Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 978th Edition

Welcome to the 978th Edition of my series.  I hope everyone is hanging in there in these crazy times.  I've been busy with GEORGE WASHINGTON ATE MY HOMEWORK in Connersville.  I play an absent-minded scientist who invents a time machine.  My lab assistant and her friends mess with it and bring in a few historical figures into the modern era.  This will be in the first couple weekends of May.  I am also ring announcing for Guilty by Affiliation Wrestling on April 25th at the Boys and Girls Club in Muncie.  I will shut up and get on with my selections for the week.

Steel Magnolias (1989):  Herbert Ross directed this which is based on the play by Robert Harling who also wrote the screenplay.  This centers around a local beauty salon which is run by Truvy, played by Dolly Parton, who has just hired the rather mysterious Annelle, played by Daryl Hannah.  They also have a tight knit group of women including M'lynn, played by Sally Field, Clairee, played by Olympia Dukakis, Ouiser, played by Shirley MacLaine, and M'lynn's daughter Shelby, played by Julia Roberts.  They all try to be there for one another and gossip on their town and relationships.  Tom Skerritt, Sam Shepard, Dylan McDermott, Kevin J. O'Connor, Bill McCutcheon, Ann Wedgeworth, Jonathan Ward, Bibi Besch, Janine Turner, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a very popular play done at community theaters.  The play features the six women in the salon which for the movie they expand and cast for other characters.  I have had friends suggest I try out for one of husbands and I have to tell them they were just written for the movie.  This was a very good movie adaptation of comedy, love, and tragedy.  This is available to watch on Paramount Plus and Pluto TV.

How to Make a Killing (2026):  John Patton Ford wrote and directed this dark comedy.  Glen Powell stars as Becket Redfellow whose mother was disowned by their very wealthy family.  He is still determined to inherit and willing to go through some extreme measures to do so for those who stand in the way.  Margaret Qualley and Jessica Henwick co-star as very significant characters for Becket.  Nell Williams, Sean C. Mitchell, Ed Harris, Grady Wilson, Maggie Toomey, Bill Camp, James Frecheville, Topher Grace, and many others co-star in this film.  This is A24's answer to the 1949 comedy KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS.  This is very dark and fun with Powell great in the lead role.  Make your way to the theaters for this one if still around.

Gangster Squad (2013):  Ruben Fleischer directed this mob film which is based on the novel by Paul Lieberman.  Josh Brolin stars as L.A. cop John O'Mara who tires of his town being run by the mobster Mickey Cohen, played by Sean Penn.  With the help of his wife Connie, played by Mireille Enos, he puts together a team of cops to go after the mob and to bring down Cohen.  Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Nick Nolte, Holt McCallany, Wade Williams, James Landry Hebert, Ambyr Childers, Mick Betancourt, Mac Brandt, Brandon Molale, Michael Papajohn, Jeff Wolfe, Anthony Molinari, Austin Highsmith Garces, Jack McGee, Anthony Mackie, Robert Patrick, Michael Pena, Giovanni Ribisi, Jon Polito, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a pretty compelling dramatization on the ganster world and similar a lot THE UNTOUCHABLES.   I thought Penn did a great job as Cohen with Brolin also very good as his rival.  Gosling also brings a lot to the table and makes it more interesting in my opinion.  

I am Somebody (1970):  This is my documentary short for the week which was directed by Madeline Anderson.  This takes place in 1969 where a group of black women who worked at the hospitals went on strike due to their very low pay.  This features Coretta Scott King trying to help their cause.  This is a very overlooked period of our history that deserves a look.  This is about a half an hour long and is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Heat Lightning (1934):  Mervyn LeRoy directed this crime film which is based on the play by Leon Abrams and George Abbott.  Aline MacMahon stars as Olga who runs a gas station business along with her younger sister Myra, played by Ann Dvorak.  Olga does what she can to protect her sister from the horrors of the world while her past catches up to her when her criminal ex-boyfriend George, played by Preston Foster, comes into town.  Lyle Talbot, Glenda Farrell, Frank McHugh, Ruth Donnelly, Theodore Newton, Willard Robertson, Harry C. Bradley, James Durkin, Jane Darwell, Edgar Kennedy, and many others co-star in this pre-code film.  This was pretty racy for its era and is a pretty good hour-long film.  This is MacMahon's first time to get top billing and makes the most of it in her performance.  I suppose this is an early feminist film.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel. 

