Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 645th Edition

Welcome to the 645th Edition of my series.  I'm still in my rehearsals for ON GOLDEN POND so not much else going on right now.  I'm still enjoying the work from home life.  I'm hoping the warm weather comes really soon.  With all that said, I'll just get to my selections for the week.

Thomas Jefferson:  A View from the Mountain (1995):  I start the week out with this PBS documentary that features our third president.  This movie goes more into his home life and him being a slave owner while seeming to have anti-slavery viewpoints.  This shows some handwritten letters, original manuscripts, deeds, period newspapers, among other things.  It also takes a look at his relationship and affair with his slave Sally Hemings.  Edward Herrmann, Sissy Spacek, Danny Glover, and Robert Prosky all provide voices to the historical figures.  This is more of an analysis on why Jefferson had slaves but did not like slavery and multiple historians commenting on their views of Jefferson.  This was a pretty good look at our former president and writer of the Declaration of Independence.

20 Feet From Stardom (2013):  I'm the only person that I know that can go from a political documentary to a music documentary with such ease  Morgan Neville directed this documentary that takes a look at the background singers that we hear in songs all the time but have no idea of who they are.  This documentary takes a look at the backup singers of popular musicians and their importance to the industry.  It shows some of them who desire more of a career and others who are content being in the background instead of the spotlight.  There are interviews with both the background and feature singers.  This gave a really good look at the unsung heroes of the industry that may not be very well known by the public but respected within the industry.

Alive Day Memories:  Home From Iraq (2007):  This is my last documentary for the week which centers around Iraq war.  James Gandolfini interviews a handful of men and women who are back from the war and have come back an amputee of some sort.  Each one of them goes into detail on their account of what happened and how the war has affected them which is some very mixed opinions.  There are some very graphic photos from the war and very eye opening of what goes on in the war.  There is not much more to be touched upon but is an HBO produced documentary.

Droopy Leprechaun (1958):  This is my animated short for the week which has the rare appearance of Droopy the dog in my blog.  I guess this should have gone on last week's edition with St. Patrick's day being last week but I'll just throw everyone off.  In this one Droopy gets a leprechaun hat and Spike mistakes Droopy for a real leprechaun leading to some pretty funny moments.

The Music Man (1962):  This is my musical for the week.  Morton DaCosta directed this movie based on the musical by Meredith Willson.  Robert Preston stars as con man Harold Hill who is posing as a professor of music goes to a small Iowa town convincing them they need a marching band.  He intends to get everyone to pay for instruments and then hightail it out of town but some of the townsfolk, especially Marion, played by Shirley Jones, makes him reconsider his motives.  A young Ron Howard co-stars as Winthrop.  Buddy Hackett, Hermione Gingold, Paul Ford, Charles Lane, and many others co-star in this musical.  This is a very popular show among the community theater world and has always been one I pretty well enjoyed.  I have been cast in it twice but for different reasons I had to pull out of the show.  Preston is great as Hill and originated the part on Broadway and a rare thing at this time for the Broadway actor to get the part which was not in the original plans as they looked for a bigger name and had Cary Grant but declined and Preston got the role.  This has some really good music numbers and is just fun to watch so please give Iowa a try.

Peg O' My Heart (1933):  I suppose this could be compared to MY FAIR LADY or the later 1938 film PYGMALION which would inspire the musical I just named.  Marion Davies stars as Peg who along with her father Pat, played by J. Farrell MacDonald, enjoy a simple life in a small fishing village.  Soon, the proper Sir Gerald, played by Onslow Stevens, informs Pat that Peg is the heir to the estate of her late Grandfather but has a price.  She must go live in England for three years and learn to be a proper lady and Pat must never see her again which Pat does not tell her after sending her to England.  Once getting there, her struggle is to adjust to this proper life.  Juliette Compton, Irene Browne, Tyrell Davis Allan Mowbray, and many others co-star in this film.  Davies does a real good job as the girl who loves fishing.  Her name does not live onto the modern times as much as some and was a girlfriend to William Randolph Hearst.  I understand that her portrayal in CITIZEN KANE is one of the main reasons Hearst went after Orson Welles to not get the movie made.  This is a really good watch and a rather overlooked film.

