Welcome to the 864th Edition of my series. I hope everyone is making the most of these times. I'm still here to give some recommendations for the week so I'll just get right to them.
Ed Wood (1994): I start the week with this biopic which was presented at the Muncie Public Library as part of the Cinemuncie series by Dennis the Librarian Menace. Tim Burton directed this film that takes a look at "The Worst Director of All Time" in Edward D. Wood Jr. and is based on the book NIGHTMARE OF ECSTASY. Johnny Depp stars as the ambitious and determined Ed Wood who along with his misfit group of actors manage to make some low-budget movies that are mostly endearing today for being so bad they are good. One of the main focuses of this movie is Wood's friendship with the aging Bela Lugosi, played very well by Martin Landau, who Wood is convinced is still very marketable. The other main focus is on getting his most known movie PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE made which is still know as arguably the best bad movie of all time. Sarah Jessica Parker, Patricia Arquette, Jeffrey Jones, G.D. Spradlin, Vincent D'Onofrio, Bill Murray, Mike Starr, Max Casella, Brent Hinkley, Lisa Marie, WWE Hall of Famer George "The Animal" Steele, BUFFY alum Juliet Landau, Clive Rosengren, Norman Alden, Leonard Termo, Ned Bellamy, Rance Howard, and many others co-star in this Hollywood biopic. A couple of Wood's alums in Gregory Walcott and Conrad Brooks have cameos. This has always been my favorite of the Burton/Depp collaborations. This was a very fun and informative look at Depp and for a lack of a better description his band of misfits. I would recommend getting familiar with some of Wood's movies first like the one mentioned in my description and then give this a watch. This could also be a really good double feature to go along with THE DISASTER ARTIST. That would be as Ed Wood always said, PERFECT!
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017): This is part one of a trilogy for Zendaya who co-stars in this film as Michelle but know more now as M.J. Jon Watts directed this Superhero film which is the first feature film for Tom Holland's Peter Parker after being introduced in CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR. Holland stars as the quirky teen Peter Parker trying to balance his life as a high school student and his alter-ego of Spider-Man. He is also under the watchful eye of his mentor Tony Stark, played by Robert Downey Jr., who provides Parker with his state-of-the-art costume. Being known for playing the DC superhero Batman, Michael Keaton goes the supervillain route as the bitter Adrian Toomes who creates his own costume to wreak havoc as Vulture. Zendaya, Marisa Tomei, Jon Favreau, Gwyneth Paltrow, Donald Glover, Jacob Batalon, Laura Harrier, Tony Revolori, Bokeem Woodbine, Tyne Daly, Abraham Attah, Hannibal Buress, Kenneth Choi, Selenis Leyva, Angourie Rice, Martin Starr, Garcelle Beauvais, Michael Chernus, Michael Mando, Logan Marshall-Green, Jennifer Connelly, Gary Weeks, Christopher Berry, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., Tunde Adebimpe, Tiffany Espenson, Isabelle Amara, Michael Barbieri, Josie Totah, Hemke Madera, Stan Lee, Chris Evans, Kerry Condon, and many others co-star or have cameos. I thought this was a really good start to the Spider-Man part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. One of the main parts of this movie is the relationship of Peter Parker and Tony Stark and their working relationship. This is available to watch on Starz.
Mean Girls (2004): Mark Waters directed this film based on the novel QUEEN BEES AND WANNABES by Rosalind Wiseman and co-star Tina Fey wrote the screenplay. Lindsey Lohan stars as the 16 year old Cady Heron who is going to school for the first time after being homeschooled while living in Africa all her life. As she learns the world of high school popularity, the clique of the Plastics, lead by Regina George, played by Rachel McAdams, takes and interest in her. She also takes up the idea of infiltrating the group but slowly becomes one of them. Lacey Chabert and Amanda Seyfried make up the other part of the Plastics. Poehler, Fey, Jonathan Bennett, Tim Meadows, Ana Gasteyer, Lizzy Caplan, Daniel Franzese, Neil Flynn, Rajiv Surendra, and many others co-star in this comedy. This is a really good satire on high school cliques and the stupidity of "popularity". Unfortunately, social media has ruined this for some people through all the quoting and the memes. I try to just take into consideration, that those that made this did not foresee this movie being very emphasized through social media. I also wonder if Seyfried's character Karen Smith was part of what has become the "Karen" craze. THE BIG LEBOWSKI and OFFICE SPACE are other comedies that come to mind that are really emphasized through social media. I felt it has a really good message at the end. This is available to watch on Netflix.
The Rink (1916): This is my silent short for the week which was directed by Charles Chaplin who also stars. This is some of Chapin's early work where he stars as a bumbling waiter at a restaurant. This has a lot of great moments but the highlights involve the Tramp on roller skates. This is available to watch on HBO Max and MUBI.
