Author: Craig Zablo

“Wick is Pain” (2025) starring Keanu Reeves, Chad Stahelski, David Leitch / Z-View

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Wick is Pain (2025)

Director: Jeffrey Doe

Stars: Keanu Reeves, Chad Stahelski, David Leitch, Scott Adkins, Daniel Bernhardt, Halle Berry, Hu Chen, Common, Jason Constantine, Jonathan Eusebio, Laurence Fishburne, Daniel Hernandez, Anjelica Huston, Basil Iwanyk and Mark Dacascos.

Tagline: The making of a killer franchise.

The Plot…

Wick Is Pain takes us behind the scenes detailing how the John Wick franchise came into existence.  Wick is Pain features current interviews with Keanu Reeves, Chad Stahelski, David Leitch as well as Wick franchise co-stars and stunt people.  Integrated into the interviews are behind-the-scenes footage from the Wick films.

We learn how the screenplay initially titled scorn morphed into John Wick.  How and why the first film almost wasn’t made… and the surprising celebrity that saved the day.  We are taken on a journey that explores why two men best known as for stunts were given the reins of the first movie.  How the first film changed action films forever.  We also learn that the road for each film had its own challenges both in front and behind the camera.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)… 

Wick is Pain is a fun, informative ride.

Keanu Reeves enthusiasm is contagious.

Wick is Pain gets my highest recommendation.

Wick is Pain (2025) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“The Wagons Roll at Night” (1941) starring Humphrey Bogart, Sylvia Sidney, Eddie Albert and Joan Leslie / Z-View

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The Wagons Roll at Night (1941)

Director: Ray Enright

Screenplay: Fred Niblo Jr., Barry Trivers based on Kid Galahad by Francis Wallace

Stars: Humphrey Bogart, Sylvia Sidney, Eddie Albert, Joan Leslie, Sig Ruman, Frank Wilcox, John Ridgely, Clara Blandick, Aldrich Bowker and Garry Owen.

Tagline:  FOR THE MILLIONS WHO CHEERED “THEY DRIVE BY NIGHT”!

The Plot…

Nick Coster is trying to hold his combination circus/fair together.  It’s not an easy life.  Caesar, one of his lions is getting meaner by the day.  To make matters worse his lion tamer is an alcoholic whose drinking is getting worse.  Add in the day to day troubles and Nick is just keeping his head above water.

The circus had just arrived at the outskirts of another city when Caesar escaped.  Nick gets word and heads into town.  He fears the worst — that he will have to out down Caesar because the lion killed someone.

To Nick’s great surprise, a young shopkeeper named Matt Varney has trapped Caesar in his store.  Matt used a chair to direct the beast into a corner and then barricaded it.  Word spreads quickly that Matt Varney tamed the lion!

As his crew captures Caesar, Nick sees a way to cash in.  Word will spread about the handsome young man who tamed Caesar, the King of Beasts!  Nick offers Matt a job.  Matt is hesitant.  He was afraid of Caesar, but did what needed to be done.  Nick says that he will have his lion tamer train Matt and promises to bring Matt along slowly.  Matt agrees.

The publicity works.  People from city to city come in droves to see the brave young man.  Although the old lion tamer does most of the work, the crowd is happy to see Nick in his limited role.  Nick is happy to keep his word and not push Matt to do more than he’s ready for.

That all changes when Matt falls in love with Nick’s sister.  Matt doesn’t want her to have anything to do with circus people.  When Matt refuses to stop seeing Nick’s sister, Nick begins to push Matt to take more of a role in the lion cage.  Caesar is getting worse and Matt’s not ready.

Welcome to the big top!  The show’s about to start!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)… 

The Wagons Roll at Night is considered to be the first “A” film to star Humphrey Bogart.

If you only know Sylvia Sidney as Juno, the overworked, cynical chain-smoking and very dead caseworker in the afterlife that she played Beetlejuice you’re in for a treat.

The Wagons Roll at Night (1941) rates 3 of 5 stars.

