Category: Celebs

“Trouble in Mind” (1985) written & directed by Alan Rudolph; starring Kris Kristofferson, Keith Carradine, Lori Singer and Geneviève Bujold / Z-View

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Trouble in Mind (1985)

Director:  Alan Rudolph

Screenplay: Alan Rudolph

Stars: Kris Kristofferson, Keith Carradine, Lori Singer, Geneviève Bujold, Joe Morton, Divine, George Kirby, John Considine, Dirk Blocker, Gailard Sartain, Allan F. Nicholls and Albert Hall.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

As Walter Hill said about Streets of Fire… it takes place in another time and another place.  Trouble in Mind is set in Rain City.

John Hawkins, Hawk to his friends, has just been released from prison.  Hawk did a stretch for murder.  He was a cop who killed a gangster.  It cost Hawk his job and eight years of his life.  But he’d do it again to protect the ones he loves.  These days he hangs out at Wanda’s Cafe as he decides what’s next.

Coop and Georgia are a young couple with a baby named Spike.  They hoped Rain City would provide them a fresh start.  Money is tight despite Georgia getting a job as a waitress at Wanda’s Cafe.  So Coop starts taking jobs for a crook named Solo.  As the money starts coming in Coop begins to believe he’s cut out to be a gangster.

Hawk is attracted to Georgia.  He knows where the path Coop is taking leads. He wants to save Georgia from the heartache.  Georgia is torn.  She loved the man her husband used to be.  She’s got to do what’s best for her and her child.

Coop and Solo’s crimes have put them at odds with another gangster.  Hawk and Coop are also headed for a showdown.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Roger Ebert wrote Trouble in Mind “is a movie that takes place within our memories of the movies.”  After seeing the film, you’ll understand what he meant.  It has all the tropes you’d expect in a neo-noir but with flourishes that work in “another time, another place” or dream settings.

Trouble in Mind (1985) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Duster” (2025) created by J.J. Abrams & LaToya Morgan; starring Josh Holloway, Rachel Hilson and Keith David / Z-View

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“Duster” (2025)

Created by: J. J. Abrams, LaToya Morgan

Teleplay by:

  • (eps. 1; 3) J. J. Abrams & LaToya Morgan
  • (ep. 2) LaToya Morgan & J. J. Abrams
  • (ep. 4) Sue Chung
  • (ep. 5) Lucas Brown Eyes
  • (ep. 6) Matt Lambert
  • (ep. 7) Michael Horowitz
  • (ep. 8) LaToya Morgan

Directed by:

  • Steph Green (eps. 1-2; 5-6)
  • Darren Grant  (eps. 3-4; 7-8)

Stars: Josh Holloway, Rachel Hilson, Asivak Koostachin, Sydney Elisabeth Smith, Benjamin Charles Watson, Camille Guaty, Adriana Aluna Martinez, Greg Grunberg, Evan Jones, Sofia Vassilieva, Jonathan Dixon, Corbin Bernsen, Kevin Chamberlin, Matt Lauria, Gail O’Grady and Keith David.

Tagline: Everyone needs an inside man.

The Plot…

The year is 1972.  Nina Hayes, the F.B.I.’s first Black female agent is assigned to the Phoenix, Arizona office.  There she is expected to keep a low profile and not rock the boat as she works on the Ezra Saxton case.  Saxton is a Black crime kingpin for the area.  Nina thinks she may have an “in” by turning Jim Ellis, Saxton’s getaway driver.

Jim is a trusted family friend of Saxon’s.  In fact Jim’s older brother worked for Saxon as well.  Saxon loved his brother like a son.  When Jim’s brother was murdered, Jim took his spot in the organization.  There’s no way Jim would betray Saxton.

When Nina shares evidence with Jim that Saxton may have been behind his brother’s murder, all bets are off.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Duster is a fun ride.  Josh Holloway is perfect as Jim Ellis. I’m surprised we don’t see Holloway more often in big productions.  Duster was a great, uh, vehicle for his talents.

I’d never seen Rachel Hilson before.  She’s wonderful as the young, outsider set to solve a case.  Hilson and Holloway had great on-screen chemistry.

