Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 767th Edition

Welcome to the 767th edition of my series.  Tomorrow, I start training for a new placement in my work.  Unfortunately, the company I have worked for over five years with is doing away with Concentrix.  I do not know what the future holds after my eight weeks of training but I will just make the most of it while I'm there.  I hope everyone is staying safe and I will just get to my selections for the week.

The Immigrant (2013):  This is part five of my five-part Joaquin Phoenix series.  James Gray directed this film that takes place in 1920s New York.  Marion Cotillard stars as immigrant Ewa Cybulska who along with her sister Magda, played by Angela Sarafyan, are immigrating from Poland to the United States.  Magda is found to be ill and is quarantined while Ewa is about to be deported but is saved by Bruno Weiss, played by Phoenix.  This comes at a price where she is forced into a life of burlesque and prostitution but is willing to do what she must to reunite with her sister.  Jeremy Renner co-stars as the dashing magician Emil who takes a liking to Ewa and tries to help her escape the life she has.  Dagmara Dominczyk, Jicky Schnee, Elena Solovey, Maja Wampuszyc, Ilia Volok, and many others co-star in this film.  This is pretty decent period piece with Phoenix good as always with that intensity only he can bring.  This is available to watch on imdb tv so it is free with ads.

Jojo Rabbit (2019):  Taika Waititi directed this WWII satire that is based on the book CAGING SKIES by Christine Leunens and also co-stars as a rather idiotic Hitler.  Roman Griffin Davis stars as Jojo who is part of Hitler's army and whose life is turned upside-down when he learns his mother Rosie, played by Scarlett Johansson, is hiding a Jewish girl, played by Thomasin McKenzie, in the attic.  Hitler is an imaginary friend to Jojo who must confront what he has learned so far.  Sam Rockwell, Rebel Wilson, Alfie Allen, Stephen Merchant, Archie Yates, Luke Brandon Field, Sam Haygarth, and many others star in this comedy.  This could have easily been a very tasteless comedy with this subject matter but they manage to avoid that happening while also showing how horrible times were at this time.  This could be a good double feature to have along with Chaplin's THE GREAT DICTATOR.

Rich and Famous (1981):  George Cukor directed this film which is based on a play by John Van Druten.  Jacqueline Bisset and Candice Bergen co-star as friends Liz and Merry Noel who are both authors and have gone different routes in their writing careers.  This takes a look at the ups and downs of many years of friendship.  David Selby, Hart Bochner, Steven Hill, Meg Ryan, Matt Latanzi, Daniel Faraldo, Nicole Eggert, Joe Maross, and many others co-star in this film.  This was Cukor's last film where he brought us Meg Ryan who makes her debut in this film as Merry Noel's daughter Debby when she was 18 and portrayed as a child by Nicole Eggert who was a childhood crush on BAYWATCH.  If I didn't already know Ryan was in this movie, I might have mistaken her for Alicia Silverstone.  Cukor had a lot of better movies but was still worth a look for Bisset and Bergen in their younger days as well as a young Meg Ryan.

The Hand (1965):  This is on of two animated shorts I am featuring this week.  Jiri Trnka directed this Czechoslovakian animated short film which centers around a potter that is invaded by a hand.  This hand demands to have a statue made of himself through threats and bribery and the potter refusing to do this deed.  This was a very bizarre short film to say the least which is usually the case in with Czechoslovakian films in my experience.  This was originally banned in the country by the communist regime for depicting a restrictive environment.  This can be seen on Youtube.

Things to Come (1936):  Now I bring a Sci-Fi selection which was directed by William Cameron Menzies and based on the novel by H.G. Wells.  This centers around a global war that starts in 1940 and is many decades long.  Raymond Massey, Edward Chapman, Ralph Richardson, Margaretta Scott, Cedric Hardwicke, Sophie Stewart, Derrick De Marney, Ann Todd, Pearl Argyle, and many others co-star in this very complex sci-fi film.  This takes a look at the start of it in 1940 into years later in 1965 and then in the year 2035, where progress is happening but others trying to stop it.  This is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

Godzilla Raids Again (1955):  Motoyoshi Oda directed this sequel the 1954 classic film.  Everyone believes Godzilla has been destroyed but is back and in addition to Godzilla, we also get the addition of Anguirus.  These two Kaijus are going at it with full force while also destroying the town of Osaka in the process.  This is the second movie feature Godzilla and I guess is the start of Godzilla taking on other Kaijus.  Anguirus would appear in other Godzilla movies both as an enemy and at times an ally but would never go onto have his own movie.  George Takei has a bit role as the voice of a commander and is his first film project.  Some may recognize actor Takashi Shimura from Japanese films like IKIRU.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel among other Godzilla movies.

