Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 593rd Edition

Welcome to the 593rd edition of my series.  I'm still busy with rehearsals and planning my birthday week in May so not much else going on right now.  I did learn that in August, September, and October Bruce Campbell has a new book coming out and is doing a book tour so I am going to look to make one of those to meet him.  Other than that, not much else happening so on with my selections.

The Producers (2005):  I start the week out with this musical remake of the 1968 which was directed by Susan Stroman and comes from Broadway where Mel Brooks wrote the additional music numbers.  Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick reprise their roles from the Broadway production as Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom.  Bialystock is a struggling producer who has just had a huge flop with a comedy version of HAMLET.  When meeting accountant Leo Bloom, he starts thinking out loud seeing that having a flop can make a lot more money than a hit if the cards are played right.  Max hears him and talks him into this scheme and find a surefire flop in SPRINGTIME FOR HITLER.  The show becomes a much bigger success than expected which puts them in legal trouble.  Uma Thurman, Will Ferrell, Gary Beach, Roger Bart, Eileen Essell, Michael McKean, David Huddleson, Debra Monk, Andrea Martin, Jon Lovitz, Richard Kind, and many others co-star or have cameos.  Also, TORCHWOOD and ARROW fans may not realize that Captain Jack and Malcolm Merlyn actor John Barrowman has a part where he sings the solo part of the song SPRINGTIME FOR HITLER.  While this does not beat the original, I still found this quite enjoyable and has become a pretty popular show to do in community theaters and I was in the chorus at the Guyer Opera House.

Citizenfour (2014):  This is my documentary for the week which was directed by Laura Poitras.  This is a documentary on Edward Snowden who is a former government employee and is known to have leaked a lot of illegal surveillance information leading to him having charges of violating the Espionage Act of 1917.  Most of the film are interviews of Snowden from the director and two reporters on what the NSA is doing like listening in on phone calls, reading e-mails, among other things.  As I look into Snowden, as of now, he has asylum in an undisclosed Russia location until 2020.  This is an eye opening documentary on a man who has been called many things like hero, traitor, patriot, whistleblower, etc.  In 2016, there was a biopic called SNOWDEN with Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Edward Snowden and has a soundtrack song from Peter Gabriel called THE VEIL.

Mr. Nobody (2009):  Jaco Van Dormael directed this futuristic drama.  Jared Leto stars as Nemo Nobody who is a 120 year old man and telling his story to a journalist, played by Daniel Mays, and his story becomes rather unclear as he tends to tell stories of different paths that could have been taken which unfold in flashback.  Sarah Polley, Diane Kruger, Linh Dan Pham, Rhys Ifans, Natasha Little, Toby Regbo, Juno Temple, Clare Stone, Allan Corduner, and many others.  It is really hard to put this one into words.  Leto does a good job playing multiple ages.  It also has some really good visuals.  This is available to watch on Instant Netflix.

The Woman in the House (1942):  This is my short film for the week which is from the Passing Parade series.  This is apparently based on a true story with the changing of names and takes a look at a woman that has the fear of people, aka anthropophobia.  Ann Richards stars as Catherine Starr who develops this phobia after her husband dies and she fears the outside world.  This is a pretty good short look at someone with this disorder in a time where this was not looked into very much so worth a look.

Fearless Hyena (1979):  This is my martial arts film for the week.  Jackie Chan directed, co-wrote, and stars as Shing Lung who lives in a remote village and whose grandfather has taught him Kung Fu.  His grandfather insists he keep it secret but just cannot resist temptation to show it to his friends.  An old enemy of his grandfather's comes into town and murders him making Lung train more to avenge the death of his grandfather.  This is Chan's directorial debut and does do some really good fight scenes.  Likely mostly of interest to fans of the Chinese martial arts world and of Chan's comedic style.  It looks like this is the first of a trilogy.

Darby O'Gill and the Little People (1959):  This is my live action Disney film for the week. Albert Sharpe stars as Darby O'Gill who is an Irishman who always tells stories of leprechauns and his leprechaun friend King Brian who always have a friendly rivalry with each other.  He needs Brian's help to save his daughter Katie, played by Janet Munro, from a wicked spirit.  A pre-James Bond Sean Connery co-stars as Michael who becomes the new caretaker and forms and interest in his daughter where we hear some rare singing from Connery.  It was a pretty fun film but I'm glad Darby did not try to mess with the leprechaun from the horror films which I believe is the son of King Brian.