Keith David is always good.  He’s perfectly cast as Saxon.

Duster features one of the coolest openings before each episode.  Watch for slight changes as the season progresses.  Very clever.  Very fun.

It’s unfortuante that Duster wasn’t renewed for Season 2.  It currently has a 7.2 rating on IMDb.  At Rotten Tomatoes it currently sits with 93% from reviewers and 85% from users of the site.  So people did enjoy Duster.  Sadly, not enough tuned in when it premiered for the greenlight for a second season.

If you haven’t seen Duster, you should give it a try.

“Duster” (2025) earns 4 of 5 stars.

“The Inspector General” (1949) starring Danny Kaye / Z-View

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The Inspector General (1949)

Director:  Henry Koster

Screenplay: Philip Rapp, Harry Kurnitz; Suggested by the play by Nikolai Gogol

Stars: Danny Kaye, Walter Slezak, Barbara Bates, Elsa Lanchester, Gene Lockhart, Walter Catlett, Rhys Williams, Leonard Bremen, Albert Cavens and Alan Hale.

Tagline: We Won’t Tell, Danny!!! But wait till that luscious little lovely finds out you’re not the Inspector General!!!

The Plot…

Georgi, an uneducated but kind-hearted fool, is kicked out of a band of gypsies for revealing that a miracle potion being sold is anything but.  Georgi wanders into the small town of Brodny.

Brodny is governed by a corrupt Mayor who along with his council are making themselves rich at the expense of the town’s citizens.  The Mayor has learned that an Inspector General has secretly been sent to each city by the King.  The Inspector General’s job is to find corruption and make the guilty pay.

The Mayor believes that Georgi is the Inspector General.  Which is all well and good until the REAL Inspector General arrives.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The Inspector General is a fun movie.  Be aware that the film is in the public domain so there are several versions available, some with cut scenes or songs.

The Inspector General (1949) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“Final Score” starring Dave Bautista, Ray Stevenson and Pierce Brosnan / Z-View

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Final Score (2018)

Director:  Scott Mann

Screenplay: David T. Lynch, Keith Lynch, Jonathan Frank

Stars: Dave Bautista, Ray Stevenson, Martyn Ford, Gordon Alexander, Peter Pedrero, Craig Conway, Bill Fellows and Pierce Brosnan.

Tagline: 35,000 lives. 90 minutes. No extra time.

The Plot…

Michael Knox, an ex-U.S. soldier visiting London, takes his teenage niece to a soccer game.  When terrorists take control of the stadium, it is up to Knox to save the day.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

If you said that Final Score sounds like “Die Hard in a Stadium“, you wouldn’t be wrong.  If you said that Final Score sounds like a knock-off of Jean-Claude Van Damme’s Sudden Death you’d be right.

Final Score (2018) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“The Pitt” Season 1 starring Noah Wyle / Z-View

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“The Pitt” (2025)

Created by: R. Scott Gemmill

Teleplay by:

  • (eps. 1-2; 15) R. Scott Gemmill
  • (eps. 3; 12-13) Joe Sachs & R. Scott Gemmill
  • (eps. 4; 9) Noah Wyle
  • (eps. 5; 10; 14) Simran Baidwan
  • (ep. 6) Cynthia Adarkwa
  • (ep. 7) Valerie Chu
  • (ep. 8) Joe Sachs
  • (ep. 11) Elyssa Gershman
  • (ep. 10) Paul Lieberstein

Directed by:

  • John Wells (eps. 1; 15)
  • Amanda Marsalis  (eps. 2; 4; 8; 12)
  • Damian Marcano (eps. 3; 6; 10; 13)
  • John Cameron (eps. 5; 14)
  • Silver Tree (ep. 7)
  • Quyen Tran (ep. 9; 11)

Stars: Noah Wyle, Patrick Ball, Katherine LaNasa, Supriya Ganesh, Fiona Dourif, Taylor Dearden, Isa Briones, Gerran Howell, Shabana Azeez, Amielynn Abellera,
Jalen Thomas Brooks, Brandon Mendez Homer, Kristin Villanueva, Tracy Ifeachor, Joanna Going, Johnath Davis, Brad Dourif and Shawn Hatosy.

