Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 654th Edition

Welcome to the 654th Edition of my series.  I hope everyone has a good holiday however celebrated.  I had my first week in a few months that did not involve theater so while good to have a break, I'm still in search of the right project to get back in soon.  That being said I'll just keep this short and get on with my selections for the week.

True Story (2015):  Rupert Goold directed this film that is based on the book by Michael Finkel which once again teams up James Franco and Jonah Hill but in more of a drama this time.  Hill plays real-life journalist Finkel who disgraced himself in an article for the New York Times and learns of an accused murderer named Christian Longo, played by Franco, is arrested and was using his name.  Finkel sees this as an opportunity for redemption and interviews Longo ultimately seeing that it could be a book.  They form a bond where Finkel agrees to teach Longo how to write in return for his story but nothing is as it appears.  Felicity Jones co-stars as Finkel's concerned wife Jill who worries what this story is doing to him personally.  Ethan Suplee, Maria Dizzia, Robert John Burke, Byron Jennings, Gretchen Mol, Betty Gilpin, Seth Barrish, and many others co-star in this film. I thought Franco and Hill worked well together in this film.  This is not one for everyone but I think true crime fans will really enjoy this very compelling film that kept me guessing and intrigued.  This could be a good double feature to IN COLD BLOOD.

Brewster McCloud (1970):  Robert Altman directed this really interesting fantasy comedy.  Bud Cort stars as the reclusive title character living in the fallout shelter at the Astrodome and looking to build a pair of wings in order to fly away with the help of his guardian angel Louise, played by Sally Kellerman.  Michael Murphy, William Windom, Shelley Duvall, Rene Auberjonois, Stacy Keach, John Schuck, Margaret Hamilton, Jennifer Salt, and many others co-star in this film.  Much of the Altman alums are part of this film and if you do not know what I am saying just check the casts of a lot of his movies.  It is really hard to put this one into any words but is a very intriguing film of a loner.  Auberjonois is very amusing as the Lecturer and is a rather underrated actor.  What drew me to this movie is seeing Margaret Hamilton in a much later role.  If you do not know who she is, all I really have to say is the Wicked Witch of the West in THE WIZARD OF OZ which they even do a little homage to the film.  While she had mostly a cameo, she was still very entertaining in this movie.  If looking for something different, this can be a good candidate.

Dating:  Do's and Don'ts (1949):  This is my short film for the week and comes from the ever entertaining Coronet Films.  This takes a look at a teen named Woody who is about to date for the first time and we get advice from the narrator on how to choose a date, how to ask, and the whole nine yards.  This is a series of instructional videos from this era that are just entertaining by today's standards.  MST3K and Rifftrax have been known to use a lot o these in their opening short films.  These are all public domain and usually findable through Youtube so just watch some of these to see what I'm talking about when I say these are entertaining and no longer what one would take as "instructional".

The Finest Hours (2016):  This is part two of my two-part Eric Bana series.  Craig Gillespie directed this film that is based on the novel by Michael J. Tougias and Casey Sherman which is based on a true story that takes place in February of 1952 in New England.  A coast guard station gets a distress signal from the SS Pendleton which is rapidly sinking and a ship lead by Bernie, played by Chris Pine, leads a rescue mission despite warnings from the community on its danger.  Bana, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster, Holliday Grainger, John Ortiz, Kyle Gallner, John Magaro, Graham McTavish, Michael Raymond-James, Beau Knapp, Josh Stewart, Abraham Benrubi, Rachel Brosnahan, Keiynan Lonsdale, and many others co-star in this film.  I thought this was a pretty decent rescue drama of the community pulling together for their loved ones.

Angel (1937):  Ernst Lubitsch directed this film based on the play by Melchior Lengyel.  Marlene Dietrich stars as Lady Maria Barker who is in a marriage with British diplomat Sir Frederick Barker, played by Herbert Marshall, and feels neglected in the marriage.  Frederick sees this and schedules a well-needed vacation where Maria meets the charming Anthony Halton, played by Melvyn Douglas, to the point that she falls in love.  Edward Everett Horton, Ernest Cossart, Laura Hope Crews, and many others co-star in this film.  I suppose this is one of the "pre-code" films from this era and a pretty daring movie for its time having an extra-marital affair and all.

