“Warfare” (2025) / Z-View

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Warfare (2025)

Director:  Ray Mendoza, Alex Garland

Screenplay: Ray Mendoza, Alex Garland

Stars: D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Will Poulter, Cosmo Jarvis, Joseph Quinn, Alex Brockdorff, Finn Bennett, Evan Holtzman, Michael Gandolfini and Noah Centineo.

Tagline: Everything is based on memory.

The Plot…

A team of Navy SEALS secretly set up an observation post in a house in the middle of an Iraqi town known to be a hotbed of terrorists.  As some of the soldiers hold the family hostage, the others monitor enemy activity.

The SEALS come to realize that as they are watching the terrorists, the terrorists are aware of them.  One of the SEAL translators monitoring radio chatter, hears an Iraqi call to arms.  The enemy is gearing up for battle with the SEALS.  Soon after a granade is thrown through the window.  One of the SEAL snipers is badly injured.

The SEALS call for air support and evacuation.  It will come, but not immediately.  Outnumbered and outgunned, the SEALS are in a battle for their lives.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Warfare is based on a true SEAL mission.  The movie plays out in real time.  The screenplay was based on memories of the soldiers who were there.  Before a scene was set, at least two of the soldiers verified it for accuracy.

The action is intense and at times terrifying.  It’s hard to imagine being in the middle of a battle, fighting for your life with all of the chaos.  Minutes seem like hours waiting for back-up.  When all is said and done, you’re glad to have survived (and for your teammates that made it).  But there is no ultimate resolution that good triumphed over evil.  There is just the bond you will forever have with the men who shared the experience.

Warfare (2025) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Bram Stoker’s Dracula” Alt Poster by Yvan Quinet!

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Yvan Quinet is the artist behind this creative alt poster for Bram Stoker’s Dracula!  This is so cool.  I love the colors and composition.  How about the design around Dracula?  Check out the Dracula’s shadow.  And don’t forget to look into Dracula’s goblet.

Bravo!

You can see more of Yvan Quinet’s art at his website and/or his Instagram page.

“Nuremberg” – The Trailer is Here!

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Judgment is coming.
The official trailer #1 for NUREMBERG, only in theaters November 7.

The Allies, led by the unyielding chief prosecutor, Robert H. Jackson (Michael Shannon), have the task of ensuring the Nazi regime answers for the unveiled horrors of the Holocaust while a US Army psychiatrist (Rami Malek) is locked in a dramatic psychological duel with former Reichsmarschall Herman Göring (Russell Crowe).

Written & Directed by: James Vanderbilt
Based on the Book: THE NAZI AND THE PSYCHIATRIST By Jack El-Hai

Starring: Russell Crowe, Rami Malek, Leo Woodall, and Michael Shannon

“Ivory King” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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We have the poster and trailer for Ivory King.

Deal me in.

King Ivory features a star-studded ensemble including James Badge Dale (The Departed), Ben Foster (Hell or High Water), Michael Mando (“Better Call Saul”), Rory Cochrane (Black Mass), Ritchie Coster (The Dark Knight), George Carroll (The Town), Sam Quartin (Candy Land), newcomer Jasper Jones, Academy Award®-nominee Graham Greene (Dances with Wolves), and Academy Award®-winner Melissa Leo (The Fighter).

Based upon extensive research with law enforcement, gangs, inmates, migrants, and addicts, all walks of life intersect in this fentanyl exposé. With potency one hundred times that of heroin and nearly undetectable at the border, fentanyl has flooded the market, triggering a tidal wave of overdoses, crime, and addiction.

Work hits too close to home for Tulsa drug cop, Layne West (Dale), when his son, Jack (Jones), becomes an addict. In conjunction with his partner, Ty (Carroll), and FBI counterpart, Beatty (Cochrane), West makes it his mission to take down those responsible, including the Mexican cartel’s local shot-caller, Ramón Garza (Mando), Indian Brotherhood War Chief, Holt Lightfeather (Greene), who controls state-wide trafficking from inside the Oklahoma State Penitentiary at McAlester a.k.a. “Big Mac,” and the local Irish Mob family outfit, led by George “Smiley” Greene (Foster), along with his mother, Ginger (Leo), and uncle, Mickey (Coster). As Holt educates West: “The cartels want your kids, the next generation, who want what is new, and fentanyl is new.”

