“My Name is Alfred Hitchcock” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!
Alfred Hitchcock was the first director that I knew by name and whose movie’s I sought out. As to the documentary, My Name is Alfred Hitchcock, deal me in.
Category: Movies
RIP: Nicolas Coster
Nicolas Coster died yesterday at the age of 89. Mr. Coster was an Emmy-winning (2017 Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting or Guest Actor in a Digital Daytime Drama Series, The Bay) actor who appeared on television and feature films throughout his career.
Some of Nicolas Coster’s television appearances include: The Secret Storm; The Green Hornet; The Blue Knight; Charlie’s Angels; Little House on the Prairie; Baretta; The Amazing Spider-Man; The Rockford Files; One Day at a Time; Wonder Woman; The Incredible Hulk; Mrs. Columbo; Buck Rogers; Dallas (3 episodes); The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo (15 episodes); Hart to Hart; Police Squad!; Quincy; Simon & Simon (3 episodes); Magnum PI; Nine to Five (3 episodes); Hardcastle & McCormick; TJ Hooker; Knight Rider; One Life to Live (5 episodes); LA Law; The Facts of Life (5 episodes); All My Children; Thirtysomething; Murder She Wrote; Who’s the Boss; Hunter; Star Trek: The Next Generation; MacGyver; Jake and the Fatman; Beverly Hills 90210; Santa Barbara (599 episodes); Law & Order (2 episodes); As the World Turns (11 episodes); Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman; 3rd Rock from the Sun; The Bay (63 episodes) and American Crime Story.
Some of Nicolas Coster’s feature films include: Titanic (1953); All the President’s Men; The Big Fix; Golden Girl; Just You and Me, Kid; The Concorde… Airport ’79; The Electric Horseman; Stir Crazy; The Pursuit of DB Cooper and Reds.
What an amazing career Nicolas Coster had. He was an actor that I recognized and enjoyed in so many different different productions over the years.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Nicolas Coster’s family, friends and fans.
The Price We Pay (2022) starring Emile Hirsch, Stephen Dorff & Gigi Zumbado / Z-View
The Price We Pay (2022)
Director: Ryuhei Kitamura
Screenplay: Christopher Jolley
Stars: Emile Hirsch, Stephen Dorff, Gigi Zumbado, Vernon Wells, Tyler Sanders and Erika Ervin.
Tagline: Reap what you sow.
The Plot…
A pawn shop robbery goes sideways when Alex (Hirsch) gets gun crazy and kills the owner. Grace (Zumbado), an innocent bystander, is forced to drive the crooks away in her car. Although Cody (Dorff) assures Grace she’ll be released unharmed, she isn’t sure Alex feels the same. Hours later when Grace’s car breaks down on a country road, Grace, Cody and Alex walk to the only house around. They convince a teenager to allow them to stay in his grandfather’s barn. Grandpa should be home soon. What Cody and Alex don’t realize is they are no longer are the ones to be feared…
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
I’m a fan of the crime/horror genre. The Price We Pay has a nice set-up with an interesting cast. Stephen Dorff is always good. The more I see of Emile Hirsch, the more I like his crazy characters. Gigi Zumbado is new to me, but I expect we’ll be seeing more feature roles in her future. Vernon Wells is scary as the crazy Grandpa. Erika Ervin as Jodi is even more frightening.
With all this praise so far, you may be wondering why did I only give The Price We Pay a “2” rating. It’s because the director goes way over the top with gore. Of that I’m not a fan. Some gore is okay, but I prefer the worst of it be left to the imagination. So, if you’re a gore-hound adjust your expectations accordingly!
Samuel Fuller’s “The Big Red One” (1980) starring Lee Marvin / Z-View
The Big Red One (1980)
Director: Samuel Fuller
Screenplay: Samuel Fuller
Stars: Lee Marvin, Mark Hamill, Robert Carradine, Bobby Di Cicco and Kelly Ward.
Tagline: The real glory of war is surviving.
