Category: Crime

“Berlin Express” (1948) directed by Jacques Tourneur, starring Merle Oberon & Robert Ryan / Z-View

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Berlin Express (1948)

Director: Jacques Tourneur

Screenplay: Harold Medford from a story by Curt Siodmak

Stars: Merle Oberon, Robert Ryan, Charles Korvin, Paul Lukas, Robert Coote, Reinhold Schünzel, Otto Waldis, Fritz Kortner and Tom Keene.

Tagline:  BEHIND THE CURTAIN OF SILENCE… into Berlin’s forbidden zone!

The Plot…

World War II is over, Germany has been divided into four zones of occupation under the control of the United States, Britain, France and the Soviet Union.  The city of Berlin, although located in the Soviet Zone, is also divided among the four governments.

On a train to Frankfurt, a bomb explodes in an assassination attempt on Dr. Bernhardt, a German working for a peaceful solution between Germany and the occupying governments. Although Bernhardt survived, his bodyguard was killed.  When the train arrives at the busy railway station, Bernhardt is kidnapped.  Several of the travelers including a US business man, a French woman, and a Russian soldier put aside their differences in an attempt to find Dr. Bernhardt.

Before it is over the group will face betrayal, mistaken identities, shootouts, fistfights, murders and more.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)

Berlin Express was the first Hollywood production filmed on location in post-war Berlin,  The bombed out city is a somber and terrifying backdrop.  The opening and closing of the film features narration that gives the move a documentary feel.  This didn’t work for me.

What did work were the scenes in the cabaret, the abandoned warehouse, the fight on the high dilapidated walkway, and the identity of the true murderer.  Oh, and let’s not forget the scene towards the end of the film showing Dr. Bernhardt being strangled — a very cleaver reveal.  It’s also interesting to note that the Russian soldier wasn’t treated as a caricature.

Berlin Express (1948) rates 3 of 5 stars.

Sly Stallone as Jack Carter by Gary Shipman!

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Gary Shipman is a self taught artist and writer.  Shipman has been nominated for Eisner, Harvey and Russ Manning awards.  When I saw that Gary Shipman was regularly doing sketchcard (and other) commissions on WhatNot, I decided to try to get one.  As you can see above from Shipman’s riff on Sly Stallone as Jack Carter, I succeeded.  And he nailed it.  Look for more Gary Shipman art here in the near future!

You can see more of Gary Shipman’s art at his webpage, his Instagram page and on his Whatnot stream.

“Justified: City Primeval” | Season 1, Episode 6 Trailer – Adios

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A botched kerfuffle sends Raylan’s pursuit of Mansell into chaos. Watch new episodes of Justified: City Primeval Tuesdays on FX. Stream on Hulu. Subscribe now for more Justified: City Primeval clips: http://bit.ly/SubscribeFX

| Visit Official Site https://fx.tv/JCP

Starring Timothy Olyphant, Aunjanue Ellis and Boyd Holbrook. Raylan Givens left the hollers of Kentucky and is balancing life as a U.S. Marshal with being a part-time father. A chance encounter sends him to Detroit and on a collision course with a violent sociopath and a formidable defense attorney.

“The Continental: From the World of John Wick” – The Poster & Trailer are Here!

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The three-part event will explore the origin behind the iconic hotel-for-assassins centerpiece of the John Wick universe through the eyes and actions of a young Winston Scott, as he’s dragged into the Hell-scape of 1970’s New York City to face a past he thought he’d left behind. Winston charts a deadly course through the hotel’s mysterious underworld in a harrowing attempt to seize the hotel where he will eventually take his future throne.

“Psycho” (1960) directed by Alfred Hitchcock / Z-View

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Psycho (1960)

Director: Alfred Hitchcock

Screenplay: Joseph Stefano based on Psycho by Robert Bloch

Stars: Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, John Gavin, Martin Balsam, John McIntire, Simon Oakland, Frank Albertson, Patricia Hitchcock, Vaughn Taylor and John Anderson.

Tagline:  The picture you MUST see from the beginning… Or not at all!… For no one will be seated after the start of… Alfred Hitchcock’s greatest shocker Psycho.

The Plot…

Marion Crane (Leigh) in a moment of weakness steals $40,000.00 from her boss.  She packs her bags and heads off to meet her lover (who has no idea of what she has done).  It’s a long drive so Marion decides to spend the night at the Bates’ Motel.  The motel is located off the main road in a remote location.  There’s no one else staying there.  The place is run by mild mannered Norman Bates who takes care of his invalid mother who lives in the house on the hill.

