Category: Books

“Shattered” (1991) written & directed by Wolfgang Peterson, starring Tom Berenger, Bob Hoskins and Greta Scacchi / Z-View

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Shattered (1991)

Director: Wolfgang Petersen

Screenplay: Wolfgang Petersen; based on THE PLASTIC NIGHTMARE by Richard Neeley

Stars: Tom Berenger, Bob Hoskins, Greta Scacchi, Joanne Whalley, Corbin Bernsen, Bert Rosario, Kellye Nakahara, Frank Cavestani and Theodore Bikel.

Tagline:  A love he can’t forget. A murder he can’t remember.

The Plot…

Dan Merrick wakes up in a hospital with no memory of how he got there.  His injuries were gruesome.  He barely lived.  His face required reconstructive plastic surgery.  The concussion left him with psychogenic amnesia.  But he lived.

Dan learns driving home late one night he and Judith, his wife, were involved in a terrible accident. The car went off the road and over a steep embankment.  Judith suffered minor injuries when she was thrown from the car.  Dan has no memory of the accident or anything from his past.  The doctors say it could slowly return… or not.

Judith is so loving and attentive to Dan as he recovers.  Dan learns he was a partner in an architectural firm.  Slowly flashes of memory come to Dan but they make no sense.  As Dan is going through things he comes across hidden photos.  They are of Judith.  With another man.  Judith was cheating on him!

As Dan’s memory slowly returns he begins to wonder about the accident. The same wreck that nearly killed him, left Judith with minor injuries.  If Judith and her lover were trying to kill him, Dan is sure that they will conspire to finish the job.

If only he could remember…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)… 

Shattered delivers as a Hitchcockian psychological erotic thriller.  It’s a fun neo-noir mystery filled with surprises and a fun twist ending.

Shattered reminds me of a film that would have been made in the 1940s, but instead is a product of 1990s film sensibilities.

I love it.

Shattered (1991) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“Caught Stealing” written by Charlie Huston, directed by Darren Aronofsky; starring Austin Butler, Regina King, Zoë Kravitz, Matt Smith, Liev Schreiber, Vincent D’Onofrio and Benito Martinez Ocasio / Z-View

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Caught Stealing (2025)

Director: Darren Aronofsky

Screenplay: Charlie Huston; based on CAUGHT STEALING by Charlie Huston

Stars: Austin Butler, Regina King, Zoë Kravitz, Matt Smith, Griffin Dunne, Shaun O’Hagan, Action Bronson, Matt Smith, Nikita Kukushkin, Yuri Kolokolnikov, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Oleg Prudius, Liev Schreiber, Benito Martinez Ocasio, Bad Bunny, Carol Kane and Vincent D’Onofrio.

Tagline: 2 Russians, 2 Jews and a Puerto Rican walk into a bar…

The Plot…

Henry “Hank” Thompson was a baseball phenom headed to the big leagues straight out of high school.  Then a tragic auto accident left a friend dead and Hank with a career-ending injury.  A career that never even had a chance to get started.

That was ten years ago. 1988.  Now Hank is a New York City bartender.  He drinks too much, lacks real ambition, and still loves The San Francisco Giants.  Oh, Hank also loves Yvonne.  She’s a positive influence and it looks like they may have a future.  Life is good.  Except for his nightmares about the car crash. What could have been and what was.

Still, with Yvonne, life is on the right track.

When Hank’s neighbor, Russ Miner has to leave for a few days to visit his hospitalized father, Hank is talked into taking care of Russ’ cat.  It isn’t long after, that two Russian mobsters show up.  They’re looking for Russ.  When Hank cannot give the thugs the answers they want, they beat Hank nearly to death.

Detective Elise Roman questions Hank. She thinks he’s withholding information.  He’s not.  Detective Roman informs Hank that the Russians are dangerous. (No kidding.)  Worse still, his neighbor Russ works for the infamous Drucker brothers.  The Drucker brothers are known killers, but never leave anyone alive willing to testify against them.  Detective Roman warns Hank that with the Russians and the Druckers after him, he won’t have long to live.  Neither will anyone close to him.  If the Russians don’t get them, the Druckers will.

