Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 933rd Edition

 

Welcome to the 933rd edition of my series.  There is not a lot going on right now so I will just get on with my selections for the week.

Score (2016):  I start the week out with this documentary which takes a look at the composers in the world of film and was directed by Matt Schrader.  This starts out discussing the early days of film on where the music score originated and how it would progress.  Interviews include Marco Beltrami, Christopher Young, Trevor Rabin, Bear McCreary, Mervyn Warren, Mychael Danna, Hans Zimmer, Rachel Portman, Christophe Beck, and many others.  I have always enjoyed a good music score, and this pays wonderful homage to that world.  I would have liked to have seen Nick Cave be featured more as he has my favorite music score from THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD.  I understand I can't always get what I want as Mick Jagger would say so I remain content by who all they do feature.  This is available to watch on Hoopla Digital, Freevee, Plex, TUBI, Pluto TV, and the Roku Channel.

12 Angry Men (1997):  William Friedkin directed this version on the classic which is based on the teleplay by Reginald Rose.  Jack Lemmon stars as juror #8 who stands alone with his eleven other jurors in his belief there is reasonable doubt in the murder case.  He tries to slowly win over the rest with the difficulty of #3, played by George C. Scott, and #10, played by Mykelti Williamson.  Courtney B. Vance, Ossie Davis, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Dorian Harewood, James Gandolfini, Tony Danza, Hume Cronyn, Edward James Olmos, and William Peterson play the remaining jurors.  Also, Mary McDonnell makes a cameo as the judge of the case.  This does not match the greatness of the 1957 version but they did a good job of updating the story.  Danza was perfectly cast in his role of juror #7.  As many know, I had the pleasure of being in this show, though it was 12 ANGRY JURORS where I got to play juror #3 and ranks high as one of my favorite roles.  This is available to watch on Prime, Freevee, the Roku Channel, and Tubi.  

Oliver and Company (1988):  George Scribner directed this Disney film which puts their treatment on the classic novel OLIVER TWIST by Charles Dickens.  In this story, Oliver, voiced by Joey Lawrence, is a homeless cat and is taken in by a group of mutts, led by Dodger, voiced by Billy Joel.  Dom Deluise co-stars as the voice of Fagin who owns the stray dogs.  When Oliver is taken in by a young girl, things get complicated when Fagin's boss Sykes, voiced by Robert Loggia, gets involved.  Cheech Marin, Richard Mulligan, Roscoe Lee Browne, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Taurean Blacque, Carl Weintraub, Natalie Gregory, Bette Midler, Frank Welker, Jonathan Brandis, and many others provide their voice in this film.  This is some pretty underrated Disney which puts a good twist, no pun really intended, to the Dickens novel.  It also has some really good music numbers like WHY SHOULD I WORRY from Billy Joel.  This is available to watch on Disney Plus.

Murder (1957):  This is my short film for the week which was written and directed by a young Roman Polanski.  This takes place in a very dark room where a murder has clearly taken place.  This was a college project by Polanski and his first completed film at State Film School in Lodz, Poland.  This would introduce themes that Polanski would use throughout his career.  This is only about two minutes long and is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

I Am a Fugitive from the Chain Gang (1932):  Mervyn LeRoy directed this film which is based on the autobiography by Robert E. Burns of the same name.  Paul Muni stars as WWI veteran James Allen who tries to reenter society in hopes of being an engineer but unknowingly gets involved with a robbery.  He gets sent to prison and must endure the life of the chain gang.  He finds a chance to escape and becomes a Jean ValJean type but his past comes to catch up with him.  Glenda Farrell, Helen Vinson, Noel Francis, Preston Foster, Allen Jenkins, Berton Churchill, Edward Ellis, David Landau, Hale Hamilton, and many others co-star in this prison film.  This is based on a real person in Robert E. Burns who was on set some as a consultant and the movie would lead to a lot of reform on the chain gang.  I have mentioned many times how much I feel how underrated Paul Muni is and always glad to get him back on the radar.

A Woman Under the Influence (1974):  This is my tribute to the late Gena Rowlands who recently left us.  John Cassavetes wrote and directed this film that takes a look at mental illness, among other things.  Peter Falk and Rowlands star as married couple Nick and Mabel Longhetti who also have three children.  Mabel has a lot of mental instability which Nick tries deal with but he has his own issues being at overwhelmed at work.  George Dunn, Mario Gallo, Charles Hovarth, James Joyce, John Finnegan, Cliff Carnell, Frank Richards, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a very intense film that holds nothing back on how mental illness can effect a marriage.  Falk and Rowlands worked very well together and is not an easy watch but is compelling on many levels.  This is available to watch on Max and the Criterion Channel.

Justified:  City Primeval (2023):  This is technically a mini-series but as I always say, since it is my blog, I make the rules.  Dave Andron and Michael Dinner created this series that is based on the Elmore Leonard novel CITY PRIMEVAL:  HIGH NOON IN DETROIT.  It is also a continuation of the FX series JUSTIFIED which I have featured in my additional segment "Tube Time".  Timothy Olyphant reprises his role as Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens fifteen years after events that happened on the tv series.  Raylan is now in Miami trying to balance his time with being a marshal and trying to have a relationship with his troubled teen daughter Willa, played by Olyphant's real-life daughter Vivian Olyphant.  A chance encounter in Miami gets Raylan sent to Detroit to help bring down the violent sociopath Clinton Mansell, played by Boyd Holbrook.  Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Vondie Curtis-Hall, Adelaide Clemens, Marin Ireland, Victor Williams, Norbert Leo Butz, Joseph Anthony Byrd, Alexander Pobutsky, Ravi Patel, Terry Kinney, Regina Taylor, Yosef Kasnetzkov, Eddie Martinez, David Cross, Paul Calderon, Keith David, Luis Guzman, Ahna O'Reilly, and many others co-star in this tv series.  The original novel uses a detective Raymond Cruz, but they decided to use Raylan Givens instead.  Many criticize this movie due to the lack of Boyd Crowder, but that story had already been told.  I also already know of Raylan Givens before the JUSTIFIED ever happened as I had read Leonard's novels PRONTO and RIDING THE RAP in the '90s that feature Givens.  The character Clinton Mansell could draw comparisons to Crowder.  The big difference to me is that Boyd Crowder had some redeeming qualities, and Mansell was just a villain to the core.  This is available to watch on Hulu.

