Previews and Reviews that are Z's Views
When folks talk about the great films of Stanley Kubrick, one that doesn’t get mentioned enough is The Killing. It’s not only one of my favorite Kubrick movies, it’s one of my all-time favorites.
The Killing is also a favorite of Rich Davies. Davies created the very cool alt poster above. It also comes in a color variant, but I prefer the mono one myself. You can check out more of Davies’ art here.
Play Dirty (2025)
Director: Shane Black
Screenplay: Shane Black, Charles Mondry, Anthony Bagarozzi; based on the PARKER novels by Richard Stark
Stars: Mark Wahlberg, LaKeith Stanfield, Rosa Salazar, Keegan-Michael Key, Chukwudi Iwuji, Gretchen Mol, Tony Shalhoub, Hemky Madera, Alejandro Edda, Claire Lovering and Thomas Jane.
Tagline: Even robbers get robbed.
The Plot…
Parker is a professional thief. He was part of a crew that robbed a horse track count room. The heist went sideways, but they got away with the cash. At the hideout as Parker and the team are getting ready to divide the loot, Zen, the getaway driver betrays them. She shoots them all and makes off with the dough.
Parker, left for dead, survives. Once he recovers he makes it his mission in life to track down Zen, get the money back and take her life. It won’t be easy. Especially when Parker decides to also rob a crime syndicate known as the Outfit.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
The film was originally supposed to reteam Robert Downey, Jr. and writer/director Shane Black. They had worked together before on Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. When Downey dropped out, Mark Wahlberg was chosen to replace him.
Play Dirty is the fifth movie adaptation of Richard Stark’s Parker character. The other films are: Point Blank (1967) starring Lee Marvin; The Outfit (1973) starring Robert Duvall; Payback (1999) starring Mel Gibson; Parker (2013) starring Jason Statham and now Play Dirty starring Mark Wahlberg.
Play Dirty is okay, but your time would be better served watching one of the other Parker adaptations.
Play Dirty (2025) rates 2 of 5 stars.
Frank Miller’s Sin City is one of my all-time favorite comic series. I love seeing artists do their “take” on Miller’s characters. Today we have Hartigan by Gabriel Chene.
“Untamed” (2025)
Created by: Mark L. Smith & Elle Smith
Teleplay by:
Directed by:
Stars: Eric Bana, Sam Neill, Rosemarie DeWitt, Lily Santiago, Wilson Bethel, Josh Randall, Joe Holt, Iris Quinn, Jonathan Whitesell, J.D. Pardo and Raoul Max Trujillo.
Tagline: None.
The Plot…
Kyle Turner, a Special Agent for the National Parks Investigative Services Branch is called to look into the death of a woman who fell or was thrown off El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. Turner’s head is in a bad space. He’s still dealing with his divorce caused by a tragedy involving his young son. Although good at his job, Turner’s social skills have suffered since the incident. So his pairing with a rookie on the murder investigation is the last thing he wanted.
Or so he thought.
The clues in the murder lead to the possibility of a serial killer working in Yosemite and an unsolved case that has tormented Turner for years.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Lily Santiago is excellent in her role as the rookie investigator. J.D. Pardo shows up in a small but impactful part.
Kudos to Eric Bana for playing a character who is often a jerk because of how he’s dealing with a personal tragedy. Most stars would want their character to be more likeable.
I enjoyed Untamed and look forward to season 2.
“Untamed” (2025) earns 4 of 5 stars.
A Single Shot (2013)
Director: David M. Rosenthal
Screenplay: Matthew F. Jones; based on A SINGLE SHOT by Matthew F. Jones
Stars: Sam Rockwell, William H. Macy, Kelly Reilly, Jason Isaacs, Joe Anderson, Jeffrey Wright, Ophelia Lovibond, Amy Sloan, W. Earl Brown, David Flannery, A.C. Peterson and Ted Levine.
Tagline: One mistake. One secret. One chance.
The Plot…
John Moon has lost a lot. First it was the family farm. Then his wife and child. His work at the factory doesn’t pay enough. Times are tough.
It’s not hunting season, but John decides to risk it. He needs the meat. John hikes deep into the woods. He spots a big stag and takes a shot. The wounded beast runs off. John doesn’t want the buck to suffer and tracks it. Deeper in the woods, John bends down to check the trail. He hears movement and looks up to see a flash of brown and white. John fires and hears the animal fall.
