Sly Stallone by Stan Watts!
Check out this painting of Sly created by Stan Watts in 1978! It comes from the book FAME: Portraits of Celebrated People by Brad Benedict.
FAN2FAN Podcast: Craig Zablo Talking Stallone Interview Part 2
Recently, the Fan To Fan (F2F) team spoke with me about Sly Stallone. We had so much fun talking that the discussion was split into two parts. Part I is here and part 2 is below. Talking to Bernie, Pete and Doug was a blast. It was truly fans hanging out. I hope you enjoy it half as much as I did.
“RRR” (2022) / Z-View
RRR (2022)
Director: S.S. Rajamouli
Screenplay: S. S. Rajamouli from a story by Vijayendra Prasad
Starring: Ram Charan, N.T. Rama Rao Jr., Alia Bhatt, Olivia Morris, Ray Stevenson and Alison Doody.
Tagline: None
The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…
RRR is a film that defies description. If someone had described it to me prior to me seeing it, I would have said, “Pass” and missed out on a movie experience that I look forward to repeating. So, I’ll do my best to review RRR, but, no matter what you think after my review, you should give it a look.
Set in 1920, India is under British rule. The British Governor, Scott Buxton (Stevenson) thinks the people he governs are heathens. Buxton’s wife, Catherine (Doody) is a sadistic wretch. While visiting a village, Catherine tells her husband she wants to take one of the children home with her. Governor Buxton orders his soldiers to get the child. Despite the pleas of the mother and villagers, they leave with the little girl.
Bheem (Rao, Jr.), a warrior who lives in the forest vows to bring her back. Bheem will find himself up against the might of the British army and Ram (Charan) an Indian soldier fighting for the British!
Before that happens we will get back story of both warriors. We see how Bheem and Ram meet while saving a boy from a raging fire. Bheem and Ram become best friends and then mortal enemies, only to learn that both possess a secret that will change everything!
RRR is at times an action movie, a drama, a love story, a war movie and a musical. RRR seamlessly changes genres and keeps the story flowing. The action is over the top crazy (in a great way)! The director pulls out all the stops — we get slow-motion entrances, heroes doing the impossible (but we believe it while watching — at least most of the time). When the action becomes too outrageous, we watch with a smile.
The love story (between Bheem and an English woman) is sweet and innocent. It provides opportunities for humor, an insight to how most of the British view the population. It also leads to one of my many favorite scenes in RRR (and I can’t believe I’m saying this) — a dance off. Yep. A dance off. But it works!
The heroes are heroic and the villains are despicable. RRR is a movie that wears its heart on its sleeve. It shamelessly has fun as it presents the story of a legend. I absolutely loved RRR and it earns my highest rating 5 of 5 stars.
Two Frank Frazetta Concept Pieces for Clint Eastwood’s “The Gauntlet” Poster!
Yesterday we took a look at a rare Barry Windsor-Smith concept piece. Today we have not one, but two concepts by Frank Frazetta for the poster for Clint Eastwood’s The Gauntlet. How cool is that?
Source: Tony Stella
“Mind Over Murder” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!
Here we have the poster and trailer for Mind Over Murder. I don’t know this case, but plan to tune in.
From acclaimed filmmaker Nanfu Wang, the HBO Original six-part documentary series #MindOverMurder chronicles the bizarre and psychologically complex story of six individuals who were convicted for the 1985 murder of a beloved 68- year-old grandmother, Helen Wilson, in Beatrice, Nebraska. Despite five of the individuals originally confessing to the crime, the “Beatrice Six” as they became known, were exonerated by DNA evidence in 2009, a turn of events that divided the rural town and incensed the family of Helen Wilson. As the filmmakers track the case from the murder, through investigation, trial, exoneration and two civil suits, shifting perspectives cloud the truth; a stranger-than-fiction tale emerges that raises salient questions about the reliability of confessions and memory in criminal cases.
“The Old Guard” (2020) / Z-View
The Old Guard (2020)
Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood
Screenplay: Greg Rucka based on The Old Guard comic series by Greg Rucka and Leandro Fernandez
Starring: Charlize Theron, KiKi Layne, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Harry Melling.
Tagline: Forever is Harder Than It Looks
The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…
Andy (Theron) leads a team of centuries-old near-immortals who take on missions to improve the world. When Steven Merrick (Melling), a drug company executive learns of the near-immortals, he puts together a group of mercenaries to capture Andy’s team. Merrick plans to experiment on the near-immortals to discover their secrets to longevity.
I was expecting more from The Old Guard. I’m a long time fan of Greg Rucka’s writing (both novels and comics). For some reason the story/dialogue just didn’t resonate with me. The action scenes were good. There’s one horrifying thing that happens to one of the near-immortals that will stay with you. Other than that The Old Guard played out like a good, but not great action flick. The Old Guard rates 3 of 5 stars.
Barry Windsor-Smith Rare Barbarian Art!
One of the cool things about social media is finding something that you’ve never seen. For example, this Barry Windsor-Smith piece above. Was it an unused cover/painting concept? Is the character Conan? I don’t know, but I am happy to see it.
Source: Shane M. Bailey
“Nope” – The Final Trailer is Here!
The final trailer for NOPE is here.
“What’s a bad miracle?”
Oscar® winner Jordan Peele disrupted and redefined modern horror with Get Out and then Us. Now, he reimagines the summer movie with a new pop nightmare: the expansive horror epic, Nope.
The film reunites Peele with Oscar® winner Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out, Judas and the Black Messiah), who is joined by Keke Palmer (Hustlers, Alice) and Oscar® nominee Steven Yeun (Minari, Okja) as residents in a lonely gulch of inland California who bear witness to an uncanny and chilling discovery.
Nope, which co-stars Michael Wincott (Hitchcock, Westworld) and Brandon Perea (The OA, American Insurrection), is written and directed by Jordan Peele and is produced by Ian Cooper (Us, Candyman) and Jordan Peele for Monkeypaw Productions. The film will be released by Universal Pictures worldwide.
“The Unforgivable” (2021) / Z-View
The Unforgivable (2021)
Director: Nora Fingscheidt
Screenplay: Peter Craig, Hillary Seitz, Courtenay Miles based on Unforgiven, a British limited series by Sally Wainwright
Starring: Sandra Bullock, Viola Davis, Vincent D’Onofrio, Jon Bernthal, Aisling Franciosi, Richard Thomas, Tom Guiry, Emma Nelson and Will Pullen.
Tagline: No one walks free of their past.
The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…
Ruth Slater (Bullock) has just been released from prison after serving twenty years for the murder of a sheriff. She has two goals. The first is to make sure that her younger sister, Katie (Franciosi) is doing alright and the second is to get on with her life. Neither goal is going to be easy.
After Ruth’s imprisonment, Katie was adopted. Katie has splotchy memories of a traumatic incident, but no idea of her life before adoption. Katie’s adoptive parents do not want Ruth to have any contact with Katie.
When Keith (Guiry), one of the sons of the murdered sheriff, sees that Ruth Slater has been released from prison he is enraged. He blames Ruth for all of the crappy things in his life that began with the murder of his dad. Keith plans to kill Ruth.
Ruth’s refusal to back down from meeting with Katie, and Keith’s plans to kill Ruth are going to play out in unpredictable ways.
I was impressed with how good The Unforgivable is since it could have easily gone the Lifetime Movie route. The Unforgivable is a dark story that is well written, well directed featuring an excellent cast. Kudos to Sandra Bullock for starring in a movie where she doesn’t look like a movie star and is believable as an ex-con.
Viola Davis has a small, but pivotal role. Vincent D’Onofrio plays an attorney married to Davis’ character. I loved the interactions between these two amazing actors.
Jon Bernthal is one of my favorite actors. He has a small role as a potential love interest for Ruth. Their scene in the diner is heartbreaking… especially later when we learn more.
Richard Thomas is excellent as Katie’s adoptive dad. It’s good to see Thomas in more roles.
I figured out The Unforgivable early on, and had most of it right. The ending did surprise me though. I really liked The Unforgivable so of course it rates 4 of 5 stars.
“Dirty Harry” by Tony Stella
Check out this very cool poster of Clint Eastwood as Dirty Harry Callahan by Tony Stella. It is available as a print from Tony Stella!
“The Terminal List” Starring Chris Pratt – The 2nd Trailer is Here!
The second trailer for The Terminal List starring Chris Pratt is here!
“Black Bird” – The Trailer is Here!
Wow! Black Bird. Deal me in.