Citizen Kane (1941):  Orson Welles directed and co-wrote this classic film along with Herman J. Mankiewicz.  Welles also stars as Charles Foster Kane and is a very thinly veiled basing on William Randolph Hearst.  This starts with Kane uttering his last word "rosebud" and dying.  This prompts reporter Jerry Thompson, played by William Alland, to uncover the meaning behind his last word.  Through interviews of people in Kane's life, we get to know him through flashbacks.  Joseph Cotten, Dorothy Comingore, Agnes Moorehead, Ruth Warrick, Ray Collins, Erskine Sanford, Everett Sloane, Paul Stewart, and many others co-star in this film.  This is possibly the most talked about movies of all time where the drama around the film is almost as interesting as the film itself.  This is fresh after the radio broadcast of WAR OF THE WORLDS which was put on by Orson Welles and his studio Mercury Productions which is much of the cast.  William Randolph Hearst was not a fan of this movie and did everything he could to stop the movie which is possibly why it was a box-office flop at the time.  Watch the movie, then look into the controversy surrounding it with the documentary THE BATTLE OVER CITIZEN KANE.  

The Mountain Between Us (2017):  Hany Abu-Assad directed this film which is based on the novel by Charles Martin.  Kate Winslet and Idris Elba star as Alex Martin and Ben Bass who both feel they are in a hurry to get where they need to go and flights are delayed.  Alex gets the idea to hire a private pilot in Walter, played by Beau Bridges, to fly them out there.  The plane crashes when Walter is suffering a stroke while flying resulting in his death but they survive in a remote mountainous area.  Alex and Ben, along with Walter's dog, must try to get along in order to survive and find a way out while hitting many obstacles along the way.  Dermot Mulroney, Linda Sorenson, and many others co-star in this film.  I thought this was a pretty moving film with Winslet and Elba having really good on-screen chemistry.  This is available to watch on Cinemax.  This could be a good double feature to go along with TITANIC to show the survival of Kate Winslet.

The Man Who Cheated Himself (1950):  Felix E. Faust directed this Film Noir.  Lee J. Cobb stars as Lt. Ed Cullen who witnesses his girlfriend Lois, played by Jane Wyatt, kill her husband.  While Cullen tries to cover things up, his brother Andy, played by John Dall, is assigned the case.  Lisa Howard, Harlan Warde, Tito Vuolo, Charles Arnt, Marjorie Bennett, Alan Wells, Mimi Aguglia, Bud Wolfe, Morgan Farley, Howard Negley, William Gould, and many others co-star in this Film Noir.  Dall is more of the lead in this film as the very determined detective not knowing he is investigating his own brother.  This is a pretty compelling story that just needs to be watched as I don't have much more explanation to give without giving things away.  This is available to watch on Kanopy, Prime, MGM +, Pluto TV, Plex, and the Roku Channel.  

Who Killed Teddy Bear (1965):  Joseph Cates directed this very psychological thriller.  Juliet Prowse stars as disco hostess Norah who is being stalked by a sexual predator.  Jan Murray co-stars as Detective Dave Madden who takes a personal interest in the case and maybe a little too personal.  Sal Mineo, Elaine Stritch, Daniel J. Travanti, Frank Campanella, Bruce Glover, Tom Aldredge, Rex Everhart, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a very bizarre and disturbing movie to say the least.  This is shot in black and white I thought enhanced the very disturbing feel of the film.  This gained a cult following in the '90s that got it a re-release in theaters.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel, Prime, and Plex.

American Animals (2018):  Bart Layton directed this film which is based on true events.  Evan Peters, Blake Jenner, Barry Keoghan, and Jared Abramhamson star as a group of young men who come up with a very bizarre heist.  Warren, played by Peters, comes up with most of the plan.  There are also interviews with the real-life people and their reflections on what happened.  Ann Dowd, Udo Kier, Bruce McGill, and many others co-star in this film.  This does a great job in telling the story while making it part documentary of the real people involved giving the perspective.  This was a great project that came together well and just very strange events.  This was a very underrated film which deserves a look.  This is available to watch on TUBI, Pluto TV, Plex, and the Roku Channel.

Well, that is it for this week but I'm bringing my Fun and Useless Facts segment so read on for that one.  Tell me what you like and dislike and I'll be back in a couple weeks which includes Michael Fassbender, Christopher Walken, Doris Day, Anna Paquin, and many others.

