Category: Z-View

“Road to Paloma” (2014) directed by and starring Jason Mamoa / Z-View

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Road to Paloma (2014)

Director: Jason Momoa

Screenplay: Jason Momoa, Robert Homer Mollohan, Jonathan Hirschbein

Stars: Jason Momoa, Robert Homer Mollohan, Lisa Bonet, Tye Alexander, Henree Alyse, Chris Browning, Charlie Brumbly, Linden Chiles, Timothy V. Murphy, Michael Raymond-James, Tanoai Reed, Steve Reevis, Wes Studi and Lance Henriksen.

Tagline: On the road. On the run.

The Plot…

Robert Wolf has been on the run.  Six months ago Wolf murdered the man who brutally raped and killed his mother.   Now Wolf has returned home to collect his mother’s ashes.  He plans to spread them on land she loved.  But when the FBI closing in, Wolf’s last wish may not be fulfilled.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Road to Paloma  features Jason Mamoa’s debut as a director. He also was the star and the film’s co-writter and co-producer.

Although Jason Mamoa and Lisa Bonet were once married, they weren’t at the time Road to Paloma was made.

Wes Studi and Lance Henriksen have small but welcome roles.

I wanted to like Road to Paloma more than I did.  I liked the story concept and actors involved.  Mamoa shows promise as a director.  My problem was the pacing of the film.  For a man on a mission as well as on the run with the FBI closing in, the film lacked a sense of urgency.  Your mileage may, of course, vary.

Road to Paloma (2014) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“When Worlds Collide” (1951) produced by George Pal / Z-View

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When Worlds Collide (1951)

Produced by: George Pal

Director: Rudolph Maté

Screenplay: Sydney Boehm; based on When Worlds Collide stories published in Blue Book Magazine in 1933 by Edwin Balmer, Philip Wylie

Stars: Richard Derr, Barbara Rush, Peter Hansen, John Hoyt, Larry Keating, Rachel Ames, Stephen Chase, Hayden Rorke, Sandro Giglio, Kirk Alyn, Stuart Whitman and Frank Cady.

Tagline: 44 Men and Women in Desperate Getaway Flight…To Escape Earth’s Destruction!

The Plot…

Scientists learn that Bellus, a recently discovered star, and Zyra, a planet being pulled along by Bellus, are on a collision course with Earth.  In just over eight months, Zyra will pass by Earth.  Nineteen days later, Bellus’ impact will destroy our planet.

Dr. Cole Hendron has a plan to build a spaceship to carry 44 people to Zyra as it passes Earth.  These 44 will repopulate the new planet and humanity will survive.  Two wealthy humanitarians agree to put up the money, but the project still needs more.  Sidney Stanton, a shrewd businessman agrees to put up the rest of the funds, if he can choose the people that get to go.  Dr. Hendron refuses the offer since Stanton isn’t qualifed to make the decision.  Staton agrees to put up the money if he is guaranteed a seat on the ship.

Panic throughout the world spreads as doomsday approaches.  Other countries are making plans to build their own rockets, but time is short.  As Zyra hurtles closer to Earth, massive earthquakes, tidal waves and volcanic eruptions wreak havok on the world.  Many countries declare martial law.  Dr. Hendron and his team work to make-up time, but as the day of launch approaches, and workers realize that not everyone can make the trip, tempers flare.

 As the clock ticks down, so too do the odds of humanity’s survival.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)… 

When Worlds Collide was nominated for two 1952 Academy Awards and won one…

  • Nominee for Best Cinematography, Color – John F. Seitz, W. Howard Greene
  • Winner for Best Effects, Special Effects

Producer, George Pal hoped to film a sequel based on the stories of the struggles on the new planet, but the film never happened.

Some of the shots used in When Worlds Collide would be reused in other George Pal films such as War of the Worlds, The Time Machine and Atlantis: The Lost Continent.

Features Stuart Whitman’s uncredited film debut.

Also features the film debut of Rachel Ames (aka Judith Ames).  Rachael Ames and co-star Peter Hanson would go on to act on General Hospital together for decades.

Kirk Alyn, best known as the actor to first play Superman, appears uncredited as a rioter.

If you enjoy 1950s sci-fi, When Worlds Collide should be on your viewing list.

