Category: Movies

“Gunfight at Rio Bravo” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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Here we have the poster and trailer for Gunfight at Rio Bravo.  I would have liked the poster better if it was entirely just the bottom half.  The trailer seems to present the whole movie, but in films like this, that’s okay.  Going in, we know what we’re going to get.

If I was going to complain, I’d point out two things.

#1.  The movie looks to be a by-the-numbers western that would appeal to teenagers (and older folks like me that never outgrew that teenage love for movies).

#2.  Everyone and everything in the trailer looks too clean.  A western town in the 1800s would have been dusty and rough looking.  In the trailer, every character’s clothes look like they just came off the rack.  Everyone in the trailer looks clean, as if they’ve been sitting in an air-conditioned trailer, waiting for their scene.  Even the bad hombres about to ride into town look like they scrubbed up for a night out.  Also, the lead’s haircut is modern.

But that’s okay.  I’m not expecting Oscars for Gunfight at Rio Bravo.  I just want a film that would have been a decent second feature at a drive-in.

In the film; Nevsky plays a mysterious Russian gunslinger who aids a marshal and a sheriff as they stand up to a bloodthirsty outlaw gang known as The Hellhounds who have invaded their small East Texas town. #GunfightAtRioBravo

CAST: Alexander Nevsky, Joe Cornet, Matthias Hues, Olivier Gruner, Natalie Denise Sperl, Kerry Goodwin, John Fallon, and Anna Oris

“Mr. Wu” (1929) Starring Lon Chaney! / Z-View

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Mr. Wu (1929)

Director:  William Nigh

Screenplay:  Adapted by Lorna Moon, Titles by Lotta Woods, based on the play by Maurice Vernon and Harold Owen, from the book by Louise Jordan Miln

Starring:  Lon Chaney, Renée Adorée, Ralph Forbes, Louise Dresser  and Anna May Wong 

Tagline: SHE WAS GUILTY OF LOVE AND THE UNWRITTEN CODE OF THE EAST CRIED FOR VENGEANCE!

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Mr. Wu (Chaney) is a wealthy and powerful man raised to follow the ancient traditions of China.  Although he is a traditionalist, Wu knows “the West is coming to the East.”  To that end, Mr. Wu interacts with diplomats from other countries.  That is how Wu’s adult daughter, Nang Ping (Adorée) meets and begins secretly seeing Basil Gregory (Forbes), the son of a British diplomat.

Nang Ping becomes pregnant at the same time she learns that Basil is about to return to England.  A gardener learns of Nang Ping’s pregnancy and informs Mr. Wu.  Wu is despondent, torn between love for his daughter and what tradition requires of a father whose daughter has dishonored the family.  Mr. Wu will comply with tradition and then extract revenge on the Diplomat’s family!

Lon Chaney plays two roles in this silent film.  Chaney created his own makeup making him unrecognizable as both Grandfather Wu (100 year old man) and Mr. Wu.  Mr. Wu provides an excellent example of why Lon Chaney is my favorite silent movie star.  He plays a full range of emotions and they all come alive through his facial expressions.  Anna May Wong appears in just a few scenes but she shines.  Renée Adorée is okay as Mr. Wu’s daughter, but it’s interesting to think what Wong would have done in the role.

Mr. Wu’s plan to extract vengeance on the diplomat’s family forces an impossible decision and a surprising conclusion to the film.  Mr. Wu rates 4 of 5 stars

“The Marksman” (2021) / Z-View

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The Marksman (2021)

Director: Robert Lorenz

Screenplay:  Robert Lorenz, Chris Charles, Danny Kravitz

Starring:  Liam Neeson, Jacob Perez, Katheryn Winnick, Juan Pablo Raba and Teresa Ruiz.

Tagline:   Justice comes down to him.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Jim (Neeson) is a rancher living on the Arizona / Mexico border.  Jim should be living the American dream, but life has been rough.  Recently, the woman he loved died.  The economy is tanking and Jim may lose his ranch.  Jim served his country as a marine and still loves it, but he needs to catch a break.

