“Hellboy” Alt Poster by Rich Davies!
If you’re following Rich Davies, you might have already seen his cool Hellboy alt poster. Even so, it’s worth another look.
“Aw, crap.” – Hellboy
Category: Humor
“Beetlejuice” (1988) starring Michael Keaton, Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin / Z-View
Beetlejuice (1988)
Director: Tim Burton
Screenplay: Michael McDowell, Warren Skaaren; story by Michael McDowell, Larry Wilson
Stars: Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Michael Keaton, Jeffrey Jones, Catherine O’Hara, Winona Ryder and Glenn Shadix.
Tagline: In This House… If You’ve Seen One Ghost… You Haven’t Seen Them All.
The Plot…
Adam and Barbara Maitland are almost home when they swerve to avoid hitting a dog. Their car goes over a bridge and into the river.
When Adam and Barbara wake up they’re home.
And dead.
Adam and Barbara are now ghosts in their country home. When their house is sold, the new owners are a New York real estate developer, his wife who considers herself an artist and their goth daughter.
Adam and Barbara hate changes made to the house by the new owners. So they decide to scare the new family into moving. That doesn’t work so Adam and Barbara decide they’ll move on. But because of afterlife red tape and bureaucracy, Adam and Barbara can’t leave their former house for 125 years. The afterlife is like nothing they could have imagined.
Adam and Barbara learn about Betelgeuse, a self-proclaimed bio-exorcist. Despite warnings that Betlegeuse is a rude, crude, spirit that cannot be trusted, Adam and Barbara decide to ask for his help.
Be careful what you ask for… you just might get it.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Beetlejuice was nominated and won one Academy Award for Best Make-up – Ve Neill, Steve LaPorte, and Robert Short.
Catherine O’Hara met her future husband, Bo Welch who was production designer for Beetlejuice, during filming.
Tim Burton originally wanted Sammy Davis, Jr. to play Beetlejuice. The studio wouldn’t agree.
Sylvia Sidney plays a smoking ghost with a hole in her throat through which she exhales smoke. Sadly Ms. Sidney died from throat cancer at the age of 88.
Geena Davis is so cute in this film.
Michael Keaton is perfect as Beetlejuice.
Beetlejuice (1988) rates 4 of 5 stars.
Rocky Balboa by Randy Martin!
Randy Martin and his his wife, Laura were one of the first people that I knew who had an art themed collection. Theirs is Edward Scissorhands. Anyway, I was at one of the first (maybe even the first) conventions when I started getting Sylvester Stallone character sketches. Randy (who is a collector, not a professional artist) said he had an idea for a Stallone sketch. I said (in my best Rocky III voice), “Go for it!”
The result is a, pardon the expression, knockout! It still brings a smile to my face.
“Animal Crackers” (2017) / Z-View
Animal Crackers (2017)
Director: Scott Christian Sava, Tony Bancroft
Screenplay: Scott Christian Sava, Dean Lorey
Stars: Emily Blunt, Danny DeVito, John Krasinski, Ian McKellen, Sylvester Stallone, Patrick Warburton, Raven-Symoné, Harvey Fierstein, Wallace Shawn, Gilbert Gottfried, Tara Strong, James Arnold Taylor, Kevin Grevioux and Lydia Rose Taylor.
Tagline: A magical adventure in every bite!
The Plot…
Owen and Zoe meet at Owen’s family circus as children. Years later, they marry. Owen leaves the circus to work at his father-in-law’s dog biscuit factory as a taster. When Owen inherits the circus, Zoe decides to give it a go.
The circus has seen better days. Then Owen and Zoe find a box of magical animal crackers. Eating an animal shaped cracker turns the person into the real animal! Owen eats different crackers and becomes the circus’ star attraction.
Owen’s evil uncle, wants the circus and plans to steal the magic animal crackers.
And now if I can direct your attention to the center ring… the show is about to start!
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Animal Crackers is based on a graphic novel that co-Director Scott Christian Sava wrote for his two children. He set the story in his hometown of Franklin, Tennessee.
Emily Blunt and John Krasinski, who voice the married couple, Zoe and Owen, are married in real-life.
I watched this with my grandchildren (ages 3 and 7), they loved it. Their laughter was contagious!
Animal Crackers (2017) rates 4 of 5 stars.
