Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations

Welcome to the 178th Edition of my long running series. It has been quite a week. I went out to AMERICA'S GOT TALENT to try out in front of the tv judges David Hasselhoff, Sharon Osbourne, and Piers Morgan. It was quite an experience and I can't say how I did due to confidentiality. The series will air on the Chicago edition in mid-June sometime and that is what I will be on if I get on television.

The Wrestler (1974): Check the year on this one. This was a tv movie that stars Ed Asner as promoter Frank Bass who is trying to keep integrity to wrestling but is being muscled in by mobsters and crooked wrestlers trying to take over. WWE Hall of Fame wrestler and AWA promoter Verne Gagne stars as Mike Bullard, an aging wrestler who just can't let go of his championship. Wrestling legend Billy Robinson plays is Billy Taylor, a wrestler who Frank wanted to win the championship. It is much better than READY TO RUMBLE, and NO HOLDS BARRED. It's really only for wrestling fans and fans of the era. Many AWA wrestlers co-star including "Superstar" Billy Graham, Don Muraco, Dick the Bruiser, The Crusher, Dusty Rhodes, Dick Murdoch and even Vince McMahon Sr.

Ghosts (1987): This is in tribute to the recent death of Natasha Richardson and this is another movie I used in a Judi Dench boxed set I checked out at the library showing her work with BBC tv movies. In this movie she plays Mrs. Alving whose son Oswald is going off the deep end and does what she can to save him. This deals with some pretty strange thiengs and even has a very controversial ending. It won't live on in my mind but it was good to see an early Judi Dench, a young Kenneth Branaugh, and a young Natasha Richardson. Michael Gambon, known for Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films, has a part as well.

The Curse of Frankenstein (1957): This was the first big movie of the Hammer films and in my opinion the best FRANKENSTEIN adaptation out there. Peter Cushing stars as Dr. Victor Frankenstein, who is about to be beheaded and reflects on his science project of creating life in turn creating a monster. Christopher Lee plays the Creature and is pretty ugly looking and to my knowledge, this is the only time Lee played the Creature. This version is more to the Mary Shelley novel than what anything Universal did and remains quite gory.

The 10th Victim (1965): This was an interesting Italian film from this era that was a futuristic tale centering around a group of assassins in a deadly game together and the two main ones are Marcello Mastroianni and Ursula Andress who are trying to do what they can to get in front of the movie cameras. This was pretty ahead of its time and it an interesting satire to our amusement of violence. There is not much else I can say except to try this one out.

Sing a Song of Six Pants (1947): This is my short film for the week which is a Three Stooges film that centers around Larry, Moe, and Shemp. Here, they are tailors in debt to a company and a fugitive robber comes into the shop and they recognize him for a reward put up for him. If you like the stooges, you'll love this one. I found it on the Cult of UHF podcasts.

Pinero (2001): This movie is based on Latin playwright/actor/poet Miguel Pinero. He started some work on poetry when he was doing time in sing-sing for theft and drugs. Through his experiences, he wrote the 1974 Tony-nominated SHORT EYES who still had a dark life even after that success. LAW AND ORDER alum Benjamin Bratt plays the title role and plays it very well. The editing was a bit confusing at times and this went to mixed opinion but I really enjoyed Bratt in the title role making it worth it.

The Fountain (2006): This is probably the most personal selection I have ever made. I try to pay tribute to the deaths in the entertainment industry when I can but this was an actual friend and even someone aspiring to the film industry. My friend Mike died and I recall this being his favorite movie. I hadn't seen him for quite some time and he just absolutely obsessed over it. I never had the pleasure of hearing his live commentary that I heard about and now with I could have. R.I.P. Mike Jones and I'll get on with the movie now. Darren Aronofsky shows he is one of the best directors of our time directing this beautiful sci-fi/fantasy which spans from 1000 years. Hugh Jackman plays three characters which span from the past, present, and future. In the present, he is a medical researcher whose wife, who is played by Rachel Weisz, is dying and is determined to save her in every way possible. In the past he is a conquistador determined to save a captive queen and looks for the tree of life. In the future, he is a space traveller who must reach a star. The three stories all deal with love in some ways and all intersect in the end. I admit, this was pretty hard to follow and might require a second viewing but it will be quite an experience. I hope you can read this Mike.

