Previews and Reviews that are Z's Views
I was at MegaCon 2003. I’d never met Rodney Blackwell before. I’d never heard of him. But I liked the art he had on display and decided to get a sketch from him. Rodney’s riff on Jack Carter found a welcome place in my collection.
Con Air (1997)
Director: Simon West
Screenplay: Scott Rosenberg
Stars: Nicolas Cage, John Cusack, John Malkovich, Colm Meaney, Mykelti Williamson, Nick Chinlund, Renoly Santiago, Ving Rhames, Dave Chappelle, Rachel Ticotin, Steve Eastin, Danny Trejo, M.C. Gainey, Landry Allbright, Monica Potter, Brendan Kelly, Jesse Borrego and Steve Buscemi.
Tagline: Buckle Up!
The Plot…
Eight years ago Cameron Poe, a decorated Army Ranger was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter. A drunken thug had attacked Poe and his pregnant wife. Poe accidentally killed the man. Poe has been a model prisoner and is set to be paroled.
Poe is one of the convicts set to board a prison transport plane. Most of the other felons are headed to a supermax prison. They include a serial rapist, an arsonist, a drug lord, a mass murderer, a terrorist, a psycho criminal genius, and a serial killer.
The convicts take over the plane. They murdered to get control. They’ll kill anyone who tries to stop them. It will be up to Poe to see they don’t succeed in their escape.
As the tag line says, “Buckle Up!”
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Con Air was nominated for two 1998 Academy Awards…
Con Air is dedicated to Phil Swartz, an effects specialist who was killed when a rigged plane fell and crushed him.
Con Air is a fun, over-the-top action film. Buckle up and enjoy the ride.
Con Air (1997) rates 5 of 5 stars
Braveheart (1995)
Director: Mel Gibson
Screenplay: Randall Wallace
Stars: Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau, Patrick McGoohan, Angus Macfadyen, Sean Lawlor, James Cosmo, Ralph Riach, Ellen Greene, Brendan Gleeson, Tommy Flanagan and Brian Cox.
Tagline: Every man dies, not every man really lives.
The Plot…
In the year 1280, King Edward 1 of England known as Longshanks conquers Scotland. Longshanks installs Overlords to rule. The people of Scotland have lost their freedom and are treated poorly. William Wallace was just a boy. His father and older brother were killed in the war to keep Scotland free. William was sent away to live with his Uncle.
Now a man, William returns to the village of his birth. He sees firsthand the mistreatment of the Scottish people. William secretly marries his childhood sweetheart. They wed in secret because Longshanks has granted his English Overlords jus primae noctis. This law allows the English rulers the right to have sex with any Scottish female. The Overlords especially like to take advantage of this on the bride’s wedding night.
When pushed too far, William leads the overthrow of the local English ruler. The Scottish people rally around William’s charismatic leadership. Soon he has a small army. After winning several battles, William allows a survivor to live. William tells him, “Go back to England and tell them there that Scotland’s daughters and her sons are yours no more. Tell them Scotland is free.”
Longshanks is unwilling to give up Scotland. He sends his armies to put down the rebellion and kill William Wallace.
All men die, but not all truly live. This is the story of William Wallace
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Braveheart was nominated for ten 1996 Academy Awards and won five…
Braveheart, while fictionalized, does what Gibson intended. It entertains and inspires.
Braveheart (1995) rates 5 of 5 stars
I’ve known Bill Black for over forty years. Bill began his professional comics career in 1969 illustrating horror stories for Warren Publications’ CREEPY and EERIE magazines. Since then Bill worked in advertising and in film production and illustrated comics for Marvel.
Bill’s real claim to fame came when he started AC Comics, one of the first 5 Independent comic book publishers in America and the only one of that group still in business. Over the years Bill has done it all — writer, penciler, inker, painter, publisher. What an amazing career!
