Welcome to the 991st edition of my series.  Pretty soon, I have my last performance of ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW, I LEARNED IN KINDERGARTEN.  It has been a fun to be a part of and has been received well.  Starting next week with the start of "The Madness" as well as my own segment, "My Own Madness", I will be returning to a weekly format for a few weeks so I will be back next week.  Last week was a good week for me in football, I won my fantasy game and my real team of the 49ers won.  I will shut up now and get on with my selections.

Life Itself (2018):  Dan Fogelman directed and wrote this psychological drama.  I feel the story centers around the characters Will and Abby, played by Oscar Isaac and Olivia Wilde, who meet in college, get married, and are expecting their first child.  Events happen that connect to the couple and future generations.  Annette Bening, Mandy Patinkin, Jean Smart, Olivia Cooke, Sergio Peris-Mencheta, Antonio Banderas, Laia Costa, Alex Monner, Isabel Durant, Lorenza Izzo, Samuel L. Jackson, Jake Robinson, Adrian Marrero, Kya Kruse, Charlie Thurston, Gabby Bryan, Caitlin Carmichael, and many others co-star in this complex film.  Jackson has a very amusing cameo in this film.  This goes a lot into life through generations and how one seemingly little thing can change another person's life.  This is available to watch on Prime.

Six the Musical Live! (2025):  Liz Clare directed this live musical which was written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss.  This features the original cast which includes Jarneia Richard-Noel, Millie O'Connell, Natalie Paris, Alexia McIntosh, Maiya Quansah-Breed, and Aimie Atkinson who were divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, and survived.  They are the wives of Henry VIII who are reimagined as pop stars singing about their lives and times with Henry.  This was a very well done musical and the six women work very well together.  These six women have since formed their own pop group called SVN.  

Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988):  Robert Zemeckis directed this very clever blend of live-action and animation as well as paying homage to classic Hollywood.  Charles Fleischer stars as cartoon Roger Rabbit who is being accused of murder.  His only hope for proving his innocence is the bitter private investigator Eddie Valiant, played by Bob Hoskins, who has issues with the toons.  Christopher Lloyd, Joanna Cassidy, Stubby Kaye, Alan Tilvern, Richard LeParmentier, Lou Hirsch, Betsy Brantley, Joel Silver, Paul Springer, Richard Ridings, Mike Edmonds, Mae Questel, Mel Blanc, Amy Irving, Kathleen Turner, Frank Welker, and many others co-star in this film.  Lloyd is very amusing as the eccentric Judge Doom.  This movie blends both Disney and Warner Brothers which includes a very iconic scene between Daffy Duck and Donald Duck which takes dueling pianos to a whole new level.  There is also a scene has each of their biggest icons together in Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse.  In rewatching this, and thinking of the career of Zemeckis, I believe this might be his best work in my opinion.  I believe this works on so many levels and still holds up today.  This is available to watch on Disney Plus.

The Little Ranger (1938):  This is my short film for the week which features those kids of OUR GANG.  Gordon Douglas directed this short film which was written by Hal Law and Robert McGowan.  The rascals end up at a movie theater with Alfalfa, played by Carl Switzer, is rather dejected through his rival Butch.  At the theater, Alfalfa dreams of being a western hero.  Eugene 'Porky' Lee, Darla Hood, Billie 'Buckwheat' Thomas, Darwood Kaye, and Sidney Kibrick co-star in this short film.  These shorts started back in 1922, but this is the first one that was produced by MGM.  The western dream sequences are a lot of fun along with the love triangle happening.  

Executive Suite (1954):  Robert Wise directed this corporate film which was based on the novel by Cameron Hawley.  When the president of a corporation dies and does not leave a successor, a group of people try to figure out who will become president.  William Holden stars as McDonald Walling who was the vice president who is the more idealistic of them all.  Barbara Stanwyck, June Allyson, Fredric March, Walter Pidgeon, Shelley Winters, Paul Douglas, Louis Calhern, Dean Jagger, Nina Foch, and many others co-star in this film.  This has a pretty authentic look in the corporate world that may still resonate today.  This has a great ensemble cast with very good performances.  This is available to watch on HBO Max.

The Rain People (1969):  Francis Ford Coppola wrote and directed this film which is much earlier in this career.  Shirley Knight stars as burned-out wife Natalie who learns she is pregnant and out of panic decides to run away.  She picks up the hitchhiker Jimmy "Killer" Kilgannon, played by James Caan, who had a promising football career but sustained brain damage.  Natalie tries to help Killer but finds herself in over her head in her attempts to help.  Robert Duvall, Tom Aldredge, Andrew Duncan, Alan Manson, and many others co-star in this film.  This is an early film for Coppola, Caan, and Duvall who would reunite in three years for THE GODFATHER.  This movie got pretty deep at times and falls into that "character study" category in my opinion.  Caan was very good in his naive character and someone who had to fend for himself.  This is available to watch on HBO Max.