Blades of Glory (2007):  This is my sports comedy for the week which was directed by Josh Gordon and Will Speck.  Will Ferrell and Jon Heder stars figure skating rivals Chazz Michael Michaels and Jimmy MacElroy.  They end up tying for a gold medal and their tension gets the best of them when they get into a big fight during the ceremony.  Three years later, a loophole is discovered that they are only banned from individual skating and Jimmy's coach, played by COACH himself Craig T. Nelson, sees potential in them.  Michaels and MacElroy must work to overcome their tensions.  Will Arnett and Amy Poehler co-star as a sibling figure skating duo who will do anything to stay at the top.  Jenna Fischer, William Fichtner, Romany Malco, Nick Swardson, Andy Richter, Greg Lindsay, Rob Corddry, Remy Girard, William Daniels, Luciano Carro, Luke Wilson, and many others co-star in this comedy.  There are also a few cameos from the world of figure skating.  This was very enjoyable for me and wish we had more personalities like these in figure skating.  I loved Ferrell's rendition of MY HUMPS by the Black Eyed Peas.  Ferrell and Heder played off each other so well with the differences in personality.

Come Back, Little Sheba (1952):  Daniel Mann directed this film which is based on the play by William Inge.  Burt Lancaster stars as Doc Delaney who is a recovering alcoholic and in a rather unhappy marriage with his wife Lola, played by Shirley Booth.  Lola is kind of in her own world after they lost a child and is convinced their dog Sheba will return.  They rent out a room to a young suitor named Marie, played by Terry Moore, who Doc becomes interested in but she has two suitors of her own age.  Richard Jaeckel, Philip Ober, Edwin Max, Lisa Golm, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a very intense film where Lancaster took on some very deep projects for that time.  Booth plays Lola in the original Broadway production and makes her film debut here.  This is also available to watch on the Criterion Collection.

101 Dalmatians (1961):  This is my Disney selection for the week which is based on the children's novel by Dodie Smith.  Dalmatian couple Pongo and Perdita have a puppy litter of 15 and are abducted by the mean Cruella De Vil and her henchmen in order to make fur coats.  Pongo and Perdita set out to rescue their puppies with the help of some of their dog and other animal friends.  Rod Taylor, J. Pat O'Malley, Betty Lou Gerson, Martha Wentworth, Ben Wright, Clarence Nash, and many others lend their voices to this Disney classic.  This is a very enjoyable movie to watch with all kinds of dogs.  The henchmen in this movie are very inept.  I don't think much else needs to be said here except this is an enjoyable watch the whole family can enjoy.  This is available to watch on Disney Plus.

Ryan (2004):  I end the week with this animated documentary short which was directed by Chris Landreth.  Landreth sits down for an interview with Ryan Larkin who did a lot of work in the 60s and 70s as an animator and has fallen from grace as they say.  Larkin reflects on when he was on his rise and into the modern-day where he is an alcoholic.  Landreth also tries to do an intervention.  This has always been one of my favorite short film.  This has some extremely clever drawings of each person and physically reflects their personal issues.  Larkin got to make a little bit of a comeback in Canada but unfortunately died in 2007 of lung cancer.  This can also be found on Youtube and is really worth a few minutes to check out.

Well, that is it for this week but I did bring back my segment "The Bookworm Corner".  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Laura Linney, Joan Cusack, Leonardo DiCaprio, Fred MacMurray, Julie Christie, and many others.

THE BOOKWORM CORNER

Never Let You Go by Chevy Stevens (2017):  I have not really been focused as reading as much lately having the play I was in.  I also tried the historical politics route but that really did not do it for me.  I did want to get back to the reading and I was at Dollar Tree and decided to look at the books that were only a dollar.  This one really stuck out at me and when reading the description and seeing reviews by authors, I decided to give this a shot.  This centers around single mother Lindsey Scott who was in an abusive relationship with a man named Andrew and they had a daughter named Sophie.  She took their daughter and got away and Andrew went to jail.  Now, years later, Lindsey seems to have her life together but learns of Andrew's release and things begin to happen that resemble the things he has done in the past.  I realized that for me, books with fairly short chapters are easiest to read.  This usually has no more than 10 pages a chapter, some a little more and I was usually able to read a couple chapters at a time.  Each time, I looked forward to seeing what happens next.  When the book got to the climax, then I could not put it down.  This is the latest from Chevy Stevens and has written quite a bit of mysteries including her debut STILL MISSING that went on to become a bestseller.  This was obviously worth to me what I paid for this book but now I'm inclined to possibly purchase some of her books.  Learn more about Chevy Stevens at https://chevystevens.com/ and give this a go.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 766th Edition

Welcome to the 766th Edition of my series.  I spent some time in northern Indiana this weekend visiting some family and seeing a friend get married so it's been a good weekend.  I don't have much else happening right now so I'll just get on with my selections for the week.

