Category: Movies

“Backfire” (1950) starring Edmond O’Brien, Virginia Mayo and Gordon MacRae / Z-View

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Backfire (1950)

Director:  Vincent Sherman

Screenplay: Ivan Goff, Larry Marcus, Ben Roberts; story by Larry Marcus

Stars:  Edmond O’Brien, Virginia Mayo, Gordon MacRae, Dane Clark, Viveca Lindfors, Sheila MacRae, David Hoffman, Monte Blue, Russ Conway,  John Daheim, John Dehner and Ed Begley.

Tagline: A double-cross that doubled back…with a blonde on the end of it!

The Plot…

1948.  Although the war is over, Bob Corey (MacRae) is still in a military hospital recovering from injuries.  One surgery to go and Bob will just need some rehab to be good as new.  Then he plans to marry his nurse, Julie Benson (Mayo) and open a ranch with his best friend Steve Connelly (O’Brien).  Bob and Steve have been best friends since serving together in the war.  Steve regularly visits Bob… until he doesn’t show up one day.

Late one night as Bob recovers from his final surgery a strange woman appears in his room.  She wakes Bob and tells him that Steve was crippled in a terrible accident.  She says that Steve wants to die but she refuses to help him commit suicide.  As Bob falls back to sleep, the woman disappears.

Bob leaves the hospital determined to find his friend.  As he follows clues, Bob doesn’t get much help.  The police are looking for Steve for other reasons.  A gambler named Lou Walsh (whose very name scares people) seems involved some how.  But who is Lou Walsh?

As Bob gets closer to the truth, people begin to get murdered.  The killer now has his sights on Bob and his fiancé Julie.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The movie was filmed in 1948, but not released until 1950.  In those two years Mayo and MacRae had become bigger stars and so their names were moved up to the top in advertising materials.

Backfire (1950) rates 3 of 5 stars.

Mike McKone “Gets Carter”

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I’ve been a Mike McKone fan since I first saw his art.  So when McKone offered a sketch option with the purchase of his sketchbook, it was a no-brainer.  I asked for Sly Stallone as Jack Carter or Dwight Manfredi.  Mike McKone decided to “Get Carter” and I couldn’t be happier.

Even without the original sketch option, Mike McKone’s sketchbook should be on every art lovers “to be purchased” list.  If you can get the sketch, don’t sleep on the deal.

“Prince of Darkness” (1987) written & directed by John Carpenter; starring Donald Pleasence / Z-View

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Prince of Darkness (1987)

Director:  John Carpenter

Screenplay: John Carpenter as Martin Quatermass

Stars: Donald Pleasence, Lisa Blount, Jameson Parker, Victor Wong, Dennis Dun, Susan Blanchard, Anne Marie Howard, Dirk Blocker, Jessie Lawrence Ferguson, Peter Jason, Thom Bray, Joanna Merlin and Alice Cooper.

Tagline: Before man walked the earth… it slept for centuries. It is evil. It is real. It is awakening.

The Plot…

A priest (Pleasence) discovers a large cylinder of green bubbling liquid hidden in a church.  The priest can sense that the container holds something evil.  In an effort to discover exactly what the substance is, the priest brings in Professor Howard Birack (Wong) and several of his best students.  The team begins running tests to determine the age, make-up and other properties of the green liquid.  At the same time others work to decipher the ancient manuscripts found with the cylinder.

The unknown substance is at least 7 million years old, made of pre-biotic material and is quickly evolving.  The priest feels the increasing power of the substance and fears that it may be Satan or some other ancient god.  Soon homeless people begin showing up outside the church.  They stand a stare as if waiting for something.  Then the team members begin to experience the same dream – a menacing dark figure coming towards them.

Soon the team will know the truth…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I’m a John Carpenter fan, but I feel that Prince of Darkness falls far short of Carpenter’s best work.  As always, your mileage may vary.

Prince of Darkness (1987) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“Background to Danger” (1943) directed by Raul Walsh; starring George Raft, Sydney Greenstreet & Peter Lorre / Z-View

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Background to Danger (1943)

Director:  Raoul Walsh

Screenplay: W.R. Burnett; based on UNCOMMON DANGER by Eric Ambler

Stars: George Raft, Brenda Marshall, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, Osa Massen, Willard Robertson,
Kurt Katch and Turhan Bey.

