Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 750th Edition

Welcome to the 750th Edition of my series.  I sit in the Fortress of Solitude again to bring this out.  Right now, I am not going to comment on what is going on except to just say let's try to support one another and just think rationally.  With that, I am just going to get on with my selections for this week.

Airplane (1980):  I start the week out with this classic spoof which was directed and written by Jim Abramans, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker.  As one might guess, this takes place on an airplane where the pilots get sick from food poisoning.  Robert Hays stars as Ted Striker who is hoping to reconnect with his ex-girlfriend Elaine, played by Julie Hagerty, and follows her onto the plane where she is a flight attendant.  Striker also happens to be an ex-fighter pilot and has not flown in a long time.  His services are needed and must overcome his fears to land the plane safely.  Peter Graves, Lloyd Bridges, Robert Stack, Leslie Nielson, NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Lorna Patterson, Frank Ashmore, Jonathan Banks, Barbara Billingsley, Lee Bryant, Joyce Bulifant, Marcy Goldman, Rossie Harris, James Hong, Ethel Merman, Kenneth Tobey, Jill Whelan, and many others co-star or have cameos.  Robert Stack, Lloyd Bridges, Peter Graves and Leslie Nielson all had the reputation for playing no-nonsense characters and were purposely cast in these straight roles to make the satire even more funny.  Nielson would be more the king of spoof movies after this and Bridges even continued these types of movies to an extent.  Lots of great gags going on in this comedy that has remained a timeless classic and a very defined spoof movie.

Griffin and Phoenix (2006):  Ed Hill directed this love story which stars Dermot Mulroney and Amanda Peet as the title characters.  Griffin, played by Mulroney, gets some bad news from his oncologist about cancerous legions spreading through his chest and only getting a year or two estimate to live.  He starts attending psychology classes on dealing with death and meets Phoenix, played by Peet, who happens to be an assistant Dean at the University.  He takes an immediate liking to her and she slowly warms up to his charm but does not tell her of his situation.  Sarah Paulson, Blair Brown, Alison Elliott, Lois Smith, Jonah Meyerson, Max Morris, Simon Jones, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a rather sad but still beautiful story about someone trying to make the most of his last days.  This was a remake to a 1976 movie of the same name which features Peter Falk and Jill Clayburgh in these roles so the personalities are sure to be a bit different.  I have not seen the original but just watching this was done very well through the performances of Mulroney and Peet.  This is a bit of a tearjerker but also delivers some laughs.

Heart:  Alive in Seattle (2003):  This is my concert movie for the week which features the band Heart in concert at the Paramount in Seattle which is the hometown of Ann and Nancy Wilson.  This features some of their classics like BARRACUDA and THESE DREAMS, it features some of their newer songs from this time, and a couple well-done Led Zeppelin covers.  They clearly put on a good concert so if you like Heart in any way, this will probably be enjoyed.  I never really have much to describe these types of movies since it will probably depend on how one feels about the band or singer.

Alphabet Antics (1951):  This is my short film for the week which was on the MST3K episode of the movie DADDY-O that was featured last week.  This essentially goes through the alphabet and having a word for each letter which were usually animals.  This might be entertaining for a little kid learning the alphabet but is more for the laughs these days.  This episode of MST3K is available to watch on Hoopla.

The Symbol of the Unconquered (1920):  This is my silent film for the week which was written and directed by Oscar Micheaux.  Iris Hall stars as Eve Mason who is a light-skinned black woman inherits land from her grandfather.  When arriving, she meets her neighbor Van Allen, played by Walker Thompson, who is living in an oil field and gets threats to sell which were notes by "The Knights of the Black Cross" which were really the KKK.  Micheaux was one of the pioneers in black cinema and as soon as I came across this I thought this must be the follow-up and counter to D.W. Griffith's A BIRTH OF A NATION which painted the blacks to be savages and the KKK to be the heroes even though the movie was very groundbreaking in terms of camera work and movie length.  This is about 54 minutes long and is not complete but I think most of it survives.  This is a decent early look at racism and there will be some terms that are politically incorrect by today's standards but were mostly okay at the time.  This is available on the Criterion Channel.

Red Sun (1971):  I decided to continue with Toshiro Mifune and make this a trilogy when coming across this American movie.  Charles Bronson stars as Link Stuart who is an outlaw in a gang that robs a train which has the Japanese ambassador.  They rob the gold shipment as well as an ancient Japanese sword they were going to give the president.  Link is betrayed by the gang and reluctantly teams with the ambassador's samurai bodyguard Kuroda, played by Mifune, to retrieve the sword and for Link to get payback.  Former Bond girl Ursula Andress teams up with the duo.  Alain Delon, Capucine, Barta Barri, Anthony Dawson, Luc Merenda, and many others co-star in the western.  One of the first thoughts I had with this duo was how this was kind of the original SHANGHAI NOON with Owen Wilson and Jackie Chan with the similarities on how the partnership comes about.  Yes, Mifune had a lot better work in Japan but this was a pretty fun western that brought combined the western and samurai world.