FUN AND USELESS FACTS

Sally Field (Steel Magnolias) and Emma Stone (Gangster Squad) were in the 2012 superhero film THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN and its 2014 sequel THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2.  

Sally Field (Steel Magnolias) and Beau Bridges (The Mountain Between Us) are married in the 1979 film NORMA RAE.

Sally Field (Steel Magnolias), Bill Camp (How to Make a Killing), and Bruce McGill (American Animals) were in the 2012 film LINCOLN.

Sally Field (Steel Magnolias) and Ed Harris (How to Make a Killing) were in the 1996 movies EYE FOR AN EYE.

Julia Roberts (Steel Magnolias) and Ed Harris (How to Make a Killing) are engaged in the 1998 movie STEPMOM.

Julia Roberts (Steel Magnolias) and Nick Nolte (Gangster Squad) are rival newspaper reporters working together in the 1994 romantic comedy I LOVE TROUBLE.

Julia Roberts (Steel Magnolias) tries to prevent Dermot Mulroney (The Mountain Between Us) from getting married in the 1997 comedy MY BEST FRIEND'S WEDDING.  They were also in the 2013 film AUGUST:  OSAGE COUNTY which also features Sam Shepard (Steel Magnolias).

Sam Shepard (Steel Magnolias) and Ed Harris (How to Make a Billion) were astronauts in the 1983 film THE RIGHT STUFF.

Sam Shepard (Steel Magnolias) and Ryan Gosling (Gangster Squad) were in the 2004 film THE NOTEBOOK.

Sam Shepard (Steel Magnolias) and Robert Patick (Gangster Squad) were in the 2012 movie SAFE HOUSE.

Tom Skerritt (Steel Magnolias) and Giovanni Ribisi (Gangster Squad) were in the 1999 movie THE OTHER SISTER.

Dylan McDermott (Steel Magnolias) and Evan Peters (American Animals) have been in the popular anthology series AMERICAN HORROR STORY.

Margaret Qualley (How to Make a Killing) and Emma Stone (Gangster Squad) are in the 2023 film POOR THINGS.

Margaret Qualley (How to Make a Killing) and Ryan Gosling (Gangster Squad) are in the 2016 film THE NICE GUYS.

Grady Wilson (How to Make a Killing) and Holt McCallany (Gangster Squad) are son and father in the 2023 film THE IRON CLAW.  Wilson plays the younger version of Kevin Von Erich.

Ed Harris (How to Make a Killing) and Anthony Mackie (Ganster Squad) are in the 2013 film PAIN AND GAIN.

Ed Harris (How to Make a Killing) and Bruce McGill (American Animals) were in the 1995 film APOLLO 13.

Bill Camp (How to Make a Killing) and Barry Keoghan (American Animals) were in the 2017 film THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER.

James Frecheville (How to Make a Killing) and Barry Keoghan (American Animals) were in the 2018 film BLACK '47.

Josh Brolin (Gangster Squad) and Kate Winslet (The Mountain Between Us) form a relationship in the 2013 film LABOR DAY.

Nick Nolte (Gangster Squad) and Berry Keoghan (American Animals) are in the 2026 film CRIME 101.

Giovanni Ribisi (Gangster Squad) and Kate Winslet (The Mountain Between Us) were part of the AVATAR franchise which is so far a trilogy.

Michael Pena (Gangster Squad), Kate Winslet (The Mountain Between Us), and Ann Dowd (American Animals) were in the 2016 film COLLATERAL BEAUTY.

Robert Patrick (Ganster Squad) and Ann Dowd (American Animals) were in the 2006 film FLAGS OF OUR FATHER.

Kate Winslet (The Mountain Between Us) and Evan Peters (American Animals) were in the 2021 mini-series MARE OF EASTTOWN.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 977th Edition

Welcome to the 977th edition of my series.  Next weekend I will be performing in the SHORT PLAY FESTIVAL at Connersville, and I am in the opening play, THINGS MENDED.  I also took a role in their next show GEORGE WASHINGTON ATE MY HOMEWORK where I am a wacky inventor and scientist.  Also, on April 25th I will be ring announcing for the wrestling promotion Guilty By Affiliation in Muncie at the Boys and Girls Club.  Tonight are the Oscars, whoever wins will win in my opinion.  I'm not that obsessive so I'll just get on with my selections for the week.

