Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 498th Edition

Welcome to the 498th Edition of my series.  We are getting close to that 500th Edition which I am probably more shocked than anyone that I stuck something like this out but it is what I love to do each week.  I don't have a lot to say this week so let's get to the selections.

I am Bruce Lee (2012):  I start the week out with this documentary and is one of my two documentaries for the week.  This one was written and directed by Pete McCormack which takes a look at martial arts legend Bruce Lee which takes a look at his life, his death, but mostly his legacy and his inspiration to others.  His wife and daughter are two of the people who are reflecting on him.  The others are people in martial arts, actors, athletes, and many others.  This includes NBA star Kobe Bryant, actress/fighter Gina Carano, boxer Ray Mancini, actor Ed O'Neill, actor Manny Pacquiano, actor/boxer Mickey Rourke, Black Eyed Peas member Taboo, actor/martial artist Bob Wall, UFC president Dana White, among others.  I never knew about O'Neill's background in martial arts.  White and others talk about how he is the pioneer of the mixed martial arts.  They also take a look at the actors he trained like Steve McQueen, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Coburn, and many others.  This documentary was pretty inspiring and informative.

Lolita (1997):  This is my remake for the week.  Adrian Lyne directed this remake to the 1962 film by Stanley Kubrick and based on the novel by Vladimir Nabokov.  Jeremy Irons stars as Professor Humbert Humbert, yes that is his name, who rents a room from Charlotte Haze, played by Melanie Griffith, and immediately takes notice and becomes very attracted to her 14 year old daughter Delores, played by Dominique Swain.  He decides to marry Charlotte in order to get closer to Delores and when tragedy strikes he has Delores to himself where they form a very unusual relationship.  Frank Langella co-stars as Quilty who has his own ill intentions.  This was a very controversial and provocative film that takes it to a new level in that regard from the original.  I like both versions but in the end, I enjoy this one more.  The part I like more on the older version is with Shelley Winters and Peter Sellers.  I like that this movie goes briefly into a backstory with Humbert that explains his obsession some.  Swain is great as the title character.  A reviewer made a very interesting remark saying how with the direction how we are forced to see through the eyes of Humbert making us co-conspirators of his crime which is sadly rather accurate.  Both versions hold their own and could make a really good double feature.

For the Bible Tells Me So (2007):  This is my second documentary for the week which was directed by Daniel Karslake.  This takes a look at the religious community along with homosexuality.  Part of it is the discussion of scripture and the possible meaning in the bible.  Part of this documentary takes a look at families who are very religious and then have a child come out of the closet where the parents discuss the adjustment they have had to make and rethink what they have in the past.  It also takes a look at places who have a so-called cure for people being gay.  It was good to see even priests saying how we misinterpret the bible a lot especially when it comes to homosexuality.  This is a very moving documentary and believe that we should all be watching this movie.  For many, it took having someone in the family to realize that we are no different so take a look at this film and don't wait for a family member to come out before you have to consider your thoughts on homosexuality.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

Don't Play Bridge With Your Wife (1933):  This is one of two short films for the week.  This shows three different ages of people playing the card game Bridge which I admit I never learned.  The first is a group of prehistoric people where if I'm not mistaken, they are speaking Pig Latin.  The next segment involved Henry VIII playing Bridge with his wife Anne Boleyn sitting with him.  The next segment is in the 20th century.  In the first two segments, the wife hits the husband over the head and I guess that is why Henry VIII had Anne beheaded although I'll make a spoiler and say they do not show her getting beheaded.  The last one is more refined.  It was kind of amusing at times though all over the place most of it.  Worth a few minutes to give a look into the world of older short films.

