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Shaun Berk

Shaun Berkey


Last Updated: 8/8/2009

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Gender: Male
Status: Single
Age: 28
Sign: Gemini

City: Muncie
State: Indiana
Country: US
Signup Date: 8/18/2005

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Sunday, November 08, 2009 

Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities
Welcome to the 208th Edition of my blog which is also the FOUR YEAR ANNIVERSARY. I cannot believe I have stuck to this for so long. After years of trying to watch all the movies on AFI's top 100 lists, I came up with an idea to actually put out a blog of ten different movies. I can't really write a detailed review like some so I came up with this and it has come a long way. I rack my brain each week trying to come up with what I want in the blog but having people read it is worth it. I want to thank many people like Jerry, Jeremy the Critic, Shelley, Elizabeth, Royce, the Critic Wannabe, Mitch, Tony D, Tony F, Ben, Freddie, Jenny, Jeff, Clifford, filmarcade.com, and many others. This week, I pay tribute to August Coppola (Nicolas Cage's father). I also have two selections from the Random Myspace Profile selection process, next week will have three, possibly four.

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.

Up in Smoke(1978): This is a selection from the Random Myspace Profile selection process and for this one I chose my myspace friend Tabitha. This is the debut film for the comedy duo of Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong and become unknowing members of a marijuana smuggling plot where they have a van made of hemp. This one is considered by me and most other people to be the best of the Cheech and Chong films and has music numbers sung by Cheech Marin. Stacy Keach plays the incompetant detective trying to stop the smuggling. Tom Skerritt has an interesting part in the beginning. This was a great drug movie with the big joint, the meeting of Cheech and Chong and the great finale. They were really two people trying to pursue a music career.

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.

The Love Bug (1968): This is part of the Random Myspace Profile Selection process and for this one I chose Andrew. This is a racing movie that centers around washed up racer named Jim Douglas, played by Dean Jones, who just can't win who then finds a car that seems to have a mind of its own and he begins to win races believing that it is him winning instead of the car. Buddy Hackett is funny as Tennessee who is Jim's mechanic who sees that the car has human qualities which he then names Herbie. David Tomlinson plays Thorndyke who does what he can to get that car and stop Jim from winning the race. Michelle Lee plays Thorndyke's employee and love interest to Jim. This is a live action Disney film which had a car that was really snubbed an Oscar nomination which I felt the Academy discriminated just because he was a car. If you never thought cars had feelings, think again.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931): I found this adaptation of the Robert Louis Stevenson classic on TCM and watched it for the Horror Movie Madness again so I was glad to see this one come up. Fredric March plays the title characters in this one in the classic story where Dr. Jekyll wants to prove that in every person is a good side and evil side and believes that he can expose the good side to make people much better. He wanted to experiment on someone but no one volunteered so he tries it on himself becoming the evil Mr. Hyde and does things that Jekyll would not do. Rose Hobart plays Muriel Carew which is Jekyll's fiancee but her father is finding him hard to approve for his daughter. Miriam Hopkins is good as Nightclub singer Ivy Pierson who Mr. Hyde targets for many reasons. The Mr. Hyde persona was done very well where he was very scary looking and March did a good job playing both people. There was also some very good special effects that still look pretty good in a time when computers did not exist and no one had CGI. This movie was made a little before the Hollywood code came around and got away with a lot but would later get some things cut like a lot of Hopkins' work. This is a very good adaptation of the classic and is worth a view.
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

Sunday, November 01, 2009 

Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities
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
Sunday, October 25, 2009 

Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities
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.


Blood: The Last Vampire (2009): I watched this expecting to just include it in the contest I am in but I found myself really liking this and decided to put it in here. This is based on the 2000 short Anime film of the same title which I really did not get into this month. Gianna Jun plays Saya, a vampire/human who is taking out one vampire at a time. Allison Miller plays Alice, a general's daughter who joins Saya in her fight against the vampires. This live-action film has a lot of gore, plot is not great but I had a lot of fun. This selection will probably garner some mixed opinions but oh well.

Well, that is it for this week. Tell me what you love and what you hate and stay tuned for the 207th Edition which is one closer to the 4 year anniversary of my blog and it includes a documentary, a French film.

HORROR MOVIE MADNESS: BAD BABY EDITION- WEEK 3

1. The Spookshow (2008, 2.5 stars, 2 points): This is an independent film from myspace friend Bob Ignazio which takes place around Halloween and has a vicious killer. The movie has quite a bit of gore to it.

2. Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964, 3 stars, 4 points): I am requesting four points here because a group of elementary children were endangered during the fight between the two monsters.

3. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931, 3 stars, 2 points): Fredric March plays the title characters here and is pretty raunchy and violent for the time.

4. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941, 3 stars, 2 points): Spencer Tracy plays the title part here in what was pretty much a remake of the 1931 film but focusing more on Hyde's emotions rather than him as a monster. It does have some strange and suggestive imagery one scene when he is becoming Hyde.

5. Wasson's Haunted Corn Maze (2009, 2 points): This is a haunted corn maze being put on by Muncie Civic Theater that I have taken part in some which costs $10. This is such a great contest to put events like these. My facebook friends Marty, Lisa, Bob, and Jennifer participated in this with me.

6. The Fifth Element (1997, 3 stars, 2 points): I know this is mostly sci-fi but I am trying to get this one counted because of the element of people trying to save the world and mankind, especially towards the end. I felt there was a possible apocalypse element to it.

7. House on Haunted Hill (1959, 3 stars, 2 points): This atmospheric film needs no explanation.

8. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1996, 3 stars, 1 point): Decent introduction to the series I grew up with.

9. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1996, 3 stars, 1 point): The second part to the pilot.

10. Blood: The Last Vampire (2009, 3 stars, 2 points): No explanation needed here

11. Revenge of the Creature (1955, 2 stars, 2 points): The tragic hero returns and is captured and brought to an aquarium for everyone to see. I liked the first one a lot better but this entertains and Clint Eastwood makes his film debut in a bit role. I have come to feel that the Creature and King Kong are a lot a like in that they both mind their own business but man has to come in and interupt their lives and both of them known how to love women as well.

12. The Creature Walks Among Us (1957, 2.5 stars, 2 points): This time the tragic hero is captured by scientist and is given more human organs to breathe air instead of water. When will they just leave him alone?

13. Little Shop of Horrors (2009, 2 points): This is the current production at Muncie Civic Theater which is the great musical about the man-eating plant who sets out to take over the world.

