Previews and Reviews that are Z's Views
Derek Lawrence at Entertainment Weekly has put together a must-read piece for any fan of The Shield. An Oral History of The Shield features recollections from Shawn Ryan (series creator), Michael Chiklis, Walton Goggins, Kurt Sutter, Glenn Close as well as other cast regulars, guest stars, writers, directors, and FX executives.
Take a bow Mr. Lawrence!
When We Were Kings (1996)
Director: Leon Gast
Starring: Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Don King, James Brown, B.B. King, Spike Lee, Norman Mailer, George Plimpton, The Spinners and Howard Cosell..
Tagline: The untold story of the Rumble in the Jungle.
The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…
When We Were Kings is the Academy Award-winning documentary of the championship fight between the undefeated (40-0) Heavyweight Champion of the World, George Foreman and his challenger, Muhammad Ali, who was a 4-1 underdog. Promoter, Don King had contracts that paid each fighter $5 million and the backing of Mobutu Sese Seko, President of Zaire, who saw the fight as an opportunity to shine a positive light on his country. To that end, the fight became a culminating event of a festival that included performances by The Spinners, B.B. King and James Brown.
Leon Gast, using archival footage and interviews does an excellent job in presenting the backstories of Ali and Foreman as well as the fight’s historical significance. Ali had refused to enter the draft, became a Muslim and had changed his name from Cassius Clay. While many Americans had developed a dislike for Ali, he was dearly loved by the population of Zaire. George Foreman, was an Olympic Gold Medalist who proudly represented the USA, was the undefeated Champion of the World and the man who many thought would destroy Ali. The stage was set for what many thought would be the fight to end Muhammad Ali’s career… and yet, Ali once again shocks the world!
When We Were Kings is one of the best documentaries I’ve ever seen. It pulls you in, sets the historical context of the events, provides backstories on the key players while at the same time being entertaining. When We Were Kings rates 5 of 5 stars.
Oscar Micheaux: The Superhero of Black Filmmaking (2021)
Director: Francesco Zippel
Screenplay: Francesco Zippel
Starring: Oscar Micheaux, Chuck D, Jacqueline Stewart, Morgan Freeman and Mario Van Pebbles..
Tagline: None.
The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…
Oscar Micheaux was a writer, director and producer of both silent and sound movies. Micheaux has been called “the most successful African-American filmmaker of the first half of the 20th century.”
Oscar Micheaux has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, was honored by the Director’s Guild of America, the Producers Guild of America has an annual award named after him, he is in the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame, his image has appeared on a US postage stamp, and there are multiple Film Festivals named after him! Sadly all of these accolades came posthumously. Outside of serious fans of film history, few know about Oscar Micheaux.
I first learned of Oscar Micheaux because he was the writer/director of Body and Soul starring Paul Robeson. Thanks to Oscar Micheaux: The Superhero of Black Filmmaking, I now know the life story of Micheaux. What an amazing story it is.
Micheaux didn’t let any obstacle hinder him. At a time when there weren’t as many opportunities for people of color, Micheaux was able to raise funds to create films that he would write, direct, produce and even personally distribute from town to town! He would then use the funds from his current film to finance his next movie. More importantly Micheaux created films of substance that still resonate today. Micheaux’s films dealt with race relations and featured complex characters in modern day settings. I wish more people knew about Oscar Micheaux. Thanks to Francesco Zippel we can.
Oscar Micheaux: The Superhero of Black Filmmaking rates 4 of 5 stars.
Murderville: Season 1 (2022)
Directors: Brennan Shroff (Eps.1 -2); Iain Morris (Eps. 3 – 6)
Teleplay: Marina Cockenberg (Ep.1, 4); Krister Johnson (Eps. 1 – 2, 4); Kerry O’Neill (Ep. 2); Anna Drezen (Ep. 3); Hannah Levy (Ep. 5); Adriana Robles (Ep. 5); Jack Kukoda (Ep.6)
Starring: Will Arnett, Haneefah Wood, Lilan Bowden, Phillip Smithey, Conan O’Brien, Marshawn Lynch, Kumail Nanjiani, Annie Murphy, Sharon Stone and Ken Jeong.
