Welcome to the 399th Edition.  I hope everyone had a good 4th of July.  I am paying tribute to the late actors Jim Kelly and James Gandolfini.  I have a multiple series with Gandolfini starting in this one but just one from Kelly.  This Thursday, I have an internet radio interview on the show MAKE ART, MAKE MUSIC, MAKE LOVE which is hosted by fellow AMERICA'S GOT TALENT alum Sid Yiddish.  We will be discussing my times on AGT, community theater, wrestling, among other things.  It is at 5:30 and the link is http://www.que4.org/.  You will see the title of the show from 4-7 and I have the 5:30 to 7 spot so check it out if you can.  I will now get to my selections for the week.

Katy Perry:  Part of Me (2012):  I start out the week with this documentary on the pop singer of the title which was directed by Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz.  I will be the first to admit, I really did not know a lot about Katy Perry since it really is not my style of music but I found to be rather inspiring and compelling.  I also found that her music really is not that bad in my opinion.  This movie is documented during her California Dreams tour which was her first big tour and then goes into her personal life.  It shows her childhood and growing up in a Pentecostal life where her father is a Pentecostal preacher.  It then goes into her discovering a new world and events which make her end up where she is now.  It has interviews with her and much of her family including her parents which do not like her music but still love her and did not disown her even in that rather strict environment.  If you just cannot stand Katy Perry, this may not be for you while it does show a very likable side of her in the backstage.  Fans of Katy Perry will in all likelihood love this one.  I loved in the final credits that she chose Twitter followers to thank.

Customers Wanted (1939):  This is my animated short for the week which features Popeye.  This one takes place at a carnival where Popeye and his rival Bluto each have a penny arcade and are competing for customers.  The most notable customer in this one is Wimpy who was put to a lot more use in this one.  In his penny arcade observation they put clips of older cartoons but minimal and they work very well.  This is also a bit different in that usually Popeye and Bluto have more physical altercations but was more limited in this one.  This is probably findable on Youtube and other public access apps.

Argo (2012):  This is a true story that takes place during the U.S. hostage crisis in Iran in 1980.  Ben Affleck puts in another great directing entry and Chris Terrio wrote the screenplay based on a selection from THE MASTER OF DISGUISE by Tony Mendez and Wired Magazine article THE GREAT ESCAPE by Joshuah Bearman.  Affleck stars as Mendez who was an exfiltration expert with the CIA.  They learn that six Iranian hostages manage to escape to the official residence of the Canadian Ambassador.  Mendez is soon put in charge of their escape hatching a daring plan that they are part of a Canadian film crew looking for filming locations.  With help from his Hollywood contacts like John Goodman and Alan Arkin, Mendez comes up with a cover which makes him a Hollywood producer and when getting to the hostages, he assigns each of them a role in a very risky escape plan.   Bryan Cranston, Victor Garber, Clea Duvall, Tate Donovan, Rory Cochrane, Kyle Chandler, Chris Messina, Titus Welliver, Bob Gunton, Richard Kind, and many others co-star in this film.  If I go anymore into the plot, I will be afraid to give anything away but Affleck did a great job directing and even acting with good performances from the ensemble.  I did find myself on the edge of my seat throughout the film.

Lured (1947):  Douglas Sirk directed this very interesting film-noir. In London, a serial killer is killing people he meets through personal ads and announces the killings with a cryptic poem.  Lucille Ball, in a much different role, is an American in London named Sandra Carpenter and is a dancer.  Her friend soon disappears and agrees to help the police find the killer.  Charles Coburn co-stars as Inspector Harley Temple who enlists Sandra to help with the case.  Soon, Sandra begins to answer ads to learn more about the people leading to encounters with people like Boris Karloff and George Sanders.  Karloff is a lot of fun in his scene.  Sanders is also good as the playboy Robert Fleming who forms a relationship with Sandra.  Cedric Hardwicke and Alan Napier co-star in this film.  This is a very underrated film from Sirk and very unknown of Lucille Ball.  I hope that I can get this more on the radar, especially classic movie buffs.

One Down, Two to Go (1976):  This is my tribute to martial arts actor Jim Kelly who recently left us.  Kelly stars as Chuck who is part of a fight tournament but the mob screws him over so enlists some friends to go after the mob which include Jim Brown, Fred "The Hammer" Williamson, and Richard Roundtree.  This is one where you really just have to appreciate the blaxploitation genre and the four actors all in the same movie.  I really wish they could have included Pam Grier on this team and then it would have been complete.  This is more a guilty pleasure than anything.

