Previews and Reviews that are Z's Views
Four detectives, living in four different eras, find the body of the same murder victim in London’s Whitechapel. They soon come to realise their investigations have them central to a mysterious conspiracy spanning over a 150 years.
Deal me in!
Bob Barker, the revered game show host and animal rights activist died today at the age of 99.
Bob Barker attended Drury College on a basketball scholarship. Mr. Barker joined the Naval Reserve during World War II. He finished his degree in economics after the war. While in college Bob Barker began working on radio. After graduation, he continued to pursue this line of work.
In 1956, Bob Barker became the host of television’s Truth or Consequences. He hosted the program through 1975. In 1972, Bob Barker was picked to host the revival of The Price Is Right. He served in this capacity until June 2007.
Some of Bob Barker’s other appearances include: This Is Your Life; Dream Girl of ’67 (5 episodes); Miss Universe 1967 – 1980; I’ve Got a Secret; The New Truth or Consequences (198 episodes); Tattletales (21 episodes); Match Game (40 episodes); Dinah! (14 episodes); Match Game PM (8 episodes); The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (2 episodes); The Price is Right Special (6 episodes); The Price is Right Salutes (6 episodes); The Price is Right Million Dollar Spectacular (16 episodes); The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (6 episodes); The Bold and the Beautiful (2 episodes); The Price is Right (6,719 episodes); Inside Edition (3 episodes); Entertainment Tonight (9 episodes); Bonanza; Happy Gilmore; How I Met Your Mother; Family Guy (3 3 episodes); WWE Raw and SpongeBob Squarepants.
Bob Barker won 19 Daytime Emmy Awards…
Bob Barker is also a member of the Hollywood Walk of Fame; the Television Hall of Fame (class of 2004) and the NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame (class of 2008).
Bob Barker was the perfect host. He not only was comfortable on camera but was able to put contestants at ease. You always got the feeling that what you saw, was the real Bob Barker.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends and fans.
Raylan and Carolyn cross the line, as Raylan attempts to make it out of Detroit alive.
Starring Timothy Olyphant, Aunjanue Ellis and Boyd Holbrook. Raylan Givens left the hollers of Kentucky and is balancing life as a U.S. Marshal with being a part-time father. A chance encounter sends him to Detroit and on a collision course with a violent sociopath and a formidable defense attorney.
Terry Funk died today. Mr. Funk was 79 years old.
Terry and his older brother, Dory Jr., were the sons of Dorothy and Dory Funk. Their father, Dory Funk Sr. was a high school state and college champion amateur wrestler. After a stint in the Navy, Dory Sr. became a professional wrestler and later a wrestling promoter. So both Funk boys grew up in a professional wrestling family and both would become professional wrestlers.
Terry Funk began his professional wrestling career in 1965, competing in his father’s Western States Sports Promotion. His older brother, Dory was already an established wrestler. They made a formidable team. Terry would go on to wrestle and win championships for all the major promoters as well as on the independent circuit. Later in his career when many wrestlers contemplate retirement, Terry Funk excelled as a hardcore champion, participating in extremely violent matches.
Terry Funk won multiple championships in promotions across the country. Mr. Funk is in the following Professional Wrestling Halls of Fame:
Terry Funk also branched out into acting. His first role was a major one in Sylvester Stallone’s Paradise Alley. Mr. Funk would go on to act in television and feature films.
Some of Terry Funk’s television appearances include: Wildside (6 episodes); Timestalkers, Swamp Thing; Quantum Leap; Tequila and Bonetti (11 episodes); The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. and Thunder in Paradise.
Some of Terry Funk’s feature film appearances include: Paradise Alley; Over the Top; Road House; Rambo III (stunts) and Rocky V (stunts).
I was familiar with Terry Funk’s wrestling as a kid growing up in Indiana. Then when we moved to Florida, Terry Funk was a popular bad guy for years. My favorite Terry Funk role, by far, is when he played Frankie the Thumper in Paradise Alley. Mr. Funk and Sylvester Stallone got along well as evidenced by Terry Funk’s appearances in Over the Top, stunt work for Rambo III and Rocky V.
The fact that Terry Funk was able to wrestle for decades is evidence that he was a legitimate tough guy. It’s impressive that everywhere Mr. Funk wrestled, he excelled. Look at the number of Wrestling Hall of Fames feature him. He was one of a kind.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Terry Funk’s family, friends and fans.
Wow! Original recordings of Ed Gein interviews. Deal me in.
Psycho: The Lost Tapes of Ed Gein premieres September 17th, 2023- only on MGM+
This MGM+ original docuseries follows the horrifying grave robber and serial killer Ed Gein whose crimes inspired such iconic films as Psycho and The Silence of the Lambs. With new reveals and never-before-heard recordings, viewers will be transported to late-1950s Middle America and submerged in Gein’s perverse mind. The series explores Gein’s upbringing and twisted relationship with his mother, his early grave robbing and murders, and the police’s discovery of his terrifying house of horrors.