14. Dance of the Dead (2008, 3 stars, 2 points): While everyone is doing ZOMBIELAND and some SHAUN OF THE DEAD, I might be the first to pull out this zombie comedy for this contest. This was actually quite entertaining.

15. Hard Candy (2005, 3.5 stars, 4 points): I believe this should fall under the category of torture where a 14 year old girl takes a man hostage believing he is a molester and tortures him to no end. Ellen Page is great in this movie with Patrick Wilson also good. Ellen Page's antagonist/protagonist, whatever you want to see her as, character is 14 so I am seeing about 4 points on this one.

16. Bedazzled (2000, 2.5 stars, 2 points): In this Brendan Fraser comedy, Elizabeth Hurley plays the Devil which is a character. I guess that is the closest I have to a "loophole" this week.

17. God vs. Satan: The Final Battle (2008, 3 stars, 2 points): I found this one on the History channel which explores the battle between the two from the viewpoints of the Christians, Jewish, and Islam so talks a lot about Hell and Satan so I am hoping to get points here plus there are lots of specials on the starting this week that pertain to Halloween.

18. Man With the Screaming Brain (2005, 3 stars, 2 points): This variation of FRANKENSTEIN was written and directed by Bruce Campbell and distributed through Anchor Bay. I remember getting this for Christmas a couple years ago and watched it with my dad and stepbrother and even my dad referred to this as "ingenius".

I believe that is 38 points
Saturday, October 17, 2009 

Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities
Welcome to the 205th Edition of my blog. I have one selection from the Random Myspace Profile selection process. Next week will have none. I am releasing this one a little early since I don't know when I'll be home tomorrow because I'm trying out again for AMERICA'S GOT TALENT to give it another shot. Get out your Netflix and Blockbuster Queues and read on.

The Union: The Business of Getting High (2007): I saw this movie at Pruis Hall for the viewing of the Truth Movement group at Ball State. This is a great documentary which talks about that drug marijuana. Brett Harvey directed this and goes around to explore the history of marijuana and hemp which is used for it along with the effects. They made a big argument that there really are no effects and that it has always been blown way out of proportion. It shows how alcohol and cigarettes lead into more deaths than marijuana. People being interviewed include Joe Rogan and Tommy Chong plus many other politicians and doctors who support the legalization. There are also some interesting comparisons to Prohibition of 1920 showing how criminals take full advantage of the prohibition. This movie has some humorous moments, good archival footage, and soundtrack. I also enjoyed seeing Tommy Chong reflect on his life and his recent arrest. I have only seen him in shows and movies playing the stoner but he was very informative in what he had to say. I will start by saying that I do not smoke pot but I do support the legalization of it. If you are totally against pot, this could change your mind. For you stoners out there, you will love this one.

Ocean's Eleven (2001): This is a selection from the Random Myspace Profile selection process and for this one I chose Juliana. This is a remake of the 1960 film which starred the Rat Pack. Steven Soderbergh directed this film which stars George Clooney as Danny Ocean who is just getting paroled from prison and goes straight...straight into plans for a heist of three casinos. He then gets a group together that consists of Brad Pitt, Elliot Gould, Scott Caan, Casey Affleck, Bernie Mac, Carl Reiner, Matt Damon, among others. Andy Garcia plays Terry Benedict, the head of the casinos and Julia Roberts is Tess, Danny's ex-wife who is now with Terry. Reiner is very amusing as one of the elderly members of the heist. I have seen the original one a while back but have not seen any of these until now and I must say it kept me engaged the whole movie. There is an interesting opening scene with Brad Pitt trying to teach former tv stars like CHARMED alum Holly Marie Combs, 7TH HEAVEN alum Barry Watson, and THAT 70S SHOW alum Topher Grace how to play poker.

The General (1926): I actually had the pleasure of viewing this silent comedy classic on the big screen at the Paramount Theater in Anderson. Ball State was shooting a movie and needed extras so the reward was to see this movie. This is considered by many to be Buster Keaton's best work and though there are others of his I prefer, this was a very groundbreaking comedy. Buster stars as Johnny Gray, a train conductor during the Civil War. He tries to enlist in the south but is declined because they feel he is valuable as a train conductor. The woman he loves, Annabelle Lee, believes that he is a coward and will not speak to him unless he is in uniform. Things change when his locomotive is stolen and at the same time they kidnap Annabelle Lee. He then sets out to rescue Annabelle Lee with some comic results on a train as he is pursuing soldiers in the north. He is able to come up with all kinds of hilarious gags on that train. It is loosely based on a true story but I'm sure not this funny as Buster Keaton, like Chaplin, made comedy out of some pretty dark events just not as extreme as Chaplin.

Written on the Wind (1956): Douglas Sirk directed this great drama which stars UNSOLVED MYSTERIES alum Robert Stack as Kyle Hadley, a rich playboy who marries Lucy, played by Lauren Bacall. Lucy is secretly loved by Kyle's best friend Mitch Wayne, played by Rock Hudson. Kyle learns that he is sterile but his wife gets pregnant causing him to suspect Mitch of having an affair. Dorothy Malone plays Kyle's conniving sister who watch Mitch for herself and puts the belief in his head that Mitch and Lucy are having the affair which leads to disastrous results. The performances by all were great and was a soap opera and love story with intelligence. I really liked Malone in this movie.

Shortbus (2006): The Facebook friend I chose for this week was Zach who I was in 12 BAR BLUES with at the Muncie Civic Studio Theater. This movie is by no means for everyone, I'll get that out of the way now. John Cameron Mitchell wrote and directed this movie. First we got Rob and Sophia, a happy couple but Sophia, who is a sex therapist, has never experienced an orgasm. Jamie and James are a gay couple and James wants to bring a third man into the relationship. Sophia then goes into a world she has never seen where she meets a dominatrix and they help each other with their lives. This movie does not hold back at all. Soon-Yik Lee was great as Sophia and the rest of the actors also fare pretty well for most having acted for the first time. I admit, there were times even I had to turn my head but still enjoyed this movie.

San Quentin (1937): Lloyd Bacon directs this prison film which was an early role for Humphrey Bogart as inmate Red Kennedy. Pat O'Brien is an army trainer named Captain Jameson, who is assigned to be the head of the prison. It's a big place but he immediately starts getting results but takes interest in Kennedy, feeling he just got a bad break and can reform. Ann Sheridan plays Red's sister May and forms a relationship with the prison captain. One of the prisoners tries to stir up trouble with Kennedy when he spreads rumors on his sister and the captain leading into some bad decisions. This was an interesting film depicting prison of a place of rehabilitation and that people can change. O'Brien was very good and Barton Maclane co-stars as the previous corrupt captain who plays the role very well.

The Field (1990): Jim Sheridan directed this movie that takes place in Ireland which centers around "Bull" McCabe, played very well by Richard Harris, whose family has farmed for many years and have given much of his sweat and tears to the field. Then "the Widow" who the Bull pays rent to, played by Frances Tomelty, decides to put up the land for sale. The Bull is determined to take it but an American comes in feeling he must make highways out of it. Tom Berenger plays "The American" who very much dismays the Bull when he buys the property Bull feels is his so Bull takes some very drastic measures to keep it. Sean Bean also co-stars as Bull's son who is clearly intimidated by his father but very loyal to him. This was rather moving but pretty dark too. The Irish scenery was great and I always love that Irish music. John Hurt was pretty amusing as Bird adding some comic relief.

Hyde and Hare (1955): This is my Looney Tunes short for the week where Bugs Bunny meets a nice, quiet man who gets him carrots and insists that the man adopt him. Bugs does not know this person is really Dr. Jekyll whose evil side of Mr. Hyde tries to harm Bugs with a comical end result. This is well worth the seven minutes.

Robocop (1987): I found this 80s action classic on IFC and I had not seen it in some time so it was time to bring it back on here. Peter Weller stars as the title character who is first an officer named Alex Murphy, who is murdered, then reconstructed by a massive company who first develops a crime-fighting robot that goes absolutely awry. They then develop Robocop who cares about nothing but fighting crime but when going after the people who had him killed, he slowly develops his memories back. This is an interesting futuristic film taking place in the not-so-distant Detroit. I never realized how satirical this movie is on finding ways to reduce crime and developing this technology that can go awry or be clouded by corruption within the company. THAT 70S SHOW alum Kurtwood Smith and REAPER star Ray Wise co-star as a couple of the thugs who made the mistake of killing Murphy. Paul Verhoeven directed this movie which I feel is his best work. I also liked the use of the phony commercials and newscasts. This is a great blend of action and satire and very innovative for its time.

Creature From the Black Lagoon (1954): I end with this Universal horror film which shows a group of people on a scientific expedition to the Amazon river only to encounter the title character. One of the people in the group becomes obsessed with catching this creature and while succeeding, he only escapes with Kay who the creature likes throwing in that BEAUTY AND THE BEAST theme. I have seen this one in the past but this time I analyzed it more like I did the last featured film on here and realize that the Creature is really the tragic hero in all this. It did not seem to mean much harm until man does the usual and fears the unknown so he had to defend himself however he needed to. This is a really good one of the later Universal films and starts this part of the sci-fi genre.

Well, that is it for this week. Tell me what you love and what you hate and stay tuned for next week which includes Edward James Olmos, Paul Muni, an Australian film.

HORROR MOVIE MADNESS: BAD BABY WEEK 2

I didn't quite match my score from last week but we'll see how others do. Kelsey is the only one who can really take off with the lead right now but we'll see what I can do next week. Maybe if I didn't focus so much on my recommendations blog and focused on this I would do better but I still have a method for my recommendations that I still stick to. I am releasing this early because I don't know when I'll be home tomorrow.

1. It Lives Again (1978, 1.5 stars, 6 points): I got the sequel in which is good for entertainment value but does not match IT'S ALIVE which I used last week. These babies are crazy. Larry Cohen wrote and directed again. Liz, if your baby turns out like this, please stop it. Don't be like the parents in the first two and try to protect the baby.

2. The French Connection (1971, 2.5 stars, 2 points): Directed by William Friedkin, not one of my favorite movies but a good loophole for me, I'll check it out again sometime when I'm in a better mood to put it into the recommendations

3. Bubba Ho-Tep (2003, 4 stars, 2 points): We got a collaboration between Don Coscarelli and Bruce Campbell which is probably very high on my list of favorites. Just to let everyone know, Bruce Campbell plays an aging Elvis in a nursing home, who claims to be the real person and took the name from an impersonator who had died. Ossie Davis plays JFK who survives the assassination but is turned black by the government. Together, they team up to take on a mummy who is feeding off of souls in the nursing home. It is a true story except the part of the mummy. What's the Horror Movie Madness without some Bruce.

4. It's Alive 3: Island of the Alive (1987, 2 stars, 6 points): The last of the evil baby trilogy. Michael Moriarty stars as a father who does not believe these evil babies should die so the judge puts them on an island. Moriarty had a strange, over-the-top performance.

5. Baby, It's You (1983, 3 stars, 2 points): This is my John Sayles loophole for the week which stars Rosanna Arquette and Vincent Spano in this coming-of-age film. No evil babies or endangered children, or even violence, just a loophole. I know no one would no what to think if I didn't take advantage of "does not need to be horror".

6. Jekyll: Episode 4 (2007, 3.5 stars, 1 point): I'm liking this more and more. This is a really cool variation of the Stevenson classic.

7. Creature From the Black Lagoon (1955 3 stars, 2 points): The only one on here that was on my recommendations but that doesn't mean these others won't be though

8. Jekyll: Episode 5 (2007, 3.5 stars, 2 points): Yes, you see that right, I am trying to argue for double points here. It was not really like this on the other episodes but in this particular episode, Dr. Jackman's two twin children are put in quite a bit of danger with the Mr. Hyde persona and the people who work at the scientific lab who want Mr. Hyde for their own purposes. We learn more and more of the connection between Tom Jackman and Henry Jekyll who James Nesbitt plays in the flashback scenes.

9. Jekyll: Episode 6: Hyde (2007, 3.5 stars, 2 points): This is series finale and an episode where Dr. Jackman's children and wife were abducted by a secret agency to get to Mr. Hyde. I really enjoyed this British series which was left open for another series but I guess they did not decide to pursue it since what more could they do but a great show from BBC

10. My Name is Bruce (2007, 3.5 stars, 2 points): Bruce Campbell directed this great one where he plays himself. An obsessed fan of his from a small town encounters a real monster and believes Bruce can really do all the things he can in the movie. This is great seeing him to a parody on himself.
Sunday, October 11, 2009 

Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities
Welcome to the 204th Edition of my long-running series. This week, I pay tribute to the late writer Jim Carroll. I am now 1-3 in Fantasy Football, I'm not giving up though. This week starts the Horror Movie Madness contest so I'll be putting on more horror than usual but still have priority towards this blog.

