“Annie Hall” starring Woody Allen & Diane Keaton / Z-View

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Annie Hall (1977)

Director: Woody Allen

Screenplay: Woody Allen, Marshall Brickman

Stars: Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Tony Roberts, Carol Kane, Paul Simon, Shelley Duvall, Janet Margolin, Colleen Dewhurst, Hy Anzell, Russell Horton, Dick Cavett, Mark Lenard, John Glover, Bernie Styles, Jeff Goldblum, Shelley Hack, Beverly D’Angelo, Sigourney Weaver, Walter Bernstein and Christopher Walken.

Tagline: A nervous romance.

The Plot…

Alvy Singer (Allen) looks back on his romance with Annie Hall (Keaton) trying to figure out where it went wrong.  There are many possibilities.  Alvy is a twice divorced, middle-aged, Jewish stand-up comedian from New York who over-intellectualizes.  Annie is younger, never married, insecure, WASP from the Midwest who dreams of being a singer.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Annie Hall was nominated for five 1978 Academy Awards and won four…

  • Nominee for Best Actor in a Leading Role – Woody Allen
  • Winner for Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen – Woody Allen, Marshall Brickman
  • Winner for Best Director – Woody Allen
  • Winner for Best Actress in a Leading Role – Diane Keaton
  • Winner for Best Picture – Charles H. Joffe

Sigourney Weaver’s feature film debut in a non-speaking role as Alvy’s date near the end of the movie.  Shelley Hack also made her film debut in Annie Hall in as a “street stranger”.

Alvy’s (Woody Allen’s) sneezing into the cocaine was reportedly an unscripted accident.

With Annie Hall Woody Allen became the first person to give an Oscar nominated performance in a film for which he won Best Director.  Interestingly enough, Annie Hall features Woody Allen’s only Oscar nominated performance and the only film directed by him to win a Best Picture Academy Award.

I liked Annie Hall, but it didn’t resonate with me like the majority of folks who love it.  Your mileage, as always, could vary.

Annie Hall (1977) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“Wages of Fear” aka “Le salaire de la peur” (2024) / Z-View

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Wages of Fear aka Le salaire de la peur (2024)

Director: Julien Leclercq

Screenplay: Henri-Georges Clouzot (based on the motion picture “Le salaire de la peur”); Jérôme Géronimi (based on the motion picture “Le salaire de la peur” co-written by) (as Jean Clouzot); Georges Arnaud (novel); Hamid Hlioua (scenario); Hamid Hlioua (adaptation) & Julien Leclercq

Stars: Franck Gastambide, Alban Lenoir, Sofiane Zermani, Ana Girardot.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

When a remote desert oil well catches fire, the only way to extinguish the blaze is to set off a small explosion that will put it out.  In less than 24 hours the oil well will explode.  If it blows the explosion will be gigantic and kill the local population.

A pair of brothers and a few other mercenaries are paid handsomely to drive two truckloads of highly explosive nitroglycerin to the site.  They’re sending two truckloads, because it is unlikely even one truck will make it.  With two there might be a chance.  Odds against making the journey safely include the speed needed to cover the distance, the rough terrain, bandits and more.

It’s a suicide mission to save a village.  Not all will survive.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Wages of Fear (2024) is a remake of 1953’s Le Salaire de la Peur (The Wages of Fear).  In 1977, William Friedkin brought his version, Sorcerer, to the big screen.  Both the original and Friedkin’s versions are vastly superior to the latest.

Wages of Fear aka Le salaire de la peur (2024) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“All Souls” starring Academy Award® winner Mikey Madison – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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The poster and trailer for All Souls starring Academy Award® winner Mikey Madison are here!

I like the looks of this.  The movie was released in 2023, so I’m going to have to look it up.

All Souls – Watch the trailer now!

Starring Academy Award® winner* Mikey Madison, Gerald Gillum, Samuel Roukin, Mia Love Disnard, and Zach Villa.

Academy Award® winner* Mikey Madison (Anora) and influential rapper Gerald “G-Eazy” Gillum (The Fate of The Furious) star in this exhilarating thriller about a young woman pressured by police to go undercover and infiltrate a local drug cartel. Joining the ranks of young criminal recruits doing dangerous work as confidential informants, River (Madison) vows to save her family and clear her name in this adrenaline-fueled, emotionally charged movie experience.

“Aftermath” (2024) / Z-View

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Aftermath (2024)

Director: Patrick Lussier

Screenplay: Noah Graham Davis

Stars: Dylan Sprouse, Mason Gooding, Megan Stott, Dichen Lachman, Ashley Pynn, Mark Pettograsso, Shahjehan Khan, Joshua Wolf Coleman and Will Lyman.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Eric Daniels (Sprouse), an ex-army ranger and his 16-year old sister Maddie(Stott) are on the Tobin Memorial Bridge in Boston when terrorists take it over.  Now packed with civilian hostages, the well-armed revolutionaries have complete control.  The kill the driver’s of a police armored truck and take the prisoner hostage.

