Previews and Reviews that are Z's Views
The new trailer for the crime thriller Killing Them Softly is perfect. I can not wait to see this movie.
Killing Them Softly is based on a George V. Higgins crime novel and set in New Orleans, and follows professional criminal, Jackie Cogan as he investigates the robbery of a high stakes, mob-protected, poker game. It stars Brad Pitt, Ray Luotta, James Gandolfini and Sam Sheppard and opens October 7th.
I’ll save you a seat.
Crime fiction / Howard Chaykin fans, here’s a heads-up: Chaykin’s Marked Man graphic novel [he wrote and did the art for it] that was serialized in Dark Horse Presents is set to return in a hard cover edition. As you can tell from the book’s description, this is not for kids:
“To the casual observer, Mark LaFarge has it going on. He’s got a beautiful wife, cute kids, a McMansion in the South Bay . . .The guy is the living embodiment of the American dream. But nothing is ever as it seems. LaFarge is a career criminal who’s never done an honest day’s work in his life . . . and that life of crime, completely separate from the life he presents to the world, is about to catch up with him. And there will be blood . . . a great deal of blood.”
My pre-order is set to go!
The Pitch: “It’s like ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ from the spouse’s point of view, but in this version the spouse plans and executes his wife’s prison breakout.”
The Tagline: “What if you had 72 hours to save everything you love?”
The Story: When a man’s wife is convicted of murdering her boss after an argument and appeals hold no promise, he decides to break her out of prison.
The Cast: Russell Crowe, Elizabeth Banks, Jason Beghe, Brian Dennehy and Liam Neeson.
The Good: The planning of the escape and a brief scene with Liam Neeson. There’s a nice moment with the man (Crowe) and his emotionally-distant father (Dennehy).
The Bad: Liam Neeson is under-used. What happens when you are a “civilian” dealing with criminals. What happens when a man is pushed to the ragged edge. The movie is a bit long.
The Ugly: The wife’s attitude when she learns too late the her husband’s plan.
The Rating: D+
If you enjoy excellent crime fiction and/or great comics, then you’re probably well aware of Darwyn Cooke’s adaptations of Richard Stark’s Parker novels. So far there have been three – Parker: The Hunter; The Outfit and The Score.
Originally, the plan was for Cooke to adapt four of the Parker novels, but Cooke’s graphic adaptations have been so well received, and Cooke’s having such a blast, there will now be at least five! Next up is The Handle which Cooke says he choose because “it’s an incredibly visual book. It concerns a casino on an island.” The release date is scheduled for 2013 and I’d put my order in now if I could!
Darwyn Cooke recently spoke about his take on Parker at ComicCon and CBR.com was there.
This poster for Arnold Schwarzenegger’s The Last Stand debuted at ComicCon. Set for a January 18, 2013 release, The Last Stand has Arnold playing a former big city cop who is now a sheriff of a peaceful border town. Unfortunately a wanted drug lord and his gang are heading his way…
Wouldn’t you love to see these as a double feature… at a drive-in theater? The only thing that would be cooler is if they were somehow connected the way that Leonard Elmore or Quentin Tarantino do with their work.
The Pitch: “Let’s get a name director, a first-rate cast and film an adaptation of Don Winslow’s Savages.”
The Overview: Ben (a pacifist) and Chon (ex-military) are best friends who share a thriving marijuana business and a woman named Ophelia. The relationship works as well as their multi-million dollar pot business. All is paradise until a brutal Mexican cartel (is that redundant?) decides to move in on their pot trade. When Ben and Chon refuse their offer, the cartel kidnaps Ophelia. Nothing will stop Ben and Chon from getting her back.
The Good: The novel by Don Winslow provides a solid foundation. The screenplay by Shane Salerno, Don Winslow and Olver Stone isn’t afraid to make changes to the great source material. The cast: Taylor Kitsch, Aaron Johnson, Blake Lively, and Salma Hayek are excellent in their roles. Benicio Del Toro and John Travolta are as well, and own almost every scene they’re in. Oliver Stone delivers.
The Bad: The things that happen to folks that mess with a Mexican cartel. Don’t mess with a Mexican cartel. (Sounds like a commericial for direct tv, doesn’t it?)
The Ugly: Keep an eye out for what happens when “traitors” are bull-whipped. Don’t say I didn’t warn ya.
Rating:
Tyler Perry as Alex Cross? Yeah, that could work, although I have to admit it was a bit of surprise to see Madea taking on the role of James Patterson’s detective.
I liked the poster a lot better at first glance, but the more I look at it the more the layout bugs me. All of the white space to the left and the fact that Matthew Fox and Tyler Perry are in the same pose just makes the poster fall a bit flat. I also think that they could have come up with a better tag line than: Don’t Ever Cross Alex Cross. The trailer is interesting though.
If Oliver Stone’s adaptation of Don Winslow’s Savages is even almost as good as the novel, we’re going to get a great movie.
I think we’re going to get a great movie.
Breaking Bad is one of the best shows on television. This 15 second teaser sure hints at the tone of the new season. July 15th can’t get here fast enough.
My buddy, Mike Zeck stopped going to comic conventions years ago. So it was a huge surprise when Mike announced that he will be at Heroes Con next weekend as part of their 30th anniversary celebration.
Mike will join a panel featuring the guests of the first Heroes Con, and he’ll also be set up signing autographs, selling his sketchbook as well as the crime graphic novel, Damned, that he did with Steven Grant [writer], Denis Rodier [inker] and Kurt Goldzung [colorist]. If you enjoy crime comics, I highly recommend you give Damned a look. Mike’s sketchbook is also well worth the price of admission.
If you’ve never met Mike Zeck and want to, plan to swing by and see him at Heroes next weekend. Odds are if you miss him, your next shot will be at Heroes’ 50th anniversary celebration.
Normally one would think that it’s good to be king, but the way Walter White’s luck runs, my guess it will be: “Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.”
If you’re not watching Breaking Bad on AMC, you’re missing out on one of the best shows currently airing.
This may be the best news of the day, perhaps the week: Mickey Rourke [Marv] and Jessica Alba [Nancy] are set to return to Sin City 2: A Dame to Kill For, The movie will begin filming in 3D later this summer for an October 4, 2013 release.
According to this report at Spinoff Online, both Mickey Rourke and Rosario Dawson are set to return to Sin Ciity, when the sequel begins filming this summer. This is the best news I’ve heard all week.
