Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 475th Edition

Welcome to the 475th Edition of my series.  I hope everyone has a good holiday this year however one might celebrate.  I also want to let know that my friend Ashley is visiting from Philadelphia and is playing a show at the Silo in Muncie from 8-9:30 so if you are in the area come out for some good music.  I will get to my selections for the week.

December Boys (2007):  I start the week out with this Australian film and kind of a holiday film.  Rod Hardy directed this film based on the novel by Michael Noonan.  Daniel Radcliffe stars as Maps who is part of an orphanage and along with his three best friends, played by Lee Cormie, Christian Byers, and James Fraser, is sent to a vacation for a holiday by the sea.  When there, they learn that a couple might be considering adoption where they each compete to get adopted and bringing a tension to themselves.  Jack Thompson, Teresa Palmer, Sullivan Stapleton, Victoria Hill, Max Cullen, and many others co-star.  I really thought this was a very well-written film with very good characters.  With the scenery and the script, I will go so far as to call this a very beautiful film.  I would love to live in a community like that where everyone is pretty friendly and nice weather.  This is one that really deserves a look in my opinion and is a good coming-of-age film.

The Five-Year Engagement (2012):  I follow-up with this romantic comedy which was directed by Nicholas Stoller and co-wrote it along with the star of the film Jason Segal.  Jason Segal and Emily Blunt star as Tom Solomon and Violet Barnes who are a couple engaged to be married.  They live in San Francisco where Tom is a respected chef and Violet is an experimental psychologist.  Violet is offered grad school in Ann Arbor, Michigan where Tom supports her move sacrificing a job as head chef to support her.  They also delay their wedding much to the dismay of the family.  In Michigan, Violet is doing well in school but Tom has a hard time adjusting and cannot find the kind of work he does which makes him very frustrated.  Chris Pratt, Allison Brie, David Paymer, Rhys Ifans, Mindy Kaling, Kevin Hart, Molly Shannon, Chris Parnell, and many others co-star in this comedy.  This does take a good look at the trials of an engagement and relationship and how it can really change someone.  There are some pretty funny moments in this film.  I believe it could have been 90 minutes instead of the two hours but still a fun movie and decent romantic comedy.

Neil Young:  Heart of Gold (2006):  Jonathan Demme directed this concert movie that was shot in Nashville over a period of a couple days for Neil Young and his band which includes Emmylou Harris.  It mostly focuses on his songs from his album PRAIRIE WIND.  It also focuses on some of his other songs like the one in the title.  Demme does a great job bringing this concert to film and is a must for fans of Neil Young.

Popeye the Sailor (1933):  This is my animated short for the week which features Popeye's first animated appearance.  It is actually billed as a Betty Boop cartoon but really stars Popeye.  This is mostly Popeye singing his signature song and does the hula with Betty and also fights Bluto in order to save his Olive Oyl from being tied to the railroad tracks in a strange way.  This is a good intro to the famous sailor man and if nothing else is his and Betty Boop doing the hula.  This can easily be found on Youtube.

An American Christmas Carol (1979):  This is my tv movie for the week.  Eric Till directed this variation of the Dickens classic where HAPPY DAYS alum Henry Winkler stars as Benedict Slade who is the equivalent of Ebenezer Scrooge and a very ruthless businessman during the depression era.  On one Christmas Eve, he goes around confiscating things and is soon visited by the three ghosts who look to set him in the right direction.  This is a pretty good adaption and tv movie.  They do a good make-up job on Winkler so that he is older in the modern era and can play his younger self in flashbacks.  Dorian Harewood, Susan Hogan, and R.H. Thomson co-star in this tv movie.  This is a more overlooked version but one that deserves a look.

Handle With Care (1958):  I found this b-list movie on TCM.  This movie takes place in a small town law school where Dean Jones stars as law school student Zachary Davis.  In the class, they plan a mock trial but Zach decides to take it in a different direction and do an actual investigation that might expose some local corruption.  It does not sit well with most of the locals as he is an outsider.  Thomas Mitchell co-stars as the town mayor who is Zach's main target in his investigation.  This was not a bad lower budget movie from that era which kind of played out like a tv movie.  I remember once being part of a mock trial years ago at a boy scout camp where I was recruited to be an unreliable witness and realized then when I was questioned by real-life attorneys that I never want to be in trouble with the law.  This was a pretty good drama on a mock trial that becomes all to real to some.

I am Santa Claus (2014):  This is my holiday documentary for the week which was directed by Tommy Avallone.  This takes a look at the lives of professional Santas who absolutely live for what they do.  It also takes a look at their lives and their anticipation for the season.  One part of the movie is filmed in Santa Claus, Indiana which is south of where I live and are known for Holiday World.  One of the Santas is openly gay and another is nearly homeless living with his daughter.  It also focuses on wrestling legend Mick Foley who is known to have a year round obsession with Santa decides to try donning the outfit himself.  This is a very fascinating film that show that these guys are human like everyone else but their passion for what they do really shows.  This is a really good holiday documentary and made me think of myself with my capabilities of growing fairly long hair and a pretty big beard...

