“Chaplin: Spirit of the Tramp” – The Teaser is Here!

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I’m a Chaplin movie fan.  So I plan to check out Chaplin: Spirit of the Tramp when it comes to streaming.  Check out the trailer and maybe you’ll be on board too.

Deal me in.

World Premiere – San Sebastian International Film Festival
Genre: Documentary
Director: Carmen Chaplin
Language: English
Countries of Production: Spain, BeNeLux, UK, France
Producers: Wave of Humanity, Basque Films, Atlantika Films, Kwanon Films, Roy Export SAS, Submarine Sublime
Running Time: 86 minutes (excluding credits)

EERIE Archives Volume 9 featuring Esteban Maroto, Doug Moench, Tom Sutton, Steve Skeates, Luis Dominguez & more!

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EERIE Archives Volume 9 will be released on December 17, 2024.  It will contain 272 pages of horrific fun! Here’s what we get…

Enter the laboratory of Cousin Eerie as he prepares to throw the switch on another shocking collection of terror tales in Eerie Archives Volume 9, now in a value-priced paperback edition.

Prepare yourself for an extended series of forbidden experiments by comics masterminds Esteban Maroto, Doug Moench, Tom Sutton, Steve Skeates, Luis Dominguez, and more. By the way, who’s that strapped to the slab? Oh, it’s you! Don’t worry, the pain won’t last forever—but it’ll feel like it!

Collects Eerie magazine issues #42–#46.

  Deal me in.  Pre-Orders are available now.

LUSH AND OTHER TALES OF BOOZY MAYHEM by Duane Swierczynski

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LUSH AND OTHER TALES OF BOOZY MAYHEM by Duane Swierczynski

First sentence…

I first met Hilly Palmer in a bar on 15th Street.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Duane Swierczynski presents 17 short stories.  There’s not a bad one in the bunch.  My favorites were…

  • Hilly Palmer’s Last Case – A young wannabe writer tracks down a famous crime writer, and finds out that all stories don’t have a happy ending.
  • Not All There – Sometimes bad things happen and you’re lucky it wasn’t worse.  But if you’re really lucky, you’ll find someone that completes you.
  • Eve of Destruction – A polish family curse is real… whether you believe it or not.

+++++

I’ve been a Duane Swierczynski fan since THE WHEEL MAN.  He’s never let me down.

Rating:

“Breakout” (1975) starring Charles Bronson, Robert Duvall & Jill Ireland / Z-View

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Breakout (1975)

Director: Tom Gries

Screenplay: Howard B. Kreitsek, Marc Norman; based on THE TEN SECOND BREAKOUT by Elliott Baker

Stars: Charles Bronson, Robert Duvall, Jill Ireland, Randy Quaid, Sheree North, Jorge Moreno, Emilio Fernández, Paul Mantee, Alan Vint, Alejandro Rey, Roy Jenson, Sidney Clute, Chalo González and John Huston.

Tagline: Sentenced to 28 years in prison for a crime he never committed. Only two things can get him out – A lot of money and Charles Bronson!

The Plot…

Jay Wagner (Duvall) is framed for murder and sent to a Mexican prison.  All hope is lost.  Unwilling to give up, Jay’s wife, Ann (Ireland) turns to Nick Colton (Bronson).  Colton is a pilot with a crazy plan that just might work.

What Colton doesn’t know is the people that framed Jay will go to any length to see he never leaves prison.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Tom Gries directed two Charles Bronson films in 1975; this one and Breakheart Pass.

Believe it or not, this film was based on a real life Mexican prison escape using a helicopter.

With Charles Bronson and Robert Duvall starring, I was hoping for a better movie.

Breakout (1975) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Arnold” (2023) starring Arnold Schwarzenegger / Z-View

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Arnold (2023)

Director: Lesley Chilcott

Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Cameron, Sylvester Stallone, Linda Hamilton, Danny DeVito, Jamie Lee Curtis, Frank Zane, Boyer Coe, Jay Leno, Franco Columbu and Ivan Reitman.

Tagline: A city at the center of chaos. A detective with special skills. A madman testing her limits.

The Plot…

Arnold is a three part mini-series on the life of Arnold Schwarzenegger.  Each episode has a focus: 1) Athlete, 2) Actor and 3) American.  Arnold shares photos, videos and behind-the-scenes stories.  He is surprisingly frank about his life, including mistakes he’s made along the way.

