“Assault on VA-33” (2021) starring Sean Patrick Flabery with Mark Dacascos and Michael Jai White / Z-View

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Assault on VA-33 (2021)

Director: Christopher Ray

Screenplay: Scott Thomas Reynolds

Stars: Sean Patrick Flanery, Michael Jai White, Mark Dacascos, Weston Cage, Gina Holden, Abigail Hawk, Brittany Underwood, Rachel True, Max Adler and Rob Van Dam.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Jason Hill plans to have lunch with his wife at the Veteran’s Affairs hospital where she works.  After lunch Jason is going to take his daughter to soccer practice.  But that all changes when terrorists take over the hospital.  They’re after a General being treated there.  With the General and several staff as hostages, the terrorists have the upper hand.

Jason manages to not get caught during the takeover.  When local police believe his call for help to be a prank, Jason realizes it’s up to him to save the day.

I think Jason’s daughter may be late to practice.  Jason to the rescue – STAT.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Sean Patrick Flanery and Gina Holden play husband and wife in Assault on VA-33.  They also played a married couple in Saw 3D.

Pro wrestler Rob Van Dam plays the terrorist who stays in the van.  He is never shown being killed or driving away.  His character just disappears.  It would have been funny if after the credits rolled, at the very end they should him still sitting in the van.

Assault on VA-33 (2021) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“Reservoir Dogs” Alt Poster Created by Sahin Düzgün!

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This very cleverly designed Reservoir Dogs alt poster was created by Sahin Düzgün?. Sahin is a graphic designer, poster artist  and movie lover from Berlin, Germany.

Here is what Sahin had to say about his design: Sharp suits, sharp dialogue, and a story that changed indie cinema forever. Happy Reservoir Dogs day, Mr. Tarantino!

Mr. Pink: Why can’t we pick our own colors?
Joe: No way, no way. Tried it once, it doesn’t work. You get four guys all fighting over who’s gonna be Mr. Black, but they don’t know each other, so nobody wants to back down. No way. I pick. You’re Mr. Pink. Be thankful you’re not Mr. Yellow.

Eerie Archives Volume 13!

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Eerie Archives Volume 13 is available!  It is a double-sized giant and contains 608 pages of horrific fun! Here’s what we get…

A DOUBLE SHOT OF TERROR: TWO HORRIFYING VOLUMES IN ONE!

LEGENDARY CREATORS OF LEGENDARY TERROR!

Collecting eleven issues of Warren Publishing’s legendary Eerie horror anthology, previously compiled in Dark Horse’s hardcover volumes 15 and 16.

This double-volume paperback edition includes jaw-dropping work from Howard Chaykin, Bernie Wrightson, Richard Corben, Carmine Infantino, Jim Starlin, and a host of other fan-favorite talents! Thrill to the ongoing, brutal adventures of Hunter, El Cid, and Coffin! From fanciful freaks to downright disturbing demons, Eerie Archives has something for every horror devotee!

Collects Eerie magazine #70–78, #80, and content from the special reprint issue #79 not collected in previous Eerie Archives volumes.

 Deal me in.

Creepy Archives Volume 13!

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CREEPY Archives Volume 13 is coming!  It is a double-sized giant and contains 544 pages of horrific fun! Here’s what we get…

A DOUBLE SHOT OF TERROR: TWO HORRIFYING VOLUMES IN ONE!

LEGENDARY CREATORS OF LEGENDARY TERROR!

Collecting eight full issues and nine covers of Warren Publishing’s legendary Creepy horror anthology, previously compiled in Dark Horse’s hardcover volumes 15 and 16.

In this double-sized volume, Creepy teams up with Edgar Allan Poe, the founding father of short-form horror himself. This volume includes all original Creepy magazine letters columns and features are included alongside stories by legendary creators like Alex Toth, Wally Wood, Neal Adams, Bernie Wrightson, and Richard Corben!

Collects Creepy magazine #69–#73 and #75–#77, and the cover to Creepy #74, a reprint issue of stories that were collected in past Creepy Archives volumes.

 Pre-orders are available now.   Deal me in.

THE BLACK BEETLE Deluxe Omnibus by Francesco Francavilla!