“Star Trek: Strange New Worlds”: Season 3 (2025) / Z-View

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2025)

Created by: Akiva Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman Jenny Lumet; based on Star Trek created by Gene Roddenberry

Teleplay by:

  • (ep. 1) Davy Perez from a story by Henry Alonso Myers & Davy Perez
  • (ep. 2) Kirsten Beyer & David Reed
  • (ep. 3) Onitra Johnson & Bill Wolkoff
  • (ep. 4) Dana Horgan & Kathryn Lyn
  • (ep. 5) Onitra Johnson & Davy Perez
  • (ep. 6) David Reed & Bill Wolkoff
  • (ep. 7) Kathryn Lyn & Alan B. McElroy
  • (ep. 8) Dana Horgan & Henry Alonso Myers
  • (ep. 9) Alan B. McElroy
  • (ep. 10) Dana Horgan & Davy Perez

Directed by:

  • Chris Fisher (ep. 1)
  • Jordan Canning  (eps. 2, 8)
  • Dan Liu (ep. 3)
  • Jonathan Frakes (ep. 4)
  • Andi Armaganian (ep. 5)
  • Valerie Weiss (ep. 6)
  • Sharon Lewis (ep. 7)
  • Andrew Coutts (ep. 9)
  • Maja Vrvilo (ep. 10)

Stars: Anson Mount, Ethan Peck, Jess Bush, Christina Chong, Celia Rose Gooding, Melissa Navia, Babs Olusanmokun, Martin Quinn, Rebecca Romijn, Dan Jeannotte, Paul Wesley, Adrian Holmes, Melanie Scrofano, Cillian O’Sullivan, Warren Scherer and Carol Kane.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

During Season 3 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Captain Christopher Pike and the crew of the USS Enterprise face more dangerous adventures.

  • “Hegemony, Part II”  Pike leads an attempt to rescue crew members and colonists held captive on a Gorn ship outside of Federation territory.  Meanwhile Spock and Nurse Chapel work to find a cure to save Captain Marie Batel from Gorn eggs implanted in her body.

 

  • “Wedding Bell Blues”  Three months have passed.  The Enterprise is docked for repairs.  Nurse Chapel returns from her internship with Dr. Roger Korby who is now her new boyfriend (much to Spock’s dissapointment).  The next morning Spock awakens to find everyone planning for his and Nurse Chapel’s wedding.  Only Spock and Korby realize reality has changed.

 

  • “Shuttle to Kenfori”  The Gorn DNA in Captain Marie Batel’s body has awakened.  Her only chance for survival lies with a rare flower found on the planet Kenfori.  Because Kenfori is contested by both the Federation and the Klingons, it is off limits to both.  With the Enterprise monitoring from a distance, Pike and Dr. M’Benga go down to the planet to retrieve the flowers.  There they find scientists who’ve transformed into zombies.  When the Klingons discover that the Enterprise, they send down a war party to capture/kill Pike and M’Benga.  With each passing minute the odds of Captain Bartel’s survival diminishes.  Same can be said for Pike and M’Benga with zombies and Klingons out to kill them.

 

  • “A Space Adventure Hour”  La’an Noonien-Singh is directed to test/de-bug a new addition to the Enterprise.  The “holodeck” is a holographic simulator.  La’an decides to run a murder mystery scenario based on a 1960s show called The Last Frontier.  Crew member likeness will be used for the cast.  The holodeck begins draining huge amounts of energy and the test goes off the rails.  La’an is trapped. People are being murdered… or are they?

 

  • “Through the Lens of Time”  On a distant planet Spock, Nurse Chapel, Dr. Korby, Junior Medical Officer Gamble, and Beto (who is documenting the expedition) discover an ancient structure.  When Gamble picks up a glowing object it explodes in his face.  Gamble is transported back to the Enterprise.  Meanwhile Spock and his team become trapped in the ancient building.  There they learn that the structure was a prison — one with no escape.  Back on the Enterprise, Dr. M’Benga’s efforts to save Gamble have failed.  All scans show no brain activity… yet he appears awake.

 

  • “The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail”  When the USS Farragut is attacked by a huge ship of unknown orgin, the ship’s Captain is one of the injured.  James T. Kirk becomes acting Captain for the first time.  The Enterprise arrives to assist. Spock, Nurse Chapel, Lieutenant junior grade Scott, and communications officer Nyota Uhura join to assist Kirk on the Farragut. When the attack ship returns it attacks the Enterprise by draining its power and cutting off all communications.  The Enterprise is doomed unless Kirk can lead his new crew and with a damaged ship figure a way to take out the assault warship.

 

  • “What Is Starfleet?”  A documentary filmmaker has been allowed to travel with the Enterprise.  When Captain Pike is ordered to provide assistance to a non-Federation planet at war with a neighboring planet, the filmmaker begins to aggressively show all of Pike’s decisions/actions in a negative light.  The mission is further complicated when a creature of war being transported on the Enterprise escapes.

 

  • “Four-and-a-Half Vulcans”  In order to save a planet that prohibits humans from landing, Pike, Chapel, Uhura, and La’An undergo changes to their DNA to allow them to pass as Vulcans.  Once the mission is completed, their DNA will be changed back.  During the change they will for all purposes think, act and feel as a Vulcan.  The mission is a success.  When the four return to the Enterprise, they announce that they don’t want to change back to humans.  That would be illogical.

