Category: Crime

“The Wire: Season Two” created by David Simon / Z-View

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The Wire: Season 2 (2003)

Created by: David Simon

Teleplay by: (eps. 1-3, 6, 9, 12) David Simon from a story by David Simon, Ed Burns; (ep.4) Joy Lusco from a story by David Simon, Joy Lusco; (ep. 5, 10) Ed Burns from a story by David Simon, Ed Burns; (ep. 7) Rafael Alvarez from a story by David Simon, Rafael Alvarez; (ep. 8, 11) George Pelecanos from a story by David Simon, George P. Pelecanos.

Directed by: Ed Bianchi (eps. 1-2); Elodie Keene (eps. 3-4); Steve Shill (eps. 5-6); Thomas J. Wright (ep. 7); Dan Attias (ep. 8); Tim Van Patten (ep. 9); Rob Bailey (ep. 10);  (ep. 11); Ernest Dickerson (ep. 11); Robert F. Colesberry (ep. 12)

Stars: Dominic West, Chris Bauer, Paul Ben-Victor, John Doman, Idris Elba, Wood Harris, Deirdre Lovejoy, Clarke Peters, Wendell Pierce, Lance Reddick, Amy Ryan, Sonja Sohn, Seth Gilliam, Domenick Lombardozzi, Jim True-Frost, Andre Royo, James Ransone, Pablo Schreiber, Al Brown, Frankie Faison, Lawrence Gilliard Jr., Bill Raymond, Hassan Johnson, Delaney Williams, Maria Broom, Callie Thorne, Michael K. Williams, Charley Scalies, Melanie Nicholls-King and Robert Hogan.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

When one woman is found dead floating in the in the Port of Baltimore, the investigation turns up a shipping container full of dead women.  Human traffickers are bringing in young girls on cargo ships along with drugs and weapons.  This wouldn’t happen without support from dock workers.

The major crimes unit, is told to change their focus from bringing down the Barksdale crime family to solving the murders on the docks.

But maybe they can work on both… if they don’t mind working out of the chain of command.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The Wire continues to look and feel real. In fact some of the smaller roles (both police and criminals) are played by real-life police and criminals.  Some of the characters are based on real-life people and events.

The series is well written, well directed and well acted.  So many of the unknown actors (when the series started) went on to have great careers.

I love that the series spends as much time with the criminals as the cops.  It’s interesting to see both groups struggling to stay one step ahead of the other.

Chris Bauer as Frank Sobotka is a great addition to the cast.  If Rocky was remade in 2003, Bauer could have played Paulie.

When I saw that the docks were going to be a major location, I was worried.  I loved the city beat and the team working to take down the Barksdale family.  I shouldn’t have been concerned.  The story just got bigger without losing it’s focus.  Kudos to the writers for making each character and storyline important.

I cannot wait to start season 3.

The Wire: Season 2 (2003) earns 5 of 5 stars.

“Chinatown” (1974) written by Robert Towne; directed by Roman Polanski; starring Jack Nicholson & Faye Dunaway / Z-View

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Chinatown (1974)

Director:  Roman Polanski

Screenplay: Robert Towne

Stars: Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Huston, Perry Lopez, John Hillerman, Darrell Zwerling, Diane Ladd, Roy Jenson, Richard Bakalyan, Joe Mantell, Bruce Glover, James Hong, Jerry Fujikawa, Rance Howard, Burt Young  and Roman Polanski. 

Tagline: You get tough. You get tender. You get close to each other. Maybe you even get close to the truth.

The Plot…

The year is 1937.  It’s been a hot summer and Los Angeles is going through a terrible drought.  The heat is putting folks on edge.  Especially farmers.

Jake Gittes is a private detective.  His bread and butter is getting the goods on cheating spouses. So when Evelyn Mulwray hires Jake to find out if her husband, Hollis, is cheating he does.  Hollis is.  Jake gives the photos to prove it to Mrs. Mulwray.

When the compromising photos of Hollis and a young woman (definitely not his wife) show up in the paper, the affair is made public.  Jake is surprised the pictures were made public, since it wasn’t by him.  Jake is even more surprised when the real Mrs. Mulwray shows up at his office threatening legal action.  Jake was duped.

But why?