Instead Jim catches a woman (Ruiz) and her son (Perez) illegally crossing into the US through his land.  Jim calls the border patrol as vehicles speed to the Mexican side of the fence.  Several rough-looking cartel thugs demand the return of the woman and her son.  When Jim refuses, a shootout ensues.  Jim kills the cartel boss’ brother, but the boy’s mother is wounded.  Jim escapes with the mother and child.  The mother has been fatally wounded but before she dies, she gets Jim to agree to get her son safely to a relative in Chicago.

Jim turns the boy over to the border patrol telling them about the kid’s family in Chicago.  When Jim learns the cartel thugs have made it across the border and the boy is going to be turned over to them, Jim escapes with the boy.  With the police and cartel after them, Jim is determined to get the boy to his family no matter the cost.

The Marksman is an excellent vehicle for Neeson.  He is convincing as the older rancher who believed in a system that has let him down.  It’s no surprise that Neeson can play a man who can handle tough situations.  Hats off to Jacob Perez as the kid.  He’s in almost every scene and holds his own.  Katheryn Winnick is wasted in a role that gives her little to do.  Robert Lorenz’s direction is solid but not flashy.  His time as 2nd Unit Director for Clint Eastwood has paid off.

The Marksman is full of action and suspense.  It would have rated higher except for a few choices near the end of the movie.  The decision that Jim and the kid make in regard to cartel money doesn’t ring true.  The same with the final showdown with the cartel thugs.  Not all movies have to have a happy ending, but man, Jim just can’t catch a break.

The Marksman rates 3 of 5 stars.

“The Deep House” (2021) / Z-View

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The Deep House (2021)

Director:  Alexandre Bustillo, Julien Maury

Screenplay:  Alexandre Bustillo, Julien Maury, Julien David, Rachel Parker

Starring:  Camille Rowe, James Jagger and Eric Savin.

Tagline:  None..

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Tina (Rowe) and Ben (Jagger) are an engaged couple looking for adventure.  They explore haunted locations for Ben’s social media.  While in France they learn of an old insane asylum at the bottom of a lake.  Of course they decide to check it out.

When Tina and Ben arrive at the location, they’re disappointed to discover the lake has become a tourist hot spot.  Ben strikes up a conversation with a local.  The man (Savin) says he can knows of an isolated area that contains a mansion perfectly preserved at the bottom of the lake.  Tina and Ben agree to the man’s price and he takes them there.

At the bottom of the lake, Tina and Ben find the mansion.  The place is creepy enough on the outside and once inside strange things start happening.  They hear scary noises and what sounds like muffled voices.  Do they leave?  Of course not.  They go deeper into the house and discover photos of missing children, satanic symbols and scratches on the inside of the front door.  Do they return to the surface?  Nope.  Then they find a huge crucifix holding a door closed.  Time to go, now?  Naw, let’s move the cross and go downstairs.

The House Below has a several creepy scenes and a few scares.  Since we don’t know much about the characters, we’re not as vested in their survival as we could be.  Some things happen that are attributed to ghosts, but the ghosts must be about as smart as our leads..  The ending is supposed to be shocking (and it may surprise you), but it’s just another example of a character’s stupid choice.

The Deep House rates 2 of 5 stars.

“White Elephant” Starring Michael Rooker, Bruce Willis, Olga Kurylenko & John Malkovich – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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Although the poster for White Elephant uses photos of the stars, at least it didn’t go for the giant heads approach.  The trailer isn’t bad.  I’ll give this a look on streaming.

When an assassination attempt is witnessed by two cops, Gabriel Tancredi, an ex-marine turned mob enforcer (Michael Rooker), is ordered by his ruthless mob boss (Bruce Willis) to eliminate any and all threats. With an eager underling out to prove himself, rival gangs making moves, and a rising body count, every step Tancredi makes threatens lives…including his own.

