Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 687th Edition

Welcome to the 687th Edition of my series.  I hope everyone is having a good new year so far.  I am glad to say that I am officially done filing for my last scenes in the local movie ASTRO GIRL FROM PLANET ZOLTRAN.  I got to play the corrupt president in this movie.  I think there is still more they need to film and will keep posted of anything happening.  There is not much else going on so onto my selections for the week.

Moulin Rouge! (2001):  This is part two of a two-part Ewan McGregor series, part one of a possible Nicole Kidman trilogy, and part one of a possible two-part John Leguizamo series.  Baz Luhrman directed and co-wrote this very unusual musical.  This takes place in the year 1899 and the musical numbers are mostly music from the 20th century in which they work in very well to make me believe it was that year.  Ewan McGregor stars as Christian who is a poet making his way to Paris to and joins up with a group of Bohemians.  He goes to the nightclub of the Moulin Rouge and is mistaken for the Duke by Satine, played very well by Nicole Kidman, who is supposed to meet up with the Duke but finds Christian instead.  They slowly form a very dangerous affair as the Duke, played by Richard Roxburgh, covets Satine.  Jim Broadbent stars as Harold Zidler who runs the Moulin Rouge and is very amusing in his role, especially his cover of Madonna's LIKE A VIRGIN.  Leguizamo, Jacek Koman, Matthew Whittet, Natalie Mendoza, Lara Mulcahy, David Wenham, and many others co-star in this film.  Most who know me well enough know this is one of my favorite movies.  It is interesting how when I show this movie to friends, their first though is that Harold Zidler is the villain due to things like his outgoing personality and the kind of place he runs.  He really is not the villain and does what he must and is pretty caring towards his employees like Satine even if we may not agree with him.  My favorite scene is the scene when he covers the Queen song THE SHOW MUST GO ON and it shows more of his human side.  This also has some amazing cinematography with very good performances.

You're the Greatest, Charlie Brown (1979):  This is my animated short for the week which is technically a tv special but as I've said before this is my blog and I can define movie however I want.  We join Charles M. Schulz's world of Peanuts which centers around the Junior Olympics.  Peppermint Patty and Marcie talk Charlie Brown into joining the contest with Snoopy posing as the Masked Marvel.  They must go against the arrogant Freddy Fabulous and Charlie Brown proves to be a formidable competitor.  This is for fans of the gang and the character of Charlie Brown that so many can relate.

Daisy Kenyon (1947):  This is my romantic drama for the week which was directed by Otto Preminger and based on the novel by Elizabeth Janeway.  Joan Crawford stars as the title character who is in a relationship with an attorney named Dan O'Mara, played by Dana Andrews.  Dan refuses to get a divorce with his wife Lucille, played by Ruth Warrick, and Daisy meets returning veteran Peter, played by Henry Fonda, who she forms a relationship with but does not love.  Peggy Ann Garner, Connie Marshall, Nicholas Joy, Art Baker, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a really good movie from this era on a love triangle which goes a little above love triangle.  This is a pretty intense drama and likely pretty controversial for its time with good performances from the leads.

Runaway (1984):  This was presented at the Muncie Public Library as part of their Attack of the Movie series.  Michael Crichton wrote and directed this sci-fi film which takes place in a very not so distant future.  Tom Selleck stars as police officer Jack Ramsey whose assignment is specializing in malfunctioning robots.  He uncovers some murder happening from robots by none other than Kiss member Gene Simmons.  Cynthia Rhodes, Stan Shaw, G.W. Bailey, Joey Cramer, Anne-Marie Martin, Michael Paul Chan, and many others co-star in this sci-fi movie.  This may take place in a future but not that far and not much more advanced than it was at the time or even now.  Some might be disappointed that it does not have real fancy futuristic cinematography or technology but it makes the movie more believable in my opinion.  Crichton was mostly an author and most known for JURASSIC PARK but was known to get behind the camera some.  This is worth a look especially for sci-fi enthusiasts and if for nothing else to see Gene Simmons.

Bride of Frankenstein (1935):  James Whale directed the sequel to the 1931 classic FRANKENSTEIN.  This continues with Boris Karloff reprising his role as the creature where he is learning more about the world.  He soon even learns to speak which is something he did not do in the first one.  In this one, he has an encounter with a blind man which is a common scene in just about any adaptation of the horror classic.  The creature meets a blind hermit who is the first person that does not fear him as he does not see him and form a friendship.  A lot of what Frankenstein is about is the fear of the unknown and the blind man does not see the unknown.  When the creature, is separated he sets out in pursuit of Dr. Henry Frankenstein who is reprised by Colin Clive.  Henry is about to get his life together and is soon getting married.  Things then become more complicated when being visited by Doctor Pretorius, played by Ernest Theisger, who is even madder than Dr. Frankenstein.  The creature then demands he is made a mate and Frankenstein does not agree until Pretorius kidnaps his fiance, played by Valerie Hobson.  Elsa Lanchester plays the Bride but is billed as "?" like Karloff was in the first one.  Lanchester is credited though as playing FRANKENSTEIN author Mary Shelley who in the beginning is explaining how her story continues.  Una O'Connor, Dwight Frye, Gavin Gordon, Douglas Walton, E.E. Clive, Lucien Prival, O.P. Heggie, and many others co-star in this film.  This is probably my favorite horror franchise and even had the honor of being in a stage version where I played an evil grave digger.  In these, Frankenstein is portrayed as more of a mad scientist and even change his name from Victor to Henry which I never really understood.  This is possibly my favorite movie from classic Universal horror.

