Previews and Reviews that are Z's Views
“Dark Winds” Season 4 starring Zahn McClarnon, Kiowa Gordon, Jessica Matten and Deanna Allison – The Poster and Trailer are Here!
Just when Leaphorn thought he’d seen it all.
#DarkWinds Season 4 premieres February 15 on AMC and AMC+.
“Landman” Season 2 starring Billy Bob Thornton, Ali Larter, Demi Moore, Andy Garcia and Sam Elliott – The Final Poster and Trailer are Here!
“You think you understand how this business works, but you don’t.”
Things are heating up in the final Landman trailer. Season 2 premieres November 16, 2025, only on Paramount+.
#Landman #ParamountPlus
Set in the boomtowns of Texas, Landman (starring Billy Bob Thornton) is a modern tale of fortune seeking amongst roughnecks and billionaires in the world of oil.
Starring: Billy Bob Thornton, Ali Larter, Demi Moore, Andy Garcia and Sam Elliott
Crime 101 starring Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan, and Halle Berry – The Poster and Trailer are Here!
He’s about to break every rule he’s ever lived by.
Watch the trailer for #Crime101 now, starring Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan, and Halle Berry. See the movie only in theaters February 13.
Set against the sun-bleached grit of Los Angeles, Crime 101 weaves the tale of an elusive thief (Chris Hemsworth) whose high-stakes heists unfolding along the iconic 101 freeway have mystified police.
When he eyes the score of a lifetime with hopes of this being his final job, his path collides with a disillusioned insurance broker (Halle Berry) who is facing her own crossroads, forcing the two to collaborate.
Determined to crack the case, a relentless detective (Mark Ruffalo) closes in on the operation, raising the stakes even higher. As the multimillion-dollar heist approaches, the line between hunter and hunted begins to blur, and all three are forced to confront the cost of their choices–and the realization that there’s no turning back.
Adapted from Don Winslow’s acclaimed novella of the same name, the film is written and directed by Bart Layton (American Animals, The Imposter). Barry Keoghan, Monica Barbaro, Corey Hawkins, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Nick Nolte round out the cast.
Yvan Quinet created this alt poster for Conan the Barbarian. Crom!
You can see more of Yvan Quinet’s art at his website and/or his Instagram page.
Source: AMP Posters.
The Naked Gun (2025)
Director: Akiva Schaffer
Screenplay: Dan Gregor, Doug Mand, Akiva Schaffer; based on Police Squad! by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, Jerry Zucker
Stars: Liam Neeson, Pamela Anderson, Paul Walter Hauser, Danny Huston, CCH Pounder, Kevin Durand, Eddie Yu, Moses Jones, Busta Rhymes, Carl Gilliard, Elliott Grey, Wilbur Fitzgerald and Cody Rhodes & Dave “Batista” Bautista.
Tagline: Look out crime he’s fully armed.
The Plot…
“I don’t know who you are. I don’t know what you want. If you are looking for a funny movie, I can tell you The Naked Gun (2025) might fit the bill. Frank Drebin has passed on. But Frank Drebin, Jr. has taken his place and what Frank Jr. does have are a very particular set of skills, skills he acquired over a very long career. Skills that make him a nightmare for audiences like you. If you watch his movie now, that’ll be the end of it. But if you don’t,at some point you will. And it won’t will kill you.”
Naked Gun (2025) might have easily been called Sons of the Police Squad. Each of the lead characters from The Naked Gun movies have passed on and their sons have taken their spots.
Book ’em.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
If you enjoyed Police Squad! and The Naked Gun movies, you should enjoy this outing.
Naked Gun (2025) rates 3 of 5 stars.
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
Teleplay by:
Directed by:
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)
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.
I’d been a fan of Ryan Kelly’s art for some time. When I saw that he was taking mail order commissions, I jumped on board. I requested Sly Stallone as Jack Carter from Get Carter. Kelly killed it. This was my first commission from Ryan Kelly. I hope it’s not my last.
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 poster and trailer for Icefall starring Joel Kinnaman is here!
To Find Redemption, You’ll Have to Break Through.
#IceFallMovie starring Joel Kinnaman is on digital and on demand November 4.
“The Pitt” (2025)
Created by: R. Scott Gemmill
Teleplay by:
Directed by:
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…
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.
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
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)
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…
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.
