Category: Z-View

“Wind River” (2017) written & directed by Taylor Sheridan, starring Jeremy Renner & Elizabeth Olsen / Z-View

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Wind River (2017)

Director: Taylor Sheridan

Screenplay: Taylor Sheridan

Stars: Jeremy Renner, Elizabeth Olsen, Jon Bernthal, James Jordan, Kelsey Asbille, Julia Jones, Teo Briones, Apesanahkwat, Tantoo Cardinal, Eric Lange, Gil Birmingham, Tokala Black Elk, Gil Birmingham, Martin Sensmeier, Austin R. Grant, Ian Bohen and Graham Greene.

Tagline: Nothing is harder to track than the truth.

The Plot…

When Natalie Hanson’s frozen dead body is found on the Wind River Indian Reservation after a brutal snow, rookie FBI Agent Jane Banner is sent in to investigate.

The autopsy reveals signs of rape and blunt trauma, but because Natalie died from a pulmonary hemorrhage caused by breathing subzero air, the coroner can not list the cause of death as murder.  That means that Agent Banner is unable to get additional support to investigate Natalie’s death.

Agent Banner knows she’s in over her head.  She is new to the area.  The customs and ways of life of the Northern Arapaho tribe who live on the reservation are alien to her.  So Agent Banner turns to Cory Lambert for assistance.  Lambert is the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Agent who found Natalie’s body.  Lambert is an expert tracker and knows the people having been married to a Northern Arapaho woman.

Banner and Lambert begin to backtrack Natalie’s last hours.  The will uncover another murder and conspiracy that leaves them outnumbered and on their own.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Wind River was filmed on location with some scenes filmed in real blizzard conditions.

Wind River is the first screenplay that he didn’t write on spec.  Both Sicario and Hell or High Water were written on spec.

Wind River is a bit of a slow burn.  But the amazing cast, the ultimate reveal of Natalie’s murder and the explosive gun battle after the sudden standoff are <chef’s kiss>.

Wind River (2017) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“Glengarry Glen Ross” (1992) written by David Mamet, directed by James Foley, starring Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Alan Arkin, Ed Harris, Kevin Spacey, Jonathan Pryce and Alec Baldwin / Z-View

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Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)

Director: James Foley

Screenplay: David Mamet; based on his play Glengarry Glen Ross

Stars: Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Alan Arkin, Ed Harris, Kevin Spacey, Jonathan Pryce, Bruce Altman, Jude Ciccolella and Alec Baldwin.

Tagline: Lie. Cheat. Steal. All in a day’s work.

The Plot…

Richard “Ricky” Roma, George Aaronow, Shelley “The Machine” Levene, and Dave Moss are real estate salesmen in a small office for a company that makes big promises. Despite lies and questionable tactics by all the men, sales are down.   Of late only Ricky Roma has been able to close deals.

With one week in the month left, the office manager John Williamson, says that the company is sending in Blake, their top salesman to inspire them.  Blake arrives and immediately begins talking.  Blake insults and attacks each worker’s salemenship and manhood.  Blake says that in one week, the top saleman for the office will win a car.  Second place gets a set of steak knives.  Third and fourth place winners will be fired.

And he’s serious.

Blake then leaves.  Ricky, George, Shelley, and Dave Moss are shocked.  Then angry.  Each man complains that the leads Williamson gives them are crap.  The leads have been repeatedly used.  The people on the leads have no money or no interest and have been called on several times.  Williamson doesn’t disagree.  You get what you get.  BUT, the two men show survive the month will next month get new leads.  These leads will be for the new  Glengarry development.

The Glengarry development is sweet.  It almost sells itself.  Those leads are worth their weight in gold.

Ricky is in a great position to win the car.  George, Shelley and Dave are all in danger of losing their jobs.  Each man has reason to do whatever it takes to survive.

And one will.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Al Pacino was nominated for a 1993 Best Supporting Actor Oscar.

Jack Lemmon gives the performance of a lifetime.  Same could be said for Alec Baldwin.  Kudos also to Alan Arkin, Ed Harris, Kevin Spacey and Jonathan Pryce who more than hold their own.

Glengarry Glen Ross is a showcase for great acting.  Jack Lemmon said Glengarry Glen Ross featured the greatest acting ensemble he had ever been part of.  High praise indeed.

Glengarry Glen Ross gets my highest recommendation.

Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“Honey Don’t” (2025) directed by Ethan Coen, starring Margaret Qualley, Aubrey Plaza, Charlie Day and Chris Evans / Z-View

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Honey Don’t (2025)

Director: Ethan Coen

Screenplay: Ethan Coen, Tricia Cooke

Stars: Margaret Qualley, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Evans, Charlie Day, Kristen Connolly, Don Swayze, Christian Antidormi, Billy Eichner, Kinna McInroe and Gabby Beans.

Tagline: She only has two desires, and one of them is justice.

The Plot…

Honey O’Donahue learns that Mia Novotny was found stabbed to death.  Honey is a private investigator who Mia had planned to meet the following day.  When Mia called Honey she said she couldn’t go to the police and was afraid.

Obviously for good reason.

Honey is determined to find Mia’s killer.  The clues will lead to the Four-Way Temple led by Reverend Drew Devlin.  Devlin is interested in a lot more than saving souls.  Devlin also has another money-making enterprise that could have something to do with Mia’s murder.

Honey won’t rest until she finds Mia’s assassin… even if it kills her.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I loved the film’s creative use of opening credits.

Margaret Qualley, the star of Honey Don’t, is the daughter of actress Andie MacDowell.  They look so much alike they could be twins.

The film earns an “R” rating because it doesn’t shy away during the lesbian sex scenes.

Honey Don’t (2025) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Dead of Winter” (2025) starring Emma Thompson / Z-View

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Dead of Winter (2025)

Director: Brian Kirk

Screenplay: Nicholas Jacobson-Larson, Dalton Leeb

Stars: Emma Thompson, Judy Greer, Marc Menchaca, Laurel Marsden and Brían F. O’Byrne.

Tagline: Wrong place. Wrong crime.

The Plot…

Barb and Karl had their first date ice fishing on Lake Hilda in Northern Minnesota decades ago when they were young.  They fell in love, were married and had a great life.  Now that Karl has passed, Barb has returned to the remote lake to spread his ashes.

It’s the dead of winter.  Lake Hilda is still a wilderness location.  No cell service.  No people.

Barb is shocked when she sees in the distance a woman with her hands bound trying to run from a man.  The man catches the woman and takes her away.  Barb follows them to a cabin.

If the woman is to survive, it will be up to Barb.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Emma Thompson’s daughter, Gaia Wise, plays young Barb.

Dead of Winter (2025) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“The Guilty” (2021) directed by Antione Fuqua, starring Jake Gyllenhaal / Z-View

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The Guilty (2021)

Director: Antoine Fuqua

Screenplay: Nic Pizzolatto; based on Den skyldige by Gustav Möller, Emil Nygaard Albertsen

Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Riley Keough (voice), Peter Sarsgaard (voice), Eli Goree, David Castañeda, Adrian Martinez, Beau Knapp (voice), Edi Patterson (voice), Paul Dano (voice), Gillian Zinser (voice) and Ethan Hawke (voice).

Tagline: Listen Carefully.

The Plot…

Joe Baylor is a LA police officer regulated to the night shift at a 911 Call Center pending the outcome of a complaint filed against him.  It is the night before a court decision deciding his fate.  It’s been eight months of hell.  It took a toll on Baylor and his family.  He and his wife (and their child) are estranged.

Baylor’s shift is almost over.  He cannot wait to get home and put this night behind him.  Then he takes a call.  A six year old girl is home alone with her baby brother.  She’s afraid.  The child says her father took her mother out of the house.  As Baylor tries to find her location to send a unit for a welfare check, he discovers the father has a record — for assault.  Now worried for the children and the mother, Baylor begins to try to locate the girl’s parents.

Joe Baylor is about to go down a path that he’s not expecting and will change his life.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The Guilty is a remake of a 2018 Danish film of the same name.

The Guilty (2021) rates3 of 5 stars.

“Bronson” (2008) directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, starring Tom Hardy / Z-View

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Bronson (2008)

Director: Nicolas Winding Refn

Screenplay: Brock Norman Brock, Nicolas Winding Refn

Stars: Tom Hardy.

Tagline: The Man. The Myth. The Celebrity.

The Plot…

Since he was a small boy, Michael Peterson got into trouble.  In 1974, at the age of 19, Peterson took a sawed-off shotgun and attempted to rob a post office.  He was caught and sentenced to seven years in prison.  His mother hoped he’d be out in four.

Michael Peterson is still in prison.  Peterson’s continued savage acts of violence repeatedly added years to his sentence.  He was sent to a psychiatric hospital, but the violence continued, so he returned to regular prison.  Peterson has served over 50 years with the majority of them spent in solitary confinement.

Along the way Peterson changed his name to Charles Bronson and took pride in his notoriety.