When Worlds Collide (1951) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not” (2026) / Z-View

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I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not (2026)

Director: Marina Zenovich

Stars: Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, Ryan Reynolds, Goldie Hawn, Dan Aykroyd, Martin Short, Kevin Nealon, Paul Shaffer and Lorne Michaels.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Saturday Night Live premiered on October 11, 1975, and it was obvious from the start that Chevy Chase was going to be the breakout star.  When Chase anchored the “News Update” segments viewership would spike.  He came off as funny, goofy, personalble, girls thought he was cute and guys liked him as well.  And man, could he take a pratfall.

The only surprise when Chase left Saturday Night Live for Hollywood was how quickly it happened. He didn’t even complete the show’s second season.

Chase’s first starring role in a feature film (Foul Play) hinted at great things to come.  But his films were hit (Caddyshack, National Lampoon’s Vacation) or miss (Oh! Heavenly Dog; Under the Rainbow).  The misses started to outnumber the hits.  Rumors surfaced that Chase was “hard to work with” or worse still, just an ass.

I‘m Chevy Chase and You’re Not explores Chase’s life warts and all.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)… 

I was a Chevy Chase fan at the start of his career.  I thought Chase was going to be a big star.  And he was for a bit. Chase would have been on top longer, if not for his behavior. Maybe it was the drugs (which he discusses).  Maybe it was his ego.  Maybe it was unresolved issues from his childhood.  More likely it was a combination of all of these things.

I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not is interesting and informative even without the participation of folks who declined to be interviewed (Steve Martin, Martin Short, the entire cast and crew of Community – except for Jay Chandrasekhar who directed one episode with Chase).  Their silence says a lot.

After seeing I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not, I have a better understanding of the man and his career.  He often appears to be his own worst enemy.  Yet, at 82, Chase still has a quick (often inappropriate) wit even if he can no longer take a pratfall.

I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not (2026)

“Security” (2017) starring Antonio Banderas and Ben Kingsley / Z-View

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Security (2017)

Director: Alain DesRochers

Screenplay: Tony Mosher, John Sullivan

Stars: Antonio Banderas, Ben Kingsley, Liam McIntyre, Cung Le, Chad Lindberg, Gabriella Wright, Shari Watson.

Tagline: It’s going to be a long night.

The Plot…

Eddie Deacon, a former US Marine Captain has been out of work for too long.  When Deacon is offered a job as a security guard at a remote mall, he accepts.  There he finds a security detail lead by a cop wanna-be and a team of slackers.  The hardest part of most nights is staying awake.

That all changes late one night when a young girl shows up banging and screaming to get inside.  Deacon brings her in.  The girl is terrified and claims that people are coming to kill her.  A man shows up and says he’s there to bring the girl home.  He’s calm and has answers for every question.  But Deacon senses something is not right.

The man changes tactics.  He offers money for the girl.  When that is refused he says that he has an elite squad of mercenaries that are going to break in, kill everyone  and then take the girl.  Communications to the mall are jammed and the mercenaries are seen prepping to attack.

It’s going to be a long night.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)… 

Lillian Blankenship, in her film debut, plays Antonio Banderas’ daughter.  Later in the same year, she would again play Banderas’ daughter in the film Acts of Vengeance.

Security is a fun, action-packed ride.  Banderas is perfect as the former marine unwilling to give up the child.  Ben Kingsley plays the villain with such calm it’s creepy.  Liam McIntyre’s character has an unexpected arc that he makes work.

If you like action films, then give Security a try.

Security (2017) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“Osiris” (2025) directed by William Kaufman, starring Max Martini and Linda Hamilton / Z-View

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Osiris (2025)

Director: William Kaufman

Screenplay: William Kaufman, Paul Reichelt

Stars: Max Martini, Linda Hamilton, Brianna Hildebrand, LaMonica Garrett, Michael Irby, Linds Edwards, Jaren Mitchell and Tyler Galpin.

Tagline:  None.

The Plot…

One night in the middle of an intense fire fight, a US Special Forces squad led by Sergeant Kelly, is suddenly transported away.  Kelly and his team awaken aboard an alien craft.  As they come to grips with what occurred, they see skinned corpses and strange weapons all around.

As the soldiers gather their weapons and scavange others, aliens attack.  The creatures are huge, armored, eyeless beings with sharp teeth, claws and energy weapons with shields.  Kelly leads his soldiers as they retreat.  Suddenly Ravi, a Russian soldier appears to direct the team to a safe location.

