Welcome to the 903rd Edition of my series. Today is the start of the NFL season I so I hope that my 49ers will be good this year and my fantasy team. The show is getting closer so go to https://reservetickets.pulseoperahouse.org/ to reserve your seats for SHERLOCK HOLMES: THE BAKER STREET IRREGULARS. I don't have much else happening so I will get to my selections for the week.
The Enforcer (1995): I start the week out with this martial arts film which was directed by Corey Yuen. Jet Li stars as undercover cop Kung Wei who infiltrates a gang to bring down the ruthless Po Kwang, played by Romgguang Yu. Anita Mui co-stars as Inspector Fong who accidentally blows Kung's cover and helps go after Kwang along with Kung's son Ku Kung, played by Miao Xie. This is a pretty fun action film that has a rather moving story to go along with it. There are also some great fight scenes with the most notable being at the end. Li and Mui are on top of their game with martial arts and I am always glad to see the late Anita Mui whose life was cut way too short. This is also known as MY FATHER IS A HERO.
Joan of Arc (1900): This is my silent short film for the week which was directed by film pioneer Georges Melies. This is his ten minute take on the history of Joan of Arc through his usual sorts of special effects. Melies is most known for his sci-fi short film A TRIP TO THE MOON and had a lot of other elaborate short films from this era. This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel as well as much of Melies's works.
House of Frankenstein (1944): Erle C. Kenton directed this Universal sequel. Boris Karloff stars as the deranged scientist Dr. Gustav Niemann who takes in hunchback Daniel, played by J. Carrol Naish, with the promise that he will make him better. Niemann's real plans are to get revenge on some enemies and becomes inspired by the works of Dr. Frankenstein. He manages to revive Dracula, played by John Carradine, Larry Talbott aka the Wolf Man, reprised by Lon Chaney Jr., and Frankenstein's Monster, played by Glenn Strange. Anne Gwynne, Peter Coe, Lionel Atwill, George Zucco, Elena Verdugo, Sig Ruman, and many others co-star in this Universal Horror film. It is good to see Karloff take the other side of the villainous human and interacting with the character he made famous. I believe Carradine is an underrated Dracula from this era and just underrated in general. This is part of the Universal dvd box set of DRACULA despite the name not being in this title.
Veronica Mars (2014): Rob Thomas directed this movie adaptation of his series of the same name and co-wrote with Diane Ruggiero-Wright. Kristen Bell reprises her role as the resourceful Veronica Mars. She has a lot going for her in New York as she finishes law school. She is drawn back into the wealthy and scandalous town of Neptune, California when her ex-boyfriend Logan Echolls, played by Jason Dohring, becomes a suspect into a murder. Veronica looks to prove his innocence while dealing with the corrupt police force. Enrico Colantoni, Christopher Lowell, Tina Majorino, Percy Daggs III, Krysten Ritter, Martin Starr, Gaby Hoffman, Jerry O'Connell, Francis Capra, Ryan Hansen, Brandon Hillock, Maury Sterling, Sam Huntington, Max Greenfield, Daran Norris, Christine Lakin, Lisa Thornhill, Jessica Camacho, Jamie Lee Curtis, Dax Shepherd, Ken Marino, and many others co-star in this movie. This tv series went from 2004-2007 having three seasons and was a pretty clever show that ended rather abruptly while having one more season in 2019 that I understand is more of a mini-series. Having recently binged the show, I enjoyed this continuation. I would recommend watching the three seasons to get to the characters in this movie. The tv series is available on Hulu but this is not on any streaming service as of now.
The Premature Burial (1962): Roger Corman directed this film that is based on a story by Edgar Allen Poe. Ray Milland stars as Guy Carrell who has a fear of being buried alive due to past experience. Hazel Court co-stars as Emily Gault who looks to rekindle her old relationship with Guy and ends up marrying him but Guy's fear makes for a troubled marriage. Richard Ney, Heather Angel, Alan Napier, John Dierkes, and many others co-star in this film. Corman would usually cast Vincent Price in his Poe films but for this one chose Milland as he went outside of American International Pictures and Price was signed to them. Milland also does a good job as Poe's tortured protagonist. This is a more unknown Poe story and more unknown Corman film that deserves a look. This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.
