Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 789th Edition

Welcome to the 789th edition of my series.  I don't really have a lot to say this week.  I did have my first read-through for ARSENIC AND OLD LACE and it looks like I'm really going to like playing my character of Teddy Roosevelt Brewster.  Other than that, I don't really have much to say so I'll just get on with my selections for the week.

Cape Fear (1991):  This is part five of my seven-part Robert De Niro series.  Martin Scorsese directed this remake of the 1962 classic which is based on the novel by John D. McDonald.  Robert De Niro stars as Max Cady who is being released from prison after 14 years and seeks revenge on his attorney that he felt wronged him.  Nick Nolte co-stars as that attorney named Sam Bowden whose life is in danger as well as his wife Leigh, played by Jessica Lange, and his daughter Danielle, played by Juliette Lewis.  Joe Don Baker, Robert Mitchum, Gregory Peck, Martin Balsam, Illeana Douglas, Fred Thompson, and many others co-star in this film.  Peck, Mitchum, and Balsam all were in the 1962 film and have cameos in this version being Peck's last theatrical film.  This is a really good remake in which Scorsese is able to make his own and is in some ways more of a horror film.  De Niro and Lewis have a pretty interesting dynamic in this film in their interactions.  This also keeps us on the edge of our seats.  I'll likely be looking into the original soon as a rewatch.  This is available to watch on Peacock and is one that does not require a subscription.

Soul Power (2008):  This is my documentary for the week which was directed by Jeffrey Kusama-Hinte.  This centers around the year 1974 in Africa when music producers Hugh Masekela and Stewart Levine who worked with boxing promoter Don King to put on a music festival concurrently with King's Rumble in the Jungle between Muhammed Ali and George Foreman in Zaire.  Foreman suffered some injuries that delayed the fight a couple months but the music event was something that country had not really seen.  This covers the set-up for the event and the arrival of the musicians like James Brown, Bill Withers, and B.B. King and some footage of Ali speaking of his views.  A good double feature would be to watch this along with WOODSTOCK.

Swimmers (2005):  Doug Sadler wrote and directed this independent film.  Doug Sadler wrote and directed this independent movie which stars Tara Devon Gallagher as the 11 year old Emma who has an ear problem that needs surgery but her parents cannot afford.  Unable to do her favorite pastime of swimming, Emma looks for other things to do to pass the time and befriends a troubled young woman named Merrill, played by AMERICAN HORROR STORY alum Sarah Paulson.  Robert Knott, Cherry Jones, Shawn Hatosy, Michael Mosley, Don Harvey, and many others co-star in this movie.  This tends to revolve most around its characters and each one having a rather unique situation.  It is mostly about the friendship between Emma and Merrill with them working really well together.  

Frankenstein (1910):  This is my short film for the week that has some early horror and the first time having Mary Shelley's story on the big screen.  J. Searle Dawley directed this silent film based on the Mary Shelley novel.  Augustus Phillips stars as Dr. Frankenstein who is out to create the perfect human being but creates a monster instead.  Charles Ogle is the first actor to play the Monster and has a really good look.  Mary Fuller co-stars as Frankenstein's fiance Elizabeth.  This was one of many short films that was produced by Thomas Edison when he invented his video camera.  This is good to watch for historical purposes and is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

Marty (1955):  Delbert Mann directed this film and was written by Paddy Chayefsky.  Ernest Borgnine stars as local butcher Marty who is 34 and is still single which was very looked down upon in this era as you were supposed to be married and have children by then.  He decides to go to a local dance for singles dance and unexpectedly meets Clara, played by Betsy Blair, who is rather lonely herself.  They are both outcasts in a sense that fall for each other.  Esther Minciotti, Joe Mantell, Karen Steele, Jerry Paris, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a very good love story about people who are really just more everyday people that many can relate with and won best picture that year at the Academy Awards.  This is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

The Plumber (1979):  Peter Weir wrote and directed this Australian tv movie.  Judy Morris stars as Jill Cowper who is writing her thesis at home and the plumber Max, played by Ivar Kants, arrives for a routine check.  He creeps her out a bit by saying he was in prison and other random things said.   A lot of tension builds between them but everyone else including her husband Brian, played by Robert Coleby, think he's just a simple person.  This is a very unusual horror movie with Morris and Kants working very well together in a slow but effective build-up.  It is hard to really explain this movie any further and is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

The Lighthouse (2019):  I follow up with another unconventional horror film which was directed and co-written by Robert Eggers.  Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson star as lighthouse keepers Thomas Wake and Thomas Howard.  They are alone and isolated in their area where things happen and form a lot of tension for one another.  They also have some strange hallucinations.  Valeriia Karaman and Logan Hawkes co-star in this movie.  This is more of a psychological horror film and another that is really hard to explain.  The leads work very well together in this film.  This is also available to watch on Amazon Prime.