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Francesco Francavilla’s Black Beetle is getting a deluxe omnibus!  Here are the details…

FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA’S BLACK BEETLE RETURNS — IN A STUNNING GRAPHIC NOVEL OMNIBUS CELEBRATION OF PULP, PERIL, AND PURE STYLE!

From the mind and pen of Eisner Award–winning author Francesco Francavilla comes the complete saga of the mysterious masked crime-fighter who stalks the shadows of Colt City — The Black Beetle!

Now, for the first time ever, every thrilling tale of The Black Beetle from Dark Horse Comics is collected in one deluxe omnibus, featuring:

The pulse-pounding full-length adventures No Way Out and Kara Böcek.
The moody, hard-hitting one-shot Night Shift.
A treasure trove of never-before-seen bonus content including concept art, layouts, character studies, vintage-style lobby cards, and behind-the-scenes material straight from Francavilla’s sketchbook.
Plus: An all-new painted cover by Francesco Francavilla, created exclusively for this volume!

With its intoxicating blend of pulp noir, supernatural intrigue, and explosive action, The Black Beetle is a love letter to classic crimebusters — and a masterclass in visual storytelling.

Step into the shadows. Fight for justice. Discover the legend. Perfect for longtime fans and newcomers alike — this is the definitive Black Beetle collection.

Pre-orders available now!  Deal me in.

Eerie Archives Volume 12!

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Eerie Archives Volume 12 is out now!  It is a double-sized giant and contains 536 pages pages of horrific fun! Here’s what we get…

A DOUBLE SHOT OF TERROR—TWO HORRIFYING VOLUMES IN ONE!

LEGENDARY CREATORS OF LEGENDARY TERROR!

Now in a packed-full double volume with twice as many ghoulish stories, previously collected in Dark Horse’s hardcover volumes 13 and 14.

Collecting eight issues and nine covers of Warren Publishing’s legendary Eerie horror anthology, this double-volume paperback edition features dark and dystopian tales from talents like Wally Wood, Alex Toth, Bernie Wrightson, Richard Corben, and more. Revel in the vengeful exploits of favorite recurring characters Coffin, Exterminator One, and others!

This volume also includes all original letters columns, haunting full-color painted covers by Ken Kelly and Sanjulian, and introductions by modern horror pioneer and painter Tom Neely (The Blot, The Wolf) and prolific Warren writer Budd Lewis!

Collects Eerie magazine #61–#68 and the cover for Eerie #69, a reprint issue of Hunter stories that were collected in past Eerie Archives volumes.

  Deal me in.

“Dylan Dog: Dead of Night” (2010) starring Brandon Routh, Sam Huntington, Anita Briem, Peter Stormare, and Taye Diggs / Z-View

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Dylan Dog: Dead of Night (2010)

Director: Kevin Munroe

Screenplay: Thomas Dean Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer; based on Dylan Dog by Tiziano Sclavi

Stars: Brandon Routh, Sam Huntington, Anita Briem, Peter Stormare, Taye Diggs, Mitchell Whitfield, Laura Spencer, Laura Spencer, Marco St. John, Kyle Clements and Kurt Angle.

Tagline: Living investigator. Undead clients. Zombie partner.

The Plot…

Dylan Dog at one time fought the things that go bump in the night.  He gave it up when his wife was killed by vampires.  Since then Dylan has worked as a private eye on normal cases.

That all changes when Elizabeth Ryan comes to Dylan for help.  Her father was killed by something strange.  Now Dylan is back… and the case will bring him into contact with vampires, werewolves, zombies and something worse.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

One of the vampires is named Sclavi. Tiziano Sclavi created Dylan Dog.

At one point a character calls Dylan Dog, “Superman”.  Brandon Routh who plays Dylan Dog of course played Superman in an earlier film.

Dylan Dog: Dead of Night leans a bit more into comedy than I’d prefer.  Even still I would have liked to have seen a sequel.

Dylan Dog: Dead of Night (2010)  rates 2 of 5 stars.

CREEPY Archives Volume 12!

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CREEPY Archives Volume 12 is out now!  It is a double-sized giant and contains 536 pages pages of horrific fun! Here’s what we get…

A DOUBLE SHOT OF TERROR: TWO HORRIFYING VOLUMES IN ONE!

