Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 914th Edition

Welcome to the 914th edition of my series and the last one of the year.  I hope we have all had a good holiday season however celebrated.  I wish everyone the best 2024 they can have.  I do have some holiday selections and some non-holiday selections.  I don't really have much going on so I will get on with my selections for the week.

The Holdovers (2023):  I start the week with this this holiday film which was directed by Alexander Payne.  Paul Giamatti stars as cranky prep school teacher Paul Hunham who agrees to stay on campus during Christmas break to supervise over the students unable to leave.  After a few days, the only student left is the troubled 15 year old Angus, played by Dominic Sessa, whose behavior has him on the verge of being expelled.  While there they form an unexpected bond along with the head cook Mary, played by Da'Vine Joy Randolph.  Carrie Preston, Brady Hepner, Ian Dolley, Jim Kaplan, Michael Provost, Andrew Garman, Naheem Garcia, Stephen Thorne, Gillian Vigman, Tate Donovan, and many others co-star in this film.  Sessa makes a very good film debut and matches up well with Giamatti.  This is a pretty touching film that maybe we could say is about coming out of your shell.  I feel this is a good example of a character study as it is driven by the characters and the script.  I saw this in theaters

The Dead Pool (1988):  This is not about that popular antihero that Ryan Reynolds plays though its creator Rob Liefeld was inspired by this title for the name.  Buddy Van Horn directed this film which is the fifth and last of the Dirty Harry series.  Clint Eastwood reprises his role of vigilante cop Harry Callahan who is investigating murders that are happening on account of a dead pool between a few guys which includes himself.  Liam Neeson, Patricia Clarkson, Evan C. Kim, David Hunt, Michael Currie, Michael Goodwin, Jim Carrey, Nicholas Love, and many others co-star in this cop film.  Yes, a young Jim Carrey has a small part in the beginning as the drug addicted rock star Johnny Squares.  There is even a cameo from rock band Guns 'N Roses.  I have always enjoyed this film series and this was a good last film.  There is also a pretty unique car chase.  A little bit of comedy, a lot of action, a Jim Carrey cameo, and a remote controlled car make this go a long way.

The Karate Kid Part III (1989):  John G. Avildson directed this sequel to the franchise.  This picks up right where part II ends with Mr. Miyagi, reprised by Par Morita, and Daniel, reprised by Ralph Macchio, coming back to the States from their time in Japan.  This story in some ways is more about Kreese, reprised by Martin Kove, whose Cobra Kai was defeated and turns to his Vietnam buddy Terry, played by Thomas Ian Griffith in his film debut, for help in getting revenge on Miyagi and Daniel.  Robyn Lively, Sean Kanan, William Christopher Ford, Randee Heller, Frances Bay, and many others co-star in this sequel.  This movie has been criticized a lot over the years.  I believe that season four of COBRA KAI has made this sequel mean something with Griffith reprising his role as the ruthless Terry Silver and Kanan reprising his role a Mike Barnes.  When watching COBRA KAI, maybe watch this movie before starting season four of the series.  This is available to watch on AMC +.

A Straightforward Boy (1929):  This is my Japanese short film for the week which was directed by Yasujiro Ozu. This story centers around a kidnapper and his kidnapped boy who proves to be far more trouble than he is worth.  This is a silent film as Japan did not get sound until sometime in the '30s I believe.  This has its moments but I am surprised they did not work any music into this film as I know that ha happened with a lot of other silent films.  This is more to highlight the early career of Ozu who would become one of the most significant Japanese directors of all time.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel as well as much of Ozu's other works.

Dark Star (1974):  Now I bring some more early work and this one is for John Carpenter who directed and co-wrote with Dan O'Bannon.  O'Bannon also co-stars in this low-budget sci-fi satire of group of scientists is on a mission to destroy unstable planets.  They have been on their mission for 20 years they must battle their alien mascot and question their existence.  Dre Pahich, Brian Narelle, Cal Kuniholm, and many others co-star in this sci-fi film.  The alien in this movie is a very interesting looking alien that just can't be described.  For their limited budget, the special effects were pretty well on par with any other sci-fi film.  This is available to watch on most of the free streaming networks and with Fandor with a subscription to Prime.

Othello (1951):  This is part one of a five-part Orson Welles who also directed this Shakespeare tragedy.  Welles also stars as the Moorish general Othello who at one time might have been happily married to Desdemona, played by Suzanne Cloutier.  That is until he is manipulated into believing that she is having an affair with Lieutenant Cassio, played by Michael Laurence, by his Ensign Iago, played by Micheal MacLiammoir, who Othello believes is his comrade.  Robert Cooke, Hilton Edwards, Fay Compton, Nicholas Bruce, Boris Dowling, and many others co-star in this Shakespeare adaptation.  Earlier in the summer, I got to play the role of Othello in a 15 minute version performed at a Renaissance Festival as part of the Marvelously Terrible Shakespeare Company.  So anyone who started wondering why would Shaun play Othello, there is your explanation.  Welles struggled to get this movie made but was able to use the money made from THE THIRD MAN and PRINCE OF FOXES to finish this movie after three years of starts and stops.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Cold Turkey (1971):  I pay homage to Norman Lear who recently left us.  Lear directed and co-wrote this comedy that was a satire on the cigarette industry.  A tobacco company is looking for positive publicity and offers a town 25 million that quits smoking for 30 days.  The small town of Eagle Rock, Iowa accepts the challenge lead by Reverend Brooks, played by Dick Van Dyke.  Brooks must persuade the town to go along which leads to a lot of frustration from wanting a cigarette. Pippa Scott, Tom Poston, Edward Everett Horton, Vincent Gardenia, Bernard Hughes, Graham Jarvis, Jean Stapleton, Barbara Cason, Judith Lowry, Paul Benedict, Simon Scott, and many others co-star in this comedy.  This is a pretty clever comedy that has gone overlooked through the years.  Van Dyke is great in his role as the reverend.  This is Lear's only feature film that he directed as he is more known for his work in the world of television.  This is available to watch on Tubi and is worth a look.

