Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 944th Edition

Welcome to the 944th Edition of my series and the first of the year.  I will just start by saying that my thoughts go out to anyone effected by the wildfires.  I don't have anything really going on currently so I will just get on with my selections for the week.

Dolemite is my Name (2019):  I start the week with this biopic which was directed by Craig Brewer.  Eddie Murphy stars as comedian Rudy Ray Moore who struggled to find himself in the entertainment world.  Things finally came together when he created his alter-ego Dolemite and managed to become an icon in the Blaxploitation world.  This mostly focuses on the making of the movie DOLEMITE and the struggles getting it made.  Keegan-Michael Key, Mike Epps, Craig Robinson, Tituss Burgess, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Snoop Dogg, Ron Cephas Jones, Barry Shabaka Henley, Tip "T.I" Harris, Luenell, Tasha Smith, Wesley Snipes, Chris Rock, Aleksandar Filimonovic, Ivo Nandi, Michael Peter Bolus, and many others co-star in this biopic.  Murphy was a lot of fun in his role.  I would recommend getting to know the Blaxploitation genre before watching this movie.  Moore reminded me in some ways of Ed Wood, a group of misfits trying to achieve something big and in this situation a movie.  A good double feature could be this one and ED WOOD.  This is available to watch on Netflix.

A Royal Affair (2012):  Now I go into royalty in this Danish film.  Nikolaj Arcel directed this royalty biopic and based on the novel by Bodil Steensen.  Alicia Vikander stars as the young Princess Caroline who marries the crazed King Christian VII, played by Mikkel Boe Folsgaard.  Mads Mikkelsen co-stars as Dr. Johann Struensee who becomes a companion to Christian but in time has a secret affair with Caroline which causes a lot of trouble.  Trine Dyrholm, David Dencik, Thomas W. Gabrielsson, Cyron Melville, Harriett Walker, Laura Bro, Soren Malling, Jacob Lohmann, Rosalind Mynster, Nikol Kouklova, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a really good story on royalty.  Folsgaard played Christian to perfection with the crazed mannerisms.  I honestly expected Mikkelsen to be the more villainous one with his roles I have seen but was good as the idealistic doctor.  This is available to watch on Tubi, Plex, the Roku Channel, and Magnolia Selects.

Music of the Heart (1999):  Wes Craven directed this movie which is based on true events.  Meryl Streep stars as Roberta who becomes a single mother struggling to make it but gets help from her mother Assunta, played by Cloris Leachman.  She also manages to get a job at an urban school teaching underprivileged children the violin.  Things are going well but the board starts making some cuts including Roberta's violin program.  With the help of others in her school and the community, she fights back to be able to teach children the violin.  Michael Angarano, Aidan Quinn, Angela Bassett, Josh Pais, Jade Scott Yorker, Rosalyn Coleman, Gloria Estefan, Jane Leeves, Kieran Culkin, Myra Lucretia Taylor, Adam LeFevre, and many others co-star in this film.  Craven is most known for horror films and mostly notably the slasher films.  This is a slasher film in a sense in which they are trying to slash the budget.  I recall this coming out around the time VH1 was promoting "Save the Music" which seemed to be led by Gloria Estefan which promotes the importance of music programs in school.  This is a feel-good movie, and nothing less should be expected.  

Mighty Like a Moose (1926):  This is my silent comedy short for the week which was directed by Leo McCarey.  Silent film comedian Charley Chase stars as Mr. Moose who along with his wife Mrs. Moose, played by Vivien Oakland, undergo plastic surgery in hopes they will look better.  This leads to a comedy of errors when they don't recognize one another.  Chase spent his career doing mostly short films.  He did not have the success of "The Big Three" but was respected among his peers.  He is worth checking out for classic comedy buffs.  It is also an early look at plastic surgery.  This is available to watch pm the Criterion Channel.

Time After Time (1979):  Nicholas Meyer directed this sci-fi adventure.  Malcolm McDowell stars as author H.G. Wells who must pursue Jack the Ripper, played by David Warner, to the 20th century after the famed serial killer used Wells's time machine in a future time.  While there, Wells gets help from a banker named Amy Robbins, played by Mary Steenbergen, to pursue him.  Charles Cioffi, Patti D'Arbanville, James Garrett, Leo Lewis, Byron Webster, Karin Collison, Laurie Main, Joseph Maher, Corey Feldman, M.C. Gainey, and many others co-star in this film.  This was the feature film debut for both Feldman and Gainey.  This is a very entertaining time travel film that might have gone overlooked.  This would also serve as the inspiration for the Cyndi Lauper song of the same name, more the title.  McDowell and Warner were also good as friends turned enemies.  Go travel through time and check this one out.

The Golden Blade (1953):  Nathan Juran directed this swashbuckling film which is based on Arabic fairy tales including 1001 NIGHTS and the myth of King Arthur and THE SWORD IN THE STONE.  Rock Hudson stars as the swordsman Harum who comes to Baghdad to avenge the murder of his father.  In the process, he meets Krairuzan, played by Piper Laurie, who is a princess disguised as a commoner working against a plot by a band of evil schemers trying to do away with her father, the Caliph, played by Edgar Barrier.  Gene Evans, George Macready, Kathleen Hughes, Steven Geray, Alice Kelley, Richard Carlson, and many others co-star in this swashbuckling film.  This is by no means Hudson's best work but fun to see him as a swashbuckler while being a bit miscast with his race.  

Nosferatu (2024):  Robert Eggers directed this remake of the classic 1922 horror film and based on Bram Stoker's DRACULA.  Nicholas Hoult stars as Thomas Hutter who is assigned to visit the terrifying Count Orlok, played by Bill Skarsgard.  Lily Rose-Depp stars as Thomas's wife Ellen who Orlok has an infatuation with.  Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Willem Dafoe, Emma Corrin, Ralph Ineson, Simon McBurney, and many others co-star in this film.  It is hard to really explain this movie any further that what I did.  The original film of the same name in 1922 is essentially based on DRACULA.  The people making that film did not have the rights to the novel, so they wrote their own story from the book and changed the names of the characters.  It would actually give us the basic story that we know today.  This pays homage very well to the original, but Eggers manages to make this his own making some twists.  Dafoe co-stars in this as the Van Helsing equivalent of Professor von Frantz and he also plays actor Max Schreck in the 2000 film SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE which is loosely based on the making of the original.  This movie is very creepy and also rather hypnotic.  I will also dare say the world beautiful to describe this film in some ways.  I do believe this is best seen at the movie theaters.

