Category: Celebs

When Death Came for Frank Miller by Anthony Breznican for Vanity Fair!

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Anthony Breznican at Vanity Fair recently sat down with Frank Miller for an no-holds-barred interview.  Miller, the comics genius behind Sin City, Dark Knight Returns, Batman Year One, 300, Ronin, and so much more openly discussed his addiction, recovery as well as upcoming projects.  This interview, When Death Came for Frank Miller is not to be missed.

Congratulations to Frank Miller for his health comeback.  The Sin City western is music to my ears.

“Assassins” (1995) directed by Richard Donner, starring Sylvester Stallone, Antonio Banderas & Julianne Moore / Z-View

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Assassins (1995)

Director: Richard Donner

Screenplay: Lilly Wachowski (as Andy Wachowski) & Lana Wachowski (as Larry Wachowski) and Brian Helgeland from a story by Lilly & Lana Wachoswski

Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Antonio Banderas, Julianne Moore, Anatoli Davydov, Muse Watson, Steve Kahan, Kelly Rowan, Reed Diamond, Kai Wulff and Stephen Liska.

Tagline: In the shadows of life, In the business of death, One man found a reason to live…

The Plot…

Robert Rath (Stallone) is a hitman ready to retire.  Working as an assassin has taken a toll even though Rath has a moral code. He refuses to murder women, children and men undeserving to die.

Miguel Bain (Banderas) is an assassin who loves his job… he wants to be the best hitman in the world.  Bain considers Rath number one… for now.

As Rath prepares to take out a mark, he is shocked when Bain assassinates his target.  The two exchange gunfire until the police arrive.  Rath realizes that Bain is determined to kill him.  He also learns that Bain’s other target is a woman known as Electra (Moore).   Rath plans to save Electra and eliminate Bain.

Of course Bain has other plans…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The Wachowski’s sold their Assassins screenplay to Joel Silver at the same time he bought their screenplay for The Matrix (for one million dollars each).  Silver wanted Richard Donner to direct and offered him ten million dollars.  Donner refused unless the screenplay’s violence was toned down and Rath was made more sympathetic.  Silver brought in Brian (L.A. Confidential) Helgeland to adjust the script.

The Wachowski’s didn’t like the changes and asked for their names to be removed from the credits.  The request was denied by the Writers Guild Association.

Donner praised Stallone and Banderas for their performances: “I thought Stallone did one of the best jobs he’s ever done. He totally underplayed, he was quiet, he found the character and he went with it. I thought Antonio Banderas was wonderful.”

Electra’s cat is the same feline that appeared with Stallone in The Specialist.

I am a huge fan of the opening scene when Rath is walking an assassin deep into a swamp to execute him. Their dialogue tells us all we need to know about Rath and his business.

Kudos to Banderas for his manic performance as the hitman who wants to be the best.

I’d always hoped that Richard Donner and Sly Stallone would work together.

Assassins (1995) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994) directed by Neil Jordan, starring Tom Cruise & Brad Pitt / Z-View

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Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994)

Director: Neil Jordan

Screenplay: Anne Rice based on INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE by Horace McCoy

Stars: Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Antonio Banderas, Kirsten Dunst, Christian Slater, John McConnell, Bellina Logan, Thandiwe Newton, Indra Ové, Helen McCrory, Roger Lloyd Pack and Stephen Rea.

Tagline: Drink From Me And Live Forever

The Plot…

Daniel Molloy (Slater) is a writer looking for a story.  After a chance meeting with Louis de Pointe du Lac (Pitt), he may have found it.  Louis claims to be a vampire.  Although Molloy is skeptical at first, Louis quickly proves he is what he says.

As Molloy records and takes notes, Louis tells his story. In 1791 Louis was a young, wealthy Louisiana plantation owner.  That changed the evening the vampire, Lestat (Cruise) turned him.  No longer human, Louis and Lestat moved through the night.  Undead but living.  Forced to leave Louisiana, when folks began to suspect Louis and his new friend were behind many disappearances, Louis and Lestat head to New Orleans…

Louis’ tale spans 200 years.  New Orleans.  A new vampire joins them.  Betrayal.  A journey to Europe where they discover the Théâtre des Vampires.  True Vampires putting on plays where they pretend to be humans playing vampires! The victims are real.  To tell more of Louis story would be to say too much.

