Category: Celebs

RIP: Paul Sorvino

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Paul Sorvino died yesterday at the age of 83.  No cause of death was given.

Paul Sorvino began his career acting on the stage.  He appeared in his first feature film in 1970 and his first television role took place a year later.  His talent was such that he was never out of work and alternated between stage, television and feature films for the rest of his career.

Feature films that were graced by Paul Sorvino include: The Panic in Needle Park, The Day of the Dolphin, The Gambler, Oh God!, Bloodbrothers, Reds, I the Jury, Dick Tracy, Goodfellas, The Rocketeer, The Firm and Nixon.

Television appearances include: We’ll Get By (13 episodes), The Streets of San Francisco,  Bert D’Angelo/Superstar (11 episodes), Moonlighting, The Oldest Rookie (14 episodes), Murder She Wrote, Law & Order (31 episodes), Star Trek: The Next Generation, That Championship Season (also directed), That’s Life (36 episodes), Still Standing (4 episodes), The Goldbergs, Bad Blood (6 episodes) and Godfather of Harlem (11 episodes).

When most folks think of Paul Sorvino his roles in Goodfellas or The Rocketeer most often come to mind.  For me, it’s his role as ‘Chubby’ De Coco in Bloodbrothers.  There’s a scene where Richard Gere is trapped in an apartment and guys are waiting to beat him up.  Gere calls his brother (Sorvino) who comes over charging up the stairs yelling that he hasn’t killed anyone since the war.  The guys waiting for Gere are scared off.  The scene cracked me up and made me take notice of Mr. Sorvino.  I was always happy to see his name show up in the credits of anything I was getting ready to watch.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Paul Sorvino’s family, friends and fans.

Killer Joe (2011) Starring Matthew McConaughey / Z-View

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Killer Joe (2011)

Director:  William Friedkin

Screenplay by:  Tracy Letts (based on his play of the same name)

Starring:  Matthew McConaughey, Emile Hirsch, Juno Temple, Thomas Haden Church, Gina Gershon and Marc Macaulay

Tagline: A totally twisted deep-fried Texas redneck trailer park murder story.

The Overview:  Beware of spoilers…

Chris Smith (Hirsch) is debt to Digger Soames (Macaulay) to the tune of $6 grand.  If Chris doesn’t raise the cash soon, he’s a dead man.  Then Chris gets the idea to have his mother killed for her life insurance.  Chris talks to his dad, Angel (Church), who quickly comes on board. He has no love for is ex-wife, but plenty of love for the idea of quick cash.  Likewise, Angel’s wife (Gershon) is in.  The tough sell is going to be Dottie (Temple), Chris’ sister.  They’re right, it takes about a minute for Dottie to like the idea.

Chris and Angel know of a hitman called Killer Joe (McConaughey).  Killer Joe agrees to the hit, for $25,000 paid up front.  When Chris and Angel can’t come up with the money, Killer Joe agrees to keep Dottie as a retainer.  As the time for the hit gets closer, Joe’s relationship with Dottie takes a turn.  Chris begins to have doubts about the plan, but it’s too late… too late for a lot of folks.

Killer Joe is a surprisingly dark, violent, funny (at times) tale of murder for hire. It is well written, well cast and well directed.  Thomas Haden Church plays the stupidest man in one of the stupidest families I’ve ever seen.  I like the twist in regard to who started the idea of the hitman murder.  With that said, I’m rating Killer Joe just 2 of 5 stars.  There’s a scene involving Angel’s wife, a fried chicken leg and Killer Joe that goes way over the line.  Killer Joe was released with an NC-17 rating for “graphic disturbing content involving violence and sexuality, and a scene of brutality.”  This is a movie that divides audiences.  I can see why people would really like it, and also why people would be turned off to it.  That’s not a bad thing, just be aware that your mileage may vary.

Killer Joe rates 2 of 5 stars.

RIP: David Warner

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David Warner died yesterday from a cancer-related illness.  He was 80.

David Warner was an actor who worked on the stage, television and in feature films.

Some of David Warner’s television appearances include: Holocaust, Hart to Hart, A Christmas Carol, Frankenstein, Murder She Wrote, Twin Peaks, Star Trek: The Next Generation, The Larry Sanders Show, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Babylon 5 and The Alienist.