There's a Girl in My Soup (1970):  This is part three of my four-part Peter Sellers series.  Ray Boulting directed this romantic comedy which is based on a play by Terence Frisby.  Sellers stars as the egotistical and womanizing TV host Robert Danvers who likes to seduce younger women and not staying with them for long.  He meets his match in Marion, played by Goldie Hawn, who makes herself available but refuses any romantic illusions.  They are slowly drawn to one another and Robert slowly cares for Marion after the breakup with her boyfriend.  Tony Britton, Francoise Pascal, Nicky Henson, Tom Marshall, John Comer, Diana Dors, Nicola Pagett, Judy Campbell, Gabriella Drake, Constantine Gregory, and many others co-star in this comedy.  Sellers and a young Hawn were a pretty interesting combination.  It is also an underrated performance for Goldie Hawn as she shines really well against Sellers.  This is available to watch on TUBI.

Funny Face (1957):  Stanley Donen directed this musical comedy which was mostly written by the Gershwins.  Fred Astaire stars as fashion magazine photographer Dick Avery.  They do an impromptu fashion shoot at a bookstore much against the wishes of clerk Jo Stockton, played by Audrey Hepburn.  Dick takes a liking to Jo and slowly talks her into becoming a model much to the dismay of Editor-in-Chief Maggie Prescott, played by Kay Thompson, who feels Jo has a "funny face".  Michel Auclair, Robert Flemyng, Virginia Gibson, Sue England, Ruta Lee, Alex Gerry, and many others co-star in this film.  Hepburn does a great job of transitioning from a simple book clerk into a fashion model, and I suppose there are similarities to her later film MY FAIR LADY.  She also has said this was her favorite movie.  She is able to hold her own with Astaire in the dance scenes and does a decent job singing.  Give this a go, you'll love Audrey's funny face.

Our Friend (2019):  Gabriela Cowperthwaite directed this film which is based on an article called THE FRIEND by Matthew Teague, played by Casey Affleck, in this film.  Dakota Johnson stars as Matthew's wife Nicole who gets heartbreaking news of having Ovarian cancer.  Nicole tries to keep the brave face for their daughters and Matt struggles to keep things together.  Their friend Dane, played by Jason Segal, decides to put his life on hold and move in with the family to help them out in these trying times which benefits them and their two daughters in many ways.  Isabella Kai, Violet McGraw, John McConnell, Denee Benton, Jake Owen, Jason Bayle, Ahna O'Reilly, Jacinte Blackenship, Azita Ghanizada, Chandler Head, Sampley Barinaga, Marielle Scott, and many others co-star in this film based on a true story.  This is a very sad but beautiful film in my opinion.  I admit I managed to shed tears quite a bit throughout this film.  It also does a good job showing a loving family along with the natural dysfunction that is to come with the territory.  It jumps around time periods a lot but makes it easy to follow.  This was a very pleasant surprise for me and is available to watch on Plex and the Roku Channel.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for the next couple of weeks for my return which so far includes Elizabeth Moss, Carey Mulligan, Laura Dern, Peter Sellers, Gene Tierney, and many others.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 943rd Edition

Welcome to the 943rd edition of my series and the last one of the year.  I hope everyone has had a good holiday however celebrated.  I feel like it's been a pretty good year for me and I look forward to what 2025 brings to me.  I know some have expressed this being a bad year for them and I hope it gets better.  I just try to live more of a day-to-day sort of thing as a year is always going to have ups and downs.  I will shut up now and get on with my selections.

Wicked (2024):  I start the week out with this year's musical blockbuster.  Jon M. Chu directed this musical which is based on the novel by Gregory Maguire and the musical based on Stephen Schwartz.  This is a backstory on the Wicked Witch of the West made famous in THE WIZARD OF OZ.  Cynthia Erivo stars as Elphaba who is mostly an outcast due mostly to her green skin.  When going to Shiz University, she meets Galinda, played by Ariana Grande, who renames herself Glinda.  They slowly form an unlikely friendship while Elphaba gets an invite to see the Wizard of Oz, played by Jeff Goldblum.  However, the more Elphaba sees, the more it does not sit well with her.  Michelle Yeoh, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Marissa Bode, Peter Dinklage, Andy Nyman, Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James, and many others co-star in this musical.  This is actually just part one of the musical and the conclusion will come out sometime next year.  I got to see this a few years ago with my mother when we were in Chicago.  It was a phenomenal show, and this musical is also really good.  Erivo and Grande are perfectly cast in this film.  This was also a great movie to see in the theaters, so I suggest getting there before it is too late.

The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996):  This does have a scene that features CAROL FOR THE BELLS so there is a Christmas reference in it.  Barbra Streisand directed this love story which could maybe be referred to as a reverse love story.  Streisand also stars as insecure professor Rose Morgan who meets colleague Gregory Larkin, played by Jeff Bridges.  Gregory has his own views of love and relationships, and they form their own non-physical relationship while even getting married.  Gregory learns that is not quite what Rose wants in the long run.  Lauren Bacall, George Segal, Mimi Rogers, Pierce Brosnan, Brenda Vaccaro, Austin Pendleton, Elle Macpherson, Leslie Stefanson, and many others co-star in this film.  This is an interesting commentary on the complicated world of love.  Streisand also does a good job behind the camera in getting the story across.  This is a remake of a French film from 1958 of the same name so I might just seek that out.

Homeboy (1988):  This accommodates to Boxing Day which was the 26th of December where we got to celebrate the sport of boxing.  Michael Seresin directed this film which was written by Eddie Cook which is actually the name Mickey Rourke has gone by in the rare times he has written a script.  Rourke also stars as troubled and small-time boxer Johnny Walker who is dealing with brain injuries while still fighting.  He falls in love with carnival owner Ruby, played by Debra Feuer, but is befriended by the sleazy Wesley Pendergast, played by Christopher Walken, who seems to be interesting in helping Johnny with his boxing career while really trying to groom him into a life of crime.  Kevin Conway, Antony Alda, and Jon Polito co-star in this film.  Look for a young Stephen Baldwin in a cameo role.  This is the first movie that Rourke ever wrote.  This was a good enough story on the boxing and the love side.  This also had an effect on Bob Dylan who credited this film on his 1989 album OH MERCY on the last couple songs of the album.  This is available to watch on Prime, Peacock, Freevee, Plex, the Roku Channel, and Tubi.  

