Category: Crime

“King of the Roaring 20’s: The Story of Arnold Rothstein” (1961) starring David Janssen / Z-View

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King of the Roaring 20’s: The Story of Arnold Rothstein (1961)

Director:  Joseph M. Newman

Screenplay:  Jo Swerling; story by Leo Katcher; based on THE BIG BANKROLL: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ARNOLD ROTHSTEIN, KING OF THE ROARING 20S by Leo Katcher

Stars: David Janssen, Dianne Foster, Jack Carson, Dan O’Herlihy, Mickey Shaughnessy, Keenan Wynn, William Demarest, Regis Toomey, Robert Ellenstein, Tim Rooney, Mickey Rooney, John Alban, Fred Aldrich and Diana Dors.

Tagline: THE HELL-BENT, JAZZ-CRAZED ERA AND THE MAN WHO RULED IT ALL!

The Plot…

The fictionalized account of Arnold Rothstein (Janssen).

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Johnny Burke as a child was played by Tim Rooney.  As an adult, he is played by Mickey Rooney.  Tim Rooney is Mickey Rooney’s son.

King of the Roaring 20’s: The Story of Arnold Rothstein (1961) rates 2 of 5 stars.

THE DEVIL TAKES YOU HOME by Gabriel Iglesias / Z-View

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THE DEVIL TAKES YOU HOME by Gabriel Iglesias

First sentences…

Luekemia.  That’s what the doctor said.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Mario’s life has gone to hell.  His daughter has cancer.  The medical bills are piling up.  Desperate to save his daughter, Mario takes a job from a friend who lives outside the law.  Mario agrees to kill a terrible man.

After, Mario is surprised.  Killing comes easy to him.  He’s good at it.  So Mario agrees to more jobs.  Bad people only. Drug dealers and child molesters.  Only people who “deserve” it.

Then his daughter dies.  His wife leaves him.  It was all for nothing.

Mario hates what he’s become.  He hates what he’s lost.  Mario wants to win his wife back.  They could start over.  But that would take life changing money.  Enough so he and his wife could move away and never work again.

So when Mario learns of a job that could give him that, he agrees.  It won’t be a murder for hire hit.  No.  Something much more dangerous.  Mario, an old friend, and a thug named Juanca will cross the border into Mexico.  There they will rip off a drug cartel and return to the states.  If they’re caught, a slow painful death awaits.  If they’re successful, can he trust Juanca or his old friend?  Money split two ways goes further than divided by three.

It’s a suicide mission, but if he survives…

Rating:

“Woman on the Run” (1950) starring Ann Sheridan & Dennis O’Keefe / Z-View

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Woman on the Run (1950)

Director:  Norman Foster

Screenplay:  Alan Campbell, Norman Foster, Ross Hunter (dialogue); based on Man on the Run by Sylvia Tate

Stars: Ann Sheridan, Dennis O’Keefe, John Qualen, Ross Elliott, Joan Shawlee, J. Farrell MacDonald, Steven Geray and Victor Sen Yung.

Tagline: As Startling as Your OWN Scream in the Night!

The Plot…

Frank Johnson (Elliott) is the sole witness to a murder.  Just as Johnson sees the murderer, the murderer sees Johnson.  In order to save himself, Johnson goes on the run with his wife, the police and the murderer close behind!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Woman on the Run fell into the public domain.  Beware of low-grade copies.

Woman on the Run (1950) rates 3 of 5 stars.

RIP: James Carlos Blake

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It was announced that James Carlos Blake died on January 11, 2025.  Mr. Blake was 81.  The cause of death was pneumonia.

Although Mr. Blake wrote off and on from his teens, it wasn’t until the 1980s that he began to write seriously for publication.  At that point James Carlos Blake began to get his short stories published in literary journals.  In 1995, his first novel, THE PISTOLEER saw print. It was a finalist for that year’s Best Novel of the West award from the Western Writers of America.

James Carlos Blake would go on to write 13 more novels and gain worldwide recognition (and awards) for his fiction.

I’ve been a James Carlos Blake fan for years.  His books are always entertaining.  If you’re a fan of crime fiction, then by all means seek them out.

Out thoughts and prayers go out to James Carlos Blake’s family, friends and fans.