Helter Skelter (1976):  This is my mini-series for the week which was directed by Tom Gries and based on the book by Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry.  This is a docudrama on the Tate-LaBianca murders that were orchestrated by a cult that was led by Charles Manson, played by Steve Railsback.  George DiCenzo stars as prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi who does what he can to make sure the murders were also pinned on Manson for the orchestration of the murders even though he did not commit them directly.  Marilyn Burns, Christina Hart, Alan Oppenheimer, Phillip R. Allen, David Clennon, Linden Chiles, Larry Pennell, Howard Caine, Jon Gries, and many others co-star in this mini-series which was two parts.  A lot of attention to detail was put into this movie though some names were changed which I believe applies to the Manson women.  Railsback plays the part of Manson all too well and was very disturbing like the man he portrays.  I never understood why Manson has been so revered in pop culture.  I pretty much feel the way Bugliosi felt about him.  

The Heroic Trio (1993):  Johnny To directed this Chinese superhero movie.  Michelle Yeoh, Anita Mui, and Maggie Cheung star as superheroines who are very different but are forced to team up in a baby kidnapping ring.  Damian Lau, Anthony Chau-Sang Wong, Paul Chun, and many others co-star in this action movie.  This is mostly of worth for the three female Hong Kong girls who were on the rise at the time.  The plot leaves a lot to be desired and is mostly for the action.  This could be a fun Saturday afternoon movie to watch among friends.  This is available to watch on HBO Max.  

The Pride of the Yankees (1942):  Sam Wood directed this biopic on baseball legend Lou Gehrig.  Gary Cooper stars as the famed player who found he was really good at baseball but was still trying to fulfill his mother's wish of becoming an engineer.  Circumstances lead Gehrig to finally choose to be a professional baseball player.  He would later contract ALS which is a lot of times referred to as "Lou Gehrig's Disease" but was still the luckiest man alive.  Teresa Wright, Babe Ruth, Walter Brennan, Dan Duryea, Elsa Janssen, Ludwig Stossel, Virginia Gilmore, Ernie Adams, Pierre Watkin, Harry Harvey, and many others co-star in this baseball film.  This movie was released 17 months after Gehrig's death.  Babe Ruth plays himself as part of the Yankees.  Cooper also does a great job with his everyman kind of persona.  Also, wrestler Tanea "Rebel" Brooks is fighting her own battle of incurable ALS and is a big advocate for the progression.  Maybe she'll finally be to the one to survive.  I got to meet her a couple years ago at Squared Circle Expo before all this happened and she was so nice to me.  You can help her out at the website Rebel x I AM ALS - I AM ALS - ALS is Relentless. So Are We! by donating and getting information.  The movie is available to watch on Prime, TUBI, Pluto TV, and Plex.

Eviction (1999):  I end the week with this short film which was directed and written by Tom Waller.  This is set in 19th century Ireland where tenant farmers are facing eviction in very harsh times.  A group known as "Molly Maguires" look to take revenge on an old man accused of informing on them.  Ruper Vansittart, Maria Lennon, Dermot Martin, Cillian Murphy, and Mark Lambert star in this short film.  This would be an early movie for Murphy who would go onto have a very promising career.  This is av a very deep film and is quite compelling in its time of twelve minutes.  This is available to watch on Youtube.  

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week where I return to the weekly format the Halloween season.  

Welcome to the 990th edition of my series.  I hope everyone has a good holiday however celebrated.  For me, I guess just having a three-day weekend from work is good enough for me.  The play ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED IN KINDERGARTEN goes from September 18-20 and I have a poster listed at the bottom.  There is also a Guilty By Affiliation wrestling show on September 20th which I likely will not be working with my show.  This is on a Sunday show at the Boys and Girls Club in Muncie at 5 pm and tickets are $15 at the door and $12 in advance as well as VIP tables for $100.  We will finally be debuting at the Gatekeepers of Henry County building on October 18 and will have more details in the coming weeks.

Reefer Madness:  The Movie Musical (2005):  Andy Fickman directed this parody musical which was written by Kevin Murphy and Dan Studney.  Christian Campbell and Kristen Bell star as high school sweethearts Jimmy Harper and Mary Lane who unfortunately fall victim to that menace Marijuana.  Alan Cumming co-stars as the Lecturer who looks to convince the parents of the horrible drug out there killing our children.  Neve Campbell, Ana Gasteyer, John Kassir, Amy Spanger, Robert Torti, Steven Weber, Kevin McNulty, Stephen E. Miller, Robert Clarke, Lynda Boyd, Harry S. Murphy, Christine Lakin, and many others co-star in this musical comedy which was presented as a Showtime original.  I would recommend watching the 1938 propaganda B-movie first which was supposed to be a very serious movie at the time but has become a cult classic.  This was a very fun parody of that B-movie which shamelessly goes extremely over the top.  I would love to see theaters near me put this on and I would love to be in it.  Obviously, April would be the perfect month for it.  This is available to watch on TUBI and Pluto TV.

The Odyssey (2026):  Christopher Nolan directed this adaptation of the classic story by Homer.  Matt Damon stars as Odysseus who has been gone for a long time and makes a dangerous trip home to Ithaca where he longs to see his wife Penelope, played by Anne Hathaway, and his son Telemachus, played by Tom Holland.  Along the way, Odysseus and his men deal with the elements, Cyclops, a witch, some sirens, among other things.  Travis Scott, Robert Pattinson, Corey Hawkins, Jerreth J. Merz, Niko Nicotera, Elliot Page, Shiloh Fernandez, Rafi Gavron, Elyes Gabel, Iddo Goldberg, Jamie Harris, John Ales, Raimy Lang, Mason Cufari, John Leguizamo, Mia Goth, Benny Safdie, Himesh Patel, Charlize Theron, Zendaya, Jon Bernthal, Bill Irwin, Samantha Morton, and many others co-star in this film.  This has been quite popular but very polarizing at the same time.  I suppose this is the Odyssey the Christopher Nolan way.  I have never read the book, nor do I have any plans to do so.  I felt this had a really good look to it and did not overdo the special effects.  This is likely best watched in a movie theater and was worth the three hours that I paid half price for a Tuesday.

Heart of a Dog (2015):  Visual artist and musician Laurie Anderson directed this documentary.  She reflects on the relationship with her late terrier Lolabelle.  This goes deeper than just a story of a dog.  This reflects on life and death and Anderson's experiences after the 9/11 attacks.  It is hard to describe this documentary beyond it being rather spiritual.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Run Run (1961):  This is a part of a Jim Henson's experimental short films long before he gave us Kermit and Ernie.  This is a simple short of Henson which feature his two daughters running through the woods saturated by the colored leaves.  This has about six short films and is available to watch on Kanopy.

Jesse James (1939):  Henry King directed this western based on the title historical figure.  Tyrone Power stars as the famed outlaw Jesse James and Henry Fonda stars as his older brother Frank James.  Railroad authorities are forcing people out of their land with very little money in return.  When they talk to Jesse and Frank's mother, they refuse to give up their land with Jesse shooting one of them in the hand in self-defense thus making the brothers outlaws.  They would soon go onto for the James Gang with included Robert Ford, played by John Carradine.  Nancy Kelly, Randolph Scott, Henry Hull, Slim Summerville, J. Edward Bromberg, Brian Donlevy, John Carradine, Donald Meek, Johnny Russell, Jane Darwell, Charles Tannen, Claire Du Brey, Willard Robertson, Harold Goodwin, Ernest Whitman, and many others co-star in this western.  This is a pretty good dramatization on the legend of the historical figure.  This portrays Jesse James as a hero to a point but starts to slip as part of the James Gang.  It is an enjoyable watch more than anything and got entry into that Golden Year of Cinema.

Strangers on a Train (1951):  Alfred Hitchcock directed this film which is based on the novel by Patricia Highsmith.  Farley Granger stars as the professional tennis player Guy Haines who is on a train and meets a seemingly obsessed fan in Bruno Antony, played by Robert Walker.  Bruno knows a lot about Guy including the hate he has for his estranged wife and Bruno hates his father.  Bruno has the idea to "swap murders" causing Guy's life to spin out of control leading to a crazy climax on the carousel.  Ruth Roman, Leo G. Carroll, Patricia Hitchcock, Kasey Rogers, Marion Lorne, Jonathan Hale, Howard St. John, Norma Varden, Robert Gist, and many others co-star in this film.  This has that usual Hitchcock blend of action and dark comedy.  Having recently been part of a radio play recording for Richmond Radioworks, I decided to revisit this one.  The radio play is not out yet and will keep posted as things get announced.  I have always maintained that this is my favorite Hitchcock film and nothing has changed.  This is available to watch on TUBI and Plex.

Vanilla Sky (2001):  Cameron Crowe directed this remake of the 1997 Spanish film OPEN YOUR EYES.  Tom Cruise stars as publishing magnate David Aames Jr. who has quite the privileged life.  His relationship with Sofia, played by Penelope Cruz, has the jealous Julie, played by Cameron Diaz, angry and causing a car accident.  From there David cannot tell what is real and fantasy.  Kurt Russell, Jason Lee, Noah Taylor, Timothy Spall, Tilda Swinton, Michael Shannon, Delaina Hlavin, Shalom, Harlow, Oona Hart, Ivana Milicevic, Johnny Galecki, and many others co-star in this film.  This has a lot of sci-fi elements to it that if I explain, I might give it away.  It is very intriguing and one that must be followed pretty closely.  I have not seen the mentioned 1997 film except that Cruz also plays Sofia in that version.  There are also lots of pop culture refences done cleverly.  This is available to watch on Paramount Plus and MGM Plus.

