Category: Trivia

“Beverly Hills Cop” (1984) starring Eddie Murphy / Z-View

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Beverly Hills Cop (1984)

Director: Martin Brest

Screenplay:  Daniel Petrie Jr.; story by Danilo Bach, Daniel Petrie Jr.

Stars:  Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Lisa Eilbacher, Ronny Cox, Steven Berkoff, James Russo, Jonathan Banks, Stephen Elliott, Gilbert R. Hill, Paul Reiser, Frank Pesce, Paul Reiser and Bronson Pinchot.

Tagline: He’s been chased, thrown through a window, and arrested. Eddie Murphy is a Detroit cop on vacation in Beverly Hills.

The Plot…

Axel Foley is a quick-witted Detroit street cop who doesn’t play by the rules.  Axel is surprised when Mikey, his ex-con childhood friend,  suddenly shows up.  Mikey says he’s doing well and living in Beverly Hills now.

That night Mikey is killed.  It turns out he was in possession of German bearer bonds.

Axel takes vacation time and heads to Beverly Hills to find Mikey’s killers.

The heat is on!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

At one point, Sylvester Stallone was attached to star in Beverly Hills Cop.  Although it was intended to be a comedy, Stallone’s rewrite took out the humor and made it more of a straight action film.  That wasn’t want the producers wanted.  Sly bowed out with the understanding he could keep his script ideas.  Stallone turned those ideas into his film Cobra.

Eddie Murphy, John Ashton and Judge Reinhold improvised many of their lines.

Bronson Pinchot’s Serge was supposed to interact with another store salesman and Axel Foley. Pinchot’s improvs and accent were so funny, the other salesman’s part was substantially reduced and Pinchot’s role increased.

The movie proved so popular in test screenings, Paramount approved sequels before the film’s official release.

Beverly Hills Cop features the feature film debut of Damon Wayans.  He is listed in the credits as Banana Man.

The mansion that appears in the final shootout was once owned by silent film star Harold Lloyd.  The estate was also used in the final shootout in Arnold Schwarzenegger’s film Commando.  Ironically, in both films a character named Jenny was being rescued.

Director Martin Brest appears as the desk clerk who checks Axel out of the hotel at the end of the film.

Beverly Hills Cop is a great comedy/action film.  It leans more into comedy than action, but there is a heaping helping of both.

Beverly Hills Cop (1984) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“Psycho Killer” (2026) / Z-View

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Psycho Killer (2026)

Director: Gavin Polone

Screenplay:  Andrew Kevin Walker

Stars:  Georgina Campbell, James Preston Rogers, Malcolm McDowell

Tagline: Meet your new nightmare.

The Plot…

Jane Archer, like her husband Mike, is a Nebraska Highway Patrol officer.  Jane is going off duty when over the radio she hears that Mike has pulled a car over.  Since she’s near Jane decides to swing by.

Mike says for Jane to head on home.  It’s a simple traffic stop.  As Jane drives away, she sees her husband gunned down.  The killer takes off as Jane’s attempts to save Mike fail.

Jane is convinced that her husband was killed by a serial killer the press has named The Satanic Slasher.  This psycho killer is a behemoth who has left dozens of corpses all across the Midwest.  At each crime scene the police find bizarre occult symbols.

Jane takes time off.  She believes that The Satanic Slasher isn’t randomly traveling the country.  She’s convinced the killer has a destination in mind.  If she can figure it out and get there first, she can finish him.

What Jane and no one knows is this psycho killer has an endgame in mind that will exponentially increase his number of victims and shock the world.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Psycho Killer took a looong time to get made.  Andrew Kevin Walker finished the script in 2007.  In 2009, Fred Durst was set to direct with Eli Roth as the producer.  Gavin Polone, who ended up directing the film, signed on in 2010!

I was surprised. Psycho Killer was better than I expected.  It remined me of the type of movies I’d see at drive-ins in the 70s.  Perhaps nostalgia got the best of me.  Your mileage, as always, may vary.

