Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 840th Edition

Welcome to the 840th Edition of my series.  Last night I was on the edge of my seat as I watched my favorite football team the San Francisco 49ers hang in there in the extreme cold to defeat the favored Green Bay Packers to get a spot in the conference championship.  Now I will see who they will be playing.  I don't have much else right now so I will just get on with my selections for the week.

Night at the Museum:  Battle of the Smithsonian (2009):  Shawn Levy directed this sequel to the hit 2006 comedy.  Ben Still reprises his role of Larry Daley who is now a successful businessman.  When he visits the museum, he learns the museum is going a different route and some are being transferred to Smithsonian.  He also learns that the tablet that helps bring the exhibits to life has also gone there and goes into battle with Kahmunrah, played by Hank Azaria, who has Napoleon, played by Alain Chabat, Ivan the Terrible, played by Steve Coogan, and Al Capone, played by Jon Bernthal, on this side.  Larry has his own allies though including Custer, played by Bill Hader, and Amelia Earhart, played by Amy Adams.  Robin Williams, Steve Coogan, Patrick Gallagher, Jake Cherry, Rami Malek, Mizuo Peck, Jay Baruchel, Mindy Kaling, Keith Powell, Craig Robinson, Clint Howard, Caroll Spinney, Eugene Levy, Brad Garrett, the Jonas Brothers, Ed Helms, Jonah Hill, and many others co-star in this comedy sequel.  This did not beat the original but I still had a lot of fun with the new and original characters from the first one.  This is the first movie to be filmed in the Smithsonian Institution.  This trilogy is available to watch on Disney Plus.

The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2000):  This is my documentary for the week which was directed by Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato.  Rupaul narrates this documentary of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker who were at the head of a religious television empire but experienced a big fall when Jim was arrested for Fraud.  Tammy Faye gives her side of what happened and Jim is also in it for interviews as well as their friends and family.  I never really knew a lot about them or their networks but this was pretty fascinating and gives a new side of the couple as well as some insight into Jerry Falwell.  This was recently made into a movie with Andrew Garfield and Jessica Chastain playing the couple so now maybe I'll check that out.  

Dunkirk (2017):  This is not about that small Indiana town that is fairly close to me.  Christopher Nolan directed this war film on a WWII battle of an evacuation from British and French troops with German air troops out at full force.  This shows the point of view from the eyes of the soldiers, a couple air pilots and a group of civilians on a boat trying to help out.  Fionn Whitehead, Barry Keoghan, Mark Rylance, Cillian Murphy, Tom Hardy, Aneurin Barnard, Lee Armstrong, Jack Lowden, Will Attenborough, Kenneth Branagh, James D'Arcy, Harry Styles, and many others co-star in this film.  This was very well-acted and well-shot but there are no real stars of the movie.  It is also very intense but at the same time it is inspiring as well.  There were veterans on hand that vouched for the accuracy.  This is available to watch on HBO Max.

Shiver Me Timbers (1934):  I will bring it down a bit with this animated short.  This features Popeye the Sailor Man, voiced by William Costello, who along with Olive, voiced by Mae Questel, and Wimpy stumble upon a ghost ship.  The ship proceeds to scare them in various ways and as though the ship knows them.  This has quite a bit going on and a little different than other Popeye cartoons but he still always has his spinach on hand.  This is also available to watch on HBO Max.

Niagara (1953):  This is part four of my five-part Joseph Cotten series.  Henry Hathaway directed this Film Noir.  Cotten and Marilyn Monroe star as married couple George and Rose Loomis who are a honeymooning couple.  Max Showalter and Jean Peters co-stars as Ray and Polly Cutler who are in the middle dysfunctional couple in George and Rose where Monroe is the femme fatale driving Cotten to insanity.  Denis O'Dea, Richard Allen, Don Wilson, Lurene Tuttle, Russell Collins, Will Wright, and many others co-star in this Film Noir.  Monroe was good as the villain in this film and showing a different side of herself.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Stalker (1979):  Andrei Tarkovsky directed this Russian film which is based on a novel by Arkadiy Strugatskiy.  Alexander Kaydanovskiy stars as a guide known as "stalker" and leads a couple of his clients in a melancholic writer, played by Anatoly Solonitsyn, and a professor, played by Nikolay Grinko, to a place called "zone" which supposedly would give people their innermost desires.  This does not have any real linear plot or even message.  A lot is really left to interpretation.  It is hard to really describe this beyond what I already have.  This is a near three hour Russian film and requires full attention.  This is available to watch on HBO Max.

Never Rarely Sometimes Always (2020):  Eliza Hittman wrote and directed this independent film.  Sidney Flanigan stars as the teenage Autumn in rural Pennsylvania.  She unexpectedly becomes pregnant and wants to get an abortion but finds it is not easy.  Her cousin Skylar, played by Talia Ryder, accompanies her on a trek to New York to get what she is wanting.  Theodore Pellerin, Christian Clements, Sharon Van Etten, Aurora Richards, Rose Elizabeth Richards, Ryan Eggold, Brian Altemus, Lizabeth Mackay, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a rather dark coming of age story for a lack of a better description.  These teen girls in New York and have to learn about the world around them more.  This is an unknown cast and I honestly don't know anything about these actors.  They still did a good job of putting out a good independent film.  