Welcome to the Rileys (2010):  This is part one of my tribute series to late actor James Gandolfini.  This is my independent film for the week and really the pleasant surprise.  Jake Scott directed this movie which was written by Ken Hixon.  Gandolfini and Melissa Leo play married couple Doug and Lois Riley who actually live in Indianapolis, Indiana which is about an hour from where I live so that element was kind of cool in my opinion.  Doug and Lois lost a daughter eight years ago and still cannot cope with the death.  Doug has a mistress named Vivian, played by Eisa Davis, while Lois has not been able to leave the house in years out of fear.  Doug soon takes a business trip to New Orleans where he meets a call girl and stripper named Mallory, played by Kristen Stewart, and forms an unusual relationship with her becoming a father figure of sorts likely because she reminds him of his daughter.  Doug soon finds that he is more needed in New Orleans and informs Lois that he is staying which prompts her to finally leave the house in a New Orleans trek.  They try to help Mallory make a better life for herself.  I really found myself enjoying this one a lot.  I thought Kristen Stewart actually did do a good job and managed to act her way out of that paper bag in this one.  Her and Gandolfini worked so well together and Melissa Leo really added to that dynamic when she joined.  I really believe this deserves a watch and exceeded my expectations a lot.

David and Bathsheba (1951):  This is my biblical movie for the week which star Gregory Peck and Susan Hayward as the title characters.  David, years after his successful encounter against Goliath, is now the king and has been in many battles but wants the love of a woman who loves him for who is is and not as a king.  He soon meets Bathsheba who he becomes attracted to immediately and she shares that except she is married to David's soldier Uriah, played by Kieron Moore.  Uriah is more dedicated to the army than to his wife and is sent out by David to a battle that is for sure to get him killed.  This sin of adultery brings the wrath of god and David must do what he can to save Bathsheba from being stoned to death.  Peck and Hayward are very good in their roles but this is probably one for people who really enjoy biblical films though Peck was very good as the king.

The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992):  Curtis Hanson directed this thriller that was written by Amanda Silver.  Annabella Sciora stars as Claire who has a pretty good suburban life with her husband Michael, played by Matt McCoy, her daughter Emma, played by Madeline Zima, and a baby on the way.  They soon find that they are pretty busy and set out to hire a nanny.  They soon hire Peyton Flanders, played very well by Rebecca De Mornay, who makes her way into the home but is not who she seems.  Julianne Moore, Ernie Hudson, and John de Lancie co-star in this film.  Hudson did a really good job as the family's mentally disabled yard worker.  I remember as a kid always enjoying this movie so I was glad to revisit it and I have not really changed in my feelings.  It has a very good amount of suspense without really having to get extremely violent.  For me, this is a very enjoyable psychotic female movie if you are into this type of genre.

The Rescuers (1977):  This is my Disney selection and my more family friendly selection for the week.  Bob Newhart and Eva Gabor provide the voices for mice Bernard and Miss Bianca who work for the Rescue Aid Society which is a group of mice in the United Nations that helps people in need.  They set out to rescue an orphaned girl named Penny, played by Michelle Stacy, who is abducted by an unscrupulous pawn shop owner named Madame Medusa, voiced by Geraldine Page, in order to get to a diamond.  With the help of an Albatross, they look to rescue Penny from Madame, her henchman Mr. Snoops, voiced by Joe Flynn, and a couple alligators greatly named Brutus and Nero.  In some ways, Madame Medusa reminds me of Cruella Deville but still stands out on her own.  There are some decent music numbers and a pretty fun story.  This is one of the first Disney movies that go post-Walt Disney and stands pretty well.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

Hot Rod (2007):  I end with this independent comedy directed by Akiva Schaffer and written by Pam Brady.  SNL alum Andy Samberg stars as Rob Kimble who is a slacker and has a career choice of being a daredevil which he is quite inept but never gives up.  The main thing is that he wants respect from his stepfather Frank, played by Ian McShane, who is rather abusive to Rod.  Soon, he has a disease that was going to cost a lot to cure and Rod did not want him to die without his respect so he sets out to win money by doing the stunt of a lifetime.  Bill Hader, Isla Fisher, Danny McBride, Sissy Spacek, Will Arnett, Chris Parnell, and many others.  I found this to be very enjoyable and quite underrated.  This was produced by SNL alum Lorne Michaels and this is quite possibly my favorite comedy to star an SNL alum from the 90s and up and it is unfortunate it did not get much exposure.  Samberg proves he can handle a feature film in this one and I laughed a lot.  This is available on Instant Netflix and is a great comedy for a group to watch.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and what you dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes more James Gandolfini and many others.

Welcome to the 388th Edition of my series.  I did not get cast in LEGALLY BLONDE:  THE MUSICAL which is fine.  I did not figure I really fit any of the characters in the show and was a last minute audition.  This Tuesday, I will be auditioning for INHERIT THE WIND which will be at the Anderson Mainstage Theatre so I will keep updated on that on.  I will now get to my selections for the week.

