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Crime Time: Harry Bosch, Renee Ballard, and Levon Cade

Bosch Legacy Season 3 (2025) Read More Bosch Legacy The show re-launched in a spin-off called Bosch Legacy in 2022, which still takes place in the Connelly’s detective universe - but its focus is on Harry’s daughter, Maddie Bosch, and Honey Chandler. …

Bosch Legacy: The Final Season
amazon.com

I’ve been watching Bosch since the pilot in Feb 2014. I have pretty much enjoyed all the Bosch shows, including its conclusion with Season 7 in 2021.

The show evolved to Bosch Legacy in 2022, which I have mentioned that I did not like how Harry Bosch isn’t really the main character anymore (instead focusing on Maddie Bosch and Honey Chandler).

I’m still enjoying all the Bosch Legacy seasons so far. I do find that Madison Lintz (who plays Maddie) is just so distracting beautiful. How can some look so good be a cop? She should be a model or actress.

Anyway, Season 3, which started airing March 27, 2025, on Amazon’s Freevee service or on Prime Video, will be the last season for Bosch Legacy. The last season is based on the 24th book, Desert Star by Michael Connelly.

At first, at least in the first four episodes, I had trouble understanding what the story is about. The plot seems to be all over the place.

I’ll break down the various plots: (1) Bosch under investigation for the murder of Kurt Dockweiler (he was Maddie’s kidnapper last season) by Det. Santiago “Jimmy” Robertson and Perry Lopez, (2) Bosch is trying to find out what happened to the Gallagher’s family, (3) Maddie is trying to catch some jewel thieves, and (4) Honey “Money” Chandler is running for Los Angeles District Attorney.

There’s a lot going on, but I’m sure the writers will tie it all up in the end.

We’re only six episodes in, and I’m itching to find out the assassination of a certain character. In this case, I’m glad I haven’t read the book. The death was a total surprise to me.

Also, leaked photos tell us that Maggie Q will debut as Homicide Detective Renée Ballard this season. Again, I haven’t read the books, but all the fans are excited about this main character, who will have her own spinoff series in the Fall of this year. I believe Bosch will still appear in Ballard’s series. I am excited to see more of Ballard.

Bosch Legacy’s finale to air on April 17, 2025.

A Working Man (2025) Read More Sylvester Stallone When I asked for “Judge Dredd”, it gave me only the Sylvester Stallone film (which I did not want), and nothing else. So, the best way to get what I want is to just to type in a search bar. …

A Working Man
mgm.com

The #1 movie last week was A Working Man, starring Jason Statham, based on Chuck Dixon’s Levon's Trade (the first book starring Levon Cade).

Originally Sylvester Stallone wanted to star in the film, but he might have aged out as an action star, so giving it to Statham was the smart move, in my opinion.

This is the second film to star Statham with director David Ayer. The two previously produced The Beekeeper, which I thought was a pretty good action film. The Beekeeper was sometime dumb and over-the-top (especially with those Beekeeper assassins), but it had a lot of good action, which made up for the story.

With A Working Man, it is also a bit dumb, but again, the action is pretty good that you don’t mind the bad story. The story starts off with Levon as a construction worker. He’s friends with the family who owns the construction business and decides to help the family when their daughter Jenny was kidnapped by Russian traffickers.

Levon, using his special skills as a former Royal Marine Commando, tracks down the leads and basically kills very cartoonish characters to save the daughter.

A Working Man is playing in theaters now.

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Valentine Horror

You know, with Valentine’s Day coming up on February 14, you would think the movie studios would be releasing romantic comedy films… but this year: it’s a hard no. Instead you’re seeing an action film called Love Hurts, Flight Risk, and Den of Thieves 2… and plenty of horror movies: Heart Eyes (a film about a serial killer on Valentine’s Day), The Monkey (a Stephen King horror story about a cursed monkey toy), Companion, Nosferatu, and Wolf Man… I think it’s cool, as a horror movie fans (after all I love the fact that for the months of October to December, we’re seeing a constant holiday horrors).

Companion (2025) Read More M3GAN The first horror film of 2023 is called M3GAN. To be honest, it’s not really a horror film, more like comedy/horror… M3GAN is from James Wan, who created Saw, Insidious and The Conjuring franchises. …

Companion (2025)
warnerbros.com

In order to enjoy this film, Companion, you have to go into it not knowing what’s it about. If you watch the trailer, it gives away too much.

I’ll just describe the first part of the film. The film starts with Irish and Josh meeting for the first time in a grocery store and it was love at first sight. Then the couple is driving to a remote cabin to meet some friends. The Russian who owns the cabin is a multi-millionaire and sexually assaulted Iris, which resulted in her killing him. That’s when the movie shifts and you find out what is really going on.

Even though I’m dancing around the ‘twist’, most viewers will likely already know or have figured out what is going on. It does work best if you have no idea what the movie is about. Just go in cold. Think of this film as a couple going on a retreat in a cabin somewhere in the middle of nowhere. It’s a romantic getaway, that is spoiled by a little murder.

The movie works because of their two stars. Sophie Thatcher, as Iris, is perfectly cast. She’s a little quirky and plays a very likeable girl. Jack Quaid, I’m only familiar with him in The Boys, plays a nerdy dork. No one believes he could have a great girlfriend as Iris. Later in the film, we find out that the nerdy kid is really a horrible villain. Quaid is great, and I had no idea Dennis Quaid is his dad!

As for the Companion story, I do love all the twists and turns. I do love how smart the film is… despite how illogical some things are. I won’t go into the details, but if you sit and think about it, some things just doesn’t make sense. Don’t let it bother you, just go with it, and you’ll have a good time with the movie. Think of this film as something like M3GAN or Scream.

Highly recommended.

Wolf Man (2025) Read More Ginger Snaps In my final installment of Halloween treats, I'm going to compile some songs about Werewolves. I actually had a lot more Halloween-related posts I wanted to do, but lately I have not been home. …

Wolf Man (2025)
wolfmanmovie.com

Not sure who was asking for a brand new Wolf Man remake/reboot, but it’s 2025, and we have a new film from Blumhouse Productions. I guess this film was originally meant to be part of the Universal Monsters franchise, but since The Mummy failed, the Wolf Man film went into ‘development hell’.

