Category: Z-View

“Splinter” (2008) / Z-View

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Splinter (2008)

Director:  Toby Wilkins

Screenplay:  Ian Shorr, Kai Barry, Toby Wilkins (uncredited)

Starring: Shea Whigham, Jill Wagner, Paulo Costanzo, Charles Baker, Rachel Kerbs and Laurel Whitsett.

Tagline: It will get under your skin.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

A young couple carjacked by an escaped prisoner and his girlfriend become trapped in a remote gas station by a parasitic lifeform that infects its victims turning them into deadly hosts.  Splinter is a low-budget film that works thanks to a well written script and excellent casting.  The story moves quickly and while there may be a few nits to pick with their ice-pack solution, why bother when the film is so much fun?

Splinter rates 4 of 5 stars.

“F9: The Fast Saga” (2021) / Z-View

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F9: The Fast Saga (2021)

Director:  Justin Lin

Screenplay:  Daniel Casey,  Justin Lin  

Starring: Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Ludicris, Charlize Theron, John Cena, Finn Cole, Sung Kang, Helen Mirren and Kurt Russell.

Tagline: Fast Family Forever

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

I was a big fan of the first several Fast and Furious movies. Not so much with the last few.  The problem is that in each new film the stakes get bigger and the stunts more outrageous.  We are now at the point where the Road Runner cartoons have more logical storylines and respect for physics.

With F9: The Fast Saga, whatever you need to happen will happen:

  • Drive a car over a suspension bridge that has one end cut loose? No problem, just shift gears and keep driving.
  • Drive a car over a chasm where a suspension bridge was just cut loose?  No problem, hit the nitrous and a bridge cable will wrap around your axel and swing you to the other side.
  • Need an electromagnet that will pull cars through a building to wreck a truck chasing you?  No problem, flip the switch.  Need a gag where the electromagnet pulls of necklaces, rings and watches from pedestrians?  No problem, flip the switch – the necklaces, rings and watches will come off and leave necks, fingers and wrists intact.
  • Attacked by truckloads of machinegun armed soldiers who fire hundreds of rounds?  No problem, you won’t even get winged!  And you’re able to use a pistol to take out soldiers with each shot.
  • Chase a gun repelling across the city?  No problem, drive the car crazy through traffic, stop and run to the roof of a building and jump out into space.  No worries, you’ll crash into him knocking you both through a window where you can fight!  He’ll miss a punch a knock out part of wall!  Then he’ll pick you up and run with you through the house destroying doorways.
  • Your girlfriend in the midst of a motorcycle jump has her bike knocked from under her?  No worry, you can drive your car so she lands on it!  Much softer hitting the metal car at 100 miles an hour than the ground!
  • Need to go to outer space with virtually no training or a space ship?  No problem, strap a jet engine onto a small car and put on scuba gear.

Needless to say, these are just a few of the insane things that happen.  I can suspend disbelief for a few items, but when a logical storyline goes out the window and there is no real concern that a character will be hurt, let alone killed, you’re going to lose me.  I’ll watch, but with less interest than I have in a Road Runner cartoon,  F9: The Fast Saga rates 2 of 5 stars.

“21 Bridges” (2019) / Z-View

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21 Bridges (2019)

Director: Brian Kirk

Screenplay:  Adam Mervis, Matthew Michael Carnahan

Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Sienna Miller, J.K. Simmons, Taylor Kitsch and Keith David.

Tagline:  The Only Way Out is Through Him

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

A couple of small time thieves get a tip on a cocaine stash of 30 kilos.  When they go to rip it off, they discover 300 kilos!  Cops show up and the thieves kill them all.  Detective Andre Davis (Boseman) is assigned to bring in the cop killers.  As the bodies pile up, Davis begins to realize that there is more at play than a simple robbery gone wrong.  The conspiracy runs deep and Davis doesn’t know who he can trust.

21 Bridges is a fast paced action thriller that is well cast and directed.  Sienna Miller is believable as a tough female detective.  Boseman and J.K. Simmons are always good.  Keith David doesn’t have a lot to do, but is also a welcome addition to the cast.  21 Bridges rates 4 of 5 stars.

