Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 742nd Edition

Welcome to the 742nd Edition of my series.  It's been nice seeing the weather getting warmer.  Nothing really new happening besides me being in my show.  With all that I'll just get on with my selections for the week.

Misery Loves Comedy (2015):  This is part five of my five-part Steve Coogan documentary where he gets interviewed a bit in this comedy.  Kevin Pollak directed this documentary which features many people with experience in stand-up comedy and interviews them mostly on what drives them.  It also talks on how misery can lead to comedy.   Jason Alexander, Judd Apatow, Lewis Black, James L. Brooks, Rob Brydon, Bobby Cannavale, Larry David, Jimmy Fallon, Jon Favreau, Jim Gaffigan, Janeane Garofalo, Kevin Smith, Whoopi Goldberg, Christopher Guest, Tom Hanks, Chris Harwick, Penn Jillette, David Koechner, Lisa Kudrow, Richard Lewis, William H. Macy, Robert Smigel, Marc Maron, Stephen Merchant, Kevin Nealon, Freddie Prinze Jr., Matthew Perry, Andy Richter, Jason Reitman, Amy Schumer, Sam Rockwell, Bob Saget, Martin Short, and many others get interviewed.  I thought this was a pretty insightful documentary which can really give aspiring comedians ideas of where to start.  They also pay tribute some to late comedians like Richard Pryor, George Carlin, and even Freddie Prinze Sr.  This is the first time the Freddie Prinze Jr. has discussed his father publicly.  I have found that stand-up is not something for me I don't think but respect those that give it their all on that stage.  This is available to watch on Hoopla Digital.

Maxwell's Demon (1968):  This is my short film selection for the week.  Hollis Frampton directed this short film where a man does movements intended to demonstrate Maxwell's theory about gas molecules.  I honestly do not know what exactly this is meant to accomplish.  This was just more interesting in a visual way with the waves of sound to go along.  This is only about four minutes long and is available on the Criterion Channel.

Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975):  This was presented at my local library as part of the Cinemuncie series.  Peter Weir directed this film which is based on the novel by Joan Lindsey.  This takes place at a girls' school in Australia where three students and a teacher vanish without a trace and we see the effects of those at the school.  Rachel Roberts, Helen Morse, Tony Llewellyn-Jones, Anne-Louise Lambert, Karen Robson, Jane Vallis, Christine Schuler, and many others co-star in this film.  It is really hard to explain this one.  It was really cool seeing this on a bigger screen that was presented at the library.  This have very subtle overtones of horror without really showing anything that would be interpreted as horror.  This was a really good showing and really deserves a look.  This is also available on the Criterion Channel.

Act of Love (1980):  Jud Taylor directed this tv movie which is based on the book by Judith Paige Mitchell.  Ron Howard stars as Leon who is part of a family that lives in the country and is asked by his now quadriplegic brother Joe, played by a young Mickey Rourke, to kill him.  Yes, you read that right, Ron Howard and Mickey Rourke play brothers.  Robert Fox, David Spielberg, Jacquline Brookes, Gail Youngs, Mary Kay Place, Peter Michael Goetz, Peter Hobbs, Kent Williams, Chris Mulkey, David Faustino, and many others co-star in this tv movie.  I unexpectedly came across this on Amazon Prime and found Mickey Rourke was in this.  As a fan of Rourke, I had never heard of this very early movie in Rourke's career so I just could not resist this one.  This was just a little before his breakthrough 1981 film of BODY HEAT.  This was a very look at euthanasia and mercy killings and the gray areas that come along.  I likely would have never watched this had I not noticed Rourke but glad I got to give this unknown tv movie a watch.  As mentioned, this is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936):  Frank Capra directed this comedy classic which places Gary Cooper in his classic unlikely hero role.  Cooper stars as Longfellow Deeds who is a simple, small-town person very popular among his community.  He comes into a really big inheritance and must go to New York to claim it.  It is there that he becomes the target of scammers trying to take advantage of his good nature.  Jean Arthur co-stars as reporter Babe Bennett who also tries to scam him for an article in the sensationalist paper she works for.  She poses as a damsel in distress type but slowly starts to see Deeds is just a good person becoming more reluctant.  George Bancroft, Lionel Stander, Douglass Dumbrille, Raymond Walburn, H.B. Warner, Ruth Donnelly, Walter Catlett, and many others co-star in this inspiring comedy.  Capra always has really good messages in his films and with this one is really that money is not everything.  A man content in his way of life and things change when learning of a distant relative dying things change when he realizes the horrors of the world with the money.  A classic comedy that remains very relevant today which should have a big watch.  This is available to watch on Crackle.

