Category: Z-View

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

Posted on by

The 39 Steps (1935)

Director:  Alfred Hitchcock

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

Stars: Robert Donat, Madeleine Carroll and Alfred Hitchcock.

Tagline: HANDCUFFED TO THE GIRL WHO DOUBLE CROSSED HIM!

The Plot…

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

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

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

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

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

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

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

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

“Valley of the Dead” (2020) / Z-View

Posted on by

Valley of the Dead (2020)

Director:  Javier Ruiz Caldera, Alberto de Toro

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

Stars: Miki Esparbé, Aura Garrido, Luis Callejo

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

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

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

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

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

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

Posted on by

Marlowe (2022)

Director:  Neil Jordan

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

Stars: Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger, Jessica Lange.

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

The Plot…

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

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

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

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

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

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

Marlowe (2022) rates 2 of 5 stars.

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

Posted on by

Devil in a Blue Dress (1995)

Director:  Carl Franklin

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

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

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

The Plot…

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

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

The clock is ticking…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

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

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

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

“American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders” (2024) / Z-View

Posted on by

American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders (2024)

Director:  Zachary Treitz

Stars: Christian Hansen

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Danny Casolaro was a freelance writer obsessed with a story that he had worked on for years.  Casolaro believed he’d uncovered evidence of a powerful international cabal of eight individuals involved in everything from government spyware, manipulating Iran to hold hostages to ensure Ronald Reagan became President, the Iran-Contra scandal and more.  Casolaro referred to this cabal as The Octopus.

In 1991, Casolaro was found in the bathtub of a hotel room.  His wrists had been cut multiple times and blood covered the bathroom walls and floor.  One of the first paramedics on scene didn’t believe it to be a suicide because Casolaro’s tendons were cut in the multiple slices across his wrists and the blood everywhere.  Still, his death was ruled a suicide.

Christian Hansen gained access to all of Casolaro’s journals, notes and interviews. Hansen then re-interviewed people Casolaro had identified as having knowledge of the cabal.  This documentary explores the results of Hansen’s investigation.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

While we’re given much information, there is no “aha moment” where we get a definitive answer.  Casolaro did uncover several shady characters and dealings.  But was there enough evidence to make the leap to an international cabal?

One of the people providing evidence said she was shown a film of President Kennedy’s assassination where the driver of his limo turned and shot him.  She believes the film she saw was unedited and the word has only seen a cover-up version.

When Casolaro died he was deep in debt and his house was about to be lost in foreclosure.  Was this enough to push him over the edge to commit suicide?  But how could he cut himself so many times (and still hold the blade) if his tendons were severed?

After viewing American Conspiracy, I was left with more questions than answers.  It was an interesting ride, if you value the ride more than the destination.

American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders (2024) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“The Abyss” (1989) written & directed by James Cameron, starring Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio & Michael Biehn / Z-View

Posted on by

The Abyss (1989)

Director:  James Cameron

Screenplay: James Cameron

Stars: Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Michael Biehn, Leo Burmester, Todd Graff, John Bedford Lloyd, J.C. Quinn, Kimberly Scott, Adam Nelson, Dick Warlock, Jimmie Ray Weeks, J. Kenneth Campbell, Ken Jenkins and Chris Elliott.

Tagline: Deep below the blue surface, there lies a place no one has ever dreamed of…..

The Plot

A United States military nuclear submarine has an encounter with something deep in the ocean and sinks.  The sub comes to rest near the Cayman Trough, the deepest point in the Caribbean Sea.  Soviet Ships are heading to the location to try to salvage whatever they can.  In an effort to beat the Russians, the US sends in a Navy SEAL team to work with Deep Core crew members.  Deep Core is a civilian company developing deep water vehicles for drilling.  To complicate matters a hurricane will hit the area in hours.

The civilian crew and the Navy Seals form an uneasy alliance that begins to fray when they reach the ocean floor.  The Seals have a hidden agenda… and there is something down there that no one was expecting.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

By all account The Abyss was a difficult shoot.  Tensions were high.  The actors did most of the stunts.  Both Ed Harris and James Cameron were in danger of drowning in different situations.  Both Ed Harris and Elizabeth Mastrantonio have not spoken highly about their experience making the film.

Fluid breathing is a real thing.  The rats used in the movie’s scenes actually breathed the specially treated fluid and were not harmed in the process.

