Category: Crime

Welcome to the Jungle

I don’t know anything about the new A&E show Manhunters: Fugitive Task Force other than I really like the poster promoting it. The poster is better than most created for today’s feature films. In fact, if the show is as good as the poster it’ll be worth viewing. I think I’ll tune in and see. [In other words the poster did it’s job.]

Not the Worst

O.J. Simpson was sentenced today to at least 15 years in prison.

All I really have to say about that is, what kind of person must you be if you’re convicted of a dozen felonies, including armed robbery, kidnapping, burglary, conspiracy and assault and those aren’t the worst crimes you’ve ever been charged with?

"The Shield" Final Thoughts

The series finale to “The Shield” was a fitting ending to one of the best crime/cop shows ever on television. Although it would have been impossible to live up to everyone’s expectations, the series did manage to go out as it came in… with an episode to surpise, shock and keep you thinking long after the end credits rolled.

Let’s end this post with an “interview” with “Shield” creator Shawn Ryan held after he watched the series finale with a half dozen critics. It’s fun reading and provides a lot of insight into what made “The Shield” so great. [Hats off to Alan Sepinwall of The Star/Ledger for putting it together.]

The Shield: Predictions Please!

Next Tuesday, FX will air the final episode of “The Shield.” I’m proud to say that I’ve been a fan of the show since episode one of the first season. I’m equally proud to say that I’ve turned on several friends and family members it as well. If you’re a fan of the show, I’d love to hear how you think it will end. There’s been a lot of speculation among devotees of the show. Some of the more interesting predictions include:

  • Mackey will get away clean. [I really don’t see this happening.]

  • Mackey will die. [I tend to think not.] He will be killed by Ronnie. [Wouldn’t that be a twist? Mackey killed Terry Crawley because he was going to “rat out” the Strike Team and that’s exactly what Mackey did to Ronnie.] He will be killed by Dutch. [I’m not convinced Dutch will live — see below.] He will be killed by Shane. [Nah.] He will be killed by Mora. [Nah.] He will be killed by Corrine or Cassidy. [I just don’t see it.] He will be killed by Armenians. [That could happen if they discover that Mackey sold them out to the Feds.]

  • Dutch will be killed by the serial killer kid. [Boy, they sure are foreshadowing it. It would be shocking to see Dutch as he lays dying come to the realization that the kid had outsmarted him. I like Dutch though and hope that he doesn’t kick the bucket.]

  • Shane will be killed by Mackey. [Possible and at one point I really wanted to see that… not so much now though.] He will be killed by Ronnie. [Very possible.] He will turn himself in for a deal to spare Mara. [Another possibility.]

  • Claudette will die. [If watching Mackey get immunity didn’t kill her, I don’t think that she’ll just drop dead now — but you never know.] Claudette will lose it and kill Mackey. [Boy, that would go against everything she has stood for since the show started… so I don’t think so.]

  • Ronnie will go to jail because of Mackey’s confession. [Possible.] Ronnie will run. [More likely — and then he may be caught and go to jail or be killed.]

  • Cassidy will be captured and raped/tortured or killed when the Aremenians find out that Mackey double-crossed them. [Boy, wouldn’t that be a twist? Mackey becomes the cause of his daughter’s ruined life. THAT would be worse than prison.]

  • Corrine will be killed by Mackey when he learns that she ratted him out and in turn he ratted out Ronnie to save her from a non-existent charge. [I don’t see Mackey killing any of his family members.]
I think that Mackey will survive but be forced to live with the fact that the events that he put into motion caused him to lose his job and his family. There’s an outside shot that Mackey will die, but I hope that he goes out with some dignity if it happens. I think things look grim for Shane and his family. Mora may survive, but I think Shane is going to die. Ronnie will have to run to survive and I’m not convinced he’ll make it. Dutch may be in a serial killer’s crosshairs and it would be shocking for him to become a victim. I hope he is smarter than that. Claudette has been the moral compass of the show, but I’ve got a bad feeling in regard to her character. I think we may discover that Shane killed the female cop in order to get away. Dani should end up alright. Same for Billings and Julian. I’m not so sure about Aceveda.

So let’s hear your predictions! Then we’ll come back next week and see who came closest to getting it right.

My Choice for "The Prince" [2008]


Over at Chud.com there’s a post about a crime drama written by Jeremy Passmore that John “Escape from New York” Carpenter is trying to put together.  It’s called The Prince.  Here’s how Passmore describes it:

“It’s a bit of a departure. It’s definitely more of a very character based crime movie. I don’t know what’s going on with it right now, but the premise is that this guy was the most [badass] gangster of all time in Las Vegas, and he’s left the life and created this whole new world. His wife died but he’s raising his kid. He’s living in the middle of nowhere and he’s this very religious, trying to live a straight life guy. His daughter is now going to school at UCLA and she disappears, and he goes looking for her. The trail leads to Vegas and he has to go get her, and the entire city kind of comes down on top of him.“

I don’t know about you, but I know who I’d suggest for the title role.

The Shield: "Parricide"

As the final season of The Shield heads to a conclusion, I find my self wondering how it will all end. Whatever happens, the main characters aren’t walking away happy. Two of the characters in the photo above, from the first episode of season one, are already dead. Mackey’s family is falling apart, his job and pension hang by a thread and his best friend has become his worst enemy.

Another Strike Force Team member could die in tonight’s episode which Capone over at Ain’t It Cool News calls the best and most gripping installment yet. And that’s saying a lot. Maybe too much in fact. And for once I refused to read Capone’s invisatext spoiler warning on how the episode ends.

French Headshot

On Wednesday, SlashFilm.com reported that Warner Bros had acquired the rights to a French 3 issue graphic novel series called “Headshot.” It’s about a hitman and cop who, when their partners are killed, form an uneasy alliance to get revenge on the powers that set them up. You just know this story sounds like something I’d dig. And I the art, by Alexis Nolent, looks to sweeten the deal. I’d love to see an English edition… and plan to keep an eye out on the movie’s progress.

Zodiac Killer Unmasked?

If Dennis Kaufman is right, his stepfather was the infamous Zodiac Killer. Kaufman has turned over evidence including handwriting samples, a [potentially blood] stained knife, rolls of undeveloped film, and DNA from his step-father. If Kaufman is correct and his step-father turns out to be the Zodiac, then it may also be true that his mother was one of potentially many victims that were never attributed to the Zodiac. You can read the full story HERE.

[Thanks to Neatorama for the link.]