Monty Python: Almost the Truth- The Lawyer's Cut (2009): This was a six-part documentary that was recently on the IFC channel which has the five surviving Python members reflecting on their time with Monty Python from their times before they formed the group, to their groundbreaking tv shows, and into their rise in film. This is a very informative and entertaining documentary which shows a lot of clips. I guess if you don't like them, then you won't like this min-series. It also has other actors, comedians and various other people who were fans of them to reflect on their times. This is also available on Netflix.

Fatal Attraction (1987): Michael Douglas stars as Dan Gallagher who has a good job, a good wife and a cute daughter but when the family leaves and he is home alone, he takes on an affair with a seemingly nice woman named Alex Forrest, played very well by Glenn Close. Dan pretty much forgets the affair but Alex sure does not and will do whatever she must to get back the man she loves. Alex is clearly crazy and goes about her anger the wrong way but Dan was not the most likable person himself. However, his wife and daughter were innocent in the whole thing and were very good to him. This was a great stalker film directed by Adrian Lyne. It brought back memories for me when the daughter is watching the Nickelodeon classic YOU CAN'T DO THAT ON TELEVISION.

Adaptation. (2002): This is my tribute to Nicolas Cage whose father August Coppola recently passed away. I maintain that Nicolas Cage is good at what he does but just not always making the right choices but this was the right choice. Spike Jonze directed this movie which I didn't like as much as I did BEING JOHN MALKOVICH but still enjoyed this very much. Nicolas Cage plays real-life screenwriter Charlie Kaufman who is struggling to adapt a screenplay of the novel THE ORCHID THIEF written by author Susan Orlean. Meryl Streep plays Orlean where we see her interest in plant collector John Laroche, played very well by the underrated Chris Cooper, who Orlean wants to write a book about. We switch between the struggles of Kaufman who turns to his twin brother Donald, also played by Cage, for help. We then see Susan and John together with their attempts at her novel. They soon encounter each other where unexpected things occur and the things Charlie did not want in his screenplay actually happen to him in his struggles. There really is no better way to explain this complicated plot where the real screenplay was actually written by none other than Charlie Kaufman and his fictional twin brother Donald. Co-stars of the movie include Tilda Swinton, Cara Seymour, Doug Jones, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Ron Livingston, Brian Cox, among other unexpected cameos. Much of the characters in the film are real people and Susan Orlean actually makes a cameo in the film. This does require a lot of attention but was quite worth it to me.
Mon Oncle (1958): I found this French film on TCM from Jacques Tati which he wrote, directed and stars in as Monsieur Hulot. He goes to visit his sister, brother-in-law, and nephew in their very technological home where he does not fit into the lifestyle but the nephew prefers to spend time with his uncle much to the dismay of the brother-in-law. There are many comic scenes that place in the technology home. Tati is someone who did not make very many movies, but when he did, they were very well done.

The Full Monty (1997): I found this great British comedy on IFC which stars Robert Carlyle as unemployed steel worker Gaz who is able to form a group of five other people unemployed to do a one-night strip show to make money and for him to pay alimony. What adds to the comedy is that these are six men that are pretty out-of-shape that are planning to go all the way. This has been written as a musical which I have not seen yet. Tom Wilkinson also co-stars as one of the six. This was a very well-done comedy

The Badlands (1958): I found this western variation on THE ASPHALT JUNGLE on TCM. Alan Ladd and Ernest Borgnine star as a couple of ex-cons just released from prison. Ladd plays the Dutchman who wants revenge on the people who had him falsely imprisoned and Ernest Borgnine plays McBain who wants to go straight but finds it is not easy. McBain reluctantly joins the Dutchman in his scheme to steal gold. This was a pretty decent low-budget western with Borgnine great in his role.

Animal Factory (2000): I end the Four-Year Anniversary with this independent prison drama directed by Steve Buscemi. This is a novel written by Edward Bunker who some may remember as Mr. Blue in RESERVOIR DOGS and even has a cameo in this movie as well as director Buscemi. Edward Furlong stars as Ron, a 21 year old going to prison for marijuana charges and finds that prison is not an easy place to survive. Willem Dafoe plays a long-time inmate named Earl who takes Ron under his wing and even protects him some. This movie has quite an independent all-star cast with a bit part from Mickey Rourke where he plays a cross-dressing inmate named Jan the Actress which was a pretty good performance. Tom Arnold even has an interesting role which diverts from his usual. Other people in this film include Danny Trejo, Seymour Cassel, Mark Boone Junior, and many others. This is a pretty moving film about prison which really works with the friendship between Furlong and Dafoe.

Well, that is it for this week. Tell me what you love and what you hate and stay tuned for next week which features zombies, multiple personality disorder, baseball.

FUN LITTLE FACTS

Dan Aykroyd (Monty Python) plays Boolie in the 1989 film DRIVING MISS DAISY. My Facebook friend Judy played Boolie's mother and title character Daisy in a production at the Muncie Civic Theater in the 90s.

Dan Aykroyd (Monty Python) is apparently filming DOROTHY OF OZ where he will be the Scarecrow. My Facebook friend Corey played the Scarecrow in a Muncie Civic Theater production. Other friends in this production include Marty, Ryan, Lindsey, Gary, Lisa, Katie, Missy, Lauren, my mom Ruth Ann, and I'm sorry if I miss anyone.

John Cleese (Monty Python) plays R but later known Q in the later part of the Pierce Brosnan era of James Bond and hopefully in the Daniel Craig era at some point. Robert Carlyle plays the nearly indestructable villain Renard in the 1999 James Bond film THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH.

John Cleese (Monty Python) plays Sherlock Holmes in a 1973 episode of COMEDY PLAYHOUSE called ELEMENTARY, MY DEAR WATSON. My Facebook friend Sean played his rival Professor Moriarty in a Muncie Civic Theater version.