The Abyss features an excellent cast from the stars to the supporting actors.  I was surprised by the turn of Michael Biehn’s character.

The Abyss was nominated for four Academy Awards (Best Cinematography: Mikael Salomon; Best Art Direction-Set Decoration: Leslie Dilley, Anne Kuljian; Best Sound: Don J. Bassman, Kevin F. Cleary, Richard Overton, Lee Orloff and won one for Best Effects, Visual Effects: Hoyt Yeatman, Dennis Muren, John Bruno, Dennis Skotak.)

The Abyss (1989) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“Death and Other Details” (2024) starring Violett Beane & Mandy Patinkin / Z-View

Posted on by

Death and Other Details (2024)

Created by: Heidi Cole McAdams & Mike Weiss

Director:  Marc Webb (ep 1); David Petrarca (ep.2); Alrick Riley (eps. 3 – 4); Yangzom Brauen (eps. 5 – 6); James Griffiths (eps. 7 – 8); Dinh Thai (eps. 9 – 10)

Teleplays: Heidi Cole McAdams & Mike Weiss (ep. 1); Ryan Maldonado & Eduardo Javier Canto (ep.2); Nick Bragg (ep. 3); Mike Weiss (ep. 4); Jess Kimball Leslie (ep.5); Louisa Levy & Paul Alan Cope (ep.6); Myung Joh Wesner (ep. 7); Heidi Cole McAdams & Angela Zhou (ep. 8); Louisa Levy (ep. 9); Heidi Cole McAdams & Mike Weiss (ep.10)

Stars: Violett Beane, Lauren Patten, Angela Zhou, Hugo Diego Garcia, Pardis Saremi, Linda Emond, Mandy Patinkin, Jack Cutmore-Scott, Danny Johnson, Karoline, Jayne Atkinson and Jere Burns.

Tagline: All suspects aboard.

The Plot…

When Imogene (Beane) was a young girl, her mother was killed in a car explosion.  Although Rufus Cotesworth (Patinkin), who many consider the world’s greatest detective, investigated, the killer was never found.

Now Imogene finds herself along with Rufus and a luxury cruise liner full of wealthy guests.  When a murder at sea takes place, Rufus is tasked with finding the murderer.  The problem is that everyone has secrets and possible motives for the killing,

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Death and Other Details starts off well enough.  It has a nice cast, an interesting backstory and a mystery or two to solve.  As the series continues it spirals out more characters, more backstories, and nothing is as it seems.  My interest in Death and Other Details dwindled as the storyline became more outlandish.

Death and Other Details (2024) earns 2 of 5 stars.

“Secret Agent” (1936) directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring John Gielgud, Madeline Carroll, Robert Young, & Peter Lorre / Z-View

Posted on by

Secret Agent (1936)

Director:  Alfred Hitchcock

Screenplay: Charles Bennett, Alma Reville, Ian Hay, Jesse Lasky Jr. based on the story by W. Somerset Maugham and the play by Campbell Dixon

Stars: John Gielgud, Madeline Carroll, Robert Young, Peter Lorre, Sebastian Cabot, Michael Redgrave, Michael Rennie.

Tagline: Dead Women Tell No Tales Was The Motto of This Charming Lady Killer!

The Plot…

British Captain Edgar Brodie (Gielgud) is recruited for a secret mission to to identify and eliminate a German agent.  Brodie is given a fake identity as Richard Ashenden.  He is also given a “wife” named Elsa to assist with the mission.  Ashenden and Elsa are teamed with a foreign agent (Lorre) called “The General” (also known as “the hairless Mexican – although he isn’t a general, hairless or a Mexican).

As Ashenden and Elsa move forward with the mission, they will encounter double agents, secret messages, and lines that they are unwilling to cross that The General will without hesitation.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Seeing John Gielgud and Robert Young looking so, uh, young is a hoot.  Especially since I knew them from Arthur and Marcus Welby, MD.

Sebastian Cabot, Michael Redgrave and Michael Rennie appear in uncredited roles.

Another Alfred Hitchcock winner.

Be aware that the copyright lapsed and there are many bootleg and low quality versions on the market.

Secret Agent (1936) rates 3 of 5 stars.

Stephen King’s “Rose Red” starring Nancy Travis / Z-View

Posted on by

Rose Red (2002)

Director:  Craig R. Baxley

Screenplay: Stephen King

Stars: Nancy Travis, Matt Keeslar, Kimberly J. Brown, David Dukes, Judith Ivey, Matt Ross, Julian Sands, Kevin Tighe, Julia Campbell, Emily Deschanel and Stephen King.

