Category: Books

“Interview with the Vampire”: Season 2 (2024) starring Jacob Anderson, Sam Reid, Eric Bogosian, Delainey Hayles & Assad Zaman / Z-View

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Interview with the Vampire: Season 2 (2024)

Directors:  Craig Zisk (eps. 1, 5); Levan Akin (eps. 2-4, 8); Emma Freeman (eps. 6-7)

Teleplay: Hannah Moscovitch (ep. 1); Jonathan Ceniceroz & Shane Munson (ep. 2); Heather Bellson (ep. 3); Coline Abert & A. Zell Williams (ep. 4); Jonathan Ceniceroz & Hannah Moscovitch (ep. 5); Hannah Moscovitch & Shane Munson (ep. 6); Kevin Hanna & Rolin Jones (ep. 7); Rolin Jones (ep. 8)

Stars: Jacob Anderson, Sam Reid, Eric Bogosian, Assad Zaman, Delainey Hayles, Ben Daniels, Esme Appleton, Christopher Geary, Khetphet Phagnasay, Andrew Van Wilpe, Jan Hofman, Ben Bradshaw, Roxane Duran, Luke Brandon Field, Elander Moore, Justin Kirk, Blake Ritson, Stanislav Callas, Ed Birch, Roxane Duran and Bally Gill

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Interview with a Vampire is an adaptation of Anne Rice’s novel, Interview with a Vampire.

Through a series of interview flashbacks we learn that in World War II’s final years Louis (Anderson) and Claudia’s (Hayles) search for other vampires lead to Romania and Paris.  They are discovered by a vampire coven in Paris.  All is not what it seems.  Jealously, lies and betrayals abound.  Most will not survive.

Daniel Malloy (Bogosian) discovers government agents are aware of the vampires.  Malloy also determines that he’s not being told the truth throughout the interview.  Malloy realizes with increasing certainty that his life is in danger.

When the interview concludes lies will be uncovered, truths revealed.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Interview with the Vampire Season 1 was a tour de force.  Season 2 meets and exceeds the bar that it set.  The series continues to be well written with wonderful actors joined by top notch directors.

Delainey Hayles who replaced Bailey Bass as Claudia does an excellent job.

There are more twists and surprises in season two.

I love the idea of a coven of vampires hiding in plain sight.  The vampire pretend to be human actors playing vampires on stage nightly.  The audience has no idea that the victims killed on stage are not actors.

Ben Daniels as Santiago provides a riveting performance as Santiago.

I have no idea how season 3 can live up to, let alone surpass season 2… but I’ll be ready to find out.

Interview with the Vampire: Season 2 (2024) earns 5 of 5 stars.

“The Killing” (1956) directed by Stanley Kubrick, starring Sterling Hayden / Z-View

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The Killing (1956) 

Director: Stanley Kubrick

Screenplay: Stanley Kubrick; dialogue by Jim Thompson; based on CLEAN BREAK by Lionel White

Stars: Sterling Hayden, Coleen Gray, Jay C. Flippen, Ted de Corsia, Marie Windsor, Elisha Cook Jr., Joe Sawyer, James Edwards, Timothy Carey, Kola Kwariani, Dorothy Adams, James Griffith, Joe Turkel, William ‘Billy’ Benedict, Charles Cane, Robert B. Williams and Vince Edwards

Tagline: These 5 Men Had a $2,000,000 Secret Until One of them told this Woman!

The Plot…

Johnny Clay (Hayden) has been a crook his whole life.  Now he’s ready to settle down and marry Fay (Gray). Johnny has planned one last score.  It will be big.  Two million dollars big. He’s going to knock over a race track.

Johnny has put together his team: two race track workers in need of cash, a cop on the take, a sniper and a pro wrestler.  Johnny has planned for every contingency… except one.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The Killing is arguably Stanley Kubrick’s best film.  Kirk Douglas loved it so much, he got Kubrick to direct Douglas’ next film, Paths of Glory.  Two years later, when Douglas fired Anthony Mann early in the filming of Spartacus, Douglas turned to Kubrick to finish the film.

