Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 502nd Edition

Welcome to the 502nd Edition of my series.  Not too much happening right now especially working 2nd shift.  I am making the most of it and grateful to be in the new position that I am in.  I believe that in time I will have my day shift and return to the world of theater.  I am not unhappy with things.  I will not get on with my selections for the week.

The American President (1995):  Rob Reiner directed this film based on a screenplay by Aaron Sorkin which is in a sense a political romantic comedy.  Michael Douglas stars as widowed president Andrew Shepherd who mostly has the American public behind him and the next election appears locked.  Things change when he meets environmental lobbyist Sydney Ellen Wade, played by Annette Bening, and takes a liking to her to the point of finally getting a date.  Andy's political opponent Senator Bob Rumson, played by Richard Dreyfus, looks to use this against him by attacking his character as well as Sydney's.  Martin Sheen, Michael J. Fox, Anna Deavere Smith, Samantha Mathis, Shawna Waldron, David Paymer, Nina Siemaszko, Wendie Malick, Beau Billingslea, Gail Strickland, Joshua Malina, John Mahoney, and many others co-star in this film.  Douglas was good in a more toned down and good-hearted role and worked very well with Bening and even Shawna Waldron who was his supportive daughter.  This would likely be favored from Democrats more than Republicans.  This would not be a bad selection for a date night.

I Shot Andy Warhol (1996):  Mary Harron directed this biopic on Valerie Solanas, played by Lili Taylor, who did just what the title said.  She was a radical in the 60s who held nothing back about her hatred of men in her "Scum" manifesto.  She also wrote a play called UP YOUR ASS in which she wanted Andy Warhol, played by Jared Harris, to produce but ignored her leading into the title.  Martha Plimpton, Lothaire Bluteau, Anna Levine, Peter Friedman, Tahnee Welch, Jamie Harrold, Donovan Leitch Jr., Michael Imperioli, Reg Rogers, Bill Sage, Jill Hennessey, Stephen Dorff, and many others co-star.  Dorff was very good as the transvestite Candy Darling.  This was originally going to be a documentary but filmmakers could not find much footage or very many people to interview so they based it on the book by Jeremiah Newton.  I just recently watched BASQUIAT which actually came out in the same year which was based on Warhol's protege of the title.  Both movies have the qualities and could make for a good double feature.

Rendition (2007):  This is part one of a two part Peter Sarsgaard series.  Gavin Hood directed this CIA film.  A terrorist bomb kills an American envoy in a foreign country.  The investigation leads to an Egyptian named Anwar, played by Omar Metwally, who lives in America.  Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Douglas Freeman who is a CIA operative observing the investigation and witnesses torture and is at odds with what he should do being in a foreign country.  Reese Witherspoon co-stars as Isabella who is the wife of Anwar and is looking for information on her husband which no one is giving.  Peter Sarsgaard, Meryl Streep, Alan Arkin, Igal Naor, J.K. Simmons, Simon Abkarian, Bob Gunton, and many others co-star in this film.  This was based on a true story of Khalid El-Masri, who was mistaken for a terrorist with a similar name.  This is a pretty compelling story with well written characters.

See Holland Before it Gets Too Big (1969):  This is my short for the week.  A man with a guitar and sketchpad travel through Holland on a bike.  He does many sketches of sights he sees and also sees the vision of the woman that he puts into them.  He tries to figure out if she is real or a figment of his imagination.  It was an interesting short film that had great locales for the country.

The Circus (1928):  This is my silent film for the week which was a comedy from the legendary Charlie Chaplin who also wrote and directed the film.  Chaplin plays his usual character of the Tramp.  He is mistaken for a pickpocket and when running from the police, he stumbles onto a circus where he is in front of an audience and makes them laugh more than anyone.  The ringmaster hires him on only to discover that he can only be unintentionally funny so he looks to put him into situations that will get laughs.  The tramp also falls for the owner's acrobatic daughter but another performer comes into the picture making him feel he must compete.  This is one of Chaplin's more unknown films.  This came out shortly after talkies started but Chaplin decided to stick to silents.  There is a scene that is part of the bonus features and has been put out there where someone appears to be talking on what seems to be a cell phone.  I am sorry to spoil your thoughts on time travel but it was found to be a 1924 Siemans hearing aid.  Chaplin has never spoken much on this film and maybe due to his studio burning down during production and among other things lead to a nervous breakdown.  It is still a good production and has many funny moments.

A Face in the Crowd (1957):  Elia Kazan directed this film which was written by Budd Schulberg.  Andy Griffith makes his film debut as Larry "Lonesome" Rhodes who is actually discovered while spending time in jail when radio person Marcia Jeffries, played by Patricia Neal, goes there to interview inmates and finds that Rhodes is a decent singer and very amusing to listen to.  He gets to host his own radio show where he becomes very popular for saying many things people want to hear.  He then gets a tv show where everyone is at the palm of his hand becoming corrupted by his rise to fame.  Walter Mathau co-stars as writer Mel Miller who begins to see right through Lonesome.  Lee Remick and Anthony Franciosa also co-star in this film.  I had seen this before and thought "I will never look at Andy Griffith in the same way again" and that remains true.  Just think "Andy Griffith driven to insanity" and you will see he is so much more than Andy Taylor and Ben Matlock.  I believe he gives his best performance in this film.  The movie itself is also rather ahead of its time kind of like when the 1976 film NETWORK came out.  The character of Lonesome Rhodes is essentially a reality tv star before the phrase even existed.  This is a very underrated film that everyone should see.