61 HOURS by Lee Child / Z-View

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61 Hours by Lee Child

Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: Delacorte Press; 1st edition (May 18, 2010)

First sentences…

Five minutes to three in the afternoon.  Exactly sixty-one hours before it happened.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Reacher finds himself stranded in the small town of Bolton, South Dakota.  The roads are snowed in and the temperature is well below freezing.  The weather is scheduled to turn even worse with a savage snowstorm bearing down.   The small Bolton police force is on edge and the Chief is in over his head.  They’ve received word a deadly assassin is coming to Bolton to kill a witness (70 year old Janet Salter) they’re protecting.

The clock is ticking and with no help coming, Reacher offers his assistance.  Unknown to Reacher or the police, a vicious drug cartel kingpin and his handpicked hit squad is on the way to Bolton as well.

61 Hours is Jack Reacher’s 14th outing and perhaps his best yet.  Reacher is alone, out of his element dealing with an unknown assassin, a drug cartel hit squad and a handful of police officers unsure of who he can trust.  The tension ratchets up as the clock clicks down.  I loved 61 Hours and rate it 5 of 5 stars.

Rating:

“Code 8” (2019) / Z-View

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Code 8 (2019)

Director:  Jeff Chan

Screenplay:  Chris Pare  (from a story by Jeff Chan)

Starring: Robbie Amell, Stephen Amell and Sung Kang.

Tagline:   Fear is the most dangerous power.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

In the future a small percentage of the population have special powers.  Conner Reed (Robbie Amell) is one of the few.  Because his mother needs an expensive medical procedure, Reed falls in with a group of criminals who have use for Reed’s special abilities.  Will Reed’s special abilities be enough when he has cops and criminals after him?

Code 8 features a pretty straight forward story with ambitious special effects for a low budget film.  This is especially impressive considering that Code 8 was made thanks to crowdfunding dollars! Watch the credits for an amazing list of backers.  Code 8 was a fun ride and earns 3 of 5 stars.

“All of Us Are Dead” Season 1 / Z-View

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All of Us Are Dead: Season 1 (2022)

Creator :  Chun Sung-il,  Lee Jae-kyoo,  Kim Nam-su (based on the webtoon Now at Our School by Joo Dong-geun)

Directors:  Lee Jae-kyoo,  Kim Nam-su

Writers:  Chun Sung-il

Stars:  Park Ji-hu, Yoon Chan-young, Cho Yi-hyun, Lomon, Yoo In-soo, Lee Yoo-mi, Kim Byung-chul, Lee Kyu-hyung and Jeon Bae-soo.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

With All of Us Are Dead we get the zombie apocalypse from the perspective of high school students trapped in their school surrounded by the walking (and running) dead!  There are subplots involving a father trying to get to his daughter, and the political/military aspects of dealing with the crisis, but the main story is how the students work together to survive.

All of Us Are Dead provides plenty of action with a large cast of characters (many who will not live through the season),  This adds to the tension and raises the stakes of the series.  Another interesting aspect is when a zombie variant appears.  Is the virus mutating?

It seems like a real nit to pick when I say a little less high school drama would improve a zombie series set primarily in a high school. I enjoyed All of Us Are Dead and hope we get a season 2.  All of Us Are Dead rates 3 of 5 stars.

Sam Peckinpah’s “The Westerner” Starring Brian Keith / Z-View

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The Westerner: Season 1 (1960)

Creator :  Sam Peckinpah

Directors:  Sam Peckinpah (Eps. 1; 3; 6; 12;13); André De Toth (Ep. 2; 8); Bernard L. Kowalski (Ep. 4); Don McDougall (Ep. 5); Ted Post (Ep. 7); Bruce Geller (Ep. 9); Tom Gries (Ep. 10); Elliot Silverstein (Ep. 11)

Writers:  Robert Heverly (Ep. 1-2);  Sam Peckinpah (Ep. 1-2; 4; 8); Bruce Geller (Ep.3; 6; 12; 13); John Dunkel (Ep. 4), E. Jack Neuman (Ep. 5); Cyril Hume (Ep. 7); Jack Curtis (Ep. 8); Milton S. Gelman (Ep. 9); Tom Gries (Ep. 10); Jack Curtis (Ep. 11)

Stars:  Brian Keith

Guest Stars:  Warren Oates; R.G. Armstrong; John Dhener; Arthur Hunnicutt; Sam Jaffe; Slim Pickens; Robert Culp; Michael Ansara

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

The Westerner is an under-rated series that ran for just one season.  It was created, produced, written (or co-written) and often directed by Sam Peckinpah,  Brian Keith starred as Dave Blassingame, a cowboy who drifted from town to town with his dog, Brown.