Features films on Mr. Warner’s resume include: Tom Jones. The Ballad of Cable Hogue, Straw Dogs, The Omen, Cross of Iron, Time After Time, The Island, Time Bandits, Tron, The Man with Two Brains, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, In the Mouth of Madness and Titanic.

When I think of David Warner, I think first of his role in Time After Time.  His played his role as Jack the Ripper perfectly,  Of course, David Warner was an actor that could play any role to perfection whether it was heroic, villainous, serious or comedic.  I always knew that he would make a show or movie better.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to David Warner’s family, friends and fans.

RIP: Bob Rafelson

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Bob Rafelson died yesterday at the age of 89 from lung cancer.

Mr. Rafelson was best known as a writer, director and producer.  Mr. Rafelson began his career in 1959 as a story editor on the tv series Play of the Week.  In 1962, Bob Rafelson began working as an associate producer for various movie and television production companies.  In 1965, Mr. Rafelson became friends with producer Bert Schneider and they formed Raybert Productions.  The first show that they sold was The Monkees!

The Monkees became an instant hit selling millions of records and won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series!  Mr. Rafelson wrote, directed and produced many episodes of the series.  When the show ended, Bob Rafelson wanted to make a feature film with the group.  Mr. Rafelson and his friend, Jack Nicholson, co-wrote Head which starred The Monkees with appearances from Victor Mature, Teri Garr, Annette Funicello, Frank Zappa, Sonny Liston, Ray Nitschke, and Dennis Hopper.

Bob Rafelson’s next project was to produce Easy Rider starring Jack Nicholson and Dennis Hopper.  Mr. Rafelson followed that by producing and directing Five Easy Pieces. Bob Rafelson would go on to produce and direct for the remainder of his career.  Some of the films Bob Rafelson directed include: The King of Marvin Gardens, Stay Hungry, The Postman Always Rings Twice and Black Widow.

I was a huge Monkee fan and although I didn’t know it at the time, without Bob Rafelson, The Monkees would have never happened.  By all accounts, Bob Rafelson was a man who did what he wanted and was willing to take risks to see things done according to his vision.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Bob Rafelson’s family, friends and fans.

“Bathing Beauty” (1944) Starring Esther Williams & Red Skelton / Z-View

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Bathing Beauty (1944)

Director:   George Sidney

Screenplay by:  Dorothy Kingsley &Allen Boretz and Frank Waldman, adaptation: Joseph Schrank,  based on a story by Kenneth Earl & M.M. Musselman and Curtis Kenyon / uncredited George Oppenheimer

Starring:  Red Skelton, Esther Williams, Basil Rathbone, Jean Porter,  Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra, Lina Romay, Donald Meek and Margaret Dumont

Tagline: M.G.M’s Mammoth Technicolor Musical Spectacle!

The Overview:  Beware of spoilers…

New York producer, George Adams (Rathbone) is afraid that he’s going to lose his number one song writer, when Steve Elliott (Skelton) marries Caroline Brooks (Williams).  So Adams hires a woman to show up to the wedding claiming she’s married to Steve.  The woman brings three red headed boys as proof!  The ruse works even though Steve and Caroline both said, “I do.”  Caroline runs out saying that she’s getting an annulment.

Caroline returns to the all-girl college where she was a gym teacher.  Using a technicality to enroll in the all-girl college, Steve plans to prove his innocence.

Bathing Beauty was advertised as M.G.M’s Mammoth Technicolor Musical Spectacle and lives up to it’s billing.  The movie is heavy on song & dance broken up by short comedy scenes highlighting Skelton’s clowning ability.  Bathing Beauty is also the film that features one of the most copied water dance numbers. It’s the one with dozens of bathing beauties doing a side dive into the pool as the camera glides past.  Ester Williams is easy on the eyes (so is Jean Porter) and Red Skelton is just plain likeable.   If you’re looking for light hearted fun, you could do a lot worse than Bathing Beauty which rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Breaking” Starring John Boyega & Michael K. Williams – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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I like the poster and trailer for Breaking.  Deal me in.

When Marine Veteran Brian Brown-Easley is denied support from Veterans Affairs, financially desperate and running out of options, he takes a bank and several of its employees’ hostage, setting the stage for a tense confrontation with the police. Based on the true story.

