Welcome to the 926th Edition of my series. I would like to announce on here that I will be making my debut in Rushville this August in 12 ANGRY JURORS where I play the role of Juror #3 which is the role I wanted. I will still be performing at the New Castle Renaissance Fest on July 27th a part of the Marvelously Terrible Shakespeare Company. That's enough for now so I will get on with my selections for the week.
Dramarama (2020): Jonathan Wysocki wrote and directed this independent comedy. This take place in 1994 where Nick Pugliese stars in this film as Gene who is a closeted teen afraid to come out to his Christian friends and having one more slumber party before going to college. At first they are doing their own murder mystery where they dress as various characters but later things get a lot deeper than expected. Anna Grace Barlow, Danielle Kay, Megan Suri, Nico Greetham, Zak Henri, and many others co-star in this coming of age comedy. This was a pretty well written script with relatively unknown actors that work well together. This is available to watch on Broadway HD and Dekkoo with a Prime subscription.
Columbus (2017): Kogonada wrote and directed this independent film that was filmed and took place in my dad's town of Columbus, Indiana. Haley Lu Richardson stars as Casey who is staying in Columbus to stay with her mother Maria, played by Michelle Forbes, who is a recovering addict. She meets a Korean man in Jin, played by John Cho, who is stuck in Columbus to tend his estranged and comatose father and is encouraged by him to follow her own dreams. Parker Posey, Rory Culkin, Erin Allegretti, Shani Salyers Stiles, Rosalyn Ross, Lindsey Shope, Jim Dougherty, and many others co-star in this film. This is also a bit of a coming of age story. This also puts a lot of emphasis on the architecture that Columbus is known for. My dad actually gives tours in the town and was disappointed he didn't get to be one of the tour guides in this movie. This was also a good character driven film that did the town very proud.
The Iron Claw (2023): Sean Durkin wrote and directed this biopic of the famous Von Erich family of wrestling. Holt McCallany stars as the patriarch Fritz Von Erich who runts the Texas promotion World Class Championship Wrestling where he lives vicariously through his sons trying to get what he could never have which was the NWA championship. Tragedy strikes the close-knit family. Zac Efron plays the surviving brother Kevin Von Erich. Harris Dickinson plays David Von Erich who many say is the best and would have won the NWA championship had he not died unexpectedly in Japan. SHAMELESS alum Jeremy Allen White plays Kerry Von Erich who was the most successful of the family but had issues of his own. Stanley Simons plays Mike Von Erich who was a bit out of place in the family and probably did not belong in a wrestling ring but did anyway on account of his father. Maura Tierney, Lily James, Grady Wilson, Scott Innes, Chavo Guerrero Jr., Garrett Hammond, Michael Harney, Cazzey Louis Cereghino, Ryan Nemeth, Kevin Anton, Michael Papajohn, Brady Pierce, Silas Mason, Maxwell Jacob Friedman, Aaron Dean Eisenberg, and many others co-star in this film. This film really centers around Kevin Von Erich and him overcoming all the tragedy around him. In addition, it focuses mostly on the Von Erich family and not so much on WCCW. People who know the story will see that the youngest brother Chris Von Erich was omitted. I looked this up after the first time I saw this and the director made the decision to not include Chris with the feelings that he has enough tragedy in this movie. To get a more in-depth look about World Class Championship Wrestling I would advise watching TRIUMPH AND TRAGEDY OF WORLD CLASS CHAMPIONSHIP. This movie is available to watch on Max.
Ask Father (1919): This is my silent comedy short for the week and fits the holiday well. Hal Roach directed this short comedy which stars Harold Lloyd as a young man in love and wants to marry his girl, played by Bebe Daniels. The only problem is that her father does not want to give her away and goes to extreme measures in hopes to talk to her father. Lloyd was one of the more underrated silent comedians, at least by today's standards. This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.
Come Drink With Me (1966): King Hu directed and co-wrote this Chinese martial arts film. A ruthless gang kidnaps the son of the governor and demands that their own leader get released. Pei-Pei Cheng stars as Golden Swallow who is a skilled martial artist and the daughter of the governor and sets out to rescue her brother. Hua Yueh, Chih-Ching Yang, Hung-Lieh Chen, Ying-Chieh Han, and many others co-star in this martial arts film. This was a very influential film of the genre. This is one of the main inspirations for CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON. This has some really good action and has quite a bit of gore for a movie from this era. Cheng became a star after this one and one of the earlier female martial art stars. This is available to watch on Plex and with MUBI.