A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965):  Bill Melendez directed this classic tv special which was written by PEANUTS writer Charles M. Schulz.  Charlie Brown, voiced by Peter Robbins, struggles to find the real meaning of Christmas behind all the commercialism which is from everyone around him.  He hopes to find it when he is appointed for the school pageant but that becomes very frustrating as well.  Christopher Shea, Tracy Stratford, and many others provide their voices to this animated special.  This is a timeless classic which does not really need much explanation.  Something of note though is this is the first animated special where actual children did the voices instead of adults imitating children.  This has a lot of very iconic scenes and is great for any generation this time of year.  This is available to watch on Apple TV +.

A Christmas Carol (1938):  Edwin L. Marin directed this version of the Charles Dickens classic novel.  Reginald Owen stars as the miser Ebenezer Scrooge who is warned by the ghost of his business partner Marley, played by Leo G. Carroll.  He is visited by three ghosts of different time periods to give Scrooge glimpse of how things have come to be and is shown the error of his ways.  Gene Lockhart, Kathleen Lockhart, Terry Kilburn, Barry MacKay, Lynne Carver, Lionel Braham, Ann Rutherford, D'Arcy Corrigan, Ronald Sinclair, and many others co-star in this holiday classic.  Originally, Lionel Barrymore was going to play Scrooge, having played him on a radio special for a few years but got ill having to back out.  This is possibly the most iconic version of the timeless story.  This has a couple small twists from the novel that are a little different.  This is available to watch on Max and Fawesome.

The Mouse that Roared (1959):  This is part two of my Peter Sellers trilogy and no real holiday reason behind this one.  Jack Arnold directed this comedy which is based on the novel by Leonard Wibberley.  Peter Sellers stars in three different roles which are Grand Duchess Gloriana XII, Prime Minister Count Rupert of Mountjoy, and Tully Bascombe.  This centers around the smallest country in the world in the French Alps and concoct a plan to declare war on the United States where they plan to lose.  The plan backfires making things very complicated.  Jean Seberg, William Hartnell, David Kossoff, Leo McKern, Austin Willis, Timothy Bateson, Monte Landis, and many others co-star in this comedy.  Sellers is known for his multiple roles in DR. STRANGELOVE, but this is a few years before that movie.  This is a subtle satire on war and mostly a rather light-hearted comedy with a lot of laughs with good performances out of Sellers.  

Holiday Inn (1942):  Mark Sandrich and Robert Allen directed this holiday musical with the music written by Irving Berlin.  Bing Crosby stars as performer Jim Hardy who gets burned out from being on the road all the time.  He also can't handle farm life so he decides to start an inn which is only open on the holidays.  He brings in his old partner Ted Hanover, played by Fred Astaire, where they have a lot of ups and downs.  Marjorie Reynolds, Louise Beavers, Irving Bacon, James Bell, John Gallaudet, and many others co-star in this musical of many holidays.  This would introduce us to the Christmas carol WHITE CHRISTMAS.  Many people I know love the movie WHITE CHRISTMAS which has been done as a play quite a bit.  I prefer this one which features all the multiple holidays, even a music number for Abraham Lincoln's birthday with a blackfaced Bing Crosby so I guess that does not age well but I'm willing to play the "times were different" card.  This is available to watch on Prime.

12 Monkeys (1995):  This does have a brief playing of the SILENT NIGHT instrumental.  Terry Gilliam directed this Dystopian sci-fi film.  This starts out in the future where a man-made virus took out most of the planet.  Bruce Willis stars as convict James Cole from the year 2035 and is offered parole by agreeing to go to 1990 to thwart the virus before it starts.  He must kidnap Dr. Railly, played by Madeleine Stowe, to enlist her help and investigate the mysterious Jeffrey Goines, played by Brad Pitt, who may hold the key.  Jon Seda, Vernon Campbell, Bob Adrian, Simon Jones, Bill Raymond, Christopher Plummer, Frank Gorshin, David Morse, LisaGay Hamilton, Christopher Meloni, Joseph McKenna, and many others co-star in this film.  This is one that just needs to be watched and is hard to explain any further.  This might be the best performance from Willis in his career as Gilliam worked well with him.  A young Pitt also shines very well in this film.  This is some great Dystopian Sci-fi which deserves a look.

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964):  Now I bring a classic Sci-Fi B-movie which was directed by Nicholas Webster.  I just want to let everyone know that Santa is not some action hero in this movie as the title might imply.  Martians discover a man named Santa Claus, played by John Call, on planet Earth who brings to the children every year.  The adults feel that Earth has had Santa for long enough and that it is time to bring him to Mars.  They kidnap Santa along with a couple of other kids to take to Mars but the war-monger Martian Voldar, played by Vincent Back, does not want to bring joy and cheer to the children making things a problem.  Bill McCutcheon, Pia Zadora, Ned Wertimer, Josip Elic, and many others co-star in this B-movie.  This is what it is, a B-movie but it is also a lot of fun.  I don't really have to explain much more than what I did.  I remember my local library showing this and the 1959 movie SANTA CLAUS as a double feature and was the ultimate double feature.  This is available on MGM +, Prime, Tubi, Pluto TV, Plex, Fawesome, and CONtv with a prime subscription. 

A Garfield Christmas Special (1987):  I end the week with another animated holiday special.  Phil Roman and George Singer directed this animated holiday special which was written by Garfield creator Jim Davis.  Garfield, voiced by Lorenzo Music, Jon, voiced by Thom Huge, and Odie, voiced by Gregg Berger, go to visit Jon's grandmother's home for Christmas.  We see Jon reliving his childhood while Garfield and Jon's mother form a connection.  Pat Harrington Jr., Pat Carroll, and David L. Lander co-star in this animated special.  David is actually from my own hometown of Muncie, Indiana so always good to include a local and has created one of the most iconic cats of all time in Garfield.  This does a good job in capturing that Christmas spirit in a half hour.  This is available to watch on Peacock and the Roku Channel.

Well, that is it for this week, but I have my installment of "The Holiday Corner" and the return of "Tube Time" so read on for that.  I'll be back next year in a couple of weeks which so far includes Eddie Murphy, Alicia Vikander, Meryl Streep, Mary Steenburgen, and many others.