Christopher Robin (2018):  Marc Forster directed this film which is an update to the classic story by A.A. Milne.  Ewan McGregor stars as a grown Christopher Robin who is now a successful businessman but has little time for his wife Evelyn, played by Hayley Atwell, and Madeline, played by Bronte Carmichael.  Christopher runs into his old pal Winnie the Pooh, voiced by Jim Cummings, who takes him back to Hundred Acre Woods and tries to help him rediscover the joys of life.  Mark Gatliss, Brad Garrett, Oliver Ford Davies, Nick Mohammed, Peter Capaldi, Sophie Okonedo, Toby Jones, Ronke Adekoluejo, Adrian Scarborough, Roger Ashton-Griffiths, Ken Nwosu, and many others co-star or provide their voices.  Obviously to watch this, one needs at least some knowledge to the Winnie the Pooh stories which are some timeless classics.  The year before, they put out a movie called GOODBYE, CHRISTOPHER ROBIN which was more of a biopic that focuses on the relationship between the author and his son who just happened to be named Christopher Robin.  I noticed in this movie the relationship between Christopher and his daughter kind of parallels that movie a bit in that the father is just too dedicated to his work.  In the end, I really enjoyed the update to the classic stories that I grew up with and this is available on Netflix and Disney Plus though surprised Netflix still carries it.

Black River (1957):  This is my Japanese film for the week which was directed by Masaki Kobayashi.  This takes place in post-WWII era Japan.  This focuses on a love triangle between an idealistic college student, his girlfriend, and a petty criminal.  What is really being focused upon is the corruption on and around U.S. military bases as well as the lack of social values that would lead to the things happening.  That being said, this is about far more than just the love triangle.  It is really hard to explain the movie beyond what I already have explained it.  This is one for the foreign film buffs and is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981):  This was presented at my local library as part of a 2 pm movie showing that is going on every Tuesday this month.  Steven Spielberg directed this classic adventure film which was written by George Lucas, Philip Kaufman, and Lawrence Kasdan.  Harrison Ford stars as the very adventurous archaeologist Indiana Jones who is looking for the Ark of the Covenant in the jungles of South Africa.  He must go against a group of Nazis and his enemy Belloq, played by Paul Freeman, who are also after it but for more sinister reasons.  Karen Allen co-stars as Indy's old flame Marion who reluctantly teams up him when getting caught in the middle.  Ronald Lacey, John Rhys-Davies, Denholm Elliot, Alfred Molina, Vic Tablian, Don Fellows, William Hootkins, and many others co-star in this film.  This was the start to quite a series that would for years be a trilogy but then released was the Crystal Skull.  It would also spawn the rather popular tv series THE YOUNG INDIANA JONES CHRONICLES.  Ford was already an icon as Han Solo but would become even more with this character.  I don't know where Indiana Jones learned to be so resourceful but this is a very fun adventure to go along.

A Kiss Before Dying (1956):  Gerd Oswald directed this film noir which is based on the Ira Levin.  Robert Wagner stars as Ruthless college student Bud Corliss who takes interest in Dorothy Kinship, played by Joanne Woodward, whose father has a big mining fortune.  He learns she is pregnant and believes she will be disinherited due to it being out of wedlock and stages her suicide.  Virginia Leith co-stars as Dorothy's sister Ellen who does not buy into the suicide.  Jeffrey Hunter, Mary Astor, George Macready, Robert Quarry, Howard Petrie, Bill Walker, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a pretty dark movie and Wagner is villainous to the core.  A lot of times with the film-noir genre, there is a femme fatale and getting a man to do the dirty work but with this one, Wagner does it all. This was really worth a look and is available on Amazon Prime.

Dandelion (2004):  I end the week with this independent film which was directed by Mark Milgard.  Vincent Kartheiser stars as the troubled 16 year old Mason who is very distant with his family.  He meets and falls in love with Danny, played by Taryn Manning, who also has a lot of problems in her life and just come together.  Arliss Howard, Mare Winningham, Blake Heron, Michelle Forbes, Marshall Bell, Shawn Reaves, Robert Blanche, and many others co-star in this film.  This in a sense is a love story between two rather outcast people.  It also shows the facade of others around them and how everyone has problems of some sort.  This is one of those that is really hard to explain.  Kartheiser and Manning work very well together and have seen more of Kartheiser lately in my latest re-binge of ANGEL.  This is a good small-town movie and a nice unorthodox sort of love story.

