Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommmendations- 413th Edition and The Madness- Video Nasty: Week 1

 

Welcome to the 413th Edition of my long running series.  I will be posting both my blog and the first week results of the Madness contest which is an annual contest we do every October but more to come later on that one.  I assure you, I will not be shut down by the goverment so I will continue to bring you your recommendations for the week.  I will now bring your recommendations for the week.

Killer at Large (2008):  This is one of my documentaries of the week.  This takes a look at our obesity problem here in America.  It shows the political fault, education fault, and just the restaurant industry in general.  It even takes a religious look where pastors are condemning overweight people as sinners due to gluttony.  It also looks at groups like schools and even businesses who are trying to correct this problem.  The one that really got me the most was when schools mandated healthy snacks and parents actually protested this.  I also liked the brief scenes where they look into where it is just as unhealthy to be way too skinny which is another problem in our society.  I have found that even the most shallow of men do not want someone who is too skinny and also took a good luck at that side.  The only thing I would have liked to see more though is looking into foreign countries who eat like us but do not have the weight problem like us.  This is a very thought provoking documentary that should really be looked upon.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel (2011):  This is my second documentary for the week and this one takes a look at filmmaker Roger Corman.  It starts out with his briefly working in Hollywood and not feeling very respected becoming one of the hardest working filmmakers who did just about everything on his own with a very low budget.  His career really consists of a lot of b-movies that are science fiction, exploitation, and really just challenged the system.  Many refer to him as "The King of the B's" but there is so much more to him.  He inspired many filmmakers today and much of today's high profile film industry like Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Jack Nicholson, Ron Howard, and many others.  Corman really helped the careers of many like Pam Grier and Jack Nicholson.  It also takes a look at his help towards the American distribution of a lot of foreign filmmakers like Federico Fellini.  Corman has produced and/or directed almost 400 films where some are quite good and others are so bad they are good.  You can always expect to be entertained by Corman.  His best movies are probably his Poe adaptations that would always star Vincent Price.  I would say my favorite of his would be BUCKET OF BLOOD.  I also really liked LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS which would go onto become that great musical today where credit must be given where it is due.  I liked how both of them focused on a rather nerdy person who resorts to murder in order to get noticed.  He also had some exploitive women in prison movies, as well as some pretty decent ones where he makes a statement towards racism and sexism.  He is a very daring filmmaker and gets a great tribute here.

Superman/Batman:  Apocalypse (2010):  This is my animated superhero movie for the week.  In this one, Kara Zor-El lands on Earth from Krypton and must really learn about this world.  She is a cousin to Superman who wants to help her but Batman remains very suspicious of her.  Things take a deadly turn when she is abducted by Superman's enemy Darkseid who takes her to his world of Apokolips in hopes of bringing her to his side.  The two title characters along with Wonder Woman and Big Barda set out to rescue her from that world.  Barda is someone who used to be a warrior to Darkseid but defected and joins the Justice League.  One thing I like abotu this one is the development of Kara into Supergirl.  She does not quite have the ideals of her cousin but wants to do good in the world.  Voice talent includes Kevin Conroy, Tim Daly, Andre Braugher, Susan Eisenberg, Summer Glau, Edward Asner, and Tara Strong.  This movie has some great action scenes and really shows the strength of each character in a good way.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

One Week (1920):  This is my short film for the week which is a silent short from Buster Keaton.  Buster marries a girl named Sybil and they look to make a house which his rival for Sybil sets out to sabotage the plans.  Buster makes great use of trying to build a house in twenty minutes leading into some pretty comical scenes.  This is actually the first movie where he did not work with his mentor Fatty Arbuckle.

The Mummy's Hand (1940):  This is my mummy movie for the week which is a Universal film.  A couple archaeologists played by Dick Foran and Wallace Ford set out to find the burial place of Egyptian Princess Ananka.  In their quest, they encounter a sinister high priest, played by George Zucco, and a mummy named Kharis who are guardians of the tomb.  This by no means matches THE MUMMY which is the one time where I felt Universal topped Hammer but this still entertains.  This is a more comedic movie which I believe is the first of the four flims to feature the character of Kharis.

Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969):  This is my Hammer selection for the week and the fourth of their Frankenstein series.  Peter Cushing reprises his role as Baron Frankenstein who is at it again and has really become more evil than ever.  He then works with a young doctor named Karl, played by Simon Ward, and his fiance Anna, played by Veronica Carlson, kidnap the mentally sick Dr. Brandt to perform a brain transplant.  He uses very corrupt methods to get what he wants.  Cushing was great as the Baron in this film and was very believable in his character.  This is a very good entry into the Hammer series for Frankenstein and prefer their films over Universal.

The Bad Seed (1956):  Mervyn Leroy directed this thriller based on a play by Maxwell Anderson.  Patty McCormack stars as Rhoda Penmark who is 8 year old girl who seems very perfect but has a very dark side.  Nancy Kelly stars as her mother Christine who slowly begins to realize that her daughter is just a little too perfect.  Henry Jones plays Leroy who is a slow-minded yardworker who sees right through Rhoda but has a hard time getting anyone to listen.  This was a rather daring film for the time and can really keep your interest without having really violent scenes but still be very disturbing.  There is also a rather clever ending to accomodate to the Motion Picture Production Code.

