Previews and Reviews that are Z's Views
Fans are going to be excited to see and maybe even get their mitts on the new prints Steranko created for conventions he’ll attend this year. The Batman art above is one of those. I love Steranko’s graphic design.
If you get a chance to meet Steranko, don’t sleep on it. The man is a natural storyteller. Plus, how often do you get to meet a legit legend?
The trailer looks cool. Add in Kurt and Wyatt Russell and I’m sold. Deal me in!
When monsters emerge, secrets follow. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters premieres November 17 on Apple TV+ https://apple.co/_Monarch
Following the thunderous battle between Godzilla and the Titans that leveled San Francisco, and the shocking revelation that monsters are real, “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” tracks two siblings following in their father’s footsteps to uncover their family’s connection to the secretive organization known as Monarch. Clues lead them into the world of monsters and ultimately down the rabbit hole to Army Officer Lee Shaw (played by Kurt Russell and Wyatt Russell), taking place in the 1950s and half a century later where Monarch is threatened by what Shaw knows. The dramatic saga — spanning three generations — reveals buried secrets and the ways that epic, earth-shattering events can reverberate through our lives.
Fences (2016)
Director: Denzel Washington
Screenplay: August Wilson based on his play Fences
Stars: Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Jovan Adepo, Russell Hornsby,
Mykelti Williamson, Saniyya Sidney, Christopher Mele, Lesley Boone and Rachelle Beinart.
Tagline: Some people build fences to keep people out – and other people build fences to keep people in.
The Plot…
Troy Maxson (Washington) is a bitter, angry, 56 year old black man. Once a talented baseball player, Troy was never given a chance to play in the big leagues due to his race. Then World War II came. Now that Troy is older, the color-barrier in baseball has broken. But Troy is too old to play. So he makes his living as a garbage collector. Even there Troy see discrimination. All the drivers are white. All the workers doing the heavy lifting are black.
Troy’s wife, Rose (Davis) sees times are starting to change. Cory (Adepo), Troy and Rose’s son, is a bright student and talented football player. A college is interested in giving Cory a scholarship, but Troy won’t sign the paperwork. He wants Cory to get educated in a job that will always provide an income.
Troy sees barriers everywhere and is bitter about how life has treated him, never realizing that he is building barriers for himself and his family as well. Despite Troy’s flaws, Rose loves him. Sadly Troy’s choices are going to have terrible consequences for his family and friends.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)
Fences (2016) was honored at the Academy Awards:
Academy Award Wins:
Academy Award Nominations:
“Fences” was first a Broadway play. It opened in 1987 and went on to win Tony Awards for Best Play, Best Actor (James Earl Jones), and Best Featured Actress (Mary Alice). “Fences” was revived in 2010. It won Tony Awards for Best Revival of a Play, Best Actor (Denzel Washington), and Best Actress (Viola Davis). All five adult actors from the revival reprise their roles in the film.
Although August Wilson is the only credited screenwriter for the film, Denzel Washington, Spike Lee and Tony Kushner did uncredited work. They didn’t want their names on the credits to insure that Wilson alone received any writing honors or awards.
Denzel Washing and Viola Davis were rightfully nominated for Academy Awards. Their roles in Fences may be their best performances ever. Everyone in the supporting cast is wonderful.
It was fun to see Saniyya Sidney as a very young girl. Sidney would go on to co-star in The Passage a few years later.
Fences (2016) rates 5 of 5 stars.
Deal me in.
Check out the official trailer for The Burial, in theaters October 6 and coming to Prime Video on October 13.
Inspired by true events, when a handshake deal goes sour, funeral home owner Jeremiah O’Keefe (Academy Award winner Tommy Lee Jones) enlists charismatic, smooth-talking attorney Willie E. Gary (Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx) to save his family business. Tempers flare and laughter ensues as the unlikely pair bond while exposing corporate corruption and racial injustice in this inspirational, triumphant story.
Song: GOLDEN by Aloe Blacc & Tim Myers
Gary Wright, the singer/songwriter best known for his hits Dreamweaver and Love is Alive, died yesterday at the age of 80. Mr. Wright had dealt with Parkinson’s and Lewy body dementia for several years.
Gary Wright was a child actor. He was just seven when appeared on the tv show Captain Video and His Video Rangers. As a child he appeared in radio and television commercials. He appeared in the Broadway production of the musical Fanny with Florence Henderson. The two also appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show to promote the play.
Gary Wright also had a love of music and began playing with local rock bands while in high school. He continued to play in bands while working on a medical degree in college. Mr. Wright decided to quite college and focus on music. He joined a band called Spooky Tooth which put out three albums.
