“The Flood” (2023) starring Casper Van Dien & Nicky Whelan / Z-View
The Flood (2023)
Director: Brandon Slagle
Screenplay: Chad Law, Josh Ridgway
Stars: Casper Van Dien, Nicky Whelan, Louis Mandylor.
Tagline: Danger is rising.
The Plot…
Sheriff Jo Newman (Whelan) has her hands full. A hurricane is about to hit and the water is rising. A prison transport bus just pulled in. They need to house the prisoners until the storm passes. Little does anyone know, armed outlaws are about to attempt a breakout.
What could make this worse?
The rising waters have brought a nest of alligators into the jail. If the crooks don’t kill ya, the gators will.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
The Flood is a drive-in movie at best. A low-budget genre film with poor CGI, headlined by a star who never quite made the A-List.
The Flood (2023) rates 2 of 5 stars.
Batman by Michael Cho!
I’m a huge fan of Michael Cho’s art. I’d love to see a book full of Batman stories by Cho.
“Kongo” (1932) starring Walter Huston, Lupe Velez, Conrad Nagel & Virginia Bruce / Z-View
Kongo (1932)
Director: William J. Cowen
Screenplay: Leon Gordon based on the play Kongo by Chester De Vonde, Kilbourn Gordon
Stars: Walter Huston, Lupe Velez, Conrad Nagel, Virginia Bruce, C. Henry Gordon, Everett Brown and Forrester Harvey.
Tagline: A MADMAN WREAKS HIS VENGEANCE on a woman’s soul!
The Plot…
Deep in the Kongo jungle, a crippled white man called “Deadlegs” Flint (Huston) rules. Using stage magic to frighten the masses and a few natives (paying them in sugar cubes and booze) to keep the rest in line, Flint is seen as a god.
Flint wasn’t always in a wheelchair. That happened because the man his wife was cheating with crushed his spine in a fight. Now Flint hates the world and lives for the day when he will have the ultimate revenge.
Soon, Flint’s vengeance, years in the making, will come to pass. Only a twist that no one sees coming will change everything.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Kongo is a remake of West of Zanzibar (1928) directed by Tod (Dracula) Browning and starring Lon (The Phantom of the Opera) Chaney. Some exterior footage from West of Zanzibar was re-used in Kongo.
The film’s revenge storyline and the twist are made thanks to Kongo being a pre-code film.
Kongo (1932) rates 3 of 5 stars.
Marv and Nancy by RM Guera!
Marv from Frank Miller’s Sin City is one of my all-time favorite characters. I love seeing artists do their “take” on the big lug. Today we have Marv and Nancy by RM Guera. This piece is exceptional. Truly a thing of beauty.
Source: Adam Tomlin.
“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” (2024) directed by George Miller, starring Anya Taylor-Joy & Chris Hemsworth / Z-View
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)
Director: George Miller
Screenplay: George Miller, Nico Lathouris, based on characters created by George Miller, Byron Kennedy, Nico Lathouris
Stars: Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Burke, Alyla Browne, Lachy Hulme, John Howard, Angus Sampson, Elsa Pataky, Nathan Jones, Josh Helman, Goran D. Kleut and David Field.
Tagline: Fury Is Born.
The Plot…
In an apocalyptic future, we learn the backstory of the warrior woman, Furiosa. Kidnapped as a child by Dementus’ biker gang who murdered her mother, Furiosa was then traded to Citadel Warlord Immortan Joe. Furiosia was doomed. Using her wits and tenacity, Furiosa escapes and plans for the opportunity to get her vengeance.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
George Miller had everything (screenplay, concept art, etc.) in place in regard to Furiosa’s backstory prior to the filming of Mad Max: Fury Road. Fury Road actors were given access so they knew each character’s complete arc.
Chris Hemsworth (Dementus) and Elsa Pataky ( plays two roles: Vuvalini General and Mr Norton) are married in real life.
Where Furiosa takes place in regard to Mad Max and The Road Warrior is hard to pin down since George Miller doesn’t have a strict timeline laid out. Miller views each tale as a legend.
Mad Max: Fury Road was highly anticipated and still exceeded expectations. The belief that Furiosa would raise the bar even higher was prevalent among many fans. While Fury Road is an extended chase, Furiosa is a character study disguised as an action film.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024) rates 3 of 5 stars.
Noir Art by Dana Black!
The noir art above was created by Dana Black. Dana has done a few Stallone pieces from me in the last couple of years. I’ll post them soon. If you’re an art collector, Dana is easy to deal with and is very reasonable with his prices.
“Sergeant Rutledge” (1960) starring Jeffrey Hunter, Woody Strode & Constance Towers / Z-View
Sergeant Rutledge (1960)
Director: John Ford
Screenplay: James Warner Bellah, Willis Goldbeck, novelization SERGEANT RUTLEDGE by James Warner Bellah
Stars: Jeffrey Hunter, Woody Strode, Constance Towers, Billie Burke, Juano Hernandez, Willis Bouchey, Carleton Young, Judson Pratt, Phil Adams, Rafer Johnson and Toby Michaels.
