trial system for events like these and has a great cast with really good performances.  This is available on Instant Netflix and a good historical drama on the aftermath of Lincoln's assassination.

Buffet Froid (1979):  Bertrand Blier wrote and directed this French film as well as playing Inspector Morvandieu.  Gerard Depardieu stars as Alphonse Tram who has an encounter with a man at a train station where an argument ensues and he loses his knife.  Later, he discovers the man with his own knife.  The inspector turns out to be his next door neighbor and Alphonse tries to talk to him about it but the inspector wants to hear none of it.  In the next part, Tram's wife is murdered and a man, played by Jean Carmet, comes to confess but Tram does not really seem to mind nor does the police officer.  This is a black comedy on solitude and dehumanization of the modern world.  It is a rather bizarre film at times but still manages to give a lot of laughs.  Carole Bouquet also co-stars in this film.  Depardieu gives a great comedic performance and the three actors worked well together.  This is available on Instant Netflix and is a rather hidden French film that was a pretty fun and strange watch.

Wild Bill (2011):  I end with this independent British film which was directed and co-written by Dexter Fletcher.  In trying to find my 10th film, I came up with a list of 10 movies from my Netflix queue that I felt might fit the mold for this week and asked my friend David to come up with a number between 1 and 10 and his number lead me to check this one out.  Charlie Creed-Miles plays the title character who has been paroled after eight years in prison.  He returns home to find his 15 and 11 year old kids Dean, played by Will Poulter, and Jimmy, played by Sammy Williams, fending for themselves after their mother has left.  At first Bill does not want to be a father at first and Dean has a job and tries to be a father to Jimmy.  Bill's presence has drawn attention from social services and Dean makes him stay at the house for a week so they don't get put in homes and threatens to get Bill on dealing if he does not go along.  In his time at home, he slowly forms a bond with his kids but sees that Jimmy is becoming him in a life of crime and looks to stop him from going down the path.  Olivia Williams, Jason Flyming, and Andy Serkis also co-star in this film.  Creed-Miles does a great job as the title character and I'm sorry if you were expecting Wild Bill Hickok.  This is a really gritty film on British ghetto life and has really well-written characters along with a good story.  This is available on Instant Netflix and is really worth 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 Mena Suvari, and many others.

FUN AND USELESS FACTS

Sean Astin (Justice League:  War) and Andy Serkis (Wild Bill) co-star in Peter Jackson's LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY and do not get along very well in these movies.

Sean Astin (Justice League:  War) and Danny Devito (L.A. Confidential) were in the 1989 film THE WAR OF THE ROSES.

Alan Tudyk (Justice League:  War) and Olivia Williams (Wild Bill) were in the tv series DOLLHOUSE.

Alan Tudyk (Justice League:  War) and Russell Crowe (L.A. Confidential) were in the 2007 film 3:10 TO YUMA.

Alan Tudyk (Justice League:  War) and James Cromwell (L.A. Confidential) were in the 2004 film I, ROBOT.

Steve Blum (Justice League:  War) provides the voice for Superman's main rival Lex Luthor in the 2013 animated movie JUSTICE LEAGUE:  THE FLASHPOINT PARADOX.  Kevin Spacey (L.A. Confidential) plays Luthor in the 2006 movie SUPERMAN RETURNS.

Ioan Gruffudd (Justice League:  War) and James Cromwell (L.A. Confidential) were in the 2008 movie W.

Ioan Gruffudd (Justice League:  War) and Gerard Depardieu (Buffet Froid) were in the 2000 movie 102 DALMATIONS.

Justin Kirk (Justice League:  War) and James Cromwell (L.A. Confidential) were in the 2003 HBO mini-series ANGELS IN AMERICA.

Kevin Spacey (L.A. Confidential) and Robin Wright (The Conspirator) are husband and wife in the Netflix series HOUSE OF CARDS.

Kevin Spacey (L.A. Confidential) and Jack Lemmon (It Happened to Jane) were in the 1992 film GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS.