She should be safe for one night…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)

After reading the Robert Bloch novel, Hitchcock bought the rights to the book and lobbied Paramount Pictures to get the film made.  The studio didn’t have faith in the material.  They agreed to a small budget ($800,000) if Mr. Hitchcock would defer his salary ($250,000) and instead take 60% of the gross.  It worked out well since Hitchcock ended up making about $15 million!

I love that the movie starts out as a crime film and turns into a horror movie.  What other movie has the “lead” actress killed off about an hour in?  The top billed actor, Anthony Perkins, doesn’t even appear until about 30 minutes into the film.

Hitchock loved the score by Bernard Herrmann so much that he reportedly doubled Herrmann’s salary.  Hitchcock also planned to have the shower scene appear as a silent sequence.  After seeing it with the score Herrmann created, Hitch decided it worked better with music.

Anthony Perkins gives a master class in acting when questioned by Martin Balsam.

Simon Oakland shows up for one scene and it’s impact reminded me of Alec Baldwin’s in Glengary Glen Ross.

Psycho is another of Alfred Hitchcock’s classics.

Psycho (1960) rates 5 of 5 stars.

GOTHAM CITY: YEAR ONE by Tom King and Phil Hester!

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GOTHAM CITY: YEAR ONE by Tom King (writer) and Phil Hester (artist) has been getting rave reviews.  It is coming out in hardcover and Kindle editions on September 5th.  Here’s the lowdown…

There once was a shining city on the water, a home for families, hope, and prosperity. It was Gotham and it was glorious.

The story of its fall from grace, the legend that would birth the Bat, has remained untold for 80 years.

That’s about to change.

Superstar creators Tom King and Phil Hester team up for the first time to tell the definitive origin of Gotham City: how it became the cesspool of violence and corruption it is today, and how it harbored and then unleashed the sin that led to the rise of the Dark Knight. Two generations before Batman, private investigator Slam Bradley gets tangled in the “kidnapping of the century” as the infant Wayne heir disappears in the night…and so begins a brutal, hard-boiled, epic tale of a man living on the edge and a city about to burn.

“Justified: City Primeval” | Season 1, Episode 5 Trailer – The Fall of Jericho

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Carolyn’s past becomes Raylan’s present. Mansell puts a plan into action. Watch new episodes of Justified: City Primeval Tuesdays on FX. Stream on Hulu.

Starring Timothy Olyphant, Aunjanue Ellis and Boyd Holbrook. Raylan Givens left the hollers of Kentucky and is balancing life as a U.S. Marshal with being a part-time father. A chance encounter sends him to Detroit and on a collision course with a violent sociopath and a formidable defense attorney.

“Last Call: When a Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York” (2023) / Z-View

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Last Call: When a Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York (2023)

Director: Anthony Caronna

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

In the 1990s, dismembered bodies began turning up in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.  The victims were gay men.  It took a while before the police in the different jurisdictions realized they had a serial killer on their hands.  The press dubbed the murderer The Last Call Killer.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Last Call: When a Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York is a four part documentary that focuses on the victims, the increased homophobia due to AIDS during this time period, the efforts the gay community took to raise awareness of the murders and the shortcomings of a system where different jurisdictions didn’t smoothly interact.  While we do learn who the killer was, how he was caught and the outcome of his trial, he is never the main focus.

Last Call: When a Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York (2023) rates 3 of 5 stars.

RIP: Mark Margolis

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Mark Margolis, the actor best known for his portrayal of Hector Salamanca in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, died yesterday after a short illness.  Mr. Margolis was 83.

After high school Mark Margolis moved to New York where he was a student at the Actors Studio.  He worked in both television and feature films throughout his career.  In 2012, Mr. Margolis was nominated for a Prime Time Emmy Award as the Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama series for his portrayal of Hector Salamanca in Breaking Bad.

Some of Mark Margolis’ television appearances include: Kojak;  Muggable Mary, Street Cop; Rage of Angels; Crime Story; The Equalizer (16 episodes); Quantum Leap; Columbo Cries Wolf; Star Trek: The Next Generation; Jake and the Fatman; Tales from the Darkside; Santa Barbara (13 episodes); Guiding Light; Prince Street (6 episodes); Law & Order (3 episodes); Oz (10 episodes); Ed (2 episodes); Sex and the City; Law & Order: Criminal Intent; Crossing Jordan; Waterfront (4 episodes); Kings (2 episodes); Blue Bloods; Breaking Bad (8 episodes); The Good Wife; Law & Order: Special Victims Unit; Person of Interest (3 episodes); Fairly Legal (2 episodes); American Horror Story (3 episodes); Elementary; Gotham (2 episodes); The Affair (3 episodes); The Blacklist; Snowpiercer; Prodigal Son; Better Call Saul (22 episodes) and Your Honor (5 episodes).