I see a Dark Stranger (1946):  Frank Launder directed and co-wrote this film that takes place during WWII.  Deborah Kerr stars as Irish woman Bridie Quilty who has an absolute hatred for the British and wants to join the IRA but they are not welcoming.  She is instead recruited to be a German spy in her hatred of the British but as she meets British soldier David Baynes and falls in love with him, she must decide where her loyalties lie.  Liam Redmond, Marie Ault, Raymond Huntley, Brefni O'Rorke, Olga Lindo, David Ward, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a pretty compelling film with a lot of suspense, humor, and romance.  This is based on a true story and is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

The Gambler (1974):  Karel Reisz directed this film on gambling addiction.  Fresh off the success of THE GODFATHER, James Caan stars as literature professor Axel Freed whose gambling addiction hurts him personally and professionally.  Sometimes he wins but loses just as easy but cannot stop and gets him in trouble with the loan sharks he borrows from.  Paul Sorvino, Lauren Hutton, Morris Carnovsky, Jacqueline Brookes, Burt Young, Carmine Caridi, Vic Tayback, Steven Keats, M. Emmet Walsh, James Woods, Allen Rich, Stuart Margolin, Antonio Fargas, and many others co-star in this film.  Caan really puts on a good performance in his complexities of a gambling addict.  I had not heard of Lauren Hutton before this but she also gives a good performance as his girlfriend while being very easy on the eyes.  This is available to watch on Crackle.

Miss Stevens (2016):  I end the week with this character study which was directed and co-written by Julia Hart.  AMERICAN HORROR STORY alum Lily Rabe stars as teacher Miss Stevens who is talked into chaperoning three high school youths to a drama competition in Billy, played by Timothee Chalamet, Margot, played by Lili Reinhart, and Sam, played by Anthony Quintal.  The kids are all having some sort of drama while preparing but Miss Stevens is having her own issues making it difficult to be that responsible adult.  THE OFFICE alum Oscar Nunez, Rob Huebel, Jammie Patton, Tamir Yardenne, Grant Jordan, Roy Abramsohn, Virginia Louise Smith, and many others co-star in this film.  This deals with far more than preparing for a drama competition and gets pretty deep.  This was a bit of a surprise for me and was really pretty moving with well-written characters.  This is available to watch on Hoopla Digital.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which includes Robert De Niro, Willem Dafoe, Demi Moore, Joe Pesci, Jamie Foxx, Tilda Swinton, and many others.  

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 788th Edition

 

Welcome to the 788th edition of my series.  I hope everyone is staying safe in these unusual times.  I would like to make the announcement that on the days of April 23-25, I am going to be in the cast of ARSENIC AND OLD LACE where I am playing the role of Teddy Roosevelt Brewster.  This will be in Alexandria, Indiana and excited to have gotten that part as it is the part I actually pursued.  I'll be updating this in the coming weeks but for now I'll just get to my selections.

Raging Bull (1980):  This is part five of my seven part Robert De Niro series.  Martin Scorsese directed this boxing film which is based on the autobiography of Jake LaMotta, played by De Niro.  This takes a look at both LaMotta's professional life as a boxer and his personal life.  He was known to obliterate opponents but in his home life his temper and violent tendencies would be his downfall.  Joe Pesci co-stars as Jake's brother Joey who managed Jake and tried to keep him in line.  Cathy Moriarty, Frank Vincent, Nicholas Colasanto, Theresa Saldana, Mario Gallo, Frank Adonis, Michael Badalucco, and many others co-star in this biopic.  De Niro was amazing as LaMotta and did a lot of preparation which even included entering three boxing matches.  This was also a project that De Niro had been working on getting made for a few years ago before he persistently convinced Scorsese to direct.  This is the first of many times that De Niro and Pesci would work together.  A good double feature would be to watch this along with ROCKY and have the contrast of these boxing movies where one was very inspirational while this one was more dark and intense.

This is Spinal Tap (1984):  Now I bring something more fun in this iconic mockumentary which was directed by Rob Reiner who stars as the director of the documentary so a director playing the director.  This centers around the a comeback tour of the metal band Spinal Tap which consists of Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer.  Tony Hendra, Bruno Kirby, Ed Begley Jr., Danny Kortchmar, Fran Drescher, Patrick McNee, Dana Carvey, Billy Crystal, Paul Benedict, Paul Shaffer, Anjelica Huston, Fred Willard and many others co-star in this comedy.  While this was a comedy, the members of the band were really quite talented and enjoyable in the music they played.  Carvey and Crystal both have early roles as the mimes in one of the scenes.  Years later, Guest would go onto direct his own really good mockumentaries that I'm sure he drew from this experience including A MIGHT WIND that could be a really good double feature.

Medicine for Melancholy (2008):  Now I go the more independent route in this film written and directed by Barry Jenkins in his directorial debut.  Wyatt Cenac and Tracey Heggins star as Micah and Jo form a relationship after a one night stand.  This takes a look at a 24 hour period of the San Franciscans dealing with the conundrums of being a minority in a rapidly gentrifying city.  This is more of a character driven movie where each have their own beliefs on being a minority.  This is hard to really explain much further but is rather though provoking in its dialogue.