Kill Baby, Kill (1966):  This is my Giallo film for the week which describes Italian horror.  Mario Bava directed this ghost story.  Giacomo Rossi Stuart stars as Dr. Paul Eswai who is being brought to a small village to investigate the mysterious death of a woman among many other deaths.  Through his investigation, he finds that it is the ghost of a teenager named Melissa exacting revenge on the community on what happened to her.  This was a pretty creepy film in the tradition of Italian horror.  It had a very atmospheric feel with really good special effects even for the modern day.  Horror fans should really check this out and take a look at these Italian films.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

Go Down, Death (1944):  I found this one at the library for the Spencer Williams boxed set which is a set of early black films which would be quite racist by today's standards.  Williams is likely most know for playing Andy on AMOS AND ANDY.  On this one, a local bar owner tries to make the new preacher look bad by showing him drinking with women who have bad reputations.  The owner's adopted mother does not believe her son and looks to help the preacher prove his innocence.  The ending is just weird having visions of a devilish person.  This is more for historical purposes but is very outdated with a very clear low budget.

Door to Door (2002):  This is my tv movie for the week which is based on a true story.  Williams H. Macy stars as Bill Porter who has Cerebral Palsy and is determined to make it as a salesman despite his disability.  He soon shows that he has what it takes and documents his hard work and the people he touched in his career.  It also shows his stubbornness where he was not one to accept help or handouts.  Kyra Sedgwick, Kathy Baker, and Helen Mirren all co-star in this tv movie.  Macy put on a great performance as Porter and also co-wrote it.  This is a very inspirational movie with good performances that is really watchable for the family.

The Defiant Ones (1958):  Stanley Kramer directed this film which stars Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier as escaped convicts John and Noah.  They do not like each other, some of which due to racial differences but must work together to be successful.  In their attempts to get away, they encounter a home with a single mother, played by Cara Williams, who helps them get unchained.  She forms a relationship with John but sets Noah up for a trap where John must decide which is more important.  Theodore Bikel, Lon Chaney Jr., Claude Akins, Barry Switzer, and many others co-star in this film.  This was a very good statement towards racism which was really big at the time.  Curtis and Poitier worked very well showing the tension and slowly forming a respect for one another.  When I first saw the title, I though war movie but I was very wrong and glad I was wrong.  This is a well-done film driven by characters.

Panic in Year Zero (1962):  This is my apocalyptic film for the week.  Ray Milland directed this movie where he stars as Harry where along with his family he must deal with the aftermath of a nuclear attack.  He must fight to survive where nothing is the same and puts aside his humanity ideals for his family's survival.  Jean Hagen plays Harry's concerned wife Ann and Frankie Avalon and Mary Mitchel starring as their kids.  This is actually a pretty decent sci-fi movie with Ray Milland doing a great job as the father trying to hold it together and Avalon showing his acting abilities.  It is a pretty effective low-budget movie that is really more dealing with the mood and tension of a tragic event.

Get a Horse (2013):  I end with this Disney short which features stars Mickey Mouse.  It is a rather clever animation short which combines old footage with a more modern day animation.  Other characters include Minnie Mouse as well classic characters of Horace Horsecollar and Clarabelle Cow.  They must deal with classic Disney villain Peg-Leg Pete.  Animation buffs should really check this out.

Well, that is it for this week but I did return with my segment Double Feature at the House of Callies so keep on reading.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which includes Michael Cera, Robert Downey Jr., Judi Dench, Gerard Butler, Chow Yun-Fat, and many others.



