Previews and Reviews that are Z's Views
I really like Nicolas Gremaud’s riff on First Blood. Everything about this works from the expression on Rambo’s face to the colors to the small motorcycle / police car chase in the lower left. You can see a slightly bigger version here and more of Gremaud’s art at his personal site or his Instagram.
Thanks to Regan Greenard for the heads-up.
Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story teaser looks wonderful. I think the time is right for a film like this – one that will take us to another time and place filled with great music, dancing and a story of forbidden love. I look forward to seeing Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story.
Directed by Academy Award® winner Steven Spielberg, from a screenplay by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award® winner Tony Kushner, “West Side Story” tells the classic tale of fierce rivalries and young love in 1957 New York City. This reimagining of the beloved musical stars Ansel Elgort (Tony); Rachel Zegler (María); Ariana DeBose (Anita); David Alvarez (Bernardo); Mike Faist (Riff); Josh Andrés Rivera (Chino); Ana Isabelle (Rosalía); Corey Stoll (Lieutenant Schrank); Brian d’Arcy James (Officer Krupke); and Rita Moreno (as Valentina, who owns the corner store in which Tony works). Moreno – one of only three artists to be honored with Academy®, Emmy®, GRAMMY®, Tony® and Peabody Awards – also serves as one of the film’s executive producers.
Bringing together the best of both Broadway and Hollywood, the film’s creative team includes Kushner, who also serves as an executive producer; Tony Award® winner Justin Peck, who choreographed the musical numbers in the film; renowned Los Angeles Philharmonic conductor and GRAMMY Award® winner Gustavo Dudamel, who helmed the recording of the iconic score; Academy Award®-nominated composer and conductor David Newman (“Anastasia”), who arranged the score; Tony Award®-winning composer Jeanine Tesori (“Fun Home,” “Thoroughly Modern Millie”), who supervised the cast on vocals; and Grammy®-nominated music supervisor Matt Sullivan (“Beauty and the Beast,” “Chicago”), who served as executive music producer for the film. The film is produced by Spielberg, Academy Award®-nominated producer Kristie Macosko Krieger and Tony Award®-winning producer Kevin McCollum. “West Side Story” has been adapted for the screen from the original 1957 Broadway show, with book by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and concept, direction and choreography by Jerome Robbins.
From 20th Century Studios, The Walt Disney Company will release “West Side Story” in U.S. theaters on December 10, 2021.
I love how creepy this London After Midnight still is. London After Midnight starred Lon Chaney and was directed and co-produced by Tod Browning! There is no known copy of the film (the last known print was destroyed in a fire in the 1960s) and is considered to be the most “sought-after” lost film. From WikipediA…
London After Midnight (also marketed as The Hypnotist) is a lost 1927 American silent mystery film with horror overtones directed and co-produced by Tod Browning and starring Lon Chaney, with Marceline Day, Conrad Nagel, Henry B. Walthall and Polly Moran. The film was distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and was based on the scenario “The Hypnotist”, also written by Browning.
I truly hope that a copy of the film is found for fans, like me, to see.
Miki Edge Disseny is a graphic artist who makes alternative posters and t-shirts. He created the Rocky poster above and the Cobra print below. I like them both, but the Cobra really resonates with me. If you click over to Disseny’s Instagram you’ll see cool designs for Salem’s Lot, The Thing, Brawl in Cell Block 99, Die Hard, The Crow, John Wick and much more!
Unhinged (2020)
Director: Derrick Borte
Screenplay: Carl Ellsworth
Stars: Russell Crowe, Caren Pistorius, Gabriel Bateman.
The Pitch: “It’s Spielberg’s Duel crossed with the scariest monster you can imagine!”
Tagline: He can happen to anyone.
The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…
Rachael is having a bad day. She’s going through a rough divorce. Her mom has just been moved into an assisted living home that Rachael can’t afford, her out of work brother and his “fiancé” have moved in with her and her teenage son. To make this bad day even worse, Rachel overslept. She’s got to drive her son to school, herself to work and both will be late. Yeah, Rachel is having a bad day.
It’s about to get worse.
At an intersection Rachael finds herself behind a big truck that just sits when the light turns green. She’s already late and this guy isn’t moving. So she lays on the horn. Still no movement. She lays on the horn again and then pulls around him. As she passes the truck she gives the driver a gesture letting him know she’s pissed.
As it turns out, the guy in the truck is having a worse day. His wife was divorcing him, going after his house and all his assets, and having an affair with her attorney. I say was divorcing him because she (nor her attorney-lover) are now in a position to do anything. Yeah, this guy is having a real bad day and Rachael’s actions have pushed him to the limit.
