Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 629th Edition

Welcome to the 630th Edition of my series.  I hope everyone has a good holiday season.  There is not a lot going on for me at the moment.  I lost my game in Fantasy football last week after a 7 game win streak.  I have clinched a playoff spot so I at least have that going for me.  Unfortunately, my real team of the 49ers have struggled to no end.  I don't have much else to say so onto the selections for the week.

1922 (2017):  I start the week out with this film which was directed by Zak Hilditch and based on the novel by Stephen King.  This obviously takes place in the year of 1922 and centers around a struggling farm.  Thomas Jane stars as Wilfred James who lives on the farm with his wife Arlette, played by Molly Parker, and teenage son Henry, played by Dylan Schmid.  The married couple have a disagreement when Arlette looks to sell the ranch.  Wilfred is able to convince his son to conspire to murder Arlette.  A lot of this movie deals with the aftermath where Wilfred must deal with his conscious in what he has done.  Neal McDonough, Kaitlyn Bernard, Tanya Champoux, Brian D'Arcy James, Bob Fraser, Eric Keenleyside, Patrick Keating, and many others co-star in this film.  Jane is nearly unrecognizable in my opinion in the way he looks.  This is a King story that is more driven by the characters.  It kind of reminds me of an Edgar Allen Poe story in some ways in the way of dealing with guilt.  This is available as an Netflix Original.

City of Brigham Young (1944):  This is my short film for the week.  This is part of the Traveltalks series and a brief tour of Salt Lake City, Utah which is pretty much synonymous with Brigham Young.  It shows many of the landmarks that mostly tie in with the Mormon religion.  This is a pretty informative look at the town in about ten minutes.

The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928):  This is my silent film for the week and my favorite silent film so I was very excited when TCM had this movie playing.  Carl Theodore Dreyer directed this historical film which centers around the trial of Joan of Arc, played by Maria Falconetti, where historical trial documents were used to piece this movie together.  It is really hard to put into words.  I've always seen this on big screens and may not have the same effect on a smaller screen.  This has some really surreal imagery and and very interesting close-up shots of the actors.  I have watched a few silent films through the years and this was really the only one that just absolutely kept my attention with both the images and the music score which was added later and a score that has varied in many versions.

Uncovered:  The War on Iraq (2004):  This is my documentary for the week.  Robert Greenwald directed this political documentary that takes a look at the aftermath of 9/11 and the events that lead us to the war in Iraq.  This takes a look at how deceptive the government appeared to be in getting us into Iraq.  This does not have the Michael Moore tactics in it but more of a look at testimony and documents.  Another interesting element is that most of the people being interviewed being against the war are mostly conservatives who did not agree with Bush at this time.  There is not much more to explain except this is a really good political documentary to give a watch.

Jaws (1975):  This is part two of my two-part Richard Dreyfus series and yes last week was his other Spielberg of CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND which was a couple years after this one.   Spielberg directed this horror film based on the novel by Peter Benchley.  This takes place in a New England beach resort where a giant great white shark arrives wreaking havoc on the beach.  To go after the shark three mismatched people includling the local sheriff Martin Brody, played by Roy Scheider, a marine biologist named Matt Hooper, played by Dreyfuss, and grizzled shark hunter Quint, played by Robert Shaw.  Lorraine Gary, Murray Hamilton, Carl Gottlieb, Jeffrey Kramer, Susan Backlinie, and many others co-star in this film.  This was a really good trio to watch and a pretty suspenseful film with the very famous music score from John Williams.  This at the time was billed as the movie that made people scare to go in the water.  This is available to watch on Netflix as well as the sequels.

The Notorious Bettie Page (2005):  I don't know anyone else that would have a list that includes Joan of Arc and Bettie Page, oh that's right, me.  Mary Harron directed this biopic which stars Gretchen Mol as '50s pin-up model Bettie Page who was going for an acting career but ended up doing some very controversial photos instead.  This takes a look at her later years of childhood in her very strict religious upbringing to her rise as a pin-up model which became the subject of a Senate investigation with the controversial bondage photos that she did as well as some adult short films which was at this time very unheard of so long before Larry Flynt went on his own first amendment crusade for his magazine Hustler.  Chris Bauer, Jared Harris, Sarah Paulson, Cara Seymour, David Strathairn, Lili Taylor, John Collum, Austin Pendleton, Norman Reedus, Max Casella, and many others co-star in this movie.  This is a pretty decent HBO movie where some may or may not be familiar with Bettie who is one of the first sex icons in America.  .

