Category: Movies

“21 Bridges” (2019) / Z-View

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21 Bridges (2019)

Director: Brian Kirk

Screenplay:  Adam Mervis, Matthew Michael Carnahan

Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Sienna Miller, J.K. Simmons, Taylor Kitsch and Keith David.

Tagline:  The Only Way Out is Through Him

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

A couple of small time thieves get a tip on a cocaine stash of 30 kilos.  When they go to rip it off, they discover 300 kilos!  Cops show up and the thieves kill them all.  Detective Andre Davis (Boseman) is assigned to bring in the cop killers.  As the bodies pile up, Davis begins to realize that there is more at play than a simple robbery gone wrong.  The conspiracy runs deep and Davis doesn’t know who he can trust.

21 Bridges is a fast paced action thriller that is well cast and directed.  Sienna Miller is believable as a tough female detective.  Boseman and J.K. Simmons are always good.  Keith David doesn’t have a lot to do, but is also a welcome addition to the cast.  21 Bridges rates 4 of 5 stars.

RIP: Johnny Brown

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Johnny Brown, actor and singer, died on March 3, 2022, at the age of 84.  No cause of death was reported.

Mr. Brown began his career as singer.  He toured with Sam “the man” Taylor.  In 1961, Johnny Brown released an album of his own.  Sammy Davis Jr. became a mentor to Johnny Brown and this led to Brown’s role in Golden Boy on Broadway.  His first movie role was in Sammy Davis’ film, A Man Named Adam.

Johnny Brown was a regular on Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In.  His contract on Laugh-In prevented him from accepting the role of Redd Fox’s son on Sanford & Son.  After Laugh-In, Mr. Brown was a regular on Good Times,  Other major appearances include the shows: Love American Style, Night Gallery, Maude, Chico and the Man, Gimme a Break, Archie Bunker’s Place, The Jeffersons, Fantasy Island and Family Matters.

Johnny Brown always made me smile.  I’ll miss seeing him pop-up in surprising places.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Johnny Brown’s family, friends and fans.

RIP: Mitchell Ryan

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Mitchell Ryan, the actor of stage and screen, died yesterday from heart failure at the age of 88.  Mr. Ryan’s career spanned over 60 years, so depending on your age you may know him best from his work on Dark Shadows, Lethal Weapon, Dharma & Greg or any of his well over 130 credits.

Mitchell Ryan began his career in a theater production of Thunder Road.  His Broadway credits include Wait Until Dark, Medea and The Price.  In 1958, he earned his first screen credit in the Robert Mitchum film, Thunder Road.  For the rest of his career, Mitchell Ryan alternated between television and feature films.

A few of his major television roles included the shows: Naked City, Dark Shadows, The High Chaparral, Cannon, Chase, Having Babies, The Chisholms, Hardcastle & McCormick, Dallas, Renegade, Murder She Wrote and Dharma & Greg.

Some of his more memorable film roles were in: High Plains Drifter, Electra Glide in Blue, Lethal Weapon, and Judge Dredd.

Mitchell Ryan was always a welcome addition to any movie or tv show.  He played a great bad guy – one who came off as smart, tough and just a bit arrogant.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Ryan Mitchell’s family, friends and fans.

“All the Old Knives” Starring Chris Pine & Thandiwe Newton – The Trailer is Here!

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All the Old Knives starring Chris Pine and Thandiwe Newton looks interesting.  Since it is on Prime, it’s an easy choice to check it out.

A modern-day espionage thriller that follows Henry (Chris Pine) as he investigates Celia (Thandiwe Newton), a past flame from their days as CIA intelligence officers in Vienna, who is now under suspicion of having been a double agent. Using flashbacks to weave together multiple timelines, All the Old Knives peels back the layers of their past romance and exposes the truth behind a devastating terrorist attack they were unable to stop.

“Lockdown” Starring Michael Paré & Bai Ling – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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From time to time you hear read me lamenting about the loss of drive-in theaters and the types of movies often shown there.  While drive-ins have gone the way of flip phones, the genre of movies they featured still thrive.  Lockdown starring Michael Paré and Bai Ling is a prime example. For many drive-in movies, the poster is often as good or better than the film.   That may be the case with Lockdown.  At any rate, deal me in.

In this action thriller staring Michael Paré (Gone) and Bai Ling (The Crow), hell on earth erupts as three savage criminals take over a prescinct and hold the police force hostage.

“Master” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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The poster is pretty bland, but the trailer to Master creates a subtle, creepy atmosphere.  Deal me in.

In writer-director Mariama Diallo’s debut feature, Master, three women strive to find their place at a prestigious New England university whose frosty elitism may disguise something more sinister. Professor Gail Bishop (Regina Hall) has recently been promoted to “Master” of a residence hall, the first time at storied Ancaster College that a Black woman has held the post. Determined to breathe new life into a centuries-old tradition, Gail soon finds herself wrapped up in the trials and tribulations of Jasmine Moore (Zoe Renee), an energetic and optimistic Black freshman. Jasmine’s time at Ancaster hits a snag early on when she’s assigned a dorm room that is rumored to be haunted. Things get worse when Jasmine clashes in the classroom with Liv Beckman (Amber Gray), a professor in the middle of her own racially charged tenure review. As Gail tries to maintain order and fulfill the duties of a Master, the cracks begin to show in Ancaster’s once-immaculate facade. After a career spent fighting to make it into Ancaster’s inner circle, Gail is confronted with the horrifying prospect of what lies beneath, her question ultimately becoming not whether the school is haunted, but by whom.

