Category: Celebs

“Old” (2021) / Z-View

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Old (2021)

Director:  M. Night Shyamalan

Screenplay:  M. Night Shyamalan based on the graphic novel Sandcastle by Pierre Oscar Levy and Frederik Peeters

Starring:  Gael García Bernal, Vicky Krieps, Rufus Sewell, Ken Leung, Aaron Pierre and M. Night Shyamalan

Tagline: It’s only a matter of time.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Guy and Prisca Cappa along with their young children, Maddox and Trenton arrive at a luxurious remote island resort.  The next morning the resort manager invites the Capra family to join a select few on a trip to a secluded part of the beach off limits to the general population.  Joining them are Charles, his young wife, their daughter along with Charles’ elderly mother and  another married couple, Jarin and Patricia Carmichael.

The secluded area is surrounded by high rock formations. They are driven to a path that will take them to the beach.  Once on the beach they are surprised that a famous rapper, “Mid-Size Sedan”, is there.  They are shocked to see his girlfriend lying dead in the sand!  There is no cell service so the group is unable to contact the resort. Anyone trying to walk back to the road suffers painful headaches and loses consciousness.  As the group argues about what to do, they notice that the children are suddenly looking much older.  Somehow the beach is aging everyone one year for every thirty minutes!

As the group struggles with the reality of their situation one of them begins to have psychotic episodes endangering everyone.  Will they figure a way off the beach?  Will anyone survive?  Only time will tell.

Old works because of M. Knight Shyamalan’s talents behind the camera.  The story is interesting, but would probably have worked better as a thirty minute episode of The Twilight Zone.  My nit to pick with Old is that it becomes redundant, and although the characters’ bodies age, they should remain at their original age mentally.  This makes some of what happens gross (and I’m not talking about the brittle bones lady).  I do give credit for the explanation of how the characters were chosen for the secluded beach.

Old isn’t a great film or one of M. Night Shyamalan’s best but still rates 3 of 5 stars.

“The Mutations” aka “The Freakmaker” (1974) / Z-View

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The Mutations aka The Freakmaker (1974)

Director:  Jack Cardiff

Screenplay:  Robert D. Weinbach, Edward Mann

Starring: Donald Pleasence, Tom Baker, Brad Harris and Michael Dunn

Tagline:  It’s not nice to fool with Mother Nature…… it can be HORRIFYING! EVEN TO THEM!

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Professor Nolter (Pleasence) believes he is close to a breakthrough.  His goal to create the next stage in human development — a hybrid human/plant!  Nolter gives the results of his failed experiments to a circus sideshow owner who puts them on display.  When students from Professor Nolter’s class start disappearing, it’s time to check to see if the sideshow is getting bigger.

The Mutations would have been the third or fourth feature at a drive-in theater.  Donald Pleasence wanted to play his character “low key”.  If that means without emotion and monotone, he succeeded.  Like many low-budget films of this type made in the early 70s, The Mutations included several topless scenes with women who were in danger,  The producers brought in real sideshow performers to take up some of the slack when no boobies were showing.

Jack Cardiff, the director of The Mutations, was an Oscar nominee for Best Director in 1960, but you’d never guess it from this film.  Mr. Cardiff was better known for his Oscar-worthy Cinematography (3 nominations for Best Cinematography with one win and one Honorary Oscar)!  As a side note, Jack Cardiff was the Director of Photography on Rambo; First Blood, Part II.

The Mutations barely earns a 2 of 5 star rating.

“Fatty Joins the Force” (1913) / Z-View

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Fatty Joins the Force (1913)

Director:  George Nichols

Screenplay:  Mack Sennett

Starring:  Roscoe ‘Fatty’ Arbuckle

Tagline:  None

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Fatty (Arbuckle) is walking in the park with his girlfriend (who has a thing for policemen), when a little girl falls into a pond, Fatty’s girlfriend pushes him in to rescue the child.  The little girl turns out to be the Police Commissioner’s daughter.  The Commissioner is so appreciative, he makes Fatty a police officer.