Ravi explains that she has survived by hiding throughout the ship.  The aliens collect humans for food… but she has a plan to kill them all as well as their ability to communicate with their home planet.  If they can live long enough to pull it off.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)… 

Osiri draws inspiration from Aliens, Predator and even Planet of the Apes.  Sadly, it falls far short of all of them. (And the Planet of the Apes nod, made me groan.)

Osiris (2025) rates 2 of 5 stars.

FRONT SIGHT: THREE SWAGGER NOVELLAS by Stephen Hunter / Z-View

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FRONT SIGHT: THREE SWAGGER NOVELLAS by Stephen Hunter

City of Meat

First sentence…

Chicago 1934

The bickering got so bad, finally, that the director called both Sam Cowley and Mel Purvis to Washington to talk out the command difficulties in the productive but messed-up Chicago field office of the Justice Department’s glamorous Division of Investigation.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

J. Edgar Hoover is basking in the attention that his Division of Investigation is getting from the capture killing of John Dillinger.  Hoover wants more of the same.  The next big-name gangster Hoover wants to bring down is Baby Face Nelson.  Who better to get the job done, than the man who killed Dillinger?

Not the federal agent who was creditied with doing the deed.  No, Hoover wanted the man who actually pulled the trigger. Charles Swagger.  Swagger was smart.  Equally important he was cool and calm when bullets flew.  And Swagger hit what he aimed at.

So when word reached Washington that Baby Face Nelson was seen around the Chicago Union Stock Yards, Charles Swagger was sent down to investigate.

Alone, in the dark, Swagger is walking the stockyard when he is attacked by a lunatic.  Forced to defend himself, Swagger kills the man.  When the stockyard police arrive, they’re ready to sweep the event under the rug.  A white police office killed a “coon” in self-defense.  Nothing to see here.

So Swagger investigates.  Turns out the man he killed was hopped up on a new drug.  So far it was only found in the  7th District of Chicago.  Although several murders could be tied to people under the influence of the drug, the people killed didn’t rate.  The local cops wrote off the murders as business as usual for the area.

Swagger feels differently.  His investigation shifts.  Swagger plans to find the source of the drug and bring them to justice.  He knows it involves powerful people somehow associated with the stockyard.  He’s getting pressure from local cops and stockyard officals to back off.  His bosses in Washington want results on Baby Face Nelson.

But Swagger won’t quit.  Even if it kills him.

+++

Johnny Tuesday

First sentence…

It was February 1945, and in the cities of America, small or large, town, burg, village, or hamlet, everybody smoked.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Earl Swagger is, like his father Charles, a former soldier and lawman known for his brains, toughness and marksmanship.  Earl’s undercover investigation into a successful bank robbery that resulted in two murders is going nowhere.  His resistance from the local officials indicate the robbery is tied to something bigger than a couple of thugs looking for an easy score.

But what could it be?

Perhaps it’s the money laundering or the gambling ring or the two gangs looking to get on top? Earl knows that he’s being manipulated by a fem fatale.  But to what end?

And what could be worse than being trapped in a remote, deserted house with a cold blooded hitman?

+++

Five Dolls for the Gut Hook

First sentence…

Hot Springs,
Arkansas,
1978

I am improving.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Bob Lee Swagger is like his grandfather and father a decorated soldier.  Bob’s war was Viet Nam.  There he was a sniper.  One of the best.  But Bob’s not a lawman.  And since the war, he’s struggled with drinking too much and survivor’s guilt over lost men.

Bob is surprised when he’s approached by an old friend from Hot Springs, Arkansas.  A serial killer has been brutally butchering young women there.  The police are stuck.  No leads.  No progress.  And the murders keep occuring.  Five so far.

Bob is confused.  He’s a sniper, not a detective.  And that’s exactly why they want him.  He’s told, “We need somebody smart who can look at stuff from different angles and maybe see something that our best people have missed… you are the son and grandson of two of the greatest detectives this state has ever produced.”

Bob agrees to assist with the investigation.  They know the killer will strike again soon.  The clock is ticking.

+++

Stephen Hunter’s Swagger novels are automatic buys for me.  I love the family history.  Hunter is an excellent story teller.  FRONT SITE provides three tales and each is a banger.  FRONT SITE gets my highest recommendation.