Enigma (2001):  This movie takes place during WWII where Nazi U-boats have changed their enigma code.  They enlist the services of genius Tom Jericho, played by Dougray Scott, who has helped before but had trouble letting go of his love Claire, played by Saffron Burrows, who disappeared.  In his attempt to crack the code, he finds that Claire might have a connection and enlists her friend Hester, played by Kate Winslet, to help investigate Claire's personal life.  It's really hard for me to describe this movie without giving a lot away.  It is one that you must give full attention to and maybe give a second viewing if necessary.  This is based on a novel by Robert Harris and it is based on a true story upon a code breaker named Alan Turing.  The unlikely duo of Mick Jagger and Lorne Michaels produced this film and Jagger can be seen in a cameo appearance.

Justice League:  Doom (2012):  This is my animated superhero movie for the week and the latest of the Justice League animated superhero movies.  The superheroes of focus on this one are Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, the Flash, Wonder Woman, and Martian Manhunter while joined by a newer one named Cyborg who comes in handy a few times.  Immortal supervillain Vandal Savage raids Batman's batcave and finds files he has put together on each Justice League member that shows their weaknesses in which Batman put them together in the event that they turn or fall into mind control.  Savage now has these files in which he hires each one's rival so they can exploit those weaknesses.  Batman must deal with his strongest rival in Bane.  Wonder Woman must deal with her rival in female supervillain Cheetah.  The Flash must deal with his rival the Mirror Master.  Superman must deal with his rival in Metallo.  Green Lantern has a more personal battle with female supervillain Star Sapphire.  Martian Manhunter deals with his own kind in his rival Ma'alefa'ak.  I have really been enjoying watching animated superhero movies and even tv shows lately.  I admit I really don't have a lot of superhero knowledge on account of comic books but try to get educated through these and even look up characters for more background information when necessary.  I noticed in this one Barry Allen, who is the Flash, was working as a detective which I have not seen in other of these animated superhero movies.  This has some great action scenes as well as some good voice acting.  This was a pretty compelling movie and is available on Instant Netflix.

The Kite Runner (2007):  Marc Forster directed this great independent film which is based on a book by Khaled Hosseini.  Khalid Abdalla stars as Amir who has just gotten a book published and has a great life ahead of him but receives a call that leads him back into his home country of Afghanistan.  It then flashed back to his childhood with his best childhood friend Hassan and Amir does something that loses Hassan's trust which tears them apart.  Years later, he looks to rewrite that wrong and finds that his old country is now being run by the Al Qaeda.  He must do a very dangerous thing in order to earn that redemption.  This is a pretty good depiction of Afghanistan and even diverts from stereotypes like Amir's righteous father who wants nothing to do with terrorism.  While there are some very disturbing scenes, Forster managed to make this into a very moving film with a very authentic feel and good performances.

What Makes a Good Party? (1950):  This is my short film for the week and chose the always entertaining Coronet series of "educational" film.  This short shows a few teenage girls who look to throw a welcoming party for a new student.  It goes into detail how it must be organized to the last degree and the steps in which to go about it.  You also must have some fun activities like in here were hat-making contests and everyone getting together to sing JIMMY CRACKED CORN.  There was not any mention of alcohol, I guess that just was not as big for parties.  This teaches us that everything must be planned, there cannot be any spontaneity and what can be more fun than having about a dozen people standing around a piano and singing that song.

Storm Over Asia (1928):  This is my silent film for the week which is Russian and came out when talkies were starting to come out though I have no idea when Russia had their first talkie.  Valery Inkijinoff stars as Bair who is Mongol herdsman who is cheated by a western fur trader and must escape to the hill after a brawl.  He is soon captured by the Soviets who is found alive after he is shot by the Mongols and they find him alive and discover an amulet that suggests that he is a descendant of Genghis Khan.  They soon restore him to full health and make him the head of a Mongolian puppet regime.  For those who like the silent film, this has some great footage and possibly the best from Russia in this era.  If silent is not part of your repertoire, this is not for you but if you do like this cinema.  I was presented this when seeing my 1001 MOVIES YOU MUST SEE BEFORE YOU DIE book and this is available on DVD which I got from Netflix.

