Welcome to the 520th Edition of my series. This is the last week of the Madness and next week is my ten year anniversary, yes I said it ten years and I know, I can't believe it either. I usually never stuck to much but I sure have stuck to this back in days of Myspace where I have gained a lot of great supporters and now have my own website for it. I want thank everyone who has supported me through the years both old and new. I will be doing something different next week like in my five year anniversary in which I will be posting 100 of my favorite movies. This is not any type of ranking system, just 100 that have stuck with me and will likely just be in alphabetical order. I will now get to my selections for the week.
Piranha (1978): I start the week out with some flesh-eating fish. Joe Dante directs this horror comedy where piranhas are accidentally released into the river of a summer resort which is also a children's camp. Bradford Dillman, Heather Menzies-Urich, Kevin McCarthy, Keenan Wynn, Barbara Steele, Belinda Balaski, and Melody Scott Thomas co-star in this cult classic. There is not a lot to explain except that it is a Roger Corman produced movie.. It can be rather enjoyable as long as you are not too serious and have a pretty good stomach.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975): Jim Sharman directed this musical based on the stage musical by Richard O'Brien who also co-stars as Riff-Raff. Barry Bostwick and Susan Sarandon star as newly engaged couple Brad and Janet Majors who break down in the rain and when looking for a phone, they go to a place that turns out to be the castle of transvestite Dr. Frank-N-Furter, played Tim Curry, and their lives are never the same when experiencing this dark world. Patricia Quinn, Nell Campbell, Jonathan Adams, Peter Hinwood, Meat Loaf, and Charles Gray co-star in this cult classic. This has never been the type of movie that when you are home by yourself, just put this in for a movie night. This is for a group of friends and is quite interactive. I remember my dad taking me to see this when I was like 14 and really did not know what to think but was intriguing. It is not one where everyone is to get quiet at the movie theater and there are a lot of props for the audience to use. This is Tim Curry's film debut and what a debut in this very iconic role.
I'm a Fool (1954): This is my short for the week and is an episode of GENERAL ELECTRIC THEATER. James Dean and Natalie Wood star in this before they would team up for REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE. Dean plays as credited, the Boy, who learns the consequences of telling a lie. Eddie Albert co-stars as the narrator. Nothing bad, nothing great, mostly of interest to see James Dean before his famous three movies.
Stop Making Sense (1984): Jonathan Demme directed this concert film on the Talking Heads. There are all kinds of changes happening on stage with some really good performances from the band. This is considered by many to be the best best concert film of all time. There are a lot of really cool things that are happening on stage like with the lighting and backdrops. We also get to see David Byrne in that really large suit. Demme and the Talking Heads struck gold on this one. Anyone who is at least a casual fan of the Talking Heads will love this one.
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986): John Hughes wrote and directed this '80s classic which stars Matthew Broderick as Ferris who is determined to skip school and has quite the plan to skip. He is able to talk his friend Cameron, played by Alan Ruck, to take his father's prized Ferrari and is able to get his girlfriend Sloane, played by Mia Sara, to come along for their trip to Chicago while the principal, played by Jeffrey Jones, who is determined to prove that Bueller is skipping and not sick like claimed. Jennifer Grey, Cindy Pickett, Lyman Ward, Charlie Sheen, Ben Stein, Kristy Swanson, Max Perlich, and many others co-star in this film. I am sure many high schoolers envied Ferris for how he perfectly planned his day. It was also one of those movies from the era that made the parents look pretty stupid to not catch onto his plan. It is a very fun one to watch and Broderick is very likable though admit I would have been more like the Ruck character. This is available on Instant Netflix.
The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler (2009): This is my tv movie for the week from the Hallmark Hall of Fame. Anna Paquin stars as the real-life title character who was a social worker during Nazi Germany and decided to dedicate herself to saving the Jewish children by smuggling them out of the Warsaw ghetto. Marcia Gay Harden, Goran Visnjic, Nathaniel Parker, Steve Speirs, Paul Freeman, Michelle Dockery, Danuta Stenka, Iddo Goldberg, and Maja Ostaszewska all co-star in this tv movie. This was a pretty compelling tv movie taking place during a very dark period in our world. Paquin is good as the real-life Sendler whose courage saved the lives of many during the Holocaust.