The Westerner wasn’t your typical cowboy show.  Peckinpah demanded authenticity in the look of the sets, wardrobes and stories.  When Blassingame rode into town, he looked like he had spent miles in he saddle.  The saloons weren’t brightly lit with beautiful showgirls waiting to dance.  No, these were frontier towns where tough men and women fought to survive.  Peckinpah was offered a second season if he toned down the series to make it more like the other westerns of the time.  Peckinpah declined.

Here are my favorite episodes from the series…

Jeff (Episode 1):  Blassingame has been searching for his old flame, a sweet girl he called “Jeff”.  When he finds her she is working in a frontier town tavern as a prostitute.  Her pimp is an ex-prize fighter who doesn’t plan to give her up.

School Days (Episode 2):  Blassingame hears screams and rides to the house to find a man who has just killed a school teacher.  Blassingame shoots the man in self-defense.  In an effort to contact the authorities and get the man first aide, Blassingame takes him to the nearest farmhouse… which happens to be where the man lives with his two brothers!

Hand on the Gun (Episode 12):  Dave is working with other men catching wild horses to sell.  A young man new to the frontier asks to join them.  The kid wears his gun low like a gunfighter.  When asked about it, he shows that he is a quick draw artist and teases the men spinning his gun, pointing it at them.  Blassingame says he’ll take on the kid to show him the ropes if he keeps his gun holstered.  The kid agrees even though we all know that’s a promise he won’t keep…

Brown (Episode 3); The Courting of Libby (Episode 6); The Painting (Episode 13):   Reoccurring character Burgundy Smith (John Dhener) shows up in three episodes.  Smith is a con man, card cheat who is always looking for a quick buck.  At times he’s Blessingame’s partner although just as often his nemesis.  These three episodes were humor heavy.

Overall I really liked The Westerner.  It is available on dvd and through streaming.  I rate it 4 of 5 stars.

“When We Were Kings” (1996) / Z-View

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When We Were Kings (1996)

Director:  Leon Gast

Starring:  Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Don King, James Brown, B.B. King, Spike Lee, Norman Mailer, George Plimpton, The Spinners and Howard Cosell..

Tagline:  The untold story of the Rumble in the Jungle.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

When We Were Kings is the Academy Award-winning documentary of the championship fight between the undefeated (40-0) Heavyweight Champion of the World, George Foreman and his challenger, Muhammad Ali, who was a 4-1 underdog.  Promoter, Don King had contracts that paid each fighter $5 million and the backing of Mobutu Sese Seko, President of Zaire, who saw the fight as an opportunity to shine a positive light on his country.  To that end, the fight became a culminating event of a festival that included performances by The Spinners, B.B. King and James Brown.

Leon Gast, using archival footage and interviews does an excellent job in presenting the backstories of Ali and Foreman as well as the fight’s historical significance.  Ali had refused to enter the draft, became a Muslim and had changed his name from Cassius Clay.  While many Americans had developed a dislike for Ali, he was dearly loved by the population of Zaire.  George Foreman, was an Olympic Gold Medalist who proudly represented the USA, was the undefeated Champion of the World and the man who many thought would destroy Ali. The stage was set for what many thought would be the fight to end Muhammad Ali’s career… and yet, Ali once again shocks the world!

When We Were Kings is one of the best documentaries I’ve ever seen.  It pulls you in, sets the historical context of the events, provides backstories on the key players while at the same time being entertaining.  When We Were Kings rates 5 of 5 stars.

“Catching Killers” Season 2 / Z-View

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Catching Killers: Season 2 (2022)

Produced by :  Simon Dekker and Diana Sole Walko

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Catching Killers is a documentary series focused on the capture of notorious killers as told by the actual investigators who caught them.  There are four episodes in season 2.

Season 2, Episode 1: Bind, Torture, Kill: BTK.  Although I  knew the story of the BTK killer, this episode was exciting and engrossing.  Over the course of nearly two decades the BTK killer violently tortured and then murdered ten people including an entire family of 4.  After the murders BTK w0uld send taunting letters to the media and police describing his kills and threats of more to come,  Despite leaving few clues during his 17 year murder spree, it was a stupid mistake that led to his capture.

Season 2, Episode 2: Thrill Kills: The Phoenix Serial Shooter.  In 2005 through 2006, a pair of serial killers were stalking the streets of Phoenix, Arizona.  These shotgun killers would find people on deserted sidewalks and blast as they drove by.  The final victim count included six fatalities and several dozen people wounded.