The Accountant (2016):  This is part one of a possible two-part J.K. Simmons series.  Gavin O'Connor directed this film which stars Ben Affleck as the title character who is a little more than an accountant.  Affleck stars as Christian Wolff who is I assume autistic and has quite the expertise for numbers working for some of the most dangerous criminal organizations and has the treasury department closing in on his activities and when discovering the truth about his latest client which is a robotics company, he takes action racking up the body count with his training he has received.  Simmons, Anna Kendrick, John Lithgow, Jon Bernthal, Jeffrey Tambor, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Jean Smart and many others co-star in this film.  I know there are a lot of debates out there about who would win between Batman and the Punisher and we kind of get that in a sense with Affleck being the latest Batman and Bernthal being the latest Punisher in the Netflix Marvel world.  Honestly, I didn't really follow the story very well but was still enamored by the characters and the action.

Tarzan's Secret Treasure (1941):  I decided to bring in the man of the jungle this week.  Richard Thorpe directed this film featuring the Edgar Rice Burroughs characters Tarzan and Jane, reprised by Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O'Sullivan in their 5th of six outings and the second one for Johnny Sheffield as Boy.  This has them in the jungle joined by some greedy hunters looking for some treasure.  Reginald Owen, Barry Fitzgerald, Tom Conway, Philip Dorn, and many others co-star in this film.  This one seemed to have more action than I remember from the others.  This also has some really good footage of the animals in the jungle.

Reflections in a Golden Eye (1967):  John Huston directed this film which is based on the novel by Carson McCullers.  Marlon Brando stars as US army Major Penderton and Elizabeth Taylor co-stars as his lusty wife Leonora.  As far as I know, this is their only teaming and am not going to look into it right now.  They are in a very unhappy marriage with Penderton doing what he can to move up the ranks and having repressed homosexual thoughts. Brian Keith, Julie Harris, Irvin Dugan, Robert Forster, and many others co-star in this film.  It is hard to really go into detail about this rather complex, controversial and daring film.  As imdb puts it, it is a "bizarre tale of sex, betrayal, and perversion at a military post" which really says it all.  I had never heard of this movie until I came across it on TCM and was really glad to be introduced to it.  This could be a really good double feature to go along with Brando's LAST TANGO IN PARIS.

Cop Car (2015):  I follow up and end the week with a pretty dark film that is not for everyone.  Jon Watts directed and co-wrote this film.  James Freedson- Jackson and Hays Wellford star as Travis and Harrison who are a couple 10 year old boys that come across an abandoned police car and happens to have keys so they could not resist temptation but to drive it.  Things get really dangerous for them when small town Sheriff Kretzer, played the the Center of the Acting Universe Kevin Bacon, is looking for the car and get caught up in a deadly game of cat and mouse they did not foresee.  Shea Whigham and Camryn Manheim co-star in this film.  Listen for Bacon's wife Kyra Sedgwick as the dispatch voice of the movie.  Bacon shows he can play a villain really well so since I'm on a double feature kick, this could be a good double feature to THE RIVER WILD.  This was a rather simple movie that is carried by the characters and the scenery.  Some could get turned away by the violence but if able to get past that, this could be a really good 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 Bruce Greenwood, Jon Heder, Forest Whitaker, Orson Welles, John Barrymore, and many others.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 644th Edition

Welcome to the 644th Edition of my series.  I hope everyone had a good St. Patrick's Day yesterday however celebrated and hopefully no one is still in pain after being pinched too much for not wearing green.  I'm still in rehearsals for ON GOLDEN POND where I continue to find my character of Bill Ray and look forward to putting the show on for the public.

Limitless (2011):  I start the week out with this sci-fi film.  Neil Burger directed this film based on the novel by Alan Glynn.  Bradley Cooper stars as struggling author Eddie Morra who cannot come up with any ideas for a novel and is dumped by his girlfriend Lindy, played by Abbie Cornish, seeing his lack of drive.  Hitting rock bottom, he decides to take a pill on the black market that enhances the use of his brain instantly being shown a new world drawing the attention of business mogul Carl Van Loon who sees him as a tool to make billions.  The pill carries brutal side effects and people out for him because of the pill.  Andrew Howard, Anna Friel, Johnny Whitworth, Robert John Burke, and many others co-star in this sci-fi film.  This is some very intriguing sci-fi and shows the price of I guess drugged intelligence.  This was also made into tv series after the movie came out.

The Interview (2014):  I follow with this rather controversial comedy that is sure to have very mixed opinions.  Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen co-directed and co-wrote this comedy in which Rogen co-stars.  James Franco stars as Dave Skylark who is a tabloid tv show host and Rogen  is his producer Aaron.  They look for all the celebrity gossip possible but decide they want to do something more meaningful in the world of journalism and seek out an interview with North Korea dictator Kim Jong Un, played by Randall Park, and find themselves deeper than expected.  Lizzy Caplan, Diana Bang, Timothy Simons, Reese Alexander, James Yi, and many others co-star in this comedy with some pretty amusing celebrity cameos.  This is one that if I describe any further I'll give too much away.  It is not for everyone, especially those that offend easy as the humor is rather politically incorrect.  There were some parts where I thought "wtf" but could not help but laugh.