Onna (1948):  Now I go to Japan for this movie written and directed by Keisuke Kinoshita.  Mitsuko Mito stars as dance-hall girl Toshiko who meets up with her criminal lover Tadashi, played by Eitaro Ozawa.  Tadashi wants Toshiko to run away with him but she is torn throughout with her lack of trust with him.  This is a pretty intense film of Toshiko struggling to free herself from her past and being torn on what to do.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel but is billed as WOMAN.  

One Sings, the Other Doesn't (1977):  I bring another feminism selection which also deals with abortion.  Agnes Varda wrote and directed this French film.  Valerie Mairesse and Therese Liotard star as Pomme and Suzanne who are friends in '70s France even if losing contact at times.  Pomme is an aspiring singer and Suzanne becomes a community worker.  This is a very hard one to describe.  It is very bizarre at times, especially with some of the songs the Pomme sings.  It is also very sad at times in the ups and downs of their lives.  I will say though that this is about far more than which one sings.  This is available on the Criterion Channel.

Mudbound (2017):  I end the week with this film on returning veterans and racial tensions.  Dee Rees directed this film based on the novel by Hillary Jordan.  Garrett Hedlund and Jason Mitchell star as returning WWII veterans Jamie McAllan and Ronsel Jackson who are returning home to their small town in Mississippi.  Jamie is white and is part of a bigoted family which is most notably his father, played by Jonathan Banks.  Ronsel is a black man and his veteran status does not free him from prejudice though Jamie befriends him and they form a friendship that does not sit well with the families.  Carey Mulligan, Jason Clarke, Mary J. Blige, Rob Morgan, Frankie Smith, Kennedy Derosin, Joshua J. Williams, Elizabeth Windley, Piper Blair, Jason Kirkpatrick, Kerry Cahill, Lucy Faust, Dylan Arnold, and many others co-star in this film.  This is not for everyone and is very uncomfortable at times but we all need that sometimes when watching film or television.  It is also moving in some ways like with the friendship of Jamie and Ronsel.  I can see I really focused a lot on the darker films this week with a couple exceptions.  This could be a good experience though to give this a watch.  This is available to watch on Netflix.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Julia Roberts, Minnie Driver, Josephine Baker, Marisa Tomei, Joseph Cotten, and many others.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 839th Edition

Welcome to the 839th Edition of my series.  Today is week one of the playoffs where my team the 49ers look to take down the Cowboys.  I would also like to do a plug for the radio play SUE 'EM that I did last year.  It airs again today at 5 pm eastern time at https://www.weciradio.org/ and is only about twenty minutes long.  This was the first radio play ever put on in about 1925 and a young John Huston played the role that I play in this show.  This will likely be on the Richmond Radioworks podcasts at some point.  I will shut up and get on with my selections.  Go Niners!!!!

Baywatch (2017):  Seth Gordon directed this movie based on the popular tv series written by Michael Berk, Douglas Schwartz, and Gregory J. Bonann.  Former WWE Champion Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson stars as Mitch Buchannon, played by David Hasselhoff in the tv series.  He teams up with the cocky rookie Matt Brody, played by Zac Efron, when he finds a new synthetic drug is hitting the beach uncovering a big crime ring.  Alexandra Daddario, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Kelly Rohrbach, Ilfenesh Hadera, Jon Bass, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Hannibal Buress, Rob Heubel, Amin Joseph, Oscar Nunez, David Hasselhoff, Pamela Anderson, Clem Cheung, Belinda Peregrin, Charlotte McKinney, Izabel Goulart, and many others co-star in this comedy.  Many know that Hasselhoff and Anderson were in the series and make cameo appearances in this movie.  If you're looking for some great plot, this is not it.  If looking for a fun guilty pleasure, this is it.  This was my middle school show and I have been reliving it some which like this movie, is a guilty pleasure.  This seems to reflect season three of the show in terms of the characters used.  This parodies the show in some ways like how the lifeguards always seem to fight crime.  Efron and Johnson are a great duo in this movie.  I just wish more BAYWATCH alums would have made appearances like Nicole Eggert whose character Summer Quinn is played by Daddario.  This is available to watch on Paramount Plus.

Certain Women (2016):  Now I get a little more serious with this film directed by Kelly Reichardt and based on stories written by Maile Meloy.  These are interrelated stories that involve Kristen Stewart, Michelle Williams, and Laura Dern in small-town America.  Dern plays attorney Laura who is trying to diffuse a hostage situation being done by her client Fuller, played by Jared Harris.  Williams plays Gina, who along with her husband Ryan, played by James Le Gros, try to talk an elderly man, played by Rene Auberjonois, to sell them some sandstone and experiencing marital issues in the process.  Stewart plays Elizabeth who is teaching adult education classes but making a long commute.  Lily Gladstone plays lonely ranch hand and forms an attachment to Elizabeth.  Ashlie Atkinson, Guy Boyd, Edelen McWilliams, John Getz, James Jordan, Matt McTighe, Sara Rodier, co-star in this film.  This is a nice slice of life kind of film which shows the flaws in humanity for a lack of a better description.  

