“American Me” Alt Poster by Vlad Rodriguez!
Vlad Rodriguez is a Miami based illustrator. Rodriguez has a passion for film. Here’s his alt poster for American Me!
Category: Movies
“Charley Varrick” (1973) directed by Don Siegel; starring Walter Matthau and Joe Don Baker / Z-View
Charley Varrick (1973)
Director: Don Siegel
Screenplay: Dean Riesner, Howard Rodman; based on THE LOOTERS by John H. Reese
Stars: Walter Matthau, Joe Don Baker, Felicia Farr, Andrew Robinson, Sheree North, Norman Fell, Benson Fong, Woodrow Parfrey, William Schallert, Jacqueline Scott, Marjorie Bennett, Rudy Diaz, Colby Chester, Hope Summers, Craig R. Baxley, Don Siegel, John Vernon, Bob Steele and Charles Matthau.
Tagline: It’s not easy to rob the Mob and stay alive.
The Plot…
Charley Varrick wasn’t always a criminal. At one time he was a stunt pilot. Then a crop duster. When his crop business went south, Charley became a bank robber. He was always careful to pick small banks in remote locations.
When Charlie and his three man crew knock off a bank in a no name town, things go sideways. Two of his crew are killed along with the bank’s security guard. Charlie and Harmon get away with the loot. They’re shocked to discover they have $750,000.00. There is no way that tiny bank should have that kind of cash. Radio reports are that the thieves made off with $2,000.00.
Charlie realizes that the bank was being used by the mob to launder money. He knows that if you steal from the mob, they will find and kill you no matter how long it takes. Charlie tells Harmon they’ll need to sit on the money for a few years. If they’re lucky, they’ll live to slowly spend it. Harmon just wants his cut now — he plans to live it up.
As if that isn’t bad enough, the cops are working the case. Worse still, the mob has hired a stone cold killer to track down the cash and kill the thieves.
It’s not easy to rob the Mob and stay alive.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Walter Matthau’s son, Charlie plays the role of the little boy in front of the bank that gets robbed.
Director Don Siegel plays a character named Murphy.
Surprisingly Walter Matthau wasn’t a fan of the finished film.
Joe Don Baker is perfect as the sadistic killer who dominates every scene he’s in.
Charley Varrick (1973) rates 5 of 5 stars
“NUREMBERG” starring Russell Crowe, Rami Malek, Leo Woodall & Michael Shannon – The 2nd Teaser is Here!
Deal me in.
The world will take a stand.
The official teaser #2 for NUREMBERG, only in theaters November 7.
The Allies, led by the unyielding chief prosecutor, Robert H. Jackson (Michael Shannon), have the task of ensuring the Nazi regime answers for the unveiled horrors of the Holocaust while a US Army psychiatrist (Rami Malek) is locked in a dramatic psychological duel with former Reichsmarschall Herman Göring (Russell Crowe).
Written & Directed by: James Vanderbilt
Based on the Book: THE NAZI AND THE PSYCHIATRIST By Jack El-HaiStarring: Russell Crowe, Rami Malek, Leo Woodall, and Michael Shannon
“First Blood” Alt Poster by Nino Cammarata!
Nino Cammarata‘s First Blood Alt. Poster!
“Sisu: The Road to Revenge” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!
Sisu: The Road to Revenge – The Poster and Trailer are Here!
Sisu was a surprise hit. The sequel written and directed by Jalmari Helander; starring Jorma Tommila, Richard Brake and Stephen Lang looks to be as good if not better.
Deal me in.
Vengeance has a name.
Watch the official trailer for #SISU: Road to Revenge – exclusively in movie theatres November 21.
SISU: ROAD TO REVENGE is a wall-to-wall cinematic action event, a sequel to the original sleeper hit SISU. Returning to the house where his family was brutally murdered during the war, “the man who refuses to die” (Jorma Tommila) dismantles it, loads it on a truck, and is determined to rebuild it somewhere safe in their honor. When the Red Army commander who killed his family (Stephen Lang from Don’t Breathe) comes back hellbent on finishing the job, a relentless, eye-popping cross-country chase ensues – a fight to the death, full of clever, unbelievable action set pieces.
Directed by: Jalmari Helander
Written by: Jalmari Helander
Produced by: Mike Goodridge, Petri Jokiranta
Executive Producers: Gregory Ouanhon, Antonio Salas
Cast: Jorma Tommila, Richard Brake and Stephen Lang
“North by Northwest” Alt Poster by Dakota Randall!
North by Northwest is a Hitchcock masterpiece worthy of this alt poster by Dakota Randall.
“Play Dirty” written & directed by Shane Black; starring Mark Wahlberg and LaKeith Stanfield – The Poster and Trailer are Here!
Play Dirty written & directed by Shane Black; starring Mark Wahlberg and LaKeith Stanfield – The Poster and Trailer are Here!
