Category: Movies

“Motor City” starring Alan Ritchson – The Teaser Trailer is Here!

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Who doesn’t love a good revenge flick?  Check out the teaser for Motor City starring Alan Ritchson.  It’s a revenge flick… the only question is will it be good. (Bonus points if you saw a scene shot out of Rocky III.)

In 1970s Detroit, a working-class romantic is framed by a ruthless gangster after falling for his girlfriend. After years in prison, he returns with only one mission: revenge.

In Theaters July 24th

Directed by: Potsy Ponciroli
Starring: Alan Ritchson, Shailene Woodley, Pablo Schreiber, Ben Foster

“Thrash” (2026) / Z-View

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Thrash (2026)

Director: Tommy Wirkola

Screenplay: Tommy Wirkola

Stars: Phoebe Dynevor, Whitney Peak, Alyla Browne, Tyler Coppin, Adam Dunn and Djimon Hounsou

Tagline: If the flood doesn’t kill you…

The Plot…

A category 5 hurricane is barreling towards the east coast of the United States.  The small seaside town of Annieville, South Carolina, is the direct path of this monster storm.  Although the town goes under an evacuation order, several people are unable to leave.

When the storm surge destroys Annieville’s sea wall, the town floods.  And with the floods come sharks.  Lots of sharks.

Cue the Jaws music.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

If you like drive-in movies, and don’t mind putting your mind in neutral, then you should enjoy Thrash.

Thrash (2026) rates 3 of 5 stars

“Heat” Alt Poster by Sahin Düzgün!

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Heat is a modern masterpiece.  If you’re going to create an alt poster for it, the poster better be good.  Real good.  Thankfully, this beauty created by Sahin Düzgün is. Sahin is a graphic designer, poster artist  and movie lover from Berlin, Germany.

Here is what Sahin had to say about his design:  That cold L.A. glow, the silence between gunshots, and two men on opposite sides of the same line. Heat is mood, tension, and minimalism at its best. This one’s all about that atmosphere.

Neil McCauley: Don’t let yourself get attached to anything you are not willing to walk out on in 30 seconds flat if you feel the heat around the corner.

“Nuremberg” (2025) starring Russell Crowe and Rami Malek / Z-View

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Nuremberg (2025)

Director:  James Vanderbilt

Screenplay:  James Vanderbilt; based on THE NAZI AND THE PSYCHIATRIST by Jack El-Hao

Stars: Russell Crowe, Rami Malek, Leo Woodall, John Slattery, Mark O’Brien, Colin Hanks, Wrenn Schmidt, Lydia Peckham, Richard E. Grant and Michael Shannon.

Tagline: An epic World War ll thriller based on true events

The Plot…

1945.  World War II is over.  For the first time in history an international trial will be held to determine if crimes against humanity were committed.  The defendants are leaders of the Nazi party including Reichsmarshall Hermann Göring, Hitler’s former second-in-command.  Göring welcomes the opportunity to present his case to the world.

Douglas Kelley, a Lt. Colonel and U.S. Army psychiatrist, is brought in to evaluate the Nazis competency to stand trial.  Kelley determines that they are competent, but cautions the prosecutors. Hermann Göring has a genius level IQ.  He’s a sly, charismatic, confident narcissistic who believes that he will be able to prove he is not guilty of the crimes charged.

As the prosecutors prepare for trial it becomes clear that Göring is going to be a problem.  Even Lt. Colonel Kelley begins to fall under his spell.

As the world watches, the trial begins…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Much of the dialogue in the trial cross-examination exchanges of Göring came from transcripts from the trial.

Göring was found guilty and sentenced to death.  He committed suicide using cyanide before the sentence could be carried out.  It’s ironic/creepy that Lt. Colonel Kelley committed suicide twelve years later by cyanide in 1958.

Russell Crowe, Rami Malek and Michael Shannon are excellent.

Nuremberg (2025) rates 4 of 5 stars

THE CROW: THE DEFINITIVE HISTORY by Jeff Bond!

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Fans of J. O’Barr’s The Crow are gonna love this.  A new book by Jeff Bond titled THE CROW: THE DEFINITIVE HISTORY premieres on September 1, 2026.  Here’s the lowdown…

The ultimate guide to the making of cult classic film The Crow, featuring new interviews with filmmakers, behind-the-scenes imagery, and highlighting its enduring legacy, including exclusive imagery from the 2024 film.

Take a deep dive into the making of the iconic 1994 film The Crow, exploring its origins in James O’Barr’s haunting graphic novel, and the lasting impact of its production in later sequels. THE CROW: THE DEFINITIVE HISTORY details the film’s bold visual style, director Alex Proyas’ creative vision, and the rise of Brandon Lee as the unforgettable Eric Draven. Despite tragedy, the crew’s determination to bring the film to completion created a cult classic.

The book traces the franchise’s evolution through its sequels, and examines how The Crow became a symbol of love, loss, and redemption, leaving a legacy that continues to resonate with fans. Through interviews, behind-the-scenes stories, and critical analysis, this is the definitive account of The Crow’s lasting influence.

“Harbinger Down” (2015) starring Lance Henriksen / Z-View

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Harbinger Down (2015)

Director:  Alec Gillis

Screenplay: Alec Gillis

Stars: Lance Henriksen, Giovonnie Samuels, Matt Winston

Tagline: Terror is just beneath the surface.