When serving time, you’ll do anything for a chance at freedom—even if that means facing a suspected killer. Inspired by true events, Dennis Lehane’s newest Apple Original Series stars Taron Egerton and Paul Walter Hauser. Black Bird arrives July 8 on Apple TV+ https://apple.co/_BlackBird
Inspired by actual events, when high school football hero and decorated policeman’s son Jimmy Keene (Taron Egerton) is sentenced to 10 years in a minimum security prison, he is given the choice of a lifetime — enter a maximum-security prison for the criminally insane and befriend suspected serial killer Larry Hall (Paul Walter Hauser), or stay where he is and serve his full sentence with no possibility of parole. Keene quickly realizes his only way out is to elicit a confession and find out where the bodies of several young girls are buried before Hall’s appeal goes through. But is this suspected killer telling the truth? Or is it just another tale from a serial liar? This dramatic and captivating story subverts the crime genre by enlisting the help of the very people put behind bars to solve its mysteries.
Ensemble cast includes Taron Egerton, Paul Walter Hauser, Sepideh Moafi, Greg Kinnear and Ray Liotta.
Black Bird is developed and executive produced by Lehane. The first three episodes are directed by Academy Award nominee Michaël R. Roskam (“Bullhead,” “The Drop”), who also serves as executive producer. Lehane, Egerton and Roskam executive produce alongside Richard Plepler through his EDEN Productions; Bradley Thomas, Dan Friedkin and Ryan Friedkin executive produce through Imperative Entertainment; Alexandra Milchan and Scott Lambert executive produce through EMJAG Productions; and Kary Antholis also executive produces, along with the book’s author James Keene. Jim McKay and Joe Chappelle also direct. The limited series is produced for Apple TV+ by Apple Studios.
Song: “Cuckoo! (Songs From “Friday Afternoons”, Op.7)” by Benjamin Britten https://apple.co/Cuckoo_BenjaminBritten
Bernie Wrightson: The FPG Years – On Kickstarter Now!
Bernie Wrightson: The FPG Years is a book that Wrightson fans are going to want. It’s on Kickstarter now, so don’t sleep on this one!
FAN2FAN Podcast: Craig Zablo Talking Stallone Interview Part 1
The Fan To Fan (F2F) podcast with hosts Bernie Gonzalez, Peter Charbonneau and Doug Ziegler takes a simple idea and does it well. Each episode of F2F features a conversation between fans. The subject could be movies, comics, TV, video games, toys, cartoons, or anything pop culture! Bernie, Peter and Doug pick a fan with a love and/or knowledge of the episode’s topic and then do a deep dive.
Recently, the F2F team spoke with me about Sly Stallone. When I was approached to be a guest, I explained that there are Stallone fans with greater knowledge and bigger collections than mine. Still, they were interested in how I became a Stallone fan, the creation of StalloneZone and more. I was already a fan of Bernie’s Midnight Mystery, so I checked out F2F and became a fan of it as well.
Talking to Bernie, Pete and Doug was a blast. It was truly fans hanging out. Here’s part one of the conversation. I hope you enjoy it half as much as I did.
“The Horn Blows at Midnight” (1945) / Z-View
The Horn Blows at Midnight (1945)
Director: Raoul Walsh
Screenplay: Sam Hellman, James V. Kern based on an idea by Aubrey Wisberg
Starring: Jack Benny, Alexis Smith, Dolores Moran, John Alexander, Margaret Dumont, Robert Blake and Mike Mazurki
Tagline: Benny’s from Heaven and the laughs are out of this world!!!
The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…
Athanael (Benny), plays third trumpet in the orchestra of a live late night radio show. During a commercial break, Athanael falls asleep. And dreams…
Athanael dreams he’s an angel trumpet player in heaven’s orchestra. He’s given the job to go to Earth and signal it’s destruction by blowing his trumpet at midnight. A woman who wants to commit suicide and two fallen angels are determined to stop Athanael from blowing his horn. Will Athanel sound his trumpet and destroy the earth? Will he fail and become a fallen angel? Do we really care since this is all a dream?
And that is one of the problems with The Horn Blows at Midnight. It’s all a dream. Whatever happens doesn’t matter.
It. Is. A. Dream.
There are some humorous moments when Athanael and several cast members are hanging off a building or when Athanael ends up in and clinging to a gigantic cup of coffee (again high up on a building).
I’m a Jack Benny fan and love his standup comedy and television show. Benny joked for years about how bad The Horn Blows at Midnight is. After seeing it, I realize Benny wasn’t joking..
The Horn Blows at Midnight rates 2 of 5 stars.
