Category: Books

“Laura” (1944) directed by Otto Preminger, starring Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews, Clifton Webb & Vincent Price / Z-View

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Laura (1944)

Director: Otto Preminger

Screenplay: Jay Dratler, Samuel Hoffenstein, Elizabeth Reinhardt, Ring Lardner Jr. (uncredited) based on LAURA by Vera Caspary

Stars: Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews, Clifton Webb, Vincent Price, Judith Anderson and Dorothy Adams.

Tagline:  No picture was ever so irresistible as Laura.  No picture was ever so breath-taking!

The Plot…

Laura Hunt (Tierney), an attractive successful young woman, was brutally murdered at the entrance to her apartment.  The shotgun blast to the face destroyed her beauty as it took her life.  Detective Mark McPherson (Andrews) is put in charge of the investigation.

Detective McPherson interviews Laura’s closest friends…

  • Waldo Lydecker (Webb) is a famous newspaper columnist and radio personality.  Waldo gave Laura her start, by endorsing an ad she created and introducing her to movers and shakers.  Waldo is much older than Laura but has great affection for her. Waldo doesn’t care for Laura’s latest boyfriend who is a scam artist.
  • Shelby Carpenter (Price) is Laura’s boyfriend.  She was considering marriage to Shelby despite his past.
  • Ann Treadwell (Anderson) is a rich society dame.  Ann has repeatedly given Shelby money and is in love with him.
  • Bessie (Adams) is Laura’s housekeeper.  She is totally devoted to Laura.

As McPherson learns more about Laura, her beauty and exceptional personality, he becomes infatuated with her.

Then something totally unexpected happens.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Laura was nominated for five Academy Awards and won one…

  • 1945 Nominee for Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Clifton Webb
  • 1945 Nominee for Best Director: Otto Preminger
  • 1945 Nominee for Best Writing, Screenplay: Jay Dratler, Samuel Hoffenstein, Elizabeth Reinhardt
  • 1945 Nominee for Best Art Direction-Interior Decoration, Black-and-White: Lyle R. Wheeler, Leland Fuller, Thomas Little
  • 1945 Winner Best Cinematography, Black-and-White: Joseph LaShelle

Vincent Price considered Laura the best film he was ever in.

Clifton Webb had a career in silent films.  He then became a theater actor and hadn’t appeared on screen in 15 years.  Otto Preminger wanted him for the role of Waldo.  Studio head Darryl F. Zanuck was against the casting because Webb was a homosexual.  Preminger persisted.  Zanuck said to give Webb a screen test.  Webb said, “If Zanuck wants to see me act, he can come to the theater.”  Preminger filmed Webb in a stage performance.  When Zanuck saw this “screen test” he was upset with how Preminger got the footage, but agreed to the casting.

Otto Preminger put together Laura as a project for him to produce and direct.  However when Darryl Zanuck returned from the service to head the studio, he nixed this.  Zanuck had problems with Preminger in the past. Zanuck said Preminger could serve as a producer, but not director of the film.  Rouben Mamoulian was given the job.  Nobody liked the dailes Mamoulian shot.  Zanuck replaced Mamoulian with Preminger.

Laura provided inspiration for Burt Reynold’s Sharky’s Machine.

Laura (1944) rates 4 of 5 stars.

THE ACTOR by Donald Westlake

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THE ACTOR by Donald Westlake sounds like a winner…

NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE

Donald E. Westlake’s lost masterpiece MEMORY, adapted for the screen as THE ACTOR.

“An unsparing look at a man adrift, it’s a fitting final dispatch from a master.” — Time

“Terse and bleak and low-key emotional… indelible.” — Entertainment Weekly

THE CRIME WAS OVER IN A MINUTE –
THE CONSQUENCES LASTED A LIFETIME

Hospitalized after a liaison with another man’s wife ends in violence, Paul Cole has just one goal: to rebuild his shattered life. But with his memory damaged, the police hounding him, and no way even to get home, Paul’s facing steep odds – and a bleak fate if he fails…

This final, never-before-published novel by three-time Edgar Award winner Donald E. Westlake is a noir masterpiece, a dark and painful portrait of a man’s struggle against merciless forces that threaten to strip him of his very identity.

THE ACTOR drops on January 14, 2025.  Preorders are available now.

The Collected Will Eisner’s John Law by Will Eisner and Gary Chaloner is coming! 

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The Collected Will Eisner’s John Law by Will Eisner and Gary Chaloner is coming!  It will drop on March 4, 2025. Preorders are available now. Here is the lowdown…

Wherever men live, be they nomads or city dwellers, there they must have law and a man to enforce it.