The Family Stallone: Season 1 (2023)
Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Jennifer Flavin-Stallone, Sophia Rose Stallone, Sistine Rose Stallone, Scarlet Rose Stallone, Frank Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Dolph Lundgren, Vincent Piazza and Al Pacino.
Tagline: None.
The Plot…
The Family Stallone gives us a peek at the life of, you guessed it, the Stallone family: Sly, Jennifer, Sophia, Sistine and Scarlet.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Season 1 feature eight episodes…
S1.E1 ∙ Meet the Stallones: We get a peak behind the scenes on Tulsa King. The girls pull a prank on Sly that looks to set him off!
S1.E2 ∙ The Currency of Time: Sly realizes the clock is ticking and nothing is more valuable than time and how you spend it. The girls visit Uncle Frank’s house. Any time Frank is on, expect great tv. I’d love a tour of his house since it contains so much memorabilia. A reality show with Frank would be out of control.
S1.E3 ∙ Leaving the Nest: The focus is on Scarlet (who is heading off to college) and Jennifer who is suffering from empty nest syndrome.
S1.E4 ∙ The Show must Go On: Scarlet and her boyfriend break up and the girls worry how she’ll take it. Sly heads to Atlantic City with Frank who will be performing. Right before showtime, Frank gets unexplained nose bleeds. (I wish we got more of Sly & Frank in Atlantic City.)
S1.E5 ∙ Unwaxed and Unfiltered: Scarlet and Sly head to Oklahoma for their roles in Tulsa King. I love the behind-the-scenes stuff for the series. Frank, who admits he’s never watched Sistine & Sophia’s Unwaxed podcast, wants to be featured on an episode. The girls have some concerns. They don’t know what Frank may say and they don’t want any blowback. Sly encourages them to have Frank on since he’s family.
S1.E6 ∙ The Stallones Go West: Sophia was born with a hole in her heart and it’s time for her annual check-up. The reality is there are some things that fame and fortune can’t control.
S1.E7 ∙ Green Light Fight: Sophia is working on a novel. Sistine sells her first script for a horror movie. Sister drama ensues.
S1.E8 ∙ Philadelphia Story: Sly wants a family trip to Philadelphia, but Scarlet has just started college and doesn’t want to leave for the weekend.
I’m not a fan of most reality shows. Truth be told if this wasn’t about Sly and his family, my interest level wouldn’t be near as high. It’s cool to see Sly hanging out for pizza with Al Pacino and Dolph Lundgren, visiting Arnold’s office, Sly’s office and the Stallone house. The affection that the Stallone’s have for each other is evident.
Bring on Season 2!
The Family Stallone: Season 1 (2023) earns 5 of 5 stars.
Katie Doll at CBR came up with her list of The 10 Greatest TV Shows of All Time. Before you click over to read her thoughts on each, here are how I’d rank her choices, my thoughts and some shows that would have made my list that didn’t make hers.
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The 10 Greatest TV Shows of All Time |
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Doll |
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10. Mad Men (2007-2015) 09. Succession (2018-2023) 08. Lost (2004-2010) 07. Game of Thrones (2011-2019) 06. Seinfeld (1989-1998) 05. The Simpsons (1989-present) 04. The Twilight Zone (1959-1964) 03. The Wire (2002-2008) 02. Breaking Bad (2008-2013) 01. The Sopranos (1999-2007) |
* Mad Men (2007-2015) // Succession (2018-2023) // The Wire (2002 – 06. Lost (2004-2010) – Watched every episode. Thought it went off 05. The Sopranos (1999-2007) – Watched every episode. Great show! 04. Game of Thrones (2011-2019) – Watched every episode. Loved it! 03. Breaking Bad (2008-2013) – Watched every episode. Loved it! 02. Seinfeld (1989-1998) – Watched & rewatched. Loved it! 01. The Twilight Zone (1959-1964) – Often imitated, never duplicated! Shows I would have included: Justified; The Wild, Wild West; The Passage; The Strain; The Shield; Columbo.The English, 1883; Tulsa King |
Raylan and Mansell show down. Watch new episodes of Justified: City Primeval Tuesdays on FX. Stream on Hulu.
Starring Timothy Olyphant, Aunjanue Ellis and Boyd Holbrook. Raylan Givens left the hollers of Kentucky and is balancing life as a U.S. Marshal with being a part-time father. A chance encounter sends him to Detroit and on a collision course with a violent sociopath and a formidable defense attorney.
Robert Vaux at CBR.com posted his choices for the 10 Most Disturbing Twilight Zone Episodes, Ranked. Before you click over to read his thoughts, here is how my rankings (using just his choices) compare.
