Previews and Reviews that are Z's Views
From Producer Martin Scorsese we have the poster and trailer for Beatles ’64.
Deal me in.
Journey back to 1964 and experience Beatlemania like never before. From producer Martin Scorsese and director David Tedeschi, stream Beatles ’64, an original documentary, only on #DisneyPlus November 29.
Don’t Move (2024)
Director: Adam Schindler, Brian Netto
Screenplay: TJ Cimfel, David White
Stars: Kelsey Asbille, Finn Wittrock, Moray Treadwell and Daniel Francis.
Tagline: You can hide, but you can’t run.
The Plot…
Iris (Asbille) had gone to the site of her young child’s death in a remote wilderness park. One the way back to her car, Iris was kidnapped and drugged by a serial killer (Wittrock). She escaped, but the narcotic is slowly paralyzing her.
Before long she won’t be able to move at all. Her time is running out in more ways than one.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Finn Wittrock is believable as he transforms from nice guy to grieving husband to loving father to heartless serial killer.
Don’t Move (2024) rates 3 of 5 stars.
The second trailer for Wolf Man starring Julia Garner is here!
Deal me in.
What if someone you loved became something else? #WolfManMovie only in theaters January 17.
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From Blumhouse and visionary writer-director Leigh Whannell, the creators of the chilling modern monster tale The Invisible Man, comes a terrifying new lupine nightmare: Wolf Man.Golden Globe nominee Christopher Abbott (Poor Things, It Comes at Night) stars as Blake, a San Francisco husband and father, who inherits his remote childhood home in rural Oregon after his own father vanishes and is presumed dead. With his marriage to his high-powered wife, Charlotte (Emmy winner Julia Garner; Ozark, Inventing Anna), fraying, Blake persuades Charlotte to take a break from the city and visit the property with their young daughter, Ginger (Matlida Firth; Hullraisers, Coma).
But as the family approaches the farmhouse in the dead of night, they’re attacked by an unseen animal and, in a desperate escape, barricade themselves inside the home as the creature prowls the perimeter. As the night stretches on, however, Blake begins to behave strangely, transforming into something unrecognizable, and Charlotte will be forced to decide whether the terror within their house is more lethal than the danger without.
The film co-stars Sam Jaeger (The Handmaid’s Tale), Ben Prendergast (The Sojourn Audio Drama) and Benedict Hardie (The Invisible Man).
Wolf Man is directed by Whannell, whose previous films with Blumhouse include The Invisible Man, Upgrade and Insidious: Chapter 3. The screenplay is written by Leigh Whannell & Corbett Tuck, Lauren Schuker Blum & Rebecca Angelo (Dumb Money).
The film is produced by Blumhouse founder and CEO Jason Blum and is executive produced by Ryan Gosling, Ken Kao, Bea Sequeira, Mel Turner and Leigh Whannell. Wolf Man is a Blumhouse and Motel Movies production.
The poster and trailer for The Amateur starring Rami Malek and Laurence Fishburne is here! I was also glad to see Jon Bernthal and Holt McCallany listed in the credits.
Deal me in!
Watch the trailer for #TheAmateur starring Oscar® winner Rami Malek (“Bohemian Rhapsody”) and Academy Award® nominee Laurence Fishburne (“What’s Love Got to Do with It”). The all-new espionage thriller opens in theaters nationwide April 11, 2025.
Charlie Heller (Malek) is a brilliant, but deeply introverted decoder for the CIA working out of a basement office at headquarters in Langley whose life is turned upside down when his wife is killed in a London terrorist attack. When his supervisors refuse to take action, he takes matters into his own hands, embarking on a dangerous trek across the globe to track down those responsible, his intelligence serving as the ultimate weapon for eluding his pursuers and achieving his revenge.
The film also stars Rachel Brosnahan, Caitríona Balfe, Jon Bernthal, Michael Stuhlbarg, Holt McCallany, Julianne Nicholson, Adrian Martinez, Danny Sapani, and Laurence Fishburne.
“The Amateur” is directed by James Hawes. The screenplay is by Ken Nolan and Gary Spinelli based on the novel by Robert Littell. The film is produced by Hutch Parker, p.g.a., Dan Wilson, p.g.a., Rami Malek, Joel B. Michaels, with JJ Hook serving as executive producer.
