Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 814th Edition

Welcome to the 814th Edition of my series.  One more performance of MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET:  THE MUSICAL and then the show is in the books.  It's been a lot of fun and I'm sure I'll find myself in something soon.  I will just get on with my selections for the week.

Jimmy Carter:  Man From Plains (2007):  I start the week out with this documentary which was directed by Jonathan Demme.  This is a documentary on out Nobel Prize winning former president Jimmy Carter as he deals with the aftermath of his book PALESTINE:  PEACE NOT APARTHEID. This shows his book tour, radio show interviews, some of his own insight, and to his own critics.  If looking for a life story, this would not be the one to watch.  It is a pretty insightful documentary on the man trying to do good for the world.  This is available to watch on Tubi and Pluto TV.

Shattered (2007):  Now I bring a crime thriller which was directed by Mike Barker.  Gerard Butler and Maria Bello star as married couple Neil and Abby Randall.  They have the ideal life with Neil having a great job and having a beautiful daughter named Sophie, played by Emma Karwandy.  Things change when they are held captive by the maniacal Tom Ryan, played by Pierce Brosnan, and his accomplice holds his daughter for leverage while he forces them to do things they do not want to do.  Claudette Mink, Desiree Zurowski, Nicholas Lea, Peter Keleghan, Samantha Ferris, Malcolm Stewart, Callum Keith Rennie, Dustin Milligan, and many others co-star in this crime film.  This is a very intense thriller that kept my attention the whole way through.  Brosnan does well as the villain and there are also some good twists and turns throughout the film.  This is available to watch on Hoopla Digital.

Residue (2020):  Merawi Gerima wrote and directed this independent film which is his debut.  Obinna Nwachukwu stars as Jay who is a young filmmaker returning to his town only to see that he does not recognize the place he left.  Dennis Lindsey, Taline Stewart, Derron Scott, Jamal Graham, JaCari Dye, and many others co-star in this film.  This is more of a social commentary to the difficulty of black lives in America.  This is available to watch on Netflix.

Country Boy (1935):  This is my animated short which is from Looney Tunes.  This is one of their much earlier one which features Peter Rabbit as he is always causing trouble at the local farm.  It looks like they used this character for a handful of shorts before they would write their own rabbit in Bugs Bunny that would go onto become a pop culture icon.  This is available to watch on HBO Max.

Knock on Any Door (1949):  Nicholas Ray directed this crime drama based on the novel by Willard Motley.  Humphrey Bogart stars as attorney Andrew Morton who takes on a murder case on hoodlum Nick Romano, played by John Derek.  Romano is accused of killing a police officer and Morton empathizes with him from his own days in the slums.  George Macready, Allene Roberts, Mickey Knox, Barry Kelley, Florence Auer, Vince Barnett, and many others co-star in this crime drama.  This is a very good and sad look on growing up in the slums with a very heartfelt monologue by Bogart in the climax.  This was done at Bogart's own independent production company Santana Pictures Corp.  This is one I had not heard of but came across it on the Criterion Channel and I'm glad I did.

They Might Be Giants (1971):  Anthony Harvey directed this comedy mystery which is based on the play by James Goldman who wrote the screenplay.  George C. Scott stars as Justin who is convinced he is Sherlock Holmes while psychiatrist Dr. Mildred Watson, played by Joanne Woodward, takes a fascination to his case and is conveniently named Dr. Watson.  She goes along with Holmes in his quest to find his arch-enemy Moriarty.  Joanne Woodward, Jack Gilford, Al Lewis, Rue McClanahan, Oliver Clark, Theresa Merritt, James Tolkan, Kitty Wynn, Sudie Bond, F. Murray Abraham, and many others co-star in this comedy.  Abraham makes his debut in this film.  Scott is great as the deluded Justin where it asks us, is there any reason to commit him or should we just accept him for who he is?  This movie also inspired the name of the alternative band of the same name.  I made this selection after listening to my friend Matthew Socey's radio show SOCEYOLOGY where in a past episode he interviewed Abraham.  This show has been going on for over a decade and is available at https://www.wfyi.org/programs/film-soceyology .

The 100 Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of a Window and Disappeared (2013):  Felix Herngren directed this adventure comedy based on the novel by Jonas Jonassson.  Robert Gustafsson stars as Allan Karlsson who as the title implies is a 100 year-old man who climbs out of a window and disappears.  His whole life has been full of adventures and is just starting a whole new adventure as he meets a lot of colorful characters along the way, some are his friends but manages to make some enemies as well.  A lot of this movie is Allan reflecting on his past and the historical figures he meets so a little FORREST GUMPesque.  Mia Skaringer, Jens Hulten, Ralph Carlsson, Georg Nikoloff, Alan Ford, Bianca Cruzeiro, and many others co-star in this film.  I know I compared this to FORREST GUMP but this still stands on its own and could be a good double feature.  Gustafsson is great as the title character and the movie is very fun and unpredictable.  My friend and wrestling cohort Sign Guy tagged me on a post asking for my thoughts and of course gave me the shock reaction when learning I had not seen it so figured I'd have to watch it.  This is available to watch on TUBI tv and other free streaming platforms.  I'll just promote Sign Guy's radio show of TURNBUCKLE TURMOIL which is available at https://www.blogtalkradio.com/turnbuckle_turmoil where he interviews and promotes people and shows in independent wrestling.  I've been a guest on there myself on a few occasions.