When SWAT tries to move in, a sniper goes to work.  The terrorist use rocket launcher to take out a helicopter.  SWAT moves back to wait for the terrorists demands.

Realizing that they terrorists could be planning to blow the rest of the bridge to make their escape, Daniels begins to take action.  What chance has one man got against a motivated, well-armed military unit?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Aftermath depends on the extensive use of cgi.  Unfortunately the cgi isn’t very good.  The story and acting is just a step above the computer graphics.

Aftermath (2024) rates 2 of 5 stars.

CREEPY Archives Volume 11!

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CREEPY Archives Volume 11 will be released on November 4, 2025.  It will contain 256 pages of horrific fun! Here’s what we get…

GRAVE CONSEQUENCES!

IT’S BOUND TO BE A SCREAM!

Collects issues #51–#54, plus color covers and stories in an affordable paperback format!

Our latest foray into fear reprints some of Warren Publishing‘s first full-color story offerings from the early ’70s and features more of the unique talents that made Creepy so tantalizing and timeless. With a gorgeous cover by Frank Frazetta and stories by comic-book talents Richard Corben, Doug Moench, Budd Lewis, Tom Sutton, and Reed Crandall, this volume is not to be missed!

  Deal me in.  Pre-Orders are available now.

“MobLand” starring Tom Hardy, Helen Mirren & Pierce Brosnan – The Trailer is Here!

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MobLand, the new series starring Tom Hardy, Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan – The Trailer is Here!

Yep, deal me in.

New series streaming March 30 on Paramount+.

Power is up for grabs as the Harrigans and Stevensons, two warring London crime families, clash in a kill-or-be-killed battle that threatens to topple empires and ruin lives. Caught in the crossfire is Harry Da Souza, the street-smart ‘fixer’ as dangerous as he is handsome, who knows too well where loyalties lie when opposing forces collide. As kingdom goes up against kingdom, lines will be crossed – and the only saving grace is a bet-your-life guarantee: family above everything.

“Warfare” written & directed by Ray Mendoza & Alex Garland – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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The poster and first look at Warfare written & directed by Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland.

Deal me in.

Written and directed by Iraq War Veteran Ray Mendoza and Civil War’s Alex Garland, and starring D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Will Poulter, Cosmo Jarvis, Kit Connor, Finn Bennett, Taylor John Smith, Michael Gandolfini, Adain Bradley, Noah Centineo, Evan Holtzman, Henrique Zaga, with Joseph Quinn, and Charles Melton.

WARFARE – In Theaters April 11.

RELEASE DATE: April 11

DIRECTOR: Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland

CAST: D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Will Poulter, Cosmo Jarvis, Kit Connor, Finn Bennett, Taylor John Smith, Michael Gandolfini, Adain Bradley, Noah Centineo, Evan Holtzman, Henrique Zaga, with Joseph Quinn, and Charles Melton.

EERIE Archives Volume 11!

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EERIE Archives Volume 11 will be released on October 7, 2025.  It will contain 264 pages of horrific fun! Here’s what we get…

GRAVE CONSEQUENCES!

LEGENDARY CREATORS OF LEGENDARY TERROR!

Collecting issues #52–#55 of Warren Publishing‘s legendary Eerie horror anthology, this affordable paperback edition features the character Hunter—the deadly demon killer of the future—making an explosive debut.

Esteban Maroto continues his enchanting tales of Dax the Warrior, and Shreck struggles for survival on a dangerous, irradiated alternate world! A run of breathtaking covers by Sanjulian and Ken Kelly and a do-it-yourself Werewolf! board game top off this fine collection of 1970s horror tales!

  Deal me in.  Pre-Orders are available now.

“American Murder: Gabby Petito” (2025) / Z-View

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American Murder: Gabby Petito (2025)

Director: Michael Gasparro, Julia Willoughby Nason (Eps. 1-3)

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

The story that dominated the summer of 2021.  Twenty-two year old Gabby Petito and her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie had been living out of her van as they traveled the west.  Their relationship was often rocky.  Things went way south when Gabby’s parents and friends could no longer contact Gabby.  Days passed with no phone calls or texts.

Then Brian showed up at his parents’ house in the van.  Gabby was not with him.  Brian refused to take any calls or talk to the police.  Same for Brian’s parents.  They had lawyered up and refused to answer any questions.

So the manhunt for Gabby Petito was underway.  It would end terribly.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The disappearance of Gabby Petito dominated the news. Then after her body was found her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie went missing.

A note to Laundrie from his mother said in part to “burn after reading” and “If you need to dispose of a body I will bring show up with a shovel and garbage bags”.

