Category: Z-View

“Thrash” (2026) / Z-View

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Thrash (2026)

Director: Tommy Wirkola

Screenplay: Tommy Wirkola

Stars: Phoebe Dynevor, Whitney Peak, Alyla Browne, Tyler Coppin, Adam Dunn and Djimon Hounsou

Tagline: If the flood doesn’t kill you…

The Plot…

A category 5 hurricane is barreling towards the east coast of the United States.  The small seaside town of Annieville, South Carolina, is the direct path of this monster storm.  Although the town goes under an evacuation order, several people are unable to leave.

When the storm surge destroys Annieville’s sea wall, the town floods.  And with the floods come sharks.  Lots of sharks.

Cue the Jaws music.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

If you like drive-in movies, and don’t mind putting your mind in neutral, then you should enjoy Thrash.

Thrash (2026) rates 3 of 5 stars

“Nuremberg” (2025) starring Russell Crowe and Rami Malek / Z-View

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Nuremberg (2025)

Director:  James Vanderbilt

Screenplay:  James Vanderbilt; based on THE NAZI AND THE PSYCHIATRIST by Jack El-Hao

Stars: Russell Crowe, Rami Malek, Leo Woodall, John Slattery, Mark O’Brien, Colin Hanks, Wrenn Schmidt, Lydia Peckham, Richard E. Grant and Michael Shannon.

Tagline: An epic World War ll thriller based on true events

The Plot…

1945.  World War II is over.  For the first time in history an international trial will be held to determine if crimes against humanity were committed.  The defendants are leaders of the Nazi party including Reichsmarshall Hermann Göring, Hitler’s former second-in-command.  Göring welcomes the opportunity to present his case to the world.

Douglas Kelley, a Lt. Colonel and U.S. Army psychiatrist, is brought in to evaluate the Nazis competency to stand trial.  Kelley determines that they are competent, but cautions the prosecutors. Hermann Göring has a genius level IQ.  He’s a sly, charismatic, confident narcissistic who believes that he will be able to prove he is not guilty of the crimes charged.

As the prosecutors prepare for trial it becomes clear that Göring is going to be a problem.  Even Lt. Colonel Kelley begins to fall under his spell.

As the world watches, the trial begins…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Much of the dialogue in the trial cross-examination exchanges of Göring came from transcripts from the trial.

Göring was found guilty and sentenced to death.  He committed suicide using cyanide before the sentence could be carried out.  It’s ironic/creepy that Lt. Colonel Kelley committed suicide twelve years later by cyanide in 1958.

Russell Crowe, Rami Malek and Michael Shannon are excellent.

Nuremberg (2025) rates 4 of 5 stars

MONSTER ISLAND by David Wellington / Z-View

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MONSTER ISLAND by David Wellington

First sentences…

Osman leaned over the rail and spat into the gray sea before turning again to shout orders at his first mate Ysuf.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

The zombie apocalypse came.  It was as bad as anyone could imagine.  In no time at all the zombies outnumber the living.  The humans who survive huddle in small groups in whatever safe haven they can find.  But without adequate food, water, electricity, lights, air conditioning or heat, survival is barely a step above existing.

The cities are the worst.  The bigger the city, the worse the situation.  In New York City most of the millions of people who used to live and work there are now members of the walking dead.  You’d have to be crazy or have a daughter who will die if you don’t.

Dekalb isn’t crazy.  But he’s been separated from his daughter.  Dekalb was captured by a squad of warrior women.  Their leader will die without the right medicine.  Dekalb knows where a supply can be found.  The meds are at the U.N. Building in midtown Manhattan.  Dekalb offers to retrieve the medicine if he can be reunited with his daughter.  Although a small squad of the warriors will travel with Dekalb, they’ll be outnumbered millions to one.  The only saving grace is Dekalb can think.  Zombies are just mindless eating machines.

All of them… except one.

A medical student named Gary had a plan to survive the zombie apocalypse.  And he did.

Sort of.

Now Gary is one of the walking dead, but he still has the ability to think.  Sure, like all of the other walkers, Gary has a never-ending hunger for human flesh.  But in addition to his ability to think, Gary can mentally control the other zombies.  Gary’s developed a plan that will make him king of the world.  Humans will be contained, corralled and allowed to live…  as a food source for Gary and his walking dead army.