Billy the Kid vs. Dracula (1966):  This is clearly the guilty pleasure of the week.  Chuck Courtney stars as William Bonney who is more known as gunslinger Billy the Kid.  He is trying to get his life together and becomes engaged to be married.  John Carradine plays the legendary vampire who decides to go to the old west and targets that fiance by posing as her uncle.  Billy the Kid begins to be suspicious among other townspeople.  Both people have had much better movies about them but we do have the ultimate battle that many people may never think about.  Carradine has played Dracula in the past and has done a good job but really overacts in this one but is pretty fun.  This is really one that a bunch of friends should get together and just have a good time.

The Grudge (2004):  I figured this would made a good October selection.  Takashi Shimizu directs the remake to his own Japanese film.  BUFFY alum Sarah Michelle Gellar stars as Karen who is an American nurse living in Japan.  When getting a job there, she encounters a supernatural vengeful spirit.  When a series of deaths occur, she looks to stay alive and break the curse forming her own investigation on how it started.  Jason Behr, William Mapother, Clea Duvall, Bill Pullman, and many others co-star.  I honestly have not seen the orginal which I am sure is better but Shimizu does a good job making one for the American audiences.  This also had a lot of good effects for the spirits.

Red State (2011):  I end the week with this film written and directed by Kevin Smith who has for years given us the great Jay and Silent Bob comedies but takes a much different turn here.  In this film, three teens respond to an ad which is to have a foursome with a 38 year old woman.  They find out that she is nothing as she appears and soon they find themselves captive at the fundamentalist Five Points Church which is very similar to the infamous Westboro Baptist Church and an obvious stab to them.  Michael Parks stars as Pastor Abin Cooper who kills those he believes sins against the bible which is mostly people dealing in sodomy.  He does not feel he is in the wrong because they are not men of God.  John Goodman co-stars as ATF agent Joseph Keenan who tries to save them but ends up with a shootout with people in the church which gets very violent. Stephen Root, Melissa Leo, Marc Blucas, and Kevin Pollak co-star.  I found this to be very interesting and really liked the premise of it.  It was quite dark and was interesting seeing that both sides were in the wrong in some ways.  Parks did a great job as the corrupt preacher.  Smith did a good job of making the most of a low budget.  The portrayal of the church was pretty realistic besides the killing but maybe that is not as far fetched as we think though I do not believe WBC is quite to that extreme and even acknowledged that in the film.  This movie is available on Instant Netflix.

Well, that is it for the recommendations.  I will be back next week but keep on going for the Madness.



THE MADNESS:  VIDEO NASTY:  WEEK 1

This is the first week of this awesome annual contest where I am billed as "The King of the Loopholes" in which I find lots of non-horror to be featured which I'm sure makes many cringe.  I have a couple challenges this week that I will look to get approved  I am told I must rate and while I do not like to do that, I will follow the rules.  I use the four 6 system myself and will continue in this one.  I will also categorize my selections.



ALIENS

Battleship (2012, 131 minutes, 2 points):  66.  I believe this should count for the alien attacks that happen in this movie.   I never knew until watching this movie that this game is based on an alien attack.  This is pretty harmless action but nothing great.



CHILD KILLERS

The Bad Seed (1956, 129 minutes, 2 points):  666 1/2.  This is billed as horror with the seemingly innocent little girl who commits brutal murders.



COMIC BOOK MOVIES AND TV SHOWS

Batman (1966, 105 minutes, 2 points):  66 1/2.  I know thi s is not the really dark Batman that we have gotten to know through the years but the more campy version so I must make an argument.  This I will just try to argue the point in the rule of "Think Batman Over Superman".

Batman:  Year One (2011, 64 minutes, 2 points):  666 1/2.  This is a really good animated film that features Bruce Wayne returning home after many years to see all the corruption in town and takes matters into his own hands by becoming Batman.  Jim Gordon also arrives in Gotham City and finds he works for very corrupt people and slowly finds Batman is the only one he can trust.  We also get to see Selina Kyle aka Catwoman.  So to justify it, once again, "Think Batman over Superman."

Justice League:  Secret Society Part 1 and 2 (2003, 60 minutes, 1 point):  666.  This deals with mind control, a villainous gorilla, among other things that should count.

Justice League:  The Terror Beyond:  Part 2 (2003, 30 minutes, .5 points):  666:  I feel this should count due to the darker dimension they go into.

Superman/Batman:  Apocalypse (2012, 78 minutes, 2 points):  666 1/2.  I know the rules state "Think Batman Over Superman" and both characters are featured.  However, I feel this should count for the dark world that Darkseid sees over.



CREATURE FEATURES

King Kong (1933, 100 minutes, 2 points):  666 1/2.  I do not believe I must give any sort of justification for this one with the big ape and the iconic female in Fay Wray.  The ultimate creature feature.

The Lorax (2012, 86 minutes, 2 points):  666.  I believe this should be approved as its assigned category.  The title character really is not anything specific but billed as a creature.



DEADLY SPIDERS

Arachnophobia (1990, 103 minutes, 2 points):  666.  This is a really good comedy thriller which feature very deadly spiders terrorizing a small town.



FRANKENSTEIN

Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969, 101 minutes, 2 points):  666.  This is another Hammer selection and a very good entry to their franchise.

 

JOHN SAXON

The Appaloosa (1966, 98 minutes, 2 points):  666.  Now this is a western that in no way resembles a Halloween film but anything with John Saxon counts.

 

JOHN WATERS

This Film is Not Yet Rated (2006, 98 minutes, 2 points):  666 1/2. This counts because John Waters is one who gets interviewed in this documentary which targets the rating system by the MPAA and some of their questionable decisions which could be just as scary as any horror film featured in this contest.