Some of Mark Margolis’ feature film appearances include: The Opening of Misty Beethoven; Short Eyes; Short Eyes; Going in Style; Dressed to Kill; Arthur; Eddie Macon’s Run; Scarface; The Cotton Club; The Secret of My Success; Glory; Ace Ventura: Pet Detective; Absolute Power; The Thomas Crown Affair; End of Days; Requiem for a Dream; Hannibal; Daredevil; Gone, Baby, Gone; The Wrestler; Stand Up Guys and My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2. 

My favorite role of Mark Margolis’ is probably most everyone’s, when he played Hector Salamanca in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. I also loved him in Scarface and Oz.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Mark Margolis’ family, friends and fans.

“Body Heat” (1981) written & directed by Lawrence Kasdan, starring William Hurt & Kathleen Turner / Z-View

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Body Heat (1981)

Director: Lawrence Kasdan

Screenplay: Lawrence Kasdan

Stars: William Hurt, Kathleen Turner, Richard Crenna, Ted Danson, J.A. Preston, Kim Zimmer and Mickey Rourke.

Tagline:  The called it love. The DA called it murder.

The Plot…

One night in the middle of a brutal Florida heat wave, Ned Racine (Hurt) meets a beautiful woman on the boardwalk.  The woman is Matty Walker (Turner).  She’s married, but Racine, a notorious womanizer, isn’t fazed.  There’s a definite sexual attraction and soon the two are involved in a torrid affair.  Matty’s husband is rich, but has an airtight prenup.  As Ned and Matty’s affair heats up their thoughts turn to cold blooded murder.

All is not as it seems…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)

Body Heat is a classic noir.  If you’re a fan of Double Indemnity and The Postman Always Rings Twice, this should light your fire.  It made stars of Kathleen Turner and Mickey Rourke.  It’s my favorite film written by Lawrence Kasdan.  It’s also my favorite film directed by Kasdan.  It’s my favorite William Hurt movie.

Body Heat features a twist ending that plays out slowly and adds a whole new layer to everything we’ve seen.

Body Heat (1981) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“Malicious” (2023) – The Trailer is Here!

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The McCabe family’s weekend getaway was never meant to be a life-changing experience. Governor William McCabe, a respected politician, was looking forward to some rest and relaxation. His beautiful wife Lauren and distant stepdaughter Erin strain to enjoy their time together, as the façade of the trophy family has worn dangerously thin. Things take a severe turn for the worse when a charismatic stranger knocks on their door and triggers an unexpected chain of events.

“Pulp Fiction” (1994) / Z-View

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Pulp Fiction (1994)

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Screenplay: Quentin Tarantino, Roger Avery

Stars: John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, Tim Roth, Amanda Plummer, Phil LaMarr, Frank Whaley, Ving Rhames, Paul Calderon, Rosanna Arquette, Eric Stoltz, Steve Buscemi, Christopher Walken, Harvey Keitel, Julia Sweeney, Peter Greene, Kathy Griffin and Quentin Tarantino.

Tagline: You won’t know the facts until you’ve seen the fiction.

The Plot…

Pulp Fiction is the tale of…

  • Vincent Vega (Travolta) an enforcer for Marcellus Wallace
  • Jules Winnfield (Jackson) an enforcer for Marcellus Wallace
  • Marcellus Wallace (Rhames) a mobster
  • Mia Wallace (Thurman) Marcellus Wallace’s wife
  • Butch Coolidge (Willis) a boxer paid to take a dive for Marcellus Wallace
  • Pumpkin (Roth) a small time crook
  • Honey Bunny (Plummer) Pumpkin’s partner and lover
  • Mr. Wolf (Keitel) a cleaner

Pulp Fiction unfolds jumping back and forth in time as the characters interact.  There are seven sequences.  Each section focuses on a different main character(s) with the others either not appearing or taking a secondary role.  While this sounds confusing, it’s not.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Pulp Fiction was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Picture, Director, Actor (Travolta), Supporting Actor (Jackson), Supporting Actress (Thurman), Film Editing and won for Best Original Screenplay (Tarantino & Avery).

Pulp Fiction was the film that made Quentin Tarantino a household name and reinvigorated John Travolta’s career.

A lot of credit for Pulp Fiction‘s popularity is given to its unique structure.  While that does have a lot to do with the movie’s success, we shouldn’t short the story or cast.  Tarantino and Avery came up with great characters. They then beautifully cast each role. The stories at first glance seemed to be traditional tropes for crime/gangster films, but each veered into strange new territory.  Pulp Fiction  became and remains a touchstone for crime films.

Pulp Fiction (1994) rates 5 of 5 stars.