DOUBLE FEATURE AT THE HOUSE OF CALLIES

Basquiat (1996):  I return to Chris's house and he takes a break from corrupting my mind to bring me this biopic of an 80s artist.  Jeffrey Wright stars as Jean Michel Basquiat who starts out at a street artist in Thompkins State Park in New York and is discovered by Andy Warhol, played by singer David Bowie.  In his rise comes fame, more money, but also drugs.  Gary Oldman co-stars as fellow artist Albert Milo and is renamed from the actual director of the movie Julian Schnabel.  Michael Wincott, Claire Forlani, Dennis Hopper, Christopher Walken, Willem Dafoe, Parker Posey, Courtney Love, and Tatum O'Neal.  Courtney Love's character is named Big Pink but Chris informs me that person is based on singer Madonna.  This is a pretty compelling biopic with very good performances, especially Wright as Basquiat.  Bowie also played Warhol very well.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014):  I actually asked for this one.  This is one I had not seen but was aware that Chris has the 3D Blu-Ray of this to go along with his 3D tv so out came the 3D glasses.  James Gunn directed this superhero film.  Chris Pratt stars as intergalactic outlaw Peter Quill who steals an orb from Ronan the Accuser, played by Lee Pace, and becomes hunted for it.  He must stop Ronan and forms an unlikely team consisting of a green skinned assassin named Gamora, played by Zoe Saldona, unlikely bounty hunters in Rocket the Raccoon, voiced by Bradley Cooper, and Groot, voiced by Vin Diesel, which is a walking tree.  Also on the team is Drax who is a muscle man and not sure what he is referred to but is played by former WWE wrestler Dave Bautista and really showed some acting muscle in this one.  It is up to these criminals to save the world.  Michael Rooker, Benicio Del Toro, Djimon Hounsou, John C. Reilly, Benicio Del Toro, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a really good blend of sci-fi, action, and humor.  It also has a very good soundtrack.  Everyone was pretty funny in this film especially Bradley Cooper in his portrayal of the gun-toting Rocket Raccoon.  It is also a really good 3D watch with some of the special effects in this movie.  Also, continue to watch for the closing scene which will be loved by those who are into movies of the 80s.

It was good to go from an honest biopic to a fun superhero film.  We also inadvertingly did a Benicio Del Toro double feature.  I will see you all next week.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 497th Edition

Welcome to the 497th Edition of my series.  Last friday was my birthday and had to work an evening shift that night so I made this a birthday weekend and has been great thanks to the good friends in my life.  I would also like to announce that my good friends Stephen and Ashley welcomed their new son Harrison into the world last Monday night and could not be happier for them.  Now onto my selections.

Avengers:  Age of Ultron (2015):  This is part two of a two-part Mark Ruffalo series.  I decided to make a rare trip to the movie theaters in order to see this sequel to one of my favorite films.  Joss Whedon takes on the directing helm again.  In this one, Tony Stark, played by Robert Downey Jr., tried to get a peacekeeping program called Ultron started but things go awry for him when the ruthless robot Ultron, voiced by James Spader, develops an evil mind and tries to target the world.  The Avengers must come together and destroy a seemingly impossible target in Ultron.  Captain America, played by Chris Evans, Thor, played by Chris Hemsworth, The Hulk, played by Ruffalo, Black Widow, played by Scarlett Johansson, and Hawkeye, played by Jeremy Renner all join Tony Stark aka Iron Man to defeat Ultron.  Joining in the battle later is War Machine, played by Don Cheadle, Scarlet Witch, played by Elizabeth Olsen, Quicksilver, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Vision, played by Paul Bettany.  Taylor-Johnson was okay as Quicksilver but thought Evan Peters played the part better in X-MEN:  DAYS OF FUTURE PAST This goes more into the personal life of Hawkeye and emphasizes his abilities more in this one.  I did not know that the Olsen twins have an older sister Elizabeth but she showed her superiority in acting as Scarlet Witch.  Samuel L. Jackson, Cobie Smulders, Anthony Mackie, Hayley Atwell, Idris Elba, Linda Cardellini, Stellan Skarsgard, Thomas Kretschmann, Andy Serkis, Julie Delpy, and many others co-star in this film.  I really enjoyed this film.  I will say that it did not exceed THE AVENGERS for me but still had some great action and humor for me to enjoy myself.  I would have liked to have seen Mackie in action as Falcon but was not really part of the battle.  I also liked the development of Ultron more on the animated series AVENGERS:  EARTH'S MIGHTIEST HEROES but did not take away from this one for me.  For all the characters they had, I thought they did a pretty decent amount of character development but some are already pretty well known with the other Marvel films.

Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011):  This is part two of my two-part Steve Carell series.  Carell stars as the middle aged Cal whose wife Emily, played by Julianne Moore, wants a divorce.  In his new single life he spends a lot of time at the bar and is befriended by Jacob who teaches Cal his ways of picking up women at a bar while trying to understand what happened.  They are all dealing with some sort of love even Cal's son Robbie having a crush on his babysitter Jessica, played by Analeigh Tipton, while she has a crush of her own that leads into a lot of misunderstandings and even twists.  Emma Stone, Marisa Tomei, John Carroll Lynch, Kevin Bacon, Josh Groban, and many others co-star in this comedy.  I really liked this comedy with the characters all having an interesting situation going on in their lives with very funny moments.

Catherine the Great (2005):  This is one of my two documentaries for the week.  This is an episode of the PBS series AMERICAN EXPERIENCE.  This takes a look at the life and times of the early female ruler of Russia.  I did not know a lot anything about her and in fact I thought she was around more in the early AD era but I was wrong, it was the 1700s.  This takes a look at her many affairs but also the good things she did for Russia.  She was known to be very compassionate but ruthless to her ememies.  It looks a lot at her own personal memoirs.  Emily Bruni plays the part during scenes like they do a lot on this series which I have always liked.  I have been looking more at these PBS documentaries but have focused more on Americans so it was good to check out a foreign leader from this era.  I always enjoy this series and this one was very informative as well.

A Car-Tune Portrait (1937):  This is my animated short for the week and is from the Fleischers.  This shows a lion who appears to be tired of animals being stereotyped for always acting silly and foolish and conducts an orchestra of animals.  Things quickly get out of hand when the animals show their true nature and are just having fun.  This was a good premise and is work a look for buffs of older animation.  This can be found on Youtube.

Yellow Submarine (1968):  I bring some animated Beatles this week.  George Dunning directed this animated film with the story written by Lee Minoff.  John, Paul, George, and Ringo all agree to accompany Captain Fred, voiced by Lance Percival, in his yellow submarine to a place called Pepperland and free them from the Blue Meanies.  Those who watched wrestling in the 90s are probably thinking of the wrestler that was inspired by this film.  This is a very psychedelic animated movie.  First you must at least be tolerant of the Beatles.  They play a lot of songs from the title album.  This is a pretty good animated film and might be better for those who are high.  This is kind of an early music video long before MTV.

Gaslight (1944):  Last week, I showed the British version from 1940 so now I bring the American version.  George Cukor directed this version which stars Charles Boyer and Ingrid Bergman as newlywed couple Gregory and Paula.  They are moving into a home in which Paula's aunt was murdered 12 years earlier.  When moving in, she is experiencing some very unusual happenings and begins to question Gregory who appears to be trying to drive her insane.  Joseph Cotten co-stars as Brian who becomes suspicious of Gregory and makes his own investigation.   Angela Lansbury makes her film debut as Nancy who is a rather conniving housemaid.  Dame May Whitty was very amusing as Miss Thwaites.  This is a more expanded version than last week's.  Both versions were good but I ended up liking this one better.  This was very atmospheric along with good performances.

Sunshine Learning (2008):  This is part two of a two-part Amy Adams series.  Adams stars as Rose who is a single mother and making ends meet as a house cleaner.  Her 7 year old is expelled from school and she wants to put him in a private school and looks to find a way to make the money.  She learns about a high money-making business venture in the world of crime scene cleanup.  She recruits her irresponsible sister Norah, played by Emily Blunt, to go along in her business venture.  Alan Arkin co-stars as their father who is always trying to come up with a new business venture in making money fast.  Steve Zahn, Clifton Collins Jr., Eric Christian Olsen, Paul Dooley, and many others co-star in this comedy.  A lot of this was a character driven film where all the characters have some sort of human issue they are trying to deal with.  This also deals a lot with the bond of family while also having some funny scenes.  This is a pretty enjoyable comedy that deserves a look.

