Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 884th Edition

Welcome to the 884th Edition of my series.  I decided to do a holiday edition and tried to make it as diverse as I could.  THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER was a very well received show and was hard to see go.  We shall see what is next for me.  I hope everyone has a good holiday however celebrated.  I don't have much else to say so I'll just get on with my recommendations for the week.

Hawkeye (2021):  I start the week out with this Marvel mini-series which was directed by Bert, Bertie, and Rhys Thomas.  Jeremy Renner reprises his role of Clint Barton aka Hawkeye who is looking forward to Christmas with his family.  Hailee Steinfeld stars as Kate Bishop who has mastered archery through the inspiration of her idol Hawkeye and aspires to be a superhero.  Clint's dark past comes to haunt him and must team up with Kate who finds herself in the middle.  Florence Pugh, Vera Farmiga, Tony Dalton, Fra Zee, Aleks Paunovic, Piotr Adamczyk, Alaqua Cox, Linda Cardellini, Cade Woodward, Carlos Navarro, Ava Russo, Ben Sakamoto, Clayton English, Ivan Mbakop, Adetinpo Thomas, Robert Walker Blanchard, and many others co-star in this mini-series.  This is my favorite of all the Marvel series.  Renner and Steinfeld are a great duo in this series.  I would recommend having watched AVENGERS:  ENDGAME and BLACK WIDOW before watching this one as those movies play into this series.  Stay tuned for the mid-credit scene in the last episode.  I hope to see ROGERS:  THE MUSICAL become an actual musical someday.  This is available to watch on Disney Plus.

Tokyo Godfathers (2003):  Now I bring some holiday Anime which was directed by Satoshi Kon.  This takes place in Tokyo and centers around three homeless people who are like a dysfunctional family.  These people could not be any different being a teen, a trans woman, and a middle-aged bum which all have their own sordid pasts.  They come across a baby in the trash and set out to find the parents.  This is a really good take on the variation of the Three Wise Men and is more of an anime drama than anything.  This is a very touching story and a more unconventional holiday story for those looking for something different.  This is available to watch on Tubi.

The Gingerdead Man (2005):  Charles Band directed this horror comedy.  Gary Busey stars as Millard Findlemeyer who is a convicted killer and and killed by the electric chair.  Millard manages to get his soul into some cookie dough and becomes the evil gingerbread man.  No, I have no explanation of how Millard was able to pull this off.  Robin Sydney, Ryan Locke, Larry Cedar, Newell Alexander, and many others co-star in this movie.  This does not really reference when it takes place but with the gingerbread and all that there is a little holiday spirit to it.  This is fun if it is not taken too seriously.  I have not tried the sequels, maybe another time.  This is available to watch on Tubi and Freevee.

The Thin Man (1934):  This crime comedy takes place during the holidays.  W.S. Van Dyke directed this film based on the novel by Dashiell Hammett.  William Powell and Myrna Loy star as married couple Nick and Nora Charles with Nick being a former detective.  Nora talks Nick into getting back to the detective game to investigate a murder that happens among people they know.  Maureen O'Sullivan, Nat Pendleton, Minna Gomball, Porter Hall, Henry Wadsworth, William Henry, Harold Huber, Cesar Romero, and many others co-star in this comedy.  This is the start of the iconic trio of Nick, Nora, and their dog Asta.  This is a really good murder mystery comedy that holds up today.  This is available to watch on HBO Max.

Scrooge (1970):  Ronald Neame directed this musical version of the classic novel by Charles Dickens.  Albert Finney stars as the miser Ebenezer Scrooge who does not like the Christmas season and takes it out on everyone around him.  The Ghost of Scrooge's former business partner Jacob Marley, played by Alec Guinness, visits him and warns that if he does not change his ways that he will end up in chains like Marley.  Then as the story goes, he is visited by three ghosts to show him the error of his ways.  Edith Evans, Kenneth More, Laurence Naismith, Michael Medwin, David Collings, Anton Rodgers, Suzanne Neve, Frances Cuka, Derek Francis, Gordan Jackson, Roy Kinnear, Mary Peach, Paddy Stone, Kay Walsh, and many others co-star in this holiday musical.  Leslie Bricusse wrote the music for this show and were a good diverse group of songs.  Finney is a great Scrooge and Guinness does a great job as Marley.  This is available to watch on Paramount Plus and Plex.

