Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 611th Edition

Welcome to the 611th edition of my series.  In just two weeks from now my show BURNT PART BOYS premiers at the 10 West Center for the Arts in Fortville, Indiana on August 11th and 12th at 7:30 and the 13th at 2:30.  You can order tickets at http://tenwestcenter.org/burnt-part-boys.  That is all for now so I'll get to my selections.

Grosse Pointe Blank (1997):  I start the week out with part three of my John Cusack trilogy.  George Armitage directed this action comedy which stars Cusack as professional killer Martin Blank.  His next assignment is in his old home town of Grosse Pointe where there is also a 10 year reunion.  While on assignment, Martin tries to reconnect with his high school love Debi, played by Minnie Driver, and finds there is far more to his assignment as he is on the run himself from some federal agents that want him dead.  Alan Arkin, Dan Aykroyd, Joan Cusack, K. Todd Freeman, Jeremy Piven, Mitchell Ryan, Michael Culitz, Benny Urquidez, Ann Cusack, Barbara Harris, Jenna Elfman, Steve Pink, Bill Cusack, and many others co-star in the film and yes, you guessed right, there are four Cusack siblings in this comedy likely due to John who also produced.  This has always been a very enjoyable comedy to me and even the action is quite enjoyable seeing the resourcefulness of Martin.  Ayroyd is also very funny as a fellow hitman trying to get Martin to join a union.  This is available through Showtime On-Demand.

Celeste and Jesse Forever (2012):  This is part two of my two part Elijah Wood series.  Lee Toland Krieger directed this comedy which was written by Rashida Jones and Will McCormack who both co-star in the film.  Andy Samberg and Rashida Jones star as the title characters who are a couple that is separated but remain good friends.  Their friends don't think their friendship can last but they see no problem with it until Jesse gets into a relationship that Celeste has a hard time accepting.  Wood, Ari Graynor, Shira Lazar, Emma Roberts, Chris Messina, Rebecca Dayan, Janel Parrish, Rich Sommer, Chris Pine, and many others co-star in this comedy.  This was a very good comedy about a separated couple and the people around them that at times just need to mind their own business.  This has a lot of enjoyable moments to laugh and has a good message in my opinion.

Shame (2011):  Steve McQueen directed and co-wrote this film and no, not that actor known in the 60s and 70s.  Michael Fassbender stars as Brandon who has a successful job, a nice apartment, and he has a sex addiction.  His younger and more unstable sister Sissy, played by Carey Mulligan, moves into his apartment needing a place to stay.  When this happens, her own problems make his life spiral out of control.  James Badge Dale, Nicole Beharie, Alex Manette, Hannah Ware, Elizabeth Masucci, Rachel Farrar, and many others co-star in this film.  This is rated NC-17 so it is not for the family.  This is one of those that is really difficult to describe.  It is mostly driven by characters with Fassbender and Mulligan playing really well off each other in their characters who both have their own problems and have a hard time co-existing.  It is very compelling film that evidently McQueen had quite a vision and was willing to sacrifice potential money to keep the NC-17 rating.

Frog Story (1972):  This is my short film for the week.  Ron Satlof directed this Oscar nominated short film.  Ranold Gideon stars as Harry who hears a voice pleading to him to take her home which turns out to be a frog, voiced by Pamela Susan Shoop.  As he takes the frog home, he learns more and more about this frog but has a wife that does not like frogs very much.  This was about fifteen minutes long and was absolutely worth a watch.  It is very funny and and fun to watch.  This is available on Youtube.

Bird of Paradise (1932):  King Vidor directed this island film.  A young Joel McCrea stars as Johnny who is in a group of sailors and during a shark attack falls in the water and is saved by a beautiful Polynesian girl named Luana, played by Delores Del Rio.  He soon falls in love with the girl but learns that per tradition, she is to sacrifice herself to the volcano as they call the volcanic gods.  When finding this out, Johnny does what she can to convince Luana to leave the island with him.  John Halliday, Richard Gallagher, Bert Roach, Lon Chaney Jr., Wade Boteler, Arnold Gray, and many others co-star in this pre-code film.  Chaney made his debut in this film and was credited as Creighton Chaney.  There was a scene where Del Rio was swimming nude which does not look that bad by today's standards but at that time was very controversial.  This has some great locales and thought of it as a pretty good love story.

