Previews and Reviews that are Z's Views
The poster and trailer for Neuromancer is here. William Gibson was way ahead of his time when he wrote the novel in 1984. The trailer has my interest so…
Deal me in.
Callum Turner stars in the cyberpunk series adapted from William Gibson’s genre-defining 1984 novel. Streaming on Apple TV on January 22.
A poster and teaser for Mike Flanagan’s series adaption of Stephen King’s Carrie have arrived.
I like King’s novel and am a huge fan of Brian DePalma’s movie adaptation. Since I’m also a Flanagan fan, and the trailer works, I’m looking forward to this. The fact that the entire series drops on October 7th is a plus.
Deal me in.
She just wanted a friend. They gave her a fight.
All episodes of Carrie, a new series from Mike Flanagan, premiere October 7 on Prime Video.
Project Hail Mary (2026)
Director: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller
Screenplay: Drew Goddard; based on PROJECT HAIL MARY by Andy Weir
Stars: Ryan Gosling, Sandra Hüller, James Ortiz, Lionel Boyce and Milana Vayntrub .
Tagline: Believe in the Hail Mary
The Plot…
2032. Scientists discover that every star in our solar system, except one is dimming. In approximately thirty years our planet will cool to an apocalyptic level. Plants will die. Nations will face food shortages. Countries will go to war over dwindling resources. In no time the majority of the human population will perish.
Unless.
A crew of three scientists have been sent to the orbit of the one star that is not dimming. The trio will awaken from suspended animation and hopefully determine why this star is uneffected. They will then send a message to Earth with the answer to save our planet. This mission is Earth’s only chance. It’s a longshot. That’s why the mission is named Hail Mary.
That was the plan.
The biggest problem is only one of the scientists, Ryland Grace, survives suspended animation. The other two died in transit. Four years ago Grace was a middle school teacher. Before that he was a molecular biologist. When Grace wrote a paper that went against traditional scientific thought, he was ridiculed. Grace left science behind for a career in teaching.
Ironically, it was the Grace’s paper that brought him to the attention of the “multi-national” task force brought together for the “save the world” project. Grace’s out of the box thinking solved initial problems. That and some unexpected challenges got Grace the job as the third to make the trip.
The plan was the other two scientists would do the bulk of the “heavy lifting” since Grace had zero experience on a space craft. With the other two dead, Grace thinks his chances of success can’t get much worse.
Then he sees an alien spacecraft slowly approaching…
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Project Hail Mary is based on Andy Weir’s award-winning New York Times best-seller. It is the second film based on a Weir novel. The first was THE MARTIAN. Weir is famous for a number of reasons — one of my favorite is Weir makes sure the science he uses is on point.
I was surprised at how good Project Hail Mary turned out. Kudos to all invovled.
Very little CGI was used for “Rocky” — he and his movements were all done through practical effects and puppetry.
Project Hail Mary rightfully has earned box office and critical success.
Project Hail Mary (2026) rates 5 of 5 stars.
Bosch: Season 1 (2015)
Developed by: Eric Overmyer; based on the HARRY BOSCH novels THE CONCRETE BLONDE; CITY OF BONES and ECHO PARK by Michael Connelly
Director:
Teleplay by:
Starring: Titus Welliver, Jamie Hector, Amy Aquino, Lance Reddick, Annie Wersching, Madison Lintz, Troy Evans, Sarah Clarke, Scott Wilson, Mimi Rogers, Adam O’Byrne, Veronica Cartwright and Jason Gedrick .
Tagline: Based on the best selling novels by Michael Connelly.
The Plot… (beware of spoilers)
L.A. Detective Hieronymus “Harry” Bosch is 47 years old with twenty years on the force. Before becoming a cop, Bosch served in the Gulf War in the Special Forces.
It’s not been a great year for Bosch. Although cleared of criminal charges in a shooting, he now faces a civil trial. Bosch claims the suspect was pulling a gun when Bosch killed him. The prosecution claims the suspect was unarmed. The gun planted. The civil trial has created a lot of bad publicity and renewed interest in Detective Bosch by Internal Affairs.