Artists and Models (1955): Frank Tashlin directed this comedy which stars the comedy duo of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. Dean Martin stars as Rick Todd and Jerry Lewis stars as him bumbling friend and roommate Eugene Fullstack who has a big obsession with comic books most notably the Bat Lady series. Rick is an aspiring artist struggling to find his break. Dorothy Malone co-stars as Abby Malone who lives in another apartment and just happens to be the artist for Bat Lady. Shirley MacLaine co-star as Bessie who is the model for Bat Lady that Eugene falls for. Romance, chaos, and music numbers ensue with this Martin and Lewis vehicle. Eva Gabor, Anita Ekberg, George Winslow, Jack Elam, Herbert Rudley, Richard Shannon, Richard Webb, Otto Waldis, and many other co-star in this comedy. I believe that Martin and Lewis are one of the more underrated comedy duos in my opinion. This is a pretty fun movie centering around the early days of comic books. This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.
Just Before I Go (2014): Courteney Cox directed this comedy which was written by David Flebotte. Seann William Scott stars as Ted Morgan who is just about done with life but wants to return to his hometown to confront those he feels has helped get him to where he is now. In the process, he meets Greta, played by Olivia Thirlby, who he tells of his intentions and she insists that it gets filmed as a documentary or she would tell everyone else. Garret Dillahunt, Kate Walsh, Kyle Gallner, Mackenzie Marsh, Evan Ross, Rob Riggle, Connie Stevens, David Arquette, Jack Quaid, Eddie Perino, George Finn, Missi Pyle, Elisha Cuthbert, Griffin Gluck, Cleo King, Clancy Brown, Beth Grant, and many others co-star in this comedy. This is a comedy but is also a very deep film on the effects of holding things in and it goes for other in this movie as well. I thought Scott was able to get away from the Stiffler persona and does very well in this movie. Cox made her directorial debut with this movie. This is available to watch on Prime and Pluto TV and is worth a watch.
Bonjour Tristesse (1958): This is part one of a possible trilogy for Jean Seberg. Otto Preminger directed this film that is based on the novel by Francoise Sagan. Seberg stars as the free-spirited 17 year old Cecile who lives with her playboy Raymond, played by David Niven. Her late mother's friend Anne, played by Deborah Kerr, comes to visit and forms a relationship with her father much to Cecile's dismay. Mylene Demongeot, Geoffrey Horne, Juliette Greco, Walter Chiari, Martita Hunt, and many others co-star in this film. This seems like a comedy and has its comedic moments but it also gets rather deep. This is hard to explain much further but it did keep my interest all the way through and Seberg was someone to look at. This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.
A Clockwork Orange (1971): Stanley Kubrick directed this sci-fi classic which is based on the novel by Anthony Burgess. Malcolm McDowell stars as Alex who is a leader of a gang that goes around terrorizing homes. The rest of the gang betrays him and Alex goes to prison. When learning of an experimental program, he agrees to it for an early release. The experimental program makes him fear violence and even Beethoven leaving him defenseless to those that seek revenge. Patrick Magee, Warren Clarke, Adrienne Corri, Carl Duering, Miriam Karlin, Aubrey Morris, Sheila Raynor, David Prowse, and many others co-star in this film. This is a very bizarre film to say the least, most notably through the imagery. This was so different to the point that it was at one point rated X but has since come down to rated R. McDowell also has an interesting rendition of SINGIN' IN THE RAIN which apparently left Gene Kelly very resentful. This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.
If Anything Happens I Love You (2020): I end the week with this short film which was written and directed by Michael Govier and Will McCormack. This features two parents whose child tragically dies as they struggle to deal with the child's death. This is an animated short where there is no dialogue and everything is implied through the struggle. This is a very well done short that fits today's holiday a bit. This is available to watch on Netflix.
Well, that is it for this week but I decided to add a new segment for the holiday today so continue on for a few more Father's Day selections. I'll be back in a couple weeks with my next edition which so far includes Gabriel Byrne, Julianne Moore, John Carpenter, and many others.
FATHER'S DAY
I made a few selections that deal with with fathers of some sort. They may not all be the best fathers in the world but they all get their own section.
Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008): This rock opera has always been a favorite of mine and deals with a couple fathers. BUFFY alum Anthony Head stars as Nathan who is the Repo Man which is not repoing vehicles. He is also the father of Shilo, played by Alexa PenaVega, who is sick and it is dangerous for her to leave the house. There is also Rotti Largo, played by Paul Sorvino, who runs the biotech company GeneCo, and has three grown children who are mostly disappointments to him. I would love to see this being put on the stage and would love to play Nathan. This has a lot of gore in it but is a very compelling film if you can get through the gore. Musical actress Sarah Brightman makes her film debut in this movie and even Paris Hilton manages to hold her own. I suppose these aren't the most ideal fathers. This is available to watch on TUBI, Pluto TV, and the Roku Channel.
