Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 554th Edition

Welcome to the 554th Edition of my series.  It's been quite a week.  I got to be the doorman for the 2nd annual John Dillinger Birthday Celebration which had music, burlesque, and even a Dillinger historian.  It was a fun night and might look to do it again next year.  Not much else happening at the moment so I will get to my selections.

Pride (2014):  This is part four of my four-part Paddy Considine series.  Matthew Warchus directed this film based on a true story of United Kingdom gay activists do what they can to help mine workers during their strike in 1984 but meet complications with the preconceived thoughts of gays.  George MacKay stars as Joe who is a closet gay and decides to join the gay rights group but keeping a secret from his family.  Dominic West co-stars as the very flamboyant Jonathan who is essentially the leader of the group.  Considine, Monica Dolan, Andrew Scott, Joseph Gilgun, Faye Marsay, Freddie Fox, Imelda Staunton, Bill Nighy, and many others co-star in this film.  I start the movie out with a rather inspirational film of two very different groups coming together to help each other out.  They were able to keep the movie rather comedic but still get their point across.

Anonymous (2011):  Roland Emmerich directed this period piece.  This is a rather intriguing take on William Shakespeare but is centered around Edward De Vere, played by Rhys Ifans, who was the Earl of Oxford and is said to have written what is credited to Shakespeare, played by Rafe Spall.  It also takes place during the rule of Elizabeth I, played by Vanessa Redgrave and by her own daughter Joely Richardson in flashback scenes, and a political film during that era that centers around a theater.  Sebastian Armesto, David Thewlis, Edward Hogg, Xavier Samuel, Sam Reid, Jamie Campbell Bower, Derek Jacobi, Mark Rylance, and many others co-star in this film.  This is something that has been the subject of debate and Emmerich's possibly theory which he financed this whole thing.  It was a different take on Shakespeare that did get my interest and could be a good double feature to go along with SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE.

Stay Until Tomorrow (2004):  Laura Colella wrote and directed this independent film.  Eleanor Hutchins stars as Nina who is a former child star and now a world traveler deciding to crash at her friend Jim's, played by Barney Cheng, home.  It starts out as a bit of a romantic comedy but then turning into a film within a film where both characters are trying to change storylines of what is going on leading into both character having narration.  It is hard to really explain beyond that description.  It is very different which has lead to mixed reactions of the film but also did not get a lot of exposure.  I believe it is meant to be more of an experimental film and there were good performances out of the leads.

The Dentist (1932):  This is my comedy short for the week.  Comedy legend W.C. Fields stars as the dentist who does his work without any pain killer, leading into a comedic climax where he tries to get a tooth out which reminded me of a scene when I was in THE GOOD DOCTOR.  There are also some really good bits at the golf course.  This is a pre code film which had some interesting sexual innuendo that would not have been approved years later.  This is a pretty entertaining half hour with Fields possibly at the top of his game.

The Big Noise (1944):  I go from W.C. Fields to the legendary comedy duo of Laurel and Hardy.  Laurel and Hardy star as a couple of janitors of a detective agency who decide to pose as detectives when an inventor of a bomb hires them to protect what he invented.  This takes place during WWII and they do a really good job of making comedy out of a really serious time with an interesting ending that was a bit of WWII propaganda..  A young Robert Blake co-stars in this comedy.  This is a really good one for fans of Laurel and Hardy.

Dillinger (1973):  I figured with what I got to do over the weekend, how fitting to feature this version which is my favorite version.  John Milius wrote and directed this film on the famed bank robber from my own state of Indiana.  Warren Oates plays Dillinger and plays him to perfection even to the point of just looking the part.  Ben Johnson co-stars as G-Man Melvin Purvis who is determined to bring down Dillinger and his gang.  Cloris Leachman plays Anna Sage who most people know the part she played in his life.  Richard Dreyfuss and Steve Kanaly co-star as other famed criminals of Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd.  Michelle Phillips, Harry Dean Stanton, John P. Ryan, Frank McRae, and many others co-star in this film.  This is one of the best gangster movies made in my opinion.  It had some good performances and some good action scenes which were quite realistic.