THE HOLIDAY CORNER

I got a little carried away on this one possibly.  Most are Christmas oriented and I have some boxing selections.  I also learned that this month is Aids Awareness Month so I decided to delve into that one a little bit.

Holiday Switch (2007):  In looking for this type of holiday movie, I was sold when I saw my BAYWATCH babe Nicole Eggert starring in it.  Bert Kish directed this Lifetime movie of alternative reality.  Nicole Eggert stars as Paula Ferguson who is getting frustrated with all the bills and trying to make ends meet for Christmas.  When seeing her wealthy ex-boyfriend Nick, played by Brett Le Bourveau, she is shown an alternate world where she chose Nick over her current husband Gary, played by Bret Anthony.  Patricia Mayen-Salazar, Stefanie von Pfetten, Ernesto Griffith, Kristen Harris, Craig Haas, Maya Ritter, and many others co-star in this holiday tv movie.  This is a decent enough holiday tv movie which has its audience.  It has a good message in the end on being thankful for what you have in life.  This is available to watch on Prime, Freevee, Fawesome, and the Roku Channel.

Creed III (2023):  This is for Boxing Day and concludes this trilogy that I have been featuring this holiday season.  Michael B. Jordan actually directed this installment of the franchise.  Jordan also reprises his role of Adonis Creed who is now retired but still runs a boxing gym and works as a promoter.  Creed's childhood friend Damian Anderson, played by Jonathan Majors, comes back into his life having been released from prison.  After some incidents that happen, Adonis comes out of retirement to take on his bitter childhood friend.  Tessa Thompson, Wood Harris, Phylicia Rashad, Mila Davis-Kent, Jose Benavidez, Selenis Leyva, Florian Munteanu, Thaddeus J. Mixson, Spence Moore II, Tony Bellew, and many others co-star in this boxing movie.  This was the first one to not have Sylvester Stallone as Rocky so that was a hard element for me to fathom.  This still has its moments but does not capture the magic of the first two in my opinion.  I thought the best parts were Adonis and the interactions with his wife and daughter Bianca and Amara along with their differing parenting philosophies.  

Office Christmas Party (2016):  Now I target the raunchy crowd and raunchy might be an understatement for this one.  Josh Gordon and Will Speck directed this holiday comedy.  Jason Bateman and T.J. Miller star as Josh Parker and Clay Vanstone whose branch Clay's sister Carol, played by Jennifer Aniston, threatens to shut down.  Josh and Clay decide to throw a massive holiday party against the wishes of Carol in hopes of impressing an important client.  The party soon gets way out of hand.  Olivia Munn, Kate McKinnon, Courtney B. Vance, Jillian Bell, Rob Corddry, Vanessa Bayer, Randall Park, Sam Richardson, Karon Soni, Jamie Chung, Abbey Lee, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Andrew Leeds, Oliver Cooper, Chloe Wepper, Matt Walsh, Ben Falcone, and many others co-star in this raunchy holiday comedy.  This is not for the children or the easily offended.  I admit I laughed pretty hard at this movie.  I recently had a holiday party of my own that was fun but did not get nearly as out of hand as this one.  This is holiday night for the adults.

Grudge Match (2013):  This is a Boxing Day selection though it does appear to take place during the holidays with some carols and the presence of Christmas trees.  Peter Segal directed this boxing comedy.  Having played iconic boxers, Sylvester Stallone and Robert de Niro who are retired boxing rivals Henry "Razor" Sharp and Billy "The Kid" McDonnen.  They are coaxed out of retirement by promoter Dante Slate, played by Kevin Hart.  Both fighters not only need to train hard, but they also must come to terms with their past.  Kim Basinger, Alan Arkin, Ireland Baldwin, Mason Mackie, Barry Primus, Oscar Gale, Frederick Douglas Plunkett Jr., Jen Kober, Anthony Anderson, Carrie Lazar, Don Lake, Jon Bernthal, and many others co-star in this comedy.  This won't go down as some iconic boxing films but was a pretty fun watch to see De Niro and Stallone as boxing rivals.  This also has some fun ROCKY references to it.  There are also funny cameo roles from Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield playing themselves.  Another good way to spend Boxing Day which is all about the sport of boxing.

A Christmas Dream (1984):  This was a tv special on CBS which was directed by Sid Smith.  Mr. T stars as a street Santa Claus and meets a little boy named Billy, played by Emmanuelle Lewis, who doesn't share the spirit of Christmas.  Mr. T sets out to change his mind and, in the process, meet illusionist David Copperfield, ventriloquist Willie Tyler and his dummy Lester, and listens to Christmas songs by Maureen McGovern.  This is a very cheesy special by today's standards but it was probably pretty popular in this era as Mr. T and Lewis were both on the rise at this time.  Plus, where can we go wrong with a little Mr. T.  This is available to watch on Youtube.

Rent! Live (2019):  I chose this for the AIDS theme but there are some Christmas references like the song CHRISTMAS BELLS and a reference to the new year.  This was the live Fox special which was directed by Michael Greif and Alex Rudzinski and based on the popular musical by Jonathan Larson.  This revolves around a group of eight friends which include Maureen, played by Vanessa Hudgens, Mark, played by Jordan Fisher, Mimi, played by Tinashe, Joanne, played by Kiersey Clemons, Roger, played by Brennin Hunt, Benny, played by Mario, Angel, played by Valentina, and Collins, played by Brandon Victor Dixon.  Together, they live in NYC and deal with financial poverty, homophobia, and AIDS.  I know there are some mixed opinions on this one, but I thought it worked well.  I really enjoyed Hudgens as Maureen.  I also enjoyed the cameos at the end from some of the originals like Idina Menzel and Jesse L. Martin.  No day but today.  This is also available to watch on Youtube.

The Fighter (2010):  This selection is for boxing day and based on a true story.  David O. Russell directed this biopic on boxer Micky Ward, played by Mark Wahlberg.  Ward is trying to make it as a boxer while being trained by his brother Dicky Eklund, played by Christian Bale, who made his mark in the world of boxing but was held down by drugs and crime.  Amy Adams co-stars as Micky's girlfriend Charlene who feels Micky is being held down by his family in his quest to the light Welterweight title.  Melissa Leo, Jack McGee, Melissa McMeekin, Bianca Hunter, Erica McDermott, Dendrie Taylor, Jenna Lamia, Frank Renzulli, Caitlin Dwyer, Chanty Sok, Ted Arcidi, and many others co-star in this film.  This was a good tale of inspiration and redemption with both Micky and Dicky.  This was full of good performances and the boxing scenes looked very good as well.  This is another great movie to watch for Boxing Day.  This is available to watch on Paramount Plus and Pluto TV.

