“Prisoners of the Ghostland” starring Nicholas Cage, Sofia Boutella and Bill Mosley / Z-View

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Prisoners of the Ghostland (2021)

Director: Sion Sono

Screenplay: Aaron Hendry, Reza Sixo Safai

Stars: Nicolas Cage, Sofia Boutella, Nick Cassavetes, Bill Moseley, Tak Sakaguchi.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

In an apopalyptic future, a bank robber known as Hero is saved from execution by the Governor of Samurai Town.  Samurai Town is a settlement that is a mixture of Japanese and cowboy cultures.  Outside of Samurai Town lies a barren wilderness known as Ghostland.  Those that live in Ghostland are crazed outcasts who kill intruders.

The Governor offers Hero the option to survive.  All Hero has to do is venture into the wasteland, find the Governor’s grown “granddaughter” (sex slave) who has run away, and safely return her to Samurai Town.  Hero will have five days to complete the mission.

Hero will wear a specially designed suit that contains explosive charges.  Should he violate one of the rules explained by the Governor, a charge will explode.  Should Hero fail to return in five days with the Governor’s “granddaughter” all of the explosives in the suit will detonate.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)… 

When I saw the trailer for Prisoners of the Ghostland, I thought it would be either a fun Escape from New York type movie or something just too weird for me.  Sadly it was the latter.  I tapped out at about 35 minutes when one of Hero’s test-e-quels is blown off.

Not even Sofia Boutella was enough to make me want to continue.

Nicholas Cage has been quoted as saying that Prisoners of the Ghostland “might be the wildest movie I’ve ever made, and that’s saying something.” Indeed.

As always, your mileage may vary.

Prisoners of the Ghostland (2021) rates 1 of 5 stars.

Steven Spielberg’s “Disclosure” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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The Poster and Trailer for Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure are Here!

A film by Steven Spielberg. Disclosure Day is in theaters 06.12.26.

If you found out we weren’t alone, if someone showed you, proved it to you, would that frighten you? This summer, the truth belongs to seven billion people.

We are coming close to … Disclosure Day.

Universal Pictures is proud to release a new original event film created and directed by Steven Spielberg. The film stars SAG winner and Oscar® nominee Emily Blunt (Oppenheimer, A Quiet Place), Emmy and Golden Globe winner Josh O’Connor (Challengers, The Crown), Oscar® winner Colin Firth (The King’s Speech, Kingsman franchise), Eve Hewson (Bad Sisters, The Perfect Couple) and two-time Oscar® nominee Colman Domingo (Sing Sing, Rustin).

Based on a story by Spielberg, the screenplay is by David Koepp, whose previous work with Spielberg includes the scripts for Jurassic Park, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, War of the Worlds and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Combined, those films earned more than $3 billion worldwide. Koepp also wrote the script for this 2025’s Jurassic World Rebirth.

Disclosure Day is produced by five-time Academy Award® nominee Kristie Macosko Krieger (The Fabelmans, West Side Story) and by Spielberg for Amblin Entertainment. The executive producers are Adam Somner and Chris Brigham.

Steven Spielberg is one of the industry’s most successful and influential filmmakers. The top-grossing director of all time, Spielberg has helmed such blockbusters as Jaws, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, the Indiana Jones franchise and Jurassic Park.

Among his myriad honors, he is a three-time Academy Award® winner, including Oscars® for Best Director and Best Picture for Schindler’s List, which received a total of seven Oscars®, and for Best Director for Saving Private Ryan. His most recent film, The Fabelmans, was released by Universal in 2022 and received seven Academy Award® nominations, including for Directing, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actress and Best Picture.

Website: http://disclosuredaymovie.com
Facebook: / disclosuredayfilm
Instagram: / disclosureday
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X: https://x.com/disclosureday
Hashtag: #DisclosureDay

“The Perfect Storm” (2000) directed by Wolfgang Peterson; starring George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg / Z-View

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The Perfect Storm (2000)

Director: Wolfgang Petersen

Screenplay: William D. Wittliff; based on THE PERFECT STORM by Sebastian Junger

Stars: George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, John C. Reilly, Diane Lane, William Fichtner, John Hawkes, Allen Payne, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Karen Allen,
Bob Gunton, Christopher McDonald, Cherry Jones, Rusty Schwimmer, Janet Wright, Dash Mihok, Josh Hopkins and Michael Ironside.