A Lost Lady (1934):  This is part one of a possible two-part Barbara Stanwyck series.  She stars as Marian who is about to get married but dies making her very bitter.  While on a walk, she falls and breaks her ankle and is rescued by a man named Dan Forrester, played by a pre-wizard Frank Morgan.  He goes to see her every day accepting her bitterness and when about to be released he asks her to marry him and she accepts though makes it clear she does not love him or if she will.  Ricardo Cortez co-stars as Frank Ellinger who works for Dan with him and Marian taking a liking to each other.  Lyle Talbot, Phillip Reed, Hobart Cavanaugh, and many others co-star.  Pretty good b-list movie from MGM with good performances and only about an hour long.

The Darjeeling Limited (2007):  Wes Anderson directed and co-wrote this comedy with Roman Coppola and Jason Schwartzman.  Schwartzman stars in the movie as Jack and joins his brothers Francis and Peter, played by Owen Wilson and Adrian Brody, on a train trip in India organized by Francis in hopes they will be able to bond and get along a year after their father's death and are hoping to bond with their mother.  Each of them have their own ways of coping with his death.  Amara Karan, Wallace Wolodarsky, Irrfan Khan, Bill Murray, Anjelica Huston, Natalie Portman, and many others co-star in this film.  There are both funny and even sad moments in this film.  It uses Anderson's usual quirky style which some like and some do not like.  This was something different in my mind and the three leads were enjoyable to watch and each brought something different to the table.  If you just don't like Anderson, I doubt this will be much different.

Westworld (1973):  Michael Crichton wrote and directed this film.  Long before Crichton created JURASSIC PARK, he created a world that included the wild west and medieval times and realistic robots.  Richard Benjamin and James Brolin star as Peter Martin and John Blane who go to this and decide to live the old west.  Unfortunately though these realistic robots got to be a little too realistic and Yul Bryner plays a robot gunslinger looking to settle a score with Peter.  Dick Van Patten, Alan Oppenheimer, Dick Van Patten, and many others co-star in this film.  It is some pretty clever sci-fi showing what could happen if we are not careful.  This was also something different for Bryner playing an unemotional robot in which John Carpenter has cited using the "indestructible" nature in his iconic character Michael Myers in HALLOWEEN and Arnold Schwarzenegger has also cited using his character as an inspiration for his own character of the Terminator.  What also brings to question is can John Carpenter successfully be sued for plagiarism the way he sued Luc Besson for plagiarizing his movie ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK.  It also inspired a rather popular tv series of the same name so see where it all starts.  All that aside, this is a rather underrated sci-fi film that is still available on TCM On-Demand but leaves Tuesday.

Doctor Strange (2016):  I end the week with this Marvel superhero film and I realize I have dealt a lot in the supernatural this week, at least more than usual.  Scott Derrickson directed this film which stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr. Stephen Strange who is a very talented, if not arrogant neurosurgeon and has a life changing moment when he is in a bad car accident which makes him lose the use of his hands which are obviously the most important part of his career.  In his spiritual quest, he is drawn into a world of mysticism where he learns of the world of mystical arts and alternate dimensions where he learns his craft to become a protector of the universe.  Mads Mikkelsen co-stars as the villain Kaecilius who a very bitter former pupil that trained where Strange trains.  Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong, Tilda Swinton, Michael Stuhlberg, Benjamin Bratt, and many others co-star.  Cumberbatch was well cast as Dr. Strange in my opinion.  This is a very well done film from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and will be interesting to see how much he gets worked into the Avengers.  Stay through the credits for two end scenes.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Sir Ian McKellan, Brad Pitt, and many others.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 592nd Edition

Welcome to the 592nd Edition of my series.  Nothing new happening besides the announcements of THE LITTLE MERMAID in April and Shaun's 7 Night Karaoke Madness in May.  That being said, I will just get on with my selections.

The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988):  Philip Kaufman directed this film based on the novel by Milan Kundera.  Daniel Day-Lewis stars as '60s Czechoslovakian doctor and ladies man Tomas.  Juliette Binoche co-stars as Tomas' wife Tereza while Lena Olin co-stars as his mistress Sabina who Tereza does know about.  They are trying to maintain their lives in the time of the Prague Spring which was a very dangerous time of Russian invasion of the era.  Derek De Lint, Erland Josephson, Pavel Landovsky, Donald Moffat, Daniel Olbrychski, Stellan Skarsgard, and many others co-star in this film.  This was something that came out long before we had 50 shades of anything and is probably more compelling than those.  I am sure the book is just as good and better but as a limited reader, I have never read it so I just enjoyed what I saw in this compelling film that is really hard to put into words and just has to be seen.

