RIP: Stella Stevens

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Stella Stevens, the model, actress, singer and business woman died today, the result of a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Ms. Stevens was 84.

Stella Stevens’ birth name was Estelle Eggleston.  When she was 16, Estelle married Noble Stephens. They had one child and divorced three years later.  While at Memphis State University, Ms. Stephens became interested in modeling and acting.  She appeared in local productions getting good reviews.

Estelle Stephens took the name Stella Stevens for her professional name.  In 1959, Ms. Stevens made her film debut in Say One for Me.  In 1960, Ms. Stevens was a member of The Skip-Jacks, a singing group best known for television theme songs.  That same year, Stella Stevens won the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year.  In January 1960, Stella Stevens was the Playboy Playmate of the Month.  (She would appear two more times in feature photo shoots for Playboy.)  Stella Stevens career took off.  She would alternate between feature films and television roles for the rest of her career.

Some of the television shows featuring Stella Stevens include: Alfred Hitchcock Presents; Hawaiian Eye; Bonanza; The Courtship of Eddie’s Father; Ben Casey (4 episodes); Hec Ramsey; Banacek; Police Story; Wonder Woman; Hart to Hart; Flamingo Road (38 episodes); Matt Houston; The Love Boat (3 episodes); Newhart (2 episodes); Fantasy Island (2 episodes); Hotel; Highway to Heaven; Night Court; Murder She Wrote; Magnum PI; Santa Barbara (66 episodes); In the Heat of the Night; The Commish; Highlander; Nash Bridges and General Hospital (7 episodes).

Some of the movies featuring Stella Stevens include: Say One for Me; Lil’ Abner; Girls! Girls! Girls!; The Nutty Professor; The Silencers; The Ballad of Cable Hogue; The Poseidon Adventure and Chained Heat.

I’m not sure where I first saw Stella Stevens.  It may have been one of her many television guest appearances back in the 1960s.  Then again, it may have been with Elvis Presley in Girls! Girls! Girls! or Jerry Lewis in The Nutty Professor.  My favorite Stella Stevens performance was in The Poseidon Adventure.  In it she played a feisty ex-prostitute married to Ernest Borgnine’s police officer character.  She more than held her own in a cast consisting of Borgnine, Gene Hackman, Shelly Winters, Red Buttons and Roddy McDowell.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Stella Steven’s family, friends and fans.

THE WIND BEGAN TO HOWL (An Isaiah Coleridge Tale) by Laird Barron is Coming!

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If you’ve never read one of Laird Barron’s Isaiah Coleridge tales, you’re missing out.  Coleridge is an ex-mob enforcer-turned-private investigator.  So far there have been three Isaiah Coleridge novels: BLOOD STANDARD; BLACK MOUNTAIN and WORSE ANGELS.  That’s about to change.

Coming in late Spring, a new Isaiah Coleridge yarn will become available.  THE WIND BEGAN TO HOWL novella is set after the events of WORSE ANGELS.  Isaiah Coleridge takes on what seems like a simple case, but soon finds himself dragged into a dark world of mayhem, mysticism, music, and movie magic.

THE WIND BEGAN TO HOWL will be published by Bad Hand Books.  For the first 30 days (which started February 15th) 100% of profits from pre-orders will go directly to support Laird Barron’s recovery from a serious illness.  How cool is that?  Get an awesome book from an Independent Publisher and help support the author’s recovery – all at the same time.

I’m in.  I hope you’ll consider joining me.

“The Drop” (2014) starring Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace & James Gandolfini / Z-View

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The Drop (2014)

Director:  Michaël R. Roskam

Writer:  Dennis Lehane based on his 2009 short story “Animal Rescue”

Stars: Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace, James Gandolfini, John Ortiz, Matthias Schoenaerts, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Chris Sullivan, Jeremy Bobb and James Colby

Tagline: None

The Plot…

Bob Saginowski (Hardy) is a mild mannered bartender.  He works in his cousin Marv’s bar.  Well, it used to be Marv’s, back when Marv was the local tough guy.  Everyone knew Marv.  He was into a little bit of everything that made money, but Marv was a big fish in a small pond.  That was then. Now the bar is Marv’s in name only. A  Chechen gang calls the shots.  The Chechens use the bar as a drop spot for illegal money.