He pulls up beside her and gives her a chance to apologize. This just infuriates her and she says things to make it worse, not realizing that she’s dealing with a man who is about to come unhinged. And he does.
To tell more would be to tell too much. Suffice it to say, Unhinged delivers thrills and continues to ratchet up the tension until the very satisfying climax. Crowe is perfect as the man who is on a mission to destroy Rachael by killing everyone dear to her before he is killed. What makes Crowe so scary is he knows he’s going to die, probably at the hands of the police, and he is alright with that. For him it is just a question of how much damage he can do before they get him.
Caren Pistorius is excellent as Rachael. What I liked about her character is that she creates most of her issues and it is her actions that sets everything in motion. This is a nice change from the innocent woman in the wrong place at the wrong time. Pistorius is believable as Rachael. Kudos also to Gabriel Bateman who plays her son, Kyle. He comes off as sympathetic and likeable.
Crowe deserves special praise for his portrayal of the nameless man who becomes Unhinged. He isn’t just a one-dimensional psycho killer, and perhaps that is what makes him scarier than Jason, Michael Myers or any of the other monsters we’re used to seeing.
If you’re looking for a action-thriller, then you should consider Unhinged. I really liked it!
When I first watched Unhinged, I was impressed. The movie was better than I thought it would be. Since that viewing, I’ve watched Unhinged a few times. It holds up with each viewing. My initial rating for Unhinged was 4 stars, but that changes today with an updated 5 star review. As always your mileage may vary.
The Creature from the Black Lagoon is one of my favorite monster movies. As you probably know, it was filmed in black and white, so color photos of the Creature are rare.
Source: Cazzie.
Edge of the World looks interesting. I like the poster, the trailer and look forward to seeing the movie.
In 1839, Brooke flees Victorian England to explore Borneo. After a pirate attack, Brooke allies with rival princes to seize a rebel fort. To save prisoners from beheading, Brooke agrees to be crowned Rajah. James begs the Royal Navy for a steamship to fight pirates, but the British want his kingdom as a colony. Makota’s pirates massacre Brooke’s capital, leaving James half-dead. To save his people, he must shed Englishness and embrace the jungle: “All of it, the beauty and the blood.”
Wow! I like the poster and love the trailer for The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. The addition of the true crime (although I’ll have to look into how true the crime is) aspect works for me. I like everything about this so far and it may end up being my favorite of The Conjuring films.
True horror returns. Based on the case files of Ed and Lorraine Warren. #TheConjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, in theaters and HBO Max June 4.
“The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It” reveals a chilling story of terror, murder and unknown evil that shocked even experienced real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. One of the most sensational cases from their files, it starts with a fight for the soul of a young boy, then takes them beyond anything they’d ever seen before, to mark the first time in U.S. history that a murder suspect would claim demonic possession as a defense.
Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson return to star as Lorraine and Ed Warren, under the direction of Michael Chaves (“The Curse of La Llorona”). The film also stars Ruairi O’Connor (Starz’ “The Spanish Princess”), Sarah Catherine Hook (Hulu’s “Monsterland”) and Julian Hilliard (the series “Penny Dreadful: city of Angels” and “The Haunting of Hill House”).
“The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It” was produced by James Wan and Peter Safran, who have collaborated on all the “Conjuring” Universe films. Chaves directed from a screenplay by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick (“The Conjuring 2,” “Aquaman”), story by James Wan & David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, based on characters created by Chad Hayes & Carey W. Hayes. Serving as executive producers were Richard Brener, Dave Neustadter, Victoria Palmeri, Michael Clear, Judson Scott and Michelle Morrissey.
The behind-the-scenes creative team reunited “Conjuring” Universe contributors, including director of photography Michael Burgess, production designer Jennifer Spence, costume designer Leah Butler and composer Joseph Bishara, along with the director’s editor from “The Curse of La Llorona,” Peter Gvozdas, and editor Christian Wagner (“Furious 7”).
“The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It” is the seventh film in the “Conjuring” Universe, the largest horror franchise in history, which has grossed more than $1.8 billion worldwide. It includes the first two “Conjuring” films, as well as “Annabelle” and “Annabelle: Creation,” “The Nun,” and “Annabelle Comes Home.”
New Line Cinema presents An Atomic Monster/A Peter Safran Production, “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It.” It will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. The film opens in theatres and IMAX nationwide on June 4, 2021 and will be available on HBO Max for 31 days from theatrical release. The film is rated R for terror, violence and some disturbing images.
