Rocky by Fabian Zaccaria!
Fabian Zaccaria created this awesome art of Sly Stallone as Rocky. You can see more of Zaccaria’s art here.
“Life” (2017) starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson & Ryan Reynolds / Z-View
Life (2017)
Director: Daniel Espinosa
Screenplay: Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick
Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, Ryan Reynolds, Hiroyuki Sanada, Ariyon Bakare
Tagline: Fear life. Not death.
The Plot…
An unmanned probe returns to the International Space Station with soil samples from Mars. The six astronauts aboard the station are surprised to find a single cell organism in the soil. As they experiment with the sample it begins to grow exponentially. It escapes it’s container and devours a lab rat. Then the creature turns its sights on the astronauts.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Director Daniel Espinosa said the twist ending is in the spirit of The Twilight Zone and Night of the Living Dead.
I hate it when movie characters repeatedly make stupid decisions. Especially when they’re supposed to be intelligent.
Life (2017) rates 3 of 5 stars.
“Gladiator II” – The Trailer is Here!
Except for the music, I think that the Gladiator II trailer works. I’m not expecting the sequel to be as good as the original, but so far I like what we’re seeing.
From director Ridley Scott, watch the new Official Trailer for #GladiatorII starring Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, Connie Nielsen, Joseph Quinn, and Fred Hechinger – Only in theatres November 22.
“Rambo: First Blood, Part II” by Tony Stella!
Tony Stella created this amazing art for the reprint cover of Rambo: First Blood, Part II.
“Interview with the Vampire”: Season 2 (2024) starring Jacob Anderson, Sam Reid, Eric Bogosian, Delainey Hayles & Assad Zaman / Z-View
Interview with the Vampire: Season 2 (2024)
Directors: Craig Zisk (eps. 1, 5); Levan Akin (eps. 2-4, 8); Emma Freeman (eps. 6-7)
Teleplay: Hannah Moscovitch (ep. 1); Jonathan Ceniceroz & Shane Munson (ep. 2); Heather Bellson (ep. 3); Coline Abert & A. Zell Williams (ep. 4); Jonathan Ceniceroz & Hannah Moscovitch (ep. 5); Hannah Moscovitch & Shane Munson (ep. 6); Kevin Hanna & Rolin Jones (ep. 7); Rolin Jones (ep. 8)
Stars: Jacob Anderson, Sam Reid, Eric Bogosian, Assad Zaman, Delainey Hayles, Ben Daniels, Esme Appleton, Christopher Geary, Khetphet Phagnasay, Andrew Van Wilpe, Jan Hofman, Ben Bradshaw, Roxane Duran, Luke Brandon Field, Elander Moore, Justin Kirk, Blake Ritson, Stanislav Callas, Ed Birch, Roxane Duran and Bally Gill
Tagline: None.
The Plot…
Interview with a Vampire is an adaptation of Anne Rice’s novel, Interview with a Vampire.
Through a series of interview flashbacks we learn that in World War II’s final years Louis (Anderson) and Claudia’s (Hayles) search for other vampires lead to Romania and Paris. They are discovered by a vampire coven in Paris. All is not what it seems. Jealously, lies and betrayals abound. Most will not survive.
Daniel Malloy (Bogosian) discovers government agents are aware of the vampires. Malloy also determines that he’s not being told the truth throughout the interview. Malloy realizes with increasing certainty that his life is in danger.
When the interview concludes lies will be uncovered, truths revealed.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Interview with the Vampire Season 1 was a tour de force. Season 2 meets and exceeds the bar that it set. The series continues to be well written with wonderful actors joined by top notch directors.
Delainey Hayles who replaced Bailey Bass as Claudia does an excellent job.
There are more twists and surprises in season two.
I love the idea of a coven of vampires hiding in plain sight. The vampire pretend to be human actors playing vampires on stage nightly. The audience has no idea that the victims killed on stage are not actors.
Ben Daniels as Santiago provides a riveting performance as Santiago.
I have no idea how season 3 can live up to, let alone surpass season 2… but I’ll be ready to find out.