Repeat Performance (1947):  This is a New Year's selection which was directed by Alfred L. Werker and based on the novel by William O'Farrell.  Joan Leslie stars as Sheila Page who on New Year's Eve kills her cheating husband Barney, played by Louis Heyward.  She comes to wish that she could start the year over again and gets her wish granted to her.  When trying to relive the year, it gets complicated and difficult to change fate.  Virginia Field, Tom Conway, Richard Basehart, Natalie Schafer, Benay Venuta, Ilka Gruning, and many others co-star in this film.  I thought this was kind of TWILIGHT ZONE before the series even came out. It has also been called a Noir IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE.  It is a pretty interesting film of trying to change the past.  This has been a pretty underrated film that I hope to get back on the radar.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Project X (1987):  Jonathan Kaplan directed this sci-fi comedy-drama.  Matthew Broderick stars as Air Force pilot Jimmy Garrett who given the task of looking after some chimpanzee on what is called Project X.  He finds there is something more sinister going on at the base.  He calls upon a trainer of one of the apes in Teri, played by Helen Hunt, and they try to save the chimps.  William Sadler, Stephen Lang, Robin Gammell, Jean Smart, Daniel Roebuck, Dick Miller, and many others co-star in this film.  I suppose this could be a variation of PLANET OF THE APES.  This was a pretty touching film at times and delivered some laughs.  Underrated '80s gem that features chimpanzees so what more could you ask for?

Runaway Train (1985):  This is part one of a possible Eric Roberts trilogy.  This starts out in a prison where there is a boxing scene so maybe this could qualify as a holiday movie on account of Boxing Day on December 26th.  Andrey Konchalovskiy directed this action film that is based on a story by Akira Kurosawa.  Jon Voight and Eric Roberts star as escaped convicts Manny and Buck who end up on an empty train whose conductor has died.  They also meet a railway worker in Sara, played by Rebecca De Mornay, who teams with them to try to stop the train.  Kyle Heffner, John P Ryan, T.K. Carter, Kenneth McMillan, Eddie Bunker, Danny Trejo, Tom Lister Jr., and many other co-star in this film.  Trejo and Lister make their film debuts in this one.  This is some fun edge-of-your-seat action with some good performances.  It is also part of the iconic Cannon films.  This is available to watch on Prime, MGM +, Tubi, and Pluto TV.

Well, that is it for this week but read on as I got a bit carried away on this one.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for the next two weeks for the first installment of 2024.

 
SQUARED CIRCLE TIME

This was just going to be part of the "Tube Time" segment but then I realized I have a lot of wrestling at my disposal so I decided to make a new segment.  The photo above is promoting the wrestling convention Squared Circle Expo coming up in late March so visit https://www.squaredcirclex.com/ for more information.  I went in April and it was great so I'm looking forward to this one.

Wrestlers (2023):  Greg Whiteley directed this documentary series about the Louisville based promotion Ohio Valley Wrestling.  This was at one time a developmental center for the WWE which brought us John Cena, Batista, Randy Orton, and many others.  Now it is still being run after being bought by former WWE superstar Al Snow and this series takes a look at the financial struggle.  Matt Jones and Craig Greenberg became co-owners to help the promotion make more money.  This also takes a deeper look at various wrestlers like Hollyhood Haley J, Marie Evans, Ryan Howe, Cash Flo, Amanpreet Randhawa, Jessie Godders, and a few others.  There are also some featured that come from the local Indiana Powerhouse Wrestling that is in my town.  

The Iron Claw (2023):  Sean Durkin wrote and directed this biopic of the Von Erich wrestling family in Texas and were very prominent in the '80s but met with a lot of tragedy.  This one centers mostly around Kevin Von Erich, played by Zac Efron, who is the only surviving brother.  The beginning briefly touches upon the early career of the patriarch Fritz Von Erich, played by Hold McCallany, and then goes into his time as a promoter of World Class Championship Wrestling which mostly centered around his sons.  SHAMELESS alum Jeremy Alan White co-stars as Kerry Von Erich who was the most successful.  Harris Dickinson co-stars as David Von Erich who many thought was the of the brothers work wise.  Stanley Simons co-stars as Mike Von Erich who had trouble fitting in with the family and was probably not meant for wrestling.  Maura Tierney, Scott Innes, Grady Wilson, Chavo Guerrero Jr., Michael Harney, Cazzey Louis Cereghino, Ryan Nemeth, Lily James, Kevin Anton, Brady Pierce, Silas Mason, Maxwell Jacob Freeman, Aaron Dean Eisenberg, Leo Franich, Sam Franich, Chelsea Edmundson, and many others co-star in this biopic.  Of course, like any biopic liberties will be taken.  Anyone who knows of the Von Erichs will notice that the youngest Chris was not mentioned.  Also, I hoped they would go just a little more into their "cousin" Lance Von Erich, played by Friedman, but only has a little wrestling footage and did not really acknowledge him as Lance.  Besides those things, this was a very compelling film about the famous wrestling family.  This is a movie I believe deserves some theater support.  I would also recommend watching the documentary THE TRIUMPH AND TRAGEDY OF WORLD CLASS CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING and as well as the DARK SIDE OF THE RING episode THE LAST OF THE VON ERICHS.  I had a fairly good knowledge of the family going into the movie but was still a great dramatization of the family.

