Category: Movies

“The Line King: The Al Hirschfeld Story” (1996) / Z-View

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The Line King: The Al Hirschfeld Story (1996) Director:  Susan Warms Dryfoos Screenplay: Susan Warms Dryfoos The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Al Hirschfeld lived a long and interesting life.  His career spanned over 80 years and Mr. Hirschfeld continued to create art until his death from natural causes at the age of 99.

At 17, Al Hirschfeld was named the Art Director of Selznick Pictures where he created or oversaw the making of all the company’s movie posters.  In his 20s he traveled the world to study and refine his art style. When he returned to the US a chance conversation led to his art appearing in the New York Times.  After that there was no looking back.

Hirschfeld went on to become one of the world’s most popular and influential artists.  His art appeared regularly in the New York Times (for 70 years), and could be seen in The New Yorker, Colliers, TV Guide, Playbill and Rolling Stone (just to name a few).  This documentary does an excellent job of presenting Al Hirschfeld’s life and art — both of which are extraordinary.  I really liked The Line King: The Al Hirschfeld Story and it rates 4 of 5 stars.

The video below isn’t a trailer for The Line King: The Al Hirschfeld Story because I couldn’t find one.  Instead this is a profile from CBS Sunday Morning of a Hirschfeld Art Exhibit.

RIP: Peter Bogdanovich

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Peter Bogdanovich died today at the age of 82 from natural causes.  Mr. Bogdanovich immersed his life in the world of cinema where he excelled as a writer, director, actor, producer and more.  

Like so many others, Peter Bogdanovich’s career began working for Roger Corman.  A few years later Corman produced Targets, written/directed by Peter Bogdanovich with Boris Karloff in the starring role.  While Targets gave some attention to Mr. Bogdanovich’s talents, it was The Last Picture Show that made him a household name.

The Last Picture Show featured an all-star cast (many before they became well known actors/actresses) directed by Peter Bogdanovich in a story that he co-wrote with Larry McMurtry.   The film was a hit with critics, the public and earned multiple nominations and awards from The Academy Awards, The Golden Globes, The Directors’ Guild and more.

After The Last Picture Show, Peter Bogdanovich would go on to write, act, and direct projects that interested him.  Some of the films he directed include: What’s Up, Doc?, Paper Moon, and Mask.  He also wrote and directed a well-received documentary The Great Buster about silent film star Buster Keaton.  Last year Peter Bogdanovich along with TCM host Ben Mankiewicz, began a documentary podcast about Bogdanovich’s life in Hollywood. Mr. Bogdanovich was a hit on talk shows because of his extensive knowledge of film history and his friendships with top Hollywood celebrities.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Peter Bogdanovich’s family, friends and fans. 

“The Ledge” Trailer is Here!

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I like the looks of The Ledge and plan to check it out (even if the trailer gives away a bit too much).

A rock climbing adventure between two friends turns into a terrifying nightmare. After Kelly (Brittany Ashworth) captures the murder of her best friend on camera, she becomes the next target of a tight-knit group of friends who will stop at nothing to destroy the evidence and anyone in their way. Desperate for her safety, she begins a treacherous climb up a mountain cliff and her survival instincts are put to the test when she becomes trapped with the killers just 20 feet away.

Featuring: Brittany Ashworth, Ben Lamb, Louis Boyer, Nathan Welsh, Anaïs Parello, David Wayman

“Last Survivors” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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The poster is clever, but the trailer sold me on Last Survivors.  The twist was unexpected and didn’t do anything to spoil the movie.  Deal me in.

LAST SURVIVORS takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where Troy (Stephen Moyer) raises his now grown son, Jake (Drew Van Acker), in a perfect wooded utopia thousands of miles away from the decayed cities. When Troy is severely wounded, Jake is forced to travel to the outside world to find life-saving medicine. Ordered to kill anyone he encounters, Jake defies his father by engaging in a forbidden relationship with a mysterious woman, Henrietta (Alicia Silverstone). As Jake continues this dangerous affair, Troy will stop at nothing to get rid of Henrietta and protect the perfect utopia he created.

