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Horizon: An American Saga Chapter One Movie Review
Kevin Costner’s new movie, Horizon: An American Saga Chapter One was released on June 28 of 2024.
As the title suggests, it is definitely chapter one of a four part story.
This movie involves frontiersman going west to settle on land, covering 160,000 acres.
Of course, this is Indian land and the Indians don’t take too kindly on these people trying to settle down on their land.
This movie involves several groups of people. Frontiersman, Indians, Cavalry, outlaws, and many of their story lines mix together.
It reminds me of the Centennial mini series I saw this year (review here) except it definitely focuses on a certain period of time (1859 in this movie).
Costner, who stars/directed/co-wrote this movie, does not show up until much later in the movie. He ends up getting involved in something that he had no idea would involve him, but it does.
This is definitely a passion project for Costner. He has said in interviews that he had an idea for this as far back as when he was going to do Dances With Wolves. He is making these movies with his own money, so whether they are hits or not, he wants these stories out there. Got to admire that.
This movie has a very good cast. Along with Costner, it stars Sam Worthington (Avatar movies, Terminator Salvation), Michael Rooker (Guardians Of The Galaxy 1 and 2, Tombstone, The 6th Day, Replicant, Cliffhanger, and so many more), Jeff Fahey, Luke Wilson, and even has a few Yellowstone co-stars (Danny Huston and Will Patton).
That’s just some of the cast.
Again, this is going to be an epic saga and this is just chapter one.
Costner in this movie set up a lot of the story line and characters that you will see in the later movies.
I took my Dad to see this movie because, like me, he is a huge fan of westerns.
It is three hours long, but it does not feel like three hours.
We enjoyed it and look forward to chapter two in August and hopefully three and four next year.
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Agent Recon Movie Review
Agent Recon was released to streaming platforms (particularly Apple TV Plus where I watched it) on June 21 of 2024.
This is actually the third in a series of movies starring/written/co-produced/directed by Derek Ting.
He plays the character of Jim Yung (everyone just calls him Jim) who in the first movie (Agent Intelligence, available to stream on Tubi) is down on his luck and ultimately goes to the desert with some friends to have some fun, and ultimately encounters aliens who take over people’s bodies, and unbeknownst to him until he has to fight these aliens, he has powers and abilities he had no idea he had.
In the seconds movie (Agent Revelation, available to stream on Paramount Plus) Jim receives further training and tests to try to figure out why/how he has these abilities and it involves more action and killing aliens (to kill them, you have to shoot them in the liver).
And in this 3rd movie, Agent Recon, Jim goes on a mission with a Colonel Green (played by the great Marc Singer of The Beastmaster movies and V mini-series and show and many other things) to try and rescue the Colonel’s daughter from this group of aliens.
I’m not saying everything about these movies, but I will now say here that one of my favorite actors ever, Chuck Norris (Good Guys Wear Black, A Force Of One, The Octagon, Return Of The Dragon, Breaker Breaker, Silent Rage, Lone Wolf McQuade, Missing In Action, Missing In Action 2: The Beginning, Braddock: Missing In Action III, Invasion U.S.A., Code Of Silence, The Delta Force, Delta Force 2, Hero And The Terror, The Hitman, Sidekicks, Walker Texas Ranger, The Expendables 2) returns to the movies in Agent Recon.
This is Chuck’s first movie since The Expendables 2 in 2012.
He’s not the star, but trust me, if you are a Chuck fan like I am, this movie is worth seeing just for him.
I’ll be honest: I think the first two movies are better movies, per say, but Chuck really makes Agent Recon for me.
I love Marc Singer too of course and he’s great in it, and Derek Ting is definitely the star (and he’s great too) but seeing Chuck in this made my year.
He does all the action you want to see him do near the end.
He plays an artificial intelligence being who actually is given the memories of Michael Dorn’s (Lt. Commander Worf of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) character from Agent Revelation.
Again, I’m not saying everything about these movies, but I’ll just say this: if you are a fan of action or science fiction movies, these are for you.
Not the biggest budget movies, but I think they look good, shot well, and the stories are solid.
And having Chuck Norris in a movie again is cause enough to celebrate and to watch Agent Recon!!
And watch Agent Intelligence and Agent Revelation too.
Thank you Derek Ting for these movies and I look forward to more Agent movies.
Thank you Chuck Norris for everything and for giving fans like me another action packed movie part.
And thank you Marc Singer for kicking butt too!!
I took some screen shots while watching the movie. Hey I couldn’t help it because I was excited to see Chuck again.
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Prison (1987) Movie Review
I’d heard about the 1987 movie Prison for awhile and was curious to see it.
