Category: Z-View

“Fort Apache” (1948) directed by John Ford, starring John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Shirley Temple & Pedro Armendáriz / Z-View

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.

The Strangler (1964) starring Victor Buono

The Strangler (1964)

Director: Burt Topper

Screenplay: Bill S. Ballinger

Stars: Victor Buono, David McLean, Diane Sayer, Davey Davison, Baynes Barron, Russ Bender, Jeanne Bates, Byron Morrow, James Sikking, Selette Cole, Fred Aldrich and Ellen Corby.

Tagline:  Based on the terror that has shocked the nation!

The Plot…

A serial killer has strangled several women in a short amount of time.  Police have few clues and no good leads.  Little do they know that in one of their roundups, they had the killer.  He’s a mild mannered overweight lab technician.  He offered to take a lie detector test and passed with flying colors.

How many more women will die at his hands?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The Strangler was inspired by the serial killer known as The Boston Strangler.  The police had not caught the Boston Strangler when The Strangler went into production.  At one point, the producers were going to call the movie, The Boston Strangler.  They decided to go with the shorter title and not name the city in the film.

The Strangler (1964) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Nocturne” (1946) starring George Raft & Lyn Bari / Z-View

Nocturne (1946)

Director: Edwin L. Marin

Screenplay: Jonathan Latimer;  story by Roland Brown, Frank Fenton

Stars: George Raft, Lynn Bari, Virginia Huston, Joseph Pevney, Myrna Dell, Edward Ashley, Walter Sande,
Dorothy Adams
and John Banner.

Tagline:  Whose legs are these? 10 of Hollywood’s most beautiful brunettes all had motives for murder!

The Plot…

Keith Vincent (Ashley), a famous Hollywood composer and womanizer is found dead from a gunshot to the head.  Most of the cops on the scene are ready to call it a suicide and close the case.  Police Detective Joe Warne (Raft) feels differently.  Vincent’s housekeeper is a woman who has served time.  Vincent keeps photos of his past conquests.  One is missing.  Detective Warne pushes to investigate the case.  His Captain gives him one day.

As Warne digs deeper things aren’t adding up.  He wants more time, but the Captain calls him off the case.  Warne refuses to back off.  If he continues his investigation it could cost him his job… and maybe even his life.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

John Banner, best known as Sgt. “I know nothing” Schultz on Hogan’s Heroes appears uncredited as the character Charles Shawn.

Nocturne (1946) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Team Foxcatcher” (2016) / Z-View

Team Foxcatcher (2016)

Director: Jon Greenhalgh

Tagline:  None.

The Plot…

Billionaire John DuPont was always a bit off.  DuPont’s eccentricities were overlooked because of his philanthropy.  He was very generous.  Mr. DuPont supported his city police, athletic sports and various charities.  When John DuPont took an interest in Olympic wrestling, he went all in.

John DuPont built a million dollar facility on his sprawling estate.  In addition to his mansion, there were several houses, a state of the art weight/workout center and a gigantic wrestling room with multiple mats.  DuPont hired a full-time trainer.  John reached out to Dave Schultz, the United States most decorated world champion/Olympic champion wrestler.  Dave Schultz agreed to come on board.  DuPont then contacted other of USA’s best wrestlers to join his team.  He provided them housing and a stipend to come train as part of his team.

This was seen as a godsend by the invited wrestlers.  They no longer had to worry about supporting themselves.  They could train every day with the best wrestlers in the world.  DuPont’s system worked.  The USA team begin to win consistently.

DuPont had always been off kilter.  He was slowly getting worse.  DuPont thought he was capable of wrestling competitively.  The wrestlers, not wanting to upset him, played along.  When he began seeing “things” in the woods around his house, most of them went along.  Then he wanted to get rid of anything black in his life.  He sold his black horses.  He told one of the wrestlers living on the compound to get rid of his black car.  He then fired all of the black wrestlers on Team Foxcatcher.  Even when he pulled a gun on one of the wrestlers, it was played off as “John being John.”

Then one morning John DuPont drove over to the house Dave Schultz was staying.  Dave and his wife were out front.  DuPont rolled down his window and shot Dave Schultz in the chest.  Murdered him in cold blood.

