“Lethal Weapon 2” directed by Richard Donner, starring Mel Gibson & Danny Glover / Z-View

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Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)

Director: Richard Donner

Screenplay:  Jeffrey Boam; story by Shane Black, Warren Murphy; based on characters created by Shane Black

Stars: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Joss Ackland, Derrick O’Connor, Patsy Kensit, Darlene Love, Traci Wolfe, Steve Kahan, Mark Rolston, Jeanette Goldstein, Nester Serrano, Grand L. Bush and Dean Norris.

Tagline: The magic is back!

The Plot…

LA Detective Martin Riggs and his partner, Detective Murtaugh are tasked with keeping Leo Getz alive long enough to testify in a federal case.  When an attempt is made on Getz’s life, Riggs and Murtaugh discover that Arjen Rudd, a South African diplomat, has put together a crime organization using “diplomatic immunity” to further his enterprise.

Without hard evidence Riggs and Murtaugh can’t move forward with an arrest.  When Arjen Rudd discovers that Riggs and Murtaugh are inquiring about him, Rudd uses his politcal influence to get them ordered to back off.

Any bets on if that will happen?

The magic is back!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Lethal Weapon 2 was nominated for one Academy Award for Best Effects, Sound Effects Editing – Robert G. Henderson, Alan Robert Murray

Lethal Weapon 2 earned more money at the box office than the original film which is unusal for a sequel.

Shane Black’s original script for Lethal Weapon 2 was a much darker and more action-oriented film than what was made.  In the end of Black’s script Riggs is killed saving Murtaugh.  The studios wanted Riggs to live because they wanted more sequels.  So Jeffrey Boam was brought in to write the screenplay.

Lethal Weapon 2 features a reunion of sorts – Jenette Goldstein (Meagan Shapiro) and Mark Rolston (Hans) also appeared in Aliens (1986), as Vasquez and Drake.

Joe Pesci is perfect as Leo Getz.

Lethal Weapon 2 leans much more into comedy than the original.

Lethal Weapon (1987) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“Bury Me Twice” (2022) / Z-View

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Bury Me Twice (2022)

Director: Steven LaMorte

Screenplay:  Flip Kobler, Cindy Marcus

Stars:  Danny Hansen, Lelia Symington, Chase Mullins.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

A detective is hired to find a reporter’s missing sister.  Along the way he finds the source of a zombie outbreak.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Bury Me Twice looked like something I’d like.  A stylish, mix of detective mystery and zombie horror.  Unfortunately for my taste it was trying too hard.  Much of the movie is obviously done with CGI sets.  There (again for my taste) were too many repeated effects.  Scenes were overly “foggy”.  A photo of someone would be shown and then the person in the picture would move.  Etc.  Etc.  Etc.

I think if this is something you’d like, you might like it.  Right now on IMDb it has a 5.8/10 rating with 50% rating it a 9 or 10.  As for me, I tapped out after 25 minutes.

Bury Me Twice (2022) rates 1 of 5 stars.

“Hope” – The Behind-the-Scenes Teaser is Here!

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I am so psyched for Hope.  Here is a short behind-the-scenes teaser.

Deal me in.

In the remote South Korea village of Hope Harbor, police chief Bum-seok (Hwang Jung- min) and officer Sung-ae (Hoyeon) are called to find a mysterious creature that has wreaked havoc on the village.

In the nearby forest, a coterie of hunters, including Sung- ki (Zo In-Sung) set out to track the beast and find themselves hunted instead. But all is not as it seems, and perceptions can be misleading. What begins as ignorance plants the seed of disaster, escalating through human conflict into a tragedy of cosmic proportions.

“Mobland” Season 2 starring Tom Hardy, Pierce Brosnan and Hellen Mirren – The Trailer is Here!

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Season 1 was awesome.  From the looks of the trailer for Mobland Season 2, looks like we’re in for more of the same.

Deal me in.

Season 2 of MobLand premieres September 18 only on Paramount+.

