Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 749th Edition

Welcome to the 749th Edition of my series.  As I write from the Fortress of Solitude, once again I just want to extend thanks to all the essential workers out there whatever you have to do.  I also wish us all well as we continue to fight through the crazy times.  Even when we are able to get back out again, I will likely continue to use the backseat of my minivan like to read my books.  There is not much else happening at this time so I'll just get on with my selections.

The Mechanic (2011):  I start the week with this action movie which was directed by Simon West.  Jason Statham stars as elite hitman Arthur Bishop or as the title would indicate, a "mechanic".  He has been the best by staying detached but his latest assignment leaves him everything but detached as is looking to take revenge on those that ordered the hit.  Ben Foster co-stars as Steve McKenna who is the son of the person that Bishop had to take out and is also looking for revenge so Bishop takes him in as an apprentice to go after those responsible.  Tony Goldwyn, Donald Sutherland, Jeff Chase, Mini Anden, Lara Grice, Lance E. Nichols, and many other co-star in this action movie.  This is a remake or reboot, whatever you want to call it, to the 1972 movie of the same title that stars Charles Bronson.  I do not believe I have seen it but may look into it in the future.  This movie was good for what it was, an action movie and has some emotional depth but more importantly some cool action scenes.  This is available to watch on Showtime, the 1972 version can be seen on Amazon Prime.

Restless (2011):  Now I follow up with the same year but with a rather unusual love story which was directed by Gus Van Sant.  Mia Wasikowska stars as Annabel Cotton who is a terminally ill cancer patient trying to make the most of her last days by studying nature.  Henry Hopper also stars as Enoch who is trying to deal with the death of his parents and spends his time attending funerals and hanging out with his friend Hiroshi, played by Ryo Kase, which is the ghost of a WWII Japanese kamikaze pilot.  As they meet, they have a renewed interest to live as their time together has to be limited.  Schuyler Fisk, Lusia Strus, Jane Adams, Chin Han, Kelleen Crawford, Victor Morris, Jesse Henderson, and many others co-star in this film.  These two characters were unusual and likable enough to really keep my interests.  Thinking further, it kind of reminds me of HAROLD AND MAUDE with the similarities of Enoch in this movie and Harold from the mentioned movie that would make a really good double feature.

At Eternity's Gate (2018):  Julian Schnabel directed this biographical film based on the legendary painter Vincent Van Gogh.  Willem Dafoe plays that very painter during his time in Arles and Auvers-Sur-Oise, France where he would develop his style of painting while grappling with religion and mental illness.  It also takes a look at how Van Gogh never really got to be appreciated for his art while he was living and never had that legend status until after his death.  Oscar Isaac co-stars as Van Gogh's friend Paul Gauguin who was also a painter though had very differing philosophies of painting that a lot of this movie focused upon.  Rupert Friend also co-stars as Vincent's brother Theo.  Matthieu Amaric, Emmanuelle Seigner, Neils Arestrup, Anne Consigny, Amira Casar, Vincent Perez, Lolita Chammah, and many others co-star in this biographical film.  There are times in this movie where this made me think of a Terrence Malick movie where the cinematography was star in parts of this particular film.  I say that in where it would a lot times just show the vision that Van Gogh would have to do his painting like in the nature that he valued.  Dafoe plays Van Gogh so well as someone human doing what keeps him going which is painting.  This is also available to watch on Showtime.

By Right of Birth (1921):  This is my short film for the week though it is really a movie which was originally 45 minutes long which was considered a feature film in that era.  However, only about four minutes of that film has been found and is put together here.  Obviously we cannot really give a full judgement but did seem like a rather compelling film that focuses on a wrongful eviction of sorts.  This was produced by the Lincoln Motion Picture Company which the beginning of this makes very clear was the first producers of race movies so in other works African-American movies.  While it only lasted a few years, they did inspire a lot more ethnic movies in a time where they were usually portrayed as servants.  This is available on the Criterion Channel and on the dvd "Kino's Pioneers of African-American Cinema".

Born Innocent (1974):  This is my tv movie for the week which was directed by Donald Wrye and based on a book by Creighton Brown Burnham.  Linda Blair stars as Chris Parker who is a 14 year old running away from home only to end up in a juvenile detention where no matter where she goes, she gets abused where by her parents or her peers at the center including a disturbing rape scene in the juvenile center.  Joanna Miles co-stars as Barbara Clark who is the one care worker that sees potential in Chris and is determined to help.  Allyn Ann McLerie, Mary Murphy, Janit Baldwin, Tina Andrews, Mich Vogel, Richard Jaeckel, Kim Hunter, and many others co-star in this tv movie.  This was aired originally on NBC and was very controversial for its time especially the rape scene.  Those who are familiar with 70s tv movies will know that they usually tried to convey relevant issues for the time and were usually pretty controversial in that era.  I suppose this one is all about innocence lost.  This is available to watch on Amazon Prime and as described probably not for everyone.

