Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 793rd Edition

Welcome to the 793rd edition of my series.  Tonight are the Golden Globes and I will likely watch but in the end they are just the opinions of many people so I will just move on with my life when they are over.  My show is coming together very well so I hope some of you can make it out to ARSENIC AND OLD LACE in April to see me play a a man who believes he is Teddy Roosevelt.  I will get on with my selections for the week. 

Happy Accidents (2000):  I start the week out with this unusual romantic comedy which was written and directed by Brad Anderson.  Marisa Tomei stars as Ruby Weaver who continues to find the wrong men.  Soon she meets Sam Deed, played by Vincent D'Onofrio, who seems like the perfect man for her but is a bit strange as he claims to be from the future.  Holland Taylor co-stars as Ruby's therapist who tries to help her through these strange times and to understand her man.  Nadia Dajani, Tamara Jenkins, Cara Buono, Lianna Pai, Neal Huff, Sam Seder, Robert Stanton, Stephen Gevedon, Larry Fessendon, Sean Gullette, H. Jon Benjamin, Michael Buscemi, Anthony Michael Hall, and many others co-star in this romantic comedy.  I tend to really enjoy romantic movies with Marisa Tomei, most notably UNTAMED HEART and where can one go wrong with Vincent D'Onofrio playing a romantic lead?  This is a very interesting story and at times moving.  

Eagle vs Shark (2007):  I follow up with another rather offbeat romantic comedy which was directed and co-written by Taika Waititi.  Loren Taylor stars as Lily who is out of a job and attracted to loser Jarrod as she accompanies him to his seacoast hometown as he gets ready to take on a guy that bullied him back in high school.  While she meets his family, Jarrod does things to drive Lily away wondering what the future will be like.  Joel Tobeck, Brian Sergent, Craig Hall, Rachel House, David Fane, Cohen Holloway, and many others co-star in this film.  Romantic comedy is really putting this mildly, more of an offbeat film of a couple outcasts falling in love.  This could be a good double feature to go along with NAPOLEON DYNAMITE.

Suburban Commando (1991):  Burt Kennedy directed this sci-fi comedy.  Former WWE World Champion Hulk Hogan stars as interstellar hero Shep Ramsey whose ship was damaged and ends up on Earth of all places until he can get his ship charged again.  He is able to rent a place right next to a suburban family, played by Christopher Lloyd and Shelley Duvall, while taking on his enemies.  Larry Miller, Jack Elam, Tony Longo, Mark Calaway, Dennis Burkley, Luis Contreras, Elizabeth Moss, and many others star in this sci-fi comedy.  Some might remember Calaway as "Mean" Mark Callous but a few others might just know him as the Undertaker.  This is very fun is not taken too seriously.  In watching this, it seems to me, Shep Ramsey could be added to the STAR WARS universe.

Fright to the Finish (1954):  This is my animated short for the week which was directed by Seymour Kneitel.  This centers around Popeye, Olive Oyl, and Bluto where as usual Popeye and Bluto are rivaling for Olive.  This takes place on Halloween where the two rivals are playing more mind games on one another than their usual physical fighting so something different and both were pretty funny.  This is available on Amazon Prime as part of the "Cartoon Classics! Volume 1".

Shanghai Express (1932):  Josef Von Sternberg directed this pre-code film based on a short story by Harry Hervey.  Marlene Dietrich stars as the notorious Shanghai Lily who is on a train ride with that includes her former lover Captain Donald Harvey, played by Clive Brook during the time of a Chinese civil war.  While this train is going, a group of Chinese Guerrillas stop the train making Harvey their hostage.  Anna May Wong, Warner Oland, Eugene Pallette, Lawrence Grant, Louise Closser Hale, Gustav Von Seyffertitz, Emile Chautard.  This has a pretty good cast of characters to make it enjoyable.  Oland plays a Chinese man so I guess he spent much of his career playing those characters as he is most known as detective Charlie Chan.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Darktown Strutters (1975):  This is my Blaxploitation movie for the week which was directed by William Witney and written by George Armitage.  Trina Parks stars as biker Syreena who leads a group of female bikers and investigates the disappearance of her mother Cinderella, and no this is not the famous fairy tale character.  Roger E. Mosley, Stan Shaw, Otis Day, Norman Bartold, Dick Miller, Milt Kogan, and many others co-star in this movie.  I learned that Parks is a more unknown Bond girl who played the role of Thumper in DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER so that was kind of cool to know.  It is very tough to describe this movie beyond what I already did as I don't exactly know what I watched.  This has a lot of surrealistic imagery and I believe is a satire on racism.  This is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

