Previews and Reviews that are Z's Views
Here’s a rare behind-the-scenes photo of Jean-Claude Van Damme in the original Predator suit design before he was let go and the design changed.
Source: All the Right Movies.
The Bride of Frankenstein is a classic. Here’s a photo from a deleted scene.
Source: Hammer Horror Films.
BLOOD STANDARD (An Isiah Coleridge Novel) by Laird Barron
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Hardcover: 336 pages
First sentence…
As a boy, I admired Humphrey Bogart in a big way.
The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…
Isiah Coleridge had been a hit man and enforcer for the mob. Working out of Alaska (yeah, the mob wets their beak there too), Coleridge was the gold standard. He was a big, tough half-Maori, half-Caucasian, able to handle himself. And he had more brains than you’d expect.
If Coleridge had given it any thought, he wouldn’t have punched Vitale Night, a mob captain, in the throat. Normally that would be a death sentence. Even if the jabroni deserved it. Which Night did. But Coleridge got lucky when his boss went to bat for him. Coleridge was exiled from the mob and Alaska. He was told to lay low because Vitale Night still wanted revenge.
Living in upstate New York, Isaiah Coleridge begins to adjust to a quiet life. Keeping a low profile isn’t so bad. Coleridge begins to make new friends. All is going well until a teenage girl disappears and Coleridge agrees to look into it. As the big man digs deeper, he begins to make waves and attract the kinds of attention that can be dangerous.
BLOOD STANDARD is stylish, brutal, witty, and fun.
Laird Barron is as adept at storytelling as Isaiah Coleridge is at handling a violent situation. Both Barron and Coleridge have jumped to the top of my must-read list.
Rating:
If you ever get a chance to meet Jim Steranko, don’t sleep on it. Steranko is a master storyteller. He is a legendary artist. This Nick Fury piece by Steranko was one that he brought to New York ComicCon 2023.
Steranko has said that his Nick Fury was based on Burt Lancaster. For some reason this Steranko Nick Fury headsketch reminds me of Kirk Douglas. And that’s not a bad thing.
Source: Steranko Facebook Group.
The Wolfman (2010)
Director: Joe Johnston
Written by: Andrew Kevin Walker, David Self based on The Wolf Man by Curt Siodmak
Starring: Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, Hugo Weaving, Art Malik, David Schofield, Roger Frost, Geraldine Chaplin, Rick Baker and Clive Russell.
Tagline: The legend is alive.
The Story:
The year is 1891. Lawrence Talbot (Del Toro), the famous actor, received word that his brother has disappeared. By the time Lawrence arrives at the family estate, his brother’s mutilated body has been found in the woods.
Some townsfolk believe that a wild animal did the deed. Others blame a group of gypsies that have moved into the area. A few believe that a werewolf has returned. When Lawrence visits the gypsy camp, a wild animal attacks killing several people and badly wounding Lawrence.
When Lawrence makes a unnatural recovery from wounds that should have been fatal, people believe that he was bitten by a werewolf. Anyone who survives such a bite, becomes a wolfman when the moon is full. Now Lawrence is marked for death. They believe he will turn into a werewolf at the coming full moon.
The truth is much worse.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)
The Wolfman won Rick Baker and Dave Elsey the 2011 Academy Award for Best Achievement in Makeup. Their werewolf design looked like a cross between the monsters in The Wolf Man (1941) and Curse of the Werewolf (1961).
Benicio Del Toro and Emily Blunt would reteam five years later for Sicario. I’m a fan of both. Kudos also to Hugo Weaving for his performance as Inspector Francis Aberline.
Danny Elfman did the score. When the film was recut for release, Elfman was already at work on another movie and couldn’t return to adjust his music. Ultimately other composers were brought in to reshape Elfman’s work.
The Wolfman has an excellent cast. Rick Baker created a great looking werewolf. I wish Art Malik, as Singh, got more to do. He was an interesting character. You can never go wrong with Del Toro and Blunt. Getting Hopkins was a bonus.
