Author: Craig Zablo

ORPHAN X by Gregg Hurwitz / Z-View

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ORPHAN X by Gregg Hurwitz

First sentence…

1

After picking up a set of pistol suppressors froma nine-fingered armorer in Las Vegas, Evan Smoak headed for home in his Ford pickup, doing his best to not let the knife wound distract him.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Evan Smoak was chosen as a child.  He was a perfect candidate.  A child with no family.  Raised in a secret government off-the-books program, Evan and other children like him became known as Orphans.  Evan was Orphan X.

The Orphans were trained to become the ultimate assassins.  As adults, these killers were perfect for black box assignments.  Able to kill with their hands, or any weapon, the Orphans possessed every strategy to covertly and alone complete a mission.  The added bonus was if caught or killed, because they had no family, the government had plausible deniability.

Orphan X excelled in all aspects of his training.  His abilities and mission success became legendary among the Orphans and their handlers.  Outside of the program, Orphan X was someone spoken about in whispers.

Finally, Evan Smoak had enough of the killing.  He used his training to escape the program and disappear.  Smoak set up a new life.  One that he controlled.  He still lived by stict rules – but these rules were self-imposed.  And now instead of taking lives, he was saving them.  Smoak found people in desperate situations, with nowhere to turn and rescued them. Smoak was careful.  Often the beneficiary didn’t know how they were selected or who helped them.

But now, someone with the same skills as Smoak is trying to find and kill him.  You can’t just walk away from the Orphan Program.

+++

ORPHAN X was published in 2016.  Its popularity led to a series of Orphan X novels.  There are currently 10 novels (with an 11th due in February 2026) and several short stories in the series.

ORPHAN X was a page turner.  I loved the characters, and world Hurwitz created.  This is a series that sho to the top of my t0-be-read list.  If you’re a fan of intelligent action, this series is for you.

Rating:

“Crime 101” starring Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan, and Halle Berry – A New Poster and Trailer are Here!

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Crime 101 starring Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan, and Halle Berry – A New Poster and Trailer are Here!

Get an inside look at the making of #Crime101 starring Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan, and Halle Berry. Experience it in theaters and IMAX on February 13.

Set against the sun-bleached grit of Los Angeles, Crime 101 weaves the tale of an elusive jewel thief (Chris Hemsworth) whose string of heists along the 101 freeway have mystified police. When he eyes the score of a lifetime, his path crosses that of a disillusioned insurance broker (Halle Berry) who is facing her own crossroads. Convinced he has found a pattern, a relentless detective (Mark Ruffalo) is closing in, raising the stakes even higher. As the heist approaches, the line between hunter and hunted begins to blur, and all three are faced with life-defining choices–and the realization that there can be no turning back.

Adapted from Don Winslow’s acclaimed novella of the same name, the film is written and directed by Bart Layton (American Animals, The Imposter). Barry Keoghan, Monica Barbaro, Corey Hawkins, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Nick Nolte round out the cast.

The Syfy Channel’s 2025 “Twilight Zone” Christmas Marathon Schedule is Up!

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The Syfy Channel is running a Twilight Zone Marathon that starts at 5am on Christmas Day ending at 7am on December 26th.

What a great way to spend down-time between presents, get-togethers with family and friends, eating too much and napping.  Set your DVRs for the entire marathon or just to get favorites or episodes you’ve never seen.  You can see the entire Twilight Zone Marathon schedule here.

There’s a sweet spot that starts at 8pm on the 25th.  Seven of my favorite episodes will run back-to-back.

Enjoy!

“Troll 2″(2025) / Z-View

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Troll 2 (2025)

Director:  Roar Uthaug

Screenplay: Espen Aukan 

Stars: Ine Marie Wilmann, Kim Falck, Mads Sjøgård Pettersen

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Three years have passed since the battle with the Troll King.  Nora Tidemann now lives in a remote cabin having resigned from her government position after the troll “incident”.   When her friend, Andreas Isaksen, asks Nora to assist on a secret government project, she is intrigued.

Nora travels with Andreas to a hidden underground installation.  She is shocked to discover the government has captured a hibernating troll.  When the creature wakes up it breaks free.  During the troll’s escape it eats and kills government workers.