Pierrot Le Fou (1965):  This is my French film for the week which was written and directed by Jean-Luc Godard.  Jean-Paul Belmondo stars as Ferdinand who has just lost his job and is in an unhappy marriage.  He leaves his wife and son with his ex-girlfriend Marianne, played by Anna Karina, who he soon discovers she is being chased by terrorists.  They decide to travel and lead an unorthodox lifestyle on the run.  This was a bit of a dark comedy with a really good climax.  Look for a cameo from director Samuel Fuller as himself.  This is one for the foreign cinema buffs.

Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (1956):  I was looking for something from this era and was very intrigued by the plot.  Fritz Lang directed this I guess film-noir.  Dana Andrews stars as novelist Tom Garrett and is having trouble with his next book.  Sidney Blackmer co-stars as his future father-in-law Austin who is a reporter and strongly against capital punishment suggesting he writes a book about it.  They soon conspire to make it where Tom frames himself for the murder of a stripper.  They must go to the highest extremes possible in order to get himself convicted knowing the prosecutor will go for the death penalty and in the end they will prove his innocence hoping to get a discussion on abolishing the death penalty.  Joan Fontaine co-stars as Tom's fiance Susan.  This was a pretty compelling film and was able to suspend my disbelief on this very interesting premise to make a statement on their thoughts of the death penalty.

Unknown Chaplin (1983):  I end the week with this documentary which is more of a mini-series.  James Mason narrates this mini-series taking a look at silent comedy legend Charlie Chaplin and showing rare footage and outtakes of his films.  This has some really good footage of rehearsals and goes into some insight about some really good film techniques he used long before the technology of special effects was available.  It also shows a short film of a different character he created trying to get away from the Tramp but was not successful which was called THE PROFESSOR.  This is a must for fans of Chaplin and film historians in general.  This is a pretty good documentary, going more into his life in film and not so much his own life.  This could be a good double feature to watch followed by the 1992 film CHAPLIN.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Mickey Rourke, Jeremy Irons, Mario Bava, Helen Mirren, Sidney Poitier, Ray Milland, and many others.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 496th Edition

Welcome to the 496th Edition of my series.  Next week is my birthday so I look forward to having a great weekend.  I finished up the Netflix series DAREDEVIL which I thought was a very good adult oriented superhero series.  Nothing much else is happening so I'll just get on with my selections.

Kenny and Company (1976):  Don Coscarelli wrote and directed this coming of age film.  Dan McCann plays the title character who is dealing with that mid-age of his childhood at age 12.  He is the typical 12 year old dealing with things like bullies and a first crush as well as mischievous childhood activities.  This was a pretty realistic look at growing up in the 70s which of course I did not do but have read that a lot of people from this era relate a lot to this movie.  This is one that that family can watch and enjoy.  I have heard that it is hard to obtain a copy but it is available on DVD through Netflix.  This is an early one for Coscarelli and a good start to his career.

Foxcatcher (2014):  This is part one of a two-part series for both Steve Carell and Mark Ruffalo.  Bennett Miller directed this film based on a true story that I was somewhat aware of after reading the autobiography of Kurt Angle who spoke some about what happened.  Mark Ruffalo and Channing Tatum star as championship wrestling brothers David and Mark Schultz.  Carell co-stars as the eccentric millionaire Jan Du Pont who decides to recruit these brothers to train for the 1988 Seoul Olympics.  Greed and betrayal lead up to tragedy but won't go into it for those who do not know the situation.  Sienna Miller and Vanessa Redgrave co-star in this film.  Carell plays a darker role than usual and does a good job outside his comfort zone.  This was a very well done film dealing with a real-life tragedy.

The Screwy Truant (1945):  This is my animated short for the week.  This was directed by Tex Avery and the character Screwy the Squirrel that only appears a handful in the 40s.  In this one, he is skipping school to go fishing and must avoid the truant officer which is a dog.  This was a rather interesting character starting with the name and the violent nature of these.  These are a must for classic animation buffs.

Public Speaking (2010):  This is my documentary for the week which was directed by Martin Scorsese.  This is a documentary featuring writer Fran Lebowitz and her views toward life and society.  Much of this is her reflecting on her life in New York and holds nothing back in her thoughts.  There are also archival footage of other interviews she has had.  I really knew nothing about her coming into this and find she is a pretty amusing person.  I always like the versatility on Scorsese's films and this was a really good entry.  This was an HBO documentary and worth a look.