The Suicide Squad (2021):  This is my superhero film for the week which was written and directed by James Gunn who is also known for directing Marvel's GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY films.  Viola Davis plays Amanda Waller who puts together a group of supervillains from Belle Reve prison in return for reduced sentences and places a bomb in their heads for if they try to run away.  This group mostly consists of Bloodsport, played by Idris Elba, Peacemaker, played by former WWE champion John Cena, Harley Quinn, played by Margot Robbie, King Shark, voiced by Sylvester Stallone, Ratcatcher II, played by Daniela Melchior, Colonel Rick Flag, played by Joel Kinnaman, and Polka-Dot Man, played by David Dastmalchian.  They are sent on a very dangerous mission and must learn to work together.  I mean, how can we ever leave out Robbie as Harley Quinn?  Michael Rooker, Nathan Fillion, Jai Courtner, Flula Borg, Mayling Ng, Pete Davidson, Sean Gunn, Stephen Blackehart, Steve Agee, Tinashe Kajese, Jennifer Holland, Fernando Martinez, Dee Bradley Baker, Storm Reid, Natalia Safran, Jared Leland Gore, Rey Hernandez, Ray Benitez, Alice Braga, Reinaldo Faberlle, Jonathan Fritschi, Peter Capaldi, Juan Diego Botto, Joaquin Cosio, Josh Ventura, Geraldo Davila, Mikaela Hoover, Lynne Ashe, Julio Cesar Ruiz, Taika Waititi, Maya Le Clark, and many others co-star in this superhero film.  Ostrander wrote the modern version of this comic book series in the '80s.  This is not one of those superhero movies that is mostly family oriented.  This has an R rating and rightfully so.  It also has a lot of really obscure characters that make their presence felt.  Gunn brings his cleverness from the Guardians films to this one.  This is very fun with a lot of action and comedy and is more for the adults.  This is available to watch on HBO Max.

Edward the Conqueror (1979):  This is part three of my possible five-part Joseph Cotten series.  This is technically and episode from the tv series TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED but I'm billing it as my short film for the week.  Joseph Cotten and Wendy Hiller star as married couple Edward and Louisa who discover a stray cat in their garden.  Louisa starts playing classical music on her piano and the cat reacts very well to it convincing her the cat is the reincarnation of Franz Liszt.  This does not sit well with Edward and tension arises.  This was series that was based on short stories of Roald Dahl and would host these episodes like Hitchcock in ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS.  I had never watched this before but was a pretty entertaining half hour.  This episode and series is available on Tubi.

The Woman Condemned (1934):  Dorothy Davenport directed this pre-code crime drama.  Richard Hemingway stars as reporter Jerry Beall who takes interest in Barbara Hammond, played by Claudia Dell.  Barbara is accused of murdering a radio star and Jerry looks to prove her innocence.  Lola Lane, Jason Robards Sr., Paul Ellis, Douglas Cosgrove, Mischa Auer, Sheila Bromley, Louise Beavers, and many others co-star in this crime drama.  This is more of a b-list movie and is a pretty intriguing murder mystery that will require full attention.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.  

Crime Wave (1953):  Andre De Toth directed this film noir.  Gene Nelson stars as parolee Steve Lacey who is trying to get his life together with his lovely wife Ellen, played by Phyllis Kirk.  Some of Lacey's old cronies take refuge in his home trying to get away, one of which is wounded.  Sterling Hayden co-stars as Detective Sims who is looking to get Lacey to help bring in the criminals putting him as they say between a rock and a hard place.  Ted de Corsia, Charles Bronson, Jay Novello, Nedrick Young, James Bell, Dub Taylor, and many others co-star in this film.  Bronson at the time was Charles Buchinsky who would later adopt the name Bronson.  Nice and gritty film noir that I came across on a tribute section to Sterling Hayden. I have always been intrigued by him and find him to be a rather underrated actor.  As mentioned, this is available to watch on the Criterion Channel as well as a few other Sterling Hayden films.

Crank (2006):  I bring some action back with this action film directed by which was co-written and co-directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor.  Jason Statham stars as assassin Chev Chelios who has been injected with a poison that will kill him if his heart rate drops.  To survive, Chev must stay active and keep the adrenaline going in his system.  With the help of his girlfriend Eve, played by Amy Smart, and his doctor Doc Miles, played by Dwight Yoakam, telling him ways to survive, he sets out to avenge those who poisoned him.  Carlos Sanz, Jose Pablo Cantillo, Efren Ramirez, Reno Wilson, Edi Gathegi, Glenn Howerton, Keone Young, Valerie Rae Miller, and many others co-star in this action movie.  This is what it is which is some Jason Statham action.  I saw someone say that this is a combination of movies SPEED and D.O.A. which I feel is pretty accurate.  This is available to watch on imdb tv. 

