Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 929th Edition

Welcome to the 929th edition of my series.  It is not much longer now before we perform 12 ANGRY JURORS in Rushville, IN at the Historic Princess Theatre.  Information is at the bottom of this.  I don't really have much to say right now so I'll just get on with my selections for the week.

All is True (2018):  This is part three of my Kenneth Branagh trilogy.  Branagh directed this film which was written by Ben Elton.  Branagh also stars as playwright William Shakespeare in his last days.  Judi Dench co-stars as his wife Anne and Kathryn Wilder and Lydia Wilder co-star as his daughters Judith and Susanna.  William's theater that he runs accidentally burns to the ground and makes the decision to never write again much to the surprise of his family.  He also must deal with the lost time he has had with his family and also deals with his late son Hamnet, played by Sam Ellis.  Ian McKellan, Nonso Anozie, Jack Colgrave Hirst, John Dagleish, Eleanor de Rohan, Phil Dunster, Hadley Fraser, Gerard Horan, and many others co-star in this film.  Branagh has done a lot of Shakespeare in his career so how fitting that he would play William Shakespeare.  This was a pretty good look at the famed playwright and deserves a look.

A Stupid and Futile Gesture (2018):  This is my tribute to Martin Mull who recently left us.  David Wain directed this comedy which takes a look at National Lampoon co-founder Douglas Kenney, played by Will Forte while Mull co-star as "Real Doug".  Domhnall Gleeson co-stars as Doug's partner and co-founder Henry Beard.  Annette O'Toole, Harry Groener, David Wain, Camille Guaty, Brad Morris, Carla Gallo, River Overton, Mark Metcalf, David Krumholtz, Michell Hurwitz, Matt Walsh, Elvy, Matt Lucas, Natasha Lyonne, Ed Helms, Jackie Tohn, Jon Daly, Seth Green, John Gemberling, Rick Glassman, Rick Glassman, Joel McHale, Emmy Rossum, Max Greenfield, Finn Wittrock, and many others co-star in this film.  This is shot partly like a documentary, most notably with Mull.  While this is funny, it is also very sad at times with Kenney's ego getting in the way of him a lot.  National Lampoon is very significant to the comedy we know today.  This is available to watch on Netflix. 

Opus (2023):  Neo Sora directed this concert film on Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto in his last performance before his death.  He has contributed a lot of soundtracks to film including MERRY CHRISTMAS, MR. LAWRENCE and THE LAST EMPEROR.  This movie is simply Sakamoto being filmed at his piano and playing his music.  No interviews take place in this film but features a lot of good music and is good to watch or just have on the background.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

The Old Hag (1906):  This is my silent short for the week which was directed by cinema pioneer Georges Melies.  A Penniless Troubadour consults the Fairy Carabosse about his future but offends her by paying with a bag of sand.  This soon becomes a battle of good and evil.  What is most notable are some of the very innovative techniques that Melies would use.  This is available to watch on Max as well as a lot of other works by Melies.  

Don't Look Now (1973):  This is part two of my six-part series for Donald Sutherland who recently left us.  Nicolas Roeg directed this psychological thriller which is based on a story by Daphne Du Maurier.  Sutherland and Julie Christie star as married couple John and Laura Baxter whose daughter drowned.  When they are in Venice, they meet elderly sisters Heather and Wendy, played by Hilary Mason and Clelia Matania, with Heather claiming to be a psychic seeing visions of their late daughter.  Laura is intrigued but John resists the notion but he starts seeing psychic visions of his own of their daughter.  Massimo Serato, Renato Scarpa, David Tree, Sharon Williams, Adelina Poerio, and many others co-star in this film.  This is some horror that does not have a lot of gore but gives us a very uncomfortable feeling.  It is hard to really describe any further except that it is very disturbing and compelling.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel and Pluto TV.  

Sweet Smell of Success (1957):  Alexander Mackendrick directed this film which is based on the novel by Ernest Lehman.  Tony Curtis stars as up and coming press agent Sidney Falco who is asked by corrupt columnist J.J. Hunsecker, played by Burt Lancaster in one of his most iconic roles, to break up a relationship of his younger sister and a jazz musician.  Susan Harrison and Martin Milner co-star as J.J.'s sister Susan and jazz musician Steve Dallas.  Jeff Donnell, Sam Levene, Joe Frisco, Barbara Nichols, Emile Meyer, Edith Atwater, and many others co-star in this film.  This is set against the New York City backdrop and the corruption of Hunsecker.  I realized this could relate to SCARFACE in the overprotective older brother.  I suppose in a way we could also relate this to WALL STREET in the relationship between the characters played by Michael Douglas and Charlie Sheen.  Curtis and Lancaster work great together in this film.  This is available to watch on MGM +, Pluto TV, and the Criterion Channel.

Angels in the Dust (2007):  Louise Hogarth directed this documentary that takes part in South Africa.  This takes a look at therapist Marion Cloete who had the privileged life in Johannesburg along with her husband and two daughters.  They leave their privileged life to go to a poor village in South Africa where they help to provide food, shelter, and clothing to lots of children, many of which are orphans.  This takes a look at the ups and downs of their life but shows how they never give up.  This is available to watch on Peacock, Tubi, and on Docurama which can be obtained with a subscription from Prime.  