Hell's Angels (1930):  This title is likely familiar to some and probably heard of it through the movie THE AVIATOR.  A part of that movie was the making of this one which Howard Hughes directed.  It shows his determination and his willingness to make it look as real as possible.  It was also shot as a silent film in the beginning but when Hughes learned about talkies, he wanted to accommodate to new thing.  This takes place during WWI and takes a look at three friends from Oxford.  Ben Lyon and James Hall star as brothers Monte and Roy Rutledge and John Darrow stars as their friend Karl Armstedt.  When the war is coming around, Karl must join the German side.  Jean Harlow also co-stars in this film.  Most of this focuses on the brothers and the effects it has on the brothers.  This is a pretty compelling film and still stands today.  It also has a great action sequence near the end.  At the time, this was the most expensive movie ever made.  This would be a good double feature to watch alongside THE AVIATOR.

Trouble With the Curve (2012):  This is part one of a two-part Amy Adams series.  Robert Lorenz directed this baseball film that takes a look at the scouting element.  Clint Eastwood stars as Gus who has been a baseball scout for many years but is struggling with the new times and with his failing health like his eyesight.  He goes on a scouting to prove himself along with his daughter Mickey, played by Adams.  Justin Timberlake co-stars as Johnny who is a former player turned scout for another team for forms a friendship and even a love interest with Mickey.  Joe Massengill makes his film debut as Bo Gentry who is the minor league player that everyone was looking at but that Gus did not want when seeing flaws from him.  John Goodman, Ed Lauter, Bob Gunton, Matthew Lillard, Robert Patrick, and any others co-star in this film.  A lot of this focuses on the troubled father and daughter relationship with Eastwood and Adams.  It also focuses a lot on how technology is not everything when measuring a player as well as how talent can be found in the most unexpected places.  This was a pretty decent movie which features baseball but is more of a movie on a troubled father/daughter relationship and an homage to the world of scouting.

Gaslight (1940):  Notice the year of this movie and note that the version with Ingrid Bergman was 1944 and that this is the British version as opposed to the American version being the 1944 version.  Thorold Dickinson directed this film based on the play by Patrick Hamilton.  Diana Wynyard stars as Bella Mallen who along with her husband Paul, played by Anton Walbrook, move into a home where a murder takes place 12 years earlier.  Bella is lead to believe she is very forgetful and slowly sees the deception in her husband and that there could be darker secrets.  This is the lesser known version as I did not know this existed until I got it from the library.  This is still a very atmospheric and creepy tale with good performances.  I'll be looking into the American version which is considered a classic but make no mistake, this one is  amore overlooked classic.

Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989):  Steven Soderbergh wrote and directed this film.  Andie MacDowell stars as Ann, whose husband John, played by Peter Gallagher, is having an affair with her sister Cynthia, played by Laura San Giacomo.  John's old friend Graham shows up and Ann becomes rather fascinated of his unusual fetish of interviewing women on film.  This movie is mostly driven by the characters and the dialogue.  It creates a great tension with all the characters.  It is hard to put this one in words but is some really good work from Soderbergh, and possibly his best.

Up the Sandbox (1972):  Irvin Kershner directed this comedy based on the novel by Anne Richardson Roiphe.  Barbra Streisand stars as Margaret Reynolds who is a young mother with a child on the way.  She also begins to feel neglected by her husband Paul, played by David Selby.  She begins to go into an outrageous fantasy world like having her mom trying to break into her home, joining terrorists to bomb the Statue of Liberty, and even joining Fidel Castro.  Paul Benedict and Stockard Channing co-star in this film.  This is something I had not heard of until I found it at the library but it looked interesting to me.  Streisand was very funny in her fantasy sequences.  This is a rather overlooked comedy and hope to get it on the radar with this one.