The new film stars Christopher Abbott and Julia Garner (you might remember her from Sin City: A Dame to Kill For), about a couple, and their daughter, going back to husband’s old home in the remote mountains. They’re attacked by a werewolf and ultimately, the film is about Abbott slowly turning into a werewolf, but also trying to protect his family. The story is very straightforward, no plot twists, no reveals. If there was a mystery, I figured it all out just by deductive reasonings. One scene leads to another. Garner is trying to get away from the werewolf with her daughter, and that’s pretty much the film.

I don’t hate the film, but I found it just a little boring.

How you can make a good werewolf movie is that ‘A Werewolf in our Midst’ or ‘Wolf in Sheep Clothing’ mindset… where you don’t know who the wolf is. Wes Craven tried to do this with his Cursed film… where our protagonist, who is cursed with the werewolf blood, has to find out who the master Wolf is, so she can be cured. The mystery and horror, that’s the cool part. With Wolf Man, it is just about a man who is turning into a werewolf, and that’s pretty much all there is to it.

Even the bad Werewolves movie released last year had a better story and concept. In that film, everybody is infected with the Werewolf virus and every full moon (or Super Moon) night, the world turns into a PURGE-style world. Anything goes, it’s lawless, and you have got to survive until the morning. That’s more entertaining than Wolf Man!

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28 Hours Later

28 Years Later Vu do that Vudu Read More Alex Garland I am a big fan of A24, the film distributor/producer, ever since Alex Garland’s excellent film Ex Machina in 2015. To be fair, I’m a big Garland fan, owning all his films, including Dredd (owned this twice!), 28 Days Later …

28 Years Later (2025)
paramountplus.com

Guys, you know I am a massive Alex Garland fan, and you know I love Danny Boyle. The two have teamed up once again to produce the upcoming 28 Years Later, the two re-united since the original 28 Days Later. The film is to be released on June 20th, 2025. I am super excited to see the story continue… but where is 28 Months Later (what a missed opportunity) or perhaps release 28 Years Later in 2030 (literally 28 years later).

Just to give you a little background on each creator, Garland started his career with 28 Days Later, then went on to produce some of my favorite films: Dredd, Ex Machina, Civil War, and the great television series, Devs.

Boyle is no slouch either in my favorite film department, having directed some of my favorite films: Shallow Grave, Trainspotting, and Slumdog Millionaire.

28 Years Later will actually be a trilogy of films: 28 Years Later, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, and a third one not announced yet. The first one directed by Danny Boyle, while the sequel The Bone Temple will be directed by Nia DaCosta. Both films were written by Alex Garland.

I do love the original 28 Days Later, because the story is very good, and it came out when zombie movies were far and in-between. Unfortunately, the film suffers from the technology used to shoot the film in 2002. It looks bad, there’s no doubt about it. I own it on Bluray, but it looks terrible.

So I am really worried that 28 Years Later will look terrible in a few years, simply because the two films were shot on an iPhone 15 Pro Max (with the aid of numerous attachments). Look, I own an iPhone 15 Pro Max, while the video looks great, I don’t know if I would make a movie, let alone two movies with it.

Still, watching the trailer for the upcoming film, it still looks pretty good for an iPhone movie.

Trivia: For two years, 28 Days Later was locked up in distribution rights. It was only this year (2024) that producer Andrew MacDonald bought the rights back from Searchlight Pictures and re-sold it to Sony, who only recently made the film available to purchase on digital and rental again on December 18, 2024.

Since I already own the original 28 Days Later and its sequel 28 Weeks Later on Vudu (Fandango at Home), I’ve decided to re-watch it.

28 Days Later Read More 28 Days Later The British horror film 28 Days Later came out at a time (2002) that there was a dry-spell in the Zombie movie genre. This film may have inspired the term “fast zombies” (all George Romero’s zombie …

28 Days Later (2002)
sonypictures.com

28 Days Later is the film that started it all. You have to remember that at the time (2002), zombie films weren’t all the rage (if you’ll excuse the expression)… and it’s often credit as reinvigorating the zombie genre with its fast-running zombies. All that despite the fact that the writer and director dismissed it as zombies. They’re infected with the “rage virus”.

I did end up watching the original 28 Days Later to refresh my memory, and right off the bat, the film hasn’t aged well. The digital technology that they used at the time just looks bad. At least with true film, they have the technology to rescan the original print in higher resolution, resulting in old 70s/80s film looking gorgeous for the modern age. With digital files, you’re pretty much stuck with the resolution that it was filmed at. So yeah, I can attest, the film doesn’t look good.

The film starts with Jim, a bicycle courier waking up from a coma to discover an apocalyptic-style London. Everything is in ruins and empty. He wanders the street in his hospital gown, and is soon chased by rage-induced humans. This opening reminds me of The Walking Dead, which I’m pretty sure writer Robert Kirkman stole this idea. In the Walking Dead, Rick Grimes wakes up from a coma to find a world full of zombies.

He meets other survivors and somehow their journey would lead them to a military base. When they eventually make their way to the military base, you find out that these soldiers are only interested in luring women into their base and using them as sexual slaves. This third act of the film, where the bike courier, by himself, rescues the girls … that is the most unbelievable moment of the film. Up until now, I can believe the world is shut down due to a virus … but a bike courier taking out 20 armed military soldiers? Come on.

I thought I read somewhere that the original ending of 28 Days Later was that after saving the girls, they find out that he’s mortally wounded and so they end the film of Jim, on a hospital bed, dying… a nice bookend, circling back to the moment he wakes up from his coma at the beginning of the film. Instead, it’s a happy ending. The two girls and Jim are on a remote cottage and they had a huge banner saying HELLO to a flying airplane. Wouldn’t it make sense to have the banner say SOS or something shorter? Anyway, it’s a happy-ever-after ending.

