Category: Celebs

“I’m Charlie Walker” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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Both the poster and the trailer for I’m Charlie Walker has nailed the feel of a 70s blaxploitation flick.  Deal me in.

Mike Colter (Marvel’s Luke Cage) stars as Charlie Walker, an earnest entrepreneur working in the construction and trucking industries in 1971 San Francisco. When two oil tankers collide off of the coast, unleashing millions of gallons of oil and spawning an immense environmental disaster, Charlie gets right to work. First, he lands a lucrative contract to clean the coastline. Then, with only three trucks, Charlie puts his heart and his hands into trying to save the coastline, all while grappling with pervasive racism from the company that hired him. Co starring Dylan Baker (Hunters), Safiya Fredericks (Sorry To Bother You), Mark Leslie Ford (Jamojaya), Monica Barbaro (Top Gun: Maverick), Steven Wiig (Milk), Emma Caulfield Ford (WandaVision), and Carl Lumbly (The Falcon And The Winter Soldier), this riveting true story is a triumph.

“Vendetta” – Standen, Rossi, Tyson, Jane and Willis – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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Vendetta is the definition of a drive-in movie.  It’s a low-budget, genre film with a cast of newcomers with some B and former A-list stars.  I’m a fan of good drive-in movies.  Check out the poster and trailer for Vendetta and tell me what you think.

After the murders of his wife and young daughter at the hands of a ruthless crime family, an ex-marine seeks revenge by picking off members of the gang one by one until he completes his mission, even if it costs him his own life in the process.

Starring Clive Standen, Theo Rossi, with Mike Tyson, Thomas Jane, and Bruce Willis
Directed by: Jared Cohn
Release Date: 5/17/22

“The Wolf of Snow Hollow” (2020) / Z-View

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The Wolf of Snow Hollow (2020)

Director:  Jim Cummings

Writers: Jim Cummings

Starring: Jim Cummings, Riki Lindhome, Robert Forster and Will Madden.

Tagline:  Welcome to Snow Hollow

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Deputy Sheriff John Marshall (Cummings) is a recovering alcoholic.  He’s losing sleep and his nerves are frayed.  His ex-wife wants sole custody of their daughter.  His father’s (Forster) health is failing and he won’t take care of himself.  Complicating their relationship, John’s father is also John’s boss, the Sheriff.  John’s daughter is staying with him and at the teenage rebellious stage.  No wonder John Marshall has anger issues.

What could happen to make things worse, you ask?  I’m glad you did.

When the first victim’s body is found, badly mutilated with parts missing, word gets out that there is a deranged killer living in their small town community.

Then a second mutilated body is found missing parts. The story becomes they have a serial killer in their midst.

Once the third dismembered body is found, rumors circulate that the werewolf is back!  With each new victim, Deputy Sheriff John Marshall feels himself losing it a bit more.  He’s got to find the killer before he kills again.  And everyone knows there’s no such thing as werewolves, right?  Right?

Jim Cummings wrote, directed and stars in The Wolf of Snow Hollow.  I wonder why he made his character so unlikeable.  Robert Forster is always good and his role in The Wolf of Snow Hollow is no exception.  I like the design of the werewolf and there are a couple of cool scenes where we clearly see how huge it is.  There’s a nice (if not unexpected) twist near the end of the film.  Had I liked the main character better, The Wolf of Snow Hollow may have earned more than 3 of 5 stars.

“Blowback” – Be Careful Who You Betray – The Poster and Trailer for this Crime Flick is Here!

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Blowback is a low-budget crime film that looks to have some of my favorite crime tropes.  Glad to see Randy Couture – he’s perfect for crime/tough guy movies.  Deal me in!

After planning a perfect heist, Nick is ready to score. One problem, his girl and the crew, have other ideas. They take Nick down in a hail of bullets but Nick doesn’t die and in a race for his life, seeks revenge one target at a time.

“Medieval” Starring Ben Foster, Michael Caine and Til Schweiger – The Poster and Teaser are Here!