Tagline: 15 episodes. 15 hours. 1 shift.

The Plot…

The Pitt follows Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch in real time as he works a major hospital emergency room that is understaffed and overworked.  It is the anniversary of the death of Dr. Robby’s mentor and the first day he has worked it since.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The Pitt was nominated for 13 2025 Primetime Emmy Awards and won 5…

  • Nominee for Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup – Myriam Arougheti, Thomas Floutz, Chris Burgoyne, Martina Sykes for episode “4:00 P.M.”
  • Nominee for Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour) – Todd Grace, Ed Carr, Von Varga, Tami Treadwell for episode “6:00 P.M.”
  • Nominee for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour) – Bryan Parker, Kristen Hirlinger, Vince Tennant, Joshua Adeniji, Roland N. Thai, Lyndsey Schenk, Sam Lewis, Nicholas Kmet, Adam DeCoste, Alex Ullrich for episode “7:00 P.M.”
  • Nominee for Outstanding Contemporary Makeup (Non-Prosthetic) – Merry Lee Traum, Marie-Flore Beaubien, Leesa Simone for episode “7:00 P.M.”
  • Nominee for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series – Joe Sachs for episode “2:00 P.M.”
  • Nominee for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series – R. Scott Gemmill for episode “7:00 A.M.”
  • Nominee for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series – John Wells for episode “7:00 A.M.”
  • Winner for Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series – Cathy Sandrich Gelfond, Erica Berger 
  • Winner for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series – Shawn Hatosy
  • Winner for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series – Katherine LaNasa
  • Winner for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series – Noah Wyle
  • Winner for Outstanding Drama Series – Damian Marcano, Michael Hissrich, R. Scott Gemmill, John Wells, Michelle Lankwarden, Simran Baidwan, Erin Jontow, Amanda Marsalis, Terri Murphy, Cynthia Adarkwa, Noah Wyle, Joe Sachs

Taylor Dearden (Dr Mel King) is Bryan Cranston’s daughter.  She is excellent in this role.

Dr. Cassie McKay and her father Neil McKay are played by real-life daughter and father Fiona and Brad Dourif.

The Pitt was must-see tv for me.

Noah Wyle and Kathernine LaNasa won well deserved Emmys.

“The Pitt” (2025) earns 5 of 5 stars.

THE MAKING OF QUENTIN TARANTINO’S ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD by Jay Glennie is Coming!

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Quentin Tarantino fans are gonna love this.  THE MAKING OF QUENTIN TARANTINO’S ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD by Jay Glennie premieres soon.  Here’s the lowdown…

Legendary filmmaker Quentin Tarantino personally introduces the definitive and official examination of his entire oeuvre with the Quentin Tarantino Library written by Jay Glennie.

In the first book in the series, THE MAKING OF QUENTIN TARANTINO’S ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD, writer Jay Glennie pulls back the curtain on the visionary writer/director/producer’s ninth film, with unprecedented access to the filmmaker, cast, and crew. This epic tome is a stunning and faithful deep dive into the mind of a masterful auteur and a must-have book for all film lovers and Quentin Tarantino fans.

For the first time ever Academy Award winning filmmaker Quentin Tarantino has granted respected journalist and author Jay Glennie unique access revealing the never-before-told behind-the-scenes making of one of the most iconic films of all time, Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood.

Quentin Tarantino personally introduces the volume, as well as providing hundreds of behind-the-scenes photographs, along with production memos, concept art, and costume and production design sketches. There are also exclusive reproductions of letters, studio documents and film ephemera. The result is an account of the monumental effort undertaken to produce Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood and is the official record of how it was achieved, from inception to the world premiere and on to ten Academy Award nominations, resulting in two Oscars.

The book includes new and exclusive interviews undertaken by Jay Glennie with key cast and crew members, including Oscar winning actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt, Oscar nominee Margot Robbie, and the brilliant supporting cast including Oscar winner Mikey Madison, Margaret Qualley, Oscar nominee Austin Butler, Lena Dunham, Kurt Russell, Dakota Fanning, Emile Hirsch, Damian Lewis, Maya Hawke, and Sydney Sweeney.

