Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 762nd Edition

Welcome to the 762nd edition of my series.  I haven't really had a lot happening this week so I'm just not going to say anything and get to what everyone came to see.

Chicago (2002):  This is part seven of my eight-part Renee Zellweger series.  Rob Marshall directed this musical based on the stage production by Bob Fosse and Fred Ebb and the music written by Ebb and John Kander.  Zellweger stars as Roxie Hart and Catherine Zeta-Jones stars as Velma Kelly who are both murderesses in prison competing for fame, publicity, and the attention of attorney Billy Flynn, played by Richard Gere.  Queen Latifah co-stars as Matron Mama Morton and was perfectly cast in the role.  Taye Diggs, John C. Reilly, Dominic West, Jayne Eastwood, Colm Feore, Chita Rivera, Mya, Christine Baranski, Lucy Liu, and many others co-star in this film.  I have always enjoyed this musical that is essentially a dark comedy.  I thought this was Gere's best performance of his career.  Rivera played the role of Velma in the original 1975 production.  I would love to play the role of Amos, played by Reilly, one day on the stage.  Go ahead and check this musical out and all that jazz.

Parkland (2013):  This is part seven of my eight-part Paul Giamatti series where he plays an amateur cameraman named Abraham Zapruder that gets footage of the JFK shooting when just hoping to get footage of our president at that time.  Peter Landesman directed this docudrama which was based on the book by Vincent Bugliosi.  This takes place during the aftermath of the JFK assassination.  This takes a look the investigation of the crime, the shattered Oswald family and even gets the point of view from the secret service at times.  Giamatti, Zac Efron, Marcia Gay Harden, Matt Barr, Billy Bob Thornton, Elizabeth Tulloch, Ron Livingston, Jason Douglas, David Harbour, James Badge Dale, Larry Jack Dotson, Austin Nichols, Jonathan Breck, Eugene Lee, Nico Evers-Swindell, Tom Welling, Mark Duplass, Gil Bellows, Colin Hanks, Gary Grubbs, Jackie Earle Haley, Rory Cochrane, Jacki Weaver, Dana Wheeler-Nicholson, and many others co-star in this docudrama.  This really looks most at the events surrounding the events at this time and does not do a lot in the way of character development which I have noticed is a criticism from some.  I did enjoy Giamatti playing a more serious role than usual as opposed to where he is either humorous and/or very sarcastic.  I also liked the stuff with the Oswald family and yes, I believe Oswald did it.  This is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

Windy City Heat (2003):  Bobcat Goldthwait directed this tv movie from Comedy Central which I guess is a documentary.  This centers around a man named Perry Caravello who is being lead to believe he is the star of a movie directed by Goldthwait but is unaware that it is a hoax.  Lisa Arch, Dane Cook, Carson Daly, Jimmy Kimmel, Adam Carolla, William "The Refrigerator" Perry, Kitana Baker, Tom Hughes, Toby Huss, Sal Iacono, Tom Kenny, Bob Legionaire, Geoff Pierson, Colin Quinn, Roger Rose, Laura Silverman, Tom Stern, Toshi Toda, Wayne Wilderson, and many others co-star in this film.  There were times I laughed and other times I thought "wtf" and still laughed especially with Caravello who was just absolutely convinced he was a big star.  Give this a look if it seems up your alley.

Elmer Elephant (1936):  This is my classic animated short from Disney.  This centers around a birthday party which consists of many animals.  Elmer is being made fun of for his big nose but is able to save the day with it.  I guess Elmer will always be in the shadow of Dumbo and was not in much after this though has a cameo in WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT.  This guy also deserves to be remembered in Disney history and is said to be the precursor to the later hit movie DUMBO.  This is available to watch on Disney Plus.

The Lost Volcano (1950):  Ford Beebe directed this jungle movie for a lack of a better description.  Johnny Sheffield stars as Bomba the Jungle Boy whose friend David, played by Tommy Ivo, is kidnapped by hunters that believe he can lead them to a treasure.  It is Bomba to the rescue.  Donald Woods, Marjorie Lord, John Ridgely, Elena Verdugo, Don C. Harvey, Grandon Rhodes, and many others co-star in this movie.  Sheffield played "Boy" in the Tarzan movies during the the Johnny Weissmuller era of the franchise and would go onto be the featured character in this series for a number of movies which would be the end of his film career.  It is never really inferred that this is the adopted son of Tarzan and Jane though maybe in the earlier movies.  This character spoke in the third person but was more articulate than his adopted father Tarzan, at least in the early days of the character.  I had never heard of these movies until I came across it on Amazon Prime so something of interest in my opinion.