Blossoms in the Dust (1941):  This has some holiday elements and opened my eyes some.  Mervyn Leroy directed this film based on a true story.  Greer Garson stars as Edna Gladney who hates to see children who are orphans and decides to open up an orphanage and help these children find good homes.  Not stopping there, she also does not like the label children are given of "illegitimate" and the way they are judged just because they are born out of wedlock.  Walter Pidgeon also co-stars in this film.  This is a person who really set the stage for adoption.  This is a very inspirational film which features a real-life woman who made it her mission to help orphaned children.

Fitzwilly (1967):  This is another holiday comedy that I came across.  Dick Van Dyke stars as Claude Fitzwilliam who works for Miss Vicki, played by Edith Evans, who is now broke after her father's death.  Claude becomes a form of a Robin Hood when he leads a scheme to steal from the rich.  Barbara Feldon co-stars as Juliet who has just been hired and starts to fall in love with Claude.  She wants him to stop his ways but agrees to one last caper before their marriage.  This is a very fun comedy with a good performance out of Van Dyke.

Alexander Hamilton (2007):  I end this week with this historical documentary which is an episode from the PBS series AMERICAN EXPERIENCE.  The first time I ever really heard of Alexander Hamilton was in the '90s when I was in middle school and they played a milk commercial where a guy who is clearly an expert towards Hamilton and has the opportunity to win a lot of money by answering the question "who shot Alexander Hamilton?"  Unfortunately, he has a lot of food in his mouth at the time and when going for the milk, he realizes he has none and was not able to give a clear answer after time ran out.  I would then go onto learn that he is on the $10 bill and that he was involved a lot with the treasury but watching this documentary, I learned that he was far more.  This starts from his childhood where he was born out of wedlock which was a very difficult thing in those days.  He would make the most of it and during the Revolutionary War, earned the respect of General George Washington.  He would also become one of the founding fathers and help set the structure for our country financially.  It also shows how he is very set in his ways and principles and had a lot of people not liking him including Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and the more fateful one with Aaron Burr.  This was very fascinating documentary of an idealistic man who helped his country make a lot of money but never really had any for himself.  It also shows an honest man and one that was possibly a little too honest at times.  After being in 1776, it got me more fascinated more for politics of this era and I might just start featuring these kinds of documentaries more often.  The people on this documentary were some historians but some actors playing the people in Hamilton's life which was also rather interesting.

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- 474th Edition

Welcome to the 474th Edition of my series.  Tonight is a very good night in Muncie.  The best karaoke dj Craig is returning to Valhalla after a few months tonight and I could not be more excited.  I hope everyone is having a good holiday season.  I will now get to my selections for the week.

Mad Max (1979):  I start the week out with this low-budget classic which made Med Gibson a big name in the acting world.  George Miller directed and co-wrote this film which takes place in an apocalyptic future in the Australian wastelands.  Gibson stars as Max Rockatansky who has a good life as a cop with a wife and child but becomes judge, jury, and executioner when he is targeted and loses his wife and child.  This movie's low-budget works very well with the script, performances, and the cinematography.  This is the start to a big career for Mel Gibson who does a great job as the title character.  I know Mel Gibson has said some strange things and can be quite unlikable in the media but try to put feelings aside for this one and just watch a great film.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

The Karate Kid, Part II (1986):  This is the sequel from the 1984 hit where Daniel, reprised by Ralph Macchio, accompanies his mentor Mr. Miyagi, played by Pat Morita, who returns to Japan to visit his dying father.  In Japan, Miyagi begins to reconnect with an old flame and also must face a rival from years ago.  Daniel ends up in the middle and makes an enemy of his own in the meantime.  This is a good sequel and in some ways liked it better than the first one as I thought this one had better messages.  I don't want to go further on things that I could give away.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

Pocketful of Miracles (1961):  This is one of my holiday selections for the week and directed by Frank Capra.  This is kind of a variation of MY FAIR LADY where Bette Davis stars as a street beggar named Apple Annie.  Glenn Ford stars as gangster Dave the Dude who along with his girlfriend Queenie, played by Hope Lange, and turn her into a society woman before Annie's daughter comes to town.  Arthur O'Connell, Peter Falk, Thomas Mitchell, Sheldon Leonard, Ann-Margret, and many others co-star in this film.  Bette Davis does well in her rare comedic role.  It could be could to do a Capra double feature for the holidays with this one and IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE.  Both of them do well in their own ways.

Santa Claus (1959):  This is my holiday b-movie selection for the week which I got to see at the movie theaters and presented by Rifftrax.  I believe this was shot in Mexico and go over a few key points that I learned about Santa Claus is that he actually lives in some other planet which I believe was over the North Pole.  He also had children from around the world that worked for him instead of elves.  The beginning was having each country sing some annoying song and the children so not seem very excited or happy.  We also learn that Santa and Satan are enemies and Satan sends down his minion Pitch, who loves to dance, to stop Santa from delivering gifts.  If Pitch in unsuccessful, he must eat ice cream as punishment.  To add to that, evidently king Arthur outgrew Merlin since now Merlin works for Santa in making potions.  This is quite possibly the most bizarre movie I have seen.  I first saw it years ago when I found it on TCM so I recorded it out of curiosity.  I'm watching it and at every turn I am thinking "WTF" but yet I could not take my eyes off it.  This was a good experience and a great selection for Rifftrax.