Rebel Moon has Zack Snyder and an excellent cast. Looking forward to this.
From Zack Snyder, the filmmaker behind 300, Man of Steel, and Army of the Dead, comes REBEL MOON, a 2-part movie event decades in the making.
After crash landing on a moon in the furthest reaches of the universe, Kora (Sofia Boutella), a stranger with a mysterious past, begins a new life among a peaceful settlement of farmers. But she soon becomes their only hope for survival when the tyrannical Regent Balisarius (Fra Fee) and his cruel emissary, Admiral Noble (Ed Skrein), discover the farmers have unwittingly sold their crops to the Bloodaxes (Cleopatra Coleman and Ray Fisher) — leaders of a fierce group of insurgents hunted by the Motherworld.
Tasked with finding fighters who would risk their lives to defend the people of Veldt, Kora and Gunnar (Michiel Huisman), a tenderhearted farmer naive in the realities of war, journey to different worlds in search of the Bloodaxes, and assemble a small band of warriors who share a common need for redemption along the way: Kai (Charlie Hunnam), a pilot and gun for hire; General Titus (Djimon Hounsou), a legendary commander; Nemesis (Doona Bae), a master swordswoman; Tarak (Staz Nair), a captive with a regal past; and Milius (E. Duffy), a resistance fighter. Back on Veldt, Jimmy (voiced by Anthony Hopkins), an ancient mechanized protector hiding in the wings, awakens with a new purpose. But the newly formed revolutionaries must learn to trust each other and fight as one before the armies of the Motherworld come to destroy them all.
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 by Geraldo Borges.
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – Season 1 (2023)
Created by: David Zabel
Director: Daniel Percival (Eps.1 – 2, 5 – 6); Tim Southam (Eps. 3 – 4)
Teleplay by: David Zabel (Ep. 1); Jason Richman & David Zabel (Ep. 2, 5); Coline Abert (Ep. 3); Shannon Goss (Ep. 4); Dani Parker (Ep. 5); Jason Richman & Laura Snow (Ep. 6)
Starring: Norman Reedus, Clémence Poésy, Louis Puech Scigliuzzi, Blanc-Francard, Anne Charrier, Romain Levi, Adam Nagaitis, Eriq Ebouaney, Dominique Pinon and Melissa McBride.
Tagline: Hope is not lost.
The Plot:
Daryl Dixon finds himself in France when he wakes up on a deserted beach. How he got there will become clear as the season progresses. His goal is to get back home. Unable to speak the language and with no one he can contact for help, Daryl begins his journey.
Daryl is injured after encounters with a walker with corrosive blood and killers who are part of a paramilitary group. When Daryl comes across a fortress held by nuns, he is given aide. There Daryl meets Sister Isabelle (Poésy) and a young boy named Laurent (Scigliuzzi). The nuns and others throughout France have heard of Laurent. Many, for reasons that will become clear, believe that Laurent will be the savior of humanity. He will lead France to a new golden age. Sister Isabelle tells Daryl that it was prophesied that a warrior would come who would safely take Laurent to Paris where followers await.
Daryl ain’t buying it.
But when Sister Isabelle promises that she has people in Paris who could help Daryl get back to America, he agrees. Cue the walkers.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)
It’s neat seeing Daryl as a stranger in a strange land. It is cool how quickly people/groups came to realize how dangerous/resourceful Daryl is.
I like the idea of the nun with a past and how she is working to receive redemption. I also got a kick out of what became of the man she left behind.
Seeing zombies we are familiar with as well as new “strains” of zombies is something that needs to continue in small doses. I like the “explanation” for the new fast and strong walkers.
Except for Norman Reedus, (and a cameo by Melissa McBride) all of the actors/actresses were new to me except for one. I couldn’t figure out where I’d seen him before. So I looked up Dominique Pinon. He was Vriess in Alien: Resurrection!
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – Season 1 features some of the best Walking Dead episodes in recent memory. Bring on Season 2.
Robert Butler, the award winning director and writer, died on November 3, 2023. Mr. Butler was 95.
