Category: Celebs

“The Last Duel” / Z-View

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The Last Duel (2021)

Director: Ridley Scott

Screenplay: Nicole Holofcener & Ben Affleck & Matt Damon (based on the book by Eric Jager)

Starring:  Matt Damon, Adam Driver, Jodie Comer and Ben Affleck.

Tagline:  The truth has different versions.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

The Last Duel is the true story of the last trial by combat officially sanctioned by the King of France.  The battle took place on December 29, 1386, between Knight Jean de Carrouges (Damon) and Squire Jacques Le Gris (Driver).  They had been friends who once fought side-by-side. Over the years de Carrouges felt cheated by Le Gris.  He was also jealous of Le Gris’ friendship with Count Pierre d’Alençon (Affleck), a relative of the King.  The duel was a result of de Carrouges’ wife accusing Le Gris of rape.

The Last Duel is told in three parts, each being the truth as seen by Jean de Carrouges, Jacques Le Gris, and Marguerite de Carrouges.  This is an interesting method of story presentation (a la Rashômon), but adds to the length of the tale, which could benefit from being shorter.

The acting is first rate.

This may be Damon’s best performance ever.  His character is a volatile, angry man who feels (and is) slighted by Count Pierre d’Alençon.  I admired de Carrouges’ willingness to sue royalty, confront Le Gris and the Count to support his wife’s accusation… but also know his abrasive personality caused him many problems.

I was surprised by how good Ben Affleck is in his role as the Count.  His performance here was as good as in The Tender Bar!

The Last Duel rates 4 of 5 stars.

RIP: Bob Wall

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Robert “Bob” Wall, martial artist and actor, died yesterday at the age of 82.  No cause of death was reported.

Bob Wall was a 9th degree Black Belt who began his career as co-owner of the Sherman Oaks Karate Studio in California.  When Mr. Wall’s partner decided to sell his interest in the studio, Chuck Norris became co-owner with Wall.

Bob Wall was also an actor best known for his role as O’Harra in Bruce Lee’s classic Enter the Dragon.  Mr. Wall also had roles with Lee in Way of the Dragon and Game of Death.  Bob Wall also appeared in several Chuck Norris movies (Code of Silence, Invasion U.S.A., Firewalker, Hero and the Terror and Sidekicks) as well as Norris’ Walker, Texas Ranger series.

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

Letters / Postcards for George Perez!

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On December 7, 2021, the news broke that legendary artist George Perez had inoperable stage three pancreatic cancer.  Mr. Perez, 67, is known for his amazing art on titles such as The Teen Titans, Crisis on Infinitive Earths, The Avengers and so many more.  George Perez released the following at that time:

“I have Stage 3 Pancreatic Cancer. It is surgically inoperable and my estimated life expectancy is between 6 months to a year. I have been given the option of chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy, but after weighing all the variables and assessing just how much of my remaining days would be eaten up by doctor visits, treatments, hospital stays and dealing with the often stressful and frustrating bureaucracy of the medical system, I’ve opted to just let nature take its course and I will enjoy whatever time I have left as fully as possible with my beautiful wife of 40 years, my family, my friends and my fans.”

Since the announcement, Mr. Perez has posted regular updates on his Facebook page.  George Perez has displayed amazing grace, peace of mind and love of live.  Shelton Drum, owner of the Heroes Aren’t Hard to Find comic store and creator of HeroesCon, is collecting letters/postcards for George Perez that he will personally deliver.  All must be received by February 20th.  If you’d like to participate the address is:

Letters To George Perez
c/o: Heroes Aren’t Hard To Find
PO Box 9181
Charlotte NC 28299

RIP: Howard Hesseman

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Howard Hesseman, actor and comedian, has died at the age of 81 of complications from colon surgery.  Best known for his starring roles on WKRP in Cincinnati and in Head of the Class, Mr. Hesseman has over 150 credits on his acting resume.

Howard Hesseman alternated between roles on television and feature films.  In addition to the tv shows mentioned, some of Mr. Hesseman’s major television appearances included roles on The Andy Griffith Show, Sanford and Son, The Bob Newhart Show, Soap, One Day at a Time, The New WKRP in Cincinnati, That ’70s Show, Boston Legal and Fresh Off the Boat.  Some feature film appearances include: Billy Jack, The Sunshine Boys, Silent Movie, The Jerk, and Heat.

Surprisingly, I never watched WKRP in Cincinnati or Head of the Class.  I still enjoyed seeing Howard Hesseman whenever he appeared in a tv show or movie.  I first saw (and remembered him from) Billy Jack.  Mr. Hesseman always made whatever show or movie he was in funnier.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Howard Hesseman’s family, friends and fans.

The Sunshine Boys (1975) / Z-View

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The Sunshine Boys (1975)

Director:  Herbert Ross

Screenplay:  Neil Simon

Starring:  Walter Matthau, George Burns, Richard Benjamin, F. Murray Abraham and Howard Hesseman.

Tagline: For the price of a movie, you’ll feel like a million!

