Author: Craig Zablo

“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.”

“Satan Met a Lady” (1936) starring Bette Davis, William Warren and Marie Wilson / Z-View

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Satan Met a Lady (1936)

Director: William Dieterle

Screenplay:  Brown Holmes; based on THE MALTESE FALCON by Dashiell Hammett.

Stars:  Bette Davis, Warren William, Alison Skipworth, Arthur Treacher, Porter Hall, Olin Howland and Marie Wilson.

Tagline: She recalled how three men met their death…searching for a treasure that had left a trail of blood through twelve centuries!

The Plot…

Detective Ted Shane has just returned to town. Milton Ames, Shane’s former partner reluctantly agrees to work with Shane again.  They parted ways since Shane, a lady’s man, once was romantically involved with Ames’ wife.  Shane has a paying client and money overrides hurt feelings.

A woman named Valerie Purvis wants to hire Shane and Ames to find a man named Farrow.  When both Ames and Farrow are found murdered, Shane realizes there is much more to this case than a missing man.

Shane is soon approached by Madam Barrabas and Kenneth, her slow-witted, trigger happy son.  They want  to hire Shane to find an 8th century jewel-filled ivory horn.  An English gentleman, Anthony Travers, wants to hire Shane to find it as well.  And don’t you know, that’s what Valerie is after too.

Shane, never one to turn down money, decides to play each against the other and accepts payment from all.  Shane’s charm and quick wit have always served him well, but this time he may be in over his head.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Satan Met a Lady is based on Dashiell Hammett’s novel THE MALTESE FALCON.  Screenwriter, Brown Holmes not only changed the title, he changed the names of the characters (including the lead), the sex of the main antagonist and the object everyone wanted.

Bette Davis hated the script and complained to studio head Jack Warner.  She said she would not do the film.  Warner promised Davis better scripts in the future and then suspended her without pay.  Reluctantly Davis agreed to the movie.  Unfortunately she hated the end result and often said it was her worst film.

I recently revisited Satan Met a Lady.  I enjoyed it much more than previous viewings.  I always liked the movie, but this time out liked it even more.  I think in the past I compared this adaption of THE MALTESE FALCON to Huston and Bogart’s take.  Obviously Satan Met a Lady suffered by comparison.  I was also influenced by Bette Davis’ feelings about the film.  This time out, I put past feelings aside and enjoyed a lighthearted 1930s comedy/mystery.

Much of my enjoyment of Satan Met a Lady came from Marie Wilson’s performance as the ditzy, sexy blonde assistant.

Satan Met a Lady (1936) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“Young Mr. Jazz” (1919) starring Harold Lloyd and Snub Pollard / Z-View

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Young Mr. Jazz (1919)

Director: Hal Roach

Screenplay: Hal Roach, Sam Taylor, H. M. Walker

Stars: Harold Lloyd, Bebe Daniels, ‘Snub’ Pollard.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Harold is in love.  Unfortunately the girl’s father is way overprotective.  Harold and  his girl make a plan to sneak off for a date.  When Harold picks her up, her father sees and gives chase.  Harold and his girl end up in a dive bar full of thieves and thugs.

Soon enough Harold’s pocket is picked.  When the bill comes due, the hard case bartender will collect one way or another.  Then the girl’s dad enters and in no time at all, his cash is stolen.  Now without a way to pay what is owed, Harold will be in a fight for his life against the bartender and his crook friends.

Last call!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)… 

Young Mr. Jazz is a short (10 minute) short.  Still, Harold Lloyd has ample time to demonstrate his athletic/acrobatic abilities.

Young Mr. Jazz (1919) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“By Any Means” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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I like the poster and trailer for By Any Means.

Deal me in.

When the system is broken, break the rules By Any Means.

Watch the trailer for #ByAnyMeansMovie, only in theatres this September.

Inspired by a true story, a young Black FBI agent (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) is sent into 1960s Mississippi to investigate a wave of brutal killings targeting civil rights leaders. Forced to work alongside notorious mafia hitman Greg Scarpa (Mark Wahlberg), he finds himself pulled into a deadly hunt where justice and vengeance begin to blur.

When the system is broken, two men divided by everything agree on one thing: the law has limits. They don’t.

“Forgotten Sweeties” (1927) starring Charlie Chase / Z-View

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Forgotten Sweeties (1927)

Director: James Parrott

Screenplay:  H.M. Walker

Stars:  Charlie Chase, Anita Garvin, Shirley Palmer.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Charlie and his new wife, Lillian, are surprised to learn that Charlie’s ex-girlfriend, Shirley has moved into the apartment across from them.  Worse still, Shirley’s new husband Ira is the jealous type.  When Ira learns about Charlie, things take a turn for the worst.

Let the antics 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.

Forgotten Sweeties was directed by Charlie Chase’s brother.

