Category: Humor

A TURKEY DANCED DEATH: ANOTHER ROCK COBBLER CASE by Whiskey Leavins is now available!

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Great news for Whiskey Leavins and Rock Cobbler fans – A TURKEY DANCED DEATH: ANOTHER ROCK COBBLER CASE is now available!

Most times I like crime fiction to be hardboiled and serious. But once in a while a bigger helping of humor is what the bartender offers.  You know, books like Whiskey Leavins’  MURDER IN GREASEPAINT (described as “equal parts Chandler, Christopher Moore, Bozo, and Bourbon”) or Leavins’ THE DEVIL’S OWN PISS AND OTHER STORIES‘.  I’ve read ’em both and each earned a 5 star rating – my highest recommendation.

Now Whiskey Leavins is back. A TURKEY DANCED DEATH: ANOTHER ROCK COBBLER CASE is out.  Here’s the lowdown…

Early morning. A wooded clearing. The body surrounded by a conga line of head-bobbing wild turkeys. Then Detective Rock Cobbler’s Thursday really starts to get weird. Before he can begin to dig into this turkey-murder, his attention is diverted by a soft-spoken young woman filing a run-of-the-mill missing person report. Santa Lacrimosa PD’s crack detective knows he should focus on the murder, but unexplainably finds his interest being drawn towards the routine case. The dual investigations will lead Cobbler through seedy residential motels, close encounters with local burlesque royalty Caramel Slice, and on to interactions with a bizarre mountain cult, its charismatic leader, and his bulldog-like henchman. Will the bourbon-loving Cobbler get to the bottom of both cases? Will he figure out the turkey angle? Or will he wind up getting stuffed?

A TURKEY DANCED DEATH combines equal parts Chandler, Christopher Moore, Carl Hiaasen, and a dash of Jim Jones into a quirky, tawdry, Whiskey’d up cocktail.

My order is in,

Fargo | Installment 5 Teaser is Here! – Dot Lyon (Juno Temple) is a Homemaker

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It’s about to get saucy. Installment 5 of FX’s Fargo premieres 11.21 on FX. Stream on Hulu. 

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

The latest installment of Fargo is set in Minnesota and North Dakota, 2019. After an unexpected series of events lands “Dorothy ‘Dot’ Lyon” (Juno Temple) in hot water with the authorities, this seemingly typical Midwestern housewife is suddenly plunged back into a life she thought she had left behind.

“Steamboat Bill, Jr.” (1928) starring Buster Keaton!

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Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928)

Director: Charles Reisner, Buster Keaton (uncredited)

Writer: Carl Harbaugh

Stars: Buster Keaton, Ernest Torrence, Marion Byron and Joe Keaton.

Tagline: What a thrill! Worth the price of admission alone to see what happened to Buster when the twister hit the town.

The Plot…

William “Steamboat Bill” Canfield is a big, rugged man’s man.  Bill owns and operates the Stonewall Jackson which is an old paddlewheel tourist ship.  J. J. King, a rich business man, has brought in a new steamer and plans to put Steamboat Bill out of business.

Bill’s son (who he hasn’t seen in years) just graduated college and has arrived for a visit. Steamboat Bill is shocked to discover his son is small, awkward and wimpy.  Bill Sr. is determined to make a man out of his son. To complicate matters, Bill Jr. has a budding romance with Kitty, who has also returned from college.  The rub is Kitty is J.J. King’s daughter!

Let the good times sail!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)

Steamboat Bill, Jr. is considered a classic.  It’s in the National Film Registry.

Steamboat Bill, Jr. features one of the most famous and copied stunts of all time.  If you haven’t seen the movie, you’ve probably seen a clip of the stunt.  As a tornado hits the town, Keaton is standing in the street.  The front of an entire house falls down on Keaton.  Luckily, the upstairs window is open and Keaton fits through perfectly.  Many movies and television shows have recreated this stunt, but Keaton was the first!

Steamboat Bill, Jr. was also the inspiration for Mickey Mouse’s debut in Walt Disney’s Steamboat Willie!

Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“The Burial” starring Jamie Foxx & Tommy Lee Jones – The Trailer is Here!

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Deal me in.

Check out the official trailer for The Burial, in theaters October 6 and coming to Prime Video on October 13.

Inspired by true events, when a handshake deal goes sour, funeral home owner Jeremiah O’Keefe (Academy Award winner Tommy Lee Jones) enlists charismatic, smooth-talking attorney Willie E. Gary (Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx) to save his family business. Tempers flare and laughter ensues as the unlikely pair bond while exposing corporate corruption and racial injustice in this inspirational, triumphant story.