“Al Capone” (1959) starring Rod Steiger / Z-View

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Al Capone (1959)

Director:  Richard Wilson

Screenplay:  Malvin Wald, Henry F. Greenberg

Stars: Rod Steiger, Martin Balsam, Fay Spain, Nehemiah Persoff, Robert Gist, Lewis Charles, Joe De Santis, Sandy Kenyon, Raymond Bailey, Al Ruscio, Louis Quinn, Ron Soble, Steve Gravers, Fred Aldrich and James Gregory.

Tagline: It was the age of speakeasies and jazz… when everybody sinned, ginned and broke the laws… while a vicious crime lord almost took over the nation!

The Plot…

The fictionalized account of Al Capone (Steiger).

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Rod Steiger and Martin Balsam would go on to become Academy Award winners but not for this one.

Al Capone (1959) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“Young Dillinger” (1965) starring Nick Adams & Robert Conrad / Z-View

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Young Dillinger (1965)

Director:  Terry O. Morse

Screenplay:  Arthur Hoehl, Donald Zimbalist

Stars: Nick Adams, Robert Conrad, John Ashley, Dan Terranova, Mary Ann Mobley, John Hoyt, Anthony Caruso, Emile Meyer, Frank Gerstle, Wally Rose, Walter Sande, Joy Harmon and Victor Buono.

Tagline: The Big Thrill-Story of the Killer Who Became Public Enemy No. 1!

The Plot…

The fictionalized account of John Dillinger (Adams), Pretty Boy Floyd (Conrad) and Baby Face Nelson (Ashley) joining forces to rob banks throughout the midwest.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Robert Conrad won the role of Jim West for The Wild, Wild West during production of Young Dillinger. Although Conrad plays Pretty Boy Floyd in this one, in 1979 Conrad would play Dillinger in The Lady in Red.

Young Dillinger (1965) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“Ragtime” (1981) directed by Milos Foreman; starring James Cagney, Elizabeth McGovern & Howard E. Rollins Jr. / Z-View

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Ragtime (1981)

Director:  Miloš Forman

Screenplay: Michael Weller, Bo Goldman (uncredited); based on RAGTIME by  E.L. Doctorow

Stars: James Cagney, Elizabeth McGovern, Howard E. Rollins Jr., Brad Dourif, Moses Gunn, Kenneth McMillan, Pat O’Brien, Donald O’Connor, James Olson, Mandy Patinkin, Mary Steenburgen, Debbie Allen, Jeffrey DeMunn, Robert Joy, Bruce Boa, Jeff Daniels, Fran Drescher, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Jeter, Ted Ross, John Ratzenberger and Norman Mailer.

Tagline: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was Ragtime

The Plot…

An African-American baby is left in the yard of a wealthy family.  When the police discover the young unwed mother nearby, they are ready to put the child in an orphanage and the mother in jail.  The family decides to take in the mother and child until the mother can get on her feet.

The baby’s father shows up.  His name is Coalhouse Walker Jr.  He wants to marry the mother and support the child now that he has a job.  The wedding is planned and all is looking up until a group of racist firemen put horse manure in Coalhouse’s new car.  When the police and the courts refuse to make things right, Coalhouse decides to get his own revenge… against the city.

The famous architect Stanford White has placed a nude statue at the top of Madison Square Garden.  Evelyn Nesbit, a former chorus girl reportedly posed for the figure.  Now Evelyn is married to millionaire Harry Kendall Thaw.  Thaw is outraged and demands that White remove the statue.  White refuses.  Thaw murders White at a huge social event.  The court case will be considered the trial of the century.

These events will converge to become a part of American lore.  Like the tagline says, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was Ragtime.”

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Ragtime was nominated for eight 1982 Academy Awards…

  • Nominee – Best Music, Original Score: Randy Newman
  • Nominee – Best Music, Original Song: Randy Newman for the song “One More Hour”
  • Nominee – Best Costume Design: Anna Hill Johnstone
  • Nominee – Best Art Direction-Set Decoration: John Graysmark, Patrizia von Brandenstein, Tony Reading, George DeTitta Sr., George DeTitta Jr., Peter Howitt
  • Nominee – Best Cinematography: Miroslav Ondrícek
  • Nominee – Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium: Michael Weller
  • Nominee – Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Elizabeth McGovern
  • Nominee – Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Howard E. Rollins Jr.

Ragtime would be James Cagney’s final film.  He hadn’t appeared in a movie in 20 years.  Cagney was in poor health during filming and so in most of his scenes he is seated.

This was also Pat O’Brien’s final film.  O’Brien and Cagney co-starred together in several films during the 30s and the 40s.

Jeff Daniels made his film debut in Ragtime.

