Category: Movies

“Clean” (2021) starring Adrien Brody / Z-View

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Clean (2021)

Director:  Paul Solet

Screenplay: Paul Solet, Adrien Brody 

Stars: Adrien Brody, Glenn Fleshler, Mykelti Williamson, John Bianco and RZA, 

Tagline: Revenge is a Dirty Business

The Plot…

Clean (Brody) is a city garbage collector.  After a day picking up trash, Clean works repairing broken equipment he found on the route. Clean is haunted by memories from his past. Divorced and guilty over his baby daughter’s death, Clean is trying to change the man he used to be.  There’s a young girl who lives in the neighborhood.  She reminds Clean of his daughter.  When the girl is brutally attacked by a mob boss’ son, Clean takes revenge. Now the boss plans to have his gang kill the girl, her mother and Clean…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Clean isn’t a bad film.  It’s got a time-tested plot. A former bad man suffering from guilt is trying to make amends.  Adrien Brody is an excellent actor.  The film has a gritty look which you want for this type of film.  What stops it from being better is it is so generic.  We know the beats to expect and there are no surprises.

Clean earns 2 of 5 stars.

“Calling All Curs” (1939) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Calling All Curs (1939)

Director:  Jules White

Screenplay: Elwood Ullman, Searle Kramer from a story by Thea Goodan

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard

Tagline: Dog-Gone Good Fun!

The Plot…

The boys (Larry, Curly and Moe) are veterinarians running a pet hospital.  When a couple of con men steal one of the prize dogs, Larry, Curly and Moe have to recover it before their rich client discovers it is missing!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Although Calling All Curs is a fairly generic Stooges’ short, it was one of Curly’s favorites because of his love of dogs.  Calling All Curs is one of the few Stooges’ shorts where the boys are successful professionals.  They’re usually out of work and struggling to get by.

Calling All Curs earns 4 of 5 stars.

RIP: Mike Hodges

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Mike Hodges, the British writer, director and producer died on December 17, 2022.  Mr. Hodges was 90.

Mike Hodges began his career as a teleprompter operator for British television.  In his down time, Mr. Hodges began writing scripts. His writing was good enough to get him noticed. Mike Hodges directing career began with episodes of British television shows.  He continued writing screenplays.

Suspect (1969) and Rumour (1970) were two scripts that he wrote and directed for Thames Television.  The strength of his work on those two films led to him getting to adapt Ted Lewis’ novel Jack’s Return Home.  Mr. Hodges directed his adaptation which was retitled, Get Carter.  If he never made another film, Mike Hodges would be remembered for this crime classic.

Mike Hodges continued directing, but he also branched out to write stage plays, radio plays and novellas.

Some of Mr. Hodges’ feature films include: Get Carter; The Terminal Man; Damien: The Omen II; Flash Gordon; A Prayer for the Dying; Croupier and I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Mike Hodges’ family, friends and fans.

“Door Mouse” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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So far I like what I see from the poster and trailer for Door Mouse.  Deal me in.

In this gritty super-stylish thriller, Mouse (Hayley Law), is an irreverent dancer at a dead-end burlesque club run by Mama (Famke Janssen), a tough, shady club owner. When Mouse’s only friends and fellow club dancers go missing under mysterious circumstances, nobody at the club seems too concerned about them, and the police couldn’t care less. Mouse and her constant sidekick Ugly (Keith Powers) quickly realize that it is up to them to dig up all the dirt and start the hunt for the culprits. Desperate for answers and with time running out, Mouse chooses a very risky play that plunges her further down the rabbit hole and into a sordid underworld, leaving her out in the open. What she discovers is that corruption runs deep, monsters are real, and that sometimes, justice is meant to be taken into your own hands.

“Q & A” (1990) starring Nick Nolte, Timothy Hutton and Armand Assante / Z-View

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Q & A (1990)

Director:  Sidney Lumet

Screenplay: Sidney Lumet based on the novel Q & A by Edwin Torres

Stars: Nick Nolte, Timothy Hutton, Armand Assante, Patrick O’Neal, Lee Richardson, Luis Guzmán, Charles S. Dutton, Jenny Lumet, Paul Calderon, Dominic Chianese, Leonardo Cimino, Fyvush Finkel and John Capodice

Tagline: When the questions are dangerous, the answers can be deadly.