The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942):  William Keighley directed this comedy that was based on the play by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart.  Monty Woolley stars as lecturer Sheridan Whiteside who slips on the ice and and has a hip injury when visiting an Ohio family.  He must stay confined to the house and wreaks havoc among the household.  Bette Davis co-stars as Sheridan's hapless secretary Maggie Cutler.  Ann Sheridan, Richard Travis, Jimmy Durante, Billie Burke, Reginald Gardiner, Elizabeth Fraser, Grant Mitchell, George Barbier, Mary Wickes, Russell Arms, and many others co-star in this comedy.  This is what I just got done doing so I finally watched the movie where I played Beverly Carlton, played by Gardiner in this movie.  It was mostly along with this movie with some slight rewrites.  Davis does a good job playing against type in this movie.  Many asked me what this show is about and I really never had an explanation.  This takes place during the holidays so it qualifies for this edition.  This is available to watch on HBO Max.

Lucky Christmas (2011):  I am now playing into the Hallmark crowd.  Gary Yates directed this Hallmark movie.  SAVED BY THE BELL alum Elizabeth Berkley stars as single mother Holly who has fallen on some hard times.  Her luck seems to have finally changed when she wins the lottery.  However, her car is stolen and the ticket was in the glove compartment.  Jason Gray-Stanford co-stars as construction worker Mike whose friend takes the car when he passes out and tries to return it to Holly while falling in love.  Mitchell Kummen, Julia Arkos, Robert Hucuak, Alicia Johnston, John B. Lowe, and many others co-star in this movie.  Nothing to explain here, it's Hallmark so quite predictable but even I need a little feel good every once in a while.  This is available to watch on Hallmark Movies Now, Peacock, and Pluto TV. 

Black Christmas (1974):  Now I play to the holiday horror crowd.  Bob Clark directed this classic holiday film that takes place in a sorority house.  Olivia Hussey stars as Jess who is one of the sorority sisters must deal with strange phone calls and the disappearance of one of them.  Keir Dullea, Margot Kidder, John Saxon, Marian Waldman, Andrea Martin, James Edmond, Doug McGrath, Art Hindle, Lynne Griffin, Michael Rapport, Leslie Carlson, Martha Gibson, and many others co-star in this film.  This is another one that is hard to explain without giving too much away.  It is a holiday slasher film so take that for what it is worth.  They have remade this a couple times but do not match this classic.  This is available to watch on AMC+, Peacock, Crackle, and many other free streaming apps.

Dead of Night (1945):  This is a British anthology film which has one segment centering around Christmas.  Alberto Cavalcanti, Charles Crichton, and Basil Dearde all contributed to the directing with stories written by H.G. Wells, E.F. Benson, John Baines, Angus MacPhail.  Mervyn Johns stars as Walter Craig who is stuck in a recurring nightmare and when going to a cottage, he has never met the guests but has seen them in his dreams.  Roland Culver, Mary Merrall, Googie Withers, Frederick Valk, Sally Ann Howes, Judy Kelly, Miles Malleson, Michael Redgrave, and many others co-star in this anthology horror film.  This has some really good and different stories of the supernatural and is a good to watch all year round but does have some Christmas reference.  This is available to watch on Fandor with a subscription to Prime. 

Four Christmases (2008):  Seth Gordon directed this holiday comedy.  Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon star as couple Brad and Kate who both have divorced parents and have four Christmas events to go to in the holiday.  Each one have their own unique dysfunction and Brad and Kate learn a lot about each other in the Christmas visits.  Mary Steenburgen, Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek, Jon Voight, Jon Favreau, Tim McGraw, Kristin Chenoweth, Dwight Yoakam, Katy Mixon, Colleen Camp, Jeanette Miller, Jack Donner, Steve Wiebe, Peter Billingsley, and many others co-star in this dysfunctional holiday comedy.  I feel that Yoakam as Pastor Phil made this whole thing worth a watch.  I believe Steenburgen is  I saw some of this when I was at my own family Christmas and it seemed pretty funny and a good way to end this edition.  This is good for those who don't want to see those sappy Hallmark type holiday movies.  This is available to watch on HBO Max.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for the beginning of 2023 for the next one.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 883rd Edition

Welcome to the 883rd Edition of my series.  My show THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER starts on Thursday so it runs December 8-10 at the Elwood Opera House.  Shows are at 7 pm and tickets are $10 and is a family oriented comedy. See website https://www.duckcreekcenter.com/events/mousetrap-mdscl-c7a59 for information on ordering tickets.  I will shut up now and get on with my selections.

