Previews and Reviews that are Z's Views
I’m a sucker for a good crime story. Mob Land starring John Travolta, Stephen Dorff and Kevin Dillon looks to fit the bill. Deal me in.
A young father gets in over his head after a robbery goes wrong. Some debts can’t be repaid with money.
MOB LAND Official Trailer (2023) John Travolta, Stephen Dorff, Ashley Benson, Kevin Dillon
Se7en (1995)
Director: David Fincher
Writer: Andrew Kevin Walker
Stars: Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Kevin Spacey, Gwyneth Paltrow, John Cassini, Peter Crombie, Reg E. Cathey, R. Lee Ermey, George Christy, Hawthorne James, Richard Roundtree, John C. McGinley, Mark Boone Junior, Leland Orser, Richard Schiff, Charles S. Dutton and Andrew Kevin Walker.
Tagline: Seven deadly sins. Seven ways to die.
The Plot…
Just one week from retirement, veteran detective William Somerset (Freeman) is teamed with young rookie detective, David Mills (Pitt). Their styles and personalities are at odds from the start. Somerset is even-keeled, patient and methodical. Mills is short-tempered, eager and prone to rush in.
Somerset and Mills are assigned a murder investigation where the killer mutilated the victim before slowly murdering him. When another body turns up, Somerset and Mills realize that they’re dealing with a serial killer who is using the seven deadly sins to determine his victims and method of murder. The killer is intelligent, but insane… and he knows that Somerset and Mills are on the case.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
What could have been a very generic and exploitive serial killer movie is anything but. Andrew Kevin Walker created a story that is compelling and clever. The old cop just a week from retirement teamed with a young hotshot is so played out.. but not in the hands of Walker. The situation is what it is, and adds to the personalities of Somerset and Mills. The finale is one of the best ever.
David Fincher is an amazing director and Se7en is a masterpiece. The film stars Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt, but the supporting actors/actresses are just as amazing. It’s cool seeing familiar faces before they were “known” popping up throughout the film. Everything from the opening credits to the final shot are perfection.
Se7en (1995) rates 5 of 5 stars.
Joe Pickett: Season 1 (2021)
Written by: Drew Dowdle, John Erick Dowdle (ep. 1 -2; 7; 10); Samir Mehta (ep. 3; 5); Stacy Chbosky (ep. 4; 8); Sarah Marie Masson (ep. 6); Jada Nation (ep. 9)
Directed by: John Erick Dowdle (ep. 1 – 2; 8 – 10); Everardo Gout (ep. 3 – 4); Drew Dowdle (ep. 5); Jennifer Morrison (ep. 6 – 7)
Stars: Michael Dorman, Julianna Guill, Sharon Lawrence, Paul Sparks, Mustafa Speaks, Skywalker Hughes, Kamryn Pilva, David Alan Grier, Chad Rook, Aadila Dosani, Jacqueline and Joyce Robbins, Patrick Gallagher and Firass Dirani
Tagline: None.
The Plot…
Joe Pickett (Dorman) is a new game warden who has just moved his wife and daughters to the small town of Saddlestring, Wyoming. Right out of the gate Joe has a run-in with a local hunting out of season. The situation escalates before Joe gets the upper hand. The man later is later found dead on Joe’s property. Joe then finds himself at odds with the local police investigating the case. Soon enough, the police have a suspect in custody and are ready to close the case… but Joe’s investigation reveals a corruption that runs deep and puts he and his family at risk.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Joe Pickett: Season One is surprisingly good. I really like the relationship between Joe and his wife. There are some great twists as the story unfolds. It’s well acted and well directed. I look forward to season 2.
Joe Pickett: Season 1 (2021) earns 4 of 5 stars.
Mr. Inbetween: Season 2 (2019)
Written by: Scott Ryan
Directed by: Nash Edgerton
Stars: Scott Ryan, Justin Rosniak, Brooke Satchwell, Nicholas Cassim, Chika Yasumura, Damon Herriman, Matt Nable and Firass Dirani
Tagline: None.
The Plot…
Ray Shoesmith is a professional criminal/killer with an anger problem. Ray’s also juggling his responsibilities as a divorced dad with a young daughter and is caretaker of his older brother who suffers from a degenerative neural disease.
In season two Ray…
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Season 2 of Mr. Inbetween continues the streak of excellent shows featuring a great mix of drama and comedy. Each episode clocks in between 21 and 32 minutes which makes it perfect if time is short.
Mr. Inbetween: Season 2 (2019) earns 5 of 5 stars.
Perry Mason: Season 2 (2023)
Written by: Jack Amiel & Michael Begler (ep. 9 – 12); Niko Gutierrez-Kovner (ep. 13); Elizabeth Baxa (ep. 14); Mauricio Katz & Pedro Peirano (ep. 15); Michael Begler (ep. 16)
Directed by: Fernando Coimbra (ep. 9 – 10); Jessica Lowrey (ep. 11 – 12); Marialy Rivas (ep. 13 – 14); Nina Lopez-Corrado (ep. 15 – 16)
Stars: Matthew Rhys, Juliet Rylance, Chris Chalk, Shea Whigham, Justin Kirk, Diarra Kilpatrick, Eric Lange, Katherine Waterston, Verónica Falcón, Gretchen Mol, Hope Davis, Tom Amandes and Sean Astin.
