“The Mysterious Island” (1929) / Z-View

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The Mysterious Island (1929)

Director: Lucien Hubbard, Benjamin Christensen (uncredited), Maurice Tourneur (uncredited)

Screenplay by:  Lucien Hubbard based on Jules Verne‘s novel, The Mysterious Island

Starring:  Lionel Barrymore, Jacqueline Gadsdon, Lloyd Hughes and Montagu Love

Tagline:  METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER’S Dramatic Spectale Based on Jules Vern’s Immortal Novel!

The Overview:  Beware of spoilers…

Count Andre Dakkar (Barrymore) is a brilliant scientist and beloved ruler of an island kingdom.  Dakkar along with his daughter Sonia (Gadsdon) and her fiance (who is also Dakkar’s right hand man) have invented two ships that can go undersea.  Just as they are about to test the first ship, the island is attacked by the evil Baron Falon’s  (Love) army.  Falon wants the island country and undersea ships for his own!

The attack damages the first ship which sinks to the bottom of the ocean.  The crew realizes they have no way to surface and will die at the bottom of the sea… if they are not killed by the strange creatures and gigantic monsters that live on the ocean floor.  Meanwhile, Sonia hopes to use the second ship to save the crew of the first vessel.  Little does she know the horrors that await…

The Mysterious Island has some cool special underwater effects, but truth be told, I was enjoying the less scifi aspects of the film more.  Still, you cannot go wrong with Lionel Barrymore in a Jules Verne adventure!

The Mysterious Island earns 3 of 5 stars.

“The Nice Guys” (2016) / Z-View

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The Nice Guys (2016)

Director: Shane Black

Screenplay by:  Shane Black, Anthony Bagarozzi

Starring:  Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling, Angourie Rice, Margaret Qualley, Keith David, Gil Gerard, Murielle Telio and Kim Basinger

Tagline:  They’re not that nice

The Overview:  Beware of spoilers…

Holland March (Gosling) is a sketchy private eye trying to earn enough dough to support himself and his daughter.  So when he’s offered money by Misty Mountain’s aunt to find Misty, March takes the case (and the cash) even though everyone knows the porn star is dead.  March thinks he’ll spend a couple of days “earning” the advance and then he’ll let the old lady down easy.  That all changes when Jackson Healy (Crowe) puts a beating on March and tells him to drop the investigation.  Rather than take another whoppin’, Healy agrees.

When Healy gets home, two thugs are waiting for him.  They rough him up in an effort to get information about the Misty Mountain case.  Fortunately he has nothing to give them.  After the roughnecks split, Healy goes back to March and convinces him that they should team up to solve the case.  Soon they’ll find that they’re way over their head with hired assassins and government officials wanting them dead.

The Nice Guys has it’s moments.  Crowe and Gosling’s characters are mismatched enough that there’s humor and chemistry in them working as a team.  Angourie Rice is excellent as Gosling’s young, but smart-beyond-her-years daughter.  Basinger has a small but important role.  The plot was a little more convoluted than needed, but that’s a small nit to pick.  I’m surprised The Nice Guys didn’t warrant a sequel.

The Nice Guys earns 3 of 5 stars.

RIP: Wolfgang Petersen

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Wolfgang Petersen, the German filmmaker who gained international fame with Das Boot (which he wrote and directed), died August 12, 2022 from pancreatic cancer.  Mr. Petersen was 81.

Das Boot aka The Boat told the story of a WWII, German U-boat crew.  The film was nominated for six Academy Awards (including Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay).  After that Hollywood called and Wolfgang Petersen would go on to direct crow-pleasing movies for the rest of his career.  Some of his feature films include: The Never-Ending Story; Shattered; In the Line of Fire; Outbreak; The Perfect Storm and Troy.

My favorite Wolfgang Petersen films are In the Line of Fire and Shattered (which he wrote, directed and produced!).

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Wolfgang Petersen’s family, friends and fans.

“Wild Oranges” (1924) / Z-View

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Wild Oranges (1924)

Director:  King Vidor

Screenplay by:  King Vidor based on Joseph Hergesheimer’s novel Wild Oranges.

Starring:  Frank Mayo, Virginia Valli, Ford Sterling, Nigel De Brulier and Charles A. Post

Tagline:   She taught him to love her-this world wanderer who sailed the seas to escape women’s lures and the one he couldn’t forget!

The Overview:  Beware of spoilers…

When John Woolfolk’s (Mayo) wife dies in a tragic accident, he sets sail around the world on his small sailboat with no specific port in mind.  One night Woolfolk drops anchor in a remote inlet.  When he goes ashore he meets a Millie (Valli), young woman who lives with her grandfather (De Brulier) in an old house in the woods.  Woolfolk learns that an escaped homicidal maniac lives in the swamp nearby and has been terrorizing them.  Woolfolk plans to get Millie and her grandfather away to safety… but is unaware that the maniac knows of his plan!

