Category: Movies

“Cahill U.S. Marshal” (1973) starring John Wayne and George Kennedy / Z-View

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Cahill U.S. Marshal (1973)

Director: Andrew V. McLaglen

Screenplay: Harry Julian Fink, Rita M. Fink, story by Barney Slater, Jr.

Stars: John Wayne, George Kennedy, Gary Grimes, Neville Brand, Clay O’Brien, Marie Windsor, Morgan Paull, Dan Vadis, Royal Dano, Denver Pyle, Jackie Coogan, Rayford Barnes, Harry Carey Jr., Walter Barnes, Paul Fix, Vance Davis, Hank Worden and Pepper Martin.

Tagline: Break the law and he’s the last man you want to see. And the last you ever will.

The Plot…

United State Marshal and widower, J.D. Cahill (Wayne) is often away from home tracking down robbers and killers.  While Cahill is gone, his two sons are left in the care of an old man. Abe Fraser (Kennedy) sees an opportunity to con the boys into helping him and his gang rob the bank.  He promises no one will get hurt.

Sadly, during the robbery the town’s sheriff and another man are killed.  Cahill’s youngest son hides the loot and refuses to tell where.  Fraser tells the brothers that he will return in a short time and will get the cash or kill them.  When Marshal Cahill returns the boys are afraid to tell their father what happened.

As Marshal Cahill tracks the robbers, he begins to suspect there’s more to the story.  If he doesn’t figure it out, more will die… including his sons.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Director Andrew McLaglen directed John Wayne in five films.  Cahill U.S. Marshal (1973) was the last.

John Wayne wasn’t a fan of the way the film turned out.  He was quoted as saying, “It just wasn’t a well done picture. It needed better writing, it needed a little better care in making.”

Part of the problem may have been the fact that Wayne’s mentor, director John Ford died from cancer during filming.  Wayne, himself had to have a cancerous lung removed 9 years earlier.  Wayne also suffered from emphysema.  Ford’s death and Wayne’s declining health made for a rough shooting schedule.

John Wayne’s co-stars in Cahill U.S. Marshal often appeared with Wayne in other films: George Kennedy (3), Clay O’Brien (2); Marie Windsor (3); Royal Dano (2); Denver Pyle (5); Rayford Barnes (3); Harry Carey Jr. (15); Walter Barnes (2); Hank Worden (17) and Paul Fix (26).

Harry Julian Fink and Rita M. Fink also were screenwriters for Big Jake (John Wayne); Dirty Harry, Magnum Force, The Enforcer, Sudden Impact, and The Dead Pool (all starring Clint Eastwood).

Cahill U.S. Marshal (1973) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“The Last Voyage of the Demeter” (2023) / Z-View

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The Last Voyage of the Demeter (2023)

Director: André Øvredal

Screenplay: Bragi Schut, Jr., Zak Olkewicz, story by Bragi Schut, Jr., based on “The Captain’s Log” from DRACULA by Bram Stoker

Stars: Corey Hawkins, Aisling Franciosi, Liam Cunningham, David Dastmalchian, Jon Jon Briones, Stefan Kapicic and Javier Botet.

Tagline: The Legend of Dracula is Born.

The Plot…

The year is 1897.  Captain Elliott is making his final voyage.  Ready to retire and raise his young grandson, Elliott sails to England leading a small crew.  Little does anyone know that one of the large wooden crates they are transporting contains Dracula.  No, they have no idea… but soon they will know!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

André Øvredal described The Last Voyage of the Demeter as “basically Alien on a ship in 1897.”  He’s not wrong.

The Last Voyage of the Demeter (2023) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Reinventing Elvis: The ’68 Comeback” (2023) / Z-View

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Reinventing Elvis: The ’68 Comeback (2023)

Director: John Scheinfeld

Screenplay: John Scheinfeld

Stars: Elvis Presley, Leslie Uggams, The Beatles, Harry Belafonte, Petula Clark, Darius Rucker.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

In the mid 1950s, Elvis Presley burst on the scene.  He was an instant star and no one was bigger. Elvis was seen as a rebel by many and dangerous by some.  By the mid 1960s, Elvis’ star had faded.  His music wasn’t hip and a string of bad movies had Elvis doubting himself.  Then Elvis was signed for a television special.  Steve Binder was set to direct.  Binder had ideas for the production, but they were vetoed by Elvis’ manager, Colonel Parker.  Elvis faced a tough decision.  Follow his manager’s directives or give the new guy a chance.

Elvis knew his career depended on the success of the special…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Reinventing Elvis: The ’68 Comeback takes us behind the scenes with footage and stories from those who were there.

It’s interesting to note that the parts of the special that were best received were those that Colonel Parker tried to veto.  I had a pretty poor opinion of Parker before this documentary and after viewing it, my opinion dropped even further.

I was ten years old when the special aired.  I can remember adults talking about how “cool” Elvis was in it.  Yeah, Elvis was back, baby.

Reinventing Elvis: The ’68 Comeback (2023) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“Frank Miller: American Genius” – The Poster & Trailer are Here!

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This is a must-see for me.  I am a HUGE Frank Miller fan.