Gonzo: The Life and Work of Hunter S. Thompson (2008): This is my documentary for the week which centers upon the fearless journalist of the name in the title. It takes a look into his early life, then into his first big article doing a piece on the Hell's Angels biker gang, into his later days as the gonzo reporter who wrote a lot for Rolling Stone. Johnny Depp narrates this great documentary and played Thompson in FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS. This was very insightful looking into some writings and home-videos with some interviews from him and his other peers. He was one who no matter what you might think, he made his mark on this world.

Night of the Ghouls (1959): This is my two part Ed Wood series and this one is not as "good" as last week's but this one still entertains. This movie centers around a phony psychic who is named Dr. Acula, get it? He is making it look like he is raising up loved ones of gullible patrons. He then discovers, and it may not be a good thing, that he may not be as phony as he thinks. Tor Johnson was amusing as Lobo. This is a sequel to BRIDE OF THE MONSTER which was not released until 1982 because Ed Wood never paid the lab bill. Like PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE, Criswell narrates the movie but this time in a coffin and always gives some strange narration. Ed Wood absolutely earned his title "The Worst Director of All Time" but still entertains just how he hoped.

Dracula's Daughter (1936): This Universal sequel picks up right where the classic 1931 Legosi film leaves off. Gloria Holden stars as Countess Marya Zaleska who seeks the aid psychiatrist Jeffrey Garth, played by Otto Kruger, to free herself from the spell of Dracula. We also see Van Helsing, played by Edward Von Sloan, having to defend himself for a certain murder he committed. He is the one that brings Dr. Garth in hopes he will help prove his point of vampires. Zaleska realizes that burning the body of Dracula is not the only thing it takes to free herself and then bodies start turning up. This was a pretty good sequel making the title character sympathetic. Not my favorite of the Univeral film but still entertains and is nicely atmospheric. Holden was very good as the title character but prefer BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN.

La Cotta (1967): I got this from the Criterion Collection box of IL POSTO which I featured last week and this week I used Ermanno Olmi's short film which was a tv featurette but a very good one. It focuses on a young boy and his first love. He takes quite an approach to picking up girls and meets a very unexpected one towards the end. This was pretty well done and if you find IL POSTO, check these Italian films out.

The Basketball Diaries (1995): This movie is based on the autobiographical novel by Jim Carroll who would go onto becoming a poet, singer, and songwriter. This takes place in his early days when he was the best on his high school basketball team but ruin any chances of a basketball career with his drug addiction and wrong group of friends. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Carroll very well. OZ alum Ernie Hudson plays a former junkie who tries to get Carroll to turn his life around even taking note of his early writings. A young Mark Wahlberg plays one of his degenerate friends. SOPRANOS alums Lorraine Bracco, Michael Imperioli, and Vincent Pastore all have small parts in the film as well as Juliette Lewis, Bruno Kirby, and Michael Rapaport. It is hard to watch and may not be for everyone but is a compelling film and interesting to see young talent before they rose like Mark Wahlberg.

Hello Again (1987): I admit, I was on the fence here quite a bit but decided to recommend this as my date movie for the week. CHEERS alum Shelley Long plays Lucy, the wife of a plastic surgeon named Jason, played by Corbin Bernsen. She ends up choking on a chicken bone and dying. Everyone moves on except her sister Zelda, played by Judith Ivey, who deals in the occult and uses a spell to bring her back. Upon her return, she finds her husband is with her friend, played by Sela Ward, and everything has changed in that year. She then meets another doctor who is played by Gabriel Byrne. This is an idea that could have worked so well if it was played like a satire but instead was used as a romantic comedy thus becoming the "date movie" for the week instead of much more. I liked it more towards the end where it shows how her choices can effect others. The music score seemed like the typical sappy music score for 80s movies so that did not sit well with me as I am the sucker to a good music score, I don't know how to explain it. Shelley Long was fun.

This is Not a Love Song (2002): This is a British movie which I found on Netflix. This movie focuses on two friends, Heaton and Spike. Spike is released from Prison while Heaton has stolen a truck. However, they run out of gas and when trying to steal from a farm, the owner threatens them which leads to Spike accidentally killing his Daughter. They then go on the run, not from the law but from the locals of the town. While this movie was not without flaw, it still managed to keep me. I thought the low-budget camerawork was rather fascinating and Michael Colgan and Kenneth Glenaan worked very well together. I also liked the use of the title song by Public Image LTD. I was very glad that I viewed this movie and am glad to promote it on here.

It's Alive (1974): I admit I had never heard of this until I joined the Horror Movie Madness marathon and learned I would get triple points for this one about a murderous baby. Larry Cohen directs this movie where the Davis couple are excited to have a new addition to the family but things change when the baby ends up killing many people in the hospital and sets off on a killing spree. It was interesting that while no one liked the situation, no one seemed very surprised that the baby was going around killing everyone. It is not for everyone and if you take it too seriously, you might not like it. This would spawn a trilogy and remake. That baby was probably the ugliest baby of all time so if you think your baby is ugly take a look at this one and you'll feel much better. It was interesting how they really made parenting seem negative and not having kids was the way to go so I liked that rare message in film so it makes my list. Bernard Herrman wrote a pretty good music score.

The Whistler (1944): I found this fascinating film on TCM which is actually the first of an underrated series of films. Richard Dix stars as Earl Conrad who believes his wife has died and decides he wants to die but cannot bring himself to actually kill himself so he pays a man to do the deed for him. When word reaches him that his wife dies, he decides he does not want to die but can't cancel the hit. Gloria Stuart, who many may know from TITANIC, co-stars. This was a really nice B-Film Noir with Dix great in the lead role.

Belle Epoque (1992): I watched this instantly on Netflix. This movie focuses on a soldier named Fernando during the Spanish Civil War who deserts the army. He then stays on a farm with an elderly man who he becomes good friends with. He then learns that he has four daughters who all like him and he must decide which one to be with. This was a really good foreign comedy that takes place in 1931 and is great to see some diversion from stereotype. A young Penelope Cruz plays the youngest of the daughters and was very good. This movie managed to keep my attention the whole way through and was a comedy that did not need all kinds of gags and such. This movie won an Academy Award for Best Foreign film and one I am glad to have watched.

