Author: Craig Zablo

“Predators” (2010) starring Adrien Brody, Topher Grace, Alice Braga, Walton Goggins, Laurence Fishburne, Oleg Taktarov, Mahershala Ali and Danny Trejo / Z-View

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Predators (2010)

Director:  Nimród Antal

Screenplay:  Alex Litvak, Michael Finch; based on characters created by Jim Thomas, John Thomas

Stars:  Adrien Brody, Topher Grace, Alice Braga, Walton Goggins, Laurence Fishburne, Oleg Taktarov, Mahershala Ali and Danny Trejo.

Tagline: They are the most dangerous killers on the planet… but this is not our planet.

The Plot…

Seven killers awaken in a jungle.   They are…

  • Royce, a mercenary
  • Isabelle, a sniper
  • Stans, a death row inmate
  • Nikoli, a Russian Special Forces soldier
  • Cuchillo, a cartel enforcer
  • Hanzo, a Yakuza enforcer
  • Mombasa, a rebel warrior

With the group is a doctor named Edwin.

Each of them have no memory of how they got there.  In short order they discover they’re on a distant planet.  The animals are dangerous and will kill them.  Worse still, they learn that they’ve been brought to the planet to be hunted by Predators.

There only chance of survival is to band together.

The hunt is on.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The script described Cuchillo as a guy who looked like Danny Trejo.  Danny Trejo got word and called Robert Rodriguez (one of the producers) and said, “Hey, I heard there’s a guy in the script for ‘Predators‘ who looks just like Danny Trejo, and guess what, I look just like Danny Trejo!”

Adrian Brody was an interesting (and unexpected) choice to play the lead.  He does a great job.

Predators is my second favorite movie of the franchise.  (Predator is first.)

Predators (2010) rates 4 of 5 stars.

PUSH THE WALL by Frank Miller / Z-View

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PUSH THE WALL by Frank Miller Hardcover: 224 pages Publisher: S&S/Saga Press First sentences…
How to start a story? At the ending. Know your ending. I repeat: Know your ending.
The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

If you know of Frank Miller, it could be for any number of reasons.  Perhaps it was because of the comics he took to new heights (Daredevil; The Dark Knight Returns; Batman: Year One) or those groundbreaking comics that he created (Ronin; Sin City; 300) to name just a few.  Maybe you know Miller from his work as a writer and/or director on feature films (Sin City; 300; Robocop 2 and Robocop 3; The Spirit).  Miller revolutionized comics.  Then he went to Hollywood.  He’s considered a living legend.

PUSH THE WALL is Miller’s memoir.  Through stories and remembrances he takes us back to his childhood in Vermont.  Wanting to be a comic artist from an early age.  Coming to New York City and discovering he’s not ready.  Getting work.  Getting lucky.  Honing his craft.  Getting better and wanting to be better still.  Success that took him to the stratosphere.  Expectations that rose as well.  Falling short.  Going to Hollywood.  Again success… and failure.  Getting back to what he loves… comics.  With more stories to tell.

Miller set the book up as a series of lessons.  These are lessons that he learned and can be used by other writers/artists to improve their craft.  Miller’s anecdotes are both entertaining and enlighting.  We get a glimpse behind the curtain of Miller’s thought processes, as well as the artists, comics, books and movies that influenced him.  All told in a writing style that makes you feel as he’s talking to you.

The more of a Frank Miller fan you are, the more you will like the book.

Rating:

Jack Carter/John Wick by Steven Sanchez – From Prelim to Finished Art!

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When Steven Sanchez announced that he was taking on double headsketch commissions, I jumped on board.  As you can see I requested Sly Stallone as Jack Carter (from Get Carter) and Keanu Reeves as John Wick.  I couldn’t be happier with Sanchez’s finished art.

What made it even cooler is that Sanchez sent a prelim rough for approval.  In the rough he used a photo from Lock Up for Stallone reference.

I pointed out that I wanted Stallone as Jack Carter and Sanchez made the change with a new prelim for approval.  He then created the prelim piece above.  I loved it.

Sanchez then moved on to another marker prelim before tackling the finished pencil art.

This is my second commission from Steven Sanchez. I cannot recommend him highly enough to sketch collectors.

The Whisper Man

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House of Numbers (1957)

Director: Russell Rouse

Screenplay:  Don Mankiewicz, Russell Rouse; based on HOUSE OF NUMBERS by Jack Finey.

Stars:  Jack Palance, Harold J. Stone, Barbara Lang, Edward Platt and Timothy Carey.

Tagline: The Most Fascinating Puzzle a Man Ever Faced…and his love depended on the solution!

The Plot…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

House of Numbers (1957) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“Take Cover” (2024) starring Scott Adkins and Alice Eve / Z-View

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Take Cover (2024)

Director: Russell Rouse

Screenplay:  Joshua Todd James

Stars:  Scott Adkins, Alice Eve, Jack Parr, Madalina Bellariu Ion, Nik Goldman.

Tagline: No Cover, No Backup, No Ways Out

The Plot…

Sam and Ken are two of the best at what they do.  And like Wolverine, what they do isn’t very nice.  Sam is a sniper.  Ken is his spotter.  They work for a secret organization and take out high profile targets the world over.

But when Sam accidentally kills an innocent when his bullet passes through the target, he decides to call it quits.  Sam’s controller, Tamara talks him into one last hit.

Tamara puts Sam and Ken into a high level penthouse suite as they wait for their assignment.  Soon enough Sam and Ken realize they’re trapped in the room.  A sniper in the building across the street has their room in his sights.  Assassins are outside their door.

