Category: Books

“Seven Days in May” (1964) screenplay by Rod Serling, directed by John Frankenheimer, starring Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Fredric March and Ava Gardner / Z-View

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Seven Days in May (1964)

Director: John Frankenheimer

Screenplay: Rod Serling; based on SEVEN DAYS IN MAY by Fletcher Knebel, Charles W. Bailey II

Stars: Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Fredric March, Ava Gardner, Edmond O’Brien, Martin Balsam, Andrew Duggan, Hugh Marlowe, Whit Bissell, Helen Kleeb, George Macready, Richard Anderson, Bart Burns, John Alban, Al Bain, John Houseman, Ferris Webster, Kent McCord and Malcolm Atterbury.

Tagline:  “I’m suggesting Mr President, there’s a military plot to take over the Government of these United States, next Sunday…”

The Plot…

Set during the Cold War.  President Jordan Lyman’s popularity is at an all-time low. He’s just signed a nuclear disarmament treaty with Russia.  Many believe the Russians can’t be trusted.  Protests across the country have grown violent.  Some fear that Russia will renig on the treaty leaving the US unprotected.  Others think that if both countries don’t begin to disarm at some point the nukes will be used.

General James Mattoon Scott is the Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.  He’s a highly popular, highly decorated Air Force Ace.  Colonel Martin “Jiggs” Casey is the Director of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.  His role is to assist the Joint Chiefs, particularly General Scott.  Privately, neither think Russia can be trusted to keep their part of the disarmament treaty.

Colonel Casey notices some strange messages left for General Mattoon.  This leads to his discovery that in seven days General Mattoon and several other military leaders plan a coup.  They plan to overthrow the President and take control of the government.

Colonel Casey speaks to the President in private.  At first the President can’t believe it.  But the evidence is there.  Unsure of who they can trust, the President, a few trusted aides and Colonel Casey must find a way to stop a coup led by the most popular military leader of the era.

The clock is ticking.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)… 

Seven Days in May was nominated for two 1965 Academy Awards…

  • Nominee for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Black-and-White – Cary Odell, Edward G. Boyle
  • Nominee for Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Edmond O’Brien

At a dinner with President Kennedy, Kirk Douglas was asked if he was adapting the novel SEVEN DAYS IN MAY.  When Douglas said that he was, President Kennedy spoke to him at length about how great a movie it would be.  President Kennedy granted set designers access to the White House to assist with an accurate look.

Seven Days in May was set to be released in December 1963.  The release was pushed back due to the assassination of JFK.

Seven Days in May marks John Houseman’s first (although uncredited) feature film role.

Kent McCord best known as Officer Jim Reed on Adam-12 appears as uncredited in a non-speaking role as a Secret Service agent.

Although released in 1964, the film is set in the near future.  Teleconferencing, digital displays, wall screens and the like look ancient now, but then they weren’t in use and appeared slightly futuristic.

The film features one of my favorite comeback lines when General Scott asks Colonel Casey if he knows who Judas was.

Seven Days in May (1964) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“Frankenstein” (2025) written & directed by Guillermo del Toro / Z-View

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Frankenstein (2025)

Director: Guillermo del Toro

Screenplay: Guillermo del Toro; based on FRANKENSTEIN by Mary Shelley

Stars: Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Christoph Waltz, Mia Goth, Charles Dance, David Bradley, Kyle Gatehouse, Lauren Collins, Ralph Ineson, Peter MacNeill and Burn Gorman.

Tagline:  Only monsters play God.

The Plot…

 1857.  The Horisont, a ship sailing to the North Pole, has become trapped in ice. While attempting to free the vessel, the crew finds a badly injured man named Victor Frankenstein.  They bring him aboard and begin treating his wounds.

Not long after, a huge scarred man with incredible strength attacks the ship.  Several of the crew are injured or killed.  The monster demands that Victor Frankenstein be turned over to him.  Instead the Captain orders his men to fire upon the creature.  The shots break the ice around the monster and it sinks away.

As the crew rejoices, Victor Frankenstein says that the creature can not be killed.  It will return and attack again.  Frankenstein says he knows this because he created the monster.

This is his (and the creature’s) story…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)… 

Guillermo del Toro licensed Bernie Wrightson’s illustrations from Wrightson’s FRANKENSTEIN graphic novel adaptation to be used in pre-production of the film.

Del Toro has created a beautiful adaptation.  It is well cast, well directed and well acted.  The set designs are award-worthy.  I enjoyed the experience of watching it, but his Frankenstein is not one I feel I will be re-watching much.

