Category: Crime

“Trouble Man” directed & starring Michael Jai White; co-starring Cliff Method Man Smith, La La Anthony and Orlando Jones – Two Posters & a Trailer are Here!

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How about two posters and a trailer for Trouble Man directed and starring Michael Jai White; co-starring Cliff Method Man Smith, La La Anthony and Orlando Jones?

I like the first poster best.  Looks like a fun ride.

Deal me in.

TROUBLE MAN is in theaters and on digital platforms August 1.

Directed by Michael Jai White
Starring: Michael Jai White, Cliff Method Man Smith, La La Anthony and Orlando Jones

Jaxen, a former cop turned Atlanta PI, is hired to find missing R&B star Jahari. His investigation uncovers her disappearance is connected to a larger conspiracy, forcing him to question those around him and his own past.

“Get Carter” (2000) directed by Stephen Kay; starring Sylvester Stallone, Rachael Leigh Cook, Miranda Richardson, Alan Cumming, Mickey Rourke & Michael Caine / Z-View

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Get Carter (2000)

Director:  Stephen Kay

Screenplay: David McKenna; based on JACK’S RETURN HOME by Ted Lewis.

Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Rachael Leigh Cook, Miranda Richardson, Rhona Mitra, Johnny Strong, John C. McGinley, Alan Cumming, Gretchen Mol, Tom Sizemore, John Cassini, Mickey Rourke, Mark Boone Junior, Darryl Scheelar, Yan-Kay Crystal Lowe, Tyler Labine, Stephen Kay, Frank Stallone and Michael Caine.

Tagline:  The Truth Hurts

The Plot…

Jack Carter, a Vegas mob enforcer, returns to Seattle for his estranged brother, Ritchie’s funeral.  Ritchie was killed in a car crash after drinking.  Problem is Ritchie never drank.  As Jack digs deeper, he starts to believe Ritchie was murdered.

But why?

Clues point in several directions.  Ritchie’s death could have something to do with the club he managed.  Cliff Bumbry, the owner of the club has his fingers in other pies.  Did Ritchie have dirt on Cliff?

Rumor is Ritchie was having an affair.  Could that have led to Ritchie’s murder?

Some leads point to tech millionaire Jeremy Kinnear.  How were he and Ritchie linked?

Worse still, Cyrus Paice may be involved.  Paice was a rival of Jack’s when Jack was coming up.  There’s still bad blood.

As Jack digs deeper he will discover the truth.

The truth hurts.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Get Carter (2000) is a remake of Get Carter (1971) which starred Michael Caine. Caine co-stars in the remake.  Stallone and Caine also appeared together in Victory (1981).  Caine was originally only supposed to appear in a one scene cameo.  The scene scored so high with test audiences, the film was adjusted to give Caine a bigger role.

When producers were hesitant to hire Mickey Rourke (because of his past behaviors), Stallone guaranteed a portion of his salary, to cover any delays caused by Rourke.  Rourke was on-time and ready every day.

Gretchen Mol plays an important role but is not listed in the film’s credits.

Tom Sizemore’s voice (also uncredited) is heard when Carter talks to his Vegas boss.

Director Stephen Kay appears uncredited as a party guest.  Get Carter features Stephen Kay’s second outing as a feature film director.  Kay would go on to direct multiple highly rated episodes of The Shield; Sons of Anarchy; Yellowstone; Mayor of Kingstown; Lioness and Landman.

Frank Stallone appears uncredited in the funeral scene.

Get Carter (2000) is one of my all-time favorite films.  The movie and especially Stallone’s character resonates with me.  In it you’ll see some of Stallone’s best acting (especially the roof top scene with Rachael Leigh Cook).  The film isn’t perfect or a classic, but it remains one of my go-to movies.  Your mileage may vary (a lot on this one).

Get Carter (2000) rates 5 of 5 stars

PUT YOUR LIFE IN THE POT by James Maxwell

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I love good great crime stories.  I don’t care if they are told in novel, comic, movie or episodic television form.  Just make ’em great.  James Maxwell’s PUT YOUR LIFE IN THE POT just might fit the bill.  Here’s the downlow…

This neo-noir tale renders San Jose, California, as a stage for crime, corruption, and the hope of getting that American dream you’ve always been denied. Recommended for fans of Dennis Lehane, Jim Thompson, and films like Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead.

You wanna go all in with me?

Tristian Sloan is a young man frustrated with his minimum wage job and dead-end life. Why hasn’t he made anything of himself? How come he always gets a raw deal? He just wants a way out. The plan is simple, and nobody’s supposed to get hurt.

Tristian and his so-called friend, Joey Patrone, are a pair of codependent liquor store monkeys who hate each other almost as much as they hate their boss. They work their days away for minimum wage and blow their money on booze and call girls.