One Wonderful Sunday (1947):  Akira Kurasawa directed and co-wrote this Japanese film.  Isao Numasaki and Chieko Nakakita star in this film as couple Yuzo and Masako who are an engaged couple in war-ravaged Japan.  They are also struggling and trying to make the most of the 35 yen that they have.  This is a very good look at a poor couple trying to appreciate what they do have while trying to be there for one another.  Most people when they think Kurasawa might think the director of samurai films but he was a very versatile director and this one shows it.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane (1962):  Robert Aldrich directed this film which is based on the novel by Henry Farrell.  Bette Davis and Joan Crawford make their historic teaming as sisters Jane and Blanche Hudson.  Jane was a child star as Baby Jane Hudson and cannot let go of her fame which drives her to insanity.  Blanche had a more successful career as an actress but is confined to a wheelchair.  Victor Buono, Wesley Addy, Anne Barton, Marjorie Bennett, Bert Freed, Anna Lee, Maidie Norman, Dave Willock, Russ Conway, Maxine Cooper, Robert Cornthwaite, Gina Gillespie, and many others co-star in this film.  This started the famous rivalry that might be exaggerated some but it was there, especially post filming is my understanding.  Davis clearly enjoyed herself in this while Crawford played her role in a more sane matter since she was the level-headed of the two sisters.  This is available to watch on HBO Max.

Oliver Twist (2005):  Roman Polanski directed this adaptation on the classic Charles Dickens novel.  Barney Clark stars as the orphaned Oliver Twist in 19th century England.  He must fend for himself until he is taken in by Fagin, played by an unrecognizable Ben Kingsley, who runs a pickpocket scam using other children including Artful Dodger, played by Harry Eden.  While it was a very shady place, he was treated better than other places he had been but must worry about the real villain in Bill Sikes, played by Jamie Foreman.  Jeremy Swift, Ian McNeice, Michael Heath, Gillian Hanna, Teresa Churcher, Chris Overton, Lewis Chase, Leanne Rowe, Ophelia Lovibond, Edward Hardwicke, Mark Strong, Jake Curran, and many others co-star in this Dickens adaption.  This does not have a bunch of musical numbers and I thought was a little darker than usual which is a very dark story to begin with.  This is a different presentation though the basics are still all there.  I still thought this was a well done telling of the classic story.

Well, that is it for this week but I did return with my "Fun and Useless Facts" segment.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned next week which so far includes Amy Adams, Kenneth Branagh, Marilyn Monroe, and many others.

FUN AND USELESS FACTS

I decided to bring back this segment for the week.  As always, I focus on connections from movie to movie.  I also usually end at 25 facts so I'm sure I've missed some so feel free to comment.

Alexandra Daddario (Baywatch) and Nathan Fillion (The Suicide Squad) were in the 2013 fantasy film PERCY JACKSON:  SEA OF MONSTERS.

Charlotte McKinney (Baywatch) and Michael Rooker (The Suicide Squad) were in the 2020 movie FANTASY ISLAND.

David Hasselhoff (Baywatch) and Michael Rooker (The Suicide Squad) were in the the 2017 superhero film GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2.  There are probably plenty of others I can name off.

David Hasselhoff (Baywatch) and Flula Borg (The Suicide Squad) were in the 2017 comedy KILLING HASSELHOFF.

Dwayne Johnson (Baywatch) and Jason Statham (Crank) team up in the 2019 action movie as the title characters in FAST AND FURIOUS PRESENTS:  HOBBS AND SHAW.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson (Baywatch) fought John Cena (The Suicide Squad) in WRESTLEMANIA 28 where the Rock defeated Cena.  The next year in WRESTLEMANIA 29, Cena got his rematch and defeated the Rock.

Dwayne Johnson (Baywatch) and Rey Hernandez (The Suicide Squad) were in the 2013 movie PAIN AND GAIN.

Hannibal Buress (Baywatch) and John Cena (The Suicide Squad) were in the 2015 comedy DADDY'S HOME.  

Idris Elba (The Suicide Squad) and Ben Kingsley (Oliver Twist) were in the 2016 film THE JUNGLE BOOK.

James Le Gros and Michelle Williams play a married couple in this week's feature CERTAIN WOMEN.  Both of these actors made their screen debuts in tv series that star David Hasselhoff (Baywatch).  Le Gros was in the 1984 episode THE ROTTEN APPLES of KNIGHT RIDER in episode seven of season three.  Williams was in the 1993 episode RACE AGAINST TIME:  PART 1 of BAYWATCH which was in episode 4 of season four.  That was very mind blowing to me and would love a job in sports where I can find deep statistics like this one here.   

Jon Bass (Baywatch) and Idris Elba (The Suicide Squad) were in the 2017 film MOLLY'S GAME.

