“Assassin” (1986) starring Robert Conrad / Z-View

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Assassin (1986)

Director: Sandor Stern

Screenplay:  Sandor Stern

Stars: Robert Conrad, Karen Austin, Richard Young, Jonathan Banks, Robert Webber and Bob Hoy 

Tagline: Stanton Thought He Had Fought His Final Mission … Think Again!

The Plot…

Henry Stanton (Conrad) is a retired government agent, called back into service to kill a robot assassin!  The robot looks human, but is nearly indestructible.  Time is running out as the robot has a kill list and top government officials are on it!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Assassin has the feel of an 1980s tv movie made to cash in on the popularity of The Terminator.  Probably because it was just that.  I loved Robert Conrad in The Wild, Wild West.  Unfortunately Robert Conrad’s character here has none of the charm or action hero charisma of James West.  Jonathon Banks doesn’t get much to do, but it’s cool seeing him pre-Wiseguy and decades before Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul.

See the photo below of Robert Conrad?  He’s looking for something else to watch.  I should have as well.  Your mileage may vary.

Assassin earns 2 of 5 stars.

RIP: Brad William Henke

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Brad William Henke, the professional football player turned actor died on November 29, 2022 at the age of 56. No cause of death was given.

.Mr. Henke played for the Denver Broncos from 1989 – 1994 when he retired due to repeated injuries.  Brad Henke then decided to give acting a try.  His first roles were in commercials which led to roles on television and in feature films.

Some of Brad Henke’s television appearances include: Chicago Hope; Nash Bridges; ER; The Pretender; CSI: Crime Scene Investigation; Dexter (4 episodes); October Road (19 episodes); Law & Order; Life on Mars; CSI: Miami; Lost (6 episodes); Criminal Minds; Justified (7 episodes); The Office; Longmire; The Bridge (4 episodes); Hawaii 5-0; Orange is the New Black (26 episodes); The Stand (6 episodes) and Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.

Some of Brad Henke’s feature film appearances include: The Fan; Space Jam; Star Trek (2009); Pacific Rim; Fury; Split and Arkansas.

Brad Henke successfully transitioned from pro football to an acting career.  He always made an imposing presence and he appeared in many television shows and movies that I enjoyed.  It’s sad that Mr. Henke died at such a young age, but what a life he led!

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Brad William Henke’s family, friends and fans.

“Dutiful but Dumb” starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Dutiful but Dumb (1941)

Director:  Del Lord

Screenplay:  Elwood Ullman

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard, Bruce Bennett, Chester Conklin, Vernon Dent and Bud Jamison 

Tagline:  None.

The Plot…

Larry, Curly and Moe are photographers who are sent to Vulgaria.  Their boss knows that photography in Vulgaria is punishable by death!  When the Stooges arrive they begin taking photographs of soldiers in a firing squad about to execute a photographer.  What could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Every scene in Dutiful but Dumb is full of gags with very few relying on Moe abusing Larry and Curly.  Highlights include: Moe wearing a long coat while riding on Larry’s shoulders to appear as an extremely tall man, Curly popping up to get a movie star’s photo, Moe disguised as a lamp, Curly hiding in a huge radio and “voicing” all the channels, and the classic bit of Curly attempting to eat a bowl of fresh clam soup.

We get to hear Curly’s real voice when he acts as an announcer while hiding in the radio.  Curly’s scene with the clam soup required several takes because the crew was laughing so much, Curly would begin to laugh as well. The clam soup gag was so popular that Lou Costello performed it in Here Come the Co-Eds (1945),  Moe presented it  Shivering Sherlocks (1948), and Larry took on Lobsters in 1954’s Tax Sappy.

Dutiful but Dumb earns 5 of 5 stars.

EVERY MAN A KING by Walter Mosley is Coming!

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Walter Mosley’s Every Man a King drops on February 21, 2023.  It’s the second in Mosley’s King Oliver series.  Here’s the synopsis…

In this highly anticipated sequel to the Edgar award winner Down the River Unto the Sea, Joe King Oliver is entangled in a dangerous case when he’s asked to investigate whether a white nationalist is being unjustly set up.

When friend of the family and multi-billionaire Roger Ferris comes to Joe with an assignment, he’s got no choice but to accept, even if the case is a tough one to stomach. White nationalist Alfred Xavier Quiller has been accused of murder and the sale of sensitive information to the Russians. Ferris has reason to believe Quiller’s been set up and he needs King to see if the charges hold.

This linear assignment becomes a winding quest to uncover the extent of Quiller’s dealings, to understand Ferris’ skin in the game, and to get to the bottom of who is working for whom. Even with the help of bodyguard and mercenary Oliya Ruez—no regular girl Friday—the machine King’s up against proves relentless and unsparing. As King gets closer to exposing the truth, he and his loved ones barrel towards grave danger.