Compulsion (1959):  Richard Fleischer directed this film that was based on the novel by Meyer Levin.  This is based on the famous Leopold-Loeb case.  Dean Stockwell and Bradford Dillman star as Judd and Artie who are friends and fellow law students.  These students felt superior to everyone else and set out to do anyone one pleases which includes murder as they call "the perfect crime".  When committing the murder, they do what they can to cover their tracks but also taunt the police and things finally catch up to them.  Orson Welles co-stars as their attorney Jonathan Wilk who was known for being able to manipulate juries.  Diane Varsi, E.G. Marshall, Martin Milner, Richard Anderson, Robert F. Simon, Edward Binns, Robert Burton, and many others co-star in this film.  This was a fictionalized account of the case but is very thinly disguised where the biggest fiction was the names of the characters.  This was the second movie based on this case and the first being Hitchcock's ROPE which was also a very good film.  This is available on Netflix.

Justice League vs. Teen Titans (2016):  This is my superhero film for the week and an animated DC film.  This movie centers most around Damian Wayne aka Robin, voiced by Stuart Allen.  Robin is sent to work with the Teen Titans due to his volatile behavior where he must adjust to a different group and a group of teens he is not used to being around.  The Teen Titans in this movie include Starfire, voiced by Kari Wahlgren, Blue Beetle, voiced by Jake T. Austin, Beast Boy, voiced by Brandon Soo Hoo, Raven, voiced by Taissa Farmiga and they must go against Trigon, voiced by Jon Bernthal, who possesses some of the Justice League which gives way to the title.  Rosario Dawson, Christopher Gorham, Shemar Moore, Jerry O'Connell, Jason O'Mara, Sean Maher, Steve Blum, T.C. Carson, Rick D. Wasserman, and Laura Bailey provide their voices.  This is the first appearance of the Teen Titans in the DC animated universe.  They have been shown in a more kid oriented TEEN TITANS and TEEN TITANS GO but now they get to be in a more adult oriented movie.  This was a good introduction to the titans and integrated well with the Justice League.  I would have liked to see Dick Grayson have a bigger part but I'll let that go.  Still worth a look for superhero fans and is rated PG-13 so use judgement when it come to kids since this is not that cartoon series they are used to watching.

Gone in 60 Seconds (1974):  First of all, notice the year so no this is not the Nicolas Cage movie.  H.B. Halicki directed, wrote and stars as Maindrian Pace who is an insurance investigator who leads a double life in stealing cars.  Along with his team, they are paid to steal 48 cars which leads to a double cross and an amazing low-budget chase scene.  Marion Busia, Jerry Daugirda, James McIntyre, and many others co-star in this film.  This is low-budget to the core and does not have anyone who really became that famous afterwards.  The low-budget and unknown actors really make this movie work and worth it to see the climatic car chase scene.  The remake was done in 1999 it is a much different story as I recall.  This one is available on Amazon Prime.

Sweet Smell of Success (1957):  Alexander Mackendrick directed this film of greed and corruption.  Burt Lancaster stars as the powerful newpaper columnist J.J. Hunsecker and Tony Curtis stars as press agent Sidney Falco who wants to promote his client in Hunsecker's column.  Falco finally gets some very unscrupulous work under Hunsecker who wants to do whatever possible to break of the relationship of his sister Susan, played by Susan Harrison, and jazz musician Steve, played by Martin Milner, and has Falco do it by any means necessary.  Jeff Donnell, Sam Levene, Joe Frisco, Barbara Nichols, Emile Meyer, Edith Atwater, and many others co-star in this film.  The character of J.J. Hunsecker is based on Walter Winchell.  This is a rather dark but well done with that was very compelling from the characters to the cinematography.  Hunsecker and Falco may be the two slimiest characters in film.

Hidden Figures (2016):  I end the week with this film based on a true story.  Theodore Melfi directed this film based on the book by Margot Lee Shetterly.  This film centers around the world of NASA and looking to get a man into space after Russia beat us to it.  It is mainly about three African-American female friends that are mathematicians and work in a group of African-American women at NASA in the time of segregation.  Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monae star as Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson who all played a vital part in getting John Glenn, played by Glen Powell, into space and would be an important part of NASA for years to come.  Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst, Jim Parsons, Mahershala Ali, Aldis Hodge, and many others co-star in this film.  Part of this is looking at segregation which was still happening at that time and at the workplace.  It shows them working at a job that is difficult enough but even more difficult dealing with the segregation but knowing they were very important to the place.  This is a very good and inspirational film I think just about anyone can get behind.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Jeremy Renner, Stanley Kubrick, Kevin Spacey, Vanessa Redgrave, and many others.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 610th Edition

Welcome to the 610th Edition of my series.  I have just remained busy with my show BURNT PART BOYS which happens in Fortville, Indiana at the 10 West Center for the Arts on August 11th, 12th, and the 13th.  Other than that there is nothing else out of the norm happening so I'll just get to my selections.

