Welcome to the 928th Edition of my series. I just want to remind everyone of June 27th which is the New Castle Renaissance Festival which is from 10 am to 4 pm. I will be performing a couple of 15 minute versions of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM at 11:45 am and 3 pm. The event is free but there will be a lot of vendors to check out. I also have the poster for 12 ANGRY JURORS on the bottom which is August 16-18 with the tickets at $10 each. I don't really have anything else so I will get on with my selections for the week.
Blindspotting (2018): This is part three of my Jasmine Cephas Jones trilogy. Carlos Lopez Estrada directed this film which was directed by Rafael Casal and Daveed Diggs who both star in the film. Diggs stars as Collin who has just three days left on his probation but his friend and co-worker Miles, played by Casal, does not make it easy for Collin with his trouble-making ways. They work as movers as they must watch their old neighborhood become a trendy spot in the gentrifying bay area. Janina Gavankar, Ethan Embry, Tisha Campbell, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Kevin Carroll, Nyambi Nyambi, Jon Chaffin, Wayne Knight, Margo Hall, Ziggy Baitinger, Leland Orser, Travis Parker, Lance Holloway, Justin Chu Cary, Casey Adams, and many others co-star in this independent film. This takes place in Oakland and takes a look at issues between race and class. Diggs and Casal make a very good team in both writhing and acting with a very interesting climax. This is available to watch on Starz.
Dogville (2003): Lar Von Trier wrote and directed this experimental and arthouse film. Nicole Kidman stars as Grace who is on the run from the mob after witnessing a murder and ends up in a small Colorado town called Dogville. Paul Bettany co-stars as Tom who is the self-appointed moral spokesperson for the town and is able to talk the town into taking in Grace. She soon finds that the town has kept her at a high price. Lauren Bacall, Harriett Anderson, Jean-Marc Barr, Blair Brown, James Caan, Patricia Clarkson, Jeremy Davies, Ben Gazzara, Philip Baker Hall, Thom Hoffman, Siobhan Fallon Hogan, John Hurt, Zeljko Ivanek, John Randolph Jones, Udo Kier, Cleo King, Miles Purinton, Bill Raymond, Chloe Sevigny, Shauna Shim, Stellan Skarsgard, and many others co-star in this film. This is not high budget and has more of a stage presentation. It reminded me of the classic story OUR TOWN but in the Lars Von Trier way. If you are unfamiliar with Von Trier, I would look into his background and then make a decision to watch this one. This is available to watch through Mubi which is a subscription that is available on Prime.
Belfast (2021): This is part two of my Kenneth Branagh trilogy. Branagh wrote and directed this film but stayed behind the camera on this one. Jude Hill stars as a young boy named Buddy trying to understand what was going on around him and his working class family. This takes place during the Northern Ireland riots which happened in 1969 that was like a local religious war between the Protestants and Catholics. Lewis McAskie, Caitriona Balfe, Jamie Dornan, Judi Dench, Ciaran Hinds, Josie Walker, Nessa Eriksson, Frankie Hastings, Mairead Tyers, Ian Dunnett Jnr, Michael Maloney, Lara McDonnell, and many others co-star in this film. This is a very personal project for Branagh who bases it on actual childhood events from his own childhood. This is a rather overlooked part of history and very eye-opening. This is available to watch on Freevee and is worth a look.
Aquamania (1961): This is my classic animated short for the week which features Goofy. Goofy decides to buy a boat and takes Goofy Jr. which him and inadvertently enters a water skiing race. They don't know much about boating but manage to make the most of it in comic moments. This is among the Goofy instructional shorts from this era and this is available to watch on Disney Plus.
