“The Winchesters” – The Extended Trailer for the “Supernatural” Prequel is Here!

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Today we have an extended trailer for The Winchesters, the prequel series to Supernatural.  Although I wasn’t a fan of the original series, the humor is drawing me in for prequel.  “Stop Helping!”

About The Winchesters:
Before Sam and Dean, there was John and Mary. Told from the perspective of narrator Dean Winchester, this is the epic, untold love story of how John met Mary, and how they put it all on the line to not only save their love, but the entire world.

Murder in Greasepaint: A Rock Cobbler Case by Whiskey Leavins / Z-View

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Murder in Greasepaint: A Rock Cobbler Case by Whiskey Leavins

Trade Paperback: 242 pages
Publisher: Independently published (March 30, 2022)

First sentences…

“STOP IT! We’re not clowning around here. Just put it down, why don’t you?”  I used my best cop voice.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

The first thing you notice with Murder in Greasepaint is another very cool painted cover by Rafael Andres.  Andres also did the cover to Leavins’ first book, The Devil’s Own Piss.  I’m happy to see this partnership continue.

Rock Cobbler is a detective with the Santa Lacrimosa PD.  An apparent suicide at the local clown college, gets Cobbler’s number called.  What looks to be an open and shut case turns out to be murder.  Rob Sofritas aka Mr. Rubadubdub was tortured, stabbed and then thrown from his dorm window.

Sofritas was well-liked and had a bright future in clowning.  Did jealousy lead to Sofritas’ murder?   He also came from money.  Blackmail gone wrong? Then there’s the nasty rumor about Sofritas’ affiliation with a clown faction and their legendary fights to gain control of an artifact that supposedly gives power to those who posses it. Did Softitas have the item?

With so many leads, Cobbler seeks the assistance of Professor Wiggles aka Corine D’Ambrosia.  From their first encounter, Cobbler finds himself attracted to her.  She’s beautiful, smart and also a suspect.  D’Ambrosia may have nothing to do with the murder, or she may be setting Cobbler up for a fatal pratfall.  One thing’s for sure, clowning ain’t no joke.

Hat’s off to Whiskey Leavins for finding the perfect balance of suspense and humor.  While we meet many colorful characters, they’re believable because of the way Leavins presents them.  The situations are humorous and sometimes silly, but we never lose sight that the danger is real.  I was especially impressed with the exchanges between Cobber and D’Ambrosia.  They reminded me of the flirting patter we’d get in an old Bogart/Bacall film.  Also kudos to Leavins for bringing back three characters from The Devil’s Own Piss.

Whiskey Leavins has another winner.  This is his second novel in a row that has earned my top rating.  I hope he goes for a trifecta.    Murder in Greasepaint earns 5 of 5 stars.

Rating:

Murder in Greasepaint Trade Paperback

Murder in Greasepaint Kindle

RIP: John Aylward

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John Aylward, a character actor who is best known for his roles on The West Wing and ER, died on May 16th at the age of 75.  No cause of death was given.

John Aylward graduated from the University of Washington’s Professional Actor’s Training Program in 1970.  The biggest majority of his career until the mid-1980s when he started getting roles on television and in movies.  For the rest of his career Mr. Aylward alternated between feature films and television.  His best known roles were as Dr. Donald Anspaugh on 74 episodes of ER and The West Wing where he played former DNC Chair, Barry Goodwin.  Other notable television appearances include the series: Ally McBeal, The X-Files, The Practice, Law & Order, Boston Legal, Alias, The Mentalist,  CSI, Mad Men, Fringe, American Horror Story, Yellowstone and Briarpatch.  Some of Mr. Aylward’s feature film appearances include: Armageddon, The Crazies, Water for Elephants, Gangster Squad and The Way Back.

John Aylward was a character actor that would have found work in any era.  Like most character actors, you might not recognize his name, but you knew his face.  You also knew that John Aylward’s appearance in any movie or television show meant it was going to get a little better because he was in it.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to John Aylward’s family, friends and fans.

“The Good Neighbor” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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The trailer for The Good Neighbor makes it look like a suspense film with brains.  The poster though, appears to be for a drive-in horror movie.  Both types could be good, but I hope The Good Neighbor is more of the first.  Deal me in.

A nightmarish evening unfolds for neighbors David (Luke Kleintank) and Robert (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) when they accidentally hit a woman on her bike and flee the scene. While David is increasingly plagued by feelings of guilt, Robert shows no remorse and becomes overbearing and possessive. When David meets Vanessa (Eloise Smyth), the victim’s sister, he submits to a reckless passion and underlying sense of redemption before realizing Robert will do unspeakable things to protect their secret.