The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019):  Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz wrote and directed this coming of age adventure film.  Zack Gottsagen stars a young man with Down Syndrome named Zak who is in a nursing home but has dreams of becoming a professional wrestler on account of his idol the Salt Water Redneck, played by Thomas Haden Church.  The nursing home wasn't going to help him much so he escapes and meets the troubled Tyler, played by Shia LaBeouf, who becomes an unexpected friend and mentor to Zak.  Dakota Johnson co-stars as nursing home employee who reluctantly helps them in the journey to get Zak to go meet the Salt Water Redneck.  Bruce Dern, Jon Bernthal, John Hawkes, Yelawolf, Wayne Dehart, Jake Roberts, Mick Foley, and many others co-star in this film.  This movie has some wrestling and wrestling references but it is not really a wrestling.  It is more of a Mark Twain inspired adventure and is a great character study.  I had the pleasure of seeing this at the movie theater when it first came out and am so grateful I made that decision.  This is available to watch on Prime and MGM +  

THE BOOKWORM CORNER

Indianapolis Graverobbing:  A Syndicate of Death by Chris Flook (2023):  This was a locally written book by Chris Flook who I went to high school with and is a public historian and documentary filmmaker.  This book centers mostly around Indianapolis in 1902 where corpses were being taken for medical colleges who were lacking cadavers at this time.  The main person involved was Rufus Cantrell who was a preacher and became a "ghoul" which is what they called the grave robbers.  This book takes a look at other ghouls and some of the trials that happened.  It also takes a look at race issues like the legal treatment of the black race versus the white race.  This is a very fascinating book on something that we don't talk about much.  This can be bought on Amazon.  I bought the book when Chris spoke at my local library and even got it autographed so let's help this local man out.

HOLIDAY CORNER

I am not a hardcore holiday movie guy but I do like to get a few in there so I decided to have this segment again for those still in the Christmas spirit.

Santa Claus (1959):  I usually try to view this holiday classic each year.  I talked my friend Carrissa into watching this so I picked her up and we went to our friend Matt's house to watch it there.  Rene Cardona directed this B-Movie where each year Satan tries to stop Santa, played by Jose Elias Moreno from having Christmas.  The devil sends his dancing minion Pitch to make an effort to stop him and if Pitch fails he will be punished by being forced to eat chocolate ice cream.  Santa does not have elves in this North Pole, he has children from around world and the first 15 minutes or so are these kids singing something from their respective country.  I don't really know where they found all these kids but that is neither here or there as they say, not that I really know what that means.  We also have Merlin working for Santa, I guess Arthur didn't need him any longer.  The reindeer are some Styrofoam built reindeer and there are only four of them and they will disappear if Santa does not get back in time.  There is also a narrator who breaks they fourth wall a lot.  I think Matt and Carrissa were pretty intrigued by this movie.  I don't really know what was going on in the minds of those involved when this was being made.  This is a B-Movie classic that is available to watch on Tubi, the Roku Channel, Plex, Fandor and the Dove Channel. 

Yes Virginia, There is a Santa Claus (1991):  Having been in a play version of this TV movie, I finally got around to watching it.  Charles Jarrott directed this TV movie that is based on a true story.  Richard Thomas stars as James O'Hanlon whose daughter Virginia, played by Katharine Isobel, writes to a newspaper wanting to know if there is a Santa Claus.  Edward Asner co-stars as newspaper editor Edward P. Mitchell who gives a "special" assignment to his troubled writer Francis Church, played by Charles Bronson.  Tamsin Kelsey, Colleen Winton, John Novak, Shawn McDonald, Garry Chalk, Lillian Carlson, and many others co-star in this tv movie.  This was pretty decent holiday TV movie which was more about James O'Hanlon trying to find himself after losing his job.  This is available to watch on Peacock and most free streaming apps.

