"I'll Be Gone in the Dark" Series Review

 

by John Zenoni

There's a series on HBO based on this book and it's excellent! The book and series both are amazing so if you want to watch another true crime documentary then you need to watch this one as well.

An absolutely stunning novel based on the true story of the “EAR” (East Area Rapist), or as more recently known, the “Golden State Killer”, who committed over fifty sexual assaults and ten murders in California for over a decade and then just seemed to disappear, eluding the police and authorities all those years. How in the world could someone have committed these many heinous acts and gotten away with it for so long? This is the true life story that captured author Michelle McNamara’s attention and led her into doing her own investigation into the killer in hopes of seeing him come to justice. This is a very well written book that gives just enough background information about the author that makes you understand her sense her urgency and need to try and help solve this case. The details and investigative work that the author did is amazing and one cannot help but agree that this had to have pushed the story back into the spotlight. I myself had only heard about this rapist/killer and his crime spree when I read about the author’s passing and was curious as to what had intrigued her so. How sad it was to learn she was actually still working on her book at the time of her death. While she might not have seen justice while still alive, the irony of things that took place after her death make you realize her work was not in vain.

#cinemafiends

#bookfiends

#illbegoneinthedarkbook

#goldenstatekillerbook

"Derapages" Series Review

 

by John Zenoni

Recently I spotted the headline of an article about a series on Netflix that said anyone who was a fan of ‘Ozark’ needed to watch it. Well, anything even close to ‘Ozark’ I knew I needed to check out. I'm here to say that while it's NOT another ‘Ozark’, it's still a good series with a lot of suspense, intrigue, action and drama. This is a French series called ‘Derapages’ or ‘Inhuman Resources.’

The story centers around Alain Delambre, played by Eric Cantana, who opens the series by telling what happened to him.

Alain is an unemployed, 57 year old man, desperate to find a good job to make him feel vital and important again. He's been without a job for 6 years and the stress is beginning to take a toll on him and his marriage. He's even short with his two daughters and it's also impacting his relationship with them. All seems lost when he applies for a job and gets an interview with the company .

The catch is that this job is one where he has to be able to participate in a staged hostage situation with selected executives of a major company. Alain decides to go with it but does some side work on his own with a close friend who just happens to be a computer hacker who helps Alain gather information about the company and CEO. Needless to say Alain sees a way to take advantage of the situation he's put in but it doesn't come without consequences, as he is found out.

This is sometimes a hard show to follow but it's still definitely worth a watch.

#cinemafiends

#inhumanresourcesnetflix

"Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer" Movie Review

 

by John Zenoni

If you're into True Crime documentaries, then you definitely need to check this one out....

This one was very well done and I have to say, once you saw Richard Ramirez, pretty creepy. I can't believe the intense police work that it took to track him down and how emotional all of that must have been for those involved. What was so unique about Richard Ramirez, aka ‘The Night Stalker’, is that his victims were selected with no rhyme or reason. I mean, just all over the place. Horrible, horrible crimes and I'm so grateful that the two detectives who ended up working together stuck it out and were determined to get him.

There were two things toward the end that stuck with me. One, without giving anything away, is that I cannot believe the pictures sent to him and those who followed him. Just unbelievable! I didn't know that happened and my mouth just dropped when I saw it. I wonder if some of those same idiots (sorry, but that's what they were) look at him the same way or look back at how they acted. The other thing is the question that was asked toward the closing of the series and that is ‘What makes people behave this way?’ It's a very interesting question and one that I don’t know we will ever really know the answer to. He was brought up in a horrible environment - so should he be excused? No, absolutely not! But, should we as a society take a closer look at how we treat others as we don’t know what action might lead a person down the wrong path? Perhaps so. Very interesting for sure.

Great watch!

#cinemafiends

"The Sister" is a Nail-Biting Inducing Mystery and Ghost Story All in One

 

by John Zenoni

Talk about a good, mystery-slash-ghost story all wrapped up in one! If you haven't seen it yet, definitely check out the 4-episode (yes, only 4!) series on Hulu called ‘The Sister.’ This is a good one for watching with popcorn because you can’t wait to find out what's going to happen next and since it's so short you can binge watch the series all at once!

