Previews and Reviews that are Z's Views
A Small Fortune is a great crime movie title. I like the poster and the trailer has me sold. Deal me in.
When a desperate man finds a bag of lost money off the shores of Prince Edward Island, his decision to keep it secret turns his quaint fishing village into a growing crime scene.
Love the poster and trailer. Deal me in.
The legend of Dracula is born. Watch the trailer for The Last Voyage of the Demeter now.
Based on a single chilling chapter from Bram Stoker’s classic novel Dracula, The Last Voyage of the Demeter tells the terrifying story of the merchant ship Demeter, which was chartered to carry private cargo—fifty unmarked wooden crates—from Carpathia to London.
Strange events befall the doomed crew as they attempt to survive the ocean voyage, stalked each night by a merciless presence onboard the ship. When the Demeter finally arrives off the shores of England, it is a charred, derelict wreck. There is no trace of the crew.
The film stars Corey Hawkins (In the Heights, Straight Outta Compton) as Clemens, a doctor who joins the Demeter crew, Aisling Franciosi (Game of Thrones, The Nightingale) as an unwitting stowaway, Liam Cunningham (Game of Thrones, Clash of the Titans) as the ship’s captain and David Dastmalchian (Dune, the Ant-Man franchise) as the Demeter’s first mate.
The film also features Jon Jon Briones (Ratched, American Horror Story), Stefan Kapicic (Deadpool films, Better Call Saul), Nikolai Nikolaeff (Stranger Things, Bruised) and Javier Botet (It films, Mama).
From DreamWorks Pictures and the producers of Zodiac and Black Swan, The Last Voyage of the Demeter is directed by Norwegian horror virtuoso André Øvredal (Scary Stories To Tell in the Dark, Trollhunter), from a script by Bragi F. Schut (Escape Room), Stefan Ruzowitzky (The Counterfeiters) and Zak Olkewicz (the upcoming Bullet Train), based on the chapter “The Captain’s Log” of Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
The film is produced by Brad Fischer and by Oscar®-nominated producer Mike Medavoy and Arnold Messer for Phoenix Pictures and is executive produced by Matthew Hirsch.
Risen (2021)
Director: Eddie Arya
Writer: Eddie Arya
Stars: Nicole Schalmo
Tagline: “We’re at the edge of a mass extinction”
The Plot…
When a meteor strikes near a small town, toxic gas is released and people begin dropping dead. A containment perimeter is set up. The government calls in Lauren Stone, an astrobiologist to assist with the study of the meteor impact zone. When some of the dead bodies reanimate it becomes clear we have a problem.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Risen starts off well enough. A meteor impacts near a remote house, almost destroying it. We are left to wonder if the family inside survives. The movie then jumps about 20 years into the future. One of the children who survived the meteor blast is now an astrobiologist. She struggles with terrible memories of the meteor strike.
Then it happens again. Another meteor strikes near a remote town. The astrobiologist is called in to assist. This isn’t a bad set-up. The problem is Risen moves so slowly. I kept thinking it would get better after the dead re-animated. I was wrong. I finally tapped out at 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Risen (2021) rates 1 of 5 stars.
Studio Stoops (1950)
Director: Edward Bernds
Writer: Elwood Ullman
Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard, Kenneth MacDonald, Christine McIntyre and Vernon Dent
Tagline: None
The Plot…
Our guys are pest exterminators given a chance to create publicity for a new female star. The boys come up with the idea to fake her kidnapping. But when she is really held for ransom, it is up to Larry, Shemp and Moe to get her back. What could go wrong?
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
I love this exchange between Larry and Moe. Larry is about to leave the room and he wants Moe to lock the door behind him.
Larry: “Say, when I come back, I’ll give you the password.”
Moe: “Brilliant! What’ll it be?”
Larry whispers: “Open the door.”
Studio Stoops (1950) rates 4 of 5 stars.
Sly Stallone has signed a first look deal with Amazon Studios. For the multi-year deal, Stallone will write, direct, produce and star in both television and feature film projects developed through Balboa Productions which he founded with Braden Aftergood.
Source: Deadline.
Deal me in.