Odds Against Tomorrow (1959):  Now for my heist film for the week which was directed by Robert Wise and based on the novel by William P. McGivern.  Ed Begley Sr. stars as Dave Burke who is looking to hire a couple people to help him in a bank robbery.  He is able to hire ex-con Earle Slater, played by Robert Ryan, and gambler and nightclub singer Johnny Ingram, played by Harry Belafonte.  Like all heist films, they are designed to be simple go in and out, get the money, no one gets hurt but we all know it's never that simple.  The issue here is that Earle is very prejudiced towards blacks which deepens the tension between him and Johnny.  Shelley Winters, Gloria Grahame, Will Kuluva, Richard Bright, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a rather overlooked film.  Belafonte shows his acting and singing talent in this one and it's tojo bad that Robert Ryan is not as known as some of the actors of this era.  I always thought he was a pretty good character actor.

A Holiday for Love (1996):  I finally bring a holiday movie this week which while not a Hallmark movie, it is geared to that sort of crowd.  Tim Matheson stars as corporate man Jake who is sent to a small town to assess the local factory that just about everyone in town either works for or has as family member working there and assess it to decide who he must cut for downsizing purposes.  His job gets harder as he gets to know and fall in love with factory worker and single mother Emma, played by Melissa Gilbert, but is unable to tell her his true intentions of what he is to do.  Michelle Trachtenberg co-stars as Emma's mature pre-teen daughter Noelle.  Travis Tritt, Bernard Behrens, Chris Makepeace, Gordon Pinsent, Richard Waugh, Roger Dunn, and many others co-star in this tv movie.  This is a rather predictable but still enjoyable tv movie for those that enjoy this type of holiday movie.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975):  Milos Forman directed this film based on the novel by Ken Kesey.  Jack Nicholson stars as R.P. McMurphy who ends up in a mental institution after pleading insanity.  When getting there, he immediately forms a rivalry with the oppressive Nurse Ratched and  gets a group of scared patients to go along with him.  Danny Devito, Christopher Lloyd, Will Sampson, Vincent Schiavelli, Brad Dourif, and many others co-star in this film.  This might just be the ultimate insane asylum film.  It is a bit difficult to describe this in much detail as it really centers around the characters.  The author apparently never watched this movie and was bitter about them butchering the movie.  I don't have the novel to judge by but this movie is always a great watch to me and is one that I would love to be in a play version in the future.  This was a pretty authentic looking film, even having actual mental patients as extras.

Jackie Chan's Project A (1983):  I end the week with this martial arts film and an early one for the legendary Jackie Chan who also directs.  This takes place in the late 19th century in British rule Hong Kong where a group of pirates look to take over.  Chan stars as coast guard member Dragon Ma who is determined to stop the pirates from invading.  Martial arts star Sammo Hung also co-stars in this film.  For me, Chan has always been a bit of a mixed bag.  Sometimes I feel his comedy is a bit much but this one was more enjoyable for me.  I usually favor Jet Li and Donnie Yen in the martial arts world but this entry is also very enjoyable as well as its sequel.  This is mostly for fans of the Hong Kong martial arts genre.

Well, that is it for this week but I did add a segment which I call "Holiday Time" that has a couple holiday specials I took the time to watch.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Daniel Bruhl, Laura Linney, Christopher Lee, Paul Muni, and many others.

HOLIDAY TIME

Michael Bolton's Big, Sexy Valentines Day Special (2017):  I know it says Valentine's day in the title but this is kind of like a NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS in the way that it plays into two holidays.  In the mentioned film, we have Jack Skellington who gets burned out with Halloween and discovers the Christmas world.  In this hour long Netflix special, Santa's elves have made too many toys and there are not enough children for the distribution so he needs Michael Bolton's help to inspire people to make love and conceive many babies and what better day than Valentine's Day.  In turn, Michael puts on a telethon in hopes of saving Christmas.  This has quite the cast that includes Andy Samberg, Adam Scott, Fred Armison, Chris Parnell, Maya Rudolph, Will Forte, Sarah Stahl, Grey DeLisle, Brooke Shields, Louis Anderson, Sinbad, Sarah Silverman, Bob Saget, and many others.  many people I know have been very close minded when I mention this and for a long time I just couldn't stand Mr. Bolton but he has struck comedic gold in this one.  This will be one for me to watch for Christmas and Valentine's Day.  This is available on Netflix.

