Amazing Rocky Balboa Art by Ethan Pro!
Ethan Pro created the amazing pencil drawing of Sly Stallone as Rocky. You can see much more of Pro’s art (including more Stallone art) at his Instagram.
Category: Movies
RIP: Howard Hesseman
Howard Hesseman, actor and comedian, has died at the age of 81 of complications from colon surgery. Best known for his starring roles on WKRP in Cincinnati and in Head of the Class, Mr. Hesseman has over 150 credits on his acting resume.
Howard Hesseman alternated between roles on television and feature films. In addition to the tv shows mentioned, some of Mr. Hesseman’s major television appearances included roles on The Andy Griffith Show, Sanford and Son, The Bob Newhart Show, Soap, One Day at a Time, The New WKRP in Cincinnati, That ’70s Show, Boston Legal and Fresh Off the Boat. Some feature film appearances include: Billy Jack, The Sunshine Boys, Silent Movie, The Jerk, and Heat.
Surprisingly, I never watched WKRP in Cincinnati or Head of the Class. I still enjoyed seeing Howard Hesseman whenever he appeared in a tv show or movie. I first saw (and remembered him from) Billy Jack. Mr. Hesseman always made whatever show or movie he was in funnier.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Howard Hesseman’s family, friends and fans.
“The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms” / Z-View
The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953)
Director: Eugène Lourié
Screenplay: Lou Morheim, Fred Freiberger (based on a short story by Ray Bradbury)
Starring: Paul Hubschmid, Paula Raymond, Cecil Kellaway, Kenneth Tobey and Lee Van Cleef.
Tagline: They couldn’t believe their eyes! They couldn’t escape the terror! And neither will you!
The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…
When a nuclear blast frees a prehistoric monster, the terror mounts as the dinosaur makes its way to New York City! The true star of The Beast of 20,000 Fathoms is Ray Harryhausen’s Rhedosaurus.
There are a couple of surprisingly frightening scenes when the dinosaur devours some folks! I was also impressed when a bazooka wounds the Rhedosaurus and its blood releases a prehistoric virus that is fatal to humans! That’s a plot twist I wasn’t expecting in a movie made in 1953. A military sharpshooter (played by Lee Van Cleef) with a radioactive shell is humanity’s last hope. The final scenes at a amusement park’s wooden roller coaster are still pretty impressive.
The Beast from 20,000 has some fun moments and rates 3 of 5 stars.
The Sunshine Boys (1975) / Z-View
The Sunshine Boys (1975)
Director: Herbert Ross
Screenplay: Neil Simon
Starring: Walter Matthau, George Burns, Richard Benjamin, F. Murray Abraham and Howard Hesseman.
Tagline: For the price of a movie, you’ll feel like a million!
The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…
At one time Lewis & Clark, aka The Sunshine Boys, were the Kings of Vaudeville. Audiences loved their routines and the comedy duo had a long, successful run. Sadly, when Lewis & Clark broke up, they’d reached the point that neither could stand the other. They haven’t talked in years.
Now an opportunity to perform together on television has appeared. Will The Sunshine Boys be able to put aside past differences and catch lightning in a bottle once again?
As I watched The Sunshine Boys I couldn’t help but think how our perception of the elderly has changed. When Lewis got lost, couldn’t open a door and yelled at people, audiences in 1975 probably thought, “This old guy is quite a character.” I couldn’t help but think, I wonder if he has onset dementia.
I was expecting more laughs from The Sunshine Boys. The best scene is when Lewis & Clark first get together to rehearse the routine they’ll perform on tv. Sadly the rehearsal is funnier than the actual performance. Also Lewis comes off as a real jerk. It’s no wonder Clark didn’t want to perform with him any longer.
Still The Sunshine Boys does have it’s moments. George Burns is a joy and it’s no wonder he won an Oscar for his performance (which was the first movie he’d made in over 30 years)! The scene of Lewis auditioning for a potato chip commercial is funny. The interactions of Lewis & Clark are the heart of the movie and I wish we had more of them.
The Sunshine Boys earns 3 of 5 stars.
“The Cursed” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!
The Cursed has a cool poster and trailer. Deal me in.
US Release Date: February 18, 2022
Starring: Boyd Holbrook, Kelly Reilly, Alistair Petrie
Directed By: Sean Ellis
Synopsis: In rural 19th-century France, a mysterious, possibly supernatural menace threatens a small village. John McBride, a pathologist, comes to town to investigate the danger — and exorcise some of his own demons in the process.
Flu (2013) / Z-View
Flu (2013)
Director: Sung-su Kim
Screenplay: Young-jong Lee, Sung-soo Kim (from a story by Jae-ho Jung)
Starring: Jang Hyuk, Soo Ae, Min-ah Park, Hae-Jin Yoo and Ma Dong-seok.