Trainspotting (1996):  Danny Boyle directed this film based on the novel by Irvine Welsh which has become a cult classic.  Ewan McGregor, in his breakthrough performance stars as heroin addict Mark Renton who looks to give up his habit and shows how it effects his family and friends around him.  Ewan Bremner, Jonny Lee Miller, Kevin McKidd, Robert Carlyle, Kelly MacDonald, Peter Mullan, James Cosmo, Eileen Nicholas, Susan Vidler, Shirley Henderson, and many others co-star in this British film.  This is a very low-budget film that is mostly character driven with some very good performances.  There is some dark comedy to this but there are also some hard to watch scenes but that is to be expected on a film that takes a look at the drug scene. 

The Young and the Damned (1950):  My last selection takes a look at the Scottish drug scene and this selection takes a look at juvenile delinquency in Mexico.  Luis Bunuel directed this film that centers around a boy named Pedro, played by Estela Inda, who sees too much from more experienced delinquent El Jaibo, played by Roberto Cobo, and must decide what he must to as well as survive.  It does not help that Pedro's mother resents and mostly rejects him which seems to drive him to the life of crime he is leading.  This is a good look on delinquency and what can lead to it which probably was not shown that much in the Mexican film scene but Bunuel does a great job in this film that is significant no matter the time period and the place one is from.  This is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

Johnny Dangerously (1984):  This is my spoof film for the week which was directed by Amy Heckerling and is a '30s gangster spoof.  A young Michael Keaton stars as the usually honest Johnny Kelly who turns to a life of crime when his mother has medical bills that he cannot afford and becomes the title character of Johnny Dangerously.  Peter Boyle co-stars as Johnny's mentor Jocko and Joe Piscopo co-stars as Johnny's rival Danny.  Marilu Henner, Maureen Stapleton, Griffin Dunne, Glynnis O'Connor, Dom Deluise, Danny Devito, Ray Walston, Dick Butkus, Alan Hale Jr., Byron Thomas, and many others co-star or have cameos.  This is very fun to watch and have some really funny gags and can be enjoyed if not taken too seriously.

Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967):  This is my musical for the week which was directed by George Roy Hill and I go from the '30s to the '20s scene.  Julie Andrews stars as Millie who moves to the much new world of New York City looking for a different life.  Mary Tyler Moore also stars as Miss Dorothy Brown, a naive aspiring actress.  They meet when they move into the Priscilla hotel which is run by Mrs. Meers, played by Beatrice Little, who is not who she seems and runs a white slavery ring.  James Fox, Carol Channing, John Gavin, Jack Soo, Pat Morita, and many others co-star in this film.  I have always been very intrigued by this show.  Jack Soo and a pre-Mr. Miyagi Pat Morita, in his film debut, play the servants of Mrs. Meers and are very politically incorrect in doing so as well as Japanese.  I have seen this on stage a couple of times which I have always enjoyed this rather dark story that seems upbeat.  If offended easy, you might not want to see this but for some good musical entertainment with Julie, this could be a really good selection.

Dunkirk (2017):  I end the week with this WWII film which was directed and written by Christopher Nolan.  This takes place during the Battle of France where allied soldiers from the British Empire and France look to evacuate in Dunkirk, France and were stopped by German forces where a very fierce battle ensues.  Fionn Whitehead, Tom Glynn-Carney, Jack Lowden, Harry Styles, Aneurin Barnard, James D'Arcy, Barry Keoghan, Kenneth Branaugh, Cillian Murphy, Mark Rylance, Tom Hardy, and many others co-star in this film.  Michael Caine has an spoken cameo appearance in the film where he is heard over the phone.  This was a rather different kind of war film and could be described as an experimental film.  There was dialogue when needed but this really revolves around the action, cinematography, and music and flows very well in my opinion.  This could be a good double feature to the 2013 film ALL IS LOST which also relies less on dialogue and more on action.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Evan Rachel Wood, James McAvoy, Rosamund Pike, and many others.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 653rd Edition

Welcome to the 653rd Edition of my series.  I am now done with LEND ME A TENOR, the show was very well received and was glad to be a part of the cast.  As of now I'm doing nothing but who knows when that will change?  I have some prospects and will announce when I know for sure.  There is not much else happening for me right now so I'll just get on with my selections. 