Tagline: “I want the truth about that night.”
The Plot…
First Sergeant Braxton Rutledge (Strode) stands accused of the rape and murder of Lucy Dabney (Michaels) and the murder of her father, Major Custis Dabney. Despite being a respected and decorated soldier, the evidence points to Sergeant Rutledge’s guilt. He was wounded and seen leaving the scene of the crime before going AWOL.
Now on trial, with an mob ready to hang him, Sergeant Braxton knows he has little hope, despite his claims of innocence. Who is going to believe a black man when he says he didn’t rape and kill a young white girl and her father? Lt. Tom Cantrell (Hunter), Rutledge’s commanding officer has everything stacked against him as he works to prove Rutledge is innocent.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
This was Billie (best known as Glinda the Good Witch in The Wizard of Oz) Burke’s last film role.
Rafer Johnson, who plays Corporal Klump, won a Gold Medal in the 1960 Olympics in the decathlon.
Toby Michaels plays Lucy Dabney, the young girl who was raped and murdered. Michaels is not listed in the credits.
The reveal of who committed the murder is worthy of Perry Mason.
Sergeant Rutledge (1960) rates 4 of 5 stars.
THE BIG EMPTY: AN ELVIS COLE AND JOE PIKE NOVEL by Robert Crais is Coming!
Any new Robert Crais release is cause for celebration. If the book is an Elvis Cole and Joe Pike novel, then lock the doors, cause the party is going to be off the chain. Get ready to bar the doors.
THE BIG EMPTY: AN ELVIS COLE AND JOE PIKE NOVEL drops on January 14, 2025. Here’s the lowdown…
Private investigator Elvis Cole and his enigmatic partner, Joe Pike, face a cryptic case and a terrifying, unpredictable killer in this twisty, satisfying thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Robert Crais.
Traci Beller was thirteen when her father disappeared in the sleepy town of Rancha, not far from Los Angeles. The evidence says Tommy Beller abandoned his family, but Traci never believed it. The police couldn’t find her dad and neither could the detectives her mother hired, but now, ten years later, Traci is a super-popular influencer with millions of followers and the money to hire a new detective: Elvis Cole.
Taking on a ten-years-cold missing person case is almost always a loser, but Elvis heads to Rancha where he learns an ex-con named Sadie Givens and her daughter, Anya, might have a line on the missing man. But when Elvis finds himself shadowed by a deadly gang of vicious criminals, the simple missing persons case becomes far more sinister and dangerous. Elvis calls in his ex-Marine friend, Joe Pike, to help, but even Pike might not be able to help.
As Elvis Cole and Joe Pike follow Tommy Beller’s trail into the twisted, nightmare depths of a monstrous evil, the case flips on its head. Victims become predators, predators become pray, and when everyone is a victim, can Elvis Cole save them all?
In a case that tests Elvis Cole’s loyalty to his clients and himself, the truth must come out no matter the cost. Elvis must face The Big Empty and see justice done.
Chandler by Steranko!
Chandler by Steranko. This is a piece that was touted as part of the Steranko re-colored, remastered edition that sadly never came out. At least I still have my original, autographed copy. ; )
Source: Paul Chadwick.
“The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die” (2023) / Z-View
The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die (2023)
Director: Edward Bazalgette
Screenplay: Martha Hillier based on THE SAXON STORIES by Bernard Cornwell
Stars: Alexander Dreymon, Harry Gilby, Mark Rowley.
Tagline: None.
The Plot…
When Edward, King of the Anglo-Saxons, dies without designating an heir to the throne, it sets off a chain reaction of lessor kings battling to become the one true king. Expect brother versus brother, double-crosses and deceit.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die (2023) is a spin-off of the The Last Kingdom series which ran for five seasons. You don’t have to watch the series to enjoy the movie, but it probably would enhance the film if you did. (I had not seen the series prior to watching the film.)
The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die (2023) rates 3 of 5 stars.
“The Warriors” Come Out to Play in an Alt. Poster by Huan Do!
Huan Do brings The Warriors out to play in a cool alt movie poster.
“Under Paris” (2024) / Z-View
Under Paris (2024)
Director: Xavier Gens
Screenplay: Yannick Dahan, Xavier Gens, Maud Heywang, Yaël Langmann
Stars: Bérénice Bejo, Nassim Lyes.
Tagline: None.
The Plot…
Three years ago Sophia, a marine researcher, barely survived a shark attack that killed everyone else in her group. Now Sophia, still not fully recovered from the attack, works at an aquarium in Paris. She keeps up with the location of the killer shark thanks to a tracking beacon on it.
When the beacon shows the shark has traveled into the Seine River, Sophia can’t get anyone to believe her. When mutilated bodies begin to appear, it becomes clear that sharks have mutated and are indeed in the river. Despite this, the mayor refuses to cancel a huge event that includes a triathlon in the, you guessed, Seine River.