A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965):  This is the more traditional and known selection out there that is a tradition for me but the other one will be too now.  I think we just about all know this timeless classic.  Charlie Brown becomes overwhelmed with the commercialism of Christmas.  He takes the role of director for the school pageant to show that Christmas is more than just gifts.  As we know, there is the element of the tree Charlie buys as well as Linus explaining the true meaning of Christmas.  All of our other friends like like Snoopy, Lucy, Schroeder, Peppermint Patty, Pigpen, and many others.  Not much else really needs to be explained on this absolute classic that still carries an extremely relevant message.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 628th Edition

Welcome to the 628th Edition of my series.  I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving and thanks to those that had to work that day no matter what the job.  I am ranked in first place in one of my fantasy football leagues so I hope to continue my success with my 8th win in a row.  I hope everyone has a good holiday season however one might decide to celebrate.  Let's get to the selections for the week.

Impaler (2007):  I start the week out with this documentary which was directed by W. Tray White.  This is a documentary on self-proclaimed vampire Jonathan "The Impaler" Sharkey.  This mainly take a look at his announcement to run for governor in the state of Minnesota.  His platform was to help the farmers and veterans but was very clear that law breakers were to be impaled.  In this, it was also found that he is a former professional wrestler and has some connection to the Indiana area.  I had no idea I was going to see Central Indiana wrestler and wrestling promoter Don Basher who runs the Wild Championship Wrestling Outlaws promotion and while I have never worked on his shows, I have been backstage with him in my times as a ring announcer.  Basher was reflecting on the times he had with Sharkey and talked about how he helped train him in wrestling.  In my times of regularly going to wrestling shows I had never seen this guy so this was rather unexpected.  This was a rather fascinating watch of this man trying to run for political office and to listen to his strange views.

Tarts and Flowers (1950):  This is my animated short for the week which features the character Little Audrey.  In this short she meets the Gingerbread Man who is to be married to an Angel Food cake but the bride kidnapped by the Devil's Food Cake.  This was a pretty cute short film with making characters out of junk food and making Devil's Food Cake into the image of the actual Devil.  You will also see some interesting racial moments which were very common in those days.  This can be found on Amazon Prime as part of "Cartoon Classics Volume 2" which has a lot of other classic animated shorts.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977):  This is part one of a two-part Richard Dreyfuss series.  Steven Spielberg wrote and directed this Sci-Fi classic.  There are a couple different stories going on here that come together.  One is a group of research scientists lead by Claude Lacombe, played by Francois Truffaut, are investigating the strange appearance of items in remote locations and use the Kodaly method of music education as a form of communication.  The other story takes place in my own hometown of Muncie, Indiana.  Richard Dreyfuss stars as Roy Neary who has had a great life with a wife and kids and starts to become obsessed with what he thinks is paranormal activity.  This puts a complication in his marriage but feels he must figure out what is happening.  Teri Garr, Bob Balaban, Warren J. Kemmerling, Roberts Blossom, Philip Dodds, Cary Guffey, Adrienne Campbell, Lance Henrikson, Josef Sommer, Carl Weathers, and many others co-star in this film.  With Weathers, he has a small role as an mp and have heard he can only be seen in the theatrical version.  It was really cool seeing this on a bigger screen at screening at my local library.  It was also really cool seeing a movie taking place in my own town even if it did not actually get filmed there.  A production team did visit the town for local details and for props which were mostly at Roy's home.  John Williams also added to this with his music score.  This is a great Sci-Fi film where everything just works and the climax is worth it all.

Future War (1997):  This is my MST3K episode for the week.  I go to an absolute sci-fi classic to this sci-fi bomb that was well done enough to be picked up for a 1999 episode of MST3K with Mike Nelson being at the helm at this point as the imprisoned man forced to watch bad movies.  Daniel Bernhardt stars as a runaway slave from the future that was imprisoned by evil cyborg that escapes and is tracked by the cyborgs as well as dinosaurs.  He is befriended by a prostitute turned nun in Sister Ann, played by Travis Brooks Stewart.  Bernhardt in many ways resembles Van Damme and even seems to emulate his skills.  The effects on the dinosaurs were worse that some '70s movie and there is not much else to say except is is one of the few movies from the '90s to be on MST3K.

Ann Vickers (1933):  This is part one of a two-part Walter Huston series.  John Cromwell directed this film based on the novel by Sinclair Lewis.  Irene Dunne stars as the title character who has the tragedy a baby dying during birth.  She tries to devote herself to making a difference and takes a job at a women's prison in hopes to improve the conditions there but finds that is not easy.  She soon forms an affair with Judge Barney Dolphin, played by Huston, who is also married.  Conrad Nagel, Bruce Cabot, Edna May Oliver, Sam Hardy, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a pre-code film and was controversial for having an affair out of wedlock which was a big deal in those days.  Dunne has a great performance as the title character.  This is a must for fans of the early cinema and pre-code.