Once Fatty is on the force, let the good times roll!  Fatty attempts to break up a fight and gets the worst of it.  While catching his breath afterwards, four boys pelt him with food and Fatty gets a pie in the face.  When Fatty strips down to his underclothes and goes into the pond to wash up, the boys cut up Fatty’s clothes.  Fatty comes out and dresses in his cut up duds. When two ladies see Fatty in his strange outfit hiding in the bushes, they think a mad man is loose!  Meanwhile, Fatty’s police coat is found floating in the pond.  His squad thinks he drowned… until two policemen bring in the captured mad man aka Fatty!  Fatty is put behind bars while his girlfriend is consoled by the police chief.

All this take place in 12 minutes with Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle as the star.  That earns Fatty Joins the Force 4 of 5 stars.

“The Man from Toronto” Starring Kevin Hart & Woody Harrelson – the Trailer is Here! 

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The Man from Toronto trailer is here.  Kevin Hart mistaken for the world’s deadliest assassin!  Deal me in.

A case of mistaken identity arises after a screw-up sales consultant and the world’s deadliest assassin—known only as The Man from Toronto— run into each other at a holiday rental. Kevin Hart and Woody Harrelson star in this action packed comedy only on Netflix 6/24.

“Attack!” (1956) / Z-View

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Attack! (1956)

Director:  Robert Aldrich

Screenplay:  James Poe, based on the 1954 play Fragile Fox by Norman Brooks

Starring:  Jack Palance, Lee Marvin, Eddie Albert, Robert Strauss, Richard Jaeckel, Buddy Ebsen  and Strother Martin

Tagline: TRAPPED BEHIND ENEMY LINES…THEY PASSED THE WORD ALONG TO — ATTACK!

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

World War II is rumored to be coming to an end, but the fighting on the front lines is still fierce.  When Lt. Costa (Palance) and a few of his men discover a German machine gun post, they radio Captain Cooney (Albert) and advise him of the situation.  Lt. Costa believes with covering fire, his men can take out the pill box.  Captain Cooney agrees his men will provide the cover needed.

As Lt. Costa’s men approach and begin firing on the Germans, he radios for the protective cover.  Captain Cooney seeing Costa’s men being shot down, freezes and never gives the order for the protective cover fire.  Lt. Costa loses several good men.

When the soldiers return to camp, Lt. Costa reports the incident to Lieutenant Colonel Bartlett (Marvin).  Bartlett is aware of Captain Cooney’s shortcomings as a soldier.  He is also very much aware that Cooney’s dad is a judge with a lot of political sway back home.  Colonel Bartlett has political ambitions after the war. Bartlett flat out tells Costa that he won’t do anything to upset the judge.   Lt. Costa is livid.  He says if Cooney freezes again and any of his men die, he will kill Captain Cooney.  Colonel Bartlett says that their unit is unlikely to see any more action.

Then an order comes down to take back a city fortified by German soldiers with tanks!  Captain Cooney, Lt. Costa and their men head back into battle.  Will Captain Cooney “freeze up” again?  If so will more good soldiers die as a result?  And if that does happen, will Lt. Costa keep his word and kill the Captain?

Directed by Robert (The Dirty Dozen; The Longest Yard; Emperor of the North) Aldrich, Attack doesn’t feel like a 1950s war film. Part of that is due to the great cast they assembled:

  • Eddie Albert plays the cowardly Captain Cooney perfectly.  He’s the disappointing son to a powerful judge.  A wanna be tough guy, who should have never risen to the rank where he leads men into battle.  What makes Albert’s portrayal even more impressive is that he was an actual Bronze Star medal winner in World War II.
  • Jack Palance is the hero of the film and my guess is he enjoyed the change of pace since he was usually cast as a villain.
  • Lee Marvin plays the smug Lt. Colonel who will put his ambitions ahead of his men’s lives.
  • Robert Strauss and Buddy Ebsen provide just the right amount of comedy relief.

Norman Brooks (wrote the play) and James Poe adapted it to create the screenplay.  Attack! has a surprisingly modern take on war.  The screenplay was so controversial that the Defense Dept. refused to provide ANY support for the film!