When Bob finds an abused puppy, he and Nadia nurse it back to health.  Bob keeps the puppy and begins a relationship with Nadia (Rapace).  Things go south when Eric Deeds (Schoenaerts) shows up.  Deeds is rumored to have killed someone from the neighborhood years ago.  Everyone knows Deeds is a violent nut.  Bob learns that Deeds was Nadia’s former boyfriend and the one who abused the puppy.  Deeds wants money or else…

When the bar is robbed, the Chechens inform Marv and Bob that the stolen money is expected to be returned or heads (and other body parts) will roll.  The Chechens think Marv and maybe Bob were behind the robbery.  Plus time is running out before Eric Deeds shows up for his money.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I read Dennis Lehane’s short story, Animal Rescue, before seeing The Drop.  I loved the story and was happy to see the film live up to my expectations.  This is my favorite Tom Hardy film.  Hardy is usually an imposing figure so it was cool to see him play the mild mannered, somewhat slow of thought, Bob Saginowski to perfection.  This was James Gandolfini’s last film.  His role is totally opposite of Tony Soprano and Gandolfini nails it.

The Drop earns 5 of 5 stars.

NOIR BURLESQUE by Enrico Marini is Coming!

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Titan Comics and Hard Case Crime will publish Noir Burlesque written and drawn by Enrico Marini. Originally published in 2021 by Europe Comics, the US Edition will feature a translation by Dan Christensen.  Here’s the lowdown…

“Everybody has everything to lose…”

An atmospheric, violent crime caper set in 1950s New York, with everything from femme fatales to double-crosses.

A heist gone wrong forces Slick to do a job for his employer, Rex, to repay the debt he owes. But Slick is in love with Caprice, Rex’s ex-call girl wife-turned-burlesque legend and Rex also has the only way for Slick to avenge his murdered father.

In this hardboiled noir thriller, everybody has everything to lose…

I had hoped Noir Burlesque would get a English edition.  Pre-orders are available now for a September 5, 2023 release.  Deal me in!

“One Body Too Many” (1944) starring Jack Haley & Bela Lugosi / Z-View

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One Body Too Many (1944)

Director:  Frank McDonald

Writer:  Winston Miller, Maxwell Shane

Stars: Jack Haley, Bela Lugosi, Douglas Fowley and Fay Helm

Tagline: You’ll SH-SH-SHIVER with SUSPENSE…and SH-SH-SHAKE with LAUGHTER!

The Plot…

Albert L. Tuttle (Haley), a nervous insurance agent arrives at Cyrus J. Rutherford’s mansion for an appointment to sell Rutherford life insurance.   Upon his arrival Tuttle learns that Rutherford recently died.  His family has arrived for the reading of the will.  The will states that until the body is buried in a vault on the property, the beneficiaries will not be known,  Further, if the body isn’t interred as directed, the order of the beneficiaries will be reversed with those scheduled to get the least amount now getting the most.

Since it is in the best interest of some to make sure the body isn’t buried as required, Tuttle is hired to guard the body until buried.  As the night progresses, the hijinks begin.  Expect hidden passages, secret wall panels, and Bela Lugosi as a creepy butler.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I wanted more from One Body Too Many.  There are many movies made with a creepy mansion, hidden passages, killers and comedy that find the right mix.  Sadly One Body Too Many isn’t one of them.  Haley and Lugosi deserved better.

One Body Too Many earns 2 of 5 stars.

RIP: Raquel Welch

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Raquel Welch, the model, actress, singer, business woman and international sex symbol died today after a brief illness.  Ms. Welch was 82.

Raquel Welch’s birth name was Jo Raquel Tejada.  A year after she graduated high school Jo Raquel married her high school sweetheart, James Welch. Mrs. Welch attended San Diego State College on a theater arts scholarship.  She began getting roles in local plays.  Then Raquel Welch got a job presenting weather at a local San Diego television station. Due to work and family obligations she dropped out of college.  Ms. Welch had two children with James Welch before they separated.  She would keep his name throughout her career.

In 1964, Raquel Welch began acting in film and television. She would work in both throughout her career.  Her role in One Million Years B.C. (1966) and the publicity photo of her in a fur bikini launched her to international stardom.  Raquel Welch became THE sex symbol of a generation (or three).  She posed for Playboy in 1979, but refused a total nude photo spread. (She also never appeared nude in any of her films.)

Ms. Welch appeared on Broadway in Woman of the Year (1981) and in Victor/Victoria (1997).  She had a one woman musical show in Las Vegas for several years.  In 1984, Raquel Welch released The Raquel Welch Total Beauty and Fitness Program as a book and video.  Later she would develop a wig, skincare and jewelry line of products.

Some of the television shows featuring Raquel Welch include: The Virginian; McHale’s Navy; Bewitched; Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In; Mork & Mindy; The Legend of Walks Far Woman; Evening Shade; Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman; Seinfeld; Spin City and CSI: Miami.