When Hollis Mulwray is found dead in an L.A. reservoir.  Jake decides to investigate. That night he heads down to the reservoir.  Suddenly water begins rushing through the basin.  Jake makes it out only to be confronted by the Water Department Security Chief Claude Mulvihill and a short thug. Mulvihill warns Jake to stop asking questions.  The little gangster pulls a knife.  He asks Jake if he understands what happens to people who stick their nose where it doesn’t belong.  He then shows him.

Jake is even more determined to find answers.  Why was he set up?  Why was Hollis Mullwray killed?  Who killed him? Why are huge amounts of water being wasted nightly in the middle of a drought?  Jake wants answers.  In his search for the truth, Jake will uncover a sinister secret that had been hidden for years.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Chinatown was nominated for eleven 1975 Academy Awards and won one…

  • Nominee for Best Music, Original Dramatic Score – Jerry Goldsmith
  • Nominee for Best Film Editing – Sam O’Steen
  • Nominee for Best Sound – Charles Grenzbach, Larry Jost
  • Nominee for Best Costume Design – Anthea Sylbert
  • Nominee for Best Art Direction/Set Decoration – Richard Sylbert, W. Stewart Campbell, Ruby R. Levitt
  • Nominee for Best Cinematography – John A. Alonzo
  • Nominee for Best Director – Roman Polanski
  • Nominee for Best Actress in a Leading Role – Faye Dunaway
  • Nominee for Best Actor in a Leading Role – Jack Nicholson
  • Nominee for Best Picture – Robert Evans
  • Winner for Best Writing, Original Screenplay – Robert Towne

Jack Nicholson actually slaps Faye Dunaway in the movie.  They had tried several takes where they faked the slap and they didn’t look real.  So Dunaway told Nicholson to really slap her.  He did and that is the shot that was used.

Dunaway and director Roman Polanski clashed several times during filming.  At one point she asked what her character’s motivation was for a scene.  Polanski responded with, “Just say the f***ing words. Your salary is your motivation!”

Ali McGraw was originally scheduled to play Evelyn Mulwray.  She lost the role when she left her husband for Steve McQueen.  McGraw’s husband was Chinatown‘s producer, Robert Evans.

Phillip Lambro wrote the film’s music score.  After a test screening, Robert Evans decided a new score was needed. Jerry Goldsmith was hired with only 10 days to write and record a new score.  Goldsmith’s score was nominated for an Academy Award.

Chinatown is a classic.  Most reviewers and audiences rate it a 5 out of 5.  I liked it a lot, but not as much as most folks.  Your mileage may vary.

Chinatown (1974) rates 4 of 5 stars

“Bitter Root: The Next Movement” by David F. Walker, Chuck Brown & Sanford Greene – Preorders Available Now!

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I am a huge fan of Bitter Root by David F. Walker, Chuck Brown and Sanford Greene.  So you’d be right to think that picking up Bitter Root Volume 4: The Next Movement is a no-brainer.  Here’s the lowdown…

A Lie built a House of Oppression. The Bitter Truth will burn it down.

It is 1964, the height of the Civil Rights Movement. A group of activists have gone missing, and a new generation of the Sangerye family must face a menace far worse than anything their ancestors ever encountered. The monstrous jinoo—creatures born out of hate and racism—have evolved into a threat that few people are willing to acknowledge, and even fewer know how to fight.

A bold new chapter in the epic saga of the multiple Eisner Award-winning series collects BITTER ROOT: THE NEXT MOVEMENT #1-5.

Pre-orders for the October 28, 2025 release are available now.

Deal me in.

Jack Carter & Massimo Miller – Rich Hennemann Goes Full Tilt!

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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. The one above is my most recent.

I requested Sly Stallone as Jack Carter teamed with Massimo Miller from Jason Copland’s FULL TILT (which gets my highest recommendation!).   Rich came through like he always does.  He absolutely nailed the piece.  Great likenesses, atmosphere, attitude and setting.  I couldn’t be more pleased.

“Freaky Tales” (2024) starring Pedro Pascal, Ben Mendelsohn and Jay Ellis / Z-View

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Freaky Tales (2024)

Director:  Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck

Screenplay: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck

Stars: Pedro Pascal, Ben Mendelsohn, Too $hort, Jack Champion and Tom Hanks. 

Tagline: In 1987, Oakland was hella freaky.

The Plot…

Freaky Tales features four fictionalized interconnected stories about real events that took place in Oakland, California in 1987.

