Category: Z-View

Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities, Season 1 / Z-View

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Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities (2022)

Episode 1: “Lot 36”
Director:  Guillermo Navarr
Teleplay:  Regina Corrado and Guillermo del Toro based on the short story by  Guillermo del Toro
Stars: Tim Blake Nelson, Sebastian Roché, Elpidia Carrillo and Lize Johnston

Episode 2: “Graveyard Rats”
Director:  Vincenzo Natali
Teleplay:  Vincenzo Natali based on the short story by  Henry Kuttner
Stars: David Hewlett and Nabeel El Khafif

Episode 3: “The Autopsy”
Director:  David Prior
Teleplay: David S. Goyer based on the short story by  Michael Shea
Stars: F. Murray Abraham, Glynn Turman and Luke Roberts

Episode 4: “The Outside”
Director:  Ana Lily Amirpour
Teleplay:  Haley Z. Boston based on a webcomic by Emily Carroll
Stars: Kate Micucci and Martin Starr

Episode 5: “Pickman’s Model”
Director:  Keith Thomas
Teleplay: Lee Patterson based on the short story by  H. P. Lovecraft
Stars: Ben Barnes and Crispin Glover 

Episode 6: “Dreams in the Witch House”
Director:  Catherine Hardwick
Teleplay:  Mika Watkins based on the short story by H. P. Lovecraft
Stars: Rupert Grint 

Episode 7: “The Vewing”
Director:  Panos Cosmatos
Teleplay: Panos Cosmatos & Aaron Stewart-Ahn
Stars: Peter Weller, Steve Agee, Eric André and Sofia Boutella  

Episode 8: “The Murmuring”
Director:  Jennifer Kent
Teleplay:  Jennifer Ken based on the short story by Guillermo del Toro
Stars: Essie Davis and Andrew Lincoln 

Tagline:  None.

The Overview:  Beware of spoilers…

Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities is a horror anthology series.  Each episode is a self-contained story introduced by Guillermo del Toro.  I enjoyed all the episodes and each earned 4 of 5 stars.

My favorites were:

1. “The Autopsy”

4 “Lot 36”

5 “The Vewing”

I hope we get a season 2.

Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities, Season 1 earns 4 of 5 stars.

“Hoi Polloi” (1935) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Hoi Polloi (1935)

Director:  Del Lord

Screenplay:  Felix Adler, Helen Howard (uncredited)

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard, Harry Holman and Bud Jamison.

Tagline:  Meet the new darlings of society.

The Overview:  Beware of spoilers…

Hoi Polloi is George Bernard Shaw’s 1913 play, Pygmalion, but with a Three Stooges’ twist.  Professor Richmond believes that a even a person from low standings without education can be turned into a gentleman with the proper training.  Professor Nichols disagrees and wagers $10,000 that Richmond can not train three commoners into becoming gentlemen.  Nichols gets to pick the three and he chooses Larry, Curly and Moe.  Let the hijinks begin!

Moe’s wife, Helen came up with the idea to adapt Shaw’s play.  The idea was so good, they reused it in Half-Wits Holiday (1947) which was Curly’s last starring appearance (1947) and Pies and Guys (1958).

One of the funniest scenes involves a dance instructor who tells the boys to just “do what I do”.  A bee goes down the back of her dress as she frantically moves around to dislodge it, Larry, Curly and Moe attempt to follow her moves.

Hoi Polloi earns 4 of 5 stars.

“Crash Goes the Hash” (1944) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Crash Goes the Hash (1944)

Director:  Jules White

Screenplay:  Felix Adler

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard, Dick Curtis, Bud Jamison, Symona Boniface and Vernon Dent.

Tagline:  None.

The Overview:  Beware of spoilers…

Larry, Curly and Moe get hired as reporters.  They’ll get a $100 bonus if they can get a photo of Prince Shaam of Ubeedarn (Curtis) and Mrs. Van Bustle (Boniface) who are rumored to be on the verge of marriage.  The boys get jobs as a cook and waiters for a big party at Mrs. Van Bustle’s mansion.  Hijinks follow…

Crash Goes the Hash is one of the most popular Stooges’ shorts.  Sadly during it’s filming Curly had his first small stroke.  There’s a scene where one of the characters tells the boys they’re acting like the Three Stooges and the boys are offended.