First book in the series!!

THE MAKING OF QUENTIN TARANTINO’S ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD  Hardcover

THE MAKING OF QUENTIN TARANTINO’S ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD  Kindle

RIP: Drew Struzan

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It was announced that Drew Struzan died yesterday.  Mr. Struzan had dealt with Alzheimer’s disease for may years . Drew Struzan was 78.

Drew Stuzan was born in Oregon City, Oregon.  He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors from the ArtCenter College of Design in Los Angeles.  After graduation Drew Struzan began working for the design studio Pacific Eye & Ear.  During his time there Mr. Struzan designed many record album covers including covers for the Beach Boys, the Bee Gees, Roy Orbison, Black Sabbath, Glenn Miller, Earth, Wind & Fire, and many others.  Perhaps the most famous of Drew Struzan’s album art is Welcome to My Nightmare created for Alice Cooper.

Drew Struzan and a friend decided to start their own company, Pencil Pushers.  In these early days, Mr. Struzan began to get movie poster work, but it was mostly for B-films such as Empire of the Ants.  In 1977, Drew Stuzan was asked to work with Charles White III on a poster for the re-release of Star Wars.  Mr. Struzan painted the human likenesses and Mr. White worked on the spacecraft, robots and Darth Vader.  The poster was a hit.

Drew Struzan was considered by many to be THE go-to guy for a great movie poster.  Steven Spielberg said that Drew Struzan was his favorite artist and “I had to almost live up to the art that we later were going to ask Drew to create for the poster.”  High praise indeed.

Some of the movies that featured posters by Drew Struzan include: Escape to Witch Mountain; Robin and Marian; Harry & Walter Go and New York; Food of the Gods; Futureworld; Car Wash; The Seven-Per-Cent Solution; Tentacles; Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope; Empire of the Ants; The Last Remake of Beau Geste; March or Die; California Suite; The Muppet Movie; The Frisco Kid; Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back; Fame; Oh, Heavenly Dog; Raise the Titanic; All Night Long; Raiders of the Lost Ark; The Cannonball Run; The Great Muppet Caper; The Fox and the Hound; I, the Jury; E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial; The Thing; Blade Runner; Tron; First Blood; The Dark Crystal; The Sting II; The Pirates of Penzance; Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi; Under Fire; Risky Business; To Be or Not to Be; Police Academy; Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom; Ladyhawke; Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment; The Goonies; Back to the Future; Better Off Dead; White Nights; Police Academy 3: Back in Training; Big Trouble in Little China; The Name of the Rose; An American Tail; Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol; Harry and the Hendersons; Adventures in Babysitting; Masters of the Universe; Coming to America; The Land Before Time; Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade; Harlem Nights; All Dogs Go to Heaven; Back to the Future Part II; Back to the Future Part III; Hook; Aladdin; The Muppet Christmas Carol; The Flintstones; Angels in the Outfield; The Mask; The Shawshank Redemption; Mallrats; Cutthroat Island; Mars Attacks; The Lost World: Jurassic Park; Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace; The Green Mile; Harry Potter and the Sorcer’s Stone; Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones; Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets; Hellboy; Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith; War of the Worlds; Pans Labyrinth; The Mist; Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull; This is the End; Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens and Animal Crackers.

I first became aware of Drew Struzan’s art before I even knew who he was.  I saw a drawing of Sly Stallone for First Blood on a paperback cover.  I actually wrote to the publishing company with a self-addressed stamped envelope asking for the name of the artist that did the art.  I held out little hope for a response, but I got one.  Sadly, the person who responded didn’t know the name of the artist.  They did tell me that the company used was Pencil Pushers.  Since this was the days before the internet, I never found where Pencil Pushers was located.  Or that Drew Struzan created the art.  I would learn that later when I like every other movie fan fell in love with his beautiful movie posters.

My favorite Drew Struzan posters are the First Blood paintings he did followed very closely by his artwork for I, the Jury starring Armand Assante.  Thanks to the internet, as well as Drew Struzan’s personal website and his instagram page, we’ve been able to see many pieces of his art that weren’t movie posters.  I love Drew Struzan’s sketches, drawings, commissions and personal work.  There’s always a thrill to see a Drew Struzan piece for the first time.  Like all great artists, the thrill of repeated viewings is always there.