I like it, it gave us hope that the story is told and done and the infected are all dying, due to hunger, “28 days later”.

28 Weeks Later Read More 28 Weeks Later The film spawned a sequel, 28 Weeks Later in 2007, and starring Robert Carlyle. In many ways, 28 Weeks improved over the original film - by expanding the original story. Everything in Weeks …

28 Weeks Later (2007)
20thcenturystudios.com

In my original mentioning of 28 Weeks Later in 2020, I mentioned that the film “improved over the original film - by expanding the original story. Everything in Weeks improved, from a bigger story, to upgrading the cheap home camera to widescreen… and felt like they had a point to make.”

There is no denying that Weeks and Days are two very different films with two different messages. While Days is a story about a journey and ultimately survival, Weeks is about the world adjusting to the rage virus.

I didn’t like Weeks as much, because Carlyle’s character is not a likeable character. He’s doing everything he can to live, including leaving his wife behind. The whole time you think this movie is about Carlyle… but it is not. Instead, the movie shifted to his children who arrives in London in a quarantine area. The children broke protocol and leaves the safety zone, only to inadvertently brought back the virus into the quarantined zone and ultimately killing everyone.

You find out that one of the kids are infected-free, he doesn’t show symptoms of the rage virus, although he is a carrier. Somehow, he is the key to finding a cure for the virus…

I think most fans will admit that this sequel wasn’t really necessary. If you had to watch it, it’s so different in terms of filming and direction and story, that it really could be a different film by itself. If they changed the title to Quarantine Rage, it would stand as its own film… but as a sequel to Days, it does pale in comparison. It is a shame, because they had a higher budget, they had higher quality filming equipment, and they had real cast of established actors. Bigger, better, faster… doesn’t always translate to success.

I found out later that the original director, Danny Boyle couldn’t work on Weeks because he was already committed to the Sci-Fi Horror film Sunshine. So, Boyle later hired Spanish filmmaker Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, to work on Weeks to give it a “fresh new perspective” to the film. As a result, Weeks looked and felt very different from the original film.

Read more Movies.

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I fell in love with the Video Nasty

Lisa Loeb: Video Nasty Nasty by The Damned Catch the tide at the flood My TV screen is seeking blood My walls, my floors, are red too The night is coming after you I only hear the silver screams of pain He's coming for you again and again There's no escape, there's no way out Catch, catch the horror taxi I fell in love with the video nasty Catch, catch the horror train Freeze frame, gonna drive you insane The axe is sharp, the blade is keen Creature features, spirits on your screen Shadows fall, in all this gloom You're not so safe In the safety of your room All I want is to make a killing To drill a killer might be really thrilling Why are my victims so unwilling You can't be sure that you won't see me Careful with that axe, you meanie Catch, catch the horror taxi I fell in love with the video nasty Catch, catch the horror train Freeze frame, gonna drive you insane Catch, catch the horror taxi I fell in love with the video nasty Catch, catch the horror train Freeze frame, gonna drive you insane Catch, catch the horror taxi I fell in love with the video nasty Catch, catch the horror train Freeze frame, it’s going drive you insane Read More Video Nasty For those interested in learning more about the video nasties, the banned 72 movie titles by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), there is a really terrific documentary called Video Nasties: The Definitive Guide …

With the recent airing of Video Nasty in January 2025, I was treating myself to listening to the original song “Nasty” by The Damned. The original song was written for The Young Ones in 1984, and made its way to the B-Side of their single “Thanks for the Night.”

I’ve listened to it, and it sounds really short and incomplete. Sure, all punk songs are only a minute, but perhaps it was written to be brief, since The Young Ones was only going to use portions of the song. All that really matters is a ‘killer’ chorus, and they absolutely ‘killed’ it with their lyrics:

Catch, catch the horror taxi
I fell in love with the video nasty
Catch, catch the horror train
Freeze frame, gonna drive you insane

As much as I like loud, punk music, I felt the message was better delivered as a soft, pleasant version by Lisa Loeb and Steve Reynolds with their approach and production. Just my opinion, but I felt the Loeb version was a better version. You juxtapose Loeb’s sweet innocent voice with gruesome lyrics drench in blood. It’s pretty swell.

As for the lyrics, it does make some references to some Video Nasty banned films. I have not seen all the Nasties, but I’ve seen a good amount. The walls are red could reference several movies… so if you know the exact reference, let me know. Here are the ones I was that I matched with a movie. Some of them, I’ll admit, is a bit of a stretch! Please post your suggestions or email me, and I’ll add them as a postscript.

The Witch Who Came from the Sea (1976)

“Catch the tide at the flood”

The Witch Who Came from the Sea is a 1976 American psychological horror film produced and directed by Matt Cimber and starring Millie Perkins, Lonny Chapman, Vanessa Brown, Peggy Feury, Rick Jason, George Buck Flower, and Roberta Collins. The film centers on an emotionally scarred woman who goes on a killing spree after taking a job as a waitress in a seaside bar.

The film was classified as a “video nasty” by the United Kingdom Department of Public Prosecutions and was considered prosecutable for violating obscenity laws, but the prosecution proved unsuccessful.

The Video Dead (1987)

“My TV screen is seeking blood”

The Video Dead, a 1987 American horror film written and directed by Robert Scott and starring Roxanna Augesen, is actually not on the Video Nasty list - not for the lack of trying! The filmmakers added grisly scenes and gruesome artwork… but unfortunately did not make the Nasty list.

Still, with the plot involving a television set that produces zombies to murder and eat humans… I thought I’d use the film on this Nasty list.

Don't Go in the House (1980)

“My walls, my floors, are red too”

Don't Go in the House is a 1980 American slasher film written and directed by Joseph Ellison, written by Ellen Hammill and Joe Masefield, and starring Dan Grimaldi. Its plot follows a disturbed man who, after suffering an abusive childhood in which his mother punished him with burning, becomes a pyromaniac and serial killer who kidnaps and burns alive any women who resemble her.

Since the line, walls and floors, I thought a movie about a house might fit the bill for these lyrics.

