Category: Crime

“Momo: The Sam Giancana Story” (2011) / Z-View

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“Momo: The Sam Giancana Story” (2011)

Director: Dimitri Logothetis

Screenplay:  Nicholas Celozzi, Dimitri Logothetis

Stars:  Jack Palance, Harold J. Stone, Barbara Lang, Edward Platt and Timothy Carey.

Tagline: Full length feature documentary about the life of one of the most notorious mob leaders in history as told by his family.

The Plot…

Sam Giancana rose to become one of the most powerful figures in the underworld.  Giancana began a life of crime as a gang member when he was still in his teens.  He became known as an excellent getaway driver.  But unlike movie wheelmen, Giancana wasn’t hestiant to use a gun.  Before he was 21, Giancana was the prime subject in three murder investigations.  He wasn’t ever put on trial.

Giancana rose to power because of his willingness to make bold moves and take down those who didn’t come along.  Giancana was present at the infamous 1957 organized crime meeting that tipped off authorities that organized crime was widespread and real.

Giancana is credited to have played a major role in getting John F. Kennedy elected.  He reportedly worked with the C.I.A. on plans to assassinate Fidel Castro.  It is documented that he shared a mistress with JFK and she carried messages back and forth for them.  Rumors persist that Giancana was “behind” the Marilyn Monroe “suicide”.  He may have been involved in the JFK assassination.  Giancana was linked to the RFK assassination.  His hatred for RFK is well-documented.  Giancana was assassinated just days before he was to testify before a Senate Committee regarding the CIA-Mafia assassination plots.

Sam Giancana’s children present his life story through vintage photos, video, news reports, as well as their own remembrances.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

It’s hard to believe the amount of influence Sam Giancana had.  Yet, despite all of his power, he was murdered in his own house by someone close to him.

“Momo: The Sam Giancana Story” (2011) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“Banshee”: Season 1 starring Antony Starr, Ivana Miličević, Ulrich Thomsen, Frankie Faison and Hoon Lee / Z-View

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Banshee: Season 1 (2013)

Created by:  Jonathan Tropper, David Schickler

Director:

  • Greg Yaitanes (eps. 1; 4; 8)
  • S.J. Clarkson (eps. 2; 5)
  • Ole Christian Madsen (eps. 3; 6)
  • Dean White (ep. 7)

Teleplay:

  • Jonathan Tropper, David Schickler (eps. 1-6)
  • David Schickler (ep. 7)
  • Jonathan Tropper (ep. 8)

Stars: Antony Starr, Ivana Miličević, Ulrich Thomsen, Frankie Faison, Hoon Lee, Rus Blackwell, Matt Servitto, Demetrius Grosse, Trieste Kelly Dunn, Matthew Rauch, Rus Blackwell, Ryann Shane, Daniel Ross Owens, Lili Simmons, Anthony Ruivivar and Ben Cross.

Tagline: Good Town.  Bad Blood.

The Plot…

A man is released after 15 years in prison.  He and his girlfriend, Ana, ripped off a Ukrainian crime boss known as Rabbit for $15 million in diamonds.  When the police were closing in, the man led them on a chase so Ana could get away with the loot.  The man went to prison.

The woman disappeared. So did the diamonds.  Rabbit still wants both… and revenge on the man.

The man heads to Banshee, a small town in Pennsylvania.  He expects to find Ana and the diamonds waiting for him.  He finds Ana.  She’s taken on a new identity as Carrie Hopewell.  The new identity was expected.  Her married to the town’s D.A. with two children was not.

The ex-con can’t believe it.  Ana moved on, got married and had kids.

The ex-con ends up  in a small bar on the outskirts of town.  He’s drinking a beer with Sugar, the bar’s owner when another man comes in.  The man introduces himself as Josh Hood.  He’s soon to be sworn in as the new sheriff of Banshee.  Turns out Hood was hired over the phone and hasn’t met anyone yet.