The Plot…
A battle-tested Sergeant (Marvin) leads a squad into battle after battle throughout World War II. Although new recruits are added to the team, the four soldiers with the Sarge from day one are the focus of the story.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Samuel Fuller, who wrote and directed The Big Red One, actually served in World War II in the 1st Infantry Division known as The Big Red 1. Fuller received the Silver Star, Bronze Star, and Purple Heart over the course of his military career. Many of the events that happen in the film, are from Fuller’s experiences.
Samuel Fuller’s initial cut for The Big Red One was four hours. It and a two hour cut were both rejected. I’d be interested in seeing a longer version. It felt like we moved from battle to battle with little over-all meaning to the outcome of the war. Also, the new recruits added to the unit as the film progressed were basically Star Trek red shirts.
The Big Red One (1980) rates 2 of 5 stars.
“Notorious” (1946) directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Cary Grant & Ingrid Bergman / Z-View
Notorious (1946)
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Screenplay: Ben Hecht
Stars: Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, Claude Rains and Louis Calhern.
Tagline: “The screen’s top romantic stars in a melodramatic masterpiece!
The Plot…
Alicia Huberman (Bergman) is the daughter of a convicted Nazi spy. Although she didn’t agree with her father’s politics, she has been painted with the same brush. Upset with her life, Alicia has taken to drinking and partying. When she is recruited to become a spy by US Government agent, T. R. Devlin (Grant), Alicia accepts. Her assignment is to infiltrate a group of Nazis in Rio de Janeiro with Devlin as her contact. She must attempt to seduce Alex Sebastian (Rains), one of the top ranking Nazis.
As time passes, Devlin and Alicia fall in love. As the demands of her seduction of Sebastian increase, so does the strain on Devlin and Alicia’s relationship. When Sebastian asks her to marry him, Alicia must make a decision that will put her relationship with Devlin as well as her life in danger.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Grant and Bergman have great chemistry. In the original script Bergman’s character was a call girl. In the filmed version it is obvious that she’s a loose spirit with a liberal attitude. Quite risqué for the time. Grant and Bergman have an extended scene where they kiss. At the time the Hayes Code required kisses to last no more than three seconds. Hitchock got around this by having them barely separate to talk as they kissed.
Hitchcock knows how to work a movie. Grant wants to stop Bergman from doing what needs to be done, but he wants her to stop of her own accord so he says/does nothing. Bergman wants Grant to tell her not to do what needs to be done, but when he says, nothing, she thinks he doesn’t care. They both fail to do what both want to be done…
I love the ending.
Notorious (1946) rates 5 of 5 stars.
“Justified: City Primeval” – The Risk of the Draw Trailer!
“Hopefully I got one in the chamber, but you gonna bet your life on that?” FX’s Justified: City Primeval premieres July 18 on FX. Stream on Hulu. Stream all episodes of #JustifiedFX on Hulu.
RIP: Frederick Forrest
Frederick Forrest died yesterday at the age of 86 after a long illness. Mr. Forrest appeared acted in both television and feature films. In 1972, Frederick Forrest was nominated for a Golden Globe Actor Award for New Star of the Year. Mr. Forrest was also nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award and Golden Globe Best Supporting Actor Award for his role in The Rose.
Some of Frederick Forrest’s television appearances include: Dark Shadows; Ruby & Oswald; Mrs. Columbo; Quo Vadis? (6 episodes); The Deliberate Stranger (2 episodes); 21 Jump Street (5 episodes); Lonesome Dove (4 episodes); I Know My First Name is Steven (2 episodes); Die Kinder (6 episodes); The Young Riders (2 episodes) and Murphy Brown.
Some of Frederick Forrest’s feature films include: When Legends Die; The Conversation; The Missouri Breaks; It Lives Again; Apocalypse Now; The Rose; Hammett; Tucker: The Man and His Dream; The Two Jakes; Falling Down and All the King’s Men.
My favorite Frederick Forrest role was as Chef Hicks in Apocalypse Now. He always appeared to me as an actor who wasn’t interested in being a star, but who cared for his craft. What a wonderful career he had.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Frederick Forrest’s family, friends and fans.
