The Black Scorpion (1957) starring Richard Denning & Mara Corday / Z-View

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The Black Scorpion (1957)

Director: Edward Ludwig

Screenplay:  Robert Blees, David Duncan

Stars:  Richard Denning, Mara Corday, Carlos Rivas, Mario Navarro.

Tagline: Every horror you’ve seen on the screen grows pale beside the horror of “THE BLACK SCORPION”

The Plot…

An earthquake in Mexico gives rise to a new active volcano.  Geologists Dr. Hank Scott and Dr. Arturo Ramos are sent to ground zero to assess damage.  As they close in on the epicenter, they discover houses and cars destroyed but not from the earthquake or volcano.  Locals believe a demon is killing their cattle and causing the damage.

It’s not demons but prehistoric scorpions that now have a path to the surface.  These monsters are on the loose and hungry!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Willis O’Brien, who created the stop-motion effects King Kong (1933), supervised the special effects for The Black Scorpion.  Although working with a much smaller budget, most of this movie’s charm is from O’Brien’s work.

The giant trapdoor spider and enormous worm were models left over (and not used) from King Kong (1933).

If the sounds made by the giant scorpions sound familiar, give another listen to the sounds of the ants in Them!.

The Black Scorpion (1957) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“There is Only One BLADE. His Name is Wesley Snipes.” – Awesome Poster by Mark Levy!

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Now THAT is one bad ass Blade poster created by Nick Levy.  While I wasn’t a fan of the original Blade, I absolutely love Blade II.  Blade Trinity was good, but fell short of Blade II greatness.  With that said, I must agree with Nick Levy when he says…

There’s only one Blade. And his name is Wesley Snipes.

“Heart of the Beast” directed by David Ayer and starring Brad Pitt, J.K. Simmons, Anna Lambe – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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Heart of the Beast directed by David Ayer and starring Brad Pitt, J.K. Simmons, Anna Lambe – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

Deal me in.

It’s not who you live for… It’s who you’d die for.

Watch Brad Pitt in the new trailer for David Ayer’s #HeartOfTheBeast – only in theatres September 25th.

After a harrowing plane crash, Special Forces officer James Belmont (Brad Pitt) and his combat dog, Odin, find themselves stranded deep in the Alaskan wilderness. Together, they are forced into a brutal fight for survival against the elements.

From acclaimed filmmaker David Ayer, Heart of the Beast is an intense adventure thriller that explores the unbreakable bond between a man and his best friend as they face their greatest battle yet.

“What Women Did For Me” (1927) starring Charlie Chase & Lupe Velez / Z-View

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What Women Did For Me (1927)

Director: James Parrott

Screenplay:  Reed Heustis

Stars:  Charlie Chase, Lupe Velez, Eric Mayne.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Charlie has an unusual phobia.  He’s afraid of girls.  So of course he gets a job as a professor at an all-girls college.  Charlie’s boss decides he will cure Charlie of his phobia.

Let the hijinks begin.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Charlie Chase was an writer, director and actor.  Although he died at a relatively young age (46), his resume includes 282 acting roles, 174 films as a director and 37 as writer.

What Women Did For Me is a 21 minute short.

What Women Did For Me features Lupe Velez’s film debut.

What Women Did For Me has a few funny moments, but overall didn’t work for me.  Your mileage may vary.

What Women Did For Me (1927) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“The Devil’s Cabaret” (1930) starring Eddie Buzzell / Z-View

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The Devil’s Cabaret (1930)

Director:  Nick Grinde

Screenplay: Edward Buzzell

Stars: Edward Buzzell, Charles Middleton.

Tagline:  None.

The Plot (beware of spoilers)…

Mr. Satan is upset.  His company, Satan & Company, located in Hades is losing too many human souls to heaven.  Satan then tasks his assistant, Howie Burns (get it? How he burns. <wink, wink>), to find a way to get more souls coming to Hades.  Burns promises his best to do his worst.

Burns creates a nightclub called The Devil’s Cabaret.  Burns then stands outside promising all who pass by, “a night of wild entertainment and hot jazz.”  Crowds flock to the show… now will they follow him afterwards?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The Devil’s Cabaret is a Technicolor pre-code short.  It’s humorous, clever, entertaining and not a bad way at all to spend 16 minutes.

