Marv by Ardian Syaf!
Marv from Frank Miller’s Sin City is one of my all-time favorite characters. I love seeing artists do their “take” on the big lug. Today we have a Marv by Ardian Syaf.
Category: Crime
“Kiss Me Deadly” (1955) directed by Robert Aldrich; starring Ralph Meeker, Albert Dekker, Paul Stewart and Juano Hernandez / Z-View
Kiss Me Deadly (1955)
Director: Robert Aldrich
Screenplay: A.I. Bezzerides, Robert Aldrich (uncredited); based on KISS ME DEADLY by Mickey Spillane.
Stars: Ralph Meeker, Albert Dekker, Paul Stewart, Juano Hernandez, Marjorie Bennett, Strother Martin and Jack Elam.
Tagline: Blood red kisses! White hot thrills! Mickey Spillane’s latest H-bomb!
The Plot…
Driving home late one evening, Mike Hammer nearly runs over a woman in the middle of the road. She’s barefoot and wearing just a trenchcoat. Hammer stops. The woman is running from someone but doesn’t say who.
Hammer gives her a lift, but soon thugs catch up to them. The last thing Hammer hears is the woman’s scream. When he wakes up, he’s in the hospital. The goons killed the woman, then threw her and Hammer’s unconscious body in the car before pushing it over the cliff.
Hammer believes whatever the woman was involved in was “something big”. Plus he wants payback.
Hammer’s going to get answers he couldn’t have imagined and find himself the target of a crime syndicate after the result of a top secret government experiment.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Although based on Mickey Spillane’s novel of the same name, the film makes changes to Hammer as well as the plot. In the film, Hammer is a sleazy LA PI who never uses a gun; instead of a fearless NY private eye. In the film, Hammer finds himself in international intrigue with a suitcase containing stolen atomic material. In the book, Hammer is up against the Mafia after a suitcase of heroin.
Kiss Me Deadly features Cloris Leachman’s first theatrical film role.
The haunting ending will stay with you long after the film ends.
Kiss Me Deadly (1955) rates 4 of 5 stars.
“Nocturne” starring Liev Schreiber, Zazie Beetz, and Stephen Graham – The Poster and Trailer are Here!
The poster and trailer to Nocturne starring Liev Schreiber, Zazie Beetz, and Stephen Graham are here!
Deal me in.
Catching a killer means crossing the line.
Liev Schreiber, Zazie Beetz, and Stephen Graham star in Nocturne, premiering October 30 on Apple TV.
When does Nocturne premiere?
Nocturne premieres October 30 on Apple TV.Where can I watch Nocturne?
Watch Nocturne on Apple TV.Who stars in Nocturne?
Nocturne features Liev Schreiber, Zazie Beetz, Stephen Graham, Rory Culkin, Poorna Jagannathan, Bill Camp, Chrissy Metz, Gary Carr, and Landon Valentin.What is Nocturne about?
In Nocturne, when a victim of notorious serial killer Jurek Walter unexpectedly turns up alive, detective Jonah Lynn races against time to find the one person still missing, while his protégé Saga Bauer goes undercover to get answers from the killer himself.What genre is Nocturne?
Nocturne is a crime thriller.What are other shows and movies like Nocturne?
Shows and movies similar to Nocturne are Black Bird, Lucky, and Presumed Innocent.
“Tulsa King” Season 4 – The Poster & Trailer are Here!
Tulsa King Season 4 premieres October 16, only on Paramount+.
Dwight fights to legitimize his empire and protect his crew as corrupt politicians, dangerous new enemies, and a crushing personal loss hit from every direction. However, every hard-won gain comes with even harder truths: about loyalty, leadership and the cost of ambition. Each move drags Dwight deeper into the street instincts he left behind in New York – turning Tulsa into a battleground and Dwight into the one threat no one can afford to underestimate.
“Dirty Harry” Alt Poster by Yvan Quinet!
Yvan Quinet made my day with his alt Dirty Harry poster.
“Yeah, well, when an adult male is chasing a female with intent to commit rape, I shoot the bastard – that’s my policy.” – Harry Callahan
HANGING AND BURNING: A KING OLIVER NOVEL by Walter Mosley!