The Great Race (1965):  Blake Edwards directed this comedy where he reunites Billy Wilder's comedy duo of Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon from the 1959 comedy SOME LIKE IT HOT.  In this movie, they are rivals in the early 20th century and agree to take part in a big race.  Curtis stars as professional daredevil The Great Leslie and Lemmon stars as the dastardly mustached villain Professor Fate.  Joining in the battle for the purposes of getting a story is reporter Maggie Dubois, played by Natalie Wood.  In this race, they run into all kinds of obstacles like being stuck on an iceberg and an epic pie fight occurs as well.  Peter Falk, Keenan Wynn, Vivian Vance, Arthur O'Connell, Dorothy Provine, Larry Storch, Ross Martin, George Macready, Marvin Kaplan, Hal Smith, Denver Pyle, William Bryant, and many others co-star in this comedy.  This has a lot of really funny moments with Lemmon great as the villain and Falk very amusing as his henchman.  This could go along with the comedy IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD as a double feature

Knives Out (2019):  Rian Johnson wrote and directed this murder mystery.  Christopher Plummer stars as crime novelist Harlan Thrombey, played by Christopher Plummer, who is found dead on his 85th birthday.  Private detective Benoit Blanc, played by Daniel Craig, is anonymously enlisted to investigate the death which appears to be a murder from someone within the dysfunctional and eccentric family.  Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Chris Evans, Toni Collette, Ana de Armas, Don Johnson, LaKeith Stanford, Katherine Langford, Jaeden Martell, Riki Lindhome, Edi Patterson, Frank Oz, K Callan, Noah Segan, M. Emmet Walsh, Marlene Forte, and many others co-star in this murder mystery.  This takes a lot of turns and is told a lot through flashbacks and just when you think they are getting somewhere, more twists get layered on.  This has a really good modern-day feel to Agatha Christie and this is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

Once Upon a Time in the West (1968):  This is my western for the week which was directed and co-written by Sergio Leone along with Dario Argento and Bernardo Bertolucci so quite a writing trio there.  Charles Bronson stars as a mysterious stranger who plays the harmonica and teams with a desperado named Cheyenne, played by Jason Robards.  They look to protect a beautiful widow named Jill McBain, played by Claudia Cardinale, whose family was murdered by a ruthless assassin named Frank, played by Henry Fonda.  Gabriele Ferzetti, Woody Strode, Frank Wolff, Lionel Stander, and many others co-star in this western.  Ennio Morricone has one of his usual great music scores.  Henry Fonda was always known to play the hero or at least be a gray area in his movies but he takes a turn as an all-out villain in this one.  This is everything one would expect from a spaghetti western and Henry Fonda being a villain was a big thing at the time.  This is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

Where the World Meets (1952):  This is my documentary for the week which was directed by Hannu Leminen.  This was part one of an Olympics film for the XV annual Olympics in Helsinki.  Most of this was footage from the Olympics and the commentary on the track and field events as well as the opening ceremony.  There is a follow-up movie in 1953 called GOLD AND GLORY by the same director.  This and many others Olympic documentaries are available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Mission:  Impossible II (2000):  I end the week with this action sequel based on the hit tv series.  John Woo directed this action film where our favorite Scientologist Tom Cruise reprises his role as IMF agent Ethan Hunt.  Ethan must stop a virus called Chimera in which the creator was murdered and the antidote was stolen by disavowed IMF agent Sean Ambrose, played by Dougray Scott.  Thandie Newton co-stars as Nyah Hall who agrees to go undercover and learn what she can about Ambrose and the virus.  Ving Rhames, Richard Roxburgh, John Polson, Brendan Gleeson, Rade Serbedzija, William Mapother, Dominic Purcell, Anthony Hopkins, and many others co-star in this action sequel.  It was interesting how this movie kind of hits home with the times we are in though that was not intentional on my end to feature this.  This was a little easier to understand than its predecessor.  This has some great photography, interesting characters, and a lot of action and has become quite the franchise in film.

Well, that is it for this week, tell me what you like and dislike.  Stay tuned for next week which so far includes Penelope Cruz, Renee Zellweger, Rachel McAdams, Mary Astor, Michael Caine, Joaquin Phoenix, the late John Saxon, and many others.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 671st Edition

Welcome to the 761st edition of my series.  I hope everyone is staying safe in these unusual times.  I also hope everyone is finding some way to make the most of these unusual times.  Last night, I got to see my best friend do what she does best, besides mothering, and see her at a live music show so those are the ways I'm making the most of these unusual times.  I think I've said enough so I'll just get to my selections.

The White Princess (2017):  I start the week out with this mini-series on Royalty.  Jamie Payne and Alex Kalymnios directed this mini-series which is based on the novel by Philippa Gregory.  This is based on the story of Elizabeth of York, played by Jodie Comer, and Henry VII, played by Jacob Collins-Levy.  This shows all the power plays between each other and the families.  Rebecca Benson, Richard Dillane, Michelle Fairley, Kenneth Cranham, Nicholas Audsley, Essie Davis, Caroline Goodall, Adrian Rawlins, Joanne Whalley, Susie Trayling, and many others co-star in this mini-series.  This was shown on Starz and is eight episodes long with each being around an hour.  It is hard to really describe for me to describe this any further.  I really loved the opening sequence of the episodes.  I will say that as I was watching this, I kind of started thinking of the royal families as being the original mafia in a sense.  This is a sequel to THE WHITE QUEEN which has the same author and was on as a mini-series in 2013 on the BBC network.

