“Send Help” (2026) directed by Sam Raimi, starring Rachel McAdams & Dylan O’Brien / Z-View

Send Help (2026)

Director: Sam Raimi

Screenplay:  Damian Shannon, Mark Swift

Stars:  Rachel McAdams, Dylan O’Brien, Edyll Ismail, Xavier Samuel, Chris Pang, and Dennis Haysbert

Tagline: She’s the boss now.

The Plot…

Linda Liddle is socially awkward and more than a bit nerdy.  Oh, and she’s a fanatic for the tv show “Survivor“.  Linda is also smart, insightful and dedicated.  In the seven years Linda has worked for Mr. Preston she’s brought in business and saved the company money.  Mr. Preston promised Linda a Vice President position the next time one opens.

When Mr. Preston unexpectedly dies, his son Bradley, takes over the company.  Bradley is cockey and spoiled.  He doesn’t know the business, but thinks that being the boss is enough.  Bradley is more interested in the perks being in charge brings than taking care of the business.  He’s brought in a college buddy as the new VP.

When Linda confronts Bradley about his father’s promise, he blows her off.

Then Bradley learns that Linda is knowledgeable and needed for the upcoming Bankok merger.  Bradley decides to bring her on the trip to Bankok and use her expertise.  Then fire her after the merger is complete.

Bradley tells Linda, he’s sorry for the way their first meeting went.  He is going to reconsider her for a VP spot, depending on how the Bankok merger goes.  Linda is beyond happy.

On the flight to Bankok, Bradley’s private jet experiences engine trouble and crashes into the ocean.   The only survivors are Bradley and Linda.  They barely make it to a deserted island.

Now the tables are turned.  Bradley with his pampered upbringing has no idea how to survive in the wild.  Linda, with her love of (and hopes of being a competitor on) Survivor, and her book smarts, knows exactly what she needs to do to survive.  Linda is now the boss!

As the days pass, Linda and Bradley’s relationship ebbs and flows.  They see each other in a different light.  Perhaps they’ll be rescued.  Perhaps not.  For now, they have only each other.

Bet you can’t guess how this ends.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I went into this thinking it would be a typical romcom.  Nerdy, but smart girl at odds with handsome hipster.  Something would happen for them to fight at first and then realize they were meant for each other.

BOY WAS I WRONG.

Send Help has a huge twist and change in tone.  So much so, that for a bit I thought we had entered a dream sequence.

Rachel McAdams is perfectly cast.  She pulls off the nerdy, socially awkward young lady and is believable as the confident survivor expert.

Kudos to screenwriters Damian Shannon and Mark Swift.  It’s been a while that I’ve seen a movie that lured me in and then surprised me as much.

Director Sam Raimi was the perfect choice to direct.

My advice — go into Send Help without knowing the twist and have a blast!

Send Help (2026) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“Wolf” (1994) starring Jack Nicholson and Michelle Pfeiffer / Z-View

Wolf  (1994)

Director:  Mike Nichols

Screenplay: Jim Harrison, Wesley Strick

Stars:  Jack Nicholson, Michelle Pfeiffer, James Spader, Kate Nelligan, Richard Jenkins, Christopher Plummer, Allison Janey, David Schwimmer, and David Hyde Pierce.

Tagline: The Animal Is Out

The Plot…

Will Randall, Editor-in-Chief of a large New York publishing company, is driving a country road late one night when he hits something.  It appears to be a large dog. Will gets out to check on the animal. It turns out to be an injured wolf.  The beast bites Will before running into the woods.

Not long after Will learns that the publishing house has been bought out by Raymond Alden.  Alden doesn’t know anything about book publishing. But he knows how to make money.  So Will isn’t surprised to learn he’s been demoted. Stuart Swinton, his young former protégé, is now his boss.  Swinton’s attitude changes overnight from smarmy to condesending.

As Will’s wolf bite heals, he feels reinergized.  Colors seem more vivid.  Smells stronger.  As Will’s body improves so does his confidence.  Will visits Raymond Alden at his home.  There Will meets Alden’s adult daughter.  Will is much older than she can’t deny the attraction.

