Previews and Reviews that are Z's Views
Burt Reynolds is James Bond in Dr. No [Deep Fake]. Wow! This technology continues to get better and better. I hope it gets to the point where voices can be matched as well.
I wonder how long it will be before fans will have the ability to “change” the stars in movies.
Marv from Frank Miller’s Sin City is perhaps my favorite comic book character. Danny Earls’ rendition of the big mug is spot on.
Stephan Franck is back with a new Kickstarter called PALOMINO. Franc describes it as a Neo Noir Graphic Novel Set In LA’s Country Music Clubs.
The year is 1981. The American Century is running on fumes, but the end isn’t anywhere in sight.
At the center of PALOMINO is a unique father-daughter relationship. Eddie Lang’s an ex-cop turned working musician with big dreams, but dreams don’t pay the rent. So Eddie reluctantly works as a private investigator to provide for his teenage daughter, Lisette.
Eddie and Lisette share an unbreakable bond and a dry sense of humor. But they’re stuck.
They’re haunted by a terrible loss and an unsolved crime that looms large over their lives. They’re running out of time to fix their family.
And just as things seem at a stalemate, a new murder case upends their lives.
If this sounds like something you’d like check out Stephen Franc’s Palomino Kickstarter. I’m in.
Bruce Lee is getting the Criterion Collection treatment and his fans are going to love it. The seven-disc Blu-ray box set will contain Lee’s greatest hits (The Big Boss / Fist of Fury / The Way of the Dragon / Enter the Dragon / Game of Death) and will be chock full of special features, including alternate versions of the films, interviews, documentaries and much more!
Here’s some of what the seven disc Special Edition will feature…
Bruce Lee’s Greatest Hits: The Criterion Collection will be available July 14, 2020.
Christopher Dale at Listverse presented his list of the Top 10 Funniest Movies Of All Time. While Dale picked some good comedies, my list would have looked a lot different. First, here’s Dale’s top ten and my rankings of his choices.
|
Dale |
Zablo |
10. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) |
10. South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999)
|
9. Airplane! (1980) |
9. Superbad (2007)
|
8. Caddyshack (1980) |
8. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
|
7. The Naked Gun (1988) |
7. Borat (2006)
|
6. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) |
6. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
|
5. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) |
5. Caddyshack (1980)
|
4. South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999) |
4. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)
|
3. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) |
3. The Naked Gun (1988)
|
2. Borat (2006) |
2. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)
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1. Superbad (2007) |
1. Airplane! (1980)
|
Movies I would have included but didn’t make the cut… Stepbrothers; Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles, The Great Race, Arsenic and Old Lace; Dr. Strangelove; The Princess Bride; Richard Pryor Live....
I’m a fan of Con Air so you know I just had to comment on Joey Paur’s Collection of Fun Facts For Nicolas Cage’s CON AIR and a “Making Of” Video at GeekTyrant. Here are three of my favorites and my thoughts…
Stephen Baldwin, William Baldwin, Tom Cruise, Johnny Depp, Dolph Lundgren, Brad Pitt, Keanu Reeves, Kurt Russell, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Steven Seagal, Sylvester Stallone, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Bruce Willis were considered for the part of Cameron Poe.
(I thought Nicholas Cage was great in the role and it’s probably my favorite character he’s played. My top three from the actors listed who didn’t get the part would be: 1) Sly Stallone (No surprise there); 2. Jean-Claude Van Damme and 3) Kurt Russell. – Craig)
Gary Oldman was the first choice to play Cyrus. Kevin Bacon, Alec Baldwin, George Clooney, Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas, Richard Dreyfuss, James Gandolfini, Ed Harris, Rutger Hauer, William Hurt, Michael Keaton, Michael Madsen, Jack Nicholson, Sean Penn, Ron Perlman, Tim Robbins, Tom Sizemore, John Travolta, Peter Weller, and Bruce Willis were also considered… Willem Dafoe and Mickey Rourke also auditioned for the part of Cyrus “The Virus” Grissom.
