“Normal” (2025) starring Bob Odenkirk, Henry Winkler and Lena Headey / Z-View

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Normal (2025)

Director: Ben Wheatley

Screenplay:  Derek Kolstad, Bob Odenkirk.

Stars:  Bob Odenkirk, Henry Winkler, Lena Headey.

Tagline: Small town. Big secret.

The Plot…

Ulysses Richardson, the interim sheriff of Normal, Minnesota, has an easy gig.  Normal is a small, quiet town full of friendly people.

That all changes when two bumbling crooks try to rob the town’s only bank.  Ulysses goes into the bank to talk the thieves into giving up.  Meanwhile the Mayor, the deputies and many of the townfolk have lined up outside.  They’re armed to the teeth and out for blood.

Inside, Ulysses and the two crooks are shocked.  The vault contains waaaaay more money and gold bars than the small town bank should have.  Way more.

The Mayor informs Ulysses that the goods in the bank belong to a Japanese Yakuza crime syndicate.  The town safeguards the syndicate’s goods and the townfolk get a monthly check.  If Ulysses kills the two robbers, they’ll make him the permanent sheriff and he’ll get paid too.  If Ulysses refuses, the citizens of Normal will kill the Ulysses and the robbers.

Ulysses refuses.

Oh, and the crooks tripped the alarm that notified the crime cartel of the robbery.  A squad of angry Yakuza are on their way now.

Things are about to get crazy.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Normal is the third film that Derek Kolstad has written or co-written to star Bob Odenkirk.  The others were Nobody and Nobody 2.

If you’re looking for an over-the-top actionfest that doesn’t worry to much about anything but delivering fun and thrills, then give Normal a go.

Normal (2025) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“The Kid Brother” (1927) starring Harold Lloyd / Z-View

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The Kid Brother (1927)

Director: Ted Wilde, J.A. Howe, Harold Lloyd (uncredited), Lewis Milestone (uncredited)

Screenplay:  Howard J. Green

Stars:  Harold Lloyd, Jobyna Ralston.

Tagline: THAR’S LAFF IN THEM THAR REELS! A Gold Mine of mirth…HAROLD LLOYD AS “THE KID BROTHER”

The Plot…

Jim Hickory is the respected Sheriff of Hickoryville, the town named after his family.  Big Jim has three sons.  Leo and Olin are huge, strong barrel chested men like their father.  The youngest son, Harold, has none of their qualities.  Although they love Harold, he doesn’t get the same respect.

The residents of Hickoryville have finally raised enough money to get the state to build a much needed dam.  Big Jim is entrusted to hold the cash until a state representative arrives to collect it.

A traveling show comes to town.  Harold is attracted to Mary, the daughter of the show’s recently deceased owner.  Since her father’s death Mary is influenced by a couple of con men.  Big Jim knows the con men mean trouble.  Harold gets the chance to prove his manhood by shutting down the show.

Things go from bad to worse when the money Big Jim was holding turns up missing.  Big Jim is taken into custody.  There’s talk of lynching Jim if the money doesn’t appear and fast.

It will be up to Harold to save the day… and his father.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The Kid Brother was Harold Lloyd’s favorite of all his films.

Lewis Milestone was the original director.  He left after directing a few scenes because of contract issues with Warner Bros.  Ted Wilde to over.  Wilde became ill and was unable to continue.  J.A. Howe picked up the reins with Harold Lloyd assisting to finish the film.  Lloyd helped direct most of his films, but never accepted credit.

If you look closely, you’ll see the list of “Subscribers to County Dam” are actual names of supporting cast members.

The Kid Brother is one of Harold Lloyd’s best silent films but doesn’t get the same respect as Safety Last or The Freshman.  It should.

The Kid Brother (1927) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“Lucky” (2026) starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Annette Bening, Clifton Collins Jr., Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, William Fichtner and Timothy Olyphant / Z-View

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Lucky: Season 1 (2026)

Created by: Jonathan Tropper; based on LUCKY by Marissa Stapley

Director:

  • Jonathan Van Tulleken (eps. 1; 6-7)
  • Greg Yaitanes (eps. 2-3)
  • Jet Wilkinson (eps. 4-5)

Teleplay:

  • Jonathan Tropper (ep. 1)
  • Hilary Bettis (ep. 2)
  • Ariel Levine (ep. 3)
  • Mark Stasenko (ep. 4)
  • Hilary Bettis & Mary Anthony  (ep. 5)
  • Jonathan Tropper & Kevin Rosen (ep. 6)
  • Cassie Pappas  (ep. 7)

Stars: Anya Taylor-Joy, Annette Bening, Clifton Collins Jr., Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, William Fichtner and Timothy Olyphant.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Lucky and her husband, Cary, did it. They have the ten million dollars in cash to prove it. The money was stolen from Wayne Whittaker.  Whittaker is a ruthless crime boss.  He’s marked Lucky and Cary for death.