The Plot…

Stephen along with his graduate students Sadie and Ronelle are aboard the fishing boat Harbinger.  They are at sea to study the effects of global warming on whales.  The Harbinger is crewed by ship captain Graff and his crew which consists of Bowman, Roland, Big G, Dock, Svetlana and Atka.

When an large foreign object is discovered on sonar, they bring it aboard.  To their surprise they discover they’ve found a crashed Soviet lunar module.  Aboard is a dead cosmonaut…

… as well as the alien that killed him.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Harbinger Down comes off as a low-budget homage (re-imagining? rip-off) of John Carpenter’s The Thing.  At the start of the film, the date is given as June 25 1982, which happens to be the day JC’s The Thing was released.

When the crew first discovers the module, Graff asks “Is that a man in there, or something?” This is the same question asked by Doctor Copper in John Carpenter’s The Thing.

In John Carpenter’s The Thing, Childs asks about “voodoo shit” in regard to the alien.  Here a character makes the same “voodoo shit” reference to the monster.

Harbinger Down (2015) rates 2 of 5 stars

“Reservoir Dogs” Alt Poster by Nick Charge!

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Reservoir Dogs was my introduction to Quentin Tarantino.  It and Pulp Fiction are my Tarantino favs.  Depending on my mood, they alternate in the top spot.

Nick Charge has created a clever alt poster for Reservoir Dogs.  Look into Mr. Blonde’s shades and I’ll bet you begin to hear “Stuck in the Middle with You”.

If you’d like to see more of Nick Charge’s art, you can on his Instagram.

“You shoot me in a dream, you better wake up and apologize.” – Mr. White

“Badland Rising” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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The poster and trailer for Badland Rising is here.  It looks to be a good low-budget crime/action film.

Deal me in.

A former soldier working in construction to save his family’s farm, is eager to return to his wife and son. But his homecoming is derailed when he inadvertently becomes entangled in the bloody aftermath of a botched mob robbery. While escaping the chaos, Dave unknowingly acquires a bag of money, making him the target of ruthless criminals.

CAST: Jake Ryan, Nathan Phillips, Steve Mouzakis

The film will be on digital and VOD on June 12th.

“Shoot the Piano Player” (1960) directed by François Truffaut / Z-View

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Shoot the Piano Player (1960)

Director:  François Truffaut

Screenplay: François Truffaut, Marcel Moussy; based on DOWN THERE (aka SHOOT THE PIANO PLAYER) by David Goodis

Stars: Charles Aznavour, Marie Dubois, Nicole Berger, Michèle Mercier and Albert Rémy.

Tagline: A Film for Adults

The Plot…

Charlie Koller is a piano player in a small jazz club.  Charlie  comes in each night, plays the piano and keeps to himself.  He’s a low key guy.  Léna, a waitress at the club, is starting to fall in love with Charlie.  Although Léna knows a bit about Charlie’s past, she keeps it secret.

One night when Charlie is playing, a man comes rushing in the club. The man is Charlie’s estranged brother.  He’s on the run from two thugs who aren’t far behind.  Although Charlie wants no part of his brother’s problem, he can’t stand by and do nothing.  The choice to get involved will bring forth the past Charlie has kept hidden and result in several murders.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Although based on David Goodis’ excellent novel, DOWN THERE, the screenplay makes significant changes to the protagonist.  In the movie his name is Charlie, in the novel it is Eddie. In the movie Charlie is small, shy and passive.  In the novel, Eddie is physically imposing and projects confidence.  Eddie chooses to be private for an unknown reason.  Charlie is naturally introverted.

The novel is hardboiled noir.  The film shifts between noir, comedy, romance and melodrama.

Due to budget restraints, Truffaut often filmed on the streets of Paris where they could, improvising dialogue as they went along.

While I’m a fan of Shoot the Piano Player, I like the novel even better!

Shoot the Piano Player (1960) rates 4 of 5 stars

“Crime 101” (2026) written and directed by Bart Layton, starring Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan and Halle Berry / Z-View

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Crime 101 (2026)

Director:  Bart Layton

Screenplay: Bart Layton; based on Crime 101 by Don Winslow

Stars:  Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan, Monica Barbaro, Corey Hawkins, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Halle Berry and Nick Nolte.

Tagline:  One Heist Connects Them All

The Plot…

Mike is a meticulous jewel thief.  He carefully plans his robberies to minimize all risks.  Mike never has to resort to violence, leaves no clues and is gone well before the police arrive.  Mike’s goal is to get enough money to walk away from this life and start a new one without looking back.

Mike has successfully pulled off a string of robberies and believes that no one has linked that one man is behind them all.

He’s wrong.

LAPD Detective Lou Lubesnick is convinced that there are about a dozen robberies that were committed by the lone thief.  All of the jobs were done with easy access to a highway.  The thief had obviously cased the job and knew the comings and going of all the employees.  And not a single job resulted in anyone being hurt.  Although Detective Lubesnick is convinced, his bosses aren’t.  But that isn’t deterring Lubesnick.

Mike’s fence, Money also helps identify potential jobs.  When Money pushes Mike to take down a jewelry store without enough time to figure out how to make it work, Mike passes.  Money gets hires a hothead named Ormon for the heist.  This puts Mike at odds with both Money and Ormon.

As Detective Lubesnick closes in, Mike sees an opportunity for a job that will either set him up with the money needed to walk away… or get him killed.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Crime 101 is based on a novella by Don Winslow.

Crime 101 checks all the boxes – excellent story and direction plus a great cast.

Crime 101 (2026) rates 5 of 5 stars