Category: Books

“The Andromeda Strain” (1971) / Z-View

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The Andromeda Strain (1971)

Director:  Robert Wise

Screenplay: Nelson Gidding based on THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN by Michael Crichton

Stars: James Olson, Arthur Hill, David Wayne, Kate Reid, Paula Kelly, George Mitchell, Ramon Bieri, Kermit Murdock, Peter Hobbs, Eric Christmas and Mark Jenkins

Tagline: Rated G…But May Be Too INTENSE For Younger Children

The Plot…

Shortly after a US satellite crashes near Piedmont, New Mexico, all of the residents, except for a baby and an old alcoholic are found dead.  The survivors are rushed to a secret underground military facility.  Top scientists are brought in.  They determine that the satellite brought back an alien organism that has been released into the atmosphere.  The clock is ticking as the scientists need to find a way to kill the organism before it spreads throughout the world.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The Andromeda Strain is filmed in a serious documentary tone.  Keeping with that idea, the casting is excellent.  Instead of a 1971 superstar we are given solid actors.  I can imagine some directors saying, “For the female scientist we need a Raquel Welch-type”.  Instead they went with a middle-aged, grumpy type.

The Andromeda Strain (1971) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Who Are You, Louis?” – The Teaser for “Interview with the Vampire” Season 2 is Here!

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I’m glad we are getting some more promotional materials for season 2 of Interview with a Vampire.

Deal me in!

Who are you without your past?

ABOUT INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE
A luxury apartment covering an entire single floor of a high rise. Where the Vampire has granted the interview with the man he once judged to be unworthy. And where the journalist Daniel Molloy has hustled, for a second shot at the interview that got away from him 40 years earlier…

Based on Anne Rice’s iconic novel, Interview with The Vampire follows Louis’ epic story of love, blood and the perils of immortality, as told to the journalist Daniel Molloy. Chafing at the limitations of life as a black man in 1900’s New Orleans, Louis finds it impossible to resist Lestat’s offer of the ultimate escape: joining him as his vampire companion.

But Louis’s intoxicating new powers come with a violent price, and the introduction of Lestat’s newest fledgling, the child vampire Claudia, soon sets them on a decades-long path of revenge and atonement. A sensuous, contemporary reinvention of Anne Rice’s revolutionary gothic novel.

Who Are You, Louis? | Interview with the Vampire Season 2 | Premieres May 12 | AMC+

“Reacher”: Season 2 (2024) starring Alan Ritchson / Z-View

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Reacher: Season 2 (2024)

Directors: Sam Hill (Eps.1 – 2); Omar Madha (Eps. 3 – 4); Carol Banker (Eps. 5 – 6); Julian Holmes (Eps.7 – 8)

Teleplay: Nick Santora (Showrunner, Executive Producer, Writer – Ep. 1); Scott Sullivan (Ep. 2, 5, 8); Penny Cox (Ep. 3); Cait Duffy (Ep. 4); Cait Duffy & Michael J. Gutierrez (Ep. 6); Penny Cox & Lillian Wang (Ep. 7)

Starring: Alan Ritchson, Maria Sten, Serinda Swan, Shaun Sipos, Ferdinand Kingsley, Robert Patrick, Domenick Lombardozzi, Luke Bilyk and Malcolm Goodwin.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Jack Reacher, an ex-Military Police Investigator is contacted by, Frances Neagley (Swan) a former member of his team.  Someone is targeting the team for execution.  And it ain’t pretty.  One of the members was dropped from a helicopter after being tortured.  Reacher and Neagley have no idea why they’re being targeted, but they plan to warn the other team members… find out the reason… and then get revenge.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I was glad to see Frances Neagley played by Serinda Swan brought back for season two.  Neagley especially if teamed with Karla Dixon (Serinda Swan) could carry their own series.

Domenick Lombardozzi plays a cop who may or may not be crooked.  Lombardozzi is excellent as always.

It goes without saying, but I’m going to anyway: Alan Ritchson IS Jack Reacher.

Bring on Season 3!

OWNING UP by George Pelecanos

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George Pelecanos has a new one coming out.  Actually four new ones if we want to be accurate.  Here’s the lowdown…

Four blistering novellas, drawn together by themes of strife, violence, and humanity; “Every time I read one of George Pelecanos’s novels, I’m left a little awed.” (Dennis Lehane)

When the son of the Carusos is involved in a hold up, the family home comes under siege in the form of a no-knock warrant. Months after the cops destroyed their home, the Carusos struggle to return to normal. Elsewhere, two former inmates reunite by chance on the set of a TV production. Both have found their way on the straight and narrow path, that is, until one sees the potential for an easy grift. A teenage boy must step into the man he’d like to be as a hostage crisis grips his hometown. A woman adrift meets a man tied to her grandmother’s past, an encounter that awakens her to a bloody history that undergirds the place she grew up.

