Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 574th Edition

Welcome to the 574th Edition of my series.  After the Madness and my anniversary, I am finally back to normal.  I have been busy with rehearsals for IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE in Marion which happens in the first two weekends in December.  Seeing how things are going in this election makes me realize how much I hate politics and how it brings out the worse in some people.  Hate will not solve anything, that is all I will say.  Now for my selections.

Captain America:  Civil War (2016):  I start the week out with the latest of the superhero films.  This year we have seen Batman taking on Superman and Daredevil taking on the Punisher and to round out this I guess trilogy, we get to see Steve Rogers, reprised by Chris Evans, and Tony Stark, reprised by Robert Downey Jr., aka Captain America vs. Iron Man.  The difference to the first two I named off as opposed to this one is that in those they did not know each other and in this one Steve and Tony have been fighting side by side for awhile.  When on an assignment, things go wrong resulting in tragedy making the government push the Hero Registration Act which will limit what superheroes can do.  Tony begins to feel guilt about what happened and felt that they needed to be kept in check while Steve felt that saving the world is difficult enough and that they did not need government interference pitting them against each other making the other Avengers have to choose a side.  I am not going to name off the teams though by now most people know whose side each was on.  I am just going to name off the other players that get involved which include returnees of Black Widow, played by Scarlett Johansson, Falcon, played by Anthony Mackie, Hawkeye, played by Jeremy Renner, Winter Solder, played by Sebastian Stan, Ant-Man, played by Paul Rudd, War Machine, played by Don Cheadle, Scarlet Witch, played by Elizabeth Olsen and Vision, played by Paul Bettany.  Characters introduced to the universe are Spider-Man, played by Tom Holland, and Black Panther, played by Chadwick Boseman.  You will see that Thor and the Hulk are excluded as I believe they are off doing other things which we'll soon learn in THOR:  RAGNAROK.  Other co-stars include Emily VanCamp, Daniel Bruhl, Frank Grillo, William Hurt, Martin Freeman, Marisa Tomei, John Kani, John Slattery, Hope Davis, Alfre Woodard, and many others.  I thought this was very well put together and managed to showcase each character very well.  I also really think I'll like Tom Holland as Peter Parker and Spider-Man and like that he has a more teenage personality than usual.  I felt that there was a lot to like about this film and is also a lot of fun.  Like any superhero film, it has its haters and maintain that the superhero genre is the most subjective genre in tv and film.

Boat Builders (1938):  This is my animated short for the week that is from Disney.  Mickey buys a boat kit in which the instructions lead on about how easy it is and when getting help from Donald Duck and Goofy, they realize that it is very difficult for them leading to some pretty funny moments.  This is a pretty funny short of the trio, each of them showcased very well.  I recorded this on TCM but I'm sure it's available on those Disney vault dvds of short films and is available for youtube.

Young at Heart (1954):  This is part two of my Frank Sinatra series.  Gordon Douglas directs this film which in a sense in a musical but not a conventional one as in they all have reason to sing like for performances.  Doris Day stars as Laurie who comes from a musical family and all the sisters take a liking to Alex, played by Gig Young, who ends up getting engaged to Laurie.  Sinatra co-stars as Barney who is a more cynical musician helping Alex with some work and takes a liking to Laurie himself complicating matters a lot.  Ethel Barrymore, Gig Young, Dorothy Malone, Robert Keith, Alan Hale Jr., Frank Ferguson, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a bit of a love story but not really upbeat with Sinatra's character.  This includes the title song by Johnny Richards and Carolyn Leigh which had just gotten popular with it being a hit song for Sinatra which then became this movie title and would also be popular in the future, most notably the '90s movie IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU.  This is a more underrated Sinatra film and as far as I know the only teaming for him and Day which has a really good supporting cast including a later film for Ethel Barrymore who is the great aunt of Drew Barrymore.  This is a remake to a 1938 movie called FOUR DAUGHTERS which I know nothing about but may look to check it out soon.

A Raisin in the Sun (2008):  This is part two of a possible Audra McDonald trilogy.  This is a tv movie which a remake to the classic 1961 film and based on the play by Lorraine Hansberry so maybe in a sense it is not necessarily a remake but another movie based on the play.  This is something I have come up with on multiple movies that are based on a novel as well, I'll talk about that another time.  Kenny Leon directed this tv movie which was at first a Broadway revival and then they made it into a network tv movie.  This centers around a black family in the '50s where they deal with poverty and racism.  Sean Combs stars as Walter Younger who is in a low-level job looking to get the money needed to make a risky investment.  McDonald stars as his wife Ruth who is dealing with issues of her own.  Phylicia Rashad co-stars as Walter's mother Lena who is awaiting a $10,000 insurance check due to the death of her husband and everyone having different ideas on how it should get used.  Sanaa Lathan is very good as Walter's more free-spirited sister Beneatha and rounding out the family is Justin Martin as the son Travis.  Bill Nunn David Oyelowo, Ron Cephas Jones, John Stamos, Sandi Ross, and many others co-star in this tv movie.  This may very well be the first time I have featured John Stamos on this blog.  I'll start by saying that the first one is better but I thought this version was still done with care coming from a Tony Award winning Broadway revival.  If you can look past the fact that Sean Combs has been more known as names like Puff Daddy, P Diddy, and even Diddy, he didn't do a bad job, the rest of the cast were very strong in their roles.

The Outer Space Connection (1975):  This is one of my documentaries for the week.  Fred Warshofsky directed this documentary based on the book by Alan Landsburg which explores the speculation of alien visits in ancient times.  It looks at some of the unexplained mysteries from ancient civilizations giving thought to the possibility that aliens started this world.  Rod Serling provides the narration in what is essentially a science documentary, maybe even a sci-fi documentary.  It also has a pretty cool music score to go along with it.  Take this for what it is, nothing has been proven but interesting thoughts.  This is available on Youtube at least.

