“The Beast” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

Posted on by

You know Air Force One. Now meet The Beast.

When a militia of unidentified hostiles coordinates a coup against the U.S., the president is forced to drive the presidential limousine and unlock the full extent of The Beast’s highly classified offensive capabilities to save his injured Secret Service agent, reunite with his wife, and save the world.

Samuel L. Jackson and Joel Kinnaman star in The Beast. Only in theaters October 9.

“The Lighter That Failed” (1927) starring Charley Chase / Z-View

Posted on by

The Lighter That Failed (1927)

Director: James Parrott

Screenplay:  H.M. Walker

Stars:  Charley Chase, Edna Marion, May Wallace.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

It’s Charley’s birthday and his entire family has gathered for the party.   One of Charley’s gifts is a nice cigarette lighter.  Only problem is it won’t light. Charley’s frustration (and scenery destruction) grows as Charley repeatedly tries to get it working using the objects on hand.

Perhaps using gasoline as fuel for the lighter wasn’t the best idea…

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 Lighter That Failed was directed by Charley Chase’s brother.

The title The Lighter That Failed is a play on Rudyard Kipling’s novel THE LIGHT THAT FAILED.

The Lighter That Failed (1927) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“The Vampire Lestat” Season 1 (2026) starring Sam Reid, Jacob Anderson, Eric Bogosian, Assad Zaman and Delainey Hayles / Z-View

Posted on by

The Vampire Lestat: Season 1 (2026)

Created by: Rolin Jones; based on THE VAMPIRE CHRONICLES by Ann Rice

Director:

  • Craig Zisk (eps. 1-2)
  • Claudia Llosa (eps. 3-4)
  • Levan Akin (ep. 5)
  • Jane Wu (ep. 6)
  • Alan Taylor (ep. 7)

Teleplay:

  • Rolin Jones & Hannah Moscovitch (ep. 1)
  • Jonathan Ceniceroz & Kevin Hanna (ep. 2)
  • Anusree Roy (ep. 3)
  • Jonathan Ceniceroz (ep. 4)
  • Daniel Hart & Hannah Moscovitch  (ep. 5)
  • Ryan Kattner & Kevin Hanna (ep. 6)
  • Hannah Moscovitch (ep. 7)

Stars:  Sam Reid, Jacob Anderson, Eric Bogosian, Assad Zaman, Delainey Hayles, Joseph Potter, Jennifer Ehle.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Lestat is a vampire.  A. Real. Vampire.  Lestat is also the lead singer for a rock band.  His public persona is a rock singer playing a vampire.  The band has achieved cult status.  His followers don’t believe Lestat is a real vampire, but they enjoy dressing up and coming to his concerts.

Lestat’s growing fame is a concern for other vampires throughout the world.  If it is discovered that Lestat is a real vampire, it would create problems for them.  Deadly problems.

They’re going to have to deal with Lestat.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I loved the first two seasons of Interview with the Vampire.  For the third season the name of the series was changed to The Vampire Lestat.  The fourth season will be titled Anne Rice’s Queen of the Damned.

The Vampire Lestat: Season 1 (2026) rates 3 of 5 stars.

PETRIFIED DREAMS: A HAP & LEONARD NOVEL by Joe R. Lansdale is Coming!

Posted on by

Joe Lansdale, as well as Hap & Leonard fans will be preoccupied on October 6th.  That’s when PETRIFIED DREAMS: A HAP & LEONARD NOVEL drops.  Here’s what the boys are into this time…

With women going missing across the Deep South, dynamic detective duo Hap and Leonard zero in on a horrific, chimerical villain protected and abetted by Texas’ most powerful figures in this thrilling conclusion to the beloved series.

“Joe R. Lansdale is to crime fiction what Willie Nelson is to country music: . . . raw, gritty, soulful, and lastly, timeless.” — May Cobb, author of The Hunting Wives

The sun never sets on justice, but it may finally be setting on the beloved crime fighting duo of Hap Collins and Leonard Pine. The two opposites — brothers from another mother — have called the detecting business quits, but when a prop plane holding the bodies of several kidnapped women crashes into their favorite watering hole, the boys know they’re in for one last effort. With the help of a victim’s sister, they learn that a network of men has stolen vulnerable young women on behalf of a horrifying, charismatic villain known as The Artist, a sculptor of living things, including his own body, and protected by the elite of the South. But the Artist refuses to be found, and every lead brings Hap and Leonard into the crosshairs of something even more dangerous. Finding The Artist is a long shot, and getting out alive is even less likely.

Perhaps the darkest, funniest, and most intense of the Hap & Leonard mysteries, PETRIFIED DREAMS concludes the revered series as audaciously as one would expect from the mojo master of Southern crime and wit.