The Great McGinty (1940):  Preston Sturges wrote and directed this political satire comedy.  Brian Donlevy stars as Depression-era bum Dan McGinty who is paid to make false votes in a rigged election.  He is recruited by the Boss, played by Akim Tamiroff, to be an enforcer and other things.  McGinty is soon elected as a "reform" candidate and must marry so he marries his secretary Catherine, played by Muriel Angelus, out of convenience.  While McGinty is being groomed for corruption, Catherine helps him to be more honest which leads to trouble.  Allyn Joslyn, William Demarest, Louis Jean Heydt, Harry Rosenthal, Arthur Hoyt, Libby Taylor, Thurston Hall, Steffi Duna, Esther Howard, Frank Moran, Jimmy Conlin, Dewey Robinson, and many others co-star in this film.  This has some really comedic moments with McGinty perfectly cast in his role.  It is a satire that remains relevant today.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

White Rock (1977):  This is my second documentary for the week which was directed by Tony Maylam.  This takes a look at the 1976 Winter Olympics that were held in Innsbruck, Austria.  James Coburn narrates this documentary which takes a look at much of the Olympic events while also trying to take part in some of them.  This also has a really good music score from Yes member Rick Wakeman which was some cool synthesizer music that went along well with the documentary.  This has some really good footage and works really well along with the narration and music.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

La Femme Nikita (1990):   I end the week with this French film that was written and directed by Luc Besson.  Anne Parillaud stars as Nikita who is a feral street girl and drug addict.  She also kills a cop at point blank and is convicted for her crimes but is given another chance through an organization that trains her to be an assassin.  Tcheky Karyo co-stars as her mentor Bob who has a limited amount of time to teach Nikita what she needs to know before her wild ways get her killed.  Marc Duret, Jeanne Moreau, Philippe Leroy, Jean-Hugues Anglade, Jean Reno, and many others co-star in this action film.  This was a very cleverly done film with Parillaud great as Nikita.  This movie started quite a franchise with the 1992 American remake POINT OF NO RETURN and the 1991 Chinese remake BLACK CAT.  It also spawned two tv shows, one of which is featured in "Tube Time".  In the tv series, Nikita is framed for murder and has more of a moral compass than in this movie.  Also to fans of Besson's THE PROFESSIONAL, Jean Reno's assassin character Victor the Cleaner is based on his character Leon which was written specifically for Reno.  

Well, that is it for this week but I did return with my segment Tube Time.  The Madness starts next week so I will be going back to my weekly format for the month of October and will go back to biweekly in November.

TUBE TIME

Justified (2010-2015):  Graham Yost created this tv series that is based on the short story FIRE IN THE HOLE by Elmore Leonard.  Timothy Olyphant stars as the loose cannon U.S. Marshall Raylan Givens who is working in Miami gets in trouble with his superiors and is sent back to his old hometown of Harlan, Kentucky.  While there, he must deal with what they call the "Dixie Mafia" which is mostly lead by his former co-worker turned rival Boyd Crowder, played by Walton Goggins.  Raylan has his own brand of justice that sometimes gets him in trouble with his superiors.  Nick Searcy, Joelle Carter, Jacob Pitts, Erica Tazel, Natalie Zea, Jere Burns, David Meunier, Jonathan Kowalski, Rick Gomez, Raymond J. Barry, Jesse Luken, Damon Harriman, Jeremy Davies, Justin Welborn, Mykelti Williamson, Kaitlyn Dever, Abby Miller, Jim Beaver, William Gregory Lee, Mel Fair, Michael Rapaport, Demetrius Grosse, William Ragsdale, Ron Eldard, Sam Elliott, Neal McDonough, Mary Steenburgen, Peter Murnik, Joseph Lyle Taylor, Margo Martindale, Linda Gehringer, Alicia Witt, Sam Anderson, A.J. Buckley, John Kapelos, Amy Smart, Garret Dillahunt, Jeff Fahey, Brad William Henke, Stephen Root, James Le Gros, Patton Oswalt, Scott Grimes, Danielle Panabaker, M.C. Gainey, Brian Howe, Jonathan Tucker, Dale Dickey, Steve Harris, Wood Harris, Max Perlich, Adam Arkin, Ned Bellamy, Stephen Tobolowsky, Will Sasso, Doug E. Doug, Xander Berkeley, David Koechner, Alan Ruck, W. Earl Brown, Kristin Bauer, Peter Greene, Tony Hale, Ray McKinnon, Mo Gaffney, Chadwick Boseman, Shea Whigham, Jessica Camacho, Desmond Harrington, William Forsythe, Jake Busey, Clarence Williams III, Jason Gedrick, Michael Ironside, Cathy Cahlin Ryan, Beth Grant, Dave Foley, Carla Gugino, Larenz Tate, Eric Roberts, Alan Tudyk, and many others star, play recurring characters or made guest appearances.  As one can see, this how had many big actors.  This is a really good contemporary western and it is also very violent.  There are a lot of very graphic killings and has a very high body count that I believe tops THE SOPRANOS.  Olyphant and Goggins were perfect in their roles with Goggins being a very compelling villain who was also an anti-hero.  Elmore Leonard had starting writing the character Raylan Givens in the mid-'90s so I was aware of the character.  I was also aware of the Crowe family from Leonard's books in general.  I think I finally started watching this show during Covid lockdown.  Two of the books are called PRONTO and RIDING THE RAP.  This show was based on FIRE IN THE HOLE which also has other short stories by Leonard.  The last book was called RAYLAN which is more based on this show and the last book the Leonard wrote before his death.  This is a very compelling series which is included on Hulu.

