“Who Are You, Louis?” – The Teaser for “Interview with the Vampire” Season 2 is Here!

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I’m glad we are getting some more promotional materials for season 2 of Interview with a Vampire.

Deal me in!

Who are you without your past?

ABOUT INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE
A luxury apartment covering an entire single floor of a high rise. Where the Vampire has granted the interview with the man he once judged to be unworthy. And where the journalist Daniel Molloy has hustled, for a second shot at the interview that got away from him 40 years earlier…

Based on Anne Rice’s iconic novel, Interview with The Vampire follows Louis’ epic story of love, blood and the perils of immortality, as told to the journalist Daniel Molloy. Chafing at the limitations of life as a black man in 1900’s New Orleans, Louis finds it impossible to resist Lestat’s offer of the ultimate escape: joining him as his vampire companion.

But Louis’s intoxicating new powers come with a violent price, and the introduction of Lestat’s newest fledgling, the child vampire Claudia, soon sets them on a decades-long path of revenge and atonement. A sensuous, contemporary reinvention of Anne Rice’s revolutionary gothic novel.

Who Are You, Louis? | Interview with the Vampire Season 2 | Premieres May 12 | AMC+

“Reacher”: Season 2 (2024) starring Alan Ritchson / Z-View

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Reacher: Season 2 (2024)

Directors: Sam Hill (Eps.1 – 2); Omar Madha (Eps. 3 – 4); Carol Banker (Eps. 5 – 6); Julian Holmes (Eps.7 – 8)

Teleplay: Nick Santora (Showrunner, Executive Producer, Writer – Ep. 1); Scott Sullivan (Ep. 2, 5, 8); Penny Cox (Ep. 3); Cait Duffy (Ep. 4); Cait Duffy & Michael J. Gutierrez (Ep. 6); Penny Cox & Lillian Wang (Ep. 7)

Starring: Alan Ritchson, Maria Sten, Serinda Swan, Shaun Sipos, Ferdinand Kingsley, Robert Patrick, Domenick Lombardozzi, Luke Bilyk and Malcolm Goodwin.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Jack Reacher, an ex-Military Police Investigator is contacted by, Frances Neagley (Swan) a former member of his team.  Someone is targeting the team for execution.  And it ain’t pretty.  One of the members was dropped from a helicopter after being tortured.  Reacher and Neagley have no idea why they’re being targeted, but they plan to warn the other team members… find out the reason… and then get revenge.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I was glad to see Frances Neagley played by Serinda Swan brought back for season two.  Neagley especially if teamed with Karla Dixon (Serinda Swan) could carry their own series.

Domenick Lombardozzi plays a cop who may or may not be crooked.  Lombardozzi is excellent as always.

It goes without saying, but I’m going to anyway: Alan Ritchson IS Jack Reacher.

Bring on Season 3!

“Bring Him To Me” starring Barry Pepper, Jamie Costa & Sam Neil – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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I like the poster, the trailer had me interested, but the synopsis for Bring Him To Me sold me.

Deal me in.

Written by Tom Evans and directed by Luke Sparke, BRING HIM TO ME is about a mild-mannered Driver (Barry Pepper) working for a mob boss. His conscience is tested when he is asked to collect a young and unsuspecting new crew member known as Passenger (Jamie Costa) one week after a violent robbery. What Passenger doesn’t know is that he is being driven into an ambush, forcing Driver to confront his loyalties to his boss and his own morality.

“Drive-Away Dolls” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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I like the poster and the trailer for Drive-Away Dolls has me interested.

They’re on the road and on the run. You don’t want to miss this ride!

Written by Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke, this comedy caper follows Jamie, an uninhibited free spirit bemoaning yet another breakup with a girlfriend, and her demure friend Marian who desperately needs to loosen up. In search of a fresh start, the two embark on an impromptu road trip to Tallahassee, but things quickly go awry when they cross paths with a group of inept criminals along the way. #DriveAwayDolls is in theaters February 23.

“Manhunt” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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Here we have the poster and trailer for Manhunt, the seven episode limited series about the conspiracy behind the assassination of President Lincoln.  I’ve always been interested in conspiracy theories as well as the stories behind the assassination of President Lincoln.  I recently watched the excellent documentary Lincoln’s Last Day and now I’m psyched for Manhunt.

