Marv by Denis Tandirovic!
Marv from Frank Miller’s Sin City is one of my all-time favorite characters. I love seeing artists do their “take” on the big lug. Today we have a Marv by Denis Tandirovic.
“Cold Meat” (2024) / Z-View
Cold Meat (2024)
Director: Sébastien Drouin
Screenplay: Sébastien Drouin, James Kermack, Andrew Desmond
Stars: Allen Leech, Nina Bergman, Yan Tual.
Tagline: Outside is dangerous. Inside is deadly.
The Plot…
David Peterson is driving through a blinding snowstorm when he stops at a diner as it is closing. With most places closed because of the storm, David is glad to get a hot coffee and a piece of pie. As he begins to eat, an angry man enters.
He’s the waitress’ ex. When the man starts to get rough, David speaks up. He cautions the man about his behavior. The man warns David, who calmly replies that if the police are called, it will be the waitress’ and his word about what went down. The ex angrily leaves.
David finishes his meal and gasses up before heading back into the blinding snowstorm. As he’s driving on a remote road, he sees the waitress’ ex in a huge truck bearing down on him. David is nearly forced off the road. He speeds up and is able to beat the truck around a corner. David drives off-road and turns off his lights. The truck passes by. David waits until he is sure it is safe to leave.
Only to find his car stuck in the quickly fallen snow. Unable to get his car free, David realizes he may freeze to death before the snowstorm passes.
The blizzard is going to be the least of David’s worries.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
I like the set-up of the story. There’s a nice twist early on. The tension increases throughout the film, but the ending is a bit of a let-down.
Cold Meat (2024) rates 2 of 5 stars.
Batman’s Discovery by Leonardo Romero!
Diggin’ this Batman art by Leonardo Romero.
“Nightmare” (1964) / Z-View
Nightmare (1964)
Director: Freddie Francis
Screenplay: Jimmy Sangster
Stars: David Knight, Moira Redmond, Brenda Bruce, Jennie Linden.
Tagline: THREE SHOCKING MURDERS…did she DREAM them? …or DO them?
The Plot…
Six years ago Janet Freeman saw her mother stabbed to death. Janet was eleven. Nightmares have haunted her since. Now seventeen, the night terrors have become so bad that Janet has been sent home from boarding school to recover.
At home, the nightmares become worse and even more realistic. Is Janet dreaming of murders or commiting them?
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
There are worse ways to spend 82 minutes…
Nightmare (1964) rates 2 of 5 stars.
“Daylight” Alt Poster by Pete Lloyd!
Daylight is a movie that doesn’t get enough love. So I was glad to see this alt nice poster created by Pete Lloyd.
Hold Your Breath
“Dobermann” (1997) / Z-View
Dobermann (1997)
Director: Jan Kounen
Screenplay: Joël Houssin
Stars: Vincent Cassel, Tchéky Karyo, Monica Bellucci.
Tagline: Are you ready for a Good Time?
The Plot…
Dobermann, a daring and charismatic criminal and his gang of outlandish misfits are hunted by a sadistic cop and his team off oddballs.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Dobermann is styish and over-the-top. Too much so for me. I tapped out after 33 minutes. Your mileage, as always, may vary.
Dobermann (1997) rates 1 of 5 stars.
“Double Indemnity” Alt Poster by Angora!
Double Indemnity is one of my all-time favorite movies. Angora has come up with an alt poster that I hope brings more eyes to the film.
“A Working Man” (2025) starring Jason Statham / Z-View
A Working Man (2025)
Director: David Ayer
Screenplay: Sylvester Stallone, David Ayer based on LEVON’S TRADE by Chuck Dixon
Stars: Jason Stath Jason Flemyng, Maximilian Osinski, Cokey Falkow, Michael Peña, Noemi Gonzalez, Emmett J. Scanlan, Emmett J. Scanlan and David Harbour.
Tagline: Human traffickers beware.
The Plot…
Levon Cade is a former Royal Marine Commando now working as a construction foreman. When his boss’ daughter is kidnapped, Levon uses his skills to find her and do what he does best.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
A Working Man is the second film written by Sly Stallone that stars Jason Statham. Homefront (2013) was the first.
A Working Man (2025) rates 3 of 5 stars.
“The Godfather Part II” by Mark Levy!
This Godfather Part II art was created by Mark Levy for The Godfather trilogy custom box set.