La Femme Nikita (1997-2001):  Joel Surnow created this series based on the characters created by Luc Besson from the 1990 movie of the same name.  Peta Wilson stars as Nikita who is framed for murder, condemned to death and recruited to be an assassin for an anti-terrorist government agency called Section One.  She is trained by Section One member Michael Samuelle, played by Roy Dupuis, and have a difficult relationship as they fall in love as time goes on but work for a ruthless organization.  Nikita's ethical dilemma sometimes gets her into trouble as well.  Don Francks, Eugene Robert Glazer, Matthew Ferguson, Alberta Watson, Carlo Rota, Cindy Dolenc, Lawrence Bayne, David Hemblin, Anais, Granofsky, Sian Phillips, Kris Lemche, Stephen Shellen, Hassan Coskuner, Malcolm Xerxes, Larissa Gomes, Edward Woodward, Samia Shoaib, Aiden Devine, Conrad Coates, Kira Clavell, Bruce Payne, Polly Shannon, Julian Richings, Callum Keith Rennie, Nigel Bennett, Colm Feore, Janet Kidder, Tobin Bell, Sean Whalen, Harris Yulin, Marnie McPhail, Maury Chaykin, Steven Berkoff, Gina Torres, Joaquim de Almeida, Khandi Alexander, Margot Kidder, Juliet Landau, Adam Ant, former WWE superstar Val Venis, Michael Cera, Patrick Gallagher, Jayne Eastwood, and many others co-star, play recurring characters, or guest star in this series.  This show lasted five seasons though season five had a much shorter season of eight episodes due to a contract dispute with Wilson and the producers.  This was not the best series of all time but it was usually pretty fun and interesting.  This is available to watch on Tubi.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 932nd Edition

Welcome to the 932nd edition of my series.  This week is the start of the regular season for the NFL.  I have my fantasy team together and I will be cheering on for the 49ers in hopes they will have another good year.  I don't really have anything else going on at this time son on with my selections for the week.

The Next Karate Kid (1994):  Christopher Cain directed this fourth installment of the franchise.  Daniel LaRusso has likely grown up and maybe has his car company.  Pat Morita reprises his iconic role of Mr. Miyagi and when visiting a widowed friend, he meets her granddaughter Julie Pierce, played by a young Hilary Swank.  Julie is very angry, and bitter having lost her parents and not fitting in at school.  Miyagi decides to take her in and teach her karate just like he did Daniel to help him to the right path in life.  She must also deal with a group of bullies being led by the football coach Dugan, played by Michael Ironside, and headed by Ned, played by Michael Cavalieri, who is one of the players.  Constance Towers, Chris Conrad, Arsenio Trinidad, Walton Goggins, Jim Ishida, Rodney Kageyama, Seth Sakai, and many others co-star in this movie.  Okay, so this is probably unnecessary, but it was good to see a young Swank and Goggins before they became big.  It would be good to see the character Julie Pierce in COBRA KAI but as far as I know that will not be happening, but the series is not over yet.  Morita and Swank did have pretty good chemistry between each other to make it watchable.  I supposed Ironside's character is the replacement for Kreese.  This is available to watch on Netflix

That's Him (1918):  This is my silent short comedy for the week.  Gilbert Pratt directed this short which stars silent film legend Harold Lloyd.  Lloyd has gotten married to Bebe Daniels and they are about to have a honeymoon but Lloyd loses the train tickets and he must go on a mad scramble to find them.  Snub Pollard co-stars as a robber and sets up Lloyd for a robbery leading to the complications.  This gave a warning beforehand that blackface makeup was being used which was by a train conductor.  This has some pretty funny moments in it with Lloyd.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

The Kentucky Fried Movie (1977):  This is part four of my five-part Donald Sutherland series where like on the last edition, he has a cameo appearance.  John Landis directed this experimental sketch comedy film which was written by the iconic trio of David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker.  This has a series of highly irreverent skits with the main one being A FISTFUL OF YEN which parodies Bruce Lee mainly from ENTER THE DRAGON.  Evan C. Kim, Bill Bixby, George Lazenby, Marilyn Joi, Marcy Goldman, Barry Dennen, Robert Starr, Henry Gibson, Rick Baker, Branscombe Richard, and many others co-star in this comedy.  This led to a lot of future comedies from the director and writers including ANIMAL HOUSE the next year which Landis also directed.  This was kind of a variety show which I suppose is similar to GRINDHOUSE in some ways.  It is also very politically incorrect so if you offend easy, this might not be the one.  This is available to watch on Prime, Peacock, Freevee, Pluto TV, Roku Channel, TUBI, and Shout Factory TV which requires a subscription through Prime.

