Previews and Reviews that are Z's Views
TCM Remembers 2023
We say goodbye to the performers, filmmakers, and creatives we lost in 2023. Through their art and storytelling they soared to new heights and kept us grounded.Song and artist: Learning to Fly by AG and Christina Perri
Aerial silks performance by Jordaan Stallworth
Outer Space Jitters (1957)
Director: Jules White
Screenplay: Jack White
Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Joe Besser, Emil Sitka, Philip Van Zandt. Dan Blocker. Diana Darrin and Joe Palma.
Tagline: The planet of Sunev – Somewhere in outer space – “Sunev is Venus spelled backwards”
The Plot…
Moe, Larry and Joe travel to the planet Sunev. The rulers there seem nice, but in reality they are planning to take over the planet Earth!
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Dan Blocker, who would become famous playing Hoss Cartwright on Bonanza appears as a monster. Sadly, he’s billed as Don Blocker in the opening credits.
Outer Space Jitters features a weak script with a weaker ending. The boys deserved better.
Outer Space Jitters (1957) earns 2 of 5 stars.
Nice poster. Interesting trailer. Gotta love Ed Harris’ haircut.
Deal me in.
From writer/director Rose Glass and starring Kristen Stewart, Katy O’Brian, Jena Malone, Anna Baryshnikov, with Dave Franco, and Ed Harris.
LOVE LIES BLEEDING – In theaters March 8.
DIRECTOR: Rose Glass
CAST: Kristen Stewart, Katy O’Brian, Jena Malone, Anna Baryshnikov, with Dave Franco, and Ed Harris
Rob Hunter at Film School Rejects posted 22 Things We Learned from Renny Harlin’s ‘Die Hard 2’ Commentary. Sadly the post is no longer available, but here are three of my favorites from it and my thoughts on each…
Harlin was first hired by 20th Century Fox to make Alien 3, but when that fell apart he was instead offered The Adventures of Ford Fairlane. The studio liked the dailies from that film so much that they offered him Die Hard 2. The schedule was so tight that he was still finishing shots on Ford Fairlane while jumping into Die Hard 2, and he planned on doing post-production on both simultaneously. “I was thirty years old, I had lots of energy, I loved movies, I loved working with Joel Silver.”
It’s odd that Harlin was up for Alien 3, The Adventures of Ford Fairlane and Die Hard 2. They are such different types of movies. While I’m not a fan of Alien 3, I am of the other two. – Craig
Harlin chuckles at the changes in audience climate “these days” (circa 2001 when this track was recorded). “While I’m watching the movie I’m realizing there’s quite a lot of cursing in it, and also Bruce Willis is smoking.” He thinks that, in today’s world, there has to be a specific reason as to why the character is smoking. “And the same thing with cursing.”
If I was in the situation that John McClane found himself in, I’d do a lot of cursing too. Heck, I might even take up smoking. – Craig
Harlin’s favorite scene in the film is where McClane is trapped in the cockpit, surrounded by bad guys shooting and lobbing grenades his way. He likes seeing protagonists placed in extremely difficult situations. “Obviously planes like this don’t really have ejection seats, but we decided they would.”
That is probably Die Hard 2’s signature scene. If you’re not making a documentary, and you do the scene well. audiences will forgive things like this not found in real life. – Craig
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)
Director: James Mangold
Screenplay: Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth, David Koepp, James Mangold based on characters created by George Lucas, Philip Kaufman
Stars: Harrison Ford, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Antonio Banderas, Karen Allen, John Rhys-Davies, Shaunette Renée Wilson, Thomas Kretschmann, Toby Jones, Boyd Holbrook, Ethann Isidore, Mads Mikkelsen and Olivier Richters.
Tagline: A legend will face his destiny.
The Plot…
The year is 1969. Man has landed on the moon. The world is a very different place than the one Indiana Jones (Ford) knew as a young man. Indy’s about to retire, but his golden years ain’t so golden. His wife, Marion (Allen), has filed for separation. She still grieves for their son who was killed in the Viet Nam war as does Indy. Things change when Jones’ goddaughter, Helena (Waller-Bridge) shows up.