Well, that is it for this week. Tell me what you love and what you hate and stay tuned for next week which includes a documentary, Julia Roberts, Buster Keaton, Lauren Bacall

HORROR MOVIE MADNESS: BAD BABY WEEK 1

A couple years ago, I was in this contest where I became as they said "Master of the Loopholes" as I took full advantage of their "Does not have to be horror" with Bruce Campbell, Clancy Brown, and many others. They must have taken note of what I did and while allowing loopholes, not as much plus it focuses more on what it says anyways...Bad Baby. So Bruce Campbell work like SPIDER-MAN does not count because he did not direct it and it does not lend to horror. I also used SPONGEBOB, THE JACKIE CHAN ADVENTURES because of Clancy Brown while finding lots of Bruce. I probably won't do as much of the loophole thing this time as I am trying to clear things out of my Netflix queue but I'm sure I'll surprise you. They want me to do ratings and I hate rating movies so I'll do the best I can in my ratings of up to 4 stars.

1. Tell Me Something (1999, 2.5 stars, 2 points): In this Korean film, a troubled detective investigates brutal serial killings.

2. Phantasm (1979 2.5 stars, 2 points): I need no explanation here on why this needs to be included but is is of Don Coscarelli whose movies I can use.

3. The Last Temptation of Christ (1988 3.5 stars, 164 minutes 2.5 points?): Here is what we might call a loophole and I ask this one be included because Satan is a character, though used in a strange image but falls into the rules of the game. If you will count this movie, it is over two hours and rules state that gets you extra points

4. Plan 9 From Outer Space (1959 2 stars, 2 points): This Ed Wood film contains zombies making it qualify for this contest.

5. Dracula (1931 Spanish version 3 stars, 2 points): This is the Spanish version of the classic so I can still watch Legosi's version.

6. Night of the Ghouls (1959 1.5 stars, 2 points): There were a lot of ghosts.

7. Dracula's Daughter (1936 2.5 stars, 2 points): No explanation needed here.

8. Hello Again (1987 2 stars, 2 points): I ask this one be counted because there are dealings of witchcraft that was used to bring back the dead.

9. The Exorcist (1973, 4 stars, 3 points?): As someone who is not as big of fan of the genre, I have always regarded this and HALLOWEEN as the two best horror films.

10. Bride of the Monster (1955, 1.5 stars, 2 points): Probably the last of the Ed Wood movies on here.

11. Dracula (1931, 3.5 stars, 2 points): The one that made Dracula iconic and Bela Legosi in the film that would make him an icon in the years to com, much better than the last one I watched.

12. House of Dracula (1945, 3 stars, 2 points): This was a great showcase of monsters including Dracula (John Carradine), Wolf Man (Lon Chaney Jr.), and Frankenstein's Monster (Glenn Strange). Much better than VAN HELSING many years later.

13. It's Alive (1974, 2.5 stars, 6 points): I got the one with triple points, I don't need much explanation.

14. Swamp Thing (1982, 3 stars, 2 points): Wes Craven directed this great cult classic. I also want to send my condolences to Dick Durock who donned the Swamp Thing costume.

15. Mars Attacks (1996, 3 stars, 2 points): I am going to put in an argument for this one. I know that not all sci-fi counts, but I don't consider this a pure sci-fi film. I thought with as murderous as the aliens were that this is more of a sci-fi horror comedy.

16. Jekyll: Episode 1 (2007, 3 stars, 1 point): I found this BBC interpretation of the Robert Louis Stevenson classic on DVD so I thought I would check this out and it was pretty good so far. James Nesbitt stars as Dr. Jackman who is a descendant of Dr. Jekyll and seems to inherit Mr. Hyde and does what he must for Hyde to not harm his family. They do not know that they have many people watching both of them. This is a pretty good conspiracy thriller with Nesbitt good as the lead role.

17. Jekyll: Episode 2 (2007, 3 stars, 1 point)

18. Jekyll: Episode 3 (2007, 3 stars, 1 point)

19. Blood: The Last Vampire (2007, 2.5 stars, 1 point): This is my anime film for the contest which centers on Vampires making it qualify for this list.

20. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Episode name: Cockroaches (2007, 3 stars, 1 point): William Friedkin directed this episode.

I believe this is 40.5 points for this week.
Sunday, October 04, 2009 

Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities
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.

Advice from a Caterpillar (1999): I might get some heat and this one may not be for everyone but I am here to accomadate to all groups as much as I can so think of this one as a good date movie and one for female friends to get together and watch. It is a rather strange love story with SEX AND THE CITY alum Cynthia Nixon plays an artist named Missy who is seeing a married man and not in a hurry for love. NEWSRADIO alum Andy Dick plays her gay friend Spaz who is an actor turned caterer. Spaz then starts to see a bi-sexual man named Brat, played by Timothy Olyphant, and Missy takes interest in him. This is what it is so if you're looking for the big blockbuster you had better not see this and if you want a romantic comedy, this may not be it. I did feel that Andy Dick gave a pretty good performance in this one and Nixon did too. I did crack up when two grown men played Candyland without any kids around.
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.
The Last Temptation of Christ (1988): Martin Scorsese directed this interpretation of Christ from the novel by Nikos Kazantzakis. Willem Dafoe stars as Jesus Christ who is portrayed as more humanistic. He has fears of being the chosen one of God and does not understand why so he does what he can to make God hate him including making crosses for the Romans with a very strange image of him with the cross. He gets put through much temptation and the final one shows him leading a normal life with Mary Magdalene, played very well by Mary Magdalene. Harvey Keitel plays Judas, who is portrayed here like his adviser. David Bowie has a small part as Pontius Pilate. This is a project which Scorsese tried to get off the ground for many years but due to much religious protest struggled. If you're expecting to watch it for the gospel, this is not one you want to see. However, I do not believe this disgraces Christ. It just portrays a man who must come to terms with his destiny which is very difficult. Peter Gabriel wrote an awesome music score for the film showing he is far more than SLEDGEHAMMER. Scorsese had to do this film on a very limited budget and succeeded big time. To watch this will require a very open-mind as it does not really go by the bible much but still shows a great spiritual journey.