Rambo:  Last Blood (2019):  Adrian Grunberg directed this fifth installment of the franchise.  Sylvester Stallone, who also co-wrote the screenplay, reprises his role as John Rambo who is living a more peaceful life now with his old friend Maria, played by Adriana Barraza, and her granddaughter Gabriela, played by Yvette Monreal.  Gabriela refers to him as Uncle John but is more like a daughter to him and when she disappears, Rambo learns that she was kidnapped by a Mexican cartel.  He must resort to his violent ways when trying to go after her leading to possibly the most violent climax in the franchise.  Paz Vega co-stars as Carmen who is a reporter and helps Rambo find his daughter.  Sergio Peris-Mencheta, Joaquin Cosio, Oscar Jaenada, Jessica Madsen, Louis Mandylor, Fenessa Pineda, Marco de la O, and many others co-star in this installment.  I will say that the fourth one is my favorite and this one did not quite top it but still enjoyed this.  I will say for the five movies that they all have their own image and feel they do a good job of not rehashing while paying homage.  This will not be for everyone and is very disturbing, even more on the scenes with the kidnapped girls in my opinion than the violence that Rambo enacts.  There is also a very good use of the Doors song FIVE TO ONE in this movie.  This is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

The Southerner (1945):  Jean Renoir directed this film based on the novel by George Sessions Perry.  Zachary Scott stars as Sam Tucker who has been a cotton picker and decides to grow his own cotton crop.  He moves his family, which includes his wife, children, and mother, to a new place and find that it will not be easy battling the elements of sickness and flooding.  He also has a jealous neighbor in Devers, played by J. Carrol Naish, who does not seem to want to see his fellow neighbor succeed.  Betty Field, Beulah Bondi, Percy Kilbride, Charles Kemper, Blanche Yurka, Norman Lloyd, Estelle Taylor, Paul Harvey, Noreen Nash, and many others co-star in this film.  This is more of a character study than anything, a man trying to make a better life for his family and refusing to give up.  This has good performances and a good script and really deserves a look.  This movie is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

A Boy and His Dog (1975):  When people see this title and have not heard of it I'm sure many will think something like a LASSIE or OLD YELLER type of story and I must say it is far from either one of those.  This in fact is a post-Apocalypse film which was directed by L.Q. Jones and based on the novel by Harlan Ellison.  A young Don Johnson stars as Vic who wanders the post-Apocalypse wasteland with his telepathic dog Blood, voiced by Tim McIntire, looking for food and sex.  Blood is a dog he is able to verbally communicate with but no one else seems to have that ability.  He is lured to an underground society where the old society has been preserved.  While it seems like a better place, he learns there is something far more sinister going on down there.  Susanne Benton, Jason Robards, Alvy Moore, Helene Winston, Charles McGraw, Hal Baylor, Ron Feinberg, Michael Rupert, and many others co-star in this film.  This was a very popular genre of film in this era and this one has gone onto be a bit overlooked in my opinion.  This movie stands on its own among the others of this genre and is great seeing Johnson before he became his iconic character of Sonny Crockett in MIAMI VICE.  No other way to really describe this except that it is really strange and has a lot of dark humor.  This is available on Hoopla Digital.

A Better Tomorrow (1986):  I end the week with this Hong Kong film where the title reflects what we are all wanting, especially in these times.  John Woo directed this action gangster classic film.  Ti Lung and Leslie Cheung star as brothers Ho and Kit.  They are on opposite sides of the law where Kit is on the police force and Ho has always lived a gangster life.  Ho has just been released from prison and is trying to go straight as well as reconcile his relationship with Kit who is very bitter towards his older brother.  He also finds that leaving the gangster life is nearly impossible.  Chow Yun-Fat stars as Mark Gor who is a longtime friend of Ho and has had his own issues having also feeling betrayed by those he worked for.  Emily Chu, Waise Lee, Feng Tien, John Woo, Kenneth Tsang, and many others co-star in this film.  This was really a breakthrough film for Chow who I learned was only not supposed to have that big of role but Woo saw his talent and reworked the script to give his a bigger role.  He has top billing but I am not sure he did when this first came out or if it was something they did when releasing it and having him as the big name actor.  This is an extremely violent film but at the same time it is also a very moving story of friendship and betrayal.  This spawned two sequels, a remake and many trying to match what they did.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Keanu Reeves, Samuel L. Jackson, Roman Polanski, Bette Davis, and many others.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 749th Edition

Welcome to the 749th Edition of my series.  As I write from the Fortress of Solitude, once again I just want to extend thanks to all the essential workers out there whatever you have to do.  I also wish us all well as we continue to fight through the crazy times.  Even when we are able to get back out again, I will likely continue to use the backseat of my minivan like to read my books.  There is not much else happening at this time so I'll just get on with my selections.

The Mechanic (2011):  I start the week with this action movie which was directed by Simon West.  Jason Statham stars as elite hitman Arthur Bishop or as the title would indicate, a "mechanic".  He has been the best by staying detached but his latest assignment leaves him everything but detached as is looking to take revenge on those that ordered the hit.  Ben Foster co-stars as Steve McKenna who is the son of the person that Bishop had to take out and is also looking for revenge so Bishop takes him in as an apprentice to go after those responsible.  Tony Goldwyn, Donald Sutherland, Jeff Chase, Mini Anden, Lara Grice, Lance E. Nichols, and many other co-star in this action movie.  This is a remake or reboot, whatever you want to call it, to the 1972 movie of the same title that stars Charles Bronson.  I do not believe I have seen it but may look into it in the future.  This movie was good for what it was, an action movie and has some emotional depth but more importantly some cool action scenes.  This is available to watch on Showtime, the 1972 version can be seen on Amazon Prime.

