Previews and Reviews that are Z's Views
Craig S. Zahler, the writer and director of Dragged Across Concrete (as well as the cult classics Bone Tomahawk and Brawl in Cell Block 99) was recently interviewed by Jack Giroux of /Film. It is worth a read.
Larry Cohen, the writer – director – producer who made his mark in television and feature films, has died at the age of 77.
I first became aware of Mr. Cohen when he wrote and directed the low-budget horror cult classic It’s Alive. After that I saw Cohen’s name pop-up from time to time but it wasn’t until Cohen’s adaption of Mickey Spillane’s I, the Jury that I really began to take notice.
Cohen’s I, the Jury, directed by Richard T. Heffron starred Armand Assante as Mike Hammer. That film really hit a sweet-spot for me. As I learned more about the people behind the making of the film I discovered that Cohen had created two television series that I loved as a kid: Branded and The Invaders!
Cohen broke into the business writing for television creating scripts for The Fugitive, The Rat Patrol, Custer (3 shows I loved as a kid) and many other series. He went on to create Branded and The Invaders. Cohen’s tv work led to theatrical films where he wrote and directed Black Caesar, Hell Up in Harlem, Q and others.
Had Cohen just been known for Branded or The Invaders or I, the Jury, his impact on my youth would have warranted a mention here, but to think that he did those and so much more…
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Larry Cohen’s family, friends and fans.
I read my first Spenser novel, The Godwulf Manuscript, sometime back in the mid-70’s. My grandfather passed the paperback on to me. From that point on I was a die hard Spenser / Robert B. Parker fan. Every year a new Spenser novel came out and it was like catching up with an old friend.
When Robert B. Parker died in 2010 I was afraid that Spencer had died as well. I was pleased to learn that novelist Ace Atkins had been selected to carry on Spenser’s adventures. Spenser was in great hands and the series continued to be a favorite.
On November 19th, a new Spenser novel, Angel Eyes will be released. Here’s the synopsis…
In the latest thriller featuring the legendary Boston PI, Spenser heads to the City of Angels to meet old friends and new enemies in a baffling missing person case that might shake Tinseltown to its core.
Ellie Sharp left her Boston family with big dreams of making it as an actress in Hollywood. But two years later, she disappears from her Silver Lake apartment without her friends or police knowing what happened. Soon after the Sharps hire Spenser to find her, another person goes missing–this time Spenser’s protege-turned-L.A. investigator, Zebulon Sixkill.
Spenser and Hawk must hit the ground running on the West Coast to follow a twisted trail into the world of drug cartels, casting couches, hedonistic parties, and a whisper network of industry players looking to take down a legendary producer. In a town where glitz and glamour are only a thin veneer over a dangerous underbelly, even Spenser will have his work cut out for him.
I can’t wait. My pre-order is in!
Francis Ford Coppola has written a new introduction for the 50th anniversary edition of Mario Puzo’s The Godfather and Entertainment Weekly has posted it.
The new intro is worth a read for fans of the book or movie. Here are a few tidbits:
Entertainment Weekly’s post is worth a read and so is Puzo’s novel!
Eric Beetner’s new novel, All the Way Down, reads like a cross between Game of Death, Die Hard and The Raid: Redemption. It’s an action-packed page-turner. Beetner talks about All the Way Down and a more in an interview by Matt Phillips at Medium.
Last March it was announced that Frank Miller would provide the art and team with writer Thomas Wheeler for Cursed, a young adult novel retelling the King Arthur legend from the point of view of Nimue, the 16-year-old girl who first wielded Excalibur and ultimately became the Lady of the Lake.
Today we have one of Miller’s drawings for the novel and if you click over to Paste you can see the cover and read an excerpt.
If you’d like to order your own copy, you can here.
Justified is perhaps my all-time favorite television drama. It was extremely well- cast, acted, written and directed. Justified fans will enjoy the article I’m about to recommend. If you’ve never watched the series, you may enjoy the article even more. So please consider checking out The Underappreciated Genius of Justified by Lisa Levy at CrimeReads.com.
