Category: Movies

“Alien” & “Aliens” Alt Posters by Aurelio Lorenzo!

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Aurelio Lorenzo is a huge fan of Alien and Aliens.  He created two posters that work together as one or can stand alone.  They work perfectly either way.  Click on the photo above to see a Nostromo-sized version. Here’s part of what Lorenzo had to say about their creation:

ALIEN and ALIENS are still unsurpassed, not only in the franchise, but in the genre. Very different movies between them, but they have one thing in common, they both are GREAT!

I aimed to create a two-poster set, each able to stand alone or as part of a diptych. The focus was on making the xenomorphs dominant, enveloping the layout with a sense of claustrophobia. I then incorporated key elements from the movies, trying to capture their essence in an attractive composition.

I say, “Mission accomplished!”  If you’d like to see more of Aurelio Lorenzo’s art, you can here.

“The Samurai” (1967) directed by Jean-Pierre Melville, starring Alain Delon / Z-View

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The Samurai (1967)

Director:  Jean-Pierre Melville

Screenplay: Jean-Pierre Melville, Georges Pellegrin

Stars: Alain Delon, François Périer, Nathalie Delon and Cathy Rosier.

Tagline: There is no solitude greater than that of the samurai.

The Plot…

Jef Costello (Delon) is a contract killer for the mob.  As Costello walks away from a hit on a nightclub owner, he is seen by the club’s pianist (Rosier).  Soon Costello is brought in for a police line-up.  Rosier and a few other potential witnesses fail to identify Jef as the killer.  Although the police don’t have enough evidence to hold him, the commissaire still believes Jef is the killer.

When Jef goes to collect his fee for the hit, he is almost killed by the mob.  They believe that Jef is now compromised.  They believe that if the police bring Jef in for the killing, it will put them at risk.  Their plan is to kill Jeff.  Meanwhile the police are closing in.

Alone and without friends or resources, what chance does one man have against the mob and the police?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Jean-Pierre Melville wrote the screenplay specifically for Alain Delon to star.  This, of course, made Alain Delon the perfect choice for the role.  Kudos also to Cathy Rosier.  I wish we got to see her in many more roles.

The Samurai is one of the most influential films in the history of cinema. John Woo’s The Killer and Jim Jarmusch’s Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai are two examples of films that can be traced back to The Samurai.  Other directors similarly influenced include Walter Hill, John Frankenheimer, Michael Mann, Chad Stahelski and David Leitch, David Fincher and many others.

The film is included on Roger Ebert’s “Great Movies” list and THE 1001 MOVIES YOU MUST SEE BEFORE YOU DIE, edited by Steven Schneider and Ian Haydn Smith.

When The Samurai was released in the US, it was titled The Godson to cash in on the success of The Godfather.

The Samurai has an almost dream-like feel at times.  Hats off to Jean-Pierre Melville for having the vision and talent to bring everything together to make a classic film.

The Samurai has an 8.0 rating on the IMDb.  At Rotten Tomatoes it has an 100% rating with critics and 94% with audiences.

The Samurai (1967) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“Bad Boys: Ride or Die” starring Will Smith & Martin Lawrence – The Trailer is Here!

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The  trailer for Bad Boys: Ride or Die is her and looks to be a fun ride.

Deal me in.

This Summer, the world’s favorite Bad Boys are back with their iconic mix of edge-of-your seat action and outrageous comedy but this time with a twist: Miami’s finest are now on the run.