A Christmas Carol (1938): I know how much you all hate the early promotion of Christmas but continue reading my next segment and will understand my reasoning for using this movie. This might be the iconic movie version of the classic Dickens novel. Reginald Owen stars as the miser Ebenezer Scrooge who does not like Christmas and considers it a humbug. He is visited by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley who worse than he was and warns that he must change his ways. To help him, Scrooge will be visited by three ghosts to show his past, present, and future. Gene Lockhart, Kathleen Lockhart, Terry Kilburn, Leo G. Carroll, and many others co-star in this film. Everyone knows the story and is one I never really get enough of. Owen does a great transition when he begins to embrace Christmas. I found this on Instant Netflix and was an obtainable one from this era to feature.
Better Living Through Chemistry (2014): Geoff Moore and David Posamentier wrote and directed this rather dark comedy. Sam Rockwell stars as Doug Varney who has just inherited his father-in-law's pharmacy. He meets a trophy wife customer named Elizabeth, played by Olivia Wilde, who is unhappily married to her husband Jack, played by Ray Liotta, while Doug seems unhappy with his wife, played by Michelle Monaghan. His life spins out of control when he begins having an affair with Elizabeth involving illegal pharmaceuticals and a possible murder. Ken Howard, Ben Schwarz, Norbert Leo Butz, Jane Fonda, and many others co-star in this film. This may not be the greatest movie of all time but is still quite watchable with Rockwell and Wilde working very well together. This is available to watch on Instant Netflix.
The Seventh Victim (1943): This is a Val Lewton produced horror film. Kim Hunter stars as Mary Gibson whose older sister Jacqueline, played by Jean Brooks, disappeared. She leaves her private school to go to New York's Greenwich Village in search of her sister. Her search leads her into a satanic cult of which Jacqueline is a part of and that their lives are on the line. Tom Conway, Isabell Jewell, Evelyn Brent, and Hugh Beaumont co-star in this film. Hunter makes her film debut in this one. This is a pretty good chiller from this era and did it without all the supernatural elements. This is a very good watch for the classic horror genre.
A Few Good Men (1992): I end the week with this film directed by Rob Reiner and based on the stage play by Aaron Sorkin. Tom Cruise stars as Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee who is a Navy lawyer but has never actually been in a court room and is mostly there because of his dad and is clearly waiting out his time for discharge. He is soon assigned to defend a couple marines who are accused of killing a colleague. Demi Moore co-stars as Joanne Galloway who is able to talk Kaffee into actually doing courtroom work when she finds there is a lot more to what is going on. Their investigation leads to Colonel Jessup who appears to know more than what he is saying leading into quite the courtroom interrogation during the climax of the film. Kevin Bacon, Kiefer Sutherland, Kevin Pollak, Wolfgang Bodison, James Marshall, J.T.Walsh, Christopher Guest, Xander Berkeley, Noah Wyle, Cuba Gooding Jr., and many others co-star in this courtroom drama. I had the pleasure of getting to be in the stage version where I played Corporal Howard, played by Noah Wyle, though he is named Barnes in the movie. This is my only show so far in Greenfield and was a great experience. This movie is a very good adaptation to the film. This is based on a true incident.Well, that is it for this week, continue to read for the last week of the Madness and stay tuned for the 10 year anniversary next week.
THE MADNESS
ANNA PAQUIN
Amistad (1997, 155 minutes, 666): Anna Paquin plays Queen Isabella II in this movie directed by Spielberg where a slave goes on trial for leading a revolt against the slave owners. Anthony Hopkins, Morgan Freeman, Matthew McConaughey, and Djimon Hounsou co-star in this film.
The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler (2009, 95 minutes, 666): This is my loophole for Anna Paquin who plays the title character saving many lives during the holocaust.
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BRUCE CAMPBELL
Ash vs. The Evil Dead: El Jefe (2015, 37 minutes, 666 1/2): So this is the series premiere of the show where Bruce reprise the role of Ash Williams that made him. He had been away from the game for 30 years but Ash accidentally causes a deadbite plague. This was a very fun show and look forward to the rest of the series.
CREATURE FEATURES
Piranha (1978, 94 minutes, 66 1/2): This easily qualifies for any madness with some flesh-eating fish and I have the original.
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CULTS
The Seventh Victim (1943, 71 minutes, 666): This is one on satanic cults so I see nothing wrong with getting this counted.
