Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 754th Edition

Welcome to the 754th Edition of my series.  Yesterday I got to have an actual rehearsal for YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU.  It was a great feeling to be back where I love.  On the bottom is information on the show dates which are in July.  I hope everyone is staying safe right now and I'm just going to get on with my selections for this week.

Harmontown (2014):  I start the week out with this documentary that takes a look into the television and podcast industry and is directed by Neil Berkeley.  This takes takes a look at Dan Harmon who is best known as the creator of the sitcom COMMUNITY and the popular animated series RICK AND MORTY.  He started a podcast of the title which was essentially stand up and improv comedy where he had many guests and a live audience.  When getting fired from  COMMUNITY, the podcast went weekly.  In addition to Harmon, Jeff Bryan Davis, Erin McGathy, Steve Agee, Jack Black, Matt Braunger, Allison Brie, Yvette Nicole Brown, Donald Glover, Chris Hardwick, Gillian Jacobs, Ken Jeong, Joel McHale, John Oliver, Sarah Silverman, Ben Stiller, Jason Sudeikis, and many others get interviewed mostly reflecting on their ups and downs with Harmon.  I admit, I am not an avid watcher of these shows or podcast but I can see he has quite an audience and is a pretty interesting person.  This documentary can be found on Hoopla Digitial.  This podcast which came to an end late last year can essentially be found wherever podcasts are available as well as his current podcast HARMONQUEST.

I-See-You.com (2006):  Eric Steven Stahl directed and co-wrote this satire on the world of reality television.  Mathew Botuchis stars as 17 year old Colby Bellinger who decides to get mini-cameras for his home and publicly display them on the title website which include his former Playboy centerfold Lydia, played by Rosanna Arquette, his stepdad Harvey, played by Beau Bridges, and his stepsister Audrey, played by Baelyn Neff.  They are unaware of what is happening become dismayed when they learn but go along with it when they learn of the money being made.  As the stress mounts, things start to come crashing down around them.  Shiri Appleby, Dan Castellaneta, Victor Alfieri, Tracee Ellen Ross, Doris Roberts, Hector Elizondo, Tiffany Baldwin, William Dixon, and many others co-star in this comedy.  Castellaneta is most known as the voice of Homer Simpson in THE SIMPSONS so it was cool to see him in person.  While not exactly original, I thought this was pretty well executed and kept my interest throughout.

Cloak and Dagger (1984):  Richard Franklin directed this adventure film that was written by Tom Holland and no not that guy who plays Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  This is also based on the video game of the same name.  Fresh off his E.T. success, Henry Thomas stars as Davey Osborne who is quite the gamer in the Atari world.  He witnesses a murder and accidentally comes into possession of a spy group's secret plans but no one will believe him including his father, played by Dabney Coleman.  He winds up on the run from them and teams up with his imaginary friend Jack Flack, also played by Coleman, who is a resourceful super agent.  Michael Murphy, John McIntire, Jeanette Nolan, Eloy Casados, Tim Rossovich, Robert DoQui, Shelby Leverington, Nicholas Guest, Louie Anderson, and many others co-star in this film.  Forsythe is nearly unrecognizable as the video game store employee.  This is partly a remake of the 1949 film THE WINDOW but is a very loose remake.  Early video game buffs will like this one and is a fun adventure to go on.

Keep off the Grass (1970):  This is my short film for the week and one of those Sid Davis produced "warning" film.  This is not that grass you see in the yard, this is referring to that horrid drug Marijuana and the so-called effects it has on people.  The biggest disappointment for me was on imdb, on the trivia it says "Al Pacino's film debut" but he is not even uncredited on the site and he was nowhere to be found from what I could tell.  This is available on Amazon Prime as part of the "Drugs Kill" scare films they show.

Hook Line and Sinker (1930):  Edward Cline directed this comedy which stars Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey as a couple fast talking insurance salesmen.  They soon meet Mary, played by Dorothy Lee, who is running away from her wealth mother and agree to help her run a hotel that she owns.  When finding out it is abandoned they launch an unorthodox way of getting it going.  Ralf Harolde, Jobyna Howland, Natalie Moorhead, Hugh Herbert, George F. Marion, Stanley Fields, William B. Davidson, and many others co-star in this comedy.  This features the rather forgotten comedy duo of Wheeler and Woolsey who started out in Vaudeville and did a lot of movies from the late 1920s up until Woolsey's 1938 death.  This was the first encounter I have had with these guys and they hold their own among the other comedy groups of this era like Abbott and Costello, Laurel and Hardy, and the Marx Brothers despite not having their fame.  This is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

Invention for Destruction (1958):  This is my Czechoslovakian film for the week which was directed by Karel Zeman and based on a various works by Jules Verne.  This combines animation with live-action where an evil millionaire named Artigas, played by Miroslav Holub, to use a super-explosive device to conquer the world from his headquarters inside an enormous volcano. It is hard to really explain this film any further.  This is a very well done and fascinating film.  I knew when I saw it was from Czechoslovakia that it would really hold my interest.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Cold War (2018):  Powel Pawlikowski directed this love story set in France and Poland.  Tomasz Kot stars music director Wiktor who takes a liking to auditioning singer Zula, played by Joanna Kulig, and fall in love with one another in very impossible times through many years.  Wiktor tries to convince Zula to flee from communist Poland into France.  Borys Szyc, Agata Kulesza, Cedric Kahn, Jeanne Balibar, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a really good look into the cold war era and a really good love story.  This is another one that is hard to explain as it is a very complex film.  This is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