J. Edgar (2011):  This is part two of a possible five part Leonardo DiCaprio series.  Clint Eastwood directed this biopic which is based on a screenplay by Dustin Lance Black.  DiCaprio stars as the famed FBI founder J. Edgar Hoover.  It goes into Hoover's rise and many of the events he was involved in.  The main part of the story is with his hire Clyde Tolson, played by Armie Hammer, who is quickly promoted to assistant director and is of an alleged relationship they had through the years.  David Cooper, Naomi Watts, Judi Dench, Jessica Hecht, Ken Howard, Jeffrey Donovan, Dermot Mulroney, Josh Lucas, Zach Grenier, Stephen Root, Adam Driver, and many others co-star in this film.  This did go to mixed opinions.  The big part of this in my opinion was DiCaprio's performance of Hoover and his ability and the way he can accommodate to playing almost anyone.  It takes place in two eras and the jumps between the two were a bit confusing at times.  You must also except that it is at least partly fictional seeing as there has never really been any proof one way or another on the alleged relationship with Tolson.  It kind of made me think of the alleged relationship between Truman Capote and Perry Smith when Capote was writing IN COLD BLOOD that they played out in the movie INFAMOUS.  Maybe this will be a good double feature.

The Secret Land (1948):  This is my second documentary for the week.  This takes a look at the Navy in 1946 on an expedition they took to Antarctica known as Operation High Jump.  This expedition involved 13 ships and over 4000 men.  There were various objectives to this trip that included things like testing equipment in frigid conditions, investigating base sites, among other things.  Narration was provided by celebrity veterans Robert Montgomery, Robert Taylor, and Van Heflin.  This was filmed by military photographers and they got a lot of really good footage.  I had never heard of this expedition and was a very insightful documentary from this era.

Xanadu (1980):  This is my musical for the week which was directed by Robert Greenwald.  Michael Beck stars as Sonny Malone who is a struggling artist who is looking to do something big and meets up with musician Danny McGuire, played by Gene Kelly in his last feature role, and are inspired by a Greek muse named Kira, played by Olivia Newton-John, to build a roller disco rink and later forbidden love occurs with Danny and Kira.  That is about the best way I can describe this movie.  This is not great, at best can be described as fun and has become a cult classic through the years.  It even got on the rise a bit with community theaters there for awhile.  A lot of the soundtrack was from Electric Light Orchestra and some was from John Farrar.  Kelly is in his last feature role so could have gone out with a bigger bang but it had to be this cheesy musical.  This is available on the website hoopla.com which mostly requires a membership to the public library.

Lady Snowblood (1973):  This is my Japanese film for the week.  I watched this not knowing I was watching one of the inspirations for KILL BILL but more on that later.  Toshiya Fugita directed this Japanese revenge film. Meiko Kaji stars as Yuki who is born only to be an instrument of revenge for her bitter and late mother.  She is raised to be an assassin and wreaks havoc on those who wronged her mother many years ago.  This was a very stylish and violent film and can see why it would inspire Quentin Tarantino.  As soon as the movie started, I already recognized the theme song called SHURA NO HANA which is used in the first KILL BILL.  Also, some of the elements like blood pretty much spraying out of the body was something I noticed in Tarantino's film.  This and its sequel that came out the year after were released this year on the Criterion Collection and will venture to say that was helped by Tarantino in using this movie as the main inspiration for KILL BILL, at least the first one.  It could be debated on if Quentin used it as homage or theft.  For me, both movies are very enjoyable and I think Tarantino did helped give more exposure to a very good Japanese film that has not gone onto become very known.  This film is based on a manga series of the same name.

Soldiers Pay (2004):  I end the week with this documentary short directed by Tricia Regan, David O. Russell, and Juan Carlos Zaldivar.  This documentary is mostly interviews from soldiers, journalists, politicians, and psychiatrists on the Iraq War, mostly on the more modern one but some on the first Persian Gulf war.  The people interviewed are on all sides and get many different perspectives on the war.  This is a good half hour watch on just people reflecting on their times during the war.

Well, that is it for this week. Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Rachel McAdams, Leonardo DiCaprio, Brie Larson, Beau Bridges, and many others.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 573rd Edition aka the 11 Year Anniversary

Welcome to the 573rd Edition of my series which is also the 11 year anniversary.  Yes, you heard that right 11 years.  I know, I can't believe it myself.  It was a vision I had 11 years ago during the rise of blogging and the rise of myspace where I wanted to do a movie oriented blog but knew I could not do detailed reviews of movies.  I got the idea to just do this where I look at 10 different movies and I am still going through all the ups and downs.  I want to thank everyone who has supported me through the years in the Myspace days to my supporters on Facebook and Twitter.  Each year on the anniversary, I try to do a theme of some sort and as much theater I have done, I thought I could do an edition of shows I have been in through the years.  This is by no means all I have done and not necessarily my favorites though some might be.  I also may not necessarily use the same version that I was in which you will understand and you go along.  I might do this again in a couple of years.  Now on with my selections.

Sweeney Todd:  The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2014):  I was in this version at the Jay County Civic Theater in Portland, Indiana in October of 2011 where I got to play the part of corrupt constable Beadle Bamford, played by Jeff Blumenkrantz in this version.  This is a live performance and an episode of the PBS series LIVE FROM LINCOLN CENTER.  This is a musical from Stephen Sondheim where a barber named Benjamin Barker, played by Bryn Terfel, is wrongly exiled to a prison by the corrupt Judge Turpin, played by Philip Quast, who murders his wife and raises his infant child Johanna, played by Erin Mackey, as his own.  Many years later Barker escapes and becomes Sweeney Todd to take his revenge on the town of London, mainly of Turpin but many others fall to his revenge.  He meets Mrs. Lovett, played by Emma Thompson, who has a meat pie shop forming an unusual partnership through Sweeney's revenge.  Jay Armstrong Johnson, Christian Borle, Kyle Brenn, and Audra MacDonald co-star in this musical.  Most likely know the movie version by Tim Burton which is okay but this is more in depth most notably on the music.  Emma Thompson plays the part of Lovett to more of a comic relief like was originally intended whereas Helena Bonham Carter was about dark as Sweeney in the movie version.  There are a couple other live versions available on DVD and I admit I had to dig rather deep to obtain this version which is not an easy find unfortunately.  The orchestra in this version is the New York Philharmonic.  If you can find a way to see this it is a good one to watch with Thompson great as Lovett and everyone else doing a really good job.  I had one issue with the flashback scene but would be a spoiler if I talked about it so message me if you would like to know otherwise I just let that go when watching.  This is one of my favorite musicals and possibly my favorite musical I have done so far.