America Beyond the Color Line with Henry Louis Gate Jr. (2002):  I start the week out with this PBS documentary, well more of a mini-series.  Professor Gates goes around to examine race relations from past, present, and future.  He interviews multiple people both famous and non-famous to look into how much race relations have changed through the years and finds they both have changed and in some ways have not changed.  People being interviewed include Maya Angelou, Don Cheadle, Morgan Freeman, Quincy Jones, Alicia Keys, Samuel L. Jackson, Nia Long, Chris Tucker, and many others.  He takes a look at neighborhoods, slums, and even the world of Hollywood to look at multiple forms of racism that we might not think about as much and how far things have come.  The last episode is dedicated to the world of Hollywood and talks most about how it is in the present.  I would have liked to have seen more talked about past Hollywood but still interesting to watch.  Unfortunately, I don't think racism will ever end but we must still try to make progress.  This has four episodes of about an hour each.  I guess featuring this, I did not do much to help the cause in my remaining selections though I do have a black superhero in Batwing.

Ireland:  "The Emerald Isle" (1934):  This is my documentary short for the week and like last week, i chose one from the Traveltalk series.  Last week, they visited Italy and the one featured this week takes a look at Ireland.  It takes a look at the countryside at some farms and villages, then goes to Hope Castle.  This is a very colorful look at a little bit of Ireland and is about eight minutes long and still available on TCM On-Demand.

The Deer Hunter (1978):  Michael Cimino directed this film and if you are looking for a movie all about deer hunting, this might not be the one.  This takes place in a small industrial town in Pennsylvania among a group of friends, some of which are being called to Vietnam.  Robert De Niro stars as Michael who is one of those being called as well as Nick, played by Christopher Walken, and Steve, played by John Savage.  John Cazale, Meryl Streep, George Dzundza, Chuck Aspegren, Shirley Stoler, Rutanya Alda, and many others co-star in this film.  Aspegren was not an actor but a foreman of the steel mill in that local town they visited and took a liking to him giving him a role.  Walken is great as the man who the war seems to have had the most impact upon.  This takes a look at not only the effects of those who must experience it but also among those close to them.  Unfortunately, Cazale died shortly after the filming of this movie during his short but very significant career.  This is not an easy one to watch by any means but still a very compelling film that is worth its three hours.  De Niro has said this was the most physically exhausting film he has done.

Grand Piano (2013):  This is part two of my John Cusack trilogy and part one of a two-part Elijah Wood series.  Eugenio Mira directed this film that was written by Damien Chazelle.  Elijah Wood stars as pianist Tom Selznick who has not performed a show in a few years likely due to his stage fright.  As he performs, his life is threatened from a man, played by Cusack, who tells him he will be shot if one wrong note is played.  Kerry Bishe, Tasmin Egerton, Allen Leech, Don McManus, Alex Winter, and many others co-star in this thriller.  This movie did have its flaws but it was still entertaining nonetheless with Wood really good as the protagonist.  If the name Alex Winter sounds so familiar, he is the Bill in the Bill and Ted movies so I thought that part was worth it to see a rather rare feature film appearance.  I feel they could have really developed this movie a lot better if they had maybe another 30 minutes as I felt this was a bit too short for what they did.

Johnny Guitar (1954):  This is my western for the week and one I'm glad to revisit every once in a while.  Joan Crawford stars as Vienna who is a saloon owner and group of local townfolks lead by Emma Small, played by Merceds McCambridge, and frame Vienna for murder and bank robbery.  Vienna and her small posse behind her stand up to these people leading to some violence.  Sterling Hayden co-stars as Johnny Guitar who comes into town hoping for a saloon job to play his guitar but we learn he is not who he seems.  Scott Brady, Ward Bond, Ben Cooper, Ernest Borgnine, John Carradine, Royal Dano, and many others co-star in this film.  I have always enjoyed this western.  I always liked Sterling Hayden and the rare female rivalry didn't hurt any.  Apparently Crawford did not get along well with Hayden or McCambridge which is nothing new but still a great western.  This is available on Amazon Prime.