The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…
Detective Terry Seattle (Arnett) likes to think of himself as rugged, intelligent and capable. Sadly, he’s not. In each episode Detective Seattle is teamed with a new guest star who is tasked with solving a murder. The conceit of the series (and it’s a good one) is that the guest star is never given a script or access to the set until it is time for his/her scene. If you enjoy improv comedy, you’ll probably like Murderville.
Each episode has a basic framework: Detective Seattle meets his new partner, they’re sent to solve a murder that has three suspects. After interviewing each potential murderer, everyone is brought together and the guest star has to say who the killer is and the clues that led to that conclusion. Then the actual killer and clues are disclosed. A cool aspect of the show is that we can play along and see if our suspect is guilty. I was wrong as often as I was right.
There’s also an overarching mystery that runs throughout the six episodes. Fifteen years ago, Detective Seattle’s partner (Jennifer Anniston) was murdered. There were few clues and her murder was never solved,,, (at least until the last episode of the season)!
I enjoyed the mystery aspect as much as the improvisation in each episode. It was as fun guessing the killer as guessing which actors would break character or try to hide a smile/laugh. I enjoyed Murderville and hope it gets a second season. Murderville rates 3 of 5 stars.
Todd Gilchrist at Mental Floss came up with some surprising trivia about the 1999 reboot of The Mummy which he calls Unwrapping 16 Facts About The Mummy. Before you click over, here are three of my favs and my thoughts on each…
FILMMAKERS SPENT MANY YEARS TRYING TO REVIVE THE MUMMY. (While I did know this, I wasn’t aware that at one point George (Night of the Living Dead) Romero was recruited to write and direct the reboot. – Craig)
AT ONE POINT, DANIEL DAY-LEWIS WAS BEING EYED TO PLAY THE MUMMY. (While I could see Day-Lewis playing the Brendan Fraser role, would the producers really wanted Daniel Day Lewis as the Mummy? He’d be, uh, under wraps for most of the film! – Craig)
STEPHEN SOMMERS WON UNIVERSAL OVER WITH HIS CONTEMPORARY APPROACH. (Writing Rick O’Connell as an Indiana Jones-type character and adding in the humor was genius! – Craig)
Interestingly enough, I didn’t care for The Mummy (1999) but greatly enjoyed the sequel, The Mummy Returns (2001).
The Elvis trailer did exactly what a great trailer should do. I had little to no desire to see Elvis until I saw the trailer. Now I want to see the film.
From Oscar-nominated visionary filmmaker Baz Luhrmann comes Warner Bros. Pictures’ drama “Elvis,” starring Austin Butler and Oscar winner Tom Hanks.
The film explores the life and music of Elvis Presley (Butler), seen through the prism of his complicated relationship with his enigmatic manager, Colonel Tom Parker (Hanks). The story delves into the complex dynamic between Presley and Parker spanning over 20 years, from Presley’s rise to fame to his unprecedented stardom, against the backdrop of the evolving cultural landscape and loss of innocence in America. Central to that journey is one of the most significant and influential people in Elvis’s life, Priscilla Presley (Olivia DeJonge).
Starring alongside Hanks and Butler, award-winning theatre actress Helen Thomson (“Top of the Lake: China Girl,” “Rake”) plays Elvis’s mother, Gladys, Richard Roxburgh (“Moulin Rouge!” “Breath,” “Hacksaw Ridge”) portrays Elvis’s father, Vernon, and DeJonge (“The Visit,” “Stray Dolls”) plays Priscilla. Luke Bracey (“Hacksaw Ridge,” “Point Break”) plays Jerry Schilling, Natasha Bassett (“Hail, Caesar!”) plays Dixie Locke, David Wenham (“The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy, “Lion,” “300”) plays Hank Snow, Kelvin Harrison Jr. (“The Trial of the Chicago 7,” “The High Note”) plays B.B. King, Xavier Samuel (“Adore,” “Love & Friendship,” “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse”) plays Scotty Moore, and Kodi Smit-McPhee (“The Power of the Dog”) plays Jimmie Rodgers Snow.