Attack! is an under-rated film with a great cast, talented directed and surprising story.  It earns a 4 of 5 star rating from me.

“Dr. Phibes Rises Again” (1972) / Z-View

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Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972)

Director:  Robert Fuest

Screenplay:  Robert Fuest, Robert Blees based on characters created by James Whiton and William Goldstein

Starring:  Vincent Price, Robert Quarry, Valli Kemp, Milton Reid, Peter Cushing, Terry-Thomas, Caroline Munro and Gary Owens

Tagline: He lives!

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Three years after the events in The Abominable Dr. Phibes, the moon and planets literally align to bring Dr. Phibes (Price) back from his self-imposed suspended animation.  According to an ancient papyrus that Phibes locked away, there is a secret location in Egypt that contains the River of Life.  This river has special powers that will bring Phibes’ wife back from the dead and provide them with eternal life.

Phibes learns that Darius Biederbeck (Quarry) has stolen the papyrus, so Phibes recruits his mute assistant Vulnavia to help him get it back.  They will kill anyone who gets in their way.  And so they do.  The strange murders get the police involved.  Phibes and Bierderbeck race to Egypt to find the River of Life, with the police in hot pursuit.

Dr. Phibes Rises Again isn’t quite as strange as The Abominable Dr. Phibes, but it’s close.  If you liked the original, you should enjoy this follow-up.  I was disappointed that Darrus Biederbeck’s manservant, Cheng (Reid) was killed so soon, but at least he got to go out in an amusing way.  Dr. Phibes Rises Again is one of those movies where you don’t question what you’re seeing and just go with the flow like you’re on the River of Life.

Dr. Phibes Rises Again rates 2 of 5 stars.

Quentin Tarantino’s CINEMA SPECULATION is coming!

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Quentin Tarantino’s Cinema Speculation is coming and sounds like something many of us will like.  Here’s the lowdown…

The long-awaited first work of nonfiction from the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Once Upon a Time in Hollywood: a deliriously entertaining, wickedly intelligent cinema book as unique and creative as anything by Quentin Tarantino.

In addition to being among the most celebrated of contemporary filmmakers, Quentin Tarantino is possibly the most joyously infectious movie lover alive. For years he has touted in interviews his eventual turn to writing books about films. Now, with Cinema Speculation, the time has come, and the results are everything his passionate fans—and all movie lovers—could have hoped for. Organized around key American films from the 1970s, all of which he first saw as a young moviegoer at the time, this book is as intellectually rigorous and insightful as it is rollicking and entertaining. At once film criticism, film theory, a feat of reporting, and wonderful personal history, it is all written in the singular voice recognizable immediately as QT’s and with the rare perspective about cinema possible only from one of the greatest practitioners of the artform ever.

Cinema Speculation by Quentin Tarantino pre-orders are available now!  (And if you prefer Cinema Speculation by Quentin Tarantino on Kindle)

RIP: Bo Hopkins

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Bo Hopkins died yesterday after suffering a heart attack.  Mr. Hopkins was eighty.

Although he was named William at birth and called Billy as he was growing up, his stage name became Bo when producers of his first off-Broadway play suggested a name change.  Bo was the name of the character he was playing.

Bo Hopkins decided on an acting career after serving in the army.  He began getting parts in local plays, then moved to New York for more stage acting.  Later Mr. Hopkins moved to Hollywood to seek his fame and fortune.  His first roles were guest appearances on television shows.   Then Bo Hopkins got his breakout role in Sam Peckinpah’s The Wild Bunch.  For the remainder of his career Mr. Hopkins alternated between television appearances and feature films.

Some of Bo Hopkins’ television appearances are on: The Virginian, Gunsmoke, The Wild Wild West, The Andy Griffith Show, The Rat Patrol, The Guns of Will Sonnett, Bonanza, Ironside, Nichols, Hawaii Five-O, Barnaby Jones, The Rockford Files (4 episodes), Charlie’s Angels, Fantasy Island, The A-Team, The Fall Guy, Dynasty (18 episodes), Matlock and Murder She Wrote.