Batman:  Bad Blood (2016):  I decided to go the animated DC route.  Batman/Bruce Wayne, voiced by Jason O'Mara, has gone missing where Alfred, voiced by James Garrett, does what he can to cover and while usually Nightwing, Dick Grayson, voiced by Sean Maher, takes the suit of Batman in order to cover in that regard.  Grayson is joined by Bruce's son Damien aka Robin, voiced by Stuart Allen.  They are joined by the mysterious Batwoman, voiced by Yvonne Strahovski, as well as Batwing, voiced by Gaius Charles.  Morena Baccarin, Steve Blum, John Dimaggio, Ernie Hudson, Vanessa Marshall, Bruce Thomas, and many others co-star in this animated movie.  I have not read this comic so I don't really have that to go on.  I really enjoyed what I saw in this film.  I had not heard of the character Batwing but looked him up and has been used in the comics and as far as I know the first time used as an animated character.  This has some really good action and a good showcase of the supporting people in the Batman world.

Kid Glove Killer (1942):  Fred Zinneman makes his directorial debut with this crime drama.  Van Heflin stars as criminologist Gordon McKay who along with his assistant Jane, played by Marsha Hunt, investigate the murder of the mayor which leads into quite a conspiracy.  Lee Bowman, Samuel S. Hinds, Eddie Quillan, Cathy Lewis, and many others co-star in this movie.  This is a pretty good debut for Zinneman and a pretty good B movie.  This is a good look into the earlier times of forensics and has a good blend of drama and comedy.

Up (2009):  This is my Disney Pixar movie for the week that was directed Pete Docter and Bob Peterson.  This centers around the 78 year old man Carl Fredrickson, voiced by Edward Asner, who as a child and his childhood friend turned wife Elle always wanted to explore South America and the forbidden Paradise Falls.  Many years later, Elle passes and Carl finally sets off to Paradise Falls in his home which is being pulled by 500 balloons.  He is joined by boy scout named Russell, played by Jordan Nagel, where things don't go quite as expected meeting a talking dog and an unusual bird.  Christopher Plummer, Bob Peterson, Delroy Lindo, John Ratzenberger, Jess Harnell, and many others provide their voices in this film.  This is a great movie about self-discovery and that an unexpected journey to the intended is not always a bad thing.  I do not believe Rick Astley will let anyone borrow this one, he'll lend you any of his other Pixar collection, just not this one.  This is a really good one for the family.

Trompie (1975):  This is my South African film for the week.  Andre Laubscher stars as Trompie who is a mischievous boy and has a series of misadventures along with some other friends.  This has some pretty funny moments of a boy who mostly means well but goes too far.  The movie centers most around Trompie and the other characters as well as Trompie's antics.  This does not appear to have gotten a lot in the way of publicity and it still does not get the publicity.  On imdb, there are no user reviews and there are usually at least some on that site.  It is available to watch on Amazon Prime but also does not have any reviews posted.  That tells me that it has not gotten much exposure but if you have Amazon Prime, you can help it get some exposure as a decent foreign film.  It is also available to watch on hoopladigital.com which is like a universal public library website that has a lot of selection in movies, shows, books, and audiobooks.

Get Off My Cloud (2013):  I end the the week with a music video so in other words a short film which I suppose it technically not one but I made the rules so I can call whatever I want a movie.  I have never done a music video but as my AMERICA'S GOT TALENT buddy Sid Yiddish asked me to check this out as he makes an appearance in this video.  This is a song by the band the Squids.  The video takes place in an apartment complex about 3 am and a neighbor pleads with them to turn down that music racket going on in their apartment.  I admit I don't really know a lot about this band but it is a fun song and a pretty funny video that is only about three minutes long so this one can be found on youtube and look for throat singer and SHAMELESS guest star Sid Yiddish.

Well, that is all for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes John Cusack, Elijah Wood, Carey Mulligan, Joel McCrea, Orson Welles, Rosario Dawson, and many others.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 609th Edition

Welcome to the 609th Edition of my series.  Not a lot going on this week, except continuing my rehearsals for BURNT PART BOYS in Fortville that happens next month.  Other than that, just my usual normal self so I'll get on with my selections.

Lee Daniels' The Butler (2013):  This is part two of a two-part Oprah Winfrey series and part one of a possible John Cusack trilogy where he plays the former president Richard Nixon.  I also inadvertently pay homage to TRUE BLOOD alum Nelsan Ellis who just left us.  Lee Daniels directed this film which was co-wrote by Danny Strong which stars Forrest Whitaker as Cecil Gaines who serves as a respected butler at the White House for many years and through many administrations and recalls his ups and downs through his career with the racial relations and with family.  Oprah co-stars as Cecil's wife and does a really good job and could make many non-Oprah fans like her in this movie.  David Oyelowo, Terrence Howard, Cuba Gooding Jr., Lenny Kravitz, Vanessa Redgrave, Robin Williams, James Marsden, Minka Kelly, Danny Strong, Liev Schreiber, Alan Rickman, Jane Fonda, David Banner, Mariah Carey, Michael Rainey Jr., Aml Ameen, Clarence Williams III, and many others co-star in this film.  Whitaker does really great in his times when he is younger and ages very well through the film.  I also really liked Rickman in his portrayal of Reagan and played the part far better than I thought but should not have thought any less being Alan Rickman.  This is based on a true story about Eugene Allen but a lot of parts are fictionalized in the film.  This is still a very compelling film with some good performances and a moving story.