Munich (2005):  This is part one of a two-part Eric Bana series. Steven Spielberg directed this historical film which was based on the book by George Jonas's book VENGEANCE.  This takes place during the aftermath of the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich where a terrorist group took hostage and killed eleven Israeli athletes.  A group of five people led by Avner, played by Bana, is put together in a secret mission to kill those involved.  Others in the group include Daniel Craig, Ciaran Hinds, Mathieu Kassovitz, and Hanns Zischler and must look over their shoulder during their "unknown" operation.  Geoffrey Rush, Ayelet Zurer, Michael Lonsdale, Mathieu Amalric, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a very compelling and thought provoking film that does not take sides.  I'm not one to usually mention reviews but in looking at reviews, many people that were usually anti-Spielberg really liked this work of his.  This is not easy and requires a lot of attention but is rewarding in the end.

The Rocker (2008):  Peter Cattaneo directed this rock comedy which stars THE OFFICE alum Rainn Wilson who stars as drummer Robert "Fish" Fishman.  The movie starts in likely the 80s where Fish is the drummer for the band Vesuvius who is about to go big but are told they must use another drummer and go onto a lot of success.  Flash Forward 20 years where Fish is now working in a call center and gets fired making him end up living with his sister Lisa, played by Jane Lynch, in the attic.  His nephew Matt, played by Josh Gad, is part of a high school rock band called A.D.D., along with his friends Curtis, played by Teddy Geiger, and Amelia, played by Emma Stone, and they are in need of a drummer reluctantly asking Fish to be the drummer.  He now has a second chance at fame but has trouble keeping himself in line to do so.  Christina Applegate, Jeff Garlin, Jason Sudeikis, Will Arnett, Howard Hesserman, Fred Armison, Bradley Cooper, Jon Glaser, Lonny Ross, Jane Krakowski, Aziz Ansari, Keir Gilchrist, and many others co-star in this comedy.  This is loosely based on and an homage to original Beatles drummer Pete Best, who has a cameo in the film.  I have always enjoyed this rock comedy that made me laugh throughout and can be very enjoyable if not taken too seriously.  I also say it's time for Pete Best to have a documentary done on his own life.

Grease Live (2016):  Now I feature a live musical adaptation of the hit musical from Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey.  I think we all know the basics of this show where we start out in a summer romance of Danny Zuko, played by Aaron Tveit, and Sandy Young, played by Julianne Hough, who must go their separate ways until an unexpected reunion when Sandy goes to Rydell High where Danny just happens to go to that school.  She is excited at first but sees he acts much different there with his friends in the T-Bird gang.  Vanessa Hudgens stands out the most as the cynical Rizzo.  Keke Palmer, Carly Rae Jepsen, Mario Lopez, Carlos PenaVega, Kether Donohue, Jordan Fisher, David Del Rio, Andrew Call, Wendell Pierce, Boys II Men, Jessie J., Ana Gasteyer, Didi Conn, Barry Pearl, Elle McLemore, Noah Robbins, Eve Plumb, and many others co-star in this live tv musical.  This may very well be the first time I have featured SAVED BY THE BELL alum Mario Lopez.  This was a pretty well done adaptation that was well cast and well performed.  If only seeing the 1978 version, I say don't be closed to this version whether or not you like the older movie version as this one has some differences in it.

Case of the Missing Hare (1942):  This is my animated short for the week which features Bugs Bunny.  Bugs becomes a bit dismayed when a magician, also voiced by Mel Blanc, posts flyers all over his own tree.  For payback, he goes to the magic show to heckle the magician.  This has some pretty funny moments and is worth a few minutes to check out.  This is available to watch on Amazon Prime through Cartoon Classics Vol. 2.