MUMMIES

The Mummy's Hand (1940, 66 minutes, 2 points):  66 1/2.  Not much needs to be explained here to get this mummy movie counted.



PARANORMAL

Paranormal Activity (2007, 86 minutes, 2 points):  666.  I did know where to classify this so I came up with that title.  I look forward to seeing the rest of the three this month.



RELIGIOUS CULTS

Red State (2011, 88 minutes, 2 points):  666.  Great stab at the Westboro Baptist Church and billed as horror.



ROGER CORMAN

Corman's World:  Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel (2011, 95 minutes, 2 points):  666 1/2.  This documentary should count since Roger Corman is considered a wild card.



SATANIC CULTS

The House of the Devil (2009, 95 minutes, 2 points):  666.  This is about a college girl being hired as a babysitter only to learn they are a satanic cult.  I have always enjoyed this one and may look into this every so often.



SERIAL KILLERS

Red Riding-1974 (2009, 102 minutes, 2 points):  666.  This is about the investigation of the Yorkshire Killer so I feel this should count.



VAMPIRES

Billy the Kid vs. Dracula (1966, 72 minutes, 2 points):  66.  Yes, it was quite a showdown with Dracula for some reason ending up in the wild west.

Horror of Dracula (1958, 82 minutes, 2 points):  6666.  One of the best Dracula adaptations and vampire films with my favorite horror duo of Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing.

The Vampire Diaries:  The Rager (2012, 60 minutes, 1 point):  666 1/2.  I don't have to explain this one very much.



VENGEFUL SPIRITS

The Grudge (2004, 92 minutes, 2 points):  666.  I could not think of the right category to put this in so I did this one.  Decent American remake.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 412th Edition

 

Welcome to the 412th Edition of my long-running series.  I am now 1-2 in Fantasy Football finally getting a win last week.  I now look to go 2-2 and progress further.  Today started the annual contest of the Madness where I have always participated.  I never win but always earn the nickname "The King of the Loopholes" and I declare myself the unofficial winner of variety.  I did not get the part in ANNIE at the Muncie Civic Theater so I'll just move on and see what's next next.  I am also proud to report that the great karaoke duo of No BS which includes myself and my friend Brittany sang JUST A KISS by Lady Antebellum on Thursday night which is our first time since her motorcycle accident which happened in late August.  She is progressing very well and it was a great night.  I will now get on with my selections for the week.

Fired Up! (2009):  I start the week out with this comedy that was written and directed Will Gluck.  Eric Christian Olsen and Nicholas D'Agosto star as high school football stars and best friends Nick and Shawn.  They hear about a Cheerleaders' camp and contest which they decide is the perfect way to score with many girls so they decide to join the team despite the head of the team Carly, played by Sarah Roemer, being able to see right through them but knowing they do not have much choice with their lack of success.  The plan goes awry when one of them ends up falling in love.  Molly Sims, Annalynne McCord, Philip Baker Hall, John Michael Higgins, and many others co-star in this comedy.  This is a harmless comedy that will probably be most enjoyed by a group of high school and college guys.

The House of the Devil (2009):  Now I go more into the horror genre in this film written and directed by Ti West.  Jocelin Donahue stars as broke college studen Samantha who takes a babysitting job which turns out to be a rather unusual one but takes it for the money.  She soon learns that her clients, played by Tom Noonan and Mary Woronov, lead a satanic cult where she must soon fight for her life.  Greta Gerwig, AJ Bowen, and Dee Wallace all co-star.  I remember seeing this a couple years ago and actually liked it far more than I thought I would.  Donahue carries it very well by herself when she is at the home by herself trying to figure out what is happening.  This takes place in the 80s and how can you dislike a movie which has THE BREAKUP SONG by the Greg Kihn Band.  This did have some good suspense and Ti West did a great job of making a good movie out of a familiar storyline.

The Lorax (2012):  This is my animated movie which was based on the children's book by Dr. Seuss which was his statement towards global warming.  This takes place in a walled city called Thneed-Ville where everything including trees and even air is artificial.  A boy in the community named Ted, voiced by Zac Efron, wants to see real things and to win over the girl of his dreams Audrey, voiced by Taylor Swift.  He then seeks out the Once-ler, voiced by Ed Helms, who then tells Ted the story of how his greed for land ruined the town to make it what it is today.  The title character is a creature who is a protector of the forests but is driven out due to the greediness of the Once-Ler who then sees Ted as that person who can save the town.  Betty White, Rob Riggle, Stephen Tobolowski, and many others lend their voices. This is a hard film to adapt and at times felt a bit all over the place but Devito was a lot of fun as the Lorax.  It was still a pretty fun film though I know Dr. Seuss would not like it.  It also had some pretty fun music numbers.

American Spoken Here (1940):  This is short film in a series of films narrated by John Nesbitt.  This one takes a look at origins of expressions like "kick the bucket" and many others explaining how their is two types of language which are standard and slang.  This is a charming and amusing short film that is worth the 11 minutes.