Collecting eight full issues and nine covers of Warren Publishing’s legendary Creepy horror anthology, previously compiled in Dark Horse’s hardcover volumes 13 and 14.

LEGENDARY CREATORS OF LEGENDARY TERROR!

In this double-sized volume, Creepy presents classic tales by Bernie Wrightson, Bruce Jones, John Severin, and more, as the esteemed horror magazine hits another fruitful period of frightful delights! This volume includes several color pieces by Richard Corben, Sanjulian, and Ken Kelly — with black-and-white stories throughout by Bernie Wrightson, Tom Sutton, José Bea, Bill DuBay, Jose Gual, Martin Salvador, and many others.

This archival collection is a perfect repast for those starving for a ferociously macabre feast!

Collects Creepy magazine #60–#64 and #66–#68, and the cover for Creepy #65, a reprint issue of stories that were collected in past Eerie Archives volumes.

  Deal me in.

Doug Dabbs Makes Sly Stallone Expendable!

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I first met Doug Dabbs in 2011 at Heroes Con. I was heading out from the show and saw his art. If there had been time, I’d have got a sketch on the spot.

I told Doug I would get a piece from him in 2012 and I did. Two in fact. This piece is Doug’s take on Sly as Barney Ross from The Expendables.  I love Dabb’s use of white and negative space, plus his figure work is on point.

RIP: Dan Simmons

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It was announced yesterday that Daniel Simmons died on February 21st from complications of a stroke.  Mr. Simmons was 77.

Dan Simmons began his career in education. Mr. Simmons received a B.A. in English from Wabash College and a Masters Degree in Education from Washington University in St. Louis.  While teaching, Dan Simmons began submitting short stories.

His first published story, “The River Styx Runs Upstream,” won the Rod Serling Memorial Award.  This got Dan Simmons an agent.  His first novel, SONG OF KALI followed.  It won the World Fantasy Award. His first horror novel, CARRION COMFORT, won the Bram Stoker Award. His first science fiction novel, HYPERION, won the Hugo Award.

Someone who writes in a lot of different genres, could be the sign of an artist looking for his voice. In Mr. Simmons’ case, it was a talent who refused to be constrained.

Even with all the awards Dan Simmons won, I was only vaguely familiar with his work. I don’t read fantasy, and very little science fiction or horror. But I do love a hardboiled thriller! You know, the kind written by Andrew Vachss, or Eugene Izzi, Stephen Hunter, or Richard Stark.  And that is how I came to love Dan Simmons’ writing.

Mr. Simmons wrote three novels about Joe Kurtz –

Joe Kurtz was a PI… before he was an ex-con. See he killed a man, a couple of men actually. They’d murdered his girl and unborn child. While it’s pretty reasonable to me that he threw one of ’em off a six story building, the jury didn’t see it that way.

Now, out of prison after eleven-and-a-half years…

…you’d think things would be looking up for Kurtz. You’d be wrong. Too many people want him dead…

I loved the Kurtz novels and they led me to others written by Mr. Simmons.  I enjoyed every one of them.  Even in the genres I generally avoided.  In fact, I still have a few Dan Simmons novels on my “to be read” shelf.  I’m going to have to move them up on the list. Dan Simmons was a master storyteller.  He was able to write compelling tales in every genre he attempted.  How many writers can say that?

Out thoughts and prayers go out to Daniel Simmon’s family, friends and fans.

RIP: Neil Sedaka

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Neil Sedaka died yesterday at the age of 86.  No cause of death was given.

Neil Sedaka was a singer and songwriter who graduated high school at the age of 17 and began his professional career in music the following year.  Although Neil Sedaka was a founding member of The Tokens, he soon departed for a solo career.  Hits quickly followed.  From 1958 to 1963, Mr. Sedaka charted 14 top 30 hits.  During this same period, Neil Sedaka wrote or co-wrote hits recorded by other artists including Connie Francis, The Everly Brothers, The Monkees, The 5th Dimension and Tom Jones just to name a few.

Although Mr. Sedaka’s singing career in the US dipped in the mid 60s, he continued to have a strong career as a songwriter and singer overseas.  In 1975, Neil Sedaka returned to the US charts with the #1 hit, “Laughter in the Rain”.