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (2015):  Alfonso Gomez-Rejon directed this film based on the novel by Jesse Andrews who also wrote the screenplay.  Thomas Mann stars as Greg who is the "me" in the title.  He is a 17 year old and rather socially awkward.  RJ Cyler plays his friend Earl who have always made movies of their favorite movies which are mostly foreign films.  Olivia Cooke co-stars as Rachel who would be the "dying girl" in the title and does have Leukemia.  Greg's mom convinces him to befriend Rachel after she learns she has cancer and finally gives in forming quite a friendship where Greg and Earl decide to make a movie for Rachel.  Nick Offerman, Connie Britton, Molly Shannon, Jon Bernthal, Matt Bennett, Katherine Hughes, Masam Holden, Bobb'e J. Thompson and many others co-star while we also have a rather unique cameo that I won't give away.  This is a pretty good independent film with a clever narrative out of Greg.  Foreign film buffs can get nerdy over the numerous foreign film references in this movie and others can probably learn and be introduced to a new world of cinema.  I suppose a good double feature could be this movie and THE FAULT IN OUR STARS.

Tuesdays With Morrie (1999):  This is my tv movie for the week which is based on the novel by Mitch Albom, played by Hank Azaria in this film.  Albom is a sports journalist who does not seem to really know what he wants personally and professionally.  He learns that a former professor of his named named Morrie Schwartz, played by Jack Lemmon, is dying and decide to go visit which turns into a life changing experience for both of them.  Albom decides to make weekly visits with Morrie in part to work on a story and in another part to have his former professor continue to teach him about life before he dies of Lou Gehrig's Disease.  Wendy Moniz, Caroline Aaron, Bonnie Bartlett, John Carroll Lynch, and many others co-star in this film.  Azaria does a great job getting away from his usual comedy and Lemmon complements him very well as the title character.  This is a very moving film that is based on a true story.

Brave Little Tailor (1938):  This is my animated short for the week featuring the iconic Mickey Mouse.  Mickey is at work and boasts of killing some flies and townspeople believe he is referring to giants as there is a giant on the loose.  Mickey is soon forced to go up against a giant and proves his resourcefulness in the process but have to ask if that giant really did anything wrong or if they were just stereotyping giants.  This is available on the special features of the dvd for last week's feature THE SWORD IN THE STONE and can be found on youtube so you be the judge on if the giant got what he deserved.

Zorba the Greek (1964):  This is another sort of soul searching film.  Mihalis Kakogiannis directed this film which stars Alan Bates as an uptight English writer named Basil who is traveling to Crete on business.  He soon meets the the more outgoing Alexis Zorba, played by Anthony Quinn, and his life changes forever when Zorba shows him how to live a better life.  Irene Papas, Lila Kedrova, Giorgos Foundas, and many others co-star in this film.  This had some beautiful scenery, a great script and really good performances in this rather inspirational movie.

Pillow Talk (1959):  This is my romantic comedy for the week and a vehicle for the duo of Rock Hudson and Doris Day.  For the younger generation, there have not always been cell phones were we could be reached all the time.  In this era, not all phone lines were private and these center around an apartment complex.  Doris Day stars as Jan Morrow who is an interior decorator and whenever she wants to use the phone, fellow tenant Brad Allen, played by Hudson, always seems to be on the other line wooing the ladies.  By chance, Brad realizes that he is in the presence of Jan but she does not know so he poses as a man named Rex Stetson and forms a relationship with her.  Tony Randall and Thelma Ritter co-star in this film as go betweens in a sense and a lot to the comedy.  For me, this is one of the better romantic comedies I have seen through the years and thought it was a very clever story.

The Upside of Anger (2005):  Mike Binder wrote and directed this film that I'm not really sure how I'd describe.  Joan Allen stars as Terry Ann Wolfmeyer who is a suburban wife whose husband disappears leaving her alone with her four daughters, played by Erika Christensen, Keri Russell, Alicia Witt, and Evan Rachel Wood.  Also coming into the picture is her neighbor Denny, played by Kevin Costner takes a liking to her forming a complicated relationship.  Mike Binder also co-stars in this film as Denny's radio producer Shep.  This is a movie that is driven by the characters and each one being an a complicated situation and the daughters handing their missing father differently.  This has a good amount of comedy and drama and was very watchable for me with the characters.