As the three men are talking two hoods bust in to rob the bar.  Hood engages the two and is killed in a shootout.  The ex-con kills the two thieves.  As Sugar and the ex-con bury the three bodies, the ex-con tells Sugar his plan — he’s going to take on Josh Hood’s identity and become the new sheriff.

Since no one has met the new sheriff yet, what could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Banshee was created for Cinemax and therefore doesn’t hold back on filming nudity and sexual situations.

Banshee  plays out like a really fun crime comic.  There are larger than life characters combined with over the top action.

There are enough interesting characters and subplots to keep every episode moving.

Hoon Lee is a hoot as Job.  Matthew Rauch as Clay Burton is creepy.  He reminds me of an adult Kevin from Sin City.

If you’re willing to go with the concept of an ex-con taking the identity of the new sheriff (that nobody has ever met), you’re in for a fun ride.

Banshee: Season 1 (2013) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“American Godfathers: The Five Families” (2024) / Z-View

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American Godfathers: The Five Families (2024)

Director:

  • Pouria Baladi, Jason Wright (eps. 1-3)

Teleplay:

  • Selwyn Raab (eps. 1-3)

Narrator: Michael Imperioli

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Members of the Sicilian Mafia immigrate to America and set-up  shop in New York City.  Prohibition provides opportunities for increased wealth and power.  There is a tradition of honor and omerta (a strict code of silence and non-cooperation with legal authorities) that protects the crime families.

As time passes and American born crime bosses rise, the old traditions are lost.  Some mafia bosses are more concerned with their personal wealth and public persona.  This attracts attention from the FBI and politicians.

The FBI uses RICO statutes for the first time to bring down mafia families.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Michael Imperioli is an excellent choice to narrate the series.

The series does an excellent job of covering the century of organized crime.  While there isn’t much new ground broken, there is a lot of acreage to cover.

American Godfathers: The Five Families (2024) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“Brainstorm” (1965) directed by William Conrad; starring Jeffrey Hunter, Anne Francis and Dana Andrews / Z-View

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Brainstorm (1965)

Director: William Conrad

Screenplay:  Mann Rubin; story by Lawrence B. Marcus

Stars:  Jeffrey Hunter, Anne Francis, Dana Andrews, Viveca Lindfors, Michael Pate and Strother Martin.

Tagline: Brainstorm is the most fiendish idea ever conceived by the human brain!

The Plot…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Jim Grayam is a super intelligent computer analyst for Benson Industries. He’s a rising star within the company.  One night on a deserted road, Jim comes across a car parked on railroad tracks.  An unconscious woman is behind the wheel.

Jim’s attempts to rouse her are unsuccessful.  A train is quickly approaching.  Jim breaks a window, pushes the still sleeping woman over, and drives the car to safety.  The woman is Lorrie Benson. When she wakes up, she admits she wanted to die.  Lorrie is in an unhappy marriage to Cort Benson.  Cort is a very rich man and refuses to give Lorrie a divorce.

As it turns out Cort Benson owns the company Jim works for.

Jim and Lorrie begin meeting secretly.  Jim loves Lorrie, but knows Cort would never release her.  Jim realizes to get Lorrie free, he must come up with a plan… and he does.

Jim will begin to show symptoms of a man losing his grasp of reality.  He will do this repeatedly in front of many witnesses.  Jim will then murder Cort in public. He’ll be caught, tried and found NOT guilty.  Due to reasons of insanity.

After some months in a sanatorium, Jim will stop acting crazy.  He’ll be found safe to return to public life.  Then he and Lorrie will move away, be married and have a happy life.  Plus she will have Cort’s money.

Ah, the perfect plan.

What could go wrong?

Thoughts…

Director William Conrad, best known as an actor, has a cameo in Brainstorm.  Conrad can be seen lying on a bed, smoking a cigar, in the sanitorium.

I think that it’s ironic that you’d have to be crazy to implement Jim’s plan to act crazy so that you’d be found not guilty of murder.  Think about that for a second.

