“Fallout” – Three Posters and a Trailer are Here!

I’ve never played the game, but the posters and the trailers for Fallout look like fun.  Walter Goggins is always a plus.

Deal me in.

Based on one of the greatest video game series of all time, Fallout is the story of haves and have-nots in a world in which there’s almost nothing left to have. 200 years after the apocalypse, the gentle denizens of luxury fallout shelters are forced to return to the irradiated hellscape their ancestors left behind — and are shocked to discover an incredibly complex, gleefully weird and highly violent universe waiting for them. From executive producers Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, the creators of Westworld, starring Ella Purnell, Aaron Moten, Walton Goggins and more. All episodes arrive April 11 on Prime Video.

“Terror By Night” (1946) starring Basil Rathbone & Nigel Bruce / Z-View

Terror by Night (1946)

Director:  Roy William Neill

Screenplay:  Frank Gruber based on characters created by Arthur Conan Doyle

Stars: Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Alan Mowbray, Frederick Worlock, Billy Bevan, Harry Cording and Renee Godfrey

Tagline: MURDER… at 90 Miles an Hour!

The Plot…

Sherlock Holmes (Rathbone) and his assistant, Dr. Watson (Bruce) are hired to travel by train with Lady Margaret Carstairs and her son Roland.  Holmes is there to provide security since Lady Carstairs has the the famous Star of Rhodesia diamond in her possession.  When her son is murdered and the diamond disappears, it is up to Holmes to find the killer… and the diamond.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Terror by Night‘s copyright wasn’t renewed.  This has allowed bootleg and inferior copies to appear on the market.  Buyers should beware.

This is the 13th of 14th Sherlock Holmes films starring Basil Rathbone.

Terror by Night (1946) rates 3 of 5 stars.

Eric Beetner Interview with Ron Earl Phillips for Shotgun Honey!

Eric Beetner has a new novel out, THE LAST FEW MILES OF ROAD.  While this is a must-buy for me, that’s not the reason for this post.  Instead I wanted to give you a heads-up that Eric Beetner was interviewed by Ron Earl Phillips for Shotgun Honey.

Beetner talks about his influences, moving from script writing to novels, cover design, his writing process, authors he reads and THE LAST FEW MILES OF ROAD.

“Blood for Dust” starring Scoot McNairy, Josh Lucas & Kit Harington – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

Deal me in!

If crime pays, then consider it payday. But beware, the currency may just be blood. Watch #ScootMcNairy #KitHarrington and @JoshLucas try to cash in #BloodForDust, full of twists and turns. In select theaters and digital April 19.
Learn More: www.bloodfordustmovie.com

TITLE: BLOOD FOR DUST
IN THEATERS AND ON DIGITAL: April 19, 2024
DIRECTOR: Rod Blackhurst
WRITER: David Ebeltoft
CAST: Scoot McNairy, Nora Zehetne, Ethan Suplee, Amber Rose Mason, Stephen Dorff, Josh Lucas and Kit Harington
SYNOPSIS: Cliff (Scoot McNairy), a former salesman with a checkered past, is pulled back into a life of crime after losing his job. Desperate to keep his family afloat, he’s lured by his old colleague, Ricky (Kit Harington), into trafficking drugs and guns for a cartel. As Cliff delves deeper, his once straight-laced life turns into a high-stakes game of survival in this gripping thriller hailed as “Breaking Bad meets Fargo” (Variety). Also starring Josh Lucas and Stephen Dorff.
RUN TIME: 100 Minutes
RATING: Rated R for violence, suicide, language, some sexual material/nudity and drug use.
GENRE: Action, Thriller
DISTRIBUTOR: The Avenue

“Sing Sing” starring Colman Domingo – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

Colman Domingo continues to pick interesting projects and he’s such a good actor… deal me in!

From director Greg Kwedar and starring Colman Domingo, Clarence Maclin, and Sean San José, and Paul Raci. SING SING – In Theaters July 2024.

RELEASE DATE: July 2024
DIRECTOR: Greg Kwedar
CAST: Colman Domingo, Paul Raci, Clarence Maclin, Sean San José

“The Hound of the Baskervilles” (1939) starring Basil Rathbone & Nigel Bruce / Z-View

The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939)

Director:  Sidney Lanfield

Screenplay:  Ernest Pascal based on THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES by Arthur Conan Doyle

Stars: Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Lionel Atwill and John Carradine

Tagline: SPINE-CHILLING! The adventures of Sherlock Holmes on the ghostly moor!