Out thoughts and prayers go out to Drew Struzan’s family, friends and fans.

“The Conversation” (1974) written & directed by Francis Ford Coppola; starring Gene Hackman / Z-View

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The Conversation (1974)

Director:  Francis Ford Coppola

Screenplay: Francis Ford Coppola

Stars: Gene Hackman, John Cazale, Allen Garfield, Frederic Forrest, Cindy Williams, Michael Higgins, Elizabeth MacRae, Teri Garr, Harrison Ford, Mark Wheeler, Ramon Bieri, Gian-Carlo Coppola, Robert Duvall  and Robert Shields.

Tagline: Harry Caul is an invader of privacy. The best in the business. He can record any conversation between two people anywhere. So far, three people are dead because of him.

The Plot…

Harry Caul is an audio recording specialist.  Perhaps the best in the business.  That’s why Harry is hired to secretly record conversations for high priced clients.  Harry says he doesn’t care how the recordings are used once he turns them over.  Truth is Harry feels guilty that some of his recordings may have led to the murders of three people.

When on his current job Harry pieces together muffled audio, the conversation indicates someone is going to be murdered.  Now Harry feels it is his responsibility to stop the killing.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The Conversation was nominated for three 1975 Academy Awards…

  • Nominee for Best Sound – Walter Murch, Art Rochester
  • Nominee for Best Writing, Original Screenplay – Francis Ford Coppola
  • Nominee for Best Picture –Francis Ford Coppola

Francis Ford Coppola’s screenplay for The Conversation, written in 1966, couldn’t get financing until his success with The Godfather.

Harrison Ford’s part was originally written as a cameo.  His character didn’t even have a name.  Ford’s suggestion to play the character as gay (an unusual choice in 1974) and his suggestions to Coppola, led to the part being expanded.

Gene Hackman and Terri Garr would also appear together in Young Frankenstein the same year.

Most folks rate The Conversation higher than me.  It currently has a 7.7 rating on IMDB and on Rotten Tomatoes it has a 94% reviewers rating and 89% users’ rating. So, as always, your mileage may vary.

The Conversation (1974) rates 3 of 5 stars.

PUSH THE WALL: MY LIFE WRITING, DRAWING, AND THE ART OF STORYTELLING by Frank Miller is Coming!

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Frank Miller the genius behind Sin City, 300, The Dark Night Returns, Batman: Year One, Ronin and so many more great comic tales has a new book coming.  Here’s the lowdown…

From the all-time bestselling mind behind Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Daredevil, 300, and Sin City, Push the Wall is part memoir, part master class for budding artists and writers by one of the greatest living creators whose work has influenced pop culture for decades.

Frank Miller is our greatest living comic book writer and artist.

Frank Miller shares his life, and through, his artistic process. Miller’s artistic influence is evident in so very much of our popular culture, perhaps most notably with Batman — every film adaptation from the past forty years has been influenced by Miller’s work with the Dark Knight.

Simply, Frank Miller has transformed the way comics are told.

Here, Frank’s mix of autobiographical lessons evokes Patti Smith’s Just Kids as it weaves his struggles as a seventeen-year-old kid fresh from Vermont into a seedy 1970s New York City with his eventual success on reimagining Daredevil and Wolverine. From there to Miller’s rescue and revitalization of Batman, to his time in Hollywood, the Sin City comics and film adaptations he would codirect, and the retelling of the Spartans’ last stand in 300. Miller, by constantly challenging himself as an artist and writer on his terms, built an iconoclastic career.

With over a dozen illustrations of Miller’s art, PUSH THE WALL is the work of his career—it is a masterclass as it encapsulates his life in sixteen lessons for the aspiring creative reader.

This will be a must-have for aspiring writers and artists, as well as die hard Miller fans.

PUSH THE WALL Hardcover
PUSH THE WALL Kindle

Sly Stallone is The Tulsa King by Rich Hennemann!

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Rich Hennemann is a 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.

