“Project Legion” (2022) starring Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone / Z-View

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Project Legion (2022)

Director:  Lance Kawas

Screenplay:  Lance Kawas, John Sullivan story by Lance Kawas, Michael Pizzimenti, James Raptoplous

Stars: Donald Cerrone, Brande Roderick, Dino Dos Santos

Tagline: Locking your door won’t keep them out.

The Plot…

A former soldier (Cerrone) locks himself inside his apartment as the world we know appears to be under attack.  Strange creatures attempt to find access to the apartment.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I tapped out at 24 minutes. Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone has had fights that lasted longer.

Project Legion (2022) rates 1 of 5 stars.

“George Romero’s Dawn of the Dead” Limited Edition Print by Paul Mann!

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In honor of its 45th anniversary, artist Paul Mann teamed with Bottleneck Gallery and ISH to create a new poster for George Romero’s Dawn of the Dead.  The 14 color screen print pictured above is 24×26 inches and will be released in a hand-numbered edition of just 300 for $75.00.

There will be an Emerald Variant in a hand-numbered edition of 175 that will cost $85.00.

The final variant will be the Purple Variant in a hand-numbered variant of just 100 that will retail for $95.00.

The Paul Mann George Romero’s Dawn of the Dead limited edition prints will go on sale tomorrow.  For full details click here.

“Einstein and the Bomb” (2024) / Z-View

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Einstein and the Bomb (2024)

Director:  Anthony Philipson

Stars: Aidan McArdle

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Einstein and the Bomb is a docudrama that uses Einstein’s actual words (from his writings and speeches) to explore his life from leaving Germany as Hitler came into power to later in life and his concerns over the atomic bomb.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Einstein and the Bomb isn’t a straight up documentary and it isn’t a drama.  It’s an odd combination.  There were many opportunities had the filmmakers focused on Einstein’s new theories and how he came to discover them, or Einstein’s decision to flee Germany under Nazi power or his life after he became a celebrity.  The decision to emphasize his concerns with atomic weapons doesn’t come into play until late in the film and for me, wasn’t strong enough to warrant the movie’s title.

Still, it was interesting to hear Einstein’s words and his thoughts.

Einstein and the Bomb (2024) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Hard Target” (1993) directed by John Woo, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Lance Henriksen, Yancy Butler, Arnold Vosloo / Z-View

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Hard Target (1993)

Director:  John Woo

Screenplay:  Chuck Pfarrer

Stars: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Lance Henriksen, Yancy Butler, Arnold Vosloo, Willie C. Carpenter, Kasi Lemmons, Robert Pavlovich, Ted Raimi, Chuck Pfarrer and Wilford Brimley

Tagline: Don’t hunt what you can’t kill.

The Plot…

Natasha Binder (Butler) has come to New Orleans to find her estranged father, who is a homeless vet.  When several thugs attempt to mug Natasha, Chance Boudreaux (Van Damme) comes to her rescue.  Natasha then hires Boudreaux to assist her in her quest.

What neither Natasha nor Boudreaux know is that Natasha’s father was murdered by rich hunters who paid Emil Fouchon (Henriksen) for the opportunity to track and kill a human.  When Fouchon learns that Boudreaux and Natasha are getting close to discovering him, he brings in a team to take them out.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

There are some very over the top moments (Van Damme grabs a snake then hits it in the head to knock it out, he stands on a motorcycle as it roars into a truck launching Van Damme over the crash, etc.) and lots of explosions, fire, slow motion that John Woo makes work. (Or maybe I just accept the them because I like the rest of the movie so much).

Universal brought in Sam Raimi to be on set to assist John Woo.  Their concern was it was his first Hollywood film and he didn’t speak English.  Raimi appears in a cameo.

Kurt Russell was considered at one point for the role that ultimately went to JCVD.

In the scene where Lance Henriksen’s coat catches fire, it wasn’t supposed to, but did.  Henriksen never broke character and the accident appears in the final film.

JCVD was the star of the film and played the part off-screen.  He had script control and definite ideas of how scenes should be shot. According to Lance Henriksen it started as a JCVD vehicle, but as filming continued it became clear it was a John Woo film.

Arnold Vosloo has never been better.

Hard Target (1993) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“The Family Stallone”: Season 2 (2024) / Z-View

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The Family Stallone: Season 2 (2024)

Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Jennifer Flavin-Stallone, Sophia Rose Stallone, Sistine Rose Stallone, Scarlet Rose Stallone, Frank Stallone, Jon Lovitz, Dolph, Henry Winkler, Frank Grillo and Pope Francis

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

The Family Stallone gives us a peek at the life of, you guessed it, the Stallone family: Sly, Jennifer, Sophia, Sistine and Scarlet.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Season 2 features ten episodes…

S2.E1 ∙ Say Goodbye to Hollywood: Now that they are empty-nesters, Sly & Jen decide to move from California to Florida.  Sly puts Sistine and Sophia through a self-defense mini-boot camp.

S2.E2 ∙ My Fair Louis: Scarlet’s boyfriend, Louis, comes for a visit.  Sophia feels Jen is pressuring her to settle down.