Guy Pearce (L.A. Confidential) and Danny Huston (The Conspirator) were in the 2012 film LAWLESS.

Guy Pearce (L.A. Confidential) and Evan Rachel Wood (The Conspirator) were in the 2011 HBO mini-series MILDRED PIERCE.

Guy Pearce (L.A. Confidential) and James Badge Dale (The Conspirator) were in the 2013 film IRON MAN 3

Kim Basinger (L.A. Confidential) will be playing my mother in my biopic THE RISE AND FALL OF SHAUN BERKEY.  Evan Rachel Wood (The Conspirator) will be my friend Ashley.

Kim Basinger (L.A. Confidential) and Robert Redford (The Conspirator director) were in the 1984 film THE NATURAL.

David Strathairn (L.A. Confidential) and Robert Redford (The Conspirator director) were in the 1992 film SNEAKERS.

David Strathairn (L.A. Confidential) and Kevin Kline were in the 1999 Shakespeare comedy A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM.

James Cromwell (L.A. Confidential) plays former president Lyndon Johnson in the 1992 tv movie RFK.  Tom Wilkinson (The Conspirator) plays him in the 2014 film SELMA

Russell Crowe (L.A. Confidential) and Danny Huston (The Conspirator) were in the 2010 film ROBIN HOOD.

Peter Cushing (The Vampire Lovers) plays Dr. Frankenstein in the Hammer Films.  James McAvoy will be playing Dr. Frankenstein in the upcoming 2015 film FRANKENSTEIN.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 470th Edition

Welcome to the 470th Edition of my series.  Next weekend will be my show 1776 at the Ivy Tech in Noblesville.  This is a musical which is a dramatization on the events that lead into the signing of the Declaration of Independence where I play Samuel Chase.  The show is November 21, 22, 23, 28, 29, 30 where the Friday and Saturday shows are at 8 pm and the Sunday shows are at 2 pm.  Tickets are $18 for adults and $12 for children under 12 years of age.  To reserve tickets, call 317-773-1085.  If you are in or near this area, please check it out if you can as it will be a good show.  I will now get onto my selections for the week.

Hour of the Wolf (1968):  I start out the week with this Swedish film brought by the legendary Ingmar Bergman and was originally going to be on last week's but just did not fit into the scheme of things so I carried it over to this one.  Max Von Sydow and Liv Ullman star as married couple Johan and Alma Borg.  Johan is an artist who is haunted by past memories and repressed desires.  Alma looks to help him with his issues while trying to keep her own sanity.  This is a psychological thriller from Bergman and have great performances from the leads as well as some very well written supporting characters.  Foreign film buffs and fans of Bergman must check this one out.  It is a very good and atmospheric film with really good imagery.

Batman:  Assault on Arkham (2014):  This is my DC animated movie for the week.  Batman, voiced by Kevin Conroy in his return to the role, looks to find a bomb planted by the Joker, voiced by Troy Baker, who resides at Arkham Asylum.  On the other end, Dr. Amanda Waller, voiced by CCH Pounder, forms the Suicide Squad which consists of Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Captain Boomerang, Killer Frost, KG Beast, and King Shark.  She forces them together and puts a deadly device that can go off at any time if her orders are not followed.  They are after some important information stolen by the Riddler, voiced by Matthew Gubler.  The paths of this squad and Batman inevitably cross and many other villains make cameos.  This is the first time I have really heard of the group the Suicide Squad but was a good group of villains who must work together in order to stay alive.  In this one, Batman is more of a supporting character but the story is pretty good on both ends and is another really good entry into the animated world of DC Comics.  The only thing missing was Mark Hamill voicing the Joker.

Black Cats and Broomsticks (1955):  This is my short film for the week which takes a look at superstitions over the years.  These include things like the old adage of stepping on cracks to break your mother's back as well as the walking under a ladder being bad luck which is one I have even heard in wrestling before a ladder match begins.  There are a few others like haunted houses, salt shakers, voodoo dolls and the belief in the supernatural.  This is a pretty entertaining look at the superstitions.