Happy Gilmore (1996): Now I pay tribute to Bob Barker who recently left us at 99 years of age and has a very amusing cameo along with a memorable fight scene with Adam Sandler. Dennis Dugan directed this comedy which was written by Tim Herlihy and Adam Sandler. Sandler stars as wannabe hockey player Happy Gilmore who has a rather violent temper. His grandmother, played by Frances Bay has lost her home due to the taxes she owes and ends up in a nursing home. Happy soon learns he has a very powerful drive in golf and is discovered by local golf pro Chubbs, played by Carl Weathers. When Gilmore learns he can make a lot of money by joining the P.G.A. tour, he joins in hopes of saving his grandmother's home but his hockey mentality makes the more classy game of golf more difficult. Christopher McDonald co-stars as the cocky golf pro Shooter McGavin and Julie Bowen co-stars as reporter Virginia Venit who tries to help Happy with his image. Allen Covert, Robert Smigel, Richard Kiel, Dennis Dugan, Joe Flaherty, Kevin Nealon, Will Sasso, Ben Stiller, and many others co-star in this comedy. This is the usual Adam Sandler style of comedy. With Sandler movies, I always enjoy the supporting character like getting to see Carl Weathers, Bond alum Richard Kiel, and Barker playing himself. This is very raunchy and vulgar comedy and a great golf movie.
When the Daltons Rode (1940): This is my western for the week which was directed by George Marshall and based on the book of the same name by Dalton Gang member Emmett Dalton, played by Frank Albertson. Randolph Scott stars as attorney Tod Jackson who goes to visit his rancher friends the Daltons and tries to help them deal with a crooked development company. With these events, they saw no choice but to become outlaws thus becoming the Dalton Gang. Kay Francis, Brian Donlevy, George Bancroft, Broderick Crawford, Stuart Erwin, Andy Devine, Mary Gordon, Harvey Stephens, and many others co-star in this western. This is based on Dalton's autobiography as mentioned and this movie portrays them as antiheroes like much of the western outlaws. I do not know the actual validity of this film but was still compelling to watch and something to think about. This is available to watch and the Criterion Channel.
Drive (2011): Nicolas Winding Refn directed this action film which is based on the novel by James Sallis. Ryan Gosling stars as the credited name of Driver who is a Hollywood stuntman by day and getaway driver for others at night. He appears to be rethinking his life when he meets and falls for his neighbor Irene, played by Carey Mulligan, whose husband Standard, played by Oscar Isaac, owe a lot of money. When driver tries to help Standard, things go wrong and he must protect Irene and her son Benicio, played by Kaden Leos. Albert Brooks, Bryan Cranston, Christina Hendricks, Ron Perlman, Jeff Wolfe, James Biberi, Russ Tamblyn, and many others co-star in this film. This is a rather violent film but is also strangely moving. Part of what made this work was the soundtrack of the film which weave perfectly with the action. Also, Gosling's subtle but effective performance as the Driver took this to another level.
Paradise Alley (1978): I pay homage to wrestling legend Terry Funk who recently left us and plays wrestler Frankie the Thumper in this movie. Sylvester Stallone wrote and directed this film taking a look at the 1940s slums of Hell's Kitchen in New York City and makes his directorial debut. Stallone, Armand Assante, and Lee Canalito star as the struggling Carboni Brothers Cosmo, Lenny, and Victor. Cosmo is the con artist type of the three and sees potential in the world of wrestling feeling the muscular Victor had potential as a wrestler while Lenny goes into the promoting end. Frank McRae, Anne Archer, Kevin Conway, Joe Spinell, Aimee Eccles, Tom Waits, Frank Stallone, and many others co-star in thi film. Wrestler cameos include Ted Dibiase, Dory Funk Jr., Don Kernodle, Gene Kiniski, Dick Murdoch, Dennis Stamp, Ray Stevens, and Haku. This has always been a project for Stallone as he wrote this before ROCKY and with the success of that film he got the green light to go through with this one. This is Funk's first movie and plays the main rival to Victor leading into a climatic wrestling match made even more interesting by the rain that comes into play. It is good to see Stallone do a movie about the wrestling world. Long live the legendary Terry Funk.
The Eight Mountains (2022): I end the week with this Italian film which was directed by Felix van Groeningen and Charlotte Vandermeerch and based on the novel by Paolo Cognetti. Lupo Barbiero and Cristiano Sassella star as Pietro and Bruno as we see a friendship from four decades that started in childhood. Through the years they have a goal of building a cabin on the Alps but their drive is a little different in this pursuit. Elena Lietti, Filippo Timi, Gualtiero Burzi, and many others co-star in this film. This has some beautiful footage in the mountains. It is more driven by the characters than the script. It is a very moving film of a long-time friendship through the decades. This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.
Well, that is it for this week. Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for the next couple weeks which will include Anthony Mackie, Christopher Plummer, Vincent Price, and many others.
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