Tarzan of the Apes (1918) / Z-View

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Tarzan of the Apes (1918)

Director: Scott Sidney

Screenplay:  Fred Miller and Lois Weber based on the novel Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs

Starring:  Elmo Lincoln, Enid Markey and Gordon Griffith.

Tagline:  Tarzan did not know why he caressed her… He had never seen a white woman before!

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Tarzan of the Apes is the first movie appearance of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ iconic character.  The film’s popularity led to three sequels:  The Romance of Tarzan (1918), The Son of Tarzan (1920), and The Adventures of Tarzan (1921).

Tarzan of the Apes is a fairly straightforward retelling of the novel.  After a mutiny, John and Alice Clayton are marooned in Africa.  Soon Alice gives birth to a son. Both parents die shortly after the child is born.  Kayla, an ape, raises the baby as her own.  The boy grows to adulthood among the apes. 

Years later another survivor of the mutiny spreads word that the Claytons survived.  An expedition is sent to Africa to locate them, but instead they find Tarzan of the Apes!  When Jane, a member of the expedition, is captured by natives, it is up to Tarzan to save her.

Tarzan of the Apes consists of iconic scenes from the novel which covers decades,  Gordon Griffith plays Tarzan as a young boy.  So technically, Griffith is the first person to play Tarzan!  Take that, trivia buffs.  Elmo Lincoln plays the adult Tarzan.  His Tarzan is a strongman with a headband.  Having only seen stills from the movie before, I was surprised at how quickly I adjusted to Lincoln’s portrayal of the Ape Man.   Although Enid Markey had a long acting career, she doesn’t have much to do here but scream, faint and look lovingly at Tarzan.

Tarzan of the Apes suffers from the actors in (poorly designed) monkey suits playing the apes.  The lion that Tarzan fights doesn’t look overly threatening.  Keep in mind that audiences of the day had never experienced better effects.  With that said, I’ve always enjoyed the different adaptations of Tarzan – movies, tv shows, comics, cartoons, etc.  I’m glad I finally got to see the 1918 Tarzan of the Apes.  It gets 3 of 5 stars.

“Gunfight at Rio Bravo” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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Here we have the poster and trailer for Gunfight at Rio Bravo.  I would have liked the poster better if it was entirely just the bottom half.  The trailer seems to present the whole movie, but in films like this, that’s okay.  Going in, we know what we’re going to get.

If I was going to complain, I’d point out two things.

#1.  The movie looks to be a by-the-numbers western that would appeal to teenagers (and older folks like me that never outgrew that teenage love for movies).

#2.  Everyone and everything in the trailer looks too clean.  A western town in the 1800s would have been dusty and rough looking.  In the trailer, every character’s clothes look like they just came off the rack.  Everyone in the trailer looks clean, as if they’ve been sitting in an air-conditioned trailer, waiting for their scene.  Even the bad hombres about to ride into town look like they scrubbed up for a night out.  Also, the lead’s haircut is modern.

But that’s okay.  I’m not expecting Oscars for Gunfight at Rio Bravo.  I just want a film that would have been a decent second feature at a drive-in.

In the film; Nevsky plays a mysterious Russian gunslinger who aids a marshal and a sheriff as they stand up to a bloodthirsty outlaw gang known as The Hellhounds who have invaded their small East Texas town. #GunfightAtRioBravo

CAST: Alexander Nevsky, Joe Cornet, Matthias Hues, Olivier Gruner, Natalie Denise Sperl, Kerry Goodwin, John Fallon, and Anna Oris

“Mr. Wu” (1929) Starring Lon Chaney! / Z-View

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Mr. Wu (1929)

Director:  William Nigh

Screenplay:  Adapted by Lorna Moon, Titles by Lotta Woods, based on the play by Maurice Vernon and Harold Owen, from the book by Louise Jordan Miln

Starring:  Lon Chaney, Renée Adorée, Ralph Forbes, Louise Dresser  and Anna May Wong 

Tagline: SHE WAS GUILTY OF LOVE AND THE UNWRITTEN CODE OF THE EAST CRIED FOR VENGEANCE!

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Mr. Wu (Chaney) is a wealthy and powerful man raised to follow the ancient traditions of China.  Although he is a traditionalist, Wu knows “the West is coming to the East.”  To that end, Mr. Wu interacts with diplomats from other countries.  That is how Wu’s adult daughter, Nang Ping (Adorée) meets and begins secretly seeing Basil Gregory (Forbes), the son of a British diplomat.