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013):  Martin Scorsese directed this film based on the autobiography by Jordan Belfort.  Leonardo DiCaprio plays the part of Belfort which starts from the beginnings to his rise as a stockbroker where he is learning through Mark Hanna, played by Matthew McConaughey, who pretty much teaches him corrupt methods but then it goes out of business.  Belfort soon finds himself in a penny stockbroker job where the biggest rise and scam happens.  He meets Donnie Azoff, played by Jonah Hill, and forms the Stratford-Oakmont brokerage firm turning just about all walks of life into greedy stockbrokers.  In the attention he is getting, he is also being investigated by the FBI and looks for ways to cover his tracks.  It also shows his downfall into the world of drugs.  Margot Robbie, Kyle Chandler, Rob Reiner, Jon Favreau, Jean Dujardin, Joanna Lumley, Christine Ebersole, P.J. Byrne, Ethan Suplee, Jake Hoffman, and many others co-star in this film.  The real Jordan Belfort has a bit part and was on hand to coach DiCaprio on his behavior.  This is a really good film showing American excess for a lack of a better phrase.

Enemy of the State (1998):  Tony Scott directed this action film and holiday film unbeknownst to me at the time.  Will Smith stars as Washington D.C. attorney Robert Dean who ends up with information on a murder that was politically motivated and lead by Congressman Thomas Reynolds, played by Jon Voight, and becomes targeted by Reynolds.  Coming to his aid is former spy Edward Lyle, played by Gene Hackman, who teams with Dean to bring down Reynolds.  Lisa Bonet, Regina King, Stuart Wilson, Barry Pepper, Ian Hart, Scott Caan, Jake Busey, Jason Lee, Gabriel Byrne, James Le Gros, Jack Black, Jamie Kennedy, Lillo Brancato, Seth Green, Philip Baker Hall, Jason Robarts, Tom Sizemore, and many others co-star in this action film.  This movie might be relevant for today in its talk about government surveillance which is what we have been more concerned than ever about.  It also has some really good action scenes.  In some ways, this was Will Smith's transition into a more serious role after years of doing comedy.  This is a pretty fun action film but has a pretty good message at the same time.

Yellowstone Park:  'Nature's Playground' (1936):  This is my short film for the week which is part of the Traveltalks series.  This if you have not guessed focuses on the famed national park in Wyoming.  This takes a look at the beautiful waterfalls, grizzly bears, and the Old Faithful geyser.  This has some really good scenery and was worth a few minutes to check out.

The Housemaid (2010):  This is my Korean film for the week.  A couple weeks ago during my all foreign language 9 year anniversary, I included the 1960 version of this film which is also Korean and was ranks up there as one of the most disturbing films I have seen.  I decided to check out this remake.  A young woman named Eun-Yi is the title character who becomes nanny for a wealthy family and the wife is expecting twins.  She is soon seduced by the husband and the family tries to sabotage her.  In the beginning, the housemaid was more conniving and in this one, she is provoked by the manipulative family.  This version loses its creepy feel in my opinion but is still rather compelling with an interesting ending.  In this version, I thought the housemaid was more of the protagonist.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

Wild Strawberries (1957):  Ingmar Bergman wrote and directed this Swedish film and I have always regarded this as my favorite Bergman.  Victor Sjostrom stars as Dr. Isak Borg who has won an honorary degree.  Through the years Dr. Borg has become very cold and shut off from the world.  He decides to drive and along for the ride is his daughter in law Marianne, played by Ingrid Thulin, where they get very candid with each other along the drive.  Also along the drive, he picks up others and begins to rethink his decisions he has made through flashbacks.  Max Von Sydow has a small part in the film.  Bergman does great with the road movie genre and is a pretty moving story on looking back on the moments missed.

Solo Con Tu Pareja (1991):  I end with this early Alfonso Cuaron comedy from Mexico.  I decided to use my process again where I come up with 20 selections that I believe fit the mold and get an FB friend to choose a number.  The first selection chose did not end up fitting into this one but will go into next one so I turned to my friend the Sly Fox to choose another number which resulted into this foreign language film.  Daniel Gimenez Cacho stars as Tomas Tomas who is a yuppie and womanizer and angered a nurse named Silvia with his womanizing ways so as payback she says that he has HIV giving him quite a scare.  This makes Tomas look for a quick death in his belief that he is dying and in the process falls in love with Clarisa who is a stewardess and is also suicidal for other reasons.  Cuaron makes his directorial debut and was the start of things to come.  He did not go onto do as much in comedy but this delivers some pretty good laughs like a scene involving a microwave.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

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

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 473rd Edition

Welcome to the 473rd Edition of my series.  The first month of the holidays have started but I won't overdue it holiday selections.  I am unemployed in the world of theater and entertainment for now but I always have karaoke at my front if need be so for now I will continue this great work.  I don't really have much to say at the moment so I'll just get to my selections for the week.