Brainstorm (1965) rates 3 of 5 stars.

The Whisper Man (2026) starring Robert De Niro, Michelle Monaghan, Adam Scott and Michael Keaton / Z-View

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The Whisper Man (2026)

Director: James Ashcroft

Screenplay:  Ben Jacoby, Chase Palmer; based on THE WHISPER MAN by Alex North.

Stars:  Robert De Niro, Michelle Monaghan, Adam Scott and Michael Keaton.

Tagline: If you leave a door half open, soon you’ll hear the whispers spoken.

The Plot…

Tom Kennedy is a widower raising his young son, Jake, by himself.  When Jake disappears, Tom turns to his estranged father, Peter, for help.  Peter is a retired police detective. Tom hopes his dad will have some influence and insight.

Things take a turn for the worse when it becomes clear that Jake was taken by a Whisper Man copycat.  The Whisper Man was a serial killer now in prison serving a life sentence.   If Jake is with the copycat, he will be killed in soon.  The killer’s ritual was to keep his victims alive for a few days before killing them.

The clock is ticking.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Michael Keaton has a small but important role.  

Strange things happen in their house before Jake disappears.  The fact that his father didn’t take certain precautions just didn’t ring true to me.  Also the reveal of the Whisper Man copycat killer seemed a stretch.  As did the ending. 

The Whisper Man (2026) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“November 1963” starring John Travolta, Robert Carlyle, Dermot Mulroney, Jefferson White & Mandy Patinkin – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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The poster and trailer for November 1963 is here.  I’ve followed the different Kennedy Assassination theories since I was a child.  Why not one more?

Deal me in.

The JFK assassination, as told by the men who say they were in the room.

Watch the official trailer for NOVEMBER 1963, only in theaters November 20.

From two-time Oscar-nominated director Roland Joffé (The Killing Fields, The Mission), NOVEMBER 1963 unfolds in real time across the 48 hours surrounding the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, seen from inside the Chicago Outfit rather than from the official record.

Starring John Travolta as Johnny Roselli, Robert Carlyle as Jack Ruby, Dermot Mulroney as Chuckie Nicoletti, Mandy Patinkin as Anthony Accardo, Jefferson White as Lee Harvey Oswald and Thomas Fiscella as Sam Giancana.

The screenplay comes from Nicholas Celozzi, nephew of Chicago Outfit boss Sam Giancana, who heard the account first-hand as a child from Giancana’s brother Joseph “Pepe” Giancana, one of the men who rode with Sam through those two days. Bonnie Giancana, Sam’s daughter, serves as executive producer.

Directed by Roland Joffé. Produced by Kevin DeWalt of Minds Eye Entertainment and Nicholas Celozzi of Le Monde Productions. The production rebuilt Dealey Plaza from the ground up, with 1,500 extras and more than 75 period vehicles recreating November 22, 1963.

Sixty-three years on, the story comes from the people who say they were there.

NOVEMBER 1963. Only in theaters November 20.

KILLING TOWN: THE LOST FIRST MIKE HAMMER THRILLER by Mickey Spillane & Max Allan Collins / Z-View

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KILLING TOWN by Mickey Spillane, Max Allan Collins

First sentence…

The blonde dame in the sleeper car window was damn near naked in front of the mirror on the back of her closed door, and ready to finish the job.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

World War II is over.  Mike Hammer made it back.  Many of his fellow soldiers didn’t.  Now a civilian, Hammer has a promise to keep.

Which is why he sneaks under a train and rides into Killington on the sly.  As Hammer exits from under the train, through a window in a car across the tracks, he spies a woman undressing.   She’s a looker, but Hammer isn’t a Peeping Tom and wants to get out of there before the railyard cops catch him.

So Hammer scoots.

But it isn’t long before Hammer is picked up for murder.  The murder of the woman he saw in the railyard.  The cops get rough trying to get Hammer to confess.  Things look bad.  He was in the railyard.  He saw the woman.  He has no alibi.

