“I’m Your Huckleberry” by Barret Chapman!
“I’m Your Huckleberry” by Barret Chapman! This peach of a poster is available as a limited edition Giclee print.
Are you going to buy one? “You’re a daisy if you do.”
Craig’s Best of 2025: Films / TV / Books / Posts
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):
- A House of Dynamite
- aka Charlie Sheen
- Amateur, The
- American Manhunt: Osama Bin Laden
- Americas, The
- Caught Stealing
- Chaos: The Manson Murders
- Duster
- Havoc
- Last Samurai Standing: Season 1
- Mayor of Kingstown: Season 4
- Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning
- Paradise: Season 1
- Pitt, The
- Reacher: Season 3
- Sean Combs: The Reckoning
- Sinners
- Sly Lives
- Surviving Black Hawk Down
- Tulsa King: Season 3
- Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
- Wick is Pain
- WWE Unreal: Season 1
Books
In 2025, I read 37 books (down 9 from last year) My favorites from this year included (in the order I read them):
- 1. Joe Ledger: Secret Missions 1 by Jonathan Maberry
2. The Big Empty by Robert Crais
3. Joe Ledger: Secret Missions 2 by Jonathan Maberry
4. Burn to Shine by Jonathan Maberry
5. The Friends of Pancho Villa by James Carlos Blake
6. Blue Moon by Lee Child
7. King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby
8. Ceremony by Robert B. Parker
9. Hatchet Girls by Joe R. Lansdale
10. Hunter’s Moon by James Byron Huggins
11. Orphan X by Gregg Hurwitz
12. Front Sight by Stephen Hunter
13. Fever House by Keith Rosson
14. November Road by Lou Berney
15. Hush Money by Robert B. Parker
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.
Marv by Michael Batista!
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 by Michael Batista.
“Johnny O’Clock” (1947) starring Dick Powell, Evelyn Keyes and Lee J. Cobb / Z-View
Johnny O’Clock (1947)
Director: Robert Rossen
Screenplay: Robert Rossen; story by Milton Holmes
Stars: Dick Powell, Evelyn Keyes, Lee J. Cobb, Ellen Drew, Nina Foch, Thomas Gomez, John Kellogg, Phil Brown, Fred Aldrich and Jeff Chandler.
Tagline: Time Was Running Out For Johnny O’Clock … and so were his women!
The Plot…
Johnny O’Clock runs a casino for gangster Guido Marchettis. Johnny is everything that Guido is not. Johnny is well-liked, well-spoken and a favorite of everyone… especially Nelle, Guido’s wife. She keeps her attraction to Johnny a secret from everyone but Johnny.
Johnny has no interest in Nelle. That doesn’t stop Nelle from giving Johnny the gift of an expensive engraved watch. It’s an even better version of one she gave Guido on his birthday. Johnny doesn’t want the watch or Nelle’s attention. He writes a note telling Nelle to stop. Johnny gives the note and watch to the casino’s hat-check girl, Harriett to return to Nelle.
The next day Harriett is found dead from an apparent suicide. Harriett’s sister, Nancy is notified of her sister’s death. Nancy arrives wanting to know why her sister killed herself. She meets Johnny and they learn that Harriett was murdered. As Nancy and Johnny work to sort out who would want to kill Harriett, they begin to fall in love.
Police Inspector Koch gets the case. He learns that Harriett was dating Chuck Blayden, a crooked cop interested in leaving the force and taking over Johnny’s role at the casino. Inspector Koch finds Johnny’s note and the expensive watch. This adds both Johnny and Guido to his list of suspects. It also makes Guido believe that Johnny and his wife, Nelle were having an affair.
The person behind Harriett’s death decides Johnny is next… and Nancy too if she gets in the way.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Johnny O’Clock features Robert Rossen’s debut as a director. Although in a TCM interview Nina Foch (who played Harriett) asserted that Rossen wasn’t the film’s actual director. Foch never said who it was though.
Jeff Chandler, although uncredited, appears in his second feature film role. Chandler credited Dick Powell for getting him the part.
I enjoyed Johnny O’Clock but most folks like it even more than I do.
Johnny O’Clock (1947) rates 3 of 5 stars.
Punisher by Eduardo Risso!
Show of hands, who’d love to see a Punisher graphic novel by Eduardo Risso?
Ok, you can put your hands down now. It was unanimous.
Marv and Nancy by Jamie Jones!
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 Nancy by Jamie Jones.
“Everybody Be Cool” – A Worthy Alt Poster by Rich Davies for “From Dusk Till Dawn”!
“Everybody Be Cool” – a worthy alt poster for the very under-rated From Dusk Till Dawn by Rich Davies. You can see more of Davies’ art here.
“Shattered” (1991) written & directed by Wolfgang Peterson, starring Tom Berenger, Bob Hoskins and Greta Scacchi / Z-View
Shattered (1991)
Director: Wolfgang Petersen
Screenplay: Wolfgang Petersen; based on THE PLASTIC NIGHTMARE by Richard Neeley
Stars: Tom Berenger, Bob Hoskins, Greta Scacchi, Joanne Whalley, Corbin Bernsen, Bert Rosario, Kellye Nakahara, Frank Cavestani and Theodore Bikel.
Tagline: A love he can’t forget. A murder he can’t remember.
The Plot…
Dan Merrick wakes up in a hospital with no memory of how he got there. His injuries were gruesome. He barely lived. His face required reconstructive plastic surgery. The concussion left him with psychogenic amnesia. But he lived.
