Previews and Reviews that are Z's Views
Charlie Griak has created an amazing First Blood alt poster. Here’s part of what he said about the film…
I created this poster as a tribute to First Blood, a film that’s become one of my all-time favorites. I love its raw emotional intensity – this movie really stuck with me.
Click on the link and see Charlie’s complete statement and more of his amazing art.
Last Samurai Standing: Season 1 (2025)
Creative Director: Jun’ichi Okada
Directed by:
Teleplay by:
Stars: Jun’ichi Okada, Masahiro Higashide, Yûya Endô, Hideaki Itô, Gaku Hamada, Arata Iura and Nobi Nakanishi.
Tagline: None.
The Plot…
The year is 1878. A cholera epidemic rages through Japan. Shujiro Saga’s baby daughter died from the disease. Now Saga’s wife has fallen ill. Saga is a former samurai. Samurai were outlawed ten years prior. With epidemic raging, survival is hard.
Flyers begin showing up everywhere advertising a martial arts tournament in Kyoto that has a grand prize of ¥100,000. Shujiro Saga sees this as an opportunity for his family and goes.
Martial artists from all over Japan have come to enter the tournament. They are gathered in a fortress-like setting. An official tells them that if they do not want to be in the tournament they are to leave now. They will have 30 seconds to decide. Once in the game, there is no quitting. He begins counting down.
Some people yell out they want to know what the game will be. The official continues to count. Around the perimeter of the fortress armed guards stand ready to fire. The official reaches zero. Soldiers rush out and give each person a numbered tag. They are now participants.
The official says that the tag must stay on their person. If it is away from their body for more than 10 seconds they will be killed. The goal is to pass seven checkpoints on the Tōkaidō Road from Kyoto to Tokyo. They will have one month to arrive in Tokyo. Points will be needed to pass each checkpoint. They earn points by taking other participants tags. They can do this by any means necessary. Anything goes. The official concludes by saying, “The game begins at the end of this countdown… 10…”
When the game begins, it is mass chaos. Nearly 300 martial artists go to war. There are samurai, archers, brutes, knife fighters, and more. Across the way Shujiro Saga sees Futaba Katsuki, a young girl frozen with fear. She will be easy pickins. Saga rushes to her aide.
Kyojin Tsuge recognizes Saga as the former samurai known as The Manslayer. Tsuge says that he has calculated that the points needed to finish in Tokyo allow for up to nine combatants to win. Tsuge proposes that Saga, Futaba and he form an alliance. Saga agrees and they head out.
The giant swordsman Bukotsu Kanjiya who loves to kill wants to end Saga The Manslayer‘s life. Bukotsu has a bloodlust and murders any in his path. Other teams have formed with each plotting to survive.
It will be a long road. Not all will survive.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Last Samurai Standing is based on a 2022 historical fiction graphic novel written by Shogo Imamura and drawn by Katsumi Tatsuzawa. Although the characters and tournament are fiction, real-life historical figures and events add to the backstory.
Junichi Okada who served as producer and stars in the series is a charismatic lead.
Hideaki Itô is awesome and frightening as the giant swordsman.
Last Samurai Standing gets my highest recommendation. Bring on Season 2.
Last Samurai Standing: Season 1 (2025) rates 5 of 5 stars.
Ice Road: Vengeance (2025)
Director: Jonathan Hensleigh
Screenplay: Jonathan Hensleigh
Stars: Liam Neeson, Bingbing Fan, Marcus Thomas, Grace O’Sullivan, Mahesh Jadu, Shivantha Wijesinha and CJ Bloomfield.
Tagline: None.
The Plot…
Mike McCann has traveled to Nepal to honor his dead brother. Mike plans to scatter his late brother’s ashes on Mount Everest.
Mike, his tour guide Dhani and others are on The Kiwi Express, an old bus used to shuttle tourists to Everest. Then mercenaries arrive. They are looking to kill Vijay, a rider on the shuttle. Mike, Dhani, Vijay and a young girl named Grace escape in The Kiwi Express with the terrorists in hot pursuit.
Outmanned and outgunned, Mike knows that odds of survival are small. The icy road up the mountain is as dangerous as the killers chasing them.
Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy ride!
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Ice Road: Vengeance is a decent follow-up to Ice Road. If you enjoyed the first film, you should like the second.
I hope we see more of Bingbing Fan (Dhani) in other movies.
