Marco Finnegan’s CALAVERA P.I. is Coming!

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Marco Finnegan’s Calavera, PI is dropping on September 9th.  Let me drop a dime…

In 1925, Juan Calavera died a hero. After a career spent outside the law defending the Chicano barrios where the police refused to operate, he earned a reputation for fearlessness . . . and a gunshot in the stomach. Now, five years later, on Día de los Muertos, his restless spirit has been summoned from the grave to help a desperate former colleague unravel a kidnapping all too close to home. With only days to solve the case before he is called back to the underworld, can Calavera reveal the identity of the masked human trafficker known as La Fantasma before tragedy strikes again . . . and solve the mystery of his own murder in the process?

From the desk of rising star Marco Finnegan (Morning Star, Night People), walk the shadow-shrouded alleys of Hollywoodland to solve the mystery of Calavera—a newly resurrected private investigator whose first case is about to straddle the blood-soaked boundaries between the living and the dead!

Preorders are available now.

“Dawn of the Dead” (2002) directed by Zack Snyder / Z-View

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Dawn of the Dead (2002)

Director:  Zack Snyder

Screenplay:  James Gunn; based on Dawn of the Dead by George A. Romero

Stars: Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, Mekhi Phifer, Jake Weber, Ty Burrell, Michael Kelly, Kevin Zegers, Lindy Booth, Jayne Eastwood, Boyd Banks, Inna Korobkina, Louis Ferreira, Bruce Bohne, Scott H. Reiniger, Tom Savini, Ken Foree and Matt Frewer.

Tagline: When there’s no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth.

The Plot…

At the onset of a zombie apocalypse a group of diverse strangers take refuge in a mall.  In the group is a nurse, a cop, a married couple with a baby on the way, a tv salesman, a rich jerk and three mall security guards.  As the zombie horde outside the mall tensions rise.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

This is Zack Snyder’s feature film debut.  He hit a homerun with his first at bat.

The introduction of the zombie apocalypse from Anna’s viewpoint is genius.  Escaping from the zombie in her house in the early morning to seeing helicopters, neighbors getting attacked, and then driving away from the madness into more chaos is perfect.

When Ana is driving down a highway there is a nod/Easter egg to Night of the Living Dead.  A truck crashes into a gas station/diner causing a big explosion.  In Night of the Living Dead Ben says he was in diner parking lot when a truck crashed into the gas pumps.

Ken Foree, Scott H. Reiniger and Tom Savini appeared in the original Dawn of the Dead and have cameos in this one.  One of the stores in the mall is named “Gaylen Ross”. Gaylen Ross was one of the stars of the original film.

Zack Snyder plays the last zombie seen at the end of the opening credits.

Scott Frank (Get Shorty) and Michael Tolkin (The Player) did uncredited work on the screenplay.

Be sure to watch through the credits!

Dawn of the Dead (2002) rates 5 of 5 stars

THE ESSENTIAL HORROR by Joe R. Lansdale is Coming!

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Any time Joe R. Lansdale has a new book out, it is cause to celebrate.  Get the streamers ready!  On October 7, 2025, THE ESSENTIAL HORROR drops.  Here’s the lowdown…

Joe R. Lansdale is known for his gritty mysteries (the Hap and Leonard series) and his eccentric horror (Bubba Ho-tep), for which he has won ten Bram Stoker Awards. He is also cited by many of horror’s most acclaimed writers as a huge influence upon them: Stephen Graham Jones, Josh Malerman, Gabino Iglesias, Brian Keene, and Joe Hill, who contributes an original introduction to this collection.

Lansdale’s horror stories mash up crime, Southern Gothic, fantasy, and science fiction, filtered through a raw, violent world of dark humor and unique characters. He was one of the first horror writers to portray American racism not as abstract or impersonal, but as realistic, intimate, in-your-face, and impossible to ignore.

In Lansdale’s nightmarish visions, discover psychotic demon nuns, a god fueled by hatred, a psychopathic preacher, a weed-eater wielding blind man, cannibals, 80-year-old Elvis, undead strippers, flying ghost fish, elder gods, possessed cars, and the worst evil of all: man.

