“Kimi” (2022) / Z-View

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Kimi (2021)

Director:  Steven Soderbergh

Screenplay:  David Koepp

Starring:  Zoë Kravitz, Byron Bowers, Devin Ratray  and Rita Wilson.

Tagline:  She’s not the only one listening.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Angela Childs (Kravitz) suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and has shaped her life so she never has to leave her apartment.  In her job as a voice-stream analyzer for a new tech company, Childs reviews an audio file that appears to have recorded a murder.  Childs brings the file to her supervisor’s attention.  She is told to erase the file and forget she ever heard it.  Child’s refuses and becomes the target of killers.

Kimi starts out as a mash-up of Rear Window and Blowout, but quickly morphs into something very different. Koepp’s script under Soderberg’s direction keeps things interesting and moving.  Kravitz is excellent as Angela Childs.  I’d even go so far as to say Kravitz nailed it. ; )  Kudos for how the ending was handled.

Kimi was a fun ride that I will probably revisit.  It rates 4 of 5 stars.

Jordan Peele’s “Nope” Poster and Trailer are Here!

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Nope.  Jordan Peele?  Yep.  Deal me in.

“What’s a bad miracle?”

Oscar® winner Jordan Peele disrupted and redefined modern horror with Get Out and then Us. Now, he reimagines the summer movie with a new pop nightmare: the expansive horror epic, Nope.

The film reunites Peele with Oscar® winner Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out, Judas and the Black Messiah), who is joined by Keke Palmer (Hustlers, Alice) and Oscar® nominee Steven Yeun (Minari, Okja) as residents in a lonely gulch of inland California who bear witness to an uncanny and chilling discovery.

Nope, which co-stars Michael Wincott (Hitchcock, Westworld) and Brandon Perea (The OA, American Insurrection), is written and directed by Jordan Peele and is produced by Ian Cooper (Us, Candyman) and Jordan Peele for Monkeypaw Productions. The film will be released by Universal Pictures worldwide.

“The Power of the Dog” / Z-View

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The Power of the Dog (2021)

Director:  Jane Campion

Screenplay: Jane Campion based on the novel by Thomas Savage

Starring:  Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, Kodi Smit-McPhee  and Keith Carradine.

Tagline:  What it means to be a man.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

It’s 1923 and brothers Phil (Cumberbatch) and George (Plemons) share a large cattle ranch on the Montana frontier.  The brothers work well together, but are as different as night and day.  George speaks and dresses like a well-educated man (which he is).  Phil comes across like a roughneck alpha male cowboy who is quick to make fun of those not up to his manly standards.

Phil doesn’t like it when George suddenly marries and brings his new wife, Rose (Dunst), home to the ranch.  Phil likes it even less when Rose’s college-age son, Peter (Smit-McPhee) shows up for the summer.  Peter is a sensitive, effeminate young man and an easy target for Phil.

Things take a turn when Peter discovers a long held secret of Phil’s.  Suddenly Phil wants to help Peter become more of a cowboy… but Phil could have an ulterior motive.

The Power of the Dog is held together by strong acting and direction that pull the viewer in.  I love how we’re led down a path where we think one of two things are going to happen and suddenly the film comes to an unexpected (but logical) ending.  For me, The Power of the Dog earned 4 of 5 stars.

Rare “Dracula” (1931) Lobby Card!

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Check out this very rare (and very cool) lobby card for Dracula (1931).

I miss the days when theaters had awesome supplemental materials to advertise movies.  Theaters and newspapers were sent press kits full of photos, different versions of ads for the film and more.  I used to love getting the Thursday newspaper which would be full of pages advertising the movies opening (and still around).  Those were the days, my friend.

Source: Michael Kronenberg.

“Reacher: Season 1” / Z-View

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Reacher: Season 1 (2022)

Directors: Thomas Vincent (Ep.1); Sam Hill (Ep. 2); Stephen Surjik (Ep. 3); Christine Moore (Ep.4); Norberto Barba (Ep. 5); Omar Madha (Ep. 6); Lin Oeding (Ep. 7); M.J. Bassett (Ep. 8)

Teleplay: Nick Santora (Showrunner, Executive Producer, Writer); Cait Duffy (Eps. 1 – 8); Aadrita Mukerji (Eps. 1, 3, 6); Scott Sullivan (Ep. 3, 5, 7);  Season 1 based on Lee Child‘s novel The Killing Floor.