Ice Road: Vengeance (2025) rates 3 of 5 stars.
Seven Days in May (1964)
Director: John Frankenheimer
Screenplay: Rod Serling; based on SEVEN DAYS IN MAY by Fletcher Knebel, Charles W. Bailey II
Stars: Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Fredric March, Ava Gardner, Edmond O’Brien, Martin Balsam, Andrew Duggan, Hugh Marlowe, Whit Bissell, Helen Kleeb, George Macready, Richard Anderson, Bart Burns, John Alban, Al Bain, John Houseman, Ferris Webster, Kent McCord and Malcolm Atterbury.
Tagline: “I’m suggesting Mr President, there’s a military plot to take over the Government of these United States, next Sunday…”
The Plot…
Set during the Cold War. President Jordan Lyman’s popularity is at an all-time low. He’s just signed a nuclear disarmament treaty with Russia. Many believe the Russians can’t be trusted. Protests across the country have grown violent. Some fear that Russia will renig on the treaty leaving the US unprotected. Others think that if both countries don’t begin to disarm at some point the nukes will be used.
General James Mattoon Scott is the Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He’s a highly popular, highly decorated Air Force Ace. Colonel Martin “Jiggs” Casey is the Director of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. His role is to assist the Joint Chiefs, particularly General Scott. Privately, neither think Russia can be trusted to keep their part of the disarmament treaty.
Colonel Casey notices some strange messages left for General Mattoon. This leads to his discovery that in seven days General Mattoon and several other military leaders plan a coup. They plan to overthrow the President and take control of the government.
Colonel Casey speaks to the President in private. At first the President can’t believe it. But the evidence is there. Unsure of who they can trust, the President, a few trusted aides and Colonel Casey must find a way to stop a coup led by the most popular military leader of the era.
The clock is ticking.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Seven Days in May was nominated for two 1965 Academy Awards…
At a dinner with President Kennedy, Kirk Douglas was asked if he was adapting the novel SEVEN DAYS IN MAY. When Douglas said that he was, President Kennedy spoke to him at length about how great a movie it would be. President Kennedy granted set designers access to the White House to assist with an accurate look.
Seven Days in May was set to be released in December 1963. The release was pushed back due to the assassination of JFK.
Seven Days in May marks John Houseman’s first (although uncredited) feature film role.
Kent McCord best known as Officer Jim Reed on Adam-12 appears as uncredited in a non-speaking role as a Secret Service agent.
Although released in 1964, the film is set in the near future. Teleconferencing, digital displays, wall screens and the like look ancient now, but then they weren’t in use and appeared slightly futuristic.
The film features one of my favorite comeback lines when General Scott asks Colonel Casey if he knows who Judas was.
Seven Days in May (1964) rates 4 of 5 stars.
How cool is this Highlander alt poster by Aurelio Lorenzo?
The original Highlander film was such a breath of fresh air. It was well written by Gregory Widen, Peter Bellwood and Larry Ferguson. Superbly directed by Russell Mulcahy and starred Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery and Clancy Brown.
Ignore the sequels.
“There can be only one!”
Juan Saniose presents That F****** Nobody is John Wick! aka Baba Yaga is Coming!
Reindeer Games (2000)
Director: John Frankenheimer
Screenplay: Ehren Kruger
Stars: Ben Affleck, Gary Sinise, Charlize Theron, James Frain, Mark Acheson, Tom Heaton, Isaac Hayes, Douglas Arthurs, Ron Jeremy, Peter MacNeill, Donal Logue, Danny Trejo, Dennis Farina, Ashton Kutcher and Clarence Williams III.
Tagline: The trap is set. The game is on.
The Plot…
Nick Cassidy and Rudy Duncan are prison cellmates who have become friends. Both are scheduled for release soon. Nick has been exchanging letters with a pretty young woman named Ashley. Althorugh she’s sent plenty of pictures and letters, she’s never seen Nick. Nick will meet her for the first time when he’s released.
Nick has shared each letter/photo with Rudy as they’ve arrived. Rudy has secretly become infatuated with Ashley.
Two days before Nick and Rudy are to be released a fight breaks out in the prison cafeteria. A convict with a grudge against Rudy uses the confusion to try to kill him. Nick steps in and the convict stabs him instead. Nick falls to the floor dead as the guards restore order.