Edward Buzzell, who plays Howie Burns, also wrote the screenplay.

The Devil’s Cabaret (1930) rates 4 of 5 stars

“Catch & Release” (2006) starring Jennifer Garner, Tom Olyphant, Kevin Smith and Juliette Lewis / Z-View

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Catch & Release (2006)

Director: Susannah Grant

Screenplay: Susannah Grant

Stars:  Jennifer Garner, Timothy Olyphant, Kevin Smith, Sam Jaeger, Fiona Shaw and Juliette Lewis.

Tagline:  Life is messy…love is messier.

The Plot…

Just before they are to be married, Gray Wheeler’s fiancé, Grady Douglas dies.  After the funeral, Gray realizes that the house she and Grady were going to rent is too expensive for her alone.  Gray accepts the offer to move in with Grady’s friends Dennis, Sam and Fritz until she gets back on her feet.

It isn’t long before secrets that Grady was keeping start to become known.  Secrets that will change everything.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I watched this with my wife — her pick.  It was better than I expected.  Much of the charm of this film  is the cast – Jennifer Garner, Tom Olyphant, Kevin Smith and Juliette Lewis.

Catch & Release (2006) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“We Bury the Dead” (2024) starring Daisy Ridley / Z-View

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We Bury the Dead (2024)

Director: Zak Hilditch

Screenplay: Zak Hilditch

Stars:  Daisy Ridley, Brenton Thwaites, Mark Coles Smith.

Tagline:  Volunteers needed.

The Plot…

When the US military accidentally detonates an experimental bomb off the island of Tasmania, those not instantly killed are left brain dead.  Some of these victims regain mobility.  With that mobility comes an overriding instinct to attack and kill.

 The military is going in to terminate the zombies.  They are accepting civilian volunteers to identify and bury victims.  Ava Newman volunteers.  Ava’s husband was on a business trip to Woodbridge, a city on the island.   Ava holds out hope that her husband survived unscathed.

Once inland, Ava convinces Clay, another volunteer, to help her find her husband.  Ava and Clay break away from their military unit and head into the city alone.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

We Bury the Dead has an interesting concept.  The trailer looked good.  Sadly the movie didn’t work for me as well as I hoped.  My biggest complaint comes from the final scenes in the film.  No spoilers, but it was a step too far for me to suspend my disbelief.

We Bury the Dead (2024) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“The Dog Stars” directed by Ridley Scott; starring Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin & Margaret Qualley – The Poster & Trailer are Here!

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Check out the poster and trailer for The Dog Stars directed by Ridley Scott; starring Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley, Allison Janney, Benedict Wong, and Guy Pearce.

Deal me in.

Fear the survivors.

THE DOG STARS, a Ridley Scott film, starring Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, and Margaret Qualley, arrives in theaters August 28.

Based on Peter Heller’s captivating bestseller, “The Dog Stars” features a critically acclaimed ensemble, including Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley, Allison Janney, Benedict Wong, and Guy Pearce.

The screenplay is by Mark L. Smith, based upon the novel by Peter Heller, and the producers are Ridley Scott, p.g.a., Michael Pruss, p.g.a., Mark L. Smith, and Cliff Roberts, p.g.a., with Lily Brooks-Dalton, Brandon Scott Smith, Peter Heller, Aidan Elliott serving as executive producers.

The film tells the story of Hig (Jacob Elordi), a young pilot who, together with a military survivalist, Bangley (Josh Brolin), has carved out an efficient but isolated homestead in a brutal post-apocalyptic world. But when Hig receives a mysterious radio transmission, he ventures into the unknown in search of the hope and humanity he still believes exist.

“Tuner” starring Leo Woodall, Havana Rose Liu and Dustin Hoffman – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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I don’t know how, but Tuner flew under my radar until someone posted about it on my forum (https://craigzablo.proboards.com/).  Tuner has a unique concept, an interesting poster, a good cast and a trailer that works.

Deal me in.

In #tuner, Academy Award-winning director Daniel Roher’s first narrative feature, Leo Woodall stars as a gifted young piano tuner whose heightened sense of hearing draws the attention of criminals, who see his talents as useful for opening safes as for tuning Steinways.