Ratatouille (2007):  This is my Pixar film for the week which was directed Brad Bird along with Jan Pinklava.  This is also part three of a possible four-part James Remar series where he provicdes the voice of Larousse  This centers around a famous and fancy French restaurant.  A rat named Remy, voiced by Patton Oswalt, is not like the rest of his family and aspires to be a chef despite the warnings of his family on the dangers of us humans.  Lou Romano provides the voice for Linguini who is a kitchen worker that cannot cook but gets unlikely help from Remy who manages to control his body and they soon come up with some of the best dishes of all time while trying to keep the illusion that Linguini is the great new chef.  Remar, Ian Holm, Brian Dennehy, Peter Sohn, Brad Garrett, Peter O'Toole, Janeane Garofalo, John Ratzenberger, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a pretty good movie centering around a restaurant that I'm sure many restaurant workers can relate adn I suppose there is the fear of the unknown element in this movie.  This delivers a lot of laughs and is sure to be enjoyed by the family.

Censored (1944):  This is my animated short for the week which features the character Private Snafu, voiced by Mel Blanc.  This was a series of WWII sorts from 1943-1945 and some including this one was written by Dr. Seuss.  In this one, Private Snafu is looking to get a letter to his sweetheart and gets his wish to send mail uncensored but not matter where he turns it is censored.  This is a character that has gone onto be pretty unknown excluding classic animation enthusiasts.  This is available on Amazon Prime as part of the "Patriotic Cartoons Collection" which is a very entertaining series of WWII animated propaganda shorts.

Dangerous (1935):  Alfred E. Green directed this pre-code film which stars Franchot Tone as architect Don Bellows who has everything going for him with his job and fiancee Gail, played by Margaret Lindsay.  His life changes when he finds has-been actress Joyce Heath, played by Bette Davis, drunk and passed out so takes her to his home to help her get better.  He starts to form a relationship with her while wanting to help her get her career going again.  Alison Skipworth, John Eldredge, Dick Foran, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a pretty well-done drama from this era and pretty daring for its time.  This really deserves a look among classic film buffs, rather underrated film from Davis.

David and Lisa (1962):  Frank Perry directed this film based on the book by Theodore Isaac Rubin.  Keir Dullea stars as David who is a troubled teen who has emotional problems and has trouble being touched and gets put into a mental institution.  Janet Margolin stars as Lisa who is in the mental instituation and makes non-sensible sentences as well as having another personality.  David takes a liking to her and finds intimacy with her while also trying to help her having read psychiatric books.  Howard Da Silva, Neva Patterson, Clifton James, Karen Lee Gorney, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a very beautiful story and a very pleasant surprise having not heard of this movie.  Dullea and Margolin are perfect in their roles.  It is unfortunate how overlooked this movie has been but really deserves to get more exposure.

Riff Raff (1947):  Ted Tetzlaff directed this adventure comedy which stars Pat O'Brien as private investigator Dan Hammer who is hired to be a bodyguard by a man named Hasso, played by Marc Krah, after finding a briefcase with a map in it of unregistered oil wells in Peru.  In the process, Hammer must deal with many others who are not who they seem like femme fatale Maxine, played by Anne Jeffreys.  Walter Slezak, Percy Kilbride, Jerome Cowan, George Givot, Jason Robards Sr., and many others co-star in this film.  O'Brien usually co-stars with people like Bogart and Cagney and does a good job holding his own in this film without them.  This is good for classic movie buffs.

Soundtrack for a Revolution (2009):  This is my documentary for the week.  This focuses on the Civil Rights movement through the songs that protesters on picket lines, mass meetings, and in jail cells would sing.  The songs would help them sing the words that they had a hard time singing.  Singers and bands include the Roots, Wyclef Jean, Joss Stone, Richie Havens, Anthony Hamilton, The Blind Boys of America, Harry Belafonte, and John Legend.  This mostly revolves around the music so if looking for history on the civil rights movement in general, this is not really the one to watch.  This does have some very good music performances.  This is available to watch on the Hoopla Digital website.