Preorders are available now.

“Sisu” (2022) written & directed by Jalmari Helander, starring Jorma Tommila / Z-View

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Sisu (2022)

Director:  Jalmari Helander

Screenplay:  Jalmari Helander

Stars: Jorma Tommila, Aksel Hennie, Jack Doolan, Mimosa Willamo.

Tagline: Vengeance is golden.

The Plot…

World War II is in its last days.  Aatami Korpi lives a solitary life panning for gold in the wilderness.  Although a decorated vet who earned the nickname “the Immortal” because of suicide missions where he took out scores of enemy soldiers, Aatami is done with war.  Aatami’s entire family was killed while he was on an assignment.  Now he just wants to be left alone.

Aatami’s luck changes when he hits a vein of gold.  He fills two saddlebags full and heads for the nearest town.  Still in the wilderness, he encounters a platoon of Nazis.  They are heading back to the fatherland with scorched-earth orders.  When the Nazis discover Aatami has gold they decide to steal it.

Big mistake.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Sisu is a lean mean action film that would be at home in the 80s.

Sisu (2022) rates 4 of 5 stars

“Unit 234” starring Don Johnson, Isabelle Fuhrman and Jack Huston – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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Here’s a new trailer for Unit 234 starring Don Johnson, Isabelle Fuhrman and Jack Huston.  It looks like fun.

Deal me in.

US Release Date: May 9, 2025
Starring: Don Johnson, Isabelle Fuhrman, Jack Huston
Director: Andy Tennant
Synopsis: After the discovery of an unconscious man in a locked unit, the lone employee of a remote storage facility must fight to survive the night.

“Chicago Confidential” (1957) starring Brian Keith / Z-View

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Chicago Confidential (1957)

Director:  Sidney Salkow

Screenplay:  Bernard Gordon, based on CHICAGO: CONFIDENTIAL! by Raymond T. Marcus

Stars: Brian Keith, Beverly Garland, Dick Foran, Douglas Kennedy, Paul Langton, Gavin Gordon, Buddy Lewis, Anthony George and Elisha Cook Jr..

Tagline: Rough, Real…and RAW!

The Plot…

When Artie Blaine, a union official, can’t be bribed, mobsters set him up as a patsy for murder.  District Attorney Jim Fremont knows a conviction will help him in his quest to become Governor.  The evidence is there and Fremont gets the murder conviction.

After the trial Fremont begins to have doubts.  His search for evidence to clear Blaine makes him a target for the mob.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

A low budget crime tale with Brian Keith (an underrated actor) and Elisha Cook, Jr.!

Chicago Confidential (1957) rates 3 of 5 stars

“5 Minutes to Live” aka “Door-to-Door Maniac” (1961) starring Johnny Cash & Vic Tayback / Z-View

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5 Minutes to Live aka Door-to-Door Maniac (1961)

Director:  Bill Karn

Screenplay:  Cay Forrester

Stars: Johnny Cash, Donald Woods, Cay Forester, Midge Ware, Merle Travis, Vic Tayback, Norma Varden, Hanna Landy, Howard Wright and Ron Howard.

Tagline: Introducing JOHNNY CASH, America’s top-recording star, as a lusty, romantic, guitar singing powerhouse

The Plot…

Fred Dorella and cold-blooded killer Johnny Cabot have a fool-proof way to rob a bank.  Johnny will take the bank Vice-president’s wife, Nancy hostage.  If the bank’s VP gives Fred $70k, Fred will call Johnny who will release Nancy.  If the bank’s VP doesn’t turn over the cash, Fred will call Johnny who will kill Nancy.

What Fred and Johnny didn’t count on, is the bank’s VP having an affair.  If the crooks kill his wife, he’ll be free!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

5 Minutes to Live was rereleased in 1966 as Door-to-Door Maniac.

Cay Forester, the female lead, wrote the screenplay.

Johnny Cash (in his film debut) teamed with Vic Tayback (of the television comedy Alice fame) as the bank robbers.  Ronnie Howard who played Opie on The Andy Griffith Show plays the son of bank vice president.

If you enjoy low budget crime thrillers, then give 5 Minutes to Live a shot.

