Previews and Reviews that are Z's Views
WWE Unreal: Season 2 – The Trailer is Here!
Deal me in!
Wild plot twists. Larger-than-life personas. And a whole lot of drama. Go behind the scenes with the biggest Superstars and back into the writer’s room on the road to SummerSlam for Season 2 of WWE: Unreal.
I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not (2026)
Director: Marina Zenovich
Stars: Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, Ryan Reynolds, Goldie Hawn, Dan Aykroyd, Martin Short, Kevin Nealon, Paul Shaffer and Lorne Michaels.
Tagline: None.
The Plot…
Saturday Night Live premiered on October 11, 1975, and it was obvious from the start that Chevy Chase was going to be the breakout star. When Chase anchored the “News Update” segments viewership would spike. He came off as funny, goofy, personalble, girls thought he was cute and guys liked him as well. And man, could he take a pratfall.
The only surprise when Chase left Saturday Night Live for Hollywood was how quickly it happened. He didn’t even complete the show’s second season.
Chase’s first starring role in a feature film (Foul Play) hinted at great things to come. But his films were hit (Caddyshack, National Lampoon’s Vacation) or miss (Oh! Heavenly Dog; Under the Rainbow). The misses started to outnumber the hits. Rumors surfaced that Chase was “hard to work with” or worse still, just an ass.
I‘m Chevy Chase and You’re Not explores Chase’s life warts and all.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
I was a Chevy Chase fan at the start of his career. I thought Chase was going to be a big star. And he was for a bit. Chase would have been on top longer, if not for his behavior. Maybe it was the drugs (which he discusses). Maybe it was his ego. Maybe it was unresolved issues from his childhood. More likely it was a combination of all of these things.
I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not is interesting and informative even without the participation of folks who declined to be interviewed (Steve Martin, Martin Short, the entire cast and crew of Community – except for Jay Chandrasekhar who directed one episode with Chase). Their silence says a lot.
After seeing I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not, I have a better understanding of the man and his career. He often appears to be his own worst enemy. Yet, at 82, Chase still has a quick (often inappropriate) wit even if he can no longer take a pratfall.
I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not (2026)
The Red Eye: Season 2 trailer is here!
Deal me in!
The conspiracy deepens. The danger rises.
Red Eye returns this New Year as ITV’s hit thriller takes flight once again.
Jing Lusi is back as DS Hana Li, this time forced to team up with Martin Compston’s Clay Brody when a deadly threat traps the US Embassy in lockdown and a British government plane is targeted mid-flight. With lives on the line and trust in short supply, the race to uncover the truth takes Hana deeper into a world of political tension and hidden agendas.
Season 2 also features Lesley Sharp, Jemma Moore, Jonathan Aris, Robert Guilbert, Cash Holland and Steph Lacey, along with new cast members Isaura Barbe-Brown, Nicholas Rowe, Danusia Samal, Trevor White and Guy Williams.
Red Eye is produced by Bad Wolf and written by Peter A Dowling, with Jingan Young contributing one episode. Kieron Hawkes and Camilla Strøm Henriksen direct the six-part series.
Happy New Year!
As we start 2026, let’s take a look at the BEST OF 2025. I hope you see something that you enjoyed or gets you interested to check out. Here we go…
Movies and Television Series
In 2025, I watched 375 movies and tv series. That number is down 21 from last year. My favorite films and limited series released in 2025 included (in alpha order):
Books
In 2025, I read 37 books (down 9 from last year) My favorites from this year included (in the order I read them):
My Most Popular Posts of the Year
I continue to find some surprises in what became my most popular posts each year. Here are the top ten for 2025 and some thoughts for each…
10. The Syfy Channel’s 2025 “Twilight Zone” Christmas Marathon Schedule is Up! – The Twilight Zone Marathon Schedule posts are always popular. Last year the TZ New Year’s Marathon Schedule clocked in at #10.