The Penguin (2024):  I start the week out with this mini-series which was created by Lauren LeFranc.  This follows the events from the 2022 superhero film THE BATMAN where Colin Farrell reprises his role of Oz Cobb aka the Penguin.  Cobb tries to rise up in the criminal underworld of Gotham City by trying play rival crime families against each other.  One side was the Falcone family, lead mainly by Sofia Falcone, played by Cristin Milioti, and the other side was the Maroni family, lead mainly by Salvatore Maroni, played by Clancy Brown.  Rhenzy Feliz co-stars as Victor Aguilar who is a young punk kid that gets taken in by the Penguin.  Deidre O'Connell, Carmen Ejojo, Theo Rossi, Daniel J. Watts, David H. Holmes, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Aria Shahghasemi, Robert Lee Leng, Kenzie Grey, Myles Humphus, Michael Zegen, Jared Abrahamson, James Madio, Francois Chau, Aleksa Palladino, Jayme Lawson, Mark Strong, and many others co-star in this mini-series.  A lot of this is a psychological profile between Oz Cobb and Sofia Falcone.  Milioti was the standout in this series in my opinion.  It is a really good look at the rise of a villain.  I suppose Batman was very busy when all this was going on.  This is available to watch on HBO Max.

Chef Donald (1941):  This is my classic Disney animated short for the week which was directed by Jack King.  This features Donald Duck who is listening to a radio cooking program and decides he wants to make waffles.  He tries to follow directions but gets distracted and ends up using rubber cement instead of baking powder.  This leads to comic situations with Donald's struggle to get rid of the rubber cement.  This is available to watch on Disney Plus.

Sunset Boulevard (1950):  Billy Wilder directed this slice of Hollywood film.  William Holden stars as the struggling screenwriter Joe Gillis who when trying to get away from debt collectors, he ends up at a remote mansion on Sunset Boulevard.  He finds that faded silent film star Norma Desmond, played by Gloria Swanson, lives there along with her butler Max, played by Erich Von Stroheim.  Norma cannot let go of the fame and convinces Joe to help write a new screenplay for her big comeback which turns out to be pretty dangerous.  Nancy Olsen, Fred Clark, Lloyd Gough, Jack Webb, Cecil B. Demille, Hedda Hopper, Buster Keaton, Anna Q. Nilsson, H.B. Warner, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a very iconic film with a lot of memorable lines.  Much of the actors play themselves including Demille and Keaton.  Many actors struggled to make the transition from Silent films to the "talkies" which is what this movie conveyed.  Swanson was someone who was mostly a silent film actress and did some television after but was very intrigued by this role.  This has a touch of drama, dark comedy, film Noir, and other things.  It also inspired the musical of the same name by Andrew Lloyd Webber.  Also, for all you All Elite Wrestling fans, the wrestler "Timeless" Toni Storm.  This is available to watch on Paramount Plus.

Black '47 (2018):  Lance Daly directed this period drama.  James Frecheville stars as Feeney who deserts the British Army to be reunited with his family in Ireland.  He finds that his family is affected by a famine going on and by the British occupation, driving Feeney to vengeance.  Hugo Weaving, Stephen Rea, Freddie Fox, Barry Keoghan, Moe Dunford, Sarah Greene, Jim Broadbent, Aidan McArdle, adn many others co-star in this film.  This is a very good vengeance film on going after corruption.  Frecheville carries the movie very well and we can get behind his vengeance.  This is available to watch on Acorn TV, AMC +, and Pluto TV.

Big City Blues (1932):  Mervyn Leroy directed this pre-code film which is based on the play NEW YORK TOWN by Ward Morehouse.  Eric Linden stars as the idealistic Bud Reeves who is leaving small-town Indiana for a better life in New York City.  He meets his cousin Gibby there and introduces Bud to the chorus showgirl Vida, played by Joan Blondell.  While he falls for Vida, a murder happens at a party where Bud is suspected.  Jobyna Howland, Ned Sparks, Grant Mitchell, Guy Kibbee, Inez Courtney, Thomas E. Jackson, Humphrey Bogart, and many others co-star in this film.  This was not Bogart's debut film but it was his film for Warner Brothers where he would go onto work a lot for in the future.  I suppose this is satire on the saying of "the grass isn't always greener on the other side".  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