The Men (1950):  Fred Zinneman directed this film that takes a look at paralyzed veterans.  Marlon Brando stars as Ken Wilcox who is paralyzed from the waist down.  This shows the depression he is going through as his fellow patients, his doctor, and his fiancee Ellen, played by Teresa Wright, try to help him overcome these obstacles and to find purpose in life.  Everett Sloane, Jack Webb, Richard Erdman, Arthur Jurado, Virginia Farmer, Dorothy Tree, Howard St. John, and many others co-star in this film.  Brando makes his film debut in this one and was a pretty good one and prepared by being in a wheelchair most of the time even off set.  This is one of the few movies from this era to show the effects and aftermath of war for some people.  This could be good to go along with THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970):  Ossie Davis directed this film which is based on novel by Chester Himes and is said to be the start of the Blaxploitation genre.  Godfrey Cambridge and Raymond St. Jacques star as Harlem cops Grave Digger Jones and Coffin Ed Johnson who investigate a robbery as well as Reverend Deke O'Malley, played by Calvin Lockhart.  They believe the reverend staged the robbery.  Judy Pace, Redd Foxx, John Anderson, Lou Jacobi, Eugene Roche, J.D. Cannon, Cleavon Little, and many others co-star in this film.  This has a good blend of action and comedy in it.  Years later, Davis would go onto have the best portrayal of JFK of all time in BUBBA HO-TEP but here he stepped behind the camera and even co-wrote a song.  As I mentioned, many said that it was the start of the Blaxploitation genre and if that is so, this is more mild that later ones.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

4 Quarters (2015):  I end the week with this short film which was directed by Ashley McKenzie who co-wrote with Andrew Gillis.  Gillis also stars as Willy who is a student whose life becomes complicated when getting involved with a drug addict named Jane, played by Sofia Banzhaf.  This takes a look at the difficulty of both characters and I'm sure many can relate to both of them.  This is about 13 minutes long and is worth a look.  This is 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, could be the week after but likely next week, which so far includes Ray Liotta, Clint Eastwood, and many others..

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 813th Edition

Welcome to the 813th edition of my series.  It's going to be a busy week this week as I still have to work since I just started and have out show this week.  MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET:  THE MUSICAL is happening from Thursday to Sunday so check https://www.onthestage.tickets/show/marion-civic-theatre-inc/miracle-on-34th-street-the-musical-60140 for times and prices if you're in the area.  Christmas in July everyone and to those that can't stand that concept, understand that was not our original intention as we tried last December.  I think I have said enough so I'll just get on with my selections for the week.

The Untouchables (1987):  Brian De Palma directed this classic gangster film of Eliot Ness and his men going after Al Capone.  Kevin Costner stars as Eliot Ness in the prohibition era trying to bring down Al Capone, played by Robert De Niro, but finds much difficulty with all the people Capone has in his pocket.  Ness then forms his own team starting with Irish-American cop Jim Malone, played by Sean Connery, who becomes a mentor of sorts to Ness in how to go about getting Capone.  They recruit rookie cop George Stone, played by Andy Garcia, and FBI accountant Oscar Wallace, played by Charles Martin Smith.  Richard Bradford, Jack Kehoe, Brad Sullivan, Billy Drago, Patricia Clarkson, Clifton James, and many others co-star in this film.  Also, look for a young John Barrowman who is an extra as one of the recruits when they go to rookie school.  Clarkson co-stars as Ness' Wife and makes her film debut in this one.  This has always been a favorite of mine since my youth days.  This is more of a dramatization of these events so if looking for absolute historical accuracy, you might be a bit disappointed.  At the same time, if it was totally accurate we may not have much of a movie.  Either way, this is a really compelling film looking at the Prohibition Era and some really good action scenes.  