Diary of Yunbogi (1965):  This is my documentary short for the week.  Last week I featured the Japanese film DEATH BY HANGING which was directed by Nagisa Oshima and on the Criterion Collection copy of this film also included is this short film.  This is taken through a collection of still photos and narration of a young boy named Yunbogi who must grow up fast after being abandoned by his mother and take care of his younger brothers.  From what I can see this can either be found on the Criterion Collection DVD or on youtube.

Twentieth Century (1934):  This is my Broadway comedy for the week.  Howard Hawks directed this film which stars John Barrymore as Broadway director Oscar Jaffe.  Carole Lombard co-stars as actress Lily Garland who was discovered by Oscar and went onto Hollywood which made his career tumble a bit.  They have an encounter on a train and Oscar does what he can to re-sign her into the theater but hard feelings from the actress make it difficult.  Walter Connolly, Roscoe Karns, Ralph Forbes, Charles Lane, Etienne Girardot, Dale Fully, Edgar Kennedy, and many others co-star in this film.  Barrymore shows more of a comedic side in this film as he usually did more dramatic roles and made this movie very entertaining.  He has cited this as his favorite movie he has appeared in and even cites Lombard as the finest actress he worked with.  Fun comedy especially for theater people.  Just a little useless fact for those that did not know, John Barrymore is the grandfather of Drew Barrymore.

Sing (2016):  This is my animated film for the week and possibly part one of a possible two-part Scarlett Johansson series.  Christophe Lourdelet and Garth Jennings directed this animated film which continues from the last selection into a theater.  This consists of a world of just animals and a theater run by a koala named Buster Moon, played by Matthew McConaughey.  This is a struggling theater and Buster's solution is to run a singing competition but a misunderstanding makes the contestants believe it is for $100,000 so must find a way to come up with the money while some of the other contestants from many walks of life prepare for their moment of glory.  Reese Witherspoon, Seth McFarlane, John C. Reilly, Taron Egerton, Tori Kelly, Jennifer Saunders, Jennifer Hudson, Peter Serafinowicsz, Nick Kroll, Beck Bennett, Jay Pharoah, Nick Offerman, Leslie Jones, Wes Anderson, Edgar Wright, Tara Strong, Laraine Newman, and many others provide their voices for both singing and talking.  This was a very fun film about finding the talent within you.  McConaughey was great as the lead and interesting the way the koala was made to look like him in the eyes and even the smile.

Don't Bother to Knock (1952):  Roy Ward Baker directed this film which is essentially a film noir.  Richard Widmark stars as Jed who goes to a hotel to visit his girlfriend Lyn, played by Anne Bancroft in her film debut, who is a nightclub singer and their relationship is having some problems.  He sees a girl named Nell, played by Marilyn Monroe, who he starts to talk to not knowing that she is babysitting for a young girl.  He slowly starts to see that Nell is rather crazy and does what he can to stop her from doing something really bad.  Donna Corcoran, Jeanne Cagney, Lurene Tuttle, Elisha Cook Jr., Jim Backus, Verna Felton, and many others co-star in this film.  This was a much darker turn for Marilyn and is very disturbing in this film.  Anybody who has only seen things like SOME LIKE IT HOT and THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH really have not seen Marilyn until this one.  Widmark seemed a bit different than usual essentially playing the hero in the film.  This was really worth a look if you want to be disturbed a bit and see Marilyn in a much different role.

Drive (2011):  Nicolas Winding Refn directed this action film based on the novel by James Sallis.  Ryan Gosling stars as a mysterious driver who is a Hollywood stuntman, works at an auto shop and is the getaway driver for people at heists.  He begins to fall for his neighbor Irene, played by Carey Mulligan, whose husband is in prison and when he gets out, the driver gets more than he bargained for and must help to protect this girl and her child.  Bryan Cranston, Albert Brooks, Oscar Isaac, Christina Hendricks, Ron Perlman, Russ Tamblyn, and many others co-star in this film.  This movie is very violent and when someone is killed, it really shows.  If you can get past this extreme violence, it is really a very moving film and those are the kinds of action movies I enjoy the most.  Others that come to mind at least for me are THE CROW, FACE/OFF and the Hong Kong film THE KILLER.  Gosling does a great job and even does a lot of his own stunts.  It also has a really good soundtrack including the song NIGHTCALL by Kavinsky that is essentially the theme song.  This is one of those that just works on so many levels.

