Category: Z-View

“All Souls” (2023) starring Mikey Madison & Gerald ‘G-Eazy’ Gillum / Z-View

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All Souls (2023)

Director: Emmanuelle Pickett

Screenplay: Anthony Ragnone II

Stars: Mikey Madison, Gerald G-Eazy Gillum, Calvin Clausell Jr., Jess Gabor, Xavier Jimenez, Joseph H. Johnson Jr., Samuel Roukin, Eric C. Sun, Faye Tamasa and Craig Ng.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

River (Madison) is a young single parent of a cute 5 year old girl named Jade.  When River is caught with weed, the two arresting cops offer her a chance to walk if she will serve as their confidential informant.  All River has to do is wear a wire to a buy from a major dealer named Silas (G-Eazy).  No one has been able to get close to Silas, but River has an “in”.

Silas got River high when she was sixteen then took advantage of her.  Silas is Jade’s father, although he’s never had any contact with her.  River cut all ties to Silas when she discovered she was pregnant.

Concerned that if she doesn’t set up Silas, the cops will go forward with charges.  She would go to jail and Jade would become a ward of the state.  River (and the cops) know Silas will kill her if it is discovered she is wearing a wire.  The cops promise they’ll be right there and rush in when the deal is done.  Then River will be able to walk away free and clear.

Feeling she has no choice, River takes the deal.

As with the best laid plans, things go sideways…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I’m surprised that All Souls isn’t a better known film.  It is well done from top to bottom.  Kudos to writer Anthony Ragnone II, and director Emmanuelle Pickett.  They’ve created a story that feels and looks like it could be taking place in any town’s drug area.

Mikey Madison is amazing in this role.  I’d never seen her before, but she is definitely an actress to watch. I’d say that even if she hadn’t just won an Best Actress Oscar.

I’d also never seen Gerald G-Eazy Gillum before.  He’s really good as Silas.  Perhaps acting may rival music for a career choice.

All Souls easily rates 4 of 5 stars for me.  I plan to watch it again soon with my wife.  Who knows, further consideration might kick it up to 5 stars.

All Souls (2023) rates 4 of 5 stars.

KING OF THE HUSTLERS by Eugene Izzi / Z-View

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KING OF THE HUSTLERS by Eugene Izzi

First sentence…

With a release date only three days away Edgew Plumber was on his best behavior.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Things are looking up for Tone Nello.  After a lifetime of small scores, Nello’s life as a hustler could be over.  Nello’s met a woman who just might be the one.  He’s got a chance at a job that’s high risk but would set him up for life.  Nello’s best friend and crime partner, Bobby Bebbo is on-board with the robbery.

What could go wrong?

Psycho Pete “Panther” Payne is still looking to get payback for the beating Nello handed him a few days ago. Edgew Plumber, fresh out of prison needs to make it known that he’s back.  Turning Pather Payne loose could be the ticket.  Plus, Nello’s new woman — there’s more to her than he knows.  And if that isn’t enough, the closer to the job, the stranger Bebbo is acting.

Tone Nello is the “King of the Hustlers” but this time out, he may be the one getting hustled.

+++++

Eugene Izzi is back with another winner.  Izzi was on his way to being a big name crime writer, when he died under strange circumstances.

Rating:

“Chuka” starring Rod Taylor, Ernest Borgnine & John Mills / Z-View

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Chuka (1967)

Director: Gordon Douglas

Screenplay: Richard Jessup, Rod Tayor (uncredited); based on CHUKA by Richard Jessup

Stars: Rod Taylor, Ernest Borgnine, John Mills, Luciana Paluzzi, James Whitmore, Victoria Vetri, Louis Hayward, Joseph Sirola and Michael Cole.

Tagline: They called him saddle-bum…desert rat…pistolero…but where would they have been without Chuka on that bloody summer’s day.