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009):  Wes Anderson directed this animated film based on the book by Roald Dahl.  George Clooney stars as Mr. Fox who was at one time quite the criminal but put that behind him when he married Mrs. Fox, voiced by Meryl Streep, and had his son Ash, voiced by Jason Schwartzman.  Mr. Fox just can't resist going back to his old ways for "one last raid" on the meanest farmers in town which gets not only his own family in trouble but the rest of his animal friends as well.  Bill Murray, Wallace Wolodarsky, Eric Chase Anderson, Michael Gambon, Willem Dafoe, Owen Wilson, Jarvis Cocker, Wes Anderson, Karen Duffy, Hugo Guinness, Helen McCrory, Roman Coppola, Jeremy Dawson, Garth Jennings, Brian Cox, Adrien Brody, and many others co-star in this animated film.  This is Anderson's debut into the world of animation in which stop motion animation was used.  Think of this as animation the Anderson way, I know Wes Anderson is an acquired taste with his quirky humor.  I thought this was a pretty fun animated movie of friends and family banding and working together during a crisis.  This is available to watch on Disney Plus.

Office Space (1999):  Mike Judge wrote and directed this popular comedy which is based on some of his own animated shorts of MILTON, played by NEWSRADIO alum Stephen Root.  Ron Livingston stars as corporate worker Peter who gets tired of his job and along with his co-workers Michael and Samir, played by David Herman and Ajay Naidu, come up with a scheme to get back at their greedy boss Bill Lumbergh, played by Gary Cole, but backfires big time.  FRIENDS alum Jennifer Aniston co-stars as Peter's love interest Joanna who has a waitress job that she also hates.  Diedrich Bader, Richard Riehle, Alexandra Wentworth, Joe Bays, John C. Reilly, Paul Wilson, Kinna McInroe, Todd Duffey, Greg Pitts, Michael McShane, Orlando Jones, and many others co-star in this comedy.  I think just about anyone can relate to this movie and to those that are high up on the corporate world could take note to not be like Bill Lumbergh.  Some may feel this movie has been ruined by social media.  The Bill Lumbergh character has become a very popular subject for memes.  This started out as a box office failure but has become extremely popular through the years when going to video and I'm proud to say I was one of those that went to see this in theaters.  If you can all just watch this comedy, that would be great.

Liquid Crystals (1978):  This is my short film for the week which was directed by Jean Painleve.  This is a a microscopic view of liquid crystals morphing into various shapes. It also has some title cards displaying shapes and colors.  There is not much else to explain.  Painleve did a lot of documentary shorts on scientific shorts, most notably on underwater marine biology.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel as well as quite a bit of other Painleve shorts.

The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928):  This is my silent film for the week which was directed by Carl Theodore Dreyer.  Maria Falconetti stars as Joan of Arc which is based on documentary found of her trial for blasphemy.  Eugene Silvain, Andre Berley, Maurice Schutz, Antonin Artaud, Michel Simon, and many others co-star in this classic silent film.  This is quite possibly my favorite silent film of all time.  This has very surrealistic and sometimes bizarre imagery and camera angles.  There never seemed to be an original musical score so many have released this with different music scores.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel and has a couple different versions.

Cattle Queen of Montana (1954): This is my western for the week which was directed by Allan Dwan.  Barbara Stanwyck stars as Sierra Nevada Jones who survives an attack by a group of renegade Indians in league with the villainous rancher Tom McCord, played by Gene Evans.  She is helped by the college-educated Coloradas, played by Lance Fuller, of the Blackfoot tribe and gunman Farrell, played by our former president Ronald Reagan, who takes a job with McCord but sees he is not a good man to work for.  Anthony Caruso, Jack Elam, Yvette Duguay, Morris Ankrum, Chubby Johnson, Myron Healey, and many others co-star in this western.  Not a bad B-western with a tough female lead in Stanwyck who does very well in her role.  It also has some pretty good action and was worth a look.  This is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

Mank (2020):  David Fincher directed this film on '30s Hollywood.  Gary Oldman stars as screenwriter Herman Mankiewicz who is called upon by RKO's newly hired Orson Welles, played by Tom Burke, to write the screenplay for CITIZEN KANE.  He races to get this written while dealing with his alcoholism and his lack of filter with his mouth.  Charles Dance co-stars as William Randolph Hearst who the script was written upon and Amanda Seyfried co-stars as actress and Hearst's mistress Marion Davies whose portrayal in the screenplay set off Hearst.  Lily Collins, Tom Pelphrey, Arliss Howard, Tuppence Middleton, Monika Gossman, Joseph Cross, Sam Troughton, Toby Leonard Moore, Ferdinand Kingsley, Jamie McShane, Jack Romano, Adam Shapiro, John Churchill, Jeff Harms, Derek Petrolis, Paul Fox, Sean Persaud, Bill Nye, Richmond Arquette, and many others co-star in this biopic.  This is more how it got written with Oldman playing Mankiewicz very well to help make this enjoyable.  The black and white cinematography works really well and has a really good opening credits in my opinion.  This is available to watch on Netflix.

