“House of Usher” aka “The Fall of the House of Usher” (1960) directed by Roger Corman, written by Richard Matheson, starring Vincent Price / Z-View

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House of Usher aka The Fall of the House of Usher (1960) 

Director: Roger Corman

Screenplay: Richard Matheson based on “The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe

Stars: Vincent Price, Mark Damon, Myrna Fahey and Harry Ellerbe.

Tagline: He buried her alive… to save his soul!

The Plot…

Philip Winthrop (Damon) travels to the remote Usher estate.  Philip intends to leave with his fiancée Madeline Usher (Fahey) so they can be married.  Madeline’s brother Roderick (Price) warns Philip that the Usher bloodline is cursed.  All of the Usher ancestors went mad and committed evil deeds.  Roderick wants the Usher bloodline to end.  If Philip and Madeline marry, Roderick feels that the curse will continue.

Both Philip and Roderick are determined to have their way… only one will.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Prior to House of Usher, American International Pictures (AIP) focused on low budget black and white films destined to be second (or third) features at drive-ins.  The demand for these type of films was in decline so AIP rolled the dice.  House of Usher was given a higher budget and made in color.  The gamble paid off.

House of Usher was the first of eight films based on Edgar Allan Poe short stories directed by Roger Corman.

House of Usher aka The Fall of the House of Usher (1960) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“Bad Monkey” starring Vince Vaughn – The Trailer is Here!

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Here’s the trailer for Bad Monkey starring Vince Vaughn.  I like the looks of this one.

Welcome to the shady side of paradise where Vince Vaughn has a long list of unusual suspects. Bad Monkey premieres August 12 on Apple TV+ https://apple.co/_BadMonkey

Based on Carl Hiaasen’s New York Times bestselling novel and enduring cult favorite, BAD MONKEY tells the story of Andrew Yancy (Vaughn), who has been bounced from the Miami Police Department and is now a health inspector in the Keys. But after stumbling upon a case that begins with a human arm fished up by tourists, he realizes that if he can prove murder, he’ll be back in. He just needs to get past a trove of Floridian oddballs and one bad monkey.

The ensemble cast also includes L. Scott Caldwell (“The Fugitive”), Rob Delaney (“Catastrophe”), Meredith Hagner (“Search Party”), Natalie Martinez (“La Promesa del Retorno”), Alex Moffat (“Saturday Night Live,” “Holidate”), Michelle Monaghan (“Gone Baby Gone”), Ronald Peet (“First Reformed”), Jodie Turner-Smith (“Queen & Slim”), with special guest star John Ortiz (“American Fiction”) and guest stars Zach Braff (“Scrubs”), Ashley Nicole Black (“Ted Lasso”), Scott Glenn (“The Leftovers”) and Charlotte Lawrence in her television debut.

Hailing from Warner Bros. Television, “Bad Monkey” is developed by executive producer and showrunner Bill Lawrence through his Doozer Productions. Jeff Ingold, Matt Tarses (“Scrubs”), Marcos Siega, Vaughn and Liza Katzer are also executive producers.

Song: “Baby Did A Bad Thing” by Chris Isaak https://apple.co/BabyDidABadThing

“1917” (2019) directed by Sam Mendes / Z-View

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1917 (2019) 

Director: Sam Mendes

Screenplay: Sam Mendes, Krysty Wilson-Cairns

Stars: Dean-Charles Chapman, George MacKay, Daniel Mays, Colin Firth, Andy Apollo, Billy Postlethwaite, Gabriel Akuwudike, Andrew Scott, Robert Maaser, Benedict Cumberbatch and Mark Strong.

Tagline: Time is the enemy.

The Plot…

The year is 1917.  World War I rages.  Officers on the British front lines are surprised to see German troops withdrawing.  The British mistakenly believe that the Huns are retreating.  They’re not.  What the Germans are actually doing is a systematic extraction.  They want the British to believe that they’re on the run.  They know the British will believe the time to attack is now.  What the British on the front don’t realize is they’re being tricked into running headlong into a trap.

British officers away from the front get aerial evidence of the trap.  Unfortunately communication to the front is down.  Two young British corporals are selected to slip behind enemy lines with orders to the British officers stand down.  Time is of the essence.  The errand is a suicide mission, but if the message isn’t delivered, thousands of British soldiers will be massacred.