We Bought a Zoo (2011):  Cameron Crowe directed and co-wrote this film based on a book by Benjamin Mee, played very well by Matt Damon.  Benjamin is a widowed single father whose wife Katherine, played by Stephanie Szostak in flashbacks, has died.  Looking to start over he decides to buy a large house after learning it is also a zoo.  He moves his kids Dylan and Rosie, played by Colin Ford and Maggie Elizabeth Jones, to this place with his daughter loving the move but his son not so happy with it.  There is already a staff there and Benjamin looks to lead the staff to restructure the zoo for reopening but finds this will be a very difficult task as the staff bands together in hopes of saving their zoo.  Scarlett Johansson, Thomas Haden Church, Angus Macfadyen, Elle Fanning, Patrick Fugit, John Michael Higgins, Carla Gallo, J.B. Smoove, and many others co-star in this film.  For me, this was a very moving film of the real-life Dartmoor Zoo that is still going today.  This is a selection the family can watch and possibly be moved to tears.

Vertigo (1958):  No, this has nothing to do with that U2 song which we learn Bono cannot count to the number four.  This is part three of my James Stewart trilogy which was intended to be a two-parter but then came across this Hitchcock classic that I decided to watch.  Hitchcock directed this film based on the novel by Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac.  Stewart stars as retired detective John Ferguson who was forced to retire due to his acrophobia and vertigo.  Ferguson's old friend Gavin hires him to follow his wife Madeleine, played by Kim Novak, who he fears is going insane and possibly contemplating suicide.  This turns into an obsession with Ferguson over Madeleine and becomes very dangerous for them both.  Barbara Bell Geddes, Henry Jones, and many others co-star in this film.  This is the last of four collaborations between Hitchcock and Stewart.  To describe this further would be giving it away.  This was one of those that was bashed by the critics at first but is now hailed as a classic and many say Stewart's best performance.

Deadpool (2016):  Tim Miller directed this Superhero film which stars Ryan Reynolds who plays Deadpool and spent years trying to get this produced to his vision.  Reynolds stars as Wade Wilson who is a mercenary and dying of cancer until being subjected to a rogue experiment that leaves him with accelerated healing powers and also alters his looks prompting him to come up with a costume.  He becomes a superhero, well more of an anti-hero, going after the man Ajax, played by Ed Skrein, with the reluctant help of X-Men members Colossus, played by Stefan Kapicic, and Negasonic Teenage Warhead, played by Brianna Hildebrand.  Karan Soni, Michael Benyaer, Morena Baccarin, T.J. Miller, Taylor Hickson, Gina Carano, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a much different superhero movie than all the others that Marvel and DC have been releasing.  One thing Reynolds wanted that he got was for the movie to be rated R so that he could use more violence, profanity, and nudity.  This is also known for breaking the fourth wall where he pretty much knows he is a comic book character and takes jabs at other comic book movies as well as inside jabs at the movie studio.  A lot of parents did not notice the part was rated R and thought it would be like the others where kids can see it and were quite disappointed when that was not the case.  I did go to the theaters to sees this and recall being kind of disappointed there were not any kids at this one and to see the parents overreact.  This also has really good opening credits that mostly make fun of opening credits.  This is more than anything a comedy that make all kinds of pop culture references and many good one-liners.  I look forward to the sequel coming.

A Star is Born (1976):  Frank Pierson directed this remake of of the 1937 and 1954 films.  In 1937, Janet Gaynor stars as aspiring actress Esther trying to make it in Hollywood.  In 1954, Judy Garland stars as more of a Broadway singer.  Now we add Barbra Streisand to the mix where she stars as up and coming songstress Esther Hoffman who falls in love with has been rock star John Norman Howard, played by Kris Kristofferson.  John tries to take a backseat for Esther to shine but finds it is hard to do.  Gary Busey, Oliver Clark, Venetta Fields, Marta Heflin, Sally Kirkland, Paul Mazursky, and many others co-star in this film.  While this is a remake, I feel took a good angle to make it set apart from the others.  Streisand and Kristofferson do a great job together in what is more of a rock musical.  Each version is worth a look so maybe have a triple feature with these movies.

