Category: Celebs

“Curse of the Demon” (1957) directed by Jacques Tourneur, starring Dana Andrews, Peggy Cummins and Niall MacGinnis / Z-View

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Curse of the Demon (1957)

Director: Jacques Tourneur

Screenplay: Charles Bennett, Hal E. Chester based on Casting the Runes in MORE GHOST STORIES OF AN ANTIQUARY By M. R. James

Stars: Dana Andrews, Peggy Cummins, Niall MacGinnis, Maurice Denham, Reginald Beckwith.

Tagline: Who will be the next in line to defy the curse?

The Plot…

Dr. John Holden (Andrews) arrives in London to attend a paranormal and psychic phenomena convention.  Holden’s friend, Professor Harrington is set to expose  Dr. Julian Karswell (MccGinnis) as a fraud.  Shortly before the convention is to begin Professor Harrington is found dead in his car on a remote road.  The cause of death is listed as electrocution.

Dr. Holden is approached by colleagues of Professor Harrington.  They believe that Karswell was behind Harrington’s death.  Holden is skeptical.  At Professor Harrington’s funeral, he meets the Professor’s niece, Joanna (Cummins).  Joanna shares her uncles’s diary with Holden.  It describes Karswell’s power over the black arts.  Holden is skeptical.

Holden is openly skeptical when he meets Karswell.  Even after Karswell gives a demonstration of his power, Holden brushes it off.  Karswell is insulted and tells Holden he will die within three days.

When Holden learns the truth it is too late.  Someone will face the curse of the demon, but how can Holden make sure it’s not him?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I’ve always liked Curse of the Demon.  I’ve found that I enjoy it more with each viewing.  It’s a smart, psychological thriller with a great payoff.

Niall MacGinnis steals the show as Dr. Julian Karswell.

Kudos to director Jacques Tourneur for creating a stylish thriller in what could have been a 1950s drive-in monster movie.

In England, the country where the film was made, it was titled Night of the Demon and the running time was 13 minutes longer.

Martin Scorsese has listed Curse of the Demon as one of his favorite films.

Curse of the Demon (1957) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“The Bikeriders” (2023) starring Jodie Comer, Austin Butler and Tom Hardy / Z-View

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The Bikeriders (2023)

Director: Jeff Nichols

Screenplay: Jeff Nichols, based on THE BIKERIDERS by Danny Lyon

Stars: Austin Butler, Jodie Comer, Tom Hardy, Michael Shannon, Mike Faist, Boyd Holbrook, Damon Herriman, Beau Knapp, Emory Cohen, Toby Wallace, Happy Anderson, Paul Sparks, Paul Dillon and Norman Reedus.

Tagline: Freedom belongs to the fearless.

The Plot…

The history of the Vandals Motorcycle Club laid out through stories told by Kathy Bauer (Comer) to a photographer planning a book.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

It’s interesting to see how the Vandals Motorcycle Club morphed from a small bikeriders outfit into a motorcycle gang with chapters throughout the country.  It became so big that those that started the club could no longer control it.

The Vandals are a real motorcycle club.

Tom Hardy and Judy Comer are standouts in an excellent cast.

The Bikeriders (2023) rates 3 of 5 stars.

Scandals! Then & Now (1998) / Z-View

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Scandal! Then & Now (1998) 

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Scandal! Then & Now explores six scandals that shocked the world…

  • Resurrection in LA: The Disappearance of Aimee Semple McPherson.  Aimee Semple McPherson, founder of the Foursquare Church and one of the first evangelists to use radio to spread the word was world famous.  Her sermons and faith healing drew thousands.  When McPherson went swimming one day and disappeared, it was thought she drowned.  The world mourned. Then weeks later, McPherson reappeared saying she had been kidnapped.  But the facts didn’t add up…
    Written and directed by Simcha Jacobovici and David Harel.
  • Silenced Star: The Rise and Fall of Fatty Arbuckle.
    Written and directed by Tim Wolochatiuk
  • Unspoken Lies: George and Viola McMillan and the Windfall Mine Fraud.
    Written and directed by Simcha Jacobovici
  • Brothers in Blood: Leopold and Loeb.
    Written and directed by Tim Wolochatiuk
  • Southern Knights: The Murder of Mary Phagan and the Lynching of Leo Frank.
    Written and directed by Yuval Daniel
  • Crossing the Line: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson, the First Black Champion Boxer
    Written and directed by Roger Pyke

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I enjoyed the series.  I was aware of the Aimee Semple McPherson, Fatty Arbuckle, Leopold and Loeb and Jack Johnson scandals.  Still it was interesting to revisit them.  The Viola McMillan and the Windfall Mine Fraud and the  Murder of Mary Phagan and the Lynching of Leo Frank scandals were new to me.