As of Yet (2021):  Taylor Garron and Chanel James directed this Covid film that Garron also wrote and even stars.  When I say Covid film, it is not about the virus or anything like that.  It is about the time were we were mostly in lockdown.  Garron stars as Naomi who is trying to make the most of her life in these crazy times and we see her communicate with her friends and family as well as a possible relationship.  Eva Victor, Amir Khan, Quinta Brunson, Ayo Edebiri, Yedoye Travis, and many others co-star in this movie.  I am sure many of us can relate to this film.  It is actually quite engaging with Garron very charismatic in the lead as she makes the most of lockdown.  Some of the best scenes are the communication with Naomi's roommates and their obvious disagreements.

12 Angry Men (1957):  Sidney Lumet directed this film which is based on a teleplay by Reginald Rose.  This centers around a jury who is to deliberate a verdict in a murder trial.  While this seems like an open and shut case, juror #8, played by Henry Fonda, feels there is doubt and wants to discuss the trial while the eleven other jurors believe the defendant is guilty.  Fonda then tries to convince the others of possible reasonable doubt and jurors 3, played by Lee J. Cobb, and 10, played by Ed Begley, prove to be the toughest to convince.  Martin Balsam, John Fiedler, E.G. Marshall, Jack Klugman, Edward Binns, Jack Warden, Joseph Sweeney, George Voskovec, and Robert Webber play the other jurors.  Having just done this show, I thought this was the right time to revisit this film.  I had the honor of plays Cobb's role of juror #3 who is the angriest of all these jurors.  Times were different in this era including a lot of smoking was going on in that jury room.  This was a very intense film where it was felt.  Lumet make his directorial debut in the way of a feature film and was hired by Fonda who was the producer of this movie.  Fonda always regarded this as one of his favorite movies and it is ranked up really high as one of my favorite plays I have done.  This also inspired a remake and tv shows to do episodes like this one.  This is available to watch on TUBI.

Sheena (1984):  John Guillermin directed this movie that is based on the comic series SHEENA:  QUEEN OF THE JUNGLE by Will Eisner and Jerry Iger.  CHARLIE'S ANGELS alum and Bond girl Tanya Roberts stars as Sheena who has been raised in the African jungles by the mystical Shaman, played by Elizabeth of Toro.  A group of mercenary type people invade the island and Sheena must rely on her gifts of communicating with animals to protect her tribe.  Ted Wass co-stars as reporter Vic Casey who is at first out for a story but finds there are more important things and helps Sheena in her fight.  Donovan Scott, France Zobda, Clifton Jones, John Forgeham, Errol John, Bob Sherman, Michael Shannon, Kathryn Gant, Nick Brimble, and many others co-star in this movie.  This is a lot of B-Movie fun where we get to see a lot of action and animals.  This is a comic series that started in 1938 where I supposed this was the answer to a female version of Tarzan.  It was a tv series in 1955 for abotu a year or so and no live action movie was ever made until this one.  In the later years, they would develop another TV series that would star BAYWATCH babe Gena Lee Nolin.  I feel we could have had some movie versions in the earlier years that maybe could starred Fay Wray and maybe even have a collaboration with Tarzan but that never happened.  Also, according to the Ramones, Sheena is a punk rocker but we did not get to see that side of her in this movie or the later tv series.  This is available to watch on Prime.

The Story of O (1975):  Just Jaeckin directed this French film which is based on a novel by Dominique Aury who used the name Pauline Reage.  I will start with the description on the Criterion Channel which says "Before the was 50 Shades of Gray, there was the Story of O" if that tells you anything.  Corinne Clery stars as O who is a photographer and is taken to a chateau where she is subject to the world of bondage and more.  Udo Kier, Anthony Steel, Jean Gaven, Christiane Minazzoli, Martine Kelly, and many others co-star in this very controversial film.  This is not for everyone and I won't use words that will get me red flagged like the last time.  It is a very interesting piece of arthouse cinema for those who are into that type of film.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel, Pluto TV, and CONtv which requires a subscription through Prime.

Knox Goes Away (2023):  Michael Keaton directed this film which was written by Gregory Poirier.  Keaton also stars as contract killer John "Aristotle" Knox who learns he is having a fast-moving form of dementia.  When his son Miles, played by James Marsden is in some trouble, he does what he can with the time he has left before his dementia fully sets in to save him.  Ray McKinnon, Paul Perri, Joanna Kulig, Edwin Garcia II, Nicole Reddinger, Suzy Nakamura, John Hoogenakker, Dennis Dugan, Charles Bisset, Lela Loren, Jay Paulson, Sasha Neboga, Al Pacino, and many others co-star in this action film.  This is a very well done film with Keaton doing a really good job in front of and behind the camera.  It is also a gritty but moving story that kept me engaged all the way through.  This is available to watch on Max.

Desert Fury (1947):  Lewis Allen directed this Film Noir which is based on the novel by Ramona Stewart.  John Hodiak stars as gangster Eddie Bendix who has been suspected of murder and gets involved with the casino owner's daughter Paula, played by Lizabeth Scott.  People around them do what they can to break them apart, all going through some rather extreme measures to do so.  Burt Lancaster, Wendell Corey, Mary Astor, Kristine Miller, William Harrigan, James Flavin, Jane Novak, and many others co-star in this film.  Corey makes his film debut as Johnny's henchman Eddie and their dynamic kind of remined me of Mr. Burns and Waylon Smithers on THE SIMPSONS if that means anything.  This movie comes at you from many angles so this will require some attention.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Pecker (1998):  John Waters wrote and directed this comedy and satire on fame.  Edward Furlong stars as Baltimore teen Pecker who is also a photographer.  When a New York art dealer named Rorey, played by Lili Taylor buys one of his photographs at a local art show and invites Pecker and his friends to an art gallery in New York City.  When Pecker's newfound fame comes about, the lives of those around him become more difficult including his girlfriend Shelley, played by Christina Ricci.  Mary Kay Place, Martha Plimpton, Bess Armstrong, Brendan Sexton III, Mink Stole, Patricia Hearst, Jean Schertler, Lauren Hulsey, Mo Fischer, and many others co-star in this comedy.  Also, look closely for WWE Hall of Famer Stacy Keibler who can be seen briefly on the bus.  This is the usual sort of unusal comedy from John Waters and has an array of colorful characters as well as some of his regular actors and actresses.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Collection.  