Frankenstein (1931):  I did this show in October of 2007 at the Muncie Civic Theater where the role I played was Peter Schmidt and this character is not featured in this film version.  I played one of two evil gravediggers working for Victor Frankenstein, though in this movie he is renamed Henry, so the closest I come for this is Fritz, played by the underrated horror actor Dwight Frye, who works for Frankenstein.  Colin Clive stars as Dr. Henry Frankenstein who is obsessed with bringing things to life and creates a man out out parts from corpses.  Boris Karloff in a star making performance stars as the monster though is credited as "?" to add a more creepy feel to the film.  The monster is trying to do good but messes up a lot in part to the village which fear him.  Mae Clarke and John Boles also co-star in this film from Universal Horror.  This is the most iconic film adaptation of the Mary Shelley novel.  While it is not my favorite, it is still a really good film on the fear of the unknown.  Its sequel THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN is just as good if not better.  This is by no means the version I was in which has some differences.  Clive gave this more of a mad scientist feel than most stories that portray him more as a scientist with good intentions which go awry.  This is my favorite show I have done on the Muncie Civic Theater stage and got to creep out a lot of people in the audience and my own castmates.

1776 (1972):  I was in this show in November of 2014 for the Belfry Theater group of Noblesville, Indiana as Maryland representative Samuel Chase which was portrayed by Patrick Hines who was bigger and older than myself.  This is a musical dramatization by Sherman Edwards of the events that lead up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence.  William Daniels stars John Adams who is determined to become free of British rule but has a hard time convincing much of the others in congress who do not feel it is the right time.  Howard Da Silva co-stars and is very amusing as Benjamin Franklin who agrees with Adams but they don't agree on many other things.  Ken Howard co-stars as the soft spoken Thomas Jefferson who is appointed to write the declaration.  The ones who have the hardest time agreeing are Edward Ruttledge, played by John Collum, of South Caroline and Franklin's Pennsylvania delegate John Dickinson, played by Donald Madden.  Blythe Danner co-stars as Martha Jefferson and Virginia Vestoff plays Abigail Adams.  This has a lot of really fun musical numbers and is very enjoyable as long as you can get past many moments that were not very historically correct.  This is a really good show to do on stage but can be difficult with the 26 men in which it requires.  I really loved being Samuel Chase where I only sang one song, a few good lines, and ate on stage a lot.  I also like the musical as everybody plays a character of some sort.

Romeo + Juliet (1996):  This is part two of a two-part Paul Sorvino series and part one of a Leonardo DiCaprio series which could be a five part series.  I was in this show late July and early August of 2013 for the Farmland Cultural Center in Farmland, IN in my first show there which was outside at a park for Shakespeare Under the Stars and I played the part of Abraham in the beginning and would later play Paris.  Vincent Laresca played the part of Abraham in this version who goes by the name Abra in this version  Paul Rudd played the part of Paris in this modernized version and is referred to as Dave Paris in this movie.  It is also the only part I will ever share with Paul Rudd.  Baz Luhrmann directed this modern day movie where they were like a couple gangs in the town of Verona Beach while keeping the Shakespeare dialogue.  Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes star as the star-crossed lovers from rival families but fall in love with each other leading to much tragedy.  John Leguizamo, Harold Perrineau, Pete Postlewaite, Paul Sorvino, Brian Dennehy, Vondie Curtis-Hall, Miriam Margolyes, Jesse Bradford, M. Emmet Walsh, Jamie Kennedy, Dash Mihok, Diane Venora, and many others co-star in this film.  This has always been my favorite Shakespeare play and I don't think anything will beat the 1968 version for me but I really enjoyed this take to the classic.  The only thing that could have been slightly rewritten the dialogue so they are referring to their weapons as guns instead of swords.  I let that part of it go.  DiCaprio and Danes work well together and it also has a good soundtrack for people who like 90s alternative.  This was my first Shakespeare show and was a good experience.

Guys and Dolls (1955):  This is part one of of a two part Frank Sinatra series.  I was in this show in June of 2010 at the Belfry Theater in Noblesville, IN in my debut as Harry the Horse.  Sheldon Leonard played this part in the movie version.  Joseph L. Mankiewicz directed this adaptation of the Frank Loesser musical.  Frank Sinatra stars as gambler Nathan Detroit and all the other gamblers are relying on him for a crap game.  He needs $1000 to get this game going and runs into Sky Masterson, played by Marlon Brando, proposing a bet that he cannot get mission girl Sarah Brown, played by Jean Simmons, to Havana.  Detroit has a long time fiance in Adelaide, played by Vivian Blaine, who wants nothing more than for him to stop gambling and live a normal life.  There are two different love stories happening in the backdrop of people who want to have a crap game.  Robert Keith, Stubby Kaye, B.S. Pully, Johnny Silver, Danny Dayton, and many others co-star in this musical.  There are a few music numbers written for the movie and some that were taken out.  One of the biggest flaws of the film was Brando as Masterson.  He might have been okay if it was not a musical but his singing did leave a lot to be desired.  The rest of the cast did a good job and is still worth a look if you can get past the flaws of Brando.  There are a lot of stories on how Sinatra and Brando did not like each other like with Brando playing mean jokes on Sinatra.  I am grateful to have made my debut at this theater in such a good role of Harry which is really the closest you get to having a villain.