The Hole (1962):  This is my animated short for the week which was directed by John Hubley.  Dizzy Gillespie and George Matthews provide the voices of two New York construction workers.  Like the last selection, this also revolves around discussion and for them it was over things like the nature of accidents on the job and the possibility of nuclear was so gets rather intense.  Gillespie is known for his jazz music and this is actually an acting debut for him in film.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

A Woman of Paris:  A Drama of Fate (1923):  This is my silent film for the week which was written and directed by Charles Chaplin in his directorial debut for United Artists.  Edna Purviance stars as Marie St. Claire who believes she has been stood up by her artist fiance Jean, played by Carl Miller, and goes to Paris alone.  A year later, she is the mistress to the wealthy Pierre Revel, played by Adolphe Menjou, but runs into Jean forcing her to rethink her situation.  Clarence Geldart, Lydia Knott, Charles K. French, and many others co-star in this film.  Those not familiar with this which, including myself before I came across it, likely notice in this description that this does not appear to be typical Chaplin.  There is no tramp and the movie is a drama.  The opening title card let know right away from Chaplin that this is not a typical film from him and that he would not be appearing though he does have a bit role but nothing to stick out upon.  This was a failure at the time and would go onto put on a new score and cut that would come out in 1977.  This is also available to watch on the Criterion Channel.  

The Monster Maker (1944):  Now I turn to some b-movie horror which was directed by Sam Newfield.  J. Carrol Naish stars as mad scientist Dr. Markoff concocts a formula which injects an acromegaly virus into people and causes them to be hideously deformed.  He uses it on concert pianist Lawrence, played by Ralph Morgan, in hopes of getting closer to his daughter Patricia, played by Wanda McCay.  Tara Birell, Terry Frost, Glenn Strange, Alexander Pollard, Sam Flint, and many others co-star in this sci-fi horror movie.  This is very low-budget but pretty enjoyable horror movie.  Naish does well as the mad scientist and Morgan does well in his role as the pianist experiencing deformity.  This is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

Uncut Gems (2019):  Benny and Josh Safdie co-wote and co-directed this crime film.  Adam Sandler stars as New York City jeweler Howard Ratner who gambling debts are mounting which effects his family and is trying to survive.  He thinks he has hit it bit when discovering a rare and uncut rock but must deal with the consequences of his past actions.  Idina Menzel, Keith William Richards, Tommy Kominik, Lakeith Stanfield, Pom Klementieff, Julia Fox, Paloma Elsesser, Mike Francesca, Kevin Garnett, Jonathan Aranbayev, Jacob Dylan Igielski, Eric Bogosian, Judd Hirsch, and many others co-star in this film.  I realized that I included movies from known comedians in Chaplin and now Adam Sandler in very atypical films for them.  This was a very different kind of movie for Sandler which might have a little of his personality but he takes this one to a new level in what was actually a good performance.  This is available to watch on Netflix.

Riot in Cell Block 11 (1954):  Now I bring a prison film which was directed by Don Siegel.  Neville Brand stars as inmate James V. Dunn who leads a protest of the living conditions, substandard food, and brutal guards.  Emile Meyer co-stars as the warden who mostly agrees with what Dunn is saying but is limited by his superiors on what he can do in order to get the prison back into control.  Frank Faylen, Leo Gordon, Robert Osterloh, Paul Frees, Alvy Moore, Dabbs Greer, Whit Bissell, James Anderson, Carleton Young, and many others co-star in this prison film.  Producer Walter Wanger had just done four months for shooting a man he suspected of having an affair with his wife and wanted this made to show the brutal conditions of what he witnessed.  This was filmed at Folsom State prison and even used people incarcerated as inmates.  This was a very popular genre for its time but I think this might be the most intense one I have seen.   

Storm Boy (1976):  Now I go a more lighter and family oriented selection which was directed by Henri Safran and based on the novel by Colin Thiele.  Greg Rowe stars as Mick and nicknamed "storm boy" by Fingerbone Bill, played by David Gulpilil, an aboriginal loner that Mick befriends.  Mick lives with his father Tom, played by Peter Cummins, on an isolated island leaving Mick rather lonely as well as uneducated.  He becomes very dismayed when he see hunters killing pelicans and even forms a bond with one he calls Mr. Percival.  This is a very touching coming of age story in some ways about acceptance.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Logan (2017):  I end the week with this superhero film which was directed by James Mangold.  Hugh Jackman reprises his role as an aging Wolverine whose healing powers are starting to dwindle.  He also cares for an ailing Professor X, reprised by Patrick Stewart, and works as a chauffeur.  This takes place in the near future in a time where mutants have mostly died off and is asked to drive a young mutant girl named Laura, played by Dafne Keen, to the Canadian border to join a group of fellow mutants.  He reluctantly takes the job and slowly sees how powerful and similar Laura is to him.  Boyd Holbrook, Stephen Merchant, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Richard E. Grant, Eriq La Salle, Elise Neal, Quincy Fouse, Reynaldo Gallegos, Krzysztof Soszynski, Stephen Dunlevy, Daniel Bernhardt, Ryan Sturz, and many others co-star in this film.  A couple other Wolverine movies were attempted that just fell a bit short but this one they really got it right.  I liked how in this movie, comic book stories exist in the real world where Logan will say are very exaggerated, kind of like how people describe the stories of their respective profession.  While the other X-Men movies are somewhat family oriented, at least with older kids, this one is rated R and is very violent compared to the others where Wolverine actually kills with those claws.  While this is the most violent of the X-Men oriented movies, it is also the most moving of them.