Night School (1981)

“The night is coming after you”

Night School or aka Terror Eyes is a 1981 American slasher film directed by Ken Hughes and starring Rachel Ward, in her film debut, Leonard Mann, and Drew Snyder. The plot revolves around a series of brutal murders in Boston, Massachusetts. Alfred Sole was the film's original director, but he passed on the project. Hughes was ultimately brought in to direct, and Night School was his final film.

Originally passed with cuts for cinema. Released with 1 minute 16 seconds cut in 1987.

Scream for Vengeance (1980)

“I only hear the silver screams of pain ”

Scream for Vengeance or Vengeance is a 1980 film about four criminals who murder a jeweler and his family before kidnapping a senator's granddaughter. She and her boyfriend fight back, killing the gang one by one until her final confrontation with the last member.

The film was directed by Bob Bliss and stars Sally Lockett, Nicholas Jacquez, Bob Elliot, and Walter Addison.

Escape from Hell (1980)

“He's coming for you again and again
There’s no escape, there’s no way out”

Escape from Hell, aka Hell Prison, I'm Coming Your Way and Femmine infernali, is a 1980 Italian exploitation film distributed by Variety Distribution. The film belongs to the women in prison subgenre.

While not prosecuted for obscenity, the film (titled Hell Prison) was seized and confiscated in the UK under Section 3 of the Obscene Publications Act 1959 during the video nasty panic.

The Last Horror Film (1982)

“Catch, catch the horror taxi ”

The Last Horror Film, aka Fanatic, is a 1982 American horror comedy film produced by Judd Hamilton directed by David Winters and starring Joe Spinell and Caroline Munro. Its plot follows a delusional middle-aged New York City taxi driver who, fixated on the idea of being a film director, visits the Cannes Film Festival where he begins stalking an actress he is obsessed with.

The Last Horror Film is praised for its unique blend of self-reflexive horror, humor, and inventive filmmaking. Critics highlight its avant-garde approach, using the Cannes Film Festival as a backdrop for a slasher plot that cleverly reflects on the film industry.

Night Train Murders (1975)

“Catch, catch the horror train”

Night Train Murders, aka Last Stop on the Night Train and Late Night Trains, is a 1975 Italian revenge horror film directed by Aldo Lado and starring Flavio Bucci, Macha Méril, and Irene Miracle.

This film combines the plot of two other films: The Virgin Spring and The Last House on the Left. The film is about two girls riding a train on Christmas Eve, when they are brutalized by three criminals who eventually end up lodging in their parents’ home.

Originally refused a cinema certificate in 1976. Released uncut in 2008.

NOTE: This film’s title is often mistaken for Terror Express… which was seized due to the similarity to Night Train Murders.

Frozen Scream (1981)

“Freeze frame, gonna drive you insane”

Frozen Scream is a 1981 American horror film directed by Frank Roach, produced by Renee Harmon, and starring Harmon, Lynne Kocol and Thomas McGowan. Harmon also co-wrote the story with Doug Ferrin. Its plot follows two scientists whose experiments in unlocking the secrets of immortality result instead in the creation of black-robed zombies who must be preserved at very low temperatures to continue functioning.

Principal photography of Frozen Scream began in Los Angeles in 1975. Although it did not receive a theatrical release, it was made its way to home video in 1983… where it was put on the Video Nasty list.

Axe (1974)

“The axe is sharp, the blade is keen”

Axe, aka Lisa, Lisa and California Axe Massacre. Originally passed with cuts for cinema. Released with 19 seconds cut in 1999. Released uncut in 2005 with an 18 certificate.

Axe is a 1974 American independent horror film written and directed by Frederick R. Friedel and starring Leslie Lee. Its plot follows a trio of criminals who lodge at a rural farmhouse where a teenage girl resides with her disabled grandfather. After one of the men attempts to rape her, she enacts revenge.

Night of the Bloody Apes (1972)

“Creature features, spirits on your screen”

Night of the Bloody Apes is the title of the 1972 English language version of the 1969 Mexican horror film La Horripilante bestia humana ("The Horrible Man-Beast"), also known as Horror y sexo ("Horror and Sex") and as Gomar—The Human Gorilla. The film was directed by René Cardona and is a remake of his 1962 film Las Luchadoras contra el medico asesino ("The Wrestling Women vs. the Killer Doctor"; U.S. title Doctor of Doom), the first in a series of films blending elements of the lucha libre and horror genres.

The Black Room (1982)

“You're not so safe, In the safety of your room”

The Black Room is a 1982 American horror film directed by Elly Kenner and written and co-directed by Norman Thaddeus Vane. It stars Stephen Knight, Cassandra Gava, Jimmy Stathis and Clara Perryman, and features Christopher McDonald and Linnea Quigley in small, early roles.

The plot concerns siblings who lure swingers to their Hollywood mansion, kill them, then - with long scenes of blood transfusions - drain their blood. Though there is no classical vampirism in the film—in the sense of supernatural beings or blood drinking—the plot's focus on draining blood to prolong life has led to many sources considering it a vampire film

The Killing Hour (1982)

“All I want is to make a killing”

The Killing Hour, aka The Clairvoyant is a 1982 American psychological horror film directed by Armand Mastroianni and starring Perry King, Norman Parker, and Elizabeth Kemp. The plot follows a New York City detective and his friend who pursue a mysterious "handcuff killer" with the aid of an artist who sees—and draws—the killer's crimes before they are committed.

While not prosecuted for obscenity, the film was seized and confiscated in the UK under Section 3 of the Obscene Publications Act 1959 during the video nasty panic.

The Driller Killer (1979)

“To drill a killer might be really thrilling”

The Driller Killer, a 1979 black comedy slasher film directed by Abel Ferrara and starring Ferrara (credited as Jimmy Laine), Carolyn Marz, Baybi Day, and Harry Schultz. The plot concerns Reno Miller, a struggling artist in New York City, turning insane from stress and killing derelicts with a power drill.

