Previews and Reviews that are Z's Views
Although our focus is usually on entertainment, from time to time I like to include something that might be more useful than the latest preview or review. So, for the roughnecks among us who run with tough crowds, I give you…
Source: Eric Beetner. (If you enjoy great crime fiction, then you probably already know Eric Beetner… but if you don’t know, well, now you know.)
War of the Dead aka Stone’s War (2011)
Director: Marko Mäkilaakso
Screenplay: Marko Mäkilaakso, Barr B. Potter
Stars: Andrew Tiernan
Tagline: None.
The Overview: Beware of spoilers…
In 1941, during World War II, US Captain Martin Stone (Tiernan) is leading a squad of American and Finnish soldiers when they are attacked by the living dead.
I love a good zombie movie. World War II and Nazi zombies provides a lot of potential. Unfortunately War of the Dead just wasn’t for me. Little character development, bad/shaky camera-work and poor special effects wore me down. I made it about 30 minutes before tapping out.
War of the Dead earns 1 of 5 stars.
The 13th Warrior (1999)
Director: John McTiernan, Michael Crichton (reshoots)
Screenplay: William Wisher, Jr., Warren Lewis based on Eaters of the Dead by Michael Crichton
Stars: Antonio Banderas, Diane Venora, Dennis Storhøi, Vladimir Kulich, Omar Sharif, Tony Curran, Clive Russell and Erick Avari
Tagline: Fear reigns.
The Overview: Beware of spoilers…
Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan is a poet accustomed to a luxurious lifestyle until his affair with a rich man’s wife brings him unfavorable attention from the sultan. Sent as ambassador to the Northland, Fahdlan encounters a band of Vikings. During the evening celebration, a message arrives requesting the Vikings’ aide at a Northern Kingdom. Inhuman beings are attacking and killing even their best warriors. The things come at night with the mist and appear to be bear-men.
The Vikings ask their shawman to read the bones. She says the Vikings will be successful if they send 13 warriors… but one must not be a Norseman! Fahdlan is reluctantly recruited.
When the 13 warriors arrive, they discover that there are truly bear-men creatures coming with the mist. They kill and eat the men and women of the Kingdom. As the village prepares for an attack, Fahdlan says to one of the Vikings, “But I am not a warrior.” The Viking’s response: “Very soon you will be.”
Thoughts…
Michael Crichton, the author of the source novel, was the uncredited director of film reshoots.
John McTiernan was the director when the movie was originally titled Eaters of the Dead. Graeme Revell composed a complete original score for the film. Test screenings reviews were terrible. Michael Crichton was brought in to reshape and shoot additional scenes. Revell’s score was discarded. Jerry Goldsmith was brought in to create a new score for the film now titled The 13th Warrior.
I absolutely love The 13th Warrior. It has a great blend of action/horror with just the right amount of comedic moments.
Banderas is perfect as the lover/poet who finds himself among Viking barbarians. His disgust for them matches their disdain for him. Yet, as they get to know each other a mutual respect forms.
The bear-men are terrifying. There are so many great scenes in this film. The tension mounts as Vikings die and the bear-men seem unbeatable. And don’t get me started on how creepy their Queen is.
I’ve watched The 13th Warrior many times and look forward to more viewings.
One of the Viking ships used in The 13th Warrior is now part of a playground in the Norwegian pavilion at the EPCOT in Orlando, Florida.,
The 13th Warrior earns 5 of 5 stars.
Werewolf by Night (2022)
Directors: Michael Giacchino
Screenplay: Heather Quinn, Peter Cameron
Stars: Gael García Bernal, Laura Donnelly, Harriet Sansom Harris, Kirk R. Thatcher, Eugenie Bondurant, Leonardo Nam, Daniel J. Watts, Carey Jones and David Silverman
Tagline: None.
The Overview: Beware of spoilers…
Five of the best monster hunters alive will participate in a contest to determine the leader of all monster hunters now that Ulysses Bloodstone has died. The winner will gain the “leader” title, and also the power of the Bloodstone gem. Surprisingly, Elsa Bloodstone (Donnelly), Ulysses estranged daughter, shows up to take part in the contest. Elsa’s stepmother, Verussa (Harris) warns Elsa against participating, but Elsa refuses to stand down. It is obvious that there is bad blood between them.
The hunters will all enter a maze to fight each other and a monster that has been set loose in the labyrinth. The hunter that kills the creature wins the contest. Only Verussa knows the kind of monster that lurks in the maze, but not even she knows which of the hunters is hiding a secret!
Werewolf by Night is a love letter to the classic Universal monsters. Hats off to director, Michael Giacchino who is best known as a music composer for television and feature films (with over 150 credits on his resume). After his efforts on Werewolf by Night music may go to the back burner. Giacchino has great instincts and knows how to create a film that hits, pardon the expression, all the right notes. Werewolf by Night is moody, full of atmosphere, interesting characters and tension relieved with just the right amount of comedy.