The Plot…

Late one night Al Reilly (Hutton) is awakened by a call from Kevin Quinn (O’Neal), the head of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau.  Quinn wants Reilly to investigate a police shooting.  Mike Brennan (Nolte) a decorated NY city cop with a reputation for being tough killed a small-time Puerto Rican hood.  Brennan claims it was self-defense.  Quinn tells Reilly it’s an open-and-shut case.

Reilly, Detective Luis Valentin (Guzmán) and Detective Sam Chapman (Dutton) conduct a Q & A of all the witnesses.  Brennan claims he was following up on an informant’s tip and shot in self-defense.  Bobby Texador (Assante) a Puerto Rican crime boss was there. He says he didn’t see a thing.  It turns out Texador’s wife, Nancy (Lumet) was once involved with Reilly.  She disappeared from Reilly’s life six years ago without a word.  Texador tells Reilly he knows about the relationship and threatens him.

Quinn wants Reilly to wrap up the investigation and clear Brennan.  Reilly and Valentine don’t believe that things went down the way Brennan says.  Chapman warns them that Brennan has connections upstairs and with some shady folks.  Reilly decides to dig deeper.

When Brennan finds out Reilly is still investigating the shooting he threatens Reilly. Now Reilly is feeling pressure from his boss, plus the threats from Brennan and Texador have him on edge.  Many people will die before the truth is known… but will justice win out?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Sidney Lumet pulled together an all-star cast for Q & A.  Nick Nolte, Timothy Hutton and Armand Assante have never been better.  Luis Guzmán and Charles S. Dutton are always solid.  Jenny Lumet (Sidney Lumet’s daughter) is perfect in her role as Assante and Hutton’s love interest.  A special shout out for Fyvush Finkel’s performance as a slimy lawyer.

Sidney Lumet made several great films during his career.  He was nominated for Academy Awards as Best Director five times.  Although Q & A didn’t get the same recognition, it should have.

Q & A is set up so that the audience knows from the start that Brennan is a cold-blooded killer.  We know the danger that Reilly is in before he does.  The tension builds as Reilly digs deeper.  The mystery for the audience isn’t IF Brennan murdered the guy, but WHY he murdered him.  There’s also the subplot of why Reilly’s girl left him all those years ago.  How did she end up with the crime boss Bobby Texador?  And what will Texador do when he finds out Reilly still loves his wife?

Q & A earns 5 of 5 stars.

“Idiots Deluxe” (1945) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Idiots Deluxe (1945)

Director:  Jules White

Screenplay: Elwood Ullman

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard, Vernon Dent and Al Thompson

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Moe is on trial for beating up Larry and Curly.  Moe explains that he was suffering from a bad case of nerves.  Moe’s doctor had prescribed quiet relaxation.  And Moe was trying to rest.  Then Larry and Curly started practicing their “The Original Two-Man Quartet” act!  Once Moe “kindly” explained his situation, Larry and Curly wanted to help.  So they took Moe to the woods to get away from it all.  What could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Idiots Deluxe is probably my favorite Stooges short that doesn’t involve ghosts, monsters, mad scientists or gorillas.  Surprisingly (especially considering the set-up) Moe doesn’t beat up Larry and Curly as much as usual!  Every scene contains laughs and there’s more comic wordplay in this one than usual.  Sadly, this was the last Stooges short made before Curly had his stroke.

Idiots Deluxe earns 5 of 5 stars.

“Skin: A History of Nudity in the Movies” (2020) / Z-View

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Skin: A History of Nudity in the Movies (2020)

Director:  Danny Wolf

Screenplay: Paul Fishbein, Danny Wolf

Stars: Pam Grier, Amy Heckerling, Mariel Hemingway, Camille Keaton, Diane Franklin, Malcolm McDowell, Angela Landis, Traci Lords, Martine Beswick, Linda Blair, Peter Bogdanovich, Elizabeth Daily, Sybil Danning, Joe Dante, Bruce Davison, Ken Davitian, Kristine DeBell, Sylvia Miles, Rena Riffel, Eric Roberts, Kevin Smith and Sean Young

Tagline: The definitive documentary on the history of nudity in feature films from the early silent days to the present, studying the changes in morality that led to the use of nudity in films while emphasizing the political, sociological and artistic changes that shaped that history.