Forgotten Sweeties (1927) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Wounds” (2019) written & directed by Babak Anvari, starring Armie Hammer, Dakota Johnson & Zazie Beetz / Z-View

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Wounds (2019)

Director: Babak Anvari

Screenplay:  Babak Anvari; based on THE VISIBLE FILTH by Nathan Ballingrud

Stars:  Armie Hammer, Dakota Johnson, Zazie Beetz.

Tagline: Don’t call it in.

The Plot…

Will is a bartender in a New Orleans dive tavern.  One night after a vicious fight that left his friend badly wounded, Will finds a cell phone on the floor.  He puts it in his back pocket and forgets about it.  Early the next morning Will remembers the phone.  When Will looks to see who owns it, he discovers grisly photos and videos.

Then the phone rings…  that call will be the start of terrible things.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I liked the premise and set up for Wounds.  Sadly it never lives up to either.

Wounds (2019) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“Onslaught” directed by Adam Wingard and starring Adria Arjona, Alex Pereira, Drew Starkey, Rebecca Hall, Reginald VelJohnson, Michael Biehn, Eric Wareheim and Dan Stevens – Two Posters and a Trailer are Here!

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Here we have two posters and the trailer for Onslaught, directed by Adam Wingard and starring Adria Arjona, Alex Pereira, Drew Starkey, Rebecca Hall, Reginald VelJohnson, Michael Biehn, Eric Wareheim and Dan Stevens.

Diggin’ the poster above and the clever one below as well.  Those plus the trailer have me sold.

Deal me in.

ONSLAUGHT – In Theaters September 4.

DIRECTOR: Adam Wingard

CAST: Adria Arjona, Alex Pereira, Drew Starkey, Rebecca Hall, Reginald VelJohnson, Michael Biehn, Eric Wareheim and Dan Stevens

“Many Scrappy Returns” (1927) starring Charlie Chase / Z-View

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Many Scrappy Returns (1927)

Director: James Parrott

Screenplay:  H.M. Walker

Stars:  Charlie Chase, Eugenia Gilbert, Anita Garvin and Bull Montana.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Charlie and his wife have Charlie’s brother, Wellington and Wellington’s wife over for dinner.  Things go sideways when Wellington tries to put a move on Charlie’s maid.  Worse still she thinks that it was Charlie getting fresh.  When the maid’s husband gets wind of the advance, all bets are off!

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.

Many Scrappy Returns was directed by Charlie Chase’s brother.

Many Scrappy Returns (1927) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Pluribus”: Season 1 (2025) created by Vince Gilligan, starring Rhea Seehorn / Z-View

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Pluribus: Season 1 (2025)

Created by: Vince Gilligan

Director:

  • Vince Gilligan (Eps. 1-2)
  • Gordon Smith (Eps. 3; 5; 9)
  • Zetna Fuentes (Ep. 4)
  • Gandja Monteiro (Ep. 6)
  • Adam Bernstein (Ep. 7)
  • Melissa Bernstein (Ep. 8)

Teleplay by:

  • Vince Gilligan (Eps. 1-2)
  • Gordon Smith (Ep. 3)
  • Alison Tatlock (Ep. 4)
  • Ariel Levine (Ep. 5)
  • Vera Blasi (Ep. 6)
  • Jenn Carroll (Ep. 7)
  • Jonny Gomez (Ep. 8)
  • Alison Tatlock & Gordon Smith (Ep. 9)

Starring:  Rhea Seehorn, Karolina Wydra, Carlos-Manuel Vesga, Miriam Shor and John Cena.

Tagline: Happiness is contagious.

The Plot… (beware of spoilers)

Astronomers are shocked when a SETI radio signal turns out to be a legit alien transmission.  The signal is determined to be a code for an RNA sequence.  Scientists begin working on it immediately.  A lab mishap infects one of the researchers.  Soon a geometric infection spreads.  One infected becomes two – two become four.

Within very little time the entire human population has been exposed.  Every person infected becomes part of the hive mind collective.  The infection rate is almost 100%.  There are only thirteen people in the world who remain unaffected.

With the infection what one person knows, they all know.  The infected appear calm and happy and they readily admit that the want to assimilate the uninfected.

Carol Sturka is one of the thirteen uninfected.  Her goal is to find a way to save the human race.

Thoughts…

Vince Gilligan has another winner.

Pluribus is the Latin word meaning “many”.  The Pluribus logo changes the “i” to a “1” which is very clever.

It was an interesting choice to make Rhea Seehorn’s character more than a bit unlikeable.

I look forward to season 2.

Pluribus: Season 1 (2025) rates 5 of 5 stars.

THE HUNTER SAGA: HUNTER / HUNTER’S MOON / THE LAST HUNT by James Byron Huggins

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THE HUNTER SAGA by James Byron Huggins

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

First sentence…

‘That boy dies in four hours.”