Feature Films on Bo Hopkins’ resume include: The Wild Bunch, Monte Walsh, The Getaway, The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing, American Graffiti, White Lightning, The Killer Elite, Midnight Express, More American Graffiti and Shade.

I first time I saw Bo Hopkins was on The Wild, Wild West, but the role that comes to mind when his name is mentioned is in The Wild Bunch.  Bo Hopkins appeared in quite a few television shows throughout his career and many of them were shows I watched.  I quickly came to realize that if Bo Hopkins showed up in the credits, things were about to go down.  Then he began appearing in movies often opposite of the tough guy stars: Lee Marvin, Steve McQueen, Burt Reynolds and James Caan to name a few.  Bo Hopkins made a great adversary.  I also love that Bo Hopkins appeared in Shade with Sly Stallone.  Any time Bo Hopkins name appeared in the credits, I knew we were in for something special.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends and fans.

“A Fistful of Dollars” Trivia!

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Rob Hunter at Film School Rejects came up with 21 Things We Learned from the Fistful of Dollars Commentary.  Before you click over, here are three of my favorites and my thoughts on each…

Eastwood was paid $15,000 for the film with a six-week Spanish “holiday” included. Other actors originally considered for the role, including Charles Bronson, James Coburn, Henry Fonda, and others, all asked for too much money. (I always find it interesting to see who was offered a role compared to who ended up playing it.  Of the three listed, Charles Bronson is my hands-down favorite.  Eastwood is iconic as the Man with No Name, but it would have been interesting to see what Charles Bronson could have done with that role. – Craig)

The opening title credits were designed by Luigi Lardani and based in part on the popular James Bond title credits of the time. (If you watch the opening credits, the 007 title credits influence is clear.  It was a smart idea to use modern title credits for a movie set in the old west.  – Craig)

You know this already, but the film is very directly based on Akira Kurosawa’s Yojimbo (1961). Kurosawa had already acknowledged that his samurai films were in some ways a reworking of traditional Hollywood westerns, but A Fistful of Dollars is a very, very clear remake of Yojimbo — “the trouble was that nobody had cleared the rights.” Kurosawa eventually wrote to Leone after seeing the western and said “I like your film very much, it’s a very interesting film, unfortunately it’s my film not your film.” They settled out of court with the Japanese director going on to earn more from this film than from any of his own releases. (Wow!  I knew that A Fistful of Dollars was a reworking of Yojimbo, but had no idea that Kurosawa’s settlement made him more money than any of his own films!  I also love his quote: “I like your film very much… unfortunately it’s my film not your film.” – Craig)

RIP: Ray Liotta

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Word has come that Ray Liotta died in his sleep at the age of 67.  No cause of death was given.

In 1978, Ray Liotta graduated from the University of Miami with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.  He then moved to New York, and within six months landed a regular role on the soap opera Another World.  Three years later, he left the series and moved to LA where he worked in both movies and television for the rest of his career.

Some of Ray Liotta’s memorable television appearances include: St. Elsewhere, Casablanca, The New Mike Hammer, Frasier, The Rat Pack (tv movie), Family Guy, ER, Texas Rising, The Making of the Mob, Modern Family and Shades of Blue.

Ray Liotta’s most notable feature films include: Something Wild, Field of Dreams, Goodfellas, Unlawful Entry, No Escape, Cop Land, Hannibal, Blow, Narc, John Q, Identity, Control, Revolver, Local Color, Smokin’ Aces, Crossing Over, Killing Them Softly, The Iceman, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For and No Sudden Move.

I first became aware of Ray Liotta in Goodfellas.  Here was this young actor holding his own with DeNiro and Pesci in a Martin Scorsese film!  Who does that almost straight out of the shoot?  Think about this — within six months of graduating college, Ray Liotta had an agent and a regular gig on television.  Then when he went to California, he quickly began getting roles in films and television.  Ray Liotta worked continuously from the very start of his career.  That didn’t happen by accident or luck.  It happened because Ray Liotta was one of the best actors working.