But I will leave you with this… can an interview with a vampire end well?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles was nominated for two Academy Awards

  • Best Art Direction-Set Decoration: Dante Ferretti Francesca, Lo Schiavo
  • Best Music, Original Score: Elliot Goldenthal

Anne Rice was not initially happy when Tom Cruise was cast as Lestat.  When Rice wrote the novel she envisioned Rutgar Hauer in the role.  She thought of Alain Delon when writing the screenplay.  Then when it was time to cast the role she suggested John Malkovich, Peter Weller, Jeremy Irons or Alexander Godunov.  When Cruise and Pitt were selected for the two leads she suggested that Pitt play Lestat.  That wasn’t to be.  When the film was released, Rice had come around to the Tom Cruise casting.  She said he brought something to the role that she had not foreseen.

While I’m a fan of many of Tom Cruise’s movies and I do really like Interview with a Vampire, I think he was miscast as Lestat.

River Phoenix was set to play Daniel Malloy before his untimely death.  Christian Slater then got the part.  Slater donated his salary from the film to two of River Phoenix’s favorite charities.

The initial scene Stephen Rea shares with Brad Pitt is both funny and a bit scary.  It’s a favorite of mine.

Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“The Convert” starring Guy Pearce – Two Posters and a Trailer are Here!

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Two posters and a trailer for The Convert starring Guy Pearce and I’m on board.

Lee Tamahori’s action-filled historical epic stars Guy Pearce as Thomas Munro, a newly arrived preacher in a colonial town in early 19th-century New Zealand who finds himself at the centre of a long-standing battle between two Māori tribes.

Directed by Lee Tamahori
Starring Guy Pearce, Tioreore Ngatai-Melbourne, Antonio Te Maioha, Jacqueline McKenzie, Lawrence Makoare

“Alien: Romulus” – The Trailer is Here!

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The more I see for Alien: Romulus, the more I want to see it.

“Alien: Romulus” takes the phenomenally successful “Alien” franchise back to its roots: While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, a group of young space colonizers come face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe.

The film stars Cailee Spaeny (“Civil War”), David Jonsson (“Agatha Christie’s Murder is Easy”), Archie Renaux (“Shadow and Bone”), Isabela Merced (“The Last of Us”), Spike Fearn (“Aftersun”), Aileen Wu.

Fede Alvarez (“Evil Dead,” “Don’t Breathe”) directs from a screenplay he wrote with frequent collaborator Rodo Sayagues (“Don’t Breathe 2”) based on characters created by Dan O’Bannon and Ronald Shusett.

“Alien: Romulus” is produced by Ridley Scott (“Napoleon”), who directed the original “Alien” and produced and directed the series’ entries “Prometheus” and “Alien: Covenant,” Michael Pruss (“Boston Strangler”), and Walter Hill (“Alien”), with Fede Alvarez, Elizabeth Cantillon (“Charlie’s Angels”), Brent O’Connor (“Bullet Train”), and Tom Moran (“Unstoppable”) serving as executive producers.

“Mayor of Kingstown”: Season 1 (2022) starring Jeremy Renner / Z-View

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Mayor of Kingstown: Season 1 (2022)

Created by: Taylor Sheridan, Hugh Dillon

Director: Taylor Sheridan (Eps. 1, 3); Ben Richardson (Eps. 2, 4); Guy Ferland (Ep. 5-6); Clark Johnson (Eps. 7-8); Stephen Kay (Eps. 9-10)

Teleplay: Taylor Sheridan (Eps. 1-10) <Ep. 1 story by Taylor Sheridan, Hugh Dillon>

Stars: Jeremy Renner, Dianne Wiest, Hugh Dillon, Tobi Bamtefa, Taylor Handley, Emma Laird, Derek Webster, Pha’rez Lass, Aidan Gillen, James Jordan, Michael Beach, Nichole Galicia, Michael Reventar, George Tchortov, Scott Gibson, Jose Pablo Cantillo, Necar Zadegan, Derek Basco, Joe Parro, Connor Smith, Mandela Van Peebles, Andrew Howard, Adam Clark and Kyle Chandler.

Tagline: You can’t bury the past.

The Plot…

Kingston, Michigan is a prison town.  The McClusky brothers, Mitch (Chandler) and Mike (Renner) have become unofficial powerbrokers at getting things done.  Their connections to the prison, the cops and the gangs have helped keep the peace, solve crimes and ease tensions.

But there is always a cost.  And sometimes the cost isn’t cash.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Although Kingstown, Michigan is a fictional town, many of the prison scenes were filmed at the Kingston Penitentiary, in Kingston, Ontario.  Series co-creator, Hugh Dillon is from Kingston, Ontario.