Y Tu Mama Tambien (2001):  Alfonzo Cuaron directed and co-wrote this Mexican film which is another one that carried over into this one instead of last week.  Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna star as teenage friends Julio and Tenoch.  At a family wedding, they meet Luisa, played by Ana Lopez Mercado, who is the 20 something wife of Tenoch's cousin.  All three of them are having trouble in their relationships and the guys decide to try impressing Luisa by telling her they will be going to the most beautiful beach which does not really exist.  Luisa decides to go along with them and the three of them embark on quite a road trip.  This is something that really revolves most around the three characters as well as the good and bad moments between them.  The three give really good performances and work really good among each other.  It is not something for the family by any means but a great foreign film that deserves a look.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

The Mayor of Hell (1933):  Archie Mayo directed this film that made a statement towards the juvenile system.  Five members of a teenage gang are sentenced to a state reformatory which was run by Thompson, played by Dudley Digges, who runs it more like a prison instead of trying to help the youth get better.  Deputy commissioner Patsy Gargan, played by James Cagney, arrives and relates to these kids as he was a gang member himself as a kid and looks to teach the you life skills along with nurse Dorothy, played by Madge Evans.  Thompson does not agree with what Patsy is doing and looks to discredit him while Patsy's past comes to haunt him.  This does get quite violent at times but is still a pretty decent movie while having racial stereotypes that were probably not as looked down upon at the time.  I can always watch Cagney no matter which side of the law he is on and does a great job as a Father Flanagan type person trying to help the troubled kids.

Passion Fish (1992):  This is part one of my David Strathairn series which will go at least two parts but maybe three where he plays a local who seems to be out to help wherever he can.  John Sayles wrote and directed this independent film.  Mary McDonnell stars as Mary-Alice Culhane who was once a successful soap star but is now confined to a wheelchair after a bad car accident.  She returns to her home in Louisiana where she is bitter and turns a lot to alcohol which drives many of the nurses away until Chantelle, played by Alfre Woodard, who is more desperate for a job.  They slowly become friends while we learn about Chantelle's past.  Angela Bassett has a part as one of Mary-Alice's co-stars on the soaps.  This movie is more of a character study with the two stars doing a great job and working very well together.  This movie really deserves more recognition than what it got so I hope to get this on the radar some.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

The Browning Version (1951):  Anthony Asquith directed this British film based on the story by Terence Rattigan.  Michael Redgrave stars as Andrew Crocker-Harris who has been a teacher in a British school for many years but is forced to retire due to a heart ailment.  He has not been liked by his colleagues and students and must examine his life as a teacher and as a husband in a crumbling marriage.  He meets a new student named Taplow, played by Brian Smith, who comes to not hate Crocker-Harris but to feel sorry for him.  Andrew must contemplate what he will do on his last days.  Jean Kent, Nigel Patrick, and Wilfrid Hyde-White also co-star in this drama.  This is a very moving film on a man who must look back at a life full of success at his job but not with the people.  This is available on the Criterion Collection.  There are a few versions but this appears to be the most notable one.

More than Murder (1984):  This is my tv movie for the week and is based from the tv series THE NEW MIKE HAMMER.  Stacy Keach plays Detective Mike Hammer which is a character from many novels of Mickey Spillane.  His friend Captain Pat Chambers, played by Don Stroud is wounded during a poker game but is framed to be a drug dealer.  Spillane takes it upon himself to clear Chambers of murder.  Lynn-Holly Johnson also co-stars as an employee at a department store who tries to be a detective with Spillane and is rather amusing.  This is a pretty decent tv movie detective story.