The Harrigans struggle to show a unified front as rising rivals threaten their criminal empire. Harry Da Souza, their street-smart and formidable ‘fixer’, must walk a dangerous tightrope when tensions within the family intensify. As violence spills into every corner of their lives, loyalties snap, safety proves temporary and the battle for power leaves no room for mercy.

WISDOM CORNER by David Heska Wanbli Weiden / Z-View

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WISDOM CORNER by David Heska Wanbli Weiden

First sentence…

I surveyed the wreckage around Wisdom Corner.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Virgil Wounded Horse wants to walk a different path.  He’s given up drinking.  He’s given up violence.  He no longer works as the reservation’s paid vigilante.

When a members of the Pine Ridge 705 gang make a move to take-over Pudge Iron Shell’s business, Virgil agrees to attend a meeting to reason with the thugs and get them to move on.

The meeting goes sideways.  One of the goons charges Virgil.  Virgil answers by giving the hood a disfiguring injury.  Virgil and Pudge escape.

Now the stakes are raised.

Virgil knows that the 705 bangers will respond.  He can handle himself, but what if they target his family and friends?

When Benny Many Wounds, a respected Rosebud Lakota medicine man, elder, and good friend of Virgil’s is murdered, Virgil suspects the Pine Ridge 705 gang is responsible.

And they may be.

Virgil has to be sure.  Soon there are several suspects.

  • The 705 crew.  Benny was an outspoken leader on the reservation.  Killing Benny would send a strong message that 705 gang was here.
  • Mitch Gagnon and land developers.  Gagnon has big political aspirations and is backed by developers looking to build on sacred land.  Benny was an outspoken opponent.
  • A mysterious hacker who has been leaking documents that tie the reservation’s leadership (including Benny) to covering up atrocities.  Perhaps the hacker took things to another level.

Virgil seeks justice for Benny’s death.  Whether the 705 gang are behind Benny’s death or not, Virgil knows they have unfinished business.  Violence has found Virgil Wounded Horse… and now he welcomes it.

+++

Rating:

“House of Numbers” (1957) starring Jack Palance / Z-View

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House of Numbers (1957)

Director: Russell Rouse

Screenplay:  Don Mankiewicz, Russell Rouse; based on HOUSE OF NUMBERS by Jack Finey.

Stars:  Jack Palance, Harold J. Stone, Barbara Lang, Edward Platt and Timothy Carey.

Tagline: The Most Fascinating Puzzle a Man Ever Faced…and his love depended on the solution!

The Plot…

Arnie Judlow is serving a life sentence for murder.  When Arnie throws a guard over the third floor railing during an altercation, he realizes he may get the gas chamber.  Authorities are waiting to see if the guard recovers or dies.

Arnie comes up with a daring plan.  There is a construction area in the prison. It is off limits to prisoners. Guards just make casual checks there.  Arnie realizes if he can get into the construction zone overnight, he could do “something” that would get him over-the-wall.  The only problem is that during the night count, he would be discovered missing.  The guards would then search every square inch of the prison until they found him.

Arnie knows his plan would work if he could work out a fix for the night count.  And it dawns on him.  If Bill, Arnie’s twin, could sneak into the prison and take his place for the night count, Arnie could setup his escape plan.

Arnie convinces his brother, if the guard dies, Arnie will get the death penalty. The only way to save him is to take Arnie’s place overnight.  Bill realizes, the plan has little hope to succeed, but it is Arnie’s only chance.

Bill agrees to take Arnie’s place overnight.  If all goes well, Bill will get out the next day and Arnie will escape that night.

The best laid plans…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Jack Palance plays both Arnie and Bill.

Much of the movie was filmed in San Quentin.

Arnie’s escape plan is so over the top, I was lured in just to see if it would work.

Timothy Carey who is always interesting to watch has a small part.

House of Numbers (1957) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“The Paper” Season 2 – The Poster & Trailer are Here!

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The poster and trailer for The Paper Season 2 is here.

I enjoyed the first season and will check out the second.  Any other fans?

