Welcome to the 977th edition of my series.  Next weekend I will be performing in the SHORT PLAY FESTIVAL at Connersville, and I am in the opening play, THINGS MENDED.  I also took a role in their next show GEORGE WASHINGTON ATE MY HOMEWORK where I am a wacky inventor and scientist.  Also, on April 25th I will be ring announcing for the wrestling promotion Guilty By Affiliation in Muncie at the Boys and Girls Club.  Tonight are the Oscars, whoever wins will win in my opinion.  I'm not that obsessive so I'll just get on with my selections for the week.

The Penguin (2024):  I start the week out with this mini-series which was created by Lauren LeFranc.  This follows the events from the 2022 superhero film THE BATMAN where Colin Farrell reprises his role of Oz Cobb aka the Penguin.  Cobb tries to rise up in the criminal underworld of Gotham City by trying play rival crime families against each other.  One side was the Falcone family, lead mainly by Sofia Falcone, played by Cristin Milioti, and the other side was the Maroni family, lead mainly by Salvatore Maroni, played by Clancy Brown.  Rhenzy Feliz co-stars as Victor Aguilar who is a young punk kid that gets taken in by the Penguin.  Deidre O'Connell, Carmen Ejojo, Theo Rossi, Daniel J. Watts, David H. Holmes, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Aria Shahghasemi, Robert Lee Leng, Kenzie Grey, Myles Humphus, Michael Zegen, Jared Abrahamson, James Madio, Francois Chau, Aleksa Palladino, Jayme Lawson, Mark Strong, and many others co-star in this mini-series.  A lot of this is a psychological profile between Oz Cobb and Sofia Falcone.  Milioti was the standout in this series in my opinion.  It is a really good look at the rise of a villain.  I suppose Batman was very busy when all this was going on.  This is available to watch on HBO Max.

Chef Donald (1941):  This is my classic Disney animated short for the week which was directed by Jack King.  This features Donald Duck who is listening to a radio cooking program and decides he wants to make waffles.  He tries to follow directions but gets distracted and ends up using rubber cement instead of baking powder.  This leads to comic situations with Donald's struggle to get rid of the rubber cement.  This is available to watch on Disney Plus.

Sunset Boulevard (1950):  Billy Wilder directed this slice of Hollywood film.  William Holden stars as the struggling screenwriter Joe Gillis who when trying to get away from debt collectors, he ends up at a remote mansion on Sunset Boulevard.  He finds that faded silent film star Norma Desmond, played by Gloria Swanson, lives there along with her butler Max, played by Erich Von Stroheim.  Norma cannot let go of the fame and convinces Joe to help write a new screenplay for her big comeback which turns out to be pretty dangerous.  Nancy Olsen, Fred Clark, Lloyd Gough, Jack Webb, Cecil B. Demille, Hedda Hopper, Buster Keaton, Anna Q. Nilsson, H.B. Warner, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a very iconic film with a lot of memorable lines.  Much of the actors play themselves including Demille and Keaton.  Many actors struggled to make the transition from Silent films to the "talkies" which is what this movie conveyed.  Swanson was someone who was mostly a silent film actress and did some television after but was very intrigued by this role.  This has a touch of drama, dark comedy, film Noir, and other things.  It also inspired the musical of the same name by Andrew Lloyd Webber.  Also, for all you All Elite Wrestling fans, the wrestler "Timeless" Toni Storm.  This is available to watch on Paramount Plus.

Black '47 (2018):  Lance Daly directed this period drama.  James Frecheville stars as Feeney who deserts the British Army to be reunited with his family in Ireland.  He finds that his family is affected by a famine going on and by the British occupation, driving Feeney to vengeance.  Hugo Weaving, Stephen Rea, Freddie Fox, Barry Keoghan, Moe Dunford, Sarah Greene, Jim Broadbent, Aidan McArdle, adn many others co-star in this film.  This is a very good vengeance film on going after corruption.  Frecheville carries the movie very well and we can get behind his vengeance.  This is available to watch on Acorn TV, AMC +, and Pluto TV.

Big City Blues (1932):  Mervyn Leroy directed this pre-code film which is based on the play NEW YORK TOWN by Ward Morehouse.  Eric Linden stars as the idealistic Bud Reeves who is leaving small-town Indiana for a better life in New York City.  He meets his cousin Gibby there and introduces Bud to the chorus showgirl Vida, played by Joan Blondell.  While he falls for Vida, a murder happens at a party where Bud is suspected.  Jobyna Howland, Ned Sparks, Grant Mitchell, Guy Kibbee, Inez Courtney, Thomas E. Jackson, Humphrey Bogart, and many others co-star in this film.  This was not Bogart's debut film but it was his film for Warner Brothers where he would go onto work a lot for in the future.  I suppose this is satire on the saying of "the grass isn't always greener on the other side".  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

A Simple Favor (2018):  Paul Feig directed this film which is based on the novel by Darcey Bell.  Anna Kendrick stars as Stephanie Smothers who is a single mother and has a parenting vlog.  She befriends fellow mother Emily, played by Blake Lively, who is a secretive upper-class woman even if they are extremely different.  After Emily asks Stephanie for a favor, she disappears and Stephanie tries to piece together what happened.  Henry Golding, Joshua Satine, Glenda Braganza, Andrew Rannells, Kelly McCormack, Aparna Nancherla, Dustin Milligan, Danielle Bourgon, Gia Sandhu, Zach Smadu, Andrew Moodie, and many others co-star in this film.  I was pleasantly surprised by this one.  This has a lot of dark comedy along with it being a psychological thriller with all kinds of twists.  Kendrick is entertaining no matter what she does in my opinion.  This is available to watch on Moviesphere.