Big Time Adolecence (2019):  Jason Orley wrote and directed this coming of age comedy.  Griffin Gluck stars as suburban teenager Monroe who has a lot of potential but is compromised by the guidance of his aimless college dropout friend Zeke, played by Pete Davidson, and Zeke's friends.  Emily Arlook, Michael Devine, Aiden Arthur, Jon Cryer, Julia Murney, Machine Gun Kelly, Mike Sutton, Sydney Sweeney, Thomas Barbusca, Oona Laurence, and many others co-star in this comedy.  While this is very funny, it shows the price of trying to be "cool" and trying to fit in with a certain crowd.  For Monroe, it was trying to fit in with a group of immature adults and being rather naive.  This is available to watch on Hulu and was really worth a watch.  

The Last Time I Saw Paris (1954):  This is part two of my Elizabeth Taylor trilogy.  Richard Brooks directed this film based on a story by F. Scott Fitzgerald.  Van Johnson stars in this film as Charles Wills who returns to Paris after a year and reminisces his times with sisters Helen and Marion Ellswirth, played by Taylor and Donna Reed.  Walter Pidgeon, Eva Gabor, Kurt Kasznar, George Dolenz, Roger Moore, Sandy Descher, Celia Lovsky, and many others co-star in this film.  This was a very young Moore making his first credited movie appearance long before he take on his most famous role of James Bond.  This was a pretty good look at the ups and downs of a relationship but if I say much more I could give it away so just give it a shot.  This is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

Uptight (1968):  Jules Dassin directed this film based on the 1935 novel by Liam O'Flaherty so it had to be re-written a bit to fit into these particular times.  This takes place right after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.  Max Julien stars as charismatic black black revolutionary Johnny Wells who leads a group of black men to steal some guns.  When going to get their member Tank, played by Julian Mayfield, they find he is drunk and sitting around his house no longer really supporting their cause.  This causes a lot of tension among this group of black revolutionaries that were not in favor of the non-violent approach of MLK.  Ruby Dee, Raymond St. Jacques, Frank Silvera, Roscoe Lee Browne, Janet MacLaughlin, Juanita Moore, Dick Anthony Williams, Michael Baseleon, John Wesley, and many others co-star in this film that is essentially about betrayal.  I had never heard of this movie until I came across it and was a very powerful film.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel. 

Maurice (1987):  I end another week with a movie directed by James Ivory and this time based on a novel by E.M. Forster.  This takes place in the early 1900s where James Wilby stars as Maurice Hall who falls in love with a man named Clive, played by a young Hugh Grant, in a time where this sort of love was absolutely forbidden.  Clive moves on and marries a woman not wanting to be exposed as a homosexual while Maurice is in more of a struggle to come to terms with his homosexuality.  Rupert Graves, Denholm Elliot, Simon Callow, Billie Whitelaw, Barry Foster, Judy Parfitt, Phoebe Nicholls, Patrick Godfrey, Mark Tandy, Ben Kingsley, Kitty Aldridge, Helena Bonham Carter, and many others co-star in this film.  Even when this movie came out, this was still a time where being gay was mostly deemed as wrong in society so this likely met some backlash.  This a good good look at Britain in this era and is also available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so so far includes Naomi Watts, Christopher Walken, Eli Wallach, Buster Keaton, Elizabeth Taylor, Myrna Loy, and many others.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 792nd Edition

Welcome to the 792nd Edition of my series.  It's been a long week training for a new line of business and with rehearsals but I still manage to bring you this for the week.  ARSENIC AND OLD LACE is April 23-25 in Alexandria so if in or around the area come see me becoming Teddy Roosevelt.  I don't have much else to say right now so I'll just get on with my selections.

TR:  The Story of Theodore Roosevelt (1996):  I start the week out with this PBS documentary series.  Obviously, this is about the ups and downs of the life of Roosevelt from his early childhood where no one thought he'd live, to being the leader of the Rough Riders, his presidency and other things.  Jason Robards provides the narration to this mini-series that has four episodes of about an hour.  As some may know, my part in ARSENIC AND OLD LACE is Teddy Brewster who believes that he is Teddy Roosevelt so I thought I'd check this out and see if there would be anything significant to my performance.  This is a very insightful documentary of the camera friendly historical figure.

Goodbye, Christopher Robin (2017):  I go from a documentary from a former president to the author of an iconic children's story.  Domhnall Gleeson stars as Alan Cline who struggles in his writing but some toys of his son Christopher Robin, played by Will Tilston and Alex Lawther in the later years, inspire him to write a story about these animals.  He also made one of the characters of his son thus making him a big celebrity.  They did a lot of tours essentially exploiting his son and forgetting that what he needs most is his father.  Margot Robbie co-stars as Alan's wife Daphne.  Kelly Macdonald, Vicki Pepperdine, Stephen Campbell Moore, Richard McCabe, Geraldine Somerville, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a pretty compelling biopic of what can be the effects of fame if not careful.  This really deserves a look and pretty accurate from what I can tell.