Didn’t anyone learn anything from Jaws, Jaws II, Jaws 3-D and Jaws: The Revenge?
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Under Paris suffers from bad cgi, cliched characters and supposedly smart characters who die because of simply stupid choices. The mayor knows there are mutated sharks in the river and still allows hundreds of swimmers to compete there. A “smart” woman who has survived several shark attacks and has had her boat destroyed decides to swim towards the shark feeding frenzy. Bombs from World War II are inadvertently detonated by sharks destroying bridge after bridge. And so on…
I made it through the whole thing so it barely earns a 2 star rating.
After writing this, I saw a Tweet (er, X) from Stephen King which read…
I thought UNDER PARIS would be a jokey movie, like SHARKNADO, but Twitter convinced me to give it a watch, and it’s really quite good. The last 25 minutes were amazing.
Now, I’m not one to argue with Stephen King. My opinion stands, as does King’s. So, I’ll just say, “Your mileage may vary.”
Under Paris (2024), (for me) rates 2 of 5 stars.
RIP: Tony Lo Bianco
Tony Lo Bianco, award-winning actor of stage and screen, died June 11, 2024. Mr. Lo Bianco was 87.
Tony Lo Bianco graduated from William E. Grady CTE High School. He then attended the Dramatic Workshop, where he studied acting and theater production. In 1963, Tony Lo Bianco founded the Triangle Theater where he served as the artistic director for six years.
In 1963, Mr. Lo Bianco made his first television appearance in an episode of The Doctors. In 1964, he performed as an understudy on the Broadway play Incident at Vichy. In 1965, Tony Lo Bianco appeared in the Broadway production of Tartuffe. Mr. Lo Bianco followed that with a starring role in The Royal Hunt of the Sun on Broadway. Tony Lo Bianco’s film debut came in 1965 in The Sex Perils of Paulette.
For the rest of his career Tony Lo Bianco would appear on stage, television and in feature films. In 1975, Mr. Lo Bianco won an OBIE (Off Broadway Theater) Award in the category Distinguished Performance by an Actor for Yanks-3, Detroit-0, Top of the Seventh. In 1983, he was nominated for a Tony Award and won the Outstanding Actor in a Play Award for the Outer Critics Circle for his performance in A View from a Bridge. In 1985, he won a New York Emmy for Outstanding Individual Crafts for his performance in Hizzoner!
Television appearances of Tony Lo Bianco include: The Doctors; Get Smart; Hawk; NYPD (2 episodes); Hidden Faces; Love of Life; Madigan; The Story of Jacob and Joseph; The Streets of San Francisco; Jesus of Nazareth (4 episodes); Police Story (6 episodes); Magee and the Lady; Champions: A Love Story; A Last Cry for Help; Marciano; Marco Polo (2 episodes); Another Woman’s Child; The Paper Chase; Hizzoner!; The Twilight Zone (1985); Welcome Home Bobby; Blood Ties; Police Story: The Freeway Killings; Night Heat; The Ann Jillian Story; CBS Summer Playhouse; Perry Mason: The Case of the Poisoned Pen; Fredrick Forsythe Presents; Palace Guard (8 episodes); Murder, She Wrote (2 episodes); The Maharaja’s Daughter (4 episodes); Homicide: Life on the Street (3 episodes); Tyson; F/X: The Series; Rocky Marciano; Walker, Texas Ranger; Law & Order (3 episodes); Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Somewhere in Queens.
Feature film appearances of Tony Lo Bianco include: The Sex Perils of Paulette; The Honeymoon Killers; The French Connection; Serpico; The Seven Ups; FIST; Bloodbrothers; City Heat; City of Hope; Boiling Point; Nixon; The Juror; Mafia!; The Day the Ponies Came Back; Friends and Family and Kill the Irishman.
I don’t remember the first time I saw Tony Lo Bianco. I do remember it seemed he came from nowhere and was holding his own with big name stars: Hackman in The French Connection, Pacino in Serpico, Roy Schneider in The Seven Ups, Sly Stallone in FIST, Eastwood and Reynold in City Heat. My favorite role is probably his performance as Babe Milano in FIST. I need to revisit Bloodbrothers. I remember really liking that film (that had Richard Gere, Paul Sorvino and Tony Lo Bianco as its stars). It’s evidence of Mr. Lo Bianco’s talent that he could move from stage to television to feature films with ease.
Out thoughts and prayers go out to Tony LoBianco’s family, friends and fans.
“Those About to Die” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!
Who doesn’t love gladiator movies? Just ask Peter Graves. ; ) (If you know, you know.)
Those About to Die is an epic drama set in the corrupt world of the spectacle-driven gladiatorial competition, exploring a side of ancient Rome never before told — the dirty business of entertaining the masses, giving the mob what they want most…blood and sport. The series introduces an ensemble of characters from all corners of the Roman Empire who collide at the explosive intersection of sports, politics, and dynasties.
Those About to Die is streaming July 18 on Peacock
