Category: Celebs

THE MAKING OF QUENTIN TARANTINO’S ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD by Jay Glennie is Coming!

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Quentin Tarantino fans are gonna love this.  THE MAKING OF QUENTIN TARANTINO’S ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD by Jay Glennie premieres soon.  Here’s the lowdown…

Legendary filmmaker Quentin Tarantino personally introduces the definitive and official examination of his entire oeuvre with the Quentin Tarantino Library written by Jay Glennie.

In the first book in the series, THE MAKING OF QUENTIN TARANTINO’S ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD, writer Jay Glennie pulls back the curtain on the visionary writer/director/producer’s ninth film, with unprecedented access to the filmmaker, cast, and crew. This epic tome is a stunning and faithful deep dive into the mind of a masterful auteur and a must-have book for all film lovers and Quentin Tarantino fans.

For the first time ever Academy Award winning filmmaker Quentin Tarantino has granted respected journalist and author Jay Glennie unique access revealing the never-before-told behind-the-scenes making of one of the most iconic films of all time, Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood.

Quentin Tarantino personally introduces the volume, as well as providing hundreds of behind-the-scenes photographs, along with production memos, concept art, and costume and production design sketches. There are also exclusive reproductions of letters, studio documents and film ephemera. The result is an account of the monumental effort undertaken to produce Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood and is the official record of how it was achieved, from inception to the world premiere and on to ten Academy Award nominations, resulting in two Oscars.

The book includes new and exclusive interviews undertaken by Jay Glennie with key cast and crew members, including Oscar winning actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt, Oscar nominee Margot Robbie, and the brilliant supporting cast including Oscar winner Mikey Madison, Margaret Qualley, Oscar nominee Austin Butler, Lena Dunham, Kurt Russell, Dakota Fanning, Emile Hirsch, Damian Lewis, Maya Hawke, and Sydney Sweeney.

First book in the series!!

THE MAKING OF QUENTIN TARANTINO’S ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD  Hardcover

THE MAKING OF QUENTIN TARANTINO’S ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD  Kindle

RIP: Drew Struzan

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It was announced that Drew Struzan died yesterday.  Mr. Struzan had dealt with Alzheimer’s disease for may years . Drew Struzan was 78.

Drew Stuzan was born in Oregon City, Oregon.  He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors from the ArtCenter College of Design in Los Angeles.  After graduation Drew Struzan began working for the design studio Pacific Eye & Ear.  During his time there Mr. Struzan designed many record album covers including covers for the Beach Boys, the Bee Gees, Roy Orbison, Black Sabbath, Glenn Miller, Earth, Wind & Fire, and many others.  Perhaps the most famous of Drew Struzan’s album art is Welcome to My Nightmare created for Alice Cooper.

Drew Struzan and a friend decided to start their own company, Pencil Pushers.  In these early days, Mr. Struzan began to get movie poster work, but it was mostly for B-films such as Empire of the Ants.  In 1977, Drew Stuzan was asked to work with Charles White III on a poster for the re-release of Star Wars.  Mr. Struzan painted the human likenesses and Mr. White worked on the spacecraft, robots and Darth Vader.  The poster was a hit.

Drew Struzan was considered by many to be THE go-to guy for a great movie poster.  Steven Spielberg said that Drew Struzan was his favorite artist and “I had to almost live up to the art that we later were going to ask Drew to create for the poster.”  High praise indeed.

Some of the movies that featured posters by Drew Struzan include: Escape to Witch Mountain; Robin and Marian; Harry & Walter Go and New York; Food of the Gods; Futureworld; Car Wash; The Seven-Per-Cent Solution; Tentacles; Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope; Empire of the Ants; The Last Remake of Beau Geste; March or Die; California Suite; The Muppet Movie; The Frisco Kid; Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back; Fame; Oh, Heavenly Dog; Raise the Titanic; All Night Long; Raiders of the Lost Ark; The Cannonball Run; The Great Muppet Caper; The Fox and the Hound; I, the Jury; E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial; The Thing; Blade Runner; Tron; First Blood; The Dark Crystal; The Sting II; The Pirates of Penzance; Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi; Under Fire; Risky Business; To Be or Not to Be; Police Academy; Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom; Ladyhawke; Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment; The Goonies; Back to the Future; Better Off Dead; White Nights; Police Academy 3: Back in Training; Big Trouble in Little China; The Name of the Rose; An American Tail; Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol; Harry and the Hendersons; Adventures in Babysitting; Masters of the Universe; Coming to America; The Land Before Time; Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade; Harlem Nights; All Dogs Go to Heaven; Back to the Future Part II; Back to the Future Part III; Hook; Aladdin; The Muppet Christmas Carol; The Flintstones; Angels in the Outfield; The Mask; The Shawshank Redemption; Mallrats; Cutthroat Island; Mars Attacks; The Lost World: Jurassic Park; Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace; The Green Mile; Harry Potter and the Sorcer’s Stone; Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones; Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets; Hellboy; Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith; War of the Worlds; Pans Labyrinth; The Mist; Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull; This is the End; Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens and Animal Crackers.