The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1963):  Vincente Minnelli directed this film which is based on the novel by Mark Toby.  Glenn Ford stars as the widowed father Tom Corbett who is trying to raise his son Eddie, played by Ron Howard.  Eddie believes it is time for his dad to be remarried but wants it to be to his neighbor Elizabeth, played by Shirly Jones, instead of his other choice in Dollye, played by Stella Stevens.  Dina Merrill, Roberta Sherwood, Jerry Van Dyke, and many others co-star in this film.  This is part romantic comedy, but it is also a drama in the way of Tom and Eddie dealing with death.  This is a pretty funny and moving film involving a father and son.  This is available to watch on HBO Max.

Singles (1992):  Cameron Crowe directed this film of a group of young Seattle adults.  This centers around romances and potential romances between two couples.  One of them was between Steve and Linda, played by Campbell Scott and Kyra Sedgwick, who were unsure on whether to commit to each other.  Bridget Fonda co-stars as coffee-shop waitress Janet who fawns over local rock star Cliff, played by Matt Dillon.  Sheila Kelley, Jim True-Frost, Bill Pullman, James Le Gros, Allie Walker, Eric Stoltz, Jeremy Piven, Tom Skerritt, Peter Horton, Bill Smillie, Christopher Masterson, Paul Giamatti, Alicia Roper, Tim Burton, Debi Mazar, and many others co-star or have cameos in this film.  Pearl Jam members Eddie Vedder, Jeff Ament, and Stone Gossard made up the rest of the fictional band Citizen Dick which Cliff fronted.  This also centers around the Grunge scene of this era which is one of the things Seattle is known for.  Alice in Chains and Soundgarden made appearances in this film.  This centers around some very good characters and a great soundtrack for fans of Grunge music.

The Man Who Haunted Himself (1970):  Basil Dearden directed this film which is based on the novel THE CASE OF MR. PELHAM by Anthony Armstrong.  Roger Moore stars as Harold Pelham whose life seems to have changed after surviving a car accident.  He is told of things that he never did and finds he has a doppelganger out there unless he is just going insane.  Kevork Malikyan, Thorley Walters, Anton Rodgers, Olga Georges-Picot, Freddie Jones, John Welsh, Edward Chapman, Laurence Hardy, and many others co-star in this thriller.  I had never heard of this and was intrigued by Roger Moore when I came across this.  Moore does a great job in this film and is a very underrated performance for him.  It is hard to really describe this one further so just check this out. This is available to watch on Kanopy.

Mark Twain and Me (1991):  I end the week with this film which was directed by Daniel Petrie and based on the book ENCHANTMENT:  A LITTLE GIRL'S FRIENDSHIP WITH MARK TWAIN by Dorothy Quick.  Amy Stewart stars as the 11-year-old Dorothy Quick who gets to meet her idol Samuel Clemons which we know more as Mark Twain, played by Jason Robards.  Clemons takes a liking to Quick, and they form a friendship in the later years of his life.  Talia Shire, R.H. Thomson, Fiona Reid, Anna Ferguson, Chapelle Jaffe, Colin Fox, Susan Coyne, and many others co-star in this film.  This is based on true events and was a very beautiful story of the importance of friendship.  Robards is a perfect Twain and works well with Stewart.  This is available to watch on Disney Plus.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and I will be back in two weeks which so far includes Julia Roberts, Ed Harris, Emma Stone, Orson Welles, Kate Winslet, and many others.

Welcome to the 976th Edition of my series.  I hope everyone is hanging in there in these crazy times.  We are not very far from my next play in Connersville, everything is at the bottom of this page.  I will shut up now and get on with my selections for the week.  

The Line King:  The Al Hirschfeld Story (1996):  I start the week with this documentary which was directed by Susan Warms Dryfoos.  This takes a look at the artist Al Hirschfeld who has made a living for over 70 years by doing caricature work of celebrities.  This also goes into his personal life in general starting from his childhood.  Interviews and footage include Julie Andrews, Lauren Bacall, Carol Channing, Joan Collins, Betty Comden, Adolph Green, Dolly Haas, and many others.  Al was born in 1903 and was still alive while this documentary was being done and has since died in 2003 at the age of 99 so just short of the three digits.  He did live quite the life, and this was a very fun and informative documentary.  This is available to watch on TUBI, Pluto TV, the Roku Channel, and Shout!  Factory TV with a subscription from Prime.  

The Banshees of Inisherin (2022):  This is part two of my Colin Farrell trilogy.  Martin McDonagh wrote and directed this film on an ended friendship.  Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson reunite to star as longtime friends Padraic and Colm who live in a remote coast in Ireland.  Colm decides that they are no longer friends and ends the friendship.  This leaves Padraic very confused and as time goes on, Colm takes extreme measures to ensure their friendship is no more.  Kerry Condon, Jon Kenny, Barry Keoghan, David Pearse, Aaron Monaghan, and many others co-star in this film.  This has a rather subtle darkness to it and waits for the right moments to get dark.  It is hard to really explain further except to convey possible consequences of the kinds of decisions that Colm made.  

Standing Up, Falling Down (2019):  Matt Ratner directed this film which was written by Peter Hoare.  Ben Schwartz stars as Scott who is forced to move back home having failed in L.A. as a stand-up comedian.  He forms a friendship with an alcoholic dermatologist named Marty who is having his own issues.  Grace Gummer, Eloise Mumford, John Behlmann, David Castaneda, Kevin Dunn, Debra Monk, Nate Corddry, Caitlin McGee, and many others co-star in this movie.  The movie centers around a stand-up comedian but the movie is more of a drama with humorous characters in the leads.  I felt like this was a pleasant surprise having known nothing about the movie going into it.  Schwartz and Crystal are great together as they try to help each other through their struggles.  