Burt Reynolds’ Best Movies

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Rob Hunter at /Film came up with his list of Burt Reynolds Best Movies.  I decided to play along and came up with my list as well.  Before (or after) you click over to read Hunter’s rationale for his choices, you can (if you’re so inclined) read my thoughts below.

Burt Reynolds Best Movies

Hunter

Zablo
01. Deliverance

01. Smokey and the Bandit

02. Smokey and the Bandit

02. Sharky’s Machine

03. Hooper

03. Longest Yard, The

04. The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas

04. Hooper

05. The Longest Yard

05. The Last Movie Star
06. White Lightning

06. Driven
07. Fade In

07. Man Who Loved Cat Dancing, The

08. Hustle

08. Malone
09. Heat

09. Heat
10. Sharky’s Machine

10. Deliverance
11. Navajo Joe

11. End, The

12. The End

12. W.W. And the Dixie Dance Kings

There are three films on Hunter’s list that I haven’t seen: The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Fade In and Navajo Joe.

Now the rationale for my choices…

12.  WW and the Dixie Dance Kings – this is kind of a sentimental choice.  My mom and dad were divorced and we had moved out of state.  Dad was down visiting and took us to see the film.  Dad wasn’t a movie guy, but he enjoyed Burt Reynolds.  Great memories, even if the movie isn’t.

11.  The End – I thought this was really funny when I saw it during its theatrical release.  Re-visited it years later and was surprised it didn’t hold up as well.  The movie takes off once Dom DeLuise shows up.  Wish he made his appearance sooner.

10. Deliverance – Arguably it features Burt Reynolds best acting of his career.  The movie has one of my favorite Reynolds’ scenes – when Ned Beatty is getting molested and the camera cuts to Reynolds ready to shoot an arrow.  It would rate higher if the movie was one I liked to revisit.

09.  Heat – A serviceable action picture with Reynolds as a bodyguard whose dream stays out of reach because of his behaviors.

08.  Malone – Made the year before Heat, and about the same quality.  Reynolds is ex-CIA who helps a family survive small town corruption.

07.  The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing – Burt Reynolds is joined by Sarah Miles,  Lee J. Cobb, Jack Warden, George Hamilton, Bo Hopkins and Jay Silverheels (!) in a western.  I thought the Reynolds character was so cool!  (Hey! I was in 8th grade.)

06.  Driven – I’d always hoped to see Burt Reynolds and Sly Stallone co-starring in a movie.  While it wasn’t the action-fest that could/should have happened earlier in both stars’ careers, they did get to share the screen.

05.  The Last Movie Star – Made at the very end of Reynolds’ career.  I believe it to feature his best performance.  I wish more people would see this film.

04.  Hooper – Reynolds plays an aging stunt man.  He’s joined by Sally Field, Jan-Michael Vincent, Brian Keith, Hal Needham, Adam West and even Terry Bradshaw.  I saw it twice during it’s theatrical run.  Good times.

03.  The Longest Yard (1974) – Although Reynolds appeared in the Adam Sandler remake, the original is the one to see!  I first saw this with our 10th grade football team. Our coach arranged for us to go see it as a team.  What a perfect film for a tenth grader.  We started calling ourselves “Mean Machine” and it must have worked.  We were county champs that year.  Great memories and the film holds up still.

02.  Sharky’s Machine – I love this film.  I hoped that we’d see some sequels with Reynolds continuing to direct and star.  It wasn’t to be, but at least we have this gem. Oh, and what a great soundtrack!

01.  Smokey and the Bandit – Jackie Gleason, Sally Field, and the black Trans Am!  I love this film.  You can see the joy that they had making it.  My brother-in-law (RIP) could do a great Bufford T. Justice impersonation.  Great memories.

 

“First Blood” Alt Poster by Charlie Griak!

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Charlie Griak has created an amazing First Blood alt poster.  Here’s part of what he said about the film…

I created this poster as a tribute to First Blood, a film that’s become one of my all-time favorites. I love its raw emotional intensity – this movie really stuck with me.