When the film was released on video cassette in 1982, its graphic packaging drew complaints which landed the release on a list of "video nasties" that were banned in the United Kingdom under the Video Recordings Act 1984.

The Driller Killer – Released with 54 seconds of pre-cuts in 1999. Re-released uncut in 2002.

The Headless Eyes (1971)

“You can't be sure that you won't see me”

The Headless Eyes is a 1971 American exploitation horror film written and directed by Kent Bateman.

The film depicts an artist named Arthur Malcolm who sneaks into a woman's bedroom and tries to steal the money off her nightstand to pay his rent. Mistaking the thief for a rapist, the woman pushes his eye out with a spoon from her evening tea and knocks him out the second-story window. After being gawked at with his eye dangling from his head and the ultimate loss of his eye, Arthur becomes a serial killer and uses his victims' eyes in his artwork.

Absurd (1981)

“Careful with that axe, you meanie”

Absurd, aka Anthropophagus 2 and Zombie 6: Monster Hunter is a 1981 English-language Italian slasher film directed, lensed and co-produced by Joe D'Amato and starring George Eastman, who also wrote the story and screenplay.

This film is wacky. Lots of gore, for those interested in this sort of thing. The ending of the film features a beheading using a medieval knight axe. When the cops arrive, they find the lead actress standing, covered in blood, and holding a severed head.

Read more Horror.

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The Kids Are Alright

Sometimes, I feel I gotta get away
Bells chime, I know I gotta get away
And I know if I don't, I'll go out of my mind
Better leave her behind with the kids, they're alright
The kids are alright

- The Who

Video Nasty (2025) Read More Video Nasty For those interested in learning more about the video nasties, the banned 72 movie titles by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), there is a really terrific documentary called Video Nasties: The Definitive Guide …

Video Nasty
virginmediatelevision.ie

Virgin Media Television (Ireland’s Number 1 independent television channel) just released Video Nasty (January 8, 2025), a new television show about three teenagers and their journey to complete their Video Nasty collection.

If you don’t know what a Video Nasty is, it is a list of 72 banned movies in the UK in the 80s. What the censors really did was make a great list for horror fans (despite being illegal to own and view). There are many documentaries about the Video Nasty, one being Video Nasties: The Definitive Guide, which came out in 2014.

Anyway, the start of the show is innocent enough. We find out that the two boys Billy and Con are close to finishing their Video Nasty collection. They need video #72, the last one on their collection… and, in order to get it, they need to travel to the middle of nowhere, England, to meet Billy’s penpal Fangora Fangirl, for a tape exchange. Since they didn’t have any money, Con’s sister, Zoe, agreed go with them and split the profit from the sale of the Video Nasty collection.

This show is more of a comedy, despite the dark and murders and bodies. Think of this like Stranger Things (which incidentally is getting a fifth and final season in 2025), where you know the writers can’t harm those kids, but you’re still scared for them.

I’ve previously mentioned that I am not a fan of kid actors, but these kids are alright. I’ve never heard of these actors, but they did a terrific job, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see these kids in future shows.

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew (2024) Read More Star Wars It seems like no one is watching Andor… or at least you rarely hear people talking about this Star Wars new television show on Disney Plus. Maybe it’s because fans are tired of Star Wars or maybe …

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew
disneyplus.com

The latest Disney show, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew is a kids-friendly show about four kids who accidentally got lost in space and have to find their way home. They run into Jude Law, who helps the kids get home, but he’s only really in it for the money of the lost treasure on the kids’ planet.

What is interesting is that the reason why the kids are having a hard time just flying back home is because the existence of the planet has been erased from all-star charts. The planet was deliberately hidden, so the kids must go on clue hunt, from planet to planet.

It’s actually not a bad show, but because this is a family show, there are no real stakes. No one will believe these kids are going to die, everything just works out in the end. It's just a fun pirate kids show… which I can see why a lot of people are comparing this show to the Goonies.

This show is great if you have children and want to share television time with them, but I think most Star Wars fans might find this show a little too “not Star Wars” for them.

Anyway, I hope the next Star Wars show will be good. The next Star Wars film is called Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi.

Read more Television.

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Guns, gangs, and girls

Absolution (2024) Read More Liam Neeson Where we last saw actor Liam Neeson, it was for the “hitman with a heart of gold” movie Memory in 2022 - a remake of The Alzheimer Case. I mentioned for an actor in his 70s he was still very believable as an action star. …

Absolution (2024)
samuelgoldwynfilms.com

You guys know that I’m a massive Liam Neeson fan. I will see any film he stars in, including stinkers like Retribution (2023).

Neeson’s latest action thriller Absolution came out November 1, 2024, in theaters and is making its way to streaming services and home entertainment. I’ve previously mentioned that the actor is in his 70s and perhaps his time as an action star should be downgraded something a little slower.

Still, I love watching Neeson. It’s his voice or something. He plays a former boxer, now aging gangster (I’m not even sure he’s given a name!), but he’ll slip into his Irish accent sometimes. Who cares, he just sounds so tough!

I like the story, as predictable as it is. It’s one of those gangster with a heart of gold story or it’s a redemption story. Always enjoyable, but predictable. Of course, that one guy is the bad guy, of course he’s going to die soon (or contemplating suicide and has nothing to live for).

The action sequences and gunfights are the best part of the movie. Neeson is old (he looks it too!) and he doesn’t always move too fast… but when he hits a guy, “his ancestors will feel it!” It’s great. I don’t even mind that it’s a body double doing some of the action. Let’s face it, he’s no Tom Cruise.

The worst part of Absolution is the pacing. It’s a slow burn to get to the plot. Why are we spending time dining with his girlfriend? Why are we given all these dreams with his dad? I know it’s a way to tell the story of this gangster, but I felt those scenes didn’t really pay off at the end of the film. Can we just focus on trying to find out who put a hit on Neeson?

Sadly, given his advanced age, Neeson will likely stop doing action films this year (2025). His next film will be a reboot of The Naked Gun.