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

At one time Lewis & Clark, aka The Sunshine Boys, were the Kings of Vaudeville.   Audiences loved their routines and the comedy duo had a long, successful run.  Sadly, when Lewis & Clark broke up, they’d reached the point that neither could stand the other.  They haven’t talked in years.

Now an opportunity to perform together on television has appeared.  Will The Sunshine Boys be able to put aside past differences and catch lightning in a bottle once again?

As I watched The Sunshine Boys I couldn’t help but think how our perception of the elderly has changed.  When Lewis got lost, couldn’t open a door and yelled at people, audiences in 1975 probably thought, “This old guy is quite a character.”  I couldn’t help but think, I wonder if he has onset dementia.

I was expecting more laughs from The Sunshine Boys.  The best scene is when Lewis & Clark first get together to rehearse the routine they’ll perform on tv.  Sadly the rehearsal is funnier than the actual performance.  Also Lewis comes off as a real jerk.  It’s no wonder Clark didn’t want to perform with him any longer.

Still The Sunshine Boys does have it’s moments.  George Burns is a joy and it’s no wonder he won an Oscar for his performance (which was the first movie he’d made in over 30 years)!  The scene of Lewis auditioning for a potato chip commercial is funny.  The interactions of Lewis & Clark are the heart of the movie and I wish we had more of them.

The Sunshine Boys earns 3 of 5 stars.

“Nobody” / Z-View

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Nobody (2021)

Director: Ilya Naishuller

Screenplay: Derek Kolstad

Starring:  Bob Odenkirk, Aleksey Serebryakov, Connie Nielsen, Christopher Lloyd, Michael Ironside and RZA.

Tagline:  Never underestimate a nobody.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Hutch Mansell lives a mundane life.  He has a wife (they are drifting apart), a son and daughter.  His job is routine and he’s in a rut.  Things get worse when burglars break into his house to rob it and Mansell does nothing to stop them.  His son sees him as a coward, and the rest of the family looks at him with pity.  What they don’t know is that Mansell used to worked as a CIA “auditor” who was sent in as a last resort to “clear the books”.

As Mansell’s anger builds he goes looking for the two thieves.  When five thugs on a bus begin to terrorize a young lady, Mansell takes out his rage on the would-be tough guys, hospitalizing all of them.  Unfortunately one of the mooks is the brother of a crazy Russian crime boss who will bring the full weight of his organization down on Mansell and his family.

Let the good times roll!

Nobody can be described as John Wick light.  Bob Odenkirk is surprisingly effective as the former CIA auditor and Nobody shows how talented he is.  To go from Sal Goodman to Hutch Mansell is more than a stretch.  The scene on the bus is fun and surprisingly violent.  I referred to Nobody as John Wick light and the humor is what takes it down a notch.  Plus when Mansell’s dad (Lloyd) starts blowing away a Russian hit squad you know we’re in a different universe.

I really enjoyed Nobody.  It was a fun ride with plenty of action and humor.  It rates 4 of 5 stars.

“The Endgame” Directed by Justin Lin – The Trailer is Here!

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The Endgame trailer looks like it was made for a feature film.  Maybe it is because Justin (Star Trek Beyond; F9: The Fast Saga) Lin is directing.  Morena Baccarin and Ryan Michelle Bathé star. The Endgame premieres February 21st.  Deal me in.

Morena Baccarin and Ryan Michelle Bathé star in the ultimate high-stakes showdown between criminal mastermind Elena Federova and FBI Agent Val Turner. When they play Elena’s game, deadly truths are revealed… and everyone bows to the queen.

“Hellblazers” – The Trailer is Here!

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From time to time you hear read me talking about drive-in movies.  They feature c-level celebrities or stars from the past in low budget films usually in the horror genre.  Even when they’re not great (which is often) they can be fun. Hellblazers looks like it qualifies as a drive-in movie.

Stars from the past?  Tony Todd, Adrienne Barbeau, Bruce Dern, Meg Foster, Billy Zane.  Check.

Low budget?  Check.

Horror genre?  Check.

Fun?  I’ll get back to you after I watch it.  So deal me in.

Focused on unleashing hell on earth, a satanic cult conjures up a demon and sets to the task of feeding it the populace of a nearby southwestern town.

CAST: Tony Todd, Adrienne Barbeau, Bruce Dern, John Kassir, Meg Foster, Edward Finlay, Ed Morrone, Billy Zane

DIRECTOR: Justin Lee

“Murderville” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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I love the idea behind Murderville the Netflix limited series that premieres on February 3rd.  Will Arnett plays a detective who is joined by celebrity guest stars each week to solve a crime.  The catch is the guest stars aren’t given a script and have to adlib their way through the episode!.  Murderville sounds like fun!  Deal me in.

Solving crimes is hard. Improv comedy is harder. All 6 episodes of Murderville starring Will Arnett stream February 3rd, only on Netflix.

“The French Connection” / Z-View

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The French Connection (1971)

Director: William Friedkin

Screenplay:  Ernest Tidyman (based on the book by Robin Moore)

Starring:  Gene Hackman, Roy Scheider, Fernando Ray and Tony Lo Bianco.