Eric Idle (Monty Python) played Drosselmeier in the 2004 animated film THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSEKING. I played the role in a version at Cornerstone Center For the Arts in Muncie which also featured my facebook friends Kelsey, Esther, Marisa, Kendall, and Chris.

Eddie Izzard (Monty Python) does the voice for Reepicheep in the 2008 film THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN. Tilda Swinton plays the White Witch in that and the 2005 THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE.

MARVEL FRANCHISE
-Tim Roth (Monty Python) plays Emil Blonsky in the 2008 film THE INCREDIBLE HULK who was the Hulk's rival and has a big showdown at the end.
-Nicolas Cage (Adaptation) plays the title character in the 2007 film GHOST RIDER and apparently working on a sequel.
-Doug Jones (Adaptation) plays the Silver Surfer in the 2007 film FANTASTIC 4: THE RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER and is apparently in the works for a movie for the Silver Surfer.
-Willem Dafoe (Animal Factory) plays the villain Green Goblin in the 2002 film SPIDER-MAN.
-Mickey Rourke (Animal Factory) plays the villain Jigsaw in the upcoming sequel to IRON MAN.

RESERVOIR DOGS FRANCHISE
-Tim Roth (Monty Python) plays Mr. Orange
-Steve Buscemi (Animal Factory) plays Mr. Pink
-Edward Bunker (Animal Factory) plays Mr. Blue

Meryl Streep (Adaptation) was at one time considered for the role of Alex Forrest in this week's feature FATAL ATTRACTION which would ultimately go to Glenn Close. They are good friends.

Glenn Close (Fatal Attraction) does the vocie Mary Todd Lincoln in the 1992 tv documentary LINCOLN. My facebook friend Jessica played the role in a high school production years ago which takes place after the assassination of her husband Abraham Lincoln.

Tom Skerritt (up in Smoke) plays the role of Duke Forrest in the 1970 film MASH. My Facebook friend Thom played the part in a production at Lee's Theatrical Productions. Other Myspace and Facebook friends in our production include Sam, Bill, Wes, Rhonda, Ben, Kellin, Kayla, Sammy, Ashley, Chad, and Trevor.

John Cleese (Monty Python), Eddie Izzard (Monty Python), John Cusack (Adaptation uncredited) and Steve Buscemi (Animal Factory) were in the 2008 film IGOR.

JEKYLL/HYDE franchise
-John Malkovich plays Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in the 1996 film MARY REILLY
-Fredric March plays the parts in the 1931 feature film of the week.
-My facebook friend Matt played the role in last year's version at Muncie Civic Theater of JEKYLL AND HYDE: THE MUSICAL
-Rose Hobart (Jekyll and Hyde) plays Muriel Carew in this week's 1931 feature. My Facebook friend Katie plays the equivalent Emma Carew in the musical version.
-Miriam Hopkins (Jekyll and Hyde) plays Ivy Pierson in this week's 1931 feature. My Facebook friend Nikki played Lucy which is the same character with a different name in the musical version.
-Edgar Norton (Jekyll and Hyde) plays Poole, Dr. Jekyll's servant, in the this week's 1931 feature. My Facebook friend Joe played the part in musical version.
-Halliwell Hobbes plays General Carew, The father of Muriel, in this week's 1931 feature. My Facebook friend Bob played the equivalent Sir Danvers Carew in the musical version.
-Other Facebook friends in last year's JEKYLL AND HYDE: THE MUSICAL at Muncie Civic Theater that were chorus or played characters not in the 1931 film include Edward, Lisa, Neil, my mom Ruth Ann, Julia, Bethany, Melissa, Jeff S., Kathy, and Jeff R. Sorry if I missed anyone

John Malkovich (Adaptation uncredited) was considered for the role of the Green Goblin in the 2002 film SPIDER-MAN that would ultimately go to Willem Dafoe (Animal Factory)

Nicolas Cage (Adaptation) was originally cast as Randy "The Ram" Robinson in the 2008 film THE WRESTLER but backed out and the part would ultimately go to Mickey Rourke (Animal Factory) who would go onto be nominated for his first Academy Award. Thank you Nic as I am seriously grateful for your decision.

Buddy Hacket (Love Bug) plays Marcellus in the 1962 film THE MUSIC MAN. My Facebook friend Marty played the part in a production at Muncie Civic Theater.

Fredric March (Jekyll and Hyde) plays Mark Twain in the 1944 film THE ADVENTURES OF MARK TWAIN. My Facebook friend Gary played the part in the recent musical BIG RIVER at the Muncie Civic Theater

Welcome to the 207th Edition, one week away from the FOUR YEAR ANNIVERSARY. This week, I pay tribute to Lucy Vodden, Lou Jacobi, Joseph Wiseman, Captain Lou Albano, and Bruce Springsteen. I have one movie from the Random Myspace Profile selection process and next week will have at least 1, possibly 3.

Whaledreamers (2006): This is my tribute to Lucy Vodden, the apparent inspiration for the Beatles' hit song LUCY IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS coming from a picture drawn from Julian Lennon of Lucy. I could not find anything for Vodden so I used something with Julian Lennon who produced and narrated this documentary. Kim Kindersley directed this documentary focusing on an indigenous tribe which talks about their history and their connection to the whale. It also talks about the poaching of whales which really angers the tribe. Julian Lennon narrates and takes part in some of these rituals. I really take interest in this subject and love the indigenous music that they play a lot of here. Julian Lennon wrote and performed a song played on here called SALTWATER showing he sounds exactly like his father John. Pierce Brosnan, John Hurt, and Geoffrey Rush all lend their voices here as well.