9. The 25 Best ’90s Movies – New to the top ten!
8. Evidence Points to Gary Francis Poste as The Zodiac Killer! – Fell from the #2 spot.
7. Wolverine (and that scary smirk) by John Byrne! – New to the top ten!
6. The Dichotomy Philosophy Quiz – New to the top ten!
5. RIP: Johnny Crawford – New to the top ten!
4. Syfy’s Twilight Zone 2025/2026 New Year’s Marathon Schedule is Up! – The TZ New Year’s Marathon announcement moved from the 10th spot to #4!
3. Batman – “It Was a Dark and Stormy Night” by Snoopy (Charles Schulz), Len Wein & Walt Simonson! – No change. Was in the #3 spot last year.
2. Schwarzenegger in “King Lear” & Robin Williams in “Jack and the Beanstalk” – moved from the #1 spot last year.
1. “CAUGHT STEALING” screenplay by Charlie Huston, directed by Darren Aronofsky, starring Austin King, Regina King & Zoe Kravitz – The Trailer is Here! – Making it’s first appearance on the list and in the #1 spot.
My All-Time Most Popular Posts
10. The 2021 TWILIGHT ZONE New Year’s Eve Marathon is Coming and the Full Schedule is Out! – The Twilight Zone Marathon posts are always popular.
09. Gadot & The Rock Strike a Pose – this is the fifth year in a row that the Gadot & The Rock Pose post has remained in the 9th spot.
08. Steve Reeves as Superman – this is the third year in a row that Steve Reeves as Superman flew in to the 8th spot.
07. TOP 10 MOST ICONIC HORROR MOVIE VILLAINS! – For the second year in a row.
06. Billy the Kid Photo Discovered – holding strong for two years in a row.
05. Dracula Through the Ages – moved to the 5th spot last year and held on for the second year in a row.
04. SYFY’s 2023/2024 Twilight Zone New Year’s Eve Marathon Schedule is Up! – remains our 4th most popular post for the second year in a row.
03. Zodiac Killer Code Cracked? – Came in 3rd last year and held that spot.
02. Louis Meyers: Evidence He Was the Zodiac Killer – our second all-time most popular post for the second year in a row.
01. Schwarzenegger in “King Lear” & Robin Williams in “Jack and the Beanstalk” – our all-time most popular post for the third year in a row.
It’s always interesting to see which topics resonate with fans and continue to be popular long after their initial post.
A couple of months ago I was going through the Zablo vault, and I came across a watercolor of Cobra by Thomas Boatwright that I’d never posted.
At that time I said that Boatwright used to regularly livestream art and for a few years was a guest at HeroesCon. Getting art from Thomas Boatwright was always a joy. Sadly, that was years ago.
Well, just this week Boatwright posted in his newsletter that he was taking a limited number of watercolor digital commissions. I usually am not interested in digital art for my collection, but getting another from Thomas Boatwright was just too sweet to pass on. I asked for his take on Sly as Dwight Manfredi from “Tulsa King” and Boatwright came through royally.
Sean Combs: The Reckoning (2025)
Executive Producer: Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson
Director: Alexandria Stapleton
Cast: Sean Combs, Tupac Shakur, The Notorious B.I.G., Janice Combs, Mark Curry, Kirk Burrowes, Aubrey O’Day, Suge Knight, Andre Harrell, Kalenna Harper, Al B. Sure!, Kim Porter, Cassie Ventura and Snoop Dogg.
Tagline: None.
The Plot…
Sean Combs: The Reckoning uses archival footage/interviews from the early 1990s to present day to cover the rise of Sean Combs from a college student intern to hip hop mogul to industry powerhouse able to put his name on a variety of products and make them best-sellers to a convicted felon doing several years in prison.
The four part documentary, through the use of archival news reports, court verdicts and interviews with accusers and those who claim to witnessed the events, details Sean Combs’ proven and or/alleged…
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
If only some of the allegations are true (and we know many are), Sean Combs is perfect example of how power can corrupt.
I am not a huge hip-hop fan, but I found the documentary compelling.
Sean Combs: The Reckoning (2025) rates 5 of 5 stars.
“You’re Dead and Out of this World” by Mike Fitzgerald is available as a limited edition print. What a great tribute to What We Do In the Shadows!
I’ve enjoyed Dark Winds Seasons 1-3, so let’s check out the Season 4 Teaser Trailer – The Price of the Badge.
