Last of the Independents by Matt Fraction (Writer) and Kieron Dwyer (Artist) was first published nearly 20 years ago. Here’s part of what I said when I reviewed it back in 2007:
Last of the Independents is Fraction’s love letter to the creators and fans of the movie “Charley Varrick”. Like in the movie, a middle aged guy and his crew knock off a small town bank only to discover it’s mob money that they’ve stolen. There are other similarities, but never does this feel like anything more than a tip of the fedora to a movie, a genre and an era that had an enormous impact on crime fiction fans. Fraction’s story and script are first rate. He drops us in as the bank is being robbed and introduces us to the main characters quickly without wordy exposition. In fact, he often lets Kieron Dwyer’s art tell the tale. Dwyer’s art is perfect for the graphic novel. [I’ve been a fan of his work for some time and hope to someday see a piece by him in my Stallone Gallery.] Last of the Independents rates an “A”.
On May 26, 2020, Last of the Independents will get a new hard cover printing! It has already received my highest recommendation, so if this sounds like something you’d like, jump on board.
Collin Schlicht created this retro Pulp Fiction poster. You can see a larger version by clicking on the photo above. Want to check out more of Collin’s art? Click here to go to his site.
Gerardo Moreno is back, and this time he’s brought with him a potential sequel to Cobra starring Sylvester Stallone. Not only do I dig the poster but props also to Moreno for his suggested title, Angel of the City: Cobra II.
Screenplay: Steve Zallian based on the book by Charles Brandt
Stars: Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Harvey Keitel, Ray Romano, Bobby Cannavale, Anna Paquin, and Jesse Plemons.
The Pitch: “Martin Scorsese wants to do a new gangster movie!”
Tagline: His story changed history.
The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…
On his deathbed in 2003, Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran, a former bodyguard and alleged mob hitman confessed to a killing that if true would resolve a mystery that has remained unsolved for decades. Sheeran’s confessions (of that murder and more) became the basis of I Heard You Paint Houses: The Inside Story of the Mobsters, the Teamsters & the Last Ride of Jimmy Hoffa by Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran and Charles Brandt. That book became the inspiration for The Irishman.
The Irishman re-teams Scorsese, De Niro, and Pesci, then adds Pacino for good measure. De Niro plays Sheeran who accidentally meets and becomes friends with mobster, Russell Bufalino (Pesci). As the years pass Sheeran works his way into Bufalono’s inner circle because of his willingness to take care of business. Sheeran’s choices take him down a road that leads inevitably to the loss of his family, friends and the betrayal of those he cares about.
The Irishman is getting almost universal praise. It should. Scorsese is in top form and gets the best performances from De Niro and Pacino that we’ve seen in years. Pesci gives his best performance ever. Pesci deserves all of the awards he’ll receive for this role. I was worried that Pacino would be too over the top for his role as Hoffa, but he reined it in and pulled it off.
Now to the two nits, many are picking: 1) The de-aging CGI and 2) the length of The Irishman.
I’ll admit that at first the CGI is distracting. As the film went on it became less so. Scorsese has said that a lot of attention was paid in the de-aging scenes to make sure the main actors (all 70+) moved age appropriately for their scenes. (“Uh, Al, let’s do that again. Remember when you’re getting out of the chair in this scene, you’re 45.”) There were a couple of scenes where the faces look younger but the body movements don’t have the same snap as a younger man. Minor distractions in my opinion, but some folks are complaining big time so your mileage may vary.
The second nit some are picking is the length of The Irishman which clocks in at 3 hours and 29 minutes making it the longest movie Scorsese has directed, and reportedly the longest mainstream film released in decades. I thought the film moved at the right pace. I was never bored. I never checked my watch. It didn’t feel like a three hour plus movie. Again your mileage may vary.