Nang Ping becomes pregnant at the same time she learns that Basil is about to return to England.  A gardener learns of Nang Ping’s pregnancy and informs Mr. Wu.  Wu is despondent, torn between love for his daughter and what tradition requires of a father whose daughter has dishonored the family.  Mr. Wu will comply with tradition and then extract revenge on the Diplomat’s family!

Lon Chaney plays two roles in this silent film.  Chaney created his own makeup making him unrecognizable as both Grandfather Wu (100 year old man) and Mr. Wu.  Mr. Wu provides an excellent example of why Lon Chaney is my favorite silent movie star.  He plays a full range of emotions and they all come alive through his facial expressions.  Anna May Wong appears in just a few scenes but she shines.  Renée Adorée is okay as Mr. Wu’s daughter, but it’s interesting to think what Wong would have done in the role.

Mr. Wu’s plan to extract vengeance on the diplomat’s family forces an impossible decision and a surprising conclusion to the film.  Mr. Wu rates 4 of 5 stars

“The Marksman” (2021) / Z-View

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The Marksman (2021)

Director: Robert Lorenz

Screenplay:  Robert Lorenz, Chris Charles, Danny Kravitz

Starring:  Liam Neeson, Jacob Perez, Katheryn Winnick, Juan Pablo Raba and Teresa Ruiz.

Tagline:   Justice comes down to him.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Jim (Neeson) is a rancher living on the Arizona / Mexico border.  Jim should be living the American dream, but life has been rough.  Recently, the woman he loved died.  The economy is tanking and Jim may lose his ranch.  Jim served his country as a marine and still loves it, but he needs to catch a break.

Instead Jim catches a woman (Ruiz) and her son (Perez) illegally crossing into the US through his land.  Jim calls the border patrol as vehicles speed to the Mexican side of the fence.  Several rough-looking cartel thugs demand the return of the woman and her son.  When Jim refuses, a shootout ensues.  Jim kills the cartel boss’ brother, but the boy’s mother is wounded.  Jim escapes with the mother and child.  The mother has been fatally wounded but before she dies, she gets Jim to agree to get her son safely to a relative in Chicago.

Jim turns the boy over to the border patrol telling them about the kid’s family in Chicago.  When Jim learns the cartel thugs have made it across the border and the boy is going to be turned over to them, Jim escapes with the boy.  With the police and cartel after them, Jim is determined to get the boy to his family no matter the cost.

The Marksman is an excellent vehicle for Neeson.  He is convincing as the older rancher who believed in a system that has let him down.  It’s no surprise that Neeson can play a man who can handle tough situations.  Hats off to Jacob Perez as the kid.  He’s in almost every scene and holds his own.  Katheryn Winnick is wasted in a role that gives her little to do.  Robert Lorenz’s direction is solid but not flashy.  His time as 2nd Unit Director for Clint Eastwood has paid off.

The Marksman is full of action and suspense.  It would have rated higher except for a few choices near the end of the movie.  The decision that Jim and the kid make in regard to cartel money doesn’t ring true.  The same with the final showdown with the cartel thugs.  Not all movies have to have a happy ending, but man, Jim just can’t catch a break.

The Marksman rates 3 of 5 stars.

“The Deep House” (2021) / Z-View

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The Deep House (2021)

Director:  Alexandre Bustillo, Julien Maury

Screenplay:  Alexandre Bustillo, Julien Maury, Julien David, Rachel Parker

Starring:  Camille Rowe, James Jagger and Eric Savin.

Tagline:  None..

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Tina (Rowe) and Ben (Jagger) are an engaged couple looking for adventure.  They explore haunted locations for Ben’s social media.  While in France they learn of an old insane asylum at the bottom of a lake.  Of course they decide to check it out.

When Tina and Ben arrive at the location, they’re disappointed to discover the lake has become a tourist hot spot.  Ben strikes up a conversation with a local.  The man (Savin) says he can knows of an isolated area that contains a mansion perfectly preserved at the bottom of the lake.  Tina and Ben agree to the man’s price and he takes them there.

At the bottom of the lake, Tina and Ben find the mansion.  The place is creepy enough on the outside and once inside strange things start happening.  They hear scary noises and what sounds like muffled voices.  Do they leave?  Of course not.  They go deeper into the house and discover photos of missing children, satanic symbols and scratches on the inside of the front door.  Do they return to the surface?  Nope.  Then they find a huge crucifix holding a door closed.  Time to go, now?  Naw, let’s move the cross and go downstairs.