Heather Quinn and Peter Cameron, the screenwriters, were smart to write a modern film with an old school feel. The film is in black and white which adds to the experience that we’re watching a classic horror film. The werewolf looks, moves and acts like a man-beast and not a man in a werewolf costume. I loved Werewolf by Night. It seems like everyone does. Werewolf by Night currently has a 7.6/10 rating on IMDb; Rotten Tomatoes shows a rating of 92% with reviewers and 94% with audiences. As for me…
Werewolf by Night earns 5 of 5 stars.
S.A. Cosby is interviewed by Phillip Fracassi on his The Dark Word podcast. It’s worth a listen for all Cosby and writing fans.
The Lodger (1927)
Directors: Alfred Hitchcock
Screenplay: Eliot Stannard based on The Lodger by Marie Belloc Lowndes
Stars: Ivor Novello and Alfred Hitchcock
Tagline: None
The Overview: Beware of spoilers…
A serial killer who calls himself The Avenger has killed seven blonde haired women. He strikes late at night and police have few clues.
When a tall handsome stranger rents a room from Mr. and Mrs. Bunting, they think nothing of it… until he begins to display some strange habits. He asks that the pictures of blonde women in his room be removed. He quietly leaves his room at night and returns before morning. And what is in the satchel that he keeps locked in a cabinet? Could their lodger be The Avenger?
Alfred Hitchcock wanted The Lodger to be his first full sound film, but it ended up being his last silent feature. The Lodger is also the first film to contain one of Hitchcock’s famous cameos! The Lodger features some animated title cards and inventive shots (the Lodger pacing the floor seen from below as if the floor became invisible; the Lodger descending a spiral staircase and the only thing we see of him is his hand on the banister as he goes down, etc.). Hitchcock considers The Lodger his first suspense film.
The Lodger earns 4 of 5 stars.
The Bunker looks like it could be a winner.
Trapped in a bunker during World War I, a group of soldiers are faced with an ungodly presence that slowly turns them against each other. As paranoia and fear grow between them, the men experience the true hell of war.
Directed by: Adrian Langley
Written by: Michael Huntsman
Produced by: James Huntsman, Patrick Rizotti
Cast: Luke Baines (UNDER THE SILVER LAKE), Sean Cullen (Netfilx’s Mindhunter), Roger Clark (Red Dead Redemption II), Julian Feder (A BOY CALLED PO), Kayla Radomski (ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD), and Eddie Ramos (TNT’s Animal Kingdom), with theater veteran Patrick Moltane as the volatile “Lieutenant Turner.”
Yesterday we had the kickass trailer for Neil Marshall’s The Lair. Today we get the poster. I’d say it reaches the bar set by the trailer. I cannot wait to see this one.
The Lair, based on the the trailer below just jumped on my must-see list! Deal me in!
THE LAIR In Theaters, On Demand, and Digital October 28th, 2022
Starring Charlotte Kirk, Jonathan Howard, Jamie Bamber
Directed by Neil Marshall
When Royal Air Force pilot Lt. Kate Sinclair is shot down over Afghanistan, she finds refuge in an abandoned underground bunker where deadly man-made biological weapons – half human, half alien – are awakened.
Tales of the Walking Dead Season 1 (2022)
Directors: Ron Underwood (Ep. 1);Michael E. Satrazemis (Eps. 2 – 5);Haifaa al-Mansour (Ep. 4); Deborah Kampmeier (Ep.6)
Writers: Maya Goldsmith & Ben Sokolowski (Ep.1);Kari Drake (Ep.2); Channing Powell (Eps.3, 5); Ahmadu Garba (Ep. 4); Lindsey Villarreal (Ep.6)
Stars: Anthony Edwards, Parker Posey, Terry Crews, Danny Ramirez, Olivia Munn, Poppy Liu, Lauren Glazier, Kevin L. Johnson and Embeth Davidtz
Tagline: None.
The Overview: Beware of spoilers…
Tales of the Walking Dead is an anthology series that takes place in the world of The Walking Dead. Each episode is a self-contained story with no continuing characters. This series sometimes ventures into different horror subgenres (time-loop, a haunted house/witch, etc.) which is refreshing. I enjoyed all the episodes, but even if you find one lacking, the next is something different.
My favorites were:
1. “Evie / Joe” starring Olivia Munn and Terry Crews
4 “Amy / Dr. Everett” starring Poppy Liu and Anthony Edwards
5 “Davon” starring Jessie T. Usher
I hope we get a season 2.
Tales of the Walking Dead, Season 1 earns 4 of 5 stars.