Oklahoma! (1999):  I was in this show in late July and early August of 2008 at the Muncie Civic Theater and on the outside stage at the Minnetrista Cultural Center where I played the part of Slim.  Luke Baxter plays the part in this live version.  Hugh Jackman stars as Curly McClain who is a cowboy out to win the heart of Laurey, played by Josefina Gabrielle.  At the same time, Will Parker, played by Jimmy Johnston, returns from Kansas City hoping to win over Ado Annie, played by Vicki Simon.  They both run into complications in this love story from Rodgers and Hammerstein.  Shuler Hensley does a great job as the villainous Jud Fry.  David Shelmerdine, Maureen Lipton, Peter Polycarpou, Stuart Milligan, Rebecca Thornhill, and many others co-star in this live musical dvd.  My first exposure to Jackman was as Wolverine and thought he was perfect for the role.  I did not know that before that he was a musical theater actor and this got him somewhat exposed while LES MISERABLES got him fully exposed for his musical abilities and was great in this movie.  There is also a 1955 version that is still quite enjoyable but took out some of the songs including Jud's LONELY ROOM which was very well done in this version and intense song this show needs in my opinion.  It is also likely the darkest song that Rodgers and Hammerstein wrote.

Beauty and the Beast (1946):  I was in this show in December of 2005 at the Muncie Civic Theater where I played the part of Lefou which was a very well received performance.  This is not a character featured in this film which is the French version and quite a bit different from the Disney version years later.  Jean Cocteau directed this version of the tale as old as time.  Josette Day stars as Belle whose father ends up at a castle ran by a beast, played by Jean Marais, and is taken prisoner.  She decides to take his place in his castle where the start of this tale as old as time begins.  As you see, the plot is pretty much the same as the famed Disney version but this version has darker imagery within the castle.  This does not have the talking objects but has things like arms holding the candles in the wall.  This is still a very good and compelling version of this tale with very good performances all around.  Cocteau also did a great job of making the most of what he had long before we had the technology for special effects.  This tale as old as time really deserves a watch and could be a good double feature to watch along with the Disney version.

The Nutcracker (2009)  I was in two versions of this show.  One was in December of 2006 at the Cornerstone Center for the Arts for the Children's Ballet Studio in which I was one of the very few adults.  The other one was in December of 2011 at the Minnetrista Cultural Center for the annual Luminaria Walk.  Both times I played the part of Drosselmeyer in which Gary Avis plays him in this version.  This is my third live performance selection and this is a ballet based on the children's book by E.T.A. Hoffman.  This was done by the Royal Ballet group.  I really cannot give a good explanation as to what this might be about and besides if you are not into ballet, this likely is not the one to watch.  This did have some really good scenery and choreography.  These were good experiences for me.  The first version I was in, I got the part a year before after I went off on an ego trip backstage when I was in BEAUTY AND THE BEAST and was suddenly offered this part unexpectedly.  I did not do any ballet but did do some character movements and was not used to this kind of show as I would usually rely on dialogue or singing instead of strictly movements and relying on other movements to know what I was doing.  I got a really good reception from those in the show and audience members.  The second time I was in it was done in a much different way where we relied on tableau movements when in itself was a challenge and will also add it was my first paid gig in acting.

Inherit the Wind (1960):  This is part one of a two-part Gene Kelly series.  I was show in June of 2013 at the Anderson Mainstage Theater where I played the part of Elijah.  There are people who said some of my lines but no official character of Elijah in the film.  Stanley Kramer directed this film that is based on the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial.  This movie takes place in a small Tennessee town which is a very religious town.  Dick York co-stars as Bertram Cates who believes in the Darwin theory and tries to teach it to his class only to get arrested.  Fredric March stars as fundamentalist prosecutor Matthew Brady who is very strong towards his religious beliefs.  Spencer Tracy stars as attorney Henry Drummond who is far more open-minded and defends Cates with everything he has.  Gene Kelly plays E.K. Hornbeck who is a newspaper reporter and finds the way the town is very laughable and tries to help get Cates off.  This is a very intense trial film trying to defend a man for expressing his beliefs in a very judgmental town.  This movie is very realistic in the way it portrays those times.  There is a good line in this film from the character of Cates who says "religion is supposed to inspire, not put fear into anyone" and that is so well said.  I have seen people who are church goers and are very judgmental towards others not really thinking about how even the bible says not to judge.  It also fits today in these times when we consider things such as gay marriage and the rights gays are to have.  Some of the events in the film are no better than what we see of the extremist Westboro Baptist Church.  I could not have asked for a better role than the part of the crazed bible salesman Elijah.  It ranks up as one of the best things I ever did and ranks up as a favorite of mine.  I got to do some Gregorian chants and speak in tongues for this one.

Annie (1982):  I was in this show in October of 2008 at the Anderson Mainstage Theater where I played the parts of the main homeless guy and Senator Cordell Hull.  Nobody played these parts in this movie version that had some similarities to the stage version but also had some differences.  John Huston directed this musical which stars Aileen Quinn as the title orphan who must stay in a very unscrupulous orphanage which is run by the mean Miss Hannigan, cast perfectly as Carol Burnett, and is selected to stay in the home of the very wealthy Oliver Warbucks, played by Albert Finney, in a publicity stunt.  She soon wins over the household, even Warbucks making him reconsider his childless life.  Tim Curry and Bernadette Peters co-star as Hannigan's brother Rooster and his girlfriend Lily who all team up in hopes of conning Warbucks.  Ann Reinking, Geoffrey Holder, Edward Herrmann, Peter Marshall all co-star and look for Ray Bolger as the sound effects man in the radio studio.  The movie some of the same songs but wrote some different ones as well.  I would like to see the character Punjab in future stage versions.  There was also a different climax and in this movie was a rather disturbing scene with Rooster and Annie.  I really enjoyed doing this musical.  I liked playing a homeless guy one minute, then a politician where I actually found speeches of the real Cordell Hull and tried an impersonation.

Well, that is it for this week but continue on for the return of my segment Fun and Useless Facts.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Scarlett Johansson, Doris Day, Naomi Watts, Gene Kelly, and many others.

FUN AND USELESS FACTS

Emma Thompson (Sweeney Todd) and Pete Postlewaite (Romeo and Juliet) were in the 1993 film IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER.

Emma Thompson (Sweeney Todd), Audra McDonald (Sweeney Todd), and Jimmy Johnston (Oklahoma) are in the upcoming 2017 film BEAUTY AND THE BEAST.