Saturday Night Live:  The Best of Jimmy Fallon (2005):  This probably does not qualify as a movie but since it is my blog and I make the rules I can call it that.  This is a few skits from Jimmy Fallon on his SNL days before he became a late night host.  One notable one is where he is impersonating Mick Jagger while Mick Jagger is on the other side and looking through a mirror.  There is also some Celebrity Jeopardy where he does a dead-on Adam Sandler impersonation.  Some of them near the end I did not find as funny but this does deliver laughs like a cameo by Robert De Niro.

Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (1999):  This is my biopic for the week and HBO movie.  Halle Berry stars as Dorothy Dandridge who I suppose one could say she broke the color barrier among Hollywood.  This follows her early career when she was performing in nightclubs with a sister act among her family, into her rise in Hollywood where she became the first black actress to be nominated for Best Actress.  It also shows her dark side in life.  Brent Spiner co-stars as her her very faithful agent who stands by her no matter what.  Klaus Maria Brandauer co-stars as director Otto Preminger who has an affair with Dandridge and also helped her career get going but might have made some wrong decisions afterwards.  Obba Babatunde, Loretta Devine, Cynda Williams, William Atherton, D.B. Sweeney, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a pretty decent story of an actress who broke ground being a black woman playing non-slave/servant roles but had a very tragic life.  Quite the irony that the star of the film was the first black woman to win Best Actress and portrays the first black woman to be nominated for Best Actress.

Dead in Tombstone (2013):  This is my guilty pleasure of the week.  Danny Trejo stars as Guerrero who is a gang leader in a western town and is murdered in a power play.  In his death, he ends up in hell where he meets the devil, played by none other than Mickey Rourke fresh off his victory in boxing, and proposes to the devil a deal where he will kill six other gang members and bring their souls for him to escape damnation.  Anthony Michael Hall co-stars as Guerrero's brother which I assume is a half one who is now the leader of the gang.  Hall was far meaner than I have ever seen him.  Dina Meyer co-stars as a town cop who helps Guerrero in his mission.  This is what it is and rather fun if not taken too seriously and an interesting twist towards the western genre.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

Posture Pals (1952):  This is my short for the week which was featured on the MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 episode which showed last week's feature THE UNEARTHLY.  This takes place in a third grade classroom where a teacher gives a "posture test" where four kids fail it and are encouraged to work together so that they can earn a paper crown for winning.  This was funny on many levels and was a perfect way for MST3K to start out.  This episode can be found on Instant Netflix.

Babes in Toyland (1934):  I finally bring a holiday selection in this version of the classic tale which stars comedy duo Laurel and Hardy.  In the world of Toyland, Ollie Dee and Stanley Dum try to borrow money from their employer the Toymaker in hopes of paying the mortgage on Mother Peep's shoe and keep Little Bo Peep from having to marry the ruthless Barnaby, played by Henry Brandon.  The bumbling friends do everything possible to help the Peep family with some very funny results.  This is a really a good movie that brings together a lot of fairy tales and the best of what I have seen from Laurel and Hardy.

Double Headed Eagle:  Hitler's Rise to Power 1918-1933 (1973):  This is my documentary for the week which is more like clips put together from these time periods.  There were some footage that was pretty rare like one where it appears that he had just come into power.  There were some other pretty interesting speeches from Hitler which really show his skills as an orator and his ways of making his people actually believe him.  Some of the footage I found a bit unnecessary but was worth it of the footage showing the rise of the Nazi regime and especially for the beginning speech he made.  This is also available Instant Netflix.

Beauty and the Beast (1946):  Notice the year this was made.  This is my French film for the week which was directed by Jean Cocteau.  Josette Day stars as Belle whose father ends up at a castle ran by a beast, played by Jean Marais, and is taken prisoner.  She decides to take his place in his castle where the start of this tale as old as time begins.  As you see, the plot is pretty much the same as the famed Disney version but this version has darker imagery within the castle.  This does not have the talking objects but has things like arms holding the candles in the wall.  This is still a very good and compelling version of this tale with very good performances all around.  From what I can remember, there is no explanation on why the prince became a beast.  Cocteau also did a great job of making the most of what he had long before we had the technology for special effects.  This tale as old as time really deserves a watch and could be a good double feature to watch along with the Disney version in which I had the pleasure to play Lefou in our local version.

The Rescuers Down Under (1990):   I follow up now with some Disney animation.  The courageous mice Bernard and Miss Bianca, voiced by Bob Newhart and Eva Gabor, return to save a boy and a rare eagle from a very ruthless poacher named McLeach, voiced by George C. Scott.  This was a sequel to the 1977 film THE RESCUERS.  John Candy provides the voice to the loyal Albatross Wilbur.   Tristan Rogers, Frank Welker, Douglas Seale, Billy Barty, and many others provide their voices to this film.  This is a pretty fun adventure film which can be pretty disturbing at times with McLeach who has absolutely no redeeming qualities.  Still something the family can watch in my opinion and a pretty good sequel unless it is considered more like a continuation.  This is available on Instant Netflix along with the first one.