The story centers on Nathan Redman (played by Russell Tovey) who is happily married, living in a beautiful home, and he and his wife have good careers. The only thing they want more than anything at this point is to have kids and they're having some difficulty (I mention this as it plays into something later on). One night a man rings his doorbell and this is where it all starts! The minute he opens the door, you can see the look of panic and dread on Nathan’s face and naturally you know this is going to be good (or bad)! The man, Bob Morrow (played by Bertie Carvel), is allowed inside but just before he leaves - rather, forced to go - he notices something hanging on Nathan’s wall and says something to the effect of, ‘I can’t believe you would do this’ or something like that. Anyway, nail biter stuff!

At this point you get some details but a good bit of it comes from flashbacks from seven years ago and you find out what has happened and why Nathan is so nervous all of a sudden. The storyline picks up and as mentioned previously, you know certain secrets are going to come out but there are some twists that take place as well.

While this isn't the best show or series I've seen, it's a pretty darn good one in my opinion and it definitely kept me engrossed. The end - Wow!

#cinemafiends

#thesisterhulu

#huluthesister

#fullycinematic

"News of the World" Movie Review

 

by John Zenoni

I finally had a chance to watch ‘News of the World’ and it's a very good film. I can see why it's getting good reviews as the directing, cinematography and costume design are all stellar but the film definitely wouldn't be what it is without the standout performances by Tom Hanks (as Captain Jefferson Kidd, a Civil War vet) and Helena Zengel (as orphan Johanna). Both do great work in this film and you can feel the onscreen chemistry between the two as they interact with each other.

With all this being said, while it is a good Western, it's not a great one in my opinion. The film is good, don’t get me wrong, but it's slow at times and there a some very predictable moments that took away from the momentum of the movie. I will say that I really did enjoy the ending, although it was, again, predictable, but it was still a good way to end the film.

This is one definitely worth watching.

#cinemafiends

#newsoftheworldfilm

#tomhanksnewsoftheworld

"Songbird" Movie Review

 

by John Zenoni

I have debated with myself whether or not to post anything about this screening I was able to watch this past week but I'm going to do it. I feel that I'm doing a public service to everyone by telling you all to stay away from this one. The movie is, ‘Songbird’, a recently released film that focuses on the distant/near future fighting the COVID-23 virus. Those who are fortunate enough to be immune (‘munies’, the term I believe I heard) are able to roam free whereas those who are infected or exposed are sent to camps.

The story focuses on a young courier, immune to the virus, who's on a race to try and save the girl he loves from being sent to the camps, even though she herself is free from the virus. There's more to the story as to why she's being chosen to go to the camp and I won’t give it away, not that any one cares.

The acting in this clunker is subpar and the action leaves a lot to be desired. The biggest issue I have with this film is that I felt creepy watching it as I realized that the producers of this movie are making money by exploiting our current pandemic situation. Even had we not been in our current situation though, it's still a pretty rough film. Definitely don’t spend money on this one if you can help it.

#cinemafiends

#songbirdmovie

February 2021 Movie Trailers

 

February 12

Judas and the Black Messiah

February 26

Cherry

#judasandtheblackmessiah

#nobodymovie

#cherrymovie

"Anxious People" Book Review

 

by John Zenoni

An absolutely amazing and touching novel. I didn't think the author would be able to match his previous excellent novel - one of my all time favorites - ‘A Man Called Ove’, but he's done it with his latest. I love his writing and how he develops his characters and makes you feel like you're part of their lives.

This is a tragicomedy and one that works so well. The bank robbery that goes awry in an apartment showing - really? - is odd in itself but the people that you meet during this comedic-sad situation will just make you laugh, cry, question life, and more. In the midst of all this is a father and son who just both happen to be the police officers assigned to this hostage/robbery situation. They also have their own personal issues they're dealing with and you get attached to them as well.

I cannot think of anything for which to criticize this novel. It's just so good and I recommend everyone read this and his other novel, ‘A Man Called Ove.’ This is an author who writes with a purpose and makes you ask all the hard questions while enjoying life and making you feel good at the same time!

#bookfiends

#anxiouspeoplenovel

#fredrikbackmananxiouspeoplenovel

"One Night in Miami" May Be the Most Important Movie of 2020

 

Writer Kemp Powers' 2013 play "One Night in Miami" comes to the screen in spectacular fashion in this new award-bait film adaptation. While Powers made his movie directorial debut in Soul, he settles for screenwriter here while Regina King sat in the big chair on this project. The story, a real meeting featuring imagined conversations between Malcolm X, Jim Brown, Muhammad Ali and Sam Cooke at a pivotal time for all four, is a simple one but involves very complex ideas: namely, Black liberation and Black power. Considering the deep divisions in America (not to mention Europe) that were illustrated following the murder of George Floyd last year and the fact that many of these rifts are spotlighted in One Night in Miami, which takes place during the last great civil rights movement, it may be the most important movie of 2020.