“The End” (1978) starring Burt Reynolds & Dom DeLuise / Z-View
The End (1978)
Director: Burt Reynolds
Screenplay: Jerry Belson
Stars: Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Dom DeLuise, Strother Martin, David Steinberg, Joanne Woodward, Norman Fell, Myrna Loy, Kristy McNichol, Pat O’Brien, Robby Benson and Carl Reiner.
Tagline: “After all, what are friends for?”
The Plot…
Sonny Lawson (Reynods) learns that he’s got a fatal blood disease. There is no cure. He will die a slow painful death. So Sonny decides to end his life. But first he visits his girlfriend, family members and a priest. When Sonny fails at his suicide attempt, he ends up in a mental institution. There Sonny befriends a fellow patient named Marlon Borunki (DeLuise). Borunki is happy to help his new friend die… even after Sonny changes his mind and wants to live!
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
The End doesn’t really come alive (see what I did there?) until Dom DeLuise shows up. There are some truly funny scenes from there on. Most are with DeLuise and Reynolds, but Burt has a funny extended solo scene where he bargains with God to stay alive.
Reynolds plays a very unlikeable character. If he were more likeable, the audience would want him to live. The End features a great cast, but there are so many characters that they aren’t given much to do. Robbie Benson as a young priest gets the most laughs (outside of Reynolds and DeLuise). Sally Field is always a welcome addition. I wish The End started in the mental institution with DeLuise wanting to help Reynolds by killing him. Then Reynolds learns that he’s not really dying, but DeLuise doesn’t know or care… he’s on a mission. Give me an hour and a half of that! But that would be another movie.
The End (1978) rates 2 of 5 stars.
“Drive-Away Dolls” directed by Ethan Coen – The Trailer is Here!
I like the trailer for Drive-Away Dolls. It looks like a fun ride. Deal me in!
Written by Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke, this comedy caper follows Jamie, an uninhibited free spirit bemoaning yet another breakup with a girlfriend, and her demure friend Marian who desperately needs to loosen up. In search of a fresh start, the two embark on an impromptu road trip to Tallahassee, but things quickly go awry when they cross paths with a group of inept criminals along the way. Directed by Ethan Coen.
“Knock at the Cabin” (2023) directed by M. Night Shyamalan starring Dave Bautista / Z-View
Knock at the Cabin (2023)
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Screenplay: M. Night Shyamalan, Steve Desmond, Michael Sherman based on The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul G. Tremblay
Stars: Dave Bautista, Jonathan Groff, Ben Aldridge, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Rupert Grint, Abby Quinn and Kristen Cui.
Tagline: Save your family or save humanity. Make the choice.
The Plot…
Eric (Groff), Andrew (Aldridge) and their little daughter Wren (Cui) are vacationing at a remote cabin deep in the woods. When four people with weapons take them prisoner, Eric and Andrew are told if they don’t willingly kill a member of their family, all humanity will die. The clock is ticking.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
M. Night Shyamalan has a cameo in a commercial for an air fryer that plays on a tv in the background of a scene.
The four people who show up at the cabin represent the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
I continue to be impressed with the variety of roles that Dave Bautista takes on and excels at.
As you watch Knock at the Cabin, you can’t help, but wonder what you would do in the same situation.
Knock at the Cabin (2023) rates 5 of 5 stars.
“Mulholland Falls” (1996) starring Nick Nolte, Melanie Griffith, Chazz Palminteri, John Malkovich & Treat Williams / Z-View
Mulholland Falls (1996)
Director: Lee Tamahori
Screenplay: Pete Dexter from a story by Pete Dexter, Floyd Mutrux
Stars: Nick Nolte, Melanie Griffith, Jennifer Connelly, Chazz Palminteri, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn, Treat Williams, Daniel Baldwin, Andrew McCarthy, John Malkovich, Kyle Chandler and Ed Lauter.
Tagline: This isn’t America, this is Los Angeles
The Plot…
A special four-man team of LA Detectives consisting of Lieutenant Maxwell Hoover (Nolte), Ellery Coolidge (Palminteri), Eddie Hall (Madsen), and Arthur Relyea (Penn) have been granted authorization to take aggressive actions when dealing with criminals. Gangsters have taken to calling them The Hat Squad.