Audra McDonald (Sweeney Todd) plays Grace in the 1999 movie ANNIE.  Ann Reinking plays Grace in this week's feature ANNIE.

Audra McDonald (Sweeney Todd) and Paul Rudd (Romeo and Juliet) were in the 1998 film THE OBJECT OF MY AFFECTION.

Christian Borle (Sweeney Todd) and Helen Anker (Oklahoma) were in the 2014 tv movie PETER PAN LIVE.  Borle was Smee and Anker was in the chorus.

Mae Clarke (Frankenstein) and Gene Kelly (Inherit the Wind) were in the 1952 musical SINGIN' IN THE RAIN.  Clarke was uncredited as the hairdresser.

Boris Karloff (Frankenstein) plays the Creature in this week's feature FRANKENSTEIN.  Shuler Hensley (Oklahoma) plays the part in the 2004 movie VAN HELSING.  Hensley also plays the Creature in the Broadway musical YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN.

Ken Howard (1776) and Leonardo DiCaprio (Romeo and Juliet) were in the 2011 film J. EDGAR.

Ken Howard (1776) plays Mark Twain in an 1972 episode of BONANZA.  Fredric March (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde) was Twain in the 1944 film THE ADVENTURES OF MARK TWAIN.

Howard Caine (1776) and Spencer Tracy (Inherit the Wind) were in the 1961 film JUDGMENT AT NUREMBERG.

John Cullum (1776) plays Aaron Burr in the 1973 tv movie THE MAN WITHOUT A COUNTRY and Brian Dennehy (Romeo and Juliet) voiced Burr in the 2000 AMERICAN EXPERIENCE episode THE DUAL.

Blythe Danner (1776) and Jean Simmons (Guys and Dolls) had American voices in the 2004 Anime film HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE.

Baz Luhrmann (Romeo and Juliet director) directed Hugh Jackman (Oklahoma) in the 2008 film AUSTRALIA.

Miriam Margolyes (Romeo and Juliet) and Hugh Jackman (Oklahoma) were in the 2006 animated movie HAPPY FEET.

Claire Danes (Romeo and Juliet) and Jean Simmons (Guys and Dolls) were in the 1995 film HOW TO MAKE AN AMERICAN QUILT.

Leonardo DiCaprio (Romeo and Juliet) plays J. Edgar Hoover in the 2011 film J. EDGAR.  Sheldon Leonard (Guys and Dolls) plays the part in the 1978 film THE BRINK'S JOB.

Leonard DiCaprio (Romeo and Juliet) and Edward Herrmann (Annie) were the 2004 film THE AVIATOR and the 2013 film THE WOLF OF WALL STREET.

Jean Simmons (Guys and Dolls) played Sarah Brady in the 1988 tv movie INHERIT THE WIND.  Florence Eldridge played the part in this week's 1960 feature INHERIT THE WIND.

Frank Sinatra (Guys and Dolls) and Gene Kelly (Inherit the Wind) star in the musicals ON THE TOWN, ANCHORS AWEIGH, and TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME.

Hugh Jackman (Oklahoma) plays Jean Valjean in the 2012 musical LES MISERABLES.  Fredric March (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde) plays Valjean in the 1935 film LES MISERABLES.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 572nd Edition and the Madness: Clowns- week 4

Welcome to the 572nd Edition of my series and the last week of this year's Madness.  This is the weekend of my show BAD SEED and the last day to check it out if you are in the area.  It has been a good experience and glad to have debuted in my 8th town of Alexandria.  I also look forward to starting my rehearsals for  IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE in Marion which is my debut there and my 9th town for community theater.  Next week I will be putting out my 11 year anniversary, I know I can't believe it either.  This is the last week of the Madness for the year.  I always enjoy this contest and I believe we should do some sort of Valentine's Day Madness in February but if not I will be doing it again in October of next year.  Now for the selections.

Stigmata (1999):  This is my religious horror for the week.  Rupert Wainwright directed this film which stars Patricia Arquette as Frankie who is a young and non-religious girl seeming to be affected by a stigmata.  Gabriel Byrne co-stars as Father Andrew Kiernan who investigates unorthodox cases usually proving to be scientific instead of religious but begins to question things more on what he witnesses with Frankie.  Jonathan Pryce, Nia Long, Thomas Kopache, Rade Serbedzija, Enrico Colantoni, Portia De Rossi, Patrick Muldoon, Ann Cusack, Shaun Toub, and many others co-star in this horror film.  I found this to be a pretty good horror film with good performances from Arquette and Byrne.  People who live by their religion probably will not like this one but other people who are more open might like this one.

The Houses October Built (2014):  This was a perfect one to watch for the Madness.  Bobby Roe directed this horror film of five friends, played by Brandy Schaefer, Zack Andrews, Bobby Roe, Mikey Roe, and Jeff Larson, are out to look for the "perfect" haunted house.  They finally find a house that sounds really good to them where strange occurrences begin to happen where the haunted house becomes all too real.  Chloe Crampton co-stars as Porecelain which is one of the people in the house that terrorizes the friends.  I had never heard of this movie until the announcement of Crampton as the wild card this year and was the first time I had heard of her.  I didn't really find this to be anything great but good for this time of year if not taken too seriously.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

Weird Science (1985):  John Hughes directed this popular 80s comedy.  Anthony Michael Hall and Ilan Mitchell-Smith play Gary and Wyatt who are a couple of high school nerd best friends but unpopular with everyone else in the high school.  They use their computer and create a woman with it named Lisa, played by Kelly LeBrock, whose purpose is to help them with their confidence by putting them in situations to act more like men.  Bill Paxton, Suzanne Snyder, Judie Aronson, Robert Downey Jr., Robert Rusler, Vernon Wells, and many others co-star in this comedy.  This is the ultimate nerd comedy, especially of those of the 80s when computers were far more rare and used a lot differently than they are today.  It is also an interesting variation on FRANKENSTEIN.  It was turned into a tv series in the '90s.

