Category: Z-View

“I Am Not Your Negro” (2016) directed by Raoul Peck / Z-View

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I Am Not Your Negro (2016)

Director: Raoul Peck

Screenplay: James Baldwin, Raoul Peck based on Remember This House by James Baldwin

Stars: James Baldwin, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Medgar Evers, Robert F. Kennedy, Harry Belafonte, Dick Cavett, Bob Dylan, Sidney Poitier, Ray Charles, Doris Day, Gary Cooper, Tony Curtis, Joan Crawford, Rod Steiger, Richard Widmark, Fay Wray, Marlon Brando, Charlton Heston, Michelle Obama, George W. Bush, Stepin Fetchit, Audrey Hepburn, J. Edgar Hoover, Coretta Scott King, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Samuel L. Jackson (narration).

Tagline: In “Remember This House” Raoul Peck envisions the book James Baldwin never finished -a radical narration about race in America, through the lives and assassinations of three of his friends: Martin Luther King Jr., Medgar Evers and Malcolm X. using only the writer’s original words.

The Plot…

Author and activist, James Baldwin intended to write a book exploring racism in America through his eyes and what he learned from his friends civil rights leaders Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and Medgar Evers.  Baldwin started the manuscript but died before it was finished.

Filmmaker Raoul Peck decided to make a documentary using Baldwin’s manuscript, his words from interviews and writings to create a film that would envision Baldwin’s planned book.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Nominated for 2017 Academy Award Best Documentary Feature.

James Baldwin was a fascinating speaker.  He was intelligent, perceptive and had the ability to hold an audience in the palm of his hand.

I Am Not Your Negro (2016) rates 4 of 5 stars.

THE WIDENING GYRE: A SPENSER NOVEL by Robert B. Parker

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THE WIDENING GYRE by Robert B. Parker

First sentence…

I was nursing a bottle of Murphy’s Irish Whiskey, drinking it from the neck of the bottle sparingly, and looking down from the window of my office at Berkeley Street where it crosses Boylston.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Spenser is hired to find who is blackmailing Meade Alexander.  Meade is a congressman running for the Senate. He’s happily married. Meade’s a law and order guy.  The most important thing in his life is he’s  a Christian.  Meade’s as All-American as apple pie and baseball.  Meade’s also being blackmailed.  But not because of anything he’s done.

Ronni, Meade’s wife caused the problem.  There’s video of her having sex with college boys.  Lots of video.  And she’s into it.

Meade wants the problem to go away.  If the video gets out, his campaign is finished.  Spenser agrees to take the job, not so much for Meade, but because of Ronni.  As Spenser digs deeper he discovers so heavy hitters in the Boston underworld are involved.

Yikes!

+++++

Robert B. Parker’s Spenser novels have always been required purchases for me.  Parker and Spenser never disappoint.

Rating:

“Curse of the Demon” (1957) directed by Jacques Tourneur, starring Dana Andrews, Peggy Cummins and Niall MacGinnis / Z-View

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Curse of the Demon (1957)

Director: Jacques Tourneur

Screenplay: Charles Bennett, Hal E. Chester based on Casting the Runes in MORE GHOST STORIES OF AN ANTIQUARY By M. R. James

Stars: Dana Andrews, Peggy Cummins, Niall MacGinnis, Maurice Denham, Reginald Beckwith.

Tagline: Who will be the next in line to defy the curse?

The Plot…

Dr. John Holden (Andrews) arrives in London to attend a paranormal and psychic phenomena convention.  Holden’s friend, Professor Harrington is set to expose  Dr. Julian Karswell (MccGinnis) as a fraud.  Shortly before the convention is to begin Professor Harrington is found dead in his car on a remote road.  The cause of death is listed as electrocution.

Dr. Holden is approached by colleagues of Professor Harrington.  They believe that Karswell was behind Harrington’s death.  Holden is skeptical.  At Professor Harrington’s funeral, he meets the Professor’s niece, Joanna (Cummins).  Joanna shares her uncles’s diary with Holden.  It describes Karswell’s power over the black arts.  Holden is skeptical.