Interview with the Vampire: Season 2 (2024) earns 5 of 5 stars.
“Gladiator 2” – The Poster is Here!
Today we get the Gladiator 2 poster. Tomorrow the trailer. Lookin’ good.
Marv by Ben Oliver!
Marv from Frank Miller’s Sin City is one of my all-time favorite characters. I love seeing artists do their “take” on the big lug. Today we have Marv by Ben Oliver.
“The Killing” (1956) directed by Stanley Kubrick, starring Sterling Hayden / Z-View
The Killing (1956)
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Screenplay: Stanley Kubrick; dialogue by Jim Thompson; based on CLEAN BREAK by Lionel White
Stars: Sterling Hayden, Coleen Gray, Jay C. Flippen, Ted de Corsia, Marie Windsor, Elisha Cook Jr., Joe Sawyer, James Edwards, Timothy Carey, Kola Kwariani, Dorothy Adams, James Griffith, Joe Turkel, William ‘Billy’ Benedict, Charles Cane, Robert B. Williams and Vince Edwards
Tagline: These 5 Men Had a $2,000,000 Secret Until One of them told this Woman!
The Plot…
Johnny Clay (Hayden) has been a crook his whole life. Now he’s ready to settle down and marry Fay (Gray). Johnny has planned one last score. It will be big. Two million dollars big. He’s going to knock over a race track.
Johnny has put together his team: two race track workers in need of cash, a cop on the take, a sniper and a pro wrestler. Johnny has planned for every contingency… except one.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
The Killing is arguably Stanley Kubrick’s best film. Kirk Douglas loved it so much, he got Kubrick to direct Douglas’ next film, Paths of Glory. Two years later, when Douglas fired Anthony Mann early in the filming of Spartacus, Douglas turned to Kubrick to finish the film.
The studio didn’t like the non-linear structure of The Killing. Re-editing only made things more confusing. So it was released in the non-linear form Kubrick wanted. Quentin Tarantino claims The Killing is a huge influence on the format of Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction.
Kola Kwariani (the chess playing pro wrestler) and Stanley Kubrick would often play chess in a chess/checker lounge as shown in the film.
In a film full of memorable co-star performances, Timothy Carey stands out for his uniquely strange acting.
The Killing (1956) rates 5 of 5 stars.
Batman by Bill Sienkiewicz!
Batman by Bill Sienkiewicz. That’s all that need be said.
“Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” (2024) starring Eddie Murphy / Z-View
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024)
Director: Mark Molloy
Screenplay: Will Beall, Tom Gormican, Kevin Etten; story by Will Beal; based on characters created by Danilo Bach and Daniel Petrie Jr.
Stars: Eddie Murphy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Taylour Paige, Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Paul Reiser, Bronson Pinchot, Kevin Bacon, Luis Guzmán, Christopher McDonald and Steven Berkoff
Tagline: None.
The Plot…
When Detroit police detective Axel Foley (Murphy) receives a call from his old pal P.I. Billy Rosewood (Reinhold), Foley learns that his grown estranged daughter’s life is in danger. Foley arrives in Beverly Hills. He discovers that an attempt on his daughter’s life was made and Billy is missing.
As Axel digs into the case, he uncovers a conspiracy going to the highest levels. Now both Axel and his daughter are targets.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Will Beal, who came up with the story and co-wrote the screenplay, is a former L.A. cop turned writer. Beal’s L.A. REX is excellent.
Steven Berkoff, who played the villain in the original film, has a brief uncredited cameo as a motorist.
This is director Mark Molloy’s first feature film.
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F hits all the right beats for fans of the series. It has a plausible reason for Foley to return to Beverly Hills. It brings back characters in a way that works. It gives Foley a daughter (that wasn’t mentioned in Beverly Hills Cop III, although she would have been born). It references the past films, even going so far as to say that Foley’s third case in Beverly Hills wasn’t his “finest hour”. Beverly Hills III was easily the least favorite of the series. It uses the famous Axel F theme from the original Beverly Hills Cop by composer Harold Faltermeyer.