Me, Myself, and Irene (2000):  This is part six of my Renee Zellweger series and in doing this, I have created a trilogy for Jim Carrey as well with my Paul Giamatti features I have had in the last couple weeks.  The Farrelly Brothers directed this comedy which stars Carrey as a Rhode Island state trooper named Charlie who has been getting walked on by those around him and soon develops a split personality named Hank.  Zellweger stars as the title character who is put on the run and Charlie is assigned to return her to upstate New York until they find that corrupt cops are after him.  Anthony Anderson, Mongo Brownlee, Jerod Mixon, Chris Cooper, Michael Bowman, Richard Jenkins, Robert Forster, Mike Cerrone, Rob Moran, Daniel Greene, Tony Cox, Zen Gesner, Steve Sweeney, Traylor Howard, Anna Kournikova, Cam Neely, Lin Shaye, Kate Forster, and many others co-star in this film though some you might have to watch the credits to see in the very clever closing credit sequence.  Anderson, Brownlee, and Mixon are very amusing as Charlie's getto speaking but extremely intelligent sons.  I have always found this to be very enjoyable with Carrey being great in his more dual role and I know some that have said they hate Jim Carrey but like this one.

American Splendor (2003):  This is part six of my Paul Giamatti series.  Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini directed this film based on Harvey Pekar's comic book series of the title and his more personal graphic novel OUR CANCER YEAR.  Pekar plays himself in interview segments and is also played by Giamatti.  Pekar is an everyday struggling American in Cleveland working as a file clerk and collecting records.  He meets underground comic artist Robert Crumb, played by James Urbaniak, and gets the idea to do an underground graphic novel on himself which becomes quite successful.  Hope Davis co-stars as his wife Joyce.  Sylvia Kauders, Charles Eduardos, Judah Friedlander, Robert Pulcini, Donal Logue, Molly Shannon, Josh Hutcherson, and many others co-star in this film while Joyce and Harvey's friend Toby Radloff play themselves in interview segments.  I actually got to meet Harvey Pekar once when he came to my town of Muncie to speak at Ball State University and talks about his life in the world of underground comics.  This was a few months before his death.  This was a very clever film combining documentary footage and a feature film.  A really good double feature could include this and the documentary CRUMB which is about Robert Crumb.

Guerille Talks (1978):  This is my short film for the week which was directed by Vivienne Dick.  This has interview footage of eight women which were essentially Dick's test subjects much of which are associated with the punk music scene.  This is various examples of female self-definition which was part of the "no wave" period.  This was an underground filmmaking movement that was mostly on the Lower East Side of New York City.  Maybe before checking this out, look into this particular era of film and Vivienne Dick's background.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

You Can't Take it With You (1938):  Frank Capra directed this comedy that is based on the play by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart.  James Stewart stars as Tony Kirby who is the Vice President of his father's business and falls in love with his employee Alice Sycamore, played by Jean Arthur.  Tony has been used to the work and money with this greedy father Anthony, played by Edward Arnold.  When meeting Alice's family, he finds a rather offbeat and eccentric family who are not really about money and more about enjoying life no matter how unusual.  Lionel Barrymore co-stars as Martin Vanderhof who is the patriarch of the household and refuses to give into Anthony's business demands.  Mischa Auer, Ann Miller, Spring Byington, Samuel S. Hinds, Donald Meek, H.B. Warner, Halliwell Hobbes, Dub Taylor, Mary Forbes, Lillian Yarbo, Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson, Charles Lane, Harry Davenport, Ward Bond, and many others co-star in this film.  As just about everyone knows, I was recently in the play where I got to play the Russian dance instructor Kolenkov.  This version takes most of the play and is rewritten a bit to put the Frank Capra spin on it and to likely to make Stewart into more of the star of the film as opposed to being more of a supporting role in the play.  This still has some great social messages that can resonate with just about any era.

The Foundling (1940):  This is my Russian film for the week which was directed by Tatyana Lukashevich.  Veronika Lebedeva stars in this film as little Natasha who manages to leave the house and go on some adventures around town.  Through her wandering around town, she meets many new friends of both adults and children who take to her personality.  There is not much else to say to describe this movie.  I had heard that this was made to show what Russia was like before the got involved in WWII.  Whatever the statement being made, it is a pretty good family film with some funny moments.  This is available to watch on the Hoopla Digital website.

Give Me Liberty (2019):  Kirill Mikhanovsky directed this independent film.  Chris Galust stars as a medical transport driver named Vic who while very hard-headed, he could not help but risk his job to help a group of rowdy seniors and a Russian boxer get to a funeral.  While trying to do this, he struggles with main roads being closed off for protests and an ALS client named Tracy, played by Lauren 'Lolo' Spencer, who is being brought along for the ride against her wishes.  Darya Ekamasova, Jehonathan Guzman, and many others co-star in this film.  This cast is a group of non-professional actors, more like non-actors, to be in this movie which brought a lot to all these characters.  This is the third selection in a row where there is some sort of Russian element at play.  This can be tough to watch at times with the struggles of some of these characters but it is also pretty comical at times.