Also in the cast, Dacre Montgomery (“Stranger Things,” “The Broken Heart Gallery”) plays TV director Steve Binder, alongside Australian actors Leon Ford (“Gallipoli,” “The Pacific”) as Tom Diskin, Kate Mulvany (“The Great Gatsby,” “Hunters”) as Marion Keisker, Gareth Davies (“Peter Rabbit,” “Hunters”) as Bones Howe, Charles Grounds (“Crazy Rich Asians,” “Camp”) as Billy Smith, Josh McConville (“Fantasy Island”) as Sam Phillips, and Adam Dunn (“Home and Away”) as Bill Black.
To play additional iconic musical artists in the film, Luhrmann cast singer/songwriter Yola as Sister Rosetta Tharpe, model Alton Mason as Little Richard, Austin, Texas native Gary Clark Jr. as Arthur Crudup, and artist Shonka Dukureh as Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton.Oscar nominee Luhrmann (“The Great Gatsby,” “Moulin Rouge!”) directed from a screenplay by Baz Luhrmann & Sam Bromell and Baz Luhrmann & Craig Pearce and Jeremy Doner, story by Baz Luhrmann and Jeremy Doner. The film’s producers are Luhrmann, Oscar winner Catherine Martin (“The Great Gatsby,” “Moulin Rouge!”), Gail Berman, Patrick McCormick and Schuyler Weiss. Courtenay Valenti and Kevin McCormick executive produced.
The director’s behind-the-scenes creative team includes director of photography Mandy Walker (“Mulan,” “Australia”), Oscar-winning production designer and costume designer Catherine Martin (“The Great Gatsby,” “Moulin Rouge!”), production designer Karen Murphy (“A Star Is Born”), editors Matt Villa (“The Great Gatsby,” “Australia”) and Jonathan Redmond (“The Great Gatsby”), Oscar-nominated visual effects supervisor Thomas Wood (“Mad Max: Fury Road”), music supervisor Anton Monsted (“Australia,” “Moulin Rouge!”) and composer Elliott Wheeler (“The Get Down”).
Principal photography on “Elvis” took place in Queensland, Australia with the support of the Queensland Government, Screen Queensland and the Australian Government’s Producer Offset program.
A Warner Bros. Pictures Presentation, A Bazmark Production, A Jackal Group Production, A Baz Luhrmann Film, “Elvis” will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is set to release in theaters in North America on June 24, 2022, and internationally beginning 22 June 2022.
Frank Pesce, the memorable character actor of movies and television, died on February 6th at the age of 75. Mr. Pesce’s girlfriend, Tammy Scher reported the cause of death to be dementia-related.
Frank Pesce began his career in 1976 with a role on Police Story. Mr. Pesce then stayed busy alternating between feature films, guest spots on tv series and appearances in movies made for television.
Some feature films that Mr. Pesce appeared in include: Rocky, Paradise Alley, American Gigolo, Flashdance, Beverly Hills Cop, Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop II, MIdnight Run, Lock Up, Donnie Brasco, Grudge Match, The Expendables, Reach Me and Creed!
Frank Pesce’s television appearances include roles in: Kojak, Knight Rider, The Greatest American Hero, Hardcastle and McCormick, Miami Vice, Airwolf, Cagney & Lacey, Matlock, Who’s the Boss, Jake & the Fatman and Karen Sisco.
What a career Frank Pesce had! I love that he developed friendships with stars like Sly Stallone, Robert Forester and Tony Danza. The fact that Mr. Pesce was used so often (and many times repeatedly by stars/directors) speaks to his professionalism. I always enjoyed a Frank Pesce appearance!
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Frank Pesce’s family, friends and fans.
The trailer and the cast for The Contractor, starring Chris Pine, Kiefer Sutherland and Ben Foster, is enough to get me to watch.
Chris Pine stars in the action-packed thriller as Special Forces Sergeant James Harper, who is involuntarily discharged from the Army and cut-off from his pension. In debt, out of options and desperate to provide for his family, Harper contracts with a private underground military force. When the very first assignment goes awry, the elite soldier finds himself hunted and on the run, caught in a dangerous conspiracy and fighting to stay alive long enough to get home and uncover the true motives of those who betrayed him. Also starring Kiefer Sutherland, Ben Foster, Gillian Jacobs and Eddie Marsan.