The Idiot (1951):  This is my Japanese film for the week which I decided to focus again on actor Toshiro Mifune who would be 100 years of age if he was still alive.  Akira Kurasawa directed this tragic love story epic which is based on a novel by Fyodor Dostoevsky.  Masayuki Mora stars as WWII veteran Kameda who has been in an asylum for awhile and has a lot of nightmares involving death.  He travels to the island of Hokkaido where he enters into a love triangle involving a friend he met in Akama, played by Mifune, that leads to tragedy.  Masayuki Mori, Yoshiko Kuga, Takashi Shimura, and many others co-star in this film.  The version that can be obtained is nearly three hours but the original version is about an hour longer and was meant to be two parts but was cut by request of the studio.  Like the short film I featured, this has been deemed lost as print of the 265 minute version has been found.  This is the sixth collaboration of sixteen between Kurasawa and Mifune.  This is something that will require full attention and some time but is a very compelling film in the tragic love story genre.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

But I'm a Cheerleader (1999):  Jamie Babbit directed this comedy which was also satire.  Natasha Lyonne stars as Megan who has everything going for her like being a cheerleader and having a boyfriend but her friends and family suspect her of being a lesbian.  Her straight-laced parents send her to a camp in hopes of getting "cured".  When getting there, she must learn who she is and who she wants to be in life.  Cathy Moriarty, Eddie Cibrian, Clea Duvall, Melanie Lynskey, Bud Cort, Mink Stole, Michelle Williams, Rupaul, Katherine Towne, Joel Michaely, Douglas Spain, Dante Basco, Kip Pardue, Robert Pine, Rachelle Carson, Wesley Mann, Richard Moll, Julie Delpy, and many others co-star in this comedy.  If you expect about movie about actual cheerleading, this won't be the answer. This is more a satire of those camps that are supposed to teach about being straight.  This got put out in a time when being gay really was not that accepted, at least not with the people around me.  I hate to admit that being in high school when this came out, I really did not except it.  I felt this movie shows that that you just need to be who you are and if that is as a homosexual, that is okay.  I really did not think I was going to get this deep.  I found this on the Pluto TV app.

Daddy-O (1958):  I decided upon an earlier episode of MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 back when still have their original host Joel Hodgson.  Usually they focus on B-movies dealing with the supernatural but on this one they chose more of a bad crime movie.  Dick Contino stars as Phil who is a trucker and nightclub singer.  He meets up with Jana, played by Sandra Giles, who challenges him to a drag race but when getting caught Phil loses his license.  After this he gets a job at a nightclub not knowing it also involves drug running.  Lots of inconsistency in this movie like shirts and cars always changing.  I think they were in the hopes of Giles becoming the next blonde bombshell but unfortunately did not happen.  The one person involved in the movie that had a big career was a man that wrote the music score and would go onto score such classics as STAR WARS and INDIANA JONES.  Yes, John Williams wrote his first music score in a feature film so really paid his dues.  The individual movie is available on Amazon Prime but the MST3K version is on Hoopla.

Santee (1973):  Now I follow up with my western for the week which was directed by Gary Nelson.  Michael Burns stars as the young Jody Deakes who finally joins up with his estranged father only to learn he is part of an outlaw gang and is killed by the bounty hunter Santee, played by Glenn Ford.  Santee takes Jody into his home along with his wife Valerie, played by Dana Wynter, and their employee John Crow, played by Jay Silverheels.  At first Jody intends to seek vengeance for his father but soon learns that Santee is a good person.  They must prepare for people of Santee's past coming for them.  Harry Townes, John Larch, Robert J. Wilke, Robert Donner, and many others co-star in this western.  This is a decent western film with some good action and a good story of unlikely family.  This is available on Amazon Prime and Hulu.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013):  This is part two of a possible Shirley MacLaine trilogy where she plays the mother of the title character.  I end the week with this comedy which was directed by Ben Stiller and based on the short story by James Thurber.  Stiller also stars Walter Mitty who has been working at his job at Life Magazine for sixteen years.  His life mostly consists of going home and to work.  He has a crush on his co-worker Cheryl, played by Kristen Wiig but cannot work up the guts to tell her.  He is also known to have daydreams which are likely the best times of his life.  He learns that his job and others are on the line to the downsizing that is happening and embarks on the biggest journey of his life in order to save his job.  Jon Daly, Adam Scott, Kathryn Hahn, Terence Bernie Hines, Paul Fitzgerald, Joey Slotnick, Sean Penn, Patton Oswalt, and many others co-star in this comedy.  This was a well done and even rather moving comedy that emphasizes the importance of people in jobs.  It also has a fun adventure element that keeps it going.

Well, that is it for this week but I did return with a double feature on "The Bookworm Corner".  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week.

THE BOOKWORM CORNER

I decided to do a double feature on this and read both books by legendary play-by-play commentator and the host of the GRILLING JR podcast.

Slobberknocker:  My Life in Wrestling by Jim Ross with Paul O'Brien (2017):  This is the first of Jim Ross' two autobiographies.  This tells the story of Jim Ross starting with his childhood focusing some on his upbringing and his love for professional wrestling.  It then goes into to his first meeting with his mentor Bill Watts who took a liking to Ross and brought him into Mid-South wrestling where Ross would do just about everything from helping to advertise and some referee work.  He is most known as one of the best play-by-play commentator but has also done a lot of work as the Vice President of Talent Relations in the WWE.  Good 'Ole JR has some great stories and was someone who paid his dues to be where he is in the industry.  This charts his ups and downs in his personal and professional lives and is able to tell it to us that makes us want to continue turning those pages.

Under the Black hat:  My Life in the WWE and Beyond (2020):  This is the second autobiography from Ross and essentially starts when he is trying to recover from Bell's Palsy and get back into the fold of WWF.  This one focuses the most on the ups and downs and there were a lot of both of his time in WWF/WWE and with Vincent K. McMahon.  This also talks a lot about his late wife Jan and the importance in his life and the she would go above and beyond for others in the business like cooking food for other wrestlers in their home and even being an earpiece.  I know how hard this was for J.R. to write in listening to his podcast GRILLING J.R., especially when he talks about when Jan dies.  He has a great perspective on many events that went on in his tenure and we learn some about his post-WWE life like his time in New Japan Pro Wrestling and becoming a play by play commentator in All Elite Wrestling.  I would find it really hard to read this book without the first one where we learn of how he started whereas this one has more focus on the corporate side.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 748th Edition

Welcome to the 748th Edition of my series.  As we continue into these uncertain times, I continue to bring my movie blog from the Fortress of Solitude.  I wish everyone well and to stay safe.  I also feel for those out of work or less work because of what is happening and also wish those well.  For me, all I have lost for now is my extrovert lifestyle but I know I'll get that back so I'll just continue to hang in there.  There is one more chance to catch the radio play TREASURE ISLAND today (Sunday) at 5 pm eastern time on https://www.weciradio.org/ where I voice the characters of Black Dog, Captain Smollet and Tom Morgan.  There is not much else to say right now so I'll just get on with my selections for the week.