Jingle Jangle:  A Christmas Journey (2020):  David E. Talbert directed and co-wrote this holiday fantasy.  Forest Whitaker stars as toymaker and inventor Jeronicus Jangle whose trusted apprentice Gustafson, played by Keegan-Michael Key, steals his most prized possession and makes his own career under a lie.  Years later, Jeronicus's granddaughter Journey, played by Madalen Mills meets and visits her grandfather for the first time and tries to help him heal old wounds and believe again.  Hugh Bonneville, Anika Noni Rose, Phylicia Rashad, Ricky Martin, Justin Cornwell, Sharon Rose, Lisa Davina Phillip, Kieron L. Dyer, Diaana Babnicova, Kenyah Sandy, and many others co-star in this holiday fantasy.  This is also a musical with some good musical numbers including some with Forest Whitaker.  Ricky Martin was also a lot of fun as Don Juan Diego.  This is a pretty touching film on the value of family and should be a go to holiday film in the years to come.   This is available to watch on Netflix.

Rent (2005):  I decided to bring out the movie version of this musical.  This one has less Christmas references but still has some and goes along with AIDS Awareness Month.  Chris Columbus directed this version of the musical by Jonathan Larson.  This has mostly been spoken of in my other description of the liver version featured.  Taye Diggs, Wilson Jermaine Heredia, Rosario Dawson, Anthony Rapp, Adam Pascal, Jesse L. Martin, Idina Menzel, and Tracie Thoms star as a group of NYC Bohemian friends trying to survive poverty, illness and the AIDS epidemic.  Much of the cast excluding Dawson and Thoms were in the original version.  I thought this was a very well-done movie of the musical.  I have always loved the music numbers and I'm usually singing throughout the movie.  The best one though is the live version in 2008 in my opinion in which Thoms would reprise Joanne.   

A Christmas Carol:  The Musical (2004):  Arthur Allan Seidelman directed this tv movie based on the classic novel by Charles Dickens and with the music numbers written by Alan Menkin.  Kelsey Grammar stars as the miser Ebenezer Scrooge who as always gets a visit from his late business partner Jacob Marley, played by Jason Alexander, telling Scrooge he must change his ways, or he will suffer Marley's fate of being in chains.  Jane Krakowski, Jesse L. Martin, and Geraldine Chaplin co-star in the movie as the ghosts who show Scrooge the error of his ways.  Jennifer Love Hewitt, Brian Bedford, Claire Moore, Ruthie Henshall, Steven Miller, Edward Gower, Jacob Collier, Linzi Hateley, Julien Ovenden, Julie Alannagh-Brighten, Sheila Reid, Ian McLarnon, Emily Deamer, and many others co-star in this tv musical.  This version of the play was the first play I had done in my adult life.  I remember this coming out a little before our version was done at Muncie Civic Theater.  One element I like about this is how the ghosts were foreshadowed when Scrooge was out and about.  It also has some catchy music numbers to keep attention, most notably a song sung by Alexander.  This is available to watch on Prime, Tubi, Freevee, Plex, Pluto TV, and the Roku Channel.

Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas (1977):  Jim Henson directed this holiday special based on the book by Lillian and Russell Hoban.  Emmet Otter, voiced by Jerry Nelson, and his Ma, voiced by Marilyn Sokol, are poor but very happy.  They each see an opportunity for a talent contest and each make their own sacrifice in hopes of winning.  Ma gets a song for herself to sing and Emmet joins his friends to form a jug-band.  Frank Oz, Dave Goelz, Richard Hunt, Eren Ozker, and Jim Henson co-star in this holiday special.  I honestly didn't know about this until a few years ago.  It is an underrated Muppets special and a very heartwarming story.  This is available to watch on Prime, Peacock, Plex, Tubi and Shout Factory TV.

A Christmas Story (1983):  I watched this on Christmas Eve some during its marathon while I was getting things done so I thought I'd include this timeless classic even if I may not have necessarily watched it all in order.  Bob Clark directed this film based on the novel by Jean Shepherd.  Peter Billingsley stars as the young boy Ralphie Parker who longs to have a Red Ryder BB Gun but continues to be told that he will shoot his eye out.  Darren McGavin and Melinda Dillon co-star as Ralphie's parents.  Scott Schwartz, Ian Petrella, RD Robb, Zack Ward, and many others co-star in this holiday classic.  This is put on TBS for 24 hours every Christmas Eve so just about everyone has at least seen parts of at some point.  It has a lot of iconic scenes and lines and has become quite the cult film through the years.  Give this a shot, I triple-dog dare you and follow up with the 2022 movie A CHRISTMAS STORY CHRISTMAS where Billingsley plays an adult Ralph.  This would also provide the inspiration for the popular series THE WONDER YEARS.  This is available to watch on Max.

Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983):  I decided on another version of the Dickens classic courtesy of Disney.  Scrooge McDuck takes the helm of Ebenezer Scrooge in this Disney special with Mickey Mouse as his unappreciated employee Bob Cratchit.  Goofy plays the role of the bumbling Marley.  Donald Duck plays Scrooge's nephew Fred and is a lot friendlier than usual in this special.  This is about a half hour long and makes good use of out Disney friends.  This is available to watch on Disney Plus.

120 BPM (2017):  This selection goes along with AIDS Awareness Month so under my own judgment this can be a holiday movie.  Robin Campillo directed and co-wrote this French film along with Philippe Mangeot.  This takes place in Paris in the early '90s and takes a look at a coalition called ACT UP.  This is a group that fights indifference and for the rights of those who have AIDS.  Arnaud Valois stars as the newcomer Nathan who world is shaken up by Sean, played by Nahuel Perez Biscayart, who is more of a radical.  Adele Haenel, Antoine Reinartz, Felix Maritaud, Aloise Sauvage, Coralie Russier, and many others co-star in this film.  This was drawn upon experiences from the director and co-writer.  This was a pretty moving and interesting film.  This group went to some extreme measures to get their point across.  This is available to watch on Pluto TV, Plex, Fawesome, and Dekkoo with a Prime subscription.