The studio didn’t like the non-linear structure of The Killing.  Re-editing only made things more confusing. So it was released in the non-linear form Kubrick wanted.  Quentin Tarantino claims The Killing is a huge influence on the format of  Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction.

Kola Kwariani (the chess playing pro wrestler) and Stanley Kubrick would often play chess in a chess/checker lounge as shown in the film.

In a film full of memorable co-star performances, Timothy Carey stands out for his uniquely strange acting.

The Killing (1956)  rates 5 of 5 stars.

“Last Man Standing” (1996) written & directed by Walter Hill, starring Bruce Willis / Z-View

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Last Man Standing (1996) 

Director: Walter Hill

Screenplay: Walter Hill based on Yojimbo by Akira Kurosawa

Stars: Bruce Willis, Bruce Dern, William Sanderson, Christopher Walken, David Patrick Kelly, Ned Eisenberg, Alexandra Powers, Ken Jenkins, Ted Markland, Leslie Mann, Patrick Kilpatrick, Luis Contreras, Raynor Scheine, Tiny Ron, John Paxton, Michael Cavalieri, Matt O’Toole and Michael Imperioli

Tagline: There are two sides to every war. And John Smith is on both of them.

The Plot…

John Smith (Willis), a prohibition gun thug, is on the lam.  Smith is headed for Mexico when he stops in a small nearly deserted border town.  Two rival gangs, one Italian, the other Irish, have run most of the townsfolk off.  The two crews have an uneasy truce.  But both gangs are looking for a way to wipe out the other.

John Smith sees easy money in his future.  It’s risky, but Smith plans to work both sides with neither realizing it.  The best laid plans…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Last Man Standing, like A Fistful of Dollars, is based on the Japanese film Yojimbo directed and co-written by Akira Kurosawa.  Many think that Kurosawa based his story on Dashiell Hammett’s RED HARVEST.  Kurosawa says that his film was actually based on Hammett’s THE GLASS KEY.

Last Man Standing has a John Woo feel to it.

Last Man Standing (1996)  rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Oppenheimer” (2023) written and directed by Christopher Nolan, starring Cilian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey, Jr. and Florence Pugh / Z-View

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Oppenheimer (2023)

Director: Christopher Nolan

Screenplay: Christopher Nolan based on AMERICAN PROMETHEUS by Kai Bird, Martin J. Sherman

Stars: Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Alden Ehrenreich, Scott Grimes, Jason Clarke, Kurt Koehler, Tony Goldwyn, John Gowans, James D’Arcy, Kenneth Branagh, Harry Groener, Gregory Jbara, Ted King, Steven Houska, Matthew Modine, Casey Affleck, James Remar, Gary Oldman and Josh Hartnett

Tagline: The World Forever Changes

The Plot…

As World War II rages, the United States and Germany are racing to create an atomic bomb.  J. Robert Oppenheimer is recruited by the US army to co-ordinate scientists chosen for the project.  After Germany surrenders, Oppenheimer and others question the use of the bomb on Japan.  After the war, Oppenheimer’s loyalty to the US is questioned and his reputation put at risk.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Oppenheimer was nominated for 13 Academy Awards and won seven…

  • nominee Best Sound – Willie D. Burton, Richard King, Gary A. Rizzo, Kevin O’Connell
  • nominee Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling – Luisa Abel
  • nominee Best Achievement in Production Design – Ruth De Jong (production designer), Claire Kaufman (set decorator)
  • nominee Best Achievement in Costume Design – Ellen Mirojnick
  • nominee Best Adapted Screenplay – Christopher Nolan
  • nominee Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role – Emily Blunt
  • winner Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score) – Ludwig Göransson
  • winner Best Achievement in Film Editing – Jennifer Lame
  • winner Best Achievement in Cinematography – Hoyte Van Hoytema
  • winner Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role – Robert Downey Jr.
  • winner Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role – Cillian Murphy
  • winner Best Achievement in Directing – Christopher Nolan
  • winner Best Motion Picture of the Year – Emma Thomas, Charles Roven, Christopher Nolan

Oppenheimer is a dramatization of J. Robert Oppenheimer’s life from 1926 to 1959.