A new Walter Mosley tale is always welcome. We have one coming on October 20th when HANGING AND BURNING: A KING OLIVER NOVEL drops. Here’s the scoop…
A dying gangster’s plea sends Joe King Oliver on a quest for a missing woman across America’s coasts ― unraveling a dark and violent family history along the way―in this engrossing new novel from one of the most celebrated and acclaimed crime writers at work today.
Joe King Oliver is the big man you call to solve the most delicate and dangerous of problems. Fresh off unraveling the mystery of his own parents’ fates, King finds himself accepting (again at his grandmother’s request) a case from Arman Babylon, a powerful Los Angeles gangster now dying from cancer.
Babylon’s granddaughter, Twyla Mann, has been missing for years, and he’s desperate to find her before he passes. The search pulls King into the Babylons’ stained past and the cold case of Dalia Shorts, a torch singer who vanished without a trace and whom Arman was once suspected of killing.
As King follows her trail from L.A. to New York and back, he’ll realize nothing is what it seems as he uncovers a pattern of violence that has targeted the women around Babylon for decades. How much will King be willing to risk to finally set things right?
Pre-orders are available now.
Steven Fain Gets Carter!
Steven Fain is a fan artist who occasionally takes commissions. I first saw Fain’s art on a bookmark for Anthony Neil Smith’s character Billy Lafitte (I highly recommend the Lafitte novel series if you like crime/hardboiled fiction). I subscribed to Steven Fain’s substack and saw more of his art which I liked.
So I reached out to request a sketch. I suggested two characters (Stallone from Tulsa King or Get Carter). Steven liked both ideas, so I ordered both!
“Pulp Fiction” Tribute Poster by Nuno Sardanas!
Pulp Fiction was a game-changer. After it so many filmmakers tried to copy Tarantino. Hard to believe the film was released over 30 years ago. Check out this tribute poster by Nuno Sardanas.
“If my answers frighten you then you should cease asking scary questions.“ – Jules
Brad Bird’s “Ray Gunn” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!
Brad Bird’s Ray Gunn is coming soon. Today we have the poster and trailer.
Deal me in.
Academy Award winner Brad Bird, the visionary director of The Incredibles, Ratatouille, and The Iron Giant, brings you a whole new world to investigate…
In Metropia, a gigantic city in an alternate future as seen from 1939, private eye Raymond Gunn (Sam Rockwell) is drawn into a case involving aliens, murder and a multimedia star named Venus Nova (Scarlett Johansson).
Watch Ray Gunn – in select theaters December 4 and on Netflix December 18.
“The Crash” (2026) / Z-View
The Crash (2026)
Director: Gareth Johnson
Tagline: Was it an accident?
The Plot…
Mackenzie Shirilla was behind the wheel when the car she was driving plowed into a brick wall at high speed. The car accelerated without ever hitting the brakes or attempting to swerve. Her boyfriend Dominic Russo and his friend Davion Flanagan were killed in the crash. Mackenzie survived, was charged and sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.
Mackenzie’s defense was that she suffered a medical blackout that caused the crash.
The Crash covers the case through interviews with Mackenzie, her parents, Dominic’s father and sister, Davion Flanagan’s father and sister, friends who were with the group the night of the incident, as well as the prosecutor and defense attorney.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
MacKenzie comes off as an entitled spoiled narcissist. It’s hard to imagine her boyfriend putting up with her for as long as he did. Sadly it’s not hard to see how she turned out this way. Her parents are interviewed. She could do no wrong in their eyes. They had no guardrails for her behavior and made (and continue to make) excuses for all of her bad decisions.
The Crash (2026) rates 4 of 5 stars.
Riccardo Rosanna’s Cool Alt “Pulp Fiction” Poster!
Riccardo Rosanna’s cool alt Pulp Fiction poster! I’d love to see Rosanna graphic novel adaptations of movies.
“The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare” (2026) / Z-View
The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare (2026)
Director: Skye Borgman
Tagline: None.