Plan 9 From Outer Space (1959): This is my classic bad film for the week directed by the legendary "Worst Director of all Time" Ed Wood. Some very bitter aliens land on the planet to resurrect the dead into zombies to march on the capitals of the world so they bring back Bela Legosi, Vampira, and professional wrestler Tor Johnson from the dead to wreak havoc. Have I hooked you yet? Bela Legosi co-stars in his last film and things became very difficult when he died during filming and some of his scenes had not been filmed yet so they get the great idea for the replacement actor to cover his face with a cape so sometimes you see Bela but other times you see some guy with a cape over his face. Surely sci-fi and b-movie buffs are hooked now. So come see some really bad acting, very low-budget which was very clear, bad directing which would go onto become a masterpiece for Wood and the greatest of the bad movies. Just remember what the real-life Criswell says in his disclaimer of the "sworn testimony".

Dracula (1931): No, this is not the classic from Bela Legosi, this is the Spanish version that Universal filmed at the same time as the other version which used the same set but different story elements though both centering on Dracula. This was actually every bit as good in my opinion as its 1931 brother. We first see Boris Renfield before he becomes the lunatic when visiting Dracula in a real estate deal and falling under the spell of Dracula. Dracula then sets out to go to another part of the world and targets Eva, usually known as Mina. Pablo Alvarez Ribio was great as Renfield. This version is actually longer than the other version and has all the same great characters we all know but found it to be more compelling than the other one as much as I like Legosi's version. I found this on the Dracula: Legacy Collection DVD which contains many of the Universal films so it's worth a shot to take for the classic horror buffs and buffs in general.

Sita Sings the Blues (2008): I found this animation tale of a break-up on the Link network. Nina Paley spent about five years creating this film which is about the indian tale of the Ramayana set to '20s Jazz music by Annette Hanshaw. This focuses on a relationship with a man that she loves but is abducted by the ruler of Lanka forcing her into a marriage. I'm not going to get too detailed on this plot, what really is awesome is the animation and the music incorporated with it. It is very clear the passion and hard work that Paley put into this movie to get it made. This is also an animated tribute to Bollywood. If you can find this, it might be worth your time to check it out. What was also interesting was the people in the background kind of commentating on the events.

The Uneasy Three (1925): I end with this silent short comedy from Charley Chase. His name does not live on like Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and even Harold Lloyd but still made some pretty good short films. In this one, he is part of an inept heist group trying to steal a valuable jewel while posing as the band. They attempt to play and convince everyone that robbers are there to rob them. Chase's thing was usually playing people who are apparently charming and gentile but turn out to be losers. Great for silent film buffs and just people who are into the "Big 3" to take a look at him.

Well, that is it for this week. Stay tuned for next week which will include Johnny Depp, Ed Wood, Gloria Holden, Ermanno Olmi, Leonardo Dicaprio, Shelley Long.

HONORABLE MENTION

Tom Cherry: Featuring Harvey Pekar in here gave me the idea to also give a friend/local cartoonist in Muncie some recognition. Tom has been writing the cartoon THOSE FUNKY IDIOTS for many years now and puts as much work into that as I do into my blog. He has been featured in the Muncie Star Press and has found other outlets for his strip including some home live-action videos where he plays the main character and if you search youtube with the title you will find some of his shows. I worked with him in BIG RIVER and a few years ago when we were asked to be witnesses in a mock trial. Tom is a good guy and very funny person and maybe someone will see this and get him some big break like Harvey Pekar got. All I ask in return Tom is that if you ever get a tv show, movie, or cartoon going with this is to give me a part. Also check out some more of his work on https://www.thosefunkyidiots.com. Also go see him in November as he stars in WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF at the Muncie Civic Studio Theater.

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Saturday, September 26, 2009 

Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities
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
Saturday, September 19, 2009 

Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities
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.

The Boys in the Band (1970): I start out this week with my tribute to the late Dominick Dunne who was the executive producer of this movie. Mr. Dunne won a bronze star for saving a soldier during the Battle of the Bulge. He also wrote some movies and novels including A SEASON IN PURGATORY and now to the movie. William Friedkin directed this very daring film based on the play by Mart Crowley who also wrote the screenplay. We have a gay man named Michael, played by Kenneth Nelson, who is celebrating his friend's party and are joined by 6 other gay men and one who says his is not. In this party, many secrets come out leading up to a "telephone" game which was a great scene. I honestly was not sure what I would think of this but I ended up really liking it. There were no big-name actors but they still worked very well together in this movie taking place in mostly one place the whole movie but the great dialogue and characters keep it going. Crowley refused to sell his script to Hollywood until he was allowed to use the original stage actors from the Off-Broadway production.

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.

The Phantom of the Opera (2004): This is the other selection from the Random Myspace Profile selection process and for this one I chose Sammy who I co-starred in MASH with who has a lot of potential in the entertainment industry in some way or another. This is the movie adaptation to the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical which stars Gerard Butler as the title character which haunts the Opera house. Emmy Rossum plays Christine, a singer who the Phantom takes a large liking and obsession with. He soon tires of their main singer Carlotta, played by Minnie Driver, and uses his power to get Christine on. She seems sympathetic towards the Phantom but still refuses his advances which infuriates him. Patrick Wilson plays Raoul, Christine's childhood friend and love interest which is a big source of the Phantom's jealousy. I have never had the pleasure of seeing this show live and I'm sure many will not like this one if they saw it in theaters but I still thought the actors did a good job. Butler was good as Phantom and had a really interesting singing voice for the Phantom. Miranda Richardson also co-stars. The scenery is great here and it is good for people who cannot afford the big money to see the live musical.

Anatomy of a Murder (1959): James Stewart stars in this courtroom thriller which stars James Stewart as attorney Paul Biegler, who reluctantly takes the case of a lieutenant in the army, played by Ben Gazzara, who is accused of taking the life of a bartender. In his defense, the man he killed had raped his wife, played by Lee Remick. Biegler soon sees he gets more than he bargained for in this big case which shows a lot of gray areas in the court system. George C. Scott also co-stars as a hot-shot prosecutor who helps try to put away the defendant. This is almost three hours but worth every minute and possibly one of Stewart's best performances plus good performances from everyone else.

Never Say Never Again (1983): I may get some heat for this one and one I know of for sure that hated this movie so let me make my case. Sean Connery returns to the role of James Bond after many years in this remake of the 1965 film THUNDERBALL which had also starred Sean. This one was not produced by United Artists like the other Bond films were. He plays an aging 007 who must stop two nuclear warheads from going off. This was not nearly as good as the '65 film and this has its flaws but has its moments. Connery was good in his return. Barbara Carrera was a great female villain. Klaus Maria Brandauer plays Largo who was at the helm of the crime and was pretty good as Largo. There was also a really cool scene where Largo and Bond play the game Domination against each other and shows the great 80s computer effects. I had a hard time with Kim Basinger as Domino. She was good to look at but Claudine Auger plays the part in the '65 version and she was always my favorite Bond girl. The teaser (beginning scene) was quite flawed in my opinion. It was better than some in the Moore era and I liked some of the action scenes. So take it for what it is worth and if you're going to bash me for this one, please note my others.