A Better Life (2011):  Chris Weitz directed this independent film.  Demian Bichir stars as Carlos who is a decent, hard working man but also an illegal immigrant.  He is a single father trying to make a good life for him and his son Luis, played by Jose Julian.  He also fears that Luis might fall into the gangster culture and does what he can to stop that from happening while taking a business risk that could make or break him.  Eddie Soleto, Joaquin Cosio, Nancy Lenehan, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a really good father and son film and one that shows some rather gray areas to illegal immigrants.  Bichir and Julian are a great father and son team and this is a very moving independent film.

High Noon (1952):  This is my western for the week and one of my favorites of a genre I am not huge with. Gary Cooper stars in this western as Marshall Will Kane who has just gotten married and is set to be leaving the town and walking away from his dangerous life as a Marshall. Things begin to change when Will is informed that a man he put in prison has been pardoned and feels obligated to stay and help when three other men roll into town obviously waiting for Frank Miller, who has just gotten out. Things do not go as planned though when the town refuses to help Kane, including an all-talk deputy Marshall in Harvey Pell, played by Lloyd Bridges. Grace Kelly plays Will's wife who is not big on him staying in that town. Lee Van Cleef makes his film debut here in a very silent role but conveys a lot through his actions and facial expressions. Lon Chaney Jr. also has a part. John Wayne at one point felt this was very "un-American" and Wayne has also conveyed he wish he had gotten the part to make it more like his own westerns. With that being said, all I have to say is thank you for casting Gary Cooper and not John Wayne. It was also meant to be a statement towards Hollywood for not standing up to the Joe McCarthy witch hunts. This is available on Stars On-Demand.

The Illustrated Man (1969):   This is my sci-fi selection for the week which is based on the book by Ray Bradbury and directed by Jack Smight.  It is based on three short stories called THE VELDT, THE LONG RAIN, and THE LAST NIGHT OF THE WORLD which all mostly intertwine.  Rod Steiger stars as Carl who is the tattooed title character but don't call them tattoos, they are illustrations.  He meets Willie, played by Robert Drivas, who becomes very intrigued by Carl and listens to his stories which have startling visions of humankind and all play into the three stories that the novel is based upon.  Claire Bloom co-stars as Felicia who was responsible for Carl's tattoos.  This was quite the financial failure and it does not beat Bradbury's FAHRENHEIT 451 but it was still an intriguing and dark film about the future that was able to keep my interest pretty well.  It is also the first time I have seen anything else based on work by Bradbury besides his well known one so good to see some alternative work.

Tess of the D'urbervilles (2008):  I end the week with this BBC mini-series and part five of my five-part Eddie Redmayne series.  Gemma Arterton stars as Tess Durbeyfield who has always lived in poverty but learns of noble connections.  She is soon sent to live with the D'urbervilles to work where she meets Eric, played by Hans Matheson.  She takes a disliking to him in his attempts at seduction, eventually forcing himself on her.  Ashamed and back at home, she meets and falls in love with Angel Clare, played by Eddie Redmayne, eventually marrying him.  However, she harbors a rather dark secret that complicate the marriage.  Ruth Jones, Ian Puleston-Davies, Jo Woodcock, Kenneth Cranham, and many others co-star in this BBC mini-series.  It is a little less than four hours long which is four episodes.  Arterton shines really well as the title character and helped make this mini-series quite enjoyable.

Well, that is it for this week thought I have brought back my Movie Night at the Shera Segment.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes the late Anton Yelchin, Audie Murphy, Ralph Fiennes, and many others.