In 1970, Gary Wright decided to quit the band and focus on a solo career. When he was invited to play piano on former Beatle, George Harrison’s first album, Mr. Wright accepted. Gary Wright would go on to play on all of George Harrison’s albums in the 1970s. Mr. Wright also played on Ringo Starr’s hits “It Don’t Come Easy” and “Back Off Boogaloo”. As Gary Wright worked on his solo career he was often requested to play with other recording stars such as Harry Nilsson, BB King and Jerry Lee Lewis.
Gary Wright hit it big in 1978 with the one-two punch of Dream Weaver and Love is Alive. Dream Weaver sold over 1 million copies, peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified gold. Love is Alive from the same album also hit #2 helping to drive the album to double platinum status.
In the early 1980s, Gary Wright also began making music for feature films. Some of the films featuring Gary Wright’s music include: Endangered Species; Staying Alive; Cobra; Wayne’s World; The People vs Larry Flynt; Coyote Ugly; Daddy Day Care; Toy Story 3; Safehouse and The Great Gatsby.
Gary Wright would continue to write, play, record and tour for the rest of his career.
I was surprised that Dream Weaver wasn’t a number one hit. It played all the time and everyone loved it. Dream Weaver was the song that made Gary Wright a world wide celebrity even though professional musicians knew who he was and often requested his services.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Gary Wright’s family, friends and fans.
The Poseidon Adventure (1972)
Director: Ronald Neame
Screenplay: Stirling Silliphant, Wendell Mayes based on The Poseidon Adventure by Paul Gallico
Stars: Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine, Shelley Winters, Red Buttons, Carol Lynley, Roddy McDowall, Stella Stevens, Jack Albertson, Pamela Sue Martin, Eric Shea, Arthur O’Connell, Sheila Allen, Byron Webster, John Crawford, Bob Hastings and Leslie Nielsen.
Tagline: Who will survive-in one of the greatest escape adventures ever!
The Plot…
On New Year’s Eve with a full ship, the S.S. Poseidon is hit by a 90-foot tidal wave and capsizes. Now the ship is floating upside down. Dozens of survivors are in the dinning room. There is confusion on the best course of action. Some believe that everyone should make their way up to the hull. They reason rescuers will be able to cut them out where the ship’s metal is the thinnest. Another group, argues that a distress call was sent. Everyone should just stay in the dinning room. Attempting to move through the upside down damaged ship would be dangerous. Most agree that staying put is the best course of action.
Reverend Scott (Hackman), who is not your typical Reverend, leads a group up to the next level. Joining Scott are:
Just as they make it up to the next level a series of underwater explosions occur. The ship begins taking on more water and sinking. It’s too late for those below. As Scott leads his group up, the dangers mount. Not everyone will survive!
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)
The Poseidon Adventure (1972) did well at the Academy Awards:
Academy Award Wins:
Academy Award Nominations:
The Poseidon Adventure features five Academy Award winning actors – Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine, Shelley Winters, Jack Albertson and Red Buttons; and one Oscar nominee: Arthur O’Connell.
Shelly Winters was 51 when she played Belle, a much older character. Ms. Winters gained 35 pounds for the role. I was 14 at the time. I remembered a younger Shelly Winters in older movies playing a “hottie”. It was hard to wrap my head around seeing Ms. Winters older and heavier. Stars do age.
Reverend Scott is my favorite Gene Hackman role.
Ernest Borgnine is always great. His wife in the movie Stella Stevens made quite an impact on this 14 year old ; )
I have many great memories of seeing The Poseidon Adventure. A few of my friends and I took the city bus down town to see it. We felt like big shots.
It’s funny (ironic?) now seeing Leslie Nielsen playing it straight.
The Poseidon Adventure (1972) rates 5 of 5 stars.
Justified: City Primeval ended on a cliffhanger or maybe it didn’t.
Check out Justified: City Primeval Closes Out With Epic Twist: “It Was a Dangerous Idea” by Josh Wigler at The Hollywood Reporter. Wigler talks to Justified: City Primeval creators Michael Dinner and Dave Andron about the “twist” ending. We also learn what Timothy Olyphant and Walter Goggins had to say about it.
I thought the ending to Justified: City Primeval was perfect. Dinner and Andron were right in not having Boyd Crowder show up sooner. I agree having Raylan visit Boyd in prison to help get a read on Mansell would have felt a little too Silence of the Lambish. It would have also taken a bit of the luster off of Mansell (who was a great character in his own right).
If we get another season of Justified, it should involve the final confrontation between Raylan and Boyd Crowder. But if that happens, how do you top it? Would that mean the series ends? (Say it wouldn’t be so.)
I would love Justified go on for several more years. Each new season would be Justified: __________. That’s Justified with a subtitle. ; )
I wrote earlier that I thought the ending to Justified: City Primeval was perfect. Fans of the series were hit with a surprise that we didn’t see coming. Kudos to all that kept Walter Goggins’ appearance a secret. The ending flawlessly set up a potential next season. But if we don’t get another round of Justified, fans are left with the ability to imagine their own ending. I think Elmore Leonard would have liked that.