Bobby Deerfield (1977): Sydney Pollack directed this film based on the novel HEAVEN HAS NO FAVORITES by Erich Maria Remarque. Al Pacino stars as the title character who is a racecar driver on the European circuit whose death of a team member has him unsettled to continue. He meets the impulsive Lillian, played by Marthe Keller, who is in her own race in life and falls in love with her while having a new outlook on life. Anny Duperey, Walter McGinn, Van Doude, Romolo Valli, Jaime Sanchez, Mickey Knox, and many others co-star in this film. This is some early Pacino and while he is a racecar driver, the movie is far more about the relationship and there is not a lot of racing scenes for those who wanting really see the racing. It is a very compelling story of a slow-building relationship and an underrated performance for Pacino.
Key Largo (1948): John Huston directed this film based on the play by Maxwell Anderson. Humphrey Bogart stars as WWII veteran Frank McCloud who travels to a run-down hotel on Key Largo to honor a friend. The hotel is run by his friend's widow Nora, played by Lauren Bacall, and father James, played by Lionel Barrymore. No one expected a group of mobsters lead by Johnny Rocco, played by Edward G. Robinson, to take refuge during the passing of the hurricane and take the place hostage. Claire Trevor, Thomas Gomez, Harry Lewis, John Rodney, Marc Lawrence, Dan Seymour, Monte Blue, William Haade, and many others co-star in this film. This is a very intense film that has quite the cast. There is also a great rivalry between Bogart and Robinson leading to a really good climax. This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.
The Lost Daughter (2021): Maggie Gyllenhaal goes behind the camera to directed this film based on a novel by Elena Ferrante. Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley star as Leda with Colman for the modern era and Buckley for the flashbacks. While vacationing in Greece, Leda meets a young mother in Nina, played by Dakota Johnson, and her three year old daughter Elena, played by Athena Martin Anderson. Events happen that make Leda relate to moments of the past. Ed Harris, Peter Sarsgaard, Paul Mescal, Dagmara Dominczyk, Jack Farthing, Ellie Mae Blake, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Panos Koronis, Alexandros Mylonas, Alba Rohrwacher, Nikos Poursandidis, and many others co-star in this film. This takes a look at the difficulty of parenting and brash decisions that get made sometime which happen in both eras. Colman and Buckley are well cast as different eras of the same character and Johnson holds her own with them. It is not an upbeat story. It is really hard to explain beyond what I did and is quite character driven. This is available to watch on Netflix.
Inferno (1953): Roy Ward Baker directed this crime drama centering around a love triangle. Robert Ryan stars as business tycoon Donald Whitley Carson III who is left in the desert to die with a broken leg by his wife Geraldine, played by Rhonda Fleming, and her lover Joseph, played by William Lundigan. Carson proves to be far more resourceful than they thought as he fights for survival and the others must rethink their plan. Larry Keating, Henry Hull, Carl Betz, Robert Burton, and many others co-star in this film. This has a lot of suspense in it. It is also possibly Ryan's best performance of his career. This has gone down as a very underrated film that deserves a lot more exposure. This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.
The Chase (1966): Arthur Penn directed this film based on the novel by Horton Foote. Robert Redford stars as escaped convict Bubber Reeves in a small southern town. His escape affects residents of the town when the escape occurs. Marlon Brando co-stars as the troubled Sheriff Calder who is charged with bringing Reeves in safely and must also deal with a mob that is after Reeves. Jane Fonda, E.G. Marshall, Angie Dickinson, Janice Rule, Miriam Hopkins, Martha Hyer, Richard Bradford, Robert Duvall, James Fox, Diana Hyland, Henry Hull, Jocelyn Brando, Katherine Walsh, Lori Martin, Paul Williams, and many others co-star in this film. This is a good look at a small town where secrets manage to come out. Both the convict and the cop have a hard time trying to figure out what is right and wrong. It is something underrated that should be on the radar.
Boyz N the Hood (1991): I end the week with this classic which was written and directed by John Singleton and see that while I started out with some fun selections, each one got more and more intense. This takes a look at social problems in inner-city Los Angeles. Cuba Gooding Jr. stars as Tre who is sent to live with his father Furious, played by Laurence Fishburne. Furious tries to keep his son in line and does what he can to teach the values of doing the right thing. Ice Cube and Morris Chestnut co-star as half brothers Doughboy and Ricky who each have a different path in life. Angela Bassett, Lexie Bigham, John Cothran, Tyra Ferrell, Dedrick D. Gobert, Tammy Hanson, Desi Arnez Hines II, Jessie Lawrence Ferguson, Baha Jackson, Regina King, Nia Long, Alysia Rogers, Esther Scott, Vonte Sweet, Yolanda Whittaker, and many others co-star in this film. This is a very important film that remains relevant today. This has a message for just about anyone. It looks at racism among the blacks and it also looks at the tensions between the race. Singleton based his characters off those he knew. This is available to watch on Starz.
Well, that is it for this week but continue on for the return of my segment "Fun and Useless Facts". Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Frances McDormand, Emilio Estevez, Carol Burnett, James Cagney, Bob Hope, Oscar Isaac, James Caan, and many others.