S2.E3 ∙ Matchmaker, Matchmaker: Sophia encourages Sistine to start dating.  Jen sets Frank up with a date closer to his age.

S2.E4 ∙ Back Aches and Blind Dates: Sly has to have another surgery to repair an injury caused by a movie stunt. Sistine goes on a blind date podcast.

S2.E5 ∙ Uncle Frank is Coming to Town: Frank heads to New York City to spend some quality time with Sistine and Sophia (in their apartment).

S2.E6 ∙ Keep Punching: The Family Stallone heads to Philadelphia where Sly is honored on Rocky Day. (I can be seen in three crowd scenes if you don’t blink.)

S2.E7 ∙ A Stallone Family Reunion: The Family Stallone journey to the small town in Italy where Sly’s grandfather lived before immigrating to the US.  They meet family members for the first time in a huge gathering.

S2.E8 ∙ Citizen Sly: Sly is honored by the town where his grandfather used to live.

S2,E9 ∙ When in Rome: Love is in the air!

S2,E10 ∙ That’s Amore: The Stallone Family meets the Pope.  Sly and the family honor Jen.

I’m not a fan of most reality shows.  Truth be told if this wasn’t about Sly and his family, my interest level would be zero,  Frank deserves his own reality show.  It would be a hoot.  I’d love a chance to tour Frank’s house — he has some many cool collectibles.

Bring on Season 3!

The Family Stallone: Season 1 (2023) earns 5 of 5 stars.

“Arcadian” starring Nicholas Cage – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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I like the looks of the Arcadian poster and trailer.

In Theaters Only April 12th

Starring Nicolas Cage, Jaeden Martell, Maxwell Jenkins, and Sadie Soverall
Directed by Benjamin Brewer
Written by Mike Nilon

In a near future, normal life on Earth has been decimated. Paul and his two sons, Thomas and Joseph, have been living a half-life – tranquility by day and torment by night. Every night, after the sun sets, they face the unrelenting attacks of a mysterious and violent evil. One day, when Thomas doesn’t return home before sundown, Paul must leave the safety of their fortified farm to find him. A nightmarish battle ensues that forces the family to execute a desperate plan to survive.

“True Detective: Night Country” (2024) starring Jodie Foster & Kali Reis / Z-View

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True Detective: Night Country (2024)

Director:  Issa López (eps. 1- 6)

Teleplays: Issa López (eps. 1 – 2, 6); Issa López and Alan Page Arriaga (ep.3); Namsi Khan and Chris Mundy and Issa López (ep. 4); Katrina Albright & Wenonah Wilms and Chris Mundy & Issa López (ep. 5)

Stars: Jodie Foster, Kali Reis, John Hawkes, John Albasiny.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Ennis, Alaska is about to enter their season of night.  Police Chief Liz Danvers (Foster) is called to the Tsalal Research Station. The eight researchers working at the station have disappeared. Alaskan State trooper Evangeline Navarro (Reis) also arrives on scene.  Danvers and Navarro have an uneasy alliance due to something from their past.  The researchers’ bodies are found, away from the station, naked and frozen together.  A woman’s severed tongue is located nearby.  Despite their differences, Danvers and Navarro are determined to resolve the mystery.  No matter the cost.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The first episode sets up an interesting mystery with a horror aspect.  The great cast and remote location add to the production.  Unfortunately, I’ve never seen a series with so many hard to like characters.  I would have preferred a tighter focus on the mystery of how/why the researchers were killed.  The fifth and sixth episodes (along with the first) were my favorites.

True Detective: Night Country (2024) earns 3 of 5 stars.

“Open Range” – Trivia from Kevin Costner

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Rob Hunter at Film School Rejects posted 45 Things We Learned from Kevin Costner’s ‘Open Range’ Commentary. (Sadly the piece is no longer available.)  Open Range is one of my favorite westerns.  But here are three of my favorite pieces of trivia from the piece and my comments on each…

He (Costner) likes to keep one or two things from a production as mementos, and here it was the chloroform bottle from the doctor’s house. “I also kept my guns.”  (I think it’s cool Costner keeps momentos from his films. It’d be interesting to see what he kept from each movie on his resume. – Craig)

“I’ve always had a thing about reloading in movies,” he says, and he hates when characters shoot off more shots than the gun actually holds. That said, he admits that the start of the shootout sees Charley unload on a guy by “fanning” his revolver and firing more than six shots. “The fanning is such a mythical part of the western, and I hadn’t seen it in such a long time, that I had no way of justifying other than hell’s bells I wanted to do it.” (I agree that heroes that never reload can be irritating, but I absolutely agree with Costner’s choice in this instance.  I’ll bet most folks didn’t even notice. – Craig)

One of the things he felt was important was to follow the main street shootout with a look at the aftermath. “There are consequences for violence. Horses get killed, people are injured, the little girl with the father talking to her, there are psychological repercussions that come from violence, and while conventional wisdom is ‘come on, let’s get on with it,’ I wanted to touch on it.”  (Movies that have a lot of violence without showing the consequences become cartoon-like.  Costner made an excellent choice to give the movie gravitas. – Craig)

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

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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

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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!

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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!

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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