Dekalb and Gary are on a collision course.

+++

MONSTER ISLAND is the first in Wellington’s MONSTER trilogy (MONSTER ISLAND, MONSTER NATION and MONSTER PLANET).

Wellington first published MONSTER ISLAND in installments available for free on the internet.

David Wellington takes the traditional zombie troupes and puts a spin on them.  I enjoyed the ride and look forward to the others in the trilogy.

Rating:

“The Pitt” Season 2 starring Noah Wyle and Katherine LaNasa / Z-View

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“The Pitt” Season 2 (2026)

Created by: R. Scott Gemmill

Teleplay by:

  • (eps. 16; 30) R. Scott Gemmill
  • (ep. 17) Joe Sachs & R. Scott Gemmill
  • (eps. 18; 29) Noah Wyle
  • (eps. 19; 24) Cynthia Adarkwa
  • (eps. 20; 25) Simran Baidwan
  • (ep. 21) Kirsten Pierre-Geyfman & R. Scott Gemmill
  • (eps. 22; 26) Valerie Chu
  • (eps. 23; 28) Joe Sachs
  • (ep. 27) Danny Hogan & R. Scott Gemmill

Directed by:

  • John Wells (eps. 16; 30)
  • Damian Marcano (eps. 17; 20; 25; 28)
  • Uta Briesewitz (eps. 18; 22; 26; 29)
  • John Cameron (eps. 19; 23)
  • Noah Wyle (ep. 20)
  • Shawn Hatosy (ep. 24)
  • Amanda Marsalis  (ep. 27)

Stars: Noah Wyle, Tracy Ifeachor, Patrick Ball, Katherine LaNasa, Supriya Ganesh, Fiona Dourif, Taylor Dearden, Isa Briones, Gerran Howell, Shabana Azeez and Sepideh Moafi.

Tagline: The work never stops.

The Plot…

The Pitt follows Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch in real time as he works a major hospital emergency room that is understaffed and overworked.  It is the fourth of July.

Let the fireworks begin.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The Pitt was nominated for 13 2025 Primetime Emmy Awards and won 5…

  • Nominee for Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup – Myriam Arougheti, Thomas Floutz, Chris Burgoyne, Martina Sykes for episode “4:00 P.M.”
  • Nominee for Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour) – Todd Grace, Ed Carr, Von Varga, Tami Treadwell for episode “6:00 P.M.”
  • Nominee for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour) – Bryan Parker, Kristen Hirlinger, Vince Tennant, Joshua Adeniji, Roland N. Thai, Lyndsey Schenk, Sam Lewis, Nicholas Kmet, Adam DeCoste, Alex Ullrich for episode “7:00 P.M.”
  • Nominee for Outstanding Contemporary Makeup (Non-Prosthetic) – Merry Lee Traum, Marie-Flore Beaubien, Leesa Simone for episode “7:00 P.M.”
  • Nominee for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series – Joe Sachs for episode “2:00 P.M.”
  • Nominee for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series – R. Scott Gemmill for episode “7:00 A.M.”
  • Nominee for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series – John Wells for episode “7:00 A.M.”
  • Winner for Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series – Cathy Sandrich Gelfond, Erica Berger 
  • Winner for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series – Shawn Hatosy
  • Winner for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series – Katherine LaNasa
  • Winner for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series – Noah Wyle
  • Winner for Outstanding Drama Series – Damian Marcano, Michael Hissrich, R. Scott Gemmill, John Wells, Michelle Lankwarden, Simran Baidwan, Erin Jontow, Amanda Marsalis, Terri Murphy, Cynthia Adarkwa, Noah Wyle, Joe Sachs

The Pitt continues to be must-see tv for me.

Noah Wyle and Katherine LaNasa have won well deserved Emmys for their performances on The Pitt.

“The Pitt” Season 2 (2026) earns 5 of 5 stars.

“Harbinger Down” (2015) starring Lance Henriksen / Z-View

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Harbinger Down (2015)

Director:  Alec Gillis

Screenplay: Alec Gillis

Stars: Lance Henriksen, Giovonnie Samuels, Matt Winston

Tagline: Terror is just beneath the surface.

The Plot…

Stephen along with his graduate students Sadie and Ronelle are aboard the fishing boat Harbinger.  They are at sea to study the effects of global warming on whales.  The Harbinger is crewed by ship captain Graff and his crew which consists of Bowman, Roland, Big G, Dock, Svetlana and Atka.