Holden is openly skeptical when he meets Karswell.  Even after Karswell gives a demonstration of his power, Holden brushes it off.  Karswell is insulted and tells Holden he will die within three days.

When Holden learns the truth it is too late.  Someone will face the curse of the demon, but how can Holden make sure it’s not him?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I’ve always liked Curse of the Demon.  I’ve found that I enjoy it more with each viewing.  It’s a smart, psychological thriller with a great payoff.

Niall MacGinnis steals the show as Dr. Julian Karswell.

Kudos to director Jacques Tourneur for creating a stylish thriller in what could have been a 1950s drive-in monster movie.

In England, the country where the film was made, it was titled Night of the Demon and the running time was 13 minutes longer.

Martin Scorsese has listed Curse of the Demon as one of his favorite films.

Curse of the Demon (1957) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“The Bikeriders” (2023) starring Jodie Comer, Austin Butler and Tom Hardy / Z-View

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The Bikeriders (2023)

Director: Jeff Nichols

Screenplay: Jeff Nichols, based on THE BIKERIDERS by Danny Lyon

Stars: Austin Butler, Jodie Comer, Tom Hardy, Michael Shannon, Mike Faist, Boyd Holbrook, Damon Herriman, Beau Knapp, Emory Cohen, Toby Wallace, Happy Anderson, Paul Sparks, Paul Dillon and Norman Reedus.

Tagline: Freedom belongs to the fearless.

The Plot…

The history of the Vandals Motorcycle Club laid out through stories told by Kathy Bauer (Comer) to a photographer planning a book.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

It’s interesting to see how the Vandals Motorcycle Club morphed from a small bikeriders outfit into a motorcycle gang with chapters throughout the country.  It became so big that those that started the club could no longer control it.

The Vandals are a real motorcycle club.

Tom Hardy and Judy Comer are standouts in an excellent cast.

The Bikeriders (2023) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“The Stranger” (2020) created by Harlan Coben / Z-View

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The Stranger (2020)

Created by: Harlan Coben

Directors: Daniel O’Hara (eps. 1-3, 7-8); Hannah Quinn (eps. 4-6)

Screenplay: Danny Brocklehurst (eps.1, 4, 7-8); Mick Ford (ep. 2, 6); Karla Crome (ep. 3); Charlotte Coben (ep. 5)

Stars: Richard Armitage, Siobhán Finneran, Jennifer Saunders, Shaun Dooley, Paul Kaye, Dervla Kirwan, Kadiff Kirwan, Jacob Dudman, Ella-Rae Smith, Anthony Head, Stephen Rea and Hannah John-Kamen.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

A stranger stops happily married Adam Price and tells him that his wife faked her recent miscarriage.  The woman also implies that Adam’s two teenage boys may not be his.  The woman then quickly leaves.  Adam begins to wonder if the information is true.  To complicate matters that night Adam’s son, Thomas, attends a party that gets out of hand.  The police find a classmate of Thomas’ naked and barely alive.  It is only a matter of time until Thomas is questioned.

When Adam’s wife disappears, the mystery deepens.  The stranger then begins to approach others.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I thought the series had an interesting premise.  It almost lost me when everybody had secrets coming to the surface.  My wife liked it more than I did.  Your mileage may vary.

The Stranger (2020) rates 3 of 5 stars.

Scandals! Then & Now (1998) / Z-View

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Scandal! Then & Now (1998) 

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Scandal! Then & Now explores six scandals that shocked the world…