Tagline: There’s Power in the Truth.
The Plot…
The year is 1933. Perry Mason (Rhys) has been taking only civil cases since the baby murder trial of season one. Mason gets pulled into a highly publicized murder case when he discovers evidence that the two brothers accused of the crime may have been railroaded. The victim was the son of one of the richest men in LA and the accused murderers are poor Mexican immigrants.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Season two of Perry Mason brings back the central characters, expands on their backstory, while at the same time introducing a new mystery with an unexpected twist at the end. The series continues to be one of the best on tv.
Perry Mason: Season 2 (2023) earns 5 of 5 stars.
Mr. Inbetween: Season 1 (2018)
Written by: Scott Ryan
Directed by: Nash Edgerton
Stars: Scott Ryan, Justin Rosniak, Brooke Satchwell, Nicholas Cassim, Chika Yasumura, Damon Herriman, Matt Nable and Firass Dirani
Tagline: None.
The Plot…
Ray Shoesmith is a professional criminal/killer with an anger problem. Ray’s also juggling his responsibilities as a divorced dad with a young daughter and is caretaker of his older brother who suffers from a degenerative neural disease.
In season one Ray…
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Scott Ryan has created a likable character that does terrible things. Mr. Inbetween has a great mix of drama and comedy. The humor comes from the situations that Ray finds himself in. There’s a scene so shocking, funny and outrageous in episode three that to give it away would be a sin. The show is well written, acted and directed. Each episode clocks in between 21 and 32 minutes which makes it perfect if time is short.
Mr. Inbetween: Season 1 (2018) earns 5 of 5 stars.
Here’s the trailer for Confidential Informant starring Dominic Purcell, Mel Gibson, Nick Stahl and Kate Bosworth. I’d give it a shot.
This gritty crime thriller starring Mel Gibson tells the tale of two narcotics agents hunting for a cop killer during a crack epidemic. Hoping for leads, Moran (Dominic Purcell, “Prison Break”) and Thorton (Nick Stahl, Sin City) pay off a junkie informant. To provide for his wife (Kate Bosworth, Superman Returns) and son, Moran involves the stool pigeon in a deadly scheme. This causes the partners to come under the scrutiny of a suspicious internal affairs agent, leading to an explosive finale…
RELEASE DATE: June 27th, 2023
CAST: Dominic Purcell, Mel Gibson, Nick Stahl
Sympathy for the Devil looks pretty good. Deal me in.
In Theaters and On Demand July 28
Starring Nicolas Cage, Joel Kinnaman
Directed by Yuval Adler
Written by Luke ParadiseAfter being forced to drive a mysterious passenger (Nicolas Cage) at gunpoint, a man (Joel Kinnaman) finds himself in a high-stakes game of cat and mouse where it becomes clear that not everything is as it seems.
Meet the Parents with a criminal twist. Deal me in.
Owen Browning (Adam Devine) is a straight-laced bank manager about to marry the love of his life, Parker (Nina Dobrev). When his bank is held up by the infamous Ghost Bandits during his wedding week, he believes his future in-laws (Pierce Brosnan and Ellen Barkin) who just arrived in town, are the infamous Out-Laws. The Out-Laws on Netflix, July 7.
Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips have announced WHERE THE BODY WAS, a new original graphic novel that drops December 12, 2023. Here’s the lowdown…
A boarding house full of druggies. A neglected housewife. A young girl who thinks she’s a superhero. A cop who wants to be left alone. And a Private Detective looking for a runaway girl. These stories collide one fateful summer in WHERE THE BODY WAS, a tale of love and murder in the suburbs, told from a dozen different points of view. All the neighbors on the block have an opinion about the murder and how it happened, but which of them is telling the truth?
WHERE THE BODY WAS is a tour-de-force from grandmasters Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. Starting with a map of the crime scene, this murder mystery follows the ripples of this killing as they echo through decades of love and loss and passion and violence. Like a true crime podcast crossed with a long-lost diary, WHERE THE BODY WAS is unlike anything Brubaker and Phillips have ever done, and a must-have for all their avid fans!
WHERE THE BODY WAS is available for pre-orders now.
Perry Mason: Season 1 (2020)
Written by: Rolin Jones & Ron Fitzgerald (ep. 1-3, 8); Steven Hanna & Sarah Kelly Kaplan (ep. 4); Eleanor Burgess (ep. 5); Kevin J. Hynes (ep. 6); Howard Korder (ep. 7)
Directed by: Tim Van Patten (ep. 1 – 4; 7-8); Deniz Gamze Ergüven (ep. 4 – 6)
Stars: Matthew Rhys, Juliet Rylance, Chris Chalk, Shea Whigham, Tatiana Maslany, John Lithgow, Justin Kirk, Diarra Kilpatrick, Eric Lange, Verónica Falcón, Gretchen Mol, Gayle Rankin, Stephen Root, Robert Patrick, Lili Taylor and Matt Frewer.