The Paper Season 2 is streaming September 9 on Peacock, plus catch up on Season 1 streaming now: https://pck.tv/45hBP6q

Synopsis: The documentary crew that immortalized Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch in the Emmy Award-winning series “The Office” find a new subject when they discover a historic Midwestern newspaper and the publisher trying to revive it.

In season two, after sweeping the Ohio Journalism Awards, Ned searches for a journalistic crusade, coming for a local private club and jeopardizing the paper, while he and Mare try to figure out their attraction, Esmeralda struggles to find her place, and the staff gradually mature as reporters.

The series stars Domhnall Gleeson, Sabrina Impacciatore, Chelsea Frei, Melvin Gregg, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Tim Key, Ramona Young, Eric Rahill, Duane Shepard Sr., Alex Edelman, and Oscar Nuñez.

Greg Daniels and Michael Koman serve as co-creators and executive producers. Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant, Howard Klein, Ben Silverman, and Banijay Americas (formerly Reveille) also executive produce.

“The Paper” is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.

“By Any Means” starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II & Mark Wahlberg – The Final Trailer is Here!

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The final trailer for By Any Means is here!

Deal me in.

Fight fire with fury, by any means necessary.

Based on a true story, watch the Final Trailer for #ByAnyMeansMovie, only in theaters September 4.

Inspired by a true story, a young Black FBI agent (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) is sent into 1960s Mississippi to investigate a wave of brutal killings targeting civil rights leaders. Forced to work alongside notorious mafia hitman Greg Scarpa (Mark Wahlberg), he finds himself pulled into a deadly hunt where justice and vengeance begin to blur.

When the system is broken, two men divided by everything agree on one thing: the law has limits. They don’t.

“Widow’s Bay” Season 1, starring Matthew Rhys, Kate O’Flynn and Stephen Root / Z-View

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Widow’s Bay: Season 1 (2026)

Created by: Katie Dippold 

Director:

  • Hiro Murai (eps. 1-3; 9-10)
  • Sam Donovan (eps. 4; 7)
  • Andrew DeYoung (eps. 5; 8)
  • Ti West (ep. 6)

Screenplay:

  • Katie Dippold (eps. 1; 10)
  • Kelly Galuska (ep. 2)
  • Neil Casey (ep. 3)
  • Mackenzie Dohr (ep. 4)
  • Colton Dunn (ep. 5)
  • Alberto Roldán (ep. 6)
  • Dave Harris (ep. 7)
  • Emma Ketchum (ep. 8)
  • Bobak Esfarjani (ep. 9)

Stars:  Matthew Rhys, Kate O’Flynn, Kevin Carroll, Dale Dickey, Kingston Rumi Southwick and Stephen Root.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Tom Loftis is Mayor of the small island town called Widow’s Bay.  Tom, now a widower and single parent, moved to the island to marry his wife.  As mayor, Tom’s major goal is to turn Widow’s Bay into a tourist town.  Some of the residents are all for the idea.  There are others who feel the island is cursed and bringing more folks to the island will create major problems.

Tom sees the naysayers as silly and superstitious.  But when strange things begin to happen, Tom tries to find rational reasons for them.  Soon enough Tom and the islanders are dealing with ghosts, a killer clown, time warps, a Sea Hag, a serial killer and more.

Welcome to Widow’s Bay!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Widow’s Bay received 19 Prime-Time Emmy award nominations.  Results will be announced September 4th.

