Search Results for: otis

Hold That Hypnotist (1957)

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Hold That Hypnotist (1957)

Director: Austen Jewell

Screenplay: Dan Pepper

Stars: Huntz Hall, Stanley Clements and Jane Nigh

The Pitch: “Hey,let’s make another Bowery Boys movie.”

Tagline: They’re HYSTERICAL…They’re HYPNUTICAL!

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Satch gets hypnotized and has visions of an earlier life when he was a pirate and wakes with the knowledge of a buried treasure.  Less laughs than most Bowery Boys films and one of the weakest in the series.

 

Rating:

Otis Frampton and a Rhinestone Cowboy

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Otis Frampton did his take on Sly from Rhinestone way back in 2009 when every Sunday [okay, ALMOST, every Sunday], Otis had a live UStream broadcast that he called the 7×7 Sunday.

Lucky fans could get a head sketch of ANY character drawn live by Otis on a 7X7 inch bristol board for 7 bucks postage paid. It was the best deal going.  Watching Otis drawing live and interacting with fans kept me up even if I wasn’t a sketch winner.

Good times!

 

Otis Frampton: Cop Land

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Otis Frampton’s art is no stranger to the StalloneZone. I’ve told you about Otis’ 7-7-7 Sundays before. I’ve been fortunate enough to get three previous sketches from Otis — Rambo, Jack Carter and Cosmo Carboni. You can see them here.

I finally got to meet Otis in person at Heroes Con last year. When Otis attends conventions he has sketchbooks that he sells for a buck each. Yep, one buck. And to make the deal even more enticing, Otis includes a free headsketch. For mine he did Freddy from Cop Land. I would have gladly paid a buck a piece to have Otis draw Sly from every movie he’s done, but the idea is to get new fans to give Otis’ work a look. So instead, whenever I ran into a friend who’d never heard of Otis I’d slap a buck down and buy ’em a copy of the sketchbook with a free headsketch. Luckily none of them requested Sly, or I might have had to keep the copy for myself. ; )

Otis Frampton’s Cosmo

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Otis Frampton loves sharing his talents with his fans. Every Sunday [okay, ALMOST, every Sunday], Otis has a live UStream broadcast that he calls the 7×7 Sunday. Lucky fans can get a headsketch of ANY character drawn live by Otis on a 7X7 inch bristol board for 7 bucks postage paid. It’s the best deal going.

I’ve been lucky enough to get four pieces from Otis and the Cosmo Carboni from “Paradise Alley” shown above is one of them. I’ll be showing the rest in the coming weeks. In the mean time, check out Otis’ Gallery. Most likely, after seeing more of his work, I’ll be competing against you in Otis’ next 7×7 Sunday.

Otis Frampton’s Jack Carter

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Otis Frampton is an extremely talented artist who loves drawing for his fans. Every Sunday [okay, ALMOST, every Sunday], Otis has a live UStream broadcast that he calls the 7×7 Sunday. Lucky fans can get a headsketch of ANY character drawn live by Otis on a 7X7 inch bristol board for 7 bucks postage paid. It’s the best deal going.

I’ve been lucky enough to get four pieces from Otis and the Jack Carter shown above is just one of them. I’ll be showing the rest in the coming weeks. In the mean time, check out Otis’ Gallery. Most likely, after seeing more of his work, I’ll be competing against you in Otis’ next 7×7 Sunday.

Otis Frampton’s Rambo

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Otis Frampton is an extremely talented artist who loves drawing for his fans. Every Sunday [okay, ALMOST, every Sunday], Otis has a live UStream broadcast that he calls the 7×7 Sunday. Lucky fans can get a headsketch of ANY character drawn live by Otis on a 7X7 inch bristol board for 7 bucks postage paid. It’s the best deal going.

I’ve been lucky enough to get four pieces from Otis and the Rambo shown above is my first. I’ll be showing the rest in the coming weeks. In the mean time, check out Otis’ Gallery. Most likely, after seeing more of his work, I’ll be competing against you in Otis’ next 7×7 Sunday.

THE SWITCHBLADE SVENGALI by Coy Hall!

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THE SWITCHBLADE SVENGALI by Coy Hall is coming out this month.  It’s the second Royce Pembrook thriller.  The first, A SÉANCE FOR WICKED KING DEATH received my highest recommendation.  That makes THE SWITCHBLADE SVENGALI an immediate purchase.  Here’s the lowdown…

When the bell tolls midnight, it’ll be 1968.Royce Pembrook is living well in a new city, with new patrons, a new name, and a new trade. But he’s the same scam artist he’s been for thirty years. Since youth, Royce has made his money and found trouble in fraudulent séances that prey on the grieving widows of high society.

