Previews and Reviews that are Z's Views
Check out the new trailer for The Rip starring Matt Damon and Ben Affleck & Directed by Joe Carnahan.
Deal me in!
Trust has a price… Who will pay?
The Rip is only on Netflix, January 16.
Starring Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Steven Yeun, Teyana Taylor, Sasha Calle, Catalina Sandino Moreno & Kyle Chandler.
Directed by Joe Carnahan.
When I was a kid I loved the classic Universal Horror Monsters. I still do. I think Gary Martin must as well. Look at his wonderful wolfman drawing. How could he not?
I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not (2026)
Director: Marina Zenovich
Stars: Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, Ryan Reynolds, Goldie Hawn, Dan Aykroyd, Martin Short, Kevin Nealon, Paul Shaffer and Lorne Michaels.
Tagline: None.
The Plot…
Saturday Night Live premiered on October 11, 1975, and it was obvious from the start that Chevy Chase was going to be the breakout star. When Chase anchored the “News Update” segments viewership would spike. He came off as funny, goofy, personalble, girls thought he was cute and guys liked him as well. And man, could he take a pratfall.
The only surprise when Chase left Saturday Night Live for Hollywood was how quickly it happened. He didn’t even complete the show’s second season.
Chase’s first starring role in a feature film (Foul Play) hinted at great things to come. But his films were hit (Caddyshack, National Lampoon’s Vacation) or miss (Oh! Heavenly Dog; Under the Rainbow). The misses started to outnumber the hits. Rumors surfaced that Chase was “hard to work with” or worse still, just an ass.
I‘m Chevy Chase and You’re Not explores Chase’s life warts and all.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
I was a Chevy Chase fan at the start of his career. I thought Chase was going to be a big star. And he was for a bit. Chase would have been on top longer, if not for his behavior. Maybe it was the drugs (which he discusses). Maybe it was his ego. Maybe it was unresolved issues from his childhood. More likely it was a combination of all of these things.
I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not is interesting and informative even without the participation of folks who declined to be interviewed (Steve Martin, Martin Short, the entire cast and crew of Community – except for Jay Chandrasekhar who directed one episode with Chase). Their silence says a lot.
After seeing I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not, I have a better understanding of the man and his career. He often appears to be his own worst enemy. Yet, at 82, Chase still has a quick (often inappropriate) wit even if he can no longer take a pratfall.
I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not (2026)
This alt Frankenstein poster was created by Sahin Düzgün, a graphic designer and poster artist from Berlin, Germany. Sahin is also a movie enthusiast with great taste.
Here is what Sahin had to say about his design: From the lab’s shadows to the silver screen — a design honoring one of cinema’s most iconic creations.
Dr. Frankenstein: Look! It’s moving. It’s alive. It’s alive… IT’S ALIVE!
Security (2017)
Director: Alain DesRochers
Screenplay: Tony Mosher, John Sullivan
Stars: Antonio Banderas, Ben Kingsley, Liam McIntyre, Cung Le, Chad Lindberg, Gabriella Wright, Shari Watson.
Tagline: It’s going to be a long night.
The Plot…
Eddie Deacon, a former US Marine Captain has been out of work for too long. When Deacon is offered a job as a security guard at a remote mall, he accepts. There he finds a security detail lead by a cop wanna-be and a team of slackers. The hardest part of most nights is staying awake.
That all changes late one night when a young girl shows up banging and screaming to get inside. Deacon brings her in. The girl is terrified and claims that people are coming to kill her. A man shows up and says he’s there to bring the girl home. He’s calm and has answers for every question. But Deacon senses something is not right.
The man changes tactics. He offers money for the girl. When that is refused he says that he has an elite squad of mercenaries that are going to break in, kill everyone and then take the girl. Communications to the mall are jammed and the mercenaries are seen prepping to attack.
It’s going to be a long night.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Lillian Blankenship, in her film debut, plays Antonio Banderas’ daughter. Later in the same year, she would again play Banderas’ daughter in the film Acts of Vengeance.
Security is a fun, action-packed ride. Banderas is perfect as the former marine unwilling to give up the child. Ben Kingsley plays the villain with such calm it’s creepy. Liam McIntyre’s character has an unexpected arc that he makes work.