Excelsior!  The Prince of Magicians (1901):  This is my short film for the week which I go back a few years.  Georges Melies wrote and directed this very early short film.  He also stars as the wizard Excelsior who does some very clever tricks in this two-minute film.  I suppose Melies is one of the founding fathers of film and managed to do some pretty clever things that hold up pretty well today.  This and many other of his short films are available to watch on HBO Max.  

Imitation of Life (1959):  I suppose this plays into Black History Month.  Douglas Sirk directed this film which is based on the novel by Fannie Hurst.  Lana Turner stars as aspiring actress Lora Meredith who takes in a homeless black woman named Annie, played by Juanita Moore, and her biracial daughter Sarah Jane, played by Karin Dicker in the younger years and later by Susan Kohner in the later years.  Sandra Dee co-stars as Lora's daughter Susie who is ignored a lot as her mom starts getting more successful.  John Gavin, Robert Alda, Dan O'Herlihy, Troy Donahue, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a movie that takes place in a pretty long period of time.  This focuses on a lot of different things but I feel the main part involves the biracial Sarah Jane who is determined to pass as white much to the heartbreak of her mother.  This is a remake of the 1934 film of the same name which goes in a little different route but still carries the same messages.

Give 'Em Hell Harry (1975):  This one plays right into President's Day from last Monday.  Steve Binder and Peter H. Hunt directed this one-man show based on the play by Samuel Gallu.  James Whitmore stars as our former president Harry S. Truman in this one-man show.  Much of this is about the 1948 presidential election and reflecting on his times.  Whitmore was nominated for an Academy Award for best actor and is still the only actor to be nominated for a cast of one.  Whitmore is able to carry this movie by himself and still keep our interest.  A good double feature could be with SECRET HONOR where Philip Baker Hall plays Richard Nixon in a one-person cast.

Two Minutes Late (1952):  This is my Danish Film Noir for the week which was directed by Torben Anton Svendsen.  This centers around a troubled marriage between Max, played by Poul Reichhardt, and Grete, played by Grethe Thordahl.  When Grete forgets her bag in the store, she learns a murder happens where everyone is a suspect.  Johannes Meyer, Bjorn Puggaard-Muller, Karl Stegger, and many others co-star in this Film Noir.  This is a pretty intriguing and also very detailed.  It is hard to really describe beyond what I have so just give it a shot if possible.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Solo Mio (2026):  Charles and Daniel Kinnane co-directed and co-wrote this romantic comedy along with Kevin James who also stars in the film.  James stars as Matt Taylor who is about to married in Rome and is left at the altar.  He decides to go on with the honeymoon anyway and along the way he meets the local cafe employee Gia, played by Nicole Grimaudo.  They form a connection and liking to one another, but Matt has a hard time coming clean about his real reason for being there.  Julie Ann Emery co-stars as Heather who stands up Matt at his wedding.  Jonathan Roumie, Kim Coates, Alyson Hannigan, Julie Cerda, and many others co-star in this romantic comedy.  Andrea Bocelli and Ed Sheeran have cameos as themselves.  This was a very pleasant and fun movie to watch in the theaters.  James has come a long way from THE KING OF QUEENS and still shows he can get the girl even if he may not have the conventional looks for a leading man.  

The Teacher (1974):  Howard Avedis directed and wrote this movie which features a teacher.  Angel Tompkins stars as the very hot teacher Diane Marshall who starts a relationship and affair with the recently graduated Sean, played by Jay North.  She also has a stalker in Ralph, played by Anthony James, who obsesses over Diane and is very bitter towards Sean.  Marlene Schmidt, Barry Atwater, Med Flory, Quinn O'Hara, Sivi Aberg, and many others co-star in this movie.  I came across this when looking for something else and was intrigued by the idea of seeing Jay North of DENNIS THE MENACE fame.  Also, as Van Halen would say, I was hot for teacher who was on summer break so we never got to see her teach.  I did not watch this expecting some big blockbuster, just a little entertainment and an older Jay North who had more of a Mrs. Robinson than a Mr. Wilson as his neighbor.  This is available to watch on Netflix.  

John Wick:  Chapter 2 (2017):  Chad Stahelski directed this action sequel which was written by Derek Kolstad.  Keanu Reeves reprises his role of the title character in this sequel who is supposed to be retired from being an assassin.  Wick returns to the criminal underworld to pay a debt to crime lord Santino D'Antonio.  He also finds there is a high price on his head and many are after him.  Ian McShane, Ruby Rose, Common, Claudia Gerini, Lance Reddick, Laurence Fishburne, Tobias Segal, John Leguizamo, Bridget Moynihan, Thomas Sadoski, Erik Frandsen, David Patrick Kelly, Perry Yung, Franco Nero, Peter Serafinowicz, Peter Stormare, and many others co-star in this action sequel.  Reeves is on the top of his game is this worthy sequel.  Lots of violence as expected but is also very deep in the characters and easy to get behind John Wick.  I would say watch the original first which like this one and the others are available on HBO Max.

Well, that is it for the week, but continue on for my segment "Holiday Corner" where I look at Valentine's Day, Black History Month, President's Day, and even National Girls and Women in Sports day.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for the next couple weeks which so far includes Colin Farrell, William Holden, Anna Kendrick, Ron Howard, and many others.

HOLIDAY CORNER

This section plays into Valentine's Day, Black History Month, President's Day, and even National Girls and Women in Sports Day which was February 4th.