The Plot…

A stagecoach makes it to Fort Clandennon, a remote US calvary outpost located on the frontier.  Accompanying the stage is a gunfighter named Chuka (Taylor).  Chuka rode with the stagecoach after finding it broken down in Arapaho country.  On the stage is Senora Veronica Kleitz (Paluzzi) and her niece Senorita Helena Chavez (Vetri).

Fort Clandennon is under the command of Colonel Valois (Mills).  The soldiers at the outpost, except for Sergeant Hansbach (Borgnine), have been sent there as punishment for past crimes. Sergeant Hansbach is an excellent soldier dedicated to Colonel Valois.  Hansbach takes an instant dislike to Chuka.  The feeling is mutual.

Colonel Valois is concerned with talk of an Arapaho uprising.  His last patrol never returned.  Chuka sees that Valois soldiers aren’t up to an attack and tells Valois they need to leave.  Colonel Valois is insulted and refuses.

But it’s too late.  The Arapaho are on the move.  It looks to be a massacre.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Chuka was one of my favorite westerns when I saw it a child.  It still is.

Rod Taylor, Ernest Borgnine and James Whitmore shine.

The fight between Chuka and Sergeant Hansbach is a perfect cap to their escalating dislike for each other.

The reveal of why Hansbach is so dedicated to Colonel Valois was shocking to me as a kid. (And no, it’s not because of what you’re thinking.)  It was a bold choice for 1967.

Chuka deserves to be better known.

Chuka (1967) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“Outlaw Johnny Black” starring Michael Jai White / Z-View

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Outlaw Johnny Black (2023)

Director: Michael Jai White

Screenplay: Michael Jai White, Byron Keith Minns

Stars: Michael Jai White, Anika Noni Rose, Erica Ash, Byron Minns, Chris Browning, Barry Bostwick, Randy Couture, Tommy Davidson, Gary Anthony Williams, Eme Ikwuakor, Jalyn Hall, Roger Yuan, Michael Madsen, Josh Barnett, Glynn Turman, Paul Sloan and Donald Cerrone.

Tagline: From the Brothers Who Brought You Black Dynamite

The Plot…

Johnny Black (White) is a wanted man.  Quick with a gun or his fists (or his feet – a martial artist in the old west!), Black is going to find and kill Brett Clayton (Browning).  Clayton killed Johnny Black’s father.  An eye for an eye and all that.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The Outlaw Johnny Black wants to be for westerns what Black Dynamite was for blaxploitation films.  Sadly, at least for met the jokes weren’t landing and it felt like a poor tv version of Blazing Saddles (which I loved) crossed with Mario Van Peebles’ Posse (which I liked a lot).

I tapped out at 37 minutes.  Of course your mileage may vary.

Outlaw Johnny Black (2023) rates 1 of 5 stars.

“Blackboard Jungle” (1955) starring Glenn Ford, Anne Francis, Vic Morrow and Sidney Poitier / Z-View

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Blackboard Jungle (1955)

Director: Richard Brooks

Screenplay: Richard Brooks; based on THE BLACKBOARD JUNGLE by Evan Hunter

Stars: Glenn Ford, Anne Francis, Louis Calhern, Margaret Hayes, John Hoyt, Richard Kiley, Emile Meyer, Warner Anderson, Sidney Poitier, Vic Morrow, Dan Terranova, Paul Mazursky, Horace McMahon, Richard Deacon, James Drury, Emil Sitka and Jamie Farr.

Tagline: Is The Most Startling Picture Of The Year!

The Plot…

Richard Dadier (Ford) is a war vet and recent college graduate (thanks to the GI Bill).  His wife is pregnant and Dadier needs a job.  So Dadier accepts a position at North Manual Trades High School.  North Manual is an inner city school for boys.

From day one, the students attempt to run Dadier off.  But Dadier is not a quitter.  Although most other faculty members allow the students to run wild, Dadier is determined to reach and teach his students.  Dadier’s attempts to win over Greg Miller (Poitier) and Artie West (Morrow) are unsuccessful.  As time goes on West’s leadership turns the students from mild defiance to insubordination and worse.