Psycho Killer (2026) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Bigger and Better Blondes” (1927) starring Charley Chase and Jean Arthur / Z-View

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Bigger and Better Blondes (1927)

Director: James Parrott

Screenplay:  H.M. Walker

Stars:  Charley Chase, Jean Arthur, May Wallace.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Charley is given the assignment to carry $60,000.00 of a client’s expensive jewelry back to the shop.  Along the way he decides to stop for lunch.  Across the diner Charley sees a woman he’s attracted to.  In an effort to impress her, Charley puts on one of the rings he’s supposed to deliver.  Problem is, the ring belongs to the woman.   She sees Charley wearing it, and thinks he stole it.

Worse still, a group of thieves sees Charley wearing the expensive ring and that he’s carrying a load of jewelry.  They decide to steal it all.

Let the antics begin!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Charley Chase was an writer, director and actor.  Although he died at a relatively young age (46), his resume includes 282 acting roles, 174 films as a director and 37 as writer.

Bigger and Better Blondes was directed by Charley Chase’s brother.

The $60,000.00 in jewels would be worth over a million dollars in today’s money.

Jean Arthur appeared in only one Hal Roach production and this is it.  Arthur would go on to major stardom in the 1930s and 40s.  Her last feature film appearance was in Shane.

Bigger and Better Blondes (1927) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“They Will Kill You” (2026) directed by Kirill Sokolov; starring Zazie Beetz, Myha’la, Paterson Joseph, Tom Felton, Heather Graham and Patricia Arquette / Z-View

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They Will Kill You (2026)

Director: Kirill Sokolov

Screenplay:  Kirill Sokolov, Alex Litvak

Stars:  Zazie Beetz, Myha’la, Paterson Joseph, Tom Felton, Heather Graham, James Remar and Patricia Arquette.

Tagline: Let them try

The Plot…

Asia Reaves, an innocent young woman, accepts a job as a live-in housekeeper at a high-class high rise called The Virgil.

It turns out the residents of The Virgil are Satanists.  From time to time they “hire” young women who won’t be missed by society.  These women think they’re being hired as maids or kitchen help.  The truth is they are brought in to be human sacrifices.

It also turns out that Asia Reeves isn’t so innocent.  Asia came to The Virgil for a reason.  She’s a skilled fighter who snuck in weapons.

One woman against a building full of killers.

Welcome to The Virgil.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

They Will Kill You is a blast.  It features outrageous nonstop action, mystery and humor.

Zazie Beetz is believable as an action star.  The camera loves her.  She’s one to watch.

Kirill Sokolov knows how to shoot action.  I love his inventive camera angles and set-ups.  I can’t wait to see his future films.

The Virgil, with it’s hidden passages and secret panels, would fit in with so many horror films of the 1930s and 40s.

James Remar provides the voice for “The Pig Head” character.

They Will Kill You is like Rosemary’s Baby on steroids reimagined as an action/horror/comedy.

They Will Kill You (2026) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“K.O.” (2025) starring Ciryl Gane and Alice Belaidi / Z-View

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K.O. (2025)

Director: Antoine Blossier

Screenplay:  Guillaume Lemans, Louis Aubert, Clément Marchand

Stars:  Ciryl Gane, Alice Belaïdi,Foued Nabba .

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Bastien was a rising star in the world of professional mixed martial arts.  That ended when Bastien accidentally killed Enzo, his opponent in a match.  Filled with remorse, Bastien retired from fighting.  He met with Enzo’s widow Emma to give his condolences and offer any support should she ever need it.  Emma accepted Bastien’s apology.  Her teenage son, Leo did not.  He was too filled with rage over the death of his father.

Two years pass.  Emma finds Bastien.  He’s working in a salt mine. Emma says her son Leo has gotten involved with a gang.  Worse still, Leo is missing.  Emma asks Bastien to save her son.

Bastien learns from Kenza, a police officer that the gang is one of the city’s worst.  The gang is violent, dangerous and has connections.  Kenza is one of the few officers willing to go against them.

Rescuing Leo will be hard enough.  Keeping him alive even tougher.

Ring the bell, Bastien is ready to fight again.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Ciryl Gane, the star of K.O. is one of the top rated MMA fighters in the world.  At the time of this writing he is the UFC’s Heavyweight Interim Champion.

K.O. (2025) rates 3 of 5 stars.

