Category: Movies

THE PHANTOM – The Man Who Cannot Die!

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Bottleneck Gallery posted The Phantom print above as well as another (with variants of both) by Henrik Sahlstrom.  Seeing these posters took me back to my childhood.  For a brief time I was a fan of The Phantom.  He appeared in a comic strip in my local newspaper (Terre Haute Tribune-Star).

The Phantom was created by Lee Falk.  The first Phantom newspaper strip appeared on February 17, 1936.  The Phantom wore the purple costume you see in the art by Sahlstrom. In the series, set in the fictional country of Bangalla, Africa, Christopher Walker was the first Phantom who took on the hero identity when his father was killed by pirates.  Walker passed the identity down to his son and so it went with each new generation.  The Phantom became known as “The Ghost Who Walks” and “The Man Who Cannot Die”.  Although he has no super powers, the Phantom is smart and strong.  He lives in a cave that looks like a skull with his pet wolf, Devil.

Over the years, The Phantom has been adapted from the newspaper strips to comic books, movie serials, animated series, a live-action series and a feature film!  At it’s peak The Phantom newspaper strip reportedly had an audience of over 100 million readers daily.  Even more amazing is the fact that the strip is still being published today! The Phantom is truly the man who cannot die!

“Halloween Ends” (2022) starring Jamie Lee Curtis / Z-View

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Halloween Ends (2022)

Director:  David Gordon Green

Writers:  Paul Brad Logan, Chris Bernier, Danny McBride, David Gordon Green based on characters created by John Carpenter, Debra Hill

Stars: Jamie Lee Curtis, Andi Matichak, James Jude Courtney, Will Patton, Jesse C. Boyd and Michael Barbieri.

Tagline: Their Saga Ends

The Plot…

It’s been three years since Michael Myers was last seen.  Some believe him to be dead, others think he’s an urban legend.  Laurie Strode (Curtis) is writing her memoir and living with her granddaughter, Allyson (Matichak). When Allyson starts up a friendship with Corey, things begin to go south.  Corey was found not guilty in the  accidental killing of a child, but many people in the town still have a problem with Corey.

Is Corey just misunderstood? How far can he be pushed before he snaps… and who does Corey keep meeting under the bridge? (I’ll give you three guesses.)

Michael is back and Laurie is gonna be ticked.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Four writers are credited for Halloween Ends and that makes sense because the movie is at times a misunderstood youth movie, a youthful romance, an adult budding romance, a buddy film, a revenge film, a slasher movie and ultimately a Halloween movie.  For me Michael Myers works best when he’s a mysterious psycho killer with super strength and THAT is the focus of the movie.  Here he we find him living under a bridge and befriending a kid. Really?

What everyone wants is the showdown between Michael and Laurie.  We finally get it.  When their battle is over, the movie should end.  Instead we get an extended scene featuring the town marching to a junkyard to watch Michael’s body thrown into a huge industrial shredder.  Then we get a scene showing that Laurie and Allyson are on good terms now.  Then a scene with Laurie and her potential beau.  Perhaps it should have been called Halloween Ends… Give It Time.

Halloween Ends (2022) rates 2 of 5 stars.

Max Fleischer’s Superman is Coming on Blu-Ray!

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If you’ve never seen thes Fleischer Superman cartoons, you’re in for a treat.  If you have seen them, then you may want to upgrade to Blu-ray.  You can pre-order here!

Take flight with the original 1941–1943 animated Superman cartoons! With the initial nine shorts produced by Max Fleischer (and directed by his brother Dave) and the remainder produced by Famous Studios, these 17 animated theatrical shorts were the first to launch Superman from comic books to the screen. The pioneering animated adventures feature the Man of Steel battling mad scientists and giant robots, thwarting the Nazis and saving headstrong reporter Lois Lane. Newly mastered in high definition, these icons of animation look and sound better than ever.