I’ve been fortunate to know Bill as a friend. I say fortunate because Bill is one of the most positive, fun people I’ve ever met. Waaay back in 2006, Bill gifted me his take on Sly Stallone as Stanley from Lords of Flatbush. I love it!
My buddy, John Beatty used to host something he called Sketch Society. Artists would get together at different designated spots (donut shops, book stores, etc.) for drawing sessions. Some artists worked on commissions, others work assignments and some just drew for fun.
John whipped up this quick sketch of Sly as Jack Carter for me at a Sketch Society meeting in September 2006. He drew it without any reference. I love the bold lines and use of negative space.
Léon: The Professional (1994)
Director: Luc Besson
Screenplay: Luc Besson
Stars: Jean Reno, Gary Oldman, Natalie Portman, Danny Aiello, Peter Appel, Don Creech, Michael Badalucco, Ellen Greene and Frank Senger.
Tagline: A professional hitman, an innocent witness, a corrupt detective who went too far
The Plot…
Twelve year old Mathilda is about to walk into her family apartment when she realizes something is wrong. So she walks past the door and down to her neighbor Leon’s home. Leon is hesitant but allows Mathilda in.
Leon knew Mathilda came from a dysfunctional household. She lived with her little brother, stepmother and father. Leon and Mathilda learn that her dad was working with drug-dealing DEA agents. When the cooked cops discovered that dad was stealing from them, they decided to make an example of him. Mathilda almost walked in as the cops were killing her father, step-mother and even her little brother.
Mathilda has no one. She begs Leon to take her in. He agrees to let her stay. Mathilda is surprised to learn that her simple-minded neighbor is a professional killer. Mathilda asks Leon to train her. She wants to avenge her little brother. Leon’s apartment contains many weapons. He teaches Mathilda basics about some of them.
While Leon is on a job, Mathilda gathers some of Leon’s guns. She then leaves him a note and heads out to kill the corrupt cops that murdered her little brother. Leon knows that a little 12 year old girl has no hope of surviving a gun battle with trained cops.
But he might.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Jean Reno came up with the idea to play Leon as mentally slow and emotionally repressed. Reno felt that audiences would then better accept that 12 year old Mathilda was safe living with a grown man.
The International version contains more scenes of “awkward sexual tension” than the American release. American test audiences did not like the scenes where Mathilda professes to love Leon. Natalie Portman has said that she’s asked more about this film than any of her other performances. She further stated that Mathilda and Leon’s relationship hasn’t aged well.
Leon is Natalie Portman’s feature film debut.
Keith A. Glascoe played Benny. Glascoe later left acting to become a NY City Fireman. Mr. Glascoe died in the collapse of the World Trade Center towers on Sept. 11, 2001. RIP.
Léon: The Professional (1994) rates 5 of 5 stars
It was announced today that Bobby Sherman died today from stage 4 kidney cancer. Mr. Sherman was 81.
Bobby Sherman was born Robert Cabot Sherman Jr.. His professional career began as a singer when Sal Mineo arranged for the recording of two songs that Mineo had specifically written for Mr. Sherman. Not long after this, Bobby Sherman landed a featured role on the television series Shindig!. This led to more records as well as appearances in teen magazines.
In 1968, Bobby Sherman landed the co-starring role as Jeremy Bolt on the television series Here Come the Brides. It made Bobby Sherman a star. During the show’s run Bobby Sherman received more fan mail than any other star on ABC. Here Come the Brides. ran from 1968 – 1970.
For the rest of his entertainment career Bobby Sherman made records, appeared on television, in two feature films, and live concerts. Although he still made television guest appearances, Bobby Sherman’s career shifted to public service.
Mr. Sherman became a paramedic. He volunteered with the LA Police Department where he taught first aide classes. In the 1990s, Bobby Sherman became an LA Reserve Police Officer. In 1999, Bobby Sherman earned LAPD’s Reserve Officer of the Year Award. Mr. Sherman became a reserve deputy sheriff in 1999 with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department where he continued CPR and emergency training of new deputies.