Crash Goes the Hash earns 4 of 5 stars.

“Angel’s in Disguise” (1949) starring The Bowery Boys / Z-View

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Angel’s in Disguise (1949)

Director:  Jean Yarbrough

Screenplay:  Charles R. Marion, Gerald Schnitzer, Bert Lawrence (additional dialogue)

Stars:  Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall, Gabriel Dell, Mickey Knox, Richard Benedict, William ‘Billy’ Benedict, Joe Turkel, David Gorcey, Benny Bartlett, Bernard Gorcey,  Ray Walker andRory Mallinson.

Tagline:  It’s their Funniest Fightin-est Film!

The Plot…

When Slip (Gorcey) and Satch (Huntz) learn that their buddy Gabe, a police officer, was shot, they head to the hospital.  They learn that Gabe will survive, but his partner, who was also shot, has died.  Gabe explains that members of the notorious Loop gang were the killers.  Slip and Satch decide to pose as gangsters to infiltrate the Loop gang and bring them down.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The Bowery Boys work best when the drama is kept to a minimum.  Although there is a scene where Leo Gorcey lays it on thick and brings tears to his eyes, Angels in Disguise turns out to be one of the Bowery Boys’ better outings.  Gorcey provides a voice-over and the film has scenes shot like detective/noir films of the era.  The humor is still there and works well with this dynamic.  The best scene is the introduction of Slip’s gang.

Angels in Disguise earns 3 of 5 stars.

“Three Little Twerps” (1943) Starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Three Little Twerps (1943)

Director:  Harry Edwards

Screenplay:  Monte Collins, Elwood Ullman

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard, Chester Conklin, Stanley Blystone, Heinie Conklin, Bud Jamison, Anita Sharp-Bolster,  Al Thompson, Blackie Whiteford and Duke York

Tagline:  None.

The Overview:  Beware of spoilers…

Larry, Curly and Moe get involved in hijinks at the circus.  When the circus owner finds them selling discounted tickets to the amusements, he takes after them with the police.  Highlights include Curly being mistaken for the Bearded Lady’s blind date, Curly and Larry hiding in a horse costume and Curly running for his life from the wild “Sultan of Abudaba”.

Three Little Twerps earns 3 of 5 stars.

“From Nurse to Worse” (1940) Starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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From Nurse to Worse (1940)

Director:  Jules White

Screenplay:  Clyde Bruckman from a story by Charles L. Kimball

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard, Vernon Dent and Ned Glass

Tagline:  None.

The Overview:  Beware of spoilers…

An insurance salesmen tells the boys that if they purchase a policy on Curly and then he acts insane, they can collect big.  They buy the policy.  Moe and Larry put Curly on a leash and take him to the doctor.  Curly is so convincing that the doctor thinks Curly is dangerously insane.  His cure to to operate on Curly’s brain!  When Moe and Larry attempt to rescue Curly the hijinks are on!

From Nurse to Worse earns 4 of 5 stars.

“Flat Foot Stooges” (1938) Starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Flat Foot Stooges (1938)

Director:  Charley Chase

Screenplay:  Charley Chase

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard, Chester Conklin and Harry Myers

Tagline:  None.

The Overview:  Beware of spoilers…

When an irate salesman’s plan to blow up a fire engine backfires it sets the fire house ablaze.  The salesman and a young woman are unconscious as the fire grows closer.  Unlucky for them, the fireman manning the station are Larry, Curly and Moe.

Flat Foot Stooges was the first short to use Three Blind Mice as the Stooges’ theme music.

Flat Foot Stooges earns 3 of 5 stars.

“The Man Who Cheated Himself” (1950) Starring Lee J. Cobb, Jane Wyatt & John Dall / Z-View

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The Man Who Cheated Himself (1950)

Director:  Felix E. Feist

Screenplay:  Seton I. Miller, Philip MacDonald

Stars: Lee J. Cobb, Jane Wyatt, John Dall, Lisa Howard, Tito Vuolo, Marjorie Bennett, Alan Wells, Morgan Farley, and Howard Negley.

Tagline:  For a woman like this … a man would do anything … even murder.