Moby Dick (1956):  John Huston directed this adaptation of the novel by Herman Melville and the screenplay was written by Ray Bradbury.  Gregory Peck plays the very obsessive Captain Ahab who was maimed by a the white whale named Moby Dick and leads a voyage of vengeance even if it means his life and the crew's lives.  Richard Basehart, Leo Genn, Bernard Miles, Noel Purcell, Mervyn Johns, Royan Dano, Orson Welles, and many others co-star in this film.  Welles has a cameo in the beginning as Father Mapple before the others go on their voyage.  It was good to see peck much darker that usual, kind of like Marilyn Monroe in my selection of her for the week.  I don't know enough about the novel to be able to judge this one.  I am aware that Ahab is usually much older but I still really enjoyed a younger Peck in the role.

The Station Agent (2003):  Tom McCarthy wrote and directed this independent comedy/drama and is his directorial debut.  GAME OF THRONES star Peter Dinklage stars as Fin whose friend has died and inherits a train depot in a small New Jersey town.  He intends to lead a life of solitude which gets interrupted by an emotional artist named Olivia, played by Patricia Clarkson, and a very social hot dog vendor named Joe, played by Bobby Cananale.  These three very different people form an unlikely friendship.  Michelle Williams, Richard Kind, Jayce Bartok, John Slattery, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a movie that is driven by its script and the characters who were all well cast.  It is  good movie with a really good small town feel and a good film on friendship and working through differences.  It is really hard to further describe this film and even give it justice.  Best I can say is to just give it a shot and I don't think you'll regret it.

Yongary, Monster from the Deep (1967):  This is the 9th episode of the MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 reboot so that should already tell you something.  This is a Korean film and is about a prehistoric creature named Yongary that eats gasoline to keep going.  This was Korea's attempt to rival Japan's iconic Godzilla and not to much success.  There is a pretty funny scene of Yongary actually dancing.  It is mostly to be enjoyed as a Godzilla ripoff whose claim to fame was being on an episode of MST3K.  I found they made a sequel in 1999 that was not much better and an obvious ripoff to another Godzilla movie.  I guess we can say that Yongary never got his due, those racist Japanese never even invited the Korean Yongary to take on Godzilla.  I will end by saying to just enjoy it for what it is and it is on Netflix along with the rest of MST3K.

Just Desserts (2015):  I end the week with this dark comedy short from Britain.  Michael Yanny directed and co-wrote this short film.  This is loosely based on a true story where Alex Macqueen stars as Dennis who is a compulsive lottery player out with his wife an friends for a meal.  During this, his friends play a practical joke that backfires.  Rebecca Laney, Tracy Brabin, David Schaal, and Julian Sims co-star in this short film.  I've tried to find what the true story of which this is based and am unable to do find it so it could be some real event or saying this for dramatic effect like the Coen Brothers' film FARGO.  Either way it is still quite entertaining and worth about 15 minutes.  This is available on Amazon Prime.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Morgan Freeman, Meryl Streep, John Cusack, Joan Crawford, and many others.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 608th Edition

Welcome to the 608th Edition of my series.  Not much else has changed this week, just the usual things so I'll just get on with my selections for the week.

Moana (2016):  I start the week out with this animated film from Disney.  This takes place in Ancient Poynesia where young Moana Waialiki, voiced by Auli'i Cravalho, learns of an ancient curse brought on Demigod Maui, voiced by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, and she seeks out the the Demigod to set things right.  While reluctant at first, Moana remains very persistant and together they journey across the Pacific.  Rachel House, Temuera Morrison, Jermaine Clement, Nicole Scherzinger, Alan Tudyk, Oscar Knightley, former NFL superstar Troy Polamalu, and many others co-star in this film.  This has many good elements like a great story of forgiveness and redemption.  It also has a really good soundtrack from Opetaia Foa'i, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Mark Mancina.  The former WWF champion the Rock using his stage name of Dwayne Johnson gives a really good vocal performance in this one.  This was a pleasantly unexpected watch that came on when I was at work and nothing was working so they put on a movie.  This is available on Netflix.