Rating:

“Johnny O’Clock” (1947) starring Dick Powell, Evelyn Keyes and Lee J. Cobb / Z-View

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Johnny O’Clock (1947)

Director: Robert Rossen

Screenplay: Robert Rossen; story by Milton Holmes

Stars: Dick Powell, Evelyn Keyes, Lee J. Cobb, Ellen Drew, Nina Foch, Thomas Gomez, John Kellogg, Phil Brown, Fred Aldrich and Jeff Chandler.

Tagline: Time Was Running Out For Johnny O’Clock … and so were his women!

The Plot…

Johnny O’Clock runs a casino for gangster Guido Marchettis.  Johnny is everything that Guido is not.  Johnny is well-liked, well-spoken and a favorite of everyone… especially Nelle, Guido’s wife.  She keeps her attraction to Johnny a secret from everyone but Johnny.

Johnny has no interest in Nelle.  That doesn’t stop Nelle from giving Johnny the gift of an expensive engraved watch.  It’s an even better version of one she gave Guido on his birthday.  Johnny doesn’t want the watch or Nelle’s attention.  He writes a note telling Nelle to stop.  Johnny gives the note and watch to the casino’s hat-check girl, Harriett to return to Nelle.

The next day Harriett is found dead from an apparent suicide.   Harriett’s sister, Nancy is notified of her sister’s death.  Nancy arrives wanting to know why her sister killed herself.  She meets Johnny and they learn that Harriett was murdered.  As Nancy and Johnny work to sort out who would want to kill Harriett, they begin to fall in love.

Police Inspector Koch gets the case.  He learns that Harriett was dating Chuck Blayden, a crooked cop interested in leaving the force and taking over Johnny’s role at the casino.  Inspector Koch finds Johnny’s note and the expensive watch.  This adds both Johnny and Guido to his list of suspects.  It also makes Guido believe that Johnny and his wife, Nelle were having an affair.

The person behind Harriett’s death decides Johnny is next… and Nancy too if she gets in the way.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)… 

Johnny O’Clock features Robert Rossen’s debut as a director.  Although in a TCM interview Nina Foch (who played Harriett) asserted that Rossen wasn’t the film’s actual director.  Foch never said who it was though.

Jeff Chandler, although uncredited, appears in his second feature film role.  Chandler credited Dick Powell for getting him the part.

I enjoyed Johnny O’Clock but most folks like it even more than I do.

Johnny O’Clock (1947) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Shattered” (1991) written & directed by Wolfgang Peterson, starring Tom Berenger, Bob Hoskins and Greta Scacchi / Z-View

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Shattered (1991)

Director: Wolfgang Petersen

Screenplay: Wolfgang Petersen; based on THE PLASTIC NIGHTMARE by Richard Neeley

Stars: Tom Berenger, Bob Hoskins, Greta Scacchi, Joanne Whalley, Corbin Bernsen, Bert Rosario, Kellye Nakahara, Frank Cavestani and Theodore Bikel.

Tagline:  A love he can’t forget. A murder he can’t remember.

The Plot…

Dan Merrick wakes up in a hospital with no memory of how he got there.  His injuries were gruesome.  He barely lived.  His face required reconstructive plastic surgery.  The concussion left him with psychogenic amnesia.  But he lived.

Dan learns driving home late one night he and Judith, his wife, were involved in a terrible accident. The car went off the road and over a steep embankment.  Judith suffered minor injuries when she was thrown from the car.  Dan has no memory of the accident or anything from his past.  The doctors say it could slowly return… or not.

Judith is so loving and attentive to Dan as he recovers.  Dan learns he was a partner in an architectural firm.  Slowly flashes of memory come to Dan but they make no sense.  As Dan is going through things he comes across hidden photos.  They are of Judith.  With another man.  Judith was cheating on him!

As Dan’s memory slowly returns he begins to wonder about the accident. The same wreck that nearly killed him, left Judith with minor injuries.  If Judith and her lover were trying to kill him, Dan is sure that they will conspire to finish the job.

If only he could remember…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)… 

Shattered delivers as a Hitchcockian psychological erotic thriller.  It’s a fun neo-noir mystery filled with surprises and a fun twist ending.

Shattered reminds me of a film that would have been made in the 1940s, but instead is a product of 1990s film sensibilities.

I love it.