The Fallen Idol (1948):  Carol Reed directed this Film Noir which is based on a short story by Graham Greene.  Ralph Richardson stars as foreign embassy butler Mr. Baines who comes under suspicion when his wife Mrs. Baines, played by Sonia Dresdel, falls to her death.  Bobby Henrey stars as the impressionable Phillipe who becomes very confused about the death and just what is going on around him.  Michele Morgan, Denis O'Dea, Jack Hawkins, Walter Fitzgerald, Dandy Nichols, and many others co-star in this film.  This is a gripping film centered around the confusion of a child and trying to understand what the adults are saying.  This is an underrated film from this era.  This is available to watch on Kanopy.

The Connection (1961):  Shirley Clark directed this experimental film which is based on a play by Jack Gelber.  William Redfield stars as documentary filmmaker Jim Dunn who is filming eight heroin addicts and pays for their fix.  As time goes on, Jim's voyeuristic nature in filming comes into question.  Warren Finnerty, Garry Goodrow, Roscoe Lee Browne, and many others co-star in this film.  This has a very deep subject matter.  It is as independent as it gets for a film and is effective in the low-budget feel.  This is available to watch on Kanopy.

The Last Repair Shop (2023):  I end the week with this short film which was directed by Kris Bowers and Ben Proudfoot.  This takes a look at a group of people in Los Angeles who specialize in repairing musical instruments and in turn get them to students who might not be able to afford them.  It takes a good look at the importance of the arts and for band in this situation.  This takes a look at some of the employees of the repair place and some students who have benefitted.  We just need more of these types of people.  This is available to watch on Disney Plus and is about 40 minutes long.

Well, that is it for this week but continue on for my new segment "The Kevin Bacon Experience".  Tell me what you like and dislike and I'll be back in a couple weeks which includes Antonio Banderas, Bob Hoskins, William Holden, James Caan, Gary Cooper, and many others.

THE KEVIN BACON EXPERIENCE

Years ago, we learned from some frat guys that everyone is six degrees away from Kevin Bacon.  I was not aware of this challenge until recently from my friend Dennis the Library Menace.  The rules are that you start with a Kevin Bacon and continue to follow with another actor from that movie.  I also learned that these all have to be first time watches which they are first time from me.  This is technically a 2026 challenge, but this might take me into 2027 having started late.  As of now, I am starting ten and will continue to bring this segment back periodically.  I intend to have 100 and end on a Kevin Bacon movie.

1.  Kevin Bacon was in the 2004 movie The Woodsman with Michael Shannon

2.  Michael Shannon was in the 2001 movie Vanilla Sky with Penelope Cruz

3.  Penelope Cruz was in the 2026 movie The Bride with Annette Bening

4.  Annette Benning was in the 2018 movie Life Itself with Antonio Banderas

5.  Antonio Banderas was in the 2022 movie Puss in Boots:  The Last Wish with Florence Pugh

6.  Florence Pugh was in the 2026 movie Spider-Man:  Brand New Day with Zendaya

7.  Zendaya was in the 2026 movie The Odyssey with Mia Goth

8.  Mia Goth was in 2025 movie Frankenstein with Oscar Isaac

9.  Oscar Isaac was in the 2023 movie Spider-Man:  Across the Spider-Verse with Brian Tyree Henry

10.  Brian Tyree Henry was in 2021 movie Godzilla vs. Kong with Alexander Skarsgard

___________________________________________

Welcome to the 989th Edition of my series.  Just less than two weeks ago, much of the Central Indiana area that I live in was part of what is being called "the Great Flood of 2026".  Fortunately, we just got thunderstorms and were not affected by it.  I do know some whose homes and/or businesses were affected and were flooded in some way.  My thoughts go out to all of those that were and hope things get will be okay.  I am also in rehearsals for the play EVERYTHING I REALLY NEED TO KNOW, I LEARNED IN KINDERGARTEN which is happening in Rushville which happens September 18-20 and I have details near the bottom for that.  I will now shut up and get on with my selections for the week.

Notes on a Scandal (2006):  Richard Eyre directed this film which is based on the novel by Zoe Heller.  Cate Blanchett stars as the new art teacher Sheba Hart who is befriended and helped by the veteran teacher Barbara Covett, played by Dame Judi Dench.  Sheba seems to have it all in life with her husband and job but starts an affair with a student which sends Barbara over the edge.  Andrew Simpson, Michael Maloney, Joanna Scanlan, Shawn Parkes, Emma Kennedy, Phil Davis, Tameka Empson, Bill Nighy, Juno Temple, Anne-Marie Duff and many others co-star in this film.  This is quite the disturbing thriller and was done in a rather subtle way.  This was done a lot through the performance of Dench.  This is driven by the performances and the chemistry through Blanchett and Dench.