“Bullet Train” Starring Brad Pitt & Directed by David Leitch – The Trailer is Here!

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While I didn’t care for the book, I am looking for Bullet Train starring Brad Pitt and directed by David Leitch.  Check out the trailer and see if you agree.

Getting back on the job is never as easy as you think… especially with the world’s deadliest assassins on board. Take a ride with Brad Pitt in #BulletTrainMovie, exclusively in movie theaters July 15. Visit our site: https://www.bullettrainmovie.com

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An original movie event, Bullet Train is a fun, delirious action-thriller from the director of Deadpool 2, David Leitch. Brad Pitt headlines an ensemble cast of eclectic, diverse assassins – all with connected yet conflicting objectives – set against the backdrop of a non-stop ride through modern-day Japan.

Directed by: David Leitch
Screenplay by: Zak Olkewicz
Based upon the book Maria Beetle by: Kotaro Isaka
Produced by: Kelly McCormick David Leitch Antoine Fuqua
Cast: Brad Pitt, Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Andrew Koji, Hiroyuki Sanada, Michael Shannon, Benito A Martínez Ocasio.

“Code 8” (2019) / Z-View

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Code 8 (2019)

Director:  Jeff Chan

Screenplay:  Chris Pare  (from a story by Jeff Chan)

Starring: Robbie Amell, Stephen Amell and Sung Kang.

Tagline:   Fear is the most dangerous power.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

In the future a small percentage of the population have special powers.  Conner Reed (Robbie Amell) is one of the few.  Because his mother needs an expensive medical procedure, Reed falls in with a group of criminals who have use for Reed’s special abilities.  Will Reed’s special abilities be enough when he has cops and criminals after him?

Code 8 features a pretty straight forward story with ambitious special effects for a low budget film.  This is especially impressive considering that Code 8 was made thanks to crowdfunding dollars! Watch the credits for an amazing list of backers.  Code 8 was a fun ride and earns 3 of 5 stars.

“Oscar Micheaux: The Superhero of Black Filmmaking” (2021) / Z-View

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Oscar Micheaux: The Superhero of Black Filmmaking (2021)

Director:  Francesco Zippel

Screenplay: Francesco Zippel

Starring:  Oscar Micheaux, Chuck D, Jacqueline Stewart, Morgan Freeman  and Mario Van Pebbles..

Tagline:  None.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Oscar Micheaux was a writer, director and producer of both silent and sound movies.  Micheaux has been called “the most successful African-American filmmaker of the first half of the 20th century.”

Oscar Micheaux has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, was honored by the Director’s Guild of America, the Producers Guild of America has an annual award named after him, he is in the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame, his image has appeared on a US postage stamp, and there are multiple Film Festivals named after him! Sadly all of these accolades came posthumously.  Outside of serious fans of film history, few know about Oscar Micheaux.

I first learned of Oscar Micheaux because he was the writer/director of Body and Soul starring Paul Robeson.  Thanks to Oscar Micheaux: The Superhero of Black Filmmaking, I now know the life story of Micheaux.  What an amazing story it is.

Micheaux didn’t let any obstacle hinder him.  At a time when there weren’t as many opportunities for people of color, Micheaux was able to raise funds to create films that he would write, direct, produce and even personally distribute from town to town!  He would then use the funds from his current film to finance his next movie.  More importantly Micheaux created films of substance that still resonate today.  Micheaux’s films dealt with race relations and featured complex characters in modern day settings.   I wish more people knew about Oscar Micheaux.  Thanks to Francesco Zippel we can.

Oscar Micheaux: The Superhero of Black Filmmaking rates 4 of 5 stars.

“Race with the Devil” (1975) / Z-View

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Race with the Devil (1975)

Director:  Jack Starrett

Screenplay:  Lee Frost, Wes Bishop

Starring:  Peter Fonda, Warren Oates, Loretta Swit, Lara Parker, R.G. Armstrong and Jack Starrett.

Tagline:  If you’re going to race with the devil, you’ve got to be as fast as Hell!.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Frank (Oates) and Roger (Fonda) are vacation with their wives (Swit and Parker) driving backroads across the country.  They make camp one night far from any town.  As the evening winds down, Frank and Roger share a few beers and stories when they see in the distance a huge bonfire.  They go closer for a better look and witness a satanic cult performing a human sacrifice!  Frank and Roger are seen and the chase is on.

I saw Race with the Devil on its initial release in June of 1975.  I was 16 and the perfect audience for a film that was a combination horror, action and car chase mashup.  I re-watched RwtD many times over the years and while it’s not quite as good as 16 year old me remembered it to be, it’s still fun.  If you like drive-in type movies. and don’t think too hard about the plot, then you’ll have an enjoyable ride if you Race with the Devil.