The Merry Gentleman (2008):  This starts out around Christmas but then plays into Valentine's Day a bit to qualify for this segment.  Michael Keaton directed this film which was written by Ron Lazzeretti.  Kelly MacDonald stars as Kate Frazier who has left her abusive husband and is trying to start a new life in Chicago.  She befriends a man having emotional crisis and is even suicidal in Frank Logan, played by Keaton, not knowing that he is a professional killer.  Bobby Cannavale, Darlene Hunt, Tom Bastounes, Guy Van Swearingen, Larry Neumann Jr., Greg Mills, and many others co-star in this film.  Lazzeretti was originally going to direct but was having health issues so Keaton stepped up to take the helm in his directorial debut.  This is a strangely moving and poetic film in my opinion with MacDonald and Keaton working very well together.  This has a really good holiday feel to it, especially the unique way that the characters Kate and Frank meet.  This is available to watch on TUBI, Pluto TV, Plex, and Fandor with a subscription with Prime.

The Last Black Man in San Francisco (2019):  This plays into Black History Month in my opinion with the cast and references to historical figures and such.  Joe Talbot directed and co-wrote this film.  Jimmie Fails, who also co-wrote, stars in this film as himself and returns to San Francisco seeing that is not the same place had had left.  He tries to reclaim the home his family lost.  Jonathan Majors, Rob Morgan, Tichina Arnold, Mike Epps, Finn Wittrock, Danny Glover, Willie Hen, Jamal Trulove, Antoine Redus, Thora Birch, and many others co-star in this film.  It is hard to explain this beyond what I already did.  I guess this is semi-autobiographical to Jimmie Fails as he is playing himself.  It is an A24 movie if that means anything.  This is included on Prime, TUBI, Pluto TV, Plex, and the Roku Channel.

Hairspray Live (2016):  This live musical plays into Black History Month with the protagonist being a champion for ending segregation.  Kenny Leon and Alex Rudzinski directed this live NBC special which is based on the musical by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman.  Maddie Baillio stars as the teen Tracy Turnblad who dreams of getting on her favorite tv show.  This takes place in the '60s where segregation is happening and Tracy tries to end it.  Harvey Fierstein co-stars as Tracy's mother Edna Turnblad and originated the role on Broadway.  Dove Cameron, Kristin Chenoweth, Garrett Clayton, Ariana Grande, Derek Hough, Jennifer Hudson, Martin Short, Ephraim Sykes, Paul Vogt, Shahadi Wright Joseph, Billy Eichner, Sean Hayes, Andrea Martin, Rosie O'Donnell, Ricki Lake, and many others co-star in this live NBC special.  This does have quite the cast and might be the best of the NBC shows.  This is a great story about all types of people coming together and how everyone is beautiful in their own way.  I know a lot of fans of this musical hate the original John Waters movie from 1988 which was a lot sleazier but still trying to give that same message.  I just feel credit music be given where it is due as we would have this beloved musical we have now.  This is available to watch on Broadway HD.

Hamilton's America (2016):  This documentary plays into President's Day with the musical it is based off of former presidents as the characters and former presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama are featured.  Alex Horwitz directed this documentary which delves into the creation of the popular musical HAMILTON.  Lin-Manuel Miranda discusses how his vision came to be after reading ALEXANDER HAMILTON by Ron Chernow.  This also has interviews with much of the cast and those involved with the production.  This is a very well-done documentary on how that musical came to be and the analysis on the historic figures in the show.  This is available to watch on the archive.org website.

Newsies:  The Broadway Musical (2017):  This is another live musical and this one also plays into President's Day as this features our former president Teddy Roosevelt, played by Kevin Carolan, who was Governor during this era.  Jeff Calhoun and Brett Sullivan directed this live musical which is based on the musical written by Alan Menken.K  Jeremy Jordan stars as the charismatic newsboy Jake Kelly who is the leader of a group of teenage "newsies".  When Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst raise the distribution price at their expense, he leads the group in a strike to take a stand for what is right.  Kara Lindsay, Ben Funkhauser, Andrew Keenan-Bolger, Steve Blanchard, Aisha De Haas, Ethan Steiner, Michael Dameski, and many others co-star in this musical.  This was a movie in 1992 which at the time was a financial failure but has gained a big following since this Broadway musical.  This is also something that most community theaters have tackled at some point.  This has a lot of great song and dance numbers while also being a very inspirational story of banding together.  This is available to watch on Disney Plus.

Is That Black Enough For You (2022):  This documentary obviously plays into Black History Month.  Elvis Mitchell directed and narrated this documentary which takes a look at the portrayals of blacks in film.  This talks some about the early days of film including the stereotypes and the use of blackface makeup.  It also takes a look at the progression of blacks in film and takes a good look into the Blaxploitation era.  Margaret Avery, Harry Belafonte, Charles Burnett, Suzanne de Passe, Antonio Fargas, Sheila Frazier, Whoopi Goldberg, Samuel L. Jackson, Laurence Fishburne, Billy Dee Williams, Zendaya, and many others give interviews into their own thoughts.  This is a very eye-opening documentary and very well detailed.  Mitchell gives a very in-depth look to this history.  This is available to watch on Netflix.  