Tagline: Death goes viral.
The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…
When a fatal airborne virus runs rampant in a suburb of Seoul, a cure must be found before the government resorts to the ultimate solution to end the outbreak. With the clock ticking, a female doctor working on the cure has a personal reason to find it — her daughter is infected.
Ma Dong-seok from Train to Busan fame shows up as a bad guy!
Flu takes time to set everything up, but once the virus begins to spread unrestrained, the stakes are raised. The internment disposal area is mind-blowing. Min-ah Park is an excellent little actress. Although Flu was released in 2013, the subject has never been more relevant. Flu rates 3 of 5 stars.
“Nobody” / Z-View
Nobody (2021)
Director: Ilya Naishuller
Screenplay: Derek Kolstad
Starring: Bob Odenkirk, Aleksey Serebryakov, Connie Nielsen, Christopher Lloyd, Michael Ironside and RZA.
Tagline: Never underestimate a nobody.
The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…
Hutch Mansell lives a mundane life. He has a wife (they are drifting apart), a son and daughter. His job is routine and he’s in a rut. Things get worse when burglars break into his house to rob it and Mansell does nothing to stop them. His son sees him as a coward, and the rest of the family looks at him with pity. What they don’t know is that Mansell used to worked as a CIA “auditor” who was sent in as a last resort to “clear the books”.
As Mansell’s anger builds he goes looking for the two thieves. When five thugs on a bus begin to terrorize a young lady, Mansell takes out his rage on the would-be tough guys, hospitalizing all of them. Unfortunately one of the mooks is the brother of a crazy Russian crime boss who will bring the full weight of his organization down on Mansell and his family.
Let the good times roll!
Nobody can be described as John Wick light. Bob Odenkirk is surprisingly effective as the former CIA auditor and Nobody shows how talented he is. To go from Sal Goodman to Hutch Mansell is more than a stretch. The scene on the bus is fun and surprisingly violent. I referred to Nobody as John Wick light and the humor is what takes it down a notch. Plus when Mansell’s dad (Lloyd) starts blowing away a Russian hit squad you know we’re in a different universe.
I really enjoyed Nobody. It was a fun ride with plenty of action and humor. It rates 4 of 5 stars.
Bruce Lee’s “Way of the Dragon” – Marten Go Presents The Entire Cast!
Marten Go started out wanting to draw the main characters from Bruce Lee’s Way of the Dragon and ended up drawing the entire cast! Click on the photo to see it dragon-sized!
“Alter Ego” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!
I like the looks of Alter Ego, but I think the poster might give away a bit too much.
Detective DiBiasse (Eric Roberts) goes to his last crime scene at the Mansion of a wealthy, paranoid recluse named Alan Schaeffer (Dylan Walsh). He brings with him a new detective and starts explaining the strange story of Alan Schaeffer. A man who recently insisted that one of his creations was coming to kill him, but had no evidence to back up his claim. Surrounded by security that reportedly sees nothing, nobody can help Alan Schaeffer and so the police moved on. Now the Detective is back at this mansion with a horrible, brutal crime scene and no suspect in sight.
“Hellblazers” (2022) / Z-View
Hellblazers (2022)
Director: Justin Lee
Screenplay: Justin Lee
Starring: Adrienne Barbeau, Greg Beaton, Crash Buist, Bruce Dern, Meg Foster and Billy Zane.
The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…
When a satanic cult summons a demon the residents of a very small southwestern town must band together to survive.
Hellblazers is a low, low budget film set in the 1980s. It would have fit right in on a drive-in triple feature from the same time period. If you go in knowing you’re going to get a chance to see older stars in a film that requires you to put your brain on hold to enjoy the ride, you just might (enjoy the ride). Hellblazers makes attempts at humor but never totally commits to comedy. There are a couple of jump scares but isn’t really scary despite being about a satanic cult and a demon from hell killing off the population of a small town.
With that said, I watched with my wife and we found it an okay way to pass the time. Therefore Hellblazers rates 2 of 5 stars.
Fronteras (2018) / Z-View
Fronteras (2018)
Director: Andrew Dean
Screenplay: Andrew Dean
Starring: Cortez Chappell, Steven Sean Garland and Wade Everett
The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…
Shane Estes, a Hispanic Border Patrol Agent, is recruited to join an effective Strike Force team brought in to wipe out the local drug trade. If the team is successful, Estes will get a promotion, but he finds the Strike Force’s methods immoral and illegal. Estes’ boss wants Estes to finish the assignment. As the pressure mounts Estes finds himself at the point of no return.
Fronteras has the set-up for an excellent movie. Sadly the execution falls short. Fronteras rates 2 of 5 stars.
“Hellblazers” – The Trailer is Here!
From time to time you hear read me talking about drive-in movies. They feature c-level celebrities or stars from the past in low budget films usually in the horror genre. Even when they’re not great (which is often) they can be fun. Hellblazers looks like it qualifies as a drive-in movie.