When an large foreign object is discovered on sonar, they bring it aboard.  To their surprise they discover they’ve found a crashed Soviet lunar module.  Aboard is a dead cosmonaut…

… as well as the alien that killed him.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Harbinger Down comes off as a low-budget homage (re-imagining? rip-off) of John Carpenter’s The Thing.  At the start of the film, the date is given as June 25 1982, which happens to be the day JC’s The Thing was released.

When the crew first discovers the module, Graff asks “Is that a man in there, or something?” This is the same question asked by Doctor Copper in John Carpenter’s The Thing.

In John Carpenter’s The Thing, Childs asks about “voodoo shit” in regard to the alien.  Here a character makes the same “voodoo shit” reference to the monster.

Harbinger Down (2015) rates 2 of 5 stars

“Shoot the Piano Player” (1960) directed by François Truffaut / Z-View

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Shoot the Piano Player (1960)

Director:  François Truffaut

Screenplay: François Truffaut, Marcel Moussy; based on DOWN THERE (aka SHOOT THE PIANO PLAYER) by David Goodis

Stars: Charles Aznavour, Marie Dubois, Nicole Berger, Michèle Mercier and Albert Rémy.

Tagline: A Film for Adults

The Plot…

Charlie Koller is a piano player in a small jazz club.  Charlie  comes in each night, plays the piano and keeps to himself.  He’s a low key guy.  Léna, a waitress at the club, is starting to fall in love with Charlie.  Although Léna knows a bit about Charlie’s past, she keeps it secret.

One night when Charlie is playing, a man comes rushing in the club. The man is Charlie’s estranged brother.  He’s on the run from two thugs who aren’t far behind.  Although Charlie wants no part of his brother’s problem, he can’t stand by and do nothing.  The choice to get involved will bring forth the past Charlie has kept hidden and result in several murders.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Although based on David Goodis’ excellent novel, DOWN THERE, the screenplay makes significant changes to the protagonist making him more confident and stronger.

Due to budget restraints, Truffaut often filmed on the streets of Paris where they could, improvising dialogue as they went along.

While I’m a fan of Shoot the Piano Player, I like the novel even better!

Shoot the Piano Player (1960) rates 4 of 5 stars

“Crime 101” (2026) written and directed by Bart Layton, starring Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan and Halle Berry / Z-View

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Crime 101 (2026)

Director:  Bart Layton

Screenplay: Bart Layton; based on Crime 101 by Don Winslow

Stars:  Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan, Monica Barbaro, Corey Hawkins, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Halle Berry and Nick Nolte.

Tagline:  One Heist Connects Them All

The Plot…

Mike is a meticulous jewel thief.  He carefully plans his robberies to minimize all risks.  Mike never has to resort to violence, leaves no clues and is gone well before the police arrive.  Mike’s goal is to get enough money to walk away from this life and start a new one without looking back.

Mike has successfully pulled off a string of robberies and believes that no one has linked that one man is behind them all.

He’s wrong.

LAPD Detective Lou Lubesnick is convinced that there are about a dozen robberies that were committed by the lone thief.  All of the jobs were done with easy access to a highway.  The thief had obviously cased the job and knew the comings and going of all the employees.  And not a single job resulted in anyone being hurt.  Although Detective Lubesnick is convinced, his bosses aren’t.  But that isn’t deterring Lubesnick.

Mike’s fence, Money also helps identify potential jobs.  When Money pushes Mike to take down a jewelry store without enough time to figure out how to make it work, Mike passes.  Money gets hires a hothead named Ormon for the heist.  This puts Mike at odds with both Money and Ormon.

As Detective Lubesnick closes in, Mike sees an opportunity for a job that will either set him up with the money needed to walk away… or get him killed.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Crime 101 is based on a novella by Don Winslow.

Crime 101 checks all the boxes – excellent story and direction plus a great cast.

Crime 101 (2026) rates 5 of 5 stars

“We’re No Angels” (1955) directed by Michael Curtiz, starring Humphrey Bogart, Aldo Ray and Peter Ustinov / Z-View

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We’re No Angels (1955)

Director:  Michael Curtiz

Screenplay: Ranald MacDougall; based on La Cuisine Des Anges by Albert Husson

Stars:  Humphrey Bogart, Aldo Ray, Peter Ustinov, Joan Bennett, Basil Rathbone, Gloria Talbott and Leo G. Carroll.