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I like the poster and teaser for Medieval starring Ben Foster, Michael Caine and Til Schweiger.

Inspired by the true story of Jan Žižka, one of the greatest warriors in history. After the death of its reigning emperor, the Holy Roman Empire is plummeting into chaos while feuding brothers King Wenceslas of Czech and King Sigismund of Hungary battled for control of the empty throne. Daring and righteous mercenary leader Jan Zizka (Ben Foster) is hired by Lord Boresh (Michael Caine) to kidnap the powerful Lord Rosenberg’s (Til Schweiger) fiancée, Lady Katherine (Sophie Lowe), to prevent Rosenberg’s rise to power alongside the corrupt King Sigismund.

Jan believes that Kings are the right hand of God and should be respected and obeyed, no matter what. As Katherine becomes caught in a dangerous political game between the monarchs, Jan falls in love with her strong spirit and dedication to saving the people. In a brave attempt to liberate her, he fights back with a rebel army to battle the corruption, greed, and betrayal rampant amongst those clawing for power. Jan now realizes that the fate of the Empire will be decided by his love for Lady Katherine and that his fate doesn’t lie in the hands of Kings, but in the hands of his own people.

Written and directed by Petr Jákl, Medieval opens in theaters on September 9, 2022, and on digital and On Demand on October 31, 2022.

“A Quiet Place Part II”  (2020) / Z-View

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A Quiet Place Part II   (2020)

Director:  John Krasinski

Writers: John Krasinski (screenplay) based on characters by Bryan Woods & Scott Beck

Starring:  Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, Cillian Murphy, John Krasinski, Noah Jupe and Djimon Hounsou.

Tagline:  Silence is Not Enough

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

A Quiet Place Part II begins on day one of the alien invasion.  The aliens are massive creatures with armor-like scales.  Although blind, they are exceedingly fast and strong.  They use their sensitive hearing to locate and kill.  The scenes of the aliens arriving and attacking are worth the price of admission.  The story then picks up where the original film ended.

The Abbotts have been surviving on the family farm since the alien invasion began over a year ago.  Lee Abbott (Krasinski) has been killed by aliens. Lee’s wife, Evelyn (Blunt) is left with her three children, Regan & Marcus as well as a baby. Her oldest, Regan (Simmonds) is deaf.  They accidentally learned that amplified feedback from Regan’s hearing aide disorients the aliens.  While disoriented, the aliens are vulnerable to be destroyed.

With limited supplies, Evelyn and her children leave the farm in hopes of finding other survivors.  Evelyn wants a safe place for her and her children.  Regan wants more.  Regan believes that if she can get to a radio station, she can broadcast how to weaponize sound against the aliens.  Evelyn and Regan both understand the dangers the aliens present… but neither has taken into account that humans can be as dangerous.

A Quiet Place Part II is an excellent follow-up to the original.  I was really happy that in Part II, they take us back to day one of the invasion.  There are terrifying scenes of the aliens attacking.  One scene in particular involves Evelyn escaping an attacking alien and coming head-on with an out of control bus — and then things get worse!

I’m an Emily Blunt fan.  John Krasinski continues to impress both in front and behind the camera.  I didn’t recognize Cillian Murphy at first, but he is a great addition to the cast.  Djimon Hounsou comes in late to the story, but plays a role with heart and does it well.  Millicent Simmonds gets a bigger part this time out, but she is more than up to the task.

A Quiet Place Part II is a worthy  follow-up to the original.  It rates 4 of 5 stars.

“Interceptor” Starring Elsa Pataky – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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I like the look of Interceptor.  It’s like a throwback to an 80s action flick with a female lead.  Elsa Pataky looks believable.  Come June 3rd, I’ll check out Interceptor.