The Rescuers (1977):  This is part one of a trilogy for Bob Newhart who recently left us.  John Lounsbery, Wolfgang Reitherman, and  Art Stevens directed this Disney animated film.  Newhart and Eva Gabor star as mice Bernard and Miss Bianca who work for the Recscue Aid Society which is a United Nations for the mice.  They are charged with rescuing an orphan girl named Penny, voiced by Michelle Stacy, who has been kidnapped by unscrupulous treasure hunters Madame Medusa, voiced by Geraldine Page, and Mr. Snoops, voiced by Joe Flynn.  Jeanette Nolan, Pat Buttram, Jim Jordan, John McIntire, Bernard Fox, George Lindsey, John Fiedler, and many other co-star in this Disney film.  This is at a time when Don Bluth worked for an animated department in Disney before forming his own successful animated studio.  The Madame Medusa character has gone rather overlooked in the way of Disney villains through the years.  This was going to be an animated series and while they had their sequel THE RESCUERS DOWN UNDER, the TV series got reworked into CHIP AND DALE'S RESCUE RANGERS that we know today.  This is a lot of fun and is available to watch on Disney Plus.

It Should Happen to You (1954):  This is part two of my Jack Lemmon trilogy where I include another screwball comedy.  George Cukor directed this comedy which was written by Garson Kanin.  Judy Holliday stars as Gladys Glover who wants to make it in New York City.  She meets documentary filmmaker Pete, played by Lemmon, who falls in love with her right away but Gladys has other things on her mind.  She soon starts getting fame when she gets her name on a billboard and becomes involved with playboy Evan Adams III, played by Peter Lawford, while Pete longs for a more simple relationship.  Michael O'Shea, Vaughn Taylor, Connie Gilchrist, Whit Bissell, and many others co-star in this comedy.  This is a satire on what we know now as virality with Gladys managing to take the city by storm for just having her name on a billboard and slowly becoming famous.  This is Lemmon's film debut having done a lot of work in television and became the ultimate romantic comedy figure in my opinion.  

Bait (2019):  I end the week with this British independent film which was directed and written by Mark Jenkin.  Edward Rowe stars as local fisherman Martin who now without a boat due to his brother Steven, played by Giles King, repurposing it as a tourist tripper.  Martin is very lost in an already dysfunctional family.  Chloe Endean, Simon Shepherd, Linn Waite, Stacey Guthrie, and many others co-star in this film.  This is more of a character driven film with a really effective black and white cinematography.  This is hard to really explain further so just give it a watch.  It is available to watch on Hulu.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for the next couple weeks for the next edition which so far includes Donald Sutherland, Jack Lemmon, Katherine Hepburn, Melanie Griffith, and many others.

THE KAOTIC MOVIE THEATER

The Room (2003):  I was hanging out at Carrisa and Arto's house and I had the dvd on had which Carrisa accepted so we watched this epic film.  Tommy Wiseau wrote and directed this movie and also stars as banker Johnny who will soon be getting married to his fiance Lisa, played by Juliette Danielle.  Lisa is carrying on an affair with Johnny's best friend Mark, played by Greg Sestero.  Carolyn Minnott, Robyn Paris, Greg Ellery, and many others co-star in this movie.  The James Franco movie THE DISASTER ARTIST is about the making of this movie.  This has lived on as a guilty pleasure and as a cult movie which has been shown from time to time in theaters.  It is also remembered for some of the quotes like Wiseau's very dramatic line of "you're tearing me apart, Lisa".  It was such a bad movie that became really good and one of the most remembered and talked about movies of all time.  Part of this is possibly that we could really see Wiseau's passion in this project.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 928th Edition

Welcome to the 928th Edition of my series.  I just want to remind everyone of June 27th which is the New Castle Renaissance Festival which is from 10 am to 4 pm.  I will be performing a couple of 15 minute versions of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM at 11:45 am and 3 pm.  The event is free but there will be a lot of vendors to check out.  I also have the poster for 12 ANGRY JURORS on the bottom which is August 16-18 with the tickets at $10 each.  I don't really have anything else so I will get on with my selections for the week.

Blindspotting (2018):  This is part three of my Jasmine Cephas Jones trilogy.  Carlos Lopez Estrada directed this film which was directed by Rafael Casal and Daveed Diggs who both star in the film.  Diggs stars as Collin who has just three days left on his probation but his friend and co-worker Miles, played by Casal, does not make it easy for Collin with his trouble-making ways.  They work as movers as they must watch their old neighborhood become a trendy spot in the gentrifying bay area.  Janina Gavankar, Ethan Embry, Tisha Campbell, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Kevin Carroll, Nyambi Nyambi, Jon Chaffin, Wayne Knight, Margo Hall, Ziggy Baitinger, Leland Orser, Travis Parker, Lance Holloway, Justin Chu Cary, Casey Adams, and many others co-star in this independent film.  This takes place in Oakland and takes a look at issues between race and class.  Diggs and Casal make a very good team in both writhing and acting with a very interesting climax.  This is available to watch on Starz.