If you like action films, then give Security a try.
Security (2017) rates 4 of 5 stars.
Osiris (2025)
Director: William Kaufman
Screenplay: William Kaufman, Paul Reichelt
Stars: Max Martini, Linda Hamilton, Brianna Hildebrand, LaMonica Garrett, Michael Irby, Linds Edwards, Jaren Mitchell and Tyler Galpin.
Tagline: None.
The Plot…
One night in the middle of an intense fire fight, a US Special Forces squad led by Sergeant Kelly, is suddenly transported away. Kelly and his team awaken aboard an alien craft. As they come to grips with what occurred, they see skinned corpses and strange weapons all around.
As the soldiers gather their weapons and scavange others, aliens attack. The creatures are huge, armored, eyeless beings with sharp teeth, claws and energy weapons with shields. Kelly leads his soldiers as they retreat. Suddenly Ravi, a Russian soldier appears to direct the team to a safe location.
Ravi explains that she has survived by hiding throughout the ship. The aliens collect humans for food… but she has a plan to kill them all as well as their ability to communicate with their home planet. If they can live long enough to pull it off.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Osiri draws inspiration from Aliens, Predator and even Planet of the Apes. Sadly, it falls far short of all of them. (And the Planet of the Apes nod, made me groan.)
Osiris (2025) rates 2 of 5 stars.
“I’m Your Huckleberry” by Barret Chapman! This peach of a poster is available as a limited edition Giclee print.
Are you going to buy one? “You’re a daisy if you do.”
Happy New Year!
As we start 2026, let’s take a look at the BEST OF 2025. I hope you see something that you enjoyed or gets you interested to check out. Here we go…
Movies and Television Series
In 2025, I watched 375 movies and tv series. That number is down 21 from last year. My favorite films and limited series released in 2025 included (in alpha order):
Books
In 2025, I read 37 books (down 9 from last year) My favorites from this year included (in the order I read them):
My Most Popular Posts of the Year
I continue to find some surprises in what became my most popular posts each year. Here are the top ten for 2025 and some thoughts for each…
10. The Syfy Channel’s 2025 “Twilight Zone” Christmas Marathon Schedule is Up! – The Twilight Zone Marathon Schedule posts are always popular. Last year the TZ New Year’s Marathon Schedule clocked in at #10.
9. The 25 Best ’90s Movies – New to the top ten!
8. Evidence Points to Gary Francis Poste as The Zodiac Killer! – Fell from the #2 spot.
7. Wolverine (and that scary smirk) by John Byrne! – New to the top ten!
6. The Dichotomy Philosophy Quiz – New to the top ten!
5. RIP: Johnny Crawford – New to the top ten!
4. Syfy’s Twilight Zone 2025/2026 New Year’s Marathon Schedule is Up! – The TZ New Year’s Marathon announcement moved from the 10th spot to #4!
3. Batman – “It Was a Dark and Stormy Night” by Snoopy (Charles Schulz), Len Wein & Walt Simonson! – No change. Was in the #3 spot last year.
2. Schwarzenegger in “King Lear” & Robin Williams in “Jack and the Beanstalk” – moved from the #1 spot last year.
1. “CAUGHT STEALING” screenplay by Charlie Huston, directed by Darren Aronofsky, starring Austin King, Regina King & Zoe Kravitz – The Trailer is Here! – Making it’s first appearance on the list and in the #1 spot.
My All-Time Most Popular Posts
10. The 2021 TWILIGHT ZONE New Year’s Eve Marathon is Coming and the Full Schedule is Out! – The Twilight Zone Marathon posts are always popular.
09. Gadot & The Rock Strike a Pose – this is the fifth year in a row that the Gadot & The Rock Pose post has remained in the 9th spot.
08. Steve Reeves as Superman – this is the third year in a row that Steve Reeves as Superman flew in to the 8th spot.
07. TOP 10 MOST ICONIC HORROR MOVIE VILLAINS! – For the second year in a row.
06. Billy the Kid Photo Discovered – holding strong for two years in a row.
05. Dracula Through the Ages – moved to the 5th spot last year and held on for the second year in a row.
04. SYFY’s 2023/2024 Twilight Zone New Year’s Eve Marathon Schedule is Up! – remains our 4th most popular post for the second year in a row.