INTERCEPTOR Trailer (2022) Elsa Pataky Action Movie

PLOT: Meet the world’s last defense. One Army captain must use her years of tactical training and military expertise when a simultaneous coordinated attack threatens the remote missile interceptor station she is in command of. Elsa Pataky and Luke Bracey star in INTERCEPTOR, directed by Matthew Reilly.

RELEASE DATE: Watch on Netflix June 3.

CAST: Elsa Pataky, Luke Bracey

“Hotel Artemis” (2018) / Z-View

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Hotel Artemis  (2018)

Director: Drew Pearce

Writers: Drew Pearce

Starring: Jodie Foster, Sofia Boutella, Dave Bautista, Sterling K. Brown, Jeff Goldblum, Brian Tyree Henry and Zachary Quinto.

Tagline: Los Angeles 2028. A secret hospital for criminals with three simple rules: No guns. No cops. No killing the other patients.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

The tagline for Hotel Artemis perfectly sets up the story.  In the near future LA is a war zone.  Riots are raging.  Brothers Sherman (Brown) and Lev (Henry) use the riots to provide cover for their bank robbery.  Things go sideways and Lev is shot.  Cops are killed.  The brothers make a getaway and head for the Hotel Artemis.

The Hotel Artemis would easily fit in the John Wick Universe.  It’s like the Continental, but instead of being a hotel, it is actually a secret hospital for criminals who have membership.  All guests, prior to entry, must give up their weapons and receive a code name.  The Hotel Artemis is run by an older nurse (Foster) who is a stickler for the rules.  She’s assisted by Everest (Bautista) and they make a great team.

When Sherman and Lev arrive, there are two other “guests” at the hotel.  One is there on a secret mission to commit murder.  To complicate matters, Sherman learns that in their heist Lev stole diamonds belonging to  Orian “The Wolf King” Franklin (Goldblum) and he is now in route to the hotel!

I’m surprised that Hotel Artemis didn’t do better at the box office.  The characters are well written, it has a great cast, seems like a natural for the John Wick crowd and has a great mix of action, drama and comedy.  Getting Jodie Foster to play the Nurse was a win.  She’s great.  Sterling K. Brown is also a standout.  I’d love to see him in another action or heist film.  Dave Bautista is perfect as Everest, the nursing assistant who takes his job very seriously.  The camera loves Sofia Boutella (who can blame it?) and she’s believable when the action gets rough.

Hotel Artemis is a movie that I will enjoy revisiting because it’s so much fun.  It easily rates 4 of 5 stars.

RIP: Ron Galella

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Ron Galella, one of the world’s most famous photographers, died on April 30, 2022, as a result of congestive heart failure.  Mr. Galella was 91.

Ron Galella was an Air Force photographer in the early 1950s.  After leaving the Air Force, Mr. Galella received a degree in photojournalism from the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles.  Ron Galella always enjoyed snapping photos of celebrities and would often find a market for those pictures at publications like The National Enquirer or in movie magazines.  As Mr. Galella’s photos became more in demand, he began selling to better publications such as Time, The New York Times, Vogue, Vanity Fair and many, many others.

Ron Galella become one of the first and best known paparazzi.  Mr. Galella’s style was to take candid photos of celebrities by approaching them at very close range.  Often he would hide or surprise the celebrities, catching them off-guard.  Several celebs took exception to Ron Galella’s methods:

  • Jackie Onassis won a restraining order that Mr. Galella couldn’t get within 25 feet of her. (Mrs. Onassis also ordered her bodyguards to smash his camera!)
  • Marlon Brando broke Ron Galella’s jaw and knocked out 5 of his teeth!  Mr. Galella sued and won $40,000.  The next time Mr. Galella approached Marlon Brando for photos,  Galella wore a football helmet!
  • Richard Burton’s bodyguards badly beat Ron Galella.  Mr. Galella unsuccessfully sued Mr. Burton.
  • Ron Galella was spit on and punched (Sean Penn), had his tires slashed (Elvis’ bodyguards), was sprayed with a hose (Bridget Bardot’s security) and more.

