“King of the Apocalypse” (2025) / Z-View

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King of the Apocalypse (2025)

Director:  Daniel Vernon

Tagline:  PATRIOT.  ENEMY.  DAD.

The Plot…

Dakota Adams is the son of Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes.

In King of the Apocalypse we are told the story, through his son’s eyes, of how Stewart Rhodes, a vet and Yale graduate became more and more obsessed with the idea of a coming apocalypse.  Rhodes trained his children in military and survival tactics.  In 2009, Rhodes started the Oath Keepers.  The organization took off and membership increased dramatically across the country.

As Rhodes popularity and the Oath Keepers membership continued to grow, Rhodes’ mental stability diminished.  His children and wife began to fear for their lives.  They ultimately fled the house, giving Rhodes no notice.

Following the 2020 election, Rhodes was an outspoken critic, claiming the Presidency was stolen.  He spoke about the need to prepare for a bloody war.  On January 6, 2021, Rhodes was at the US Capitol directing members and entering restricted areas.

Rhodes was sentenced to 18 years for his actions on January 6, 2021 at the US Capitol.  Rhodes was recently pardoned by President Trump and is now a free man.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I was interested in how Stewart Rhodes became obsessed with a coming apocalypse, his journey to becoming the founder/leader of the Oath Keepers and his thoughts after spending time in prison for his actions on January 6th.  King of the Apocalypse presents the tale of a man whose obsessions increase to the point that his wife and children flee for their lives.

It’s not a pretty story.  My nit to pick is that the story is one-sided.  I wonder how Rhodes would respond to his families’ allegations.  It’s not that I believe Rhodes could justify his actions, but it would be interesting to hear where his mind was/is at.  Also, if we could have heard from police, prosecutors or even some of his followers, it would have presented a more rounded documentary.  Of course, this is Dakota’s story and none of those things are needed to tell it.

King of the Apocalypse (2025) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Hold That Ghost” (1941) starring Abbott & Costello / Z-View

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Hold That Ghost (1941)

Director:  Arthur Lubin

Screenplay:  Robert Lees, Fred Rinaldo, John Grant

Stars: Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Richard Carlson, Joan Davis, Evelyn Ankers, Mischa Auer, Marc Lawrence, Russell Hicks, The Andrews Sisters and Shemp Howard.

Tagline:  A-HAUNTING WE WILL GO! Your blues won’t stand a ghost of a chance…as they top “Buck Privates” and “In the Navy.”!

The Plot…

Chuck (Abbott) and Ferdinand (Costello) dream of someday owning their own nightclub.  Recently they were fired from their jobs as waiters in a high class hot spot.  Now the boys are gas station attendants.

While servicing a car, the police recognize the auto’s owner, gangster Moose Mattson.  Moose takes off with Chuck and Ferdinand in the car.  A high speed shootout takes place.  Moose is mortally wounded.

Chuck and Ferdinand are surprised to learn that Moose’s will leaves them all of Moose’s possessions.  The will specified that whoever was with Moose when he dies gets everything.   Chuck and Ferdinand are now the owners of the Forrester’s Club, a big old spooky rundown tavern.  The place was a hotspot during prohibition.  It is full of secret rooms and hidden passages.

Chuck, Ferdinand and three others find themselves alone at the creepy joint on a dark, stormy night.  Things take a turn for the worse when some of Moose’s gangster friends show up looking for Moose’s hidden loot.  These mugs are more than willing to kill to get what they want.

Let the fun times roll!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Hold That Ghost went into production with the working title Oh, Charlie.   Filming was well underway before the release of Abbott and Costello’s Buck Privates.  When Buck Privates became a huge hit, the pressure was on.  The studio decided to rush into production another service comedy, In The Navy featuring Abbott and Costello.  When that film was a hit, the studio decided to rework Oh, Charlie into Hold That Ghost.  A new opening and closing featuring The Andrews Sisters was added since they appeared in both Buck Privates and In The Navy.  Additional scenes were created and some were reshot.  The changes paid off since Hold That Ghost was a hit.