12 Angry Men (1957):  Sidney Lumet directed this film which is really one of my favorites from the era.  The trial portion of a murder case is over and now the jury must decide the fate of the defendant.  The jurors are ready to go and most believe he is guilty thinking it will not be a long deliberation until juror #8, played very well by Henry Fonda, feels that the evidence is not as obvious as many think.  He begins to work on the other 11 jurors that there is reasonable doubt in the case.  Martin Balsam, John Fiedler, Lee J. Cobb, E.G. Marshall, Jack Klugman, Edward Binns, Jack Warden, Joseph Sweeney, Ed Begley, George Voskovec, and Robert Webber star as the other members of the jury.  The movie revolved in the jury room showing all the tension within the room.  I once auditioned for a play version at Belfry but unfortunately did not get a part.  Any theater in my area, let's give this a shot please.  I was once a member of a jury in a trial that lasted a whole week where it did not quite get this intense but really had to work through some disagreements.  The whole case carried this movie very well and a movie I never tire of seeing.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

The Falcon and the Snowman (1985):  I end with this 80s film where I came up with a list of 20 films that I thought would fit the week as the 10th film and messaged my friend Amber whose selection of 13 resulted in this one.  John Schlesinger directed this film based on the novel by Robert Lindsey which is based on a true story.  Timothy Hutton stars as Christopher Boyce who is an All-American man who works as a guard for sensitive government documents.  What Boyce begins to see makes him lose his faith in his country and becomes a spy for Russia along with his drug pusher childhood friend Daulton, played by Sean Penn.  Pat Hingle, Joyce Van Patten, and Dorian Harewood all co-star in this film.  It's a rather unbelievable but true tale of seemingly regular people selling secrets to Russia.  Any more description may give this away but I believe this is a rather overlooked 80s movie that really deserves a look.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Mel Gibson, Bette Davis, Leonardo DiCaprio, and many others.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 472nd Edition

Welcome to the 472nd Edition of my series.  Today is the last performance for 1776, it's been a great show and hope to work there again sometime.  There was a great cast and crew to bring together a good musical.  I got to meet a lot new great new people and hope someday to work with them again.  Thanks to all involved, it has been worth the drive from Muncie.  I will now get to my recommendations for the week.

Brooklyn Rules (2007):  Michael Corrente directed this movie which was written by Terence Winter.  This centers around three friends who have been friends since childhood.  The first is Michael, played by Freddie Prinze Jr., the second is Carmine, played by Scott Caan, and the third is Bobby, played by Jerry Ferrara.  They have always grown around the Mafia and Carmine decides he wants more of that lifestyle which affects the other two.  Alec Baldwin, Mena Suvari, Annie Golden, and Monica Keena co-star in this movie.  This was not a great movie but a decent one that takes a look at friendship and the questions of loyalty and the tests a friendship can have.  The characters are pretty well written and is worth a look if you don't have the expectations of GOODFELLAS or THE GODFATHER.

Patton Oswalt:  My Weakness is Strong (2009):  This is my stand-up special for the week.  Oswalt is likely most known as Remy the Rat in RATATOUILLE.  He reflects on the difficulty of having to be a good example to kids during that film.  He talks about everything from texting to werewolves.  It is a stand-up show that many can relate to while still delivering some laughs.  Fans of Oswalt and those who do not know him should check out this special which is a little over an hour.  This is available on Instant Netflix.  I'll also put in a plug for his comedy BIG FAN.

The Whistleblower (2010):  This is part three of my David Strathairn trilogy.  Larysa Kondracki directed and co-wrote this film based on a true story.  Rachel Weisz stars as Kathy Bolkovac who is an American police officer and her idealism and need for money lead her to accept a job as peacekeeper in post-war Bosnia.  In her thought that she would be able to help rebuild the devastated nation, she soon begins to uncover sex trafficking and corruption from the diplomatic community.  She puts her life on the line in hopes of saving the female slaves.  Monica Bellucci, Vanessa Redgrave, Benedict Cumberbatch, David Hewlett, Liam Cunningham, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a very intriguing thriller and can make one cringe.  Kathryn Bolkovac still works as a motivational speaker and provides consultancy on whistleblowing protection.  Weisz was great in this film and it deserves a look.

 Un Chien Andalou (1929):  This is my short film for the week which was directed by Luis Bunuel and co-wrote alongside Salvador Dali.  This is Bunuel's debut film and was the start of quite a career.  This is a surrealistic film with rather bizarre imagery left to interpretation.  They have everything from slitting a woman's eye and a dead horse on top of a piano.  This is mostly from those who are buffs of the French cinema.  No matter what you think, it will be remembered.

The Unearthly (1957):  I decided to check out a little MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 this week and came across this one.  John Carradine stars as mad scientist Dr. Charles Conway who specializes in longevity where he misleads people into thinking their depression will be cured but really turns them more into zombies.  This episode had the original host Joel and along with Crow and Cambot, they make some pretty funny jokes at this enjoyable b-movie.  It made me think about John Carradine who had a lot of really good movies and a lot of really bad ones.  Tor Johnson co-stars as Lobo which was a character he played or was at least named in the Ed Wood movies and actually talks in this one for a change.  This is available on watch on Instant Netflix.