Shane Black has written some bangers in the past. I hope Play Dirty joins the list. It has a decent cast and is based on the Richard Stark Parker novels.
Deal me in.
It’s time to rob the robbers.
Play Dirty starring Mark Wahlberg and LaKeith Stanfield is streaming on Prime Video October 1.
An expert thief rolls out the biggest heist of his life in Play Dirty, an action-packed thriller from director Shane Black. Parker (Mark Wahlberg), along with Grofield (LaKeith Stanfield), Zen (Rosa Salazar) and a skilled crew, stumble onto a score that pits them against the New York mob in this gritty, clever caper.
Starring Mark Wahlberg, LaKeith Stanfield, Rosa Salazar, Keegan-Michael Key, Chukwudi Iwuji, Nat Wolff with Thomas Jane and Tony Shalhoub
Directed by Shane Black
Written by Shane Black & Charles Mondry & Anthony Bagarozzi
Based on The “Parker” Book Series By Richard Stark
“The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear” (1991) starring Leslie Nielsen, Priscilla Presley and George Kennedy / Z-View
The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear (1991)
Director: David Zucker
Screenplay: David Zucker, Pat Proft; based on Police Squad! by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, Jerry Zucker
Stars: Leslie Nielsen, Priscilla Presley, George Kennedy, O.J. Simpson, Robert Goulet, Richard Griffiths, Jacqueline Brookes, Anthony James, Tim O’Connor, Peter Mark Richman, Peter Van Norden, Gail Neely, Mel Tormé, Zsa Zsa Gabor, ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic and Lloyd Bochner.
Tagline: If you see only one movie this year…you ought to get out more often.
The Plot…
Dr. Albert Meinheimer is an advisor to the President. Meinheimer supports renewable energy sources (solar, wind, etc.) and plans to get the President to move the country in that direction. Quentin Hapsburg, of Hexagon Oil has other ideas. Hapsburg kidnaps Meinheimer and replaces him with a lookalike.
And that’s where Frank Drebin and the police squad come in.
Annnnnnnd action!
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
If you enjoyed Airplane and The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, then you should get a kick out of The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear.
Lloyd Bochner has a brief cameo. He is seen in a crowd carrying a large book titled TO SERVE MAN, as he yells, “It’s a cookbook! It’s a cookbook!”. This of course refers to the classic Twilight Zone episode, To Serve Man which he starred in.
The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear (1991) rates 4 of 5 stars
Rocky at 50 by John Beatty!
I was diggin’ through the Zablo vault and came across this sketch of Sly Stalloneas Rocky at 50 that John Beatty gifted me waaay back in 1998. John was just messing around with no reference. I love the looseness of the lower part of this sketch. Contrast that with the upper piece that John tightened up. It’s cool to see the foundation and thought process as an artist as he/she moves through a piece.
Who knew that eight years later Sly would make Rocky Balboa? Maybe Beatty did!
“Chinatown” (1974) written by Robert Towne; directed by Roman Polanski; starring Jack Nicholson & Faye Dunaway / Z-View
Chinatown (1974)
Director: Roman Polanski
Screenplay: Robert Towne
Stars: Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Huston, Perry Lopez, John Hillerman, Darrell Zwerling, Diane Ladd, Roy Jenson, Richard Bakalyan, Joe Mantell, Bruce Glover, James Hong, Jerry Fujikawa, Rance Howard, Burt Young and Roman Polanski.
Tagline: You get tough. You get tender. You get close to each other. Maybe you even get close to the truth.
The Plot…
The year is 1937. It’s been a hot summer and Los Angeles is going through a terrible drought. The heat is putting folks on edge. Especially farmers.
Jake Gittes is a private detective. His bread and butter is getting the goods on cheating spouses. So when Evelyn Mulwray hires Jake to find out if her husband, Hollis, is cheating he does. Hollis is. Jake gives the photos to prove it to Mrs. Mulwray.
When the compromising photos of Hollis and a young woman (definitely not his wife) show up in the paper, the affair is made public. Jake is surprised the pictures were made public, since it wasn’t by him. Jake is even more surprised when the real Mrs. Mulwray shows up at his office threatening legal action. Jake was duped.
But why?
When Hollis Mulwray is found dead in an L.A. reservoir. Jake decides to investigate. That night he heads down to the reservoir. Suddenly water begins rushing through the basin. Jake makes it out only to be confronted by the Water Department Security Chief Claude Mulvihill and a short thug. Mulvihill warns Jake to stop asking questions. The little gangster pulls a knife. He asks Jake if he understands what happens to people who stick their nose where it doesn’t belong. He then shows him.