03. Zodiac Killer Code Cracked? – Came in 3rd last year and held that spot.
02. Louis Meyers: Evidence He Was the Zodiac Killer – our second all-time most popular post for the second year in a row.
01. Schwarzenegger in “King Lear” & Robin Williams in “Jack and the Beanstalk” – our all-time most popular post for the third year in a row.
It’s always interesting to see which topics resonate with fans and continue to be popular long after their initial post.
Johnny O’Clock (1947)
Director: Robert Rossen
Screenplay: Robert Rossen; story by Milton Holmes
Stars: Dick Powell, Evelyn Keyes, Lee J. Cobb, Ellen Drew, Nina Foch, Thomas Gomez, John Kellogg, Phil Brown, Fred Aldrich and Jeff Chandler.
Tagline: Time Was Running Out For Johnny O’Clock … and so were his women!
The Plot…
Johnny O’Clock runs a casino for gangster Guido Marchettis. Johnny is everything that Guido is not. Johnny is well-liked, well-spoken and a favorite of everyone… especially Nelle, Guido’s wife. She keeps her attraction to Johnny a secret from everyone but Johnny.
Johnny has no interest in Nelle. That doesn’t stop Nelle from giving Johnny the gift of an expensive engraved watch. It’s an even better version of one she gave Guido on his birthday. Johnny doesn’t want the watch or Nelle’s attention. He writes a note telling Nelle to stop. Johnny gives the note and watch to the casino’s hat-check girl, Harriett to return to Nelle.
The next day Harriett is found dead from an apparent suicide. Harriett’s sister, Nancy is notified of her sister’s death. Nancy arrives wanting to know why her sister killed herself. She meets Johnny and they learn that Harriett was murdered. As Nancy and Johnny work to sort out who would want to kill Harriett, they begin to fall in love.
Police Inspector Koch gets the case. He learns that Harriett was dating Chuck Blayden, a crooked cop interested in leaving the force and taking over Johnny’s role at the casino. Inspector Koch finds Johnny’s note and the expensive watch. This adds both Johnny and Guido to his list of suspects. It also makes Guido believe that Johnny and his wife, Nelle were having an affair.
The person behind Harriett’s death decides Johnny is next… and Nancy too if she gets in the way.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Johnny O’Clock features Robert Rossen’s debut as a director. Although in a TCM interview Nina Foch (who played Harriett) asserted that Rossen wasn’t the film’s actual director. Foch never said who it was though.
Jeff Chandler, although uncredited, appears in his second feature film role. Chandler credited Dick Powell for getting him the part.
I enjoyed Johnny O’Clock but most folks like it even more than I do.
Johnny O’Clock (1947) rates 3 of 5 stars.
“Everybody Be Cool” – a worthy alt poster for the very under-rated From Dusk Till Dawn by Rich Davies. You can see more of Davies’ art here.
Shattered (1991)
Director: Wolfgang Petersen
Screenplay: Wolfgang Petersen; based on THE PLASTIC NIGHTMARE by Richard Neeley
Stars: Tom Berenger, Bob Hoskins, Greta Scacchi, Joanne Whalley, Corbin Bernsen, Bert Rosario, Kellye Nakahara, Frank Cavestani and Theodore Bikel.
Tagline: A love he can’t forget. A murder he can’t remember.
The Plot…
Dan Merrick wakes up in a hospital with no memory of how he got there. His injuries were gruesome. He barely lived. His face required reconstructive plastic surgery. The concussion left him with psychogenic amnesia. But he lived.
Dan learns driving home late one night he and Judith, his wife, were involved in a terrible accident. The car went off the road and over a steep embankment. Judith suffered minor injuries when she was thrown from the car. Dan has no memory of the accident or anything from his past. The doctors say it could slowly return… or not.
Judith is so loving and attentive to Dan as he recovers. Dan learns he was a partner in an architectural firm. Slowly flashes of memory come to Dan but they make no sense. As Dan is going through things he comes across hidden photos. They are of Judith. With another man. Judith was cheating on him!