Still dealing with the trail, Bosch responds to a call. A child’s bones are found in a shallow grave in a wooded area near a nice neighborhood. In short order Bosch discovers leads that implicate several people… including the boy’s father.
The case takes a surprising turn when a routine traffic stop turns out to be anything but. Raynard Waits is driving a van containing a corpse. The dead man was tortured before he was killed. The evidence against Waits is overwhelming. He is a sadistic sociopath. There will be no deals, no plea bargain.
Then everything changes.
Waits claims that he also killed the little boy whose bones were recently discovered. Waits says he’s a serial killer of children. He’ll clear cases and give parents of many missing children peace of mind… but he wants something in return.
Bosch interviews Waits and has several takeaways. One: Waits is lying. Two: Waits is smart. Three: Waits is much more clever than he appears.
So when Waits says he will take the police to where he buried the bodies, Bosch is against it. District Attorny O’Shea (who is up for re-election) approves the field trip. Waits demands that Bosch be one of the officers in the group. Again O’Shea approves.
Bosch was right. Waits had a plan. It results in the murder of the Assistant DA and gravely wounds another officer. DA O’Shea shifts the blame for the murder and Wait’s escape to Bosch.
As Bosch’s civil trial moves forward, Waits killing spree continues. As the bodies pile up, Waits publically taunts Bosch.
Did Waits really kill the child? If not, who did? If Waits is a serial killer of children why was he found with an adult victim? Waits is using secrets from Bosch’s past to get under his skin. How does he know these things?
Bosch needs the answers or more innocent people will die.
Thoughts…
Bosch is excellent in all aspects – writing, directing and acting.
Harry Bosch is a well rounded character brought to life by Titus Welliver who is excellent in the role. Kudos also to Jason Gedrick who plays Raynard Waits. Gedrick is perfect. Other acting standouts include Jamie Hector, Amy Aquino, Lance Reddick, Annie Wersching, Troy Evans, Sarah Clarke and Scott Wilson.
Bosch: Season 1 (2015) rates 5 of 5 stars.
Here are the poster and trailer for The Whisper Man starring Robert De Niro, Michelle Monaghan and Adam Scott.
Deal me in.
The deadliest killers can’t be silenced.
Based on the New York Times bestselling novel by Alex North. When his eight-year-old son is abducted, a widowed crime writer looks to his estranged father, a retired former police detective, for help, only to discover a connection with the decades-old case of a convicted serial killer known as “The Whisper Man.”
The final trailer for The Dog Stars directed by Ridley Scott; starring Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley, Allison Janney, Benedict Wong, and Guy Pearce is here.
Deal me in.
The world that was doesn’t exist. THE DOG STARS, a Ridley Scott film, starring Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, and Margaret Qualley, arrives in theaters and IMAX August 28.
Based on Peter Heller’s captivating bestseller, “The Dog Stars” features a critically acclaimed ensemble, including Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley, Allison Janney, Benedict Wong, and Guy Pearce.
The screenplay is by Mark L. Smith, based upon the novel by Peter Heller, and the producers are Ridley Scott, p.g.a., Michael Pruss, p.g.a., Mark L. Smith, and Cliff Roberts, p.g.a., with Lily Brooks-Dalton, Brandon Scott Smith, Peter Heller, Aidan Elliott serving as executive producers.
The film tells the story of Hig (Jacob Elordi), a young pilot who, together with a military survivalist, Bangley (Josh Brolin), has carved out an efficient but isolated homestead in a brutal post-apocalyptic world. But when Hig receives a mysterious radio transmission, he ventures into the unknown in search of the hope and humanity he still believes exist.
EVERYBODY KNOWS by Jordan Harper
First sentence…
Los Angeles burns.
The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…
Mae Pruett is a “black-bag” publicist working for Mitnick & Associates, the most powerful PR firm in LA. Her job is not to spread positive news about clients. It’s to make sure that harmful, incriminating items about clients don’t get out. Hollywood insiders call her PR firm “The Beast”. Everyone working there is good. Mae is one of the best.