The Day the Clown Cried (1972):  This is part 5 of my Jerry Lewis series and the first movie I have put on here that I have not seen though did see some footage.  The reason for this is that it has never been released.  This is Jerry's most daring project he has ever done.  He directed, wrote and stars in this holocaust film.  What we know is that Lewis stars as Helmut Doork who was once a very famous clown but has fallen into alcoholism.  He is soon arrested by the Nazis and thrown into a confinement camp.  What I saw of this was on youtube on some behind the scenes footage that was mostly a documentary but had a little bit of footage.  I notice on imdb.com that they have a cover for the Criterion Collection  but not finding any information this is true.  This is one that many really want to see but Jerry is adamant about it not being released being ashamed of his work.  This is the reason that Jerry Lewis is a wild card this year in a contest that centers around Halloween oriented films.

Freaks (1932):  Tod Browning directed this Universal classic horror film though I believe the word horror is used very loosely here.  This movie centers around many of the "freaks" from this era who were exploited to no end at places like circuses and on vaudeville.  These included everything from midgets, siamese twins, the bearded lady, and many others.  The story of the film is that of midget performer Hans, played by Harry Earles, who falls for a beautiful trapese artist who went by Cleopatra, played by Olga Baclanova, who is a seemingly good person but is only out for the money.  When the other sideshow freaks learn about this plot, they take their revenge.  A lot of people have called this movie exploitation which is really the wrong word.  These people were already being exploited but I believe Browning wanted to show that these people are human and have feelings.  Another interesting element is that the villains in the movie are "normal" looking people.  These are people that Browning already knew and did a great job in the making of this very significant film.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941):  This is part one of a two-part Spencer Tracy series.  Victor Fleming directed this version of the classic novel from Robert Louis Stephenson.  Spencer Tracy stars as the title characters in this film film where Dr. Jekyll is determined to convince everyone that good and evil exists in everyone so he invents a potion for himself and creates the evil Mr. Hyde which makes Jekyll do more than he intended.  Tracy plays both roles to perfection in this classic adaptation.  Ingrid Bergman and Lana Turner also star in this movie where each one takes to one of the different personalities, not realizing they are the same people.  Donald Crisp, Ian Hunter, Barton MacLane, C. Aubrey Smith, Peter Godfrey, and many others co-star in this film.  Like a lot of classic horror stories, this centers around a scientist that has really good intentions but go awry really quick.

Repo the Genetic Opera (2008):  This is part one of a two-part Paul Sorvino series.  Darren Lynn Bousman directed this musical which is based in the not-so-distant-future where a company called Geneco offers organ transplants but at a very high price and if the payments are not made on time, they must face the Repo Men. The story centers around a young girl named Shilo, played well by Alexa Vega, who has a rare disease and must spend most of her time at home but becomes tempted by Geneco and learns of her connection to them and the secret life her father leads. BUFFY alum Anthony Head shows his musical talent as Shilo's father Nathan and it is great to see Head in what was essentially a lead role in a musical. Broadway legend Sarah Brightman makes her film debut as Blind Mag.  This has some really good musical numbers in my opinion and wish they were available on karaoke, especially the song LEGAL ASSASSIN which was sung by Anthony Head. This is a very dark musical, very gory, and not for everyone. I liked the use of pictorial drawings to talk about some of the characters. Paul Sorvino, Bill Moseley, Terrance Zdunich, Sarah Power, Paris Hilton, Jessica Horn, and many others co-star in this film.

The Pit and the Pendulum (1961):  Roger Corman directed this Edgar Allen Poe story which is the second of four Roger Corman/Vincent Price adaptations on Poe.  John Kerr stars as Francis Barnard who learns that his sister Elizabeth, played by Barbara Steele, has died and goes to Spain to investigate the death.  Price stars as Elizabeth's husband Nicholas Medina and informs Francis that she died of a blood disease which he does not believe.  Luana Anders also co-stars in this film.  This is more of an atmospheric chiller and these Poe adaptations are some of Corman's best work.  Price is great in this film and has some great scenery.  It also has quite a bit of suspense leading into the climax.  Price does a great job in turning a short story into a feature film and has said that he tries to think what Poe would do if he was there at that time.  Some classic horror really worth a watch.

Joe Dakota (1957):  This is my western for the week.  Jock Mahoney stars as the title character who rides into a small town looking for a friend he refers to as the Old Indian.  He gets many different stories, one that his land was sold, something that Joe does not buy into and investigates further.  Charles McGraw stars as Cal Moore who is the town bad guy claiming that he bought the land and stirs the town against Joe.  Luana Patton, Barbara Lawrence, Claude Akins, Lee Van Cleef, Anthony Caruso, and many others co-star in this western.  I had never heard of Mahoney until I came across this one.  Not a bad investigative western to look into if you like the genre.

Prometheus (2012):  I end the week with this sci-fi thriller.  Ridley Scott directed this film where a group of explorers go on an expedition in 2093 to find the origin of man and find there is a lot more out there when they are all fighting for survival.  Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, Guy Pearce, Logan Marshall-Green, Sean Harris, Rafe Spall, Benedict Wong, and many others co-star in this sci-fi film.  It is really hard to go into words on this film.   It does not match Scott's ALIENS but still has some really good moments and decent characters that made it enjoyable for me.

Well, that is it for this week but continue on for the last night of the Madness.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for the 11 year anniversary next week which includes Emma Thompson, Boris Karloff, Claire Danes, Marlon Brando, Hugh Jackman, Spencer Tracy, Tim Curry, and many others.

THE MADNESS:  CLOWNS- WEEK 4

ALEXA VEGA

Alexa is a wild card this year due to her work in THE DEVIL'S CARNIVAL.

Repo!  The Genetic Opera (2008, 98 minutes, 666 1/2):  This is a musical I tend to watch every couple years.  Easily counts for the bleak future where organs are on order and the title indicates what happens if not paid.  Alexa plays the sheltered daughter of Nathan who begrudgingly works as one of these repo men.  I love seeing Anthony Head in a starring role.  I'd also like to see this done on stage and I am looking to learn LEGAL assassin to sing on karaoke.

BRUCE CAMPBELL

Bruce is a wild card every year and include some of his current tv series.