Brave (2012):  This is my Disney Pixar selection for the week.  Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman, and Steve Purcell directed this Pixar film taking place in Scotland.  Kelly MacDonald stars as Merida who is the daughter of the King and Queen, voiced by Billy Connelly and Emma Thompson, and prefers archery and adventure over the responsibility of being a princess.  Merida makes a deal with a witch, played by Julie Walters, in hopes of things getting better but have unintended consequence that she must fix.  Robbie Coltrane, Kevin McKidd, Craig Ferguson, Steven Cree, Patrick Doyle, John Ratzenberger, and many others provide their voices.  Pixar comes through once again which is deep down a story of a mother and daughter trying to have a better understanding of each other.  There are also a lot of humorous moments and a good one for the family to watch.

Baby Face Nelson (1957):  I came across this movie last week when doing my Fun and Useless Facts segment and became very curious to see Mickey Rooney playing Baby Face Nelson making this part one of a two-part Mickey Rooney series.  Don Siegel directed this biopic of the famed gangster which stars Rooney is a much darker role than usual.  This documents him getting out of prison and his time in the Dillinger gang.  Carolyn Jones, Cedric Hardwicke, Leo Gordon, Anthony Caruso, Jack Elam, John Hoyt, Elisha Cook Jr., Ted de Corsia, Robert Osterloh, Thayer David, Dabbs Greer, Lisa Davis, Emile Meyer, and many others co-star in this film.  From what I understand, this is not to be watched if looking for absolute historical accuracy.  It is still a pretty good story with Rooney doing very well as Nelson.  This was quite controversial in its time with people like J. Edgar Hoover believing it glorifies crime.  I was not able to find any sort of copy anywhere except watching on Youtube which is not the best transfer in the world but still watchable.

Eighth Grade (2018):  Bo Burnham wrote and directed this film in his directorial debut.  Elsie Fisher stars as Kayla Day who is an awkward and introverted teen trying to survive her last week of the eighth grade.  She expresses herself in the way of video blogs but in reality is a sullen teen quiet around her single father and peers I guess trying to find herself.  Josh Hamilton co-stars as her very patient father.  Emily Robinson, Jake Ryan, Daniel Zolghadri, Fred Hechinger, Imani Lewis, Luke Prael, Missy Yager, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a movie that I'm sure many relate to and to the youth reading this, I just want to tell you that there is life after middle and high school.  I was not Mr. Popular myself but now know how ridiculous "popularity" is within school.  Burnham is a known stand up comedian whose career started rather similar when he was a teen posting Youtube videos and from my understand it kind of a biography on him in a way except the protagonist is a girl.  Fisher has gotten a lot of recognition for her own performance in this film.  This is a very well-done film about growing up and trying to survive school having quite the reception.

Airport '77 (1977):  Jerry Jameson directed this disaster movie which is based on the novel by Arthur Hailey.  Jack Lemmon plays lead pilot Don Gallagher for a flight where Phillip Stevens, played by James Stewart, is flying in a group of V.I.P.s to the grand opening of his art collection.  Some art thieves hijack the plan and things go awry when they are trapped underwater forcing Gallagher to use his resourcefulness to save the passengers.  This has quite the all star cast in Lee Grant, Brenda Vaccaro, Joseph Cotten, Olivia de Havilland, Darren McGavin, Christopher Lee, Robert Foxworth, Robert Hooks, Monte Markham, Kathleen Quinlan, Gil Gerard, James Booth, Monica Lewis, Monica Lewis, Maidie Norman, M. Emmet Walsh, and many others.  I must admit to being guilty of stereotyping when seeing Lee is in the movie and my first thought was "Oh, he must be one of the hijackers" which was not true.  This type of movie was very popular in this movie which involves a disaster of sorts, an all-star cast, and many sub-plots.  This is also the third part of the Airport series and looks like these can be watched in any order.  I looked into the first two but they did not fit into the week due to actors and such.  If not taken too seriously, this is pretty fun and entertaining and enjoyed seeing Lemmon in a heroic role.