Robert Downey, Jr. considers Oppenheimer to be his best film.

Many of the famous actors/actresses appearing in Oppenheimer took small roles and pay cuts to work with Sir Christopher Nolan.

Oppenheimer is an exceptional film from top to bottom.  The film and everyone who was nominated/won an award for it is deserving.  Because it’s not a movie that I will not often revisit, I’m giving it 4 of 5 stars.  Don’t let that fool you though, it is an excellent movie.

Oppenheimer (2023) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“Get Shorty” (1995) starring John Travolta, Gene Hackman, Rene Russo & Danny DeVito / Z-View

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Get Shorty (1995)

Director: Barry Sonnenfeld

Screenplay: Scott Frank based on GET SHORTY by Elmore Leonard

Stars: John Travolta, Gene Hackman, Rene Russo, Danny DeVito, Dennis Farina, Delroy Lindo, James Gandolfini, Jon Gries, Renee Props, Martin Ferrero, Miguel Sandoval, Jacob Vargas, Linda Hart, Bobby Slayton, Ron Karabatsos, Barry Sonnenfeld, Bette Midler, Harvey Keitel, Penny Marshall and David Paymer.

Tagline: Drug smuggling. Racketeering. Loan sharking. Welcome to Hollywood!

The Plot…

Ernesto “Chili” Palmer (Travolta) is a Miami loan shark who loves movies.  When a collection sends Chili to L.A., Chili meets some low level folks in the film world.  Chili has an idea for a movie and decides to work his way up in the industry.

How hard could it be?

What Chili doesn’t know is that his Brooklyn boss has died.  Now Ray “Bones” Baroni (Farina) has the greenlight to kill Chili.  And Bones is headed for LA.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Although John Travolta is perfect as Chili Palmer (he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for the role), he initially turned down the role.  Quentin Tarantino convinced him to take the part.

Bette Midler, Harvey Keitel and Penny Marshall have uncredited appearances.

James Gandolfini is four years away from starring in The Sopranos.  He’s younger, thinner and sports a full beard, but once you hear his voice, you know it’s him.

Get Shorty (1995) rates 4 of 5 stars.

THE BIG EMPTY: AN ELVIS COLE AND JOE PIKE NOVEL by Robert Crais is Coming!

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Any new Robert Crais release is cause for celebration.  If the book is an Elvis Cole and Joe Pike novel, then lock the doors, cause the party is going to be off the chain.  Get ready to bar the doors.

THE BIG EMPTY: AN ELVIS COLE AND JOE PIKE NOVEL drops on January 14, 2025.  Here’s the lowdown…

Private investigator Elvis Cole and his enigmatic partner, Joe Pike, face a cryptic case and a terrifying, unpredictable killer in this twisty, satisfying thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Robert Crais.

Traci Beller was thirteen when her father disappeared in the sleepy town of Rancha, not far from Los Angeles. The evidence says Tommy Beller abandoned his family, but Traci never believed it. The police couldn’t find her dad and neither could the detectives her mother hired, but now, ten years later, Traci is a super-popular influencer with millions of followers and the money to hire a new detective: Elvis Cole.

Taking on a ten-years-cold missing person case is almost always a loser, but Elvis heads to Rancha where he learns an ex-con named Sadie Givens and her daughter, Anya, might have a line on the missing man. But when Elvis finds himself shadowed by a deadly gang of vicious criminals, the simple missing persons case becomes far more sinister and dangerous. Elvis calls in his ex-Marine friend, Joe Pike, to help, but even Pike might not be able to help.