What Women Want (2000):  Now I go to a romantic comedy which was directed by Nancy Meyers.  Mel Gibson stars as advertising executive Nick Marshall who is rather cocky and chauvinistic.  He gets passed up for a promotion by someone on the outside named Darcy Mcguire, played by Helen Hunt.  Things happen where he gets a new gift, maybe curse, in being able to read the thoughts of women.  He puts this newfound ability to use with his boss Darcy and as things go on, he is able to form a better understanding, most notably with his teen daughter Alex, played by Ashley Johnson, and a very depressed employee in Erin, played by Judy Greer.  Marisa Tomei, Alan Alda, Mark Feuerstein, Lauren Holly, Delta Burke, Valerie Perrine, Sarah Paulson, Ana Gasteyer, Lisa Edelstein, Loretta Devine, Diana Maria Rivia, Eric Balfour, and many others co-star in this comedy.  I really enjoyed this one with the humor and really a good message.  I think my favorite element was with Judy Greer's character.  Maybe we all need 24 hours to hear the thoughts of the opposite sex in order to understand one another better.

Voyage to the Sky (1937):  This is my short film for the week which was directed by Jean Painleve.  This depicts imagined landscapes and on a universe on our own.  Painleve directed many of these educational shorts from France that look at something scientific.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel among many others.

The Silent Partner (1978):  This is my tribute to the late Christopher Plummer who recently left us.  I needed something that was available to stream and understand everyone expects THE SOUND OF MUSIC which I'm aware Plummer was not favorable toward.  I found this one that I had not heard of so I jumped right at this one.  Daryl Duke directed this crime film which is based on the novel THINK OF A NUMBER by Anders Bodelsen.  Elliott Gould stars in this film as banker Miles Cullen who is robbed but is able to outsmart the robber, played by Plummer.  This does not sit well with the robber and targets Miles in a deadly game.  Susannah York, Celine Lomez, Michael Kirby, Sean Sullivan, Ken Pogue, John Candy, Gail Dahms-Bonine, and many others co-star in this film.  This is in some ways a holiday film as it does take part around Christmas and involves Santa at one point.  This is a very intense film with Plummer as villain to the core having no redeeming qualities whatsoever and was able to match up with Gould very well.  This is available on the Criterion Channel and hope to get this one more exposure.  

La Poison (1951):  This is my French film for the week which was written and directed by Sacha Guitry.  Michel Simon stars as Paul Braconnier who tires of his wife and when seeing a commercial for a sly attorney that has gotten many acquittals.  When talking to the attorney, Paul puts forth his plan to murder his wife and then retain the services of the attorney.  This is a very well done dark comedy with Simon playing his role to perfection.  This is also available to watch on the Criterion Channel. 

Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964):  Ishiro Honda directed this creature feature of first battle of the iconic creatures.  The premise is that Mothra's egg is stolen by greedy entrepreneurs after it gets washed up ashore provoking Mothra to retrieve it.  Godzilla also washes up from ashore and does battle with Mothra.  What more can I say about this film.  This has some really good action and a decent enough story to be very watchable.  This was an early era where they had a universe kind of like what Marvel does now.  This is also available to watch on the Criterion Channel and many others movies featuring Godzilla.

The Farewell (2019):  Lulu Wang directed this comedy/drama which centers around a Chinese family.  Awkwafina stars as Billi, whose parents moved her to the United States in her youth and goes back to China upon learning of her Grandmother, played by Shuzhen Zhao, being terminally ill.  The family decides to keep her in the dark about the terminal illness while Billi struggles to go along with it.  X Mayo, Tzi Ma, Diana Lin, Becca Khalil, Aoi Mizuhara, Xiang Li, and many others co-star in this film.  This is based on a true story of Wang's real-life family in a very similar situation.  This was a rather moving film and a good look at the clash of eastern and western cultures.  This is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

A Place in the Sun (1951):  This is part one of a possible Elizabeth Taylor trilogy.  George Stevens directed this film which is based on the novel by Theodore Dreiser and the play by Patrick Kearney.  Montgomery Clift stars as George Eastman who has struggled all of his life and leaves for California in hopes of a better job under his wealthy uncle.  He starts out in the assembly line where he starts seeing his co-worker Alice Tripp, played by a young Shelley Winters.  When getting promoted, he meets Angela Vickers, played by Taylor, who shows him a more upper society world.  He falls in love with Angela only to learn that Alice is pregnant and tragedy ensues.  Anne Revere, Keefe Brasselle, Fred Clark, Raymond Burr, Herbert Heyes, and many others co-star in this film.  This has always been a favorite of mine but really hard to explain in words what makes it that way.  This is a great story of a love triangle with a good story as well as good performances.  This is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