For this piece I requested Sly Stallone as Dwight Manfredi from the hit television series Tulsa King.   Rich absolutely nailed it.  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.

“The Paper” (2025) / Z-View

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“The Paper” (2025)

Created by: Greg Daniels, Michael Koman; based on The Office created by Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant

Teleplay by:

  • (eps. 1-2) Greg Daniels & Michael Koman
  • (ep. 3) Patrick Kang & Michael Levin
  • (ep. 4) Amanda Rosenberg
  • (ep. 5) Mo Welch
  • (ep. 6) Eric Rahill
  • (ep. 7) Alex Edelman
  • (ep. 8) Ben Philippe
  • (ep. 9) L.E. Correia
  • (ep. 10) Paul Lieberstein

Directed by:

  • Greg Daniels (ep. 1)
  • Ken Kwapis  (ep. 2)
  • Yana Gorskaya (ep. 3)
  • Paul Lieberstein (ep. 4)
  • Tazbah Chavez (ep. 5)
  • Jason Woliner (ep. 6)
  • Jennifer Celotta (ep. 7)
  • Matt Sohn (ep. 8)
  • Dave Rogers (ep. 9)
  • Jeffrey Blitz (ep. 10)

Stars: Domhnall Gleeson, Sabrina Impacciatore, Chelsea Frei, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Ramona Young, Nancy Lenehan and Oscar Nuñez.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

The documentary crew that followed Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton, Pennsylvania, office has now turned their cameras to The Toledo Truth Teller Newspaper office.  The dying paper has hired a new editor. He has brought in volunteers from Enervate’s (the newspaper’s parent company) other departments to work as reporters.

  • “Pilot”  Ned Sampson is hired as new managing editor of the paper.  Esmeralda Grand, the former acting editor, appears to support Ned.  In reality she wants him gone.  The paper had been running AP items and filler.  Ned wants to publish real news from the community.  He brings in folks from other departments who have no writing experience.

 

  • “The Five W’s”  Ned sends his new “reporters” out to find stories for the first edition of the newspaper under his leadership.  Their efforts produce unintentionally comedic results. As the deadline looms, his reporters’ results include one of his reporters in the hospital, two of his reporters fell for a prank story, another is in jail and the serial killer leads Ned was chasing were caused by his phone calls to the morgue!  With no news to report, how will the first edition come out?

 

  • “Buddy and the Dude”  Esmeralda continues to spread dissent behind the scenes.  Mare, Ned’s best reporter (who he is attracted to) considers taking another job.  In an effort to connect with her (and keep her at the paper), Ned and Mare go undercover on a “big” story that could blow the lid on the mattress business.

 

  • “TTT vs the Blogger”  When high school students get a tour of the newspaper office, it’s obvious the students know more about reporting than the “reporters”.  Worse still, the high school editor has more followers to his blog than the newspaper has subscribers.  This leads to an escalating rivalry between Ned and the school paper’s editor that goes public.
  • “Scam Alert!”  A scammer has been taking financial advantage of lonely Toledo residents.  Ned talks to his team about making this a lead story.  They accidentally learn that Esmeraldo is one of the victims still being scammed.

 

  • “I Love You”  Ned’s idea of a series of consumer reports backfires when his reporters test products with disasterous results.

 

  • “I Love You”  Marv Putnam, CEO of Enervate, the newspaper’s parent company has to set up his office on the newspaper’s floor.  This puts the entire office on edge.

 

  • “Church and State”  When it’s learned that Softees’ “Man Wipes” have caused a major plumbing issue for the city, it’s a story.  But Ned is encouraged to not cover it.  “Man Wipes” are produced by the newspaper’s parent company.  The bad press could kill them.  Ned is torn between doing what’s right and doing what’s right for the company.  Then he comes through like a champ.

 

  • “Matching Ponchos”  Mare and Ned go on the road to investigate a cult.  Miscommunications create tension between the two.  Meanwhile the company takes to the air waves for damage control over the “Man Wipes” incident.