Pelecanos’ portraits are characterized by shades of grey, resisting the mold of heroes and villains, victims and perpetrators, good and evil. At once streetwise and full of heart, Owning Up grapples with random chance, the bind of consequence, and the forked paths a life can take.

OWNING UP by George Pelecanos drops February 6, 2024.

“The Strain”: Season 1 (2014) / Z-View

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The Strain: Season 1 (2014)

Created by:  Guillermo del Toro, Chuck Hogan

Directors:  Guillermo del Toro (ep. 1); David Semel (eps. 2 – 3); Keith Gordon (ep. 4); Peter Weller (eps. 5 – 6, 11); Charlotte Sieling (eps. 7, 9); Guy Ferland (ep. 8); John Dahl (ep. 10); Deran Sarafian (ep. 12); Phil Abraham (ep. 13)

Screenplay: Guillermo del Toro, Chuck Hogan (eps. 2, 8); David Weddle, Bradley Thompson (eps. 2, 7); Chuck Hogan (ep. 3); Regina Corrado (eps. 4, 9); Gennifer Hutchison (eps. 5, 10); Justin Britt-Gibson (ep. 6); Justin Britt-Gibson, Chuck Hogan (ep. 11); Carlton Cruse, David Weddle, Bradley Thompson (ep. 12); Carlton Cruse, Chuck Hogan (ep. 13)

Stars: Corey Stoll, David Bradley, Jim Watson, Mía Maestro, Kevin Durand, Jonathan Hyde, Richard Sammel, Jack Kesy, Natalie Brown, Miguel Gomez, Ben Hyland, Ruta Gedmintas, Pedro Miguel Arce, Adriana Barraza and Sean Astin.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

A passenger plan lands in New York City.  All but four people on board are dead.  Dr. Ephraim “Eph” Goodweather (Stohl) of the CDC is sent in with a small team to determine the cause.  When his efforts to quarantine the four survivors is refused, Eph believes that they will potentially transmit the unknown virus to to others.

Meanwhile Professor Abraham Setrakian (Bradley), a holocaust survivor, believes the cause is strigoi more commonly referred to as vampires.  Setrakian explains these are nothing like movie vampires.  Of course no one believes the old man.

The truth is strigoi are behind the deaths.  A “Master” strigoi is making his move to bring war on humans. The Master is aided by a sickly billionaire who has been promised eternal life and a former Nazi commandant who has aided the master for decades.  Eph and Setrakian are pulling together a team of people who have seen strigoi in action.

The fate of the world hangs in the balance.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan have created a modern day vampire tale with a backstory that extends not just decades, but centuries.  The vampires aren’t the classic creatures of the night seen in countless movies.  And the stakes aren’t just a beautiful woman’s soul.  Here the fate of the world is at risk.

The writers should be commended for creating a huge cast of interesting characters with wonderful backstories.  Dr. Ephraim “Eph” Goodweather played by Corey Stoll is the lead.  It isn’t often the “star” is given so many character flaws.  Several members of the supporting cast have lived up to the title co-star.  Kudos to David Bradley as Professor Abraham Setrakian, Kevin Durand as Vasiliy Fet and Miguel Gomez as Augustin “Gus” Elizalde for playing characters that make the show sing. Jonathan Hyde as Eldritch Palmer, the sickly billionaire who aides the Master and Richard Sammel as Thomas Eichhorst, the Nazi vampire acolyte who has served the Master for decades deserve kudos as well.

Although Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan wrote a Strain trilogy of novels, the series doesn’t follow them exactly.

The Strain: Season 1 (2019) earns 5 of 5 stars.

“Pickup” (1951) directed by Hugo Haas, starring Hugo Haas & Beverly Michaels / Z-View

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Pickup (1951)

Director:  Hugo Haas

Screenplay: Hugo Haas, Arnold Phillips based on GUARD No. 47 by Josef Kopta

Stars: Hugo Haas, Beverly Michaels, Howland Chamberlain, Art Lewis and Bernard Gorcey.

Tagline: Easy to “pick-up” – but you won’t – if you know what’s good for you!

