Previews and Reviews that are Z's Views
Frederick Cooper has created an awesome alt poster for Interview with the Vampire. It will be available as a limited edition print.
“So you want me to tell you the story of my life?” – Louis
Josh Greathouse‘s Bang: The Ballad of the Tiger is a fun take on battle comics. If you enjoy monsters, empires, ancient evil, against a girl wh0 is a kung fu expert (and her sidekck), then check out Bang! Josh is up to volume 3 now.
You can even get an option for a sketch with each purchase. Usually Josh creates a drawing of one of his Bang characters. Because I just collect Stallone sketches, Josh makes an exception for me and draws Sly in a “Bang hat”.
Crime 101 starring Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan, and Halle Berry – The Second Poster and Trailer are Here!
He’s untraceable.
Watch the new trailer for #Crime101 starring Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan, and Halle Berry.
See the movie only in theaters and IMAX February 13.
Set against the sun-bleached grit of Los Angeles, Crime 101 weaves the tale of an elusive jewel thief (Chris Hemsworth) whose string of heists along the 101 freeway have mystified police. When he eyes the score of a lifetime, his path crosses that of a disillusioned insurance broker (Halle Berry) who is facing her own crossroads.
Convinced he has found a pattern, a relentless detective (Mark Ruffalo) is closing in, raising the stakes even higher. As the heist approaches, the line between hunter and hunted begins to blur, and all three are faced with life-defining choices–and the realization that there can be no turning back.
Adapted from Don Winslow’s acclaimed novella of the same name, the film is written and directed by Bart Layton (American Animals, The Imposter). Monica Barbaro, Corey Hawkins, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Nick Nolte round out the cast.
Leo Leibelman is a freelance artist who has provided art for comics, trading cards, novels, instructional materials, film storyboards and more. Leo Leibelman takes commissions.
Love Leibelman’s take on John Wick and his cast!
“You stole my car, and you killed my dog!” – John Wick
THE BURGLAR IN THE RYE: A Bernie Rhodenbarr Mystery by Lawrence Block
First sentences…
The lobby was a bit worse for the wear. The large oriental carpet had seen better days, lots of them.
The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…
Bernie Rhodenbarr is a witty, mild-mannered book lover. Bernie can usually be found running his used bookstore. Where Bernie is never sledom found is at his second profession. Bernie’s a thief.
Alice Cottrell, the former teenage lover of the world-famous, reclusive author Gulliver “Gully” Fairborn visits Bernie in his bookstore. Gully is the author of NOBODY’S BABY, the novel that influenced a generation. Even Bernie felt the book had a positive impact on his life, changing the way he looked at the world. Instead of a sequel or following up NOBODY’S BABY, Gully became a traveling recluse. He wanted no publicity and his life kept private.
Anthea Landau. Gully’s former agent, kept years of Gully’s private letters. She plans to auction them off in a few days keeping the money for herself. Gully wants the letters destroyed. Anthea wants to pay Bernie to steal them before the auction.
Bernie decides t0 take possession of the letters. Landau lives at The Padington, a once famous, but no rundown hotel. Bernie takes a room. Getting into Landau’s apartment late at night is a breeze. Bernie quietly enters her bedroom and after a brief search finds the letters. As he’s exciting, Bernie sees a huge knife sticking out of Landau’s chest.
She wasn’t sleeping. She was dead. Recently murdered.
And now the cops are about to enter the room.
If Bernie can’t find a way out, and discover who killed Landau, he’ll take the fall.
+++
THE BURGLAR IN THE RYE is the ninth Bernie Rhodenbarr novel. Each story features a murder mystery full of witty dialogue, a healthy does of humor, interesting characters, multiple suspects and a conclusion where Bernie brings everyone together to explain the intricacies of the tale and expose the murderer.
Bernie Rhodenbarr tales are always fun.
Rating:
How about Tony Stella’s amazing art for Clint Eastwood and Serio Leone’s Man with No Name, The Dollars Trilogy?
The Great Flood (2025)
Director: Kim Byung-woo
Screenplay: Kim Byung-woo, Han Ji-su
Stars: Kim Da-mi, Park Hae-soo
Tagline: The Last Day on Earth, The One Choice for Survival.
The Plot…
An-na wakes up to find her apartment is flooding. But… it is not just her apartment. Water is everywhere.