Meet Detective John Law of Crossroads City. Strong, decent, hardworking and hard-nosed. He’s a man who believes in the law and order. He’s the last of a dying breed.

In 1948, Will Eisner produced the first issue of “John Law Detective”, which he intended to add to a line of self-published comics. However, after Eisner’s “Baseball Comics”, “Kewpies”, and “Pirate Comics” failed to find an audience, John Law never made it to the newsstand and was quietly dropped, with much of the original artwork reworked in 1950 for his most famous creation, The Spirit.

Featuring original stories by Will Eisner, Gary Chaloner’s award-winning reboot from 2004, including a previously unpublished John Law Story, and a foreword by long-time Eisner publisher Denis Kitchen, this is a must-have for not just Eisner fans but comic collectors of all ages.

CHARLIE OPERA by Charlie Stella

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Charlie Opera by Charlie Stella

First sentence…

Donna Bella, a twenty-six foot cabin cruiser, was anchored directly under the Marine Park Bridge in Jamaica Bay.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Charlie Pellecchia took his wife to Vegas for a nice little getaway.  He had no idea she was about to leave him.  Or that he’d get mugged and a broken nose.  And who knew that the guy’s jaw he broke belonged to New York mobster Nicky Cuccia?

Now Charlie has been marked for death.  A professional killer and his muscle-bound wannabe plus some Vietnamese gangbangers look to cash in.  The FBI, the DEA and Las Vegas’ finest want Charlie too.  Who gets to him first is yet to be seen!

Rating:

“Three Days of the Condor” (1975) directed by Sydney Pollack, starring Robert Redford, Faye Dunaway, Cliff Robertson & Max von Sydow / Z-View

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Three Days of the Condor (1975)

Director: Sydney Pollack

Screenplay: Lorenzo Semple Jr., David Rayfiel based on SIX DAYS OF THE CONDOR by James Grady

Stars: Robert Redford, Faye Dunaway, Cliff Robertson, Max von Sydow, Addison Powell, Walter McGinn, Tina Chen, Michael Kane, Jess Osuna,  Patrick Gorman, Hansford Rowe, Hank Garrett, Ed Crowley, James Keane and John Houseman.

Tagline:  The CIA knows him as Condor. What he knows about them has just made him an Endangered Species.

The Plot…

Joe Turner (Redford) works for the CIA… as a research analyst.  He’s part of a small team.  Their cover is the American Literary Historical Society in New York City.  They read and analyze books and magazines from around the world.  They’re looking for hidden messages, ideas for operations… anything useful. Typed reports are sent to CIA headquarters.

The job is very mundane.  Usually the biggest excitement is “what’s for lunch” and whose turn is it to get it?  As it happens, today Joe is up.  He heads out the backdoor since it’s raining and runs over to the deli.

Joe returns with the sandwiches to find everyone in the office murdered.  Joe is shocked.  No one in the office was a field agent.  Who would want them dead?  And why?

Joe quickly leaves.  He finds a phone booth and reports the hit to CIA headquarters.  Joe is given instructions that will bring him in.  When he shows up at the arranged location, Joe is almost gunned down.

On the run, unsure of who he can trust, Joe must figure out why he’s marked for murder.  Even if he does, what chance does a research analyst have against trained killers?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Three Days of the Condor was nominated for one Academy Award

  • 1976 Nominee Oscar for Best Film Editing:  Fredric Steinkamp, Don Guidice

Kudos for using Hank Garrett as an assassin.  He doesn’t look like a stereotypical movie hitman. But he sure fought like one.

Three Days of the Condor (1975) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End” (2024) / Z-View

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Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End (2024)

Director: Carles Torrens

Screenplay: Ángel Agudo based on Apocalipsis Z 1. El principio del fin by Manel Loureiro

Stars: Francisco Ortiz.

Tagline:  None.

The Plot…

A year has passed since Manel’s wife was killed in a terrible car crash.  Manel lives alone with just the cat he and his wife shared.  Manel’s only family, his sister, her husband and his niece live in another city.

When a zombie outbreak begins spreading across the continent, Manel’s sister’s family is evacuated to the Canary Islands.  Manel decides to hunker down in place.  But when his supplies dwindle, Manel is forced to take his cat and venture out.  He hopes to find a way to the Canary Islands where (he hopes) safety awaits.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End is based on the first book in a trilogy of novels by Manel Loureiro.

This is more of a character study that all out horror film.

Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End (2024) rates 2 of 5 stars.

