Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations

Welcome to the 119th Edition of my series. Tonight is the night of the Academy Awards and it is also the evening that my contest started. Contestants have all read the rules and just remember that with my scoring, watching thirty 90 minute films is the same as six movies that are more than 3 hours. Okay, onto my picks for the week.

Medicine Man (1992): This will get some mixed opinions I'm sure. This is mostly of worth for Sean Connery's performance who plays a scientist living in the Amazon jungle to find a cure for cancer. SOPRANOS alum Lorraine Bracco plays the assistant sent to help him much to his dismay but predictably enough, she grows on him. However, bulldozers are moving in. This is something a family can watch, maybe a bit propagandic but still enjoyable.

The Human Stain (2003): I remember seeing this in the local theater in my dad's hometown and I was into it every minute. Anthony Hopkins plays former Dean and Professor Coleman Silk whose comments in a classroom were taken as racist remarks provoking him to resign and that is where we see his life fold from the modern era and in flashbacks growing up where we learn a secret about him. I started caring about Coleman Silk right away. Nicole Kidman stars Faunia who is a troubled janitor and Coleman and Faunia have a love affair. Gary Sinise is good as reclusive author Nathan Zuckerman who is befriended by Coleman who wants him to write a story about him. Ed Harris has an interesting role as Faunia's estranged husband who both seem to have issues and it's hard to tell who is telling the truth. I saw a similar story on Oprah showing that this is not impossible so watch to find out. Most of you probably already know the secret. Great performances, especially by Hopkins showing he is more than Hannibal Lector.

Giant (1956): This is part of what was unfortunately the James Dean Trilogy. This is actually the last movie that he was in. Let's start from the beginning though. This movie centers on a family in Texas headed by Rock Hudson and Elizabeth Taylor. They are Jordan aka Bick and Leslie Benedict. This movie is quite full of Texas stereotypes but also human qualities as well. Rock Hudson is a bit unlikable at first but then you start to understand him as the movie goes on. James Dean plays Jett Rink who is a cowhand working for the Benedict family who is not treated very well. Into the movie, he strikes oil which makes him become very greedy. He goes from the character you sympathize with to an absolute villain and vice versa with Bick. This movie spans three generations and they do a great job aging the actors, especially James Dean. Other actors are Dennis Hopper, Mercedes McCambridge, Sal Mineo, and Carroll Baker. George Stevens did a great job directing this adaptation from the Edna Ferber novel and he did his directing by re-filming scenes from different angles, something he was notorious for. I actually watched this again with commentary giving some great insight into many things including James Dean. He unfortunately died days after his filming was done. There's not much more to say excempt that it's worth the 201 minutes so participants in my contest can watch this and the version with commentary and get a total of 10 points since they are five points each.

Closer (2004): I made this pick when I drew my facebook friend Nina from my Facebook bucket. I was friends with her oldest brother growing up in middle school and high school. While this movie is compelling, it's definetly not my favorite though the four actors were very good in their roles. The four people most emphasized in this film are Clive Owen, Natalie Portman, Jude Law, and Julia Roberts. All I can do to describe this is to say it's a deceitful love story. My issue is that I felt it jumped around too much without any real explanation but maybe I just need to see it again. Nonetheless, still a very watchable film but probably not for everyone. This movie is based on a play by Patrick Marber and Clive Owen was in the theater version of the story.

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977): This was the time where we were introduced to such friends as Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, C-3PO, R2-D2, among others. George Lucas wrote and directed these films which created many pop-culture icons and made people want to dress up as the characters to go see it. We have Leia's infamous hair, we have the great Darth Vader outfit, storm trooper outfits, etc. This movie made a star of Harrison Ford, who plays the outlaw Han Solo who was always my favorite character in the series. Even Hammer Films veteran Peter Cushing is in this movie as well as Alec Guinness as the veteran Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi. Whoever has wanted to see this movie has by now and if you don't like it or don't want to see it I don't believe I can really convince you otherwise. Also, if you love these films and have children, chances are that you have or will show it to them so I don't believe I really need to go much into plotline here. These movies have been referenced and parodied many times in movies, tv shows, and about anywhere else you can think of.

Charley's Aunt (1941): Finally, I get a comedy on here starring comic legend Jack Benny who stars as Babbs Babberly. A couple of his friends ask him to pose as Aunt Donna Lucia to chaperone a couple girls while Stephen Spettigue, played by Edmond Gwenn, to make sure things go well. Things get complicated when Stephen falls for what he believes is a woman and the real Donna Lucia comes into the picture. This movie is based on a very durable play. Jack Benny is hilarious as a cross-dresser.


Pirate Party on Catalina Island (1935): This is my short film for the week, once again part of a DVD of a movie I intend to feature next week. I was going to do it this week but decided against it due to time. This is a pretty good Hollywood promotion video which is a pirate themed variety show with some pretty good musical numbers. You can see Cary Grant, Robert Armstrong, Errol Flynn, Marion Davies, Mickey Rooney, Randolph Scott, among many others.


Trois Couleurs: Bleu (1993): This is Travis' Co-Op selection for the week. This part one of Polish director Krzysztof Kieslowski's trilogy and for those of you who don't know the title translates to THREE COLORS: BLUE. The others are red and white. Juliette Binoche stars as Julie, the whose composer husband and daughter die in a car accident. Julie decides to live stress free without worry or personal commitment but keeps getting dragged in by her husband's unfinished composition and others who go to her for their needs. I can't explain this like Travis but it is a very interesting movie which uses the music very cleverly where the music is like the enemy to Julie but the music is what tries to save Julie from the reclusive lifestyle. The cinematography was awesome and they did a good job using the color blue. You'll go on a great journey to the mind. I look forward to checking out the next two on this trilogy.

Hard Contract (1969): I was searching for something from this era to record to DVR and this is what I found. James Coburn stars as a hitman who goes to Europe to do one more job but ends up falling in love. Burgess Meredith co-stars as his mentor who seems to have some compassion. Lee Remick is good as the hitman's love interest. What excited me was when seeing the credits, Sterling Hayden was in this movie who doesn't show up until much later in the movie but as a fan of him I was excited. It's definetly worth a try.

Brick (2005): This was an issue I had a hard time finding a movie of this era. Everything I put to DVR just didn't fit into this particular installment so I went to the library, made some random picks and I ended up with this indie flick. This is an interesting approach to the Film-Noir genre which stars THIRD ROCK FROM THE SUN alum Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as Brendan, who starts his own investigation of the murder of the girl he loved. He's come quite a long way since being on the mentioned sitcom. ROSWELL alum and LOST co-star Emilie de Ravin plays the doomed girlfriend. Brendan's investigation leads him into a strange world of small-time drug dealers. Look for the original John Shaft aka Richard Roundtreee who plays the principal of the school.

Well, that is it for this week. Good luck to all my competitors in my tournament. Next week on early sunday morning, I am going to release a blog which will allow you to post your movie watching results instead of me having to locate blogs so please have your results to me by sunday and just have fun.