Will knows the wolf bite is causing the changes.  Each day he’s becoming more aggressive and animalistic.  He worries the changes won’t stop.  What then?

The animal is out.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Wolf features Allison Janney’s feature film debut.

David Schwimmer appears as a cop in a very small role.  Just a few months later he would become a breakout star thanks to his role on Friends.

When werewolf movies are discussed, Wolf almost never is brought up.  Interesting to note that the word werewolf is never used in the film either.

I found Wolf to be better than most folks do. As always your mileage may vary.

Wolf presents an interesting take on becoming a werewolf.  Usually the person bitten feels changing is a curse.  Nicholson’s character enjoys the changes… at least at first.

Spader is so good at playing someone easy to dislike.

Wolf (1994) rates 4 of 5 stars.

Subtly Unsettling “Psycho” Alt Poster by Niccolò Fioriti!

Niccolò Fioriti’s alt Psycho poster is so creepy.  The big looming figure of Norman Bates and the three figures huddling together works.  It’s unsettling.  Subtly unsettling. Well done, Mr. Fioriti.

“She needs *me*. It’s not as if is she were a maniac, a raving thing. She just goes – a little mad sometimes. We all go a little mad sometimes. Haven’t you? – Norman Bates

Rocky by Ibrahim Moustafa!

Ibrahim Moustafa is an Eisner Award nominated graphic novelist, painter, miniature artist, sculptor and scratch-builder of realistic 1:12 scale custom figures, vehicles, and environments.  Ibrahim’s art has been published by Marvel, DC, Image, BOOM! Studios, Valiant, Dark Horse Comics, and IDW Publishing. He has also served as a key frame artist and prop illustrator on the FXX Network animated shows GOLAN THE INSATIABLE, AXE COP, and MAJOR LAZER.

When I saw that Moustafa had this Rocky art for sale, I pulled the trigger.  It made a great addition to my Stallone Art collection.

“La Cage aux Folles” (1978) / Z-View

La Cage aux Folles (1978)

Director:  Édouard Molinaro

Screenplay: Francis Veber, Édouard Molinaro, Marcello Danon, Jean Poiret; adapted from the play La Cage aux Folles by Jean Poiret

Stars:  Ugo Tognazzi, Michel Serrault, Claire Maurier, Rémi Laurent, Benny Luke,  Carmen Scarpitta, Luisa Maneri and Michel Galabru.

Tagline: The comedy that comes out of the closet!

The Plot…

Renato Baldi and Albin Mougeotte are a gay couple. They’ve been together for twenty years and share ownership of La Cage aux Folles, an extremely popular gay night club.  Renato manages the club.  Albin is the star attraction where he performs in drag as Zaza Napoli.

Renato and Albin’s life is turned upside down when Laurent, Renato’s son (from a brief hetersexual fling), comes home to announce his engagement. Laurent wants to marry Andrea. Andrea’s father is a leader in the Union for Moral Order, a super conservative political party.

Because Andrea was afraid that her parents wouldn’t approve of her marriage to Laurent if they knew he was raised by gay parents, she lied.  She told her parents that Laurent’s father was a political attache and his mother was a housewife.

Andrea’s parents are coming to dinner to meet Laurent’s parents — a nice middle-aged heterosexual couple.  Renalto and Albin are going to do their best to not disappoint.  Andrea’s parents will have dinner with – Renalto and Zaza.

Raise the curtain, the show is about to start!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

La Cage aux Folles was nominated for three 1979 Academy Awards…

  • Nominated for Best Costume DesignPiero Tosi, Ambra Danon
  • Nominated for Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium – Francis Veber, Édouard Molinaro, Marcello Danon, Jean Poiret
  • Nominated for Best DirectorÉdouard Molinaro

When La Cage aux Folles was released in the United States it became the all-time highest grossing foreign film.

La Cage aux Folles opened on Broadway in August 1983.  It went on to win the 1984 Tony Awards for Best Musical, Book and Score.