White Elephant is directed by Jesse V. Johnson (Avengement, The Debt Collector) from a script by Johnson and Erik Martinez (Kung Fu Pho). The film also stars Olga Kurylenko, Vadhir Derbez, and John Malkovich.

RLJE Films will release the action film White Elephant in theaters and streaming on AMC+ on June 3, 2022.

“Prey” – The Teaser is Here!

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Prey – The teaser is short and sweet.  Deal me in.

“Prey,” an all-new action-thriller from 20th Century Studios directed by Dan Trachtenberg (“The Boys,” “10 Cloverfield Lane”) and the newest entry in the “Predator” franchise, will stream August 5, 2022, exclusively on Hulu.

Set in the Comanche Nation 300 years ago, “Prey” is the story of a young woman, Naru, a fierce and highly skilled warrior. She has been raised in the shadow of some of the most legendary hunters who roam the Great Plains, so when danger threatens her camp, she sets out to protect her people. The prey she stalks, and ultimately confronts, turns out to be a highly evolved alien predator with a technically advanced arsenal, resulting in a vicious and terrifying showdown between the two adversaries.

“Prey” is directed by Dan Trachtenberg, written by Patrick Aison (“Jack Ryan,” “Treadstone”), and produced by John Davis (“Jungle Cruise,” “The Predator”) and Jhane Myers (“Monsters of God”), with Lawrence Gordon (“Watchmen”), Marty Ewing (“It: Chapter Two”), James E. Thomas, John C. Thomas and Marc Toberoff (“Fantasy Island”) serving as executive producers.

The filmmakers were committed to creating a film that provides an accurate portrayal of the Comanche and brings a level of authenticity that rings true to its Indigenous peoples. Myers, an acclaimed filmmaker, Sundance Fellow and member of the Comanche nation herself, is known for her attention and dedication to films surrounding the Comanche and Blackfeet nations and her passion for honoring the legacies of the Native communities. As a result, the film features a cast comprised almost entirely of Native and First Nation’s talent, including Amber Midthunder (“The Ice Road,” “Roswell, New Mexico”), newcomer Dakota Beavers, Stormee Kipp (“Sooyii”), Michelle Thrush (“The Journey Home”), Julian Black Antelope (“Tribal”).

“Invaders from Mars (1986)” / Z-View

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Invaders from Mars (1986)

Director:  Tobe Hooper

Screenplay: Dan O’Bannon, Don Jakoby based on a screenplay for the 1953 film by Richard Blake

Starring:  Karen Black, Hunter Carson, Timothy Bottoms, Laraine Newman, Louise Fletcher and Jimmy Hunt.

Tagline: He knows they’re here.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

One night young David Gardner (Carson) wakes to see a spaceship landing beyond the hill behind his house.  He wakes his parents (Bottoms, Newman), they come to his window, but everything seems normal.  The next day the boy discovers that his teacher (Fletcher) and one of his classmates have become possessed by aliens.

Of course no one believes him… except the school nurse (Black).  Now it is up to the young boy and the school nurse to save the world.

Invaders from Mars is not a good movie. I kept watching trying to figure out how much was a wink at the original 1953 film and how much was just an updated misfire.

If you take Invaders from Mars as a dream the boy had, it kind of makes more sense.  It explains how the kid is the real star of the film and why he has more brains than the adults, including military leaders.  It also explains the goofy (and far from scary) aliens.  It doesn’t explain the famous final scene though.

Invaders from Mars has good actors that don’t prove it with this movie.  Hunter Carson is Karen Black’s son and maybe Tobe Hooper got a two-fer;  Black would do the movie if her son got to play the kid.  Sadly, all poor Carson gets to do is repeatedly look scared and run flailing his arms.  Louise Fletcher’s most memorable scene is when she turns around with a frog hanging from her mouth.  I do applaud that Jimmy Hunt (who played the kid in the original film) is brought back to play a small role in this remake.