Frankenstein (2025) rates 4 of 5 stars.

FIVE GEARS IN REVERSE by Ed Brubaker & Sean Phillips!

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Crime fiction fans will be excited to learn that Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips have a new CRIMINAL graphic novel coming out on June 23, 2026.  It’s titled FIVE GEARS IN REVERSE: A CRIMINAL BOOK.  Here’s the scoop…

A brand new CRIMINAL graphic novel featuring the legendary RICKY LAWLESS and the crazy tale of how he and MALLORY fell in love in the midst of a crime spree.

In one of the wildest, most action-packed books that Brubaker and Phillips have ever done, we delve deep into the life of one of CRIMINAL‘s most complex and tragic characters, Ricky Lawless as he tries to pay off a deep debt to a mobster, while things just keep going from bad to worse.

FIVE GEARS IN REVERSE will have long-time CRIMINAL fans cheering the return of RICKY LAWLESS and new readers will find it a perfect jumping-on-point for the greatest crime comic series of the 21st century.

“Brubaker and Phillips don’t hit a wrong note.” – Shane Black

Pre-orders are available now.

ROCKY: THE COMPLETE FILMS by Sylvester Stallone!

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Sly Stallone and Rocky fans are going to love ROCKY. THE COMPLETE FILMS by Sylvester Stallone and  editor, Paul Duncan.  This 9.84″ x 13.39″ hardback will clock in at 320 pages.

Here’s the lowdown…

Rocky Balboa is the Philadelphian icon who took on the world and won. The original “Italian Stallion,” the gutsy fighter who rose above the odds to boxing glory, and a rags-to-riches legend in the business of making movies.

Ever since Sylvester Stallone unleashed his impassioned title character in 1976, the resilient fighter has earned his place in history as a symbol of tenacity and courage and a legend of cinematic success.

The story of Rocky the movie is as exciting as that of its eponymous boxer. Shot on a tight budget, with the virtually unknown Stallone writing the script as well as taking on the lead role, it became a surprise overnight sensation, generating millions in box-office revenues, notching up three Oscar wins, and transforming Stallone into a global star as an actor, writer, and director.

The Rocky phenomenon developed into a franchise of six films, including Rocky Balboa in 2006. In collaboration with Sylvester Stallone and MGM, this tome brings you all the guts and all the glory of the complete Rocky story.

Copious images, including many on-set pictures from famed sports photographer Neil Leifer, come together with precious archival material from the Academy Library and MGM archive to reveal the making of an enduring action hero as much as a movie masterpiece.

A foreword by Stallone and vintage interviews over the course of his career bring insight into the development of the hero and the franchise, as well as privileged access to the tenacity, spirit, and passion that characterized Rocky behind the scenes as much as on screen.

ROCKY, ROCKY BALBOA, and all related ROCKY Trademarks, Logos and Materials © 1976–2025 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc.  All Rights Reserved.

ROCKY. THE COMPLETE FILMS drops on February 9, 2026.  Pre-orders are available now.

“Play Dirty” written/directed by Shane Black; starring Mark Wahlberg and Lakeith Standfield / Z-View

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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.

“Angel Heart” (1987) written & directed by Alan Parker; starring Mickey Rourke, Robert DeNiro & Lisa Bonet / Z-View

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Angel Heart (1987)

Director:  Alan Parker

Screenplay: Alan Parker; based on FALLING ANGEL by William Hjortsberg

Stars: Mickey Rourke, Robert De Niro, Lisa Bonet, Charlotte Rampling, Dann Florek, Kathleen Wilhoite and Pruitt Taylor Vince.

Tagline: Harry Angel has been hired to search for the truth… Pray he doesn’t find it.

The Plot…

1955.  Louis Cypher wants money owed to him.  Before the War, Cypher entered into a contract with a singer who went by the stage name Johnny Favorite.  Favorite became a very popular crooner… then World War II hit and Favorite’s star waned.  But for a time, Johnny Favorite was the flavor of the day.  Favorite never paid Cypher his due.  And you don’t run out on Louis Cypher.