 

  • “The Ohio Journalism Awards”  Against all odds, The Toledo Truth Teller has been nominated for three Ohio Journalism Awards.  The team attend the awards.  Ned is just happy to have been nominated.  Mare is hoping for valedation.  Esmeraldo just wants the spotlight no matter who wins.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The Paper is an nice way to spend 3o minutes.

It’s interesting to note that the lead of The Paper, Domhnall Gleeson co-starred in the limited series The Patient.  Gleeson’s co-star in The Patient was Steve Carell.  Carell was the lead of The Office.  The Paper is a spin-off (of sorts) of The Office.

The Paper (2025) earns 4 of 5 stars.

“Star Trek: Strange New Worlds”: Season 3 (2025) / Z-View

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2025)

Created by: Akiva Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman Jenny Lumet; based on Star Trek created by Gene Roddenberry

Teleplay by:

  • (ep. 1) Davy Perez from a story by Henry Alonso Myers & Davy Perez
  • (ep. 2) Kirsten Beyer & David Reed
  • (ep. 3) Onitra Johnson & Bill Wolkoff
  • (ep. 4) Dana Horgan & Kathryn Lyn
  • (ep. 5) Onitra Johnson & Davy Perez
  • (ep. 6) David Reed & Bill Wolkoff
  • (ep. 7) Kathryn Lyn & Alan B. McElroy
  • (ep. 8) Dana Horgan & Henry Alonso Myers
  • (ep. 9) Alan B. McElroy
  • (ep. 10) Dana Horgan & Davy Perez

Directed by:

  • Chris Fisher (ep. 1)
  • Jordan Canning  (eps. 2, 8)
  • Dan Liu (ep. 3)
  • Jonathan Frakes (ep. 4)
  • Andi Armaganian (ep. 5)
  • Valerie Weiss (ep. 6)
  • Sharon Lewis (ep. 7)
  • Andrew Coutts (ep. 9)
  • Maja Vrvilo (ep. 10)

Stars: Anson Mount, Ethan Peck, Jess Bush, Christina Chong, Celia Rose Gooding, Melissa Navia, Babs Olusanmokun, Martin Quinn, Rebecca Romijn, Dan Jeannotte, Paul Wesley, Adrian Holmes, Melanie Scrofano, Cillian O’Sullivan, Warren Scherer and Carol Kane.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

During Season 3 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Captain Christopher Pike and the crew of the USS Enterprise face more dangerous adventures.

  • “Hegemony, Part II”  Pike leads an attempt to rescue crew members and colonists held captive on a Gorn ship outside of Federation territory.  Meanwhile Spock and Nurse Chapel work to find a cure to save Captain Marie Batel from Gorn eggs implanted in her body.

 

  • “Wedding Bell Blues”  Three months have passed.  The Enterprise is docked for repairs.  Nurse Chapel returns from her internship with Dr. Roger Korby who is now her new boyfriend (much to Spock’s dissapointment).  The next morning Spock awakens to find everyone planning for his and Nurse Chapel’s wedding.  Only Spock and Korby realize reality has changed.

 

  • “Shuttle to Kenfori”  The Gorn DNA in Captain Marie Batel’s body has awakened.  Her only chance for survival lies with a rare flower found on the planet Kenfori.  Because Kenfori is contested by both the Federation and the Klingons, it is off limits to both.  With the Enterprise monitoring from a distance, Pike and Dr. M’Benga go down to the planet to retrieve the flowers.  There they find scientists who’ve transformed into zombies.  When the Klingons discover that the Enterprise, they send down a war party to capture/kill Pike and M’Benga.  With each passing minute the odds of Captain Bartel’s survival diminishes.  Same can be said for Pike and M’Benga with zombies and Klingons out to kill them.

 

  • “A Space Adventure Hour”  La’an Noonien-Singh is directed to test/de-bug a new addition to the Enterprise.  The “holodeck” is a holographic simulator.  La’an decides to run a murder mystery scenario based on a 1960s show called The Last Frontier.  Crew member likeness will be used for the cast.  The holodeck begins draining huge amounts of energy and the test goes off the rails.  La’an is trapped. People are being murdered… or are they?

