Author: Craig Zablo

“If a Body Meets a Body” (1945) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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If a Body Meets a Body (1945)

Director:  Jules White

Screenplay: Jack White from a story by Gilbert Pratt

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard, Theodore Lorch, Fred Kelsey and Al Thompson

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

When Curly is named as a benefactor, the boys show up at the late uncle’s spooky old mansion for a reading of the will.  Instead of a will reading, all of the guests are kept in isolation as Detective Clancy (Kelsey) attempts to determine who murdered Curly’s uncle!  While the boys are kept in a bedroom strange things begin to happen…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

This same plot was used in The Laurel and Hardy Murder Case. Fred Kelsey played the investigating cop in both!  This is the first short filmed after Curly suffered a stroke.  That’s why Larry and Moe get more individual gags than usual.

If a Body Meets a Body earns 4 of 5 stars.

“Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein” (1948) starring Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Lon Chaney, Bela Lugosi and Glenn Strange / Z-View

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Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)

Director: Charles Barton  (Walter Lantz directed the animation sequences)

Screenplay: Robert Lees, Frederic I. Rinaldo, John Grant

Stars: Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Lon Chaney Jr., Bela Lugosi, Glenn Strange, Jane Randolph, Frank Ferguson and Bobby Barber

Tagline: Jeepers! The creepers are after Bud and Lou!

The Plot…

Chick and Wilbur work at a shipping company. They receive a call from Larry Talbot. Crates scheduled for delivery to McDougal’s House of Horrors contain the real Dracula and Frankenstein monsters! Unfortunately as Talbot delivers the message, he transforms into a werewolf.  Chick and Wilbur deliver the crates.

When Talbot shows up, he convinces Chick and Wilbur that Dracula and the Frankenstein monster are real! Meanwhile, Dracula plans to place Wilbur’s brain in the monster.  Soon we have Abbott & Costello, Frankenstein, Dracula and the Wolfman in a battle royal with the winners being the audience.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein is a perfect example of how horror and comedy can work together seamlessly.

We get Abbott and Costello’s verbal comedy and sight gags.  Costello dealing with a lady who wants her bag from a cart full of luggage is classic.  The Boys’ interactions with the monsters is priceless.

Having Lugosi recreate his signature role is a plus. It was the second and last time Lugosi played Dracula in a movie.

Watch, I mean listen for a Vincent Price cameo at the end!

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein is my all-time favorite Abbott and Costello movie and one that I can re-watch anytime.

The scene where the Frankenstein monster punches Lou through a door was an accident.  The punch was supposed to come between Bud and Lou.

The animation scenes of Dracula as bat and Dracual changing from a bat to Dracula were created by Universal-International’s animator, Walter Lantz (of “Woody Woodpecker” fame).

It’s interesting to note that three of the actors in Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein played Frankenstein in feature films.  Bela Lugosi played the monster in Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman.  Lon Chaney Jr. played the monster in The Ghost of Frankenstein.  Glenn Strange played the monster in this film.

Because Glenn Strange broke his ankle, Lon Chaney Jr. ended up playing the monster in the scene where the monster throws Dr. Mornay through the window.

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein kicked off the Abbott and Costello Meet… series of films.  Six more were made.

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein earns 5 of 5 stars.

“The Pale Blue Eye” starring Christian Bale – The Full Trailer is Here!

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The teaser for The Pale Blue Eye had me in.  Today we get the trailer.  I’m still in.

West Point, 1830. A world-weary detective is hired to discreetly investigate the gruesome murder of a cadet. Stymied by the cadets’ code of silence, he enlists one of their own to help unravel the case — a young man the world would come to know as Edgar Allan Poe.

The Pale Blue Eye on Netflix, January 6.

“Micro-Phonies” (1945) starring The Three Stooges

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Micro-Phonies (1945)

Director:  Edward Bernds

Screenplay: Edward Bernds

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard, Christine McIntyre, Symona Boniface, Chester Conklin and Theodore Lorch

Tagline: THE DAFFIEST TRIO THAT EVER HIT THE LAUGHWAVES!