D.O.A. (1949):  This is my film noir for the week which was directed by Rudolph Mate.  Edmond O'Brien as Frank Bigelow who learns he has taken a deadly poison that has no antidote.  In his last week of life, he investigates who was guilty of this murder and why.  Pamela Britton, Luther Adler, Beverly Garland, Lynn Baggett, William Ching, Neville Brand, Laurette Luez, Jess Kirkpatrick, Cay Forester, and many others co-star in this film noir.  This is one of the most iconic of the film noir genre.  This is also available to watch on Amazon Prime and still holds up by today's standards.

Victim (1961):  Basil Dearden directed this film which was written by Janet Green and John McCormick.  Dirk Bogarde stars as Melville Farr who is a married attorney investigating a blackmail scheme after a gay man commits suicide in his car.  This takes place in England during a time when homosexuality was illegal.  John Barrie co-stars as Detective Inspector Harris who helps Farr track down the blackmailer and considers the anti-sodomy laws as a license to blackmailers.  Sylvia Sims, Dennis Price, Anthony Nicholls, Peter Copley, Norman Bird, Peter McEnery, Donald Churchill, Derren Nesbitt, John Cairney, Alan MacNaughtan, Nigel Stock, and many others co-star in this film.  This was rather ahead of its time and tackles a very taboo topic in this era.  This was illegal in England and here in the states and this was a really good message towards the subject at the time.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Chattahoochee (1989):  I end the week with this film that takes place in a mental hospital.  Mick Jackson directed this film which stars Gary Oldman as Korean War veteran Emmett Foley who has a breakdown and is sentenced to the Chattahoochie State Mental Hospital.  When there, he finds that the doctors are mistreating the patients to the point of murder and tries to stand up for them.  Dennis Hopper, Frances McDormand, Pamela Reed, Ned Beatty, M. Emmet Walsh, and many others co-star in this film.  If expecting what you hear in that Alan Jackson song of the same name, this is not it.  This is a very intense film and is based on a true story.  I suppose a good double feature would be to watch this along with ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST and keep in mind they both stand apart on their own.  This is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

Well, that is it for this week but continue on for my "Movie Night in the Town of Pottersville" segment.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week.

MOVIE NIGHT IN THE TOWN OF POTTERSVILLE

Swiss Army Man (2016):  One night I was home and insisted to Stephanie we have a movie night which she accepted and when getting to her house, she insisted on watching this one.  I remembered seeing some of it so agreed to see the entire thing and how can you say no to Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe.  Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert co-directed and co-wrote this independent film.  Dano stars as Paul who is stranded on a desert island and is planning to kill himself.  He stops when he discovers a dead body washed ashore and names him Manny, played by Radcliffe, only to learn that he can talk at least in his own mind.  Together they embark on a journey for Paul to get home.  Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Antonia Ribero, Timothy Eulich, and Richard Gross co-star in this film.  Radcliffe shows he is far more than Harry Potter and cites this as his favorite movie that he has done.  This is one that some have loved and some have hated but either way, it remains very memorable.  On the surface there is a lot of fart humor which can turn some off but if you can get that past it is very deep film of an existential journey or a descent into madness.  This is available to watch on Netflix.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 753rd Edition

Welcome to the 753rd Edition of my series.  I hope all is having a good Memorial Day weekend and for me it was a birthday weekend as my birthday was last Friday.  It was a bit disappointing that I could not sing karaoke but I know I will soon.  As you can see at the end, new dates have been announced for YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU in Elwood which are on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.  Yes, that is unusual for theater but our director wanted to retain the original cast put together at the beginning of the year and that was the only way.  There is not much else happening so I'll just bring my selections for the week.

Five (2011):  I start the week out with this ensemble drama that have five interconnected stories of breast cancer and the impact it has on their lives and the lives around them.  Jennifer Aniston, Patty Jenkins, Alicia Keys, Demi Moore, and Penelope Spheeris each direct a segment of this movie.  Each one has kind of a variety of ways of dealing with their issue.  Jeanne Tripplehorn is the closest to the star of this film where she plays the doctor who must give them the dreaded news and help however she can.  Patricia Clarkson, Rosario Dawson, Lyndsy Fonseca, Ginnifer Goodwin, Ava Acres, Carla Gallo, Aisha Hinds, Josh Holloway, Jennifer Morrison, Austin Nichols, Annie Potts, Xander Berkeley, Kathy Najimy, Romy Rosemont, Tony Shalhoub, Jenifer Lewis, Trecee Ellis Ross, Jeffrey Tambor, David Eigenberg, Taylor Kinney, Bob Newhart, Ravi Patel, Alan Ruck, Scott Wilson, Talyan Wright, Mark Daneri, and many others co-star in this Lifetime tv movie.  This is a pretty insightful film on a dreaded topic that is sad at times but also inspires and brings a few laughs like Clarkson's character staging her own funeral.