Jeanne Eagels (1957):  This is my fictional biopic for the week that is based on the real-life actress of the title name.  Kim Novak stars as Eagels who joins the carnival ran by Sal Satori, played by Jeff Chandler, who features her in his variety shows eventually leading to a Broadway career and is in film in the '20s in a short lived career and life that was shortened by alcohol problems.  Agnes Moorehead, Charles Drake, Larry Gates, Virginia Grey, Gene Lockhart, and many others co-star in this film.  Novak plays Eagels very well and Chandler is good as Satori.  This is a good look at the acting world of this era.  This is a fictionalized account which was very common for biopics especially in this era but still not a bad watch for classic film buffs.

The Professionals (1966):  This is my western for the week which was directed by Richard Brooks and written by Frank O'Rourke.  Ralph Bellamy plays Texas millionaire J.W. Grant who hires four adventurers, played Lee Marvin, Robert Ryan, Woody Strode, and Burt Lancaster, to rescue his kidnapped wife Maria, played by Claudia Cardinale, from Mexican bandit Jesus Raza, played by Jack Palance.  Last week, I featured the latest version of THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN which was similar in the way that a diverse group of people get hired to take on a villain.  This was just as good with the really different four people and each having their own talents.  There were also some very good action and quite a bit of twists that happen.

Kubo and the Two Strings (2016):  I end the week with this animated film directed.  Art Parkinson provides the voice of Kubo who lives a quiet and normal life living with his ill mother Sariatu, voiced by Charlize Theron.  Kubo inadvertently awakens an old feud as many gods and monsters go after Kubo and he must locate a magical suit of armor worn by his late father who was a legendary samarai warrior.  Joining Kubo in his fight is Monkey, also voiced by Theron, and Beetle, voiced by Matthew McConaughey.  Ralph Fiennes, Brenda Vaccaro, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Meyrick Murphy, George Takei, and many others provide voices in this film.  This is a very beautiful and moving fantasy film with really good animation that gives Disney a run for its money.

Well, that is it for this week but continue to read for the new segment "Movie Time in the Town of Pottersville".  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Uma Thurman, and many others.

MOVIE TIME IN THE TOWN OF POTTERSVILLE

Peter Gabriel:  Growing Up Live (2003):  This is the first of this segment which happened at my friend Stephanie's house whose last name just happens to be Potter so I named her home Pottersville and even made it into a town.  Most of my friends know I'm a big fan of Peter Gabriel, some have even said obsessed.  On Super Bowl Sunday, Steph and I got to talking and she revealed she really likes him.  This was very unexpected as her favorite singer is Marilyn Manson and she's a bit younger than me.  I proceeded to quiz her a little bit and she passed so I insisted we watch this DVD of a live concert that I own.  Last Tuesday, I picked up our friend Matt and we hung out at her house and watched this dvd in which both really enjoyed his live performance.  This particular show was in Milan, Italy but I did have the pleasure of seeing this show in Noblesville, IN at which was at the time Verizon Wireless Music Center which was at one time Deer Creek Music Center and has since become the Klipsch Music Center.  It was an absolutely amazing concert in which I feel Peter Gabriel is one of the rare singers that is better live than on cd.  He also has a really good band around him that includes his daughter Melanie Gabriel as well as Tony Levin and many others.  Unfortunately, when I mention Peter Gabriel, all they think is SLEDGEHAMMER and then dismiss him but he is so much more than that song.  I started becoming a fan of his as early as middle school starting with his unusual music videos.  Things started to really change one day when I was at my dad's house and had a music player called a DMX player, I have no idea why I remember that name, and heard his song GAMES WITHOUT FRONTIERS which was performed at the live show I was at but unfortunately not in this DVD.   Hearing that song really had me fully sold on Peter Gabriel and started getting more of his cds including some that when he was the lead singer of Genesis.  This show had a really cool round stage which I did not get this experience.  When it was all said and done Matt and Stephanie really enjoyed this concert and the effort the band put into the music and theatrics.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 591st Edition

Welcome to the 591st edition of my series.  Last week I announced that I am in THE LITTLE MERMAID at the end of April in Portland, Indiana.  I also want to announce on the week of my birthday on May 21st, I am doing 7 nights of Karaoke from Sunday to Saturday that week.  They will be in different places each night and I will have more details of that closer to time.  That's about all going on with me for now so I will get on with my selections for the week.

