Category: Z-View

“No Dough Boys” (1944) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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No Dough Boys (1944)

Director:  Jules White

Writer:  Felix Adler

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard, Vernon Dent and Christine McIntyre

Tagline: You’ll Go Slap-Happy When the Stooges Go Jap-Happy!

The Plot…

The boys are dressed as Japanese soldiers for a photo shoot. Unfortunately for our guys there are reports that three Japanese soldiers on the loose in the city. While on a lunch break, Larry, Curly and Moe are mistaken for the real thing.  As they run for their lives, our guys end up ducking into an apartment that is a secret Nazi hideout.  The spy who runs things, Hugo (Dent) believes that our boys are the escaped Japanese soldiers… until he doesn’t.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Curly starts to light a cigarette when Moe points to a sign and asks Curly what it says.  Curly responds, “Hey, you! No Smoking!”  Moe: “Well?”  Curly: “It says you, not me. Nyuck, nyuck, nyuck.”

Curly later performs the invisible pipe gag (made famous by Laurel & Hardy in two films: Way Out West and Blockheads).

No Dough Boys (1944) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Three Little Beers” starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Three Little Beers (1935)

Director:  Del Lord

Writer:  Clyde Bruckman

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard, Bud Jamison, Charles Dorety and Jack Kenney

Tagline: Some foam, eh, kid?

The Plot…

The boys are beer delivery men who discover that their company is having a golf contest with a $100 prize.  While on their route, our guys find themselves next to a golf course, of course.  They decide to get in some practice.  What could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Curly on top of a giant stack of beer barrels in a fully loaded truck will bring a smile to your face no matter how many times you see it.  And you know what happens when the truck and our guys end up on a hill.

Moe gets a funny one-liner when he sinks a shot and Larry says, “It went into the hole!” Moe sadly responds, “Just my luck.”

Three Little Beers (1935) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“Sing a Song of Six Pants” (1947) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Sing a Song of Six Pants (1947)

Director:  Jules White

Writer:  Felix Adler

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard, Vernon Dent, Phil Arnold, Cy Schindell and Jules White (voice)

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

The boys run a dry cleaning shop and if they don’t get some fast cash, they’re going to lose their business.  When a safe cracker ditches the police and leaves his clothes in their shop, the boys find his cash.  They get an idea that when he returns they’ll capture him for the reward money.  What could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

At the start of Sing a Song of Six Pants we see several signs in the window of their dry cleaning shop.  One of the signs advertises “altercations” (not alterations).  I wonder if that was a happy accident.

Sing a Song of Six Pants (1947) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Narvik: Hitler’s First Defeat” (2022) / Z-View

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Narvik: Hitler’s First Defeat (2022)

Director: Erik Skjoldbjærg

Writers: Cristoph Grøndahl, story by Live Bonnevie, Erik Skjoldbaerg, Sebastian Torngren Wartin

Stars: Kristine Hartgen, Carl Martin Eggesbø and Billy Campbell.

Tagline:  None.

The Plot…

1940.  World War II rages.  Norway is a neutral country.  Because most of the world’s iron ore passes through the port at Narvik, both England and Nazi Germany have diplomats in the city.  In April, a force of German soldiers arrive in the city as part of a takeover.

Ingrid Tofte (Hartgen) is a young, married hotel worker.  Her husband, Gunnar (Eggesbø) is a corporal in the Norwegian army. Ingrid and Gunnar have a baby that is their world.  When the Nazis arrive, Gunnar is part of a unit sent to blow-up a bridge to delay Nazi advancement.  Ingrid, because she speaks two languages is picked to help Nazis as they attempt their takeover of the city.  If either Ingrid or Gunnar are exposed both will surely be executed.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Narvik is at it’s best when showing the dangers and choices that individuals are forced to make as the Nazis move in.  Some choose to wage war while others lay down their arms.  It would be a difficult choice to fight. You’re facing overwhelming odds and then your commanding officer hands over his pistol to the invading commandant!  Some soldiers dropped their weapons, took off their uniforms and ran away.  Others find a different officer and plan for future attacks.