Time is ticking…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

1917 was nominated for ten Academy Awards, winning three

  • winner Best Achievement in Cinematography – Roger Deakins
  • winner Best Achievement in Visual Effects – Guillaume Rocheron, Greg Butler, Dominic Tuohy
  • winner Best Achievement in Sound Mixing – Mark Taylor, Stuart Wilson
  • nominee Best Motion Picture of the Year
  • nominee Best Achievement in Directing – Sam Mendes
  • nominee Best Original Screenplay – Sam Mendes, Krysty Wilson-Cairns
  • nominee Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling – Naomi Donne, Tristan Versluis, Rebecca Cole
  • nominee Best Achievement in Production Design – Dennis Gassner, Lee Sandales
  • nominee Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score) – Thomas Newman
  • nominee Best Achievement in Sound Editing – Oliver Tarney, Rachael Tate

Sam Mendes and his editor, Lee Smith worked together to make the film appear as if it was shot in one continuous take.  It works.

1917 is based on director Sam Mendes’ grandfather’s experiences in World War I.  The film is dedicated to Mendes’ grandfather.

1917 (2019)  rates 4 of 5 stars.

“Highlander” starring Henry Cavill – The Teaser Poster!

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I saw the original Highlander film when it was first released.  I became an immediate fan.

The sequel, Highlander II: The Quickening was on my must-see list.  What a let down.

I avoided the other Highlander sequels and television series.  I had decided “there can be only one”.

That might change with the Highlander reboot.  I’m a fan of director Chad Stahelski.  Henry Cavill is an excellent choice to take on the Christopher Lambert role.  Ryan J. (House of the Dragon) Condal and Michael (Predators; John Wick: Chapter 4) are working on the screenplay.  And the advance teaser poster ain’t bad either.

Source: Ash.

“Lonesome Dove” (1989) starring Robert Duvall & Tommy Lee Jones / Z-View

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Lonesome Dove (1989) 

Director: Simon Wincer

Teleplay: William D. Wittliff based on LONESOME DOVE by Larry McMurtry

Stars: Robert Duvall, Tommy Lee Jones, Danny Glover, Diane Lane, Robert Urich, Frederic Forrest, D.B. Sweeney, Ricky Schroder, Anjelica Huston, Chris Cooper, Timothy Scott, Glenne Headly, Barry Corbin, William Sanderson, Barry Tubb, Gavan O’Herlihy, Frederick Coffin, Lanny Flaherty, David Carpenter, James Terry McIlvain, Sonny Carl Davis, Nina Siemaszko and Steve Buscemi.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Augustus “Gus” McCrae (Duvall) and Woodrow Call (Jones) are legendary Texas Rangers.  But their legends were made years ago.  Now they live quiet lives running a tiny ranch outside the small town of Lonesome Dove. Joshua Deets (Glover) and Pea Eye Parker (Scott), men that rode with them in their Ranger days, help with the ranch.  Also assisting is Newt Dobbs (Schroder), a young man Gus and Woodrow took in when Newt’s prostitute mother died years ago.

Gus and Woodrow couldn’t be more different.  Gus loves life, women, gambling and fun.  Woodrow is a workaholic who seldom laughs. Despite these disparities, Gus and Woodrow couldn’t be better friends.  And they both miss their wild days as Rangers.  When a friend passing through tells them about the beauty and opportunities in Montana, it isn’t long before Woodrow dreams of one last adventure.

Woodrow wants to drive a huge heard of cattle to Montana.  There they’ll start a big ranch in pristine country.  Gus surprisingly has a practical attitude.  They’re no longer young bucks.  They’re not cattlemen.  The territory is wild and full of hostile Indians.  Woodrow holds firm.  The more Gus thinks about it, the more he likes the idea of one last hurrah.

Gus and Woodrow are joined by Deets, Pea, Newt, and a few folks from town who decide to join the cattle drive.  They’ll face inhospitable land, drought, cattle thieves, Indian war parties and challenges they never dreamed of.  Not everyone will survive.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Lonesome Dove was nominated for 19 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning seven

  • winner Outstanding Achievement in Casting for a Miniseries or a Special
  • winner Outstanding Achievement in Makeup for a Miniseries or a Special
  • winner Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition for a Miniseries or a Special (Dramatic Underscore) 
  • winner Outstanding Costume Design for a Miniseries or a Special
  • winner Outstanding Directing in a Miniseries or a Special 
  • winner Outstanding Sound Editing for a Miniseries or a Special
  • winner Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Miniseries or a Special

Larry McMurtry originally wrote a feature film screenplay. His dream cast was John Wayne (Woodrow), Jimmy Stewart (Gus) and Henry Fonda (Spoon).  I think McMurtry was lucky that it wasn’t made.  The story is big and features a huge cast.  It needed the extra time that the mini-series provided.