The Act of Killing (2012):  I start the week out with this documentary from Joshua Oppenheimer and Anonymous.  This takes a look at a group of people who were part of an Indonesian death squad in the mid-60s and then they are asked to reenact what they did through cinematic genres.  I don't really know how else to describe this rather strange documentary where Oppenheimer is trying to reopen a forgotten past.  Many of them also reflect on what they did through interviews and much of them feeling they were in the right.  They openly called themselves gangsters which meant they were free and that they were taking on communism by committing the murders they did.  Some of the scenes consisted of lavish music and dance numbers.  This was very different and while unusual it is still very informative.  There is a follow-up to this in 2014 called THE LOOK OF SILENCE which is available on Instant Netflix but this one I had to check out at the library.  It is very difficult to go further into words with this documentary so I suggest just looking to get a copy of some sort and check it out.  The sequel will probably come in the near future.

Popeye the Sailor (1933):  This is my animated short for the week which features Popeye's first animated appearance.  It is actually billed as a Betty Boop cartoon but really stars Popeye.  This is mostly Popeye singing his signature song and does the hula with Betty and also fights Bluto in order to save his Olive Oyl from being tied to the railroad tracks in a strange way.  This is a good intro to the famous sailor man and if nothing else is his and Betty Boop doing the hula.  So I guess Betty got Popeye going but then he became popular enough to go off on his own.  This can be found on Youtube.

King (1978):  This is my mini-series for the week which is based on the famed civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.  Paul Winfield stars as King which mostly goes from his start as a Southern Baptist leader who saw that just worshiping was not enough and that he was in a place that he must look to end segregation in the United States.  It goes up to his assassination which I suppose is a spoiler but I think just about everyone knows that by now.  Cicely Tyson stars as his wife Coretta who stands with her husband no matter how crazy things get.  Roscoe Lee Browne, Lonny Chapman, Ossie Davis, Cliff De Young, Ernie Hudson, and many others co-star in this mini-series.  The most known portrayal I would say is from the 2014 film SELMA which was different but covers a pretty small amount of King.  This obviously goes far more in-depth and is three episodes of over an hours= each.  It is a very well-done mini-series with Winfield doing a great job as King and one that has gone rather unknown through the years.  I think my favorite scene was during one of King's congregations, he was assaulted by a white man and instead of just having him thrown out or arrested, he worked to understand the reason for the racism.  I got this on dvd from my local library, so it is obtainable at least in that regard and is worth the four and a half hours.

Prefontaine (1997):  This is part two of my Jared Leto series.  Steve James directed this biopic on the life of runner Steve Prefontaine, played by Jared Leto.  This shows him in childhood in Oregon trying to find his way and was too short for some sports but found he had a talent of running.  He is eventually recruited in college and works to get into the Olympics.  R. Lee Ermey, Ed O'Neill, Breckin Meyer, Lindsey Crouse, Amy Locane, Laurel Holloman, Brian McGovern, Kurtwood Smith, and many others co-star in this film.  James is known for his documentaries but decides to do a biopic film and does it in a documentary style which was one thing I enjoyed about the film adding quite an authenticity.  Watching this also occurred to me that Ed O'Neill is a very underrated and versatile actor and can forget that he was Al Bundy for awhile.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

The Corn is Green (1945):  Irving Rapper directed this film that I believe takes place in the late 1800s, maybe the early 1900s.  Bette David stars as schoolteacher Lily Moffat who comes to a Welsh mining town and dismayed that the kids work in the minds.  She is determined to get them an education and forms her own local school despite opposition from the local squire, played by Nigel Bruce.  John Dall co-stars as John Dall who is the young man that Lily sees the most potential in and tries getting him educated.  Rhys Williams, Mildred Dunnock, Arthur Shields, Joan Lorring, and many others co-star in this film.  Davis shows she can still shine when she is toned down and does a great job here.  This is a really good look at the earlier days of education.

The Magnificent Seven (2016):  Antoine Fuqua directed this remake to the 1960 film and anyone criticizing that this is a remake to that movie, please remember that is also in itself a remake to 1954 Japanese classic SEVEN SAMURAI.  Denzel Washington stars in this film as Chisolm who learns that the small town of Rose Creek is being terrorized and slowly forms a group of seven diverse men that include Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Bynug-Hun Lee, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Martin Sensmeier, and Vincent D'Onofrio to rid the town of robber baron Bartholomew Bogue, played by Peter Sarsgaard, and his men as well as train the town to fight since they will be outnumbered.  Haley Bennett, Luke Grimes, Cam Gigandet, and many others co-star in this western remake.  This was a very compelling western to me and prefer this over its 1960 remake which seems to be a trend with me as I favor the remake of TRUE GRIT as well.  Vincent D'Onofrio the the most enjoyable of the seven in my view and is quite versatile and underrated himself.  Some might also want to punch me for saying I prefer this one over the remake but I know some agree.  I loved the action and the characters and was a fun ride in my opinion.