Hank has no clue what everyone is looking for.  Hank understands if he doesn’t figure it out, he’s dead… and so are his family and friends.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)… 

Charlie Huston’s Henry “Hank” Thompson trilogy (CAUGHT STEALING / SIX BAD THINGS / A DANGEROUS MAN) earned the #1 spot in my favorite books of 2006.  They get my highest recommendation.  Although the movie makes changes from the novel, I still loved the adaptation.

Caught Stealing is exceptionally well cast.  It is my favorite Austin Butler film.  It would be cool to see the rest of the Hank Thompson trilogy adapted and Butler make the transformation to A DANGEROUS MAN.  Zoë Kravitz is perfect as Hank’s love interest.  Kudos also to Regina King, Griffin Dunne, Shaun O’Hagan, Liev Schreiber, Bad Bunny, Carol Kane and Vincent D’Onofrio.  They shine.

Caught Stealing has a couple of shocking twists.  It also has the right mix of suspense, humor and action.  I loved it.  Caught Stealing gets my highest recommendation.

Caught Stealing (2025) rates 5 of 5 stars.

THE DREADFUL LEMON SKY BY John D. MacDonald / Z-View

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THE DREADFUL LEMON SKY by John D. MacDonald

First sentences…

I was in deep sleep, alone aboard my houseboat, alone in a half acre of bed, alone in a sweaty dream of chase, fear, and monstrous predators.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

At 4am, Travis McGee is awakened from dark dreams by someone climbing aboard his boat, The Busted Flush.  The intruder is Carrie Milligan, a former lover.  She’s scared, but won’t say why.  The only thing she brought with her is a suitcase.  A suitcase full of cash.

Carrie asks Travis to hold the suitcase.  If she doesn’t return in two weeks, Travis is to give the cash to Carrie’s sister.  Travis can keep ten grand for his troubles.  Travis agrees.

Two weeks pass.  Carrie doesn’t return.  Then Travis learns she was killed in an auto accident in the small coastal town of Bayside.  Travis decides to look into Carrie’s death.  It’s too coincidental that she was killed during a time she was worried she might not return to claim the suitcase.

Travis goes to Bayside and starts digging into Carrie’s last hours.  Clues lead him to an apartment complex managed by a wanna-be tough guy everyone calls Big Daddy.  Travis also meets a lawyer and judge who warn Travis about sticking his nose in unwanted places.

Travis keeps digging.  The people behind Carrie’s murder have too much at stake to let a beach bum like Travis McGee screw things up.  They plan to fix that.

+++

THE DREADFUL LEMON SKY is the sixteenth of 21 Travis McGee novels.

In 1972, John D. MacDonald was named a grandmaster of the Mystery Writers of America.  MacDonald is best known for his Travis McGee novels as well as a standalone thriller (THE EXECUTIONERS) that was retitled Cape Fear when adapted into a movie (twice).

THE DREADFUL LEMON SKY by John D. MacDonald

Rating:

WISDOM CORNER by David Heska Wanbli Weiden

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WISDOM CORNER by David Heska Wanbli Weiden is set to premiere on July 7, 2026.  The novel is Weiden’s follow-up to WINTER COUNTS, which I loved.  Here’s the lowdown…

From the award-winning author of WINTER COUNTS comes a new thriller about life — and death—on the Rosebud Indian Reservation.

Virgil Wounded Horse is desperately trying to escape his past as a hired vigilante on the Rosebud Indian Reservation. But when a legendary figure from the reservation is murdered, he’s forced to return to the job. Making matters more complicated, threats are coming from the Pine Ridge 705 — a street gang from a neighboring reservation who want to expand their reach into Rosebud — and Mitch Gagnon, a shady politician who will stop at nothing to gain more power.

With a heated tribal council election looming, as well as new revelations regarding past injustices at the local Native boarding school, the stakes grow even higher. Will Virgil find the justice he’s seeking before it’s too late?

David Heska Wanbli Weiden, whose writing “melds the gritty realism of Dashiell Hammett with the lyricism of Tommy Orange” (O, The Oprah Magazine),once again brings us a tour de force of crime fiction—and an expansive look at Native American life in a shifting world.

