Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations: Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 937th Edition and the Madness We Are Family- Week 3

Welcome to the 937th Edition of my series. I hope everyone is doing okay in their crazy lives. I don't have a lot going on right now so I'll just get on with my selections and with the Madness.

X (2022): Ti West wrote and directed this exploitation horror film. This takes place in 1979 where a film crew that does movies geared to the adults films in rural Texas area. Hopefully that does not get me flagged like it did before. Mia Goth stars as the actress Maxine and also plays the elderly Pearl. The crew soon learns they are not safe and must fight for their lives. Jenna Ortega, Brittany Snow, Kid Cudi, Martin Henderson, Owen Campell, Stephen Ure, James Gaylyn, Simon Prast, Geoff Dolan, Matthew J. Saville, and many othesr co-star in this horror film. Goth does a great job in the dual role. This is done by A24 films and while this is not for everyone, they do always seem to make their movie work more than they should.

Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015): Joss Whedon directed this entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Tony Stark, played by Robert Downey Jr., and Bruce Banner, played by Mark Ruffalo, create Ultron, voiced by James Spader, who is a robot meant to be peaceful but things go totally awry. They must rely on help from follow Avengers Captain America, played by Chris Evans, Thor, played by Chris Hemsworth, Black Widow, played by Scarlett Johansson, War Machine, played by Don Cheadle, and Hawkeye, played by Jeremy Renner. They are also joined by twins Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen, as well as Vision, played by Paul Bettany. Samuel L. Jackson, Cobie Smolders, Anthony Mackie, Hayley Atwell, Idris Elba, Linda Cardellini, Stellan Skarsgard, Claudia Kim, Thomas Kretschmann, Andy Serkis, Julie Delpy, Henry Goodman, Kerry Condon, and many others co-star in this MCU film. This was a bit all over the place at times but was still a lot of fun in the action. I also enjoyed the interaction scenes with the team as well as the introduction of Clint's family which would become a rather important part of the universe.

Colossal (2016): Nacho Vigalondo wrote and directed this creature film. Anne Hathaway stars as party girl Gloria who was living a great life in New York City but then is forced to move back home. There are news reports of a creature wreaking havoc in Seoul and suddenly realize she has a connection to it and must learn why she would have such a connection while figuring out what must be done. Jason Sudeikis, Austin Stowell, Tim Blake Nelson, Dan Stevens, Hannah Cheramy, Sarah Surh, and many others co-star in this creature feature. This is a very interesting premise that has quite the progression. It is one of those that is hard to really explain any future, just give it a look.

Lurch the Teen Idol (1965): This is my short film for the week but is technically an episode of THE ADDAMS FAMILY but as always, I make the rules. Sydney Lanfield directed this episode of the series. The butler Lurch, played by Ted Cassidy, accidentally becomes a pop star when he is heard singing. When Lurch's popularity goes to his head, the rest of the family becomes concerned about his future as their butler. John Astin, Carolyn Jones, Jackie Coogan, Marie Blake, Lisa Loring, Ken Weatherwax, Kerkie Styles, Laurie Mitchell, and many others co-star in this episode. This is another very timeless series that has spawned into many things through the years. This tv series was the start of it all. This is available to watch on Prime, Freevee, Pluto TV, and the Roku Channel.

Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932): Robert Florey directed this film which is based on the story by Edgar Allan Poe. Bela Lugosi stars as mad scientist Dr. Mirakle who wants to mingle human blood with that of an ape. For this to happen, Mirakle resorts to kidnapping women and fails resulting in their death. He takes a liking to Camille for his experience making her the latest kidnapping, played by Sidney Fox, and her fiance Pierre, played by Leon Ames, looks to rescue her before it is too late. Bert Roach, Betty Ross Clarke, Brandon Hurst, D'Arcy Corrigan, Noble Johnson, and many others co-star in this horror film. This is a some underrated Universal from this era. This apparently was 80 minutes, but censors unfortunately cut it to 61 minutes with some of the violent scenes. This still entertains enough with a good performance out of Lugosi. This is available to watch on the Roku Channel.

The Three Musketeers (1948): George Sidney directed this adaptation to the classic novel by Alexandre Dumas. Gene Kelly stars the young D'Artagnan who ventures to Paris in hopes of becoming a musketeer along with Athos, played by Van Heflin, Porthos, played by Gig Young, and Aramis, played by Robert Coote. He starts to become friends and learn from the three musketeers as they take on corruption in the royal system. D'Artagnan also finds love in with Constance, played by June Allyson, who is a confidant of Queen Anne, played by Angela Lansbury. Lana Turner, Frank Morgan, Vincent Price, Keenan Wynn, John Sutton, Reginald Owen, Ian Keith, Patricia Medina, Richard Stapley, and many others co-star in this swashbuckling classic. Kelly is a lot of fun as the aspiring musketeer, and we get to see his struggles and triumphs. The rest of the cast shines as well and is worth a look.