A DANGEROUS MAN by J. L. Engel

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A DANGEROUS MAN by J. L. Engel just came to my attention and has gone on to my to-be-purchased list.  The novel currently has a 4.9 / 5 rating on both Amazon and Good Reads.  It hardly gets better than that.  Here’s the lowdown…

A DANGEROUS MAN
His crusade of retribution has freed countless trafficking victims from captivity, sweeping across the United States like a storm, and leaving a bloody path of destruction in his wake.
Who is he?
He was a father, a husband, and a former government operative who lost everything he cared for to a merciless Russian crime syndicate. And he’s arrived in Boston to bring his odyssey of vengeance to a close.
Can he be stopped?
Pursuing him is a relentless FBI agent with more at stake than enforcing the law, a hard-boiled detective suspicious of every piece of the puzzle, and a pair of cunning twin assassins who might rival his skill.
At what cost?
They’ll risk everything being drawn into the chaos of one man’s war for justice. Motives will be questioned, loyalties will be tested, and no one will come out unscathed – if at all.

Source: The Bearded Book Beast

THE SWITCHBLADE SVENGALI by Coy Hall!

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THE SWITCHBLADE SVENGALI by Coy Hall is coming out this month.  It’s the second Royce Pembrook thriller.  The first, A SÉANCE FOR WICKED KING DEATH received my highest recommendation.  That makes THE SWITCHBLADE SVENGALI an immediate purchase.  Here’s the lowdown…

When the bell tolls midnight, it’ll be 1968.Royce Pembrook is living well in a new city, with new patrons, a new name, and a new trade. But he’s the same scam artist he’s been for thirty years. Since youth, Royce has made his money and found trouble in fraudulent séances that prey on the grieving widows of high society.

Now he’s expanded his con, posing as a hypnotist, a Svengali, swindling everyone in Phoenix from scions of old wealth to a UFO cult led by a heroin-addicted visionary.  Life is good. Royce has the luxury he craves.

And that’s when trouble out of the past creeps into his world. Even in the domain of fake spirits, the relentless specter of murder is real, and Royce’s former life is one thing that won’t stay in the grave. When the bell tolls midnight for Royce Pembrook, will it be time to abscond? Or will he fight to keep all that he’s gained, no matter the violent cost to those around him?

What folks are saying…

  • “When the cornered lamb realizes he’s always been a wolf …” – M.E. Proctor, author of Love You Till Tuesday
  • “This is a man out of time and control. Royce’s facade is degrading and the violent man within is wrestling back control. A fascinating character study.” – Adam Hulse, author of Below Economic Thresholds
  • “Coy Hall’s The Switchblade Svengali captivates with a tale of long-con mediumship, bludgeonings and a UFO cult! A precise meld of elegance and blood curdle.” – Ilyn Welch, author of Bad Makes Bad
  • “Royce Pembrook is up to his old spook show tricks, this time at the height of the 1960s counterculture movement. But the ghosts he conjures aren’t the only things haunting these pages-his past has caught up to him too, threatening to derail everything he’s built since the harrowing events of A Séance for Wicked King Death. Vengeful women, gullible marks, and UFO cultists make this book impossible to put down. Coy Hall’s Switchblade Svengali is so good, I wouldn’t be surprised if the dead crossed from the other side just to read it.” – C.W. Blackwell, author of Hard Mountain Clay
  • “Very happy to report that this is a sequel that’s even better than the first book.” – Regan MacArthur, author of One Lash to Kill

Preoders are available now.

POSTCARD FROM HELL by Rex Dancer

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POSTCARD FROM HELL by Rex Dancer

First sentence…

It was the slowest, deadest part of the night, when time itself was barely moving, and Andre Derain was wide awake – again.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Andy Derain was once a famous New York City fashion photographer.  Fame is fleeting.  And so was Andy.  He fled to New Orleans.

Now Andy is getting by with whatever photo gigs he can get.  Even if it means selling pics from time to time to a sleazy tabloid.  When Andy gets called to a potential crime scene, he takes photos.  Turns out the dead man is Crayfish Joe Coquin’s son.  Crayfish Joe is much more dangerous than his name implies.  It’s a risk, but Andy needs the money.  He sells the pics to the sleaze rag.

About the same time that Andy learns the gangster is looking for him, Andy gets a postcard from Astrid Montebello.  Astrid was a model Andy worked with and cared for.  Astrid is in the Caymen Islands. She may be in trouble.  When Andy gives her a call, there is no answer.

With Crayfish Joe and his goons closing in, Andy decides a trip to the Caymen Islands is just what the doctor ordered.  He will hang with Astrid until Crayfish cools down.

Only problem is, Astrid is nowhere to be found.  And Andy now has the attention of drug dealers and the F.B.I.   Andy is in way over his head.