The Mind of Donald E. Westlake by Levi Stahl takes a look at Westlake’s ventures into screenwriting and the adaptations of his work for movies and television. It’s worth a look.
Did you know Westlake wrote a screenplay adapting Hammet’s Red Harvest? Sadly it was never made. Neither was Westlake’s James Bond screenplay. It’s no secret that Lee Marvin played Westlake’s most popular character Parker on the big screen, but did you know…
…that Between Point Blank, in 1967, and Parker, in 2013, Parker (usually under other names) was played by Lee Marvin, Robert Duvall, Jim Brown, Mel Gibson, Jason Statham, and, strangest of all, Anna Karina…
I didn’t.
Padraig Cotter at ScreenRant has posted what he believes to be Everything You Need to Know About Rambo V: Last Blood.
The article does a good job of covering the film and is worth a read. Here are a couple of tidbits that stuck out to me…
The star planned to adapt the novel Hunter for Rambo V, which finds a legendary tracker being tasked by the government to track down a feral, man-made monster. Hunter leads a team of mercenaries after the creature, which seemingly cannot be killed. Since Hunter and Rambo are essentially the same character, Stallone felt the book would make a strong basis for a sequel.
When Stallone later pitched this version on Ain’t It Cool News, it was met with swift derision from fans, so he soon scrapped the concept; that said, it was recently confirmed he plans to adapt Hunter as a solo movie.
Although at first look, Rambo and Hunter are similar (and the adaptation would have been fairly easy), I was glad that the decision was made to scrap this idea. I’m even happier that Sly plans to adapt Hunter as a solo movie.
First Blood author David Morrell revealed in an interview that, around the time Stallone was working on Creed, he got in touch about working on a script that would mark a “soulful” final journey for John Rambo. The pair collaborated on this concept, which Morrell says would have contained action, but it was more about a man who had spent his life at war contemplating his past.
The author feels this undiscovered Rambo V concept could’ve garnered awards recognition, but when Stallone took it to producers, they rejected it and wanted to focus on the human trafficking story instead. It appears the star wasn’t happy with this, as Stallone later announced his retirement from both the Rambo and Expendables franchises.
Morrell is not only the creator of Rambo, but an outstanding, award-winning author. It would have been very interesting to see the direction he took Rambo. Morrell still owns the rights to publish any Rambo stories but has elected to tell other stories.
With all that said, click over and check out Everything You Need to Know About Rambo V: Last Blood.
The 7 Deadly Sins is available as a graphic novel, a six part mini-series and a digital download published by TKO Studios.
*** Beware – spoilers may be found below ***
THE 7 DEADLY SINS
SEVEN DEADLY SINS.
ONE DEADLY MISSION.1857. Texas. A group of death row criminals is recruited by a Mexican priest for a suicide mission into Comancheria.
Seven death row prisoners are recruited to accompany a Priest on a suicide mission into Indian territory to recover a child stolen from settlers. Each of those on the mission have reasons to go above and beyond avoiding the gallows.
Tze Chun has created a story much more aligned to The Wild Bunch and The Searchers than most western comic book stories. His characters all have individual personalities, depth and backstory. Chun developed excellent twists that, although you won’t see coming, feel true. Chun is a writer to watch!
Artyom Trakhanov’s art is beautiful. I’ve followed his work in other stories but The 7 Deadly Sins is his masterpiece (at least so far). Trakhanhov has the rare ability (think Eduardo Risso and Palle Schimdt) to make all of his characters, including those in the backgrounds, have their own unique feel and personality. Trakhanov’s style is his own, but reminds me of a young Michael Golden. (High praise, indeed!)
Giulia Brusco’s colors compliment Trakhanov’s art and enhance the story. Brusco’s color’s are beautiful without being overbearing or drawing attention away from the story.