“I don’t want anything to happen to him while my mother’s alive.”
“Year 10” (2024) / Z-View
Year 10 (2024)
Director: Ben Goodger
Screenplay: Ben Goodger
Stars: Alexander Anderson, Emma Cole, Joseph Coleman and Luke Massy.
Tagline: None.
The Plot…
Ten years into an apocalyptic future, civilization has collapsed. People survive in the wilderness avoiding wild dogs and cannibals.
When a roving tribe of cannibals kills his father, and steals their provisions, a young man must get back the medicine the man-eaters stole. Medicine needed to keep his girlfriend alive.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
There is not a single line of dialogue in the entire film. This makes little sense. Did everyone forget how to speak?
Year 10 has an interesting concept, but there are too many coincidences for my taste.
Year 10 (2024) rates 2 of 5 stars.
BLOOD AND MAGICK by James R. Tuck / Z-View
BLOOD AND MAGICK by James R. Tuck
First sentences…
I should have known.
There were signs. I’m supposed to be the damn expert. I should have caught the warnings.
I should have.
But I was completely clueless until the minute the restaurant exploded in a wave of eldritch flame and burning glass.
The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…
Deacon Chalk knows the truth about things that go bump in the night. Chalk looks like a stereotypical biker. Bald head. Tats. Tall, broad-shouldered and muscular. But Chalk is anything but stereotypical. Several years ago, he almost died along with his family. Vampires took them out. But Chalk was saved by an angelic blood transfusion. Yeah, angel’s blood.
Now Chalk and the small circle of friends that surround him are monster hunters.
But not tonight.
Chalk, his girlfriend Tiff, and their friends are having a quiet dinner. Then all hell explodes. Literally. Members of a coven known as the Wrath of Baphomet attack. They’re after the “Blood of the Trinity”.
Chalk and his team are no longer the monster hunters… tonight the monsters hunt them.
+++
BLOOD AND MAGICK is the third book in James R. Tuck’s Deacon Chalk: Occult Bounty Hunter series. I’ve read and enjoyed all three.
I love crime, noir and detective/anti-hero stories. Add the right mix of humor and violence and I’m on board. The tales don’t normally feature werewolves, vampires, witches or demons. But Tuck’s Deacon Chalk yarns do, and they work.
Chalk is the type of anti-hero I like. Smart (but not brainy), tough and with enough attitude to get him in tight jams as he tries to (mostly) do the right thing. While I’m not ready for a constant diet of this genre, when I do want another taste, I know James R. Tuck is open for business with other tales.
Rating:
“Dark Winds”: Season 4 – The Trailer is Here!
The poster and trailer for Dark Winds: Season 4 is here.
Deal me in.
No matter how many times you ride out to the desert, you won’t sweat away who you are.
The new season of #DarkWinds premieres February 15 on AMC and AMC+.
“Unit 234” (2024) starring Don Johnson, Isabelle Furhman and Jack Huston / Z-View
Unit 234 (2024)
Director: Andy Tennant
Screenplay: Derek Steiner
Stars: Don Johnson, Isabelle Fuhrman, Jack Huston, James DuMont, Manny Galan, Jason Altman, Lia Lando and Christopher James Baker.
Tagline: Some doors should never be opened.
The Plot…
Laurie Saltair is working the overnight shift at her remote storage facility. A man named Jules comes in wanting to get into Unit 234. But it’s not the man who rents the unit. After a tense exchange of words, the man leaves. Laurie decides to check to see what’s in container 234.
She’s shocked to discover a man on a gurney. The man has sutures from a recent surgery. He says his name is Clayton and he’s been kidnapped. They have already taken one of his kidneys and plan to steal more of his organs!
Suddenly the electricity and phone lines to the facility are cut. Laurie frees Clayton from the gurney. As they look for refuge, Jules and two thugs head for Unit 234.
It’s going to be a long night.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Unit 234 is a low-budget thriller that is better than expected. Don Johnson and Isabelle Fuhrman’s acting raises the bar as does the twist ending that you won’t see coming.
Unit 234 (2024) rates 4 of 5 stars.
Marv by Patrick Piazzalunga!
Marv from Frank Miller’s Sin City is one of my all-time favorite characters. I love seeing artists do their “take” on the big lug. Today we have a Marv by Patrick Piazzalunga.