Hold That Ghost (1941) rates 4 of 5 stars.

HIGH FIVE: AN IQ NOVEL by Joe Ide / Z-View

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HIGH FIVE: AN IQ NOVEL by Joe Ide

First sentence…

Isaiah Quintabe’s East Long Beach neighborhood hadn’t changed much over the years.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Isaiah Quintabe, aka IQ because he’s super smart, is back. IQ was orphaned in high school. So he went to work.  He earned money from neighborhood folks needing help. After IQ found a a young runaway word spread. Soon he was getting  “cases the police couldn’t or wouldn’t touch.” The jobs didn’t pay much. Sometimes the reward was food or a service IQ needed.

But that was over a decade ago. Now IQ is the go-to guy when folks need a real detective.

IQ is hired by Angus Byrne to exonerate his daughter Christina.  She witnessed a murder and is the primary suspect.  The job is complicated by the fact that Byrne is a notorious arms dealer.  He wants his daughter cleared at all costs.  Should IQ fail, Byrne has promised to maim IQ’s girlfriend.  Even if Christina is guilty Byrne wants her vindicated.

The police are preparing to arrest Christina.  IQ is under the gun and the clock is ticking.  Then he discovers Christina suffers from multiple personality disorder.  Meanwhile a gang war is brewing and two female assassins have IQ in their crosshairs.

Rating:

“24 Hours To Live” (2017) starring Ethan Hawke / Z-View

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24 Hours To Live (2017)

Director:  Brian Smrz

Screenplay:  Zach Dean, Jim McClain, Ron Mita

Stars: Ethan Hawke, Paul Anderson, Nat Boltt, Liam Cunningham, Hakeem Kae-Kazim, Tanya van Graan, Alex Anlos, Brendan Sean Murray, Clayton Evertson, Marty Kintu and Rutger Hauer.

Tagline:  Contracted to Kill.  Fighting to Survive.

The Plot…

Travis Conrad (Hawke) is a hitman killed while on a mission.  Brought back to life by an experimental drug, Conrad learns that the folks behind the hit only wanted the information he obtained.  That is why they brought him back to life… and that is why they plan to kill him now.

On the run, with just 24 hours to live, Conrad plans to get payback.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

24 Hours To Live isn’t a bad way to spend an hour and a half.

24 Hours To Live (2017) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“To Be Or Not To Be” (1942) directed by Ernst Lubitsch; starring Carole Lombard & Jack Benny / Z-View

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To Be Or Not To Be (1942)

Director: Ernst Lubitsch

Screenplay:  Edwin Justus Mayer, Ernst Lubitsch (uncredited); story by Melchior Lengyel

Stars: Carole Lombard, Jack Benny, Felix Bressart, Lionel Atwill, Stanley Ridges, Sig Ruman, Charles Halton, George Lynn, Henry Victor, Halliwell Hobbes, Rudolph Anders and Robert Stack.

Tagline:  We announce the presentation of Carole Lombard’s last picture. An exciting romantic comedy keyed to an ever-mounting tempo of suspense. Jack Benny at his best in a surprisingly different comic role.

The Plot…

1942.  World War II rages across Europe.  In Poland, Professor Siletsky, a Nazi spy has a list of fighters in the Polish underground. If Silersky gets the list to Nazis, dozens of fighters will die and the Polish war effort will be crippled.

The only hope is a drama troupe led by Joseph Tura (Benny) and his wife Maria (Lombard).  The troupe plans to impersonate Nazi leadership and take possession of Siletsky’s list.

What could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

To Be Or Not To Be was nominated for one 1943 Academy Award…

  • Nominee for Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture – Werner R. Heymann

Sadly, this was Carole Lombard’s last film.  Lombard, her mother and all on board died in a plane crash on January 16, 1942.  Carole Lombard was 33.  She was on a war bond tour at the time of the crash.