Superman (1978): This is my tribute to Richard Donner who directed this movie and died on the same day I watched it but did not learn until later that he left us.  Christopher Reeve stars as the title character but also known as Clark Kent or his Kryptonian name Kal-El.  He is sent to Earth as a baby by his father Jor-El, played by Marlon Brando, who is certain the planet of Krypton is about to be destroyed.  When on Earth, he is adopted by an elderly couple while he learns of the powers our son gives him and then obviously becomes Superman.  He also meets his usual love interest in Lois Lane, played by Margot Kidder, and his usual rival Lex Luthor, played by Gene Hackman.  The main story is that Lex is trying to destroy part of California to make his own.  Ned Beatty, Jackie Cooper, Glenn Ford, Trevor Howard, Jack O'Halloran, Valerie Perrine, Maria Schell, Terence Stamp, Phyllis Thaxter, Jeff East, Marc McClure, Sarah Douglas, Diane Sherry Case, Larry Hagman, John Ratzenberger, and many others co-star in this superhero film.  One thing that stuck out to me that I thought was strange was that in the opening credits, it shows Marlon Brando billed first and followed by Hackman before we see Reeve's name but I can let that go.  I also realized how similar the Superman franchise is to the Spider-Man franchise in terms of their career choices and the types of people around them.  This still stands up as one of the top superhero movies even in this time where superhero movies are extremely common.  This was a great origin story that is quite possibly the best origin story.  This is available to watch on HBO Max.

Black Fury (1935):  Michael Curtiz directed this film on the rights of workers.  Paul Muni stars as immigrant coal miner Joe Radek who finds himself in the middle of a labor dispute between the workers and the mine owners.  His drinking problems get him in trouble both personally and professionally and must do what he can to make things right.  Karen Morley, William Gargan, Barton MacLane, John Qualen, J. Carrol Naish, Vince Barnett, Tully Marshall, Henry O'Neill, Joseph Crehan, Mae Marsh, Ward Bond, and many others co-star in this film.  This is based on a true story of a Pennsylvania walk-out that happened in 1929.  I can just about always enjoy Paul Muni, someone that had a lot of talent but has not gotten the recognition into today's standards.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel which has given Muni a tribute section.

Brown Sugar (2002):  I end the week with this romantic comedy that takes a look into the world of rap and hip-hop which was directed and co-written by Rick Famuyiwa.  Taye Diggs and Sanaa Lathan star as long-time friends Dre and Syd who are drifting into being more than friends even and they still have relationships going.  Yasiin Bey, Nicole Ari Parker, Boris Kodjoe, Queen Latifah, Wendell Pierce, Erik Weiner, Reg Wyns, Sterling K. Brown, and many others co-star in this comedy.  There are a few rap artists that appear as themselves in the beginning.  This is a pretty good homage to the world of rap and hip hop.  I really believe that Weiner and Wyns make it worth it as their black and white rap duo Ren and Ten which really made me laugh.  

Well, that is it for this week but I did bring back my segment "Fun and Useless Facts".  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Maria Bello, Humphrey Bogart, George C. Scott, Marlon Brando, and many others.

FUN AND USELESS FACTS

Kevin Costner (The Untouchables) plays Jonathan Kent in the 2013 superhero movie MAN OF STEEL.  Glenn Ford plays the role in this week's feature SUPERMAN.

Kevin Costner (The Untouchables) and Gene Hackman (Superman) play son and father in the 1994 western biopic WYATT EARP.

Kevin Costner (The Untouchables) and Gary Oldman (Mank) are in the 1991 film JFK.

Kevin Costner (The Untouchables) and Michael Gambon (Fantasic Mr. Fox) were in the 2003 western OPEN RANGE.

Kevin Costner plays Elliott Ness in this week's features The Untouchables.  Ron Livingston (Office Space) plays Ness in a 1997 episode of the tv series TIMECOP called PUBLIC ENEMY.

Andy Garcia (The Untouchables) and George Clooney (Fantastic Mr. Fox) are in the OCEAN'S trilogy.

Andy Garcia (The Untouchables), Bill Murray (Fantastic Mr. Fox), and Charles Dance (Mank) were in the 2016 comedy GHOSTBUSTERS.

Robert De Niro (The Untouchables) and Marlon Brando (Superman) were in the 2001 movie THE SCORE. De Niro and Brando also share the iconic role of Don Vito Corleone where De Niro plays the younger version in the 1974 film THE GODFATHER PART II and Brando plays Don Corleone in the 1972 film THE GODFATHER.  Roman Coppola (Fantastic Mr. Fox) plays the Vito's son Sonny Corleone at a younger age in the flashback scenes of THE GODFATHER PART II.  Andy Garcia (The Untouchables) plays Don Vito Corleone's grandson Vincent Mancini in the 1990 film THE GODFATHER PART III.

Robert De Niro (The Untouchables) and Meryl Streep (Fantastic Mr. Fox) were in the 1996 film MARVIN'S ROOM, the 1984 movie FALLING IN LOVE, and the 1978 film THE DEER HUNTER and De Niro has cited that Streep is his favorite actress to work with.