Well, that is all for this week but I did bring a triple feature of the "Movie Time in the Town of Pottersville" segment.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Robert De Niro, Sarah Paulson, Ernest Borgnine, and many others.

MOVIE TIME IN THE TOWN OF POTTERSVILLE

Usually, we do this at Stephanie's house but this time we relocated at her father's house to watch this reboot trilogy over the course of a couple nights that consisted of the last two weekends.

Godzilla (2014):  Gareth Edwards directed this reboot of the iconic Japanese creature.  Aaron Taylor-Johnson stars as Ford Brody who must go to Japan to help his estranged father Joe, played by Bryan Cranston, to figure out the truth of an incident that resulted in the loss of his wife Sandra.  They discover the rebirth of some very deadly creatures and realize their only hope might just be in Godzilla, the King of the Monsters.  The issue is that much of humanity does not understand that Godzilla is their ally while Godzilla fights off the other creatures.  Elizabeth Olsen, Ken Watanabe, Carson Bolde, CJ Adams, Sally Hawkins, Juliette Binoche, David Strathairn, Richard T. Jones, Victor Rasuk, Patrick Sabongui, and many others co-star in this film.  This was a really good updated version of the franchise with a good-looking Godzilla.  There is also a lot of good action and special effects for this creature feature.

Kong:  Skull Island (2017):  Jordan Vogt-Roberts directed this reboot of the giant ape.  A group of Vietnamese soldiers and scientists agree to go to an uninhabited island when convinced by monster chasers Bill and Houston, played by John Goodman and Corey Hawkins, to go there under the guise of geological research.   They get more than they bargain for when coming upon a group of creatures as well as King Kong himself.  Tom Hiddleston and Brie Larson co-star as James and Mason who are the more sensible ones on the island and understand that Kong is an ally.  Samuel L. Jackson, John C. Reilly, John Ortiz, Tian Jang, Toby Kebbell, Jason Mitchell, Shea Whigham, Thomas Mann, Eugene Cordero, Marc Evan Johnson, Will Brittain, Miyavi, Richard Jenkins, and many others co-star in this creature feature.  It looks like we are getting another franchise like in the older days and like what Marvel does.  I still prefer the 2005 film KING KONG but this still has its moments and is enjoyable to watch.  Watch for the end credit scene at the end.

Godzilla:  King of the Monsters (2019):  This is the third of the current Monsterverse which was directed by Michael Dougherty.  In this one, we are introduced to the other Kaiju in Mothra, King Ghidorah and Rodan.  The agency Monarch must band together to contain these monsters and understand they need Godzilla and Mothra to take out Ghidorah.  Kyle Chandler, Millie Bobby Brown, Ken Watanabe, Ziyi Zhang, Bradley Whitford, Sally Hawkins, Charles Dance, Thomas Middleditch, Aisha Hinds, O'Shea Jackson Jr., David Strathairn, Anthony Ramos, Elizabeth Faith Ludlow, Jonathan Howard, CCH Pounder, Joe Morton, and many others co-star in this film.  What more needs to be said here?  It was good to see some of those other creatures be introduced into the verse, I really liked how Mothra was presented.  I would say before watching this movie, that you might want to watch some of the older ones first to get to know these other creatures more.  This year we will get to see the rematch of Godzilla and King Kong.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 787th Edition

 

Welcome to the 787th Edition of my series.  I don't have a lot to say at this time so I'll just leave it at stay safe and just look for that better tomorrow I know we can all have.  Now I'll just get to me selections for the week.

She's Having a Baby (1988):  This is part three of my Kevin Bacon trilogy.  John Hughes wrote and directed this film about newlyweds Jake and Kristy Briggs, played by Bacon and Elizabeth McGovern.  As newlyweds, they appear a bit unprepared and must figure out what is best for them even though the parents have a lot of demands for what they need.  Alec Baldwin, Holland Taylor, William Windom, Cathryn Damon, Bill Erwin, Paul Gleason, Dennis Dugan, John Ashton, Larry Hankin, Edie McClurg, Nancy Lenehan, Al Leong, Lili Taylor, Gail O'Grady, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a little different from most John Hughes comedies at the time.  It has comedy in it but is more of a drama than those teen comedies he is known for like PRETTY IN PINK and SIXTEEN CANDLES.  It was also a more personal project for Hughes.  This is a good look at the trials and tribulations of marriage.