3. Boorman acknowledges that there are theories that Walker (Marvin) is dying from the opening gun shots and simply dreams the rest of the movie. Soderbergh asks his opinion on that argument but also wonders if it even matters. “I don’t think it does, but… what it is is what you see.” [I think this is a cool theory, but no more than that. – Craig]
11. The scene where Walker surprises Lynne, shoots the bed, and then gets information from her was written to have him interrogating her, but when they shot it Marvin chose to stay silent. Acker continued with her side, and Boorman realized the brilliance of Marvin’s choice. “Lee never made suggestions, he would just show you.” They made the alterations and shot it with Lynne providing all of the info responding to his presence rather than his questions. [What a really cool choice on Marvin’s part. He’s supposed to be like this force of nature and his presence alone is able to get Lynne to give up all the details of the double-cross. Well played, Lee Marvin! – Craig]
4. The fractured structure was intended from the start despite it being highly atypical for a studio picture at the time. Marvin actually called a meeting at the studio with the big wigs to confirm that he had final approval over the script, casting, and more. They said yes, and he replied “I defer those approvals to John” and then walked out of the meeting. Boorman adds that once the film was completed the suits watched his cut and immediately began mumbling about re-shoots. It was released as he intended. [Lee Marvin comes across as one of those folks who if they like you, they’ll do anything for ya. If they don’t like you, you’ll know it. A couple other comments support this. – Craig]
Hoyt Silva knocked it out of the park with his swing at John Wick and his pal. Click on the art if you’d like to see a bigger version.
Hoyt is a great artist and one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. If you’d like to check out more of Hoyt’s art you can at his Instagram, his Twitter, his Facebook page or you can even become a patreon at his Patreon page.
Sean Murphy (with an assist from Matt Hollingsworth) created one of the best received graphic stories in recent years with Batman: White Knight. Due to it’s critical acclaim and popularity, Batman: White Knight is getting the deluxe treatment…
A Newsweek Best Graphic Novel of the Year. The impossible has happened: The Joker has become a…hero?
The critically acclaimed Batman: White Knight gets a new deluxe treatment. Quickly becoming a classic Batman story, Batman: White Knight follows the transformation of The Joker into a sane citizen of Gotham: Jack Napier. After reconciling with his long-suffering partner, Harley Quinn, he sets in motion a carefully plotted campaign to discredit the one person whom he views as Gotham City’s true enemy: Batman.
Napier’s crusade exposes a decades-long history of corruption within the Gotham City Police Department and transforms Napier into a city councilman and civic hero. But when the sins of his past return to threaten everything that he has accomplished, the distinctions between savior and destroyer begin to break down for both The Joker and Batman alike–and with them any hope for Gotham’s future.
Writer and artist Sean Murphy delivers an extraordinary examination of comics’ greatest antagonists in Batman: White Knight, exploring justice, corruption, activism and the darkest depths of mental illness. Collecting the acclaimed eight-issue miniseries, including sketches and scripts as well as Sean Murphy’s orginal pencils. This stunning graphic novel also marks the debut of the DC Black Label imprint, which features classic DC characters in all-new, standalone stories written and illustrated by world-class authors and artists.
Rarely seen production and behind-the-scenes photos
Point Blank script
Alexander Jacobs discusses the process of adapting Westlake’s novel, the conflicts involved in getting the script to screen, and his approach to screenwriting
How the Point Blank script influenced Walter Hill
John Boorman on shooting Point Blank his 1st feature film in color
John Boorman and Steven Soderbergh Point Blank commentary track
Point Blank. Lee Marvin: A Personal Portrait by John Boorman
I’m surprised that James Carlos Blake isn’t a better known name. Don’t get me wrong, writers know the man. Crime fiction fans (well read ones) know the name. I’ve never read a book by James Carlos Blake that I didn’t love. He’s that good.
Blake’s next novel, The Bones of Wolfe will be released on July 7th. Here’s the synopsis:
In the newest Wolfe-family adventure from James Carlos Blake, Rudy and Frank Wolfe are engaging in routine miscellaneous business―some legitimate and some less so―for their family when they stumble upon a stash of high-quality pornographic films in a raid. The plot thickens when their Aunt Catalina, the family matriarch aged 115, recognizes her long-lost sister in one of the young performers. Catalina tasks the boys with tracking the girl down, however improbable a connection may be.
This proves to be no simple task. Soon, Rudy and Frank find themselves moving away from world of porn and towards the upper echelons of the Sinaloa drug cartel, where the mysterious woman has become a particular favorite of the head narco. For their aunt, the woman, and themselves, Frank and Rudy must find a way to get her out without alerting the cartel. A tropical storm complicates their quest, but their sprawling family may save them from this obstacle, too.