Joseph Cotten (Edward the Conqueror) and Bette Davis (What Ever Happened to Baby Jane) were in the 1964 film HUSH...HUSH, SWEET CHARLOTTE.

Kristen Stewart's (Certain Women) was invaded by Dwight Yoakam (Crank) in the 2002 film PANIC ROOM.

Margot Robbie (The Suicide Squad) plays Queen Elizabeth I in the 2018 movie MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS.  Bette Davis (What Ever Happened to Baby Jane) plays Elizabeth I in the 1939 film THE PRIVATE LIVES OF ELIZABETH AND ESSEX and would reprise the role in the 1955 film THE VIRGIN QUEEN.

Michael Rooker (The Suicide Squad) and Ophelia Lovibond (Oliver Twist) were in the 2014 superhero film GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY.

Michelle Williams (Certain Women) and Ben Kingsley (Oliver Twist) were in the 2010 film SHUTTER ISLAND.

Mischa Auer (The Woman Condemned) plays Kolenkhov in the 1938 film YOU CAN"T TAKE IT WITH YOU.  I played the role in a 2020 production for the Attic Theater group in Elwood.

Pamela Anderson (Baywatch) and John Getz (Certain Women) were in the 2008 comedy SUPERHERO MOVIE.

Rob Heubel (Baywatch) and Ben Kingsley (Oliver Twist) were in the 2008 comedy THE LOVE GURU.

Rob Heubel (Baywatch) and Laura Dern (Certain Women) were in the 2010 comedy LITTLE FOCKERS.

Sterling Hayden (Crime Wave) and Joan Crawford (What Ever Happened to Baby Jane) team up in the 1954 western JOHNNY GUITAR.

Sterling Hayden (Crime Wave) and Maxine Cooper (What Ever Happened to Baby Jane were in the 1957 film ZERO HOUR.

Sylvester Stallone (The Suicide Squad) and Jason Statham (Crank) star in THE EXPENDABLES franchise which includes an upcoming 4th one.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Baywatch) and Natalia Safran (The Suicide Squad) are in the 2018 superhero movie AQUAMAN.

Zac Efron (Baywatch) and Michelle Williams (Certain Women) were in the 2017 musical THE GREATEST SHOWMAN.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 838th Edition

Welcome to the 838th edition of my series.  Today, I hope to see the 49ers get a win to clinch a spot in the playoffs.  Also today is a radio play that I helped record at the Richmond Civic Theater last year.  The radio play is called SUE 'EM which was the first radio play ever to be put on back in 1925 and I play the role that John Huston played.  This happens at 5 pm eastern time today and can be heard on the website https://www.weciradio.org/ which is a local station in Richmond, Indiana.  This will be pretty short, I would say maybe 45 minutes but no more than an hour.  If you cannot watch today, it will also happen at 5 pm Sunday of next week.  It will also likely be put on the podcast Richmond Radioworks which I know can be found on Spotify.  I will shut up now and get on with my selections.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021):  I start out with this superhero film which was directed by Destin Daniel Cretton.  Simu Liu stars as Shang-Chi who is trying to live a normal life under the name Shaun but is drawn back into his past lifestyle discovering more of who he is meant to be.  With the help of his girlfriend Katy, played by Awkwafina, Shang-Chi goes to Ta Lo.  Tony Leung stars as Shang-Chi's estranged father Xu Wenwu.  Ben Kingsley, Meng'er Zhang, Fala Chen, Michelle Yeoh, Wah Yuen, Florian Munteanu, Andy Le, Paul W. He, Jayden Zhang, Elodie Fong, Stephanie Hsu, Kunal Dudheker, Tsai Chin, Jodi Long, and many others co-star in this film along with a few other cameos from the MCU.  This is rather complicated to describe.  This is a more obscure Marvel character until now.  This is not like other superhero films and is more martial arts fantasy than anything.  This character was created in the '80s and was modeled off Bruce Lee.  Apparently at one time, Stan Lee was considering this as a tv series with Brandon Lee in the late '80s but did not get off the ground.  I found this ranks up with just about anything in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  This is available to watch on Disney Plus.

A History of Violence (2005):  I continue with some more action which was directed by David Cronenberg and based on the graphic novel by John Wagner and Vince Locke.  Viggo Mortensen stars as Tom Stall who seems to have the perfect life in a small Indiana town with his wife Edie, played by Maria Bello, and some kids.  He becomes a local hero when saving his diner from a robbery.  Things brings the mysterious Carl Fogarty, played by Ed Harris, into town with claims that he lead a very dark life and that Carl wronged him in the past.  William Hurt, Ashton Holmes, Peter MacNeill, Stephen McHattie, Greg Byrk, Kyle Schmid, Sumela Kay, Deborah Drakeford, Heidi Hayes, Aiden Devine, Ian Matthews, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a very well done thriller with some nice suspense and action.  This takes place in my state in some small town called Millbrook which I am pretty sure is a fictional town and was actually filmed in Canada.  This is the last major Hollywood film to be released on VHS and what a great way for VHS to go out.