It’s a movie that did not get a lot of distribution and even when it has been released on home video, it always seems to go out of print.
So, I had to pay more than I wanted to for it, but ultimately, it was worth the money.
The movie Prison is about a deceased convict who was sentenced to the electric chair for killing someone, but in fact, did not do it.
The convict was set up by a then guard, now a warden, and the warden is quite haunted by this.
Turns out, this deceased convict turns up as a ghost at this newly reopened prison, headed by this warden, and starts killing prisoners and police one by one, ultimately leading to the warden.
Sorry if I spoiled it for you, but it was released in 1987, so there.
If you like ghost stories or prison dramas/thrillers, this is the movie for you.
Starring a then unknown Viggo Mortensen (later of The Lord Of The Rings fame and other movies) and a solid supporting cast, and directed by Renny Harlin (A Nightmare on Elm Street 4, Die Hard 2, Cliffhanger and many others), I really enjoyed this movie and am glad to have found it.
Also, horror movie icon Kane Hodder (Jason in Friday the 13th Parts 7-10, the Hatchet franchise and many others) plays the ghost seen at the end and is also the stunt coordinator and a stuntman in it.
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Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Movie Review
I’ve been a fan of the Planet of the Apes franchise since I was a teenager.
I’ve loved all of them. Even the one Tim Burton made I eventually liked.
So I was really looking forward to seeing the latest one, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.
It occurs generations after the last trilogy of movies, but still has all the ingredients of a Planet of the Apes story.
I’m not going to spoil anything here, but I will say that if you are a fan, I cannot imagine you not loving this movie.
I think it may be one of my favorites of the franchise. It is so well done. And the story is really good and the door has been left wide open for more. I’ve read that the hope is that this movie is the start of a new trilogy. We’ll see but I sure hope that is the case.
I love this movie.
In a word, it is Fantastic.
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Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Movie Review
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is a prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road.
This movie shows the title character Furiosa’s (played in this movie by Anya-Taylor Joy) journey from being a kid being captured by a biker horde led by Dementus (Chris Hemsworth) to being taken in to the Citadel, led by Immortan Joe (Lachy Hulme), escaping from being raped by one of Joe’s sons, then posing a mute boy, working to build a “War Rig”, learning everything she can on how to fix things and fight, with the ultimate goal of gaining revenge on Dementus, who killed her Mom, and trying to find her way home.
If you love Fury Road and all the other Mad Max movies, but especially Fury Road, you should love this movie.
I sure did.
It’s a great movie.
Once again directed and co-written by George Miller, who has made all of the Mad Max movies.
It
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The Fall Guy Movie Review
I’ve been a fan of the 80s series The Fall Guy since I was a teenager.
So, I was excited to find out that a movie adaptation was being made of it.
The movie stars Ryan Gosling as Colt Seavers (played by Lee Majors on the series), a stuntman who has a bad injury and is away from doing stunts for awhile.
He one day gets a call from a producer he’s worked for before to do stunts for a movie directed by his former girlfriend Jody (Emily Blunt).
There’s tension at first but ultimately, the ice melts and they end up getting back together.
But, during all of this, Colt ends up trying to find the star of this movie he’s doubling for, and let’s just say that craziness ensues.
I really love this movie. It’s a lot of fun. You don’t have to know anything about the series to enjoy it, although I hope this movie puts a new spotlight on the series (and Lee Majors and series co-star Heather Thomas have fun cameos at the end playing their original characters).
This is just a fun, exciting, popcorn movie.
Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt are great, as are all the cast (Jason Momoa even has a fun cameo near the end too.).
Go see it and have fun. I certainly did.
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Outlaw Johnny Black Movie Review
Outlaw Johnny Black, a western/comedy, is a movie that was in the works for years.
It started off as a crowdfunded movie (I unfortunately lost money on this deal. I preordered a signed Blu Ray and never received it and never got refunded.) and it took years to be released.
But ultimately, on September 15 of 2023, Outlaw Johnny Black was released in theaters and not too long after that home video.
Because I lost money on participating in the crowd funding, I avoided watching this movie for a long time because even though I was excited about it long before it was released, the fact I lost money soured me on it quite a bit.
However, I finally did watch it (I bought the DVD for a much less price than what I lost on the preorder.) and I can say I enjoyed it.
The movie stars Michael Jai White (Black Dynamite, Blood And Bone, Never Back Down 2 and 3, The Dark Knight, Universal Soldier and Universal Soldier: The Return and many more), who also co-wrote and directed it.
He plays the title character, a outlaw bent on avenging the death of his father. He also ends up posing as a preacher in a small town, in which he ends up helping the town against a crooked land baron.