Dirty Angels (2024) Read More Eva Green The main character is Ethan Chandler (played by Josh Hartnett) as a gunfighter. He's recruited by Vanessa Ives (Eva Green) and Sir Malcolm (Timothy Dalton) to fight some old Egyptian evil. …

Dirty Angels
lionsgate.com

It’s been a while since I last saw Eva Green. In her prime, she was starring in various Frank Miller’s films like Sin City, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, and 300: Rise of an Empire. I love seeing her, and loved her television appearance in Penny Dreadful … but, like I said, that’s probably the last time I saw her.

I found out that she spent a few years suing a production company for not paying her, and the film, A Patroit, was ultimately abandoned. She then starred in a Philippines movie called Nocebo (it looks like a low budget movie) and a couple of French films based on Alexandre Dumas’ The Three Musketeers… which I never saw.

So, Dirty Angels is probably Green’s first major US film in quite a few years. Seeing Green on screen, it’s fascinating how much she’s changed over the years. I almost didn’t recognize her.

The story is about a military soldier who survived a hostage situation in Afghanistan, where her entire crew was killed. Years later, she returns to the country to help try and free several students captured by a group of terrorists. Green joins a group of other skilled women, like a mechanic, a technician, a weapon expert, etc. They posing as charity/medical team traveling in a dangerous country.

It does sound like a good setup for a movie, I was already picturing this as the A-Team or something, but as the story drags on, I realized it’s playing it too realistic… and too depressing.

As you can probably guess, I didn’t like this film. I think if you like military-type films, this might be really cool for you, but I just found it kind of boring and I didn’t really care for any of the characters. I wish there was also more action, and less on the terrorists.

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Justice is Blind

Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman (Television Show) Read More Zatoichi If you've never heard of Zatoichi, he's a blind swordsman, who wanders Japan in the Edo period as a masseur (although he seems to make most of his money at dice games). …

Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman
tubitv.com

Do you ever wonder why there are so many Zatoichi films (26 in total)? That’s because it was really meant to be a serial for television, but back in the early sixties, televisions weren’t as common. By the mid-seventies, almost every home in Japan had a television, so Zatoichi continues his adventures in a television show. Between 1974 and 1979, a total of 100 episodes of Zatoichi were produced.

Distribution rights for those television shows were made available on DVD via Tokyo Shock, but they are somewhat hard to find and is expensive for subtitled shows. I have a few of those Zatoichi television shows at home, but gave up on trying to collect the whole 100 episodes.

The cool thing is that you can now stream those Zatoichi shows on Tubi for free as of September 2024. Remember how I own a giant Vizio 65” TV? Tubi is one of the apps on Vizio! This is just perfect. If you don’t have a TV, you can download the free app or watch it via your web browser on your computer.

Since I do own the DVDs, I have watched the first few episodes, but let me tell you - I have no memory of it! It’s good to re-watch the first episode and remind myself of the old television aspect ratio (4:3) and how almost black-and-white and grainy it seems. They must have shot this on cheap film. I wonder if some company might re-master or enhanced the shows to add a little more color and saturation?

If you’re itching for more Zatoichi, you can purchase each film on Amazon for about $4.50 each.

Eye for an Eye 2: Blind Vengeance (2024) Read More Defiant Defiant (目中无人), aka Blind Sword, a 2022 Chinese movie, is clearly a rip off of Zatoichi. You know me, I love Zatoichi, I own all of Toho’s films on DVD and Bluray (thanks to the Criterion boxset), and even owning the …

Eye for an Eye 2
amzn.to

I was pretty sure I’ve seen the first movie, yet the title Eye for an Eye 2 didn’t sound familiar. It turns out that I’ve seen the first movie, but it was titled Defiant. Of course, it was also known as Blind Sword… so the film makers didn’t even know what to call the first movie. The film was eventually re-titled to Eye for an Eye: The Blind Swordsman when it was released on Bluray by Wells Go USA.

Just before the new year, Eye for an Eye 2: Blind Vengeance dropped on streaming through Hi-YAH! subscription, and unfortunately, because it came from the source, the film felt like it was heavily censored. There were some moments in the film that just abruptly cut into the next scene. It’s possible that the director isn’t very good and made some bad edits.

The other thing is that the trailer advertised part two as a prequel, which it is not. I wonder if something got lost in translation? If you watch the new film, there is a husband-and-wife kill team recognized the lieutenant and said they served under his direction (indicating that this happened after the first film).

Eye for an Eye 2 starts off with a good action sequence, which sees the blind swordsman kill a bunch of criminals. Then the film flashback and explains how (and why) the blind swordsman ended up there.

While the first film was China’s blatant rip off of Zatoichi, the second film doubles up and also rips off Lone Wolf and Cub. This time, the blind swordsman (I don’t think he’s given a name) is traveling the countryside with a child. The young girl (age 10?) wants revenge for the murder of her brother (?). The father-daughter bounty hunters tracks down all the people who were responsible for her brother’s death.

I find the whole child as an assassin unrealistic. For example, am I to believe that a small child can hold onto an item in a tug of war with a grown man and wins? That’s stupid. Just any scene with the girl fighting, it just looks so stupid. A small child, weighing like fifty pounds, there is absolutely no way can kill a grown man. In fact, any scenes with the girl, I absolutely hated.

I also didn’t like was the inconsistent skills of the blind swordsman. One moment, he’s clearing out a room full of deadly fighters … but in another scene he’s bumbling around and walking into tables. It doesn’t make any sense! I know they had those scenes for comedy relief, but I would take it out! That tone doesn’t belong in this serious movie.

The last thing is that the final boss feared the child assassin. He’s shaking! What??!? It’s a small kid, can’t you defend yourself against a small child? Then later he faces the blind swordsman, and he’s confident and becomes a masterful fighter that can stand his grounds against the blind swordsman. Again, it’s inconsistent.

The only thing good about Eye for an Eye 2 are the fight sequences. I think those scenes are done very well.

If they are going to make a Eye for an Eye 3, I hope they kill off the kid right away and that sets up a revenge plot. You don’t need a story, it’s all action and kills. Also, make use of more darkness/turning out the lights scenes, it’s always a hoot to see Zatoichi take advantage of darkness… it also leaves it up to the viewers’ imagination and saves on budget!