The Godfather Part III (1990):  Francis Ford Coppola directed this sequel to end the trilogy and co-wrote with GODFATHER author Mario Puzo.  Al Pacino reprises his role as the aging Don Michael Corleone and must deal with her fiery nephew Vincent Mancini, played by Andy Garcia, who is the illegitimate son of Sonny Corleone.  He is also trying to deal with his dark past while dealing with a new enemy.  Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, Eli Wallach, Joe Mantegna, George Hamilton, Bridget Fonda, Sofia Coppola, Raf Vallone, Franc D'Ambrosio, Donal Donnelly, Richard Bright, Helmut Berger, Don Novello, John Savage, Franco Citti, Mario Donatone, Vittorio Duse, Enzo Robutti, Michele Russo, Al Martino, Robert Cicchini, Michael Bowen, and many others co-star in this film.  I remember watching an episode of THE SOPRANOS where someone was talking about how great the first two films were and how this one was misunderstood.  I agree with that statement and I thought this was a decent closure for the franchise.  Garcia really shines as Vincent in one of his earlier roles.  Part of the issue with this movie was the inexperienced Sofia Coppola playing Michael's daughter Mary and seems to have found her niche in the world of directing.  I take this is as a good part three film.

There's Something About Mary (1998):  I follow up with this raunchy comedy which was directed by the Farrelly Brothers.  Ben Stiller stars as Ted who was a high school geek and managed to get a prom date with one of the most popular girls in school in Mary, played by Cameron Diaz.  A very unusual accident prevented this from happening and thirteen years later he realized he is still in love with her.  He ends up hiring private detective Healy, played by Matt Dillon, to track down Mary and Healy wants her for himself when finding her.  It turns out there are others who really want Mary.  Lee Evans, Chris Elliott, Lin Shaye, Jeffrey Tambor, Markie Post, Keith David, W. Earl Brown, Sarah Silverman, Richard Tyson, Willie Garson, Richard Jenkins, Harland Williams, and many others co-star in this comedy.  This is not for everyone and is very politically incorrect.  If you can get past the raunchiness, this has a lot of really funny moments.  

Miss Meadows (2014):  Karen Leigh Hopkins wrote and directed this film on leading a double life.  Katie Holmes stars as Miss Meadows who is a very proper woman and teacher.  She is also a homicidal vigilante and feels she is trying to write the wrongs of a cruel world.  Things become complicated when she becomes romantically involved with the town sheriff.  Callan Mulvey, Jean Smart, Mary Kay Place, Ava Kolker, Stephen Bishop, Kate Linder, James Landry Hebert, James Keane, Graham Beckel, and many others co-star in this dark comedy.  This is kind of like Mary Poppins in the world of DEATH WISH.  Holmes is a lot of fun in this movie and is worth seeing wielding a gun.  This is available to watch on Prime.

Satan Met a Lady (1936):  William Dieterle directed this film which is based on a novel by Dashiell Hammett.  Warren William stars as private detective Ted Shane who is hired by the pretty Valerie Purvis, played by Bette Davis, to track a man that wronged her.  This proves to be far more complicated than tracking down a man and leads to the valued Horn of Roland.  Alison Skipworth, Arthur Treacher, Marie Wilson, Wini Shaw, Porter Hall, Olin Howland, Charles C. Wilson, and many others co-star in this film.  This is loosely based on what is more known as THE MALTESE FALCON.  This has a good mix of mystery and comedy to make this watchable.  It would be topped in 1941 by John Huston's THE MALTESE FALCON and is on the dvd of this film as well as the 1931 version.  