RELEASE DATE: June 7

CAST: Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Vanessa Hudgens

“Number 17” directed by Alfred Hitchcock / Z-View

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Number 17 (1932)

Director:  Alfred Hitchcock

Screenplay: Alfred Hitchcock, Alma Reville, Rodney Ackland based on Number Seventeen by Joseph Jefferson Farjeon

Stars: Leon M. Lion, Anne Grey, John Stuart and Ann Casson.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

A detective enters an old, dark house late one evening.  Clues from a diamond necklace robbery have led him there. Once inside the detective discovers a man who claims he’s homeless and was looking for shelter for the evening.  The two discover the body of a man who was recently murdered.  Suddenly a woman falls from above!  As they question her, two additional men and a woman enter the house.  Some, maybe eveand ryone is involved in the diamond necklace theft.  Expect twists and not all will survive to the end.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Alfred Hitchcock wasn’t a fan of Number 17.  It wasn’t a film that he wanted to make.  Number 17 was adapted from a stage play.  Although conceived as a comedy-thriller, the end result fell short of expectations.  Although Hitchcock considered it a “disaster” it’s not as bad as that.

Hitchcock has no cameo in this one.

Number 17 (1932) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“The Dead Don’t Hurt” written, directed and starring Viggo Mortensen – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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The poster and trailer for The Veil starring Elisabeth Moss worked well enough that I’ll tune in to check it out.

The Dead Don’t Hurt is a story of star-crossed lovers on the western U.S. frontier in the 1860s. Vivienne Le Coudy (Vicky Krieps) is a fiercely independent woman who embarks on a relationship with Danish immigrant Holger Olsen (Viggo Mortensen). After meeting Olsen in San Francisco, she agrees to travel with him to his home near the quiet town of Elk Flats, Nevada, where they start a life together.

The outbreak of the civil war separates them when Olsen makes a fateful decision to fight for the Union. This leaves Vivienne to fend for herself in a place controlled by corrupt Mayor Rudolph Schiller (Danny Huston) and his unscrupulous business partner, powerful rancher Alfred Jeffries (Garrett Dillahunt). Alfred’s violent, wayward son Weston (Solly McLeod) aggressively pursues Vivienne, who is determined to resist his unwanted advances. When Olsen returns from the war, he and Vivienne must confront and make peace with the person each has become. Both a tragic love story and a nuanced depiction of the conflict between revenge and forgiveness, The Dead Don’t Hurt is a portrait of a passionate woman determined to stand up for herself in an unforgiving world dominated by ruthless men.

Official Trailer | The Dead Don’t Hurt | In Theaters May 31

“Hitchcock/Truffaut” (2015) / Z-View

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Hitchcock/Truffaut (2015)

Director:  Kent Jones

Screenplay: Kent Jones, Serge Toubiana based on HITCHCOCK/TRUFFAUT by François Truffaut

Stars: Alfred Hitchcock, François Truffaut, Wes Anderson, Peter Bogdanovich, David Fincher, Paul Schrader and Martin Scorsese.

Tagline: The Greatest Story Hitchcock Ever Told

The Plot.

In 1962, François Truffaut was on a hot streak.  Seen as one of the best young directors of the time, Truffaut  was already a triple Oscar nominee and double-award winner at Cannes.  Truffaut was also a huge fan of Alfred Hitchcock.  So later that year, over the course of a week, Francois Truffaut and Alfred Hitchcock met for eight plus hours daily.  They discussed in detail Hitchcock’s films, his rationale for directing decisions and his thoughts on filmmaking.

Their conversations were recorded and transcribed. In 1966, Truffaut released HITCHCOCK/TRUFFAUT.  The book reached legendary status among filmmakers.  This documentary explores the interviews and highlights from Truffaut’s interviews with Hitchcock.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

This is a must-see for Hitchcock fans.

Hitchcock/Truffaut (2015) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“The 39 Steps” (1935) directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Robert Donat & Madeline Carroll / Z-View

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The 39 Steps (1935)

Director:  Alfred Hitchcock

Screenplay: Charles Bennett, Ian Hay based on THE THIRTY-NINE STEPS by John Buchan

Stars: Robert Donat, Madeleine Carroll and Alfred Hitchcock.

Tagline: HANDCUFFED TO THE GIRL WHO DOUBLE CROSSED HIM!