Shattered (1991) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“Caught Stealing” written by Charlie Huston, directed by Darren Aronofsky; starring Austin Butler, Regina King, Zoë Kravitz, Matt Smith, Liev Schreiber, Vincent D’Onofrio and Benito Martinez Ocasio / Z-View

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Caught Stealing (2025)

Director: Darren Aronofsky

Screenplay: Charlie Huston; based on CAUGHT STEALING by Charlie Huston

Stars: Austin Butler, Regina King, Zoë Kravitz, Matt Smith, Griffin Dunne, Shaun O’Hagan, Action Bronson, Matt Smith, Nikita Kukushkin, Yuri Kolokolnikov, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Oleg Prudius, Liev Schreiber, Benito Martinez Ocasio, Bad Bunny, Carol Kane and Vincent D’Onofrio.

Tagline: 2 Russians, 2 Jews and a Puerto Rican walk into a bar…

The Plot…

Henry “Hank” Thompson was a baseball phenom headed to the big leagues straight out of high school.  Then a tragic auto accident left a friend dead and Hank with a career-ending injury.  A career that never even had a chance to get started.

That was ten years ago. 1988.  Now Hank is a New York City bartender.  He drinks too much, lacks real ambition, and still loves The San Francisco Giants.  Oh, Hank also loves Yvonne.  She’s a positive influence and it looks like they may have a future.  Life is good.  Except for his nightmares about the car crash. What could have been and what was.

Still, with Yvonne, life is on the right track.

When Hank’s neighbor, Russ Miner has to leave for a few days to visit his hospitalized father, Hank is talked into taking care of Russ’ cat.  It isn’t long after, that two Russian mobsters show up.  They’re looking for Russ.  When Hank cannot give the thugs the answers they want, they beat Hank nearly to death.

Detective Elise Roman questions Hank. She thinks he’s withholding information.  He’s not.  Detective Roman informs Hank that the Russians are dangerous. (No kidding.)  Worse still, his neighbor Russ works for the infamous Drucker brothers.  The Drucker brothers are known killers, but never leave anyone alive willing to testify against them.  Detective Roman warns Hank that with the Russians and the Druckers after him, he won’t have long to live.  Neither will anyone close to him.  If the Russians don’t get them, the Druckers will.

Hank has no clue what everyone is looking for.  Hank understands if he doesn’t figure it out, he’s dead… and so are his family and friends.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)… 

Charlie Huston’s Henry “Hank” Thompson trilogy (CAUGHT STEALING / SIX BAD THINGS / A DANGEROUS MAN) earned the #1 spot in my favorite books of 2006.  They get my highest recommendation.  Although the movie makes changes from the novel, I still loved the adaptation.

Caught Stealing is exceptionally well cast.  It is my favorite Austin Butler film.  It would be cool to see the rest of the Hank Thompson trilogy adapted and Butler make the transformation to A DANGEROUS MAN.  Zoë Kravitz is perfect as Hank’s love interest.  Kudos also to Regina King, Griffin Dunne, Shaun O’Hagan, Liev Schreiber, Bad Bunny, Carol Kane and Vincent D’Onofrio.  They shine.

Caught Stealing has a couple of shocking twists.  It also has the right mix of suspense, humor and action.  I loved it.  Caught Stealing gets my highest recommendation.

Caught Stealing (2025) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“Sean Combs: The Reckoning” (2025) / Z-View

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Sean Combs: The Reckoning (2025)

Executive Producer: Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson

Director: Alexandria Stapleton

Cast: Sean Combs, Tupac Shakur, The Notorious B.I.G., Janice Combs, Mark Curry, Kirk Burrowes, Aubrey O’Day, Suge Knight, Andre Harrell, Kalenna Harper, Al B. Sure!, Kim Porter, Cassie Ventura and Snoop Dogg.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Sean Combs: The Reckoning uses archival footage/interviews from the early 1990s to present day to cover the rise of Sean Combs from a college student intern to hip hop mogul to industry powerhouse able to put his name on a variety of products and make them best-sellers to a convicted felon doing several years in prison.

The four part documentary, through the use of archival news reports, court verdicts and interviews with accusers and those who claim to witnessed the events, details Sean Combs’ proven and or/alleged…

  • longterm sexual and emotional abuse of women
  • sexual assault and drugging of women… including rape, videotaping sexual assaults and playing the tapes for friends
  • sexual assault and harrasment of men
  • drugging men and women in order to take advantage of them
  • using intimidation and threats to regularly take advantage of business partners, cheating them out of money due or simply not paying them.
  • questions about Combs’ involvement in the murders of Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G.
  • infamous “freak off” parties where people were secretly videotaped having sex, coerced or drugged for sex
  • involvement as co-promoter of the 1991 “first annual Heavy D and Puff Daddy Celebrity Charity Basketball Game” where dozens of people were injured and nine people died when nearly 5,000 people pushed to get in a gym with a capacity of 2,730.  No criminal charges were filed, but Combs settled with families in civil court.
  • involvement in a 1999 shooting incident while dating Jennifer Lopez.  Combs was arrested on a weapons and bribery charge.  He was acquitted of all charges. Still there are those who say Combs should have been found guilty.
  • and more.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)… 

If only some of the allegations are true (and we know many are), Sean Combs is perfect example of how power can corrupt.