As Elvis Cole and Joe Pike follow Tommy Beller’s trail into the twisted, nightmare depths of a monstrous evil, the case flips on its head. Victims become predators, predators become pray, and when everyone is a victim, can Elvis Cole save them all?

In a case that tests Elvis Cole’s loyalty to his clients and himself, the truth must come out no matter the cost. Elvis must face The Big Empty and see justice done.

“The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die” (2023) / Z-View

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The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die (2023)

Director: Edward Bazalgette

Screenplay: Martha Hillier based on THE SAXON STORIES by Bernard Cornwell

Stars: Alexander Dreymon, Harry Gilby, Mark Rowley.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

When Edward, King of the Anglo-Saxons, dies without designating an heir to the throne, it sets off a chain reaction of lessor kings battling to become the one true king.  Expect brother versus brother, double-crosses and deceit.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die (2023) is a spin-off of the The Last Kingdom series which ran for five seasons.  You don’t have to watch the series to enjoy the movie, but it probably would enhance the film if you did. (I had not seen the series prior to watching the film.)

The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die (2023) rates 3 of 5 stars.

Creepy Archives Volume 7 is Coming! Featuring Frank Frazetta, Tom Sutton, Nicola Cuti, Syd Shores, Ernie Colón, Richard Corben, Ken Kelly & More!

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Creepy Archives Volume 7 is set to release on July 23, 2024.  It collects Creepy issues 33–36.  Here’s some of what to expect…

Now available in a value-priced paperback edition, Creepy Archives Volume 7 features the finest in fiendish fiction from a skilled swarm of comics luminaries, including Tom Sutton, Nicola Cuti, Syd Shores, Ernie Colón, and the inaugural Creepy contributions by industry legends Richard Corben and Ken Kelly!

Also presents a lengthy interview with master illustrator Frank Frazetta. After a hard day at the boneyard, take a nice bloodbath, pour yourself a glass of hemlock, and curl up with Creepy Archives!

THE LEGEND OF MAD MAX: THE COMPLETE SAGA FROM MAD MAX TO FURIOSA by Ian Nathan

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THE LEGEND OF MAD MAX: THE COMPLETE SAGA FROM MAD MAX TO FURIOSA by Ian Nathan sounds like a winner.  Here’s the lowdown…

The Complete Story from Mad Max to Furiosa.

The Legend of Mad Max is the ultimate guide to the high octane post-apocalyptic film series, directed by visionary filmmaker George Miller.

This comprehensive history delves into the making of each film, exploring the unique vision and groundbreaking live action and special effects that have made Mad Max a cultural touchstone for over five decades. From the unforgettable characters and thrilling action sequences to the complex themes and deep mythology, this stunningly illustrated book provides an in-depth look at the world of the iconic road warrior from Mad Max to Furiosa.

Buckle up and get ready for a wild ride through The Wasteland as you discover the full story behind this classic film franchise.

With detailed production information, behind-the-scenes stories, and stunning photography, The Legend of Mad Max, is a must-read for fans of this celebrated series.

THE LEGEND OF MAD MAX: THE COMPLETE SAGA FROM MAD MAX TO FURIOSA by Ian Nathan will be released on June 18, 2024.

“Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994) directed by Neil Jordan, starring Tom Cruise & Brad Pitt / Z-View

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Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994)

Director: Neil Jordan

Screenplay: Anne Rice based on INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE by Horace McCoy

Stars: Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Antonio Banderas, Kirsten Dunst, Christian Slater, John McConnell, Bellina Logan, Thandiwe Newton, Indra Ové, Helen McCrory, Roger Lloyd Pack and Stephen Rea.