Mae learned early on that it’s not that the truth is unimportant — it’s that the truth doesn’t matter.
Dan Hennigan, Mae’s mentor, gives Mae a cryptic message. Dan wants to meet with Mae away from the firm. Before they can meet Dan is gunned down in a failed car jacking.
Or so it seems.
Mae believes that Dan’s murder was anything but random. If Dan was killed for what he knew, those behind Dan’s murder might believe Dan passed the information on to Mae. Mae needs to know, so she begins an off-the-books investigation.
Chris Tamburro used to be Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department deputy. Chris lost his badge after a controversial shooting. Truth is, Chris and many on his squad could have been fired over other brutal and unethical activities. Chris now works for Black Guard, a security firm that has ties to “The Beast”. Chris is the perfect hire. He’s an ex-cop, unafraid to use his tactical training, knowledge of the law, and willingness to bust heads as needed.
When Black Guard sends Chris to investiage Dan Hennigan’s murder, he crosses paths with Mae. Chris and Mae had history, but it’s been a few years. As Mae and Chris follow leads, they discover they still have chemistry… and Dan’s murder wasn’t random.
Now Mae and Chris have a choice. Walk away and go back to their lives protecting wealthy executives, celebs, politicians and influencers who feel they are above the law. Or follow their leads and try to take down a powerful cabal behind human trrafficking, blackmail, murder and more.
Mae and Chris aren’t going to walk away.
+++
Jordan Harper has another winner. EVERYBODY KNOWS is fast paced and well written. Harper spins a tale that takes us behind the curtain and could have come from today’s headlines. EVERYBODY KNOWS gets my highest recommendation.
Rating:
THE GUN MAN JACKSON SWAGGER: A WESTERN by Stephen Hunter
First sentences…
The sun was a blowtorch, scorching the Arizona Territory crisp. Sagebrush, some living, some dead, bounced indifferently about the raw landscape. While most of America prospered in the wonderful year of 1897, here vegetation turned brittle while the once abundant and variegated cacti had retreated within themselves, their spindly arms forming structures more appropriate to crucifixion than blossom.
The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…
1897. The Arizona Territory. Due to a prolonged draught survival is tough. Homes and even towns are left abandoned when residents left for a better climate. Only rare rough railroad construction towns called railheads and Colonel Callahan’s massive ranch thrive.
Railheads are not towns really. More like flophouses, whorehouses and taverns clustered together. They’re inhabited by the lawless, rough railroad construction workers who come in to spend their week’s pay.
Colonel Callahan’s ranch prospers. It’s the largest spread in the Arizona territory. Callahan makes a good living raising and marketing his cattle. But cattle isn’t all Callahan deals in. He’s also has secret (and illegal) dealings across the border in Mexico. Callahan employs ranch hands, cowboys, but most importantly gunmen. The only job these gunfighters have is to protect all that Callahan owns. Callahan’s top man and best with a gun is Tom Voth.
When a cowboy rides in looking for work, Voth is ready to send him on his way. The stranger says his name is Jack. Jack looks like a drifter. Hardened, yes. Tough looking yes. But old. Jack must be pushing sixty. Voth says, unless Jack is good with a gun, they can’t use him. Jack says he’s good with a gun and calm when bullets fly. Voth is doubtful. Jack doesn’t wear a gun. Turns out Jack pawned his guns to survive.
Voth calls for a rife. Jack takes the carbine and proceeds to amaze Voth with his shooting accuracy. Voth takes Jack to Mr. Callahan for a final interview. Callahan is impressed and hires Jack.
What they don’t know is the drifter Jack is actually Jack Swagger a feared gunfighter and he’s come to Callahan’s ranch on a personal mission.
Saddle up!
+++
I’m a fan of Stephen Hunter’s Swagger novels. It is such a cool idea to follow the Swagger family tree. It allows Hunter to write novels in different eras that are anchored by the Swagger family.
So far we have…
Stephen Hunter’s Swagger novel are instant purchases for me. I’ve loved every one. THE GUN MAN JACKSON SWAGGER: A WESTERN is another winner.