The Muppet Movie (1979):  With the rise of the tv show THE MUPPET SHOW that started in 1976 and what better idea than to turn this into their first movie?  The movie shows Kermit who lives in the swamp and expresses his feelings by singing THE RAINBOW CONNECTION which has gone onto becoming one of the best songs of all time.  An agent, played by Dom Deluise, convinces out favorite frog to pursue a career in Hollywood and in the process meets who would become his best friends like Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, the Great Gonzo, among many others.  In their pursuit of Hollywood they must face a frog-leg restaurant magnate, played by Charles Durning, who is after Kermit.  There are many celebrity cameos like Milton Berle, Mel Brooks, James Coburn, Elliot Gould, Bob Hope, Madeline Kahn, Carol Kane, Cloris Leachman, Richard Pryor, Telly Savalas, Paul Williams, and Orson Welles.  There is also a very amusing cameo from SESEME STREET'S Big Bird who did not join the Muppets because he was in pursuit of public tv while they wanted Hollywood and both ended up very successful.  This is available on Instant Netflix.  This is a very fun movie that is for everyone and I still question if I was supposed to be born a man feeling like I'm more of a Muppet.

Possessed (1947):  This is my film-noir this week directed by Curtis Bernhardt and stars Joan Crawford fresh off her great 1945 film MILDRED PIERCE.  Crawford stars as Louise Howell who we first meet in a very dazed state of mind looking for a man named David, who will be played by Van Heflin.  She is then taken to a psychiatric hospital where she is able to piece together events of what happened revealing her borderline personality taking an early look at Schizophrenia.  The story of Louise and David is that Louise is very emotionally unstable and in love with David but David is not really returning the amount of love nor does he want that kind of life at the time so he leaves.  Louise is working as a nurse for Dean Graham, played by Raymond Massey, and tending to his invalid wife who soon dies and she forms a relationship with Dean but still longs for David making the events all unfold to a very satisfactory film and possibly Crawford's best performance.  This is really worth a look even by today's standards.

Half Nelson (2006):  Ryan Fleck co-wrote and directed this independent film that stars Ryan Gosling.  Gosling plays Dan Dunne who is an inner city middle school history teacher and coaches girls basketball.  Dunne strays from the history curriculum and teaches in a way to make students thing for themselves which does not do well with his superiors who want him to go with the curriculum.  He still has much stress in his life and has a problem with drugs.  Shareeka Epps co-stars as Drey who is a middle school girl in Dan's class and on the team.  She has her own problems like her father always being absent.  She is close to her mother but her mother works a lot.  She finds Dan doing drugs at school and they form an unlikely friendship and find their lives changing.  Anthony Mackie stars as Frank who is a small-time drug dealer who Dan is trying to keep Dray away from.  All three of these people put on very good performances.  This is a rather realistic portrait of the inner city struggles and a movie driven by the characters which is something I can usually enjoy.  Gosling is someone I can usually really enjoy and he did not disappoint me in this one.

Jacob (1994):  This is my tv movie for the week and part of "The Bible Collection" that TNT aired.  Matthew Modine stars as the biblical title character who is the son of Isaac, played by Joss Acklund, and Rebekah, played by Irene Papas, and when his father is dying, Rebekah and Jacob scheme to not have the other son Esau, played by Sean Bean, have the inheritance.  This sets off a lot of tension which makes Jacob leave and soon meets Rachel, played by THE PRACTICE alum Lara Flynn Boyle, and falls in love.  In order to earn her hand in marriage he must work for her father Laban, played by Giancarlo Giannini, for seven years.  For seven years, he proves to be a very good worker and believes he is getting his wish only to be tricked into sleeping with his oldest daughter Leah, played by Juliet Aubrey, and must work another seven years to have Rachel.  This is mostly going to be for those who are religious but is a pretty good love story with Modine very good as Jacob who would go onto have twelve sons and at least one daughter including who most know as Joseph. 

Witchfinder General (1968):  I end this week with some Vincent Price where in England, there are a lot of witch superstitions as there is a lot of political strife that allows unscrupulous men to gain local power.  Michael Reeves directed this movie and is his final movie as he died of a drug overdose shortly after it was put out.  Price stars as witch prosecutor Matthew Hopkins who along with his sadistic assistant Stearne, played by Robert Russell, they go around and interrogate those they say are witches and in a very torturous manner.  Ian Ogilvy stars as Richard Marshall who is engaged to a priest's niece and after they go after the priest he sets out to go after Hopkins and Stearne.  This is a pretty dark movie and is quite violent and disturbing but I do not believe it is as unrealistic as some might think with the paranoia of people thought to be witches and must go through very extreme measures to prove their innocence.  Price is great in his role and might be one of his best performances.  This is available on Instant Netflix and is a very well-done and underrated Vincent Price film.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and what you dislike.  Stay tuned for next week which so far includes Walter Matthau, Emma Stone, Mike Myers, Tilda Swinton, Gong Li, Spencer Tracy, Ed Helms, and many others.

 

 

Welcome to the 387th Edition of my series.  Last night, I had an Action Packed Wrestling show and I brought in "Sexy" Sean Casey and Andy Chene who won the tag team championships bringing the APW titles to the Shaun Berkey Talent Agency.  I will keep posted on the next show.  Yesterday, I tried out for LEGALLY BLONDE:  THE MUSICAL at Muncie Civic Theater so I await casting which I'll find out this week.  I will now get to my movies for the week.