Fast Workers (1933):  Tod Browning directed this B-movie drama based on a play by John McDermott.  John Gilbert and Robert Armstrong star as friends and riveter co-workers Gunner and Bucker.  They both end up taking an interest in the same girl in Mary, played by Mae Clarke, which becomes more complicated when a tragic accident occurs on the job.  Muriel Kirkland, Vince Barnett, Virginia Cherrill, Muriel Evans, Sterling Holloway, and many others co-star in this drama.  This was a pretty decent film that was a little over an hour that emphasizes a long time friendship put to the test.  I also noticed some pretty unsafe working conditions from this era that that no one seemed to think nothing of and I would like to think have come a long way.

Play Misty for Me (1971):  Clint Eastwood makes his directorial debut in this psychological thriller where he also stars as radio disc jockey Dave Garver who has a fling with a woman named Evelyn, played by Jessica Walter, only to find that she is very unstable and obsessive in a deadly way.  Donna Mills co-stars as Tobie who is more of a love interest to Dave.  John Larch, Jack Ging, Irene Hervey, James McEachin, Clarice Taylor, Don Siegel, and many others co-star in this film.  I have always enjoyed this very suspenseful film that never lets up.  Walter does a great job as Evelyn while Eastwood plays off her very well.  This is not for everyone, but if looking for a good psychological thriller, this one still holds up today and could be a good triple feature to go along with FATAL ATTRACTION and MISERY.

Sondheim:  A Celebration at Carnegie Hall (1993):  Technically, this is an episode of GREAT PERFORMANCES and is a live performance of various numbers of Stephen Sondheim productions SWEENEY TODD, COMPANY, FOLLIES, MARRILY WE ROLL ALONG, ASSASSINS, and even some numbers written for DICK TRACY.  Bill Irwin, Madeline Kahn, Liza Minnelli, Patti Lupone, Patrick Cassidy, Victor Garber, Bernadette Peters, Glenn Close, and many others take part in this tribute to Sondheim.  These were all pretty well performed, I really liked THE BALLAD OF BOOTH from ASSASSINS from Patrick Cassidy and  when I hope one day to be a part of and I played Beadle Bamford in SWEENEY TODD.  If a musical fan and a Sondheim fan, I think you will enjoy this one.

Crazed Fruit (1956):  This is my Japanese film for the week which was directed by Ko Nakahira.  This is a Japanese coming of age story in a sense where brothers Natsuhira and Haruji spend a summer at the beach where Haru meets a girl named Eri.  Natsu learns a secret of Eri and blackmails her unbeknownst to Haru leading into a love triangle.  This is also a very subtle tale of revenge that has quite the climax.  Fans of the foreign and Japanese cinema should really enjoy this film.  This is available on the Criterion Collection and deserves a look.

The Guy From Harlem (1977):  This is my blaxploitation movie for the week where Loye Hawkins stars as Al Connors who is a charismatic private investigator being hired hired to guard an African princess.  There is not much that can describe this movie.  There are some Blaxploitation that is halfway decent but this is not one of the better ones.  The acting was horrid and the fight scenes were laughable which was why RIFFTRAX took this and ripped it apart.  This is available to watch on Amazon Prime with or without commentary but I would recommend with comedy unless you have your own group of friends for a riff session.

Blood Father (2016):  I end the week with this low-budget action film.  Jean-Francois Richet directed this film based on the novel by Peter Craig who co-wrote the screenplay.  Mel Gibson stars as John Link who has had a violent past and not on parole trying to get his life together.  Things become complicated for him when his estranged daughter Lydia, played by Erin Moriarty in her breakthrough role, contacts him when she is on the run from some drug dealers out to kill her and must go back to his old ways to protect her.  Diego Luna, William H. Macy, Dale Dickey, Michael Parks, and many others co-star in this film.  This was not the greatest movie but still very enjoyable on what a father will do for his kids.  Gibson and Moriarty are great together as a father and daughter trying to reconnect while fighting for their lives.  This has some good action and a story I'm sure many fathers can relate to in what they would do for their daughter.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes James Franco, Shelley Duvall, Eric Bana, and many others.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 652nd Edition

Welcome to the 652nd Edition of my series.  LEND ME A TENOR takes the stage on May 18th and 19th at the Marion Civic Theater.  Tickets are $10 and the show is at 8 pm so just message me or comment here for any questions.  I am taking this week off work to prepare for the show so should be a pretty good week.  I hope everyone is having a good Mother's Day so far however one might celebrate.  Not much else happening right now so I will just get on with my selections for the week.