  • Resurrection in LA: The Disappearance of Aimee Semple McPherson.  Aimee Semple McPherson, founder of the Foursquare Church and one of the first evangelists to use radio to spread the word was world famous.  Her sermons and faith healing drew thousands.  When McPherson went swimming one day and disappeared, it was thought she drowned.  The world mourned. Then weeks later, McPherson reappeared saying she had been kidnapped.  But the facts didn’t add up…
    Written and directed by Simcha Jacobovici and David Harel.
  • Silenced Star: The Rise and Fall of Fatty Arbuckle.
    Written and directed by Tim Wolochatiuk
  • Unspoken Lies: George and Viola McMillan and the Windfall Mine Fraud.
    Written and directed by Simcha Jacobovici
  • Brothers in Blood: Leopold and Loeb.
    Written and directed by Tim Wolochatiuk
  • Southern Knights: The Murder of Mary Phagan and the Lynching of Leo Frank.
    Written and directed by Yuval Daniel
  • Crossing the Line: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson, the First Black Champion Boxer
    Written and directed by Roger Pyke

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I enjoyed the series.  I was aware of the Aimee Semple McPherson, Fatty Arbuckle, Leopold and Loeb and Jack Johnson scandals.  Still it was interesting to revisit them.  The Viola McMillan and the Windfall Mine Fraud and the  Murder of Mary Phagan and the Lynching of Leo Frank scandals were new to me.

Scandal! Then & Now (1998)  rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Hypnotic” (2023) directed by Robert Rodriguez, starring Ben Affleck, Alice Braga & William Fichtner / Z-View

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Hypnotic (2023)

Director: Robert Rodriguez

Screenplay: Robert Rodriguez, Max Borenstein

Stars: Ben Affleck, Alice Braga, JD Pardo, Jeff Fahey, William Fichtner, Zane Holtz, Ruben Javier Caballero, Ryan Ryusaki and Jackie Earle Haley.

Tagline: Control is an illusion.

The Plot…

Detective Danny Rourke (Affleck) is on a stakeout with a response team.  They had received a tip on the robbery of bank safe deposit boxes.  Through their monitors they see a suspicious well dressed man.  They will learn later his name is Lev Dellrayne (Fichtner).  Dellrayne speaks to a woman waiting for a bus.  As he walks away the woman begins stripping.  The disrobing woman causes a commotion including vehicles crashing into each other.

Dellrayne then speaks to two police officers.  They turn and walk into the bank following Dellrayne’s commands.  Within seconds, Dellrayne gets into the safe deposit box area, opens the targeted box and escapes.  He appears to just disappear.

Detective Rourke checks out the open safe deposit box.  The only thing left inside is a photo of Rourke’s daughter Minnie.  Minnie has been missing for three years since she was kidnapped.  “Find Lev Dellrayne” is written on the photo.

Obviously his daughter’s kidnapping and the robbery are linked.  If Rourke can capture Dellrayne, there is a chance he will find his daughter alive.

Rourke has no idea what he is about to learn.  Nothing is as it seems.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Rouke visits a BBQ joint called The Bone Shack.  The restaurant has the same name and logo of a BBQ eatery featured in Planet Terror (also directed by Robert Rodriguez).  In Planet Terror, Jeff Fahey played the owner of The Bone Shack.  Although Fahey appears in Hypnotic, he isn’t the owner of this Bone Shack.

Be sure to watch the credits, there is a scene that changes the ending!

I could see Hypnotic as a limited or on-going television series.

Hypnotic (2023) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Darker Than Amber” (1970) starring Rod Taylor and William Smith / Z-View

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Darker Than Amber (1970)

Director: Robert Clouse

Screenplay: John D. MacDonald, Ed Waters based on DARKER THAN AMBER by John D. MacDonald

Stars: Rod Taylor, Theodore Bikel, Suzy Kendall, William Smith, Janet MacLachlan, Robert Phillips, James Booth and Jane Russell.

Tagline: Travis McGee is having a conference with one of his clients. Business as usual.

The Plot…

Late one night Travis McGee (Taylor) and his buddy are quietly fishing under a bridge.  Suddenly a woman is thrown off the bridge and quickly sinks below the water.  McGee jumps in.  He is shocked to find the woman’s hands and feet are bound.  A dumbell tied to her ankles is pulling her down.  McGee frees her and gets her to the surface.  She’s in bad shape.

