“The Amateur” starring Rami Malek & Laurence Fishburne – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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The poster and trailer for The Amateur starring Rami Malek and Laurence Fishburne is here!  I was also glad to see Jon Bernthal and Holt McCallany listed in the credits.

Deal me in!

Watch the trailer for #TheAmateur starring Oscar® winner Rami Malek (“Bohemian Rhapsody”) and Academy Award® nominee Laurence Fishburne (“What’s Love Got to Do with It”). The all-new espionage thriller opens in theaters nationwide April 11, 2025.

Charlie Heller (Malek) is a brilliant, but deeply introverted decoder for the CIA working out of a basement office at headquarters in Langley whose life is turned upside down when his wife is killed in a London terrorist attack. When his supervisors refuse to take action, he takes matters into his own hands, embarking on a dangerous trek across the globe to track down those responsible, his intelligence serving as the ultimate weapon for eluding his pursuers and achieving his revenge.

The film also stars Rachel Brosnahan, Caitríona Balfe, Jon Bernthal, Michael Stuhlbarg, Holt McCallany, Julianne Nicholson, Adrian Martinez, Danny Sapani, and Laurence Fishburne.

“The Amateur” is directed by James Hawes. The screenplay is by Ken Nolan and Gary Spinelli based on the novel by Robert Littell. The film is produced by Hutch Parker, p.g.a., Dan Wilson, p.g.a., Rami Malek, Joel B. Michaels, with JJ Hook serving as executive producer.

“Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End” (2024) / Z-View

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Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End (2024)

Director: Carles Torrens

Screenplay: Ángel Agudo based on Apocalipsis Z 1. El principio del fin by Manel Loureiro

Stars: Francisco Ortiz.

Tagline:  None.

The Plot…

A year has passed since Manel’s wife was killed in a terrible car crash.  Manel lives alone with just the cat he and his wife shared.  Manel’s only family, his sister, her husband and his niece live in another city.

When a zombie outbreak begins spreading across the continent, Manel’s sister’s family is evacuated to the Canary Islands.  Manel decides to hunker down in place.  But when his supplies dwindle, Manel is forced to take his cat and venture out.  He hopes to find a way to the Canary Islands where (he hopes) safety awaits.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End is based on the first book in a trilogy of novels by Manel Loureiro.

This is more of a character study that all out horror film.

Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End (2024) rates 2 of 5 stars.

A DANGEROUS MAN by J. L. Engel

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A DANGEROUS MAN by J. L. Engel just came to my attention and has gone on to my to-be-purchased list.  The novel currently has a 4.9 / 5 rating on both Amazon and Good Reads.  It hardly gets better than that.  Here’s the lowdown…

A DANGEROUS MAN
His crusade of retribution has freed countless trafficking victims from captivity, sweeping across the United States like a storm, and leaving a bloody path of destruction in his wake.
Who is he?
He was a father, a husband, and a former government operative who lost everything he cared for to a merciless Russian crime syndicate. And he’s arrived in Boston to bring his odyssey of vengeance to a close.
Can he be stopped?
Pursuing him is a relentless FBI agent with more at stake than enforcing the law, a hard-boiled detective suspicious of every piece of the puzzle, and a pair of cunning twin assassins who might rival his skill.
At what cost?
They’ll risk everything being drawn into the chaos of one man’s war for justice. Motives will be questioned, loyalties will be tested, and no one will come out unscathed – if at all.

Source: The Bearded Book Beast

“Body Double” (1984) directed by Brian DePalma, starring Craig Wasson, Melanie Griffith & Gregg Henry / Z-View

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Body Double (1984)

Director: Brian De Palma

Screenplay: Brian De Palma, Robert J. Avrech story by Brian De Palma

Stars: Craig Wasson, Melanie Griffith, Gregg Henry, Deborah Shelton, Al Israel, Douglas Warhit, Russ Marin, Lane Davies, Larry Flash Jenkins, Monte Landis, Brinke Stevens, Steven Bauer and Dennis Franz.

Tagline:  You can’t believe everything you see.

The Plot…

Jack Scully (Wasson) is a struggling actor going through a rough patch.  He just lost his role in a low-budget horror film.  He came home to catch his girlfriend in bed with someone else.  Jack needs a new place to live until things get back on track.