Click on the link and see Charlie’s complete statement and more of his amazing art.

“Last Samurai Standing”: Season 1 (2025) starring Jun’ichi Okada and Hideaki Itô / Z-View

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Last Samurai Standing: Season 1 (2025)

Creative Director: Jun’ichi Okada

Directed by:

  • Michihito Fujii (eps. 1-2; 6)
  • Kento Yamaguchi (ep. 3; 5)
  • Toru Yamamoto (ep. 4)

Teleplay by:

  • (eps. 1-6) Kento Yamaguchi & Michihito Fujii; based on Last Samurai Standing by Shogo Imamura and drawn by  Katsumi Tatsuzawa

Stars: Jun’ichi Okada, Masahiro Higashide, Yûya Endô, Hideaki Itô, Gaku Hamada, Arata Iura and Nobi Nakanishi.

Tagline:  None.

The Plot…

The year is 1878.  A cholera epidemic rages through Japan.  Shujiro Saga’s baby daughter died from the disease.  Now Saga’s wife has fallen ill.  Saga is a former samurai. Samurai were outlawed ten years prior.  With epidemic raging, survival is hard.

Flyers begin showing up everywhere advertising a martial arts tournament in Kyoto that has a grand prize of ¥100,000.  Shujiro Saga sees this as an opportunity for his family and goes.

Martial artists from all over Japan have come to enter the tournament.  They are gathered in a fortress-like setting.  An official tells them that if they do not want to be in the tournament they are to leave now.  They will have 30 seconds to decide.  Once in the game, there is no quitting.  He begins counting down.

Some people yell out they want to know what the game will be.  The official continues to count.  Around the perimeter of the fortress armed guards stand ready to fire.  The official reaches zero.  Soldiers rush out and give each person a numbered tag.  They are now participants.

The official says that the tag must stay on their person.  If it is away from their body for more than 10 seconds they will be killed.  The goal is to pass seven checkpoints on the Tōkaidō Road from Kyoto to Tokyo.  They will have one month to arrive in Tokyo.  Points will be needed to pass each checkpoint.  They earn points by taking other participants tags.  They can do this by any means necessary.  Anything goes. The official concludes by saying, “The game begins at the end of this countdown… 10…”

When the game begins, it is mass chaos.  Nearly 300 martial artists go to war.  There are samurai, archers, brutes, knife fighters, and more. Across the way Shujiro Saga sees Futaba Katsuki, a young girl frozen with fear.  She will be easy pickins.  Saga rushes to her aide.

Kyojin Tsuge recognizes Saga as the former samurai known as The Manslayer.  Tsuge says that he has calculated that the points needed to finish in Tokyo allow for up to nine combatants to win.  Tsuge proposes that Saga, Futaba and he form an alliance.  Saga agrees and they head out.

The giant swordsman Bukotsu Kanjiya who loves to kill wants to end Saga The Manslayer‘s life.  Bukotsu has a bloodlust and murders any in his path.  Other teams have formed with each plotting to survive.

It will be a long road.  Not all will survive.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)… 

Last Samurai Standing is based on a 2022 historical fiction graphic novel written by Shogo Imamura and drawn by  Katsumi Tatsuzawa.  Although the characters and tournament are fiction, real-life historical figures and events add to the backstory.

Junichi Okada who served as producer and stars in the series is a charismatic lead.

Hideaki Itô is awesome and frightening as the giant swordsman.

Last Samurai Standing gets my highest recommendation.  Bring on Season 2.

Last Samurai Standing: Season 1 (2025) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“Ice Road: Vengeance” (2025) written & directed by Jonathan Hensleigh, starring Liam Neeson / Z-View

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Ice Road: Vengeance (2025)

Director: Jonathan Hensleigh

Screenplay: Jonathan Hensleigh

Stars: Liam Neeson, Bingbing Fan, Marcus Thomas, Grace O’Sullivan, Mahesh Jadu, Shivantha Wijesinha and CJ Bloomfield.