Koyaanisqatsi (1982):  Godfrey Reggio directed this film which is in a sense a documentary which was produced by Francis Ford Coppola.  The movie is a long montage of photos to go along with a music score written by Philip Glass.  The footage features images of nature and reality and the relationship between them.  It shows the effect that man has had on the landscapre.  It is done without any kind of narration but it still is very effective.  The photos were put together very well with a really good score written by Glass.  This is one I hope to get on the radar.  This is followed by POWAQQATSI and NAQOYQATSI which I have not seen but suppose I should.

Django (1966):  This is my spagetti western for the week which was directed and co-wrote by Sergio Corbucci.  Franco Nero plays the title character who is a drifter coming into town dragging a coffin along with him.  This town has a couple feuding parties of a group of Mexican bandits and a group of sadistic vigilantes which he gets into the middle.  Nero does a good job as the anti-hero.  It has some fun and over the top violence.  It is the inspiration for Tarantino's DJANGO UNCHAINED and is reprising his own role in the upcoming DJANGO LIVES.  I found this on the El Ray network so if they are still showing it, you might take a look.

Untamed Youth (1957):  I believe this is the first time I have ever used Mamie Van Doren on my list.  She stars as Penny and along with her sister Jane, played by Lori Nelson, are arrested for the horrible crime of hitch-hiking along their way to Los Angeles.  They must choose between 30 days in jail or work on an agriculture farm so they choose the work.  They find that the person who runs things mistreats them.  Keep in mind, this is a b-movie which was more entertaining than anything like the music numbers which are some of the first Rock 'N Roll numbers in film.  Many probably aren't sure who Van Doren is but sounds familiar so just to let know many including myself heard of her for the first time in Tarantino's PULP FICTION when Vincent and Mia are at the restaurant where servers are characters.  Mia believes there are two Marilyn Monroes but Vincent lets her know that the other one is Mamie Van Doren.  She was signed by Universal who tried to make her into their Marilyn Monroe.  She ended up doing mostly b-movies but did get to be in a pretty high profile film TEACHER'S PET with Clark Gable.  She still remains a sex symbol from that era.

The Judge (2014):  I end with this law film which was directed by David Dobkin.  Robert Downey Jr. is a very successful big city lawyer named Hank.  He learns of his mother's death and returns to his small town home in Indiana where his father Joseph is the judge in the small town.  His father is soon suspected of murder forcing him to stay and defend his estranged father.  In setting out to learn the truth of what happens, he also reconnects with his family and others in the town.  Vera Farminga, Billy Bob Thornton, Vincent D'Onofrio, Jeremy Strong, Leighton Meester, Ken Howard, Balthazar Getty, and many others co-star in this film.  The best part of this movie is the interaction of Downey and Duvall who are great as the father and son.  I also felt it was a good and moving portrait on a dysfunctional family.

Well, that is it for this week but I did bring the Fun and Useless Facts segment..  Tell me what you like and dislike.  Stay tuned for next week which so far includes Keira Knightley, more Peter Sarsgaard, and many others.



FUN AND USELESS FACTS

Keep in mind, these are mostly facts from actors in different movies and usually don't look at what people within the movies have in common.  If you have more to lend, knock yourself out.

Michael Douglas (The American President) is pursued by Robert Duvall (The Judge) in the 1993 film FALLING DOWN.

Michael Douglas (The American President) and Robert Downey Jr. (The Judge) were in the 2000 film WONDER BOYS.

Annette Bening (The American President) and Robert Duvall (The Judge) were in the 2003 film OPEN RANGE.

Annette Bening (The American President) and Robert Downey Jr. (The Judge) were in the 1999 movie IN DREAMS.

Martin Sheen (The American President) and Robert Duvall (The Judge) were in the 1979 film APOCALYPSE NOW.

Martin Sheen (The American President), Bob Gunton (Rendition), Walter Matthau (A Face in the Crowd), and Vincent D'Onofrio (The Judge) were in the 1991 film JFK.  Sheen is uncredited as the narrator.  This might be the first time since doing this that I managed to find four people from different movies in one movie.

SPIDER-MAN FRANCHISE
-Martin Sheen (The American President) plays Uncle Ben in the 2012 film THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN.
-J.K. Simmons (Rendition) plays editor J. Jonah Jameson in the Sam Raimi trilogy who is out to expose Spider-Man while paying Peter Parker to get photos.  He has the perfect look and voice as he also voices the character in cartoons when necessary.
-Vincent D'Onofrio plays Kingpin in the Netflix series DAREDEVIL.  Kingpin is a common enemy to Spider-Man, just not in film but in the comics.

Martin Sheen (The American President) and Vera Farminga (The Judge) were in the 2006 film THE DEPARTED.

Samantha Mathis (The American President), Bill Sage (I Shot Andy Warhol), and Reese Witherspoon (Rendition) were in the 2000 film AMERICAN PSYCHO.

Samantha Mathis (The American President) and Bob Gunton (Rendition) were in the 1996 action movie BROKEN ARROW.

David Paymer (The American President) and Robert Downey Jr. (The Judge) were in the 1993 film HEART AND SOULS.

David Paymer (The American President) and Jake Gyllenhaal (Rendition) were in the 1991 comedy CITY SLICKERS.

Gail Strickland (The American President) and Reese Witherspoon (Rendition) were in the 1991 film THE MAN IN THE MOON.

John Mahoney (The American President) and Lili Taylor (I Shot Andy Warhol) were in the 1989 film SAY ANYTHING...

Anna Deavere Smith (The American President) and Bill Sage (I Shot Andy Warhol) have both been in the series NURSE JACKIE.

Nina Siemaszko (The American President) and Bob Gunton (Rendition) were in the 1992 tv movie SINATRA.

Jared Harris (I Shot Andy Warhol) and Robert Downey Jr. (The Judge) are longtime rivals Professor Moriarty and Sherlock Holmes in the 2011 film SHERLOCK HOLMES:  A GAME OF SHADOWS.