The Plot…

Richard Hannay (Donat) is watching an act called Mr. Memory in a crowded London theater.  When a gunshot goes off in the crowd, the audience stampedes for the exits.  Hannay is surprised when a woman he doesn’t know says she’s frightened and asks to leave with him.  They end up in Hannay’s apartment where the woman claims to be a government agent.  She admits to firing the shots to escape enemy spies who had found her.  She claims to have information that is vital to the nation’s security.  Hannay isn’t sure what to believe.

Later that night the woman bursts into Hannay’s bedroom.  She has been stabbed.  As she dies she warns Hannay he needs to escape.  In her hand is a map with with a building named “Alt-na-Shellach” circled.  Soon Hannay finds himself on the run.  The police think he killed the woman and the enemy agents know he has information to bring them down.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Alfred Hitchcock claimed that The 39 Steps was one of his favorite movies that he directed.

Hitchcock’s cameo comes around the 7 minute mark.  He is the man walking by the bus who throws litter to the ground.

Richard Hannay shows ingenuity in escaping from his apartment (disguised as a milk man) and later at a political rally.

Hannay (Donat) and Pamela (Carroll) spend several scenes on the run while handcuffed to each other.  In a rehearsal Hitchcock had them handcuffed together for several hours since he had lost the key.  In reality, he hadn’t lost the key, but wanted them to get used to being joined by the cuffs.

The 39 Steps (1935) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“Valley of the Dead” (2020) / Z-View

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Valley of the Dead (2020)

Director:  Javier Ruiz Caldera, Alberto de Toro

Screenplay: Jaime Marques Olarreaga, Alberto Fernández Arregui, Cristian Conti

Stars: Miki Esparbé, Aura Garrido, Luis Callejo

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

During  the Spanish Civil War, rival soldiers must join forces when they encounter zombies created by Nazis.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I’m a sucker for zombie movies.  Valley of the Dead isn’t terrible.  In fact it’s better than a lot zombie flicks these days.  If you’re looking for some mindless entertainment with a touch of humor, Valley of the Dead should fit the bill.

Valley of the Dead (2020) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“Marlowe” (2022) starring Liam Neeson / Z-View

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Marlowe (2022)

Director:  Neil Jordan

Screenplay: William Monahan, Neil Jordan based on THE BLACK-EYED BLONDE by Benjamin Black

Stars: Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger, Jessica Lange.

Tagline: Los Angeles, 1939. Outside the spotlight lies a city of secrets.

The Plot…

Phillip Marlowe (Neeson), a LA Private Eye, is hired by the heiress Clare Cavendish (Kruger) to find her missing lover.  Marlowe quickly learns that the absent Romeo was drunk in the gutter when he was run over by a boozed up driver.  While making his report to Cavendish, she informs Marlowe that she’s seen her lover after the date he was supposedly killed.

Marlowe decides to dig deeper and soon uncovers corruption that runs deep into the movers and shakers of the city.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

In Raymond Chandler’s novels, Phillip Marlowe’s age ranges from 33 to 42.  Liam Neeson was 70 for this role.  That makes him the oldest actor to play Marlowe by nearly ten years.  Robert Mitchum was 58 and 61 when he played the part.  At one point in this film, Marlowe (Neeson) says to himself, “I’m too old for this shit.”  I agree.

Neil Jordan does an excellent job of making the film feel like it is 1939 in LA.  One goof that jumped out at me is when Marlowe tips a hatcheck girl $20.  That is equivalent to almost $450 today.

I’m a fan of most movie adaptations of Phillip Marlowe, but this one was just okay.  The film moved slowly, and Neeson just didn’t work as Marlowe for me.

Marlowe (2022) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE” The Official Teaser Trailer is Here!

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BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE | Official Teaser Trailer

The juice is loose! #Beetlejuice #Beetlejuice – Only in theaters September 6.

Beetlejuice is back! Oscar-nominated, singular creative visionary Tim Burton and Oscar nominee and star Michael Keaton reunite for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, the long-awaited sequel to Burton’s award-winning Beetlejuice.