Rambo (2008):  Sylvester Stallone directed this action film and the fourth of this franchised based the character created by David Morrell.  Stallone reprises the role of John Rambo that he brought to life and iconized.  Rambo is leading a more secluded life in Thailand by capturing snakes for local entertainers and chauffeuring locals in his PT boat.  He is soon approached by a group of Christian aid workers lead by Michael Burnett and Sarah Miller, played by Paul Schulze and BUFFY/ANGEL alum Julie Benz, to lead them out to Burma.  While reluctant to take them, he finally gives into their pleas and takes them their only for the group to be captured by the ruthless and oppressive Burmese military.  Rambo learns of this and agrees to take a group of mercenaries to find them while also helping them.  Matthew Marsden, Graham McTavish, Reynaldo Gallegos, Tim Kang, Ken Howard, and many others co-star in this action film.  To me, this is my favorite of the series though I have yet to see the latest one.  I really liked the first one where he essentially goes to war with a group of redneck cops.  This was the first appearance of Rambo in 20 years and while it was extremely violent, I thought it was also strangely moving.  This just cements for me how great Stallone really is and brings to life such great characters.  This is available to watch on Showtime On-Demand.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019):  Who else but me goes from John Rambo to Fred Rogers.  Marielle Heller directed this biographical film inspired by the article CAN YOU SAY...HERO by Tom Junod that he wrote on Fred Rogers.  Matthew Rhys stars as reporter Lloyd Vogel, renamed from the actual name Tom Junod, who is assigned by Esquire magazine to write an article on Fred Rogers, played to perfection by Tom Hanks.  Lloyd was used to more investigative journalism and was reluctant to take the assignment.  At first he is very skeptical about how real Mr. Rogers is but slowly overcomes his cynicism as he gets to know Fred which helps in his life in general with his family.  Chris Cooper, Susan Kelechi Watson, Maryann Plunkett, Enrico Colantoni, Wendy Makkena, Tammy Blanchard, Noah Harpster, Carmen Cusack, Kelley Davis, Christine Lahti, Maddie Corman, Daniel Krell, Jessica Hecht, and many others co-star in this film.  This is such a feel-good film perfect for this time and it is a time we could use Mr. Rogers.  The movie is more centers around Tom Junod with the backdrop of MISTER ROGERS' NEIGHBORHOOD and no so much revolving around the show or Mr. Rogers which I kind of figured when I saw Tom Hanks being nominated for Best Supporting Actor at award shows.

The Bank Job (2008):  Roger Donaldson directed this heist film which stars Stallone's fellow expendable Jason Statham.  Statham stars as struggling car salesman Terry Leather who gets the idea for a bank robbery from someone from his past in Martine, played by Saffron Burrows.  This seems very foolproof as Terry gets his team together not knowing that Martine is needing some photos to help her avoid a jail sentence.  Stephen Campbell Moore, Daniel Mays, James Faulkner, Alki David, Michael Jibson, Georgia Taylor, Richard Lintern, Peter Bowles, Alistair Petrie, Hattie Morahan, Julian Lewis Jones, Andrew Brooke, David Suchet, Peter De Jersey, Colin Salmon, Sharon Maughan, and many others co-star in this heist film.  Also, look for Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger as a bank employee.  It's a pretty complicated movie to really describe any further than what I did.  This is based on a true story and with many twists and turns.  This is available on Showtime On-Demand.

Crocus (1971):  This is my animated short for the week which was written and directed by Susan Pitt.  This revolves around a woman doing her usual domestic rituals like putting the baby to bed and making love.  It is really hard to describe except that the animation is surreal and bizarre.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel and has a lot of other works on there that look pretty surrealistic.  Animation enthusiasts might want to make an hour or so to check some of this out including an interview with the late Susan Pitt.

Blind Alley (1939):  Charles Vidor directed this crime drama which is based on a play by James Warwick.  Chester Morris stars as Hal Wilson who has recently escaped from prison.  They take refuge in the home of Dr. Shelby, played by Ralph Bellamy, who is having a bit of a party when Hal and his gang hold the place hostage.  Dr. Shelby just happens to be a psychiatrist and cannot help but analyze Hal to understand why he became the man he has become.  Ann Dvorak, Joan Perry, Melville Cooper, Rose Stradner, John Eldredge, Ann Doran, Marc Lawrence, Stanley Brown, Scotty Beckett, Milburn Stone, and Marie Blake co-star in this film.  This is a pretty compelling film with Bellamy and Morris working well off each other in more of a battle of wits.  This is also available on the Criterion Channel.

Ten Little Indians (1959):  This is my tv movie for the week which is based on the Agatha Christie novel AND THEN THERE WERE NONE.  A group of ten people with a rather dark past are invited to an island mansion where they are being killed one by one in accordance to the title nursery rhyme and must figure out when one among them is the killer.  Nina Foch, Barry Jones, Romney Brent, Kenneth Haigh, Valerie French, and many others co-star in this tv movie.  This was done in the early days of television and was presented in live fashion just like the popularity now of musicals being presented in this way.  This was a pretty good mystery and keeps us guessing.  This is available to watch on the EPIX network and is about and hour long.