(My top three of the actors not selected to play Cyrus the Virus would be 1) Mickey Rourke; 2) Ron Perlman and 3) Michael Madsen. – Craig)
The song “How Do I Live” was nominated for both an Oscar as Best Original Song and a Razzie as Worst Original Song. It did not win either award. it was originally performed by 14-year-old LeAnn Rimes.
(I like the song and find it interesting that it was nominated for both the highest honor (Oscar) and worst (Razzie). – Craig)
Jim Vorel and the Paste staff came up with their list of The 50 Best Monster Movies of All Time. The rules were the monsters have to be something inhuman; they kill by physically attacking you with tooth and claw and shouldn’t be supernatural in origin.
I saw 42 of the movies on their list and 9 of the top 10. Using just their list here is how my top five compares to theirs. Would yours be different?
Paste |
Zablo |
5. The Fly (1986) |
5. Bride of Frankenstein (1935) |
4. Jaws (1975) |
4. Creature From the Black Lagoon (1954) |
3. Alien (1979) |
3. Jaws (1975) |
2. King Kong (1933) |
2 The Thing (1986) |
1. The Thing (1986) |
1. Aliens (1986) |
The fine folks at MeTV posted a quiz: Which Gunsmoke character best matches your personality?
As you can see above, I took the quiz and came out a Matt Dillon; hardworking and dedicated to do what’s right. I’m okay with that.
Who would you be in Dodge City?
Ben Sherlock at ScreenRant posted his choices for Sylvester Stallone Vs Arnold Schwarzenegger: Each Actor’s 5 Best Performances. I thought I’d compare Sherlock’s Top 5 for Sly and Arnold to mine (using just his five best) and then what I’d include from all of each actor’s filmography.
First up: Sherlock’s choices and both of our ratings…
|
Sherlock’s |
Zablo’s |
Sherlock’s |
Zablo’s |
| 5. John Rambo In First Blood | 5. Lt. Marion Cobretti In Cobra | 5. Wade Vogel In Maggie | 5. Wade Vogel In Maggie |
| 4. Johnny D. Kovak In F.I.S.T. | 4. John Rambo In First Blood | 4. Sheriff Ray Owens In The Last Stand | 4. Sheriff Ray Owens In The Last Stand |
| 3. Lt. Marion Cobretti In Cobra | 3. Johnny D. Kovak In F.I.S.T. | 3. Dutch In Predator | 3. Doug Quaid In Total Recall |
| 2. Sheriff Freddy Heflin In Cop Land | 2. Sheriff Freddy Heflin In Cop Land | 2. Doug Quaid In Total Recall | 2. Dutch In Predator |
| 1. Rocky Balboa In Rocky | 1. Rocky Balboa In Rocky | 1. The T-800 In The Terminator | 1. The T-800 In The Terminator |
Now what I would’ve included from each actor’s filmography.
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Zablo’s Sly All Films |
Zablo’s Arnold All Films |
| 5. Deke DaSilva in Nighthawks | 5. Harry Trasker in True Lies |
| 4. John Rambo In First Blood | 4. John Matrix in Commando |
| 3. Sheriff Freddy Heflin In Cop Land | 3. John ‘Breacher’ Wharton in Sabotage |
| 2. Jack Carter in Get Carter | 2. Dutch In Predator |
| 1. Rocky Balboa in Rocky | 1. The T-800 In The Terminator |
To this day it’s hard for me to believe that anyone would greenlight a TV comedy about a World War II prisoner of war camp. But that’s exactly what happened. Hogan’s Heroes ran for 168 episodes, premiering in September 1965 and airing the last original episode in April 1971. Hogan’s Heroes is the longest running American TV series inspired by World War II. Who would’ve thunk it?
MeTV recently posted 12 Incredibly True Facts about Hogan’s Heroes. Here are three of my favorites and my thoughts on each…
The actors playing the four main German roles were Jewish. Klemperer (Klink), Banner (Schultz), Leon Askin (Burkhalter) and Howard Caine (Hochstetter) were Jewish, and all but the latter had fled the Nazis during WWII. Additionally, Robert Clary, who played the cooking French corporal, LeBeau, had been interned at a concentration camp. Klemperer stated at the time, “I am an actor. If I can play Richard III, I can play a Nazi.” The actor insisted that Hogan always won out over his captors.