Supermensch:  The Legend of Shep Gordon (2013):  I start the week out with this showbiz documentary on what some might say is the unsung hero of the entertainment industry.  Mike Myers and Beth Aala direct this documentary which takes a look at Hollywood manager Shep Gordon.  In his younger days, he moved to L.A. after college and through chance became a music producer through an encounter with Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix.  He would become the long-time manager of Alice Cooper helping him become the artist he is known for today.  He would also make his way into the film industry and even the cooking industry helping in the world of celebrity chefs.  This has many of his peers that he has helped and respect him.  I thought this was a very enjoyable documentary on a relatively unknown man in the entertainment industry who has helped a lot of known people in their careers.

Buyer Beware (1940):  This is my short film for the week and is part of the "Crime Does Not Pay" series.  This is about a couple of drug store owners dealing in stolen goods and the price it has of supporting the criminals and the lack of quality control for customers.  We have Les and George who own a store together and are having financial difficulties.  Les gets the idea to get their merchandise at a lower price knowing they are stolen and while very reluctant goes alone even when suspecting they are stolen.  This comes at a very high price in the end.  This was pretty good, a couple of relatively everyday people that just want to get out of their financial troubles going about it the wrong way.  I always enjoy this series and a good entry here.

Blondie (1938):  Frank R. Strayer directed this comedy based on the long-time comic strip of the same name by Chic Young that is still going today and is the first of a long-running movie series that went until 1950 and had 28 films.  Penny Singleton stars as Blondie who is about to celebrate her 5th wedding anniversary with her husband Dagwood, played by Arthur Lake.  Dagwood has all kinds of plans to surprise his wife both trouble on the job complicate things leading to some comical scheming.  Larry Simms, Ann Doran, Dorothy Moore, Gene Lockhart, Jonathan Hale, and many others co-star in this comedy.  I don't have much knowledge on the background of the comic strip but I felt this was a pretty enjoyable comedy from this era that got a lot of laughs.  This is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

The Room (2003):  Yes, this is my first time seeing what has become a cult classic.  Tommy Wiseau wrote, directed, stars, and produced this film.  Wiseau stars as Johnny who is successful in his career and is very happy with his fiancee Lisa, played by Juliette Danielle.  What he does not know is that Lisa is getting bored and is having an affair with his best friend Mark, played by Greg Sestero.  Carolyn Minnott, Robyn Paris, Philip Haldiman, and many others co-star in this movie.  I really do not know what to say about this movie which was supposed to be a drama but gets to be more of a comedy.  I have come to see Wiseau as like an Ed Wood of our time being inexperienced and untalented but can't help but get behind with the effort of what they did whether it was Wood or Wiseau.  This is likely an everyday guy who just wanted to make a movie and made a very noble effort in getting this movie made.  This had some pretty bad acting, some absurd dialogue, among other things that make a bad movie.  Watching this had me thinking "WTF" just about the whole way through but I could not take my eyes off it.  The 2017 film THE DISASTER ARTIST is a movie that is based on the filming of this movie with Franco playing Wiseau.  This movie should probably get watched first and this might be better watched among a group of friends to enjoy together.

Murder She Said (1961):  This is the first film version to feature Agatha Christie's iconic character Miss Marple, played by Margaret Rutherford, who would become most known for this character.  Miss Marple would seem like just the everyday person but after witnessing a murder on the train, she is not being believed so she takes it upon herself to investigate.  Arthur Kennedy, Muriel Pavlov, James Robertson Justice, and many others co-star in this film.  This was a pretty enjoyable murder mystery in my opinion and a good way to start their own series.  Mostly for fans of these kinds of murder mysteries from the era.