McGee takes her home.  Her name is Vangie.  She refuses to go to the police.  McGee learns that Vangie was almost killed by cold-blooded body builder named Terry (Smith).  Terry uses women to drug lonely men.  Terry then robs and sometimes kills them.  Vangie became a target when she discovered Terry was a killer.  As the days pass, McGee and Vangie fall in love.

Despite McGee’s objections Vangie heads to her apartment to get some things.  Terry has been watching and kills her.

McGee is going to get revenge even if it kills him.  It just might.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The final extended fight scene is considered a brutal classic.  Reportedly it was the reason that Bruce Lee wanted Robert Clause to direct Enter the Dragon.

Darker Than Amber is the last time Jane Russell appeared in a feature film.

Darker Than Amber was scheduled to kick off a franchise.  The plan was for Taylor to star in a series of Travis McGee films based on John D. MacDonald’s novels.  Poor box office for this film killed the idea.

Filmed in 1970, the film is a product of it’s time.  It probably felt hip and cool when it was released.  Now it feels dated.

Darker Than Amber (1970) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“Tarzan’s Savage Fury” (1952) starring Lex Barker and Dorothy Hart / Z-View

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Tarzan’s Savage Fury (1952)

Director: Cy Endfield

Screenplay: Hans Jacoby; based on characters created by Edgar Rice Burroughs

Stars: Lex Barker, Dorothy Hart, Patric Knowles, Charles Korvin, Tommy Carlton, Darby Jones, Peter Mamakos and Bill Walker.

Tagline: THIS YEAR’S ALL-NEW TARZAN THRILLER!

The Plot…

Tarzan (Barker) is tricked into leading government agents deep into the jungle land of the Wazuri nation.  Too late Tarzan learns that the men are crooks after Wazuri diamonds.  With Wazuri warriors attacking and the criminals out to kill him, Tarzan must rescue Jane and Joey.

Cue Tarzan’s yell!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Lex Barker played Tarzan in five films.  Tarzan’s Savage Fury was his fourth outing.

Tommy Carlton played Joey, Tarzan and Jane’s adopted child.  It was his first and only film.\

In Tarzan’s Savage Fury, Tarzan isn’t very savage or very furious.

Tarzan’s Savage Fury (1952) rates 2 of 5 stars.

THE LAST FEW MILES: A CARTER MCCOY NOVEL by Eric Beetner / Z-View

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THE LAST FEW MILES: A CARTER MCCOY NOVEL by Eric Beetner

First sentence…

Carter McCoy closed the menu and handed it back to the waitress.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Carter McCoy doesn’t have long to live.  Six months give or take a few.  The doctor told him the name of the disease that’s killing him, but does the name really matter at this point?  There’s no cure.  McCoy is 72 years old.  Other than the disease he’s in great shape.  Some might say that’s ironic.

You might think that since McCoy’s wife and daughter are dead, he has nothing to live for.  You’d be wrong.  The man who caused his daughter’s death escaped justice and is still alive.  McCoy has wanted to kill the man for years.  Only thing stopping him was his wife.  Now she’s gone and Carter’s time is running out.

And there’s one thing he’s going to do before his time is up.

+++++

I’m a huge fan of Eric Beetner’s tales.  THE LAST FEW MILES: A CARTER MCCOY NOVEL is another winner.  An old man with just months to live wants to kill the man responsible for his daughter’s death.  The man isn’t a killer, he’s old and he’s dying. In any good writer’s hands that’s a great set-up for a crime novel.  In Beetner’s mits it’s just the kick-off for his yarn.

Soon a young woman in a tragic situation will against odds become Carter’s friend.  She’s in a terrible situation.  Perhaps Carter and a bullet could save her.  Carter’s dying so he has nothing to lose.  And if he’s successful she could have a chance at a good life.

The only thing that could stop him are the police that are getting close and the disease that’s even closer.

THE LAST FEW MILES: A CARTER MCCOY NOVEL is a fast read, with twists, suspense and ever increasing stakes.  I applaud the ending.  It wasn’t what I was expecting but works perfectly.