Tagline: In the Fall of 1991, the “Andrea Gail” left Gloucester, Mass. and headed for the fishing grounds of the North Atlantic. Two weeks later, an event took place that had never occurred in recorded history.

The Plot…

Fishing boat Captain Billy Tyne has been on an unlucky streak.  His last several outings have come up short.  Small hauls equals small pay.  Billy and his crew all need more cash.  So when Billy asks them to join him on one last last-season trip, they all agree.

After a short dry spell, the crew hits gold.  They bring in thousands of pounds of fish.  The season has been saved once they get the fish to port and collect the dough.

They might be delayed a bit.  Two massive storms have formed between the ship and port.  The safe thing will be to wait far away until the storm passes.

Then the ship’s ice machine breaks down.

If they wait out the storm, the fish will spoil.  They won’t get a payday.  All the work during the season will be for nothing.  Or… they can head for port and go right through the storms.  It will be risky but they think they can make it.

They have no idea the storms will converge into something no one could have expected.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)… 

None of the fish seen in the film were real.  Because director Wolfgang Peterson was an animal-rights supporter, the fish in the film were either animatronics or rubber.

The Perfect Storm (2000) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Normal” starring Bob Odenkirk, Lena Heady and Henry Winkler – The Teaser Trailer is Here!

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Normal starring Bob Odenkirk, Lena Heady and Henry Winkler – The Teaser Trailer is Here!

In theaters April 17.

The latest collaboration between Bob Odenkirk, JOHN WICK creator Derek Kolstad and NOBODY producer Marc Provissiero, director Ben Wheatley’s (FREE FIRE, HIGH RISE) kinetic neo-Western stars Odenkirk as an unassuming substitute sheriff with a troubled past who, after moving to a small, sleepy town, responds to a bank robbery and unknowingly uncovers something far more explosive.

For Sheriff Ulysses (Odenkirk), his provisional posting to the quaint Midwestern American town of Normal was meant to be a welcome respite from both his marital woes and recent moral injuries in the line of duty. But when a botched bank robbery interrupts the municipality’s tranquil pace, a dark secret is inadvertently exposed, and Ulysses soon discovers that the town is anything but its namesake.

Starring Bob Odenkirk, Lena Heady and Henry Winkler

Directed by Ben Wheatley

RIP: Rob Reiner

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Yesterday Rob Reiner and his wife were found murdered in their Los Angeles home.  They had been killed by an assailant using a knife.  Their son, Nick has been charged for both murders.

Rob Reiner was the child of Estelle and Carl Reiner.  Carl Reiner was an award-winning actor, comedian, author, director and screenwriter.  Over his career Mr. Reiner won numerous awards including 11 Prime Time Emmys, a Grammy, the Mark Twain Prize for Amerian Humor and an induction into the Television Hall of Fame.

Rob Reiner decided to follow in his father’s footsteps.  He began getting acting roles while still in high school.  Juggling his new found acting career with school, Rob Reiner enrolled at the UCLA Film School.  Rob Reiner made several television guest appearances on popular shows of the day including Batman, The Andy Griffith Show and Gomer Pyle.  Rob Reiner also started to appear in feature films.  In 1968, Rob Reiner became one of the writers and actors on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.

Rob Reiner’s breakout role came when he played Mike Stivik on All in the Family.  Over the course of the series Mr. Reiner was nominated for five Emmys (winning two) as well as five Golden Globe nominations.  In 1974, Rob Reiner directed the television movie Sonny Boy while still co-starring in All in the Family.  After All in the Family ended, Rob Reiner was co-creator of the television comedy The Super.  It ran for one season.  Mr. Reiner continued to act in guest roles throughout the 1970s.

In 1981, Rob Reiner returned to directing with the segment Tommy Rispoli: A Man and his Music as part of the television movie Likely Stories: Volume 1.  Mr. Reiner followed that up by directing This is Spinal Tap.  This is Spinal Tap became a huge hit.  Rob Reiner then went on a streak.  The next six films Rob Reiner directed were The Sure Thing, Stand By Me, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, Misery and A Few Good Men.  What a run!