Some of the movies featuring Raquel Welch include: A House Is Not a Home; Fantastic Voyage; One Million Years B.C.; Fathom; Bedazzled; Bandolero; Lady in Cement; 100 Rifles; Myra Breckinridge; Hannie Caulder; 100 Rifles; Fuzz; Kansas City Bomber; The Three Musketeers; The Four Musketeers; Mother, Jugs & Speed; Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult and Legally Blonde.

Few people make an impact like that of Raquel Welch.  She was without a doubt the sex symbol of the 1960s, 70s and beyond.  It’s impressive that she acted on television, feature films, Broadway. and had her own Vegas nightclub act.  Then she branched out into skincare products.  Whew!

My favorite Raquel Welch film is 100 Rifles.  She more than held her own with Burt Reynold and Jim Brown!

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Raquel Welch’s family, friends and fans.

“Invitation to Murder” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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Invitation to Murder should appeal to fans of The Glass Onion.  I like the looks of it.  Deal me in.

In this homage to Agatha Christie, set in England, an amateur detective finds herself caught up in a real-life whodunit! Miranda Green (Mischa Barton, “The O.C.”) is summoned to the remote mansion of billionaire Lewis Findley along with five mysterious strangers. What do they all have in common? What’s become of their absent host? And who just murdered one of the guests in cold blood? Now Miranda must hunt for hidden clues, interview witnesses, and find the killer — before she becomes the next victim!

“Extrapolations” starring Meryl Streep, Sienna Miller, Kit Harington & Many More – The Trailer is Here!

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The trailer for Extrapolations looks good.  Of course with that cast, it should be.

Watch your future unfold. From the writer of Contagion comes Extrapolations, premiering March 17 on Apple TV+ https://apple.co/_Extrapolations

Extrapolations is a bracing drama from writer, director and executive producer Scott Z. Burns that introduces a near future where the chaotic effects of climate change have become embedded into our everyday lives. Eight interwoven stories about love, work, faith and family from across the globe will explore the intimate, life-altering choices that must be made when the planet is changing faster than the population. Every story is different, but the fight for our future is universal. And when the fate of humanity is up against a ticking clock, the battle between courage and complacency has never been more urgent. Are we brave enough to become the solution to our own undoing before it’s too late?

The series stars Meryl Streep, Sienna Miller, Kit Harington, Daveed Diggs, Edward Norton, Diane Lane, Tahar Rahim, Yara Shahidi, Matthew Rhys, Gemma Chan, David Schwimmer, Adarsh Gourav, Keri Russell, Marion Cotillard, Forest Whitaker, Eiza González, Murray Bartlett, Indira Varma, Tobey Maguire, MaameYaa Boafo, Hari Nef, Heather Graham, Michael Gandolfini, Cherry Jones, Gaz Choudhry, Ben Harper, Judd Hirsch and Neska Rose.

Extrapolations is executive produced by Burns, Gregory Jacobs, Dorothy Fortenberry and Media Res’ Michael Ellenberg and Lindsey Springer. The series marks another partnership for Apple TV+ and Media Res, joining Emmy, SAG and Critics Choice Award winner “The Morning Show,” and AFI Award-winning series “Pachinko.”

“Lucky Hank” Starring Bob Odenkirk | Official Trailer 

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Honestly, Lucky Hank could go either way.  I don’t think it will be Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul great, but it could be good.  Then again, I’m not sold yet.  I’ll give it a shot.

Lucky Hank, starring Bob Odenkirk, premieres March 19.

From the executive producers of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, Bob Odenkirk is Lucky Hank. An English department chairman at an underfunded college, Professor Hank Devereaux toes the line between midlife crisis and full-blown meltdown, navigating the offbeat chaos in his personal and professional life – oddly proving tantrums get better with age.

“The Kiss of the Vampire” (1963) / Z-View

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The Kiss of the Vampire (1963)

Director:  Don Sharp

Writer:  Anthony Hinds

Stars:  Clifford Evans, Edward de Souza, Noel Willman

Tagline: Giant devil Bats…summoned from the caves of Hell to destroy the lust of the Vampires!

The Plot…

When a honeymooning couple become stranded in a small Bavarian village, they are invited to attend a costume ball hosted by Dr. Ravna.  What the couple doesn’t know is that Ravan is leader of a vampire coven.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

In Kiss of the Vampire, the vampires are more like witches in a coven. The movie’s “Van Helsing”  is bitten by a vampire on the arm.  He cures himself by pouring Holy Water on the bite and then setting his arm on fire.  The Vampire Hunter also uses blood to draw a cross on his chest to force vampires to look away.  Finally he uses black magic to get hundreds of vampire bats to attack and kill the Vampires. Ugh.

Kiss of the Vampire earns 2 of 5 stars.

