Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 202nd Edition

Welcome to the 202nd Edition of my series. As you see, I got a part in the chorus for A TIME FOR CHRISTMAS which I did last year as well. This week I pay tribute to the late Henry Gibson, Patrick Swayze. I also pay tribute to wrestlers Mick Foley and Koko B. Ware who both lost loved ones recently. I don't really have much to say so let's get on with the movies.

Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970): The Facebook friend I selected for this week is Jason. I start this week out with this Pearl Harbor epic and likely the best movie which focuses on the horrible day of December 2nd, 1941 when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. The U.S. and Japanese both teamed up to make this great film with Richard Fleischer directing the American actors and Kinji Fukasaku directing the Japanese actors. The movie focuses on both sides making each side humanistic and not really taking the sides. Each side had their flaws and strengths which lead up to that fateful day. It focuses on the plans of the Japanese to possibly target Pearl Harbor and the United States believing that the Japanese might strike but not knowing where or when. Jason Robards, Martin Balsam, E.G. Marshall all co-star in this very accurate depiction of Pearl Harbor.

Reaching For the Moon (1930): This is part of the Random Myspace Profile selection process and for this one I chose the tribute page to Irving Berlin. Douglas Fairbanks stars in one of his few talkies as Wall Street broker Larry Day but not good when talking to women. He then takes interest in Vivian Benton, played by Bebe Daniels on an ocean liner who is not blind to his interests. He always finds ways to embarrass himself and then loses all his money in the stock market crash not knowing what to do. This is a pretty decent romantic comedy. Nothing great but of worth to see a young Bing Crosby sings WHEN THE FOLKS HIGH-UP DO THE MEAN LOW-DOWN in a small role. This was his first appearance in a movie where he sings solo and would later become quite an icon.

Charlotte's Web (1973): I now pay tribute to ROWAN & MARTIN alum Henry Gibson who does the voice of Wilbur the pig. This is a childrens film based on the book by E.B. White that takes place on a farm where we have Wilbur who is very scared knowing that his owner will likely butcher him. He soon makes friends with an aging spider of the title character who does what she can to keep him alive which turns the pig into a local celebrity. This movie deals a lot with friendship, loyalty, acceptance, and just life in general. Just about any of us can relate to Wilbur or some other animal in the movie. Debbie Reynolds does the voice of Charlotte and worked for free due to her love for the book. Paul Lynde lends a lot of comic relief as Templeton the Rat. Danny Bonaduce even does a voice in the movie for Avery, the brother of Fern who seems to understand the animals. This is absolutely something that the kids can watch and understand which can teach a lot of life lessons.

Beyond the Mat (1999): This is my tribute to Hardcore Legend Mick Foley who recently lost his father and to WWE Hall of Famer Koko B. Ware who lost his wife to cancer and has a couple interviews in here. Writer and wrestling fan Barry Blaustein makes his directorial debut with this documentary which takes a look at many different parts of wrestling and many wrestlers young and new trying to make it. The main people he focuses on are Terry Funk, Mick Foley, and Jake Roberts. Terry Funk is getting ready for his retirement match but we all know that never happened and in his autobiography claims that he just retired from wrestling in Amarillo which this movie did not seem to focus on. He takes a look at Mick Foley who is crazy inside the ring but nothing like it outside. It takes a look at his "I Quit" match with the Rock at ROYAL RUMBLE 1999 where the Rock gets quite carried away with the chair and his wife and children look in horror. Jake Roberts leads a very difficult life and shows a reunion with his estranged father and one with his daughter. Some might say he is the one the movie THE WRESTLER is based upon, at least with his daughter situation. It also shows him out-of-shape still taking bookings at small venues and his problem with drugs. Roberts was not happy about how this movie portrayed him and I'm not really sure what he was expecting. I like Roberts but he has clearly had some demons in his life and I hope he is doing better now. There is still lots of other things packed in here like an independent promotion trying to get one of their guys into WWE. There are also lots of interviews and many with negative stories on Vince McMahon. It also goes into the inside dealings with McMahon with an interesting interview with Darren Drozdov. We also see wrestlers way past their prime who just can't leave. This is a really good look into the world of wrestling and is great for fans and non-fans.