  • Nominee for Outstanding Comedy Series
  • Nominee for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series – Matthew Rhys
  • Nominee for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series – Stephen Root
  • Nominee for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series – Kate O’Flynn
  • Nominee for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series – Hiro Murai, For episode “Welcome to Widow’s Bay!”
  • Nominee for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series – Katie Dippold, For episode “Welcome to Widow’s Bay!”
  • Nominee for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series – Dale Dickey
  • Nominee for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score) – David Fleming (composer), For episode “Our History”
  • Nominee for Outstanding Music Supervision – Toko Nagata (music supervisor), For episode “Beach Reads”
  • Nominee for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation – Matt Yocum (co-supervising sound editor), Sang Jun Kim (co-supervising sound editor), Goeun Everett (sound effects editor), Ryan A. Sullivan (sound effects editor), Nate Underkuffler (music editor), Leslie Bloome (foley artist). Shaun Brennan (foley artist), For episode “What to Expect on Your Trip”
  • Nominee for Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation – Tim Hoogenakker (re-recording mixer),  Larry Benjamin (re-recording mixer),  Kevin S. Parker (production mixer),  Scott Michael Smith (scoring mixer), Judah Getz (ADR mixer),  Leslie Bloome (foley mixer), For episode “What to Expect on Your Trip”
  • Nominee for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series – Hamish Linklater (as Richard Warren), For episode “Seasickness”
  • Nominee for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series – Betty Gilpin (as Sarah Westcott Warren), For episode “Our History”
  • Nominee for Outstanding Picture Editing for a Single Camera Comedy Series – Isaac Hagy (editor), For episode “Our History”
  • Nominee for Outstanding Picture Editing for a Single Camera Comedy Series – Kyle Reiter (editor), For episode “Welcome To Widow’s Bay!”
  • Nominee for Outstanding Picture Editing for a Single Camera Comedy Series – Jen Bryson (editor), For episode “What To Expect On Your Trip”
  • Nominee for Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series – Allison Jones (casting by), Emily Buntyn (casting by), Lisa Lobel (location casting), Angela Peri (location casting)
  • Nominee for Outstanding Cinematography for a Series (Half-Hour) – Christian Sprenger (director of photography)
  • Nominee for Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Program (Half-Hour) – Steve Arnold (production designer), Peter Borck (supervising art director),  Jennifer Engel (set decorator), For episode “Lodging”

As you can tell from the award nominations above, critics and viewers overwhelming like Widow’s Bay.  I enjoy it, but not as much as most folks.  I feel a bit of inconsistency due to the monster of the week format.  There are overarching storylines, but they take a back seat to dealing with each week’s ghost/sea hag/serial killer, etc.

Congrats to Matthew Rhys, Kate O’Flynn and Stephen Root for their well deserved Prime-Time Emmy acting nominations.

As always your mileage may vary, but for me Widow’s Bay rates a three.

Widow’s Bay: Season 1 (2026) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Man on Fire” (1987) starring Scott Glenn / Z-View

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Man on Fire (1987)

Director: Elie Chouraqui

Screenplay:  Elie Chouraqui, Sergio Donati, Fabrice Ziolkowski; based on MAN ON FIRE by A. J. Quinnell.

Stars:  Scott Glenn, Brooke Adams, Danny Aiello, Joe Pesci, Paul Shenar, Jonathan Pryce and Jade Malle.

Tagline: For an ex-CIA agent, the job of bodyguard for a twelve-year old girl should have been a breeze…

The Plot…

Christian Creasy is a burned-out ex-C.I.A. agent. Creasy used to be one of the best.  That was before the deaths that Creasy has seen (and been a part of) as a soldier and C.I.A. agent finally took their toll.

Creasy reluctantly accepts the job of bodyguard for a wealthy Italian family.  His job will be to protect their twelve-year-old Samantha.  By the nature of his job Creasy spends a lot of time with Sam.  Her parents are often too busy, so Creasy takes their role.   As time passes, Sam gets Creasy to drop his tough exterior.

Creasy is gravely wounded during Samantha’s kidnapping.  Despite life-threatening injuries, Creasy knows that every passing hour, makes it less likely Samantha will be returned alive.  Creasy is determined to get her back alive… even if it kills him.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Tony Scott was considered to direct, but ultimately Elie Chouraqui was selected.  Scott would direct the 2004 (and vastly superior) adaptation.  If Scott had made the film in 2007, he hoped to get Marlon Brando or Robert De Niro to star.

Brooke Adams, Danny Aiello, Joe Pesci and Jonathan Pryce get very little screen time.

Man on Fire (1987) clocks in at 92 minutes but seems longer.  The supporting cast could have been put to better use.  Come to think of it so could the stars.

Man on Fire (1987) rates 2 of 5 stars.