Dead Man Walking (1995):  This is part two of a two-part R. Lee Ermey series.  I am sorry to say this is not a movie about the Undertaker.  Tim Robbins goes behind the camera on this one as the director of this film which is based on the book by Sister Helen Prejean who is portrayed by Susan Sarandon in this film.  Sister Prejean is a New Orleans nun who befriends death row inmate Matthew Poncelet, played by Sean Penn, who is getting closer to execution and tries to help him spiritually while also getting a stay of execution.  Ermey, Robert Prosky, Raymond J. Barry, Celia Weston, Lois Smith, Scott Wilson, Roberta Maxwell, Margo Martindale, Larry Pine, Clancy Brown, Peter Sarsgaard, Jack Black, Jon Abrahams, and many others co-star in this film.  Robbins was able to make a very compassionate film about a dark subject matter.  Sarandon and Penn work well together in their interactions.  This does have some pretty disturbing scenes depicting the crimes but if you can get past that, this is a very moving film based on a true story.

Well, that is it for this section but I have three other segments that involve book and film so read on.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Nicole Kidman, Rosalind Russell, Allison Janney, and many others.

MOVIE TIME AT THE SHERA

The Goonies (1985):  This was actually watched on New Year's Day at Shera's house but decided to put it off until this week when doing my "Fun and Useless Facts" segment.  Shera asked me to get a cabbage to start the new year so I went ahead and got one and joined her and her friend Brent as the food got made and watched this '80s classic.  Richard Donner directed this film where Steven Spielberg gets a writer credit for the story and Chris Columbus gets the writer credit for the screenplay so quite the collaboration going on here.  Sean Astin and Josh Brolin star as brothers Mikey and Brand Walsh whose home is up for foreclosure and set out to save their home when finding a treasure map.  They are joined by their friends played by Jeff Cohen, Corey Feldman, Kerri Green, Martha Plimpton, and Jonathan Ke Quan.  Ke Quan is likely most known for being Short Round in INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM which came out around the same time and is probably the most amusing in this movie with his inventions.  They must get past villains Mama Fratelli, played by Anne Ramsey, and her sons Jake and Francis, played by Robert Davi and Joe Pantoliano.  John Matuszak co-stars as the memorable character Sloth.  This group of villains is based on Ma Barker and her sons.  It was good to revisit this popular '80s classic which shows us that Samwise and Thanos are brothers.

MOVIE TIME IN THE TOWN OF POTTERSVILLE

The Hobbit:  An Unexpected Journey (2012):  This was also viewed last week but put off to this week.  A couple weeks ago, Stephanie and me were looking for a 3D blu-ray to rent and take to her parents' home to watch on their state of the art system but were unable to find anything.  Knowing how much she is into these movies, I found this one at the library so we tried again.  Many will be shocked to learn this is my first time to see any of these as the LOTR films comes as a bit of a mixed bag for me and never really became a favorite of mine.  These movies based on the book by J.R.R. Tolkien come from director Peter Jackson and take place before LORD OF THE RINGS telling the story of hobbit Bilbo Baggins, played by Martin Freeman while also played by Ian Holm in a cameo of scenes of him reflecting on his younger days as well as Elijah Wood having a cameo as Frodo.  Bilbo is approached by Gandalf, reprised by Ian McKellan, to take the journey with a group of dwarves led by the legendary warrior Thorin Oakenshield, played by Richard Armitage, to Lonely Mountain.  Ken Stott, Graham McTavish, William Kircher, James Nesbitt, Stephen Hunter, Dean O'Gorman, Aidan Turner, John Callen, Peter Hambleton, Jed Brophy, Adam Brown, Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett, Christopher Lee, Andy Serkis, Manu Bennett, Lee Pace, Benedict Cumberbatch, and many others co-star in this film.  I had no idea what to really expect but I found myself actually enjoying this movie and the 3D element was pretty cool as well.  Tolkien's LORD OF THE RINGS was an actual book trilogy but this story was expanded by Jackson to be a trilogy.  I'll try to get the other two watched at some point, likely with Stephanie and am actually wanting to view them now.