Chocolat (1988): This is not the same as the Johnny Depp film in 2000 of the same title. This is a French film about a French woman named France who gets picked up by a good samaritan and begins to reflect on her childhood when she and her family were in South Africa. She recalls the relationship between herself and a black man named Protee and the tension between him and her mother. There is a lot of racial and sexual tension which I felt was kept a little too low-key. I had a hard time with this movie which is not really what you expect and not knowing where I just went after watching. The high points are seeing the interactions of French and Protee and the scenery. Claire Denis directed this movie and apparently based it some on her childhood. This was nothing great to me but was worth a watch.

I'll Cry Tomorrow (1955): Susan Hayward stars in this biopic as singer/actress Lillian Roth. We first see her as a child whose mother is obsessed with making her a star and when Lillian becomes one as an adult, she takes to alcohol after her high-school sweetheart dies before they are about to get married. Jo Van Fleet is good as Lillian's mother and Hayward is great as Roth. Eddie Albert co-stars as one of the good men in her life. Susan Hayward does her own singing in the movie. This is not the most upbeat film of all time but can give people hope.

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (1984): The Facebook friend I chose for this week is Jess who I went to Yorktown with for many years. Hayao Miyazaki wrote and directed this anime tale which centers around the Princess of the title name who lives during a nuclear holocaust and is trying to prevent her people from warring. The animation in this movie is great. Apparently the original version was a little more adult-oriented but this one was produced by Disney so it was more family friendly. In this version, they brought in celebrities in 2004 like Allison Lohman, Edward James Olmos, Shia Lebeouf, Patrick Stewart, Mark Hamill, and many others.

The Man Without a Country (1937): This is my short film for the week which stars John Litel as Lt. Philip Nolan who is unhappy with his assignment in the army and is about to join Aaron Burr's plans to form a new country west of the Mississippi River. Before he can go through with it, he is charged with treason and is sentenced to life in exile on a US ship at sea. Gloria Holden plays his wife who lobbies through many years and to different presidents to get him a pardon. It is a pretty good 21 minutes while I'm not sure of the accuracy of what Burr was trying to do.

Splinter (2008): I found this low-budget horror film on Sci-Fi which actually pretty good. It shows a couple and escaped convict meet by chance but encounter a parasite that turns people into deadly hosts. They must all work together to stop this from effecting them. The performances are actually pretty good and director Toby Wilkins did a good job on a movie that went straight-to-dvd. Horror buffs might really like this and movie buffs in general should try it too.

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex * But Were Afraid to Ask (1972): This movie is in tribute to late actor Lou Jacobi who plays Sam Musgrave in this movie. I admit, I have seen and used a lot of Woody Allen for this blog and this one I find to be the most unknown and underrated of his movies. This is a parody on just what the title is saying and uses different sketches to get across its point. It starts out in medieval times where Woody plays a court jester who is having an affair with the queen but finds out the hilarious way that the king keeps the queen from having sex. We also have a sketch with Gene Wilder who is a psychiatrist who falls in love with a sheep that his client was already in love with. The best one in my opinion was with John Carradine playing a Victor Frankenstein type character who brings to life a giant body part that wreaks havoc all over the place. The last one shows all the hard-working sperm in our body and what they must do to reproduce where Woody plays the reluctant sperm. This might be my favorite Woody film which also co-stars Burt Reynolds, Lynn Redgrave, and even Regis Philbin who is part of a great game show segment. There were many segments cut from the film but the ones that stayed were great.

Dr. No (1962): This is in tribute to the late Joseph Wiseman who is most known for playing the title character in the first of many James Bond films which some say this one is the best. Sean Connery plays James Bond in the first Bond film and is investigating the death of his colleague which leads him to a strange island and meets Honey Ryder, played by Ursula Andress whose role here is iconic to her career and Bond women, and encounters Dr. No's fortress where he must find a way to save the world. HAWAII 5-0 alum Jack Lord plays the first Felix Leiter. This movie has some great dialogue and action and is worth a look.

Wise Guys (1986): This is my tribute to the late wrestling Captain Lou Albano who plays mob enforcer Frankie the Fixer and Bruce Springsteen whose cousin recently died. Springsteen's song PINK CADILLAC was played and I wanted to use BODY SLAM with Albano but could not obtain a copy from Netflix or library and even blockbuster so I chose this one. Brian De Palma directed this mafia comedy which stars Danny Devito and Joe Piscopo as best friends and errand boys for the mafia. When they lose $250,000, they are both separately ordered to kill each other. They go to New Jersey when trying to run from the mafia but find it is not easy. I know there are better mob comedies and I was on the fence some here but Devito and Piscopo are fun in this movie and Albano gave an interesting over-the-top performance. Albano looked a lot different with just short hair and a mustache. Dan Hedaya and Harvey Keitel also co-star. I was really hoping for a different end and I begged for it to not end like I thought it would but it did end how I thought it would and how I did not want it to end. I got this off Netflix and was worth a view to me. It's not anything I'll go out and buy.

The Thirteenth Guest (1932): I end with this selection from the Random Myspace Profile selection process and for this one I chose the Ginger Rogers tribute profile and decided to try this early Rogers film. 13 years ago, there was a dinner party with 13 guests and the 13th guest did not show up, the master of the manor died leaving the 13th guest the bulk of his estate which was a mystery to everyone. 13 years later, the guests are being murdered. Ginger plays a woman claiming to be the 13th guest. Lyle Talbot plays the head detective investigating the murders. This is nothing great but worth seeing for early Ginger Rogers. It might have been more enjoyable for me if the transfer was better but even today's technology could not salvage the bad print.

Well, that is it for this week. I made some pretty unusual selections and some not really my favorites but I never claim to do my favorites and some people reading this may have not seen any of these movies. Tell me what you love and what you hate and stay tuned for next week which is my 4 year anniversary which so far includes John Cleese, Glenn Close, Tom Skerritt, Meryl Streep, and much more.