Deal me in.
#DarkWinds Season 4 premieres February 15 on AMC and AMC+.
This looks like fun. Check out the poster and teaser for The Beauty starring Evan Peters, Ashton Kutcher and Rebecca Hall.
Deal me in.
In FX’s The Beauty, when international supermodels begin dying in gruesome and mysterious ways, FBI Agents “Cooper Madsen” (Evan Peters) and “Jordan Bennett” (Rebecca Hall) uncover a conspiracy that threatens the future of humanity. The investigation leads them directly into the crosshairs of “The Corporation” (Ashton Kutcher), who will stop at nothing to protect his trillion-dollar empire.
Twilight Zone fans are in for a treat. This year the Syfy Channel is running a Twilight Zone Christmas Marathon and then less than a week later, an even longer Twilight Zone New Year’s Marathon!
The New Year’s Marathon starts at 5am on December 31st with the last episode starting at 6:30am on December 2nd.
The Twilight Zone Marathons have been one of our family traditions for decades. Sometimes we binge watch. Other times we just check in on favorite episodes. Please allow me to suggest some favorite Twilight Zone episodes…
Wednesday, December 31, 2025
5:ooam – Come Wander with Me (Kicks off the marathon)
7:30pm – It’s a Good Life
9:30pm – Nick of Time
11:00pm – The Midnight Sun
Thursday, January 1, 2026
3:30am – The Howling Man
6:30pm – Time Enough At Last
7:o0pm – The Monsters are Due on Maple Street
7:30pm – To Serve Man
8:00pm – The Invaders
8:30pm – Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?
9:00pm – Nightmare at 20,000 Feet
9:30pm – The Eye of the Beholder
Friday, January 2, 2026
3:00am – The Shelter
3:30am – The Grave
The Syfy Channel is running a Twilight Zone Marathon that starts at 5am on Christmas Day ending at 7am on December 26th.
What a great way to spend down-time between presents, get-togethers with family and friends, eating too much and napping. Set your DVRs for the entire marathon or just to get favorites or episodes you’ve never seen. You can see the entire Twilight Zone Marathon schedule here.
There’s a sweet spot that starts at 8pm on the 25th. Seven of my favorite episodes will run back-to-back.
Enjoy!
Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal: Season 3 – The Poster and Trailer are Here!
Loved the first two seasons. Deal me in.
Death is not the end.
Primal S3 Premieres Jan 11th at 11:30pm | Next Day HBO Max
The Poster and Trailer for The Pitt: Season 2 are Here!
And so it begins.
Season 2 of the Emmy Award-winning Outstanding Drama Series #ThePitt premieres January 8 on HBO Max.
Yesterday Rob Reiner and his wife were found murdered in their Los Angeles home. They had been killed by an assailant using a knife. Their son, Nick has been charged for both murders.
Rob Reiner was the child of Estelle and Carl Reiner. Carl Reiner was an award-winning actor, comedian, author, director and screenwriter. Over his career Mr. Reiner won numerous awards including 11 Prime Time Emmys, a Grammy, the Mark Twain Prize for Amerian Humor and an induction into the Television Hall of Fame.
Rob Reiner decided to follow in his father’s footsteps. He began getting acting roles while still in high school. Juggling his new found acting career with school, Rob Reiner enrolled at the UCLA Film School. Rob Reiner made several television guest appearances on popular shows of the day including Batman, The Andy Griffith Show and Gomer Pyle. Rob Reiner also started to appear in feature films. In 1968, Rob Reiner became one of the writers and actors on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.
Rob Reiner’s breakout role came when he played Mike Stivik on All in the Family. Over the course of the series Mr. Reiner was nominated for five Emmys (winning two) as well as five Golden Globe nominations. In 1974, Rob Reiner directed the television movie Sonny Boy while still co-starring in All in the Family. After All in the Family ended, Rob Reiner was co-creator of the television comedy The Super. It ran for one season. Mr. Reiner continued to act in guest roles throughout the 1970s.