Wife and Auto Trouble (1916):  This is my short film for the week where I decided to go the silent route.  Dell Henderson directed this silent short which stars William Collier Jr. as the credits say "the meek husband".  He is bossed around a lot by his wife and mother-in-law and is also having an affair with his secretary in which is brother-in-law tries to expose and leads to some funny results.  This is worth a look for those who enjoy silent films, especially silent comedy.  Interesting of note that the protagonist was the one having the affair that I'm sure drew some controversy at the time.

The Godfather:  Part II (1974):  This is part three of my Robert De Niro series that will likely go five or six parts.  Francis Ford Coppola directs possibly the best sequel of all time and even co-writes the modern era with Mario Puzo while the flashback scenes are based from his novel.  This takes a look at the parallel lives of young Vito Corleone, played by De Niro, and Vito's youngest son Michael Corleone, reprised by Al Pacino.  This charts the rise in the mafia for Vito in the '20s and for Michael as he tightens his grip on the family crime syndicate as he looks to expand his business to Las Vegas, Hollywood, and Cuba.  Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, John Cazale, Talia Shire, Lee Strasburg, Michael V. Gazzo, G.D. Spradlin, Richard Bright, Gastone Moschin, Tom Rosqui, Bruno Kirby, Frank Silvero, Francesca De Sapio, Morgana King, Dominic Chianese, Troy Donahue, John Aprea, Joe Spinell, Abe Vigoda, Gianni Russo, Harry Dean Stanton, Danny Aiello, Roger Corman, James Caan, and many others co-star in this sequel.  This is a really good back and forth look at Vito and Michael as we see more compassion in Vito and more ruthlessness in Michael.  I have come to compare Vito and Michael to the real life father and son Vincent J. McMahon and Vincent K. McMahon in the way they handled the industry and the way Vincent J. wanted the industry to stay territorial and Vincent K. went on to expand globally.  Even before this, I always saw Vincent K. McMahon as a Michael Corleone.  It is best to have seen the first one first and then this one though a release was made that started with the flashback scenes and went in order of the stories of parts one and two in the more modern era though it does not work as well in my opinion.

American Pop (1981):  Ralph Bakshi directed this animated film which was written by Ronnie Kern.  This takes a look at four generations of a Russian Jewish immigrant family, each of which had a part in popular music in some way starting from pre-jazz to rhythm and blues, 1950s rock, and psychedelic rock.  This takes a look at the ups and downs of these people.  Ron Thompson, Mews Small, Lisa Jane Persky, Roz Kelly, Frank DeKova, Leonard Stone, Richard Moll, Vincent Schiavelli, and many others provide their voices in this animated film.  Bakshi was more known for his dark fantasy films whereas this seemed to be a more personal project for him.  This is a pretty moving film on the ups and downs of many generations of a family.

Paths of Glory (1957):  Now I bring a war film which was directed by Stanley Kubrick and based on the novel by Humphrey Cobb.  Kirk Douglas stars as commanding WWI officer Colonel Dax who must defend three of his soldiers that get a court martial being accused of cowardice during an unsuccessful attack.  Ralph Meeker, Adolphe Menjou, George Macready, Wayne Morris, Richard Anderson, Joe Turkel, Peter Capell, Emile Meyer, Bert Freed, Timothy Carey, and many others co-star in this anti-war film.  This was probably very controversial at the time for the anti-war themes which was rather taboo in this era.  Douglas had a lot to do in the making of this film which was produced by his own studio when Kubrick approached him.  This takes place some during the war but mostly in the court scenes when the soldiers are on trial.  This is available to watch on Amazon Prime and is of worth to see some early Kubrick.

The Legend of Rita (2000):  This is my German film for the week which was directed by Volker Schlondorff.  Bibiana Begau stars as Rita Vogt who is a radical West German radical fighting the capitalist system there..  She finally abandons the revolution and is given a new identity provided by the East German secret service while living in fear that she will be exposed.  Martin Wuttke, Nadja Uhl, Harald Schrott, Alexander Beyer, Jenny Schily, Thomas Arnold, and many others co-star in this German film.  The characters are at least somewhat based on real-life members from the RAF.  This is a pretty good look at '70s Germany and is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

Star Wars:  Episode IV- A New Hope (1977):  George Lucas wrote and directed this sci-fi classic that started this big franchise.  Mark Hamill stars as Luke Skywalker who works as a farm hand with his aunt and uncle.  Things happen when he gets a message from Princess Leia, played by Carrie Fisher, from one of the droids that Luke bought.  He teams up with an aging Jedi knight Obi-Wan Kenobi, played by Alec Guinness, outlaw pilot Han Solo, played by Harrison Ford, a Wookie named Chewbacca, played by Peter Mayhew, a couple droids C-3PO and R2-D2, played by Anthony Daniels and Kenny Baker, to go rescue the princess from the empire lead by Darth Vader, played by David Prowse and voiced by James Earl Jones.  Peter Cushing, Phil Brown, Shelagh Fraser, and many others co-star in this film.  I don't think I really need to go much further on the plot.  I don't really know where the number four came from so I'll leave that to anyone who has dug really deep into that.  I think just about anyone who has wanted to see this movie has by now and those who have not seen it will proudly let everyone know they are one of the "1%" that has never seen a STAR WARS movie.  This movie started a huge phenomenon when it came out and it remains that way today.  This is available to watch on Disney Plus just like the rest.