Dogville (2003):  Lar Von Trier wrote and directed this experimental and arthouse film.  Nicole Kidman stars as Grace who is on the run from the mob after witnessing a murder and ends up in a small Colorado town called Dogville.  Paul Bettany co-stars as Tom who is the self-appointed moral spokesperson for the town and is able to talk the town into taking in Grace.  She soon finds that the town has kept her at a high price.  Lauren Bacall, Harriett Anderson, Jean-Marc Barr, Blair Brown, James Caan, Patricia Clarkson, Jeremy Davies, Ben Gazzara, Philip Baker Hall, Thom Hoffman, Siobhan Fallon Hogan, John Hurt, Zeljko Ivanek, John Randolph Jones, Udo Kier, Cleo King, Miles Purinton, Bill Raymond, Chloe Sevigny, Shauna Shim, Stellan Skarsgard, and many others co-star in this film.  This is not high budget and has more of a stage presentation.  It reminded me of the classic story OUR TOWN but in the Lars Von Trier way.  If you are unfamiliar with Von Trier, I would look into his background and then make a decision to watch this one.  This is available to watch through Mubi which is a subscription that is available on Prime.

Belfast (2021):  This is part two of my Kenneth Branagh trilogy.  Branagh wrote and directed this film but stayed behind the camera on this one.  Jude Hill stars as a young boy named Buddy trying to understand what was going on around him and his working class family.  This takes place during the Northern Ireland riots which happened in 1969 that was like a local religious war between the Protestants and Catholics.  Lewis McAskie, Caitriona Balfe, Jamie Dornan, Judi Dench, Ciaran Hinds, Josie Walker, Nessa Eriksson, Frankie Hastings, Mairead Tyers, Ian Dunnett Jnr, Michael Maloney, Lara McDonnell, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a very personal project for Branagh who bases it on actual childhood events from his own childhood.  This is a rather overlooked part of history and very eye-opening.  This is available to watch on Freevee and is worth a look.

Aquamania (1961):  This is my classic animated short for the week which features Goofy.  Goofy decides to buy a boat and takes Goofy Jr. which him and inadvertently enters a water skiing race.  They don't know much about boating but manage to make the most of it in comic moments.  This is among the Goofy instructional shorts from this era and this is available to watch on Disney Plus.

The Women (1939):  George Cukor directed this rather groundbreaking film for its time at least and is based on a play by Clare Booth.  The main story centers around wealthy Manhattan wife Mary, played by Norma Shearer, whose husband is having an affair with a shopgirl named Crystal, played by Joan Crawford.  The rest consists of the backstabbing, gossiping, and romantic rivalry.  Rosalind Russell, Mary Boland, Paulette Goddard, Joan Fontaine, Lucile Watson, Phyllis Povah, Virginia Wiedler, Marjorie Main, Virginia Grey, Ruth Hussey, Muriel Hutchinson, Hedda Hopper, Florence Nash, Cora Witherspoon, Ann Morriss, Dennie Moore, and many others co-star in this film.  You will also see I named off all women because is what the cast consists of, even the dogs in the movie including the dog Terry who is known for playing Toto and was actually a female dog.  This is a very well-done film and showcasing the talents of many women from the era and even child actress Virginia Grey who I believe is a rather underrated child actress.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel 

Ordet (1955):  This is my Danish film for the week which was directed by Carl Theodore Dreyer and based on a play by Kaj Munk.  This centers around the Borgen family lead by the patriarch and the widowed Morten, played by Henrik Malberg, who is the patron of a local church.  He has three sons who each have some sort of issue Morten tries to help deal with.  Emil Hass Christensen, Preben Lerdorff Rye, Hanne Aagesen, Kirsten Andreasen, and many others co-star in this film.  It is really hard to describe this one.  There is a lot of religious conflict going on within the town.  It will be enjoyed most by those who love foreign films.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel and Max.

Horizon:  An American Saga- Chapter 1 (2024):  Kevin Costner directed and co-wrote this western which if I understand correctly will be a four-part series.  Costner also co-stars in this film as Hayes Ellison.  This series will take place in a 15 year period.  This starts in 1959 which mostly documents an Apache war.  Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Jena Malone, Owen Crow Shoe, Tatanka Means, Ella Hunt, Tim Guinee, Giovanni Ribisi, Danny Huston, Colin Cunningham, Scott Haze, Tom Payne, Abbey Lee, Michael Rooker, Will Patton, Jim Lau, Georgia MacPhail, Douglas Smith, Roger Ivens, Larry Bagby, Luke Wilson, Dale Dickey, Angus Macfadyen, Jeff Fahey, and many other co-star in this western.  There are multiple things going on and is really hard for me to put into any real description.  It is a saga like it says and this is three hours long and I thought that if I'm going to see this I might as well hit the theaters for this one.  It was worth a watch and would recommend the big screen.  The next installment comes out on August 16th of this year.

Breathless (1960):  This is part three of my Jean Seberg trilogy.  Jean-Luc Godard directed French film which was written by Francois Truffaut.  Jean-Paul Belmondo stars as Michel Poiccard who is a small-town thief and has killed a policeman putting him on the run from the authorities.  He forms a relationship with journalism student Patricia, played by Seberg, and looks to persuade her to run away with him.  This is part of the French New Wave period.  This is a pretty simple but effective story about a man on the run.  The movie was shot a lot on an unfinished scripted so Godard wrote much of it while shooting.  This is available to watch on Max and the Criterion Channel. 