Scandal! Then & Now (1998)  rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Armor” starring Jason Patric and Sylvester Stallone – The Trailer is Here!

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Armor starring Jason Patric and Sylvester Stallone – The Trailer is Here!

Oscar nominee Sylvester Stallone and Jason Patric star in an action-packed, thriller about the lengths one man will go to save what’s left of his family and reclaim his own life. James and his son Casey are armored truck drivers tasked with delivering a suspicious package. After a violent ambush on the road, James and Casey are trapped until they discover the value of what they have been carrying and join forces to outgun and outwit their attackers.

The cast also includes Dash Mihok, Josh Wiggins, Blake Shields, and Erin Ownbey. Lionsgate will release the Justin Routt-directed action film in theaters and on digital and On Demand on November 22, 2024.

“Planet Terror” (2007) written & directed by Robert Rodriguez, starring Rose McGowan, Freddy Rodríguez, Josh Brolin and Bruce Willis / Z-View

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Planet Terror (2007)

Director: Robert Rodriguez

Screenplay: Robert Rodriguez

Stars: Rose McGowan, Freddy Rodríguez, Josh Brolin, Marley Shelton, Jeff Fahey, Michael Biehn, Rebel Rodriguez, Naveen Andrews, Julio Oscar Mechoso, Fergie, Nicky Katt, Tom Savini, Carlos Gallardo, Quentin Tarantino, Michael Parks, Danny Trejo, Cheech Marin, Zoë Bell, Robert Rodriguez and Bruce Willis.

Tagline: Humanity’s last hope… rests on a high power machine gun!

The Plot…

When an experimental military gas is accidentally released outside a small town, those exposed, after a short incubation period, turn into zombies.  The first sign of a problem occurs when the hospital gets an influx of victims.  Some show signs of being bitten, while others suffer from huge boil-like pustules.  Then all hell breaks loose as the infected become mindless zombies.

Meanwhile at other locations, zombies are attacking.  As people become aware, they seek shelter and plan for survival.  A stripper (McGowan), her ex-boyfriend Wray (Rodriguez), J.T. Hauge (Fahey) and his brother Sheriff Hague (Biehn) and others find themselves working together to survive.

Then they discover that the zombies aren’t their only problem.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino teamed to create a “double feature” known as Grindhouse.  Rodriguez directed Planet Terror.  Tarantino’s effort was Death Proof.  The idea was to make their films appear to have been made in the 1970s for drive-in theaters.  The films have scratches, 1970s style previews, drive-in “let’s go to the lobby” type ads and more.

Michael Parks played Sheriff Earl McGraw in four movies: From Dusk Till Dawn (1996); Kill Bill Volume 1 (2003); Kill Bill Volume 2 (2004) and Planet Terror (2007).

Planet Terror (2007) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Elevation” starring Anthony Mackie – The Full Trailer is Here!

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Here we have the full trailer to Elevation starring Anthony Mackie.

Deal me in.

Set in the post-apocalyptic Rocky Mountains, a single father and two women venture from the safety of their homes to face monstrous creatures to save the life of a young boy.

Starring: Anthony Mackie, Morena Baccarin, Maddie Hasson
Directed by: George Nolfi
Release Date: Exclusively in Theaters, November 8th

RIP: John Amos

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Yesterday it was announced that John Amos died of natural causes on on August 21, 2024, at the age of 84.

John Amos graduated from Colorado State University with a degree in sociology.  While in college, Mr. Amos played football and was a Golden Gloves boxer.  After graduating college, John Amos played semi-pro football.  He was signed as a free agent by the Denver Broncos but an injury on the second day of training camp brought about his release.  He went back to semi-pro ball.  Three years later Mr. Amos was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs, but was cut before the season began.

Since a pro football career didn’t work out, John Amos decided to give acting a try.  He began to get work guesting on television programs and small parts in feature films.  John Amos’ breakout role came as John Evans, Sr. on Good Times.  Mr. Amos’s career lasted over 50 years.  He acted on television, feature films and Broadway.