Rating:

“Lady Without a Passport” (1950) starring Hedy Lamarr and John Hodiak / Z-View

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Lady Without A Passport (1950)

Director: Joseph H. Lewis

Screenplay: Howard Dimsdale, story by Lawrence Taylor; adaptation written by Cyril Hume

Stars: Hedy Lamarr, John Hodiak, James Craig, George Macready, Steven Geray, Nedrick Young, Steven Hill, Robert Osterloh, Trevor Bardette, Charles Wagenheim, Don Garner and Richard Crane.

Tagline: M-G-M THRILLS!

The Plot…

Immigrants refused an entrance visa to the United States have found a smuggling operation through Cuba. A man named Palinov (Macready) who fronts as a cafe owner runs the illegal racket.  Pete Karczag (Hodiak) is an American agent sent undercover to Cuba to get the goods on Karczag.

Once there Pete meets Marianne Lorress (Lamarr).  Marianne is a refugee from a Nazi concentration camp.  She wants to go to the United States to start a new life, but lacks the money to make it happen.  Karczag has other ways she can pay.  Initially Pete plans to use Marianne to get to Palinov. That changes pretty quickly when Pete falls in love with Marianne.

That’s not all that changes.  Palinov discovers that Pete is an American agent.  Palinov knows he’s safer if Pete and Marianne are out of the picture… permanently.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Much of the film was shot on location in Cuba.  Unfortunately, those scenes often come off as outtakes of a travelogue.

Lady Without A Passport (1950) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“Planet Terror” (2007) written & directed by Robert Rodriguez, starring Rose McGowan, Freddy Rodríguez, Josh Brolin and Bruce Willis / Z-View

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Planet Terror (2007)

Director: Robert Rodriguez

Screenplay: Robert Rodriguez

Stars: Rose McGowan, Freddy Rodríguez, Josh Brolin, Marley Shelton, Jeff Fahey, Michael Biehn, Rebel Rodriguez, Naveen Andrews, Julio Oscar Mechoso, Fergie, Nicky Katt, Tom Savini, Carlos Gallardo, Quentin Tarantino, Michael Parks, Danny Trejo, Cheech Marin, Zoë Bell, Robert Rodriguez and Bruce Willis.

Tagline: Humanity’s last hope… rests on a high power machine gun!

The Plot…

When an experimental military gas is accidentally released outside a small town, those exposed, after a short incubation period, turn into zombies.  The first sign of a problem occurs when the hospital gets an influx of victims.  Some show signs of being bitten, while others suffer from huge boil-like pustules.  Then all hell breaks loose as the infected become mindless zombies.

Meanwhile at other locations, zombies are attacking.  As people become aware, they seek shelter and plan for survival.  A stripper (McGowan), her ex-boyfriend Wray (Rodriguez), J.T. Hauge (Fahey) and his brother Sheriff Hague (Biehn) and others find themselves working together to survive.

Then they discover that the zombies aren’t their only problem.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino teamed to create a “double feature” known as Grindhouse.  Rodriguez directed Planet Terror.  Tarantino’s effort was Death Proof.  The idea was to make their films appear to have been made in the 1970s for drive-in theaters.  The films have scratches, 1970s style previews, drive-in “let’s go to the lobby” type ads and more.

Michael Parks played Sheriff Earl McGraw in four movies: From Dusk Till Dawn (1996); Kill Bill Volume 1 (2003); Kill Bill Volume 2 (2004) and Planet Terror (2007).

Planet Terror (2007) rates 3 of 5 stars.

YOU ARE HERE by Kyle Baker

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YOU ARE HERE by Kyle Baker

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Noel Coleman has it all. He’s a successful artist. Helen, his beautiful fiancée, loves him. He owns an attractive house in the country.   For the past year that Noel and Helen lived together, life has been perfect.

Noel plans to ask Helen to marry him.  It’s just… he has secrets.  Noel wants to come clean.  But how do you tell your future (hopefully) wife that you were a criminal when you met her?  Noel decides he’ll figure out how to tell her when the time comes.

So Noel informs Helen that he’s going into the city to clean the last things out of his apartment. When he gets back, he’ll pop the question.