The Northman (2022):  Robert Eggers directed and co-wrote the film with Sjon.  Alexander Skarsgard stars as Viking Prince Amleth who goes on a very violent quest of vengeance to avenge the murder of his father.  Nicole Kidman, Claes Bang, Ethan Hawke, Anya Taylor-Joy, Gustav Lindh, Elliott Rose, Willem Dafoe, Phill Martin, Eldar Skar, Olwen Fouere, Edgar Abram, Jack Gassmann, Ingvar Sigurdsson, Jack Walsh, Bjork, and many others co-star in this film.  This has a touch of action and dark fantasy to it.  It also has a very authentic look to this time period.  Bjork has a really good cameo appearance as the Seeress.  People who are squeamish should probably not watch this one.  This is available to watch on Netflix.

Misbehaviour (2020):  Philippa Lowthorpe directed this film which is based on true events.  Keira Knightley stars as activist Sally Alexander who is at a Women's Rights Conference in London.  While there, she meets feminist activist Jo Robinson, played by Jessie Buckley, who invites Sally to meet her more extreme feminist group.  Sally agrees to take part in disrupting the 1970 Miss America competition which they see as a degrading event to women.  Greg Kinnear co-stars as Bob Hope who was hosting the competition.  Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Kajsa Mohammar, Stephen Boxer, Justin Salinger, Ruby Bentall, Lily Newmark, Maya Kelly, John Heffernan, Rhys Ifans, Keeley Hawes, Lesley Manville, and many others co-star in this movie.  This is a favorite movie for the feminist movement.  Knightley and Buckley work well together in these very different people with the same intentions.  This is available to watch on Prime and the Roku Channel.

Baby (1954):  This is my documentary short for the week which was directed by D.A. Pennebaker.  This takes a look at his daughter Stacy and their visit to the zoo.  They spent time with the animals, but her biggest interest was the carousel and the joy it brought to her.  Pennabaker would go onto to do a lot of very good feature documentaries including one on Bob Dylan. This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel and worth about five minutes.  

Earth (1930):  Aleksandr Dovzhenko directed and wrote this Russian silent film.  Semyon Svashenko stars as Vasyl who opposes the rich kulaks over the coming of collective farming.  This is still looked upon as one of the best films from the country.  They did not have the technology that the United States had for "talkie" films.  Some of this is making a statement toward communism.  It is also a very poetic and very well-edited for its time.  It is hard to really describe this beyond what I did.  This is available to watch on Kanopy and TUBI.

Lisztomania (1975):  Ken Russell directed this musical biopic on composer Franz Liszt and its historical accuracy might be a little questionable.  The Who singer Roger Daltry plays Liszt which takes a look at his wild lifestyle and his rivalry with fellow composer Richard Wagner, played by Paul Nicholas, who goes to some extreme measures in hoping to destroy Liszt.  Sara Kestelman, Ringo Starr, Rick Wakeman, John Justin, Fiona Lewis, Veronica Quilligan, Nell Campbell, and many others co-star in this movie.  Before Hulkamania became a thing, we got Lisztomania.  First of all, keep in mind Ken Russell also directed THE WHO'S TOMMY which came out earlier in the same year so keep that in mind.  This is a very weird and surreal film that parodies many things.  I will also assume that this is the only movie which has a member of the Who and of the Beatles so there is that.  I suppose this could make a good double feature to go along with AMADEUS as they both feature composer rivalries.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Violent Saturday (1955):  Richard Fleischer directed this film which is based on the novel by William L. Heath.  This takes place in a small town where three bank robbers, played by Stephen McNally, Lee Marvin, and J. Carrol Naish.  Other small-town people in town have no idea they are playing into the robbery.  The main one being the miner Shelley Martin, played by Victor Mature, who never got to go to WWII because he had to manage the mine for the war effort which makes the relationship with his son difficult.  Ernest Borgnine also co-stars as the pacifist Amish farmer Stadt who also plays into what is going on.  Richard Egan, Virginia Leith, Tommy Noonan, Margaret Hayes, Sylvia Sidney, Dorothy Patrick, Billy Chapin, Brad Dexter, and many others co-star in this crime film.  This has some very well-written characters and play well together on each side of the robbery going on.  Victor Mature is the standout in my opinion as he tries to earn redemption with his son for not serving in WWII.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

The Beguiled (1971):  Don Siegel directed this film which is based on the novel by Thomas Cullinan.  Clint Eastwood stars as Union soldier John McBurney who gets taken in by a girls' boarding school on the Confederate side lead by Martha, played by Geraldine Page.  McBurney is essentially taken as a prisoner but as he recovers, he uses his seductive charm for the female inhabitants causing a lot of jealousy.  Elizabeth Hartman, Jo Ann Harris, Darleen Carr, Mae Mercer, Pamelyn Ferdin, Melody Scott Thomas, Patricia Mattick, and many others co-star in this Civil War era film.  This is billed as a western, but it is not the typical Clint Eastwood western we are used to and it is one of his more disturbing movies though.  It is really quite wrong on many levels, but it is also rather compelling.  All I have to say is use your judgment on what is really more of a psychological thriller than action film.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.  