Stars from the past? Tony Todd, Adrienne Barbeau, Bruce Dern, Meg Foster, Billy Zane. Check.
Low budget? Check.
Horror genre? Check.
Fun? I’ll get back to you after I watch it. So deal me in.
Focused on unleashing hell on earth, a satanic cult conjures up a demon and sets to the task of feeding it the populace of a nearby southwestern town.
CAST: Tony Todd, Adrienne Barbeau, Bruce Dern, John Kassir, Meg Foster, Edward Finlay, Ed Morrone, Billy Zane
DIRECTOR: Justin Lee
“The French Connection” / Z-View
The French Connection (1971)
Director: William Friedkin
Screenplay: Ernest Tidyman (based on the book by Robin Moore)
Starring: Gene Hackman, Roy Scheider, Fernando Ray and Tony Lo Bianco.
Tagline: The time is just right for an out and out thriller like this.
The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…
Let me say from the start most folks like The French Connection much more than me. The French Connection was nominated for eight Academy Awards and won five (Best Picture, Best Actor – Hackman; Best Director, Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium and Best Film Editing – Gerald B. Greenberg). When a movie gets that many awards, is the number three box office champ for the year and a reviewer only gives it 3 of 5 stars, your mileage will probably differ.
My biggest problem with The French Connection is the lead characters. Detective Buddy Russo (Scheider) isn’t given much to do other than be Detective Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle’s reluctant sidekick. ‘Popeye’ Doyle (Hackman) is a loud, unlikeable screw-up.
Let me count some of the ways Doyle irritates me. When following the drug importing mastermind, Popeye gets made and played on the subway. Doyle “commandeers” a citizen’s car to chase a sniper making a getaway on an El-train. During the chase he causes multiple wrecks, nearly runs over a lady pushing a baby carriage, and destroys the car he “borrowed”. When Doyle gets into a footrace with the sniper he ends up shooting the guy in the back. The movie culminates with Doyle accidentally shooting an FBI agent and the drug importing mastermind getting away.
Despite the nits I picked, The French Connection has its moments. It features one of the most popular car chases in movie history. Friedkin’s documentary feel influenced filmmakers and it is an excellent example of 70s films (anti-heroes, gritty city settings, good guys don’t always win).
The French Connection rates 3 of 5 stars (but again I stress, your mileage may vary!).
“Welcome to Sudden Death” / Z-View
Welcome to Sudden Death (2020)
Director: Dallas Jackson
Screenplay: Dallas Jackson, Gene Quintano
Starring: Michael Jai White, Michael Eklund and Gary Owen.
The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…
The biggest problem with Welcome to Sudden Death was the marketing. No, really. Hear me out.
Welcome to Sudden Death was advertised as an action-packed remake of the Jean Claude Van Damme movie, Sudden Death. And it is, but… and this is a big but… the reboot is a comedy with action. Folks went into the Michael Jai White version thinking that they were getting a straight up serious action movie. They didn’t and they were rightly disappointed. If Welcome to Sudden Death had been sold as a comedy/action film then audiences wouldn’t have judged it so harshly. Sure, they may have felt it wasn’t funny enough or the mix of action/comedy wasn’t right, but they would have gone in with different expectations.
I had read that the original Sudden Death was supposed to be more of a comedy, but that aspect was toned down when JCVD came on. Welcome to Sudden Death was going to play up the yuks along with the action, I was interested.
While Welcome to Sudden Death isn’t the funniest movie or the best action film you’ll ever see. If you go in knowing that, you shouldn’t be disappointed. The tone is less serious than the original, but not as far out as say, The Naked Gun. Michael Jai White does a good job as the hero. I loved Gary Owen as the reluctant sidekick. The bad guys are over the top, the plot is what you’d expect, but if you want a few laughs and to see Michael Jai White kick butt, then I say, Welcome to Sudden Death.
I liked Welcome to Sudden Death as well if not better than the JCVD original I rate it 3 of 5 stars.
RIP: Louie Anderson
Louie Anderson, born Louis Perry Anderson, died today at the age of 68, from blood cancer. Louie was a stand-up comedian, actor, author and game show host.
Louie Anderson began his career as a stand-up comedian but soon began making appearances with small roles in movies. A comedy special led to more acting roles, his own animated television show (Life with Louie which ran for three seasons and won two Emmys) and a live action series (The Louie Show). Louie continued to act on television, in feature films, as well as doing stand-up comedy and game show hosting throughout his career. Along the way he found time to author four books!
Louie Anderson was such a likeable person that his appearances on talk shows, tv guest spots and movie roles were always welcome. Louie’s stand-up comedy put him in a league with the very best. He will be missed.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Louie Anderson’s family, friends and fans.
