Welcome to the 830th edition of my series. I know some people are excited about this snowfall that happened this morning but as some know I can't stand the snow. My point was furthered when going to the sports bar and the televisions weren't working due to the snow effecting their satellite. I don't really have anything further to say and I hope we are all staying safe out there.
Mission: Impossible- Fallout (2018): I start the week out with this last film of the franchise until next year. Christopher McQuarrie wrote and directed this entry into the franchise. Tom Cruise reprises his role of Ethan Hunt who along with his IMF team must race against time to find three plutonium cores before a terrorist group gets it. Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Rebecca Ferguson, and a few allies along the way join Ethan in this rather intense action film. Henry Cavill, Sean Harris, Angela Bassett, Vanessa Kirby, Michelle Monaghan, Wes Bentley, Frederick Schmidt, Alec Baldwin, Liang Yang, Kristoffer Joner, and many others co-star in this action film. Cruise is up to the game as always in this entry and went through a lot of training for his really dangerous stunt towards the end of the film. I also really like the loyalty feel of the team. This is available to watch on Paramount Plus.
The Other Dream Team (2012): This is my sports documentary for the week which was directed by Marius Markevicius. This takes a look at the Lithuanian team that was in the 1992 Olympics along with our own first "Dream Team". This also takes a look at the struggles of the country of Lithuania along with their athletes and trying to break free from the Soviet rule. This has various interviews with the players and coaching staff, some of which made the NBA. This can also make us appreciate what we have in our own country. This is a pretty moving documentary that any sports or non-sports fan can really enjoy and appreciate.
With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story (2010): Terry Douglas, Nikki Frakes, and Will Hess directed this documentary on the legendary comic book writer. This takes a look at Stanley Martin Lieber who we all know as Stan Lee. This takes a look at his early days on how he got involved in the comics and his rise to Marvel where he would become an American icon. He also takes a look at his staff through the years that also helped make all this possible. There are a lot of interviews with actors and people involved in the comic book world. This is a very insightful documentary and really deserves a look. This is available to watch on Imdb Tv.
Falling Leaves (1912): This is my silent short for the week which was directed by Alice Guy and based on the novel by O. Henry. Magda Foy stars as young Trixie Thompson whose sister Winifred, played by Marian Swayne, has Tuberculosis and is on the verge of death. She takes something she hears very literally that if the last leave falls, she will die. This is a pretty touching short film of sisterly love. I honestly thought when I read the description, that this might be an early look at alcoholism when I saw the word "consumption" but then put two and two together that it was Tuberculosis. This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.
Blazing Saddles (1974): This is part two of my Madeline Kahn trilogy. This is my western parody for the week which was directed by Mel Brooks. Cleavon Little stars as Bart who is appointed the first black sheriff by the corrupt politician Hedley Lamarr, played by Harvey Korman, in hopes he will ruin the town. Bart soon becomes his adversary as he tries to save the town with the help of Jim aka the Waco Kid, played by Gene Wilder. Slim Pickens, Mel Brooks, Burton Gilliam, Alex Karras, David Huddleston, Liam Dunn, John Hillerman, George Furth, Jack Garrett, Carol Arthur, Richard Collier, Dom Deluise, and many others co-star in this iconic western parody. This is a very politically incorrect movie but emphasizes the ignorance and stupidity of the racist town. A running joke of the movie is the character of Hedley Lamarr being mistakenly called Hedy Lamarr like the real-life actress. I read that the real Hedy Lamarr sued over the use of the name and settled out of court. This is available to watch on HBO Max.
The Wolf Man (1941): This is part three of my Bela Lugosi trilogy where he plays a small but very significant role where he keeps his first name Bela. Lon Chaney Jr. stars as Larry Talbot who is coming to his home of Wales. A life-changing event happens where he turns into a werewolf during a full moon. Claude Rains co-stars as Larry's father Sir John Talbot. Warren William, Ralph Bellamy, Patric Knowles, Evelyn Ankers, J.M Kerrigan, Fay Helm, and Forrester Harvey co-star in this Universal classic. Universal serves as kind of the original Marvel Cinematic Universe. This is where these monster characters that also include Dracula and Frankenstein's Monster come together and meet up for something. Chaney would make this a very iconic role for himself and lives on with immortality. This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.