FUN AND USELESS FACTS
I decided to bring back this segment. I kept the connections coming from different movies and not actors from the same movie. I limited my facts to 30 so I'm sure there is plenty I have missed so feel free to comment if another is found.
Johnny Depp (Ed Wood) goes undercover and learns the ways of being a wise guy from Al Pacino (Bobby Deerfield) in the 1997 film DONNIE BRASCO.
Ed Harris (The Lost Daughter) and Cuba Gooding Jr. (Boyz N the Hood) star in the 2003 film RADIO.
Johnny Depp (Ed Wood) and Marlon Brando (The Chase) are in the 1994 film DON JUAN DEMARCO.
Chris Evans (Spider-Man: Homecoming) and Laurence Fishburne (Boyz N the Hood) were in the 2007 superhero movie FANTASTIC 4: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER. Fishburne provides the voice of the Silver Surfer.
Johnny Depp (Ed Wood) was considered to play Charles Chaplin (The Rink) in the in the 1992 film CHAPLIN which would ultimately go to Robert Downey Jr. (Spider-Man: Homecoming).
Ed Harris (The Lost Daughter) and Laurence Fishburne (Boyz N the Hood) were in the 1995 movie JUST CAUSE.
Martin Landau (Ed Wood) and Al Pacino (Bobby Deerfield) in the 1996 movie CITY HALL.
Marlon Brando (The Chase) and Angela Bassett (Boyz N the Hood) were in the 2001 movie THE SCORE.
Patricia Arquette (Ed Wood) and Laurence Fishburne (Boz N the Hood) were in the 1987 horror film NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3: DREAM WARRIORS.
Michael Keaton (Spider-Man: Homecoming) and Rachel McAdams (Mean Girls) were in the 2015 film SPOTLIGHT.
Jeffrey Jones (Ed Wood) and Michael Keaton (Spider-Man: Homecoming) were in the 1988 film BEETLEJUICE.
Gwyneth Paltrow (Spider-Man: Homecoming) and Laurence Fishburne (Boyz N the Hood) were in the 2011 film CANTAGION.
G.D. Spradlin (Ed Wood), Al Pacino (Bobby Deerfield), and Robert Duvall (The Chase) were in the 1974 film THE GODFATHER PART II.
Michael Keaton (Spider-Man: Homcoming) and Lindsay Lohan (Mean Girls) were father and daughter in the 2005 movie HERBIE FULLY LOADED.
Vincent D'Onofrio (Ed Wood) and Robert Downey Jr. (Spider-Man: Homecoming) play brothers in the 2014 film THE JUDGE whose father is Robert Duvall (The Chase).
Michael Keaton (Spider-Man: Homecoming) declined in the role of Peter Venkman in the 1984 comedy GHOSTBUSTERS which would ultimately go to Bill Murray (Ed Wood)
Vincent D'Onofrio (Ed Wood) and Angela Bassett (Boyz N the Hood) are in the 1995 sci-fi film STRANGE DAYS.
Marisa Tomei (Spider-Man: Homecoming) and Al Pacio (Bobby Deerfield) were in a 2003 Broadway production of SALOME.
Bill Murray (Ed Wood) was considered for the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman in the 1989 film BATMAN which would ultimately go to Michael Keaton (Spider-Man: Homecoming). Murray was considered when the project would be more like the '60s sitcom.
Jon Favreau (Spider-Man: Homecoming) and Robert Duvall (The Chase) were in the 1998 disaster movie DEEP IMPACT.
Mike Starr (Ed Wood) and Laurence Fishburne (Boyz N the Hood) were in the 1997 gangster film HOODLUM.
Michael Keaton (Spider-Man: Homecoming) and Dakota Johnson (The Lost Daughter) were in 2014 movie NEED FOR SPEED.
Mike Starr (Ed Wood) and Robert Redford (The Chase) were in the 1984 film THE NATURAL.
Bokeem Woodbine (Spider-Man: Homecoming) and Ed Harris (The Lost Daughter) were in the 1996 action film THE ROCK.
Mike Starr (Ed Wood) and Al Pacino (The Chase) were in the 1980 film CRUSIING.
Bokeem Woodbine (Spider-Man) and Angela Bassett (Boyz N the Hood) were in the 1995 film PANTHER.
Max Casella (Ed Wood) and Robert Duvall (The Chase) were in the 1992 musical NEWSIES.
Charles Chaplin (The Rink) directed Marlon Brando (The Chase) in the 1967 film A COUNTESS FROM HONG KONG where Chaplin would have a cameo and would be his last movie. Both have spoken rather negatively of one another when filming.
Brent Hinkley (Ed Wood) and Robert Duvall (The Chase) were in the 1993 film FALLING DOWN.
Jennifer Connelly (Spider-Man: Homecoming) and Ed Harris (The Lost Daughter) were in the 2022 blockbuster TOP GUN: MAVERICK.
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