With his once-promising musical career over, he works across New York with his mentor Harry Horowitz (Academy Award-winner Dustin Hoffman), encountering a range of characters, including composition student Ruthie (Havana Rose Liu), with whom he forges an unexpected connection. Niki’s safecracking work threatens his budding romance with Ruthie and pulls him into increasingly dangerous territory. Blending romance, drama, and the taut suspense of a heist thriller, TUNER also features performances from Tony Award-winner Tovah Feldshuh, Jean Reno, and Lior Raz.

LEATHER MAIDEN by Joe Lansdale / Z-View

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LEATHER MAIDEN by Joe R. Lansdale

First sentences…

When you grow up in a place, especially if your childhood is a good one, you fail to notice a lot of the nasty things that creep beneath the surface and wiggle about like hungry worms in rotten flesh.  But they’re there.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Cason Statler, a Gulf War vet and Pulitzer Prize-nominated reporter was on top of the world.  Then he blew it. Cason had an affair with his boss’ wife… and the boss’ thirty-year-old stepdaughter.  That cost Cason his job… and his reputation.

So Cason returned to his small hometown of Camp Rapture, Texas where he was able to get a job as a reporter for the local newspaper.  It’s a big step down for a Pulitzer Prize nominee.  Cason is drinking too much.  He’s fighting jealous feelings towards his older brother who is a happily married college professor.  Plus Cason is spending too much time checking up on his ex-wife.

One day digging through old files, Cason discovers the unsolved murder of Caroline Allison.  Caroline was an intelligent college student who just vanished.  The only clue was her abandoned car.  Cason realizes this could be his ticket back to the big leagues.  He begins a series of articles about Caroline.  As Cason digs deeper he discovers other linked crimes of blackmail, torture and murder.  Worse still Cason’s brother is somehow involved.

Cason has no choice but to keep digging, no matter the cost.

+++

Joe Lansdale has written another winner.

Rating:

“Remarkably Bright Creatures” (2026) starring Sally Field and Lewis Pullman / Z-View

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Remarkably Bright Creatures (2026)

Director: Olivia Newman

Screenplay:  Olivia Newman, John Whittington; based on REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES by Shelby Van Pelt.

Stars:  Sally Field, Lewis Pullman, Joan Chen, Kathy Baker, Beth Grant, Sofia Black-D’Elia, Colm Meaney and Alfred Molina.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Tova is a widow who is becoming increasingly withdrawn.  Tova never got over the death of her 18 year old son, who died years ago.  Recently Tova’s husband passed.   Her only real joy these days comes from her job as a night janitor at the local aquarium.  She takes pride in her work and enjoys the solitude.  Surprisingly, Tova enjoys talking to the aquarium’s aging octopus, Marcellus.

Marcellus, like all octupi, is extremely intelligent.  Marcellus’ goal is to escape his tank, and return to the ocean before he dies.

Cameron Cassmore, young aspiring musician, is driving through town when his van breaks down.  Needing funds to repair his van, Cameron accepts a job at the aquarium.  It’s a means to an end.

Tova sees Cameron as a slacker.  Cameron views Tova as an old busybody.

Tova, Cameron and Marcellus’ lives will change when a mystery is solved.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES was Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel and a runaway bestseller.

Two of Sally Fields’ close relatives also appear in the film.  Sasha Craig (Fields’ daughter-in-law) plays Cameron’s mother in flashback scenes. Noah Craig (Fields’ grandson) plays Marco.

Alfred Molina voices the octopus Marcellus.

Remarkably Bright Creatures surprised me.  It was much better than I anticipated.  A great cast and a wonderfully adapted story make for a fun movie.

Remarkably Bright Creatures (2026) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“Jaws” Alt Poster by Sahin Düzgün!

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This Jaws 50th Anniversary poster created by Sahin Düzgün is one of my favorites that I’ve seen by him. It’s clever and scary.  Definitely worthy to showcase Spielberg’s masterpiece.

Here is what Sahin had to say about his design:  50 years later and the ocean still feels a little less safe. Jaws didn’t just change cinema – it made us look twice before going for a swim. This poster’s all about tension, silence, and the shape beneath the surface. 🦈🌊

Brody: “You’re gonna need a bigger boat.”