It's a Wonderful Life (1946):  Frank Capra directed this holiday classic.  James Stewart stars as George Bailey who has grown up in a small town and has all kinds of plans to see the world.  Things change when George's father dies and must take over his small financial business to keep Henry Potter, played by Lionel Barrymore, from taking over the town of Bedford Falls.  He builds a good life marrying a childhood friend in Mary Hatch, played by Donna Reed, having children, and keeping his father's business going.  He does experience some stress that his loved ones pray for him and they are answered when angel Clarence, played by Henry Travers, comes down granting a wish from George that he was never born to see what that would would have been like.  Thomas Mitchell, Beulah Bondi, Frank Faylen, Ward Bond, Gloria Grahame, H.B. Warner, Frank Albertson, Todd Karns, Samuel Hinds, Mary Treen, Virginia Patton, Sarah Edwards, Lillian Randolph, Robert J. Anderson, Sheldon Leonard, Karolyn Grimes, Carl Switzer, and many others co-star in this holiday classic.  This has been an annual holiday watch for me for many years.  I love that it emphasizes how we make a difference in the life of others even if it might not seem that big at the time.  I was in a version of this a few years ago as Mr. Gower and was a great experience.  This is one that will live on forever and one everyone should watch around this time of year.  This is available to watch on Prime, Plex, and the Roku Channel.

A Christmas Carol:  The Musical (2004):  I was visiting with my dad and stepmom and dad decided to put on this version when looking for holiday movies to stream.  Arthur Allen Seidelman directed this version of the Charles Dickens classic with the music written by Alan Menken and Lynn Ahrens.  CHEERS and FRASIER alum Kelsey Grammer takes the helm as the old miser Ebenezer Scrooge who just hated Christmas and thought of it as a humbug.  We all know the story, he is visited by the ghost of his business partner Jacob Marley, played by SEINFELD alum Jason Alexander, whose misdeeds lead him to a life wearing chains.  Marley warns Scrooge he is headed to that fate if he does not change his ways and warns him of three ghosts, played by Jane Krakowski, Jesse L. Martin, and Geraldine Chaplin, to show his past, present and future.  Jennifer Love Hewitt, Brian Bedford, Claire Moore, Ruthie Henshall, Steven Miller, Edward Gower, Jacob Collier, Linzi Hateley, Julian Ovenden, Julie Alannagh-Brighten, Sheila Reid, Ian McLarnon, Emily Deamer, and many others co-star in this musical version of the holiday classic.  This is a more unknown version of the franchise but one that I hold in my heart.  I was in this version years ago at Muncie Civic Theater and was the first show in did in my adult life so this brought back a lot of memories.  I do still hope to play the role of Marley one day and Alexander was really good in the role.  Grammer brings on his Scrooge really well  Menken and Ahrens wrote some really good music numbers.  This is available to watch on Freevee, Crackle, Plex, and most other streaming apps.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 913th Edition

Welcome to the 913th Edition of my series. I hope everyone is having a good holiday season however celebrated.  I don't have much going on right now so I will just shut up and get to my selections.

A Christmas Tale (2008):  I start the week with this French film which was directed and co-written by Arnaud Desplechin.  Catherine Deneuve stars as Junon who is the matriarch of the dysfunctional Vuillard family.  She also learn that she needs a bone marrow transplant to live beyond a few months which finally brings the family together.  They all still have their own issues and they are not in for a happy family Christmas.  Jean-Paul Roussillon, Mathieu Amalric, Anne Consigny, Chiara Mastroianni, Melvil Poupaud, Emmanuelle Devos, Hippolyte Girardot, Laurent Capelluto, and many others co-star in this French holiday film.  Deneuve shows that she still has it playing the matriarch of the family.  If looking for a holiday watch that is not sappy, this could be one to consider.

A Nightmare Before Christmas (1993):  Henry Selick directed this classic animated film that was co-written by Tim Burton.  Chris Sarandon stars as the voice of Jack Skellington, singing voice by Danny Elfman, who is the king of Halloween Town and is getting bored doing the same things year after year.  One night he stumbles upon Christmas Town and takes a big interest in it so he kidnaps Santa Claus to become Santa himself.  Things go very awry and Jack must look to correct his mistakes.  Catherine O'Hara, William Hickey, Glenn Shadix, Paul Reubens, Ken Page, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a very timeless classic that goes well with any generation.  This is possibly the best stop-motion animated film of all time.  This has many memorable characters and musical numbers.  This is something that is good for Halloween and Christmas though some have criticized that aspect.  This is available to watch on Disney Plus.

My Southern Family Christmas (2022):  This is my Hallmark selection for the week which was directed and co-written by Emily Moss Wilson.  Jaicy Elliott stars as Campbell Wallace who has grown up with her adoptive parents and made the decision to not contact her father Everett Bergeron, played by Bruce Campbell.  Things change with Everett's wife Jennifer, played by Moira Kelly, manages to track her down and lets her know she has a couple sisters.  Campbell makes the decision to go from Dallas to Louisiana where her biological father lives.  As a reporter and journalist, she maintains that she is working on an article as she gets to know her family.  Ryan Rottman, Anniston Almond, Katie Hughey, Gralen Bryant Banks, Brian McNamara, Bri Collins, Wes Brown, and many others co-star in this Hallmark movie.  I actually thought this was one of the better Hallmark movies that I have seen.  I mean Bruce Campbell is in it so there is that and I feel this deviates a bit from other Hallmark movies.  

A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965):  This is my short film for the week though technically it is a TV special.  Bill Melendez directed this timeless holiday classic which was written by Charles Schultz.  Charlie Brown, voiced by Peter Robbins, gets tired of the commercialism of Christmas that he sees around him.  He gets appointed director of the school Christmas pageant where he tries to bring meaning but no one makes it easy for him and we all know the tree that Charlie got.  Christopher Shea, Tracy Stratford, and many others provide their voice for this holiday treat.  This is the first animated special for Peanuts and from my understanding the first time children were cast in an animated special instead of adult imitating them.  I don't really need to explain much as just about everyone has seen this.  It is a timeless classic with many memorable scenes and the great Christmas song CHRISTMAS TIME IS HERE.  This is available to watch on Apple TV +.