Robert De Niro (The Untouchables) and Bill Murray (Fantastic Mr. Fox) were in the 1993 comedy MAD DOG AND GLORY.

Robert De Niro (The Untouchables) declined the role of Jesus in the 1988 film THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST which was ultimately go to Willem Dafoe. What could have been.

Robert De Niro (The Untouchables) and Owen Wilson (Fantastic Mr. Fox) were in the comedy trilogy that includes the 2000 movie MEET THE PARENTS, the 2004 movie MEET THE FOCKERS, and the 2010 movie LITTLE FOCKERS.

Robert De Niro (The Untouchables) and Ajay Naidu (Office Space) were in the 2008 movie RIGHTEOUS KILL.

Patricia Clarkson (The Untouchables) and George Clooney (Fantastic Mr. Fox) were in the 2005 film GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK.

Meryl Streep (Fantastic Mr. Fox) and Amanda Seyfried (Mank) were mother and daughter in the 2008 musical MOMMA MIA and the 2018 sequel MOMMA MIA:  HERE WE GO AGAIN.

Meryl Streep (Fantastic Mr.Fox), Brian Cox (Fantastic Mr. Fox), and Ron Livingston (Office Space) were in the 2002 comedy ADAPTATION.

Michael Gambon (Fantastic Mr. Fox), Helen McCrory (Fantastic Mr. Fox), and Gary Oldman (Mank) were in the Harry Potter franchise.

Willem Dafoe (Fantastic Mr. Fox) and Gene Hackman (Superman) were in the 1988 film MISSISSIPPI BURNING.

Owen Wilson (Fantastic Mr. Fox) and Gene Hackman (Superman) were in the 2001 movie BEHIND ENEMY LINES.

Owen Wilson (Fantastic Mr.Fox) and Jennifer Aniston (Office Space) play a married couple in the 2008 comedy MARLEY AND ME.

Brian Cox (Fantastic Mr. Fox) plays Winston Churchill in the 2017 movie Churchill.  Gary Oldman (Mank) plays Churchill in the 2017 film DARKEST HOUR.

Brian Cox (Fantastic Mr. Fox) plays Marlon Brando (Superman) in an unaired 2017 episode of the tv series URBAN MYTHS titled ELIZABETH, MARLON, AND MICHAEL.  I'll leave it to all of you to determine what this was all about and why it was not aired.

Brian Cox (Fantastic Mr. Fox) and Joseph Cross (Mank) were in the 2006 film RUNNING WITH SCISSORS which was featured last week.

George Clooney (Fantastic Mr. Fox) plays Batman in the 1997 superhero movie BATMAN AND ROBIN.  Diedrich Bader (Office Space) has voiced Batman in the animated series BATMAN:  THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD.

Diedrich Bader (Office Space) voices Lex Luther in the 2020 animated movie SUPERMAN:  RED SON.  Gene Hackman plays Luther in this week's feature SUPERMAN and would do so in the sequels.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 812th Edition

Welcome to the 812th Edition of my series.  We're inching ever closer to MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET:  THE MUSICAL at the Marion Civic Theater.  If interested, please check out https://www.onthestage.com/show/marion-civic-theatre-inc/miracle-on-34th-street-the-musical-60140 for ticket information.  There is not much else happening right now so I will just get on with my selections.

The Triplets of Belleville (2003): I start the week out with this French animated film which was written and directed by Sylvain Chomet.  Madame Souza and her beloved pooch Bruno set out to rescue her grandson who was kidnapped.  She teams up with the Belleville Sisters who were a song and dance team from the Astaire era.  This is mostly a silent animated movie where most of the dialogue was through song.  It has some great animation with a good story to make the silence work.  Animation enthusiasts will really enjoy this one and for those not fond of Disney will really like this one.

Magnolia (1999):  Paul Thomas Anderson wrote and directed this ensemble film where a group of interrelated characters are in search of love, forgiveness, and meaning in the San Fernando Valley.  Tom Cruise, Jason Robards, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Pat Healy, Neil Flynn, Rod McLachlan, Patton Oswalt, Brad Hunt, Chris O'Hara, Clement Blake, Philip Baker Hall, Melora Walters, Thomas Jane, Melinda Dillon, Jeremy Blackman, Michael Bowen, William H. Macy, John C. Reilly, Alfred Molina, Felicity Huffman, Eileen Ryan, Luis Guzman, Orlando Jones, Henry Gibson, Clark Gregg, Ricky Jay, Mary Lynn Rajskub, and many others co-star in this ensemble drama.  The star of this movie might be Aimee Mann's soundtrack that flows perfectly with the film.  I have always said Tom Cruise's character was my favorite but I also believe the character John C. Reilly is after this watch as well.  I loved the dynamic between him and Melora Walters.  To watch this, one has to put aside three hours but it was worth those three hours to watch this film.