Civilians had to make tough decisions to make as well.  Cooperate with the Nazis and lose your way of life. Try to run or stay and fight and you could lose your life.  If you had small children, the decision was even more difficult.  And if your child’s life is on the line, what would you do?

If I had any nits to pick, it would be with the film’s length.  When the tension is on and the battles are raging, the film is at it’s best.

Narvik: Hitler’s First Defeat (2022) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“I Saw the Devil” (2010) / Z-View

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I Saw the Devil (2010)

Director: Jee-woon Kim

Writer: Park Hoon-jung (screenplay), Jee-woon Kim (adaptation)

Stars: Lee Byung-hun, Choi Min-sik 

Tagline: To Catch A Monster He Must Become One

The Plot…

When a serial killer murders a government agent’s pregnant wife, the agent captures, tortures and then releases the killer.  The agent then captures, tortures and releases the killer again.  How long will this go on before one murders the other?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I Saw the Devil is well directed.  Jee-woon Kim is an excellent director.  He creates shots that are impressive and scenes that produce tension, fear and humor as needed.  The two leads are very good.  Where it goes off the rails for me is with the story and the gore.

The film loses me when the agent releases the serial killer after torturing him.  The serial killer then attacks a girl.  The agent stops him, but not before the killer has sexually assaulted the young woman.  The agent beats the killer and then releases him yet again.  The killer then attacks another woman. And the agent stops him mid-attack.  Rinse and repeat.  The agent could have saved these women from ever being molested.  It’d be one thing if the killer was taken in and escaped to attack women.  To have the agent release him so the agent could capture and torture him again is just stupid… and sick.

Speaking of sick, I Saw the Devil contains many gory scenes.  It wallows in scenes of torture.  While some movie fans enjoy graphic depictions of abuse, I’m not one.  The agent’s final plan to end the serial killer’s life involved a scene worthy of the Saw franchise.  The killer is beheaded when the killer’s elderly parents and his young son open a door.  The killer’s head rolls to sit in front of his little boy and his parents.  How sick is that?  Too sick for my taste.  Keep in mind that I Saw the Devil has earned high ratings on IMDb as well as many awards.  Your mileage may vary greatly from mine on this one.

I Saw the Devil (2010) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“Dig” (2022) starring Thomas Jane and Emile Hirsch / Z-View

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Dig (2022)

Director: K. Asher Levin

Writer: Banipal and Benhur Ablakhad

Stars: Thomas Jane, Liana Liberato, Harlow Jane, Emile Hirsch, Michael Vincent Berry and Diego Romero.

Tagline:  None.

The Plot…

Scott Brennan (Jane) is a single parent raising Jane (Harlow Jane) his deaf, angry daughter.  She’s angry because Scott’s temper in a road rage incident accidentally caused her deafness and worse still, the death of her mother.  When Scott is offered $30,000 for a weekend home demolition, the money is too good to pass up.  He brings Jane along to assist with the job.  They drive to the remote location and start work.

That’s when a psycho (Hirsch) and his homicidal girlfriend (Liberato) take Scott and Jane hostage.  There’s something buried in the backyard that the couple need to have dug up before Monday morning.  Scott knows when they recover the item he and his daughter are dead.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I’m a Thomas Jane fan, but Emile Hirsch is the scene stealer in Dig.  I was surprised to learn that the actress who plays Jane’s kid, is in fact his real life daughter.  Patricia Arquette is her mother.

The plot is interesting and there’s a nice mystery as to what needs to be dug up.  Unfortunately some stupid things the characters do (both the crazy couple as well as Scott and his daughter) take the enjoyment level down a few notches.  Still, Dig isn’t a bad way to pass an hour and a half.

Dig (2022) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“The Apeman” (1943) starring Bela Lugosi / Z-View

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The Apeman (1943)

Director: William Beaudine

Writer: Barney Sarecky based on the short story They Creep in the Dark by Karl Brown

Stars: Bela Lugosi, Wallace Ford, Minerva Urecal and Ernest Morrison.

Tagline:  No one is safe from the cruel desires of this inhuman fiend!

