“Wolf” (1994) starring Jack Nicholson and Michelle Pfeiffer / Z-View

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Wolf  (1994)

Director:  Mike Nichols

Screenplay: Jim Harrison, Wesley Strick

Stars:  Jack Nicholson, Michelle Pfeiffer, James Spader, Kate Nelligan, Richard Jenkins, Christopher Plummer, Allison Janey, David Schwimmer, and David Hyde Pierce.

Tagline: The Animal Is Out

The Plot…

Will Randall, Editor-in-Chief of a large New York publishing company, is driving a country road late one night when he hits something.  It appears to be a large dog. Will gets out to check on the animal. It turns out to be an injured wolf.  The beast bites Will before running into the woods.

Not long after Will learns that the publishing house has been bought out by Raymond Alden.  Alden doesn’t know anything about book publishing. But he knows how to make money.  So Will isn’t surprised to learn he’s been demoted. Stuart Swinton, his young former protégé, is now his boss.  Swinton’s attitude changes overnight from smarmy to condesending.

As Will’s wolf bite heals, he feels reinergized.  Colors seem more vivid.  Smells stronger.  As Will’s body improves so does his confidence.  Will visits Raymond Alden at his home.  There Will meets Alden’s adult daughter.  Will is much older than she can’t deny the attraction.

Will knows the wolf bite is causing the changes.  Each day he’s becoming more aggressive and animalistic.  He worries the changes won’t stop.  What then?

The animal is out.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Wolf features Allison Janney’s feature film debut.

David Schwimmer appears as a cop in a very small role.  Just a few months later he would become a breakout star thanks to his role on Friends.

When werewolf movies are discussed, Wolf almost never is brought up.  Interesting to note that the word werewolf is never used in the film either.

I found Wolf to be better than most folks do. As always your mileage may vary.

Wolf presents an interesting take on becoming a werewolf.  Usually the person bitten feels changing is a curse.  Nicholson’s character enjoys the changes… at least at first.

Spader is so good at playing someone easy to dislike.

Wolf (1994) rates 4 of 5 stars.

Subtly Unsettling “Psycho” Alt Poster by Niccolò Fioriti!

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Niccolò Fioriti’s alt Psycho poster is so creepy.  The big looming figure of Norman Bates and the three figures huddling together works.  It’s unsettling.  Subtly unsettling. Well done, Mr. Fioriti.

“She needs *me*. It’s not as if is she were a maniac, a raving thing. She just goes – a little mad sometimes. We all go a little mad sometimes. Haven’t you?“ – Norman Bates

Rocky by Ibrahim Moustafa!

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Ibrahim Moustafa is an Eisner Award nominated graphic novelist, painter, miniature artist, sculptor and scratch-builder of realistic 1:12 scale custom figures, vehicles, and environments.  Ibrahim’s art has been published by Marvel, DC, Image, BOOM! Studios, Valiant, Dark Horse Comics, and IDW Publishing. He has also served as a key frame artist and prop illustrator on the FXX Network animated shows GOLAN THE INSATIABLE, AXE COP, and MAJOR LAZER.

When I saw that Moustafa had this Rocky art for sale, I pulled the trigger.  It made a great addition to my Stallone Art collection.

“La Cage aux Folles” (1978) / Z-View

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La Cage aux Folles (1978)

Director:  Édouard Molinaro

Screenplay: Francis Veber, Édouard Molinaro, Marcello Danon, Jean Poiret; adapted from the play La Cage aux Folles by Jean Poiret

Stars:  Ugo Tognazzi, Michel Serrault, Claire Maurier, Rémi Laurent, Benny Luke,  Carmen Scarpitta, Luisa Maneri and Michel Galabru.

Tagline: The comedy that comes out of the closet!

The Plot…

Renato Baldi and Albin Mougeotte are a gay couple. They’ve been together for twenty years and share ownership of La Cage aux Folles, an extremely popular gay night club.  Renato manages the club.  Albin is the star attraction where he performs in drag as Zaza Napoli.