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

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 741st Edition

Welcome to the 741st Edition of my series.  Good to know that today is the start of March so I hope some warm weather starts to come very soon.  I'm still in rehearsals for YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU and it's fixing to be a really good show.  There is not much else happening right now so I'll just get on with my selections for the week.

Toni Morrison:  The Pieces I Am (2019):  I star the week out with this documentary which was directed by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders.  Obviously, this is a documentary done on author Toni Morrison who is reflecting on her personal and professional life.  She also talks about the thought process and themes of her novels which were very ground-breaking for the African-American race.  This was presented at my local library and I have to admit I had not really ever head of Toni Morrison.  There are interviews with Oprah Winfrey, Walter Mosley, Fran Lebowitz, and many others.  The only work I was familiar with was BELOVED which was made into a movie.  This was a very inspirational documentary and unfortunately Morrison died a little over a month after the release of this movie.  This is available to watch on Hulu.

The Two Popes (2019):  Now I go from the writing world and civil rights in a sense to the religious world which was directed by Fernando Meirelles.  Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce star as Pope Benedict and Pope Francis where they must overcome their differences politically and form an unlikely friendship when looking to find common ground to forge a new path for the catholic church.  Some scenes go into flashback as they discuss their past and what lead them to where they are now.  Juan Minujin, Luis Gnecco, Cristina Banegas, Renato Scarpa, Sidney Cole, and many others co-star in this film.  Hopkins and Pryce work well together as the title characters and Pryce is dead on in his resemblance of Pope Francis.  This is mostly driven through dialogue with some use of flashback and is a pretty moving film no matter the religious affiliation.  This is available to watch on Netflix.

The Look of Love (2013):  This is part four of my five-part Steve Coogan series.  Now I go into another movie based on a true story which is based on Paul Raymond, played by Coogan, who was regarded as the British Hugh Hefner.  Michael Winterbottom directed this biopic which is based on the book MEMBERS ONLY:  THE LIFE AND TIMES OF PAUL RAYMOND by Paul Willets.  Raymond would go onto create a porn magazine and put on some interesting shows.  The movie is more focused on the relationship with his troubled daughter Debbie, played by Imogen Pitts.  Anna Friel, Stephen Fry, Kieran O'Brien, Shirley Henderson, Tasmin Egerton, and many others co-star in this biopic.  What a contrast in the types of people my first three selections are based upon.  This was another person I really knew nothing about but found this person was able to stand out on his own with the Hugh Hefners and Larry Flynts of the world.  Maybe a good double feature would be to watch this movie along with THE PEOPLE VS. LARRY FLYNT.

Grand Canyonscope (1954):  This is my animated short film film the week from Disney.  Charles A. Nichols directed this short film which features Donald Duck.  Donald, voiced by Clarence Nash, is on a Grand Canyon tour and gives Ranger Woodlore, voiced by Bill Thompson, a very hard time on the tour.  This leads to some very comical situations within a seven minute period.  This is Donald Duck at his finest and is available to watch on Disney Plus.

Carnival in Flanders (1935):  Now I go for some comedy in France which deals with comedy on a dark subject.  Jacques Feydar directed this film which is based on the Spanish invasion of Flanders.  In this movie, the village of Boom in Flanders learns of a Spanish Duke coming into town where they come up with a comical scheme in hopes of preserving the peace.  That's really the best explanation I have to give.  There are a couple scenes that are hard to watch but there are a lot of really funny scenes.  This is not for everyone but fans of the foreign cinema should give this a watch.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Inherit the Wind (1960):  This is part two of my two-part Spencer Tracy series and one of my favorites.  Stanley Kramer directed this film which is based on the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial.  Dick York stars as Bertram Cates who is a teacher getting arrested in a small and very religious town for teaching evolution in his classroom.  The town gets fundamentalist prosecutor Matthew Brady, played by Fredric March, while reporter E.K. Hornbeck, played by Gene Kelly, and his paper get famous attorney Henry Drummond, played by Tracy, to defend Cates.  Donna Anderson, Claude Akins, Elliot Reid, Paul Hartman, Philip Coolidge, Jimmy Boyd, Noah Beery Jr., Norman Fell, and many others co-star in this film.  This may seem absurd to some but this really happened where someone gets arrested for teaching evolution so we have come pretty far.  This is still pretty relevant today where some who call themselves religious may need to consider their own actions and how they treat people.  I got to be in this as a play where I played the crazed bible salesman Elijah which was not a character in this movie.  This is York's final feature film before going onto be on BEWITCHED.  We also get to see two Dr. Jekylls going at it in a courtroom.  So much to enjoy about this movie which is available on Amazon Prime.