The Three Musketeers (1973):  Richard Lester directed this adaption based on the classic novel by Alexandre Dumas.  Michael York stars as a young D'Artagnan who arrives in Paris with dreams of being a musketeer for the king.  He soon has different encounters with Athos, played by Oliver Reed, Porthos, played by Frank Finlay, and Aramis, played by Richard Chaimberlain, not knowing they are musketeers and each challenge him to a duel.  When he learns they are the musketeers, he joins them and learns their ways oppose the devious Cardinal Richelieu, played by Charlton Heston, as well as Milady, played by Faye Dunaway, and Rochefort, played by Christopher Lee.  Geraldine Chaplin, Joss Ackland, and Raquel Welch all co-star in this film.  York is great as the inexperienced swordsman who makes every effort possible to learn to be a musketeer and I find Michael York to be rather underrated in today's world.  This is a very fun version with a very good cast to go along with it.

Virtus (2014):  I end the week with this documentary short which was directed by my own Facebook friends Jeffrey and Jenny Richards.  This looks into the rape case in Steubenville, Ohio which happened in 2012 where a young girl was drunk and a couple guys on the football team took advantage and raped her.  Afterwards, there was a lot of bragging on social media as well as a cover-up in the community for the sake of things like the football team.  In this documentary, they take a look at groups like Anonymous and Sisters of Jane looking to bring justice to the town and raise awareness of rape.  This was a well done documentary that can really make one cringe but is very important showing how rape is never okay.  This is part of an online film festival on http://www.viewster.com and when putting in the title into their search field this will come up to watch and vote.  Please check this out as well as some of the other movies part of this contest.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Kim Basinger, Doris Day, Evan Rachel Wood, and many others.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 469th Edition aka the 9 Year Anniversary

Welcome to the 469th Edition of my series and yes you read it right, the 9 year anniversary.  I know, I can hardly believe it myself.  I just want to thank everyone through the years from the people who supported me back in the days of Myspace where this started to the people of today.  This week, I got bolder than usual and decided to do 10 foreign language films and all of which have a different language.  I didn't necessarily do my favorites nor did a particularly do the best.  I found ones which interested me and to stick to my usual format.

The Ghost of Yotsuya (1959):  I start the week out with Japan.  Nobuo Nakagawa directed this Japanese film which combined the common samurai genre with a ghost story.  A ruthless Samarai named Iomen Tamiya, played by Shigeru Amachi, tires of his wife and poisons his wife in hopes of marrying an heiress.  He marries the wrong woman who haunts him.  This is a classic Japanese tale that has been told many times in many ways.  In 1825, it was written as a play by Tsuruya Nanboku IV.  This was a great combined effort and had a really good creepy feel to it.

L'Age d'Or (1930):  Now I make my visit to France where surrealistic director Luis Bunuel makes his feature directorial debut.  It is also one of the first sound films in France as it is partly a talkie but also part silent film.  This shows a man and woman who are passionately in love but are thwarted by their families, the church and the bourgeois society.  This is a pure Surrealist film and has some rather strange scenes and imagery which was very frowned upon at the time especially the final scene especially the last scene which is partly based on Marquis de Sade's novel THE 120 DAYS OF SODOM.  This is really hard to put into words but was part of the beginnings to a great career for Bunuel.  This is available on Instant Netflix and good for fans of the French cinema.

The Little Mermaid (1976):  I decided to make a trip to Russia.  Long before this became a hit with Disney, Russia's Vladimir Bychkov wrote and directed this version of the Hans Christian Andersen story.  Viktoriya Novikova stars as the title character who ends up saving the life of a prince and when doing so, she falls in love with him.  She is able to make a deal with a witch to become human in order to pursue the prince.  In this movie, the mermaids and humans are usually enemies but she does not seem to share the ways of the mermaids.  She was not mermaid for long and did not go in-depth on the other mermaids so if you are expecting more mermaids this may not be one to watch.  It is interesting to see how naive she is among the humans like not understanding the concept of lying.  The witch in this one is less villainous and more bitter which worked pretty well.  She also had a sidekick who was kind of the village idiot who helps her pursue the prince.  This is by no means great but has some fun moments and a few Russian musical numbers.  It is of interest to see a Russian fairy tale.