Starring:  Alan Ritchson, Malcolm Goodwin, Willa Fitzgerald, Maria Sten, Chris Webster, Bruce McGill and Willie C. Carpenter.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Jack Reacher, an ex-Military Police Investigator, arrives in the small town of Margrove and is immediately arrested for a murder he didn’t commit.  Getting cleared of the charges shouldn’t be a problem.  Getting out of Margrove alive could be.  Corrupt cops, a crooked politician and a rich backer want Reacher dead before he can piece together the puzzle of it all.

If you’re a fan of Lee Child’s Reacher series, you’re going to love this adaptation.  If you haven’t read the novels, but are a fan of thoughtful action thrillers, you’ll still enjoy the series.

Alan Ritchson plays Reacher and he’s physically right for the part.  Reacher is a 6’5″ inch monster of a man.  The books play up Reacher’s size/strength and with Ritchson in the role this adaption does as well.  But Reacher is the opposite of big and stupid — he pays attention to details, has an analytical mind and doesn’t suffer fools.  Ritchson is perfect as Reacher.

The other parts are also well cast and acted.   Malcolm Goodwin is the straight-arrow cop with a secret in his past.  Willa Fitzgerald is as much a partner in resolving the crime as she is a love interest for Reacher.  Maria Sten plays Frances Neagley.  I loved her character and hope we haven’t seen the last of her.

Reacher is lightning in a bottle.  It’s one of those rare shows that everyone seems to love.  Reacher currently has an 8.5 rating at IMDb.com.  6 of the 8 episodes have an 8.6 or higher rating.  The other two episodes are rated 8.4 and 8.5.  At Rotten Tomatoes, Reacher is rated at 88%!  As for me, I give Reacher: Season 1,  5 of 5 stars.

“The Tourist” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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The Tourist is a six episode mini-series streaming on HBOMax.  I like the look of the trailer (the poster is ok).  Deal me in.

After being run off the road, a man wakes up in an Australian hospital with amnesia. A single clue starts him along a frantic journey to remember who he is and why someone wants him dead. In the small town of Burnt Ridge, any news is big news, and not everyone can be trusted. Shifting alliances, uncertain connections, and dark truths lurk just within reach, as the harsh conditions of the Australian outback set the stage for a painful reckoning.

The Tourist is streaming March 1 on HBO Max.

WINTER COUNTS by David Heska Wanbli Weiden / Z-View

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Winter Counts by David Heska Wanbli Weiden

Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Ecco (August 25, 2020)

First sentence…

I leaned back in the seat of my old Ford Pinto, listening to the sounds coming from the Depot, the reservation’s only tavern.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

When folks on the Rosebud Indian Reservation need help that the law can’t provide, they go to Virgil Wounded Horse.  Virgil’s solution isn’t always legal, but he gets results. While some view Virgil as a hero, others see him as a half-breed thug who has turned his back on tribal traditions.  Virgil uses the money he receives for “resolving situations” to raise his nephew, Nathan.  Both of Virgil’s parents and his sister are dead.

Virgil is offered a large amount of money to track down the source bringing heroin onto the reservation.  He follows leads that take him to Denver.  There Virgil learns that drug cartels are involved.  When Nathan is almost killed and framed for heroin possession, Virgil realizes that he may have been set up.

David Heska Wanbli Weiden is an enrolled citizen of the Sicangu Lakota nation so it’s no wonder Winter Counts presents such a vivid picture of life on a reservation.  And it’s not often pretty.  Weiden’s setting is unique, as are his characters, but the problems they face are universal.

Winter Counts is one of my favorite novels from last year and I’m far from the only one praising Weiden. Winter Counts won the Macavity Award for Best Novel, the Barry Award for Best Novel, the Anthony Award for Best First Novel, the Thriller Award for Best First Novel and was an Edgar Award Nominee for Best First Novel.  Winter Counts was also selected as a Best Book of 2020 by Publisher’s Weekly, CrimeReads and GoodReads.