The Plot…

Jan “Hunky” Horak (Haas) is a middle-aged widowed railroad dispatcher who works alone at an isolated water stop.  When Hunky takes his first day off in a year, he heads in to town.  He’s surprised to find a carnival set up.  As Hunky walks through the amusements, he is targeted by Betty (Michaels), an attractive blonde.

Betty figures to get a free meal and maybe a couple of bucks from the old guy.  Betty is broke and about to be evicted.  When she learns Hunky has several thousand in his savings account she works him into marrying her.  Betty knows that if Hunky dies… or is killed, the money is hers.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The Pickup has a classic set-up.  A gold-digger has plans to end her older husband’s life to take sole possession of all he owns.  Along the way we’re treated to an interesting twist that alerts Hunky to his wife’s plans.  Up until the very end it felt like we were getting a poor man’s The Postman Always Rings Twice or Double Indemnity.  The ending isn’t bad, just not quite in line with the noir that had been set up.

Hugo Haas is perfect as Hunky.  Beverly Michaels is also just right as Betty, the girl that’s easy to pick-up at your own risk.  Watch for Bernard Gorcey (of The Bowery Boys fame) in a small role.

Pickup (1951) earns 3 of 5 stars.

FRONT SIGHT: THREE SWAGGER NOVELLAS by Stephen Hunter is Coming!

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FRONT SIGHT: THREE SWAGGER NOVELLAS by Stephen Hunter will drop on January 23, 2024.  Here’s the lowdown…

This collection of three interconnected novellas follows each generation of the iconic Swagger family—grandfather Charles, father Earl, and fan favorite hero Bob Lee—from New York Times bestselling author, Pulitzer Prize winner, and “true master at the pinnacle of his craft” (Jack Carr, #1 New York Times bestselling author) Stephen Hunter.

In The Night Train, Charles Swagger is on the hunt for notorious bank robber Baby Face Nelson when he traces a tip to the Chicago stock yards. While there, he’s brutally assaulted and discovers that the madman who attacked him is involved in a nearby narcotics ring with plans to spread its new drug to the residents of the disenfranchised 7th District of Chicago. Worse, this is no ordinary drug—it makes some users happy, drives others insane, and kills many of the rest. Will Charles be able to stop the ring before it’s too late? Or is he in over his head among the dark streets of Chicago?

Earl Swagger investigates a violent bank robbery in Johnny Tuesday that left two dead and a fortune missing in small-town Maryland. At every turn, however, he’s met with silence and hostility from the townsfolk, which makes sense when he uncovers municipal corruption, working-class exploitation, gang politics, jaded aristocrats, scheming gamblers, a hitman, a femme fatale. And a whole bunch of men with guns. Luckily, Earl has brought his own guns in this unputdownable noir mystery.

Finally, in Five Dolls for the Gut Hook, a thirty-two-year-old Bob Lee Swagger is back from Vietnam nearly broken over good men lost for nothing. He’s turned hard down that whiskey road to hell. But one afternoon he’s wakened from his nightmares by two men with a problem. As nearby Hot Springs tries to retool its image from gambling paradise to family resort, a butcher has begun to prey on the city’s young women, a figure straight out of a horror movie. Hot Springs Homicide is baffled. “I’m a sniper,” says Bob, “not a detective.”

“But,” comes the reply, “you are the son and grandson of two of the greatest detectives this state has ever produced.” On that premise alone, Bob takes up the hunt for a killer who not only kills but desecrates. Using his sniper’s mind, Swagger is able to see things others have missed, drawing ever closer to a showdown. But equally, we understand, Bob Lee Swagger is hunting his own salvation.

“Room 237” (2012) / Z-View

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Room 237 (2012)

Director:  Rodney Ascher

Screenplay: Rodney Ascher

Stars: Archival footage featuring Stanley Kubrick, Stephen King, Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, Scatman Crothers, Joe Turkel, Barry Nelson, Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman.

Tagline: Some movies stay with you forever…and ever…and ever.

The Plot…

Room 237 features nine segments that explore theories that Stanley Kubrick imbedded hidden messages and themes within The Shining.  Some of the theories include that Kubrick directed fake footage of the first moon landing since we really didn’t land with Apollo 11, cultural assimilation of Native Americans or American Imperialism or Genocide are the real themes of the film.  There are more.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

If you don’t like one of the theories, don’t worry, another will soon be presented.  A lot of sizzle, but no steak.

Room 237 (2012) earns 2 of 5 stars.