To Be Or Not To Be was released on March 6, 1942.  Jack Benny was so upset that he didn’t attend a preview showing of the film just one week after Lombard’s death.  Benny had also cancelled his weekly radio show the week that Carole Lombard died.

Carole Lombard said making To Be Or Not To Be was the happiest experience she ever had making a film.  Jack Benny said this movie was the only great film.  Ernst Lubitsch felt that To Be Or Not To Be was one of his best films.

Ernst Lubitsch, the film’s co-writer and director wrote the lead with Jack Benny in mind.

To Be Or Not To Be is a classic!

To Be Or Not To Be (1942) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“Brotherhood of the Wolf” (2001) starring Samuel Le Bihan & Mark Dacascos / Z-View

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Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001)

Director:  Christophe Gans

Screenplay:  Christophe Gans, Stéphane Cabel

Stars: Samuel Le Bihan, Mark Dacascos, Vincent Cassel and Monica Bellucci.

Tagline: The year is 1766… The hunt for a killer has begun

The Plot…

The year is 1764.  A beast, some call it a monster, is killing the people of Gévaudan.  Grégoire de Fronsac (Le Bihan) and his Iroquois friend Mani (Dacascos) are sent to find and kill the creature.

They have no idea what awaits them.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Brotherhood of the Wolf has a toe in history.  There really was a Beast of Gévaudan. It was described as a wolf-like creature.  (It was probably a wolf or wolves.) During the years 1764 to 1767, the beast was blamed for as many as 100 killings.

I saw Brotherhood of the Wolf when it was first released in 2001.  I liked it better then (4 of 5 stars).  I downgraded it now partly due to the creature effects and the fact that everyone knows martial arts in 1764 France. Mark Dacascos as Mani, is still my favorite part of the movie.

Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Riff Raff” starring Jennifer Coolidge, Ed Harris, Gabrielle Union, Lewis Pullman, Pete Davidson & Bill Murray – The Poster is Here!

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Here we have the poster for Riff Raff starring Jennifer Coolidge, Ed Harris, Gabrielle Union, Lewis Pullman, Pete Davidson and Bill Murray.  I’ve also attached the trailer in case you missed it.

Deal me in.

Riff Raff – Watch the trailer now! In theaters February 28.

Starring Jennifer Coolidge, Ed Harris, Gabrielle Union, Lewis Pullman, Miles J. Harvey, Emanuela Postacchini, Michael Angelo Covino, Pete Davidson, and Bill Murray.

Oscar nominees Bill Murray and Ed Harris star alongside Emmy winner Jennifer Coolidge and Pete Davidson in this darkly comic crime thriller about how far you’ll go to protect the ones you love. Vincent (Harris) and his family plan to share a quiet New Year’s Eve together until his sketchy past catches up with him and the night reveals secrets no one could ever imagine. Gabrielle Union and Emmy nominee Lewis Pullman also star.

“Act of Violence” (1948) starring Van Heflin & Robert Ryan / Z-View

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Act of Violence (1948)

Director:  Fred Zinnemann

Screenplay:  Robert L. Richards; story by Collier Young

Stars: Van Heflin, Robert Ryan, Janet Leigh, Mary Astor, Phyllis Thaxter, Berry Kroeger, Taylor Holmes, Will Wright, Rudolph Anders and Barbara Billingsley (voice).

Tagline: He’s the only one that came out alive … and now he wants my life … to atone for the others’

The Plot…

Frank Enley (Heflin) is living the good life. Frank served proudly in the war. Now he has a job he loves.  Frank is married to a wonderful woman who loves him. They have a beautiful little girl.  Frank is a respected member of the community.  Life is great.

Then Joe Parkson (Ryan) shows up.

Parkson was in a prisoner of war camp with Frank.  Parkson knows that Frank Enley gave the Nazis information about a planned escape.  The Nazis killed all the US soldiers trying to get away except Parkson.  Parkson almost died and was left with a permanent limp.