It would have been easy for Arnold to just put the spotlight on his successes. Kudos to him for speaking frankly about his triumphs and shortfalls.

Arnold (2023) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“Breakheart Pass” (1975) starring Charles Bronson / Z-View

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Breakheart Pass (1975)

Director: Tom Gries

Screenplay:  Alistair MacLean; based on BREAKHEART PASS by Alistair MacLean

Stars: Charles Bronson, Ben Johnson, Richard Crenna, Jill Ireland, Charles Durning, Ed Lauter, Bill McKinney, David Huddleston, Roy Jenson, Rayford Barnes, Scott Newman, Robert Tessier, Joe Kapp, Sally Kirkland, Eddie Little Sky, Paul Frees (voice) and Archie Moore.

Tagline: Death rode the express to Breakheart Pass.

The Plot…

A train is heading to Fort Humbold, a remote frontier outpost.  The soldiers at the fort have reported a diphtheria outbreak.  The train carries medical supplies, replacement soldiers, and civilians including Governor Fairchild (Crenna) and his fiancée Marica (Ireland), the daughter of the fort’s commander.  Also on board are U.S. Marshal Pearce (Johnson) and his prisoner, John Deakin (Bronson).

As the train gets further from civilization, people started turning up murdered.  There is a killer or killers on board.  To complicate matters, outlaw Levi Calhoun (Tessier) has joined with Chief White Hand (Little Sky) to rob the train of the weapons being taken to the fort.

No one knows who can be trusted.  As the bodies pile up, secrets are revealed and a conspiracy unfolds.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The Breakheart Pass is a real location in Nevada’s Rocky Mountains.  And yes, trains pass through it.

The railroad cars that go off track and are destroyed weren’t miniatures.  They were actual full-sized train cars.

Archie Moore, the longest fighter to hold the light heavyweight title, has a featured role.  Moore fought in three weight divisions over his career.  He held the light heavyweight title for ten years!  His boxing record was 186 – 23.

Breakheart Pass is an under-rated Charles Bronson film.

Breakheart Pass (1975) rates 4 of 5 stars.

MIDNIGHT LULLABIES: UNQUIET STORIES AND POEMS by Jonathan Maberry!

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Jonathan Maberry has a new one coming out in just a few days.  It’s titled MIDNIGHT LULLABIES: UNQUIET STORIES AND POEMS.  Here’s the lowdown…

It’s dark out there…and it lasts a long time…

MIDNIGHT LULLABIES: UNQUIET STORIES AND POEMS is a collection of the horror short stories and poems-both old and new-by New York Times bestselling author and 5-time Bram Stoker Award-winner, Jonathan Maberry.

In the darkest hours of the night the natural world yields to the creatures who dwell in the dark. A serial killer who adopts orphaned children during the apocalypse; a heartbreaking reconciliation of two estranged brothers; a paralyzed MMA fighter receiving an offer he can’t refuse; strange voices crying out from the heart of a collapsed mountain; a little girl who enlists the aid of the monsters in her closet to battle cosmic horror; a delicious revenge by a refugee from the death camps; rednecks battling zombies; a terrified child whose family has become monsters; Earth-borne horrors taking hold on an alien world; and more! Plus, new horror tales and eerie poems.

With a foreword by New York Times bestselling author, Joe R. Lansdale.

BROOKLYN BLOOD by Paul Levitz and Tim Hamilton / Z-View

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BROOKLYN BLOOD by Paul Levitz (writer) and Tim Hamilton (artist)

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Detective Billy O’Connor suffers from PTSD.  His time in Afghanistan took a heavy toil.  O’Connor has occasional hallucinations and blackouts.  He’s been able to keep it together, but things that trigger episodes are becoming more frequent.

Detective Nadira Hasan is O’Connor’s partner.  She’s aware of O’Connor’s issues, but has his back.  They’re a good team.  That’s why they get the assignment when a serial killer begins leaving gruesomely mutilated bodies in public places.

As O’Connor and Hasan work the case, O’Connor’s visions begin to change from Afghanistan to terrible images from Brooklyn’s past.  He’s seeing things that make no sense, but are somehow connected.  O’Connor thinks a psychic may have some answers.  When O’Connor tells Hasan, she’s skeptical.  But as bodies pile, up, anything is worth a shot.