Children of Invention (2009):  I end the week with this independent film which was written and directed by Tze Chun.  Cindy Cheung stars as single mother Elaine Cheng who struggles to make it in life and takes part in pyramid schemes in hope she'll make some quick money.  The children Raymond and Crystal, played by Michael Chen and Crystal Chiu, are left to fend for themselves who also have interesting schemes in hopes of making money.  Stephen Gevedon, Frank Pando, Kieran Campion, Xan Li, Suzan Mikiel, Katie Kreisler, Kathleen Kwan, and many others co-star in this film.  This is more of a character driven independent film which documents the struggles of people trying to make it in life, especially the immigrants and the types of things we are willing to do.  This was a relatively unknown cast but still a very well-done and overlooked film.  This is available on the Hoopla Digital website.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Thomas Jane, Richard Dreyfuss, David Strathairn, Harry Belafante, and many others.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 627th Edition

Welcome to the 627th Edition of my series.  There is not much else going on right now.  I am in two fantasy football leagues right now.  There is one that there is no hope and another that I am ranked in second place so I hope to continue my success into that one.  The only other complaint I have is this cold weather we are having but you all know that about me so I'll just get on with my selections for the week.

Il Divo (2008):  I start the week out with this Italian biopic which was written and directed by Paolo Sorrentino.  Toni Servillo stars as the 41st Italian Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti who was elected after the declaration of independence in 1946 and served until 1992.  This takes a look at the ups and downs of his political career and has a lot of things that remain speculation like his mafia connections.  Anna Bonaiuto, Flavio Bucci, Carlo Buccirosso, Giorgio Colangeli, Alberto Cracco, Piera Degli Esposti, and many others co-star in this film.  I had never heard of this man until I watched this movie.  This was a very compelling film to watch of a man who was clearly very corrupt but always managed to stay in power and almost like someone out of a Shakespeare tragedy.  This is available to watch on Hoopla On-Demand.

The Motel (2005):  I follow up with this independent film which was written and directed by Michael Kang.  Jeffrey Chyau stars as the 13 year old Chinese-American Ernest  whose mother owns a small and run-down motel and lives and works there with his mother, sister, and grandfather.  He has trouble connecting with his family and is misunderstood while also going through puberty.  His life changes when he meets self-destructive but charismatic Korean guest Sam Kin, played by Sung Kang.  Jade Wu, Samantha Futerman, Clint Jordan, and many others co-star in this independent film.  This is a good look a family trying to make it in a struggling business and Ernest just trying to become his own person and not wanting to work at the motel all his life.  This was a movie that had no big names but still had very good performances along with a good script.

On Broadway (2007):  I came across this gem for the first time.  Dave McLaughlin wrote and directed this independent film.  New Kids on the Block member Joey McIntyre stars as Boston carpenter Jack O'Toole who becomes devastated when his Uncle Pete, played by Andrew Connolly, dies in an accident.  With no theatrical experience, Jack decides to write a play inspired by his uncle and basing it on his family and friends from the community.  The only stage that he could afford was a back room at a community bar where usually bands play but was still a good place to put on the show.  Jill Flint co-stars as Jack's wife who does not always agree with him but stands by him and helps in every way she can to get the play produced.  Mike O'Malley, Eliza Dushku, Sean Lawlor, Lance Greene, Lucas Caleb Rooney, Will Arnett, Amy Poehler, and many others co-star in this independent film.  I have to say, I actually kind of related to this movie and to Jack a little bit.  It was just last month that we finished out murder mystery TO WAKE THE DEAD which was done in a rather unusual setting in the banquet room of the local Amvets.  While I did not write the show, I did do most of the casting and took on many hates like being an actor, an assistant director, and essentially a stage manager.  I also understood all of Jack's struggles like getting all the cast together and them maybe using that room that night so we'd have to go somewhere else.  This shows that a play does not have to be put on in a conventional theater.  Even in Muncie, we have a theater group that puts on shows in the upstairs of a bar and still do a good job.  Anyone involved with local theater really needs to see this one.

As Boys Grow... (1957):  This is my short film for the week and an early educational/entertaining sex education video.  A track coach with a team of boys around 14 years of age decides to give his kids an education about puberty and the male and reproductive systems.  This did not really hold much back but the production quality was pretty laughable.  This among others can be found on Amazon Prime with "Sex Education Films" and probably more to come in the coming weeks.

Of Human Hearts (1938):  This is part two of my two-part James Stewart series and like last week I take an earlier look at Jimmy.  This takes place before and after the American Civil War and centers around a minister's family.  Walter Huston stars as local minister Ethan Wilkins who like everyone in the town is rather poor but it is a community that tries to help each other out.  Stewart co-stars as his son Jason in the adult years while Gene Reynolds plays him in the childhood years.  Much of the film is the rather dysfunctional father/son relationship of people with different values.  Beulah Bondi, Guy Kibbee, Charles Coburn, John Carradine, Ann Rutherford, Charley Grapewin, Leona Roberts, Gene Lockhart, Sterling Holloway, and many others co-star in this film.  This is one that takes a look at human behavior and the consequences that can happen and can still resonate today.