Better Watch Out (2016):  This is a holiday horror comedy and one I might make into an annual watch.  Chris Peckover directed and co-wrote this horror comedy that takes place during the holidays.  Olivia DeJonge stars as Ashley who is hired to babysit the 12-year-old Luke, played by Levi Miller.  She finds that there are intruders outside and tries to protect Levi with everything she has only to discover nothing is as it seems.  Virginia Madsen, Patrick Warburton, Ed Oxenbould, Aleks Mikic, Dacre Montgomery, co-star in this film.  This movie has always intrigued me with the story and all the twists and turns along the way.  There is also a really good reference to HOME ALONE.  This is good for those looking for something not too sappy for the holidays.  It is a very cleverly written film that deserves a look.

TUBE TIME

Duckman:  Private Eye/Family Man (1994-1997):  I remember watching this adult animated series when I was in middle school and maybe early high school.  Everett Peck, Gabor Csupo, and Arlene Klasky created this animated series that was on the USA network.  Jason Alexander stars as the voice of Duckman who is a widowed father and private eye with his sister-in-law Bernice, voiced by Nancy Travis, mostly raising his sons.  He is also very crass, rude, and ignorant but kept in line by his more level-headed partner Cornfed Pig, voiced by Gregg Berger.  Duckman also has an older son named Ajax, voiced by Dweezil Zappa, who might be on the autistic side.  He also has sons Charles and Mambo, voiced by Dana Hill and Elizabeth Daily, who are Siamese ducks and are on a genius level.  I believe the Care Bear-esque teddy-bear office assistants Fluffy and Uranus, both of which voiced by Pat Musick, were the inspiration of Kenny on SOUTH PARK.  Tim Curry plays a recurring role in Duckman's rival King Chicken.  Ben Stein, Maurice LaMarche, John Astin, Robert Cait, Charles Shaughnessy, Gilbert Gottfried, Nancy Linari, Danny Mann, Jim Cummings, Judith Light, Eddie Deezen, Maureen McGovern, James Avery, Brian Doyle-Murray, Ice-T, Jason Marsden, Kathleen Freeman, Robert Klein, Kathy Ireland, Bobcat Goldthwait, Tom Kane, Conchatta Ferrell, Laurie Metcalf, Kathy Najimy, Eugene Levy, Joe Mantegna, Jess Harnell, Don Stark, Steven Weber, Joe Walsh, Dan Castellaneta, Burt Reynolds, Xander Berkeley, Tisha Campbell, Estelle Getty, Sandra Bernhard, Amanda Plummer, Sheena Easton, Lisa Kudrow, Kim Cattrall, Jeremy Sisto, Nicole Eggert, Dom Deluise, Michael Jeter, John de Lancie, Leila Kenzle, Judith Ivey, Ben Stiller, Ed Begley Jr., Jim Belushi, Edward Asner, Margaret Cho, John Rhys-Davies, David Duchovny, Thomas Gibson, Dana Delany, Amy Brenneman, Chris Elliott, Marina Sirtis, Vicki Lawrence, Theresa Randle, Flea, Paul Dooley, Coolio, James Brown, Chick Hearn, Michael McKean, George Kennedy, Bebe Neuwirth, John Corbett, Dennis Haysbert, Brendan Fraser, Cathy Moriarty, Jeffrey Tambor, Dorian Harewood, Jeaneane Garofalo, Carl Reiner, Kristen Johnson, Courtney Thorne-Smith, Jeremy Piven, Neal McDonough, Mitzi McCall, Heather Locklear, Henry Gibson, Leonard Nimoy, Jim Varney, Lee Meriwether, and many others made guest appearances on this animated series.  I feel this has gone down as a very underrated series.  Alexander is perfect as Duckman and this could rank up as some of his best work.  This lasted four seasons and is not a formulaic series.  There is also something quite different in dealing with social commentary.  I was able to check this out from my local library which holds the complete series DVD.  

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 942nd Edition

Welcome to the 942nd edition of my series.  I hope everyone is having a good holiday season however celebrated.  My 49ers are hanging on by a thread for playoff eligibility and my fantasy team is not doing well.  I'm still moving on with my day to day life.  I will shut up not and get on with my selections.

Tokyo! (2008):  This movie has three different short films and there are some Christmas references including carols sung in Japanese.  Leos Carax, Michel Gondry, and Boon Joon Ho directed each of the three short films.  The shorts are INTERIOR DESIGN, MERDE, and SHAKING TOKYO which all obviously happen in Tokyo.  Each story has rather dark elements to it and I think my favorite one was MERDE.  Ayako Fujitani, Ryo Kase, Ayami Ito, Nao Omori, Satoshi Tsumabaki, Shunji Awai, Yoshiyuki Morishita, Soji Arai, Denis Lavant, Jean-Francois Balmer, Renji Ishibashi, Kyusaka Shimada, Julie Dreyfus, Edith Le Merdy, Andree Damant, Yu Aoi, Teruyaki Kagawa, Naoto Takenaka, Hiroshi Yamamoto, Yutaka Matsushige, and many others co-star in this anthology series.  This may not be for everyone.  To those that love the Japanese cinema, it would be a good one to watch.  I would suggest checking out the plots for each of the three movies.  This is available to watch on Pluto TV, Freevee, and Tubi.

Red One (2024):  I suppose this is the holiday blockbuster for the year.  Jake Kasdan directed this holiday action film where Santa Claus, played by OZ alum J.K. Simmons, is kidnapped on Christmas Eve.  Santa's Head of Security Callum Drift, played by former WWE champion Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, is charged with rescuing him.  He gets some help from bounty hunter Jack O'Malley, Callum's own director Zoe, played by Lucy Liu, polar bear Agent Garcia, voiced by Reinaldo Faberlle, and some other unexpected help.  Bonnie Hunt, Kristofer Hivju, Kiernan Shipka, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Wesley Kimmel, Nick Kroll, Wyatt Hunt, Clayton Cooper, Lanz Duffy, Marc Evan Jackson, Makana David, Samantha Benson, and many others co-star in this film.  When I first saw this trailer, I was pretty well sold.  Between the Rock, the polar bear, my own celebrity crush Lucy Liu, and even the full-size Rock 'Em, Sock 'Em robots.  I believe this is the perfect holiday action movie in which no one can dispute the status of holiday movie.  With DIE HARD, I do consider a holiday film, but I know many feel that is not the case.  For me, this was endless fun and a bit of an adrenaline rush.