The Plot…

Dr. James Brewster (Lugosi) accidentally turned himself into a apeman.  The only cure is to inject himself with human spinal fluid. Unfortunately the process kills the donor.  That matters little to Brewster, who needs more spinal fluid!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

While The Apeman is supposed to be a horror movie, it falls far short of being frightening.  Lugosi looks like an old 1950s beatnik.  His gorilla is one of the all-time worst movie apes.  The only reason to watch is if you’re an Lugosi completist… and even then you might reconsider.

The Apeman (1943) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“The Scalphunters” starring Burt Lancaster & Ozzie Davis / Z-View

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The Scalphunters (1968)

Director: Sydney Pollack

Writer:  William W. Norton

Stars: Burt Lancaster, Shelley Winters, Telly Savalas, Ossie Davis, Dabney Coleman, Paul Picerni, Dan Vadis, Armando Silvestre, Nick Cravat and Chuck Roberson.

Tagline:  I’M JOE BASS and I say that scalphunters are the most ornery, girl-grabbing, back-stabbers on earth. I HUNT SCALPHUNTERS!

The Plot…

Joe Bass (Lancaster) is on his way to trade the furs he collected during the winter.  Bass is stopped by Two Crows (Silvestre) and his band of Kiowas.  Two Crows wants Bass’ furs and offers him a captured slave named Joseph Lee (Davis).  Bass wants no part of the deal.  Two Crows and his men force the trade and ride off with the furs.

Bass is determined to get the furs back and wants Joseph Lee to assist.  Before Lee was captured by the Kiowa he had been an educated house slave.  Lee has no understanding of the wilderness or guns.  Still, what other option does he have?

As Joe Bass and Joseph Lee prepare for battle with the Kiowa, a ruthless group of scalphunters joins the action.  Outnumbered and outgunned, Joe Bass is determined to get his furs back… even if it kills him.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I was surprised by the humor in The Scalphunters.  I was expecting a grim late 60s western.  The opening scenes are funny and as I adjusted my expectations, a surprisingly brutal and graphic (for the time period) event happens.  There is a nice mix of humor and drama that ends up leaning more into the comedy by the time the movie is ready to end.

Ossie Davis is a scene stealer.  He and Burt Lancaster had great chemistry.  Sequels weren’t as rampant then or I’m sure we’d have had more of these two.

Shelly Winters and Telly Savalas make for a believable couple.  Look for Dabney Coleman as one of Savalas’ henchmen.

The Scalphunters (1968) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“The Bounty Man” (1972) starring Clint Walker & Margot Kidder / Z-View

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The Bounty Man (1972)

Director:  John Llewellyn Moxey

Writer:  Jim Byrnes

Stars: Clint Walker, Richard Basehart, John Ericson, Margot Kidder, Gene Evans, Arthur Hunnicutt, Rex Holman, Glenn R. Wilder, Hal Needham and Rita Conde.

Tagline: When the man-hunter becomes the hunted.

The Plot…

Kinkaid (Walker) is a bounty hunter that always gets his man.  He’s driven and goes to any lengths, against any odds to finish what he starts.  When Kinkaid learns that Billy Riddle (Ericson) has a $5,000 bounty on his head, Riddle’s days as a free man are numbered.  Riddle is holed up in a small town that’s home to many criminals.  To make matters worse, Kinkaid has no idea that  Angus Keough (Basehart) and his small band of cutthroats have plans to kidnap Riddle once Kinkaid bags him.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The Bounty Man was made for television and feels like it.  Clint Walker and a young, Margot Kidder are the main reasons to check this one out.  Richard Basehart feels so out of place here.  It could be because I’m used to him in his role on Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.

I wish I liked The Bounty Man better.  If you’re a Clint Walker fan, your time would be better spent picking any two episodes of Cheyenne.

The Bounty Man (1972) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“Halloween Ends” (2022) starring Jamie Lee Curtis / Z-View

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Halloween Ends (2022)

Director:  David Gordon Green

Writers:  Paul Brad Logan, Chris Bernier, Danny McBride, David Gordon Green based on characters created by John Carpenter, Debra Hill

Stars: Jamie Lee Curtis, Andi Matichak, James Jude Courtney, Will Patton, Jesse C. Boyd and Michael Barbieri.

