Category: Crime

FOLLOW ME DOWN: A RECKLESS BOOK by Ed Brubaker & Sean Phillips is Coming!

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The next Reckless book, Follow Me Down by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips is set for release on October 18, 2022.  It sounds like another winner…

In the wake of the 1989 earthquake, Ethan takes a trip to San Francisco to search for a missing woman. But almost immediately he finds himself going down a path of darkness and murder in her wake, in a case unlike anything he’s faced before.
FOLLOW ME DOWN is the most intense of the Reckless books so far, and yet another hit from the most-acclaimed team in comics, creators of PULP, MY HEROES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN JUNKIES, CRIMINAL, THE FADE OUT, and KILL OR BE KILLED. A must-have for all Brubaker and Phillips readers!

Like with all of Brubaker & Phillips’ books, deal me in!  If you feel the same pre-orders are available now!

“Desperate” (1947) / Z-View

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Desperate (1947)

Director:  Anthony Mann

Screenplay by:  Harry Essex,  Martin Rackin (additional dialogue), Dorothy Atlas (story)

Starring:  Steve Brodie, Audrey Long and Raymond Burr

Tagline:  Desperate was their nightmare of FEAR!

The Overview:  Beware of spoilers

Steve (Brodie) and Anne Randall (Long) are ready to celebrate their wedding anniversary when Steve gets a call from a man named Walt Radak (Burr) about a trucking job.  Since they need the money, they decide to postpone the celebration until Steve gets back.

When Steve arrives at the warehouse, he learns that Radak and his crew are thieves who want him to haul stolen property.  Steve refuses, but is forced at gunpoint back into the truck.  As the crooks load the goods, Steve is able to signal a cop walking by.  A shootout ensues.  The cop is shot and killed as everyone scrambles to get away.  Only Radak’s brother is caught.

Steve returns home, gets his wife and they go on the run.  Steve needs to prove his innocence since the cops think he’s part of the cop killer gang.  Radak blames Steve for the bungled robbery and his brother’s capture.  Steve is on the run and desperate…

Desperate is the first and only feature film to star Steve Brodie (which is surprising).  It is also Raymond Burr’s first time playing the lead heavy.  Desperate is a good film noir and rates 3 of 5 stars.

“G-Men” (1935) Starring James Cagney / Z-View

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G-Men (1935)

Director:  William Keighley

Screenplay by:  Darryl F. Zanuck, Seton I. Miller (uncredited) based on the novel Public Enemy No. 1 by Gregory Rogers

Starring:  James Cagney, Margaret Lindsay, Ann Dvorak, Robert Armstrong and Lloyd Nolan

Tagline: Hollywood’s Most Famous Bad Man Joins the “G-MEN” and Halts the March of Crime!

The Overview:  Beware of spoilers

Because he won’t play ball with crooks, Brick Davis (Cagney) isn’t making it as a lawyer.  So when Brick’s recruited to join the FBI, he does.  We then follow Brick through training and his efforts to bring down a crime syndicate.

Cagney’s star power is evident in this pretty much by the numbers outing.  With that said,  G-Men rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Emily the Criminal” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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The Emily the Criminal poster and trailer are here.  This looks good, so deal me in!

Emily (Aubrey Plaza) is saddled with student debt and locked out of the job market due to a minor criminal record. Desperate for income, she takes a shady gig as a “dummy shopper,” buying goods with stolen credit cards supplied by a handsome and charismatic middleman named Youcef (Theo Rossi). Faced with a series of dead-end job interviews, Emily soon finds herself seduced by the quick cash and illicit thrills of black-market capitalism, and increasingly interested in her mentor Youcef. Together, they hatch a plan to bring their business to the next level in Los Angeles.

HELL of a MESS (A Love & Bullets Hookup, Book 4) by Nick Kolakowski is Coming!

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Hell of a Mess by Nick Kolakowski is set to be released on August 26, 2022.  This is a must-buy for me.  I’ve read and loved the other stories in the Love & Bullets series.  Hell of a Mess sounds like a great sequel…

The heist should have been a simple one: infiltrate the top floor of a luxury New York City penthouse, steal a server with compromising data from under the noses of the unsuspecting guards, and slip back out. Fiona, master thief and occasional assassin, has pulled off similar jobs dozens of times. But with a massive hurricane bearing down on the East Coast, the timing is tight and the escape routes are limited-and that’s before she discovers something horrific in the penthouse’s master bedroom.