Dadier is determined to teach his students, no matter the cost…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Blackboard Jungle was nominated for four 1956 Academy Awards…

  • Nominee for Best Film Editing – Ferris Webster
  • Nominee for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Black-and-White – Cedric Gibbons, Randall Duell, Edwin B. Willis, Henry Grace
  • Nominee for Best Cinematography, Black-and-White – Russell Harlan
  • Nominee for Best Writing, Screenplay – Richard Brooks

Blackboard Jungle features the film debuts of Vic Morrow, James Drury and Jamie Farr.

Morrow was 26 and Poitier was 28 playing high school students.

I liked Blackboard Jungle, but it didn’t resonate with me like the audiences in 1955 (and maybe most today).  I thought it was good.  Glenn Ford was an excellent choice to play Dadier.  Anne Francis doesn’t have much to do other than look pretty and she fulfills that role.  Vic Morrow and Sidney Poitier look right despite being a decade too old in real life.

The characters and story have all the expected arcs and plot points.  The students don’t seem that scary of course in 1955, they could have seemed shocking.  I liked the film but most folks seem to love it.  Your mileage, as always, could vary.

Blackboard Jungle (1955) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Annie Hall” starring Woody Allen & Diane Keaton / Z-View

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Annie Hall (1977)

Director: Woody Allen

Screenplay: Woody Allen, Marshall Brickman

Stars: Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Tony Roberts, Carol Kane, Paul Simon, Shelley Duvall, Janet Margolin, Colleen Dewhurst, Hy Anzell, Russell Horton, Dick Cavett, Mark Lenard, John Glover, Bernie Styles, Jeff Goldblum, Shelley Hack, Beverly D’Angelo, Sigourney Weaver, Walter Bernstein and Christopher Walken.

Tagline: A nervous romance.

The Plot…

Alvy Singer (Allen) looks back on his romance with Annie Hall (Keaton) trying to figure out where it went wrong.  There are many possibilities.  Alvy is a twice divorced, middle-aged, Jewish stand-up comedian from New York who over-intellectualizes.  Annie is younger, never married, insecure, WASP from the Midwest who dreams of being a singer.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Annie Hall was nominated for five 1978 Academy Awards and won four…

  • Nominee for Best Actor in a Leading Role – Woody Allen
  • Winner for Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen – Woody Allen, Marshall Brickman
  • Winner for Best Director – Woody Allen
  • Winner for Best Actress in a Leading Role – Diane Keaton
  • Winner for Best Picture – Charles H. Joffe

Sigourney Weaver’s feature film debut in a non-speaking role as Alvy’s date near the end of the movie.  Shelley Hack also made her film debut in Annie Hall in as a “street stranger”.

Alvy’s (Woody Allen’s) sneezing into the cocaine was reportedly an unscripted accident.

With Annie Hall Woody Allen became the first person to give an Oscar nominated performance in a film for which he won Best Director.  Interestingly enough, Annie Hall features Woody Allen’s only Oscar nominated performance and the only film directed by him to win a Best Picture Academy Award.

I liked Annie Hall, but it didn’t resonate with me like the majority of folks who love it.  Your mileage, as always, could vary.

Annie Hall (1977) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“Aftermath” (2024) / Z-View

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Aftermath (2024)

Director: Patrick Lussier

Screenplay: Noah Graham Davis

Stars: Dylan Sprouse, Mason Gooding, Megan Stott, Dichen Lachman, Ashley Pynn, Mark Pettograsso, Shahjehan Khan, Joshua Wolf Coleman and Will Lyman.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Eric Daniels (Sprouse), an ex-army ranger and his 16-year old sister Maddie(Stott) are on the Tobin Memorial Bridge in Boston when terrorists take it over.  Now packed with civilian hostages, the well-armed revolutionaries have complete control.  The kill the driver’s of a police armored truck and take the prisoner hostage.