The Plot…

Larry, Curly and Moe are radio station janitors. They begin playing with the equipment and lip syncing to records.  As Curly pretends to sing an opera song, Larry and Moe dress him as a woman.  A rich lady enters and believes it is “Señorita Cucaracha” singing and hires her to sing at a dinner party that evening.  The Boys think it’s easy money and show up with Curly in drag and the hidden record.  What could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Co-star Christine McIntyre does her actual singing!

Micro-Phonies earns 3 of 5 stars.

RIP: Kirstie Alley

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Kirstie Alley, the actress best known for her award-winning role as Rebecca Howe on Cheers, died yesterday at the age of 71.  The cause of death was cancer.

Ms. Alley was born in Wichita, Kansas.  She attended Kansas State University, before dropping out in her sophomore year.  Kirstie Alley then moved to Los Angeles to further her studies in Scientology.  At that time she planned on a career as an interior designer.  After appearing as a contestant on two game shows (Match Game, Password Plus) she considered a career change.

Kirstie Alley’s first two roles were small.  She appeared uncredited as a handmaiden on the short-lived television series Quark.  This was followed by a co-starring role in One More Chance, a student film that was expanded into a feature length film.  Ms. Alley’s big break came when she was cast in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.  Although Kirstie Alley declined to return for Star Trek sequels, she continued acting on television and feature films for the rest of her career.

Some of Kirstie Alley’s television appearances include: The Love Boat; Masquerade (13 episodes); A Bunny’s Tale; North and South: Book 1 (6 spisodes); North and South: Book 2 (6 episodes); The Hitchhiker (2 episodes); Cheers (148 episodes); Wings; The Last Don (3 episodes); The Last Don II (2 episodes); Veronica’s Closet (67 episodes); Fat Actress (7 episodes); The King of Queens; Dancing with the Stars (34 episodes) and Kirstie (12 episodes).

Some of Kirstie Alley’s feature film appearances include: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan; Runaway; Shoot to Kill; Look Who’s Talking; Look Who’s Talking Too; Look Who’s Talking Now and Village of the Damned; 

Awards won: 1991 Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Television Series – Comedy or Musical; 1991 People’s Choice for Favorite Female Television Performer; 1998 People’s Choice for Favorite Female Performer in a New Television Series; 1991 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series; 1994 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Special.

When I think of Kirstie Alley, I always first remember her role on Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.  She came out of nowhere (or so it seemed) to land a co-starring role in a huge feature film.  Of course most know her from her long award-winning run on Cheers.  Look at her resume and you’ll see she did so much more.  What an amazing career she had.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Kirstie Alley’s family, friends and fans.

“Three Little Pigskins” (1934) starring The Three Stooges & Lucille Ball / Z-View

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Three Little Pigskins (1934)

Director:  Ray McCarey

Screenplay:  Felix Adler and Griffin Jay

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard and Lucille Ball 

Tagline: Watch ’em carry gloom offside – and goal you with glee!

The Plot…

Larry, Curly and Moe are mistaken for three great football players when a gangster hires them for a team he’s bet big money on.  What could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

There’s a lot of business before the Boys get to the football field.  Although the football antics are what this short is known for, there’s laughs as Larry, Curly and Moe flirt with the gangsters’ girls.  Lucy makes her only Three Stooges appearance and she’s a blonde!

Three Little Pigskins earns 4 of 5 stars.

“Smile” (2022) / Z-View

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Smile (2022)

Director:  Parker Finn

Screenplay: Parker Finn

Stars: Sosie Bacon, Jessie T. Usher, Kyle Gallner, Caitlin Stasey, Kal Penn and Nick Arapoglou

Tagline: Once you see it, it’s too late.

The Plot…

Dr. Rose Cotter (Bacon) is a dedicated. overworked hospital psychiatrist.  When Cotter gets an emergency call, she finds Laura Weaver (Stasey) hysterical.  Weaver believes she is being followed by an entity that will murder her.  Earlier in the week Laura saw her college professor kill himself. Laura says she is next to die.  Dr. Cotter listens as Laura says that the entity takes the form of smiling people.  Suddenly Laura begins to have a seizure.  As Dr. Cotter calls for medical assistance, Laura breaks a planter, grabs a shard of glass and with a smile on her face, slits her own throat!