Renato and Albin’s life is turned upside down when Laurent, Renato’s son (from a brief hetersexual fling), comes home to announce his engagement. Laurent wants to marry Andrea. Andrea’s father is a leader in the Union for Moral Order, a super conservative political party.

Because Andrea was afraid that her parents wouldn’t approve of her marriage to Laurent if they knew he was raised by gay parents, she lied.  She told her parents that Laurent’s father was a political attache and his mother was a housewife.

Andrea’s parents are coming to dinner to meet Laurent’s parents — a nice middle-aged heterosexual couple.  Renalto and Albin are going to do their best to not disappoint.  Andrea’s parents will have dinner with – Renalto and Zaza.

Raise the curtain, the show is about to start!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

La Cage aux Folles was nominated for three 1979 Academy Awards…

  • Nominated for Best Costume Design – Piero Tosi, Ambra Danon
  • Nominated for Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium – Francis Veber, Édouard Molinaro, Marcello Danon, Jean Poiret
  • Nominated for Best Director – Édouard Molinaro

When La Cage aux Folles was released in the United States it became the all-time highest grossing foreign film.

La Cage aux Folles opened on Broadway in August 1983.  It went on to win the 1984 Tony Awards for Best Musical, Book and Score.

La Cage aux Folles was remade as The Birdcage in 1996.  Mike Nichols directed Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, Gene Hackman and Dianne Weist in this Americanized version.

La Cage aux Folles (1978) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Project Hail Mary” starring Ryan Gosling / Z-View

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Project Hail Mary (2026)

Director:  Phil Lord, Christopher Miller

Screenplay: Drew Goddard; based on PROJECT HAIL MARY by Andy Weir

Stars:  Ryan Gosling, Sandra Hüller, James Ortiz, Lionel Boyce and Milana Vayntrub .

Tagline: Believe in the Hail Mary

The Plot…

2032.  Scientists discover that every star in our solar system, except one is dimming.  In approximately thirty years our planet will cool to an apocalyptic level. Plants will die.  Nations will face food shortages.  Countries will go to war over dwindling resources.  In no time the majority of the human population will perish.

Unless.

A crew of three scientists have been sent to the orbit of the one star that is not dimming.  The trio will awaken from suspended animation and hopefully determine why this star is uneffected.  They will then send a message to Earth with the answer to save our planet.  This mission is Earth’s only chance. It’s a longshot.  That’s why the mission is named Hail Mary.

That was the plan.

The biggest problem is only one of the scientists, Ryland Grace, survives suspended animation.  The other two died in transit. Four years ago Grace was a middle school teacher.  Before that he was a molecular biologist.  When Grace wrote a paper that went against traditional scientific thought, he was ridiculed. Grace left science behind for a career in teaching.

Ironically, it was the Grace’s paper that brought him to the attention of the “multi-national” task force brought together for the “save the world” project. Grace’s out of the box thinking solved initial problems.  That and some unexpected challenges got Grace the job as the third to make the trip.

The plan was the other two scientists would do the bulk of the “heavy lifting” since Grace had zero experience on a space craft.  With the other two dead, Grace thinks his chances of success can’t get much worse.

Then he sees an alien spacecraft slowly approaching…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Project Hail Mary is based on Andy Weir’s award-winning New York Times best-seller.  It is the second film based on a Weir novel.  The first was THE MARTIAN.   Weir is famous for a number of reasons — one of my favorite is Weir makes sure the science he uses is on point.

I was surprised at how good Project Hail Mary turned out.  Kudos to all invovled.

Very little CGI was used for “Rocky” — he and his movements were all done through practical effects and puppetry.

Project Hail Mary rightfully has earned box office and critical success.

Project Hail Mary (2026) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“Blazing Saddles” Alt Poster by Roger Motzkus!

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Blazing Saddles is undisputedly one of the all-time funniest comedies ever made.  Roger Motzkus created an alt poster worthy of it.