In 1981, Rob Reiner returned to directing with the segment Tommy Rispoli: A Man and his Music as part of the television movie Likely Stories: Volume 1. Mr. Reiner followed that up by directing This is Spinal Tap. This is Spinal Tap became a huge hit. Rob Reiner then went on a streak. The next six films Rob Reiner directed were The Sure Thing, Stand By Me, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, Misery and A Few Good Men. What a run!
Over the course of his career Rob Reiner continued to act, direct, write and produce. Some of the Awards he was nominated for and/or received include:
Some of the television projects that feature Rob Reiner acting include: Manhunt; Batman; Hey, Landlord (3 episodes); The Andy Griffith Show; That Girl (3 episodes); The Mothers-In-Law; Gomer Pyle (3 episodes); The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (5 episodes); The Beverly Hillbillies (2 episodes); Room 222; The Partridge Family; Getting Together; The Odd Couple; The Rockford Files; Free Country (5 episodes); More Than Friends; All in the Family (184 episodes); Archie Bunker’s Place (2 episodes); Tall Tales & Legends; It’s Gary Shandling’s Show (4 episodes); Morton & Hayes (6 episodes); A Spinal Tap Reunion; The Larry Sanders Show; Frasier; Curb Your Enthusiasm; The Simpsons; Wizards of Waverly Place; 30 Rock; About a Boy; Happyish (2 episodes); The Comedians; When We Rise; New Girl (11 episodes); Hollywood (3 episodes); The Good Fight (2 episodes); Home Movie: The Princess Bride (3 episodes); The Bear (4 episodes) and Conan o’Brien Needs a Friend.
Some feature films that Rob Reiner acted in include: Enter Laughing; The Jerk; This is Spinal Tap; Throw Mama From the Train; Postcards from the Edge; Misery; Sleepless in Seattle; Bullets Over Broadway; The First Wives Club; Primary Colors; The Story of Us; The Wolf of Wall Street and Spinal Tap II: The End Continues.
Some of the television projects that feature Rob Reiner directing include: Sonny Boy; I am Your Child and 8.
Some of the feature films that Rob Reiner directed include: This is Spinal Tap; The Sure Thing; Stand by Me; The Princess Bride; When Harry Met Sally; Misery; A Few Good Men; The American President; Ghosts of Mississippi; The Story of Us; The Bucket List; Flipped; The Magic of Belle Island; LBJ; Albert Brooks: Defending My Life; and Spinal Tap II: The End Continues.
I probably first saw Rob Reiner acting in Batman. I never missed that show when I was a kid. Of course, I’m sure I saw Mr. Reiner’s guest appearances on The Andy Griffith Show; That Girl; Gomer Pyle; The Beverly Hillbillies; The Partridge Family and The Rockford Files before I ever saw Rob Reiner in his breakout role on All in the Family. He was so good as Archie Bunker’s foil. If the character of Mike Stivik was the only acting role Rob Reiner was known for, it would still make for a great career.
Who could have guessed what a talented director Rob Reiner would become. I would match his first first seven films (This is Spinal Tap; The Sure Thing; Stand by Me; The Princess Bride; When Harry Met Sally; Misery and A Few Good Men) against any other director’s first seven.
By all accounts Rob Reiner was a gentle, kind, humble man loved by anyone who knew him. We need more folks with those qualities.
Out thoughts and prayers go out to Rob Reiner’s family, friends and fans.
Mob War: Philadelphia vs the Mafia (2025)
Director: Raissa Botterman
Tagline: None.
The Plot…
Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love, became a war zone in the 1990s. Two rival, mafia families fought for control. John Stanfa and Joey Merlino were the crime bosses of each. As the body count rose, the FBI and local cops fought to bring down the crime bosses and their gangs.
This is that story, told by the cops and gangsters that were there.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
If you like gangster movies/shows and true life crime you should enjoy Mob War: Philadelphia vs the Mafia.
The series is worth watching just to hear John Veasey. Veasey may not be the brightest guy you’d ever meet, but he’s no doubt one of the toughest. A thief, a tough guy and a killer. Veasey was shot in the head, stabbed and still overpowered his attempted killer. Then he got his revenge.
Mob War: Philadelphia vs the Mafia (2025) rates 4 of 5 stars.