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EMMA CAULFIELD
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Wish (1998, 45 minutes, 666): This is from season three at Emma Caulfield's introduction to the show as vengeance demon Anya. Cordelia is angry at everyone and blames Buffy for all the problems and wishes to Anya that she had never come to Sunnydale. Anya grants this wish where Cordelia sees an even darker world where the vampires are taking over the town and where Xander and Willow are vampires. Caulfield was originally only going to be in a couple episodes but made her way as a recurring character and eventually as a regular until the end.
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FANTASY, SCI-FI, AND OTHERS I CANNOT THINK OF A SPECIFIC CATEGORY
Brainscan (1994, 94 minutes, 66 1/2): Edward Furlong stars in this rather unknown but decent horror film. He gets a video game which becomes all too real when people actually turn up dead. The cheesy effects work pretty well for the mid-90s.<a href="http://s931.photobucket.com/user/shaun2000us/media/thegift.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i931.photobucket.com/albums/ad151/shaun2000us/thegift.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo thegift.jpg"/></a>The Gift (2000, 111 minutes, 666): This is billed as horror on imdb. Cate Blanchett plays a psychic who is asked to find a woman who disappeared. Sam Raimi directed and did a good job. I believe this should count.
Heavy Metal (1981, 86 minutes, 666): This fantasy classic of a glowing orb deserves a spot on the Madness. It has some really good animation and a really good rock soundtrack.
The Manhattan Project (1986, 117 minutes, 66 1/2): This is billed as Sci-Fi where John Lithgow is a scientist making nuclear bombs and the son of the woman he is dating steals some things to make one of his own for the science fair but the government learns of this and take some action.
The Princess and the Frog (2009, 97 minutes, 666 1/2): This is one of my favorite Disney films which has some pretty good jazz numbers which take place in the Jazz age of New Orleans. A prince becomes a frog and gets kissed by a non-princess in Tiana which makes her a frog so they must learn how to be human again. There are some great moments in this one with a lot of very fun characters.
Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014, 165 minutes, 66): This qualifies for this year's madness. It has its moments but not big on these though maybe if they weren't so long.
Whisper (2007, 94 minutes, 66 1/2): LOST alum Josh Holloway stars as an ex-con trying to go straight but not finding it easy. He takes a kidnapping job of abducting the son of a wealthy family and finds they abducted the wrong child who appears to have some telekinetic powers when he turns the tables on the kidnappers. Michael Rooker also stars.
GHOSTS
A Christmas Carol (1938, 69 minutes 666): I believe this December classic should count on here due to all the ghosts.
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JONATHAN DEMME
The Silence of the Lambs (1991, 118 minutes, 666): I watched this one with Shera and her oldest daughter after some of the ones she recorded did not appear to have happened so we settled on this when it was being shown on BBC. I believe this counts every year but this time with their director as a wild card there is no problem getting it to count. Anthony Hopkins plays the very iconic Hannibal Lector and Jodie Foster is the also iconic Clarice Starling. I do believe this qualifies for a bonus when Clarice is trying to track down Buffalo Bill and he makes the room pitch dark where he had night goggles.
Stop Making Sense (1984, 88 minutes, 666 1/2): Demme directed so this great concert film qualifies as one of my loopholes and a pretty good one if I do say so myself.
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LENA OLIN
Alias: The Enemy Walks In (2002, 45 minutes, 666): This was always one of my favorite shows and made me a Jennifer Garner fan. This episode introduces her mother Irina Derevko, played by Olin, to the show as a recurring character. Good to be able to use this show as a loophole.
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LIVE THEATER
Dracula (2015, 2 hours, 666 1/2): This was a stage version at the Anderson Mainstage Theater. This had a great blend of intensity as well as some dark comedy. It was a great one for the holidays and you can still see it next weekend. Visit www.mainstagetheatre.org.
One Funky Halloween (2015, 120 minutes, 666 1/2): This was a comedy that my mom and I went to see in the town of Farmland and is a locally done production. Sean Orlosky wrote this play based on Tom Cherry's local comic strip THOSE FUNKY IDIOTS and they also star in the show as a couple of the idiots. They decided to summon the dead and manage to get people like Abraham and Mary Lincoln. The cast did a really good job and was a pretty packed house. I tried to get Guffman to the show but he stood me up.
Young Frankenstein (2015, 120 minutes, 666 1/2): I went to see this musical adaptation of the Mel Brooks classic in Portland, Indiana on the night of Halloween. I had never seen this show as a musical but it was really well done and the cast was very good. I wish I had been able to try out for this one but was not available.