Club Paradise (1945):  Christy Cabanne directed this movie which is based on the story PARTY GIRL by John Faxon.  Doris Merrick stars as the Julie who tires of her domineering father and decides to get out of the house.  She falls for a man Danny, played by Robert Lowery, who is playing off her being very naive leading her down a bad path.  Constance Worth, Isabel Jewell, Wanda McKay, Nestor Paiva, Byron Foulger, Lyle Talbot, and many others co-star in this B-movie picture.  This is a pretty decent and suspenseful film that was really worth about an hour watch.  Many seem to like to pair with Film Noir classic DETOUR which came out the same year.  This is also known as SENSATION HUNTERS.  This is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

Les Miserables (1978):  Glenn Jordan directed this adaptation to the classic novel by Victor Hugo.  Richard Jordan takes the helm of Jean Valjean who resorts to theft when stealing bread for his impoverished family and is sentenced to very hard labor in prison which lasts 19 years.  When finally getting out, he struggles to find work until meeting a very noble priest who give Valjean what he needs to start a new life.  As he tries to lead a decent life, he can never escape the ruthless cop Javert, played by Anthony Perkins, whose view of the law is a very extreme black and white way.  Cyril Cusack, Claude Dauphin, John Gielgud, Ian Holm, Celia Johnson, Joyce Redman, Flora Robson, Christopher Guard, Caroline Langrishe, Angela Pleasance, and many others co-star in this tv movie.  I thought this was a very well-done version of the classic novel.  Many really only know Perkins as Norman Bates in PSYCHO but he really was a lot more than that character and shows his range here as Javert.  This is available to watch on Amazon Prime though it does appear to be edited.  The movie is supposed to be two and a half hours and the version on Prime is a little over two hours.  Through the versions I have seen including the musical, I couldn't really think of what could have been cut.  If I was to ever be in the musical, I'd likely go for Javert.

Being John Malkovich (1999):  I end the week with one of my absolute favorite movies.  Spike Jonze directed this film which was written by Charlie Kaufman.  John Cusack stars as struggling puppeteer Craig Schwartz who must take a job as a file clerk.  When there, he discovers a portal where he can go inside the mind of John Malkovich, played by himself, and then get dumped on the New Jersey turnpike.  Cameron Diaz co-stars as his animal lover wife and Catherine Keener co-stars as Craig's co-worker Maxine who both have different interests after learning of Craig's discovery.  Ned Bellamy, Octavia Spencer, Mary Kay Place, Orson Bean, Willie Garson, W. Earl Brown, Charlie Sheen, and many others co-star.  I have no idea what was going through Kaufman's mind to come up with a plot where people find a portal to the brain of John Malkovich but I sure am grateful he came up with it.  This was very bizarre to say the least and while comedic, it was very dark, especially the character of Craig Schwartz who takes puppeteering to a new level.  I have always been very enthralled by this movie and seem to pick up on different things on each watch like what I never really caught in the ending that I saw this time.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Renee Zellweger, Billy Bob Thornton, Jack Lemmon, Jamie Lee Curtis, and many others.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 760th Edition

Welcome to the 760th Edition of my series.  After performances of YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU last Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday I'm back to normal life for now.  I'm grateful I got to perform in these times and is one of my favorite shows I have done.  I don't know what is going on with my work as of now so I will need to take a break for now but I'm sure I'll be back.  Nothing else happening right now so I'll just get on with my selections for the week.

Man on the Moon (1999):  I start the week out with part five of my Paul Giamatti series which is my first time really noticing him.  Milos Forman directed this biopic on Andy Kaufman, played by Jim Carrey.  This takes a look at the career of comedian Andy Kaufman when he was on TAXI as well as his times as the self-named Intergender Wrestling Champion of the world that would start his legendary feud with wrestler Jerry Lawler, played by himself.  Giamatti co-stars as his co-writer Bob Zmuda who also had a cameo himself.  Courtney Love stars as Kaufman's girlfriend Lynne Margulies and Danny Devito co-stars as Kaufman's agent George Shapiro.  Vincent Schiavelli, Peter Bonerz, Reiko Aylesworth, Michael Villani, Caroline Rhea, Tracey Walter, David Koechner, Gerry Becker, Bobby Borielloe, Pamela Abdy, Patton Oswalt, Jim Ross, Mando Guerrero, Stacy Carter, Norm McDonald, Lorne Michaels, Brittany Colonna, Lance Russell, and many others co-star or have cameos in this film and many people in Andy's life play themselves.  Colonna is the real-life granddaughter of Kaufman and plays her aunt Carol as a child.  R.E.M. did the music score and the hit title song.  This is a really good look at someone who we refer to as a comedian but a comedian who was not concerned about laughs or getting liked.  Kaufman's goal was to get a reaction even if it was hatred and when I see this type of performer, I associate them with Andy Kaufman.  I put Marilyn Manson into that category.  I decided to follow this up by watching the 2016 Netflix documentary JIM AND ANDY:  THE GREAT BEYOND.  This was a behind the scenes showing of Jim Carrey getting into character and mostly was either Andy Kaufman or Kaufman's alter-ego Tony Clifton on the set.  This documentary also talks about the way Jim Carrey would try to entice Lawler behind the scenes.  Both of these were really good and great for a double feature.