Thelma and Louise (1991):  Now I bring a road trip movie for the week which was directed by Ridley Scott.  Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon star as the title characters in this film.  They are both rather frustrated in their lives and decide to hit the road for the weekend.  Things happen that make them start an unexpected crime spree that puts them on the run from the law and look to escape to Mexico.  Harvey Keitel, Michael Madson, Christopher McDonald, Stephen Tobolowsky, Brad Pitt, Timothy Carhart, and many others co-star in this road film.  This is a good look at friendship and how our actions can effect others if we are not careful.  Davis and Sarandon make this movie really work and I believe this ranks as one of the most memorable endings in cinematic history.  This is available on the Hitz channel.

Irma La Douce (1963):  Billy Wilder directed this comedy which is based on a play by Alexandre Breffort.  Jack Lemmon stars as naive French policeman Nester Patou who is transferred to the Red Light district.  He sees what is likely a brothel and feels he needs to make a raid which disrupts the union between the police officers and pimps which costs him his job.  He is working at a bar and befriended by the streetwalker Irma La Douce, played by Shirley MacLaine, and forms a relationship with her while also having an unorthodox plan to get her out of the profession.  Shirley MacLaine, Lou Jacobi, Bruce Yarnell, Herschel Bernandi, Hope Holiday, Joan Shawlee, Grace Lee Whitney, Paul Dubov, and many others co-star in this romantic comedy.  Also look for James Caan in a bit role where he makes his debut.  I liked that they did not use the words prostitute or hooker and I believe I will trying using the word streetwalker from now on.  Lemmon is great in his dual role, the "unorthodox play" I was referring to earlier in the paragraph.  This is available to watch on the Hitz network.

Wedding Ring (1950):  Keisuke Kinoshita wrote and directed this Japanese film.  Jukichi Uno and Kinuyo Tanaka star as married couple Michio and Noriko where Michio is bedridden with his illness and Noriko becomes drawn to his doctor Takeshi Ema, played by Toshiro Mifune, and start to have an affair.  Most people when they think of Mifune, they think of him as the samurai in Kurasawa films like SEVEN SAMURAI, where he is very rough looking.  This is a far more subdued role for Mifune and was really worth the look.  This is a pretty decent film on morality and is available to watch on the Criterion Channel among other Toshiro Mifune films that became available after what would have been his 100th birthday.

The Bounty (1984):  I end the week with this film based on the famous mutiny that took place between Fletcher Christian, played by Mel Gibson, and Lieutenant William Bligh, played by Anthony Hopkins.  Roger Donaldson directed this film based on a book by Richard Hough.  Christian and other crew members tire of Bligh's harsh treatment beyond the reach of British retribution while we see Bligh lead his crew to safety in a tiny lifeboat.  Laurence Olivier, Edward Fox, Daniel Day-Lewis, Bernard Hill, Phil Davis, Liam Neeson, Philip Martin Brown, Simon Chandler, Malcolm Terris, John Sessions, Andrew Wilde, Neil Morrissey, Wi Kuki Kaa, Tevaite Vernette, Richard Graham, Dexter Fletcher, Pete Lee-Wilson, and many others co-star in this film.  This is probably my favorite version of the story.  I really like that Christian and Bligh are not portrayed as the black and white hero and villain like other versions tend to do and showed both were in the wrong in some way.  I also really like the music score from Vangelis which added to the movie I already really enjoy.

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

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 747th Edition

Welcome to the 747th Edition of my series.  I hope all is well in these times that we are in right now and staying safe.  I also hope that those either out of work or not making as much will be okay in the long run.  I hope we all just help each other however we can.  I just continue to make the most of all this knowing that we will be able to get back out there.  I know I will be performing the play YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU at some point and that I will be back to my everyday life of going to the karaoke bar, coffee shops, the library, to name a few.  For those of you out of work or not able to make as much I would like to extend the offer to message me if Doordash is in the area and I will send a link to try signing up with.  I would also like to remind everyone that later today at 5 pm Eastern time the radio play TREASURE ISLAND airs on https://www.weciradio.org/ and I play the roles of Black Dog, Captain Smollet, and Tom Morgan.  I will shut up now and get on with my selections for the week.

Hidden Figures (2016):  Theodore Melfi directed this film which is based on the novel by Margot Lee Shetterly.  Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monae star as a group of friends that are a group of African-Americans working at NASA in the '60s where they were still looking to get a man in space after Russia got their first man into space.  They are mathematicians and despite their intelligence they are still having a hard time being taken seriously because they were women and black.  Kirsten Dunst, Kevin Costner, Jim Parsons, Mahershala Ali, Aldis Hodge, Glen Powell, Kimberly Quinn, Olek Krupa, Kurt Krause, Ken Strunk, Lidya Jewett, Donna Biscoe, Ariana Neal, Saniyya Sidney, Zani Jones Mbayise, and many others co-star in this film.  This takes a look at both the rise of NASA and addressing segregation.  It is a very inspirational film that takes place in a very significant time in our history that address many other issues within it.