Spine Tingler:  The William Castle Story (2007):  This is one of two documentaries.  Jeffrey Schwarz directed this documentary based on horror movie director William Castle.  Most of his movies came in the '50s and '60s which includes movies like MACABRE and HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL.  He is most known for his unorthodox ways to promote his movies to get them in the theater and the outrageous audience participation.  This includes interviews with John Badham, Forrest J. Ackerman, Budd Boetticher, Roger Corman, Joe Dante, and many others.  Joe Dante directed the 1993 film MATINEE which paid tribute to Castle.  Go watch this documentary and the ghost of William Castle will be there with you and might even help get an ambulance if necessary.

A Chairy Tale (1957):  This is my short film for the week which was directed by Claude Jutra and Norman McLaren.  The star of this short film is a chair that seems to have a mind of its own when another man tries to sit on it and will not allow it.  To add to this, the music is by Ravi Shankar before he would go onto be a big name in the music world.  This was some good and clever stop-motion

One Hour With You (1932):  This is my musical romantic comedy for the week which was directed by Ernst Lubitsch and based on the play ONLY A DREAM by Lothar Schmidt.  Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald star as married couple Andre and Colette Bertier who seem to have a very happy marriage.  Colette introduces Andre to her flirtatious best friend Mitzi, played by Lili Damita, making Andre struggle to resist temptation while Collette has her own issues.  Genevieve Tobin, Charles Ruggles, Roland Young, Josephine Dunn, Richard Carle, and many others co-star in this film.  This is pretty funny and was probably rather raunchy for its time.  There are many good moments where the fourth wall gets broken with clever songs.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.   

Yellow Submarine (1968):  This is my animated film for the week which was directed by George Dunning and uses music from the Beatles including the title song.  Captain Fred, voiced by Lance Percival, recruits the Beatles to accompany him in his yellow submarine to go to Pepperland and save it from the music hanging Blue Meanies.  This has some great animation that holds up today with a good story to go along with it.  I was also glad to see it include my favorite Beatles song ELEANOR RIGBY.  This would be the inspiration for wrestler Brian Heffron who would use the name the Blue Meanie when he was in Extreme Championship Wrestling and the name would stick.  He also just happened to be from Pepperland.  A good animated double feature could be this and the other psychedelic animated movie THE POINT which uses the music of Harry Nilsson.   

Nightcrawler (2014):  Dan Gilroy wrote and directed this film.  Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Louis Bloom who is desperate for work and stumbles upon the world of nightcrawling in Los Angeles.  He gets the equipment necessary to film a good news story, usually one with crime and selling it to a news agency.  Rene Russo co-stars as Nina who serves as a mentor to Louis and starts to question his methods.  After a while, Louis blurs the line of observant and participant and does not care who he hurts in the process, as long as he gets that story.  Bill Paxton, Riz Ahmed, Michael Papajohn, Marco Rodriguez, James Huang, and many others co-star in this film.  This is very dark and Gyllenhaal plays his role to perfection.  It is not always easy to watch and is quite disturbing.  

A Blueprint for Murder (1953):  This is part two of my possible five-part Joseph Cotten series.  Andrew L. Stone wrote and directed this film noir.  Cotten stars as Whitney Cameron who is convinced his sister-in-law Lynn, played by Jean Peters, has poisoned his brother and niece.  He fears for his nephew Doug and tries to prove Lynn is a murderer before she kills her stepson.  Gary Merrill, Catherine McLeod, Jack Kruschen, Barney Phillips, and many others co-star in this film.  Last week, I featured Cotten in Hitchcock's SHADOW OF A DOUBT where he is the suspected but in this one, Cotten does the suspecting.  This was a very compelling and suspenseful film from this era.  This is available to watch on Plex.

The Battle of Algiers (1966):  Gillo Pontcorvo directed and co-wrote this war film.  This takes place in the '50s and is based on true events.  The people of Algiers are looking for independence from the French government.  This takes a look at the revolution from both sides and does not really glorify either side.  Brahim Hadjadj, Jean Martin, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a very sad story that should be viewed.  There is not a lot more to explain for this movie beyond what I already did.  This is available to watch on HBO Max.

The Decline of Western Civilization (1981):  I end the week with this documentary which was directed by Penelope Spheeris.  This takes a look at the Los Angeles punk rock scene from this era.  The bands featured in this documentary are Alice Bag Band, Black Flag, Catholic Discipline, Circle Jerks, Fear, Germs, and X.  This takes a look at both music and interview footage.  Some might recognize Fear member Lee Ving from the movie version of CLUE where he plays Mr. Boddy.  In watching this, I learned this is part of a documentary trilogy with the other two also being directed by Spheeris.  This takes a good look into these counter-culture sort of bands.  This and the others are available to watch on Tubi.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Dwayne Johnson, Laura Dern, Viola Davis, Joseph Cotten, Sterling Hayden, Jason Statham, Akira Kurasawa, Joan Crawford, Ben Kingsley, and many others.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 837th Edition

Welcome to the 837th edition of my series and the first of the new year.  This is my first release of the new year.  I am sure like many, there will be some ups and downs.  I will do what I can to focus on the ups like I usually do.  I'm not going to claim to be a "new me" or anything like that.  I just hope I get to do what I love and be able to continue my job I got over the summer.  I will shut up now and get on with my selections.