This is the story of how too much money blinded too many people to the warning signs that increasingly indicated a man becoming a danger to himself and others.

Team Foxcatcher (2016) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“I Walk Alone” (1947) starring Burt Lancaster, Lizabeth Scott & Kirk Douglas / Z-View

I Walk Alone (1947)

Director: Byron Haskin

Screenplay: Charles Schnee, Robert Smith (adaptation), John Bright (adaptation) based on Beggars Are Coming to Town by Theodore Reeves

Stars: Burt Lancaster, Lizabeth Scott, Kirk Douglas, Wendell Corey, Kristine Miller, Marc Lawrence, Mickey Knox, Bobby Barber and Mike Mazurki.

Tagline:  He Fell for the Oldest Trick in the World. If You Want to Pump a Guy… Send a Dame.

The Plot…

Frankie Madison (Lancaster) and Noll Turner (Douglas) were best friends and bootlegging partners.  It was 50-50 right down the line.  On their last run, they got into a gunfight with thieves who attempted to hijack their load.  The noise brought the police.  Deciding it was best to split up, Frankie stayed with the truck of bootleg hooch, and Noll split.

Frankie was caught, convicted and sent to prison.  That was 14 years ago.

While Frankie was in prison, Noll took the money he and Frankie had, and invested it in a bar.  He then sold the bar to buy a better nightclub.  It took work, but Noll built it into an exclusive hotspot.  Noll became very rich.

Now that Frankie’s out, he’s ready to join Noll.  They’d  always agreed that everything would be 50-50.  Frankie never ratted out Noll.  Frankie did the time.  He and Noll were best friends and business partners.  Noll would never double cross Frankie.

Would he?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster made seven movies together.  This is the first.

Eddie Muller called I Walk Alone a landmark crime film because it marked the first time movie outlaws moved from working outside the system to becoming legitimate operators working within the system.

I Walk Alone (1947) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“This is Zodiac Speaking” (2024) / Z-View

This is Zodiac Speaking (2024)

Director: Phil Lott (Eps. 1-3), Ari Mark (Eps. 1-3)

Tagline:  None.

The Plot…

Arthur Leigh Allen has been one of the top suspects, if not THE top suspect, of being the Zodiac killer for years.  David, Don and Connie Seawater were children when their mother had a relationship with Arthur Leigh Allen.  As kids they thought Mr. Allen was just a nice man. He treated them and their mother well.  Now as adults they believe he was the Zodiac killer and they have evidence to prove it.

Robert Graysmith who investigated the case and wrote ZODIAC: THE SHOCKING TRUE STORY OF AMERICA’S MOST ELUSIVE SERIAL KILLER weighs in as well.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

This is the Zodiac Speaking does an excellent job of summarizing the case as well as presenting the new evidence in an interesting and compelling manner.  While many documentaries would have padded several episodes, the story is presented in just three.

This is Zodiac Speaking (2024) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“Outside” (2024) written & directed by Carlo Ledesma / Z-View

Outside (2024)

Director: Carlo Ledesma

Screenplay: Carlo Ledesma

Stars: Sid Lucero, Beauty Gonzalez, Marco Masa and Aiden Tyler Patdu.

Tagline:  You can’t keep out what’s already inside.

The Plot…

A zombie outbreak has arrived.  Francis (Lucero) takes his wife, Iris (Gonzalez) and their two sons, Josh (Masa) and Lucas (Patdu) to his father’s remote farm.  Francis finds his mother is a zombie.  He kills her.  Francis then finds his father dead by suicide.

Iris believes the family should continue north.  There are reports of a human stronghold that will provide safety.  Francis overrules her.  The family will barricade the house and stay on the farm until it is safe to go outside.

Iris will soon realize, it might be safer out there.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Outside is a zombie story, but the emphasis is not on the apocalypse.  There are a few scenes with zombies, but the focus isn’t on THAT danger.

