Welcome to the 919th Edition of my series. Today is our last performance for THE INVISIBLE MAN: A LIVE RADIO PLAY at the Pulse Opera House in Warren, Indiana at 4 pm. If you are in or near the area, tickets are $15 and $5 for children 12 and under. I hope everyone is adjusting okay to Daylight Savings Time. I don't have much else for right now so I will just get on with my selections for the week.
Papi Chulo (2018): John Butler wrote and directed this independent film. DOOM PATROL alum Matt Bomer stars as the weatherman Sean who has a breakdown on the air after becoming single and is asked to take some time off. Sean decides to work on some home improvement and picks a a migrant worker in Ernesto, played by Alejandro Patino, for help. Despite the language barrier between the two and not having much in common, they strike up an unexpected friendship. Elena Campbell-Martinez, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Michael Shepperd, Tommie Earl Jenkins, Shaugh Buchholz, and many others co-star in this independent film. This is more of a character driven film and the leads work very well together. I thought I knew where this was going, then it went in a different direction for me. This is a rather underrated film in my opinion so I am glad I came across this one. This is available to watch on Freevee and Fandor with a Prime Subscription.
Alpha Dog (2006): This is part four of my five-part Amanda Seyfried series. Nick Cassavetes wrote and directed this film that is based on a true story. Emile Hirsch stars as Johnny Truelove who is a drug dealer. He threatens Jake, played by Foster, who owes him money and Jake responds by breaking into Johnny's home. When Johnny and a couple of friends see Jake's younger brother Zack, played by Anton Yelchin, and kidnap him where things spiral out of control. Bruce Willis, Matthew Berry, Fernando Vargas, Vincent Kartheiser, Shawn Hatosy, Alex Solowitz, Alec Vigil, Harry Dean Stanton, David Thornton, Sharon Stone, Olivia Wilde, Dominique Swain, Alex Kingston, Amber Heard, Janet Jones, Alan Thicke, Lukas Haas, Holt McCallany, and many others co-star in this film. This is a very sad and disturbing story but also quite compelling. It also has quite the cast with Willis very good as Johnny's father. I say the less you know the better in my opinion. This is available to watch on STARZ.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014): Anthony and Joe Russo directed this film from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Chris Evans reprises his role as Steve Rogers aka Captain America who is still struggling to adjust to the modern world. Steve teams with Black Widow, played by Scarlett Johansson, to take on a new assassin named Winter Soldier, played by Sebastian Stan, who is a familiar part of Steve's past. Anthony Mackie is introduced in this one as Sam Wilson aka Falcon who also helps Steve where they find there is corruption in S.H.I.E.L.D. Robert Redford, Samuel L. Jackson, Cobie Smulders, Frank Grillo, Maximiliano Hernandez, Emily VanCamp, Hayley Atwell, Toby Jones, Gary Shandling, Georges St.-Pierre, and many others co-star in this MCU film. Listen for Gary Sinise who is the narrator in the Smithsonian Museum. This one is more of a mystery than the other MCU films. Nothing is what it seems and forces Steve to wonder who he can trust. There are also two post credit scenes in this one. This is available to watch on Disney Plus.
Bambi Meets Godzilla (1969): This is my animated short for the week which was directed and written by Marv Newland. We see our favorite deer Bambi just happily munching on grass now knowing he will be soon meeting Godzilla. This is only about two minutes long but two pretty entertaining minutes showing what might happen if these iconic characters meet. This can be found on Youtube.
Men Are Not Gods (1936): Walter Reisch directed this British movie. Miriam Hopkins stars as Ann Williams who is the secretary to theater critic T.H. Skeates, played by A.E. Matthews. Skeates is about to write a bad review for the Shakespeare play OTHELLO and their actor Edmond Davey, played by Sebastian Shaw. Davey's wife Barbara, played by Gertrude Lawrence, convinces Ann to rewrite the review more positively. Rex Harrison also co-star in this film. This is a pretty interesting film centering around the theater industry. More happens from what I described where it turns into a bit of a love triangle. Last summer, I was also in a 15 minute version of OTHELLO where I played the title role. Usually that would be a miscasting but we are the Marvelously Terrible Shakespeare Company. With all that, I jumped at the chance to see this one when looking for this era. This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948): Charles Barton and Walter Lantz directed this monster comedy which brings some of the monsters from the Universal universe. Bud Abbott and Lou Costello star as freight handlers Chick Young and Wilbur Gray. They encounter Dracula, reprised by Bela Lugosi, who has the body of Frankenstein's Monster, played by Glenn Strange, and wants to revive him with a new brain. Lon Chaney Jr. co-stars as Larry Talbot aka the Wolf Man who tries to thwart Dracula's plans but being careful about being the wolf. Lenore Aubert, Jane Randolph, Frank Ferguson, Charles Bradstreet, and many others co-star in this comedy along with an unseen Vincent Price. This might be the first horror comedy and they do a great job of weaving the Universal franchise and bringing the legendary comedy duo. This is a classic comedy that ranks up with just about any from this era and has some great monsters.
