Category: TV

“American Murder: Gabby Petito” (2025) / Z-View

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American Murder: Gabby Petito (2025)

Director: Michael Gasparro, Julia Willoughby Nason (Eps. 1-3)

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

The story that dominated the summer of 2021.  Twenty-two year old Gabby Petito and her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie had been living out of her van as they traveled the west.  Their relationship was often rocky.  Things went way south when Gabby’s parents and friends could no longer contact Gabby.  Days passed with no phone calls or texts.

Then Brian showed up at his parents’ house in the van.  Gabby was not with him.  Brian refused to take any calls or talk to the police.  Same for Brian’s parents.  They had lawyered up and refused to answer any questions.

So the manhunt for Gabby Petito was underway.  It would end terribly.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The disappearance of Gabby Petito dominated the news. Then after her body was found her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie went missing.

A note to Laundrie from his mother said in part to “burn after reading” and “If you need to dispose of a body I will bring show up with a shovel and garbage bags”.

The whole thing played out over the course of weeks and is documented in three well done episodes.

American Murder: Gabby Petito (2025) rates 4 of 5 stars.

The Conspiracy Show with Richard Syrett: Season 5 (2016) / Z-View

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The Conspiracy Show with Richard Syrett: Season 5 (2016)

Director:  Jalal Merhi (Eps. 1-10)

Writer: Richard Syrett (Eps. 1-10)

The Plot…

Radio host Richard Syrett explores conspiracies, paranormal and supernatural beliefs, and a variety of other topics.  Each episode presents believers and skeptics who calmly present their evidence/beliefs.

Topics in season two include:

  • Area 51: Does the government house UFO technologies, aliens and more in Area 51?
  • Remote Viewing: Do some people have the ability to mentally see things from around the world that are hidden from view?
  • Freemasons: Are the Freemasons a cult working to control governments?
  • Depopulation Agenda: Is a secret organization working to bring the world population down?
  • Mokele Mbembe: Jungle natives describe a beast that lives in their jungle — is it a dinosaur?
  • Bigfoot: Do these creatures exist?
  • The O’Hare UFO Incident: Dozens of people, including pilots witnessed a UFO hovering above the airport.  But did they?
  • Agenda 21: What is this United Nations plan that looks to control development?
  • The Philadelphia Experiment: Did a military experiment in 1943 teleport a Navy destroyer and crew with terrible results?
  • The Phoenix Lights: What were the mysterious lights in the sky seen by hundreds of people?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I like that the host is respectful and presents both sides of each topic.  Since he interviews guests separately we don’t get arguments and shouting.  Each person presents their “evidence”.  At the end of each episode Syrett gives us his thoughts and we are left to decide how we feel.

Each episode runs less than 30 minutes.

The Conspiracy Show with Richard Syrett: Season 5 (2016) rates 5 of 5 stars.

The Conspiracy Show with Richard Syrett: Season 4 (2015) / Z-View

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The Conspiracy Show with Richard Syrett: Season 4 (2015)

Director:  Jalal Merhi (Eps. 1-6)

Writer: Richard Syrett (Eps. 1-6)

The Plot…

Radio host Richard Syrett explores conspiracies, paranormal and supernatural beliefs, and a variety of other topics.  Each episode presents believers and skeptics who calmly present their evidence/beliefs.

Topics in season two include:

  • Ouija Boards: Are Ouija Boards a harmless board game or a portal for demons?
  • Global Warming, A Hoax?: Is the Earth warming because of the use of fossil fuels?
  • JFK: Was President Kennedy killed by the military industrial complex.
  • Pterodactyls: Are some dinosaurs still alive in remote jungle areas?
  • GMO: Are genetically modified foods unsafe?
  • Fluoride: Is fluoride in our drinking water safe?
  • Area 51: Does the government house UFO technologies, aliens and more in Area 51?
  • Remote Viewing: Do some people have the ability to mentally see things from around the world that are hidden from view?
  • Freemasons: Are the Freemasons a cult working to control governments?
  • Depopulation Agenda: Is a secret organization working to bring the world population down?
  • Mokele Mbembe: Jungle natives describe a beast that lives in their jungle — is it a dinosaur?
  • Bigfoot: Do these creatures exist?
  • The Fake Arab Spring?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I like that the host is respectful and presents both sides of each topic.  Since he interviews guests separately we don’t get arguments and shouting.  Each person presents their “evidence”.  At the end of each episode Syrett gives us his thoughts and we are left to decide how we feel.