Bombshell (2019):  I start the week out with this biographical film which was directed by Jay Roach.  Nicole Kidman stars as Gretchen Carlson who places a sexual harassment lawsuit claim on her employer and Fox News founder Roger Ailes, played by John Lithgow.  Shortly after this happens, outspoken correspondent Megyn Kelly, played by Charlize Theron, joins her as well as various others.  Margot Robbie, Allison Janney, Malcolm McDowell, Kate McKinnon, Connie Britton, Brigette Lundy-Paine, Rob Delaney, Mark Duplass, Stephen Root, Robin Weigert, Amy Landecker, Mark Moses, Nazanin Boniadi, Ben Lawson, Josh Lawson, Alanna Ubach, Andy Buckley, Brooke Smith, Bree Condon, D'arcy Carden, London Fuller, Sedona Fuller, Kevin Dorff, Richard Kind, Michael Buie, Marc Evan Jackson, Anne Ramsey, Jennifer Morrison, Ashley Greene, Ahna O'Reilly, Lisa Canning, Elisabeth Rohm, Alice Eve, Rachael Drummond, Katie Aselton, P.J. Byrne, Spencer Garrett, and many others co-star in this film.  I liked the way Theron essentially did narration throughout the movie.  It was a good look at sexual harassment in the workplace.  Those who really favor Fox News may not like this movie.

Brother Bear (2003):  This is part four of my five-part Joaquin Phoenix series and my Disney selection for the week which was directed by Aaron Blaise and Robert Walker.  Phoenix stars as Inuit hunter Kenai needlessly goes after and kills a bear.  As a consequence, Kenai becomes a bear himself to see life from another perspective.  Along the way, he meets a younger bear named Koda, voiced by Jeremy Suarez, and reluctantly joins him on a journey to help Koda get home.  Along the way, Kenai forms a new understanding while meeting a lot of other friends.  Jason Raize, Rick Moranis, Dave Thomas, D.B. Sweeney, Joan Copeland, Michael Clarke Duncan, Harold Gould, Estelle Harris, and many others provide their voices to this film.  Most might know Phil Collins for his great soundtrack in the Disney movie TARZAN but he also had a really good soundtrack for this movie as well.  Moranis and Thomas reunite as the voices of elks Rutt and Tuta and do a parody of their duo the MacKenzie Brothers.  I had not seen this but found this to be a very moving story and even a rather underrated Disney film that uses traditional animation.  This is available to watch on Disney Plus.

Crazy Horse (2011):  This is my documentary for the week which was directed by Frederick Wiseman.  Some when seeing this title will think maybe a documentary about the member of the Lakota Tribe but that is not the case.  This is about a Parisian cabaret that has prided itself on having "the best nude dancing show in the world.  This is more than just some strip club.  They have nude dancing that is inspired by burlesque, Bob Fosse, and Cirque du Soleil.  This documentary mostly shows the acts and the work that goes into putting it together.  There is no commentary or interviews.  This has a camera capturing moments and shows very clearly how hard everyone works.

Alain Mimoun (1959):  I follow up with this documentary short that features the French long distance runner that was a 1956 Olympic champion.  This takes a look at his days in the military during WWII that consisted of a brutal injury he had to overcome.  It then goes into his athletic accomplishments.  This is about 24 minutes long and does cover quite a bit of ground in the short period.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Speedy (1928):  Now I bring my silent comedy for the week which was directed by Ted Wilde.  Silent comedian Harold Lloyd stars as the character nicknamed Speedy.  He is a New Yorker and a very loyal fan to the Yankees.  After a few mishaps, he must try to save the last horse-drawn trolley from going out of business that his girlfriend's grandfather.  Look for a cameo from Babe Ruth who gets a ride from Speedy when he is a cab driver.  This is Lloyd's last silent feature film that he would do before his transition to sound.  There are lots of funny moments in this movie and silent film buffs will really like this one.  This is also available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967):  Jacques Demy wrote and directed this French film which is my third French selection for the week and might be a record.  Catherine Deneuve and Francoise Dorleac star as sisters Delphine and Solange.  They have been hired as carnival singers and are also looking for love which is right in front of them but they do not know it.  George Chakiris, Jacques Perrin, Michel Piccoli, Henri Cremieux, Gene Kelly, Danielle Darrieux, and many others co-star in this French musical.  Damien Chazelle has said this was a key inspiration for his movie LA LA LAND.  I think those that have seen that can get an idea of the feel for this movie.  This was a pretty fun film that is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Gridlock'd (1997):  Vondie Curtis-Hall wrote and directed this film in his directorial debut.  Tupac Shakur and Tim Roth star as buddies Spoon and Stretch whose friend Cookie, played by Thandie Newton, has a drug overdose.  They see this as a wake up call and look to enter a rehab facility where their efforts become very difficult through the red tape in their misadventures.  Charles Fleischer, Howard Hesseman, James Pickens Jr., John Sayles, Eric Payne, Tom Towles, Tom Wright, Lucy Liu, Richmond Arquette, Debra Wilson, Rusty Schwimmer, Elizabeth Pena, Bokeem Woodbine and many others co-star in this film.  While the topic was very serious, this was a pretty funny movie with the duo of Shakur and Roth who I kind of thought as a pre-Harold and Kumar.  This was the second of three movies that came out after Tupac's death.