Saints and Strangers (2015):  This is my mini-series for the week which was directed by Paul A. Edwards.  This tells the story of the Pilgrims and the first year in America from the Mayflower.  Vincent Kartheiser stars as William Bradford who struggles to keep the peace with the pilgrims and with the natives.  This shows the struggles of both sides and how they both made wrong decisions while trying to work together at the same time.  Kalani Queypo, Tatanka Means, Kennan Arrison, Michael Greyeyes, Ron Livingston, Raoul Max Trujillo, Tamer Burjaq, Brian F. OByrne, Ray Stevenson, Melissa Haiden, Roxane Hayward, Bianca Simone Mannie, Natascha McElhone, Julian Stone, and many others co-star in this Starz mini-series.  This has two episodes that are both around an hour and a half long.  This is a pretty compelling and believable portrait on what would be the start of Thanksgiving that does not take sides with anyone.

Happy Go Lovely (1951):  H. Bruce Humberstone directed this musical comedy.  Cesar Romero stars as John Frost who the head of a theater group and is trying to get a musical produced but has no backers.  Vera-Ellen stars as his dancer Janet who meets the very wealthy B.G. Bruno, played by David Niven, but a misunderstanding leader her to mistake him for a newspaper reporter leading to some comical moments in the movie.  Diane Hart, Gordon Jackson, Sandra Dorne, Joyce Carey, John Laurie, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a pretty good look at the theater industry with a lot of laughs along the way.  The musical numbers are more from within the play within the movie.  This is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

Kramer Vs. Kramer (1979):  Robert Benton directed this film which is based on the novel by Avery Corman.  Dustin Hoffman stars as Ted Kramer who is a career man that thinks he has it all with a wife and son.  That is until his wife Joanna, played by Meryl Streep decides to leave him and leaves their son Billy, played by Justin Henry, with him.  Ted must adjust to this new life as a single father which proves to be difficult personally and professionally but gets help from his neighbor Margaret, played by Jane Alexander, who was friends with Joanna before she left.  As Ted starts to be fulfilled as a father, Joanna comes back into their life and looks to get custody for herself leading to a trial.  Howard Duff, George Coe, Jobeth Williams, Howland Chaimberland, and many others co-star in this film.  Hoffman and Henry work very well together as father and son.  This is a really good look at a custody battle in this era and this was before people could have ladder matches to decide custody.  I also really liked the friendship between Ted and Margaret where they just remained friends out of circumstance.  This is a very moving film and unfortunately I'm sure many can relate.  This is available to watch on Crackle.

The Tuskegee Airmen (1995):  I end the week with this HBO movie which was directed by Robert Markowitz.  This takes place during WWII which takes a look at a black unit of people training to be in a fighter pilot program in a time where segregation was rampant and would become the very significant 332nd Fighter Group.  Lawrence Fishburne stars as Hannibal Lee who is looking to win acceptance and respect from the military while also trying to overcome prejudice.  Allen Payne, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Courtney B. Vance, Andre Braugher, Christopher McDonald, Daniel Hugh Kelly, John Lithgow, Cuba Gooding Jr., Mekhi Phifer, and many others co-star in this HBO movie.  This is a pretty moving and inspiring film based on a true story and takes a good look at racial relations at that time which may seem ridiculous at times but is very true.  This is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

Well, that is it for this week but continue on for the return of "Movie Time in the Town of Pottersville".  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Steve Coogan, and many others.