King Kong (1933):  Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack direct this creature film which stars Robert Armstrong as filmmaker Carl Denham that is out to make a great film no matter what the cost.  He learns of an unknown island called Skull Island but needs a leading lady.  He soon discovers Ann Darrow, played by the iconic Fay Wray, and along with his film crew and boat crew they set out for the Skull Island but they soon find that they are in for far more than they bargained for when they see a ruthless indigeounous tribe and very unusual creatures.  Ann is soon abducted for the tribe and is presumably their sacrifice until the title character is introduced and has an obvious love for the actress.  Bruce Cabot co-stars as ship member John Driscoll who does not like the idea of the island and sets out to find Ann Darrow while Carl is just looking for footage to take back.  Soon, the big gorilla known as King Kong is exploited in New York where he soon begins to wreak havoc.  This has been remade twice now.  There was the 1976 version which was more of a guilty pleasure than anything.  Peter Jackson then came out with what is actually my favorite version in 2005.  This one though still stands the test of time and even has pretty good special effects for the time.  This is a great creature feature where credit must be paid where it is due.

Horror of Dracula (1958):  Terence Fisher directed this version of the vampire legend which is through Hammer Films. Christopher Lee stars as the title character in this one and Peter Cushing plays his rival Van Helsing.  I actually favor this version over the Universal version.  There were some rewrites of the story due to copyright issues but was still a great story.  Universal's version is still a classic but feel this one retains more of its creepiness.  Also, the climatic battle between Dracula and Van Helsing was a lot better in my opinion.  Last week I used Hammer's CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN and now I continue with this one.  Hammer put out what I believe were some of the best horror and monster movies and one should not miss this one.  The leads are great in their roles and this film has some great action scenes.

Paranormal Activity (2007):  I will make a confession that this is the first time I have seen any of these films.  Oren Peli wrote and directed this horror film.  Katie Featherstone and Micah Short star as characters of their first names.  They are a young married couple who are just moving into a suberban home.  Katie begins to complain about a strange presence while Micah is very obsessed with his video camera and is looking to get footage of the presence that she is talking about.  These two mostly carry this movie within the house and do a pretty good job considering being unknowns.  It starts out slow with their interactions of adjusting to the new home and Micah not really believing her at first and then progresses to get creepier and creepier not having to rely on gore.  It does a good job with the first person camera footage with the two working well together to carry the film.  I did not think it was the best of the genre but was still pretty innovative and well done.  I intend to watch the sequels this month.

Batman (1966):  I now bring some of the early Batman franchise which was based on that 60s sitcom.  In this one, Adam West and Burt Ward star as Batman and Robin.  Usually there would be one main villain each week but this one had the Joker, played by Cesar Romero, the Riddler, played by Frank Gorshin, Catwoman, played by Lee Meriwether, and the Penguin, played by Burgess Meredith.  They all join forces to take on the caped crusaders and pretty much take over the world.  I'm not going to go into the plot of what was going on.  Those who know the sitcom will know more of what to expect.  Keep in mind, they are not movies that Christopher Nolan and Tim Burton brought to life.  I suppose it is more like BATMAN FOREVER and BATMAN AND ROBIN.  Batman names each weapon and vehicle the bat-something.  Robin seems very holy.  This must be taken for what it is worth, and really more like fun.  If you like the sitcom, you'll love this and if you do not like this presentation of Batman, you will probably not like it.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

The Appaloosa (1966):  This is my western for the week which was directed by Sidney Furie.  Marlon Brando stars as Matt Fletcher who is a gunslinger and buffalo hunter and is harassed by bandit general Chuy Medina, played by John Saxon.  Soon, Matt's horse is taken and sets out to get him back and mostly takes on the gang single handedly.  This is a pretty decent western with some good scenery, music score, and even a believable Saxon as a Mexican.  Brando was good in his spagetti western. 

Arachnophobia (1990):  Frank Marshall directs this movie about some of the most deadly spiders and loose in California.  Jeff Daniels stars as Dr. Ross Jennings who has moved into a small town under the impression he will inherit the local doctor's practice upon his retirement.  He has moved in only to learn that doctor decided to to retire after all which really limits his work.  There soon begin to be some mysterious deaths which are ruled as heart attacks but he does not buy it.  John Goodman co-stars as a local exterminator and Julian Sands co-stars as a spider expert who help Ross get rid of the spiders.  The difficult thing for Dr. Jennings is his fear of spiders just like the title says.  Harley Jane Kosak, Stuart Pankin, and many others co-star in this horror comedy.  Arachnophobia might be the most common phobia in the world.  I know many who have it and request to me that I kill them which I do not like that but I understand.  I know many of the toughest people go into panic only when they see that little creature.  If you have that phobia, this might not be for you but if you can tolerate them at least on the television and know they will not come after you, this is a pretty good movie.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and what you dislike and stay tuned for next week.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 411th Edition

 

Welcome to the 411th Edition of my long-running series.  I am now 0-3 in Fantasy Football so not looking good but it is not over yet.  Next week starts the annual Madness contest so I decided to give a little preview here featuring serial killers, creating life, Tolkien, and a Hunchback.  I just got out of auditions for ANNIE at the Muncie Civic Theater which I should find out this week if I got a part.  I will now get on

Ted (2012):  I start the week out with this very raunchy comedy which includes a teddy bear but is by no means a children's film.  I have been meaning to see it but then I realized I had to check it out soon when my friend Sirena referred to me as a Thunderbuddy and let me know it was from this movie.  Seth McFarlane directed, co-wrote, and provides the voice of the title character.  Mark Wahlberg stars as John who was picked on a lot as a child.  When he becomes eight years of age, he gets a teddy bear that he calls Ted and then wishes that he were alive and a friend.  For some reason the wish becomes true and they become best friends and Thunderbuddies for life.  They both grow up together and at 35 years of age John is still quite a slacker while Ted is very foul-mouthed and crude.  Mila Kunis co-stars as John's girlfriend Lori who is growing tired of John being so irresponsible and makes him choose between her and Ted.  This was a comedy that went to many mixed opinions and there were even times where even I was saying wtf but yet I could not take my eyes off the film.  I expected the raunchiness but I did not expect it to be a rather dark comedy mostly due to the weird father and son combination.  Giovanni Ribisi, Patrick Warburton, Patrick Stewart and many others have parts in this film including some celebrities playing themselves including Sam Jones who is known for playing Flash Gordon in Ted and John's favorite movie FLASH GORDON.  I did enjoy this movie, I laughed a lot, and I am glad that now I have a thunderbuddy.  This is available on HBO On-Demand.