THE BOOKWORM CORNER

Buseyisms:  Gary Busey's Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth by Gary Busey and Steffanie Sampson (2018):  I decided to add a new segment and yes that is Roddy McDowell as the Bookwork in the '60s BATMAN sitcom.  I admit I am extremely far from being a book worm though I am trying to read more.  My mom bought me this book for Christmas knowing what a fan I am of our modern day philosopher Gary Busey.  This book is an autobiographical book on Busey's life starting at childhood, his rise into acting, his addictions and recovery, and the life-changing motorcycle accident.  He also has a glossary of what he calls Buseyisms which for those who have never watched him are anagrams he makes into works like the title for example and even motivation meaning "moving our thoughts into victory and truth in overcoming negativity" as well as many other profound things.  I first took note of Busey in the 2003 Comedy Central reality show I'M WITH BUSEY which entertained me to the extreme.  Many people I know dismiss him for his outlandish personality which I find very enjoyable and if you can get past his weirdness, he is really a very insightful person.  I'm not usually big on reality television but Busey is very much an exception.  His co-author Steffanie Sampson is his wife who talked him into writing a book about his complex life.  This is a very insightful and inspirational book that I was able to read in a fairly quick manner.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 686th Edition

Welcome to the 686th Edition of my series.  This is my first post of the new year and hope everyone is enjoying their new year so far.  Nothing really new happening in my life right now so I'll just get on with my selections.

Toy Story 2 (1999):  I start the new year out with the Disney Pixar sequel which was directed by John Lasseter, Ash Brannon, and Lee Unkrich.  In this one, Andy, voiced by John Morris, is away at a summer camp and Woody, reprised by Tom Hanks, gets taken by a greedy toy store owner named Al, voiced by Wayne Knight.  Woody learns that he is the last part of a collection for a short lived series called "Woody's Roundup" where he meets Jessie the Yodeling Cowgirl, voiced by Joan Cusack, and Stinky Pete the Prospector, voiced by Kelsey Grammar, who are all to be sold to Japan for a very large payment to Al.  Buzz Lightyear, reprised by Tim Allen, leads the other toys to rescue Woody and bring him back to his rightful owner.  Don Rickles, Jim Varney, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Annie Potts, Estelle Harris, R. Lee Ermey, Laurie Metcalf, Jonathan Harris, Jodi Benson, Joe Ranft, Andrew Stanton, Bob Bergen, Rodger Bumpass, and many others co-star in this film.  Only in this scenario do we ever get to see Tom Hanks and Tim Allen starring together.  This is a really good continuation of the first TOY STORY and not a rehash sequel like some tend to do.  This might also make some feel really guilty of getting rid of their toys.  There is a part four coming out later this year and have high hopes for it.  This is a really fun family watch and also has a lot of emotional depth as well.

Blade Runner (1982):  I continue with this sci-fi classic which was directed by Ridley Scott and based on the novel by Philip K. Dick.  Harrison Ford stars as blade runner Rick Deckard and is the equivalent of a police officer.  This takes place in a dystopian future where synthetic humans known as replicants have been created and after things go wrong they are to be "retired" which is another word for killed.  Deckard is a burnt out cop who reluctantly agrees to go after a group of fugitive replicants lead by Roy Batty, played by Rutger Hauer.  When meeting Rachael, played by Sean Young, Deckard concludes she is a replicant believing she is human and his job becomes more complicated when forming a relationship with her.  Edward James Olmos, M. Emmet Walsh, Daryl Hannah, William Sanderson, Brion James, Joe Turkel, Joanna Cassidy, James Hong, Morgan Paull, Kevin Thompson, and many others co-star in this film.  I would also like to add that this movie takes place in the year 2019 and this was not purposely done to end up on my first post of the year, it just happened happened that way.  This sci-fi film is a very compelling and deep film which is an examination of the impact of technology on human society.  I think this is one of those movies that has become more and more popular through time.

Shallow Grave (1994):  This is part one of a two-part Ewan McGregor series.  Now I turn to a more unknown movie with this really interesting British crime film was directed by Danny Boyle.  Christopher Eccleston, Kerry Fox, and Ewan McGregor all co-star as roommates who bring in a flatmate that ends up dead and end up discovering a huge stash of cash.  They all have different ideas on how to handle the situation which leads to problems with other criminals but more between each other.  Ken Stott, Keith Allen, Colin McCredie, and many others co-star in this crime film.  There are a lot of dark comedy elements to this movie.  I think what interested me the most is the change in all three of the main characters.  For Boyle, this was his motion picture that he directed, he had directed tv movies and mini-series but this was the first feature film and would go onto do things like TRAINSPOTTING, 28 DAYS LATER, and SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE which would go onto quite a bit of popularity.  This was a really good start and remains a pretty underrated film that deserves a look.

All This and Rabbit Stew (1941):  This is my animated short for the week which features Bugs Bunny.  Usually Bugs goes against hunter Elmer Fudd but in this one goes against an unnamed black hunter which as far as I know was the only appearance of this character.  Please correct me if I'm wrong.  This is an interesting watch for historical purposes as this is part of the "Censored 11" which happened in 1968 where they were banned from syndication due to the racist elements.  This is clearly a very stereotypical portrayal of a black man but these were different times when these came out.  These are likely only going to be put out through public domain.  This is available to watch on Youtube.

