Category: Movies

“The Silence of the Lambs” (1991) starring Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins / Z-View

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The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Director: Jonathan Demme

Screenplay: Ted Tally based on The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris

Stars: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn, Anthony Heald, Frankie Faison, Don Brockett, Stuart Rudin, Ted Levine, Roger Corman, Charles Napier and Chris Isaac.

Tagline: Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Brilliant. Cunning. Psychotic. In his mind lies the clue to a ruthless killer. – Clarice Starling, FBI. Brilliant. Vulnerable. Alone. She must trust him to stop the killer.

The Plot…

A serial killer the press calls Buffalo Bill is murdering women.  He then skins them and leaves their bodies in water without any clues. The FBI investigation is at a standstill.

Clarice Starling (Foster), an FBI agent still in training, is personally selected to interview Dr. Hannibal Lector (Hopkins).  Lector, known as Hannibal the Cannibal, is a serial killer with a genius IQ. He murdered and ate his victims.  Now held in a maximum security prison for the criminally insane, Lector may be the only one with insight on catching Buffalo Bill.

But can Lector be trusted?  The clock is ticking…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The Silence of the Lambs is an excellent adaptation of Thomas Harris’ best-selling novel.  It is rightully considered one of the finest movies ever made.

The Silence of the Lambs collected Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director (Jonathan Demme), Best Actor (Anthony Hopkins), Best Actress (Jodie Foster) and Best Adapted Screenplay (Ted Tally).

The Silence of the Lambs (1991) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed” (2023) / Z-View

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Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed (2023)

Director: Stephen Kijak

Stars:
Rock Hudson, Lee Garlington, Armistead Maupin, Piper Laurie, Illeana Douglas and  Linda Evans.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed explores the double life led by Rock Hudson who was Hollywood’s top leading man for years.  Women desired him and men wanted to be like him.  What the world at large didn’t know: Rock Hudson was gay.  The studios worked to keep his secret and Hudson played along (to an extent). Of course the secret could no longer be hidden once Rock Hudson became the first star to die from AIDS.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I was surprised about how so many people were aware that Rock Hudson was gay, but the secret never got out to the public. Hudson was promiscuous, didn’t shy away from going to gay bars, parties, etc. but the secret held.

I’m old enough to remember when the “Rock Hudson and Jim Nabors are getting married” rumor went viral.  My mother and her best friend didn’t believe that Rock Hudson was gay… although they wouldn’t be surprised about Jim Nabors.

I also remember the tons of stories about Rock Hudson having AIDS. The rumors are true! Plus the controversary of Hudson kissing Linda Evans in a scene despite knowing he had the virus.

Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed (2023) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“The Celluloid Closet” (1996) / Z-View

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The Celluloid Closet (1996)

Director: Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman

Screenplay: Vito Russo, Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman, Sharon Wood, Armistead Maupin

Stars: Lily Tomlin, Tony Curtis, Armistead Maupin, Whoopi Goldberg, Harvey Fierstein, Gore Vidal, Farley Granger and Shirley MacLaine.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

The Celluloid Closet explores how the film industry, from the silent era to the mid-1990s dealt with members of the LGBT community on screen and behind the scenes.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

It’s interesting to see how the on screen portrayal of this community has changed (or not) in the last almost 100 years.  I also enjoyed the movie scenes that were so obvious if you knew what to look for, but went over the heads of most folks (including me).

The Celluloid Closet (1996) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“A Haunting in Venice” starring Kenneth Branagh – The Trailer is Here!

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I’ve seen the first two Branagh Hercule Poirot movies and am looking forward to A Haunting in Venice even more than them!

Watch the brand-new trailer for #AHauntingInVenice, only in theaters September 15.

The unsettling supernatural thriller based upon the novel “Hallowe’en Party” by Agatha Christie and directed by and starring Oscar® winner Kenneth Branagh as famed detective Hercule Poirot, will open in theaters nationwide September 15, 2023.

“A Haunting in Venice” is set in eerie, post-World War II Venice on All Hallows’ Eve, “A Haunting in Venice” is a terrifying mystery featuring the return of the celebrated sleuth, Hercule Poirot. Now retired and living in self-imposed exile in the world’s most glamorous city, Poirot reluctantly attends a séance at a decaying, haunted palazzo. When one of the guests is murdered, the detective is thrust into a sinister world of shadows and secrets.

Reuniting the team of filmmakers behind 2017’s “Murder on the Orient Express” and 2022’s “Death on the Nile,” the film is directed by Kenneth Branagh with a screenplay by Oscar® nominee Michael Green (“Logan”) based upon Agatha Christie’s novel “Hallowe’en Party”. The producers are Kenneth Branagh, Judy Hofflund, Ridley Scott, and Simon Kinberg, with Louise Killin, James Prichard, and Mark Gordon serving as executive producers. A brilliant acting ensemble portrays a cast of unforgettable characters, including Kenneth Branagh, Kyle Allen (“Rosaline”), Camille Cottin (“Call My Agent”), Jamie Dornan (“Belfast”), Tina Fey (“30 Rock”), Jude Hill (“Belfast”), Ali Khan (“6 Underground”), Emma Laird (“Mayor of Kingstown”), Kelly Reilly (“Yellowstone”), Riccardo Scamarcio (“Caravaggio’s Shadow”), and recent Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”).