Restless (2011):  Now I follow up with the same year but with a rather unusual love story which was directed by Gus Van Sant.  Mia Wasikowska stars as Annabel Cotton who is a terminally ill cancer patient trying to make the most of her last days by studying nature.  Henry Hopper also stars as Enoch who is trying to deal with the death of his parents and spends his time attending funerals and hanging out with his friend Hiroshi, played by Ryo Kase, which is the ghost of a WWII Japanese kamikaze pilot.  As they meet, they have a renewed interest to live as their time together has to be limited.  Schuyler Fisk, Lusia Strus, Jane Adams, Chin Han, Kelleen Crawford, Victor Morris, Jesse Henderson, and many others co-star in this film.  These two characters were unusual and likable enough to really keep my interests.  Thinking further, it kind of reminds me of HAROLD AND MAUDE with the similarities of Enoch in this movie and Harold from the mentioned movie that would make a really good double feature.

At Eternity's Gate (2018):  Julian Schnabel directed this biographical film based on the legendary painter Vincent Van Gogh.  Willem Dafoe plays that very painter during his time in Arles and Auvers-Sur-Oise, France where he would develop his style of painting while grappling with religion and mental illness.  It also takes a look at how Van Gogh never really got to be appreciated for his art while he was living and never had that legend status until after his death.  Oscar Isaac co-stars as Van Gogh's friend Paul Gauguin who was also a painter though had very differing philosophies of painting that a lot of this movie focused upon.  Rupert Friend also co-stars as Vincent's brother Theo.  Matthieu Amaric, Emmanuelle Seigner, Neils Arestrup, Anne Consigny, Amira Casar, Vincent Perez, Lolita Chammah, and many others co-star in this biographical film.  There are times in this movie where this made me think of a Terrence Malick movie where the cinematography was star in parts of this particular film.  I say that in where it would a lot times just show the vision that Van Gogh would have to do his painting like in the nature that he valued.  Dafoe plays Van Gogh so well as someone human doing what keeps him going which is painting.  This is also available to watch on Showtime.

By Right of Birth (1921):  This is my short film for the week though it is really a movie which was originally 45 minutes long which was considered a feature film in that era.  However, only about four minutes of that film has been found and is put together here.  Obviously we cannot really give a full judgement but did seem like a rather compelling film that focuses on a wrongful eviction of sorts.  This was produced by the Lincoln Motion Picture Company which the beginning of this makes very clear was the first producers of race movies so in other works African-American movies.  While it only lasted a few years, they did inspire a lot more ethnic movies in a time where they were usually portrayed as servants.  This is available on the Criterion Channel and on the dvd "Kino's Pioneers of African-American Cinema".

Born Innocent (1974):  This is my tv movie for the week which was directed by Donald Wrye and based on a book by Creighton Brown Burnham.  Linda Blair stars as Chris Parker who is a 14 year old running away from home only to end up in a juvenile detention where no matter where she goes, she gets abused where by her parents or her peers at the center including a disturbing rape scene in the juvenile center.  Joanna Miles co-stars as Barbara Clark who is the one care worker that sees potential in Chris and is determined to help.  Allyn Ann McLerie, Mary Murphy, Janit Baldwin, Tina Andrews, Mich Vogel, Richard Jaeckel, Kim Hunter, and many others co-star in this tv movie.  This was aired originally on NBC and was very controversial for its time especially the rape scene.  Those who are familiar with 70s tv movies will know that they usually tried to convey relevant issues for the time and were usually pretty controversial in that era.  I suppose this one is all about innocence lost.  This is available to watch on Amazon Prime and as described probably not for everyone.

The Idiot (1951):  This is my Japanese film for the week which I decided to focus again on actor Toshiro Mifune who would be 100 years of age if he was still alive.  Akira Kurasawa directed this tragic love story epic which is based on a novel by Fyodor Dostoevsky.  Masayuki Mora stars as WWII veteran Kameda who has been in an asylum for awhile and has a lot of nightmares involving death.  He travels to the island of Hokkaido where he enters into a love triangle involving a friend he met in Akama, played by Mifune, that leads to tragedy.  Masayuki Mori, Yoshiko Kuga, Takashi Shimura, and many others co-star in this film.  The version that can be obtained is nearly three hours but the original version is about an hour longer and was meant to be two parts but was cut by request of the studio.  Like the short film I featured, this has been deemed lost as print of the 265 minute version has been found.  This is the sixth collaboration of sixteen between Kurasawa and Mifune.  This is something that will require full attention and some time but is a very compelling film in the tragic love story genre.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

But I'm a Cheerleader (1999):  Jamie Babbit directed this comedy which was also satire.  Natasha Lyonne stars as Megan who has everything going for her like being a cheerleader and having a boyfriend but her friends and family suspect her of being a lesbian.  Her straight-laced parents send her to a camp in hopes of getting "cured".  When getting there, she must learn who she is and who she wants to be in life.  Cathy Moriarty, Eddie Cibrian, Clea Duvall, Melanie Lynskey, Bud Cort, Mink Stole, Michelle Williams, Rupaul, Katherine Towne, Joel Michaely, Douglas Spain, Dante Basco, Kip Pardue, Robert Pine, Rachelle Carson, Wesley Mann, Richard Moll, Julie Delpy, and many others co-star in this comedy.  If you expect about movie about actual cheerleading, this won't be the answer. This is more a satire of those camps that are supposed to teach about being straight.  This got put out in a time when being gay really was not that accepted, at least not with the people around me.  I hate to admit that being in high school when this came out, I really did not except it.  I felt this movie shows that that you just need to be who you are and if that is as a homosexual, that is okay.  I really did not think I was going to get this deep.  I found this on the Pluto TV app.