The cast also includes Byron Minns, Anika Noni Rose, Erica AshTommy Davidson, Barry Bostwick, and many more, including a few cool cameos by Michael Madsen, Jim Brown, and Fred Williamson.
It’s a fun western/comedy with some cool, fun action in it.
I really love the scenes where Michael is posing as a preacher.
At one point, he does a sermon and often says “turn it loose!!”. You have to see it.
Again, even though I lost money on participating in a crowd fund, I did ultimately enjoy this movie and I recommend it to anyone who wants to see a fun western/comedy.
I’m a big Michael Jai White fan and he definitely delivered another winner here.
To quote Outlaw Johnny Black “Turn it loose!!! Turn it loose”.
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Gone Are The Days Movie Review
Gone Are The Days was released in 2017.
It stars Lance Henriksen, Tom Berenger, Billy Lush, Meg Steedle, Steve Railsback, and Danny Trejo.
Henriksen plays Taylon, an outlaw who is near the end of his life.
He wants to rob one more bank before he dies so he can give his daughter (Steedle), who does not even know he is her Dad, the money and the money he already has in savings so she can live a good life.
What he does not realize is that she is a prostitute who is being pimped out by Railsback’s character, and so Henriksen needs to get her away from him too.
Berenger plays a sheriff and former Texas Ranger, who has history with Henriksen’s character.
This is definitely a western, but it is really more a character story of someone (Henriksen) at the end of their life.
You watch the movie and wonder what is real and what is perhaps a dream because Henriksen’s character is so far gone.
I found the movie a bit weird because of this, but nevertheless, I really enjoyed it.
I’m a big Lance Henriksen and Tom Berenger fan, as well as Danny Trejo (who has a small but important role in this).
Don’t expect this to be a straight ahead western because it isn’t.
But it is a good movie and I think everyone did a very good job with it.
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Scream Queen: My Nightmare On Elm Street Review
Scream Queen: My Nightmare On Elm Street is a documentary about actor Mark Patton, who is most known as the star of Nightmare On Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge.
Yes this documentary talks about Mark’s experience working on that movie (one of my favorite horror movies), but this documentary is really his life story.
He talks about his upbringing, about figuring out his sexuality, getting into acting and why he left acting (really off the grid period for many years), and about just surviving all the obstacles that have come his way.
This documentary also shows him going on the road for conventions/fan expos/Comic Cons meeting fans and reuniting with some of his Nightmare On Elm Street 2 cast and crew. And trying to find some peace with the writer of the movie, who he had major issues with.
Mark has really lived, nearly died, and is still going strong.
His story is extremely compelling and inspiring.
You may even cry a little because there is some heavy stuff in this. But it is stuff you should know about. Not just about him, but about humanity in general. Both good and bad.
I want to wish Mark all the best in the world.
This is a PHENOMENAL documentary.
I HIGHLY recommend seeking out this documentary.
You do not have to be a horror fan or Nightmare On Elm Street fan to watch or enjoy this.
This is a human story. And one I think everyone should see.
Thank you Mark for this.
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My Ranking of the Works of Filmmaker John Carpenter
John Carpenter is one of my favorite filmmakers.
He is a great director, producer, writer, musician, and an awesome person.
His body of work speaks for itself, I think.
I am here to rank his work, on how I feel about it.
This is tough because I love most of it, and I don’t hate any of it.
But I’m going to give it a try.
So here it goes:
- Escape From New York-This is tough, but I’ll say this is my favorite movie he has made. Great action movie set in the future. Kurt Russell is great as a Clint Eastwood type anti-hero named Snake Plissken. Kurt said for many years that this was his favorite character. Great supporting cast with Lee Van Cleef, Donald Pleasence, Ernest Borgnine, Adrienne Barbeau, Harry Dean Stanton, and more. Phenomenal music by Carpenter. Classic movie I think.
- Escape From LA-The sequel to Escape From New York. Many people hate this movie and love to trash it. But I’ve always loved it. My Dad took me to the theater to see it. I loved it then and now. It’s very similar to Escape From New York, but it’s also different too. But like the first movie, it’s just a great, fun action movie with a great cast and music. Kurt plays Snake Plissken again perfectly. I love this movie. No apologies.
- Halloween-A horror/thriller masterpiece. This really put Carpenter on the map. Masterfully shot. Great cast. Phenomenal music by Carpenter. Even if you’re not a fan of horror movies, check this one out if you haven’t. There’s really not even much blood in it. It’s really well done.
- The Thing-A remake of The Thing From Another World, although quite different from the original. This version is based on the short story called Who Goes There. Kurt Russell stars again, along with another great cast. Great special effects that still hold up today. This movie was released three weeks after E.T. was released, and was hurt, box office wise by that. But I dare to say that it holds up arguably better than E.T. does (and I like E.T.). Some of it I still find quite chilling. Great movie.