HORROR MOVIE MADESS: BAD BABY EDITION WEEK 4

So this is the last one for the year and hope Elizabeth and Duckboy bring it back next year. Congrats on the baby, probably not something I'll ever do but who knows. When this went on a couple years ago, there was all kinds of leniency where there were many people listed where I took more notice than anyone of the words "Does not have to be horror" so I found all kinds of things like SPIDER-MAN, SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS, THE JACKIE CHAN ADVENTURES, JACK OF ALL TRADES, BLUE CHIPS, and much more. For various reasons when listing names, they did not make it nearly as big and mostly listed directors where the movies that did not have to be horror had to be directed, produced, written, or distributed so being known as the "King of the Loophole", I had a bigger challenge ahead of me and maybe a couple years ago they had no idea someone like me would take such advantage of these loopholes. This year, I really did not do as much on the list of names except for a couple things from William Friedkin and John Sayles including an episode of CSI directed by Friedkin. While I did not do as much of that, I still feel I have really done a lot in variety where I would usually find some non-horror movie that might have some horror element like LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST which featured the Devil. I also used some things from History which focus on categories like Satan, vampires, and werewolves, especially this week so read on

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (1984, 3 stars, 4 points): I believe this falls under fantasy and while I don't know Nausicaa's age, there were a couple village children that were endangered when the ohms were attacking.

The Man Without a Country (1937, 3 stars, .5 points): I know I'm pushing this one but it was 21 minutes and in the end when John Litel and Gloria Holden finally reuniting as ghosts after death. Since I put it on the recommendations, I figured I would give this a shot.

Splinter (2008, 2.5 stars, 2 points): This qualifies as the Splinter parasites effects a body and turns them into zombie-type people.

Vampire Secrets (2006, 2 points): This was one of the few documentaries I watched and this one focused on vampires in pop culture, through history and the supposed vampires of today.

Werewolves: The Dark Survivors (2009, 2 points): This was a mockumentary I found on Animal Planet. It looks at a fictional family of werewolves. This was interesting to say the least.

Fatal Attraction (1987, 3 stars, 4 points): I would like to see this being counted as psycho as Glenn Close was and four points because of Michael Douglas's little girl being endangered by Close.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007, 3.5 stars, 4 points): I feel this should count because of the dark imagery, the gore from all the murders and 4 points because of Tobias being endangered near the end.

Everything Your Always Wanted To Know About Sex * But Were Afraid to Ask (1972, 3.5 stars, 2 points): I know I am pushing it on this one but John Carradine plays a mad scientist character who brings to like a giant breast which wreaks havoc all over town.

The Three Faces of Eve (1957, 3.5 stars, 4 points): I know I'm pushing this one too but Joanne Woodward plays Eve who has multiple personalities which one of them is very mean and tries to choke her daughter to death as that personality and is a pretty disturbing scene.

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966, 4 stars, .5 points): I need no explanation here as Linus awaits the arrival of the Great Pumpkin and I will look for a pumpkin patch myself to wait for the Great Pumpkin.

The Haunted History of Halloween (1997, 1 point): I found this on the History Channel which talks about the history of Halloween and the popularity of it today.

Bloodlines: The Dracula Family Tree (2003, 1 point): I also found this on History which talks about Vlad the Impaler who is kind of the inspiration behind Dracula.

Charmed: Series Finale (2006, 3.5 stars, 2 points): This show, BUFFY and ANGEL were the shows I grew up with in High School and I thought it was going to be a bad idea to have another season of this show but was I wrong. This show and episode ended greatly showing everyone the future of the Halliwell family. This was one hour but am asking for two points because of litle Wyatt being endangered.

Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey (1991, 3 stars, 2 points): This counts because they are in Hell, the Devil is a character and so is the Grim Reaper. Wow, the minds who came up with this storyline.

The Real Wolfman (2009?, 2 points): I found this one on History channel where a couple people investigate some past murders thought to be done by a werewolf and come to some interesting conclusions.

Little shop of Horrors (2009, 2 points): Last week I saw the one at Muncie Civic Theater, this is Jay County Civic Theater

Welcome to the 206th Edition of my series. This week I pay tribute to the late Boyzone lead singer Steven Gately. Last week, I had my audition for AMERICA'S GOT TALENT in Chicago which my mom tried out for as well on an individual level. If they want me for tv again, I'll get a call in January or February and I honestly really don't know one way or the other if they will. On some levels I don't want to do it but in the end feel if I can do it again, I got to try and make the most of it since I know I can.

Walkout (2006): I start now with a movie which was presented by the Multicultural Center at Ball State University. MIAMI VICE alum Edward James Olmos directed this HBO movie which centers in '60s California and Mexican-American students stand up for their right for a better education. Alexa Vega stars as the real-life Paula Crisostoma, a high school senior who did have it made pretty well but still was willing to sacrifice everything to stand up for the rights of other minority students. She then organizes exactly what the title says and along with five other schools in the East L.A. area all stage a walk out to protest. There were times I felt the movie was rather unorganized but it still worked very well with heartfelt direction of Olmos. I also liked at the end when the real-people were reflecting on their extreme event which garnered lots of negative and positive publicity but contributed to some long-term positive results.

The Last Angry Man (1959): I found this on TCM and am glad to present you with Paul Muni's last film. Long before our reality tv show craze, we had this story of a young journalist whose uncle Dr. Sam Abelman, played greatly by Paul Muni, is a very dedicated and aging local doctor who has his practice in his home on the slums and tends to the poor and needy. He gets the idea to profile his uncle on a tv show. Abelman is reluctant but decides to do it but the producer of the show, played by David Wayne, has a hard time due to Abelman's reluctance. Billy Dee Williams makes his film debut as the troubled Josh Quince who Dr. Abelman refuses to give up upon. Luther Adler is also good as Dr. Abelman's rival but friend who is more focused on the money end. I was glad to see a Paul Muni marathon going on TCM as I feel he does not get the recognition he deserves.

Newsfront (1978): I now go to the great IFC channel where I found this really neat Australian film. This focuses on a group of cinematographers who risk their lives to get newsreel footage that used to be shown before movies in a movie theater. Wouldn't that be cool to just limit the previews and to allow a couple short films and something like this so we can get our $8 worth or whatever it is to get into a movie nowadays but I'll get off of that. It also focuses on the lives of two brothers who work for rival companies and their family lives through the years. This was very well put together and has a lot of real footage that real-life people got including one where a guy was filming a Japanese sniper who was then killed by him showing this was not an easy job just to get a few minutes to put in a segment before a movie.

Porky's Double Trouble (1937): This is my short film for the week which features Porky Pig. Public Enemy #1 just happens to be a pig and sees the resemblance when seeing Porky who is a teller at Worst National Bank. He sees Porky as his key for the getaway and was a very interesting Looney Tunes short that features the mafia which gets pretty violent and even a bit raunchy. It might garner a bit of controversy if put out today. I got this from the dvd of SAN QUENTIN. Mel Blanc provided the voices for Porky, Petunia Pig, and even the gangster pig.

The Spookshow (2008?): This is a movie that my Myspace friend Bob Ignazio sent me which is an independent film that he wrote. This movie centers around a nightclub owner with a dark past. He puts on many bands but sees that people are dying. We then have a sub-plot where a guy is having an affair with another woman which really dismays her when finding out. Considering the limited budget they had, they pulled off a pretty decent independent film. I'm sorry if I did not do justice with my description. I enjoyed the guys in front of the bar who were trying to stop people from coming to the concert. This really is not for everyone and is not really in my main genre but is still entertaining.

Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964): This is my Toho film for the week which pits the two title Japanese icons against each other. A typhoon causes Mothra's eggs to go ashore and a greedy developer finds these which causes the eggs to hatch but then we get Godzilla whom they enlist Mothra to defeat him. Some say this is the best of the Godzilla films and this one was very entertaining. I never realize that TNA wrestler Samoa Joe's entrance music really resembles the musical score for this movie which might have been intentional.

The Fifth Element (1997): Luc Besson directed this sci-fi action film which stars Bruce Willis as futuristic cab driver Korben Dallas who by chance has a very strange girl, played by Milla Jovovich, drop in on his cab who turns out to be the key to saving the world. Ian Holm plays Father Vito Cornelius who is also after her to try to save the world but they must go against the evil Mr. Zorg and his cronies. I enjoyed Gary Oldman as Zorg. Tiny Lister plays the president of this town who enlists Korben Dallas. This movie was a very well done futuristic film with a good set, good dialogue, and action. I really felt that Chris Tucker really brought the film down. Granted, he is perfect for the part and I do not condemn him for portraying the part but I felt it was unnecessary comic relief for the film that was already somewhat comedic. Some may disagree with me on that but that is our freedom in America. Luc Besson actually wrote what the language that Jovovich was speaking and was apparently quite into it. I also really liked the music written by Eric Serra who has worked quite a bit with Besson and is very underrated in his field in my opinion. This was a very fun sci-fi action film.

Billy Elliot (2000): This is my tribute to Steven Gately whose song I BELIEVE was featured in this film. This is my British film for the week and glad to have included this. Jamie Bell stars in the title role who lives a difficult life in the 80s and has a father who expects him to follow in his footsteps by becoming a boxer or some kind of sport. Billy then sees that he is not his father and sees in his building the ballet classes which he discovers is his real passion. Jamie Draven was great as Billy's father who is going through a lot with his job striking and really wanting his son to be like him and slowly realizing that he needs to support what his son wants. Not only does Billy have a journey to face but his father takes you through his own journey of understanding his son and excepting something that he does not really like or understand for the sake of his son. Julie Walters plays Billy's instructor who really sees potential in him. I am putting my rare label of beautiful on this character study which also has great performances. This is something I would love to see the musical which has been done recently. Also to those kids out there, do what you love to do and don't let ridicule get to you. Also to the parents, let them choose what they want to like.

House on Haunted Hill (1959): I haven't done Vincent Price in a long time and I figured this would be a good fit for my contest. Vincent Price is a millionaire who offers five people $10,000 dollars if they can spend the night in the home. When the doors close many strange things start to happen which makes everyone question each other. This was a nice, atmospheric horror film with Price great in the lead role. Carol Ohmart plays his unloving wife who is just as conniving. This was remade 40 years later which I have not seen.

Welcome to the 203rd Edition of my blog. Starting this week, I am in the Horror Movie Madness: Bad Baby Edition so I will likely be featuring more horror than usual unless I find "loop-holes" but main priority will still be the blog. I am now 1-2 in Fantasy Football but the division leader is 2-1 so I can still do something and hopefully bounce back this week.

Tell Me Something (1999): This is my Korean film for the week and a very unexpected one. My stepmom had this from her own Netflix account and a couple did not work out for me so I chose this very violent film. Yoon-Hyun Chang directed this movie which stars Suk-kyu Han as Detective Cho with a dark past and is assigned to case of some very brutal murders which the bodies have been disfigured. He then soon discovers that each of the victims had a relationship with an artist named Su-Yeon and must learn more about her to figure out what is going on. This was by no means anything that will ever rank into my favorites but was pretty enjoyable if you have a good stomach because it is very bloody. The movie had a really nice ending.