King Vidor created a silent film with modern sensibilities.  Charles A. Post plays the homicidal maniac, but his character isn’t just a mustache-twirling villain.  I won’t go so far to say that his character is misunderstood, but I did like that there were layers to Post’s performance.  Wild Oranges has one of the most realistic, brutal and extended fight scenes I’ve ever seen in a movie from that era.  While there is silent movie melodrama and exaggerated poses in some scenes, Wild Oranges turns the corner into more realistic filming/acting choices.

Wild Oranges earns 4 of 5 stars.

“END OF THE ROAD” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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The poster and trailer for End of the Road looks better than I thought it might.  Since it is on Netflix, it’ll be a no-brainer to check it out!

Queen Latifah and Chris Bridges star in this road trip thriller about a mom of two kids who relocates across the country with her kids and brother. The family’s move to the southland is thrown into complete chaos when they witness a murder on their road trip. Now, the murderer will stop at nothing to find them.

GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S “CABINET OF CURIOSITIES” – The Trailer is Here!

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GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S “CABINET OF CURIOSITIES” – The Trailer is Here!

Guillermo Del Toro – The master of horror – gives a First Look at some of the twisted nightmares and violent delights from his new anthology series.

Guillermo Del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities is a collection of sinister stories, told by some of today’s most revered horror creators – including the directors of The Babadook, Splice, Mandy, and many more.

“Bandit” Starring Josh Duhamel, Elisha Cuthbert and Mel Gibson – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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The poster and trailer for Bandit starring Josh Duhamel, Elisha Cuthbert and Mel Gibson are here!

Gilbert Galvan Jr (Josh Duhamel), a charming criminal, escapes from prison and assumes a new identity. After falling in love with Andrea (Elisha Cuthbert), a caring social worker he can’t provide for, he turns to robbing banks and discovers that he’s exceptionally good at it. Addicted to the rush and money, he turns to loan shark and gangster Tommy Kay (Mel Gibson) for bigger opportunities.
Based on the true story of The Flying Bandit.

Cast: Josh Duhamel, Mel Gibson, Elisha Cuthbert

Available in THEATERS, on DIGITAL and ON DEMAND, September 23rd, 2022

HELL OF A MESS by Nick Kolakowski is Coming Soon!

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Nick Kolakowski’s Hell of a Mess is dropping soon and the fact that it’s a Love & Bullets Hookup makes my smile even bigger.  Here’s the synopsis…

The heist should have been a simple one: infiltrate the top floor of a luxury New York City penthouse, steal a server with compromising data from under the noses of the unsuspecting guards, and slip back out. Fiona, master thief and occasional assassin, has pulled off similar jobs dozens of times. But with a massive hurricane bearing down on the East Coast, the timing is tight and the escape routes are limited-and that’s before she discovers something horrific in the penthouse’s master bedroom.

Now Fiona’s on the run, trying to stay one step ahead of rising floodwaters and an army of hired assassins. Her husband Bill, the finest hustler between Florida and Maine, can’t help her: he’s been kidnapped by a group of dirty cops who want the secret millions left by his former employer. The night will take the two of them from the heights of money and power in Lower Manhattan to a haunted island in the East River where no secrets stay buried forever.

It’s going to be one hell of a night… and one hell of a mess.

If this sounds like something you’d like, pre-orders are available now.  I’m in.

Hell of a Mess Trade Paperback

Hell of a Mess Kindle

“Better Call Saul” by Nate Gonzales!

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Once a week Joblo.com posts Awesome Art We’ve Found Around the Net.  As you can imagine, they post awesome art that they, well, you get the idea.

I always enjoy seeing what JoBlo has found because with each post they list the artist’s name and a link to more of his/her art.  If you check it out you’ll discover amazing artists like Nate Gonzales who did the piece above.

RIP: Gene Lebell

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Ivan Gene Lebell, martial artist, actor, stuntman, professional wrestler, and real life tough guy passed away in his sleep on August 9, 2002, at the age of 89.

Gene Lebell began training in wrestling and judo before the age of ten.  After earning his black belt, Mr. Lebell went to Japan to further his training.  When he returned to the US, he competed in the Amateur Athletic Union National Judo Championships, winning the heavyweight title at the age of 22.  In 1963, Mr. Lebell agreed to fight a boxer who claimed he could beat any martial artist.  Gene Lebell choked him out in the fourth round.  Using his martial arts training it was easy for Gene Lebell to transition into professional wrestling where he often was used as an enforcer during big matches.