The Overview:  Beware of spoilers…

Andy Cullen (Dall) newly promoted to Detective is assigned to partner with his brother, Lt. Ed Cullen (Cobb).  Andy is a hot shot looking to prove himself.  Their first case involves the murder of Howard Frazer, found shot dead at the airport.  An older couple witnessed a man driving away from the body.

Ed says the case looks like a robbery gone wrong, but Andy’s not ready to jump to that conclusion.  A few things don’t feel right.  After Ed and Andy talk to the dead man’s wife, Lois (Wyatt), Andy is even more sure something’s not on the level.  What Andy doesn’t know is that Lois killed her husband and Ed moved the body from her house to the airport.  Ed’s in an affair with Lois and thought he could cover up the crime.  But with Andy on the case and digging deeper…

Lee J. Cobb’s Ed Cullen is a cynical cop who knows his affair won’t turn into anything more.  Yet, he feels compelled to help his lover cover up the murder.  The screenwriters do an excellent job of making it look like things can be explained in a way that gets the case moving away from Lois, but then Andy finds another clue that takes it closer.  Kudos to screenwriters Seton I. Miller and Philip MacDonald, as well as director Felix E. Feist for creating a scene where a book’s binding creates tension and suspense.  The final scene with Lois talking to her attorney and then getting a light from Cullen is worth the price of admission.

The Man Who Cheated Himself earns 4 of 5 stars.

“The Hot Scots” (1948) Starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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The Hot Scots (1948)

Director:  Edward Bernds

Screenplay:  Elwood Ullman

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard, Herbert Evans, Christine McIntyre and Theodore Lorch

Tagline:  Hoot Man! …And Hoot Loud at the Stooges’ maddest funfest!

The Overview:  Beware of spoilers…

After graduation from a correspondence detective school, Larry, Shemp and Moe apply for jobs at Scotland Yard.  They’re hired as janitors.  While cleaning the grounds they get a lead on a rich man who needs guards for his valuables while he is away from his spooky castle.  Little does the man know, but it is his hired staff who plan to rip him off!  The would-be thieves decide to scare the Stooges into leaving and hilarity follows.

In 1954, The Hot Scots was remade as Scotched in Scotland and reused much of the same footage from the original film.

The Hot Scots earns 4 of 5 stars.

“The Tingler” (1959) Directed by William Castle & Starring Vincent Price / Z-View

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The Tingler (1959)

Director:  William Castle

Screenplay:  Robb White

Stars:  Vincent Price, Judith Evelyn, Darryl Hickman, Philip Coolidge, Gail Bonney and William Castle.

Tagline: Amazing NEW TERROR Device Makes You A Living Participant in the FLESH-CRAWLING ACTION! PERCEPTO!

The Overview:  Beware of spoilers…

Dr. Warren Chapin (Price) discovers that the tingling people feel along their spine during cases of extreme fear is caused by a parasite.  Chapin names this creature “the tingler”.  As a person becomes more afraid, the tingler grows in size and strength ultimately causing the victim to die.  Interestingly enough, if the person screams, the tingler stops growing.  Dr. Chapin decides to conduct experiments on people to learn more about the tingler.  What could possibly go wrong?

Producer/Director William Castle was the king of gimmick films.  The Tingler‘s gimmick was that some seats in theaters were hooked with buzzers set off when the tingler was loose.  The buzzers vibrated seats causing theater goers to scream.  The Tingler also holds the distinction of being the first Hollywood mainstream feature film to depict LSD use.  The Tingler is also famous for being a black and white film that has bright red blood flowing in a sink and a full bathtub while everything else in the scene remained black and white.  If you’re a William Castle fan or low-budget horror movies, you’ll enjoy The Tingler.

The Tingler earns 2 of 5 stars.

“The Man in the Barn” (1937) Directed by Jacques Tourneur / Z-View

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The Man in the Barn (1937)

Director:  Jacques Tourneur

Screenplay:  Morgan Cox

Stars:  Carey Wilson, Virginia Brissac. 

Tagline:  None.

The Overview:  Beware of spoilers…

In 1903, David E. George on his deathbed claimed to be John Wilkes Booth, the man who killed Abraham Lincoln.

Although accepted history has it that Booth was killed in a barn twelve days after his murder of President Lincoln, this short explores the possibility that David George was in fact John Wilkes Booth!