Breezy (1973):  I start this week out with this very unknown Clint Eastwood film.  This is the first movie he directed without actually being an actor.  I will be the first to admit I am a big Clint Eastwood I feel that he has earned the success that he has gotten and then I find this unknown gem that has been way under the radar.  Eastwood directs this love story and Jo Heims wrote the screenplay.  Kay Lenz plays the title character is a good-hearted hippy.  She soon realizes that a man only wanted to take advantage over her and she gets away.  She soon ends up on secluded property of a middle-aged and divorced businessman named Frank Harmon, played by William Holden.  She immediately looks to make her way into his life and Frank reluctantly helps her when he can but slowly begins to really like her to the point of falling in love.  This is the kind of love story that I enjoy.  One of the things I liked was how mismatched they were in terms of age and personality.  Breezy really wanted the relationship and Frank tries to resist her in every way but soon seems to like her spirit and slowly begins to fall in love with her.  I remember the first time I ever saw this was a few years ago when going through the free movie section on On-Demand and coming across this movie I had never heard of and was so pleasantly by what I saw.  This is a simple yet very effective and touching love story with to very well written characters.  Kay Lenz was great as the title character and it is unfortunate that she has never been more known and Holden was also very good as Frank.  This is Eastwood's third movie that he directed but the first in which he was not an actor in the film though has a part as an extra.  This is now available on Instant Netflix and is so worth a
watch.


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Gone Baby Gone (2007):  Ben Affleck makes his debut behind the camera as a director in this film based on a novel based on a Dennis Lehane novel and the second feature in a row this week where someone better known in acting directs turning what they do into absolute gold.  This is a story about a 4 year old girl who disappears.  Casey Affleck and Michelle Monaghan star as private detectives Patrick Kenzie and Angie Gennaro who are hired by the girl's aunt Bea, played by Amy Madigan, to find her.  In their investigation, they find far more than they bargained for leading them into many personal and professional dilemmas.  I really do not want to say any more on this movie plot wise.  Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris, Amy Ryan, and Titus Welliver co-star in this story which has many twists and turns.  Ben Affleck cast his brother because his brother was perfect for the part.  Casey Affleck had quite a year with this movie and his other great performance in THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD.  Amy Ryan was also good as the troubled mother of the four year old girl.  I went into this not really knowing what to expect, just knowing some who have told me how good this movie is which lived up to each expectation I had.  This is not a movie for everyone but can be very rewarding if given a shot.



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Cannibal Capers (1930):  This is my animated short for the week which was from Disney after I checked out a dvd of Disney's "Silly Symphonies" and when analyzing my choices, this sounded rather interesting to me.  With this title, nothing really extreme happens.  Watching today, this would be considered racism unless you can understand this era and many people did that in those days.  This is said to be more of a parody of how Hollywood portrayed black people of this time.  In this short film, a group of cannibals are doing a tribal dance only to get attacked by a fierce lion.  The caricatures are obvious spoofs and while they are cannibals, the short is no worse than a lot of the Looney Tunes shorts.  This really should be taken for the silliness it is worth.  I always enjoy visiting older cartoon shorts and was glad to look into Disney for a change.  This can be found on that dvd I mentioned and on Youtube.

 

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The Hunger Games (2012):  Gary Ross directed this film based on the popular novel by Suzanne Collins.  This movie takes place in a dystopian futuristic world where there are twelve districts and each year they have a big event of the title name.  These games are where every district must choose two people between the ages 12 to 18 years.  This movie's main focus is towards District 12 where we meet the very resourceful Katniss Everdeen, played well by Jennifer Lawrence, who seems to be the breadwinner in her home of her younger sister and mother.  Then comes the lottery where now her younger sister becomes eligible for the first time and is chosen.  When this happens, Katniss steps up and volunteers to take that spot.  The male taken from District 12 is a guy named Peeta, played by Josh Hutcherson, who has always known Katniss but gets to know her more in these games.  The first part of the movie focuses on their preparation for the game.  Woody Harrelson co-stars as Haymitch who is a previous mentor and while having alcohol issues, he is caring to the contestants.  The second half of the film is obviously the games where they must fight for surival.  Stanley Tucci, Wes Bentley, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, Toby Jones, Donald Sutherland, Lenny Kravitz, and many others co-star.  One thing I found interesting was the main land where the games and coverage took place was very lavish while the world of District 12 was not much different than what we would see today.  It was also interesting to see the training and how just knowing how to fight and use weapons is not enough but they must learn to present themselves and be liked for purposes of getting sponsors to give them things like food and supplies.  This is a very interesting look at the modern-day gladiator games and have heard similarities from Battle Royale which I have not seen yet but know I need to sometime.  This is a pretty good film adaptation launching Lawrence into stardom and would later that year star in SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK. This also has a pretty good soundtrack to it having groups like Arcade Fire involved.  I believe this is one of the better action films from that year.