Daddy-O (1958):  I decided upon an earlier episode of MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 back when still have their original host Joel Hodgson.  Usually they focus on B-movies dealing with the supernatural but on this one they chose more of a bad crime movie.  Dick Contino stars as Phil who is a trucker and nightclub singer.  He meets up with Jana, played by Sandra Giles, who challenges him to a drag race but when getting caught Phil loses his license.  After this he gets a job at a nightclub not knowing it also involves drug running.  Lots of inconsistency in this movie like shirts and cars always changing.  I think they were in the hopes of Giles becoming the next blonde bombshell but unfortunately did not happen.  The one person involved in the movie that had a big career was a man that wrote the music score and would go onto score such classics as STAR WARS and INDIANA JONES.  Yes, John Williams wrote his first music score in a feature film so really paid his dues.  The individual movie is available on Amazon Prime but the MST3K version is on Hoopla.

Santee (1973):  Now I follow up with my western for the week which was directed by Gary Nelson.  Michael Burns stars as the young Jody Deakes who finally joins up with his estranged father only to learn he is part of an outlaw gang and is killed by the bounty hunter Santee, played by Glenn Ford.  Santee takes Jody into his home along with his wife Valerie, played by Dana Wynter, and their employee John Crow, played by Jay Silverheels.  At first Jody intends to seek vengeance for his father but soon learns that Santee is a good person.  They must prepare for people of Santee's past coming for them.  Harry Townes, John Larch, Robert J. Wilke, Robert Donner, and many others co-star in this western.  This is a decent western film with some good action and a good story of unlikely family.  This is available on Amazon Prime and Hulu.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013):  This is part two of a possible Shirley MacLaine trilogy where she plays the mother of the title character.  I end the week with this comedy which was directed by Ben Stiller and based on the short story by James Thurber.  Stiller also stars Walter Mitty who has been working at his job at Life Magazine for sixteen years.  His life mostly consists of going home and to work.  He has a crush on his co-worker Cheryl, played by Kristen Wiig but cannot work up the guts to tell her.  He is also known to have daydreams which are likely the best times of his life.  He learns that his job and others are on the line to the downsizing that is happening and embarks on the biggest journey of his life in order to save his job.  Jon Daly, Adam Scott, Kathryn Hahn, Terence Bernie Hines, Paul Fitzgerald, Joey Slotnick, Sean Penn, Patton Oswalt, and many others co-star in this comedy.  This was a well done and even rather moving comedy that emphasizes the importance of people in jobs.  It also has a fun adventure element that keeps it going.

Well, that is it for this week but I did return with a double feature on "The Bookworm Corner".  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week.

THE BOOKWORM CORNER

I decided to do a double feature on this and read both books by legendary play-by-play commentator and the host of the GRILLING JR podcast.

Slobberknocker:  My Life in Wrestling by Jim Ross with Paul O'Brien (2017):  This is the first of Jim Ross' two autobiographies.  This tells the story of Jim Ross starting with his childhood focusing some on his upbringing and his love for professional wrestling.  It then goes into to his first meeting with his mentor Bill Watts who took a liking to Ross and brought him into Mid-South wrestling where Ross would do just about everything from helping to advertise and some referee work.  He is most known as one of the best play-by-play commentator but has also done a lot of work as the Vice President of Talent Relations in the WWE.  Good 'Ole JR has some great stories and was someone who paid his dues to be where he is in the industry.  This charts his ups and downs in his personal and professional lives and is able to tell it to us that makes us want to continue turning those pages.

Under the Black hat:  My Life in the WWE and Beyond (2020):  This is the second autobiography from Ross and essentially starts when he is trying to recover from Bell's Palsy and get back into the fold of WWF.  This one focuses the most on the ups and downs and there were a lot of both of his time in WWF/WWE and with Vincent K. McMahon.  This also talks a lot about his late wife Jan and the importance in his life and the she would go above and beyond for others in the business like cooking food for other wrestlers in their home and even being an earpiece.  I know how hard this was for J.R. to write in listening to his podcast GRILLING J.R., especially when he talks about when Jan dies.  He has a great perspective on many events that went on in his tenure and we learn some about his post-WWE life like his time in New Japan Pro Wrestling and becoming a play by play commentator in All Elite Wrestling.  I would find it really hard to read this book without the first one where we learn of how he started whereas this one has more focus on the corporate side.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 748th Edition

Welcome to the 748th Edition of my series.  As we continue into these uncertain times, I continue to bring my movie blog from the Fortress of Solitude.  I wish everyone well and to stay safe.  I also feel for those out of work or less work because of what is happening and also wish those well.  For me, all I have lost for now is my extrovert lifestyle but I know I'll get that back so I'll just continue to hang in there.  There is one more chance to catch the radio play TREASURE ISLAND today (Sunday) at 5 pm eastern time on https://www.weciradio.org/ where I voice the characters of Black Dog, Captain Smollet and Tom Morgan.  There is not much else to say right now so I'll just get on with my selections for the week.