Rambo (2008):  This is part two of my two-part Sylvester Stallone series and yes I went from part three to part four of a pretty famous movie series.  This came out 20 years after RAMBO III came out where Stallone once again reprises his role as John Rambo and for the first time in the Rambo franchise he takes the helm of director.  Now he is living in Thailand trying to lead a more simple life and spends time catching snakes for local entertainers and chauffeuring locals in his PT boat.  He is approached by a some Christian Missionaries lead by Michael Burnett, played by Paul Schulze, and Sarah Miller, played by Julie Benz, to rent his boat and to get them to the civil war zone of Burma to help the Karen people of the region.  Rambo reluctantly agrees to get them across and it turns out they do not know the killing machine they got that is just supposed to be a boatman taking them through the river to get to Burma.  Matthew Marsden, Graham McTavish, Reynaldo Gallegos, Jake La Botz, Tim Kang, Ken Howard, and many others co-star in this film.  I do believe this is the most intense and the most violent of the series.  This is also for me the second best of the series being behind FIRST BLOOD.  Stallone wanted to have this movie take place during a real-life conflict and when learning of what is happening in Burma that is what he wanted.  I thought through all the violence, it was also strangely moving and find we could really feel for John Rambo more than ever.

Before Sunset (2004):  After all the adventure and violence I tone it down with part two of my two-part Ethan Hawke series.  Richard Linklater directed and co-wrote this sequel to the 1995 film BEFORE SUNRISE which center around the characters of Jesse, played by Hawke, and Celine, played by Julie Delpy, who had quite then encounter in the first movie and reunite after many years when Jesse is in France with a book tour.  As Jesse is about to leave the country, they spend some time together and discuss their lives which have changed a lot since their first encounter.  This one just like the first one is centered around the deep discussions the leads have and now they are more matured from their previous encounter.  Some could find this very boring to have a movie centered mostly around the dialogue of these two people.  Others would prefer a movie like this one that is more driven by the script.  This is available to watch on Amazon Prime as well as the first one so I suggest starting with that one.  If you just cannot get enough of this duo from the two movies, there was a third one in 2013 called BEFORE MIDNIGHT which is available for rental on Amazon Prime.

Visiting Italy (1951):  This is my short film for the week.  This is part of the Traveltalks series from James A. Fitzpatrick.  This gets in what it can in an 8 minute period starting at Rome at things like the Colosseum, St. Peters, a public fountain, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, among other things.  This has some really good scenery and not a bad educational look at Italy for the short amount of time used.

Men in Exile (1937):  This is my Warner B movie for the week.  Dick Purcell stars as ex-con Jimmy Carmody who is trying to live an honest life and is framed for a robbery.  An old friend of his arranges for him to go to the island of Caribo where a past does not matter.  Once there he gets caught up in a plot to overthrow the local dictator leadership.  June Travis, Victor Varconi, Olin Howland, Margaret Irving, and many others co-star in this film.  This is not a bad b-movie that Warner Brothers made a lot of that were generally shorter, more unknown casts, and unknown in general.

The Emigrants (1971):  This is my Swedish film for the week which was directed by Jan Troell so yes there is more than just the legendary Ingmar Bergman.  This takes place in the mid-19th century in a small rural village.  Max Von Sydow and Liv Ullman star as married couple Karl Oskar and Kristina who struggle to make it on a small piece of land and things do not get much better.  Along with others in the community, they decide to emigrate to the U.S. which also proves to be a struggle to survive in hopes of making it there.  Eddie Axberg, Allan Edwall, Monica Zetterlund, Hans Alfredson, and many others co-star in this film.  There is a sequel to this one called THE NEW LAND which also got a really good reception.  This is a really good look at people emigrating and the dangers it presented.  It also has some really good performances and they were able to make this a very watchable movie without putting in music.  This is available until tomorrow on TCM On-Demand.

The Color Purple (1985):  Steven Spielberg directed this film based on the novel by Alice Walker.  This takes place in the early 1900s and centers around a black woman named Celie, played by Desreta Jackson when younger and Whoopi Goldberg in her film debut at her older age.  She is trying to overcome struggles like by an abusive father and later an abusive husband.  Danny Glover, Margaret Avery, Willard E. Pugh, Akosua Busia, Adoph Caesar, Oprah Winfrey,  Rae Dawn Chong, Dana Ivey, Bennett Guillory, Lawrence Fishburne, and many others co-star in this film.  This is also Oprah's film debut and would go onto soon have her very popular talk show.  She is really good in this film so if you do not like Oprah as a person you might check this out.  This is really difficult to describe this film except that mostly revolves around a black family through a span of 40 years and their struggles in the era.  This would also go onto become a musical in which my local theater did a great job.

