"Frogs for Snakes" (1998)

I've hit the independent film streak and boy oh boy did this scream independent. Not to say that was a bad thing, it's not but it was certainly different.

The basic story is Eve, an actress by day and collector by night, decides she wants more for her life and wants to give up both acting and collecting and move away with her young son. Before she can do that, she must help Al (her ex-husband) locate money that has been stollen from him.

That's the basics of it. Going even deeper there is a subplot involving Al's upcoming production of "American Buffalo" and how everyone is going completely crazy trying to be a part of it. This film is huge with acting down to the point where someone would be speaking for actual dialog but then break out into a monolog. This really caused me to question quite a few times as to if it was the character speaking OR the character acting as another character, saying a particular speech from a play.

Good grief. Too much thinking.

Don't get me wrong though, Hershey's performance was so spot on that even when she broke out into a monolog you cared for what she had to say and you felt for her. I was routing for her the entire time and moved by some of her speeches.

It's certainly a dialog driven film.

"The Portrait of a Lady" (1996)

I had seen this movie twice before and every time it was hard for me to pay attention. For my third viewing I went in with an open mind and by with a few seconds of the opening credits fully realized how much I actually never understood the film. Was it because I was too young to fully appreciate it? Was it maybe perhaps I was distracted by my surroundings every time I had attempted to watch?

Either way, finally with this viewing I was able to appreciate this film for much more than how it looked (and trust me the costume porn is phenomenal!). I finally realized just how tragic these characters and the story are.

A young woman (played by Nicole Kidman) comes into a fortune from her uncle. At the same time she befriends a woman (Barbara Hershey) who introduces her to an artist (John Malkovich). Together Hershey and Malkovich's characters come up with a plan to play Kidman out of of her fortune. The rest is their twisted plan unfolding and Kidman falling more and more into becoming a woman whom she would have never seen herself becoming and is everything she could never stand.

I did find the pace slow, but I actually found the characters a lot more intriguing and was able to understand their motivations a lot more this time around. It really does prove that as you get older and learn about the world your view on films change drastically. Before where I had a strong dislike for Hershey's character, I now found a sadness and wanting for her to come out on top. I believe she did what she did with good intentions but the execution was poorly done and in the end she and Kidman's characters paid.

"The Pallbearer " (1996)

Wow did it take me a while for me to actually really get involved with this film. Actually, I cared about Barbara's character but that's because I was going into this film for her. I'm not really a fan of anyone else so when ever someone who wasn't her was on screen it was hard to really pay attention.

The story itself was one to really try to swallow. A mother of a recent suicide victim mistakes one of her son's high school classmates for being her son's best friend and asks him to be the pallbearer for his funeral. Instead of correcting her he agrees and soon a simple request turns into a complicated relationship. Meanwhile, he is also trying to get his high school crush to fall in love with him.

Really the parts I love the most of this film are any scenes that involve Barbara or Carol Kane, who plays the main character's mother.

"Last of the Dogmen" (1995)

"Beaches" may be one of my favorite movies BUT "Last of the Dogmen" is by far my favorite Barbara Hershey film!

After a group of convicts go missing in the woods a tracker is hired to find them and bring them back. He gets much more for what he bargained for when the men are killed by something mysterious. While researching what may have caused their disappearances he stumbles upon a group of Dogmen, the last of their tribe and with the help of a Native American History professor they attempt to save them from extinction.

I love the story, and I love the cast! Most of all this is by far my favorite character that Barbara has done. Sure, I've seen roles where she's amazing but this one really allows her to have a great stride as the sassy History Professor. She may be the "romantic lead" but she's also a strong character on her own! She's completely able to hold herself and steals every single scene she's in. I remember seeing this for the first time and by the end of it I was completely wanting to be like her character.

Sure, it has its flaws. There are some plot holes that after my millionth viewing I have begun to notice, but the film is just so enjoyable you kind of forget that they're there.

"Splitting Heirs" (1993)

It's so enjoyable to watch a roll and think of just how funny it must have been for everyone on set. Also, how enjoyable it must have been to just play this character of the Duchess because man oh man did it look like a lot of fun!

"Splitting Heirs" tells the story of Tommy. A man who grew up thinking he belonged in one place, but learned of his true family and had to try and think of a round about way of telling those involved. This is because Henry, the child Tommy was switched with, was raised to become the next Duke and after the misfortune of the current Duke's death he is made just that. Now in order for Tommy to get his title the current Duke must die.

It's really hard to tell the plot without getting confused but it plays out so well, and is really funny! It's also a plus to see baby face Catherine Zeta Jones running around and being totally side judged by Barbara! Even when Barbara is busy hitting on Tommy, not knowing it's really her son, you can't help but start dying of laughter.

Another plus is that it also had Sadie Frost! Most people will remember her from being Lucy in 1992's Dracula or the first wife to Jude Law. I've been a fan of her's for years... actually, she's one of my very early girl crushes (thank you Dracula). Actually, this is bad because now I think I want to go see what she's been acting in recently but no! Must finish the Hersh's filmography timeline!

Anyways, I hadn't watched this film in a long while, but i now remember how much I really enjoy it!

"Swing Kids" (1993)

I'm sorry it was sort of a stand still for a while, life happened.  Anyways, ON WARD WE GO!

I was introduced to "Swing Kids" by my roommate, and when I first watched it I went in not knowing anything about the film except it involved Christian Bale dancing. I came out loving the story and everything about it.

Peter (Robert Sean Leonard), Tom (Christian Bale) and Arvid (Frank Whaley) play a group of friends living in Germany during the Nazi reign. They are all huge fans of American Swing music and live by their own code for it. When Peter gets caught stealing he is sent to a school where they reeducate you with the "Nazi way". Feeling guilty, Tom joins him. As Germany pushes more and more into war, and becoming more hostile towards the Jews Peter and Tom are pushed into different directions. Both are forced to grow up, but how they chose to be will change their friendship.

Hershey plays Peter's mother Frau Muller, the wife of someone who was convicted of being a Communist. In order to keep her family and herself from being persecuted she does what she can to survive and protect her family. She forms a relationship with a man very close to Hitler (played by Kenneth Branagh), and before that it is suggested that she's done things she's not proud of.

The film itself is great to watch. It flows so well. There are moments where you laugh, cry and even make you think. If you haven't seen this then you really should go check it out!