1776 (1972):  In being a part of production, I decided to revisit this musical on the signing of the declaration of independence.   William Daniels stars as Massachusetts representative John Adams who wants independence from British rule but struggles to convince the others and is opposed by some of congress, mostly with the thoughts that it was not the right time and it would not work.  Along for the ride is Benjamin Franklin, played by Howard Da Silva, and a reluctant Thomas Jefferson, played by Ken Howard, who Adams appoints to write the Declaration of Independence.  I had the pleasure of playing Samuel Chase of Maryland and got to eat on stage.  This is a dramatization of the events that lead up to the signing.  To my knowledge, there really is not any real documents that show what happened during this time period.  It is good to see the supporting cast portrayed and made me appreciate it a lot more.  There are also a lot of fun musical numbers.  It was brought to my attention that the original version did not have the song COOL, CONSIDERATE MEN which apparently happened due to Richard Nixon's objection.  The version which has 2 hours and 46 minutes does have this song and is available on Amazon Prime which is what I watched it on.  This has been a pretty underrated musical and will be a fun watch if you don't expect absolute historical accuracy.

Monkey on my Back (1957):  This is another biographical drama which is based on former champion boxer and WWII hero Barney Ross.  Cameron Mitchell stars as Ross, who starts out with a gambling addiction who is in debt to many but changes his ways for a woman only to develop a morphine addiction.  Dianne Foster co-stars as his love interest Cathy who does what she can to save from his addiction but finds it is not easy.  This is a pretty decent and watchable drama in this era.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

The Rain People (1969):  Francis Ford Coppola wrote and directed this drama.  Shirley Knight stars as Natalie who goes into a panic after learning of her pregnancy and runs away from home leaving her husband behind.  Along the way, she meets a hitchhiker named Jimmy but nicknamed Killer, played by James Caan, who is brain damaged and a bit slow in the head.  She does what she can to help him and even find him a job so she can move on but cannot do that.  She also meets a patrolman, played by Robert Duvall, where she has another rather complicated relationship.  This is a nice road movie and coming of age one in some ways.  Caan and Duvall would later have their careers made in Coppola's THE GODFATHER but this is a pretty good pre-teaming with believable performances..  This is not a very upbeat movie but very well-written and underrated.

Whiplash (2014):  I had the pleasure of viewing this one at the Keystone Arts Cinema in Indianapolis.  My friend Doug and I had not seen anything there for awhile but like going out there and when he suggested this one I had not heard of it but trusted his judgment.  Damien Chazelle wrote and directed this independent film.  Miles Teller stars as young drummer Andrew who attends a very prestigious music academy in the class of the ruthless Fletcher, played by J.K. Simmons.  Fletcher will not hold back on his students to the point of verbal and a little physical abuse.  Andrew and Fletcher form a very odd relationship and rivalry that gets very intense.  Paul Reiser and Melissa Benoist co-star in this film.  I don't know when the last time was I saw Reiser who plays Andrew's father who begins to question his son's decision to join Fletcher's class.  This is a really good film showing how far someone will and should go to achieve greatness in the eyes of the public which can be very difficult on their personal life.  This movie has a very interesting climax between Andrew and Fletcher.  This was worth the money paid at the movie theater which is a movie theater I prefer to support which show independent film.

The Five Senses (1999):  I end the week with this Toronto independent film.  Jeremy Podeswa wrote and directed this movie of interconnecting stories that base themselves on each of the five senses.  The movie centers around a three year old girl who goes missing and those involved in her life whether directly or indirectly.  Molly Parker, Mary-Louise Parker, Gabrielle Rose, Nadia Litz, and many others co-star in this independent drama.  My favorite story was that of a man losing his hearing and doing what he can to keep from losing it.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Robert De Niro, Halle Berry, Mickey Rourke, and many others.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 471st Edtion

Welcome to the 471st Edition of my series.  We have had a really good run on 1776.  There is still next weekend.  It is on Friday and Saturday at 8 pm and Sunday at 2 pm.  It is at the Ivy Tech in Noblesville and tickets are $18 for adults and $12 for children.  I have enjoyed being part of this great cast and am glad to return to the Belfry group.  It has not been the easiest with the weather but has been worth it.  I will get to my selections for the week.

Justice League:  War (2014):  I start the week out with this animated superhero movie.  This is more of a prequel for the Justice League where Superman, voiced by Alan Tudyk, Wonder Woman, voiced by Michelle Monaghan, Batman, voiced by Jason O'Mara, Green Lantern, voiced by Justin Kirk, the Flash, voiced by Christopher Gorham, Cyborg, voiced by Shemar Moore, and Shazam, voiced by Sean Astin and by Zach Callison as Billy Batson, all team up to take on a world threat lead by Darkseid, voiced by Steve Blum.  Each of them starts out working alone but circumstances bring them all together.  I find there was a lot of mixed reaction to this movie.  The characters are portrayed a little differently.  This is from DC's New 52 series which was a revamp and relaunch.  I read that in the comic books that Aquaman was part of this one but in this movie is replaced by Shazam which is a character I have never really been into.  I did like the origin story used for Cyborg which is a character I have never looked into in-dept and was a good story of a trouble father/son relationship.  Ioan Grufford provides the voice for Thomas Morrow in this movie.  People who are the comic geeks may not like this.  The more casual fans like me should get some enjoyment out of it even if it is not the best of the animated movies.