“Brimstone” (2016) Starring Guy Pearce & Dakota Fanning / Z-View

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Brimstone (2016)

Director:   Martin Koolhoven

Screenplay by:  Martin Koolhoven

Starring:  Guy Pearce, Dakota Fanning, Emilia Jones and Kit Harington

Tagline:  Retribution is coming

The Overview:  Beware of spoilers…

Brimstone is the story of Liz (Fanning), the Reverend (Pearce) and their twisted relationship.  The story is told out of order, so when we first see Liz, she is a young married woman.  The Reverend shows up to the wilderness town where she lives and we quickly learn that he means to harm Liz and her family.  As the story unfolds we learn that their relationship goes back to Liz’s childhood and no matter where she runs, the Reverend finds her.

I wanted to like Brimstone.  It has an interesting premise.  I’m a fan of Guy Pearce, Dakota Fanning, Kit Harrington and westerns.  The set up for Brimstone leaves the audience with many questions and as the story unfolds most are answered.  What turned me off was the slow pace, excessive and redundant violence and an ending that left me wishing I’d checked out before the nearly 2 and a half hour run time.

Guy Pearce is an excellent actor and he convincingly plays one of the most despicable characters you can imagine.  Dakota Fanning is Pearce’s equal as far as acting goes, and perhaps it is their talents that kept me watching.  Kit Harrington takes some getting used to with his southern accent, but he isn’t in the film for much more than a glorified cameo.  The film is divided into four parts 1) Revelation 2) Exodus 3) Genesis 4) Retribution and loses me in the last section.  I was having doubts about the film before, but it is when Liz pulls a Riddick in Pitch Black move to escape being tied to a post that I realized my doubts were well founded.

Throughout the movie we believe that the Reverend is out to get retribution.  My interpretation of the ending is that despite it being a downer, Liz is the one to get poetic justice.  If that’s the case the ending just doesn’t work for me.  Everyone but one person in Liz’s life is murdered and Liz commits suicide.  Plus there’s the whole question if the Reverend is a real person or something else.

I wish I liked Brimstone more but I also realize it just wasn’t for me.  For that reason Brimstone gets 1 of 5 stars.

“The Postman Always Rings Twice” (1981) Starring Jack Nicolson & Jessica Lange / Z-View

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The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981)

Director:   Bob Rafelson

Screenplay by:  David Mamet based on the James M. Cain novel The Postman Always Rings Twice

Starring:  Jack Nicholson, Jessica Lange, John Colicos, Michael Lerner, John P. Ryan and Anjelica Huston

Tagline:  In the heat of passion two things can happen. The second is murder.

The Overview:  Beware of spoilers…

Frank Chambers (Nicholson) is a drifter who plans to scam a meal from a roadside diner and move on.  When the diner’s owner, Nick Papadakis (Colicos), offers Chambers a job, he declines… then he catches a look at Papadakis’ young wife (Lange).  Chambers takes the job,

Soon he and young Mrs. Papadakis are involved in a low-rent romance.  As things heat up, their thoughts turn to cold-blooded murder.  With Mr. Papadakis permanently out of the way, they’ll have each other and the diner to themselves.  They think they’ll be on the way to easy street, but depending on how things turn out it could be the electric chair!

This film is the fourth version of James M. Cain’s The Postman Always Rings Twice.  It was David Mamet’s first produced screenplay and had Jack Nicholson and Jessica Lange in the lead roles.  My expectations were high.  Sadly, I was disappointed.  The advertisements for the film boasted of the heat between Nicholson and Lange.  I didn’t feel it.  Chambers and Papadakis’ wife need to be so in love (or at least in lust) that they’re willing to risk everything.  I had the feeling that either of them could have moved on without a glance back.  The love scenes weren’t loving or even sexy.

I’m a huge fan of the 1946 movie version starring Lana Turner and John Garfield which I thought was a 5 star film.  This could have influenced my feelings toward the remake which earns 2 of 5 stars.

The Spoilers (1942) Starring Marlene Dietrich, Randolph Scott & John Wayne / Z-View

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The Spoilers (1942)

Director:  Ray Enright

Screenplay by:  Lawrence Hazard, Tom Reed based on  The Spoilers novel by Rex Beach

Starring:  Marlene Dietrich, Randolph Scott, John Wayne, Margaret Lindsay and Harry Carey

Tagline: BOLD WOMEN! BRAWNY MEN! Living…loving in the Hot-spot of the Frozen North!