The Mule (2018):  Clint Eastwood directed and stars in this film based on a true story.  Clint stars as Earl Stone who is broke, alone and facing foreclosure of his business.  He accepts a job where as far as he knows he is just simply driving but does not know until later that he is the drug courier for the Mexican drug cartel. Bradley Cooper co-stars as DEA agent Colin Banks who is hot on the trail of the cartel.  In addition to Earl having trouble in being involved with drugs, he has also alienated his family and hopes to make amends before the law catches up with him.  Dianne Wiest, Michael Pena, Cesar De Leon, Laurence Fishburne, Jackie Prucha, Richard Herd, Alison Eastwood, Kinsley Isla Dillon, Taissa Farminga, Austin Freeman, Victor Rasuk, Robert LaSardo, Saul Huezo, Eugene Cordero, Noel Gugliemi, Andy Garcia, Clifton Collins Jr., and many others co-star in this.  Alison Eastwood is the daughter of Clint and plays his daughter in the movie.  This is a true story based on WWII veteran Leo Sharp who was an 80 year old man that became a drug mule but the name was changed and in this movie the protagonist was a Korean War veteran. This was based on a New York Times article THE SINALOA CARTEL'S 90-YEAR-OLD DRUG MULE by Sam Dolnick.  This was a very compelling story and done as only Clint Eastwood can do.  A good double feature could be to watch this along with MARIA FULL OF GRACE which also features an unlikely drug mule.  I also would not mind seeing a documentary on the real-life subject of the movie.

Win Win (2011):  Now I bring a sports movie which is really more of a movie that centers around a sport.  Tom McCarthy directed and co-wrote this film which stars Paul Giamatti as Mike Flaherty who is a struggling attorney and the coach of the struggling high school wrestling coach.  He meets the grandson of a client named Kyle, played by Alex Shaffer, whose mother is in rehab and takes him into his family.  It turns out that Kyle is a very good wrestler and the answer for his struggling team but Mike's rather shady dealing come to haunt him with the boy's mother, played by Melanie Lynskey, comes into town.  Amy Ryan, Bobby Cannavale, Jeffrey Tambor, Burt Young, Margo Martindale, David Thompson, Nina Arianda, Marcia Haufrecht, Clare Foley, and many others co-star in this film.  This is more of a character study than anything in my opinion.  It is really hard to describe further than what I did as it is a rather complex film that takes a look at some rather gray areas.  This is worth a look and is a really good journey.

How to Keep a Job (1949):  This is my short film for the week which is part of the Coronet film series which was a set of instructional videos from this era but are mostly entertainment by today's standards.  This centers around a job interviewer where the potential employer does not like how his interviewee criticizes his former employer and tells the story of an employee that does just enough to get by in the job.  While this is a bit dated, it does hold some truth to it.  This is available to watch on Youtube and is only about 11 minutes.

Rain (1932):  Lewis Milestone is the uncredited director and is based on a play by John Colton and Clarence Randolph.  This centers around an island on the South Pacific where a missionary ship arrives.  Joan Crawford stars as Sadie who is a prostitute and soon Mr. Davidson, played by Walter Huston, confronts Sadie on her evil ways and tries to offer her salvation.  William Gargan, Guy Kibbee, Beulah Bondi, Matt Moore, Walter Catlett, and many others co-star in this film.  This was made in the pre-code era so a bit daring for the era.  This was a very early film in Crawford's career.  This is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

The Thomas Crown Affair (1968):  Now I bring this heist classic which was directed by Norman Jewison.  Steve McQueen stars as the title character who is a successful and wealthy businessman and believes he has pulled off the perfect heist.  Faye Dunaway co-stars as Vicki Anderson who is an insurance investigator called to recover the haul and immediately suspects Thomas Crown.  They start to see each other socially even though they know who each other are.  Paul Burke, Biff McGuire, Addison Powell, Astrid Heeren, Gordon Pinsent, Yaphet Kotto, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a very tense and stylist film with McQueen and Dunaway working very well together.  This also has the very iconic movie song THE WINDMILLS OF YOUR MIND by Noel Harrison.  This is available to watch on Hoopla Digital.

Stripes (1981):  Ivan Reitman directed this military comedy.  Bill Murray stars as John Winger who in one day quits his job and gets dumped by his girlfriend.  He learns of army enlistment and talks his buddy Russell Ziskey, played by Harold Ramis, into joining him.  Also joining in the fun is John Candy who has also enlisted.  Warren Oates co-stars as the drill instructor who is at odds with John.  P.J. Soles, Sean Young, John Candy, John Larroquette, John Diehl, Lance LeGault, Judge Reinhold, Antone Pagan, William Lucking, Fran Ryan, Joe Flaherty, Nick Toth, Dave Thomas, Bill Paxton, and many others co-star or have small parts in this comedy.  Paxton has a bit role of a soldier.  Another thing of note is the both Legault and Lucking were both in the A-TEAM as Decker and Lynch who at different times were after the team.  I don't know if Murray and Ramis would have been able to fight ghosts in their future had they not gone to boot camp first so we must give credit where it is due in that regard.  If not taken too seriously, this can be very enjoyed, if nothing else to see Murray, Ramis, and Candy in boot camp.

My Name is Julia Ross (1945):  This is my film noir for the week which was directed by Joseph H. Lewis and based on the novel by Anthony Gilbert.  Nina Foch stars as Julia who gets a job through an employment agency with a wealthy widow in Mrs. Hughes, played by May Whitty, and goes to live in her home.  A couple days later she awakens in a new home and under a different identity.  She must piece together what is happening and prove she is who she says she is.  George Macready, Roland Varno, Anita Sharp- Bolster, and Doris Lloyd co-star in this thriller.  This is considered one of those B-list film noirs but feels like much more.  This is a very suspenseful story with a good performance from Foch.  This is just a little over and hour and really worth that hour.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Goldfinger (1964):  This is my homage to actress Honor Blackman who recently left us and I decided to feature her in her iconic role of Pussy Galore.  Guy Hamilton directed this film which is the third James Bond movie and based on the novel by Ian Fleming.  Sean Connery stars as Agent 007 James Bond and ends up in Fort Knox where her learns that Auric Goldfinger, played by Gert Frobe, has a very sinister plot to contaminate the Fort Knox gold reserve and destroy the world economy.  Blackman co-stars as mentioned as Pussy Galore who is the pilot of Goldfinger and former wrestler Harold Sakata co-stars as Goldfinger's mute henchman and has a rather unique weapon for killing.  Shirley Eaton, Tania Mallet, Bernard Lee, Martin Benson, Cec Linder, Lois Maxwell, Bill Nagy, Michael Mellinger, Nadja Regin, Burt Kwouk, Desmond Llewelyn, Margaret Nolan, and many others co-star in this Bond film.  I'm about to say the word iconic for the second time in this paragraph but I believe this is the most iconic bond movie of all time with Pussy Galore, "golden girl" Jill Masterson, Odd Job's deadly hat, the table scene, and so many others.  There has also been the rumor that Shirley Eaton actually died from gold paint which is just a rumor.  This available to watch on Amazon Prime.