Now that Parkson has found Frank Enley, he’s going to kill him.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Although Act of Violence bombed at the box office it has gained a positive following over the years.  It currently has a 7.5/10 rating on the IMDb.  At Rotten Tomatoes it scored 94% from critics and 76% from site users.

I’m in the minority on this one.  I found it to be just okay.

Act of Violence (1948) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“Dillinger” (1945) starring Lawrence Tierney / Z-View

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Dillinger (1945)

Director:  Max Nosseck

Screenplay:  Philip Yordan, William Castle (uncredited)

Stars: Lawrence Tierney, Anne Jeffreys, Eduardo Ciannelli, Marc Lawrence, Fred Aldrich, Sam Balter (voice), Dick Elliott and Elisha Cook Jr..

Tagline: His Story Is Written in Bullets, Blood and Blondes!

The Plot…

The fictionalized account of John Dillinger (Tierney).

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Dillinger was Lawrence Tierney’s first starring role.

Dillinger (1945) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“Jurassic World Rebirth” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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The poster and trailer for Jurassic World Rebirth are here.  I like what I’m seeing.

Deal me in.

A new era is born. Watch the Jurassic World Rebirth trailer now.

—–
TikTok: / jurassicworld

Facebook: / jurassicworld

X: / jurassicworld

Instagram: / jurassicworld

Official Site: https://www.jurassicworld.com/

A new era is born. This summer, three years after the Jurassic World trilogy concluded with each film surpassing $1 billion at the global box office, the enduring Jurassic series evolves in an ingenious new direction with Jurassic World Rebirth.

Anchored by iconic action superstar Scarlett Johansson, Emmy and SAG nominee Jonathan Bailey and two-time Oscar® winner Mahershala Ali, this action-packed new chapter sees an extraction team race to the most dangerous place on Earth, an island research facility for the original Jurassic Park, inhabited by the worst of the worst that were left behind.

Also starring acclaimed international stars Rupert Friend and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, the film is directed by dynamic visualist Gareth Edwards (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) from a script by original Jurassic Park screenwriter David Koepp.

Five years after the events of Jurassic World Dominion, the planet’s ecology has proven largely inhospitable to dinosaurs. Those remaining exist in isolated equatorial environments with climates resembling the one in which they once thrived. The three most colossal creatures across land, sea and air within that tropical biosphere hold, in their DNA, the key to a drug that will bring miraculous life-saving benefits to humankind.

Academy Award® nominee Johansson plays skilled covert operations expert Zora Bennett, contracted to lead a skilled team on a top-secret mission to secure the genetic material. When Zora’s operation intersects with a civilian family whose boating expedition was capsized by marauding aquatic dinos, they all find themselves stranded on a forbidden island that had once housed an undisclosed research facility for Jurassic Park. There, in a terrain populated by dinosaurs of vastly different species, they come face-to-face with a sinister, shocking discovery that has been hidden from the world for decades.

Ali is Duncan Kincaid, Zora’s most trusted team member; Critics Choice and Olivier Award winner Jonathan Bailey (Wicked, Bridgerton) plays paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis; Emmy nominee Rupert Friend (Homeland, Obi-Wan Kenobi) appears as Big Pharma representative Martin Krebs and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo (The Lincoln Lawyer, Murder on the Orient Express) plays Reuben Delgado, the father of the shipwrecked civilian family.

The cast includes Luna Blaise (Manifest), David Iacono (The Summer I Turned Pretty) and Audrina Miranda (Lopez vs. Lopez) as Reuben’s family. The film also features, as members of Zora and Krebs’ crews, Philippine Velge (Station Eleven), Bechir Sylvain (BMF) and Ed Skrein (Deadpool).

Jurassic World Rebirth is directed by BAFTA winner Edwards from a script by Koepp (War of the Worlds), based on characters created by Michael Crichton. The film is produced by Oscar® nominee Frank Marshall and Patrick Crowley, both longtime Jurassic franchise producers and of last summer’s blockbuster, Twisters. The film is executive produced by Steven Spielberg, Denis L. Stewart and Jim Spencer.