“The Lost Boys” (1987) starring Jason Patric & Kiefer Sutherland / Z-View

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The Lost Boys (1987)

Director: Joel Schumacher

Screenplay: Janice Fischer, Jeffrey Boam, James Jeremias from a story by Janice Fischer, James Jeremias

Stars: Jason Patric, Corey Haim, Dianne Wiest, Barnard Hughes, Edward Herrmann, Kiefer Sutherland, Jami Gertz, Corey Feldman, Jamison Newlander and Alex Winter.

Tagline: Sleep all day. Party all night. Never grow old. Never die. It’s fun to be a vampire.

The Plot…

Lucy (Wiest) and her two teenage sons, Michael (Patric) and Sam (Haim) move to the small, beachside town of Santa Clara, California.  At night the boys like to hang out at the amusement park/arcade on the beach.  That’s where Michael meets Star (Gertz).  There’s a definite attraction between the two, which only infuriates David (Sutherland), the leader of a small motorcycle gang.  Meanwhile Sam has met two brothers, Edgar (Feldman) and Alan (Newlander) who are convinced Santa Clara is the home of a vampire coven.

They’re not wrong.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

You’d be hard pressed to find a more 80s movie than The Lost Boys.  From the cast to the way the movie is shot, The Lost Boys screams mid-1980s.  This is my favorite Joel Schumacher film.  For a movie that seems to want to be scary, there’s just a bit too much humor for my taste.

The Lost Boys (1987) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Fiend Without a Face” (1958) / Z-View

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Fiend Without a Face (1958)

Director: Arthur Crabtree

Screenplay: Herbert J. Leder

Stars: Marshall Thompson, Terry Kilburn, Michael Balfour, Kim Parker and Peter Madden.

Tagline: New Horrors! Mad Science Spawns Evil Fiends! …Taking form before your horrified eyes!

The Plot…

When locals begin getting murdered around a new US Airforce base, the locals think the military has some involvement.  This prompts Major Cummings (Thompson) to begin an investigation.  As the bodies pile up, evidence points to an unimaginable horror.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I saw this when I was much younger and didn’t care for it, but on a recent re-watch I enjoyed it much more.

Fiend Without a Face (1958) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“The Rock” (1996) starring Sean Connery, Nicholas Cage & Ed Harris / Z-View

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The Rock (1996)

Director: Michael Bay

Screenplay: David Weisberg, Douglas S. Cook, Mark Rosner from a story by David Weisberg, Douglas S. Cook

Stars: Sean Connery, Nicolas Cage, Ed Harris, John Spencer, David Morse, William Forsythe, Michael Biehn, Vanessa Marcil, John C. McGinley, Gregory Sporleder, Tony Todd, Bokeem Woodbine, Greg Collins, Brendan Kelly, Steve Harris, Danny Nucci and Claire Forlani.

Tagline: Alcatraz. Only one man has ever broken out. Now five million lives depend on two men breaking in.

The Plot…

Brigadier General Francis Hummel (Harris) and a squad of mercenaries have taken control of Alcatraz Island.  They hold the tourists and tour guides hostage.  Hummel has given the government a timeline to pay $100 million which he will distribute to his mercenaries and the families of soldiers who died under his watch.  If he is not paid he has threatened to launch a VX rocket into San Francisco.

John Patrick Mason (Connery) is the only man to ever escape Alcatraz island.  Mason knows all the passageways and tunnels on the island by heart.  He has been held in solitary confinement for the last 30 years for stealing government secrets.  The military and FBI believe that Mason can covertly lead a US Navy Seal team onto the island.  The Seals will then take down Hummel’s mercenaries. Dr. Stanley Goodspeed (Cage), the FBI’s top chemical weapons expert will disarm the rockets.  Of the many problems with this plan is that Mason may not be interested in helping the country that kept him prisoner for half his life without the benefit of a trial and Goodspeed has no field experience.

The clock is ticking…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The Rock is Michael Bay’s best film.  Bay uses his signature quick cuts to keep the movie moving.  He is also surrounded by an excellent cast from the leads down.  Standouts include Connery, Cage, Harris, Spencer, Morse, and Biehn.  You’ll see familiar faces (McGinley, Todd, Woodbine) in smaller roles.

The Rock is one of those films where everything comes together to create the perfect movie experience.