Air (2023):  This plays into Black History Month as the movie centers around NBA legend Michael Jordan, played by Damian Young.  Ben Affleck directed this docudrama which was written by Alex Convery.  This takes place in 1984, and they let us know with all the music and references to the year.  Matt Damon stars as Nike employee Sonny Vaccaro who sees something big with the rookie Michael Jordan.  At the time, Jordan and his parents were looking at signing with Converse or Adidas and it took some convincing for Sonny's bosses to take Jordan into consideration rather than look at multiple players.  Jason Bateman, Ben Affleck, Chris Messina, Viola Davis, Julius Tennon, Chris Tucker, Matthew Maher, Gustaf Skarsgard, Barbara Sukowa, Jay Mohr, Joel Gretsch, Michael O'Neill, Marlon Wayans, and many others co-star in this film.  Jordan was my childhood idol and I will still maintain better than Lebron but that's for another day.  I never really thought about the behind-the-scenes element of a lot of Jordan's success with the Nike element.  We all know by now he is associated with Nike so I think everyone will know how it ends.  I guess this is really a story about the rise of the Nike brand.  This also has a great soundtrack for '80s music fans like myself.  This is available to watch on Prime and Peacock.

The Mighty Ducks (1992):  This is associated with National Girls and Women in Sports day and there were a couple of girls on the teen hockey team.  Stephen Herek directed this hockey movie which was directed by Steven Brill.  Emilio Estevez stars as attorney Gordon Bombay who gets himself into some trouble and is sentenced to the last thing he would ever want which is to coach a peewee hockey team.  Gordon played himself as a kid and is haunted by the memory of his missed shot as well as his authoritarian coach, played by Lane Smith.  He finds that the team is terrible and slowly tries to help them get better.  Joss Ackland, Josef Sommer, Joshua Jackson, Elden Henson, Shaun Weiss, M.C. Gainey, Matt Doherty, Brandon Quentin Adams, Aaron Schwartz, Garette Ratliff Henson, Margarite Moreau, Jane Plank, Jussie Smollet, Vincent LaRusso, and many others co-star in this sports film.  This is nothing new by any means and this could easily be compared to THE BAD NEWS BEARS.  This is formulaic but that is what it is supposed to be in my opinion.  Also, this inspired an actual NHL hockey team which other sports movies cannot claim.  It was also good to see a young Joshua Jackson long before he would be famous on DAWSON'S CREEK.  This was a childhood favorite of mine and is great to revisit.  This is available to watch on Disney Plus 

The Suicide Squad (2021):  I decided to associate this with President's Day due to the authoritarian Presidente General Silvio Luna, played by Juan Diego Botto, who is one of the main targets for the Suicide Squad.  James Gunn directed and wrote this superhero film.  Viola Davis stars as Amanda Waller who runs Belle Reve and gets together a group of supervillains and forces them to become heroes.  This mainly consists of Rick Flag, played by Joel Kinnaman, Bloodsport, played by Idris Elba, Harley Quinn, played by Margot Robbie, Peacemaker, played by former WWE champion John Cena, Ratcatcher 2, played by Daniela Melchior, Polka-Dot Man, played by David Dastmalchian, and King Shark, voiced by Sylvester Stallone.  Michael Rooker, John Ostrander, Nathan Fillion, Jai Courtney, Flula Borg, Mayling Ng, Pete Davidson, Sean Gunn, Steve Agee, Jennifer Holland, Dee Bradley Baker, Alice Braga, Peter Capaldi, Joaquine Cosio, Lynne Ashe, Taika Waititi, and many others co-star in this film.  The 2016 movie of the same name excluding the word "the" at the beginning of the title unfortunately left a lot to be desired.  This was a great reboot of what the story should have been.  This was a very fun action film with a great blend of action and comedy.  The team put together worked together very well and inspired a spinoff series for Peacemaker.  This is available to watch on HBO Max.

Send Help (2026):  I'm ending with this one which I associate with President's Day with the character Bradley Preston being named president of the company in the beginning.  Sam Raimi directed this psychological horror film which was written by Damian Shannon and Mark Swift.  Rachel McAdams stars as Linda Liddle who feels very mistreated at work and is upset she was passed over for the Vice President position.  Dylan O'Brien stars as the arrogant Bradley Preston who as mentioned becomes the president of the company.  On a business trip, the plane crashes leaving Linda and Bradley as the sole survivors on the island.  Edyll Ismail, Dennis Haysbert, Xavier Samuel, Chris Pang, Thaneth Warakulnukroh, Emma Raimi, Kristy Best, Francesca Waters, and many others co-star in this psychological thriller.  Also, look for Bruce Campbell who is in the photo of Bradley's father.  This has a lot of suspense, power struggles, dark comedy, you name it.  Some have said there are elements of MISERY, CAST AWAY, LOST, and the popular reality series SURVIVOR which is referenced a lot in this film. 

Welcome to the 975th edition of my series.  I hope everyone is hanging in there in these crazy times.  I don't have any real favorite for the Super Bowl tonight except just to have a good game and hang with friends.  Next weekend and the week after is part one of the Short Play Festival in Connersville.  I am not in this one, but it could use some support so maybe consider this if looking for something to do.  Information is on the bottom of this and I am in one of the short plays in March.  I will shut up now and get on with my selections for the week.

American Underdog (2021):  I thought with tonight being the Super Bowl that this would be the perfect way to start.  Andrew and Jon Erwin directed this film which is based on the book ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE by Kurt Warner and Michael Silver.  Zachary Levi stars as the Superbowl winning quarterback Kurt Warner who had a great career in the NFL but did not arrive there in the conventional way.  In college, he played quarterback for the relatively unknown Northern Iowa Panthers and finally got to start in his last year where he finally gained some notoriety.  This was not enough to get him drafted by the NFL but with the support of his wife Brenda, played by Anna Paquin, he would continue to plug way.  Dennis Quaid co-stars as Rams coach Dick Vermeil who took note of Warner at the Arena Football League and brought him in against the wishes of his coaching staff.  Hayden Zaller, Ser'Darius Blain, Chance Kelly, Bruce McGill, Adam Baldwin, Cindy Hogan, Dean Denton, Kevin Downes, Morgana Shaw, Danny Vinson, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a very inspirational true story of a man working for a grocery store and to eventually being the starting quarterback for the St. Louis Rams with everything in between.  This is available to watch on Hulu.