Rambo (2008):  Sylvester Stallone directed this action film and the fourth of this franchised based the character created by David Morrell.  Stallone reprises the role of John Rambo that he brought to life and iconized.  Rambo is leading a more secluded life in Thailand by capturing snakes for local entertainers and chauffeuring locals in his PT boat.  He is soon approached by a group of Christian aid workers lead by Michael Burnett and Sarah Miller, played by Paul Schulze and BUFFY/ANGEL alum Julie Benz, to lead them out to Burma.  While reluctant to take them, he finally gives into their pleas and takes them their only for the group to be captured by the ruthless and oppressive Burmese military.  Rambo learns of this and agrees to take a group of mercenaries to find them while also helping them.  Matthew Marsden, Graham McTavish, Reynaldo Gallegos, Tim Kang, Ken Howard, and many others co-star in this action film.  To me, this is my favorite of the series though I have yet to see the latest one.  I really liked the first one where he essentially goes to war with a group of redneck cops.  This was the first appearance of Rambo in 20 years and while it was extremely violent, I thought it was also strangely moving.  This just cements for me how great Stallone really is and brings to life such great characters.  This is available to watch on Showtime On-Demand.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019):  Who else but me goes from John Rambo to Fred Rogers.  Marielle Heller directed this biographical film inspired by the article CAN YOU SAY...HERO by Tom Junod that he wrote on Fred Rogers.  Matthew Rhys stars as reporter Lloyd Vogel, renamed from the actual name Tom Junod, who is assigned by Esquire magazine to write an article on Fred Rogers, played to perfection by Tom Hanks.  Lloyd was used to more investigative journalism and was reluctant to take the assignment.  At first he is very skeptical about how real Mr. Rogers is but slowly overcomes his cynicism as he gets to know Fred which helps in his life in general with his family.  Chris Cooper, Susan Kelechi Watson, Maryann Plunkett, Enrico Colantoni, Wendy Makkena, Tammy Blanchard, Noah Harpster, Carmen Cusack, Kelley Davis, Christine Lahti, Maddie Corman, Daniel Krell, Jessica Hecht, and many others co-star in this film.  This is such a feel-good film perfect for this time and it is a time we could use Mr. Rogers.  The movie is more centers around Tom Junod with the backdrop of MISTER ROGERS' NEIGHBORHOOD and no so much revolving around the show or Mr. Rogers which I kind of figured when I saw Tom Hanks being nominated for Best Supporting Actor at award shows.

The Bank Job (2008):  Roger Donaldson directed this heist film which stars Stallone's fellow expendable Jason Statham.  Statham stars as struggling car salesman Terry Leather who gets the idea for a bank robbery from someone from his past in Martine, played by Saffron Burrows.  This seems very foolproof as Terry gets his team together not knowing that Martine is needing some photos to help her avoid a jail sentence.  Stephen Campbell Moore, Daniel Mays, James Faulkner, Alki David, Michael Jibson, Georgia Taylor, Richard Lintern, Peter Bowles, Alistair Petrie, Hattie Morahan, Julian Lewis Jones, Andrew Brooke, David Suchet, Peter De Jersey, Colin Salmon, Sharon Maughan, and many others co-star in this heist film.  Also, look for Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger as a bank employee.  It's a pretty complicated movie to really describe any further than what I did.  This is based on a true story and with many twists and turns.  This is available on Showtime On-Demand.

Crocus (1971):  This is my animated short for the week which was written and directed by Susan Pitt.  This revolves around a woman doing her usual domestic rituals like putting the baby to bed and making love.  It is really hard to describe except that the animation is surreal and bizarre.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel and has a lot of other works on there that look pretty surrealistic.  Animation enthusiasts might want to make an hour or so to check some of this out including an interview with the late Susan Pitt.

Blind Alley (1939):  Charles Vidor directed this crime drama which is based on a play by James Warwick.  Chester Morris stars as Hal Wilson who has recently escaped from prison.  They take refuge in the home of Dr. Shelby, played by Ralph Bellamy, who is having a bit of a party when Hal and his gang hold the place hostage.  Dr. Shelby just happens to be a psychiatrist and cannot help but analyze Hal to understand why he became the man he has become.  Ann Dvorak, Joan Perry, Melville Cooper, Rose Stradner, John Eldredge, Ann Doran, Marc Lawrence, Stanley Brown, Scotty Beckett, Milburn Stone, and Marie Blake co-star in this film.  This is a pretty compelling film with Bellamy and Morris working well off each other in more of a battle of wits.  This is also available on the Criterion Channel.

Ten Little Indians (1959):  This is my tv movie for the week which is based on the Agatha Christie novel AND THEN THERE WERE NONE.  A group of ten people with a rather dark past are invited to an island mansion where they are being killed one by one in accordance to the title nursery rhyme and must figure out when one among them is the killer.  Nina Foch, Barry Jones, Romney Brent, Kenneth Haigh, Valerie French, and many others co-star in this tv movie.  This was done in the early days of television and was presented in live fashion just like the popularity now of musicals being presented in this way.  This was a pretty good mystery and keeps us guessing.  This is available to watch on the EPIX network and is about and hour long.

Thelma and Louise (1991):  Now I bring a road trip movie for the week which was directed by Ridley Scott.  Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon star as the title characters in this film.  They are both rather frustrated in their lives and decide to hit the road for the weekend.  Things happen that make them start an unexpected crime spree that puts them on the run from the law and look to escape to Mexico.  Harvey Keitel, Michael Madson, Christopher McDonald, Stephen Tobolowsky, Brad Pitt, Timothy Carhart, and many others co-star in this road film.  This is a good look at friendship and how our actions can effect others if we are not careful.  Davis and Sarandon make this movie really work and I believe this ranks as one of the most memorable endings in cinematic history.  This is available on the Hitz channel.

Irma La Douce (1963):  Billy Wilder directed this comedy which is based on a play by Alexandre Breffort.  Jack Lemmon stars as naive French policeman Nester Patou who is transferred to the Red Light district.  He sees what is likely a brothel and feels he needs to make a raid which disrupts the union between the police officers and pimps which costs him his job.  He is working at a bar and befriended by the streetwalker Irma La Douce, played by Shirley MacLaine, and forms a relationship with her while also having an unorthodox plan to get her out of the profession.  Shirley MacLaine, Lou Jacobi, Bruce Yarnell, Herschel Bernandi, Hope Holiday, Joan Shawlee, Grace Lee Whitney, Paul Dubov, and many others co-star in this romantic comedy.  Also look for James Caan in a bit role where he makes his debut.  I liked that they did not use the words prostitute or hooker and I believe I will trying using the word streetwalker from now on.  Lemmon is great in his dual role, the "unorthodox play" I was referring to earlier in the paragraph.  This is available to watch on the Hitz network.

