Previews and Reviews that are Z's Views
Cliffhanger and Cobra are probably the two movies that Stallone fans would most love to see get a sequel. While I don’t have news of a sequel for either, I can tell you about Derek Draven’s post at ScreenRant: 10 Facts About Cliffhanger You Didn’t Know.
Because almost everyone here is a Stallone fan, you will probably know most if not all of the facts. Still they’re worth a look.
This On the Waterfront poster by Al Brtiien is the first time I’ve ever seen his art. It won’t be the last since I know the link to his Instagram. Luckily, so do you.
Here we have the poster and trailer for Cut Throat City. The poster is pretty generic but the trailer shows a bit more promise… especially the character played by Wesley Snipes.
TCM is running a Kirk Douglas Movie Marathon Tribute starting at 6am on March 5th. Here’s the schedule…
My favorites are Along the Great Divide at 12:15, immediately followed by Out of the Past and then Spartacus at 9:45.
Sly Stallone is attached to star in Little America which is set to star filming this summer.
Set in a dystopian future where America has become bankrupt and turned into a war zone, Sly will play a former Army Ranger hired by an Asian billionaire to find his daughter.
With the highly skilled sister of the missing woman along for the ride, Sly’s Ranger must navigate the dark underbelly of Little America, a walled-off city within a city in Hong Kong where many Americans have fled.
Rowan Athale will direct from his own screenplay. Michael Bay is set to serve as Executive Producer.
For more details check out Deadline.
Tony Stella created another great poster with his take on The Most Dangerous Game. You can see a bigger version at Stella’s Twitter.
First published in 1924, The Most Dangerous Game began life as an award-winning short story by Richard Connell. Over the years The Most Dangerous Game became required reading in schools across the nation. I was in 9th grade when I first read it. The Most Dangerous Game was the most popular of all our assigned reading assignments.
Over the years The Most Dangerous Game has been adapted for movies, television and even radio. Tony Stella’s poster is for the first movie adaption. Made in 1932, the adaptation starred Joel McCrea, Leslie Banks, Fay Wray and Robert Armstrong with the team of Ernest B. Schoedsack and Merian C. Cooper behind the camera (Schoedsack and Cooper would go on to make King Kong the following year).
I highly recommend The Most Dangerous Game (both the short story, now in public domain, and the 1932 movie).
Robert Conrad died today at age 84. Conrad best known for acting was also a singer, writer and director. Although he starred in feature films, it was Conrad’s television roles that made him a star. First with Hawaiian Eye, then his biggest hit, The Wild, Wild West and later The D.A., Black Sheep Squadron, A Man Called Sloane and High Mountain Rangers.
But it was The Wild, Wild West that Conrad’s fans loved the most. Perfectly cast as James West who partnered with Artemus Gordon (played by Ross Martin, also perfectly cast) as spies in the old west. The show ran for four seasons and was still doing well in the ratings when it was cancelled by CBS in an effort to reduce network violence. The Wild, Wild West was so popular in re-runs that two tv movies were made over a decade later.
Conrad was a member of the Stuntman’s Hall of Fame and winner of the Distinguished Service Award in Broadcasting.
On a personal note, the death of Robert Conrad is heartbreaking. I can’t tell you how many times I pretended to be James West as a kid or how many times I’ve watched each episode of The Wild, Wild West. It’s still set to be recorded daily on my dvr (and I own the complete series on dvd). A huge piece of my childhood died with him.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Robert Conrad’s family, friends and fans.
Kevin Conway, the multi-talented actor who appeared in movies, on television and the stage died Wednesday, February 5th of a heart attack.
I first became aware of Mr. Conway when I saw him in back-to-back Sylvester Stallone films. First up was FIST where Conway played Vince Doyle, a local mobster who provides Johnny Kovak (Stallone) with some “muscle” against the trucking company’s strike breakers. A few months later Conway and Stallone appeared together again, this time in Paradise Alley. Conway was a small town gangster but this time he and Stallone were adversaries.
