Previews and Reviews that are Z's Views
I love Mat Peg’s art. It’s not that just Peg’s so talented. It is also the creativity. Check out the Bounty Law with Cliff Booth (Brad Pit) poster above. What a cool choice to go with the stunt man (Booth) in the middle of a shootout.
Brilliant.
I’ve been a fan Evan Bryce Cranston aka artgantuan’s art for years. I call this piece Just the Boatman… What a great scene with Stallone playing one of his signature characters in 2008’s Rambo.
Laws of Man (2024)
Director: Phil Blattenberger
Screenplay: Phil Blattenberger
Stars: Jacob Keohane, Jackson Rathbone, Dermot Mulroney, Harvey Keitel, Keith Carradine, Richard Brake, Forrie J. Smith, James Urbaniak, Kelly Lynn Reiter, Johnny Hoeft, Greg Kriek, David DeLao, Ashley Gallegos, Alaina Warren Zachary and Graham Greene.
Tagline: No One Is Innocent
The Plot…
1963. US Marshalls Frank Fenton and Tommy Morton are sent to Nevada to bring in some bad hombres. Frank is straight-laced and uptight. His partner, Tommy is younger and hip. While their outlooks on life are different they make a good team. During the course of an assignment to bring in a murderer they stumble on to a conspiracy.
Outgunned and over-their-heads, the pair refuse to back down.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Laws of Man plays out like a low-budget Tarantino movie. Interesting and outlandish characters in over-the-top conflicts and a twist that takes the danger to the extreme. The plot plays out like a fever dream set in 1963.
Jacob Keohane and Jackson Rathbone are excellent as the mismatched US Marshalls. Dermot Mulroney, Harvey Keitel, Keith Carradine and Graham Greene led a supporting cast with the ability to play unbridled scenes straight.
While Laws of Man isn’t a great film, it is a fun one. I enjoyed the characters and outlandish plot… even the twist at the end. As always, your mileage may vary.
Laws of Man (2024) rates 3 of 5 stars.
Andrew Charipar is a Florida artist that I met going to conventions throughout the state. Andrew was always friendly. Getting a sketch at any show Andrew attended was mandatory.
In addition to his work as an artist, Andrew owns and manages Misfit Corner Comics in Jacksonville, Florida.
Here we have Andrew’s take on Sly Stallone as Rocky Balboa from Rocky!
Detective Story (1951)
Director: William Wyler
Screenplay: Robert Wyler, Philip Yordan based on Detective Story (1949 play) by Sidney Kingsley
Stars: Kirk Douglas, Eleanor Parker, William Bendix, Cathy O’Donnell, George Macready, Horace McMahon, Gladys George, Lee Grant, Gerald Mohr, Frank Faylen, Michael Strong, Luis Van Rooten, Bert Freed, Warner Anderson, Grandon Rhodes and Joseph Wiseman.
Tagline: The love story of a man whose wife was more woman than angel!
The Plot…
New York City Detective Jim McLeod has no tolerance for law-breakers. McLeod’s dad was one and it literally drove McLeod’s mother insane. McLeod’s tough on everyone. Everyone except his beautiful wife, Mary.
One night, as other cops work their cases in the station house, McLeod has a breakthrough. The other officers are dealing with shoplifters, burglars and even a potential psycho-rapist. McLeod has been working a case involving Dr. Karl Schneider. Schneider is a black market doctor who is responsible for at least one death.
Dr. Schneider’s lawyer warns McLeod to back off or else. McLeod refuses. He doesn’t know what the lawyer’s threats hold. But he’s going to find out.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Detective Story was nominated for four 1952 Academy Awards…
In the original play, Dr. Schneider’s crimes were explicitly stated. Due to Film Production Codes, in Detective Story they code only be hinted at. Audiences could read between the lines.
Detective Story features Lee Grant’s film debut and she was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance!
Detective Story is one of the best play adaptations I’ve ever seen. Lee Grant is superb. William Bendix is always awesome. Kirk Douglas was the perfect choice to play the hard-nosed Detective McLeod.
Detective Story (1951) rates 5 of 5 stars.