There are stranded with no cover, no backup and no way out.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Take Cover has an interesting concept — being trapped in a room covered by a sniper and assassins coming in.  The movie takes a bit to get to the set-up and doesn’t offer much other than what you’d expect.

Take Cover (2024) rates 3 of 5 stars.

Sly Stallone as Rocky Balboa by Rich Conley!  

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Sly Stallone as Rocky Balboa by Rich Conley!

Here’s what Rich had to say about his drawing…

My latest sketch of Rocky. I feel like this is him at his lowest point. He’s nearly broken by life, and when he says , ‘it wasn’t supposed to be this hard “ I think we’ve all felt that way at some point in our lives. Amazing scene from Rocky Balboa. I wanted to keep this sketch loose and raw like the moment it was capturing.

Here’s what I have to say about his drawing…

Nailed it!

 

“Are you angry because Adrian left you?” – Paulie
“She didn’t leave, she died.” – Rocky

“Enter the Dragon” (1973) starring Bruce Lee, John Saxon and Jim Kelly / Z-View

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Enter the Dragon (1973)

Director: Robert Clouse

Screenplay:  Michael Allin; Bruce Lee (uncredited)

Stars:  Bruce Lee, John Saxon, Ahna Capri, Bob Wall, Shih Kien and Jim Kelly.

Tagline: Their deadly mission: to crack the forbidden island of Han!

The Plot…

Han is a crime lord.  On his private island his word is law.  Han runs a worldwide drug distribution and human trafficking operation.  Each year Han invites the world’s best martial artists to take part in a competition that he hosts on the island.  The winners are potential recruits to his organization.

British Intelligence wants to bring down Han, but they need firsthand evidence. They approach Lee, a martial artist and Shaolin monk.  Lee agrees to go undercover as a participant in the tournament.

Roper, a gambler who loves the good life, is in debt to the mob.  He heads to the island hoping to win money in Han’s tournament.

Williams heads to the island to particpate in the tournament after an incident with racist cops.

Lee, Roper and Williams find themselves under suspicion when Han discovers that someone (but who?) is on his island for reasons other than the tournament.

Whoever it is must die.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Jackie Chan plays one of Han’s henchmen who battles Lee.

Bruce Lee died three weeks before the premiere of Enter the Dragon.

Enter the Dragon is a classic.

Enter the Dragon (1973) rates 5 of 5 stars.

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

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You know Air Force One. Now meet The Beast.

When a militia of unidentified hostiles coordinates a coup against the U.S., the president is forced to drive the presidential limousine and unlock the full extent of The Beast’s highly classified offensive capabilities to save his injured Secret Service agent, reunite with his wife, and save the world.

Samuel L. Jackson and Joel Kinnaman star in The Beast. Only in theaters October 9.

“The Lighter That Failed” (1927) starring Charley Chase / Z-View

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The Lighter That Failed (1927)

Director: James Parrott

Screenplay:  H.M. Walker

Stars:  Charley Chase, Edna Marion, May Wallace.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

It’s Charley’s birthday and his entire family has gathered for the party.   One of Charley’s gifts is a nice cigarette lighter.  Only problem is it won’t light. Charley’s frustration (and scenery destruction) grows as Charley repeatedly tries to get it working using the objects on hand.

Perhaps using gasoline as fuel for the lighter wasn’t the best idea…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Charley 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.

The Lighter That Failed was directed by Charley Chase’s brother.

The title The Lighter That Failed is a play on Rudyard Kipling’s novel THE LIGHT THAT FAILED.

The Lighter That Failed (1927) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“The Vampire Lestat” Season 1 (2026) starring Sam Reid, Jacob Anderson, Eric Bogosian, Assad Zaman and Delainey Hayles / Z-View

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The Vampire Lestat: Season 1 (2026)

Created by: Rolin Jones; based on THE VAMPIRE CHRONICLES by Ann Rice

Director:

  • Craig Zisk (eps. 1-2)
  • Claudia Llosa (eps. 3-4)
  • Levan Akin (ep. 5)
  • Jane Wu (ep. 6)
  • Alan Taylor (ep. 7)

Teleplay:

  • Rolin Jones & Hannah Moscovitch (ep. 1)
  • Jonathan Ceniceroz & Kevin Hanna (ep. 2)
  • Anusree Roy (ep. 3)
  • Jonathan Ceniceroz (ep. 4)
  • Daniel Hart & Hannah Moscovitch  (ep. 5)
  • Ryan Kattner & Kevin Hanna (ep. 6)
  • Hannah Moscovitch (ep. 7)

Stars:  Sam Reid, Jacob Anderson, Eric Bogosian, Assad Zaman, Delainey Hayles, Joseph Potter, Jennifer Ehle.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Lestat is a vampire.  A. Real. Vampire.  Lestat is also the lead singer for a rock band.  His public persona is a rock singer playing a vampire.  The band has achieved cult status.  His followers don’t believe Lestat is a real vampire, but they enjoy dressing up and coming to his concerts.

Lestat’s growing fame is a concern for other vampires throughout the world.  If it is discovered that Lestat is a real vampire, it would create problems for them.  Deadly problems.

They’re going to have to deal with Lestat.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I loved the first two seasons of Interview with the Vampire.  For the third season the name of the series was changed to The Vampire Lestat.  The fourth season will be titled Anne Rice’s Queen of the Damned.

The Vampire Lestat: Season 1 (2026) rates 3 of 5 stars.