Song: GOLDEN by Aloe Blacc & Tim Myers

Things Have Been Coming Up “Kolchak” Lately!

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Things have been coming up Kolchak around here lately.  I recently saw the above Kolchak art on Facebook.  It brought back memories of the two Kolchak tv movies, The Night Stalker and The Night Strangler from when I was a kid in junior high.  Great memories.

I decided to find out more about the art.  Turns out it was the cover for KOLCHAK: The Night Strangler Files.  The tv movie was written by Richard Matheson. Chris Mills (writer) and Amin Amat (artist) adapted it into the graphic novel.  I’m not sure who the cover artist is, but I sure do like that art.

Then Svengoolie announced that he would be getting the two Kolchak movies in the near future.  THAT is awesome news.

And that’s your Kolchak update for the day.

A TROLL WALKS INTO A BAR: A Noir Urban Fantasy Novel (Alexander Southerland, P.I.) by Douglas Lumsden

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I usually like my crime fiction to be hardboiled and realistic.  Well, as realistic as hardboiled fiction usually is.  Still, sometimes it’s fun to venture off into some crazier territory. A TROLL WALKS INTO A BAR: A Noir Urban Fantasy Novel (Alexander Southerland, P.I.) by Douglas Lumsden looks to fit the bill.

When a troll speaks–listen up! Hardboiled P.I. Alexander Southerland just wants to enjoy a quiet drink when a 500-pound troll walks into the bar. Next thing he knows, Southerland is navigating his way through rogue cops, a gang war, beautiful nymphs from the ocean depths, a were-rat, the mayor’s corrupt fixer, the sleaziest (and cleverest) gnome in Yerba City, and creatures right out of legend. At the center of it all is a mysterious locked box. Can Southerland discover its explosive secret–and survive long enough to pay his rent on time?

I read the Amazon sample and liked what I saw.  Check it out.  You may as well.

“Blazing Saddles” (1974) directed by Mel Brooks, starring Cleavon Little & Gene Wilder / Z-View

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Blazing Saddles (1974)

Director: Mel Brooks

Screenplay: Mel Brooks, Norman Steinberg, Andrew aBergman, Richard Pryor, Alan Uger story by Andrew Bergman

Stars: Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder, Slim Pickens, Harvey Korman, Madeline Kahn, Mel Brooks, Burton Gilliam, Alex Karras, David Huddleston, Liam Dunn, John Hillerman, George Furth, Jack Starrett, Richard Collier, Dom DeLuise, Richard Farnsworth, Sally Kirkland, Hal Needham, Rodney Allen Rippy  and Count Basie.

Tagline:  Mel Brooks and the West! Together for the last time!

The Plot…

Quicksand forces the new railroad to change its route.  When the dastardly Hedley Lamarr (Korman) learns the railroad will have to go through the town of Rock Ridge, he sees an opportunity to get rich.  If Lamarr can get the town’s citizens to leave, he will become owner of all the land.

Lamarr sends his thugs to scare the people into leaving.  Instead, they wire the Governor that they need a Sheriff to protect them.  Lamarr tricks the Governor into sending an African American who was about to be hung.  Lamarr figures that a black Sheriff won’t be much protection and will upset some town folk enough to leave.

Boy, was Lamarr wrong.

Let the fun begin!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)

Blazing Saddles was nominated for six Academy Awards:
Nominated for
Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Madeline Kahn)
Best Film Editing (John C. Howard, Danford B. Greene)
Best Music, Original Song (John Morris – music, Mel Brooks – lyrics, for the song “Blazing Saddles”)

Blazing Saddles wouldn’t be made today.  It almost wasn’t in 1973.  John Wayne turned down the Waco Kid role.  Wayne thought it would tarnish his image.  Gig Young was hired but collapsed during the first scene.  It was later discovered Young suffered from alcohol withdrawal.  Gene Wilder was brought in to replace Young.  Richard Pryor was the first choice to play Bart.  The studio wouldn’t hire Pryor due to previous drug arrests.  Cleavon Little got the role.

The film makes fun of classic western troupes, breaks the fourth wall, features sight and verbal gags.  It is all over the place.  Everything is fair game.  Blazing Saddles isn’t for those easily offended.  Everyone else is in for a comedy guaranteed to entertain.