WISDOM CORNER Hardcover

WISDOM CORNER  Kindle

ORPHAN X by Gregg Hurwitz / Z-View

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ORPHAN X by Gregg Hurwitz

First sentence…

1

After picking up a set of pistol suppressors froma nine-fingered armorer in Las Vegas, Evan Smoak headed for home in his Ford pickup, doing his best to not let the knife wound distract him.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Evan Smoak was chosen as a child.  He was a perfect candidate.  A child with no family.  Raised in a secret government off-the-books program, Evan and other children like him became known as Orphans.  Evan was Orphan X.

The Orphans were trained to become the ultimate assassins.  As adults, these killers were perfect for black box assignments.  Able to kill with their hands, or any weapon, the Orphans possessed every strategy to covertly and alone complete a mission.  The added bonus was if caught or killed, because they had no family, the government had plausible deniability.

Orphan X excelled in all aspects of his training.  His abilities and mission success became legendary among the Orphans and their handlers.  Outside of the program, Orphan X was someone spoken about in whispers.

Finally, Evan Smoak had enough of the killing.  He used his training to escape the program and disappear.  Smoak set up a new life.  One that he controlled.  He still lived by stict rules – but these rules were self-imposed.  And now instead of taking lives, he was saving them.  Smoak found people in desperate situations, with nowhere to turn and rescued them. Smoak was careful.  Often the beneficiary didn’t know how they were selected or who helped them.

But now, someone with the same skills as Smoak is trying to find and kill him.  You can’t just walk away from the Orphan Program.

+++

ORPHAN X was published in 2016.  Its popularity led to a series of Orphan X novels.  There are currently 10 novels (with an 11th due in February 2026) and several short stories in the series.

ORPHAN X was a page turner.  I loved the characters, and world Hurwitz created.  This is a series that sho to the top of my t0-be-read list.  If you’re a fan of intelligent action, this series is for you.

Rating:

“Crime 101” starring Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan, and Halle Berry – A New Poster and Trailer are Here!

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Crime 101 starring Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan, and Halle Berry – A New Poster and Trailer are Here!

Get an inside look at the making of #Crime101 starring Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan, and Halle Berry. Experience it in theaters and IMAX on February 13.

Set against the sun-bleached grit of Los Angeles, Crime 101 weaves the tale of an elusive jewel thief (Chris Hemsworth) whose string of heists along the 101 freeway have mystified police. When he eyes the score of a lifetime, his path crosses that of a disillusioned insurance broker (Halle Berry) who is facing her own crossroads. Convinced he has found a pattern, a relentless detective (Mark Ruffalo) is closing in, raising the stakes even higher. As the heist approaches, the line between hunter and hunted begins to blur, and all three are faced with life-defining choices–and the realization that there can be no turning back.

Adapted from Don Winslow’s acclaimed novella of the same name, the film is written and directed by Bart Layton (American Animals, The Imposter). Barry Keoghan, Monica Barbaro, Corey Hawkins, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Nick Nolte round out the cast.

“Sudden Fear” (1952) starring Joan Crawford, Jack Palance & Gloria Grahame / Z-View

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Sudden Fear (1952)

Director: David Miller

Screenplay: Lenore J. Coffee, Robert Smith; based on SUDDEN FEAR by Edna Sherry

Stars: Joan Crawford, Jack Palance, Gloria Grahame, Bruce Bennett, Virginia Huston,  Taylor Holmes, Selmer Jackson, Lewis Martin and Mike Connors.

Tagline:  A Thrilling New High In Suspense Melodrama!

The Plot…

Myra Hudson is a successful Broadway playwright and producer.  Her every production is a success.  She’s powerful, rich and single.  On a train ride across country Myra has a chance meeting with Lester Baine.  He’s an actor that Myra fired from one of her productions not too long ago.

Myra is apologetic, yet Lester says, “No apology needed.”  They talk a bit and really hit it off.  Lester is witty and charming.  Before the train ride is over, Myra is falling in love.  A whirlwind courtship and marriage follow.

What Myra doesn’t know is that Lester doesn’t love her.  It’s an act to gain access to Myra’s money and prestige.  In fact, Lester is having an affair with his old flame (and fellow grifter) Irene.