This is his story.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Tom Hardy met with Charles Bronson several times prior to filming.  After seeing the film, Bronson said that Hardy had his mannerisms, voice and personaity down pat.

If male frontal nudity offends you, avoid this film.

One of Bronson‘s taglines called it “A Clockwork Orange for the 21st Century“.  I agree.

Bronson (2008) rates3 of 5 stars.

“Intruder in the Dust” (1949) / Z-View

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Intruder in the Dust (1949)

Director: Clarence Brown

Screenplay: Ben Maddow; based on INTRUDER IN THE DUST by William Faulkner

Stars: David Brian, Claude Jarman Jr., Juano Hernandez, Porter Hall, Elizabeth Patterson, Charles Kemper, David Clarke, David Clarke, Elzie Emanuel, Lela Bliss and Will Geer.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

In the 1940s in a small Southern town, Lucas Beauchamp, a man of color, is falsely arrested for the murder of a white man.  It will be up to a teenage boy, his lawyer uncle and an old woman to find the true killer before a lynch mob loses control.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The film was shot on location in Oxford, Mississippi.  William Faulkner, who wrote the source novel grew up in Oxford.

William Faulkner won the Nobel Prize for literature for his novel INTRUDER IN THE DUST.

Intruder in the Dust (1949) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Predator: Badlands” (2025) directed by Dan Trachtenberg; starring Elle Fanning and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi / Z-View

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Predator: Badlands (2025)

Director: Dan Trachtenberg

Screenplay: Patrick Aison; story by Patrick Aison, Dan Trachtenberg; based on characters created by Jim Thomas, John Thomas

Stars: Elle Fanning, Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi.

Tagline: First hunt. Last chance.

The Plot…

The creatures we know as Predators are actually named Yautja.  The Yautja are raised by a code: Yautja are prey to none. Friend to none. Predator to all.  The weak are killed rather than bring shame to their clan.

Dek is a Yautja reaching adulthood.  He is considered a runt.  Dek’s father, the clan leader has decided Dek will bring shame to the clan.  In order to prove his worth Dek travels to Genna, a place so dangerous it is called the “Death Planet”.  There Dek plans to hunt and kill a Kalisk, one of the few creatures feared by Yautja.

On the planet Dek will face multiple dangers he couldn’t imagine.  He will also learn that the Yautja code isn’t always true…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Elle Fanning is excellent as the andriod Thia.  The character could have come off as irritating, but Fanning’s performance had the right balance.  Dek gets irritated (as he should) but the scenes provide the right amount of humor.

Predator: Badlands has a different tone from other films in the franchise.  There is a “cute” creature that shows up.  If it was just “Disney” cute, it would have not worked (for me).  But there is something about it that we don’t see at first that adds another layer and I liked it.  There is also a scene involving Thia (well, part of her) that gets a laugh and may have gone a bit too far… but why nitpick about a fun change of pace?

Terminator 2: Judgment Day gave Dan Trachtenberg the inspiration to turn the antagonist of the original film into the protagonist of the sequel.

The logo that appears on the back of Thia’s eyes are the classic Weyland-Yutani logo that was featured on the synth Andy’s eyes in Alien: Romulus.

I had my doubts about making a Predator the hero of a film but hats off to Trachtenberg, he did it.  I enjoyed Trachtenberg’s Prey as well.  I wonder what he will do in going for a trifecta.

Predator: Badlands (2025) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“WWE: Unreal” – Season 2 (2026) / Z-View

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WWE: Unreal – Season 2 (2026)

Director: (Eps. 1-5) Terrell Riley, Steve Trout

Stars: John Cena, Michael Coulthard (Michael Cole), Aoife Cusack (Lyra Valkyria), Walter Hahn (GUNTHER), Paul Levesque (‘Triple H’), Colby Lopez (Seth Rollins), Pat McAfee, Stephanie McMahon, Bruce Prichard, Rebecca Quin (Becky Lynch), Demi Bennett (Rhea Ripley), Mark Calaway (The Undertaker), Shane Helms, Paul Heyman, Brian James (Road Dogg).

Tagline: It’s More Real Than You Think

The Plot…

WWE Unreal gives fans unprecedented access behind-the-scenes at how professional wrestling works.  Cameras are allowed into the writers’ room as the executives on the creative team prepare for the WWE next big events.