Marriage Story (2019):  I start the week out with the start of newlyweds, now I bring on a movie about a couple dealing with divorce which was written and directed by Noah Baumbach.  Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson star as married couple Charlie and Nicole Barber who are going through a divorce and are trying to make things work for the sake of the 8 year old son Henry, played by Azhy Robertson.  Julia Greer, Wallace Shawn, Gideon Glick, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Robert Smigel, Julie Hagerty, Laura Dern, Merritt Weaver, Ray Liotta, Alan Alda, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a good look at a couple in the unfortunate stage of divorce and the price of having the courts involved with the divorce.  Driver shows some musical talent in one scene.  This is available to watch on Netflix.

Chains (1949):  This is my Italian film for the week which was directed by Raffaello Matarazzo.  Amedeo Nazzari and Yvonne Samson star as married couple Guglielmo and Rosa.  Rosa's ex-boyfriend comes back into the picture and a killing happens that threatens to tear the family apart.  Matarazzo was known for his comedies but transitions into this melodrama with a touch of Noir.  I understand that this movie was pretty successful at the time it was out but has not really stayed on the radar since then.  This was a pretty decent story on a family torn apart by temptation.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Go For Sisters (2013):  John Sayles wrote and directed this crime drama.  THE PRACTICE alum LisaGay Hamilton stars as parole officer Bernice whose son is missing.  She enlists the help of her old friend Fontayne, played by Yolanda Ross, who has been paroled and has Bernice as a parole officer.  They also get helped by disgraced cop Freddy Suarez.  Hilary Barraford, Mahershala Ali, Harold Perrineau, Mary Portser, Don Harvey, Brent Jennings, Isaiah Washington, Hector Elizondo, and many others co-star in this crime drama.  This is a pretty good low-budget film with a trio of unrelated characters that really works.  It also has a non-Hollywood treatment that is also refreshing.  

Well, that is it for this week but I did bring back my "Fun and Useless Facts" segment so continue reading.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Robert De Niro, Rob Reiner, Charles Chaplin, and many others.

FUN AND USELESS FACTS

I like to do this segment from time to time and felt this week I had enough to work with.  I do limit the facts so there are plenty others that I did not cover and you are welcome to comment.  I know one obvious familial one that is not on here.

Timothy Carey (Paths of Glory) was offered the role of Don Fanucci in this week's feature THE GODFATHER:  PART II which would ultimately go to Gastone Moschin.

Al Pacino (The Godfather Part II) declined the role of Han Solo in this week's feature STAR WARS:  EPISODE IV- A NEW HOPE which would ultimately go to Harrison Ford.  What could have been.

Kevin Bacon (She's Having a Baby) and Robert De Niro (The Godfather Part II) were in the 1996 film SLEEPERS.

Elizabeth McGovern (She's Having a Baby) and Robert De Niro (The Godfather Part II) were in the 1984 film ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA.

Alec Baldwin (She's Having a Baby) and Adam Driver (Marriage Story) were in the 2018 film BLACKKKLANSMAN.

Alec Baldwin (She's Having a Baby) and Robert De Niro (The Godfather Part II) were in the 2006 film THE GOOD SHEPHERD which De Niro directed.  Baldwin is also known to do a pretty good impression on De Niro, most notably on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE.

Alec Baldwin (She's Having a Baby) and Harrison Ford (Star Wars) were in the 1988 comedy WORKING GIRL.  They also share the role of Jack Ryan which Baldwin played in the 1990 film THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER and Ford played him in 1992 film PATRIOT GAMES and the 1994 film CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER.  They apparently do not get along very well.

Holland Taylor (She's Having a Baby) and LisaGay Hamilton were in the legal drama series THE PRACTICE where Taylor was more of a recurring character as one of the judges and Hamilton was a regular.

William Windom (She's Having a Baby) and Robert Duvall (The Godfather Part II) were in the 1962 film TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

Paul Gleason (She's Having a Baby) and Robert Duvall (The Godfather Part II) were in the 1979 mini-series IKE:  THE WAR YEARS, the 1979 film THE GREAT SANTINI, and the 1983 film TENDER MERCIES.

Dennis Dugan (She's Having a Baby) plays the stand-by for Al Pacino (The Godfather Part II) in the 2011 comedy JACK AND JILL in which Dugan directed.