Little Lord Fauntleroy (1936):  John Cromwell directed this film based on a book by Frances Hodgson Walpole.  Freddie Bartholomew stars as American boy Ceddie who learns he is the long-lost heir of a British fortune and is sent to live with the cold and unsentimental grandfather the Earl of Dorincourt, played by C. Aubrey Smith.  Ceddie is a very friendly and accepting young boy who does not know of his grandfather's personality and the Earl cannot help but take a liking to his grandchild slowly bringing out a better side in his personality.  Delores Costello, Guy Kibbee, Henry Stevenston, Mickey Rooney, Constance Collier, Una O'Connor, Jackie Searl, Jessie Ralph, and many others co-star in this film.  I am not always into films taking place in this era but found this to be a pretty moving story with a lot of really good characters to add to the enjoyment.

Blacula (1972):  This is Blaxploitation's answer to the vampire genre.  William Crane directed this vampire film which stars William Marshall as the African prince Mamuwalde in the 18th century.  Mamuwalde goes to see Count Dracula, played by Charles Macauley, in hopes he can help him with the slave trade but instead turns Mamuwalde into a vampire dubbing him Blacula and imprisons him in a tomb.  In the modern-day, some antique collectors buy the coffin not knowing an imprisoned vampire was in the coffin.  When they open it, the vampire becomes loose and wreaking havoc all over town.  Vonetta McGee, Denise Nicholas, Thalmus Rasulala, Gordon Pinsent, Elisha Cook Jr., and many others co-star in this film.  Marshall was likely most known for this role and would later go onto be the King of Cartoons in the tv series PEE WEE'S PLAYHOUSE.  This follows the classic Bram Stoker novel to a certain extent.  This is really better than it should be, especially with Macauley's performance as the title character.  If you like vampire movies and have not seen this one, keep an open mind and give it a shot.

Batman vs. Two-Face (2017):  This is my second animated selection for the week.  Adam West and Burt Ward reprise their roles of Batman and Robin from the popular '60s sitcom which is their second and last animated appearance.  As far as I know, the sitcom never had the character of Harvey Dent, voiced by William Shatner, who becomes mutilated in a lab accident and embarks on a crime spree.  Julie Newmar reprises her role as Catwoman who plays a rather significant role.  Jeff Bergman, Sirena Irwin, Thomas Lennon, Lee Meriwether, William Salyers, Lynne Marie Stewart, Jim Ward, Steven Weber, Wally Wingert, and many others co-star in this animated movie.  Meriwether plays Catwoman in the 1966 movie based on the television sitcom.  This is an homage to the '60s sitcom so is a rather campy but fun Batman movie that gives reference to just about all the villains from the show in some way.  I was also amazed at how Ward manages to keep his youthful voice when playing Robin.  This is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

Downhill Racer (1969):  Michael Ritchie directed this skiing film.  Gene Hackman stars as U.S. Olympic Ski team coach Eugene Claire who is trying to get together his ski team after his top player gets injured.  Robert Redford stars as skier David Chappellet who is a very good skier not much of a team player team player like Claire wants.  Camilla Sparv, Jim McMullan, Kathleen Crowley, Dabney Coleman, Karl McMullan Vogler, and many others star in this sports film.  This is a really good look at the world of skiiing and the various people involved.  It comes down to a really good climax skiing climax.  This is some very good early Hackman and early Redford that deserve a look.

Hondo (1953):  This is my western for the week.  John Farrow directed this western based on a story by Louis L'Amour.  John Wayne stars as army scout Hondo Lane who stumbles into a town that is Apache territory.  He meets inhabitants Angie and Johnny, played by Geraldine Page and Lee Aaker, who are mother and son and believe they are safe with the Apache treaty.  Hondo knows better and does what he can to protect them.  Ward Bond, Michael Pate, James Arness, Rodolfo Acosta, Leo Gordon, Tom Irish, Paul Fix, and many others co-star in this film.  The dog in this movie was the original screen Lassie.  This was originally shot in 3-D.  This is a pretty decent western with some good blend of action and romance with Wayne on the top of his game with Page making a good film debut.

The Giver (2014):  I end the week with this sci-fi film and realize I have done quite bit in the way of sci-fi and fantasy this week.  Phillip Noyce directed this film which is based on a novel by Lois Lowry.  This takes place in a Utopian type of society where it is a community without war, pain, and suffering but not of free will.  Upon graduation, teens are chosen for their new line of work.  Brenton Thwaites stars as Jonas who is leaving childhood and chosen to the rare world of Receiver of Memories.  Jeff Bridges co-stars as the title character who gives Jonas memories before the even the Ruin happened making Jonas learn of feelings like love and fear.  As Jonas learns more, he finds there is a more sinister plan at hand.  Meryl Streep, Alexander Skarsgard, Odeya Rush, Cameron Monaghan, Taylor Swift, Emma Tremblay, and many others co-star in this film.  Streep is the head of the Elders and is the villain in this movie.  This is a pretty interesting watch and cannot judge it upon the novel as I have not read it.  Bridges has tried for a long time to get this movie off the ground and in the '90s was going to cast his father Lloyd Bridges as the Giver.