And rising.
An-na gets her six year old son and heads to higher floors. The water rises almost as fast as the people seeking higher ground.
As she struggles against the crowd to move up with her son, An-na recieves a call. An asteroid made impact at the South Pole which triggered a world-wide flood. Hee-jo, a government agent is in route to rescue An-na and her son. Because An-na is a leading expert in AI, she (and her son) are going to be saved.
The government has known for months about the impending doomsday event. Preparations have been made to save people essential for the survival of humanity. An-na and her son will be saved… if they can just last until help arrives.
The water is rising…
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
I liked the initial idea of a mother and her young son trying to stay alive during a unprecedented flood. But as the movie went on it morphed from a disaster film into a sci-fi movie. Unfortunately, the more it ventured into scifi/AI, the less interesting it became. As always, your mileage may vary.
The Great Flood (2025) rates 2 of 5 stars.
The Poster and Trailer for Cross: Season 2 Are Here! Loved season one.
Deal me in.
Alex Cross is back for justice.
An all new season of Cross is out February 11 on Prime Video.
About Cross: A Washington, D.C. crime drama that follows Alex Cross, a brilliant homicide detective, whose personal struggles threaten to derail his career and life. Based on the worldwide bestselling book series by James Patterson.
The Poster and Trailer for The Wrecking Crew starring Jason Mamoa and Dave Bautista have arrived.
Deal me in.
They fight like brothers. They wreck like legends.
Jason Momoa and Dave Bautista star in The Wrecking Crew, coming January 28 to Prime Video.
This cool sketch of Conan giving you the side-eye by Neal Adams, appeared in TCP Vol. 2 #3 way back in 1976. My buddy, John Beatty introduced me to the world of fanzines and this issue of TCP was one of my favorites.
Source: Ken Meyer, Jr., who posts a complete issue of a fanzine each month.
I love Mat Peg’s art. Peg gives Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (one of my all-time favorite movies) a new poster.
Brilliant.
Road to Paloma (2014)
Director: Jason Momoa
Screenplay: Jason Momoa, Robert Homer Mollohan, Jonathan Hirschbein
Stars: Jason Momoa, Robert Homer Mollohan, Lisa Bonet, Tye Alexander, Henree Alyse, Chris Browning, Charlie Brumbly, Linden Chiles, Timothy V. Murphy, Michael Raymond-James, Tanoai Reed, Steve Reevis, Wes Studi and Lance Henriksen.
Tagline: On the road. On the run.
The Plot…
Robert Wolf has been on the run. Six months ago Wolf murdered the man who brutally raped and killed his mother. Now Wolf has returned home to collect his mother’s ashes. He plans to spread them on land she loved. But when the FBI closing in, Wolf’s last wish may not be fulfilled.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Road to Paloma features Jason Mamoa’s debut as a director. He also was the star and the film’s co-writter and co-producer.
Although Jason Mamoa and Lisa Bonet were once married, they weren’t at the time Road to Paloma was made.
Wes Studi and Lance Henriksen have small but welcome roles.
I wanted to like Road to Paloma more than I did. I liked the story concept and actors involved. Mamoa shows promise as a director. My problem was the pacing of the film. For a man on a mission as well as on the run with the FBI closing in, the film lacked a sense of urgency. Your mileage may, of course, vary.
Road to Paloma (2014) rates 2 of 5 stars.
Here we have two posters and a trailer for Steal, a new series that premieres on Prime Video starting January 21st. I like what I’ve seen so far, so deal me in!
Steal is a contemporary, high-octane thriller about the heist of the century and the ordinary office worker, Zara (Sophie Turner), who finds herself at the heart of it. A typical work day at a pension fund investment company, Lochmill Capital, is upended when a gang of violent thieves burst in and force Zara and her best mate Luke (Archie Madekwe) to execute their demands.
But who would steal billions of pounds of ordinary people’s pensions and why? DCI Rhys (Jacob Fortune-Lloyd) is determined to find out, but as a recently relapsed gambling addict, Rhys must keep his own money problems at bay while dealing with the secret agendas and competing interests at the center of this far-reaching crime.
Marv from Frank Miller’s Sin City is one of my all-time favorite characters. I love seeing artists do their “take” on the big lug. Today we have a Marv and Goldie by Adam Lemnah.