American Splendor (2003): This is my biopic for the week which centers around underground comic book write Harvey Pekar who write the comic book in the movie title. Paul Giamatti plays Pekar very well which focuses on his depression, boring job, medical issues, times as a Jazz critic and his married life. Pekar was friends with fellow underground comic writer Robert Crumb and decided to create his own comic book to make of himself showing that you do not have to have powers or weapons to become a hero. He created the everyday man of himself to be the hero. The real Harvey Pekar and his wife also appear as themselves in the documentary scenes which had the more phony background but looked great. Hope Davis plays Pekar's third and current wife and James Urbaniak was very good in his small part as Robert Crumb. This was such a well-shot film which did a great job of blending in some 2-d animation. I actually had the pleasure of seeing the real Harvey Pekar when he was a guest speaker at Ball State. He spoke about his struggles as a writer, his bout with cancer, and just his life in general. He was very informative and pretty nice when I met him. This movie is based out of his comics AMERICAN SPLENDOR and OUR CANCER YEAR. OCY was one that he wrote with his wife Joyce and she came up with the idea to write on it in order to deal with it easier.

Il Posto (1961): Ermanno Olmi wrote and directed this Italian film which takes a look at corporate Italy. This movie centers around high-school graduate Domenico, who is trying to find a job and then looks at the struggles of the political environment he becomes a part of. This is a great character study which takes a look at the flaws in him and his struggle to make it in society.

Phantasm (1979): Don Coscarelli wrote and directed this horror film which is very important to the genre. This movie is about a couple orphaned brothers and witness some strange events going on in a mortuary and face off against a man called the Tall Man. This is a pretty enjoyable horror film where the effects were decent for their time and the dwarves were rather amusing. The tag line on the dvd cover says "If this movie does not scare you then you are already dead". I must say that this movie did not really scare me and to my knowledge I'm still alive but this was a pretty good star-making vehicle for director Don Coscarelli.

Welcome to the 202nd Edition of my series. As you see, I got a part in the chorus for A TIME FOR CHRISTMAS which I did last year as well. This week I pay tribute to the late Henry Gibson, Patrick Swayze. I also pay tribute to wrestlers Mick Foley and Koko B. Ware who both lost loved ones recently. I don't really have much to say so let's get on with the movies.

Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970): The Facebook friend I selected for this week is Jason. I start this week out with this Pearl Harbor epic and likely the best movie which focuses on the horrible day of December 2nd, 1941 when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. The U.S. and Japanese both teamed up to make this great film with Richard Fleischer directing the American actors and Kinji Fukasaku directing the Japanese actors. The movie focuses on both sides making each side humanistic and not really taking the sides. Each side had their flaws and strengths which lead up to that fateful day. It focuses on the plans of the Japanese to possibly target Pearl Harbor and the United States believing that the Japanese might strike but not knowing where or when. Jason Robards, Martin Balsam, E.G. Marshall all co-star in this very accurate depiction of Pearl Harbor.

Reaching For the Moon (1930): This is part of the Random Myspace Profile selection process and for this one I chose the tribute page to Irving Berlin. Douglas Fairbanks stars in one of his few talkies as Wall Street broker Larry Day but not good when talking to women. He then takes interest in Vivian Benton, played by Bebe Daniels on an ocean liner who is not blind to his interests. He always finds ways to embarrass himself and then loses all his money in the stock market crash not knowing what to do. This is a pretty decent romantic comedy. Nothing great but of worth to see a young Bing Crosby sings WHEN THE FOLKS HIGH-UP DO THE MEAN LOW-DOWN in a small role. This was his first appearance in a movie where he sings solo and would later become quite an icon.

Charlotte's Web (1973): I now pay tribute to ROWAN & MARTIN alum Henry Gibson who does the voice of Wilbur the pig. This is a childrens film based on the book by E.B. White that takes place on a farm where we have Wilbur who is very scared knowing that his owner will likely butcher him. He soon makes friends with an aging spider of the title character who does what she can to keep him alive which turns the pig into a local celebrity. This movie deals a lot with friendship, loyalty, acceptance, and just life in general. Just about any of us can relate to Wilbur or some other animal in the movie. Debbie Reynolds does the voice of Charlotte and worked for free due to her love for the book. Paul Lynde lends a lot of comic relief as Templeton the Rat. Danny Bonaduce even does a voice in the movie for Avery, the brother of Fern who seems to understand the animals. This is absolutely something that the kids can watch and understand which can teach a lot of life lessons.

Beyond the Mat (1999): This is my tribute to Hardcore Legend Mick Foley who recently lost his father and to WWE Hall of Famer Koko B. Ware who lost his wife to cancer and has a couple interviews in here. Writer and wrestling fan Barry Blaustein makes his directorial debut with this documentary which takes a look at many different parts of wrestling and many wrestlers young and new trying to make it. The main people he focuses on are Terry Funk, Mick Foley, and Jake Roberts. Terry Funk is getting ready for his retirement match but we all know that never happened and in his autobiography claims that he just retired from wrestling in Amarillo which this movie did not seem to focus on. He takes a look at Mick Foley who is crazy inside the ring but nothing like it outside. It takes a look at his "I Quit" match with the Rock at ROYAL RUMBLE 1999 where the Rock gets quite carried away with the chair and his wife and children look in horror. Jake Roberts leads a very difficult life and shows a reunion with his estranged father and one with his daughter. Some might say he is the one the movie THE WRESTLER is based upon, at least with his daughter situation. It also shows him out-of-shape still taking bookings at small venues and his problem with drugs. Roberts was not happy about how this movie portrayed him and I'm not really sure what he was expecting. I like Roberts but he has clearly had some demons in his life and I hope he is doing better now. There is still lots of other things packed in here like an independent promotion trying to get one of their guys into WWE. There are also lots of interviews and many with negative stories on Vince McMahon. It also goes into the inside dealings with McMahon with an interesting interview with Darren Drozdov. We also see wrestlers way past their prime who just can't leave. This is a really good look into the world of wrestling and is great for fans and non-fans.