Hi Mom (1970): Brian De Palma directed and co-wrote this dark comedy. A young Robert De Niro stars as Vietnam veteran Jon Rubin who rents a run-down flat in Greenwich Village where he films people in apartments across the street believing he can make a lot of money. Later, he falls in with a "black power" group. Allen Garfield, Lara Parker, Charles Durning, Jennifer Salt, Gerrit Graham, and many others co-star in this comedy. This is very early work for both De Palma and De Niro. This a very dark comedy and much of this does not age too well. This has always been a guilty pleasure of mine though and is still enjoyable to me. This is available to watch on Tubi.
Oppenheimer (2023): Christopher Nolan directed this biopic which is based on the book by Kai Bird and Martin Sherwin. Cillian Murphy stars as J. Robert Oppenheimer who played a big part of the controversial atomic bomb during WWII. This takes a look at Oppenheimer from his college days into the post-WWII years. Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Alden Ehrenreich, Scott Grimes, Jason Clarke, Kurt Koehler, Tony Goldwyn, John Gowans, Macon Blair, James D'Arcy, Kenneth Branagh, Harry Groener, Gregory Jbara, Ted King, Tim DeKay, Steven Houska, Tom Conti, Josh Hartnett, Alex Wolff, Florence Pugh, Matthew Modine, Jack Quaid, Benny Safdie, James Urbaniak, Trond Fausa, Rami Malek, Olivia Thirlby, Casey Affleck, James Remar, Gary Oldman, Hap Lawrence, and many others co-star in this biopic. This has been a very popular film and rightfully so. It was a very good look at the controversial historic figure. Murphy does a great job in a complex performance and Oppenheimer and Downey is nearly unrecognizable. This is three hours that are very worth it for this film. This is available to watch on Peacock.
Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941): Alexander Hall directed this heavenly comedy which is based on the play HEAVEN CAN WAIT by Harry Segall. Robert Montgomery stars as boxer Joe Pendleton who is about to have a championship fight but his life is taken. It turns out the new heavenly messenger, played by Edward Everett Horton, takes Joe 50 years too soon. Claude Rains co-stars as the title character who essentially runs the world of heaven and tries to rectify the mistake but the body was cremated so Mr. Jordan must give Joe another body to work with. Evelyn Keyes, Rita Johnson, James Gleason, John Emery, Donald MacBride, Don Costello, Halliwell Hobbes, Benny Rubin, Lloyd Bridges, and many others co-star in this comedy. Rains is very good as Mr. Jordan along with Horton being quite amusing as the heavenly messenger. This is available to watch on the Criterion Collection.
The Great Debaters (2007): This is part four of my possible Denzel Washington series. Washington directed this historical drama and stars as college professor Melvin Tolson who is a professor at at the black college Wiley College Texas. He puts together the first debate team that would go onto challenge Harvard. Denzel Whitaker co-stars as James Farmer Jr., who is a 14 year old graduating high school early and ends up on the debate team. Forrest Whitaker co-stars as James Farmer Sr. and while having resemblance to Denzel Whitaker who share the same name and play father and son, they are not related much to my surprise. Kimber Elise, Nate Parker, Jurnee Smollett, Jermaine Williams, Gina Ravera, John Heard, Devyn A. Tyler, Glen Powell, and many others co-star in this film. This is based on a true story and early days of racism. The real-life James Farmer Jr. would go onto become a civil rights activist serving alongside Martin Luther King Jr. This is a really good and inspiring film that deserves a look. This is available to watch on Netflix.
Well, that is it for this week but I did bring back my "Fun and Useless Facts Segment" so read on for that. Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for the next one in two weeks which so far include Helena Bonham Carter, Elle Fanning, Jessica Chastain, John Barrymore, Peter Sellers, Meryl Streep, and many others.
FUN AND USELESS FACTS
I always limit these to 25 facts which are from interconnected movies and not within the same movie. I know there is plenty more so feel free to comment.