The Overview:  Beware of spoilers…

Roy Glennister (Wayne) and his partner, Al Dextry (Carey) are goldminers in a partnership with saloon owner, Cherry Malotte (Dietrich).  The trio’s goldmine has a rich vein and they found it.  Things are looking good until the new gold commissioner, Alex McNamara (Scott) arrives.  McNamara is claim-jumping mines that are paying off! He’s doing it “legally” with the backing of a crooked judge that he secretly has in his pocket.  In addition, to Glennister’s mine, McNamara has his eyes on Glennister’s woman, Cherry Malotte!  The tension mounts as it becomes obvious there is only one way this will end…

I was surprised at the innuendo in dialogue and actions of Dietrich, Wayne and Scott.  There is a whole other level to this film that you usually don’t see in westerns of the 1940s.  Wayne’s character is a player!  I loved Randolph Scott as the bad guy!  There is chemistry between the Dietrich, Wayne and Scott that adds to the believability of the film.  The climatic fight between Wayne and Scott lives up to it’s reputation.  The Spoilers is a fun ride and rates 4 of 5 stars.

Dead Man (1995) / Z-View

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Dead Man (1995)

Director:  Jim Jarmusch

Screenplay by:  Jim Jarmusch

Starring:  Johnny Depp, Gary Farmer, Crispin Glover, Lance Henriksen, Michael Wincott, Eugene Byrd, John Hurt, Robert Mitchum, Iggy Pop, Gabriel Byrne, Mili Avital  and Billy Bob Thornton

Tagline:  Sometimes it is preferable not to travel with a dead man.

The Overview:  Beware of spoilers…

William Blake (Depp), a mild-mannered accountant, travels by train to a small town on the edge of the frontier.  There he meets a prostitute named Thel (Avital) who takes him home.  The next morning Thel’s ex-boyfriend, Charlie (Byrne) confronts Blake and Thel while they’re still in bed.  Charlie shoots at Blake.  The bullet hits (and kills) Thel and then strikes Blake in the chest when the bullet passes through her.  Blake picks up Thel’s gun and kills Charlie.  Blake then hightails it out of town.

Although he escaped into the wilderness, Blake’s chest wound is serious.  He passes out.  When he comes to he is surprised to find a huge Native American named Nobody (Farmer) standing over him.  Nobody says that the bullet is too close to his heart to be removed.  Blake is a walking dead man.  Nobody says he will help Blake prepare for his journey back to the spiritual world.  Along the way Blake has run-ins with many unusual characters including the three notorious killers hired by Charlie’s dad (Mitchum) to avenge his son’s murder.

Jim Jarmusch brought together an all-star cast to tell a strange, almost mesmerizing tale,  Dead Man was shot in black and white, with fadeouts after each scene enhanced by an improvised Neil Young soundtrack.  Truth be told, I started to watch Dead Man years ago and couldn’t get into it.  This time, I loved every minute.  Dead Man earns 4 of 5 stars.

“Paradise Highway” Starring Juliette Binoche, Morgan Freeman & Frank Grillo – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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The poster and trailer for Paradise Highway are here.  I like the looks of this one.

Academy Award® winners Juliette Binoche and Morgan Freeman lead this riveting thriller set in the trucking industry and its seamy underbelly of human trafficking. To save the life of her brother (Frank Grillo), Sally (Binoche), a truck driver, reluctantly agrees to smuggle illicit cargo: a girl named Leila (Hala Finley). As Sally and Leila begin a danger-fraught journey across state lines, a dogged FBI operative (Freeman) sets out on their trail, determined to do whatever it takes to terminate a human-trafficking operation — and bring Sally and Leila to safety.

“What Joshua Saw” Starring Robert Patrick & Nick Stahl – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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The poster and trailer for What Joshua Saw do what they should do… make me want to know more!

A family with buried secrets reunite at a farmhouse after two decades to pay for their past sins. Starring Robert Patrick, Nick Stahl, Scott Haze, Kelli Garner, with Jake Weber and Tony Hale. Directed by Vincent Grashaw.

“Day Shift” Starring Jamie Foxx – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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I like the poster and the trailer for Day Shift looks like fun.  Deal me in.

Jamie Foxx stars as a hard working blue collar dad who just wants to provide a good life for his quick-witted daughter, but his mundane San Fernando Valley pool cleaning job is a front for his real source of income, hunting and killing vampires as part of an international Union of vampire hunters. #DayShift #Netflix

RELEASE DATE: August 12th on Netflix

CAST: James Franco, Snoop Dogg, Dave Franco