Tagline: GEORGE RAFT Rougher and tougher than ever! FIGHTS THE FAT MAN SYDNEY GREENSTREET You can trust him as far as you can throw him!

The Plot…

1942.  World War II rages.  Because Turkey is neutral, the United States, Russia and Germany have embassies trying to sway the country.  Spies are everywhere.

Joe Barton (Raft) is traveling by train in Turkey when he meets a pretty woman.  Barton sees a man staring at the woman.  He asks if she needs help.  She asks Barton to hold some papers for her.  They will meet at her hotel once they arrive at their destination.  Barton agrees.

Barton is followed to his hotel.  In his room he is searched but the papers aren’t found.  Later, after he’s made sure he wasn’t tailed, Barton heads to the hotel where the woman is staying.  When he goes to her room, he discovers she’s been murdered.  Barton hides when another man enters the room.  As the man goes through the woman’s things, Barton escapes.  He’s followed by the man who entered behind him.

Barton realizes the papers are valuable.  But to which country?  Barton has been set-up as the woman’s murderer.  The authorities, Russian and German spies want the information in Barton’s possession.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

In the source novel, the character George Raft plays was a salesman.  Raft demanded that his character be changed to an undercover FBI agent using the salesman job as a cover.

The last scene in this film shows an airplane taking off.  The scene was taken from Casablanca.  Interestingly enough, George Raft was offered the starring role in Casablanca, but turned it down.  It became one of Humphrey Bogart’s most popular roles and the film is considered a classic.

Background to Danger (1943) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Rounding” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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The poster is so-so, but the trailer for Rounding has me on board.

Deal me in.

ROUNDING opens in select theaters and on digital February 14.

After a traumatic incident, a driven young medical resident transfers to a rural hospital for a fresh start, but the demons of his past start to catch up to him when he becomes consumed by the case of a patient with mysterious symptoms.

Cast: Namir Smallwood, Sidney Flanigan, Michael Potts, Rebecca Spence
Director: Alex Thompson

“A Working Man” screenplay by Sylvester Stallone; directed by David Ayer; starring Jason Statham, David Harbour & Michael Peña – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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Today we have the poster and trailer for A Working Man written by Sylvester Stallone, based on a character created by Chuck Dixon.  The film stars Jason Statham, David Harbour and Michael Peña.  The working title for the film was Levon Cade.

Deal me in.

Human Traffickers Beware.

Watch the trailer for #AWorkingMan, starring Jason Statham and from ‘The Beekeeper’ director David Ayer.

See the movie only in theaters March 28.

“Nightmare” (1956) written & directed by Maxwell Shane; starring Edward G. Robinson & Kevin McCarthy / Z-View

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Nightmare (1956)

Director:  Maxwell Shane

Screenplay: Maxwell Shane; based on And So to Death by Cornell Woolrich

Stars: Edward G. Robinson, Kevin McCarthy, Connie Russell, Virginia Christine, Gage Clarke, Marian Carr,
Barry Atwater, John Mitchum, Cosmo Sardo and Rhys Williams.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Stan Grayson (McCarthy) wakes from a restless night.  Stan dreamed he had a fought and killed a man.  When Stan notices strangle marks on his neck, blood on his wrist and a key that he’s never seen before, he begins to believe it wasn’t a dream.

Wracked with guilt and confusion, Stan tells his brother-in-law, New Orleans Detective Rene Bressard (Robinson) about the situation.  Bressard assures Stan it was just a dream.  Stan probably scratched himself as he was tossing and turning.  Stan isn’t so sure.

Things take a turn for the worse when it is discovered that a man was killed where Stan’s “dream” took place. Only the man wasn’t the only one murdered!  Is Stan a killer?  Has he been set up?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Nightmare features a creative opening and a great mystery set-up.  Along the way we get a couple of unexpected turns.

If you’re a fan of mystery movies of this era, you should enjoy Nightmare.

Nightmare (1956) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“In the Lost Lands” starring Dave Bautista & Milla Jovovich – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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The poster and trailer for In the Lost Lands starring Dave Bautista and Milla Jovovich are here.  It looks to be more fantasy than I usually like, but so far I do like what I see.