Mr. Butler began his career in entertainment as a CBS usher after graduating from UCLA with a degree in English. Robert Butler also worked as a production clerk, stage manager, before getting the job as an associate director where he worked with mentor directors such as John Frankenheimer and Arthur Penn.
Mr. Butler’s first directing job was for the television series Hennesey. Robert Butler would direct television and feature films for the rest of his career. Mr. Butler became known as the go-to guy for directing television pilots which set the tone for the series. Some of the pilots that Robert Butler directed include: Hogan’s Heroes (1965), Star Trek (1966), Batman (1966), The Blue Knight (1973, TV’s first mini-series), Hill Street Blues (1978), Moonlighting (1985), Sisters (1991) and Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993).
Mr. Clark was an award-winning director…
Mr. Butler was also the co-creator of the television series Remington Steele.
Some of the television shows Robert Butler directed include: Hennesey (3 episodes); The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis; The DuPont Show with June Allyson (5 episodes); Peter Loves Mary (2 episodes); Have Gun – Will Travel; Bonanza; The Dick Van Dyke Show (2 episodes); The Gertrude Berg Show (2 episodes); The Rifleman; Follow the Sun (3 episodes); The Detectives (5 episodes); Stoney Burke (2 episodes); The Untouchables (7 episodes); Dr. Kildare (2 episodes); The Greatest Show on Earth (2 episodes); Ben Casey (3 episodes); The Lieutenant (2 episodes); The Twilight Zone (2 episodes); The Defenders (2 episodes); The Virginian; Mister Roberts (4 episodes); Hogan’s Heroes (5 episodes); The Fugitive (6 episodes); Batman (6 episodes); Shane; Star Trek (3 episodes); I Spy (4 episodes); The Invaders (3 episodes); N.Y.P.D. (2 episodes); Judd for the Defense (2 episodes); Ironside; Cimarron Strip (2 episodes); The Felony Squad (3 episodes); Mission Impossible; Then Came Bronson; Lancer (4 episodes); Death Takes a Holiday; Nichols; Gunsmoke (3 episodes); Hawaii 5-0; Kung Fu (4 episodes); The Blue Knight; The Waltons (3 episodes); Columbo (2 episodes); The Magical World of Disney (12 episodes); Insight (4 episodes); Hill Street Blues (6 episodes); Remington Steele (5 episodes); Moonlighting; Out on a Limb (2 episodes); Sisters (2 episodes); Sirens (2 episodes) and Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (2 episodes).
Some of the feature films Robert Butler include: Guns in Leather; The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes; The Barefoot Executive; Now You See Him, Now You Don’t; Hot Lead and Cold Feet; Night of the Juggler and Turbulence.
It’s difficult for me to pick my favorite show that Robert Butler directed because he helmed so many that I watched and enjoyed. My sentimental favorite is probably the premiere of Batman. That show brings back so many good memories. We all anticipated the premiere and it was the talk of our elementary school the next day. Mr. Butler also directed a Twilight Zone episode, The Encounter, that was kept out of syndication in the United States until 2016 for “overt racism and revisionist history”. It’s a testimony to Robert Butler’s talent and professionalism that he directed so many (and often multiple episodes) of the best television shows in the years he worked.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Robert Butler’s family, friends and fans.
Check out this cool Terminator 2: Judgment Day poster by Tony Stella.
If you ever get a chance to meet Jim Steranko, don’t sleep on it. Steranko is a master storyteller. He is a legendary artist. This Nick Fury piece by Steranko was one that he brought to New York ComicCon 2023.
Steranko has said that his Nick Fury was based on Burt Lancaster. I think that becomes obvious in this one. Can you imagine Burt Lancaster in his prime as Nick Fury? Steranko can.
Source: Steranko Facebook Group.
The Show (1927)
Director: Tod Browning
Written by: Joseph Farnham, Screenplay by Waldemar Young, based on THE DAY OF SOULS by Joseph Farnham
Starring: John Gilbert, Renée Adorée, Lionel Barrymore, Edward Connelly.