A conspiracy thriller about one of the best known but least understood crimes in history: the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. This is the astonishing story of the high-stakes hunt for John Wilkes Booth. Manhunt, a limited series, comes to Apple TV+ March 15 https://apple.co/_Manhunt

Based on The New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award-winning nonfiction book from author James L. Swanson, “Manhunt” is a conspiracy thriller about one of the best known but least understood crimes in history, the astonishing story of the hunt for John Wilkes Booth in the aftermath of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination. The seven-part limited series stars Emmy Award-winning actor Tobias Menzies (“The Crown,” “Game of Thrones,” “Outlander”), and is created by Emmy nominee Monica Beletsky (“Fargo,” “The Leftovers,” “Friday Night Lights”), who also serves as showrunner and executive producer. Emmy nominee Carl Franklin (“Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story,” “One False Move,” “Devil in a Blue Dress”) directed the first two episodes and is also an executive producer on the series.

Starring alongside Menzies are Anthony Boyle (“Tetris,” “The Plot Against America”), Lovie Simone (“Greenleaf”), Will Harrison (“Daisy Jones & The Six”), Brandon Flynn (“13 Reasons Why”), Damian O’Hare (“Hatfields & McCoys”), Glenn Morshower (“The Resident”), Patton Oswalt (“A.P. Bio”), Matt Walsh (“Veep”) and Hamish Linklater (“The Big Short”).

“The Incredible Shrinking Man” (1957) directed by Jack Arnold / Z-View

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The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957)

Director:  Jack Arnold

Screenplay: Richard Matheson, Richard Alan Simmons based on THE SHRINKING MAN by Richard Matheson

Stars: Grant Williams, Randy Stuart, April Kent, Paul Langton, William Schallert, Frank J. Scannell, Helene Marshall, Billy Curtis and Raymond Bailey.

Tagline: Victim of weird mist ! Day by day he shrinks! Science is baffled! Cat becomes monster! Terror at every turn! Deadly spider attacks! Lost in a flood’s fury!

The Plot…

Scott Carey (Williams) and his wife, Louise (Stuart) are vacationing on a small boat.  When his wife goes down to get some drinks a strange mist passes over the craft.  Scott is covered with particles from the mist.  Six months later Scott realizes he’s shrinking.

The best doctors confirm that Scott is shrinking and begin searching for a cure.  As Scott continues to shrink life becomes more difficult.  Before too long even the household cat becomes a danger.

If no cure is found, what will become of Scott as he continues to shrink…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The Incredible Shrinking Man is based on Richard Matheson’s novel THE SHRINKING MAN.  Some scenes from the book were to risqué for 1957 and probably still are today.  They include Scott sleeping with a female midget, Scott abused by a drunk homosexual, and Scott peering through the window to watch a teenage baby-sitter.

Although the story ends with no cure found to save Scott, the studio got cold feet as filming progressed.  Director Jack Arnold, hot off The Creature from the Black Lagoon, refused.  Instead Arnold came up with a soliloquy for Scott to speak that ends the film.  Test audiences proved the decision to be a winner.

The large props used when Scott shrinks were later used on the Universal Studios Tour and the television series Land of the Giants.

Look for Mr. Drysdale (Raymond Bailey) of The Beverly Hillbillies fame playing a doctor.

The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“American Nightmare” (2024) / Z-View

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American Nightmare (2024)

Director:  Bernadette Higgins, Felicity Morris

Tagline:  No One Would Suspect the Truth.  It’s Always Revenge.  It’s Always the Boyfriend.  It’s Always the Scorned Ex.

The Plot…

Aaron Quinn calls 911.  He tells them that his girlfriend, Denise Huskins, was kidnapped from his house the night before.  They ask why he didn’t call sooner, he replies that he had been drugged with Nyquil and zip-tied.  The police bring him in for questioning. Aaron repeats his story.  He says the kidnapper was wearing a scuba suit.  The police ask if either he or his girlfriend put up a fight?  No, the kidnapper had a gun with a laser pointed at them.

The police say that a blanket is missing along with his girlfriend.  What could the blanket have been used for?  Aaron says to carry out a body.  The police say blood was found on the steps and Aaron has failed the lie-detector test.  Aaron says he can’t explain either.  A ransom demand comes in for $15,000.  That’s too low of a ransom for the risk.  The police are ready to arrest Aaron.

A day or so later, Denise shows up at her dad’s house about 300 miles away.  She tells police the kidnapper dropped her off.  The police question her and she tells the same story.  A break in by a guy with a laser pistol in a scuba suit.  He zip-ties and forces Aaron to drink Nyquill to knock him out.  The man then kidnaps Denise.  The police believe it to be a hoax and go to the media with this crazy story.  Denise and Aaron are destroyed when the story goes viral.