When SWAT tries to move in, a sniper goes to work.  The terrorist use rocket launcher to take out a helicopter.  SWAT moves back to wait for the terrorists demands.

Realizing that they terrorists could be planning to blow the rest of the bridge to make their escape, Daniels begins to take action.  What chance has one man got against a motivated, well-armed military unit?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Aftermath depends on the extensive use of cgi.  Unfortunately the cgi isn’t very good.  The story and acting is just a step above the computer graphics.

Aftermath (2024) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“American Murder: Gabby Petito” (2025) / Z-View

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American Murder: Gabby Petito (2025)

Director: Michael Gasparro, Julia Willoughby Nason (Eps. 1-3)

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

The story that dominated the summer of 2021.  Twenty-two year old Gabby Petito and her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie had been living out of her van as they traveled the west.  Their relationship was often rocky.  Things went way south when Gabby’s parents and friends could no longer contact Gabby.  Days passed with no phone calls or texts.

Then Brian showed up at his parents’ house in the van.  Gabby was not with him.  Brian refused to take any calls or talk to the police.  Same for Brian’s parents.  They had lawyered up and refused to answer any questions.

So the manhunt for Gabby Petito was underway.  It would end terribly.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The disappearance of Gabby Petito dominated the news. Then after her body was found her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie went missing.

A note to Laundrie from his mother said in part to “burn after reading” and “If you need to dispose of a body I will bring show up with a shovel and garbage bags”.

The whole thing played out over the course of weeks and is documented in three well done episodes.

American Murder: Gabby Petito (2025) rates 4 of 5 stars.

SKULL FULL by Anthony Neil Smith / Z-View

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SKULL FULL by Anthony Neil Smith

First sentence…

Cubby sat at the picnic table in the park like always, counting the mosquitos on his arm.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Anthony Neil Smith presents fourteen short stories that are, as he says are “about f*****-up families, f*****-up relationships, f*****-up crimes, and f*****-up f*****ness, and are adorably twisted around a darkly humorous core.”  (And trust me, he doesn’t say “f*****, he says the actual word.  If that offends you, turn back now. )

The tales include…

Cubby – Cubby thought being special was good.  Of course he thought his friends were his friends.  A sad tale of a boy waiting for his mother.

Twenty-Eleven Nissan Something – Rhonda thought her luck was changing.  Her new man didn’t hit her.  Didn’t treat her bad.  He even liked her kids.  Rhonda knew what her man wasn’t.  She didn’t know what he was.

Exit Row Savior – When you fly as much as I do, you know things.  You know that if things go sideways, you want a man who can handle things by the exit.  I’m your guy.

Money on the Table and a Pistol on the Floor – Randy had a weakness.  Wasn’t drugs or gambling.  Nope.  It was women. Randy had three ex-wives and had lost more jobs than you could easily count.  The reason?  Women.  Take his last job for instance.  Fired from Lowe’s for having sex with a nineteen year old while he was on the clock.  She was fired too.  Now she thinks they’re a, well if not a couple, at least a team.  She has a plan for some quick cash.  All it will take his her, Randy and his pistol.

Roadrage – Why is everyone screwing with me.  I’m driving and everyone is trying me.  Well, I have a way to end that.

The Blind Girl – Everyone is a target. Being a sophomore in high school ain’t for the faint-hearted.  Everyone is a target.  Find your group and blend in.  That won’t protect you for sure, but it helps.  Everyone is a target.  Well, almost everyone.  Mess with the wrong person and you might find out.

A Skull Full of Solyanka – I’m getting forgetful.  That could be dangerous in my line of work.

Lady Icarus, Nazi – I’m rich.  And can get you anything you want.  You better believe that.

Must Be Wanderlust – Fay, her pistol and a singer/songwriter.