Season 2, Episodes 3 & 4: The Toronto Village Killer.  Talk about creepy!  This case involved men who were missing and thought to be the victim of a cannibal killer!  These two episodes produced the most suspense of the series.  The police actually saved a man who was about to become the latest victim.  Unfortunately, there’s a denouncement at the end of the episode that takes a little luster off the capture.

“Oscar Micheaux: The Superhero of Black Filmmaking” (2021) / Z-View

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Oscar Micheaux: The Superhero of Black Filmmaking (2021)

Director:  Francesco Zippel

Screenplay: Francesco Zippel

Starring:  Oscar Micheaux, Chuck D, Jacqueline Stewart, Morgan Freeman  and Mario Van Pebbles..

Tagline:  None.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Oscar Micheaux was a writer, director and producer of both silent and sound movies.  Micheaux has been called “the most successful African-American filmmaker of the first half of the 20th century.”

Oscar Micheaux has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, was honored by the Director’s Guild of America, the Producers Guild of America has an annual award named after him, he is in the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame, his image has appeared on a US postage stamp, and there are multiple Film Festivals named after him! Sadly all of these accolades came posthumously.  Outside of serious fans of film history, few know about Oscar Micheaux.

I first learned of Oscar Micheaux because he was the writer/director of Body and Soul starring Paul Robeson.  Thanks to Oscar Micheaux: The Superhero of Black Filmmaking, I now know the life story of Micheaux.  What an amazing story it is.

Micheaux didn’t let any obstacle hinder him.  At a time when there weren’t as many opportunities for people of color, Micheaux was able to raise funds to create films that he would write, direct, produce and even personally distribute from town to town!  He would then use the funds from his current film to finance his next movie.  More importantly Micheaux created films of substance that still resonate today.  Micheaux’s films dealt with race relations and featured complex characters in modern day settings.   I wish more people knew about Oscar Micheaux.  Thanks to Francesco Zippel we can.

Oscar Micheaux: The Superhero of Black Filmmaking rates 4 of 5 stars.

“Murderville” Season 1 (2022) / Z-View

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Murderville: Season 1 (2022)

Directors:  Brennan Shroff (Eps.1 -2); Iain Morris (Eps. 3 – 6)

Teleplay: Marina Cockenberg (Ep.1, 4);  Krister Johnson (Eps. 1 – 2, 4); Kerry O’Neill (Ep. 2); Anna Drezen (Ep. 3); Hannah Levy (Ep. 5); Adriana Robles (Ep. 5); Jack Kukoda (Ep.6)


Starring:  Will Arnett, Haneefah Wood, Lilan Bowden, Phillip Smithey, Conan O’Brien, Marshawn Lynch, Kumail Nanjiani, Annie Murphy, Sharon Stone and Ken Jeong.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Detective Terry Seattle (Arnett) likes to think of himself as rugged, intelligent and capable.  Sadly, he’s not.  In each episode Detective Seattle is teamed with a new guest star who is tasked with solving a murder.  The conceit of the series (and it’s a good one) is that the guest star is never given a script or access to the set until it is time for his/her scene.  If you enjoy improv comedy, you’ll probably like Murderville.

Each episode has a basic framework: Detective Seattle meets his new partner, they’re sent to solve a murder that has three suspects.  After interviewing each potential murderer, everyone is brought together and the guest star has to say who the killer is and the clues that led to that conclusion. Then the actual killer and clues are disclosed.  A cool aspect of the show is that we can play along and see if our suspect is guilty.  I was wrong as often as I was right.

There’s also an overarching mystery that runs throughout the six episodes.  Fifteen years ago, Detective Seattle’s partner (Jennifer Anniston) was murdered.  There were few clues and her murder was never solved,,, (at least until the last episode of the season)!

I enjoyed the mystery aspect as much as the improvisation in each episode.  It was as fun guessing the killer as guessing which actors would break character or try to hide a smile/laugh.  I enjoyed Murderville and hope it gets a second season.  Murderville rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Race with the Devil” (1975) / Z-View

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Race with the Devil (1975)

Director:  Jack Starrett

Screenplay:  Lee Frost, Wes Bishop

Starring:  Peter Fonda, Warren Oates, Loretta Swit, Lara Parker, R.G. Armstrong and Jack Starrett.