  • “Strength in Numbers: The Gilman Strikes Back” – A group of skinheads attacks kids attending a punk rock nightclub.  It’s not the first time.  It won’t be the last.  But the kids have had enough.  Next time they’ll be prepared to strike back.  Hard.

 

  • “Don’t Fight the Feeling” – Two young women, Barbie and Entice leave the punk rock nightclub just before the skinheads attack.  Barbie and Entice are rappers who preform under the stage name Danger Zone.  They want to be stars.  And they will get an opportunity… if they can rise to the occasion.

 

  • “Born to Mack” – Clint wants to end his life of crime.  His wife is pregnant and will deliver his first child soon.  Unfortunately Clints bosses want him to perform one last job — something to do with a pro basketball player.

 

  • “The Legend of Sleepy Floyd” – While Sleepy Floyd, a pro basketball player, is having a record setting game, his house is being robbed by a group of skinheads.  During the robbery his girlfriend is murdered.  Little do the skinheads know, they picked on the wrong guy.  Sleepy not only has super martial arts skills, he has supernatural powers.  And he will have his revenge.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Freaky Tales has it’s moments, but it was just a little too, freaky for me.

Freaky Tales (2024) rates 2 of 5 stars

“Black Rabbit” starring Jason Bateman & Jude Law – The Trailer is Here!

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The trailer for Black Rabbit did it’s job.

Deal me in.

When the owner of NYC’s biggest hotspot (Jude Law) allows his troubled brother (Jason Bateman) to return to the family business, trouble multiplies.

Make a Reservation for BLACK RABBIT here: https://www.netflix.com/blackrabbit

BLACK RABBIT is a limited series created and executive produced by Zach Baylin and Kate Susman for Youngblood Pictures.

Executive producers include #JasonBateman, Michael Costigan and Roxie Rodriguez for Aggregate Films; #JudeLaw and Ben Jackson for Riff Raff Entertainment; Brian Kavanaugh-Jones from Automatik; Andrew Hinderaker, Zac Frognowski, Justin Levy, David Bernon and Erica Kay.

“The Wire: Season One” created by David Simon / Z-View

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The Wire: Season 1 (2002)

Created by: David Simon

Teleplay by: (eps. 1-4; 6; 8; 10) David Simon from a story by David Simon, Ed Burns; (ep.5) Ed Burns from a story by David Simon, Ed Burns; (ep. 7) Rafael Alvarez from a story by David Simon, Ed Burns; (ep. 9) David H. Melnick, Shamit Choksey from a story by David Simon, Ed Burns; (ep. 11) Joy Kecken (as Joy Lusco) from a story by David Simon, Ed Burns; (ep. 12) George P. Pelecanos from a story by David Simon, Ed Burns;

Directed by: Clark Johnson (eps. 1-2; 5); Peter Medak (ep. 3); Clement Virgo (eps. 4; 12); Ed Bianchi (ep. 6); Joe Chappelle (ep. 7); Gloria Muzio (ep. 8); Milcho Manchevski (ep. 9); Brad Anderson (ep. 10); Steve Shill (ep. 11); Tim Van Patten (ep. 13)

Stars: Dominic West, Idris Elba, Lawrence Gilliard Jr., Lance Reddick, Wood Harris, Sonja Sohn, Wendell Pierce, Frankie Faison, Andre Royo, Deirdre Lovejoy, John Doman, Peter Gerety, Seth Gilliam, Domenick Lombardozzi, Clarke Peters, Jim True-Frost, Michael K. Williams, Hassan Johnson, J.D. Williams, Clayton LeBouef, Delaney Williams, Richard DeAngelis, Wendy Grantham, Michael Kostroff, Michael Salconi, Callie Thorne, Maria Broom, Robert F. Chew, Michael Hyatt, Melanie Nicholls-King, Nat Benchley, Tom Quinn, Fredro Starr, Jarvis George, Jeorge Watson, Brian Anthony Wilson, Doug Olear and Michael B. Jordan.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Baltimore Homicide Detective Jimmy McNulty is upset when D’Angelo Barksdale beats a murder rap.  McNulty sees an opportunity when he speaks to an old friend, who happens to be a judge with political influence.  McNulty informs Judge Phelan that D’Angelo Barksdale not only beat the murder rap, but even worse, Barksdale’s uncle runs a major drug operation in the city.