 

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The Wizard of Oz (1939):  I decided to attempt what I had never have and watch this movie to the Pink Floyd album DARK SIDE OF THE MOON and with the success of OZ:  THE GREAT AND POWERFUL, I thought I would revisit this one.  Most people know this story.  We have Dorothy, played very well by Judy Garland, and her dog Toto caught up in a tornado gets swept into a magical land where she must find a way to get back home to Kansas to get back to her Auntie Em.  She first ends up in the land of the Munchkins and soon meets the good witch Glinda, played by Billie Burke, who sets Dorothy on the path to follow the Yellow Brick Road to find the Wizard in order to get home.  At the same time meeting the good witch, she also meets a very mean witch we know as the Wicked Witch of the West, played by Margaret Hamilton in a role of a lifetime for her, who targets Dorothy for those slippers.  We later learn that that witch's name is Elphaba in the book and musical WICKED.  Along the way she meets the iconic Scarecrow, played by Ray Bolger, Tin Man, played by Jack Haley, and Cowardly Lion, played by Bert Lahr who join Dorothy into her Journey to see the Wizard in hopes they can find what they lack while trying to survive the Wicked Witch of the West.  Frank Morgan plays the title character as well as about four other characters and is very amusing in this film.  I don't think I really need to go further there.  This was based on children's books from L. Frank Baum who wrote many books about Oz and this is not the first movie adaptation but the one that remains iconic and was the big hype at the time with all the actors excited to be part of the successful book series.  Now to my thoughts of listening to it with DARK SIDE OF THE MOON.  I followed the instructions where you play the cd on the third roar of the lion.  It was interesting to watch but when cd is half the length of the film so it was interesting while it lasted but leaving me to wonder if I did something wrong.  In looking further into this, apparently there is a copy called DARK SIDE OF THE RAINBOW so maybe I need to look into that one.  Either way, this is a timeless classic for the whole family to watch which I remember my Dad introducing me to the movie.

 

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From Paris with Love (2010):  This is my guilty pleasure action movie for the week.  As you might guess, it takes place in Paris.  Jonathan Rhys-Meyers stars as James Reece who is an aide to the US ambassador but longs to get out more into the field.  He soon gets that wish and is told to pick up government employee, Charlie Wax, played by John Travolta, who is looking to stop a terrorist plan from developing.  He finds he got far more than he bargained for when he finds that Wax is very unorthodox and does not always follow the book.  Travolta clearly had a lot of fun in his role as a ruthless spy.  Rhys-Meyers I thought did a good job in his role.  The plot is not the greatest but can be a fun action film if that is what you are looking for at the time.



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Monster (2003):  Patty Jenkins directed and wrote the screenplay of this film that is based on the true story of Aileen Wuornos who was billed "America's first female serial killer".  Charlize Theron plays Wuornos to perfection.  This shows her in the beginning trying to survive.   In real-life Wuornos had a very difficult childhood and ended up alone while resorting to prostitution to survive.  When working, a man raped her and she killed him to get away which lowered her faith on how people are in life and then ended up killing six other men between 1989 and 1990.  Christina Ricci co-stars as Selby Walls who is a lesbian and forms a relationship with Wuornos but eventually finds it very difficult to live with her.  Part of this movie is Aileen trying to find herself a job to support herself and Selby and get out of prostitution but found with her life it was not very simple.  Both Theron and Ricci did a really good job of altering their usually very attractive looks to play these parts like gaining some weight and Ricci was very good as Walls.  The real Wuornos gave Patty Jenkins letters and documents she has written to give Jenkins insight into her life.  Bruce Dern, Pruitt Taylor Vance, and OZ alum Lee Terguson co-star in this film.  Look for Kane Hodder as an undercover cop.  This is not a very easy movie to watch but the movie was very well done with Theron winning a very deserved Oscar for her portrayal.  Below are a couple photos of the real-life Aileen Wuornos and must say I had a hard time differentiating between her and Theron.  I know the 1st one is her mug shot and I am pretty sure the second one is Wuornos.



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The Mackintosh Man (1973):  John Huston directed this thriller.  Paul Newman stars as a member of British Intelligence named Joseph Rearden who must go to extreme measures in order to expose a traitor named Sir George Wheeler, played by James Mason.  He is recruited by a man of the title name and Mrs. Smith, played by Dominique Sanda, and then gets himself arrested to infiltrate the group more.  This is a secret mission and soon Mackintosh dies that makes things more complicated.  For Rearden, nothing is what it seems and must go on the run to clear his name with the help of Mrs. Smith.  This is a much different role than usual for Newman and is more downplayed than usual so of interest to see that aspect.  I came across this at the library and was worth a look.  Below is a photo of the book it is based upon.