The Fat and the Lean (1961):  This is my short film for the week which was directed by Roman Polanski.  Andre Katelbach and Roman Polanski essentially star as master and slave and are the title characters.  Polanski does all kinds of things, some very humiliating to keep his master entertained.  This is a silent short which was carried out by the music of Krzysztof Komeda who would work a lot for Polanski through the years.  Polanski put this out just after completing film school.  This shows shades of what a great career Polanski would have.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Oliver Twist (1933):  William J. Cowen directed this movie which is based on the classic novel by Charles Dickens.  Rascal member Dickie Moore stars as the title orphan character.  Oliver has been in a workhouse most of his life and when he leaves, he gets taken in by a gang of thieves led by Fagin, played by Irving Pichel.  He finally finds hope with the successful Mr. Brownlow, played by Alec B. Francis, but his good times are threatened by the gang and the sadistic Bill Sikes, played by William Boyd.  Doris Lloyd, Barbara Kent, Sonny Ray, George K. Arthur, Clyde Cook, Lionel Belmore, Tempe Pigott, Nelson McDowell, Virginia Sale, and many others co-star in this movie.  This is probably Dickens' second most adapted novel behind A CHRISTMAS CAROL.  This is the first sound adaptation of the story and long before it became the popular musical we know today.  This is available to watch on TUBI, Plex, and Indieflix Shorts with a prime subscription.

Lackawanna Blues (2005):  I suppose this could play into Black History Month.  This is part three of my Jeffrey Wright trilogy and plays Mr. Paul in this film.  George C. Wolfe directed this film which is based on the play by Ruben Santiago-Hudson who also wrote the teleplay and co-stars as Freddie Cobbs.  Marcus Carl Franklin stars as Ruben Santiago Jr. who grows up in a boarding house in the '60s ran by Rachel "Nanny" Crosby, played by S. Epatha Merkerson.  Nanny became a mother figure to Ruben where he also learns a lot from all the other colorful characters of the boarding house.  Mos Def, Carmen Ejojo, Louis Gossett Jr., Macy Gray, Terrence Howard, Ernie Hudson, Delroy Lindo, Rosie Perez, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Lieve Schreiber, Jimmy Smitz, Patricia Wettig, Jeffrey Wright, and many others co-star in this adaptation of the play.  This is an autobiographical story by Ruben Santiago-Hudson who performed it as a one man show Off-Broadway.  This is a very good coming-of-age, slice of life kind of story.  It also conveys very well that it really does take a village to raise a child.  This is one that really deserves a look.  

The Night of the Hunter (1955):  Charles Laughton directed this film which was based on the novel by Davis Grubb.  Robert Mitchum stars as the very sinister preacher Harry Powell who learns from an inmate of $10000 that was robbed.  When being released, he manages to marry Willa Harper, played by Shelley Winters, whose children John and Pearl, played by Billy Chapin and Sally Jane Bruce, swore to their father they would never tell the whereabouts of the money.  Powell does what he can to force it out of the children.  Lillian Gish, James Gleason, Evelyn Varden, Peter Graves, Gloria Castillo, and many others co-star in this film.  This is possibly Mitchum's most iconic character of his career.  Gary Cooper was offered the role but feared it would be detrimental to his career.  This combines a lot of genres like Film-Noir, horror, dark comedy, a fairy-tale story, and even a musical in some ways.  Famed author Stephen King names this as the scariest movie in his eyes.  This is loosely based on a serial killer named Harry Powers for those that might be interested.  This is available to watch on TUBI and Pluto TV.

Horrible Bosses 2 (2014):  This is part three of my Christoph Waltz trilogy.  Sean Anders directed this sequel to the 2011 comedy.  Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, and Charlie Day reprise their roles as the unhappy Nick, Kurt, and Dale who have since quit their respective jobs and are trying to go into business for themselves.  Soon, things don't go their way when the investor Bert Hanson, played by Waltz, screws them over and his son Rex, played by Chris Pine, talks them into a hairbrained kidnapping scheme.  Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx, Jonathan Banks, Lindsay Sloane, Keegan-Michael Key, Kelly Stables, Jerry Lambert, Sam Richardson, Brianne Howey, Lidia Porto, Jay Razor, Lennon Parham, and many others co-star in this sequel.  Like the first one, the purpose is just to have a little fun and this accomplished that in my opinion.  This is very politically incorrect at times so use your judgement.  

Straight Time (1978):  Ulu Grosbard directed this film which is based on the novel NO BEAST SO FIERCE by Edward Bunker who also has a part.  Dustin Hoffman stars as the recently paroled Max Dembo.  He wants to go straight and be a part of normal society but his parole officer Earl Frank, played by M. Emmet Walsh, does not make that easy for him.  Theresa Russell co-stars as Jenny who works at the employment agency which gave Max a job and becomes his love interest.  Gary Busey, Harry Dean Stanton, Rita Taggart, Kathy Bates, Sandy Baron, Jake Busey, and many others co-star in this film.  This conveys very well how difficult it can be to go straight and how easy one can be set up.  This is hard to describe much further but this one does deserve a watch.