My favorite Ray Liotta role is as Gary Figgis in Cop Land.  Word is Mr. Liotta wanted the starring role as Freddy Heflin.  The director wanted Stallone for the part.  Some actors would have walked away.  Not Ray Liotta, he took the supporting role and turned in one of his all-time best performances.  There are some real heavyweight actors in Cop Land including Robert DeNiro and Harvey Keitel.  Often the performance fans talk about first is Ray Liotta’s.

I love it whenever Ray Liotta turns up in a television show or movie.  He steals any scene he’s in and makes the production better. If you want to see Ray Liotta in a performance that deserves more attention, check out Narc written and directed by Joe Carnahan. In 2021, Ray Liotta co-starred in No Sudden Move (one of my favorite movies of the year) and turned in a masterful performance.  That same year he appeared as two characters in The Many Saints of Newark and once again showcased his acting chops.  Those two appearances made me excited for what the future held for Ray Liotta.  Although he has a few yet to be released appearances coming, Ray Liotta died too young.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Ray Liotta’s family, friends and fans.

“Beast” Starring Idris Elba – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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Above we have the poster and below the trailer for Beast starring Idris Elba.  It’s got to be better than Endangered Species… right?

Director: Baltasar Kormákur
Writers: Ryan Engle
Producers: Will Packer, James Lopez, Baltasar Kormákur
Executive Producers: Jaime Primak Sullivan, Bernard Bellew
Cast: Idris Elba, Sharlto Copley, Iyana Halley, Leah Sava Jeffries

Sometimes the rustle in the bushes actually is a monster.

Idris Elba (Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, The Suicide Squad) stars in a pulse-pounding new thriller about a father and his two teenage daughters who find themselves hunted by a massive rogue lion intent on proving that the savannah has but one apex predator.

Elba plays Dr. Nate Daniels, a recently widowed husband who returns to South Africa, where he first met his wife, on a long-planned trip with their daughters to a game reserve managed by Martin Battles (Sharlto Copley, Russian Doll series, Maleficent), an old family friend and wildlife biologist. But what begins as a journey of healing jolts into a fearsome fight for survival when a lion, a survivor of blood-thirsty poachers who now sees all humans as the enemy, begins stalking them.

Iyana Halley (The Hate U Give, This is Us series) plays Daniels’ 18-year-old daughter, Meredith, and Leah Sava Jeffries (Rel series, Empire series) plays his 13-year-old, Norah.

From visceral, experiential filmmaker Baltasar Kormákur, the director of Everest and Universal Pictures’ 2 Guns and Contraband, Beast is produced by Will Packer, the blockbuster producer of Girls Trip, the Ride Along franchise, and ten movies that have opened No. 1 at the U.S. box office, including Night School, No Good Deed and Think Like a Man, by James Lopez, president of Will Packer Productions, and by Baltasar Kormákur. The film is written by Ryan Engle (Rampage, Non-Stop) from an original story by Jaime Primak Sullivan and is executive produced by Jaime Primak Sullivan and Bernard Bellew.

“Murder at Yellowstone City” Starring Gabriel Byrne, Thomas Jane and Richard Dreyfuss – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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Westerns are making a comeback.  Murder at Yellowstone City starring Gabriel Byrne, Thomas Jane and Richard Dreyfuss has a cool poster and the trailer ain’t bad.

Murder at Yellowstone City is coming to theaters this June 24th!

The once peaceful and booming Yellowstone City has fallen on hard times, but when a local prospector strikes gold, things seem to be turning around. Any hope is soon shattered when the prospector is found dead and the Sheriff quickly arrests a mysterious newcomer. But nothing is so simple in this sleepy western town, and more than a few of the locals have secrets to keep and reasons to kill. As the brutal murders continue, pitting neighbor against neighbor, Yellowstone City goes down a bloody path to a final showdown that not all will survive.

Starring Gabriel Byrne, Thomas Jane, Isaiah Mustafa, Anna Camp, Nat Wolff, and Richard Dreyfuss

Directed by Richard Gray