MOVIE NIGHT AT THE SHERA

Daddy's Home (2015):  Lately our schedules just have not met up like they used to but this week we were finally able to get together and watch a movie together.    We went through some titles and she took some interest in this one so I decided to check out he second teaming of Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg after THE OTHER GUYS.  Ferrell stars as Brad Whitaker who is married to Sara, played by Linda Cardellini, who has her own children that Brad is trying to win over.  Things become complicated when their biological dad Dusty, played by Wahlberg, returns provoking a competition between the two.  Thomas Haden Church, Scarlett Estevez, Owen Vaccaro, Hannibal Buress, Bill Burr, Bobby Cavanale, and many others co-star.  I did like their first teaming better but I felt this still had its moments while I believe the part at the basketball game was a bit much.  The competition with the different styled fathers did entertain me quite a bit.  We both laughed quite a bit with this comedy.  She has not seen THE OTHER GUYS so she might want to watch that soon now that we checked this one out and hopefully soon I'll talk her into checking out BUBBA HO-TEP.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 553rd Edition

Welcome to the 553rd Edition of my series.  I hope everyone is having a good Father's Day.  This Friday, I will be working at John Dillinger's Birthday Celebration as the doorman and the show will have some live music and burlesque so I'm sure it will be a good time.  Not a lot else going on right now although I will say that I have joined the Planet Fitness craze.  At first I was not very motivated but now stay a little longer by going on one of the bikes and watch an episode of a television show, sad I know.  Other than that, not much else is happening so I'll just get on with my selections.

Swimming With Sharks (1994):  George Huang wrote and directed this film which doubles as a comedy and a thriller almost.  George Huang directed this film on a Hollywood studio.  Frank Whaley stars as young writer named Guy who becomes an assistant to a big time movie producer is Buddy Ackerman, played by Kevin Spacey.  Ackerman is that boss that is everyone's worst nightmare and drives Guy to the point of him kidnapping him.  Michelle Forbes, Benicio Del Toro, T.E. Russell, Roy Dotrice, and many others co-star in this film.  This is filmed with the kidnapping, then flashes back to the events which lead up to it.  This is mostly a satire to the dark side of Hollywood.  Huang based Ackerman on producer Joel Silver who is used to work for.  This is a very cleverly written film that is hard to really label with genre except maybe drama with a good amount of dark comedy to go along with it.

Cemetery Junction (2010):  Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant wrote, directed, and co-starred in this film that takes place in a suburb in the 1970s United Kingdom.  Christian Cooke stars as Freddie who does not want to follow the footsteps of his father, played by Gervais, in a factory and takes a job selling insurance.  He also runs into his childhood love Julie, played by Felicity Jones, who is engaged to his co-worker and the daughter of his boss, played by Ralph Fiennes.  He struggles in his job and with the approval of his family.  He also sees that Julie is not happy and looks to reconnect with her.  Tom Hughes, Matthew Goode, Jack Doolan, Steve Speirs, Burn Gorham, Emily Watson, and many others co-star in this film.  This was a pretty good surprise for me in this I guess coming of age movie.  It has some believable characters as well as really good dialogue.

Tyrannosaur (2011):  This is part four of my potential six part Paddy Considine series.  Considine took to directing and writing this one and did not go in front of the camera.  Peter Mullen stars as Joseph who is a man plagued by violence and rage.  He meets a woman named Hannah, played by Olivia Colman, who works at a Christian charity shop and prays for him when she encounters him at her place of work.  They form a friendship discovering they both have secrets in that she is in a very abusive marriage with her husband James, played by Eddie Marsan.  It is really hard to go in depth into this film.  It is one that is driven mostly by character.  It is not upbeat at all and is by no means or everyone.  Also if you are expecting dinosaurs, this also is not it and in fact I really don't know the reason behind the title.  It is still very well written and a very good effort by Considine.  This is available on the website hoopla.com.

The House of Tomorrow (1949):  This is my animated short for the week from director Tex Avery.  This is a much different animated short where a family is looking into a dream house and has all kinds of very innovative features.  In a way, this could be considered a precursor to THE JETSONS.  It has very funny narration.  It is part of the dvd of last week's feature MR. BLANDINGS BUILDS HIS DREAM HOME.