The Plot…

Skin: A History of Nudity in the Movies explores, well, you guessed it, nudity in movies.  By the time the motion picture industry got started, there were already peep shows where you could crank a handle and see nudes in motion.  It was only natural that nudity would appear in mainstream films.  It’s interesting to note the changes that came in with the Hays Code and how studio’s attempted to get around it.

Skin does a good job of taking us through the changes of how film nudity was used and perceived by the public.  The producers of Skin were to smart to get the actual actors and actresses for interviews.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I joked that I watched Skin just for the interviews.  Truthfully, I was interested in the history of nudity in movies, especially the early days.  When I was a kid there wasn’t much nudity in movies, but then in the late 60s through the 80s, there often seemed to be at least one scene (at a minimum) where a woman was topless.  Hearing from the actresses (and actors) as to how they perceived performing in the nude made everything more personal.  Oh, and if you’re just tuning in to see the nude women, be aware the guys aren’t left out.  Well, maybe left “out” wasn’t the right choice of words.

Skin: A History of Nudity in the Movies earns 4 of 5 stars.

“Booby Dupes” (1945) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Booby Dupes (1945)

Director:  Del Lord

Screenplay: Del Lord

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard, Vernon Dent and ‘Snub’ Pollard

Tagline: The Stooges are mixed up in some fishy business.

The Plot…

Larry, Curly and Moe are fish salesmen.  Curly gets the bright idea that if they caught their own fish, they could cut out the middlemen.  So the boys buy a boat and head out to sea.  What could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Booby Dupes starts out just like the Stooges 1940 short Cookoo Cavaliers.  The boys are fish sellers and they get some business with a woman wanting to buy a fish.  Vernon Dent shows up as a ship Captain.  Curly steals his uniform and tries to make time with Dent’s girl.  There’s more hijinks repairing the boat and when the boys make it out to sea.  Booby Dupes is a solid Stooges’ short.

Booby Dupes earns 4 of 5 stars.

“The Three Troubledoers” (1946) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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The Three Troubledoers (1946)

Director:  Edward Bernds

Screenplay: Jack White

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard, Christine McIntyre, Dick Curtis and Elmo Lincoln 

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Larry, Curly and Moe are cowboys in the old west.  Badlands Blackie has killed every Sheriff and Deputy in Deadwood Gulch. Now there’s a new Sheriff in town… and his name is Curly!  What could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Despite The Three Troubledoers being made shortly after Curly suffered a stroke, he still gets center stage.  The Three Troubledoers has less of Moe giving Larry and Curly the business.  That means there’s more time for clever sight gags.

Dick Curtis, as Badlands Blackie, looks much taller than his listed 6’3″.  Of course in cowboy boots and playing against Curly (5’5″), Larry (5’4″) and Moe (5’3″) he would.  Elmo Lincoln, the actor who first played Tarzan in the movies, has an uncredited role as Neil’s father.

The Three Troubledoers earns 4 of 5 stars.

“A Christmas Story Christmas” (2022) starring Peter Billingsley / Z-View

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A Christmas Story Christmas (2022)

Director:  Clay Kaytis

Screenplay: Nick Schenk, Clay Kaytis based on a story by Nick Schenk, Peter Billingsley based on characters created by Jean Shepherd

Stars: Peter Billingsley, Erinn Hayes, Julie Hagerty, Scott Schwartz, R.D. Robb and Zack Ward

Tagline: Ralphie comes home.

The Plot

It’s 33 years after the events that took place in A Christmas Story.  Ralphie (Billingsley), his wife (Hayes) and their two children are returning to Ralphie’s childhood home for Christmas.  Although his father recently passed, Ralphie’s mother is still alive.  Ralphie wants to give his entire family a memorable holiday, the type of Christmas his old man would have pulled together.

The pressure on Ralphie is increased because he’s given himself until the end of the year to become a published author.  Time is running out.

Not a lot in the old neighborhood has changed.  Ralphie’s old pals, Flick and Schwartz are still around.  So is their old nemesis, Scut Farkus!

All seems to be on track until something unforeseen happens and then all bets are off.  Will Ralphie’s family Christmas come together?  Will Ralphie become a published author?  Is Farkus still a creep?  All will be known by Christmas Day!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

It’s hard to catch lightening in a bottle twice.  A Christmas Story is such a beloved classic, that to try and replicate it, is a tall order.  While A Christmas Story Christmas doesn’t come near the bar set by the original, it does get a lot of mileage out of bringing back so many members of the original cast.