“Space Ship Sappy” (1957) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Space Ship Sappy (1957)

Director:  Jules White

Writer:  Jack White

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Joe Besser, Marilyn Hanold and Emil Sitka.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Our guys think they’ve taken jobs as sailors.  They have, but as sailors on a spaceship heading to a planet inhabited by women cannibals.  What could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

This is one of the few Stooges shorts where Moe and Larry wear hair more in tune with their off screen styles.

Space Ship Sappy (1957) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“One Day As a Lion” starring Scott Caan, Frank Grillo & J.K. Simmons – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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One Day as a Lion looks to be a fun ride.  Scott Caan wrote the screenplay and is joined by Frank Grillo, J.K. Simmons and Virginia Madsen.

Jackie Powers (Scott Caan) is a nice guy but a lousy hitman sent to take out a crafty debtor (J.K. Simmons) Jackie only pisses him off. Fleeing the scene Jackie takes bored waitress Lola as a hostage. Jackie needs money to get his son out of jail Lola cooks up a scheme for them to get cash from her dying mother (Virginia Madsen). Meanwhile, a thug sent to kill him is sleeping with Jackie’s ex. Also starring Frank Grillo, this crime comedy is a witty homage to Tarantino and the Coen brothers.

Scripted by Scott Caan and directed by John Swab, One Day As a Lion will be available in select theaters on April 4, 2023, and On Digital and On Demand on April 7, 2023.

“Pest Man Wins” (1951) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Pest Man Wins (1951)

Director:  Jules White

Writer:  Felix Adler

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard, Vernon Dent, Emil Sitka, Symona Boniface, Heinie Conklin, Mary Forbes, Ethelreda Leopold and Al Thompson

Tagline: They’re Their Own Pest Customers – In the Pest Control Business!

The Plot…

Our guys are pest exterminators and they need work.  They get the bright idea to plant ants, mice, spiders, and other bugs in a mansion during a fancy party.  What could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Pest Man Wins is a remake of Ants in the Pantry and uses a small amount of footage from the original.  The concluding pie fight scene borrows from In the Sweet Pie and Pie and Half-Wits Holiday.

Pest Man Wins (1951) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“The Last Lullaby” (2008) starring Tom Sizemore / Z-View

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The Last Lullaby (2008)

Director:  Jeffrey Goodman

Writer:  Peter Biegen, Max Allan Collins

Stars: Tom Sizemore, Sasha Alexander, Sprague Grayden, Bill Smitrovich, Ray McKinnon and Jerry Hardin

Tagline: There comes a time in your life when you want to be exactly who you are.

The Plot…

Price (Sizemore) is a retired hitman bored with his new life.  When a high-priced contract with a tight completion date falls into his lap, Price takes it.  The target is pretty, small-town librarian named Sarah (Alexander).  One night as Price is watching her, Sarah is attacked.  Price saves her.  One thing leads to another, and soon Price is falling for his mark.  As the deadline approaches Price will need to make a decision.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Price is based on Max Allan Collins’ hitman Quarry.  Collins has written several novels featuring this character.

Tom Sizemore was such a talented actor.

Ray McKinnon is billed as Ominous Figure and he is!  I wish that they had done more with him.  McKinnon is so good at being creepy.

Sprague Grayden has a small role.  I always like her film/tv appearances and this is no exception.

The Last Lullaby (2008) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“How High Is Up?” (1940) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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How High Is Up? (1940)

Director:  Del Lord

Writer:  Elwood Ullman

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard, Bruce Bennett, Vernon Dent and Cy Schindell

Tagline:  None.

The Plot…

The boys are repairmen who decide to drum up business by poking holes in some workers’ lunchboxes.  When the laborers catch on to the ruse, our guys run away.  Looking to ditch the irate mob, Larry, Curly and Moe take jobs working construction on the top levels of a high rise.  What could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Curly gets the best laughs trying to walk on a greased girder.  There are also the expected chuckles when the boys try handling hot rivets.

How High Is Up? (1940) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“Pandora’s Box” (1929) starring Louise Brooks / Z-View

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Pandora’s Box (1929)

Director:  Georg Wilhelm Pabst

Writer:  G.W. Pabst, Ladislaus Vajda based on Die Büchse der Pandora (“Pandora’s Box”) and Erdgeist (“Earth Spirit”) by Frank Wedekind

Stars: Louise Brooks, Fritz Kortner, Francis Lederer, Carl Goetz, Gustav Diessl  and Michael von Newlinsky

Tagline:  None.