A botched kerfuffle sends Raylan’s pursuit of Mansell into chaos. Watch new episodes of Justified: City Primeval Tuesdays on FX. Stream on Hulu. Subscribe now for more Justified: City Primeval clips: http://bit.ly/SubscribeFX
| Visit Official Site https://fx.tv/JCP
Starring Timothy Olyphant, Aunjanue Ellis and Boyd Holbrook. Raylan Givens left the hollers of Kentucky and is balancing life as a U.S. Marshal with being a part-time father. A chance encounter sends him to Detroit and on a collision course with a violent sociopath and a formidable defense attorney.
The three-part event will explore the origin behind the iconic hotel-for-assassins centerpiece of the John Wick universe through the eyes and actions of a young Winston Scott, as he’s dragged into the Hell-scape of 1970’s New York City to face a past he thought he’d left behind. Winston charts a deadly course through the hotel’s mysterious underworld in a harrowing attempt to seize the hotel where he will eventually take his future throne.
Arthur Schmidt, the two-time Academy Award winner for Best Film Editing, died on August 5, 2023. Mr. Schmidt was 86.
Arthur Schmidt followed in his father, Arthur P. Schmidt’s footsteps and became a film editor. His father edited films such as Sunset Boulevard; Ace in the Hole and Some Like It Hot.
Arthur Schmidt’s filmography includes films such as: The Last Remake of Beau Geste; Jaws 2; The Jericho Mile (TV movie); Coal Miner’s Daughter; The Idolmaker; Back to the Future; Ruthless People; Who Framed Roger Rabbit; Back to the Future II; Back to the Future III; The Rocketeer; The Last of the Mohicans; Adams Family Values; Forrest Gump; Tales from the Crypt (TV); The Birdcage; Contact; What Lies Beneath and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.
Arthur Schmidt’s two Oscars for Best Film Editing were for his work on Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Forrest Gump.
What an amazing resume Arthur Schmidt cultivated. If I had to pick just one favorite from his credits it would be Last of the Mohicans. The truth is I loved so many of his films. Two of his lessor known films that are really good are The Idolmaker and The Jericho Mile. I also think that Contact and What Lies Beneath are both underrated. It’s hard to go wrong with anything that Arthur Schmidt edited.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Arthur Schmidt’s family, friends and fans.
William Friedkin died today from complications of heart failure and pneumonia. Mr. Friedkin was 87.
After his high school graduation, William Friedkin got a job in the mail room at WGN-TV. Within two years, he began working on live shows and documentaries. William Friedkin would go on to have a career primarily as a director of television productions and feature films. He occasional took on the role of producer and/or writer of some of his projects. In 1972, William Friedkin won an Academy Award for Best Director for his work on The French Connection. He was nominated again for an Academy Award for Best Director in 1974 for The Exorcist.
Some of William Friedkin’s television projects include: The People vs Paul Crump; The Bold Men; The Alfred Hitchcock Hour; Pro Football: Mayhem on a Sunday Afternoon; The Thin Blue Line; The Twilight Zone; C.A.T. Squad; Tales from the Crypt; 12 Angry Men and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2 episodes).
Some of William Friedkin’s feature films include: The Night They Raided Minsky’s; The Boys in the Band; The French Connection; The Exorcist; Sorcerer; The Brink’s Job; Cruising; The Deal of the Century; To Live and Die in LA; Jade; Rules of Engagement; The Hunted; Killer Joe and The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial.
My favorite William Friedkin movie is The Exorcist. If that was the only film he ever directed, William Friedkin would still be famous for it.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to William Friedkin’s family, friends and fans.
Carolyn’s past becomes Raylan’s present. Mansell puts a plan into action. Watch new episodes of Justified: City Primeval Tuesdays on FX. Stream on Hulu.
Starring Timothy Olyphant, Aunjanue Ellis and Boyd Holbrook. Raylan Givens left the hollers of Kentucky and is balancing life as a U.S. Marshal with being a part-time father. A chance encounter sends him to Detroit and on a collision course with a violent sociopath and a formidable defense attorney.
Last Call: When a Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York (2023)
Director: Anthony Caronna
Tagline: None.
The Plot…
In the 1990s, dismembered bodies began turning up in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The victims were gay men. It took a while before the police in the different jurisdictions realized they had a serial killer on their hands. The press dubbed the murderer The Last Call Killer.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Last Call: When a Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York is a four part documentary that focuses on the victims, the increased homophobia due to AIDS during this time period, the efforts the gay community took to raise awareness of the murders and the shortcomings of a system where different jurisdictions didn’t smoothly interact. While we do learn who the killer was, how he was caught and the outcome of his trial, he is never the main focus.
Last Call: When a Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York (2023) rates 3 of 5 stars.