As Dan’s memory slowly returns he begins to wonder about the accident. The same wreck that nearly killed him, left Judith with minor injuries. If Judith and her lover were trying to kill him, Dan is sure that they will conspire to finish the job.
If only he could remember…
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Shattered delivers as a Hitchcockian psychological erotic thriller. It’s a fun neo-noir mystery filled with surprises and a fun twist ending.
Shattered reminds me of a film that would have been made in the 1940s, but instead is a product of 1990s film sensibilities.
I love it.
Shattered (1991) rates 5 of 5 stars.
Vlad Rodriguez is a Miami based illustrator. Rodriguez has a passion for film. Here’s his alt poster for Con Air!
This cool Sinners tribute poster was created by Nuno Sarnadas. Sardanas is a professional artist and movie lover based in Switzerland.
Nuno Sarnadas has more art on display at his webpage.
“You keep dancing with the devil… one day he’s gonna follow you home.” – Jedidiah
LADY SNOWBLOOD by Nic Klein! That piece is money. I like it better than Kill Bill!
“Gentlemen, this meeting is adjourned.”
Caught Stealing (2025)
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Screenplay: Charlie Huston; based on CAUGHT STEALING by Charlie Huston
Stars: Austin Butler, Regina King, Zoë Kravitz, Matt Smith, Griffin Dunne, Shaun O’Hagan, Action Bronson, Matt Smith, Nikita Kukushkin, Yuri Kolokolnikov, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Oleg Prudius, Liev Schreiber, Benito Martinez Ocasio, Bad Bunny, Carol Kane and Vincent D’Onofrio.
Tagline: 2 Russians, 2 Jews and a Puerto Rican walk into a bar…
The Plot…
Henry “Hank” Thompson was a baseball phenom headed to the big leagues straight out of high school. Then a tragic auto accident left a friend dead and Hank with a career-ending injury. A career that never even had a chance to get started.
That was ten years ago. 1988. Now Hank is a New York City bartender. He drinks too much, lacks real ambition, and still loves The San Francisco Giants. Oh, Hank also loves Yvonne. She’s a positive influence and it looks like they may have a future. Life is good. Except for his nightmares about the car crash. What could have been and what was.
Still, with Yvonne, life is on the right track.
When Hank’s neighbor, Russ Miner has to leave for a few days to visit his hospitalized father, Hank is talked into taking care of Russ’ cat. It isn’t long after, that two Russian mobsters show up. They’re looking for Russ. When Hank cannot give the thugs the answers they want, they beat Hank nearly to death.
Detective Elise Roman questions Hank. She thinks he’s withholding information. He’s not. Detective Roman informs Hank that the Russians are dangerous. (No kidding.) Worse still, his neighbor Russ works for the infamous Drucker brothers. The Drucker brothers are known killers, but never leave anyone alive willing to testify against them. Detective Roman warns Hank that with the Russians and the Druckers after him, he won’t have long to live. Neither will anyone close to him. If the Russians don’t get them, the Druckers will.
Hank has no clue what everyone is looking for. Hank understands if he doesn’t figure it out, he’s dead… and so are his family and friends.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Charlie Huston’s Henry “Hank” Thompson trilogy (CAUGHT STEALING / SIX BAD THINGS / A DANGEROUS MAN) earned the #1 spot in my favorite books of 2006. They get my highest recommendation. Although the movie makes changes from the novel, I still loved the adaptation.
Caught Stealing is exceptionally well cast. It is my favorite Austin Butler film. It would be cool to see the rest of the Hank Thompson trilogy adapted and Butler make the transformation to A DANGEROUS MAN. Zoë Kravitz is perfect as Hank’s love interest. Kudos also to Regina King, Griffin Dunne, Shaun O’Hagan, Liev Schreiber, Bad Bunny, Carol Kane and Vincent D’Onofrio. They shine.
Caught Stealing has a couple of shocking twists. It also has the right mix of suspense, humor and action. I loved it. Caught Stealing gets my highest recommendation.
Caught Stealing (2025) rates 5 of 5 stars.