Sundays in the Workshop with Dad – Chet loved his time in the workshop.  He recognized his son, Jerimiah’s raw talent when the boy was young.  So Chet did what any good dad would do.  He had patience and put in the time so Jerimiah would be come a true craftsman.

Used Panties – Give the people what they want.

Piece of Shit Guitar – A semi-famous, good-for-nothing musician reminisces as he waits for his son to arrive.

+++++

Anthony Neil Smith wasn’t kidding when he described SKULL FULL.  He creates tales that will stick with you.  If you’re all about happy endings, this isn’t for you.  But if you like crime stories that surprise, entertain, and take you to places you’d never want to enter in real life… give it a go.

My favorite stories in this collection are: Twenty-Eleven Nissan Something; Roadrage; Lady Icarus, Nazi; Sundays in the Workshop with Dad and Piece of Shit Guitar.  

Rating:

“Elevation” (2024) starring Anthony Mackie and Morena Baccarin / Z-View

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Elevation (2024)

Director: George Nolfi

Screenplay: John Glenn, Jacob Roman, Kenny Ryan

Stars: Anthony Mackie, Morena Baccarin, Maddie Hasson, Rachel Nicks, Tyler Grey, Ian Hummel and Danny Boyd Jr..

Tagline: Don’t go down without a fight.

The Plot…

Three years ago, armored creatures burrowed to the surface and began wiping out humankind.  The beasts were impervious to our weapons due to the natural protective plates that covered their bodies.  95% of the world’s population was dead within weeks.

Only those who lived or could get to 8,000 feet above sea level survived.  For some reason the creatures wouldn’t go above that level.  Now small villages of survivors live above 8,000 foot elevation line.

When Wil’s son, Hunter (Boyd Jr.) runs low on his breathing medication, Wil (Mackie) knows he’ll have to go to Boulder to get more.  The city is below the 8,000 foot level.  It will almost certainly be a suicide mission.  But if he doesn’t go Hunter will die.

Joining Wil will be Nina (Baccarin), a scientist working to create a bullet strong enough to penetrate the creatures’ armor and Katie (Hasson), a woman tired of hiding above the safety line.

It’s a suicide run to save a child.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Be sure to watch the mid-credits scene which could set-up a sequel.

I love the pre-opening credits set-up and the final scene before the end credits.

Mackie, Baccarin, Hasson were well cast.  I like the trio’s chemistry.

Elevation (2024) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Longlegs” (2024) written & directed by Osgood Perkins; starring Maika Monroe, Nicolas Cage & Blair Underwood / Z-View

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Longlegs (2024)

Director:  Osgood Perkins

Screenplay: Osgood Perkins

Stars: Maika Monroe, Nicolas Cage, Blair Underwood, Alicia Witt, Michelle Choi-Lee, Dakota Daulby, Kiernan Shipka, Jason William Day, Lisa Chandler and Shafin Karim.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

It’s discovered that rookie FBI agent Lee Harker (Monroe) has some psychic ability.  For that reason Harker is assigned to a small task force working to find the serial killer known as Longlegs.  For years, Longlegs has wiped out entire families by forcing the father to kill his children, wife and then himself.  Longlegs then leaves coded Satanic messages behind.

Shortly after Harker is assigned to the task force she receives a message from Longlegs.  Slowly Harker begins to realize she may have a connection to the killer.  As the clock ticks and the date of Longlegs’ next family massacre draws near, Harker works to discover Longlegs’ identity.

Tick…tick…tick…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Although Nicolas Cage starred as the killer, Longlegs, writer/director Osgood Perkins requested that posters/trailers limit his use to promote the film so when he appears onscreen in the film it would be even more frightening.

Longlegs is the highest-grossing independent horror film since Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013).

Kudos to director Osgood Perkins.  He films each scene to at angles to increase tension.  Halls feel long and narrow.  Doors, windows and rooms in the background create concern.  There is always the feeling that something beyond the camera’s focus is about to occur.  Sometimes it does.  Creepy.