Keaton returns to his iconic role alongside Oscar nominee Winona Ryder (Stranger Things, Little Women) as Lydia Deetz and two-time Emmy winner Catherine O’Hara (Schitt$ Creek, The Nightmare Before Christmas) as Delia Deetz, with new cast members Justin Theroux (Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi, The Leftovers), Monica Bellucci (Spectre, The Matrix films), Arthur Conti (House of the Dragon) in his feature film debut, with Emmy nominee Jenna Ortega (Wednesday, Scream VI) as Lydia’s daughter, Astrid, and Oscar nominee Willem Dafoe (Poor Things, At Eternity’s Gate).

Beetlejuice is back! After an unexpected family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River. Still haunted by Beetlejuice, Lydia’s life is turned upside down when her rebellious teenage daughter, Astrid, discovers the mysterious model of the town in the attic and the portal to the Afterlife is accidentally opened. With trouble brewing in both realms, it’s only a matter of time until someone says Beetlejuice’s name three times and the mischievous demon returns to unleash his very own brand of mayhem.

Burton, a genre unto himself, directs from a screenplay by Alfred Gough & Miles Millar (Wednesday), story by Gough & Millar and Seth Grahame-Smith (The LEGO® Batman Movie), based on characters created by Michael McDowell & Larry Wilson. The film’s producers are Marc Toberoff, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Tommy Harper and Burton, with Sara Desmond, Katterli Frauenfelder, Gough, Millar, Brad Pitt, Larry Wilson, Laurence Senelick, Pete Chiappetta, Andrew Lary, Anthony Tittanegro, Grahame-Smith and David Katzenberg executive producing.

Burton’s creatives behind the scenes includes director of photography Haris Zambarloukos (Meg 2: The Trench, Murder on the Orient Express); such previous and frequent collaborators as production designer Mark Scruton (Wednesday), editor Jay Prychidny (Wednesday), Oscar-winning costume designer Colleen Atwood (Alice in Wonderland, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Sleepy Hollow), Oscar-winning creature effects and special makeup FX creative supervisor Neal Scanlan (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) and Oscar-nominated composer Danny Elfman (Big Fish, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Batman); and Oscar-winning hair and makeup designer Christine Blundell (Topsy-Turvy).

A Warner Bros. Pictures presentation, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice will be released only in theaters and IMAX on September 6, 2024 nationwide, and internationally beginning 4 September 2024. It will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.

“Devil in a Blue Dress” (1995) directed by Carl Franklin, starring Denzel Washington, Don Cheadle & Tom Sizemore / Z-View

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Devil in a Blue Dress (1995)

Director:  Carl Franklin

Screenplay:  Carl Franklin based on DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS by Walter Mosley

Stars: Denzel Washington, Tom Sizemore, Jennifer Beals, Don Cheadle, Maury Chaykin, Terry Kinney, Albert Hall, Lisa Nicole Carson, Jernard Burks, John Roselius, Beau Starr, L. Scott Caldwell and Barry Shabaka Henley.

Tagline: In a world divided by black and white, Easy Rawlins is about to cross the line.

The Plot…

The year is 1948. Ezekiel “Easy” Rawlins (Washington) has just been laid off and has a house payment coming due.  He needs money, so when a white PI named DeWitt Albright (Sizemore) offers him a job, Easy accepts.  All he has to do is find a missing white woman involved with some political heavyweights.

When another woman ends up murdered,  Albright turns on Easy.  To make matters worse crooked cops give Easy 24 hours to find the real killer or they’ll frame him.  Easy brings in his friend Raymond “Mouse” Alexander (Cheadle) to help him.  Mouse is a stone-cold killer, but sometimes it take one to catch one.

The clock is ticking…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Devil in a Blue Dress, the novel and the movie get my highest recommendation.

Carl Franklin’s adaption and direction are first rate.  Denzel Washington and Don Cheadle were perfect as Easy and Mouse. Tom Sizemore was excellent as DeWitt Albright.  It’s a shame that Franklin, Washington and Cheadle didn’t reteam to film more of Mosley’s stories.  At least one got this one.

Devil in a Blue Dress (1995) rates 5 of 5 stars.