The new Quinn Colson novel, The Revelators will be released on July 14, 2020. If you’re not familiar with Ace Atkins Quinn Colson novels, you should be.
In this gripping new crime novel from the New York Times-bestselling author, Quinn Colson is about to find out whether his quest for justice can coexist with his loyalty to the law…
Shot up and left for dead, Sheriff Quinn Colson has revenge on his mind. With the help of his new wife Maggie, rehabilitation, and sheer force of will, he’s walking again, eager to resume his work as a southern lawman and track down those responsible for his attempted murder. But someone is standing in his way: an interim sheriff, appointed by the newly elected Governor Vardaman, the man who Quinn knows ordered his murder. Vardaman sits at the top of the state’s power structure–both legal and criminal–and little does he know, Quinn is still alive. And coming for him.
Quinn will enlist the help of his most trusted friends, including federal agent Jon Holliday, U.S. Marshal Lillie Virgil, and Donnie Varner, a childhood buddy now working for the Feds as an informant. Since Quinn’s been gone, the criminal element in north Mississippi has flourished, with queenpin Fannie Hathcock enjoying unbridled freedom. As an ice storm bears down on north Mississippi and Memphis, and Tibbehah County is isolated from the outside world, the killers will return to finish the job.
But this time, Quinn Colson and company will be waiting, ready to bust apart a criminal empire running on a rigged system for far too long. This is the battle of Jericho, the epic showdown that’s been years in the making. In the end, the war will end–for better or worse.
Frank Miller and Legendary Television have reached an agreement to turn Miller’s Sin City into a television series. An agreement to bring Robert Rodriguez (Miller’s co-director on the Sin City films) on board is also in the works.
The deal would guarantee a minimum of one season if picked up by a network or streaming service. In addition to the Sin City tv series, the agreement also provides for a Sin City R-rated animated series!
I love both of these ideas. And wouldn’t animated Sin City series done in the style of Miller’s graphic novels would be interesting?
Click on the photo above to get a bigger and better look at Eduardo Risso’s riff on the major players from 100 Bullets.
100Bullets created by Brian Azzarello (writer) and Eduardo Risso (artist) is an Eisner Award-winning comic series that ran for 100 issues. Here’s the sysnopsis….
100Bullets features a mysterious agent named Graves who approaches ordinary citizens and gives them an opportunity to exact revenge on a person who has wronged them. Offering his clients an attaché case containing proof of the deed and a gun, he guarantees his “clients” full immunity for all of their actions, including murder.
If you’ve never read 100Bullets, you owe it to yourself to seek it out!
…in a tremendous, special, oversized hardcover edition — with an additional 65-pages of content — encased in a beautiful slipcase!
Richard Stark’s Parker: The Hunter graphic novel debuted in July 2008 to instantaneous popular and critical acclaim. It made the New York Times bestseller list and won coveted Eisner and Harvey awards. The second graphic novel, The Outfit, was released in 2010 and was met with similar response, and won the 2011 Eisner for Best Writer/Artist.
The Hunter and The Outfit tell the story of Parker, Richard Stark’s classic anti-hero, as he returns to New York to settle the score with his wife and partner in crime after they betray him in a heist gone terribly wrong. After evening the field and reclaiming his prize, the Outfit decide to do some score settling of their own… and learn much too late that when you push a man like Parker, it had better be all the way to the grave.
Also contains the short stories The Man With the Getaway Face and The Seventh.
I had ordered a copy of The Martini Edition when it was published in 2011, but it arrived damaged. When I returned it for a replacement, I was sad to learn The Martini Edition had sold out.
Until now. (Actually April 28, 2020.)
IDW is reprinting Richard Stark’s Parker: The Martini Edition. It’ll have a different cover but the same contents. I’m betting this edition will sell out quickly. I’ve put in my pre-order. If you’re interested, I wouldn’t wait long before doing the same.
On December 17, 2019, Rambo: Last Blood will be released on Blu-Ray, DVD and 4K. This is just in time for Christmas, Chanukah (or if you prefer, Hanukkah), Kwanzaa, or surprise gift giving. If you’d like, you can pre-order using this link.