Spider-Man:  Brand New Day (2026):  Destin Daniel Cretton directed this latest superhero film from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and finally bring a funner, apparently this is not a word but I don't care, selection for the week than these other very deep selections I have had.  Tom Holland reprises his role as Peter Parker who is dealing with being forgotten from the events of SPIDER-MAN:  NO WAY HOME.  He is also dealing with a new threat which is too complex to really explain without giving it away so I won't really go further into it.  I will just say that Frank Castle, reprised by Jon Bernthal, Bruce Banner, reprised by Mark Ruffalo, and Yulena Belova, reprised by Florence Pugh, all play a part in what is going on in Peter's world.  Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Sadie Sink, Liza Colon-Zayas, Tramell Tillman, Marisa Tomei, Naomi Watts, Michael Mando, Keith David, Marvin Jones III, Olivia Booth-Ford, Billy Clements, and many others co-star in this MCU installment.  The Spider-Man films may be the best of the later Marvel Cinematic Universe and this is no exception.  I would recommend at least watching SPIDER-MAN:  NO WAY HOME before watching this one.   This introduces a couple key points into the MCU world.  This is a great trip to the theater so that is all I will say about this one.

All the Empty Rooms (2025):  I end the week with this documentary short which was directed by Joshua Seftel.  This follows journalist Steve Hartman and his photographer Lou Bopp who take a different sort of approach to the school shootings.  They document the parents of the victims and take a look at the empty bedrooms while interviewing the parents on their late children.  This is a very sad but very beautiful tribute to these kids lost in such tragedy.  This is available to watch on Netflix.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and I'll be back in a couple weeks which so far includes Kristen Bell, Anne Hathaway, Henry Fonda, Alfred Hitchcock, Cameron Diaz, and many others.

Welcome to the 988th edition of my series.  On August 22nd, Guilty By Affiliation returns but this time, we will be at the Lightkeepers of Henry County building in New Castle.  The show starts at 7 pm with the doors open at 6 pm.  Tickets are $15 but if you get to the building, they are $12.  Also, I am returning to Rushville in the play ALL I REALLY NEED TO LEARN I LEARNED IN KINDERGARTEN which will be from September 18-20 as part of the Rushville Regional Theatre.  I will shut up now and get along with my selections.

Popstar:  Never Stop Never Stopping (2016):  Akiva Scaffer and Jorma Torcone directed this music mockumentary.  They also star in this film as part of the Lonely Island along with the third member Andy Samberg.  They are known as the boy band the Style Boyz who have broken up and Conner, played by Samberg, tries to pursue a solo career.  His efforts are unsuccessful and does what he can to stay in the limelight.  Sarah Silverman, Tim Meadows, Maya Rudolph, Joan Cusack, Imogen Potts, Chris Redd, Edgar Blackmon, James Buckley, Ashley Moore, Danny Strong, Kevin Nealon, Will Arnett, Eric Andre, Bill Hader, Weird Al Yankovic, Emma Stone, Justin Timberlake, and many others co-star or have cameos in this mockumentary comedy.  There are also a lot of celebrities playing themselves in this movie.  I guess this is for fans of the Lonely Island.  Andy Samberg can make me laugh doing whatever he wants to do.  The climatic finale is my favorite portion of the movie which includes a cameo from Michael Bolton.  This is essentially a parody on the music industry of today.

Magnolia (1999):  Paul Thomas Anderson wrote and directed this ensemble film.  This has a varied of interrelated characters in the San Fernando Valley who are looking for connection, meaning and forgiveness.  These are characters with damage from inherited for those that might be dying or absent.  Tom Cruise, Jason Robards, Julianne Moore, Pat Healy, Neil Flynn, Rod McLachlan, Patton Oswalt, Brad Hunt, Chris O'Hara, Clement Blake, Melora Walters, Philip Baker Hall, Thomas Jane, Melinda Dillon, Jeremy Blackman, Michael Bowen, William H. Macy, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jason Robards, Julianne Moore, John C. Reilly, Cleo King, Alfred Molina, Felicity Huffman, Eileen Ryan, Luis Guzman, Orlando Jones, Clark Gregg, Henry Gibson, Ricky Jay, Jim Beaver, Robert Downey Sr., William Mapother, and many others co-star in this film.  My favorite part of Tom Cruise as the infomercial guru.  I suppose most people who have wanted to see this movie have by now.  In some ways the star of the movie is the soundtrack by Aimee Mann, especially near the end of this long movie.  This takes a look at the human condition among a variety of characters.