Good Time (2017):  This appears to take place around Christmas as there is a Christmas tree in the movie but no real talk about it.  Josh and Benny Safdie directed this crime film that takes place in New York City's underworld.  Robert Pattinson stars as Connie Nikas who includes his developmentally disabled brother Nick, played by director Benny Safdie, in a robbery that is botched and Nick gets arrested.  This leads Connie into an odyssey into the New York Underworld as he looks to free Nick from prison where just about everything goes wrong.  Jennifer Jason Leigh, Buddy Duress, Taliah Webster, Barkhad Abdi, Necro, Eric Paykert, and many others co-star in this film.  I suppose this would be referred to as a "character study".  Pattinson gives a good performance and is what lead to Matt Reeves casting him in THE BATMAN.  This is a very dark film with a lot of interesting characters to go along with Connie's odyssey around the city.  This is available to watch on Max.  

A Christmas Dream (1946):  This is my holiday short for the which comes from Czechoslovakia.  Borivoj and Karel Zeman directed this stop-motion animated short film.  A little girl gets some new presents prompting her to put aside the old doll and play with new dolls.  She has a dream where the toys come to life and wreak havoc.  This is an interesting enough watch and it is very strange like most Czechoslovakian films I have seen.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel, Max, and Tubi.

The Milky Way (1936):  Now I pay homage to Boxing Day which comes on December 26th.  Leo McCarey, Ray McCarey, and Norman Z. McLeod directed this boxing comedy.  Harold Lloyd stars as timid milkman Burleigh Sullivan somehow manages to knock out the champion in a brawl.  People see publicity in Burleigh and put him in a series of fixed fights which is to lead up into humiliation.  Adolphe Menjou, Verree Teasdale, Helen Mack, William Gargan, George Barbier, Dorothy Wilson, Lionel Stander, Charles Lane, Marjorie Gateson, and many others co-star in this comedy.  Lloyd has been pretty underrated through the years.  He is regarded as one of the best silent film comedians of all time and he made a very successful transition into the world of "talkies" like this one.  Lloyd does some really good physical gags in this film in the fight scenes.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel, Fandor, Tubi, Pluto TV, Fawesome, and MGM +.  

Scrooge (1970):  Ronald Neame directed this musical retelling of the Dickens classic and the music was written by Leslie Bricusse.  Albert Finney stars as the miser Ebenezer Scrooge in this musical version.  We all know the story, Scrooge is very stingy and maybe greedy.  He is visited by the ghost of his business partner Jacob Marley, played by Alec Guinness, now in chains who warns Scrooge he must change or he'll end up in a bigger chain.  Ghosts from the past, the present, and future come down and show Scrooge events from his life including what may happen to his employer Bob Cratchit, played by David Collings.  Edith Evans, Kenneth More, Laurence Naismith, Michael Medwin, Anton Rodgers, Suzanne Neve, Frances Cuka, and many others.  This has some really good music numbers in my opinion.  I also thought Finney captured the essence of Scrooge very well.  This is available to watch on MGM +, Paramount +, Plex, and Pluto TV.

An American Pickle (2020):  There is some Jewish emphasis including the main character Herschel so I suppose this could play to Hannukah.  Brandon Trost directed this comedy and was based on a 2013 short story called SELL OUT which was written by Simon Rich.  Seth Rogan stars as Herschel Greenbaum who is an immigrant working in a pickle factory.  An accident happens where Herschel falls into a vat of brine and becomes preserved.  He wakes up 100 years later in modern-day Brooklyn and stays with his great-grandson Ben, also played by Rogan, while trying to adjust to the modern era.  Sarah Snook, Molly Evensen, Eliot Glazer, Kalen Allen, Kevin O'Rourke, Sean Whalen, Geoffrey Cantor, Carol Leifer, Jorma Taccone, Marsha Stephanie Blake, and many others co-star in this comedy.  This is a lot different than other Seth Rogan comedies and the first he has produced that did not get an R rating.  There is a lot of comedy to it but has almost as much drama in this study of people whose generations are way apart from each other.

North By Northwest (1959):  This is not exactly a holiday film but it is on the Criterion Channel as part of "Hitchcock for the Holidays" so there is that.  Alfred Hitchcock directed this classic film which was written by Ernest Lehman.  Cary Grant stars as advertising man Roger Thornhill but is soon mistaken for a spy named George Kaplan and he is framed for murder.  Now on the run from the authorities, he meets beautiful blonde Eve Kendall, played by Eva Marie Saint, who helps Roger evade the authorities.  Now he must evade the authorities and those who try to kill him while now knowing who to trust when no one is as they seem including Eve.  James Mason, Jessie Royce Landis, Leo G. Carroll, Josephine Hutchinson, Philip Ober, Martin Landau, Adam Williams, Edward Platt, Robert Ellenstein, and many others co-star in this film.  This uses Hitchcock's favorite theme of mistaken identity.  This movie has some very iconic scenes and one of the best climaxes of all time in film which involves an action scene on top of Mt. Rushmore.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel and Tubi

Black Christmas (1974):  Having watched the 2006 remake, I decided to revisit the original.  Bob Clark directed this classic holiday slasher.  This takes place around a sorority during Christmas break where one of the sisters has disappeared and they are getting strange and anonymous calls putting a concern on them.  Olivia Hussey stars as Jess who is now pregnant and considering an abortion.  John Saxon co-stars as the cop who is investigating the calls.  Keir Dullea, Margot Kidder, Marian Waldman, Andrea Martin, James Edmond, Doug McGrath, Art Hindle, Lynne Griffin, Michael Rapport, Leslie Carlson, Martha Gibson, and many others co-star in this film.  This is one of the best and most underrated slasher films of all time.  The 2006 version emphasizes the gore factor a lot more and while this is less gory, it still has its creepy feel to it from the atmospheric scenes.  This would be a good double feature to go along with A CHRISTMAS STORY which was also directed by Clark.  This is available to watch on AMC +, Prime, Peacock, Fandor, Fawesome, Tubi, the Roku Channel, Shout! Factory TV, and Screambox.

