“Ants in the Pantry” (1936) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Ants in the Pantry (1936)

Director:  Preston Black

Screenplay:  Al Giebler

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

Tagline: Three assorted nuts…driving you bugs with laughter!

The Plot…

The boys are going to lose their jobs as pest exterminators if they don’t get some business soon!  So they sneak into a mansion and distribute ants, assorted bugs and mice.  Then they get hired by the mansion’s owner to exterminate the pests.  What could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Clarence Nash, who voiced Donald Duck for Disney, provided the sounds needed for cats in the piano.

In a scene where ants were supposed to be crawling all over Moe, actual ants were!  The bottle of the critters broke in his pocket and Moe didn’t realize until too late.  Everyone on set was cracking up thinking Moe was really into acting it out.

Ants in the Pantry earns 4 of 5 stars.

“The Ark” – The Poster and Trailer for the New Series is Here!

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Here we have the poster and trailer for the new series The Ark.  While not an original concept, it is an interesting one.  I’ll give the series a chance.

A lot of things can go wrong in outer space. The Ark takes place 100 years in the future when planetary colonization missions have begun as a necessity to help secure the survival of the human race. The Ark premieres on SYFY on February 1, 2023.

About The Ark:
THE ARK takes place 100 years in the future when planetary colonization missions have begun as a necessity to help secure the survival of the human race. The first of these missions on a spacecraft known as Ark One encounters a catastrophic event causing massive destruction and loss of life. With more than a year left to go before reaching their target planet, a lack of life-sustaining supplies and loss of leadership, the remaining crew must become the best versions of themselves to stay on course and survive.

The series stars Christie Burke, Richard Fleeshman, Reece Ritchie, Stacey Read, and Ryan Adams.

Dean Devlin (Independence Day, Stargate) and Jonathan Glassner (Stargate SG-1) are co-showrunners and executive producers alongside Marc Roskin and Rachel Olschan-Wilson of Electric Entertainment. Jonathan English of Balkanic Media and Steve Lee serve as producers.

Starring Gilles Lellouche, Joanna Kulig
Directed by Jérôme Salle

“Kompromat” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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I like the poster and trailer for Kompromat.  It’s refreshing to see that the lead isn’t a former soldier/cop/spy.  Deal me in.

Based on incredible true events, Jérome Salle’s gripping new espionage thriller depicts the remarkable story of a French public servant who unwittingly finds himself in conflict with one of the modern era’s most powerful and dangerous forces: Russia’s FSB. Gilles Lellouche stars as Mathieu, a gregarious and dedicated diplomat who accepts a posting to Irkutsk as the head of Siberia’s Alliance Francaise. He hopes the change will be good for his family and struggling marriage, but before long Mathieu’s staging of cultural events and support of artistic expression sees him fall afoul of local authorities. Accused of a terrible crime, he soon realises someone has fabricated a case with Russia’s Federal Security Service – he has been framed. Arrested, imprisoned and isolated, Mathieu has nowhere to turn. Defending himself is impossible, the French authorities are helpless – it seems he has no choice: to try and escape.

Starring Gilles Lellouche, Joanna Kulig
Directed by Jérôme Salle

“Resurrection” (1999) starring Christopher Lambert / Z-View

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Resurrection (1999)

Director:  Russell Mulcahy

Screenplay:  Brad Mirman based on a story by Christopher Lambert, Brad Mirman

Stars: Christopher Lambert, Leland Orser, David Cronenberg, Jayne Eastwood, David Ferry, Rick Fox, Karen Glave, Rothaford Gray  and Robert Joy

Tagline: Be afraid. For he is coming.

The Plot…

Detectives Prudhomme (Lambert) and Hollinsworth (Orser) are assigned a murder case.  The victim’s arm was sawed off and taken.  At the crime scene, they find written in blood, “He is coming”.  Soon other victims are found. Each is missing a body part.  The victims are all 33 years old and have biblical names (Matthew, Peter, etc.).  They discover the madman is taking the parts in an effort to recreate Christ’s body.  More people will die, if Prudomme and Hollinsworth don’t crack the case.  But how do you catch a madman?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I watched Resurrection hoping that director, Russell Mulcahy and star, Christopher Lambert would be able to catch lightning in a bottle.  The pair meshed perfectly in Highlander.  Could they do it again?

The short answer is, “No.”

In Highlander, Mulcahy’s direction provided amazing camera movements, inventive scene transitions and creative framing.  In Resurrection we don’t get that.  Christopher Lambert was the exact right choice to play Connor MacLeod. Lambert’s character in Resurrection is so generic that anyone could have played him as long as they could run and scream… a lot.

The serial killer’s motive is insane.  That should have been played up more.  There was shock because of the brutality of the murders, but the movie, for the most part lacked tension.  I had hoped for better, but it’s near impossible for lightning to strike in the same place twice.

Resurrection earns 2 of 5 stars.