Vertigo (1958)
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Screenplay: Alec Coppel, Samuel Taylor; based on D’entre les morts by Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac
Stars: James Stewart, Kim Novak, Barbara Bel Geddes, Tom Helmore, Henry Jones, Ellen Corby, Konstantin Shayne, Lee Patrick, John Benson, Paul Bryar and Raymond Bailey.
Tagline: Somewhere…Somehow – He’d Loved and Killed That Self-Same Girl Before!
The Plot…
San Francisco Detective John “Scottie” Ferguson and a patrol cop are in a rooftop chase of a wanted man. The chase, high above the city, goes from building to building. When Scottie falls short on a jump, he barely grabs hold of a gutter. As Scottie begins to slip to a sure death, the cop eases down to assist. The cop makes a misstep and plummets to his death.
Scottie survives but is traumatized from his near fall. Scottie’s vertigo and fear of heights is so bad he retires from the force.
Gavin Elster, a college buddy that Scottie hasn’t seen in years, reaches out. Elster is worried about his wife Madeline’s recent strange behavior. He wants Scottie to follow her to see what’s up.
Scottie trails Madeline for days. He discovers she’s obsessed with a woman named Carlotta Valdes who committed suicide in 1857. Elster becomes worried that Madeline may believe she is possessed by Carlotta’s spirit. Worse still, Madeline may commit suicide herself.
The next day Scottie follows Madeline all over town. She ends up at the San Francisco Bay where she jumps in. She is drowning when Scottie pulls her out. Madeline has no memory of the places she’s been or her attempt to kill herself. Scottie has become infatuated with Madeline. They begin spending time together… and she falls in love with him.
One day Madeline tells Scottie about a nightmare she had. The setting was at the Mission San Juan Bautista. It was Carlotta’s childhood home. They decide to drive there. Once there Madeline breaks away from Scottie. She runs to the church’s bell tower and heads up. Scottie attempts to follow, but his vertigo and fear of heights slows him down. He isn’t to the top when he sees and hears Madeline fall to her death.
Scottie is devestated. He was unable to save the woman that he loved.
Time passes. One day Scottie is in the city. Across the way he spots a woman who looks like Madeline. It’s not the first time it has happened. But this time is different. Although there are subtle differences the woman could pass as Madeline. Scottie makes a point to meet her. He’s obsessed with winning her over.
Scottie has no idea what he is in for.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Vertigo was nominated for two 1959 Academy Awards…
San Juan Bautista, the Spanish mission doesn’t have a bell tower; it was added with trick photography.
Alfred Hitchcock is one of my all-time favorite directors and many consider Vertigo to be his masterpiece. While I am a huge fan of the movie, their are other Hitchcock films I prefer. Your mileage may vary.
Vertigo (1958) rates 4 of 5 stars.
Check out this cool alt Pulp Fiction poster by Nino Cammarata.
The Twilight Zone is one of my all-time favorite shows. It raised the bar for what good television could be.
Al Abbazia is a fan as well. Abbazia created the poster above. I’m sure it would make Rod Serling proud. It’s cool that my two favorite TZ episodes got the top two spots on Abbazia’s print. You can see more of Al Abbazia’s art here.
Check out Steven 🇱🇺‘s Rocky Balboa! “Yo! He did it!”
Rambo: First Blood, Part II is one of my all-time favorite movies. It deserves a new bad ass poster. Yvan Quinet must have agreed because he created one.
You can see more of Yvan Quinet’s art at his website and/or his Instagram page.
“Task: Season 1” (2017)
Created by: Brad Ingelsby
Teleplay by:
Directed by:
Stars: Mark Ruffalo, Emilia Jones, Fabien Frankel, Thuso Mbedu, Silvia Dionicio, Ben Lewis Doherty, Tom Pelphrey, Alison Oliver, Sam Keeley, Martha Plimpton, Stephanie Kurtzuba, Raúl Castillo and Jamie McShane.
Tagline: Every force has its equal.
The Plot…
Tom Brandis hasn’t fully recovered from his wife’s murder at the hands of their adopted son. When a series of violent drug house robberies continue, Tom is called back to duty. Tom will lead a cross-agency task force made up of county Detective Anthony Grasso, State Trooper Lizzie Stover and city detective Aleah Clinton. What Brandis doesn’t know is there is a traitor among them.