Some of John Amos’ awards and honors include…

  • 1977 Primetime Emmy Award nominee – Outstanding Lead Actor for a Single Appearance in a Drama or Comedy Series: Roots for playing “Toby”. For episode: “Part V”.
  • 1993 CableAce Awards nominee – Actor in a Dramatic Series for Without a Pass; Televised as “Showtime 30-Minute Movie: Without a Pass”

Television projects that feature John Amos include: The Bill Cosby Show; The Tim Conway Comedy Hour (11 episodes); The Funny Side (6 episodes); The New Dick Van Dyke Show; Love American Style (2 episodes); Sanford and Son; The President’s Plane is Missing; Maude (3 episodes); Good Times (61 episodes); Police Story; Roots (3 episodes); The Mary Tyler Moore Show (13 episodes); Future Cop (7 episodes); Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story; The Love Boat; The A-Team; Hardcastle and McCormick; Trapper John; Hunter (13 episodes); One Life to Live (2 episodes); Murder, She Wrote; Stingray; Beauty and the Beast; The Cosby Show; 704 Hauser (6 episodes); Touched by an Angel; The Fresh Prince of Bel-Aire (3 episodes); Martin; Walker, Texas Ranger; In the House (12 episodes); The Rockford Files: Shootout at the Golden Panda; King of the Hill; The Outer Limits; The District (10 episodes); All About the Andersons (16 episodes); West Wing (22 episodes); Psych; Men in Trees (27 episodes); My Name is Earl; Two and a Half Men (3 episodes); 30 Rock; The Ranch (4 episodes) and Ballers (2 episodes).

Feature films that John Amos appeared in include: Vanishing Point; Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song;  The World’s Greatest Athlete; Let’s Do It Again; The Beastmaster; American Flyers; Coming to America; Lock Up; Die Hard 2; Ricochet; Madea’s Witness Protection; Uncut Gems and Coming 2 America.

I probably first saw John Amos first in one of his television guest appearances or The World’s Greatest Athlete.  Of course once Good Times began airing, like most of America, I became a John Amos fan.  I loved seeing Mr. Amos pop up in television roles and movies.  Favorite performances include those in  Good Times; The Mary Tyler Moore Show; Lock Up; Die Hard 2; West Wing and Two and a Half Men.  Any time John Amos was in the credits, I knew the production was going to better because of his appearance.

Out thoughts and prayers go out to John Amos’ family, friends and fans.

“Untold: The Murder of Air McNair” (2024) / Z-View

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Untold: The Murder of Air McNair (2024)

Director: Rodney Lucas, Taylor Alexander Ward

Stars: Steve McNair.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Steve “Air” McNair had a wonderful NFL career.  McNair was the third player chosen in the first round.  He played for 12 years.  McNair was an all-pro, a passing leader and very wealthy.  McNair was married with two sons (and two sons from relationships before he was married).  At the age of 35, Steve McNair retired with a family farm in Mississippi and a restaurant he owned in Nashville.

Life should have been great.

On July 4, 2009, Steve McNair was found dead in his Nashville apartment.  He has been shot multiple times. Next to him, also dead from a gunshot wound was Sahel “Jenni” Kazemi.  McNair and Kazemi had been involved in an affair.  The person who found the two didn’t call 911 straight away.  He needed to do some things first.

When the police finally got the call the investigation ruled it a murder/suicide.  But was it?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

If you’re looking for a one and done murder documentary, this might fit the bill.  It clocks in at 57 minutes.

Untold: The Murder of Air McNair (2024) rates 3 of 5 stars.

RIP: Pete Rose

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Pete Rose died yesterday.  No cause of death was given.  Mr. Rose was 83.

Pete Rose played professional baseball for 23 years…

  • Cincinnati Reds (1963–1978)
  • Philadelphia Phillies (1979–1983)
  • Montreal Expos (1984)
  • Cincinnati Reds (1984–1986)
    As manager for the Cincinnati Reds (1984–1989)

Pete Rose’s Honors and Awards…

  • 17 time All-Star Team (1965, 1967–1971, 1973–1982, 1985)
  • 3 time World Series champion (1975, 1976, 1980)
  • National League Most Valuable Player (1973)
  • World Series Most Valuable Payer (1975)
  • National League Rookie of the Year (1963)
  • 2 time Gold Glove Award (1969, 1970)
  • Silver Slugger Award (1981)
  • Roberto Clemente Award (1976)
  • 3 time National League batting champion (1968, 1969, 1973)
  • Cincinnati Reds retired his No. 14
  • Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame
  • Major League Baseball All-Century Team

Pete Rose holds Major League Baseball records for…

  • Hits: 4,256
  • Games Played: 3,562
  • At-Bats: 14,053
  • Singles: 3,215

For all of these achievements and records that he still holds, Pete Rose is not in Baseball’s Hall of Fame.  The reason: Pete Rose bet on baseball.  Although he denied allegations, there was enough evidence to support the charges.  Pete Rose was banned from baseball and made ineligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Mr. Rose finally admitted admitted that in addition to betting on horse racing, basketball and other things, he did bet on baseball.  Pete Rose claimed that he only bet on his team to win.  Still baseball players are not allowed to bet on baseball.  So Pete Rose was made ineligible for the Hall of Fame, despite many requests for reconsideration over the years.

