Previews and Reviews that are Z's Views
I cannot tell you the last time I bought a super-hero comic. These days I go for crime and horror comics. Dan Brereton’s drawing of Electra and Wolverine got me thinking that I really wouldn’t mind seeing a team-up of these two. Written and drawn by the right team or individual and I’d be back to purchasing super hero comics.
The poster and trailer for The Comeback Trail are here. Ignore the poster and check out the trailer.
Two movie producers who owe money to the mob set up their aging movie star for an insurance scam to try and save themselves. But they wind up getting more than they ever imagined.
Starring Academy Award winner Robert De Niro, Academy Award winner Tommy Lee Jones, Academy Award winner Morgan Freeman, Zach Braff, Emile Hirsch, Eddie Griffin & Kate Katzman.
Directed by George Gallo
How about this Jaws poster by Matt Ferguson? It is being offered as a print from Vice Press starting tomorrow. Vice Press is featuring a nice poster for The Thing by Tom Whalen as well. Both are worth a closer look!
The Challenger explosion is one of those moments, like 9/11, that if you’re old enough, you remember exactly where you were when you heard the news. I was a second year science teacher in Holly Hill, Florida. Although I’ve always had an interest in space exploration, being a science teacher in Florida made following the progress of our shuttle program a natural. For the first time ever, a civilian, a teacher was riding along!
I had just taken my students to lunch and was heading in to the teacher’s lounge when the lift-off occurred. Most of us went outside because we knew we’d be able to see the trail left as the shuttle headed up. As we watched we could see what appeared to be a separation and two different trails forming. Someone said what I was thinking, “This doesn’t look right.” We all headed to the tv to learn that the shuttle had exploded. We were stunned. Afterwards, it felt like the nation was in mourning. We had lost true American heroes.
I look forward to Challenger: The Final Flight.
Executive produced by J.J. Abrams and Glen Zipper, Challenger: The Final Flight is a four-part docuseries that examines the 1986 Challenger space shuttle, which tragically broke apart 73 seconds after launch as millions of Americans watched live on television. Incorporating never-before-seen interviews and rare archival material, this series offers an in-depth look at one of the most diverse crews NASA assembled, including high school teacher Christa McAuliffe, who was selected to be the first private citizen in space.
Finally! The second trailer to the next James Bond film, No Time to Die!
I remember the first time I saw John Woo’s The Killer. My mind was blown. I called my best bud, John Beatty to talk about the amazing action movie I had just seen. This cat Chow Yun Fat was just too cool and the director John Woo? Forget about it. This dude had guys shooting with two guns while doing crazy stunts, gun to gun stand-offs from guys close enough to touch each other, and just all out over the top action. I still have my The Killer poster (the same as the one above and a gift from Mr. Beatty) hanging in my fortress of solitude (right behind me).
Rob Hunter at Film School Rejects reminded me of all this with his post, 26 Things We Learned from ‘The Killer’ Commentary. Before you click over, here are three of my favorites…
Woo has previously acknowledged that the film was inspired by Jean-Pierre Melville’s Le Samurai (1967) which was in turn inspired by a novel titled The Ronin by Joan McLeod. Other inspirations mentioned include Martin Scorsese’s Mean Streets (1973), Francois Truffaut’s Jules and Jim (1962), and the films of Sam Peckinpah.
(I haven’t seen Le Samurai, but it does show up on TCM, so I will. Jules and Jim is another I’ll have to watch for. I’ve seen Mean Streets and of course many of the films of Sam Peckinpah. – Craig)
The commentary was recorded in 2002, and even back then there’s mention of rumored US remakes of the film. He mentions supposed remakes with Denzel Washington & Richard Gere and Michelle Yeoh & Sharon Stone. A Hollywood redo is still currently listed on IMDB.
(Sly Stallone was also attached to a US remake — he was working on the screenplay and it was titled Maggie’s Eyes. – Craig)
Fat turned down offers to star in Alien: Resurrection (1997) and as Morpheus in The Matrix (1999). He chose The Replacement Killers (1998) and The Corruptor (1999) instead.
(I always thought that Chow Yun Fat should/could have been a much bigger star in the US. I actually would have preferred him in Alien Resurrection (which I really liked) or The Matrix (the first one I loved). – Craig)
MeTV put together a piece on The Overlooked Second Roles of TV’s Greatest Western Stars and it’s a good one. I actually liked some of the second roles better than the ones the stars are more famous for.
James Arness began world-famous for his role as Matt Dillon in Gunsmoke. The show ran for 30 years and then spun-off into tv movies when the series ended. Yet, I prefer Arness as Zebulon “Zeb” Macahan in How the West was Won. I used to make it a point to see each weekly episode. Remember this was back in the pre-dvr, pre-vhs days. I wonder if the show holds up.
Everyone knows Chuck Connors as The Rifleman, but I preferred him as Jason McCord, the only survivor of Custer’s Last Stand, and wrongly accused of being a coward and kicked out of the army. Again, I haven’t seen Branded in years and wonder if it would still be as enjoyable.
Richard Boone’s most famous role was as the gentleman gunfighter, Paladin, on Have Gun Will Travel. I liked him better as Hec Ramsey, an older cowboy in a world that has moved on to the early 20th century.
I also watched and enjoyed Nichols starring James Garner. It’s another show I’d like to revisit. I do remember being surprised and disappointed when they killed off the character and brought in his “twin brother” for the second season.
My wife and I have been watching Columbo quite a bit lately. Since the show is available on several networks throughout the week, we’ve been DVRing them all to watch at our convenience.