Tagline:  A strangler… A swindler… A safecracker… Yet you’ll love them!

The Plot…

Joseph, a thief, along with Albert and Jules who are murderers escape from the Devil’s Island French Prison.  They make it to a small town where they plan to steal enough funds to make it aboard a ship for their final escape.

The convicts decide to go into a store, steal clothes and money and make their getaway.  Once in the store they discover that the store is failing.  The nice family running the store is on the verge of losing everything.  Against their better judgment the three convicts decide to stay at the store until nightfall.  While there the boys decide to fix the leaking roof… help with sales… cook the family a nice dinner and more.

The longer Joseph, Albert and Jules stay the less likely they are to getaway.  The clock is ticking.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

We’re No Angels is based on the French play La cuisine des anges (The Angels’ Kitchen) by Albert Husson.  Interestingly enough, there was a Broadway play, My Three Angels by Sam and Bella Spewack which was was also based on the French play.  The Spewacks sued Paramount because parts of their play were incorporated into the movie without proper permission or payment.

We’re No Angels (1955) rates 3 of 5 stars

“Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” (1941) starring Spencer Tracy, Ingrid Berman & Lana Turner / Z-View

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Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941)

Director:  Victor Fleming

Screenplay: John Lee Mahin, Percy Heath, Samuel Hoffenstein; based on STRANGE CASE OF DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE by Robert Louis Stevenson

Stars:  Spencer Tracy, Ingrid Bergman, Lana Turner, Donald Crisp, Ian Hunter, Barton MacLane, Frederick Worlock, Lumsden Hare, Lawrence Grant and Forrester Harvey.

Tagline:  Do you have secret longings that you dare not reveal? If you do, it’s the Mr. Hyde in you – and you can find out all about him from M-G-M’s fascinating, revealing film!

The Plot…

1887.  Dr. Jekyll and Beatrix Emery are in love and wish to be married.  Beatrix’s father is not happy with the relationship.  To delay the marriage Beatrix’s dad takes her on a prolonged trip out of country.

Meanwhile Dr. Henry Jekyll continues his experiments to separate the good and evil in humans.  With Beatrix gone, Jekyll decides to ingest his serum himself.  It works by changing Dr. Jekyll’s appearance and personality.  He’s no longer a calm and kind person.  Now he’s become harsh, crude and sadistic.  Jekyll takes to calling himself Mr. Hyde when he’s under the influence of his serum.

Late one night Hyde saves Ivy Peterson from an attacker as she is walking home.  This leads to Hyde becoming infatuated with Ivy… in an unhealthy relationship.  As time passes Jekyll spends more and more time as Hyde.  Hyde’s behavior becomes more outrageous as he gets into bar fights and instigates mayhem.  His behavior with Ivy also takes a turn for the worst.

Soon Beatrix will return…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Because of the Hays Code Ivy’s profession was changed from a prostitute to a barmaid.

Spencer Tracy had hoped to play Hyde without use of make-up, but ultimately it was decided to use some.  Even still, the transformation from Jekyll to Hyde isn’t enough to make it believable that Jekyll wouldn’t be recognized.

Spencer Tracy also wanted the roles of Beatrix and Ivy to be played by the same actress.  Just as Tracy’s Jekyll and Hyde were the two sides (good and bad) of the same person, Beatrix and Ivy would be the female version.

Neither Beatrix nor Ivy appear in Robert Louis Stevenson’s novella.  They first appear in the stage play adapted by T.R. Sullivan.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941) is basically a remake of the 1931 Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.  Sadly, the remake falls far short of the original which was nominated for three Academy Awards, winning one.  Part of the problem is the Hays Code and part is that the transformation from Jekyll to Hyde is lacking.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941) rates 3 of 5 stars

“Cross” Season 2 (2026) starring Aldis Hodge / Z-View

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Cross: Season 2 (2026)

Created by: Ben Watkins; based on the ALEX CROSS novels by James Patterson

Director:

  • Craig Siebels (Eps. 9-10)
  • Stacey Muhammad  (Eps. 11-12)
  • R.T. Thorne (Eps. 13-14)
  • Tiffany K. Guillen (Ep. 15)
  • Edward Ornelas (Ep. 16)