Captain America:  The First Avenger (2011):  I go from a Lifetime drama to the MCU superhero film.  Joe Johnston directed this origin story of Captain America.  After being in rather average superhero films as the Human Torch in THE FANTASTIC FOUR movies, Chris Evans finds his niche as the very patriotic Steve Rogers.  This starts out during WWII where at this time Steve is a very short person and has a lot of disease that get him rejected from military activity.  He feels that it is his duty to serve no matter how weak he might be.  Dr. Abraham Erskine, played by Stanley Tucci, recruits him to be a part of the secret Project Rebirth where Steve becomes a whole new person in terms of his body.  At first Rogers as used as the propaganda piece Captain America but feeling he is not being used right, he leads a rescue mission with the help of Peggy Carter, played by Hayley Atwell, and goes after the Nazi group HYDRA, lead by Red Skull, played by Hugo Weaving.  This also shows how Captain America gets to the modern era to join the Avengers.  Sebastian Stan, Tommy Lee Jones, Dominic Cooper, Richard Armitage, Toby Jones, Neal McDonough, Derek Luke, Kenneth Choi, JJ Feild, Bruno Ricci, Lex Shrapnel, Michael Brandon, Martin Sherman, Natalie Dormer, and many others co-star in this superhero film.  I feel his solo movies are the best of the MCU thought CAPTAIN AMERICA:  CIVIL WAR was more of an Avengers movie.  I really enjoyed this origin story that would lead to two more Captain America and a pretty good tv series in AGENT CARTER.  This is available on Amazon Prime and Disney Plus and is the last movie before the first Avengers film of the MCU series.

Once Upon a Mattress (2005):  This is technically an episode of THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF DISNEY where they adapt the popular musical which is a version of the fairy tale THE PRINCESS AND THE PEA.  Kathleen Marshall directed this tv movie based on the musical by Mary Rodgers and Marshall Barer.  Carol Burnett stars as the tyrannical Queen Aggravain who has decreed that no one in the town can marry until her son Prince Dauntless, played by Denis O'Hare, but none of the potential princesses seem to be able to pass the Queen's tests and get rejected.  Things get difficult for the Queen when Princess Winnifred, played by Tracey Ullman, comes along and shows she is hard to get rid of and determined to marry Dauntless.  Zooey Deschanel, Matthew Morrison, Michael Boatman, Tom Smothers, Edward Hibbert, Michelle Harrison, and many others co-star in this musical.  This is a pretty fun adaptation of the musical with Ullman clearly enjoying her role and Burnett very enjoyable as the Queen.  This is available to watch on Disney Plus.

An American Girl (1958):  This is my short film for the week.  This centers around a teenage girl named Norma who decides to wear a Jewish charm bracelet that she received for her birthday.  When wearing this, she discovers anti-semitism  and prejudice attitudes from her friends.  This is a pretty early look at the prejudices of the world and starts by saying "This film is dedicated to America's teen-agers and to their unerring instinct for juvenile DECENCY.  This short film has no film credits and no one seems to know the actress playing the role of Norma.  A young Patty Duke plays her little sister and Frank Overton and Audra Lindley play her parents.  This is about a half hour long and can be found on Youtube as well as Amazon Prime in the "Prejudice Films" which has a handful of short films.

Young and Innocent (1937):  Alfred Hitchcock directed this film which has possibly his favorite story elements of the wrongly accused and based on the novel by Josephine Tey.  Derrick De Marney stars as writer Robert Tisdall who comes across an actress girlfriend who has died and when trying to report it is immediately suspected.  Nova Pilbeam co-stars as Erica who is the daughter of the police constable and goes with Robert upon his escape believing his innocence and they must set out to find the real person.  Percy Marmont, Edward Rigby, Mary Clare, John Longden, Basil Radford, George Merritt, J.H. Roberts, and many others co-star in this film.  As I said in the beginning, this was Hitchcock's favorite sort of element in dealing with the wrongly accused.  I thought this one one of Hitchcock's better movies from this era with Tisdall and Pilbeam working very well together.  I also thought this was the best Hitchcock cameo I have seen where is a photographer.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

The Mechanic (1972):  Michael Winner directed this action film that centers around the world of hitmen where they are referred to by the title.  Charles Bronson stars as Arthur Bishop who has been a hit man for a long time and is looking to retire.  Jan-Michael Vincent co-stars as Steve McKenna, a young man wanting to learn the trade and is brought in by Arthur as an apprentice.  Keenan Wynn, Jill Ireland, Frank DeKova, James Davidson, Lindsay Crosby, and many others co-star in this action film.  It is hard to really explain this movie much further without giving it away.  I personally prefer the remake years later with Jason Statham but this still is watchable and kind of a star making role for Bronson who a couple years later would be in one of his most known movies DEATH WISH.

