Previews and Reviews that are Z's Views
Sly Stallone made the cover of Parade for November 6, 2022. In an interview profile piece by Dan Bova, Sylvester Stallone Talks Bruises, Broken Bones and Why He ‘Always Wanted To Play a Mob Guy’. It’s well worth a read!
Hoi Polloi (1935)
Director: Del Lord
Screenplay: Felix Adler, Helen Howard (uncredited)
Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard, Harry Holman and Bud Jamison.
Tagline: Meet the new darlings of society.
The Overview: Beware of spoilers…
Hoi Polloi is George Bernard Shaw’s 1913 play, Pygmalion, but with a Three Stooges’ twist. Professor Richmond believes that a even a person from low standings without education can be turned into a gentleman with the proper training. Professor Nichols disagrees and wagers $10,000 that Richmond can not train three commoners into becoming gentlemen. Nichols gets to pick the three and he chooses Larry, Curly and Moe. Let the hijinks begin!
Moe’s wife, Helen came up with the idea to adapt Shaw’s play. The idea was so good, they reused it in Half-Wits Holiday (1947) which was Curly’s last starring appearance (1947) and Pies and Guys (1958).
One of the funniest scenes involves a dance instructor who tells the boys to just “do what I do”. A bee goes down the back of her dress as she frantically moves around to dislodge it, Larry, Curly and Moe attempt to follow her moves.
Hoi Polloi earns 4 of 5 stars.
The poster and trailer for Dave Stevens: Drawn to Perfection is here. I cannot wait to see this!
Dave Stevens was a once-in-a-lifetime artist who created the hit comic book series The Rocketeer that reintroduced the world to ’50s pin-up queen Bettie Page and was adapted into a beloved feature film. Dave carried with him a style born of 1930s American Pop Culture, an era he never experienced firsthand, but lived on in his heart and through his illustrations. His award-winning, 35-year career spanned advertising, comics, animation, movies, and TV working with luminaries like Jack Kirby, Doug Wildey, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, John Landis, and Joe Johnston. Widely considered one of the best illustrators of his generation, Dave Stevens lived life the way he drew, meticulously pursuing a perfection he saw in his mind. His elegant brush work and iconic imagery continue to attract fans and inspire new generations of artists.
The trailer for Kindred looks good. Deal me in,
“Whatever’s happening to you, it’s real.” Based on the best selling novel by Octavia E. Butler comes FX’s Kindred, all episodes streaming 12.13. Only on Hulu.
I like the poster and dig the trailer for Mindcage starring Martin Lawrence, John Malkovich and Melissa Roxburgh. It took me a second to accept Lawrence in a serious role, but this could work. What do you think?
In this spellbinding thriller, detectives Jake Doyle (Martin Lawrence) and Mary Kelly (Melissa Roxburgh) seek the help of an incarcerated serial killer named The Artist (John Malkovich) when a copycat killer strikes. While Mary searches for clues in The Artist’s brilliant but twisted psyche, she and Jake are lured into a diabolical game of cat and mouse, racing against time to stay one step ahead of The Artist and his copycat.
Starring Martin Lawrence, Melissa Roxburgh, John Malkovich, Robert Knepper, Jacob Grodnik, and Aiden Turner.
Matt Ryan Tobin created this very cool First Blood limited edition print. It will be released today in two forms: the limited edition of 250 shown above, and a variant edition of 82. You can see both at Mondo.
Crash Goes the Hash (1944)
Director: Jules White
Screenplay: Felix Adler
Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard, Dick Curtis, Bud Jamison, Symona Boniface and Vernon Dent.
Tagline: None.
The Overview: Beware of spoilers…
Larry, Curly and Moe get hired as reporters. They’ll get a $100 bonus if they can get a photo of Prince Shaam of Ubeedarn (Curtis) and Mrs. Van Bustle (Boniface) who are rumored to be on the verge of marriage. The boys get jobs as a cook and waiters for a big party at Mrs. Van Bustle’s mansion. Hijinks follow…
Crash Goes the Hash is one of the most popular Stooges’ shorts. Sadly during it’s filming Curly had his first small stroke. There’s a scene where one of the characters tells the boys they’re acting like the Three Stooges and the boys are offended.
Crash Goes the Hash earns 4 of 5 stars.
I enjoyed the first Knives Out mystery and Glass Onion looks even better. Deal me in.
When the game ends, the mystery begins.
Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Jessica Henwick, Madelyn Cline, with Kate Hudson, and Dave Bautista in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery on Netflix December 23.
Angel’s in Disguise (1949)
Director: Jean Yarbrough
Screenplay: Charles R. Marion, Gerald Schnitzer, Bert Lawrence (additional dialogue)
Stars: Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall, Gabriel Dell, Mickey Knox, Richard Benedict, William ‘Billy’ Benedict, Joe Turkel, David Gorcey, Benny Bartlett, Bernard Gorcey, Ray Walker andRory Mallinson.