H.H. Holmes:  America's First Serial Killer (2004):  This is my documentary for the week which features serial killer H.H. Holmes who is billed as the first American serial killer.  He began his life of crime in the late 1800s and was actually a doctor which was his front to be a serial killer.  He designed a hotel that was made for his victims in which he killed in a variety of ways.  This documentary follows his life as a criminal mastermind and even got the nickname Torture Doctor.  Through the years, I have heard a lot about serial killers like Ted Bundy, David Berkowitz, Jack the Ripper, Jeffrey Dahmer, and many others but I had never really heard of him until I came across this title when looking for selections on Instant Netflix which I had not watched until Ashley posted a status about watching a documentary about him on the History Channel which I guess was different from this one.  This was a very interesting documentary on a person who put up quite a front as a successful doctor but was really a very sick man.  This is available on Instant Netflix and is a great viewing if you are into these types of documentaries.

Music Land (1935):  This is my Disney animated short for the week.  This is a love story among musical instruments which consist of a Princess Violin and a Prince Sax who are in a forbidden love due to being in feuding kingdoms.  This is a really fun short film with a really good story and very well done with the musical instruments.  This is findable through Youtube and should really get a look, especially classic animation buffs.

Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959):  I actually had the pleasure of viewing this on a big screen at Cornerstone Center For the Arts in Muncie and being put on by the local group Scarevania.  They put on a very fun pre-show that lead into all of us seeing the best bad movie of all time directed by "The Worst Director of All Time" Ed Wood.  The plot here is that aliens resurrect the dead into essentially zombies to stop the humans from making what is called a Solbonite which I guess is a sun-driven bomb.  In Wood's defense to some extent is that he did have a very low budget to work with on his very ambitious project.  Bela Lugosi is in his last role here and dies during the filming.  To replace Mr. Lugosi, Wood cast his dentist Tom Mason and being much taller than Bela, they had the bright idea for him to cover his face with his cape so sometimes you see Lugosi and sometimes you see some guy covering his face with his cape.  Other legends include Vampira, Tor Johnson, and Criswell.   This has to be appreciated for what it is which is a b-movie classic which have cardboard tombs, really bad looking flying saucers, not great acting, among other things that make it what it is today.  The Scarevania group really made this experience fun by doing their own commentary and antics.  This group has a Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/scarevania and have a website at http://www.scarevania.com.

The Curse of Frankenstein (1957):  As someone who is more of a casual viewer to the horror genre, this has always been my favorite franchise.  I love the idea of a scientist who has good intentions of creating life but finds there is a price of playing God as many might say.  There is also that really emphasised theme of fearing the unknown as this creature he creates is seen as a monster and becomes one due to the fear of others.  In 2007, I had the pleasure of being in a great version at Muncie Civic Theater where I played a psychotic gravedigger who helped Victor Frankenstein in his quest to create life.  In the movie world, I have seen quite a few versions and consider this my favorite.  Terence Fisher directed this entry into Hammer Films which is based on the novel by Mary Shelley.  Peter Cushing stars as Victor Frankenstein who becomes obsessed with the origins of life.  He then successfully re-animates a dog thought dead so then sets out to create a person, much to the dismay of his tutor turned partner Paul, played by Robert Urquhart.  Also in his life is his cousin Elizabeth who then becomes his fiance which makes Paul stay to protect her from harm.  Christopher Lee plays the creature in this film who tries to be good but never was able to learn the world.  I really love the way the story was told here and the ending.  I usually do not consider myself very OCD but I cannot tell you how many times I have given the lecture that the Frankenstein is Victor Frankenstein and that the creature really does not have a name.  This is the first of many teamings of Cushing/Lee which have always been my favorites in this genre.  Most people when they think classic horror probably think the stuff of Universal but I have usually preferred movies of Hammer films myself and hope to get more exposure with this one.

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971):  I went on a bit of a road trip over the week so I wanted something from this era that I could rent from itunes and sync to my ipod touch and I thought what better than this one.  Mel Stuart directed this musical adaptation to the children's book by Roald Dahl.  Gene Wilder stars as the title character who runs a chocolate factory and has been reclusive for years but holds a contest for five kids to get a tour of his place.  They each must get a golden ticket.  Peter Ostrum stars as a very poor but very kind boy named Charlie who is determined to get that golden ticket and through persistance finally gets it opting to take his Grandpa Joe, played by Jack Albertson, with him.  The other kids are not as kind and respectful as Charlie and learn the hard way they must follow directions.  This is really one of my favorite musicals from this era and really prefer this version to Tim Burton's version years later.  This is a rather dark story but they don't have to really shove it down your throat with the cinematography.  Wilder is great in the title role and the Oompa Loompas are also very entertaining with their musical numbers.  This is one of those that I never get tired of and one of the better musicals from that era in my humble opinion.