The whole thing played out over the course of weeks and is documented in three well done episodes.

American Murder: Gabby Petito (2025) rates 4 of 5 stars.

SKULL FULL by Anthony Neil Smith / Z-View

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SKULL FULL by Anthony Neil Smith

First sentence…

Cubby sat at the picnic table in the park like always, counting the mosquitos on his arm.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Anthony Neil Smith presents fourteen short stories that are, as he says are “about f*****-up families, f*****-up relationships, f*****-up crimes, and f*****-up f*****ness, and are adorably twisted around a darkly humorous core.”  (And trust me, he doesn’t say “f*****, he says the actual word.  If that offends you, turn back now. )

The tales include…

Cubby – Cubby thought being special was good.  Of course he thought his friends were his friends.  A sad tale of a boy waiting for his mother.

Twenty-Eleven Nissan Something – Rhonda thought her luck was changing.  Her new man didn’t hit her.  Didn’t treat her bad.  He even liked her kids.  Rhonda knew what her man wasn’t.  She didn’t know what he was.

Exit Row Savior – When you fly as much as I do, you know things.  You know that if things go sideways, you want a man who can handle things by the exit.  I’m your guy.

Money on the Table and a Pistol on the Floor – Randy had a weakness.  Wasn’t drugs or gambling.  Nope.  It was women. Randy had three ex-wives and had lost more jobs than you could easily count.  The reason?  Women.  Take his last job for instance.  Fired from Lowe’s for having sex with a nineteen year old while he was on the clock.  She was fired too.  Now she thinks they’re a, well if not a couple, at least a team.  She has a plan for some quick cash.  All it will take his her, Randy and his pistol.

Roadrage – Why is everyone screwing with me.  I’m driving and everyone is trying me.  Well, I have a way to end that.

The Blind Girl – Everyone is a target. Being a sophomore in high school ain’t for the faint-hearted.  Everyone is a target.  Find your group and blend in.  That won’t protect you for sure, but it helps.  Everyone is a target.  Well, almost everyone.  Mess with the wrong person and you might find out.

A Skull Full of Solyanka – I’m getting forgetful.  That could be dangerous in my line of work.

Lady Icarus, Nazi – I’m rich.  And can get you anything you want.  You better believe that.

Must Be Wanderlust – Fay, her pistol and a singer/songwriter.

Sundays in the Workshop with Dad – Chet loved his time in the workshop.  He recognized his son, Jerimiah’s raw talent when the boy was young.  So Chet did what any good dad would do.  He had patience and put in the time so Jerimiah would be come a true craftsman.

Used Panties – Give the people what they want.

Piece of Shit Guitar – A semi-famous, good-for-nothing musician reminisces as he waits for his son to arrive.

+++++

Anthony Neil Smith wasn’t kidding when he described SKULL FULL.  He creates tales that will stick with you.  If you’re all about happy endings, this isn’t for you.  But if you like crime stories that surprise, entertain, and take you to places you’d never want to enter in real life… give it a go.

My favorite stories in this collection are: Twenty-Eleven Nissan Something; Roadrage; Lady Icarus, Nazi; Sundays in the Workshop with Dad and Piece of Shit Guitar.  

Rating:

“Elevation” (2024) starring Anthony Mackie and Morena Baccarin / Z-View

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Elevation (2024)

Director: George Nolfi

Screenplay: John Glenn, Jacob Roman, Kenny Ryan

Stars: Anthony Mackie, Morena Baccarin, Maddie Hasson, Rachel Nicks, Tyler Grey, Ian Hummel and Danny Boyd Jr..

Tagline: Don’t go down without a fight.

The Plot…

Three years ago, armored creatures burrowed to the surface and began wiping out humankind.  The beasts were impervious to our weapons due to the natural protective plates that covered their bodies.  95% of the world’s population was dead within weeks.

Only those who lived or could get to 8,000 feet above sea level survived.  For some reason the creatures wouldn’t go above that level.  Now small villages of survivors live above 8,000 foot elevation line.

When Wil’s son, Hunter (Boyd Jr.) runs low on his breathing medication, Wil (Mackie) knows he’ll have to go to Boulder to get more.  The city is below the 8,000 foot level.  It will almost certainly be a suicide mission.  But if he doesn’t go Hunter will die.

Joining Wil will be Nina (Baccarin), a scientist working to create a bullet strong enough to penetrate the creatures’ armor and Katie (Hasson), a woman tired of hiding above the safety line.

It’s a suicide run to save a child.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Be sure to watch the mid-credits scene which could set-up a sequel.

I love the pre-opening credits set-up and the final scene before the end credits.

Mackie, Baccarin, Hasson were well cast.  I like the trio’s chemistry.

Elevation (2024) rates 3 of 5 stars.