FRANK MILLER: AMERICAN GENIUS documents the unique journey of an unparalleled American artist. The film explores the half-century career of the legendary comic book artist and writer. Made for his fans following a near death experience, the documentary delves into Miller’s radical and defining influence on art, storytelling and culture. Following his small town beginnings in Vermont, to New York City, Hollywood, and beyond; this intimate documentary delves into his failures, successes, self-destruction and re-discovery.

June 6th – Sneak preview at New York’s, the Angelika. With guest moderator Neil Gaiman. @neilhimself

https://angelikafilmcenter.com/nyc/mo…

June 10th – Premiere at Cinemark Theaters. Moderated by Rosario Dawson. @rosariodawson

https://www.cinemark.com/movies/frank…

www.frankmillermovie.com

“Countdown” (1967) starring James Caan & Robert Duvall / Z-View

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Countdown (1967)

Director: Robert Altman

Screenplay: Loring Mandel based on THE PILGRIM PROJECT by Hank Searles

Stars: James Caan, Robert Duvall, Joanna Moore, Barbara Baxley, Charles Aidman, Steve Ihnat, Steve Ihnat, Bobby Riha, Robert Buckingham, William Conrad (voice), Mike Farrell and Ted Knight.

Tagline: The motion picture that puts a man on the moon … and you will follow him every terrifying second of the way …

The Plot…

The time is the late 1960s.  Russia and the United States are in a race to be the first to land a man on the moon.

At NASA astronauts training to be on the first team to land on the moon have their session cut short.  The mission commander, Chiz (Duvall) is called to a meeting.  The Russians have moved up their timeline.  They are launching in just four weeks.  There is no way the US squad will be ready, but there was a contingency plan in case something like this happened.

The US will send up one astronaut to land on the moon.  Supplies and a pod will be sent up first.  The astronaut will then live there for several months until a properly trained team will be launched to retrieve him.

Chiz is excited.  He will be the first man on the moon!

Then Chiz learns that Russia, in a political move is sending up civilians to prove that theirs is a nonmilitary operation.  The President has decided that NASA must do the same.  Because Chiz is an Air Force colonel, he is eliminated from the mission.  Lee (Caan), a civilian being trained as part of Chiz’s team, will be the one to go.

Chiz argues that Lee isn’t ready, he doesn’t have the training and will die if he’s sent.  When it becomes clear that Lee is the chosen one, Chiz demands to lead the completion of Lee’s training.

The race is on…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

NASA gave complete cooperation for filming and it shows!  Cape Canaveral was a location.

Countdown was Robert Altman’s return to feature films after directing television projects for ten years.  Things did not end well.  When Altman had completed shooting, he was fired.  Further, he was not welcome on the studio lot.  The studio head, Jack Warner, hated that in some scenes Altman had two actors speaking at the same time.

Altman would go on to use overlapping dialogue in his future feature films.  Robert Altman was an Academy Award nominee as Best Director five times (M*A*S*H; Nashville; The Player; Short Cuts and Gosford Park).

Because of Altman’s firing, new footage including a more upbeat ending was filmed by William Conrad.  Conrad was an Executive Producer on the film as well as the voice of the television announcer.  Altman’s ending had James Caan’s character, as his air supply ran out, walking in the wrong direction from the lunar pod.

Countdown was released a year and a half before the Apollo 11 moon landing.

Countdown (1967) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Roadblock” (1951) starring Charles McGraw & Joan Dixon / Z-View

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Roadblock (1951)

Director: Harold Daniels

Screenplay: George Bricker, Steve Fisher story by Richard H. Landau, Daniel Mainwaring

Stars: Charles McGraw, Joan Dixon, Lowell Gilmore, Louis Jean Heydt, Peter Brocco and Milburn Stone.

Tagline: A DAME IN MINK…A STOLEN MILLION and a red-hot payoff in bullets!

The Plot…

Joe Peters (McGraw) is a straight-arrow insurance investigator.  He’s honest, smart and one of the best in the business.  When there’s a tough case, they call Joe Peters.  On a flight home, Joe meets Diane (Dixon).  When bad weather forces an unexpected overnight stay at a hotel, they wind up in the same room.  Joe’s attracted to Diane, but she makes it clear she wants the finer things in life.  Things Joe could never afford on his salary.

As an insurance investigator Joe gets information that passed to the wrong people would result in scores that could set a man for life.  Against his better judgment Joe decides on a one-and-done scheme.  If successful he will be a rich man and get Diane.  But if not it could mean his death.

The best laid plans…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Roadblock is one of the first movies to film in the Los Angeles River.  Other famous films using this location include Them!, Point Blank, Grease, Terminator 2 and To Live and Die in L.A.. 

Roadblock (1951) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Follow Me Quietly” (1949) / Z-View

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Follow Me Quietly (1949)

Director: Richard Fleischer

Screenplay: Lillie Hayward story by Anthony Mann, Francis Rosenwald

Stars: William Lundigan, Dorothy Patrick, Jeff Corey, Nestor Paiva, Paul Guilfoyle, Frank Ferguson, Douglas Spencer, Paul Bryar and Fred Aldrich.

