Previews and Reviews that are Z's Views
Meet the Parents with a criminal twist. Deal me in.
Owen Browning (Adam Devine) is a straight-laced bank manager about to marry the love of his life, Parker (Nina Dobrev). When his bank is held up by the infamous Ghost Bandits during his wedding week, he believes his future in-laws (Pierce Brosnan and Ellen Barkin) who just arrived in town, are the infamous Out-Laws. The Out-Laws on Netflix, July 7.
BRONZE STAR by Mike Baron & Pat Broderick is live on Kickstarter now. Here’s the lowdown…
Bronze Star is a suspenseful, weird western tale that explores redemption and revenge, offering a fresh take on the werewolf mythos while delivering heart-pounding scares, glorious artwork, and unexpected twists that will grab readers by the throat and not let go until the final page.
Created by Eisner winning writer Mike Baron (Nexus, Punisher, Star Wars), and beautifully illustrated by Pat Broderick (Micronauts, Alpha Flight, Legion of Super-Heroes), Bronze Star tells a frightening tale of a civil war vet who kills a powerful landowner’s spoiled son after catching him cheating in a poker game. An angry posse soon forces him to flee to a remote mining town where he discovers the town’s sheriff is afflicted with lycanthropy, but this sheriff isn’t the only supernatural danger lurking in this silver mining town…
Click over for more details. Western horror by Baron and Broderick? Deal me in!
It was announced that Barry Newman died on May 11, 2023. He was 93.
Barry Newman didn’t discover his love of acting until after he had served in the Army and earned a degree in anthropology from Brandeis University. Mr. Newman was working on a Masters Degree when he sat in on an acting class with a friend. He soon left college to pursue a career as an actor. After getting parts in off-Broadway and Broadway productions, Mr. Newman decided to try for roles in television and movies. Barry Newman is probably best known for his starring roles in the feature film Vanishing Point and the television series Petrocelli.
Some of Barry Newman’s television appearances include: The Defenders; Naked City; The Edge of Night (3 episodes); Get Smart; The Lawyer; Night Games; Petrocelli (44 episodes); Quincy; The Fall Guy; Fatal Vision (2 episodes); Nightingales (13 episodes); LA Law (3 episodes); Murder She Wrote (3 episodes); JAG, NYPD Blue (2 episodes) and The OC (3 episodes)
Some of Barry Newman’s feature films include: Pretty Boy Floyd; Vanishing Point; City on Fire; Daylight; The Limey; Bowfinger and 40 Days and 40 Nights.
My favorite Barry Newman role was as the defense lawyer Anthony Petrocelli in the television series Petrocelli. I also enjoyed seeing him in Daylight with Sly Stallone.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Barry Newman’s family, friends and fans.
I liked the original and look forward to Bird Box: Barcelona.
As a mysterious force decimates humanity, a sinister new threat grows in this Barcelona-set story that expands the blockbuster “Bird Box” universe.
Wham-Bam-Slam! (1955)
Director: Jules White
Writer: Felix Adler, Clyde Bruckman
Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard, Matt McHugh.
Tagline: SCORES A GRAND SLAM IN HILARITY!
The Plot…
After Larry and Moe have a series of mishaps trying to remove Shemp’s aching tooth, they decide a camping trip is just the thing they all need. The only problem is they don’t own a car. Our guys end up buying a jalopy that needs work. Let the hijinks begin.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Wham-Bam-Slam! is a reworking of the Stooges’ 1948 short, Pardon My Clutch. It makes use of quite a bit of footage from the original. The funny thing is Pardon My Clutch borrowed from the Laurel & Hardy shorts Perfect Day (1929) and Them Thar Hills (1934). So Wham-Bam-Slam! is a reworking of a reworked short!
One of my favorite Larry and Moe exchanges occurs in Wham-Bam-Slam!
Moe, “Only fools are positive.”
Larry, “Are you sure?”
Moe, “I’m positive!”
Wham-Bam-Slam! (1955) rates 4 of 5 stars.
It has been announced that Joe Gayton, the writer, director and producer, died on May 14, 2023, from prostrate cancer. Mr. Gayton was 66.
Joe Gayton’s first screenwriting credit was on Uncommon Valor starring Gene Hackman and Patrick Swayze. Mr. Gayton co-wrote the feature with Wings Hauser. Joe Gayton is probably best known for Hell on Wheels the AMC series he created with his brother, Tony Gayton.
I am a huge fan of the under-rated film, Faster, written by Joe and Tony Gayton. Faster starred Dwayne Johnson, Billy Bob Thorton, Maggie Grace, Tom Berenger and Michael Epps. Hell on Wheels is a series that is on my to-be-watched list.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Joe Gayton’s family, friends and fans.