Jake is even more determined to find answers. Why was he set up? Why was Hollis Mullwray killed? Who killed him? Why are huge amounts of water being wasted nightly in the middle of a drought? Jake wants answers. In his search for the truth, Jake will uncover a sinister secret that had been hidden for years.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Chinatown was nominated for eleven 1975 Academy Awards and won one…
- Nominee for Best Music, Original Dramatic Score – Jerry Goldsmith
- Nominee for Best Film Editing – Sam O’Steen
- Nominee for Best Sound – Charles Grenzbach, Larry Jost
- Nominee for Best Costume Design – Anthea Sylbert
- Nominee for Best Art Direction/Set Decoration – Richard Sylbert, W. Stewart Campbell, Ruby R. Levitt
- Nominee for Best Cinematography – John A. Alonzo
- Nominee for Best Director – Roman Polanski
- Nominee for Best Actress in a Leading Role – Faye Dunaway
- Nominee for Best Actor in a Leading Role – Jack Nicholson
- Nominee for Best Picture – Robert Evans
- Winner for Best Writing, Original Screenplay – Robert Towne
Jack Nicholson actually slaps Faye Dunaway in the movie. They had tried several takes where they faked the slap and they didn’t look real. So Dunaway told Nicholson to really slap her. He did and that is the shot that was used.
Dunaway and director Roman Polanski clashed several times during filming. At one point she asked what her character’s motivation was for a scene. Polanski responded with, “Just say the f***ing words. Your salary is your motivation!”
Ali McGraw was originally scheduled to play Evelyn Mulwray. She lost the role when she left her husband for Steve McQueen. McGraw’s husband was Chinatown‘s producer, Robert Evans.
Phillip Lambro wrote the film’s music score. After a test screening, Robert Evans decided a new score was needed. Jerry Goldsmith was hired with only 10 days to write and record a new score. Goldsmith’s score was nominated for an Academy Award.
Chinatown is a classic. Most reviewers and audiences rate it a 5 out of 5. I liked it a lot, but not as much as most folks. Your mileage may vary.
Chinatown (1974) rates 4 of 5 stars
Killer “Near Dark” Alt Poster by Frederick Cooper!
Check out this killer alt Near Dark poster by Frederick Cooper!
Jack Carter & Massimo Miller – Rich Hennemann Goes Full Tilt!
Rich Hennemann is a freelance artist. A few years ago I picked up his sketchbook and a sketch and I was hooked. Since then I’ve gotten several sketches from Rich. The one above is my most recent.
I requested Sly Stallone as Jack Carter teamed with Massimo Miller from Jason Copland’s FULL TILT (which gets my highest recommendation!). Rich came through like he always does. He absolutely nailed the piece. Great likenesses, atmosphere, attitude and setting. I couldn’t be more pleased.
“Occupation” (2018) / Z-View
Occupation (2018)
Director: Luke Sparke
Screenplay: Luke Sparke
Stars: Dan Ewing, Temuera Morrison, Stephany Jacobsen, Jacqueline McKenzie and Bruce Spence.
Tagline: First contact will be mankind’s last stand.
The Plot…
When a world-wide alien invasion begins a group of small town Australians band together to fight back.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Luke Sparke pitched the movie as “Independence Day crossed with Red Dawn“. Great concept, but poor execution. I tapped out at the 67 minute mark.
Occupation (2018) rates 1 of 5 stars
“Freaky Tales” (2024) starring Pedro Pascal, Ben Mendelsohn and Jay Ellis / Z-View
Freaky Tales (2024)
Director: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
Screenplay: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
Stars: Pedro Pascal, Ben Mendelsohn, Too $hort, Jack Champion and Tom Hanks.
Tagline: In 1987, Oakland was hella freaky.
The Plot…
Freaky Tales features four fictionalized interconnected stories about real events that took place in Oakland, California in 1987.
- “Strength in Numbers: The Gilman Strikes Back” – A group of skinheads attacks kids attending a punk rock nightclub. It’s not the first time. It won’t be the last. But the kids have had enough. Next time they’ll be prepared to strike back. Hard.
- “Don’t Fight the Feeling” – Two young women, Barbie and Entice leave the punk rock nightclub just before the skinheads attack. Barbie and Entice are rappers who preform under the stage name Danger Zone. They want to be stars. And they will get an opportunity… if they can rise to the occasion.
- “Born to Mack” – Clint wants to end his life of crime. His wife is pregnant and will deliver his first child soon. Unfortunately Clints bosses want him to perform one last job — something to do with a pro basketball player.
- “The Legend of Sleepy Floyd” – While Sleepy Floyd, a pro basketball player, is having a record setting game, his house is being robbed by a group of skinheads. During the robbery his girlfriend is murdered. Little do the skinheads know, they picked on the wrong guy. Sleepy not only has super martial arts skills, he has supernatural powers. And he will have his revenge.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Freaky Tales has it’s moments, but it was just a little too, freaky for me.
Freaky Tales (2024) rates 2 of 5 stars
“Goodfellas” Alt Poster by Tony Stella!
I never get tired of seeing a Tony Stella painting. This alt poster for Goodfellas is an excellent example of “why”.