Helena wants information about the Archimedes’ Dial. The Archimedes Dial is an ancient artifact that legend says can find “fissures” that allow time travel. Indy and Helena’s father stole the Dial from Nazis at the end of the war. Her father nearly went crazy trying to figure out how to use it. He finally gave it to Indy to destroy. Instead Indy had it placed in storage at the college where he taught.
Indy takes Helena to the room holding the artifact. Just then Dr. Voller (Mikkelsen), a Nazi, arrives with gunmen who attack Helena and Indy. Helena (with the Dial) and Indy escape, but are separated. Voller and his gun thugs give chase.
Voller believes that with the Dial of Destiny he can go back in time and assassinate Hitler! Voller will then lead Germany to victory and rule the world! Indy, on the run and framed for two murders, must get to Helena before Voller can track her down. Helena’s life and the future of the world count on it.
“Give ’em hell, Indiana Jones!”
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Director James Mangold was the perfect choice since Steven Spielberg decided not to return for Indy’s final outing.
The de-agging of Harrison Ford is effective. Some have nitpicked that the voice sounded older and some of his de-agged movements seem like those of an older man. Either I didn’t notice or this things didn’t bug me. I was having too much fun on Indy’s last ride.
Harrison Ford is Indiana Jones. It was great to see Karen Allen and John Rhys-Davies back. Mads Mikkelsen was an excellent choice to play the Nazi Voller. I am a huge Boyd Holbrook fan and loved that he’s in the cast. Toby Jones makes a fun partner for younger Indy. I’d love to see more of their adventures in animated tales. If ANY movie needs a huge bad guy, Olivier Richters proves here that he’s up for it. (How about getting him to go against Reacher?)
I’d put the first 25 minutes of Dial of Destiny against ANY segment in the Indiana Jones franchise.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is a nice bookend to Raiders. Kudos to all involved.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023) earns 5 of 5 stars.
I hope this is good. I like Clive Owen and the character Sam Spade, so…deal me in.
The world’s most iconic detective is back on the case, whether he likes it or not. #MonsieurSpade premieres January 14 on AMC and AMC+.
Deal me in.
The Bikeriders, starring Austin Butler, Jodie Comer, Tom Hardy and Norman Reedus, follows the rise of a midwestern motorcycle club, the Vandals. Seen through the lives of its members, the club evolves over the course of a decade from a gathering place for local outsiders into a more sinister gang, threatening the original group’s unique way of life.
#TheBikeriders is only in theaters June 21.
Black Angel (1946)
Director: Roy William Neill
Screenplay: Roy Chanslor based on the novel THE BLACK ANGEL by Cornell Woolrich
Stars: Dan Duryea, June Vincent, Peter Lorre, Broderick Crawford, Wallace Ford, Robert B. Williams and George Ford.
Tagline: DURYEA! …that fascinating tough-guy of “Scarlet Street”!
The Plot…
Martin Blair (Duryea) wants to see his estranged wife, Mavis Marlowe. It’s their anniversary and he’s sent Mavis a large ruby brooch in an effort to win her back. Yet, she’s told the doorman to NOT allow Martin up. Dejected and rejected, Martin goes to get drunk. He then stumbles to his room, where a friend locks him in for the night.
Later, Kirk Bennet goes up to see Mavis. He finds her on the floor. She’s dead. Kirk notices she’s wearing a huge ruby brooch. When Kirk hears a noise in the apartment, he realizes he’s not alone. As he carefully makes his way through the bedroom, he hears someone running out. Kirk goes back to find the brooch missing and the front door open. Kirk realizes he’s in a bad spot and runs to the stairwell. He’s seen as he flees.
When the cops pick up Kirk, it becomes clear that he was having an affair with Mavis, despite being married. Kirk’s wife, Catherine (Vincent) doesn’t believe her husband is a killer. Kirk claims Mavis was blackmailing him. This just gives the cops more reason to think he killed Mavis.
Catherine is grasping at straws to find evidence to clear her husband when she meets Martin. Catherine believes he could be the killer. Martin says the police thought so too at first. Except he couldn’t have killed Mavis since he was knock-down drunk and locked in his room when the murder occurred. Martin takes pity on Catherine and offers to help her find the killer.