Hamilton (2020): This is part one of a possible trilogy for Jasmine Cephas Jones who plays Peggy Schuyler and Maria Reynolds in this musical. Thomas Kail directed this popular musical where they released a live version. Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote this musical that is based on the novel by Ron Chernow. He also stars as Alexander Hamilton who was a father as documented but more importantly he was a Founding Father who was the first Secretary of the Treasury so how can I not include this one? Phillippa Soo, Leslie Odom Jr., Renee Elise Goldsberry, Daveed Diggs, Jonathan Groff, Chris Jackson, Okieriete Onaodowan, Anthony Ramos, and many others co-star in this musical. As most know, this has very color blind casting with much of the music being hip-hop numbers educating us on the early days of the USA. I didn't really mean for the first two selections to be musicals, just what was on my mind. This is available to watch on Disney Plus
It Runs in the Family (2003): This has three generations of the Douglas family including Kirk, Michael, and Cameron Douglas as they play Mitchell, Alex, and Asher Gromberg. Alex struggles to get the approval he wants from his own father while questioning his own parenting toward the troubled Asher. Rory Culkin plays Alex's younger and more level-headed son who looks and acts exactly like his older brother Macaulay when he was that age. Michael's mother Diana Douglas also co-stars as his mother even though her and Kirk have been divorced. Bernadette Peters, Michelle Monaghan, Geoffrey Arend, Sarita Choudhury, Irina Gorovaia, Annie Golden, Audra McDonald, Josh Pais, and many others co-star in this movie. I am sure many can relate to this family and as far as I know this is the only teaming for Kirk and Michael as far as acting. This also fits the holiday featuring a couple of fathers. This is available to watch on the Roku Channel and Tubi.
My Name is Jerry (2009): This is an independent film that was filmed in my own town of Muncie, Indiana and produced by Ball State University. Doug Jones stars as struggling door-to-door salesman Jerry Arthur who tries to reconnect with his estranged daughter Trisha, played by Allison Scagliotti. Jones is usually known for his roles that have a lot of prosthetic including Abe Sapien in HELLBOY, Silver Surfer in FANTASTIC FOUR: THE RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER, Billy Butcherson in HOCUS POCUS, to name a few. He got to play a human in this one and does well against type. 7TH HEAVEN alum Catherine Hicks, THAT 70S SHOW alum Don Stark, Steven Yeun, Jonathan Keaton, and Katlyn Carlson also co-star. I was also an extra in the funeral scene where the back of my head can briefly be seen. I recognized a few others and some other known Muncie places. Yeun would go onto be Glenn in the popular TV series THE WALKING DEAD.
Pocahontas (1995): This Disney classic has the title character of Pocahontas, voiced by Irene Bedard, trying to reason with her Algonquin chief father while John Smith, voiced by Mel Gibson, tries to reason with his group hoping to avoid war. This also has some really good music number and I really like the message on the price of hatred. Linda Hunt, Christian Bale, Ben Connolly, John Kassir, Judy Kuhn, Danny Mann, Russell Means, David Ogden Stiers, Gordon Tootoosis, Frank Welker, Jim Cummings, and many others provide their voice in this Disney film. This is probably my favorite era of Disney. This was also able to qualify for this edition of Father's Day. This is available to watch on Disney Plus.
Asteroid City (2023): This is Wes Anderon's latest which features a grieving and widowed father, played by Jason Schwartzman, who along with his four children look to come to terms with the death of his wife and their mother. Tom Hanks co-stars as Schwartzman's father in law who has not always been crazy about his daughter's choice in husband. There is more to the movie that these elements but these are the fatherly elements. Like all of Anderson's films this has an all-star cast that includes Scarlett Johansson, Jeffrey Wright, Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Jake Ryan, Grace Edwards, Maya Hawke, Rupert Friend, Hope Davis, Steve Park, Liev Schreiber, Steve Carell, Hong Chau, Willem Dafoe, Matt Dillon, Margot Robbie, Adrian Brody, Tilda Swinton, Fisher Stevens, Jeff Goldblum, and many others. This is not for everyone and Anderson is a bit of an acquired taste with his usual quirkiness. This is available to watch on Prime.
Face/Off (1997): I end with this great Father's Day selection which was directed by John Woo. John Travolta stars as FBI agent Sean Archer whose son was killed in the crossfire by his deadly rival Castor Troy, played by Nicolas Cage. Archer finally thinks it is over when Troy is put in a coma but then learns there is a bomb out there and agrees to a very experimental surgery where he takes Troy's face in hopes of learning where the bomb will be. Troy then comes out of the coma and takes Archer's face. Joan Allen, Alessandro Nivola, Gina Gershon, Dominique Swain, Nick Cassavetes, Harve Presnell, Colm Feore, John Carroll Lynch, CCH Pounder, Robert Wisdone, Margaret Cho, James Denton, Matt Ross, Chris Bauer, and many others co-star in this action film. This has always been a favorite of mine. What I love about this movie is that while it is extremely violent, it is also strangely moving with a lot of emotional depth in my opinion. While this is mainly about the leads switching faces, it is also about the family dealing with the loss of their boy. The ending tears me up every time.