Love Finds Andy Hardy (1938):  George Seitz directed this installment of the popular series from this era which is the fourth of sixteen movies.  Mickey Rooney reprises his role of Andy Hardy who gets himself into some situations that start with his girlfriend Polly, played by Ann Rutherford, leaving for the holidays to visit her family which complicates his plans for the country-club Christmas party he planned to take with him.  His friend Beezy, played by George Breakston, is also leaving for the holidays and asks Andy to pretend to be the boyfriend of his own girlfriend Cynthia, played by Lana Turner, for a fee but she soon becomes infatuated with Andy.  Andy's next-door neighbor Betsy, played by Judy Garland, tries to help him through his troubles but she has her own crush on Andy even though she is a bit younger.  Lewis Stone, Cecilia Parker, Fay Holden, Mary Howard, Gene Reynolds, Don Castle, Betty Ross Clarke, Marie Blake, and many others co-star in this comedy.  Stone reprises his role as Andy's father Judge Hardy who is the most fair judge of all time.  Andy Hardy did get to be quite the Ladies' Man in this series and hooked up with much of Hollywood's finest from this era and this one is no different.  Rooney is a lot of fun as Andy and has some Christmas elements for a holiday watch.

The Lemon Drop Kid (1951):  Sidney Lanfield and Frank Tashlin directed this crime comedy that takes place around the holidays and is based on a story by Damon Runyon.  Bob Hope stars as New York City swindler Sidney Milburn who goes by the Lemon Drop Kid.  He gets in trouble at the horse races and owes gangster Moose Moran, played by Fred Clark, and has until Christmas to come up with $10000.  This puts him into full con mode trying to get that money.  Marilyn Maxwell, Lloyd Nolan, Jane Darwell, Andrea King, Fred Clark, Jay C. Flippen, William Frawley, Harry Bellaver, Sid Melton, Ben Weldon, Ida Moore, and many others co-star in this comedy.  I have started to have a place in my heart for Damon Runyon whose story is based on the musical GUYS AND DOLLS that I got to play Harry the Horse.  I was also in a radio play that he wrote called PRINCESS O'HARA where I reprised the role.  Hope was fun as usual as the Lemon Drop Kid trying to deal with all his mishaps.  This also introduced the Christmas carol SILVER BELLS into the world.  This is good for those looking for a comedy that takes place around Christmas.

The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992):  Brian Henson directed this version of the Dickens classic.  Charles Dickens, played by Gonzo and voiced by Dave Goelz, and his buddy Rizzo the Rat, voiced by Steve Whitmire, narrates this story of the miser Ebenezer Scrooge, played by Michael Caine in human form.  Scrooge may be the most iconic Christmas figure besides Jesus Christ and Santa Claus.  As the story goes, he gets visited by the ghost of Jacob Marley but in this one there is a ghost Robert Marley, played by Statler and Waldorf.  They warn of the three ghosts coming to see him who try to help see Christmas in a better way.  Jerry Nelson, Frank Oz, David Rudman, Karen Prell, Jessica Fox, Steven Mackintosh, Raymond Coulthard, and many others co-star in this film.  Where can we go wrong with some Muppets and they found it was time to tackle this literary classic.  There is a really good soundtrack that was written by Paul Williams to enhance this version.  Caine actively sought out there role and was right to seek it out.  Gonzo might have been the best portrayal of Dickens of all time.  This is available to watch on Disney Plus.

The Curse of the Cat People (1944):  Gunther von Fritsch and Robert Wise directed this horror film that takes place during the holidays.  Ann Carter stars as the imaginative Amy Reed who has trouble telling from reality and fantasy much to the dismay of her parents Oliver and Alice, played by Kent Smith and Jane Randolph.  This also keeps her from having friends her own age and makes an imaginary friend through her father's first wife Irena, played by Simone Simon.  Eve March, Julia Dean, Elizabeth Russell, Edford Gage, Sir Lancelot, and many others co-star in this film.  This is technically a sequel to CAT PEOPLE but does not relate though might be good to watch the predecessor in order to get to know Irena.  This is not really horror despite being billed that way and is more of a fantasy movie.  This movie is personal to Val Lewton saying that he had an imagination like Amy.  This is a pretty compelling film and is worth a look.

The Apartment (1960):  Billy Wilder directed and co-wrote this romantic comedy that takes place around the holidays.  Jack Lemmon star as Manhatton insurance clerk C.C. Baxter whose higher-ups use him for his apartment for extracurricular activities.  He starts to tire of them doing that and starts falling in love with his own co-workers in Fran, played by Shirley MacLaine.  Fred MacMurray, Ray Walston, Jack Kruschen, David Lewis, Hope Holiday, Joan Shawlee, Naomi Stevens, and many others co-star in this comedy.  This is a pretty funny movie but does deal with some serious subjects.  This is a romantic comedy but a very complex one with Lemmon and MacLaine at their finest.