Big Trouble in Little China (1986):  I end the week with this John Carpenter film.  Kurt Russell stars as Jack Burton who is a truck driver and along with his friend Wang Chi, played by Dennis Dun, pick up Wang's fiancee from the airport only to learn she has been kidnapped.  Soon, they encounter evil sorcerer David Lo Pan, played by James Hong, and learn that he must marry a woman with green eyes to end a curse put on himself.  Kim Cattrall co-stars as Gracie who is an attorney who goes along for the adventure into a strange world in Chinatown full of sorcerers and some monsters.  This is a really fun action film that does a good job of combining action, comedy, and fantasy.  This classic 80s film is available on Instant Netflix.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Scarlett Johannson, Julianne Moore, more Amy Adams, Jean-Luc Godard, Fritz Lang, and many others.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 495th Edition

Welcome to the 495th Edition of my series.  I completed one week of training.  Not the easiest thing in the world but I believe it will all work out in the end.  It is good to be doing this on a Sunday off work and having weekends off.  I hope you all have a good Mother's Day.  I will now get to my selections for the week.

The Boxer (1997):  I start the week out with this Irish film directed and co-wrote by Jim Sheridan.  Daniel Day-Lewis stars as Danny Flynn who has been released from prison after 14 years for his involvement with the IRA in Belfast.  Upon his release, he tries to get his life together and even resurrect his boxing career.  He finds that it is not easy to get away from the IRA, especially Harry, played by Gerard McSorley, who does not like that Danny leaves his gym for both Catholics and Protestants.  He also tries to connect with his old friend Maggie, played by Emily Watson, whose husband is an IRA member in prison.  Brian Cox, David Hayman, Ciaran Fitzgerald, and many others co-star in this film.  This was a really well done drama on a man trying to get his life together but where his past makes it very difficult.  Day-Lewis and Watson do a really good job in the film.  This movie kept my attention the whole way through and really deserves a look.

The Imposter (2012):  I follow up with this documentary directed by Bart Layton.  This is a documentary where a Frenchman claims to be the son of a missing Texas family who has disappeared for three years.  This is a very non-biased documentary but I do not believe I will explain further.  When I looked this up on imdb, the review on hand said "the less you know, the more interesting it will be" and I must say that I agree.  This whole thing was very bizarre and even plays on our emotions more with a heavy handed music score that was rather disturbing.  This is a very fascinating documentary that will leave many just scratching their head but cannot take their eyes off of it.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

Stand Up Guys (2012):  Fisher Stevens directed this crime comedy.  Al Pacino stars as Val who has just gotten out of prison after 28 years and joins his former crime cohort Doc, played by Christopher Walken, who is trying to lead a quiet life.  The local crime boss Claphands blames Val for his son's death and Doc is to be the one to do it and has until the next morning.  Val becomes aware of the situation and understands Doc's position so they look to live it up until the next morning.  Along the way they pick up their former getaway driver Hirsch, played by Alan Arkin.  Julianna Margulies, Lucy Punch, Addison Timlin, Vanessa Ferlito, Bill Burr, and many others co-star in this comedy.  I will not categorize this one as great but still enjoyable with an interesting premise with some pretty funny moments and even moving at times.  The three stars are very fun to watch.  This is available on Amazon Prime and Instant Netflix.

Bonefish and Barracuda (1955):  This is my short film for the week.  Peter Roberts narrates this one where we see a couple of fisherman at work.  I recorded this one on TCM and might be of interesting to people who love fishing and the early black and white photography at the Bahamas location.

The Count of Monte Cristo (1934):  Rowland V. Lee directed this film based on the novel by Alexandre Dumas who is more known for THE THREE MUSKETEERS.  Most people will have probably heard of the version from 2002 which I have not seen but will at some point.  Robert Donat stars as Edmond Dantes who is imprisoned when all he did was deliver a message from Napoleon and is put in prison with no trial.  After twenty years, he is able to escape from prison with the help of Abbe Faria who leaves him the treasure of Monte Cristo.  The escape scene was pretty well done and similar to the events of the only possible escape from Alcatraz.  When out of prison, Dantes becomes the title character looking to take revenge on those who framed him and reconnect with his former love Mercdes, played by Elissa Landi.  Louis Calhern and Sidney Blackmer co-star in this film.  This was a pretty good adaptation of the classic novel with good performances and well-written characters.

