Welcome to the 917th edition of my series and I'm on time this time. I do have a few things to talk about so go on if you don't want to hear it. First of all, today is the Super Bowl where my own team the San Francisco 49ers get to play so I will be cheering them on and if they lose to the Chiefs I won't blame Taylor Swift. The next thing is that in the first couple weekends in March I am in THE INVISIBLE MAN: A LIVE RADIO play at the Pulse Opera House in Warren, Indiana. Tickets for the show are $15 and $5 for children 12 and under so visit https://reservetickets.pulseoperahouse.org/ to reserve your tickets. The last thing I want to discuss before getting to my selections for the week is the my previous edition which was the 915th and 916th combined into one due to me forgetting to release the 915th edition on the scheduled date. I ended up getting a "sensitive content warning" right here on Blogspot as Mick Foley might say. This appears to be due to me featuring a biopic of someone from the film industry for adults so hopefully just saying this will not provoke another warning so I'm just leaving out names for now. I also mentioned the name of the movie for adults the said person is known for and I believe that was what happened there. When I was promoting this on Twitter, X for those who are offended by the T word, after "careful review", they decided to ban me from posting and make my account permanently in read-only mode. I am trying to appeal this, I'm not getting my hopes too high but I do hope someone working there will have the consideration to look at the blog itself to see there is no offensive language or imagery in it and reinstate my account. It's not the end of the world if it is not reinstated but I did like using X-Twitter to promote my stuff so Elon, if you are reading this, please consider giving me my account back. If others could share this link on their social media platforms, I would be very appreciative. I am also open to advise on sharing this on other Social media platforms besides Facebook. I have an Instagram but I don't really see any way of promoting on there since they use images but open to advise. This is probably my longest opening paragraph so I will shut up and get to my selections for the week.
Pan (2015): This is part two of my possible five-part Amanda Seyfried series where she plays the role of Mary in more of a cameo appearance. Joe Wright directed this prequel to the characters written by J.M. Barrie. Levi Miller stars as Peter who is right now just a 12 year old orphan during WWII and ends up in the world of Neverland. When there, he is told of his destiny but has a hard time believing it. He must face off against the ruthless Blackbeard, played by Hugh Jackman, and gets help from Tiger Lily, played by Rooney Mara, and a young James Hook, played by Garrett Hedlund. Adeel Akhtar, Nonzo Anozie, Kathy Burke, Lewis MacDougall, Cara Delevingne, Tae-Joo Na, Jack Charles, Bronson Webb, and many others co-star in this fantasy adventure. This kind of reminded me of SMALLVILLE in some ways in terms of the destined enemies starting out as friends. I thought this was a pretty fun adventure that can be enjoyed by the family. However, I did desire a better ending to the prequel.
Chinese Puzzle (2013): Cedric Klapisich wrote and directed this French film. Romaine Duris stars as struggling writer Xavier Rousseau whose wife Wendy, played by Kelly Reilly, leaves him to be with a companion in New York and she takes the kids in the process. Wanting to see his children, he moves to New York to be closer to him and struggles with immigration, among other things. Audrey Tautou, Cecile de France, Sandrine Holt, Flore Bonaventura, Jochen Hagele, Benoit Jaquot, Jason Kravitz, and many others co-star in this film. This is the third of a trilogy and this is the first I have seen. I would like to look into the first two films of Xavier at different times in his life but this was still really good on its own. This takes a look at an older man's coming of age. A lot happens in his movie and has a lot of very complex characters. This is available to watch on Tubi.
Mississippi Masala (1991): This is part two of my possible five-part Denzel Washington series. Mira Nair directed this film on an Indian family. Sarita Choudhury, in her film debutk stars as Mina who as a child along with her parents were living in Africa only to be expelled due to their race. They move to Mississippi and run a local motel. Mina soon meets and falls in love with a local carpet cleaner in Demetrius, played by Washington, but must deal with race and prejudice on both sides. Roshan Seth, Sharmila Tagore, Charles S. Dutton, Joe Seneca, Ranjit Chowdhry, Mohan Gokhale, and many others co-star in this film. This gives a good look on how racism and prejudice exist on all sides. This also has a really good script that the actors drive very well. This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.