In Bruges (2008):  Martin McDonagh wrote and directed this action film that takes place around the holidays though they don't really celebrate the holiday.  Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson star as hitmen partners Ray and Ken who are stying in Bruges, Belgium while waiting their next assignment.  When the assignment goes wrong, their ruthless boss Harry, played by Ralph Fiennes, charges Ken with killing Ray which becomes very hard for him.  Elizabeth Berrington, Eric Godon, Zeljko Ivanek, Anna Madeley, Clemence Poesy, Jordan Prentice, Cirian Hinds, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a pretty moving film with some comedic moments leading into a very intense action climax.  Farrell and Gleeson work very well together as partners but more importantly friends and bring us with them through the film.  Depending on your definition of "holiday movie", this may not be to some but for those looking for something different this might be a good selection for the holidays. 

Well, that is it for this week but read on for my "Holiday Corner" segment.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for two weeks which so far includes Paul Giamatti, Clint Eastwood, and many others.  

HOLIDAY CORNER

Christmas at Pee-Wee's Playhouse (1988):  Wayne Orr and Paul Reubens directed this Christmas special of his popular TV series PEE-WEE'S PLAYHOUSE.  Reubens stars as Pee-Wee in this special where he has Christmas at the playhouse that include his usual friends and welcomes a few celebrities.  Kevin Carlson, Lawrence Fishburne, Suzanne Kent, William Marshall, George McGrath, S. Epetha Merkerson, John Paragon, Lynne Marie Stewart, and Wayne White round out the actual cast.  Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello, Charo, Whoopi Goldberg, Magic Johnson, Grace Jones, K.D. Lang, Little Richard, Joan Rivers, Dinah Shore, Opra Winfrey, Zsa Zsa Gabor, and Cher make some cameos as themselves.  I revisited this series for the first time as an adult in October during the Madness when Paul Reubens was a wild card for our vampire theme.  I got started on this series and it brings back a lot of fun memories.  This is on the Blu-Ray set for seasons 3, 4, and 5 of the TV series.

Silent Night (2023):  Now I bring some holiday action from the movie theaters.  John Woo directed this action film of a grieving father looking to get some revenge on a ruthless gang.  Joel Kinnaman stars as Brian Godlock whose son dies in a drive-by shooting and he is also shot in the throat and can no longer speak.  Brian starts to prepare himself and plans to take his revenge on Christmas Eve.  Catalina Sandino Moreno, Kid Cudi, Harold Torres, Yoko Hamamura, Vinny O'Brien, Anthony Giulietti, and many others co-star in this holiday action film.  This is Woo's first movie to direct since the 2003 film PAYCHECK.  This one is not for everyone partly due to the violence.  Another thing is that there is very little dialogue as Brian cannot speak and has a little dialogue when necessary.  I thought Kinnaman still did a good job in his performance in conveying his emotions.  It does have some good action to go along with this violent holiday film.  

Michael Bolton's Big, Sexy Valentine's Day Special (2017):  Scott Aukerman and Akiva Schaffer directed this comedy special.  Some might ask why I'm including something like this during Valentine's Day so I will explain.  This does take place on Valentine's Day but Santa Claus, played by Jimmy Graham, needs Michael's help and knows Valentine's Day is the best time to ask.  The elves made why too many toys but don't have enough children so he needs Michael to put on a telethon in order to get more children conceived.  Sarah Shahi, Adam Scott, Matthew Kimbrough, Grey Griffin, Brooke Shields, Janeane Garofalo, Louie Anderson, Sinbad, Bob Saget, Sarah Silverman, Randall Park, Andy Samberg, Kenny G, Fred Armison, Colton Dunn, Jorma Taccone, Michael Sheen, Chris Parnell, Maya Rudolph, Will Forte, Eric Andre, and many others make appearances.  For years, I just hated Michael Bolton but since joining the Lonely Island I find myself quite the fan.  Bolton does a great job of parodying himself and sings much of his hit songs.  He also has a great rendition of the song JACK SPARROW.  There are some other comedic songs in this special.  I feel this is kind of like NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS where it can be watched and enjoyed in two holidays.  I intend to watch this again around Valentine's Day.  This is available to watch on Netflix.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 912th Edition

Welcome to the 912th Edition of my series.  I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season however celebrated.  All my selections this week are holiday oriented in some way and I try to make them as diverse as I can as usual.  My next one in two weeks will be the same.  Next weekend, December 8-10 is my play YES, VIRGINIA THERE IS A SANTA CLAUS A LIVE RADIO PLAY.  Friday and Saturday is at 7:30 pm and Sunday is at 2:30 pm.  Tickets are $15 and 10 for kids so go on https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/tix/5665 to reserve your seats.  I don't have much else happening so I will just get on with my selections for the week.

Better Watch Out (2016):  Chris Peckover directed and co-wrote this holiday horror comedy.  Olivia DeJonge stars as Ashley who is babysitting the 12 year old Luke, played by Levi Miller, on a holiday night.  Things take a turn for the worse when a home invasion happens and find that nothing is as it seems.  Ed Oxenbould, Aleks Mikic, Dacre Montgomery, Patrick Warburton, Virginia Madsen, and many others co-star in this holiday comedy.  It is hard to really hard to explain this any further from what I already have described.  I have always enjoyed this holiday comedy and is a bit underrated in my opinion.  In some ways this is a more extreme version of HOME ALONE.