The Plot…

The great detective Sherlock Holmes (Rathbone) and his assistant, Dr. Watson (Bruce) are called to the Baskerville Estate.  The Baskervilles seemed to be cursed.  Over the years many family members have died under unusual circumstances.  The estate is said to be prowled by a huge supernatural hound.  When Sir Charles Baskerville’s corpse was found, there was a giant pawprint near the body.  Now Sir Henry Baskerville has been warned he will be next to die.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The Hound of the Baskervilles was Basil Rathbone’s first outing as Sherlock Holmes.  20th Century Fox was so unsure of his star power Richard Greene was given top billing!  Rathbone as Holmes with Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson proved so popular that they not only returned for 13 more Sherlock Holmes films, they also appeared together on the radio in The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Sugar” starring Colin Farrell – The Trailer is Here!

Deal me in.

Los Angeles. Private investigator. Missing person. Mystery person. Colin Farrell is John Sugar. Sugar premieres April 5.

“Sugar” is a contemporary, unique take on one of the most popular and significant genres in literary, motion picture and television history: the private detective story. Academy Award nominee Colin Farrell stars as John Sugar, an American private investigator on the heels of the mysterious disappearance of Olivia Siegel, the beloved granddaughter of legendary Hollywood producer Jonathan Siegel. As Sugar tries to determine what happened to Olivia, he will also unearth Siegel family secrets; some very recent, others long-buried.

The series also stars Kirby (“The Sandman”), Amy Ryan (“The Wire”), Dennis Boutsikaris, Nate Corddry (“Mindhunter”), Alex Hernandez (“Invasion”), and James Cromwell (“Succession”), with guest stars Anna Gunn (“Breaking Bad”) and Sydney Chandler (“Don’t Worry Darling”).

“Sugar” is created by Mark Protosevich who also executive produces. Audrey Chon and Simon Kinberg executive produce for Genre Films, marking their second series with Apple TV+ under Kinberg’s overall deal following “Invasion.” Colin Farrell, Sam Catlin, Scott Greenberg and Chip Vucelich also serve as executive producers. The series was directed by Fernando Meirelles (“City of God,” “Two Popes”), who also executive produces, and Adam Arkin (“The Offer”), who also co-executive produces.

The Savage Sword of Conan #1 (2024) / Z-View

Savage Sword of Conan #1 is out and it is a winner.

It features five covers to choose from.  I selected the one with art by Gerardo Zaffino (shown above).  Other cover-featured artists include Joe Jusko (two versions), Mac von Fafner and Douglas Klauba.

Roy Thomas provides an introduction, Savage Tales of Savage Swords.
Sacrifice in the Sand is a prose tale by Jim Zub.
Solomon Kane, An Essay by Jeffrey Shanks explores the history and influences of Solomon Kane.

Pinups included are: Conan by Roberto De La Torre, Belit b Rebeca Puebla, Conan and the Road Kings by Gerado Zaffino with a poem by Robert E. Howard and Solomon Kane by Howard Chaykin.

The issue features a full-length Conan story, Conan and the Dragon Horde by John Arcudi (writer) and Max von Fafner (artist).  Conan has agreed to lead an army of “mercenaries and hangers-on who have a greater thirst for gold than for combat.”  Their goal is to reclaim a city for a deposed king.  The kicker is the city rests on a gold mine and all warriors will share equally in the spoils.  Expect the unexpected, giant warrior twins, prehistoric beasts, crosses and double-crosses, a beautiful warrior woman and plenty of Conan doing what Conan does.  I wasn’t familiar with von Fafner’s art prior to this, but he is an artist I’ll watch for.

The second story features Solomon Kane in Master of the Hunt, Part One by writer/artist Patrick Zircher.  Solomon Kane becomes involved in a search for a missing man and his son.  Fear abounds that an ancient beast is on the prowl.  Most folks know Zircher as an accomplished artist, but since he’s added writer to his resume the title needs to become accomplished writer/artist.  I want to give kudos to Zircher for making his background characters interesting.  They may not have dialogue, but you can tell what they’re thinking from body language and facial expressions.  I look forward to Part Two.

Savage Sword of Conan #1 (2024) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo” (1937) starring Warner Oland / Z-View

Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo (1937)

Director:  Eugene Forde

Screenplay:  Charles Belden. Jerome Cady story by Robert Ellis, Helen Logan

Stars: Warner Oland, Keye Luke, Virginia Field and Sidney Blackmer

Tagline: Triple murder for high stakes! A new high in mystery excitement! And laughs, too!

The Plot…

Charlie Chan (Oland) and his son Lee (Luke) are in Monte Carlo.  When their cab comes upon a murder scene, they become involved in the investigation.  A messenger has been killed and the $200,000 in bonds he was delivering is missing.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

This was Warner Oland’s 16th and final outing as Charlie Chan.  It was also Oland’s last film.

Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo (1937) rates 2 of 5 stars.