Featuring: Chris Pine, Kiefer Sutherland, Ben Foster, Gillian Jacobs, Eddie Marsan
The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil (2019)
Director: Won-Tae Lee
Screenplay: Won-Tae Lee
Starring: Ma Dong-seok, Mu-Yeol Kim and Kim Sungkyu.
Tagline: Don’t let the devil win.
The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…
A gangster, after barely surviving a brutal attack, reluctantly joins forces with the one cop who believes a serial killer is active in the area. The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil is a stylish, violent tale written and directed by Won-Tae Lee. The charismatic, Ma Dong-seok (of Train to Busan fame) plays the gangster and was one of the reasons I wanted to check out the film. The fact that Sylvester Stallone optioned the rights for an American reboot with Ma Dong-seok returning was another.
The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil was a fun ride. Ma Dong-seok is already on my stars to watch list. I’m going to add writer./director Won-Tae Lee as well. The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil rates 4 of 5 stars.
This is the Lucy and Desi story that I want to see!
From director Amy Poehler, Lucy and Desi explores the unlikely partnership and enduring legacy of one of the most prolific power couples in entertainment history. Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz risked everything to be together. Their love for each other led to the most influential show in the history of television, I Love Lucy.
Ivan Reitman, writer, director and producer, died in his sleep on February 12th at the age of 75. No cause of death was been given.
Ivan Reitman is best known for directing the megahit Ghostbusters, but he also directed 24 other films including: Meatballs, Stripes, Twins and Kindergarten Cop. Mr. Reitman also served as a producer on over 60 films including: National Lampoon’s Animal House, Ghostbusters, Twins, Kindergarten Cop, Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot and Beethoven to name just a few.
I first became aware of Ivan Reitman because of his involvement with Animal House. A year later I saw Meatballs, my favorite Ivan Reitman directed film, on it’s initial release. It’s interesting that Ivan Reitman got his start producing low budget horror films like Cannibal Girls, Shivers, The House by the Lake and Rabid (directed by David Cronenberg and starring Marilyn Chambers) before he found his sweet spot with comedies.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Ivan Reitman’s family, friends and fans.
Reacher: Season 1 (2022)
Directors: Thomas Vincent (Ep.1); Sam Hill (Ep. 2); Stephen Surjik (Ep. 3); Christine Moore (Ep.4); Norberto Barba (Ep. 5); Omar Madha (Ep. 6); Lin Oeding (Ep. 7); M.J. Bassett (Ep. 8)
Teleplay: Nick Santora (Showrunner, Executive Producer, Writer); Cait Duffy (Eps. 1 – 8); Aadrita Mukerji (Eps. 1, 3, 6); Scott Sullivan (Ep. 3, 5, 7); Season 1 based on Lee Child‘s novel The Killing Floor.
Starring: Alan Ritchson, Malcolm Goodwin, Willa Fitzgerald, Maria Sten, Chris Webster, Bruce McGill and Willie C. Carpenter.
The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…
Jack Reacher, an ex-Military Police Investigator, arrives in the small town of Margrove and is immediately arrested for a murder he didn’t commit. Getting cleared of the charges shouldn’t be a problem. Getting out of Margrove alive could be. Corrupt cops, a crooked politician and a rich backer want Reacher dead before he can piece together the puzzle of it all.
If you’re a fan of Lee Child’s Reacher series, you’re going to love this adaptation. If you haven’t read the novels, but are a fan of thoughtful action thrillers, you’ll still enjoy the series.
Alan Ritchson plays Reacher and he’s physically right for the part. Reacher is a 6’5″ inch monster of a man. The books play up Reacher’s size/strength and with Ritchson in the role this adaption does as well. But Reacher is the opposite of big and stupid — he pays attention to details, has an analytical mind and doesn’t suffer fools. Ritchson is perfect as Reacher.