I’m looking forward to David Heska Wanbli Weiden’s follow-up.  Winter Counts rates 5 of 5 stars.

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“Jurassic World Dominion” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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Jurassic World Dominion needs to be seen on the big screen in a packed theater.  Check out the poster above and trailer below and see if you don’t agree.  I love that they’ve got so many from the previous movies and the idea of dinosaurs world-wide.  Deal me in.

This summer, experience the epic conclusion to the Jurassic era as two generations unite for the first time. Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard are joined by Oscar®-winner Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum and Sam Neill in Jurassic World Dominion, a bold, timely and breathtaking new adventure that spans the globe.

From Jurassic World architect and director Colin Trevorrow, Dominion takes place four years after Isla Nublar has been destroyed. Dinosaurs now live—and hunt—alongside humans all over the world. This fragile balance will reshape the future and determine, once and for all, whether human beings are to remain the apex predators on a planet they now share with history’s most fearsome creatures.

Jurassic World Dominion, from Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment, propels the more than $5 billion franchise into daring, uncharted territory, featuring never-seen dinosaurs, breakneck action and astonishing new visual effects.

The film features new cast members DeWanda Wise (She’s Gotta Have It), Emmy nominee Mamoudou Athie (Archive 81), Dichen Lachman (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Scott Haze (Minari) and Campbell Scott (The Amazing Spider-Man 2). The film’s returning cast includes BD Wong as Dr. Henry Wu, Justice Smith as Franklin Webb, Daniella Pineda as Dr. Zia Rodriguez and Omar Sy as Barry Sembenè.

Jurassic World Dominion is directed by Colin Trevorrow, who steered 2015’s Jurassic World to a record-shattering $1.7 billion global box office. The screenplay is by Emily Carmichael (Battle at Big Rock) & Colin Trevorrow from a story by Derek Connolly (Jurassic World) & Trevorrow, based on characters created by Michael Crichton. Jurassic World Dominion is produced by acclaimed franchise producers Frank Marshall p.g.a. and Patrick Crowley p.g.a. and is executive produced by legendary, Oscar®-winning franchise creator Steven Spielberg, Alexandra Derbyshire and Colin Trevorrow.

Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment present, in association with Perfect World Pictures, a Colin Trevorrow film. jurassicworld.com

The New Elvis Cole Novel (RACING THE LIGHT) by Robert Crais is Coming!

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As you can see from the photo above Robert Crais has the cover to his next Elvis Cole book.  Racing the Light will drop on November 1, 2022.  Here’s the synopsis…

Private investigator Elvis Cole and his enigmatic partner Joe Pike are back on the case in this brilliant new thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Robert Crais.

Adele Schumacher isn’t a typical worried mom. When she hires Elvis to find her missing son, a controversial podcaster named Josh Shoe, she brings a bag filled with cash, bizarre tales of government conspiracies, and a squad of professional bodyguards. Finding Josh should be simple, but Elvis quickly learns he isn’t alone in the hunt — a deadly team of mysterious strangers are determined to find Josh and his adult film star girlfriend first.

With Elvis being watched and dangerous secrets lurking behind every lead, Elvis needs his friend Joe Pike more than ever to uncover the truth about Josh, corrupt politicians, and the vicious business cartels rotting the heart of Los Angeles from within. And when Elvis Cole’s estranged girlfriend Lucy Chenier and her son Ben return, Elvis learns just how much he has to lose…if he survives.

Written with the heart, humor, and relentless suspense for which Crais is famous, Racing The Light delivers Elvis Cole’s most dangerous case yet.

Pre-orders for Racing the Light are available now! Deal me in!

“It! The Terror From Beyond Space” (1958) / Z-View

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It! The Terror From Beyond Space (1958)

Director:  Edward L. Cahn

Screenplay:  Jerome Bixby

Starring:  Marshall Thompson, Dabbs Greer and Ray Corrigan.

Tagline:  It Breathes. It Hunts. It Kills!

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

A rescue team is returning to Earth from Mars.  With them is Col. Edward Carruthers, the sole survivor of the first Mars landing.  Carruthers claims that his crew was killed by an alien life form.  Most of the rescue team believes that Carruthers killed his crew to insure he would have enough food and water to last until help arrived.  That all changes when crew members turn up brutally murdered and it is discovered the alien is on the ship!