Jared Harris (I Shot Andy Warhol) and Billy Bob Thornton (The Judge) were in the 1995 film DEAD MAN.

Jared Harris (I Shot Andy Warhol), Jamie Harrold (I Shot Andy Warhol), and Robert Downey Jr. (The Judge) were in the 1994 film NATURAL BORN KILLERS.

Lili Taylor (I Shot Andy Warhol) and Vera Farminga (The Judge) were in the 2013 film THE CONJURING.

Jake Gyllenhaal (Rendition) and Robert Downey Jr. (The Judge) were in the 2007 film ZODIAC.

Jake Gyllenhaal (Rendition) had a childhood crush on Martha Plimpton (I Shot Andy Warhol).

J.K. Simmons (Rendition) and Billy Bob Thornton (The Judge) were in the 2006 film THE ASTRONAUT FARMER.

J.K. Simmons (Rendition) and Vera Farminga (The Judge) are in the 2009 film UP IN THE AIR.

Bob Gunton (Rendition) and Vincent D'Onofrio (The Judge) are partners in crime in the new Netflix series DAREDEVIL.

Bob Gunton (Rendition) and Robert Downey Jr. (The Judge) were in the 1987 movie THE PICK-UP ARTIST.

Meryl Streep (Rendition) and Vera Farminga (The Judge) were in the 2004 movie THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE.

Charlie Chaplin (The Circus) is portrayed by Robert Downey Jr. (The Judge) in the 1992 film CHAPLIN.

Walter Matthau (A Face in the Crowd) plays coach Morris Buttermaker in the 1976 comedy THE BAD NEWS BEARS.  Billy Bob Thornton (The Judge) plays the part in the 2005 remake of the same title.

Lee Remick (A Face in the Crowd) and Robert Duvall (The Judge) were lovers in the 1979 mini-series IKE:  THE WAR YEARS.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 501st Edition

Welcome to the 501st Edition of my series.  I hope all the dad's are having a good father's day.  I don't have a lot of new stuff going on right now.  I'm still at my new position where I work and work second shift for right now.  I hope to get days soon but I do like having weekends off and not talking to anyone on the phone.  I still try to make the most of my day.  Not much else to say so let me get on with my selections.

The Way Way Back (2013):  Nat Faxon and Jim Rash co-directed and co-wrote this comedy/drama.  Liam James stars as shy 14 year old Duncan who goes to a beach house for the summer with his mother Pam, played by Toni Collette, her overbearing boyfriend Trent, played by Steve Carell, and Trent's daughter Steph, played by Zoe Levin.  Duncan does not get along with Trent who talks down to him a lot nor does he get along with Steph.  He has a hard time finding friends in life with his shy personality but when wandering onto the water park he meets Owen, played by Sam Rockwell, who works at the park and forms an unexpected friendship finding a place where he fits in.  AnnaSophia Robb, Maya Rudolph, Amanda Peet, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a movie that is driven by characters.  Carell is good as always as the unlikable boyfriend who you just want to punch and James does a good job as the shy teen.  I can easily relate to Duncan when I was that age.  I was not exactly popular and a bit socially awkward which unfortunately remains a bit true today but I believe I have come pretty far.

Cinderella Liberty (1973):  I got the idea for this one when my dad put this as his favorite film of the day that he does on Facebook.  It sounded interesting enough and was obtainable at the library so I gave it a shot.  Mark Rydell directed this film which stars James Caan as Navy sailor John Baggs Jr., who is on temporary leave but becomes even longer when no one can find his records.  He meets and falls in love with a hooker named Maggie, played by Marsha Mason, and tries to get her out of that lifestyle.  He also becomes a father figure to her 11 year old son Doug, played by Kirk Calloway.  Eli Wallach, Burt Young, Bruno Kirby, Dabney Coleman, and many others co-star in this film.  Caan tones down his usual tough guy persona in this one and does a very good job.  It is a very interesting love story and liked the way it ended.  This was not something I had heard of until my dad posted about it on Facebook and I'm glad he did.

Stage Fright (1940):  This is my Merry Melodies animated short for the week.  A couple curious puppies wander into a theater were they fight over a bone and deal with a magician's rabbit, a playful seal, and an intimidating bird.  This was all action and no dialogue.  It was nothing great but cute but maybe I'm biased for being a dog person.

W.C. Fields:  Straight Up (1986):  This is my documentary for the week which is based on the comedic actor to separate the fact and fiction in his life.  Joseph Adamson directed this documentary and Dudley Moore narrates it.  This shows his childhood up to his rise in film where he became a very unique part of Hollywood.  It also talks some about his personal life like leaving his pregnant wife.  It has some really good footage from his movies as well as some of his earlier work.  This is a really good look at the very quotable comedian.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938):  Norman Taurog directed this version of the classic Mark Twain novel.  Tommy Kelly stars as the mischievous boy from 1850 Missouri.  The main part of the story is where him and his friend Huckleberry Finn go to the graveyard and witness a murder where they must decide what is right.  Other known moments are his crush on Becky Thatcher, played by Ann Gillis, the painting of a fence, and running away.  May Robson, Walter Brennan, Victor Jory, Donald Meek, Margaret Hamilton, and many others co-star in this film.  This was a pretty well done version of the classic.  The cinematography was very good.  The climatic cave scene was also pretty well done.

He Knew He was Right (2004):  This is my BBC mini-series for the week.  Oliver Dimsdale stars in this period piece as Louis Trevelyn who is about to start a good life by marrying Emily, played by Laura Fraser.  In the beginning of the marriage, Emily forms a friendship with Colonel Osborne, played by Nill Nighy, and tries to get her to sever his friendship but she refuses much to her dismay leading to a very non-trusting marriage through the years.  David Tennant, Geoffrey Palmer, Geraldine James, and many others co-star in this drama.  There are other stories involved but this one was the compelling part.  I thought that Bill Nighy stood out the most in this show.  This has four episodes that are about an hour long.