Phffft (1954):  Mark Robson directed this screwball comedy which was written by George Axelrod.  Jack Lemmon and Judy Holliday star as married couple Robert and Nina Tracey.  They have been married for eight years and decide they just have too many marital issues and get divorced.  They try moving on and dating other people but it just isn't the same for them.  Jack Carson, Kim Novak, Luella Gear, Donald Randolph, Donald Curtis, and many others co-star in this comedy.  I realized that Jack Lemmon might be the king of romantic comedies and this is no exception.  Even in divorce, we can still get comedy with Lemmon and Holliday as the leads.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

A Dry White Season (1989):  This is part of a five-part series for Donald Sutherland who recently left us.  Euzhan Palcy directed this film which is based on a book by Andre Brink.  Sutherland stars as Ben du Toit who leads a good life as a teacher in South Africa during the time of Apartheid.  Winston Ntshona co-star as Ben's gardener Gordon whose son was arrested for a peaceful protest and asks Ben to help find his son.  Ben reluctantly accepts this request and slowly learns the horrors of the system.  Janet Suzman, Zakes Mokae, Jurgan Prochnow, Susan Sarandon, Marlon Brando, Gerard Thoolen, Susannah Harker, David de Keyser, John Kani, Michael Gambon, and many others co-star in this film.  Brando had not acted in nine years on account of a self-imposed retirement but returned to this film for a minimal salary and getting a best supporting actor nomination in the process. From what I can tell, the film is fictional but Palcy worked hard to make this as realistic as possible.  This is available to watch on Pluto TV.  

Well, that is it for this week but I have brought back my "Fun and Useless Facts" segment.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for the next couple weeks for my next edition which so far includes Kenneth Branagh, Natasha Lyonne, Donald Sutherland, Burt Lancaster, and many others.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 927th Edition

Welcome to the 927 edition of my series.  I hope everyone has a good holiday on Thursday however celebrated.  I am going to be in the 4th of July parade in Rushville to promote 12 ANGRY JURORS which starts at 11 am.  On July 27th, I am going to be in the New Castle Renaissance Fair in New Castle from 10 am- 4 pm.  I will be doing a couple 15 minute performances of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM as part of the Marvelously Terrible Shakespeare Company as Lysander.  From August 16-18 in Rushville, I will be performing as Juror #3 for the Rushville Regional Theater group and I have a photo at the bottom for that information.  I will shut up now and get to my selections for the week.

Hello Again (1987):  I start the week with this comedy which was directed by Frank Perry.  CHEERS alum Shelley Long stars as suburban housewife Lucy Chadman who ends up choking to death.  Her sister Zelda, played by Judith Ivey, finds a book of spells and learns how she can bring back her sister.  Lucy returns to the world after a year only to find her husband Jason, played by Corbin Bernson, with her friend Kim, played by Sela Ward.  Gabriel Byrne, Austin Pendleton, Madeleine Potter, John Cunningham, Tony Sirico, Elkan Abramowitz, Kaiulani Lee, Illeana Douglas and many others co-star in this comedy.  This was a pretty fun fantasy comedy with Long doing well in the lead role with Ivey in the standout role as her wacky sister.  This could be a good date movie on a rainy day or even on Halloween with the theme and all.  

Dog Days (2018):  This is part two of my Jasmine Cephas Jones trilogy where she co-stars as singer Lola.  Ken Marino directed this ensemble comedy that has a lot of dogs.  This movie has multiple stories that involve dogs and the lives of their owners.  Lots of dogs in the Los Angeles area finding ways to bring each other together.  Nina Dobrev, Vanessa Hudgens, Adam Pally, Eva Longoria, Rob Corddry, Tone Bell, Jon Bass, Michael Cassidy, Finn Wolfhard, Ron Cephas Jones, Thomas Lennon, Tig Notaro, Lauren Lapkus, Jessica St. Clair, Ryan Hansen, Tony Cavalero, Jessica Lowe, Mo Gaffney, and many others co-star in this movie.  This movie is as feel good as it gets and is very predictable so if looking for some suspenseful mystery, this is not the one.  However, there are a lot of dogs and sometimes we just need some feel-good predictability.  This is available to watch on the CW app. 

Dear Evan Hanson (2021):  Stephen Chbosky directed this movie adaptation of the popular Broadway musical written by Steven Levenson and the music is written by Justin Paul and Benj Pasek.  Ben Platt stars as the socially awkward high school senior Evan Hansen whose psychiatrist advises him to write a letter to himself.  This leads to a misunderstanding when he accidentally has one printed out in school where a fellow student gets it and commits suicide shortly after this happens.  When this happens, Evan gains the popularity that he never had making it hard for him to be honest with the person's family.  Julianne Moore, Kaitlyn Dever, Amy Adams, Danny Pino, Amandla Stenberg, Colton Ryan, Nik Dodani, DeMarius Copes, Liz Kate, Zoey Luna, Isaac Powell, Marvin Leon, Hadiya Eshe, Julia Chen Myers, Gerald Caesar, Avery Bederman, Swift Rice, and many others co-star in this musical.  I have heard a lot about this and heard a little bit of the music but I have not seen it on stage so I only have this to go on.  I found this to be a pretty moving film on someone trying to find himself I guess you could say.  I feel a good double feature to go along with this movie would be WORLD'S GREATEST DAD which I feel has a similar situation.  This is available to watch on Freevee.