Last Night in Soho (2021): I decided to make a trip to the theaters to check out this psychological horror film which was directed by Edgar Wright. Thomasine McKenzie stars as Eloise, an aspiring fashion designer who is mysteriously able to enter the '60s where she encounters a struggling singer named Sandie, played by Anya Taylor-Joy. Eloise starts to like vicariously through Sandie but soon learns what a dark life Sandie leads. Matt Smith, Diana Rigg, Aimee Cassettari, Rita Tushingham, Michael Ajao, Synnove Karlsen, Jessie Mei Li, Kassius Nelson, Rebecca Harrod, Pauline Mclynn, Terence Stamp, and many others co-star in this film. This is Rigg's last movie before her death. It is really hard to explain this any further than what I have but was quite a theatrical treat.
Bitter Rice (1949): This is my Italian film for the week which was directed by Giuseppe De Santis. Vittorio Gassman and Doris Dowling star as Walter and Francesca who are on the run and take refuge with a group of women rice workers. They team up there and become involved with a couple workers there in a complex plot involving robbery. Silvana Mangano, Raf Vallone, Checco Rissone, and many others co-star in this film. This is a good look at what people had to resort to for survival in this era. Like my last selection, this is hard to explain much further but is really worth a look for those that don't mind subtitles. This is also available to watch on the Criterion Channel.
Daisies (1966): I go from Italy to Czechoslovakia for this surrealist comedy directed by Vera Chytilova. This focuses on best friends Marie and Marie, played by Ivana Karbanova and Jitka Cerhova, who see the world as very spoiled and are determined to become spoiled themselves. They enjoy themselves by ripping off older men, feast on lavish meals, and take nothing at all seriously. This was a very controversial at the time being seen as being critical of things like communism so this was banned in Czechoslovakia. This is also regarded as a milestone in the Czechoslovakian New Wave movement in film. The lead actresses had a great time and has some funny moments while also thinking wtf throughout the film into the ending and a scene involving newspapers. This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel and on HBO Max.
Laggies (2014): I end the week with this coming of age at a later age film which as directed by Lynn Shelton. Keira Knightley stars as Megan who panics upon a marriage proposal and takes refuge with her new 16 year old friend Annika, played by Chloe Grace Moretz, to hide out in her home. She also must get past Annika's attorney and single father Craig, played by Sam Rockwell. Kaitlyn Dever, Mark Webber, Rocki DuCharme, Larissa Schmitz, Philip Abraham, Ellie Kemper, Sara Coates, Louis Hobson, Jeff Garlin, Jodi Thelen, and many others co-star in this comedy. This is a pretty moving character driven movie with flawed but likable characters and with Knightley and Moretz working very well together. This is available to watch on Hoopla Digital.
Well, that is it for this week but continue on for my segment "Movie Time in the Town of Pottersville".. Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Tom Cruise, Chris Cooper, and many others.
MOVIE TIME IN THE TOWN OF POTTERSVILLE
Frozen (2010): I know some will get excited when they see this title and might want to build a snowman and then will be dismayed to see that's not what I'm featuring. All I have to say to that is let it go, I've featured it in the past. I knew Steph wasn't going to watch that Disney movie but thought this might appeal to her horror tastes so we agreed on this independent horror film which was written and directed by Adam Green. Kevin Zegers, Emma Bell, and Shawn Ashmore star as Dan, Parker, and Joe who are trying to get away and have a good time at a ski resort. They are determined to ride the lift but through misunderstandings, they are forgotten and left out on the lift while it is freezing. They must make some hard choices for survival while battling the elements and everything else there is out there. Ed Ackerman, Rileah Vanderbilt, Kane Hodder, and Adam Johnson co-star in this film. This was a very authentic film and was shot that way at a mountain in Utah. This is not for everyone but was a very suspenseful and well written thriller. This is available to watch on imdb tv.
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