With the Werewolves Within trailer we learn that the movie will be a combination horror – mystery – comedy. While I’m not expecting great things, I’ll check it out hoping for a fun ride. Oh, and did you notice that Lilly (Milana Vayntrub) from the AT&T commercials is one of the stars?
Director: Josh Ruben
Starring: Milana Vayntrub, Cheyenne Jackson, Michaela WatkinsWhen a killer terrorizes the snowed-in residents of a small town, it falls to the new forest ranger to find out who – or what – lurks among them in this hilarious horror whodunnit.
The TCM Classic Film Festival runs this year from May 6th through the 9th. It is totally virtual and this year TCM is teaming with HBO Max to…
…feature more than 100 films, brand new conversations with over 30 special guests, rarely seen gems from the TCM archives and special presentations.
Here are the films/events that I look forward to…
May 6th
11:15pm TCM Mean Streets (1973) – A young hood in New York’s Little Italy contends with saving the neck of his hotheaded best friend from the local loan shark and struggles with the religious guilt prompted by his lifestyle.
May 7th
1:30am TCM Dr. X (1932) – TCM premiere of recently restored version. The new two-color Technicolor master was restored by UCLA Film and Television Archive and The Film Foundation in association with Warner Bros. Entertainment.
8:00pm TCM Plan 9 From Outer Space Table Read (2020) – Television premiere. SF Sketchfest Presents a table read of Ed Wood’s Plan 9 From Outer Space (1959), adapted by comedian Dana Gould and featuring Maria Bamford, Bobcat Goldthwait, Oscar Nuñez, Laraine Newman, Bob Odenkirk, David Koechner, Janet Varney, Jonah Ray, Paul F. Tompkins, Gary Anthony Williams, Baron Vaughn, Deborah Baker Jr. and Kat Aagesen. (Followed by the original Plan 9 From Outer Space (1959) film at 9:30pm.)
May 8th
3:15am TCM let me come in (2021) – World broadcast premiere presentation of Bill Morrison’s experimental short featuring decayed film reels from the lost, German silent film Pawns of Passion (1928). Co-presented by The Los Angeles Opera with composer David Lang and soprano Angel Blue, and in partnership with the Library of Congress Audio Visual Conservation Center.
4:00am TCM Underworld U.S.A. (1961) – A bitter young man sets out to get back at the gangsters who murdered his father.
6:00am TCM TEX AVERY: THE KING OF CARTOONS (1988) – Documentary about the life and career of animator and director Frederick Bean “Tex” Avery.
7:00am TCM TEX AVERY AT MGM (1943-1955) – Compilation of cartoons directed by Tex Avery during his years at MGM. Featured cartoons: Red Hot Riding Hood (1943), Bad Luck Blackie (1949), Deputy Droopy (1955), Screwball Squirrel (1944), King-Size Canary (1947), T.V. of Tomorrow (1953) and Symphony in Slang (1955).
8:00am TCM I LOVE TROUBLE (1947) – TCM premiere. A private detective is hired by a politician to check on his wife’s background.
8:00pm TCM THEY WON’T BELIEVE ME (1947) – World premiere of a recent 4K restoration from the nitrate film. This restoration returns the film to its original 95 minutes thanks to the return of 15 minutes of original footage cut by RKO at the film’s reissue in the 1950s. A philandering playboy with a wealthy wife and two girlfriends ends up on trial for murder when two of the ladies turn up dead, and he’s the most likely suspect.
10:00pm TCM LADY SINGS THE BLUES (1972) – The story of jazz singer Billie Holiday: from her early life of poverty and abuse, through her successful career and eventual downfall from heroin addiction.
*** Presented in partnership with the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, featuring conversation with Jacqueline Stewart, TCM Host and Academy Museum Chief Artistic and Programming Officer
May 9th
8:00pm TCM SO THIS IS PARIS (1926) – World premiere restoration featuring a new score by composer Ben Model. A married doctor falls for a dancer while his wife develops an attraction to the dancer’s husband.
9:30pm TCM THE GOODBYE GIRL (1977) – Paula is a divorced mother and ex-Broadway dancer, who learns that her lover has left her only when aspiring actor Elliot arrives to sublet the apartment in the middle of the night. Their uneasy truce blossoms into love.
*** NEW! Conversation with Richard Dreyfuss
11:45pm TCM FAME (1980) – Five outstandingly gifted students at New York’s High School of Performing Arts are followed as they prepare for careers in show business. A budding singer, two actors, a dancer and a musician polish their crafts as they struggle to excel academically in the demanding school.