Tagline: Strange were these figures in the show the crowds gaped at. But stranger by far the drama of underworld life they played back of the scenes! An amazing romance, a lurid tale of a rogue, torn between baser passions and a girl’s redeeming love.
The Story:
Cock Robin (Gilbert) is the star of a sideshow. Robin is a handsome ladies man. He has a charisma about him that he puts to use drawing in crowds to see the human oddities. Robin also participates in the acts. After the shows are over, Robin always has female admirers waiting for the chance to pay for his dinner and spend the evening with him. Robin’s behavior doesn’t endear him to other members of the sideshow. The women are disappointed and the men jealous.
One of Robin’s admirers is a young woman named Lena. Robin learns that Lena’s father is wealthy. Perhaps, it is time to settle down. Perhaps not.
When Lena’s father is killed in an attempted robbery, Robin becomes the main suspect. Someone in the show has set him up. But who? And is there anyone who will help him clear his name?
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)
Tod Browning who would go on to direct Dracula and (the more closely related to The Show) Freaks. Browning was the perfect person to direct this.
John Gilbert displays the charisma needed to play the lead. The great Lionel Barrymore as the villain. What more could we want?
Abandoned (1949)
Director: Joseph M. Newman
Screenplay by: Irwin Gielgud, William Bowers (additional dialogue)
Starring: Dennis O’Keefe, Gale Storm, Jeff Chandler, Raymond Burr, Jeanette Nolan, Steve Darrell, Frank Cady and Mike Mazurki.
Tagline: NO NAME FOR HER BABY…only a PRICE!
The Story:
Paula Considine (Storm) goes to L.A. in search of her missing sister. Her sister left their small town because she was pregnant and not married. It’s late when she arrives at the missing person’s bureau. There she meets Mark Sitko (O’Keefe), a newspaper reporter. When Sitko notices a shady character following Paula, he intervenes. Soon Sitko and Paula discover that Paula’s sister was murdered and her baby stolen by child traffickers. As they dig deeper, Sitko and Paula become marked for murder!
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)
The film uses a semi-documentary style popular at the time.
Gale Storm had been making movies for close to a decade when she got the co-starring role in Abandoned. A few years later Ms. Storm would become a tv star in her own series, My Little Margie which ran for four seasons. She followed that with another starring television role in The Gale Storm Show: Oh! Susanna. It also ran for four seasons.
Jeff Chandler has a supporting role. He would soon break out into leading roles.
Raymond Burr is cast as a heavy. He played a lot of those type roles in those days because he was good at it. Mr. Burr would go on to become a bigger star playing a good guy. Perry Mason ran for 9 seasons, earned Raymond Burr two Best Actor in a Leading Role Emmys and earned him world-wide fame.Years after Perry Mason went off the air, it returned with Mr. Burr starring in 26 television movies.
Mike Mazurki appears as a thug which was par for the course. I love it when Mazurki appears in any production. He had an interesting life. Mr. Mazurki played football and basketball in college and professionally, He earned a law degree from Fordham. Then he decided to become a professional wrestler because he could earn more money! He also worked as a bodyguard before being discovered and cast in movies.
Abandoned was ahead of it’s time. The topic of black-market babies and child trafficking could be pulled from today’s headlines. The film also faced aspects being censored. Still, if you read between the lines it becomes pretty clear that Paula’s dad was probably the baby’s father.
This has a Glass Onion or Hercule Poirot feel to it. So far, I like what I see. Deal me in!
A Murder at the End of the World is a mystery series featuring a Gen Z amateur sleuth and tech-savvy hacker “Darby Hart.” Darby and eight other guests are invited by a reclusive billionaire to participate in a retreat at a remote location. When one of the other guests is found dead, Darby must use her skills to prove it was murder before the killer takes another life.
A mystery of epic proportions. Watch OFFICIAL TRAILER 2 for FX’s A Murder at the End of the World streaming 11.14. Only on Hulu.
G.R. David reminds us what an awesome action flick Mad Max: Fury Road is by creating this wonderful alt poster.