Trolley Troubles (1927): This is my classic animated short for the week which is from Disney. This features Oswald the Lucky Rabbit who is the conductor of a runaway trolley. While on that trolley, he runs into all kinds of problems along the way which include local bunnies playing on it he must chase off. The big problem though is losing control of the car. Oswald was a very early Disney character and possibly the first. This character appears to be a prototype of what would become Disney's iconic Mickey Mouse. This is available to watch on Disney Plus as well as a couple other works. This is a very significant part of early animation.
The St. Valentine's Day Massacre (1967): It is almost Valentine's Day so what better than this history film. Roger Corman directed film which is based on the infamous title event that happened in 1929 Chicago. Jason Robards stars as mobster Al Capone as he plans a move on his rival "Bugs" Moran, played by Ralph Meeker. George Segal, Jean Hale, Clint Ritchie, Frank Silvera, Joseph Campanella, Richard Bakalyan, David Canary, Bruce Dern, Harold J. Stone, Kurt Krueger, Paul Richards, Joe Turkel, and many others co-star in this gangster movie. Also, look for a young Jack Nicholson in a bit role. This is shot like a documentary where it traces the events which lead to what they called St. Valentine's Day Massacre which was not an act out of love. This was Corman's answer to the gangster film which I thought succeeded pretty well. While Robards was good enough, I heard that Corman wanted Orson Welles as Capone which I believe would have been really good. What could have been.
The Barefoot Contessa (1954): Joseph Mankiewicz wrote and directed this film on the world of Hollywood. Humphrey Bogart stars as struggling writer/director Harry Dawes who discovers nightclub dancer Maria Vargas, played by Ava Gardner, and convinces her to take a chance on acting. This shows the ups and downs of Maria's life as told through mostly Harry. Maria becomes a very successful actress but has a lot going on around her. Edmond O'Brien, Marius Goring, Valentina Cortese, Rossano Brazzi, Elizabeth Sallars, Warren Stevens, and many others co-star in this film. This is a pretty detailed look into someone's life. It is also a compelling look into the world of film and Hollywood. This is likely based on people in the world of Hollywood like the role of Maria said be based on Rita Hayworth. This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel, Freevee, Pluto TV and the Roku Channel.
Out of Darkness (2022): I saw this as part of the AMC Scream Unseen series where they play a mystery horror film which was directed and co-written by Andrew Cumming. This takes place in the Old Stone Age where a group of early humans band together in search of finding a new home. They suspect they are being hunted by a mystical being and are forced to confront an unknown danger. Chuku Modu, Kit Young, Safia Oakley-Green, Lola Evans, Luna Mwezi, and Arno Luning all co-star in this British horror film. I was not aware of this movie theater event until I saw this one. This is a really cool concept and was only $5 to see it. It is hard to really explain this any further but it did keep my interest. This is now available to watch in theaters and this seems to be a Monday event to see AMC Scream Unseen.
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother (1975): Gene Wilder directed and wrote this comedy where he also stars as Sigerson Holmes who is the younger brother of the famed Sherlock Holmes. Sigerson has always lived in his brother's shadow and when Sherlock sends him a case, he tries to emulate his brother's deduction skills to varying success. Sigerson teams with Scotland Yard detective Orville Sacker, played by Marty Feldman, and helps a nightclub singer, played by Madeline Kahn, who believes she is being blackmailed. Dom Deluise, Leo McKern, Roy Kinnear, John Le Mesurier, Douglas Wilmer, Thorley Walters, and many others co-star in this comedy. After working for Mel Brooks, Wilder decides to make his own directorial debut. This is a pretty fun look into the Holmes franchise and a great trio in Wilder, Feldman, and Kahn.