Gene Lebell’s reputation as a martial artist brought him to the attention of Hollywood where he got work as both a stuntman and actor.  With over 250 stunt credits and over 150 acting credits on his resume, odds are you’ve seen Gene Lebell on television or feature films.

Television appearances include: The Jack Benny Program; The Munsters; Gomer Pyle; The Man from UNCLE; Mission Impossible; The Green Hornet; Batman; The Wild, Wild West; Mannix; The Rockford Files; Kung Fu; Kojak; The Six Million Dollar Man; Starsky & Hutch; Knight Rider; The Fall Guy; Walker, Texas Ranger; Married with Children; The X FIles; More Wild, Wild West and The Shield.

Feature Films include: Blacula; Walking Tall; Earthquake; The Towering Inferno; The Killer Elite; Rocky;  Every Which Way But Loose; The Jerk; Raging Bull; Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid; City Heat; Remo Williams; Rush Hour; Runaway Train; Rocky IV; Die Hard 2; Marked for Death; The Last Boy Scout; Waterworld; Strange Days and Spider-Man 2.

There’s a famous story that when Gene Lebell was working on a Steven Seagall film, the star said that due to his martial arts training, no one could choke him out.  Mr. Lebell took exception to the statement.  Seagall allowed Gene Lebell’s  to place him in a chokehold to prove his point.  Steven Seagall not only lost consciousness but also control of his bowels.  While Steven Seagall denies this ever happened, there are others who claimed to have been there and seen it happen.

Gene LeBell was a man’s man, a 10th degree Black Belt; and appeared in some of my all-time favorite movies and television shows.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends and fans.

“Dig” Starring Thomas Jane and Emile Hirsch – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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Dig starring Thomas Jane and Emile Hirsch.  Yeah, deal me in.

The house of a widowed father and his daughter who suffers from major hearing loss is up for demolition. After arriving at the construction site they are soon taken hostage by a dangerous couple who will stop at nothing to retrieve what lies beneath the property.

CAST: Thomas Jane, Emile Hirsch, Harlow Jane, Liana Liberato

DIRECTOR: K. Asher Levin

Michael Bublé’s Higher Concert at the Amway Center on August 10, 2022 / Z-View

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Last night my wife and I attended Michael Bublé’s concert at the Amway Center in Orlando.  It was the second stop on his Higher tour.  I knew Bublé was an exceptional singer/song writer who specialized not only in classic songs by Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, the Bee Gees, and others, but also hits of his own creation.  Last night we got a great mix of both.

Yes, I knew MIchael Bublé could sing, but I didn’t know he was such a great showman.  Bublé was backed by an exceptionally talented big band orchestra and three amazing back-up singers.  Add to this a multi-media show (big screens projecting Bublé, the band/singers, and audience members – as well as video backgrounds), and a large walkway so he could come way out into the audience to perform.  Michael Bublé is at ease on stage whether he’s singing, dancing, telling jokes or a story.  He’s great at getting the audience to sing along and he loves to interact with fans.

I expected a fun night of great songs, but we ended up getting so much more.  If you’re a fan of this genre of music, then Michael Bublé is not to be missed.

Michael Bublé’s Higher concert at the Amway Center on August 10th earned 5 of 5 stars!

“Carter” (2022) / Z-View

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Carter (2022)

Director:  Byung-gil Jung

Screenplay by:  Byeong-sik Jung, Byung-gil Jung

Starring:  Joo Won, Kim Bo-Min, Sung-Jae Lee and Mike Colter

Tagline:  No Memory, One Mission

The Overview:  Beware of spoilers…

A man wakes up in a hotel room with no memory of who he is or how he got there.  A voice in his head tells him his name is Carter, a transmitter only he can hear is in his ear, a bomb has been implanted in his head and his mission is to rescue a young girl whose blood is the key to a cure to a virus quickly spreading around the world.  With that we’re off and running.

Carter is an all out action film with a small mix of sci-fi and a touch of zombies.  The movie takes place in real time and features over the top stunts and seldom slows down.  This is the film’s greatest strength and perhaps biggest weakness.  The fight scenes are so over-the-top we quickly understand that Carter is going to be able to take out dozens of attackers without so much as a scratch.

Normally this would be a turn-off, but the fight scenes take place in unique situations (outside of a building stories above the street, on motorcycles, in three side-by-side vans speeding down crowded streets, falling from an airplane without a parachute while engaging in a gun battle to get a chute, on a train, on a helicopter, from a truck to motorcycles, etc.) that it is easy to suspend disbelief.

I really enjoyed Carter, but was in the right frame of mind for an all out action film.  I hope we get a sequel.

Carter earns 4 of 5 stars.