Borderline (1930):  This is my silent film for the week which was directed by Kenneth MacPherson who either did not have what he needed for talkies or just did not want to make the transition like some.  This is a very early look at interracial relations and adultery.  Eslanda Robeson stars as Adah and as they make very clear in the credits and titles "a negro woman".  She is married to Pete, played by Paul Robeson who was Eslanda's real-life husband, but is having an affair with a white man named Thorne, played by Gavin Arthur, who is also married.  This makes Thorne's wife Astrid, played by Hilda Doolittle, go off the deep end leading to tragedy.  This was a bit hard to follow with the lack of inter-titles.  Still pretty intriguing and was influential to future filmmakers.  There were a lot of rather innovative cinematic techniques as well.  It is also of work for the early work of Paul Robeson who I believe helped make it easier for blacks to get roles in film.

The Shaggy D.A. (1976):  This is my Disney film for the week and follow-up or sequel to the 1959 film THE SHAGGY DOG.  Dean Jones stars as Wilby Daniels who is a grown man and was played by Tommy Kirk in the 1959 film.  He is now an attorney and against the corrupt practices of current district attorney John Slade, played by Keenan Wynn, so he decides to run for district attorney.  Complicating matters is the cursed ring from his past which turns him into that shaggy dog.  Tim Conway, Suzanne Pleshette, Jo Anne Worley, Dick Van Patten, and many others co-star in this film.  With my recent interest in going to see roller derby, I enjoyed the roller derby scene and notice how the local league I go see does not have the angled track which is understandable since they are volunteers and the skating rink is their best place.  This is a good for the family to watch and not a bad follow-up which could make a good double feature to watch with the family.

Les Miserables (2012):  This is part four of my Eddie Redmayne series which may end this week or next.  Tom Hooper directed this popular musical adaptation to the classic novel from Victor Hugo.  Hugh Jackman stars as Jean ValJean who is getting paroled from prison after 20 years for stealing a loaf of bread.  He finds that it is hard to move on with his life and breaks his parole to start a whole new one.  He is running a factory and meets his worker Fantine, played by Anne Hathaway, and sees how she has been mistreated at work and outside of work.  He agrees to help raise her daughter Cosette, played by Amanda Seyfried in her grown years.  In the process, he has the ruthless policeman Javert, played by Russell Crowe, on his trail and later they both get caught up in the French Revolution.  Sacha Baran Cohen, Helena Bonham Carter, Eddie Redmayne, Samantha Banks, and many others co-star in this film.  The original Jean ValJean of the stage Colm Wilkinson plays the noble priest early in the film who helps Valjean start his new life.  Jackman was great as ValJean and finally exposing to everyone the musical theater actor that he is.  Hathaway has a small part but shines to no end especially on her singing I DREAMED A DREAM.  Crowe has an unusual voice and the first time I watched it I did not like him singing but then the more I watch it, I believe his voice really fit his character.  This one of my favorite musicals and thought Hooper did a really good job bringing it to the screen.  I hope one day to be in this musical and one I would accept chorus but want Javert.

Anne of the Thousand Days (1969):  Charles Jarrott directed this royalty film for the week which is centered around the relationship of Henry VIII, played by Richard Burton, and his second of six wives Anne Boleyn, played by Genevieve Bujold.  The movie starts where Henry is still married to Katherine, played by Irene Papas, and bears him a daughter instead of the son he is very obsessed about.  He is also in a very loveless marriage that he is in more for political reasons.  He is able to work his way to divorcing Katherine and then marries Anne Boleyn who he does like but in the end is unable to bore him a son and gives his the future Queen Elizabeth, played by Katherine Blake.  After this, Henry doubts Anne's abilities to give his that son he wants and starts to have his eyes on his other future wife Jane Seymour, played by Lesley Paterson.  Anthony Quayle, John Colicos, Michael Hordern, and many others co-star in this film.  Most who at least know basic history know Anne Boleyn's end but I will leave that spoiler out of this one.  I was pretty compelled by this film and like it better than a lot of royalty movies I have seen.  There were some great scenery and costumes and fairly accurate from what we have learned in history.