Now Fiona’s on the run, trying to stay one step ahead of rising floodwaters and an army of hired assassins. Her husband Bill, the finest hustler between Florida and Maine, can’t help her: he’s been kidnapped by a group of dirty cops who want the secret millions left by his former employer. The night will take the two of them from the heights of money and power in Lower Manhattan to a haunted island in the East River where no secrets stay buried forever.

It’s going to be one hell of a night… and one hell of a mess.

If this sounds like your jam pre-orders are available now.

Hell of a Mess Paperback
Hell of a Mess Kindle

“The Man from Toronto” (2022) Starring Kevin Hart & Woody Harrelson / Z-View

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The Man from Toronto (2022)

Director: Patrick Hughes

Screenplay by:  Robbie Fox, Chris Bremner from a story by Robbie Fox, Jason Blumenthal

Starring:  Kevin Hart, Woody Harrelson, Jasmine Mathews, Kaley Cuoco, Pierson Fode and Ellen Barkin

Tagline:  Hitman Meets Dead Man

The Overview:  Beware of spoilers

Teddy (Hart), a mild mannered man,  is mistaken for an elite assassin/torturer known as The Man from Toronto (Harrelson).  The FBI convince Teddy to continue playing as The Man from Toronto in an effort to stop an upcoming hit on a visiting dignitary.  Everything goes sideways when the real Man from Toronto shows up…

The Man from Toronto has a great premise.  Kevin Hart is the right choice to play Teddy and Woody Harrelson makes a convincing hitman.  Director Patrick Hughes knows his way around action scenes.  The movie starts off well enough, but the last act went way over the top (some may say that it happened even sooner).  Still there were enough laughs to rate 3 of 5 stars.

“Whiskey Made Us Brave” by S.A. Cosby

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S.A. Cosby is one of my favorite writers.  I’ve read three books by Cosby and each one is a winner:

Cosby recently posted a link to his short story, Whiskey Made Us Brave.  If you like crime fiction, give it a read.  It’s short, but like all great crime stories, not sweet.  I can’t wait to see what S.A. Cosby has for us next!

RIP: Sonny Barger

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Sonny Barger, one of the founding members of the Hell’s Angels, died yesterday from cancer.  Sonny Barger’s notoriety as a Hell’s Angels leader (including being part of the Rolling Stones security at the Altamont concert where Marty Balin of Jefferson Airplane was knocked unconscious and audience member Meredith Hunter was stabbed to death) brought him into the public eye.  Mr. Barger appeared several documentaries about the Hell’s Angels and other motorcycle clubs, three feature films, but is probably known for his reoccurring role on Sons of Anarchy where he played Lenny ‘The Pimp’ Janowitz.  Sonny Barger also wrote or co-wrote six books.

I first became aware of Sonny Barger through his leadership of the Hell’s Angels and the wild stories and documentaries about him/them.  His addition to the cast of Sons of Anarchy added a level of authenticity to the show.  I’ve read a couple of his books.  He lived his life as he wanted.  His final message posted on his Facebook page was:

If you are reading this message, you’ll know that I’m gone. I’ve asked that this note be posted immediately after my passing. I’ve lived a long and good life filled with adventure. And I’ve had the privilege to be part of an amazing club. Although I’ve had a public persona for decades, i’ve mostly enjoyed special time with my club brothers, my family, and close friends.

Please know that I passed peacefully after a brief battle with cancer. But also know that in the end, I was surrounded by what really matters: My wife, Zorana, as well as my loved ones. Keep your head up high, stay loyal, remain free, and always value honor. – Sonny

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Sonny Barger’s family, friends and fans.

“The Untouchables” (1987) Starring Kevin Costner, Sean Connery & Robert De Niro / Z-View

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The Untouchables (1987)

Director: Brian De Palma

Screenplay by:  David Mamet based on The Untouchables by Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley

Starring:  Kevin Costner, Sean Connery, Robert De Niro, Charles Martin Smith, Andy Garcia, Billy Drago and Patricia Clarkson

Tagline:  What are you prepared to do?