Bowery Bugs (1949):  This is my animated short for the week which was directed by Arthur Davis.  This one features Bugs Bunny, voiced by Mel Blanc, who recounts the story of a man named Steve Brodie, voiced by Billy Bletcher, and how drove him to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge and survive.  We then see flashbacks of the compulsive gambler Brodie who wants a good luck rabbit's foot off Bugs but gets far more than he bargained for.  This has some pretty funny gags that are different than usual.  Bletcher is also known to have voiced characters like Mickey Mouse's nemesis Pete and Popeye's rival Bluto.  This is actually based on a real person of that name.  This is available to watch on Max.

Assault on Precinct 13 (1976):  John Carpenter wrote and directed this low-budget action film which was quite early in his career.  Austin Stoker stars as L.A. copy Ethan Bishop who is assigned to man a mostly defunct precinct.  The precinct is attacked by a ruthless gang and must rely on two inmates in transit and a station secretary to use their wits against the gang that outnumbers them to the extreme.  Darwin Joston costars as death row inmate Napoleon Wilson who helps to fight of the gang.  Laurie Zimmer, Martin West, Tony Burton, Charles Cyphers, Nancy Kyes, and many others co-star in this action film.  This has always been a favorite of mine.  The low-budget and the simple but effective music score written by Carpenter make this work along with the relatively unknown cast.  I believe Napoleon Wilson is one of the biggest heroes in cinematic history.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel, Peacock, Prime, Tubi, Crackle, Freevee and other streaming platforms.

Lilith (1964):  This is part two of my Jean Seberg trilogy.  Robert Rossen directed this film which is based on the novel by J.R. Salamanca.  Warren Beatty stars as Vincent Bruce who is a returning war veteran and finds work in a mental institution as an occupational therapist.  Seberg co-stars as the title character who is a patient in the facility and Vincent becomes very drawn to her.  Things begin to intensify and become dangerous as time goes on.  Peter Fonda, Kim Hunter, Anne Meacham, Jessica Walter, Gene Hackman, James Patterson, Robert Reilly, and many others co-star in this film.  This is some underrated work from Beatty and works very well with Seberg.  It is hard to really describe this movie any further than what I did but it kept my interest all the way through.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

The Fall Guy (2024):  David Leitch directed this movie adaptation of the '80s TV series of the same name.  Ryan Gosling stars as Hollywood stuntman Colt Seavers who has everything going for him but a stunt gone wrong nearly ends him.  He reluctantly returns after a year or so when asked back and learning that his ex-girlfriend Jody, played by Emily Blunt, is directing the movie.  Soon, he is charged with finding a missing movie star and gets caught up in a conspiracy in the process.  Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Hannah Waddingham, Teresa Palmer, Stephanie Hsu, Winston Duke, Ben Knight, Matuse, Adam Dunn, Zara Michales, and many others co-star in this action film.  There are some cameos that I will keep as a surprise  This was a lot of fun and I remember seeing some of the series and enjoying it.  This pays a good homage to the unsung heroes in stuntmen.  

Dinner at Eight (1933):  George Cukor directed this film which is based on the play by George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber.  Lionel Barrymore and Billie Burke star as affluent couple Oliver and Millicent Jordan who throw a dinner for a handful of wealthy acquaintances.  This shows much of the other invitees preparing for the evening and dealing with their own revelations.  Marie Dressler, John Barrymore, Wallace Beery, Jean Harlow, Lee Tracy, Edmund Lowe, Madge Evans, Jean Hersholt, Karen Morley, Louise Closser Hale, Phillips Holmes, May Robson, Grant Mitchell, Phoebe Foster, Elizabeth Patterson, Hilda Vaughn, and many others co-star in this film.  This had quite the all-star cast, especially at the time when it was made.  This is more of a character driven movie with both comedy and drama and a bit hard to futher explain.  I was able to watch this at my local library which is part of a film series they are doing so I got to see it on a rather big screen which was nice.  This is available to watch on Tubi and is a must for classic movie buffs.

Journey to Italy (1954):  Roberto Rossellini directed directed and co-wrote this Italian film.  Ingrid Bergman and George Sanders co-star as British married couple Katherine and Alex Joyce who do not have the happiest marriage of all time.  They try to find direction and insight while they vacation in Naples having inherited a villa from Alex's uncle.  Anna Proclemer, Paul Muller, Natalia Ray, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a good look at a couple trying to reconnect with one another.  This also has some beautiful Italian scenery with a really good conclusion.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002):  This is part one of a possible Kenneth Branagh trilogy.  Phillip Noyce directed this film that is based on the book by Doris Pilkington.  This takes place in 1931 Western Australia where a law is made for half-white and half Aboriginal children are to essentially become more westernized.  Three of these children in Molly, Daisy, and Gracie, played by Everlyn Sampi, Tianna Sansbury, and Laura Monaghan, who are two sisters and a cousin and are taken from their home and taken to a school a thousand miles away to pretty much learn to be servants.  Branagh plays A.O. Neville who is the official in charge training.  The three children escape from the school and set out get back to their home.  David Gulpilil, Ningali Lawford, Deborah Mailman, Jason Clarke, Garry McDonald, Roy Billing, and many other co-star in this film.  This is a very moving film that is based on a true story.  The author of the book is the daughter of Molly who is featured in this film.  Also, anyone who knows me well enough knows I am a huge Peter Gabriel fan and he wrote the music score for this film.  I wish he had done more in the way of film as this was a great score.  This is a really well-done flim on a very significant and maybe overlooked part of history that deserves a watch.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for my next edition in two weeks which includes Nicole Kidman, Judi Dench, Joan Crawford, Jena Malone, and many others.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 926th Edition