Lonesome Dove features such a strong cast and no matter who he was paired with Robert Duvall owned the scene.

Lonesome Dove (1989)  rates 5 of 5 stars.

“Another 48 Hrs.” (1990) directed by Walter Hill, starring Eddie Murphy & Nick Nolte / Z-View 

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Another 48 Hrs. (1990) 

Director: Walter Hill

Screenplay: John Fasano, Jeb Stuart, Larry Gross; story by Fred Braughton; based on characters by Roger Spottiswoode, Walter Hill, Larry Gross. Steven E. de Souza

Stars: Eddie Murphy, Nick Nolte, Brion James, Kevin Tighe, Ed O’Ross, David Anthony Marshall, Andrew Divoff, Bernie Casey, Ted Markland, Felice Orlandi, Page Leong, Hoke Howell, Frank McRae and Tisha Campbell.

Tagline: The Boys Are Back In Town

The Plot…

San Francisco Detective Jack Cates (Nolte) on the trail of a big-time drug dealer known as the Iceman, kills a man in self-defense. Because no one could find the dead man’s gun Cates is now under investigation by Internal Affairs. Cates did find evidence that the Iceman has targeted Reggie Hammond (Murphy) for execution.

With outlaw bikers and the Iceman‘s hitmen targeting them, Cates and Hammond must stick together to survive.

The Boys Are Back in Town!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The original cut was 2 hours and 25 minutes.  It was then cut to 2 hours and finally one hour and 35 minutes.  Frank McRae and Brion James had their roles substantially reduced.  McRae now only appears in the background of a scene and is uncredited.  James said at the time, “I was the third lead and now I looked like a dressed extra.”  In the trailer Cates tells Reggie that he’s on a deadline to catch Iceman, that was cut — so now there’s no mention of 48 hours.

In a scene when Reggie calls old friends, one is named Willie Biggs.  That was originally Murphy’s character’s name, but he thought it sounded like a typical Hollywood black man’s name.

The story is credited to Fred Braughton.  That is the pen-name Eddie Murphy used when writing it.

Tisha Campbell is listed in the credits as Amy Kirkland.

For the first film Nick Nolte was paid one million dollars and got top billing.  Eddie Murphy made $450,000.00.  For this one Murphy got top billing and seven million dollars, while Nolte made three million dollars.

I loved 48 Hrs.  I like Another 48 Hrs.  It could be because of the major cuts to the finished film.  I’d love to see a director’s edition.

Another 48 Hrs. (1990) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“48 Hrs.” (1982) directed by Walter Hill, starring Nick Nolte & Eddie Murphy / Z-View

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48 Hrs. (1982) 

Director: Walter Hill

Screenplay: Roger Spottiswoode, Walter Hill, Larry Gross, Steven E. de Souza

Stars: Nick Nolte, Eddie Murphy, Annette O’Toole, Frank McRae, James Remar, David Patrick Kelly, Sonny Landham, Brion James, Kerry Sherman, James Keane, Greta Blackburn, Margot Rose, Denise Crosby, Olivia Brown, Todd Allen, Jack Thibeau, Ola Ray and Jonathan Banks.

Tagline: The boys are back in town. Nick Nolte is a cop. Eddie Murphy is a convict. They couldn’t have liked each other less. They couldn’t have needed each other more. And the last place they ever expected to be is on the same side. Even for… 48 HRS

The Plot…

When San Francisco detectives, Cates (Nolte),  Algren (Banks) and Van Zant (Keane) attempt to arrest two escaped convicts, things go sideways.  Algren and Van Zant are killed.  The convicts get away.

Detective Cates has a plan to catch the killers.  He’s getting a 48 hour supervised prison release for Reggie Hammond (Murphy). Hammond is a fast-talking, hip con man and thief.  Hammond also worked with one of the convicts.  Cates believes Hammond’s inside info will lead him to the convicts.

Cates and Hammond take an instant dislike to each other.  Over the next 48 hours they may develop a friendship… if they survive.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The idea of a cop and a convict working together had been floating around for a while.  Paramount hired Walter Hill to write a script with the idea that Clint Eastwood would play the convict.  Hill did, but when he finished he said he thought the script would work better with Eastwood playing the cop and someone like Richard Pryor playing the convict.  The project went into limbo until a few years passed.  Hill was brought back to work with Nolte and Eddie Murphy (in his feature film debut).

Eddie Murphy wasn’t the first actor considered for the role.  Gregory Hines was.  Other actors considered before Murphy included Howard Rollins, Jr. and Denzel Washington.