Girl With Hyacinths (1950):  Hasse Ekman wrote and directed this Nordic Noir.  Eva Henning stars as Dagmar Brink who has recently committed suicide.  Her neighbors try to piece together what happened and why she decided to abruptly end her life.  Ulf Palme, Birgit Tengroth, Anders Ek, Gosta Cederlund, Karl-Arne Holmstein, and many others co-star in this Swedish film.  This had a CITIZEN KANE feel to it in my opinion where we know what happened and flashbacks are used to try to piece everything together.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Rebel Ridge (2024):  Jeremy Saulnier wrote and directed this psychological thriller.  Aaron Pierre stars as Terry Richmond who is dealing with small-town corruption when trying to bail his cousin out of jail.  Don Johnson co-stars as police chief Sandy Burnne who tries to make life hell for Richmond but finds he might have messed with the wrong person when learning Richmond is an ex-Marine.  AnnaSophia Robb, David Denman, Emory Cohen, Steve Zissis, Dana Lee, C.J. LeBlanc, Brannon Cross, James Cromwell, and many others co-star in this film.  Pierre was very well cast as the former Marine and had a FIRST BLOOD feel to it in my opinion.  Johnson is a great foil for Pierre in this Neo-Noir I guess you could call it.  This is available to watch on Netflix.

Father of the Bride (1991):  This is part eight and the last part of my Culkin series which features Kieran as the little brother of the bride.  Charles Shyer directed this remake of the 1950 classic.  Steve Martin co-stars as George Banks whose daughter Annie, played by Kimberly Williams-Paisley, is about to get married.  George has a hard time adjusting to his daughter growing up while helping to plan the wedding.  Diane Keaton, Martin Short, Kieran Culkin, George Newbern, BD Wong, Peter Michael Goetz, Kate McGregor-Stewart, Carmen Hayward, April Ortiz, Tom Irish, and many others co-star in this comedy.  This holds its own to the 1950 classic which stars Spencer Tracy.  Steve Martin is great as the title character who I'm sure many fathers out there can relate.  This is available to watch on Disney Plus.

Well, that is it for this week but continue on for my new segment "Ashing It Out".  Tell me what you like and dislike and I will be back in a couple weeks.

ASHING IT OUT

This is in tribute to the holiday Ash Wednesday which happens on February 18th.  This is where we celebrate those with the "Ash" variation in their names and yes that is what Ash Wednesday is for.  I looked at everything on my watchlist to look for people named with the Ash variation and found I got quite diverse in doing this.  

 

Call Me Crazy:  A Five Film (2013):  This is a series of short films and Ashley Judd directed the segment called MAGGIE.  Laura Dern, Bryce Dallas Howard, Bonnie Hunt, Ashley Judd, and Sharon Maguire each directed segments of this Lifetime movie which deals with mental illness.  Brittany Snow, Sarah Hyland, Sofia Vassilieva, Mitch Rouse, and Jennifer Hudson star as the title characters of their segments, all of which deal with them either dealing with their own mental illness or dealing with someone close to them.  There is some crossover from time to time in these segments on what is essentially dealing with mental illness.  Melissa Leo, Octavia Spencer, Ernie Hudson, Jean Smart, Lea Thompson, Ken Baumann, Melissa Farman, Melanie Griffith, Chelsea Handler, Aimee Teegarden, James Avery, Dave Foley, Clint Howard, Ahna O'Reilly, and many others co-star in this tv movie.  This takes a very diverse look at multiple types of mental illness and how people can still come out on the other side.  Each story is very well-written and this could be very beneficial to watch as we all have something going on or know someone dealing with these difficult things.  

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No Strings Attached (2011):  Ashton Kutcher was the source of this selection and this also plays into the February holiday of Valentine's Day.  Ivan Reitman directed this romantic comedy which was written by Elizabeth Meriwether and Michael Samonek.  Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman stars as Adam and Emma who meet at a summer camp and through the years they would have encounters to the point of having a "sex-only relationship".  As time goes on, Adam starts to want more in the relationship.  Kevin Kline, Cary Elwes, Gret Gerwig, Lake Bell, Olivia Thirlby, Ludacris, Jake Johnson, Mindy Kaling, Talia Balsam, Ophelia Lovibond, Elizabeth Meriwether, and many others co-star in this movie.  This is raunchy sometimes, but it also has a heart.  It manages to deliver a lot of laughs.  This is also the same year that FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS came out which starred Kutcher's real-life partner at the time and fellow THAT 70S SHOW alum Mila Kunis.  This could make for a good double feature some night.  It would also be a good movie for date night.  Just have some fun when watching.  This is available to watch on Paramount Plus and Pluto TV.

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Mortal Kombat (1995):  Linden Ashby is the Ash in this selection.  Paul W.S. Anderson directed this adaptation of the popular video game.  Linden Ashby, Robin Shou, and Bridgette Wilson-Sampras star as everyday humans Johnny Cage, Liu Kang, and Sonya Blade recruited by Lord Rayden, played by Christopher Lambert, to defeat the evil Outworld, led by the evil Shang Tsung, played by Cary Hiroyuki Tagawa, in an extreme fight contest.  Talisa Soto, Trevor Goddard, Chris Casamassa, Francois Petit, Keith Cooke, and many others co-star in this fantasy action movie.  This is the first movie adaptation to the video game and did a pretty good job staying true to it.  This is essentially a fight movie involving the characters from the video game and some very unusual abilities some of them have.  This is available to watch on HBO Max.