Tagline: Their Saga Ends

The Plot…

It’s been three years since Michael Myers was last seen.  Some believe him to be dead, others think he’s an urban legend.  Laurie Strode (Curtis) is writing her memoir and living with her granddaughter, Allyson (Matichak). When Allyson starts up a friendship with Corey, things begin to go south.  Corey was found not guilty in the  accidental killing of a child, but many people in the town still have a problem with Corey.

Is Corey just misunderstood? How far can he be pushed before he snaps… and who does Corey keep meeting under the bridge? (I’ll give you three guesses.)

Michael is back and Laurie is gonna be ticked.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Four writers are credited for Halloween Ends and that makes sense because the movie is at times a misunderstood youth movie, a youthful romance, an adult budding romance, a buddy film, a revenge film, a slasher movie and ultimately a Halloween movie.  For me Michael Myers works best when he’s a mysterious psycho killer with super strength and THAT is the focus of the movie.  Here he we find him living under a bridge and befriending a kid. Really?

What everyone wants is the showdown between Michael and Laurie.  We finally get it.  When their battle is over, the movie should end.  Instead we get an extended scene featuring the town marching to a junkyard to watch Michael’s body thrown into a huge industrial shredder.  Then we get a scene showing that Laurie and Allyson are on good terms now.  Then a scene with Laurie and her potential beau.  Perhaps it should have been called Halloween Ends… Give It Time.

Halloween Ends (2022) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“Space Ship Sappy” (1957) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Space Ship Sappy (1957)

Director:  Jules White

Writer:  Jack White

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Joe Besser, Marilyn Hanold and Emil Sitka.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Our guys think they’ve taken jobs as sailors.  They have, but as sailors on a spaceship heading to a planet inhabited by women cannibals.  What could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

This is one of the few Stooges shorts where Moe and Larry wear hair more in tune with their off screen styles.

Space Ship Sappy (1957) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“The Last of Us” – Season 1 (2023) starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey / Z-View

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The Last of Us: Season 1 (2023)

Teleplay by: Craig Mazin & Neil Druckmann (episodes 1 & 9); Craig Mazin (episodes 2 – 6, 8); Neil Druckmann (episode 7)

Directed by: Craig Mazin (episode 1); Neil Druckmann (episode 2); Peter Hoar (episode 3); Jeremy Webb (episodes 4 & 5); Jasmila Žbanić (episode 6); Liza Johnson (episode 7); Ali Abbasi (episodes 8 & 9)

Stars: Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, Anna Torv, Nico Parker, Merle Dandridge, Keivonn Woodard, Jeffrey Pierce, John Getz, Scott Shepherd, Storm Reid, Ashley Johnson, Nick Offerman, John Hannah, Terry Chen, Ian Rozylo, Graham Greene, Sonia Maria Chirila, Andy McDermott,  Christopher Heyerdahl, Nelson Leis, Elaine Miles, Marcus Aurelio and Adrian Hein

Tagline: Save who you can save.

The Plot…

2023.  Twenty years ago a pandemic caused by a bizarre easily transmitted fungal infection turned most of the world’s population into mindless mutant killing machines. Society collapsed.

Joel (Pascal) currently lives in a city under military rule.  Joel and his partner Tess (Torv) plan to escape the quarantine zone and head into the wilderness.  Joel’s brother is there somewhere with a group of freedom fighters.  As Joel and Tess make plans for their escape they encounter Marlene (Dandridge).  She can provide them with needed equipment if they will take Ellie (Ramsey) with them.  Ellie is an orphaned fourteen year old with a lot of attitude… and she just may be the key to a cure.

Joel, Tess and Ellie head out.  They will quickly discover the infected aren’t the worst thing they will have to deal with.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The Last of Us is based on the popular video game of the same name.  I’ve never played it and didn’t know the story ahead of seeing the show.