THE BIG BUNDLE by Max Allan Collins / Z-View

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THE BIG BUNDLE by Max Allan Collins

Publisher: Hard Case Crime

First sentence…

A middle-aged man taking stock of his life is to be expected.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

When Nate Heller is called in to assist authorities, he has reason for concern.  Six-year-old Bobby Greenlease was kidnapped nearly a week ago.  The kidnappers demanded $600,000 (a record ransom at that time) for the little boy’s safe return.  The ransom amount isn’t the concern.  Bobby’s daddy is a millionaire.  He can easily afford the demand.  Further he’s more than willing to pay for his son’s safe return.  Heller’s concern is the kidnappers are idiots.  They’ve already bungled a drop-off.  Stupid criminals make stupid mistakes.  Heller fears that Bobby is already dead.

Bobby’s dad insists on no F.B.I. or police interference when the cash is dropped off.

I won’t give away the outcome of the case other than to say, when the ransom money is recovered, $300,000 is missing.

Five years later, Heller is called back to revisit the case.  Who ended up with the missing $300,000?  As Heller digs into the evidence he discovers that both Bobby Kennedy and Jimmy Hoffa are interested in his findings.  And not for the same reasons.  People are murdered as Heller get closer to the truth.  He could be next.

+++++

I’m a huge fan of Max Allan Collins’ Nate Heller series.  Heller is a fictional detective who finds himself in the middle of real crimes.  Heller ages in real time as the series progresses. His tales are fiction based on extensive research and historical fact. Heller has been in the mix on everything from the Lindbergh baby kidnapping/murder to the suspicious death of Marilyn Monroe, to the Kennedy assassinations (both Jack and Bobby) and more. It’s fun watching Heller interact with famous (and infamous) folks right out of our history books. Equally enjoyable is Collins’ take on the crimes and what may have really happened.

I’m usually familiar with Nate Heller’s cases.  I wasn’t with this one.  Not knowing how the kidnapping would turn out (and Collins’ excellent writing) kept me turning pages.  Then once the kidnapping is resolved, the mystery of the missing $300,000 comes into play.  THE BIG BUNDLE is like two Nate Heller yarns in one.  It doesn’t get any better.

THE BIG BUNDLE is another great addition to the Nate Heller legacy.  It gets my highest recommendation.

Rating:

“Lawson” – The Poster and 1st Teaser are Here!

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Here we have the first poster and teaser for Lawson.  I don’t know much about this film but it has me interested.

This is the first official movie teaser for LAWSON, a covert operative for a race of living vampires, as he battles a sinister conspiracy to resurrect an ancient god and an old enemy who resurfaces from his shadowy past in this supernatural espionage film based on the bestselling novel Lawson Vampire series by Jon F. Merz.

Starring Brandon S. Stumpf as Lawson, Shahjehan Khan as Wagner, Liz Eng as Atara, Steven Triebes as Niles, Jose Gonsalves as Arthur, Jam Murphy as Lilith, Jay Street as Newby, Morgan Barnsley as Quinn, Pamela Jayne Morgan as Sari, Logan Raposo as Grom, Christian Carrigan as Welch, Thomas Goze as Stefan, Brian McDonald as the Assassin, and Jon F. Merz as Crawford.

Proteus Entertainment presents: LAWSON, coming in 2024.

DON’T LET THE DEVIL RIDE by Ace Atkins is Coming!

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Ace Atkins has a new book coming out June 25th.  Here’s the lowdown…

Addison McKellar isn’t clueless—she knows she and her husband Dean don’t have the perfect marriage—but she’s still shocked when he completely vanishes from her life. At first Addison is annoyed, but as days stretch into a week and she’s repeatedly stonewalled by Dean’s friends and associates, her frustration turns into genuine alarm. When even the police seem dismissive of her concerns, Addison turns to her father’s old friend, legendary Memphis PI Porter Hayes.

Porter and Addison begin to dig deeper into Dean’s affairs and quickly discover that he was never the hardworking business owner and family man he pretended to be. As they piece together the connections between a hook-handed mercenary, one of Elvis’s former leading ladies, and a man posing as an FBI agent, it becomes clear that Dean was deeply enmeshed in a high-stakes web of international intrigue, and Porter and Addison aren’t the only ones looking for him.

Dean angered some very dangerous people before he disappeared—people who have already killed to get what they want—and they won’t hesitate to come after his family to even the score.

Don’t Let the Devil Ride is a thrilling adventure about what can happen when you pull back the curtain on your life. Ace Atkins, long known for gritty Southern noir with a witty edge, has crafted an ambitious, globe-hopping story that comes home to Memphis in explosive fashion.