I first became aware of Drew Struzan’s art before I even knew who he was.  I saw a drawing of Sly Stallone for First Blood on a paperback cover.  I actually wrote to the publishing company with a self-addressed stamped envelope asking for the name of the artist that did the art.  I held out little hope for a response, but I got one.  Sadly, the person who responded didn’t know the name of the artist.  They did tell me that the company used was Pencil Pushers.  Since this was the days before the internet, I never found where Pencil Pushers was located.  Or that Drew Struzan created the art.  I would learn that later when I like every other movie fan fell in love with his beautiful movie posters.

My favorite Drew Struzan posters are the First Blood paintings he did followed very closely by his artwork for I, the Jury starring Armand Assante.  Thanks to the internet, as well as Drew Struzan’s personal website and his instagram page, we’ve been able to see many pieces of his art that weren’t movie posters.  I love Drew Struzan’s sketches, drawings, commissions and personal work.  There’s always a thrill to see a Drew Struzan piece for the first time.  Like all great artists, the thrill of repeated viewings is always there.

Out thoughts and prayers go out to Drew Struzan’s family, friends and fans.

“The Conversation” (1974) written & directed by Francis Ford Coppola; starring Gene Hackman / Z-View

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The Conversation (1974)

Director:  Francis Ford Coppola

Screenplay: Francis Ford Coppola

Stars: Gene Hackman, John Cazale, Allen Garfield, Frederic Forrest, Cindy Williams, Michael Higgins, Elizabeth MacRae, Teri Garr, Harrison Ford, Mark Wheeler, Ramon Bieri, Gian-Carlo Coppola, Robert Duvall  and Robert Shields.

Tagline: Harry Caul is an invader of privacy. The best in the business. He can record any conversation between two people anywhere. So far, three people are dead because of him.

The Plot…

Harry Caul is an audio recording specialist.  Perhaps the best in the business.  That’s why Harry is hired to secretly record conversations for high priced clients.  Harry says he doesn’t care how the recordings are used once he turns them over.  Truth is Harry feels guilty that some of his recordings may have led to the murders of three people.

When on his current job Harry pieces together muffled audio, the conversation indicates someone is going to be murdered.  Now Harry feels it is his responsibility to stop the killing.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The Conversation was nominated for three 1975 Academy Awards…

  • Nominee for Best Sound – Walter Murch, Art Rochester
  • Nominee for Best Writing, Original Screenplay – Francis Ford Coppola
  • Nominee for Best Picture –Francis Ford Coppola

Francis Ford Coppola’s screenplay for The Conversation, written in 1966, couldn’t get financing until his success with The Godfather.

Harrison Ford’s part was originally written as a cameo.  His character didn’t even have a name.  Ford’s suggestion to play the character as gay (an unusual choice in 1974) and his suggestions to Coppola, led to the part being expanded.

Gene Hackman and Terri Garr would also appear together in Young Frankenstein the same year.

Most folks rate The Conversation higher than me.  It currently has a 7.7 rating on IMDB and on Rotten Tomatoes it has a 94% reviewers rating and 89% users’ rating. So, as always, your mileage may vary.

The Conversation (1974) rates 3 of 5 stars.

PUSH THE WALL: MY LIFE WRITING, DRAWING, AND THE ART OF STORYTELLING by Frank Miller is Coming!

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Frank Miller the genius behind Sin City, 300, The Dark Night Returns, Batman: Year One, Ronin and so many more great comic tales has a new book coming.  Here’s the lowdown…

From the all-time bestselling mind behind Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Daredevil, 300, and Sin City, Push the Wall is part memoir, part master class for budding artists and writers by one of the greatest living creators whose work has influenced pop culture for decades.