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On the Waterfront (1954): Elia Kazan directs this film which stars Marlon Brando in possibly his best movie.  Brando stars as the iconic character Terry Malloy who is an ex-prizefighter who runs errands for corrupt and murderous union boss Johnny Friendly, played by Lee J. Cobb.  He soon meets the sister of someone who Friendly kills named Edie, played by Eva Marie Saint, and slowly begins to realize that what he is doing is not right.  Karl Malden co-stars as Father Barry who is a very courageous preacher and looks to do everything he can to bring down Friendly and is part of what convinces Terry to stand up to the corruption.  Rod Steiger plays Terry's brother Charley who is also very crooked.  This movie is quite dark for its time but it is a great film and even inspirational.  This movie has the famous line of "I could've been a contender".  This movie is a classic and is one of my favorites from this era which stands the test of time and beyond.



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The Amateurs (2005):  I end with week with this independent and adult oriented comedy.  Michael Traeger wrote and directed this small-town comedy.  Jeff Bridges stars as Andy Sargentee who has just lost his job and is having a hard time adjusting to his son's "cool" stepfather Howard, played by Steven Weber.  Andy soon gets the idea to produce a porno film and be the first town to band together to make a full-length amateur adult film.  Joining Andy in his effort are fellow locals played by Tim Blake Nelson, SOPRANOS alum Joe Pantoliano, CHEERS alum Ted Danson, William Fichtner, Patrick Fugit, John Hawks, and Brad Henke.  GILMORE GIRLS alum Lauren Graham, Glenne Headly, Jeanne Triplehorn, Isaiah Washington, EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND alum Brad Garrett and Alex D. Linz also co-star.  I was not sure what to expect but I really enjoyed this movie.  I thought Bridges was great and I loved the way he did the narration.  If you are easily offended, this might not be for you but this movie is more about a town banding together more than anything and Andy just thought this would be a good way for everyone to be successful.  I actually got a lot of laughs when watching this.  I also thought each character was pretty well-written.  Mostly what this this movie its R rating is the discussion of sex.  This movie is available on Instant Netflix and is a pretty funny comedy.



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Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Kate Winslet, Nathan Fillion, and many others.  Continue reading for my "fun and useless facts segment" that I am bringing back for the week.

FUN AND USELESS FACTS

Clint Eastwood (Breezy director) and Morgan Freeman (Gone Baby Gone) have worked together on quite a few occasions and all of which to my knowledge are ones in which Eastwood have directed.  Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Clint Eastwood (Breezy director) and Donald Sutherland (The Hunger Games) worked together in the 1970 film KELLY'S HEROES and were two of the title characters in the 2000 film SPACE COWBOYS.

Clint Eastwood (Breezy director) and Jeff Bridges (The Amateurs) were the title characters in the 1974 film THUNDERBOLT AND LIGHTFOOT.

Clint Eastwood (Breezy director), Mark Margolis (Gone Baby Gone) and Ed Harris (Gone Baby Gone) were in the 1997 film ABSOLUTE POWER.

Clint Eastwood (Breezy director) and Bruce Dern (Monster) were in the 1968 western HANG 'EM HIGH.

Clint Eastwood (Breezy director) and Michael Hordern (The Mackintosh Man) were in the 1968 film WHERE EAGLE'S DARE.

William Holden (Breezy) and Paul Newman (The Mackintosh Man) were in the 1974 disaster movie THE TOWERING INFERNO.

William Holden (Breezy) turned down the part of Major Gruver in the 1957 film SAYONARA which would ultimately go to Marlon Brando (On the Waterfront).

Ben Affleck (Gone Baby Gone director) and William Fichtner (The Amateurs) were in the 1998 movie ARMAGEDDON.

Ben Affleck (Gone Baby Gone director) and Charlize Theron (Monster) were in the 2000 movie REINDEER GAMES.

Ben Affleck (Gone Baby Gone director) and Scott Wilson (Monster) were in the 2001 movie PEARL HARBOR.

Ben Affleck (Gone Baby Gone director) and Kane Hodder (Monster) were in the 2003 film DAREDEVIL where Hodder is uncredited

Michelle Monaghan (Gone Baby Gone) and Charlize Theron (Monster) were in the 2005 film NORTH COUNTRY.

Morgan Freeman (Gone Baby Gone) and William Fichtner (The Amateurs) were in the 2008 film THE DARK KNIGHT.

Morgan Freeman (Gone Baby Gone) and Donald Sutherland (The Hunger Games) were in the 1995 film OUTBREAK.