The Hot Spot (1990):  I end the week on this neo noir which was directed by Dennis Hopper and based on the book by Charles Williams.  Don Johnson stars as Harry Madox who is a drifter that ends up in a small Texas town.  He gets a job as a used car salesman where he has a very lustful affair with the boss' wife Dolly, played by Jennifer Connelly, but is in love with Gloria, played by Jennifer Connelly, who is the accountant as the used car place.  While he wants to be with Gloria, he continues to be blackmailed by Dolly.  Charles Martin Smith, William Sadler, Jerry Hardin, Barry Corbin, Leon Rippy, Jack Nance, Virgil Frye, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a pretty intense movie that I found I could not really describe any further without giving out spoilers.  A good double feature might be to watch this along with RED ROCK WEST which has a similar feel and both have gone onto be pretty underrated.  I was able to find this available on the Pluto TV app On-Demand.

Well, that is it for this week but I did bring back my "Fun and Useless Facts segment" for the week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Sylvester Stallone, Tom Hanks, and many others.

FUN AND USELESS FACTS

I return with this segment as I had enough names to go on and have the time for in these current times.  As always, I focus on people in opposite movies being featured and not so much people within the same movie.  I stopped at a certain amount so feel free to comment on others you might see.

Kevin Costner (Hidden Figures) and Clint Eastwood (The Mule) are on opposite sides of the law in the 1993 film A PERFECT WORLD.

Kevin Costner (Hidden Figures) and John Candy (Stripes) were in the 1991 film JFK.

Kevin Costner (Hidden Figures), Andy Garcia (The Mule), Sean Connery (Goldfinger), and Charles Martin Smith (The Hot Spot) make all four members of the title group in the 1987 film THE UNTOUCHABLES.

Kevin Costner (Hidden Figures), Robert LaSardo (The Mule), and Dennis Hopper (The Hot Spot director) were  in the 1995 movie WATERWORLD.

Kevin Costner (Hidden Figures) and Sean Young (Stripes) have an affair in the 1987 movie NO WAY OUT.

Kevin Costner (Hidden Figures) and Laurence Fishburne (The Mule) in the 2013 superhero film MAN OF STEEL and the 2016 follow-up BATMAN V SUPERMAN:  DAWN OF JUSTICE.

Aldis Hodge (Hidden Figures) was signed to a label by Paul Giamatti (Win Win) in the 2015 film STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON.

Kimberly Quinn (Hidden Figures) and Bill Murray (Stripes) were in the 2014 comedy ST. VINCENT.

Mahershala Ali (Hidden Figures) and Bradley Cooper (The Mule) were in the 2012 film THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES.

Michael Pena (The Mule) and Bobby Cannavale (Win Win) were in the 2015 superhero film ANT-MAN and the 2018 sequel ANT-MAN AND THE WASP.  Lawrence Fishburne (The Mule) was also in the 2018 film.

Laurence Fishburne (The Mule) and Dennis Hooper (The Hot Spot director) were in the 1979 war film APOCALPYSE NOW.

Richard Herd (The Mule) and John Candy (Stripes) were in the 1987 comedy PLANES, TRAINS, AND AUTOMOBILES.

Richard Herd (The Mule) and P.J. Soles (Stripes) were in the 1980 comedy PRIVATE BENJAMIN.

Bradley Cooper (The Mule) and Jeffrey Tambor (Win Win) were in the comedy trilogy of THE HANGOVER.  Paul Giamatti (Win Win) was in the second one.

Clint Eastwood (The Mule) directed Amy Ryan (Win Win) in the 2008 film CHANGELING.

Clint Eastwood (The Mule) directed Melanie Lynskey (Win Win) and Tom McCarthy (Win Win director) in the 2006 war film FLAGS OF OUR FATHER.

Clint Eastwood (The Mule) directed Michael Pena (Win Win) and Margo Martindale (Win Win) in the 2004 boxing film MILLION DOLLAR BABY.

Clint Eastwood (The Mule) directed Nina Arianda (Win Win) in the 2019 film RICHARD JEWELL.

Clint Eastwood (The Mule) and Fran Ryan (Stripes) were in the 1985 western PALE RIDER.

Dianne Wiest (The Mule) and Amy Ryan (Win Win) were in the 2007 comedy DAN IN REAL LIFE.

Dianne Wiest (The Mule) and Margo Martindale (Win Win) were in the 1998 witch comedy PRACTICAL MAGIC.

Clifton Collins Jr. (The Mule) and Amy Ryan (Win Win) were in the 2005 film CAPOTE.

Clifton Collins Jr. (The Mule) and Faye Dunaway (The Thomas Crown Affair) were in the 2002 film THE RULES OF ATTRACTION.

Robert LaSardo (The Mule) and Jack Weston (The Thomas Crown Affair) were in the 1988 movie SHORT CIRCUIT 2 which was Weston's last movie.

Margo Martindale (Win Win) and Jennifer Connelly (The Hot Spot) were in the 1991 movie THE ROCKETEER.