The Proud Rebel (1958):  This is my western for the week which was directed by Michael Curtiz.  Alan Ladd stars as Confederate veteran John Chandler who is looking to find a doctor to help his son David, played by Alan's son David Ladd, who has not been able to speak since he saw his mother die.  Olivia de Havilland co-stars as Linnett who owns a struggling farm and saves Chandler from a 30 day sentence and has him help on the farm in return.  She forms a relationship with both of these people and becomes a mother figure to David.  Dean Jagger, Cecil Kellaway, Harry Dean Stanton, James Westerfield, Henry Hull, John Carradine, and many others co-star in this western.  I was surprisingly really engaged in this western, especially with the interactions of the leads and their efforts to keep a local landowner from taking it over.  This is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

Pretty Baby (1978):  Louis Malle directed this very controversial film.  This takes place in a New Orleans brothel in 1917 where a 12 year old Brooke Shields stars as Violet whose mother Hattie, played by Susan Sarandon, works as a prostitute.  Keith Carradine co-stars as photographer Bellocq who forms an attraction to Violet.  Frances Faye, Antonia Fargas, Diana Scarwid, Barbara Steele, Gerrit Graham, Don Hood, and many others co-star in this film.  This is partly based on a true story where Bellocq was a real person but his storyline in this movie is fictional from what I can tell.  This is not for everyone but times were different then.  This kind of goes along the lines of movies like LOLITA and TAXI DRIVER.  I came across this when I was looking for a movie for the Banned film category in Filmopoley which is the "Go Directly to Jail" spot.  This has been banned in quite a bit of countries for its controversial content.

Mr. Turner (2014):  I end the week with this biopic which was written and directed by Mike Leigh.  Timothy Spall stars as British painter J.M.W. Turner which takes a look at the last 25 years of his life.  While he was a great painter, he also lead a very wild and complex life.  Dorothy Atkinson co-stars as Hannah Danby who was Turner's housekeeper and sometimes a sexual partner.  Paul Jesson, Dorothy Atkinson, Marion Bailey, Karl Johnson, Ruth Sheen, Sandy Foster, Lesley Manville, and many others co-star in this film.  I kind of feel for Spall and his rat-like looks where many will likely only associate him as Peter Pettigrew in the Harry Potter franchise.  He was still very good as the artist I had never heard of until I came across this movie.  It is hard for me to describe this any further than what I have except that it is a good look at a controversial painter.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Marion Cotillard, Scarlett Johansson, Meg Ryan, Will Ferrell, Burt Lancaster, and many others.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 765th Edition

Welcome to the 765th Edition of my series.  I hope we're all staying safe out there.  Next week I'll be heading north in my state of Indiana to attend a theater friend's wedding so I have that to look forward to.  For now I'll just get on with my selections for the week.

Don't Worry, He Won't Get that Far on Foot (2018):  This is part three of my possible five-part Joaquin Phoenix series.  Gus Van Sant directed this film which is based on the novel by John Callahan, played by Phoenix.  Callahan lead a very wild lifestyle which would lead to him being in a car accident that caused him paralysis and putting him in a wheelchair.  With encouragement from his girlfriend, he finally enters treatment from the encouragement of his girlfriend Annu, played by Rooney Mara, and through his sponsor Donny, played by a nearly unrecognizable Jonah Hill.  Through this, John gets a new lease on life and begins drawing humorous and often controversial newspaper comics.  Jack Black, Tony Greenwood, Beth Ditto, Mark Webber, Ronnie Adrian, Kim Gordon, Udo Kier, Carrie Brownstein, Heather Matarazzo, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a really moving story and one of hope as well as forgiveness.  As I mentioned, I don't think I would have known that was Jonah Hill if I did not already know he was in the movie and was possibly his best performance.  This is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

Gangs of New York (2002):  Martin Scorsese directed this violent period piece from 1800s Lower Manhatton known as Five Points where the Civil War is still happening.  Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Amsterdam Vallon whose father was murdered by the ruthless Bill "The Butcher" Cutting, played by Daniel Day-Lewis.  A few years after the incident, Vallon returns to the town to avenge his father's murder while also falling for pickpocket Jenny, played by Cameron Diaz.  Jim Broadbent, John C. Reilly, Henry Thomas, Liam Neeson, Brendan Gleeson, Gary Lewis, Stephen Graham, Eddie Marsan, Alec McCowen, David Hemmings, Lawrence Gilliard Jr., Cara Seymour, Roger Ashton-Griffiths, Cian McCormack, and many others co-star in this film.  This is not for everyone and holds nothing back in the way of violence.  It is a very well done though with great performances, action, and cinematography.  For fans of this era, this is a must.

Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016):  Taika Waititi directed this comedy based on the novel WILD PORK AND WATERCRESS by Barry Crump.  Julian Dennison stars as the troubled youth Ricky who is placed in a foster home with New Zealand couple Hector and Bella, played by Sam Neill and Rima Te Wiata.  Bella embraces this placement but Hector is not crazy about fatherhood life and when Bella dies, child services decides to take Ricky back.  Not wanting to go back into the system, Ricky runs away and there is a national manhunt going on with Ricky and Hector.  Rachel House, Tioreore Ngatai-Melbourne, Oscar Kightley, Stan Walker, Mike Minogue, Cohen Holloway, Rhys Darby, Troy Kingi, and many others co-star in this film.  Dennison and Neill work very well together where they must learn to appreciate the differences of one another for survival.  While dark at times, this does have a lot of very funny moments, especially some pop culture references from Dennison.  This is available to watch on Hulu.

One Week (1920):  This is my silent comedy short for the week which stars silent comedy legend Buster Keaton.  Keaton and Edward F. Cline co-directed this short which stars Keaton and Sybil Seely as a newlywed couple.  They receive a portable house in which they try to put together but one of Keaton's rivals for Sybil's affections does what he can to sabotage them.  This ranks as one of the best silent shorts of all time with some creative gags and some pretty extreme stunts that look pretty hard even by today's standards.  This is Keaton's first performance without his mentor Fatty Arbuckle.  Fans of silent comedy should take a look at this one which is available to watch on Tubi for free with ads.

Casablanca (1942):  Michael Curtiz directed this classic film which is based on the unproduced play EVERYBODY COMES TO RICK'S by Murray Bennett and Joan Allison.  Humphrey Bogart stars in one of his most iconic roles as Rick Blaine who runs a nightclub in Morocco in the early stages of WWII.  Claiming to not stick his neck out for anyone, his former lover Ilsa, played by Ingrid Bergman, comes to visit his gin joint along with her husband Victor, played by Paul Henreid, who is a Czech resistance leader on the run from the Nazis.  Rick and Ilsa rekindle the relationship they once had leading to one of the most memorable climaxes of all time.  Claude Rains, Conrad Veidt, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, S.Z. Sakall, Madeleine Lebeau, Dooley Wilson, Joy Page, John Qualen, Leonid Kinskey, and many others co-star in this classic film.  I don't think much else needs to be said about this movie.  There are lots of memorable characters and lines that get quoted a lot as well as misinterpreted which most notably what people say as "play it again, Sam" which would be the title to a Woody Allen parody that could make a good follow-up to this one.

Beware of a Holy Whore (1971):  Rainer Werner Fassbinder wrote and directed this German film about the struggles of making a movie.  On the film set, both the director and the material are missing so the crew must make the most of the situation until those two things come onto the set.  Lou Castel, Eddie Constantine, Marquard Bohm, Hanna Schygulla, Margarethe Von Trotta, and many others co-star in this film.  This is really hard to describe beyond what I already have described.  In some ways, it is similar to Fellini's 8 1/2 in the way it is shot.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000):  Robert Redford directed this film based on the novel by Steven Pressfield.  Matt Damon stars as Rannulph Junuh who is a disillusioned war veteran and at one time was a great golfer but has "lost his swing".  Will Smith co-stars as the title character who becomes Junuh's caddy when he reluctantly takes part in a game of golf and not only helps him find his swing but also find the meaning of life.  Charlize Theron, Bruce McGill, Joel Gretsch, J. Michael Moncrief, Peter Gerety, Lane Smith, Michael O'Neill, Thomas Jay Ryan, Dermot Crowley, Harve Presnell, Bob Penny, Carrie Preston, Jack Lemmon, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a pretty moving film and a good look at the early days of golf.  Damon was great as Junah and Smith was really good in his more subdued role.  This movie is partly about golf but is so much more and is available to watch on Amazon Prime with imdb tv which is free with ads.

The Tall Blond Man With One Black Shoe (1972):  This is my French film for the week.  Yves Robert directed this spy comedy.  Pierre Richard stars as Francois Perrin who is an orchestra player targeted by the French Secret Service as a decoy.  Mireille Darc co-stars as Christine who is sent to seduce Francois.  Bernard Blier, Jean Rochefort, Colette Castel, Jean Saudray, Maurice Barrier, Robert Dalban, Paul Le Person, Jean Carmet, and many others co-star in this French comedy.  This is a pretty fun parody on the spy genre with Perrin perfect as the hapless target.  This is available to watch on Hoopla
Digital and is worth a look.

Time Without Pity (1957):  Joseph Losey directed this crime film.  Michael Redgrave stars as David Graham who is an alcoholic author whose estranged son Alec, played by Alec McCowen, is on death row about to be executed the next day.  David believes his son is innocent and rushes to gather the evidence to save him from the death penalty.  Ann Todd, Peter Cushing, Leo McKern, Renee Houston, Lois Maxwell, Richard Wordsworth, Joan Plowright, and many others co-star in this crime film.  This is probably an unrealistic situation but is still very compelling.  Redgrave is great as Graham who is trying to overcome his drinking problem to help his son.  Later that year, Cushing would become more of a star in THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN which is my favorite adaptation Frankenstein.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