Wedding Ring (1950):  Keisuke Kinoshita wrote and directed this Japanese film.  Jukichi Uno and Kinuyo Tanaka star as married couple Michio and Noriko where Michio is bedridden with his illness and Noriko becomes drawn to his doctor Takeshi Ema, played by Toshiro Mifune, and start to have an affair.  Most people when they think of Mifune, they think of him as the samurai in Kurasawa films like SEVEN SAMURAI, where he is very rough looking.  This is a far more subdued role for Mifune and was really worth the look.  This is a pretty decent film on morality and is available to watch on the Criterion Channel among other Toshiro Mifune films that became available after what would have been his 100th birthday.

The Bounty (1984):  I end the week with this film based on the famous mutiny that took place between Fletcher Christian, played by Mel Gibson, and Lieutenant William Bligh, played by Anthony Hopkins.  Roger Donaldson directed this film based on a book by Richard Hough.  Christian and other crew members tire of Bligh's harsh treatment beyond the reach of British retribution while we see Bligh lead his crew to safety in a tiny lifeboat.  Laurence Olivier, Edward Fox, Daniel Day-Lewis, Bernard Hill, Phil Davis, Liam Neeson, Philip Martin Brown, Simon Chandler, Malcolm Terris, John Sessions, Andrew Wilde, Neil Morrissey, Wi Kuki Kaa, Tevaite Vernette, Richard Graham, Dexter Fletcher, Pete Lee-Wilson, and many others co-star in this film.  This is probably my favorite version of the story.  I really like that Christian and Bligh are not portrayed as the black and white hero and villain like other versions tend to do and showed both were in the wrong in some way.  I also really like the music score from Vangelis which added to the movie I already really enjoy.

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

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 747th Edition

Welcome to the 747th Edition of my series.  I hope all is well in these times that we are in right now and staying safe.  I also hope that those either out of work or not making as much will be okay in the long run.  I hope we all just help each other however we can.  I just continue to make the most of all this knowing that we will be able to get back out there.  I know I will be performing the play YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU at some point and that I will be back to my everyday life of going to the karaoke bar, coffee shops, the library, to name a few.  For those of you out of work or not able to make as much I would like to extend the offer to message me if Doordash is in the area and I will send a link to try signing up with.  I would also like to remind everyone that later today at 5 pm Eastern time the radio play TREASURE ISLAND airs on https://www.weciradio.org/ and I play the roles of Black Dog, Captain Smollet, and Tom Morgan.  I will shut up now and get on with my selections for the week.

Hidden Figures (2016):  Theodore Melfi directed this film which is based on the novel by Margot Lee Shetterly.  Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monae star as a group of friends that are a group of African-Americans working at NASA in the '60s where they were still looking to get a man in space after Russia got their first man into space.  They are mathematicians and despite their intelligence they are still having a hard time being taken seriously because they were women and black.  Kirsten Dunst, Kevin Costner, Jim Parsons, Mahershala Ali, Aldis Hodge, Glen Powell, Kimberly Quinn, Olek Krupa, Kurt Krause, Ken Strunk, Lidya Jewett, Donna Biscoe, Ariana Neal, Saniyya Sidney, Zani Jones Mbayise, and many others co-star in this film.  This takes a look at both the rise of NASA and addressing segregation.  It is a very inspirational film that takes place in a very significant time in our history that address many other issues within it.

The Mule (2018):  Clint Eastwood directed and stars in this film based on a true story.  Clint stars as Earl Stone who is broke, alone and facing foreclosure of his business.  He accepts a job where as far as he knows he is just simply driving but does not know until later that he is the drug courier for the Mexican drug cartel. Bradley Cooper co-stars as DEA agent Colin Banks who is hot on the trail of the cartel.  In addition to Earl having trouble in being involved with drugs, he has also alienated his family and hopes to make amends before the law catches up with him.  Dianne Wiest, Michael Pena, Cesar De Leon, Laurence Fishburne, Jackie Prucha, Richard Herd, Alison Eastwood, Kinsley Isla Dillon, Taissa Farminga, Austin Freeman, Victor Rasuk, Robert LaSardo, Saul Huezo, Eugene Cordero, Noel Gugliemi, Andy Garcia, Clifton Collins Jr., and many others co-star in this.  Alison Eastwood is the daughter of Clint and plays his daughter in the movie.  This is a true story based on WWII veteran Leo Sharp who was an 80 year old man that became a drug mule but the name was changed and in this movie the protagonist was a Korean War veteran. This was based on a New York Times article THE SINALOA CARTEL'S 90-YEAR-OLD DRUG MULE by Sam Dolnick.  This was a very compelling story and done as only Clint Eastwood can do.  A good double feature could be to watch this along with MARIA FULL OF GRACE which also features an unlikely drug mule.  I also would not mind seeing a documentary on the real-life subject of the movie.