Luca (2021):  I finally decided to get to this Pixar film everyone is talking about.  Enrico Casarosa directed and co-wrote this Pixar animated movie.  Jacob Tremblay stars as the sea creature Luca who meets and becomes friends with fellow sea monster Alberto, voiced by Jack Dylan Grazer, who shows him what it is like on land which is forbidden from Luca's parents.  When they are on dry land, they turn into human form unless they are exposed to water.  They meet Giulia and help her in the annual triathlon.  Maya Rudolph, Marco Barricelli, Jim Gaffigan, Peter Sohn, Marina Massironi, Sandy Martin, Giacomo Giannotti, Elisa Gabrielle, Mimi Maynard, Sacha Baron Cohen, and many others co-star in this animated film.  This is a very enjoyable Pixar film even if it may not be the best.  This is one that the family watch.  I feel it has shades of THE LITTLE MERMAID and THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON.  I am pretty sure the characters were modeled from the second movie mentioned.  It also has the common theme of fearing the unknown.  This is a great coming of age story and is available to watch on Disney Plus.  

The Assignation (1953):  This is my short film for the week which was written and directed by Curtis Harrington.  This was shot in in Venice, Italy where a masked figure is followed through the labyrinthe canals of the city which builds to a satisfying ending.  The locales and the way it plays out make the eight minutes very worth it.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Horse Feathers (1932):  Norman Z. McLeod directed this comedy starring the Marx Brothers.  Groucho Marx stars as university president Quincy Adams Wagstaff and looks to help the football team beat their rivals.  He ends up hiring bumblers Baravelli and Pinky, played by Chico and Harpo Marx, who have some of the best football bloopers of all time.  Zeppo Marx co-stars as Quincy's son Frank who is on the football team and has his best work in this one in my opinion before he would eventually leave the group and become an agent.  Thelma Todd, David Landau, and many others co-star in this comedy.  This has a memorable music number in Groucho's famous song WHATEVER IT IS, I'M AGAINST IT.  There is also a lot of the usual zaniness from the Marx Brothers.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel as are their other comedies.

Oliver! (1968):  Carol Reed directed this musical based on the novel by Charles Dickens with this version being written by Lionel Bart that includes the music.  Mark Lester stars as the orphaned Oliver Twist and meets the Artful Dodger, played by Jack Wild, who takes Oliver to stay with a group of boys with Fagin, played by Ron Moody.  Fagin trains these boys to be pickpockets and must keep the sadistic Bill Sykes, played by Oliver Reed, happy.  Shani Wells, Harry Secombe, Hugh Griffith, Joseph O'Conor, Peggy Mount, Leonard Rossiter, and many others co-star in this musical.  This has always been my favorite musical from this era as I tend to favor the darker musicals and this is dark even if there are a lot of children in the movie.  Moody is great as Fagin who tells us that we need to pick a pocket or two.  This is a musical I would do if I can play Fagin or Bill Sykes.

Paris is Burning (1990):  This is my documentary for the week which was directed by Jennie Livingston.  This takes a look at the '80s drag scene in New York.  Lots of the "queens" are interviewed as they reflect on their times and the people they take in as well as the "balls" that are popular among the group.  Dorian Carey, Paris Dupree, Pepper LaBeija, Willi Ninja, among others are interviewed in this documentary.  This was a time where being gay was taboo enough but also wearing drag.  Much of the people are interviewed are black and talk about how that makes it even more difficult for them.  This is a very eye-opening documentary and is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Zatoichi on the Road (1963):  This is my Japanese film for the week that features one of their most popular characters, maybe second to Godzilla, in the blind swordsman of the title character.  Kimiyoshi Yasuda directed this action film which stars Shintaro Katsu in the title role.  Zatoichi is asked by a dying man to deliver the maiden Mitsu, played by Shiho Fujimura, to her family in Edo and feels honor bound to take her.  Along the way, he finds two rival gangs have a mysterious interest in her.  Reiko Fujiwara, Yoshio Yoshida, Sonosuke Sawamura, Shosaku Sugiyama, Yutaka Nakamura, and many others co-star in this film.  This was a character introduced in 1962 and has been used even into the 2000s.  I'm not going to claim I have any expertise into this character but this was a good movie as a whole and might be interested to check out some of these others in the future.  This is available to watch on Criterion as well as many others that feature this character.  

The Outlaw (1943):  This is my western for the week which was directed by Howard Hughes after Howard Hawks left the project.  Jack Buetel stars as Billy the Kid while Walter Huston stars as Doc Holliday who become friends out of mutual respect leaving Doc's friend Pat Garrett, played by Thomas Mitchell.  Tension comes between Billy and Doc as they fight over Doc's girl Rio, played by Jane Russell in her film debut, and what this movie is most known for as Hughes made a nationwide search for a busty actress.  Mimi Aguglia, Joe Sawyer, Ben Johnson, and many others co-star in this western.  If looking for historical accuracy, this is not it.  I have not looked into if Doc and Billy ever had an association with one another.  This was very controversial for the time and is now known for just being a really weird western.  