Rock Around the Clock (1956):  This is my rock and roll film for the week.  Johnny Johnston stars as big band promoter Steve Hollis and is pretty much between jobs goes to a small town dance to discover Bill Haley and His Comets, which play themselves.  He looks to get them famous beyond the small town but his ex who is a booking agent conspires against their success.  Other 50s bands include the Platters, Ernie Freeman Combo, and Tony Martinez and His Band.  If looking for historical accuracy on the discovery of Rock and Roll, this really not it as this is rather fictionalized.  It can still be of interest for fans of '50s Rock and Roll and the feel it has in this movie.

Room (2015):  I end the week with this very emotional and inspiring film.  Lenny Abrahamson directed this film based on the novel by Emma Donoghue who also wrote the screenplay.  Brie Larson stars as Joy who has been trapped with her now 5 year old son Jack, played by Jacob Tremblay, in a small room being held captive.  She tries to make the most of what they have by creating a fantasy world called Room to help Jack get through not being a able to leave but making a decent life for him.  As time goes on, the boy becomes more curious about the outside world and Joy concocts an escape plan to get out.  Sean Bridgers, Joan Allen, William H. Macy, Matt Gordon and many others co-star.  Larson is great in this film and Tremblay is able to make Jack a very likable 5 year old boy.  I read that Larson did a lot of preparation by isolating herself for a month in a house with limited technology.  I don't want to get into too much detail but there were times where I would shed tears but at the same time was a very rewarding film to watch.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Imelda Staunton, Vanessa Redgrave, W.C. Fields, and many others.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 552nd Edition

Welcome to the 552nd Edition of my series.  There is not a lot of new things going on to get into right now though I will be going to watch roller derby later today at Gibson's Skating Rink.  With it being waking distance of my home, I have gotten into that for the first time this year and might look to get a little more involved next year maybe as a referee.  I will now get into my selections for the week.

Heights (2005):  Chris Terrio directed this film based on the play by Amy Fox.  This is centered around a few New Yorkers.  James Marsden stars as Jonathan who is a successful attorney about to get married to Isabel, played by Elizabeth Banks, but harbors a secret she does not know about while she is having her own reservations about marriage.  Glenn Close co-stars as Isabel's mother Diana who is successful in the theater.  Jesse Bradford also co-stars as Alec who is a theater actor who Diana sees potential.  John Light co-stars as Peter who is a journalist and biographer.  They all have different lives but things come together in the end.  Thomas Lennon, Matthew Davis, Isabella Rossellini, Jim Parsons, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a pretty well done character driven and independent film that takes a good look into the world of theater.

Morning Glory (2010):  Roger Michell directs this romantic and career comedy.  Rachel McAdams stars as Becky who gets hired as a producer for a struggling daytime news program.  She finds that it is a very difficult job with her bickering anchors Mike and Colleen, played by Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton.  She is trying to save a struggling program while also deal with a relationship with Adam, played by Patrick Wilson, who works in the same building.  McAdams was a lot of fun as the overzealous and optimistic Becky.  Ford also does good in his comedic role as the rather uncooperative and grumpy anchor.  Jeff Goldblum, John Pankow, Ty Burrell, Patti D'Arbanville, and many others co-star in this comedy.  This gave a good backstage look on putting together a news program while delivering some laughs to go with it.

Dead Man's Shoes (2004):  This is part two of my Paddy Considine series.  Shane Meadows directed this British film and co-wrote with Considine who also stars in the film.  Considine stars as Richard who is returning to his home after military service.  When getting home, he has revenge on his mind toward some local bullies who did some bad things to his mentally impaired brother Anthony, played by Toby Kebbell.  Richard becomes the Angel of Vengeance on the group that wronged his brother.  Gary Stretch also co-stars in this film.  This is a really well done tale of vengeance that Considine was able to bring to life.  This is available on the website hoopla.com which you can use with a card to the Muncie Public Library.  This is very dark and gritty so not for someone looking for an upbeat film or some fun action movie.

What's a Nice Guy Like You Doing in a Place Like This (1963):  This is my short film for the week and is an early film for Martin Scorsese when he was a student at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University.  Zeph Michelis stars as a writer named Algernon but called Harry by his friends.  When buying a painting, he becomes very intrigued of it making his life very difficult.  This is about 10 minutes long and shades of what Scorsese would become in his later career.  This is available on youtube and is worth a look.