So Cypher hires New York Private Eye Harry Angel.  He’s to track down Johnny Favorite and report back to Cypher.  What sounds like an easy assignment becomes anything but.  Angel will find the trail leads to New Orleans and black magic, voodoo and more than one murder.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Unless you were around at the time of the film’s release it’s hard to imagine the controversy the casting of Lisa Bonet caused.  At that time she was one of the stars of The Cosby Show.  The show was a network juggernaut.  Bill Cosby (despite what came out about him later) always promoted comedy for the entire family. Bonet’s role in Angel Heart, was very sexual with a prolonged nude sex scene. Plus it was her first feature film role.  She more than held her own.

Angel Heart is an under-rated horror film.

Angel Heart (1987) rates 4 of 5 stars.

LAST HUNT: BOOK THREE IN THE HUNTER TRILOGY by James Byron Huggins!

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HUNTER by James Byron Huggins is one of my all-time favorite novels.  The sequel, HUNTER’S MOON was just as great.  Now the third tale in the trilogy is about to be released.  It’s titled LAST HUNT.  Here’s the lowdown…

International bestselling author James Byron Huggins delivers LAST HUNT, the third and final book in the Hunter Saga.

Nathaniel Hunter has faced nightmares most men can’t imagine. In Alaska’s frozen wilderness he confronted a primordial killer. On England’s haunted moors he fought a beast born of legend. Each time he walked away scarred but unbroken. Now the battle comes to his own doorstep.

Scipio Dante, the brilliant, ruthless mind behind the experiments that created those monsters, has perfected a serum that transforms men into savage, unstoppable predators. Backed by limitless wealth and a private army, he will stop at nothing to rid the world of its greatest threat: the hunter who has foiled him twice before.

From his remote mountain cabin, Hunter must prepare for the ultimate confrontation. The wilderness he calls home bristles with danger; the predators he respects may soon turn against him. To survive, he’ll need every weapon at his disposal, every ally he can trust, and every ounce of his primal fury.

The world’s last true hunter is about to face his final, most terrifying prey.

LAST HUNT drops November 3rd.  Get your order in now.  I did.

LAST HUNT Paperback

LAST HUNT Hardback

LAST HUNT Kindle

“A Single Shot” (2013) starring Sam Rockwell, Jeffrey Wright, Kelly Reilly, Jason Isaacs & Willam H. Macy / Z-View

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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.

RIGHTEOUS TRASH by Nick Kolakowski!

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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

THE MAKING OF QUENTIN TARANTINO’S ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD by Jay Glennie is Coming!

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Quentin Tarantino fans are gonna love this.  THE MAKING OF QUENTIN TARANTINO’S ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD by Jay Glennie premieres soon.  Here’s the lowdown…

Legendary filmmaker Quentin Tarantino personally introduces the definitive and official examination of his entire oeuvre with the Quentin Tarantino Library written by Jay Glennie.

In the first book in the series, THE MAKING OF QUENTIN TARANTINO’S ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD, writer Jay Glennie pulls back the curtain on the visionary writer/director/producer’s ninth film, with unprecedented access to the filmmaker, cast, and crew. This epic tome is a stunning and faithful deep dive into the mind of a masterful auteur and a must-have book for all film lovers and Quentin Tarantino fans.

For the first time ever Academy Award winning filmmaker Quentin Tarantino has granted respected journalist and author Jay Glennie unique access revealing the never-before-told behind-the-scenes making of one of the most iconic films of all time, Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood.

Quentin Tarantino personally introduces the volume, as well as providing hundreds of behind-the-scenes photographs, along with production memos, concept art, and costume and production design sketches. There are also exclusive reproductions of letters, studio documents and film ephemera. The result is an account of the monumental effort undertaken to produce Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood and is the official record of how it was achieved, from inception to the world premiere and on to ten Academy Award nominations, resulting in two Oscars.

The book includes new and exclusive interviews undertaken by Jay Glennie with key cast and crew members, including Oscar winning actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt, Oscar nominee Margot Robbie, and the brilliant supporting cast including Oscar winner Mikey Madison, Margaret Qualley, Oscar nominee Austin Butler, Lena Dunham, Kurt Russell, Dakota Fanning, Emile Hirsch, Damian Lewis, Maya Hawke, and Sydney Sweeney.

First book in the series!!

THE MAKING OF QUENTIN TARANTINO’S ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD  Hardcover

THE MAKING OF QUENTIN TARANTINO’S ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD  Kindle

PUSH THE WALL: MY LIFE WRITING, DRAWING, AND THE ART OF STORYTELLING by Frank Miller is Coming!