As O’Connor and Hasan get closer to the killer, he turns his sights on them.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I knew Paul Levitz from his days as a writer and editor for DC Comics.  I liked his one sentence summary for BROOKLYN BLOOD: In Brooklyn, a serial killer is on the loose–and when strange clues lead down a paranormal path, a detective confronts his inner demons to solve the case.

I wasn’t familiar with Tim Hamilton’s art, but that’s what got me to pull the trigger on the purchase.  His storytelling is straightforward with interesting camera angles.  I especially love Hamilton’s inking.  He has an open art style, then comes in with bold inks.  He’s great at spotting blacks and creating a page that pops.  I definitely will keep my eyes open for more from Hamilton.  I’d love to see him take on additional crime/noir stories.

BROOKLYN BLOOD definitely leans into the paranormal aspect of the case with Lovecraftian monsters showing up at the end of the tale.  If that’s you’re thing, you’re going to like the story even more than me.  I was entertained and enjoyed the ride.

BROOKLYN BLOOD by Paul Levitz (writer) and Tim Hamilton (artist) rates 3 of 5 stars.

Rating:

“The Taking of Pelham One Two Three” (1974) starring Walter Matthau & Robert Shaw / Z-View

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The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1973)

Director: Joseph Sargent

Screenplay: Peter Stone;  based on THE TAKING OF PELHAM ONE TWO THREE by John Godey

Stars: Walter Matthau, Robert Shaw, Martin Balsam, Hector Elizondo, Earl Hindman, James Broderick, Dick O’Neill, Lee Wallace, Tom Pedi, Nathan George, Rudy Bond, Kenneth McMillan, Doris Roberts, Julius Harris and Jerry Stiller.

Tagline: We are going to kill one passenger a minute until New York City pays us 1 million dollars.

The Plot…

Four armed men, code named Mr. Blue, Mr. Grey, Mr. Brown and Mr. Green hijack subway train Pelham One Two Three.  The cut loose the first car and hold its 17 passengers and conductor hostage.

Their demand: One Million Dollars.  If the money isn’t delivered in one hour, they will kill one passenger for each minute that passes.

The clock is ticking.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three is an effective thriller.  Part of the fun is trying to figure out how the hijackers expect to get away since they are also trapped in the subway.

Peter Stone did an excellent job of adapting John Godey’s best selling novel.  It is my favorite film directed by Joseph Sargent.

Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw were the big name stars, but the supporting cast more than pull their weight. Kudos to  Doris (“Everybody Loves Raymond”) Roberts and Jerry (“Seinfeld” and “King of Queens”) Stiller best known for their comedy roles, who appear in serious roles here.

The fade out shot is a classic.

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1973) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“No Questions Asked” (1951) starring Barry Sullivan, Arlene Dahl, George Murphy & Jean Hagen / Z-View

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No Questions Asked (1951)

Director: Harold F. Kress

Screenplay: Sidney Sheldon; story by Berne Giler

Stars: Barry Sullivan, Arlene Dahl, Jean Hagen, Richard Anderson, Moroni Olsen, Danny Dayton, William Phipps, Howland Chamberlain and Robert Osterloh.

Tagline: M-G-M presents the inside story of the men and their women in the “stolen goods” racket.

The Plot…

Steve Keiver (Sullivan) wants to marry Ellen Sayburn (Dahl).  Trouble is he can’t afford her lifestyle.  Not on his insurance investigator’s salary.  When some valuable furs are stolen, Keiver gets a brainstorm.  It’s risky, but Ellen is worth it.

Keiver meets with some locally known mobsters.  Keiver puts out word he will accept the furs, no questions asked.  In turn he will pay them $7,500 of the $10,000 insurance reward.  Keiver will keep $2,500 for his trouble.

Surprisingly, Keiver’s deal is accepted.  Keiver takes the money to buy a ring for Ellen. Then he learns that she’s with someone else.  So when mobsters come to Keiver with more stolen goods, he’s more than eager to act as the go-between with the insurance companies.  The insurance companies like getting the goods back, but aren’t too happy with Keiver.  The cops even less so.  But he’s not doing anything illegal.  Immoral maybe, but not illegal.

As Keiver gets in deeper with the crooks, it’s only a matter of time before things go sideways.  And when things go bad, people get killed.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

No Questions Asked  has an interesting idea that quickly loses steam.

No Questions Asked (1951) rates 2 of 5 stars.