Things are looking up when Sam Bouchard (Henry), an actor Jack met at auditions, offers a place to stay.  Sam’s rich friend needs a house-sitter.  Sam shows Jack the place.  It’s in an upscale neighborhood.  Very modern.  Plus, there’s a bonus.  Every night at a specific time, a lady neighbor does a strip tease as she changes into night clothes.  She’s easy to watch through the telescope focused on her window. Jack is skeptical until he sees for himself.  She’s beautiful.

Jack agrees to house sit.  Watching the woman across the way becomes a nightly activity.  He’s becoming obsessed with her.  Then one night Jack sees a scary looking hombre across the way, also watching the woman strip.

Jack wants to warn her.  But how can he without making himself look like a creeper?  The next night as he’s watching her, Jack sees the scary man hiding in her apartment.  He races over to warn her, but is too late.  Jack finds her murdered.

And that makes him the key suspect.  Jack begins to suspect he was set up.

He was.  But NOT to be the murderer.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Body Double is a love letter to the films of Alfred Hitchcock. Brian De Palma and Robert J. Avrech are both fans of Hitch.  They screened Vertigo and Rear Window for inspiration.

Deborah Shelton’s voice was dubbed by actress Helen Shaver.

Melanie Griffith was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for this film for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture.

Body Double is a fun ride.

Body Double (1984) rates 4 of 5 stars.

THE SWITCHBLADE SVENGALI by Coy Hall!

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THE SWITCHBLADE SVENGALI by Coy Hall is coming out this month.  It’s the second Royce Pembrook thriller.  The first, A SÉANCE FOR WICKED KING DEATH received my highest recommendation.  That makes THE SWITCHBLADE SVENGALI an immediate purchase.  Here’s the lowdown…

When the bell tolls midnight, it’ll be 1968.Royce Pembrook is living well in a new city, with new patrons, a new name, and a new trade. But he’s the same scam artist he’s been for thirty years. Since youth, Royce has made his money and found trouble in fraudulent séances that prey on the grieving widows of high society.

Now he’s expanded his con, posing as a hypnotist, a Svengali, swindling everyone in Phoenix from scions of old wealth to a UFO cult led by a heroin-addicted visionary.  Life is good. Royce has the luxury he craves.

And that’s when trouble out of the past creeps into his world. Even in the domain of fake spirits, the relentless specter of murder is real, and Royce’s former life is one thing that won’t stay in the grave. When the bell tolls midnight for Royce Pembrook, will it be time to abscond? Or will he fight to keep all that he’s gained, no matter the violent cost to those around him?

What folks are saying…

  • “When the cornered lamb realizes he’s always been a wolf …” – M.E. Proctor, author of Love You Till Tuesday
  • “This is a man out of time and control. Royce’s facade is degrading and the violent man within is wrestling back control. A fascinating character study.” – Adam Hulse, author of Below Economic Thresholds
  • “Coy Hall’s The Switchblade Svengali captivates with a tale of long-con mediumship, bludgeonings and a UFO cult! A precise meld of elegance and blood curdle.” – Ilyn Welch, author of Bad Makes Bad
  • “Royce Pembrook is up to his old spook show tricks, this time at the height of the 1960s counterculture movement. But the ghosts he conjures aren’t the only things haunting these pages-his past has caught up to him too, threatening to derail everything he’s built since the harrowing events of A Séance for Wicked King Death. Vengeful women, gullible marks, and UFO cultists make this book impossible to put down. Coy Hall’s Switchblade Svengali is so good, I wouldn’t be surprised if the dead crossed from the other side just to read it.” – C.W. Blackwell, author of Hard Mountain Clay
  • “Very happy to report that this is a sequel that’s even better than the first book.” – Regan MacArthur, author of One Lash to Kill

Preoders are available now.

“Grotesquerie”: Season 1 (2024) starring Niecy Nash / Z-View

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Grotesquerie: Season 1 (2024)

Created by: Ryan Murphy, Jon Robin Baitz, Joe Baken

Director: Max Winkler (Eps. 1-2; 5-7); Ryan Murphy (Ep. 3); Alexis Martin Woodall  (Eps. 4; 9-10;); Elegance Bratton (Ep. 8)

Teleplay: Ryan Murphy & Jon Robin Baitz & Joe Baken (Eps. 1-10)

Stars: Niecy Nash, Courtney B. Vance, Nicholas Alexander Chavez, Micaela Diamond, Raven Goodwin, Lesley Manville, Joshua Bitton, Jay Alan Christianson and Brooke Smith.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

A serial killer is murdering multiple people at a time.  The killer then poses the bodies into elaborate scenes.  Detective Lois Tryon (Nash) is assigned the case.  Lois’ plate is already full.  She’s drinking too much.  Her husband remains hospitalized in a coma.  Lois and her daughter’s relationship is strained and not getting better.