Escape at Dannemora (2018):  This is my mini-series for the week which was directed by Ben Stiller and created by Brett Johnson and Michael Tolkin.  Benicio Del Toro and Paul Dano star as prison inmates Richard Matt and David Sweat who are planning a prison escape with the help of prison employee Tilly Mitchell, played by Patricia Arquette, and both have been with Tilly romatically.  Bonnie Hunt, Eric Lange, David Morse, Jeremy Bobb, Michael Beasley, Calvin Dutton, Dominic Colon, Gregory Dann, Johanna Day, Carolyn Mignini, Michael Imperioli, Jim Parrack, and many others co-star in this mini-series.  This has seven episodes roughly around an hour with the last one more like an hour and a half.  This is based on the actual 2015 Clinton Correctional Facility escape.  Arquette is nearly unrecognizable as Tilly who the movie revolves around most in her job and her troubled marriage.  This was originally shown on Showtime and is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

Carnival Story (1954):  Kurt Neumann directed by this movie which obviously centers around a carnival.  This is a struggling American carnival group that relocates to Germany.  Anne Baxter stars as pickpocket Willi who gets a job through Joe the Barker, played by Steve Cochran, after he catches her trying to pickpocket him.  Lyle Bettger co-stars as high diver Frank who recruits Willi to be his assistant and falls in love with her which leads to a love triangle and tragedy.  George Nader, Jay C. Flippen, Helene Stanley, Ady Berber, and many others co-star in this carnival melodrama.  The movie is billed as "An American carnival in Germany sets the scene for sin, sex, and melodrama" but is a more simple story of a scheming young girl.  It also does a good job of conveying the carny life from that era.  This is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

Salesman (1969):  This is my documentary for the week which was directed by Albert Maysles, David Maysles, and Charlotte Zwerin.  This takes a look at a few men who are door to door salesman at a company that sells expensive bibles.  Most of the people they talk to are rather low income people who cannot afford that fancy bible but they are still relentless in their sales.  This also shows the struggles of being homesick and burnout.  I once played a bible salesman in a play but cannot imagine that sort of job in real-life.  There is not much more I can say on this except it is a pretty compelling documentary from that time.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Best in Show (2000):  I end the week with this great mockumentary after hearing that Fred Willard unfortunately left us and I can't think of a better movie to pay homage to Willard in my favorite role of his as the rather inappropriate color commentator of a dog show.  Christopher Guest directed and co-stars in this comedy that centers around the Mayflower Kennel Club Dog Show.  This takes a look at a very diverse group of people entering their dog into the dog show.  Willard, Parker Posey, Michael Hitchcock, Catherine O'Hara, Eugene Levy, Bob Balaban, Michael McKean, John Michael Higgins, Patrick Cranshaw, Jennifer Coolidge, Jane Lynch, Larry Miller, Ed Begley Jr., Jim Piddock, Jay Brazeau, Lewis Arquette, Will Sasso, and many others co-star in this classic comedy.  As indicated in the beginning, this is shot like a documentary and the cast work great together in a movie that is mostly improv from the actors.  I always thought Posey was the most entertaining along with Willard's color commentator character.  The whole movie though is hilarious remaining one of my favorites.

Well, that is it for this week but continue on for "The Bookworm Corner" segment.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week.

THE BOOKWORM CORNER

I decided to do a binge on the novels of Elmore Leonard and to those that feature the character Raylan Givens that was made famous on the FX series JUSTIFIED.  People know right away about authors like Stephen King, John Grisham, and Tom Clancy but I feel Elmore Leonard is a bit underrated even though many of his books have been adapted for television and film which include GET SHORTY, OUT OF SIGHT, and JACKIE BROWN.  When I was in high school, for English class, we had to read 300 pages of a book and then have a verbal report of it with the teacher at the end of the grading period.  I was not much of a reader but I set out to find me a book at the book store that might interest me so I came across his book MAXIMUM BOB, which was also a tv series that was unfortunately short lived, and when I started reading that book I was hooked and used quite a bit of his books to get me through Outside Reading.  I credit Elmore for getting me through high school in some ways.

Pronto (1993):  This is the first of the four novels by Leonard that feature United States Marshall Raylan Givens.  This centers around Miami bookie Harry Arno who has been operating for twenty years and has been skimming profits for the twenty years.  He is looking to retire in Italy along with his girlfriend Joyce but local mobster Jimmy Cap looks to put a hit on him.  U.S. Marshall Raylan Givens is trying to get Arno to testify (in front of a grand jury but is able to flee Givens and go to Italy in hopes of hanging out.  Givens has an idea of where he is going and goes out there to catch as well as protect Arno but there are also some of Jimmy Cap's men also looking for Arno to kill.  Like just about all of Leonard's books, it is a very complex story yet also very easy to follow and enjoy.

Riding the Rap (1995):  This is a sequel to the 1993 book.  This continues with bookie Harry Arno who is kidnapped by an unlikely trio that involves a Palm Beach pothead, a Bahamian ex-con, and a Puerto Rican gardener turned mob enforcer in hopes to be able to get the ransom from one of Harry's offshore accounts.  They figure no one will care when Harry goes missing but Raylan Givens learns of it and takes it upon himself to find Harry.  The last person to see Harry was a psychic named Dawn who Raylan tries to determine if she is legit or in on the kidnapping.  I actually liked this one better than the first.  This has a very clever story and is a great two-part novel which is easier to understand having read the first but is not a requirement.