This season…

  • Seth Rollins agrees to a SummerSlam storyline that will fool even friends and family.
  • Becky Lynch works to get in shape for her WrestleMania comeback.
  • Pat McAfee works to move from behind the mic to in the ring competitor.
  • R-Truth is fired (for real) but his fans have a different plan.
  • Naomi agrees and works towards moving from babyface to heel.
  • Anything that can go wrong does with Becky Lynch and Lyra Valkyria’s match.
  • John Cena competes in his last SummerSlam.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

When I was a kid everyone involved in professional wrestling worked to make sure that it was thought of as “real”.  Then in 1989, Vince McMahon announced professional wrestling  wasn’t a legitimate sport, but instead was sports entertainment.  The bumps and injuries are real, but the match outcomes are predetermined.  Pro wrestling fans didn’t care.

I haven’t watched pro wrestling in years, but I was interested in the behind-the-scenes access.  I wasn’t disappointed.  In fact, WWE Unreal got me interested in watching again.

WWE: Unreal – Season 21 (2026) rates 5 of 5 stars

“Navajo Joe” (1966) starring Burt Reynolds / Z-View

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Navajo Joe (1966)

Director: Sergio Corbucci

Screenplay: Piero Regnoli, Fernando di Leo; story by Ugo Pirro

Stars: Burt Reynolds, Aldo Sambrell, Fernando Rey.

Tagline: There’s no escaping his one-man vendetta of unrelenting violence!

The Plot…

When a gang of outlaws murders his entire village for scalps, Navajo Joe vows revenge.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

When Burt Reynolds was offered the chance to go to Italy to film Navajo Joe, he reached out to Clint Eastwood.  Eastwood had achieved fame for A Fistful of Dollars and A Few Dollars More.  Eastwood said it was a good experience and raved about director Sergio Leone.  Reynolds thought Navajo Joe was going to be directed by Sergio Leone.  He was mistaken.  The director was Sergio Corbucci.  Reynolds tried to walk away, but the contracts had already been signed.

To make matters worse, Corbucci thought Marlon Brando was going to be the star of the film.  Needless to say, Reynolds and Corbucci didn’t get along.  Making the film wasn’t a fun experience for either man.

Burt Reynolds said in interviews it was the worst professional experience he ever had and “the film was only shown in prisons and airplanes because the audience couldn’t leave.”

Who am I to argue with Burt Reynolds.

Navajo Joe (1966) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“Naked Ambition” (2023) starring Bunny Yeager / Z-View!

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Naked Ambition (2023)

Director: Dennis Scholl, Kareem Tabsch

Writer: Dennis Scholl

Stars: Bunny Yeager, Dita Von Teese, Larry King.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Bunny Yeager started her career as a model.  She transitioned to behind the camera and became one of the most popular cheesecake photographers working.  Bunny’s work with Bettie Page sent both into the popular culture stratosphere.

This is her story.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Bunny was one of the first photographers for Playboy and even discovered Playboy’s first Playmate of the Year.  Bunny then went on to have her photos in more mainstream magazines such as Cosmopolitan, Esquire and Redbook to name a few.  Bunny’s photos of Ursula Andress exiting the water on the beach for the James Bond film Dr. No are perhaps her most famous shots.

When magazines became more graphic, Bunny refused to follow the trend and her photos became less in demand.  Bunny Yeager’s photos saw a resurgence of popularity in the 1990s.

Naked Ambition (2023) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“Bad Faith” aka “Bad Faith: Christian Nationalism’s Unholy War on Democracy” (2024) / Z-View

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Bad Faith aka Bad Faith: Christian Nationalism’s Unholy War on Democracy (2024)

Director: Stephen Ujlaki, Chris Jones

Written by: Alec Baer, Chris Jones, Stephen Ujlaki

Narrated by: Peter Coyote

Tagline: Christian Nationalism’s Unholy War on Democracy

The Plot…

Bad Faith explores the history of Christian Nationalism in the United States from it’s start as the Moral Majority to the current Make America Great Again movement.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

It’s interesting to see how the Religious Right movement has morphed and how the long game was played.  Abortion wasn’t initially THE issue used to galvanize the movement.  Years after Roe vs Wade it was seen to be advantageous to make THAT the number one issue.  It was also interesting to chart how more political the movement became, how and why they were able to attract millionaires / billionaires to the cause.

The long term game plan was to frame the politics as good vs evil.  They wanted to take control of 7 areas: Family, Religion, Entertainment, Media, Education, Business and Government.  Then they would weaken, tear down and destroy these institutions and then rebuild to fit their mindset.