Myra is so in love with Lester, she decides to secretly revise her will.  She will leave him everything should she die.  Lester learns that Myra is planning to change her will.  He doesn’t know that the change would benefit him.  Lester decides to kill Myra before the change is made.  He recruits Irene and they plan the murder.

Myra accidentally learns that Lester is cheating on her and he very soon he will kill her.  Myra’s shock turns to disbelief, then fear and then a plan for revenge.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)… 

Sudden Fear was nominated for four 1953 Academy Awards…

  • Nominee for Best Costume Design, Black-and-White – Sheila O’Brien
  • Nominee for Best Cinematography, Black-and-White – Charles Lang
  • Nominee for Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Jack Palance
  • Nominee for Best Actress in a Leading Role – Joan Crawford

Sudden Fear marked Jack Palance’s first Best Supporting Actor Academy Award Nomination.  He would earn his second Best Supporting Actor Oscar Nomination the following year for his performance in Shane.

Joan Crawford not only starred in Sudden Fear, she also served as the film’s Executive Producer.  She was hands-on. Crawford personally selected the film’s screenwriter (Lenore J. Coffee), the director (David Miller), the cinematographer (Charles Lang) and her co-stars (Jack Palance and Gloria Grahame).

Because Joan Crawford optioned the rights to Edna Sherry’s novel, Crawford had more control over the production.  Crawford gambled and took 40% of the film’s profits rather than her normal $200,000.00 salary.  The gamble paid off when the film was a huge success.

Sudden Fear features Mike Connor’s first feature film role.  He is billed as Touch Connor.

Based on the film’s Oscar nominations and reviews, most folks liked Sudden Fear A LOT more than me.  I found Sudden Fear to be overly melodramtic.  I did enjoy the surprise at the end, but felt that much of the danger and suspense could have been easily avoided with better choices from the Joan Crawford character.  As always, your mileage may vary.

Sudden Fear (1952) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“House of the Rising Sun” directed by Brian A. Miller, starring Dave Bautista, Amy Smart, Danny Trejo, Dominic Purcell and Craig Fairbass / Z-View

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House of the Rising Sun (2011)

Director: Brian A. Miller

Screenplay: Chuck Hustmyre and Brian A. Miller; based on HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN by Chuck Hustmyre

Stars: Dave Bautista, Amy Smart, Dominic Purcell, Craig Fairbrass, Tim Fields, Jesse Pruett, Joe Ochman and Danny Trejo.

Tagline:  They took his badge. He kept the gun.

The Plot…

Ray Shane is an ex-cop and ex-con.  Shane did a five year stretch for corruption.  Now he’s head of security for the strip club called “The House of the Rising Sun”.  The strip club is actually a front for an illegal gambling club.  That’s where the real money is made.

One night on Shane’s watch, the club is robbed.  Things go from bad to worse when Shane discovers the safe was holding $300,000.  That much cash should never have been on hand.  Worse still, the club owner’s son is killed during a shootout with the masked thieves.

Both the cops and Ray’s underworld boss consider Ray the prime suspect.  The cops are looking for just enough to arrest Ray.  His boss needs just a bit more info to place a hit on Ray.

If Ray doesn’t find the real killers soon, it will be too late.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)… 

House of the Rising Sun features Dave Bautista’s first starring role in a feature film.  Bautista is backed up by a decent supporting cast for a low-budget crime film: Amy Smart, Dominic Purcell, Craig Fairbrass and Danny Trejo.

The movie had potential but falls short of expectations.

The movie is based on HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN by Chuck Hustmyre.  Here’s what Hustmyre said in the paperback release of his novel:

If you’ve seen the low-budget Lionsgate action movie, “House of the Rising Sun”, first let me apologize.  I wish I could give you back those wasted ninety minutes of your life.  The movie is a TERRIBLE adaptation of my novel.  And yes, I wrote the screenplay, but director Brian A. Miller hijacked my original script and turned what could have been a decent neo-noir crime thriller into a godawful mess…

Hustmyre wrote more, but I think you get the gist.

House of the Rising Sun (2011) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“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.