Tagline: Drink From Me And Live Forever

The Plot…

Daniel Molloy (Slater) is a writer looking for a story.  After a chance meeting with Louis de Pointe du Lac (Pitt), he may have found it.  Louis claims to be a vampire.  Although Molloy is skeptical at first, Louis quickly proves he is what he says.

As Molloy records and takes notes, Louis tells his story. In 1791 Louis was a young, wealthy Louisiana plantation owner.  That changed the evening the vampire, Lestat (Cruise) turned him.  No longer human, Louis and Lestat moved through the night.  Undead but living.  Forced to leave Louisiana, when folks began to suspect Louis and his new friend were behind many disappearances, Louis and Lestat head to New Orleans…

Louis’ tale spans 200 years.  New Orleans.  A new vampire joins them.  Betrayal.  A journey to Europe where they discover the Théâtre des Vampires.  True Vampires putting on plays where they pretend to be humans playing vampires! The victims are real.  To tell more of Louis story would be to say too much.

But I will leave you with this… can an interview with a vampire end well?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles was nominated for two Academy Awards

  • Best Art Direction-Set Decoration: Dante Ferretti Francesca, Lo Schiavo
  • Best Music, Original Score: Elliot Goldenthal

Anne Rice was not initially happy when Tom Cruise was cast as Lestat.  When Rice wrote the novel she envisioned Rutgar Hauer in the role.  She thought of Alain Delon when writing the screenplay.  Then when it was time to cast the role she suggested John Malkovich, Peter Weller, Jeremy Irons or Alexander Godunov.  When Cruise and Pitt were selected for the two leads she suggested that Pitt play Lestat.  That wasn’t to be.  When the film was released, Rice had come around to the Tom Cruise casting.  She said he brought something to the role that she had not foreseen.

While I’m a fan of many of Tom Cruise’s movies and I do really like Interview with a Vampire, I think he was miscast as Lestat.

River Phoenix was set to play Daniel Malloy before his untimely death.  Christian Slater then got the part.  Slater donated his salary from the film to two of River Phoenix’s favorite charities.

The initial scene Stephen Rea shares with Brad Pitt is both funny and a bit scary.  It’s a favorite of mine.

Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994) rates 4 of 5 stars.

CLETE: A DAVE ROBICHEAUX NOVEL by James Lee Burke!

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We are less than a week away from the release of CLETE: A DAVE ROBICHEAUX NOVEL by James Lee Burke!  Here’s the synopsis…

In the latest installment in his famous Detective Dave Robicheaux series, New York Times bestselling author James Lee Burke brings Dave’s partner and friend Clete Purcel to the forefront for the first time as Clete and Dave attempt to stop ruthless smugglers of a dangerous new drug

Clete Purcel – private investigator, ex-member of the New Orleans Police Department, and war veteran with a hard shell and just a few soft spots – is Dave Robicheaux’s longtime friend and partner in detective work. But he has a troubled past. When Clete leaves his car at the local car wash, only to return to find it ransacked by a group of thugs tied to the drug trade from Mexican cartels to Louisiana, it feels personal – his grandniece died of a fentanyl overdose, and his fists curl when he thinks of the dealers who sold it.

Just as Clete starts to trail the culprits, Clara Bow, a woman with a dark past hires Clete as a detective to investigate her scheming, slippery ex-husband, and a string of brutal deaths all link back to a heavily tattooed man who seems to lurk around every corner. Clete is experiencing shockingly lifelike hallucinations and questioning Clara’s ulterior motives when he and Dave start to hear rumors of a dangerous substance with potentially catastrophic effects. The thugs who destroyed his car might have been pawns in a scheme far darker than they could’ve imagined.

Gripping, violent, yet interlaced with Clete’s humor and consistent drive to protect those he loves, Clete brings a fresh perspective to a truly iconic series. James Lee Burke proves yet again that he is the “heavyweight champ” and “great American novelist whose work, taken individually or as a whole, is unsurpassed” (Michael Connelly).

Hardcover
Kindle