La Cage aux Folles was remade as The Birdcage in 1996.  Mike Nichols directed Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, Gene Hackman and Dianne Weist in this Americanized version.

La Cage aux Folles (1978) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Project Hail Mary” starring Ryan Gosling / Z-View

Project Hail Mary (2026)

Director:  Phil Lord, Christopher Miller

Screenplay: Drew Goddard; based on PROJECT HAIL MARY by Andy Weir

Stars:  Ryan Gosling, Sandra Hüller, James Ortiz, Lionel Boyce and Milana Vayntrub .

Tagline: Believe in the Hail Mary

The Plot…

2032.  Scientists discover that every star in our solar system, except one is dimming.  In approximately thirty years our planet will cool to an apocalyptic level. Plants will die.  Nations will face food shortages.  Countries will go to war over dwindling resources.  In no time the majority of the human population will perish.

Unless.

A crew of three scientists have been sent to the orbit of the one star that is not dimming.  The trio will awaken from suspended animation and hopefully determine why this star is uneffected.  They will then send a message to Earth with the answer to save our planet.  This mission is Earth’s only chance. It’s a longshot.  That’s why the mission is named Hail Mary.

That was the plan.

The biggest problem is only one of the scientists, Ryland Grace, survives suspended animation.  The other two died in transit. Four years ago Grace was a middle school teacher.  Before that he was a molecular biologist.  When Grace wrote a paper that went against traditional scientific thought, he was ridiculed. Grace left science behind for a career in teaching.

Ironically, it was the Grace’s paper that brought him to the attention of the “multi-national” task force brought together for the “save the world” project. Grace’s out of the box thinking solved initial problems.  That and some unexpected challenges got Grace the job as the third to make the trip.

The plan was the other two scientists would do the bulk of the “heavy lifting” since Grace had zero experience on a space craft.  With the other two dead, Grace thinks his chances of success can’t get much worse.

Then he sees an alien spacecraft slowly approaching…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Project Hail Mary is based on Andy Weir’s award-winning New York Times best-seller.  It is the second film based on a Weir novel.  The first was THE MARTIAN.   Weir is famous for a number of reasons — one of my favorite is Weir makes sure the science he uses is on point.

I was surprised at how good Project Hail Mary turned out.  Kudos to all invovled.

Very little CGI was used for “Rocky” — he and his movements were all done through practical effects and puppetry.

Project Hail Mary rightfully has earned box office and critical success.

Project Hail Mary (2026) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“Blazing Saddles” Alt Poster by Roger Motzkus!

Blazing Saddles is undisputedly one of the all-time funniest comedies ever made.  Roger Motzkus created an alt poster worthy of it.

“What do you want me to do, sir?” – Taggart
“I want you to round up every vicious criminal and gunslinger in the west. Take this down.” – Hedley Lamarr
[Taggart looks for a pen and paper while Hedley talks]
“I want rustlers, cut throats, murderers, bounty hunters, desperados, mugs, pugs, thugs, nitwits, halfwits, dimwits, vipers, snipers, con men, Indian agents, Mexican bandits, muggers, buggerers, bushwhackers, hornswogglers, horse thieves, bull dykes, train robbers, bank robbers, ass-kickers, shit-kickers and Methodists.” – Hedley Lamarr
[Finds pen and paper] “Could you repeat that, sir?” – Taggart

“Bosch”: Season 1 (2015) starring Titus Welliver / Z-View

Bosch: Season 1 (2015)

Developed by: Eric Overmyer;  based on the HARRY BOSCH novels THE CONCRETE BLONDE; CITY OF BONES and ECHO PARK by Michael Connelly 

Director:

  • Jim McKay (Ep. 1)
  • Kevin Dowling (Eps. 2-3)
  • Ernest R. Dickerson (Eps. 4-5)
  • Roxann Dawson (Ep. 6)
  • Alex Zakrzewski (Ep. 7; 9)
  • Matt Earl Beesley (Ep.8)
  • Thomas Carter (Ep. 10)