Ruby (1977):  This is my horror movie for the week and has commentary from RIFFTRAX.  Piper Laurie stars as the title character whose gangster boyfriend was murdered and 16 years later murders take place at her drive in theater.  Their mute daughter Leslie, played by Janit Baldwin, is acting strangely.  Stuart Whitman, Roger Davis, and many others co-star in this movie.  It is easiest to get through this movie with the commentary of Mike Nelson, Bill Corbett, and Kevin Murphy of RIFFTRAX and formerly MST3K as the acting and visuals are not very good but made funny through the commentary which is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

The Founder (2016):  I end the week with this biopic centered around McDonalds owner Ray Croc, played by Michael Keaton.  John Lee Hancock directed this film that centers around Kroc and his days as a traveling salesman to his meeting with Dick and Mac McDonald, played by Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch, who own a very innovative restaurant that would later go onto become fast food.  Kroc took interest in this restaurant and talks them into franchising it where the McDonald brothers slowly see the greed Croc.  Linda Cardellini, B.J. Novak, Laura Dern, Justin Randell Brooke, Kate Kneeland, Patrick Wilson, Griff Furst, Wilbur Fitzgerald, David de Vries, and many others co-star in this film.  I decided upon this movie last week when I was in Alexandria and had a little time to kill before rehearsal.  Having my computer with me and having wi-fi I thought what perfect movie to watch as in watching a movie about the rise of McDonalds in McDonalds.  Watching this made me think of THE SOCIAL NETWORK and how Facebook came to be making me think this would be a great double feature.  This was a very intriguing film and is available to watch on Netflix.

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

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 643rd Edition

Welcome to the 643rd Edition of my series.  I continue with rehearsals for ON GOLDEN POND which I think will come together really well.  I have the flyer on the bottom of the page to reserve tickets if able to make it to Alexandria, Indiana.  I'm still enjoying my working from home.  I don't have much else happening so I will just get on with my selections.

The Dream Team (1989):  This is part two of my possible four-part James Remar series and plays one of the corrupt cops.  Before we put together a group of NBA's finest to compete in the Olympics, we had a great team of mental patients on the loose.  Howard Zieff directed this comedy which stars as Michael Keaton as the McMurphyesque Billy Caufield who has delusions of grandeur and some rather violent tendencies.  He is part of a group that involves Henry, played by Christopher Lloyd, Jack, played by Peter Boyle, and Albert, played by Stephen Furst, and each one of them have their own unique problems.  Dennis Boutsikaris co-stars as Dr. Weitzman who is the leader of this group of patients and decides to take them to see a baseball game only to stumble onto a murder plot which leaves him unconscious leaving the patients to band together to piece together the murder plot.  Remar, Lorraine Bracco, Milo O'Shea, Philip Bosco, Brad Sullivan, Larry Pine, and many others co-star in this comedy.  The team of four work real well together playing off their differences.  This is a fun comedy caper and good for some laughs.

Popeye the Sailor meets Ali Baba's 40 Thieves (1937):  This is my animated short for the week that obviously features Popey but also Olive Oyl and Wimpy.  In this one, Popeye hears about bandit Abu Hassan and his forty thieves and must rush to the rescue of Olive Oyl who has been kidnapped.  The character Hassan is essentially Bluto and is done by the same person that voices the character.  This is a pretty good Popeye short and is available on Youtube or anything else public domain.

Arsenic and Old Lace (1944):  This is part two of my two-part Frank Capra series.  Capra directed the movie version of the popular play by Joseph Kesserling in which I once played Lieutenant Rooney which might have been a younger casting than usual.  Cary Grant stars as theater critic Mortimer Brewster who is a known bachelor that has expressed a lot of cynicism towards marriage only to marry Elaine, played by Priscilla Lane.  When they go to visit his aunts Abby and Martha, played by Josephine Hull and Jean Adair, who run a boarding house and tend to kill men they feel are lonely in the belief they are doing them a favor.  He comes to learn that insanity runs in the family already having a brother Teddy, played by John Alexander, who is convinced he is Theodore Roosevelt and his estranged brother Jonathan, played by Raymond Massey, who is the craziest of all.  Peter Lorre, Jack Carson, Edward Everett Horton, Peter Lorre, Grant Mitchell, and many others co-star in this film.  This is always a very enjoyable dark comedy that stays pretty faithful to the play.  This is also different from most other Capra films with this one not as moralistic and became drawn to doing this much different project.