A Queen sends the powerful and feared sorceress Gray Alys to the ghostly wilderness of the Lost Lands in search of a magical power, where the sorceress and her guide, the drifter Boyce, must outwit and outfight man and demon.

Starring: Dave Bautista, Milla Jovovich
Directed by: Paul W.S. Anderson
Release Date: March 7, 2025

“Broken Darkness” (2017) written & directed by Christopher-Lee dos Santos / Z-View

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Broken Darkness (2017)

Director:  Christopher-Lee dos Santos

Screenplay: Christopher-Lee dos Santos

Stars: Sean Cameron Michael, Suraya Rose Santos, Brandon Auret, Ryan Kruger and Jonathan Pienaar.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Years ago massive world-wide meteor showers forced survivors into an underground existence.  Tunnels now connect “stations” where groups survive.  Although each station is self-sufficient, there is little power for lights, heat, or any modern convenience. Survivors have been reduced to living in the dark and existing on little.

When the Kentucky station’s water supply is cut due to a leak, Sam, Troy and Rose are sent to find and repair the problem.  This will take them far from the station and into dangerous areas where mutants and cannibals roam.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Broken Darkness has an interesting set-up and the plot sounds exciting.  Sadly the end result doesn’t live up to expectations.  I found Broken Darkness to be slow and when the action did start, not exciting enough to keep me interested.  I tapped out at 59 minutes.

Broken Darkness (2017) rates 1 of 5 stars.

“Nosferatu the Vampyre” (1979) written & directed by Werner Herzog; starring Klaus Kinski & Isabelle Adjani / Z-View

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Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979)

Director:  Werner Herzog

Screenplay: Werner Herzog; based on Nosferatu by F. W. Murnau; and DRACULA by Bram Stoker

Stars: Klaus Kinski, Isabelle Adjani, Bruno Ganz.

Tagline: Nosferatu…he who is doomed to wander alone in darkness. Nosferatu…he who is condemned to destroy even those whom he loves. Nosferatu…a tale of seduction in the dark night of the soul.

The Plot…

Jonathan Harker (Ganz) is sent to Transylvania to finalize an estate purchase with Count Dracula (Kinski).  Harker is unaware that Dracula is a vampire that will soon become infatuated with his wife, Lucy (Adjani).

Dracula intends to leave Transylvania for his new manor in Wismar, Germany. In this new metropolis Dracula will be able to feed without fear of discovery.  Dracula will also take possession of Lucy.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Nosferatu the Vampyre is a melding of Dracula (1931) and the 1922 film Nosferatu.   For my money, Dracula (1931) is by far the better of the three.  (And of the four if we include 2024’s Nosferatu.)

Much of Nosferatu the Vampyre is filmed during the day which isn’t the best time for a vampire movie.  The character design of Nosferatu and his portrayal wasn’t frightening or intimidating.  The still photos from the film were creepy, but lost something on screen.

I did like the idea that much of what happens to Harker and what he sees in Dracula’s castle might just be in his mind.  Is the castle a ruin or fully intact?  Is the boy who plays the violin real?  I also liked the ending’s twist.  Still, the movie overall fell short for me.  I was expecting much more.

Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“Operation: Rainfall” (2020) written & directed by Luke Sparke / Z-View

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Operation: Rainfall (2020)

Director:  Luke Sparke

Screenplay: Luke Sparke; additional dialogue by Dale Dye, Felix Williamson

Stars: Dan Ewing, Temuera Morrison, Lawrence Makoare, Jet Tranter and Ken Jeong.

Tagline: Invasion was just the beginning.

The Plot…

Two years into an alien invasion, the resistance learns of an alien plan called “Rainfall”.  A battle-scarred vet, a young idealistic kid who wants to be a warrior and an alien sympathetic to the human fight, set out on a mission to take down the alien operation before it is too late.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Operation: Rainfall is a sequel to the 2018 film Occupation.

If you’re a fan of low-budget sci-fi, then Operation: Rainfall is for you.  It reminded me of something you’d see on Saturday mornings in the early 80s when there were attempts to cash in on the Star Wars craze.

Operation: Rainfall (2020) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“No One Lives” starring Luke Evans / Z-View

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No One Lives (2012)

Director:  Ryuhei Kitamura

Screenplay: David Cohen

Stars: Luke Evans, Gary Grubbs, Lee Tergesen, America Olivo, Beau Knapp, Rob Steinberg, Laura Ramsey, Michael ‘Mick’ Harrity and Tyrus.