What I didn’t know at the time was that Conway had already made appearances on Broadway, television and films! Conway was still acting in movies and television as well as doing voice work for commercials, trailers and documentaries up until his death at age 77. Some of Conway’s best known roles include his work in Mystic River, The Quick and the Dead, 13 Days and Gettysburg.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Kevin Conway’s family, friends and fans.
Kirk Douglas died today at the age of 103. His son, Michael Douglas posted (in part):
“It is with tremendous sadness that my brothers and I announce that Kirk Douglas left us today at the age of 103,” son Michael Douglas wrote on his Instagram account. “To the world, he was a legend, an actor from the Golden Age of movies who lived well into his golden years, a humanitarian whose commitment to justice and the causes he believed in set a standard for all of us to aspire to.”
Kirk Douglas was an actor, a director, a producer and writer. He was always the coolest guy in the room. Douglas made movies that he believed in, not always taking the roles that paid the most or had the best chance for box-office appeal. It didn’t matter if Douglas played a hero or villain, he had audience appeal. Douglas was a three-time Oscar nominee for Best Actor and received an Honorary Oscar in 1996.
Some of my favorite Kirk Douglas movies include: Spartacus; Out of the Past; Detective Story; Along the Great Divide; The War Wagon (thanks to memories of watching it with my Grandpa) and Oscar (with Sly Stallone. Years earlier, Douglas was set to star as Col. Troutman in First Blood but it didn’t work out.).
Kirk Douglas was indeed a living legend. 103 years is a long life and Douglas lived it to the fullest.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, his friends and his fans.
Matthew Jackson at Mental Floss posted 14 Fascinating Facts About The French Connection. Reading some of these facts it becomes clear that The French Connection was a longshot to be made let alone win five Academy Awards including Best Picture. Here are three of my favorite facts and my thoughts. Check ’em out and then click over for all the facts and details!
THE FRENCH CONNECTION WAS TURNED DOWN BY ALMOST EVERY STUDIO. (Dick Zanuck at 20th Century Fox said he’d bankroll the film if it could be done for 1.5 million. Luckily for film fans, it could be. – Craig)
GENE HACKMAN WAS NOT THE FIRST CHOICE FOR POPEYE DOYLE. (The film’s director, William Friedkin, wanted Jackie Gleason (?) or Jimmy Breslin (??) for the lead. Another star considered was Rod Taylor. Ultimately it came down to take Hackman as the lead or risk losing the movie. Friedkin agreed to Hackman. – Craig)
FERNANDO REY WAS CAST BECAUSE OF A MIXUP. (Friedkin told the casting director “let’s get that French guy that was in Belle de Jour…” The casting director thought Friedkin was talking about Fernando Rey — but he wasn’t! Friedkin signed Rey, sight unseen and it wasn’t until they met on the set that Friedkin realized the mistake and it was too late to make a change! – Craig)
Megan Summers at ScreenRant posted The 10 Best Razzie Winning Movies (According To IMDb). I thought this was an interesting idea especially after I found three movies on the list that I really like.
Rocky IV won five Razzies for Worst Actor, Worst Director, Worst Supporting Actress, Worst New Star, and Worst Musical Score. When R4 was released it was my least favorite of the Rocky films. Over the years my affection for it has grown, especially since R4 played such an important part in making it possible for Creed.
Con Air won won a special Razzie for Worst Reckless Disregard for Human Life and Public Property. I loved Con Air. It was over the top fun and yeah, the ending did involve a plane crash landing in Vegas but did that deserve a special Razzie? Oh, why not?
Interview with a Vampire tied for a Razzie in the category for Worst Screen Couple. The IwaV couple was Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. Who did they tie with? Sly Stallone and Sharon Stone from The Specialist. Interview with a Vampire is a movie that I have liked more with each viewing. I’m not alone in that opinion – the movie was a box-office success and earned Oscar and Golden Globe nominations.
The Expendables Go To Hell is a full color graphic novel with a story by Sly Stallone & Chuck Dixon and art by Graham Nolan, Kelsey Shannon, Jason Johnson, Butch Guice and Daniel Brown. The idea is that The Expendables are killed in combat and awaken in hell. There they find fallen comrades, famous and infamous folks from history and more than a few surprises.