“A Flirt’s Mistake” (1914) starring Fatty Arbuckle / Z-View
A Flirt’s Mistake (1914)
Director: George Nichols
Stars: Fatty Arbuckle
Tagline: None.
The Plot…
Fatty, a married man who flirts with any woman mistakes a Rajah for his next target. It turns out the Sultan has a beard… and a sword!
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
A Flirt’s Mistake is an eight minute short.
A Flirt’s Mistake (1914) rates 3 of 5 stars.
“Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice” (2026) starring Vince Vaughn, James Marsden & Eiza González / Z-View
Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice (2026)
Director: BenDavid Grabinski
Screenplay: BenDavid Grabinski
Stars: Vince Vaughn, James Marsden, Eiza González, Keith David, Jimmy Tatro, Dolph Lundgren and Stephen Root.
Tagline: A time-traveling, double-crossing, ass-kicking comedy.
The Plot…
Quick Draw Mike is ready for a night of fun. His boss, Sosa is throwing several parties for his son Jimmy Boy who just got out of prison. Alice will be there. She and Nick are having an affair. Alice is married to a loan shark named Nick.
So when Nick asks Mike to leave the party to help him with something, Mike’s suspicious. Does Nick know Mike’s having an affair with his wife? He does. In fact, Nick told Sosa that Mike was the rat who got Jimmy Boy sent to prison. Worse still, Sosa has contracted The Baron, a contract killer who eats his victims to whack Mike.
Tonight Mike will be killed.
Nick knows this because he had a change of heart and has come back from the future to save Mike.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice is a fun ride.
Dolph Lundgren makes a quick appearance.
I’m always surprised how well Vince Vaughn can be menacing in one film and funny in another.
David Marsden is perfect as Quick Draw Mike. Keith David and Stephen Root are always good.
Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice (2026) rates 4 of 5 stars.
Hellboy by Richard Pace!
Richard Pace says he loves drawing Hellboy. I hope he likes drawing him as much as I enjoy the end results. This piece is so subtle. The demons are smug in their belief that they’ve got the drop on Hellboy, but we can see HB smiling as he slowly draws his pistol.
You can see more of Pace’s art here.
Zablo is FIRST WULF by Chris Flick!
Here’s another gem from the vault. It’s of me as a werewolf as visualized by Chris Flick. Note the Stallone/Rambo reference.
Chris Flick is a professional illustrator, cartoonist, caricaturist, web and graphic designer. He created the webcomic Capes & Babes featuring Roy the Werewolf. All 1,200+ strips are available at capesnbabes.com. If you prefer hardcopies, Chris has collected the strips into trade paperback books and created three all ages coloring books available on Amazon.com.
Chris attends several conventions throughout the year where he primarily draws caricatures of people as werewolves and other monsters, sells mash-up posters, coloring books, stickers and so much more.
Sly Stallone is Rambo by Jim Ivey!
I was going through the vault and found this piece that Jim Ivey surprised me one day when I was visiting him. Jim (and most of my other friends) liked to occasionally razz me about my admiration for Sylvester Stallone.
Jim was one of my oldest (in age and length of time) and dearest friends. Jim was the owner of The Cartoon Museum in Orlando, Florida, when I first met him. At the same time, Jim also worked as a syndicated cartoonist [The Thoughts of Man], a political cartoonist [The Orlando Sentinel], a publisher [CartooNews], teacher [UCF cartooning class] and comic book convention organizer [OrlandoCon]. Jim made a lot of life-long friends through these activities and I was one of them.
“Big Trouble in Little China” Alt Poster by Michael Rogers!
Check out this alt poster for Big Trouble in Little China by Michael Rogers.
” When some wild-eyed, eight-foot-tall maniac grabs your neck, taps the back of your favorite head up against the barroom wall, and he looks you crooked in the eye and he asks you if ya paid your dues, you just stare that big sucker right back in the eye, and you remember what ol’ Jack Burton always says at a time like that: “Have ya paid your dues, Jack?” “Yessir, the check is in the mail.”” – Jack Burton
Brad Bird’s “Ray Gunn” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!
Brad Bird’s Ray Gunn is coming soon. Today we have the poster and trailer.
Deal me in.
Academy Award winner Brad Bird, the visionary director of The Incredibles, Ratatouille, and The Iron Giant, brings you a whole new world to investigate…
In Metropia, a gigantic city in an alternate future as seen from 1939, private eye Raymond Gunn (Sam Rockwell) is drawn into a case involving aliens, murder and a multimedia star named Venus Nova (Scarlett Johansson).