The Lord of the Rings (1978):  This is an animated version of the classic fantasy novel by J.R.R. Tolkien which was directed by Ralph Bakshi.  This is centered around a young hobbit named Frodo who is charged with destroying a ring that was created by the dark lord Sauron.  He must set out on quite a journey with the help of wizards, humans, elves, and dwarves.  This movie is a little over two hours long so is not quite everything in the epic that Peter Jackson brought us many years later.  It is obviously a rather condensed version which really takes place in the first half of the story.  Despite not having the fully story, it was still fairly well done with vocal talents that include John Hurt and Anthony Daniels.  It is also some very well done animation that was done from Bakshi which was really pretty realistic.  This may not be for younger kids but the older crowd may really enjoy this underrated adaptation.

Robyn Hitchcock:  Sex, Food, Death... and Insects (2007):  This is another documentary for the week which takes a look at the singer of the title.  I will admit that I had not heard of this person until I recorded this from the Sundance network.  He is an English singer/songwriter who has lyrics of surrealism and comedic elements and has been able to gain quite a following.  This takes place in a time of his life in 2006 where he was recording a group of new songs that included collaborations from R.E.M. member Peter Buck, Led Zeppelin member John Paul Jones, and Gillian Welch.  This was a pretty insightful documentary that goes some into his background but if looking for a life story this is not it.  This is a good way to get to know the wory of Robyn Hitchcock if you have not yet.

Lipsett Diaries (2010):  This is my modern day short film for the week which is an animated one taking a look at filmmaker Arthur Lipsett who died in 1986 at the age of 49 years of age.  A narrator recounts the life of a bad childhood, a mother who abandoned him, and an unhappy adult life.  He was known for some very innovative short films in the 60s that influenced filmmakers like Stanley Kubrick and George Lucas even if he did not do any feature films that I am aware of.  This movie took hand drawn images, montage of clippings, and a few otehr elements.  This was a pretty good use of animation that uses Lipsett's collage animation style and a good way for people to look into Arthur Lipsett which I now intend to do because of this short film.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996):  I end with this Disney film that is based on the classic novel from Victor Hugo.  This story centers around a deformed bellringer named Quasimodo, voiced by Tom Hulce, in the 15th century of France.  All his life, he is raised by corrupt goverment official Frollo, voiced by Tony Jay, who makes Quasimodo believe that he is the only one who cares and the rest of the world is evil.  Quasimodo soon decides from encouragement of his gargoyle friends to sneak out of the home to go to an annual festival where he soon meets a very accepting gypsy girl named Esmerelda, voiced by Demi Moore, and an honorable soldier who does not like Frollo's ways named Phoebus, voiced by Kevin Kline.  Esmerelda leads a group of gypsies who are opposing Frollo's oppressive ways which makes Quasimodo slowly see the evil of his caretaker.  Other voices include Jason Alexander, David Ogden Stiers, and Charles Kimbrough.  This is a pretty dark tale so might not be for little children but is a very compelling Disney film.  For me, I like Disney the best in the 90s and music wise this is really my favorite.  Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz write some really good musical numbers, has some really good action, and is a pretty good Disney story in my opinion.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 410th Edition

Welcome to the 410th Edition of my series.  I am now 0-2 in Fantasy Football but I'm hoping that Trent Richardson's move to the Colts will benefit me.  I will soon find out.  I will now get to my selections for the week so read on and enjoy.

Saturday Night Live:  The Best of Saturday TV Funhouse (2006):  This is technically not really a movie but since it's my blog I can choose to include it.  This is a best of on the TV Funhouse segment from Robert Smigel who had a series of amusing animated sketches.  Stephen Colbert and Steve Carell voice Ace and Gary of the Ambiguously Gay Duo who are also the hosts of the show.  In between segments they are in search of Jimmy Fallon who they really seem to like which lead into some pretty funny moments.  There are also a lot of good ones like the Ambiguously Gay Duo, one on Michael Jackson, one on Mr. T, the X Presidents, and many others.  This DVD has some pretty good segments and some I did not like as much but the good outweighs the bad in this good part of SNL.

Corvette Summer (1978):  Mark Hamill stars in this movie is in the same year as the first STAR WARS and while this by no means topped the sci-fi classic, this is still fun to watch.  Hamill plays Kenneth who is about to graduate high school and his shop class designs a beautiful red corvette which gets stolen.  Most of the people in the class and the teacher let it go but not Kenneth.  He goes off on an obsessive search that leads him to Las Vegas where he meets Vanessa, played by Annie Potts, who tries to help him track the car down.  There is not much more to describe this movie which is quite flawed and a bit overacted by Hamill but is a great guilty pleasure if looking for some entertainment.  Besides, where can you go wrong when you have Hamill and even an appearance from Danny Bonaduce?  This is available on Comcast On-Demand.

Bacall to Arms (1946):  This is my animated short for the week which is from Warner Brothers.  These are some pretty fun times where a bunch of people and animals are in the movie theater to see the feature TO HAVE... TO HAVE... TO HAVE which stars Bogey Gocart and Laurie Bee Cool.  This has some pretty funny disruptive moments in the theater and even Bogey telling someone to be quiet.  The obvious Bogart and Bacall characterizations are great.  This can be found on Youtube.