Welcome to the 926th Edition of my series.  I would like to announce on here that I will be making my debut in Rushville this August in 12 ANGRY JURORS where I play the role of Juror #3 which is the role I wanted.  I will still be performing at the New Castle Renaissance Fest on July 27th a part of the Marvelously Terrible Shakespeare Company.  That's enough for now so I will get on with my selections for the week.

Dramarama (2020):  Jonathan Wysocki wrote and directed this independent comedy.  This take place in 1994 where Nick Pugliese stars in this film as Gene who is a closeted teen afraid to come out to his Christian friends and having one more slumber party before going to college.  At first they are doing their own murder mystery where they dress as various characters but later things get a lot deeper than expected.  Anna Grace Barlow, Danielle Kay, Megan Suri, Nico Greetham, Zak Henri, and many others co-star in this coming of age comedy.  This was a pretty well written script with relatively unknown actors that work well together.  This is available to watch on Broadway HD and Dekkoo with a Prime subscription.

Columbus (2017):  Kogonada wrote and directed this independent film that was filmed and took place in my dad's town of Columbus, Indiana.  Haley Lu Richardson stars as Casey who is staying in Columbus to stay with her mother Maria, played by Michelle Forbes, who is a recovering addict.  She meets a Korean man in Jin, played by John Cho, who is stuck in Columbus to tend his estranged and comatose father and is encouraged by him to follow her own dreams.  Parker Posey, Rory Culkin, Erin Allegretti, Shani Salyers Stiles, Rosalyn Ross, Lindsey Shope, Jim Dougherty, and many others co-star in this film.  This is also a bit of a coming of age story.  This also puts a lot of emphasis on the architecture that Columbus is known for.  My dad actually gives tours in the town and was disappointed he didn't get to be one of the tour guides in this movie.  This was also a good character driven film that did the town very proud.  

The Iron Claw (2023):  Sean Durkin wrote and directed this biopic of the famous Von Erich family of wrestling.  Holt McCallany stars as the patriarch Fritz Von Erich who runts the Texas promotion World Class Championship Wrestling where he lives vicariously through his sons trying to get what he could never have which was the NWA championship.  Tragedy strikes the close-knit family.  Zac Efron plays the surviving brother Kevin Von Erich.  Harris Dickinson plays David Von Erich who many say is the best and would have won the NWA championship had he not died unexpectedly in Japan.  SHAMELESS alum Jeremy Allen White plays Kerry Von Erich who was the most successful of the family but had issues of his own.  Stanley Simons plays Mike Von Erich who was a bit out of place in the family and probably did not belong in a wrestling ring but did anyway on account of his father.  Maura Tierney, Lily James, Grady Wilson, Scott Innes, Chavo Guerrero Jr., Garrett Hammond, Michael Harney, Cazzey Louis Cereghino, Ryan Nemeth, Kevin Anton, Michael Papajohn, Brady Pierce, Silas Mason, Maxwell Jacob Friedman, Aaron Dean Eisenberg, and many others co-star in this film.  This film really centers around Kevin Von Erich and him overcoming all the tragedy around him.  In addition, it focuses mostly on the Von Erich family and not so much on WCCW.  People who know the story will see that the youngest brother Chris Von Erich was omitted.  I looked this up after the first time I saw this and the director made the decision to not include Chris with the feelings that he has enough tragedy in this movie.  To get a more in-depth look about World Class Championship Wrestling I would advise watching TRIUMPH AND TRAGEDY OF WORLD CLASS CHAMPIONSHIP.  This movie is available to watch on Max.

Ask Father (1919):  This is my silent comedy short for the week and fits the holiday well.  Hal Roach directed this short comedy which stars Harold Lloyd as a young man in love and wants to marry his girl, played by Bebe Daniels.  The only problem is that her father does not want to give her away and goes to extreme measures in hopes to talk to her father.  Lloyd was one of the more underrated silent comedians, at least by today's standards.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.  

Come Drink With Me (1966):  King Hu directed and co-wrote this Chinese martial arts film.  A ruthless gang kidnaps the son of the governor and demands that their own leader get released.  Pei-Pei Cheng stars as Golden Swallow who is a skilled martial artist and the daughter of the governor and sets out to rescue her brother.  Hua Yueh, Chih-Ching Yang, Hung-Lieh Chen, Ying-Chieh Han, and many others co-star in this martial arts film.  This was a very influential film of the genre.  This is one of the main inspirations for CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON.  This has some really good action and has quite a bit of gore for a movie from this era.  Cheng became a star after this one and one of the earlier female martial art stars.  This is available to watch on Plex and with MUBI.  