The Wronged Man (2010):  This is my tv movie for the week.  Tom Mcloughlin directed this movie which is based on a true story.  Julia Ormond stars as Janet Gregory who is a paralegal and single mother taking interest in the case of a rape conviction of African-American man Calvin Willis, played by Matershala Ali whose first name is much longer in the credits, and believes in his innocence.  She struggles to find an attorney to handle the case so she takes it upon herself in a 20 year battle.  Lisa Arrindell, Bruce McKinnon, Omar J. Dorsey, Rhoda Griffis, and many others co-star in this movie.  A lot of this takes a look at the bond formed between Janet and Calvin and overcoming their own differences with each other through these long years.  It also convey's Janet's own life struggles very well.  This is pretty predictable but it is to be expected and the journey to get to the predictable ending was very moving.

The Narrow Margin (1952):  Richard Fleischer directed this film noir based on an unpublished story by Martin Goldsmith and Jack Leonard.  Marie Windsor stars as mob widow Frankie Neall who is ready to testify against the mob under the protection of unwilling cop Walter Brown, played by Charles McGraw.  They are both on a train and still on the run from mobsters leading to a really good twist.  Jacqueline White, Gordon Gebert, Queenie Leonard, David Clarke, and many others co-star in this film noir.  This is a pretty compelling and action packed film from this era.  It is regarded by many to be the best B-movie of all time from this genre and made quite a bit of money for being regarded as a B-movie.  This does still go overlooked as well as the actors Charles McGraw and Marie Windsor.  This is still available on TCM On-Demand but it is on its last day.

Lonesome Jim (2005):  Steve Buscemi directed this independent film which was written by Jim Strouse.  Casey Affleck stars as the title character and the title says it all.  He was out in New York City but had a hard time out there and ends up going back to his hometown of Indiana, more on that later.  He goes back to his very dysfunctional family and meets a good hearted nurse named Anika, played by Liv Tyler, forming a relationship with her while struggling with what he wants in life.  Kevin Corrigan, Mary Kay Place, Seymour Cassel, Mark Boone Junior, Jack Rovello, and many others co-star in this film.  This was mostly filmed in Goshen, Indiana which is where my dad is from and where a I have a lot of family in or near the area.  I am disappointed that I did not know anything about this or I'd have looked to get myself in as an extra or maybe even more.  As I looked further into this, I found that the writer Strouse is from that town.  This was a mostly character driven film and kept me engaged throughout the film with the good script and performances, just not the most upbeat movie of all time.

Slaughterhouse-Five (1972):  This is part one of a possible two-part George Roy Hill series.  Hill directed this film which is based on the sci-fi novel by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.  Michael Sacks stars as Billy Pilgrim who is "unstuck in time" living through three periods of his life.  One is as a GI in the military, the second is as an optometrist in New York, and the third is as an abductee on a planet with a starlet named Montana Wildhack, played by Valerie Perrine.  Each time jump has a parallel transition of a similar time in one of the other lives.  Ron Leibman, Eugene Roche, Holly Near, Perry King, Kevin Conway, and many others co-star star.  Other that what I have explained, it is really hard to explain any further.  It is a very thought provoking film that does require full attention.  There is also a scene that takes the Nazi swastika to a whole new level.  This is available to watch on the Hoopla Digital website.

The Breadwinner (2017):  I end the week with this independent animated film that was directed by Nora Twomey and based on the book by Deborah Ellis.  This takes place in the Taliban run Afghanistan where a young girl named Parvana, voiced by Saara Chaudry, must step up in the family when her father is wrongfully arrested.  This leaves no men in the family and a woman could not go out unless accompanied by a man so Parvana cuts her hair to look like a boy in order to support her family.  Soma Chhaya, Noorin Gulamgaus, Laara Sadiq, Ali Badshah, and many others provide their voices in the film.  This had some really good animation which was either the traditional paper animation or is was low-key computer animation.  Either way, it had that nice traditional feel to it.  It is a very sad story but inspirational in some ways of a family trying to make the most of living in such horrid times.  Watching animated movies like these make me appreciate more of what we have.  This is available 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 Geoffrey Rush, and many others.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 651st Edition

Welcome to the 651st Edition of my series.  I remain busy with LEND ME A TENOR which goes on May 18th and 19th at the Marion Civic Theater.  Some changes have happened in the show.  I had been cast as Tito Morelli but I have struggled getting the Italian accent needed for the role.  With limited time before the show, the director asked me to switch roles and I am now the Bellhop.  With this comes both disappointment but also relief.  It is still a good role and intend to make the most of it.  It's been great having nicer weather and hope this sticks around.  All that being said, I will get on with my selections for the week.