The series conclusion? Say it isn’t so.

Preorders are available now.

“Cape Fear” Season 1 (2026) starring Javier Bardem, Amy Adams, Patrick Wilson, Joe Anders, Lily Collias, CCH Pounder, Malia Pyles, Jamie Hector, Ron Perlman and Juliette Lewis / Z-View

Posted on by

Cape Fear: Season 1 (2026)

Created by: Nick Antosca; based on THE EXECUTIONERS by John D. MacDonald; Cape Fear by Wesley Strick and Cape Fear by James R. Webb

Director:

  • Morten Tyldum (ep. 1)
  • SJ Clarkson (ep. 2)
  • Amanda Marsalis (ep. 3)
  • Reed Morano (ep. 4)
  • Steven Piet (ep. 5)
  • Trey Edward Shults (ep. 6)
  • Jon S. Baird (ep. 7)
  • Stephen Williams (ep. 8)
  • Amanda Marsalis (ep. 9)
  • Jonathan Van Tulleken (ep. 10)

Teleplay:

  • Nick Antosca (ep. 1)
  • André Jacquemetton & Maria Jacquemetton (ep. 2; 7)
  • Alan Page Arriaga (ep. 3; 8)
  • Tara Shivkumar (ep. 4)
  • Peter Blake (ep. 5)
  • Brian Evenson (ep. 6)
  • Diana Pawell & Peter Blake (ep. 9)
  • Nick Antosca & Peter Blake & Tara Shivkumar (ep. 10)

Stars:  Javier Bardem, Amy Adams, Patrick Wilson, Joe Anders, Lily Collias, CCH Pounder, Malia Pyles, Jamie Hector, Ron Perlman and Juliette Lewis.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

From the outside Anna and Tom Bowden look like they have it all.  They’re both successful attorneys.  The have two children, a boy and a girl… a big house… nice salaries.  Yeah, from the outside it looks like all is good.

It’s not.

The marriage isn’t smooth sailing.  Their son is going through mental issues.  Their daughter feels isolated due to their parents’ and brother’s issues.

Then Max Cady shows up.  Max was just released from prison after seventeen years.  Cady has been convicted of killing his pregnant wife.  Cady was released due to someone else confessing to the murder.

Cady blames  Anna and Tom Bowden for his seventeen years in prison.  Anna was his defense attorney.  Tom was the prosecutor.  Cady believes they were having a relationship at the time of his trial.  Worse still they did something to make sure Cady was convicted.

But Cady is out now.  And he will have his revenge.  On Anna.  On Tom.  And their children.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Cape Fear is based on John D. MacDonald’s novel THE EXECUTIONERS, as well as the two movie adaptations of it.

There’s a definite attempt to give this adaptation a Hitchcock-feel from the way some of the scenes are shot to the soundtrack.

I am a huge fan of the Cape Fear movies.  I believe the series suffers because it’s hard to root for the Bowden family, because they are so unlikeable.

Bardem had big shoes to fill, following Robert Mitchum and Robert DeNiro.  He does an admirable job.

Ron Perlman has a small but important role.  He’s a welcome addition to the cast.  Same could be said for CCH Pounder, Jamie Hector and Juliette Lewis.

Cape Fear: Season 1 (2026) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“The 24th” (2020) starring Trai Byers, Bashir Salahuddin, Aja Naomi King, Mo McRae, Tosin Morohunfola, Mykelti Williamson and Thomas Haden Church / Z-View

Posted on by

The 24th (2020)

Director: Kevin Willmott

Screenplay:  Kevin Willmott, Trai Byers

Stars: Trai Byers, Bashir Salahuddin, Aja Naomi King, Mo McRae, Tosin Morohunfola, Mykelti Williamson and Thomas Haden Church.

Tagline: Courage isn’t just fighting the enemy — it’s standing up for justice.

The Plot…

1917.  An all black US army unit is stationed just outside the city limits.  Although the soldiers are trained and want to help in the war effort, because of segregation they’re not allowed.  Worse still, the men face racial discrimination every time they go into the city.  Not only are the local police of no assistance, they often participate in the mistreatment of the soldiers.

Tension and frustration continues to ratchet up.  Soldiers have been beaten and worse.  When word reaches the camp that an armed white mob was headed for the base, the soldiers arm themselves.  The soldiers decide to not wait and take the fight to the mob.  They head into the city and begin shooting locals on site.

It isn’t until after 11 civilians and 5 policemen are gunned down that the soldiers learn that there never was an armed mob coming to the base.