The Boxing Girls of Kabul (2012):  This is my documentary for the week which takes a look at a few women in Afghanistan who are training to compete in the 2012 Summer Olympics in women's boxing.  This takes a look at the trials and tribulations they must go through as well as the difficulty of being a woman in Afghanistan trying to do what they are doing.  It also takes a look at families and their mixed reaction to their loved ones competing in boxing.  Some are positive about it but others do not like the danger that boxing brings.  This is one that has not gotten a lot of exposure but it pretty inspiring to watch and one must respect the courage of these women who participate when they have very limited if any rights where they live.  I came across this on Instant Netflix and not even sure how I found it but I am glad I did.

Borderline (1930):  Kenneth Robeson wrote and directed this rather daring film for this era.  This is my silent film for the week which stars Paul Robeson as Pete whose wife or girlfriend Adah, I was not very clear on that one, has an affair with a white man named Thorne who is actually married and causes his wife to go crazy.  This is actually a part of the Paul Robeson Criterion Collection which has quite a few of his movies.  It was very interesting to see an interracial relationship in a movie of this era and deals with quite a bit of taboos.  It is also one of the few from this era where the blacks like Pete and Adan are not so much servants.  Many say that Sidney Poitier broke the color barrier but it really started with Paul Robeson.  The jazzy music score which is included in the Criterion Collection version really works in this film.  This is a must for classic movie buffs.

Hulk Vs. (2009):  This is my animated superhero movie of the week which obviously consists of the Incredible Hulk.  This movie has two different stories where he finds himself in battle with Thor and Wolverine.  The first story is where he ends up in Asgard where Loki manipulates the Hulk in order to destroy his brother.  In the second story, circumstances bring the Hulk into battle with Wolverine.  These were pretty decent stories and I liked the one with Thor better.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

Father of the Bride (1950):  This is part two of my two-part Elizabeth Taylor series.  Vincente Minnelli directed this comedy which stars Spencer Tracy as Stanley who is the title character of the movie and is dealing with the many concerns of his daughter's wedding including the emotional, financial and organizational pain of it.  Taylor plays that daughter Kay who is getting married and has always been close to her father but finds things to be a bit difficult.  John Fontaine co-stars as the matriarch of the family Ellie.  Spencer Tracy does very well and this is a very well done portrait on a father who must deal with all the change coming in his life.  There is a very good comedy-drama that is worth a look.

Battle Royale (2000):  This is my Japanese film for the week and in many ways is the original HUNGER GAMES but a lot more violent.  I will say right now that this is not for everyone but is a very well-done film.  Kinji Fukasaku directed this film where the futuristic Japanese Government has forced 42 ninth grade students into killing each other under the Battle Royale Act.  They are forced to compete in a Battle Royale to the death and it there must be a winner otherwise the whole group dies.  There are many different groups that are focused upon.  This movie has a great blend of action, comedy, and drama and kept my attention throughout the film.  You must have a good stomach to get through it though as it has some pretty brutal violence.  This is available on Instant Netflix and is a great watch.

Cat Ballou (1965):  This is my western comedy for the week.  Jane Fonda stars as the title character in the film who was a law abiding citizen until her father, played by John Marley, was gunned down and becomes an outlaw due to the corruption she witnesses.  She hires a gunman named Kid Shelleen, played by Lee Marvin who also plays another gunman she is going after named Strawn.  Marvin is possibly has his best performance in this duel role as gunmen on different sides of the law.  Nat King Cole and Stubby Kaye play minstrels who are singing a lot about Cat Ballou and are very funny in what they do.  That is possibly where the Farrelly Brothers got the idea for the singers in THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY.  This is a western parody I have always enjoyed and was glad to bring it for this week.

Next Floor (2008):  I end this week on this really weird short film.  This takes place in a rather high class banquet in a rather sick and grotesque world.  An unexpected sequence of abundance ruins the endless symphony of abundance.  This has about everything from dark comedy, drama, and weirdness.  This is a very interesting and compelling short film that can be watched on Youtube if you can tolerate what was at the table during the banquet.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and what you dislike.  Stay tuned for next week which so far includes Mila Kunis, Bela Lugosi, and many others.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 409th Edition

Welcome to the 409th Edition of my long running series.  I am as of now 0-1 in my Fantasy Football league but hopefully I can get an even record after Monday night.  Now on a bright now, my team the San Francisco 49ers are now 1-0 so I am happy about that.  I am right now trying to win a karaoke contest at Folly Moon.  I am unsuccessful so far but I'll just keep plugging away.  That is about all I have to say so I'll just get one with my recommendations for the week.

The Beaver (2011):  Jodie Foster directed and co-starred in this film which stars Mel Gibson as Walter Black.  Walter is a very successful ad executive who has delved into depression and anger while unsuccessfully trying to kill himself.  It gets to the point where he is kicked out of his home.  He then comes up with a very interesting coping mechanism in a beaver puppet.  He then uses the beaver to talk to himself and then try to reconnect with his family.  This movie will probably get a lot of mixed emotions but I really enjoyed this one.  It was really quite bizarre but an interesting movie showing the dealings of anger and that it can take unusual mechanisms to get through it.  Jodie Foster co-stars as his wife who is trying to deal with the new version of her estranged husband while Anton Yelchin co-stars as his older son who is very bitter.  Jennifer Lawrence also co-stars.  This movie in some ways is very uplifting but at the same time, it was quite downbeat.  I will also call the movie quite bizarre but I really enjoyed it.

How to Vote (1936):  This is one of my short films for the week.  This is from the Robert Benchley series of comedic shorts.  He is the replacement spokesperson for a political candidate to promote that person but clearly is not a very good public speaker.  He stumbles upon his words and is just not sure what to say.  This is a very entertaining 10 minutes and one of the better from that era.