Gremlins (1984):  I follow with another holiday horror comedy but this time a creature feature.  Joe Dante directed this comedy which was written by Chris Columbus.  Zach Galligan stars as Billy whose father gets him a Mogwai creature that he names Gizmo, voiced by Howie Mandel.  Gizmo is a very gentle creature but the rules of a Mogwai are inadvertently broken which results in multiples of that transform into green creatures that wreak havoc all over town.  Phoebe Cate, Hoyt Axton, John Louie, Keye Luke, Scott Brady, Corey Feldman, Harry Carey Jr., Dick Miller, Polly Holliday, Donald Elson, Belinda Balaski, Danny Llewelyn, Edward Andrews, Judge Reinhold, and many others co-star in this holiday creature feature.  This has remained quite the classic through the years.  This is a lot of fun and is a timeless classic.

8 Women (2002):  Now I follow up with a crime comedy that also happens to a musical and takes place around the holidays.  Francois Ozon directed this French film which is based on a play by Robert Thomas.  A family is gathered for the holidays but unfortunately the patriarch of the family has died and has been murdered.  This leaves eight suspects within the home that could have done this between the women in the family and those employed.  Catherine Deneuve, Fanny Ardant, Danielle Darrieux, Verginie Ledoyen, Firmine Richard, Isabelle Huppert, and Ludivine Sagnier co-star in this film.  In addition to the murder mystery, a lot of secrets come out about the characters in this movie as well.  This has a great blend of crime and comedy with a well put together cast.

Guess Who's Coming to Christmas (1974):  This is my holiday short for the week which is technically and episode of HAPPY DAYS from the second season.  The Cunninghams look forward to a family Christmas but Richie, played by Ron Howard, learns that Fonzie, played by Henry Winkler, will be alone for Christmas.  Richie then asks his parents if he can join them.  Marion Ross, Anson Williams, Erin Moran, Don Most, Tom Bosley, Al Molinaro, Beatrice Colen, Randolph Roberts, and many others co-star in this episode.  This is the last episode for Richie's older brother Chuck who just seems to disappear.  This was some harmless holiday fun from the popular sitcom that lives on today, a lot of which thanks to an episode where Fonzie jumps over a shark on water skis.  This episode and series is available to watch on Prime, Paramount Plus, and Pluto tv excluding season one for some reason.

March of the Wooden Soldiers (1934):  Gus Meins and Charley Rogers directed this Laurel and Hardy comedy.  The comedy duo star in this fairy tale film as Stannie Dum and Ollie Dee who try to come up with the money for Mother Goose's mortgage on her shoe and keep Little Bo-Peep, played by Charlotte Henry, from the evil Barnaby, played by Henry Brandon.  Felix Knight, Florence Roberts, and many others co-star in this comedy.  This is also known as BABES IN TOYLAND.  This was a lot of fun where much of the fairy tale world come together in what is really a story of love.  This might by Laurel and Hardy's best work in my opinion.  This does have a cameo from Santa Claus so it fits the season.  This is available to watch on AMC+, Filmbox with a Prime subscription, Freevee, Plex, Pluto TV, Roku Channel, and Tubi.  

A Christmas Carol (1951):  Brian Desmond Hurst directed this film based on the classic novel by Charles Dickens.  Alastair Sim stars as the miserly and bitter Ebenezer Scrooge.  He sees Christmas as no more than just a humbug and the ghost of his late business partner Jacob Marley, played by Michael Hordern, visits him to warn he must change his ways so that he does not get Marley's fate of wearing chains.  Jack Warner, Kathleen Harrison, Mervyn Johns, Hermione Bradley, George Cole, Patrick Macnee and many others co-star in this holiday classic.  I think we all know the basic story that Scrooge is visited by three ghosts involving the past, present, and future.  Sim inhabits the role perfect where we see the change in him very well.  This goes more in depth with the death of his sister and even Jacob Marley.  This is a timeless classic that is perfect for the season.

Red Snow (2021):  Sean Nichols Lynch wrote and directed this holiday horror movie.  Dennise Cisneros stars as struggling vampire novelist Olivia Romo who is alone on Christmas at her late mother's cabin in Lake Tahoe.  She finds a wounded bat that lands in her house so she takes it in and tries to nurse it to health only to learn this is a vampire named Luke, played by Nico Bellamy.  They strike up a friendship as Olivia stocks up on pig's blood for Luke but becomes suspicious of Luke while his past catches up.  Lauren Kennon, Vernon Wells, Alan Silva, Edward Ewell, and many others co-star in this horror comedy.  This would have been a perfect selection for the Madness.  We also don't get a lot of holiday movies with vampires so I jumped at this when i found it.  This is an interesting take to the vampire genre and there is a lot of gore.  For those that don't mind the gore, this can be found on Freevee and Plex.

Remember the Night (1940):  Mitchell Leisen directed this holiday film.  Barbara Stanwyck stars as Lee Leander who is on trial for shoplifting and the prosecutor John Sargent, played by Fred MacMurray, manages to get it delayed feeling it would be difficult to get a conviction on the holidays.  John feels guilty that that Lee will have to stay in jail for the holidays not having the money for bail and arranges for her bail as well as taking her with him to visit his family.  While there, Lee experiences a family love he has never had and John starts to fall in love with her making him conflicted on what to do when they get back.  Beulah Bondi, Elizabeth Patterson, Willard Robertson, Sterling Holloway, Fred Toones, and many others co-star in this holiday film.  I had not come across this one before but glad I did find it.  It is a pretty moving film with Stanwyck and MacMurray working very well together which was their first of four teamings.  This is available to watch on Plex.