Bedlam in Paradise (1955)
Director: Jules White
Writer: Felix Adler, Zion Myers
Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard, Vernon Dent, Phillip Van Zandt, Sylvia Lewis and Symona Boniface.
Tagline: BLUE SKY BUFFOONERY ALL THE WAY!!!
The Plot…
Shemp has died and is at the pearly gates waiting to get into heaven. Shemp has come up short and will be taking the down elevator, when he is given one chance at heaven. Shemp must return to earth, invisible to all, and reform Moe and Larry. It won’t be easy, because Larry and Moe are about to scam some rich business prospects. Can Shemp save his and the other two Stooges’ souls?
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Bedlam in Paradise is a remake of the Stooges’ 1948 short, Heavenly Daze. They added a subplot with the Devil that works. There’s an extended scene with the Devil tempting Shemp with a sexy dancer before he returns to Earth. There’s also a payoff at the end where the Devil gets a “pie” to the face. Despite these additions, Bedlam in Paradise makes much use of footage from Heavenly Daze.
Bedlam in Paradise (1955) rates 4 of 5 stars.
Of Cash and Hash (1955)
Director: Jules White
Writer: Jack White
Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard, Christine McIntyre, Vernon Dent, Kenneth MacDonald, Stanley Blystone, Blackie Whiteford and Duke York.
Tagline: It takes the cake for laughs!
The Plot…
Our boys wander into the middle of a gunfight between cops and armored car robbers. Both our guys and the thieves run off with the coppers in hot pursuit. Of course Larry, Shemp and Moe are identified as the crooks. They realize that unless they can find the real bad guys, their in big trouble. Let the hijinks begin.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Of Cash and Hash is a reworking of the Stooges’ Shivering Sherlocks from 1948. New footage was created changing the reason for the boys ending up in a creepy, old house where the crooks are hiding. The rest is done using footage from the original.
There’s a funny gag involving the cops, our guys and a lie detector.
Duke York plays Angel a big, dumb, scary-looking thug. Love the look of this character. And any time a monster is after our guys, it is the best.
Of Cash and Hash (1955) rates 4 of 5 stars.
Fling in the Ring (1955)
Director: Jules White
Writer: Jack White
Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard, Dick Wessel, Claire Carleton, Heinie Conklin, Frank Sully and Sammy Stein.
Tagline: A knockout of a knockabout comedy!
The Plot…
Our guys are managers of heavyweight boxer, Chopper Kane. When gangsters tell our boys that Chopper loses his next fight or they lose their lives, they know what they have to do. Chopper has to take a dive, but Chopper refuses. Let the hijinks begin.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Fling in the Ring is a remake of the Stooge’s 1947’s Fright Night which was Shemp’s first film with the team. The remake makes use of much footage from the original.
There is an extended scene of the Stooges being chased and fighting with the thugs in a warehouse full of crates that is worth the price of admission.
Moe gets his hand banged in a door and says, “I think I broke my eye-poking fingers.”
Fling in the Ring (1955) rates 4 of 5 stars.
Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips have announced WHERE THE BODY WAS, a new original graphic novel that drops December 12, 2023. Here’s the lowdown…
A boarding house full of druggies. A neglected housewife. A young girl who thinks she’s a superhero. A cop who wants to be left alone. And a Private Detective looking for a runaway girl. These stories collide one fateful summer in WHERE THE BODY WAS, a tale of love and murder in the suburbs, told from a dozen different points of view. All the neighbors on the block have an opinion about the murder and how it happened, but which of them is telling the truth?
WHERE THE BODY WAS is a tour-de-force from grandmasters Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. Starting with a map of the crime scene, this murder mystery follows the ripples of this killing as they echo through decades of love and loss and passion and violence. Like a true crime podcast crossed with a long-lost diary, WHERE THE BODY WAS is unlike anything Brubaker and Phillips have ever done, and a must-have for all their avid fans!
WHERE THE BODY WAS is available for pre-orders now.
Perry Mason: Season 1 (2020)
Written by: Rolin Jones & Ron Fitzgerald (ep. 1-3, 8); Steven Hanna & Sarah Kelly Kaplan (ep. 4); Eleanor Burgess (ep. 5); Kevin J. Hynes (ep. 6); Howard Korder (ep. 7)
Directed by: Tim Van Patten (ep. 1 – 4; 7-8); Deniz Gamze Ergüven (ep. 4 – 6)
Stars: Matthew Rhys, Juliet Rylance, Chris Chalk, Shea Whigham, Tatiana Maslany, John Lithgow, Justin Kirk, Diarra Kilpatrick, Eric Lange, Verónica Falcón, Gretchen Mol, Gayle Rankin, Stephen Root, Robert Patrick, Lili Taylor and Matt Frewer.