In the Loop (2009):  In my running them of Comedy I seem to be on at least the first few selections, I bring a political comedy.  Armando Iannucci directed this war satire and I'm not even sure where to begin.  The US president and UK prime minister want a war but not everyone agrees including Simon Foster, played by Tom Hollander, but accidentally backs war on television and must do waht he can to prevent the war.  Peter Capaldi, Gina McKee, Olivia Poulet, Chris Addison, James Smith, Zach Woods, Mimi Kennedy, Anna Chlumsky, Enzo Cilenti, James Doherty, David Rasche, James Gandolfini, Steve Coogan, and many others co-star in this comedy.  This is a very complex comedy that is extremely difficult to really describe.  My best suggestion is to just give it a watch and I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Smokey and the Bandit (1977):  Hal Needham directed and co-wrote this outlaw road comedy starring Burt Reynolds in his iconic role of Bandit who is hired to pick up a truckload of beer and from Texas and return it by a specified time.  Along with his loyal partner Cledus, played by Jerry Reed, and runaway bride Carrie, played by Sally Field, they set off for quite the trip while on the run from overzealous Sheriff Buford T. Justice, played by Jackie Gleason.  Mike Henry, Paul Williams, Pat McCormick, and many others star in this film.  Like many of my other selection this week, on the surface this is very morally wrong.  Maybe some see it as a glorification of crime but if getting past that element, this is some southern fun with Burt at his best.  As much as I'm not one to usually promote box office success, I feel it important to point out this was the second highest grossing film of 1977 only behind the first STAR WARS film.

Sleepwalk With Me (2012):  I continue with my comedy selections which is a more personal comedy.  Mike Birbiglia co-directed and co-wrote this film based on his own Off-Broadway play of the same name starring as aspiring comedian Matt, which is based on himself, trying make it in the world of comedy while having a difficult relationship and having issues with sleepwalking that he continues to ignore.  Lauren Ambrose, James Rebhorn, Carol Kane, Cristin Milioti, Aya Cash, Marylouise Burke, Loudon Wainwright III, Ben Levin, Henry Phillips, Jessi Klein, Emily Meade, Amanda Perez, Lucy Devito, Wyatt Cenac, Marc Maron, and many others co-star in this comedy.  There are funny scenes but is closer to a drama than my selections so far in that the movie is centered around people that are funny but a fairly serious story.

The Magnificent Ambersons (1942):  I'm finally getting off the comedy kick for now and bringing this soap-like drama.  Orson Welles directed this film based on the novel by Booth Tarkington and provides the narration.  Joseph Cotton stars as Eugene Morgan, a rather wild and handsome man, wanting to marry Isabel Amberson, played by Dolores Costello, but she ends up marrying someone else raising a son named George, played by Tim Holt, who becomes a significant factor in the later years of the film when Eugene revisits marrying the widowed Isabel.  Anne Baxter, Agnes Moorehead, Ray Collins, Erskine Sanford, Richard Bennett, Don Dilaway, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a pretty good look at a Midwestern family through the years.  Like CITIZEN KANE, Welles had some red tape to go through with RKO productions with them doing these like editing the film when he was out of the country.

Sully (2016):  Clint Eastwood directed this film that is based on actual pilot Chelsey "Sully" Sullenberger, played by Tom Hanks, whose plan becomes damaged and makes the judgement call to land in the water with the 155 people aboard in turn saving them.  Many considered him a hero but gets questioned by the National Transportation Safety Board on if that was necessary.  Aaron Eckhart co-stars as Sully's loyal co-pilot Jeff and Laura Linney co-stars as Sully's wife Lorrie who is also doing what she can to get through this trouble her husband has to deal with.  Valerie Mahaffey, Mike O'Malley, Delphi Harrington, Jamey Sheridan, Anna Gunn, Holt McCallany, Blake Jones, Molly Bernard, Chris Bauer, Jane Gabbert, Ann Cusack, and many others co-star in this film.  This was a very compelling and well-shot film.  It also conveys the effects of people when having to go through something so extreme like Sully's emotions not knowing his future as a pilot.  Eastwood and Hanks team for the first time and hit it out of the park.

Mr. Majestyk (1974):  Richard Fleischer directed this movie and written as a screenplay by Elmore Leonard who is more known as a novelist.  Charles Bronson stars as the title character who is a melon farmer who just wants to live in peace but is threatened by the local mob and takes action in true Bronson form.  Al Lettieri, Linda Cristal, Lee Purcell, Paul Koslo, Frank Maxwell, Alejandro Rey, Jordan Rhodes, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a more underrated action movie from this era with Bronson in good form.  It has a good low budget feel with some good action to go along.  This is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