Fire in the Hole and Other Stories (2012):  This is a collection of short stories by Leonard, the title story is the one that includes Raylan and the basis for the FX series JUSTIFIED.  There is another story that features his female marshall Karen Sisco who was feature in his book OUT OF SIGHT and in this which was made into a movie with Jennifer Lopez as the character and a short lived tv series called KAREN SISCO which stars Carla Gugino as the title character.  I remember being disappointed at the cancellation of that show.  The story in this book is KAREN MAKES OUT where there is more to her man than meets the eye.  There are seven other stories in this book and is very diverse including the Civil War, unhappy marriages, insurance fraud, to name a few.  Some are shorter, some are longer but they are all compelling stories.

Raylan:  a Novel (2012):  This book is based on JUSTIFIED and was written after the writers encouraged him Leonard to write this book which was used in parts of the series and would unfortunately be his last book before his death in 2013 with a career that is hard to match with all the books and the movies and tv shows his books would inspire.  In this one, Raylan returns to his town of Harlan County, Kentucky to investigate Dickie and Coover Crowe who are known for drug dealing but appear to be involved in an body organ theft ring.  As he investigates, he finds it is gets far deeper than he thought.  This book as quite an array of interesting characters and twists.  I have not seen this series yet but I intend to get started very soon.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 752nd Edition

Welcome to the 752nd Edition of my series.  I have been releasing these in the Fortress of Solitude lately but today I bring this from my local coffee place the Cup which they have open outside.  All I will say for now is I hope everyone is staying safe and even enjoying getting out more if that is what they want.  I will just go ahead and get to my selections for the week.

All the Way (2016):  I start the week out with this political biopic which was directed by Jay Roach and based on a play by Robert Schenkkan who wrote the screenplay.  This starts right after Lyndon B. Johnson, played by BREAKING BAD alum Bryan Cranston, gets the presidency after the assassination of JFK.  This mainly centers around LBJ carrying on JFK's intention of passing a civil rights bill with the help of Martin Luther King Jr., played by Anthony Mackie, in a very uneasy working relationship.  MLK looks to make sure that not only the bill gets passed but that it also does not get "gutted".  Johnson finds that his fellow politicians will not make this easy to pass.  Melissa Leo, Frank Langella, Bradley Whitford, NEWSRADIO alum Stephen Root, Todd Weeks, Ray Wise, Ken Jenkins, Dohn Norwood, Mo McRae, Marque Richardson, Aisha Hinds, Joe Morton, and many other co-star in this political film.  Cranston plays LBJ to perfection and won a Tony award for when it was on stage.  I think something like this would be an interesting play to be in and maybe one day it will happen.  This is a pretty good humanistic look at our former president in his struggle to keep everyone on his side.

Hesher (2010):  Spencer Susser directed and co-wrote this film.  Devin Brochu stars as T.J., a high school freshman who lost his mother and living with his father Paul, played by THE OFFICE alum Rainn Wilson, and his rather senile grandmother, played by Piper Laurie.  Paul's way of dealing with the loss of his wife is to lie around on the couch popping pills leaving T.J. to mostly do his own thing.  He soon meets Hesher, played by THIRD ROCK FROM THE SUN alum Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who makes his way into T.J.'s life by bringing him along for his life of crime and moving into their home as a squatter.  Natalie Portman co-stars as Nicole who is a struggling grocery story employee that befriends T.J. when she stops him from being bullied.  John Carroll Lynch, Brendan Hill, Monica Staggs, Mary Elizabeth Barrett, Audrey Wasilewski, Lyle Kanouse, Frank Collison, Van Epperson, Helen Slayton-Hughes, Paul Bates, and many others co-star in this film.  Part of this movie is a very moving story but there are many moments with the title character that just made me think "wtf".  Levitt clearly had a lot of fun playing this part where you just cannot take your eyes off him.  The soundtrack consists of mostly Metallica and Motorhead.  This is available to watch on Amazon Prime and Hoopla Digital.

Shut Up and Play the Hits (2012):  This is my music documentary for the week which was directed by Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern.  This centers around the rock band LCD Soundsystem and the final show they played on April 2nd, 2011 at Madison Square Garden.  This goes back and forth with concert footage and interview footage mostly with their lead singer James Murphy who reflects on how he got into the music game a lot older in life than others and the ramifications of having his final show.  They would go onto reunite and release a new album in 2017 and perform.  I admit that I really don't know a lot about this band but they did have some good music with the song I recognized which was SOMEONE GREAT.  James Murphy is also a very fascinating person in the interview footage as well as the backstage footage of him preparing what he thought at the time was their last show but like wrestling, the music industry is a hard business to get away from.  This is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

Billy Blazes, Esq. (1919):  This is my silent comedy short for the week which is a western short.  Silent comedy legend Harold Lloyd stars as the title character who confronts Crooked Charley, played by Snub Pollard, on the way he has been ruling the town of Peaceful Vale through fear and violence.  Bebe Daniels co-star in this silent comedy.  This is an earlier one for Lloyd and had some pretty amusing gags as the gunslinger.  Lloyd is a lot of times referred to as "The Third Genius" in reference to Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton who are far more known by today's standards.  I have heard that at the time Lloyd was just as popular if not more popular in the box office.  This was worth about 13 minutes and is available on the Criterion Channel.