D.O.A. (1949)
Director: Rudolph Maté
Screenplay: Russell Rouse, Clarence Greene
Stars: Edmond O’Brien, Pamela Britton, Luther Adler, Beverly Garland, William Ching, Neville Brand, Frank Cady, Hugh O’Brian, Jerry Paris and Bill Baldwin.
Tagline: A picture as excitingly different as its title!
The Plot…
Frank Bigelow (O’Brien) learns that he was poisoned with a a “luminous toxin” that will kill him in a few days. The toxin has no antidote. Bigelow is determined to discover who and why he was marked for death, The clock is ticking.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)
What starts out as a fun weekend in San Francisco turns into one of the noirest noirs.
Sadly the copyright on D.O.A. wasn’t renewed so there are many poor copies out there. Beware!
This is Neville Brand’s first credited role. Look for future tv stars in small roles: Beverly (My Three Sons) Garland, Frank (Petticoat Junction / Green Acres) Grady and Jerry (Dick Van Dyke) Paris. Hugh O’Brien, who would go on to star in feature films and more than one tv series, has an uncredited role. Bill Baldwin, perhaps best known for his role as a fight commentator in Rocky, Rocky II and Rocky III, also has an uncredited role!
There’s a scene where Edmund O’Brien is running down a crowded city street. O’Brien bumps into pedestrians as others look around confused by the man running past them at full speed. That scene is an example of Gorilla Filming. The filmmakers made the shot without any permits or permission.
I’m a D.O.A. fan and like to revisit it every so often.
D.O.A. (1949) rates 4 of 5 stars.
As Winston Scott is dragged into the Hell-scape of a 1975 New York City to face a past he thought he’d left behind, he charts a deadly course through New York’s mysterious underworld in a harrowing attempt to seize the iconic hotel, which serves as the meeting point for the world’s most dangerous criminals.
Any time new Steranko art surfaces, it is cause for a celebration. The Nick Fury piece above is one of the prints that Steranko will have at conventions this year. Now, let’s party!
Justified: City Primeval (2023)
Written by: Dave Andron & Michael Dinner (eps. 1 – 2, 7 – 8); Eisa Davis & Chris Provenzano (eps. 3, 5); Taylor Elmore (ep. 4); Taylor Elmore & V.J. Boyd (ep. 6)
Directed by: Michael Dinner (eps. 1 -2, 8); Jon Avnet (ep. 3); Gwyneth Horder-Payton (ep. 4); Kevin Rodney Sullivan (ep. 5); Sylvain White (ep. 6); Katrelle Kindred (ep. 7)
Stars: Timothy Olyphant, Boyd Holbrook, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Vondie Curtis-Hall, Adelaide Clemens, Marin Ireland, Victor Williams, Norbert Leo Butz, Alexander Pobutsky, Terry Kinney, Regina Taylor, Yosef Kasnetzkov, Paul Calderon, Amin Joseph, Walton Goggins, Keith David, Natalie Zea, Luis Guzmán and Vivian Olyphant.
Tagline: None.
The Plot…
Raylan Givens (T. Olyphant) is a US Marshall and part time father to his 15 year old daughter, Willa (V. Olyphant). Raylan is sent to Detroit to testify in a court case. While testifying, Raylan tests Judge Alvin Guy’s patience. That evening the judge is murdered by a sociopath named Clement Mansell.. Raylan is assigned to the team tracking down the killer.
Mansell is known as The Oklahoma Wildman. He has no fear and kills without remorse. Before it is over, Raylan will find himself dealing not only with Mansell, but an attorney willing to cross the line in her efforts to become a judge, a dirty cop, and the Armenian mob.
“You want a shootin’ match? Let’s go.”
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
The Elmore Leonard novel City Primeval: High Noon in Detroit doesn’t feature Raylan Givens. It was adapted to bring back Justified. The novel’s protagonist is Homicide Detective Raymond Cruz. The Cruz character also appeared in Leonard’s Out of Sight novel. When Out of Sight was transformed into a feature film starring George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez, Paul Calderón played Detective Cruz. Calderón also appears as Cruz in Justified: City Primeval.
A hero is only as good as the villain he’s facing. Clement Mansell is a great one. Boyd Holbrook is perfect. Other standouts include:
Some actors/actresses are born to play a character. Timothy Olyphant is a perfect example. He IS US Marshall Raylan Givens. Everyone remembers the great lines and Olyphant’s delivery. I also love the quiet moments when Olyphant uses his body language, eyes and facial expressions to sell a scene.
It’s not often a series returns and is as great as the original. Justified: City Primeval is a great example that it can be done. There’s an excellent set-up for another season at the end of Justified: City Primeval. I hope it happens.