And Crayfish Joe is waiting in New Orleans if Andy survives.

Rating:

“Horror of Dracula” (1958) starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee / Z-View

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Horror of Dracula aka Dracula (1958)

Director: Terence Fisher

Screenplay: Jimmy Sangster based on DRACULA by Bram Stoker

Stars: Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Michael Gough, Valerie Gaunt.

Tagline:  Important Note!! Don’t Confuse This Picture With the Other DRACULA Movies! This is the NEWEST and BEST One and the ONLY ONE in TECHNICOLOR!

The Plot…

Doctor Van Helsing (Cushing) is shocked to discover his friend Jonathan Harker has been turned into one of Dracula’s (Lee) vampire slaves.  Van Helsing realizes it is up to him to end Dracula’s reign of terror.

What chance has one man against Dracula?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Christopher Lee as Dracula has only 16 lines of dialogue in the entire film.  And they are all within the first ten minutes.

The title was changed to the Horror of Dracula for its U.S. release.  This was to avoid confusion since the original 1931 Bela Lugosi film was still available for theater showings.

When I first saw Christopher Lee as Dracula, I wasn’t a fan.  I was too sold on Lugosi as the Count.  Over the years I’ve grown to appreciate Lee’s take on the king of vampires and the movies that feature him.

Horror of Dracula aka Dracula (1958) rates 4 of 5 stars.

THE SEMINARIAN by Hart Hanson

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THE SEMINARIAN by Hart Hanson

First sentence…

Jutting a quarter of a mile into the Pacific Ocean, the Venice Pier was less gritty than the beach.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Xavier “Priest” Priestly.  Most would think his nickname is shortened version of his name.  Truth is Xavier was studying to be a priest before he dropped out.  Now Priest is a private detective.  So when one of his best friends, Dusty Queen needs help, how can he refuse?

Dusty is a professional stunt woman and occasional body guard.  Dusty’s the toughest person Priest knows. She’s more than capable to handle any situation.  Except this one.  Dusty’s girlfriend is missing. Dusty fears the worst.

Then Priest wakes up on his garage floor.  All he remembers is a blue wigged woman tried him.  As Priest works to determine if the missing woman and the attack on his life are related, a boy shows up.  He says he’s Priest’s son.  The timeline works.  Priest could be the boy’s father.  That might be great if the kid didn’t have such an attitude.  Or a rich grandfather with connections.

As Priest tries to build a relationship with the son he never knew, find Dusty’s girlfriend and figure out who tried to kill him, we learn that Priest’s dad is serving time and may have hidden a fortune.

If you like quirky characters, great dialogue and a mystery or two,  you should enjoy THE SEMINARIAN.

Rating:

“This is Zodiac Speaking” (2024) / Z-View

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This is Zodiac Speaking (2024)

Director: Phil Lott (Eps. 1-3), Ari Mark (Eps. 1-3)

Tagline:  None.

The Plot…

Arthur Leigh Allen has been one of the top suspects, if not THE top suspect, of being the Zodiac killer for years.  David, Don and Connie Seawater were children when their mother had a relationship with Arthur Leigh Allen.  As kids they thought Mr. Allen was just a nice man. He treated them and their mother well.  Now as adults they believe he was the Zodiac killer and they have evidence to prove it.

Robert Graysmith who investigated the case and wrote ZODIAC: THE SHOCKING TRUE STORY OF AMERICA’S MOST ELUSIVE SERIAL KILLER weighs in as well.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

This is the Zodiac Speaking does an excellent job of summarizing the case as well as presenting the new evidence in an interesting and compelling manner.  While many documentaries would have padded several episodes, the story is presented in just three.

This is Zodiac Speaking (2024) rates 5 of 5 stars.

THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT: NEW TALES OF STEPHEN’S KING THE STAND

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Stephen King’s THE STAND is considered a masterpiece.  For the first time ever, authors have been invited to create stories set in the world of THE STAND. 

THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT: NEW TALES OF STEPHEN’S KING THE STAND.  Here’s the lowdown…

An original short story anthology based on master storyteller Stephen King’s #1 New York Times bestselling classic THE STAND!

Since its initial publication in 1978, THE STAND has been considered Stephen King’s seminal masterpiece of apocalyptic fiction, with millions of copies sold and adapted twice for television. Although there are other extraordinary works exploring the unraveling of human society, none have been as influential as this iconic novel—generations of writers have been impacted by its dark yet ultimately hopeful vision of the end and new beginning of civilization, and its stunning array of characters.