Hot Rod Girl (1956):  This was a pretty popular genre in this era involving hot rods and drag racing which was directed by Leslie H. Martinson.  John Smith stars as Jeff whose brother dies in a hot rod race and blames himself for what happened because he built the car and encouraged his brother to race.  Chuck Connors co-stars as Detective Merrill who knows he cannot stop the dangerous hot rod racing so he is trying to get a more organized setting for it to become safer but becomes more difficult when a bad crime happens.  Lori Nelson, Frank Gorshin, Dabbs Greer , and many others co-star in this hod rod movie.  Gorshin would go onto be most known as the Riddler in the '60s sitcom BATMAN.  This is good for what it is, a drag racing movie.  This is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

The Third Secret (1964):  I had not heard of this movie until my friend Larry made a post about watching and mentioning the debut of Dame Judi Dench.  Charles Crichton directed this mystery film.  A psychiatrist is believed to have killed himself but his daughter Catherine, played by Pamela Franklin, refuses to believe her father would ever kill himself.  She enlists the help of his former patient Alex Stedman, played by Stephen Boyd, who is now a reporter to investigate the death.  Jack Hawkins, Richard Attenborough, Diane Cilento, Paul Rogers, Alan Webb, Rachel Kempson, Peter Sallis, Patience Collier, Freda Jackson, Judi Dench, Peter Copley, Nigel Davenport, and many others co-star in this mystery.  As mentioned, this is Dench's film debut and was the start of quite a career.  It is really hard to describe this movie without just giving it away.  I was able to find a free version to watch on Youtube.  I have found in the past with youtube that the transfer is not always that good but this one is a really good looking copy and is really worth a look.

Devil's Playground (2002):  This is my second documentary for the week which was directed by Lucy Walker.  This takes a look at some Amish communities and mostly their youth when they experience Rumspringa.  For those that do not know, when they turn 16 they get to experience life for the first time after spending most of their time working and at church services.  They are out in public and having parties that usually involve alcohol and possibly drugs.  They also get to drive cars whereas they usually have a horse and buggy.  As time goes on, they must decide if they want to join the church and continue living the Amish way of life.  This takes a look at a variety of kids in their experience.  It takes a look at the overlooked drug problems and other things like depression among the Amish.  A lot of this was shot in the northern part of Indiana where I have family.  There is also some footage in Sarasota, Florida where my Uncle Cal and Aunt Marcia around fall and winter and then live back in Northern Indiana around the spring and summer seasons so I thought that was cool to see.  This is a rare look into the Amish community as they are big on privacy and takes a look at a very diverse group.

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974):  This is an homage to Jerry Stiller who plays the dispatcher in this movie and recently left us.  Joseph Sargent directed this film based on the novel by John Godey.  Robert Shaw, Martin Balsam, Hector Elizondo, and HOME IMPROVEMENT alum Earl Hindman team up as a group of criminals to hijack a New York subway train.  Walter Matthau stars as wisecracking Lt. Zach Garber who is a transit cop and the main communication with the hijackers and NYPD.  He does what he can to lead the charge and get the passengers to safety.  James Broderick, Dick O'Neill, Lee Wallace, Tom Pedi, Nathan George, Rudy Bond, Kenneth McMillan, EVERYBODY LOVE RAYMOND alum Doris Roberts, Julius Harris, and many others co-star in this action film.  Hindman is known as Wilson in HOME IMPROVEMENT whose face was always hidden.  This is a very gritty and compelling action film that works on many levels.  This is available to watch on Hoopla Digital.

Shockproof (1949):  This is my film noir for the week which was directed by Douglas Sirk.  Patricia Knight stars as Jenny Marsh who gets paroled from prison for killing a man.  Cornel Wilde stars as her parole officer Griff Marat who is determined to help her go straight even with her criminal boyfriend Harry, played by John Baragrey, interfering.  As time goes on, Griff begins to fall for Jenny which can be detrimental to his future.  Esther Minciotti, Howard St. John, Russell Collins, Charles Bates, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a bit unrealistic at times but is still worth watching.  I think it could have been better with a better ending but that's just my opinion.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Shoplifters (2018):  I end the week with this Japanese film which was written and directed by Hirokazu Koreeda.  This centers around a family that resorts to shoplifting to make ends meet.  Lily Franky and Sakuro Ando star as married couple Osamu and Nobuyo who see over a non-biological family.  They resort to shoplifting to make ends meet and survive.  They find a little girl named Yuri, played by Miyu Sasaki, who is alone and they take in at least for the night.  When about to return her to her home, they find evidence of abuse and keep her.  Kirin Kiki, Maya Matsuoka, Jyo Kairi, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a good portrait of a family that appears to have come together out of survival.  It is rather sad at times but also moving on how much they care for one another despite their questionable choices.  This is available to watch on Hulu.

Well, that is it for this week, continue on for my segment "Movie Time in the Town of Pottersville" where I continue to pay homage to Jerry Stiller.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Rosario Dawson, Samuel L. Jackson, Zooey Deschanel, Alfred Hitchcock, Charles Bronson, and many others.