Spider-Man:  No Way Home (2021):  I start the week out with this current blockbuster and not to worry, I'm going to be pretty vague about this for those who still have not seen it though I suggest you get to it soon.  I am seeing some mild spoilers being posted on Facebook at this time.  Jon Watts directed this entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  Tom Holland reprises his role of Peter Parker whose identity of Spider-Man is now revealed.  When asking Dr. Strange, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, for help, things go wrong making Peter understand what it is like to be Spider-Man.  My suggestion is to watch all the Spider-Man movies starting with the 2002 film SPIDER-MAN.  I managed to go into this with ideas of what was to happen along with the basic plot but avoided trailers and any other write-ups before going to see this movie.  This is all I will say, now go to check this out before people tell you more about it.

Renoir (2012):  Gilles Bourdos directed this French biopic based on a work by Jacques Renoir.  Michael Bouquet stars as aging painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir while his son Jean, played by Vincent Rottiers, returns from WWI and keep in mind Jean would go onto be a famed director but here is he still finding himself.  The story is more based around Andree Heuschling, played by Christa Theret, who becomes a painting model for Pierre-Auguste and the love interest for Jean.  Thomas Doret Romane Bohringer, Solene Rigot, Carlo Brandt, and many others co-star in this French film.  This is a very compelling film on such an artistic family.  It is hard to explain this much further than what I have.  This is available to watch on Tubi.

Border (2007):  Christopher Burgard directed this documentary which takes a look at the U.S./Mexico border crossings.  This takes a look at multiple sides of the immigration issues happening in the United States.  This takes a look at some of the Minutemen, some of the actual immigrants, farmers that live near the border and takes a look at the political end.  This is a pretty eye-opening documentary that is very unbiased.

A Night on Bald Mountain (1933):  This is my French animated short which was directed by Alexander Alexeieff and Claire Parker.  This makes use of pin-screen animation in a fantasy story.  This is something that rivals Disney animation and is quite the animated rush.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Apocalypse Now (1979):  Francis Ford Coppola directed this film based on the novel HEARTS OF DARKNESS by Joseph Conrad.  Martin Sheen stars as Vietnam soldier Captain Benjamin Willard who is sent on a mission that "does not exist".  His mission is to assassinate the American General Walter Kurtz, played by Marlon Brando, whose allegiance has shifted and is seen by the Cambodian people as a god.  Robert Duvall, Laurence Fishburne, Albert Hall, Harrison Ford, Dennis Hopper, G.D. Spradlin, Jerry Ziesmer, Scott Glenn, James Keane, Sam Bottons, Frederic Forrest, Colleen Camp, Marc Coppola, and many others co-star in this film.  Duvall has always been my favorite part in this movie as Lt. Colonel Bill Kilgore who clearly enjoyed his role.  When filming started, Fishburne was only 14 years of age and lied about his age to get into this movie.  Sheen also struggled health-wise during the filming of this movie making him discourage his son Charlie Sheen from doing PLATOON years later.  The story may be a bit far-fetched but I do not believe the portrayal of Willard is that way.  It is a very dark look at the effects of war.  The director's cut version called APOCALYPSE NOW REDUX is available to watch on Netflix but I would suggest watching the standard version first and then compare the two.  I got this from my local library on Blu-Ray which has both version and has the documentary HEARTS OF DARKNESS:  A FILMMAKER'S APOCALYPSE which is about the making of this movie and is almost as interesting as this movie showing Coppola's struggle that in the end would pay off.  

Susan Slept Here (1954):  Now I get a little lighter in this comedy that centers around the world of Hollywood.  Frank Tashlin directed this comedy which is based on the play by Steve Fisher.  Dick Powell stars as comedy screenwriter Mark Christopher who is looking to write a drama.  He takes in a teenage runaway in the 17 year old Susan Landis, played by Debbie Reynolds, so she can avoid spending time behind bars during the holidays.  Taking her in complicates Frank's life both personally and professionally.  Anne Francis, Glenda Farrell, Alvy Moore, Horace McMahon, Herb Vigran, Les Tremayne, Mara Lane, Rita Johnson, Maidie Norman, and many others co-star in this romantic comedy.  This is Powell's last movie before going the television route.  This is a pretty well-written comedy with the leads working very well together.  This is available to watch on HBO Max.

Ramen Shop (2018): Eric Khoo directed this Japanese coming of age film.  Takumi Saitoh stars in this film as Masato who decides to go to Singapore and look into recipes from his late mother and meet some of his family from there.  When there, his uncle teaches him to cook some of these things so that he can take it back to Japan.  He also learns a lot about some tension within his own family.  Seiko Matsuda, Mark Lee, Jeanette Aw, Tsuyoshi Ihara, and many others co-star in this film.  This is more of a character driven film and is not only about a ramen shop.  It is also a pretty moving film on the clash of cultures and really deserves a look.