Dan learns driving home late one night he and Judith, his wife, were involved in a terrible accident. The car went off the road and over a steep embankment. Judith suffered minor injuries when she was thrown from the car. Dan has no memory of the accident or anything from his past. The doctors say it could slowly return… or not.
Judith is so loving and attentive to Dan as he recovers. Dan learns he was a partner in an architectural firm. Slowly flashes of memory come to Dan but they make no sense. As Dan is going through things he comes across hidden photos. They are of Judith. With another man. Judith was cheating on him!
As Dan’s memory slowly returns he begins to wonder about the accident. The same wreck that nearly killed him, left Judith with minor injuries. If Judith and her lover were trying to kill him, Dan is sure that they will conspire to finish the job.
If only he could remember…
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Shattered delivers as a Hitchcockian psychological erotic thriller. It’s a fun neo-noir mystery filled with surprises and a fun twist ending.
Shattered reminds me of a film that would have been made in the 1940s, but instead is a product of 1990s film sensibilities.
I love it.
Shattered (1991) rates 5 of 5 stars.
“Con Air” Alt Poster by Vlad Rodriguez!
Vlad Rodriguez is a Miami based illustrator. Rodriguez has a passion for film. Here’s his alt poster for Con Air!
“Sinners” Tribute Poster by Nuno Sarnadas!
This cool Sinners tribute poster was created by Nuno Sarnadas. Sardanas is a professional artist and movie lover based in Switzerland.
Nuno Sarnadas has more art on display at his webpage.
“You keep dancing with the devil… one day he’s gonna follow you home.” – Jedidiah
LADY SNOWBLOOD by Nic Klein!
LADY SNOWBLOOD by Nic Klein! That piece is money. I like it better than Kill Bill!
“Gentlemen, this meeting is adjourned.”
“Stealing Home” written by Charlie Huston, directed by Darren Aronofsky; starring Austin Butler, Regina King, Zoë Kravitz, Matt Smith, Liev Schreiber, Vincent D’Onofrio and Benito Martinez Ocasio / Z-View
Caught Stealing (2025)
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Screenplay: Charlie Huston; based on CAUGHT STEALING by Charlie Huston
Stars: Austin Butler, Regina King, Zoë Kravitz, Matt Smith, Griffin Dunne, Shaun O’Hagan, Action Bronson, Matt Smith, Nikita Kukushkin, Yuri Kolokolnikov, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Oleg Prudius, Liev Schreiber, Benito Martinez Ocasio, Bad Bunny, Carol Kane and Vincent D’Onofrio.
Tagline: 2 Russians, 2 Jews and a Puerto Rican walk into a bar…
The Plot…
Henry “Hank” Thompson was a baseball phenom headed to the big leagues straight out of high school. Then a tragic auto accident left a friend dead and Hank with a career-ending injury. A career that never even had a chance to get started.
That was ten years ago. 1988. Now Hank is a New York City bartender. He drinks too much, lacks real ambition, and still loves The San Francisco Giants. Oh, Hank also loves Yvonne. She’s a positive influence and it looks like they may have a future. Life is good. Except for his nightmares about the car crash. What could have been and what was.
Still, with Yvonne, life is on the right track.
When Hank’s neighbor, Russ Miner has to leave for a few days to visit his hospitalized father, Hank is talked into taking care of Russ’ cat. It isn’t long after, that two Russian mobsters show up. They’re looking for Russ. When Hank cannot give the thugs the answers they want, they beat Hank nearly to death.
Detective Elise Roman questions Hank. She thinks he’s withholding information. He’s not. Detective Roman informs Hank that the Russians are dangerous. (No kidding.) Worse still, his neighbor Russ works for the infamous Drucker brothers. The Drucker brothers are known killers, but never leave anyone alive willing to testify against them. Detective Roman warns Hank that with the Russians and the Druckers after him, he won’t have long to live. Neither will anyone close to him. If the Russians don’t get them, the Druckers will.
Hank has no clue what everyone is looking for. Hank understands if he doesn’t figure it out, he’s dead… and so are his family and friends.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Charlie Huston’s Henry “Hank” Thompson trilogy (STEALING HOME / SIX BAD THINGS / A DANGEROUS MAN) earned the #1 spot in my favorite books of 2006. They get my highest recommendation. Although the movie makes changes from the novel, I still loved the adaptation.
Stealing Home is exceptionally well cast. It is my favorite Austin Butler film. It would be cool to see the rest of the Hank Thompson trilogy adapted and Butler make the transformation to A DANGEROUS MAN. Zoë Kravitz is perfect as Hank’s love interest. Kudos also to Regina King, Griffin Dunne, Shaun O’Hagan, Liev Schreiber, Bad Bunny, Carol Kane and Vincent D’Onofrio. They shine.
Stealing Home has a couple of shocking twists. It also has the right mix of suspense, humor and action. I loved it. Stealing Home gets my highest recommendation.
Stealing Home (2025) rates 5 of 5 stars.
Sly Stallone is the “Tulsa King” by Thomas Boatwright!
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.
Juan Saniose presents “It Can’t Rain All the Time”
Juan Saniose presents It Can’t Rain All the Time.
“The Wizard of Oz” Alt Poster by Steve De La Mare!
Steve De La Mare has created a wonderful alt poster to one of my all-time favorite movies, The Wizard of Oz!
“Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.”