Well, that is it for this week but I decided to start the year out with the "Fun and Useless Facts" segment.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Nicole Kidman, Joan Crawford, Boris Karloff, Emma Thompson, and many others.

FUN AND USELESS FACTS

I decided to start the year with this segment.  As always, I focused more on connections between actors in other movies rather that interconnections.  There are plenty I could use from Pixar but decided not to go that far.  I am sure there are plenty of other connections and feel free to comment.

Tom Hanks (Toy Story 2) and Meryl Streep (The Giver) were in the 2017 film THE POST.

Tom Hanks (Toy Story 2) and Daryl Hannah (Blade Runner) were lovers in the 1984 comedy SPLASH.  Charles Macauley (Blacula) co-stars as the president.

Tom Hanks (Toy Story 2) and Ewan McGregor (Shallow Grave) were in the 2009 movie ANGELS AND DEMONS.

Tom Hanks (Toy Story 2) and Ken Stott (Shallow Grave) were in the 2007 film CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR.

Joan Cusack (Toy Story 2) and Harrison Ford (Blade Runner) were in the 1988 comedy WORKING GIRL.

Joan Cusack (Toy Story 2) and Cameron Monaghan (The Giver) were in the popular Showtime series SHAMELESS.

Joan Cusack (Toy Story 2) and Jeff Bridges (The Giver) were in the 1999 movie ARLINGTON ROAD.

Kelsey Grammar (Toy Story 2) and Harrison Ford (Blade Runner) were in the 2014 action movie THE EXPENDABLES 3.

John Ratzenberger (Toy Story 2) and Gene Hackman (Downhill Racer) were in the 1977 film A BRIDGE TOO FAR, the 1978 and 1980 SUPERMAN movies, and the 1981 film REDS.

Laurie Metcalf (Toy Story 2) and Odeya Rush (The Giver) were in the 2017 film LADY BIRD.

R. Lee Ermey (Toy Story 2) and Gene Hackman (Downhill Racer) were in the 1988 film MISSISSIPPI BURNING.

Tim Allen (Toy Story 2) and M. Emmet Walsh (Blade Runner) were in the 2004 holiday movie CHRISTMAS WITH THE KRANKS.

Wayne Knight (Toy Story 2) and James Hong (Blade Runnder) were in the 2008 animated movie KUNG FU PANDA.

Harrison Ford (Blade Runner) and Gene Hackman (Downhill Racer) were in the 1974 film THE CONVERSATION.

Rutger Hauer (Blade Runner) and Katie Holmes (The Giver) were in the 2005 superhero film BATMAN BEGINS.

M. Emmet Walsh (Blade Runnder) and Gene Hackman (Downhill Racer) were in the 1998 movie TWILIGHT and no not the vampire movie of the same name.

M. Emmet Walsh (Blade Runner) and Meryl Streep (The Giver) were in the 1982 film SILKWOOD.

M. Emmet Walsh (Blade Runner) and Robert Redford (Downhill Racer) were in the 1980 movie BRUBAKER.

M. Emmet Walsh (Blade Runner) and Charles Macaulay (Blacula) were in the 1977 disaster movie AIRPORT '77.

Joanna Cassidy (Blade Runner) and Gene Hackman (Downhill Racer) were in the 1989 movie THE PACKAGE.

Ewan McGregor (Shallow Grave) and Meryl Streep (The Giver) were in the 2013 film AUGUST:  OSAGE COUNTY.

Guy Kibbee (Little Lord Fauntleroy) and John Wayne (Hondo) were in the 1948 film 3 GODFATHERS.

Mickey Rooney (Little Lord Fauntleroy) and Elisha Cook Jr. (Blacula) were in the 1957 movie BABY FACE NELSON which I am now curious to see as Rooney plays the famed bank robber in the title character.

Burt Ward plays Dick Grayson with the alter ego of Robin in this week's feature BATMAN VS.TWO FACE as well as various live-action and animated series.  Brenton Thwaites (The Giver) plays Dick Grayson with the alter egos of Robin and Nightwing in the newer series TITANS.

John Wayne (Hondo) plays lawman Rooster Cogburn in the 1969 film TRUE GRIT and the 1975 film ROOSTER COGBURN.  Jeff Bridges (The Giver) plays Rooster Cogburn in the 2010 film TRUE GRIT.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 685th Edition

Welcome to the 685th Edition of my series.  This is my last post of the year.  I hope everyone had a good holiday however celebrated.  I think I can look back and say this was a good year.  For those who have had the bad year, I hope 2019 gets better.  I still have a little bit of holiday selection for those still in holiday movie.  I will get to my selections for the week.