Now he’s expanded his con, posing as a hypnotist, a Svengali, swindling everyone in Phoenix from scions of old wealth to a UFO cult led by a heroin-addicted visionary.  Life is good. Royce has the luxury he craves.

And that’s when trouble out of the past creeps into his world. Even in the domain of fake spirits, the relentless specter of murder is real, and Royce’s former life is one thing that won’t stay in the grave. When the bell tolls midnight for Royce Pembrook, will it be time to abscond? Or will he fight to keep all that he’s gained, no matter the violent cost to those around him?

What folks are saying…

  • “When the cornered lamb realizes he’s always been a wolf …” – M.E. Proctor, author of Love You Till Tuesday
  • “This is a man out of time and control. Royce’s facade is degrading and the violent man within is wrestling back control. A fascinating character study.” – Adam Hulse, author of Below Economic Thresholds
  • “Coy Hall’s The Switchblade Svengali captivates with a tale of long-con mediumship, bludgeonings and a UFO cult! A precise meld of elegance and blood curdle.” – Ilyn Welch, author of Bad Makes Bad
  • “Royce Pembrook is up to his old spook show tricks, this time at the height of the 1960s counterculture movement. But the ghosts he conjures aren’t the only things haunting these pages-his past has caught up to him too, threatening to derail everything he’s built since the harrowing events of A Séance for Wicked King Death. Vengeful women, gullible marks, and UFO cultists make this book impossible to put down. Coy Hall’s Switchblade Svengali is so good, I wouldn’t be surprised if the dead crossed from the other side just to read it.” – C.W. Blackwell, author of Hard Mountain Clay
  • “Very happy to report that this is a sequel that’s even better than the first book.” – Regan MacArthur, author of One Lash to Kill

Preoders are available now.

John Wayne’s Ten Best Westerns!

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John Wayne has 184 credits on his resume.  Although he made movies in many genres, he was best known for his westerns.  So I decided to come up with my list of his ten best…

01.  The Searchers (1956): John Wayne plays Ethan Edwards, a Civil War veteran with a hatred of Indians.  John Ford directs.  Co-starring Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles, Ward Bond and Natalie Wood.

When his niece is kidnapped by Comanches, Ethan Edwards vows to find her no matter how many years it takes.

_____

02.  Stagecoach (1939): John Wayne plays The Ringo Kid.  John Ford directs.  Co-starring Claire Trevor, Andy Devine, John Carradine and Thomas Mitchell.

When strangers on a stagecoach traveling across the frontier are attacked by Indians secrets are revealed.  It’s not often there’s a specific scene where an actor becomes a star.  Stagecoach has one and John Wayne is in it.

Stagecoach was nominated for seven Academy Awards and won two…

  • nominee Best Picture,
  • nominee Best Director – John Ford
  • nominee Best Cinematography, Black-and-White – Bert Glennon
  • nominee Best Art Direction – Alexander Toluboff
  • nominee Best Film Editing – Otho Lovering, Dorothy Spencer
  • winner Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Thomas Mitchell
  • winner Best Music, Scoring – Richard Hageman, W. Franke Harling, John Leipold, Leo Shuken

_____

03.  Hondo (1953): John Wayne plays Hondo Lane.  John Farrow directs. (Final scenes directed by John Ford who was not credited.)  Co-starring Geraldine Page, Ward Bond, Michael Pate and James Arness.

Hondo Lane, a US Army Scout, comes across a woman and her six year old son living on a homestead in the middle of Indian Territory.  Due to a broken treaty, hostilities between Indians and settlers are high. A war is brewing. Hondo encourages the woman to take her son and travel to a safer location.  The woman refuses thinking they’re safe.  They’re not.

Hondo was nominated for two Academy Awards...

  • Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Geraldine Page
  • Best Writing, Motion Picture Story – Louis L’Amour

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04.  True Grit (1969).  John Wayne plays Rooster Cogburn.  Henry Hathaway directs.  Co-starring Kim Darby, Glen Campbell, Robert Duvall and Dennis Hopper.

Wayne plays hard-drinking U.S. Marshall Rooster Cogburn who is hired by teenager Mattie Ross to capture the man who killed her father.  Cogburn, along with Mattie and Texas Ranger  ‘La Boeuf’ head into the badlands in search of Lucky Ned Pepper and his gang of outlaws.