Tagline: Everyone is guilty of something.
The Plot…
The year is 1932. Perry Mason (Rhys) is a low-rent private eye. He’s a divorced parent, and a WWI vet who struggles with PTSD. Mason’s main employer is a struggling attorney named “E.B.” Jonathan (Lithgow). When EB takes on a sensationalized, highly publicized case involving a baby kidnapping/murder, he assigns Mason to investigate. Mason follows leads that point to corruption at the highest levels and the fact that an innocent person is taking the fall. As Mason gets closer to the truth, he and those around him become targets.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
This is not your grandparents’ Perry Mason. Instead we are treated to the evolution of the great attorney from before he was even a lawyer. The series captures the feel of the era. It is well written, well directed, well acted and well, just an all-around superior viewing experience.
Perry Mason: Season 1 is one of the few shows were the supporting characters could actually be leads had the show been written differently.
The first season starts out very dark and Mason isn’t all that likeable. Stick with the series and you’ll be rewarded.
Perry Mason: Season 1 (2020)) earns 5 of 5 stars.
I cannot wait. Deal me in!
Timothy Olyphant is back as Raylan Givens. OFFICIAL TRAILER for FX’s Justified: City Primeval premieres 7.18 on FX. Stream on Hulu.
Starring Timothy Olyphant, Aunjanue Ellis and Boyd Holbrook. Raylan Givens left the hollers of Kentucky and is balancing life as a U.S. Marshal with being a part-time father. A chance encounter sends him to Detroit and on a collision course with a violent sociopath and a formidable defense attorney.
Lush and other tales of Boozy Mayhem by Duane Swierczynski just came out. It’s Swierczynski’s first book of short stories. Here’s the lowdown…
Cimarron Street Books is pleased to bring you the first collection of short stories from Duane Swierczynski!
If you’re in the mood for mayhem, you’ve come to the right place, pal. Cozy up to the bar and let Duane Swierczynski spin you a yarn. I’ll warn ya, though; these eighteen tales aren’t for the faint of heart. You’ll find crime, science fiction and plenty of horror in these pages . . . and rest assured, he isn’t afraid to serve up the hard stuff.
As Duane notes in his introduction: “Stories have always been an escape for me, just like a couple of stiff drinks at the end of the day. Both are methods of altering your personal reality, even just for a little while.” We invite you to escape into Duane’s wild world of high-octane (and high-proof) short fiction, where you’ll experience . . .
A journalist landing an interview with Philadelphia’s last hardboiled P.I., the hunt for a pulp writer’s lost manuscript, the downside of finding out that death isn’t the end, the dangers of ignoring a Polish death curse, a new twist on serving time for crimes committed, a cross-country trek under the watchful eye of a killer, a particularly dangerous film print, lawbreakers in a future where technology has tamed the L.A. freeway system, and a whole lot more . . .
Gird your brain and your liver . . . it’s time for Lush and Other Tales of Boozy Mayhem.
If this sounds like something you’d like, you know what to do.
Hijack starring Idris Elba looks like an interesting riff on an airplane takeover. Deal me in.
Let them think they’re in control. Hijack premieres June 28 on Apple TV+ https://apple.co/_Hijack
Told in real time, Hijack is a tense thriller that follows the journey of a hijacked plane as it makes its way to London over a seven-hour flight, and as authorities on the ground scramble for answers.
Starring and executive produced by SAG Award winner and Emmy Award nominee Idris Elba, Hijack was created by George Kay (“Lupin,” “Criminal”) and Jim Field Smith (“Criminal,” “Truth Seekers”), who also wrote and lead directed the series respectively. The series also stars Emmy Award and NAACP Image Award winner Archie Panjabi (“The Good Wife,” “Snowpiercer,” “Blindspot”).
On July 19th, John Tiffany Vol. 1 by writer, Stephen Desberg and artist, Dan Panosian becomes available. Here’s the lowdown…
John Tiffany Vol. 1 collects and updates this raucous action-adventure. Filled with car chases, intrigue, and beautiful women, John Tiffany is exactly the sort of gut punch that fans of international spy stories love.
John Tiffany is one of the best bounty hunters in the world. Given his precarious line of work, he has found that he can only truly trust four people: Pastor Lovejoy, an unorthodox priest; Wan Chao, an underworld geek; Dorothy, his conservative teammate; and Magdalena, a sex worker he has foolishly fallen in love with. But it seems that one of them has turned against him and now he’s the one with a bounty on his head. It’s a race against time as he tries to survive being a high-priced target and find out which of his confidantes is the traitor.
If this sounds like something you’d enjoy, you know what to do.