Fallen Angel (1945):  This is my film noir for the week.  Otto Preminger directed this film which stars Dana Andrews as a con man named Eric who makes his way to a small town who becomes interested in a waitress named Stella, played by Linda Darnell, who does not seem to have much interest and believes that if he has more money, she would take more interest in him.  He soon meets a woman named June Mills, played by Alice Faye, who takes an interest in him much to the dismay of her sister, played by Anne Revere.  Things heat up when a local murder happens.  If I talk to much about this movie, I would probably be giving a lot away.  I have found that my favorite genre from this era seems to be the Film Noir, especially those from 20th Century Fox.  These movies were always quite realistic and much darker than most from that era.  They also for the time did quite a bit of pushing the envelope.  This is a very well done film with people who may be unknown today but still have a lot of talent.  This is a must for those into this genre.

Memoirs of a Geisha (2005):  Rob Marshall directed this film based on the novel by Arthur Golden.  This centers around Chiyo, played by Suzuka Ohgo, who is a 9 year old being sold to a Geisha house in Kyoto, Japan and forced to work in servitude until it is determined she can be of high enough quality to service the clientele through conversation, song and dance.  After many years of training, Chiyo becomes Sayuri, the most celebrated of Japan's Geishas.  She is living a great life until WWII threatens to disrupt the peace.  Michelle Yeoh co-stars as her mentor Mameha and Gong Li co-stars as geisha Hatsumomo who Sayuri finds is very conniving and manipulative.  Togo Igawa, Mako, Ken Watanabe, and many others co-star in this film.  I found this to be a very moving film.  I'm sure some have noted that those actresses of Ziyi, Yeoh, and Li are Chinese which is something I looked past aand they went through a lot of Geisha training to prepare for their roles.  Ziyi Zhang has been my celebrity crush for many years and does great as the main character in this film.  John Williams wrote the music score and writes a really good Asian sounding score and I heard that he is the one who wanted to score the film which was the first time he asked to do a music score.  I am someone that has not read the book so I do not have that to go on so I just enjoyed the film.

The Mouse on the Moon (1963):  Richard Lester directed this sequel to THE MOUSE THAT ROARED and is based on the novel by Michael Pertwee.  This takes place in the tiny country of Grand Fenwick which has had a problem with hot water for many years.  Ron Moody stars as Prime Minister Rupert Mountjoy who looks to get foreign aid from the United States by saying they are starting a space program.  Their scientist is building a rocket to get to the moon and the U.S. and Russia are looking to compete as well.  Margaret Rutherford, Bernard Cribbins, David Kossoff, Terry-Thomas, and many others co-star in this comedy.  Keep in mind, the real life moon landing did not happen for another six years.  While we are missing Peter Sellers from the first film and his three roles, Moody is very suitable as the Prime Minister.  It is also a great political satire and many funny moments of a country trying to get better plumbing.  This actually ranks high for me on British comedies.

The Pirates of Penzance (1980):  I end the week with this live Gilbert and Sullivan musical.  Rex Smith stars as Frederic who has his 21st birthday and is released from his apprenticeship from a zany band of pirates and falls in love with Mabel, played by Linda Ronstadt in a very rare acting appearance.  When the Pirate King, played by a young Kevin Kline, shows up to call on an old debt, Frederic must choose between loyalty and love.  This is considered a comic opera and is not really for everyone which in some ways includes me.  I did enjoy seeing a young Kevin Kline in his role and some pretty fun music numbers.  It is also good to watch Linda Ronstadt in her acting debut.  The dvd transfer is not great which they are up front before it starts.  Fans of the opera will really enjoy this classic from Gilbert and Sullivan.

Well, that is it for this week but continue on for my special segment "Movie Time in the Theater of Aneris".  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Daniel Day-Lewis, and many others.

MOVIE TIME IN THE THEATER OF ANERIS.