Over the course of his career Rob Reiner continued to act, direct, write and produce.  Some of the Awards he was nominated for and/or received include:

  • 1972 Golden Globe Nominee for Best Supporting Actor – Television – All in the Family
  • 1972 Primetime Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in Comedy –  All in the Family – For playing: “Michael Stivic”.
  • 1973 Golden Globe Nominee for Best Supporting Actor – Television – All in the Family
  • 1973 Primetime Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in Comedy –  All in the Family – For playing: “Michael Stivic”.
  • 1974 Primetime Emmy Winner for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in Comedy –  All in the Family – For playing: “Michael Stivic”.
  • 1974 Golden Globe Nominee for Best Supporting Actor – Television – All in the Family
  • 1975 Primetime Emmy Nominee for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in Comedy –  All in the Family – For playing: “Michael Stivic”.
  • 1976 Golden Globe Nominee for Best Supporting Actor – Television – All in the Family
  • 1977 Golden Globe Nominee for Best Supporting Actor – Television – All in the Family
  • 1978 Primetime Emmy Winner for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in Comedy –  All in the Family – For playing: “Michael Stivic”.
  • 1987 DGA Nominee for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures – Stand by Me
  • 1987 Golden Globe Nominee for Best Director – Motion Picture – Stand by Me
  • 1990 DGA Nominee for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures – When Harry Met Sally…
  • 1990 Golden Globe Nominee for Best Director – Motion Picture – When Harry Met Sally…
  • 1993 Academy Award Nominee for Best Picture – A Few Good Men
  • 1993 DGA Nominee for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures – A Few Good Men
  • 1993 Golden Globe Nominee for Best Director – Motion Picture – A Few Good Men
  • 1993 PGA Nominee for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures – A Few Good Men
  • 1996 Golden Globe Nominee for Best Director – Motion Picture – The American President
  • 1996 PGA Nominee for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures – The American President
  • 1999 Star Awarded on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
  • 2024 PGA Nominee for Outstanding Producer of Non-Fiction Television – Albert Brooks: Defending My Life
  • 2024 Primetime Emmy Nominee for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special – Albert Brooks: Defending My Life
  • 2024 Primetime Emmy Nominee for Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program – Albert Brooks: Defending My Life

Some of the television projects that feature Rob Reiner acting include: Manhunt; Batman; Hey, Landlord (3 episodes); The Andy Griffith Show; That Girl (3 episodes); The Mothers-In-Law; Gomer Pyle (3 episodes); The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (5 episodes); The Beverly Hillbillies (2 episodes); Room 222; The Partridge Family; Getting Together; The Odd Couple; The Rockford Files; Free Country (5 episodes); More Than Friends; All in the Family (184 episodes); Archie Bunker’s Place (2 episodes); Tall Tales & Legends; It’s Gary Shandling’s Show (4 episodes); Morton & Hayes (6 episodes); A Spinal Tap Reunion; The Larry Sanders Show; Frasier; Curb Your Enthusiasm; The Simpsons; Wizards of Waverly Place; 30 Rock; About a Boy; Happyish (2 episodes); The Comedians; When We Rise; New Girl (11 episodes); Hollywood (3 episodes); The Good Fight (2 episodes); Home Movie: The Princess Bride (3 episodes); The Bear (4 episodes) and Conan o’Brien Needs a Friend.

Some feature films that Rob Reiner acted in include: Enter Laughing; The Jerk; This is Spinal Tap; Throw Mama From the Train; Postcards from the Edge; Misery; Sleepless in Seattle; Bullets Over Broadway; The First Wives Club; Primary Colors; The Story of Us; The Wolf of Wall Street and Spinal Tap II: The End Continues.

Some of the television projects that feature Rob Reiner directing include: Sonny Boy; I am Your Child and 8.

Some of the feature films that Rob Reiner directed include: This is Spinal Tap; The Sure Thing; Stand by Me; The Princess Bride; When Harry Met Sally; Misery; A Few Good Men; The American President; Ghosts of Mississippi; The Story of Us; The Bucket List; Flipped; The Magic of Belle Island; LBJ; Albert Brooks: Defending My Life; and Spinal Tap II: The End Continues.

I probably first saw Rob Reiner acting in Batman.  I never missed that show when I was a kid.  Of course, I’m sure I saw Mr. Reiner’s guest appearances on The Andy Griffith Show; That Girl; Gomer Pyle; The Beverly Hillbillies; The Partridge Family and The Rockford Files before I ever saw Rob Reiner in his breakout role on All in the Family.  He was so good as Archie Bunker’s foil.  If the character of Mike Stivik was the only acting role Rob Reiner was known for, it would still make for a great career.