“Stamped from the Beginning” (2023) / Z-View

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Stamped from the Beginning (2023)

Director: Roger Ross Williams

Writer: Ibram X. Kendi, David Teague

Stars: Ibram X. Kendi, Angela Davis.

Tagline:  None.

The Plot…

Stamped from the Beginning is based on Ibram X. Kendi’s book of the same name.  Both explore the racist tropes, symbols and imagery ingrained in American culture throughout history.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Often we get documentaries that are padded to fill out 4 or more episodes.  Stamped from the Beginning clocks in at a brisk 85 minutes.  The history of racism in the United States exploring racist tropes, symbols and imagery almost certainly could use a season (or more) of episodes.  With that said, this documentary is informative in a fashion that keeps the viewer watching.  I learned some facts and information about history (and historical figures) that were new to me.

Stamped from the Beginning (2023) earns 4 of 5 stars.

Best of 2023: Films, Books & Posts

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As we start 2024, let’s pause for a look at the BEST OF 2023. I hope you see something that you enjoyed or gets you interested to check out. Here we go…

Movies and Limited Series

In 2023, I watched 409 movies and limited series. That number is up 04 from last year. None were seen in a theater! My favorite films and limited series released in 2023 included (in alpha order):

  • 1923
  • Agent Elvis
  • AKA
  • Bill Russell: Legend
  • Bye Bye Barry
  • Dark Winds: Season 2
  • Extraction 2
  • Fall of the House of Usher, The
  • Family Stallone, The
  • Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
  • Joe Pickett: Season 2
  • Justified: City Primeval
  • Knock at the Cabin
  • Lawman Bass Reeves: Season 1
  • Leave the World Behind
  • Night Agent, The
  • Perry Mason: Season 2
  • Sly
  • StarTrek: Strange New Worlds Season 2
  • Tulsa King: Season 1

Books

In 2023, I read 21 books (16 down from last year, but considering the year we had, that’s not bad). My favorites from this year included (in the order I read them):

  • It Dies With You by Scott Blackburn

  • Blood Standard by Barron Laird
  • Chasing the Boogeyman by Richard Chizmar

  • Black Mountain by Laird Barron

  • Worse Angels by Barron Laird (A) 5.29
  • The Last Action Heroes by Nick de Semlyen
  • All Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby

  • Too Many Bullets by Max Allan Collins

  • But Enough About Me by Burt Reynolds

  • Things Get Ugly: The Best Crime Stories of Joe R. Lansdale by Joe Lansdale

  • Dirty Words by Todd Robinson

  • Everybody Dies by Lawrence Block

  • The Big Bundle by Max Allan Collins

My Most Popular Posts of the Year

I continue to find some surprises in what became my most popular posts each year. Here are the top ten for 2023 and some thoughts for each…

10. Top 10 Most Iconic Horror Movie Villains – Hung in the 10th spot for the second year in a row.

09. RIP: Rachel Welch. New to the list

08. The Different Covers for David Morrell’s First Blood. Same spot as last year.

07. Meeting Sly Stallone. New to the list!

06. Paul Gulacy Week: Day Four. New to the list!

05. Red Sonja, Conan and Dan Panosian. New to the list.

04. Louis Meyers: Evidence He was the Zodiac Killer. Same spot as last year.

03. Dracula Through the Ages. Same spot as last year.

02. Schwarzenegger in “King Lear” & Robin Williams in “Jack and the Beanstalk”. Fell from the first spot last year.

01. SYFY’s 2023/2024 TWILIGHT ZONE New Year’s Eve Marathon is Up! The most popular post last year.

My All-Time Most Popular Posts

The top 4 didn’t change and only one new post broke in to the All-Time most popular posts. Let’s see how things shook out…

10. Joel Osteen in Jacksonville – held on to the 10th spot for two years in a row.

09. Gadot & The Rock Strike a Pose – was in the 9th spot for the last three years.

08. Steve Reeves as Superman – No change.

07. TOP 10 MOST ICONIC HORROR MOVIE VILLAINS! – from 5th to 7th.

06. Dracula Through the Ages – still in the 6th spot. Vampires are in.

05. New Billy the Kid Photo Discovered – No change!

04. SYFY’s 2023/2024 TWILIGHT ZONE New Year’s Eve Marathon is Up!

03. Zodiac Killer Code Cracked? – No change!

02. Louis Meyers: Evidence He Was the Zodiac Killer – No change!

01. Schwarzenegger in “King Lear” & Robin Williams in “Jack and the Beanstalk” – was #1 last year and continues to be our most popular post of all-time.

It’s always interesting to see which topics resonate with fans and continue to be popular long after their initial post.