Blithe Spirit (1945):  I continue with another British film.  David Lean directed this rather morbid comedy based on the play by Noel Coward.  Rex Harrison stars as author Charles Condomine who is doing research for his new book.  Along with his wife Ruth, played by Constance Cummings, they go to see a local mystic named Madame Arcati, played by the always amusing Margaret Rutherford, to give a seance.  The result of it is that the ghost of Charles's late wife Elvira, played Kay Hammond, that only he can see.  Ruth is getting annoyed by her presence but Madame Arcati does not know what to do to make her leave.  This was a very funny movie but was also quite dark and made me feel bad to laugh at some of the parts

The Triplets of Belleville (2003):  This is my French animated film for the week.  Sylvain Chomet wrote and directed this film.  A woman named Madame Souza learns that her grandson Champion is kidnapped during the Tour de France and along with her dog Bruno, sets out to rescue him.  She teams with the Belleville sisters who are an aged song and dance team.  This movie has some pretty unique animation to it.  It has very little dialogue and even that is mostly singing.  It is a very enjoyable and amusing watch and really deserves a look.

The Harder they Come (1972):  Perry Henzell directed and co-wrote this Jamaican film that stars Jimmy Cliff in one of his very few film roles but became more famous after this one.  Cliff stars as aspiring Raggae singer Ivan Martin who has hopes of becoming very successful.  Unfortunately, he must deal with corruption from his music producers and is at odds with drug pushers leading into a violent lifestyle.  The character is actually based on a Jamaican criminal named Rhyging who is like their folk hero.  This movie can be called Blaxploitation but it is still a very well done movie to the point that Criterion picked it up.  It is also known for its soundtrack which helped make the Raggae genre more popular.  Cliff does a great job in a role he knows very well.

Within (2014):  I end the week with this short film which was written and directed by my Facebook friend and support Robert Joseph Butler.  Peter Howard stars as hopeless romantic Jacob who tries looking for love in the digital era with dating sites and such but non really go well including his date at the beginning with Laura, played by Jordan Trovillion, who is the sterotypical person with their eyes on a smart phone.  He is also at a dead end pizzaria job and must examine his life.  When about to close shop, he has a brief enounter with a girl named Molly, played by Jaclyn Strez, who is just passing through town and has a very meaningful conversation giving him a new sense of purpose in life.  Butler did a real good job on this film where the performances, music score, and cinematography work very well.  This short film won the Audience Choice award at the Cinetopia Film Festival.  This is available to watch on https://www.reelhouse.org and can be rented for $4 and bought for 8$.  It was well worth my purchase.  RJB has done quite a bit short films and some can be seen on his website http://www.nuwavefilms.com on the "now showing" section.  He is still working toward doing a feature film but lacks the backers in order to do it.  If any producers see this and can help him out, I think you will have made a good decision.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and what you dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Annette Bening, Lili Taylor, Reese Witherspoon, Charlie Chaplin, Andy Griffith, and many others.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 500th Edition

Welcome to the 500th Edition of my series.  I can't believe I have made it this far.  This week, I focus on movies where the characters, at least the main character, is/was a real person which is excluding the Movie Night at the Shera segment.  It does not have to be a true story and you'll see one notable one for that rule.  The main character must be going by their real name for it to qualify so no characters based on someone but changing the name.  I still made this diverse like the others so I hope you enjoy.  Thanks to all including old and new that have supported me through the years.  I will get on with my selections.

Fruitvale Station (2013):  Ryan Coogler wrote and directed this film.  With all the police shootings, I guess this is a fitting one.  Michael B. Jordan stars as Oscar Grant III who wakes up on New Years Eve of 2008 and feels the needs to get his resolutions started.  He tries to be a better son to his mother, played by Octavia Spencer, a better boyfriend to his girlfriend, played by Melonie Diaz, and a better father to his daughter, played by Ariana Neal.  Throughout the day, he has encounters with friends, family, and strangers leading up to a very fateful encounter with the police at the Fruitvale BART Station in the Bay Area.  Kevin Durand, Chad Michael Murray, Ahna O'Reilly, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a true story and the video is even obtainable on youtube.  I don't want to go too much further into this but there is a lot of information out there on this tragic incident.  The movie does a good job of going in the life in the day of this man showing that things can change quickly.  I'm beginning to wonder if officer training needs to be improved.  Octavia Spencer cared enough about the project to forego her salary when Coogler's funding fell through.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

Boys Town (1938):  Norman Taurog directed this film based on the real life Boys Town founded by Father Flanagan.  Spencer Tracy stars as Father Flanagan who after hearing a convict's story, decides to start an organization to help troubled boys develop skills and a positive image of themselves.  He takes in boys from broken homes or no homes and makes them useful while overcoming the struggle of funds.  Flanagan believes there is no such thing as a bad boy but his belief becomes challenged upon the arrival of Whitey Marsh, played by Mickey Rooney.  Henry Hull also co-stars in this film.  Tracy and Rooney are really good in their roles.  I guess there were no troubled girls in those days but these days helps girls as well from what I understand.  This is a very touching story and is a place that still exists today and has expanded through the years.  Even though it was founded by a priest, it does not focus on religion but on helping people.

The Buddy Holly Story (1978):  This is my music biopic for this edition based on the title person who had a short but very memorable career.  Gary Busey puts on a very memorable performance as the singer who was very determined to make it in the music industry but to do it on his terms.  This starts from his younger days performing local places into his rise with the Crickets and to the day the music died.  Don Stroud and Charles Martin Smith co-star as his band mates.  Busey is one of the very few these days that will make me watch a reality tv series but before he became our modern-day Socrates, he actually did a few decent films and this one at his best.  He played the legendary singer to perfection so those that only know him from his Buseyisms really need to check this one out.