Philip Marlowe – Who Played Him Best? Ranking the Actors Who Played Him!

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 Rory Doherty at Paste recently posted Every Philip Marlowe Performance, Ranked. Before you click over, here’s a comparison of our rankings and my thoughts on each.

Doherty

Zablo

9. Robert Montgomery,
Lady in the Lake (1947)
* George Montgomery, The Brasher Doubloon (1947)

8. George Montgomery,
The Brasher Doubloon (1947)
* James Caan, Poodle Springs (1998) – Haven’t seen yet.

7. James Caan,
Poodle Springs (1998)
* Liam Neeson, Marlowe (2023) – Haven’t seen yet.

6. Liam Neeson,
Marlowe (2023)

6. Elliot Gould, The Long Goodbye (1973) – This didn’t work for me. Gould wasn’t my idea of Marlowe and the film just didn’t resonate with me.

5. Robert Mitchum,
Farewell, My Lovely (1975)
The Big Sleep (1978)

5. Robert Montgomery, Lady in the Lake (1947) – An experiment that failed. Shot so that the audience sees everything from Marlowe’s perspective, it plays like a modern video game with little action.

4. Dick Powell,
Murder, My Sweet (1944)

4. James Garner, Marlowe (1969) – Garner isn’t a bad Marlowe plus we get Bruce Lee too! I’d have like to have seen Garner play Marlowe again.

3. James Garner,
Marlowe (1969)

3. Robert Mitchum, Farewell, My Lovely (1975) & The Big Sleep (1978) – Mitchum plays an “older” Marlowe. He’s not in his prime, but Mitchum at any age is a winner. Plus we get Sly Stallone in Farewell, My Lovely.

2. Humphrey Bogart,
The Big Sleep (1946)

2. Dick Powell, Murder, My Sweet (1944) – Powell was best known for lighthearted musicals prior to this. Surprisingly he makes a cool Marlowe!

1. Elliot Gould,
The Long Goodbye (1973)

1. Humphrey Bogart, The Big Sleep (1946) – Bogart is easily my favorite Marlowe. If only he had made more

Although Doherty limited his rankings to the movie Marlowes, I want to make mention of Philip Marlowe, Private Eye (1983 – 1986), a series that ran for 3 years on HBO. Powers Boothe played Marlowe. It’s been decades since I saw the series, but I remember it fondly. I need to revisit it.

“You People” (2023) starring Jonah Hill, Lauren London, David Duchovny, Nia Long, Julia Louis-Dreyfus & Eddie Murphy / Z-View

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You People (2023)

Director:  Kenya Barris

Writer:  Jonah Hill, Kenya Barris

Stars:  Jonah Hill, Lauren London, Eddie Murphy, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Sam Jay, Nia Long, David Duchovny, Deon Cole, Andrea Savage, Elliott Gould, Rhea Perlman, Mike Epps and Yung Miami

Tagline: Opposites attract, families don’t.

The Plot…

A chance meeting between Ezra Cohen (Hill) and Amira Mohammed (London) leads to love.  Ezra is broker who wants to be a podcaster.  Amira is a fashion designer.  Ezra is Jewish and Amira is an African-American Muslim.  Despite differences and family issues with their relationship love finds a way… until it doesn’t… or does it?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

You People has a great set-up for comedy. Eddie Murphy, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Elliott Gould and Rhea Perlman should signal a chuckle-fest.  There are some good laughs, but much of the comedy is hit and miss.  Which is a shame.  It was cool seeing Andrea Savage (Tulsa King) in a small role.

The romance builds and builds and builds, then there’s an incident that changes everything.  And just as suddenly two supporting characters do a 180 and the movie ends.  My suspension of disbelief can only go so far.

You People earns 2 of 5 stars.

“Operation Fortune (2023) directed by Guy Ritchie, starring Jason Statham, Aubrey Plaza, Josh Hartnett & Cary Elwes – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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The poster isn’t great, but the trailer for Operation Fortune looks pretty good.  It should with that cast and director.

Operation Fortune – Only in theaters March 3, 2023. Starring Jason Statham, Aubrey Plaza, Josh Hartnett, Cary Elwes, Bugzy Malone, and Hugh Grant.

Super spy Orson Fortune (Jason Statham) must track down and stop the sale of a deadly new weapons technology wielded by billionaire arms broker Greg Simmonds (Hugh Grant). Reluctantly teamed with some of the world’s best operatives (Aubrey Plaza, Cary Elwes, Bugzy Malone), Fortune and his crew recruit Hollywood’s biggest movie star Danny Francesco (Josh Hartnett) to help them on their globe-trotting undercover mission to save the world.