Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations - 171st Edition

Welcome to the 171st Edition of my series. I'm trying out for AMERICA'S GOT TALENT for the second year in a row on Sunday. Last year, I moved up a little bit just not to tv. I'll try to repeat my success this year plus more if possible but we'll see. Starting this week, I will be looking into some past work for the winners of the Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild, the Independent Spirit Awards and the Academy Awards. They will just come periodically. There are two from the Random Myspace Profile selection. Next week will probably have two or three but that is always subject to change.

My Bloody Valentine (1981): I saw this at the Attic Grindhouse film viewing after watching two and a half hours of Betty Page. Fred may like this selection and I'm sure he has done a review and he is welcome to give the site for his review if he has done one. This takes place around the planning of the first Valentine's Day party in 20 years where murders took place from Harry Warden and he warned to never have another dance again. In trying to have another dance, murders begin happening once again. I admit, I probably wouldn't have watched this by myself and was good to watch it in a crowd. This is not for everyone but good for horror buffs.

Pecker (1998): This is part 19 of the Random Myspace Profile selection and this one I chose Kylee, who brother Jeremy I have known for years. I decided to use director John Waters this week who wrote and directed this comedy sort of showing the price of fame but in a rather unusual way. Edward Furlong plays the title character who is very obsessed with taking pictures of the unusual people and family in the Baltimore area. His pictures are soon discovered and are posted at an art show winning him overnight success but at a very high price. Christina Ricci is Pecker's girlfriend who owns a laundry mat. Her like many others start to become very embarassed by the pictures taken and Pecker must do what he can to make things right again. His grandmother was very amusing who was obsessed with her Mary doll and believed a miracle happened. Look closely for former WWE diva Stacy Keibler.



Human Resources (1999): I happened to catch this at a viewing at the local Unitarian church for the Social Justice group. I like going to see community viewing events and this one was great. Laurent Cantet, who ironically just won an Independent Spirit award for his movie ENTRE LES MURS. This movie really looks at the dark side of the corporate world. We have Frank who is interning in the human resources department of a factory which his father has worked at for 30 years. He then asks his employees for their opinions and finds out that they have been manipulated by upper management into future firings which drives tension between him and his father who only wants to do his job. This was a very good look at this world and shows even France has its moments as much as we like some of their work laws, they can get political too.

Howard Zinn: You Can't be Neutral on a Moving Train (2004): I found this documentary about the activist, historian and author on the Ovation channel. This talks about his life and times through his eyes and through the eyes of his colleagues. Matt Damon also narrates passages from books that he wrote. The title reflects one of his many novels. I had never heard anything about him but was glad to have this film on a man and his beliefs on war and just the American system in general.

White Lightning (1973): This is the start of my award winner series and this marks the debut for Laura Dern who appears unbilled. Dern won a Golden Globe and Screen actors guild award for Best Actress in a tv movie for RECOUNT. Burt Reynolds stars as Gator who agrees to help Federal Agents break up a moonshine ring which is lead by a corrupt sheriff, played by Ned Beatty. One of the great Burt Reynolds chase films and one of his most underrated and it was too bad that he had to choose so many horrible roles through the years. Reynolds fans will love it and it was perfect for the 70s.

The Bad Seed (1956): Melvin LeRoy directed this very daring film for the time. Nancy Kelly stars as Christine Penmark who has a seemingly sweet and perfect daughter named Rhoda, played by Patty McCormack. Her mom starts to see that maybe she's a little too perfect and begins to suspect her when bad things start happening. It was a pretty disturbing film with a very good performance from McCormack. They were forced by the censors to make a little more happy ending than the script calls for but the suspense remains.

The Good Earth (1937): I found this underrated film on TCM which centers on a farmer in China through the years named Wang Lung, played by Paul Muni. It starts with his poor days as a slave worker to his later days when he becomes free, marries and becomes more wealthy until a famine hits. There is not much to explain, it's about a man's life through the years. Paul Muni was very good and was a pretty tasteful perfomance, though any American playing an Asian today would probably be considered racist, and he's pretty believable in the performance. Muni was a very underrated and versatile actor who unfortunately got unfair comparisons to Lon Chaney about his "chameleon" status.

Mr. Piper and the story of Ali Baba (Unknown, likely the 30s and 40s): This is my short film for the week with the Pied Piper presenting this animated short on the famed Ali Baba story which features the 40 thieves. This was part of my classic cartoons boxed set which was the Giant 600 cartoons.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007): I bought this with my $25 Wal-Mart gift card that I got from work and dewanted to get my money's worth and this was priced reasonably. Brad Pitt plays the famed outlaw Jesse James whose "Robin Hood" status made Bob Ford, played very well by Casey Affleck, idolize him. Bob Ford and his brother Charlie eventually join the James Gang but Bob slowly becomes very resentful of James and becomes very conflicted. Sam Rockwell plays Charlie Ford, the older brother of Robert and Sam Sheperd plays Frank James. This movie centers mostly around Ford from the day he met Jesse James, to the day he shot him, and to his final days afterwards trying to deny the accusations of cowardice. I really liked the humanistic portrayal of Bob Ford by Affleck and his realization to the end of his days. I liked the portrayal of Jesse James as just a common outlaw who the public needed to idolize. Look for singer Nick Cave who sings a song about Jesse James in a bar and co-wrote the beautiful music score which I felt was used very rightly.

The Singing Nun (1966): I found this one on the TBN network. Debbie Reynolds stars as Sister Ann, a Belgian nun sent to a slum finding herself in a different environment. She becomes a bit overzealous in her help of the family of a young child she takes a liking to. She also shows off her musical talents and getting discovered by a big label. She then starts performing for places like Ed Sullivan which brings her fame that starts to interfere with the nunnery. Greer Garson co-stars as mother Prioress and Ricardo Montalban plays the priest that really sees the talent. Katherine Ross also co-stars as a troubled young girl who does degrading things to support the family. The real story of the person this film is based on is much darker, at least in the person's later years but this was a good discovery on the Trinity Broadcasting Network that I find myself using from time to time.

Well, that is it this week. Please leave your comments and stay tuned next week.

FUN LITTLE TRIVIA

WHITE LIGHTNING actresses Diane Ladd and Laura Dern are real-life mothers and daughters as they were in the movie. Dern makes her debut and is uncreditted. They later play mother an daughter again in 1990 film WILD AT HEART and two others.

Matt Damon (Howard Zinn) and Casey Affleck (Assassination of Jesse James) co-wrote and co-starred in the 2002 film GERRY.

Eileen Heckart (Bad Seed) plays Eleanor Roosevelt in the 1979 tv series BACKSTAIRS AT THE WHITE HOUSE and the 1980 tv movie F.D.R.: THE LAST YEAR. Greer Garson (Singing Nun) plays the role in the 1960 film SUNRISE AT CAMPOBELLO.

My Facebook friend Eric directed a Mainstage Theater production of this weeks feature BAD SEED.

Brad Pitt (Assassination of Jesse James) was originally cast as Colin Sullivan in the 2006 film THE DEPARTED but dropped out and the part went to Matt Damon (Howard Zinn)

Nancy Kelly (Bad Seed) plays the Zee James, the wife of Jesse James, in the 1939 film JESSE JAMES and Mary-Louise Parker plays the role in this week's feature THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD.

Katherine Ross (Singing Nun) plays Elaine in the 1967 film THE GRADUATE. My facebook and Myspace friend Lisa played the part in her debut in the Muncie Civic Theater.