Frank Miller is our greatest living comic book writer and artist.

Frank Miller shares his life, and through, his artistic process. Miller’s artistic influence is evident in so very much of our popular culture, perhaps most notably with Batman — every film adaptation from the past forty years has been influenced by Miller’s work with the Dark Knight.

Simply, Frank Miller has transformed the way comics are told.

Here, Frank’s mix of autobiographical lessons evokes Patti Smith’s Just Kids as it weaves his struggles as a seventeen-year-old kid fresh from Vermont into a seedy 1970s New York City with his eventual success on reimagining Daredevil and Wolverine. From there to Miller’s rescue and revitalization of Batman, to his time in Hollywood, the Sin City comics and film adaptations he would codirect, and the retelling of the Spartans’ last stand in 300. Miller, by constantly challenging himself as an artist and writer on his terms, built an iconoclastic career.

With over a dozen illustrations of Miller’s art, PUSH THE WALL is the work of his career—it is a masterclass as it encapsulates his life in sixteen lessons for the aspiring creative reader.

This will be a must-have for aspiring writers and artists, as well as die hard Miller fans.

PUSH THE WALL Hardcover
PUSH THE WALL Kindle

Sly Stallone is The Tulsa King by Rich Hennemann!

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Rich Hennemann is a freelance artist. A few years ago I picked up his sketchbook and a sketch and I was hooked. Since then I’ve gotten several sketches from Rich.

For this piece I requested Sly Stallone as Dwight Manfredi from the hit television series Tulsa King.   Rich absolutely nailed it.  I couldn’t be more pleased.  There will be more art from Rich in my future.  If you’re a sketch collector, you owe it to yourself to get a piece as well.

“The Paper” (2025) / Z-View

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“The Paper” (2025)

Created by: Greg Daniels, Michael Koman; based on The Office created by Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant

Teleplay by:

  • (eps. 1-2) Greg Daniels & Michael Koman
  • (ep. 3) Patrick Kang & Michael Levin
  • (ep. 4) Amanda Rosenberg
  • (ep. 5) Mo Welch
  • (ep. 6) Eric Rahill
  • (ep. 7) Alex Edelman
  • (ep. 8) Ben Philippe
  • (ep. 9) L.E. Correia
  • (ep. 10) Paul Lieberstein

Directed by:

  • Greg Daniels (ep. 1)
  • Ken Kwapis  (ep. 2)
  • Yana Gorskaya (ep. 3)
  • Paul Lieberstein (ep. 4)
  • Tazbah Chavez (ep. 5)
  • Jason Woliner (ep. 6)
  • Jennifer Celotta (ep. 7)
  • Matt Sohn (ep. 8)
  • Dave Rogers (ep. 9)
  • Jeffrey Blitz (ep. 10)

Stars: Domhnall Gleeson, Sabrina Impacciatore, Chelsea Frei, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Ramona Young, Nancy Lenehan and Oscar Nuñez.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

The documentary crew that followed Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton, Pennsylvania, office has now turned their cameras to The Toledo Truth Teller Newspaper office.  The dying paper has hired a new editor. He has brought in volunteers from Enervate’s (the newspaper’s parent company) other departments to work as reporters.

  • “Pilot”  Ned Sampson is hired as new managing editor of the paper.  Esmeralda Grand, the former acting editor, appears to support Ned.  In reality she wants him gone.  The paper had been running AP items and filler.  Ned wants to publish real news from the community.  He brings in folks from other departments who have no writing experience.

 

  • “The Five W’s”  Ned sends his new “reporters” out to find stories for the first edition of the newspaper under his leadership.  Their efforts produce unintentionally comedic results. As the deadline looms, his reporters’ results include one of his reporters in the hospital, two of his reporters fell for a prank story, another is in jail and the serial killer leads Ned was chasing were caused by his phone calls to the morgue!  With no news to report, how will the first edition come out?

 

  • “Buddy and the Dude”  Esmeralda continues to spread dissent behind the scenes.  Mare, Ned’s best reporter (who he is attracted to) considers taking another job.  In an effort to connect with her (and keep her at the paper), Ned and Mare go undercover on a “big” story that could blow the lid on the mattress business.