Tagline:  None.

The Plot…

Mike McCann has traveled to Nepal to honor his dead brother.  Mike plans to scatter his late brother’s ashes on Mount Everest.

Mike, his tour guide Dhani and others are on The Kiwi Express, an old bus used to shuttle tourists to Everest. Then mercenaries arrive.  They are looking to kill Vijay,  a rider on the shuttle.  Mike, Dhani, Vijay and a young girl named Grace escape in The Kiwi Express with the terrorists in hot pursuit.

Outmanned and outgunned, Mike knows that odds of survival are small.  The icy road up the mountain is as dangerous as the killers chasing them.

Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy ride!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)… 

Ice Road: Vengeance is a decent follow-up to Ice Road.   If you enjoyed the first film, you should like the second.

I hope we see more of Bingbing Fan (Dhani)  in other movies.

Ice Road: Vengeance (2025) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Seven Days in May” (1964) screenplay by Rod Serling, directed by John Frankenheimer, starring Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Fredric March and Ava Gardner / Z-View

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Seven Days in May (1964)

Director: John Frankenheimer

Screenplay: Rod Serling; based on SEVEN DAYS IN MAY by Fletcher Knebel, Charles W. Bailey II

Stars: Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Fredric March, Ava Gardner, Edmond O’Brien, Martin Balsam, Andrew Duggan, Hugh Marlowe, Whit Bissell, Helen Kleeb, George Macready, Richard Anderson, Bart Burns, John Alban, Al Bain, John Houseman, Ferris Webster, Kent McCord and Malcolm Atterbury.

Tagline:  “I’m suggesting Mr President, there’s a military plot to take over the Government of these United States, next Sunday…”

The Plot…

Set during the Cold War.  President Jordan Lyman’s popularity is at an all-time low. He’s just signed a nuclear disarmament treaty with Russia.  Many believe the Russians can’t be trusted.  Protests across the country have grown violent.  Some fear that Russia will renig on the treaty leaving the US unprotected.  Others think that if both countries don’t begin to disarm at some point the nukes will be used.

General James Mattoon Scott is the Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.  He’s a highly popular, highly decorated Air Force Ace.  Colonel Martin “Jiggs” Casey is the Director of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.  His role is to assist the Joint Chiefs, particularly General Scott.  Privately, neither think Russia can be trusted to keep their part of the disarmament treaty.

Colonel Casey notices some strange messages left for General Mattoon.  This leads to his discovery that in seven days General Mattoon and several other military leaders plan a coup.  They plan to overthrow the President and take control of the government.

Colonel Casey speaks to the President in private.  At first the President can’t believe it.  But the evidence is there.  Unsure of who they can trust, the President, a few trusted aides and Colonel Casey must find a way to stop a coup led by the most popular military leader of the era.

The clock is ticking.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)… 

Seven Days in May was nominated for two 1965 Academy Awards…

  • Nominee for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Black-and-White – Cary Odell, Edward G. Boyle
  • Nominee for Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Edmond O’Brien

At a dinner with President Kennedy, Kirk Douglas was asked if he was adapting the novel SEVEN DAYS IN MAY.  When Douglas said that he was, President Kennedy spoke to him at length about how great a movie it would be.  President Kennedy granted set designers access to the White House to assist with an accurate look.

Seven Days in May was set to be released in December 1963.  The release was pushed back due to the assassination of JFK.

Seven Days in May marks John Houseman’s first (although uncredited) feature film role.

Kent McCord best known as Officer Jim Reed on Adam-12 appears as uncredited in a non-speaking role as a Secret Service agent.

Although released in 1964, the film is set in the near future.  Teleconferencing, digital displays, wall screens and the like look ancient now, but then they weren’t in use and appeared slightly futuristic.

The film features one of my favorite comeback lines when General Scott asks Colonel Casey if he knows who Judas was.

Seven Days in May (1964) rates 4 of 5 stars.