Blazing Saddles (1974) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“Being There” (1979) starring Peter Sellers, Shirley MacLaine & Melvyn Douglas / Z-View

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Being There (1979)

Director: Hal Ashby

Screenplay: Jerzy Kosiński based on Being There by Jerzy Kosiński

Stars: Peter Sellers, Shirley MacLaine, Melvyn Douglas, Jack Warden, Richard Dysart, Richard Basehart and David Clennon.

Tagline: A story of chance

The Plot…

Chance (Sellers) is a simpleminded man who never learned to read or write.  Chance has lived his whole life without ever leaving the property of the old man who raised him.  Although Chance is an excellent gardener, he has learned most of what he knows from watching television (which he dearly loves).  When the old man dies, Chance is forced to leave the old man’s property.

For the first time he ventures out into the world.  When Ben Rand’s limousine accidentally strikes Chance, Rand’s wife, Eve (MacLaine) demands that Chance is brought back to their mansion.  On the ride back, Eve mishears “Chance the gardener” and thinks that Chance’s name is Chauncey Gardiner.”  Eve introduces Chauncey to her much older and sickly husband, Ben.  Ben takes a liking to Chauncey.  Ben misunderstands Chauncey and thinks that he’s a businessman who has fallen on hard times.  As they discuss business, Ben is impressed with Chauncey’s straight talk and comparisons of the economy to taking care of a garden.

Ben is a close advisor to the President of the United States. He plans to introduce Chauncey to the leader of the free world.  What could go wrong.  (And here’s a hint, nothing!)

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)

Being There is Hal Ashby’s highest rated film according to the IMDb.  It’s also my favorite Hal Ashby film.  Ashby is supported by a great cast.  Peter Sellers is wonderful as Chance.  He received a nomination for a Best Actor Oscar for his role.  Melvyn Douglas also received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor (and he won)!  Shirley MacLaine, Jack Warden, Richard Dysart and Richard Basehart (in his last feature film role) are all excellent.

Being There is a comedy with heart that also comments on modern life.  There’s an underlying message that may be different for each viewer, but the film leaves the audience with something to think about.  I first saw Being There in 1980 and wondered how it would hold up.  I’m happy to report it’s as wonderful as I remembered.

Being There (1979) rates 5 of 5 stars.

RIP: Paul Reubens

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Paul Reubens, the actor best known for his character Pee-Wee Herman, died yesterday from cancer.  Mr. Reubens was 70.

Paul Reubens began his career as a stage actor and comedian.  He developed his Pee-Wee Herman character for a stage show.  The Pee-Wee Herman Show proved so popular that HBO picked it up for a special.  The special was an instant hit.  Reubens was approached to bring the character to the big screen.  Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure was directed by Tim Burton.  The movie was so successful it spawned a Saturday morning program geared to kids (Pee-Wee’s Playhouse) and a movie sequel (Big Top Pee-Wee).  When the series ended, Paul Reubens stepped away from the character and took time off from acting.

When Paul Reubens returned to performing he alternated between television, movies and voice work.  Later in his career he would return to his Pee-Wee Herman character for a few videos and guest appearances.

Some of Paul Reuben’s television appearances include: Working Stiffs (2 episodes); The Flintstone Comedy Show (2 episodes); The Pee-Wee Herman Show (movie); Dream On; Mork & Mindy; Madame’s Place; All Star Rock ‘n’ Wrestling Saturday Spectacular; 227; Sesame Street: Put Down the Duckie; Sesame Street (3 episodes); Christmas at Pee-Wee’s Playhouse; Pee-Wee’s Playhouse (45 episodes); Buffy the Vampire Slayer; Murphy Brown (6 episodes); Everybody Loves Raymond; Alley McBeal; Rugrats (2 episodes); Reno 911; 30 Rock; Dirt (3 episodes); WWE Raw (2 episodes); The Pee-Wee Herman Show on Broadway; Batman: The Brave and Bold (4 episodes); Tron: Uprising (17 episodes); The Blacklist (5 episodes); Gotham (3 episodes); What We Do In The Shadows; DC’s Legends of Tomorrow (5 episodes) and The Connors.

Some of Paul Reuben’s movie appearances include: The Brotherhood; The Blues Brothers; Cheech and Chong’s Next Movie; Meatball’s Part II; Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure;  Big Top Pee-Wee; Moonwalker; Batman Returns; The Nightmare Before Christmas; Matilda; Doctor Dolittle; Mystery Men; Blow; Pee-Wee Gets an iPad and Pee-Wee Goes to Sturgis.   