Each episode runs less than 30 minutes.

The Conspiracy Show with Richard Syrett: Season 4 (2015) rates 5 of 5 stars.

RIP: Gene Hackman

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It was announced that Gene Hackman was found dead today.  No time or cause of death has been given.  Although no foul play was no suspected, an investigation is on-going.  Mr. Hackman was 95.

At the age of ten, Gene Hackman knew that he wanted to be an actor.  At sixteen he lied about his age and enlisted in the Marines.  After Mr. Hackman finished his enlistment he studied journalism and television production at the University of Illinois.  Gene Hackman left for California before graduating.  He joined the Pasadena Playhouse where he became friends with Dustin Hoffman.  Mr. Hackman moved to New York where at different times he shared an apartment with Dustin Hoffman or Robert Duvall.

Gene Hackman began to get small television roles.  During this time Mr. Hackman also appeared in several off-Broadway plays.  In 1963, he got his first Broadway role.  This opened the door to roles in feature films.  Mr. Hackman continued to work on Broadway, television guest spots and small film roles.  Gene Hackman’s breakout role came when he co-starred in Bonnie and Clyde.  This earned him his first (of five) Oscar nominations.  For the rest of his career Gene Hackman appeared in television and feature films.

Gene Hackman was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning two…

  • 1968 Nominee for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Bonnie and Clyde
  • 1971 Nominee for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for I Never Sang for My Father
  • 1972 Winner for Best Actor in a Leading Role for The French Connection
  • 1989 Nominee for Best Actor in a Leading Role for Mississippi Burning
  • 1993 Winner for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Unforgiven

Some of the television projects that feature Gene Hackman include: Tallahassee 7000; The United States Steel Hour (8 episodes); Naked City; The Defenders (2 episodes); Route 66; Ride with Terror; East Side/West Side; Brenner (3 episodes); The Trials of O’Brien; Hawk; The FBI; The Invaders; Iron Horse; CBS Playhouse; I Spy; and Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In (2 episodes).

Some of the feature films that Gene Hackman appeared in include: Mad Dog Coll; Lilith; Hawaii; A Covenant with Death; Bonnie and Clyde; The Split; Downhill Racer; Marooned; I Never Sang for My Father; The French Connection; Cisco Pike; Prime Cut; The Poseidon Adventure; Scarecrow; The Conversation; Young Frankenstein; Night Moves; Bite the Bullet; French Connection II; Lucky Lady; The Domino Principle; A Bridge Too Far; Superman; Superman II; Reds; Under Fire; Uncommon Valor; Target; Power; Hoosiers; Superman IV: The Quest for Peace; No Way Out; Bat*21; Mississippi Burning; The Package; Postcards from the Edge; Narrow Margin; Unforgiven; The Firm; Geronimo: An American Legend; Wyatt Earp; The Quick and the Dead; Crimson Tide; Get Shorty; The Birdcage; Extreme Measures; The Chamber; Absolute Power; Twilight; Antz; Enemy of the State; Under Suspicion; The Replacements; The Mexican; Heist; The Royal Tenenbaums; Behind Enemy Lines; Runaway Jury and Welcome to Mooseport.

I probably first saw Gene Hackman in Route 66 or The Invaders.  The first movie I remember seeing Mr. Hackman was in The Poseidon Adventure.  I loved him in that role!  It’s hard to pick a favorite Gene Hackman role because he was so good in so many films.  Some of favorites include Poseidon Adventure; Mississippi Burning; Unforgiven; The Quick and the Dead; Crimson Tide and Get Shorty.  What an amazing career Mr. Hackman had.

Out thoughts and prayers go out to Gene Hackman’s family, friends and fans.