Some of the television projects that feature Bobby Sherman include: Shindig! (28 episodes); Honey West; The Monkees; The F.B.I.; Here Come the Brides (52 episodes); The Partridge Family; Getting Together (14 episodes); Cade’s County; Mod Squad (2 episodes); Emergency; Ellery Queen; Jigsaw John; The Gossip Columnist; Fantasy Island; The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo; The Love Boat (2 episodes); Murder, She Wrote; Blacke’s Magic; Sanchez of Bel Aire (13 episodes) and Frazier.
Bobby Sherman’s feature film appearances are: Wild in the Streets; He is My Brother and Get Crazy.
As a singer, Bobby Sherman released 107 songs, 23 singles and 10 albums between 1962 and 1976. Mr. Sherman had seven top 40 hits, seven gold singles, one platinum single as well as five gold albums. Bobby Sherman’s biggest top ten hits were Little Woman [#3 in 1969]; La La La (If I Had You) [#9 in 1969]; Julie, Do Ya Love Me [#5 in 1970] and Easy Come, Easy Go [#9 in 1970].
I probably first saw Bobby Sherman when he appeared on The Monkees. Of course I remember him best from his co-starring role on Here Come the Brides. When someone says “teen idol” it is Bobby Sherman that I think of first. He was in all the teen magazines and the girls loved him. He was also one of the few teen idols that the guys didn’t seem to mind.
I always admired that Bobby Sherman gave up the celebrity life for one of public service. He didn’t just talk the talk. Bobby Sherman walked the walk.
Out thoughts and prayers go out to Bobby Sherman’s family, friends and fans.
In the Line of Fire (1993)
Director: Wolfgang Petersen
Screenplay: Jeff Maguire
Stars: Clint Eastwood, John Malkovich, Rene Russo, John Leguizamo, Dylan McDermott, Gary Cole, Fred Thompson, John Mahoney, Sally Hughes, Elsa Raven, Arthur Senzy, Patrika Darbo and Tobin Bell.
Tagline: An assassin on the loose. A president in danger. Only one man stands between them…
The Plot…
November 22, 1963. Frank Horrigan was a young secret service agent hand-picked by President Kennedy to serve on his security detail. That day President Kennedy was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald. The memory still haunts Horrigan.
Nearly 30 years later, Horrigan, nearing retirement is the only active Secret Service agent who was on President Kennedy’s detail the day he was assassinated. Being a secret service agent is a young man’s job.
During an investigation Horrigan finds a wall filled with articles and photographs of infamous assassinations. Included is a cover photo of the current President. A bold red marker has been used to draw a rifle’s crosshairs over the President’s face. Horrigan gets a search warrant and returns. He finds only one photo on the wall. It is of President Kennedy taken on the day he was assassinated. Behind Kennedy stands Horrigan. In the photo, Horrigan’s face has been circled with a bold red marker.
Later Horrigan receives a phone call from a man who identifies himself as “Booth”. Booth says that he is going to kill the President. Booth taunts Horrigan about failing to save President Kennedy. This call will be just the first of the killer’s game. Horrigan knows that this isn’t some crank. The threat to the President is real. What Horrigan doesn’t know is the caller is an ex-CIA assassin with a grudge.
What chance does an aging Secret Service Agent have against a trained assassin?
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
In the Line of Fire was nominated for three 1994 Academy Awards…
Clint Eastwood (at the age of 62) wearing a safety harness actually did hang six stories above the street for one of the scenes.
Speaking of Eastwood’s age, he initially turned down the role. He felt he time had passed to play someone in their early 50’s. Thankfully, Eastwood was wrong and convinced to play the part.
John Malkovich improvised the scene where he puts Eastwood’s gun in his mouth.
In the Line of Fire (1993) rates 5 of 5 stars
Sly Stallone as Jack Carter and Keanu Reeves as John Wick is one of the commissions I got from Dean Beattie when he opened up a commission list. I jumped on board, got this beauty, a Rocky piece, a Rambo head sketch and two of his sketchbooks. If you’d like to see more of Dean’s art you can at his webpage or his Instagram.