Youngblood (1986): This is my tribute to Patrick Swayze who lost his battle with Pancreatic cancer. Rob Lowe stars in this hockey drama as Dean, a farmboy looking to make it in hockey. He soon tries out for a Canadian hockey team where he makes it on account of his speed but lacks aggression that is needed in hockey. He then forms a relationship with the coach's daughter, played by Cynthia Gibb, which make things more complicated. Patrick Swayze plays the star of the team who is determined to get into the majors but gets a serious injury. Ed Lauter plays the coach and look for Keanu Reeves in a small part. This is something that really just works in the 80s as I say a lot and is a pretty entertaining hockey drama which can be enjoyed as long as you don't take it too seriously.

Bargain Counter Attack (1946): This is my short film for the week which features the famous Little Lulu. This is a very entertaining animation short which shows our little hero in a department store and wanting to exchange her doll. The boss accepts and comes to regret it when she plays with the toys, making a big mess, and then deciding she does not want it causing a lot of damage within the store. Lulu is known as one of the best comic-strip characters of all time and has come a long way in today's society even getting picked up by Dark Horse comics at one time.

Sugar (2004): I found this one on IFC. Andre Noble stars as 18-year old Cliff who goes out to the ghetto and hooks up with gay Toronto street hustler Butch, played by ROSWELL alum Brandon Fehr. Butch exposes Andre to a lot more than he bargains for making a rather destructive relationship. This is a very interesting look on gay teens and what they go through. This is not for everyone but I thought it was well shot and even acted. Shortly after this movie, Andre Noble died a very tragic death. I really liked the camera shots in this that looked more like a home camera and it worked this time.

About a Boy (2002): The Weitz Brothers directed this movie based on the novel by Nick Hornby. Hugh Grant stars as Will, a very immature and selfish person. Nicholas Hoult stars as Marcus, a 12 year old boy who gets picked on a lot at school and has a lot of difficulty with his suicidal mother, played well by the always-great Toni Collette. Marcus and Will soon meet and Marcus in some ways uses Will to get away from the difficult relationship with his mother. Will then starts to teach Marcus how to stick out more and not get teased so much at school. Marcus teaches Will to grow up and start caring more for people. This is my absolute favorite from Hugh Grant which I believe he agrees. Rachel Weisz also co-stars as Will's love interest later in the movie. This was a great movie showing an adult-child friendship and I was in the whole way through.




Baby Mama (2008): I'm sure this one will get some mixed opinions. SNL stars Tina Fey and Amy Poehler star in this comedy. Tina stars as a business woman who is told she cannot have kids and wants one so is recommended to Poehler who agrees to be the surrogate parent. Poehler then moves in with her since she leaves her boyfriend, played by Will Forte, and their class differences really clash. I found Steve Martin rather amusing as Tina Fey's philosophical boss. I was not sure what I was going to think of it at first but I felt it was worth the performances and it delivered some very funny moments. Greg Kinnear and Sigourney Weaver also co-star. I did enjoy the end result of the movie.



Ransom! (1956): This is the original version of the 1996 film starring Mel Gibson. Glenn Ford stars as successful businessman David whose son is kidnapped. They demand a ransom but he then makes the decision to make a public statement on tv that he will not pay and saying that if his son is not returned unharmed that he will use it to track down the kidnappers. This decision gets many mixed opinions including his wife, played by Donna Reed. Leslie Nielson co-stars as a reporter who is trying to get a story but also wants a safe return of the boy which is his film debut. This was very suspenseful and really did not need any violence to keep everyone in. I honestly have not seen the 1996 version yet and at some point I'm sure I will but I'm glad I saw this one first.

Well, that is it for this week. Tell me what you love and what you hate and stay tuned next week which will include a Korean horror film, Timothy Olyphant, Paul Giamatti, and an Italian classic.

FUN LITTLE FACTS

George Macready plays Secretary of State Cordell Hull. I played Hull in the Anderson Mainstage Theatre version of ANNIE.

Douglas Fairbanks plays Zorro in the 1920 film THE MARK OF ZORRO. I went with my friend Lisa to see THE LEGEND OF ZORRO dressed as Zorro