Cary’s mother, Priscilla works for Whittaker.  He’s  going to kill her too… unless she’s gets his money back.  If that happens he’ll just kill Lucky and Cary.

But now Lucky and Cary are on top of the world.  Tonight they celebrate.  Tomorrow they use the ten million dollars to disappear to a life of luxury.

When Lucky wakes up the next morning Cary is gone.  So is the cash.

With the FBI closing in, Lucky finds herself on the run.  She has no one to turn to.  If the FBI gets her, she can look forward to years in prison.  If Priscilla or one of Whittaker’s thugs catches her first, she can count on a slow painful death.

To survive this she will need to be, uh… Lucky.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Lucky is a rollercoaster ride of over-the-top situations coupled with outlandish action. Anya Taylor-Joy, Annette Bening, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Clifton Collins Jr., and Timothy Olyphant do much of the heavy lifting to make it work.

Anya Taylor-Joy is more than capable of carrying the series. Lucky has my favorite Annette Bening performance.  Clifton Collins Jr. is perfect as the killer dedicated to Priscilla.  He deserves a spin-off playing Dutch.  Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor is a powerhouse as the FBI agent obsessed with bringing down Whitaker no matter what.  William Fichtner was the right choice to play Whittaker.  Timothy Olyphant is always good… even when his character isn’t.

If you enjoy over-the-top action then give this one a go, you might just get Lucky.

Lucky: Season 1 (2026) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“Abraham’s Boys” (2025) starring Titus Welliver / Z-View

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Abraham’s Boys (2025)

Director: Natasha Kermani

Screenplay:  Natasha Kermani; based on Abraham’s Boys by Joe Hill.

Stars:  Titus Welliver, Jocelin Donahue, Judah Mackey, Aurora Perrineau and Brady Hepner.

Tagline: A Dracula story.

The Plot…

After the events in Dracula, Dr. Abraham Van Helsing and Mina Harker married.  Now, about twenty years later they live on a remote California farm with their two teenage sons.  Dr. Helsing raised his sons aware that vampires exist.  That is why they moved many times to more and more isolated locations.

Dr. Van Helsing prepared his sons to fight the ultimate evil should it ever find them.

It has.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I thought the idea of Van Helsing raising his sons to take up the fight against vampires was a cool one.  The movie leads us to believe that vampires are coming.  I won’t spoil the ending other than to say I was disappointed.

Abraham’s Boys (2025) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“Desperation Road” (2023) starring Garrett Hedlund, Willa Fitzgerald, Ryan Hurst, Woody McClain and Mel Gibson / Z-View

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Desperation Road (2023)

Director: Nadine Crocker

Screenplay:  Michael Farris Smith; based on DESPERATION ROAD by Michael Farris Smith.

Stars:  Garrett Hedlund, Willa Fitzgerald, Ryan Hurst, Woody McClain and Mel Gibson.

Tagline: The Road to Redemption is Twisted.

The Plot…

Maben, a homeless single mother, is traveling with her young daughter.  Maben thought she had hit rock bottom.  She’s about to find out how wrong she can be.  Now Maben and her child are on the run from the law.

Russell Gaines was recently released from prison after seven years. Russell, while driving drunk, caused an accident that killed a man named Jason.  Jason’s brothers feel seven years in prison wasn’t enough.  Russell killed their brother and they will have their revenge.

Russell and Maben cross paths.  Russell feels sorry for Maben and her daughter (although he doesn’t know Maben’s full story).  Russell offers them a place to stay until they get back on their feet.

Russell’s troubles and Maben’s problems are on a collision course.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Don’t let the movie poster fool you.  Mel Gibson’s role is more of a glorified cameo.

Desperation Road (2023) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Predators” (2010) starring Adrien Brody, Topher Grace, Alice Braga, Walton Goggins, Laurence Fishburne, Oleg Taktarov, Mahershala Ali and Danny Trejo / Z-View

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Predators (2010)

Director:  Nimród Antal

Screenplay:  Alex Litvak, Michael Finch; based on characters created by Jim Thomas, John Thomas

Stars:  Adrien Brody, Topher Grace, Alice Braga, Walton Goggins, Laurence Fishburne, Oleg Taktarov, Mahershala Ali and Danny Trejo.

Tagline: They are the most dangerous killers on the planet… but this is not our planet.

The Plot…

Seven killers awaken in a jungle.   They are…

  • Royce, a mercenary
  • Isabelle, a sniper
  • Stans, a death row inmate
  • Nikoli, a Russian Special Forces soldier
  • Cuchillo, a cartel enforcer
  • Hanzo, a Yakuza enforcer
  • Mombasa, a rebel warrior

With the group is a doctor named Edwin.

Each of them have no memory of how they got there.  In short order they discover they’re on a distant planet.  The animals are dangerous and will kill them.  Worse still, they learn that they’ve been brought to the planet to be hunted by Predators.