Mr. Blandings Builds his Dream House  (1948):  Cary Grant stars in this comedy as Jim Blandings who finds living in a New York apartment with his wife Muriel, played by Myrna Loy, and his two daughters Joan and Betsy, played by Sharyn Moffett and Connie Marshall, very difficult.  He then sees a home for sale in the country and decides right away that is what he wants but must have it built.  Through this, he finds that it is very difficult to get everything together the way he wants and finds he is getting more than he bargains for.  Melvyn Douglas co-stars as family friend Bill Cole who tries to help the family through the difficult times even if he may not agree with what Jim is doing.  I believe this comedy has gone onto become pretty underrated through the years.  Anyone who has ever went through building a house I'm sure can relate.  Just about everything works in this realistic comedy.  This might be my favorite Cary Grant film.

Hot Water (1924):  This is my silent film for the week which stars legendary silent comedian Harold Lloyd.  This takes a look at married life and problems with the in-laws.  This has many comedic gags like a trolley scene, a ride in an automobile and inadvertently having his mother in law chloroformed.  Lloyd is known as "The Third Genius" which is obviously to Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, to other silent comedians.  He may not be as known as the other two but I a lot of times find him more relating.  From what I understand, he was actually more successful at the time in terms of box office.  This is about an hour long which was about the time of a feature film in this era.

The Intruder (1962):  Roger Corman directed this film based on a novel by Charles Beaumont.  This takes place in a very segregated southern town where they are about to try putting a few black kids in a public school.  A pre-STAR TREK William Shatner stars as Adam who arrives in the town in his white suit and stirs up the town who is mostly opposed to the integration being passed turning the town into a mob.  Tom McDaniel co-stars as newspaper editor Tom McDaniel who seemed to have a more neutral attitude of race relations until he saw Adam in action and decides it is right to stand by the blacks.  I heard about this movie maybe two or three years ago when watching a documentary called CORMAN'S WORLD.  We all know Corman has been known to direct and/or produce a lot of movies that make a lot of money but is not always known for his quality of work except making rather watching B movies.  What stuck out to me was when they were talking about this movie, they were saying how this was the only one where he lost money but is thought by many to be his best work and I am inclined to agree after watching this.  This was a really good look at race relations.  I had always thought of BUCKET OF BLOOD as my favorite Corman film until I watched this one.  I will also go so far as to say this is Shatner's best work.  It is too bad this was never one of Corman's more known films and that I had to watch it on Youtube.

The Danish Girl  (2015):  This is part three of my potential six part Eddie Redmayne series.  Tom Hooper directed this film based on Lili Elbe who is one of the first known transgender which was in the 1920s.  Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander star as married couple Einer and Gerda Wegener who are also both artists.  Gerda needed Einer to pose in women's clothing for a painting and when doing this, Einer begins to find a new identity and begins to change his appearance to the point of renaming himself Lili eventually getting gender reassignment surgery.  Redmayne is really good in his appearance transitioning and Vikander is also really good as his unconditional loving wife.  Amber Heard, Adrian Schiller, Emerald Fennell, Ben Whishaw, and many others co-star in this film.  Vikander had quite a year being in this and in the well-done sci-fi film EX MACHINA, both very different roles but great performances.  Also of worth to see the perfectly cast Redmayne.