Now they’ve had enough. Joey comes up with a plan to get rich quick by ripping off the mob who owns the liquor store. He just needs Tristian’s help to cover his neck. But Tristian doesn’t like how reckless his friend has gotten – the guy’s totally psycho, and no longer cares who gets hurt.

Tristian sabotages Joey’s plan to take the money for himself, but everything spins into bloodshed when the wrong people catch wind of the money. Now, he is caught between a vicious gang, a psychopathic schemer, and his own failures as a man.

PUT YOUR LIFE IN THE POT is sitting with a 4.8 Amazon rating.

Deal me in.

Sly Stallone as Deke DaSilva from “Nighthawks” by Pat Broderick!

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I first met Pat Broderick at OrlandoCon 1977.  Pat was a young artist and I was an even younger fan.  I was impressed at how easy-going and friendly Pat was (and that’s not taking into consideration what a talented artist he is).  Over the years we became friends.  It’s always cool to see Pat at a show.  He’s still killing it with new art and comic series!

Back in 2005, at a Tampa Show, I got Pat’s take on Sly Stallone as Deke DaSilva from Nighthawks.

“Con Air” (1997) written by Scott Rosenberg; directed by Simon West, starring Nicholas Cage, John Cusack & John Malkovich / Z-View

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Con Air (1997)

Director:  Simon West

Screenplay: Scott Rosenberg

Stars: Nicolas Cage, John Cusack, John Malkovich, Colm Meaney, Mykelti Williamson, Nick Chinlund, Renoly Santiago, Ving Rhames, Dave Chappelle, Rachel Ticotin, Steve Eastin, Danny Trejo, M.C. Gainey, Landry Allbright, Monica Potter, Brendan Kelly, Jesse Borrego and Steve Buscemi.

Tagline:  Buckle Up!

The Plot…

Eight years ago Cameron Poe, a decorated Army Ranger was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter.  A drunken thug had attacked Poe and his pregnant wife.  Poe accidentally killed the man.  Poe has been a model prisoner and is set to be paroled.

Poe is one of the convicts set to board a prison transport plane.  Most of the other felons are headed to a supermax prison.  They include a serial rapist, an arsonist, a drug lord, a mass murderer, a terrorist, a psycho criminal genius, and a serial killer.

The convicts take over the plane.  They murdered to get control.  They’ll kill anyone who tries to stop them.  It will be up to Poe to see they don’t succeed in their escape.

As the tag line says, “Buckle Up!”

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Con Air was nominated for two 1998 Academy Awards…

  • Nominee for Best Best Music, Original Song – Diane Warren, For the song “How Do I Live”.
  • Nominee for Best Best Sound – Kevin O’Connell,Greg P. Russell, Art Rochester

Con Air is dedicated to Phil Swartz, an effects specialist who was killed when a rigged plane fell and crushed him.

Con Air is a fun, over-the-top action film.  Buckle up and enjoy the ride.

Con Air (1997) rates 5 of 5 stars

Jack Carter Quick Sketch by John Beatty!

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My buddy, John Beatty used to host something he called Sketch Society.  Artists would get together at different designated spots (donut shops, book stores, etc.) for drawing sessions.  Some artists worked on commissions, others work assignments and some just drew for fun.

John whipped up this quick sketch of Sly as Jack Carter for me at a Sketch Society meeting in September 2006.  He drew it without any reference.  I love the bold lines and use of negative space.

“Léon: The Professional” (1994) written & directed by Luc Besson; starring Jean Reno, Gary Oldman & Natalie Portman / Z-View

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Léon: The Professional (1994)

Director:  Luc Besson

Screenplay: Luc Besson

Stars: Jean Reno, Gary Oldman, Natalie Portman, Danny Aiello, Peter Appel, Don Creech, Michael Badalucco, Ellen Greene and Frank Senger.

Tagline:  A professional hitman, an innocent witness, a corrupt detective who went too far

The Plot…

Twelve year old Mathilda is about to walk into her family apartment when she realizes something is wrong.  So she walks past the door and down to her neighbor Leon’s home.  Leon is hesitant but allows Mathilda in.

Leon knew Mathilda came from a dysfunctional household.  She lived with her little brother, stepmother and father.  Leon and Mathilda learn that her dad was working with drug-dealing DEA agents.  When the cooked cops discovered that dad was stealing from them, they decided to make an example of him.  Mathilda almost walked in as the cops were killing her father, step-mother and even her little brother.

Mathilda has no one.  She begs Leon to take her in.  He agrees to let her stay.  Mathilda is surprised to learn that her simple-minded neighbor is a professional killer.  Mathilda asks Leon to train her.  She wants to avenge her little brother.  Leon’s apartment contains many weapons.  He teaches Mathilda basics about some of them.