Invaders from Mars is one of those rare movies that I make it all the way through and then decide, it’s not for me.  Invaders from Mars rates 1 of 5 stars.

“Endangered Species” (2021) / Z-View

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Endangered Species (2021)

Director:  M.J. Bassett

Screenplay:  M.J. Bassett, Isabel Bassett based on a story by Paul Chronnell

Starring: Rebecca Romijn, Philip Winchester, Isabel Bassett, Michael Johnston, Chris Fisher and Jerry O’Connell.

Tagline:  Far from home. Far from safety. Far from over.  (“Far from Over!”  Cue Frank Stallone! )

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Jack (Winchester) and Lauren (Romijn) take their son (Johnston), daughter (Bassett) and her boyfriend (Fisher) on a long-planned dream vacation to a wilderness park in Kenya.  Looking to get close to wild animals, the group leaves without filling out proper paperwork or getting guides,  They then venture off-road into the Kenyan wilderness.  When their vehicle is totaled by an irate rhino, things become desperate.  Without food, water and with a pack of hyenas closing in, their chances of survival are slim.  Things are about to get worse.

Endangered Species is irritating.  The characters do nothing but argue and make stupid decisions. They leave the camp without letting anyone know.  They go on a “safari” drive without a guide.  They leave the designated road and travel into the wilderness.  They don’t bring enough water and the water they do bring is in glass bottles which easily break.  They decide to get closer to a wild rhino.  They let someone who doesn’t know how to drive, take them to the rhino.  Even the poachers who capture the family are stupid.  Like bad James Bond villains, they tell the family that they are going to kill them. Then they leave the family unattended so they can drink around the campfire.  What?

I made it through Endangered Species and it has a couple of scenes that work. I’ll give it the benefit of my kind heart (or am I, like everyone in the movie, also making a stupid decision) by rating it 2 of 5 stars.

“The Horde” (2016) / Z-View

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The Horde (2016)

Director:  Jared Cohn

Screenplay:  Paul Logan

Starring:  Paul Logan, Tiffany Brouwer, Sydney Sweeney, Nestor Serrano, Vernon Wells, Bill Moseley, Costas Mandylor, Thomas Ochoa and Don Wilson.

Tagline: Fight back or die.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

John Crenshaw (Logan), an ex-Navy SEAL accompanies his girlfriend (Brouwer) and some of her photography students into the deep woods for a class assignment.  When the group is attacked by a family of inbred mutants, it will be up to Crenshaw to save them.

The Horde wants badly to be  Rambo Meets The Hills Have Eyes.  That would seem to be an achievable goal.  They’ve got a star who is believable when it comes to fight scenes.  They have several actors known for their work in horror films.  The plot is simple.  It takes place in the woods at night; sets shouldn’t be a problem.  So what went wrong?

Everything is so bad.  Navy SEAL tough guy at a loss for words with his girl because he’s so in love.  Spoiled, rich student who insults everyone, but is still part of the group.  Two students in the back seat who make-out for the entire hours long trip to the deep woods — with their teacher fully aware.  A female student falling for one of the male students on the trip and casually discussing sexual advice with her teacher.   They’ve been driving for hours and in the background it looks like they are still in the neighborhood.  The dialogue is terrible.  The acting only slightly better.  (Thomas Ochoa is the exception — he is funny/irritating/believable as the spoiled rich brat.)

Fans of low-budget horror/action may like The Horde.  It just wasn’t for me.  The Horde rates 1 of 5 stars

“Rosemary’s Baby” Alt Poster by Ciarán O Donovan!

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Ciarán O Donovan has hit another home run with his alt poster for Rosemary’s Baby.  That shouldn’t be a surprise to regular readers here.  O Donovan’s first appearance here came in 2019 with his alt poster for Escape from New York.  That was followed up with his alt Maltese Falcon poster.  Then last December we got a look at O Donovan’s alt Sin City: The Hard Goodbye alt poster.