When most folks think of Eduardo Risso they think of 100 Bullets or Batman or many different titles/characters. James Bond / 007 is not usually high on that list. Check out the art above and you might think that should change.
If you’d like to see a size worthy of her majesty’s secret service, then click on the image.
Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End (2024)
Director: Carles Torrens
Screenplay: Ángel Agudo based on Apocalipsis Z 1. El principio del fin by Manel Loureiro
Stars: Francisco Ortiz.
Tagline: None.
The Plot…
A year has passed since Manel’s wife was killed in a terrible car crash. Manel lives alone with just the cat he and his wife shared. Manel’s only family, his sister, her husband and his niece live in another city.
When a zombie outbreak begins spreading across the continent, Manel’s sister’s family is evacuated to the Canary Islands. Manel decides to hunker down in place. But when his supplies dwindle, Manel is forced to take his cat and venture out. He hopes to find a way to the Canary Islands where (he hopes) safety awaits.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End is based on the first book in a trilogy of novels by Manel Loureiro.
This is more of a character study that all out horror film.
Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End (2024) rates 2 of 5 stars.
Body Double (1984)
Director: Brian De Palma
Screenplay: Brian De Palma, Robert J. Avrech story by Brian De Palma
Stars: Craig Wasson, Melanie Griffith, Gregg Henry, Deborah Shelton, Al Israel, Douglas Warhit, Russ Marin, Lane Davies, Larry Flash Jenkins, Monte Landis, Brinke Stevens, Steven Bauer and Dennis Franz.
Tagline: You can’t believe everything you see.
The Plot…
Jack Scully (Wasson) is a struggling actor going through a rough patch. He just lost his role in a low-budget horror film. He came home to catch his girlfriend in bed with someone else. Jack needs a new place to live until things get back on track.
Things are looking up when Sam Bouchard (Henry), an actor Jack met at auditions, offers a place to stay. Sam’s rich friend needs a house-sitter. Sam shows Jack the place. It’s in an upscale neighborhood. Very modern. Plus, there’s a bonus. Every night at a specific time, a lady neighbor does a strip tease as she changes into night clothes. She’s easy to watch through the telescope focused on her window. Jack is skeptical until he sees for himself. She’s beautiful.
Jack agrees to house sit. Watching the woman across the way becomes a nightly activity. He’s becoming obsessed with her. Then one night Jack sees a scary looking hombre across the way, also watching the woman strip.
Jack wants to warn her. But how can he without making himself look like a creeper? The next night as he’s watching her, Jack sees the scary man hiding in her apartment. He races over to warn her, but is too late. Jack finds her murdered.
And that makes him the key suspect. Jack begins to suspect he was set up.
He was. But NOT to be the murderer.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Body Double is a love letter to the films of Alfred Hitchcock. Brian De Palma and Robert J. Avrech are both fans of Hitch. They screened Vertigo and Rear Window for inspiration.
Deborah Shelton’s voice was dubbed by actress Helen Shaver.
Melanie Griffith was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for this film for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture.
Body Double is a fun ride.
Body Double (1984) rates 4 of 5 stars.
Here’s the iconic poster and teaser trailer for Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.
Deal me in.
Our lives are the sum of our choices. Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. See you at the movies May 23, 2025.
My Forbidden Past (1951)
Director: Robert Stevenson
Screenplay: Marion Parsonnet, Leopold Atlas (adaptation) based on CARRIAGE ENTRANCE by Polan Banks
Stars: Robert Mitchum, Ava Gardner, Melvyn Douglas, Lucile Watson, Janis Carter, Gordon Oliver, Steve Carruthers and Will Wright.
Tagline: SHE’s the kind of woman that made NEW ORLEANS famous!
The Plot…
Dr. Mark Lucas (Mitchum) and Barbara Beaurevel (Gardner) are in love. They plan to elope on the ship Mark is taking to South America. They plan to meet at the ship. When Barbara is unable to leave, she gives a note to her cousin to take to Mark. The cousin doesn’t deliver the message, but acts as though he did.