Avengers:  Infinity War (2018):  I start the week out with this latest superhero film from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and I know that none of us want spoilers so I will keep this rather short.  Anthony and Joe Russo directed this installment of the MCU.  All I'm going to say as far as a description of the film is that the Avengers and their allies face their biggest threat yet in the way of Thanos, played by Josh Brolin.  Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Pine, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Don Cheadle, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman, Zoe Saldana, Elizabeth Olsen, Karen Gillan, Paul Bettany, Sebastian Stan, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, and many others co-star in this film so just giving some rather familiar names.  I would like to say that Drax, played by Bautista, of the Guardians kind of reminds me of Mick Rory of the CW Universe.  This is the third film for the Avengers unless we count CAPTAIN AMERICA:  CIVIL WAR since that is essentially another Avengers movie, then this is the fourth.  The first one THE AVENGERS remains one of my favorite movies.  AGE OF ULTRON was enjoyable for me, just not as good and a bit unorganized at times.  This was lead into perfectly from all the other MCU movies.  If you have not seen any of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this is not the one to start with by any means.  On the other hand, if you have not seen any of the MCU, then it just may not be of interest.  As long as BLACK PANTHER has been in theaters, I venture to say this will likely stick around for quite a while and is worth a visit to the cinema.  There is it, no spoilers, no easter eggs, or cameos mentioned except of course going without saying, you must stick around through the credits.  That being said, there are still a lot of people out there after all these years who still do not seem to know this.

Primal Fear (1996):  Now I tone it down a bit for this courtroom thriller which was directed by Gregory Hoblit and based on the novel by William Diehl.  Richard Gere stars as hotshot attorney Martin Vail who decides to defend alter boy Aaron, played by Edward Norton in his motion picture debut, who is being accused of the murder of a priest.  As the trial goes on, Martin finds himself more and more over his head where the truth is very deeply buried.  Laura Linney, John Mahoney, Alfre Woodard, France McDorman, Terry O'Quinn, Andre Braugher, Steven Bauer, Joe Spano, Tony Plana, Stanley Anderson, Maura Tierney, and many others co-star in this film.  Norton makes an excellent debut and the start of quite a career.  For those that agree with that statement, we have Wil Wheaton and Leonardo DiCaprio to thank for declining this role and it being given to an unknown at the time.  This has some really good twists and turns and is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010):  Now I bring a documentary based on the street art world and directed by street artist Banksy but mostly focuses on artist Thierry Guetta aka Mr. Brainwash.  Guetta is a French immigrant living in Los Angeles.  Rhys Ifans provides the narration to this documentary.  It is really difficult to describe this film any further than what I have described because all I did was a basic part of this rather complex documentary of the independent art world.  There are other artists being featured like Space Invader, Sherpard Fairey, Ron English, and many others.  As far as I know, Banksy remains an anonymous artist and in this movie has his face blocked out and his voice changing.  This is available to watch on the Hoopla website.

Signal 30 (1959):  This is my short film for the week and a driver's education video that was shown at this time.  I really believe they tried every way possible to scare kids out of driving at this time.  It starts with a rather dramatic music score and a disclaimer saying the people were not actors, among other things.  This also has some very brutal images of people after a car crash.  I came across this on Amazon Prime when coming across "Driver's Education Scare Films" so expect some of these in the future.

The Mark of Zorro (1920):  This is my silent movie for the week and as far as I know, the first movie version of the iconic Zorro.  Fred Niblo directed this adaption of the story by Johnston McCulley.  Douglas Fairbanks stars as Don Diego Vega who returns to his home in Old Spanish California to find that the people have been oppressed mostly by Captain Juan Ramon, played by Robert McKim.  What the down does not know is that Diego leads a double life as the masked Robin Hood like figure Zorro who is out to find the corruption happening in his town.  Margarite De La Motte, Noah Beery, Charles Hill Mailes, and many others co-star in this film.  I don't think much else needs to be said.  I personally prefer the 1940 remake but this version is still enjoyable.  This is the character that inspired the superhero genre in some ways in terms of the dual identity.  I have been known to don this outfit for Halloween and even went to see THE LEGEND OF ZORRO dressed as Zorro.  This is a very timeless character that I feel will always be relevant.  Fairbanks is up to the game and does some pretty daring stunts, especially towards the action climax.  This is available on the Hoopla website and actually has a pretty good transfer unlike some from this era.