Longlegs (2024) rates 4 of 5 stars.

The Conspiracy Show with Richard Syrett: Season 5 (2016) / Z-View

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The Conspiracy Show with Richard Syrett: Season 5 (2016)

Director:  Jalal Merhi (Eps. 1-10)

Writer: Richard Syrett (Eps. 1-10)

The Plot…

Radio host Richard Syrett explores conspiracies, paranormal and supernatural beliefs, and a variety of other topics.  Each episode presents believers and skeptics who calmly present their evidence/beliefs.

Topics in season two include:

  • Area 51: Does the government house UFO technologies, aliens and more in Area 51?
  • Remote Viewing: Do some people have the ability to mentally see things from around the world that are hidden from view?
  • Freemasons: Are the Freemasons a cult working to control governments?
  • Depopulation Agenda: Is a secret organization working to bring the world population down?
  • Mokele Mbembe: Jungle natives describe a beast that lives in their jungle — is it a dinosaur?
  • Bigfoot: Do these creatures exist?
  • The O’Hare UFO Incident: Dozens of people, including pilots witnessed a UFO hovering above the airport.  But did they?
  • Agenda 21: What is this United Nations plan that looks to control development?
  • The Philadelphia Experiment: Did a military experiment in 1943 teleport a Navy destroyer and crew with terrible results?
  • The Phoenix Lights: What were the mysterious lights in the sky seen by hundreds of people?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I like that the host is respectful and presents both sides of each topic.  Since he interviews guests separately we don’t get arguments and shouting.  Each person presents their “evidence”.  At the end of each episode Syrett gives us his thoughts and we are left to decide how we feel.

Each episode runs less than 30 minutes.

The Conspiracy Show with Richard Syrett: Season 5 (2016) rates 5 of 5 stars.

The Conspiracy Show with Richard Syrett: Season 4 (2015) / Z-View

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The Conspiracy Show with Richard Syrett: Season 4 (2015)

Director:  Jalal Merhi (Eps. 1-6)

Writer: Richard Syrett (Eps. 1-6)

The Plot…

Radio host Richard Syrett explores conspiracies, paranormal and supernatural beliefs, and a variety of other topics.  Each episode presents believers and skeptics who calmly present their evidence/beliefs.

Topics in season two include:

  • Ouija Boards: Are Ouija Boards a harmless board game or a portal for demons?
  • Global Warming, A Hoax?: Is the Earth warming because of the use of fossil fuels?
  • JFK: Was President Kennedy killed by the military industrial complex.
  • Pterodactyls: Are some dinosaurs still alive in remote jungle areas?
  • GMO: Are genetically modified foods unsafe?
  • Fluoride: Is fluoride in our drinking water safe?
  • Area 51: Does the government house UFO technologies, aliens and more in Area 51?
  • Remote Viewing: Do some people have the ability to mentally see things from around the world that are hidden from view?
  • Freemasons: Are the Freemasons a cult working to control governments?
  • Depopulation Agenda: Is a secret organization working to bring the world population down?
  • Mokele Mbembe: Jungle natives describe a beast that lives in their jungle — is it a dinosaur?
  • Bigfoot: Do these creatures exist?
  • The Fake Arab Spring?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I like that the host is respectful and presents both sides of each topic.  Since he interviews guests separately we don’t get arguments and shouting.  Each person presents their “evidence”.  At the end of each episode Syrett gives us his thoughts and we are left to decide how we feel.

Each episode runs less than 30 minutes.

The Conspiracy Show with Richard Syrett: Season 4 (2015) rates 5 of 5 stars.