Tagline:  If you’re going to race with the devil, you’ve got to be as fast as Hell!.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Frank (Oates) and Roger (Fonda) are vacation with their wives (Swit and Parker) driving backroads across the country.  They make camp one night far from any town.  As the evening winds down, Frank and Roger share a few beers and stories when they see in the distance a huge bonfire.  They go closer for a better look and witness a satanic cult performing a human sacrifice!  Frank and Roger are seen and the chase is on.

I saw Race with the Devil on its initial release in June of 1975.  I was 16 and the perfect audience for a film that was a combination horror, action and car chase mashup.  I re-watched RwtD many times over the years and while it’s not quite as good as 16 year old me remembered it to be, it’s still fun.  If you like drive-in type movies. and don’t think too hard about the plot, then you’ll have an enjoyable ride if you Race with the Devil.

KING SUCKERMAN by George Pelecanos

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King Suckerman by George Pelecanos

Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company; 1st edition (August 1, 1997)

First sentence…

Wilton Cooper reached for the speaker, counterclockwised the volume.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Dimitri Karras and Marcus Clay are long-time buddies who still hang out and shoot hoops despite the fact that they’re no longer kids. Clay owns a record store and Karras makes a living doing odd jobs and selling a little weed from time to time.  After a session on the courts, Karras has a meeting lined up with Eddie Spags. Spags isn’t his usual source, but Karras’ contact has vouched for Spags.  Clay agrees to tag along.

When they get to the meeting, Spags is finishing up a deal with four strangers.  There’s a bag of money on the table.  Karras and Clay realize the thugs aren’t there for a little pot.  Wilton Cooper, the leader of the four men is an ex-con sociopath with a death wish.  Cooper’s crew consists of Bobby Roy Clagget (on the run after using a shotgun on his boss) and slow-witted brothers, Ronald and Russell Thomas.

Things get tense when Cooper makes a smart remark to Clay and he responds.  One thing leads to another and Clagget starts to bring his shotgun in to play.  Clay quickly disarms him and without thinking grabs the money on the table.  Karras and Clay then make a quick exit.

As they’re driving away, Clay is as shocked as Karras that he took the money.  They’re even more shocked when it turns out to be $20,000.  Clay figures he’ll return the cash once things cool down.  But there’s no cooling down a psycho who wants Karras and Clay dead and has a crew to back him up.

Pelecanos creates a great sense of time and place (Washington, D.C. in 1976).  His characters are authentic and if you’ve read some of his other books will see an overlap with characters from this one.  King Suckerman is another excellent Pelecanos crime novel and rates 4 of 5 stars.

Rating:

“The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil” / Z-View

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The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil (2019)

Director:  Won-Tae Lee

Screenplay: Won-Tae Lee

Starring:  Ma Dong-seok, Mu-Yeol Kim  and Kim Sungkyu.

Tagline:  Don’t let the devil win.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

A gangster, after barely surviving a brutal attack, reluctantly joins forces with the one cop who believes a serial killer is active in the area.  The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil is a stylish, violent tale written and directed by Won-Tae Lee.  The charismatic, Ma Dong-seok (of Train to Busan fame) plays the gangster and was one of the reasons I wanted to check out the film. The fact that Sylvester Stallone optioned the rights for an American reboot with Ma Dong-seok returning was another.

The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil was a fun ride.  Ma Dong-seok is already on my stars to watch list.  I’m going to add writer./director Won-Tae Lee as well.    The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil rates 4 of 5 stars.

“Kimi” (2022) / Z-View

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Kimi (2021)

Director:  Steven Soderbergh

Screenplay:  David Koepp

Starring:  Zoë Kravitz, Byron Bowers, Devin Ratray  and Rita Wilson.

Tagline:  She’s not the only one listening.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Angela Childs (Kravitz) suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and has shaped her life so she never has to leave her apartment.  In her job as a voice-stream analyzer for a new tech company, Childs reviews an audio file that appears to have recorded a murder.  Childs brings the file to her supervisor’s attention.  She is told to erase the file and forget she ever heard it.  Child’s refuses and becomes the target of killers.

Kimi starts out as a mash-up of Rear Window and Blowout, but quickly morphs into something very different. Koepp’s script under Soderberg’s direction keeps things interesting and moving.  Kravitz is excellent as Angela Childs.  I’d even go so far as to say Kravitz nailed it. ; )  Kudos for how the ending was handled.

Kimi was a fun ride that I will probably revisit.  It rates 4 of 5 stars.