Up in the Air (2009):  I end the week with this film directed by Jason Reitman and based on the novel by Walter Kirn.  George Clooney stars as Ryan Bingham whose job is to go to other businesses in the nation and fire employees in hopes he can put a positive spin.  While he enjoys the travel element of his job, it gets threatened when new hire Natalie, played by Anna Kendrick, comes in and looks to make changes to the workplace by having the staff communicate online instead of actually traveling.  Vera Farminga co-stars as Alex who leads a similar life to Ryan and forms a relationship during their frequent flyer encounters.  Jason Bateman, Amy Morton, Melanie Lynskey, J.K Simmons, Danny McBride, Zach Galifianakia=s, Sam Elliott, Chris Lowell, Steve Eastin, and many others co-star in this film.  This is more of a character driven film than anything and a lot of it was the working relationship between Ryan and Natalie and him trying to convince her that their job is better to be face to face with people than over a computer.  I also found it to be pretty unpredictable and a good blend of comedy and drama to be enjoyed.  This is available to watch on Netflix.

Well, that is it for this week but I did bring back the "Fun and Useless Facts segment.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Robert De Niro, James Franco, Peter O'Toole, and many others.

FUN AND USELESS FACTS

I return with this segment where I focus mostly on actors from different movies.  I do not usually use actors from the same film like Orson Welles and Joseph Cotton.  There are also plenty of things that I probably missed so feel free to comment others you might see.

Michael Keaton (The Dream Team) and Zach Galifianakis (Up in the Air) were in the 2014 film BIRDMAN OR (THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF INGORANCE)

Michael Keaton (The Dream Team), Kristen Schaal (Sleepwalk With Me) and Tom Hanks (Sully) were in the 2010 animated film TOY STORY 3.

Michael Keaton co-stars in the 1997 film JACKIE BROWN which was based on the novel RUM PUNCH by Elmore Leonard (Mr. Majestyk writer)

Michael Keaton (The Dream Team) plays Batman in the 1989 film BATMAN and the 1992 film BATMAN RETURNS.  George Clooney (Up in the Air) plays Batman in the 1997 movie BATMAN AND ROBIN

Michael Keaton (The Dream Team) was cast in the 2003 film MYSTIC RIVER which was directed by Clint Eastwood (Sully director) would leave the project after having creative differences.

Michael Keaton (The Dream Team), Steve Coogan (In the Loop) and Zach Woods (In the Loop) were in the 2010 comedy THE OTHER GUYS.  Michael Keaton (The Dream Team) and Steve Coogan (In the Loop) were in the 2015 animated movie MINIONS.

Christopher Lloyd (The Dream Team) and Carol Kane (Sleepwalk With Me) were Fester and Granny Addams in the 1991 comedy THE ADDAMS FAMILY and the 1993 sequel THE ADDAMS FAMILY VALUES.  They also co-starred in the classic '80s series TAXI and had cameos in the 1999 film MAN ON THE MOON where they reprised the roles within the film.

Dennis Boutsikaris (The Dream Team), Emily Meade (Sleepwalk With Me) and George Clooney (Up in the Air) were in the 2016 movie MONEY MONSTER.

Lorraine Bracco (The Dream Team) was a psychiatrist for James Gandolfini (In the Loop) in the HBO series THE SOPRANOS.

James Remar (The Dream Team) voices Two-Face in the animated series BATMAN:  THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD.  Aaron Eckhart (Sully) plays Two-Face in the 2008 film THE DARK KNIGHT though mostly focusing on him as Harvey Dent.

James Remar (The Dream Team) and Danny McBride (Up in the Air) were in the 2008 comedy PINEAPPLE EXPRESS.

Philip Bosco (The Dream Team) and James Rebhorn (Sleepwalk With Me) were in the 1991 film SHADOWS AND FOG.

Philip Bosco (The Dream Team) and Kristen Schall (Sleepwalk With Me) were in the 2001 movie KATE AND LEOPOLD

Raymond Massey (Arsenic and Old Lace) and Agnes Moorehead (The Magnificent Ambersons) were in the 1962 film HOW THE WEST WAS WON.

Peter Lorre (Arsenic and Old Lace) and Agnes Moorehead (The Magnificent Ambersons) were in the the 1957 movie THE STORY OF MANKIND.

Mimi Kennedy (In the Loop) and Zach Galifianakis (Up in the Air) were in the 2010 comedy DUE DATE.

David Rasche (In the Loop) and George Clooney (Up in the Air) were in the 2008 film BURN AFTER READING.

David Rasche (In the Loop), Chris Bauer (Sully), and Melanie Lynskey (Up in the Air) were in the 2006 war film FLAGS OF OUR FATHER which was directed by Clint Eastwood (Sully director)

James Gandolfini (In the Loop) was originally cast as Carl Hanratty in the 2002 film CATCH ME IF YOU CAN which would ultimately go to Tom Hanks (Sully).