Tagline: It’s their Funniest Fightin-est Film!
The Plot…
When Slip (Gorcey) and Satch (Huntz) learn that their buddy Gabe, a police officer, was shot, they head to the hospital. They learn that Gabe will survive, but his partner, who was also shot, has died. Gabe explains that members of the notorious Loop gang were the killers. Slip and Satch decide to pose as gangsters to infiltrate the Loop gang and bring them down.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
The Bowery Boys work best when the drama is kept to a minimum. Although there is a scene where Leo Gorcey lays it on thick and brings tears to his eyes, Angels in Disguise turns out to be one of the Bowery Boys’ better outings. Gorcey provides a voice-over and the film has scenes shot like detective/noir films of the era. The humor is still there and works well with this dynamic. The best scene is the introduction of Slip’s gang.
Angels in Disguise earns 3 of 5 stars.
Three Little Twerps (1943)
Director: Harry Edwards
Screenplay: Monte Collins, Elwood Ullman
Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard, Chester Conklin, Stanley Blystone, Heinie Conklin, Bud Jamison, Anita Sharp-Bolster, Al Thompson, Blackie Whiteford and Duke York
Tagline: None.
The Overview: Beware of spoilers…
Larry, Curly and Moe get involved in hijinks at the circus. When the circus owner finds them selling discounted tickets to the amusements, he takes after them with the police. Highlights include Curly being mistaken for the Bearded Lady’s blind date, Curly and Larry hiding in a horse costume and Curly running for his life from the wild “Sultan of Abudaba”.
Three Little Twerps earns 3 of 5 stars.
From Nurse to Worse (1940)
Director: Jules White
Screenplay: Clyde Bruckman from a story by Charles L. Kimball
Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard, Vernon Dent and Ned Glass
Tagline: None.
The Overview: Beware of spoilers…
An insurance salesmen tells the boys that if they purchase a policy on Curly and then he acts insane, they can collect big. They buy the policy. Moe and Larry put Curly on a leash and take him to the doctor. Curly is so convincing that the doctor thinks Curly is dangerously insane. His cure to to operate on Curly’s brain! When Moe and Larry attempt to rescue Curly the hijinks are on!
From Nurse to Worse earns 4 of 5 stars.
Sean Chen posted his take on How to Draw Cleavage. You can see more of Sean Chen’s art on his Instagram page. With that said, I’m gonna fly now.
Flat Foot Stooges (1938)
Director: Charley Chase
Screenplay: Charley Chase
Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard, Chester Conklin and Harry Myers
Tagline: None.
The Overview: Beware of spoilers…
When an irate salesman’s plan to blow up a fire engine backfires it sets the fire house ablaze. The salesman and a young woman are unconscious as the fire grows closer. Unlucky for them, the fireman manning the station are Larry, Curly and Moe.
Flat Foot Stooges was the first short to use Three Blind Mice as the Stooges’ theme music.
Flat Foot Stooges earns 3 of 5 stars.
Rick Pullen at Crime Reads has a nice profile/interview with S.A. Cosby, the author of Blacktop Wasteland and Razorblade Tears. It’s worth a read.
The Man Who Cheated Himself (1950)
Director: Felix E. Feist
Screenplay: Seton I. Miller, Philip MacDonald
Stars: Lee J. Cobb, Jane Wyatt, John Dall, Lisa Howard, Tito Vuolo, Marjorie Bennett, Alan Wells, Morgan Farley, and Howard Negley.
Tagline: For a woman like this … a man would do anything … even murder.
The Overview: Beware of spoilers…
Andy Cullen (Dall) newly promoted to Detective is assigned to partner with his brother, Lt. Ed Cullen (Cobb). Andy is a hot shot looking to prove himself. Their first case involves the murder of Howard Frazer, found shot dead at the airport. An older couple witnessed a man driving away from the body.
Ed says the case looks like a robbery gone wrong, but Andy’s not ready to jump to that conclusion. A few things don’t feel right. After Ed and Andy talk to the dead man’s wife, Lois (Wyatt), Andy is even more sure something’s not on the level. What Andy doesn’t know is that Lois killed her husband and Ed moved the body from her house to the airport. Ed’s in an affair with Lois and thought he could cover up the crime. But with Andy on the case and digging deeper…
Lee J. Cobb’s Ed Cullen is a cynical cop who knows his affair won’t turn into anything more. Yet, he feels compelled to help his lover cover up the murder. The screenwriters do an excellent job of making it look like things can be explained in a way that gets the case moving away from Lois, but then Andy finds another clue that takes it closer. Kudos to screenwriters Seton I. Miller and Philip MacDonald, as well as director Felix E. Feist for creating a scene where a book’s binding creates tension and suspense. The final scene with Lois talking to her attorney and then getting a light from Cullen is worth the price of admission.
The Man Who Cheated Himself earns 4 of 5 stars.