Three Wishes for Cinderella (1973):  This is my Czech film for the week which was directed by Vaclav Vorlicek.  Libuse Safrankova stars as Cinderella in this adaptation and is an unpaid servant to her widowed stepmother.  Pavel Travnicek co-stars as the Prince who is not quick to marry and prefers things like hunting to his royal duties.  Cinderella gets three magical hazelnuts, one of which she uses for the ball and the Prince takes most interest in her.  This is an interesting adaptation to the classic story.  Czechoslovakia tends to make rather unusual films with what I have seen and this does not fall short.  I don't think there are any real holiday references but it is billed as a holiday movie and is shown in a handful of European countries during the holidays.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel. 

Blue Christmas (2017):  I end the week with this holiday short that was written and directed by Charlotte Wells.  This takes place in Scotland in 1968 where Jamie Robson stars as debt collector Alec who goes to work on Christmas Eve to avoid his mentally unstable wife Lily, played by Michelle Duncan.  This leaves their son that struggles with his mother while Alec i out making people miserable.  This is about 15 minutes long and not the most upbeat holiday film.  It does take a good look at how people deal or not deal with their main concerns.  This can be viewed on Youtube.  

Well, that is it for this week but continue on for my "Holiday Corner" segment for some more holiday films.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for the next couple weeks which so far includes Catherine Deneuve, Catherine O'Hara, Bruce Campbell, Judy Garland, Bob Hope, Michael Caine, and many others.

HOLIDAY CORNER

Thanksgiving (2023):  Having recently seen this, I thought I should include this horror film even if we are past the title holiday.  Eli Roth directed and co-wrote this slasher film.  This takes place in Plymouth, Massachusetts which is essentially the birthplace of the holiday.  A Black Friday which was really later on Thanksgiving night results in tragedy.  The next year, those involved get targeted by a killer that dresses up like a pilgrim.  Patrick Dempsey, Ty Olssen, Gina Gershon, Gabriel Davenport, Karen Cliche, Nell Verlaque, Rick Hoffman, Derek McGrath, Katherine Trowell, Jalen Thomas Brooks, Mika Amonsen, Amanda Barker, Shailyn Griffin, Tim Dillon, Chris Sandiford, Addison Rae, Tomaso Sanelli, Jenna Warren, and many others co-star in this holiday slasher.  Through the years we have had plenty of Halloween slashers, some Christmas slashers but I don't feel we have any real significant Thanksgiving slashers until now.  This is everything a slasher fan would want which have some fairly original killings.  This also comes from a mock trailer for the 2007 GRINDHOUSE.  There is also a lot of campy humor to make this more enjoyable.  There is a lot of gore so it is not for everyone but for the tolerant I say get to the theaters while you still can.

Violent Night (2022):  Now for some holiday action which was directed by Tommy Wirkola.  A burned out Santa Claus, played by David Harbour, ends up at the wrong house at the wrong time which a group of mercenaries, lead by John Leguizamo, attack the estate of a wealthy family.  They get more than they bargained for though when Santa shows that he can fight.  With the help of the HOME ALONE educated child Trudy, played by Leah Brady, Santa takes on these terrorists.  Beverly D'Angelo, Alex Hassell, Alexis Louder, Edi Patterson, Cam Gigandet, Andre Eriksen, Brandan Fletcher, Mike Dopud, Alexander Ellio, Mitra Suri, Phong Giang, Finn McCager Higgins, Rawleigh Clements-Willis, Stephanie Sy, and many others co-star in this Holiday action film.  This is also very violent and a lot of fun.  This has a touch of DIE HARD and HOME ALONE in it with a touch of references to other movies.  This is available to watch on Prime.

Rocky Balboa (2006):  Some might ask how a ROCKY movie fits into a holiday section.  This has nothing to do with Christmas, nor does it have anything to do with Hanukkah or Kwanzaa.  December 26th is Boxing Day.  That is a day to celebrate the sport of boxing I am sure of it so maybe make a day of it with boxing movies.  Sylvester Stallone wrote and directed this film while reprising his title role.  Rocky owns a restaurant and relives the glory days all the time by telling his customers some stories of his career.  He is trying to make the most of his time with Adrian having died of cancer.  When a virtual fight between Balboa and the current champion Mason "The Line" Dixon, played by boxer Antonio Tarver, happens Rocky decides to come out of retirement upon Dixon's challenge for an exhibition fight.  Dixon gets a lot more than he bargains for and gets more than an exhibition.  Milo Ventimiglia, Burt Young, Geraldine Hughes, Tony Burton, A.J. Benza, James Francis Kelly III, and many others co-star in this film.  I thought this was a great return to the franchise that did not forget its predecessors while becoming its own movie.  We could use more people like Rocky Balboa in this world.  Rocky's turtles Cuff and Link are also in this movie and are the same turtles from the original.  This is available to watch on HBO Max and maybe consider this franchise for the 26th of December.