“Three Little Beers” starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Three Little Beers (1935)

Director:  Del Lord

Writer:  Clyde Bruckman

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard, Bud Jamison, Charles Dorety and Jack Kenney

Tagline: Some foam, eh, kid?

The Plot…

The boys are beer delivery men who discover that their company is having a golf contest with a $100 prize.  While on their route, our guys find themselves next to a golf course, of course.  They decide to get in some practice.  What could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Curly on top of a giant stack of beer barrels in a fully loaded truck will bring a smile to your face no matter how many times you see it.  And you know what happens when the truck and our guys end up on a hill.

Moe gets a funny one-liner when he sinks a shot and Larry says, “It went into the hole!” Moe sadly responds, “Just my luck.”

Three Little Beers (1935) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“Master Gardener” from writer/director Paul Schrader, starring Joel Edgerton, Sigourney Weaver & Quintessa Swindell – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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I like the looks of Master Gardener from Paul Schrader, Joel Edgerton, Sigourney Weaver & Quintessa Swindell.

Directed by Academy Award® nominee Paul Schrader based on his original screenplay, MASTER GARDENER follows Narvel Roth (award-winner Joel Edgerton), the meticulous horticulturist of Gracewood Gardens. He is as much devoted to tending the grounds of this beautiful and historic estate, to pandering to his employer, the wealthy dowager Mrs. Haverhill (three-time Academy Award® nominee Sigourney Weaver). When Mrs. Haverhill demands that he take on her wayward and troubled great-niece Maya (Quintessa Swindell) as a new apprentice, chaos enters Narvel’s spartan existence, unlocking dark secrets from a buried violent past that threaten them all.

In theaters May 19. Directed by Paul Schrader
Starring Joel Edgerton, Sigourney Weaver and Quintessa Swindell

“Sing a Song of Six Pants” (1947) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Sing a Song of Six Pants (1947)

Director:  Jules White

Writer:  Felix Adler

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard, Vernon Dent, Phil Arnold, Cy Schindell and Jules White (voice)

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

The boys run a dry cleaning shop and if they don’t get some fast cash, they’re going to lose their business.  When a safe cracker ditches the police and leaves his clothes in their shop, the boys find his cash.  They get an idea that when he returns they’ll capture him for the reward money.  What could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

At the start of Sing a Song of Six Pants we see several signs in the window of their dry cleaning shop.  One of the signs advertises “altercations” (not alterations).  I wonder if that was a happy accident.

Sing a Song of Six Pants (1947) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Florida Man” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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Deal me in!

Under the sun. Under the gun. Discover the mystery behind the meme in FLORIDA MAN, a new Netflix limited series from creator Donald Todd (Ugly Betty, This Is Us) that follows a struggling ex-cop (Edgar Ramírez) forced to return to his home state of Florida to find a Philly mobster’s runaway girlfriend. What should be a quick gig becomes a wildly spiraling journey into buried family secrets, and an increasingly futile attempt to do the right thing in a place where so much is wrong.

Also starring Abbey Lee, Anthony LaPaglia, Otmara Marrero, Lex Scott Davis, Emory Cohen, Clark Gregg, Isaiah Johnson, Paul Schneider and Lauren Buglioli.

“Narvik: Hitler’s First Defeat” (2022) / Z-View

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Narvik: Hitler’s First Defeat (2022)

Director: Erik Skjoldbjærg

Writers: Cristoph Grøndahl, story by Live Bonnevie, Erik Skjoldbaerg, Sebastian Torngren Wartin

Stars: Kristine Hartgen, Carl Martin Eggesbø and Billy Campbell.

Tagline:  None.

The Plot…

1940.  World War II rages.  Norway is a neutral country.  Because most of the world’s iron ore passes through the port at Narvik, both England and Nazi Germany have diplomats in the city.  In April, a force of German soldiers arrive in the city as part of a takeover.