Tagline: Everyone Runs. Everyone Hides. No One Lives.

The Plot…

While driving in a remote area on a cross-country moving trip, a couple is kidnapped by a gang of thieves.  The thugs plan to rob the couple and steal their trailer.  Everything changes when they discover something unexpected in the couple’s car trunk.

The thieves learn the meaning of “sometimes you get the bear and sometimes the bear gets you.”

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The discovery in the trunk is a great plot twist.  Unfortunately the movie then becomes very predictable.

No One Lives (2012) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“Nosferatu” (2024) written & directed by Robert Eggers; starring Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult and Bill Skarsgård / Z-View

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Nosferatu (2024)

Director:  Robert Eggers

Screenplay: Robert Eggers; based on Nosferatu by Henrik Galeen; inspired by DRACULA by Bram Stoker

Stars: Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult, Bill Skarsgård, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Ralph Ineson, Ralph Ineson and Willem Dafoe.

Tagline: Succumb to the darkness.

The Plot…

Thomas Hutter (Hoult) is sent to Transylvania to finalize an estate purchase with Count Orlok (Skarsgård).  Hutter is unaware that his employer is involved in the occult and that Orlok is a vampire infatuated with Hutter’s wife, Ellen (Depp).

Orlok intends to leave Transylvania for his new manor in Wisborg, Germany. In this new metropolis Orlok will be able to feed without fear of discovery.  Orlok will also take possession of Ellen.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The exteriors of Orlok’s castle are an actual Transylvanian castle.  Vlad Dracula was once imprisoned behind the castle’s walls.

Count Orlok is often surrounded by rats.  Professor Albin Eberhart Von Franz (Dafoe) and Ellen (Depp) are often seen with cats.  Cats kill rats.

This is Willem Dafoe’s second movie in regard to Nosferatu.  In Shadow of the Vampire (2000) he played Max Schreck, the actor who played Nosferatu in the original film.

Eggers’ Nosferatu has the feel of a creepy old black and white film thanks to use of a computer to remove the red and yellow color spectrums.

I like the idea of keeping Orlok/Nosferatu’s appearance a mystery in ads and much of the movie.  Sadly, I was disappointed in the look of Orlok/Nosferatu when we finally see him.  The big bushy mustache makes no sense if the rest of his body is decaying.

The solution to killing Orlok is found in an ancient text.  If the method to his demise is so well known, how come Orlok isn’t aware?

Eggers’ Nosferatu is a scary character study that slowly builds tension.  Settle back and enjoy the ride.

Nosferatu (2024) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Judge Dredd”: The Movie – The 30th Anniversary Edition!

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Just in time for the 30th anniversary of Sly Stallone as Judge Dredd comes the, you guessed it, 30th Anniversary Edition of Judge Dredd: The Movie by writer Andrew Helfer and artist, Carlos Ezquerra.  Here’s the synopsis…

In the Third Millenium, the world changed. Climate. Nations. All were in upheaval. Humanity itself turned as violent as the planet. Civilisation threatened to collapse. And then… a solution was found. The crumbling legal system was merged with the overburdened police, creating a powerful and efficient hybrid. These new guardians of society had the power to dispense both justice and punishment. They were police, jury, and executioner all in one. They were the Judges!

When Mega-City One erupts in violent block wars, there’s only one man Justice Department can rely on to suffocate the flames of rebellion. His name is Judge Dredd.

But when the city’s brightest beacon of justice is convicted of breaking the very law he’s been entrusted to uphold, he’s sentenced to spend the rest of his life rotting in the Aspen Penal Colony.

In order to clear his name, Dredd must escape captivity, make his way across the toxic Cursed Earth, break back into the city, and find the familiar foe that framed him. All in a day’s work for Judge Dredd.

Featuring art by legendary Judge Dredd co-creator Carlos Ezquerra (Preacher) and a script by Andrew Helfer (The Shadow), this is the official adaptation of Judge Dredd, the 1995 movie written by William Wisher, Jr. (Terminator 2: Judgement Day) and Steven E. de Souza (Die Hard).”

30th Anniversary Edition Judge Dredd: The Movie drops Wednesday 12th March 2025