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The Cake Eaters (2007):  I chose Elizabeth Ashley for this selection.  Mary Stuart Masterson makes her feature directorial debut in this independent film which was written by Jayce Bartok who also co-stars in this film.  This is a complex story of a couple families in a small town.  I feel the main storyline involves the 15-year-old Georgia, played by Kristen Stewart, who has the rare disease of Friedreich's ataxia which effects movement and speech along with a likely short lifespan.  She meets the shy cafeteria worker Beagle, played by Aaron Stanford, and forms a relationship with him in hopes she will lose her virginity.  Elizabeth Ashley, Bruce Dern, Miriam Shor, Talia Balsam, Tom Cavanaugh, Melissa Leo, Jesse L. Martin, and many others co-star in this film.  If people are expecting a lot of cake eating, I'm afraid they will be quite disappointed.  This is a good story about small-town life and is a pretty complex film beyond what I just described.   People are quick to criticize Kristen Stewart for her performances in the TWILIGHT franchise.  I thought she did a great job in this movie as well as the cast with Masterson's direction.  

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The Pirates!  Band of Misfits (2012):  I chose Ashley Jensen who provides the voice of the Surprisingly Curvaceous Pirate in this animated movie.  Peter Lord and Jeff Newitt directed this stop-motion animated film which is based on the book THE PIRATES!  IN AN ADVENTURE WITH THE SCIENTISTS by Gideon Defoe.  Hugh Grant stars as the Pirate Captain who leads a band of misfits but can never seem to seem to win the Pirate of the Year award.  He becomes more determined to win that award and has a pretty extreme idea where he teams with a young Charles Darwin, voiced by David Tennant.  He must also deal with the pirate-hating Queen Victoria, voiced by Imelda Staunton, who has plans of her own.  Salma Hayek, Jeremy Piven, Lenny Henry, Brian Blessed, Russell Tovey, Anton Yelchin, Brendan Gleeson, Ashley Jensen, Al Roker, Ben Whitehead, and many others co-star in this animated film.  This has some great animation and a lot of laughs.  It is also a good family selection and enjoyable for anyone.  This is available to watch on TUBI.

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The Cheating Pact (2013):  The Ash for this one is Laura Ashley Samuels.  Doug Campbell directed this Lifetime movie, yes another Lifetime movie.  Daniela Bobadilla stars as high schooler Heather Marshall who along with her friends Kylie, played by Laura Ashley Samuels, and Jordan, played by Max Carver, feel the pressure to get into a good school which requires a high score on a College Entrance exam.  They manage to convince the shy but very intelligent Meredith, played by Laura Wiggins, to take the exam for them.  This scheme leads to a death where Daniela is being accused and must prove her innocence.  Cynthia Gibb, Paula Trickey, David Rees Snell, Pancho Demmings, Jamie Lunar, and many others co-star in this TV movie.  Just watching this made me thing "WTF" the whole way through and that this has to be based on a true story of some sort.  This is loosely based on the Long Island Cheating Scandal where they did what the students did.  I think the death was added in this movie for dramatic effect.  I guess this shows what that high pressure can do and I have never really favored standardized tests anyway.  This is a fairly compelling watch and I did understand the pressure element at least.  This is available to watch on Prime, TUBI, the Roku Channel, and Plex.  

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United (2011):  For this selection, I chose the actress Kate Ashfield.  James Strong directed this docudrama based on the soccer team Manchester United in 1958 when they had it all but were in a plane crash that took the lives of eight of their players.  This focuses most on the relationship between assistant manager Jimmy Murphy, played by David Tennant, and the player Bobby Charlton, played by Jack O'Connell.  Dean Andrews, Kate Ashfield, David Calder, Sam Claflin, Werner Daehn, Shirley Dixon, Dougray Scott, and many others co-star in this film.  This is both sad and inspirational at the same time.  I did not know about this event until I came across it.  It was a very well-done film and has a really good authentic look for the era.  This is available to watch on Prime, TUBI, and Pluto TV.

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Coachella (2006):  This time I chose an actual band named Ash who is featured for an interview in this concert documentary.  Drew Thomas directed this documentary which features the annual music festival Coachella which happens in Indio, California.  This shows concert footage, interviews with the bands, and interviews with some of the fans.  I can see this has a very loyal following.  Ben Harper, Thievery Corporation, Spearhead, The Mars Volta, Belle and Sebastian, the White Stripes, the Stooges, Fischerspooner, Oasis, Bjork, Radiohead, Saul Williams, Arcade Fire, Bright Eyes, The Chemical Brothers, The Crystal Method, Morrissey, the Pixies, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Flaming Lips, and Zero 7 performed at this festival.  Yes, even Morrissey appeared at this music festival and it has a very diverse lineup.  Maybe the band Ash performed but their footage did not appear in this movie.  This is available through a subscription with Qello Concerts.  

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The Square (2013):  For this selection, I chose Egyptian activist Magdy Ashour who is featured a lot in this documentary.  Jehane Noujaim directed this documentary of the Egyptian Revolution.  This features a group of Egyptian revolutionaries battling a corrupt regime.  This gets into a lot of complications for their cause and people within the cause had their own disagreements.  This is not easy to watch but very eye opening.  An interesting fact about this is that is it the first Kickstarter film to be nominated for an Oscar so there is that.  This is available to watch on TUBI.

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Phone Booth (2002):  I end with this thriller and feature actress Arian Ash who plays one of the hookers in the beginning.  I think I'm also going to make this part one of a possible Colin Farrell trilogy.  Joel Schumacher directed this thriller which was written by Larry Cohen.  Colin Farrell stars as publicist Stu Shepherd who is forced into a phone booth where there is a sniper, voiced by Kiefer Sutherland.  The caller looks to extort him leading him to quite a climax.  Forest Whitaker, Radha Mitchell, Katie Holmes, Paula Jai Parker, Arian Ash, Tia Texada, John Enos III, Richard T. Jones, Keith Nobbs, and many others co-star in this film.  Sutherland has the perfect voice to be the caller.  This has a great amount of suspense and a really good performance out of Farrell.  No one can perform this type of act in the phone booth now.

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