MOVIE TIME IN THE TOWN OF POTTERSVILLE

Hairspray (1988):  Knowing that I would be watching this really soon, I hit up Stephanie to see if she had the dvd.  I was under the impression she did but I was wrong and responded with "I wish I did".  When I received this on dvd and we were out and about I asked if she'd be interested in watching it so I went home to get it.  John Waters wrote and directed this comedy.  A young Ricki Lake stars as the pleasantly plump Tracy Turnblad who wants to be a regular on the Corny Collins Dance Show which I suppose is the equivalent of AMERICAN BANDSTAND.  She finds it tough at first with her size but makes her way into the show and then looks to become an advocate for integration to allow the black race to be on the show.  Divine co-stars as Tracy's supportive mother Edna and Stiller co-stars as Tracy's father Wilbur.  Sonny Bono, Debbie Harry, Colleen Fitzpatrick, Michael St. Gerard, Mink Stole, Shawn Thompson, Ric Ocasek, Pia Zadora, and many others co-star in this comedy.  This would give way to the popular musical we know today.  This one is a bit darker so I know a few who have cited dislike towards this version but credit must be given where due.  In the end, this is about fighting for what you believe in and that is what Tracy Turnblad exemplifies.  This was an enjoyable watch and her seven year old son walked in from time to time and was curious about the filmmaking process so we gave him a bit of an education on things like editing a movie and a little bit of a process on being in a movie.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 751st Edition

Welcome to the 751st Edition of my series.  As I bring this to you all from the Fortress of Solitude, I just want to wish a Happy Mother's Day however celebrated.  I hope we are all staying safe out there and just continuing to think rationally.  That is about all I have for now so I'll just get on with my selections for the week.

Mifune:  The Last Samurai (2015):  I decided to do a part four on this Toshiro Mifune series I have been doing by featuring a documentary about him and was directed by Steven Okazaki and narrated by Keanu Reeves.  This centers around the legendary Japanese actor which start from his beginnings to his days in the military and how he got into film.  It also talks a lot about the working relationship between himself and director Akira Kurasowa where they worked together a lot including likely the most known being SEVEN SAMURAI.  Filmmakers Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese give their thoughts on the man that would influence their careers in many ways.  This also includes interviews from those still alive that worked with him and his family.  I also learned that he was apparently considered heavily for Obi-Wan Kenobi in STAR WARS but was advised against it by his American agent which I think could have been awesome.  This is a very insightful documentary to look at the ups and downs of the legend.  This is available on the Criterion Channel.

Cashback (2006):  Sean Ellis wrote and directed what I guess is a romantic comedy but is not that simple.  Sean Biggerstaff stars as Ben Willis who is an art student and is going through a going through a painful breakup where he develops insomnia.  He decides to take a job on the night shift at a local supermarket where he learns he can freeze time which helps in his art.  Emilia Fox co-stars as Ben's co-worker Sharon who he starts to develop a crush upon.  Michelle Ryan, Jay Bowen, Shaun Evans, Stuart Goodwin, Michael Dixon, and many others co-star in this film.  There are parts of this movie that seem wrong on so many levels but Ben's narration and likability make it not so wrong.  In fact, it is really a beautiful movie on love and loss.  I have to say that I relate a lot to the character of Sharon and they way she avoids looking at clocks while at work which is something I have always been known for with those that have sat around me in the building I work.  It helped when the soundtrack included my Frankie Goes to Hollywood's son THE POWER OF LOVE which I believe is better than their biggest hit RELAX and glad to see it featured in film.  This relatively unknown cast manages to really make this movie work.

The Red Violin (1998):  Francois Girard directed and co-wrote this film that takes place in different eras.  We start out in present day Montreal where the star of the movie, which is literally the red violin, is being auctioned off and then we see flashbacks starting in 17th Century Italy of its origins and where it would end up through the years in various countries.  Jean-Luc Bideau, Wolfgang Bock, Johannes Silberschneider, Jason Flemyng, Greta Scacchi, David Gant, Sai-Kit Yung, Sylvia Chang, Hong Tao, Samuel L. Jackson, Xiaoshuai Wang, Colm Feore, Monique Mercure, Don McKellar, Julian Richings, Russell Yuen, Sandra Oh, Paula de Vasconcelos, and many others co-star in the ensemble drama.  It is really hard to describe this movie more than I have as it does have multiple stories that involve the title character for a lack of a better word.  This requires a lot of attention but was really worth a look.  This is available to watch on the TUBI app.

Mammals (1962):  This is my short film for the week which was directed by Roman Polanski.  This is a variation on the story WAITING FOR GADOT which feature a couple friends trying to survive in the ice and snow and have a few disagreements.  This was Polanski's attempt at a silent film and would be the last of his short films before he would work on his feature KNIFE IN THE WATER.  This is entertaining for what it is and was the start of a great career for Polanski.  This is available on the Criterion Channel.

Secrets (1933):  Frank Borzage directed this film based on a play by Rudolph Besier and May Edginson.  Mary Pickford stars as Mary Marlowe who comes from a wealthy family and is being forced into marrying a man she does not love.  The man she falls in love with is John Carlton, played by Leslie Howard, a clerk at the bank that her father runs.  When learning of this John gets fired and sets out to make a new life in California where Mary decides to run away from home and join him.  They get married and try to make it on a ranch while having a family.  This takes a look at 20 years of ups and downs of their married life.  C. Aubrey Smith, Blanche Friderici, Doris Lloyd, Herbert Evans, Ned Sparks, and many others co-star in this film.  This does not start out as a western but becomes one as they move to a cattle ranch and take on people stealing from them.  This is Mary Pickford's last movie and goes out very well working well with Leslie Howard who I feel is rather underrated by today's standards.  This is also available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Another Man's Poison (1951):  I follow up with this film noir which was directed by Irving Rapper and based on a play by Leslie Sands.  Bette Davis stars as mystery writer Janet Preston who gets caught up in a web of murderous deception.  Gary Merrill co-stars as George Bates who claims to be a partner in crime of Janet's husband and ends up posing as her husband much to her dismay starting quite the cat and mouse game to get him out.  Emlyn Williams, Anthony Steel, Barbara Murray, Reginald Beckwith, and many others co-star in this film.  Bette is as mean as ever in this film as she seems to have met her match.  Lots of twists and turns in this rather clever and compelling film.  This is available on Amazon Prime.