Tombstone (1993):  George P. Cosmatos directed this western biopic on the iconic lawman Wyatt Earp, played by Kurt Russell.  Wyatt decides to move to Tombstone, Arizona in hopes of retiring from the law and going into business.  He is joined by his brothers Virgil, played by Sam Elliott, and Morgan, played by Bill Paxton, as well as his friend the controversial Doc Holliday, played by perfection by Val Kilmer.  A group called the Cowboys were wreaking havoc on the town which slowly brings Wyatt and his brothers to come out of retirement leading into the iconic gunfight at the O.K. Corral.  Powers Boothe, Michael Biehn, Jon Tenney, Stephen Lang, Dana Delany, Thomas Haden Church, Michael Rooker, Harry Carey Jr., Billy Bob Thornton, Tomas Arena, Paul Ben-Victor, John Philbin, Robert John Burke, Billy Zane, Charlton Heston, John Corbett, Peter Sherayko, Buck Taylor, Terry O'Quinn, Frank Stallone, Pedro Armendariz Jr., Christopher Mitchum, Wyatt Earp, and many others co-star in this film.  The actor Earp is the real-life cousin of the Earp family.  Robert Mitchum does the narration in this film.  This is a western that has really become a cult classic through the years.  I did feel this movie captured Wyatt Earp's dark side better than the older presentations through the years, most notably in what they call the "Earp Vendetta Ride".  I also felt this took a closer look at some of the minor people from this era.  I decided to follow up this with a couple documentaries that included PBS documentary AMERICAN EXPERIENCE:  WYATT EARP and the documentary IN SEARCH OF DOC HOLLIDAY which was both available on Amazon Prime.  This is a great western that is available on imdb tv with commercials and is complemented well with the documentaries named.

Hamilton (2020):  I continue by biographical selections with this look at founding father Alexander Hamilton.  Thomas Kail directed this stage performance of the popular musical which was written by Lin-Manuel Miranda who also stars as Alexander Hamilton and is inspired by the novel by Ron Chernow.  This takes a look at the ups and downs of Hamilton in his days in the military and his political career.  Leslie Odom Jr. also stars as Aaron Burr and is essentially the narrator in the musical.  Daveed Diggs, Renee Elise Goldsberry, Jonathan Groff, Chris Jackson, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Okieriette Onaodowan, Anthony Ramos, Phillippa Soo, Sydney James Harcourt, Thayne Jasperson, Jon Rua, Ephraim Sykes, and many others co-star in this 2016 stage presentation that is the original cast.  This recently got picked up by the Disney Plus network.  This is known to have some very unusual casting where race was not a concern with the cast and much of the music has a rap/hip-hop feel.  I have never got to see this show live but I have listened to the soundtrack many times when I'm working and have always enjoyed the soundtrack.  I have also karaoked a couple of these songs.  This is not for everyone, I know some do not like the rap element of the show.  A good double feature could be this and the musical 1776.  While I enjoy 1776, it is more of a dramatization while this tries to have more historical fact.  This is available to watch on Disney Plus.

It's Not Just You, Murray! (1964):  This is my short film for the week and I decided to delve some more into the early work of Martin Scorsese.  Ira Rubin stars as Murray who is reflecting back on his life as a mobster.  He expresses gratitude to his friend Joe but oblivious that Joe is not much of a friend.  Martin's mother Catherine Scorsese also has a role in this short film.  This is pretty funny and I guess the start of Scorsese's mafia films that he would be very known for later in his career.  This and many of his other early short films are available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Don Q, Son of Zorro (1925):  Donald Crisp directed this sequel to the 1920 film THE MARK OF ZORRO and is based on the novel by Kate and Hesketh Prichard.  Douglas Fairbanks has a duel role where he reprises his role of Don Diego and plays his son Cesar.  Cesar is framed for murder so he fakes his death and takes on the persona of Don Q to solve the murder and gets some help from Zorro.  Donald Crisp, Mary Astor, Jean Hersholt, Warner Oland, Albert MacQuarrie, Lottie Pickford, Charles Stevens, and many others co-star in this silent film.  This and its predecessor are both available to watch on Amazon Prime and are some very action packed movies for their time.

The Mugger (1958):  William Berke directed this film based on a novel by Ed McBain.  A town is subject to many cases where women are being attacked, having their purses stolen and getting a cut on their left cheek.  Kent Smith stars as Dr. Pete Graham who is investigating these crimes and the mind of the mysterious mugger.  Nan Martin, James Franciscus, Stefan Schnabel, Dick O'Neill, Leonard Stone, John Alexander, Arthur Storch, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a pretty decent low-budget mystery with a good amount of suspense.  This is also available to watch on Amazon Prime and is worth a look.

One True Thing (1998):  This is part five of my Renee Zellweger series.  Carl Franklin directed this film that is based on the novel by Anna Quindlen.  Zellweger stars as Ellen Gulden who is forming a successful career and seems to have about everything going in her life.  When she learns her mother Kate, played by Meryl Streep, has cancer, she puts everything aside to move back to her home and care for her mother.  When there, she learns some family secrets involving her father George, played by William Hurt.  Tom Everett Scott, Lauren Graham, Nicky Katt, James Eckhouse, Patrick Breen, Gerrit Graham, Lizbeth Mackay, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a pretty good look at a rather dysfunctional family trying to keep it together and the sacrifices that have to be made.  This is a semi-biographical story by the author.