Shoot 'Em Up (2007): This is exactly what it looks like, an all-out action movie where Clive Owen stars as a man named Smith who must protect a baby from assassins after his mother became pregnant and was killed right after the baby was delivered. Smith then reluctantly protects the baby along with a hooker, played by Monica Bellucci. Paul Giamatti plays the leader of assassins who finds himself in a tough battle against Smith. If you want the best plot and a realistic movie, this is not it. If you want a break from it all, here you go. Owen has some interesting ways of killing including with a carrot. He also eats a lot of carrots while teaching the importance of eating them so please take that with you when you watch this movie.

Rounders (1998): Matt Damon plays a former poker player named Mike who could read just about anyone but leaves the game for law school after losing to a ruthless Russian, played by John Malkovich. Edward Norton plays his friend who gets out of prison and is in debt to many people. Mike then gets back into the game to help his friend but then his loyalties become conflicted. This movie was put out before the big television rise of Texas Hold 'Em and features many poker players and one of many great notches in the career of Matt Damon and Ed Norton.

Number Seventeen (1932): I found some early Hitchcock for this week which centers around a group of thieves who are being searched by Detective Gilbert over a jewel. It is a bit confusing at times but very entertaining. Some of the camera work was rather strange but maybe good for its time. Worth seeing early work from the Master of Suspense

Forgive me for my lackluster writing this week. I haven't had much time to write on this over the week being in L.A. and I did not want to pay for the internet to do so. Please leave your comments on what you love and what you hate

FUN LITTLE FACTS
James Bond franchise
-Harold Sakata (The Wrestler) plays Oddjob, Goldfinger's Henchman in the 1964 film GOLDFINGER.
-Judi Dench (Ghosts) plays M, the head of the secret service, in the Brosnan and Craig era.
-Christopher Lee (Curse of Frankenstein) plays Scaramanga, a hitman making 1 million a hit, in the 1974 film THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN.
-Ursula Andress (10th Victim) plays Honey Ryder, the first Bond girl to end up with Bond in the end, in the 1962 film DR. NO.
-Talisa Soto (Pinero) plays Lupe Lamora, Sanchez's unhappy and abused girlfriend, in the 1989 film LICENSE TO KILL
-Famke Janssen plays the sadistic Xenia in the 1995 film GOLDENEYE who had a pretty interesting way of killing her victims

GHOSTS actors Michael Gambon and Kenneth Branaugh have done Harry Potter films-Michael Gambon has been the successor for Richard Harris for Dumbledore

-Kenneth Branaugh plays Gilderoy Lockhart in HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS

FRANKENSTEIN franchise

-Kenneth Branaugh (Ghosts) plays Dr. Victor Frankenstein in the 1994 film MARY SHELLEY'S FRANKENSTEIN.

-Natasha Richardson (Ghosts) plays FRANKENSTEIN author Mary Shelley in the 1986 film GOTHIC

-Peter Cushing played the role in this week's feature THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN and many other Hammer films.

Natasha Richardson (Ghosts) and Meryl Streep (Mamma Mia) were close friends in real life.

THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN actors Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee both appeared in Star Wars films.
-Cushing was Grand Moff Tarkin in Episode IV
-Lee was in the newer ones as Count Dooku in Episodes II and III
--They also both played Sherlock Homes
-Cushing plays the role in a 1984 tv movie called THE MASKS OF DEATH and a 1969 tv series of the character name. He also played the role of Sherlock Holmes creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in 1976 tv movie THE GREAT HOUDINI
-Lee played the role in a handful of films.

Christopher Lee (Curse of Frankenstein) plays Lord Sumerisle in the 1973 film THE WICKER MAN. Ellen Burstyn (Fountain) played Sister Sumerisle in the 2006 remake.

Hugh Jackman (The Fountain) plays Wolverine in the X-Men trilogy and the upcoming origin movie. Famke Janssen (Rounders) plays the role of Jean Grey/Phoenix in the trilogy.