The Rock (1996) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“Love to Love You Donna Summer” / Z-View

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Love to Love You, Donna Summer (2023)

Director: Brooklyn Sudano, Roger Ross Williams

Stars: Donna Summer, Michael McKean, Barbra Streisand, Elton John, Johnny Carson, Jimmie ‘JJ’ Walker, Quincy Jones, Arsenio Hall, Merv Griffin, Dionne Warwick, Giorgio Moroder, Janis Joplin and Tom Snyder.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Explores the life and career of Donna Summer using extensive home video recordings and behind the scenes footage of concerts and television appearances.  Co-Directed by Donna Summer’s daughter Brooklyn Sudano.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

If you only know Donna Summer as the “Queen of Disco” (and she was), you’re missing out on a lot of her story.

Donna Summer’s “Love to Love You Baby” is one song that I remember exactly where I was when I first heard it.  I was in Camelot Records (remember those?) and the song came on over the sound system.  It definitely got a reaction.

Love to Love You, Donna Summer (2023) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“The Friends of Eddie Coyle” (1973) starring Robert Mitchum / Z-View

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The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973)

Director: Peter Yates

Screenplay: Paul Monash based on The Friends of Eddie Coyle by George V. Higgins

Stars: Robert Mitchum, Peter Boyle, Richard Jordan, Steven Keats, Alex Rocco, Joe Santos, Mitchell Ryan, Carolyn Pickman, James Tolkan and Jack Kehoe.

Tagline: It’s a grubby, violent, dangerous world. But it’s the only world they know. And they’re the only friends Eddie has.

The Plot…

Eddie Coyle (Mitchum) is a low-level criminal.  He was convicted of a truck hijacking and is waiting sentencing.  In an effort to get his conviction cleared, Coyle is secretly working as an informant for an ATF agent.  At the same time Coyle is dealing guns to a crew of robbers who have knocked off a couple of banks and look to take down more soon.  As the cops close in on the bank robbers, the time draws near for Coyle’s sentencing.  He’s going to have to make some moves to get out clean…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

This is such a great 1970s cast for a crime film.  Great source material as well.

The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973) rates 3 of 5 stars.

Sly Stallone’s All-Time Best Movies

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Thomas Leatham and Calum Russell at Far Out came up with their list of The 10 best Sylvester Stallone movies.  Before you click over to see their thoughts on each film, here is how our rankings compared.  I also included some Stallone films that would have made my list, but didn’t make theirs.

Leatham & Russell

Zablo

10. Cobra (George P. Cosmatos, 1986)

09. The Suicide Squad (James Gunn, 2021)

08. Demolition Man (Marco Brambilla, 1993)

07. Rocky IV (Sylvester Stallone, 1985)

06. Cliffhanger (Renny Harlin, 1993)

05. Nighthawks (Bruce Malmuth, 1981)

04. First Blood (Ted Kotcheff, 1982)

03. Cop Land (James Mangold, 1997)

02. Creed (Ryan Coogler, 2016)

01. Rocky (John G. Avildsen, 1976)

10. The Suicide Squad (James Gunn, 2021)

09. Demolition Man (Marco Brambilla, 1993)

08. Cobra (George P. Cosmatos, 1986)

06. Cliffhanger (Renny Harlin, 1993)

06. Rocky IV (Sylvester Stallone, 1985)

05. First Blood (Ted Kotcheff, 1982)

04. Creed (Ryan Coogler, 2016)

03. Nighthawks (Bruce Malmuth, 1981)

02. Cop Land (James Mangold, 1997)

01. Rocky (John G. Avildsen, 1976)
  • Get Carter (Stephen Kay, 2000)
  • Rambo (Sylvester Stallone, 2008)
  • Paradise Alley (Sylvester Stallone, 1978)
  • FIST (Norman Jewison, 1978)
  • Rocky III (Sylvester Stallone, 1982)

“Old Henry” (2021) starring Tim Blake Nelson & Stephen Dorff / Z-View

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Old Henry (2021)

Director: Potsy Ponciroli

Screenplay: Potsy Ponciroli

Stars: Tim Blake Nelson, Scott Haze, Gavin Lewis, Trace Adkins, Stephen Dorff, Richard Speight Jr., Max Arciniega, Brad Carter and Kent Shelton.

Tagline: You can’t bury the past.

The Plot…

Henry (Nelson) is a widower raising his teenage son on a remote farm in the west.  One day, on the outskirts of his farm, Henry finds Curry (Haze), a badly wounded man with a satchel of cash. Henry brings Curry back to the farm.  Curry claims to be a Sheriff on the run from the three robbers who stole the cash. Curry says that when the robbers show up they will claim to be Deputies, but they’re not.

Soon three men ride up.  They claim to be officers of the law who have tracked an outlaw to the farm.  They demand that Henry turn the outlaw and bag of cash over to them.

Henry has a decision to make.  No one is as they seem… including Henry.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Old Henry is a complete joy.  It’s a throwback western of the best kind.  I love the twists in the plot and how our allegiances shift as the movie progresses.  The ultimate reveal at the end is unexpected but completely right.

Stephen Dorff is, as always. excellent.  Tim Blake Nelson shines as Old Henry.

Old Henry (2021) rates 5 of 5 stars.