The Overview:  Beware of spoilers

Elliott Ness (Costner) is a Federal Treasury agent sent to Chicago to take down Al Capone (De Niro) and his criminal enterprises.  Due to widespread corruption in the Chicago Police Department, Ness creates a team of “Untouchables” consisting of a Jim Malone (Connery) a street cop; George Stone (Garcia) a young police cadet and Oscar Wallace (Smith) a Treasury bookkeeper.  With their lives and families in danger, Ness and his Untouchables find themselves in Capone’s crosshairs as they move forward with their mission.

The Untouchables is arguably director Brian DePalma’s finest film.  It is the movie that made Kevin Costner and Andy Garcia stars.  Sean Connery won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Jim Malone.  The film was also nominated for 3 additional Oscars: Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design and Best Original Score.

I absolutely love The Untouchables.  Everything comes together beautifully – the screenplay, the director, the cast and the music mesh to create a magical movie experience.  David Mamet wrote the screenplay based on the book by (the real Elliott Ness) and Oscar Fraley.  While the film is a fictionalized account, it’s not a documentary, so let’s not pick that nit.  The film’s direction features DePalma at his peak.  There are so many memorable scenes – Ness and Malone meeting for the first time, Malone’s way of getting a Capone bookkeeper to talk, Ness’ confrontation with Capone on the staircase, Nitti and another thug at Malone’s apartment, Ness and the baby carriage, Stone saving the day and Ness and Nitti on the rooftop – to name several.

Connery is at his best and deserving of his Oscar.  Kevin Costner is perfect as the straight arrow cop who tests his limits when he discovers what he is willing to do to bring down Capone.  Andy Garcia is spot on as the cocky because he’s that good cop.  Charles Martin Smith plays what looks like a stereotypical bookkeeper until the action starts.  Billy Drago has a smaller but vitally important role as Frank Nitti, Capone’s number one hitman.

If you’ve never seen The Untouchables, you should rectify that as soon as possible.  If you have seen it, then you know I’m not exaggerating when I say The Untouchables is worthy of a 5 of 5 star rating.

“Thieves’ Highway” (1949) / Z-View

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Thieves’ Highway (1949)

Director:  Jules Dassin

Screenplay by:  A. I. Bezzerides based on his novel Thieves’ Market

Starring:  Richard Conte, Valentina Cortese, Lee J. Cobb, Barbara Lawrence, Jack Oakie, Millard Mitchell, Joseph Pevney and Jules Dassin

Tagline: Rackets Ride The Roads!

The Overview:  Beware of spoilers

Nick Garcos (Conte) returns home from the war with plans to marry his girl and start a business.  When Nick learns that his father, a trucker, was crippled due to a crooked produce dealer named Mike Figlia (Cobb), Nick decides to get revenge.  Nick underestimates Figlia and realizes he’s in over his head too late…

Thieves’ Highway is another excellent film that I might have missed if not for Eddie Mueller and TCM.  Richard Conte is excellent as the honest, headstrong son looking to avenge his father.  Lee J. Cobb presents just the right amount of attitude playing the smug, tough (yet truly cowardly) dirty businessman.  It was humorous that everyone knew what a creep Figla was, but they had to deal with him.  Jackie Oakie provides some comedy relief.

If there was any nit I would pick, it would be the love subplot.  Nick seems ready to switch his allegiance pretty quickly. And just as fast we learn that his fiancé loves money/security more than Nick.  The subplot does provide a fun scene with Nick talking on the phone to his girl in a crowded bar full of men ready to join in.

Thieves’ Highway was a fun ride and it earns 4 of 5 stars.

SHOEDOG by George Pelecanos / Z-View

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Shoedog by George Pelecanos

Trade Paperback : ‎ 240 pages Publisher: ‎ Back Bay Books

First sentence…

The first thing Constantine noticed, as the car pulled over and slowed to a stop, was the bumblebee emblem on the grill.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Constantine left home at 17 and has been drifting around the world for almost as many years.  While hitchhiking, Constantine is picked up by an older man named Polk.  They make good traveling buddies and plan to head towards Florida, but first Polk asks Constantine to accompany him on a stop.  A man named Grimes owes Polk $20,000 and Polk intends to collect it.

Polk and Constantine meet Grimes in an office in Grimes’ mansion.  Grimes tells Polk that he can pay him after a score he has planned for the coming week.  There’s a spot for Polk if he wants in.  Then they’ll just need to find one more driver.  Polk suggests that they use Constantine, if after hearing the plan they want in.