The negative publicity created a greater demand for Ron Galella’s photos.  His run-ins with celebrities continually made news.  Remember, these events took place when most celebrity photos were planned shots used to put the celeb in the best light and promote their latest movie, book or show. Ron Galella’s photos were to show celebs in in a light that they couldn’t control.

Ultimately Ron Galella had several books dedicated to his pictures, and his photos have been shown in museums!

Ron Galella became a celebrity because of his photos of celebrities.  He also inspired a generation of photographers in an era where there was no internet or TMZ.   Mr. Galella really leaned into his bad-boy image and it helped make him famous. Still, it is important to remember that if his photos were terrible, none of that other stuff would have mattered.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Ron Galella’s family, friends and fans.

“Wait Until Dark” (1967) / Z-View

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Wait Until Dark (1967)

Director:  Terence Young

Writers:  Robert Carrington (screenplay), Jane-Howard Hammerstein (screenplay), based on the play by Frederick Knott

Starring:  Audrey Hepburn, Alan Arkin, Richard Crenna, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Jack Weston and Samantha Jones.

Tagline:  The blinds moving up and down. . .the squeaking shoes. . .and then the knife whistling past her ear. . .

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Mike Talman (Crenna) and Carlino (Weston) are small-time crooks waiting for their partner, Lisa (Jones).  Instead they are greeted by the very creepy Harry Roat (Arkin).  Roat explains that Lisa secretly passed the heroin she was bringing them to a a man she met on the plane.  The man, Sam Hendrix, wasn’t aware the object he was asked to hold contained heroin.  The unknown object is somewhere in Hendrix’s apartment.  Roat wants to hire Talman and Carlino to help him find the drugs.

Talman and Carlino aren’t interested, until they learn that Roat killed Lisa and has set-up them up to take the fall.  If they help Roat find the drugs, he’ll help them dispose of Lisa’s body and the evidence against them.  Talman and Carlino reluctantly agree.

The plan involves getting into Sam Hendrix’s apartment.  Sam’s blind wife, Susy (Hepburn) will be home alone.  To get in, Talman will play an old friend of Sam’s.  Carlino will play a cop and Roat will play a couple of different roles.  Roat believes that since Susy is blind, conning her will be easy. If it comes to killing her, even easier.  Way too late Talman and Carlino learn that they’ve partnered with a sadistic sociopath.  Even if they find the heroin will Roat kill Susy… and them?

I was fortunate to see Wait Until Dark during its original release.  It made a huge impact on me.  Over the years I’ve watched Wait Until Dark repeatedly and it still holds up. 

If you only know Alan Arkin for his comedies, you’re in for a treat.  Arkin plays one of the creepiest killers ever to show up in a thriller.  Richard Crenna is excellent as the ex-cop turned criminal who still retains a certain sense of decency.  Jack Weston is surprisingly believable as Crenna’s tough crime partner.  This is my favorite Audrey Hepburn film.  She smart, strong and vulnerable.  Credit should also be given to director Terrence Young.  If you only know Young as the director of big-budget 007 films like Thunderball, Dr. No and From Russia with Love, you might be surprised at how well he adapts a play with just five main characters. 

Wait Until Dark is a film I like to share with others.  Most haven’t seen it and end up being surprised at how good Wait Until Dark is.  If you fall into the “haven’t seen it” category, you might want to give it a go.  And don’t blame me if during a couple of scenes you let out a scream.  I still do.

Wait Until Dark earns 5 of 5 stars.        

Rambo by Casey Edwards!

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Casey Edwards did the Rambo drawings above.  You can see larger versions of the drawings by clicking on the pic above.  Better yet swing over to Casey Edwards’ Instagram and check out all of his cool art.  Here’s what he had to say about the pieces…

“Live for nothing or die for something”
Put this on the list of “things I never thought I would draw for any official capacity!”
– art for @roguecompanygame x @rambomovie

*special thanks to Nate Rose and Stu Harrington on painting assists!