“Busy Buddies” (1944) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Busy Buddies (1944)

Director:  Del Lord

Screenplay:  Del Lord, Elwood Ullman

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard, Heinie Conklin, and Vernon Dent

Tagline: Laugh-leaders in the two-reel comedy field…these crazy cuckoos are busier than ever…creating more fun than ever!

The Plot…

The boys are going to lose their diner if they can’t come up with $97 by Monday.  When Moe spots a cow milking contest that pays $100 to the winner, he hatches a plan.  What could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

For my money the funniest part of this short is Curly cooking in the diner.  The rest of the short is pretty generic stuff.  I’m not complaining.  Nyuk-Nyuk-Nyuk.

Busy Buddies earns 3 of 5 stars.

“You People” starring Jonah Hill, Lauren London, David Duchovny, Nia Long, Julia Louis-Dreyfus & Eddie Murphy – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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I love the looks of You People.  We’ve got a great cast starring Jonah Hill, Lauren London, David Duchovny, Nia Long, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Eddie Murphy.  The concept is loaded with opportunities for laughs.  The fact that You People is on Netflix makes it a no-brainer to watch.

A new couple learns that opposites attract but some families don’t when they find themselves confronting their parent’s clashing views of their relationship in this comedy written by Jonah Hill and Kenya Barris. You People starring Jonah Hill, Lauren London, David Duchovny, and Nia Long with Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Eddie Murphy comes to Netflix on January 27.

“Poker Face” – The Trailer is Here!

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Poker Face has a great premise.  Check out the trailer.  Pull up a seat.  We’ll deal you in.

Poker Face is streaming January 26th on Peacock: https://pck.tv/3Vloyof

Synopsis: Poker Face is a 10-episode “mystery-of-the-week” series following Natasha Lyonne’s Charlie, who has an extraordinary ability to determine when someone is lying. She hits the road with her Plymouth Barracuda and with every stop encounters a new cast of characters and strange crimes she can’t help but solve.

“Renfield” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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I’ve watched the Renfield trailer twice and like it better with the second viewing.  At first glance there seemed to be too much comedic angst, but comedy and horror can work well together.  (See Abbott & Costello or The Three Stooges when they meet up with monsters.)  I’m still not sold, but watching on streaming would be a no-brainer.

🩸LET’S EAT🩸Sink your teeth into the new trailer for #RenfieldMovie, in theaters April 14th.
—
Renfield
Only in Theaters April 14
www.renfieldmovie.com

Evil doesn’t span eternity without a little help.

In this modern monster tale of Dracula’s loyal servant, Nicholas Hoult (Mad Max: Fury Road, X-Men franchise) stars as Renfield, the tortured aide to history’s most narcissistic boss, Dracula (Oscar® winner Nicolas Cage). Renfield is forced to procure his master’s prey and do his every bidding, no matter how debased. But now, after centuries of servitude, Renfield is ready to see if there’s a life outside the shadow of The Prince of Darkness. If only he can figure out how to end his codependency.

Renfield is directed by Chris McKay (The Tomorrow War, The LEGO Batman Movie) from a screenplay by Ryan Ridley (Ghosted series, Rick & Morty series), based on an original idea by The Walking Dead and Invincible creator Robert Kirkman.

The film co-stars Awkwafina (The Farewell, Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings), Ben Schwartz (Sonic, The Afterparty) and Adrian Martinez (The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Focus).

Renfield is produced by Skybound Entertainment partners Robert Kirkman and David Alpert (The Walking Dead, Invincible), co-presidents Bryan Furst (Daybreakers) and Sean Furst (Daybreakers) and by Chris McKay. McKay’s producing partner Samantha Nisenboim (co-producer, The Tomorrow War) will executive produce.

“Gone in the Night” (2022) starring Winona Ryder / Z-View

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Gone in the Night (2022)

Director:  Eli Horowitz

Screenplay:  Eli Horowitz, Matthew Derby

Stars: Winona Ryder, Dermot Mulroney, John Gallagher Jr., Owen Teague and Brianne Tju 

Tagline:  None.

The Plot…

When Kath (Ryder) and her younger boyfriend Max (Gallagher) arrive at a remote cabin they’d rented, it’s occupied by another couple.  Al (Teague) and Greta (Tju) claim to have booked the cabin as well.  Unable to reach the owner, the four decide to make the best of it and share the cabin for the night.

As the evening wears on, Greta appears to be a wild child.  And attracted to Max.  Kath decides to call it a night and heads to bed.  Max says he’ll be in shortly.  When Kath wakes up the next morning, it’s clear she’s slept alone.  She goes out looking for Max.  Instead she finds Al who is upset.  He says that Greta and Max took off in the night.

Kath is visibly shaken.  She drives home.  She’s done with Max, but obsessed with the girl who stole her boyfriend.  As she follows clues to learn about Greta, Kath finds that the evening at the cabin wasn’t as random as it appeared.  Digging too deep could get her killed.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

It’s interesting that Gone in the Night and Barbarian both have a similar start.  But then Gone in the Night becomes a mystery thriller while Barbarian is straight up horror.