Win Win (2011):  Now I bring a sports movie which is really more of a movie that centers around a sport.  Tom McCarthy directed and co-wrote this film which stars Paul Giamatti as Mike Flaherty who is a struggling attorney and the coach of the struggling high school wrestling coach.  He meets the grandson of a client named Kyle, played by Alex Shaffer, whose mother is in rehab and takes him into his family.  It turns out that Kyle is a very good wrestler and the answer for his struggling team but Mike's rather shady dealing come to haunt him with the boy's mother, played by Melanie Lynskey, comes into town.  Amy Ryan, Bobby Cannavale, Jeffrey Tambor, Burt Young, Margo Martindale, David Thompson, Nina Arianda, Marcia Haufrecht, Clare Foley, and many others co-star in this film.  This is more of a character study than anything in my opinion.  It is really hard to describe further than what I did as it is a rather complex film that takes a look at some rather gray areas.  This is worth a look and is a really good journey.

How to Keep a Job (1949):  This is my short film for the week which is part of the Coronet film series which was a set of instructional videos from this era but are mostly entertainment by today's standards.  This centers around a job interviewer where the potential employer does not like how his interviewee criticizes his former employer and tells the story of an employee that does just enough to get by in the job.  While this is a bit dated, it does hold some truth to it.  This is available to watch on Youtube and is only about 11 minutes.

Rain (1932):  Lewis Milestone is the uncredited director and is based on a play by John Colton and Clarence Randolph.  This centers around an island on the South Pacific where a missionary ship arrives.  Joan Crawford stars as Sadie who is a prostitute and soon Mr. Davidson, played by Walter Huston, confronts Sadie on her evil ways and tries to offer her salvation.  William Gargan, Guy Kibbee, Beulah Bondi, Matt Moore, Walter Catlett, and many others co-star in this film.  This was made in the pre-code era so a bit daring for the era.  This was a very early film in Crawford's career.  This is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

The Thomas Crown Affair (1968):  Now I bring this heist classic which was directed by Norman Jewison.  Steve McQueen stars as the title character who is a successful and wealthy businessman and believes he has pulled off the perfect heist.  Faye Dunaway co-stars as Vicki Anderson who is an insurance investigator called to recover the haul and immediately suspects Thomas Crown.  They start to see each other socially even though they know who each other are.  Paul Burke, Biff McGuire, Addison Powell, Astrid Heeren, Gordon Pinsent, Yaphet Kotto, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a very tense and stylist film with McQueen and Dunaway working very well together.  This also has the very iconic movie song THE WINDMILLS OF YOUR MIND by Noel Harrison.  This is available to watch on Hoopla Digital.

Stripes (1981):  Ivan Reitman directed this military comedy.  Bill Murray stars as John Winger who in one day quits his job and gets dumped by his girlfriend.  He learns of army enlistment and talks his buddy Russell Ziskey, played by Harold Ramis, into joining him.  Also joining in the fun is John Candy who has also enlisted.  Warren Oates co-stars as the drill instructor who is at odds with John.  P.J. Soles, Sean Young, John Candy, John Larroquette, John Diehl, Lance LeGault, Judge Reinhold, Antone Pagan, William Lucking, Fran Ryan, Joe Flaherty, Nick Toth, Dave Thomas, Bill Paxton, and many others co-star or have small parts in this comedy.  Paxton has a bit role of a soldier.  Another thing of note is the both Legault and Lucking were both in the A-TEAM as Decker and Lynch who at different times were after the team.  I don't know if Murray and Ramis would have been able to fight ghosts in their future had they not gone to boot camp first so we must give credit where it is due in that regard.  If not taken too seriously, this can be very enjoyed, if nothing else to see Murray, Ramis, and Candy in boot camp.

My Name is Julia Ross (1945):  This is my film noir for the week which was directed by Joseph H. Lewis and based on the novel by Anthony Gilbert.  Nina Foch stars as Julia who gets a job through an employment agency with a wealthy widow in Mrs. Hughes, played by May Whitty, and goes to live in her home.  A couple days later she awakens in a new home and under a different identity.  She must piece together what is happening and prove she is who she says she is.  George Macready, Roland Varno, Anita Sharp- Bolster, and Doris Lloyd co-star in this thriller.  This is considered one of those B-list film noirs but feels like much more.  This is a very suspenseful story with a good performance from Foch.  This is just a little over and hour and really worth that hour.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Goldfinger (1964):  This is my homage to actress Honor Blackman who recently left us and I decided to feature her in her iconic role of Pussy Galore.  Guy Hamilton directed this film which is the third James Bond movie and based on the novel by Ian Fleming.  Sean Connery stars as Agent 007 James Bond and ends up in Fort Knox where her learns that Auric Goldfinger, played by Gert Frobe, has a very sinister plot to contaminate the Fort Knox gold reserve and destroy the world economy.  Blackman co-stars as mentioned as Pussy Galore who is the pilot of Goldfinger and former wrestler Harold Sakata co-stars as Goldfinger's mute henchman and has a rather unique weapon for killing.  Shirley Eaton, Tania Mallet, Bernard Lee, Martin Benson, Cec Linder, Lois Maxwell, Bill Nagy, Michael Mellinger, Nadja Regin, Burt Kwouk, Desmond Llewelyn, Margaret Nolan, and many others co-star in this Bond film.  I'm about to say the word iconic for the second time in this paragraph but I believe this is the most iconic bond movie of all time with Pussy Galore, "golden girl" Jill Masterson, Odd Job's deadly hat, the table scene, and so many others.  There has also been the rumor that Shirley Eaton actually died from gold paint which is just a rumor.  This available to watch on Amazon Prime.

