“The Scalphunters” starring Burt Lancaster & Ozzie Davis / Z-View

Posted on by

The Scalphunters (1968)

Director: Sydney Pollack

Writer:  William W. Norton

Stars: Burt Lancaster, Shelley Winters, Telly Savalas, Ossie Davis, Dabney Coleman, Paul Picerni, Dan Vadis, Armando Silvestre, Nick Cravat and Chuck Roberson.

Tagline:  I’M JOE BASS and I say that scalphunters are the most ornery, girl-grabbing, back-stabbers on earth. I HUNT SCALPHUNTERS!

The Plot…

Joe Bass (Lancaster) is on his way to trade the furs he collected during the winter.  Bass is stopped by Two Crows (Silvestre) and his band of Kiowas.  Two Crows wants Bass’ furs and offers him a captured slave named Joseph Lee (Davis).  Bass wants no part of the deal.  Two Crows and his men force the trade and ride off with the furs.

Bass is determined to get the furs back and wants Joseph Lee to assist.  Before Lee was captured by the Kiowa he had been an educated house slave.  Lee has no understanding of the wilderness or guns.  Still, what other option does he have?

As Joe Bass and Joseph Lee prepare for battle with the Kiowa, a ruthless group of scalphunters joins the action.  Outnumbered and outgunned, Joe Bass is determined to get his furs back… even if it kills him.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I was surprised by the humor in The Scalphunters.  I was expecting a grim late 60s western.  The opening scenes are funny and as I adjusted my expectations, a surprisingly brutal and graphic (for the time period) event happens.  There is a nice mix of humor and drama that ends up leaning more into the comedy by the time the movie is ready to end.

Ossie Davis is a scene stealer.  He and Burt Lancaster had great chemistry.  Sequels weren’t as rampant then or I’m sure we’d have had more of these two.

Shelly Winters and Telly Savalas make for a believable couple.  Look for Dabney Coleman as one of Savalas’ henchmen.

The Scalphunters (1968) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“The Bounty Man” (1972) starring Clint Walker & Margot Kidder / Z-View

Posted on by

The Bounty Man (1972)

Director:  John Llewellyn Moxey

Writer:  Jim Byrnes

Stars: Clint Walker, Richard Basehart, John Ericson, Margot Kidder, Gene Evans, Arthur Hunnicutt, Rex Holman, Glenn R. Wilder, Hal Needham and Rita Conde.

Tagline: When the man-hunter becomes the hunted.

The Plot…

Kinkaid (Walker) is a bounty hunter that always gets his man.  He’s driven and goes to any lengths, against any odds to finish what he starts.  When Kinkaid learns that Billy Riddle (Ericson) has a $5,000 bounty on his head, Riddle’s days as a free man are numbered.  Riddle is holed up in a small town that’s home to many criminals.  To make matters worse, Kinkaid has no idea that  Angus Keough (Basehart) and his small band of cutthroats have plans to kidnap Riddle once Kinkaid bags him.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The Bounty Man was made for television and feels like it.  Clint Walker and a young, Margot Kidder are the main reasons to check this one out.  Richard Basehart feels so out of place here.  It could be because I’m used to him in his role on Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.

I wish I liked The Bounty Man better.  If you’re a Clint Walker fan, your time would be better spent picking any two episodes of Cheyenne.

The Bounty Man (1972) rates 2 of 5 stars.

BRYNMORE from Steve Niles & Daniel Worm is Coming!

Posted on by

Steve (30 Days of Night) Niles is reuniting with Daniel Worm for Brynmore.  The two had previously collaborated on October Faction.  This is one to keep an eye on.  Here’s the lowdown…

In Brynmore, the recently divorced and newly sober Mark Turner returns to his hometown of Turner Island hoping to rebuild his shattered life and rekindle a relationship with his estranged daughter, Sophie. Planning to renovate the town’s dilapidated church into a home for himself, Mark’s dreams of a second chance soon begin to crumble as he encounters hostility from the locals and finds himself enmeshed in a dark and sinister legacy of intrigue dating back to when the island was first named after his ancestors. Locked in battle with malefic forces beyond his control, Mark must work to uncover the island’s dark history while keeping himself and Sophie safe from harm—and staying away from the bottle in the process.

Source: Flickering Myth.

“One Ranger” starring Thomas Jane, Dominque Tripper, John Malkovich and Dean Jagger – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

Posted on by

nw

One Ranger starring Thomas Jane, Dominque Tripper, John Malkovich and Dean Jagger checks all the right boxes.  Deal me in.

British Intelligence meets Texas Justice in this white-knuckle action-thriller. A gunslinging Texas ranger (Thomas Jane) tracks a bank robber (Dean Jagger) across the desert— only to discover he’s an international terrorist set on detonating a bomb in the heart of London. When the lawman’s partner is killed, he is drawn into partnership with a British intelligence agent (Dominique Tipper) and her boss (John Malkovich) to bring the outlaw to justice — dead or alive.