L.A. Confidential (1997):  This is part two of my three part David Strathairn series.  Curtis Hanson directed this film which based on the novel by James Ellroy.  This takes place in '50s L.A. in this tale of police corruption and Hollywood sleaze.  There has been a string of murders being investigated by three very different cops but out for the same thing.  The first cop is Ed Exley, played by Guy Pearce, who looks to do everything by the book which does not make him very popular.  The second cop is Bud White, played by Russell Crowe, uses very violent means in order to get to the truth.  The third cop is Jack Vincennes, played by Kevin Spacey, who is out for the publicity.  Kim Basinger, Danny Devito, James Cromwell, Ron Rifkin, Matt McKoy, Paul Guifoyle, Simon Baker, and many others co-star in this film.  Basinger is great in her Oscar winning role.  The rest of the cast also did really well.  This is a very complex film and centers on quite a few characters but is a great homage to the era.  There are also some good twists in this one.

The Diary of Anne Frank (2009):  This is based on her diaries when her family, among others, hid from Nazis in Amsterdam.  Ellie Kendrick stars as the 13 year old girl who does what she can to make the most of having to hide out in the upstairs of her father's business.  In the process they take in another family and others for them to hide out as well.  They must all learn to work through the differences as the tensions mount being stuck in the fairly small space.  Iain Glen, Tamsin Greig, Felicity Jones, Ron Cook, Geoff Breton, Kate Ashfield, Nicholas Farrell, and Leslie Sharp co-stars in this moving and sad drama.  I just cannot imagine life for the Jewish in this era that fell victim to the Nazi regime and could not live their lives they way they wanted.  This gives good narration of passages that are from the diary.  This is a really good version which deserves a look.

Matinee Idol (1930):  This is my short film for the week.  This is where a Broadway star visits a playwright who deems a scene written as unrealistic in regards to adultery but learns all to well that it is not as unrealistic as he thought.  There were some interesting things they got away with in the pre-code and was pretty funny in its seven minutes.

It Happened to Jane (1959):  This is my romantic comedy for the week.  Doris Day stars as Jane Osgood who is a single mother trying to support her two children by running a lobster business.  Her business becomes difficult when her latest shipment is ruined by inattention at the railroad station and takes on Henry Foster Malone, played by Ernie Kovacs, who manages the train station and is considered "the meanest man in the world".  Jack Lemmon co-stars as George Denham who is a lifelong friend of Jane and is an attorney.  Together, they sue Malone for the price of her lobsters and lost business and will not settle for anything else.  This is a pretty good David vs. Goliath story and a pretty funny comedy that takes a shot at American business types.  Jack and Doris made a good team but was their only teaming and the movie is not as remembered but maybe this will put it on the radar.

Sleeping Beauty (1959):  This is my Disney film of the week which I had the pleasure to see it on a bigger screen at my local library.  Princess Aurora is our princess in this one and she is cursed from the day she is born by the evil and bitter witch Maleficent, voiced by Eleanor Audley.  Aurora is raised by three fairies in order to keep her on the radar in hopes of preventing Aurora's curse when she hits the age of 16.  I believe this one has the best prince in Prince Phillip as well as the best villain in Maleficent with a pretty disturbing climax.  This can fit very well into a Disney marathon, especially for a Disney Princess marathon.  I have not seen the recent movie of MALEFICENT but may have to view it sometime.

The Vampire Lovers (1970):  This is my Hammer Films selection for the week.  Ingrid Pitt stars as Camilla who is a vampire and targets a rich and remote area in the 18th century.  She targets a family, mainly Emma, played by Madeline Smith.  Peter Cushing, Kate O'Mara, and Jon Finch all co-star in this gothic tale.  This focuses more on the female vampires which was different at this time.  It also has some moments of eroticism.  This is a decent and more underrated Hammer entry and is good for fans of the genre.  Pitt does a really good job as Camilla and is a good, atmospheric tale.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

The Conspirator (2010):  Robert Redford directed this film based on the trial of Mary Surratt, played by Robin Wright, who was the only woman accused of conspiracy on assassinating President Lincoln.  Surratt owned a boarding house which housed Lincoln's assassin John Wilkes Booth, played by Toby Kebbell, and the other conspirators.  James McAvoy co-stars as Frederick Aiken who has just become an attorney and is assigned to defend Surratt with much reluctance for reasons like being on the other side for the civil war and at first believing with the others she is automatically guilty.  The more he gets to know Surratt, the more he believes she might be innocent but finds it very difficult to get her the fair trial as he has a lot of limitations on things like witnesses for the trial.  There are flashbacks to the planning of the assassination which involved her son John, played by Johnny Simmons, and his conspiring with Booth.  Kevin Kline, Evan Rachel Wood, Tom Winkinson, Justin Long, Danny Huston, James Badge Dale, Colm Meaney, Alexis Bledel, Jonathan Groff, Norman Reedus, Chris Bauer, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a really good movie on the trial system for events like these and has a great cast with really good performances.  This is available on Instant Netflix and a good historical drama on the aftermath of Lincoln's assassination.