The Hot Spot (1990):  I end the week on this neo noir which was directed by Dennis Hopper and based on the book by Charles Williams.  Don Johnson stars as Harry Madox who is a drifter that ends up in a small Texas town.  He gets a job as a used car salesman where he has a very lustful affair with the boss' wife Dolly, played by Jennifer Connelly, but is in love with Gloria, played by Jennifer Connelly, who is the accountant as the used car place.  While he wants to be with Gloria, he continues to be blackmailed by Dolly.  Charles Martin Smith, William Sadler, Jerry Hardin, Barry Corbin, Leon Rippy, Jack Nance, Virgil Frye, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a pretty intense movie that I found I could not really describe any further without giving out spoilers.  A good double feature might be to watch this along with RED ROCK WEST which has a similar feel and both have gone onto be pretty underrated.  I was able to find this available on the Pluto TV app On-Demand.

Well, that is it for this week but I did bring back my "Fun and Useless Facts segment" for the week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Sylvester Stallone, Tom Hanks, and many others.

FUN AND USELESS FACTS

I return with this segment as I had enough names to go on and have the time for in these current times.  As always, I focus on people in opposite movies being featured and not so much people within the same movie.  I stopped at a certain amount so feel free to comment on others you might see.

Kevin Costner (Hidden Figures) and Clint Eastwood (The Mule) are on opposite sides of the law in the 1993 film A PERFECT WORLD.

Kevin Costner (Hidden Figures) and John Candy (Stripes) were in the 1991 film JFK.

Kevin Costner (Hidden Figures), Andy Garcia (The Mule), Sean Connery (Goldfinger), and Charles Martin Smith (The Hot Spot) make all four members of the title group in the 1987 film THE UNTOUCHABLES.

Kevin Costner (Hidden Figures), Robert LaSardo (The Mule), and Dennis Hopper (The Hot Spot director) were  in the 1995 movie WATERWORLD.

Kevin Costner (Hidden Figures) and Sean Young (Stripes) have an affair in the 1987 movie NO WAY OUT.

Kevin Costner (Hidden Figures) and Laurence Fishburne (The Mule) in the 2013 superhero film MAN OF STEEL and the 2016 follow-up BATMAN V SUPERMAN:  DAWN OF JUSTICE.

Aldis Hodge (Hidden Figures) was signed to a label by Paul Giamatti (Win Win) in the 2015 film STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON.

Kimberly Quinn (Hidden Figures) and Bill Murray (Stripes) were in the 2014 comedy ST. VINCENT.

Mahershala Ali (Hidden Figures) and Bradley Cooper (The Mule) were in the 2012 film THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES.

Michael Pena (The Mule) and Bobby Cannavale (Win Win) were in the 2015 superhero film ANT-MAN and the 2018 sequel ANT-MAN AND THE WASP.  Lawrence Fishburne (The Mule) was also in the 2018 film.

Laurence Fishburne (The Mule) and Dennis Hooper (The Hot Spot director) were in the 1979 war film APOCALPYSE NOW.

Richard Herd (The Mule) and John Candy (Stripes) were in the 1987 comedy PLANES, TRAINS, AND AUTOMOBILES.

Richard Herd (The Mule) and P.J. Soles (Stripes) were in the 1980 comedy PRIVATE BENJAMIN.

Bradley Cooper (The Mule) and Jeffrey Tambor (Win Win) were in the comedy trilogy of THE HANGOVER.  Paul Giamatti (Win Win) was in the second one.

Clint Eastwood (The Mule) directed Amy Ryan (Win Win) in the 2008 film CHANGELING.

Clint Eastwood (The Mule) directed Melanie Lynskey (Win Win) and Tom McCarthy (Win Win director) in the 2006 war film FLAGS OF OUR FATHER.

Clint Eastwood (The Mule) directed Michael Pena (Win Win) and Margo Martindale (Win Win) in the 2004 boxing film MILLION DOLLAR BABY.

Clint Eastwood (The Mule) directed Nina Arianda (Win Win) in the 2019 film RICHARD JEWELL.

Clint Eastwood (The Mule) and Fran Ryan (Stripes) were in the 1985 western PALE RIDER.

Dianne Wiest (The Mule) and Amy Ryan (Win Win) were in the 2007 comedy DAN IN REAL LIFE.

Dianne Wiest (The Mule) and Margo Martindale (Win Win) were in the 1998 witch comedy PRACTICAL MAGIC.

Clifton Collins Jr. (The Mule) and Amy Ryan (Win Win) were in the 2005 film CAPOTE.

Clifton Collins Jr. (The Mule) and Faye Dunaway (The Thomas Crown Affair) were in the 2002 film THE RULES OF ATTRACTION.

Robert LaSardo (The Mule) and Jack Weston (The Thomas Crown Affair) were in the 1988 movie SHORT CIRCUIT 2 which was Weston's last movie.

Margo Martindale (Win Win) and Jennifer Connelly (The Hot Spot) were in the 1991 movie THE ROCKETEER.

Joan Crawford (Rain) was played by Faye Dunaway (The Thomas Crown Affair) in the 1981 movie MOMMIE DEAREST.

Steve McQueen (The Thomas Crown Affair) declined the role of Harry Callahan in the 1971 film DIRTY HARRY which would ultimately go to Clint Eastwood.

Jack Weston (The Thomas Crown Affair) and Antone Pagan (Stripes) were in the 1987 film DIRTY DANCING.

John Diehl (Stripes) and Don Johnson (The Hot Spot) were in the '80s cop series MIAMI VICE.

Sean Connery (Goldfinger) declined the role of Thomas Crown in this week's feature THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR which would ultimately go to Steve McQueen.