 

  • “Through the Lens of Time”  On a distant planet Spock, Nurse Chapel, Dr. Korby, Junior Medical Officer Gamble, and Beto (who is documenting the expedition) discover an ancient structure.  When Gamble picks up a glowing object it explodes in his face.  Gamble is transported back to the Enterprise.  Meanwhile Spock and his team become trapped in the ancient building.  There they learn that the structure was a prison — one with no escape.  Back on the Enterprise, Dr. M’Benga’s efforts to save Gamble have failed.  All scans show no brain activity… yet he appears awake.

 

  • “The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail”  When the USS Farragut is attacked by a huge ship of unknown orgin, the ship’s Captain is one of the injured.  James T. Kirk becomes acting Captain for the first time.  The Enterprise arrives to assist. Spock, Nurse Chapel, Lieutenant junior grade Scott, and communications officer Nyota Uhura join to assist Kirk on the Farragut. When the attack ship returns it attacks the Enterprise by draining its power and cutting off all communications.  The Enterprise is doomed unless Kirk can lead his new crew and with a damaged ship figure a way to take out the assault warship.

 

  • “What Is Starfleet?”  A documentary filmmaker has been allowed to travel with the Enterprise.  When Captain Pike is ordered to provide assistance to a non-Federation planet at war with a neighboring planet, the filmmaker begins to aggressively show all of Pike’s decisions/actions in a negative light.  The mission is further complicated when a creature of war being transported on the Enterprise escapes.

 

  • “Four-and-a-Half Vulcans”  In order to save a planet that prohibits humans from landing, Pike, Chapel, Uhura, and La’An undergo changes to their DNA to allow them to pass as Vulcans.  Once the mission is completed, their DNA will be changed back.  During the change they will for all purposes think, act and feel as a Vulcan.  The mission is a success.  When the four return to the Enterprise, they announce that they don’t want to change back to humans.  That would be illogical.

 

  • “Terrarium”  While flying a solo shuttle mission, Ortegas’ craft is pulled through a wormhole. The shuttle crashlands.  Shaken, but alive Ortegas discovers herself on a barren, hostile planet.  But she’s not alone.  A Gorn pilot who suffered the same fate is also there.  Gorn and humans are natural enemies, but in order for both to survive, they will need to trust each other.  Meanwhile the crew attempts to locate the planet where Ortegas crashed.  The Enterprise is on a mission to deliever needed vacines soon or colonists will die.  The clock is ticking.

 

  • “New Life and New Civilizations”  It is revealed that Junior Medical Officer Gamble is dead and an alien is using his body.  The creature has a plan to free others like it from the structure discovered by Dr. Korby, Spock and the landing party some time back.  It will take the power of two star ships and absolutely perfect timing to stop the creature.  But Spock with the help of James T. Kirk has a plan.  At the same time Captain Pike’s love, Marie Bartel makes a decision that will affect both of them for the rest of their lives.  Oh, what could have been.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Ethan Peck, who plays Mr. Spock, is the grandson of actor Gregory Peck.  Ethan Peck is excellent as Spock.

I was a fan of the original Star Trek series, cartoon and movies with the original cast.  I never watched any other Star Trek productions.  So I’m not a die hard fan of everything Star Trek.  Believe me, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is exceptional.  Everything from the production values, the cast, the direction and the music is spot on.  Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is a love letter to everything the original series strived to be.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is perfectly cast.  Anson Mount is perfect in his role, but so are Ethan Peck, Jess Bush, Celia Rose Gooding and Melissa Navia.  The series is well written with each major cast member displaying personality and getting a showcase.  If you’re a fan of the original series there are things that begin in Strange New Worlds that will reverberate in the original series.

In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Season 3 different characters continue to get the spotlight. This season saw a greater focus on humor.  I love Pike as a Captain, but seeing how Spock and Kirk first interacted is a real joy.  It’s also cool that when the focus moves to secondary characters, my interest is still there — Ortega, Nurse Chapel, M’Benga and Nyota Uhura are favorites.

I enjoyed every episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Season 3 and look forward to Season 4.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2025) earns 4 of 5 stars.

Sly Stallone as Barney Ross from “The Expendables” by Andrew Charipar!

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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 Barney Ross from The Expendables!