The Conspiracy Show with Richard Syrett: Season 3 (2012) / Z-View

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The Conspiracy Show with Richard Syrett: Season 3 (2012)

Director:  Jalal Merhi (Eps. 1-14)

Writer: Richard Syrett (Eps. 1-14)

The Plot…

Radio host Richard Syrett explores conspiracies, paranormal and supernatural beliefs, and a variety of other topics.  Each episode presents believers and skeptics who calmly present their evidence/beliefs.

Topics in season two include:

  • The Mystery of Oak Island: Does a treasure remain hidden on Oak Island?
  • Energy Healing: Do some people have the gift/ability to heal others with their energy?
  • MLK and the Framing of James Earl Ray: Was James Earl Ray a patsy?
  • The Birthers – Obama’s Birth Certificate: Evidence is presented that Barack Obama wasn’t born in the United States.
  • RFID Chips: Are radio frequency identification tags used to track the population and control people?
  • The Assassination of John Lennon: Was Mark David Chapman a patsy or mind-controlled assassin?
  • Is Jim Morrison Alive?: Evidence is presented that Jim Morrison faked his death.
  • The Water Engine: Was Stanley Meyer killed because he found a way to make an internal-combustion engine that runs on water?
  • The Murder of Marilyn Monroe: Was Marilyn Monroe killed because she knew too much from her affairs with John and Robert Kennedy?
  • Is The Cure for Cancer Being Suppressed?: Are drug companies suppressing several cures for cancer and other diseases?
  • The Bilderberg Group: What goes on behind closed doors at the annual meeting of the world’s richest and most powerful men from around the world?
  • The Shroud of Turin: Evidence is presented that the Shroud of Turin is the burial cloth of Jesus Christ.
  • The Fake Arab Spring?: Did a series of revolts and protests that swept the Middle East really take place? If they did were they instigated by the US?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I like that the host is respectful and presents both sides of each topic.  Since he interviews guests separately we don’t get arguments and shouting.  Each person presents their “evidence”.  At the end of each episode Syrett gives us his thoughts and we are left to decide how we feel.

Each episode runs less than 30 minutes.

The Conspiracy Show with Richard Syrett: Season 3 (2012) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“The Gorge” (2025) written by Zach Dean; directed by Scott Derrickson; starring Miles Teller, Anya Taylor-Joy and Sigourney Weaver / Z-View

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The Gorge (2025)

Director:  Scott Derrickson

Screenplay: Zach Dean

Stars: Miles Teller, Anya Taylor-Joy, Sigourney Weaver, William Houston, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Julianna Kurokawa, Samantha Coughlan, Alessandro Garcia and Ruta Gedmintas.

Tagline: They’re not keeping you out. They’re keeping them in.

The Plot…

Levi Kane (Teller), a retired Marine Sniper is hired for a mysterious job that will last one year.  Kane is taken to an undisclosed location where he receives his orders.

His mission is to guard one side of a deep gorge.  Automated weapons line the rim of the gorge.  Mines are strung along the walls of the chasm.  Kane will be housed in a tower with equipment to oversea everything.  He will have no contact with the outside world except for monthly radio check ins with his employers.  A Russian operative is one the other side of the gorge with the same mission.  Kane is to have no contact with her.

When Kane asked who they are keeping out of the gorge, he is told, “You’re not keeping anyone out, you’re keeping the creatures that live in there from coming out.”

As the weeks pass, the Russian operative, Drasa (Taylor-Joy) begins communicating with Kane.  Short messages turn into conversations, long-distance chess matches and more.  A friendship develops.

When things go sidesways Kane and Drasa can depend only on each other to survive the hellish creatures from the gorge.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy have the chemistry needed to make their on-screen relationship work.

Sigourney Weaver was an excellent choice for the role of the corporate boss.

Kudos to writer Zack Dean for creating an action-horror-romance that is original and works.  Hats off also to director Scott Derrickson and the team that made the world in the gorge feel like something from one of Dante’s rings of Hell.

Don’t sleep on The Gorge.

The Gorge (2025) rates 4 of 5 stars.