If you’re a fan of low budget, 1950s scifi-horror, then you’ll have a blast with It! The Terror From Beyond Space.  What it (It!) lacks in special effects it (It!) makes up with an excellent fast-paced story and a claustrophobic setting.  Dan O’Bannon is said to have used It! The Terror From Beyond Space as the jumping off point for his Alien (1979) screenplay.  If you’ve watched both films, I’m sure you’ll agree.

I applaud Jerome Bixby and his crew’s ability to make the most of the limited budgets/sets.  A perfect example is when they received the alien suit, the mask didn’t correctly fit the actor (Ray Corrigan) playing the monster.  They couldn’t afford to have another mask made and Corrigan’s chin stuck out the mouth hole!  The solution was to paint his chin to look like the monster’s tongue!  Roger Corman would have approved!

It! The Terror From Beyond Space isn’t a great movie, but is a great example of the genre and a lot of fun.  I rate it 4 of 5 stars.

“Wander” (2020) / Z-View

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Wander (2020)

Director:  April Mullen

Screenplay: Tim Doiron

Starring:  Aaron Eckhart, Tommy Lee Jones, Katheryn Winnick, Heather Graham and Raymond Cruz.

Tagline:  The conspiracy is real.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Arthur Bretnik (Eckhart) has been on the verge of a mental breakdown since his wife and daughter were killed.  He believes their deaths were covered up to hide a vast conspiracy.  Bretnik’s paranoia has increased to the point that he lives in an old trailer out in the desert where he hosts a conspiracy podcast.

When he is hired to investigate a mysterious death in the small town of Wander, Bretnik begins to uncover evidence that his ideas about a conspiracy may not be crazy after all.

Wander does just that.  It wanders.  The story is all over the place.  I kept thinking it would pull together for a satisfying conclusion.  Sadly it didn’t.  Wander has an excellent cast, but even they couldn’t save this film.  Usually I only rate films as NOT FOR ME when I don’t complete watching them (but after allowing plenty of time for the story to develop).  I watched all of Wander but couldn’t give it 2 stars.  Wander rates 1 of 5.

THE DEVIL’S OWN PISS AND OTHER STORIES by Whiskey Leavins / Z-View

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The Devil’s Own Piss and Other Stories by Whiskey Leavins

Trade Paperback: 266 pages
Publisher: Independently published (April 12, 2021)

First sentence…

The Devil, or should I say, a devil, needed a double-thirteen to win.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Let’s start with The Devil’s Own Piss and Other Stories‘ very cool cover.  If you see that cover art and don’t pick up the book for a closer look, then stop reading this now and go get your eyes checked.  Rafael Andres from CoverKitchen. please take a bow!

Thankfully, the stories in The Devil’s Own Piss and Other Stories are worthy of such a cool cover.  There are over 30 tales populated by Lucifestus and other devils, the dangerous Troupe Brothers, movie stars, influencers, space aliens, regular folks, famous folks from history and many others.  You won’t find everyone in every tale, but often the stories overlap.  What they do have in common is humor.

My favorite stories involved Lucifestus.  He’s an honest-to-goodness, well, maybe not goodness, but he is a devil.  Lucifestus is huge, red and barrel-chested.  He sports a pointy goatee and a blue-black slicked back ducktail.  Oh, and he has these huge horns.  You won’t see his real appearance unless he wants you to.  He could be sitting right next to you in a bar and you’d see a dude that looks like Tom Waits.  Lucifestus is a hard-drinker, who loves to gamble so he’s often found in bars or racetracks.  He doesn’t cheat, and offers tempting wagers for everything from something that would humiliate the loser to the loser’s soul.  I loved every tale with Lucifestus and am ready for more.

The other tales are funny and a nice change of pace.  As the cover indicates, The Devil’s Own Piss and Other Stories is definitely an R-Rated Book.  If you’re easily offended, then this isn’t for you.  I loved it.  Whiskey Leavins is the guy you’d want to buy a few beers (and I don’t drink) and wait for the stories to flow.

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