TKO Studios releases all of their comics in three different formats: digital download, as individual comics in a collector’s box and as a graphic novel. The comics and graphic novels are slightly larger than traditional comics/graphic novels. With TKO Studios there is no waiting for individual issues month to month — all issues are available from day one of publication! Also, each first issue is available to read online for free! Hats off to TKO Studios for these welcome innovations.
If I was going to nit pick, I’d ask TKO Studios to include the individual comic series covers with the graphic novels.
The 7 Deadly Sins is the complete package – great story and art – and gets my highest recommendation.
Rating: 5 of 5 stars.
No Country for Old Men is a modern classic. If you agree, then you’re going to want to check out No Country for Old Men: The Coen Brothers and Cormac McCarthy’s Ruthless Examination of Life.
Click on the link and you’ll find…
Eric Beetner’s new novel, All the Way Down, comes out tomorrow. I pre-ordered it and can’t wait. Beetner has never disappointed me and All the Way Down sounds like a cross between Game of Death, Die Hard and The Raid: Redemption. Here’s the Amazon description:
Dale is a crooked cop. It started slow, but grew like a cancer and now he can’t get out from under the thumb of Tat, a would-be kingpin in every vice he can turn a profit with.
And now Dale’s number is up – the top brass knows. But instead of getting busted, Dale gets an offer. The mayor’s daughter is being held by Tat in his fortress built from an abandoned office tower. They want her back but if they storm the gates, Lauren is as good as dead. So they’re sending Dale on what could very likely be a suicide mission: infiltrate Tat’s fortress and bring her out alive.
If the Mayor even really wants her alive…
Floor by floor Dale and Lauren have to fight off an increasingly difficult and dangerous set of obstacles.
Meanwhile, Dale’s wife has her own troubles and some of the drug kingpin’s goons are only adding to an already rough day.
The clock is ticking down along with the floors of the building and escape is looking less and less likely. But to save her, and to save himself, he must make it all the way down.
Beetner recently was interviewed by P. J. Bodnar at the Big Thrill. Beetner spoke about All the Way Down, writing advice, his next novel and more.
Oh, and if All the Way Down sounds like something you’d like then you can be dealt in by clicking on this link and ordering from Amazon.
Alex Segura has an informative interview with crime fiction author Ed Brubaker where he talks about his work for Marvel and DC, his collaborations with Sean Phillips, working in television and his new Criminal series! Check out TALES OF JUNKIES, FADE-OUTS, SUPER-HEROES AND CRIMINALS: Talking with Ed Brubaker, Acclaimed Comic Book, Graphic Novel and Television Writer.
James Byron Huggins is back!
Long-time readers know Huggins best as the author of Hunter. Huggins wrote Hunter specifically for Sly Stallone (who bought the movie rights) in mind as the book’s hero. Stallone fans continue to hope that Sly will helm a movie version of Hunter under his Balboa Productions banner.
Huggins wasn’t a one-hit wonder. He also wrote The Reckoning, Cain, Leviathon, Rora, and other novels. (And I recommend each of them!) Huggins’ novels are a combination of thriller, action-adventure and horror. His skill at seamlessly combining the genres made Huggins an international best-selling novelist.
Huggins recently sat for a long interview where he discussed meeting Sly, writing Hunter and a whole lot more.
William Goldman, the two-time Oscar winning screenwriter, has died at age 87. Goldman won his Oscars for Best Original Screenplay (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid) and Best Adapted Screenplay (All the President’s Men). Goldman was also the screenwriter for the beloved The Princess Bride (based on his novel), The Marathon Man, Misery and dozens of other movies.
Goldman began his career as a novelist and then moved to writing movies, plays and non-fiction. Goldman won two Edgar Awards, from the Mystery Writers of America, for Best Motion Picture Screenplay (for Harper starring Paul Newman and for Magic which he adapted from his novel). Mr. Goldman also received the Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement from the Writers Guild of America.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Mr. Goldman’s family, friends and fans.