Winona Ryder’s character is obsessed with finding out the truth about the evening / Greta, but also with having a man.  I wish her character was stronger and made better decisions.  The writers did give her a smart move near the end of the movie.  Dermot Mulroney doesn’t have a lot to do, but it’s good seeing him on screen.  The surprise star was Brianne Tju.  She owns every scene she’s in.  I’d seen Tju before in 47 Meters Down: Uncaged, but she didn’t make the impact she does here.  Tju is someone to watch.

The plot twist in Gone into the Night isn’t one you’ll see coming, even if you do kind of figure out what’s going on.  I almost gave Gone into the Night a higher rating, but I don’t do half stars, so…

Gone in the Night earns 2 of 5 stars.

“Healthy, Wealthy and Dumb” (1938) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Healthy, Wealthy and Dumb (1938)

Director:  Searle Kramer

Screenplay:  John Grey

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard, Bud Jamison and Lucille Lund

Tagline:  Larry Lets On It’s “LOVELY!”  Moe Murmers It’s “MARVELOUS!” Curly Calls It “COLOSSAL!”

The Plot…

When Curly wins $50,000 in a radio contest, the boys begin living like millionaires.  Fine clothes, BIG cigars and a room at Hotel Costa Plente.  Unfortunately the boys realize they’re in hot water when the winning check after taxes comes to $4.85.  They’ll end up in jail if they can’t pay their hotel bill and it’s huge.  Luckily the boys discover four rich widows are in the room down the hall.  What could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

There’s a fun set-up scene before Curly wins the radio contest.  Moe and Larry are playing poker for pancakes.  Curly is cooking ’em as fast as Moe is losing.  Could Larry be cheating?

The plot twist of the women needing money and hoping to marry three rich men just as our boys need to marry three rich ladies is a good one.  Plus the writers through in a monkey for good measure.

Healthy, Wealthy and Dumb earns 4 of 5 stars.

“Bermuda Island” – It’s a Horror Flick – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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Bermuda Island has all the makings of a drive-in movie.  It has a former big name star (Tom Sizemore) along with recognizable faces in a low-budget horror film.  Checks all the boxes.

The marketing on this one is strange.  It’s a horror movie, but the poster makes it look like a disaster flick.  The title, Bermuda Island, doesn’t even hint at what the audience should expect.  Is it a love story? A teen flick? A documentary?  Who can tell from the title?  No one.  The tagline stinks: Stranded in Paradise… Until the Sun Goes Down.  So are they no longer stranded once the sun sets?

With all that said, Bermuda Island looks like something I’d check out late at night for fun.

SYNOPSIS: Passengers on their way to a tropical paradise crash at sea and find themselves on a deserted island. Desperate to survive the elements and infighting between survivors, they find that the island has more in store for them than they could ever imagine.

“No Exit” (2022) / Z-View

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No Exit (2022)

Director:  Damien Power

Screenplay:  Andrew Barrer, Gabriel Ferrari based on the novel  No Exit by Taylor Adams

Stars: Havana Rose Liu, Danny Ramirez, David Rysdahl, Mila Harris, Dennis Haysbert, Dale Dickey and Jen Van Epps

Tagline:  How far would you go for a stranger?

The Plot…

Darby (LIu) received word that her mother experienced a life threatening brain aneurysm.  Despite a developing blizzard, Darby steals a car and heads for home.  As the storm worsens, Darby is forced to take shelter in a remote mountain visitor’s center.  The roads are closed and the storm has already knocked out cell towers.  Darby is going to have to hunker down in the shelter.

In the refuge Darby finds a married couple, Ed (Haysbert) and Sandi (Dickey), and two guys, Ash (Ramirez) and Lars (Rysdahl).  Everyone seems in pretty good spirits, except for Lars who is obviously a loner and a bit strange.  When Darby goes outside she hears a noise coming from a van in the lot.  She peeks inside and sees a little girl bound and gagged.  When Darby hears someone coming to check on her, she sneaks away from the van and acts like she’s just checking for cell service.

Darby goes back into the shelter but has no idea who came in the van.  The little girl will freeze to death if something isn’t done soon.  But who can Darby trust?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

No Exit has a great set-up with strangers stuck in an isolated visitor’s center.  They’re cut off from help and one (or more) of them is a killer.

It’s fun trying to guess who the kidnapper is.  I was right, but No Exit contained two huge twists that I didn’t see coming.

No Exit earns 3 of 5 stars.

“False Alarms” (1936) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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False Alarms (1936)

Director:  Del Lord

Screenplay:  John Grey

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard and Stanley Blystone

Tagline:  None.

The Plot…

Larry, Curly and Moe are firemen one the verge of losing their j0bs.  They’ve missed too many calls due to card playing and womanizing.  Curly sneaks off for a date only to discover his girl has two friends.  What could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

False Alarms was filmed on location!

False Alarms earns 4 of 5 stars.