*** NEW! Conversation with Debbie Allen
2:15am TCM – BREATHLESS (1960) – A petty criminal, wanted for the murder of a police officer, returns to Paris where he meets an American girl who hawks newspapers. They become lovers, but eventually the police pressure her into betraying him and revealing his whereabouts.
HBO Max created a TCM hub where “starting at 8pm ET on Thursday, May 6 Festival programming will be presented in specially-crafted themes for you to explore featuring exclusive new interviews with actors and filmmakers, special presentations by notable film experts, rarely seen archival content and a wide selection of beloved classic movies curated by the experts at TCM.”
Click here to view the full TCM schedule and here to view the HBO Max offerings.
I like the poster and trailer for American Badger. I’m not expecting “great” but hoping for at least “good”. Oh and, I really like the tag line: There’s a thin line between redemption and revenge.
A ruthless hit man faces a moral dilemma when he receives orders to kill a call girl.
He goes by the name Badger because his real name is Dean, and that’s the lamest name ever for a hitman. But really, it was his ex-wife that gave him that name before she left him. And who could blame her?
He’s not exactly the marrying type; and like all American Badgers, he prefers to be alone. In fact he has hardly spoken a word to anyone except his Handler in 4451 days. But all that is about to change with his latest assignment. His job is to make friends with a call girl and extract information from her about the inner workings of an Albanian gang she works for. Her name is Velvet and she is the closest thing the Albanian mob boss Vasily has to family; she is like a daughter to him — an abused, terrified, sex-trafficked daughter. The Badger isn’t good at making friends, but he’s excellent at following orders; so despite his initial objections, he finds Velvet and makes an awkward, yet heroic introduction. Even though he identifies himself as a recluse, he quickly realizes that he is much more vulnerable than he thought he was. As their new friendship takes a sharp turn into an unlikely romance, his Handler tells him that it is time to kill the girl, Vasily’s partners, and Vasily himself. What does a badger do when it is cornered on all sides? Badgers are very territorial and will fight to the death to protect the things they care about. The ensuing carnage was to be expected, but the freedom and confidence he gives Velvet was something that nobody would have seen coming.Genre: Action, Mystery And Thriller
Original Language: English
Director: Kirk Caouette
Producer: Ines Eisses, Jacqueline Nguyen, Rick Podd
Writer: Kirk Caouette
Runtime: 1h 22m
Production Co: Real Fiction Productions
Jim Steinman, lyricist of million-selling hit records, died yesterday at the age of 73. No cause of death was released.
Steinman is best known for his collaborations with Meat Loaf on the albums Bat Out of Hell (1977) and Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell (1993). Bat Out of Hell produced two top ten hits: “Two of Three Ain’t Bad” and “Paradise by the Dashboard Light” and became one of the best-selling albums ever. Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell released one single: “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)” that spent five weeks at No. 1. Steinman also penned the music and book for Bat Out of Hell: The Musical which ran from February through April in Manchester, England.
Steinman may have been known best for his two collaborations with Meat Loaf, but he composed and produced hits with many other artists including…
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Jim Steinman’s family, friends and fans.
![](http://stallonezone.com/zone/2021/z042021rambo3poster_marko_manev.png" alt="" width="500" height="747)
I like this Rambo III poster by Marko Manev. This is Marko’s third appearance here. The first was for his Pulp Fiction poster and the second, his poster for The Thing. I can’t wait to see what he will do next.
Source: Brian Stooss.
The poster and trailer for Truman & Tennessee can be found here. Truman and Tennessee are, of course, Truman Capote and Tennessee Williams. I don’t know much about either man other than they were considered great writers. They created excellent books (Capote) and plays (Williams) which in turn led to excellent movies. I didn’t often see either of the men on talk shows because I was too young to be interested, but I have seen the movies made from their work. I’d like to know more about these creatives and so I look forward to seeing Truman & Tennessee.
A story of two of the greatest writers of the past century examined in a dialogue that stretches from their early days of friendship to their final, unsparing critiques of each other.
Mimic is a sci-fi short that feels like the start of a full-length feature. It is professionally done with excellent acting, direction, and score. The only nit to pick is the poster which is pretty bland. Still, I could see Mimic adapted into a feature film or tv series.
MIMIC
A lone investigator seeks answers from a reclusive Navy veteran to uncover what happened to a submarine that mysteriously vanished into the atmosphere.