The Wings of Eagles (1957):  I go from a biopic of a transgender to a biopic of a naval pilot.  John Ford directed this this one which is based on Frank "Spig" Wead, played by John Wayne.  This starts out in his younger days when he is just joining the navy where he is very dedicated the navy which make his marriage and family life suffer.  An accident leaves him mostly paralyzed which makes him turn to screenwriting.  Maureen O'Hara plays his wife Min who stands by him even after lengthy absences.  Ward Bond co-stars as John Dodge which is based on director John Ford.  Dan Dailey, Ken Curtis, Edmond Lowe, Kenneth Tobey, Dorothy Jordan, and many others co-star in this biopic.  This is not the best collaboration between Ford and Wayne but still worth a look especially the cameo of Ward Bond.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011):  I end the week with this comedy that was directed by John Madden.  A few British retirees for various reasons decide to go to India when they saw what appeared to be a newly restored hotel.  When arriving, they find that it is not as luxurious as it appeared to be but they try to make the most of it especially with the charm of the owner Sonny, played well by Dev Patel.  Judi Dench, Tom Wilkinson, Bill Nighy, Penelope Wilson, Maggie Smith, Ronald Pickup, and Celia Imrie are some of the elderly.  Ronald Pickup was actually my favorite as Norman.  Patel was very amusing as Sonny and was a very underrated part of the film in my opinion.  The rest also gave good performances in a diverse group of pretty likable people with different stories.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Kevin Spacey, Ricky Gervais, and many others.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 551st Edition

Welcome to the 551st Edition of my series.  Soon, I will be starting my next movie THE VENGEANCE SQUAD where I am to play a psycho and from what I have seen will be the meanest I have ever been and I have played some dark characters.  I will have more details as they come.  I am glad to see this warm weather happening.  I don't have much else so I'll just get on with my selections for the week.

Side By Side (2012):  I start the week out with this documentary on the film industry.  Keanu Reeves hosts this documentary and also produced.  This explores the history of film editing and the changes that are coming with digital along with the debate of photochemical and digital film.  There are interviews with many people in the film industry that include Martin Scorsese, Danny Boyle, James Cameron, Lena Dunham, David Fincher, Barry Levinson, Richard Linklater, David Lynch, Christopher Nolan, Robert Rodriguez, Joel Schumacher, Steven Soderbergh, Lars Von Trier, and many others.  This is a documentary which film buffs should really take a look upon and is very insightful.  There are lots of very different opinions on the preference how to film.  Some actors also give insight on how much different it is for them when it comes to digital vs photochemical.  There is some discussion on how we watch film.  I know I'm that nerd with a laptop that will go to a coffee shop and stream a movie.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001):  I follow with a rock film based on the book by John Cameron Mitchell who also stars as the title character and the lyrics were written by Stephen Trask who stars as band member Skszp.  Hedwig is a transsexual punk rock singer who underwent a botched sex change operation.  She is telling her life story through songs.  Michael Pitt co-stars as former lover Tommy Gnosis whose career Hedwig helped but ended up surpassing Hedwig which is a source of her bitterness.  I noticed Pitt's character has some rather interesting religious beliefs which I did not pick up on last time I saw it.  Miriam Shor and Andrea Martin co-star in the film.  Mitchell does a great job as Hedwig and this has gained quite the cult following since its release.  It has some really good music numbers.  It has also been a Broadway musical with Neil Patrick Harris.

Blitz (2011):  This is part one of a possible Paddy Considine series.  Elliott Lester directed this film based on a novel by Ken Bruen.  Jason Statham stars as Detective Sergeant Tom Brant who is investigating serial killings of his own colleagues in the police force.  Considine co-stars as Nash who is the new head of the force that does not always agree with Brant's methods, teams up with him to take down the killer.  Aiden Gillen, Zawe Ashton, David Morrissey, Ned Dennehy, Mark Rylance, Luke Evans, and many others co-star in this film.  With Statham, one might expect a lot of action and this does not have much in the way of action but is more of a murder mystery.  In watching this, I did find it to be rather compelling.  I also liked the dynamic between the characters of Brant and Nash who were quite different but understood each other.  This British crime thriller is available on Instant Netflix.

Sword Fishing (1939):  This is my documentary short film for the week.  This is a short which shows archer Howard Hill who shows his arching skills among a group of fisherman.  What is of most interest is that future president Ronald Reagan provides the narration which kept me pretty compelled for the few minutes.  Not a 10 minutes from this era.

The Bellboy (1960):  Jerry Lewis makes his directorial debut in the comedy in which he wrote.  Lewis stars as Stanley who is a mute bellboy.  He performs his duties but anything that can go wrong does go wrong.  Lewis also plays himself and people see a striking resemblance.  It has a really good beginning in my opinion and many really good gags happen within the film.  Lewis also does a really good job with silent comedy as he plays a mute.  Lewis does a good job in his directorial debut with the limited time and resources that he had.