Gremlins (1984):  I start out with this popular holiday creature feature.  Joe Dante directed this horror comedy which was written by Chris Columbus.  Zach Galligan stars as Billy who is given the gift of a mogwai creature he named Gizmo, voiced by Howie Mandel.  There are three rules to follow with the creature which are to not feed after midnight, no water, and no bright lights.  When the rules inadvertently broken, it results in more mogwais and while Gizmo was a very nice creature, the others are not so much.  Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axton, Keye Luke, Don Steele, Corey Feldman, Scott Brady, Harry Carey Jr., Dick Miller, Polly Holliday, Donald Elson, Belinda Balaski, Danny Llewelyn, Edward Andrews, Judge Reinhold, Nicky Katt, Frank Welker, Bob Bergen, and many others co-star in this film.  This has remained quite the holiday classic through the years.  It has always bothered me a little bit that they never really specify on when the mogwais can be fed.  Still some funny moments and a really good climax.  There has been a sequel and there is to be a part three coming at some point.

Let's Talk Turkey (1939):  This is my short film for the week and is more Thanksgiving oriented but people have turkey on Christmas as well.  This is a Pete Smith Specialty where he narrates a man demonstrating the carving a turkey and another man not able to do it so well in comical ways.  This is a pretty funny series of short films that the era that get shown on TCM a lot.

Gimme Shelter (1970):  This is one of my documentary selections and it was shown at my local library as part of the Cinemuncie series.  David and Albert Maysles directed this rock documentary which centers around a free Rolling Stones concert in California which also includes Jefferson Airplane, the Flying Burrito Brothers, and Ike and Tina Turner.  This was meant to be a Woodstock for the west area but does not maintain the peace anywhere near Woodstock.  Part of the problem was having Hell's Angels as their security and a large portion on the crowd being high on drugs.  There is also tragedy that takes place during the concert.  This is as some would say the end of the '60s both literally and figuratively as this concert happened in December of 1969.  It would be a good double feature to have this along with WOODSTOCK to compare and contrast the two.

Cirque du Soleil:  World's Away (2012):  Andrew Adamson wrote and directed this film that while usually filmed live was shot more like a movie.  Erica Linz stars as Mia, a young woman enchanted by an aerialist, played by Igor Zaripov, at the circus and fall into the dreamlike world of Cirque du Soleil where they are separted and set out for each other.  There is not much more to describe this expect that it combines a great story with some amazing aerial footage.  This was shown in theaters in 3D when first coming out and this might have been worth the price to see.

The Wild One (1953):  Laslo Benedek directed this film which is based on a story by Frank Rooney.  Marlon Brando stars as Johnny Strabler who is the leader of the Black Rebels biker gang.  The gang ends up terrorizing a small town but when Johnny meets Kathie, played by Mary Murphy, he slowly starts changing his ways but not before his ruthless rival Chino, played by Lee Marvin, arrives into town.  Robert Keith, Jay C. Flippen, Peggy Maley, Hugh Saunders, Ray Teal, Will Wright, Robert Osterloh, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a pretty good rebellion biker film with a Brando doing well as the biker.  It had a very good small-town feel with well-done photography.  This is one that really deserves a look.

She Stoops to Conquer (2003):  This is my live theater selection for the week.  Robin Lough directed this stage play which was written by Oliver Goldsmith.  This is a period piece farce comedy.  Monica Dolan stars as heiress Kate who poses as a barmaid to win over Charles Marlow, played by Christopher Staines.  In doing this, their friends have schemes of their own.  Stephen Beresford, Nigel Cooke, Fritha Goodley, Bella Merlin, Ian Redford, Owen Sharpe, Matthew Sim, Christopher Staines, Jason Watkins, and Jane Wood co-star in this production.  This is one that will be most appreciated by those who are into period pieces but this is enhanced with comedy.  I try to get a hold of live theater productions when I can and this was a pretty good and funny watch.

Blossoms in the Dust (1941):  Mervyn Leroy directed this biographical film that stars Greer Garson as the real-life Edna Gladney.  Gladney becomes an early fighter for the rights of children, especially those labeled as "illegitimate" just because they were born out of wedlock.  She starts an orphanage service of matching children with adoptive parents and also fights congress to make better laws for children.  Walter Pidgeon, Felix Bressart, Marsha Hunt, Fay Golden, Samuel S. Hinds, Kathleen Howard, George Lessey, William Henry, Henry O'neill, John Eldridge, and many others co-star in this film.  Pidgeon plays Edna's husband and is the first of eight teamings for the actors.  This is both sad and moving at the same time and really deserves a look.