Eegah (1962):  This is my MST3K episode for the week where Joel, Tom Servo and Crow are forced to watch this sci-fi B-movie where a caveman named Eegah, played by none other than Richard Kiel, that wreaks havoc in the modern day.  Most probably remember Kiel as the Bond character Jaws in THE SPY WHO LOVED ME and MOONRAKER but might remember him in the original THE LONGEST YARD as well as the Adam Sandler comedy HAPPY GILMORE.  Also, I do not know how the caveman got into the modern era or how he survived.  It is mostly for laughs and was a good one to force Joel and our favorite robots to watch.  This like all of MST3K is available on Netflix.

Spider-Man:  Homecoming (2017):  I decided to include the Marvel Cinematic Universe for this week.  Fresh off his debut as Spider-Man in CAPTAIN AMERICA:  CIVIL WAR, Tom Holland reprises his role as the teenage Peter Parker who leads a double life in Queens as Spider-Man.  After his experience with the Avengers, he returns home where he lives with his Aunt May, played by Marisa Tomei, and is under the watchful eye of Tony Stark, reprised by Robert Downey Jr., who has Peter as his "intern" at Stark industries.  Stark also provides Peter a more state of the art Spider-Man suit.  He comes across some criminals with some very unusual weapons and learns the leader is Adrian Toomes aka the Vulture, played by Michael Keaton.  Jon Favreau, Gwyneth Paltrow, Zendaya, Donald Glover, Jacob Batalon, Laura Harrier, Tony Revolori, Bokeem Woodbine, Tyne Daly, Abraham Attah, Jennifer Connelly, Chris Evans, Martin Starr, and many others co-star or have cameo appearances.  This is our third live-action Peter Parker since 2002 with Tobey Maguire and then by Andrew Garfield but now Spider-Man for the first time is part of the MCU and they took a different approach with him.  I suppose I forgot to name off Reeve Carney who played Spider-Man in the Broadway musical flop SPIDER-MAN:  TURN OFF THE DARK.  Peter Parker in this one is about 14 years of age and I like how he acts more like a teen and very overzealous at times being a superhero at such a young age.  I suppose you could call this the coming-of-age superhero film and is a theme I seem to be focusing a lot upon in this week.  I enjoyed this more non-origin story of Peter Parker just trying to balance his high school life and his superhero life which he found very difficult.

The Burmese Harp (1956):  This is my Japanese film for the week.  Kon Ichikawa directed this film based on the novel by Michio Takeyama.  Shoji Yasui stars as Mizushima who is a Japanese soldier in WWII Burma and disappears from the group after a surrender to the British soldiers.  The rest of the soldiers are trying to figure out what happened to him and try to uncover if he is a monk.  They are correct as he becomes a monk and looks to bury dead Japanese soldiers that he finds.  This is a pretty powerful film which in a sense is on the consequences of war.  The performances, story, imagery and music score work very well in this Japanese classic.

A Clockwork Orange (1971):  Stanley Kubrick directed this adaptation on the novel by Anthony Burgess.  This takes place in future Britain where Malcolm McDowell stars as gang leader Alex De Large.  They go around terrorizing homes but is betrayed and ends up in prison.  To get out early, he agrees to have unusual therapy developed by the government which makes him fear everything he loves which includes violence and even Beethoven.  When he is out, the people that he wronged are out for revenge where he is left defenseless due to his fear of violence.  This was a very bizarre movie to say the least and was quite ahead of its time.  It was so weird that it was originally rated X but in time got down to R.  The imagery was probably the strangest part of this.  There is a scene where Alex is torturing a couple while singing SINGIN' IN THE RAIN and always feel guilty about how much this amuses me.  Apparently Gene Kelly was not amused by how they used the song he is most known for and remained bitter towards McDowell.  I have heard someone say that this is a statement towards the use of psychological drugs.  This is by no means for everyone but is a very well done film on many levels.

Coal Miner's Daughter (1980):  I started the week out with a political biopic and now I end with a music biopic.  Michael Apted directed this film based on the autobiography of Loretta Lynn, played very well by Sissy Spacek.  The title is one of Loretta's biggest hits which is to describe who is and how she grew up.  She grew up the daughter of a coal mining father with quite a few siblings in a poor but loving family.  At the very young age of 13, she marries Doolittle Lynn, played by Tommy Lee Jones, where they start their own family.  Loretta appears to have intended to just be the stay at home mom but some random singing from in the home makes Doolittle believe she has talent and potential.  Levon Helm, William Sanderson, Beverly D'Angelo, Ernest Tubb, and many others co-star in this film.  Tubb plays himself in the biopic and D'Angelo is really good in her small role as Patsy Cline.  I'm not really a big country music fan but respect it enough and still enjoyed this biopic to end the week.