Mosley once again proves himself a “master of craft and narrative” (National Book Foundation) in this carefully plotted mystery that is at once a classic caper, a family saga and an examination of fealty, pride and how deep debt can go.

Pre-orders are available now.
Every Man a King Hardcover
Every Man a King Kindle

“Back to the Woods” (1937) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Back to the Woods (1937)

Director:  Preston Black (pseudonym of Jack White, Jules White’s older brother)

Screenplay:  Andrew Bennison story by Searle Kramer

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard, Vernon Dent, Bud Jamison and Theodore Lorch

Tagline:  None.

The Plot…

Larry, Curly and Moe are sent to the American colonies as punishment. They arrive to discover that the colonists are starving.  The Indians are demanding more than the colonists can afford to hunt on their grounds. The Boys decide to go hunting there anyway.  What could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Back to the Woods is the first Stooges short to re-use footage from an earlier Stooges film.  The final scene was first used in Whoops, I’m an Indian! released a year earlier.

Highlights include the Stooges dancing with three lady colonists, Curly’s method of taking out hostile Indians (eye poke/donkey kick combo), the ever-popular tree catapult as well as gut punch followed by hot coals in the pants.

Back to the Woods earns 4 of 5 stars.

RIP: Christine McVie

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Christine McVie, the singer-songwriter, died today at the age of 79.  No cause of death was given.

Christine McVie began to study music at the age of 11.  She actually went to college with the thought of becoming an art teacher.  While in college she began performing professionally and her career path changed.  Christine McVie recorded two albums with a band called Chicken Shack and a solo album before joining Fleetwood Mac.  While with the band, they recorded 14 albums, 4 of which went to #1 on the US charts. When Fleetwood Mac released their Greatest Hits, she wrote or co-wrote eight of the sixteen songs on the album!  Ms. McVie also released four solo albums over the course of her career.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Christine McVie’s family, friends and fans.

“The Landing” (2017) / Z-View

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The Landing (2017)

Director:  David Dodson, Mark Dodson

Screenplay: David Dodson, Mark Dodson

Stars: Don Hannah, Warren Farina, Jeff McVey, Page Hannah, Robert Pine and Craig Stepp

Tagline:  None.

The Plot…

A faux documentary that explores the events leading to the tragic loss of an astronaut’s life on Apollo 18, the last U.S. mission to the moon.  Was it murder?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

There was no Apollo 18 mission.  The Landing is total fiction, but done so well many folks believe it is an actual documentary.  One of the reasons that The Landing seems so real (besides great production values, acting, writing, directing and editing) is that the filmmakers came together in 1991 to began filming.  They then waited 25 years to film the “current” interviews!

The fact that The Landing presents as reality upset many reviewers.  They felt that an unsuspecting audience would believe that there was an Apollo 18 mission that resulted in a dead astronaut.  I say, “Judge the film on it’s merits, not what viewers may believe.”  Yes, The Landing is so well done it appears to be a legit documentary.  That is a strength, my friends.  Plus The Landing has an interesting mystery resulting in a death.  Was it an accident or murder?

I give credit to the filmmakers for having the patience and belief in the project to put it on hold for 25 years.  No wonder make-up or special effects weren’t needed to age the actors.  Don Hannah, who plays astronaut Bo Cunningham, deserves special mention.  Although Mr. Hannah usually works behind the camera as an Assistant Director, he was spot on with his acting.  I’d like to see him in other roles.

The Landing earns 4 of 5 stars.

“All Gummed Up” (1947) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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All Gummed Up (1947)

Director:  Jules White

Screenplay:  Felix Adler

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard, Christine McIntyre, Emil Sitka, Symona Boniface and Al Thompson

Tagline:  None.

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)…

It’s a change of pace to see the Stooges as successful business men.  They’re pharmacists who run a successful store.  The highlight is the boys and Christine McIntyre eating a marshmallow cake where the marshmallows were accidentally replaced with bubblegum.

All Gummed Up earns 4 of 5 stars.

RIP: Clarence Gilyard

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Clarence Gilyard died yesterday after a long illness at the age of 66.  Although best known as an actor, Clarence Gilyard was also an athlete, director and University Professor.  After high school Clarence Gilyard received a scholarship to play tennis.  He also played football in college.  He attended Sterling college before transferring to California State University where he majored in acting and received a bachelor’s degree.

In 1979, Mr. Gilyard moved to Los Angeles to find work.  In 1981, Clarence Gilyard appeared in two episodes of Diff’rent Strokes.  Mr. Gilyard’s big break came the following year with a co-starring role on the final season of CHiPs.  Clarence Gilyard’s career continued with roles on television and in feature films.

Television appearances include: Diff’rent Strokes, CHiPs (20 episodes), The Duck Factory (13 episodes), Riptide, Simon & Simon, The Facts of Life, Matlock (85 episodes), Walker, Texas Ranger (196 episodes),Walker Texas Ranger 3: Deadly Reunion and Walker Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire.