True Grit was nominated for two Academy Awards and one won…

  • nominee for Best Music, Original Song – Elmer Bernstein (music), Don Black (lyrics)
  • winner for Best Actor in a Leading Role – John Wayne

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05.  The Cowboys (1970).  John Wayne plays Wil Anderson.  Mark Rydell directs.  Co-starring Roscoe Lee Browne and Bruce Dern.

Wil Anderson is left without cattle hands, when they all leave to join a gold rush.  With no other options, Anderson hires teenagers and a few children to make the cattle drive.  Along the way, they will deal with hostile territory, bad weather and cattle rustlers.  Not everyone will make it.

_____

06.  Red River (1948).  John Wayne plays Thomas Dunson.  Howard Hawks and Arthur Rosson direct.  Co-starring Montgomery Clift, Joanne Dru and Walter Brennan.

Thomas Dunson spent fourteen years building his cattle ranch.  He will lose it all if his cattle drive to market fails.  The drive will be long and arduous.  As things continue to go wrong, Dunson becomes more tyrannical and his men lean towards a mutiny.

Red River was nominated for two Academy Awards…

  • nominee for Best Writing, Motion Picture Story – Borden Chase
  • nominee for  Best Film Editing – Christian Nyby

_____

07.  Three Godfathers (1948).  John Wayne plays Robert Marmaduke Sangster Hightower.  Directed by John Ford.  Co-starring Pedro Armendáriz, Harry Carrey, Jr. and Ward Bond.

Three outlaws on the run come across a dying woman and her baby.  The woman asks the men to save her child.  Risking their freedom and lives, the men vow to get the baby to safety.

_____

08.  The Shootist (1976). John Wayne plays aging gunfighter J.B. Books.  Directed by Don Siegel.  Co-starring Lauren Bacall, Ron Howard, James Stewart, Richard Boone and Hugh O’Brien.

J.B. Brooks is dying from terminal cancer.  With only a couple of months to live, J.B. takes a room at a quiet boarding house owned  by widow Bond Rogers.  Word spreads that a gunfighter is in town.  Soon folks looking to profit off J.B.’s reputation show up.

The Shootist was nominated for one Academy Award…

  • nominee Best Art Direction-Set Decoration – Robert F. Boyle Arthur, Jeph Parker

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09.  The War Wagon (1967).  John Wayne plays Taw Jackson.  Directed by Burt Kennedy.  Co-starring Kirk Douglas, Bruce Cabot and Howard Keel.

Three years ago Taw Jackson was set up, imprisoned and his ranch stolen by Frank Pierce.  Now a free man, Jackson plans to get back what was his.  He’ll start by taking down Pierce’s war wagon – an armored stagecoach that travels with gunfighters on horseback.  The war wagon is used to transport gold found on Jackson’s land.

_____

10.  El Dorado (1966).  John Wayne plays Cole Thorton.  Directed by Howard Hawks.  Co-starring Robert Mitchum, James Caan, Ed Asner and Christopher George.

Bart Jason is a corrupt landowner forcing honest folks off their land around the town of El Dorado.  When gunfighter, Cole Thorton refuses to work for him, Bart searches for another gunslinger.  Cole knows that his old buddy, J.P. Harrah, the sheriff of El Dorado is over-matched. Harrah drinks too much and isn’t as young as he used to be.  Cole decides to take a stand with Harrah and a young hotshot called Mississippi.

“London After Midnight” starring Lon Chaney – A Rare Still!

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I continue to hold out hope that someday a print of London After Midnight will be found.  London After Midnight starred Lon Chaney, was directed and co-produced by Tod Browning.  There is no known copy of the film (the last known print was destroyed in a fire in the 1960s) and is considered to be the most “sought-after” lost film. From WikipediA…

London After Midnight (also marketed as The Hypnotist) is a lost 1927 American silent mystery film with horror overtones directed and co-produced by Tod Browning and starring Lon Chaney, with Marceline Day, Conrad Nagel, Henry B. Walthall and Polly Moran. The film was distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and was based on the scenario “The Hypnotist”, also written by Browning.

I truly hope that a copy of the film is found for fans, like me, to see.

“Nope” (2022) written & directed by Jordan Peele, starring Daniel Kaluuya & Keke Palmer / Z-View

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Nope (2o22)

Director:  Jordan Peele

Writer:  Jordan Peele

Stars: Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Michael Wincott, Steven Yeun, Wrenn Schmidt, Keith David, Terry Notary, Donna Mills, Eddie Jemison, Sophia Coto and ‘Snub’ Pollard.