Youngblood (1986): This is my tribute to Patrick Swayze who lost his battle with Pancreatic cancer. Rob Lowe stars in this hockey drama as Dean, a farmboy looking to make it in hockey. He soon tries out for a Canadian hockey team where he makes it on account of his speed but lacks aggression that is needed in hockey. He then forms a relationship with the coach's daughter, played by Cynthia Gibb, which make things more complicated. Patrick Swayze plays the star of the team who is determined to get into the majors but gets a serious injury. Ed Lauter plays the coach and look for Keanu Reeves in a small part. This is something that really just works in the 80s as I say a lot and is a pretty entertaining hockey drama which can be enjoyed as long as you don't take it too seriously.

Bargain Counter Attack (1946): This is my short film for the week which features the famous Little Lulu. This is a very entertaining animation short which shows our little hero in a department store and wanting to exchange her doll. The boss accepts and comes to regret it when she plays with the toys, making a big mess, and then deciding she does not want it causing a lot of damage within the store. Lulu is known as one of the best comic-strip characters of all time and has come a long way in today's society even getting picked up by Dark Horse comics at one time.

Sugar (2004): I found this one on IFC. Andre Noble stars as 18-year old Cliff who goes out to the ghetto and hooks up with gay Toronto street hustler Butch, played by ROSWELL alum Brandon Fehr. Butch exposes Andre to a lot more than he bargains for making a rather destructive relationship. This is a very interesting look on gay teens and what they go through. This is not for everyone but I thought it was well shot and even acted. Shortly after this movie, Andre Noble died a very tragic death. I really liked the camera shots in this that looked more like a home camera and it worked this time.

About a Boy (2002): The Weitz Brothers directed this movie based on the novel by Nick Hornby. Hugh Grant stars as Will, a very immature and selfish person. Nicholas Hoult stars as Marcus, a 12 year old boy who gets picked on a lot at school and has a lot of difficulty with his suicidal mother, played well by the always-great Toni Collette. Marcus and Will soon meet and Marcus in some ways uses Will to get away from the difficult relationship with his mother. Will then starts to teach Marcus how to stick out more and not get teased so much at school. Marcus teaches Will to grow up and start caring more for people. This is my absolute favorite from Hugh Grant which I believe he agrees. Rachel Weisz also co-stars as Will's love interest later in the movie. This was a great movie showing an adult-child friendship and I was in the whole way through.

Baby Mama (2008): I'm sure this one will get some mixed opinions. SNL stars Tina Fey and Amy Poehler star in this comedy. Tina stars as a business woman who is told she cannot have kids and wants one so is recommended to Poehler who agrees to be the surrogate parent. Poehler then moves in with her since she leaves her boyfriend, played by Will Forte, and their class differences really clash. I found Steve Martin rather amusing as Tina Fey's philosophical boss. I was not sure what I was going to think of it at first but I felt it was worth the performances and it delivered some very funny moments. Greg Kinnear and Sigourney Weaver also co-star. I did enjoy the end result of the movie.

Ransom! (1956): This is the original version of the 1996 film starring Mel Gibson. Glenn Ford stars as successful businessman David whose son is kidnapped. They demand a ransom but he then makes the decision to make a public statement on tv that he will not pay and saying that if his son is not returned unharmed that he will use it to track down the kidnappers. This decision gets many mixed opinions including his wife, played by Donna Reed. Leslie Nielson co-stars as a reporter who is trying to get a story but also wants a safe return of the boy which is his film debut. This was very suspenseful and really did not need any violence to keep everyone in. I honestly have not seen the 1996 version yet and at some point I'm sure I will but I'm glad I saw this one first.

Well, that is it for this week. Tell me what you love and what you hate and stay tuned next week which will include a Korean horror film, Timothy Olyphant, Paul Giamatti, and an Italian classic.

FUN LITTLE FACTS

George Macready plays Secretary of State Cordell Hull. I played Hull in the Anderson Mainstage Theatre version of ANNIE.

Douglas Fairbanks plays Zorro in the 1920 film THE MARK OF ZORRO. I went with my friend Lisa to see THE LEGEND OF ZORRO dressed as Zorro

Welcome to the 201st Edition of my blog. I am right now 0-1 in Fantasy Football. I hope this week I can recover. My quarterback Matt Schaub really bombed and Adrian Peterson was my opponent so no real luck but hopefully my players recover this week and I stay on track. Last week, my dad suggested on my blog that I should do a documentary every week so I am going to try to do that which is not guaranteed but I will always try to look into something that is a documentary. I tried out for a couple shows in Muncie last week which were LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS and THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW but not having luck in either so we'll see what comes up next to try. This week, I pay tribute to the late Dominick Dunne and Army Archerd. I have two selections for the Random Myspace Profile selection process. Next week will at least have one but possibly two. Congrats to Kevin Skinner who won AMERICA'S GOT TALENT. I was with him quite a bit when I was on the show.

Fight Club (1999): This is a selection from the Random Myspace Profile selection process and for this one I chose Ilya plus my friend Kayla has been on me to feature this so I saw this as my chance. Edward Norton stars in this drama as a burned out office worker very since of his lonely existance where he goes to support groups and lies about what he has. He soon meets the more devious Tyler Durden, played very well by Brad Pitt, and starts an underground fight league for males to channel their aggression. They start out as just a fight club which expands through the United States but then it becomes far more when they decide to become criminals. Helena Bonham Carter stars as someone else who fakes things to get into support groups and is part of the reason it spins so out of control. Singer Meatloaf also has a good, small role. David Fincher directed this one and I recall when it first came out, I had no idea what to think but then I was very impressed.

Welcome everyone to the 200th Edition of my blog. I can't believe I have made it this far. After watching so many movies I felt it was time to give back a little bit and recommend 10 very diverse movies each week. I can't really write a detailed review so I decided on this idea and I have never really seen anyone do this format so I thought I would. Most things I start, I really don't finish but this has kept going and going. I appreciate all my supporters but need to find other outlets for this since myspace just is not the popular thing it used to be. I am paying tribute to the late Simon Dee this week. I will be including five selections from the Random Myspace Profile selection process this week which is a record here and next week I will have at least two with the possibility of three. The 208th Edition will be my four year anniversary but 200 is a great number. I did not use any special format for this, I just put out another 10 movies so read on and tell me what you think.