John Ashton (She's Having a Baby) and Robert De Niro (The Godfather Part II) were in the 1988 comedy MIDNIGHT RUN.

Larry Hankin (She's Having a Baby) and Hector Elizondo (Go for Sisters) were in the 1990 comedy PRETTY WOMAN.

Robert De Niro (The Godfather Part II) and LisaGay Hamilton (Go for Sisters) were in the 1997 film JACKIE BROWN.

Harrison Ford (Star Wars) and Edward James Olmos (Go for Sisters) were in the 1982 sci-fi classic BLADE RUNNER and the 2017 sequel BLADE RUNNER 2049.

Ray Liotta (Marriage Story) and Mahershala Ali (Go For Sisters) were in the 2012 film THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES.

Alec Baldwin (She's Having a Baby) and Harold Perrineau (Go For Sisters) were in the 1997 movie THE EDGE.

Robert De Niro (The Godfather Part II) and Don Harvey (Go For Sisters) were in the 1987 film THE UNTOUCHABLES.

Harrison Ford (Star Wars) and Brent Jennings (Go For Sisters) were in the 1985 film WITNESS.

Harrison Ford (Star Wars) and Isaiah Washington (Go For Sisters) were in the 2003 movie HOLLYWOOD HOMICIDE.

Ray Liotta (Marriage Story) and Hector Elizondo (Go For Sisters) were in the 1997 thriller TURBULANCE.

Al Pacino (The Godfather Part II) and Hector Elizondo (Go For Sisters) were in the 1991 movie FRANKIE AND JOHNNY.

Alec Baldwin (She's Having a Baby) and Al Pacino (The Godfather Part II) ere in the 1992 film GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS.

Robert Duvall (The Godfather Part II) and Harrison Ford (Star Wars) were in the 1979 film APOCALYPSE NOW.

Robert Duvall (The Godfather Part II) and James Earl Jones (Star Wars) are half-brothers in the 1996 film A FAMILY THING.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 786th Edition

Welcome to the 786th Edition of my series.  It's been quite a crazy week in this country in the political spectrum which seems to happen every week.  I still refuse to lose hope for 2021 and am trying just trying to live my own best life hoping for a better tomorrow for everyone.  That's all I'm going to say right now so I'll just get to my selections for the week.

20th Century Women (2016):  This is part two of my two-part Billy Crudup series.  Mike Mills wrote and directed this film that is like for a lack of a better word, a character study.  Annette Bening stars as single mother Dorothea Fields struggling to raise her 15 year old son Jamie, played by Lucas Jane Zumann.  As she struggles to connect with him, she enlists a couple girls in his life to help out in Julie, played by Elle Fanning, and Abbie Porter, played by Greta Gerwig.  Crudup co-stars as William who pays rent to stay at Dorothea and Jamie's home.  Alison Elliott, Thea Gill, Vitaly Andrew LeBeau, Waleed Zuaiter, Curran Walters, Alia Shawkat, Nathalie Love, Cameron Protzman, Victoria Bruno, John Billingsley, Cameron Gellman, Finnegan Seeker Bell, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a pretty good look at an unexpected family and a coming of age story at that.  This is available to watch on Netflix.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (1990):  This is part five of my five-part series.  Tom Stoppard wrote and directed this film that is a variation on the obscure HAMLET characters of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, played by Gary Oldman and Tim Roth.  They are unaware that they lead scripted lives and unable to deviate from them.  Richard Dreyfuss, Joanna Roth, Iain Glen, Donald Sumpter, Joanna Miles, and many others co-star in this film.  Dreyfuss is nearly unrecognizable as the Player, the leader of a theater troupe that encounters the the title characters a lot.  Oldman and Roth make a great duo in this movie  This does feature the characters of HAMLET including the title character but in different ways and kind of like a retelling of the story.  This is a movie I believe that is really left to interpretation and I believe one must appreciate Shakespeare to get into this movie.  This is available on Amazon Prime and Hoopla Digital.

Shotgun Freeway:  Drives Through Lost L.A. (1995):  This is one of my documentaries for the week which was directed by Morgan Neville and Harry Pallenberg.  This is a documentary that shows the social and political history of Los Angeles in terms of this town, Hollywood, crime, and even the music world.  Crime novelist James Ellroy, filmmaker John Milius, Bert Corona, Buck Henry, David Hockney, Gene Norman, Frank Wilkinson, and many other L.A. residents have interviews in the documentary.  This is a pretty good look into the world of Los Angeles and its history as well as reflections for the thoughts of the future.

Are You Ready for Marriage? (1950):  This is my short film for the week that was featured on the episode of MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 for last week's feature RACKET GIRLS.  This looks at a young high school couple that are seniors in high school and think they are ready for marriage but the marriage counselor brings up questions they should continue.  This is part of the Coronet Film Series which was meant to be educational but now just cheesy as indicated that MST3K riffed on it.  This can probably be found on public domain and is on the episode mentioned which is available on Amazon Prime.