Bully (2011):  This is another documentary which was directed by Lee Hirsch.  This takes a look at bullying throughout various schools in the United States.  This takes a look at various cases of bullying focusing on them and the families.  I don't really know how else to put into words.  This has been a pretty heated topic lately and something that unfortunately won't go away in all likelihood.  I know there are some out there that say kids just need to stand up to the bully and while I agree with that to a point, I still believe emphasis needs to be put out that bullying is wrong.  Many reading this I'm sure are guilty in some way and I include myself when I was in grade school.  I got bullied and my response to it was bully others thinking I would "fit in" or be "popular" which really did not work.  This movie does a really good job of getting it out in the open like having footage in the bus to the point the filmmakers showed what they had to the school and the parents feeling it was getting to be very dangerous.  I really believe all parents need to be watching this with the kids and just overlook the profanity that gets used.  I think kids on both sides of the spectrum should see this and it is available to watch on Netflix.

An American Christmas Carol (1979):  This will be my last holiday featured for the year.  Eric Till directed this tv movie which was a version of the Dickens classic novel but in an American way, that probably sounds really wrong.  Fonzie himself Henry Winkler stars as ruthless businessman Benedict Slade who is the obvious equivalent of Ebenezer Scrooge.  The story then unfolds in the usual way from the Dickens story but I thought was a really good take on it with the characters while equivalent were different people.  David Wayne, R.H. Thomson, Ken Pogue, Gerard Parkes, Susan Hogan, Bill Bermender, Dorian Harewood, Tammy Bourne, and many others co-star in this holiday movie.  I know HAPPY DAYS was still going on while this was made so I'm sure it was good for some to see Winkler in a non-Fonzie role.  For those who are all year round holiday movie lovers, this will be a really good watch.  For those done with Christmas movies, maybe this should get added to the list for next year.

War for the Planet of the Apes (2017):  I end the week with this conclusion to what I thought was an excellent trilogy and probably my favorite one to date.  Andy Serkis reprises his role of Caesar who is forced into a deadly conflict with an army of humans lead by the ruthless Colonel, played by Woody Harrelson.  After suffering the loss of much of his kind, Caesar finds it more and more difficult to be that reasonable ape we have gotten to know in the first two movies.  Steve Zahn, Karin Konoval, Amiah Miller, Terry Notary, Ty Olssen, Michael Adamthwaite, Toby Kebbell, Gabriel Chavarria, Judy Greer, Sara Canning, Devyn Dalton, Aleks Paunovic, Alessandro Juliani, Max Lloyd-Jones, and many others co-star in this film.  I'm sure just about everyone knows this is the third that follows RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES and DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES.  I thought both were so well done with the story and character development.  I thought this was a really good conclusion to the trilogy.  I truly recommend starting with the first two if you have not seen this one but I also would recommend watching the originals as this pays quite a bit of homage from them while standing on their own ground.

Well, that is it for this week but I do have my segment "Movie Time in Pottersville" so continue reading.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Tom Hanks, Harrison Ford, and many others.

MOVIE TIME IN POTTERSVILLE

The Nun (2018):  I was with my friends Stephanie and Drew on the day before Christmas Eve as I gave them a ride to the home of Steph's parents and her dad wanted to show us his state of the art system having a big screen and some really nice chairs.  Another thing at the house was a Blu-Ray for 3D and since we did not possess any at the time, we drove to Family Video in hopes of renting some.  Unfortunately, they discontinued so we just settled on looking for something horror oriented as Stephanie is a horror fan.  This was a spinoff from THE CONJURING.  Demian Bichir stars priest Father Burke who investigate the suicide of a young nun.  Taissa Farmiga, Jonas Bloquet, Bonnie Aarons, Ingrid Bisu, Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Lili Taylor, Charlotte Hope, Sandra Teles, Imogene Poots, and many others co-star in this horror film.  What I saw of this movie was decent.  The system own by Steph's dad lived up to the hype.  We did get to talking quite bit which was fine but I will need another viewing and maybe see the to Conjuring movies as well.

Green Room (2015):  This was viewed when we got back to Stephanie and Drew's home and Stephanie insisted on watching this movie so I gave in once she described Patrick Stewart running a group of neo-Nazis.  This centers around a punk rock band who gets a gig in a bar outside Portland which turns out to be a neo-Nazi bar where the band witnesses a murder putting them in a lot of danger.  Anton Yelchin plays the leader of the band in his final released film before his untimely death.  ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT fans will rejoice as we see Maeby actress Alia Shawkat playing the female member Sam.  Callum Turner, David W. Thompson, Mark Webber, Macon Blair, Eric Edelstein, and many others co-star in this film.  It was really cool seeing Stewart in a villainous turn.  This is available to watch on Netflix and a decent watch for punk rock fans and horror fans.  I'd say I had a good holiday and maybe next time, we'll be ready with a 3D movie to watch.