Noel heads in to the city and runs into his old crime partner.  They decide to have a drink.  The more they talk the more Noel realizes he misses the life.  His partner talks about a job he’s set up. He offers Noel a piece of the action if he wants to come.  Noel is tempted.  He decides once he comes clean to Helen, her reaction will decide the life he’ll live.

Then Noel learns that an infamous serial killer just got released from prison.  The killer has made it known he’s going to kill the bum that slept with his wife.  Noel is that bum!  Noel realizes he needs to get out of the city and quick.  Thank God Helen didn’t come with him.

Noel sees Helen at about the same time as he catches sight of the killer.  Unfortunately the killer has seen them.

Noel will have a lot of explaining to do if they survive.  And odds are they won’t.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The art feels very Disneyish and yet the story is noir.  The combination works.  Baker sets us up to expect one thing and gives us another.  The bathtub scene (in the preview below) is just one example.  I love the cartoony style used in this tale.  I also thought telling the story without word balloons was creative.  Having the serial killer resemble Robert Mitchum was icing on the cake.

This isn’t a story for kids.  There is sex and violence.  Happy endings are for Disney and this is noir.

YOU ARE HERE gets my highest recommendation!

YOU ARE HERE by Kyle Baker rates 5 of 5 stars.

Rating:

“Let Us Prey” (2014) / Z-View

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Let Us Prey (2014)

Director: Brian O’Malley

Screenplay: Fiona Watson, David Cairns

Stars: Liam Cunningham, Pollyanna McIntosh, Bryan Larkin, Douglas Russell, Niall Greig Fulton and Brian Vernel.

Tagline: Darkness shall rise.

The Plot…

In a remote small town police station it’s going to be a strange night.  Police officer Rachel Heggie (McIntosh) has booked Caesar Sargison.  He’s the driver of a hit and run.  Sargison is placed in a cell with Ralph Beswick.  Reggie is charged with domestic battery for beating his wife.  Police officers Jennifer Munday and Jack Warnock (Larkin) arrive with the man Caesar drove into.  Except for a few scratches the man seems okay.

Dr. Duncan Hume (Fulton) is brought in to check the mystery man for injuries.  Suddenly Dr. Hume attempts to stab the man.  Hume is stopped and placed in a cell.  The man has no identification and when his fingerprints come back, they belong to a person that died decades ago.  The man is carrying a small notebook full of people’s names.  When he talks he makes references to the Old Testament.

As the evening progresses, secrets are revealed, murders are committed and murders are solved.  It’s going to be a hell of a night.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Let Us Prey has an interesting set-up.  It just didn’t resonate with me.

Let Us Prey (2014) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“Halloween II” starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Donald Pleasence / Z-View

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Halloween II (1981)

Director: Rick Rosenthal

Screenplay: John Carpenter, Debra Hill

Stars: Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasence, Charles Cyphers, Jeffrey Kramer, Lance Guest, Pamela Susan Shoop, Hunter von Leer, Dick Warlock, Leo Rossi, Gloria Gifford, Tawny Moyer, Ana Alicia, Ford Rainey, Cliff Emmich, Nancy Stephens, John Zenda, Catherine Bergstrom and Alan Haufrect.

Tagline: The Nightmare Isn’t Over

The Plot…

At the end of Halloween, Michael Myers escaped after being shot by Dr. Loomis (Pleasence).  Halloween II picks up immediately after this.  Loomis and the police begin searching for Myers.  Laurie Strode (Curtis) is taken to the hospital to treat her injuries.  Michael Myers is also headed to the hospital.  He kills anyone who crosses his path.  Soon he and Laurie Strode’s path’s will cross.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Halloween II is more of a slasher movie than Halloween.

John Carpenter chose not to direct Halloween II.  He was against a sequel, but became involved in order to be paid since the movie was going ahead with or without him.

Although Jamie Lee Curtis receives top billing she has less screen time than Donald Pleasence.  Also since this is more of a slasher film, several other young people get screen time before their deaths.

Halloween II (1981) rates 2 of 5 stars.