I am not a huge hip-hop fan, but I found the documentary compelling.

Sean Combs: The Reckoning (2025) rates 5 of 5 stars.

THE DREADFUL LEMON SKY BY John D. MacDonald / Z-View

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THE DREADFUL LEMON SKY by John D. MacDonald

First sentences…

I was in deep sleep, alone aboard my houseboat, alone in a half acre of bed, alone in a sweaty dream of chase, fear, and monstrous predators.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

At 4am, Travis McGee is awakened from dark dreams by someone climbing aboard his boat, The Busted Flush.  The intruder is Carrie Milligan, a former lover.  She’s scared, but won’t say why.  The only thing she brought with her is a suitcase.  A suitcase full of cash.

Carrie asks Travis to hold the suitcase.  If she doesn’t return in two weeks, Travis is to give the cash to Carrie’s sister.  Travis can keep ten grand for his troubles.  Travis agrees.

Two weeks pass.  Carrie doesn’t return.  Then Travis learns she was killed in an auto accident in the small coastal town of Bayside.  Travis decides to look into Carrie’s death.  It’s too coincidental that she was killed during a time she was worried she might not return to claim the suitcase.

Travis goes to Bayside and starts digging into Carrie’s last hours.  Clues lead him to an apartment complex managed by a wanna-be tough guy everyone calls Big Daddy.  Travis also meets a lawyer and judge who warn Travis about sticking his nose in unwanted places.

Travis keeps digging.  The people behind Carrie’s murder have too much at stake to let a beach bum like Travis McGee screw things up.  They plan to fix that.

+++

THE DREADFUL LEMON SKY is the sixteenth of 21 Travis McGee novels.

In 1972, John D. MacDonald was named a grandmaster of the Mystery Writers of America.  MacDonald is best known for his Travis McGee novels as well as a standalone thriller (THE EXECUTIONERS) that was retitled Cape Fear when adapted into a movie (twice).

THE DREADFUL LEMON SKY by John D. MacDonald

Rating:

“Uncontained” (2025) written, directed by and starring Morley Nelson / Z-View

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Uncontained (2025)

Director: Morley Nelson

Screenplay: Morley Nelson

Stars: Morley Nelson, Peter O’Meara, Brett Zimmerman.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

When a zombie-like apocalypse began, most people sought shelter from the spread of the virus.  Now, several years later, even the most remote havens are in danger.

Dan, a former soldier, lives in the wilderness.  He is capable and feels safer on his own, never staying in one place for long.  Then Dan comes across a remote home.  He discovers two children, a boy and his sister living there.  There mother ventured out and never returned.  Dan knows the children cannot survive on their own.

Reluctantly, Dan becomes their caregiver unaware that danger is closing in.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)… 

Morley Nelson, a former police officer, wrote, produced, directed and played the lead in Uncontained.

Don’t go in expecting a typical low-budget zombie gore fest.  Uncontained is more of a character study with an unexpected twist. I give Nelson props for having the guts to make a slower placed zombie flick.

I’ll be interested to see if Morley Nelson continues to write, direct and star in his own productions or if he’ll get an opportunity in Hollywood.

Uncontained (2025) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“The Strip” (1951) starring Mickey Rooney and Sally Forrest / Z-View

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The Strip (1951)

Director: László Kardos

Screenplay: Allen Rivkin

Stars: Mickey Rooney, Sally Forrest, William Demarest, James Craig, Louis Armstrong, Tom Powers, Vic Damone, Monica Lewis, Don Anderson  and Tommy Rettig.

Tagline: Torchy romance tingling with mystery and throbbing with the rhythm of Dixieland along the glamorous avenue of night clubs!

The Plot…

When Stanley Maxton is released from a long hospital stay due to injuries sustained in the Korean War, he heads for LA..  He dreams of becoming a successful drummer and owning his own club some day.