Carefree (1938): This is a selection from the Random Myspace Profile selection process and for this one I chose the tribute page to Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. This is the 8th of 10 collaborations between the two and this one focuses less on song and dance making it more of a screwball comedy than a musical though it still has its song and dance moments. Fred plays psychoanalyst Dr. Tony Flagg. Ginger stars as Amanda whose fiance Steven, played by Ralph Bellamy, feels he his having relationship problems and wants Dr. Flagg to help her. The situation becomes more complicated when they begin to like each other leading to some funny situations, especially the hypnosis scene. This might be my favorite collaboration I have seen so far from the two.

The Italian Job (1969): This is my tribute to Simon Dee who has a small part as the shirtmaker in this movie. He was a radio disk jockey and a BBC host for a show called DEE TIME. Elizabeth Hurley cites he is the inspiration for the Austin Powers character that many of us have come to know and now to the movie. Michael Caine stars as Charlie Croker who is just getting out of prison and is not quite ready to go straight. He takes a job which will either make or break him and his crew. Noel Coward, in his last role, plays the brains of the operation from prison. This was before Caine hit the mainstream where he was popular among Britain and fun to watch here. There are some good action scenes with a great car chase coming to a strange finale. This movie was loosely remade in 2003 with Mark Wahlberg as Croker but a much different story. That version was every bit as good as this one if not better but this got it started.

Barfly (1987): This is another selection from the Random Myspace Profile selection process and for this one I chose Jasmin St. Claire who used to run the wrestling promotion 3PW. She was also involved with Extreme Championship Wrestling and now to the movie. This is based on the writer Charles Bukowski which is based on his autobiographical story. Mickey Rourke plays Henry, the one based on Bukowski, who never really cared about being "someone" and was content going to the bar and getting into fights with the bartender. Faye Dunaway stars as his love interest Wanda who is not much better off than he is leading to some pretty volatile situations. Frank Stallone co-stars as the tough-guy bartender Eddie who is not a big fan of Henry which is is best performance. Rourke was also very good and in my opinion his best movie of the 80s until you-know-what from 2008. I don't think too many people even need to guess that one.

Oyster Farmer (2004): This is a selection from the Random Myspace Selection process and for this one I chose the page for MOONLIGHT alum Alex O'Loughlin. Anna Reaves wrote and directed this movie which stars O'Loughlin as drifter Jack Flange who sends himself a package of money and ends up in a small town in order to retrieve it but sees that it is missing. He then gets a job at an oyster farm making many friends and falling in love with a mail carrier named Trish. It is an interesting look at small-town life but it did get pretty slow for me thinking it might miss the mark but about the last 20 minutes get very good and worth seeing O'Loughlin.

Bleach: Memories of Nobody (2006): This is my anime film for the week which is based on the tv series. I don't include much in Anime but when it presents itself to me, I usually jump at the chance to put it in here. In the town of Karakura, many unidentified spirits come into the town in masses leaving Ichigo and Rukia to see what is going on. They meet a mysterious girl named Senna who wipes out a lot of the spirits but refuses to speak of who she is. This is something where you don't really need to watch the series of BLEACH to get into this one where we get to know the characters pretty quick and have some good action.

Head (1968): This is a selection from the Random Myspace Profile selection process and for this one I chose The DVD Marquee. This is the first and only movie put out my the Monkees after their sitcom canceled. The Monkees, which consist of Micky Dolenz, Peter Tork, Davy Jones, and Mike Nesmith, are sent in to a surrealistic dream-like world which consists of the Vietnam War, film-making, and the media's treatment of the band. There really is not a real plot except to make a political statement and a statement towards the media playing some of the best music showing they are more than "fluff". There are many cameos which include Annette Funicello, Timothy Carey, Jack Nicholson, Sonny Liston, Dennis Hopper, and many others.

Tropic Thunder (2008): This is the last of the Random Myspace Profile selection process for this week and for this week I chose my Myspace friend Marcus A. Fine who is known as the #1 wrestling fan in Indiana. He mentioned in his movies anything from Jack Black so I chose this one. Ben Stiller directed this comedy where he stars as actor Tugg Speedman whose career is on the decline. Jack Black plays Jeff Portnoy who is an actor known for his crude and low-brow humor. Robert Downey Jr. plays Kirk Lazarus, an actor willing to do just about anything to get a part. Together, they are in a serious war film which turns much more real than what they expected. Downey was great as Lazarus who decides to turn his skin black so he can get the part of the African-American where he stays in character throughout the movie doing quite the imatation of a black man. I really did not find his portrayal as racist which I'm sure some did as I feel it was done pretty tastefully and I'm sure the Wayans got much less heat for playing white girls. The other two also hold their own in their efforts to stay alive in Southeast Asia. Tom Cruise was rather amusing as the movie studio big shot who really only cared about money. He looked much different than usual and was a good supporting role for him. Others include Matthew McConaughey, Nick Nolte, Brandon T. Jackson, and many others. I really enjoyed this violent comedy and found it to be very clever. The beginning consists of some good "previews" from the fictional actors with some more cameos.

Latin Lovers (1953): Lana Turner stars in this romantic comedy as Nora Taylor, a very rich woman who fears men love her more for her money but her fiance Paul, played by John Lund has a lot of money of his own. She goes with him on a trip to Brazil for a polo trip and in the process meeting Roberto Santos, a very charming man who Nora becomes smitten with and takes a liking to him making things complicated between John and Roberto who both really like Nora. I found this on TCM and worth it for the scenery, Lana Turner and even Ricardo Montalban who I seem to use a lot on here lately.