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It's Greek to Me

In celebration of the news that film director Christopher Nolan (the guy who directed Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises), will be set to adapt Homer’s The Odyssey, for Universal Studios… I have watch two recent swords & sandals films. The Odyssey will be out in 2026, according to Deadline.

The Return (2024) Read More The Returned The Returned, originally French title Les Revenants, was described as "The Walking Dead with Brains". This is clearly an inaccurate description, despite the clever zombie/brains analogy. The Returned is … Ulysses 31 It’s such a great concept. It’s about Ulysses in the 31st century. He offended the gods, and was banished to unknown space… and the entire series is Ulysses trying to find his way home from his long odyssey. …

The Return
tiff.net

Not related to the horror French show “The Returned” (or the English re-make), this 2024 film The Return is a retelling of Homer’s Odyssey. Rather, The Return is closer to Ulysses 31, which was based on Odysseus’ story (using the Latin spelling of “Ulysses”).

Anyway, the film is only adapt the last section of Odyssey, which finds our hero Odysseus, king of Ithaca, finding his way home after the Trojan War. The island, since he left, is lawless, and a group of murderous men are all competing for his wife’s hand in marriage.

Maybe I wasn’t paying attention, but after watching the film, I read that Odysseus was missing for ten years, now it made sense why no one recognized the old king or that everyone assumed he died in the war. Still, to me, it seems silly that no one would recognize Odysseus, but I suppose in those days, they didn’t exactly have Facebook or photographs…

Anyway, this is an excellent film directed by Uberto Pasolini, starring Ralph Fiennes, as Odysseus, Juliette Binoche, as Penelope, and Charlie Plummer, as Telemachus.

What sets this film apart is the wardrobe. Everyone is in Greek togas, just so weird to see with a modern eye. Once the stage is set, you find Odysseus washed on shores. He’s taken in by a stranger, who tells the old man what is going on. He brings the old man to the castle, and Odysseus asking for food. Everyone treats him as a beggar, and their cruelty turns to beating him.

Once the soldiers looking to murder Odysseus’ son, Telemachus, the old man had to fight them to save his child.

To try and save her son’s life, Penelope was forced to make a decision on her suitor. She tells everyone that if they can string Odysseus’ old bow and shoot an arrow through 24 axe-heads, then she will marry that person. The suitors all tried and failed, until the old man steps out and, indeed, stroot straight through, winning her hand in marriage.

What is crazy is this ending. Odysseus just starts shooting and killing all the suitors in the room. It was pure bloodbath, as Telemachus stepped in to help with the slaughter.

Shortly after everything is settled, Telemachus insists on sailing away to find himself and his destiny.

The Return is a little different from the books. In the original story, Telemachus went sailing in search of his wandering father, and when he returned to Ithaca, he found that Odysseus had reached home before him. The two, father and son, then slew the suitors who had gathered around Penelope.

I do like the movie a little better, only because it focuses solely on Ody, rather than his son.

Gladiator II (2024) Read More Ridley Scott What made the film interesting, at least to me, is that the soundtrack is by Dead Can Dance's Lisa Gerrard! So throughout the movie, you do hear that ethereal vocals, similar to her efforts on Ridley Scott's Gladiator. …

Gladiator II
gladiator.movie

Guys, I love, love, love the original Ridley Scott’s Gladiator (2000). I never wanted or needed a sequel. Why are we getting a second film, twenty-four years later?

Gladiator II has a brand-new cast of characters. I suppose bringing back Russell Crowe was impossible, given the long-time frame and, also, I think he died in the first film. Sorry, it’s been a long time since I saw the first film.

Gladiator II stars Paul Mescal as an exiled Prince of Rome. He’s taken prisoner after a war and becomes a slave-turned-gladiator. The rest plot sees various fights in the Colosseum … I can believe various animals like baboons and rhinos, but sharks in the arena defies all logic. I love Ridley Scott, man, but bringing in ocean water and sharks - that is the worst thing I’ve ever seen. It’s so dumb, that I threw my hands in the air and gave up on following the plot.

Anyway, I don’t want to give anything away, but this film does relate to Maximus from the first film… otherwise, this Gladiator II film should be its own thing.

The new film was made available to rent and stream on Christmas Eve (Dec 24), through your favorite video-on-demand platforms such as Prime Video, Apple TV and Vudu.

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Vizio 65" 4K Smart TV

Vizio 65" 4K Smart TV 65" 4K Smart TV Details With vivid 4K picture quality complemented by Dolby Vision HDR, 4K models offer versatility and value with streaming-centric features like WiFi 6 and instant access to built-in apps. WiFi 6 Dual-Band 4K UHD Resolution Auto Low Latency Mode & VRR Dolby Vision HDR/HDR10+ Bluetooth Compatible DTS Virtual:X QuickFit™ Compatible Read More Technology I think I have my heart set on the Alienware AW3423DW 34" 2K WQHD Curved OLED Gaming Monitor. It is an ultrawide curved 2K screen (3440 x 1440), and has support for NVIDIA G-Synch at 175Hz …

We recently upgraded to a new Vizio 65” 4K Smart TV, as part of leftovers from a Black Friday campaign from Walmart. I’m very happy with the display for the price (less than $400).

It’s not a V-Series or an M-Series, this is just the base 65” Smart TV. I know Vizio strips out certain features in those other television line to bring the cost down, but whatever they took out (such as Freesync), I don’t really mind if I’m saving money. If you really need those features, you’ll have to pay more.

I haven’t purchased a new television in a long time. The last time I got a TV was when 2K was all the rage, and I got a 40-inch no-name brand. Of course, I never watch TV, so it was somewhat of a useless purchase for me. To be perfectly honest, the so-called 2K resolution of the television didn’t look good to me. Images looks too bright, and the blacks were terrible, and the details weren’t there.

Size and Resolution
The first thing about the Vizio television is the big size: 65 inches! It’s much better than the old 40-inch TV. Despite the large size, like all LCD screens, it’s not as heavy as you might think. I believe the whole thing is about 40 pounds.