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...Spring (2003):  I end the week with this Korean film and I suppose this can be associated with Bodhi Day which was on the 8th of December.  Kim Ki-Duk directed and wrote this Korean film.  A Buddhist master raises a young boy to grow up in wisdom and compassion through endless exercises.  The boy grows up and while learning many lessons, some things he had to learn on own.  Oh Yeong-Su, Jong-Ho Kim, Kim Young-min, and many others co-star in this film.  It is hard to really explain this movie any further but the less known, the better.  I think this would qualify as a "character study" and a bit of coming of age.  This is a rather moving film but can get a bit dark at times.  Sometimes the Buddhist master would use some extreme measures to teach the boy.  This does have some very beautiful scenery and is a beautiful film.  

Well, that is it for this week but continue on for another edition of "The Holiday Corner".  Tell me what you like and dislike and I will return in a couple weeks for my last one of the year before 2025 starts which so far includes Michelle Yeoh, Lauren Bacall, Christopher Walken, Peter Sellers, Bing Crosby, and many others.

THE HOLIDAY CORNER

These selections mostly equate to Christmas with one being for Boxing Day.

Carol for Another Christmas (1964):  This is part one of a Peter Sellers trilogy.  Joseph L. Mankiewics directed this variation of the Dickens classic which was written by Rod Serling.  Sterling Hayden stars as the Scrooge-like Daniel Grudge who is a wealthy industrialist still reeling over the loss of his son in WWII.  Like Scrooge, Daniel is visited by ghosts of the past, present, and future who hope to give him more perspective.  Ben Gazzara, Percy Rodriguez, Steve Lawrence, Eva Marie Saint, James Shigeta, Pat Hingle, Robert Shaw, Peter Sellers, and Britt Ekland co-star in this tv movie.  I always say this is Serling's TWILIGHT ZONE CHRISTMAS CAROL.  It does have quite the cast with Sellers really shining in the future scene.  I have always been a Sterling Hayden fan so that helps a lot.  If you want a different version of the Dickens classic, I would say this is worth a look.  This is available to watch on Max.  

Black Christmas (2006):  Glen Morgan directed and co-wrote this remake of the 1974 classic horror film.  Like the original, this centers around a sorority house where the sorority sisters are getting killed one by one.  This version ups the gore factor and has a different backstory of the history of the house before it became a sorority house.  Andrea Martin from the original co-stars as house mother Ms. Mac.  Michelle Trachtenberg, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Lacey Chabert, Katie Cassidy, Kristen Cloke, Yan-Kay Crystal Lowe, Karin Konoval, and many others co-star in this remake.  This does not beat the original by any means but has its own direction.  I will also say that I love the array of girls in the sorority house.  This is available to watch on Freevee, Tubi, Fawesome, the Roku Channel, and Tribeca Shortlist.

The Heart of Christmas (2011):  Last week, I featured FULL HOUSE alum Jodie Sweetin in a Hallmark movie.  This week, I feature her FH sister Candace Cameron Bure who plays the overworked mother Megan Walsh.  She struggles to make ends meet which a lot of times results in her not being able to be there for her kids.  She learns of a family celebrating Christmas on Halloween and is given a card for a blog to read.  Jeanne Neilson and Eric Jay Beck star as parents whose two-year-old son Dax, played by twins Christopher and Nicholas Shone, has been diagnosed with leukemia.  Dendrie Taylor, Erin Bethea, George Newbern, Burgess Jenkins, Karl T. Wright, and many others co-star in this movie.  This is based on a true story and keep in mind it was produced by a company called God and Country Entertainment.  This was a pretty heartwarming movie that emphasizes the importance of family.  This is available to watch on Freevee, Plex, and the Roku Channel.

A Muppet Christmas Carol (1992):  I know, another version of the Dickens classic!  Well, this one has the Muppets so where can we go wrong?  Brian Henson directed this film with the musical numbers written by Paul Williams.  Michael Caine stars as Ebenezer Scrooge in this adaptation of the story.  Kermit and Miss Piggy are Bob Cratchit and his wife who I don't think is named.  Gonzo narrates the story as Charles Dickens with Rizzo the Rat helping him out and Gonzo might be the best portrayal of Dickens.  Dave Goehlz, Steve Whitmire, Jerry Nelson, Frank Oz, David Rudman, Karen Prell, Jessica Fox, Steven Mackintosh, Robin Weaver, Raymond Coulthard, and many others co-star and provide their voices to this wonderful adaptation.  Caine was perfect as the miser and has said it is one of his favorite roles.  This is available to watch on Disney Plus.

Hellboy 2:  The Golden Army (2008):  This superhero sequel has a Christmas sequence in the beginning in a flashback scene between Professor Broom, reprised by William Hurt, and Hellboy when he was just a little boy.  Guillermo Del Toro returns to direct this sequel where a prince of the mythical world starts a rebellion to rule the Earth.  Hellboy, reprised by Ron Perlman, must stop him from locating the all-powerful Golden Army.  Abe Sapien, played by Doug Jones, and Liz, played by Selma Blair join him in his fight.  John Alexander, James Dodd, Seth MacFarlane, Luke Goss, Anna Walton, Jeffrey Tambor, Brian Steele, Roy Dotrice, and many others co-star in this superhero film.  I enjoyed this more than the original film.  This has some good action but it also has a good amount of drama like the relationship between Hellboy and Liz.  In the original, David Hyde Pierce voiced Abe Sapien but in this one Jones gets to voice the character he plays and does a great job.  In addition to Abe Sapien, Jones also plays the roles of Chamberlain and Angel of Death.  This is available to watch on Max.

Creed II (2018):  This is another selection for Boxing Day on the 26th of December so this counts as a holiday movie, at least in my own warped mind.  Steven Caple Jr. directed this sequel to the CREED franchise.  Michael B. Jordan reprises his role of Adonis Creed who is now a champion and still being trained by Rocky Balboa, reprised by Sylvester Stallone.  Adonis gets a new sort of challenge in the way of Viktor Drago, played by real-life boxer Florian Munteanu, whose father and manager is Ivan Drago, reprised by Dolph Lundgren.  Probably needless to say that Ivan Drago is the man who killed Adonis's father Apollo in the ring and was defeated by Rocky in ROCKY IV.  Tessa Thompson, Phylicia Rashad, Russell Hornsby, Wood Harris, Milo Ventimiglia, Robbie Jones, Andre Ward, Brigitte Nielsen, Jacob Duran, and many others co-star in this sequel.  This is kind of a spinoff of ROCKY IV where Ivan is trying to get respect again in his homeland and does what he can to get his son to bring the name back to glory.  I feel it also has shades of ROCKY III in it as well.  I guess I'm a sucker for nostalgia and closure it can bring to the characters.