Time passes and the truth eventually comes out.  You know the saying, “Truth is often stranger than fiction?”  This time it is.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

After the first episode of American Nightmare, you are convinced Aaron killed Denise.

After the second episode, you believe Aaron and Denise came up with this outlandish story.

After the third episode, you will be in shock when the truth comes out.

American Nightmare (2024) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“Fargo”: Season 5 (2023) starring Juno Temple, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Sam Spruell and Jon Hamm / Z-View

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Fargo: Season 5 (2023)

Created by:  Noah Hawley

Directors:  Noah Hawley (eps. 1 -2); Donald Murphy (eps. 3 – 4); Dana Gonzales (eps. 5 – 6); Sylvain White (eps. 7 – 8); Thomas Bezucha (eps. 9 – 10)

Screenplay:Noah Hawley (eps. 1 -5, 9 – 10); Noah Hawley & Bob DeLaurentis (ep. 6); Noah Hawley & April Shih (ep. 7); Noah Hawley & Thomas Bezucha (ep. 8)

Stars: Juno Temple, Jennifer Jason Leigh, David Rysdahl, Joe Keery, Lamorne Morris, Richa Moorjani, Sam Spruell, Dave Foley, Lukas Gage and Jon Hamm.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

When a riot breaks out at Dot Lyon’s (Temple) daughter’s school board meeting, Dot accidentally tasers a police officer.  She’s arrested and booked.  Her fingerprints indicate she’s not who she says she is.  Soon this seemingly quiet housewife and mother will find herself in danger from kidnappers, her former husband who’s now a corrupt sheriff in a neighboring county and the F.B.I..

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Fargo presents new characters and story with each season.  All have been excellent and season 5 may be the best yet.

The story is full of twists and fantastic characters.  Every member of the cast is a standout.  I would not be at all surprised to see nominations and awards for Juno Temple, Jennifer Jason Leigh (has she ever been better?), Sam Spruell and Jon Hamm.  Their characters were quirky and the actors made the most of them.  Kudos also to Joe Keery, Lamone Morris, Richa Moorjani and Dave Foley.

Fargo: Season 5 (2023) earns 5 of 5 stars.

“Extended Family”: Season 1 (2023) starring Jon Cryer / Z-View

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Extended Family: Season 1 (2023)

Created by:  Mike O’Malley

Directors:  James Widdoes (eps. 1, 3); Ali LeRoi (eps. 2)

Screenplay: Mike O’Malley (ep. 1); Jim Vallely  (ep. 2); Ajay Sahgal (ep. 3)

Stars: Jon Cryer, Donald Faison, Abigail Spencer, Sofia Capanna, Finn Sweeney and Lenny Clarke.

Tagline:  Marriages End. Families Don’t.

The Plot…

Jim (Cryer) and Julia (Spencer) are divorced.  Rather than have the kids move back and forth between parents, the parents have decided the children will stay in the same house and they parents will move in during their periods of custody.  Matters are complicated when Julia gets engaged to Trey Taylor, the super rich owner of the Boston Celtics.

Let the hijinks begin.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I tuned in because of Jon Cryer.  I stuck around because it sometimes takes a show an episode or two to get going.

Episode One was bad.  One of the kids’ goldfish dies.  There’s a lot of drama about how to best approach this. They ultimately get a new goldfish to spare the child’s feelings. Turns out the kid doesn’t get upset over the fish’s death.  She’s upset over the divorce.  The parents apologize to her and everyone goes to a Celtics game.

Episode Two was bad.  Julia invites her fiance, Trey to spend the night while she is watching the kids.  Jim is upset because according to the “divorce constitution” that they wrote, he should have been consulted.  They argue. Jim ultimately agrees to Trey staying over.  Then Trey can’t sleep on the mattress that used to be shared by Julia and Jim.  So he buys a new mattress.  Constitutional crisis!  Then they settle that and painting the bedroom becomes an issue.  You guessed it.  Constitutional crisis.

More like series crisis, says I.  I’ll try one more episode.

Episode 3 was bad.  Jim has had the kids for a week on his own.  When Julia returns, Jim heads home.  She learns the daughter doesn’t like math and earned a C- on her test.  Her son is hooked on a violent video game.  She thinks that her kids are going to be failures.  She tries some things that don’t work.  She calls Jim back and he doesn’t see the problem.  Trey gets involved.  The kids end up concerned that there will be no future because of climate change.

Strike three.  I’m out.  Your mileage may vary but Extended Family is not for me.