5 Minutes to Live aka Door-to-Door Maniac (1961) rates 3 of 5 stars

“Havok” directed by Gareth Evans, starring Tom Hardy, Jesse Mei Li, Timothy Olyphant & Forest Whitaker – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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We have the poster and trailer for Havok directed by Gareth Evans, starring Tom Hardy, Jesse Mei Li, Timothy Olyphant, Forest Whitaker.  Man, oh man, does this thing kick ass?

Deal me in.

No law, only disorder.

When a drug heist swerves lethally out of control, a jaded cop fights his way through a corrupt city’s criminal underworld to save a politician’s son.

Watch HAVOC, coming to Netflix on April 25.

Who’s Going With Me to MURDEROPOLIS?

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Anthony Neil Smith has a new novel that just dropped.  It’s called MURDEROPOLIS  and it sounds like a banger! (That shouldn’t be a surprise if you’ve read Smith’s stuff — he always entertains.)  Here’s the lowdown…

Drug dealer Morris and his gangbangers terrorize the halls of the drug-scarred Northside High School. That is until Roble Engstrom, a struggling Somali-American teacher and family man, joins forces with an old-school coach, dubbed as “Captain Karate”. The pair embark on a relentless mission to rid the school and students of the increasing drug problem. The unlikely duo step up their vigilante mission when Morris’ heroin kills one of their students.

Roble and the coach soon learn that Morris is just a pawn in a much more dangerous game. Up and coming gang leader of the Shifta Murder Squad, Sharmarke learns of the teachers meddling in his business, he will stop at nothing to climb his way to the top. Aided by a corrupt gang squad cop, Mika Feist, Sharmarke embarks on a violent campaign to eliminate everyone who stands in his way.

But how corrupt can one cop be? Can two teachers really take on a gang of murderous and ruthless teens playing gangster? And at what point do those who pledge their allegiance to Sharmarke turn against one of their own?

Welcome to Murderapolis!

“Reacher”: Season 3 (2025) starring Alan Ritchson, Maria Sten and Sonya Cassidy / Z-View

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Reacher: Season 3 (2025)

Directors: Sam Hill (Eps.1 – 2); Omar Madha (Eps. 3 – 4); Carol Banker (Eps. 5 – 6); Julian Holmes (Eps.7 – 8)

Teleplay: Nick Santora (Showrunner, Executive Producer, Writer – Ep. 1); Scott Sullivan (Ep. 2, 5, 8); Penny Cox (Ep. 3); Cait Duffy (Ep. 4); Cait Duffy & Michael J. Gutierrez (Ep. 6); Penny Cox & Lillian Wang (Ep. 7)

Starring: Alan Ritchson, Maria Sten, Sonya Cassidy, Johnny Berchtold, Brian Tee, Anthony Michael Hall, Daniel David Stewart, Ronnie Rowe, Caitlin McNerney, Simon Northwood, Manuel Rodriguez-Saenz, Milton Barnes, Mick Betancourt, Jim Annan, Andreas Apergis, Sebastian MacLean, Aleks Paunovic, Drew Nelson, Greg Bryk, Anousha Alamian, Stephen Bogaert and Olivier Richters.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Jack Reacher, an ex-Military Police Investigator, stops the kidnapping of Zachary Beck’s teenage son, Richard.  Beck’s business is a front for illegal gun sales.  Reacher brings Richard back to his father’s ocean-side mansion. After some questions and a quick background check, Beck offers Reacher a job.  This upsets Paulie, Beck’s giant security lead.  Reacher and Paulie take an instant dislike to each other.

Reacher doesn’t care about Beck’s illegal activities as much as getting to Beck’s boss, Quinn.  Years ago, Reacher killed Quinn (or so he thought) after Quinn killed one of Reacher’s friends.  Now Reacher plans to make sure Quinn is dead after he puts a bullet in his head.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I was glad to see Frances Neagley played by Maria Sten brought back for season three.  I’m glad she’s getting her own show.

The anticipated fight between Reacher and the giant Paulie is well worth the wait.

Reacher: Season 3 is the best one yet.  Bring on Season 4.