The White Countess (2005):  I end the week with this period piece which was directed by James Ivory in his last movie.  This takes place in 1936 Shanghai and stars Ralph Fiennes as blind former American diplomat Todd Jackson.  Natasha Richardson co-stars as Sofia, a Russian Countess who must take odd jobs to support herself and her family.  They form a relationship but in a time of war.  Lynn Redgrave, Madeleine Potter, Madeleine Daly, John Wood, Vanessa Redgrave, Allan Corduner, Lee Pace, Hiroyuki Sanada, and many others co-star in this film.  This was quite the family affair with Richardson, her mother Vanessa Redgrave, and her aunt Lynn Redgrave.  This is mostly a highlight to see Fiennes and Richardson together.  Those who enjoy a good period piece should like this one.  This is also available to watch on Amazon Prime.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which includes Marisa Tomei, Christopher Lloyd, Marlene Dietrich, Elizabeth Taylor, and many others.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 791st Edition

Welcome to the 791st Edition of my series.  I hope everyone is having a good Valentine's Day however celebrated and this week we also have President's Day tomorrow which unfortunately I don't have tomorrow off at work.  Also, on Wednesday we have Ash Wednesday so please wish any friends or family members with the Ash variation in their name a Happy Ash Wednesday.  That's enough for now so I'll just get on with my selections for the week.

Once Upon a Time in America (1984):  This is part seven of my seven part Robert De Niro series.  I start the week out with this mafia epic which was directed by Sergio Leone and based on the novel THE HOODS by Harry Grey.  De Niro stars as Noodles, an aging gangster who returns to Manhattan after 30 years and looks back on those times of his regrets and those he loved.  This shows how things started in his youth into the much later days.  James Woods, Elizabeth McGovern, Treat Williams, Tuesday Weld, Burt Young, Joe Pesci, Danny Aiello, William Forsythe, Darlanne Fluegel, Larry Rapp, Robert Harper, Richard Bright, Mario Brega, Angelo Florio, Brian Bloom, Noah Moazezi, James Russo, Paul Herman, Marcia Jean Kurtz, Estelle Harris, Jennifer Connelly, Louise Fletcher, and many others co-star in this film.  Connelly was around 12 years old when she played the younger version of McGovern's character and is her first feature role.  After directed many western epics, he decided to end his directorial career with a Mafia film.  This is loosely based on the life of the author Grey.  An attention span is absolutely required to watch this film which is three hours and 49 minutes.  There are edited versions out there but this is really the one to see.  I remember seeing Woods in an interview one time and saying how this is Leone's best movie and how he wishes he was not in this movie so it didn't sound like he was bragging.  This has quite the story and cast and has gone onto be a rather underrated mafia film.

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (2011):  I started out a little heavy, now I get a little lighter.  Lasse Hallstrom directed this film based on the novel by Paul Torday.  Ewan McGregor stars as fisheries expert Alfred Jones is consulted by financial adviser Harriet, played by Emily Blunt, on helping with a project to bring fly fishing into the desert.  This is a project being bankrolled by the wealthy Sheikh Muhammed, played by Amr Waked, who believes this can benefit the lives of his people.  Alfred is reluctant in the beginning feeling it is not possible but starts to come around.  Kristin Scott Thomas, Catherine Steadman, Tom Mison, Rachael Stirling, Tom Beard, Jill Baker, Conleth Hill, Alex Taylor-McDowell, Peter Wight, and many others co-star in this film of really about people coming together.  Thomas does a good job of being the comic relief of this movie as a press secretary of the Prime Minister who is looking to get the project publicity to help relations with the Islamic world.  This is a nice feel good story with a good story and performances.