The drug houses taken down are run by the Dark Hearts biker gang. The Dark Hearts are notorious for their brutality. Perry Dorazo, the Dark Hearts Chapter President is getting heat because of the robberies. Dorazo wants the thieves caught so he can make an example of them.
Unknown to either Brandis’ task force or the Dark Hearts, the robberies are the work of Robbie Prendergrast and his friend Cliff Broward. Robbie’s wife left him a year ago. Before he started the robberies. Robbie needs the cash to support his two young children as well as his dead brother’s daughter. Robbie and Cliff aren’t criminal masterminds. They’ve been lucky with inside information.
Then their luck runs out.
During a drug house robbery, an unexpected biker shows up. A gunfight ensues. Robbie and Cliff survive. A friend they brought along to assist is killed. So are three Dark Hearts. Robbie and Cliff are about to leave with the cash when the young son of one of the murdered bikers walks in. Refusing to kill a child, they take the kid, the drugs and the cash.
The murders and kidnapping are all over the news. The heat is on Brandis’ task force to resolve the case. The Dark Hearts have made finding Robbie and Cliff top priority. Robbie and Cliff know their time is running out. They need to fence the drugs. They’ll then use the cash to get far away with the kids.
It’s now a race. Will Robbie and Cliff escape? If they Dark Hearts get to them first, they will suffer a slow tortuous death. If the task force captures them, it’ll be prison and the Dark Hearts will still get to them.
The clock is ticking.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Task is well done. It’s got interesting subplots and twists that will keep the viewer on edge.
Mark Ruffalo has never been better. Jamie McShane is always excellent.
I look forward to season 2.
“Task: Season 1” (2025) earns 4 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.
Heading in to October each year, Rich takes sketch suggestions. He then picks one a day to draw. The person who suggested the piece has first dibs. I sugested Sly Stallone from Cop Land and it was picked for the 20th. Of course I purchased the piece. I couldn’t be more pleased. There will be more art from Rich in my future. If you’re a sketch collector, you owe it to yourself to get a piece as well.
When folks talk about the great films of Stanley Kubrick, one that doesn’t get mentioned enough is The Killing. It’s not only one of my favorite Kubrick movies, it’s one of my all-time favorites.
The Killing is also a favorite of Rich Davies. Davies created the very cool alt poster above. It also comes in a color variant, but I prefer the mono one myself. You can check out more of Davies’ art here.
“Loudermilk: Season 1” (2017)
Created by: Peter Farrelly & Bobby Mort
Teleplay by:
Directed by:
Stars: Ron Livingston, Will Sasso, Anja Savcic, Brian Regan, Jackie Flynn, Timothy Webber,
Ricky Blitt, Tyler Layton-Olson, Viv Leacock, Sam Bob, Laura Mennell, Eric Keenleyside and Danny Wattley.
Tagline: None.
The Plot…
Sam Loudermilk was once a popular music critic. Now Sam is a recovering alcoholic and substance-abuse group leader. Sam has a good heart, but an acid tongue. He doesn’t hesitate to give his opinions on the absurd things/people he comes in contact with. Sam’s best friends are his roomate, Ben (also a recovering alcoholic) and the regulars that attend his group sessions.
In season one Sam deals with…
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
I just discovered Loudermilk this year. I don’t know how it flew under the radar. The series is funny and has heart. The supporting cast is a hoot. If you enjoy a fun 30 minute sitcom, give Loudermilk a shot.
“Loudermilk: Season 1” (2017) earns 4 of 5 stars.
In First Blood, Sylvester Stallone did something you seldom see action stars do. He showed that John Rambo wasn’t just a strong, fearless fighting machine. Sly gave Rambo heart. Feelings. And provided audiences with an emotional scene many stars wouldn’t want to do. It was a showcase for Stallone’s bravery and acting range.
Yvan Quinet has beautifully captured the moment in a piece he calls “Despair”. It is available as a limited edition fine art Giclee print in two sizes.
You can see more of Yvan Quinet’s art at his website and/or his Instagram page.