 

  • “TTT vs the Blogger”  When high school students get a tour of the newspaper office, it’s obvious the students know more about reporting than the “reporters”.  Worse still, the high school editor has more followers to his blog than the newspaper has subscribers.  This leads to an escalating rivalry between Ned and the school paper’s editor that goes public.
  • “Scam Alert!”  A scammer has been taking financial advantage of lonely Toledo residents.  Ned talks to his team about making this a lead story.  They accidentally learn that Esmeraldo is one of the victims still being scammed.

 

  • “I Love You”  Ned’s idea of a series of consumer reports backfires when his reporters test products with disasterous results.

 

  • “I Love You”  Marv Putnam, CEO of Enervate, the newspaper’s parent company has to set up his office on the newspaper’s floor.  This puts the entire office on edge.

 

  • “Church and State”  When it’s learned that Softees’ “Man Wipes” have caused a major plumbing issue for the city, it’s a story.  But Ned is encouraged to not cover it.  “Man Wipes” are produced by the newspaper’s parent company.  The bad press could kill them.  Ned is torn between doing what’s right and doing what’s right for the company.  Then he comes through like a champ.

 

  • “Matching Ponchos”  Mare and Ned go on the road to investigate a cult.  Miscommunications create tension between the two.  Meanwhile the company takes to the air waves for damage control over the “Man Wipes” incident.

 

  • “The Ohio Journalism Awards”  Against all odds, The Toledo Truth Teller has been nominated for three Ohio Journalism Awards.  The team attend the awards.  Ned is just happy to have been nominated.  Mare is hoping for valedation.  Esmeraldo just wants the spotlight no matter who wins.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The Paper is an nice way to spend 3o minutes.

It’s interesting to note that the lead of The Paper, Domhnall Gleeson co-starred in the limited series The Patient.  Gleeson’s co-star in The Patient was Steve Carell.  Carell was the lead of The Office.  The Paper is a spin-off (of sorts) of The Office.

The Paper (2025) earns 4 of 5 stars.

“Star Trek: Strange New Worlds”: Season 3 (2025) / Z-View

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2025)

Created by: Akiva Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman Jenny Lumet; based on Star Trek created by Gene Roddenberry

Teleplay by:

  • (ep. 1) Davy Perez from a story by Henry Alonso Myers & Davy Perez
  • (ep. 2) Kirsten Beyer & David Reed
  • (ep. 3) Onitra Johnson & Bill Wolkoff
  • (ep. 4) Dana Horgan & Kathryn Lyn
  • (ep. 5) Onitra Johnson & Davy Perez
  • (ep. 6) David Reed & Bill Wolkoff
  • (ep. 7) Kathryn Lyn & Alan B. McElroy
  • (ep. 8) Dana Horgan & Henry Alonso Myers
  • (ep. 9) Alan B. McElroy
  • (ep. 10) Dana Horgan & Davy Perez

Directed by:

  • Chris Fisher (ep. 1)
  • Jordan Canning  (eps. 2, 8)
  • Dan Liu (ep. 3)
  • Jonathan Frakes (ep. 4)
  • Andi Armaganian (ep. 5)
  • Valerie Weiss (ep. 6)
  • Sharon Lewis (ep. 7)
  • Andrew Coutts (ep. 9)
  • Maja Vrvilo (ep. 10)

Stars: Anson Mount, Ethan Peck, Jess Bush, Christina Chong, Celia Rose Gooding, Melissa Navia, Babs Olusanmokun, Martin Quinn, Rebecca Romijn, Dan Jeannotte, Paul Wesley, Adrian Holmes, Melanie Scrofano, Cillian O’Sullivan, Warren Scherer and Carol Kane.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

During Season 3 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Captain Christopher Pike and the crew of the USS Enterprise face more dangerous adventures.

  • “Hegemony, Part II”  Pike leads an attempt to rescue crew members and colonists held captive on a Gorn ship outside of Federation territory.  Meanwhile Spock and Nurse Chapel work to find a cure to save Captain Marie Batel from Gorn eggs implanted in her body.

 

  • “Wedding Bell Blues”  Three months have passed.  The Enterprise is docked for repairs.  Nurse Chapel returns from her internship with Dr. Roger Korby who is now her new boyfriend (much to Spock’s dissapointment).  The next morning Spock awakens to find everyone planning for his and Nurse Chapel’s wedding.  Only Spock and Korby realize reality has changed.