Tagline: Police baffled by the FACELESS KILLER!

The Plot…

Police Lieutenant Harry Grant (Lundigan) is frustrated.  A serial killer known as The Judge has struck again.  At the crime scene a note from the killer taunting the police was found. How many more people have to die before The Judge is brought to justice?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Lawrence Tierney was scheduled to star, but off-screen antics (arrests for public intoxication and fighting) led to a change.

Follow Me Quietly (1949) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“The Crazies” (1973) written & directed by George A. Romero / Z-View

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The Crazies (1973)

Director: George A. Romero

Screenplay: George A. Romero based on The Mad People by Paul McCollough

Stars: Lane Carroll, Will MacMillan, Harold Wayne Jones, Lloyd Hollar, Richard France, Ned Schmidtke, George A. Romero and A.C. McDonald.

Tagline: Why are the good people dying?

The Plot…

When a military plane crashes near a small town, the water supply is contaminated with a powerful bio-weapon.  Soon townspeople are starting to act violent towards themselves and each other.  When the military shows up the town is put on lockdown.  As more citizens and soldiers become infected, the decision to nuke the town becomes more likely.

Will anyone survive?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Romero was given a micro-budget for filming.  Most of the actors had little to no training and were locals.  Even some high school students played soldiers in hazmat suits.

The burning house was actually being used by local firefighters for a training exercise.  Romero got permission to film it.

Remade in 2010 starring Timothy (Justified) Olyphant and Radha (Pitch Black) Mitchell

The Crazies (1973) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“The Evil That Men Do” (1984) starring Charles Bronson / Z-View

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The Evil That Men Do (1984)

Director: J. Lee Thompson

Screenplay: John M. Crowther, David Lee Henry based on THE EVIL THAT MEN DO by R. Lance Hill

Stars: Charles Bronson, Theresa Saldana, Joseph Maher, José Ferrer, René Enríquez, John Glover, Enrique Lucero, Roger Cudney, Joe Seneca, Conrad Hool and Raymond St. Jacques.

Tagline: Most criminals answer to the law. The world’s most savage executioner must answer to Bronson.

The Plot…

Holland (Bronson) is a retired hitman living a peaceful life on a remote beach.  When an old friend asks Holland to kill a sadistic torturer known as the Doctor, Holland initially refuses. After seeing video evidence of the number of people the Doctor has killed and maimed, Holland decides to come out of retirement for one more hit.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Jill Ireland (Bronson’s wife and co-star in many of his films) was originally slated to play the role that went to Theresa Saldana.  Ireland lobbied for Saldana to get the part.  Theresa Saldana had survived a brutal stabbing by a stalker and was looking to get back into feature films.

The Evil That Men Do is based on a book written by R. Lance Hill.  Hill also received credit as screenwriter on the film, but chose to use the penname David Lee Henry.

This is the 5th of 9th films that starred Charles Bronson and was directed by J. Lee Thompson. The films in order are: The White Buffalo (1977), St. Ives (1976), Cabo Blanco (1980), 10 to Midnight (1983), Murphy’s Law (1986), Death Wish 4: The Crackdown (1987), Messenger of Death (1988) and Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects (1989).

The Evil That Men Do (1984) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“The Great Wall” (2016) starring Matt Damon & Pedro Pascale / Z-View

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The Great Wall (2016)

Director: Yimou Zhang

Screenplay: Carlo Bernard, Doug Miro, Tony Gilroy story by Max Brooks, Edward Zwick, Marshall Herskovitz

Stars: Matt Damon, Tian Jing, Willem Dafoe, Andy Lau and Pedro Pascal.

Tagline: One of mankind’s greatest wonders. 1700 years to build. 5500 miles long. What were they trying to keep out?

The Plot…

In ancient China, William Garin (Damon) and Pedro Tovar (Pascal) lead a group of mercenaries on a mission to get gunpowder.  One night the group is attacked by a strange beast.  Only William and Tovar survive.  The next day they reach the Great Wall.  There they are taken prisoner as spies by the Nameless Order.  The Nameless Order are a trained army that stand guard at the Wall.

As William and Tovar are being questioned the call to battle is sounded.  The Wall is being attacked by thousands of monsters like the one who wiped out William’s group.  Although the Wall is fortified by soldiers using various weapons, several of the creatures make it to the top.  William and Tovar join the fight.  The monsters are driven back, but at the cost of many lives.

Because of their bravery William and Tovar are no longer prisoners.  They are free to leave.  As the Nameless Ones prepare for the next monster attack, Tovar steals kegs of gunpowder and makes his escape.  Garin is unaware of Tovar’s actions.

As the monsters prepare another attack, the Nameless Ones and Garin ready themselves for a fight to the death.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The Great Wall was an epic production.  Over 100 translators were needed to provide instructions to the cast and crew.

Although most of the filming took place in China, they weren’t allowed to film on the Great Wall.

I enjoyed the inventive machinery and methods used to fight the monsters.

I went in with low expectations for The Great Wall.  It’s a fun movie if you’re looking for light adventure.

The Great Wall (2016) rates 3 of 5 stars.