The Book of Eli (2010):  This occurred on Wednesday evening after quite a trip to the local Goodwill store with my friends Sirena and Gary at their house.  The origin of the name came from another time I did the segment and wanted a clever name for it and for some reason it occurred to me to spell Sirena's name backwards.  Since then, she has named her cat that name and has kind of stuck.  She was on a kick of watching this film and wanted to do a viewing with me.  I had seen it but had been awhile so I accepted.  Denzel Washington gets rare double time in my blog in the post-apocalypse tale as he was jsut featured in the western THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN.  The Hughes Brothers directed this rather violent film.  Denzel Washington stars as the title character who is a drifter possessing a book that could hold the key to save humankind. He soon encounters a mobster named Carnegie, played by Gary Oldman, who takes his own interest in the book and tries to get it for himself. Mila Kunis stars as Solara who is sent to get the book but ends up joining Eli instead.  Jennifer Beals, Michael Gambon, Tom Waits, and Malcolm McDowell co-star in this film.  Gary Oldman was great as the villain and really blew Sirena's mind when I revealed to her that he was the same guy that plays Sirius Black in the Harry Potter films.   It was worth a much longer than expected trip to Goodwill to watch this movie with some friends and I'm sure there will be more in the future for this segment.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 590th Edition

Welcome to the 590th Edition of my series.  I can now make the announcement that I am going to be Grimsby at the end of April in THE LITTLE MERMAID at the Jay County Civic Theater in Portland, Indiana.  I will have more details closer to time so for now, onto my selections for the week.

The Limey (1999):  Steven Soderbergh directed this crime drama.  Terrence Stamp stars as Wilson who has just gotten out of prison and is looking to find who murdered his daughter which takes him from England to Los Angeles.  When in L.A., he must adjust to the cultural differences from his early days.  He forms an unlikely partnership in fellow ex-con Eduardo, played by Luiz Guzman, and their investigator leads to a music producer named Terry Valentine, played by Peter Fonda, who his daughter was having an affair with.  Lesley Anne Warren, Barry Newman, Nicky Katt, Barry Newman, Amelia Heinle, Melissa George, William Lucking, and many others co-star in this film.  This was a really good blend of action and drama with a touch of comedy.  Good revenge film that goes beyond the revenge and also forces the protagonist to see his faults as a father.

The Legend of Tarzan (2016):  I know this got some mixed opinions but I did enjoy the newer take on the iconic character created in the novels written by Edgar Rice Borroughs.  David Yates directed this film which stars TRUE BLOOD alum Alexander Skarsgard as Tarzan but in this story, while he was raised by the apes, he leaves Africa to go to London along with Jane, played by Margot Robbie, who was also raised in the African jungle.  He decides to take the name of his biological parents and becomes John Clayton.  Things are happening in Africa and is asked by American George Washington Williams, played by Samuel L. Jackson, to go back to Africa to help him prove what he believes.  John finally agrees and Jane goes along to fix the atrocities going on in Africa and see Tarzan rise again.  Christopher Waltz co-stars as Rom who works for King Leopold and is guilty of things like slavery.  Djimon Hounsou, Jim Broadbent, Ben Chaplin, and many others co-star in this film.  We mostly know Tarzan from the older movies usually with Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O'Hara as the two main characters and Tarzan always being in the jungle having a very limited vocabulary.  As I looked into it more, this is more to the actual novel and even moreso than the 1984 film GREYSTROKE:  THE LEGEND OF TARZAN, LORD OF THE APES.  I liked what Skarsgard brought to the role and I'm sure we're in for some more and look forward to how this progresses.

How to Make an American Quilt (1995):  This is part one of a possible Jared Leto trilogy where he makes his film debut.  I would say this would be my feel-good movie for the week.  Jocelyn Moorhouse directed this film based on the novel by Whitney Otto.  Winona Ryder stars as Finn who is a grad student and engaged to be married.  She begins to wonder if this is right for her and decides to spend a summer with her grandmother Hy, played by Ellen Burstyn, and great aunt Glady, played by Anne Bancroft, where she writes her masters thesis and to decide if marriage to her boyfriend Sam, played by Dermot Mulroney, is what is best for her.  She also joins her grandmother and aunt with some of their friends on a quilt and each one has a unique story of their young lives to help Finn in her decisions.  Alfre Woodard, Lois Smith, Maya Angelou, Kate Nelligan, Jean Simmons, Rip Torn, Jonathan Schaech, Samantha Mathis, Loren Dean, Melissa Dillon, Ari Meyers, Joanna Going, Tim Guinee, Richard Jones, RaeVen Kelly, Gail Strickland, Claire Danes, Alicia Goranson, Holland Taylor, Mykelti Williamson, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a movie that consists of mostly flashbacks of others.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

Four Minute Fever (1956):  This is my short film for the week which takes a look at the world of track and field.  This takes a look at a few runners from the '20s to the '50s attempting to run the mile in less than four minutes.  This is one of the Sportscope short films.  This is interesting for the short time it has.