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for the next couple of weeks which so far includes Jack Lemmon, Bette Midler, Paul Muni, Gena Rowlands, and many others.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 931st Edition

Welcome to the 931st Edition of my series.  Last week, I got to make quite the debut in Rushville for 12 ANGRY JURORS as Juror #3.  The show went very well and one of my favorite shows I have done.  I don't have much else going on right now so I'll just get on with my selections for the week.

The Accused (1988):  Jonathan Kaplan directed this legal film which was written by Tom Topor.  Jodie Foster stars as Sarah Tobias who is just wanting to have a fun time at the bar but ends up getting gang raped by three men.  Kelly McGillis stars as district attorney Kathryn Murphy who looks to help Sarah bring these men to justice as well as some who cheered it on.  Bernie Coulson, Leo Rossi, Ann Hearn, Carmen Argenziano, Steve Anton, Tom O'Brien, Peter Van Norden, Terry David Mulligan, Woody Brown, Scott Paulin, and many others co-star in this film.  This is based on a real life case of Cheryl Aroujo from what happened to her in 1983 and is someone to look up.  This is a good look at a "blame the victim" culture of this time period.  It is not always easy to watch, most notably the scene at the bar.  This is available to watch on Prime, MGM+, and Paramount +.

Cuban Fury (2014):  I started out a little serious so now I get more comedic.  James Griffith directed this comedy which was written by Jon Brown and based on an idea by Nick Frost who also stars.  Frost stars as Bruce who as a kid had a lot of potential as a salsa dancer but let bullying make him decide to abandon it.  Now, he is an unhappy and overweight employee with nothing going on for him until he meets his new boss Julia, played by Rashida Jones.  Bruce discovers she likes to dance and decides to try dancing again and turns to his eccentric teacher Ron, played by Ian McShane, to reclaim his groove.  Chris O'Dowd, Olivia Colman, Ben Radcliffe, Isabella Steinbarth, Steve Oram, Alexandra Roach, Rory Kinnear, Tim Plester, Kayvan Novak, and many others co-star in this comedy.  Also, look closely for Frost's frequent co-star Simon Pegg in a cameo.  Frost does well as the comedic lead in this comedy that also has a pretty good message on bullying and not letting it decide what you want to do in life.  This is available to watch on Starz and Tubi.

Cinema Paradiso (1988):  Giuseppe Tornatore directed and co-wrote this Italian film that pays homage to the importance of the movie theaters.  A filmmaker named Salvatore, played by Jacques Perrin, returns to his small Italian town when learning an old friend dies and recalls his childhood.  Salvatore Cascio plays Salvatore in the childhood years and Marco Leonardi plays him in his teenage years.  As a child, Salvatore was very fascinated by the movie theater and forms a friendship with the projectionist Alfredo, played by Philippe Noiret, which would last through the years.  Salvatore would learn a lot through Alfredo about film and just life in general.  Enzo Cannavale, Antonella Attili, Isa Danieli, Leo Gullata, Pupella Maggio, Agnese Nano, Leopoldo Trieste, Tano Cimarosa, Nicola Di Pinto, Roberto Lena, Nino Terzo, and many others co-star in this film.  I watched this when I was visiting my dad who named this as his favorite movie, even over CITIZEN KANE which is saying something for him.  This was a really good coming of age story that centers around the homage to local movie theaters.  Tornatore based this film on his own life experiences.  This is available to watch on MGM+, Paramount +, and Prime.

Fly the Unfriendly Skies (1972):  This is my short film for the week which is technically the pilot episode of THE BOB NEWHART SHOW and is part three of my trilogy of Bob Newhart who recently left us.  Newhart plays psychiatrist Dr. Bob Hartley who has a fear of flying group that his wife Emily, played by Suzanne Pleshette, joins after confessing she is also afraid to fly.  Peter Bonerz, Bill Daily, Patricia Smith, Marcia Wallace, Noam Pitlik, Florida Friebus, and Jack Riley co-star in this episode.  Penny Marshall has a guest appearance as a Stewardess.  I had never seen this show before, but I know it is very popular.  Newhart essentially plays the straight man and does a great job as he did in his career in general.  He was also surrounded by a lot of very comedic characters to start a very long-running series.  

The Man Who Could Work Miracles (1936):  Lothar Mendes and Alexander Korda directed this fantasy film which is based on the novel by H.G. Wells.  Roland Young stars in this film as George McWhirter Fotheringay who is just an ordinary man that finds himself able to make things happen just by what he says.  After a while, George gets in over his head and those around him decide he must be stopped.  Ralph Richardson, Edward Chapman, Ernest Thesiger, Joan Gardner, Sophie Stewart, Lady Tree, Lawrence Hanray, George Zucco, Wallace Lupino, Joan Hickson, Mark Daly, George Sanders, Torin Thatcher, and many others co-star in this film.  This had some pretty funny moments and is a very interesting story that holds up well today.  This is available to watch on TUBI and Fandor which requires a subscription for Prime.