The Women (1939): George Cukor directed this rather groundbreaking film for its time at least and is based on a play by Clare Booth. The main story centers around wealthy Manhattan wife Mary, played by Norma Shearer, whose husband is having an affair with a shopgirl named Crystal, played by Joan Crawford. The rest consists of the backstabbing, gossiping, and romantic rivalry. Rosalind Russell, Mary Boland, Paulette Goddard, Joan Fontaine, Lucile Watson, Phyllis Povah, Virginia Wiedler, Marjorie Main, Virginia Grey, Ruth Hussey, Muriel Hutchinson, Hedda Hopper, Florence Nash, Cora Witherspoon, Ann Morriss, Dennie Moore, and many others co-star in this film. You will also see I named off all women because is what the cast consists of, even the dogs in the movie including the dog Terry who is known for playing Toto and was actually a female dog. This is a very well-done film and showcasing the talents of many women from the era and even child actress Virginia Grey who I believe is a rather underrated child actress. This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel
Ordet (1955): This is my Danish film for the week which was directed by Carl Theodore Dreyer and based on a play by Kaj Munk. This centers around the Borgen family lead by the patriarch and the widowed Morten, played by Henrik Malberg, who is the patron of a local church. He has three sons who each have some sort of issue Morten tries to help deal with. Emil Hass Christensen, Preben Lerdorff Rye, Hanne Aagesen, Kirsten Andreasen, and many others co-star in this film. It is really hard to describe this one. There is a lot of religious conflict going on within the town. It will be enjoyed most by those who love foreign films. This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel and Max.
Horizon: An American Saga- Chapter 1 (2024): Kevin Costner directed and co-wrote this western which if I understand correctly will be a four-part series. Costner also co-stars in this film as Hayes Ellison. This series will take place in a 15 year period. This starts in 1959 which mostly documents an Apache war. Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Jena Malone, Owen Crow Shoe, Tatanka Means, Ella Hunt, Tim Guinee, Giovanni Ribisi, Danny Huston, Colin Cunningham, Scott Haze, Tom Payne, Abbey Lee, Michael Rooker, Will Patton, Jim Lau, Georgia MacPhail, Douglas Smith, Roger Ivens, Larry Bagby, Luke Wilson, Dale Dickey, Angus Macfadyen, Jeff Fahey, and many other co-star in this western. There are multiple things going on and is really hard for me to put into any real description. It is a saga like it says and this is three hours long and I thought that if I'm going to see this I might as well hit the theaters for this one. It was worth a watch and would recommend the big screen. The next installment comes out on August 16th of this year.
Breathless (1960): This is part three of my Jean Seberg trilogy. Jean-Luc Godard directed French film which was written by Francois Truffaut. Jean-Paul Belmondo stars as Michel Poiccard who is a small-town thief and has killed a policeman putting him on the run from the authorities. He forms a relationship with journalism student Patricia, played by Seberg, and looks to persuade her to run away with him. This is part of the French New Wave period. This is a pretty simple but effective story about a man on the run. The movie was shot a lot on an unfinished scripted so Godard wrote much of it while shooting. This is available to watch on Max and the Criterion Channel.
Phffft (1954): Mark Robson directed this screwball comedy which was written by George Axelrod. Jack Lemmon and Judy Holliday star as married couple Robert and Nina Tracey. They have been married for eight years and decide they just have too many marital issues and get divorced. They try moving on and dating other people but it just isn't the same for them. Jack Carson, Kim Novak, Luella Gear, Donald Randolph, Donald Curtis, and many others co-star in this comedy. I realized that Jack Lemmon might be the king of romantic comedies and this is no exception. Even in divorce, we can still get comedy with Lemmon and Holliday as the leads. This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.
A Dry White Season (1989): This is part of a five-part series for Donald Sutherland who recently left us. Euzhan Palcy directed this film which is based on a book by Andre Brink. Sutherland stars as Ben du Toit who leads a good life as a teacher in South Africa during the time of Apartheid. Winston Ntshona co-star as Ben's gardener Gordon whose son was arrested for a peaceful protest and asks Ben to help find his son. Ben reluctantly accepts this request and slowly learns the horrors of the system. Janet Suzman, Zakes Mokae, Jurgan Prochnow, Susan Sarandon, Marlon Brando, Gerard Thoolen, Susannah Harker, David de Keyser, John Kani, Michael Gambon, and many others co-star in this film. Brando had not acted in nine years on account of a self-imposed retirement but returned to this film for a minimal salary and getting a best supporting actor nomination in the process. From what I can tell, the film is fictional but Palcy worked hard to make this as realistic as possible. This is available to watch on Pluto TV.
Well, that is it for this week but I have brought back my "Fun and Useless Facts" segment. Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for the next couple weeks for my next edition which so far includes Kenneth Branagh, Natasha Lyonne, Donald Sutherland, Burt Lancaster, and many others.
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