Welcome to the 849th edition of my series. We're in the changing weather time of year and I hope everyone is coping okay. I don't have a lot to say right now so I will just get on with my selections for the week.
I Know this Much is True (2020): This is part three of my Mark Ruffalo trilogy. I start the week out with this mini-series that was directed by Derek Cianfrance and based on the novel by Wally Lamb. Ruffalo stars in a duel role where he plays twin brothers Dominick and Thomas Birdsey in this story of tragedy, betrayal, sacrifice and forgiveness. Thomas suffers from paranoid schizophrenia and Dominick tries to look over his brother but has problems of his own. John Procaccino, Rob Huebel, Gabe Fazio, Kathryn Hahn, Melissa Leo, Rosie O'Donnell, Archie Panjabi, Michael Greyeyes, Donnie Masihi, Rocco Masihi, Imogen Poots, Marcello Fonte, Philip Ettinger, Bruce Greenwood, Juliette Lewis, Aisling Franciosi, Harris Yulin, Joe Grifasi, and many others co-star in this limited series. This is really hard to describe but looks at the parallel lives of these brothers through the years. Ruffalo gave everything he had to both roles but in different ways. This is available to watch on HBO Max.
Widows (2018): Steve McQueen directed this film based on the novel by Lynda La Plante. A group of dead criminals leave their widows with their debt. Viola Davis stars as Veronica who decides to take fate into her own hands by bringing in fellow widows Linda, played by Michelle Rodriguez, and Alice, played by Elizabeth Debicki, as well as Belle, played by Cynthia Erivo, who is recruited to be their driver. Liam Neeson, Jon Bernthal, Manuel Garcia- Rulfo, Coburn Goss, Alejandro Verdin, Bailey Rhyse Walters, Carrie Coon, Robert Duvall, Colin Farrell, Molly Kunz, James Vincent Meredith, Brian Tyree Henry, Daniel Kaluuya, Eric C. Lynch, Michael Harney, Jacki Weaver, Garrett Dillahunt, Kevin J. O'Connor, Lukas Haas, Matt Walsh, and many others co-star in this film. This is very intense to say the least and is a very complex film with all kinds of twists and turns. This is available to watch on FXNOW.
Children of a Lesser God (1986): This is part two of my William Hurt trilogy in homage to his recent death. Randa Haines directed this film based on the play by Mark Medoff. Hurt stars as new speech teacher James Leeds who works with a group of deaf high school students. He takes interest in their janitor Sarah, played by Marlee Matlin, who is deaf herself. They fall in love and form a relationship but they learn the hardships of adjusting to each other's world. Piper Laurie, Philip Bosco, Bob Hiltermann, E. Katherine Kerr, and many others co-star in this film. This is a very beautiful story of love and the hardship of a relationship to two totally different people. I did not really know much of what to expect but was pleasantly surprised. I feel this movie has gone onto be quite underrated even though Matlin won an Oscar for her performance. This is available to watch on Hoopla Digital and Pluto TV.
The Old Hag (1906): This is my silent short film for the week which was directed and written by Georges Melies. He also stars as the Fairy Carabosse who is consulted by a penniless troubadour looking to see his future. After the troubadour pays in a bag of sand, the Carabosse seeks vengeance. I included Melies a few weeks ago and decided to look further into him. He is most known for his sci-fi short A TRIP TO THE MOON and has been called "the Father of Sci-Fi" and with this one could be "the Father of Fantasy" as well. It is always interesting to watch from this era and see the color tinting they would do. This is available to watch on HBO Max as well as other shorts by Melies.
Le Amiche (1955): This is my Italian film for the week which was directed by Michelangelo Antonioni and based on the novel by Cesare Pavese. Eleonora Rossi Drago stars as Clelia who returns home in Turin to start a new salon. In the process, she involved with a troubled young woman named Rosetta, played by Madeleine Fischer, and her three wealthy friends. Gabriele Ferzetti, Franco Fabrizi, Valentina Cortese, Yvonne Furneaux, and many others co-star in this Italian film. This is a good post WWII film on trying to understand an attempted suicide and sorting through the own love lives. This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel and imdb tv.