Lola Montes (1955): Max Ophuls directed this historical film based on the novel by Jacques Laurent. Martine Carol stars as Lola who reflects on her life a she is reduced to to a circus attraction having been a successful dancer and lead quite the life. Peter Ustinov co-stars as the Circus Master that is thought to be exploiting Lola. Anton Walbrook, Henri Guisol, Lise Delamare, Paulette Dubost, Oskar Werne, and many others co-star in this film. This is another that is hard to explain and is based on a real person. The movie was very intriguing in so many ways from the performances to the cinematography. This is the final film for the legendary Ophuls and was his only movie in color. This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel and on Max.
The Last Kiss (2006): This is part two of my Tom Wilkinson trilogy having recently left the world. Tony Goldwyn directed this romantic comedy and drama. Zach Braff stars as Michael who has everything one could want with a good job and a girlfriend of three years in Jenna, played by Jacinda Barrett, but becomes concerned about his life when learning Jenna is pregnant. At a wedding for his friend, Michael meets the younger and free-spirited Kim, played by Rachel Bilson, who opens his eyes and must figure out what he wants in life. Casey Affleck, Michael Weston, Eric Christian Olsen, Marley Shelton, Lauren Lee Smith, Harold Ramis, Blythe Danner, David Haydn-Jones, Cindy Simpson, and many others co-star in this film. This takes a good look at flaws in relationships, beyond Michael and Jenna's relationship. This could be a good date movie and one people can really learn from while enjoying it.
Well, that is it for this week, but I did bring on my "Holiday Corner" segment for the week. Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for the next couple weeks which so far includes Amanda Seyfriend, Tom Wilkinson, Emma Thompson, Claude Rains, and many others.
HOLIDAY CORNER
I am using this segment for the Wednesday holidays of Valentine's Day and Ash Wednesday which fall on the same day this year. Ash Wednesday is where we celebrate those with the Ash variation in their name so please with your friends, family, and co-workers with the Ash variation in the name a Happy Ash Wednesday. I had a couple more I wanted to do but I just did not quite have the time.
Picture This! (2008): This is celebrating the day of Ashley Tisdale for her day of Ash Wednesday. Stephen Herek directed this teen romantic comedy. Ashley stars as awkward high school student Mandy Gilbert who is invited to a party for the most popular high school student in Drew, played by Robbie Amell, who she really likes. The problem is that she was grounded by her well-meaning but overprotective father Tom, played by Kevin Pollak. She is determined to make this party and with the help of a couple of her friends, she manages to get out of the house and make her way to the party with much trouble along the way. Lauren Collins, Shenae Grimes-Beech, Cindy Busby, Marie-Marguerite Sabongui, Angela Galuppo, Maxim Roy, and many others co-star in this romantic comedy. This could also be celebrated for Valentine's Day. This is more geared to the teen crowd and those who grew up on Ashley Tisdale. This is available to watch on Prime and on the Roku Channel.
Iron Man 3 (2013): In my long-term chronological binge of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I found I got to this movie at the perfect time. This features actor Ashley Hamilton who plays the role of Taggart in this superhero film so please wish him a Happy Ash Wednesday. Shane Black directed this superhero sequel from the MCU. Robert Downey Jr. reprises his role as Tony Stark aka Iron Man. Tony finds that his personal world has been destroyed by the terrorist known as the Mandarin. With the help of Rhodey, reprised by Don Cheadle, Pepper, reprised by Gwyneth Paltrow, and a genius kid named Harley, played by Ty Simpkins, Tony goes on a quest to find those responsible and gain retribution. Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Jon Favreau, Ben Kingsley, James Badge Dale, Stephanie Szostak, Paul Bettany, William Sadler, Dale Dickey, Miguel Ferrer, and many others co-star in this MCU film. This is also one to watch for Christmas as it takes place during the holidays. This has some really good action where Tony is really fighting for redemption more than anything and is a pretty good part three of a trilogy. When this is finished, I would also recommend the Marvel One-Hot's ALL HAIL THE KING. This is the start of Phase two of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This is available to watch on Disney Plus and Starz.
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