James Gandolfini (In the Loop) and Lauren Ambrose (Sleepwalk With Me) were in the 2009 film WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE.

Steve Coogan (In the Loop) and Kristen Schaal (Sleepwalk With Me) were in the 2013 animated sequel DESPICABLE ME 2.

Sally Field (Smokey and the Bandit) was the mother to Tom Hanks (Sully) in the 1994 film FOREST GUMP and also worked together in the 1988 comedy PUNCHLINE where they are love interests to each other.

Paul Williams (Smokey and the Bandit), Carol Kane (Sleepwalk With Me), and Orson Welles (The Magnificent Ambersons) were in the 1979 movie THE MUPPET MOVIE.

Mike Henry (Smokey and the Bandit) and Joseph Cotton (The Magnificent Ambersons) were in the 1973 movie SOYLENT GREEN.

Pat McCormick (Smokey and the Bandit) and Orson Welles (The Magnificent Ambersons) were in the 1981 comedy HISTORY OF THE WORLD:  Part I)

Marylouise Burke (Sleepwalk With Me) and J.K. Simmons (Up in the Air) were in the 1998 comedy CELEBRITY.

Tim Holt (The Magnificent Ambersons) plays Virgil Earp in the 1946 film MY DARLING CLEMENTINE.  Sam Elliott (Up in the Air) plays Virgil Earp in the 1993 western TOMBSTONE.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 642nd Edition

Welcome to the 642nd edition of my series.  Tomorrow I start my rehearsals for ON GOLDEN POND in Alexandria.  I have a poster at the bottom for the information and where to call to get tickets.  I have not done anything since October so I look forward to getting into things again.  There is not much else happening so I'll just get on with my selections for the week.

Stephen Tobolowsky's Birthday Party (2005):  I start the week out with this character actor which was directed by Robert Brinkman who felt more people needed to know about the widely seen but relatively unknown Stephen Tobolowsky.  This is centered all around him where he reflects on his life and career.  Like the title says, this is filmed on his birthday.  It is always good to see things like this on rather unknown actors.  This came out before he was in what he is probably most known for which is his recurring role of Sandy Ryerson on the tv series GLEE.  This is a very funny and insightful film and really deserves a look.

Darkest Hour (2017):  I follow up with this Oscar nominated film that is getting Gary Oldman looked at more than ever.  Joe Wright directed this biopic on British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, played by Oldman, in the time where he gets appointed prime minister in the early days of WWII and must make some tough decisions in dealing with Hitler that also become very unpopular during this time.  Kristin Scott Thomas, Lily James, Ben Mendelsohn, Ronald Pickup, Stephen Dillane, Nicholas Jones, Samuel West, David Schofield, Richard Lumsden, Malcolm Storry, David Strathairn, and many others co-star in this biopic.  Oldman has always been known as quite the chameleon actor and I always love blowing people's minds when telling them that in some movie they are watching with Gary Oldman "that's Sirius Black" and their face is always priceless.  He is very unrecognizable as Chuchill and also very compelling in possibly the most difficult time of his life.

Amy (2015):  So far I have featured movies featuring an actor, a politician, now I bring a troubled singer.  Asif Kapadia directed this documentary on the late singer Amy Winehouse.  This is someone who had a very unique music talent to set herself apart from the pop singers and make it on her own style.  Unfortunately, through her talent, fame, and success lied a very lost soul in her downward spiral of drugs and alcohol.  This covers some of her childhood with mostly her music aspirations into her rise in the music industry and the ultimate fall that would happen.  There is not much to explain.  It is a well done documentary on the late Amy Winehouse.

The Wabbit Who Came to Supper (1942):  This is my animated short for the week which features Bugs Bunny and his main rival Elmer Fudd.  Elmer is set to inherit three million dollars from a late uncle but it is not very simple.  To get the money, he must not harm any animal, especially rabbits.  Bugs Bunny exploits this clause to no end in order to drive Elmer mad.  This is parodied from the play THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER.  This also has a rare look from Elmer Fudd where he is fatter than usual which was to model his voice actor Arthur Q. Bryan.  This has some very funny moments and I watched this from "Cartoon Classics Vol. 2" on Amazon Prime.