A chance encounter earns Stanley a high-paying job working for mobster Sonny Johnston. In no time Stanley has money, a fine car and flashy clothes.  Then he meets Jane Tafford.  She’s a nightclub dancer who dreams of becoming a movie star.  Stanley falls hard.

So hard, he quits working for Sonny and takes a lower paying job as a drummer at the club where Jane is a dancer.  But it’s no go.  Jane is only interested in becoming a star and a nightclub drummer can’t help her with that.

Stanley takes Jane to meet Sonny.  Stanley figures Sonny’s mob connections can get Jane an audition.  Problem is, even though he’s married, Sonny falls for Jane.  This puts Stanley and Sonny at odds.

So when a woman is murdered, and evidence points to Stanley, he knows who set him up.  Time is running out to prove his innocence.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)… 

The Strip earned one 1952 Academy Award nomination…

  • Nominee for Best Music, Original Song – For “A Kiss to Build a Dream On” – Bert Kalmar, Harry Ruby, Oscar Hammerstein II

The Strip is as much (if not more) a musical than a crime noir. The film features songs performed by Vic Damone, Monica Lewis, Jack Teagarden, and Louis Armstrong, floor show routines by Sally Forrest as well as drum solos by Mickey Rooney.

The film features an unexpected dark (for a musical featuring Mickey Rooney) twist.

Louie Armstrong, Vic Damone and Monica Lewis play themselves.

The Strip (1951) rates 3 of 5 stars.

ORPHAN X by Gregg Hurwitz / Z-View

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ORPHAN X by Gregg Hurwitz

First sentence…

1

After picking up a set of pistol suppressors froma nine-fingered armorer in Las Vegas, Evan Smoak headed for home in his Ford pickup, doing his best to not let the knife wound distract him.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Evan Smoak was chosen as a child.  He was a perfect candidate.  A child with no family.  Raised in a secret government off-the-books program, Evan and other children like him became known as Orphans.  Evan was Orphan X.

The Orphans were trained to become the ultimate assassins.  As adults, these killers were perfect for black box assignments.  Able to kill with their hands, or any weapon, the Orphans possessed every strategy to covertly and alone complete a mission.  The added bonus was if caught or killed, because they had no family, the government had plausible deniability.

Orphan X excelled in all aspects of his training.  His abilities and mission success became legendary among the Orphans and their handlers.  Outside of the program, Orphan X was someone spoken about in whispers.

Finally, Evan Smoak had enough of the killing.  He used his training to escape the program and disappear.  Smoak set up a new life.  One that he controlled.  He still lived by stict rules – but these rules were self-imposed.  And now instead of taking lives, he was saving them.  Smoak found people in desperate situations, with nowhere to turn and rescued them. Smoak was careful.  Often the beneficiary didn’t know how they were selected or who helped them.

But now, someone with the same skills as Smoak is trying to find and kill him.  You can’t just walk away from the Orphan Program.

+++

ORPHAN X was published in 2016.  Its popularity led to a series of Orphan X novels.  There are currently 10 novels (with an 11th due in February 2026) and several short stories in the series.

ORPHAN X was a page turner.  I loved the characters, and world Hurwitz created.  This is a series that sho to the top of my t0-be-read list.  If you’re a fan of intelligent action, this series is for you.

Rating:

“Troll 2″(2025) / Z-View

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Troll 2 (2025)

Director:  Roar Uthaug

Screenplay: Espen Aukan 

Stars: Ine Marie Wilmann, Kim Falck, Mads Sjøgård Pettersen

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Three years have passed since the battle with the Troll King.  Nora Tidemann now lives in a remote cabin having resigned from her government position after the troll “incident”.   When her friend, Andreas Isaksen, asks Nora to assist on a secret government project, she is intrigued.

Nora travels with Andreas to a hidden underground installation.  She is shocked to discover the government has captured a hibernating troll.  When the creature wakes up it breaks free.  During the troll’s escape it eats and kills government workers.

Now the troll is headed for a major city intent on killing all who live there.

Nora, Andreas and Major Kristoffer Holm reteam to stop the troll before it reaches civilization.  It’ll be difficult and lives will be lost, but they should prevail.  That’s what they are thinking… until a second troll comes into play.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I was glad to see original cast members return.  Troll 2 is fun… but a step down from the original.

Troll 2 (2025) earns 3 of 5 stars.