“The Tomorrow War” – The Final Trailer is Here!

Below we have the final trailer for The Tomorrow War.  At the very least The Tomorrow War should be a fun couple of hours.  I’m looking forward to it!

THE TOMORROW WAR premieres July 2, 2021 globally on Prime Video

In The TOMORROW WAR, the world is stunned when a group of time travelers arrive from the year 2051 to deliver an urgent message: Thirty years in the future mankind is losing a global war against a deadly alien species. The only hope for survival is for soldiers and civilians from the present to be transported to the future and join the fight. Among those recruited is high school teacher and family man Dan Forester (Chris Pratt). Determined to save the world for his young daughter, Dan teams up with a brilliant scientist (Yvonne Strahovski) and his estranged father (J.K. Simmons) in a desperate quest to rewrite the fate of the planet.

Directed by Chris McKay
Written by Zach Dean
Produced by David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Don Granger, Jules Daly, David Goyer, Adam Kolbrenner
Executive Produced by Rob Cowan, Chris Pratt, Brian Oliver, Bradley J. Fischer
Starring Chris Pratt, Yvonne Strahovski, J.K. Simmons, Betty Gilpin, Sam Richardson, Edwin Hodge, Jasmine Mathews, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Keith Powers

1970 – 1979: Each Year’s Best Marvel Character’s Debut

George Marston at GamesRadar posted his choices for 1970 – 1979: Each Year’s Best Marvel Character’s Debut.  Comparing his choices to mine looks like this:

Year

Marston

Zablo

Other Options

1970

Valkyrie

Conan the Barbarian: How could any of these characters be picked over Conan? He seemed the obvious choice to me and by a wide margin. Agatha Harkness, Howard Stark, Red Wolf, Kull the Conqueror
1971

Man-Thing

Morbius the Living Vampire: was my choice but Man-Thing would be in my 2nd slot for 1971. Mockingbird, Doc Samson,
1972

Luke Cage

Luke Cage: We agreed on this choice. That first issue blew me away. I’d have gone with Werewolf by Night in my 2nd slot. Werewolf by Night, Adam Warlock, Dracula, Ghost Rider (Johnny Blaze), Night Nurse, Shuma-Gorath, Tigra, Shanna the She-Devil
1973 Howard the Duck Shang-Chi: started good and got better when Moench and Gulacy arrived. (And don’t discount the Moench & Mike Zeck run!) Moondragon, Drax the Destroyer, Thanos, Mantis, Blade, Brother Voodoo (Doctor Voodoo), Daimon Hellstrom, Killmonger
1974 Wolverine Wolverine: The obvious choice and we both agree. I’d put the Punisher in my 2nd slot. Jackal, Punisher, Iron Fist, Deathlok, Colleen Wing
1975 Storm Misty Knight: This was a tough choice for me. I like the Misty Knight character just a tad more and feel she has even greater potential to become a major player. Korvac, Jamie Madrox (Multiple Man), Colossus, Krakoa, Nightcrawler, Gamora, Moon Knight, Moira MacTaggert
1976 Rocket Raccoon Star-Lord: would be my pick in a tough year without any real standouts. I almost went with Nova so he’d get my 2nd slot. Hellcat, Bullseye, Jack of Hearts, Black Tom Cassidy, Union Jack, Nova (Richard Rider), Captain Britain, Eternals
1977

Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew)

Sabretooth: gets my vote. Arnim Zola, Corsair, Machine Man, Godzilla King of the Monsters, Deathbird, Gladiator (Kallark), Henry Peter Gyrich
1978

Mystique

Ben Urich: A non-superpowered character gets my top slot for 1978. Arcade, Paladin, Quasar (Wendell Vaughn), Moon-Boy and Devil Dinosaur, H.E.R.B.I.E.
1979

Northstar

Ant-Man (Scott Lang): easily gets my top spot for 1979. My 2nd slot would go to James Rhodes. Shadow King, Justin Hammer, Cassandra Lang, Black Cat, Rom the Spaceknight, James Rhodes

Burger Chef: Reasons We Miss You!