I’m old enough to remember when Pee-Wee Herman went viral.  Pee-Wee was everywhere.  I was also impressed with Paul Reuben’s commitment to the character.  He wouldn’t do interviews or appear anywhere except as Pee-Wee.  It was always fun seeing Mr. Reuben’s non-Pee-Wee appearances later in his career.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Paul Reuben’s family, friends and fans.

“The Lost Boys” (1987) starring Jason Patric & Kiefer Sutherland / Z-View

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The Lost Boys (1987)

Director: Joel Schumacher

Screenplay: Janice Fischer, Jeffrey Boam, James Jeremias from a story by Janice Fischer, James Jeremias

Stars: Jason Patric, Corey Haim, Dianne Wiest, Barnard Hughes, Edward Herrmann, Kiefer Sutherland, Jami Gertz, Corey Feldman, Jamison Newlander and Alex Winter.

Tagline: Sleep all day. Party all night. Never grow old. Never die. It’s fun to be a vampire.

The Plot…

Lucy (Wiest) and her two teenage sons, Michael (Patric) and Sam (Haim) move to the small, beachside town of Santa Clara, California.  At night the boys like to hang out at the amusement park/arcade on the beach.  That’s where Michael meets Star (Gertz).  There’s a definite attraction between the two, which only infuriates David (Sutherland), the leader of a small motorcycle gang.  Meanwhile Sam has met two brothers, Edgar (Feldman) and Alan (Newlander) who are convinced Santa Clara is the home of a vampire coven.

They’re not wrong.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

You’d be hard pressed to find a more 80s movie than The Lost Boys.  From the cast to the way the movie is shot, The Lost Boys screams mid-1980s.  This is my favorite Joel Schumacher film.  For a movie that seems to want to be scary, there’s just a bit too much humor for my taste.

The Lost Boys (1987) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Copshop” (2021) starring Gerard Butler, Frank Grillo & Alexis Louder / Z-View

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Copshop (2021)

Director: Joe Carnahan

Screenplay: Kurt McLeod, Joe Carnahan from a story by Mark Williams, Kurt McLeod

Stars: Gerard Butler, Frank Grillo, Alexis Louder, Toby Huss, Chad L. Coleman, Ryan O’Nan, Jose Pablo Cantillo, Robert Walker Branchaud and Keith Jardine.

Tagline: Someone’s Gotta Take The Hit

The Plot…

Conman and thief, Teddy Murretto (Grillo) is on the run.  People Murretto double-crossed have put a hit on him. As assassin Bob Viddick (Butler) closes in for the kill, Murretto gets himself arrested.  Murretto figures he’ll be safe in the remote police lock-up.  It sounds like a great plan until Viddick is arrested and put in the next cell.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Copshop is such a fun ride.  Kurt McLeod, Joe Carnahan and Mark Williams have created a story that has mystery, tons of action, twists and the right amount of humor.

Carnahan has assembled a great cast.  Butler is perfect as the stoic hitman.  Grillo is always a favorite.  The two surprise stars for me are Alexis Louder and Toby Huss.  Louder has charisma and star power.  Huss is a scary riot.  Once he appears on screen things are taken up a notch.

I really enjoyed Copshop and look forward to watching it again! (I’ve re-watched Copshop several times since my initial viewing.  It gets better with every viewing.  Therefore I’m upping my rating from 4 to 5 stars.  Your mileage, as always, may vary. – Updated September 5, 2025)

Copshop (2021) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“Renfield” (2023) starring Nicholas Hoult, Awkwafina & Nicholas Cage / Z-View

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Renfield (2023)

Director: Chris McKay

Screenplay: Ryan Ridley from a story by Robert Kirkman based on Dracula by Bram Stoker

Stars: Nicholas Hoult, Nicolas Cage, Awkwafina, Brandon Scott Jones and Adrian Martinez.

Tagline: Stop serving. Start living.

The Plot…

Renfield (Hoult), Dracula’s (Cage) servant for the last 90 years, has come to realize he’s in a toxic relationship.  He wants out.  Unfortunately, Dracula is not ready to let him go.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Nicholas Cage would be one of the last actors I would consider to play Dracula, but since Renfield is a comedy, it all works out.

I thought it was cool that Chris McKay took a couple of scenes from the original Dracula film and superimposed Cage’s face for Dracula and Hoult’s for Renfield.