Make Way for Tomorrow (1937):  Leo McCarey directed this film based on the novel by Josephine Lawrence.  Beulah Bondi and Victor Moore star as elderly couple Lucy and Barkley Cooper who after many years have their house foreclosed.  They have five grown kids but none are really reasonable and each parent ends up living separately.  They couple ends up finding themselves a burden where they are no matter how much they try to fit into the house.  Fay Bainter, Thomas Mitchell, Porter Hall, Barbara Read, Maurice Moscovitch, Elizabeth Risdon, Minna Gombell, Louise Beavers, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a really good story and it is also quite the tearjerker in the way the kids treated the parents and remember, this was the '30s so things haven't really changed.  Bondi had been mostly a character actress and this is probably the closest she had to a starring role and was really good in this movie.  This is a very underrated movie that really deserves a look.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

National Lampoon's Animal House (1978):  After that selection, I'm sure you're ready for someone to make you laugh.  This is part two of my Kevin Bacon trilogy where he makes his film debut.  John Landis directed this iconic comedy.  John Belushi stars as John Blutarsky who is the leader of the Delta Tau Chi Fraternity which has been the thorn in the side for Dean Vernon Wormer, played by John Vernon.  Wormer enlists the help of frat house Delta House to put them to an end but the misfits will do what they can to keep their own fraternity going.  Bacon, Tom Hulce, Stephen Furst, Mark Metcalf, Mary Louise Weller, Martha Smith, James Daughton, Douglas Kenney, Karen Allen, James Widdoes, Tim Matheson, Peter Riegert, Bruce McGill, Donald Sutherland, Cesare Danova, Verna Bloom, Sarah Holcomb, Eliza Roberts, and many others co-star in this frat comedy.  This is one that has lived on through the generations and has not been topped by all the other raunchy college comedies that have been put out through the years.  For those looking for some clean comedy, this is not it.

1917 (2019):  This is my war film for the week which was directed and co-written by Sam Mendes.  George Mackay and Dean-Charles Chapman star as WWI Lance Corporals Schofield and Blake who are sent to take a message to a colonel to pull out of an attack that is meant to be a trap that will likely kill thousands including Blake's brother.  They make a dangerous trek into through enemy territory in hope of saving many lives.  Daniel Mays, Colin Firth, Pip Carter, Andy Apollo, Paul Tinto, Josef Davies, Billy Postlethwaite, Gabriel Akuwudike, Andrew Scott, Spike Leighton, Gerran Howell, Mark Strong, Benedict Cumberbatch, Adrian Scarborough, Richard Madden, and many others co-star in this film.  Mendez wrote this in tribute to his grandfather's experiences in WWI.  This is kind of on the lines of SAVING PRIVATE RYAN and could make a good double feature.  This is a very well shot story and is even quite moving at times.

Bambi (1942):  Now I turn to some classic Disney animation which was directed by David Hand.  This centers around the newborn deer Bambi and going through lessons in life with his other animal friends Thumper who is a rabbit and Flower who is a skunk.  Sam Edwards, Ann Gillis, Otis Harlan, Sterling Holloway, Cammie King Conlon, Mary Lansing, Fred Shields, Will Wright, and many others provide their voices in this film.  This might have been one of the first family movies to really deal with death so this can be a tearjerker at times.  This also has some animation that still stands today.  I also watched its sequel BAMBI II, well more of a midquel, which goes along with this pretty well and transitions from young Bambi into Adult Bambi which has a lot that was left out.  This can teach a lot of lessons and has a similar feel to the later Disney film in THE LION KING that deals with life lessons.  This is available to watch on Disney Plus.

Hi, Mom (1970):  This is part two of my Robert De Niro series that I think will maybe go four parts.  Barry Levinson directed this comedy which stars a very young De Niro who stars as Vietnam veteran John Rubin.  Rubin moves into Greenwich Village into a rundown flat.  He finds he has a lot of access to filming homes across from him so he gets a camera and looks to film things "peeping tom" style.  He then joins a radical black power group.  Charles Durning, Allen Garfield, Lara Parker, Jennifer Salt, Paul Bartel, Gerrit Graham, and many others co-star in this comedy.  I don't really know much how to explain this movie.  It is of interest to see a young De Niro before he would hook up with Scorsese.  This is a pretty dark comedy and can be offensive to those that offend easy.  I found this on Youtube and is really worth a look.

Cutie and the Boxer (2013):  I end the week with this documentary which was direceted by Zachary Heinzerling.  This takes a look at artist Ushio Shinohara and his wife Noriko in their 40 year marriage.  This takes a look at Ushio's unusual art and Noriko finding her own identity in art.  This takes a look at the ups and downs of the marriage with a lot of their financial struggles through the years.  This is a really good look at a long-time married couple and the life of an artist.  This is available to watch on the Roku Channel.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Kevin Bacon, Robert De Niro, Kirk Douglas, and many others.