Open the Door Stanley (1945): This is my short film for the week. Dusty Fletcher stars in this and is doing a comedy routine. In some ways he stereotypes his race but is very funny about it. I found it on the Comedy Classics dvd I checked out at the library. He is on the streets after being kicked out of a bar and has some funny methods of begging. He is known more for his music but shows his comedy routine in this one.

Runnin' Down a Dream (2007): This is my documentary for the week and Peter Bogdanovich directed this great rock documentary on Tom Petty. It focuses on his childhood, his rise in the music industry, his battles with the record companies, the ups and downs of the band, and many other things in the long career of the legendary rocker. It shows his collaborations with such people as Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash which has some footage of his version of I WON'T BACK DOWN which was really cool. This was a four hour documentary but a great four-hour one. It also plays music from his early band Mudscratch.

Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971): This is my tribute to the late gossip columnis Army Archerd who played the referee in a boxing match in this movie. He was a columnist with Daily Variety since 1953 and now to the movie. This is the third of the great series with Roddy McDowell and Kim Hunter reprising their roles as the sophisticated apes Cornelius and Zira, along with Dr. Milo, played by Sal Mineo. They end up in modern day L.A. where they become celebrities really quick but like many people in the world, one scientist began to fear they would destroy the future. THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS alum Eric Braeden plays the scientist who believes they will lead us to doom. Cornelius and Zira begin to experience what Taylor did in the future world. It really focuses on our fear of the unknown and even the price of fame.

Rich and Strange (1931): I now bring you some early Hitchcock which I found on TCM. A couple gets an inheritance and go on a trip thinking that will improve things but only find trouble. They go on a cruise but don't have much to do with each other on the cruise. There was a lot of interesting camera angles in this movie and pretty suspenseful. It also shows that a marriage can only be fixed by the husband and wife. A child and money do not do that job for them. Very interesting early Hitch.

The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio (2005): This is my inspirational movie of the week which focuses on mother Evelyn Ryan, a mother of ten, who keeps her family together by winning contests and coming up with jingles for contests. Woody Harrelson plays her husband who works but spends a lot of money on alcohol. Juliane Moore was great as Evelyn and was so well done with her as the narrator. I really liked in the beginning, the way she prepares us for her husband and kind of asking us not to be so quick to judge. This takes place in the town where a good friend of my mom's lives so I'm sure it was great for the town. It was based on a book by her daughter called HOW MY MOM RAISED TEN KIDS ON 25 WORDS OR LESS. They also briefly show Goshen, Indiana where my dad was born and a lot of my family lives. It is a great look at the ups and downs of a struggling family. These are the kind of movies that I like. This is a nice, simple story with a great script that does not need all the CGI. Jane Anderson directed this movie.

Well, That is it for this week. Tell me what you like and what you hate. Stay tuned next week which includes Jason Robards, Douglas Fairbanks, Debbie Reynolds, The Rock, and the late Patrick Swayze.

Saturday, September 12, 2009 

Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities
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.

La Ronde (1950): I found this French film on TCM. Max Ophuls directed this movie centering on the affairs of people centering on a love triangle. This movie is kind of episodic when centers on Anton Walbrook taking us through each one of these affairs on a spinning merry-go-round which is to symbolize the lives. This movie has quite the French all-star cast granted I only knew Simone Simon who is most known for CAT PEOPLE. This was a very entertaining movie and is not very dark with Walbrook great as our narrator.

Life is Beautiful (1997): I had a hard time getting the last movie due to my rules but was glad to end here. Roberto Benigni wrote, directed, and stars in this movie taking place in WW2 Italy where the Nazis are taking over. Benigni stars as Guido, a clumsy but charming man, who falls in love with a schoolteacher named Dora who is played by Benigni's real-life wife Nicoletta Braschi. He soon leads a great life with his wife and son but things change when they go to a concentration camp. Guido then does what he can so that his son is not scared by telling him it is an elaborate game. Benigni won an academy award for best actor here and had quite a memorable moment at the Oscars. This is a very good comedy that works because it is not a comedy based on the holocaust, it is a movie centering around the holocaust and Guido doing what he must to make the most of his horrid situation. When I watch things like this, I can't even begin to imagine what people went through and people who had to die just based on people's hatred but people need to be educated on it with Roberto doing a very good job on making this movie very enjoyable.

Well, that is it for this week. I hope you all join me and stay tuned for next week that so far includes director William Friedkin, Helena Bonham Carter, Gerard Butler and James Steward. I did not expect to have two foreign films but it was the way the cards fell. I see I focused quite a bit on comedy, even dark comedy where each one of these had quite a bit of comedy to them. Tell me what you like and what you hate.

Friday, September 04, 2009 

Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities
Welcome to the 199th Edition. I'm releasing this one a little earlier than usual with me not having home internet right now and a trip we're taking to a place where there likely is no internet. This week I pay tribute to Eunice Kennedy-Shriver, Les Paul, and Ruth Ford. Starting this week, I am going to try to go more in-depth on what I call "tributes" instead of

La Commare Secca (1962): I start with the debut of director Bernardo Bertolucci. This movie centers around the murder of a prostitute where the police question everyone that was in the park that night to see who the killer was at the time. Each person tells of their connection with the woman and their side of the story playing out some like RASHOMON. This was a good directorial debut that would be the start of a great career.

Ever After: A Cinderella Story (1998): The Facebook friend I selected for this week was Tatiana who was in my Spanish class. Andy Tennant directed this variation of the popular fairy tale. Drew Barrymore stars as Danielle, who is a servant to the Baroness played by Anjelica Huston. She then meets the conflicted Prince Henry, played very well by Dougray Scott, and mistakes him for a thief starting a friendship. She then poses as a princess to free one of the servants forming a relationship with Prince Henry who does not want to be king or have a wife chosen for him. Patrick Godfrey plays Leonardo Da Vinci who serves kind of as the Fairy Godmother. Richard O'Brien also has a part as a crooked businessman whose role is small but important. Barrymore was great as Danielle making this a great version of the tale.