The Plot…

Lulu (Brooks) is a beautiful woman who uses her charms to get whatever she wants.  Lulu is currently the mistress of Dr. Ludwig Schön (Kortner).  When Schön announces he is going to marry a woman of his same social class, Lulu’s actions set in motion a tragic series of events that will lead to multiple murders.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Lulu is Louise Brooks most famous role.  The part almost went to Marlene Dietrich.  Brooks was the director’s first choice, but didn’t think he could get her.  Dietrich was in Pabst’s office to sign the contract when word came that Brooks was available.  Years later Dietrich was understandably miffed.

It is easy to see why Louis Brooks created such a sensation in this role.  The camera loves her.  She projected both innocence and sexuality.  Sadly, Brooks would only make 9 more films and she hit hard times in later years.  When Pandora’s Box was rediscovered in the late 70s, Brooks was redisovered as well.

Fritz Kortner reminds me so much of Kelsey Grammer in this film.

SPOILER WARNING:

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The ending with Jack the Ripper was a surprising and bold move.

Pandora’s Box (1929) earns 4 of 5 stars.

RIP: Hal Dresner

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Hal Dresner died yesterday from cancer.  He was 85.

Mr. Dresner was a writer and producer of television programs and feature films.  He was an uncredited writer on the Paul Newman classic, Cool Hand Luke.  One of the most famous lines in movie history, “What we have here is a failure to communicate” is attributed to Hal Dresner.

Some of Hal Dresner’s television work includes: Night Gallery (3 episodes); The Harvey Korman Show (creator & writer – 3 episodes); Husbands, Wives & Lovers (creator & writer – 10 episodes) and Poor Richard.

Some of Hal Dresner’s feature film work includes: .Cool Hand Luke (uncredited writer); The April Fools (screenplay); Catch 22 (screenplay); Sssssss (screenplay); The Eiger Sanction (screenplay) and Zorro: The Gay Blade (screenplay).

I probably first saw Hal Dresner’s work on a Night Gallery episode.  My favorite Hal Dresner screenplay is The Eiger Sanction.  It’s interesting to note that if he did nothing more than come up with the Cool Hand Luke line, “What we have here is a failure to communicate”, his place in movie history would be assured.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Hal Dresner’s family, friends and fans.

“The Ghost Breakers” (1940) starring Bob Hope & Paulette Goddard / Z-View

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The Ghost Breakers (1940)

Director:  George Marshall

Writer:  Walter DeLeon based on the play The Ghost Breaker by Paul Dickey and Charles W. Goddard

Stars: Bob Hope, Paulette Goddard, Richard Carlson, Willie Best, Pedro de Cordoba, Virginia Brissac, Noble Johnson, Anthony Quinn, Tom Dugan, Paul Fix, Lloyd Corrigan  and Robert Elliott

Tagline:  The two stars of “The Cat and the Canary” find love and laughter in a haunted house!

The Plot…

On a voyage to Cuba Mary Carter (Goddard) and Larry Lawrence (Hope) develop a flirtatious relationship.  Mary is going to Cuba to claim an inheritance. Larry ended up on the ship by accident.  When Mary is told about ghosts and zombies on the land and mansion she’s inherited, Larry decides to stick around.  The mansion is just as creepy as she’d been told.  It’s full of secret passageways, walls with hidden panels, and a painting that looks just like Mary. When what appear to be ghosts and zombies show up, it may be time to sell!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Due to the success of The Cat and The Canary, the studio wanted to quickly re-team Hope and Goddard. The Ghost Breakers fit the bill. Although they play different characters, the plots of both films are very similar.

This is the third time the play The Ghost Breakers was made into a film.  The first two versions were silent.  It was remade for a fourth time as Scared Stiff in 1953 with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.

The Ghost Breakers (1940) earns 3 of 5 stars.