Matt Bomer (Papi Chulo) and Denzel Washington (The Great Debaters) were in the 2016 western THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN.
Justin Timberlake (Alpha Dog) and Samuel L. Jackson (Captain America: Winter Soldier) are in the 2006 film BLACK SNAKE MOAN.
Bruce Willis (Alpha Dog) and Samuel L. Jackson (Captain America: Winter Soldier) were in the 1994 film PULP FICTION, the 2000 film UNBREAKABLE and reprise those roles in the 2019 film GLASS.
Vincent Kartheiser (Alpha Dog) plays Jonathan Crane aka Scarecrow in the DC series TITANS. Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer) plays Crane in Christopher Nolan's BATMAN trilogy starting with the 2005 film BATMAN BEGINS.
Sharon Stone (Alpha Dog) and Robert De Niro (Hi Mom) play a married couple in 1995 mafia film CASINO.
Amanda Seyfried (Alpha Dog) and Gary Oldman (Oppenheimer) play Marion Davies and Herman Mankiewicz in the 2020 film MANK.
Emile Hirsch (Alpha Dog) and Olivia Thirlby (Oppenheimer) are in the 2011 movie THE DARKEST HOUR.
Emile Hirsch (Alpha Dog) and Forest Whitaker (The Great Debaters) were in the 2007 film THE AIR I BREATHE
Samuel L. Jackson (Captain America: The Winter Soldier) and Robert De Niro (Hi Mom) were in the 1990 film GOODFELLAS and in the 1997 film JACKIE BROWN.
Samuel L. Jackson (Captain America: The Winter Soldier) and Jurnee Smollett (The Great Debaters) play father and daughter in the 1997 film EVE'S BAYOU.
Samuel L. Jackson (Captain America: The Winter Soldier) and Denzel Washington are in the 1990 film MO' BETTER BLUES.
Scarlett Johansson (Captain America: The Winter Soldier) and Florence Pugh (Oppenheimer) play sisters in 2021 superhero movie BLACK WIDOW.
Scarlett Johansson (Captain America: The Winter Soldier) and Cillian Murphy (Openheimer) are in the 2003 movie GIRL WITH THE PEARL EARRING.
Hayley Atwell (Captain America: The Winter Soldier) and James D'Arcy (Oppenheimer) are recruited by Howard Stark to clear his name from treason in the marvel series AGENT CARTER.
Rex Harrison (Men are not Gods) plays Dr. Dolittle in the 1967 musical DOCTOR DOLITTLE. Robert Downey Jr. plays Dolittle in the 2020 movie DOLITTLE.
Bela Lugosi (Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein) plays Dracula in this week's feature ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN. Gary Oldman (Oppenheimer) pays Dracula in the 1992 film BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA.
Lon Chaney Jr. (Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein) and Claude Rains (Here Comes Mr. Jordan) are son and Father in 1941 film THE WOLF MAN where Chaney plays Talbot for the first time.
Robert De Niro (Hi Mom) and Kenneth Branaugh (Oppenheimer) play the creature and his make in the 1994 film MARY SHELLEY'S FRANKENSTEIN. Glenn Strange plays Frankenstein's Monster in this week's feature ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN.
Robert De Niro (Hi Mom) and Matt Damon (Oppenheimer) were in the 2006 film THE GOOD SHEPHERD which De Niro directed.
Robert De Niro (Hi Mom) and John Heard (The Great Debaters) were in the 1990 film AWAKENINGS.
Kenneth Branagh (Oppenheimer) and Denzel Washington (The Great Debaters) were in the 1993 Shakespeare comedy MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING.
Matthew Modine (Oppenheimer) and Forrest Whitaker (The Great Debaters) were in the 1985 film VISION QUEST.
Josh Hartnett (Oppenheimer) and John Heard (The Great Debaters) were in the 2001 movie O which is modern-day adaptation of Shakespeare's OTHELLO.
Emily Blunt (Oppenheimer) was originally cast as Black Widow in the 2010 superhero film IRON MAN 2 but dropped out and would ultimately go to Scarlett Johansson who plays the role in this week's feature CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER. Emily was also in consideration for the role of Peggy Carter in the 2011 superhero film CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER which would ultimately go to Hayley Atwell who would have a cameo as the role in CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLIDER.
Scott Grimes (Oppenheimer) and Denzel Washington (The Great Debaters) were in the 1995 action film CRIMSON TIDE.
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