Maggie Moore(s) (2023):  John Slattery directed this mystery which was written by Paul Bernbaum.  John Slattery stars as Police Chief Jordan Sanders who must investigate the bizarre murders of two people of the same name, played by Louisa Krause and Mary Holland.  Tina Fey co-stars as the nosy neighbor Rita who has witnessed things related to the murder and helps Jordan while also becoming his love interest.  Micah Stock, Nick Mohammed, Happy Anderson, Nicholas Azarian, Derek Basco, Christopher Denham, Bobbi Kitten, Tate Ellington, Allison Dunbar, Oona Roche, Kristin K. Berg, Christopher Kriesa, Bryant Carroll, and many others co-star in this movie.  This has some good elements of dark comedy and conveys how the criminal is not always very smart.  This is loosely based on true events.  This is available to watch on Hulu.

Day of Freedom (1935):   Last time I featured the propagandic documentary TRIUMPH OF THE WILL which makes Nazi German the place to be.  This is the follow-up documentary features more of the army per their complaint that they were not featured enough.  Leni Riefenstahl also directed this documentary short that is the follow up from the mentioned documentary.  This can be seen on Youtube.

They Won't Believe Me (1947):  When I was visiting my dad, I decided to check out Youtube TV to see what all he had recorded and came across this one.  Irving Pichel directed this Film Noir.  Robert Young stars as stockbroker Larry Ballentine who is on trial for the murder of his wife Gretta, played by Rita Johnson, and his girlfriend Verna, played by Susan Hayward.  He takes the stand to tell the story of what happened in hopes the jury will believe his innocence.  Jane Greer, Tom Powers, George Tyne, Don Beddoe, Frank Ferguson, Harry Harvey, and many others co-star in this film.  This has a very unpredictable nature including the ending.  It also leads a lot to our interpretation where we must analyze certain things.  This is available to watch on HBO Max.

Cinderella (1965):  Charles S. Dubin directed this musical adaptation of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical.  Lesley Ann Warren stars as Cinderella who lives with her very cruel stepmother and stepsisters.  She longs to join the royal ball and is helped by her Fairy Godmother, played by Celeste Holm, to become a beautiful princess in hopes of being able to win over the prince, played by Stuart Damon.  Ginger Rogers, Walter Pidgeon, Pat Carroll, and Barbara Ruick co-star in this musical.  I think we all know the story here.  This version is a timeless classic that lives on today.  Warren was a perfect Cinderella in this movie.  This is availalbe to watch on Hulu, Prime, Broadway HD, TUBI, Pluto TV, and Plex.

Hadestown:  The Musical (2026):  Brett Sullivan directed this live musical which was written by Anais Mitchell.  This is a musical telling of the story of Orpheus, played by Reeve Carney, and Eurydice, played by Eva Noblezada.  This also tells of the myth of Hades, played by Patrick Page, and Persephone, played by Amber Gray.  Andre De Shields co-stars as Hermes who mostly provides the narration.  I got to see this at Emmens Auditorium last year and it was really good.  I did not know that movie theaters were showing this version which had the original cast.  This was performed in London in 2025.  I would just suggest listening to some of the music and go check it out if it is still in theaters.  This has a great story, with really good music and good performances.  It was worth a trip to the theater.

Ride in the Whirlwind (1966):  Monte Hellman directed this western which was written by Jack Nicholson who also stars.  Nicholson, Cameron Mitchell, and Tom Filer star as a trio of cowboys who become fugitives when they are mistaken as outlaws.  Millie Perkins, Katherine Squire, George Mitchell, Rupert Crosse, Harry Dean Stanton, and many others co-star in this western.  This has gone onto become a pretty underrated western.  It goes against the western formula that was popular in this era.  Nicholson shows early that he is multi-talented.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.  

Casablanca (1942):  Now I turn to a classic which was directed by Michael Curtiz and based on the play EVERBODY COMES TO RICK'S which was written by Murray Burnett and Joan Alison.  Humphrey Bogart stars as cynical cafe owner Rick Blaine during the early stages of WWII.  Rick claims that he sticks his neck out for nobody, but things change when his old flame Ilsa, played by Ingrid Bergman, comes to his nightclub asking for help in helping her husband Victor, played by Paul Henreid, escape some Nazis.  Claude Rains, Conrad Veidt, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, S.Z. Sakall, Madeleine Lebeau, Dooley Wilson, and many others co-star in this film.  This has a great group of well-written characters which are perfectly cast.  There are also lots of iconic scenes and quotes.  This is a movie that has always lived on.  I recently went to a screening of this film at the local bar Roho's Martini Bar.  This is available to watch on HBO Max.

The Elephant Whisperers (2022):  I end the week with this documentary short which was directed by Kartiki Gonsalves.  This features indigenous couple Bomman and Bellie who devote their lives to caring for an orphaned elephant named Raghu.  This also takes a look at the wild spaces of South India and the people and animals who share this space.  This is available to watch on Netflix and is about 41 minutes long.

Well, that is it for this week but I have returned with the segment "Tube Time" so read on for that.  I will be back in a couple weeks for my next edition which so far includes Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman, Keira Knightley, Ernest Borgnine, Clint Eastwood, and many others.

TUBE TIME

I decided to bring back this segment there I feature a couple television shows that I recently finished.