The Conspiracy Show with Richard Syrett: Season 2 (2011) / Z-View

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The Conspiracy Show with Richard Syrett: Season 2 (2011)

Director:  Jalal Merhi (Eps. 1-11, 15-18); Chris Power (Ep. 12-13)

Writer: Richard Syrett (Eps. 1-18)

The Plot…

Radio host Richard Syrett explores conspiracies, paranormal and supernatural beliefs, and a variety of other topics.  Each episode presents believers and skeptics who calmly present their evidence/beliefs.

Topics in season two include:

  • The Roswell UFO Incident: Did the US government really recover a crashed UFO and aliens in 1947?
  • The Death of Princess Diana: Tragic Car Accident or Murder Most Foul?: Was Princess Diana murdered?
  • The Secret Space Program: Does the US government have a secret space program that has advanced technology that is being kept secret?
  • Werewolves: Is a werewolf or giant wolf-like creature living in the remote area of Kent, England.
  • The Rise of the Fourth Reich: Nazis in America: Did Nazis infiltrate positions of power in the United States in the years since Germany lost World War II?
  • Did Elvis Fake His Death?: Evidence is presented that Elvis faked his death.
  • Manchurian Candidates: Is it possible Lee Harvey Oswald, James Earl Ray, Sirhan Sirhan and others were programed to kill?
  • The Framing of Sirhan Sirhan: Could James Earl Ray really have been a patsy?
  • Past Life Regression Pt. 2: A past life regression is shown and discussed.
  • Bible Codes: Does the Bible contain hidden codes that relate to modern day events and people?
  • Journey to the Center of the Earth: The belief that the center of the Earth contains unknown life forms.
  • 9/11: What Happened at the Pentagon?: Evidence is presented that it wasn’t a plane that hit the Pentagon on 9/11 and may have been part of a government conspiracy.
  • Osama Bin Laden: Was Bin Laden really the mastermind of 9/11?
  • Vaccines: Are They Safe?: Are vaccines part of the New World Order’s plan to control the world?
  • The Dangers of EMF (Electromagnetic Frequencies): Can use of electrical appliances, microwave ovens, and cell phones alter our DNA and/or make us sick and cause diseases?
  • Alien Abduction: Two people who claim to have been abducted by aliens present their stories.
  • Crop Circles: Are the patterns left in fields caused by aliens?
  • The Starchild Skull: Is this skull the remains of an ancient alien or alien-human hybrid?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I like that the host is respectful and presents both sides of each topic.  Since he interviews guests separately we don’t get arguments and shouting.  Each person presents their “evidence”.  At the end of each episode Syrett gives us his thoughts and we are left to decide how we feel.

Each episode runs less than 30 minutes.

The Conspiracy Show with Richard Syrett: Season 2 (2011) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“Surviving Black Hawk Down” (2025) / Z-View

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Surviving Black Hawk Down (2025)

Directors:  Sam Hobkinson, Jack Macinnes (Eps. 1-3)

Tagline: The war was just the beginning

The Plot…

Surviving Black Hawk Down explores the true October 1993 Battle of Mogadishu in Somalia made famous in the Ridley Scott film Black Hawk Down.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

What makes this film unique is that real life American and Somalia soldiers involved in the Battle of Mogadishu are interviewed.

Surviving Black Hawk Down (2025) rates 5 of 5 stars.

RIP Peter Jason

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Peter Jason died on Thursday, February 20, 2025.  The cause of death was cancer.  Mr. Jason was 80.

Peter Jason caught the acting bug when he was cast in the lead for his senior high school play.  He attending Orange Coast College where he continued to study acting.  A role in the tv movie A Bell for Adano was his first professional credit.  Following that roles on television and feature films led to over 265 credits on his acting resume.