Starring Drew Van Acker, Alicia Silverstone, Stephen Moyer
Directed by Drew Mylrea

“The Matrix Resurrections” (2021) / Z-View

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The Matrix Resurrections (2021) Director: Lana Wachowski Screenplay:  Lana Wachowski, David Mitchell, Aleksander Hemon

Starring:  Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jonathan Groff, Neil Patrick Harris, Jada Pinkett Smith, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Christina Ricci and Freema Agyeman.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

I loved The Matrix.  It was a genre-changing film that’s impact spread throughout pop culture.  The Matrix was well-written, well directed, featured the perfect cast and told a complete story. Any sequel would be hard-pressed to live up to the original.

The two Matrix films that followed were entertaining but didn’t (couldn’t) match what came first.

Eighteen years later we get a fourth Matrix movie aptly titled The Matrix Resurrections.  Thankfully Lana Wachowski (who co-wrote & co-directed the original Matrix trilogy with her sister Lilly Wachowski) returned to co-write (with a new team) and direct The Matrix Resurrections. Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss, the stars of the original trilogy, also returned.  Surprisingly word leaked out that had not Wachowski agreed to return Warner Bros. was still prepared to create a fourth film.

When The Matrix Resurrections begins we find Thomas Anderson (Neo) is a middle-aged man working for an entertainment company. His claim to fame is that years before he created an interactive video game called The Matrix that revolutionized the industry.  Now the company wants a new version.  (Sounds like film imitating reality, right?)

Wha-?  Wait a minute.  Neo is a middle aged computer gaming programmer?  But? But?  And what about Trinity?  What about -?

Hang on.  All will be explained.

The set-up of The Matrix Resurrections places Thomas Anderson/Neo in a situation where he begins to remember all that came before, but questions the memory’s reality and his sanity.  Mr. Anderson is seeing a therapist to work out his issues, but the therapist may not have Anderson’s best interests in mind.  As Anderson/Neo comes to grips with true reality, he realizes that his decisions will save or kill Trinity… and perhaps the world.

The Matrix Resurrections is very self-aware with in-jokes and nods to the first films.  That along with seeing Neo and Trinity back on the big-screen are the things I liked best about the new film.  There are good action scenes and it’s interesting to see how self-referential they’ve made the movie.

The problem for me is I didn’t want to see a film where Neo and Trinity didn’t live happily ever-after.  We’ve spent three movies watching them fall in love, sacrifice all for the other and finally got the chance to be together in a more perfect world.  In The Matrix Resurrections we learn that sixty years have passed, Neo and Trinity are not together.  That’s a pretty off-putting set-up. At this point after three movies we don’t want to learn that all that came before was for nothing.  Still, the concept, action, love story and good will the characters have developed over four movies keep me invested.

Over all I enjoyed The Matrix Resurrections.  It’s not on the same level as the original, but is as good as the second two films in the series.  I rate it 3 of 5 stars.

“Blacklight” starring Liam Neeson – The Poster and Trailer are Here! – “They’re Gonna Need More Men”

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I like the poster, the tagline and the trailer for Blacklight starring Liam Neeson.  Deal me in.

In the tense action thriller BLACKLIGHT, LIAM NEESON stars as Travis Block, a freelance government operative living on the fringes and coming to terms with his shadowy past. When he discovers an undercover team that’s targeting U.S. citizens, Block finds himself in the crosshairs of the FBI director (AIDAN QUINN) he once helped protect. But as Block attempts redemption by enlisting a journalist (EMMY RAVER-LAMPMAN) to get the truth out, his daughter and granddaughter are threatened — and a danger that has existed on the margins.

Movie Franchises That Should Have Stopped at the First!

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Devin Meenan at CBR.com created a list of 10 Movie Franchises Where The First Film Is The Best.  Meenan’s list is a good one and I’d only disagree with…

#8 Alien Was Lightning In A Bottle.  While Alien is an awesome movie, I’m not prepared to say it is better than Aliens.  Both are amazing, but if push came to shove and I had to pick one for the top spot it would be Aliens.