John pushes through the brush to where he heard the animal fall. It’s a young woman. She’s dead. Killed by John. John considers his options. Turning himself in won’t change anything for the girl. It’ll destroy his family. And put him in prison. Why was she out here anyway?
John decides to bury her. He looks around for a spot and John discovers a box full of money.
John makes another decision. It’s an easier one. He takes the money. Then does his best to remove any evidence he was there. Finished, John hikes out.
John is paranoid as the days pass. Bad men have a way of finding what’s theirs. And soon they will.
Then they will come for it.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Both the novel and movie are worth a look.
William H. Macy and Jeffrey Wright are always good.
A Single Shot (2013) rates 3 of 5 stars.
As I was going through the Zablo vault, I came across a watercolor of Cobra by Thomas Boatwright that I’d never posted. Boatwright used to regularly livestream art and for a few years was a guest at HeroesCon. Getting art from Thomas Boatwright was always a joy.
Public Enemies (2009)
Director: Michael Mann
Screenplay: Ronan Bennett, Ann Biderman, Michael Mann; based on PUBLIC ENEMIES: AMERICA’S GREATEST CRIME WAVE AND THE BIRTH OF THE FBI, 1933–34 by Bryan Burrough
Stars: Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Christian Stolte, Jason Clarke, Stephen Graham, David Wenham, John Judd, Stephen Dorff, James Russo, Giovanni Ribisi, Wesley Walker, Channing Tatum, Casey Siemaszko, Billy Crudup, Domenick Lombardozzi, Don Frye and Stephen Lang.
Tagline: America’s Most Wanted
The Plot…
1933. The Great Depression is raging. Gangsters such as John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson and others have been robbing banks with impunity. Despite killing cops and the occassional bystander, these criminals are becoming folk heroes. J. Edgar Hoover, the Director of the FBI has ordered Agent Melvin Purvis to put together a task force. Purvis’ orders are to bring in these gangsters dead or alive.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Although Public Enemies isn’t a documentary, it is very close to the real life stories.
Michael Mann filmed John Dillinger’s famous escape from Crown Point Jail at the real jail. Although it had been turned into a historical museum, it was redressed along with the store fronts on the square to how they would’ve appeared in 1933. Mann also filmed the Little Bohemia shoot-out at the real lodge and in the same room Dillinger stayed in.
During a getaway scene Johnny Depp drives a 1932 Studebaker that was actually used by Dillinger as a getaway car following a bank robbery in Greencastle, Indiana. The car was on loan from an auto museum.
Public Enemies (2009) rates 4 of 5 stars.
I just ordered a copy of RIGHTEOUS TRASH by Nick Kolakowski. Here’s the lowdown…
Jake Halligan tried living the quiet life.
After years of war and crime, Jake has settled down with his wife and daughter in rural Idaho. But in a country that pushes people to the brink, Jake soon makes a bet to get ahead that will have disastrous consequences.
Spurred by his sister Frankie, the West’s most dangerous arms dealer, Jake is pulled into a chaotic conspiracy that involves a pregnant teenager, gangs of gun-toting thugs, a wetwork specialist from New Orleans, high-powered politicos, and a backwoods shooting competition just begging to be robbed.
Jake Halligan tried living the quiet life, but when the bullets start flying and everything he knows is at risk, he’ll have to decide who he really is and what he really wants. The wrong choice might kill him and everyone he cares about.
Kolakowski’s tales always entertain and I expect RIGHTEOUS TRASH to be no different. If it sounds like something you’d enjoy, you know what to do.
RIGHTEOUS TRASH paperback
RIGHTEOUS TRASH Kindle
“Dark Winds” Season 4 starring Zahn McClarnon, Kiowa Gordon, Jessica Matten and Deanna Allison – The Poster and Trailer are Here!
Just when Leaphorn thought he’d seen it all.
#DarkWinds Season 4 premieres February 15 on AMC and AMC+.
Crime 101 starring Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan, and Halle Berry – The Poster and Trailer are Here!
He’s about to break every rule he’s ever lived by.
Watch the trailer for #Crime101 now, starring Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan, and Halle Berry. See the movie only in theaters February 13.
Set against the sun-bleached grit of Los Angeles, Crime 101 weaves the tale of an elusive thief (Chris Hemsworth) whose high-stakes heists unfolding along the iconic 101 freeway have mystified police.