Mayor of Kingstown is well written, well directed and well acted.  The production values rival those of feature films.

Taylor Sheridan wrote all episodes and directed two.  The other season one directors include…

  • Ben Richardson directed episodes of Yellowstone, 1883, 1923 and Tulsa King.
  • Guy Ferland directed episodes of Sons of Anarchy, The Walking Dead, The Strain and Yellowstone.
  • Clark Johnson directed episodes of The Shield, The Wire, The Walking Dead and Luke Cage.
  • Stephen Kay directed Get Carter and episodes of The Shield, Sons of Anarchy, Yellowstone and 1883.

Jeremy Renner is perfect as the no-nonsense Mike McClusky.  Other standouts in the acting department include Dianne Wiest, Hugh Dillon, Emma Laird and Nichole Galicia.  Tobi Bamtefa, Hamish Allan-Headley and Pha’rez Lass are new to me, but actors to watch for.  Actually, I should probably list every supporting actor/actress because they are all perfectly cast.

The surprises, twists and ever building tension make each episode must-see tv.  I look forward to season 2 and beyond.

Mayor of Kingstown: Season 1 (2022) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“Bad for Each Other” (1953) starring Charlton Heston & Lizabeth Scott / Z-View

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Bad for Each Other (1953)

Director: Irving Rapper

Screenplay: Irving Wallace, Horace McCoy based on SCALPEL by Horace McCoy

Stars: Charlton Heston, Lizabeth Scott, Dianne Foster, Mildred Dunnock, Arthur Franz, Ray Collins, Lester Matthews, Chris Alcaide, Frank Sully, Ann Robinson, Dorothy Green and Blackie Whiteford.

Tagline: Ghost Surgeon! Forced into the medical shadow world by the love of a money-hungry woman!

The Plot…

Colonel Tom Owen M.D. (Heston) returns to Coalville, Pennsylvania to attend his brother’s funeral.  His brother, the mining company’s safety engineer was killed with several others in a mining explosion.  Although Tom is a straight arrow military leader and doctor, he discovers that his brother was taking kickbacks to allow the purchase of substandard mining equipment.

When Tom investigates further he becomes enchanted with Helen Curtis (Scott), the wealthy daughter of the mine owner.  Tom decides to retire from the military.  He takes up residence at a medical facility run by Dr. Homer Gleeson (Matthews).  Dr. Matthews caters to the rich.  Soon the easy money and Helen begin to change Tom’s point of view.

Tom is blind to the fact that he, Helen (and the easy money) are bad for each other.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Made several years before Heston became a big star.

“Howl” (2015) / Z-View

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Howl (2015)

Director: Paul Hyett

Screenplay: Mark Huckerby, Nick Ostler

Stars: Elliot Cowan, Rosie Day, Sam Gittins, Ross Mullan, Robert Strange, Sean Pertwee, Ed Speleers and Shauna Macdonald.

Tagline:  Last train. Full moon. All change.

The Plot…

A late night train traveling through a remote wilderness comes to an unexpected stop.  When the conductor get off to check on things, he is killed by a werewolf.  Soon the few passengers on the train realize that they must work together to survive.  The creature that killed the conductor isn’t alone.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Director Paul Hyett is known for his special effects in Neil Marshall’s Dog Soldiers, The Descent, Doomsday and The Centurion.  Shauna (The Descent) Macdonald and Sean (Dog Soldiers) Pertwee worked with Hyett previously.

The acting is better than expected for a low budget horror film.

“Wolfs” starring George Clooney & Brad Pitt – The Trailer is Here!

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This could be fun!

Global superstars George Clooney and Brad Pitt team up for the action comedy Wolfs. Clooney plays a professional fixer hired to cover up a high profile crime. But when a second fixer (Pitt) shows up and the two “lone wolves” are forced to work together, they find their night spiraling out of control in ways that neither one of them expected.

Written and Directed by: Jon Watts

“Jade” starring Mickey Rourke, Katherine McNamara & Mark Dacascos, introducing Shaina West – The Poster & Trailer are Here!

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I like the retro feel to Jade‘s poster and trailer.  It definitely would qualify as a “drive-in” movie that I would look forward to seeing.

Follows a woman who comes between a powerful businessman and a gang leader in their search for a hard drive that could damage the operations of Interpol. The woman is required to use her unique set of skills to retrieve the drive.