Category: Crime

“Cop Land” Gets the Cinephilia Treatment!

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Cop Land features one of Sylvester Stallone’s finest performances.  Written and directed by James Mangold, Cop Land is a modern day western and Mangold knew that it’s success hinged on the actor cast as Freddy Heflin.

Stallone wanted the role despite the fact that Mangold had zero interest in him.  Mangold explained to Stallone all of the reasons he was wrong for the role.  Stallone persisted and promised that none of Mangold’s concerns would become reality.

Stallone earned the role and Mangold got his Freddy Heflin.  Cop Land surprised critics who’d forgotten or doubted Stallone’s acting chops.

You’re Gonna Be Redeemed: The Jersey Noir and Western Fable of James Mangold’s Cop Land by Travis Woods at  Cinephilia and Beyond  provides

  • Travis Woods’ back story of Cop Land
  • Cop Land screenplay
  • Cop Land: The Making of an Urban Western
  • Rare behind-the-scenes photos
  • and much more!

CZ Suggests: Frank Miller Presents Tales from Sin City

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Check out Bill Sienkiewicz‘s Sin City art!  I sure wish Frank Miller would create more Sin City yarns.

If he doesn’t have time to write and draw ’em, he could write and turn the art chores over to another artist.  Or, maybe have guest artists and writers.  How cool would that be?

I get that Sin City is Miller’s baby but, man, the thought of a Frank Miller Presents Tales from Sin City featuring Ed Brubaker & Sean Phillips, Dan Panosian, Brian Azzarello & Eduardo Risso, Mike Zeck & John Beatty, Phill Hester… well, you get the idea.

C’mon, Mr. Miller!  What do you think?

Tom Reilly and The Boxer!

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I’d never seen Tom Reilly’s art until last week when I learned…

Tom Reilly is an artist from Mount Desert Island, Maine. He is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, with a BFA in Illustration. Tom’s work has been included in exhibits such as the Society of Illustrators Student Scholarship Exhibition, the Rhode Island School of Design Illustration Triennial Exhibition, and the 2017 MoCCA Arts Festival. Tom is also an Eagle Scout, and his dad keeps telling him to let people know this, because it might get him a job one day.

I really liked the art Tom had created for what looked to be a series called The Boxer.  I reached out to find out where I could purchase the comic/graphic novel only to learn there wasn’t one. (There should be!)

If so inclined, you can check out more of Tom’s art and follow him on Twitter.

All the Way Down by Eric Beetner / Z-View

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All the Way Down by Eric Beetner

TPB: 276 pages
Publisher: Down and Out Books

First sentence…

As Dale rode up in the elevator he thought, This is it, they know everything.  I’m fired and then off to jail.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Dale is a crooked cop who gets a chance at redemption if he can save the mayor’s daughter, Lauren. She’s being held captive in an abandoned building by a local gang.  Being on the gang leader’s payroll will get Dale in the building and to the top floor where Lauren is being held.  It will take a miracle and a lot of people dying for Dale and Lauren to get out alive.

All the Way Down, reads like a cross between Game of Death, Die Hard and The Raid: Redemption.  It’s an action-packed page-turner as Dale and Lauren work their way down, floor-to-floor meeting different folks out to kill them.  To complicate matters, thanks to Dale’s efforts, his wife is now in the crosshairs of gang members who want her dead… and does the Mayor really want Lauren brought out alive?

I’m a big Eric Beetner fan and All the Way Down doesn’t disappoint.

Rating:

The “Dark Side of the Ring” Trailer is Here!

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The Dark Side of the Ring is a 6 episode series airing on Viceland and premieres April 10th.

From backstage controversies to mysterious deaths and unsolved homicides, this series explores the darkest stories from the golden age of professional wrestling, and tries to find truth at the intersection of fantasy and reality. From backstage controversies to mysterious deaths and unsolved homicides, this series explores the darkest stories from the golden age of professional wrestling, and tries to find truth at the intersection of fantasy and reality.

Sly Stallone and “The Tenderloin” Are Coming!

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Sly Stallone and his Balboa Productions is teaming with A+E Studios for The Tenderloin, a new television series.  Stallone will serve as an executive producer as well as direct several episodes. Stephen Kay, who directed Stallone in Get Carter and whose television credits include Sons of Anarchy and The Shield, will write the pilot and serve as an executive producer.

The Tenderloin follows Charles Becker a turn-of-the-century New York City cop who led the Strong-Arm Squad in keeping order in an area of the city known as the Tenderloin.  Think The Shield, except that The Tenderloin is based on real events.  Charles Becker was…

…the first and only policeman in U.S. history to be executed for murder.