The Sword in the Stone (1963):  This is my Disney film for the week and based on the novel by T.H. White.  I know as a kid, this was my first exposure to the world of Camelot and I'm sure many my age will say the same thing.  Rickie Sorenson provides the voice to the young Arthur who is nicknamed Wart and aspires to be a knight's squire.  His life changes when meeting Merlin the magician, voiced by Karl Swenson, who looks to give Arthur an education.  Most know the story of what happens in the title so I won't go much further.  This has always been a fun watch for me.  It was later in high school I would learn about a much darker world for King Arthur in EXCALIBUR where Merlin was a lot meaner, among other things.  Sebastian Cabot, Martha Wentworth, Norman Alden, Alan Napier, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a pretty good interpretation of the Arthurian legend and one to watch with the family.

Mr. Skitch (1933):  This is a rather unknown Will Rogers comedy where he plays the patriarch of a family during that depression that loses their home.  They set out to get enough money in order to get their home back by going to California and stopping along some national parks along the way.  Rogers was his usual funny self and Zasu Pitts who plays his wife was equally funny in her comedic timing.  Rochelle Hudson and Harry and many others co-star in this comedy.  I was also rather entertained by the twin girls in this comedy. Nothing great but does have some comical moments in this depression comedy.

One False Move (1992):  This was probably the most unexpected selection of the week as I decided upon it after Bill Paxton's untimely death.  Carl Franklin directed this independent film which was written by Billy Bob Thornton and Tom Epperson.  Thornton himself co-stars as Ray who is a trio of criminals who are on the run which also includes his girlfriend Fantasia, played by Muncie native Cynda Williams and their other partner in crime Pluto, played by Michael Beach.  Fantasia decides she wants to see her son in the small town of Star City, Arkansas.  Paxton stars as police chief Dale "Hurricane" Dixon who is used to handling domestic issues becomes excited about L.A. cops coming to his town and even trying to prove himself to them in hopes he can get on with a bigger police squad.  I remember seeing this on the IFC channel many years ago and taking a real liking to this rather unknown film.  I got the idea to feature this one when most of my Facebook friends did not mention this much when reflecting on Paxton's death.  This does get quite violent so probably not one for the family but still a very compelling watch if found.

The Prodigal Boxer (1972):  This is my martial arts film for the week.  Fei Meng plays martial arts folk hero Fang Shi Yu in his younger days.  In this film, his father was murdered and while he vows revenge, he still has a lot of training to go in which his mother teaches him what he needs.  Most of this genre from that era has a lot of fantasy elements but this one just keeps everything pretty normal and is a rather compelling story.  I have seen a lot on Wong Fei Hung but have never seen anything on Fang Shi Yu.  This is mostly for enthusiasts of the martial arts genre.

Hangmen Also Die (1943):  Fritz Lang directed this film noir which is much different from most as this takes place in Nazi Czechoslovakia.  A Nazi "hangman" named Reinhard Heydrich is shot by an unknown assassin.  Brian Donlevy stars as the rather mysterious Dr. Svoboda who does not appear to be who he says when hiding out with a family.  Walter Brennan, Anna Lee, Gene Lockhart, Dennis O'Keefe, Margaret Wycherly, Jonathan Hale, and many others co-star in this film.  This was probably a very daring film to make in this era.  This is a partly fictionalized account of the actual assassination of Heydrich and a very compelling story of a very bad time in our history.  This is hard to put into words any further and one that just needs a watch.

Knocked Up (2007):  I end the week with this raunchy romantic comedy written and directed by Judd Apatow.  Katherine Heigl stars as Allison who has everything going for her working for the E! network and learning she is going to become a tv reporter for them.  Seth Rogen stars as the rather lazy Ben Stone who is hoping to cash in with some friends on a rather unusual website.  These two meet at a nightclub and have a one night stand together which results in Allison's pregnancy and both must consider this very life-changing moment.  Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, Jason Segal, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, Martin Starr, Harold Ramis, Alan Tudyk Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, Ken Jeong, Craig Robinson, Louden Wainwright III, Mo Collins, B.J. Novak, and many others co-star in this comedy and others play themselves in cameos.  Of all the Apatow comedies I have seen, I consider this one to be my favorite of them.  I would also like to point out that I am most like Paul Rudd's character so that can be something to check out to see if people know what I am talking about.  I also liked the way the two main characters had to consider their relationship with each other and the changes that needed to happen.  This is also delivered with some very funny moments from the supporting cast.

Well, that is it for this week, tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week so far includes Cicely Tyson, Jared Leto, Bette Davis, and many others.