MOVIE TIME IN THE TOWN OF POTTERSVILLE

The Girl in the Crawlspace (2018):  I spent my Friday this weekend hanging out with my best friend Stephanie.  This was a movie that was partly shot in a town near me called Farmland which even features people that I know from the theater world including my friend Tom Cherry who gets top billing in this movie.  John Oak Dalton wrote and directed this horror movie which stars Erin R. Ryan as Jill who has been held prisoner in a crawlspace and escaped from there in trying to deal with it while also finding the killer.  This also features my friends Clifford Lowe, Joe Skeen, Jeff Shull and Jeff Rapkin.  As we were watching this, we both knew the area quite well like Stephanie commenting on where a video store was that her family once owned.  I pointed out the park I recognized where I was  When I found this was on Amazon Prime, I wanted to watch it but not until Steph was able to watch it with me so last Friday presented us the opportunity.  This is a pretty decent low-budget horror and we both had an enjoyable watch.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 740th Edition

Welcome to the 740th Edition of my series.  Today, I start my rehearsals for YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU.  I look forward to getting to know this cast and working with them.  Also remember that this Wednesday is Ash Wednesday where we celebrate the loved ones in our lives with the Ash variation in their name.  I don't have much else happening so I'll just get on with my selections for the week.

Hot Fuzz (2007):  This is part three of my possible five-part Steve Coogan series where on here he makes more of a cameo.  Edgar Wright directed this film which was co-written by Simon Pegg who also stars.  Pegg stars as London cop Nicholas Angel who is just too good at his job, he gets transferred to the more quiet town of Sandford.  He is paired with a rather naive cop named Danny Butterman, played by Nick Frost, and must convince Danny that not everything is what it seems when people continue to die by "accident".  Martin Freeman, Bill Nighy, Robert Popper, Joe Cornish, Chris Wait, Billie Whitelaw, Peter Wight, Bill Bailey, Paul Freeman, Stuart Wilson, Timothy Dalton, Jim Broadbent, Paddy Considine, Rafe Spall, Kevin Eldon, Edward Woodward, and many others co-star in this comedy.  This is a very dark comedy to say the least but still delivers a lot of laughs even after the graphic deaths.  This is the second of the "trilogy" which was directed by Wright and stars Pegg and Frost where the first was SHAUN OF THE DEAD and the second being THE WORLD'S END.  Fans of dark and British comedy will love this one.

Porky's (1981):  I follow up with a more raunchy comedy which was written and directed by Bob Clark.  This takes place in a '50s high school where a group of teens embark on a game of sexual innuendo and other hijinks.  Dan Monahan, Mark Herrier, Wyatt Knight, Roger Wilson, Cyril O'Reilly, Tony Ganios, Kaki Hunter, Kim Cattrall, Nancy Parsons, Scott Colomby, Boyd Gaines, Doug McGrath, Susan Clark, Art Hindle, Wayne Maunder, Alex Karras, Chuck Mitchell, Eric Christmas, and many others co-star in this comedy.  Like the first selection, this is not comedy for everyone.  I suppose you could say this is a pre-AMERICAN PIE.  There is also a lot of political incorrectness in this movie that was a little more acceptable at the time.  Also, keep in mind the director is the same person that directed A CHRISTMAS STORY so a big contrast there.  This would really be a good selection for Guy's Night and is the first of a trilogy.

The Expendables 3 (2014):  I come with another series that is so far a trilogy so I have part two, part one, and now part three on these first three selections.  Patrick Hughes directed this sequel where our boys return lead by Barney Ross, reprised by Sylvester Stallone, who sees someone from his past that he thought was dead in a man named Stonestreet, played by Mel Gibson.  Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Terry Crews are along for the ride and being joined by a knife-wielding Wesley Snipes.  Ross feels he needs newer people to take on his old enemy and recruits Glen Powell, Victor Ortiz, Ronda Rousey, and Kellan Lutz who are younger, faster, and more tech-savvy but Ross soon learns that the others are still needed.  He also reunites with his ASSASSINS rival Antonio Banderas who persistently joins the team.  Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jet Li, Harrison Ford, Kelsey Grammer, Robert Davi, and many others co-star in this action sequel.  Ford is essentially a replacement for Bruce Willis who dropped out of the series due to a pay dispute apparently.  Fans of Jet Li might be a little disappointed as he really only has more of a cameo at the action climax.  I know Snipes has had a lot of financial issues so it was good to see Stallone give him some work and was a suitable addition in my opinion.  I know this got a lot of mixed reactions and that I was not supposed to like it but I just could not help but enjoy.  I admit it did not really measure up to the first two but it was still a fun adrenaline rush just like the first two.  I hear there is a fourth one in development and it would be really cool to see Mr. T and Carl Weathers if that is possible.