I had always hoped that Pete Rose would make it into the Hall of Fame during his life.  You would think that these days where every sporting event has commercials for legalized betting and Major League Baseball is entering partnerships with sports betting services, the attitude toward Mr. Rose would have changed.  I am not in any way defending Pete Rose’s lying about betting.  Nor am I saying that he shouldn’t have faced a severe penalty for violating baseball’s rules against betting.  What I am saying is, Pete Rose belongs in the Hall of Fame.

When I was a little kid growing up in Terre Haute, Indiana, the Cincinnati Reds were my favorite team.  I loved watching Pete Rose play.  He always gave it his all more than earning the nickname Charlie Hustle. Pete Rose was still playing and at the top of his game when I graduated high school and headed into college.  What a career!

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Pete Rose’s family, fans and friends.

Clint Eastwood’s Five Best Films (According to Craig)

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Clint Eastwood has 73 credits on his acting resume.  Picking his top five film performances isn’t an easy task.  Depending on my mood, there could even be some changes.  With that said, these are my choices for his five best (in alphabetical order)…

  • Dirty Harry (1971) directed by Don Siegel.  Eastwood’s best known character and the movie that started the Dirty Harry franchise.  

 

  • Good, the Bad and the Ugly, The (1966) directed by Sergio Leone.  The third and best of the trio of Leone/Eastwood westerns.  The final film in the Man With No Name franchise.

 

  • In the Line of Fire (1993) directed by Wolfgang Peterson.  Eastwood played aging secret service agent Frank Horrigan who is taunted by a former CIA agent out to kill the President.  

 

  • Outlaw Josey Wales, The (1976) directed by Clint Eastwood.  There are days I consider this Eastwood’s best western.  Yeah, I know… 

 

  • Play Misty for Me (1971) directed by Clint Eastwood.  What a year Eastwood had in 1971.  Play Misty for Me released in November and in December we got Dirty Harry!

“Gilbert” (2017) starring Gilbert Gottfried / Z-View

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Gilbert (2017)

Director: Neil Berkeley

Screenplay: Neil Berkeley, James Leche

Stars: Gilbert Gottfried, Joy Behar, Richard Belzer, Lewis Black, Bill Burr, Dick Van Dyke, Jim Gaffigan, Whoopi Goldberg, Penn Jillette, Richard Kind, Artie Lang, Jay Leno, Howie Mandel, Patton Oswalt and Arsenio Hall.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Gilbert takes us behind the scenes to show us the quirky comedian’s lifestyle.  We learn about his family, his idiosyncrasies, the reason he busted out The Aristocrats joke a Hugh Hefner’s roast, the joke that got Aflec to fire him and more.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I’ve always enjoyed Gilbert Gottfried in small doses.  This documentary helps fans and non-fans to better understand Gottfried’s humor.  Early in his career Gottfried didn’t work blue (use dirty words) but over the years morphed into a foul mouthed, dirty joke king.  It always amazed me that didn’t hurt the work he got for kids’ movies.

Gilbert (2017) rates 4 of 5 stars.

RIP: Kris Kristofferson

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Kris Kristofferson died peacefully at his home on September 28, 2024.  Mr. Kristofferson was 88.  No cause of death was given.

After graduating high school Kris Kristofferson enrolled in Pomona College in California.  He hoped to become a writer.  Mr. Kristofferson excelled in football, rugby, as well as track and field while at Pomona.  Because of his athletic prowess, Kris Kristofferson was featured in the March 31, 1958 edition of Sports Illustrated.  Mr. Kristofferson graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in literature.

Kris Kristofferson was then awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to the University of Oxford.  While there he achieved honors in rugby and boxing.  It was at this point that Mr. Kristofferson began writing and recording songs with Top Rank Records under the name Kris Carson.  Due to the lack of success with this venture, Mr. Kristofferson enlisted in the U.S. Army.

While in the service Mr. Kristofferson completed Ranger school, became a helicopter pilot and earned the rank of Captain.  He also continued performing with a band when possible.  When his enlistment was coming to an end, Mr. Kristofferson was given the opportunity to teach at West Point.  He instead opted to leave the service and move to Nashville.