One Ranger – Watch trailer now! In Select Theaters, on Digital, and on Demand May 5th. Starring Thomas Jane (“The Expanse,” The Punisher, Boogie Nights), John Malkovich (Mindcage, Red, In The Line of Fire), Dominique Tipper (“The Expanse”), and Dean Jagger (“Warrior,” “See”).

THE PHANTOM – The Man Who Cannot Die!

Posted on by

Bottleneck Gallery posted The Phantom print above as well as another (with variants of both) by Henrik Sahlstrom.  Seeing these posters took me back to my childhood.  For a brief time I was a fan of The Phantom.  He appeared in a comic strip in my local newspaper (Terre Haute Tribune-Star).

The Phantom was created by Lee Falk.  The first Phantom newspaper strip appeared on February 17, 1936.  The Phantom wore the purple costume you see in the art by Sahlstrom. In the series, set in the fictional country of Bangalla, Africa, Christopher Walker was the first Phantom who took on the hero identity when his father was killed by pirates.  Walker passed the identity down to his son and so it went with each new generation.  The Phantom became known as “The Ghost Who Walks” and “The Man Who Cannot Die”.  Although he has no super powers, the Phantom is smart and strong.  He lives in a cave that looks like a skull with his pet wolf, Devil.

Over the years, The Phantom has been adapted from the newspaper strips to comic books, movie serials, animated series, a live-action series and a feature film!  At it’s peak The Phantom newspaper strip reportedly had an audience of over 100 million readers daily.  Even more amazing is the fact that the strip is still being published today! The Phantom is truly the man who cannot die!

“Halloween Ends” (2022) starring Jamie Lee Curtis / Z-View

Posted on by

Halloween Ends (2022)

Director:  David Gordon Green

Writers:  Paul Brad Logan, Chris Bernier, Danny McBride, David Gordon Green based on characters created by John Carpenter, Debra Hill

Stars: Jamie Lee Curtis, Andi Matichak, James Jude Courtney, Will Patton, Jesse C. Boyd and Michael Barbieri.

Tagline: Their Saga Ends

The Plot…

It’s been three years since Michael Myers was last seen.  Some believe him to be dead, others think he’s an urban legend.  Laurie Strode (Curtis) is writing her memoir and living with her granddaughter, Allyson (Matichak). When Allyson starts up a friendship with Corey, things begin to go south.  Corey was found not guilty in the  accidental killing of a child, but many people in the town still have a problem with Corey.

Is Corey just misunderstood? How far can he be pushed before he snaps… and who does Corey keep meeting under the bridge? (I’ll give you three guesses.)

Michael is back and Laurie is gonna be ticked.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Four writers are credited for Halloween Ends and that makes sense because the movie is at times a misunderstood youth movie, a youthful romance, an adult budding romance, a buddy film, a revenge film, a slasher movie and ultimately a Halloween movie.  For me Michael Myers works best when he’s a mysterious psycho killer with super strength and THAT is the focus of the movie.  Here he we find him living under a bridge and befriending a kid. Really?

What everyone wants is the showdown between Michael and Laurie.  We finally get it.  When their battle is over, the movie should end.  Instead we get an extended scene featuring the town marching to a junkyard to watch Michael’s body thrown into a huge industrial shredder.  Then we get a scene showing that Laurie and Allyson are on good terms now.  Then a scene with Laurie and her potential beau.  Perhaps it should have been called Halloween Ends… Give It Time.

Halloween Ends (2022) rates 2 of 5 stars.

Max Fleischer’s Superman is Coming on Blu-Ray!

Posted on by

If you’ve never seen thes Fleischer Superman cartoons, you’re in for a treat.  If you have seen them, then you may want to upgrade to Blu-ray.  You can pre-order here!

Take flight with the original 1941–1943 animated Superman cartoons! With the initial nine shorts produced by Max Fleischer (and directed by his brother Dave) and the remainder produced by Famous Studios, these 17 animated theatrical shorts were the first to launch Superman from comic books to the screen. The pioneering animated adventures feature the Man of Steel battling mad scientists and giant robots, thwarting the Nazis and saving headstrong reporter Lois Lane. Newly mastered in high definition, these icons of animation look and sound better than ever.

“Space Ship Sappy” (1957) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

Posted on by

Space Ship Sappy (1957)

Director:  Jules White

Writer:  Jack White

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Joe Besser, Marilyn Hanold and Emil Sitka.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Our guys think they’ve taken jobs as sailors.  They have, but as sailors on a spaceship heading to a planet inhabited by women cannibals.  What could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

This is one of the few Stooges shorts where Moe and Larry wear hair more in tune with their off screen styles.

Space Ship Sappy (1957) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“One Day As a Lion” starring Scott Caan, Frank Grillo & J.K. Simmons – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

Posted on by

nw

One Day as a Lion looks to be a fun ride.  Scott Caan wrote the screenplay and is joined by Frank Grillo, J.K. Simmons and Virginia Madsen.