Female on the Beach (1955):  Joseph Pevney directed this film which is based on a play by Robert Hill.  Joan Crawford stars as Lynn Markham who moves into her late husband's beach house after former tenant fell from the cliff or was there a little more to it?  When getting there, she wants to keep to herself, but her neighbors aren't letting that happen including Drummond Hall, played by Jeff Chandler, whose advances she can't resist even if she believes they are scheming against her.  Jan Sterling, Cecil Kellaway, Judith Evelyn, Charles Drake, Natalie Schafer, Stuart Randall, Marjorie Bennett, and many others co-star in this film.  This does have quite a bit of suspense and Crawford plays her role in the way only she can play it.  This would be a good watch on a Saturday afternoon.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Deadpool and Wolverine (2024):  Shawn Levy directed this latest from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and worked these characters into the timeline.  Ryan Reynolds reprises his role of Deadpool whose universe in in Jeopardy and recruits a variant of Wolverine, reprised by Hugh Jackman, to help him save it.  I don't want to go too far into this as I am sure there are many out there who haven't gotten to the theaters yet and still want the element of surprise.  All I will say is this is a lot of fun with the usual Deadpool humor.  There are also a lot of other fun Marvel cameos.  This is still in theaters and Deadpool fans should get there as soon as possible.  

Cairo Station (1958):  Youssef Chahine directed this Egyptian film.  Chahine also stars Qinawi who sells newspapers and is rather slow-minded.  He also forms an unhealthy obsession towards as vender Hanuma, played by Hind Rustum.  Farid Shawqi also co-stars in this film.  This is a very dark and intense film with a very good performance from Chahine.  This has gotten recognition through the years but deserves a little more in my opinion.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Johnny Got His Gun (1971):  This is part three of my five-part Donald Sutherland series where he makes more of a cameo as none other than Jesus Christ in some dream sequences.  Dalton Trumbo directed this film based on his own novel.  Timothy Bottoms stars as WWI soldier Joe Bonham who is so badly injured that death would be preferred.  He loses his arms, legs, mouth, ears, and eyes and only has his mind left as he lies in bed hoping to die.  There are also a lot of flackback and dream sequences from Joe.  Marsha Hunt, Jason Robards, Charles McGraw, Sandy Brown Wyeth, Don "Red" Barry, Peter Brocco, and many others co-star in this film.  The scenes involving Jesus Christ were written by Luis Bunuel.  The band Metallica's song ONE is based on this film, and it also helped the movie's popularity.  This is a very powerful movie that deserves a look.  This is available to watch on Prime.

Short Circuit (1986):  John Badham directed this sci-fi comedy.  Steve Guttenberg stars as Newton Crosby who helps to develop military robots.  Number 5, voiced by Tim Blaney, is electrocuted and develops his own intelligence and escapes from the military base.  Ally Sheedy co-stars as Stephanie Speck who meets the Number 5 and tries to help keep him from going back to the military base.  Fisher Stevens, Austin Pendleton, G.W. Bailey, Brian McNamara, Marvin J McIntyre, and many others co-star in this film.  When watching this, I felt this was kind of a pre-WALL-E.  This was a lot of '80s fun and has gone onto be one of the more underrated films from the era as well as the Number 5 robot.  This is available to watch on Hoopla Digital and is a must watch robot comedy.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for my next edition in a couple weeks which so far includes Hilary Swank, Harold Lloyd, Donald Sutherland, Henry Fonda, Michael Keaton, Burt Lancaster, Christina Ricci, and many others.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 930th Edition

Welcome to the 930th Edition of my series.  Next weekend we put on 12 ANGRY JURORS at the Historic Princess Theater in Rushville, Indiana and the info is at the bottom of the page on the poster.  Anyone in or near the area should make plans to attend this great production which is fixing to be one of my favorite roles I have played.  I don't have much else happening so I will just get on with my selections for the week.

Horrible Bosses (2011):  This is part three of my six-part Donald Sutherland series and part two of a Bob Newhart trilogy where both essentially make cameos.  Seth Gordon directed this workplace comedy where the bosses are not very well liked.  Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, and Jason Sudeikis star as three friends Nick Hendricks, Dale Arbus, and Kurt Buckman who are unhappy at their respective jobs and conspire to murder their employers, played by Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Aniston, and Colin Farrell.  The problem is that they are relying on things they have seen in movies and television but don't really have criminal minds.  Lindsay Sloane, Steve Wiebe, Michael Albaba, Jennifer Hasty, Reginald Ballard, Barry Livingston, Meghan Markle, Celia Finkelstein, Scott Rosendall, and many others co-star in this comedy.  This is not a 4 star or award-winning movie, just a fun and maybe relatable comedy.  Aniston was also a lot of fun in one of her more villainous roles as the dentist.  This would be a great movie for a group of friends who just want some laughs.

Girls Just Want to have Fun (1985):  Now I pay homage to Shannen Doherty who recently left us.  Alan Metter directed this '80s teen comedy centered around a dance show on television.  Sarah Jessica Parker stars as Janey who loves the TV show DANCE TV as well as her new best friend Lynne, played by Helen Hunt.  Janey has the potential to be on that series but learns she must rebel against her military father, played by Ed Lauter, who is against her doing the show.  Holly Gagnier, Jonathan Silverman, Lee Montgomery, Biff Yeager, Kristi Somers, Richard Blade, Ian Michael Giatti, Morgan Woodward, Terence McGovern, Lee Arnone-Briggs, Mark Caso, and many others co-star in this '80s film.  This is pure '80s fun with a lot of dancing.  Yes, it is quite predictable but sometimes predictability is a little needed.  This is available to watch on Prime, TUBI, Pluto TV, and the Roku Channel.