 

  • “Shuttle to Kenfori”  The Gorn DNA in Captain Marie Batel’s body has awakened.  Her only chance for survival lies with a rare flower found on the planet Kenfori.  Because Kenfori is contested by both the Federation and the Klingons, it is off limits to both.  With the Enterprise monitoring from a distance, Pike and Dr. M’Benga go down to the planet to retrieve the flowers.  There they find scientists who’ve transformed into zombies.  When the Klingons discover that the Enterprise, they send down a war party to capture/kill Pike and M’Benga.  With each passing minute the odds of Captain Bartel’s survival diminishes.  Same can be said for Pike and M’Benga with zombies and Klingons out to kill them.

 

  • “A Space Adventure Hour”  La’an Noonien-Singh is directed to test/de-bug a new addition to the Enterprise.  The “holodeck” is a holographic simulator.  La’an decides to run a murder mystery scenario based on a 1960s show called The Last Frontier.  Crew member likeness will be used for the cast.  The holodeck begins draining huge amounts of energy and the test goes off the rails.  La’an is trapped. People are being murdered… or are they?

 

  • “Through the Lens of Time”  On a distant planet Spock, Nurse Chapel, Dr. Korby, Junior Medical Officer Gamble, and Beto (who is documenting the expedition) discover an ancient structure.  When Gamble picks up a glowing object it explodes in his face.  Gamble is transported back to the Enterprise.  Meanwhile Spock and his team become trapped in the ancient building.  There they learn that the structure was a prison — one with no escape.  Back on the Enterprise, Dr. M’Benga’s efforts to save Gamble have failed.  All scans show no brain activity… yet he appears awake.

 

  • “The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail”  When the USS Farragut is attacked by a huge ship of unknown orgin, the ship’s Captain is one of the injured.  James T. Kirk becomes acting Captain for the first time.  The Enterprise arrives to assist. Spock, Nurse Chapel, Lieutenant junior grade Scott, and communications officer Nyota Uhura join to assist Kirk on the Farragut. When the attack ship returns it attacks the Enterprise by draining its power and cutting off all communications.  The Enterprise is doomed unless Kirk can lead his new crew and with a damaged ship figure a way to take out the assault warship.

 

  • “What Is Starfleet?”  A documentary filmmaker has been allowed to travel with the Enterprise.  When Captain Pike is ordered to provide assistance to a non-Federation planet at war with a neighboring planet, the filmmaker begins to aggressively show all of Pike’s decisions/actions in a negative light.  The mission is further complicated when a creature of war being transported on the Enterprise escapes.

 

  • “Four-and-a-Half Vulcans”  In order to save a planet that prohibits humans from landing, Pike, Chapel, Uhura, and La’An undergo changes to their DNA to allow them to pass as Vulcans.  Once the mission is completed, their DNA will be changed back.  During the change they will for all purposes think, act and feel as a Vulcan.  The mission is a success.  When the four return to the Enterprise, they announce that they don’t want to change back to humans.  That would be illogical.

 

  • “Terrarium”  While flying a solo shuttle mission, Ortegas’ craft is pulled through a wormhole. The shuttle crashlands.  Shaken, but alive Ortegas discovers herself on a barren, hostile planet.  But she’s not alone.  A Gorn pilot who suffered the same fate is also there.  Gorn and humans are natural enemies, but in order for both to survive, they will need to trust each other.  Meanwhile the crew attempts to locate the planet where Ortegas crashed.  The Enterprise is on a mission to deliever needed vacines soon or colonists will die.  The clock is ticking.

 

  • “New Life and New Civilizations”  It is revealed that Junior Medical Officer Gamble is dead and an alien is using his body.  The creature has a plan to free others like it from the structure discovered by Dr. Korby, Spock and the landing party some time back.  It will take the power of two star ships and absolutely perfect timing to stop the creature.  But Spock with the help of James T. Kirk has a plan.  At the same time Captain Pike’s love, Marie Bartel makes a decision that will affect both of them for the rest of their lives.  Oh, what could have been.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Ethan Peck, who plays Mr. Spock, is the grandson of actor Gregory Peck.  Ethan Peck is excellent as Spock.

