BRIGHT ORANGE FOR THE SHROUD: A TRAVIS MCGEE NOVEL by John D. MacDonald / Z-View

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BRIGHT ORANGE FOR THE SHROUD: A TRAVIS MCGEE NOVEL by John D. MacDonald

First sentence…

Another season was ending.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Travis McGee is shocked when Arthur Wilkinson shows up unannounced.  Arthur is near death.

A year ago Arthur was on top of the world.  He was part of the Florida beach crowd partying the nights away.  Arthur wasn’t a playboy.  Most thought him odd.  But Arthur was a nice guy with a considerable inheritance.  That made Arthur the perfect target for Wilma Ferner.  She was a looker.  Soon enough Wilma and Arthur were married and moved away.

In less than a year Wilma had drained Arthur’s bank account.  She got Arthur to invest in what turned out to be a scam. Once the money was gone so was Wilma.

McGee plans to nurse Arthur back to health.  Then he’s going to find Wilma and her scam artists… and make them pay.

Rating:

“Maxxxine” (2024) written & directed by Ti West, starring Mia Goth / Z-View

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Maxxxine (2024)

Director:  Ti West

Screenplay:  Ti West

Stars: Mia Goth, Charley Rowan McCain, Simon Prast, Deborah Geffner, Elizabeth Debicki, Uli Latukefu, Moses Sumney, Ned Vaughn, Kevin Bacon, Marcus LaVoi, Sophie Thatcher and Giancarlo Esposito.

Tagline: Hollywood is a killer.

The Plot…

1985.  Video is all the rage.  Now it is easy to rent a movie and watch it in the privacy of your home.  Maxine Minx is an adult film star.  She dreams of making it in mainstream films.  Despite all odds, Maxine auditions and gets a starring role in Puritan 2.

It is also a dangerous time to be in the adult entertainment.  A serial killer who tortures and mutilates his victims is stalking women in the industry.  Shortly after two of Maxine’s friends are found dead, branded with satanic symbols, a sketchy private eye shows up.  He tells Maxine that unless she meets with his employer, the mystery man will ruin her.  Maxine sees that he knows something about her that could end her dreams.

As Maxine decides what to do, the serial killer now has her in his sights.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Maxxxine is the third in a trilogy.  The first two films are X (2022) and Pearl (2022).

Kevin Bacon owns every scene he’s in.

Maxxxine (2024) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Scrooge” aka “A Christmas Carol” (1951) starring Alistar Sim / Z-View

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Scrooge aka A Christmas Carol (1951)

Director:  Brian Desmond Hurst

Screenplay:  Noel Langley based on A CHRISTMAS CAROL by Charles Dickens

Stars: Alastair Sim, Kathleen Harrison, Mervyn Johns, Hermione Baddeley, Michael Hordern, Francis De Wolff, Miles Malleson and Ernest Thesiger.

Tagline: One of the world’s most loved character actors, Alastair Sim, in a masterful portrayal of one of the world’s best loved characters, Scrooge!

The Plot…

Ebenezer Scrooge is an old, cheap businessman whose only joy in life is making money.  He doesn’t pay his workers much and never donates to charity.  Scrooge alienates family members and see holidays as a way for business to make more money.  But they won’t get his!

On Christmas Eve Scrooge is visited by a ghost who tells him that he will later be visited by three ghosts: the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future.  Scrooge will be shown his life and learn that unless he changes, the afterlife won’t be paradise.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The films original title was Scrooge.  When it came to the US, it was retitled as A Christmas Carol.

Scrooge aka A Christmas Carol (1951) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“The Kings of Tupelo: A Southern Crime Saga” (2024) / Z-View

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The Kings of Tupelo: A Southern Crime Saga (2024)

Director:  Chapman Way, Maclain Way

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Kevin Curtis had to give up his career as an Elvis impersonator when he married and started a family.  Curtis got work as a janitor at the North Mississippi Medical Center.  When Curtis went into an off-limits area he told everyone who would listen that he found a severed head there. Ultimately Curtis was fired.  Curtis claimed the hospital was involved in black market selling of illegally harvested human organs.

Curtis became obsessed with conspiracy theories about the black market for human organs.  Curtis reached out to Steve Holland, his local House of Representatives legislator.  When Holland wouldn’t help Curtis, a feud developed.  Curtis discovered that Holland owned several funeral homes.  This led to Curtis’ belief that Holland was involved in the human organs black market.

As Curtis became more obsessed with overlapping conspiracy theories his life crumbled.  Curtis’ relationship with his brother (also an Elvis impersonator) ended.  After Curtis discovered his wife was cheating on him with James Everett Dutschke, they divorced.  Dutschke was a member of mesa, a karate instructor and wanna-be politician.  Curtis and Dutschke hated each other and each kept upping the ante in their feud.

Ultimately Curtis was arrested for sending Rican in a letter to President Obama, Judge Sadie Holland, and Senator Roger Wicker.  Curtis claimed he was innocent and Dutschke set him up.  Dutschke said Curtis was unhinged.

Both Dutschke and Curtis are known liars.  This time one of them is telling the truth.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

If you can get past the all over the place opening of The Kings of Tupelo, you’re in for a tale that is hard to believe.  The over the top, Southern to the bone characters are real people that would fit nicely in a Joe Lansdale novel or The Dukes of Hazard.   I liked visiting, but wouldn’t want to live there.

The Kings of Tupelo: A Southern Crime Saga (2024) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was…” (2024) / Z-View

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Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was… (2024)

Director:  Hamish Hamilton

Screenplay:  Jamie Foxx

Stars: Jamie Foxx.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

About a year ago Jamie Foxx was hospitalized.  His family clamped down on news about the cause of Foxx’s illness.  No photos.  No interviews.  So… of course speculation and rumors ran rampant.  Jamie Foxx had died.  Jamie Foxx was replaced by a clone.  Jamie Foxx had been poisoned.  Etc. Etc. Etc.

Thankfully Jamie Foxx fully recovered.  It took a lot of time and intensive rehab, but he did it.  And now Jamie Foxx wants to set the record straight.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Jamie Foxx: What Happened Was is billed as a comedy special.  Which is unfortunate.  If you tune in to see Foxx’s comedy, you’ll get glimpses.  The laughs are mixed with a lot of Foxx talking about getting sick and his recovery.  Much of that is NOT funny.  And that’s fine… if you’re not expecting an all-out comedy special.

Jamie Foxx is talented.  He’s a comedian.  An actor.  A singer.  His impressions rock.  This special gives us glimpses of those talents and reminders of Foxx’s past success.  They’re found as Foxx talks about his stroke and recovery.  If you tune in thinking you’ll get a brief summary of what happened to Jamie followed by a comedy special, you’ll be disappointed.  I blame that on how the special was advertised.

Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was… (2024) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Zero Day” starring Robert DeNiro, Jesse Plemons with Matthew Modine and Angela Bassett – The Trailer is Here!

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The trailer for the limited series, Zero Day starring Robert DeNiro, Jesse Plemons with Matthew Modine and Angela Bassett is here!

Deal me in.

In the wake of a devastating cyber attack, a former President (Robert De Niro) is tasked with finding the perpetrators and seeking truth when another attack is imminent — but is the greatest threat a foreign power, or from within? The new limited series ZERO DAY is the first series for #RobertDeNiro and premieres February 20.