Ingrid Tofte (Hartgen) is a young, married hotel worker.  Her husband, Gunnar (Eggesbø) is a corporal in the Norwegian army. Ingrid and Gunnar have a baby that is their world.  When the Nazis arrive, Gunnar is part of a unit sent to blow-up a bridge to delay Nazi advancement.  Ingrid, because she speaks two languages is picked to help Nazis as they attempt their takeover of the city.  If either Ingrid or Gunnar are exposed both will surely be executed.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Narvik is at it’s best when showing the dangers and choices that individuals are forced to make as the Nazis move in.  Some choose to wage war while others lay down their arms.  It would be a difficult choice to fight. You’re facing overwhelming odds and then your commanding officer hands over his pistol to the invading commandant!  Some soldiers dropped their weapons, took off their uniforms and ran away.  Others find a different officer and plan for future attacks.

Civilians had to make tough decisions to make as well.  Cooperate with the Nazis and lose your way of life. Try to run or stay and fight and you could lose your life.  If you had small children, the decision was even more difficult.  And if your child’s life is on the line, what would you do?

If I had any nits to pick, it would be with the film’s length.  When the tension is on and the battles are raging, the film is at it’s best.

Narvik: Hitler’s First Defeat (2022) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“I Saw the Devil” (2010) / Z-View

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I Saw the Devil (2010)

Director: Jee-woon Kim

Writer: Park Hoon-jung (screenplay), Jee-woon Kim (adaptation)

Stars: Lee Byung-hun, Choi Min-sik 

Tagline: To Catch A Monster He Must Become One

The Plot…

When a serial killer murders a government agent’s pregnant wife, the agent captures, tortures and then releases the killer.  The agent then captures, tortures and releases the killer again.  How long will this go on before one murders the other?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I Saw the Devil is well directed.  Jee-woon Kim is an excellent director.  He creates shots that are impressive and scenes that produce tension, fear and humor as needed.  The two leads are very good.  Where it goes off the rails for me is with the story and the gore.

The film loses me when the agent releases the serial killer after torturing him.  The serial killer then attacks a girl.  The agent stops him, but not before the killer has sexually assaulted the young woman.  The agent beats the killer and then releases him yet again.  The killer then attacks another woman. And the agent stops him mid-attack.  Rinse and repeat.  The agent could have saved these women from ever being molested.  It’d be one thing if the killer was taken in and escaped to attack women.  To have the agent release him so the agent could capture and torture him again is just stupid… and sick.

Speaking of sick, I Saw the Devil contains many gory scenes.  It wallows in scenes of torture.  While some movie fans enjoy graphic depictions of abuse, I’m not one.  The agent’s final plan to end the serial killer’s life involved a scene worthy of the Saw franchise.  The killer is beheaded when the killer’s elderly parents and his young son open a door.  The killer’s head rolls to sit in front of his little boy and his parents.  How sick is that?  Too sick for my taste.  Keep in mind that I Saw the Devil has earned high ratings on IMDb as well as many awards.  Your mileage may vary greatly from mine on this one.

I Saw the Devil (2010) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“Dig” (2022) starring Thomas Jane and Emile Hirsch / Z-View

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Dig (2022)

Director: K. Asher Levin

Writer: Banipal and Benhur Ablakhad

Stars: Thomas Jane, Liana Liberato, Harlow Jane, Emile Hirsch, Michael Vincent Berry and Diego Romero.

Tagline:  None.

The Plot…

Scott Brennan (Jane) is a single parent raising Jane (Harlow Jane) his deaf, angry daughter.  She’s angry because Scott’s temper in a road rage incident accidentally caused her deafness and worse still, the death of her mother.  When Scott is offered $30,000 for a weekend home demolition, the money is too good to pass up.  He brings Jane along to assist with the job.  They drive to the remote location and start work.

That’s when a psycho (Hirsch) and his homicidal girlfriend (Liberato) take Scott and Jane hostage.  There’s something buried in the backyard that the couple need to have dug up before Monday morning.  Scott knows when they recover the item he and his daughter are dead.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I’m a Thomas Jane fan, but Emile Hirsch is the scene stealer in Dig.  I was surprised to learn that the actress who plays Jane’s kid, is in fact his real life daughter.  Patricia Arquette is her mother.