The Plot…
On November 13, 2022, a 911 call was made in the small college town of Moscow, Idaho. Police arrived to the off-campus house and found a quadruple homicide. Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, and Xana Kernodle had all be brutally stabbed to death.
This is the story of the investigation, widespread speculation that ran rampant until a suspect was caught and ultimately sentenced to four consecutive terms of life imprisonment in prison without the possibility of parole. The story is told through news clips, interviews with law enforcement, as well as family and friends of the victims.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Moscow, Idaho hadn’t had a murder since 2015. They weren’t experienced in dealing with homicides — especially four at one time. When news of the murders was released it rocked the nation.
The series does an excellent job of presenting the victims as real people. Many of the theories that appeared once the murders were public knowledge are covered. If you followed the case as it unfolded, you know this story.
The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare (2026) rates 3 of 5 stars.
“Reacher”: Season 4 (2026) starring Alan Ritchson / Z-View
Reacher: Season 4 (2026)
Based on: Jack Reacher by Lee Child
Developed by: Nick Santora
Directors: Sam Hill (Eps.1–3; 7-8); Gary Fleder (Eps. 4–6)
Teleplay: Nick Santora (Ep. 1); Scott Sullivan (Ep. 2; 7-8); Seth Cohen & Amy Pocha (Ep. 3); Penny Cox (Ep. 4); Cait Duffy (Ep. 5); Mick Betancourt & Seth Cohen & Amy Pocha (Ep. 6)
Starring: Alan Ritchson, Sydelle Noel, Agnez Mo, Anggun, Christopher Marquette, Kevin Corrigan.
The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…
Jack Reacher, an ex-Military Police Investigator, while riding the Philadelphia subway spots a lone woman displaying all the signs of a terrorist. When Reacher approaches her she pulls out a handgun and kills herself.
The woman wasn’t a terrorist, but she had something on a flashdrive worth killing for. Professional killers and the C.I.A. want the drive and believe that Reacher knows where it is. He doesn’t but is determined to find it. Even if it costs him his life.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Season 4 contains more of a mystery than previous seasons, but doesn’t let up on the action.
I thought season 3’s fight between Reacher and the giant Paulie would be near impossible to top, but season 4 did it.
Sydelle Noel as Tamara Green is excellent.
Bring on Season 5.
Sly Stallone is the “Tulsa King” by Steven Fain!
Steven Fain is a fan artist who occasionally takes commissions. I first saw Fain’s art on a bookmark for Anthony Neil Smith’s character Billy Lafitte (I highly recommend the Lafitte novel series if you like crime/hardboiled fiction). I subscribed to Steven Fain’s substack and saw more of his art which I liked.
So I reached out to request a sketch. I suggested two characters (Stallone from Tulsa King or Get Carter). Steven liked both ideas, so I ordered both!
“We Are What We Are” (2013) stars Bill Sage, Julia Garner, Ambyr Childers, Kelly McGillis, Wyatt Russell and Michael Parks / Z-View
We Are What We Are (2013)
Director: Jim Mickle
Screenplay: Nick Damici, Jim Mickle; based on the film We Are What We Are written and directed by Jorge Michel Grau
Stars: Bill Sage, Julia Garner, Ambyr Childers, Kelly McGillis, Wyatt Russell and Michael Parks.
Tagline: Blood is the strongest bond.
The Plot…
The Parker family, Frank, his wife Emma, and their three children, Iris, Rose and Rory are a sternly religious family that stays to themselves in their remote mountain home. The family is currently fasting until the date of their annual ritual. When Emma dies unexpectedly while in town, Frank sends Iris and Rose to claim her body. They return home empty-handed. An autopsy is required by the state.
Frank says that Iris and Rose will need to take on their mother’s duties for their family’s upcoming religious ceremony. Meanwhile the town doctor has made a surprising disovery while conducting Emma’s autopsy.
Could the doctor’s discovery have a connection to the human bones found in the mountain creek… and his missing daughter?
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Julia Garner was still a few years away from her breakthough role in Ozark.
Michael Parks is always good. This role is no exception.
The last scenes go a bit over the top for my, uh, taste.
We Are What We Are (2013) rates 2 of 5 stars.