Kirk is on death row and the clock is ticking. What chance does a housewife and functioning alcoholic have of finding the real murderer? Tick tock tick toc…
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Black Angel is loosely based on Cornell Woolrich’s novel of the same name. Woolrich is said to dislike the film because of the changes made. Since I haven’t read the book, I wasn’t hindered by expectations. I thought I knew how it would play out. Boy, was I wrong. I was surprised by twist ending.
This was the last film directed by Roy William Neill. He died shortly after the release of Black Angel. Neill is best known as the director of several Sherlock Holmes‘ films as well as the classic Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman.
Dan Duryea, on the other hand, had a career that was heating up. He’s even the subject of Black Angel‘s tagline. Broderick Crawford has a small but important role. Four years later Crawford would win an Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for All the King’s Men.
Black Angel (1946) earns 4 of 5 stars.
Leave the World Behind (2023)
Director: Sam Esmail
Screenplay: Sam Esmail based on the novel LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND by Rumaan Alam
Stars: Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, Myha’la and Kevin Bacon.
Tagline: There’s No Going Back to Normal
The Plot…
Amanda (Roberts) and Clay Sanford (Hawke) rent a modern isolated house away from the city for a spur of the moment vacation with their two children. As the weekend progresses strange things happen. They lose internet access. Several deer wander onto the property and just stand still. At the beach an oil tanker loses control and runs ashore as beachgoers scramble for safety. That evening the wifi is still out and television channels are off the air.
Later that night, Amanda and Clay are awakened by two well dressed strangers. The man claims to be George H. Scott (Ali). He says that the young woman with him is his daughter, Ruth (Myha’la). George says that the house is his and a blackout in the city is the reason for their return home. Ruth immediately distrusts them. George cannot prove who he is. He claims to have lost his wallet. His wife, Ruth’s mother is due back from a business trip later that day. George is not asking Amanda and her family to leave. He just wants to stay with Ruth in his own home. Despite reservations, the two families agree to share the house.
The next day, they learn that the United States is under some sort of attack. Planes are crashing. GPS and electronics no longer work. The emergency alert system warns that the US is at war. Their worst fears have become reality.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Leave the World Behind reminded me of a M. Night Shyamalan movie written by Rod Serling. In other words, I loved it. It was well written, well directed and well acted. Sam Esmail who adapted the screenplay and directed made interesting choices that helped build tension as strange things began happening. Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, Myha’la and Kevin Bacon are excellent. I think this may be the first movie where I didn’t care for a Julia Roberts character.
I like movies that make me think, “What would I do”. Once Leave the World Behind kicks in, I did that a lot. There were no easy answers since no one was sure what was going on. I’ve seen a few bad reviews and they’re unanimously because the movie doesn’t wrap things up with a definitive answer. That’s one of the things I enjoyed about it. So, as always, but with this one a little more, your mileage could vary.
Leave the World Behind (2023) earns 5 of 5 stars.
Stephen King has a new book of short stories, YOU LIKE IT DARKER coming out May 21, 2024. Before we get to the synopsis, how about that cover? That’s a clever design. Is it land that looks like an alligator, or an alligator that looks like land?
From legendary storyteller and master of short fiction Stephen King comes an extraordinary new collection of twelve short stories, many never-before-published, and some of his best EVER.
“You like it darker? Fine, so do I,” writes Stephen King in the afterword to this magnificent new collection of twelve stories that delve into the darker part of life—both metaphorical and literal. King has, for half a century, been a master of the form, and these stories, about fate, mortality, luck, and the folds in reality where anything can happen, are as rich and riveting as his novels, both weighty in theme and a huge pleasure to read. King writes to feel “the exhilaration of leaving ordinary day-to-day life behind,” and in YOU LIKE IT DARKER, readers will feel that exhilaration too, again and again.
“Two Talented Bastids” explores the long-hidden secret of how the eponymous gentlemen got their skills. In “Danny Coughlin’s Bad Dream,” a brief and unprecedented psychic flash upends dozens of lives, Danny’s most catastrophically. In “Rattlesnakes,” a sequel to CUJO, a grieving widower travels to Florida for respite and instead receives an unexpected inheritance—with major strings attached. In “The Dreamers,” a taciturn Vietnam vet answers a job ad and learns that there are some corners of the universe best left unexplored. “The Answer Man” asks if prescience is good luck or bad and reminds us that a life marked by unbearable tragedy can still be meaningful.