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MIA SARA
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986, 103 minutes, 666): Mia Sara is a wild card this year so this 80s comedy counts for the Madness this year.
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MUSICAL MADNESS
Into the Woods (2014, 125 minutes, 66 1/2): Last week I featured the locally done live show in my hometown and now I finally watch this movie version. This is from Stephen Sondheim in a fractured fairy tale story that involved witches and giants that qualify the movie. It also includes Cinderella, Repunzel, Little Red Riding Hood, and Jack. This just isn't the same as seeing it on stage but still found it pretty enjoyable.
OLIVIA WILDE
Better Living Through Chemistry (2014, 91 minutes, 666): Olivia is a wild card so I am using this loophole to get her counted this week.
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SLASHERS AND SERIAL KILLERS
American Psycho (2000, 102 minutes, 66 1/2): I don't mind visiting this one every once in a while starring Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman, a role that made him more famous in the mainstream. He is a New York investment banker who at night is a cold blooded killer. I always enjoy his speeches on 80s music.
Eden Lake (2008, 91 minutes, 666): Michael Fassbender and Kelly Reilly star in this British horror film. They are a couple trying to enjoy themselves at a campsite but encounter a gang of murderous teens and must fight for their lives. This was a very intense film and there is nothing upbeat about it. It is fairly realistic and very disturbing.
SUPERHEROES
Arrow: Beyond Redemption (2015, 45 minutes, 666): Laurel deals with her repercussions from reviving Sarah while Oliver learns of Captain Lance's association with Damian Darkh while he works on his campaign for running for mayor. I believe this calls for a bonus point as one of the parts in the flashback scenes was Oliver in a cave.
The Flash: The Fury of Firestorm (2015, 45 minutes, 666): The team look to save Professor Stein by finding a replacement for Ronnie as Firestorm which he cannot escape. Barry becomes closer to Pattie and has an interesting ending.
Supergirl: Pilot (2015, 45 minutes, 666): This is the first episode of the new series on Superman's cousin Kara Zor-El. I believe Melissa Benoist is very well cast and that it shows some promise for the future on this new superhero in town. I don't really know any background on the comics so I do not have that to judge upon.
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TIM CURRY
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975, 100 minutes, 666): This cult classic would qualify no matter what but Tim Curry starring in it makes me not have to justify.
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TIME TRAVEL
Kung Fury (2015, 31 minutes, 666 1/2): This is a great one that is now available for streaming on Netflix. This was funded through Kickstarter and directed and written by David Sandberg who also stars as Kung Fury. He looks to go back in time to kill the Kung Fuhrer Hitler, yes Hitler knows martial arts. This is an awesome throwback to the 80s and has a great song from David Hasselhoff, who also has a cameo, at the end called TRUE SURVIVOR which I have been known to sing on karaoke. As I have said, I have had my differences with the Hoff in a rather unpleasant encounter with him but I can put my differences aside for this one.
TOM CRUISE
A Few Good Men (1992, 138 minutes, 666 1/2): This is my Tom Cruise loophole for the week and has been my most used wild card this year as he is the only one who has made all four of my lists.
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VAMPIRES
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012, 105 minutes, 66 1/2): I finally get to this movie which shows the more unknown side of our 16th president who killed vampires and we learn how he gets into this vampire business which played a lot in the Civil War. We always overlook the more unknown parts of history.
Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992, 128 minutes, 666 1/2): My favorite Dracula adaptation from Francis Ford Coppola starring Gary Oldman as the iconic vamp and really liked the more in-depth look at Dracula and the reasoning for why he became who he became.
<a href="http://s931.photobucket.com/user/shaun2000us/media/dracula2.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i931.photobucket.com/albums/ad151/shaun2000us/dracula2.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo dracula2.jpg"/></a>
The Originals: A Walk on the Wild Side (2015, 45 minutes, 666): Elijah and Klaus continue to look into the motives of their old friends Lucien and Tristan who hate each other and appear to be looking to spread war among the Michaelsons.
The Vampire Diaries: I Carry Your Heart With Me (2015, 45 minutes, 666): Damon must deal with the aftermath of an incident when the vampire Oscar dies making it look like he did it. Alaric continues to try to revive Jo.
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Awesome write up as always. Rocky Horror is one of my all time favorite films. Pure fun bliss. Eden Lake is one of the most underrated and disturbing horror films of all time. Always love reading your thoughts.
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