Outside (2024) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“The Long Kiss Goodnight” (1996) written by Shane Black, directed by Renny Harlin, starring Gena Davis & Samuel L. Jackson / Z-View

The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996)

Director: Renny Harlin

Screenplay: Shane Black

Stars: Geena Davis, Samuel L. Jackson, Yvonne Zima, Craig Bierko, Brian Cox, Patrick Malahide, David Morse, Joseph McKenna, Melina Kanakaredes, Alan North, Edwin Hodge, G.D. Spradlin and Rex Linn.

Tagline:  Eight years ago she lost her memory. Now, a detective must help her remember the past before it buries them both. What’s forgotten is not always gone.

The Plot…

Samantha Caine (Davis) is a small town schoolteacher.  Life is quiet.  Life is good.  Samantha is happy.  She lives with her daughter and boyfriend.  Samantha has come a long way in eight years.  That was when she was found on a Jersey beach, pregnant and with no memory of her past.

At first Samantha hired the best detectives to try to discover her past. They all struck out. Mitch Henessey (Jackson) is a shady PI.  Mitch lucked onto a suitcase with info that may help Samantha.

Samantha is shocked when a crazed convict breaks into her house to kill her.  Samantha is even more dumbfounded by the fighting skills she didn’t know she had. The killer calls Samantha by a different name.  He obviously knew her.  In a fight to the death Samantha wins.

Mitch shows up.  Samantha and Mitch decide to follow the clues the suitcase provides.  Samantha will discover the truth to her past.  The people that thought Samantha was dead will realize the job needs to be finished.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The Long Kiss Goodnight came at the right time.  Writer Shane Black was at the top of his game.  His screenplay provides the right mix of over-the-top action and humor.  Director Renny Harlin was also killing it.  He’s supported by a great cast.  Gena Davis is perfect as the school teacher/assassin.  Samuel L. Jackson wasn’t yet THE Samuel L. Jackson and is perfect as the guy who just wants to do one thing right.  Kudos to Craig Bierko for owning all of his scenes.  Brian Cox and David Morse are also perfectly cast.

Samuel L. Jackson has said that this was his favorite role.

Gena Davis and Renny Harlin were married when this film was made.

The Long Kiss Goodnight was ahead of it’s time.  Now female action heroes are fairly common, but this was a groundbreaking role by Gena Davis.

The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“TMZ Presents: OJ How He Did It” (2024) / Z-View

TMZ Presents: OJ How He Did It (2024)

Tagline:  None.

The Plot…

Harvey Levin was a young reporter who covered the OJ Simpson murder trial.  Levin was there from the start and has insights never before shared.  Levin shares how he believes OJ Simpson’s murder of Nicole Kidman and Mark Goldman went down.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Levin’s theory is plausible.  He does a good job of presenting the background of the trial with news footage and new interviews with some of those involved.

Levin’s theory is new, but not groundbreaking.  Now if he had gotten an interview and Al Cowlings opened up, THAT would be the story!

TMZ Presents: OJ How He Did It (2024) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“The Hidden” (1987) starring Kyle MacLachlan & Michael Nouri / Z-View

The Hidden (1987)

Director: Jack Sholder

Screenplay: Jim Kouf (as Bob Hunt)

Stars: Kyle MacLachlan, Michael Nouri, Claudia Christian, Clarence Felder, Clu Gulager, Ed O’Ross, William Boyett, Larry Cedar, Katherine Cannon, John McCann, Lin Shaye, James Luisi, Frank Renzulli, Duane Davis, Kristen Clayton and Danny Trejo.

Tagline:  A new breed of criminal.

The Plot…

Los Angeles Police Detective Tom Beck (Nouri) is informed that he will partner with FBI Special Agent Lloyd Gallagher (MacLachlan) to capture Jack DeVries.  DeVries until recently had never committed a crime.  Then without warning DeVries went on a crime spree robbing, killing and leading police on a high speed chase.  DeVries was now at the hospital suffering from multiple gunshots and injuries from a car crash.  He was not expected to live through the night.

Gallagher tells Beck to join him.  They rush to the hospital.  They find DeVries dead body on the floor.  Strange thing is, that Jonathan Miller, the comatose man that shared the room is missing.  Gallagher tells Beck to put out an APB on Miller.  But it is too late.  Miller has already beaten a store owner to death, killed three people at a Ferrari dealership and stolen one of their best cars.

