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 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.

 

Welcome to the 385th Edition of my series.  I hope everyone is having a good Easter.  It turned out to be a pretty long day for me with my flat tire but I got everything addressed and am home now writing this blog. I just recently started volunteer work at my local library which is the first volunteer experience, besides community theater, I have had since my college days.  It is something I believe I will enjoy.  I'm really ready for that warmer weather to start coming about.  It's gotten nicer but I hear it's supposed to get back into the 40s again but will get back to the 50s.  I suppose we cannot get 80s right now but maybe the 60s or 70s would be nice.  Remember, on April 13th we have an Action Packed Wrestling show in Chesterfield where I will be bringing back a couple wrestlers to the promotion like I did the last show.  As the talent agent of Action Packed Wrestling, I will see to it that I fix everything that is wrong.  I will now get to my recommendations for the week.

Choking Man (2006):  I start this week out with this independent film wrote and directed by Steve Barron.  Octavio Gomez Berrios stars as Jorge who is an Ecuadorian dishwasher and extremely shy.  He soon develops a fixation on the new Asian waitress Amy, played by Eugenia Yam, but is constantly tormented by his co-worker Jerry, played by a pre-BREAKING BAD Aaron Paul, and his domineering roommate.  Mandy Patinkin co-stars as the restaurant owner.  This is something that received mixed reactions and while I did not find it great, there were elements I liked.  I did enjoy some of the animation sequences in this movie.  It is also an interesting psychological thriller and something quite different with this unlikely protagonist.  This is available on Instant Netflix and worth a look.

Carnage (2011):  This is part one of a two-part John C. Reilly series and a two-part Jodie Foster series.  Roman Polanski directed this comedy-drama which is based on the play by Yasmina Reza.  This movie centers around two sets of parents who get together do discuss the altercation between their sons.  Jodie Foster and John C. Reilly star as Penelope and Michael Longstreet are the parents to the boy that was injured.  Kate Winslet and Christoph Waltz star as Nancy and Alan Cowan who are the parents to the boy that injured the other one.  They have a meeting which starts out as a civil discussion but then escalates into more of an altercation that goes beyond their kids fighting and more about their parenting, lifestyles, and marriage issues.  The four actors were very well cast in this film and do a good job.  It also has some pretty funny moments but also an interesting look about handling the bullying of children.  I would like to see this done as a play sometime.

Summer Hours (2008):  This is my French film for the week which was written and directed by Olivier Assayas.  Edith Scob plays Helene who is 75 years of age and understands she will not be around forever.  She then has her three children over for a visit to discuss what to do with her uncle's art collection and when she dies, they must all decide what they want to do but must also think realistically.  Juliette Binoche, Charles Berling, and Jeremie Renier play the three kids.  This is a very good film about family coming together but must be realistic about the future.  This is a pretty touching film and deserves a watch as long as you can watch a movie with subtitles.

The Miracle of Sound (1940):  This is my short film for the week which features MGM sound engineer Douglas Shearer showing how sound gets into film.  It then shows a screen test for Greer Garson for BLOSSOMS IN THE DUST.  The rest of this short film features a montage of actors and upcoming films for the year.  One must remember that sound was still on the rise in film since 1927 was the first talkie.  It is also good for any movie buff and is interesting to see in that era how it worked.  Enclosed is a photo of Douglas Shearer who did a lot for sound in movies in this era and takes us into that world.

The Roaring Twenties (1939):  Raoul Walsh directed this gangster film which was more of a statement for veterans who have a hard time finding work especially during the depression which is where this takes place..  James Cagney stars as WWI veteran Eddie Bartlett who is just getting out of the army and expects to get his job back at the auto shop that he had been promised.  When going back there he finds that his position was taken and that his former employer cannot afford to hire him back.  After Eddie cannot find a job, he then takes to a very successful operation which was bootlegging.  Humphrey Bogart co-stars as Eddie's friend George who joins him in bootlegging but becomes one of the problems in  the operation.  This is a much different gangster film for Cagney where in much of his movies, he was straight out ruthless but this one it shows the circumstances of why he joins.  Priscilla Lane, Jeffrey Lynn, and Gladys George all co-star in this film that happened during the Golden Year for film.  This is the year that boasts titles like THE WIZARD OF OZ, GONE WITH THE WIND, MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON, and many others.  This movie holds up very well and was very enjoyable in my opinion.  This would mark Cagney's last gangster film for ten years as he wanted to look into different roles.

Get Carter (1971):  Mike Hodges directed and wrote the screenplay based on the novel by Ted Lewis and is my British film for the week.  Most probably know the 2000 remake which stars Sylvester Stallone.  This is the original that stars Michael Caine.  Caine stars as British gangster Jack Carter whose brother dies under mysterious circumstances in which he suspects is murder.  He then sets out to investigate his brother's death and will not stop or hold anything back.  This is a pretty violent film and is not for everyone.  I do always enjoy Caine in action films though.  Some may not like it for the way it may glorify a gangster like Carter.  Britt Ekland co-stars in this film as Anna.  This is actually based on a real gangster named Jack Carter that this movie was based upon and was very critical of the movie.