Well, that is it for the week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Richard Dreyfuss, Walter Huston, Scarlett Johansson, and many others.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 626th Edition

Welcome to the 626th Edition of my series.  Last week was my 12 year anniversary and I am still going strong.  I'm actually doing really well in one of my fantasy leagues so I hope to continue with that success.  I don't really have a lot going on so I'll just get on with my selections this week.

Normal (2003):  I start the week out with this HBO movie which was directed by Jane Anderson and based upon her own plays.  Tom Wilkinson and Jessica Lange star as Midwestern married couple Roy  and Irma Applewood.  After the 25th anniversary, Roy announces that he feels he was born the wrong gender and is looking to become a woman.  The family and the community deal with this announcement in different ways and shows the effects of others.  Hayden Panettiere, Richard Bull, Jospeh Sikora, Clancy Brown, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a really good look at a community dealing with rather surprising news and showing the transition of a man looking to become a woman.  Good performances out of the cast and a really good story.  This one deserves a look.

Elle (2016):  This is my French film for the week.  Paul Verhoeven directed this movie based on the novel by Philippe Djian.  Isabelle Huppert stars as Michele who is the head of a successful video game company and her life changes when is attacked and raped by an unknown assailant.  She does not like going to the police so she tries to investigate it herself where they are both drawn to a very curious game that could spiral out of control.  Laurent Lafitte, Anne Consigny, Charles Berling, Virginia Efira, Judith Magre, Christian Berkel, Jonas Bloquet, Alice Isaaz, Vimila Pons, and many others co-star in this foreign film.  This was intended to be done in the United States but American actresses were declining it so he took the project to France where Huppert was able to successfully lobby for the lead part and many say this is the best performance of her career.  This movie had the suspense and a very compelling story.

Final Fantasy:  The Spirits Within (2001):  Hironobu Sakaguchi directed this animated movie based on the video game series that Sakaguchi also created.  This takes place in the future where Dr. Aki Ross, voiced by Ming-Na Win who looks to find the secrets of a group of alien invaders.  She reluctantly agrees to team up with the Deep Eyes military squadron lead by her old friend Grey, voiced by Alec Baldwin.  Ving Rhames, Steve Buscemi, Peri Gilpin, Donald Sutherland, James Woods, Keath David, Jean Simmons, and many others provided their voices to this film.  I won't pretend to know anything on the video game series.  This was still an enjoyable animated sci-fi film and some very good animation.

The Ducktators (1942):  This is my classic animation and WWII propaganda short in hopes people would buy those ever important War Bonds of that era.  This takes jabs at Hitler, Mussolini, and Hirohito who are all portrayed as ducks in a duckyard and giving brief information of the three.  This was a very funny short and great WWII propaganda.  This can be found on Amazon Prime with Patriotic Cartoon Classics.

The Murder Man (1935):  Tim Whelan directed this crime drama which stars Spencer Tracy as Steve Grey who is a hard-drinking reporter investigating the murder of a shady businessman and believes it was his own business associate Henry Mander, played by Harvey Stephens.  Mander is tried, convicted, and sentenced to death and Grey is assigned to write one last story on him which proves to be a struggle.  Virginia Bruce, Lionel Atwill, Robert Barrat, James Stewart, and many others co-star in this film.  This is Spencer Tracy's first movie under the MGM contract which would be the start of a 20 year career.  This is only about 69 minutes long and is a pretty good short time.  Some really good twists happen and worth seeing James Stewart in an early role.

Catalina Caper (1967):  This is my MST3K episode for the week if that says anything.  This is a beach movie where a bunch of teens try to foil a group of crooks stealing a scroll.  I don't have much else to say on it.  People like Tommy Kirk and Lyle Waggoner star in this movie and Little Richards has a rather forgettable cameo in a song called SCUBA PARTY.  This is one of the earlier episodes of MST3K with Joel Hodgson.  According to Netflix it is season one and episode two but found it is really season three.  Still some fun riffs to watch this movie to and they picked a good one to pick apart.