Judge Phelan decides to put pressure on the mayor and police commissioner.  Blindsided by the judge, because McNulty skipped the chain of command, the Deputy Commissioner of Operations, the Narcotics Unit Commander and the Homicide Unit Commander are called on the carpet.  The judge expects results.

The decision is made to create a small task force.  The unit will be made up of a couple of rookie cops, some veteran officers who scrape by, a good street cop, and McNulty.  The team will be led by Lieutenant Cedric Daniels.  Daniels understands that his superiors made the task force  for show.  They want the squad to wrap up quickly with a few busts to appease the mayor.

As the group comes together, they struggle to become a team.  But soon the squad comes realize that they’ve been given a chance to make a difference.  They plan to take down the Barksdale organization.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The Wire looks and feels real.  The characters (major and minor) are well rounded.  In fact some of the smaller roles (both police and criminals) are played by real-life police and criminals.  Some of the characters are based on real-life people and events.

The character of Omar was so popular that his role was expanded and he appeared in all five seasons.  Despite being a cold-blooded killer, Omar lives by a code.  Ironically he is more honest than many of the cops.  Also, Omar is the only major character to never curse.

The series is well written, well directed and well acted.  So many of the unknown actors (when the series started) went on to have great careers.

In my review of The Last of Us Season 2, I wrote, “I’ve never seen a lead character that has irritated me as much as Ellie did.”   The Wire‘s McNulty gives Ellie a run for her money.

I love that the series spends as much time with the criminals as the cops.  It’s interesting to see both groups struggling to stay one step ahead of the others.

I loved season one.  On to season 2.

The Wire: Season 1 (2002) earns 5 of 5 stars.

“The Pickup” (2025) starring Eddie Murphy, Pete Davidson, Eva Longoria and Keke Palmer / Z-View

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The Pickup (2025)

Director:  Tim Story

Screenplay:  Matt Mider, Kevin Burrows

Stars: Eddie Murphy, Pete Davidson, Keke Palmer, Jack Kesy, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Eva Longoria, Jef Holbrook, Enoch King, Nelson Bonilla, Joe Anoa’i (aka Roman Reigns), Ray Murphy Jr., Keith Adams,  Regina Ting Chen, Marshawn Lynch and Andrew Dice Clay. 

Tagline: They’re armed but she’s dangerous.

The Plot…

Russell Pierce, an armored car driver nearing retirement, cannot wait to finish his day.  He’s got dinner plans with his wife for a celebration.  When Russell learns his driving partner for the day is the crazy rookie, Travis Stolly, Russell hopes for an easy route.

But that’s not to be.

Instead their given a long drive through a radio dead zone.  And they’ll be carrying millions.

Of course as soon as they hit the dead zone, a trio of well armed thieves make their move.

Russell is going to be a little late.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I was hoping for better.  But I have to say Keke Palmer is easy on the eyes.

The Pickup (2025) rates 2 of 5 stars

“Murderer” (2014) / Z-View

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Murderer (2014)

Director:  Lee Ki-wook

Screenplay: Lee Ki-wook

Stars:  Ma Dong-seok aka Don Lee

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Joo-hyeop is a single parent raising his only son.  Joo-hyeop is also a serial killer. When his son brings home a new friend, Joo-hyeop is shocked.  The little girl is the only person to ever have survived one of Joo-hyeop’s murder sprees.  Afraid that the little girl will recognize him, Joo-hyeop makes plans to eliminate her.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I wanted to see this film since I’m a Ma Dong-seok (Don Lee) fan.  I tapped out after about 30 minutes.  Your mileage may vary.

Murderer (2014) rates 1 of 5 stars

Jack Carter & John Wick Share a Drink by Marc Lapierre!

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Every year the Cartoon Art Museum does a fundraiser.  Artists take on commissions with the funds raised going to support the Museum.  It’s a great cause supported by exceptional artists who share their talents in an effort to support the Museum.

This year one of the two artists I commissioned was Marc Lapierre. As you can see, I asked for Stallone from Get Carter and Keanu Reeves as John Wick.  Not only did Lapierre create an amazing drawing but added a captions for an unexpected payoff. Awesome job.  Click on the photo above to see a biggie-sized version.

I cannot thank Marc Lapierre enough for this sweet addition to my Stallone art collection.