Sly Stallone & NWA Champ Harley Race in 1978!
Here’s a vintage photo of Harley Race, the NWA Wrestling Champion at the time, and Sly Stallone taken in 1978. I wonder if Sly was scouting wrestlers for Paradise Alley?
Source: The Mid-Atlantic Gateway.
Category: Celebs
“Fatty’s New Role” (1915) / Z-View
Fatty’s New Role (1915)
Director: Roscoe ‘Fatty’ Arbuckle
Screenplay:
Starring: Roscoe ‘Fatty’ Arbuckle
Tagline: None
The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…
Fatty (Arbuckle) is a hobo who gets thrown out of a bar for trying to mooch some hooch. Some of the regulars at the bar decide to play a joke on the bar’s owner and they convince him that Fatty is a mad bomber who will be back to blow up the bar. What sounds like a potentially great set-up falls short of greatness.
Fatty’s New Role rates 2 of 5 stars.
RIP: Ken Kelly
Ken Kelly died yesterday at the age of 76. No cause of death was reported.
After serving four years in the marines, Ken Kelly decided on a career in art. He studied under his uncle, the legendary artist Frank Frazetta. Ken Kelly’s first professional assignment was for Warren’s Vampirella magazine. That assignment led to Mr. Kelly becoming one of Warren’s most popular and used artists. Soon other magazine and book publishers were seeking out Ken Kelly to produce covers for them. His art was especially suited to science fiction, horror and heroic fantasy.
Then in 1975, Mr.. Kelly was commissioned to create the cover for Kiss’ Destroyer album. The popularity of the Destroyer cover opened up new opportunities. Soon Ken Kelly’s art was in demand for more album covers, games, calendars, book & magazine covers and books solely dedicated to his art.
I’ve always enjoyed Ken Kelly’s artwork. My favorites were his barbarian paintings. He made warriors that didn’t look like they’d just come out of the gym, but had instead spent time on the battlefield.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Ken Kelly’s family, friends and fans.
“Fatty’s Chance Acquaintance” (1915) / Z-View
Fatty’s Chance Acquaintance (1915)
Director: Roscoe ‘Fatty’ Arbuckle
Screenplay: Mack Sennet
Starring: Roscoe ‘Fatty’ Arbuckle
Tagline: None
The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…
Fatty (Arbuckle) and his wife meet another couple while walking in the park. They strike up a conversation not realizing that the man they just met is a thief… until he steals Fatty’s wife’s purse! Then it is the usual hijinks with the thief on the run from a cop and Fatty using his cane to get at the other woman’s purse.
I’m a Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle fan. Fatty Chance Acquaintance earns 4 of 5 stars.
RIP: Isidoro Raponi
It is just being reported that Isidoro Raponi died on May 27, 2022, from congestive heart failure. Mr. Raponi was 76 years old.
While Isidoro Raponi’s name may not be familiar, his movie work surely is. Mr. Raponi was a mechanical effects expert for movies. In addition to helping design, build and operate E.T. for Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Mr. Raponi’s effects could be seen in King Kong (76), Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Running Man and The Godfather Part III to name a few of the movies he worked on.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Isidoro Raponi’s family, friends and fans.
George Perez and Svengoolie – The Fan Connection!
The photo above is of George Perez (in the middle), George’s wife Carol, and Svengoolie. If you don’t know who George Perez is, either do a search on my site or Google him. I’ll wait.
Ok, now that we’re on the same page with the late George Perez, one of the most popular artists to ever draw a comic, let’s talk Svengoolie.
Svengoolie is a host of horror movies. He’s been doing this gig for over 40 years. For the last decade or so, Svengoolie’s show has been on Me-TV every Saturday at 8pm. It’s a weekly ritual for many horror movie fans who Tweet along.
As it turns out, George Perez was a Svengoolie fan, and Svengoolie was a George Perez fan! George and/or his art had appeared on Svengoolie’s shows. When George passed, Svengoolie paid tribute on his next episode. Which brings us to the art below. Svengoolie says George…
… once asked me about who some of my favorite superheroes were — and surprised me by sending a fantastic book about his artwork — in which he had actually drawn, on the inside cover, Batman and Captain America discovering a familiar artifact of our set! It is a cherished reminder tome of a friend who was not only a great artist, but a really good and generous man.
Svengoolie shared this in his latest newsletter. You can learn about Svengoolie, his upcoming shows and more here.
“Old” (2021) / Z-View
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
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
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!
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
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.
“Enter the Dragon” Print by Peter Panayis
Peter Panayis gives Enter the Dragon a worthy alt poster treatment! Evil Eye Art has it as a print if you’d like a copy for that blank space on your wall!
“Dr. Phibes Rises Again” (1972) / Z-View
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!
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
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.