A Hole in One (2004):  I end the week with this offbeat independent film which was written and directed by Richard Ledes.  Michelle Williams stars as Anna who questions her sanity when witnessing her gangster boyfriend Billy, played by Meatloaf, kill someone and the death of her veteran brother Bobby, played by Jonathan Watton.  She believes her only cure is to get a lobotomy that she has been hearing about.  Billy hires a man named Tom, played by Tim Guinee, to pose as a doctor to talk her out of the lobotomy.  Louis Zorich, Bill Raymond, Wendell Pierce, Merritt Wever, Ileen Getz, John Paul Tremblay, Robb Wells, Heidi Von Palleske, Jeremy Akerman, John Dunsworth, and many others co-star in this film.  This was a very interesting dark comedy and where can you go wrong with Michelle Williams and Meatloaf?  Ledes wrote this movie upon research he did on mental illness and the controversial lobotomy "solution" by the real-life Dr. Walter Freeman.

Well, that is it for this week but I did bring back my Fun and Useless Facts segment.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Charlize Theron, Joaquin Phoenix, Harold Lloyd, Gene Kelly, Tim Roth, Olivia de Havilland, Susan Sarandon, and many others.

FUN AND USELESS FACTS

Jonah Hill (Don't Worry, He Won't Get That Far on Foot) and Leonard DiCaprio (Gangs of New York) were in the 2012 western DJANGO UNCHAINED and the 2013 film THE WOLF OF WALL STREET.

Jonah Hill (Don't Worry, He Won't Get That Far on Foot) and Liam Neeson (Gangs of New York) were in the 2014 animated movie THE LEGO MOVIE.

Jack Black (Don't Worry, He Won't Get That Far on Foot) and Meatloaf (A Hole in One) were son and father in the 2006 musical comedy TENACIOUS D IN THE PICK OF DESTINY.

Jack Black (Don't Worry, He Won't Get That Far on Foot) and Will Smith (The Legend of Bagger Vance) were in the 1998 film ENEMY OF THE STATE.

Jack Black (Don't Worry, He Won't Get That Far on Foot) and Cameron Diaz (Gangs of New York) were in the 2006 movie THE HOLIDAY.

Jack Black (Don't Worry, He Won't Get That Far on Foot) and Rhys Darby (Hunt for the Wilderpeople) are in the 2017 movie JUMANJI:  WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE and the 2019 sequel JUMANJI:  THE NEXT LEVEL.

Udo Kier (Don't Worry, He Won't Get That Far on Foot) and Matt Damon (The Legend of Bagger Vance) were in the 2017 movie DOWNSIZING.

Udo Kier (Don't Worry, He Won't Get That Far on Foot) and Cara Seymour (Gangs of New York) were in the 2000 film DANCER IN THE DARK.

Joaquin Phoenix (Don't Worry, He Won't Get That Far on Foot) plays Garry in the 1989 comedy PARENTHOOD which was featured on here last week.  Leonardo DiCaprio (Gangs of New York) played the role in the short lived 1990 sitcom based on the 1989 movie of the same name.

Joaquin Phoenix (Don't Worry, He Won't Get That Far on Foot) and David Hemmings (Gangs of New York) were in the 2000 film GLADIATOR.

Joaquin Phoenix (Don't Worry, He Won't Get That Far on Foot) and Cara Seymour (Gangs of New York) were in the 2004 film HOTEL RWANDA.

Heather Matarazzo (Don't Worry, He Won't Get That Far on Foot) and Charlize Theron (The Legend of Bagger Vance) were in the 1997 horror film THE DEVIL'S ADVOCATE.

Leonardo DiCaprio (Gangs of New York) and Matt Damon (The Legend of Bagger Vance) were in the 2006 film THE DEPARTED.

Leonardo DiCaprio (Gangs of New York) plays Jay Gatsby in the 2013 film THE GREAT GATSBY.  Robert Redford (The Legend of Bagger Vance director) played the role in the 1974 film of the same name.

Leonardo DiCaprio (Gangs of New York) and Michelle Williams (A Hole in One) were a married couple in the 2010 film SHUTTER ISLAND.

Henry Thomas (Gangs of New York) and Matt Damon (The Legend of Bagger Vance) were in the 2000 film ALL THE PRETTY HORSES.

Eddie Marsan (Gangs of New York) and Charlize Theron (The Legend of Bagger Vance) were in the 2012 SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN.

Eddie Marsan (Gangs of New York) and Julian Dennison (Hunt for the Wilderpeople) were in the 2018 superhero film DEADPOOL 2.

Eddie Marsan (Gangs of New York) and Will Smith (The Legend of Bagger Vance) were in the 2015 film CONCUSSION.

Lawrence Gilliard Jr. (Gangs of New York) and Sam Neill (Hunt for the Wilderpeople) were in the 2000 tv movie SALLY HEMMINGS:  AN AMERICAN SCANDAL.

Liam Neeson (Gangs of New York) has been announced to be playing Philip Marlowe in an upcoming movie called MARLOWE as of now.  Humphrey Bogart (Casablanca) plays Marlowe in the 1946 film THE BIG SLEEP.