Shadow of a Doubt (1943):  This is part one of a possible five-part Joseph Cotten series.  Alfred Hitchcock directed this Film Noir that was co-written by Thornton Wilder.  Teresa Wright stars as the bored Charlie Newton who gets very excited when her much traveled Uncle Charlie Oakley, played by Cotten, comes into town.  Things seem to be going well but Charlie notices some odd behavior of her uncle and wonders if he is the "Merry Widow" killer.  MacDonald Carey, Henry Travers, Patricia Collinge, Hume Cronyn, Wallace Ford, and many others co-star in this film.  I feel Travers has his best role in this movie that I have seen of him.  If I explain this any furthur, I will give this away.  Hitchcock really lives up to his name of "Master of Suspense" in this one.  Hitch himself would refer to this one as his favorite work.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Die! Die! My Darling! (1965):  Silvio Narizzano directed this horror film produced by Hammer Films based on a novel by Anne Blaisdell.  Stefanie Powers stars as Patricia Carroll who is engaged to marry Alan, played by Maurice Kaufmann.  She decides that it is only right for her to pay a visit to the Mrs. Trefoile, played by Tallulah Bankhead, whose late son Stephen she was engaged to and died in a car accident.  Trefoile turns out to be quite the religious fanatic and shows she is very bitter towards Pat by imprisoning her in her home.  Peter Vaughan, Yootha Joyce, Donald Sutherland, Philip Gilbert, and many others co-star in this horror film.  This is Bankhead's final film before her death.  Bankhead and Powers had quite the rivalry in this film and the tension between them was very believable.  This also inspired a song of the same name by the Misfits.

The Prince of Egypt (1998):  I end the week with some Dreamworks animation.  Brenda Chapman, Steve Hickner, and Simon Wells directed this biblical story.  This centers around brothers Rameses and Moses, voiced by Ralph Fiennes and Val Kilmer, who grow up the best of friends until learning they both have different paths with Moses being adopted.  Rameses becomes ruler of Egypt while Moses tries to free his people from slavery.  Michelle Pfeiffer, Sandra Bullock, Jeff Goldblum, Danny Glover, Patrick Stewart, Helen Mirren, Steve Martin, Martin Short, and many others provide their voice.  The animation in this movie rivals just about anything Disney has done through the years.  It also has a really good soundtrack that I learned was written by Stephen Schwartz who has written popular musicals like GODSPELL, PIPPEN, and WICKED.  This is available to watch on Tubi.

Well, that is it for this week but I return with my segment "Movie Time in the Town of Pottersville".  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Michelle Yeoh, Maria Bello, Rene Russo, Joseph Cotten, and many others.

MOVIE TIME IN THE TOWN OF POTTERSVILLE

Earlier in the week, I joined Stephanie as she was introducing our friend Alisha to part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014):  James Gunn directed this superhero film featuring a group of intergalactic outlaws that unite and turn out to be rather heroic.  This group consists of Peter Quill, played by Chris Pratt, Rocket the Raccoon, voiced by Bradley Cooper, Gamora, played by Zoe Saldana, Groot, voiced by Vin Diesel, and Drax, played by WWE Hall of Famer Dave Bautista.  Quill steals a mysterious orb and learns there is a lot more to it and that it needed protected from Ronan, played by Lee Pace.  Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Djimon Housou, John C. Reilly, Benicio Del Toro, Laura Haddock, Sean Gunn, Peter Serafinowicz, Christopher Fairbank, Wyatt Oleff, Brenden Fehr, Nathan Fillion, Alexis Denisof, Ralph Ineson, Rob Zombie, Josh Brolin, Seth Green, Lloyd Kaufman, and many others co-star or have bit roles.  I admit, I knew nothing of these characters until this movie started.  I recall Alisha saying when she was there that she did not watching it thinking it would be really stupid having a talking raccoon but found she really liked it.  This has a lot of action, some great humor, a good soundtrack, and some really fun characters.  This is available to watch on Disney Plus.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017):  James Gunn takes the helm as director once again in this sequel.  The five people in the group mentioned reprise their roles.  Quill learns more about himself as he meets his father Ego, played by Kurt Russell.  Pom Klementieff joins the Guardians as Mantis in this film.  Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Sylvester Stallone, Elizabeth Debicki, Chris Sullivan, Sean Gunn, Tommy Flanagan, Michael Rosenbaum, David Hasselhoff, Ving Rhames, Michelle Yeoh, Miley Cyrus, and many others co-star or have bit roles.  Cyrus provides the voice of Mainframe and Hasselhoff has a rather amusing cameo.  Some people may not know that he was Nick Fury before Samuel L. Jackson in the the 1998 movie NICK FURY:  AGENT OF SHIELD.  This captures the greatness of the original while having more emotional depth.  This is also available to watch on Disney Plus.