Running With Scissors (2006):  Ryan Murphy directed this biopic based on the book by Augusten Burroughs, played by Joseph Cross.  Augusten's unstable mother Deirdre, played by Annette Bening, sends him to live with her therapist Dr. Finch, played by Brian Cox, where he spends his adolescent years with the unusual Finch family.  We also see Deirdre's mental illness continue to worsen through life experiences.  Gwyneth Paltrow, Joseph Fiennes, Evan Rachel Wood, Alec Baldwin, Jill Clayburgh, Gabrielle Union, Patrick Wilson, Kristin Chenoweth, Dagmara Dominczyk, Colleen Camp, Jack Kaeding, and many others co-star in this film.  This kind of felt like a darker version of YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU with the Finch family where they all had a quirk of sort.  This is a good coming of age story that is based on a true one which kept my attention throughout the film.  

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Sean Connery, Meryl Streep, Barbara Stanwyck, Amanda Seyfried, Gene Hackman, Paul Muni, and many others.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 811th Edition

Welcome to the 811th Edition of my series.  I hope everyone is having a good July 4th weekend however celebrated.  I got through my first week of training with my new job at Innovista.  I think I'm going to really like this place I just hope this works out for me.  Also a reminder that MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET:  THE MUSICAL is climbing up on us.  The show is on July 22-25 at the Marion Civic Theater, ticket info and times can be found on https://www.marioncivic.org/shows-tickets/miracle-on-34th-street-the-musical/ so come see me play a more villainous character in the show.  I will get on with my selections for the week.

The Beat that My Heart Skipped (2005):  I start the week off with this French film which was directed by Jacques Audiard. Romain Duris stars as Thomas Seyr who leads a life of crime working for his father Robert, played by Niels Arestrup.  He gets reminded of his piano talent and decides to pursue that hoping to get out of his life of crime but finds his dark past is hard to overcome.  Jonathan Zaccai, Linh Dan Pham, Melanie Laurent, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a remake of the 1978 American film, yes another country is remaking a United States movie, FINGERS so I will likely look into that in the future.  This is still a very compelling film with good performances that deserves a look.

Invasion U.S.A. (1985):  Joseph Zito directed this action movie which stars action star Chuck Norris.  Norris stars as former CIA agent Matt Hunter whose enemy Rostov, played by Richard Lynch, comes after him but is unsuccessful prompting Hunter the one man army of Matt Hunter to go after Rostov and his very large group of terrorists.  Alexander Zale, Alex Colon, Eddie Jones, Billy Drago, Jaime Sanchez, Dehl Berti, Martin Shakar, and many others co-star in this action movie.  This is what it is, an action movie starring Chuck Norris, the man who was bit in the leg by a cobra and after five days of excruciating pain, the cobra died.  That being said, this is not exactly some Oscar or even Golden Globe nominated movie.  If not taken too seriously, this could be a fun watch watch and maybe to a little MST3K over.  This is available to watch on Pluto tv. 

Barbarosa (1982):  This is my western for the week which was directed by Fred Schepisi.  A young Gary Busey, before he became our modern-day philosopher we know today, stars as the inexperienced and rather naive Karl Westover who runs away from home after unintentionally killing a neighbor.  Country legend Willie Nelson co-stars as the legendary gunslinger Barbarosa who has problems of his own and takes in Karl reluctantly showing him the ropes.  Isela Vega, Gilbert Roland, Alma Martinez, George Voskovec, Howard Chamberlain, Harry Caesar, Wolf Muser, Kai Wulff, Roberto Contreras, Luis Contreras, Jake Busey, and many others co-star in this western.  This has gone a bit overlooked through the years and where can we go wrong with the duo of Nelson and Busey?  Each one had a pretty good story where they had to help each other.  This is available to watch on HBO Max.

Smile, Darn Ya Smile (1931):  This is my animated short for the week from Looney Tunes set to the tune of the title song.  This revolves around a streetcar driver named Foxy who is a mouse.  He also encounters a few others along the way like a hippo, a cow, some hobos, and even another mouse named Roxy. This is kind of Warner's answer to Disney's infamous Mickey and even Minnie Mouse. The Roxy character was used in the first three animated shorts for Merrie Melodies after finally abandoning the character. Rudolph Ising had left Disney to join Warner Brothers and came up with this short-lived character.  This is available to watch on HBO Max on Looney Tunes and is the first short listed on there.