You Cannot Kill David Arquette (2020):  This is my documentary for the week which was directed David Darg and Price James.  This obviously focuses on the actor in the title known for being from a pretty big acting family, his role in the SCREAM franchise, and his part in the wrestling comedy READY TO RUMBLE which lead to him being in World Championship Wrestling in 2000 for publicity purposes.  What he is known most for is winning the world championship and "disgracing" wrestling by doing this.  This has haunted him through the years and decided he wanted to make a return to wrestling on the independent circuit I guess to get redemption of sorts.  In 2018, he decided to get some legitimate wrestling training to make a run in the independent circuit where he actually won the respect of some of his friends.  This also features people in his family expressing their concerns like his wife and oldest daughter.  This also features his ex-wife Courteney Cox who remain friends it appears in the post-marriage.  We also see his siblings Patricia, Rosanna, and Richmond Arquette.  I admit, there were times where I was just like wtf but yet I couldn't take my eyes off it.  Most notably on his taking a booking in a backyard wrestling promotion and working in Mexico with some "Luchadores" where they would randomly wrestle in the middle of the street.  Anyone who has information on that one, feel free to educate me.  This was a very intriguing documentary and has a very catchy title tune by the Black Math Experiment.  To those who still think that Arquette "disgraced" wrestling in 2000, keep in mind, he was not in favor of winning the championship but this was how it was booked by the controversial Vince Russo so everyone had to go along with it.  He also donated his salary to the families of the late Owen Hart, Brian Pillman, and the paraplegic Darren Drozdov.  This is available to watch on Hulu.

The Front Line (1965):  This is documentary short film for the week which shows the day in a life of a cashier at a grocery story.  It is interesting to see how far we have come in the later years through the advance of technology.  The process of the cash register really looked pretty complicated.  This is available to watch on Amazon Prime as part of "Supermarket Films"

Bringing Up Baby (1938):  Howard Hawks directed this screwball comedy based on a short story by Hagar Wilde.  Cary Grant stars as paleontologist David Huxley whose goal in life is to complete his brontosaurus skeleton which is so close but is missing a bone.  He is also excited about his upcoming marriage with his assistant Alice, played by Virginia Walker, and getting a one million dollar donation for his museum.  Things get complicated when he meets the free-spirited and scatterbrained Susan Vance, played by Katherine Hepburn, and ends up going on a lot of hilarious misadventures with her.  Charles Ruggles, Walter Catlett, Barry Fitzgerald, May Robson, Fritz Feld, Leona Roberts, George Irving, Tala Birell, and many others co-star in this film.  This is possibly a favorite of mine in the world of screwball and romantic comedies.  I know it is my favorite Katherine Hepburn movie and was her first time working in a comedy.  Grant and Hepburn were comedic gold in the second of their four movies together.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

The Bushwhackers (1952):  I'm sorry to those who are hoping for a biopic on the '80s WWF tag team of the Bushwhackers.  This is a western which was directed by Rod Amateau.  John Ireland stars as Civil War veteran Jeff Waring who ends up in Independence, Missouri.  He vows to never pick up again but this gets tested by the ruthless rancher Artemus Taylor, played by Lon Chaney Jr., and his henchman that mistreat people in the community.  Wayne Morris, Laurence Tierney, Dorothy Malone, Myrna Dell, Frank Marlowe, Jack Elam, and many others co-star in this western.  This is a pretty decent B-western and with Dell's character Norah Taylor, I realize that there are not very many deadly female villains in westerns in this era.  Most of them come from the Film Noir femme fatales.  This is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

Demolition (2015):  Another title of an '80s WWF tag team which is coincidence and not intentional.  Jean-Marc Vallee directed this film that is essentially dealing with grief.  Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Davis whose wife dies in a car accident.  After being shorted his product at a vending machine, he decides to write a complaint letter which is followed by a series letters in which customer service worker Karen, played by Naomi Watts, takes an interest and contacts him eventually forming a relationship.  Chris Cooper, Judah Lewis, C.J. Wilson, Polly Draper, Malachy Cleary, Debra Monk, Heather Lind, Wass Stevens, Blaire Brooks, Ben Cole, Brendan Dooling, James Colby, Alfredo Narciso, and many others co-star in this film.  Gyllenhaal puts on a great performance as the widowed husband and in the way he deals with his grief which gets rather extreme at times.  

Cabin in the Sky (1943):  This is my musical for the week which was directed by Vincente Minelli with an all-black cast.  Eddie "Rochester" Anderson stars as compulsive gambler Little Joe Jackson who is shot and killed.  His wife Petunia, played by Ethel Waters, pleads for her husband to get another chance so is visited by The General, played by Kenneth Spencer, and Lucifer Jr., played by Rex Ingram, and is given time to redeem himself being tempted by each figure into good and bad.  Lena Horne, Louis Armstrong, John Bubbles, Oscar Polk, Mantan Moreland, Willie West, Butterfly McQueen, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a very fun movie that has a pretty good message.  This boasts quite the cast and is really worth a watch.  This is available to watch on Hoopla Digital.