Artists and Models (1955):  Frank Tashlin directed this comedy which stars the comedy duo of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.  Dean Martin stars as Rick Todd and Jerry Lewis stars as him bumbling friend and roommate Eugene Fullstack who has a big obsession with comic books most notably the Bat Lady series.  Rick is an aspiring artist struggling to find his break.  Dorothy Malone co-stars as Abby Malone who lives in another apartment and just happens to be the artist for Bat Lady.  Shirley MacLaine co-star as Bessie who is the model for Bat Lady that Eugene falls for.  Romance, chaos, and music numbers ensue with this Martin and Lewis vehicle.  Eva Gabor, Anita Ekberg, George Winslow, Jack Elam, Herbert Rudley, Richard Shannon, Richard Webb, Otto Waldis, and many other co-star in this comedy.  I believe that Martin and Lewis are one of the more underrated comedy duos in my opinion.  This is a pretty fun movie centering around the early days of comic books.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Just Before I Go (2014):  Courteney Cox directed this comedy which was written by David Flebotte.  Seann William Scott stars as Ted Morgan who is just about done with life but wants to return to his hometown to confront those he feels has helped get him to where he is now.  In the process, he meets Greta, played by Olivia Thirlby, who he tells of his intentions and she insists that it gets filmed as a documentary or she would tell everyone else.  Garret Dillahunt, Kate Walsh, Kyle Gallner, Mackenzie Marsh, Evan Ross, Rob Riggle, Connie Stevens, David Arquette, Jack Quaid, Eddie Perino, George Finn, Missi Pyle, Elisha Cuthbert, Griffin Gluck, Cleo King, Clancy Brown, Beth Grant, and many others co-star in this comedy.  This is a comedy but is also a very deep film on the effects of holding things in and it goes for other in this movie as well.  I thought Scott was able to get away from the Stiffler persona and does very well in this movie.  Cox made her directorial debut with this movie.  This is available to watch on Prime and Pluto TV and is worth a watch.

Bonjour Tristesse (1958):  This is part one of a possible trilogy for Jean Seberg.  Otto Preminger directed this film that is based on the novel by Francoise Sagan.  Seberg stars as the free-spirited 17 year old Cecile who lives with her playboy Raymond, played by David Niven.  Her late mother's friend Anne, played by Deborah Kerr, comes to visit and forms a relationship with her father much to Cecile's dismay.  Mylene Demongeot, Geoffrey Horne, Juliette Greco, Walter Chiari, Martita Hunt, and many others co-star in this film.  This seems like a comedy and has its comedic moments but it also gets rather deep.  This is hard to explain much further but it did keep my interest all the way through and Seberg was someone to look at.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

A Clockwork Orange (1971):  Stanley Kubrick directed this sci-fi classic which is based on the novel by Anthony Burgess.  Malcolm McDowell stars as Alex who is a leader of a gang that goes around terrorizing homes.  The rest of the gang betrays him and Alex goes to prison.  When learning of an experimental program, he agrees to it for an early release.  The experimental program makes him fear violence and even Beethoven leaving him defenseless to those that seek revenge.  Patrick Magee, Warren Clarke, Adrienne Corri, Carl Duering, Miriam Karlin, Aubrey Morris, Sheila Raynor, David Prowse, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a very bizarre film to say the least, most notably through the imagery.  This was so different to the point that it was at one point rated X but has since come down to rated R.  McDowell also has an interesting rendition of SINGIN' IN THE RAIN which apparently left Gene Kelly very resentful.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

If Anything Happens I Love You (2020):  I end the week with this short film which was written and directed by Michael Govier and Will McCormack.  This features two parents whose child tragically dies as they struggle to deal with the child's death.  This is an animated short where there is no dialogue and everything is implied through the struggle.  This is a very well done short that fits today's holiday a bit.  This is available to watch on Netflix.

Well, that is it for this week but I decided to add a new segment for the holiday today so continue on for a few more Father's Day selections.  I'll be back in a couple weeks with my next edition which so far includes Gabriel Byrne, Julianne Moore, John Carpenter, and many others.

FATHER'S DAY

I made a few selections that deal with with fathers of some sort.  They may not all be the best fathers in the world but they all get their own section.

Repo!  The Genetic Opera (2008):  This rock opera has always been a favorite of mine and deals with a couple fathers.  BUFFY alum Anthony Head stars as Nathan who is the Repo Man which is not repoing vehicles.  He is also the father of Shilo, played by Alexa PenaVega, who is sick and it is dangerous for her to leave the house.  There is also Rotti Largo, played by Paul Sorvino, who runs the biotech company GeneCo, and has three grown children who are mostly disappointments to him.  I would love to see this being put on the stage and would love to play Nathan.  This has a lot of gore in it but is a very compelling film if you can get through the gore.  Musical actress Sarah Brightman makes her film debut in this movie and even Paris Hilton manages to hold her own.  I suppose these aren't the most ideal fathers.  This is available to watch on TUBI, Pluto TV, and the Roku Channel.