Tagline: If Some Houses Are Born Bad, This One Was Created In Hell.

The Plot…

Dr. Joyce Reardon (Travis), a university psychology professor with an interest in the supernatural, has put together a diverse team of psychics that will stay in a famous mansion that legend says is haunted.  The mansion, named Rose Red, got it’s reputation because of 23 people who died or disappeared while there.  The team will discover the legend is true…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I’m not a huge fan of haunted house movies.  If you are, then I’m sure you’ll enjoy Rose Red more than I did.

Rose Red (2002) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“Black Dragons” starring Bela Lugosi & Clayton Moore / Z-View

Posted on by

Black Dragons (1942)

Director:  William Nigh

Screenplay: Robert Kehoe, Harvey Gates

Stars: Bela Lugosi, Clayton Moore and Keye Luke

Tagline: See him pit his terror against Japan’s treacherous agents in the U.S.A.!

The Plot…

Prior to World War II Japan and Germany secretly killed and replaced six top US business leaders.  They did this by murdering the men and replacing them with Japanese agents who had facelifts performed by a Nazi doctor.  The Japanese agents could destroy the USA’s war efforts and provide information to assist the Axis.  When one of the spies is killed, Detective Dick Martin (Moore) is assigned to the case and discovers the evil plan.  It is up to Detective Martin and an unknown ally to bring down the foreign agents.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Filming on Black Dragons began about one and one half months after Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor making it one of the first movie responses.

If you buy the fact that the plastic surgery made the Japanese spies look exactly like the men they replaced, you still have to believe that they had perfect voice matches and knew each man’s personal history (including secrets) so they could fool friends and family.

It’s cool to see The Lone Ranger (Clayton Moore) paired with Dracula (Bela Lugosi).

Keye Luke who played Charlie Chan’s son in several films (and went on to a long Hollywood career) has a small role as one of the agents that Bela Lugosi operates on.

Black Dragons (1942) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“Bad City” (2022) / Z-View

Posted on by

Bad City (2022)

Director:  Kensuke Sonomura

Screenplay:  Hitoshi Ozawa

Stars: Hitoshi Ozawa, Katsuya

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Kaiko City is overrun with crooked cops, corrupt politicians and street gangs.  A small task force, led by Torada (Ozawa) a former police captain framed for murder, is put together to take down the crime bosses by any means necessary.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Hitoshi Ozawa has charisma.  This is the first film I’ve seen him in, but he has an older, tough guy aura that made Charles Bronson popular.  Katsuya reminded me a bit of Don Lee.  (That’s a good thing.)  I don’t know the name of the main villain that used knives, but he was excellent.

If you enjoy action/crime flicks, you should enjoy Bad City.

Bad City (2022) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Project Legion” (2022) starring Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone / Z-View

Posted on by

Project Legion (2022)

Director:  Lance Kawas

Screenplay:  Lance Kawas, John Sullivan story by Lance Kawas, Michael Pizzimenti, James Raptoplous

Stars: Donald Cerrone, Brande Roderick, Dino Dos Santos

Tagline: Locking your door won’t keep them out.

The Plot…

A former soldier (Cerrone) locks himself inside his apartment as the world we know appears to be under attack.  Strange creatures attempt to find access to the apartment.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I tapped out at 24 minutes. Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone has had fights that lasted longer.

Project Legion (2022) rates 1 of 5 stars.

“Einstein and the Bomb” (2024) / Z-View

Posted on by

Einstein and the Bomb (2024)

Director:  Anthony Philipson

Stars: Aidan McArdle

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Einstein and the Bomb is a docudrama that uses Einstein’s actual words (from his writings and speeches) to explore his life from leaving Germany as Hitler came into power to later in life and his concerns over the atomic bomb.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Einstein and the Bomb isn’t a straight up documentary and it isn’t a drama.  It’s an odd combination.  There were many opportunities had the filmmakers focused on Einstein’s new theories and how he came to discover them, or Einstein’s decision to flee Germany under Nazi power or his life after he became a celebrity.  The decision to emphasize his concerns with atomic weapons doesn’t come into play until late in the film and for me, wasn’t strong enough to warrant the movie’s title.

Still, it was interesting to hear Einstein’s words and his thoughts.