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Frank Miller the genius behind Sin City, 300, The Dark Night Returns, Batman: Year One, Ronin and so many more great comic tales has a new book coming.  Here’s the lowdown…

From the all-time bestselling mind behind Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Daredevil, 300, and Sin City, Push the Wall is part memoir, part master class for budding artists and writers by one of the greatest living creators whose work has influenced pop culture for decades.

Frank Miller is our greatest living comic book writer and artist.

Frank Miller shares his life, and through, his artistic process. Miller’s artistic influence is evident in so very much of our popular culture, perhaps most notably with Batman — every film adaptation from the past forty years has been influenced by Miller’s work with the Dark Knight.

Simply, Frank Miller has transformed the way comics are told.

Here, Frank’s mix of autobiographical lessons evokes Patti Smith’s Just Kids as it weaves his struggles as a seventeen-year-old kid fresh from Vermont into a seedy 1970s New York City with his eventual success on reimagining Daredevil and Wolverine. From there to Miller’s rescue and revitalization of Batman, to his time in Hollywood, the Sin City comics and film adaptations he would codirect, and the retelling of the Spartans’ last stand in 300. Miller, by constantly challenging himself as an artist and writer on his terms, built an iconoclastic career.

With over a dozen illustrations of Miller’s art, PUSH THE WALL is the work of his career—it is a masterclass as it encapsulates his life in sixteen lessons for the aspiring creative reader.

This will be a must-have for aspiring writers and artists, as well as die hard Miller fans.

PUSH THE WALL Hardcover
PUSH THE WALL Kindle

“Brothers by Blood” aka “The Sound of Philadelphia” (2020) / Z-View

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Brothers by Blood aka The Sound of Philadelphia (2020)

Director:  Jeremie Guez

Screenplay: Jeremie Guez; based on BROTHERLY LOVE by Pete Dexter

Stars: Matthias Schoenaerts, Joel Kinnaman, Maika Monroe, Nicholas Crovetti, Antoni Corone, Michael McFadden, Joshua Lacey and Ryan Phillippe.

Tagline: Loyalty Has a Price

The Plot…

Peter and Michael are cousins raised together in a family of criminals from childhood.  Now adults, the two of positions of power within the Irish mob.  Tensions have been high between the Irish and Italians.  To make matters worse, Peter’s behavior has grown increasingly erratic.  Michael will need to make some tough choices before they are made for him.  He will also have to come to grips with the tragedy that cost his sister and father’s lives years ago.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I was expecting more.

Brothers by Blood aka The Sound of Philadelphia (2020) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“The Outfit” (1973) starring Robert Duvall, Karen Black, Joe Don Baker and Robert Ryan / Z-View

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The Outfit (1973)

Director:  John Flynn

Screenplay: John Flynn, Walter Hill (uncredited); based on THE OUTFIT by Richard Stark

Stars: Robert Duvall, Karen Black, Joe Don Baker, Robert Ryan, Timothy Carey, Richard Jaeckel, Sheree North, Felice Orlandi, Marie Windsor, Jane Greer, Henry Jones, Joanna Cassidy, Tom Reese, Bill McKinney, Anita O’Day, Archie Moore, Tony Young and Elisha Cook Jr..

Tagline: Nobody plays rougher than The Outfit…Except maybe Earl, Cody and Bett!

The Plot…

When Earl Macklin gets out of prison, his girlfriend Bett picks him up.  She drives to a motel and informs Earl that his brother was recently murdered.  Late that night a man breaks into the hotel room and attempts to kill Earl.  Earl survives and gets the upper hand.  He then tortures the man for information.

Earl’s brother robbed a syndicate bank.  That’s the reason he was killed.  They sent the killer to take out Earl so he wouldn’t seek revenge.  Earl lets the killer live on the condition he takes a message to the people that hired him.  The message: The Outfit owes him $250,000.00.  If they pay, Earl will go away.  Until they do, Earl is going to cost them money that he’ll keep.  And they will still owe him the quarter million.

Earl wants his money.  And he doesn’t care how many people he has to kill to get it.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Film legend, Robert Ryan’s last released film. He was also in Executive Action filmed after The Outfit, but released first.

The Outfit features Joanna Cassidy’s film debut.

Former Light Heavyweight Champion Archie Moore has a role as a tough guy.  Moore held the light heavyweight boxing title for ten years — longer than any champ in that division.

The great (and eccentric) character actor Timothy Carey appears in a supporting role.  Same could be said of Elisha Cook, Jr.

The Outfit (1973) rates 4 of 5 stars.