Now for the first time, Stephen King has fully authorized a return to the harrowing world of THE STAND through this original short story anthology as presented by award-winning authors and editors Christopher Golden and Brian Keene. Bringing together some of today’s greatest and most visionary writers, THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT: NEW TALES OF STEPHEN’S KING THE STAND features unforgettable, all-new stories set during and after (and some perhaps long after) the events of THE STAND — brilliant, terrifying, and painfully human tales that will resonate with readers everywhere as an essential companion to the classic, bestselling novel.

Featuring an introduction by Stephen King, a foreword by Christopher Golden, and an afterword by Brian Keene. Contributors include Wayne Brady and Maurice Broaddus, Poppy Z. Brite, Somer Canon, C. Robert Cargill, Nat Cassidy, V. Castro, Richard Chizmar, S. A. Cosby, Tananarive Due and Steven Barnes, Meg Gardiner, Gabino Iglesias, Jonathan Janz, Alma Katsu, Caroline Kepnes, Michael Koryta, Sarah Langan, Joe R. Lansdale, Tim Lebbon, Josh Malerman, Ronald Malfi, Usman T. Malik, Premee Mohamed, Cynthia Pelayo, Hailey Piper, David J. Schow, Alex Segura, Bryan Smith, Paul Tremblay, Catherynne M. Valente, Bev Vincent, Catriona Ward, Chuck Wendig, Wrath James White, and Rio Youers.

Preorders available now for an August 19, 2025 shipping date.

WRECKED: AN IQ NOVEL by Joe Ide

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WRECKED: AN IQ NOVEL by Joe Ide

First sentence…

“Do you know what Abraham Lincoln said after a six-day drunk?” Jimenez said.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Isaiah Quintabe, who everyone calls IQ because of his superior intellect, is back.  IQ was in high school when his brother was killed in a hit and run.  It was at that point that IQ began earning money from neighborhood folks needing help. After IQ found a a runaway young girl word spread. Soon he was getting requests for assistance with “cases the police couldn’t or wouldn’t touch.” The cases didn’t pay much and sometimes the reward was food or a service IQ needed.

But that was over a decade ago.  Now IQ is famous in the neighborhood for the “cases” he’s resolved.  IQ’s the go-to guy when folks need a detective or issue resolved.  IQ became so busy that he brought on his childhood friend, Dodson to assist.  If IQ is the brains of the outfit, Dodson is the one with street smarts. Dodson used to run with a rough crowd, but those days are over.  Now he’s married with a young daughter.  His job is to make IQ a legitimate detective.  One with a social media presence.  One who gets paid with cash instead of new tires or a carpet cleaning.

When IQ meets a local artist named Grace, he begins to fall for her.  She needs help.  Grace hasn’t seen her mother in decade.  Grace wants IQ to find mom and fast.  Her mother has something that could get some bad men sent to prison for a very long time.  These guys are killers and will stop at nothing to get what they want.

To complicate matters, Seb, the African gangster responsible for IQ’s brother’s death has IQ in his crosshairs.

The race is on to find Grace’s mother.  Even IQ gets there first, how can he protect her from the killers closing in?

+++++

Joe Ide has another winner.

Rating:

“White Zombie” (1932) starring Bela Lugosi / Z-View

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White Zombie (1932)

Director:  Victor Halperin

Screenplay: Garnett Weston based on THE MAGIC ISLAND by William Seabrook

Stars: Bela Lugosi, Madge Bellamy, Robert Frazer, John Harron, Brandon Hurst, Clarence Muse and Frederick Peters.

Tagline:  With These Zombie Eyes he rendered her powerless – With This Zombie Grip he made her perform his every desire!

The Plot…

Madeleine Short (Bellamy) and her fiancé Neil Parker (Harron) arrive in Haiti. They are guests of Charles Beaumont (Frazer) and staying on his huge plantation.  Charles secretly loves Madeleine and wishes she would marry him.  Desperate to have Madeline, Charles visits ‘Murder’ Legendre (Lugosi).

Murder is the owner of a huge plantation.  Everyone knows that Murder’s plantation is worked  by Haitian zombie slaves. Murder has the ability to turn people into mindless beings that follow his every command.  Charles wants Madeleine to love him.  He believes Murder can make this happen.

Murder agrees to help.  But the truth is he has other plans for Madeleine.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

White Zombie was filmed in less than two weeks on a budget of $50,000.00.  Reportedly up to 10% of the budget was Lugosi’s salary.

White Zombie was one of Bela Lugosi’s favorites of the films he made.

Beware of poor copies since the film went into public domain in 1960.

White Zombie (1932) rates 3 of 5 stars.