Carlito’s Way (1993)
Director: Brian De Palma
Screenplay: David Koepp; based on CARLITO’S WAY and AFTER HOURS by Edwin Torres
Stars: Al Pacino, Sean Penn, Penelope Ann Miller, John Leguizamo, Ingrid Rogers, Luis Guzmán, James Rebhorn, Richard Foronjy, Frank Minucci, Adrian Pasdar, John Ortiz, Al Israel, Rick Aviles, Jaime Sánchez and Viggo Mortensen.
Tagline: In his world, you got to shoot your way out. He wanted out. He’d do anything to get there.
The Plot…
The year is 1975. When Carlito Brigante gets released from prison after serving just five years of a thirty year stretch, he is determined to leave a life of crime behind. Carlito hopes to get back with his ex-girlfriend Gail. Once he has the cash, they’ll retire to the Caribbean.
How hard should it be to walk the straight and narrow?
Carlito’s cousin, Guajiro, asks Carlito to accompany him on a drug deal. Guajiro just wants Carlito there for moral support. It will be an easy exchange. Of course things go south. Guajiro is killed. Carlito shoots his way out with the cash from the drug deal.
Carlito’s buddy Dave Kleinfeld, is the lawyer who used a legal technicality to get Carlito out of prison. Now Dave wants Carlito’s help with some thing not exactly legal. How can Carlito turn him down?
Plus Benny Blanco, a young hotshot gangster wanna-be wants to go into “business” with Carlito. Carlito turns Benny down repeatedly.
Carlito’s dream of a life free of crime in paradise with Gail is put at risk with every move he makes.
Will Carlito’s way become a dream or nightmare?
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Carlito’s Way is based on two novels (CARLITO’S WAY and AFTER HOURS) by Edwin Torres. Torres also wrote the novel Q&A which was the basis for the movie of the same name. Torres, in addition to being a novelist, was a New York State Supreme Court Judge.
Carlito’s Way is based on two novels. Most of the film comes from the second book, AFTER HOURS. The title of the first novel was kept as the title of the movie, mostly to void confusion with Martin Scorsese’s movie After Hours.
When folks think of Al Pacino’s greatest films, they think Godfather I & II, Heat and Dog Day Afternoon. Carlito’s Way should be on that list.
Carlito’s Way (1993) rates 5 of 5 stars
I met Kyle Baker at HeroesCon 2007. I was (and still am) a huge fan of Kyle Baker’s art and comics. You can imagine how happy I was to get Kyle’s take on Sly Stallone as Rocky Balboa.
Predator (1987)
Director: John McTiernan
Screenplay: Jim Thomas, John Thomas
Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Kevin Peter Hall, Elpidia Carrillo, Jesse Ventura, Sonny Landham, Richard Chaves, R.G. Armstrong, Shane Black,
Franco Columbu and Sven-Ole Thorsen.
Tagline: If it bleeds, we can kill it…
The Plot…
A helicopter carrying a diplomat is shot down in a Central American jungle. The CIA sends in Agent Al Dillon to oversee the rescue mission led by Major “Dutch” Schaefer and his team of mercenaries.
Shortly after their drop-off in the jungle, the team finds three skinned corpses strung upside down from a tree. Dutch learns that his team was sent in under false pretenses. Even worse, as the team will soon discover, an alien predator with advanced technology is stalking them.
It wants warrior trophies.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Jean-Claude Van Damme (5’9″) was originally cast as the Predator. It was soon decided that JCVD’s Predator (much shorter than Schwarzenegger and the rest of his squad) was not imposing enough. Kevin Peter Hall (7’2″) ended up playing the Predator.
John McTiernan was chosen to helm Predator after Ridley Scott, James Cameron, John Milius, John Carpenter, Renny Harlin and others turned it down. McTiernan proved to be the right choice.