Eddie Murphy’s character’s name originally was Willie Biggs.  Murphy thought it sounded like a “Hollywood, made-up, black guy’s name” so it was changed to Reggie Hammond.

Nick Nolte was paid one million dollars and got top billing.  Eddie Murphy made $450,000.00.  For the sequel Murphy got top billing and seven million dollars, while Nolte made three million dollars.

Director Walter Hill has a brief cameo as a convict in the opening chain gang scene.

Nolte and Murphy, Remar and Landham are perfectly cast.  Each pair has the right chemistry.

48 Hrs. (1982) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“The Spirit” (2008) written and directed by Frank Miller / Z-View

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The Spirit (2008) 

Director: Frank Miller

Screenplay: Frank Miller, based on The Spirit by Will Eisner

Stars: Gabriel Macht, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Jaime King, David Brian Martin, Eva Mendes, Eric Balfour, Louis Lombardi, Sarah Paulson, Dan Lauria and Frank Miller.

Tagline: My city screams. She is my lover. And I am her spirit.

The Plot…

Denny Colt (Macht) was a rookie cop killed on the job. Colt was dead… until he wasn’t.  Now Colt has become a masked crimefighter known as The Spirit.  Supervillains beware!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I’m a Frank Miller fan from his early days on Daredevil comics.  I’ve followed his work through the years and was excited to see that he was writing and directing The Spirit.   Over the years I’d read more than a couple of Will Eisner’s Spirit stories.

I tried to watch The Spirit more than a few times in the past.  It was just too over-the-top for me. I never made it all the way through. It also didn’t seem to be The Spirit from Eisner’s tales.  Recently I decided to stick it out and watch the movie all the way through.  It didn’t get better.

I wish Frank Miller had written and directed a Sin City movie instead of this one.

The Spirit (2008)  rates 1 of 5 stars.

“One-Eyed Jacks” (1961) directed by and starring Marlon Brando / Z-View

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One-Eyed Jacks (1961) 

Director: Marlon Brando

Screenplay:  Guy Trosper, Calder Willingham, Rod Serling (uncredited),Sam Peckinpah (uncredited); based on THE AUTHENTIC DEATH OF HENDRY JONES by Charles Neider

Stars: Marlon Brando, Karl Malden, Pina Pellicer, Katy Jurado, Ben Johnson, Slim Pickens, Larry Duran, Sam Gilman, Miriam Colon, Elisha Cook Jr., Rodolfo Acosta, Ray Teal, John Dierkes, Hank Worden, ‘Snub’ Pollard and Timothy Carey.

Tagline: The motion picture that starts its own tradition of greatness.

The Plot…

After robbing a bank, Rio (Brando) and his partner, Dad (Malden) are pinned down by Mexican Federales.  Rio talks Dad into taking their only horse to ride to a ranch a few miles away.  Dad is to get fresh mounts and return for Rio.  Dad takes the bank loot and rides off.

Dad makes it to the ranch.  Instead of getting two fresh horses, he gets one.  Dad then rides off leaving Rio to be captured.

After five years in a tough Mexican prison, Rio escapes.  Determined to get revenge, Rio tracks down Dad. Rio discovers that Dad has turned his life around.  Dad is now married with an adopted daughter.  He’s also sheriff of a frontier town.

Rio rides in to town unaware of the surprises that await.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

THE AUTHENTIC DEATH OF HENDRY JONES by Charles Neider was a fictional tale based on real-life outlaw, Billy the Kid.  The script went through so many revisions that the final film has little resemblance to the book.

Stanley Kubrick was set to direct with Brando and Spencer Tracy starring.  Brando used his power to instead hire Karl Malden.  Just a few weeks before filming was to begin, Kubrick bowed out.  Brando stepped in.

Budgeted at two million dollars, the film ended up costing six million.  Originally scheduled for a three month shooting schedule, principal filming lasted six months.  Brando shot over a million feet of film.  There were reportedly five additional hours of film that didn’t make the cut.

One-Eyed Jacks (1961)  rates 3 of 5 stars.

RIP: Bob Newhart

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Bob Newhart died today after a short illness.  Mr. Newhart was 94.

Bob Newhart graduated from Loyola University Chicago with a degree in business management. He was drafted into the U.S. Army where he served as a clerk during the Korean War. After his discharge from the service Bob Newhart worked as an accountant and later an advertising copywriter.  All the while, Mr. Newhart worked on comedy routines that he sent out to radio stations.

This led to Mr. Newhart signing a contract with Warner Bros. Records in 1959.  The following year his first comedy album was released.  The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart was the first comedy album to hit #1 on the Billboard charts.  It also earned Mr. Newhart two Grammy awards for Best Album of the Year and Best New Artist.