Our Town (1940):  Sam Wood directed this film based on the play by Thornton Wilder.  This takes a look at small town life in a small New Hampshire town narrated by the Stage Manager, played by Frank Craven.  It takes a look at life and death among the townspeople.  It also takes a look at young George Gibbs, played by William Holden, as he grows up and gets married to his high school sweetheart Emily, played by Martha Scott.  Fay Bainter, Thomas Mitchell, Beulah Bondi, Stuart Erwin, Doro Merande, and many others co-star in this film.  I was in this show back in September and the movie follows a lot of it.  One change was the ending which was possibly due to the Hays Code.  This is available to watch on Prime. 

The Great Smokey Roadblock (1977):  John Leone wrote and directed by this road comedy.  Henry Fonda stars as the aging trucker Elegant John Howard who steals back the truck that was stolen from him and felt he had "one more good run".  Along the way he picks up a straight-laced hitchhiker in Beebo, played by a young Robert Englund.  He is later joined by his friend and brothel owner Penelope along with her own employees.  Austin Pendleton, Dub Taylor, John Byner, Susan Sarandon, Melanie Mayron, Leigh French, Mews Small, Daina House, Gary Sandy, Valerie Curtain, and many others co-star in this comedy.  Fonda has a lot of very iconic roles to his name, I don't think this one really comes up as much.  This is one of his much later movies and is pretty fun especially considering the duo of Fonda and Englund.  This is available to watch on Youtube

Black Panther:  Wakanda Forever (2022):  Ryan Coogler directed this latest in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  With it still being pretty fresh into the theater I will keep the description limited.  As we all know, Chadwick Boseman unfortunately left us so they went ahead and wrote of King T'Challa that he died so the land of Wakanda must band together to protect their country and along the way pass the torch.  Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, Tenoch Huerta, Martin Freeman, Dominique Thorne, Florence Kasumba, Michaela Coel, Alex Livinalli, Mabel Cadena, Trevor Noah, Richard Schiff, Robert John Burke, Lake Bell, Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, and many others co-star in this film.  I know this was a hard transition with the untimely death of Boseman but I feel Coogler rose to the occasion along with the cast to continue Wakanda post T'Challa.  I thought this had a good story and some very good action and was glad to visit the local Alex Theater in Alexandria, Indiana.

Barbarella (1968):  Roger Vadim directed this Sci-Fi film based on the novel by Jean-Claude Forest.  Jane Fonda stars as the title character in this futuristic film and goes after the evil scientist Durand Durand, played by Milo O'Shea.  John Phillip Law, Anita Pallenberg, Marcel Marceau, Claude Dauphin, Veronique Vendell, and many others co-star in this sci-fi film.  It is hard to describe this beyond what I already did.  This is a guilty pleasure more than anything and pleasure is something this erotic sci-fi movie revolves around.  This is not sci-fi to watch with the family and this is available to watch on Pluto TV.

House of Bamboo (1955):  Samuel Fuller directed this unusual film noir.  This takes place in Tokyo where a ruthless gang starts holding up U.S. ammunition trains and lead by Sandy Dawson, played by Robert Ryan.  Robert Stack co-stars as Eddie who arrives in Japan and makes contact with Dawson but is not who he seems.  Shirley Yamaguchi, Cameron Mitchell, Brad Dexter, Sessue Hayakawa, Biff Elliot, Sandro Giglio, and many others co-star in this film noir.  This is another one that is hard to explain without giving too much away.  This is number four in the Fox Noir dvd series that I am looking to get through.  This is available to watch on Youtube.

Ulee's Gold (1997):  Victor Nunez wrote and directed this very intense film.  Peter Fonda stars as beekeeper Ulee Jackson who is raising his granddaughters while his son Jimmy, played by Tom Wood, is incarcerated.  Jimmy asks his father for a favor that involves repaying his debts and saving his wife Helen, played by Christine Dunford.  Ulee must put himself and his family in danger as his son's past catches up to him.  Patricia Richardson, Jessica Biel, Vanessa Zima, Steven Flynn, Dewey Weber, J. Kenneth Campbell, and many others co-star in this film.  Biel makes her film debut in this movie and Fonda has possibly the best performance of his career.  This is a character driven film driven by its script, acting, and direction.  

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for my next one in a couple of weeks.