Oz (1997-2003):  Tom Fontana created this prison series which would be featured on HBO.  This centers around the experimental prison Oswald Maximum Security Correctional Facility aka Oz, which is run by Warden Leo Glynn and Tim McManus, played by Terry Kinney, who sees over the Emerald City part of Oz.  I feel like the main part of the show is the rivalry between Tobias Beecher, played by Lee Terguson, and the sadistic Vern Schillinger, played by J.K. Simmons.  Harold Perrineau co-stars as inmate Augustus Hill and who is also the narrator of the series.  Dean Winters, George Morfogen, Rita Moreno, Eamonn Walker, Craig muMs Grant, Kirk Acevedo, Luna Lauren Velez, Granville Adams, Tom Mardirosian, Ra Hanna, BD Wong, Chuck Zito, Scott William Winters, Christopher Meloni, Robert Clohessy, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Evan Seinfeld, Zeljko Ivanek, Sean Dugan, David Zayas, Edie Falco, Betty Buckley, Kathryn Erbe, Luis Guzman, Lance Reddick, Rick Fox, Austin Pendleton, Mark Margolis, Luke Perry, Carlos Leon, Robert John Burke, Larry Pine, Patti Lupone, Leon, Kevin Conway, Edward Herrman, Andrea Anders, Chris Jackson, Method Man, Charles S. Dutton, Brian F. O'Byrne, David Johansen, Jon Seda, Anthony 'Treach' Criss, Bobby Cannavale, Dana Ivey, Peter Criss, Roger Guenvuer Smith, Brian Bloom, Paul Schulze, Casey Siemaszko, Jonathan Demme, Frankie Faison, Dylan Baker, Melina Kanakaredes, Ally Sheedy, Richard Bright, Ken Leung, Eric Roberts, Wood Harris, Elaine Stritch, LL Cool J, Uta Hagen, Master P, Barry Shabaka Henley, and many others co-star, or make guest appearances on this series.  I know some of this is sensationalized, just like other movies or tv shows.  There are a lot of instances of sex, drugs, and murder within the prison.  I don't think prisons could get away with the concept of "the hole".  This was still a pretty good series with a good narrative in each episode.  This is available to watch on HBO Max.

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013-2020):   This centers around Marvel's Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division which was mostly run by Agent Phil Coulson, played by Clark Gregg.  A lot of times they are the cleanup crew for the other superheroes.  The team mostly consisted of Melinda May, played by Ming-Na Wen, Daisy Johnson, played by Chloe Bennet, Elizabeth Henstridge, Leo Fitz, played by Iain De Caestecker, Alphonzo 'Mack' McKenzie, and Elena 'Yo-Yo' Rodriguez, played by Natalia Cordova-Buckley.  They dealt with a lot of inhumans, aliens, and many other things.  Brett Dalton, Jeff Ward, Nick Blood, Adrienne Palicki, Luke Mitchell, John Hannah, Maximilian Osinski, Joel Stoffer, Adrian Pasdar, B.J. Britt, Briana Venskus, Mallory Jansen, Ruth Negga, Jason O'Mara, Kyle McLaughlin, J. August Richards, Simon Kassianides, Patrick Cavanaugh, Powers Boothe, Dichen Lachman, Jamie Harris, Mark Dacascos, Catherine Dent, Enver Gjokal, Patton Oswalt, Blair Underwood, Zach McGowan, Dominic Rains, Constance Zimmer, Maya Stojan, Spencer Treat Clark, Bill Paxton, Lola Glaudini, Dave Cameron, Eve Harlow, Alicia Vela-Bailey, Barry Shabaka, Lilli Birdsell, Tamara Taylor, Edward James Olmos, Saffron Burrows, Pruitt Taylor Vance, Titus Welliver, James Paxton, William Sadler, Kerr Smith, Cobie Smulders, Katy O'Brian, Jaimie Alexander, Peter MacNicol, Hayley Atwell, Ron Glass, Samuel L. Jackson, Lucy Lawless, Kirk Acevedo, Jake Busey, Derek Meers, Bethany Joy Lenz, Sedale Threatt Jr., Wilmer Calderon, Leonor Varela, Vincent Laresca, Amy Acker, Neal McDonough, Drea de Matteo, Anthony Michael Hall, James Hong, Brad Dourif, Mackenzie Astin, Alex Hyde-White, Bill Cobbs, Daniel Roebuck, Jeff Daniel Phillilps, Dorian Gregory, Kenneth Choi, Lou Ferrigno Jr., Devan Chandler Long, and many others co-star or make guest appearances in this series.  Each season does have a different feel to it.  The show may have started a bit slow but improved and got pretty clever.  In my MCU timeline binge, this is the latest in what I finished.  I also believe that following the list makes this more interesting.  This is available to watch on Disney Plus.  Here is the link for the timeline which is Marvel in order: How to watch MCU in chronological and release order for those who are interested.