Welcome to the 952nd Edition of my series. I kind of put this together last night in terms of the writing. I have been very busy with LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS which opens on Thursday. I have the flyer at the bottom for those that are interested in seeing the show. I don't have much else going on so I will just get on with my selections for the week.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016): With today being May the 4th, I thought I should start with the STAR WARS franchise. Gareth Edwards directed this entry into the franchise. Felicity Jones stars as Jyn Erso who joins the rebels along with Cassian Andor, played by Diego Luna, Chirrut Imwe, played by Donnie Yen, droid K-2SO, and Baze Malbus, played by Wen Jiang. Ben Mendelsohn, Guy Henry, Forest Whitaker, Riz Ahmed, Mads Mikkelson, Jimmy Smitz, Alistaire Petrie, Genevieve O'Reilly, Ben Daniels, Paul Kasey, Stephen Stanton, Ian McElihinney, Fares Fares, Anthony Daniels, and many others co-star in this entry. I know my description was a big vague. I just had a hard time really describing it, except that it is a sequel to Episode III and a prequel to Episode IV. This has a really good group of characters that we don't see a lot in the franchise. This was also endorsed by George Lucas himself, so I say just give it a watch. This is available to watch on Disney Plus.
Cruella (2021): This is part five of my five-part Paul Walter Hauser series. Craig Gillespie directed this Disney prequel. Emma Stone stars as the infamous 101 DALMATIONS villain Cruella de Vil who we first know simply as Estella. Estella wants to be a fashion designer but starts out as an orphan with her friends Horace, played by Hauser, and Jasper, played by Joel Fry. She finally makes her way into the world of the rich and famous lead by the Baroness, played by Emma Thompson. John McCrea, Emily Beecham, Mark Strong, Kayvan Novak, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Jamie Demetriou, and many others co-star in this film. When I first heard about this, I thought does Cruella really need a backstory? I guess everyone has a backstory and a reason for why they become who they become. Stone is perfect as young Cruella and was a very entertaining watch. This can also be seen on Disney Plus.
Poetic Justice (1993): John Singleton wrote and directed this romantic drama. Janet Jackson stars as hairdresser Justice who witnesses her boyfriend being murdered. She deals with her depression through poetry. On her way to a convention, she must ride with postal worker but aspiring rapper Lucky, played by Tupac Shakur. While in the beginning, they bicker but soon start to hit it off. Regina King, Joe Torry, Khandi Alexander, Maya Angelou, Kimberly Brooks, Miki Alexander, Q-Tip, Tone Loc, Keith Washington, and many others co-star in this film. This is a good love story featuring two everyday and flawed people just trying to make it in life. Jackson and Shakur work very well together in this love story that many can relate. This is available to watch on Starz
Le Coup de Berger (1956): Jacques Rivette directed and co-wrote this short film. Virginie Vitry stars as adulterous wife Claire whose lover Claude, played by Jean-Claude Brialy, gives her a fur coat and now she must find a way to keep it from her husband Jean, played by Jacques Doniol-Valcroze, about its origins. This was in the early days of the French New Wave and is actually based on a short story by Roald Dahl. This is also known as FOOL'S MATE. This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.
City in Darkness (1939): Herbert I. Leeds directed this whodunnit which is based on a play by Gina Kaus and Ladislas Fodor. Sidney Toler stars as Detective Charlie Chan who goes to Paris for a reunion with friends from WWI. When a murder happens to a hated businessman, Charlie investigates and finds a conspiracy to smuggle arms to German. Lynn Bari, Richard Clarke, Harold Huber, Pedro de Cordoba, Dorothy Tree, C. Henry Gordon, Douglas Dumbrille, Noel Madison, Leo G. Carroll, Lon Chaney Jr., and many others co-star in this crime film. This is the 23rd of 47 Charlie Chan movies and this was in the golden year of cinema. This was a pretty good story which takes place before WWII with an interesting message from Charlie Chan near the end. This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.
Fast Company (1979): David Cronenberg directed and co-wrote this drag racing movie. William Smith stars as racer Lucky Johnson who is the star of his sponsor Fast Company under the corrupt Phil Adamson, played by John Saxon. He also becomes a mentor to the promising racer Billy "The Kid" Crocker, played by Nicholas Campbell. Things get complicated when Phil steals Lonnie's car. Claudia Jennings, Don Francks, Cedric Smith, Judy Foster, Robert Haley, George Buza, and many others co-star in this film. Cronenberg is known for his horror films but decided to tackle the world of drag racing. This was very low budget but still entertains. It is one of Cronenberg's more underrated movies and might be worth a watch to racing fans. This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel, Prime, TUBI, the Roku Channel, Plex and Shout! Factory TV
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005): This is part one of a four-part series for Val Kilmer who recently left us. Shane Black directed and co-wrote this crime comedy. Robert Downey Jr. stars as petty thief Harry Lockhart who accidentally ends up at a movie audition while running from the police. He gets mentored by an actual detective in Gay Perry, played by Kilmer, while preparing for a detective role. Harry's childhood friend Harmony, played by Michelle Monaghan, ends up joining in a murder investigation that Harry and Gay are on. Corbin Bernson, Dash Mihok, Larry Miller, Rockmond Dunbar, Shannyn Sossaman, Angela Lindvall, Indio Falconer Downey, Ariel Winter, and many others co-star in this dark comedy. This was a very compelling film with a great touch of dark comedy. Kilmer and Downey were a great team. There was a lot of influence from Raymond Chandler books which Black looked at before writing this movie and pays a lot of respect while making it his own.
On the Same River (1959): Hong Nghi Nguyen and Ky Nam Pham directed this Vietnamese film. This is about two lovers, Van, played by Linh Manh, who is a guerrilla fighter in the north, and Hoai, played by Nga Phi, who is a young woman in the south. They become separated due to the division in Vietnam. This was the first feature film in North Vietnam. This never really seems to have gotten much of a release until the Criterion Channel put it on their streaming app. The transfer is rather flawed but is still pretty compelling. It is worth a look, especially for his historical purposes.
Madigan (1968): Don Siegel directed this detective film which is based on the novel THE COMMISSIONER by Richard Dougherty. Richard Widmark stars as Detective Daniel Madigan who along with his partner Rocco Bonaro, played by Harry Guardino, are given 72 hours by their superior Anthony Russell, played by Henry Fonda, to capture a Brooklyn fugitive. Inger Stevens, James Whitmore, Susan Clark, Michael Dunn, Steve Ihnat, Don Stroud, Sheree North, Warren Stevens, Raymond St. Jacques, Bert Freed, and many others co-star in this detective film. This might be a precursor to Siegel's later film DIRTY HARRY. This is a very gritty and compelling detective film which holds nothing back. Widmark is also really good as the title character struggling to balance his professional and personal life. This is also available to watch on the Criterion Channel.
Barista (2024): I end the week with this short film which was written and directed by Zack Parker. Lizzy Walther stars as a disgruntled barista who becomes upset when customers buy other types of drinks besides the one she is putting out. She takes some rather extreme measures for revenge. This was shot with an older type of camera to give a more 1970s feel to it. This is shot as a fake trailer paying homage to the Grindhouse genre. This was shot in Richmond at Roscoe's which Parker owns and presented this last night. Maybe one day this will be made into a feature film. This can be seen on Youtube.
Well, that is it for this week. Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for the next couple weeks which so far includes Jack Nicholson, Val Kilmer, and many others.
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