Who could have guessed what a talented director Rob Reiner would become.  I would match his first first seven films (This is Spinal Tap; The Sure Thing; Stand by Me; The Princess Bride; When Harry Met Sally; Misery and A Few Good Men) against any other director’s first seven.

By all accounts Rob Reiner was a gentle, kind, humble man loved by anyone who knew him.  We need more folks with those qualities.

Out thoughts and prayers go out to Rob Reiner’s family, friends and fans.

“The Unholy Trinity” (2024) starring Pierce Brosnan and Samuel L. Jackson / Z-View

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The Unholy Trinity (2024)

Director: Richard Gray

Screenplay: Lee Zachariah

Stars: Pierce Brosnan, Samuel L. Jackson, Q’orianka Kilcher, Ethan Peck, Katrina Bowden,
Tim Daly, Beau Knapp, Cyrus Leisy, Anthony J. Sharpe and David Arquette.

Tagline:  None.

The Plot…

1870.  Isaac Broadway’s last words before being hanged were that he was innocent and framed by Saul Butler.  Only Isaac’s son, Henry believed him.

But it was enough.

Henry heads for the frontier town of Trinity to kill Saul Butler.

Henry and a mysterious man who calls himself Saint Christopher arrive in Trinity.  Henry is there to kill Saul Butler.  St. Christopher is after a treasure chest of gold that was stolen from him.  Their paths will cross with Sheriff Gabriel Dove who just wants to keep the peace.

“Giddy up!”

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)… 

Pierce Brosnan and Samuel L. Jackson elevate this film.

The Unholy Trinity (2024) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Mob War: Philadelphia vs the Mafia” (2025) / Z-View

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Mob War: Philadelphia vs the Mafia (2025)

Director:  Raissa Botterman

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love, became a war zone in the 1990s.  Two rival, mafia families fought for control.  John Stanfa and Joey Merlino were the crime bosses of each.  As the body count rose, the FBI and local cops fought to bring down the crime bosses and their gangs.

This is that story, told by the cops and gangsters that were there.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

If you like gangster movies/shows and true life crime you should enjoy Mob War: Philadelphia vs the Mafia.

The series is worth watching just to hear John Veasey.  Veasey may not be the brightest guy you’d ever meet, but he’s no doubt one of the toughest.  A thief, a tough guy and a killer.  Veasey was shot in the head, stabbed and still overpowered his attempted killer.  Then he got his revenge.

Mob War: Philadelphia vs the Mafia (2025) rates 4 of 5 stars.

RIP: Peter Greene

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It was announced that Peter Greene died yesterday. Mr. Greene was 60.  No cause of death was given.

Peter Greene ran away from home when he was 15.  Mr. Greene didn’t decide on an acting career until he was in his mid-20s.  Peter Greene worked in both television and feature films throughout his career.  His first television appearance was on the series Hardball.  Mr. Greene made his feature film debute in Laws of Gravity.  Peter Greene became best known as a character actor, often playing villains.

Some of the television projects that feature Peter Greene include: Hardball; As the World Turns (2 episodes); Black Cat Run; Law & Order; Dead & Deader; The Black Donnelly’s (13 episodes); Life on Mars (2 episodes); Justified; Hawaii 5-0; Chicago P.D. (2 episodes); Still the King (2 episodes); For Life (9 episodes); The Jersey Connection; The Continental and Dope Thief.

Some of Peter Greene’s feature film appearances include: Laws of Gravity; Clean Shaven; Judgment Night; Pulp Fiction; The Mask; The Usual Suspects; Bang; Under Siege 2: Dark Territory; The Rich Man’s Wife; Blue Streak; Training Day; Scenes of the Crime; Dead Dogs Lie; Under the Influence; The Grasslands; Shanghai Hotel;  Turnabout; City of Lies; Body Brokers and Beggarman.

I first became aware of Peter Greene in Pulp Fiction.  Mr. Greene was such a great villain.  Even in a role with small screen-time, Peter Greene made an impact.  My favorite Peter Greene appearance might be in Justified.  He appeared with Timothy Olyphant in the very first scene which set the tone of the series.  Of course any time Peter Greene appeared on-screen, it brought a smile to my face.  I just knew that his character was up to something.

Out thoughts and prayers go out to Peter Greene’s family, friends and fans.