When Mark returns from South America, Barbara is excited to greet him. She’s shocked when Mark introduces his wife! Mark, thinking Barbara left him, married a beautiful woman. Mark comes to learn that Barbara still loves him. What Mark doesn’t know is his wife, married him for his money.
When Mark’s wife is found murdered, Mark is the #1 suspect.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
My Forbidden Past is a strange mix. There’s a murder, but there is no mystery to who did it. There’s a love triangle, but it’s pretty tame. Mark is set up for the murder, but at pre-trial he’s proven innocent. Fade out.
My Forbidden Past (1951) rates 2 of 5 stars.
Horror of Dracula aka Dracula (1958)
Director: Terence Fisher
Screenplay: Jimmy Sangster based on DRACULA by Bram Stoker
Stars: Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Michael Gough, Valerie Gaunt.
Tagline: Important Note!! Don’t Confuse This Picture With the Other DRACULA Movies! This is the NEWEST and BEST One and the ONLY ONE in TECHNICOLOR!
The Plot…
Doctor Van Helsing (Cushing) is shocked to discover his friend Jonathan Harker has been turned into one of Dracula’s (Lee) vampire slaves. Van Helsing realizes it is up to him to end Dracula’s reign of terror.
What chance has one man against Dracula?
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Christopher Lee as Dracula has only 16 lines of dialogue in the entire film. And they are all within the first ten minutes.
The title was changed to the Horror of Dracula for its U.S. release. This was to avoid confusion since the original 1931 Bela Lugosi film was still available for theater showings.
When I first saw Christopher Lee as Dracula, I wasn’t a fan. I was too sold on Lugosi as the Count. Over the years I’ve grown to appreciate Lee’s take on the king of vampires and the movies that feature him.
Horror of Dracula aka Dracula (1958) rates 4 of 5 stars.
It was announced that Tony Todd died on on November 6, 2024, at the age of 69. No cause of death was listed.
After high school graduation Tony Todd attended the University of Connecticut, the Eugene O’Neill National Actors Theatre Institute, and the Trinity Repertory Company in Providence, Rhode Island. Mr. Todd acted on Broadway, television and in feature films.
Television projects that feature Tony Todd include: Simon & Simon; Werewolf; 21 Jump Street; Kate & Allie; Night Court; MacGyver; Matlock; Cop Rock; Father Dowling Mysteries; Jake and the Fatman (3 episodes); Star Trek: The Next Generation (3 episodes); Law and Order; The X-Files; Homicide: Life on the Street (3 episodes); Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (2 episodes); Murder She Wrote; New York Undercover; Beverly Hills 90210; NYPD Blue; Xena: Warrior Princess; Star Trek: Voyager; Hercules: The Legendary Journeys (2 episodes); Babylon 5: A Call to Arms; Angel; UC: Undercover; Smallville; Crossing Jordan; Andromeda; Charmed; Boston Public (2 episodes); CSI: Miami; The District (2 episodes); Criminal Minds; Stargate SG-1 (3 episodes); Boston Legal; Without a Trace; 24 Redemption; 24 (7 episodes); Batman: The Brave and the Bold; Psyche; Splatter (8 episodes); The Event (2 episodes); Chuck (10 episodes); Hawaii 5-0; Holliston (2 episodes); Transformers Prime (8 episodes); Young Justice (2 episodes); The Young and the Restless (14 episodes); Dead of Summer (5 episodes); Be Cool Scooby-Doo! (2 episodes); The Orville; Scream: The TV Series (3 episodes); Masters of the Universe: Revelation (3 episodes); Dota: Dragon’s Blood (17 episodes); The Flash (16 episodes); Masters of the Universe: Revolution and Winnie Taylor’s 4th & Inches (8 episodes).
Feature films that Tony Todd appeared in include: Sleepwalk; Platoon; 84 Charing Cross Road; Colors; Bird; Lean on Me; Night of the Living Dead; Candyman; The Crow; Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh; The Rock; Candyman: Day of the Dead; Final Destination; Final Destination 2; Final Destination 3; The Man from Earth; Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen; Final Destination 5; Army of the Damned; Zombies; Candy Corn and All Gone Wrong.
I probably first saw Tony Todd in Platoon. Talk about an impressive first credit. When I think of Tony Todd, the first film that comes to mind is the remake of Night of the Living Dead. Then I quickly remember that Mr. Todd was also in The Rock, Boston Public, Boston Legal, 24, Candyman and so many other shows and movies that I enjoy. What a career!