 

  • “Terrarium”  While flying a solo shuttle mission, Ortegas’ craft is pulled through a wormhole. The shuttle crashlands.  Shaken, but alive Ortegas discovers herself on a barren, hostile planet.  But she’s not alone.  A Gorn pilot who suffered the same fate is also there.  Gorn and humans are natural enemies, but in order for both to survive, they will need to trust each other.  Meanwhile the crew attempts to locate the planet where Ortegas crashed.  The Enterprise is on a mission to deliever needed vacines soon or colonists will die.  The clock is ticking.

 

  • “New Life and New Civilizations”  It is revealed that Junior Medical Officer Gamble is dead and an alien is using his body.  The creature has a plan to free others like it from the structure discovered by Dr. Korby, Spock and the landing party some time back.  It will take the power of two star ships and absolutely perfect timing to stop the creature.  But Spock with the help of James T. Kirk has a plan.  At the same time Captain Pike’s love, Marie Bartel makes a decision that will affect both of them for the rest of their lives.  Oh, what could have been.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Ethan Peck, who plays Mr. Spock, is the grandson of actor Gregory Peck.  Ethan Peck is excellent as Spock.

I was a fan of the original Star Trek series, cartoon and movies with the original cast.  I never watched any other Star Trek productions.  So I’m not a die hard fan of everything Star Trek.  Believe me, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is exceptional.  Everything from the production values, the cast, the direction and the music is spot on.  Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is a love letter to everything the original series strived to be.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is perfectly cast.  Anson Mount is perfect in his role, but so are Ethan Peck, Jess Bush, Celia Rose Gooding and Melissa Navia.  The series is well written with each major cast member displaying personality and getting a showcase.  If you’re a fan of the original series there are things that begin in Strange New Worlds that will reverberate in the original series.

In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Season 3 different characters continue to get the spotlight. This season saw a greater focus on humor.  I love Pike as a Captain, but seeing how Spock and Kirk first interacted is a real joy.  It’s also cool that when the focus moves to secondary characters, my interest is still there — Ortega, Nurse Chapel, M’Benga and Nyota Uhura are favorites.

I enjoyed every episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Season 3 and look forward to Season 4.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2025) earns 4 of 5 stars.

Sly Stallone as Barney Ross from “The Expendables” by Andrew Charipar!

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Andrew Charipar is a Florida artist that I met going to conventions throughout the state.  Andrew was always friendly.  Getting a sketch at any show Andrew attended was mandatory.

In addition to his work as an artist, Andrew owns and manages Misfit Corner Comics in Jacksonville, Florida.

Here we have Andrew’s take on Sly Stallone as Barney Ross from The Expendables!

The 25 Best One Man Armies in the Movies

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Way back in 2009, EmpireOnLine.com posted their list of The 25 Best One Man Armies in the Movies.  Of course, Rambo came in at #1.  Who could argue with that?  Using just their choices I made my top ten list.  You can check it out here should you desire.

But since that list was made so long ago, I felt it was time to come up with an updated list of The 25 Best One Man Armies in the Movies.   These choices can [and should] be debated.  Isn’t that the purpose of lists?

Here are my suggestions…

  1. Rambo played by SYLVESTER STALLONE in the RAMBO franchise
  2. Lee played by BRUCE LEE in ENTER THE DRAGON
  3. John Wick played by Keanu Reeves in the JOHN WICK franchise

The rest appear in alphabetical order

Alejandro played by BENECIO DEL TORO in SICARIO

Billy Jack played by TOM LAUGHLIN in the BILLY JACK franchise

Bryan Mills played by LIAM NEESON in TAKEN

Chance Boudreaux played by JEAN-CLAUDE VAN DAMME in HARD TARGET

Detective Dave Bannon played by GLENN FORD in THE BIG HEAT

Geno Felino played by STEVEN SEAGAL in OUT FOR JUSTICE

Jack Reacher played by TOM CRUISE in the REACHER franchise

John Matrix played by ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER in COMMANDO

John McClane played by BRUCE WILLIS in the DIE HARD franchise

John Patrick Mason played by SEAN CONNERY in THE ROCK

Leon played by JEAN RENO in LEON THE PROFESSIONAL

Martin Riggs played by MEL GIBSON in the LETHAL WEAPON franchise

Marv played by MICKEY ROURKE in the SIN CITY franchise

Max Rockatansky played by MEL GIBSON in the MAD MAX franchise

Porter played by MEL GIBSON in PAYBACK

Scott Ward played by DAVE BAUTISTA in ARMY OF THE DEAD

Snake Plissken played by KURT RUSSELL in the ESCAPE FROM franchise

Tom Sharky played by BURT REYNOLDS in SHARKY’S MACHINE

Toorop played by VIN DIESEL in BABYLON A.D.