And then the cops turn Hammer loose.  Melba Charles, Senator Charles’ beautiful daughter says that Hammer was with her at the time of the murder.  In fact, she says she and Hammer are soon to be married!

Hammer is happy to be free.  He came to Killington to keep a promise.  That’ll get done after.  Now he needs to find the mystery woman’s killer.  But first he needs to meet his future bride and find out why she provided an alibi for a man she’d never met.

+++

KILLING TOWN takes place before Mike Hammer became a private eye.  It was actually an unfinished novel that Mickey Spillane started but never finished.  Max Allan Collins, Spillane’s friend was selected by Spillane to complete the tale.

KILLING TOWN is my one of my favorite Mike Hammer tales… on par with I, THE JURY.  (And I don’t say that lightly.)

Rating:

“I Will Find You” (2026) starring Sam Worthington and Britt Lower / Z-View

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I Will Find You (2026)

Created by: Robert Hull; based on I WILL FIND YOU by Harlan Coben

Director:

  • Brad Anderson  (eps. 1-2)
  • Maja Vrvilo (eps. 3-4)
  • Adam Davidson (eps. 5-6)
  • Maggie Kiley (eps. 7-8)

Teleplay:

  • Robert Hull (eps. 1-2; 8)
  • Robert Hull, Steven Lilien and Bryan Wynbrandt (ep. 3, 6-7)
  • Heather Mitchell, Robert Hull, Steven Lilien and Bryan Wynbrandt (ep. 4)
  • Steven Lilien and Bryan Wynbrandt (ep. 5)

Stars: Sam Worthington, Britt Lower, Milo Ventimiglia, Erin Richards, Jonathan Tucker, Peter Outerbridge, Madeleine Stowe, Hugh Thompson, Logan Browning and Chi McBride.

Tagline: Find the boy.  Find the truth.

The Plot…

David Burroughs, a Boston law professor, has spent the last five years in prison for the brutal murder of his three year-old-son. Matthew.  The child was beaten with a baseball bat so badly that the body could only be identified through DNA.  From day one, David proclaimed his innocence.

Out of the blue, David’s ex-sister-in-law visits David in prison. She has a recent photo of a boy who would be Matthew’s age if he had lived.  The kid looks like Matthew if he had lived.  The kicker is the boy in the picture has the EXACT same facial birthmark as Matthew.  David is convinced it IS Matthew.

So David tells the Warden about the photo.  The Warden happens to be a friend of David’s family.  So the Warden gets David’s case file and gives it to him.  After two failed attempts on David’s life, the Warden decides to help David escape.  The Warden, brings in his son, a police sergeant (and David’s best friend) to help with the breakout.

Once free and on the run, it will be up to David to prove his innocence by finding his son.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

If after reading that plot and your eyes aren’t still rolling, we can continue.

The prison used for filming is the same used for the series The Mayor of Kingstown.

If you’re willing to suspend a lot of disbelief you might enjoy I Will Find You.  I watched it with my wife.  She really liked it.  I thought it was okay.  As always, your mileage may vary.

It was great seeing Chi McBride.  Logan Browning was excellent as his FBI agent daughter.

I Will Find You (2026) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“Violent Ends” (2025) written & directed by John-Michael Powell; starring Billy Magnussen, James Badge Dale, Kate Burton, Ray McKinnon, Nick Stahl and Alexandra Shipp / Z-View

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Violent Ends (2025)

Director:  John-Michael Powell

Screenplay:  John-Michael Powell

Stars: Billy Magnussen, James Badge Dale, Kate Burton, Ray McKinnon, Nick Stahl and Alexandra Shipp.

Tagline: This Isn’t Revenge. It’s a Reckoning.