Shadow of the Vampire (2000):  This is the one I was referring to when I said it did not necessarily have to be true.  This is take on the filming of the classic German 1922 vampire film NOSFERATU.  John Malkovich stars as real-life director F.W. Murnau who was determined to do an adaptation of the Bram Stoker's DRACULA but his wife refused the rights so he decided to write his own version changing the names and creating the ugliest vampire in cinema history.  Willem Dafoe stars as Max Schreck who is playing the vampire Count Orlok who seems to be a little too much into his role.  Udo Kier, Cary Elwes, Catherine McCormack, Eddie Izzard and many others co-star in this film.  Malkovich and Dafoe are great for their roles.  This is a really good look at at the making of the film which I suppose we could all say it's fictional but do we really know?  A good double feature to watch might be the 1922 film NOSFERATU followed by this one.

The Left Handed Gun (1958):  This is my western for the week which is on Billy the Kid, played by Paul Newman.  This is another which is likely more of a dramatization than a true story much like most of the westerns from this era.  Arthur Penn directed this western which is based on a play by Gore Vidal.  In this movie, Billy starts out as the simple William Bonney who is befriended and gets a job through a peaceful, religious man named Tunstall, played by Colin Keith-Johnson.  Tunstall is murdered by a group led by a corrupt sheriff.  It is this event which drives him to vengeance endangering his friends.  John Dehner co-stars as Billy the Kid's former friend who is now the sheriff and most know how that ended.  It is kind of an interesting casting of Newman as Billy the Kid and has been compared to a James Dean performance which I can see looking back.  It has also been said through historians that he was not left handed like once though.  It is still intriguing and worth a look.

Mesrine (2008):  This is my French selection for the week which is actually two different movies but since they were made in the same year I counted as one.  What is featured this week are MESRINE PART 1:  KILLER INSTINCT and MESRINE PART 2:  PUBLIC ENEMY.  Vincent Cassel stars as the real-life French gangster Jacques Mesrine where the first movie was based on his own autobiograpy.  The first part shows Mesrine just before getting into his criminal life to to his rise before become French Public Enemy number one.  This shows a lot of his bank robberies as well as prison breaks.  The second film shows him when he is at the top, loving the publicity but is being pursued even further.  Cecile De France, Gerard Depardieu, Gilles Lellouche, Roy Dupuis, Elena Anaya, Ludivine, Sagnier, Mathieu Amalric, Samuel Le Bihan, and many others co-star in these films.  I had never heard anything about this person until I found these movies.  Vincent Cassel was very good in the title role and enjoyed Depardieu a lot as well.  These are both very compelling friends and in some ways is France's answer to SCARFACE personality wise for the two main characters.

Gentleman Jim (1942):  This is my sports selection for the week which is based on earlier boxer Jim Corbett whose career was from the late 1800s to the early 1900s.  Roaul Walsh directed this film which stars Errol Flynn as the legendary boxer.  He starts out as an extroverted banker who ended up in a gym and spars some in boxing and they see some natural ability in him where he is then trained to be a boxer.  He becomes a very accomplished but conceited fighter whose benefactors try to bring him down.  Ward Bond in a more notable role in his career plays John L. Sullivan who is at the time a champion and Corbett's biggest challenge.  Alexis Smith, Jack Carson, Alan Hale, and many others co-star in this film.  Flynn did a really good job of learning Corbett's fight style and looked very good in the ring though I have heard that Corbett was not as outgoing as portrayed in the film.  This is still a good look at boxing in the earlier days where there were less rules like limited rounds.

Rob Roy (1995):  Liam Neeson stars as 18th Century Scotsman Robert Roy MacGregor who is a cattle herdsman trying to lead his small town and family into a better future by borrow money to buy cattle but gets stolen.  He is forced to become a Robin Hood figure to protect his family from a group of conniving British people led by Montrose, played by John Hurt, and his conniving henchman Archibald Cunningham, played very well by Tim Roth.  Jessica Lange is also good as Rob Roy's wife who is trying to keep things together.  Eric Stoltz, Brian Cox, Brian McCardie, Jason Flemying, and many others co-star in this film.  Neeson is a great presence as the title character and has some really good scenery to go along with it.  It also has possibly one of the best sword fight scenes at the end.

Jesus Christ Superstar (1973):  This is my musical for the week which focuses on our savior.  Norman Jewison directed film based on the rock opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber.  Ted Neeley plays Jesus Christ in his last six days and is told through the eyes of Judas, played by Carl Anderson.  The story is told in a rather anachronistic manner and focuses on the dissatisfaction of Judas with the direction he is steering his disciples.   Yvonne Elliman, Barry Dennen, Larry Marshall, Josh Mostel, Paul Thomas, and many others co-star in this film.  Much of the actors appear to have more of a music background which works since this is all singing.  I have always favored this one over Stephen Schwarz's GODSPELL even though I do usually like his work.  This is a darker take on the story so it is not for everyone but I thought it was a pretty compelling film with great performances from Neeley and Anderson.

Hunger (2008):  Steve McQueen makes his directorial debut and for those that don't know, this is a black man so not the actor.  Michael Fassbender stars as Bobby Sands who is with the IRA and ends up in a Northern Ireland prison where he feels he is a political prisoner.  He becomes upset with the prison conditions and leads a hunger strike in 1981 in hopes the treatment will get better.  Stuart Graham, Brian Milligan, Liam McMahon, Karen Hassan, Liam Cunningham, and many others co-star in this film.  Fassbender plays the part very well and has a great scene with the priest played by Cunningham.  This is not the easiest movie to watch but is very realistic and is the start of a good directorial career for McQueen who would go onto direct the very powerful 12 YEARS A SLAVE.