Feature film appearances include: Top Gun, The Karate Kid Part II, Die Hard and The Beast.

Clarence Gilyard was also an associate professor in the College of Fine Arts – Department of Theatre at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

When I think of Clarence Gilyard I think of his performance in Die Hard.  He was young, cocky and came off as the brightest person in the movie.  Mr. Gilyard’s long runs on CHiPs, Matlock and Walker, Texas Ranger are evidence of his professionalism and ability as an actor.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Clarence Gilyard’s family, friends and fans.

AMOK: A Dox Thriller by Barry Eisler is Coming!

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Barry Eisler has a new novel coming out on December 6, 2022.  It features Dox, a supporting character from earlier adventures, getting center stage.  Amok will be available as a hardcover, a paperback, on Kindle and as an audiobook on the same day!  Here’s the scoop…

When the government offers a twenty-six-year-old former Marine a five-figure payday, there’s only one question: Who does he have to kill?

1991. A restless young man called Dox is back home in Texas. His friends have missed him, and his mother and sisters need him. But after four years as a Marine and another two as a CIA contractor fighting the Soviet Union alongside the Afghan mujahideen, small-town life in Abilene is a suffocating dead end.

Another secret war, this one in Southeast Asia, offers a big payday and the solution to his family’s troubles. But secret wars are never what they’re billed to be, and Dox is about to get the education of his young life. Among the lessons―the only thing more dangerous than war is falling in love with your enemy.

Pre-orders are available now.
Amok Hardcover
Amok Paperback
Amok Kindle

“Creeps” (1956) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Creeps (1956)

Director:  Jules White

Screenplay:  Jack White, Felix Adler (story)

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard 

Tagline:  Even the spirits get into the spirit of high hilarity!

The Plot…

Larry, Shemp and Moe’s babies refuse to go to sleep until they are told a scary story.  So the boys tell the tale of three furniture movers hired to empty out a spooky old castle.  A suit of armor contains a spirit that doesn’t want to leave.  Hijinks follow…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

If you’ve seen The Ghost Talks (1949) starring The Three Stooges, then you’ve basically seen Creeps.  For the new version they added scenes to the front and back end with the Stooges are interacting with themselves as babies.  The Peeping Tom/Lady Godiva subplot has been dropped.  There’s still a haunted suit of armor, but no Lady Gadiva to be seen.  Red Skeleton still makes an appearance.

Creeps earns 3 of 5 stars.

THE BULLET GARDEN: An Earl Swagger Novel by Stephen Hunter is Coming!

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On January 24, 2023, fans of Stephen Hunter’s Earl Swagger can get their mitts on his latest adventure, The Bullet Garden.  Here’s the 411…

The long-anticipated origin story of legendary Marine, fan favorite, and father of literary icon Bob Lee takes us to the battlefields of World War II as Earl Swagger embarks on a top secret and deadly mission—from Pulitzer Prize­–winning and New York Times bestselling Stephen Hunter, “one of the best thriller novelists around” (The Washington Post).

July, 1944: The lush, rolling hills of Normandy are dotted with a new feature—German snipers. From their vantage points, they pick off hundreds of Allied soldiers every day, bringing the D-Day invasion to its knees. It’s clear that someone is tipping off these snipers with the locations of American GIs, but who? And how?

General Eisenhower demands his intelligence service to find the best shot in the Allied military to counter this deadly SS operation. Enter Pacific hero Earl Swagger, assigned this crucial and bloody mission. With crosshairs on his back, Swagger can’t trust anyone as he infiltrates the shadowy corners of London and France for answers.

From “a true master at the pinnacle of his craft” (Jack Carr, author of the Terminal List series), The Bullet Garden is an electrifying historical thriller that is sure to become a classic.

If this is something you’d like, pre-orders are available now.

The Bullet Garden   Hardcover

The Bullet Garden  Kindle

“A Bird in the Head” (1946) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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A Bird in the Head (1946)

Director:  Edward Bernds

Screenplay: Edward Bernds

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard, Vernon Dent and Robert B. Williams

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Larry, Curly and Moe are hired to wallpaper a room.  They totally destroy it and when running away from the guy who hired them, escape into Professor Panzer’s lab.  Panzer has been on the lookout for someone whose brain he can transplant into his gorilla’s head.  Curly looks to be a perfect fit!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

A Bird in the Head was Edward Bernds first directing job!  Bernds would go on to direct over 100 projects, including many Three Stooges Shorts, two Three Stooges feature films, several Bowery Boys films, television episodes and more.  Bernds also wrote this short and made changes when it became clear that Curly, who had suffered a series of strokes, was having a difficult time.  Bernds wrote increased “business” for Professor Panzer and his gorilla Igor.  This kept Curly’s screen time up but with less pressure to get laughs.

The animated sequence when Professor Panzer looks into Curly’s head was created by Tex Avery!

A Bird in the Head earns 4 of 5 stars.