The plot is interesting and there’s a nice mystery as to what needs to be dug up.  Unfortunately some stupid things the characters do (both the crazy couple as well as Scott and his daughter) take the enjoyment level down a few notches.  Still, Dig isn’t a bad way to pass an hour and a half.

Dig (2022) rates 3 of 5 stars.

BECOMING THE BOOGEYMAN by Richard Chizmar is Coming!

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Becoming the Boogeyman by Richard Chizmar is the sequel to his best-seller Chasing the Boogeyman.  Here’s the lowdown…

The terrifying sequel to the acclaimed New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling novel Chasing the Boogeyman, which was hailed as “genuinely chilling and something brand-new and exciting” (Stephen King) and “unforgettable” (Harlan Coben).

A riveting, haunting sequel to the New York Times bestselling thriller Chasing the Boogeyman—a tale of obsession and the adulation of evil, exploring modern society’s true-crime obsession with unflinching honesty, sparing no one from the glare of the spotlight. Will those involved walk away from the story of a lifetime in order to keep their loved ones safe? Or will they once again be drawn into a killer’s web? As the story draws to its shattering conclusion, only one person holds all the answers—and he just may be the most terrifying monster of them all.

It drops on October 11, 2023.  Pre-orders are available now.

“The Apeman” (1943) starring Bela Lugosi / Z-View

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The Apeman (1943)

Director: William Beaudine

Writer: Barney Sarecky based on the short story They Creep in the Dark by Karl Brown

Stars: Bela Lugosi, Wallace Ford, Minerva Urecal and Ernest Morrison.

Tagline:  No one is safe from the cruel desires of this inhuman fiend!

The Plot…

Dr. James Brewster (Lugosi) accidentally turned himself into a apeman.  The only cure is to inject himself with human spinal fluid. Unfortunately the process kills the donor.  That matters little to Brewster, who needs more spinal fluid!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

While The Apeman is supposed to be a horror movie, it falls far short of being frightening.  Lugosi looks like an old 1950s beatnik.  His gorilla is one of the all-time worst movie apes.  The only reason to watch is if you’re an Lugosi completist… and even then you might reconsider.

The Apeman (1943) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“The Scalphunters” starring Burt Lancaster & Ozzie Davis / Z-View

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The Scalphunters (1968)

Director: Sydney Pollack

Writer:  William W. Norton

Stars: Burt Lancaster, Shelley Winters, Telly Savalas, Ossie Davis, Dabney Coleman, Paul Picerni, Dan Vadis, Armando Silvestre, Nick Cravat and Chuck Roberson.

Tagline:  I’M JOE BASS and I say that scalphunters are the most ornery, girl-grabbing, back-stabbers on earth. I HUNT SCALPHUNTERS!

The Plot…

Joe Bass (Lancaster) is on his way to trade the furs he collected during the winter.  Bass is stopped by Two Crows (Silvestre) and his band of Kiowas.  Two Crows wants Bass’ furs and offers him a captured slave named Joseph Lee (Davis).  Bass wants no part of the deal.  Two Crows and his men force the trade and ride off with the furs.

Bass is determined to get the furs back and wants Joseph Lee to assist.  Before Lee was captured by the Kiowa he had been an educated house slave.  Lee has no understanding of the wilderness or guns.  Still, what other option does he have?

As Joe Bass and Joseph Lee prepare for battle with the Kiowa, a ruthless group of scalphunters joins the action.  Outnumbered and outgunned, Joe Bass is determined to get his furs back… even if it kills him.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I was surprised by the humor in The Scalphunters.  I was expecting a grim late 60s western.  The opening scenes are funny and as I adjusted my expectations, a surprisingly brutal and graphic (for the time period) event happens.  There is a nice mix of humor and drama that ends up leaning more into the comedy by the time the movie is ready to end.

Ossie Davis is a scene stealer.  He and Burt Lancaster had great chemistry.  Sequels weren’t as rampant then or I’m sure we’d have had more of these two.

Shelly Winters and Telly Savalas make for a believable couple.  Look for Dabney Coleman as one of Savalas’ henchmen.

The Scalphunters (1968) rates 3 of 5 stars.