Some of the television projects that feature Peter Jason include: A Bell for Adano; The F.B.I.; Cimarron Strip (2 episodes); Judd for the Defense; Here Come the Brides; Daniel Boone; Land of the Giants; Hawaii 5-0; Kung Fu; Gunsmoke (3 episodes); One Day at a Time (2 episodes); Starsky and Hutch (2 episodes); BJ and the Bear; The Incredible Hulk; Hart to Hart (2 episodes); Filthy Rich; Silver Spoons; The Blue and the Gray; Cagney and Lacey; Seven Brides for Seven Brothers; For Love and Honor; Mister Roberts; Cover Up; Riptide; Izzy & Moe; Amazing Stories; Remington Steele (2 episodes); The Golden Girls; Scarecrow and Mrs. King; The Betty Ford Story; The New Mike Hammer; Hard Knocks (2 episodes); Billionaire Boys Club; Webster (2 episodes); Knots Landing; Quantum Leap; Perfect Strangers; A Different World; Batman: The Animated Series; Dear John; Roseanne; Married with Children; Body Bags; Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman; Coach; Murder She Wrote (2 episodes); Kung Fu: The Legend Continues; Pinky and the Brain; Murder One; Murder One: Diary of a Serial Killer (6 episodes); Mike Hammer: Private Eye (26 episodes); The New Batman Adventures (2 episodes); Batman Beyond: The Movie; Nash Bridges (3 episodes); Arli$$; Men in Black: The Series; Batman Beyond (2 episodes); Titus (2 episodes); Jag; Providence; The New Woody Woodpecker Show (4 episodes); Mister Sterling; Jackie Chan Adventures; Carnivale; Patients; Deadwood (26 episodes); Desperate Housewives (2 episodes); Dirty Sexy Money; Mad Men; Castle; Mending Fences; Raising the Bar; Cold Case; Justified; Chuck; The Fuzz; Funny or Die Presents (3 episodes); CSI: Crime Scene Investigation; Arrested Development (4 episodes); Scorpion; Longmire; NCIS (2 episodes); Deadwood: The Movie and Baskets (5 episodes).

Some of the feature films that Peter Jason appeared in include: Rio Lobo; The Driver; The Long Riders; Mommy Dearest; Some Kind of Hero; 48 Hrs.; Streets of Fire; The Karate Kid; Dreamscape; Oxford Blues; Brewster’s Millions;  Heartbreak Ridge; Prince of Darkness; Red Heat; Alien Nation; They Live; Johnny Handsome; The Hunt for Red October; Arachnophobia; Marked for Death; In the Mouth of Madness; Village of the Damned; Congo; Mortal Combat; Wild Bill; Escape for LA; The Glimmer Man; Dante’s Peak; Ghosts of Mars; Undisputed; Seabiscuit; Richard III; Queen City; Hail Caesar; Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and The Downside of Bliss.

I probably first saw Peter Jason in Here Come the Brides.  Of course it could have been Daniel Boone; Land of the Giants; Hawaii 5-0; Kung Fu or Gunsmoke.  Peter Jason was getting work in so many shows I regularly watched it’s hard to say for sure.  Mr. Jason appeared in so many television shows and movies that I loved.  He was so prolific because he was so good.  Directors knew that Mr. Jason brought something special even in the smallest performances.  What a career Peter Jason had.

Out thoughts and prayers go out to Peter Jason’s family, friends and fans.

“The Conspiracy Show with Richard Syrett”: Season 1 (2011) / Z-View

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The Conspiracy Show with Richard Syrett: Season 1 (2011)

Director:  Jalal Merhi (Eps. 1-13)

Writer: Ron Craig, Richard Syrett (Ep. 1); Richard Syrett (Eps. 2 – 13)

The Plot…

Radio host Richard Syrett explores conspiracies, paranormal and supernatural beliefs, and a variety of other topics.  Each episode presents believers and skeptics who calmly present their evidence/beliefs.