Ash Vs. the Evil Dead:  Home (2016, 30 minutes, 666):  The season 2 premier of this wonderful Bruce Campbell series where he reprises his iconic role of Ash.

Ash Vs. the Evil Dead:  the Morgue (2016, 30 minutes, 666):  The second episode of season 2 where Pablo learns more of who he is.

Ash Vs. the Evil Dead:  Last Call (2016, 30 minutes, 666):  Episode 3 where Ash gets his Delta car stolen by some teens and it has the Necronomicon.

Ash Vs. the Evil Dead:  D.U.I. (2016, 30 minutes, 666):  Episode 4 where Ash goes on the hunt for his Delta.

Ash Vs. the Evil Dead:  Confinement (2016, 30 minutes, 666):  Episode 5 where Ash gets arrested by a bitter sheriff and the others try to break him out.

CHLOE CRAMPTON

Chloe is a wild card for this year's Madness due to this selection.  I had never heard of her until she was announced as a wild card.

The Houses October Built (2014, 91 minutes, 66 1/2):  This is a haunted house movie and there are clowns so ATB points for clowns attacking.

CILLIAN MURPHY

Cillian is not a wild card but found a couple movies with him so gave him a category.

Batman Begins (2005, 140 minutes, 666 1/2):  It's not hard to get this movie qualified for minimal points.  At the end of the movie, they make a cryptic reference to the Joker and the clue is a Joker playing card so looking to see if that is bonus points.

28 Days Later... (2002, 113 minutes, 666):  Cillian plays the protagonist in this zombie film.  One of the better zombie films in my mind.

EDGAR ALLEN POE

Decided to give possibly "The Father of Horror" his own category.

The Pit and the Pendulum (1961, 80 minutes, 666):  This is a Roger Corman/Vincent Price collaboration and they always did well in the Poe field.

FRANK LANGELLA

Frank has been known to do horror but known for a lot.  He is not a wild card this year but has been in the past so I thought I'd give him a category.

Masters of the Universe (1987, 106 minutes, 66 1/2):  Frank plays He-man's main rival of Skeletor.  I think this fantasy qualifies to count with the enchantresses, alternate dimensions, and many others.  This is quite a guilty pleasure adaptation of the famous animated series of the '80s.

Muppets Most Wanted (2014, 107 minutes, 666):  This should count for being a creature feature.  Frank has one of the many celebrity cameos.

GABRIEL BYRNE

Gabriel is not a wild card but have a couple to feature so I made a category for him.

Dead Man (1995, 121 minutes, 66 1/2):  Gabriel has a cameo in this western from Jim Jarmusch and starring Johnny Depp in a rare western role.  Westerns count this year so this should be no exception.  It had its moments but did not do it for me, maybe I need another

Stigmata (1999, 103 minutes, 666):  The title should speak for itself.  Gabriel plays the investigative priest in this movie.

IDRIS ELBA

Idris may not be a wild card but I have many selections that feature him.

Prometheus (2012, 124 minutes, 666):  I would say this is dark enough to qualify as sci-fi horror like the images of aliens.

Prom Night (2008, 88 minutes, 66):  This obviously takes place during prom and a psycho killer is on the loose and wanting Brittany Snow.

The Reaping (2007, 99 minutes, 66 1/2):  This is similar to my selection of STIGMATA where seemingly religious occurrences happen.

The Unborn (2009, 88 minutes, 66 1/2):  This is a movie about being possessed by a spirit so should count.

JEKYLL AND HYDE

I know how much everyone loves to see Tracy and Hasselhoff in the same category.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941, 113 minutes, 666):  Spencer Tracy stars in the dual role of a scientist developing a serum that brings out a more evil and murderous side.

Jekyll and Hyde:  The Musical (2001, 135 minutes, 666):  This is an annual live musical that I seem to watch with David Hasselhoff and the characters.  I seem to enjoy this more every time I see it.  As much as I wanted to hate Hasselhoff in this after the unpleasant we had, I just couldn't.

JERRY LEWIS

Jerry is probably the most used wild card this year and I have a half hour documentary on THE DAY THE CLOWN CRIED because no full version exists.

The Story of the Day the Clown Cried (2016, 28 minutes, 666):  This is a documentary on the making of the film.  There are images of Jerry as a clown so should get bonus points.

KATE MARA

Kate is not a wild card this year but had multiple selections so gave her a category.

Brokeback Mountain (2005, 134 minutes, 666):  Kate is in about the last stage of the film and plays Ennis and Alma's daughter Alma Jr. at 19 years old.  I was hoping to be able to qualify this through Heath Ledger as a wildcard but nothing doing on that one so I must argue this as a western.  Larry McMurtry co-wrote the screen play and he is known as a western writer.  There may not be any gunfight but Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal were a couple cowboys in this "gay cowboy movie".  Much of the film takes place on a western ranch.  There is also a rodeo clown so looking to see if that qualifies for bonus points.

Iron Man 2 (2010, 124 minutes, 666):  A lot of people did not care for this sequel but as I watched this I really found this enjoyable.  I liked how Tony Stark was going off the deep end as a way to hide his health issues.  I also liked seeing Mickey Rourke as a villain in a superhero film even if it likely was not to the character in the comic book.  It introduces Rhodey as War Machine and we meet Black Widow.  I was hoping to qualify this through Sam Rockwell who was a considered wild card.  I believe this should count with the character of Whiplash and the weapons he uses.  The fight between Tony and Rhodey in their iron outfits.  Also the way they had to team up to take on Whiplash.

LIVE THEATER

Bad Seed (2016):  This is the show that I did over the weekend on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.  This is a horror play about a murderous young girl.  This show went really well and had a really good cast and crew.  Now ready for IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE in Marion which I start rehearsing this week.

POST-APOCALYPSE

Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985, 107 minutes, 666):  This is the third in the Mad Max series where Max becomes the reluctant hero to a group of abandoned children.  Tina Turner makes a rare movie appearance and has my favorite of her songs WE DON"T NEED ANOTHER HERO.  Should count for the post-apocalyptic setting.