Well, that is it for this week but I do have the segments of Fun and Useless Facts and Movie Night at the Shera.  Let me know what you like and dislike.  Thanks again everyone for the wonderful support through the years.  Stay tuned for next week which so far includes Steve Carell, James Caan, and many others.



FUN AND USELESS FACTS

This one focuses on the ten movies above and not the Movie Night at the Shera segment below. segment below.  Keep in mind I don't focus on much with actors in the same movie.

Willem Dafoe (Shadow of the Vampire) and Brian McCardie (Rob Roy) were in the 1997 movie SPEED 2.

MARVEL FRANCHISE
-Michael B. Jordan (Fruitvale Station) will be playing Human Torch in the upcoming superhero film THE FANTASTIC FOUR.  This has been a rather controversial casting mostly due to his race and the first time a black man has played that character.
-Kevin Durand (Fruitvale Station) plays villain Fred Dukes aka the Blob in the 2009 movie X-MEN ORIGINS:  WOLVERINE.
-Chad Michael Murray (Fruitvale Station) plays SSR agent Jack Thompson on the tv series AGENT CARTER.
-Willem Dafoe (Shadow of the Vampire) plays Norman Osborn aka the Green Goblin in the 2002 film SPIDER-MAN.
-Tim Roth (Rob Roy) plays villain Emil Blonsky in the 2009 film THE INCREDIBLE HULK.
-Brian Cox (Rob Roy) plays William Stryker in the 2003 film X-MEN 2
-Jason Flyming (Rob Roy) plays Azazel in the 2011 film X-MEN:  FIRST CLASS.
-Michael Fassbender (Hunger) plays Magneto in X-MEN:  FIRST CLASS and X-MEN:  DAYS OF FUTURE PAST.

John Malkovich (Shadow of the Vampire) and Tim Roth (Rob Roy) are in the 1993 tv movie HEARTS OF DARKNESS.

Spencer Tracy (Boys Town) portrays the title characters in the the 1941 film DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE.  John Malkovich (Shadow of the Vampire) plays Jekyll and Hyde in the 1996 film MARY REILLY.  Udo Kier (Shadow of the Vampire) plays Dr. Henry Jekyll in the 1981 movie THE STRANGE CASE OF DR. JEKYLL AND MISS OSBOURNE.  Jason Flyming plays Jekyll and Hyde in the 2003 movie THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN.

Paul Newman (The Left Handed Gun) and Alexis Smith (Gentleman Jim) were in the 1959 film THE YOUNG PHILADEPHIANS.

Willem Dafoe (Shadow of the Vampire) plays Jesus Christ in the 1988 film THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST.  Ted Neeley plays the part in this week's feature JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR.

Gerard Depardieu (Mesrine) plays Porthos in the 1998 film THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK.  Alan Hale (Gentleman Jim) plays Porthos in the 1939 version of THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK.

Octavia Spencer (Fruitvale Station) and John Malkovich (Shadow of the Vampire) were in the 1999 film BEING JOHN MALKOVICH which is one of my favorites.

Cary Elwes (Shadow of the Vampire) plays Robin Hood in the 1993 comedy ROBIN HOOD:  MEN IN TIGHTS.  Errol Flynn (Gentleman Jim) plays Robin Hood in the 1938 film ROBIN HOOD.

Paul Newman (The Left Handed Gun) and Jack Carson (Gentleman Jim) were brothers in the 1958 film CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF.

Gary Busey (The Buddy Holly Story) and Liam Neeson (Rob Roy) are in the movie adaptation of the 2015 movie ENTOURAGE as themselves.

Willem Dafoe (Shadow of the Vampire) and Brian Cox (Rob Roy) are in the 2009 animated movie FANTASTIC MR. FOX

Octavia Spencer (Fruitvale Station) and Willem Dafoe (Shadow of the Vampire) were in the 2002 film SPIDER-MAN.

Spencer Tracy (Boys Town) and Ward Bond (Gentleman Jim) were in the 1936 film FURY were Bond was an extra.

John Malkovich (Shadow of the Vampire) and Gerard Depardieu (Mesrine) co-star as two of the musketeers in the 1998 THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK.  They also co-star as Javert and Jean Valjean in the 2000 mini-series LES MISERABLES.  They were also in the 2002 film NAPOLEON.

Kevin Durand (Fruitvale Station) plays Little John in the 2010 film ROBIN HOOD.  Alan Hale (Gentleman Jim) plays the part in the 1938 film ROBIN HOOD.

John Malkovich (Shadow of the Vampire) and Josh Mostel (Jesus Christ Superstar) were in the 1998 film ROUNDERS.

Don Stroud (The Gary Busey Story) and Ted Neeley (Jesus Christ Superstar) were in the 2012 film DJANGO UNCHAINED.

Willem Dafoe (Shadow of the Vampire) and Gerard DePardieu (Mesrine) were in the 2006 film PARIS, JE T'AIME.

Michael B. Jordan (Fruitvale Station) and Cary Elwes (Shadow of the Vampire) provide the voices of Cyborg and Aquaman in the 2013 animated movie JUSTICE LEAGUE:  THE FLASHPOINT PARADOX.

Willem Dafoe (Shadow of the Vampire) and Mathieu Amalric (Mesrine) were in the 2014 film THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL.