During the unofficial summit, following Cassius Clay's (Ali hadn't yet renounced his slave name) victory over Sonny Liston for the heavyweight boxing title, the various members of the group push one another to further tap into his considerable potential to lead. And it's not all pretty. Low-blows are thrown and egos are checked. But the movie isn't concerned with sanitizing anything. One Night begins with Brown being casually referred to as a "nigger" by a white man who also claims to be a fan and supporter. This slap in the face is soon followed by Cooke being discriminated against by white audience members at a performance. And Malcolm X's impending split with the Nation of Islam and stalking by the FBI are omnipresent specters.

Set in February 25, 1964, the quartet of influential Black voices are called together by the powerful Nation of Islam firebrand at a time when each man is on the verge of cementing his legacy: Cooke's seminal civil rights anthem "A Change Is Gonna Come" would debut soon; Brown would lead his team to an NFL championship 10 months later and retire from the league to focus on acting and activism in two years; Clay would change his name the following month and refuse to be drafted for the Vietnam War two years later; Malcolm X would announce his split from the Nation of Islam the following month and begin his life-changing pilgrimage to Mecca the month after that. The legendary singer would be shot to death within 10 months; the minister in just under a year. Jim Brown is the only surviving subject of the film.

Available for streaming on Amazon Prime on January 15.

#onenightinmiami

#samcooke

#malcolmx

#muhammadali

#jimbrown

"Herself" Movie Review

 

by John Zenoni

Had a chance to watch the great film, ‘Herself.’ This is a story about a young wife with two children who is in an abusive relationship and is determined to take her kids and get out. She has to fight not only her ex but also a housing system that provides little in terms of a clean, safe environment in which to raise her kids. The woman works herself tirelessly to try and provide a better life for her kids, working multiple jobs, picking them up from school, providing food and what shelter she can. Then she comes across an idea to build your own house with as little money as possible and decides it's what she's going to do. Realistic? Maybe not but an idea for an entertaining film? Absolutely! I was concerned that this film might get a little too ‘mushy’ or fall into the ‘Hallmark’ mode but it doesn't do that at all. There are great performances in this film and it ends perfectly. Very inspirational and a great one to watch.

#cinemafiends

#herselffilm

#amazonherselfmovie

January 2021 Movie Trailers

 

January 14

Locked Down

January 15

Outside the Wire

Jauary 22

Nine Days

January 29

The Little Things

Bonus: WandaVision

#americanskin

#outsidethewire

#wandavision

"His House" is a Riveting and Horrific Tale

 

by John Zenoni

If you're looking for your next fright or horror film to watch, I highly recommend the excellent “His House” on Netflix. Holy cow what a good one! This film is currently sitting with a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes so that should tell you something.

The story is about a refugee couple who manage to escape from South Sudan, currently war-torn, to seek asylum in England but have to deal with the loss of their daughter during their escape, who drowns while on the journey across the ocean. The whole situation is awful for them as not only do they leave the only country they have known, and lose their only child, but then they are subjected to certain rules and regulations, as well as humiliating encounters with others, while trying to establish a new life for themselves in a foreign country.

Once they begin trying to settle into the new house, they both begin to hear and sense things that they know are not normal. The husband, played by Sope Dirisu, begins to see things in the walls and hear voices. His wife, played by Wunmi Mosaku, knows that they're being haunted and she tries to explain why to her husband one night. It's definitely a riveting and horrific tale.

I don’t want to go into anymore specifics as I don't want to give anything away but the twist at the end is devastating and shocking.

The cast is outstanding to say the least. The heartbreak in Rial’s character (Wunmi Mosaku, who was also excellent in ‘Lovecraft Country’) is evident and you hurt for her. The husband, Bol, is distraught and at his wit’s end about having to keep it all together so he and Rial can try to establish a new life together. He's desperate and is willing to do whatever needs to be done to bring his wife peace, which is evident in a certain act he carries out toward the end.

The most impressive thing about this film is that it's the directorial debut of Remi Weekes -- and it is astounding. There are many things that are unique about this film and will leave many talking about it for years to come. Definitely a must-watch.

#cinemafiends

#hishousemovie

#hishousenetflix