Should Married Men Go Home? (1928):  This is my silent comedy short for the week which features legendary comedy duo Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, known more as Laurel and Hardy.  Leo McCarey and James Parrott directed this short where Laurel visits Hardy and are thrown out by Hardy's wife.  They end up at a golf course and get into a very comedic battle with experienced golfers in order to please a couple ladies.  The talkies started the year before but these guys had not transitioned yet.  This does have a lot of laughs and will be enjoyed by those who love silent and classic comedy.

Father's Little Dividend (1951):  Vincente Minnelli directed this sequel to the 1950 comedy hit FATHER OF THE BRIDE.  Spencer Tracy reprises his role as Stanley Banks who has come to terms with his daughter Kay, played by Elizabeth Taylor, getting married but now he must deal with becoming a grandfather.  He worries about things like expenses and how much they are ready to become parents.  Joan Bennett, Don Taylor, Billie Burke, Moroni Olsen, Richard Rober, Marietta Canty, Russ Tamblyn, and many others co-star in this comedy sequel.  The predecessor to this movie really needs to be watched first and this makes a great follow-up.  In the '90s when FATHER OF THE BRIDE was remade, they had their own sequel but was not the same as this sequel.  This is a pretty harmless comedy in preparation to parenthood and even being grandparents.  This is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

To Kill a Mockingbird (1962):  Now I stray from the comedic selections into a far more serious one.  Robert Mulligan directed this adaptation from the classic novel by Harper Lee.  This takes place in the depression era south and the main part of the story is of a black man on trial for rape and because of the racism of this era and location he is automatically guilty no matter the actual innocence.  Gregory Peck stars as the noble attorney Atticus Finch who defends Tom Robinson, played by Brock Peters, whose innocence is very obvious but because he is black it does not matter.  It is from the point of view of his daughter Scout, played by Mary Badham, who is a six year old girl living her childhood along with her older brother Jem, played by Philip Alford.  A lot of this movie is Scout trying to understand the messages of her father.  Robert Duvall makes his debut as Boo Radley.  This is a very good depiction of a segregated south that is one of the best movie adaptations of a book.  I have heard that some schools have stopped the reading of this book because of the comfort level which I do not agree.  This is a timeless message that every generation needs to know.  No matter how many times I see it, I never cease to tear up in the scene when Atticus is leaving the courtroom and the Negros stand as he leaves knowing Atticus did everything possible for Tom.  The other scene that gets me is near the end when Scout is able to understand a situation by one of her father's messages.  This is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

The Seduction of Mimi (1972):  This is my Italian film for the week which was written and directed by Lina Wertmuller.  Giancarlo Giannini stars as Mimi where he struggles to find work that is not run by the mafia and goes to Turin hoping to find a job where he does not find much other success.  He embarks on an extramarital affair with street vendor Fiorella, played by Mariangela Melato, and has a child with her leaving him to hide the news from his wife.  This is a hard one to really explain further.  Part of this is a satire towards working conditions in Italy and part of it is the slow corruption of Mimi.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel but only until the 29th of this month as well as other works from Wertmuller.

Queen:  Rock Montreal and Live Aid (2007):  This is my concert video for the week where Queen performs life for Montreal in 1981 and for Live Aid in 1985.  This is pretty self-explanatory and not much description needs to be given here.  This showcases Queen and emphasizes all the members of the band.  For those who just dislike Queen will not want to see this but if you do enjoy Queen, this will be a great watch.  This could be a good double feature to go along with the 2018 biopic BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY.

The Tall Stranger (1957):  This is my western for the week which was directed by Thomas Carr and based on a story by Louis L'Amour.  Joel McCrea stars as Ned Bannon who is returning to his town after the civil war after being left for dead.  When getting there, he looks to stop feuds from going on but runs into people who have a lot of animosity and must overcome that.  Virginia Mayo, Barry Kelley, Michael Pate, Michael Ansara, Leo Gordon, Whit Bissell, Ray Teal, and many others co-star in this western.  This is a pretty gritty western from this era.  McCrea does a great job as Bannon showing how underrated he is by today's standards.  This is available to watch on Hulu.

Loop (2020):  I decided to end the week on this animated short.  Erica Milsom wrote and directed this animated short film which takes place in a canoe camp.  Two kids named Marcus, voiced by Christiano Delgado, and Renee, voiced by Madison Bandy, are adrift in a canoe and must find a way to communicate to understand each other better.  Renee is an autistic youth with limited speaking and Marcus looks to find a way to connect with her.  Louis Gonzalez and Asher Brodkey also provide their voices.  This is part of the Pixar SparkShorts series which are independent animated shorts that Pixar produces.  This is a pretty groundbreaking animated short from Pixar to feature an autistic character.  It is a touching ten minutes and is available to watch on Disney Plus.