Grimes brings everyone together. The crew consists of Gorman (something isn’t right about this guy), Grimes (has history with Polk and it may not be good), Valdez (who takes an instant dislike to Constantine), Jackson and Randolph (the one dude who seems most trustworthy).  The plan is to knock over two locations using three man teams.  Constantine is deciding if he wants in when Grimes’ young wife, Delia, brings everyone coffee.  Delia’s eyes meet Constantine and his decision is made. He’s in.  As the days go by leading up to the caper, Constantine and Delia grow closer despite the risk of what Grimes will do if he finds out.  And by closer, I mean “closer’.

After the robbery, Polk plans to collect his money and head south with Constantine.  Delia and Constantine have other ideas. They will use Constantine’s cut to make their escape.  None know that Grimes, Gorman and Valdez have plans of their own.

Pelecanos has another winner with Shoedog, a true crime noir.  It earned 4 of 5 stars.

Shoedog Hardcover Shoedog Trade Paperback Shoedog Kindle

“We Own This City” (2022) / Z-View

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We Own This City (2022)

Developed by:  George Pelecanos, David Simon

Teleplays by:  George Pelecanos (Parts 1 & 5), David Simon (Parts 1 & 6), Ed Burns (Parts 2 & 4), William F. Zorzi (Parts 2 & 4),  D. Watkins (Part 3),

Directed by:  Reinaldo Marcus Green

Starring:  Jon Bernthal, Wunmi Mosaku, Jamie Hector, Josh Charles, McKinley Belcher III, Darrell Britt-Gibson, Rob Brown, Don Harvey and Seth Hurwitz.

Tagline:  None.

The Overview:  Beware of spoilers.

We Own This City is based on the nonfiction book of the same name by Justin Fenton, a reporter for the Baltimore Sun.  We Own This City follows a task force created to deal with rising crime.  Baltimore PD’s shining star, Sgt. Wayne Jenkins builds a team to take guns and drugs off the streets. Although successful, under Jenkins’ watch, the strike force steals drugs and money from their busts.  They also plant evidence and lie under oath.  Numerous complaints leads to an investigation which shows widespread corruption throughout the force and gives lengthy jail sentences to those sworn to protect and serve.

We Own This City features excellent writing, direction and an amazing cast lead by Jon Bernthal (who should receive an Emmy nomination).  Josh Charles is great as the unlikable Daniel Hersl.  McKinley Belcher III from Ozark and The Passage, is always good. Seth Hurwitz is perfect as the slimy bail bondsman who helps Wayne Jenkins move stolen drugs.   Kudos also to Kris Bowers for his music.   We Own This City easily earns 4 of 5 stars.

“Intrusion” (2021) / Z-View

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Intrusion (2021)

Director:   Adam Salky

Screenplay by:  Chris Sparling

Starring:  Freida Pinto, Logan Marshall-Green, Robert John Burke and Megan Elisabeth Kelly.

Tagline:  The Quietest Towns Hide the Darkest Secrets

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Meera (Pinto) and her mild mannered husband, Henry (Marshall-Green) have just moved into their new house located on the outskirts of a small town.   Henry’s an architect who designed and built the house.  It’s ultra-modern, beautiful and near perfect.  The only issue is occasionally the water pipes make a weird noise.

One night, Meera and Henry wake to the sound of home invaders.  Henry has a hidden gun that Meera knew nothing about.  He gets the gun and helps Meera get outside.  As Henry attempts to follow, the intruders attack him.  Henry kills all three.  The police arrive and identify the three as members of the Cobb family – local habitual criminals.  Coincidentally, Christine Cobb, a member of the same clan went missing shortly before the break-in.

Meera is surprised that her husband had a gun and was able to kill the three men.  While the home invasion has her shook, it hasn’t affected Henry.  Meera begins to notice some strange behaviors from Henry.  As she digs into the situation, she feels her life is in danger.  But is Henry also at risk or the one she should be afraid of?

Intrusion rates 3 of 5 stars.

“D.B. Cooper: Where Are You?” – The Documentary Trailer is Here!

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I had just turned 13 when D.B. Cooper disappeared with $200,000 in cash.  He jumped out of a jet at night – something even trained parachutists wouldn’t have tried.  A portion of the money was found, but D.B. Cooper never was.

Deal me in!

In 1971, a skyjacker parachutes off a plane with a bag of stolen cash — and gets away with it. Decades later, his identity remains a compelling mystery.