Behind Green Lights (1946):  This is my B murder mystery of the week.  William Gargan stars as Lieutenant Dan Carson who must go an investigate a political murder after finding the body dumped at the door of police headquarters.  Richard Crane, John Ireland, Carole Landis, and many others co-star in the film.  I found this one when I was looking for older movies and on an app called Movie Vault on the Roku television that my dad has.  This is only about an hour long and is not a bad B list film noir if into this genre and era.

The Yellow Handkerchief (2008):  This is part two of an Eddie Redmayne series whose movie BIRDSONG I featured last week and this week unexpectedly came across this one.  Udayan Prasad directed this road film based on a story by Pete Hamill.  Kristen Stewart stars as Martine who is a lonely teen and decides to hitch a ride with stranger Gordy, played by Redmayne, who is a rather awkward person.  She also meets an ex-con named Brett, played by William Hurt, who Martine invites to tag along not wanting to be alone with Gordy.  The unlikely trio set off on a road trip through Louisiana where they all learn a lot about each other.  Maria Bello co-stars as May who is Brett's love and debates on if it is a good idea to see her.  There is a lot of flashback scenes between Brett and May.  I was very pleasantly surprised by this film.  I thought the three actors worked so well together and were a very believable trio.  I even thought Kristen Stewart did a good job in the film and had a good script to work with.  This was more of a character driven film with three very compelling characters to take part in a road trip which manages to become more than a road film.  I had never heard of this film until I got it at the library but turned out to be an unexpected gem that I hope to get on the radar.

Niagara (1953):  Marilyn Monroe's birthday would have been Friday so I'll just celebrate here.  Another crime drama for the week which was directed by Henry Hathaway.  Joseph Cotten and Marilyn Monroe star as married couple George and Rose Loomis who are honeymooning in Niagara Falls with Rose plotting to kill her own husband.  Max Showalter and Jean Peters co-star as Ray and Polly Cutler who are very significant to the mystery, especially Polly.  It is hard to go into further detail without giving things away.  Monroe takes a more dramatic turn and does quite well in her more villainous role.  It does have some beautiful locales like a really good waterfall shot in the beginning.  It is rather complicated at times so be real attentive when watching this film and in the end it is quite worth it.

The Wicker Man (1973):  I was looking for something that was not too long and from this era.  When looking through free movies On-Demand for Comcast, I came across this which I had not seen for a while and was ready for a Britt Eklund fix.  Edward Woodward stars as Sergeant Howie who goes to a Scottish village after reports surface that a local girl has gone missing.  He finds that are a very strange group of people and is not getting much cooperation.  It was an island that practiced a form of Paganism much to the dismay of Howie who was a devout Christian and did not like the rituals he was seeing on the island  Christopher Lee co-stars as Lord Summerisle who is essentially the head of the island.  This is a horror film but much different from most.  It gives a very legit creepy feel and rather bizarre musical numbers at times.  This movie also shows the music talents of Christopher Lee who does very well and one of my disappointments towards Tim Burton's SWEENEY TODD is that Lee was originally to be in it singing much of the reprisals of THE BALLAD OF SWEENEY TODD but Burton eliminated the song except playing the instrumental.  Many years later was a 2006 remake which starred Nicolas Cage which did not go over well and still have yet to see it.  I read that Lee liked the script so much to the point that he did it for free and finds this role of his to be his best.

El Beso (2014):  I end the week with this Mexican short film directed by Carlos G. Davila.  Rob Cavazos and Ana Gonzalez Bello star as neighbors and friends for a long time.  Cavazos has a date and asks Bello to let him kiss her to get a critique of how he kisses forcing them to consider the feelings they might have for each other after being friends all these years.  This does have some good performances and had some success on film festivals.  This is available on HBO On-Demand and worth a few minutes.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Glenn Close, Diane Keaton, and many others.