Tagline: Everyone is guilty of something.
The Plot…
The year is 1932. Perry Mason (Rhys) is a low-rent private eye. He’s a divorced parent, and a WWI vet who struggles with PTSD. Mason’s main employer is a struggling attorney named “E.B.” Jonathan (Lithgow). When EB takes on a sensationalized, highly publicized case involving a baby kidnapping/murder, he assigns Mason to investigate. Mason follows leads that point to corruption at the highest levels and the fact that an innocent person is taking the fall. As Mason gets closer to the truth, he and those around him become targets.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
This is not your grandparents’ Perry Mason. Instead we are treated to the evolution of the great attorney from before he was even a lawyer. The series captures the feel of the era. It is well written, well directed, well acted and well, just an all-around superior viewing experience.
Perry Mason: Season 1 is one of the few shows were the supporting characters could actually be leads had the show been written differently.
The first season starts out very dark and Mason isn’t all that likeable. Stick with the series and you’ll be rewarded.
Perry Mason: Season 1 (2020)) earns 5 of 5 stars.
Musty Musketeers (1954)
Director: Jules White
Writer: Jules, White, Felix Adler
Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard, Vernon Dent, Philip Van Zandt, Heinie Conklin, Diana Darrin, Virginia Hunter, Norma Randall, Frank Sully and Al Thompson.
Tagline: It’s a Laugh Riot!
The Plot…
Moe, Larry and Shemp are the famous “fiddlers three” for Old King Cole (Dent). Our boys want to get married, but the King has ruled that until his daughter, Princess Alicia (Hunter) marries Prince Gallant III of Rhododendron there shall be no marriages allowed. Working behind the scenes the diabolical magician Murgatroyd (Van Zandt) has his own plans of his own to marry the princess. It will be up to our boys to foil Murgatroyd’s plans. What could go wrong?
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Musty Musketeers is a remake of the Stooge’s 1948 short, Fiddlers Three. The remake makes use of much footage from the original.
Musty Musketeers (1954) rates 3 of 5 stars.
I cannot wait. Deal me in!
Timothy Olyphant is back as Raylan Givens. OFFICIAL TRAILER for FX’s Justified: City Primeval premieres 7.18 on FX. Stream on Hulu.
Starring Timothy Olyphant, Aunjanue Ellis and Boyd Holbrook. Raylan Givens left the hollers of Kentucky and is balancing life as a U.S. Marshal with being a part-time father. A chance encounter sends him to Detroit and on a collision course with a violent sociopath and a formidable defense attorney.
Lush and other tales of Boozy Mayhem by Duane Swierczynski just came out. It’s Swierczynski’s first book of short stories. Here’s the lowdown…
Cimarron Street Books is pleased to bring you the first collection of short stories from Duane Swierczynski!
If you’re in the mood for mayhem, you’ve come to the right place, pal. Cozy up to the bar and let Duane Swierczynski spin you a yarn. I’ll warn ya, though; these eighteen tales aren’t for the faint of heart. You’ll find crime, science fiction and plenty of horror in these pages . . . and rest assured, he isn’t afraid to serve up the hard stuff.
As Duane notes in his introduction: “Stories have always been an escape for me, just like a couple of stiff drinks at the end of the day. Both are methods of altering your personal reality, even just for a little while.” We invite you to escape into Duane’s wild world of high-octane (and high-proof) short fiction, where you’ll experience . . .
A journalist landing an interview with Philadelphia’s last hardboiled P.I., the hunt for a pulp writer’s lost manuscript, the downside of finding out that death isn’t the end, the dangers of ignoring a Polish death curse, a new twist on serving time for crimes committed, a cross-country trek under the watchful eye of a killer, a particularly dangerous film print, lawbreakers in a future where technology has tamed the L.A. freeway system, and a whole lot more . . .
Gird your brain and your liver . . . it’s time for Lush and Other Tales of Boozy Mayhem.
If this sounds like something you’d like, you know what to do.
Bubble Trouble (1953)
Director: Jules White
Writer: Jules, White, Felix Adler
Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard, Emil Sitka and Christine McIntyre.
Tagline: THE MIRTH MANIACS..AT THEIR MADDEST!
The Plot…
Larry, Shemp and Moe are pharmacists who invent a potion that reverses the aging process! What could go wrong?
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Bubble Trouble is a remake of the Stooge’s 1957 short All Gummed Up. Although it uses much footage from the original, the payoff with the old man is different.
Bubble Trouble (1953) rates 3 of 5 stars.