I watched Columbo pretty regularly when it first aired, but I was at the age where I missed more than a few due to other priorities. My wife never really tuned in. We’re both enjoying the show now. It’s fun to see the number of stars appearing as the murderer (or murdered) and even more fun spotting future stars getting their first breaks as a background player.
The fine folks at MeTV posted 13 Little Details You Probably Missed in Columbo. It’s a fun piece you’d probably enjoy even if you don’t watch Columbo. Before you click over here are three of my favorites and my thoughts (but for the full details click over)!
Columbo does secretly reveal his first name, once.
(This was a surprise to me. I didn’t think Columbo’s first name was ever revealed. In fact we just watched an episode where Columbo was flat out asked his first name. His response was something to the effect of only his wife uses it and everyone else calls him, “Columbo”. But thanks to MeTV, now we know! – Craig)
The author from the first episode has books in later mysteries.
(I love this. It shows that the people who made the series were paying attention to what went on before, and it creates a universe for Columbo that feels real. – Craig)
Captain Kirk makes a cameo.
(Ha! This is a great trivia item. Captain Kirk makes a cameo. Not William Shatner – he guest stars, but Captain Kirk appears in the same show. Eagle eyed viewers would catch that. I’ll be on the lookout when I see the episode. – Craig)
Tony Stella posted his take on a Point Blank poster and it is beautiful. To see a larger version, click over to Tony Stella’s site.
Chris Bumbray at JoBlo.com has put together a cool video overview of Nighthawks starring Sly Stallone, Rutgar Hauer and Billy Dee Williams. It’s more than worth a look!
Here’s their intro and the video…
Welcome to The Best Movie You NEVER Saw, a column dedicated to examining films that have flown under the radar or gained traction throughout the years, earning them a place as a cult classic or underrated gem that was either before it’s time and/or has aged like a fine wine.
The history behind NIGHTHAWKS is compelling stuff. Originally conceived as a third FRENCH CONNECTION sequel, which would have pitted Gene Hackman’s Popeye Doyle up against a terrorist modeled on the infamous Carlos the Jackal, while also pairing him with a partner that producers hoped would be played by Richard Pryor, the project went kaput when Hackman decided he had enough of the role. The script made its way to Universal, where it was redeveloped into a project for Sylvester Stallone, then coming off the first two ROCKY movies, meaning he was a star, but not quite the icon he would become. In this episode we look at the movie’s reception, as well as it’s place in Stallone’s filmography.
Kurtis Baute makes videos about science and about the environment. The one below explains in understandable terms the age and history of the universe. Watching Baute telling us what is happening each step of the way and realizing that each domino (of the 13,799) equals one million years is mind-blowing. And wait until you see the representation of how long humans have been around.
Well done, Mr. Baute.
Jake Rosen at Mental Floss presents 8 Fully-Loaded Facts About John Wick. Before you click over, here are three of my favorites and my thoughts on each.
1. JOHN WICK WAS ORIGINALLY TITLED SCORN.
Screenwriter Derek Kolstad wrote a revenge thriller titled Scorn that first circulated back in 2012. Kolstad said he was inspired by films like 2008’s Taken and 2004’s Man on Fire, which both featured determined men with special skills out for revenge. By the time the movie was released in 2014, it had become John Wick. The reason, Kolstad explained, was that Keanu Reeves kept referring to the script by the character’s name and distributor Lionsgate believed it would be too much free publicity to lose.
(I did not know this. Scorn is nowhere near as good a title as John Wick. Thank you Keanu! – Craig)
7. JOHN WICK HAS A HOBBY THAT DIDN’T MAKE THE FINAL CUT.
While John Wick’s interests in life seem to be mostly restricted to killing people in creative ways, he’s apparently able to express himself through less violent means, too. According to Reeves, the script for John Wick included a scene in which Wick works on restoring old leather-bound books. It was filmed but didn’t make the final edit.
(I understand why the scene didn’t make the movie, but what a cool choice for a hobby for Wick. – Craig)
8. A JOHN WICK TELEVISION SERIES—MINUS JOHN WICK—IS IN THE WORKS.
Each John Wick film reveals more about the professional code of conduct governing the assassin’s trade. Their common ground is the Continental, a hotel designed to cater to killers without fear of being attacked. (This sometimes doesn’t work, as people try to kill John Wick there anyway.) Lionsgate is pursuing a television series, The Continental, based on the hotel, that’s expected to premiere sometime following the release of John Wick 4, which is currently scheduled for May 2022.
(I love the idea of a tv series set in John Wick’s world as long as it doesn’t become “the hit <as in execution assignment> of the week. – Craig)
Here are the poster and trailer to The Doorman. The poster is basically a cool logo and I’d rather see that than another poster of Photoshopped star heads. The trailer pretty much tells the story — nothing groundbreaking here, but it does look like fun. I want in.
US Release Date: October 9, 2020
Starring: Ruby Rose, Jean Reno, Louis Mandylor
Directed By: Ryûhei Kitamura
Synopsis: A woman returns from combat and befriends a family in NYC, a gang of thieves plot to take the family’s valuables, she is all that stands between them and their lives.
Here are the poster and first trailer to Alone. Looks very similar to Alive, the Korean zombie movie coming out soon.
US Release Date: October 16, 2020
Starring: Donald Sutherland, Tyler Posey, Robert Ri’chard
Directed By: Johnny Martin
Synopsis: When an outbreak hits, Aidan barricades himself inside his apartment and starts rationing food. His complex is overrun by infected Screamers, and with the world falling apart into chaos, he is left completely alone fighting for his life.
Check out Paul Blow’s clever print for The Wizard of Oz. Mondo is offering two limited editions that are signed and numbered. The Wizard of Oz is one of my all-time favorite movies and I’m glad it is still getting attention over 80 years after its release.