Two days pass. Rudy and several other convicts are escorted out of the prison gates. Most have family, girlfriends or significant others to meet them. Rudy has no one. He plans to get on a bus and head home.
Then he sees Ashley.
She’s beautiful. Even prettier than the pictures. Rudy heads for the bus. Then realizes that Ashley has never seen Nick. Rudy hesitates and than makes the decision. He’ll pretend to be Nick.
It works. Rudy and Ashley have a wonderful day together. Finally they head to a cabin she has rented. Rudy cannot believe his luck.
Then things go sideways. Ashley’s brother Gabriel shows up. Gabriel’s a thug without a conscience. The hardcases with him are nearly as bad. Gabriel knows Nick used to work at a small casino. He plans to use Nick’s knowledge of the place to rob it.
With no other options, Rudy admits that he’s not Nick. Ashley can’t believe it. Gabriel doesn’t believe it. He thinks Nick just doesn’t want to help with the robbery. Rudy continues to protest that he’s not Nick.
Gabriel raises his gun as he says, “Then you’re not worth anything to me.” Rudy quickly changes his tune. In order to survive he’s going to have to mastermind the robbery of a place he’s never been in.
Ho! Ho! Ho! Let the reindeer games begin!
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
John Frankenheimer’s original director’s cut was much more dark, sexy and violent. For the theatrical release over 20 minutes was trimmed. Frankenheimer’s cut was restored for a DVD version.
Reindeer Games was director John Frankenheimer’s final feature film.
Vin Diesel was orginally set to play Pug, a role ultimately played by Donal Logue. Diesel instead went on to play Dom in The Fast and the Furious. Smart move.
Ashton Kutcher shows up in a brief scene as a college kid.
There are a couple of unexpected twists that are fun.
Reindeer Games (2000) rates 3 of 5 stars.
Happy Thanksgiving! Greeting above created by John Rivoli of Icons In Art!
First Shift (2024)
Director: Uwe Boll
Screenplay: Uwe Boll
Stars: Gino Anthony Pesi, Kristen Renton, Garry Pastore, Brandi Bravo, Daniel Sauli, Aaron Berg, Onye Eme-Akwari, Tom Ukah, Cate Bottiglione, Tamara Della Anderson and Willie C. Carpenter.
Tagline: Day One, Duty Calls
The Plot…
A hard-nosed NYPD cop is teamed with a new fresh-faced recruit from Atlanta. They have different styles, but unless they can come together as a team, they won’t survive day one.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Gino Anthony Pesi and Kristen Renton have enough on-screen chemistry to make this one watchable… if you can’t find something better.
First Shift (2024) rates 2 of 5 stars.
Monster: The Ed Gein Story (2025)
Created by: Ian Brennan
Directed by:
Teleplay by:
Stars: Charlie Hunnam, Suzanna Son, Vicky Krieps, Laurie Metcalf, Tom Hollander.
Tagline: None.
The Plot…
Ed Gein was a murderer and grave robber. In 1957, when a sheriff’s deputy, following up on a missing person’s case went to Gein’s farm he discovered the missing woman’s decapitated body in a shed. The partial corpse was hung upside down and mutilated. In Gein’s house some of what authorities found included:
Gein was determined to be mentally incompetent to stand trial. He was sentenced to a State Hospital for the Criminally Insane, where he lived until his death in 1984. Ed Gein’s murders and depravity inspired the novel (and later movie) Psycho, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and more.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Charlie Hunnam is almost unrecognizable as Ed Gein. Kudos to him for taking on such a challenging role. Laurie Metcalf is perfect as Gein’s mother.
I wish Monster: The Ed Gein Story stuck closer to actual events. Liberties are taken that I feel weaken the story. For example, Gein never had a love interest. Gein never chased down and killed lost hunters with a chain saw. Gein never had contact with Christine Jorgensen, an American actress famous for being known as the first transexual widely known in the United States.
Because of these fictional additions, it makes me question things when other real life personalitites, like Anthony Perkins and Alfred Hitchcock show up. I realize Monster: The Ed Gein Story isn’t a documentary. But it is supposed to be Gein’s story and that was creepy enough.
Monster: The Ed Gein Story (2025) rates 3 of 5 stars.
40 Acres (2024)
Director: R. T. Thorne
Screenplay: R. T. Thorne, Glenn Taylor, Lora Campbell
Stars: Danielle Deadwyler, Kataem O’Connor, Michael Greyeyes, Tyrone Benskin, Mimi Côté, Patrick Garrow, John Tench, Derek Barnes and Elizabeth Saunders.