Kevin Peter Hall can be seen as one of the helicopter pilots at the end of the film. John McTiernan gave him the role as a reward for his performance in the Predator suit.
Shane Black, the actor who plays one of the rescue squad soldiers is better known as the screenwriter for Lethal Weapon and other films.
Both Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jesse Ventura would go on to become state governors in real life.
Predator is a classic.
Predator (1987) rates 5 of 5 stars
Tom Armstrong is the creator/writer/artist of the long-running Marvin cartoon strip. I met Mr. Armstrong way back in 2004 at the Cavalcade of Comics 2nd Annual Benefit to fight Tourette’s Syndrome. Comic’s legend Don Perlin and his wife spearheaded the event.
Tom Armstrong was one of the artists sketching and he did his take on Sly Stallone for me. As Tom was signing it, he added a little Marvin peeking over Sly. How cool is that?
I absolutely love this sketch of Rambo – Stick Fighter by Jason Shawn Alexander. I got it way back in 2003. You could tell Jason was destined for great things.
Die Hard (1988)
Director: John McTiernan
Screenplay: Jeb Stuart, Steven E. de Souza; based on NOTHING LASTS FOREVER by Roderick Thorp
Stars: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Bonnie Bedelia, Reginald VelJohnson, Paul Gleason, De’voreaux White, William Atherton, Hart Bochner, James Shigeta, Alexander Godunov, Andreas Wisniewski, Clarence Gilyard Jr., Lorenzo Caccialanza and Al Leong.
Tagline: High above the city of L.A. a team of terrorists has seized a building, taken hostages and declared war. One man has managed to escape. An off-duty cop hiding somewhere inside. He’s alone, tired… and the only chance anyone has got.
The Plot…
New York City detective John McClane has flown to LA on Christmas Eve. McClane is hoping to get back with with his estranged wife, Holly. But first they have to attend Holly’s work Christmas party at the Nakatomi Towers. Holly’s moving up in the Nakatomi corporation and that’s one of the problems in the McClane marriage.
The party is just getting underway when John arrives. He excuses himself to clean up in one of the company restrooms. Everyone else is gathered together for the party’s kick-off. That’s when a group of heavily armed terrorists led by Hans Gruber busts in. They take everyone at the party hostage. Except for John McClane.
McClane realizes what is happening. He’s alone and unarmed. The terrorists have cut off all communications to/from the tower. When they realize McClane is there, one of the armed terrorists is sent to retrieve him. McClane manages to kill the terrorist. He takes the assassins machine gun and radio.
As the terrorists move forward with their plan (and it ain’t getting a ransom for the Nakatomi party-goers), they begin to hunt for John McClane. Killing him with be a bonus. What chance does one tired off-duty cop have against a band of armed mercenaries?
Yippi-Ki-Yay, mother*******.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Die Hard was nominated for four 1989 Academy Awards…
Die Hard is loosely based on the Roderick Thorp novel NOTHING LASTS FOREVER. A lot was changed for the film. Don’t read the book expecting Die Hard the movie.
Sly Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Robert De Niro, Clint Eastwood, Charles Bronson and many other big name movie stars were offered the role of John McClane. Even Frank Sinatra was courted to play the lead. Everyone asked turned it down. Bruce Willis, a television lead at a time when tv was seen as way below feature films, was paid $5 million to star. In many of the first posters and ads for Die Hard, Willis’ name was not played up. The movie went on to be a hit with audiences and shot Bruce Willis into the top tier of movie actors.
Die Hard features Alan Rickman’s first feature film role. He is perfect as Hans Gruber.
Die Hard was added to the National film registry by the Library of Congress in 2017 for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
Hart Bochner is on point as the smarmy executive that overplays his hand with Hans Gruber.
Die Hard is one of the best action movies ever made. Scratch the word action and the sentence is still true.
Die Hard (1988) rates 5 of 5 stars