“What do you want me to do, sir?” – Taggart
“I want you to round up every vicious criminal and gunslinger in the west. Take this down.” – Hedley Lamarr
[Taggart looks for a pen and paper while Hedley talks]
“I want rustlers, cut throats, murderers, bounty hunters, desperados, mugs, pugs, thugs, nitwits, halfwits, dimwits, vipers, snipers, con men, Indian agents, Mexican bandits, muggers, buggerers, bushwhackers, hornswogglers, horse thieves, bull dykes, train robbers, bank robbers, ass-kickers, shit-kickers and Methodists.” – Hedley Lamarr
[Finds pen and paper] “Could you repeat that, sir?” – Taggart

“Bosch”: Season 1 (2015) starring Titus Welliver / Z-View

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Bosch: Season 1 (2015)

Developed by: Eric Overmyer;  based on the HARRY BOSCH novels THE CONCRETE BLONDE; CITY OF BONES and ECHO PARK by Michael Connelly 

Director:

  • Jim McKay (Ep. 1)
  • Kevin Dowling (Eps. 2-3)
  • Ernest R. Dickerson (Eps. 4-5)
  • Roxann Dawson (Ep. 6)
  • Alex Zakrzewski (Ep. 7; 9)
  • Matt Earl Beesley (Ep.8)
  • Thomas Carter (Ep. 10)

Teleplay by:

  • Eric Overmyer (Eps. 1)
  • Tom Smuts and Eric Overmyer (Ep. 2)
  • Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider (Ep. 3; )
  • George Pelecanos and Michael Connelly (Ep. 4)
  • William N. Fordes (Ep. 5)
  • Jennifer Ames and Steve Turner (Ep. 6)
  • Joel Gonzalez and Eric Overmyer (Ep. 7)
  • William N. Fordes and Tom Smuts (Ep. 8)
  • Michael Connelly and T.L. Lankford (Ep. 10)

Starring:  Titus Welliver, Jamie Hector, Amy Aquino, Lance Reddick, Annie Wersching, Madison Lintz, Troy Evans, Sarah Clarke, Scott Wilson, Mimi Rogers, Adam O’Byrne, Veronica Cartwright and Jason Gedrick .

Tagline: Based on the best selling novels by Michael Connelly.

The Plot… (beware of spoilers)

L.A. Detective Hieronymus “Harry” Bosch is 47 years old with twenty years on the force.  Before becoming a cop, Bosch served in the Gulf War in the Special Forces.

It’s not been a great year for Bosch.  Although cleared of criminal charges in a shooting, he now faces a civil trial.  Bosch claims the suspect was pulling a gun when Bosch killed him.  The prosecution claims the suspect was unarmed. The gun planted.  The civil trial has created a lot of bad publicity and renewed interest in Detective Bosch by Internal Affairs.

Still dealing with the trail, Bosch responds to a call.  A child’s bones are found in a shallow grave in a wooded area near a nice neighborhood. In short order Bosch discovers leads that implicate several people… including the boy’s father.

The case takes a surprising turn when a routine traffic stop turns out to be anything but.  Raynard Waits is driving a van containing a corpse.  The dead man was tortured before he was killed.  The evidence against Waits is overwhelming.  He is a sadistic sociopath. There will be no deals, no plea bargain.

Then everything changes.

Waits claims that he also killed the little boy whose bones were recently discovered.  Waits says he’s a serial killer of children.  He’ll clear cases and give parents of many missing children peace of mind… but he wants something in return.

Bosch interviews Waits and has several takeaways.  One: Waits is lying. Two: Waits is smart.  Three: Waits is much more clever than he appears.

So when Waits says he will take the police to where he buried the bodies, Bosch is against it.  District Attorny O’Shea (who is up for re-election) approves the field trip.  Waits demands that Bosch be one of the officers in the group.  Again O’Shea approves.

Bosch was right.  Waits had a plan. It results in the murder of the Assistant DA and gravely wounds another officer.  DA O’Shea shifts the blame for the murder and Wait’s escape to Bosch.

As Bosch’s civil trial moves forward, Waits killing spree continues.  As the bodies pile up, Waits publically taunts Bosch.

Did Waits really kill the child?  If not, who did?  If Waits is a serial killer of children why was he found with an adult victim?  Waits is using secrets from Bosch’s past to get under his skin.  How does he know these things?

