Previews and Reviews that are Z's Views
(Art above by Dan McDaid)
Fans of the movie Highlander will probably want to check out the new series from IDW. Written by novelist Brian Ruckley and art by Andrea Mutti (who did the art below) the series will premiere in 2017.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter.
Executive Action (1973)
Director: David Miller
Screenplay: Dalton Trumbo from a story by Donald Freed and Mark Lane
Stars: Burt Lancaster, Robert Ryan, Will Geer, Ed Lautner and Dick Miller.
The Pitch: “Hey, let’s make a movie on the Kennedy assassination.”
Tagline: Their Goal…Assassination. November 22, 1963…Accomplished!
The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…
Think Oliver Stone’s JFK only not as stylish.
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If you’re a fan of fanzines, then you’ve got to check out Ken Meyer, Jr.’s monthly column Ink Stains. Each month Ken (who is an amazing artist) posts… well, let’s let Ken explain…
I have a collection of over 200 fanzines from the 60’s-80’s that I plan to scan and talk about, one at a time. I hope to have some of the participants answer a few questions. Many of those participants are established comics professionals now, while some have gone on to other things. I will show a few snippets from each zine and give you a link to download a pdf of the whole thing, which I hope all of you will do!
For Ink Stains 5, Ken took a look at CPL #12 from 1975 published by Robert Layton (who later went on to fame as comic book artist, writer and publisher) and edited by Roger Stern (who became a popular comic book writer).
CPL #12 features a beautiful [NSFW] cover by Paul Gulacy, a front piece by Syd Shores, an interview and art from Mike Vosburg, full page pieces from John Byrne and Dennis Fujitake, a humorous centerspread by Herb Trimpe of the Hulk, Steven Grant [who also went on to fame as a writer] comic reviews, a profile of Darkseid by John Byrne and more.
This is the first fanzine that Ken profiled that I actually owned. Ah, the memories of the glory days of fanzines. Thanks to Ken Meyer, Jr. for making these available!
Borderland (2007) / Z-View
Director: Zev Berman
Screenplay: Eric Poppen and Zev Berman
Stars: Brian Presley, Jake Muxworthy and Rider Strong
The Pitch: “Hey, let’s make a scary movie”
Tagline: Inspired by a true story.
The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…
Three college students head south of the border for a weekend of fun and end up on the wrong side of a Satanic drug-dealing cult.
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Today artist Tom Whalen takes us inside the world of creating and collecting alternative movie posters.
House on Haunted Hill (1959)
Director: William Castle
Screenplay: Robb White
Stars: Vincent Price, Carol Ohmart, Richard Long and Elisha Cook, Jr.
The Pitch: “Hey, let’s make a scary movie”
Tagline: First Film With the Amazing New Wonder EMERGO: The Thrills Fly Right Into The Audience!
The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…
Fredrick Loren [Price] offers five people $10,000 to stay the night in a mansion that legend has is haunted. Despite their fears and needing the money, they group is locked in with no way out except death…
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Michael Golden has four Dr. Strange pieces of art showcased at The Bristol Board… and there’s not a good one in the bunch… they’re all great!
The Haunting (1963)
Director: Robert Wise
Screenplay: Nelson Gidding based on Shirley Jackson‘s novel The Haunting of Hill House
Stars: Julie Harris, Claire Bloom, Richard Johnson and Russ Tamblyn.
The Pitch: “Hey, let’s The Haunting of Hill House!”
Tagline: You may not believe in ghosts but you cannot deny terror!
The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…
Dr. Markway [Johnson] and three companions in an effort to prove the existence of ghosts go to Hill House – a remote mansion with a long history of violent deaths.
The Haunting has beautiful cinematography and director Robert Wise builds the tension and terror. While there are a couple of great scares the movie relies on pace and an increasing sense of doom to ramp up the fear factor. They don’t make them like this any more.
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John Byrne probably isn’t one of the first names that comes to mind when you hear the words: Conan artist. But John Byrne created the piece above which appeared in The Savage Sword of Conan #9.
I’d have never seen it had it not been for the fine folks at Diversions of the Groovy Kind and their post of three John Byrne drawings from Savage Sword of Conan.
He Ran All the Way (1951)
Director: John Berry
Screenplay: Dalton Trumbo and Hugo Butler based on the novel by Sam Ross
Stars: John Garfield, Shelley Winters and Wallace Ford.
The Pitch: “Hey, let’s make a crime romance movie!”
Tagline: DYNAMITE hits the screen with their kind of love!
The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…
Nick Robey [Garfield] is a dumb, weak-willed middle-aged man living with his abusive, alcoholic mother. Nick reluctantly joins in on a payroll heist that goes bad. Nick’s partner and a cop are killed but Nick gets away with the cash.
Nick hides out at a swimming pool and meets Peg Dobbs [Winters]. She’s as stupid as Nick so you know she’s going to fall for him. Nick walks her home and before long he’s hiding out in the family apartment. The police are closing in and Nick’s not sure Peg really loves him. What’s a fella to do?
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Diversions of the Groovy Kind is a regular stop on my daily website visits. This time out they’re featuring a Tony DeZuniga Conan portfolio that originally appeared in The Savage Sword of Conan #56 from July, 1980!
Spy Chasers (1955)
Director: Edward Bernds
Screenplay: Jerome S. Gottler and Bert Lawrence
Stars: Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall, Bernard Gorcey and Leon Askin.
The Pitch: “Hey, what if the Bowery Boys found a magic lamp?”
Tagline: They’re in the Underground with a Beautiful Spy!… in a laffdaffy riot of cloak-and-dagger adventure!
The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…
The Bowery Boys are recruited to help an European King regain his throne.
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Michael Edward Taylor and ScreenRant present The 15 Most Groundbreaking Covers of All Time.
There are some excellent choices in there — Steranko’s Nick Fury [of course], the Iron Man alcohol cover, Neal Adams’ Green Lantern/Green Arrow drug abuse cover, even Shatter Special #1 with the first comic cover entirely created digitally. Limiting the choices to just 15 makes it tough… otherwise we might have seen…
Sicario (2015)
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Screenplay: Taylor Sheridan
Stars: Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin, Benicio Del Toro, Victor Garber, Jon Bernthal, Jeffrey Donovan, Raoul Max Trujillo, Julio Cesar Cedillo, Kevin Wiggins, Edgar Arreola, Dylan Kenin, John Trejo and Daniel Kaluuya
Tagline: The border is just another line to cross.
The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…
Kate Macer is an FBI agent recruited to join a US task force fighting the war on drugs along the Mexican border. After joining Kate learns things aren’t as they seem and lines are being crossed that bring into question her ethics and place her life in danger.
Thoughts…
Sicario was nominated for three 2016 Academy Awards…
Sicario is one of the best movies I’ve seen in years. Taylor Sheridan creates a smart screenplay with action, drama and a story that sticks with you.
Denis Villeneuve’s direction makes every scene interesting. Everything in this movie works – the cinematography, the sound, and the actors are all perfectly cast.
Benicio Del Toro felt that in the original screenplay, his character spoke too much. He approached director, Denis Villeneuve, with his concerns. Villeneuve agreed and estimated that 90% of his dialogue was cut which made his character much more mysterious and interesting.
Villeneuve told the movie’s composer, Jóhann Jóhannsson, that he wanted the score to contain the sound of a “threat” like that found in Jaws. Jóhannsson came through like gangbusters.
Sicario gets my highest recommendation.
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