#7 Terminator Has Seen Diminishing Returns.  I’ll agree that Terminator is a great film.  I’ll also agree that the sequels after Terminator 2: Judgment Day fell short.  Again, if I had to pick just one, T2 would get the nod.  (I’d also like to point out that despite what Meenan says in the heading for Terminator, T2 made more at the box office.)

Two other film franchises that I would have included are HIghlander (There should have been only one!) and Escape from… (NY over LA).

“Janet” Jackson – The Poster and Extended Trailer are Here!

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I like her music/videos and am interested in seeing the Janet Jackson documentary.

It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for. Night one of #Janetdoc premieres Friday, January 28th at 8/7c.

The four-hour event, in celebration of the 40th anniversary of Janet’s first album, Janet Jackson (1982), is set to simulcast on Lifetime and A&E, two of the flagship channels of the A+E Networks portfolio. With full, unprecedented access to the global icon, JANET is an intimate, honest and unfiltered look at her untold story. Producers Workerbee have been filming the incredible documentary for over three years and were granted exclusive access to archival footage and Janet’s never before seen home videos, along with star-studded interviews.

This will be the definitive story on Janet Jackson. One of the best-selling and highest-earning artists in music history, Janet has enjoyed immense levels of success, experienced incredible tragedy, and endured a tumultuous private life in the face of extraordinary public scrutiny. With no stone left unturned, JANET lifts the lid on her private life for the very first time and reveals some of her most intimate moments ever caught on camera.

Keanu Reeves’ List of Movies Everyone Should See!

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Keanu Reeves is the focus of a cover story in the Winter issue of Esquire magazine.  In the piece Keanu Reeves Shares His List of the Movies Everyone Should Watch.  It’s an interesting list with some surprising picks.  Here are the movies the chosen one chose (and my thoughts on each):

The Neon Demon: Stars Elle Fanning, Christina Hendricks and Keanu Reeves.  I’ve not only never seen The Neon Demon, I don’t remember hearing about it.

A Clockwork Orange: is a classic.

Rollerball:  There are two versions.  I prefer the original starring James Caan (and I’ll bet Keanu does too).

The Bad Batch:  Here is another film I haven’t heard of. It stars Suki Waterhouse (?) and Jason Mamoa.  Here’s the synopsis – In a desert dystopia, a young woman is kidnapped by cannibals.  I’m going to put The Bad Batch on my list of movies to be seen.

Dr. Strangelove: is a classic that gets better with every viewing.  Must see.

Seven Samurai: is also a classic that influenced movies worldwide.

Amadeus:  I saw Amadeus years ago and liked it.

Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead:  I’ve never seen this one.

The Evil Dead:  I’ve seen The Evil Dead and it didn’t like it as much as most folks.

Raising Arizona: is a truly funny movie that just writing about makes me want to watch it again.

The Big Lebowski: is another film I’ve never seen.  (I know, I know.  I need to correct that.)

La Femme Nikita (the French version):  I’ve never seen the French version.

The Professional: is an excellent film that kickstarted Natalie Portman’s career.

Young Frankenstein: A classic that should be seen as part of a double feature with the film below.

Blazing Saddles: A classic that should be seen as part of a double feature with the film above.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail: I’ve seen MPatHG and it had its moments but it doesn’t rate as high with me as it does with most folks.

The Outlaw Josey Wales:  Arguably Eastwood’s best western.  (Ok.  I won’t argue it, but let’s agree The Outlaw Josey Wales is one of his best movies.)

The Road Warrior: Mad Max 2: is an excellent choice for movies everyone should see.  Make it a part of a double feature with Mad Max: Fury Road and make an evening of it!

Craig’s 2021 Best Movies, Books, and Posts Lists!

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End of the Year lists are fun and so I decided to compile a few of my own. I hope you enjoy them. Below is my Best Of list for 2021…

Movies and Limited Series

In 2021, I watched 372 movies. Most were streamed. The only film I saw in a theater was Rocky vs Drago, Sly Stallone’s Director’s Cut of Rocky IV. Although the total movies watched was less than last year, it was still nearly double of what I saw prior to retiring.  My favorite films and limited series released in 2021 included:

  • Army of the Dead
  • Blood Brothers: Malcolm X & Muhammad Ali
  • No Sudden Move
  • Rocky IV: Rocky vs Drago Director’s Cut
  • Midnight Mass
  • Who Killed Malcolm X?