Mr. Newhart’s recording success led to television and feature films. The Bob Newhart Show was a variety program that lasted one season, but was nominated for a Primetime Emmy award.  Mr. Newhart continued to record comedy albums, make many television guest appearances and even served as a co-host of The Entertainers variety show.  Then in 1972, he starred in The Bob Newhart Show.  It ran for 142 episodes.  Four years after it went off the air, Mr. Newhart starred in the series Newhart.  It ran for 184 episodes.

Mr. Newhart was nominated for five Grammy Awards, winning three…

  • 1961 winner Best New Artist
  • 1961 winner Album of the Year – for “The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart”
  • 1961 winner Best Comedy Performance – Spoken Word for “The Button-Down Mind Strikes Back!”
  • 1998 nominee Best Spoken Comedy Album for “Button Down Concert”
  • 2007 nominee Best Spoken Word Album for “I Shouldn’t Even Be Doing This!”

Bob Newhart was nominated for nine Primetime Emmy Awards, winning one

  • 1962 nominee Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy for The Bob Newhart Show (shared with: Roland Kibbee · Don Hinkley · Milt Rosen · Ernest Chambers · Dean Hargrove · Robert Kaufman · Norm Liebmann · Charles Sherman · Howard Snyder · Larry Siegel)
  • 1985 nominee Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series – Newhart for playing “Dick Loudon”
  • 1986 nominee Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series – Newhart for playing “Dick Loudon”
  • 1987 nominee Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series – Newhart for playing “Dick Loudon”
  • 2004 nominee Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series – ER for playing “Ben Hollander”
  • 2009 nominee Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie – The Librarian III: The Curse of the Judas Chalice for playing: “Judson”
  • 2013 winner Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series – The Big Bang Theory for playing “Arthur Jeffries and Professor Proton” in the episode “The Proton Resurgence”
  • 2014 nominee Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series – The Big Bang Theory for playing “Arthur”
  • 2016 nominee Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series- The Big Bang Theory for playing: “Arthur” in the episode: “The Opening Night Excitation”

Television projects that feature Bob Newhart include: The Alfred Hitchcock Hour; Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre; Captain Nice; The Don Rickles Show; The Bob Newhart Show (142 episodes); Insight (2 episodes); It’s Garry Shandling’s Show; Newhart (184 episodes); Bob (33 episodes); Murphy Brown; The Simpsons; George & Leo (22 episodes); ER (3 episodes); The Librarian: Quest for the Spear; Desperate Housewives (3 episodes); The Librarian: Return to King Solomon’s Mines; The Librarian III: The Curse of the Judas Chalice; NICS; Svengoolie (cameo); The Librarians (3 episodes); The Big Bang Theory (6 episodes) and Young Sheldon (3 episodes).

Feature films that feature Bob Newhart include: Hell is For Heroes; Hot Millions; On a Clear Day You Can See Forver; Catch-22; Cold Turkey; The Rescuers; The Rescuers Down Under; In & Out and Elf.

The Bob Newhart Show was must-see tv when I was a kid. I’m also old enough to remember listening to his comedy albums and laughing at his many television guest appearances.  What an amazing career Mr. Newhart had.  No wonder so many folks consider him a national treasure.

Out thoughts and prayers go out to Bob Newhart’s family, friends and fans.

“Alien: Romulus” – The Final Trailer is Here!

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The final trailer for Alien: Romulus has arrived.

“Alien: Romulus” takes the phenomenally successful “Alien” franchise back to its roots: While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, a group of young space colonizers come face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe.

The film stars Cailee Spaeny (“Civil War”), David Jonsson (“Agatha Christie’s Murder is Easy”), Archie Renaux (“Shadow and Bone”), Isabela Merced (“The Last of Us”), Spike Fearn (“Aftersun”), Aileen Wu.

Fede Alvarez (“Evil Dead,” “Don’t Breathe”) directs from a screenplay he wrote with frequent collaborator Rodo Sayagues (“Don’t Breathe 2”) based on characters created by Dan O’Bannon and Ronald Shusett.

“Alien: Romulus” is produced by Ridley Scott (“Napoleon”), who directed the original “Alien” and produced and directed the series’ entries “Prometheus” and “Alien: Covenant,” Michael Pruss (“Boston Strangler”), and Walter Hill (“Alien”), with Fede Alvarez, Elizabeth Cantillon (“Charlie’s Angels”), Brent O’Connor (“Bullet Train”), and Tom Moran (“Unstoppable”) serving as executive producers.