In HUNTER, Nathaniel Hunter, one of the world’s best trackers, leads a US Military squad into the wilds of Alaska.  A creature that wiped out a scientific installation is on the loose.  The beast, the result of experiments using prehistoric RNA, is unlike anything ever seen by modern man.  The monster is the ultimate killing machine, an apex predator without hesitation or mercy.

+++

First sentence…

It consumed Angus Staford as it had consumed dead men since the beginning of time, effortlessly crushing bone without removing its scarlet stare from the surrounding night.

In HUNTER’S MOON, Nathaniel Hunter travels to the moors of England.  An army scientist, using protocols that fabricated the prehistoric creature in HUNTER, has infected himself creating a superior beast. This leviathan kills then returns to the savage wilderness of the English moors.  Local police and military units that faced the creature were wiped out.  Hunter barely survived against the original monster.  This new creature is more powerful and resourceful.

+++

First sentence…

‘We’re going to kill Hunter.”

In THE LAST HUNT, Nathaniel Hunter is living a peaceful life in his Montana mountainside cabin unaware that he’s been marked for death. Scipio Dante, the genius sociopathic billionaire scientist behind the prehistoric RNA experiments that created modern day monsters, wants Hunter dead.

Dante has perfected the serum that creates the nearly unkillable beasts.  Now those infected become monsters that retain human consciousness.  Dante along with two others will take the serum. As insurance, Dante has hired a team of mercenaries led by Roska.  Roska is a tracker with skills that match Hunter’s.

Nathaniel Hunter has no idea of the storm that is coming to his doorstep.  Three unkillable prehistoric apex predators with human consciousness, and a mercenary squad led by his equal are en route.

+++

Nathaniel Hunter was created with Sylvester Stallone in mind.  As you read the series, it’s easy to imagine a younger Sly as Hunter.  Sly Stallone optioned the rights to adapt Hunter as a film or television series.  Although one has been rumored for years, it has yet to happen.  Fans would love to see it.

The Hunter Trilogy gets my highest recommendation.  They are fast paced.  Well written and fun rides.  Byron Huggins knows his stuff and it shows.

HUNTER rates 5 of 5 stars.

HUNTER’S MOON rates 5 of 5 stars.

THE LAST HUNT rates 5 of 5 stars.

Rating:

FIGHTS WORTH FIGHTING: FINDING STRENGTH IN STRUGGLE by Dolph Lundgren!

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Dolph Lundgren has a new book, FIGHTS WORTH FIGHTING: FINDING STRENGTH IN STRUGGLE coming out on September 22nd.  Here’s the scoop…

FIGHTS WORTH FIGHTING by Dolph Lundgren is a powerful and unflinchingly honest memoir from one of the most enduring icons of action cinema.

Best known for his role as Ivan Drago in Rocky IV, Lundgren skyrocketed to fame in the 1980s and has since built a remarkable career spanning over a hundred films — including producing, writing, and directing multiple projects. But beyond the on-screen battles lies a far more compelling story: the real-life fights Lundgren has faced behind the scenes.

In this deeply personal account, Lundgren opens up about his upbringing in Sweden, his rise from a chemical engineering student to a martial arts champion, and his eventual transformation into an international movie star. He explores the pressures of fame, the emotional and physical toll of life in a cutthroat industry, and his private struggles. Now, as he faces his most difficult challenge yet — a fight against cancer — Lundgren reflects on the cost of survival and what it truly means to keep going.

More than just a Hollywood memoir, FIGHTS WORTH FIGHTING is a guide to resilience. Like Arnold Schwarzenegger’s BE USEFUL, it blends life lessons with personal storytelling, offering practical insights on discipline, reinvention, and the importance of mental and emotional strength.

Lundgren’s story arrives at a time when audiences crave authenticity. This isn’t just the tale of a movie star — it’s a call to arms for anyone struggling with their own battles. Candid, inspiring, and unexpectedly vulnerable, FIGHTS WORTH FIGHTING shows us that real strength isn’t just about winning—it’s about continuing the fight when no one’s watching.

“The Rink” (1916) written, directed and starring Charlie Chaplin / Z-View

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The Rink (1916)

Director: Charlie Chaplin, Edward Brewer (technical director)

Screenplay:  Charlie Chaplin, Vincent Bryan, Maverick Terrell

Stars:  Charlie Chaplin, Edna Purviance, Eric Campbell, Henry Bergman, Albert Austin.

Tagline: Can you imagine the excruciatingly comedy capers of Charley on a pair of roller skates?

The Plot…

Charlie is a terribly clumsy waiter.  On his lunch hour Charlie likes to go to the skating rink where he is graceful beyond belief.  Still, Charlie being Charlie…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Charlie Chaplin was a man of many talents.  He wrote screenplays, acted, directed, produced, composed music and wrote songs.  Who knew he could also skate so well?

In addition to his physical comedy, Chaplin made me smile when as a waiter he figured a fat man’s dinner bill by the stains on his clothes.

The Rink (1916) rates 4 of 5 stars.