The Long Way Home (1998):  This is part three of my Jack Lemmon trilogy.  Glenn Jordan directed this tv movie.  Jack Lemmon stars as depressed widower Thomas Gerrin and meets the 21 year old Leane, played by Sarah Paulson, who has her own issues.  They strike up an unlikely friendship and decide to hike cross-country to find what they are looking for.  Kristin Griffith, Garwin Sanford, Rosemary Dunsmore, Peter Dvorsky, Tom Butler, Betty Garrett, Eric Keenleyside, Peter Bryant, William Devry, Tom Heaton, and many others co-star in this tv movie.  This is a rather underrated movie of an unlikely friendship and them respecting the differences of one another.  It is also a coming of age story for both the young and old.  This is available to watch on Prime, Crackle, Freevee, Plex, Shout! Factory TV, The Roku Channel, and Tubi.

The Chump Champ (1950):  This is my animated short for the week which features Droopy Dog.  Tex Avery directed this short film which features Droopy's rival Spike and they compete in a series of athletic contests.  Spike tries to win by cheating but each time it backfires.  Lots of funny gags in the eight minutes or so.

Bringing Up Baby (1938):  Howard Hawks directed this classic screwball comedy.  Cary Grant stars as paleontologist David Huxley who is doing what he can to secure a million dollars for his museum.  Things get complicated for him when heiress Susan Vance, played by Katherine Hepburn, starts to follow him and all kinds of accidents start to happen while also falling in love with her.  Add that to Susan's pet leopard Baby to add to the problems.  Charles Ruggles, Walter Catlett, Barry Fitzgerald, May Robson, Fritz Feld, Leona Roberts, George Irving, Tala Birell, John Kelly, and many others co-star.  Also, look for the famed Hollywood dog Asta from THE THIN MAN series.  This delivers many laughs and is one of my favorite comedies from this era.  Hepburn does well in her comedic debut.  Lots of comedy action takes place in this and is worth a look.  This is available to watch on Tubi.

Night Moves (1975):  Arthur Penn directed this crime drama which was written by Alan Sharpe.  Gene Hackman stars as private investigator Harry Moseby who is hired by socialite Arlene, played by Janet Ward, to find her missing daughter Delly, played by a young Melanie Griffith in her film debut.  A simple missing person case as always becomes very complicated.  Jennifer Warren, Edward Binns, Harris Yulin, Kenneth Mars, James Woods, Anthony Costello, John Crawford, and many others co-star in this film.  This has been a pretty underrated film from this era.  This has a lot of twists and turns for us in this complicated story that does require full attention.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Love Lies Bleeding (2024):  Rose Glass directed and co-wrote this thriller.  Kristen Stewart star as gym manager Lou who meets and falls in love with a female bodybuilder named Jackie, played by Katy O'Brian.  Jackie has aspirations of going to Vegas for a bodybuilding contest but Jackie and Lou fall deep into Lou's crime family.  Ed Harris co-stars as Lou's criminal father and has a really creepy look to go along with it.  Dave Franco, Jena Malone, Anna Baryshnikov, Eldon Harris, Orion Carrington, Matthew Blood-Smyth, Keith Jardine, Jerry G. Angelo, Tait Fletcher, David Delow, Mikandrew, and many others co-star in this film.  This is one of those A24 films which usually shouldn't be very good but they always make it work for some reason.  This is not for everyone and has some pretty extreme violence.  I was quite compelled but I felt the ending was just a little too unrealistic for this type of movie.  I'm usually okay with a little unrealistic action but felt it was a bit much in the end.  I did enjoy the journey getting there though and was a very interesting movie but if I say much more I would give it away.  This is available to watch on Max.

The Tin Star (1957):  Anthony Mann directed this western which is based on the screenplay that Dudley Nichols wrote and on a story by Barney Slater and Joel Kane.  Henry Fonda stars as a former sheriff turned bounty hunter named Morg Hickman who rides into a town where the sheriff has been murdered.  Morg tries to help the inexperienced acting sheriff Ben Owens, played by Anthony Perkins, to help get better with the gun and help Ben achieve his goal of permanent sheriff even if he may think it is a crazy goal.  Betsy Palmer co-stars as Nona Mayfield who becomes Morg's love interest and has a son named Kip, played by Michel Ray, who idolizes Morg.  Neville Brand, John McIntire, Mary Webster, Peter Baldwin, Richard Shannon, James Bell, Howard Petrie, Russell Simpson, Jack Kenney, Mickey Finn, and many others co-star in this western.  Yes, Henry Fonda teams up in a movie with Norman Bates and Mrs. Voorhies so how much better can it get there?  This is a decent enough western from this era with Fonda and Perkins working well together.  This is available to watch on Pluto TV.  

God Told Me To (1976):  Larry Cohen wrote and directed this horror thriller.  Tony Lo Bianco stars as New York detective Peter J. Nicholas who is trying to solve a set of murders where there is a different murderer but they all claim that God told them to do it.  This leads to a lot of very deep realizations.  Deborah Raffin, Sandy Dennis, Sylvia Sidney, Sam Levene, Robert Drivas, Mike Kellin, Richard Lynch, Sammy Williams, and many others co-star in this film.  Also, look for WWE Hall of Famer Andy Kaufman as a police killer.  This gets very deep and is not for everyone.  It is hard to really explain this one but it does have a very creepy feel and is a rather different sort of horror.  This could be a good double feature to go along with ANGEL HEART.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