MOVIE NIGHT AT THE SHERA

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014):  So this is from last Sunday night that I hung out at her house and through it all we looked at the On-Demand of ATT, if that is what it is called, and when I suggested that to be our watch I was surprised at Shera's agreement but very glad.  We had both seen RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES but neither of us had seen this sequel.  Andy Serkis reprises his role as the advanced ape Caesar who is now the leader in a forest area among many other apes.  Humans soon discover how advanced they are where they threaten war with the apes.  Caesar tries to keep the peace and works with humans played by Jason Clarke, Keri Russell, and Kodi Smit-McPhee who Caesar sees are good people.  Unfortunately, he is the only one of the apes who were at one time exposed to good people so it is hard for the others to trust them especially Kopa, voiced by Toby Kebbell, who starts his own rebellion.  Gary Oldman, Kirk Acevedo, Judy Greer, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a good sequel to a very good reboot of the films.  It has some great action plus some pretty good CGI effects to add.  I also thought the way it ended was pretty well done.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 499th Edition

Welcome to the 499th Edition of my series.  Next week I hit that milestone of 500 and I say wow all the time when I think about how long I have been doing this.  Years ago, I had a vision to write a Myspace blog that would accommodate to just about anyone and as a movie person figured that would be the way to go.  However, I know I cannot write a detailed review so the idea popped into me to do recommendations where I write a paragraph or so about 10 diverse movies and have been doing it every week since that time.  I started out on Myspace, brought over to Facebook, written for Film Arcade, and now have my own site that I promote on Twitter.  I have also declined offers from websites who want me to change my format and make it more thematic.  Granted, if money was offered, I might sell out but until then I will make diversity my theme.  Next week will have a small theme that I will reveal next week.  Through the years, I have done all documentaries, all foreign films, and all musicals while still keeping it diverse which will be the same for next week with a different one.  It has been a great journey and I thank everyone from old to new that has supported me.  I will now get to the recommendations.

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (2008):  Peter Sollett directed this comedy based on the novel by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan.  ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT alum Michael Cera stars as Nick who is a member of a band called the Jerk Offs and has broken up with his girlfriend Tris, played by Alexis Dziena, who moves on pretty fast.  2 BROKE GIRLS star Kat Dennings stars as Norah who plays the part of designated driver for her friend Caroline, played by Ari Graynor.  She also finds cds that Nick makes for Tris and likes hist taste in music.  They meet up in order to find a local band but turns into the search for Caroline among other mishaps.  John Cho. Andy Samberg, Seth Meyers, and Eddie Kaye Thomas all have amusic cameos.  This is an homage to local bands.  There was some gross-out humor involving gum that I was not big on but got past it with all the other comedic moments.

Zodiac (2007):  David Fincher directed this film based on the search for the Zodiac Killer in San Francisco and based on the book by Robert Graysmith.  Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Graysmith who was a political cartoonist for the San Francisco Chronicle in the late 60s.  He became obsessed with decoding the letters of who would be known as the Zodiac killer.  Robert Downey Jr. co-stars as Paul Avery who was kind of Graysmith's mentor but his drinking problems makes his life spiral out of control.  Mark Ruffalo co-stars as Inspector David Toschi who has had a lot of trouble catching the killer.  Anthony Edwards, Brian Cox, John Carroll Lynch, Richmond Arquette, John Terry, Elias Koteas, Chloe Sevigny, Dermot Mulroney, Donal Logue, Philip Baker Hall, Zach Grenier, Adam Goldberg, Clea Duvall, and many others co-star in this film.  This focuses a lot on Graysmith's life and the toll his investigation took on his family life and professional life.  It is a good look at the investigation and has scenes where the Zodiac strikes.  The Zodiac case was closed until this movie came out and it was reopened.

Philomena (2013):  Stephen Frears directed this film based on the book THE LOST CHILD OF PHILOMENA LEE by Martin Sixsmith which is based on a true story.  Steve Coogan, who also co-wrote the screenplay, stars as Sixsmith who had a great job as a political journalist but lost.  Looking for a good story, he learns about Philomena Lee who had a son that was taken away from her while living in a convent.  Judi Dench stars as Philomena who is looking to find the son that was taken from her.  In their search for their son, they also form a bond between themselves.  I don't want to give anything away but this is a pretty moving film and very eye-opening with some good messages within it.

Service with the Colors (1942):  This is my short film for the week which is mostly a war propaganda short.  This focuses on recruits from different backgrounds including Charles Corbin, played by William Orr, who has trouble adapting to the military and at one point considers deserting.  He soon puts his life on the line and helps save many of his friends making up for the other things.  Not a bad feel good story.

Things to Come (1936):  I recorded this adaptation to the H.G. Wells novel in which he co-wrote the screenplay.  William Cameron Menzies directed this sci-fi film which spans from 1940 to 2035.  It starts with a global war that goes on for many years until the few still alive do not know why it was started and why.  In 1966, a plague wipes out most people but a few survive.  After that, reconstruction takes place through the years to the point of space travel.  Raymond Massey, Ralph Richardson, Margaretta Scott, Cedric Hardwicke, and many others co-star in this film.  I didn't feel the movie really had a star except for the progress through the years.  It predicted the usage of large format, flat screen jumbo tron style LCD tv screens.  I really prefer H.G. Wells's THE TIME MACHINE but I had not heard of this and is a pretty good sci-fi entry from this time period that deserves a look if you can get a copy.

Summer of '42 (1971):  This is my coming-of-age film for the week which was directed by Robert Mulligan which is based on a story by Herman Raucher which this story is based upon.  Gary Grimes stars as they teenage Hermie who along with his friends Oscy, played by Jerry Houser, and Benjie, played by Oliver Conant, are living on an island with their parents in the year of 1942.  While all Oscy really wants is to get laid, Hermie forms a love toward the older Dorothy, played by Jennifer O'Neill, and shyly approaches here.  This is a pretty moving story and I guess I would relate more to Hermie than the other friends.  This is based on the story by Raucher which might have been changed but is based on real events.  I found this when searching for things at the library which I had not heard of and now hope to get it on the radar some.