Rating:
The Dead Zone (1983)
Director: David Cronenberg
Screenplay: Jeffrey Boam; based on THE DEAD ZONE by Stephen King
Stars: Christopher Walken, Brooke Adams, Tom Skerritt, Herbert Lom, Anthony Zerbe, Colleen Dewhurst and Martin Sheen.
Tagline: In his mind, he has the power to see the future. In his hands, he has the power to change it.
The Plot…
Everything is going great for Johnny. He’s got a job teaching at a local school. He’s in love with Sarah, a teacher at the same school and she’s in love with him. Soon they will be married.
After a date with Sarah, as Johnny is driving home, a freak auto accident occurs. Johnny survives, but is left in a coma. When Johnny wakes up…
… FIVE YEARS HAVE PASSED.
Johnny has lost more than time. He learns Sarah is married and has a child. The wreck left him with a limp. His full physical recovery will take time. Yes, Johnny lost a lot. But he also gained a power. When Johnny makes physical contact with a person, he sometimes sees glimpses of their future.
Rumors spread about the man who cheated death who can now see the future. Some people are doubtful. Others think Johnny has been granted evil powers. Still others want Johnny to see their future so they can gain from the insight.
Sheriff Bannerman is skeptical, but has nothing to lose. A serial killer continues to kill and leaves no clues. Johnny reluctantly agrees to assist Bannerman. Along the way, Johnny discovers something even more deadly than a sadistic killer.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
When Johnny first discovers his new power, he sees a child trapped in a burning room. As Johnny witnesses this vision, sweat breaks out all over his face. The “sweat” is actually a flame retardant put on Christopher Walken to protect him from the flames. It turned out to be a happy accident since it created a cool effect that wasn’t intentional.
THE DEAD ZONE was the first Stephen King novel to reach #1 on the best selling hardcover list.
Christopher Walken was an excellent choice to play Johnny.
Martin Sheen plays Greg Stillson, a shyster politician running for President. Sixteen years later, Sheen began playing President Josiah Bartlet on the West Wing.
The Dead Zone is my favorite film directed by David Cronenberg.
The Dead Zone (1983) rates 5 of 5 stars.
SHOOT THE PIANO PLAYER by David Goodis
First sentences…
There were no street lamps, no lights at all. It was a narrow street in the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia. From the nearby Delaware a cold wind came lancing in, telling all the alley cats they’d better find a heated cellar. The late November gusts rattled against the midnight-darkened windows, and stabbed at the eyes of the fallen man in the street.
The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…
Eddie Lynn is a piano player in a small jazz club. Eddie comes in each night, plays the piano and keeps to himself. Eddie is an enigma. Always quiet. Never talks about his past. But boy, can he make the piano sing.
One night when Eddie is playing, a man rushes in. He’s Eddie’s estranged brother on the run from two thugs who aren’t far behind. Eddie wants no part of his brother’s problem, yet he can’t stand by and do nothing. The choice to get involved will expose Eddie’s past, drag him into a world of crime and result in several murders.
Will Eddie survive?
+++
DOWN THERE, David Goodis’ classic crime novel was written in 1956. It was adapted into a 1960 French film by François Truffaut. The film was titled Shoot the Piano Player. Some reprints of Goodis’ novel use the SHOOT THE PIANO PLAYER title.
Although based on David Goodis’ classic noir novel, DOWN THERE, the screenplay makes significant changes to the protagonist. In the movie his name is Charlie, in the novel it is Eddie. In the movie Charlie is small, shy and passive. In the novel, Eddie is physically imposing and he projects confidence. Eddie chooses to be private for an unknown reason. Charlie is naturally introverted.
I like the film adaptation, but the novel is better. Much better.
DOWN THERE is one of my all-time favorite novels. It’s hardboiled noir at its best.
Rating:
Conan by M.K. Perker!
Man on Fire: Season 1 (2025)
Created by: Kyle Killen; based on MAN ON FIRE by A.J. Quinnell
Director:
Teleplay by:
Starring: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Billie Boullet, Scoot McNairy, Alice Braga, Paul Ben-Victor and Bobby Cannavale.