Hale County This Morning, This Evening (2018):  This is my second documentary for the week which was directed by RaMell Ross.  This takes a look at a black community in Hale Country, Alabama at their struggles and dreams.  This is not a real linear sort of documentary and centers a lot around the photography of the area.  I guess in some ways it is like a Terrance Malick movie.  This is beautifully shot and has some great images but is difficult to describe further.  This is also on Amazon Prime.

You Were Never Lovelier (1942):  Now I bring my song and dance selection for the week which was directed by William A. Seiter.  This takes place in Buenos Aires which stars Rita Hayworth as Maria who is the second daughter to the wealthy Eduardo Acuna, played by Adolphe Menjou.  There are four daughters and Eduardo requires his daughters to marry in the order of their age and his older daughter gets married but Maria does not seem to have much desire to marry much to the dismay of the younger two daughters.  Fred Astaire stars as Robert Davis who is an American dancer and is looking for work.  Eduardo allows Robert to work for him if he will play suitor to marry him but then leave her as he does not approve.  Isobel Elsom, Leslie Brooks, Adele Mara, Gus Schilling, and many others co-star in this musical.  I thought Leslie Brookes and Adele Mara were the most entertaining part of this movie as the younger daughters.  This may be a bit dated as far as marriage tradition but is a pretty entertaining romantic comedy.  Astaire has said that Hayworth was his favorite dance partner and they make a great dance team in this film.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Griffin and Phoenix (1976):  Last week, I featured the 2006 remake to this tv movie so I thought I'd bring the original this week.  Daryl Duke directed this tv movie which stars Peter Falk as Geoffrey Griffin who is given a terminal diagnosis that he has no more than a couple years to live.  He decides to attend a university class on the psychology of dying where he meets Sarah Phoenix, played by Jill Clayburgh, and slowly form a relationship no knowing that he has her on terminal illness.  Dorothy Tristan, Ben Hammer, George Chandler, Milton Parsons, John Harkins, Sally Kirkland, and many others co-star in this tv movie.  This is a pretty good love story on making the most out the last days of life.  This is a story that is both sad and beautiful with good performances out of the leads.  The only way I could find to watch this was on Youtube and was worth a look.

...First Do No Harm (1997):  I end the week with another tv movie which was directed by Jim Abrahams.  Meryl Streep stars as Lori Reimuller whose son Robbie, played by Seth Adkins, is diagnosed with epilepsy after having seizures.  The hospital prescribes some medicine but they do not seem to be getting any better so Lori does her own research and learns of a diet that could help but is met with resistance among those at the hospital.  Fred Ward, Margo Martindale, Allison Janney, Leo Burmeister, Sean McCann, Tom Butler, and many others co-star in this tv movie.  Abrahams is known for his comedy direction like last week's feature AIRPLANE but this was a more personal project for him with his own son having epilepsy and was helped by the Ketogenic diet that was emphasized in this movie.  This is also based on a true story.  This is not easy to watch at times to see a child suffer so much but is also very inspiration in the determination of Lori to get her son the help he needs.

Well, that is it for this week but continue on for my segment "Movie Time in the Town of Pottersville".  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Melissa Leo, Natalie Portman, Harold Lloyd, Judi Dench, and many others.

MOVIE TIME IN THE TOWN OF POTTERSVILLE

Doctor Sleep (2019):  I went and hung out with Stephanie at her house this week when she invited me over to watch this one.  I had not seen it yet so I went on over their to hang with my friend who is a big fan of Stephen King who novel this is based upon.  Mike Flanagan directed this film based on the King novel and is a sequel to Stephen King's THE SHINING.  Ewan McGregor stars as a grown Dan Torrance who must protect a young girl with similar powers to his own named Abra Stone, played by Kyleigh Curran, from a cult known as the True Knot which prey on children with powers to remain immortal.  Rebecca Ferguson, Cliff Curtis, Zahn McClarnon Emily Alyn Lind, Selena Anduze, Robert Longstreet, Catherine Parker, Met Clark, Zackary Momoh, Jocelin Donahue, Carl Lumbly, Henry Thomas, Bruce Greenwood, Sallye Hooks, Alex Essoe, Roger Dale Floyd, Jacob Tremblay, and many others co-star in this horror film.  I have not read the book version and this is more of a sequel to the 1980 version of THE SHINING which was directed by Kubrick and Flanagan did what he could to respect the novel and the 1980 movie from what I understand.  This was a pretty compelling watch that pays some homage to its predecessor while making the movie their own.