Out thoughts and prayers go out to Tony Todd’s family, friends and fans.
It’s hard to believe ten years have passed since John Wick was released. But here is the 10th anniversary poster that shows it’s true.
Black Cat (1941)
Director: Albert S. Rogell
Screenplay: Robert Lees, Frederic I. Rinaldo, Eric Taylor, Robert Neville based on The Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe
Stars: Basil Rathbone, Hugh Herbert, Broderick Crawford, Bela Lugosi, Anne Gwynne, Gladys Cooper, Cecilia Loftus, John Eldredge and Alan Ladd.
Tagline: Even Ladd Is Scared!
The Plot…
Rich, old, Henrietta Winslow (Loftus) is dying. She called her family to her big, creepy remote house. While still alive, Henrietta wants everyone to know what they’re getting once she’s dead.
The family members arrive along with realtor Gil Smith and antiques dealer Mr. Penny. Smith and Penny were invited by a family member anticipating the sale of Henrietta’s home and valuables.
The family members learns what each will get. There is one surprise. No one will get anything until Henrietta’s housekeeper dies! Surprise turns to shock when Henrietta is found murdered!
Who is the killer? Who will be next to die?
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Another in the “old, dark house” genre with a group of people trapped with an unknown murderer in a creepy old isolated house full of secret passageways.
This one had potential to be much better. For some reason it just didn’t resonate with me.
Black Cat (1941) rates 2 of 5 stars.
The poster and trailer for Dirty Angels starring Eva Green and Ruby Rose is here!
Deal me in.
DIRTY ANGELS Official Trailer (2024) Eva Green
PLOT: It centers on a group of female soldiers who disguise themselves as medics to rescue a group of teenagers caught between ISIS and the forces of the Taliban.
RELEASE DATE: December 12, 2024
GENRE: Action, Drama
STARS: Eva Green, Ruby Rose, Maria Bakalova, Rona-Lee Shimon, Jonica T. Gibbs, Emily Bruni, Christopher Backus
Fort Apache (1948)
Director: John Ford
Screenplay: Frank S. Nugent based on Massacre by James Warner Bellah
Stars: John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Shirley Temple, Pedro Armendáriz, Ward Bond, Victor McLaglen, Anna Lee, Dick Foran, Guy Kibbee, Movita, Mary Gordon, John Agar, Hank Worden, Ben Johnson and Grant Withers.
Tagline: John Ford’s Masterpiece of the Frontier!
The Plot…
Lieutenant Colonel Owen Thursday (Fonda) has been assigned the command of Fort Apache, a remote post located deep on the frontier. Thursday sees this as an insult. He feels he was on track for greater things. Thursday is arrogant, overbearing and sees himself as a class above the men he commands. He thinks even less of Native Americans.
Arriving at Fort Apache at the same time as Lieutenant Colonel Owen Thursday is his daughter, Philadelphia (Temple) and West Point graduate Lieutenant Michael O’Rourke (Agar). Michael’s father, Sergeant Major Michael O’Rourke (Bond) also serves at Fort Apache.
From the moment he arrives, Lieutenant Colonel Thursday puts himself at odds with the well liked Captain York (Wayne) and Sergeant O’Rourke. The friction intensifies when Cochise stirs unrest among the Apache. Captain York explains the government’s Indian Agent, Silas Meacham has been shorting the tribe’s food allocations. Meacham has also been providing the Apache with cheap whiskey and repeating rifles. Thursday downplays this.
Colonel Thursday intends to round up the Apache or kill them if they refuse to return to the reservation. Captain York warns that the Apache outnumber the local soldiers four to one. Thursday ignores York. He sees an opportunity to enhance his reputation.
This will not end well.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Shirley Temple and John Agar’s characters fall in love. The two were a married couple in real life.
Actor/stuntman Ben Johnson appears in the film, as a stuntman for Henry Fonda.
Fort Apache’s culminating battle is loosely based on Custer’s Last Stand and how Custer’s mistakes were downplayed to create a legendary hero.
Fort Apache (1948) rates 4 of 5 stars.