Thanks to @officialslystallone for well…everything.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Casey Edwards (@basicnoir)

“Day of the Dead” (1985) / Z-View

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Day of the Dead  (1985)

Director: George A. Romero

Writers:  George A. Romero

Starring: Lori Cardille, Terry Alexander, Joseph Pilato, Sherman Howard and Gary Howard Klar.

Tagline: First there was “Night of the Living Dead” then “Dawn of the Dead” and now the darkest day of horror the world has ever known.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

The zombie apocalypse is well under way.  A small group of soldiers, scientists and civilians have found safety in an underground military bunker.  Isolation and increasing hordes of zombies are wearing on the groups’ nerves/sanity.  When the group learns that one of their scientists has been using soldiers in experiments, the breaking point is reached. The living become as dangerous as the dead.  Will anyone survive?

Day of the Dead was George Romero’s favorite of his “…of the Dead” movies.  I wish I could say the same.  I prefer my zombies as unthinking killing machines.  In Day of the Dead, not only are the zombies learning but one uses a gun!  I also didn’t care for any of the living characters.  Still, it is a Romero zombie film and even if I don’t prefer his vision, I respect it.

Day of the Dead gets 2 of 5 stars.

RIP: Neal Adams

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Neal Adams died yesterday as result of a sepsis infection.  Mr. Adams was 80.

These days the word “legend” is used pretty loosely, but Neal Adams is a true legend in the comic book field.  He is known for both his art and his passion for creator’s rights.  

Neal Adams is best known for his Batman comics with Denny O’Neil and his Green Lantern/Green Arrow run, again with Denny O’Neil.  Often Neal Adams was asked to draw covers for comics that didn’t have his art inside.  A Neal Adams’ cover alone could increase sales.

Neal Adams opened Continuity Studios which took on comic and commercial art assignments.  Neal Adams’ art appeared in magazines, movie posters, book covers and more.

Neal Adams is in the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame (1998), the Harvey Awards’ Jack Kirby Hall of Fame (1999) and the Inkwell Awards Joe Sinnott Hall of Fame (2019).  

Neal Adams’ RIP write-up is one of the toughest I’ve written.  Neal Adams was a huge part of my childhood.  When I think Neal Adams, I think of his take on Batman, Superman and Conan.  I think about the many times I saw Neal Adams at conventions.  He was always smiling.  If I had the talent of Neal Adams, I’d always be smiling too.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Neal Adams’ family, friends and fans.

“Death on the Nile” (2020) / Z-View

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Death on the Nile (2020)

Director:  Kenneth Branagh

Writers:  Michael Green (screenplay) based on the novel by Agatha Christie

Starring: Kenneth Branagh, Tom Bateman, Annette Bening, Russell Brand, Armie Hammer, Gal Gadot, Ali Fazal, Dawn French, Rose Leslie, Emma Mackey, Sophie Okonedo, Jennifer Saunders and Leticia Wright.

Tagline:  The Funk don’t Quit.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Death on the Nile is a throwback film, and it should be since it is based on the Agatha Christie classic novel.  While traveling down the Nile in a huge riverboat, a newlywed bride is murdered.  Who would want to kill her is a mystery.   Other than the boat employees the only people on board are invited members of the wedding party.  Hercule Poirot will sort through the few clues and use his superior powers of deduction to bring the guests together in a locked room and identify the killer!

Branagh is excellent as Hercule Poirot.  He is supported by a wonderful cast.  Standouts include Gal Godot, Emma Mackey, Leticia Wright and Sophie Okonedo.  It’s fun to play along and try to come up with the murderer before Poirot announces him/her.  If you’ve read the book, be aware that there are some changes.  I also enjoyed that Death on the Nile shows Poirot before he became a detective and why he wears such an unusual mustache.

Death on the Nile was a fun trip and rates 3 of 5 stars.

Death on the Nile Blu-ray
Death on the Nile DVD
Death on the Nile 4K
Death on the Nile Prime Video