Justified: City Primeval (2023) earns 5 of 5 stars.
Paradise Alley (1978)
Director: Sylvester Stallone
Screenplay: Sylvester Stallone
Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Lee Canalito, Armand Assante, Frank McRae, Anne Archer, Kevin Conway, Terry Funk, Joyce Ingalls, Joe Spinell, Aimee Eccles, Tom Waits, Frank Pesce, Ray Sharkey, Frank Stallone, Ted DiBiase, Dory Funk Jr., Don Leo Jonathan, Gene Kiniski, Dick Murdoch, Ray Stevens and Paul Mace.
Tagline: Three brothers… One had the brains, one had the muscle and one had the suit. Together they had a million dollar dream.
The Plot…
The Carboni brothers, Lenny (Assante), Cosmo (Stallone) and Victor (Canalito) are just getting by. Lenny, who returned from the war a hero with a limp, is an undertaker. Cosmo lives by his wits, always looking for a fast buck. Victor hauls ice.
After an evening in Paradise Alley where real (not scripted) wrestling matches take place, Cosmo gets an idea. Victor could become a professional wrestler with Cosmo as his manager. Lenny sees that Cosmo has a good idea, but fears that Victor could be exploited. Victor likes the idea of the brothers working together so Lenny becomes his manager and Cosmo his trainer.
Victor becomes a popular, winning wrestler. This puts him in the crosshairs of Stitch Mahone and Frankie the Thumper. Stitch is a local mobster and Thumper is a big dumb brute who happens to be an undefeated wrestler. As Cosmo begins to have concerns that Victor is being pushed to fight to often, Lenny starts working on a fight with Frankie the Thumper.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)
Sly Stallone wrote, directed, starred in and sang the title song for Paradise Alley. It was his directorial debut.
Paradise Alley was Terry Funk’s, Lee Canalito’s and Tom Waits’ feature film debut.
Frank McRae as Big Glory and Terry Funk as Frankie the Thumper own their scenes.
The final wrestling match in the Paradise Alley ring during a pouring thunderstorm is amazing.
I rate Paradise Alley higher than most folks. Keep in mind that I am a huge Sly Stallone fan. Your mileage may vary.
Paradise Alley (1978) rates 5 of 5 stars.
Desperation Road is one to keep an eye on. Great source material, starring Garret Tulsa King Hedlund and co-starring Mel Gibson. Yeah, deal me in.
In a small Mississippi town, justice and the law are two very different things. Academy Award Winner Mel Gibson (Braveheart), Garret Hedlund (TRON: Legacy), and Willa Fitzgerald (Scream: The TV Series) star in a modern noir thriller based on the acclaimed novel by Michael Farris Smith about two lost souls tortured by the mistakes of their past and bound by a secret that keeps them running.
RELEASE DATE: October 6
CAST: Mel Gibson, Garrett Hedlund, and Willa Fitzgerald
Arnold Schwarzenegger has a free daily newsletter. It’s full of short valuable tips on physical & mental health as well as a peak behind the curtain to see what Arnold is reading, watching and thinking. Arnold also has a new book coming out on October 10th. It’s called BE USEFUL. Here’s the lowdown…
The seven rules to follow to realize your true purpose in life—distilled by Arnold Schwarzenegger from his own journey of ceaseless reinvention and extraordinary achievement, and available for absolutely anyone
The world’s greatest bodybuilder. The world’s highest-paid movie star. The leader of the world’s sixth-largest economy. That these are the same person sounds like the setup to a joke, but this is no joke. This is Arnold Schwarzenegger. And this did not happen by accident.
Arnold’s stratospheric success happened as part of a process. As the result of clear vision, big thinking, hard work, direct communication, resilient problem-solving, open-minded curiosity, and a commitment to giving back. All of it guided by the one lesson Arnold’s father hammered into him above all: be useful. As Arnold conquered every realm he entered, he kept his father’s adage close to his heart.
Written with his uniquely earnest, blunt, powerful voice, Be Useful takes readers on an inspirational tour through Arnold’s tool kit for a meaningful life. He shows us how to put those tools to work, in service of whatever fulfilling future we can dream up for ourselves. He brings his insights to vivid life with compelling personal stories, life-changing successes and life-threatening failures alike—some of them famous; some told here for the first time ever.
Too many of us struggle to disconnect from our self-pity and connect to our purpose. At an early age, Arnold forged the mental tools to build the ladder out of the poverty and narrow-mindedness of his rural Austrian hometown, tools he used to add rung after rung from there. Now he shares that wisdom with all of us. As he puts it, no one is going to come rescue you—you only have yourself. The good news, it turns out, is that you are all you need.
After a fateful near-miss, an assassin battles his employers and himself on an international manhunt he insists isn’t personal. Watch The Killer, in select theaters and on Netflix November 10