There will be repercussions.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The 24th is the true story of the 1917 Huston riot.  Although I had heard of the riot, I had no idea of the specifics.

The riot lasted two hours.  Nineteen people were killed.  Fifteen were white (including five police officers).  Four were black soldiers killed by friendly fire or suicide.  118 black soldiers were charged and went to trial.  One soldier was found mentally unfit to stand trial.  Eight were acquitted of all charges.  Sixty-three soldiers were sentenced to life in prison.  28 received shorter prison terms or other sentences.  19 were sentenced to death and executed.

The 24th does a good job of dramatizing a terrible time in our history.

The 24th (2020) rates 4 of 5 stars.

QUARRY’S REUNION by Max Allan Collins is Coming Soon!

Posted on by

Max Allan Collins’ Quarry returns November 10th in QUARRY’S REUNION.  Here’s the scoop…

The hitman hero of the acclaimed Cinemax series comes out of retirement for another nail-biting suspense thriller from the New York Times best-seller, MWA Grandmaster and award-winning author of Road to Perdition, Max Allan Collins.

YOU’RE CORDIALLY INVITED TO CELEBRATE 50 YEARS OF MURDER…

Since his first appearance in 1976, Max Allan Collins’ quintessential killer-for-hire, Quarry, has starred in 17 novels, two films, a graphic novel, and a Cinemax TV series — and with QUARRY’S REUNION, he reaches a milestone never before achieved by any character in American crime novels: a series that has continued for 50 years.

To celebrate, MWA Grand Master Collins is taking Quarry somewhere he’s never gone before: back home, to the town in Ohio where he grew up, before his tour of duty in Vietnam and his even bloodier experiences Stateside. An old high-school girlfriend summons Quarry for his 50th reunion – but old times take a back seat when bullets start to fly. Thrilling, moving, and revealing, this new installment in Quarry’s Edgar and Shamus Award-nominated saga delivers a powerful capstone to the killer’s career – and a perfect entry point for readers new to Quarry’s story.

Pre-orders are available now.

“King Kong” (1933) directed by Merian C. Cooper & Ernest B. Schoedsack, starring Faye Wray, Robert Armstrong & Bruce Cabot / Z-View

Posted on by

King Kong (1933)

Director: Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack

Screenplay:  James Creelman, Ruth Rose; story by Edgar Wallace, Merian C. Cooper

Stars: Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong, Bruce Cabot, Frank Reicher and Noble Johnson.

Tagline: A Monster of Creation’s Dawn Breaks Loose in Our World Today!

The Plot…

Carl Denham, known for his wildlife films, has plans to create his greatest movie yet!  With his small film crew and Ann Darrow, a struggling actress he just discovered, they set sail for a mysterious uncharted island.

On this strange land dangers abound.  There are natives, prehistoric beasts and KONG!  Kong is a giant ape that the natives worship.

Denham gets a brainstorm.  They will capture Kong, bring him to New York City and make a fortune.  People will pay good money to see… KING KONG.

Of course Denham doesn’t consider what would happen should Kong escape in New York City.

He should have.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Kong’s fur appears to move.  This was caused when animators held the figure in order to change its position.

King Kong co-stars Fay Wray and Robert Armstrong also co-starred in The Most Dangerous Game released the previous year. King Kong re-used some of the jungle sets of The Most Dangerous Game.

King Kong is an undisputed classic.

King Kong (1933) rates 5 of 5 stars.

Jack Carter and Marv Meet at Kadie’s by Marc Lapierre!

Posted on by

Every year the Cartoon Art Museum does a fundraiser.  Artists take on commissions with the funds raised going to support the Museum.  It’s a great cause supported by exceptional artists who share their talents in an effort to support the Museum.

This year I commissioned Marc Lapierre again.  Last year Marc created one of my favorite comissions of the year.  I asked for Stallone as Jack Carter with Keanu Reeves as John Wick.  Here is the beauty Marc produced.  Not only did Marc nail the likenesses (which is always a plus), but the captions were the icing on the cake.  I hoped this year lightning would strike again.

As you can see, I asked for Stallone from Get Carter and gave Marc a choice of three characters to choose from to add to the scene.  The characters were, in no particular order: Seth Gecko (Geore Clooney) in From Dusk Till Dawn, Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant) from Justified and Marv from Frank Miller’s Sin City.

Marc liked all of the choices, but knew immediately which he was going to draw.  He came through with another great in-joke and wonderful drawing.  I hope to add another to the collection the next time.  I also suggested  with his drawing talent and sense of humor, that a book of “bar interactions” between pop culture icons would be a cool thing!

I cannot thank Marc Lapierre enough for this sweet addition to my Stallone art collection.