Into the Wild (2007):  Sean Penn directed this film that is based on the true story of Chris McCandless, played by Emile Hirsch.  McCandless was a graduate of Emory University and has always had it made with fairly wealthy parents, among other things.  He had the world waiting for him and a savings account of $24,000 but decided to donate to charity and hitchhike to Alaska to live in the wilderness.  Along the way, he meets a very diverse group of people to help shape his life.  Marcia Gay Harden, William Hurt, Jena Malone, Brian Dierker, Catherine Keener, Vince Vaughn, Kristen Stewart, Hal Holbrook, Zach Galifinakias, and many others co-star in this film.  This has a lot of really nice interactions and I think I like the one with Hirsch and Holbrook the most.  It also has a good original soundtrack from Eddie Vedder.  This is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

The Bob Matthias Story (1954):  Francis D. Lyon directed this movie that is also based on a true story of the person in the title played by Bob Mathias himself as well as his wife Melba.  Mathias was a California school boy who showed potential in the world of track and field.  Ward Bond co-stars as his high school coach who trains him for the Decathlon and goes onto win two gold medals in the 1948 and 1952 Olympics.  This was a time period where a lot of people played themselves in a biopic and this was a pretty good tribute to Mathias in this very low-budget film.

The Wilby Conspiracy (1975):  Ralph Nelson directed this film that takes place in Africa.  Sidney Poitier stars as Shack Twala who after 10 years in prison finally gets released but has a run-in with the police that once again puts him on the run.  His attorney Rina, played by Prunella Gee, and her boyfriend Jim, played by Michael Caine, help him to get away with Jim and Shack on the run together.  They head to Cape Town in hopes to recover a stash of diamonds while on the run.  Saeed Jaffrey, Persis Khambatta, Rutger Hauer, Nicol Williamson, and many others co-star in this film.  I guess you could call this a buddy movie in a sense and it takes that phrase to a new level.  Caine and Poitier prove to be a really good duo in this action thriller.

The Cool School (2008):  I end the week with this documentary which was directed by Morgan Neville.  Jeff Bridges narrates this documentary that takes a look at the art scene in Los Angeles in the 50s and 60s.  This mostly takes a look at the Ferus Gallery that was founded by Walter Hopps in 1957 and formed a lot of offbeat art from scratch and gave rise to Andy Warhol.  The documentary interviews a lot of the artists like Hopps, Irving Blum, Larry Bell, and even actors like Dean Stockwell and Dennis Hopper.  This is a pretty good documentary surrounding the art world.  This is available to watch on Youtube.

Well, that is it for this week but have returned with the segment of "Movie Night at the Shera".  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week.

MOVIE NIGHT AT THE SHERA

Little Shop of Horrors (1986):  This classic musical was included on my 12 year edition on last week's feature.  When I went to see Shera's daughters in their high school production THE SOUND OF MUSIC, I brought this up in conversation likely suggesting that should be their future show.  I also mentioned that this was the Director's Cut version which is quite a bit different than she is used to and ends more like the stage version.  It has been awhile since we have been able to get together with her job and I showed her the Director's Cut of this musical along with her youngest daughter who showed some interest in the movie.  Frank Oz directed this popular musical from Howard Ashman and Alan Menken that is always a sure winner in the community theater world.  This takes place in the very poor town of Skid Row where Rick Moranis stars as the nerdy and bumbling Seymour Krelborn who works at the struggling flower shop owned by Mr. Mushnik, played by Vincent Gardenia, which also employs Seymour's friend and crush Audrey, played by Ellen Greene, who is in a very abusive relationship with the unscrupulous dentist Orin, played by Steve Martin.  Things change for them when Seymour buys a very mysterious plant that he calls the Audrey II, voiced the Levi Stubbs of the Four Tops, whose presence wins them more business but at a price when the plant shows a lust for blood making Seymour question how far he should go to continue the success.  Tichina Arnold, Michelle Weeks, Tisha Campbell-Martin, Jim Belushi, John Candy, Christopher Guest, Bill Murray, and many others co-star or have cameos.  This is a remake of Roger Corman's 1960 b-movie of the same name which I still watch from time to time feeling I need to give credit where credit is due for this musical.  Those who have seen the stage version and this movie version are aware that the endings are quite different and that is because they were forced to make the ending by the producers but Oz had shot the alternate ending that resembles the more dark ending that happens in the stage version and is now available on dvd as the Director's Cut.  A lot of the time that phrase "Director's Cut" does not mean much but in this case it means everything to me.  Now for Shera who is used to the original movie ending was thrown for quite a loop at the darker ending.  This is one of the few musicals that I really want to do.  I tried out for it years ago and went for Seymour while realizing I went for the wrong part and should have gone for the voice of Audrey II.