Watch Ray Gunn – in select theaters December 4 and on Netflix December 18.
“A Savage Art: The Life & Cartoons of Pat Oliphant” (2025) / Z-View
A Savage Art: The Life & Cartoons of Pat Oliphant (2025)
Director: Bill Banowsky
Writers: Dean Alioto, Bill Banowsky, Paul O’Bryan
Tagline: None.
The Plot…
Pat Oliphant was a Pulitzer prize winning politcal cartoonist. His career spanned 50 years and his style influenced generations of cartoonists. Oliphant felt creating political cartoons wasn’t a job, it was a cause to criticize all political perspectives. And he was extremely successful in that regard.
In addition to his success as a politcal cartoonist, Oliphant was also an accomplished sculptor.
Even if you don’t know Pat Oliphant’s name, my guess is you would recognize some of his cartoons. This is his story.
A Savage Art: The Life & Cartoons of Pat Oliphant (2025) rates 4 of 5 stars.
“The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” (2018) A Film By Joel & Ethan Coen / Z-View
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)
Director: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Screenplay: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Stars: Tim Blake Nelson, Clancy Brown, Tyne Daly, James Franco, Stephen Root, Brendan Gleeson, Bill Heck, Grainger Hines, Zoe Kazan, Harry Melling, Liam Neeson, Jonjo O’Neill, Chelcie Ross, Saul Rubinek and Tom Waits.
Tagline: How the West Was Won (more or less)
The Plot…
The Ballad of Buster Scrugs is actually six tales from the post-Civil War west.
- “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” – Buster Scruggs, dressed in white from head to toe, is the fastest gun in the west. He has a wonderful singing voice as well. Buster drifts from town to town never looking for trouble. Trouble is, it always finds him.
- “Near Algodones” – A small bank stands isolated on the prairie. A lone cowboy decides the bank is easy pickins. That decision is going to lead to a series of unexpected events that culminate with the biggest surprise of all.
- “Meal Ticket” – An older man and a young armless and legless man named Harrison travel from frontier town to frontier town in a showman’s wagon. Harrison is a skilled orator. In each town, Harrison recites poetry and dramatic readings for donations. It is a hard life. Maybe there is an easier way to make a living.
- “All Gold Canyon” – An old weathered prospector has traveled deep into the frontier. Despite years of prospecting failure, he is determined to strike gold. And when he does, what could go wrong?
- “The Gal Who Got Rattled” – Alice Longabaugh and her brother Gilbert are part of a wagon train headed to Oregon. There Gilbert says he has a business opportunity waiting. Based on Gilbert’s past business success Alice has her doubts. When Gilbert takes ill and suddenly dies, Alice is left alone. Things take a turn for the best when Billy, the second lead on the wagon train, proposes marriage. Billy is a decent, honest man who had shown an interest in Alice from the journey’s start. Alice thinks that things might turn out for the best. She just needs to have faith.
- “The Mortal Remains” – As a stagecoach barrels along, it’s five passengers get to know each other. The travelers include two bounty hunters, a trapper, a religious woman, and a Frenchman. The group appears to have nothing in common. But they do. Oh, do they ever.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs was nominated for three Academy Awards…
- Nominee for Best Adapted Screenplay – Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
- Nominee for Best Achievement in Costume Design – Mary Zophres
- Nominee for Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Song) – David Rawlings, Gillian Welch; for “When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings”
Tim Blake Nelson did his own singing and guitar playing. He had to learn to play guitar for the film.
“All Gold Canyon” is based on a story by Jack London. “The Gal Who Got Rattled” inspired by a story by Stewart Edward White.
In “Near Algodones” the bank teller says he gets deposits from Val Verde. Val Verde sounds like a South American country but is a fictional location. Val Verde was a location used in Die Hard, Predator and Commando.
“The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” is my favorite of the six segments. It’s a worthy send-up of singing cowboys and early western troupes. A full-length Buster Scruggs prequel would be a blast.
“Near Algodones” has surprising changes in tone. I ike it! We go from traditional western to comedy (“Pan-shot!”) to drama to action to suspense to traditional western to suspense to comedy (“First time?”) to romance to surprise!
“Meal Ticket” – has an ending that is unexpected and shocking.