Although Mr. Sedaka officially retired from songwriting in 2022 and sold his music catalog in 2024, he continued to make live appearances and perform on social media with his last outing taking place in December 2025.

Some of Mr. Sedaka’s greatest hits include: Breaking Up is Hard to Do; Bad Blood; Laughter in the Rain and Calendar Girl.

Hits written or co-written for others include: “Love Will Keep Us Together” – Captain & Tennille; “Ring Ring” by ABBA; “Where the Boys Are” – Connie Francis; “Lonely Night (Angel Face)” – Captain & Tennille; “Crying in the Rain” – The Everly Brothers; “Workin’ on a Groovy Thing” – The 5th Dimension; “Puppet Man” – Tom Jones; “When Love Comes Knockin’ (At Your Door)” – The Monkees; “The Girl I Left Behind Me” – The Monkees; “I Go Ape” – The Monkees and “Rainy Jane” – Davy Jones.

What an amazing career!  Neil Sedaka was a wonderful singer and songwriter.  His performances always left me smiling.

Out thoughts and prayers go out to Neil Sedaka’s family, friends and fans.

“Street Smart” (1987) starring Christopher Reeve, Kathy Baker, Mimi Rogers and Morgan Freeman / Z-View

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Street Smart (1987)

Director: Jerry Schatzberg

Screenplay: David Freeman

Stars: Christopher Reeve, Kathy Baker, Mimi Rogers, Jay Patterson, Andre Gregory, Anna Maria Horsford, Erik King, Michael J. Reynolds, Rick Aviles, Leslie Carlson and Morgan Freeman.

Tagline: A reporter is using the streets to get ahead. A killer is using the reporter to get even.

The Plot…

Jonathan Fisher, is a writer for a New York magazine.  Fisher has been on a dry spell, unable to get any of his story pitches approved.  Then Fisher comes up with the idea to profile a NY City pimp’s life on the street.  The editor approves the story, but needs it in just a few days.

Fisher, under pressure and unable to meet a real pimp, fabricates the story.  He creates a pimp persona he calls Tyrone.  Surprisingly, the story goes viral.  Fisher becomes a media sensation.

Leo “Fast Black” Smalls, Jr. is an actual New York City pimp.  Many who know Smalls think the article was written about him.  Fischer’s article accidentally got many things right about Smalls. Despite Fischer’s denials, everyone thinks Smalls was the pimp the article portrayed.

Then Smalls is arrested for killing a man.  Smalls’ lawyer gets the bright idea to us Jonathan Fisher as his albi.  If he was meeting with Fischer about the article, he couldn’t have been where the murder took place.  Suddenly, Fisher is being pressured by his editor, the police and Smalls.

The police want Fisher’s notes created for the article from interviews with the pimp.  Of course there are none.  If Fisher is proved to be a fraud, his career is over.  Smalls wants Fisher to lie for his aliby.  If Fisher refuses, Smalls will make sure Fisher’s life is over.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

If you only know Christopher Reeve as Superman, check out Street Smart.  Reeves got financing for the film by agreeing to star in Superman IV: The Quest for Peace.

Morgan Freeman earned well deserved nominations for an Oscar®, a Golden Globe and won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male for his role as  Leo “Fast Black” Smalls, Jr.

Reeve and Kathy Baker also deserve kudos for the performances.

Miles Davis performs the movie’s score.

Street Smart (1987) rates 4 of 5 stars.

Brick (2025) starring Matthias Schweighöfer and Ruby O. Fee / Z-View

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Brick (2025)

Director: Philip Koch

Screenplay: Caroline Bruckner, Philip Koch, Chris Ryden

Stars: Matthias Schweighöfer, Ruby O. Fee, Sira-Anna Faal.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Tim and Olivia wake up to find their entire apartment building covered by strange blocks.  Every window.  Every wall.  Every door.  Unable to break through, they decide to go through the floor and down.  Each new level provides more danger as their neighbors are in the same situation.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Brick is okay… but if you start to feel trapped at least you can escape to another movie.

Brick (2025) rates 2 of 5 stars.