I wanted to see this short for two reasons:

  1. It was directed by Jacques Tourneur, the director of The Cat People, Out of the Past, Curse of the Demon and so many other films.
  2. It involved the conspiracy theory that John Wilkes Booth survived until 1903.  I’m a sucker for a good conspiracy theory.

Tourneur’s talent is wasted & so was my time.

The Man in the Barn earns 2 of 5 stars.

“Barbarian” (2022) Written and Directed by Zach Cregger, starring Georgina Campbell, Bill Skarsgård & Justin Long / Z-View

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Barbarian (2022)

Director:  Zach Cregger

Screenplay:  Zach Cregger

Stars:  Georgina Campbell, Bill Skarsgård, Justin Long, Matthew Patrick Davis, Richard Brake, J.R. Esposito, Derek Morse and Zach Cregger.

Tagline:  None.

The Plot…

Tess Marshall (Campbell) arrives late one rainy night to the home she’s rented. Tess is in town for a job interview.  Surprisingly, she finds the house has been double-booked.  The other renter is named Keith (Skarsgård).  After unsuccessfully trying to reach the rental office, Tess decides to get a hotel room.  When she’s unable to find any available, she learns there’s a big convention in town.  Keith suggests that they both stay in the house.  Although a little concerned about Keith at first, Tess feels comfortable enough to stay the night.  Keith takes the couch and Tess the bedroom with the door locked.

The next morning Tess and Keith leave for the day.  Tess is shocked by the condition of the neighborhood.  Every house on the block is deserted and dilapidated.    After her interview, Tess returns to the house.  Keith isn’t back yet.  As Tess is checking out the place, she accidentally locks herself in the basement.  Looking for another way out, Tess discovers a hidden room.  In the room is a dirty, bloody mattress and a camcorder.  Tess is starting to freak out when she hears Keith has returned…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Writer-director Zach Cregger intentionally made Barbarian‘s tone feel like two different films.  The first half is “a Fincher movie” while the second is like “a Raimi movie…”.   This creates an interesting juxtaposition.  In the first half of the film, Tess doesn’t trust her instincts enough to leave.  She then makes poor decisions, but for good reasons.  Cregger lets it all play out slowly and as Tess begins to think the situation is okay, we as an audience still have doubts.  When things reach a climax, Cregger breaks away to introduce a character named AJ (Long).

At first this is very disorienting.  Then it becomes clear that AJ’s story ties in to what’s happening with Tess.  In fact, AJ will soon find himself in the same danger as Tess.  When a character is introduced late in a film, he/she is often the hero who will save the day.  Not so, here.

Not only did Cregger change up character expectations, but this is where his filmmaking style changes.  Things move quicker and we’re no longer in a psychological thriller, but a full blown horror movie.  Hats off to Cregger for having faith in himself (and his audience) to make such a move.

Not only is there a disparity in the tone of Tess and AJ’s stories, but their characters as well.  Tess made poor decisions to help another, while AJ makes poor decisions for selfish reasons.  The contrast between the characters as well as the way their stories are shown are as different as, uh, up and down.  ; )

Georgina Campbell is an actress that I hadn’t seen before.  She’s excellent.  I’ll be watching for her in the future. Bill Skarsgård hits all the right notes.  Is he the nice guy he wants us to believe or is he a monster who has Tess fooled?  Justin Long plays against type and does it well.  The real star of the show is writer/director Zach Cregger,  Barbarian is his first feature and he executed it with style.  I’m excited to see Cregger’s plans for his next film.

Oh, and if you think you’ve figured out how the movie plays out from this review… you haven’t.

Barbarian earns 4 of 5 stars.

“King of the Zombies” (1941) Starring Mantan Moreland & Dick Purcell / Z-View

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King of the Zombies (1941)

Director:  Jean Yarbrough

Screenplay:  Edmond Kelso

Stars:  Dick Purcell, Joan Woodbury,  Mantan Moreland, Henry Victor, John Archer and Marguerite Whitten. 

Tagline:  HUMAN SACRIFICES! SAVAGE TORTURE! VOODOO RITES!