King’s ability to surprise, amaze, and bring us both terror and solace remains unsurpassed. Each of these stories holds its own thrills, joys, and mysteries; each feels iconic. You like it darker? You got it.
Rustin (2023)
Director: George C. Wolfe
Screenplay: Julian Breece, Dustin Lance Black from a story by Julian Breece
Stars: Colman Domingo, Chris Rock, Glynn Turman, Aml Ameen, Gus Halper, Johnny Ramey, Jeffrey Wright and CCH Pounder.
Tagline: Own Your Power
The Plot…
Most everyone knows about the 1963 March on Washington which brought together 250,000 people to protest for civil rights. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his I Have a Dream speech at this event. Bayard Rustin was the man who came up with the idea and against all odds (even the NAACP was against the idea at first) was able to build support and bring the idea to reality.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Rustin (2023) has been nominated for two Critics Choice Awards: Best Actor – Colman Domingo and Best Song -Lenny Kravitz – “Road to Freedom”
Rustin (2023) has been nominated for two Golden Globe Awards: Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama – Colman Domingo and Best Original Song, Motion Picture – Lenny Kravitz – “Road to Freedom”
Director George C. Wolfe who last directed Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is back with another winner.
Colman Domingo gives an amazing performance as does his supporting cast. Glynn Turman also deserves special recognition for his powerful performance.
Rustin isn’t a documentary, so I’m not clear what liberties were taken with the story. Bayard Rustin isn’t shown as simply a heroic figure. There are shades to his character as well as other better known figures from history. Rustin, the film, works as a biographical drama with strong performances and direction.
Rustin (2023) earns 4 of 5 stars.
Naked Alibi (1954)
Director: Jerry Hopper
Screenplay: Lawrence Roman based on the story Cry Copper by Gladys Atwater, J. Robert Bren
Stars: Sterling Hayden, Gloria Grahame, Gene Barry, Max Showalter, Billy Chapin, Stuart Randall, John Alvin, Dee Carroll and Chuck Connors.
Tagline: The Cop, The Killer and the Border Town Woman!
The Plot…
Albert Willis (Barry) is brought in for questioning about some recent robberies. Although drunk, Willis has no record, is married and owns a local bakery. Willis becomes more and more angry as the questioning continues. He ends up hitting a cop. In retaliation, they work him over. Willis, vows to get even with the cops who beat him.
Willis’ lawyer gets him released with no charges. This only angers Chief Joseph E. Conroy (Hayden), who has no doubt Willis is guilty. That evening one of the cops who beat Willis is murdered. Chief Conroy is sure WIllis is the killer. Conroy and a couple of his buddies begin tailing Willis everywhere he goes. When Conroy is told to back off, he refuses. Conroy is then fired.
Now, more than ever Conroy is determined to prove that Albert Willis is a thief and murderer. Willis tells his wife he needs to get away from the publicity and to clear his head. He decides to go to Border City for the weekend. Little does he know Conroy is close behind.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Naked Alibi doesn’t play out at all like I thought it would. I like that. Who’s the “good guy” or better yet, who’s the bad guy?
Gloria Grahame is always good. It’s fun seeing a young Chuck Connors years before The Rifleman fame.
Naked Alibi (1954) earns 4 of 5 stars.
Galya Gubchenko has a unique art style as you can see from her Sly Stallone piece above or the many pieces here.
Miller’s Girl looks good.
Deal me in.
Miller’s Girl – Watch the trailer now! In Theaters January 26. Starring Martin Freeman, Jenna Ortega, Dagmara Domińczyk, Bashir Salahuddin, and Gideon Adlon.
Deal me in.
Detective Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) is back on the beat in Beverly Hills. After his daughter’s life is threatened, she (Taylour Paige) and Foley team up with a new partner (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and old pals Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and John Taggart (John Ashton) to turn up the heat and uncover a conspiracy.
From Producers Jerry Bruckheimer, Eddie Murphy, Chad Oman, and Director Mark Molloy.
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. Only on Netflix, Summer 2024.