Kes (1969):  Ken Loach directed this British film based on the novel by Barry Hines.  David Bradley stars as Billy Casper who is a young boy that gets bullied at school and does not have a very good home life.  His only escape in life is through his pet kestrel falcon he names Kes.  Freddie Fletcher, Lynne Perrie, Colin Welland, Brian Glover, and many others co-star in this film.  They make the most of their limited budget in this mostly character driven film.  Bradley does very well as Bradley and is able to carry this film very well.  This brutally honest character piece has gone rather overlooked but really deserves a look if looking to take a break from big budget film.

Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982):  Carl Reiner directed and co-stars this film noir parody which combines their filming working their way in with other iconic films from the '50s.  Steve Martin stars as private eye Rigby Reardon.  He is hired by dame Juliet Forrest, played by Rachel Ward, whose father dies in what is being called an accident but she thinks otherwise.  From there, Rigby has encounters with many character from the '40s and '50s films where Martin works seamlessly with people like Alan Ladd, Barbara Stanwyck, Humphrey Bogart, Veronica Lake, and many others in this black and white film.   Another moment of interest for this film is that it is the final movie of costume designer Edith Head who worked on a lot of films from the Golden Age showing a lot of her earlier designs.  Martin does great in one of his earlier movies and Carl Reiner clearly worked very hard to pull of this very clever parody.  As a fan of these classic films, this was very fun to watch and delivers a lot of laughs.

The Red Shoes (1948):  This is my ballet film for the week which was directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger based on the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen.  Moira Shearer stars as young ballerina Victoria Page who is part of the authoritarian rule of ballet impressario Boris Lermontov, played by Anton Walbrook, and forms a relationship with idealistic composer Julian Craster, played by Marius Goring, much to the dismay of Lermontov.  Irene Browne, Leonide Massine, Ludmilla Tcherina, Robert Helpmann, Albert Basserman, and many others co-star in this film.  I don't really know how much this is to the Andersen story, I'm guessing it is a loose basing.  This has some very good performances and has some really good ballet footage going to a very interesting climax.

The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1968):  This is my musical for the week which was directed by Charles Walters and based on the play by Richard Morris.  Debbie Reynolds stars as the title character who is probably most known from the 1997 film TITANIC where Kathy Bates plays Molly Brown.  This movie obviously goes more in depth into the life of Molly Brown from her childhood days living in the mountains to leaving them to meet and marry Johnny Brown, played by Harve Presnell, becoming more of a societal woman.  Ed Begley, Jack Kruschen, Hermione Baddeley, and many others co-star in this musical.  Meredith Willson wrote the music for this film and has some really good numbers.  Presnell does really well as Johnny and would go onto be more of a character actor being most known as the wealthy father in FARGO.  Reynolds also shines in her own Oscar nominated performance.  Musical fans should really enjoy this fun musical.

Midnight Run (1988):  I end the week with this buddy comedy directed by Martin Brest.  Robert De Niro stars as bounty hunter Jack Walsh who is hired to pick up bail jumper Jonathan Mardukas, played by Charles Grodin.  Mardukas stole a lot of money from the mafia and Walsh gets in over his head when he finds that both the mafia, the FBI, and even a rival bounty hunter are out for him.  Yaphet Kotto, John Ashton, Dennis Farina, Joe Pantaliano, Wendy Phillips, Danielle DuClos, Philip Baker Hall, and many others co-star in this comedy.  De Niro and Grodin work great together as very mismatched people that slowly become friends.  There is a great blend of action and comedy to keep just about anyone engaged.  This is a pretty overlooked comedy from De Niro and would be a great double feature to go along with the 2003 film THE RUNDOWN.

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