“All Gold Canyon” – I didn’t recognize Tom Waits who has a nearly one person showcase.
“The Girl Who Got Rattled” – is the closest of the six stories to be a traditional western. But it’s not really.
“The Mortal Remains” – As the story unfolds, you might see it before the characters in the tale.
Many anthology movies falter when their stories vary in quality. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs doesn’t suffer in that respect. Each tale is entertaining.
It was cool how each segment is presented as part of an old book of short western stories. The art that accompanied each segment was perfect as well.
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018) rates 4 of 5 stars.
“The Court Jester” (1955) starring Danny Kaye, Glynis Johns, Basil Rathbone, Angela Lansbury and Cecil Parker / Z-View
The Court Jester (1955)
Director: Norman Panama, Melvin Frank
Screenplay: Norman Panama, Melvin Frank
Stars: Danny Kaye, Glynis Johns, Basil Rathbone, Angela Lansbury, Cecil Parker,
Mildred Natwick, Robert Middleton, Michael Pate, Alan Napier and John Carradine.
Tagline: The Musical Romantic Adventure Of This Or Any Year!
The Plot…
King Roderick usurped the throne by killing the royal family. Or so he thought. A baby survived. There is no doubt that the infant is of royal blood, as he possesses the inherited “purple pimpernel” birthmark on his bottom. The baby is safely hidden away by The Black Fox and his rebel band.
Hubert Hawkins, a minstrel, joined the rebels. He wanted to be a warrior fighting to overthrow King Roderick. Unfortunately, Hubert is small, weak and not overly brave.
Roderick has barricaded himself in the King’s castle. Unaware that a true heir to the throne survives, the king’s army provides support. The Black Fox knows that their alliegence will change once they see the royal birthmark on the infant. If they could only get a key to the king’s secret tunnel that would allow them access to the castle.
By chance, the rebels learn that Giacomo is on his way to the castle. He will begin his new job as the King’s Jester! A risky plan is quickly put together. Hubert Hawkins will assume the role of Giacomo the Jester! He will gain the king’s confidence, steal the key to the tunnel and The Black Fox and his rebels will take it from there.
Of course there are many things that can go wrong… all of them and more will.
Get it? Got it? Good!
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
The Court Jester is one of my all time favorite musical/comedies. There are so many truly funny scenes. It is well written, well directed and perfectly cast.
Basil Rathbone was a two-time British Army fencing champion. He was considered by many to be Hollywood’s best sword fighter. As such Rathbone had many famous on-screen sword fights. His most famous were against Errol Flynn in Captain Blood and The Adventures of Robin Hood; versus John Barrymore in Romeo and Juliet; against Richard Plantagenet in Tower of London; against Tyrone Power in The Mark of Zorro and in his last on-screen battle versus Danny Kaye in The Court Jester.
The Court Jester (1955) rates 5 of 5 stars.
“Dr. Jack” (1922) starring Harold Lloyd & Mildred Davis / Z-View
Dr. Jack (1922)
Director: Fred C. Newmeyer
Screenplay: Hal Roach, Sam Taylor, Jean C. Havez, H. M. Walker
Stars: Harold Lloyd, Mildred Davis.
Tagline: Here is your “Fountain of Youth.” Here is Joy, Laughter and Inspiration. Here is Lloyd’s Master-piece of Mirth that turns old wrinkles into new smiles, puts electricity in your funny bone and spreads health and happiness.
The Plot…
Dr. Jack Jackson is a young country doctor who prescribes medicine as a last resort. He keeps his fees low, accepts barter or doesn’t charge patients low on funds.
When Dr. Jack is brought in to consult on the case of a young woman who has been “ill” for years, he suspects her problem is more than a sickness. The woman is heir to a fortune. Her father has depended on Dr. Ludwig von Saulsbourg for a cure. Saulsburg has strung them along with expensive therapies and medicines.
Dr. Jack knows to tread lightly, but knows he’s right.
When the young woman and Dr. Jack begin to fall in love, Saulsbourg decides to use that as a wedge to convince the woman’s father Jack is up to no good.
Will love prevail? Will the young woman be cured?
The doctor is in.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
A year after the release of Dr. Jack, stars Harold Lloyd and Mildred Davis were married. They had three children and remained married until Mildred’s death in 1969.
Dr. Jack (1922) rates 3 of 5 stars.