Teleplay by:

  • Eric Overmyer (Eps. 1)
  • Tom Smuts and Eric Overmyer (Ep. 2)
  • Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider (Ep. 3; )
  • George Pelecanos and Michael Connelly (Ep. 4)
  • William N. Fordes (Ep. 5)
  • Jennifer Ames and Steve Turner (Ep. 6)
  • Joel Gonzalez and Eric Overmyer (Ep. 7)
  • William N. Fordes and Tom Smuts (Ep. 8)
  • Michael Connelly and T.L. Lankford (Ep. 10)

Starring:  Titus Welliver, Jamie Hector, Amy Aquino, Lance Reddick, Annie Wersching, Madison Lintz, Troy Evans, Sarah Clarke, Scott Wilson, Mimi Rogers, Adam O’Byrne, Veronica Cartwright and Jason Gedrick .

Tagline: Based on the best selling novels by Michael Connelly.

The Plot… (beware of spoilers)

L.A. Detective Hieronymus “Harry” Bosch is 47 years old with twenty years on the force.  Before becoming a cop, Bosch served in the Gulf War in the Special Forces.

It’s not been a great year for Bosch.  Although cleared of criminal charges in a shooting, he now faces a civil trial.  Bosch claims the suspect was pulling a gun when Bosch killed him.  The prosecution claims the suspect was unarmed. The gun planted.  The civil trial has created a lot of bad publicity and renewed interest in Detective Bosch by Internal Affairs.

Still dealing with the trail, Bosch responds to a call.  A child’s bones are found in a shallow grave in a wooded area near a nice neighborhood. In short order Bosch discovers leads that implicate several people… including the boy’s father.

The case takes a surprising turn when a routine traffic stop turns out to be anything but.  Raynard Waits is driving a van containing a corpse.  The dead man was tortured before he was killed.  The evidence against Waits is overwhelming.  He is a sadistic sociopath. There will be no deals, no plea bargain.

Then everything changes.

Waits claims that he also killed the little boy whose bones were recently discovered.  Waits says he’s a serial killer of children.  He’ll clear cases and give parents of many missing children peace of mind… but he wants something in return.

Bosch interviews Waits and has several takeaways.  One: Waits is lying. Two: Waits is smart.  Three: Waits is much more clever than he appears.

So when Waits says he will take the police to where he buried the bodies, Bosch is against it.  District Attorny O’Shea (who is up for re-election) approves the field trip.  Waits demands that Bosch be one of the officers in the group.  Again O’Shea approves.

Bosch was right.  Waits had a plan. It results in the murder of the Assistant DA and gravely wounds another officer.  DA O’Shea shifts the blame for the murder and Wait’s escape to Bosch.

As Bosch’s civil trial moves forward, Waits killing spree continues.  As the bodies pile up, Waits publically taunts Bosch.

Did Waits really kill the child?  If not, who did?  If Waits is a serial killer of children why was he found with an adult victim?  Waits is using secrets from Bosch’s past to get under his skin.  How does he know these things?

Bosch needs the answers or more innocent people will die.

Thoughts…

Bosch is excellent in all aspects – writing, directing and acting.

Harry Bosch is a well rounded character brought to life by Titus Welliver who is excellent in the role.  Kudos also to Jason Gedrick who plays Raynard Waits.  Gedrick is perfect.  Other acting standouts include Jamie Hector, Amy Aquino, Lance Reddick, Annie Wersching, Troy Evans, Sarah Clarke and Scott Wilson.

Bosch: Season 1 (2015) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“Runner” starring Alan Ritchson & Owen Wilson – The Final Trailer and a New Poster are Here!

Runner starring Alan Ritchson & Owen Wilson – The Final Trailer and a New Poster are Here!

Deal me in!

Runner Is In Theaters Sep 11, 2026

A former soldier is thrown into a race against time as a medical delivery makes him the target of a ruthless cartel.

Starring Alan Ritchson (Reacher) and Owen Wilson (The Royal Tenenbaums, Wedding Crashers).