Returning cast members include Peter Billingsley (Ralphie), Scott Schwartz (Flick), R.D. Robb (Schwartz) and Zack Ward (Farkus).  Darren McGavin who played Ralphie’s father had died and incorporating his passing into the story worked.  Melinda Dillon played Ralphie’s mom, but she didn’t return for this story.  Julie Hagerty was a nice choice to replace her.  Erinn Hayes, who played Ralphie’s wife was really good.  I’m surprised we don’t see more from her.

If you enjoyed A Christmas Story and aren’t expecting another classic, then give A Christmas Story Christmas a shot,  It’s better than a bunny suit.

A Christmas Story Christmas earns 3 of 5 stars.

“Tomorrow at Seven” (1933) / Z-View

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Tomorrow at Seven (1933)

Director:  Ray Enright

Screenplay: Ralph Spence

Stars: Chester Morris, Vivienne Osborne, Frank McHugh, Allen Jenkins, Henry Stephenson, Grant Mitchell and Charles Middleton

Tagline: HELPLESS TO DEFEND HER! The girl he loved death-marked by the unknown fiend who killed at the stoke of seven.

The Plot…

A serial killer who calls himself The Black Ace is set to murder again.  Before each murder The Black Ace sends his target a large black ace card with a message warning that he will be next!   After each kill, a black ace playing card is left on the victim’s chest. Thornton Drake (Stephenson) received a black ace with the warning, “Tomorrow at Seven“.

Thornton, his daughter Martha (Osborne), her new boyfriend Neil (Morris), along with two plainclothes detectives Clancy (McHugh) and Dugan (Jenkins), and two pilots fly to a home Thornton owns out of state.  They figure they’ll be safe there.  They figured wrong.  Now the group  have taken refuge in Thornton’s big, old house.  Someone has cut the phone lines… and it’s getting close to 7!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Tomorrow at 7 has the feel of a play.  Clancy and Dugan provide comic relief.  If Barney Fife had twin brothers, it’d be these guys.  Movies like Tomorrow at 7 were popular around this time period.  All you need is a killer, a remote house with plenty of rooms (and a secret passage or two), a group of potential victims and a character for laughs to break the tension and you’re good to go.  If like me, you like these types of films, you should enjoy Tomorrow at 7.  Be aware that the final kill reminded me of Enter the Dragon, which was surprising for a film made in the 1930s.

Tomorrow at Seven earns 3 of 5 stars.

“Movie Maniacs” (1936) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Movie Maniacs (1936)

Director:  Del Lord

Screenplay: Felix Adler

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard, Bud Jamison and Heinie Conklin

Tagline:  None.

The Plot…

Larry, Curly and Moe go to Hollywood thinking that they’ll become movie stars.  Moe believes he knows what makes a great movie.  When they sneak on to a studio lot, they are mistaken for out of town Studio Executives that were due to arrive.  The boys are given carte blanche to make any changes they want… and boy, do they!

The Three Stooges in charge of a movie studio!  What could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

It’s fun to see “behind the scenes” of the making of a movie and even better when the Stooges are showing actors how to act.

Movie Maniacs earns 4 of 5 stars.

“Crown Vic” (2019) starring Thomas Jane / Z-View

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Crown Vic (2019)

Director:  Joel Souza

Screenplay: Joel Souza

Stars: Thomas Jane, Luke Kleintank, Josh Hopkins, Bridget Moynahan andScottie Thompson

Tagline:  None.

The Plot…

Ray Mandel (Jane) is a veteran LA cop. Mandel’s seen it all.  Nick Holland (Kleintank) is a naive rookie.  Mandel and Holland are partnered for a night shift.  Over the course of their patrol they will deal with domestic abuse, a car fire, an out of control fellow officer, a kidnapped little girl and more.  As the night wears on, the rookie is shocked to learn how things really work for a police officer upholding the law.  Everything come to a head when Mandel and Holland make a traffic stop on two cop killers…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Thomas Jane has never been better!  He disappears into his role as a cynical divorced cop who knows there’s a difference between the law and justice.

Writer/director Joe Souza has created a film that captures the slow passing of a shift broken up by moments of tension and life-threatening terror.  While some films may have focused totally on the cop killers storyline or the kidnapped little girl, Crown Vic has the events play out as part of the shift.  Thomas Jane’s performance and the ending of Crown Vic took everything up a notch.

Crown Vic earns 4 of 5 stars.