Dr. Strangelove or:  How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964):  Stanley Kubrick directed this classic dark comedy which is based on the book RED LIGHT by Peter George.  Sterling Hayden stars as General Jack D. Ripper who orders a nuclear attack on the Soviet Union without the knowledge of his superiors leaving them to deal with possible nuclear war.  Peter Sellers has three roles in Captain Mandrake, President Muffley, and the title character Dr. Strangelove.  George C. Scott, Keenan Wynn, Slim Pickens, Peter Bull, James Earl Jones, Tracy Reed, Jack Creley, and many others co-star in this film.  Jones makes his film debut in this comedy.  This has many very memorable moments and has held up for many years.  This is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

Toy Story 3 (2010):  Lee Unkrich directed this sequel to the popular Pixar franchise.  The gang is back including Woody, reprised by Tom Hanks, and Buzz Lightyear, reprised by Tim Allen.  Andy, voiced by John Morris, is off to college now and while intending to put the toys in storage, they accidentally get taken to a daycare where they get played with toddlers and meet some new friends.  They also set out to escape the daycare center to get back to Andy's house  Joan Cusack, Ned Beatty, Don Rickles, Michael Keaton, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Estelle Harris, Jodi Benson, Emily Hahn, Laurie Metcalf, Blake Clark, Teddy Newton, Bud Luckey, Bea Miller, Timothy Dalton, Kristen Schaal, Jeff Garlin, John Cygan, Jeff Pidgeon, Whoopi Goldberg, R. Lee Ermey, Richard Kind, and many others provide voices in this Pixar film.  This makes a lot of us feel bad for letting go of our toys.  This was a very good sequel showing what can happen to toys in transition.  A good double feature would be this and THE BRAVE LITTLE TOASTER which has a similar premise of objects fearing they will be let go.  This is available to watch on Disney Plus.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Jason Robards, Margot Robbie, Marisa Tomei, Christopher Plummer, and many others co-star in this film.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 790th Edition

 

Welcome to the 790th Edition of my series.  I hope everyone is staying safe out there.  Tonight is the Super Bowl and I seem to be a minority when I say I'm watching it for the game.  I'm kind of rooting for the Buccaneers just to see an uproar from everyone but I also just want to see a close game.  I don't have much else to say so I'll just get on with my selections for the week.

True Confessions (1981):  This is part six of my seven part Robert De Niro series.  Ulu Grosbard directed this film based on the novel by John Gregory Dunne.  After playing father and son in different time periods in THE GODFATHER PART II, Robert De Niro and Robert Duvall reunite to be on screen together as brothers Des and Tom Spellacy.  Des is a Catholic priest and Tom is a homicide detective that have been estranged but reunite in the aftermath of a brutal murder of a prostitute.  Charles Durning, Kenneth McMillan, Ed Flanders, Cyril Cusack, Burgess Meredith, Dan Hedaya, Gwen Van Dam, Thomas Hill, Jeanette Nolan, James Hong, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a pretty well done character piece with good performances out of the leads.  This is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

Faraway, So Close (1993):  Wim Wenders directed this sequel to the sequel to the German 1987 film WINGS OF DESIRE.  Otto Sander and Nastassja Kinski star as angels Cassiel and Raphaela who are looking over the reunited Germany together.  Bruno Ganz, Solveig Dommartin, Peter Falk, Horst Buchholz, Heinz Ruhmann, Rudiger Vogler, Willem Dafoe, Lou Reed, Monika Hansen, Gunter Meisner, Ronald Nitschke, Hanns Zischler, and many others co-star in this film.  Lou Reed and Peter Falk both play themselves and Mikhail Gorbechev also has a cameo in the film.  It is very hard to describe this movie without spoiling its mentioned predecessor which really needs to be watched first so if you like that movie, this should be a really good continuation.  This does have some very good visuals just like the first movie and a good soundtrack.

Beavis and Butthead Do America (1996):  I did not mean this to be an homage to the late Cloris Leachman but she did pass away when I already had this planned.  Mike Judge directed this animated which was continued from Judge's popular animated series of the inept adolescent heroes, both voiced by Judge himself.  Beavis and Butthead have their television stolen and as they set out to find it, they accidentally become wanted criminals in their epic journey across America in an investigation lead by ATF agent Flemming, voiced by our beloved UNSOLVED MYSTERIES host Robert Stack.  Leachman, Bruce Willis, Demi Moore, Eric Bogosian, Tim Guinee, David Letterman, Richard Linklater, Greg Kinnear, and many others provide their voices in this animated film.  Those who prefer them watching the music videos from their couch may not like this as much.  Also, if anti- Beavis and Butthead, then this movie probably is not going to be for you.  I enjoyed the great adventure they went on and all their antics in their journey.  I still am in the hopes that if they ever do a live-action movie that Neil Patrick Harris and Benedict Cumberbatch are cast as the American heroes.