The House Below has a several creepy scenes and a few scares.  Since we don’t know much about the characters, we’re not as vested in their survival as we could be.  Some things happen that are attributed to ghosts, but the ghosts must be about as smart as our leads..  The ending is supposed to be shocking (and it may surprise you), but it’s just another example of a character’s stupid choice.

The Deep House rates 2 of 5 stars.

“White Elephant” Starring Michael Rooker, Bruce Willis, Olga Kurylenko & John Malkovich – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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Although the poster for White Elephant uses photos of the stars, at least it didn’t go for the giant heads approach.  The trailer isn’t bad.  I’ll give this a look on streaming.

When an assassination attempt is witnessed by two cops, Gabriel Tancredi, an ex-marine turned mob enforcer (Michael Rooker), is ordered by his ruthless mob boss (Bruce Willis) to eliminate any and all threats. With an eager underling out to prove himself, rival gangs making moves, and a rising body count, every step Tancredi makes threatens lives…including his own.

White Elephant is directed by Jesse V. Johnson (Avengement, The Debt Collector) from a script by Johnson and Erik Martinez (Kung Fu Pho). The film also stars Olga Kurylenko, Vadhir Derbez, and John Malkovich.

RLJE Films will release the action film White Elephant in theaters and streaming on AMC+ on June 3, 2022.

“For All Mankind” – The Season 3 Trailer is Here!

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For All Mankind was surprisingly good.  I cannot wait for the third season!

Over two decades after the Moon landing, there’s a new battle to face— Mars. For All Mankind Season 3 premieres June 10 on Apple TV+ https://apple.co/__ForAllMankind

The ensemble cast returning for season three includes Joel Kinnaman, Shantel VanSanten, Jodi Balfour, Sonya Walger, Krys Marshall, Cynthy Wu, Casey W. Johnson, Coral Peña and Wrenn Schmidt, along with new series regular Edi Gathegi who will play Dev Ayesa, a charismatic visionary with his sights set on the stars.

The propulsive new season of the alternate-reality series takes viewers to a new decade, moving into the early ’90s with a high-octane race to a new planetary frontier: Mars.

“The Old Man” Starring Jeff Bridges – The Trailer is Here!

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I like the looks of the trailer for The Old Man.  Glad to see Jeff Bridges is back.

Based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Thomas Perry, The Old Man stars Jeff Bridges, John Lithgow and Amy Brenneman. The Old Man centers on “Dan Chase” (Bridges), who absconded from the CIA decades ago and has been living off the grid since. When an assassin arrives and tries to take Chase out, the old operative learns that to ensure his future he now must reconcile his past.

“Prey” – The Teaser is Here!

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Prey – The teaser is short and sweet.  Deal me in.

“Prey,” an all-new action-thriller from 20th Century Studios directed by Dan Trachtenberg (“The Boys,” “10 Cloverfield Lane”) and the newest entry in the “Predator” franchise, will stream August 5, 2022, exclusively on Hulu.

Set in the Comanche Nation 300 years ago, “Prey” is the story of a young woman, Naru, a fierce and highly skilled warrior. She has been raised in the shadow of some of the most legendary hunters who roam the Great Plains, so when danger threatens her camp, she sets out to protect her people. The prey she stalks, and ultimately confronts, turns out to be a highly evolved alien predator with a technically advanced arsenal, resulting in a vicious and terrifying showdown between the two adversaries.

“Prey” is directed by Dan Trachtenberg, written by Patrick Aison (“Jack Ryan,” “Treadstone”), and produced by John Davis (“Jungle Cruise,” “The Predator”) and Jhane Myers (“Monsters of God”), with Lawrence Gordon (“Watchmen”), Marty Ewing (“It: Chapter Two”), James E. Thomas, John C. Thomas and Marc Toberoff (“Fantasy Island”) serving as executive producers.

The filmmakers were committed to creating a film that provides an accurate portrayal of the Comanche and brings a level of authenticity that rings true to its Indigenous peoples. Myers, an acclaimed filmmaker, Sundance Fellow and member of the Comanche nation herself, is known for her attention and dedication to films surrounding the Comanche and Blackfeet nations and her passion for honoring the legacies of the Native communities. As a result, the film features a cast comprised almost entirely of Native and First Nation’s talent, including Amber Midthunder (“The Ice Road,” “Roswell, New Mexico”), newcomer Dakota Beavers, Stormee Kipp (“Sooyii”), Michelle Thrush (“The Journey Home”), Julian Black Antelope (“Tribal”).