Tagline:  None.

The Plot…

The Haywood Family trains horses for use in movies and television productions.  Unfortunately the business is struggling.  There’s not much need these days for horses.  Things take a turn for the worse when Otis Haywood, Sr. (David) is stuck and killed by metallic coins, watches, etc. raining from the sky.  The only explanation is the objects fell from a plane.

In an effort to keep the business alive, OJ sells some of the family’s horses to Ricky ‘Jupe’ Park (Yeun).  Park was a child actor who survived a terrible on-set rampage by a monkey that killed/maimed many of his co-stars, but left Park unharmed.  Now Park runs a small old west theme park.

One night, during a terrible electrical storm OJ and his sister Emerald (Palmer) see something in the clouds.  It appears to be a UFO.  Later they notice a strange cloud that never moves… and provides cover for the mysterious UFO.  OJ and Emerald figure if they can prove the UFO’s existence by videoing the UFO, they will make a fortune.  When they discover that the UFO might have been behind the events that cause their father’s death, they realize that their lives are in danger.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I’m a Jordan Peele fan.  I gave both his previous films, Get Out and Us 5 star ratings. He’s an excellent writer and director.  Peele creates interesting characters in unbelievable situations and makes them believable.  He knows how to provide tension and genuine scares.  We get some of that in Nope, but for me it didn’t rise to the level of his previous films.

Nope features a wonderful cast.  Daniel (Sicario) Kaluuya, KeKe Palmer, Michael (Strange Days) Wincott, Steven (The Walking Dead) Yeun and Keith (The Thing) David would make any movie better just by showing up.  I’d never seen Keke Palmer before, but I’ll be watching for her in the future.  The camera loves her.  Michael Wincott and Keith David don’t have big roles, but their impact is huge.  I always enjoy seeing them.  Donna Mills  gets a nice cameo!

There’s a lot going on in Nope.  We have the whole story with the Haywoods, there’s Ricky Park with his western theme park and rampaging monkey backstory, the UFO that may not be a UFO at all and more.  Peele loves his characters and he’s created a bunch for Nope.  I wish we’d got to know them better.  It feels like the story is a mile wide and an inch deep.  But Peele may have wanted the audience to fill in the blanks.  The other aspect that fell short for me was the ending.  I don’t want to give away much so I’ll just say that the ending seemed a bit too pat for my taste.

Nope is a movie that most people liked better than me.  So keep in mind, your mileage (as always) could vary.  I look forward to whatever Jordan Peele cooks up next.

Nope (2o22) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“Hokus Pokus” (1949) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Hokus Pokus (1949)

Director:  Jules White

Writer: Felix Adler

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard, Vernon Dent, David Bond and Ned Glass.

Tagline:  None.

The Plot…

Our guys have been taking care of Mary.  She lives upstairs and has been left unable to walk by an accident.  She’s waiting on an insurance settlement so she can leave the area since she’s scamming the insurance company and our boys.  While at work our guys get hooked up with a hypnotist named Svengarlic (His act will take your breath away!) who plans to use Larry, Moe and Shemp in a publicity.  What could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The funniest scene is when Shemp gets physical with the insurance adjuster!

Hokus Pokus (1949) rates 3 of 5 stars.

John Wayne’s Best Films!

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Jack Hawkins at /Film ranked his favorite John Wayne films.  It got me thinking about how I’d rate the Duke’s best.  So without further jibber-jabber, here’s how thinks shook out.

Hawkins

Zablo
10. The Cowboys 10. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
9. Stagecoach 9. The Shootist
8. Fort Apache 8. Red River
7. The Longest Day 7. 3 Godfathers
6. El Dorado 6. Rio Bravo
5. Baby Face 5. Hondo
4. Hatari! 4. True Grit
3. True Grit 3. The Cowboys
2. The Shootist 2. Stagecoach
1. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance 1. The Searchers

“Interceptor” (2022) / Z-View

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Interceptor (2022)

Director:  Matthew Reilly

Screenplay:   Matthew Reilly, Stuart Beattie

Starring:  Elsa Pataky, Luke Bracey, Aaron Glenane, Mayen Mehta and Chris Hemsworth.