The Road (2009, 111 minutes, 666 1/2):  This is one of my favorite movies.  Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee star as a father and son duo where the dad is trying to get his son to a place near the sea where things are a little better.  Though it takes place in a dark time, behind it is a very moving story.  The post-apocalypse should make this count.

The Road Warrior (1981, 94 minutes, 666):  This is the sequel to the first MAD MAX.  Takes place in post-apocalypse Australia.  These are some good movies but I have to admit that the latest MAD MAX:  FURY ROAD with Tom Hardy is my favorite of these.

PSYCHOLOGICAL HORROR

Vacancy (2007, 85 minutes, 66):  I could not think of a good category so I settled for this one not feeling it is a slasher film like has been implied.  Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale are stranded in a small town and end up in a hotel that is not what it appears.

ROD GRANT

Rod is a wild card this year.  A more unknown but has made his mark.

Magic Mike (2012, 110 minutes, 66 1/2):  This is a loophole for the week where Rod was a patron in the strip club.  Alright, alright, alright.  Nothing bad or great for me but glad to be able to count this for the Madness this year.

SATANIC CULTS

Lord of Illusions (1995, 109 minutes, 666):  This is adapted by a novel by Clive Barker who also wrote the screenplay and took the helm as director.  This centers around a satanic cult and the world of illusionists that became all too real.

SUPERHEROES

Captain America:  Civil War (2016, 147 minutes, 666 1/2):  This is the latest from the Marvel cinematic universe where things happen that pit Iron Man and Captain America against each other where the other Avengers must choose a side.  I thought this was very well done and each person got to really have some good moments.  I don't see why this should not count like with Scarlet Witch.

Captain America:  The First Avenger (2011, 124 minutes, 666):  This is the first Captain America film from this particular universe.  Chris Evans plays Steve Rogers during WWII where he wanted to join but was much too small but gets put up to an experiment to make him what he is now.  First he was a propaganda piece but then became a hero.  I would say this should count for if nothing else, Red Skull's devilish face.

Hancock (2008, 92 minutes, 666):  The only superhero movie I featured this week which was not DC or Marvel but an original character.  I believe this should count for Hancock's immortality and for the character Charlize Theron plays.  It is also rather dark at times, especially during the times of Hancock's reckless behavior.

Hellboy II:  The Golden Army (2008, 120 minutes, 666):  Hellboy's demonic looks should get this movie to count.  They must take on an evil prince and becomes a dark fantasy.

The Incredible Hulk (2008, 112 minutes, 666):  Edward Norton plays Bruce Banner, the scientist who becomes the monster known as the Hulk.  This was a lot better than the movie HULK in my opinion and for me it really had a lot of emotional depth with Bruce and Betsy.  I guess 2008 was the year for superhero movies.

SUZANNE SNYDER

Suzanne is a wild card this year, mostly due to her work in KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE.

Weird Science (1985, 94 minutes, 666):  This is the ultimate nerd comedy from the '80s, especially to computer nerds.  Suzanne is in this movie as Deb so I don't need to make any sort of argument to get this comedy counted.

TINY TIM

This famed singer is a wild card this year likely due to his movie BLOOD HARVEST.

Johnny Carson:  King of Late Night (2012, 115 minutes, 666 1/2):  This documentary should qualify due to footage shown on an episode from the late night show where he gets married on national television.

TOD BROWNING

Tod is a wild card this year.  He directed a lot of horror classics for Universal and is a wild card due to what I have featured.

Freaks (1932, 64 minutes, 666 1/2):  This horror classic from the '30s centering around these "freaks" who set out for revenge when learning one of their own was screwed over.  It is during a carnival, I don't think there were any clowns.

VAMPIRES

Queen of the Damned (2002, 101 minutes, 66):  This is based on an Anne Rice novel and centers around vampires.  Reminded me at one point of HIGHLANDER with a group that is supposed to observe and not interfere like their watchers.  Also reminds me of what would later become TRUE BLOOD or the Sookie Stackhouse novels where Lestat decided to make himself known to the public as a vampire.  Nothing great, but still some fun with Lestat as the rock start.  Metal fans will love the soundtrack.

The Vampire Diaries:  Hello Brother (2016, 45 minutes, 666):  This is the season premiere of the final season of the show.  I have no problem with how it is starting, we'll see how it goes into the finale.

The Vampire Diaries:  Today Will Be No Different (2016, 45 minutes, 666):  This is the second episode of the 8th and final season.  The religious elements are rather interesting.  Vampires obviously make it count.

VIN DIESEL

Vin was a wild card last year so since I have one of his movies on my list so I made him a category in which I did not last year.

The Chronicles of Riddick (2004, 119 minutes, 66 1/2):  I enjoyed the first one, PITCH BLACK more.  This should have enough elements to become sci-fi horror like the group called the Necromongers.  This was a little too all over the place for me but maybe like others, I just need another viewing.

VIRGINIA MADSEN

Virginia is not a wild card but like others I found multiple works so included her in a category.

The Prophecy (1995, 98 minutes, 666):  Christopher Walken plays archangel Gabriel waging a war on heaven.  Virginia plays a local schoolteacher caught in the middle of the war of heaven and hell.  This is a first time watch for me, not bad.  I doubt I'll get to the sequels this year but maybe in the future.

Red Riding Hood (2011, 100 minutes, 66):  This is an adaptation of the classic of the classic fairy tale where the wolf is a werewolf so this easily counts.  Virginia co-stars as Red Riding Hood's mother Suzette.

WESTERNS

Conagher (1991, 94 minutes, 666):  This is a tv movie with western icon Sam Elliott and westerns count this year.

Joe Dakota (1957, 79 minutes, 666):  This is a classic western which counts this year.

Ride With the Devil (1999, 138 minutes, 666):  Ang Lee directed this Civil War epic that qualifies as a western so counts for the Madness this year.

ZOMBIES

Extinction (2015, 112 minutes, 66):  I decided to make a zombie category out of this one, I don't know if we consider them official ones but close enough.  BURN NOTICE star Jeffrey Donovan and LOST star Matthew Fox team up in this one.