Beck begins to realize that this crime wave isn’t of this Earth.  What else could he be missing?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Watch for Danny Trejo to show up long enough to get killed.

The most interesting part of the film to me takes place as Nouri’s character comes to realize what he’s dealing with.

The Hidden (1987) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“The Corpse Vanishes” (1942) starring Bela Lugosi / Z-View

The Corpse Vanishes (1942)

Director: Wallace Fox

Screenplay: Harvey Gates; story by Sam Robins, Gerald Schnitzer

Stars: Bela Lugosi, Luana Walters, Tristram Coffin, Vince Barnett and Angelo Rossitto.

Tagline:  KIDNAPPED BRIDES Are The Victims Of His Terror! Prepare to shudder when you see the strange practices of this doctor who sacrificed beautiful women for the sake of a mad love!

The Plot…

Someone is killing young brides on their wedding day.  No one can figure out why they are dying. Or who is stealing their corpses.  Then Patricia Hunter (Walters), a young reporter, notices the brides are all wearing orchid corsages. She decides to investigate.

The clues lead Patricia to Dr. Lorenz (Lugosi).  Lorenz lives in a remote mansion with his younger wife.  Dr. Lorenz seems nice enough, but the wife is a bit cold.  When a terrible storm hits and washes out the bridge to town, Patricia is forced to spend the night.

What Patricia doesn’t know is…

  • …Dr. Lorenz has been behind the murders of the brides.  Lorenz takes their glandular fluids for injection into his wife.  These fluids make his elderly wife appear young for a brief time.
  •  …in the Doctor’s cellar laboratory a crazy old hag and her two sons live.  One of the sons is a cruel dwarf.  The other is a feebleminded hulk.  The three assist Dr. Lorenz with the murders.
  • …also in the cellar is a room with the bodies of the dead brides.

Patricia doesn’t know these things… but she is about to find out.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Beware of poor copies.  The movie is in the public domain.

Angelo Rossitto plays the dwarf son.  Mr. Rossitto is best known for his roles in Tod Browning’s Freaks and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome.  His career spanned 60 years and over 100 resume credits.

The Corpse Vanishes is a low-budget, quickly shot B picture and it plays like one.

The Corpse Vanishes (1942) rates 2 of 5 stars.

WRECKED: AN IQ NOVEL by Joe Ide

WRECKED: AN IQ NOVEL by Joe Ide

First sentence…

“Do you know what Abraham Lincoln said after a six-day drunk?” Jimenez said.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Isaiah Quintabe, who everyone calls IQ because of his superior intellect, is back.  IQ was in high school when his brother was killed in a hit and run.  It was at that point that IQ began earning money from neighborhood folks needing help. After IQ found a a runaway young girl word spread. Soon he was getting requests for assistance with “cases the police couldn’t or wouldn’t touch.” The cases didn’t pay much and sometimes the reward was food or a service IQ needed.

But that was over a decade ago.  Now IQ is famous in the neighborhood for the “cases” he’s resolved.  IQ’s the go-to guy when folks need a detective or issue resolved.  IQ became so busy that he brought on his childhood friend, Dodson to assist.  If IQ is the brains of the outfit, Dodson is the one with street smarts. Dodson used to run with a rough crowd, but those days are over.  Now he’s married with a young daughter.  His job is to make IQ a legitimate detective.  One with a social media presence.  One who gets paid with cash instead of new tires or a carpet cleaning.

When IQ meets a local artist named Grace, he begins to fall for her.  She needs help.  Grace hasn’t seen her mother in decade.  Grace wants IQ to find mom and fast.  Her mother has something that could get some bad men sent to prison for a very long time.  These guys are killers and will stop at nothing to get what they want.

To complicate matters, Seb, the African gangster responsible for IQ’s brother’s death has IQ in his crosshairs.

The race is on to find Grace’s mother.  Even IQ gets there first, how can he protect her from the killers closing in?

+++++

Joe Ide has another winner.