When a prostitute named Allison Pond (Connelly) is found dead in the desert with every bone in her body broken, the case is assigned to The Hat Squad. A piece of radioactive glass is found embedded in Pond’s foot. Soon the detectives receive a film of Pond having sex with various men… including Detective Hoover and retired General Thomas Timms (Malkovich). Following leads puts the team at odds with each other and the US Military.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
The Hat Squad was based on a team of detectives that was truly empowered to take more drastic measures to fight crime.
Mulholland Falls features an amazing cast. Standouts include Nolte, Palminteri, Malkovich and Williams.
I liked the reveal and subsequent action scene after the murderer is known. Also the final scene between Nolte and Griffith is handled in a non-Hollywood way.
Mulholland Falls (1996) rates 3 of 5 stars.
“Justified: City Primeval” | Teaser – Specially Requested
Starring Timothy Olyphant, Aunjanue Ellis and Boyd Holbrook. Raylan Givens left the hollers of Kentucky and is balancing life as a U.S. Marshal with being a part-time father. A chance encounter sends him to Detroit and on a collision course with a violent sociopath and a formidable defense attorney.
The hat is back. FX’s Justified: City Primeval premieres 7.18 on FX. Stream on Hulu.
“John Wick” Alt Poster by Ludo D. Rodriguez-Pascal
Check out this cool alt poster for John Wick by Ludo D. Rodriguez-Pascal.
“300” (2006) /Z-View
300 (2006)
Director: Zack Snyder
Screenplay: Zack Snyder, Kurt Johnstad, Michael B. Gordon based on 300 by Frank Miller, Lynn Varley
Stars: Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, David Wenham, Dominic West, Vincent Regan, Michael Fassbender, Andrew Pleavin, Rodrigo Santoro and Eli Snyder.
Tagline: Spartans, tonight, we dine in hell!
The Plot…
Based on Frank Miller’s classic graphic novel, 300 tells the story of King Leonidas (Butler) who led an army of 300 Spartans against a Persian force of over 100,000. Persian King Xerxes (Santoro) planned to rule the world. His army was decimating every country in his path. King Leonidas and his 300 Spartans would meet the Persians in the mountain pass of Thermopylae known as “the Gates of Hell”. There they would make their stand.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
There has never been a movie adaptation that follows the source material as well as 300. Zack Snyder’s respect for Frank Miller’s graphic novel is evident in every scene. That’s not to say that Snyder didn’t have an impact on what we see. Using Miller’s panels as storyboards, Snyder has created a stylized film that is a thing of beauty.
300 (2006) rates 5 of 5 stars.
“The Locksmith” (2023) starring Kate Bosworth & Ryan Phillippe / Z-View
The Locksmith (2023)
Director: Nicolas Harvard
Screenplay: John Glosser, Joe Russo, Chris LaMont
Stars: Kate Bosworth, Ryan Phillippe, Ving Rhames and Noel Gugliemi.
Tagline: None.
The Plot…
Miller Graham (Phillippe) was just released from prison. Graham is determined to go straight and get back with his wife, Beth (Bosworth) and daughter. The crooked cops who set Graham up have other ideas and when a friend needs help, Graham finds himself on the wrong side of the law.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
I hoped The Locksmith would be better. I like Bosworth, Phillippe and Rhames. Unfortunately, the decisions that Phillippe’s character makes are so stupid that I couldn’t muster much sympathy for him. Just a few of his bad decisions: He agrees to rob a mansion that has armed security. He never cases the joint or makes a plan. He parks his truck right outside the fence of the property.
The best character in the movie is played by Ving Rhames. He doesn’t get much to do except tell Phillippe to get his act together, play with Phillipppe’s daughter and then be murdered. Don’t worry though, there’ s a little scene to wrap up the film to show he’s gone but not forgotten. (Unlike the movie which will soon be.)
The Locksmith (2023) rates 2 of 5 stars.