While Leon is on a job, Mathilda gathers some of Leon’s guns.  She then leaves him a note and heads out to kill the corrupt cops that murdered her little brother.  Leon knows that a little 12 year old girl has no hope of surviving a gun battle with trained cops.

But he might.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Jean Reno came up with the idea to play Leon as mentally slow and emotionally repressed. Reno felt that audiences would then better accept that 12 year old Mathilda was safe living with a grown man.

The International version contains more scenes of  “awkward sexual tension” than the American release.  American test audiences did not like the scenes where Mathilda professes to love Leon.  Natalie Portman has said that she’s asked more about this film than any of her other performances.  She further stated that Mathilda and Leon’s relationship hasn’t aged well.

Leon is Natalie Portman’s feature film debut.

Keith A. Glascoe played Benny.  Glascoe later left acting to become a NY City Fireman. Mr. Glascoe died in the collapse of the World Trade Center towers on Sept. 11, 2001.  RIP.

Léon: The Professional (1994) rates 5 of 5 stars

“In the Line of Fire” (1993) directed by Wolfgang Petersen; starring Clint Eastwood, John Malkovich and Rene Russo / Z-View

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In the Line of Fire (1993)

Director:  Wolfgang Petersen

Screenplay: Jeff Maguire

Stars: Clint Eastwood, John Malkovich, Rene Russo, John Leguizamo, Dylan McDermott, Gary Cole, Fred Thompson, John Mahoney, Sally Hughes, Elsa Raven, Arthur Senzy, Patrika Darbo  and Tobin Bell.

Tagline:  An assassin on the loose. A president in danger. Only one man stands between them…

The Plot…

November 22, 1963.  Frank Horrigan was a young secret service agent hand-picked by President Kennedy to serve on his security detail.  That day President Kennedy was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald.  The memory still haunts Horrigan.

Nearly 30 years later, Horrigan, nearing retirement is the only active Secret Service agent who was on President Kennedy’s detail the day he was assassinated. Being a secret service agent is a young man’s job.

During an investigation Horrigan finds a wall filled with articles and photographs of infamous assassinations.  Included is a cover photo of the current President.  A bold red marker has been used to draw a rifle’s crosshairs over the President’s face.  Horrigan gets a search warrant and returns.  He finds only one photo on the wall.  It is of President Kennedy taken on the day he was assassinated.  Behind Kennedy stands Horrigan.  In the photo, Horrigan’s face has been circled with a bold red marker.

Later Horrigan receives a phone call from a man who identifies himself as “Booth”.  Booth says that he is going to kill the President.  Booth taunts Horrigan about failing to save President Kennedy.  This call will be just the first of the killer’s game.  Horrigan knows that this isn’t some crank. The threat to the President is real.  What Horrigan doesn’t know is the caller is an ex-CIA assassin with a grudge.

What chance does an aging Secret Service Agent have against a trained assassin?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

In the Line of Fire was nominated for three 1994 Academy Awards…

  • Nominee for Best Film Editing – Anne V. Coates
  • Nominee for Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen – Jeff Maguire
  • Nominee for Best Actor in a Supporting Role – John Malkovich

Clint Eastwood (at the age of 62) wearing a safety harness actually did hang six stories above  the street for one of the scenes.

Speaking of Eastwood’s age, he initially turned down the role. He felt he time had passed to play someone in their early 50’s.  Thankfully, Eastwood was wrong and convinced to play the part.

John Malkovich improvised the scene where he puts Eastwood’s gun in his mouth.

In the Line of Fire (1993) rates 5 of 5 stars

THE LONG LAVENDER LOOK: A TRAVIS MCGEE NOVEL by John D. MacDonald / Z-View

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THE LONG LAVENDER LOOK by John D. MacDonald

First sentences…

Late April.  Ten o’clock at night.  Hustling south on Florida 112 through the eastern section of Cypress County, about twenty miles from the intersection of 112 and the Tamiami Trail.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

At night on a deserted Florida back road after a long day, Travis McGee and his buddy Meyer are making good time. Eighty miles an hour good time.  Suddenly a scantily clad woman runs across the road.  McGee is able to avoid hitting her but his car goes off the road.  It hits hard and begins sinking.

McGee and Meyer are bruised and battered but nothing is broken.  They make it out and to the shore.  Then watch as the car sinks in swamp water.

With no options but to walk to the nearest town, they begin their trek.  There’s little hope of a passing car so late at night on a deserted road.  McGee and Meyer are happy to see a truck with a burly driver approaching.  They feel their luck has turned.

Then the driver starts shooting at them.

+++

THE LONG LAVENDER LOOK features Travis McGee at his best.  (John D. MacDonald too.)

Rating: