Welcome to the 817th Edition of my series. I hope we're all doing okay in these times. I may have some announcements next week but for now I'll just get on with my selections.
Rocketman (2019): I start the week out with this musical fantasy biopic which was directed by Dexter Fletcher. Taron Egerton stars as Reginald Dwight who we would know better as Elton John. This focuses on his breakthrough years upon his meeting with his long-time songwriting partner Bernie Taupin, played by Jamie Bell. It also focuses on him dealing with his alcoholism and sexual identity. Richard Madden, Bryce Dallas Howard, Gemma Jones, Steven Mackintosh, Tom Bennett, Matthew Illesley, Kit Connor, Charlie Rowe, Tate Donovan, Ophelia Lovibond, and many others co-star in this film. Egerton plays Elton John to perfection and even does his own singing. He was also the voice in the animated movie SING where he sang I'M STILL STANDING. Elton John was also a producer on this and worked very closely in the production. This is essentially a musical set to Elton John's music while portraying John in his early years. I would say if you just don't like Elton John, this would not be a good watch but for the fans, this was very well done.
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad (1988): David Zucker directed this comedy and co-wrote with his partners in crime Jim Abrahams and his brother Jerry Zucker. Leslie Nielsen reprises his role of police detective Frank Drebin from the short lived cult series POLICE SQUAD. Ricardo Montalban co-stars as Vincent Ludwig who is out to assassination Queen Elizabeth II and Drebin must work to protect the queen and stop Ludwig. Prescilla Presley co-stars as Jane Spencer who becomes Drebin's love interest. O.J. Simpson, George Kennedy, Susan Beaubian, Nancy Marchand, Raye Birk, Joe Grifasi, Lawrence Tierney, and many others co-star in this comedy spoof. Many gags abound in this comedy that spoofs James Bond in some ways but many other things as well. Nielsen is comic gold in this film and is the start of possibly the best comedy trilogy of all time.
Icarus (2017): This is my sports documentary this week which was directed by Bryan Fogel. Fogel looks to uncover the truth about doping in sports so as a biker himself, he decided to experiment with the help of Russian scientist Grigory Rodchenkov. Rodchenkov was part of a cover-up in the Olympics and decides to tell all in this documentary. This is a pretty eye-opening documentary that starts as a personal experiment but then goes into whistleblowing. This is available to watch on Netflix.
Three Little Wolves (1936): This is my classic Disney animation short film for the week. This centers around the big bad wolf who has three kids. We do still have three pigs, two of which like to make jokes by using the wolf whistle when it is not needed and being warned by Practical Pig that if they keep lying, no one will believe them. This one does have a lot of action and does even get a bit intense. I know I've been doing a lot of Looney Tunes lately since I got HBO Max so decided to go back to Disney Plus for this week.
The McKenzie Break (1970): This is my war movie for the week which was directed by Lamont Johnson and based on the novel by Sidney Shelley. This takes place in a Scottish POW camp during the last days of WWII where a lot of German soldiers are being held. This looks at both the German side plotting and escape and the British side in preventing the escape. Then the attempted escape happens making all hell break loose. Brian Keith, Helmut Griem, Ian Hendry, Jack Watson, Horst Janson, Alexander Allerson, John Abineri, Constantine Gregory, Mary Larkin, Gregg Berger, and many others co-star in this film. Most of us know THE GREAT ESCAPE but most don't really know this escape film which is really well done. This could make a good double feature for those that like this genre.
Seven Men From Now (1956): This is my western for the week which was directed by Budd Boetticher. Western star Randolph Scott stars as ex-Sheriff Ben Stride who blames himself for the murder of his wife and is out to avenge her death. Gail Russell, Walter Reed, Lee Marvin, John Larch, Don 'Red' Barry, and many others co-star in this western. I thought Marvin was the best part of the movie who was essentially a vigilante along for the ride but has his motives. This was kind of a comeback role for Scott and the first of seven collaborations between Boetticher and Scott. This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel as well as some of their other collaborations.
Louder Than Bombs (2015): This is part one of a possible five part series for David Strathairn Joachim Trier directed and co-wrote this film which is essentially about dealing with loss. Gabriel Byrne stars as Gene and Jesse Eisenberg and Devin Druid star as his sons Jonah and Conrad. They all must confront their feelings about Gene's late wife, played by Isabelle Huppert, and the mother of his sons. Amy Ryan, Ruby Jerins, Megan Ketch, David Strathairn, Rachel Brosnahan, Russell Posner, and many others co-star in this film. This shows how all three have different ways of dealing with their grief which also distances them at the same time while Gene does when he can to get his family together. This is not the most upbeat movie of all time but is a really good look at dealing with grief with good performances. This is available to watch on
Black Like Me (1964): Carl Lerner directed this film which is based on the novel by John Howard Griffin. This is based on a true story where Griffin as journalist who decides to go undercover as a black man in the deep south. He beyond blackface and with the help of his doctor, he was able to turn his skin into a darker color to blend in. Sorrell Booke, Roscoe Lee Browne, Al Freeman Jr., Will Geer, Robert Gerringer, Clifton James, John Marriott, Lenka Peterson, and many others co-star in this film. This is a pretty interesting movie where a man goes to some extremes to blend in. I had never heard of this movie until I came across it at my local library and is really worth a look.
Boyfriend in Sight (1954): This is my Spanish film for the week which was directed by Luis Garcia Berlanga. A young girl goes to the beach with her parents in hopes that they will find her a suitable fiancee. They want to with a successful engineer while she falls in love with a student of her age. This goes beyond the relationship with a lot of very funny gags to go along with it. This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.
The Slow Escape (1998): I end the week with this documentary short which was directed by Sativa Peterson. Peterson also narrates this as she contemplates to the story of a 23 year old waitress near her that went missing and the circumstances surrounding it. This is a very well done documentary short that uses horror movie footage to convey her point. This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel and was worth the 20 minutes..
Well, that is it for this week. Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Marion Cotillard, Peter Dinklage, Jeff Goldblum, Bette Davis and many others.
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