(I remember at the time there was a bit of controversy from World War II vets, and some who had been in POW camps, as well as those who felt nothing about WW2 was funny. – Craig)
The set was blown up during the making of Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS. What an ignominious fate. Hogan’s Heroes was filmed on Desilu Productions’ RKO Forty Acres backlot. In the making of the trashy 1974 exploitation film Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS, the set was destroyed for the final scene. Hogan’s producers were okay with it, as it saved the cost of having the set demolished.
(What a way to go! – Craig)
The show used the tagline If you liked World War II, you’ll love Hogan’s Heroes! The tagline was sarcastically suggested by comedian and author Stan Freberg in an interview with Bob Crane in The Sunday Times, on September 15, 1965. “Shall we say, ‘If you liked World War II…you’ll love Hogan’s Heroes?'” Freberg dryly asks. “No, let’s not say that, no,” Crane responds. Nevertheless, it became the tagline.
(I wonder if in this age of political correctness, would Hogan’s Heroes ever make it to production? – Craig)
Tony Stella has created a poster worthy of the classic movie Spartacus. Although we’re not about to die (we hope), Tony Stella, we salute you!
That’s John Wayne, John Ford and Ward Bond. They’re considered three real-life tough guys.
Most folks know a bunch about John Wayne and to a lesser extent, director John Ford. If you’re like me, you know that Ward Bond appeared in dozens (and dozens) of movies and starred in the TV series Wagon Train. But that’s about it… until I read 13 fascinating facts about Ward Bond and “Wagon Train” at MeTV. Sadly the post is now longer available but here are three of my favorite facts and my thoughts…
Bond appears in more films on the American Film Institute’s 100 Greatest American Movies than any other actor. Bond has perhaps the most enviable filmography of any actor, past or present. Just look at his credits. He acted in seven of the 100 Greatest American Films according to the AFI — It Happened One Night (1934), Bringing Up Baby (1938), Gone with the Wind (1939), The Grapes of Wrath (1940), The Maltese Falcon (1941), It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) and The Searchers (1956).
(Wow! I had no idea Bond appeared in more of the 100 Greatest American Films than any other actor! THAT is an amazing fact and a testament to his abilities as an actor. – Craig)
John Wayne accidentally shot Ward Bond on a hunting trip. Even a gun wound could not break up the best friends. Ward left the shotgun to Wayne in his will.
(That’s how tough Ward Bond was – not even John Wayne shooting him could put him down! – Craig)
Bond appeared on ‘Wagon Train’ in crutches after injuring his leg. At the end of “The Clara Beauchamp Story,” Bond stands in a row of military men on a pair of crutches. It was no prop. The actor had suffered an injury in a car accident. The poor (but certainly tough) guy was also hit by a car on his way to John Wayne’s wedding, but he performed his best man duties on crutches.
(Ward Bond was one tough son of a buck! That dude was Marv from Sin City come to life. – Craig)
Mort Drucker, perhaps the world’s best and best known caricaturist has died at the age of 91. Odds are even if you don’t know Mr. Drucker’s name, you know his art. Starting in 1956 and for over fifty years after that Drucker’s art appeared in Mad Magazine’s wildly popular movie and tv satires.
Mr. Drucker’s work also appeared in comic books, movie posters and advertising. His distinctive style made his art recognizable often before you saw his signature. In 2014, Mort Drucker received the National Society of Cartoonists’ Medal of Honor for lifetime achievement.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Mort Drucker’s family, friends and fans.
Two Sentence Horror Stories are pretty popular. Here are three of the best from a batch of the best…
It’s been almost a decade since I last saw my mother.
And she still reminds me everyday that if I misbehave she’ll take my hearing too.
I gazed into his adoring eyes as I watched him take every bite with such enjoyment.
I waited for the poison to kick in, but was caught off guard by his evil grin as I sipped my wine.
For my last wish, I wished for my dad to be alive again.
I stood atop his grave and smiled, imagining him screaming and clawing at his coffin lid as he did the previous two times I wished him back.