Tyler Rake played by CHRIS HEMSWORTH in the EXTRACTION franchise

Walker played by LEE MARVIN in POINT BLANK

Walker played by TOM HARDY in HAVOC

“Predator: Badlands” – The Final Trailer is Here!

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Here is the final trailer for Predator: Badlands.

Watch the new trailer for Predator: Badlands.

Experience the film only in theaters and IMAX November 7.

Set in the future on a deadly remote planet, “Badlands” follows a young Predator outcast (played by newcomer Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) who finds an unlikely ally in Thia (Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Elle Fanning) as he embarks on a treacherous journey in search of the ultimate adversary.

Produced by John Davis, Dan Trachtenberg, Marc Toberoff, Ben Rosenblatt and Brent O’Connor, “Predator: Badlands” opens exclusively in movie theaters on November 7 in IMAX, Dolby Cinema, RealD (3D), Cinemark XD, 4DX, ScreenX and premium screens everywhere.

“The Outfit” (1973) starring Robert Duvall, Karen Black, Joe Don Baker and Robert Ryan / Z-View

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The Outfit (1973)

Director:  John Flynn

Screenplay: John Flynn, Walter Hill (uncredited); based on THE OUTFIT by Richard Stark

Stars: Robert Duvall, Karen Black, Joe Don Baker, Robert Ryan, Timothy Carey, Richard Jaeckel, Sheree North, Felice Orlandi, Marie Windsor, Jane Greer, Henry Jones, Joanna Cassidy, Tom Reese, Bill McKinney, Anita O’Day, Archie Moore, Tony Young and Elisha Cook Jr..

Tagline: Nobody plays rougher than The Outfit…Except maybe Earl, Cody and Bett!

The Plot…

When Earl Macklin gets out of prison, his girlfriend Bett picks him up.  She drives to a motel and informs Earl that his brother was recently murdered.  Late that night a man breaks into the hotel room and attempts to kill Earl.  Earl survives and gets the upper hand.  He then tortures the man for information.

Earl’s brother robbed a syndicate bank.  That’s the reason he was killed.  They sent the killer to take out Earl so he wouldn’t seek revenge.  Earl lets the killer live on the condition he takes a message to the people that hired him.  The message: The Outfit owes him $250,000.00.  If they pay, Earl will go away.  Until they do, Earl is going to cost them money that he’ll keep.  And they will still owe him the quarter million.

Earl wants his money.  And he doesn’t care how many people he has to kill to get it.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Film legend, Robert Ryan’s last released film. He was also in Executive Action filmed after The Outfit, but released first.

The Outfit features Joanna Cassidy’s film debut.

Former Light Heavyweight Champion Archie Moore has a role as a tough guy.  Moore held the light heavyweight boxing title for ten years — longer than any champ in that division.

The great (and eccentric) character actor Timothy Carey appears in a supporting role.  Same could be said of Elisha Cook, Jr.

The Outfit (1973) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“Die Alone” (2024) starring Carrie-Anne Moss, Douglas Smith and Frank Grillo / Z-View

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Die Alone (2024)

Director:  Lowell Dean

Screenplay: Lowell Dean

Stars: Carrie-Anne Moss, Douglas Smith, Jonathan Cherry, Sari Mercer, Steven Roy, Harlan Blayne Kytwayhat and Frank Grillo.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

A zombie outbreak is underway.  Ethan and his girlfriend Emma planned to make it to a remote cabin which they hoped w0uld provide sanctuary.

That’s all that Ethan remembers since he woke up alone.

As Ethan begins looking for Emma he is attacked by several armed men.  He’d have been killed if Mae, a middle-aged woman, hadn’t rescued him.  Ethan thanks Mae and says that he since he woke up, he can’t remember much, only that his girlfriend is missing.  Mae hasn’t seen her.  Mae says that Ethan is in no condition to continue his journey.  She says he’s welcome to stay at her farm until he’s better.

Ethan agrees.  Mae’s definitely a survivalist.  Her farm is remote and full of booby-traps.  As time passes Ethan starts remembering more and more.  Before long he’s sure all is not as it seems.

But he has no idea of what is to come.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Frank Grillo appears in just a few (but very memorable) scenes.

I figured out the twist early on, but wasn’t sure how it would play out.  The final scenes of the movie were unexpected.

Die Alone (2024) rates 2 of 5 stars.

Get Carter by Jarrod Alberich aka The Yard Sale Artist!

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Jarrod Alberich aka The Yard Sale Artist created the Jack Carter piece for pick-up at HeroesCon.  I’ve known Jarrod for years.  He’s a fun guy and an easy artist to deal with.

Jarrod calls himself The Yard Sale Artist because he uses materials that he finds at yard sales, thrift stores and so on. Jarrod passes those savings on to his customers with reasonable prices.