Jesus' Son (1999): Alison Maclean directed this film which is based on the book by Denis Johnson. Billy Crudup stars as FH who is addicted to heroin and alcohol and tries to live his life. As time goes on, FH looks for redemption and recovery. Samantha Morton, Ben Shenkman, John Ventimiglia, Michael Shannon, Denis Leary, Jack Black, Greg Germann, Will Patton, Dennis Hopper, Holly Hunter, and many others co-star in this film. This is essentially a character study of FH which stands for something I won't say on here. Crudup has always been pretty underrated, and he puts on a very good performance here. This is a good story on the human soul and has a lot of very colorful characters. This is available to watch on Tubi.

Foxy Brown (1974): Jack Hill directed and co-wrote this Blaxploitation classic. Pam Grier stars as the title character whose boyfriend is murdered. She goes undercover as a prostitute in in a ring lead by Katherine Wall, played by Blaxploitation villain Kathryn Loder, to find those responsible for her boyfriend's murder. As one might guess, she goes on a rampage of vengeance. Antonio Fargas, Peter Brown, Terry Carter, Harry Holcombe, Sid Haig, Juanita Brown, Bob Minor, Tony Giorgio, Fred Lerner, H.B. Haggerty, and many others co-star in this film. This does not age all that well by the standards of today. Blaxploitation was its own genre of this time period of racial stereotypes and reverse racism at times. The white people were usually the villains. Grier makes this role her own and is a great watch if you just understand how different times were in this era. This is available to watch on Tubi, Pluto TV, and Plex.

Wild Strawberries (1957): Ingmar Bergman wrote and directed this Swedish film. Victor Sjostrom stars as aging professor Isak Borg who has been selected for an honorary degree. This requires a road trip in which his daughter in law Marianne, played by Ingrid Thulan, volunteers to go along with him. Along the way, Isak must confront his past with his family while picking up some young hitchhikers. This also has the use of flashbacks to get to know the professor more. Bibi Anderrson, Gunner Bjornstrand, Jullan Kindahl, Folke Sundquist, Naima Wifstrand, Gunnel Brostrom, Gertrud Fridh, Sif Ruud, Gunner Sjoberg, Max Von Sydow, and many others co-star in this film. This is a good look of a man who in the end lead a rather meaningless life when his life revolves around his career. There is also a redemption story involved as well. This has always been my favorite Bergman film. This is also the last movie for Sjostrom. This is available to watch on Max and the Criterion Channel.

Backdraft (1991): Ron Howard directed this film that pays homage to the world of firefighters. William Baldwin stars as rookie firefighter Brian McCaffrey who is trying to carry on the family tradition after his father died at a young age. Brian was raised by his older brother Stephen, played by Kurt Russell, who is already a fireman and has a very troubled relationship. They must all work together though when there appear to be arson fires. Robert De Niro, Donald Sutherland, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Scott Glenn, Rebecca De Mornay, Jason Gedrick, J.T. Walsh, Tony Mockus Jr., Jack Wheeler, Clint Howard, David Crosby, W. Earl Brown, and many others co-star in this film. This has a very authentic look to it. Part of this were a couple dysfunctional brothers trying to reconnect and the other part was trying to find an arsonist. Both were very good stories along with a very good cast which made an effort to be as real as possible.

Well, that is it for this week but read on for the Madness for the week.

THE MADNESS ARE A FAMILY- WEEK 3

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ANNE HATHAWAY

Anne is not a wild card this year but I found a couple selections to make her a category this year.

Colossal (2016, 109 minutes, 66 1/2): Anne stars as Gloria who is just trying to get herself together and slowly learns she has a hand in the movement of a giant creature destroying Seoul. This should count as a creature feature.

The Dark Knight Rises (2012, 164 minutes, 666): Anne co-stars in this conclusion to the Christopher Nolan trilogy as Selina Kyle aka Catwoman and joins Batman in his fight against Bane.

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BRUCE CAMPBELL

Bruce is a wild card and is the only person who is just an automatic wild card every year.

Burn Notice: Trust Me S2, E3 (2008, 44, 666): Bruce co-starred in this spy series as Sam Ace whose friend Michael has been "burned". In this episode, Michael, Sam, and Fiona help a guy who loses the money he needs to pay a loan shark.

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BRUCE DERN

Bruce is a wild card this year so I can use whatever I want with him.

Peanut Butter Falcon (2019, 97 minutes, 666 1/2): Bruce is in the beginning of this film as a nursing home resident who helps Zak, a young man with Down Syndrome, to escape the nursing home to pursue his dream of wrestling. This is such an underrated movie and is a great watch.

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CANDICE KING

Candice is not a wild card this year but she has some CW selection that make her a category.

Supernatural: After School Special S4, E13 (2009, 43 minutes, 666): Candice is a guest star in this episode of the hit series as high school student Amanda. The Winchesters investigate a haunting at a high school and we also see them in flashback scenes when they were kids.

-Sam and Dean being brothers.

The Vampire Diaries: The End of the Affair S3, E3 (2011, 43 minutes, 666): Candice co-stars in this tv series as Caroline Forbes who is now a vampire and is captured and tortured by her own father in hopes that he will "cure" her vampirism. There is also a flashback showing a time when Stefan and Klaus meet.

-ATB for Klaus and Rebecca being brother and sister

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CHARMED

Charmed and Dangerous (2002, 42 minutes, 666): The Source breaks an age-old agreement by stealing the Hollow and using it to absorb Piper and Paige's powers. This was the introduction of the Seer.