Books

In 2021, I read 39 books (5 more than last year). Prior to retiring I usually read about 20 – 24 per year so the increase is a good sign that I’ll some day make it through my book cases of “to be read” books.  My favorites from this year included:

  • The Revelators by Ace Atkins
  • Winter Counts by David Heska Wanbli Weiden
  • Two in the Head by Eric Beetner
  • She Rides Shotgun by Jordan Harper
  • Paradise Sky by Joe Lansdale
  • Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. Cosby
  • Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby
  • The Heathens by Ace Atkins
  • The Driver by Hart Hanson
  • My Darkest Prayer by S.A. Cosby

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 2021 and some thoughts for each…

10. Michael Biehn Talks “Tombstone” – broke into the top ten. I’m not surprised due to the continuing popularity of Tombstone.

09. Jack Benny in “Casablanca” – dropped from the 7th spot to the 9th. I love that Jack Benny is still popular enough to make the top ten for the year since I consider him very under-rated.

08. Gadot & The Rock Strike a Pose – Two of the most popular movie stars in the world together? Yep and that’s why they came in at #8.

07. Top 10 Most Iconic Horror Movie Villains – dropped from #5 to #7 for the year. Horror movie posts remain popular but maybe a bit less this year than last year.

06. The Girl Who Didn’t “Flinch” Trailer is Here! – This one surprised me more than any other post. A crime film from a director and cast I didn’t know and it not only made the top ten most popular posts of the year but also nearly made the top 5.

05. Rare “Batman” Screen Tests: Lyle Waggoner & Peter Deyell and Adam West & Burt Ward – I love that this one got a lot of love this year.

04. Dracula Through the Ages – was our 4th most popular post last year. Horror movies always get love and Dracula counts (see what I did there) as horror.

03. Louis Meyers: Evidence He was the Zodiac Killer – came in the #2 spot last year. Real life horror trumps fictional this time.

02. Schwarzenegger in “King Lear” & Robin Williams in “Jack and the Beanstalk” – was our most popular post last year and clocks in at #2 this year.

01. The TWILIGHT ZONE New Year’s Eve Marathon is Coming and the Full Schedule is Out! – was the most popular post of the year and surprised me almost as much as The Girl Who Didn’t “Flinch” Trailer is Here!

My All-Time Most Popular Posts

There weren’t many changes on the All-Time Most Popular Posts list. One post managed to break through while the others mostly stayed in their same spots. Let’s see how things shook out…

10. Dracula Through the Ages – made it into the top ten!

09. Gadot & The Rock Strike a Pose – was in the 9th spot last year and remained there this year.

08. Real Clown or Horror Movie Clown? – was in the 7th spot last year and dropped to 8.

07. Joel Osteen in Jacksonville – dropped one spot from 6th to 7th.

06. TOP 10 MOST ICONIC HORROR MOVIE VILLAINS! – moved up 2 spots from 8 to 6 this year.

05. Steve Reeves as Superman – was the #5 all-time most popular post last year and continues to be this year.

04. New Billy the Kid Photo Discovered – was the #4 all-time most popular post last year and continues to be this year.

03. Zodiac Killer Code Cracked? – was the #3 all-time most popular post last year and continues to be this year.

02. Louis Meyers: Evidence He Was the Zodiac Killer – was the #2 all-time most popular post last year and continues to be this year.

01. Schwarzenegger in “King Lear” & Robin Williams in “Jack and the Beanstalk” – was #1 last year and continues to be our most popular post of all-time.

It’s always interesting to see which topics resonate with fans and continue to be popular long after their initial post.

RIP: Betty White

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Betty White, the beloved comedian, actress and author died today from natural causes at the age of 99.  Betty White’s career began in radio in the 1940s.  She transitioned to television working on local stations in 1949.  From 1952 to 1955, Betty White starred in (and also co-created and co-produced) Life with Elizabeth which was syndicated nationally.  Following Life with Elizabeth, Ms. White would go on to appear in television series, game and talk shows and the occasional feature film.