Morgan Freeman (Gone Baby Gone) and Stanley Tucci (The Hunger Games) were in the 2006 film LUCKY NUMBER SLEVIN.

Ed Harris (Gone Baby Gone), Bruce Dern (Monster) and Jeff Bridges (The Amateurs) were in the 2003 film MASKED AND ANONYMOUS.

Ed Harris (Gone Baby Gone) and Scott Wilson (Monster) were test pilots in the 1983 film THE RIGHT STUFF.

Edi Gathegi (Gone Baby Gone) and Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games) were in the 2011 film X-MEN:  FIRST CLASS.

CAPONE GANG
-Titus Welliver (Gone Baby Gone) plays Al Capone in the 1991 film MOBSTERS.
-Stanley Tucci (The Hunger Games) plays Frank Nitti in the 2002 film ROAD TO PERDITION.
-Rod Steiger (On the Waterfront) plays Al Capone in the 1959 film AL CAPONE.

Titus Welliver (Gone Baby Gone) and Pruitt Taylor Vince (Monster) were in the HBO tv series DEADWOOD.

Michelle Monaghan (Gone Baby Gone) and Jonathan Rhys Meyers (From Paris With Love) were in the 2006 film MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE III.

Gary Ross (The Hunger Games director) directed Jeff Bridges (The Amateurs) in the 2003 film SEABISCUIT.

Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games) and John Haynes (The Amateurs) are in the 2010 film WINTER'S BONE.

Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games) and Charlize Theron (Monster) are in the 2008 film THE BURNING PLAIN.

Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games) is a fan of Jeff Bridges (The Amateurs).

Liam Hemsworth (The Hunger Games) cites Paul Newman (The Mackintosh Man) as one of his favorite actors.

Woody Harrelson (The Hunger Games) and Ted Danson (The Amateurs) were in the hit 1980s sitcom CHEERS.

Woody Harrelson (The Hunger Games) and John Travolta (From Paris With Love) were in the 1998 film THE THIN RED LINE.

Woody Harrelson (The Hunger Games) and Charlize Theron (Monster) are friends in real life.

Woody Harrelson (The Hunger Games) and Pruitt Taylor Vince (Monster) were in the 1994 film NATURAL BORN KILLERS.

Donald Sutherland (The Hunger Games) and Charlize Theron (Monster) are father and daughter in the 2003 film THE ITALIAN JOB.

Stanley Tucci (The Hunger Games) and Charlize Theron (Monster) were in the 2004 tv movie THE LIFE AND DEATH OF PETER SELLERS.

Stanley Tucci (The Hunger Games) and Pruitt Taylor Vince (Monster) were in the 1995 tv series MURDER ONE.

Toby Jones (The Hunger Games) plays Truman Capote in the 2006 tv movie INFAMOUS.  Scott Wilson (Monster) plays Richard Hickock which is one of the people Capote based his book upon in the 1967 film IN COLD BLOOD.

Pierre Morel (From Paris With Love director) directed Morgan Freeman (Gone Baby Gone) in the 2005 movie UNLEASHED.

Jonathan Rhys Meyers (From Paris With Love) and Christina Ricci (Monster) were in the 2001 film PROZAC NATION.

Jonathan Rhys Meyers (From Paris With Love plays Elvis Presley in the 2005 mini-series ELVIS.  Scott Wilson (Monster) plays Elvis's father Vernon Presley in the 1993 tv movie ELVIS AND THE COLONEL:  THE UNTOLD STORY.

Bruce Dern (Monster) and Jeanne Tripplehorn (The Amateurs) were in the HBO series BIG LOVE.

Pruitt Taylor Vince (Monster) and Paul Newman (The Mackintosh Man) were in the 1994 film NOBODY'S FOOL.

Paul Newman (The Mackintosh Man) was often mistaken for Marlon Brando (On the Waterfront) early in his career.

Paul Newman (The Mackintosh Man) declined the part of Harry Callahan in the 1971 film DIRTY HARRY which would ultimately go to Clint Eastwood (Breezy).

Paul Newman (The Mackintosh Man) cited this week's feature ON THE WATERFRONT as the first movie that had a big impact on him.

Paul Newman (The Mackintosh Man) declined the part of Lucien Wilbanks in the 1996 film A TIME TO KILL which would ultimately go to Donald Sutherland (The Hunger Games).

James Mason (The Mackintosh Man) and Marlon Brando (On The Waterfront) co-star in the 1953 film JULIUS CAESAR.

James Mason (The Mackintosh Man) and Eva Marie Saint (On the Waterfront) were in the 1959 film NORTH BY NORTHWEST.

Harry Andrews (The Mackintosh Man) and Marlon Brando (On the Waterfront) were in the 1978 film SUPERMAN.