Buffet Froid (1979):  Bertrand Blier wrote and directed this French film as well as playing Inspector Morvandieu.  Gerard Depardieu stars as Alphonse Tram who has an encounter with a man at a train station where an argument ensues and he loses his knife.  Later, he discovers the man with his own knife.  The inspector turns out to be his next door neighbor and Alphonse tries to talk to him about it but the inspector wants to hear none of it.  In the next part, Tram's wife is murdered and a man, played by Jean Carmet, comes to confess but Tram does not really seem to mind nor does the police officer.  This is a black comedy on solitude and dehumanization of the modern world.  It is a rather bizarre film at times but still manages to give a lot of laughs.  Carole Bouquet also co-stars in this film.  Depardieu gives a great comedic performance and the three actors worked well together.  This is available on Instant Netflix and is a rather hidden French film that was a pretty fun and strange watch.

Wild Bill (2011):  I end with this independent British film which was directed and co-written by Dexter Fletcher.  In trying to find my 10th film, I came up with a list of 10 movies from my Netflix queue that I felt might fit the mold for this week and asked my friend David to come up with a number between 1 and 10 and his number lead me to check this one out.  Charlie Creed-Miles plays the title character who has been paroled after eight years in prison.  He returns home to find his 15 and 11 year old kids Dean, played by Will Poulter, and Jimmy, played by Sammy Williams, fending for themselves after their mother has left.  At first Bill does not want to be a father at first and Dean has a job and tries to be a father to Jimmy.  Bill's presence has drawn attention from social services and Dean makes him stay at the house for a week so they don't get put in homes and threatens to get Bill on dealing if he does not go along.  In his time at home, he slowly forms a bond with his kids but sees that Jimmy is becoming him in a life of crime and looks to stop him from going down the path.  Olivia Williams, Jason Flyming, and Andy Serkis also co-star in this film.  Creed-Miles does a great job as the title character and I'm sorry if you were expecting Wild Bill Hickok.  This is a really gritty film on British ghetto life and has really well-written characters along with a good story.  This is available on Instant Netflix and is really worth a look.

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

FUN AND USELESS FACTS

Sean Astin (Justice League:  War) and Andy Serkis (Wild Bill) co-star in Peter Jackson's LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY and do not get along very well in these movies.

Sean Astin (Justice League:  War) and Danny Devito (L.A. Confidential) were in the 1989 film THE WAR OF THE ROSES.

Alan Tudyk (Justice League:  War) and Olivia Williams (Wild Bill) were in the tv series DOLLHOUSE.

Alan Tudyk (Justice League:  War) and Russell Crowe (L.A. Confidential) were in the 2007 film 3:10 TO YUMA.

Alan Tudyk (Justice League:  War) and James Cromwell (L.A. Confidential) were in the 2004 film I, ROBOT.

Steve Blum (Justice League:  War) provides the voice for Superman's main rival Lex Luthor in the 2013 animated movie JUSTICE LEAGUE:  THE FLASHPOINT PARADOX.  Kevin Spacey (L.A. Confidential) plays Luthor in the 2006 movie SUPERMAN RETURNS.

Ioan Gruffudd (Justice League:  War) and James Cromwell (L.A. Confidential) were in the 2008 movie W.

Ioan Gruffudd (Justice League:  War) and Gerard Depardieu (Buffet Froid) were in the 2000 movie 102 DALMATIONS.

Justin Kirk (Justice League:  War) and James Cromwell (L.A. Confidential) were in the 2003 HBO mini-series ANGELS IN AMERICA.

Kevin Spacey (L.A. Confidential) and Robin Wright (The Conspirator) are husband and wife in the Netflix series HOUSE OF CARDS.

Kevin Spacey (L.A. Confidential) and Jack Lemmon (It Happened to Jane) were in the 1992 film GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS.

Guy Pearce (L.A. Confidential) and Danny Huston (The Conspirator) were in the 2012 film LAWLESS.

Guy Pearce (L.A. Confidential) and Evan Rachel Wood (The Conspirator) were in the 2011 HBO mini-series MILDRED PIERCE.

Guy Pearce (L.A. Confidential) and James Badge Dale (The Conspirator) were in the 2013 film IRON MAN 3

Kim Basinger (L.A. Confidential) will be playing my mother in my biopic THE RISE AND FALL OF SHAUN BERKEY.  Evan Rachel Wood (The Conspirator) will be my friend Ashley.

Kim Basinger (L.A. Confidential) and Robert Redford (The Conspirator director) were in the 1984 film THE NATURAL.

David Strathairn (L.A. Confidential) and Robert Redford (The Conspirator director) were in the 1992 film SNEAKERS.

David Strathairn (L.A. Confidential) and Kevin Kline were in the 1999 Shakespeare comedy A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM.

James Cromwell (L.A. Confidential) plays former president Lyndon Johnson in the 1992 tv movie RFK.  Tom Wilkinson (The Conspirator) plays him in the 2014 film SELMA

Russell Crowe (L.A. Confidential) and Danny Huston (The Conspirator) were in the 2010 film ROBIN HOOD.

Peter Cushing (The Vampire Lovers) plays Dr. Frankenstein in the Hammer Films.  James McAvoy will be playing Dr. Frankenstein in the upcoming 2015 film FRANKENSTEIN.