The three-part event series will explore the origin behind the iconic hotel-for-assassins centerpiece of the John Wick universe through the eyes and actions of a young Winston Scott, as he’s dragged into the Hell-scape of 1970’s New York City to face a past he thought he’d left behind. Winston charts a deadly course through the hotel’s mysterious underworld in a harrowing attempt to seize the hotel where he will eventually take his future throne.
The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot (2018)
Director: Robert D. Krzykowski
Writer: Robert D. Krzykowski
Stars: Sam Elliott, Rocco Gioffre, Aidan Turner and Larry Miller
Tagline: An American myth
The Plot…
The year is 1987. Calvin Barr (Elliott), an old man who lives alone with his dog, spends a his days (and nights) thinking about the past. The woman he loved and lost. The war. How one impacted the other. During World War II Barr was recruited for a secret special ops mission. He was sent behind enemy lines to kill Adolph Hitler. Although the mission was a success, the truth was never revealed. Now Barr is a bitter man haunted by the past.
One evening two government agents, one from Canada and the other from the US, come to Barr’s home. A strange virus in Canada is killing people and animals. The source of the virus is, believe it or not, Bigfoot. Unless the virus can be eradicated the Earth’s entire population will be wiped out. Barr is one of the few people who is immune to the virus. That and he’s a seasoned tracker/killer make him perfect for the mission. To kill Bigfoot.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
You might think that a movie about killing Hitler and Bigfoot would be an action fest. It is more of a slow burn character study. The good news is Sam Elliott is playing the character.
The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot (2018) rates 3 of 5 stars.
Crime on Their Hands (1948)
Director: Edward Bernds
Writer: Elwood Ullman
Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard, Kenneth MacDonald, Christine McIntyre, Heinie Conklin, Ray Corrigan, Cy Schindell and Blackie Whiteford
Tagline: The Stooges’ funniest monkey business!
The Plot…
Our guys are janitors at a newspaper. They dream of being hotshot reporters. When they get a tip the whereabouts of the stolen and priceless Punjab diamond, they decide to follow-up. The lead takes them to a hotspot for tough-guy criminals and a pet gorilla. What could go wrong?
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
The Stooges trying to play it like they are tough guys is funny!
Any time you put a gorilla in a Stooges short, you have a winner.
When a woman says, “Any halfwit can see I’m telling the truth.” Shemp responds, “Yeah, I can see you’re tellin’ the truth.”
Crime on Their Hands (1948) rates 4 of 5 stars.
Black Knight looks like a good “drive-in” movie and you know I like a good “drive-in” movie. Deal me in.
In a world without air
A rebel knight delivers hopeThe one hope to overturn the world
Black Knight | May 12, only on Netflix
Deal me in!
VENGEANCE IS A MOTHER. After years of hiding out in the Alaskan wilderness, a deadly assassin returns to rescue the daughter she loved from afar. This Mother’s Day – watch THE MOTHER starring Jennifer Lopez, Joseph Fiennes, Lucy Paez, Omari Hardwick, Paul Raci, and Gael Garcia Bernal. Only on Netflix May 12th.
The Night Agent: Season 1 (2023)
Teleplay by: Shawn Ryan (ep. 1 & 2); Munis Rashid & Shawn Ryan (ep. 3); Seth Fisher (ep. 4 & 10); Corey Deshon (ep. 5); Imogen Browder (ep. 6); Tiffany Shaw Ho (ep. 7); Rachel Wolf (ep. 8); Munis Rashid (ep. 9)
Directed by: Seth Gordon (ep. 1 & 2); Guy Ferland (ep. 3 & 5); Ramaa Mosley (ep. 4 & 6); Adam Arkin (ep. 7 & 8); Millicent Shelton (ep. 9 & 10)
Stars: Gabriel Basso, Luciane Buchanan, Fola Evans-Akingbola, Sarah Desjardins, Eve Harlow, Phoenix Raei, Enrique Murciano, D.B. Woodside, Hong Chau, Christopher Shyer, Kari Matchett, Jessie Liang, Andres Collantes, Philip Prajoux, Greyston Holt, Robert Patrick, Tim Kelleher and Paolina van Kleef
Tagline: Heroes Aren’t Born. They Answer the Call.