Neighbours (1952):  This is my short film film for the week which was directed by Norman McLaren.  This stars two people as neighbors that come to blows over a flower.  While this plot sounds very absurd, it is more the stop-animation that is the highlight of this short animation movie.  This is available to watch on Criterion Channel and is a very entertaining eight minutes.

Back Street (1932):  I know some might have thought I'm writing something about the Backstreet Boys so I'm sorry to disappoint.  John M. Stahl directed this film based on the novel by Fannie Hurst.  Irene Dunne stars as Ray Schmidt who falls in love with a man named Walter Saxel, played by John Boles.  The only problem is that he is married and has children which is something that happens through the years.  George Meeker, Zasu Pitts, June Clyde, William Bakewell, Arletta Duncan, Doris Lloyd, Jane Darwell, Shirley Grey, Walter Catlett, Robert McWade, and many others co-star in this pre-code film.  I guess this could be considered a tragic love story, at least on Ray's end and even Walter's in his feeling that he must stick around with his marriage.  This also leads into a very interesting ending.  This is available to watch on Criterion Channel.

The Death Collector (1976):  Ralph De Vito wrote and directed this gangster film.  Joe Cortese stars as Jerry Bolanti who needs money and takes work under a local crime boss, played by Lou Criscuolo, to become a collector and hold-up man.  Jerry's wreckless personality slowly gets the best of him and effects his friends as well.  Joe Pesci, Frank Vincent, Victoria Hale, Richard Ward, and many others co-star in this low-budget movie.  This is not a bad movie but mostly of high note of a young Joe Pesci and Frank Vincent who were very frustrated in their early career.  However, Martin Scorsese saw this movie and took note of those two actors and cast him in some movie called RAGING BULL where they would remain successful after that one.  This is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

Soul (2020):  I finally decided to check out the latest from the world of Pixar.  Pete Docter and Kemp Powers directed this animated film that takes a look at the world of Jazz and the world of the "Great Before".  Jamie Foxx stars as Joe Gardner who is a middle school music teacher but dreams of hitting it big in Jazz.  He finally gets his big break but falls into a manhole ending up in the afterlife where he resists going in so ends up in the "Great Before" where souls go into they man a body on Earth.  There, he meets a soul named 22, voiced by Tina Fey, who is a very cynical soul that has stayed in the Great Before feeling there is no point in going to Earth.  Mistaken as a counselor, he is assigned to mentor 22 and when on Earth, she learns more about life and he learns more about having a soul.  Graham Norton, Rachel House, Alice Braga, Richard Ayoade, Phylicia Rashad, Donnell Rawlings, Questlove, Angela Bassett, Cora Champommier, Daveed Diggs, Wes Studi, John Ratzenberger, and many others co-star in this Pixar film.  This is the first Pixar film to have an African-American protagonist in it.  This kind of reminds me of INSIDE OUT where in that one, moods get humanized and in this one, souls kind of get humanized.  When just looking into this movie, it would be easy to say this movie is all about the world of Jazz and trying to get back what he lost but goes a lot deeper in exploring the meaning of life.  This is available to watch on Disney Plus.

Cape Fear (1962):  Last week I featured its 1991 remake so I thought I'd take a look at the original.  J. Lee Thompson directed this film based on the novel by John D. MacDonald.  Gregory Peck stars as attorney Sam Bowden whose life becomes endangered when a criminal named Max Cady, played by Robert Mitchum, is released from prison eight years after Sam's testimony got him convicted.  In addition to going after Sam, he puts most of his focus on his wife Peggy, played by Polly Bergen, and daughter Nancy, played by Lori Martin.  When Sam goes into unsuccessful extreme measures, it leads to quite the climax.  Martin Balsam, Jack Kruschen, Telly Savalas, Berrie Chase, Paul Comi, Ward Ramsey, Joan Staley, Will Wright, and many others co-star in this film.  This is less violent that the remake and even less intense at times but it still has the same kind of tension that the remake had.  Both versions are very good watches in my opinion and could be a good double feature.