If you’re old enough to remember Burger Chef restaurants, you probably miss them.  I used to be surprised at how much love the fast food joints had built up with those that ate there.  The first Burger Chef opened in 1954 in Indianapolis, Indiana.  By their peak year in 1973, there were over 1,000 locations throughout the US and Canada.  Less than 15 years later the last Burger Chef closed.  

The fine folks at MeTV posted 10 Reasons We Really Miss Burger Chef Restaurants.  Before you click over, here are thoughts on three of my favorites…

The Works Bar.  Burger Chef was the first to come up with the idea of a works bar.  It contained all the items you could want for your sandwich – lettuce, pickles, onion, tomato, as well as condiments.  This allowed customers to customize to perfection.  We had customers who would come in, order a sandwich and drink then would go to the works bar and make a salad using the items for sandwiches.  

Star Wars Posters.  Burger Chef was ahead of the other fast food joints when they began including Star Wars posters with the purchase of a meal.  If you don’t know my Mike Kott/Burger Chef/Star Wars posters story, it’s worth a click over.

The Big Shef (and Fun Meals).  The Big Shef was Burger Chef’s signature sandwich.  It was basically a Big Mac without sesame seeds, pickles, onions or special sauce (Thousand Island dressing).  What was their true claim to fame were Fun Meals. geared towards kids. Each Funmeal came with a sandwich, small fries, small drink and a toy! Five years later McDonalds started serving Happy Meals using the same concept.

I worked at Burger Chef for a couple of years while in college.  Those were fun times.  Yeah, I miss Burger Chef restaurants.  

RIP: Ned Beatty

Ned Beatty, 83, passed away in sleep this morning from natural causes.  Mr. Beatty who was equally adept in both comedic and dramatic roles, alternated between feature films and television roles making whatever production he was in better.

Ned Beatty began his career in John Boorman’s highly regarded adaptation of James Dickey’s novel Deliverance starring Burt Reynolds, Jon Voight and Ronny Cox.  Mr. Beatty then went on to have a career in feature films and television that lasted over 40 years and packed his resume with 166 acting credits.  He was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor for his role in Network. 

Ned Beatty was one of this character actors who was good in any role he took on and that kept him in demand.  Mr. Beatty’s feature film highlights include six films with Burt Reynolds, Superman and Superman II with Christopher Reeve, as well as Nashville, Network, 1941 and Back to School.  His television credits include: Gunsmoke. The Execution of Private Slovik, MASH, Hawaii 5-0, The Rockford Files and so many more.

Ned Beatty was always a welcome addition whenever he appeared on screen.  The enormity of his resume would make any actor proud.  What a career!

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Ned Beatty’s family, friends and fans.

 

“Kiss Me, Judas” by William Christopher Baer & Jefferson Costa!

I’m always on the look out for a great crime story whether it is a novel, movie, graphic novel or comic book. Originally written as a novel by William Christopher Baer, Kiss Me, Judas came to my attention thanks to a Kickstarter for the graphic novel adaptation by Baer and artist Jefferson Costa.

Check out the synopsis and a couple of pages of art from the book below.  Who knows, maybe you’ll want to jump on board the Kiss Me, Judas Kickstarter.  I did. 

The All-Time Greatest Action Movies!

Matthew Jackson, at Mental Floss, posted his list of The 30 Greatest Action Movies of All-Time. I took Jackson’s list and compiled my top ten (using just choices from his 30 greatest).  Here are how things shook out.  (Jackson’s list is by year and mine is alphabetical — they’re all great action movies.)

Jackson

Zablo

1. THE WAGES OF FEAR (1953)

1. DIE HARD (1988)

2. SEVEN SAMURAI (1954)

2. ENTER THE DRAGON (1973)

3. GOLDFINGER (1964)

3. FIRST BLOOD (1982)

4. SHAFT (1971)

4. JOHN WICK (2014)

5. ENTER THE DRAGON (1973)

5. MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (2015)

6. THE DRIVER (1978)

6. THE MATRIX (1999)

7. RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981)

7. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FALLOUT (2018)

 

8. FIRST BLOOD (1982)

8. POINT BREAK (1991)

9. ROBOCOP (1987)

9. RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981)

10. DIE HARD (1988)

10.TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY(1991)

There are 4 in his top 30 that I haven’t seen: THE WAGES OF FEAR (1953); DRUNKEN MASTER II (1994), BATTLE ROYALE (2000) and THE VILLAINESS (2017).