Einstein and the Bomb (2024) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Hard Target” (1993) directed by John Woo, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Lance Henriksen, Yancy Butler, Arnold Vosloo / Z-View

Posted on by

Hard Target (1993)

Director:  John Woo

Screenplay:  Chuck Pfarrer

Stars: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Lance Henriksen, Yancy Butler, Arnold Vosloo, Willie C. Carpenter, Kasi Lemmons, Robert Pavlovich, Ted Raimi, Chuck Pfarrer and Wilford Brimley

Tagline: Don’t hunt what you can’t kill.

The Plot…

Natasha Binder (Butler) has come to New Orleans to find her estranged father, who is a homeless vet.  When several thugs attempt to mug Natasha, Chance Boudreaux (Van Damme) comes to her rescue.  Natasha then hires Boudreaux to assist her in her quest.

What neither Natasha nor Boudreaux know is that Natasha’s father was murdered by rich hunters who paid Emil Fouchon (Henriksen) for the opportunity to track and kill a human.  When Fouchon learns that Boudreaux and Natasha are getting close to discovering him, he brings in a team to take them out.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

There are some very over the top moments (Van Damme grabs a snake then hits it in the head to knock it out, he stands on a motorcycle as it roars into a truck launching Van Damme over the crash, etc.) and lots of explosions, fire, slow motion that John Woo makes work. (Or maybe I just accept the them because I like the rest of the movie so much).

Universal brought in Sam Raimi to be on set to assist John Woo.  Their concern was it was his first Hollywood film and he didn’t speak English.  Raimi appears in a cameo.

Kurt Russell was considered at one point for the role that ultimately went to JCVD.

In the scene where Lance Henriksen’s coat catches fire, it wasn’t supposed to, but did.  Henriksen never broke character and the accident appears in the final film.

JCVD was the star of the film and played the part off-screen.  He had script control and definite ideas of how scenes should be shot. According to Lance Henriksen it started as a JCVD vehicle, but as filming continued it became clear it was a John Woo film.

Arnold Vosloo has never been better.

Hard Target (1993) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“The Family Stallone”: Season 2 (2024) / Z-View

Posted on by

The Family Stallone: Season 2 (2024)

Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Jennifer Flavin-Stallone, Sophia Rose Stallone, Sistine Rose Stallone, Scarlet Rose Stallone, Frank Stallone, Jon Lovitz, Dolph, Henry Winkler, Frank Grillo and Pope Francis

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

The Family Stallone gives us a peek at the life of, you guessed it, the Stallone family: Sly, Jennifer, Sophia, Sistine and Scarlet.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Season 2 features ten episodes…

S2.E1 ∙ Say Goodbye to Hollywood: Now that they are empty-nesters, Sly & Jen decide to move from California to Florida.  Sly puts Sistine and Sophia through a self-defense mini-boot camp.

S2.E2 ∙ My Fair Louis: Scarlet’s boyfriend, Louis, comes for a visit.  Sophia feels Jen is pressuring her to settle down.

S2.E3 ∙ Matchmaker, Matchmaker: Sophia encourages Sistine to start dating.  Jen sets Frank up with a date closer to his age.

S2.E4 ∙ Back Aches and Blind Dates: Sly has to have another surgery to repair an injury caused by a movie stunt. Sistine goes on a blind date podcast.

S2.E5 ∙ Uncle Frank is Coming to Town: Frank heads to New York City to spend some quality time with Sistine and Sophia (in their apartment).

S2.E6 ∙ Keep Punching: The Family Stallone heads to Philadelphia where Sly is honored on Rocky Day. (I can be seen in three crowd scenes if you don’t blink.)

S2.E7 ∙ A Stallone Family Reunion: The Family Stallone journey to the small town in Italy where Sly’s grandfather lived before immigrating to the US.  They meet family members for the first time in a huge gathering.

S2.E8 ∙ Citizen Sly: Sly is honored by the town where his grandfather used to live.

S2,E9 ∙ When in Rome: Love is in the air!

S2,E10 ∙ That’s Amore: The Stallone Family meets the Pope.  Sly and the family honor Jen.

I’m not a fan of most reality shows.  Truth be told if this wasn’t about Sly and his family, my interest level would be zero,  Frank deserves his own reality show.  It would be a hoot.  I’d love a chance to tour Frank’s house — he has some many cool collectibles.

Bring on Season 3!

The Family Stallone: Season 1 (2023) earns 5 of 5 stars.