It Happened One Night (1934):  This is part one of a two-part Frank Capra series.  Capra directed this romantic comedy with the teaming of Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert.  Colbert stars as spoiled heiress Ellie who has run away after tying the know with King Westley, played by Jameson Thomas.  Gable stars as out of work reporter Peter Warne who when meets her, pretty much gives her no choice but to accept his help or he'll blow the whistle to her father.  He has every intention to get a juicy story on her but they slowly fall in love.  Walter Connelly, Roscoe Burns, Alan Hale, Arthur Hoyt, Ward Bond, and many others co-star in this film.  I suppose this is one of the pioneer films of the romantic comedy and was made very well in Capra fashion.  Bond in very amusing in his bit role as a bus driver and watching this made me think that there really should be some documentary on him being an early character actor and maybe the granddaddy of character actors.  Apparently, both leads hated this movie which might have helped their performances where neither character really wanted to be where they were at the time.

The Subject was Roses (1968):  Ulu Grosbard directed this film based on the play by Frank D. Gilroy.  Martin Sheen stars as Timmy Cleary who is a returning soldier from WWII and moving in with his parents John and Nettie, played by Jack Albertson and Patricia Neal.  He comes home to find there is still some marital strife among his parents and is brought in the middle making his return home very difficult.  This is a three person play and the movie added a couple of characters but mostly sticks to the three main characters that are what drives the story.  Albertson is probably most known as Grandpa Joe in WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY and puts on a very good dramatic performance in this film along with the other two.  This is really good to watch for the script and performances.  This would be a good drama to put on sometime.

Black Panther (2018):  I decided to finally check out this current superhero film.  Ryan Coogler directed this film which stars Chadwick Boseman as he reprises his role of T'Challa who goes back to his African country of Wakanda where he is king after the events from CAPTAIN AMERICA:  CIVIL WAR.  A civil war in Wakanda is threatened when outsider Erik Killmonger, played by Michael B. Jordan, comes to challenge for the king to essentially take over the island.  Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Sterling K. Brown, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, Andy Serkis, and many others co-star in this superhero film.  This has some really good visuals and story.  Boseman is great as the title character.  This has been really big in the box office even by superhero film standards.  This has had a very positive reaction from the black race and still has the usual fans.  There are a lot of really strong characters in the African village with both male and female.  I have seen a lot of memes created of people claiming this is the "first black superhero movie" and then reminds us of movies like BLADE.  This is the first for the Marvel Cinematic Universe and maybe the first superhero movie to focus on the African heritage.  I have come to see the superhero genre as being the most subjective genre in film and television so this like any has had its share of haters.  I have seen a more positive response though and it did not disappoint when I went to the theaters to see it.

Phffft (1954):  I bring on another romantic comedy for the week which was directed by Mark Robson and this one stars Jack Lemmon and Judy Holliday.  They star as married couple Robert and Nina who have been married for eight years and decide they need to divorce.  While they are divorced, they try to move on with other people but can never seem to stop seeing each other making them rethink what they have done.  Jack Carson, Kim Novak, Donald Curtis, and many others co-star in this comedy.  This was a very early film for Lemmon and his second teaming with Judy Holliday.  Lemmon and Holliday work well together as well as the supporting characters and of worth to see Lemmon early in his career coming into his own.

The Warriors (1979):  This is part one of a possible four part series on character actor James Remar.  Walter Hill directed this action film based on the novel by Sol Yurick.  This is a futuristic film where gang leader Cyrus, played by Roger Hill, is murdered in a meeting that involved all the gangs during a speech he was trying to give.  A gang called the Warriors are blamed for the killing and go on the run from both the police and rival gangs in trying to clear their name.  Remar, Michael Beck, Dorsey Wright, Brian Tyler, David Harris, Tom McKitterick, Marcelino Sanchez, Terry Michos, Deborah Van Valkenberg, David Patrick Kelly, Mercedes Ruehl, and many others co-star in this film.  This has a very stylish look to it with all the gangs having their own unique element, especially the Baseball Fury gang.  There is a really good story along with some great fight scenes.  This could go along well with something like A CLOCKWORK ORANGE or ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13.  This is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

Cartel Land (2015):  I end the week with this documentary which was directed by Matthew Heineman.  This takes a look at the ongoing drug problem along the U.S.-Mexican border.  This takes a look at two vigilante groups, one known as the Arizona Border Recon and the other is the Autodefensas.  It goes onto interview Tim "Nailer" Foloey who leads the Arizona Border Recon which is essentially a para-military group and physician Jose Manuel Mireles who leads the Autodefensas which is a group of locals wanting to make their Mexican town better.  This was a good look at the drug cartels and people who felt the authorities were not doing enough so they tried to help the cause.  The vigilante groups are still active and interesting to look into.  this is available to watch on Netflix.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Michael Keaton, Cary Grant, Steve Coogan, Sally Field, and many others.