After witnessing Laura’s suicide, Dr. Cotter begins to have hallucinations. She sees smiling people.  When Cotter confides to her boss, he says she is suffering from overwork and trauma of seeing a patient kill herself.

Dr. Cotter follows up on the professor Laura saw kill himself.  She learns the professor witnessed a suicide, and the person who committed suicide witnessed a suicide!  Dr. Cotter follows the chain and realizes she’s been cursed.  All of the people in the chain committed suicide within a week… except one.  Dr. Cotter has just days to learn why one person survived the curse…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Smile was written and directed by Parker Finn who expanded his award-winning short film, Laura Hasn’t Slept to feature length.  Paramount budgeted $17 million for Smile and planned on a streaming release.  When test screenings returned extremely favorable results, it was decided that Smile would get a theatrical release before streaming.  Smile went on to gross over $200 million and counting.

I love Smile‘s tagline: Once you see it, it’s too late.  It perfectly summarizes the dread that builds as Rose Cotter realizes she’s been cursed.  No one believes her.  Instead of support, her friends and family think she’s losing her mind.  Smile is well cast, well written and well directed.  Parker Finn combines psychological horror with a supernatural aspect and comes out a winner.

Smile earns 4 of 5 stars.

“God Forbid” (2022) / Z-View

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God Forbid (2022)

Director: Billy Corben

Stars: Giancarlo Granda, Jerry Falwell Jr., Becki Falwell, Michael Cohen, Tom Arnold, Ted Cruz, Mike Pence and Donald Trump.

Tagline: The Sex Scandal That Brought Down a Dynasty.

The Story…

When Giancarlo Granda was a twenty year old pool attendant at the Fontainebleau Hotel, a hot looking “older” woman hit on him.  They flirted. Later she invited him up to her room for sex… but the catch was her husband would watch.  At the time, Granda had no idea the woman was Becki Falwell.  Her husband was Jerry Falwell, Jr.! Falwell was president of university operations at Liberty University (started by his father) and one of the most powerful leaders of the Christian Right. Their hookup led to a seven year affair with Giancarlo being flown around the world, paid hundreds of thousands of dollars and invited to events with leading political figures.

Ultimately the affair would become public and lead to the downfall of Jerry Falwell Jr,

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction.  A story where one of the most powerful members of the Christian Right is brought down because he liked to watch his wife have sex with a “pool boy” would be laughed at as too cliché.  Yet that is what happened.

How stupid do you have to be to do the things that Jerry Falwell and his wife did?  Very. I think the only thing that would measure higher than their stupidity was their ability to live as hypocrites.

God Forbid is interesting and well done.  At times It almost has a “Godfather” like feel with they way powerful people trade “favors” to get things done.

God Forbid earns 5 of 5 stars.

“X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes” (1963) starring Ray Milland / Z-View

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X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes (1963)

Director: Roger Corman

Screenplay:  Robert Dillon, Ray Russell from a story by Ray Russell

Stars: Ray Milland, Diana Van der Vlis, Harold J. Stone, John Hoyt, Don Rickles and Dick Miller

Tagline: Suddenly he could see through clothes, flesh… and walls!

The Plot…

Dr. James Xavier (Milland) has invented drops that he believes will allow users to see different spectrums of light.  Despite the risk, Xavier tests them on himself… and they work.  Maybe too well.  At first he can see what an x-ray would show, but over time his vision increases to more than he can comprehend.  After accidentally killing a friend, Xavier goes on the run.  As Xavier’s grip on sanity fades the police close in.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes is one of Roger Corman’s most popular movies.  Ray Milland is fine as a scientist so driven he’ll risk his life to test his invention.  Don Rickles plays it straight as a shady carny who sees money in exploiting Milland’s abilities.  Dick Miller, a Corman regular, shows up as a sideshow heckler.