I Am Waiting (1957):  This is my Japanese film for the week which was directed by Koreyoshi Kurahara.  Yujijiro Ishihara stars as former boxer Joji who is banned from boxing.  Mie Kitahara co-stars as nighclub singer Saeko and Joji gets involved in her life in trying to protect her from her gangster boss.  This is a story of both people seeking out certain truths and are lost souls.  This is a pretty compelling story with interesting characters and a good plot.  It is hard to really explain beyond that so just check it out if you like Japanese cinema.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

I Am Love (2009):  I end the week with this Italian film which was directed and co-written by Luca Guadagnino.  Tilda Swinton stars as Emma who is the wife of the industrialist Tancredi Recchi and feels very unfulfilled in the marriage.  She soon has an affair with her son's friend Antonio, played by Edoardo Gabbriellini, that leads to tragedy.  Flavio Parenti, Alba Rohrwacher, Diane Fleri, Waris Ahluwalia, Gabriele Ferzetti, Marisa Berenson, and many others co-star in this Italian film.  There is a lot more to this than having an extramarital affair, it is about a wealthy family with a successful business and how choices can effect everyone.  This is available to watch on Hoopla Digital.

Well, that is all for this week but continue on for another segment of my "Fun and Useless Facts" segment.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Jennifer Connelly, Emily Blunt, Katherine Hepburn, Naomi Watts, Peter Sellers, Tom Hanks, and many others.

FUN AND USELESS FACTS

Robert De Niro (True Confessions) and Joe Pesci (The Death Collector) play brothers in the 1980 film RAGING BULL where they would meet and become close friends along with working together on quite a few occasions.

Robert De Niro (True Confessions) plays Max Cady in the 1991 remake CAPE FEAR.  Robert Mitchum plays Cady in this week's 1962 feature CAPE FEAR.  Also, Mitchum, Gregory Peck, and Martin Balsam would go onto make cameos in the 1991 version.

Robert De Niro (True Confessions) and Wes Studi (Soul) were in the 1995 film HEAT.

Robert De Niro (True Confessions) and Peter Falk (Faraway, So Close) were in the 2004 animated movie SHARK TALE.

Robert De Niro (True Confessions) and Demi Moore (Beavis and Butthead Do America) were in the 1989 remake WE'RE NO ANGELS.

Robert Duvall (True Confessions) and Demi Moore (Beavis and Butthead Do America) were in the 1995 adaptation of THE SCARLET LETTER.

Robert Duvall (True Confessions) and Gregory Peck (Cape Fear) were in the 1962 film TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD where Duvall makes his film debut.

James Hong (True Confessions) and Mike Judge (Beavis and Butthead Do America) were in the 2013 movie R.I.P.D. 

James Hong (True Confessions) and Robert Stack (Beavis and Butthead Do America) were in the classic 1980 comedy AIRPLANE!

Charles Durning (True Confessions), Cloris Leachman (Beavis and Butthead Do America), and Telly Savalas were in the 1979 movie THE MUPPET MOVIE.

James Woods (True Confessions) and Tim Guinee (Beavis and Butthead Do America were in the 1998 vampire movie VAMPIRES.

Dan Hedaya (True Confessions) and Greg Kinnear (Beavis and Butthead Do America) were in the 2005 animated movie ROBOTS.

Burgess Meredith (True Confessions) and Robert Mitchum (Cape Fear) were in the 1945 film STORY OF G.I. JOE.

Telly Savalas (Cape Fear) and Gabriel Ferzetti (I Am Love) were in the 1969 Bond film ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE.

Peter Falk (Faraway, So Close) was considered for the role of Tom Hagen in the 1972 film THE GODFATHER which would ultimately go to Robert Duvall (True Confessions).

Peter Falk (Faraway, So Close) and Barrie Chase (Cape Fear) were in the 1963 comedy epic IT'S A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD.

Nastassja Kinski (Faraway, So Close) and Demi Moore (Beavis and Butthead Do America) shared and apartment in the early 1980s.

Willem Dafoe (Faraway, So Close) and Tilda Swinton (I Am Love)  were in the 2014 comedy THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL.

Gunter Meisner (Faraway, So Close) and Gregory Peck (Cape Fear) were in the 1978 film THE BOYS FROM BRAZIL.

Gunter Meisner (Faraway, So Close) and Robert Mitchum (Cape Fear) were in the 1983 mini-series THE WINDS OF WAR.

Peter Falk (Faraway, So Close) and Bruce Willis (Beavis and Butthead Do America) play themselves in the 1992 comedy THE PLAYER.

Bruce Willis (Beavis and Butthead Do America) and Tilda Swinton (I Am Love) were in the 2012 comedy MOONRISE KINGDOM.

Greg Kinnear (Beavis and Butthead Do America) and Tina Fey (Soul) date one another in the 2008 comedy BABY MAMA.

Cloris Leachman (Beavis and Butthead Do America) and Tina Fey (Soul) are in the 2008 animated movie PONYO.

Cloris Leachman (Beavis and Butthead Do America) and Angela Bassett (Soul) were in the 1999 movie MUSIC OF THE HEART.