Dumbo (1941):  Now I bring in a more family oriented film that is a Disney classic.  We first meet a stork who is giving animals their children.  Now I'm not sure where this stork concept started but this really emphasizes how it's a stork that delivers babies.  Circus elephant Mrs. Jumbo finally gets her elephant baby who she calls Jumbo Jr.  The elephants of the group are full of women and Jumbo seems to be the only nice one as the others are very judgmental of her baby elephant because of his really big ears.  One of them soon dubs the baby elephant as the title name.  Dumbo soon gets separated from his mother and also finds he does not fit in the circus act with the other elephants.  He soon gets relegated to doing work with the clowns.  He soon meets a very energetic mouse named Timothy who does not judge Dumbo for his ears and tries to help him get to good spirits eventually exposing a pretty cool gift that Dumbo has.  This is a movie that really teaches acceptance and has some pretty funny moments.  There is some crows later in the movie and one even named Jim but they are pretty funny while being a bit stereotypical.  There is also a really good pink elephant sequence.  This is available on Instant Netflix and glad to see more Disney available there now.

Joe Kidd (1972):  This is my western for the week which was directed by John Sturges and written by Elmore Leonard who was more known for his novels made into a movie but this just appears to be a screenplay.  Clint Eastwood stars as the title character who is a former bounty hunter and has a small run in with the law.  John Saxon co-stars as a leader of a Mexican group named Luis Chama whose land claims are denied and burned in a fire which really sets them off.  Robert Duvall plays a wealthy landowner named Frank Harlan who brings in a group of killers to track Chama and wants Joe involved going so far as to paying his legal fines.  He's at first reluctant to join but then Chama does some things that are very unsettling to Joe.  Once joining, he realizes they are not a good group of people.  This is a pretty good Eastwood western and his westerns tend to be my favorite.  This is also available on Instant Netflix.

Peter Gabriel:  New Blood (2011):  This is my concert video for the week which you might have guessed includes Peter Gabriel.  Everyone who knows me well enough knows that I am a big Peter Gabriel fan and is my favorite singer.  I had the pleasure of seeing him in 2003 in concert.  I have just about every cd he has put out and about every live dvd.  This comes from his latest album NEW BLOOD where he makes orchestral arrangements of some of his biggest songs and has an amazing orchestra.  It also includes some of his remakes from the SCRATCH MY BACK albums.  I also own live dvd SHAKING THE TREE and GROWING UP and like those better in terms of her is more active on stage but this has its moments too.  There are a lot of good art work in the background.  I also like that he does not have SLEDGEHAMMER on this one.  I also like on this one that he does his song WALLFLOWER which is not usually performed live and is even better cd versions.  Other singers he has on hand is his daughter Melanie who is very talented in his own right as well as female singer Ane Brun.  Peter Gabriel is someone who is very underrated in my opinion and if people listen to him past SLEDGEHAMMER, they might find they like him the way I do.  I first heard about Peter when I was in middle school or so and started seeing his very interesting videos.  I really took note of him as a singer when I was visiting my dad's house and listening to his DMX which I believe was a satellite radio where I heard his song GAMES WITHOUT FRONTIERS and then slowly became a full-fledged fan and have never turned back.  I have mostly gotten away from the mainstream music scene and have tastes that flow from Gabriel.  This is a very good live performance and deserves a look.

Hero (2002):  I end this week with this Hong Kong film directed by Yimou Zhang.  Jet Li stars as a nameless assassin in ancient pre-unified China who is looking to assassinate the tyrant ruler, played by Daoming Chan.  To get to this ruler, he must defeat three assassins where they go into flashbacks from different points of view as he tells Emperor Qin the story of how he defeated these assassins.  Donnie Yen, Maggie Cheung, Tony Leung, and Ziyi Zhang all co-star in this story.  The first time I saw this movie, I did not think a lot of it but then when I watched it a second time, it really stood out for me.  There are a lot of good fight scenes and a great music score.  I found that it is a very well told story with some of Hong Kong's best.  I call this the third of a trilogy which consists of CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON, HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS and this complements the two very well.  This is based on a true story but could not find enough information to determine if it has any accuracy but a beautiful film either way.

HONORABLE TV MENTION

House of Cards (2013- current):  I decided to include a tv series this week so I included this rather ambitious series.  Kevin Spacey stars as the Majority Whip Frank Underwood who gets passed over for for a position he was promised and looks to manipulate his way to president in modern day Washington D.C.  Kate Mara co-stars as reporter Zoe Barnes who feels she is not getting much respect and forms an unusual alliance with Underwood that benefits her career and his quest in politics.  Robin Wright co-stars as Frank's ambitious wife Claire who is along for the ride.  This had quite an array of directors like David Fincher and Joel Schumacher.  I found that this is a remake of a British mini-series of the same title in 1990.  When this first came out, I expected to see an episode per week but they released the whole season at the same time and was very successful.  This is only available on Instant Netflix and I'm now ready for season two.

Well that is it for this week.  Stay tuned for next week which so far includes Drew Barrymore, more John C. Reilly, Martin Scorsese, more Jodie Foster and many others.