There are two on his list that I saw and didn’t like much at all: CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON (2000) and ONG-BAK: THE THAI WARRIOR (2003).

Here are some movies that didn’t make Jackson’s list but would have made mine: Predator; Casino Royale, Atomic Blonde; Aliens; and Army of the Dead. (And those are just off the top of my head!)

Snyder School: Making the Cut!

I love these Snyder Film School insights.  More directors should do this.

In ‘Snyder School,’ Zack Snyder takes us on a four episode journey into his creative process as a filmmaker. In Episode 3, Zack explains his philosophy on color, how he finds the final cut with his editor, and how music and sound design complete the emotional experience of watching his films.

“Blood Red Sky” – The Trailer is Here!

Blood Red Sky – The Trailer is Here!  Free on Netflix?  Yeah, deal me in.

A woman with a mysterious illness is forced into action when a group of terrorists attempt to hijack a transatlantic overnight flight. In order to protect her son she will have to reveal a dark secret, and unleash the inner monster she has fought to hide.

Watch Blood Red Sky, only on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/BloodRedSky

“No Sudden Move” – The Trailer is Here!

Deal me in.

In 1955 Detroit, a group of small-time criminals are hired to steal emerging car technology. When their plan goes horribly wrong, their search for who hired them – and for what ultimate purpose – weaves them through all echelons of the race-torn, rapidly changing city. From Academy Award-winning director Steven Soderbergh and starring Don Cheadle, Benicio del Toro, David Harbour, Ray Liotta, Jon Hamm, Brendan Fraser, Kieran Culkin and Amy Seimetz and Julia Fox. #NoSuddenMove streaming on HBO Max July 1.

“The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It” (2021) / Z-View

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)

Director: Michael Chaves

Screenplay:  David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick (story: James Wan & David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick; based on characters created by Chad Hayes & Carey W. Hayes)

Stars:  Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Ruairi O’Connor, Sarah Catherine Hook and John Noble.

Tagline:  The Demonic Case That Shocked America

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It is a change of pace in that the Warrens are working to save a man from death row by using the “he was possessed by the devil” defense.  Talk about a Hail, Mary!

So, there’s a lot of courtroom action?  No, just two brief scenes.  But you have to understand this isn’t about that.  It’s about finding out why the man was possessed and curing that.  But, we know why he was possessed, he asked the devil to take him instead of the boy.  Yes, but as we learn, he wasn’t possessed by the devil, he was cursed by a Satanist!  But, the title is “The Devil Made Me Do It”?  Yes, but it wasn’t through the Devil directly.  But, the movie is scary and full of tension like the other “Conjuring” movies, right?  Well… not really.

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It is all over the place.  There are exorcisms, a cold case murder mystery, a story of young love, old love, a possession, a curse, a demonic/satanic controlled murder, there’s ESP, raising the dead, a hospital drama, and keeping a man off death row.  For me, it was a bit too much.

I like the chemistry between Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga.  The nod to the original Exorcist when the priest arrives for the exorcism of the little boy is a nice touch.  The set-up with the little boy and the waterbed was creepy.  John Noble was a nice addition but needed more to do.

Nits to pick: It wasn’t as scary or filled with tense scenes as past Conjuring films.  The lighting in every indoor scene was as if to remind us “this is a horror movie” and something scary could be in the shadows.

The set-up of Patrick Wilson’s heart problems were well done but then for the rest of the film the threat of a heart attack looms despite his constant running, straining to lift his wife as she goes over a cliff, etc.  I didn’t think that the whole “Here’s Johnny” with a sledge hammer instead of an axe scene worked.  We know he’s not whacking his wife with it.

I didn’t buy at all that a man in jail for murder and who is using the devil made me do it defense would be allowed out of a cell to mop floors in a semi-dark (spooky, huh?) room.  That he would be come possessed, levitate off the floor, windows would be blown out and not a single cop or orderly shows up?

Overall, I found The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It to be an okay viewing experience.  So it gets 2 of 5 stars.