When he eyes the score of a lifetime with hopes of this being his final job, his path collides with a disillusioned insurance broker (Halle Berry) who is facing her own crossroads, forcing the two to collaborate.
Determined to crack the case, a relentless detective (Mark Ruffalo) closes in on the operation, raising the stakes even higher. As the multimillion-dollar heist approaches, the line between hunter and hunted begins to blur, and all three are forced to confront the cost of their choices–and the realization that there’s no turning back.
Adapted from Don Winslow’s acclaimed novella of the same name, the film is written and directed by Bart Layton (American Animals, The Imposter). Barry Keoghan, Monica Barbaro, Corey Hawkins, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Nick Nolte round out the cast.
Frank Miller’s Sin City is one of my all-time favorite comic series. I love seeing artists do their “take” on Miller’s characters. Today we have Hartigan and the Yellow Bastard by Howie Noel.
“Duster” (2025)
Created by: J. J. Abrams, LaToya Morgan
Teleplay by:
Directed by:
Stars: Josh Holloway, Rachel Hilson, Asivak Koostachin, Sydney Elisabeth Smith, Benjamin Charles Watson, Camille Guaty, Adriana Aluna Martinez, Greg Grunberg, Evan Jones, Sofia Vassilieva, Jonathan Dixon, Corbin Bernsen, Kevin Chamberlin, Matt Lauria, Gail O’Grady and Keith David.
Tagline: Everyone needs an inside man.
The Plot…
The year is 1972. Nina Hayes, the F.B.I.’s first Black female agent is assigned to the Phoenix, Arizona office. There she is expected to keep a low profile and not rock the boat as she works on the Ezra Saxton case. Saxton is a Black crime kingpin for the area. Nina thinks she may have an “in” by turning Jim Ellis, Saxton’s getaway driver.
Jim is a trusted family friend of Saxon’s. In fact Jim’s older brother worked for Saxon as well. Saxon loved his brother like a son. When Jim’s brother was murdered, Jim took his spot in the organization. There’s no way Jim would betray Saxton.
When Nina shares evidence with Jim that Saxton may have been behind his brother’s murder, all bets are off.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Duster is a fun ride. Josh Holloway is perfect as Jim Ellis. I’m surprised we don’t see Holloway more often in big productions. Duster was a great, uh, vehicle for his talents.
I’d never seen Rachel Hilson before. She’s wonderful as the young, outsider set to solve a case. Hilson and Holloway had great on-screen chemistry.
Keith David is always good. He’s perfectly cast as Saxon.
Duster features one of the coolest openings before each episode. Watch for slight changes as the season progresses. Very clever. Very fun.
It’s unfortuante that Duster wasn’t renewed for Season 2. It currently has a 7.2 rating on IMDb. At Rotten Tomatoes it currently sits with 93% from reviewers and 85% from users of the site. So people did enjoy Duster. Sadly, not enough tuned in when it premiered for the greenlight for a second season.
If you haven’t seen Duster, you should give it a try.
“Duster” (2025) earns 4 of 5 stars.
I’d been a fan of Ryan Kelly’s art for some time. When I saw that he was taking mail order commissions, I jumped on board. I requested Sly Stallone as Jack Carter from Get Carter. Kelly killed it. This was my first commission from Ryan Kelly. I hope it’s not my last.
Final Score (2018)
Director: Scott Mann
Screenplay: David T. Lynch, Keith Lynch, Jonathan Frank
Stars: Dave Bautista, Ray Stevenson, Martyn Ford, Gordon Alexander, Peter Pedrero, Craig Conway, Bill Fellows and Pierce Brosnan.
Tagline: 35,000 lives. 90 minutes. No extra time.
The Plot…
Michael Knox, an ex-U.S. soldier visiting London, takes his teenage niece to a soccer game. When terrorists take control of the stadium, it is up to Knox to save the day.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
If you said that Final Score sounds like “Die Hard in a Stadium“, you wouldn’t be wrong. If you said that Final Score sounds like a knock-off of Jean-Claude Van Damme’s Sudden Death you’d be right.
Final Score (2018) rates 2 of 5 stars.
The poster and trailer for Icefall starring Joel Kinnaman is here!
To Find Redemption, You’ll Have to Break Through.
#IceFallMovie starring Joel Kinnaman is on digital and on demand November 4.