Machine Gun Preacher (2011):  Marc Forster directed this film based on a true story.  Gerard Butler stars as Sam Childers who is a bike gang member and drug addict who has just gotten out of prison.  When he returns home, he learns his wife Lynn, played by Michelle Monaghan, is no longer a stripper and has turned to Christianity.  He does not like that at first but after he returns to his old life to realize he did wrong, he joins her.  He decides to take on a mission to Africa.  When there, he witnesses the oppression like with children being forced to become soldiers and becomes a crusader.  Kathy Baker, Michael Shannon, and Madeline Carroll co-star in this film.  This is an eye-opening film of a man who saw wrong and decided to try to do something about it.  Butler does a great job as Childers.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

Charulata (1964):  This is my Indian film for the week.  Not sure if it qualifies as Bollywood but it is from Inda.  Satyajit Ray directed this film which centers around a lonely housewife of the title name whose husband Bhupati is a very liberal news editor and focuses most of his time on the paper.  When Bhupati notices his wife's loneliness, he asks his cousin Amal to keep Charu company.  They start out as friends and trying to help each other with Amal's writing.  As it progresses, they become closer where Charu must make a decision.  This is a really good foreign film and easy to follow with good performances and direction from who my be the best director in India.  Like any India movie, they work in a little musical number but still a very enjoyable film especially for foreign buffs.

The Giant Behemoth (1959):  This is my creature feature for the week.  In the way of Godzilla, there are a lot of marine atomic tests that result in blobs of radiation and the resurrection in a dormant dinosaur that wreaks havoc on England.  Everyone in the town must band together in order to stop this dangerous creature.  I supposed one could say this is London's answer to Godzilla.  I found this on TCM On-Demand.  Nothing great but still enjoyable.

The Killer (1989):  I end the week with one of my favorite action films and Hong Kong films.  John Woo directed and wrote this action film and is my favorite John Woo film as well as my favorite among the John Woo/ Chow Yun-Fat collaborations.  Chow stars as Ah Jong who is a hitman wanting to retire but takes one last job in order to help a nightclub singer named Jenny, played by Sally Yeh who was mostly blinded by Ah Jong's accidental shot.  He is betrayed by his employers and being hunted by them and the police.  The main investigator is Inspector Li, played by Danny Lee, who is pursuing Ah Jong and begins to admire him for seemingly having a code toward his lifestyle and sees that he is not just some cold-blooded killer.  They slowly team up and become friends both with the same interests.  This has just about everything from a good music score, good performances, direction, and really good action scenes.  Also, behind all that violence, it is also a very moving film where we see a hitman who has a conscience and no one can pull that off better than Chow Yun-Fat in my opinion.  It has a really good climax where there is a shootout at a church among doves.  This is an amazing action film that was done right and deserves a watch.  Nobody has seen Chow Yun-Fat if they haven't seen his Hong Kong films and I'm not necessarily knocking the American ones.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

Well, that is it for this week but did return with my Movie Night at the Shera segment so read just a little further.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Octavia Spencer, Spencer Tracy, Gary Busey, Willem Defoe, Paul Newman, Gerard Depardieu, Errol Flynn, Liam Neeson, and many others.



MOVIE NIGHT AT THE SHERA

The partial Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001 and 2003):  Last week, I was at Chris's House of Callies to watch a couple unrelated movies though both movies had Benicio Del Toro in supporting roles.  This movie session started out during the day and ended in the evening where we watched two movies that were part of a series.  Shera insisted on watching THE LORD OF THE RINGS and as much as I'm not a huge fan, they are still well done films so I agreed to this one especially since we haven't had one of these sessions in a while.  We started by getting some pizzas from Papa Murphy's and went to Marsh to get some more junk food to make the most of our night.  After the pizza was done, we got it going with THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING.  Peter Jackson directed these adaptations to the popular fantasy novels by J.R.R. Tolkien and showed a lot of dedication.  An ancient and evil ring has been found in which the noble wizard Gandalf discovers it is one of the three rings of the dark lord Sauron.  A hobbit of the shire named Frodo, played by Elijah Wood, is given the ring and is to make a journey to the Cracks of Doom in order to destroy it.  Joining him in his epic journey are humans Aragorn, played by Viggo Mortensen, and Boromir, played by Sean Bean, an elf named Legolas, a dwarf named Gimli, played by John Rhys-Davies, and Frodo's hobbit friends Samwise, played by Sean Astin, Pippin, played by Billy Boyd, and Merry, played by Dominic Monaghan.  Andy Serkis provides the voice of Gollum who is a character that would become very significant in the ones after this.  Ian Holm, Christopher Lee, Liv Tyler, Hugo Weaving, and many others co-star in this installment of the series.  When we finished this one, I was not really paying attention to which was Shera put in and did not really look closely at the opening credits but we continued our session.  After about an hour and a half into the movie, I was questioning a few things and it dawned on me that she put in the wrong one and played THE RETURN OF THE KING instead of THE TWO TOWERS.  We were already pretty far into and agreed we might as well finish which was quite okay with me.  So we inadvertently skipped THE TWO TOWERS and watched the conclusion one where our original plan was to get together at another time to watch the conclusion.  In this one, Sam and Frodo are on their journey being led by Gollum who is playing the best friends against each other in hope for the ring.  Elsewhere, Aragorn and Gandalf lead the rest in war against Sauron's army hoping to take the heat off Frodo and Sam.  Miranda Otto, Karl Urban, and many others join the cast for this conclusion.  I have always considered this one to be my favorite of the trilogy especially with some of the end stuff that I found to be very moving.  We have no plans to watch the second one at this point and plan to move onto THE HOBBIT films also brought by Peter Jackson.  We had a fun night with pizza, chips, and cookies and just laughed about our mistake.  See you all for the 500th Edition.