I’d love to see an The Art of Ciarán O Donovan book.  Until that time, we can make do with Ciarán O Donovan’s Instagram or Twitter!

RIP: Fred Ward

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Fred Ward’s publicist announced today that Mr. Ward died on Sunday, May 8, 2022, at the age of 79.  No cause of death was given.  

Before Fred Ward began his career as an actor he spent time in the Air Force, as a boxer and a lumberjack!  No wonder Mr. Ward was often cast as a tough guy!  Fred Ward’s earliest roles were small parts, often uncredited in movies and television.  His first big break came when he played one of the convicts who with Clint Eastwood was able to Escape from Alcatraz.  

Fred Ward continued to get bigger parts in features such as Southern Comfort, The Right Stuff, Silkwood and Uncommon Valor.  Then in 1985, Fred Ward starred in the film that was supposed to make him a megastar, Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins.  Unfortunately, the film fizzled at the box office.  The adventure began and ended there.  Luckily for movie-goers, Fred Ward’s career didn’t.

For the rest of Fred Ward’s life he continued to alternate between television and feature films.  Some of his best known television parts came in Cast a Deadly Spell, Invasion Earth, Grey’s Anatomy, ER and True Detective.  Fred Ward’s best known feature films include Tremors, Miami Blues, Henry & June, Thunderheart, The Player, Tremors II: Aftershock and 2 Guns.

I first saw Fred Ward in Escape from Alcatraz.  But it was when he appeared in Carny, Southern Comfort and Uncommon Valor that I really took notice.  Mr. Ward had a tough guy charisma and I was pulling for him with Remo Williams.  Sadly, that film just didn’t work. But Fred Ward continued to  Whenever Fred Ward’s name was in the credits, you knew the film/show would be better because of him.  Although Andrew Vachss’ Burke character was never developed for movies or tv, I always thought that Fred Ward would have perfect.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Fred Ward’s family, friends and fans.

Monopoly: “The Godfather” 50th Anniversary Edition!

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I don’t play many board games.  One I do enjoy is Monopoly.  Just in time for The Godfather‘s 50th Anniversary is  the new Godfather: Monopoly Edition.  With everything from tokens to board locations geared to The Godfather, it brings a whole new meaning to “I’ll make him an offer he can’t refuse.”  And when a player can’t decide which token to be, you can say, “Leave the gun, take the cannoli.”

Source:  GeekTyrant.

“10 Minutes Gone” Starring Bruce Willis and Michael Chiklis (2019) / Z-View

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10 MInutes Gone (2019)

Director:  Brian A. Miller

Writers:  Kelvin Mao, Jeff Jingle

Starring:  Bruce Willis, Michael Chiklis and Meadow Williams.

Tagline:  Keep your enemies close.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Rex (Willis) is a mastermind who brings together a crew of thieves to rob a bank.  When the robbery goes sideways, it’s every man for himself.  The robbery team make their escape going separate ways.  As Frank (Chiklis) and his brother head down an alley to their getaway car, someone jumps from the shadows and knocks Frank unconscious.  Ten minutes later Frank wakes up to find his brother has been killed.

When Rex learns that the robbery is a bust, he brings in a professional killer to take out anyone with knowledge that could lead to him.  Frank knows that time is running out. He needs to find who killed his brother and sabotaged the heist.

As I watched 10 Minutes Gone, it was tough to get through Bruce Willis’ scenes knowing what he has been dealing with in regard to his health.  Willis speaks one or two lines at most in his scenes and then the camera cuts away.  Michael Chiklis is always good, but even Chiklis isn’t enough to raise this film from an “OK” rating.  It’s worth reading the IMDB trivia on 10 Minutes Gone to understand why it wasn’t better.

10 Minutes Gone rates 2 of 5 stars.