Teleplay:

  • Ben Watkins & Marissa Lee (Ep. 9)
  • Jim Dunn  (Ep. 10)
  • J. David Shanks (Ep. 11)
  • Sonja Perryman (Ep. 12)
  • Alexandra Salerno (Ep. 13)
  • Ron McCants (Ep. 14)
  • Sam Ernst (Ep. 15)
  • Ben Watkins & Aiyana White (Ep. 16)

Stars: Aldis Hodge, Isaiah Mustafa, Juanita Jennings, Alona Tal, Samantha Walkes, Caleb Elijah, Melody Hurd, Jennifer Wigmore, Eloise Mumford, Ryan Eggold, Stacie Greenwell, Sharon Taylor, Karen Robinson, Mercedes de la Zerda, Siobhan Murphy and Johnny Ray Gill.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

D.C. Detective Alex Cross (Hodge) and (his best friend since childhood) Detective John Sampson (Mustafa) are placed on a task force to find a serial killer who has threatened to kill billionaire Lance Durand and is systematically murdering Durand’s business associates.  The killer leaves clues and collects fingers of the victims.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Cross benefits from a great cast.  Standouts are Aldis Hodge, Isaiah Mustafa (who plays my favorite character), Ryan Eggold and Johnny Ray Gill (who is a scene-stealer).

I am looking forward to season 3.

Cross: Season 2 (2026) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“28 Years Later: The Bone Temple” (2026) written by Alex Garland; directed by Nia DaCosta; starring Ralph Fiennes, Jack O’Connell and Alfie Williams / Z-View

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28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026)

Director:  Nia DaCosta

Screenplay: Alex Garland

Stars:  Ralph Fiennes, Jack O’Connell, Alfie Williams, Erin Kellyman, Chi Lewis-Parry, Maura Bird, Robert Rhodes, Emma Laird, Sam Locke and David Sterne.

Tagline:  Fear is the new faith.

The Plot…

At the end of 28 Years Later Spike was saved from a zombie horde by Jimmy Crystal and his followers.  Spike feels lucky until it becomes clear Jimmy Crystal is psycho Satan-worshipper.  Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal, as he calls himself, feels he is part of Satan’s plan in this zombie-plagued world.  To that end, the terrorize, mutilate and kill any people they come across… unless the are able to become one of Sir Lord Crystal’s followers.

Meanwhile, Dr. Ian Kelson has made progress with his work to find a cure for the rage virus.  If successful, it could mean a chance to free the world of the rage virus’ effects.

When Jimmy Crystal spots Dr. Ian in the distance, Sir Lord decides he and his followers will pay the good doctor a visit.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The final scenes of 28 Years Later had a comic bent that seemed out of place.  I was worried that 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple would have the same feel.  I shouldn’t have been concerned.  We learn that Jimmy Crystal and his followers are nothing to laugh about.

While I enjoyed 28 Years Later and 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, both fell short of 28 Days Later (which I consider a classic).  With that said, I think both 28 Years Later and Bone Temple work better when viewed as a whole.

There’s a scene at the end of Bone Temple that could set up the next movie in the franchise.  I hope that that film gets made.

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026) rates 4 of 5 stars

“Primitive War” (2025) / Z-View

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Primitive War (2025)

Director: Luke Sparke

Screenplay: Ethan Pettus, Luke Sparke; based on PRIMITIVE WAR by Ethan Pettus

Stars: Ryan Kwanten, Tricia Helfer, Nick Wechsler, Anthony Ingruber and Jeremy Piven.

Tagline:  This ain’t no walk in the park.

The Plot…

1968.  Viet Nam.  A squad of Green Berets has gone missing while on a mission deep in the jungle.  The Vulture Squad led by Sergeant Ryan Baker, second-in-command Sergeant Xavier Wise, snipers Keyes and Stovall as well as soldiers Verne, Taylor and Miller are sent in to find the missing Berets.

What they find instead seems impossible.  Dinosaurs.  Living, breathing and very hungry dinosaurs.

This mission won’t be a walk in the park.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Primitive War is based on a self-published book by Ethan Pettus.

Soldiers vs dinosaurs, cowboys vs dinosaurs, heck anyone vs dinosaurs should be fun.  Primitive War is good, but I was hoping for better.  Still, it’s not a bad way to spend a couple of hours.