The Plot…
After FBI Agent Peter Sutherland (Basso) thwarts a terrorist bombing, he is offered a low-level position in the White House. Sutherland is given the 8pm – 4am shift manning a phone that never rings. The phone is a last-ditch safety line for agents in trouble. The job is tedious and boring. The phone never rings.
Until one night it does.
Rose Larkin (Buchanan) is a civilian who says she was given the number by her Aunt and Uncle after someone broke into their house. She escaped to a neighbor’s place, but someone is coming after her. She thinks her Aunt and Uncle may have been murdered.
With that call Peter Sutherland finds himself in the middle of a conspiracy. Nothing is what it seems. Someone in the White House could be planning the murder of the President. In way over his head, Sutherland doesn’t know who to trust as the conspiracy grows and his superiors begin to distrust him.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
I loved The Night Agent. It’s fast moving, full of action, plays with the troupes of the genre, has twists, likeable leads, and unlikable (but interesting) villains.
Gabriel Basso and Luciane Buchanan are the leads. They have chemistry but don’t (as you might expect) immediately fall for each other. I liked that Buchanan wasn’t just a damsel in distress. Both Basso and Buchanan get many opportunities to display their prowess with action scenes.
The Night Agent is well cast. Supporting the leads are Robert Patrick, Fola Evans-Akingbola, Sarah Desjardins, Eve Harlow, Phoenix Raei and D.B. Woodside. They’re all perfect for their roles. There are two additional actresses stole that deserve special mention. Eve Harlow and Hong Chau owned every scene that they were in.
Part of the fun of The Night Agent is trying to figure out who is behind the conspiracy and why. If you’re a fan of 24, Reacher, Jack Ryan and the like, then this one is for you.
The Night Agent: Season 1 (2023) earns 5 of 5 stars.
Baby Sitters Jitters (1951)
Director: Jules White
Writer: Felix Adler
Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard
Tagline: Howl at the Stooges as Baby-Sitters!
The Plot…
When the Stooges get behind in their rent they agree to become babysitters. What could go wrong?
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Baby Sitters Jitters is one of the weakest of the Stooges outings. It’s not terrible, just not one of their best.
Baby Sitters Jitters (1951) rates 2 of 5 stars.
Michael Lerner died on April 8, 2023. Mr. Lerner was 81.
Michael Lerner knew from an early age that he wanted to be an actor. While in college he performed in several plays. After his graduation from Brooklyn College, Michael Lerner received a scholarship to the University of California, Berkeley. There he earned a master’s degree. Upon graduation he received a Fulbright Scholarship to study theater in London. While in London, Michael Lerner became friends with John Lennon and Yoko Ono. He even appeared in one of Ono’s short experimental films.
In 1968, Michael Lerner returned to California. He began appearing in local stage productions. The following year he began getting guest spots on television shows. In 1970, he appeared in the feature film Alex in Wonderland. For the remainder of his career Michael Lerner would act on stage, television, feature films and even radio. Mr. Lerner was nominated for the Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for his role in Barton Fink (1991).
Some of Michael Lerner’s television appearances include: Dr. Kildare; The Brady Bunch; The Doris Day Show (2 episodes); The Young Lawyers; That Girl; Thief; Marriage Year One; Banacek; The Bold Ones: The New Doctors (2 episodes); Ironside (2 episodes); Night Gallery; The Streets of San Francisco; The Bob Newhart Show; Emergency; Love American Style; MASH; The Odd Couple; The Missiles of October; Sarah T. – Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic; Starsky and Hutch (2 episodes); Rhoda; Harry O; Police Woman; The Rockford Files (4 episodes); Ruby & Oswald; Kojak; Vegas; Wonder Woman; Barnaby Jones; Hart to Hart (2 episodes); MacGyver; The A-Team; Hill Street Blues (4 episodes); Amazing Stories; The Equalizer; Melba (4 episodes); Tales from the Crypt; Courthouse (11 episodes); Clueless (18 episodes); Godzilla: The Series (3 episodes); Third Watch; Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2 episodes); Entourage; Saving Grace; The Good Wife and Glee (5 episodes).