Now the troll is headed for a major city intent on killing all who live there.

Nora, Andreas and Major Kristoffer Holm reteam to stop the troll before it reaches civilization.  It’ll be difficult and lives will be lost, but they should prevail.  That’s what they are thinking… until a second troll comes into play.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I was glad to see original cast members return.  Troll 2 is fun… but a step down from the original.

Troll 2 (2025) earns 3 of 5 stars.

“Prisoners of the Ghostland” starring Nicholas Cage, Sofia Boutella and Bill Mosley / Z-View

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Prisoners of the Ghostland (2021)

Director: Sion Sono

Screenplay: Aaron Hendry, Reza Sixo Safai

Stars: Nicolas Cage, Sofia Boutella, Nick Cassavetes, Bill Moseley, Tak Sakaguchi.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

In an apopalyptic future, a bank robber known as Hero is saved from execution by the Governor of Samurai Town.  Samurai Town is a settlement that is a mixture of Japanese and cowboy cultures.  Outside of Samurai Town lies a barren wilderness known as Ghostland.  Those that live in Ghostland are crazed outcasts who kill intruders.

The Governor offers Hero the option to survive.  All Hero has to do is venture into the wasteland, find the Governor’s grown “granddaughter” (sex slave) who has run away, and safely return her to Samurai Town.  Hero will have five days to complete the mission.

Hero will wear a specially designed suit that contains explosive charges.  Should he violate one of the rules explained by the Governor, a charge will explode.  Should Hero fail to return in five days with the Governor’s “granddaughter” all of the explosives in the suit will detonate.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)… 

When I saw the trailer for Prisoners of the Ghostland, I thought it would be either a fun Escape from New York type movie or something just too weird for me.  Sadly it was the latter.  I tapped out at about 35 minutes when one of Hero’s test-e-quels is blown off.

Not even Sofia Boutella was enough to make me want to continue.

Nicholas Cage has been quoted as saying that Prisoners of the Ghostland “might be the wildest movie I’ve ever made, and that’s saying something.” Indeed.

As always, your mileage may vary.

Prisoners of the Ghostland (2021) rates 1 of 5 stars.

Steven Spielberg’s “Disclosure” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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The Poster and Trailer for Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure are Here!

A film by Steven Spielberg. Disclosure Day is in theaters 06.12.26.

If you found out we weren’t alone, if someone showed you, proved it to you, would that frighten you? This summer, the truth belongs to seven billion people.

We are coming close to … Disclosure Day.

Universal Pictures is proud to release a new original event film created and directed by Steven Spielberg. The film stars SAG winner and Oscar® nominee Emily Blunt (Oppenheimer, A Quiet Place), Emmy and Golden Globe winner Josh O’Connor (Challengers, The Crown), Oscar® winner Colin Firth (The King’s Speech, Kingsman franchise), Eve Hewson (Bad Sisters, The Perfect Couple) and two-time Oscar® nominee Colman Domingo (Sing Sing, Rustin).

Based on a story by Spielberg, the screenplay is by David Koepp, whose previous work with Spielberg includes the scripts for Jurassic Park, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, War of the Worlds and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Combined, those films earned more than $3 billion worldwide. Koepp also wrote the script for this 2025’s Jurassic World Rebirth.

Disclosure Day is produced by five-time Academy Award® nominee Kristie Macosko Krieger (The Fabelmans, West Side Story) and by Spielberg for Amblin Entertainment. The executive producers are Adam Somner and Chris Brigham.

Steven Spielberg is one of the industry’s most successful and influential filmmakers. The top-grossing director of all time, Spielberg has helmed such blockbusters as Jaws, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, the Indiana Jones franchise and Jurassic Park.

Among his myriad honors, he is a three-time Academy Award® winner, including Oscars® for Best Director and Best Picture for Schindler’s List, which received a total of seven Oscars®, and for Best Director for Saving Private Ryan. His most recent film, The Fabelmans, was released by Universal in 2022 and received seven Academy Award® nominations, including for Directing, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actress and Best Picture.

Website: http://disclosuredaymovie.com
Facebook: / disclosuredayfilm
Instagram: / disclosureday
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Hashtag: #DisclosureDay