When the killer strikes again, Lois is introduced to Sister Megan Duval (Diamond).  Sister Megan sees religious symbolism that the killer leaves behind.  Her insights into the case are helpful.  Lois brings Sister Megan on board.

As Lois works the case she begins to sense that something isn’t right.

And, boy, is she correct.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Grotesquerie: Season 1 starts off well enough.  A brutal serial killer that murders multiple victims each time out.  A detective who drinks too much and has family problems.  An unconventional nun who may provide the key to the investigation.  This is a great combination for a fun/creepy/scary tale.  The actors are excellent.  The direction is as well done.

But… (You could feel that coming, couldn’t ya?)

As the series progresses we get the feeling that something is off kilter.  Then so does Detective Lois Tryon.  We are both proved right.  Ok, things to a turn but this can work as long as the writers stick the ending.

They don’t.  The ending didn’t resonate with me.  While this ending could lead into a season two (that we may or may not get), it leaves me dissatisfied.  I’m glad I took the journey, but the trip was more fun than the destination.

Grotesquerie: Season 1 (2024) rates 3 of 5 stars.

POSTCARD FROM HELL by Rex Dancer

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POSTCARD FROM HELL by Rex Dancer

First sentence…

It was the slowest, deadest part of the night, when time itself was barely moving, and Andre Derain was wide awake – again.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Andy Derain was once a famous New York City fashion photographer.  Fame is fleeting.  And so was Andy.  He fled to New Orleans.

Now Andy is getting by with whatever photo gigs he can get.  Even if it means selling pics from time to time to a sleazy tabloid.  When Andy gets called to a potential crime scene, he takes photos.  Turns out the dead man is Crayfish Joe Coquin’s son.  Crayfish Joe is much more dangerous than his name implies.  It’s a risk, but Andy needs the money.  He sells the pics to the sleaze rag.

About the same time that Andy learns the gangster is looking for him, Andy gets a postcard from Astrid Montebello.  Astrid was a model Andy worked with and cared for.  Astrid is in the Caymen Islands. She may be in trouble.  When Andy gives her a call, there is no answer.

With Crayfish Joe and his goons closing in, Andy decides a trip to the Caymen Islands is just what the doctor ordered.  He will hang with Astrid until Crayfish cools down.

Only problem is, Astrid is nowhere to be found.  And Andy now has the attention of drug dealers and the F.B.I.   Andy is in way over his head.

And Crayfish Joe is waiting in New Orleans if Andy survives.

Rating:

“My Forbidden Past” (1951) starring Robert Mitchum & Ava Gardner / Z-View

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My Forbidden Past (1951)

Director: Robert Stevenson

Screenplay: Marion Parsonnet, Leopold Atlas (adaptation) based on CARRIAGE ENTRANCE by Polan Banks

Stars: Robert Mitchum, Ava Gardner, Melvyn Douglas, Lucile Watson, Janis Carter, Gordon Oliver, Steve Carruthers and Will Wright.

Tagline:  SHE’s the kind of woman that made NEW ORLEANS famous!

The Plot…

Dr. Mark Lucas (Mitchum) and Barbara Beaurevel (Gardner) are in love.  They plan to elope on the ship Mark is taking to South America. They plan to meet at the ship.  When Barbara is unable to leave, she gives a note to her cousin to take to Mark.  The cousin doesn’t deliver the message, but acts as though he did.

When Mark returns from South America, Barbara is excited to greet him.  She’s shocked when Mark introduces his wife!  Mark, thinking Barbara left him, married a beautiful woman.  Mark comes to learn that Barbara still loves him.  What Mark doesn’t know is his wife, married him for his money.

When Mark’s wife is found murdered, Mark is the #1 suspect.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

My Forbidden Past is a strange mix.  There’s a murder, but there is no mystery to who did it.  There’s a love triangle, but it’s pretty tame.  Mark is set up for the murder, but at pre-trial he’s proven innocent.  Fade out.

My Forbidden Past (1951) rates 2 of 5 stars.