The Cars that Ate Paris (1974): Peter Weir directed this film about many in the town of Paris causing car accidents and then selling any valuables they can. The Paris in this movie is not the most known town in France, nor is it even in Texas like the movie. This one takes place in the Paris that is in Australia. Terry Camilleri stars as Arthur who was in an accident that he survived but kills his brother. John Meillon, Max Gillies, Bruce Spence, Chris Haywood, Max Phipps, Melissa Jaffer, Tim Robertson, and many others co-star in this Australian film. This is part of Australia's New Wave and a bit of a weird film. This would also lead to a lot of other car-themed movies in Australia. This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.
Kung Fu Killer (2014): This is my Hong Kong martial arts film for the week which was directed by Teddy Chan. Donnie Yen stars as martial arts expert Hahou Mo who gets imprisoned for accidentally killing someone. When a vicious killer named Hung, played by Fung Yu-Sau starts starts killing people in the martial arts world, Mo offers to help the police in exchange for his freedom. Charlie Yeung, Bing Bai, Alex Fong, Siu-Wong Fan, Xing Yu, David Chiang, and many others co-star in this martial arts film. Lots of great fighting and action going on in this film with Yen on the top of his game. Through all the awesome fight scenes is a pretty good story to go along. This is available to watch on streaming apps like Crackle, Plex, Pluto TV, and Tubi as well as Amazon Prime with a subscription the Hi-Yah! programming.
The Boys in the Band (1970): William Friedkin directed this film based on the play by Mart Crowley. This centers around a group of gay friends that are having a party where things get intense when a heterosexual friend joins the party. Kenneth Nelson, Peter White, Leonard Frey, Frederick Combs, Cliff Gorman, Laurence Luckinbill, Keith Prentice, Reuben Greene, and Robert La Tourneaux star in this film. This is a movie driven by the characters and the script and is hard to really describe. This was likely very controversial in its time as most would know in this era, being gay was not as accepted as it is today. The playwright Crowley would only agree to do this movie if he could retain his original cast from the play. He was able to retain his cast which are still relatively unknown but they still made this work. This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.
The Two Mrs. Carrolls (1947): Peter Godfrey directed this film that is based on the play by Martin Vale. Humphrey Bogart stars as struggling artist Geoffrey Carroll who meets Sally, played by Barbara Stanwyck, and get married after the passing of Geoffrey's invalid wife. Sally becomes concerned as she witnesses Geoffrey's behavior and learns more about his past. Alexis Smith, Nigel Bruce, Isobel Elsom, Patrick O'Moore, Ann Carter, Anita Sharp-Bolster, and many others co-star in this film noir. This is a more unknown movie from Bogey and one that deserves more exposure. This is a pretty dark film that is best to watch with not much pre-knowledge of the film. This is available to watch on HBO Max.
Play the Game (2009): I end the week with this romantic comedy which was written and directed by Marc Fienberg. This is not a movie about the wrestler Triple H. Paul Campbell stars as David Mitchell who is quite the ladies man and decides to teach his widowed Grandpa Joe, played by Andy Griffith, to get the attention of the women and find a companion. He also takea interest in a girl named Julie, played by Marla Sokoloff. Doris Roberts, Liz Sheridan, Clint Howard, Rance Howard, Geoffrey Owens, Juliette Jeffers, Marie Caldare, Bunny Levine, Monica Garcia, Sergio Enrique, Michelle Pierce, and many others co-star in this comedy. This is a pretty fun romantic comedy that would be a really good date movie. It is also of interest to see Griffith in his last role. This is available to watch on imdb tv.
Well, that is it for this week. Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Scarlett Johansson, Nicolas Cage, Anne Hathaway, Bette Davis, and many others.
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