Make Mine Music (1946):  This is my Disney film for the week and one that is more overlooked.  This is in the tradition of FANTASIA but while that movie used a lot of classical music, this one used more contemporary music.  It has many different animation sequences which use people like the Andrews Sisters, Nelson Eddy, Dinah Shore, Benny Goodman, and many others.  A couple of my favorite sequences were CASEY AND THE BAT and PETER AND THE WOLF, but there were some other decent ones while some were not great.  This was still some pretty fun sequences and one I'd like to get more on the radar.

Howl (2010):  Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman directed and wrote this film based on a part of poet Allen Ginsberg.  James Franco plays Allen Ginsburg who is put on trial in 1957 for his his poem of the movie title for obscenity.  It also focuses on events that lead to the counterculture artist and poet that he became and what lead into him writing it.  James Franco, Jon Hamm, David Strathairn, Bob Balaban, Mary-Louise Parker all co-starred in this film.  It also has some really interesting animation sequences that show the poem's surreal style.  Franco was very good as Ginsburg in a very important part of his life that begged the question of what was acceptable in society.

The Sandpiper (1965):  Vincente Minnelli directed this movie which was a teaming of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.  Taylor plays the very free spirited Laura Reynolds who is a single and unwed mother who teaches her son her way not wanting him in a traditional schooling system.  Her son Danny runs into legal problems and is forced into a private school ran by Reverend Dr. Edward Hewitt, played by Richard Burton. Hewitt looks to convince Laura that the school is really not so bad and slowly wins her over beginning an affair even though Hewitt is married which obviously leads to some trouble.  Eva Marie Saint, Charles Bronson, and Robert Webber all co-star.  It was interesting to see Bronson in the character he played.  This was a bit of Hollywood fluff but it was not bad with the leads pretty good in their roles and another movie on the list that challenges the system.

Captain America (1979):  This is a tv movie of the superhero which never really got off the ground.  This is more of a guilty pleasure but probably better than the 1990 movie which I have yet to see.  Reb Brown plays Steve Rogers who becomes injected with a serum that makes him a lot stronger and develops the persona of the title.  This really has nothing to do with the origin story so take that for what it is worth.  Brown does the best he can in this script.  It is a guilty pleasure more than anything.  This was not exactly the start of a franchise but something that can be fun to watch with some friends.

To Have and Have Not (1944):  Howard Hawks directed this film based on the novel by Ernest Hemingway but understand that it bears little resemblance to the novel.  Humphrey Bogart stars as Harry Morgan who runs a ship for hire on the island of Martinique during WWII.  When he is desperate for money, he takes a job for the resistance to transport a fugitive from the Nazis to Martinique while romancing Slim, played by Lauren Bacall in her film debut and the first of many teamings together.  Hoagy Carmichael, Walter Brennan, and Sheldon Leonard all star in this film that has quite a bit of action for a film of this era and the dialogue is even a bit racy for its time.  The movie does well despite being altered with the novel which is considered Hemingway's worst and Hawks made a bet with Hemingway that he could change it to a successful film which he won.

The Evil Dead (1981):  I decided to feature the start of the great franchise that has had two very good sequels, a remake I have heard good things about, and a musical which I hope to one day be in.  Sam Raimi directed this rather ground breaking horror comedy which was made on a very low budget and would go onto become the cult classic that it is today.  Bruce Campbell stars as Ash who goes on a vacation with some friends to a cabin in the woods that appears to be demonic like the demonic tree, among lots of other things making Ash take charge turning him into the hero to many in the movie world.  Raimi and Campbell pretty much got their careers started in this movie and are the only ones whose film careers really soared after it.  This is not for everyone and if you do not have a good stomach, this is not the one.  Otherwise, this is a very well-done action film that succeeded on many levels.  After watching this, it might be a good idea to read Bruce Campbell's autobiography IF CHINS COULD KILL, CONFESSIONS OF A B-MOVIE ACTOR which describes the difficulty of getting this movie filmed which might make you appreciate it more.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

Enter the Dragon (1973):  This is my martial arts film for the week and possibly the best of the era and the best for Bruce Lee.  Bruce Lee stars as Lee who goes undercover to infiltrate a crime lord named Han and goes undercover into a martial arts tournament which Han hosts.  John Saxon co-stars as Roper who is a martial artist on the run from the mafia and ends up in the tournament.  Jim Kelly co-stars stars as Williams who is harassed by racist police officers and defends himself against him and then uses a police getaway car to get to the island.  This is really a big showcase of martial artists around the world like Bob Wall, Bolo Yeung, Angela Mao, and many others.  This has some really good fight scenes and is possibly the best of the martial arts genre, especially of its time.  A young Jackie Chan is an extra and a young Sammo Hung is also in it.  Anybody into this genre should give this a look and give credit where it is due.  An interesting fact about this is that Lee accidentally struck Jackie Chan with a fighting stick where Lee apologized and told him he could always be in his movies but Lee died three weeks before the premier.

This Way Up (2008):  I end the week with this Oscar nominated animation short film.  A father and son who work at a funeral parlour are trying to get a coffin where it is supposed to be but their hearse is flattened by a boulder.  They must then do what they can to get the coffin their running into all kinds of funny obstacles as well as a really interesting scene in which appears to be hell.  This really was a lot of fun and the animation was very well done.  This is worth a watch if it can be obtained.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and what you dislike.  Stay tuned for next week.