For some reason Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F works when it shouldn’t. When we see Axel driving a snow plow through the city, destroying dozens of vehicles, we ignore the fact that this would probably injure or kill pedestrians as well. We accept the fact that he is able to keep his job.
When he gets his “partner” to steal a helicopter and fly down Beverly Hills Streets the only damage is to vehicles. People are never hurt. That’s why Axel and Bobby walk away from a helicopter crash without even a limp or bruise.
The same is true when there is a shoot-out on a crowded Beverly Hills Street. Only the bad guys die. I guess it is because in a Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F shootout, the bad guys fire dozens of shots and always miss. Later when Axel is hit, the bad guy was shooting at his daughter and Axel jumps in front of her.
The fact that we are able to ignore these things is evidence that Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F works.
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024) rates 4 of 5 stars.
“First Blood” Limited Edition Print by Tony Stella!
Tony Stella created this beautiful alt poster for First Blood. It is now being sold in a limited variant edition by Apollo Gallery.
“Daylight” (1998) starring Sylvester Stallone and Amy Brenneman / Z-View
Daylight (1998)
Director: Rob Cohen
Screenplay: Leslie Bohem
Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Amy Brenneman, Viggo Mortensen, Dan Hedaya, Jay O. Sanders, Karen Young, Claire Bloom, Barry Newman, Stan Shaw, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Renoly Santiago, Renoly Santiago, Danielle Harris, Trina McGee, Marcello Thedford, Jo Anderson, Mark Rolston, Rosemary Forsyth, Luoyong Wang, Tony Munafo, Nestor Serrano, Rob Cohen and Sage Stallone
Tagline: HOLD YOUR BREATH
The Plot…
When an explosion seals a tunnel beneath the Hudson River, time is running out for the few survivors. Despite it being a suicide mission, ex-NYC Medical Services Chief Kit Latura (Stallone) goes in. As the air dwindles, the water levels rise and tempers flare, Latura and the survivors search for a way out.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Daylight was nominated for one Academy Award
- nominee Best Effects, Sound Effects Editing – Richard L. Anderson, David A. Whittaker
Daylight is the second time that Sly and his son Sage appeared together in a movie.
Cameos include: director Rob Cohen as a businessman and Associate Producer Tony Munafo as a waste truck driver.
Stan Shaw, who plays a Transit cop trapped in the tunnel also played the boxer named Dipper who gets Rocky’s locker in Rocky.
Daylight is a throwback to the disaster movies like The Poseidon Adventure, Earthquake and The Towering Inferno.
Daylight (1998) rates 4 of 5 stars.
“The Last Front” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!
1992 looks like a winner. Has Tyrese Gibson ever come across so thuggish? Plus one of Ray Liotta’s last performances.
From writer/director Julien Hayet-Kerknawi, starring Iain Glen, Sasha Luss, Julian Kostov and James Downie.
THE LAST FRONT – In Theatres August 9
RELEASE DATE: August 9
DIRECTOR: Julien Hayet-Kerknawi
CAST: Iain Glen, Sasha Luss, James Downie, Julian Kostov
“Dead Heist” (2007) / Z-View
Dead Heist (2007)
Director: Bo Webb
Screenplay: Anghus Houvouras, Eric Tomosunas, Bo Webb
Stars: Big Daddy Kane
Tagline: The perfect heist…the wrong night.
The Plot…
When a small town bank robbery goes sideways due to the start of a zombie apocalypse, the thieves and cops find themselves fighting for their lives.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Made on a micro-budget and it shows.
Loved the idea, not so much the execution.
Dead Heist (2007) rates 2 of 5 stars.
“Those About to Die” – The Second Trailer is Here!
Here is the second trailer for Those About to Die. Looking good…
Those About to Die is an epic drama set in the corrupt world of the spectacle-driven gladiatorial competition, exploring a side of ancient Rome never before told — the dirty business of entertaining the masses, giving the mob what they want most…blood and sport. The series introduces an ensemble of characters from all corners of the Roman Empire who collide at the explosive intersection of sports, politics, and dynasties.
Those About to Die is streaming July 18 on Peacock