Joan Crawford (Rain) was played by Faye Dunaway (The Thomas Crown Affair) in the 1981 movie MOMMIE DEAREST.

Steve McQueen (The Thomas Crown Affair) declined the role of Harry Callahan in the 1971 film DIRTY HARRY which would ultimately go to Clint Eastwood.

Jack Weston (The Thomas Crown Affair) and Antone Pagan (Stripes) were in the 1987 film DIRTY DANCING.

John Diehl (Stripes) and Don Johnson (The Hot Spot) were in the '80s cop series MIAMI VICE.

Sean Connery (Goldfinger) declined the role of Thomas Crown in this week's feature THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR which would ultimately go to Steve McQueen.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 746th Edition

Welcome to the 746th Edition of my series.  I mostly write this in "The Fortress of Solitude" aka the back seat of my mini-van.  It's always hard for me to write in my actual home so I found a suitable alternative for right now as we live in these times.  I want to once again thank all the workers that are still out there and hope they all stay safe.  Also to those that have that virus, I hope for you all make a full recovery and to those that have died my thoughts go out to the family and friends.  Today was supposed to be closing night for YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU but they do intend to still put on the show.  I would like to announce that at 5 pm today the radio play TREASURE ISLAND from Richmond Radioworks is getting broadcast on https://www.weciradio.org/ .  I am the voice of Black Dog, Captain Smollett and Tom Morgan.  If you cannot listen today, there are two more Sundays after this at the same time.  Also on Wednesday at 4:30 I am a guest on the show VIRTUAL TEA TIME with my friend Amy which will be on Facebook Live.  I continue to make the most of these crazy times and hold out hope knowing I will get to be in the play that was supposed to be this weekend and that I will get to do all the other things that have been temporarily taken from me.  To those out of a job, I hope things work out in the end.  I will shut up now and get on with my selections.

Molly's Game (2017):  Aaron Sorkin directed this film based on the book by Molly Bloom, played by Jessica Chastain.  Bloom was an Olympic skier and afterwards ended up in a job where she would go onto run a very high stakes poker game.  This would involve Hollywood stars, sports stars, and many others including unbeknownst to her the Russian mob and it would also lead to a big arrest.  Idris Elba co-stars as her attorney Charlie Jaffey who reluctantly took on her case but would learn there is far more to her than just what was in the tabloids.  Kevin Costner co-stars as Molly's rather overbearing father.  Michael Cera, Jeremy Strong, Chris O'Dowd, J.C. MacKenzie, Brian D'arcy James, Bill Camp, Graham Greene, Justin Kirk, Angela Gots, Natalie Krill, Stephanie Herfield, Madison McKinley, Samantha Isler, Piper Howell, Rachel Skarsten, and many others co-star in this film.  The real-life Bloom wanted Chastain to play her in the movie which was a good choice in my opinion.  Sorkin makes his directorial debut where he still writes the screenplay.  This was pretty fun and well paced movie that takes a look at a rather bizarre true story.

Mirai (2018):  This is my anime selection for the week.  Mamoru Hosoda wrote and directed this animated film.  This centers around a four year old boy named Kun, voiced by Jaden Waldman, whose world changes when he gets a baby sister named Mirai, voiced by Victoria Grace.  He gets very jealous of the attention that his little sister is getting and that he is used to getting.  When going to the backyard, he finds himself in a magical world where he gets to meet his sister when she was older and other family members when they were younger helping him come to terms with his younger sister.  Rebecca Hall, John Cho, Daniel Day Kim, Crispin Freeman, Stephanie Sheh, and many others provide their voices in the American version.  This was actually a very beautifully done film with the animation and the story.  I'm sure many parents can relate to this situation when bringing in a second child.  This is a very moving and thoughtful story that I think the whole family can enjoy.

The World According to Sesame Street (2006):  This is my documentary for the week which was directed by Linda Goldstein Knowlton and Linda Hawkins Costigan.  This takes a look at the very popular PBS children's show SESAME STREET as the title of this documentary would indicate.  This documentary takes a look at the co-production of the series in developing countries like Bangladesh, Kosovo, and South Africa.  They still use the characters that we have in the United States but have their own characters to develop in accordance to the country.  This show was originally developed for children in the urban area that had limited education and that mission lives on in these other countries.  If looking for a history of SESEME STREET in general, this is not it.  There are highlights of the show but this is mostly a look at the Seseme Productions and their efforts to get their show on in these countries and accommodate to their needs.

Judge for a Day (1935):  This is my short film for the week and decided to do some classic animation featuring Betty Boop.  Betty is getting annoyed with people out there she feels are being inconsiderate in public.  Shen then imagines herself as a judge giving the punishments out to these people into some very comical punishments.  This is available to watch on Amazon Prime as part of "Betty Boop Vol. 1"

Hardcore (1979):  Paul Schrader wrote and directed this film.  George C. Scott stars as conservative businessman Jake VanDorn whose daughter was missing from a church youth convention trip and hires private investigator Andy Mast, played by Peter Boyle to find her.  What Andy finds is a cheap X-rated video with his daughter and when Jake sees this he sets out to find her himself.  This takes him into the pornographic underworld in his search.  Season Hubley, Dick Sargent, Gary Graham, Marc Alaimo, Leslie Ackerman, Paul Marin, Hal Williams, Bibi Besch, TraceyWalter, and many others co-star in this film.  I had never heard of this before I came across it and sparked my interest very quickly.  This is by no means for everyone and is rather disturbing at times.  This is still a very compelling look into the porn industry is this era.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

The Pride of the Yankees (1942):  This is my sports movie for the week and quite the classic at that.  Sam Wood directed this biopic on baseball legend Lou Gehrig, played by Gary Cooper.  This starts a little into his childhood and into his rise in baseball when going to the Yankees.  This goes into his personal and professional career where he would play 2130 games in a row until his fall when he learned of a deadly nerve disease which we now happen to call "Lou Gehrig's Disease".  Theresa Wright co-stars as his wife Eleanor and Babe Ruth plays his legendary self.  Walter Brennan, Dan Duryea, Elsa Janssen, Ludwig Stossel, Virginia Gilmore, Ernie Adams, Pierre Watkin, Harry Harvey, and many others co-star in this film.  I think most know from this movie the famous "luckiest man alive" speech that Gehrig made during his farewell to baseball.  Cooper brought Gehrig to life very well and knew how to play up the everyday person that finds success.