Tagline: Get off our land.
The Plot…
In a post-apocalyptic future Hailey Freeman’s family struggles to survive. They have become self-sufficient by farming and hunting on a remote piece of land. There are a few other small groups who have created farms or outposts as well. They stay in contact using shortwave radios. When a couple of the groups fail to respond, it is learned that a gang of cannibals are killing everyone in the communities. They feast, steal what they can and move on.
The cannibal tribe is now heading towards the Freeman farm.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
40 Acres was written by R. T. Thorne, Glenn Taylor, Lora Campbell in the screenwriting debut. It also marks R.T. Thorne’s directoral debut.
Danielle Deadwyler is a force to be reckoned with!
40 Acres deserves a wider-audience.
40 Acres (2024) rates 5 of 5 stars.
Rich Hennemann is an amazing freelance artist. A few years ago I picked up his sketchbook and a sketch and I was hooked. Since then I’ve gotten several sketches from Rich.
Rich’s riff on Rocky Balboa is one of the first pieces I got from him. There will be more art from Rich Hennemann art in my future. If you’re a sketch collector, you owe it to yourself to get a piece as well.
Among Those Present (1921)
Director: Fred C. Newmeyer
Screenplay: Hal Roach, Sam Taylor, H. M. Walker
Stars: Harold Lloyd, Mildred Davis, Aggie Herring, James T. Kelley and William Gillespie.
Tagline: A triple barreled comedy shot with laughter.
The Plot…
The O’Brien family are newly rich. Although Mrs. O’Brien wants to be accepted among society’s elite, her husband and daughter could care less. In an effort to rub elbows (and hopefully make new friends) Mrs. O’Brien hires a “society pilot” to guide her. He says she should host a fox hunt. She invites all the wealthy society elite.
When Mrs. O’Brien learns that Lord Abernathy is in town, she orders the “society pilot” to get him to the party. Unable to get Lord Abernathy to come, the pilot resorts to hiring a hotel bellboy to impersonate the Lord. The bellboy is way out of his comfort zone.
Sound the horn. Start the hunt!
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Two years after the release of Among Those Present, Harold Lloyd and Mildred Davis were married. The union lasted until her death in 1969.
Among Those Present (1921) rates 3 of 5 stars.
Sly Stallone and Rocky fans are going to love ROCKY. THE COMPLETE FILMS by Sylvester Stallone and editor, Paul Duncan. This 9.84″ x 13.39″ hardback will clock in at 320 pages.
Here’s the lowdown…
Rocky Balboa is the Philadelphian icon who took on the world and won. The original “Italian Stallion,” the gutsy fighter who rose above the odds to boxing glory, and a rags-to-riches legend in the business of making movies.
Ever since Sylvester Stallone unleashed his impassioned title character in 1976, the resilient fighter has earned his place in history as a symbol of tenacity and courage and a legend of cinematic success.
The story of Rocky the movie is as exciting as that of its eponymous boxer. Shot on a tight budget, with the virtually unknown Stallone writing the script as well as taking on the lead role, it became a surprise overnight sensation, generating millions in box-office revenues, notching up three Oscar wins, and transforming Stallone into a global star as an actor, writer, and director.
The Rocky phenomenon developed into a franchise of six films, including Rocky Balboa in 2006. In collaboration with Sylvester Stallone and MGM, this tome brings you all the guts and all the glory of the complete Rocky story.
Copious images, including many on-set pictures from famed sports photographer Neil Leifer, come together with precious archival material from the Academy Library and MGM archive to reveal the making of an enduring action hero as much as a movie masterpiece.
A foreword by Stallone and vintage interviews over the course of his career bring insight into the development of the hero and the franchise, as well as privileged access to the tenacity, spirit, and passion that characterized Rocky behind the scenes as much as on screen.
ROCKY, ROCKY BALBOA, and all related ROCKY Trademarks, Logos and Materials © 1976–2025 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved.
ROCKY. THE COMPLETE FILMS drops on February 9, 2026. Pre-orders are available now.
Connor by Yvan Quinet is, of course, an alt poster for Highlander. Like all of Quinet’s art, it is money. Connor is available as a limited edition print…
You can see more of Yvan Quinet’s art at his website and/or his Instagram page.