Death By Hanging (1968):  This is my Japanese film for the week which was directed by Nagisa Oshima.  This is a satirical film about our feelings of the death penalty.  A Korean man named R, played by Do-Yun Yu, is to be executed for hanging but ends up surviving the hanging.  Upon the survival, the people at the prison must decide how to handle this mishap in what is actually a comedic farce.  It mostly takes place in the prison where many things happen in trying to figure out what must be done and even the interrogation on R who does not seem to remember who he is and what he has done.  This has not gotten a lot of exposure it would seem but it is available through the Criterion Collection and really worth a look.

The Bribe (1949):  Robert Z. Leonard directed this film noir based on a short story by Frederick Nebel.  Robert Taylor stars as federal agent Rigby who is in pursuit of stolen aircraft engines on a Central American island.  The main suspect is Tug Hintten, played by John Hodiak, and is drawn to his wife Elizabeth, played by Ava Gardner.  Charles Laughton and Vincent Price both add to this very complex film that is really difficult to explain further..  This is a really good tale of greed, retribution, and forbidden love.  It also has a July 4th sort of action climax that was quite different from anything I had ever seen.  This is available on TCM On-Demand for the rest of the day it looks like.

Frantic (1988):  I end the week with this crime thriller directed and co-written by Roman Polanski.  Many people might have heard of this movie through the '90s hit song ONE WEEK by Barenaked Ladies in the line "like Harrison Ford I'm getting Frantic" and if you did not know, this is the movie being referenced.  Ford stars as Dr. Richard Walker who is in Paris with his wife Sondra, played by Betty Buckley, on a medical conference.  When taking a shower, he finds that his wife has disappeared leading him into a web of intrigue and his lack of the French language does not help either.  Emmanuelle Seigner co-stars as Michelle who is a career smuggler not really knowing who she works for and helps Richard try to find her.  John Mahoney also co-stars as an embassy official.  This is a good thriller of a man in unknown territory trying to locate a loved one but not getting much help.

Well, that is it for this week but I am bringing back the Fun and Useless Facts segment.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Vanessa Redgrave, John Barrymore, Reese Witherspoon, Marilyn Monroe, Ryan Gosling, and many others.

FUN AND USELESS FACTS

I decided to bring this one back this week.  Keep in mind, the facts I have are interconnections and don't really mention anything about actors in the same featured films.  I'm sure there is plenty I have missed so feel free to comment other things.

Temuera Morrison (Moana) and Harrison Ford (Frantic) were in the 1998 film SIX DAYS AND SEVEN NIGHTS.

Ethan Hawke (Before Sunrise) and Max Von Sydow (The Emigrants) were in the 1999 film SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS.

Alan Tudyk (Moana) and Harrison Ford (Frantic) were in the 2013 baseball film 42.

Ethan Hawke (Before Sunset) and John Mahoney (Frantic) were in the 1994 film REALITY BITES.

Sylvester Stallone (Rambo) and Harrison Ford (Frantic) were in the 2014 action film THE EXPENDABLES 3.

Sylvester Stallone (Rambo), Danny Glover (The Color Purple) and John Mahoney (Frantic) were in the the 1998 animated film ANTZ

Ken Howard (Rambo) and Harrison Ford (Frantic) were in the 1998 film CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER.

Sylvester Stallone (Rambo) and Max Von Sydow (The Emigrants) were in the 1995 action movie JUDGE DREDD.

Max Von Sydow (The Emigrants) and Harrison Ford (Frantic) were in the 2015 film STAR WARS:  THE FORCE AWAKENS.

Ethan Hawke (Before Sunset) and Dana Ivey (The Color Purple) were in the 1985 film THE EXPLORERS.

Danny Glover (The Color Purple) and Harrison Ford (Frantic) were in the 1985 film WITNESS.

Ethan Hawke (Before Sunset) and Lawrence Fishburne (The Color Purple) were in the 2005 remake ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13.

Willard E. Pugh (The Color Purple) and Harrison Ford (Frantic) were in the 1997 film AIR FORCE ONE.

Akosua Busia (The Color Purple) and Ava Gardner (The Bribe) were in the 1985 mini-series A.D.

Dana Ivey (The Color Purple) and Harrison Ford (Frantic) were in the 1995 remake SABRINA.

Max Von Sydow (The Emigrants) and Emmanuelle Seigner (Frantic) were in the 2007 film THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY.

Lawrence Fishburne (The Color Purple) and Harrison Ford (Frantic) were in the 1979 film APOCALYPSE NOW.