There only chance of survival is to band together.

The hunt is on.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The script described Cuchillo as a guy who looked like Danny Trejo.  Danny Trejo got word and called Robert Rodriguez (one of the producers) and said, “Hey, I heard there’s a guy in the script for ‘Predators‘ who looks just like Danny Trejo, and guess what, I look just like Danny Trejo!”

Adrian Brody was an interesting (and unexpected) choice to play the lead.  He does a great job.

Predators is my second favorite movie of the franchise.  (Predator is first.)

Predators (2010) rates 4 of 5 stars.

PUSH THE WALL by Frank Miller / Z-View

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PUSH THE WALL by Frank Miller Hardcover: 224 pages Publisher: S&S/Saga Press First sentences…
How to start a story? At the ending. Know your ending. I repeat: Know your ending.
The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

If you know of Frank Miller, it could be for any number of reasons.  Perhaps it was because of the comics he took to new heights (Daredevil; The Dark Knight Returns; Batman: Year One) or those groundbreaking comics that he created (Ronin; Sin City; 300) to name just a few.  Maybe you know Miller from his work as a writer and/or director on feature films (Sin City; 300; Robocop 2 and Robocop 3; The Spirit).  Miller revolutionized comics.  Then he went to Hollywood.  He’s considered a living legend.

PUSH THE WALL is Miller’s memoir.  Through stories and remembrances he takes us back to his childhood in Vermont.  Wanting to be a comic artist from an early age.  Coming to New York City and discovering he’s not ready.  Getting work.  Getting lucky.  Honing his craft.  Getting better and wanting to be better still.  Success that took him to the stratosphere.  Expectations that rose as well.  Falling short.  Going to Hollywood.  Again success… and failure.  Getting back to what he loves… comics.  With more stories to tell.

Miller set the book up as a series of lessons.  These are lessons that he learned and can be used by other writers/artists to improve their craft.  Miller’s anecdotes are both entertaining and enlighting.  We get a glimpse behind the curtain of Miller’s thought processes, as well as the artists, comics, books and movies that influenced him.  All told in a writing style that makes you feel as he’s talking to you.

The more of a Frank Miller fan you are, the more you will like the book.

Rating:

Jack Carter/John Wick by Steven Sanchez – From Prelim to Finished Art!

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When Steven Sanchez announced that he was taking on double headsketch commissions, I jumped on board.  As you can see I requested Sly Stallone as Jack Carter (from Get Carter) and Keanu Reeves as John Wick.  I couldn’t be happier with Sanchez’s finished art.

What made it even cooler is that Sanchez sent a prelim rough for approval.  In the rough he used a photo from Lock Up for Stallone reference.

I pointed out that I wanted Stallone as Jack Carter and Sanchez made the change with a new prelim for approval.  He then created the prelim piece above.  I loved it.

Sanchez then moved on to another marker prelim before tackling the finished pencil art.

This is my second commission from Steven Sanchez. I cannot recommend him highly enough to sketch collectors.

“Take Cover” (2024) starring Scott Adkins and Alice Eve / Z-View

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Take Cover (2024)

Director: Russell Rouse

Screenplay:  Joshua Todd James

Stars:  Scott Adkins, Alice Eve, Jack Parr, Madalina Bellariu Ion, Nik Goldman.

Tagline: No Cover, No Backup, No Ways Out

The Plot…

Sam and Ken are two of the best at what they do.  And like Wolverine, what they do isn’t very nice.  Sam is a sniper.  Ken is his spotter.  They work for a secret organization and take out high profile targets the world over.

But when Sam accidentally kills an innocent when his bullet passes through the target, he decides to call it quits.  Sam’s controller, Tamara talks him into one last hit.

Tamara puts Sam and Ken into a high level penthouse suite as they wait for their assignment.  Soon enough Sam and Ken realize they’re trapped in the room.  A sniper in the building across the street has their room in his sights.  Assassins are outside their door.

There are stranded with no cover, no backup and no way out.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Take Cover has an interesting concept — being trapped in a room covered by a sniper and assassins coming in.  The movie takes a bit to get to the set-up and doesn’t offer much other than what you’d expect.

Take Cover (2024) rates 3 of 5 stars.

Sly Stallone as Rocky Balboa by Rich Conley!  

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Sly Stallone as Rocky Balboa by Rich Conley!

Here’s what Rich had to say about his drawing…

My latest sketch of Rocky. I feel like this is him at his lowest point. He’s nearly broken by life, and when he says , ‘it wasn’t supposed to be this hard “ I think we’ve all felt that way at some point in our lives. Amazing scene from Rocky Balboa. I wanted to keep this sketch loose and raw like the moment it was capturing.

Here’s what I have to say about his drawing…

Nailed it!

 

“Are you angry because Adrian left you?” – Paulie
“She didn’t leave, she died.” – Rocky