Bad Faith aka Bad Faith: Christian Nationalism’s Unholy War on Democracy (2024) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“Tura!” (2024) starring Tura Santana / Z-View

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Tura! (2024)

Director: Cody Jarrett

Screenplay: Cody Jarrett

Stars: Tura Satana, John Waters, Margaret Cho, Dita Von Teese and Pamela Des Barres.

Tagline: How One Woman’s Quest for Revenge Changed Hollywood and the World Forever

The Plot…

Tura Satana, the actress best known for her role as Varla in the cult classic Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! had a life that is hard to believe.  Raped as a child, Tura learned the martial arts in order to get revenge on the men who abused her since justice was denied in the courts.  As an adult, Tura got revenge on each individual who had assaulted her.

But that would come later in life.

At fifteen, Tura ran away to California.  She lied about her age and began working as a burlesque dancer.  Soon Tura was making big money as a stripper.  This led to a friendship with Harold Lloyd (yes, THAT Harold Lloyd of silent movie fame).  Tura became a nude model for Lloyd (and others).

Then came her acting career with roles in Irma la Douce staring Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine and Who’s Been Sleeping in My Bed? starring Dean Martin and Elizabeth Montgomery.  Television roles on Burke’s Law and The Man from UNCLE followed.  Then came Tura’s breakout role in Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!.  After that Tura appeared in just four more films and one television appearance before retiring from acting.

After the filming of The Doll Squad, Tura was shot by a former lover.  Her acting career was finished… for now.  Over the years Tura earned a living working in a hospital and later as a dispatcher.  When Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! gained new popularity as a cult hit, Tura Santana’s popularity also surged.  She began to occassionally act and make appearances at fan conventions.

Tura is her life story.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

It’s hard to believe Tura’s life story… even the parts that are easily proven.  So we’ll go with the famous saying, (and I’m parphrasing), “When the legend is better than the truth, go with the legend.”

Tura! (2024) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“Assault on VA-33” (2021) starring Sean Patrick Flabery with Mark Dacascos and Michael Jai White / Z-View

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Assault on VA-33 (2021)

Director: Christopher Ray

Screenplay: Scott Thomas Reynolds

Stars: Sean Patrick Flanery, Michael Jai White, Mark Dacascos, Weston Cage, Gina Holden, Abigail Hawk, Brittany Underwood, Rachel True, Max Adler and Rob Van Dam.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Jason Hill plans to have lunch with his wife at the Veteran’s Affairs hospital where she works.  After lunch Jason is going to take his daughter to soccer practice.  But that all changes when terrorists take over the hospital.  They’re after a General being treated there.  With the General and several staff as hostages, the terrorists have the upper hand.

Jason manages to not get caught during the takeover.  When local police believe his call for help to be a prank, Jason realizes it’s up to him to save the day.

I think Jason’s daughter may be late to practice.  Jason to the rescue – STAT.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Sean Patrick Flanery and Gina Holden play husband and wife in Assault on VA-33.  They also played a married couple in Saw 3D.

Pro wrestler Rob Van Dam plays the terrorist who stays in the van.  He is never shown being killed or driving away.  His character just disappears.  It would have been funny if after the credits rolled, at the very end they should him still sitting in the van.

Assault on VA-33 (2021) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“Dylan Dog: Dead of Night” (2010) starring Brandon Routh, Sam Huntington, Anita Briem, Peter Stormare, and Taye Diggs / Z-View

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Dylan Dog: Dead of Night (2010)

Director: Kevin Munroe

Screenplay: Thomas Dean Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer; based on Dylan Dog by Tiziano Sclavi

Stars: Brandon Routh, Sam Huntington, Anita Briem, Peter Stormare, Taye Diggs, Mitchell Whitfield, Laura Spencer, Laura Spencer, Marco St. John, Kyle Clements and Kurt Angle.

Tagline: Living investigator. Undead clients. Zombie partner.

The Plot…

Dylan Dog at one time fought the things that go bump in the night.  He gave it up when his wife was killed by vampires.  Since then Dylan has worked as a private eye on normal cases.

That all changes when Elizabeth Ryan comes to Dylan for help.  Her father was killed by something strange.  Now Dylan is back… and the case will bring him into contact with vampires, werewolves, zombies and something worse.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

One of the vampires is named Sclavi. Tiziano Sclavi created Dylan Dog.

At one point a character calls Dylan Dog, “Superman”.  Brandon Routh who plays Dylan Dog of course played Superman in an earlier film.

Dylan Dog: Dead of Night leans a bit more into comedy than I’d prefer.  Even still I would have liked to have seen a sequel.

Dylan Dog: Dead of Night (2010)  rates 2 of 5 stars.