Every episode contains twists, but none as brutal as in the first episode.  It should have been obvious looking at the posters, but I had avoided everything I could in regard to press for the show.  I was gobsmacked by how much I came to care for a character I had never seen before.

It’s interesting how time is played with throughout the series.  The first episode features a scene on a talk show that takes places 30 to 40 years before the start of the pandemic.  A scientist is talking about the dangers to humans that fungi could present with minor changes to the environment.  That was clever.  Each episode features flashbacks to strengthen the present story.

The characters are well cast, well written and well played. Of course not enough can be said about Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey.  They are supported by an amazing supporting cast. Standouts include Anna Torv, Nico Parker, Merle Dandridge, Jeffrey Pierce, Storm Reid, Nick Offerman, Graham Greene and  Elaine Miles.  Some of these characters appear in just one episode or a few scenes in one episode.  The attention to detail in getting the right person in each role, no matter how small pays off.

Joel (Pascal) and Ellie (Ramsey) are the heart and soul of the series.  Yet sometimes the people they meet take center stage. In episode three, titled Long, Long Time, Joel and Ellie become supporting characters, but this chapter remains essential viewing to The Last Of Us story.  Long, Long Time ranks with the best single episode of any continuing drama ever.  With each new outing we learn more about Joel, Ellie and the world they live in.  I wouldn’t want that reality, but I sure love visiting it.

The Last of Us is making the right choices in every department.  I look forward to season two.

The Last of Us: Season 1 (2023) earns 5 of 5 stars.

“Pest Man Wins” (1951) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Pest Man Wins (1951)

Director:  Jules White

Writer:  Felix Adler

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard, Vernon Dent, Emil Sitka, Symona Boniface, Heinie Conklin, Mary Forbes, Ethelreda Leopold and Al Thompson

Tagline: They’re Their Own Pest Customers – In the Pest Control Business!

The Plot…

Our guys are pest exterminators and they need work.  They get the bright idea to plant ants, mice, spiders, and other bugs in a mansion during a fancy party.  What could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Pest Man Wins is a remake of Ants in the Pantry and uses a small amount of footage from the original.  The concluding pie fight scene borrows from In the Sweet Pie and Pie and Half-Wits Holiday.

Pest Man Wins (1951) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“The Last Lullaby” (2008) starring Tom Sizemore / Z-View

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The Last Lullaby (2008)

Director:  Jeffrey Goodman

Writer:  Peter Biegen, Max Allan Collins

Stars: Tom Sizemore, Sasha Alexander, Sprague Grayden, Bill Smitrovich, Ray McKinnon and Jerry Hardin

Tagline: There comes a time in your life when you want to be exactly who you are.

The Plot…

Price (Sizemore) is a retired hitman bored with his new life.  When a high-priced contract with a tight completion date falls into his lap, Price takes it.  The target is pretty, small-town librarian named Sarah (Alexander).  One night as Price is watching her, Sarah is attacked.  Price saves her.  One thing leads to another, and soon Price is falling for his mark.  As the deadline approaches Price will need to make a decision.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Price is based on Max Allan Collins’ hitman Quarry.  Collins has written several novels featuring this character.

Tom Sizemore was such a talented actor.

Ray McKinnon is billed as Ominous Figure and he is!  I wish that they had done more with him.  McKinnon is so good at being creepy.

Sprague Grayden has a small role.  I always like her film/tv appearances and this is no exception.

The Last Lullaby (2008) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“How High Is Up?” (1940) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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How High Is Up? (1940)

Director:  Del Lord

Writer:  Elwood Ullman

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard, Bruce Bennett, Vernon Dent and Cy Schindell

Tagline:  None.

The Plot…

The boys are repairmen who decide to drum up business by poking holes in some workers’ lunchboxes.  When the laborers catch on to the ruse, our guys run away.  Looking to ditch the irate mob, Larry, Curly and Moe take jobs working construction on the top levels of a high rise.  What could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Curly gets the best laughs trying to walk on a greased girder.  There are also the expected chuckles when the boys try handling hot rivets.

How High Is Up? (1940) rates 4 of 5 stars.