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

RIP: Carl Weathers

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Carl Weathers died peacefully in his sleep on February 1, 2024.  He was 76.

Carl Weathers attended St. Augustine High School in New Orleans, Louisiana on an athletic scholarship.  Mr. Weathers was an athlete who excelled in football, boxing, gymnastics, soccer, wrestling and judo.  At San Diego St. University, Carl Weathers played defensive end for the Aztecs football team.  As an undrafted free agent, Mr. Weathers was picked up by the Oakland Raiders in 1970 to play linebacker.  When he was released the following year, he headed to Canada where he played for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League.  In the off seasons, Carl Weathers returned to the states to earn a earned a bachelor’s degree in drama.  In 1974, Mr. Weathers retired from football to pursue a career in acting.

Carl Weathers’ first feature film role was uncredited.  He played a demonstrator in Magnum Force.  Mr. Weathers’ first television role was as a jealous husband in an episode of Good Times.  Carl Weathers breakout role was as Apollo Creed in Rocky.  He would return to that role three more times.  Other of Carl Weathers’ signature roles include: Fortune Dane in Fortune Dane (1986); Colonel Al Dillon in Predator (1987); Jericho Jackson in Action Jackson (1988); Adam Beaudreaux in Street Justice (1991); Hampton Forbes in In the Heat of the Night (1993); Chubbs in Happy Gilmore (1996); Joe Clark in The Shield (2003); Combat Carl in Toy Story 4 (2019) and Greef Karga in The Mandalorian.  Although he would alternate throughout his career acting in feature films and television roles, Carl Weathers also branched out as a director and producer.

Television appearances of Carl Weathers include: Good Times; Kung Fu; S.W.A.T.; The Six Million Dollar Man; Cannon; Switch; McCloud; Starsky and Hutch; Barnaby Jones; The Streets of San Francisco; The Defiant Ones; Fortune Dane (6 episodes); Tour of Duty (9 episodes); Street Justice (44 episodes); In the Heat of the Night (28 episodes); The Shield (2 episodes); ER; Brothers (13 episodes); Chadam (3 episodes); Psych; Arrested Development (4 episodes); Toy Story of Terror; Regular Show (2 episodes); Colony (7 episodes); Chicago Fire (2 episodes); Chicago PD (4 episodes); Chicago Justice (13 episodes); Magnum PI (2018); Law and Order: Special Victims Unit; Star vs the Forces of Evil (10 episodes) and The Mandalorian (9 episodes).

Feature film appearances of Carl Weathers include: Magnum Force; Friday Foster; Rocky; Close Encounters of the Third Kind; Semi-Tough; Force Ten from Navarone; Rocky II; Death Hunt; Rocky III; Rocky IV; Predator; Action Jackson; Happy Gilmore and Toy Story 4.

Projects that Carl Weathers directed include: Renegade; Silk Stockings (8 episodes); Pensacola: Wings of Gold (2 episodes); 18 Wheels of Justice (3 episodes); Sheena (5 episodes); Hawaii 5-0: The Last O.G. (2 episodes); Law & Order; Chicago Med (2 episodes) and The Mandalorian (2 episodes).

When I think of his career, of course his role as Apollo Creed first comes to mind. Sly Stallone posted a touching tribute to Carl Weathers tonight that spoke to his importance in making Rocky a success.  Part of what Sly Stallone said:  “We lost a legend yesterday. My life was forever changed for the better the day I met Carl Weathers. Rest in power and keeping punching.”  My favorite Carl Weathers story occurred when he auditioned for the role of Apollo Creed.  Mr. Weathers was told that the writer of Rocky would be reading with him.  As the audition continued, Carl Weathers felt he wasn’t doing well.  He told the producers, “I’d do better if I was reading with a real actor.”  Sly said he knew right then Carl Weathers was the choice to play Apollo.

Although it only ran for six episodes, I was a fan of Carl Weathers’ Fortune Dane series.  I’ve been planning to seek it out for a re-watch.  The same could be said for his feature film Action Jackson.  Of course everyone loves his role in Predator and I’m no exception.  Anything that Carl Weathers was in was better because of him.

I was truly surprised by Carl Weathers’ death.  He was always in shape and appeared to be the picture of health. Some celebrity deaths hit harder than others.  Carl Weathers death was like a head-on car crash.  In addition to his acting, directing and producing, Carl Weathers will be remembered for his positive attitude.  He focused on the good in people.  He was humble and appreciative of his fans.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Carl Weather’s family, friends and fans.