The Deep End (2001):  Scott McGehee and David Siegel directed this psychological film which is based on a novel THE BLANK WALL by Elizabeth Sanxay Holding.  Tilda Swinton stars as Margaret Hall who lives the privileged life with a nice home but struggles as a mother while her husband is off in his work life.  She finds a dead body of someone connected to her teenage son Beau, played by Jonathan Tucker, and goes to extreme measures to protect him from being accused of murder.  She also falls victim to a blackmail scheme making things even more complicated.  Goran Visnjic, Peter Donat, Josh Lucas, Raymond J. Barry, Tamara Hope, Jordan Dorrance, Holmes Osborne, Richard Gross, Kip Martin, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a pretty intense film that begs the question of what parents will do to protect their children.  Swinton carries this movie very well and is worth a look.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Well, that is it for this week, but I am returning with my segment "Fun and Usesless Facts".  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for the next couple of weeks which so far includes Jodie Foster, Olivia Colman, Joan Crawford, Donald Sutherland, and many others.

FUN AND USELESS FACTS

I decided to bring back this segment.  As always, I don't focus on actors that were in the same featured movie.  I also stop when I get to 25 facts so there are probably many that I missed so feel free to comment if you see something.

Kevin Spacey (Horrible Bosses) and Sarah Paulson (The Long Way Home) were in the 2017 movie REBEL IN THE RYE.

Kevin Spacey (Horrible Bosses) plays Superman's main rival Lex Luther in the 2006 movie SUPERMAN RETURNS.  Gene Hackman (Night Moves) plays Luther in the 1978 superhero film SUPERMAN and its sequels.

Kevin Spacey (Horrible Bosses), Jack Lemmon (The Long Way Home), and Ed Harris (Love Lies Bleeding) were in the 1992 film GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS.

Kevin Spacey (Horrible Bosses) and Raymond J. Barry (The Deep End) were in the 1994 comedy THE REF.

Kevin Spacey (Horrible Bosses) and Melanie Griffith (Night Moves) were in the 1988 comedy WORKING GIRL.

Kevin Spacey (Horrible Bosses) was considered for the 1997 animated DISNEY film HERCULES which would ultimately go to James Woods (Night Moves).

Donald Sutherland (Horrible Bosses) and Jena Malone (Love Lies Bleeding) were in the 2003 film COLD MOUNTAIN and play father and daughter in the 2005 film PRIDE AND PREJUDICE.  They were also part of THE HUNGER GAMES franchise where Sutherland plays President Snow and Malone plays Johanna Mason who is my favorite part of the franchise.

Donald Sutherland (Horrible Bosses) and Jack Lemmon (The Long Way Home) were in the 1991 political film JFK.

Jamie Foxx (Horrible Bosses) and Jena Malone (Love Lies Bleeding) were in the 2009 movie THE SOLOIST.

Charlie Day (Horrible Bosses) and Dave Franco (Love Lies Bleeding) were in the 2014 animated film THE LEGO MOVIE.

Colin Farrell (Horrible Bosses) and Ed Harris (Love Lies Bleeding) were in the 2010 film THE WAY BACK.

Sarah Jessica Parker (Girls Just Want to Have Fun) was considered for the role of Dr. Julia Harris, D.D.S. in this week's feature HORRIBLE BOSSES which would ultimately go to Jennifer Aniston so FRIENDS won over SEX AND THE CITY in this situation.

Jack Lemmon (The Long Way Home) and Henry Fonda (The Tin Star) were in the 1955 Navy comedy MISTER FANTASTIC.  They also share the role of Juror #8 in 12 ANGRY MEN where Fonda would play the role in the 1957 version and Lemmon would play him in the 1997 version.  My Facebook friend Tyler plays the role in 12 ANGRY JURORS next weekend in Rushville at the Historic Princess theater and I have the pleasure of playing hi main rival Juror #3.  See flyer on the bottom for details.

Jack Lemmon (The Long Way Home) and Sandy Dennis (God Told Me To) were a married couple in the 1970 comedy THE OUT OF TOWNERS.

Jack Lemmon (The Long Way Home) and Peter Donat (The Deep End) were in 1979 film THE CHINA SYNDROME.

Katherine Hepburn (Bringing Up Baby) and Henry Fonda (The Tin Star) were in the 1981 film ON GOLDEN POND as the aging married couple Ethel and Norman.  My Facebook friends Susan and Bob played the couple in a 2018 version at the Commons Theatre where I played Bill Ray.

Gene Hackman (Night Moves) and Tony Lo Bianco (God Told Me To) were in the 1971 film THE FRENCH CONNECTION.

Gene Hackman (Night Moves) and Ed Harris (Love Lies Bleeding) were in the 1997 movie ABSOLUTE POWER.

Gene Hackman (Night Moves) and Raymond J. Barry (The Deep End) were in the 1996 Grisham adaptation THE CHAMBER. 

Melanie Griffith (Night Moves) and Ed Harris (Love Lies Bleeding) star as love interests in the 1994 romantic comedy MILK MONEY.

James Woods (Night Moves) and Jonathan Tucker (The Deep End) are in the 1999 film THE VIRGIN SUICIDES.

James Woods (Night Moves) and Raymond J. Berry (The Deep End) are in the 1988 film COP.

Ed Harris (Love Lies Bleeding) and Josh Lucas (The Deep End) were in 2001 film A BEAUTIFUL MIND and the 2005 mini-series EMPIRE FALLS.

Ed Harris (Love Lies Bleeding) and Tilda Swinton (The Deep End) were in the 2013 film SNOWPIERCER.

Kristen Stewart (Love Lies Bleeding) and Jonathan Tucker (The Deep End) were in the 2019 action movie CHARLIE'S ANGELS.