Ragtime (1981) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“Riff Raff” starring Jennifer Coolidge, Ed Harris, Gabrielle Union, Lewis Pullman, Pete Davidson & Bill Murray – The Trailer is Here!

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The trailer for Riff Raff starring Jennifer Coolidge, Ed Harris, Gabrielle Union, Lewis Pullman, Pete Davidson and Bill Murray has won me over.

Deal me in.

Riff Raff – Watch the trailer now! In theaters February 28.

Starring Jennifer Coolidge, Ed Harris, Gabrielle Union, Lewis Pullman, Miles J. Harvey, Emanuela Postacchini, Michael Angelo Covino, Pete Davidson, and Bill Murray.

Oscar nominees Bill Murray and Ed Harris star alongside Emmy winner Jennifer Coolidge and Pete Davidson in this darkly comic crime thriller about how far you’ll go to protect the ones you love. Vincent (Harris) and his family plan to share a quiet New Year’s Eve together until his sketchy past catches up with him and the night reveals secrets no one could ever imagine. Gabrielle Union and Emmy nominee Lewis Pullman also star.

“The Channel” (2023) written & directed by William Kaufman; starring Clayne Crawford and Max Martini / Z-View

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The Channel (2023)

Director:  William Kaufman

Screenplay: William Kaufman; story by Paul Reichelt

Stars: Clayne Crawford, Max Martini, Nicoye Banks, Juliene Joyner, Jaren Mitchell, E.K. Spila, Linds Edwards, Todd Jenkins, Gary Cairns, Mike Lobo Daniel, Paul Rae, Jay Moses, Tyler Galpin  and Michael Thomas.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Jamie’s daughter needs a life-saving operation.  So he agrees to join his brother Mic and a crew of ex-soldiers on a bank robbery.  When the heist goes sideways, cops are killed.  Now the FBI has brought in a crack team and the city has been locked down.

Mic was already on edge. Now he’s out of control.  As the cops and FBI close in the body count rises.  Family got Jamie into this mess… now family might get him killed.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The Channel has enough action to entertain.  While it at times feels like a low-budget Heat, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.  The run-in with the gang bangers with the acid bath is memorable.

Max Martini can be seen on The Lioness Season 2 as Tracer.

The Channel (2023) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Happy Face” – The Poster and Teaser are Here!

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The poster and trailer for Happy Face has my attention.  This could be good.

Stream the two-episode premiere of Happy Face on March 20, followed by new episodes every week.

Inspired by a true-life story, Happy Face tells the story of Melissa Reed, daughter of Keith Jesperson, aka the Happy Face Killer. After decades of no contact, Keith forces his way back into his daughter’s life, and Melissa must find out if an innocent man is going to be put to death for a crime her father committed. In the process, she must face a reckoning of her own identity.

Jack Carter & John Wick: Gang War by Meesimo!

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Every year the Cartoon Art Museum does a fundraiser.  Artists take on commissions with the funds raised going to support the Museum.  It’s a great cause by awesome artists who share their talents in an effort to support the Museum.

This year one of the two artists I commissioned was Christian “Meesimo” Meesey.  As you can see, I asked for Stallone from Get Carter and Keanu Reeves as John Wick.  Meesimo said, “Okay…” and took the art to the next level!  My scan doesn’t do the piece justice.  Not only does it cut off a bit of the right side of the art including the girl’s knife, but the tones are so much nicer in person.

I cannot thank Meesimo enough for this sweet addition to my Stallone art collection.

“The Bad Shepherd” (2024) directed by Geo Santini; starring Christos Kalabogias, Scotty Tovar, Justin Taite, Brett Zimmerman and Geo Santini / Z-View

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The Bad Shepherd (2024)

Director:  Geo Santini

Screenplay: Ryan David Jahn

Stars: Christos Kalabogias, Scotty Tovar, Justin Taite, Brett Zimmerman, Annie Gonzalez and Geo Santini.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Paul, John, Leonard and Travis — four friends loaded into one truck driving on a remote dirt road for a weekend hunting.  The truck accidentally strikes and kills a woman walking alone. When the friends get out to check on the woman’s condition, they find she’s dead.

Not far from the dead woman is a bag full of cash.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The Bad Shepherd is a low-budget crime/horror/thriller.  I love the twist.  The acting was fine — especially Scotty Tovar and Geo Santini.  Kudos also to Santini for his direction.  After viewing the movie, the title makes me smile.

The Bad Shepherd (2024) rates 4 of 5 stars.