Kris Krisofferson continued to work at odd jobs and later as a helicopter pilot while he pursued a music career.  Within a few years singers such as Ray Stevens, Jerry Lee Lewis and Roger Miller began recording Mr. Kristofferson’s songs.  Mr. Kristofferson also got his own recording contract.  In 1971, Kris Kristofferson’s album Me & Bobby McGee became a hit.  It was also the same year that Mr. Kristofferson made his feature film debut.  For the remainder of his career, Kris Kristofferson performed as a singer, song writer, as well as an actor in feature films and television.

Kris Kristofferson’s awards and honors include…

  • 1970 CMA winner – Song of the Year for “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down”
  • 1972 Grammy Awards nominee – Best Country Song for “Me And Bobby Mc Gee”
  • 1972 Grammy Awards nominee – Best Country Song for “For The Good Times”
  • 1972 Grammy Awards nominee – Song of the Year for “Me And Bobby Mc Gee”
  • 1972 Grammy Awards nominee – Song of the Year for “Help Me Make It Through The Night”
  • 1972 Grammy Awards winner – Best Country Song for “Help Me Make It Through The Night” Sammi Smith
  • 1973 CMA nominee – Song of the Year for “Why Me Lord”
  • 1974 Grammy Awards nominee – Best Country Song for “Why Me”
  • 1974 Grammy Awards nominee – Best Country Vocal Performance, Male for “Why Me”
  • 1974 Grammy Awards winner – Best Country Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for “From The Bottle To The Bottom”; shared with: Rita Coolidge
  • 1975 Grammy Awards nominee – Best Country Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for “Loving Arms”; shared with: Rita Coolidge
  • 1976 Grammy Awards winner – Best Country Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for “Lover Please”; shared with: Rita Coolidge
  • 1977 Golden Globe Awards winner – Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical for A Star Is Born
  • 1985 Academy Awards nominee –  Best Music, Original Song Score for Songwriter
  • 1985 CMA nominee – Music Video of the Year for The Highwaymen: Highwayman shared with: Johnny Cash · Willie Nelson · Waylon Jennings · Peter Israelson
  • 1985 CMA nominee – Single of the Year for “Highwayman” shared with: Willie Nelson · Waylon Jennings · Johnny Cash
  • 1986 Grammy Awards nominee – Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for “Highwayman”; shared with: Willie Nelson · Johnny Cash · Waylon Jennings
  • 1990 CMA nominee – Vocal Event of the Year for “Highwaymen” shared with: Waylon Jennings · Johnny Cash · Willie Nelson
  • 1991 CMA nominee – Vocal Event of the Year for “Highwaymen” shared with: Waylon Jennings · Johnny Cash · Willie Nelson
  • 1991 Grammy Awards nominee – Best Country Vocal Collaboration for “Highwayman 2” shared with: Johnny Cash · Willie Nelson · Waylon Jennings
  • 2004 Country Music Hall of Fame
  • 2012 CMA nominee – Musical Event of the Year for “Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die” shared with: Jamey Johnson · Willie Nelson · Snoop Dogg
  • 2014 Grammy Awards winner – Lifetime Achievement Award
  • 2017 Grammy Awards nominee – Best Americana Album for “The Cedar Creek Sessions”

Television projects that feature Kris Kristofferson include: Freedom Road; The Lost Honor of Kathryn Beck; The Last Days of Frank and Jesse James; Stagecoach; Amerika (7 episodes); The Tracker; The Larry Sanders Show; Dead Man’s Gun; Two for Texas; Dead Man’s Gun (narrator; 44 episodes); Where the Red Fern Grows; The Break; Lives of the Saints and Texas Rising (5 episodes).

Feature films that Kris Kristofferson appeared in include: The Last Movie; Cisco Pike; Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid; Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia; Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore; The Sailor Who Fell From Grace with the Sea; Vigilante Force; A Star is Born; Semi-Tough; Convoy; Heaven’s Gate; Songwriter; Trouble in Mind; Big Top Pee-Wee; Mellennium; Lone Star; Fire Down Below; Blade; Payback; Planet of the Apes; Eye See You; Blade II; Blade Trinity and The Jacket; Dreamer.

I probably first saw Kris Kristofferson in A Star is Born. My favorite Kris Kristofferson role was in Lone Star, followed closely by his appearances in Payback; Eye See You and the Blade movies.  Two movies that Mr. Kristofferson starred in are The Tracker and Trouble in Mind.  I remember liking them both, but haven’t see them in years.  I going to try to rectify that.

What a life Kris Kristofferson led.  If you were creating a hero for a story and you said he was an ex-Ranger, three sport college athlete with the heart of a poet, your editor would say, “C’mon.  That guy is too good to be true.”  And he’d be wrong.  Kris Kristofferson was THAT guy.

Out thoughts and prayers go out to Kris Kristofferson’s family, friends and fans.