The idea that Renfield realizes he’s in a toxic relationship and attends meetings with others looking to get out of bad relationships creates for some funny business.

Renfield (2023) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Heat” (1987) starring Burt Reynolds / Z-View

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Heat (1987)

Director: Dick Richards, Jerry Jameson

Screenplay: William Goldman based on his novel Heat

Stars: Burt Reynolds, Karen Young, Peter MacNicol, Howard Hesseman, Diana Scarwid, Joseph Mascolo, Alfie Wise and Joe Klecko.

Tagline: Nick Escalante isn’t a violent man by nature. He’s just good at it. Protection is his business. Especially when it comes to his friends

The Plot…

Nick Escalante (Reynolds) is a Vegas bodyguard.  When a female escort is brutalized by a mobster’s son named Danny DeMarco, Escalante agrees to help her get revenge.  Things go sideways when the DeMarco calls in hitters to take out Escalante.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

There’s a fun subplot with Peter MacNicol playing a rich, timid man who wants Escalante to teach him to be tough.

Heat was a troubled production.  Burt Reynolds and director, Dick Richards didn’t get along.  At one point Reynolds punched Richards, who then left the production.  Jerry Jamison was brought in to direct until Richards eventually returned.  Richards sued and won $500,000 from Reynold for the assault.

If you’re a Burt Reynolds fan, you’ll like Heat better than nonfans since the movie gets a lot of mileage from Reynolds likeability.

Heat (1987) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Gallery of Horror” (1967) starring Lon Chaney Jr. & John Carradine / Z-View

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Gallery of Horror (1967)

Director: David L. Hewitt

Screenplay: Gary R. Heacock, Russ Jones, David Prentiss

Stars: Lon Chaney Jr., John Carradine.

Tagline: So shocking it will sliver your liver!

The Plot…

John Carradine introduces and stars in one of five shorts in this horror/comedy anthology.  The segments, each with a “twist” ending include…

  • The Witches Clock: a couple in Salem Massachusetts buy a spooky old mansion that may have once been owned by a witch.
  • King of the Vampires: Scotland yard detectives are after a serial killer that may be a vampire
  • Monster Raid: a man returns from the dead to take revenge on those who killed him
  • Spark of Life: A doctor tries to follow the experiments of Dr. Frankenstein by bringing a dead man back to life.
  • Count Alucard: (Alucard is Dracula spelled backwards). is in for the surprise of his life…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

John Carradine and Lon Chaney Jr. must have been hurting for cash to appear in this low-low budget movie. Crowd scenes consist of a just a few folks on screen with sounds of a mob.  The sets look like something out of a micro budget production.  The stories are on the same level.  Each features a twist that can be seen coming from a mile away.  I could see Gallery of Horror shown as a double feature with Plan 9 from Outer Space.

Gallery of Horror (1967) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“The End” (1978) starring Burt Reynolds & Dom DeLuise / Z-View

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The End (1978)

Director: Burt Reynolds

Screenplay: Jerry Belson

Stars: Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Dom DeLuise, Strother Martin, David Steinberg, Joanne Woodward, Norman Fell, Myrna Loy, Kristy McNichol, Pat O’Brien, Robby Benson and Carl Reiner.

Tagline: “After all, what are friends for?”

The Plot…

Sonny Lawson (Reynods) learns that he’s got a fatal blood disease.  There is no cure. He will die a slow painful death.  So Sonny decides to end his life.  But first he visits his girlfriend, family members and a priest.  When Sonny fails at his suicide attempt, he ends up in a mental institution. There Sonny befriends a fellow patient named Marlon Borunki (DeLuise).  Borunki is happy to help his new friend die… even after Sonny changes his mind and wants to live!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The End doesn’t really come alive (see what I did there?) until Dom DeLuise shows up.  There are some truly funny scenes from there on.  Most are with DeLuise and Reynolds, but Burt has a funny extended solo scene where he bargains with God to stay alive.

Reynolds plays a very unlikeable character.  If he were more likeable, the audience would want him to live.  The End features a great cast, but there are so many characters that they aren’t given much to do.  Robbie Benson as a young priest gets the most laughs (outside of Reynolds and DeLuise).  Sally Field is always a welcome addition.  I wish The End started in the mental institution with DeLuise wanting to help Reynolds by killing him. Then Reynolds learns that he’s not really dying, but DeLuise doesn’t know or care… he’s on a mission.  Give me an hour and a half of that!  But that would be another movie.

The End (1978) rates 2 of 5 stars.