House of Dracula (1945)
Director: Erle C. Kenton
Screenplay: Edward T. Lowe Jr. from a story by Dwight V. Babcock, George Bricker
Stars: Lon Chaney Jr. , John Carradine, Onslow Stevens, Martha O’Driscoll, Lionel Atwill, Glenn Strange and
Skelton Knaggs
Tagline: Frankenstein’s Monster … Wolf Man … Dracula … Mad Doctor … Hunchback
The Overview: Beware of spoilers…
Dracula (Carradine) shows up at Dr. Franz Edelmann’s (Stevens) castle and asks Edelmann to cure him from being a vampire. Edelmann agrees to try. Soon after, Lawrence Talbot comes knocking. Talbot wants the doctor to cure him from being a werewolf. What are the odds? As the commercials say, but wait, there’s more! As the doctor works to cure both Dracula and Talbot, he discovers the Frankenstein monster in mud under his castle!
Doctor Edelmann is using his own blood for the transfusions with Dracula and this is causing the doctor to experience symptoms of vampirism. Soon enough we have Dracula, the Wolfman, Frankenstein, the mad doctor and his hunchback assistant creating havoc! Having the top three classic Universal monsters in the same film is every kid’s dream!
John Carradine isn’t my favorite choice for Dracula, but why nitpick when we also get Wolfman and Frankenstein? Lon Chaney Jr. as Lawrence Talbot isn’t as whiney as normal and that’s a good thing. Glenn Strange makes a fine Frankenstein. While House of Dracula isn’t a classic, the kid in you will enjoy it!
House of Dracula earns 3 of 5 stars.
I’m a sucker for a good zombie movie. Among the Living looks like it could fit the bill. Deal me in.
Stranded in the countryside in the aftermath of a deadly outbreak, older brother Harry fights to protect his younger sister, Lily, while he desperately searches to find refuge with their father. Harry and Lily are determined to survive their journey as they strive to avoid an infected population with a thirst for blood as well as the greater threat of other survivors.
Here we have the final trailer for Guillermo Del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities. I’m looking forward to this!
Guillermo del Toro – the master of horror – presents a collection of unprecedented and genre-defining stories that will challenge our traditional notions of horror.
Guillermo Del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities is an anthology of sinister stories, told by some of today’s most revered horror creators – including the directors of The Babadook, Splice, Mandy, and many more.
Unlock Your Fears with Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities
I like the poster and trailer for Bones and All. Based on the novel by Camille Deangelis, Bones and All is a strange story. I have a feeling that it will either be very good or very bad, Hoping for the best…
You can’t run from who you are. From acclaimed director Luca Guadagnino and starring Taylor Russell, Timothée Chalamet, and Mark Rylance – watch the #BonesAndAll trailer now and see the movie only in theaters this November.
Directed by: Luca Guadagnino
Starring: Taylor Russell, Timothée Chalamet and Mark Rylance
Based on the novel by: Camille DeAngelis
Screenplay By: David Kajganich
Storm of the Century (1999)
Director: Craig R. Baxley
Screenplay: Stephen King
Stars: Tim Daly, Debrah Farentino, Colm Feore, Jeffrey DeMunn, Casey Siemaszko and Stephen King
Tagline: Give him what he wants and he’ll go away.
The Overview: Beware of spoilers…
As the residents of the small remote Little Tall Island off the coast of Maine, prepare for a blizzard that is predicted to be the storm of the century, a murderer is discovered sitting in a chair, eating cookies next to the corpse of the old woman that he beat to death with a cane. Mike Anderson (Daly), store owner and part-time constable and his deputy bring the stranger in to the jail cell located in the back of Anderson’s store. Because of the storm, all transportation to the island is shut down. They’ll have to hold him until the storm passes.
The man gives his name as André Linoge (Feore). He tells Anderson and those watching, “Give me what I want, and I’ll go away.” Linoge has information about Anderson and others that no one could possibly know. He also seems to have ability to make folks do things against their will. When two people commit suicide and “Give me what I want and I’ll go away” is found written beside them, they start to believe that Linoge is a demon. As the storm worsens, Linoge displays more powers, inflicting hallucinations and causing people to commit murder. If they give Linoge what he wants, will he really go away? And what could he possibly want?
Storm of the Century is a three part mini-series that creates a slow burn as we’re introduced to Linoge and come to realize that he may be more than an evil man. Tim Daly was excellent as the level-headed, moral part time constable/store owner. Jeffrey DeMunn was perfect as the unlikable town manager. Equally as good was Colm Feore as the menacing André Linoge. As a viewer, you cannot help but think about what you would do in that situation. Would you give him what he wants?
Storm of the Century earns 4 of 5 stars.