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

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 739th Edition

Welcome to the 739th Edition of my series.  I hope everyone had a good Valentine's Day however celebrated and that the singles of the world were able to make the most of it.  A week from today I start my rehearsals for YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU in Elwood, Indiana so I hope those in or around the area can come out for that one which is the first weekend in April.  We inch closer to the end of this month and hopefully the warmer weather will start coming.  There is not much else going on right now so I'll just get on with my selections for the week.

Night at the Museum (2006):  This is part two of a possible five-part Steve Coogan series where he plays museum statue Octavius which comes to life along with the other statues in the museum.  Shawn Levy directed this comedy which is based on a children's book by Milan Trenc.  Ben Stiller stars as Larry Daley who is desperate for work and accepts the job of night watchman in the Museum of Natural History.  While this seems like it will be a pretty simple job, he learns that all the statues in the museum come to life.  Robin Williams is very good as our former president Teddy Roosevelt.  Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney, and Bill Cobbs are quite the trio who have worked in the museum for a long time but are retiring but there is a lot more to those guys.  Carla Gugino, Jake Cherry, Ricky Gervais, Kim Raver, Patrick Gallagher, Rami Malek, Pierfrancesco Favino, Mizuo Peck, Paul Rudd, Anne Meara, Brad Garrett, Owen Wilson, and many others co-star in this comedy.  Malek makes his film debut as pharaoh Ahkmenrah.   I liked seeing the way historical figures interact with one another at the museum and even working together during the climax to save it.  This could be a good double feature to go along with TOY STORY.

Water Wrackets (1975):  This is my short film for the week which was directed by Peter Greenaway.  This is some hypnotic photography of swirling rivers and ponds with a music score to go along with it.  It also has some narration about people in the future building dams.  Greenaway did a lot of these unusual short films that gave way into a very successful career of feature films.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Gas! - Or - it Became Necessary to Destroy the World in Order to Save It (1970):  Roger Corman directed this movie that is usually billed as GAS-S-S-S-.  This is a comedy that is post apocolyptic where an accidental gas leak resulted in the deaths of those above 25.  The few surivvors where they flee from some Gestapo-like police officers.  Bob Corff, Elaine Giftos, Bud Cort, Talia Shire though billed as Tally Coppola at this time, Ben Vereen, Cindy Williams, Alex Wilson, Bruce Karcher, and many others co-star in this movie.  What more can I say besides being directed by Roger Corman.  It is pretty funny and I believe meant to be more in the intentionally funny.  This is Corman's last movie made with American International Pictures.  Karcher is amusing as the a biker Edgar Allen Poe who was the wise man to the hippie community.  Deserves a look for those that are into Roger Corman.

Killer Diller (2004):  Tricia Brock directed this movie which is based on the novel by Clyde Edgerton.  William Lee Scott stars as Wesley who is both a car thief and guitar player.  He ends up in a halfway house run by a very religious man named Ned, played by Fred Willard, who takes in the convicts to be part of his church choir group.  Wesley soon meets Vernon, played by Lucas Black, who is an autistic man and Wesley discovers he is very gifted on the piano which motivates him to start a blues band with the other people at the halfway house.  John Michael Higgins, W. Earl Brown, Taj Mahal, Mary Kay Place, Robert Wisdom, Ashley Johnson, Niki J. Crawford, RonReaco Lee, and many others co-star in this movie.  Decent movie driven by Scott and Black in their performances with Black very good in his role as an autistic man slowly seeing that there is more to life than just being at his home.  This is a buddy movie of sorts with Wesley and Vernon and was really worth a watch.

Tomorrow at Seven (1933):  Ray Enright directed this B-movie murder mystery.  Chester Morris stars as crime novelist Neil Broderick who decides to use his writing skills to help find the serial killer they call "The Black Ace".  This serial killer would announce their crime through use of playing cards.  Vivienne Osborne, Frank McHugh, Allen Jenkins, Henry Stephenson, Grant Mitchell, Charles Middleton, Oscar Apfel, Virginia Howell, Cornelius Keefe, and many others co-star in this movie.  This is a pretty entertaining murder mystery that has a touch of comedy in it.  It's only a bit over an hour long.  This can be seen on Amazon Prime for those looking for an old murder mystery.