The Raid 2 (2014):  I migrated over to Indonesia, a country I don't know a lot about except for this movie and the first one.  Gareth Evans wrote and directed the sequel to his first film which has Rama, played by Iko Uwais, going undercover with the thugs of Jakarta to uncover corruption in his department.  When seeing the first one, I deemed it as quite possibly the most violent movie I have seen.  This one might have been a little less violent but still had some pretty brutal action and focuses a lot on martial arts on this one.  Part of the movie was Rama thinking in the beginning he could have a more normal life with his wife and child after the brutality of the building full of gangsters from the first one.  There was also a female in this movie that was very resourceful with hammers that made for some innovative violence.  There was also the Baseball Bat Man and the Assassin that were pretty neat characters.  This has some pretty good action scenes as well as a decent story.  These are not for everyone but if you like the action genre, this will be a great double feature for guys night.  The first one mainly took place in a big high story building.  This one expands outside there.

A Separation (2011):  I headed to the Middle East and made a stop in Iran where Asghar Farhadi wrote and directed this film.  This starts out with a married couple named Nader and Simin who argue about leaving the town.  Simin wants leave the country with their daughter Termeh but Nader feels he should stay in order to take care of his father who has Alzheimer's.  A tragic event takes place which sends Nader over the edge.  I'm not going to go any further into it.  They really leave it to the viewers to make the judgment and where nothing is really black and white.  This also shows how people in that area are usually decent people and Nader was a pretty good man who was not overly controlling.  This is very well put together in piecing the tragedy together where the fault is a very gray area.  This won an Oscar for Best Foreign Language film and at least deserved the nomination.

Good Bye Lenin (2003):  I return to the European area into Germany.  Wolfgang Becker directed and co-wrote this film that takes place in 1989 East Germany.  Daniel Bruhl stars as Alex who protests the regime there and as he is getting arrested, his mother, played by Katrin Sab falls into a coma after suffering a heart attack.  The coma lasts for 8 months and a lot in the world has changed not really for the better.  Alex concocts a plan, much to the reluctance of the family, to protect her from the changes in the world while being confined to the bed at home.  With help of his aspiring filmmaker friend, Alex is able to create an idealistic world believing that would be better for his mother as she is recovering.  This movie has some really well-created characters and a really moving film that both good comedic and dramatic moments.  This is loosely based on Lenin's life in his last couple years where he was put in a controlled environment.

Awara (1951):  I decided to take a trip to India and visit the world of Bollywood.  Raj Kapoor directed this early Bollywood classic.  He also stars as Raju who has had a very difficult childhood growing up without a father and is recruited as a child into a life of crime.  Prithvraj plays Judge Raghunath who is a very close-minded judge and never made it easy on Raju mostly believing he cannot make it in life since he never grew up without a father.  In Raju's adult life, he tries to form a relationship with his childhood friend Rita, played by Nargis, who works for his father and go straight in the process but the judge never makes it easy.  This is a pretty typical Bollywood film where the movie is quite long and has a few lavish musical numbers.  There is a rather interesting dream sequence in the film that I really liked.  Overall, this was a pretty good story and deserves a look if you can watch subtitles.  The only complaint is that there are no subtitles for the musical numbers.

Trollhunter (2010):  I made an unexpected trip to Norway for the next selection.  Andre Ovredal wrote and directed this film that is shot like a documentary.  Volda University students Thomas, Johanna, and Kalle learn about bears coming up dead in Norway and decide to investigate.  Their investigation leads to a hunter named Hans who they soon learn is a troll hunter and learn that there are a lot of dangers there.  Hans agrees to them the students film his doings as long as they do what he tells them.  It is based on folklore of Norway of places where the trolls actually rose.  The special effects of these trolls is actually pretty good.  This was not the greatest movie of all time but did a decent job in combining comedy and fantasy with the amateur documentary theme.  This is available on Instant Netflix and might be a fun thing to check out.