Tagline:  The World’s last defense.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers

Captain J.J. Collins (Pataky) has just been reassigned to one of two remote US interceptor launch locations.  These interceptor sites protect the US from nuclear strikes by taking out the nukes before they get close enough to do damage.  Collins’ reassignment feels like a demotion for bringing charges against a respected General.

As Collins is getting acclimated, word comes in that the other US interceptor site has been taken down by terrorists.  As Collins and crew process this information, terrorists attempt to breach their control center.  The commanding officer and all of the soldiers outside of the control center are killed.  The terrorists plan to take out this last interceptor site and then launch sixteen stolen nukes at cities across the US.  They are led by the brilliant and egotistical, Alexander Kessel (Bracey) who is sending a video feed to the world.  The only thing standing between the fall of the United States is Captain J.J.  Collins and two soldiers.  They’re outnumbered, outgunned, but not out of the fight!

I absolutely loved Interceptor.  If you’re a fan of 80s action movies, then this should be your jam.

Matthew Reilly, is an internationally best-selling author who writes non-stop action novels.  He co-wrote and directed Interceptor.  I had no idea Reilly was branching out.  Interceptor was his first time directing, but you’d never know it.  I hope to see him helming future films.

Stuart Beattie, who co-wrote Interceptor, is probably best known as the screenwriter for Collateral starring Tom Cruise and 30 Days of Night.  Interceptor fits nicely in his resume.

Elsa Pataky is believable as the smart, tough as nails, Captain J.J. Collins.  I could see her starring in a sequel.  Pataky’s husband, Chris Hemsworth, has a small, uncredited role.  He’s there for some comic relief and I enjoyed his part.

Luke Bracey excels as the arrogant Alexander Kessel.  He makes an excellent villain.  He’s cocky, overconfident and sure of his charm.  It was cool seeing him trying to hold it together as his plan was failing.

Aaron Glenane plays a soldier you just want to smack.  He’s got a stupid look to match his intellect.  Hats off to Glenane for making the most of his character.

Interceptor isn’t going to win any Academy Awards.  It’s not a film that will change your life, but if you’re looking for an hour and a half of fun action, then give Interceptor a try.  I loved it and Interceptor earns 5 of 5 stars.

The All-Time Best Cowboy Movie Stars!

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Liam Gaughan, at /Film, came up with his list of The Twenty Best Western Movie Actors and it is a good one.  As I thought about my choices the top two were easy.  The tough part was deciding which order for the top two and who would get the third spot.  After some deliberation here are my top three…

#3.  Kurt Russell comes in at the third spot based on two strong lead performances in Tombstone and Bone Tomahawk.  It’s a shame Russell hasn’t made more westerns because the genre suits him.

#2.  Clint Eastwood was my choice for the number two spot and I really considered putting him in at #1.  Eastwood’s westerns always score well with fan and critics.  The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Josey Wales and Unforgiven are considered classics.  I wouldn’t argue too hard against Eastwood in the number one spot, but this time out I gave it to…

#1.  John Wayne.  My first place spot goes to the man that most folks think of first when they think of cowboy movie stars.  Wayne’s career spanned 50 years and he made so many popular westerns: Stagecoach, Angel and the Badman, Fort Apache, Red River, Hondo, The Searchers, Rio Bravo, True Grit, The Cowboys and The Shootist are some of my favorites.  

RIP: David Anthony Kraft

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David Anthony Kraft, author and publisher, died yesterday from COVID pneumonia.  Mr, Kraft was 68 or 69 (depending on the source).  

David Kraft began his career as a rock and roll journalist.  In 1974, Kraft founded Fictioneer Books which would go on to publish works by Robert E. Howard, Otis Adelbert Kline. and Jack London among others.  In 1975, he began working for Marvel Comics as editor of FOOM and later a writer on many of Marvel’s most popular characters.  Mr. Kraft also worked as a writer for DC Comics in 1976 and again in 1983/84. 

In 1983, he began publishing David Anthony Kraft’s Comics Interview.  The magazine ran for 150 issues with each issue focused on in-depth interviews with comic creators.  The magazine was a favorite with fans and pros alike.  It was a great source of background information, previews of new stories and art in those days before the internet.

My first exposure to David Anthony Kraft was through his Fictioneer Books publishing.  Dragonflame was written by Don McGregor with several illustrations by Paul Gulacy.  My favorite David Anthony Kraft comics were his Captain America stories with Mike Zeck and John Beatty.  And like so many comic fans, I was a regular reader of his Comics Interview magazine.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to David Anthony Kraft’s family, friends and fans.