Miss Annie Rooney (1942):  Edwin L. Marin directed this movie which stars a teenage Shirley Temple.  Temple stars as poor girl Annie Rooney who is being raised by her father and grandfather, played by William Gargan and Guy Kibbee.  She meets an upper-class boy in Marty, played by Dickie Moore, who she really likes.  Her father is also always looking for a get rich quick scheme which all play in together.  Peggy Ryan, Gloria Holden, Jonathan Hale, Mary Field, George Lloyd, Selmer Jackson, June Lockhart, and many others co-star.  Temple still had the Shirley Temple personality in her as an early teen and I learned in this movie she got her first on-screen kiss.  This was a transitional period in her life when she left Fox and was the start to her teen career as she would leave acting not long after for the most part.  I always hoped that Quentin Tarantino and her would get together for some comeback role but that never happened.  This is of worth to see Shirley as a teen and is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (1970):  This was kind of an audible when I learned that composer Ennio Morricone died and came across this movie when trying to find one he scored and fits into what I have done so far.  Elio Petri directed and co-wrote this Italian film.  Gian Maria Volonte stars in this film as a police detective who kills his mistress, played by Florinda Bokan, and is trying to leave clues to prove himself but the title says it all.  Orazio Orlando, Arturo Dominici, Mossimo Foschi, Vittorio Duse, and many others co-star in this film.  It is hard to describe this movie from what I already have described except very unusual.  Volante was perfect for this role and kept my attention up until the interesting ending.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Albert Nobbs (2011):  Rodrigo Garcia directed this film which is based on the 1927 novella by George Moore.  Glenn Close stars as the title character who is a woman in 19th century Dublin but posing as a man, not due to gender identity issues but to get a job as a butler in a world where it is hard for women to get good paying jobs.  Mia Wasikowska, Janet McTeer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Antonia Campbell-Hughes, Pauline Collins, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Mark Williams, James Greene, Serena Brabazon, Michael McElhatton, Phyllida Law, Brendan Gleeson, Kenneth Collard, Judy Donovan, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Phoebe Waller- Bridge, Emerald Fennell, John Light, Brenda Fricker, and many others co-star in this film.  I feel it best to not describe this any further.  Close reprised this role from an Off-Broadway play in 1982 called THE SINGULAR LIFE OF ALBERT NOBBS.  Close does a great job in this role and Janet McTeer also has a very good performance as well as the rest of the cast.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Renee Zellweger, Paul Giamatti, James Stewart, and many others.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 759th Edition

Welcome to the 759th Edition of my series.  I hope everyone had a good and safe Fourth of July and I just hope everyone is staying safe.  This week are the performances of YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU at the Elwood Opera House.  They are on the 7th, 8th, and 9th which is Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday at 7pm and tickets are $8 a person.  We will be limited to a crowd of 100 and will be social distancing with seating.  This is at the Attic Theater and can get tickets at https://theattictheatre.com/youcanttakeitwithyou/ .

The Truman Show (1998):  This is part four of my Paul Giamatti series and another earlier role for him.  Peter Weir directed this satire on reality television that came out before its big rise.  Jim Carrey stars as Truman Burbank who is an insurance salesman and seems to have the perfect life with his wife Meryl, played by Laura Linney.  What he does not know is that his whole life is a 24/7 reality tv series and everyone around him are actors in the show.  Truman starts to get suspicious of things going on and slowly discovers this secret but that it will not be easy to get out of the world.  Ed Harris co-stars as Christof who is a God-like figure that sees over the elaborate television series.  Noah Emmerich, Natascha McElhone, Holland Taylor, Brian Delate, Blair Slater, Peter Krause, Harry Shearer, Philip Baker Hall, Philip Glass, O-Lan Jones, and many others co-star in this sci-fi film.  Carrey was perfectly cast in the title character and gets to show more of a dramatic side while still being funny.  It was also a very cleverly done sci-fi film and as mentioned this came out in a time where reality tv was far more limited than it is today.

Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench (2009):  Damien Chazelle wrote and directed this black and white musical which is also his feature directorial debut.  This is a love story between Jazz trumpeter Guy, played by Jason Palmer, and the more shy Madeline, played by Desiree Garcia.  While the couple drifts apart, twists and turns in their lives make it seem they were made to be together.  Sandha Khin, Karen Adelman, Anna Chazelle, and many others co-star in this musical.  This movie does not live on in greatness but was a start of things to come with Chazelle and composer Justin Hurwitz, especially with their hit LA LA LAND.  A good triple feature would be to start this one and then watch WHIPLASH and LA LA LAND after to see how far Chazelle and Hurwitz have come in their career.

The Place Beyond the Pines (2012):  Derek Cianfrance directed and co-wrote this film.  Ryan Gosling stars as Luke who is a motorcycle stunt rider and quits that profession after learning he has a child to support the family.  He has trouble finding work to help his child and turns to bank robbery.  Bradley Cooper also stars as Avery who is a rookie cop trying to fight corruption within the department.  An encounter between the two changes their lives forever and everyone else around them including the next generation.  Eva Mendes, Ray Liotta, Mahershala Ali, Ben Mendelsohn, Olga Merediz, Rose Byrne, Brian Smyj, Harris Yulin, Bruce Greenwood, Gabe Fazio, Robert Clohessy, Emory Cohen, Dane Dehaan, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a really good film showing how our choices effect others as well as the effects on leaving people in the dark.  To explain that statement only means I will give away this very complex film.

Trailer Horn (1950):  This is my animated Disney short for the week that feature Donald Duck, voiced by Clarence Nash.  Donald is trying to have a peaceful time in the forest but is disrupted by chipmunks Chip and Dale, voiced by James MacDonald and Dessie Flynn, who drive Donald nuts with their antics.  This is only about six minutes long but is a very entertaining Disney short and is available to watch on Disney Plus.