Waking Ned Devine (1998):  Kirk Jones wrote and directed this comedy which takes place in a small Irish village.  The title character wins the lottery but unfortunately dies of shock literally.  Ned's close friends Jackie and Michael, played by Ian Bannen and David Kelly, scheme to be able to get the money and split it among the town because they believe that is what Ned would have wanted.  They look to get the town to go along with the scheme and find that it is not the easiest thing to do.  Fionnula Flanagan, Susan Lynch, James Nesbitt, and many others co-star in this comedy.  This is a very underrated comedy that depicts small town, or in this case small village, life and the town coming together to help each other out.  This is very funny and is also pretty moving and just about anyone can enjoy this film.

I Walk Alone (1947):  Now I pay homage to Kirk Douglas who recently left us but he did lead a long life and had a long and great career.  Byron Haskin directed this film noir which is based on a play by Theodore Reeves.  Burt Lancaster stars as Frankie Madison who has just been released from prison after spending 14 years in the facility.  He confronts his old partner Dink, played by Douglas, to hold up his end a "50/50" bargain they made with Frankie gets himself caught and takes the rap.  Dink has since bought a successful nightclub and is showing no gratitude for his former partner in crime .  Lizabeth Scott, Wendell Corey, Kristine Miller, George Rigaud, Marc Lawrence, Mike Mazurski, Mickey Knox, and many others co-star in this film.  This is the first of seven films that Lancaster and Douglas would do together.  This is a really good start for what is more of a drama duo as most two man teams are in comedy.  This was a very good start and is a pretty compelling film that is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

A Kid From Brooklyn (1946):  Norman Z. McLeod directed this comedy which is based on a play by Lynn Root and Harry Clork.  Danny Kaye stars as timid milkman Burleigh Sullivan who accidentally knocks out the boxing champion Speed McFarlane and some see potential into making Burleigh into a boxer the way he is able to move.  They make Burleigh think he is a great fighter much to the dismay of his girlfriend Polly, played by Virginia Mayo.  Vera-Ellen, Eve Arden, Walter Abel, Fay Bainter, Clarence Kolb, and many others co-star in this comedy.  This is a pretty fun movie where Kaye is great as the deluded "fighter" but is motivated in a very interesting way.  Below is a side by side photo of Virginia Mayo and my friend Ashley who I have had the pleasure of working with on stage on a couple of occasions.  As soon as I saw Mayo, I thought of Ashley right away thinking she'd be perfect to play Mayo in a biopic.  This movie is available on Hoopla Digital.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005):  Shane Black directed this dark comedy which is based on a novel by Brett Halliday.  Robert Downey Jr. stars as petty thief Harry Lockhart who accidentally ends up in an audition room for a movie.  He gets the part of a private investigator and wants him to get training from an actual investigator named Gay Perry, played by Val Kilmer.  They stumble onto an actual murder that also involves Harry's childhood friend and struggling actress Harmony, played by Michelle Monaghan.  Corbin Bernson, Dash Mihok, Larry Miller, Rockmund Dunbar, Shannyn Sossamon, Angela Lindvall, Indio Falconer Downey, Ariel Winter, and many others star in this comedy.  This comedy takes on all kinds of twists and turns.  Downey provides some great narration which kind of calls us out as the audience at times.  Downey and Kilmer are a great team and this movie really set in motion his iconic casting of Tony Stark when Jon Favreau took note of his performance.  This one is not for the family but is so funny and violent.

Sorry to Bother You (2018):  I end the week with this satire on corporate greed and corruption in which Boots Riley wrote and directed.  LaKeith Thompson stars as Cassius Green who takes the job as a telemarketer where he struggles in the beginning until he is encouraged to use his "white voice".  He is soon promoted to "Power Caller" and as he starts to enjoy the success, he finds there is something far more sinister at hand.  Tessa Thompson, Jermaine Fowler, Omari Hardwick, Terry Crews, Kate Berlant, Michael X. Sommers, Danny Glover, Steven Yeun, Robert Longstreet, Armie Hammer, David Cross, Lily James, Forest Whitaker, Rosario Dawson, and many others co-star in this movie and some provide their voice like in the "white voices".  I didn't really know much of what to expect in this one which is essentially a sci-fi comedy but rather subtle on the sci-fi elements.  I'm sure most who have worked at a call center can relate a bit though I did not work at this type of call center.  This is available to watch on Hulu.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Steve Coogan, Sylvester Stallone, Spencer Tracy, Gregory Peck, and many others.