Sounds like something a lot of us are going to like!

Frank Miller’s Daredevil Boxed Set is Coming!

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Frank Miller fans will be on the lookout when Marvel releases the Daredevil by Frank Miller Boxed Set on October 15, 2019.   The boxed set will include:

  • DAREDEVIL: MARKED FOR DEATH TPB
    COLLECTING: PETER PARKER, THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN (1976) 27-28; DAREDEVIL (1964) 158-161, 163-167

  • DAREDEVIL: GANGWAR TPB
    COLLECTING: DAREDEVIL (1964) 168-180

  • DAREDEVIL: LAST HAND TPB
    COLLECTING: DAREDEVIL (1964) 181-191

  • DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN TPB
    COLLECTING: DAREDEVIL (1964) 219, 226-233

  • ELEKTRA LIVES AGAIN TPB
    COLLECTING: MARVEL GRAPHIC NOVEL: DAREDEVIL – LOVE AND WAR, ELEKTRA LIVES AGAIN GNHC;MATERIAL FROM BIZARRE ADVENTURES 28; WHAT IF? (1977) 28, 35

  • ELEKTRA: ASSASSIN TPB
    COLLECTING: ELEKTRA: ASSASSIN 1-8

  • DAREDEVIL: THE MAN WITHOUT FEAR TPB
    COLLECTING: DAREDEVIL: THE MAN WITHOUT FEAR 1-5

  • DAREDEVIL BY FRANK MILLER COMPANION TPB

  • DAREDEVIL BY FRANK MILLER BOX SET SLIPCASE POSTER

This bad boy will clock in at nearly 1900 pages with a price tag of $250.00. (Considering that single issues of Miller’s Daredevil comics cost ten times that, this boxed set is a bargain!)

Ranking Bruce Willis’ Best Films

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Riley Jones at Goliath took on the task of Ranking The 25 Greatest Bruce Willis Movies.  From Jones’ list, my top three would be…

  1. Die Hard: Wouldn’t this be #1 on any Bruce Willis’ best list?
  2. The Sixth Sense: Perhaps a contender for the #1 Bruce Willis spot by folks who don’t dig action flicks?
  3.  The Last Boy Scout: I always felt that TLBS was under-rated and would support sequels.

I didn’t include Pulp Fiction in my top three since I look at it as more of a Quentin Tarantino film with a Bruce Willis supporting role.

Larry Cohen – RIP

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Larry Cohen, the writer – director – producer who made his mark in television and feature films, has died at the age of 77.

I first became aware of Mr. Cohen when he wrote and directed the low-budget horror cult classic It’s Alive.  After that I saw Cohen’s name pop-up from time to time but it wasn’t until Cohen’s adaption of Mickey Spillane’s I, the Jury that I really began to take notice.

Cohen’s I, the Jury, directed by Richard T. Heffron starred Armand Assante as Mike Hammer.  That film really hit a sweet-spot for me.  As I learned more about the people behind the making of the film I discovered that Cohen had created two television series that I loved as a kid: Branded and The Invaders!

Cohen broke into the business writing for television creating scripts for The Fugitive, The Rat Patrol, Custer (3 shows I loved as a kid) and many other series.  He went on to create Branded and The Invaders.  Cohen’s tv work led to theatrical films where he wrote and directed Black Caesar, Hell Up in Harlem, Q and others.

Had Cohen just been known for Branded or The Invaders or I, the Jury, his impact on my youth would have warranted a mention here, but to think that he did those and so much more…

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Larry Cohen’s family, friends and fans.

DNA May Have Revealed the Identity of Jack the Ripper!

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It’s hard to believe, but DNA evidence may have led to the discovery of Jack the Ripper’s actual identity!  Probably the most infamous of all serial killers, Jack the Ripper killed at least 5 women, mutilating their bodies and then writing letters taunting the police to catch him.  Of course they never did despite having several likely suspects.

DNA was found on a shawl believed to have belonged to Ripper victim, Catherine Eddowes.  Using DNA evidence found on the shawl and a sample from Eddowes great grand daughter, it was confirmed the shaw contained blood from Eddowes.

Additional DNA evidence was found on the shawl.  This additional DNA was tested against the DNA of a descendant of Aaron Kosminski and they got a match!  Kosminski was one of the prime suspects at the time of the murders, but police were unable to generate enough evidence to prosecute him.  Kosminski was committed to an insane asylum where he died in 1919.

Source: Bleeding Cool.