Tagline:  The time is just right for an out and out thriller like this.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Let me say from the start most folks like The French Connection much more than me.  The French Connection was nominated for eight Academy Awards and won five (Best Picture, Best Actor – Hackman; Best Director, Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium and Best Film Editing – Gerald B. Greenberg).  When a movie gets that many awards, is the number three box office champ for the year and a reviewer only gives it 3 of 5 stars, your mileage will probably differ.

My biggest problem with The French Connection is the lead characters.  Detective Buddy Russo (Scheider) isn’t given much to do other than be Detective Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle’s reluctant sidekick.  ‘Popeye’ Doyle (Hackman) is a loud, unlikeable screw-up.

Let me count some of the ways Doyle irritates me.  When following the drug importing mastermind, Popeye gets made and played on the subway.  Doyle “commandeers” a citizen’s car to chase a sniper making a getaway on an El-train.  During the chase he causes multiple wrecks, nearly runs over a lady pushing a baby carriage, and destroys the car he “borrowed”.  When Doyle gets into a footrace with the sniper he ends up shooting the guy in the back.  The movie culminates with Doyle accidentally shooting an FBI agent and the drug importing mastermind getting away.

Despite the nits I picked, The French Connection has its moments.  It features one of the most popular car chases in movie history.  Friedkin’s documentary feel influenced filmmakers and it is an excellent example of 70s films (anti-heroes, gritty city settings, good guys don’t always win).

The French Connection rates 3 of 5 stars (but again I stress, your mileage may vary!).

“Welcome to Sudden Death” / Z-View

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Welcome to Sudden Death (2020)

Director: Dallas Jackson

Screenplay:  Dallas Jackson, Gene Quintano

Starring:  Michael Jai White, Michael Eklund and Gary Owen.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

The biggest problem with Welcome to Sudden Death was the marketing.  No, really.  Hear me out.

Welcome to Sudden Death was advertised as an action-packed remake of the Jean Claude Van Damme movie, Sudden Death.  And it is, but… and this is a big but… the reboot is a comedy with action.  Folks went into the Michael Jai White version thinking that they were getting a straight up serious action movie.  They didn’t and they were rightly disappointed.  If Welcome to Sudden Death had been sold as a comedy/action film then audiences wouldn’t have judged it so harshly.  Sure, they may have felt it wasn’t funny enough or the mix of action/comedy wasn’t right, but they would have gone in with different expectations.

I had read that the original Sudden Death was supposed to be more of a comedy, but that aspect was toned down when JCVD came on.  Welcome to Sudden Death was going to play up the yuks along with the action, I was interested.

While Welcome to Sudden Death isn’t the funniest movie or the best action film you’ll ever see.  If you go in knowing that, you shouldn’t be disappointed.  The tone is less serious than the original, but not as far out as say, The Naked Gun.  Michael Jai White does a good job as the hero.  I loved Gary Owen as the reluctant sidekick.  The bad guys are over the top, the plot is what you’d expect, but if you want a few laughs and to see Michael Jai White kick butt, then I say, Welcome to Sudden Death.

I liked Welcome to Sudden Death as well if not better than the JCVD original  I rate it 3 of 5 stars.

RIP: Louie Anderson

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Louie Anderson, born Louis Perry Anderson, died today at the age of 68, from blood cancer.  Louie was a stand-up comedian, actor, author and game show host.  

Louie Anderson began his career as a stand-up comedian but soon began making appearances with small roles in movies.  A comedy special led to more acting roles, his own animated television show (Life with Louie which ran for three seasons and won two Emmys) and a live action series (The Louie Show).  Louie continued to act on television, in feature films, as well as doing stand-up comedy and game show hosting throughout his career.  Along the way he found time to author four books!

Louie Anderson was such a likeable person that his appearances on talk shows, tv guest spots and movie roles were always welcome.  Louie’s stand-up comedy put him in a league with the very best.  He will be missed.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Louie Anderson’s family, friends and fans.

RIP: Meat Loaf

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Meat Loaf, born Marvin Lee Aday, but who later changed his name to Michael, has died at the age of 74.  No cause of death was announced.  Although best known for his record-breaking best selling album Bat Out of Hell, Meat Loaf was also an accomplished actor.  He appeared on Broadway, had notable roles in The Rocky Horror Picture Show,  Black Dog and Fight Club.  

Meat Loaf’s musical career started right after high school when his bands opened for acts such as Van Morrison, Janis Joplin and The Who.  For the next 50 plus years, Meat Loaf did what he loved best – entertaining.  He alternated between touring, putting out new music and acting.

In a time when disco was king, Bat Out of Hell became an international best seller.  It was an album that everyone knew about and most owned.  It was odd that this guy who appeared in The Rocky Horror Picture Show could sing.  And, boy, could he sing!  It was always a pleasure to see Meat Loaf pop up in television and film roles.  One of my favorites is The Salton Sea with Val Kilmer. 

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Michael Lee Aday’s family, friends and fans.