You Only Live Once (1937):  Fritz Lang directed this classic crime drama.  Sylvia Sidney stars as public defender Joan Graham who is in love criminal Eddie Taylor, played by Henry Fonda.  She uses her influence to get Taylor out of prison to start their life together and he is determined to go straight.  He finds that is very difficult to do and things happen making them go on the lam.  Barton MacLane, Jean Dixon, William Gargan, Jerome Cowan, Chic Sale, Margaret Hamilton, Warren Hymer, Guinn Williams, John Wray, and many others co-star in this film.  This remains relevant today and shows a lot of gray areas in the legal system.  Fonda and Sidney work so well together in what could be considered a love story.  This is available on Amazon Prime.

Grand Prix (1966):  John Frankenheimer directed what I guess you could call a sports epic.  This centers around the Formula One racing league in Monaco leading up into the Grand Prix.  This is one of those movies that center around something with a few subplots around it.  The main one is through James Garner who plays American racer Pete Aron and his struggles.  Eva Marie Saint, Yves Montand, Toshiro Mifune, Brian Bedford, Jessica Walter, Antonio Sabato, Francoise Hardy, Adolfo Celi, Claude Dauphin, Enzo Fiermonte, Genevieve Page, Jack Watson, Donald O'Brien, and many others co-star in this racing film.  This has a very diverse cast from the world.  This movie shows some great racing footage and does nothing to hold back the dangers even for racing standards.  The stories around it are all pretty good as well and is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

El Camino:  A Breaking Bad Movie (2019):  Vince Gilligan wrote and directed this tv movie and as the title implies, it is based on the hit tv series BREAKING BAD that was created by Gilligan.  Aaron Paul reprises his role as Jesse Pinkman who has escaped from torture and slavery and is now on the run from the police and his captors while trying to make right with his life.  Jonathan Banks, Matt Jones, Charles Baker, Todd Terry, Julie Pearl, Larry Hankin, Jesse Plemons, Tom Bower, Gloria Sandoval, Tess Harper, Michael Bofshever, Scott MacArthur, Marla Gibbs, Robert Forster, Brendan Sexton III, Kevin Rankin, Bryan Cranson, Krysten Ritter, and many others co-star or have cameos in this tv movie.  Some scenes are through flashback.  The tv series was for five seasons and ended in the year 2015.  I admit, I did not watch it until we were told by our Indiana governor to stay at home.  As soon as I started, I was absolutely hooked.  I do believe that it is best to have watched the series first.  The prequel spinoff BETTER CALL SAUL is not needed for this movie though still a good series.  This movie is more of a closure story for Jesse and was pretty well done.  This is available to watch on Netflix as well as BREAKING BAD and BETTER CALL SAUL.

Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942):  This is my song and dance musical for the week.  Michael Curtiz directed this biopic on George M. Cohan, played to perfection by James Cagney, who took on many hats in the theater as a composer, playwright, actor, dancer, and singer with much of his work living on today.  This starts out with Cohan in childhood and part of the Vaudeville act with his parents and sister and then as he goes off on his own.  Joan Leslie, Walter Huston, Richard Whorf, Irene Manning, George Tobias, Rosemary DeCamp, Jeanne Cagney, Frances Langford, George Barbier, S.Z. Sakall, Douglas Craft, Eddie Foy Jr., and many others co-star in this film.  Cagney had been known for his gangster films so this was very big at the time.  The real-life Cohen served as an adviser despite failing health and lived to enough to see the movie in which he really liked Cagney's portrayal.  There is a lot of patriotism in this movie so it is the perfect time to watch this though it is always good to watch.

The Man in the Iron Mask (1977):  Mike Newell directed this adaptation of the classic Alexandre Dumas novel.  Richard Chaimberlain stars in the dual role of the tyrannical King Louis XIV and his secretly imprisoned twin brother Phillipe who should be the rightful king.  Louis Jordan co-stars as D'Artagnan who does not like the ways of the king and hatches a plot, along with the aging musketeers, to rescue Phillipe and for them to trade places.  Patrick McGoohan, Jenny Agutter, Ian Holm, Ralph Richardson, Vivien Merchant, Brenda Bruce, Edmond Knight, Godfrey Quigley, and many others co-star in this tv movie.  I thought this was a pretty good adaptation with Chaimberlain very good in his absolute dual role and Jordan was very good as D'Artagnan.  I have never read the book and the other versions have different variations.  This one really did not emphasize the musketeers much like the others do so that was the only critique I really have.  Other than that, this was was entertaining and is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

Cold Mountain (2003):  I end the week with part four of my Renee Zellweger series where she co-stars in this Civil War film.  Anthony Minghella directed this film which is based on the novel by Charles Frazier.  This takes place in the later part of the Civil War where Jude Law stars as Inman who is a wounded soldier trying to get home to his love Ada, played by Nicole Kidman.  This also emphasizes Ada and her trying to survive in such dangerous times and eventually getting help from Ruby, played by Zellweger.  Eileen Atkins, Brendan Gleeson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Natalie Portman, Giovanni Ribisi, Donald Sutherland, Ray Winstone, Kathy Baker, James Gammon, Charlie Hunnam, Jack White, Ethan Suplee, Jena Malone, Melora Walters, Lucas Black, Taryn Manning, Tom Aldredge, James Rebhorn, Emily Deschanel, Cillian Murphy, and many others co-star in this Civil War epic.  This is a very complex film that cannot really be explained through what I described because it is so much more.  This shows the horrors of war for those fighting and those just trying to maintain their home but it also conveys hope and redemption.  This is available to watch on Hoopla Digital.