The Seven Year Itch (1955): Billy Wilder directed this very daring comedy and co-wrote the screenplay with George Axelrod who wrote the play. At the time, the stage allowed far more freedom but with the censors at the time, much had to be re-written but Wilder dared to challenge these censors in many scenes. Tom Ewell plays the part of Richard Sherman whose wife and kids leave for vacation for the summer but he stays behind and becomes tempted by his neighbor, played very well by Marilyn Monroe. His temptation and guilt lead into many funny situation and fantasies which make this a great comedy but very controversial for its time. one known image is of Marilyn's skirt going up which actually took over 40 takes because she kept forgetting lines so the public really got to enjoy themselves. The dvd has an episode of AMC's show BACKSTORY showing the making of this movie and the trouble it took to put out one of the best comedies of all time. It also shows a screen test by a very young Walter Matthau who Wilder wanted to use as Richard but was deemed by the producers to be too unknown at the time so he took Tom Ewell who originated the role on the stage. Marilyn went through a lot of depression during the filming.

8 1/2 (1963): This is my second foreign film for this edition which was directed by the legendary Fellini. This is something that you must pay pretty close attention to and even try to watch it a second time if necessary. The movie is based on a director, played very well by Marcello Mastroianni, who is having trouble coming up with his next movie and directing it. At the time Fellini himself was experiencing writer's block so he wrote a movie that was somewhat autobiographical. It shows much of his trouble directing his movie and many dream sequences of much more trouble in his life. The movie contains a lot of bizarre imagery and a very cool scene in the beginning using a traffic jam. I got this on the Criterion collection and has a pretty good commentary track explaining his thoughts.

Flicker (2008): This is my documentary for the week which takes a look at artist Brion Gysin who invented the "dream machine". It focuses on the hypnotic effects it has had on many people including rock star Iggy Pop. Many say it gives you a non-drug hallucinogenic feel. It also gives a pretty good insight into Brion Gysin and the work he put into his invention. This was a pretty decent documentary that I found on the free speech network.

Dahmer (2002): I found this one on IFC. Jeremy Renner plays the title character of Jeffrey Dahmer who most of us know was a known serial killer in Wisconsin. This movie was based on the police reports done so a lot of it is rather fictional. It shows moments in his life when he was a very lonely man who lured young men into his home only for them to be his next victim. It also goes in some good flashbacks when he has a dysfuntional relationship with his father, played by Bruce Davison, and what lead up to his first killing. This is more of a character study and if you want a big gorefest, this is not it. It really does not focus on his crimes but more on his life though there are some very disturbing scenes.

Mary, Mother of Jesus (1999): I now pay tribute to Eunice Kennedy-Shriver who was the executive producer of this tv movie based on the Virgin Mary. She is the sister of the late Ted Kennedy who died 15 days before he did not getting nearly as much publicity so is also the sister of JFK and RFK. She is also the mother of Maria Shriver who is married to Arnold Schwarzenegger. In 1968, she founded the Special Olympics which has become quite a big deal and is a great thing for the mentally disabled (is that too politically incorrect). In 1998, she was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame and now let's get to the movie. Penilla August plays the title character in her late years. Melinda Kinnaman plays the young Mary who is portrayed as quite an activist and it leads into her becoming the "chosen one" by god and giving birth to our savior Jesus Christ. Christian Bale plays Jesus in this movie and gives an interesting portrayal of him. This came right before AMERICAN PSYCHO what I feel was his breakthrough into the mainstream but he did some pretty good movies before that though so please take nothing away from that statement. Many may not like this or how Mary was portrayed but it's not like they portrayed her as some mean person, just someone who stands up for what's right but some may not agree.

Great Balls of Fire (1989): This is my tribute to guitar legend Les Paul, who has a song called LOVER which was performed here. He is the inventor of the Solid-body electric guitar getting him into the National Inventor's hall of fame in 2005. He also has a very expensive brand of guitar called the Les Paul guitars. He is known for his many innovations with the guitar and was inducted into the Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame. For all the guitarists out there, go ahead and idolize your Jimi Hendrix's and Jimmy Page's but he is owed a lot for what is out there today and now onto the movie. I go from a biopic of Mary to one of bad-boy rocker Jerry Lee Lewis who is played very well by Dennis Quaid. This takes place during his rise in the 50s and his near-fall for what is known by many as the first rock 'n roll scandal when he marries his 13 year old cousin Myra who is played very believably by Winona Ryder. Alec Baldwin plays his evangelical cousin Jimmy Swaggart who hated the lifestyle and the type of music that Lewis sang. Lewis did his own singing in the movie but Quaid did some of the piano playing. Lewis had a career that probably could have been much bigger had the scandal not happened like Paul is owed a lot for his piano playing and incorporating it into rock music. This movie is based on the book written by Myra Lewis, his wife, which Jerry hated as well as this movie.

Strange Impersonation (1946): This is my tribute to actress Ruth Ford who plays Jane Karaski who has a very small part but very important for the story. She is the goddaughter of Orson Welles and did some work at the Orson Welles Mercury Theater. She is a former fashion model and acted into the mid-80s before leaving the acting scene. I have no information on why or what she did afterwards and now to the movie. I was not sure what to expect here and enjoyed this b-movie film-noir far more than what I thought. Brenda Marshall plays Nora who is about to get a scientific break-through but her partner Arline, played by Hilary Brooke, is jealous of Nora's fiance and plans an experiment-gone-wrong which leaves Nora disfigured leading into her revenge. The Karaski character that Ford plays is very important to her scheme. The story flows very well but the ending seemed like one of those forced endings that the censorship board forced upon them but other than that, it leads to a great conclusion before the one that should not have been made. I found this on Netflix.

Baby, Take a Bow (1934): I end with Shirley Temple's first starring and feature role where she is the daughter of ex-con Eddie Ellison, played by James Dunn. Eddie really wants to go straight but finds it is really hard but his great daughter Shirley makes it easier. Claire Trevor plays his accepting wife and daughter of Shirley. Shirley then stands up for her father when his former crime associates try to get him back in. This is not her best but something worth checking out and a good musical number sung by Shirley and James Dunn ON ACCOUNT-A I LOVE YOU is a great song and dance number.

Stay tuned for the great 200th Edition next week that so far includes Ginger Rogers and Michael Caine. I hope everyone joins me for the 200th Edition. It will just be another 10 selections which I think people will like.