While the resolution (3840 x 2160) looks great with no signs of uneven brightness that you find on very cheap displays. Image quality looks very good, sitting at a couch about 3 feet away, but when you look at the image very close up, you can see jaggedness. That’s because the DPI (dot per inch) is only 68 DPI at the large dimension.

Currently, the highest resolution consumers can buy are UHD discs, which I have been very slow on converting, simply because I didn’t really have a 4K television. You can also stream in 4K, but that requires very fast internet. The WiFi6 helps, but for the best steaming options, you need to use Ethernet, which the TV does not include (that is on the more expensive models).

Smart TV
With this Vizio “Smart TV”, it comes with its own computer built inside the television, running its own SmartCast OS. SmartCast offers all the streaming services, such as Netflix, Vudu (now Fandango), Amazon Prime, Apple TV, I Heart Radio, and, most importantly, YouTube. This has it all, and it’s not a bad interface. It’s not slow or ugly. This is amazing, if you do not own a Roku, an Apple TV, an Amazon Firestick, or Google TV… and even if you do own them, like I do, you might not want to even hook them up because it’s easier to just use Vizio’s system.

Signing into each streaming service you subscribe to was very easy. When you launch the app, like the Apple TV, you’re given a QR Code. When you scan it using your phone’s camera, you’re immediately logged in. I was streaming all my Apple television shows in no time.

My only complaint is that it took a long time to update all the apps, even using the fastest WiFi6, it felt like the Vizio television took over 15 minutes to update, restart, update, restart, etc.

Audio
The two 10-watt speakers, certified as DTS Virtual X, sounds fine to me, but if you’re an audio enthusiast, you’ll want to add in your own soundbar or custom audio setup. I think Vizio knows their shortcomings on audio, so the TV is “QuickFit” compatible. The QuickFit are standards with soundbars, designed to integrate with your TV. Eventually, I would like to upgrade the television’s audio, so I will sure to be looking for the QuickFit feature. If you prefer to use headphones, the television does offer built-in Bluetooth connectivity.

Remote
The remote control doesn’t have a numpad, instead it works like a directional d-pad, with some dedicated buttons. Like the convenient “Free TV” button, which brings up Vizio’s free tv service (it looks like Pluto TV). I do not think you can bind or change the buttons on the remote, so if you don’t use Sling, too bad that button isn’t going to change.

Anyway, Vizio prefers you to use your voice to direct the TV, but I find that it’s not good at interpreting what I want. For example, I wanted to watch the film DREDD, but all it gave me were films called “Dread”, not fuzzy search misspellings. When I asked for “Judge Dredd”, it gave me only the Sylvester Stallone film (which I did not want), and nothing else. So, the best way to get what I want is to just to type in a search bar.

Typing on the remote is unbearable, so you need to use the Vizio app… which also sometime sucks, because it sometimes just disconnects from the TV.

Summary
For the price, for the 4k resolution, for the large 65-inch display, for everything that the television offers (free programming), I am actually very happy with the Vizio television.

P.S. For whatever reason, my iTunes can’t connect to the Vizio TV’s Airdrop. So, it seems the best way is to sneakernet (by putting the movies on a USB thumbstick and using Vizio’s USB player).

Yours,

Weekend Gamer
[email protected]

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Black Birds of a Feather

Black Doves Read More Keira Knightley Admittedly I have not seen the movie, but apparently hot-girl Keira Knightley was nominated for an Oscar in her role. I have been in love with her since "Bend it Like Beckham". …

There are a couple of spy thrillers with similar names out right now.

Black Doves
netflix.com

The new Netflix series, Black Doves, just aired. This British spy thriller series was created by Joe Barton and stars skinny girl Keira Knightley (as previously mentioned I have been in love with her since “Bend it Like Beckham”).

The pilot starts off with the murder of three people, one of which was Knightley’s (former?) love affair. It sets off a revenge plot. Knightley calls back her old colleague shotgun Sam (played by Ben Whishaw), and they try to find out what is going on.

Personally speaking, I didn't really like seeing all the backstory of how Knightley got recruited into Black Doves, or “Triggerman” Sam’s backstory (or current love situation).

I also didn’t particularly like the humor of the two women assassins. They looked so beautiful, it’s like they were models doing a comedy bit as professional assassins. I think their tones were off, because the rest of the series is taken so seriously. It’s a dark thriller with lots of blood and deaths. If the two girl assassins had their own television series, with a funny tone, I would watch that… but they just didn’t belong in Black Doves.

As the show progresses, you find out that the murders involve the US, the UK, the Chinese, and some new underground modern-day “Freemasons” the Carters.

I think the show is fine as a spy-thriller… and Netflix thinks so too, so they are renewing the show for a second season. I’ll look forward to seeing Knightley again next year!

Canary Black Read More Black Canary White Canary: Basically the same character as Black Canary (who often teamed up with Green Arrow). Based on the explanation in the pilot, she was paying tribute to Black Canary (obviously I didn't keep up with the Arrow series). …

Canary Black
amazon.com

There is film called Canary Black from Amazon Prime. The movie is about a spy who is living a normal life, until her husband gets kidnapped and forced to obtain the mysterious “Canary Black.”

Originally, I thought this was called Black Canary, based on DC Comics’ super heroine... but it was apparent that this action, spy-thriller, was far from it.

The film does star one of my favorite girl action stars, Kate Beckinsale, who you may remember is the lead in those Underworld movie. I think she’s still very good looking, even though some people might say she’s aging out of that action star role.

Canary Black is a forgettable film, with a very predictable ending. Of course, Beckinsale saves the day and there's a dumb twist at the end (that everyone saw coming).

I’m not the only one that didn’t like the movie, the film got one-star reviews and the Tomatometer shows 18%. One fan/reviewer wrote that this was Kate Beckinsale’s worst film.

My favorite scene in the movie is how Beckinsale dealt with an explosive mine, it looks pretty cool (even though implausible).

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