Graham Nolan will handle the art chores on the 50 page main story with three side stories adding to the graphic novel’s page count. Here’s how they break down:
THE BRIDGE- Barney Ross is stunned to find the soul of his still-living friend Tool, trapped in Hell! Art by Jason Johnson (TEAM 7).
CHRISTMAS IN HELL- Lee Christmas is lured away from the team just when they need him most! Art by Kelsey Shannon (NORAH’S SAGA)
BARBARIAN’S HOLIDAY- Gunner Jensen makes the most of a bad situation! Art by Butch Guice (DOCTOR STRANGE).
The Main Cover will feature art by Kelsey Shannon. In addition, there will be Variant Covers by…
Billy Tucci (SHI)
Richard C. Meyer (JAWBREAKERS, IRON SIGHTS)
Jason Johnson (TEAM 7)
Renzo Rodriguez (DESOLATION WAVE)
And possibly MORE!
The Expendables Go To Hell is being crowd-funded on Indiegogo. As the campaign grows, STRETCH GOALS will be unlocked which will add more value to each perk with no additional cost! Pin-ups, bookmarks, decals and more and projected.
Since the initial goal was $10,000 and The Expendables Go To Hell is now over $36,000.00 we should start seeing quite a few stretch goals soon. This is going to be a fun project. I’m on board (for the Kelsey Shannon cover!) and look forward to watching the project grow. Click over and join in!
Here’s the poster and trailer for F9. Both the poster and the trailer has exactly what you’d expect — the poster features the characters lookin’ cool with their vehicles and the trailer showcases over the top action, returning cast members, a new “big” star plus a plot twist you (I) didn’t see coming.
It’s crazy to think how the Fast and Furious franchise has morphed over the years. The action has been amped up so much it almost looks like a super-hero movie. No, scratch that. It looks like a super-hero movie. That’s not necessarily a bad thing.
No matter how fast you are, no one outruns their past.
Summer 2020 is the time for F9, the ninth chapter in the saga that has endured for almost two decades and has earned more than $5 billion around the world.
Vin Diesel’s Dom Toretto is leading a quiet life off the grid with Letty and his son, little Brian, but they know that danger always lurks just over their peaceful horizon. This time, that threat will force Dom to confront the sins of his past if he’s going to save those he loves most. His crew joins together to stop a world-shattering plot led by the most skilled assassin and high-performance driver they’ve ever encountered: a man who also happens to be Dom’s forsaken brother, Jakob (John Cena, next year’s The Suicide Squad).
F9 sees the return of Justin Lin as director, who helmed the third, fourth, fifth and sixth chapters of the series when it transformed into a global blockbuster. The action hurtles around the globe—from London to Tokyo, from Central America to Edinburgh, and from a secret bunker in Azerbaijan to the teeming streets of Tblisi. Along the way, old friends will be resurrected, old foes will return, history will be rewritten, and the true meaning of family will be tested like never before.
The film stars returning cast members Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Jordana Brewster, Nathalie Emmanuel and Sung Kang, with Oscar® winner Helen Mirren and Oscar® winner Charlize Theron. F9 also features Grammy-winning superstar Cardi B as new franchise character Leysa, a woman with a connection to Dom’s past, and a cameo by Reggaeton sensation Ozuna.
F9 is produced by Neal H. Moritz, Vin Diesel, Jeff Kirschenbaum, Joe Roth, Justin Lin, Clayton Townsend and Samantha Vincent. www.thefastsaga.com
Here’s something you don’t see everyday… a vintage sketch from Frank Miller of Daredevil and Punisher!
Quentin Tarantino, Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie and the filmmakers showcase the artistry that went into creating this story of an enduring friendship in a time of change. A special look at Quentin Tarantino’s acclaimed 9th movie, #OnceUponATimeInHollywood.
Quentin Tarantino’s ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD visits 1969 Los Angeles, where everything is changing, as TV star Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his longtime stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) make their way around an industry they hardly recognize anymore. The ninth film from the writer-director features a large ensemble cast and multiple storylines in a tribute to the final moments of Hollywood’s golden age.