How To Be Single (2016):  Who but me would go from a inspirational and classic sports movie to a modern raunchy comedy?  Christian Ditter directed this comedy based on the book by Liz Tuccillo.  This centers around four young female adults navigating love and relationships in New York.  Dakota Johnson stars as Alice who is taking a "break" from her relationship with her boyfriend to see what it is like to be on her own.  She gets a job and becomes friends with her wild co-worker Robin, played by Rebel Wilson, who tries to put some fun into Alice's life.  Leslie Man co-stars as Alice's older sister Meg who is determined to be a mother and has her own relationship issues to deal with.  GLOW star Allison Brie co-stars Lucy which is the one I probably relate to the most.  She hangs out at the bar next door with her laptop and is looking for the right man and has an algorithm to finding that man.  As most might guess, the part I relate to is having a laptop at a bar where sometimes I write this.  I remember one time meeting my friend Ricky Ruckus and when getting there said "I recognized you by the laptop".  Damon Wayans Jr., Anders Holm, Nicholas Braun, Jack Lacy, Jason Mantzoukas, Colin Jost, Sarah Ramos, Vanessa Rubio, and many others co-star in this comedy.  This is probably a good selection for Girl's Night.  If taking this too seriously, it will not be liked.  Just watch it for what it is which is a raunchy comedy and a lot of fun in my opinion.

The Hangman (1959):  Now I bring a western which was directed by Michael Curtiz.  Robert Taylor stars as U.S. Marshall Mackenzie Bovard who is after a robbery suspect and ends up in a small town in pursuit of his fugitive.  Fess Parker co-stars as the sheriff in this small town but does not seem eager to help Bovard capture Johnny Bishop, played by Jack Lord, who is a very liked person in the town.  Tina Louise, Gene Evans, Mickey Shaughnessy, James Westerfield, Mabel Albertson, Betty Lynn, and many others co-star in this western.  This is a pretty decent story of a man who must rethink his ways of black and white when he finds that the person he is after is a respected member of the community.  This is available to watch on Amazon Prime and is worth a look especially for western lovers.

Hud (1963):  Martin Ritt directed this film which is based on the novel by Larry McMurtry.  Paul Newman stars as Hud Bannon who is a very loose cannon and reckless in life.  He has a very bitter relationship with his father Homer, played by Melvyn Douglas, whose values did not pass onto his son.  Brandone De Wilde co-stars as Hud's nephew Lonnie who idolizes his uncle but slowly sees recklessness that drives him away.  Patricia Neal, Whit Bissell, Crahan Denton, John Ashley, Val Avery, George Petrie, and many others co-star in this classic.  This is driven by the characters and performances.  This is a portrait of a man that ruins everything and everyone around him with Newman capturing the role perfectly.  Last week I featured THE LAST PICTURE SHOW which was also written by McMurtry and both have a similar feel like life in a small Texas town.  These two could make a really good double feature.

Grease 2 (1982):  I end the week with this classic bad musical that was really pretty enjoyable.  Maxwell Caulfield stars as Michael who is the cousin of Sandy from the first movie.  Michael is a straight-laced guy going to Rydell High and takes interest in Stephanie, played by a young Michelle Pfeiffer, of the Pink Ladies.  She is resistant toward him so he must look to prove he is cool to win her over.  Lorna Luft, Maureen Teefy, Pamela Adlon, Adrian Zmed, Peter Frechette, Christopher McDonald, Leif Green, Didi Conn, Sid Caesar, Dody Goodman, Tab Hunter, Dick Patterson, Eddie Deezen, Matt Lattanzi, and many others co-star in this musical.  This is kind of a gender role-reversal from the first one.  Luft is the daughter of Judy Garland and makes her feature film debut.  I believe Christopher McDonald is one of the best character actors out there and really paid his dues and hammed it up in this one.  This also has some rather ridiculous but amusing musical numbers.  I guess if you are a die hard fan of the first one, this will be hard to watch but this could be one to have a bad musical party and include this for a fun night.  I don't understand why they never adapt this one to stage.

Well, that is it for this week but keep on ready for my segment "The Bookworm Corner".  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Kevin Costner and Clint Eastwood.

THE BOOKWORM CORNER

First Wish by J. Wolf Scott (2011):  This centers around the character of Isabella Carson we meet as a child and has an imaginary friend named Desdemona.  She remains the alter-ego of Isabella but an encounter with a fallen star gives her the opportunity to become her own person.  As the years go by, they both have their own lives but still remain corrected through their dreams and circumstances draw them back home to the small town of Collinsville.  I bought this book last September when I was at the annual Washington Street festival in Muncie.  The author is a local person in my town so when I was ready to get back to reading I decided it was time for novel.  This book has fantasy elements as far as the imaginary friends but other than that it was more of a drama.  It was also a very compelling story and managed to read it in a couple weeks.  The author has a website of www.jwolfscott.com and has quite a bit of books to choose from so maybe I'll get me another book at the next Washington Street festival.  I also ask for a part when the movie gets made.