- The Fog-A phenomenal ghost story/horror/ thriller. Really more of a ghost story, but a great one. Again, great cast, well shot (although according to Carpenter, it was a hard movie to make), great effects. I love this movie.
- Big Trouble In Little China-A masterpiece action/comedy. Kurt Russell again stars. Earlier movie for future Sex And The City co-star Kim Cattrall, who is great in this. Lots of action, but also extremely funny. You have to watch it.
- Christine-Based on a Stephen King novel about a car that is alive and can manipulate and even kill people. I love this movie. Check it out.
- Assault On Precinct 13-Carpenter’s first true theatrical movie (Dark Star did play in theaters, but it was really more of a student film.). Kind of a modern day version of a classic western called Rio Bravo. Carpenter even used the lead character name of that movie, John T. Chance, as his surname editor credit. Assault was remade many years later, but I’m talking about the original. Very well done movie.
- In The Mouth Of Madness-Great movie starring Sam Neill, in which he plays an insurance investigator trying to solve the disappearance of a horror novelist, but yet also ultimately loses his mind when crazy things start happening. Charlton Heston also stars.
- They Live-Wrestler “Rowdy” Roddy Piper is the star of this awesome action/science fiction film. A lot of fun.
- Prince Of Darkness-A science fiction/horror/zombie movie starring Donald Pleasence. Alice Cooper even has a brief part in it. Very good movie.
- Starman-Jeff Bridges and Karen Allen star in this story about an alien who ends up taking the shape of the husband of a widower, how their relationship develops, and about the alien trying to get back home. Very heartfelt science fiction movie.
- Ghosts of Mars-Maybe an under the radar movie, but I really like it. Natasha Henstridge and Ice Cube star in this action/science fiction movie set on Mars. Earlier movie for Jason Statham too.
- Someone’s Watching Me-A TV movie starring Lauren Hutton. She plays a TV newscast director who is being stalked by a man. Very good movie, and sadly, a still true to life movie about stalking.
- Body Bags-A three story feature that was made for Showtime. I see it as Showtime’s attempt at wanting their version of HBO’s Tales From The Crypt. Carpenter plays this dead coroner doing the intros/outros of the stories. Star studded cast in all three stories. Some include Robert Carradine, Stacy Keach, and Mark Hamill. A lot of fun. Carpenter directed two of the stories. Tobe Hooper directed the third one.
- Vampires-A pretty good vampire movie. James Woods and Daniel Baldwin play vampire hunters, paid by the Vatican, who are after a vampire master. Kind of a modern day western, but set within a vampire story.
- Memoirs Of An Invisible Man-Chevy Chase, Darryl Hannah, and Sam Neill star in this story about a man who ultimately becomes invisible and the government is after him. Carpenter has said that he hated working with Chase and Hannah, but ultimately, I think he/they came out with a good movie.
- The Ward-Very good movie, starring Amber Heard, about schizophrenia.
- Masters of Horror-This was a series of shows made by famous horror directors. Carpenter made two of them (Cigarette Burns and Pro-Life).
- Village Of The Damned-Another remake starring Christopher Reeve, Kirstie Alley, Linda Kozlowski, and Mark Hamill, about a group of kids/aliens that take over a small town.
- Dark Star-More of a student film, but ultimately did turn into a theatrical movie. Very bizarre space comedy. The villain is literally a beach ball.
- Halloween 2-Carpenter was more the producer/writer/film composer/musician, but did direct a few of the scenes. A good follow up to a movie classic.
- Halloween 3-Carpenter was a co-producer/film composer/musician, and wrote a draft of the script. This movie has nothing to do with the Halloween franchise, except for the name. But as a stand alone horror movie, it is excellent.
- Black Moon Rising-A pretty good action movie/thriller starring Tommy Lee Jones, Linda Hamilton, and Robert Vaughn. Carpenter wrote this.
- Vampires: Los Muertos-Carpenter was an executive producer of this. Not a direct sequel to Vampires, but a similar story where Jon Bon Jovi (yes the singer/songwriter) plays a vampire hunter who assembles a team to go after a vampire master. Not bad.
- Suburban Screams-Carpenter’s latest project in which he was a producer and does the intro to each show. An anthology series chronicling six true stories. Various topics are paranormal, an escaped killer, a “Bunny Man” killer, and more. Actually quite scary at times. Available to watch on Peacock.
Well that’s it for now.
He’s actually made a lot of music for his movies, other people’s movies, and actual original albums too.
Maybe I’ll post about them in a separate review.
Either way, I love John Carpenter.
Amazing talent. Even better person.