Liam Neeson (Gangs of New York) and Matt Damon (The Legend of Bagger Vance) were in the American version of the 2008 Anime film PONYO.

Sam Neill (Hunt for the Wilderpeople) was directed by Robert Redford (The Legend of Bagger Vance director) in the 1998 film THE HORSE WHISPERER.

Sam Neill (Hunt for the Wilderpeople) and Matt Damon (The Legend of BAGGER VANCE) make cameo appearances in the 2017 superhero film THOR:  RAGNAROK.

Matt Damon (The Legend of Bagger Vance) auditioned for the role of Jimmy in the 1995 film TO DIE FOR which would ultimately go to Joaquin Phoenix (Don't Worry, He Won't Get That Far on Foot).

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 764th Edition

Welcome to the 764th Edition of my series.  I started a new contest courtesy of my local library called Filmopoley where each space has a different category of what should go there.  As I release this today I am now at 16 spaces out of 40 and this contest goes for a year.  I can also complete additional boards so this is a contest I could very well win.  I hope all are able to remain safe and let's try being nice to one another.  We're all in this together as they say in HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL.  I think I've said enough so I'll just get on with my selections.

The Music Never Stopped (2011):  Jim Kohlberg directed this film which is based on the essay THE LAST HIPPIE by Oliver Sacks which is part of his book AN ANTHROPOLOGIST ON MARS.  J.K. Simmons stars as Henry Sawyer whose estranged son Gabriel, played by Lou Taylor Pucci, suffers from a brain tumor which prevents him from forming new music while also leaving him socially distant.  Julia Ormond co-stars as music therapist Dianne Daley who finds that the best way to trigger Gabriel is through the music he loves which is most notably the Grateful Dead.  Henry is determined to reconnect with his son and must tolerate and embrace the music he has hated in order to understand his son better.  Cara Seymour, James Urbaniak, Scott Adsit, Peggy Gormley, Tammy Blanchard, Josh Segarra, Xander Johnson, Mia Maestro, and many others co-star in this film.  I think I am ready to call this one of my favorite movies.  I love that it is able to pay homage to a father/son relationship, music therapy, and even the Grateful Dead.  I believe Simmons put on his best performance as a father who must rethink some of what he has always believed in order to understand his son better.  This is a very moving story and is a great look at music therapy.

Parenthood (1989):  This is part two of my Joaquin Phoenix series where he is still going by the name Leaf.  Ron Howard directed this film which takes a look at the Buckman family and looks at different sets of the family as well as the parenting that goes along with it.  Jason Robards co-stars as Frank who is the patriarch of the family with his kids Gil, played by Steve Martin, Helen, played by Dianne Wiest, Susan, played by Harley Jane Kozak, and Larry, played by Tom Hulce, each of which are in their own parenting and life situation.  Rick Moranis, Martha Plimpton, Keanu Reeves, Dennis Dugan, Eileen Ryan, Jasen Fisher, Paul Linke, Alison Porter, Ivyann Schwan, Lowell Ganz, Rance Howard, Max Elliott Slade, Clint Howard, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a really good ensemble movie that has a really good blend of drama and comedy.  I am sure that just about any parent, son, and daughter can relate to this movie somewhere.

Candy (2006):  Neil Armfield stars in this film which is based on the novel by Luke Davies.  Heath Ledger and Abbie Cornish star as Australian couple Dan and Candy.  Dan is a poet and heroin addict and falls for the art student Candy who gravitates toward his bohemian lifestyle as well as his heroin addiction.  Geoffrey Rush, Tom Budge, Roberto Meza Mont, Tony Martin, Noni Hazlehurst, Tara Morice, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a really good look at the ups and downs of a drug addicted couple and the things they would do to survive.  This is more of a character study and hard to really describe any further than I have without giving it away.  Ledger and Cornish were great together.  I believe a really good double feature would be this and Al Pacino's 1971 breakthrough movie THE PANIC IN NEEDLE PARK.  This is available to watch on apps like Tubi and the Roku Channel, both of which are free with ads.

The Horse (1973):  This is my short film for the week which was directed by Charles Burnett.  This centers around a white farming family who have a horse being put down.  A young black boy named William is tending to this horse until his father gets there to do the deed.  William is trying to care for the horse in its last moments.  This was able to keep my interest while being rather strange.  This is a film Burnett made while in UCLA before he would go onto a fairly successful directorial career.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