Topics in season one include:

  • UFOs: The increasing amount of UFO reports, including those from the government – what is the truth?
  • 9/11 Controlled Demolition: Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth and Firefighters for 9/11 Truth present evidence that a controlled demolition brought down the towers.
  • Past Life Regression: Can past-life regression therapy prove the theory of reincarnation?
  • Chemtrails: Evidence that chemicals are being sprayed at high altitudes for reasons unknown.
  • Are We Running Out of Oil?: Are we running out of oil or do we have an inexhaustible supply?
  • Who is the AntiChrist?: Is the AntiChrist here or coming or is there really no Biblical basis to believe the AntiChrist is coming?
  • Electronic Harassment: Victims of alleged electronic harassment discuss the use of electronic devices to harass, torture, and/or physically cause harm.  Is the government involved?
  • Demonic Possessions and Exorcisms: Can people truly become possessed by demons or the devil?
  • Time Travel: Whistleblowers claim the government has used time travel already.
  • The New World Order:  Is a secret, powerful cabal controlling world events?
  • The Rendelsham Forest UFO Incident: What many consider an event with the best evidence for an UFO encounter is explored.
  • The Central Banking Conspiracy: Does a powerful, secretive cabal of international bankers truly control world events?
  • Vampires: Do vampires really exist?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I like that the host is respectful and presents both sides of each topic.  Since he interviews guests separately we don’t get arguments and shouting.  Each person presents their “evidence”.  At the end of each episode Syrett gives us his thoughts and we are left to decide how we feel.

Each episode runs less than 30 minutes.

The Conspiracy Show with Richard Syrett: Season 1 (2011) rates 5 of 5 stars.

DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN by Frank Miller & David Mazzucchelli Gets Marvel Premiere Collection Printing

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The classic DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN story by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli is getting a new printing in the Marvel Premiere Collection.  Here’s the scoop…

Brand-new introduction by author Frank Miller
Brand-new foreword by Daredevil actor Charlie Cox
Presented in a newly designed book-format edition
Daredevil: Born Again premieres March 4th 2025 on Disney +

Visionary geniuses Frank Miller (The Dark Knight Returns, Sin City) and David Mazzucchelli (Batman: Year One) bring you this classic Daredevil story that redefined the character and created a new benchmark in graphic storytelling.

From the powerhouse pairing of Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli comes the definitive Daredevil tale. Karen Page, Matt Murdock’s former lover, sets into motion a Machiavellian chain of events by trading away his secret identity for a drug fix. Now, Daredevil must find all the strength he can muster as Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin of Crime, wastes no time taking him down as low as a human can get. As he’s nursed back to health by a nun named Sister Maggie, Matt discovers a shocking secret that will change their relationship forever — but can he piece his life back together and survive a battle against the brutal super-soldier named Nuke?

COLLECTING: Daredevil #226-233

“Dope Thief” – The Trailer is Here!

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The trailer for Dope Thief checks all the right boxes.

Deal me in.

It was the perfect grift until they chose the wrong mark.

Dope Thief, a new series from Ridley Scott & Peter Craig, premieres March 14 on Apple TV+ https://apple.co/_DopeThief

Two lifelong friends (Brian Tyree Henry and Wagner Moura) in Philadelphia pose as DEA agents to rob small-time drug dealers. It’s a perfect grift—until they choose the wrong mark and become targets of a massive narcotics enterprise.

“The Channel” (2023) written & directed by William Kaufman; starring Clayne Crawford and Max Martini / Z-View

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The Channel (2023)

Director:  William Kaufman

Screenplay: William Kaufman; story by Paul Reichelt

Stars: Clayne Crawford, Max Martini, Nicoye Banks, Juliene Joyner, Jaren Mitchell, E.K. Spila, Linds Edwards, Todd Jenkins, Gary Cairns, Mike Lobo Daniel, Paul Rae, Jay Moses, Tyler Galpin  and Michael Thomas.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Jamie’s daughter needs a life-saving operation.  So he agrees to join his brother Mic and a crew of ex-soldiers on a bank robbery.  When the heist goes sideways, cops are killed.  Now the FBI has brought in a crack team and the city has been locked down.

Mic was already on edge. Now he’s out of control.  As the cops and FBI close in the body count rises.  Family got Jamie into this mess… now family might get him killed.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The Channel has enough action to entertain.  While it at times feels like a low-budget Heat, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.  The run-in with the gang bangers with the acid bath is memorable.

Max Martini can be seen on The Lioness Season 2 as Tracer.

The Channel (2023) rates 3 of 5 stars.