Betty White’s breakout role came in 1973 when she joined The Mary Tyler Moore Show playing Sue Ann Nivens, a woman in her 50s who was always on the prowl for a man.  She was a hit with critics and fans. Betty White won two (of her 5) Emmys for her efforts as Sue Ann Nivens.  When The Mary Tyler Moore Show ended Ms. White continued to stay busy with her own show (The Betty White Show, 1977-78) as well as guest appearances on television programs and tv movies.  She was so popular she ended up with recurring roles on The Love Boat, Mama’s Family and Empty Nest.

At the age of 63 (when many folks are considering retirement), Betty White landed the role of Rose Nyland on The Golden Girls.  The series ran for seven seasons and Ms. White returned as Rose for the sequel series The Golden Palace (which ran for one season).  Betty White’s portrayal of Rose Nyland won her another Emmy and she was nominated every year of The Golden Girls run!  

Betty White continued to make guest appearances (often in recurring roles) for the remainder of her career.  Her popularity continued to grow with each passing year.  Betty White’s 100 birthday was less than three weeks from today.  A big celebration that was to be filmed to mark the occasion will go on as planned and is tentatively titled “Betty White: 100 Years Young — A Birthday Celebration.“

Although she was 99 years old, Betty White’s passing came as a surprise. I loved how her popularity grew as she got older.  It was always a pleasure to see her guest appearances and who didn’t love her as Sue Ann Nivens or Rose Nyland?  From all accounts Betty White was as wonderful a human being as she appeared to be. The world is a little less fun now that she is gone.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Betty White’s family, friends and fans.

 

“Don’t Look Up” / Z-View

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Don’t Look Up (2021) Director: Adam McKay Screenplay: Adam McKay

Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ryan Reynolds, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchette, Rob Morgan, Jonah Hill, Tyler Perry,  Timothée Chalamet, Ron Perlman, Ariana Grande, Michael Chiklis  and Paul Guilfoyle.

Tagline: Based on truly possible events. The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

When a grad student (Lawrence) and her professor (DiCaprio) discover a huge comet on a collision course with Earth they bring the information up the chain of command to the President (Streep).  Unfortunately the information about the possible end of the world comes at a bad time — the mid-term elections are just around the corner.  Although sworn to secrecy, Lawrence and DiCaprio take the information to the media.  Now that the world knows action will be taken… or not.

A satire about an apocalyptic disaster with this all-star cast had so much potential.  Sadly, Don’t Look Up is a bit heavy-handed and long.  Lawrence and DiCaprio come off as neurotic worriers needing medication to get through the day (even before the discovery of a planet-killer comet on collision course with us).  Streep and her followers are in denial (Hence, the Don’t Look Up title) and more interested in ratings, money and being re-elected.  This set-up could have worked if we had some likeable characters and tighter editing.

There are funny scenes and set-ups.  Lawrence and DiCaprio are forced to wait for hours and hours to see the President with perhaps the most important information ever. Then when they finally do get in, the President and her staff downplay the danger because of ratings.  There’s potential laughs in how both conservatives and liberals react to the knowledge that the comet is coming.  It’s interesting that both groups find ways to make money off the comet – a concert for the libs and a rally for the President’s followers.  The way the media delivers the message to the masses and makes stars of some and ignoring others is ripe for laughs.  And we do get a few, but not enough to get better than a 2 star rating.

Concept Art for “Rebel Moon” from Zack Snyder!

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Zack Snyder posted this concept art for Rebel Moon, the next feature that is on the fast-track for Snyder to direct.  Sofia (Hotel Artemis, Atomic Blonde) Boutella is set to star in the feature co-written by Snyder, Shay (Army of the Dead) Hatten and Kurt (300) Johnstad.  In Rebel Moon, which some have dubbed “Seven Samurai in Outer Space” Boutella plays a woman…

…who seeks out warriors from nearby planets to protect her peaceful home colony from an army of vicious invaders…

Deal me in.

For more information check out Rebel Moon Concept Art Revealed By Director Zack Snyder by Sandy Schaefer at /Film.