Some of Michael Lerner’s feature film appearances include: Alex in Wonderland; The Ski Bum; The Candidate; Busting; Newman’s Law; St. Ives; The Other Side of Midnight; Outlaw Blues; Golden Girl; Borderline; Coast to Coast; The Postman Always Rings Twice; Strange Invaders; Eight Men Out; Harlem Nights; Maniac Cop 2; Barton Fink; No Escape; Godzilla; The Mod Squad; My Favorite Martian; Elf and X-Men: Days of Future Past.
I don’t remember when I first saw Michael Lerner. He appeared in several shows that I regularly watched as a kid. Michael Lerner always brought something special to the roles he played. My favorite is probably his Academy Award nominated performance in Barton Fink.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Michael Lerner’s family, friends and fans.
Prospect (2018)
Director: Zeek Earl, Chris Caldwell
Writer: Zeek Earl, Chris Caldwell
Stars: Sophie Thatcher, Jay Duplass, Pedro Pascal and Anwan Glover
Tagline: No One Survives Alone
The Plot…
Damon (Duplass) and his teenage daughter, Cree (Thatcher) are prospectors who’ve just landed on a remote planet full of danger. The atmosphere is toxic. There are rival prospectors who will kill them for their goods. They are on a strict timeline to return to the transport ship that will get them home. To make matters worse, their pod was damaged during the landing.
On the way to their dig, Damon and Cree find an abandoned mine. Damon works an area and comes up with a fleshy substance. He carefully dissects it to reveal a valuable gem worth more than enough to get Damon and Cree home. Cree begs her father for them to take the gem and leave. She’s worried that they will be delayed and miss the transport. Damon refuses. They will continue to the main dig aka the “Queen’s Lair”. He believes that it contains unimaginable riches.
As they head out, Damon takes the lead with Cree trailing behind. Suddenly Damon is stopped by two men holding weapons. They plan to rob him. Cree is out of sight as her father suggests that the men join him in mining the Queen’s Lair. One of the prospectors, Ezra (Pascal) agrees. The other remains silent. Damon sees Cree with her weapon drawn. When she comes into full view, Damon grabs Ezra’s weapon.
With the tables turned, Damon decides to rob the two men. Suddenly the silent one shoots Damon who in turn returns fire killing the man. As her father lies dying, Ezra shoots and kills him. Cree turns and runs back to the pod . Unable to get the it ready to launch, Cree finds herself trapped inside when Ezra shows up. He suggests that they work together to escape from the hostile planet and other mercenaries who would kill them on sight.
With no option but to trust her father’s killer, she allows him into the pod. The clock is ticking and the transport ship won’t wait. Cree and Ezra head out into the wilderness…
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
I’d never seen Sophie Thatcher before. She more than holds her own. Pedro Pascal is excellent. They are the heart and soul of the film.
Zeek Earl and Chris Caldwell, the writers/directors of Prospect came up with very cool ideas. The remote, toxic planet, the young girl and her father’s killer who must team up, the mercenaries and other strange characters that they meet along the way as well as the deadline to get back to the transport ship looms. All of these things play out in the movie. I just wish that each concept was better developed.
Prospect (2018) rates 3 of 5 stars.
A Snitch in Time (1950)
Director: Edward Bernds
Writer: Elwood Ullman
Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard, Jean Willes, John Merton, Henry Kulky and Emil Sitka
Tagline: None
The Plot…
When wealthy Mr. Goodrich (Sitka) receives a note from a serial killer saying Goodrich will be his next victim, he hires our boys to guard him. When our guys arrive they are greeted by Goodrich’s niece who says her uncle is missing. Little do Larry, Moe and Shemp know, but the niece and her two accomplices are behind this!
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Who Done It? is one of my favorite Shemp shorts. It contains the mansion with hidden panels, a scary looking monster/creep and the hijinks that come when our boys are running for their lives from room to room.
Moe sprained his ankle crashing through a door and so in scenes where he’s limping, the limp is real!
Who Done It? (1949) rates 5 of 5 stars.