Well, that is it for this week but continue on as I brought back my "Fun and Useless Facts" segment.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Paul Giamatti, and many others.

FUN AND USELESS FACTS

I decided to bring back this segment.  As always I focus on actors from different movies in my selections and not so much actors that are in the same movie.

Jim Carrey (The Truman Show) and Renee Zellweger (Cold Mountain) were in the 2000 comedy ME, MYSELF, AND IRENE.

Anna Chazelle (Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench) and Ryan Gosling (Cold Mountain) were in the 2016 musical LA LA LAND which was directed by Damien Chazelle (Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench director.

Holland Taylor (The Truman Show) and Nicole Kidman (Cold Mountain) were in the 1995 movie TO DIE FOR.

Bradley Cooper (A Place Beyond the Pines) and Renee Zellweger (Cold Mountain) were in the 2009 horror movie CASE 39.

Ed Harris (The Truman Show) and Renee Zellweger (Cold Mountain) were in the 2008 film THE APPALOOSA.

Rose Byrne (A Place Beyond the Pines) and Natalie Portman (Cold Mountain) were in the 2002 Sci-Fi film STAR WARS:  EPISODE II- ATTACK OF THE CLONES.

Ed Harris (The Truman Show) and Nicole Kidman (Cold Mountain) were in the 2002 film THE HOURS, and 2013 film THE HUMAN STAIN.

Bruce Greenwood (A Place Beyond the Pines) and Philip Seymour Hoffman (Cold Mountain) were in the 2005 film CAPOTE.

Ed Harris (The Truman Show) and Kathy Baker (Cold Mountain) were in the 1989 film JACKNIFE.

Sylvia Sidney (You Only Live Once) and Natalie Portman (Cold Mountain) were in the the 1996 sci-fi comedy MARS ATTACKS.

Paul Giamatti (The Truman Show) and Renee Zellweger (Cold Mountain) were in the 2005 film CINDERELLA MAN.

Henry Fonda (You Only Live Once) plays our former president and vampire hunter Abraham Lincoln in the 1939 film THE YOUNG LINCOLN.  Walter Huston (Yankee Doodle Dandy) plays Lincoln in the 1930 film ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

Paul Giamatti (The Truman Show), Ryan Gosling (A Place Beyond the Pines) and Philip Seymour Hoffman (Cold Mountain) were in the 2011 film THE IDES OF MARCH.

Barton MacLane (You Only Live Once) and Walter Huston (Yankee Doodle Dandy) are in the 1948 film THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE.

Paul Giamatti (The Truman Show) and Dane DeHaan (A Place Beyond the Pines) were in the 2014 movie THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2.

Adolfo Celi (Grand Prix) plays Bond villain Largo in the 1965 Bond film THUNDERBALL.  Louis Jordan (The Man in the Iron Mask) plays bond villain Kamal Khan in the 1983 Bond film OCTOPUSSY.

Jim Carrey (The Truman Show) and Bradley Cooper (A Place Beyond the Pines) were in the 2008 comedy YES MAN.

Jesse Plemons (El Camino) and Philip Seymour Hoffman (Cold Mountain) were in the 2012 film THE MASTER.

Laura Linney (The Truman Show) and Robert Clohessy (A Place Beyond the Pines) were in the 2016 movie TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES:  OUT OF THE SHADOWS.

Scott Shepherd (El Camino) and Jude Law (Cold Mountain) were in the 2013 film SIDE EFFECTS.

Ed Harris (The Truman Show) and Bruce Greenwood (A Place Beyond the Pines) were in the 2007 movie NATIONAL TREASURE:  BOOK OF SECRETS.

Brian Bedford (Grand Prix) and Tom Bower (El Camino) were in the 1995 film NIXON.

Paul Giamatti (The Truman Show) and Bradley Cooper (A Place Beyond the Pines) were in the 2011 comedy THE HANGOVER PART II

Harris Yulin (A Place Beyond the Pines) plays Wyatt Earp in the 1971 movie 'DOC'.  Henry Fonda (You Only Live Once) plays Wyatt Earp in the 1946 western MY DARLING CLEMENTINE.  James Garner (Grand Prix) plays Wyatt Earp in the 1967 movie HOUR OF THE GUN 1988 movie SUNSET.

Philip Baker Hall (The Truman Show) and Philip Seymour Hoffman (Cold Mountain) were in the 1997 film BOOGIE NIGHTS.  They were also in the 1999 film THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY which includes COLD MOUNTAIN co-star Jude Law.

Ryan Gosling (A Place Beyond the Pines) and James Garner (Grand Prix) were in the 2004 film THE NOTEBOOK.

Philip Baker Hall (The Truman Show), Jude Law (Cold Mountain), and Philip  were in the 1999 film THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY

Mahershala Ali (A Place Beyond the Pines), Donald Sutherland (Cold Mountain), and Jena Malone (Cold Mountain) were in the HUNGER GAMES FRANCHISE.

Jim Carrey (The Truman Show), Philip Baker Hall (The Truman Show), and Olga Merediz (A Place Beyond the Pines) were in the 2011 movie MR. POPPER'S PENGUINS.