I was a fan of the original Star Trek series, cartoon and movies with the original cast.  I never watched any other Star Trek productions.  So I’m not a die hard fan of everything Star Trek.  Believe me, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is exceptional.  Everything from the production values, the cast, the direction and the music is spot on.  Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is a love letter to everything the original series strived to be.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is perfectly cast.  Anson Mount is perfect in his role, but so are Ethan Peck, Jess Bush, Celia Rose Gooding and Melissa Navia.  The series is well written with each major cast member displaying personality and getting a showcase.  If you’re a fan of the original series there are things that begin in Strange New Worlds that will reverberate in the original series.

In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Season 3 different characters continue to get the spotlight. This season saw a greater focus on humor.  I love Pike as a Captain, but seeing how Spock and Kirk first interacted is a real joy.  It’s also cool that when the focus moves to secondary characters, my interest is still there — Ortega, Nurse Chapel, M’Benga and Nyota Uhura are favorites.

I enjoyed every episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Season 3 and look forward to Season 4.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2025) earns 4 of 5 stars.

Sly Stallone as Barney Ross from “The Expendables” by Andrew Charipar!

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Andrew Charipar is a Florida artist that I met going to conventions throughout the state.  Andrew was always friendly.  Getting a sketch at any show Andrew attended was mandatory.

In addition to his work as an artist, Andrew owns and manages Misfit Corner Comics in Jacksonville, Florida.

Here we have Andrew’s take on Sly Stallone as Barney Ross from The Expendables!

The 25 Best One Man Armies in the Movies

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Way back in 2009, EmpireOnLine.com posted their list of The 25 Best One Man Armies in the Movies.  Of course, Rambo came in at #1.  Who could argue with that?  Using just their choices I made my top ten list.  You can check it out here should you desire.

But since that list was made so long ago, I felt it was time to come up with an updated list of The 25 Best One Man Armies in the Movies.   These choices can [and should] be debated.  Isn’t that the purpose of lists?

Here are my suggestions…

  1. Rambo played by SYLVESTER STALLONE in the RAMBO franchise
  2. Lee played by BRUCE LEE in ENTER THE DRAGON
  3. John Wick played by Keanu Reeves in the JOHN WICK franchise

The rest appear in alphabetical order

Alejandro played by BENECIO DEL TORO in SICARIO

Billy Jack played by TOM LAUGHLIN in the BILLY JACK franchise

Bryan Mills played by LIAM NEESON in TAKEN

Chance Boudreaux played by JEAN-CLAUDE VAN DAMME in HARD TARGET

Detective Dave Bannon played by GLENN FORD in THE BIG HEAT

Geno Felino played by STEVEN SEAGAL in OUT FOR JUSTICE

Jack Reacher played by TOM CRUISE in the REACHER franchise

John Matrix played by ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER in COMMANDO

John McClane played by BRUCE WILLIS in the DIE HARD franchise

John Patrick Mason played by SEAN CONNERY in THE ROCK

Leon played by JEAN RENO in LEON THE PROFESSIONAL

Martin Riggs played by MEL GIBSON in the LETHAL WEAPON franchise

Marv played by MICKEY ROURKE in the SIN CITY franchise

Max Rockatansky played by MEL GIBSON in the MAD MAX franchise

Porter played by MEL GIBSON in PAYBACK

Scott Ward played by DAVE BAUTISTA in ARMY OF THE DEAD

Snake Plissken played by KURT RUSSELL in the ESCAPE FROM franchise

Tom Sharky played by BURT REYNOLDS in SHARKY’S MACHINE

Toorop played by VIN DIESEL in BABYLON A.D.

Tyler Rake played by CHRIS HEMSWORTH in the EXTRACTION franchise

Walker played by LEE MARVIN in POINT BLANK

Walker played by TOM HARDY in HAVOC

“The Outfit” (1973) starring Robert Duvall, Karen Black, Joe Don Baker and Robert Ryan / Z-View

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The Outfit (1973)

Director:  John Flynn

Screenplay: John Flynn, Walter Hill (uncredited); based on THE OUTFIT by Richard Stark

Stars: Robert Duvall, Karen Black, Joe Don Baker, Robert Ryan, Timothy Carey, Richard Jaeckel, Sheree North, Felice Orlandi, Marie Windsor, Jane Greer, Henry Jones, Joanna Cassidy, Tom Reese, Bill McKinney, Anita O’Day, Archie Moore, Tony Young and Elisha Cook Jr..

Tagline: Nobody plays rougher than The Outfit…Except maybe Earl, Cody and Bett!