A Simple Favor (2018):  Paul Feig directed this film which is based on the novel by Darcey Bell.  Anna Kendrick stars as Stephanie Smothers who is a single mother and has a parenting vlog.  She befriends fellow mother Emily, played by Blake Lively, who is a secretive upper-class woman even if they are extremely different.  After Emily asks Stephanie for a favor, she disappears and Stephanie tries to piece together what happened.  Henry Golding, Joshua Satine, Glenda Braganza, Andrew Rannells, Kelly McCormack, Aparna Nancherla, Dustin Milligan, Danielle Bourgon, Gia Sandhu, Zach Smadu, Andrew Moodie, and many others co-star in this film.  I was pleasantly surprised by this one.  This has a lot of dark comedy along with it being a psychological thriller with all kinds of twists.  Kendrick is entertaining no matter what she does in my opinion.  This is available to watch on Moviesphere.

The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1963):  Vincente Minnelli directed this film which is based on the novel by Mark Toby.  Glenn Ford stars as the widowed father Tom Corbett who is trying to raise his son Eddie, played by Ron Howard.  Eddie believes it is time for his dad to be remarried but wants it to be to his neighbor Elizabeth, played by Shirly Jones, instead of his other choice in Dollye, played by Stella Stevens.  Dina Merrill, Roberta Sherwood, Jerry Van Dyke, and many others co-star in this film.  This is part romantic comedy, but it is also a drama in the way of Tom and Eddie dealing with death.  This is a pretty funny and moving film involving a father and son.  This is available to watch on HBO Max.

Singles (1992):  Cameron Crowe directed this film of a group of young Seattle adults.  This centers around romances and potential romances between two couples.  One of them was between Steve and Linda, played by Campbell Scott and Kyra Sedgwick, who were unsure on whether to commit to each other.  Bridget Fonda co-stars as coffee-shop waitress Janet who fawns over local rock star Cliff, played by Matt Dillon.  Sheila Kelley, Jim True-Frost, Bill Pullman, James Le Gros, Allie Walker, Eric Stoltz, Jeremy Piven, Tom Skerritt, Peter Horton, Bill Smillie, Christopher Masterson, Paul Giamatti, Alicia Roper, Tim Burton, Debi Mazar, and many others co-star or have cameos in this film.  Pearl Jam members Eddie Vedder, Jeff Ament, and Stone Gossard made up the rest of the fictional band Citizen Dick which Cliff fronted.  This also centers around the Grunge scene of this era which is one of the things Seattle is known for.  Alice in Chains and Soundgarden made appearances in this film.  This centers around some very good characters and a great soundtrack for fans of Grunge music.

The Man Who Haunted Himself (1970):  Basil Dearden directed this film which is based on the novel THE CASE OF MR. PELHAM by Anthony Armstrong.  Roger Moore stars as Harold Pelham whose life seems to have changed after surviving a car accident.  He is told of things that he never did and finds he has a doppelganger out there unless he is just going insane.  Kevork Malikyan, Thorley Walters, Anton Rodgers, Olga Georges-Picot, Freddie Jones, John Welsh, Edward Chapman, Laurence Hardy, and many others co-star in this thriller.  I had never heard of this and was intrigued by Roger Moore when I came across this.  Moore does a great job in this film and is a very underrated performance for him.  It is hard to really describe this one further so just check this out. This is available to watch on Kanopy.

Mark Twain and Me (1991):  I end the week with this film which was directed by Daniel Petrie and based on the book ENCHANTMENT:  A LITTLE GIRL'S FRIENDSHIP WITH MARK TWAIN by Dorothy Quick.  Amy Stewart stars as the 11-year-old Dorothy Quick who gets to meet her idol Samuel Clemons which we know more as Mark Twain, played by Jason Robards.  Clemons takes a liking to Quick, and they form a friendship in the later years of his life.  Talia Shire, R.H. Thomson, Fiona Reid, Anna Ferguson, Chapelle Jaffe, Colin Fox, Susan Coyne, and many others co-star in this film.  This is based on true events and was a very beautiful story of the importance of friendship.  Robards is a perfect Twain and works well with Stewart.  This is available to watch on Disney Plus.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and I will be back in two weeks which so far includes Julia Roberts, Ed Harris, Emma Stone, Orson Welles, Kate Winslet, and many others.