The Housemaid (1960):  I decided to go back to Asia for a bit and check out this disturbing thriller by Ki-Young Kim who wrote and directed.  Married man and father Mr. Kim works in a factory giving music classes and piano lessons to the employees and also giving home lessons at time.  He hires a young girl per the recommendation of one of his students as a housemaid.  She begins to exhibit unusual behavior and makes Mr. Kim succumb to temptation when he has an affair.  The maid soon begins to wreak havoc on the household.  I don't want to go too far into this one as I feel I might give too much away.  I will say that this one probably creeped me out more than anything I watched in October.  This was remade in 2010 and have heard pretty good things about it so I'll probably check it out in the coming weeks but don't forget this one.  This movie has a lot of scenes that probably could not have happened here in the United States at the time.

I'm Not Scared (2003):  I make my final trip to Italy.  Gabriele Salvatores directed this filmed based on a novel by Niccolo Ammaniti.  A nine year old boy named Michele discovers another boy chained to the bottom of a hole.  He soon learns what is happening and tries to do right by the child.  This movie is from his point of view and is yelled at by adults like for staying out too long but in is a world where the adults have done more wrong than the child.  This is a pretty moving tale where some of it shows the desperation adults stoop to in order to get more money.  It also shows how the child will look to do the right thing despite the potential consequences.  It has good performances and is very well shot in its authenticity.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what like and dislike.  Next week, I will be returning to my more normal format.  I hope you all enjoy these selections and please don't be bitter if your favorites did not end up on this one.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 468th Edition and the Madness: Attack of the Automatons- Week 4

Welcome to the 468th Edition of my series and the last week of the Madness.  Next week is my nine year anniversary.  I know, I can't believe it either.  I don't usually get thematic but on this one I am going to attempt 10 foreign language films and for each one to have a different language.  I already have a rough list which is subject to change.  I will get to my selections for the week.

State of the Union (1948):  Frank Capra directed this political comedy starring the team of Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn.  Tracy plays industrialist Grant Matthews who is urged to be the Republican nominee for president.  In this campaign he must make some uncomfortable compromises as well as learning to speak for himself.  Hepburn plays his wife whose marriage is not the best of all time but still have a lot of love and respect for each other and it is his wife who is trying to help Grant think for himself.  Van Johnson, Angela Lansbury, Adolphe Menjou all co-star in this film.  Margaret Hamilton also has a part where she is far more outgoing than her usual grumpy characters.  This has Capra written all over it and is a really good satire on political campaigns.  This is a very underrated Capra film as well as an underrated Tracy/Hepburn film.

Enter Nowhere (2011):  Jack Heller directs this cabin in the woods thriller.  Katherine Waterston, Scott Eastwood, and Sara Paxton co-star as three strangers who each for different reasons end up in a cabin in the middle of nowhere.  In the cabin they get to know each other while also looking for a way out which they learn is going to be a very unusual way.  The cabin in the woods theme is very familiar but this was done in a rather clever way that I don't really want to go any further as I believe it will be giving a lot away.  This is another one that deserves more exposure in my opinion and is really more of a mystery than a horror film.

The Wrong Way Out (1938):  This is my short film for the week which comes from the "Crime Does Not Pay" series of propaganda shorts from this era.  A young couple fall in love and decide to marry despite the objections from the parents citing they are not ready yet.  They are so determined to get away they go and secretly get married.  They realize how difficult married life is and have trouble making ends meet so they turn to a life of crime.  The message here is wait until you are financially ready before you marry or you will turn to a life of crime.  I have seen a few of them and are good to watch for historical purposes and I also enjoy the shorts from this era which TCM keeps alive.

Cisco Pike (1972):  Bill Norton wrote and directed this film.  Kris Kristofferson makes his film debut as the title character who is a has-been musician just getting out of prison.  He is looking to go straight but a corrupt cop named Leo, played by Gene Hackman, does not make that easy for him after pressuring him to sell three bricks of Marijuana.  Karen Black, Harry Dean Stanton, and Roscoe Lee Brown all co-star in this film.  Kristofferson was great in his debut and Stanton is really good as his old friend.  There is not much to say but is an overlooked film from the era and could really use a look.

Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny (2006):  Jack Black and Kyle Gass star as JB and KG.  This shows them when they first meet and work to rise to the top of the world.  They are first on a quest to obtain "The Pick of Destiny" which is supposed to improve their abilities and their chances for the upcoming Battle of the Bands.  Ronnie James Dio plays himself and is someone I have always liked so I was glad of the choice their.  Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl also has a very interesting cameo.  Fred Armison, Ben Stiller, Amy Poehler, Tim Robbins, Ben Stiller, Colin Hanks, Amy Adams, Meat Loaf, and John C. Reilly all have parts in Tenacious D's journey to the top.  I admit, I shut this movie out for a long time having mixed opinions on the movies of Jack Black but finally gave in and really enjoyed this comedy as well as its soundtrack.  This is a real-life music duo which formed in the mid 90s before Jack Black's rise into film.

Creepshow (1982):  George A. Romero directed this film while Stephen King wrote it.  This consists of five different tales of terror.  The first one deals with an old man rising from the ground in pursuit of a cake he never got.  The second one deals with a farmer discovering a meteor which turns everything into plant life.  The third deals with a vengeful man burying his wife and lover up to their necks on the beach.  The last one is about a businessman who does not like cockroaches and the roaches take it very personal.  Hal Holbrook, Adrienne Barbeau, Leslie Nielson, Ed Harris, Ted Danson, Stephen King himself, and many others co-star in this film.  It was very good seeing Nielson as a very ruthless person.  This is based on the E C Comics that were popular during the 80s which also introduced us to TALES FROM THE CRYPT.  This is a fun 80s movie especially during October.

The Muppet Movie (1979):  I showed a movie documenting how Tenacious D together but now I feature the movie which brought together the Muppets in their first feature film after a popular tv series.  Kermit the Frog is living in his swamp but is persuaded by an agent, played by Dom Deluise, to pursue a career in Hollywood when finding an audition for frogs.  Along the way, he meets and is joined by Fozzy, Miss Piggy, Gonzo, and all the other Muppets we love today.  There is also a cameo from Big Bird who was on a different path looking to join public tv which his dream came true but so did Kermit and friends.  Also, along the way Kermit must elude restaurant owner Doc Hopper, played by Charles Durning, who really likes serving frog legs.  Austin Pendleton, Miton Berle, James Coburn, Bob Hope, Elliot Gould, Madeline Kahn, Carol Kane, Cloris Leachman, Steve Martin, Richard Pryon, Telly Savalas, Orson Welles, and Paul Williams all have amusing cameos.  Paul Williams also wrote the soundtrack including the popular RAINBOW CONNECTION.  The Muppets will always be watchable for me as this movie delivers some laughs and good music.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

World War Z (2013):  Marc Forster directed this zombie film based on the novel by Max Brooks.  Brad Pitt stars as Gerry Lane who is a former United Nations investigator who is content in his family life but brought back when people are running rampant as zombies and looks to find the source.  Mireille Enos, Matthew Fox, and David Morse also have parts in the film.  I find that a lot of people who read the book did not care for this movie.  I cannot judge that one since I did not read the book and I just don't read all that much.  This was not the best zombie movie of all time but is still watchable for me with Pitt very good in his role and I liked Morse a lot in his cameo.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

Attack of the Puppet People (1958):  I noticed that in October, I really lacked b-movies from this era so I was glad to look into this one.  John Hoyt stars as Mr. Franz who is a doll maker and also has a machine which shrinks people to doll size.  I found this person to be a very lonely man whose loneliness clouded his judgment to the extreme.  There is also a very weird song called YOU'RE MY LIVING DOLL.  This is a great one for fans of b-movies of this era.  This is also available on Instant Netflix.