Jackie Powers (Scott Caan) is a nice guy but a lousy hitman sent to take out a crafty debtor (J.K. Simmons) Jackie only pisses him off. Fleeing the scene Jackie takes bored waitress Lola as a hostage. Jackie needs money to get his son out of jail Lola cooks up a scheme for them to get cash from her dying mother (Virginia Madsen). Meanwhile, a thug sent to kill him is sleeping with Jackie’s ex. Also starring Frank Grillo, this crime comedy is a witty homage to Tarantino and the Coen brothers.

Scripted by Scott Caan and directed by John Swab, One Day As a Lion will be available in select theaters on April 4, 2023, and On Digital and On Demand on April 7, 2023.

“The Last of Us” – Season 1 (2023) starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey / Z-View

Posted on by

The Last of Us: Season 1 (2023)

Teleplay by: Craig Mazin & Neil Druckmann (episodes 1 & 9); Craig Mazin (episodes 2 – 6, 8); Neil Druckmann (episode 7)

Directed by: Craig Mazin (episode 1); Neil Druckmann (episode 2); Peter Hoar (episode 3); Jeremy Webb (episodes 4 & 5); Jasmila Žbanić (episode 6); Liza Johnson (episode 7); Ali Abbasi (episodes 8 & 9)

Stars: Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, Anna Torv, Nico Parker, Merle Dandridge, Keivonn Woodard, Jeffrey Pierce, John Getz, Scott Shepherd, Storm Reid, Ashley Johnson, Nick Offerman, John Hannah, Terry Chen, Ian Rozylo, Graham Greene, Sonia Maria Chirila, Andy McDermott,  Christopher Heyerdahl, Nelson Leis, Elaine Miles, Marcus Aurelio and Adrian Hein

Tagline: Save who you can save.

The Plot…

2023.  Twenty years ago a pandemic caused by a bizarre easily transmitted fungal infection turned most of the world’s population into mindless mutant killing machines. Society collapsed.

Joel (Pascal) currently lives in a city under military rule.  Joel and his partner Tess (Torv) plan to escape the quarantine zone and head into the wilderness.  Joel’s brother is there somewhere with a group of freedom fighters.  As Joel and Tess make plans for their escape they encounter Marlene (Dandridge).  She can provide them with needed equipment if they will take Ellie (Ramsey) with them.  Ellie is an orphaned fourteen year old with a lot of attitude… and she just may be the key to a cure.

Joel, Tess and Ellie head out.  They will quickly discover the infected aren’t the worst thing they will have to deal with.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The Last of Us is based on the popular video game of the same name.  I’ve never played it and didn’t know the story ahead of seeing the show.

Every episode contains twists, but none as brutal as in the first episode.  It should have been obvious looking at the posters, but I had avoided everything I could in regard to press for the show.  I was gobsmacked by how much I came to care for a character I had never seen before.

It’s interesting how time is played with throughout the series.  The first episode features a scene on a talk show that takes places 30 to 40 years before the start of the pandemic.  A scientist is talking about the dangers to humans that fungi could present with minor changes to the environment.  That was clever.  Each episode features flashbacks to strengthen the present story.

The characters are well cast, well written and well played. Of course not enough can be said about Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey.  They are supported by an amazing supporting cast. Standouts include Anna Torv, Nico Parker, Merle Dandridge, Jeffrey Pierce, Storm Reid, Nick Offerman, Graham Greene and  Elaine Miles.  Some of these characters appear in just one episode or a few scenes in one episode.  The attention to detail in getting the right person in each role, no matter how small pays off.

Joel (Pascal) and Ellie (Ramsey) are the heart and soul of the series.  Yet sometimes the people they meet take center stage. In episode three, titled Long, Long Time, Joel and Ellie become supporting characters, but this chapter remains essential viewing to The Last Of Us story.  Long, Long Time ranks with the best single episode of any continuing drama ever.  With each new outing we learn more about Joel, Ellie and the world they live in.  I wouldn’t want that reality, but I sure love visiting it.

The Last of Us is making the right choices in every department.  I look forward to season two.

The Last of Us: Season 1 (2023) earns 5 of 5 stars.

“Pest Man Wins” (1951) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

Posted on by

Pest Man Wins (1951)

Director:  Jules White

Writer:  Felix Adler

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard, Vernon Dent, Emil Sitka, Symona Boniface, Heinie Conklin, Mary Forbes, Ethelreda Leopold and Al Thompson

Tagline: They’re Their Own Pest Customers – In the Pest Control Business!

The Plot…

Our guys are pest exterminators and they need work.  They get the bright idea to plant ants, mice, spiders, and other bugs in a mansion during a fancy party.  What could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Pest Man Wins is a remake of Ants in the Pantry and uses a small amount of footage from the original.  The concluding pie fight scene borrows from In the Sweet Pie and Pie and Half-Wits Holiday.

Pest Man Wins (1951) rates 3 of 5 stars.