The Overview:  Beware of spoilers…

1941.  World War II is raging across Europe.  James “Mac” McCarthy (Purcell) is flying his small plane from Cuba.  With McCarthy is his valet, Jeff Jackson (Moreland) and his buddy, Bill Summers (Archer).  A terrible storm blows them off course.  Running low on fuel, they pick up a transmission in a foreign language.  They spot a small island and although banged up, survive a crash landing.

Dr. Miklos Sangre (Victor) lives on the island with his wife, Alyce (Stacey), and his many servants.  Sangre invites Mac, Jeff and Bill into his mansion.  Sangre shows Mac and Bill respect, but Jeff is treated like one of the servants.  Jeff quickly picks up that something is off with Dr. Sangre. There are strange things taking place on the island.  Will Jeff be able to convince Mac and Bill?  And if they do believe Jeff will it be too late?

King of the Zombies was originally conceived as a straight up horror film.  Bela Lugosi was announced to star.  With the success of Bob Hope’s The Ghost Breakers, King of the Zombies was re-written as a comedy.  Mantan Moreland’s character was added.  The producers were unable to get Lugosi.  Their second choice was Peter Lore.  He was also unavailable, so they went with Henry Victor.  Victor is excellent as the creepy foreign agent.

The real star of King of the Zombies is Mantan Moreland.  He is excellent as the scared, but perceptive sidekick (who steals the show).  Marguerite Whitten who appeared with Moreland in Mr. Washington Goes to Town and Lucky Ghost, is a welcome addition as a source of information and Mantan’s love interest.  Madame Sul-Te-Wan makes a believable voodoo priestess.

King of the Zombies is a low budget “B” picture that is heads and shoulders above most of the same type films of this era.  If you’re a fan of the genre, you should enjoy King of the Zombies.

King of the Zombies earns 4 of 5 stars.

“Idle Roomers” (1944) Starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Idle Roomers (1944)

Director:  Del Lord

Screenplay:  Del Lord, Elwood Ullman

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

Tagline: None.

The Overview:  Beware of spoilers…

Moe, Larry and Curly are bellmen at an upscale hotel.  When Mr. and Mrs. Leander check in, the boys only see Mrs. Leander.  Not knowing she has a jealous husband, they fight over helping her to her room.  When the husband arrives, there’s trouble.  And even more trouble when the wolfman he has caged gets loose!

Curly does most of the heavy-lifting in this one (and I’m not just talking about the Leander’s luggage).  Any time you have the boys running out of their minds with fear from monsters, you’re guaranteed laughs.

Idle Roomers earns 4 of 5 stars.

“The Patient” starring Steve Carell and Domhnall Gleeson / Z-View

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The Patient (2o22)

Directors:  Chris Long (episodes 1,2, 8-10); Kevin Bray (episodes 3-5); Gwyneth Horder-Payton (episodes 6,7)

Teleplay:  Joel Fields & Joe Weisberg

Stars:  Steve Carell, Domhnall Gleeson, Laura Niemi and David Alan Grier.

Tagline:  None.

The Plot…

Dr. Alan Strauss (Carroll) is a psychotherapist who one morning wakes up in the basement of a strange house.  A chain is padlocked to his leg and a bolt in the cement floor.  Dr. Strauss soon learns that his captor is Sam Fortner (Gleeson).  Fortner is a serial killer who believes that Dr. Strauss can cure him of the compulsion to kill.

Thoughts (Beware of spoilers)…

What a great setup for a limited series.  If Strauss cures Fortner, Strauss is a liability because of his knowledge of the murders.  If Strauss can’t cure Fortner, there’s no reason to keep him alive.  It’s a game of cat and mouse and the stakes couldn’t be higher.

I was a little hesitant that Steve Carroll was the dramatic lead because of his role as Michael Scott from The Office.  I shouldn’t have worried.  Carroll was excellent, as is Laura Niemi who plays Sam’s mother.  She’s aware that her son is a serial killer, but cannot bring herself to turn him in.  David Alan Grier (another comedian) shows his dramatic chops.

The real surprise to me was Domhnall Gleeson.  What a performance!  Definitely worthy of an Emmy.  While I had seen Gleeson in a few films (True Grit, Dredd and The Revenant), I had no idea of how good an actor he is.

I liked that The Patient was written as series of ten episodes.  Because it was a limited series all bets were off as to who would live or die.  Expect some surprises along the way.

The Patient earns 5 of 5 stars.