Tagline: None.
The Plot… (beware of spoilers)
John Creasy was a Captain in the United States Special Forces. If a team was needed to go in a high risk-high reward situation, Creasey was the man you wanted in charge. Creasey was formidable in all aspects of military training and second to none as a strategist. When Creasey left the military, the CIA scooped him up. Creasey continued to be the go-to leader who would get the mission accomplished, no matter the odds.
That was then.
A mission led by Creasey resulted in his entire squad wiped out. Creasey became a shell of his former self. He left the CIA. Now he drinks too much and suffers from PTSD.
Paul Rayburn, a friend of Creasey’s, owns a security company. Rayburn flies Creasey to Brazil to offer him a job. While Creasey considers the opportunity, he re-bonds with Rayburn, his wife and their two children.
Tragedy strikes when a terrorist group blows up the building where Rayburn and his family live. Rayburn, his wife and son are three of the approximately six hundred killed in the explosion. Rayburn’s daughter Poe, wasn’t in the building when it detonated. She saw one of the terrorists. Worse still, he saw her.
Poe becomes a target of the terrorists. Creasey now has something to live for – to protect Poe and get revenge for the murder of his friends and 600 others.
Thoughts…
I like that Man on Fire didn’t play out the exact same plot as the excellent Man on Fire movie directed by Tony Scott, starring Denzel Washington and Dakota Fanning.
This is the third adaptation of AJ Quinnell’s MAN ON FIRE novel. The first was the 1987 film Man on Fire starring Scott Glenn as John Creasey. The second was the 2004 Man on Fire movie starring Denzel Washington.
A.J. Quinell is the pen name of Philip Nicholson. He wrote five novels about John Creasey.
Kudos to Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. Playing a character Denzel Washington made famous is a BIG ask. Abdul-Mateen II did a fine job.
Man on Fire: Season 1 (2025) rates 4 of 5 stars.
THE GIRL WITH THE DEEP BLUE EYES by Lawrence Block
First sentence…
The phone woke him from a dream.
The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…
Gallatin County Florida Sheriff William Radburn has information that Lisa Otterbein plans to have her husband killed. A local no-good snitched to Radburn after being approached by Lisa. She was looking for a killer. Someone to murder her wealthy husband.
So Sheriff Radburn decides to set up a sting. If Radburn gets Lisa on tape asking a hitman to murder her husband, she will go to prison and a life will be saved. Radburn approaches Doak Miller. Miller is a retired New York City cop with 24 years of service. Miller recently moved to Gallatin County after his wife divorced him. Miller is new to the area, experienced and could pass as a killer.
Radburn meets with Miller and lays out the plan. Miller will wear a wire, act as the hitman, and record Lisa asking him to kill her husband.
Miller meets with Lisa. She’s beautiful. More than beautiful really. Stunning. With amazing deep blue eyes. Miller is attracted to her. But he has a job to do. Miller says all the right things and gets Lisa’s responses on tape.
Radburn is surprised when he listens to the recording. Lisa doesn’t want a hitman. She doesn’t want her husband killed. Sure, their marriage has hit a rough patch, but kill him? Never. Miller says his experience dealing with criminals and liars tells him Lisa is telling the truth. The sheriff was given bad info.
Except he wasn’t.
Miller told Lisa how to respond. Practiced his questions and her answers until they sounded right. THEN he recorded the exchanges.
Now Miller and Lisa are heading into a red hot affair and planning a cold-blooded murder.
+++
Lawrence Block wrote this in 2015, but it has the feel of the erotic tales he wrote under pseudonyms at the start of his career. If you’re a fan of tales like DOUBLE INDEMNITY and THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE, this one is for you.
Rating:
From Here to Eternity (1953)
Director: Fred Zinnemann
Screenplay: Daniel Taradash; based on FROM HERE TO ETERNITY by James Jones
Stars: Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Deborah Kerr, Donna Reed, Frank Sinatra, Philip Ober, Ernest Borgnine, Jack Warden, Claude Akins, Al Silvani and George Reeves.