Primitive War (2025) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Primate” (2025) / Z-View

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Primate (2025)

Director: Johannes Roberts

Screenplay: Johannes Roberts, Ernest Riera

Stars: Johnny Sequoyah, Jessica Alexander, Victoria Wyant, Gia Hunter, Benjamin Cheng, Troy Kotsur, Stuart Whelan  and Ben Pronsky.

Tagline:  Something’s wrong with Ben.

The Plot…

Lucy Pinborough is heading home with some girlfriends from college.  Home is a remote Hawaiian house owned by her father.  Her dad is a famous novelist who is going to be away for the weekend on a book tour.  Lucy plans to have a party at her house with her girlfriends and some guys they met on the plane.  Oh, and Ben will be there as well.

Ben is a chimp that Lucy’s family adopted when he was just a baby.

What nobody knows is that Ben has contracted rabies.  And is about to become murderous.

Party on!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Here’s a little known fact: Hawaii is the only state in the US that maintains rabies-free status due to its strict rabies vaccination and quarantine requirements.

I had never seen Johnny Sequoyah before this.  She was excellent.

Primate (2025) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Paradise” Season 2 starring Sterling K. Brown / Z-View

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Paradise: Season 2 (2026)

Created by: Dan Fogelman 

Director:

  • Glenn Ficarra & John Requa (Eps. 9-10)
  • Ken Olin (Eps. 11-12)
  • Liza Johnson (Eps. 13-14)
  • Hanelle M. Culpepper (Eps. 15-16)

Teleplay:

  • Dan Fogelman & Eric Wen (Ep. 9)
  • Jason Wilborn (Ep. 10)
  • Scott Weinger (Ep. 11)
  • Stephen Markley (Ep. 12)
  • Katie French (Ep. 13)
  • Nadra Widatalla (Ep. 14)
  • Melissa Glenn (Ep. 15)
  • John Hoberg & Seena Haddad (Ep. 16)

Stars: Sterling K. Brown, Julianne Nicholson, Sarah Shahi, Nicole Brydon Bloom, Aliyah Mastin, Percy Daggs IV, Krys Marshall, Enuka Okuma, Charlie Evans and James Marsden.

Tagline:  The truth lies outside.

The Plot…

As Xavier searches for his wife outside the bunker, he is met with several challenges, dangers and takes responsibility for the life  of an innocent.

Inside the bunker, efforts continue to bring down the current administration.  Sinatra fights for her life as an assassin proves she is willing to kill anyone who gets in her effort to gain more power.

Outside the bunker, a group of heavily armed survivors march toward a showdown with those in the bunker.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

If you thought that Paradise: Season 1 had a surprising plot twist, Season 2 says, “Hold my beer.”

Paradise continues to be one of the best written, best directed and best acted shows on television.

Bring on Season 3.

Paradise: Season 2 (2026) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“Sisu: Road to Revenge” (2025) written & directed by Jalmari Helander, starring Jorma Tommila and Stephen Lang / Z-View

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Sisu: Road to Revenge (2025)

Director: Jalmari Helander

Screenplay: Jalmari Helander

Stars: Jorma Tommila, Richard Brake, Stephen Lang.

Tagline:  When they took his family, he took revenge.

The Plot…

After the events in Sisu, Aatami Korpi returns to his homeland to retrieve the lumber he used to build the home where Russians murdered his wife and children.  Korpi plans to rebuild the house in a new land.

After his family was murdered Korpi became obsessed with revenge.  His exploits as  “the commando who refuses to die” were spoken in hushed whispers by Russians and Nazis alike.  Korpi killed untold numbers of enemy soldiers and became a legend.

Now as Korpi makes his way home with his truckload of lumber, it has become known he has returned.  The KGB wants Korpi dead as revenge for the many Red Army soldiers he killed.  Yeagor Draganov, the man who killed Korpi’s family, is released from prison with the promise of his freedom and riches if he can kill Korpi.  Draganov is given as many soldiers and weapons as he needs to get the job done.

Let the fun begin!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Sisu: Road to Revenge reminds me of the Road Runner cartoons I loved as a kid.  And that’s a good thing.

Sisu: Road to Revenge (2025) rates 4 of 5 stars.