Hamilton (2020):  This is part one of a possible trilogy for Jasmine Cephas Jones who plays Peggy Schuyler and Maria Reynolds in this musical.  Thomas Kail directed this popular musical where they released a live version.  Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote this musical that is based on the novel by Ron Chernow.  He also stars as Alexander Hamilton who was a father as documented but more importantly he was a Founding Father who was the first Secretary of the Treasury so how can I not include this one?  Phillippa Soo, Leslie Odom Jr., Renee Elise Goldsberry, Daveed Diggs, Jonathan Groff, Chris Jackson, Okieriete Onaodowan, Anthony Ramos, and many others co-star in this musical.  As most know, this has very color blind casting with much of the music being hip-hop numbers educating us on the early days of the USA.  I didn't really mean for the first two selections to be musicals, just what was on my mind.  This is available to watch on Disney Plus

It Runs in the Family (2003):  This has three generations of the Douglas family including Kirk, Michael, and Cameron Douglas as they play Mitchell, Alex, and Asher Gromberg.  Alex struggles to get the approval he wants from his own father while questioning his own parenting toward the troubled Asher.  Rory Culkin plays Alex's younger and more level-headed son who looks and acts exactly like his older brother Macaulay when he was that age.  Michael's mother Diana Douglas also co-stars as his mother even though her and Kirk have been divorced.  Bernadette Peters, Michelle Monaghan, Geoffrey Arend, Sarita Choudhury, Irina Gorovaia, Annie Golden, Audra McDonald, Josh Pais, and many others co-star in this movie.  I am sure many can relate to this family and as far as I know this is the only teaming for Kirk and Michael as far as acting.  This also fits the holiday featuring a couple of fathers.  This is available to watch on the Roku Channel and Tubi.

My Name is Jerry (2009):  This is an independent film that was filmed in my own town of Muncie, Indiana and produced by Ball State University.  Doug Jones stars as struggling door-to-door salesman Jerry Arthur who tries to reconnect with his estranged daughter Trisha, played by Allison Scagliotti.  Jones is usually known for his roles that have a lot of prosthetic including Abe Sapien in HELLBOY, Silver Surfer in FANTASTIC FOUR:  THE RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER, Billy Butcherson in HOCUS POCUS, to name a few.  He got to play a human in this one and does well against type.  7TH HEAVEN alum Catherine Hicks, THAT 70S SHOW alum Don Stark, Steven Yeun, Jonathan Keaton, and Katlyn Carlson also co-star.  I was also an extra in the funeral scene where the back of my head can briefly be seen.  I recognized a few others and some other known Muncie places.  Yeun would go onto be Glenn in the popular TV series THE WALKING DEAD.  

Pocahontas (1995):  This Disney classic has the title character of Pocahontas, voiced by Irene Bedard, trying to reason with her Algonquin chief father while John Smith, voiced by Mel Gibson, tries to reason with his group hoping to avoid war.  This also has some really good music number and I really like the message on the price of hatred.  Linda Hunt, Christian Bale, Ben Connolly, John Kassir, Judy Kuhn, Danny Mann, Russell Means, David Ogden Stiers, Gordon Tootoosis, Frank Welker, Jim Cummings, and many others provide their voice in this Disney film.  This is probably my favorite era of Disney.  This was also able to qualify for this edition of Father's Day.  This is available to watch on Disney Plus.  

Asteroid City (2023):  This is Wes Anderon's latest which features a grieving and widowed father, played by Jason Schwartzman, who along with his four children look to come to terms with the death of his wife and their mother.  Tom Hanks co-stars as Schwartzman's father in law who has not always been crazy about his daughter's choice in husband.  There is more to the movie that these elements but these are the fatherly elements.  Like all of Anderson's films this has an all-star cast that includes Scarlett Johansson, Jeffrey Wright, Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Jake Ryan, Grace Edwards, Maya Hawke, Rupert Friend, Hope Davis, Steve Park, Liev Schreiber, Steve Carell, Hong Chau, Willem Dafoe, Matt Dillon, Margot Robbie, Adrian Brody, Tilda Swinton, Fisher Stevens, Jeff Goldblum, and many others.  This is not for everyone and Anderson is a bit of an acquired taste with his usual quirkiness.  This is available to watch on Prime.  

Face/Off (1997):  I end with this great Father's Day selection which was directed by John Woo.  John Travolta stars as FBI agent Sean Archer whose son was killed in the crossfire by his deadly rival Castor Troy, played by Nicolas Cage.  Archer finally thinks it is over when Troy is put in a coma but then learns there is a bomb out there and agrees to a very experimental surgery where he takes Troy's face in hopes of learning where the bomb will be.  Troy then comes out of the coma and takes Archer's face.  Joan Allen, Alessandro Nivola, Gina Gershon, Dominique Swain, Nick Cassavetes, Harve Presnell, Colm Feore, John Carroll Lynch, CCH Pounder, Robert Wisdone, Margaret Cho, James Denton, Matt Ross, Chris Bauer, and many others co-star in this action film.  This has always been a favorite of mine.  What I love about this movie is that while it is extremely violent, it is also strangely moving with a lot of emotional depth in my opinion.  While this is mainly about the leads switching faces, it is also about the family dealing with the loss of their boy.  The ending tears me up every time.