The other parts are also well cast and acted. Malcolm Goodwin is the straight-arrow cop with a secret in his past. Willa Fitzgerald is as much a partner in resolving the crime as she is a love interest for Reacher. Maria Sten plays Frances Neagley. I loved her character and hope we haven’t seen the last of her.
Reacher is lightning in a bottle. It’s one of those rare shows that everyone seems to love. Reacher currently has an 8.5 rating at IMDb.com. 6 of the 8 episodes have an 8.6 or higher rating. The other two episodes are rated 8.4 and 8.5. At Rotten Tomatoes, Reacher is rated at 88%! As for me, I give Reacher: Season 1, 5 of 5 stars.
Marten Go created the Over the Top art above. Click on it to see a Vegas-sized version. You can see more of Go’s art by following him on Twitter.
Wander (2020)
Director: April Mullen
Screenplay: Tim Doiron
Starring: Aaron Eckhart, Tommy Lee Jones, Katheryn Winnick, Heather Graham and Raymond Cruz.
Tagline: The conspiracy is real.
The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…
Arthur Bretnik (Eckhart) has been on the verge of a mental breakdown since his wife and daughter were killed. He believes their deaths were covered up to hide a vast conspiracy. Bretnik’s paranoia has increased to the point that he lives in an old trailer out in the desert where he hosts a conspiracy podcast.
When he is hired to investigate a mysterious death in the small town of Wander, Bretnik begins to uncover evidence that his ideas about a conspiracy may not be crazy after all.
Wander does just that. It wanders. The story is all over the place. I kept thinking it would pull together for a satisfying conclusion. Sadly it didn’t. Wander has an excellent cast, but even they couldn’t save this film. Usually I only rate films as NOT FOR ME when I don’t complete watching them (but after allowing plenty of time for the story to develop). I watched all of Wander but couldn’t give it 2 stars. Wander rates 1 of 5.
Nightmare Alley (2021)
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Screenplay: Guillermo del Toro, Kim Morgan (based on the novel by William Lindsay Gresham)
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe, Richard Jenkins, Rooney Mara, Ron Perlman, Mary Steenburgen, David Strathairn, Holt McCallany and Jim Beaver.
Tagline: None
The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…
When we first see Stanton Carlisle (Cooper) he has set fire to a house containing a dead body. Carlisle gets a menial job with a traveling carnival/freak show. It is there Carlisle learns he has the ability to read and manipulate people. Working with mentalist Madame Zeena and her alcoholic husband, Pete, Carlisle learns the tricks of the trade.
Realizing that he has the knowledge needed for a successful nightclub act, Carlisle talks Molly into leaving the carny. Two years later, Carlisle and Molly have hit the big time. She loves him and he says he loves her. All is roses until Dr. Lilith Ritter interrupts the act to prove Carlisle is a fraud. He is able to salvage the performance.
Ritter invites Carlisle to her office where he learns that she’s a psychologist. Both realize that with the information Ritter could provide about her rich clients, a fortune could be made using Carlisle’s talents. Soon they are having an affair and working as partners to fleeces some rich and dangerous people. But is Carlisle conning Ritter or she playing him?
Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley takes us on a dark journey. His Nightmare Alley provides more backstory than the 1947 film and doesn’t shy away from the horrific aspects of carnival life in the days before “freak shows” were outlawed. del Toro’s Nightmare Alley is exceptionally well cast. Bradley, Blanchett, Dafoe and Mara are the main stars and they shine. What del Toro did by getting Collette, Jenkins, Perlman, Steenburgen, Strathairn, McCallany and Beaver in supporting roles is make every scene a winner.
In a movie full of amazing performances, Bradley Cooper shines. Some of his standout scenes include manipulating the Sherriff who has come to shut down the carnival and arrest performers. This is when Carlisle discovers his gift of reading people. The surprise lie detector test scene and the final scene of the film (which I won’t spoil) are also memorable.
Nightmare Alley won’t appeal to everyone despite all that it has going for it. The lead characters are not good people and they make bad choices. There’s no upbeat ending. With that said, I loved Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley. It took me to another time and place. I was hooked on the mystery; intrigued by the characters and impressed by the cast. Nightmare Alley stayed with me long after the movie was over. I rate it 5 of 5 stars.