The Conspiracy Show with Richard Syrett: Season 3 (2012) / Z-View

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The Conspiracy Show with Richard Syrett: Season 3 (2012)

Director:  Jalal Merhi (Eps. 1-14)

Writer: Richard Syrett (Eps. 1-14)

The Plot…

Radio host Richard Syrett explores conspiracies, paranormal and supernatural beliefs, and a variety of other topics.  Each episode presents believers and skeptics who calmly present their evidence/beliefs.

Topics in season two include:

  • The Mystery of Oak Island: Does a treasure remain hidden on Oak Island?
  • Energy Healing: Do some people have the gift/ability to heal others with their energy?
  • MLK and the Framing of James Earl Ray: Was James Earl Ray a patsy?
  • The Birthers – Obama’s Birth Certificate: Evidence is presented that Barack Obama wasn’t born in the United States.
  • RFID Chips: Are radio frequency identification tags used to track the population and control people?
  • The Assassination of John Lennon: Was Mark David Chapman a patsy or mind-controlled assassin?
  • Is Jim Morrison Alive?: Evidence is presented that Jim Morrison faked his death.
  • The Water Engine: Was Stanley Meyer killed because he found a way to make an internal-combustion engine that runs on water?
  • The Murder of Marilyn Monroe: Was Marilyn Monroe killed because she knew too much from her affairs with John and Robert Kennedy?
  • Is The Cure for Cancer Being Suppressed?: Are drug companies suppressing several cures for cancer and other diseases?
  • The Bilderberg Group: What goes on behind closed doors at the annual meeting of the world’s richest and most powerful men from around the world?
  • The Shroud of Turin: Evidence is presented that the Shroud of Turin is the burial cloth of Jesus Christ.
  • The Fake Arab Spring?: Did a series of revolts and protests that swept the Middle East really take place? If they did were they instigated by the US?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I like that the host is respectful and presents both sides of each topic.  Since he interviews guests separately we don’t get arguments and shouting.  Each person presents their “evidence”.  At the end of each episode Syrett gives us his thoughts and we are left to decide how we feel.

Each episode runs less than 30 minutes.

The Conspiracy Show with Richard Syrett: Season 3 (2012) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“The Gorge” (2025) written by Zach Dean; directed by Scott Derrickson; starring Miles Teller, Anya Taylor-Joy and Sigourney Weaver / Z-View

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The Gorge (2025)

Director:  Scott Derrickson

Screenplay: Zach Dean

Stars: Miles Teller, Anya Taylor-Joy, Sigourney Weaver, William Houston, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Julianna Kurokawa, Samantha Coughlan, Alessandro Garcia and Ruta Gedmintas.

Tagline: They’re not keeping you out. They’re keeping them in.

The Plot…

Levi Kane (Teller), a retired Marine Sniper is hired for a mysterious job that will last one year.  Kane is taken to an undisclosed location where he receives his orders.

His mission is to guard one side of a deep gorge.  Automated weapons line the rim of the gorge.  Mines are strung along the walls of the chasm.  Kane will be housed in a tower with equipment to oversea everything.  He will have no contact with the outside world except for monthly radio check ins with his employers.  A Russian operative is one the other side of the gorge with the same mission.  Kane is to have no contact with her.

When Kane asked who they are keeping out of the gorge, he is told, “You’re not keeping anyone out, you’re keeping the creatures that live in there from coming out.”

As the weeks pass, the Russian operative, Drasa (Taylor-Joy) begins communicating with Kane.  Short messages turn into conversations, long-distance chess matches and more.  A friendship develops.

When things go sidesways Kane and Drasa can depend only on each other to survive the hellish creatures from the gorge.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy have the chemistry needed to make their on-screen relationship work.

Sigourney Weaver was an excellent choice for the role of the corporate boss.

Kudos to writer Zack Dean for creating an action-horror-romance that is original and works.  Hats off also to director Scott Derrickson and the team that made the world in the gorge feel like something from one of Dante’s rings of Hell.

Don’t sleep on The Gorge.

The Gorge (2025) rates 4 of 5 stars.