The Plot…

When Earl Macklin gets out of prison, his girlfriend Bett picks him up.  She drives to a motel and informs Earl that his brother was recently murdered.  Late that night a man breaks into the hotel room and attempts to kill Earl.  Earl survives and gets the upper hand.  He then tortures the man for information.

Earl’s brother robbed a syndicate bank.  That’s the reason he was killed.  They sent the killer to take out Earl so he wouldn’t seek revenge.  Earl lets the killer live on the condition he takes a message to the people that hired him.  The message: The Outfit owes him $250,000.00.  If they pay, Earl will go away.  Until they do, Earl is going to cost them money that he’ll keep.  And they will still owe him the quarter million.

Earl wants his money.  And he doesn’t care how many people he has to kill to get it.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Film legend, Robert Ryan’s last released film. He was also in Executive Action filmed after The Outfit, but released first.

The Outfit features Joanna Cassidy’s film debut.

Former Light Heavyweight Champion Archie Moore has a role as a tough guy.  Moore held the light heavyweight boxing title for ten years — longer than any champ in that division.

The great (and eccentric) character actor Timothy Carey appears in a supporting role.  Same could be said of Elisha Cook, Jr.

The Outfit (1973) rates 4 of 5 stars.

Get Carter by Jarrod Alberich aka The Yard Sale Artist!

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Jarrod Alberich aka The Yard Sale Artist created the Jack Carter piece for pick-up at HeroesCon.  I’ve known Jarrod for years.  He’s a fun guy and an easy artist to deal with.

Jarrod calls himself The Yard Sale Artist because he uses materials that he finds at yard sales, thrift stores and so on. Jarrod passes those savings on to his customers with reasonable prices.

“Dredd” (2012) starring Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby and Lena Headey / Z-View

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Dredd (2012)

Director:  Pete Travis

Screenplay:  Alex Garland; based on Judge Dredd by John Wagner, Carlos Ezquerra

Stars: Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby, Lena Headey, Jason Cope, Tamer Burjaq and Deobia Oparei.

Tagline: Judgment is coming

The Plot…

In a dystopian future law officers are given authority to become judge, jury and executioner (as needed).  These police are called Judges.  The bring law and order to the Mega-City One where 800 million residents eke out a living.

Judge Dredd, a veteran officer is tasked to assess Cassandra Anderson. If Anderson survives the day making appropriate decisions and leving correct setences, she will become a Judge.

Dredd and Anderson are called to the Peach Tree Towers.  There they find three murder victims who had been tortured and skinned before being tossed from one of the 200 storey towers.  The Peach Tree Towers are the home base of Madeline “Ma-Ma” Madrigal.  Ma-Ma is head of a notorius drug cartel.  She was sending a message through the torture murders of the three victims.

Dredd and Anderson capture one of Ma-Ma’s soldiers and decide to take him in for questioning.  Ma-Ma is not going to let that happen.  Ma-Ma and her crew take control of the building’s security room.  They disrupt communications going in or out of the towers.  Ma-Ma then lowers the Tower’s nuclear blast shields.  No one is getting in or out.

Ma-Ma then announces over the Towers communication system that a bounty has been placed on the heads of Dredd and Anderson.  Anyone who kills them will be rewarded.  Anyone who helps them will, along with their families, be executed.

Alone and outnumbered, with no help coming, Dredd and Anderson decide to take the fight to Ma-Ma and her cartel.

Prepare to be judged.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

In the comics that Judge Dredd is based on, Dredd is never seen without his helmet on.  Karl Urban refused to take his helmet off for any scenes.

Although Pete Travis is listed as the director of Dredd, many say that Alex Garland directed most of the movie.  Karl Urban has stated this as well.

Karl Urban is excellent as Judge Dredd.  The same for Lena Headey as Ma-Ma.

Dredd (2012) (1932) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“We Bury the Dead” starring Daisy Miller – The Trailer is Here!

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Check out the trailer for We Bury the Dead starring Daisy Miller.

Deal me in!

After a catastrophic military disaster, the dead don’t just rise – they hunt. Ava (Daisy Ridley) searches for her missing husband, but what she finds is far more terrifying.

Starring: Daisy Ridley, Brenton Thwaites, Mark Coles Smith
Directed by: Zak Hilditch
Release Date: January 2, 2026