Caught (1949):  Max Ophuls directed this film which is based on the novel by Libbie Block.  Barbara Bel Geddes stars as Leonora Eames who seems to have everything going in life with a modeling career and marrying the wealthy Smith Ohlrig, played by Robert Ryan.  She learns that Smith is very power-hungry and controlling.  Not being given a divorce, Leonora runs off from her life of luxury and takes a receptionist position for the struggling Dr. Larry Quinada, played by James Mason.  She finds real love with this person but still being married and keeping the secret leads to complications.  Frank Ferguson, Curt Bois, Ruth Brady, Natalie Schafer, Art Smith, Barbara Billingsley, and many others co-star in this film-noir.  This is Mason's American debut and was going to be cast in the more villainous role but asked to play Quinada to help shed his villainous image from the British films.  He makes good to shed that image as the more good-hearted doctor.  Ryan is someone that has gone a bit underrated by today's standards but played some good villainous roles in his career, most notably in the film noir genre.  It was good to see him get his due a little bit through Criterion Channel which had a category dedicated to him.  As mentioned, this is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Love on the Run (1979):  This is my French film for the week which was directed by Francois Truffaut.  Jean-Pierre Leaud and Claude Jade star as couple Antoine and Christine who a getting divorced.  Antoine is able to publish his autobiographical novel and he reunites with his past love Colette, played by Marie-France Pisier, who buys a copy of his book and discusses it as they meet up again years later.  Dani, Dorothee, Daniel Mesguich, Julien Bertheau, co-star in this French film.  I did not know until writing this summary that this is the fifth and final film from Truffaut that features the character of Antoine.  I also learned that some of the flashback scenes were part of first four movies.  I was able to follow along pretty well, maybe because I wasn't aware I was watching a sequel, or continuation I don't really know which this is.  I had seen THE 400 BLOWS which had Antoine as a youth.  Most of these except the movie LOVE AT TWENTY is featured on the Criterion Channel and that is the second of the series so now maybe I'll just go back and find some of these.

Parasite (2019):  This is my Korean film which was directed by Bong Jong Ho which is kind of satire of class discrimination.  This is centered around the Kim family who are a poor and struggling family doing what they can to make money.  They soon start conning the more wealthy Park family managing to get jobs through there.  Things are going well but find they have other people competing with them to be part of the Park Family.  Kang-Ho Song, Sun-Kyun Lee, Keo-Jeong Cho, Woo-Sik Choi, So-Dam Park, Lee Jeong-eun, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a pretty bizarre film that has just about every genre going for itself including comedy, drama, action, and even some horror.  This is difficult to really explain beyond what I have but is a great watch.  This is available to watch on Hulu.

The Revolt of Mamie Stover (1956):  Raoul Walsh directed this film which was directed by William Bradford Huie.  Jane Russell stars as prostitute Mamie Stover who is run out of San Francisco as WWII begins to intensify.  She ends up in Hawaii hoping to start a new life and falls in love with science fiction writer Jim Blair, played by Richard Egan.  Things get complicated with Jim's own relationship with Annalee, played by Joan Leslie, and with Mamie falling back into her past lifestyle.  Agnes Moorehead, Jorja Curtright, Michael Pate, Alan Reed, Eddie Firestone, Jean Willes, and many others co-star in this complicated love story.  This is a pretty decent B-movie love story with Alexander shining well in her starring role.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Last Tango in Paris (1972):  Bernardo Bertolucci directed this Italian film.  Maria Schneider stars as Jeanne who is looking for an apartment.  She encounters Paul, played by Marlon Brando, who is mourning his wife and they are instantly drawn to each other but Paul does not want much info from her like her name nor does he want to give out his own.  Maria Michi, Giovanna Galletti, Catherine Allegret, Catherine Breillat, and many others co-star in this film. This movie is rated NC-17 so this is not a family movie.  This is also not a very upbeat movie.  This was quite a year for Brando who in the same year had been in the very popular THE GODFATHER and then did this more art house film that has gone down in history in its own right for many reasons.  This has some very fascinating behind the scenes stuff if researched but would suggest just watching the movie first if you can get past the NC-17 rating.  This is available to watch on Tubi.

The Celebration (1998):  As I end this week, I realize I got pretty dark and violent this week with my selections with this not being much different.  Thomas Vinterbert directed and co-wrote this Danish film about a very dysfunctional family.  Henning Moritzen stars as the family patriarch Helge whose 60th birthday celebration is being celebrated but as his oldest son Christian, played by Ulrich Thompson, makes a very unfavorable speech about his father's past.  Thomas Bo Larsen, Paprika Steen, Trine Dyrholm, and many others co-star in this film.  This is another rather dark but compelling film on a dysfunctional film that does not put the fun in dysfunction like some movies tend to do.  This is a very well-shot, well acted and well written film that deserves a look.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Julianne Moore, Jane Russell, Gwyneth Paltrow, and many others.