The Cat's Paw (1934):  Sam Taylor directed this political comedy.  Harold Lloyd stars as Ezekial Cobb who has been raised in China by his missionary father and sent to America to seek a wife.  Naive to the American ways, corrupt politicians recruit him as a dummy candidate assuming he has no chance to win.  Their plan backfires and goes on a rather extreme reform crusade.  Una Merkel, George Barbier, Nat Pendleton, Grace Bradley, Alan Dinehart, Grant Mitchell, E. Alyn Warren, Warren Hymer, J. Farrell Macdonald, Edwin Maxwell, Frank Sheridan, Fuzzy Knight, Vince Barnett, and many others co-star in this comedy.  I thought I knew where this was going but I was quite wrong.  This is a bit darker than most of Lloyds' comedies.  Lloyd was known as one of the legendary silent comedians who is a bit underrated by today's standards in my opinion and probably had a more successful transition from silent to talkies than most from that era.  He is known for his crazy stunts which you will not get in this one.  This is a pretty interesting political satire which I thought would be like the 1939 classic MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON but was not quite what happened though could still be a good double feature.  This is also available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Theirs is the Glory (1946):  Brian Desmond Hurst directed what is essentially a documentary.  This takes a look at the involvement of the British 1st Airborne Division with the Battle of Arnhem.  This has some narration by Leo Genn but is not a documentary that have interviews of people reflecting on the times.  This was a reenactment that uses veterans from that battle so no professional actors were used.  This was quite a project to take on and would go onto be made into an actual movie in 1977 called A BRIDGE TOO FAR.  This is available to watch on Amazon Prime and could be a double feature with the movie mentioned.

Fosse/Verdon (2019):  This is my mini-series for the week that is not technically a movie but my rules so I'm calling it a movie even if I can't do so on Filmopoly.  Thomas Kail and Steven Levenson created this mini-series that was also had episodes directed by Adam Bernstein, Minkie Spiro, and Jessica Yu.  This takes a look at the ups and downs of the personal and professional relationship between choreographer/director Bob Fosse, played by Sam Rockwell, and Broadway legend Gwen Verdon, played by Michelle Williams.  It was a very unique relationship to say the least that lasted many years where they were married but separated and while they had their problems they needed one another to have the kinds of careers they had.  Norbert Leo Butz, Aya Cash, Margaret Qualley, Jake Lacy, Paloma Garcia Lee, Ari Brand, Heather Lang, Justin Gazzillo, Nate Corddry, Kelli Barrett, Bianca Marroquin, Rick Holmes, Blake Baumgartner, Juliet Brett, Mylinda Hull, Julie Klausner, Adrienne Lovette, Anthony Rosenthal, Chandler Head, Evan Handler, Paul Reiser, Ahmad Simmons, Tyler Hanes, A.J. Holmes, Lin-Manuel Meranda, Ethan Slater, and many others co-star in this mini-series.  This is eight episodes long and covers quite a bit of their lives and does jump around some with the times.  This holds nothing back and is a really good look at a significant duo in the world of Broadway musicals that they helped bring to the surface like CHICAGO.  This was done on the FX network and is available to watch on Hulu.

Day of Wrath (1943):  This is my Danish film for the week which was selected from the Chance Bucket by Dennis the Librarian Menace on Filmopoley.  Carl Theodore Dreyer directed this film that takes place during the witchcraft.  Lisbeth Movin stars as Anne who is the wife of an aging priest and falls in love with his son.  Things happen that the pastor's mother accuses Anne of witchcraft where she must do what she can to prove her innocence which was a very difficult thing.  This takes place during a very dark time in history with the witchcraft trials and this goes very deep into the subject.  It is hard to describe this any further but it is on the Criterion Channel and is really worth a look.

Mad Bull (1977):  This is my wrestling movie for the week which was directed by Walter Doniger and Len Steckler.  Alex Karras stars as professional wrestler Iago "Mad Bull" Karkus who falls in love with a woman named Christina, played by Susan Anspach, and finally gives him meaning outside of the crazy life of wrestling.  He is also dealing with a wrestler who is really wanting to hurt him and someone trying to kill him.  Nicholas Colasanto, Elisha Cook Jr., Danny Dayton, Steve Sandor, Titos Vandis, Tracey Walter, Dennis Burkley, Eddra Gale, H.B. Haggerty, Ernie Hudson, Harry Landers, K.C. Martel, Mike Mazurki, Eddie Quillan, and many others co-star in this movie.  Also, look for the late Regis Philbin who recently left us in a small role.  Karras is most known for playing Mongo on BLAZING SADDLES and the father on WEBSTER.  Fans of the early episodes of CHEERS will enjoy Colasanto who is most known as Coach in the first season of the series.  What was interesting to me is that they really exposed wrestling as a work which was a rather taboo thing to do in this era.  This is more of a guilty pleasure than anything and may not be for people who cannot stand wrestling.  This is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

Nightingale (2014):  I end the week with this HBO movie that is driven by one person besides a couple voices in the background.  Elliott Lester directed this film which stars David Oyelowo as Iraq war veteran Peter Snowden who is recording a video blog of a murder confession.  As the movie goes on, he is clearly very disturbed in the things that he does and talks about while filming his video.  Oyelowo does a great job in carrying this movie and just conveying his emotions throughout the movie.  This is one that I can't really explain any further without giving away but is a very compelling film of one man.  One of my bucket list goals is to one day being in a one or two person play and envy when someone can pull it off like they did in this movie.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Joaquin Phoenix, Cameron Diaz, Sam Neill, Buster Keaton, Ingrid Bergman, and many others.