A Report on the Party and the Guests (1966):  This is my Czechoslovakian film for the week.  Jan Nemec directed this surrealistic film.  A group of adult friends are out on a picnic and encounter a group of men who commandeer them to a small clearing.   This group is lead by a man named Rudolf who sets the rules of "the game" where the adults seem inclined to follow.  The guests enjoy some aspects of the game but others do not want to be there which is not acceptable.  This is a statement towards communism and human nature.  This was very controversial within its country.  This is a must for foreign film buffs and those who enjoy the strange world of Czechoslovakian cinema.

A Beautiful Mind (2001):  This is part two of my two-part Jennifer Connelly series.  Ron Howard directed this biopic on the Nobel prize winning mathematician John Nash, played very well by Russell Crowe.  This movie takes a look at him in college where he is clearly very intelligent but socially inept.  His genius gets him recruited by a secret agency where he is to decipher codes but begins to struggle with his well being and his marriage with his wife Alicia, played by Connelly.  Ed Harris, Christopher Plummer, Paul Bettany, Adam Goldberg, Josh Lucas, Anthony Rapp, Judd Hirsch, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a very compelling film and one that I don't want to really go into much more detail with seeing as I could give it away.  Howard does a great job with this film as well as everyone around him.

The Cow (1969):  This is my Iranian film for the week which was directed and co-wrote by Dariush Mehrjui.  This story centers around a man named Masht who lives in remote Iranian village.  He has a cow that is very important to him to the point that the cow is like a son to him.  When leaving, his cow dies and with the way everyone knows each other, fellow villagers decide to hide the cow and tell Masht that the cow ran away.  This devastates him to no end where he begins residing in the barn and slowly develops tendencies of a cow like eating hay.  This is a simplistic story but still very significant.  I do believe the cow is more highly looked upon in countries like Iran more than us Americans and really makes you feel for this man who lost what is more important to him and the village trying to do what they feel is best.  This is not a very upbeat film but still a really good watch if you appreciate the foreign cinema and not laugh at the idea of a man devastated upon the loss of a cow.  This is available on Amazon Prime.

The Clock (1945):  Vincente Minnelli directed this love story.  Robert Walker stars as a soldier named  Joe Allen who is on a two day leave and decides to check out New York.  When getting there he meets Alice, played by Judy Garland, who agrees to give him a tour of New York and against the advice of her best friend, she decides to see him further.  In this short time they have together, they fall in love and decide to get married before Joe must leave again.  They find that getting married within 48 hours is not the easiest thing in the world.  This is a pretty simple love story with two good characters and with the leads working very well together.  James Gleason and Keenan Wynn co-star in this film.   This is the first movie where Garland does not have a musical number but showed she can still act and did not have another non-singing film until the 1961 film JUDGMENT AT NUREMBERG.  This is an overlooked film from the era but deserves a view.

Labor Day (2013):  I end the week with this love story.  Jason Reitman directed this film based on the novel by Joyce Maynard.  Kate Winslet stars as depressed single mother Adele who along with her son Henry, played by Gattlin Griffith, take in a wounded escaped convict named Frank.  They are reluctant at first to keep Frank after learning of his fugitive status but become intrigued when he appears to be a decent man.  Adele and Frank slowly form a relationship but know how things will be complicated with the police after him.  Tobey Maguire, Clark Gregg, James Van Der Beek, J.K. Simmons, and many others have parts in this film.  This is not really for everyone but I thought is was a pretty well done love story with all three of the leads doing a very good job.  It plays a lot upon emotions and would be perfect for a girls night or a date night.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

Well, that is it for the week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Steve Carell, Martin Scorsese, Amy Adams, James Spader, Barbra Streisand, Kurt Russell, and many others.