I’d have liked X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes better if…

*,,,there had been a stronger focus on him losing his mind because he can’t comprehend what he sees

…and if there had been more consistency in his powers.  Some of the abilities he displayed had nothing to do with vision and ventured more into mind-reading.

Most folks like X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes more than I did; your mileage may vary.

X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes earns 2 of 5 stars.

“Assassin” (1986) starring Robert Conrad / Z-View

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Assassin (1986)

Director: Sandor Stern

Screenplay:  Sandor Stern

Stars: Robert Conrad, Karen Austin, Richard Young, Jonathan Banks, Robert Webber and Bob Hoy 

Tagline: Stanton Thought He Had Fought His Final Mission … Think Again!

The Plot…

Henry Stanton (Conrad) is a retired government agent, called back into service to kill a robot assassin!  The robot looks human, but is nearly indestructible.  Time is running out as the robot has a kill list and top government officials are on it!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Assassin has the feel of an 1980s tv movie made to cash in on the popularity of The Terminator.  Probably because it was just that.  I loved Robert Conrad in The Wild, Wild West.  Unfortunately Robert Conrad’s character here has none of the charm or action hero charisma of James West.  Jonathon Banks doesn’t get much to do, but it’s cool seeing him pre-Wiseguy and decades before Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul.

See the photo below of Robert Conrad?  He’s looking for something else to watch.  I should have as well.  Your mileage may vary.

Assassin earns 2 of 5 stars.

RIP: Brad William Henke

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Brad William Henke, the professional football player turned actor died on November 29, 2022 at the age of 56. No cause of death was given.

.Mr. Henke played for the Denver Broncos from 1989 – 1994 when he retired due to repeated injuries.  Brad Henke then decided to give acting a try.  His first roles were in commercials which led to roles on television and in feature films.

Some of Brad Henke’s television appearances include: Chicago Hope; Nash Bridges; ER; The Pretender; CSI: Crime Scene Investigation; Dexter (4 episodes); October Road (19 episodes); Law & Order; Life on Mars; CSI: Miami; Lost (6 episodes); Criminal Minds; Justified (7 episodes); The Office; Longmire; The Bridge (4 episodes); Hawaii 5-0; Orange is the New Black (26 episodes); The Stand (6 episodes) and Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.

Some of Brad Henke’s feature film appearances include: The Fan; Space Jam; Star Trek (2009); Pacific Rim; Fury; Split and Arkansas.

Brad Henke successfully transitioned from pro football to an acting career.  He always made an imposing presence and he appeared in many television shows and movies that I enjoyed.  It’s sad that Mr. Henke died at such a young age, but what a life he led!

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Brad William Henke’s family, friends and fans.

“Dutiful but Dumb” starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Dutiful but Dumb (1941)

Director:  Del Lord

Screenplay:  Elwood Ullman

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard, Bruce Bennett, Chester Conklin, Vernon Dent and Bud Jamison 

Tagline:  None.

The Plot…

Larry, Curly and Moe are photographers who are sent to Vulgaria.  Their boss knows that photography in Vulgaria is punishable by death!  When the Stooges arrive they begin taking photographs of soldiers in a firing squad about to execute a photographer.  What could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Every scene in Dutiful but Dumb is full of gags with very few relying on Moe abusing Larry and Curly.  Highlights include: Moe wearing a long coat while riding on Larry’s shoulders to appear as an extremely tall man, Curly popping up to get a movie star’s photo, Moe disguised as a lamp, Curly hiding in a huge radio and “voicing” all the channels, and the classic bit of Curly attempting to eat a bowl of fresh clam soup.

We get to hear Curly’s real voice when he acts as an announcer while hiding in the radio.  Curly’s scene with the clam soup required several takes because the crew was laughing so much, Curly would begin to laugh as well. The clam soup gag was so popular that Lou Costello performed it in Here Come the Co-Eds (1945),  Moe presented it  Shivering Sherlocks (1948), and Larry took on Lobsters in 1954’s Tax Sappy.

Dutiful but Dumb earns 5 of 5 stars.