Rating:

“The American Dream: The Dusty Rhodes Story” (2006) / Z-View

The American Dream: The Dusty Rhodes Story (2006)

Stars: Dusty Rhodes, Dick “the Bruiser” Afflis, Arn Anderson, Ole Anderson, Eric Bischoff, Tully Blanchard, Gerald Brisco, John Cena, Ted DiBiase, Ric Flair, Terry Funk, Superstar Billy Graham, Mike Graham, Jimmy Hart, Bobby Heenan, Jerry Lawler, Paul “Triple H” Levesque, Vince McMahon, Dick Murdock, Gene Okerland, Pat Patterson, Roddy Piper, Bruce Prichard, Harley Race, Dustin Rhodes, Ron Simmons and Hulk Hogan.

Tagline:  None.

The Plot…

The life story of Dusty Rhodes.  Born the son of a plumber in Austin, Texas, he became one of the most beloved professional wrestlers in the world.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Dusty Rhodes, at one time, was one of the highest paid and most successful wrestlers in the world.  Everywhere he went Rhodes rose to the top.  Even when Dusty Rhodes was older, he was wanted as a writer and booker for promotions.

What I admire about Dusty is that he was able to figure out how to make each situation he was in work.  Even when Vince McMahon gave Rhodes a silly persona and a polka-dot outfit, Rhodes was able to make the character a fan favorite.

Rhodes was king on a microphone.  His “hard times” speech is considered a classic by wrestling fans.  One of my favorite Rhodes’ quotes is: “I have wined and dined with kings and queens and I’ve slept in alleys and dined on pork and beans”.

The American Dream: The Dusty Rhodes Story (2006) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“White Zombie” (1932) starring Bela Lugosi / Z-View

White Zombie (1932)

Director:  Victor Halperin

Screenplay: Garnett Weston based on THE MAGIC ISLAND by William Seabrook

Stars: Bela Lugosi, Madge Bellamy, Robert Frazer, John Harron, Brandon Hurst, Clarence Muse and Frederick Peters.

Tagline:  With These Zombie Eyes he rendered her powerless – With This Zombie Grip he made her perform his every desire!

The Plot…

Madeleine Short (Bellamy) and her fiancé Neil Parker (Harron) arrive in Haiti. They are guests of Charles Beaumont (Frazer) and staying on his huge plantation.  Charles secretly loves Madeleine and wishes she would marry him.  Desperate to have Madeline, Charles visits ‘Murder’ Legendre (Lugosi).

Murder is the owner of a huge plantation.  Everyone knows that Murder’s plantation is worked  by Haitian zombie slaves. Murder has the ability to turn people into mindless beings that follow his every command.  Charles wants Madeleine to love him.  He believes Murder can make this happen.

Murder agrees to help.  But the truth is he has other plans for Madeleine.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

White Zombie was filmed in less than two weeks on a budget of $50,000.00.  Reportedly up to 10% of the budget was Lugosi’s salary.

White Zombie was one of Bela Lugosi’s favorites of the films he made.

Beware of poor copies since the film went into public domain in 1960.

White Zombie (1932) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Tarzan and the She-Devil” (1953) starring Lex Barker, Joyce MacKenzie & Raymond Burr / Z-View

Tarzan and the She-Devil (1953)

Director: Kurt Neumann

Screenplay: Karl Kamb, Carroll Young; based on characters created by Edgar Rice Burroughs

Stars: Lex Barker, Joyce Mackenzie, Raymond Burr, Monique van Vooren, Tom Conway, Michael Granger, Fred Aldrich, Ben Astar, Ben Astar, George Barrows, Robert Bice, Mara Corday and Henry Brandon.

Tagline: TARZAN FACES HIS GREATEST PERIL!… when he clashes with the ruthless, alluring Queen of the Ivory Thieves… in the BEST of all the Tarzans!

The Plot…

Vargo (Burr) convinces Lyra, the She-Devil (van Vooren) to take her “soldiers” and join him on an expedition to kill a large herd of elephants for their tusks.  Vargo isn’t worried about Tarzan.

But he should be.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The fifth and final Tarzan film starring Lex Barker.

I wish the movie was a nice as the poster.

Tarzan and the She-Devil (1953) rates 2 of 5 stars.