The Plot…

The Frost family are infamous in Arkansas.  For generations they have been involved in all types of crime.  Years ago, infighting nearly destroyed the family.  A truce was made.  One branch of the family controlled the cocaine trade; the other dealt meth.  It’s been an uneasy truce.

Lucas Frost stayed out of the family business.  He wanted a better life and was on the verge of getting it.  Emma loved him.  He loved her.  They planned to be married, move far away and start a family.

That all changed when Emma was accidentally killed during a robbery.  A robbery pulled off by a family member.

Lucas wants vengeance… even if it breaks the truce and causes all out war.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I like the concept of a crime family in an uneasy truce followed by an incident that could blow up the peace and destroy the family in the process.  How far would you go for revenge if it meant others in your family would be hurt/killed? How much would you forgive to keep family peace?

Violent Ends (2025) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“Sugar” Season 2 (2026) starring Colin Farrell / Z-View

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Sugar: Season 2 (2026)

Created by: Mark Protosevich

Director:

  • Michael Morris (eps. 1-2; 7-8)
  • Amat Escalante (eps. 3-4)
  • Adam Bernstein (eps. 5-6)

Teleplay:

  • Sam Catlin (eps. 1-8)
  • Gary Tieche (ep. 2)
  • Christopher C. Rogers (ep. 3)
  • Jonny Gomez (ep. 4)
  • Michael A. Bhim  (ep. 5)
  • Megan Ritchie (ep. 6)
  • Sam Alper & Christopher C. Rogers  (ep. 7)

Stars: Colin Farrell, Jin Ha, Tony Dalton, Sasha Calle, Laura San Giacomo and Shea Whigham.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Sugar takes on a new case.  Boxer, Danny Moon is in line for a title shot, but Moon’s missing brother is making him lose focus.  Moon’s brother is on the wrong side of some very bad people and Sugar needs to find him before they do.

Then someone from Sugar’s past shows up to make matters worse.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Sugar was a 2024 Primetime Emmy nominee for Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series (Half-Hour) – Richard Rutkowski (director of photography) for Starry-Eyed

Season 2 surprised me by letting the air out of the big season 1 twist.  It appeared they were moving on from that “area”.  They’re not.

Sasha Calle and Shea Whigham are great additions to the Season 2 cast.

Sugar: Season 2 (2026) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“Normal” (2025) starring Bob Odenkirk, Henry Winkler and Lena Headey / Z-View

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Normal (2025)

Director: Ben Wheatley

Screenplay:  Derek Kolstad, Bob Odenkirk.

Stars:  Bob Odenkirk, Henry Winkler, Lena Headey.

Tagline: Small town. Big secret.

The Plot…

Ulysses Richardson, the interim sheriff of Normal, Minnesota, has an easy gig.  Normal is a small, quiet town full of friendly people.

That all changes when two bumbling crooks try to rob the town’s only bank.  Ulysses goes into the bank to talk the thieves into giving up.  Meanwhile the Mayor, the deputies and many of the townfolk have lined up outside.  They’re armed to the teeth and out for blood.

Inside, Ulysses and the two crooks are shocked.  The vault contains waaaaay more money and gold bars than the small town bank should have.  Way more.

The Mayor informs Ulysses that the goods in the bank belong to a Japanese Yakuza crime syndicate.  The town safeguards the syndicate’s goods and the townfolk get a monthly check.  If Ulysses kills the two robbers, they’ll make him the permanent sheriff and he’ll get paid too.  If Ulysses refuses, the citizens of Normal will kill the Ulysses and the robbers.

Ulysses refuses.

Oh, and the crooks tripped the alarm that notified the crime cartel of the robbery.  A squad of angry Yakuza are on their way now.

Things are about to get crazy.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Normal is the third film that Derek Kolstad has written or co-written to star Bob Odenkirk.  The others were Nobody and Nobody 2.

If you’re looking for an over-the-top actionfest that doesn’t worry to much about anything but delivering fun and thrills, then give Normal a go.

Normal (2025) rates 4 of 5 stars.