DOWN THERE aka SHOOT THE PIANO PLAYER by David Goodis / Z-View

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SHOOT THE PIANO PLAYER by David Goodis

First sentences…

There were no street lamps, no lights at all.  It was a narrow street in the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia.  From the nearby Delaware a cold wind came lancing in, telling all the alley cats they’d better find a heated cellar.  The late November gusts rattled against the midnight-darkened windows, and stabbed at the eyes of the fallen man in the street.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Eddie Lynn is a piano player in a small jazz club. Eddie comes in each night, plays the piano and keeps to himself. Eddie is an enigma. Always quiet.  Never talks about his past.  But boy, can he make the piano sing.

One night when Eddie is playing, a man rushes in. He’s Eddie’s estranged brother on the run from two thugs who aren’t far behind. Eddie wants no part of his brother’s problem, yet he can’t stand by and do nothing. The choice to get involved will expose Eddie’s past, drag him into a world of crime and result in several murders.

Will Eddie survive?

+++

DOWN THERE, David Goodis’ classic crime novel was written in 1956.  It was adapted into a 1960 French film by François Truffaut.  The film was titled Shoot the Piano Player. Some reprints of Goodis’ novel use the SHOOT THE PIANO PLAYER title.

Although based on David Goodis’ classic noir novel, DOWN THERE, the screenplay makes significant changes to the protagonist.  In the movie his name is Charlie, in the novel it is Eddie. In the movie Charlie is small, shy and passive.  In the novel, Eddie is physically imposing and he projects confidence.  Eddie chooses to be private for an unknown reason.  Charlie is naturally introverted.

I like the film adaptation, but the novel is better.  Much better.

DOWN THERE is one of my all-time favorite novels.  It’s hardboiled noir at its best.

Rating:

“Jack Ryan: Ghost War” (2026) starring John Krasinski / Z-View

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Jack Ryan: Ghost War (2026)

Director: Andrew Bernstein

Screenplay:  Aaron Rabin, John Krasinski story by Noah Oppenheim, John Krasinski; based on characters created by Tom Clancy

Stars:  John Krasinski, Wendell Pierce, Michael Kelly, Max Beesley, JJ Feild, Douglas Hodge, Betty Gabriel and Sienna Miller

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Jack Ryan successfully left the CIA and found success working on Wall Street.

Or so he thought.

James Greer, his friend and former teammate, is now the CIA’s Deputy Director.  So when Greer asks Ryan to facilitate a package pick-up from Nigel Cooke in Dubai, Ryan doesn’t refuse.

All seems well at the pick-up.   Cooke passes Ryan what looks like a package of cigarettes.  Suddenly Cooke is killed by an assassin.  Liam Crown, a former off-the-books CIA operative, is behind the murder.  Although Crown’s ultimate goal is unknown, it quickly becomes clear that he has put together a network of killers.

It becomes a race against time.  Will Ryan and Greer untangle the mystery behind Crown’s plan before it is too late?

The clock is ticking.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

John Krazinski played Jack Ryan in four seasons (30 episodes) of the Jack Ryan television series before starring in this feature film.  While I enjoyed the film, the tv series is better.

Although author Tom Clancy, who created Jack Ryan, died in 2013, he was given an Executive Producer credit on Jack Ryan: Ghost War.

Jack Ryan: Ghost War (2026) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“The Way of All Pants” (1927) starring Charley Chase / Z-View

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The Way of All Pants (1927)

Director: James Parrott

Screenplay:  H.M. Walker

Stars:  Charley Chase, Edna Marion, Frank Leigh.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Charley, who is nervous, especially around women, works in the office for a rich man.  Charley is given the task to hire a new “girl” for the office.  Several apply.  Charley takes a liking to one and it appears she’s interested in him.

It just so happens that Charlie and his boss at first (or even second) glance look alike.  Charley is sitting at his boss’ desk when the boss’ wife comes in from a door behind Charley.  The woman thinks it is her husband sitting at his desk.  She begins rubbing his shoulders.  Charley thinks it is the new hire and he reaches up to stroke her.

Then the boss enters the room!

It takes a bit of explaining, but the boss finally believes his wife and Charley.  It was simply a case of mistaken identity.

Before she leaves the boss’ wife asks Charley to pick up and deliver a custom made pair of pants she is going to surprise her husband with.  When Charley arrives with the pants, the wife asks him to try them on since Charley and her husband are about the same size.  Charley reluctantly agrees.

Of course when Charley is out of his pants and not in the new pants, guess who shows up.

Let the hijinks begin!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Charley Chase was an writer, director and actor.  Although he died at a relatively young age (46), his resume includes 282 acting roles, 174 films as a director and 37 as writer.

The Way of All Pants was directed by Charley Chase’s brother.

The Way of All Pants is a play on an Oscar-winning film, The Way of All Flesh, released the same year.

The Way of All Pants (1927) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Man on Fire”: Season 1, starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II / Z-View

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Man on Fire: Season 1 (2025)

Created by: Kyle Killen; based on MAN ON FIRE by A.J. Quinnell

Director:

  • Steven Caple Jr. (Eps. 1-2)
  • Vicente Amorim (Eps. 3-4)
  • Clare Kilner (Eps. 5-6)
  • Michael Cuesta  (Ep. 7)

Teleplay by:

  • Kyle Killen (Eps. 1-7)

Starring:  Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Billie Boullet, Scoot McNairy, Alice Braga, Paul Ben-Victor and Bobby Cannavale.

Tagline: None.

The Plot… (beware of spoilers)

John Creasy was a Captain in the United States Special Forces.  If a team was needed to go in a high risk-high reward situation, Creasey was the man you wanted in charge.  Creasey was formidable in all aspects of military training and second to none as a strategist.  When Creasey left the military, the CIA scooped him up.  Creasey continued to be the go-to leader who would get the mission accomplished, no matter the odds.

That was then.

A mission led by Creasey resulted in his entire squad wiped out. Creasey became a shell of his former self.  He left the CIA.  Now he drinks too much and suffers from PTSD.

Paul Rayburn, a friend of Creasey’s, owns a security company.  Rayburn flies Creasey to Brazil to offer him a job.  While Creasey considers the opportunity, he re-bonds with Rayburn, his wife and their two children.

Tragedy strikes when a terrorist group blows up the building where Rayburn and his family live.  Rayburn, his wife and son are three of the approximately six hundred killed in the explosion.  Rayburn’s daughter Poe, wasn’t in the building when it detonated. She saw one of the terrorists.  Worse still, he saw her.

Poe becomes a target of the terrorists.  Creasey now has something to live for – to protect Poe and get revenge for the murder of his friends and 600 others.

Thoughts…

I like that Man on Fire didn’t play out the exact same plot as the excellent Man on Fire movie directed by Tony Scott, starring Denzel Washington and Dakota Fanning.

This is the third adaptation of AJ Quinnell’s MAN ON FIRE novel.  The first was the 1987 film Man on Fire starring Scott Glenn as John Creasey.  The second was the 2004 Man on Fire movie starring Denzel Washington.

A.J. Quinell is the pen name of Philip Nicholson.  He wrote five novels about John Creasey.

Kudos to Yahya Abdul-Mateen II.  Playing a character Denzel Washington made famous is a BIG ask.  Abdul-Mateen II did a fine job.

Man on Fire: Season 1 (2025) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“Constantine” (2005) starring Keanu Reeves / Z-View

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Constantine (2005)

Director:  Francis Lawrence

Screenplay: Kevin Brodbin, Frank Cappello; story by Kevin Brodbin; based on Hellblazer by Jamie Delano, Garth Ennis

Stars: Keanu Reeves, Rachel Weisz, Shia LaBeouf, Tilda Swinton, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Djimon Hounsou, Gavin Rossdale and Peter Stormare.

Tagline: Hell wants him. Heaven won’t take him. Earth needs him.

The Plot (beware of spoilers)…

LA Detective Angela Dodson turns to John Constantine, a occult expert and exorcist, to help her investigate her sister’s suicide.  Constantine discovers that demons have a plan to enter the human realm using the Spear of Destiny and Angela’s sister.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

John Constantine was created by writer Alan Moore, during his run on DC Comics’ Swamp Thing.  After negative experiences with movie adaptations of his work (From Hell and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen), Moore refused to have anything to do with Hollywood.  He went as far as to reject any money or credit for movie  adaptations of his characters or work.

Constantine just didn’t resonate with me.  Most folks like it better than I do.  As always, your mileage may vary.

Constantine (2005) rates 2 of 5 stars

“From Here to Eternity” (1953) starring Burt Lancaster, Mongomery Clift, Deborah Kerr, Frank Sinatra & Donna Reed / Z-View

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From Here to Eternity (1953)

Director: Fred Zinnemann

Screenplay: Daniel Taradash; based on FROM HERE TO ETERNITY by James Jones

Stars:  Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Deborah Kerr, Donna Reed, Frank Sinatra, Philip Ober, Ernest Borgnine, Jack Warden, Claude Akins, Al Silvani and George Reeves.

Tagline: WARDEN… who wouldn’t do it… even for her… PREW… who wanted to be left alone… KAREN… who was looking for a real man… MAGGIO… you just have to laugh at him… LORENE… to look at her you’d never guess…

The Plot…

1941.  Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Private Robert E. Lee Prewitt, a professional boxer who retired after blinding another fighter, is transferred to Fort Shafter in Hawaii.  Captain “Dynamite” Holmes is excited to get Prewitt under his command.  Prewitt on his boxing team is a sure thing to win the Regimental Boxing Championship.  When Prewitt refuses to box, Holmes decides to “break him”.

To that end, Captain Holmes orders his subordinates to make Prewitt’s life miserable.  Extra duties.  Extreme punishments.  Nothing can break Prewitt’s resolve.  Company punishments for Prewitt’s “infractions” distance his fellow soldiers from him.  Only Private Angelo Maggio is willing to be friendly with Prewitt.  This causes friction between Maggio and the sadistic Sergeant Judson.

Sergeant Milton knows Captain Holmes is wrong, but it would be career suicide to disobey him.  Of course Milton’s affair with Captain Holmes’ wife would have the same result.

Things are past a breaking point…

… then the morning of December 7th dawns…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

From Here to Eternity was nominated for thirteen 1954 Academy Awards.  It won eight.

  • Winner for Best Picture – Buddy Adler
  • Winner for Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Frank Sinatra
  • Winner for Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Donna Reed
  • Winner for Best Director – Fred Zinnemann
  • Winner for Best Writing, Screenplay – Daniel Taradash
  • Winner for Best Cinematography, Black-and-White – Burnett Guffey
  • Winner for Best Sound, Recording – John P. Livadary
  • Winner for Best Film Editing – William A. Lyon
  • Nominee for Best Actor in a Leading Role – Montgomery Clift
  • Nominee for Best Actor in a Leading Role – Burt Lancaster
  • Nominee for Best Actress in a Leading Role – Deborah Kerr
  • Nominee for Best Costume Design, Black-and-White – Jean Louis 
  • Nominee for Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture – Morris Stoloff, George Duning

From Here to Eternity tied Gone with the Wind with the eight Oscars won by a single film.  This record stood for over a decade. The films were also winners of the Best Picture Oscar.  Interestingly enough only one actor appears in both: George (Superman) Reeves.  Reeves had small roles in both films and is actually uncredited in From Here to Eternity.  

Claude Atkins made his film debut in this film.

From Here to Eternity is a classic.

From Here to Eternity (1953) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“Carrie” (1976) directed by Brian DePalma, starring Sissy Spacek, John Travolta and Piper Laurie / Z-View

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Carrie (1976)

Director: Brian De Palma

Screenplay: Lawrence D. Cohen; based on CARRIE by Stephen King

Stars:  Sissy Spacek, John Travolta, Piper Laurie, William Katt, Nancy Allen, P.J. Soles, Michael Talbott and John Travolta.

Tagline:  If you’ve got a taste for terror… take Carrie to the prom.

The Plot…

High school is almost unbearable for Carrie.  She’s sixteen, immature and an easy target.  At school Carrie is bullied daily.  Her home life isn’t any better.  Carrie is being raised by a single mother who is a religious zealot.

A particularly rough hazing incident in the PE showers leaves Carrie sobbing on the floor. Sue, one of the school’s most popular girls, feels remorse for her involvement. So she asks her boyfriend, Tommy Ross (also one of the cool kids) to take Carrie to the prom.  Sue thinks that if Carrie is seen on a date with Tommy other kids might start viewing Carrie differently.  Tom eventually agrees.

At first Carrie thinks she’s being set up.  Tommy finally convinces Carrie he’s sincere.  Carrie agrees to go despite her mother’s refusal to allow the date.

What Sue, Tommy and Carrie don’t know is that Chris, one of the girls involved in the PE incident, has a plan to humiliate Carrie at the Prom.  Chris has no idea how badly her “prank” can go.  She also has no idea that Carrie has recently discovered telekinetic powers.

Time for the prom.  It will be a night you’ll never forget.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Although the ending of the movie is different than Stephen King’s book, King has said he like the movie’s ending better.

Sue Snell is played by Amy Irving.  Sue’s mother is played by Priscilla Pointer… who is Amy Irving’s real life mother.

John Travolta, who just became a teen idol thanks to his role on Welcome Back Kotter, has a small role but was billed second on posters/ads.

Sissy Spacek was in real life a high school Homecoming Queen.

Carrie features Amy Irving’s feature film debut.

I had read the Stephen King novel a few years prior to seeing the movie.  When the film came out I was a junior in high school.  I saw it with a date at a midnight showing.  I thought the film was ready to roll the end credits.  Then the final scare comes.  It caught me so off guard I jumped out of my seat.  Yeah, try playing that off with your date.  No, I wasn’t scared.  Really.

One of Carrie’s taglines was: Carrie may look perfectly innocent, but she’ll shock you right out of your seat… and that’s a promise!   In my case, promise kept.

Carrie (1976) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“Back From Eternity” (1956) directed by John Farrow, starring Robert Ryan, Anita Ekberg and Rod Steiger / Z-View

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Back From Eternity (1956)

Director: John Farrow

Screenplay:  Jonathan Latimer; story by Richard Carroll; based on the film Five Came Back (1939) directed by John Farrow

Stars:  Robert Ryan, Anita Ekberg, Rod Steiger, Phyllis Kirk, Keith Andes, Gene Barry, Fred Clark, Beulah Bondi, Cameron Prud’Homme, Jesse White, Barbara Eden and Jon Provost .

Tagline: 30 MINUTES TO LIVE – Head-hunter Drums grew louder in the jungle and a condemned criminal held 9 lives in his hands.

The Plot…

A small passenger plane headed for Boca Grande is knocked off course by a violent storm.  Damage caused by the storm forces the plane to set down in a dangerous jungle inhabited by cannibals.

The passengers include the pilot Bill Lonagan, his co-pilot Joe Brooks, an elderly couple: Professor Spangler and his wife, a mobster transporting his boss’ young son, a sexy prostitute named Rena, a bounty hunter named Crimp and his prisoner, the murderer Vasquel, as well as Jud Ellis and his fiancée Louise Melhorn.

The pilots believe that they can repair the plane and make it flyable given enough time.  When the cannibal drums are heard, they realize time is running out.  The plane can fly, but will only carry five people.  But which five?

Prepare to begin boarding…. cannibals are coming!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Back From Eternity is a remake of the 1939 film Five Came Back which starred Chester Morris, Lucille Ball and John Carradine.  It was also directed by John Farrow.

Back From Eternity features the movie debut (although uncredited) of Barbara Eden as a college girl.

Jon Provost, who plays the mobster’s young son, would go on to fame as Timmy on the hit tv show Lassie.

I’m a huge fan of Back From Eternity and the original Five Came Back.

Back From Eternity (1956) rates 5 of 5 stars.

The Black Scorpion (1957) starring Richard Denning & Mara Corday / Z-View

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The Black Scorpion (1957)

Director: Edward Ludwig

Screenplay:  Robert Blees, David Duncan

Stars:  Richard Denning, Mara Corday, Carlos Rivas, Mario Navarro.

Tagline: Every horror you’ve seen on the screen grows pale beside the horror of “THE BLACK SCORPION”

The Plot…

An earthquake in Mexico gives rise to a new active volcano.  Geologists Dr. Hank Scott and Dr. Arturo Ramos are sent to ground zero to assess damage.  As they close in on the epicenter, they discover houses and cars destroyed but not from the earthquake or volcano.  Locals believe a demon is killing their cattle and causing the damage.

It’s not demons but prehistoric scorpions that now have a path to the surface.  These monsters are on the loose and hungry!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Willis O’Brien, who created the stop-motion effects King Kong (1933), supervised the special effects for The Black Scorpion.  Although working with a much smaller budget, most of this movie’s charm is from O’Brien’s work.

The giant trapdoor spider and enormous worm were models left over (and not used) from King Kong (1933).

If the sounds made by the giant scorpions sound familiar, give another listen to the sounds of the ants in Them!.

The Black Scorpion (1957) rates 2 of 5 stars.