Tagline: WARDEN… who wouldn’t do it… even for her… PREW… who wanted to be left alone… KAREN… who was looking for a real man… MAGGIO… you just have to laugh at him… LORENE… to look at her you’d never guess…
The Plot…
1941. Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
Private Robert E. Lee Prewitt, a professional boxer who retired after blinding another fighter, is transferred to Fort Shafter in Hawaii. Captain “Dynamite” Holmes is excited to get Prewitt under his command. Prewitt on his boxing team is a sure thing to win the Regimental Boxing Championship. When Prewitt refuses to box, Holmes decides to “break him”.
To that end, Captain Holmes orders his subordinates to make Prewitt’s life miserable. Extra duties. Extreme punishments. Nothing can break Prewitt’s resolve. Company punishments for Prewitt’s “infractions” distance his fellow soldiers from him. Only Private Angelo Maggio is willing to be friendly with Prewitt. This causes friction between Maggio and the sadistic Sergeant Judson.
Sergeant Milton knows Captain Holmes is wrong, but it would be career suicide to disobey him. Of course Milton’s affair with Captain Holmes’ wife would have the same result.
Things are past a breaking point…
… then the morning of December 7th dawns…
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
From Here to Eternity was nominated for thirteen 1954 Academy Awards. It won eight.
From Here to Eternity tied Gone with the Wind with the eight Oscars won by a single film. This record stood for over a decade. The films were also winners of the Best Picture Oscar. Interestingly enough only one actor appears in both: George (Superman) Reeves. Reeves had small roles in both films and is actually uncredited in From Here to Eternity.
Claude Atkins made his film debut in this film.
From Here to Eternity is a classic.
From Here to Eternity (1953) rates 5 of 5 stars.
Carrie (1976)
Director: Brian De Palma
Screenplay: Lawrence D. Cohen; based on CARRIE by Stephen King
Stars: Sissy Spacek, John Travolta, Piper Laurie, William Katt, Nancy Allen, P.J. Soles, Michael Talbott and John Travolta.
Tagline: If you’ve got a taste for terror… take Carrie to the prom.
The Plot…
High school is almost unbearable for Carrie. She’s sixteen, immature and an easy target. At school Carrie is bullied daily. Her home life isn’t any better. Carrie is being raised by a single mother who is a religious zealot.
A particularly rough hazing incident in the PE showers leaves Carrie sobbing on the floor. Sue, one of the school’s most popular girls, feels remorse for her involvement. So she asks her boyfriend, Tommy Ross (also one of the cool kids) to take Carrie to the prom. Sue thinks that if Carrie is seen on a date with Tommy other kids might start viewing Carrie differently. Tom eventually agrees.
At first Carrie thinks she’s being set up. Tommy finally convinces Carrie he’s sincere. Carrie agrees to go despite her mother’s refusal to allow the date.
What Sue, Tommy and Carrie don’t know is that Chris, one of the girls involved in the PE incident, has a plan to humiliate Carrie at the Prom. Chris has no idea how badly her “prank” can go. She also has no idea that Carrie has recently discovered telekinetic powers.
Time for the prom. It will be a night you’ll never forget.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Although the ending of the movie is different than Stephen King’s book, King has said he like the movie’s ending better.
Sue Snell is played by Amy Irving. Sue’s mother is played by Priscilla Pointer… who is Amy Irving’s real life mother.
John Travolta, who just became a teen idol thanks to his role on Welcome Back Kotter, has a small role but was billed second on posters/ads.
Sissy Spacek was in real life a high school Homecoming Queen.
Carrie features Amy Irving’s feature film debut.
I had read the Stephen King novel a few years prior to seeing the movie. When the film came out I was a junior in high school. I saw it with a date at a midnight showing. I thought the film was ready to roll the end credits. Then the final scare comes. It caught me so off guard I jumped out of my seat. Yeah, try playing that off with your date. No, I wasn’t scared. Really.
One of Carrie’s taglines was: Carrie may look perfectly innocent, but she’ll shock you right out of your seat… and that’s a promise! In my case, promise kept.
Carrie (1976) rates 5 of 5 stars.