Fairy Tale:  A True Story (1997):  This is based on some events in 1917 where two girls take a photograph where possibly proof of fairies comes about.  People like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, played by Peter O'Toole, and Harry Houdini, played by Harvey Keitel, both take interest in what they are seeing causing a stir in England.  Bill Nighy also co-stars in this film.  I did not know until now the interest that Conan Doyle took in the fairies and wrote an article on account of the photograph found.  This is a good film for the family to watch.  It is really a story of hope and believing.  I think I believe in fairies.

Well, that is it for this week.  Stay tuned for next week which will be the nine year anniversary.  Continue to read for the last week of the Madness.



THE MADNESS:  ATTACK OF THE AUTOMATONS: WEEK 4



Attack of the Puppet People (1958, 79 minutes):  I believe this one should get bonus points with the shrinking of humans.  66



Awaara (1951, 179 minutes):  I was not intending for this Bollywood movie to count but there was a real weird and somewhat long dream sequence which involved hell.



Batman Assault on Arkham (2014, 75 minutes):  Anything goes for Batman and cannot think of any reason for bonus points but a pretty good animated movie.  666



Bobby (2006, 120 minutes):  This counts because of Anthony Hopkins.  A movie on people lives who intersect before the RFK assassination.



Cisco Pike (1972, 95 minutes):  This counts due to Karen Black as a wild card.  666 1/2



Creepshow (1982, 120 minutes:  This goes without saying.  66 1/2



Enter Nowhere (2011, 90 minutes):  This cabin in the woods movie has enough to count for the contest with the supernatural.  A good twist to the genre.  666



Fairy Tale:  A True Story (1997, 99 minutes):  This should have enough fairies to qualify as fantasy so hoping to get points for this one.  666



Hour of the Wolf (1968, 90 minutes):  This is Ingmar Bergman's entry into horror.  This is more of a psychological horror.  666



The Invention of Lying (2009, 100 minutes):  I know I am really walking a thin line on this one.  There is no wild cards in this Ricky Gervais comedy.  I believe this should count due to it taking place in an alternate universe where nobody lies.  Imdb does bill this as fantasy.



The Island (2005, 136 minutes):  This takes place in a future society and is a sci-fi film making this Michael Bay film count.  Not sure what to think on this one.  66 1/2



It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1968, 30 minutes):  I must include this timeless classic.  This Halloween special always counts.  I think next year, I am going to look for the most sincere pumpkin patch possible so I can see the Great Pumpkin.  6666



The Killing Floor (2007, 94 minutes):  This had BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER alum Marc Blucas, ROSWELL alum Shiri Appleby, and 24 alum Reiko Aylesworth.  It is billed as horror where serial murders take place.  66 1/2



The Little Mermaid (1976, 81 minutes):  This is a Russian version of the Hans Christian Anderson classic that came out long before Disney.  A bit weird but interesting film that even has some Russian musical numbers.  666



The Muppet Movie (1979, 95 minutes):  This counts due to the wild card of Telly Savalas



The Originals:  Crescent City (2014, 45 minutes):  No explanation needed for this to be counted with vampires, werewolves, and witches.  666



The Possession (2012, 92 minutes):  This is a movie on a young girl possessed by an evil spirit so should count.  Liked it more than I thought.  I really thought Jeffrey Dean Morgan was great as well as the daughters.  66 1/2



State of the Union (1948, 124 minutes):  This Frank Capra film counts due to Angela Lansbury.  666 1/2



Tokaida Yotsuya Kaidan (1959):  This is some Japanese horror about a samurai murdering his wife and being haunted so counts as a ghost story.  666



Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny (2006, 93 minutes):  This should count due to the Devil being a character.  666



The Texas Chainsaw Massacre:  The Next Generation (1994, 95 minutes):  This franchise entry is mostly of worth to see a young Renee Zellweger and Matthew McConaughey who clearly paid their dues to be where they are now.  This had a awful lot of Leatherfaces both men and women.  6



World War Z (2013, 116 minutes):  Zombies make this one count.  666



X-Men:  First Class (2011, 132 minutes):  This is a really good origin story on Professor X and Magneto meeting and forming the X-Men.  666 1/2