Bosch needs the answers or more innocent people will die.

Thoughts…

Bosch is excellent in all aspects – writing, directing and acting.

Harry Bosch is a well rounded character brought to life by Titus Welliver who is excellent in the role.  Kudos also to Jason Gedrick who plays Raynard Waits.  Gedrick is perfect.  Other acting standouts include Jamie Hector, Amy Aquino, Lance Reddick, Annie Wersching, Troy Evans, Sarah Clarke and Scott Wilson.

Bosch: Season 1 (2015) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“Runner” starring Alan Ritchson & Owen Wilson – The Final Trailer and a New Poster are Here!

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Runner starring Alan Ritchson & Owen Wilson – The Final Trailer and a New Poster are Here!

Deal me in!

Runner Is In Theaters Sep 11, 2026

A former soldier is thrown into a race against time as a medical delivery makes him the target of a ruthless cartel.

Starring Alan Ritchson (Reacher) and Owen Wilson (The Royal Tenenbaums, Wedding Crashers).

“The Round Up” (1920) starring Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, Wallace Beery and Buster Keaton / Z-View

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The Round Up (1920)

Director:  George Melford

Screenplay: Tom Forman; adapted from the play by Edmund Day

Stars:  Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, Wallace Beery and Buster Keaton.

Tagline: Nobody loves a fat man.

The Plot…

Slim Hoover is the Sheriff of the frontier town Lonesome Pine.  Although adept with a gun, Slim often uses his quick wit to get the drop on the bad hombres.

Dick Lane is almost ready to head back to Lonesome Pine after success prospecting alone in the desert.  Once home Dick plans to marry Echo Allen.  Unfortunately, that is not to be.  Mexican bandits led by the “half-breed” Buck McKee shoot, rob and leave Dick for dead.

When Dick doesn’t return, Jack Payson tells Echo he will ride out and find him.  As Jack is about to go Buck McKee rides up. Buck says he was prospecting with Dick when they were attacked by Mexican bandits.  He says that he and Dick put up a fight, but there were too many.  Dick was shot.  Before he died, Dick asked Buck to escape and bring word to Echo.

What Buck doesn’t know is that although Dick was near death, Mexican Federales saved him.  It will take years for Dick to recover enough to return home.  Meanwhile Jack and Echo fall in love.  After three years pass, Echo agrees to marry Jack.

On the night Echo and Jack are to be wed, Dick returns.  It turns out the bandits didn’t get all of Dick’s gold.  Dick has enough cash to pay Jack the $3,000.00 he owes him.  Jack and Dick meet.  Jack accepts the $3,000.00.  Dick learns that Echo and Jack are about to be wed.  Since no one else has seen him, Dick leaves.

Meanwhile, Buck McKee decides the wedding will provide cover to rob the express agent’s office which is full of cash. The robbery goes sideways when Buck kills the express agent.  Buck takes the money.  He then heads to the wedding so he will have an alibi.

The robbery and murder are discovered.  The wedding guests are shocked.  Buck falls under suspicion. But Buck has seen the large amount of cash Jack has hidden. Buck tells everyone about it. Suddenly Jack becomes the number one suspect.  Jack can’t explain the cash without admitting that Dick is still alive.  That could cost him Echo.

Buck incites the crowd to get justice NOW.  The mob gets worked up for a necktie party.

It will be up to Sheriff Slim to save Jack and see justice is served.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The Round Up was Fatty Arbuckle’s first feature film.  Arbuckle had made over 120 comedy shorts prior to this film.

The Round Up was first a successful Broadway play that starred Fatty’s cousin Macklin Arbuckle.  Tom Forman adapted the play and co-starred as Jack.  Because Fatty’s next comedy wasn’t ready, he was tapped to play Sheriff Slim.  The role earned him some of the best reviews of his career.

The Round Up was the first film to be shot in Lonesome Pine, California.  Over 300 more westerns would use the location.

Buster Keaton appears (uncredited) in two scenes as one of the attacking Indians.

The Round Up (1920) rates 4 of 5 stars.